Our world is at a critical juncture. The devastating effects of global warming are increasingly evident, and the crisis is deepening. To mitigate it, we must urgently reduce global greenhouse gas emissions. Failing to act now will only increase the human and economic toll. The United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP29) in Baku, Azerbaijan, presents a unique opportunity for effective collective action. Amid heightened geopolitical tensions and global uncertainty, COP29 will serve as a test of the multilateral system on which humanity's ability to respond to this existential threat depends. The groundwork for coordinated action was laid in Rio de Janeiro in 1992 with the creation of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), which established the annual Conference of the Parties (COP) to promote consensus-based solutions. The philosophy was simple: given that climate change is a global issue, addressing it requires a collaborative approach. The UNFCCC fosters cooperation between smaller countries and superpowers, enables civil society organisations to engage directly with governments, and facilitates cross-border technology transfers. Perhaps most importantly, it provides a framework for collective action in which each country's efforts encourage others to step up their own. While the 1997 Kyoto Protocol set binding emission-reduction targets for developed economies, it quickly became clear that more was needed. In response, developed countries pledged in 2009 to mobilise US$100 billion annually by 2020 to support developing countries' climate policies. The 2015 Paris climate agreement marked a turning point, setting the goal of limiting global warming to 1.5° Celsius above pre-industrial levels and ensuring that the increase stays well below 2°C. To monitor progress, the agreement established a system of nationally determined contributions (NDCs) through which each country outlines its emission-reduction plans. Periodic global audits assess whether countries are on track to fulfil their climate commitments. Regrettably, the first global audit, released ahead of last year's COP28 in Dubai, showed that we are far from meeting these climate targets. It also offered a comprehensive roadmap, calling on all countries to commit to NDCs aligned with the 1.5C goal and establishing clear steps and timelines -- including transitioning away from fossil fuels -- that could bring the Paris agreement's objectives within reach. COP29 represents the next step for the multilateral approach, with leaders expected to agree on a significant boost to the $100 billion climate finance target -- the so-called New Collective Quantified Goal (NCQG). Moreover, each country must submit its updated NDCs by February 2025. Transparency is essential to this process. If the Paris agreement's targets are the destination, and the NDCs are the roadmap, the NCQG provides the fuel needed to get there. Building trust in countries' commitment to bold climate action and willingness to provide the necessary financing is key. As COP29 President, Azerbaijan is urging all countries to submit NDCs aligned with the 1.5C target as soon as possible. We are also doing everything we can to secure a fair and ambitious new climate finance goal that addresses developing countries' needs and matches the scale and urgency of the crisis. Falling short would force us to confront tough questions: Are we willing to accept the failure of the Paris agreement? And what are the alternatives? One thing is clear: without a viable backup plan, we must do all we can to meet the 1.5C goal. Sleepwalking into climate catastrophe is not an option. To be sure, the multilateral system has its flaws. But it remains the best framework to tackle this daunting challenge. Over three decades, it has fostered lasting international cooperation, a shared understanding of the science, and a strong consensus concerning global climate goals. The alternative to multilateralism is a fragmented response, with governments pursuing their own agendas without coordination or cooperation. This approach would mean slower progress, higher costs, and less equitable outcomes. Without a unifying goal, any sense of shared purpose would all but vanish. We have no choice but to make the current system work. With an agenda focused on advancing climate action, Azerbaijan could bridge geopolitical divisions. But our success hinges on countries' willingness to commit to the multilateral process. The frameworks for coordinated action are in place. Now, we must find the political will to put these tools to use. COP29 is our chance to prove that multilateralism can work. ©2024 Project Syndicate Mukhtar Babayev, President-Designate of COP29, is Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources of Azerbaijan.
In Ancient Greece, northern tribes often journeyed to the Oracle of Dodona, a sacred sanctuary where priests and priestesses interpreted the rustling of oak leaves, the behavior of birds, and sounds from bronze cauldrons as messages from the god Zeus. The oracle stood as a beacon of accuracy and wisdom, attracting those seeking guidance – from contemplating rulers and generals to ordinary travelers hoping to understand their fate. Today, the art of prediction is still practiced, although it has evolved. Modern militaries churn through massive amounts of satellite information and real-world data with human analysts and AI. Entire battles can be simulated by computer. Companies use predictive models to forecast demand... weather forecasters use simulations to determine the chance of rain... ...and savvy investors often use these same tools to figure out what comes next in the market. Investors like Tom Yeung, who joins me once a week here at Smart Money to keep you updated about markets, investing, and everything in between. Tom’s market analysis is remarkable. He’s essentially practicing a modern form of auspicy, or the ancient art of divining future events. He has done this most recently by analyzing President-Elect Donald Trump’s current actions and their future effects on the stock market’s potential trajectory. While he’s no divine profit, Tom has a unique approach to predicting market signals, using social media and political developments as his bronze cauldrons and rustling leaves. In today’s Smart Money , I want to share some of Tom’s recent auspicious insights... including why the key to investing in politically sensitive stocks over the next four years will be understanding that Trump needs to be taken seriously, but not literally. Here’s what he has to say... From the Smart Money “Oracle” In November 2016, Google search terms for “move to Canada” spiked 20-fold. Who could blame the millions of worried Americans? The incoming president was a polarizing figure that had campaigned on issues like repealing the Affordable Care Act, eliminating gun-free zones at schools, ending birthright citizenship, and so on. Half the country was terrified. But what came next over the following four years was the same type of prioritization that every American president faces in office. Many campaign promises were kept, while others were watered down or abandoned entirely. It turned out that many of Donald Trump’s promises were about outlining his world views, rather than specific blueprints to implement. A promise to cut the corporate tax rate to 15% was only partially fulfilled. So were goals of raising GDP growth to 4%, saving the coal industry, and so on. Wilder ambitions of “eliminating wasteful spending in every department” went nowhere. Fast-forward to today, and this explains why the betting market’s calling Trump’s “bluff” on imposing 20% across-the-board tariffs. Polymarket, a betting site that correctly predicted Trump’s recent election victory, gives a 38% chance of large tariffs being implemented in his first six months and only a 29% chance he will follow through with a recent threat to impose 25% tariffs on Mexico and Canada. Instead, people seem to believe Trump is threatening tariffs as a negotiating tool. Countries like China will see some increase in tariffs, especially if their leaders fail to offer something in return. But many other regions will see room to negotiate lower tariffs (or none at all) in exchange for something else. It’s more than likely that Trump will come to an agreement with Canada to keep the oil and gas taps open. So, we see no reason to panic-sell commodity-producing stocks that export to the United States. Now,the picture is a little more muddled with healthcare stocks . Trump’s selection of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as