In one of their first big moves as new DC heads, James Gunn and Peter Safran have scrapped plans for Patty Jenkins‘ Wonder Woman 3, according to Deadline.
Sources tell the outlet that Jenkins — who directed and co-wrote the previous two movies, released in 2017 and 2020 starring Gal Gadot — recently submitted her treatment, which the bosses found “unsuitable” at this time.
No decision has been made about next steps, though one insider told the outlet that Jenkins could very well hand in another take on the superhero, but it’s not evident that will happen.
The news follows a Tuesday tweet in which Gadot wrote, “A few years ago it was announced that I was going to play Wonder Woman. I’ve been so grateful for the opportunity to play such an incredible, iconic character and more than anything I’m grateful for YOU.The fans. Can’t wait to share her next chapter with you.”
While the first Wonder Woman was a box office hit, earning $820 million, Wonder Woman 1984 was roundly panned and made under $170M worldwide. In spite of that, Warner Bros. wasted no time in announcing Wonder Woman 3.
(NEW YORK) — Recession fears have mounted in recent weeks, as inflation continues to strain household budgets and the Federal Reserve appears set to raise interest rates and further slow the economy.
As if blissfully unaware, however, the job market has thrived. Hiring last month exceeded expectations and defied warnings of a downturn.
But the good jobs news could ultimately imperil the economy. Wages last month grew a blistering 5.1% compared to a year earlier, offering welcome relief for workers but also sobering news for Fed officials fearful of runaway inflation driven by income gains.
In turn, a lesser known data point has drawn outsized attention: the share of the adult population not working or actively looking for work. If workers are in ample supply, it gives the labor market some slack and limits wage growth. However, workforce participation came in at 62.1% last month, markedly lower than the pre-pandemic level of 63.4%.
The scant supply of workers keeps the labor market taut and helps fuel rising wages, which risk exacerbating inflation and pushing the economy into a recession, economists told ABC News.
Americans “should be worried about it,” Stephanie Roth, a senior market economist at J.P. Morgan Private Bank, told ABC News. The firm predicts a recession as the most likely outcome for the economy, she said, adding that “a continued tight labor market and high wage inflation would be a key reason.”
The alarm raises a key question at the heart of the economy: How can millions of missing workers stay on the sidelines while affording to pay their bills?
Here’s how unemployed people have kept up their lives and why it matters:
Retirement rates increased
The top explanation for why so many people have stayed out of the workforce centers on people who retired during the pandemic, economists said.
Over the past three months, there were 3.6 million more Americans who had left the labor force and said they didn’t want a job, compared with the same period in 2019, Aaron Sojourner, an economist at the Upjohn Institute, told ABC News. Among those 3.6 million people, individuals aged 55 and above made up about 90%, he added.
A stock market tear during the pandemic ballooned the assets of some older Americans, allowing them to subsist without income. Meanwhile, the heightened risk of severe illness faced by older Americans amid the COVID outbreak left them fearful of exposure at the workplace, Sojourner said.
“They had their finances in a position that enabled them to make the choice to stay out,” he said.
A stock market downturn this year has buffeted that financial stronghold for retirees, however, said Roth, of J.P. Morgan. Still, the reluctance of many older Americans to reenter the workforce owes to the endurance of their pandemic-era savings and the difficulty in reverting back to a bygone lifestyle.
“Now they’ve settled into their lives in retirement and they’re less inclined to come back into the labor force,” Roth said.
Savings strengthened
Another financial lifeline for unemployed Americans is the stockpile of savings that many built during the pandemic, economists said.
The COVID era strengthened household savings as government stimulus and high-flying asset prices combined with a lockdown lifestyle that did away with expenses like travel and eating out.
U.S. households amassed about $2.3 trillion in savings in 2020 and 2021, a Federal Reserve study showed last month. Moreover, households in the lower half of income distribution were still holding a combined $350 billion in excess savings as of the middle of this year, the study found.
