Steve Pond's Blog, page 134

Several Burned in ‘Targeted Terror Attack’ as Pro-Israel Demonstrators March at Colorado Pedestrian Mall

Several people suffered burn injuries at a busy outdoor mall in Boulder, Colorado, and a man was taken into custody Sunday in what the FBI called a “targeted terror attack” as a group of demonstrators walked in support of hostages still being held in Gaza, according to multiple media reports.

Update: An FBI spokesman confirmed that there were six victims, aged 67 to 88. The suspect has been identified as 45-year-old Mohamed Sabry Soliman, of Egyptian origin, who was heard to yell “Free Palestine” during the attack, he said.

“It is clear that this is a targeted act of violence and the FBI is investigating this as an act of terrorism,” said Mark Michalek, FBI Denver special agent in charge. “Sadly, attacks like this are becoming too common across the country. This is an example of how perpetrators of violence continue to threaten communities across our nation.”

JUST IN: FBI confirms the suspect in the Colorado terrorist attack yelled “Free Palestine” as he lit innocent people on fire.

Here are the updates:

– The suspect has been identified as 45 year old Mohamed Sabry Soliman.

– There are six victims, ages 67 to 88.

– Subject used… pic.twitter.com/mNEQHi248Z

— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) June 2, 2025

The attack took place at a popular pedestrian mall that attracts tourists and college students. Demonstrators with a volunteer group called Run For Their Lives – with multiple chapters across the world that regularly meet to advocate for the release of hostages in Gaza – had gathered to call for their release.

“The initial callers indicated that there was a man with a weapon and that people were being set on fire,” Redfearn said. “When we arrived, we encountered multiple victims that were injured with injuries consistent with burns … [and] a suspect was pointed out to our officers on the scene. Our officers immediately encountered that suspect, who was taken into custody without incident.”

Colorado Gov. Jared Polis said he was monitoring the situation, adding that “hate-filled acts of any kind are unacceptable.”

Redfearn said the suspect was taken to the hospital with minor injuries, but was not able to release his identity.

The ADL Center on Extremism has reviewed videos from the scene in Boulder, Colorado. We believe we hear the suspect saying:

“How many children you killed?”

“We have to end Zionists.”

“They are killers.”

We are continuing to learn more and will update accordingly.

— ADL (@ADL) June 1, 2025

“The scene itself is contained, but we have a large area here in downtown Boulder closed off right now,” he added. “Businesses have been closed, and we have asked people to avoid the area. It is not—this area is not safe yet. We’re dealing with a vehicle of interest. We’re dealing with a large area that we are making sure is safe before we allow people to come back.”

The ADL said it reviewed videos from the scene, and believe it heard the suspect saying: “How many children you killed?,” “We have to end Zionists,” and “They are killers.”

The post Several Burned in ‘Targeted Terror Attack’ as Pro-Israel Demonstrators March at Colorado Pedestrian Mall appeared first on TheWrap.

Michael Cohen Admits He’d ‘Selfishly’ Accept Trump Pardon: ‘It Would Make My Life a Little Easier’ | Video

Michael Cohen would “selfishly” accept a pardon from the president if he were to issue one, Donald Trump’s former attorney told MSNBC’s Ayman Mohyeldin, Catherine Rampell, and Antonia Hylton on Sunday.

Doing so “would make my life a little easier, going back into real estate, dealing with banks and so on,” he noted before adding, “But it’s not going to change my life.”

Cohen also said he had hoped to be pardoned by former President Biden.

“I also am concerned about the 70 million Americans, 70 million that are basically scarlet lettered for the rest of their life as a felon,” he explained. “I did my did my time. I paid all the restitution … I owe no money. Why should I be a felon for life? That’s not the way the system should work.”

In that vein, Cohen also noted those approximately 70 million Americans “are all afflicted by the fact that they have felony convictions.” He added, “They can’t get housing. They can’t get bank accounts. You can’t get credit cards and so on.”

Former Congressman Jesse Jackson, Jr., is also hoping to receive a pardon from Trump. He and Cohen are “working on a policy that we believe would be like from the hand of God, which is what the president’s power that’s granted him in the Constitution,” Cohen explained.