the next head of Department of Health and Human Services ( HHS ) injects enormous uncertainty into the industry. While his well-known vaccine skepticism raises concerns for vaccine manufacturers like Pfizer Inc. ( PFE ) , there are healthcare stocks that remain on the “right” side of Trump’s mandate. ( You can learn more about Eric’s healthcare stock recommendations at Fry’s Investment Report .) In fact, many of Trump’s goals for his second presidency will be good for pharma companies with strong pipelines. This includes repealing the Medicare negotiation provision of the Inflation Reduction Act, reducing Federal Trade Commission oversight of mergers and acquisitions among corporations, lowering corporate taxes, and more. Our investment strategy continues to focus on identifying stocks with attractive valuations, while managing potential political volatility. A New Stock Prediction Tool So, just like the Oracle of Dodona, Tom too makes stock market predictions by interpreting signs from the natural world (in this case, Trump’s current actions). However, he isn’t the only auspice here at InvestorPlace . In fact, my colleague Luke Lango has a new quant system that does the same thing. His new tool – called Auspex – scans over 10,000 stocks to find the ones that meet his strict criteria for fundamental, technical, and sentiment strength. It then divines the immediate future of each stock to tell you which ones are the best over the best month. And the Auspex screener can get you in front of big winners roughly every 30 days. Over a 5-year period from September 2019 to September 2024, Luke’s historical analysis shows the Auspex portfolio, rebalanced monthly, would have returned 1,0534% The S&P 500 only put up 109% over the same 5-year period. So, we’re talking about an outperformance of the market by 9X. And it has beaten the market every single month since Luke started live testing it in July with a small group of his subscribers. It requires just about 10 minutes of work a month, and exposure to only 10 or so equities at a time. On Wednesday, December 11, at 1 p.m. Eastern time , he’ll reveal this new screener to a wider audience during his free The Auspex Anomaly Event next Wednesday. Luke will also reveal the name and ticker symbol of a stock he used Auspex to uncover during this free broadcast. It’s an event that you won’t want to miss. So, be sure to click here to reserve your spot . Regards, Eric FryFormula 1 expands grid to add General Motors' Cadillac brand and new American team for 2026 season
Daniel Jones Next Team Odds: Contenders jockeying for QB?Buy 3 December Barron's Better Bet 'Safer' Dividend Dogs Of 23A judge on Monday rejected a request to block a San Jose State women's volleyball team member from playing in a conference tournament on grounds that she is transgender. The ruling by U.S. Magistrate Judge S. Kato Crews in Denver will allow the player, who has played all season, to compete in the Mountain West Conference women's championship opening this week in Las Vegas. The ruling comes in a lawsuit filed by nine current players against the Mountain West Conference challenging the league's policies for allowing transgender players to participate. The players argued that letting her compete was a safety risk and unfair. While some media have reported those and other details, neither San Jose State nor the forfeiting teams have confirmed the school has a trans woman volleyball player. The Associated Press is withholding the player's name because she has not commented publicly on her gender identity. School officials also have declined an interview request with the player. Crews' ruling referred to the athlete as an "alleged transgender" player and noted that no defendant disputed that the San Jose State roster includes a transgender woman player. San Jose State will "continue to support its student-athletes and reject discrimination in all forms," the university said in a statement, confirming that all its student-athletes are eligible to participate under NCAA and conference rules. "We are gratified that the Court rejected an eleventh-hour attempt to change those rules. Our team looks forward to competing in the Mountain West volleyball tournament this week." The conference did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment. The players filed a notice for emergency appeal with the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. Crews said the players who filed the complaint could have sought relief much earlier, noting the individual universities had acknowledged that not playing their games against San Jose State this season would result in a loss in league standings. He also refused a request to re-seed the tournament without the forfeited losses. The judge said injunctions are meant to preserve the status quo. The conference policy regarding forfeiting for refusing to play against a team with a transgender player had been in effect since 2022 and the San Jose State player has been on the roster since 2022 — making that the status quo. The player competed at the college level three previous seasons, including two for San Jose State, drawing little attention. This season's awareness of her reported identity led to an uproar among some players, pundits, parents and politicians in a major election year. Crews' ruling also said injunctions are meant to prevent harm, but in this case, he argued, the harm has already occurred. The games have been forfeited, the tournament has been seeded, the teams have made travel plans and the participants have confirmed they're playing. The tournament starts Wednesday and continues Friday and Saturday. Colorado State is seeded first and San Jose State, second. The teams split their regular-season matches and both get byes into Friday's semifinals. San Jose State will play the winner of Wednesday's match between Utah State and Boise State — teams that both forfeited matches to SJSU during the regular season. The conference tournament winner gets an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament. San Jose State coach Todd Kress, whose team has not competed in the national tournament since 2001, has said his team has been getting "messages of hate" and that has taken a toll on his players. Several teams refused to play against San Jose State during the season, earning losses in the official conference standings. Boise State and Wyoming each had two forfeits while Utah State and Nevada both had one. Southern Utah, a member of the Western Athletic Conference, was first to cancel against San Jose State this year. Nevada's players stated they "refuse to participate in any match that advances injustice against female athletes," without elaborating. Nevada did not qualify for the conference tournament. The nine current players and others now suing the Mountain West Conference, the California State University Board of Trustees and others include San Jose State senior setter and co-captain Brooke Slusser. The teammate Slusser says is transgender hits the volleyball with more force than others on the team, raising fear during practices of suffering concussions from a head hit, the complaint says. The Independent Council on Women's Sports is funding a separate lawsuit against the NCAA for allowing transgender women to compete in women's sports. Both lawsuits claim the landmark 1972 federal antidiscrimination law known as Title IX prohibits transgender women in women's sports. Title IX prohibits sexual discrimination in federally funded education; Slusser is a plaintiff in both lawsuits. Several circuit courts have used a U.S. Supreme Court ruling to conclude that discriminating against someone based on their transgender status or sexual orientation is sex-based discrimination, Crews wrote. That means case law does not prove the "likelihood of success" needed to grant an injunction. An NCAA policy that subjects transgender participation to the rules of sports governing bodies took effect this academic year. USA Volleyball says a trans woman must suppress testosterone for 12 months before competing. The NCAA has not flagged any issues with San Jose State. The Republican governors of Idaho, Nevada, Utah and Wyoming have made public statements in support of the team cancellations, citing fairness in women's sports. President-elect Donald Trump likewise has spoken out against allowing transgender women to compete in women's sports. Crews was a magistrate judge in Colorado's U.S. District Court for more than five years before President Joe Biden appointed him as a federal judge in January. Get local news delivered to your inbox!
