- NewsCNN
Trump's religious photo-ops aren't about piety. They're about power
President Trump's recent visits to a church and a Catholic shrine capture his approach to religion: He readily uses religious symbols to fight a winner-take-all culture war.
1111 reactions - U.S.The Telegraph
Emma Watson responds to criticism for her support of George Floyd
Emma Watson has responded to criticism over her show of support for George Floyd, after she was accused of caring more about the aesthetics of her social media profile than the Black Lives Matter movement. The Harry Potter actress posted pictures of three black squares on her Instagram page on Tuesday as part of an online protest against the father's death at the hands of a white police officer on May 25. However, the 30-year-old was criticised for including a white border around the squares, prompting accusations from social media users that she was prioritising the look of her page, in which she often uses white borders, rather than showing true solidarity with the cause. Watson has now responded to the backlash, insisting that she is always keen to learn more about the ways she "unconsciously supports and upholds a system that is structurally racist". She told her fans on her social media page: "There is so much racism, both in our past and present, that is not acknowledged nor accounted for. White supremacy is one of the systems of hierarchy and dominance, of exploitation and oppression, that is tightly stitched into society. "As a white person, I have benefited from this. Whilst we might feel that, as individuals, we're working hard internally to be anti-racist, we need to work harder externally to actively tackle the structural and institutional racism around us. "I'm still learning about the many ways I unconsciously support and uphold a system that is structurally racist. I see your anger, sadness and pain. I cannot know what this feels like for you but it doesn't mean I won't try to." Mr Floyd died in the US after he was pinned to the floor by a police officer who had his knee on his neck for almost nine minutes, sparking mass protests across the country. The officer has been charged with his murder.
- CelebrityEvening Standard
Actor Gregory Boyce and girlfriend Natalie Adepoju died after accidental drug overdoses, coroner confirms
Actor Gregory Boyce and his girlfriend Natalie Adepoju died after accidental drug overdoses, a coroner has said.Boyce, 30, and Adepoju, 27, were found dead in the Twilight star’s Las Vegas home on May 13.
- WorldThe Conversation
Why we need French-style divorce for lockdown break-ups
Lockdown is putting more pressure on relationships than ever before. Couples should be able to separate peacefully without apportioning blame.
- U.S.USA TODAY
Fact check: Alcohol-based hand sanitizers will not spark car fires
Leaving alcohol-based hand sanitizers in a car may make them less effective, but it won't start a fire in your vehicle. Claims of that are false.
- EntertainmentThe Telegraph
'I don’t know if I’m going to have a career after this': why John Boyega is our most fearless actor
Sometimes when critics especially enjoy a film, we’re asked to host a Q&A; screening, at which the film itself is followed by an on-stage discussion during which audience members can put questions to “the talent”. You get to watch actors play themselves – or at least, versions of themselves that can think of no better way to spend an evening than on the publicity circuit – and the gulf between their screenbound and flesh-and-blood selves is often striking. That said, I’ve met three whose blockbuster charisma was entirely undimmed in person, and who at the end of the talk have had the auditorium spellbound, hanging on their every word. One was Tom Hanks – well, duh. Another was Meryl Streep – ditto. And the third was John Boyega. It was at an opening night screening of Star Wars: The Force Awakens in central London, and the panel was crammed with big names and bigger personalities, from Harrison Ford to Lucasfilm chief Kathleen Kennedy. But Peckham-born Boyega stole the show. Just 25 years old at the time (he’s 28 now), he spoke in a way that made the whole room crane in, even though most of it had probably neither seen nor heard of him before that night. (Pre-Star Wars, his biggest credits were a stint on the London-set 24 miniseries, a handful of independent dramas and the cult alien invasion thriller Attack the Block.) He told stories about his life on set, and before and after, with the almost mathematically calculated bounce and cadence of a great stand-up comic, but with none of the emotional distance that kind of technique often entails. I suspect everyone in that room believed we were listening to the real him speaking, regardless of whether we actually were, or if it was just another, more invisible kind of performance.
- LifestyleGood Housekeeping
Don't Give Kids "Chores." Teach Them That Helping out Is Part of Being a Family.
A doctor breaks down what tasks kids can handle at different ages — and why they're important.
- ScienceGeekWire
NASA’s Dragon riders capture the flag, nine years after it was left on the space station
A day after arriving at the International Space Station on SpaceX's Crew Dragon capsule, NASA astronauts Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken laid claim to a U.S. flag that symbolizes America's capability to send people to orbit from U.S. soil. The handkerchief-sized flag, sealed in a plastic envelope, has been kept aboard the space station since 2011, when NASA's final space shuttle crew left it behind before making their departure aboard Atlantis. It was displayed above the Harmony module's hatch — and, for a time, stored in an equipment bag, nearly forgotten — with instructions that it was to be taken… Read More
