Watch as Hurricane Helene brings strong winds, heavy surf and storm surge to the Florida coast Thursday night into Friday morning.

We put together a playlist of live webcams that were still operating as of Thursday afternoon in various coastal locations, from Panama City in the Panhandle south to Key West.

St George Island, Apalachicola

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Inlet Beach, Destin (Okaloosa County)

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Panama City Beach

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Palazzo Beach, Panama City

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Clearwater Beach

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Tampa Riverfront, University of Tampa

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St. Petersburg marina

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Anna Maria Island, Bradenton

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Key West Harbor

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Fort Myers Beach

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Caloosachatchee River Bridge, Fort Myers

Originally published: September 25, 2024 at 12:20 p.m

Detroit Pistons owner Tom Gores is expected to buy a 27% stake in the Chargers, two people familiar with the deal told The Times on Friday. They spoke on the condition that their names not be used due to the confidential nature of the deal.

The transaction will resolve a long-running dispute between Dea Spanos Berberian and her siblings – including Chargers controlling owner Dean Spanos – that ended in court in April 2021.

Gores and his wife, Holly, are buying Spanos Berberian’s share of the franchise, people familiar with the transaction said, but he will not control or have the ability to control the organization, nor will he have any influence over its day-to-day operations the team. Dean Spanos retains full control of the franchise as he and his siblings Michael Spanos and Alexis Spanos Ruhl own approximately 69% of the Chargers.

While Spanos Berberian claimed that her brother’s poor management of the team resulted in debts that threatened the family’s fortunes, she hoped to force a sale of the team through a petition filed by attorney Adam Streisand. He previously represented Jeanie Buss in her battle for control of the Lakers from her brothers and also Steve Ballmer in the lawsuit that forced Donald Sterling to sell the Clippers.

As the litigation continued, the person familiar with the transaction said, Spanos Berberian instead shifted its focus to exiting the ownership group.

Gores will purchase Spanos Berberian’s 24% stake and an additional 3% of the franchise – 1% each from shares owned by Dean Spanos, Alexis Spanos Ruhl and Michael Spanos – for estate planning purposes.

The price of Gores’ share of the franchise is unknown, although the Chargers are worth about $5.38 billion, according to average figures from Forbes, Sportico and CNBC.

The sale still needs to be approved by NFL owners next month at a regularly scheduled quarterly meeting on Oct. 15 and 16 in Atlanta.

Gores, whose net worth is estimated by Bloomberg at $11.8 billion, is the founder of Platinum Equity. He and the Beverly Hills-based private equity firm purchased the Pistons in 2011 before becoming sole owner of the NBA team in 2015. The Chargers purchase was not related to PE, according to the Associated Press.

Calcutta, India: Tapas Pal has been making clay idols of various gods and goddesses for two decades at Kumartuli, a traditional pottery center in Kolkata in the eastern Indian state of West Bengal.

The 42-year-old, who makes six-meter-tall idols from unfired clay, told Al Jazeera that he would not normally have any free time in the two months leading up to Durga Puja, the state’s biggest festival. as he would meet the deadline for handing over the idols to the festival organizers.

But this year the situation is completely different, with fewer orders and reduced budgets as the city’s residents are not in the mood for celebrations after the brutal rape and murder of a 31-year-old doctor at the state-run RG Kar Hospital on August 9.

“The festival offers [a] We make up a large portion of our annual business and expect high returns. But this time, due to the intense protests in the state, there is hardly any business,” and his business has dropped by two-thirds, he said.

Durga Puja is a 10-day worship of the Hindu goddess Durga to celebrate her victory over a shape-shifting demon and embodies joy. Durga is one of the most powerful goddesses in Hinduism. She represents the power of women and her legend revolves around her ability to defeat evil. In 2021, Durga Puja in Kolkata was added to UNESCO’s List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

In the run-up to the festival, artisans spend months making idols of Durga – depicted as a beautiful woman riding a lion or tiger, with many arms, each carrying a weapon meant to destroy evil. The idols that often represent a part of this battle are intricately hand-painted, beautifully dressed, adorned with jewels and displayed on the pandals.

There is a standstill in the state in the days leading up to the celebrations, which are scheduled to begin on October 9 this year. Schools and offices are closed and people resort to pandal hopping – a tradition in which people visit multiple venues housing the idols to offer prayers and eat prasad – as neighborhoods compete for the biggest and fanciest idols and decorations compete.

Last year, state minister Mamata Banerjee pegged the festival economy at about 840 billion rupees ($10 billion).

However, it is not clear whether the numbers will be anywhere near that high this year as people are still in shock after the body of a trainee doctor was found with multiple injuries at the government hospital. The hospital authorities initially informed her parents that she had died by suicide. But an autopsy revealed that she had been raped and murdered.

Since then, police have arrested Sanjoy Roy, a volunteer at the hospital who had full access to the ward where the doctor worked, and four others, including the college’s former principal Dr. Sandeep Ghosh, and a police officer arrested.

The brutality of the crime and accusations of apathy on the part of the state administration shocked citizens who took to the streets in protest, especially as the city prided itself on being safe for women.

Activists say the doctor’s rape and murder shows how women in India continue to face sexual violence despite tougher laws being introduced following the gang rape and murder of a 23-year-old student on a bus in the national capital New Delhi in 2012.

The number of crimes against women in India rose 4 percent in 2022 compared to the previous year, according to National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data released late last year.

Banerjee’s plea to urge people to return to the celebrations has so far remained unsuccessful.