By JESSICA DAMIANO Finding the perfect gift can be daunting. The only way to truly ensure you get it right would be to ask the recipient what they want, but that wouldn’t be much fun for either of you. Luckily, there’s another tactic to help you earn a “gift whisperer” reputation: seeking out unique, practical, game-changing gifts that will truly surprise and delight. But that’s about as easy as it sounds, which is to say it’s not easy at all. So, we’ve done the legwork for you. Start making your list with this compilation of some of the most innovative, functional and fun gifts of 2024. There’s something for every budget. A pepper grinder, really? Bear with me: The new FinaMill Ultimate Spice Grinder set elevates the pedestrian pepper and spice mill in both function and style. Available in three colors (Sangria Red, Midnight Black and Soft Cream), the rechargeable-battery unit grinds with a light touch rather than hand-tiring twists. That’s easier for everyone and especially helpful for those experiencing hand or wrist issues such as arthritis, carpal tunnel syndrome or tendinitis. And it’s fun to use. The set includes a stackable storage tray and four pods that can be easily swapped as needed: The GT microplane grater for hard spices, nuts and chocolate; the MAX for large spices and dried herbs; the ProPlus for smaller and oily spices; and the Pepper Pod for, well, pepper. $110. To build a fire Campers and backyard firepit lovers who have experienced the heartbreak of wet wood will appreciate having a three-pack of Pull Start Fire on hand. Made of 89% recycled materials, including sanding dust, wax and flint, the food-safe, eco-friendly, 3-by-2-by-1-inch fire starters will light a fire quickly without matches, lighters or kindling. Just loop the attached green string around a log, incorporate it into a wood stack, and pull the attached red string to ignite. Each windproof, rainproof block burns for 30 minutes. $29.99. The place for a ladle is on the pot The No Mess Utensil Set from Souper Cubes , a company known for its portioned, silicone freezer trays, lives up to its name. The utensils — a serving spoon and a ladle — have innovative, S-shaped handles designed to rest on the edge of a pot, keeping them upright so they won’t slip in. The design also eliminates the need for a spoon rest or, worse, placing dirty utensils on the kitchen counter or stovetop between stirs. A silicone coating in a choice of Aqua, Charcoal, Cranberry or Blueberry keeps handles cool to the touch. $24.99. Up your birdwatching with this feeder The FeatherSnap Wi-Fi smart bird feeder could turn anyone into an avid birdwatcher. Equipped with an HD camera, the dual-chamber feeder enables up-close livestreaming of avian visitors, as well as species-logging via the free mobile app. An optional premium subscription ($59.99 annually or $6.99 monthly) includes unlimited photo and video storage, AI identification with species-specific details, and the opportunity to earn badges for logging new visitors. Turn on notifications to get alerts sent to your phone whenever there’s activity at the feeder. $179.99. Printing old-fashioned photos via Bluetooth Fujifilm’s Instax Mini Link 3 smartphone printer offers a touch of nostalgia without sacrificing technology. Just load the 4.9-by-3.5-by-1.3-inch printer with Instax Mini instant film and connect it to your Android or iOS device via Bluetooth to print wallet-size photos. If you want to get fancy, you can adjust brightness, contrast and saturation, or apply filters, including 3D augmented-reality effects, via the free Instax Mini Link app. It can also make collages of up to six images, or animate photos to share on social media. Available in Rose Pink, Clay White and Sage Green. $99.95. Houseplants don’t get much easier than this The appropriately named easyplant is one of the best gifts you can give your houseplant-loving friends, regardless of their experience level. Select a pot color, size and plant (or get recommendations based on sunlight requirements, pet friendliness and other attributes) and fill the self-watering container’s built-in reservoir roughly once a month. Moisture will permeate the soil from the bottom as needed, eliminating the often-fatal consequences of over- or under-watering. It’s also a literal lifesaver come vacation time. $49-$259. Making your own (plant-based) milk Related Articles Things To Do | US airports with worst weather delays during holiday season Things To Do | The right book can inspire the young readers in your life, from picture books to YA novels Things To Do | Holiday gift ideas for the movie lover, from bios and books to a status tote Things To Do | Beer pairings for your holiday feasts Things To Do | Make these Tahini-Roasted Sweet Potatoes for Thanksgiving If you’ve got a no-dairy friend on your list, a plant-based milk maker could save them money while allowing them to avoid sugar, stabilizers, thickeners and preservatives. The Nama M1 appliance both blends and strains ingredients, converting nuts, seeds, grains or oats into velvety-smooth milk in just one minute, with zero grit. And for zero waste, the pasty leftover pulp can be used in other recipes for added nutrients. The device also makes infused oils, flavored waters and soups. And, importantly, cleanup is easy. Available in white and black. $400. The perfect temperature for 350,000-plus wines For friends who prefer stronger beverages, the QelviQ personal sommelier uses “smart” technology to ensure wine is served at its ideal temperature. Unlike traditional wine refrigerators, this device doesn’t take up any floor space. It also doesn’t chill wine to just one or two temperatures based on its color. Instead — paired with the free QelviQ app — the tabletop chiller relies on a database of more than 350,000 wines to bring a bottle to its specific recommended serving temperature in as little as 20 minutes. It also suggests food-wine and wine-food pairings. Plus, the appliance serves as a great icebreaker to inspire dinnertime conversation. Available in Exciting Red, Dashing Black and Dreamy White. $495. Casting light on the grill after dark Grilling food after dark — and ascertaining its doneness — can prove challenging without outdoor lighting, and it’s nearly impossible to cook while holding a flashlight. But as is often the case, the simplest of solutions can make the biggest of impacts: Uncommon Good’s 2-piece LED Grilling Tool Set puts illumination into the handles of its stainless-steel spatula and tongs. After use, the lights can be removed and the utensils run through the dishwasher. $40.