“So you look at the list of people, though, who have received pardons and commutations in recent days and weeks. What do you make of the pattern that’s emerging here, though? Some of them are really bad individuals,” he continued. “Others are also caught up in white collar tax issues. And I agree with the tax issues, the nonviolent. But there are several who, let’s just say, stole over a billion dollars, paid back 100 million dollars and now receive the pardon.”

Cohen also cited Trump’s “first term to the goal of using pardons in large part for a form of criminal justice reform” when the president “was meeting with Van Jones and others and, you know, it was in part a way for him to actually reach out to black and Latino voters.”

“That does not seem to be his focus this time around,” he concluded.

Watch the interview with Michael Cohen in the video above.

The post Michael Cohen Admits He’d ‘Selfishly’ Accept Trump Pardon: ‘It Would Make My Life a Little Easier’ | Video appeared first on TheWrap.

‘Inside the NBA’ Signs Off After 35 Seasons on TNT | Video

After 35 seasons on the air, “Inside the NBA” bid adieu to TNT on Saturday night. The show will air on ABC and ESPN next season with hosts Ernie Johnson, Shaquille O’Neal, Kenny Smith and Charles Barkley returning.

“Look, the four of us, as you’ve already heard, the four of us are going to be together,” Johnson told viewers. “Our production crew is going to be together. It’s going to be that same bunch. We’re still going to be shooting that show in Atlanta. It’s just going to air somewhere else. And so the craziness that you’ve seen, the nonsense and the foolishness and the top-notch basketball analysis, all of that stuff’s going to be on ESPN or ABC next year, not on TNT. For that, we’re sad. But I’m proud to say for the last time, thanks for watching us. It’s the NBA on TNT.”

The move is part of the NBA’s new media rights deal, which will also bring NBC and Amazon Prime into the coverage fold. The NBA Finals are already set to air on ABC this year.

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“Even though the name changes, the engine is still the same,” O’Neal assured viewers during the final broadcast. “And to that new network we’re coming to, we’re not coming to f–k around … We’re taking over, OK? I love you guys and I appreciate you guys.”

Indiana Pacers coach Rick Carlisle also toasted the network. While being interviewed by Johnson following his team’s win, Carlisle grabbed the microphone and said, “Congratulations to TNT on a fabulous, unbelievable run that’s coming to an end. We’re all very sad about that.”

“Our hearts are full of gratitude,” TNT’s Kevin Harlan added on air. “Not sadness, but gratitude and happiness for what has been. It has been an honor, it has been a privilege and I hope you all have enjoyed it as much as we have.”

The post ‘Inside the NBA’ Signs Off After 35 Seasons on TNT | Video appeared first on TheWrap.

Elon Musk Tells CBS ‘DOGE Will Continue as a Way of Life,’ Still Questions Trump’s ‘Big, Beautiful Bill’ | Video

Elon Musk sat down for a taped interview with CBS Sunday Morning host David Pogue, a wide-ranging discussion of Trump-related topics, including the president’s “big, beautiful” spending bill and Musk’s apparently slowed-down Department of Government Efficiency.

For now, DOGE “is going to continue just as a way of life,” Musk told Pogue. “And I’ll have some participation in that, but as I say publicly, my focus has to be on the companies at this point.”

But as Pogue pointed out during the segment, the relationship between Trump and Musk has slowed down. At one point this year the president was posting online about Musk several times a week, but by April he had completely stopped mentioning the tech entrepreneur.

Pogue also asked Musk how he feels about that spending bill, which could mean “everything he’s done on DOGE gets wiped out in the first year.”

“I think a bill can be big or it can be beautiful. But I don’t know if it could be both,” Musk answered.

Pogue also grilled Musk about the Trump administration’s proposed tariffs.

“I noticed that all of your businesses involve a lot of components, a lot of parts,” Pogue said. “Do the tariffs and the trade wars affect any of this?” Musk answered in the affirmative.

