Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy once again alienated "Star Wars" fans after stating that female employees of the franchise sometimes suffer from personal attacks simply due the fact that the fan base is predominantly male.Kennedy was discussing new series "The Acolyte," the first show from the franchise to be created by a woman. Leslye Headland, typically known as a film director, has planned new, major female characters for the franchise. This is made possible by creating a storyline that takes place long before the earliest (chronologically) film in the franchise, "Episode 1: The Phantom Menace."Ahead of the series release, Headland and Kennedy spoke to the New York Times, with the studio president trying to get ahead of any criticism her new director may face."My belief is that storytelling does need to be representative of all people," Kennedy said. "That's an easy decision for me."The new show certainly is following the studio's new woman-first mantra, which features several new, prominent female Jedi while including actress Carrie-Anne Moss as the new "most powerful Jedi in the room" who practices a form of Kung-Fu. This was directly inspired by Moss' character in "The Matrix" franchise.'Anyone who engages in bigotry, racism or hate speech … I don't consider a fan.'Kennedy, keeping up with her insistence of overloading movies with unnecessary, woke characters, once again targeted male "Star Wars" fans for taking issue with her productions."Operating within these giant franchises now, with social media and the level of expectation — it’s terrifying," she said. "I think Leslye has struggled a little bit with it. I think a lot of the women who step into 'Star Wars' struggle with this a bit more. Because of the fan base being so male dominated, they sometimes get attacked in ways that can be quite personal.""As a fan myself, I know how frustrating some 'Star Wars' storytelling in the past has been. I've felt it myself," she continued. "I stand by my empathy for 'Star Wars' fans. But I want to be clear. Anyone who engages in bigotry, racism or hate speech … I don't consider a fan," she added.Kennedy was parodied by "South Park" in late 2023 for wanting to "put a chick" in every Disney project and "make it lame and gay," simply as an effort to pander. Despite her being reportedly upset by her portrayal, Kennedy has gone full speed ahead with more woke projects.Headland being tapped to be showrunner was the second major announcement by Lucasfilm in recent months that involved putting a woman at the forefront of a major "Star Wars" production.In early 2024, Pakistani-Canadian director Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy described her female-focused Jedi movie as something "very special.""It's about time that we had a woman come forward to shape a story in a galaxy far, far away," she said, citing that it was justified because of the current year.As for Headland, Blaze TV's Lauren Chen called her "fully unprepared and unqualified to be heading up a 'Star War'' project.”Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Legal expert Jonathan Turley believes several jury requests indicate not-so-good news for prosecutors targeting Donald Trump. Hours after they began deliberations, the 12-person jury deciding Trump's fate in the hush-money case submitted two notes to Judge Juan Merchan. 'That is pretty chilling for people that believe strongly in the criminal justice system and the very high standard of proof that’s required.' In the first note, jurors made four requests related to the testimony of David Pecker and Michael Cohen, two key witnesses at the trial. In the second note, the jury requested to rehear Merchan's complicated instructions, which took more than an hour to read on Wednesday morning. From Turley’s perspective, the note requesting the jury instructions does not bode well for the prosecution. “I’m surprised that some other networks have said, ‘Look, this is really great news that they sent this out.’ I gotta tell you, as a criminal defense attorney, I would not view this as clearly good news for the prosecution,” he said on Fox News. “The only reason why a jury would send out a request to hear the instructions again is if there’s a disagreement about what the instructions are,” he explained. “That indicates that there may be a conflict with jurors in that room about what their standard is, how they are supposed to look at the evidence.” The request for transcripts of Cohen’s testimony, Turley added, could indicate the jury is scrutinizing Cohen’s testimony. This is important because Merchan told the jurors they could disregard his testimony if they believe he lied about any material fact. “I don’t consider this such a clearly positive thing for the prosecution. As a defense attorney, I would welcome this type of