No, These 34 Kitchen Items Are Not All Hype (And, Yes, They Make Perfect Gifts)
One night last month, near the end of the Chicago International Film Festival, a particularly long line of moviegoers snaked down Southport Avenue by the Music Box Theatre. The hot ticket? This fall’s hottest ticket, in fact, all over the international festival circuit? Well, it’s a 215-minute drama about a fictional Hungarian Jewish architect who emigrates to America in 1947 after surviving the Holocaust. The film’s title, “The Brutalist,” references several things, firstly a post-World War II design imperative made of stern concrete, steel, and a collision of poetry and functionality. Director and co-writer Brady Corbet, who wrote “The Brutalist” with his filmmaker wife, Mona Fastvold, explores brutalism in other forms as well, including love, envy, capitalist economics and how the promise of America eludes someone like the visionary architect László Tóth, played by Adrien Brody. Corbet, now 36 and a good bet for Oscar nominations this coming January, says his unfashionable sprawl of a picture, being distributed by A24, is also about the “strange relationship between artist and patron, and art and commerce.” It co-stars Felicity Jones as the visionary architect’s wife, Erzsébet, trapped in Eastern Europe after the war with their niece for an agonizingly long time. Guy Pearce portrays the imperious Philadelphia blueblood who hires Tóth, a near-invisible figure in his adopted country, to design a monumental public building known as the Institute in rural Pennsylvania. The project becomes an obsession, then a breaking point and then something else. Corbet’s project, which took the better part of a decade to come together after falling apart more than once, felt like that, too. Spanning five decades and filmed in Hungary and Italy, “The Brutalist” looks like a well-spent $50 million project. In actuality, it was made for a mere $10 million, with Corbet and cinematographer Lol Crawley shooting on film, largely in the VistaVision process. The filmmaker said at the Chicago festival screening: “Who woulda thunk that for screening after screening over the last couple of months, people stood in line around the block to get into a three-and-a-half-hour movie about a mid-century designer?” He lives in Brooklyn, New York, with Fastvold and their daughter. Our conversation has been edited for clarity and length. Q: Putting together an independent movie, keeping it on track, getting it made: not easy, as you told the Music Box audience last night. Money is inevitably going to be part of the story of “The Brutalist,” since you had only so much to make a far-flung historical epic. A: Yeah, that’s right. In relation to my earlier features, “The Childhood of a Leader” had a $3 million budget. The budget for “Vox Lux” was right around $10 million, same as “The Brutalist,” although the actual production budget for “Vox Lux” was about $4.5 million. Which is to say: All the money on top of that was going to all the wrong places. For a lot of reasons, when my wife and I finished the screenplay for “The Brutalist,” we ruled out scouting locations in Philadelphia or anywhere in the northeastern United States. We needed to (film) somewhere with a lot less red tape. My wife’s previous film, “The World to Come,” she made in Romania; we shot “Childhood of a Leader” in Hungary. For “The Brutalist” we initially landed on Poland, but this was early on in COVID and Poland shut its borders the week our crew was arriving for pre-production. When we finally got things up and running again with a different iteration of the cast (the original ensemble was to star Joel Edgerton, Marion Cotillard and Mark Rylance), after nine months, the movie fell apart again because Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. We couldn’t get any of the banks to cash-flow the tax credit (for location shooting in Poland). It’s completely stable now, but at that time the banks were nervous about whether the war would be contained to Ukraine or not. And then we finally got it up and running in Budapest, Hungary. Q: That’s a long time. A: Every filmmaker I know suffers from some form of post-traumatic stress (laughs). It sounds funny but it’s true. At every level. On the level of independent cinema, you’re just so damn poor. You’re not making any money, and yet from nose to tail, at minimum, a movie always takes a couple of years. With bigger projects, you might have a little more personal security but a lot less creative security with so many more cooks in the kitchen. Either route you choose, it can be an arduous and painful one. Whether you’re making a movie for a million dollars, or $10 million, or $100 million, it’s still “millions of dollars.” And if you’re concerned about the lives and livelihoods of the people working with you, it’s especially stressful. People are constantly calling you: “Is it happening? Are we starting? Should I take this other job or not?” And you have 250 people who need that answer from you. Every iteration of the project, I always thought we were really about to start in a week, two weeks. It’s just very challenging interpersonally. It’s an imposition for everyone in your life. And then there’s the imposition of screening a movie that’s three-and-a-half-hours long for film festivals, where it’s difficult to find that kind of real estate on the schedule. So essentially, making a movie means constantly apologizing. Q: At what point in your acting career did you take a strong interest in what was going on behind the camera? A: I was making short films when I was 11, 12 years old. The first thing I ever made more properly, I guess, was a short film I made when I was 18, “Protect You + Me,” shot by (cinematographer) Darius Khondji. It was supposed to be part of a triptych of films, and I went to Paris for the two films that followed it. And then all the financing fell through. But that first one screened at the London film festival, and won a prize at Sundance, and I was making music videos and other stuff by then. Q: You’ve written a lot of screenplays with your wife. How many? A: Probably 25. We work a lot for other people, too. I think we’ve done six together for our own projects. Sometimes I’ll start something at night and my wife will finish in the morning. Sometimes we work very closely together, talking and typing together. It’s always different. Right now I’m writing a lot on the road, and my wife is editing her film, which is a musical we wrote, “Ann Lee,” about the founder of the Shakers. I’m working on my next movie now, which spans a lot of time, like “The Brutalist,” with a lot of locations. And I need to make sure we can do it for not a lot of money, because