On the contrary, locals have emotionally connected with the victim’s family after the father broke down in a television interview and said that no one wants to celebrate the festival this year and that anyone who does will not celebrate with joy.

The gloomy mood has affected several hundred artisans and entrepreneurs whose livelihoods depend on the festival.

Business “ruined”

Artisans say the incident couldn’t have happened at a worse time as several organizers place orders for idols every year in the second or third week of August and have either scaled back or paused them altogether.

“The incident is regrettable and condemnable. We demand strict punishment for the perpetrators and justice for the victim’s family. But the timing coincided badly with our peak season, which has completely ruined our business this year,” Subhendu Pal, 52, an idol maker in Kumartuli, told Al Jazeera.

Subhendu Porel, 35, who makes decorative Styrofoam items for pandals, said business has more than halved.

“People’s enthusiasm for the festival is hardly there. We usually travel to other states this season to make the decorative items as there is a high demand for us there. But this time people from other states did not come out of fear to take us for their work [the] The law and order situation here is deteriorating. It seems that this year the festival is just a formality and nothing else,” Porel said.

Prabhakar Porel, 32, an artisan who designs the bamboo structures used to hold the pandals, said: “We make tents that reach up to 60 feet high.” [18 metres]but organizers are reducing orders to 30 feet [nine metres] and even less so since budget constraints are an issue this time. Sponsors are not ready to give their whole hearts to feel the gloom in the state,” he said.

State subsidies declined

In West Bengal, around 43,000 Durga Pujas are held by community clubs every year, including 3,000 in Kolkata alone. The state government offers clubs 70,000 rupees ($840) every year to organize the festival, but this year the amount was increased to 85,000 rupees ($1,013).

But several clubs, shaken by the incident, rejected the grant, which in turn limited their spending capacity.

Apart from government subsidies, a large part of the festival’s costs are borne by sponsors such as local and national companies, who in return promote their brands. Based on the amount of money promised, organizers such as the clubs commission idols, decorations and food stalls, among other things. The hint of low participation in the celebrations could lead some of them to hold back or cut back on their promises.

Avishek Bhattacharyya, a board member of the Forum for Durgotsab, an umbrella group of more than 600 festival organizers in the state, told Al Jazeera that a boycott would be disastrous for the festival.

“The discussions with sponsors… take place several months in advance. There is no question of backing out as the organizers set their budget depending on the promised sponsorship. But if the [sponsors] To step down now would be a big problem for the organizers to clear the fees of the idol makers, decorators and other people involved. Several people will lose their livelihood,” Bhattacharyya warned.

Professor Mahalaya Chatterjee of Calcutta University’s economics department admitted that the celebrations could suffer a major setback in the backdrop of the protests. “There is no doubt that bulk purchasing will be reduced to the bare essentials and that would be a major economic blow to those involved in the business. [If] “The celebrations will suffer, which would impact food stalls and other routes during the festival,” she said.

Buyer absent

The effects of the protests are also being felt in Calcutta’s shopping areas with few customers.

“A month before the festival, people start buying clothes and other things that they should avoid [the] Last minute rush. The stores are full of customers and there is no place to hold on. The sales bring enormous income to the dealers. But the RG Kar incident has devastated us economically,” said Maqsood Khan, secretary of Shreeram Arcade Shopkeepers Association, which has around 250 shops in the market.

“There are virtually no buyers on the street and shopkeepers have to wait until the evening hours to make the first sale of the day,” lamented Khan.

The shopping arcade has extended its closing time by an hour to 10 p.m., but there are still no customers. “The situation is worse than after the COVID-19 crisis, when sales started after pandemic-related restrictions were lifted,” he said, adding that losses were up to 100 million rupees ($1.2 million). could be.

Every year Durga Puja also attracts tourists from other parts of India and abroad. That too suffered a setback this year.

Koushik Banerjee, the founder of Supreme Tours and Travels in Kolkata, told Al Jazeera that the number of tourists coming to the state has drastically reduced. “That already exists [a] 50 percent drop in inbound tourists, which has had a major impact on our business,” he said.

This is already putting a strain on the hospitality industry, where sales have so far fallen by 15 percent. “Our member restaurants had a turnover of around Rs 18 billion [$215m] across West Bengal last year during a festival month. Even in hotels, the business was around Rs 15 billion [$179m]. But this year there is uncertainty,” said Sudesh Poddar, president of the Hotel and Restaurant Association of Eastern India.

Idol maker Pal feels the damage has already been done and the festival is unlikely to generate any buzz. “The younger generation is taking [an] They are actively taking part in the celebrations, but are all busy protesting and in no mood to upload jubilant pictures on social media. They used to come to Kumartuli every year to click our pictures during idol making, but this time no one is coming and this shows the sad mood in the city. The festival will pass quietly.”

Knighton Museum operators say the water problems have forced the museum to close the doors of the Broad Street Museum for at least the next six months.

“We regret to announce that due to ongoing leakage issues we are closing the museum until April 2025,” the Knighton Museum announced on its Facebook page on Thursday.

Barry Samuels called it “a huge disgrace” when reacting to the news.

An upcoming talk by Chris Franklin on ‘Anglo-Saxons and life on the Welsh border’, taking place on October 6th at 2pm, will be held at the Offa’s Dyke Center in Knighton.

The museum opened in 2017 on the site of one of the city’s most famous stores of the 20th century, Clee & Sons, which was Knighton’s first department store.