Those savings afforded workers the flexibility to make major changes like quitting their jobs and cutting expenses to afford the lost income, Jesse Wheeler, an economic analyst with the research firm Morning Consult, told ABC News.
“The lifestyle choices that people made during the pandemic to move to a different place, work a little less and enjoy time with family – those sorts of choices are sticky,” Wheeler said.
Recently, however, savings for many have dwindled, Wheeler said.
Last month, the personal savings rate fell to 2.3%, the lowest rate in nearly two decades, according to data from the Commerce Department.
With persistent inflation hovering near a 40-year high, shoppers have drawn on savings to preserve a steady level of consumption while weathering elevated prices, he added.
“Clearly, it’s not going to be sustainable over the long term,” Wheeler said. “People eventually need to pull back on spending or reenter the labor force to increase their earnings.”
Informal work and self-employment
Data reporting a shrunken workforce likely overlooks some Americans who’ve continued to work, especially at self-run businesses or informal jobs, economists said.
During the pandemic, new business applications soared and they have remained above pre-pandemic levels, Census Bureau data showed. The Bureau reported nearly 433,000 new business applications in October, a marked increase from 313,000 in December 2019. In July 2020, new business applications reached as high as 552,000.
The government survey that calculates monthly U.S. hiring may leave out some self-employed people, said Roth.
Some people working gig jobs describe themselves as employed while others don’t, said Wheeler, of Morning Consult.
Typically, people who work formal gig jobs in delivery or ridehail service describe themselves as employed in response to queries. However, people who rely on jobs like babysitting, house sitting or dog walking often do not call themselves employed, Wheeler said.
The increase in gig work across the economy likely accounts for some of those missing from the workforce, said Sojourner.
“There are slightly more people who see informal work as an option for how to sell some of their time and skills,” he said.
Relying on a spouse or other family for support
The savings boom and rise of remote work during the pandemic led some married households to drop from two incomes to one, and pushed some workers to move in with family members, allowing previously employed people to subsist on support from loved ones, economists said.
While this shift likely accounts for a small portion of those outside of the labor force and data remains limited, the phenomenon highlights a lifestyle change enjoyed by some who have prioritized childcare or other activities above work, they said.
“People have changed up their lifestyles, maybe moved to the suburbs or consolidated households, maybe switched from one income to two,” Wheeler said. “They’ve realized that they like that lifestyle better and don’t want to go back.”
For instance, the workforce participation rate for women aged 25-34 fell nearly 5 percentage points after the outset of the pandemic, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. While employment in that group has rebounded, it remains below pre-pandemic levels.
The choice to give up work for childcare made up a key obstacle for women during the pandemic. While the problem remains, it has largely eased, Roth said.
“I wouldn’t say it’s the most important driver of wage inflation today but it’s an important piece of the puzzle,” Roth said.
(WASHINGTON) — The U.S. has swapped WNBA star Brittney Griner for convicted Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout, according to a senior U.S. official.
The basketball star was taken into custody at a Moscow area airport earlier this year in possession of vaping cartridges containing hashish oil, an illegal substance in Russia.
Griner pleaded guilty and was sentenced to nine years in prison.
Here’s how the news is developing. All times Eastern:
Dec 08, 9:02 AM EST
Biden says Griner will be home within 24 hours
President Joe Biden confirmed that WNBA star Brittney Griner is on her way back to the U.S. and will be back within 24 hours.
The president said she’s in “good spirits.”
“She’s safe. She’s on a plane. She’s on her way home,” Biden said.
“After months of being unjustly detained in Russia held under intolerable circumstances, Brittany will soon be back in the arms of her loved ones and — and she should have been there all along,” he said.
A senior U.S. official told ABC News that Biden signed off on the prisoner swap last week.
Dec 08, 8:59 AM EST
Whelan family disappointed he wasn’t included in swap
The brother of Paul Whelan, an ex-U.S. Marine currently being held in Russian prison, said they were told beforehand he would not be included in the swap and were “able to mentally prepare for what is now a public disappointment for us.”