request. They were only in there for a few hours, and they asked to hear the instructions again, and they asked to hear core testimony,” Turley explained. Still, there remains a problem for Trump, Turley said: Merchan’s controversial instructions. “They are very one-sided, and they have converted this into something of a canned hunt. What Judge Merchan has said is that you could divide four, four, four. You could have three groups of jurors who view the facts materially differently. They could disagree as to what crime was behind this effort to falsify business records, and Merchan will still treat that as a unanimous verdict,” he explained. “That is pretty chilling for people that believe strongly in the criminal justice system and the very high standard of proof that’s required.” Court resumed on Thursday just after 9:30 a.m.After the jury was re-empaneled, Merchan re-read his instructions, prompting some jurors — including one of the panel's two attorneys — to write diligent notes. Afterward, the court began re-reading the requested witness testimony. The jury is expected to restart deliberations after all requested testimony is re-read. Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Boston Mayor Michelle Wu (D) expressed support for a number of soft-on-crime, progressive policies, including backing a do-not-prosecute list and terminating the Boston Police Department's gang database, according to the "2021 Boston Mayoral Candidate Questionnaire" from the nonprofit Progressive Massachusetts recently reviewed by Fox News Digital.The organization's survey asked Wu about her policies regarding many issues, including whether she would "support shuttering the Boston Police gang database," to which Wu responded, "Yes." She also stated that she backed noncitizens voting in local elections, Fox News Digital reported.'Boston deserves better.'Former Suffolk County District Attorney Rachael Rollins enacted a do-not-prosecute list, which included a list of charges she declined to prosecute while in office. Some of those offenses included trespassing, shoplifting, larceny, disorderly conduct, driving with a suspended license, breaking and entering, wanton or malicious destruction of property, threats, drug possession, drug possession with intent to distribute, and resisting arrest.Wu was asked by the nonprofit, "Do you support the Suffolk County District Attorney's Office's do-not-prosecute list and expanded approach to dealing with such low-level offenses? YES/ NO?"The mayor again responded, "Yes."Fox News Digital reported that Wu also declared that the police should be "demilitariz[ed]" and prohibited from using tear gas, rubber bullets, and attack dogs."Do you believe that affiliation or sympathies with white supremacist organizations among officers is a problem with BPD? YES/ NO If so, what measures would you take as mayor to combat that issue?" the organization's survey asked.Wu replied, "Yes. I have advocated for terminating any [Boston Police Department] employees who were involved with the January 6th Capitol insurrection.""We must ensure that contract language enables the sharing of data with the public on officers' use-of-force and misconduct and allows disciplinary records to be made publicly accessible, in accordance with privacy laws," Wu stated, referring to publicizing personnel files regarding the department's "use-of-force."Wu did not respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital.Wu has yet to confirm whether she plans to run for re-election in Boston's 2025 mayoral race, but some are already considering challenging her.Rumors have been swirling that philanthropist Josh Kraft, the son of the New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft, is being urged by Boston's business community to challenge Wu in the upcoming election. He has not yet announced whether he will do so.Jorge Mendoza Iturralde, a North End restaurant owner, reportedly plans to run against Wu in 2025 if she seeks re-election. He is part of a group of restaurateurs suing the city over the mayor's restrictions on outdoor dining.Mendoza Iturralde told the Boston Globe, "I love Boston, I grew up in Boston, I grew up in the North End.""But I also believe that Boston deserves better. Boston deserves somebody who is going to work for the people of Boston, not for their political career," he said."I'm a small fish in a big pond, but I think that at the very least, with my campaign, I can bring up some of the issues that are affecting Boston and perhaps remind the people of Boston that it is our city, not the politicians' city, and when the politicians get out of hand we need to let them know that we don't agree with what they're doing and they are not doing the job we pay them for," Mendoza Iturralde told the Boston Globe.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