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The museum reflects the social history of the region. Most of the exhibits have been either donated or loaned by locals and illustrate the varied history of the Powys border town, from drovers to flannel weavers, trading to farming.

The museum’s exhibits include a kitchen and scullery from the time of Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation, as well as elements of late Victorian to early Elizabeth II schoolrooms. The star attraction is what may be the oldest fire apparatus in the UK – a hand-pulled, hand-pumped fire engine from the Georgian era.

Many of the exhibits can be handled by visitors, making the entire experience both child-friendly for children and memorable for adults.

The museum is a registered charity run by volunteers and funded by donations. Entry is completely free.

Its trustees and volunteers are made up of Knighton Town Council, Powys County Council and members of the public interested in history, archaeology, re-enactments, agriculture and education.

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) Cam Ward found Isaiah Horton for a 1-yard touchdown pass with 1:57 left for the game-winning score, and No. 7 Miami rallied to beat Virginia Tech 38-34 in the Atlantic Coast Conference Kickoff for both teams on Friday evening.

The ending was controversial: Officials deemed Da’Quan Felton to have caught a 30-yard Kyron Drones touchdown pass amid a crowd of players from both teams as time expired, which would have given Virginia Tech the victory. The call was canceled after a long review.

Ward threw for 343 yards and four touchdowns and extended his national lead to 18 scoring throws so far this season. The Hurricanes (5-0, 1-0) have trailed by double digits three times, the last time when the Hokies took a 34-24 lead with 12:05 left.

But Miami ultimately found a way — barely — to win its ACC opener and remain undefeated for the first time in four years.

Drones threw two touchdown passes while Bhayshul Tuten rushed for 141 yards and another score for Virginia Tech (2-3, 0-1).

John Love made field goals of 52 and 56 yards for Virginia Tech. The Hokies turned three Miami turnovers into 14 points and appeared poised to oust a team ranked No. 7 or higher in the AP Top 25 for the first time since Oct. 2, 2004, a 19-13 win over then-No. 6 West Virginia.

But Virginia Tech, needing a touchdown on the final drive to pull off the upset, reached the Miami 30 and nearly scored the winning score.

At the start, Miami escaped disaster twice. Xavier Restrepo pounced on a four-and-3 play with the ball already heading his way and somehow caught it on the ground to extend the possession. And on first down a few minutes later, Ward was pulled down by Virginia Tech’s Keyshawn Burgos in what looked like a very specific sack.

But it wasn’t like that. Ward broke free of that tackle, fended off another one, and threw the ball to Riley Williams for a 26-yard gain to the 1-yard line. The Hurricanes scored on a late play and the defense closed it out.

Virginia Tech: The night could have been worse. Defensive lineman Antwaun Powell-Ryland, who entered the game leading the national team with six sacks and increased Friday’s total to seven, left the game in the second half with an injury. He went to the locker room accompanied by a Hokies employee for the evaluation.

Miami: The Hurricanes failed in the second half on a fake field goal attempt that came from Virginia Tech’s chip shot range. If the Hokies had gotten the three points there, they would have only needed one more field goal on the final drive and not a touchdown. There was another big special teams play: Andy Borregales’ 56-yard field goal to end the first half stood out for the rest of the night.

Miami avoided a devastating loss in the AP Top 25 when the poll is updated on Sunday. The Hurricanes should stay in the top 10.

Virginia Tech: Visit Stanford on October 5th.

Miami: Visit Cal on October 5th.

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Wieder einmal stellt Brian Tyree Henry seine Vielseitigkeit als Entertainer unter Beweis. Der gebürtige North Carolinaer spielt die Hauptrolle in dem neu erschienenen Film Transformers One als Stimme von D-16, der schließlich als Megatron bekannt wird. Henry ist bekannt für seine beeindruckenden Leistungen in Film, Fernsehen und Theater und verleiht dieser ikonischen Figur eine unerwartete Tiefe.

„Ich gehe nie in eine Rolle und denke, ich sei der Bösewicht“, erklärt Henry gegenüber ESSENCE. „Ich wollte, dass die Leute den Film mit einem Gefühl des Zwiespalts über Megatron verlassen und ihn vielleicht sogar verstehen.“

Die Komplexität der Rolle des Anführers der Decepticons ist für den Schauspieler kein Fremdwort, denn er lieferte eine für den Oscar nominierte Darstellung ab Dammder Film aus dem Jahr 2022, der seine Fähigkeit unterstreicht, in emotional vielschichtige Rollen einzutauchen. Zuvor glänzte er als Alfred „Paper Boi“ Miles in Atlanta, und erhielt auch Kritikerlob für seine Nebenrolle in Wenn Beale Street sprechen könntezusammen mit einem herausragenden Ausflug in Godzilla gegen Kong.

Henrys Rolle in Transformers One markiert eine Rückkehr in die Welt der Animation. In den vergangenen Jahren war er die Stimme hinter Jefferson Davis in der Spinnenvers Franchise und war auch maßgeblich daran beteiligt Der Elefant des Zauberers. Seine aktuelle Rolle ist für den 42-Jährigen jedoch ein glücklicher Zufall. „Ich bin mit dem Zuschauen aufgewachsen Transformatoren am Samstagmorgen“, erinnerte sich Henry und fügte hinzu, dass es eine Selbstverständlichkeit sei, Teil einer solch legendären Serie zu sein. „Es ist faszinierend zu erkunden, wie Megatron, bevor er zu dem Bösewicht wurde, den wir kennen, von Freundschaft und Verrat geprägt war.“

Da sein neuer Film jetzt in den Kinos läuft, fügt Henrys Darstellung seiner bereits beeindruckenden Karriere eine weitere bemerkenswerte Leistung hinzu. Seine Fähigkeit, selbst die berüchtigtsten Charaktere zu vermenschlichen, macht ihn weiterhin zu einem der dynamischsten Talente Hollywoods.