“At some level, our family has steeled ourselves for this likelihood,” Whelan’s brother, David, wrote in a statement. “And I think, as the use of wrongful detentions and hostage diplomacy continues around the globe, it’s clear the US government needs to be more assertive. If bad actors like Russia are going to grab innocent Americans, the US needs a swifter, more direct response, and to be prepared in advance.”
“In Russia’s case, this may mean taking more law-breaking, Kremlin-connected Russians into custody,” he added. “It’s not like there aren’t plenty around the world.”
David Whelan also made sure to note he and his family were happy Griner has been released and said he knew the cases “were not intertwined.”
“There is no greater success than for a wrongful detainee to be freed and for them to go home,” he wrote. “The Biden Administration made the right decision to bring Ms. Griner home, and to make the deal that was possible, rather than waiting for one that wasn’t going to happen.”
The Whelan family issued a similar statement in April when U.S. citizen Trevor Reed was freed from Russia in a prisoner swap. David Whelan alluded to that in his statement Thursday, saying, “The sentiments I shared in April about Trevor are unchanged: this is the event we wish for so much for our own family. She will be reunited with her family. Brittney is free. And Paul is still a hostage.”
Dec 08, 8:53 AM EST
Cherelle Griner calls past months ‘one of the darkest moments of my life’
Brittney Griner’s wife, Cherelle Griner, called the past months “one of the darkest moments of my life,” but flashed a large smile on her face knowing “BG” will be home soon.
“Today I’m just standing here overwhelmed with emotions, but the most important emotion that I have right now is just sincere gratitude for President Biden and his entire administration,” she said as she stood alongside President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris.
“It’s a happy day for me and my family,” she said.
Dec 08, 8:45 AM EST
Lavrov confirms swap, Putin pardoned Griner
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov confirmed that Griner was released and the prisoner exchange was carried out at Abu Dhabi Airport.
“For a long time, the Russian Federation has been negotiating with the United States on the release of V.A. Bout,” Lavrov said in a statement. “Washington categorically refused to engage in dialogue on the inclusion of the Russian in the exchange scheme. Nevertheless, the Russian Federation continued to actively work to rescue our compatriot.”
“As a result of the efforts made, it was possible to agree with the American side on the organization of the exchange of V.A.Bout for B. Griner,” he continued.
The U.S. has said for months it had offered Bout as part of a prisoner swap for Griner and Russian detained ex-Marine Paul Whelan.
Ombudsman of the Russian Federation Tatyana Moskalkova said Putin pardoned Griner before her release in the swap and she and Bout “should not serve the rest of their sentences in their respective countries.”
Dec 08, 8:34 AM EST
Who is Viktor Bout?
Griner has been swapped for the convicted Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout, according to a senior U.S. official.
Bout was arguably the world’s best-known illegal arms trafficker and his capture in 2008 at a hotel in Thailand came at the end of a nearly decade-long hunt by the U.S.
Bout, 55, emerged as a kingpin in the global illegal arms trade during the 1990s, accused of fueling some of the world’s bloodiest conflicts, particularly in Africa. Sourcing weapons from the huge stockpiles of the collapsed Soviet Union, the Russian used a fleet of Soviet-built transport aircraft to supply vast quantities of arm, often circumventing international embargoes.
Dec 08, 8:27 AM EST
Biden speaks to Griner aboard plane
President Joe Biden shared a photo of himself talking on the phone to Brittney Griner from the White House, along with Vice President Kamala Harris, saying she was on a plane, safe and headed home.
He is also shown hugging Cherelle Griner, Brittney’s wife.
WNBA star Brittney Griner has been freed from imprisonment in Russia, senior U.S. officials have confirmed to ABC News.
Griner was released in exchange for the freeing of convicted Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout, who was serving a 25-year sentence in Illinois.
