Say what you want about Katy Perry, her Lifetimes tour is great

Say what you want about Katy Perry, her Lifetimes tour is great

PHILADELPHIA – If you've been online lately, you've seen the criticism. Katy Perry is aspoiled brat. She istoo thinandcan't dance.Katy Perrybrought a setlist to spaceand her "143" albumis a flop. Can we maybe enlist the"Leave Britney alone!"guy at this point and swap in Perry's name? Seriously, why all the hate? What has Perry done to provoke so much agitation and scorn? So her"Woman's World" videodidn't land with the irony she intended. So she had dinner with theformer Canadian prime ministerfollowing herbreakup with Orlando Bloom. So she toes the line between bold and bizarre. If Perry were the monster so many internet trolls profess her to be, she probably wouldn't be selling out arenas – such as Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia Aug. 9 – on herLifetimes Tour. And guess what? It's a fun, vibrant show filled with flying apparatus, dancers, oversized flowers, sleek video panels, an AI Perry and plenty of her goofy charm that borders on silly. Are those legit reasonsfor character assassination? Perry has been loping around the world on this tour for four months. Her Philadelphia stop was the 33rd city on the Lifetimes Tour, with 39 to go before wrapping in Abu Dhabi at the end of the year. It's her first tour since 2018, but it's not as if she's been sitting around flicking petals off daisies in the meantime. Perry bopped through 80 shows in a nearly two-year residency in Las Vegas that ended in 2022. That production,appropriately dubbed Play, featured a rocking horse, dancing tubes of toothpaste and a mammoth toilet bowl. So now she's getting dogged for having a lightsaber duel and hanging upside down inside a metal sphere while singing"I Kissed a Girl"? View this post on Instagram A post shared by KATY PERRY (@katyperry) Perry's tour hasn't been without its own obstacles. She has sung, smiled and hit her marks on stage while her insides were likely crumbling from hersplit with Bloom, her fiance of six years and father of her daughter, Daisy. In San Francisco, the butterfly she rides above the crowd during "Roar" took anunexpected and scary dipwith Perry in tow. Call her whatever you want, but the "show must go on" ethos is strong in this one. Perry has never been a powerhouse singer likeLady GagaorKelly Clarkson, nor does she possess seemingly effortless dance moves likeBeyoncé. But she's a strong vocalist with a knack for writing anthems that reinforce emotional fortitude. "Roar" and "Firework," yes. But also "Wide Awake," coated with a pulsing rhythm from her four-piece band and "Teary Eyes," from 2020's "Smile" album. "Don't be afraid of your tears – they're trying to heal you!" she yelled after the song, her message amplified by her metal-plated outfit. Perry is also fearless. She floats above the stage – which boasts winding catwalks in the shape of an infinity symbol – during "Nirvana," weaves with her dance troupe on metal jungle gyms throughout "Teenage Dream" and starts the show being pulled upward in the center of a space age platform for "Artificial." But along with the sensory assault, Perry's willingness to expose her emotions and her self-deprication are her superpowers. "I'm going to get vulnerable and sing about my first divorce," she said before "Not Like the Movies." After reminding the crowd that since her last tour she became a mother, Perry quipped, "Those (out there) 8-years-old and younger ... I am notDua Lipa. I am Dua Lipa's aunt, Katy Perry." Curiously, Perry's fan base is predominately tween, the same demographic that flocked to her shows donning kitty ears 20 years ago. Midway through her two-hour concert Saturday, Perry continued her bit of calling a fewfans on stageto add some percussion to"The One That Got Away."Two of her choices were preteen girls clearly enthralled to be in her warm presence. Exuding big sister vibes, Perry asked about their backgrounds and their career goals, even doing splits on stage next to one, an aspiring gymnast. She doesn't have to engage at this level, her Disney princess eyes wide as she listened to these kids. Nor does she have to grab a fan's phone during the fizzy two-fer of "Hot N Cold" and "Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)" and scamper around the stage to take priceless video for them. But she does it because, even at 40, she's connecting with fans of all different backgrounds. Is it arrested development? Perhaps. Or maybe she's just agirl who wants to have fun. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Katy Perry silences the haters with sleek Lifetimes tour concert

byAlpha World

in

August 11, 2025

Say what you want about Katy Perry, her Lifetimes tour is great

Say what you want about Katy Perry, her Lifetimes tour is great PHILADELPHIA – If you've been online lately, you've seen the critici...