ESSENCE: Wie war die Gelegenheit, mitzuspielen? Transformers One kommen Sie zunächst zu Ihnen?

Brian Tyree Henry: Ich erhielt einen Anruf von Paramount und sagte, dass ich Megatron spielen solle. Zuerst dachte ich, ich würde verarscht. Ich dachte: „Sie wollen mich auf keinen Fall.“ Es ist einfach so eine ikonische Figur. Und ich dachte sofort: „Klar, Mann.“ Mein 10-jähriges Ich dachte: „Du musst es tun.“ Ich konnte hören, wie mein 10-jähriges Ich im Hintergrund mich richtig hart drängte und sagte: „Diese Gelegenheit musst du nutzen.“

Als also die Rolle kam, war es eine Selbstverständlichkeit, dabei zu sein. Und als mir dann klar wurde, gegen wen ich spielen würde, als ich sah, dass Chris Hemsworth ein Teil davon war, Scarlett und Key, dachte ich: „Na ja, das ist so ein tolles Ensemble.“

Apropos: Haben Sie einen Druck oder eine erhöhte Verantwortung verspürt, zu einer so bekannten Figur in einem ikonischen Franchise zu werden?

Absolut. Ich komme aus der Generation –Transformatoren gibt es nun schon seit fast 40 Jahren. Sein Ursprung liegt in den 80ern und es war ein Samstagmorgen-Cartoon, mit dem ich definitiv aufgewacht bin. Mein Ritual bestand darin, am Samstag aufzuwachen, wie die meisten von uns, aufzustehen, das Gesicht nah an den Fernseher zu halten und wie einen vierstündigen Block Zeichentrickfilme anzusehen. Und dann nach draußen gehen und mit den Spielzeugen dieser Cartoons spielen, wenn man das Glück hatte, sie zu haben. Ich hatte nicht das Glück, sie so zu haben. Also musste ich meinen eigenen Weg finden, dem beizutreten Transformatoren Kreise.

Aber es ist Teil der Nostalgie, als 80er-Jahre-Kind aufzuwachsen. Und so erinnere ich mich nur daran, dass ich beim Anschauen dieser Sendungen darüber nachgedacht habe, wie wenig schwarze Stimmen ich gehört habe, und wie sehr wenige Es gab schwarze Charaktere. Das habe ich bei der Übernahme dieses Teils berücksichtigt. In der Lage zu sein, jetzt auf so breite Weise Teil der Animation zu sein, mit Inklusion und wie vielfältig diese Charaktere jetzt sind. Ehrlich gesagt, das ist etwas, das ich mir als Erwachsener gewünscht hätte.

Ich kannte auch den Stempel, den Frank Welker Megatron aufdrückte. Er hat diesen Bösewicht so ikonisch und legendär gemacht. Es war etwas, das ich immer im Hinterkopf hatte. Aber das wirklich Tolle an diesem Film ist, dass wir ganz am Anfang beginnen. Rechts?

Rechts.

Es ist eine Ursprungsgeschichte. Sie treffen also tatsächlich Megatron und Optimus Prime, bevor sie zu diesen beiden furchterregenden Feinden werden, bevor sie zu Anführern werden. Man trifft sie also tatsächlich in der Jugend. Das gab mir viel Spielraum, um herauszufinden, wer er sein sollte und wie die Zuschauer ihn aufnehmen sollten. Der Einstieg in das Verständnis, wer er wirklich ist und wie er zu dem Megatron wurde, als den wir ihn heute kennen.

Da es sich hierbei um eine Ursprungsgeschichte handelt, wie haben Sie sich auf diese besondere Rolle des Megatron vorbereitet?

Nun, bei jeder Rolle, die ich spiele, habe ich immer das Gefühl, dass ein Teil von mir da drin ist. Da muss ich immer anfangen. Und bei Megatron war es nicht anders. Schon mein ganzes Leben lang war ich von Schurken fasziniert. Ich denke immer: „Na ja, sie sagen uns einfach, dass wir sie hassen sollen.“ Und: „Sie sind immer böse und sie sind immer dunkel.“ Und: „Wir sind immer dazu bestimmt, Schurken gegenüberzutreten.“

Ich war schon immer fasziniert davon, wie sie so geworden sind. Wir bekommen so selten die Gelegenheit zu erfahren, wie Bösewichte zu Bösewichten werden. Normalerweise fangen sie nicht so an. Dieser Film ermöglichte es mir, die Schichten dieser Zwiebel wirklich abzuschälen, um das zu sehen. Also begann ich zunächst mit der Frage: „Wo steht er in seinem Leben?“ Und in welchem ​​Entwicklungsstadium befindet sich Megatron?“ Und so ging ich davon aus, dass er in dieser Zeit des Erwachsenwerdens war, etwa 18, 19, 20.