it’s just not possible to have a lot of money and total autonomy. For me making a movie is like cooking. If everyone starts coming in and throwing a dash of this or that in the pot, it won’t work out. A continuity of vision is what I look for when I read a novel. Same with watching a film. A lot of stuff out there today, appropriately referred to as “content,” has more in common with a pair of Nikes than it does with narrative cinema. Q: Yeah, I can’t imagine a lot of Hollywood executives who’d sign off on “The Brutalist.” A: Well, even with our terrific producing team, I mean, everyone was up for a three-hour movie but we were sort of pushing it with three-and-a-half (laughs). I figured, worst-case scenario, it opens on a streamer. Not what I had in mind, but people watch stuff that’s eight, 12 hours long all the time. They get a cold, they watch four seasons of “Succession.” (A24 is releasing the film in theaters, gradually.) It was important for all of us to try to capture an entire century’s worth of thinking about design with “The Brutalist.” For me, making something means expressing a feeling I have about our history. I’ve described my films as poetic films about politics, that go to places politics alone cannot reach. It’s one thing to say something like “history repeats itself.” It’s another thing to make people see that, and feel it. I really want viewers to engage with the past, and the trauma of that history can be uncomfortable, or dusty, or dry. But if you can make it something vital, and tangible, the way great professors can do for their students, that’s my definition of success. “The Brutalist” opens in New York and Los Angeles on Dec. 20. The Chicago release is Jan. 10, 2025. Michael Phillips is a Tribune critic.
US goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher is retiring from international soccerOne night last month, near the end of the Chicago International Film Festival, a particularly long line of moviegoers snaked down Southport Avenue by the Music Box Theatre. The hot ticket? This fall’s hottest ticket, in fact, all over the international festival circuit? Well, it’s a 215-minute drama about a fictional Hungarian Jewish architect who emigrates to America in 1947 after surviving the Holocaust. The film’s title, “The Brutalist,” references several things, firstly a post-World War II design imperative made of stern concrete, steel, and a collision of poetry and functionality. Director and co-writer Brady Corbet, who wrote “The Brutalist” with his filmmaker wife, Mona Fastvold, explores brutalism in other forms as well, including love, envy, capitalist economics and how the promise of America eludes someone like the visionary architect László Tóth, played by Adrien Brody. Corbet, now 36 and a good bet for Oscar nominations this coming January, says his unfashionable sprawl of a picture, being distributed by A24, is also about the “strange relationship between artist and patron, and art and commerce.” It co-stars Felicity Jones as the visionary architect’s wife, Erzsébet, trapped in Eastern Europe after the war with their niece for an agonizingly long time. Guy Pearce portrays the imperious Philadelphia blueblood who hires Tóth, a near-invisible figure in his adopted country, to design a monumental public building known as the Institute in rural Pennsylvania. The project becomes an obsession, then a breaking point and then something else. Corbet’s project, which took the better part of a decade to come together after falling apart more than once, felt like that, too. Spanning five decades and filmed in Hungary and Italy, “The Brutalist” looks like a well-spent $50 million project. In actuality, it was made for a mere $10 million, with Corbet and cinematographer Lol Crawley shooting on film, largely in the VistaVision process. The filmmaker said at the Chicago festival screening: “Who woulda thunk that for screening after screening over the last couple of months, people stood in line around the block to get into a three-and-a-half-hour movie about a mid-century designer?” He lives in Brooklyn, New York, with Fastvold and their daughter. Our conversation has been edited for clarity and length. Q: Putting together an independent movie, keeping it on track, getting it made: not easy, as you told the Music Box audience last night. Money is inevitably going to be part of the story of “The Brutalist,” since you had only so much to make a far-flung historical epic. A: Yeah, that’s right. In relation to my earlier features, “The Childhood of a Leader” had a $3 million budget. The budget for “Vox Lux” was right around $10 million, same as “The Brutalist,” although the actual production budget for “Vox Lux” was about $4.5 million. Which is to say: All the money on top of that was going to all the wrong places. For a lot of reasons, when my wife and I finished the screenplay for “The Brutalist,” we ruled out scouting locations in Philadelphia or anywhere in the northeastern United States. We needed to (film) somewhere with a lot less red tape. My wife’s previous film, “The World to Come,” she made in Romania; we shot “Childhood of a Leader” in Hungary. For “The Brutalist” we initially landed on Poland, but this was early on in COVID and Poland shut its borders the week our crew was arriving for pre-production. When we finally got things up and running again with a different iteration of the cast (the original ensemble was to star Joel Edgerton, Marion Cotillard and Mark Rylance), after nine months, the movie fell apart again because Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. We couldn’t get any of the banks to cash-flow the tax credit (for location shooting in Poland). It’s completely stable now, but at that time the banks were nervous about whether the war would be contained to Ukraine or not. And then we finally got it up and running in Budapest, Hungary. Q: That’s a long time. A: Every filmmaker I know suffers from some form of post-traumatic stress (laughs). It sounds funny but it’s true. At every level. On the level of independent cinema, you’re just so damn poor. You’re not making any money, and yet from nose to tail, at minimum, a movie always takes a couple of years. With bigger projects, you might have a little more personal security but a lot less creative security with so many more cooks in the kitchen. Either route you choose, it can be an arduous and painful one. Whether you’re making a movie for a million dollars, or $10 million, or $100 million, it’s still “millions of dollars.” And if you’re concerned about the lives and livelihoods of the people working with you, it’s especially stressful. People are constantly calling you: “Is it happening? Are we starting? Should I take