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Martin Scorsese Considered Violent Tactic to Steal 'Taxi Driver' From Studio

Martin Scorsese Considered Violent Tactic to Steal 'Taxi Driver' From Studio

Martin Scorsese Considered Violent Tactic to Steal 'Taxi Driver' From Studiooriginally appeared onParade. Martin Scorseserevealed the surprising lengths he was willing to take to make sure that his version ofTaxi Driverwas on the final cut. In a first-look clip from the the upcoming five-part Apple TV+ documentaryMr. Scorsese, Scorsese, 82, and friendSteven Spielbergdiscussed how Columbia Pictures was concerned aboutsome of the bloody contentin the movie. The production studio almost even stopped Scorsese's vision from appearing in theaters. "Marty was very upset," Spielberg, 78, said in the beginning of the clip. "I get a call at the office, and he said (imitating Scorsese's hyper New York City accent), 'Steve, Steve, this is Marty. Can you come over to the house.'" Scorsese added, "They wanted me to cut all the blood spurting. They wanted me to cut the guy who loses the hand …" When an interviewer offscreen asked if he had a gun, Scorsese responded, "I was going to get one." The interviewer asked Scorsese what he was "going to do what with the gun," and he admitted that he didn't have a solid plan. Parade Daily🎬SIGN UP for Parade's Daily newsletter to get the latest pop culture news & celebrity interviews delivered right to your inbox🎬 "I was angry. I said I was going to threaten them … I'll maybe just shoot or something. I had no idea. I mean, I was just threatening. What I wanted to do, and not with a gun, I would go in, find out where the rough cut is, and break the windows and take it away," Scorsese said. "They were going to destroy the film anyway, you know. So let me destroy it. I'll destroy it. But before destroying it, I'm going to steal it." He continued, "Spielberg said, 'Marty, stop that. Marty you can't do that.' I said… The more they said no, the more I said I was going to do it." Spielberg then shared that someone came up with a plan to "mollify" the MPAA [Motion Picture Association of America], in which Scorsese toned down the bloodiness of the offending sequence with the color of the scene. "He just had to take the color red down to a kind of brown," Spielberg explained. Once the 1976 film was released, it was critically acclaimed and was nominated for best picture at the Academy Awards. Additionally,starsRobert De NiroandJodie Fosterearned acting nods. Martin Scorsese Considered Violent Tactic to Steal 'Taxi Driver' From Studiofirst appeared on Parade on Aug 11, 2025 This story was originally reported byParadeon Aug 11, 2025, where it first appeared.

byAlpha World

in

August 11, 2025

Martin Scorsese Considered Violent Tactic to Steal 'Taxi Driver' From Studio

Martin Scorsese Considered Violent Tactic to Steal 'Taxi Driver' From Studio Martin Scorsese Considered Violent Tactic to Steal ...

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Federal judge rejects Trump DOJ’s bid to unseal grand jury materials in Ghislaine Maxwell case

Federal judge rejects Trump DOJ's bid to unseal grand jury materials in Ghislaine Maxwell case