Also habe ich über mich selbst nachgedacht. Ich dachte an mich selbst, als ich mit 18 mein Zuhause verließ und auf das Morehouse College ging. Ich versuche herauszufinden, wer ich bin, wer meine besten Freunde sind, wer ich auf der Welt sein möchte. Und als mir auch klar wurde, dass die Welt nicht so war, wie ich sie mir vorgestellt hatte, wurde mir in dem Moment, als ich zum ersten Mal Ernüchterung erlebte, klar, dass ich einfach dachte: „Moment, das ist nicht richtig.“ Der Moment, in dem ich merkte, dass um mich herum Ungerechtigkeiten passierten und was für ein Mann ich unter all dem sein wollte.

Also habe ich mir das mit D-16 angesehen und dachte: „Oh, ich habe das Gefühl, dass genau das mit ihm los ist.“ Wir treffen ihn im Film und er hat einen Job, mit dem er einverstanden ist und der seine Bedürfnisse befriedigt. Aber er hat einen besten Freund, der auch sein Kollege ist, in Wirklichkeit aber zu seinem Vertrauten und engsten Verbündeten wird. Und dann lebt er auch in einer Welt, die er schon immer kannte. Er ist noch nie weiter als bis Cybertron abgedriftet. Er hat die Oberfläche noch nie zuvor gesehen. Er hat nie etwas davon getan. Und so habe ich einfach über mein 18-jähriges Ich und mein 19-jähriges Ich und die Entwicklung darüber nachgedacht, wer ich sein wollte, und das habe ich einfach in Megatron einfließen lassen.

Sie haben gerade davon gesprochen, den Bösewicht zu spielen, worüber ich mit Ihnen sprechen wollte. Viele Schauspieler, mit denen ich in der Vergangenheit gesprochen habe, sagen, dass sie es lieben, einen Bösewicht zu spielen, weil Bösewichte oft den besten Text haben, in den besten Szenen mitspielen und die unvergesslichsten sind. Was halten Sie davon, einen Bösewicht zu spielen, im Gegensatz dazu, in Ihren Rollen einen guten Kerl zu spielen?

Ich betrachte sie nie als Bösewichte.

Wirklich?

Ich gehe nie darauf ein und erlebe es so: „Oh, ich mache etwas Schlimmes.“ Ich mache etwas falsch.“ Eigentlich glaube ich, dass alles, was ich tue, gerecht ist. Alles, was ich zu tun glaube, dient dem Wohl aller um mich herum. Das, was ich tue, ist einfach, aber ich befinde mich in einer Welt, die uns gesagt hat, dass wir so sein müssen und dass wir uns innerhalb dieser Grenzen bewegen sollen. Und ich frage mich: „Nein, warum müssen wir das tun?“

Deshalb versuche ich in diesem Film tatsächlich, zu meinem Schurkendasein zu gelangen, indem ich versuche, sein Herz ehrlich zu verstehen. Weil ich dachte: „Letztendlich möchte ich den Zuschauern in gewisser Weise ein Gefühl der Verwirrung hinterlassen.“ Als würden sie irgendwie alles demontieren, was sie in den letzten Jahrzehnten über Megatron wussten.“ Ich wollte sie wirklich verwirren und ihre Sinne ein wenig schockieren, indem ich sagte: „Oh, Moment, darum geht es ihm?“ Oh, damit rocke ich tatsächlich. Eigentlich verstehe ich es wirklich.“ Ich wollte, dass die Leute den Film mit den Worten verlassen: „Ich lebe jetzt mit dieser trügerischen Art von Leben.“ Ich dachte nicht, dass ich es wäre, aber ich glaube tatsächlich, dass ich es verstehe.“

Weil ich denke, dass das ein Dienst an der Figur ist. Es ist schwer, diesen Spitznamen bei sich zu haben, den man abtun kann, dass man nicht gemocht werden sollte und man sich nicht um einen kümmern sollte. Und ich persönlich weiß, wie das ist. Sie wissen, was ich meine? Das habe ich wirklich in die Figur hineingetragen. Ich meinte: „Ich weiß, wie es für Leute ist, einen zu etikettieren und einen abzulehnen, entweder wegen seines Aussehens oder wegen seiner Herkunft.“ Ich weiß genau, wie sich das anfühlt.“

Also dachte ich mir: „Ich frage mich, ob ich den Leuten den Kopf öffnen und sie dazu bringen kann, sich ein wenig zu fragen, warum sie so über Megatron denken.“ Und vielleicht gehen wir mit einer völlig anderen Perspektive davon, wie wir uns tatsächlich um ihn kümmern.“

Finden Sie einen Unterschied in Ihrer Vorbereitung auf traditionelle Filme im Vergleich zu einem Animationsfilm?

Das ist wirklich interessant, denn bei Animationsfilmen weiß ich, dass ich mit dem, was ich im Bett getragen habe, aus dem Bett rollen und ins Studio gehen kann. Das war für mich der größte Vorteil, denn man muss jedes Ego entfernen, man macht Animationen. Es kommt nicht darauf an, wie Sie sich präsentieren. Es geht nicht darum, welches schicke Restaurant oder welche Veranstaltung Sie besucht haben. Es geht wirklich um Ihre Stimme und wirklich um das Herz dessen, wer Sie sind, denn das ist es, was eingefangen wird.

Was ich also liebe, ist, dass man an der Tür gewissermaßen sein Ego überprüfen muss, wobei ich überhaupt nicht wusste, dass ich ein Ego-Gefühl habe. Weil ich dachte: „Ich habe nicht wirklich ein Ego. Ich versuche immer noch herauszufinden, was mein Ego ist.“ Aber was auch immer das ist, lassen Sie es an der Tür, denn Sie gehen hinein und es dient diesen Charakteren. Denn die erste Interaktion, die die Leute auf diesen Plätzen haben werden, besteht darin, Ihre Stimme zu hören. Und das wird die Reise beeinflussen, und so weiter.