this other job or not?” And you have 250 people who need that answer from you. Every iteration of the project, I always thought we were really about to start in a week, two weeks. It’s just very challenging interpersonally. It’s an imposition for everyone in your life. And then there’s the imposition of screening a movie that’s three-and-a-half-hours long for film festivals, where it’s difficult to find that kind of real estate on the schedule. So essentially, making a movie means constantly apologizing. Q: At what point in your acting career did you take a strong interest in what was going on behind the camera? A: I was making short films when I was 11, 12 years old. The first thing I ever made more properly, I guess, was a short film I made when I was 18, “Protect You + Me,” shot by (cinematographer) Darius Khondji. It was supposed to be part of a triptych of films, and I went to Paris for the two films that followed it. And then all the financing fell through. But that first one screened at the London film festival, and won a prize at Sundance, and I was making music videos and other stuff by then. Q: You’ve written a lot of screenplays with your wife. How many? A: Probably 25. We work a lot for other people, too. I think we’ve done six together for our own projects. Sometimes I’ll start something at night and my wife will finish in the morning. Sometimes we work very closely together, talking and typing together. It’s always different. Right now I’m writing a lot on the road, and my wife is editing her film, which is a musical we wrote, “Ann Lee,” about the founder of the Shakers. I’m working on my next movie now, which spans a lot of time, like “The Brutalist,” with a lot of locations. And I need to make sure we can do it for not a lot of money, because it’s just not possible to have a lot of money and total autonomy. For me making a movie is like cooking. If everyone starts coming in and throwing a dash of this or that in the pot, it won’t work out. A continuity of vision is what I look for when I read a novel. Same with watching a film. A lot of stuff out there today, appropriately referred to as “content,” has more in common with a pair of Nikes than it does with narrative cinema. Q: Yeah, I can’t imagine a lot of Hollywood executives who’d sign off on “The Brutalist.” A: Well, even with our terrific producing team, I mean, everyone was up for a three-hour movie but we were sort of pushing it with three-and-a-half (laughs). I figured, worst-case scenario, it opens on a streamer. Not what I had in mind, but people watch stuff that’s eight, 12 hours long all the time. They get a cold, they watch four seasons of “Succession.” (A24 is releasing the film in theaters, gradually.) It was important for all of us to try to capture an entire century’s worth of thinking about design with “The Brutalist.” For me, making something means expressing a feeling I have about our history. I’ve described my films as poetic films about politics, that go to places politics alone cannot reach. It’s one thing to say something like “history repeats itself.” It’s another thing to make people see that, and feel it. I really want viewers to engage with the past, and the trauma of that history can be uncomfortable, or dusty, or dry. But if you can make it something vital, and tangible, the way great professors can do for their students, that’s my definition of success. “The Brutalist” opens in New York and Los Angeles on Dec. 20. The Chicago release is Jan. 10, 2025. Michael Phillips is a Tribune critic.
Bailey scores 19 as Incarnate Word beats East Texas A&M 65-53LAS VEGAS (AP) — Formula 1 on Monday at last said it will expand its grid in 2026 to make room for an American team that is partnered with General Motors. “As the pinnacle of motorsports, F1 demands boundary-pushing innovation and excellence. It’s an honor for General Motors and Cadillac to join the world’s premier racing series, and we’re committed to competing with passion and integrity to elevate the sport for race fans around the world," GM President Mark Reuss said. "This is a global stage for us to demonstrate GM’s engineering expertise and technology leadership at an entirely new level.” The approval ends years of wrangling that launched a U.S. Justice Department investigation into why Colorado-based Liberty Media, the commercial rights holder of F1, would not approve the team initially started by Michael Andretti. Andretti in September stepped aside from leading his namesake organization, so the 11th team will be called Cadillac F1 and be run by new Andretti Global majority owners Dan Towriss and Mark Walter. The team will use Ferrari engines its first two years until GM has a Cadillac engine built for competition in time for the 2028 season. Towriss is the the CEO and president of Group 1001 and entered motorsports via Andretti's IndyCar team when he signed on financial savings platform Gainbridge as a sponsor. Towriss is now a major part of the motorsports scene with ownership stakes in both Spire Motorsports' NASCAR team and Wayne Taylor Racing's sports car team. Walter is the chief executive of financial services firm Guggenheim Partners and the controlling owner of both the World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers and Premier League club Chelsea. “We’re excited to partner with General Motors in bringing a dynamic presence to Formula 1," Towriss said. “Together, we’re assembling a world-class team that will embody American innovation and deliver unforgettable moments to race fans around the world.” Mario Andretti, the 1978 F1 world champion, will have an ambassador role with Cadillac F1. But his son, Michael, will have no official position with the organization now that he has scaled back his involvement with Andretti Global. “The Cadillac F1 Team is made up of a strong group of people that have worked tirelessly to build an American works team,” Michael Andretti posted on social media. “I’m very proud of the hard work they have put in and congratulate all involved on this momentous next step. I will be cheering for you!” The approval has been in works for weeks but was held until after last weekend's Las Vegas Grand Prix to not overshadow the showcase event of the Liberty Media portfolio. Max Verstappen won his fourth consecutive championship in Saturday night's race, the third and final stop in the United States for the top motorsports series in the world. Grid expansion in F1 is both infrequent and often unsuccessful. Four teams were granted entries in 2010 that should have pushed the grid to 13 teams and 26 cars for the first time since 1995. One team never made it to the grid and the other three had vanished by 2017. There is only one American team on