Tag: slams

DC business owner slams city leaders for out-of-control crime: 'Lack courage' to 'be more aggressive'

Business owners and community leaders in one Washington, D.C. neighborhood sounded off about violent crime “terrorizing” residents after a deadly shooting rocked their community last weekend.

“It’s just a continuous tragedy,” ANC (Advisory Neighborhood Commission) chairwoman for Shaw, Rachelle Nigro told The Washington Post. “Residents who have lived in that area have been terrorized for decades with violence… How much can this community take?”

Two people were killed and five people were injured in the deadly shooting in Shaw over the weekend and the suspect has yet to be identified. One business owner blamed city leaders for not being aggressive enough on crime.

“It’s sickening, and I’m tired,” Cedric Maupillier, owner of French bistro Convivial, told The Post. “The only people to blame are the people who run the city.”

LAWMAKERS PASS ‘SECURE DC’ ANTI-CRIME BILL AFTER BUSINESS GROUPS WARN OF ‘ALARMING’ TREND OF VIOLENCE

Maupillier said he is struggling to keep his business open because of violence in the neighborhood. Shootings in the area have driven customers away and prompted two of his employees to quit.

He blamed DC officials for not taking a tougher stance on crime.

“They lack courage to change and be more aggressive toward the people that create crimes,” he told The Post. “Police can’t do anything. We don’t do anything about petty crime anymore.”

Business leaders wrote a letter to Democratic Mayor Muriel Bowser earlier this month warning about an “alarming increase in violent crime across our city.” Days later, lawmakers in the district passed a sweeping anti-crime bill intended to crack down on violent crime and theft.

MAYORS OF DC, OAKLAND CLAIM COMEBACK AMID PUBLIC BACKLASH FROM CRIME SURGE

The Secure DC Omnibus Amendment Act of 2024 — which includes more than 100 proposals to fight crime, including ramping up gun violence penalties and adding punishments for organized retail theft, according to FOX 5 DC — was passed by the D.C. Council in a 12-1 vote on March 5.  

Mayor Bowser signed the crime bill into law on March 11.

Maupillier was skeptical the law would help bring down crime. “I don’t believe in politics. I want people to actually do the job they say they’re going to do,” he told The Post.

Sheena Berry, an advisory neighborhood commissioner in Shaw, also feared the new anti-crime bill would bring a “false illusion to safety,” saying that the problems with crime wouldn’t be solved with “one bill.”

Mayor Bowser defended the city’s reputation in a recent interview with Axios. Crime has been trending downward in DC this year, she said, citing a 17-percent drop in violent crime and 12-percent drop in overall crime according to police data.

Fox News’ Jeffrey Clark contributed to this report.

NYC Mayor Eric Adams slams 'irresponsibility' of White House on immigration

New York City Democratic Mayor Eric Adams on Tuesday criticized the “irresponsibility” of the White House regarding immigration. 

The comments came during a press conference, where Adams complained his city has taken in a burden of asylum-seekers due to failures by both parties in the nation’s capital.

“It is not about the asylum-seekers and migrants, all of us came from somewhere to pursue the American Dream,” Adams said. “It is the irresponsibility of the Republican Party in Washington for refusing to do real immigration reform, and it’s the irresponsibility of the White House for not addressing this problem.”

The complaint came a day after Adams criticized Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott for his latest plan to send asylum-seekers to cities across the nation.

NYC MAYOR ERIC ADAMS ACCUSES TEXAS GOV. GREG ABBOTT OF TARGETING ‘BLACK-RUN CITIES’ WITH MIGRANT BUSES

“Not only is this behavior morally bankrupt and devoid of any concern for the well-being of asylum seekers, but it is also impossible to ignore the fact that Abbott is now targeting five cities run by Black mayors,” Adams said. “Put plainly, Abbott is using this crisis to hurt Black-run cities.”

NYC MAYOR ERIC ADAMS SAYS ‘MIGRANT CRISIS’ UNDER BIDEN ADMINISTRATION HAS ‘DESTROYED’ CITY 

Adams clarified in an interview on WABC Tuesday he did not think Abbott’s actions make him a racist.

“I didn’t use the term racist,” Adams sad. “What I did was show the facts. We have 108,000 cities in America, 108,000. Many of them are Democratic cities, but where did Abbott send the migrants? To New York, to Chicago, to Denver, to Los Angeles, to Houston, to Washington. Each one of those cities are run by Black mayors.”

BIDEN ADMINISTRATION APPROVES SENDING 1,500 US TROOPS TO MEXICO BORDER AS TITLE 42 DEADLINE LOOMS: SOURCES

The Biden administration approved sending 1,500 active-duty U.S. troops to the southern border in May to prepare for the end of Title 42, sources told Fox News Tuesday. 

Marilyn Monroe historian slams Netflix's 'Blonde,' says film is 'the definition of exploitation'

Marilyn Monroe historian Scott Fortner is one of many who are slamming Netflix’s controversial Marilyn Monroe film.

The NC-17 flick, an adaption of Joyce Carol Oates’ 2000 novel, is a fictionalized take on the real-life actress and the struggle she endured during her brief life. The drama, directed by Andrew Dominik, stars Ana de Armas as Monroe. “Blonde” became available for streaming on Sept. 28.