Es ist auch ziemlich albern, was wir machen, wenn Sie Animationen machen. Weil Sie in einer Kabine sitzen und sich anstrengen. Und Bemühungen sind im Grunde jede Art lautmalerische Anstrengung, die Sie unternehmen. Zum Beispiel schwer atmen, wenn man rennt, oder Kampfgeräusche machen oder schluchzen müssen, wenn man traurig ist … das ist viel.

Aber es erfordert wirklich ein Gefühl der Vorstellungskraft. Du musst wirklich hineingehen und dein größtes Fantasieleben leben. Weil Sie nicht wissen, wie die Geschichte vor Ihnen aussehen wird. Sie haben nur ein Drehbuch und Sie haben die Umstände und den Einsatz, aber Sie wissen nicht, ob das ein Berg ist, den Sie besteigen. Sie wissen nicht, wie hoch der Berg ist. Sie wissen nicht, welche Nähe Sie zu bestimmten Personen in der Szene haben. Du hast keine Ahnung, was es ist. Man muss also einfach reingehen und die Arbeit reinstecken.

Da es sich um einen Animationsfilm handelt, wie konnten Sie während des Drehprozesses eine Chemie mit Ihren Co-Stars aufbauen?

Es ist so verrückt. Animation ist so faszinierend, weil man mit seinem Szenenpartner nie am selben Ort ist. Aber wie bei Chris war er definitiv in Australien und drehte zu dieser Zeit eine Serie und machte auch ein paar andere Projekte.

Sie gehen also mit all diesen unterschiedlichen Umständen in Ihrem Privatleben in die Kabine und nicht mit Ihrem Partner in der Kabine. Sie müssen sich also nur vorstellen, wie ihre Reaktionen Ihrer Meinung nach ausfallen würden, wie ihr Timing sein würde.

Wir hatten in diesem Fall das große Glück, dass unser Regisseur Josh Cooley manchmal Dinge von Chris’ Seite und manchmal Chris’ Dinge von meiner Seite spielte, sodass wir bei Bedarf Anpassungen vornehmen konnten. Aber die meiste Zeit saßen Sie wirklich nur da mit dem Drehbuch. Und das liebe ich allerdings. Das ist meine Lieblingssache.

Sogar als ich es tat Spider-ManMit meiner wunderbaren Superpartnerin Luna Velez, die meine Frau spielt, waren wir nie am selben Ort. Aber wir mussten irgendwie sicherstellen, dass die Menschen das Gefühl hatten, dass dies eine so geeinte Bindung war, wie eine echte Ehe, die sich echt anfühlte und auf Liebe und Intimität basierte. Und so dachte ich immer darüber nach: Ich weiß, wie großartig Luna ist, ich weiß, wie ihre Befreiungen aussehen. Ich frage mich also, ob ich sagen würde: „Sie sagt es so.“ Wenn ich hier „Baby“ sage, bin ich ihr vielleicht nahe und vielleicht stehlen wir uns einen Kuss.“ Du spielst also nur. Man kommt richtig in Fahrt und hat Spielgefühl.

Und das Gleiche passierte hier, als ich neben Chris Megatron spielte. Ich habe nur versucht herauszufinden, wie seine Lieferung meiner Meinung nach sein würde. Weil sie eine gewisse Verspieltheit mit sich bringen, die man nicht sieht. Zwischen den Charakteren herrscht eine gewisse Besorgnis, die man noch nie zuvor gesehen hat. Also nutze ich einfach meine Vorstellungskraft, um zu sehen, welche Art von Spielgefühl und welche Art von Charaktergefühl Chris mitbrachte.

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – An Apopka homeowner is struggling to receive calls from his home insurance company after his roof was torn off by strong winds during Hurricane Helene.

▶ WATCH CHANNEL 9’S EYEWITNESS NEWS

“Heard something that sounded like a freight train. The next thing we know when we look out the window is parts of the roof flying off,” Lynn said.

Lynn said he has been calling his insurance company continually since the roof was torn off the house around 7:30 p.m. but has received no response.

Read: Channel 9 brings you the impact of Hurricane Helene in Florida

“I thank God none of us in my family were hurt,” said Fred Lynn, homeowner.

Lynn said he has lived in his home for over 50 years and had never suffered damage from a storm, tornado or previous hurricanes until the wind damage from Hurricane Helene.

WFTV walked through Lynn’s front and back yard to survey the damage and debris and noted that Lynn’s home was the only one in the neighborhood that was hit.

Read: AAA offers safety and insurance tips to help those injured by Helene

Insurance experts said during hurricane season, CTAs are ready for homeowner claims and the first thing a homeowner should do in the event of a loss is to call insurers and contact them electronically.

“The quickest way is to submit your claim online or electronically. There is either an 800 number on your home insurance policy or you should call,” said Thomas Cotton, president of Hugh Cotton Insurance.

According to Citizen’s Insurance, Florida’s largest insurer, claims reports will be few and far between in the first two days after Helene.

“What people are figuring out now is what kind of wind deductible they have. They’re now finding out that if they don’t have flood insurance, they don’t have flood insurance,” Cotton said.

Read: Aftermath of Helene: Waste collection services will resume in these counties

Given the state’s insurance crisis after past hurricanes devastated the state and litigation over roof damage, homeowners across the state are feeling the pressure of rising insurance premiums and are now faced with the challenge of obtaining compensation for damages.