the current F1 grid — owned by California businessman Gene Haas — but it is not particularly competitive and does not field American drivers. Andretti’s dream was to field a truly American team with American drivers. The fight to add this team has been going on for three-plus years and F1 initially denied the application despite approval from F1 sanctioning body FIA . The existing 10 teams, who have no voice in the matter, also largely opposed expansion because of the dilution in prize money and the billions of dollars they’ve already invested in the series. Andretti in 2020 tried and failed to buy the existing Sauber team. From there, he applied for grid expansion and partnered with GM, the top-selling manufacturer in the United States. The inclusion of GM was championed by the FIA and president Mohammed Ben Sulayem, who said Michael Andretti’s application was the only one of seven applicants to meet all required criteria to expand F1’s current grid. “General Motors is a huge global brand and powerhouse in the OEM world and is working with impressive partners," Ben Sulayem said Monday. "I am fully supportive of the efforts made by the FIA, Formula 1, GM and the team to maintain dialogue and work towards this outcome of an agreement in principle to progress this application." Despite the FIA's acceptance of Andretti and General Motors from the start, F1 wasn't interested in Andretti — but did want GM. At one point, F1 asked GM to find another team to partner with besides Andretti. GM refused and F1 said it would revisit the Andretti application if and when Cadillac had an engine ready to compete. “Formula 1 has maintained a dialogue with General Motors, and its partners at TWG Global, regarding the viability of an entry following the commercial assessment and decision made by Formula 1 in January 2024,” F1 said in a statement. “Over the course of this year, they have achieved operational milestones and made clear their commitment to brand the 11th team GM/Cadillac, and that GM will enter as an engine supplier at a later time. Formula 1 is therefore pleased to move forward with this application process." Yet another major shift in the debate over grid expansion occurred earlier this month with the announced resignation of Liberty Media CEO Greg Maffei, who was largely believed to be one of the biggest opponents of the Andretti entry. “With Formula 1’s continued growth plans in the US, we have always believed that welcoming an impressive US brand like GM/Cadillac to the grid and GM as a future power unit supplier could bring additional value and interest to the sport," Maffei said. "We credit the leadership of General Motors and their partners with significant progress in their readiness to enter Formula 1." AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing
-- Shares Facebook Twitter Reddit Email The only constant of Donald Trump 's transition into his second term has been chaos. The president-elect nominates friends, lackeys and people he's seen on TV via late-night posts to his personal social media page. Trump's hinted at forgoing the typical background checks on his nominees as allegations of misconduct pile up around them and the seemingly slapdash nature of Trump's process is starting to chafe lawmakers. A new report from NBC News spoke with Trump transition insiders and Republican politicians on the Hill to take the temperature of Trump's shamble toward the Oval Office. One GOP senator, who spoke to the outlet on the condition of anonymity, said that Trump's team "botched up the nomination process pretty bad." "They clearly aren’t vetting these people," they shared. That tracks with reports that Trump's team was surprised by allegations against Pete Hegseth, a former Fox News host who was tagged by Trump to lead the Department of Defense. Since his nomination to the role last month, a police report in which a woman claimed Hegseth sexually assaulted her surfaced alongside whistleblower reports that claimed Hegseth had a drinking problem . Related Welcome to the New Dark Ages Some of the chaos can be attributed to the many voices in Trump's ear. One insider compared the atmosphere around the president-elect to "Game of Thrones," with various factions jockeying for power via their recommendations. “It’s like ‘Game of Thrones’ over there. I think [Donald Trump Jr.] has been trying to do things at times. It’s like [chief of staff] Susie [Wiles] will have a meeting and then Don Jr. will say something else," the source shared. An unnamed Trump ally said that Elon Musk has never been far from Trump since Election Day. The source shared that the head of the as-yet uncreated Department of Government Efficiency was a big driver behind Trump's controversial choice of Kash Patel to lead the FBI. “I think he is around Musk more than anyone else,” they shared. “There are several of the traditional sort of transition tensions and fighting over picks, but Musk casts a huge shadow.” Read more about Trump's Cabinet Buying a presidency: Elon Musk spent over $250 million to elect Donald Trump Trump wanted to build an anti-#MeToo Cabinet — but it's backfiring badly Trump DEA pick bows out just days after being nominated MORE FROM Alex Galbraith Advertisement:Sixth China-Pakistan Marine Information Workshop held in Harbin Engineering University (HEU) this week and it was decided to further strengthen marine information cooperation. A MoU was signed between the two sides to work jointly in areas of common interest. The workshop was hosted by the Chinese Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers (CSNAME). Chinese and Pakistani professionals shared their latest research findings and discussed future trends and challenges faced in the interdisciplinary and frontier areas of marine information during the four-day event, China Economic Net (CEN) reported on Saturday. “Over the years, China-Pakistan cooperation in scientific research and talent cultivation in this area has been increasingly close through the China-Pakistan Marine Information Joint Research Laboratory. In the future, leveraging our strengths in the ocean sector, Harbin Engineering University will further deepen cooperation in scientific and technological innovation, talent cultivation and scientific research achievement transformation with Pakistan, collectively contributing to the advancement of the global marine industry,” said Song Yingdong, President, Harbin Engineering University. China-Pakistan marine information cooperation keeps evolving, Song Yingdong added. “In recent years, China has made rapid progress in technological development, achieving remarkable results in marine information, new energy, etc. The significant scientific research achievements