The conversation briefly turned toward a ban on foreign students at Harvard, also another idea cooked up by Trump and his team. Despite having benefitted from being allowed to attend university in the United States, Musk deflected the question and said to Pogue, “Yeah, I mean, I think we want to stick to, you know, the subject of the day — which is, like spaceships, as opposed to presidential policy.”

Watch the interview with Elon Musk in the video above.

The post Elon Musk Tells CBS ‘DOGE Will Continue as a Way of Life,’ Still Questions Trump’s ‘Big, Beautiful Bill’ | Video appeared first on TheWrap.

George Stephanopoulos, Unfazed by $16 Million ABC Settlement, Accuses Trump of Corruption: ‘Scale Is Staggering’ | Video

“This Week with George Stephanopoulos” opened Sunday with a scathing accusation of corruption by Donald Trump and his family – just six months after ABC agreed to a $16 million payment to settle a defamation lawsuit brought by the president for the anchor’s comments about E. Jean Carroll.

Stephanopoulos cracked the seal on “This Week” connecting the dots between Trump’s pardons and presidential fundraisers, suggesting Trump and his family were making millions through various pay-to-play schemes.

“The scale is staggering,” Stephanopoulos said. “Donald Trump and his family are making hundreds of millions, potentially billions of dollars, as Trump and his administration are taking official actions that benefit contributors and investors. Just this week, we learned of pardons to tax cheats, including a man whose mother was pardoned just weeks after she attended a million-dollar-a-head fundraiser for the president, the Trump media and technology group, raising $2.5 billion dollars from 50 institutional investors whose identities have not been disclosed.”

George Stephanopoulos opened @ThisWeekABC in high-dungeon over presidential corruption: “This unprecedented money making by a sitting President and his family summarized by critics like @TheAtlantic’s David Frum: ‘Nothing like this has been attempted or even imagined in the… pic.twitter.com/XAkW8xGyA7

— Brent Baker (@BrentHBaker) June 1, 2025

Stephanopoulos also noted that the SEC had dropped a lawsuit against the cryptocurrency firm Binance, days after the company listed a currency from World Liberty Financial, which was started by Trump’s family. The anchor also cited a report in the Atlantic by David Frum.

“‘Nothing like this has been attempted or even imagined in the history of the American presidency,’ he writes,” Stephanopoulos said. “‘Throw away the history books, discard feeble comparisons to scandals of the past … The brazenness resembles nothing seen in any earlier White House. This is American corruption on the scale of a post-Soviet republic or a post-colonial African dictatorship.’ That’s where we begin this week.”

ABC News and Stephanopoulos agreed to a $16 million settlement with Donald Trump in December to resolve a defamation lawsuit stemming from a March 2024 interview in which the anchor incorrectly stated that Trump had been found “liable for rape” in the civil case brought by Carroll.

A New York jury had found Trump liable for sexual abuse and defamation, but not rape, due to the specific legal definitions under state law. The case had been progressing toward depositions for both Trump and Stephanopoulos before the agreement was reached, and was considered a significant legal victory for Trump.

The post George Stephanopoulos, Unfazed by $16 Million ABC Settlement, Accuses Trump of Corruption: ‘Scale Is Staggering’ | Video appeared first on TheWrap.

Devin Harjes, ‘Boardwalk Empire’ Actor, Dies at 41

Devin Harjes, best known for his roles in “Boardwalk Empire,” “Gotham,” and “Daredevil,” died May 27 in New York after a fight against cancer. He was 41.

Harjes appeared as Jack Dempsey on “Boardwalk Empire” for HBO. His additional credits also included “Orange is the New Black,” “Elementary,” “When the Shadow Falls,” “Rebel in the Rye,” and “Boyz of Summer.” He also appeared in nine episodes of the NBC series “Manifest.”

Harjes was born on July 29, 1983, in Lubbock, Texas. He studied acting in college and moved to New York City to pursue a career in the entertainment industry.

He is survived by his parents, Randy and Rosanne Harjes; his sister and her husband, Trish Harjes and Justin Kelley; his nephews, Tristin and Sawyer Kelley; his nieces, Rory and Charly Kelley; his ex-wife and Gotham actress, Shiva Shobitha; and his cat, Maude.