“Florida’s homeowner market is largely domestic. Most of our airlines are Florida-only airlines,” Cotton said.

The hesitation to make contact now increases the stress of recovering from the storm’s destruction. Thanks to a local roofing company and neighbors, he is now forced to install several large tarps on his roof until he receives a call for an expert to assess the damage.

Lynn said since he called early and is still waiting in limbo, he fears the wait for help will only get longer for people who haven’t called their insurance companies about the damage.

“I don’t think it should be that hard to get something done,” Lynn said.

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MADISON, Wis. –

The University of Wisconsin Board of Regents voted unanimously Friday to fire a communications professor who wanted to keep his job after he was fired as chancellor of one of the system’s campuses for producing pornographic films.

Joe Gow, who served as UW-La Crosse’s chancellor for nearly 17 years, argued last week that he should retain a teaching position on campus. But the university’s lawyers argued that he behaved unethically, violated the terms of his employment contract, damaged the university’s reputation and compromised its mission.

The regents met in closed session Friday morning before publicly voting to fire Gow. There was no public discussion before the board vote.

Gow said he is considering filing a lawsuit to keep his teaching job. He did not immediately respond to a message Friday morning.

Gow has been on paid leave from his faculty position since the regents fired him as chancellor in 2023, shortly after university leadership became aware of the videos posted on pornographic websites.

The case has drawn national attention both for the salaciousness of a high-ranking university official making and speaking publicly about pornographic films and for the questions it raises about free speech rights.

Gow argued that his videos and two e-books that he and his wife Carmen published about their experiences in adult films were protected by the First Amendment. The university’s attorney argued that Gow’s videos themselves were legal, but that they were not protected by his employment contract.

Zach Greenberg, an attorney with the free speech advocacy group Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, called the regents’ decision “a major blow to academic freedom and the right to free expression.”

“FIRE has said time and time again: Public universities cannot sacrifice the First Amendment to protect their reputations,” Greenberg said. “We are disappointed that the UW has caved to donors and politicians by alienating a tenured professor.”

Republican lawmakers already view Wisconsin’s university system as a liberal incubator. Last year they forced the company to scale back its diversity initiatives. System President Jay Rothman has tried to avoid further angering conservatives as he seeks approval for an $855 million increase in the next state budget.

Gow’s hope of teaching in the classroom again was rejected by his department head, Linda Dickmeyer. She said that because Gow had not taught in 20 years, he would be assigned general education courses, but she declined to allow him to return to teaching in any capacity.

Gow was criticized in 2018 for inviting porn actress Nina Hartley to speak on campus. She received $5,000 from tuition fees for her performance. The university said he came up with the idea of ​​bringing her to campus after filming a pornographic video with her.

Gow and his wife’s e-books were written under the pseudonyms “Monogamy with Benefits: How Porn Enhances Our Relationships” and “Married with Benefits – Our Real Adventures in the Adult Industry.” But they also star in a YouTube channel called “Sexy Healthy Cooking,” in which the couple cooks meals with porn actors.

The impacts of Hurricane Helene’s rain and winds are causing damage throughout East Tennessee.

The steady rain of a typical storm first began to penetrate East Tennessee this week, then the outer bands of Hurricane Helene blew into the southern Appalachians. Now the remnants of the storm have made their way here, bringing the winds that caused damage across much of Florida and Georgia.

“Fallen trees and power lines are expected to cause power outages. Turn back, don’t drown,” warned experts at the National Weather Service office in Morristown.

Schools are closed and football games are canceled.

CNN
—

Austria goes to the polls this Sunday, with the populist, anti-immigrant Freedom Party (FPÖ) expected to emerge victorious, in what would mark another win for Europe’s far right.

However, unlike its competitors, the FPÖ is not an upstart and has previously been involved in coalition governments.

Since the FPÖ is unlikely to win an absolute majority according to current polls, it would have to rely on the support of other parties – and they could do so instead Work together to freeze it. Here’s what you need to know:

The FPÖ is considered the forefather of European right-wing extremist parties and represents an anti-migrant, anti-Islam, anti-European and anti-vaccination agenda. One of their typically provocative slogans was once “Love of homeland instead of Moroccan thieves”.

Benjamin Biard, a political scientist and research fellow at the Brussels-based think tank Center de Recherche et d’Information Socio-Politiques (CRISP), told CNN that the FPÖ shares “many characteristics” with other leading European far-right parties, citing the French National Rally (RN), the Flemish Vlaams Belang (VB), the Italian Lega and the Dutch Party for Freedom (PVV).

But there is a crucial difference. Unlike, for example, the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD), which was founded in 2013 in response to Eurozone politics, the FPÖ was founded in the decade after the Nazi era and is deeply rooted in Austrian politics. It has been in power three times in coalition with other groups at the federal level, making it one of the few far-right parties in Europe to have achieved this.

On June 9, the party narrowly won the European Parliament (EP) elections in Austria for the first time with 25.5% of the vote and would like to transfer this momentum to the national level.

The party was founded in 1956 by former Nazis, but today denies any connection to National Socialism. Still, over the years it has followed a controversial path, trending from the far right to the center and back again.

“In its early years, the FPÖ represented all-Germanist ideas and wanted to pave the way for the return of National Socialism in Austria,” said Biard. “At that time it consisted mainly of Nazi sympathizers, pro-German nationalists and libertarians.”