The swap reportedly took place at Abu Dhabi International Airport.
In remarks Thursday morning, with Griner’s wife, Cherelle, by his side, President Joe Biden said Griner is “safe. She’s on a plane. She’s on her way home.”
Griner had been held in a pre-trial detention center in Moscow since she was detained there in February for carrying a small number of vape cartridges containing cannabis oil. The U.S. accused Russia of using the incident to seize Griner as a political bargaining chip. A Russian court recently upheld her nine-year sentence and transferred her to a prison camp somewhere outside the capital.
Luke Bryan and his family often plan a Christmas ski trip, but this year they’ll probably stick closer to home.
That’s because the singer’s wife, Caroline,is recovering from hip surgery and their extended family is coming to them. Luke and Caroline share two sons, Bo and Tate, plus adopted nieces and nephews Til, Jordan and Kris.
“Caroline, my wife, had some hip surgery,” the singer explains to ET during an event surrounding American Idol’s Hollywood Week episode. “We’re just having to lay low. Typically we do some ski trips. We might do some boys’ ski trips as she’s on the mend.”
On her social media, Caroline previously explained the circumstances leading up to her surgery, saying there was “no emergency, no fall, no car wreck” but rather a combination of hip dysplasia, arthritis and a torn labrum leading up to the operation.
Her recent medical issues also mean the Bryan family will be taking it easy on their annual Pranksmas tradition. Typically the family celebrates the holiday season with a series of increasingly wild pranks on each other, even involving Luke’s mom, LeClaire, in the fun.
(NEW YORK) — The Food and Drug Administration is weighing whether or not surgeons should provide additional warnings about the risks of Lasik, a popular corrective eye-sight surgery.
In a draft guidance from July, the agency suggested that patients should be explicitly informed about the risks of dry eye, problems driving at night, visual disturbances — or other rare but more serious side effects related to the surgery.
The FDA is still finalizing the guidance. If implemented, companies would be asked to create a checklist of possible risks and surgeons would be asked to go through that checklist with patients to ensure they understand the possible risks and benefits of the procedure.
An FDA spokesperson said in a statement, “The FDA issued a draft guidance in July 2022 that recommends content and formatting for patient labeling information for laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis (LASIK) devices. As part of the guidance process, this document was published in the Federal Register, giving the public an opportunity to comment. The comment period for the draft guidance recently closed on November 25, 2022. With the comment period now closed, the FDA is now reviewing and considering comments for the final guidance. The timeline for the final guidance issuing is dependent on a number of factors and we cannot provide a firm timeline at this point.”
The American Academy of Opthalmology weighed in on the proposed guidance and raised concerns about the checklist.
“Much of the content presented is important for the informed consent process but it is presented with insufficient depth and nuance,” said Dr. Stephen McLeod, CEO of the academy. “The academy’s position is that effective informed consent is a process of shared information and decision-making that occurs between the physician and the patient. Risks and benefits do not exist in a vacuum, and for them to be meaningful rather than abstract, they must be interpreted and discussed in the context of a specific patient. We are also concerned that there are several statements that are not well supported by the latest evidence, and some that have actually been disproved.”
According to the FDA, Lasik is a procedure intended to reduce a person’s dependency on glasses or contact lenses. The agency said that the surgery is one of the most commonly performed and estimated that nearly 600,000 Lasik surgeries are performed each year.
In a video, the agency summarizes some risks to the procedure, stating that “Lasik is not for everyone.”
The newly drafted guidance succeeds two previous FDA measures on disclosing the risks of Lasik surgery.
In May 2009, the FDA issued a letter to eye care professionals providing them with important information about promoting and advertising Lasik after receiving complaints that consumers were not told of the risks associated with the procedure.
Two years later, the FDA issued a second letter “to remind eye care professionals of their legal responsibility to provide balanced information about medical products,” including disclosing risk information in eye care professionals’ promotional material.