The Hollywood Reporter first reported the news.

The post Devin Harjes, ‘Boardwalk Empire’ Actor, Dies at 41 appeared first on TheWrap.

‘Mountainhead’ Packs a Sobering Warning Within Its ‘Tech Bros Gone Wild’ Satire

Although “Mountainhead” is being tossed out as Emmy bait — landing on the eligibility deadline — the HBO movie won’t be everyone’s cup of tea. Yet the underlying warning in “Succession” creator Jesse Armstrong’s film exploring the toxic combination of oligarchs, AI and disinformation merits some sober reflection beyond its “Tech Bros Gone Wild” satire and silliness.

Armstrong obviously gave the world a lot to chew on (and HBO a bunch of Emmys) with “Succession,” especially with its chapters about how the show’s fictional but very Murdoch-like media dynasty, the Roys, played a pivotal role in anointing a U.S. president. The series may have been cynical, but much of that felt grounded in reality.

It’s hard to tell yet, frankly, how true that is of “Mountainhead,” which Armstrong wrote and directed, but parts of the movie feel disturbingly plausible. And if even a fraction of its over-the-top musings about technology and masters of the universe come to pass, it’s an unsettling vision of what the future might hold — of technology that could do massive harm to society, and uber-rich overlords who, faced with that prospect, for the most part don’t care.

In some ways resembling a filmed play — just with a 21,000-square-foot mountain retreat, complete with panoramic views, as its enormous stage — the movie focuses on four tech titans who assemble for a guys’ weekend. Trading insults and revealing their odd personality quirks, they also monitor unfolding events from afar, with the world thrown into chaos by highly realistic deep-fake technology that one of them markets, creating tension inside the aerie as well as beyond it.

Boasting an aggregate worth of more than $340 billion, the quartet — played by Steve Carell, Ramy Youssef, Jason Schwartzman and Cory Michael Smith — obsess over their paper wealth, but perhaps most unnervingly, appear callous to whatever collateral damage their pursuit of it might unleash.

Wholesale ethnic violence here? An assassination or political coup there? Hey, it’s just a cost of doing business.

From that perspective, “Mountainhead” recalls an ahead-of-its-time HBO production from 1997, “Weapons of Mass Distraction,” made when TV movies represented a much more robust genre. Written by the late Larry Gelbart (known for “M*A*S*H” and “Tootsie,” among others), the story involved two feuding media moguls going to battle over acquiring a football team, using their assets as oversized toys to bludgeon each other, while ruining the lives of an ordinary couple (surrogates, naturally, for the rest of us) amid the back and forth.

Cory Michael Smith, Steve Carell, Ramy Youssef and Jason Schwartzman in “Mountainhead” (HBO)

It’s not an accident the new film’s title rhymes with Ayn Rand’s novel “The Fountainhead,” though that’s just one of Armstrong’s little touches that seem too cute and coy. Nor is it really worth speculating about which real-life billionaires provided inspiration, but there’s clearly a whole lot of Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg in them, which probably helps explain why so much of their behavior is weird, awkward and just plain cringey.

Armstrong said at the premiere that he wasn’t looking to dive back into the world of the super-wealthy, but it’s understandable why he’d be drawn to such a target-rich environment filled with excess and eccentricity. Like the “Succession” gang, all the money and privilege in the world can’t compensate for broken psyches and nagging insecurities, though it does produce some clever banter, like a reference to one of the bunch as “Dark Money Gandalf.”

At its core, “Mountainhead” paints a picture of the dangers associated with uncurbed technology, which threatens to upend our lives in less ostentatious ways than the pyrotechnics envisioned in “The Matrix” or “The Terminator” but almost equally destructive. In this case, the hazards include completely undermining any sense of shared reality or the ability to fully trust what we see with our own eyes.

Think about those deep-fake videos of the new Pope making the rounds, then imagine what happens with a couple generations of tech perfecting that, in the hands of amoral billionaires far more concerned about maintaining their share price than who might die because of what they’re peddling.