Pan-Germanism was a 19th century^Th Century movement for the political unification of everyone who speaks German or a Germanic language.

The party’s liberal tendencies, Biard said, “gradually displaced the former position” and by the early 1980s It was “accepted as a legitimate competitor in the Austrian electoral landscape.”

Their political stance changed again when Jörg Haider – the son of former NSDAP members – became party chairman in 1986. Haider was a controversial figure who was known for once praising Nazi Germany’s employment policies.

“At a time when the FPÖ had ‘de-radicalized,’ Haider imported a populist style and program centered on social nationalism and economic liberalism,” Biard said.

The party’s rightward shift under Haider proved popular and it secured 27% of the vote in the October 1999 election and subsequently entered a coalition government with the center-right Austrian People’s Party (ÖVP). Haider himself remained out of the government, but his rise to prominence and the party’s presence in the Austrian government alarmed the EU and left it diplomatically isolated.

In recent years, the party has been embroiled in scandal again, most notably in 2019 during its second coalition government with the ÖVP. In the so-called “Ibiza Gate,” then-head of state Heinz-Christian Strache was caught on camera promising government contracts to a woman who claimed to be the niece of a Russian oligarch – leading to his resignation and the collapse of the coalition .

The FPÖ has been led by Herbert Kickl since 2021. A far-right strongman, he has vowed to turn Austria into a “fortress” if he comes to power and has described himself as the future “People’s Chancellor” or “People’s Chancellor,” a term that has drawn criticism because of how he describes himself referred to the FPÖ’s Nazi past.

What are the main policies of the FPÖ?

Key issues in the September 29 election include cost of living, immigration, climate change and the war in Ukraine. Austria has been struggling with high inflation and below-average growth for almost two years. It is also under pressure from European allies to curb its heavy reliance on Russian gas.

A foiled terrorist attack on a Taylor Swift concert in Vienna in August sparked a debate about domestic security, while this month’s widespread flooding, which killed five people and declared the whole of Lower Austria a disaster zone, put climate change at the forefront put on the agenda.

The FPÖ has successfully addressed some of these voter concerns. In its campaign manifesto, the party promised to tighten immigration rules and implement what it calls “remigration” – the return of people to the countries from which their families originally came, particularly in the case of criminals.

The FPÖ – which likes to market itself as a party of the working class and appeals to low-income earners who feel excluded – It also outlined measures to stimulate the economy, including tax breaks for young workers and lower taxes on savings.

The long-time anti-EU and supposedly pro-Russia party rejects the bloc’s sanctions against Russia and further aid supplies to Ukraine and argues that Austria should remain neutral. In contrast to its competitors, the FPÖ demands that Vienna must continue to rely on Russian gas supplies in order to prevent a rise in energy prices.

The party now sits in the EU Parliament in alliance with Hungary’s Fidesz, a party led by Viktor Orban – Russian leader Vladimir Putin’s closest ally in Europe.

Austria’s current coalition of ÖVP and Greens is trying to find ways to wean the country from Moscow’s supplies, with the energy minister calling this a “major economic and security risk.”

The far-right party has benefited from the fallout from the Covid-19 pandemic and is known for its staunch opposition to the vaccines, with Kickl previously condemning it as a “genetic engineering experiment”.

Heinisch Reinhardt, professor of comparative politics at the University of Salzburg, describes the FPÖ as “one of the most successful right-wing radical parties since the 1980s.”

Speaking to CNN, Reinhardt said: “They are strong because, like other populists, they occupy a part of the spectrum where they have little competition.” They generally oppose the positions of all other parties and are perfectly positioned to appeal to people , who are disillusioned with democracy, feel abandoned by elites and resent the political mainstream.”

He also points out that distrust of the Austrian ruling coalition – a “government of two ideologically different parties” that “disagree on almost everything” – is fueling support for the FPÖ.

“In this environment of discontent, the FPÖ has developed well, also because in Mr. Kickl it has probably the best communicator of all parties and a disciplined person with a sharp intellect that distinguishes him from his predecessors.”

Polls by local daily Der Standard show the FPÖ is on track with a narrow victory of 27%, ahead of its main rivals, the ruling ÖVP with 25% of the vote and the center-left Social Democrats (SPÖ). with 20%.

Should the FPÖ win, its only likely coalition partner would be the conservative ÖVP, with whom it has already served as a junior coalition partner twice.

The ÖVP’s current chancellor, Karl Nehammer, has expressed his unwillingness to work with Kickl, declaring this month that it is impossible “to form a government with someone who loves conspiracy theories.” However, he left the door open to working with the FPÖ without Kickl, with the two parties There is overlap on issues like immigration and tax cuts.

If the ÖVP gets confused in the polls, it could hold talks with the FPÖ or try to form Austria’s first three-party alliance – with the SPÖ and either the Greens or the liberal NEOS party.

According to Reinhard, the FPÖ is more likely to form a government if it comes second than if it comes first. “If the FPÖ is ahead, it could only form a government with the conservatives. However, it is questionable whether the ÖVP would like to be a junior partner in a coalition with the FPÖ, while it could be a senior partner in a coalition with the SPÖ and a third party.”

According to Reinhard, if a coalition between the ÖVP and SPÖ is numerically possible, this is the most likely outcome.

But Biard said it was “not ruled out that the FPÖ could join or even lead a coalition – which would be a first in Austria.”

“This would strengthen the weight and influence of the extreme right not only in Austria, but also at the European level.”