in shipbuilding and marine exploitation by Harbin Engineering University with its groundbreaking progress in underwater acoustic engineering, is worthy learning for Pakistan,” Ahmed Saeed, President, National Institute of Maritime Affairs (NIMA) of Pakistan remarked. Also, he encouraged students to participate in developing marine science and technology for both countries through cooperation. Additionally, a Memorandums of Understanding (MoU) was signed between Harbin Engineering University and the Pakistani delegation on high-quality development of overseas student education, holding high-level international academic conferences, etc.Storm Darragh leaves woman stranded on ferry for 13 hours with docking impossible in high winds - meaning she might not make it to Christmas party By DAN WOODLAND Published: 14:48 GMT, 7 December 2024 | Updated: 15:42 GMT, 7 December 2024 e-mail 3 View comments A woman has been left stranded on a ferry for 13 hours after strong winds caused by Storm Darragh made docking in Ireland impossible. Eileen Roberts, 52, and her husband were on their way back from London to Belfast last night when their journey was thrown into chaos. The couple were meant to catch a Stena Line from the English capital last night, which was then cancelled, meaning they had to rush all the way to Scotland to board another ferry at 11.30pm instead. But just two hours into their journey, the captain announced they were unable to dock at Belfast Port due to the high winds. Ms Roberts and her husband have been stranded for more than 13 hours, while the ferry has been doing loops off the Belfast coast. To make matters worse, the 52-year-old fears she and her husband may miss a Christmas party they had planned to attend tonight, as they have no idea when they will make land. Ms Roberts told Sky News she has had just one hours sleep after a 'scary' and 'unsettling' night spent onboard. She added they may be forced to spend another evening on the ferry as it is unlikely they will dock 'anytime soon'. A woman has been left stranded on a Stena Line ferry for 13 hours after strong winds caused by Storm Darragh made docking in Ireland impossible (Stock image) The ferry has been doing loops off the Belfast coast since Friday night after the captain announced they were unable to dock at Belfast Port due to the high winds Eileen Roberts and her husband revealed on Facebook that her and her husband are on board the ferry Ms Roberts told Sky News: 'I'm fine we're just waiting to get into Belfast but it doesn't seem like it's going to be anytime soon. The boat is stable but it does look choppy outside. 'During the night, it was pretty black and we couldn't see what was going on and it was more unsettling. 'I've only had one hours sleep, it's just so uncomfortable 'We can see outside now and yes it is rough out there but the ship itself is calm inside.' She continued: 'We've got a family and friends party for tonight but I am not entirely sure if my husband and I will be able to make it. 'We might be spending the evening with the passengers onboard.' Earlier today Eileen posted on Facebook about her gruelling journey. She wrote: 'Currently aboard Stena Superfast VII...coming into Belfast Lough ship turned and captain announced it's too unsafe to come into Belfast. 'Going round in circles for a few hours I suspect...' The Met Office has issued yellow and amber warnings across Britain on Saturday CORNWALL: Huge waves whipped up by gale force winds from Storm Darragh crash against the cliffs at Sennen Cove in Cornwall LEEDS: A plane lands at Leeds Bradford Airport during Storm Darragh Authorities have warned people to undertake only essential travel as Storm Darragh continues to lash Northern Ireland. Trains and some bus services were suspended and nearly 50,000 customers left without power as high winds caused severe damage to the electricity network. Read More BREAKING NEWS Storm Darragh turns deadly: Man in his 40s dies - as destruction from 93mph gales is laid bare A bus was involved in a road crash in Co Antrim in the early hours of Saturday, while Stena Line ferry services from Belfast to Cairnryan in Scotland have been cancelled. The Department for Infrastructure said multi-agency partners have been meeting in response to the Met Office's amber weather warning for wind which remains in place until 9pm. In a statement, the Stormont department urged people to make only essential travel because road conditions are challenging. They said disruption to bus and train services as well as some flights was continuing on Saturday afternoon and the Strangford ferry has been suspended until further notice. 'Translink have taken steps to mitigate against the effects of Storm Darragh. Additional buses are on standby. Additional support and teams are also on standby, including chainsaw crews, to assist with any fallen debris blocking the railway,' a department spokesman said. 'If roads are blocked, it may be necessary to divert Ulsterbus or Goldliner services. NORTHERN IRELAND: An Airport bus has crashed into a property on the Ballyrobin Road near Antrim in Northern Ireland NORTHERN IRELAND: A huge tree blocks the slip road to the M1 to Belfast in Ballycare PORTHCAWL: High winds have ripped off a roof and caused damage to a building in Porthcawl, South Wales 'Safety is Translink's number one priority. All passengers should check the Translink Journey Planner or social media channels in advance of travel and to allow extra time for their journeys. 'Department for Infrastructure staff have been working through the night to respond to approximately 900 incidents which are mainly debris on the roads, fallen trees and branches and flooding.' A Translink spokesperson said a driver on the bus involved in the collision in Co Antrim had been the only person on board at the time and was taken to hospital for treatment. 'We can confirm that the driver has since been discharged from hospital,' they said. 'Our immediate priority is the welfare of our colleague, and we are providing support to them and their family. An internal investigation is under way, and we are working closely with the relevant authorities to establish the circumstances of the incident.' A number of roads, including Castle Street in Belfast city centre, were closed on Saturday morning while clean-up work was carried out. Some events in Northern Ireland, including three Irish League football clashes and a planned vigil in Belfast for the women of Afghanistan have been called off, while the Apprentice Boys of Derry shutting of the gates event in Londonderry is still set to go ahead. 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Value Investing in the PNG Stock Market: A Guide for Investors