Throw in having the ear of world leaders, as the players in “Mountainhead” and their real-life counterparts do, and unlike the action-packed movies cited above, nothing here really sounds like science fiction. When one member of the group boasts, “We have the resources to take over the world,” it might not be mere tech-bro bravado.

Focusing on the shortcomings of “Mountainhead” risks missing the forest for the trees — or more accurately, the fact that we might not know if what we’re seeing really is a forest, as opposed to some AI-created replica of one, before we’ve inadvertently burned down the whole damn thing.

As noted, Armstrong explores those provocative ideas in a less-than-wholly-satisfying package, partly shackled by a structure that, by sequestering the central characters, essentially holds the audience hostage in a confined space with this less-than-fantastic foursome.

Of course, the key players in “Succession” could be pretty odious as well, but the series format allowed them to breathe and develop over time in a way that’s difficult to achieve condensed into a TV movie.

Focusing on the shortcomings of “Mountainhead,” though, risks missing the forest for the trees — or more accurately, the fact that we might not know if what we’re seeing really is a forest, as opposed to some AI-created replica of one, before we’ve inadvertently burned down the whole damn thing.

“Mountainhead” premiered May 31 on HBO and Max.

The post ‘Mountainhead’ Packs a Sobering Warning Within Its ‘Tech Bros Gone Wild’ Satire appeared first on TheWrap.

Where to Watch ‘Mountainhead’: Is Jesse Armstrong’s New Movie Streaming?

What exactly do billionaires do on vacation? Well, in the case of “Mountainhead” at least, the answer appears to be: watch the world burn, in no small part due to their own actions.

An HBO original written and directed by “Succession” creator Jesse Armstrong, “Mountainhead” centers on four rich men, with Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman, Cory Michael Smith and Ramy Youssef as the core cast. The billionaires are old friends and on vacation, but like any friend group, they have their grievances.

You can check out TheWrap’s review of the film, which likens the films to “oligarch burlesque,” here.

Otherwise, here’s what you need to know.

When does it come out?

“Mountainhead” was scheduled to release on Saturday, May 31 at 8:00 p.m. ET/PT, but HBO gave it a surprise early release at midnight PT. 

Is it streaming?

Yes it is. You’ll be able to watch the “Mountainhead” premiere on HBO, and it will be available to stream on HBO Max.

What is “Mountainhead” about?

The official logline is pretty vague: “A group of billionaire friends get together against the backdrop of a rolling international crisis.”

Who’s in it?

Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman, Cory Michael Smith and Ramy Youssef anchor the film.

Watch the trailer

The post Where to Watch ‘Mountainhead’: Is Jesse Armstrong’s New Movie Streaming? appeared first on TheWrap.

‘Wednesday’ Shares Character Details for Lady Gaga, Haley Joel Osment Guest Starring Roles in Season 2

“Wednesday” Season 2 got a huge spotlight during Netflix’s Tudum fan event Saturday, unveiling details for Lady Gaga and Haley Joel Osment’s guest star roles in the process.

Gaga, who was first reported to join the cast of the Netflix horror comedy in November, will guest star as Rosaline Rotwood, a legendary professor at Nevermore who crosses paths with Wednesday (Jenna Ortega). She will make her debut in Part 2 of Season 2, set for release Sept. 3.

The singer celebrated the announcement with a performance during the event in Los Angeles, performing “Zombieboy” from her latest album. Star Jenna Ortega joined Gaga on stage for “Abracadabra.”

Netflix also unveiled the first six minutes of Season 2, which revealed Haley Joel Osment’s guest starring role as a longtime serial killer who Wednesday tracked down as her summer pastime. The clip showed how a trip to his home ended with Wednesday landing in a precarious situation, until an assist by Thing helped her to safety.

Watch the clip below:

After “Wednesday” Season 1 premiered in November 2022, Gaga’s 2011 hit “Bloody Mary” went viral combined with Ortega’s dancing as Wednesday from the series on social media. Since then, Ortega said in a red carpet interview that she would love for Gaga to appear in Season 2. The singer honored the delayed success of the song by opening her Coachella headlining set with “Bloody Mary,” also performing the set in Brazil and Singapore.