While the film got a rapturous reception at the Venice Film Festival, it has been largely panned by both film critics and Monroe fans since its release. Many have said it exploits Monroe, who passed away in 1962 at age 36.

“As a Marilyn Monroe historian, it’s very disappointing that author Joyce Carol Oates and director Andrew Dominik have gone to such great lengths to victimize Hollywood’s most famous and beloved icon,” Fortner told Fox News Digital.

CRITICS RIP NETFLIX’S ‘BLONDE’ FOR BEING ‘EXPLOITATIVE’ AND ‘SEXIST’: ‘SELF-INDULGENT ACT OF CRUELTY’

“’Blonde’ is a fairytale that straddles a very thin line between actual events in Marilyn Monroe’s life and the false narrative Oates fabricated for her novel,” he said. “In this film, Andrew Dominik has gone even further with graphic, grotesque and disturbing adaptations of the chapters in the book. It is the definition of exploitation. And worse, it is the assassination of a woman who isn’t even here to defend herself and clarify definitively what’s true and what’s false.”

Fortner is considered an authority on Monroe and assists major auction companies in authenticating and verifying memorabilia. He owns the world’s largest private collection of Monroe’s personal possessions, which he shares on both his website and social media. Most recently, he is launching a podcast titled, “All Things Marilyn,” which will aim to explore Monroe’s career and legacy based on conversations with notable experts.

“Above all else, viewers must note that ‘Blonde’ was not a biography about Marilyn Monroe nor is this Netflix film a biopic,” he said. “Nearly every scene in the film portrays a mistruth or fabricated event. It does not tell the true story of Marilyn Monroe.”

Fortner has also taken to his website to publish an in-depth review after watching “Blonde.” In it, he criticized the film’s numerous inaccuracies on Monroe’s life, which he said are presented as fact.

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Like Fortner, Emily Ratajkowski took to social media to share her feelings about “Blonde.” The model, 31, admitted that she has yet to see the film. However, the conversations surrounding it have compelled her to speak out.

“I’m not surprised to hear it’s yet another movie fetishizing female pain even in death,” said Ratajkowski. “We do that in many, many different ways, but I want that to change.”

Ratajkowski compared Monroe’s treatment by the media to other modern-day stars who have suffered in the public eye.

“Look at Amy Winehouse, look at Britney Spears, look at the way we obsess over [Princess] Diana’s death,” she shared.

‘BLONDE’ STAR ANA DE ARMAS IS CONFUSED ON WHY MOVIE GOT NC-17 RATING: ‘I DIDN’T UNDERSTAND WHY THAT HAPPENED’

Adrien Brody, who starred in “Blonde,” defended the project, insisting it was “supposed to be a traumatic experience.” The Oscar winner told the Hollywood Reporter that both the film and the book that it was inspired by are “rife with themes of exploitation and trauma” because “Marilyn’s life, unfortunately, was full of that.”

“I think that since [the film is] told in this first-person perspective, it works somehow for the film to be a traumatic experience because you’re inside of her — her journey and her longings and her isolation — amidst all of this adulation,” said the 49-year-old. “It’s brave, and it takes a while to digest. And I think it’s in conflict with what the public’s perception of her life is.”

Monroe’s official Instagram page has dedicated its most recent posts to her accomplishments as a star.

“Throughout Marilyn’s life, she never stopped aiming to better herself and her career,” one post read. “She studied under many coaches and was always eager to develop her talent.”

ANA DE ARMAS NC-17 MARILYN MONROE MOVIE ‘BLONDE’ WILL LIKELY ‘OFFEND EVERYONE’: DIRECTOR

“Marilyn dedicated her life to acting,” revealed another. “Once she got into the movie business, she got acting lessons and advice to help her succeed.”

Dominik, who has read many of the reviews, said that “Blonde” is supposed to be “a horror film.”

In his post, Fortner noted that the grotesque inaccuracies of “Blonde” make it a true horror show even for those unfamiliar with Monroe’s journey beyond the big screen. Rather than exploring a complex life that included both triumphs and tragedies, it only created a poor caricature of a star mocked decades after her death.

“In a 1960 interview with journalist Georges Belmont, Marilyn said, ‘The true things rarely get into circulation. It’s usually the false things.’” Fortner pointed out. “’Blonde’ is utterly atrocious, misogynistic and a fail in every sense of the word. My only hope is that it is perceived by viewers as so incredibly ridiculous, salacious and horrifying that the general public will switch it off and assume it couldn’t possibly be an accurate representation of the most famous blonde of all time.”

“We should all take comfort in knowing Marilyn Monroe is not here to witness this,” he added.

Colorado Dem gov slams DeSantis for ‘socialist attacks’ on Disney, GOP gov hits back at ‘baseless allegations’

Polis criticized Florida in a Tuesday tweet over his support of the state legislation stripping Disney of its special self-governance powers and for DeSantis saying he was looking into legislation regarding Twitter’s poison pill to Elon Musk’s offer.

Trump slams Biden spending bills as 'Green New Deal,' warns Democrats will lose dozens of House seats in 2022

EXCLUSIVE: Former President Trump slammed President Biden’s spending agenda as the “Green New Deal bill,” warning that, if passed, the American people will face tax increases, and the Democratic Party will lose dozens of seats in the House of Representatives during the 2022 midterms.