In 2017, after the agency reportedly received complaints about side effects from the surgery, from dry eye to more serious stories of chronic eye pain, it commissioned studies to investigate whether patients were being adequately informed about risks, as well as clear benefits.
The 2022 draft guidance suggests that manufacturers and surgeons should explicitly walk patients through a “checklist” that includes clear warnings and benefits.
The drafted Lasik “checklist” includes part of the following.
Six months after surgery:
Up to 27% of patients experience dry eye symptoms
About 41% of patients may experience visual symptoms such as glare, halos, starbursts or double images
Around 4% of patients may have “very” or “extremely” bothersome symptoms
Around 2% of patients may have “a lot of difficulty” when not wearing glasses or contacts
Five years after surgery:
About 17% of patients still used eye drops for dry eyes
Fewer than 2% of patients still notice some visual disturbance
About 8% of patients have trouble driving at night
There are rare (fewer than 1%) reports of severe, constant pain
(NEW YORK) — Have gifts to ship that you want to arrive by Christmas? Then taking a trip to the post office might be in your future.
Each year, we spend time sweating over getting holiday gifts out in time and worrying about shipping delays. If you are using FedEx this year, Thursday is the last day to ship if you want the cheapest option for ground economy. Then you will have until Dec. 14 to use standard ground shipping.
Major shipping services have released their recommended ship-by dates in order for packages to arrive on or before the Christmas holiday. The overall advice: The earlier you send, the better, and don’t delay any longer.
Scroll down for deadlines from USPS, UPS and FedEx.
USPS
Dec. 17: This is the last day for retail ground shipping.
Dec. 17: This is the last day for first-class mail service (including greeting cards) and packages up to 15.99 ounces.
Dec. 19: This is the last day for Priority Mail service.
Dec. 23: This is the last day for Priority Mail Express service.
More information on USPS holiday shipping deadlines can be found here.
UPS
Dec. 15: This is the last day for UPS Ground service.
Dec. 20: This the last day for UPS 3 Day Select service.
Dec. 21: This is the last day for UPS 2nd Day Air service.
Dec. 22: This is the last day for UPS Next Day Air service.
More information on UPS holiday shipping deadlines can be found here.
FedEx
The company advises planning ahead to ensure gifts arrive on time. You can create your own shipping label at home and find a nearby location for easy drop-off service.
Dec. 14: This is the last day for FedEx Ground service.
Dec. 20: This is the last day for FedEx Express Saver and 3Day Freight services.
Dec. 21: This is the last day for FedEx 2Day A.M. and 2Day Freight services.
Dec. 22: This is the last day for FedEx 1Day Freight, Extra Hours, Standard Overnight, Priority Overnight and First Overnight services.
Dec. 23: This is the last day for FedEx SameDay, SameDay City Priority and SameDay City Direct services.
More information on FedEx holiday shipping deadlines can be found here.