“Wednesday” stars Ortega, Emma Myers, Joy Sunday, Hunter Doohan, Victor Dorobantu, Moosa Mostafa and Georgie Farmer, as well as Catherine Zeta-Jones, Luis Guzmán, Isaac Ordonez and Luyanda Unati Lewis-Nyawo, who have been upped to series regulars.

Beyond Gaga and Osment, new additions for Season 2 include Steve Buscemi, Billie Piper, Noah Taylor, Evie Templeton and Owen Painter, who all join as series regulars.

“Wednesday” Season 2 premieres in two parts on August 6 and Sept. 3 on Netflix.

The post ‘Wednesday’ Shares Character Details for Lady Gaga, Haley Joel Osment Guest Starring Roles in Season 2 appeared first on TheWrap.

‘Stranger Things 5’ Sets Holiday Release Schedule, Episodes Premiering Across Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Eve

Netflix has finally revealed when the fifth and final season of “Stranger Things” will arrive on the streaming platform, with the wildly popular Duffer Brothers series overtaking the holidays this year. The streamer announced that the final batch of episodes will be split into three release dates — the day before Thanksgiving, Christmas and the finale airing on New Year’s Eve.

Watch the reveal below.

The fight isn’t over yet. Get ready for the epic series finale of Stranger Things.

Volume 1: November 26, 5pm PT*
Volume 2: Christmas, 5pm PT*
The Finale: New Year's Eve, 5pm PT*

*releasing worldwide all at once, date may vary based on your local timezone #TUDUM pic.twitter.com/nBcx9Ast9x

— Netflix (@netflix) June 1, 2025

It’s unclear how, exactly, the episodes will be divided but the final episode – or episodes – will come out Dec. 31. (The final episode, it’s already been revealed, is titled “The Rightside Up.”) It seems like a winning formula, combining the tried-and-true stream-all-at-once Netflix formula with their newer emphasis on live events like the Beyoncé-bowl event and John Mulaney’s recent nighttime talk show “Everybody’s Live.” It also follows the premiere of “Squid Game” Season 2 the day after Christmas 2024 to tremendous viewership numbers.

Netflix is making “Stranger Things” the streaming event of the holiday season. And we imagine there will be a robust consumer products campaign to go along with the latest cycle. Everybody’s getting a plush Demogorgon under the tree this year.

At the end of the last season, the Upside Down had come to Hawkins, Indiana, with positively post-apocalyptic results. It’ll be interesting to see how our gang of plucky misfits will get out of this one.

“Stranger Things 5” will once again star Winona Ryder, David Harbour, Finn Wolfhard, Millie Bobby Brown, Gaten Matarazzo, Caleb McLaughlin, Noah Schnapp, Sadie Sink, Natalia Dyer, Charlie Heaton and Joe Keery, along with Maya Hawke and Brett Gelman. New to the series this year is Linda Hamilton, playing an undisclosed role, with a returning Jamie Campbell Bower as the villainous entity Vecna.

Episode titles for the new eight-episode season include “The Turnbow Trap,” “Shock Jock” (set photos reveal a local radio station has a prominent role in the story), “Sorcerer” and “”Escape from Camazotz” (Camazotz, in Mayan mythology, is a giant death bat). It’s also been confirmed that Frank Darabont, the director of “The Shawshank Redemption” and “The Mist,” will direct a pair of episodes, with the Duffer Brothers directing three episodes, including the series finale.

And while “Stranger Things” might be closing up shop, it is far from the end of the franchise. The brilliant stage show “Stranger Things: The First Shadow,” which premiered in London, recently hit Broadway and racked up five Tony nominations, with a special win for its technical wizardry. There’s also a Saturday morning cartoon-style animated series coming, plus a rumored anime series about an Upside Down portal in Tokyo and a live-action spinoff series in development.

Ready to spend your holidays with “Stranger Things?”

The post ‘Stranger Things 5’ Sets Holiday Release Schedule, Episodes Premiering Across Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Eve appeared first on TheWrap.