The famous "Florida man" headline strikes again. This time, it’s for a progressive Pride street mural that was supposedly vandalized with tire marks by two drivers. Now, St. Petersburg police are on the hunt for them. The first driver made his mark on May 17 at 9:36 am, when he decided to channel his inner NASCAR and zoom through the mural at 2500 Central Ave in his truck. Not to be outdone, a blue two-door car showed up at 2:41 am on May 22, where he spun doughnuts. The incidents were caught on camera and show the second car spinning in circles on the rainbow walkway. The second joyride will cost the city about $1,100 to fix, which makes it an official criminal mischief felony. One LGBTQ bartender who works at Ride’em Cowboy in St. Petersburg told reporters he was “shocked and devastated,” especially considering the action took place “so close to Pride.” “I think we all need to be careful now. There’s people obviously out there to get us that are a part of the LGBTQ including myself,” he continued, adding, “I was very upset somebody would do this.” Pat Gray can’t stop laughing. “They act like these are sacred areas, like they’re Indian burial grounds or something,” Gray says. Want more from Pat Gray?To enjoy more of Pat's biting analysis and signature wit as he restores common sense to a senseless world, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.

MSNBC analyst John Heilemann implored minority voters on Thursday not to go with former President Donald Trump, as polling shows he has made gains with the typically strong Democratic voting bloc. According to Heilemann, it is not the concern that those voters will go toward Trump but that they won't vote at all because President Joe Biden is a weak candidate. "It is not the concern about African-American voters, young voters, and — and Hispanic voters like these core elements of the Democratic coalition, the concern is not that anybody really thinks they’re going to go flock off to Donald Trump. The concern is that they stay home, that they, that — that in a very, very close election in all of those battleground states, you know, if a large chunk of any of those parts of the coalition decide to just say, ‘Screw it, I’m not going to vote,’ that’s a problem for the Biden campaign," Heilemann said.Democrats have been stunned by Trump's support among Latinos."We see that in the polling for African-American and Latino voters ... a Trump re-election would be terrible for them. So just please do what you did back — from the Biden campaign’s point of view — just do what you did back in 2020. You’re right," he continued. "That is the easier sell than trying to get older white voters who have drifted away from the Democratic coalition over the last 20 years to come back home. Those guys are sticking with Biden. That’s a big part of why they can be optimistic in those three Midwestern states.” — (@) While black voters are still largely Democrats and support Biden in the upcoming election, Pew Research found younger black voters are more likely to say they would vote for Trump. Around two-thirds of black voters under 50 favor Biden, with 29% supporting Trump, a notable difference for black voters 50 and older who favor Biden by a wider margin (84% vs. 9%).A poll by the New York Times and Siena College in March found 46% supported Trump, with 40% favoring Biden. The Times noted Democrats have been stunned by Trump's support among Latinos, given his stance on curbing illegal immigration and wanting to secure the U.S.-Mexico border.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

In Episode 351 Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger explore the ruins of Old Newgate Prison in East Granby, Connecticut. The prison got its start as a copper mine back in 1709. After the mine closed, Connecticut believed they found the perfect place for their first state prison. After multiple escapes and riots, a more formal building was constructed on the site. It was a place the inmates simply called: Hell. BECOME A LEGENDARY PATRON: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends CREDITS: Produced and hosted by: Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger Edited by: Ray Auger Theme Music by: John Judd SUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCAST FOR FREE: Apple Podcasts/iTunes | Spotify | Pandora | Amazon Podcasts | TuneIn | iHeartRadio JOIN OUR SUPER-SECRET: New England Legends Facebook Group

Thread from BarkBox Subscriber About WHY They've Canceled After 'Pride Month Pups' Email a MUST-Read

An Insider's Perspective on Pharmacy Benefit Managers

John Fetterman 2.0 Takes Bulldozer to Alma Mater Harvard During Yeshiva University Commencement Address

Google made several big announcements about Android 15 a few weeks ago at I/O 2024, including new Gemini-powered AI experiences coming later this year. But Google won't wait that long to deploy new features in Android. The company announced seven new features on Thursday that are meant to improve your overall Android experience, including two additions that I think are must-haves. The company will add support for editing sent RCS messages. That's a big deal for Android's default messaging system, especially in anticipation of Apple's iMessage getting RCS support. iMessage already lets you edit sent messages, though it's too early to tell if Google's new RCS editing feature will work in chats with iPhones. Also, Google wants to improve the emoji experience on Android. You'll soon be able to combine more emoji in the Emoji Kitchen to create unique stickers. Interestingly, Apple is rumored to be bringing generative AI emojis to iOS 18, which will let you create stickers on the spot, matching the contents of conversations. Continue reading... The post 7 new Android features announced: Edit sent RCS messages, emoji maker, more appeared first on BGR. Today's Top Deals Today’s deals: $199 Bose soundbar, $38 Sony headphones, Energizer batteries, $200 off DJI Explorer, more Today’s deals: Memorial Day sales on ECOVACS DEEBOT X2 Combo, Apple, Samsung foldable phones, more Best Apple deals for May 2024 Today’s deals: $249 iPad, Sonos speakers from $199, $495 Apple Watch Ultra, $14 charging station, more