Showtime’s breakout drama series Yellowjackets will return for its second season March 26, 2023, the cabler revealed with a cryptic teaser on Wednesday. The series centers on a girls’ high school soccer team forced to survive on their own in the wilderness after a plane crash. It also catches up with the survivors 25 years later. Yellowjackets stars Melanie Lynskey, Juliette Lewis, Christina Ricci and Tawny Cypress among the adult cast, with Lauren Ambrose and Simone Kessell joining as series regulars in season 2. Elijah Wood also boards the cast for a season-long guest arc. The younger cast includes Sophie Nélisse, Jasmin Savoy Brown, Sophie Thatcher, Samantha Hanratty, Courtney Eaton and Liv Hewson…
In celebration of Disney’s highly anticipated Avatar sequel, The Way of Water, viewers will have several opportunities to experience the first film throughout the month of December across its unparalleled distribution platforms, including the broadcast premiere Sunday, December 11 at 7 p.m ET on ABC. Encore showings will air on FX Thursday, December 15 and Sunday, December 18 at 8 p.m. ET and on Freeform Monday, December 26 at 7:30 p.m. ET. Avatar is currently available to stream on Disney+. Avatar: The Way of Water, starring Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldaña, Sigourney Weaver, Edie Falco and Kate Winslet, opens in theaters December 16. Disney is the parent company of ABC News…
Jake Gyllenhaal is in talks to executive produce and star in the Apple TV+’s adaptation of Scott Turow’s bestseller Presumed Innocent, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The eight-episode limited series, from David E. Kelley, Castle Rock co-creator Dustin Thomason and J.J. Abrams, would star Gyllenhaal as Rusty Sabich, “a prosecutor whose world is upended when a close colleague is murdered — and the evidence begins to point to Rusty himself,” per THR. The role would be his first ongoing part in a TV series. Presumed Innocent was previously adapted for a 1990 feature film that starred Harrison Ford as Sabich, along with Bonnie Bedelia and Raul Julia…
Fox has pulled the plug on its country-themed series Monarch after one season, according to Deadline. The drama, which starred Anna Friel, Trace Adkins, Joshua Sasse and Beth Ditto with Susan Sarandon, ended with Tuesday night’s season finale. The show, which opened strong, struggled over its subsequent episodes…
Celine Dion has been diagnosed with a neurological disease and will again postpone her planned tour.
Celine took to Instagram Thursday, saying she’s “finally ready” to reveal she has been battling a serious, “rare” neurological condition called Stiff-Person Syndrome.
“I’m sorry it’s taken so long for me to reach out to you,” the superstar said in the emotional address. “I’ve been dealing with problems with my health for a long time, and it’s been really difficult for me to face these challenges and to talk about everything that I’ve been going through.”
Dion noted the condition, which affects “something like one in a million people,” has been, “causing all of the spasms that have been having. Unfortunately, these spasms affect every aspect of my daily life, sometimes causing difficulties when I walk and not allowing me to use my vocal cords to sing the way I’m used to,” she admitted, at times her emotions forcing her to pause.
“It hurts me to tell you,” she expressed, noting, “I’m working hard with my sports medicine therapist every day to build back my strength and my ability to perform again…”
As a result, Celine won’t be back on stage for her Courage tour in Europe in February as scheduled.
Celine called off her previous Resorts World Las Vegas residency in November 2021 due to “severe and persistent muscle spasms.” She later announced in a video statement that she had to postpone her 2022 European tour until 2023. Earlier this month, there was a report that she was eyeing a May start to her Vegas residency.
Mariah Carey appeared on CBS’ The Late Show on Wednesday, where she took part in host Stephen Colbert‘s recurring segment, the “Colbert Questionert,” and set the record straight on a misconception about her.
“I never called myself ‘The Queen of Christmas’,” Mariah insisted, challenging anyone to “look up every interview I’ve ever done.”
“Not to get super religious, but I think like if anybody would be the ‘Queen of Christmas,’ that would be Mary,” she continued. “Christmas is for all.”
Mariah went on to say that she owed her love for the holiday to a “tough childhood.”
“I had a tough childhood and I always wanted Christmas to be perfect and it never was,” she explained. “And so then when I was finally able to kind of provide for myself…and my friends, and now my little kids [Moroccan and Monroe, whom she shares with ex-husband Nick Cannon] are 11…we have the most festive Christmas ever.”
The 52-year-old pop superstar added, “People say like how do you write these Christmas songs and do this and why…because it’s actually authentic and came from a place of longing to have some normalcy and some peace and just like a lovely holiday…so now…I wait for [Christmas] all year long.
As for her holiday classic “All I Want for Christmas Is You,” Mariah admits she never expected the song to do as well as it has, adding that she doesn’t get to hear it playing in the trendy shops where she picks up gifts for her friends because they “play cool music, not the little Christmas ditties.”
The tune at the top of Mariah’s holiday playlist, she revealed, is “The Christmas Song” — either Nat King Cole or Donnie Hathaway‘s version.