A federal judge hasrejectedthe Trump administration's request to unseal grand jury materials from the Ghislaine Maxwell sex trafficking case. The Justice Department has sought to release grand jury testimony and exhibits from cases involving Jeffrey Epstein in New York. Judge Paul Engelmayer issued a scathing opinion, saying unsealing the materials in Maxwell's case is not a matter of historical or public interest and calling the premise of the DOJ's argument false. "The Court therefore denies the Government's motion to unseal at the threshold. Contrary to the Government's depiction, the Maxwell grand jury testimony is not a matter of significant historical or public interest. Far from it," Engelmayer wrote. "Its entire premise – that the Maxwell grand jury materials would bring to light meaningful new information about Epstein's and Maxwell's crimes, or the Government's investigation into them – is demonstrably false," Engelmayer said. The judge also pointed to the fact that much of the grand jury material that the DOJ is seeking has already been public and was presented during Maxwell's trial in 2021. "It consists of garden-variety summary testimony by two law enforcement agents. And the information it contains is already almost entirely a matter of longstanding public record, principally as a result of live testimony by percipient witnesses at the 2021 Maxwell trial," Engelmayer wrote. Engelmayer went into great detail in his ruling about the evidence that was introduced during Maxwell's trial, making a point that the government was not familiar with it. "It established that Maxwell had been instrumental in an approximately decade-long scheme with Epstein to entice, groom, transport, and traffic numerous young women and underage girls to engage in sexual activity with Epstein," Engelmayer wrote. The judge continued to pay particular attention to the government's lack of familiarity with the Maxwell trial record, "because a number of details that it identified as non-public in fact had been testified to during the trial." "A member of the public, appreciating that the Maxwell grand jury materials do notcontribute anything to public knowledge, might conclude that the Government's motion for their unsealing was aimed not at 'transparency' but at diversion – aimed not at full disclosure but at the illusion of such." Engelmayer wrote in his ruling that any person looking to review the grand jury materials the government has requested to learn new information regarding Epstein and Maxwell's crimes, "would come away feeling disappointed and misled." Several victims, who remained anonymous, submitted letters to the court on their opinion as to whether grand jury materials should be unsealed. Many victims were not opposed to the release of grand jury materials, but they said there would need to be heavy redactions to protect their identities. Some victims cited the "political warfare" that they were being used for and the lack of respect the administration had shown towards victims. Engelmayer highlighted that the only reason victims were not more opposed to the unsealing of grand jury transcripts was that they had been misled that the materials would reveal new information. "The victims' interest in reviewing the grand jury materials appears to be premised on the understandable but mistaken belief that these materials would reveal new information," Engelmayer said. On Friday, the Justice Department had asked both the judges overseeing its requests in Maxwell and Epstein's cases to refrain from ruling on sealing grand jury materials until August 14. DOJ explained to the court that it notified victims in the case to the extent their names appeared in transcripts and exhibits and wanted time for the victims to receive the notice. The release of grand jury transcripts in Maxwell and Epstein's cases has been the subject of ongoing battle between the Justice Department and the courts. The government asked the court to unseal grand jury materials on July 18 after mounting pressure from Trump's political base, Democrats and the public for the administration to release the Epstein files. CNN previously reportedthat Attorney General Pam Bondi notified Trump in May that his name appeared several times in the Epstein files. Judge Richard Berman, who is overseeing the request for grand jury transcripts and exhibits in Epstein's case, has not ruled on the motion yet. CNN has reached out to the Justice Department for comment. This story has been updated with additional developments. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account atCNN.com

byAlpha World

in

August 11, 2025

Federal judge rejects Trump DOJ’s bid to unseal grand jury materials in Ghislaine Maxwell case

Federal judge rejects Trump DOJ's bid to unseal grand jury materials in Ghislaine Maxwell case A federal judge hasrejectedthe Trump admi...

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Feel sticky this summer? That's because it's been record muggy East of the Rockies

Feel sticky this summer? That's because it's been record muggy East of the Rockies

More than 70 million Americans sweated through the muggiest first two months of summer on record as climate change has noticeably dialed up the Eastern United States' humidity in recent decades, an Associated Press data analysis shows. And that meant uncomfortably warm and potentially dangerous nights in many cities the last several weeks, the National Weather Service said. Parts of 27 states and Washington, D.C., had a record amount of days that meteorologists call uncomfortable — with average dailydew pointsof 65 degrees Fahrenheit or higher — in June and July, according to data derived from the Copernicus Climate Service. And that's just the daily average. In much of the East, the mugginess kept rising to near tropical levels for a few humid hours. Philadelphia had 29 days, Washington had 27 days and Baltimore had 24 days where the highest dew point simmered to at least 75 degrees, which even the the weather service office in Tampa calls oppressive, according to weather service data. Dew point is a measure of moisture in the air expressed in degrees that many meteorologists call the most accurate way to describe humidity. The summer of 2025 so far has had dew points that average at least 6 degrees higher than the 1951-2020 normals in Washington, Baltimore, Pittsburgh, Richmond, Columbus and St. Louis, the AP calculations show. The average June and July humidity for the entire country east of the Rockies rose to more than 66 degrees, higher than any year since measurements started in 1950. "This has been a very muggy summer. The humid heat has been way up," said Bernadette Woods Placky, chief meteorologist at Climate Central. Twice this summer climate scientist and humidity expert Cameron Lee of Kent State University measured dew points of about 82 degrees at his home weather station in Ohio. That's offthe various charts that the weather service usesto describe what dew points feel like. "There are parts of the United States that are experiencing not only greater average humidity, especially in the spring and summer, but also more extreme humid days," Lee said. He said super sticky days are now stretching out over more days and more land. High humidity doesn't allow the air to cool at night as much as it usually does, and the stickiness contributed to multiple nighttime temperature records from the Ohio Valley through the Mid-Atlantic and up and down coastal states, said Zack Taylor, forecast operations chief at the National Weather Service's Weather Prediction Center. Raleigh, Charlotte, Nashville, Virginia Beach, Va., and Wilmington, N.C., all reached records for the hottest overnight lows. New York City, Columbus, Atlanta, Richmond, Knoxville, Tennessee and Concord, New Hampshire came close, he said. "What really impacts the body is that nighttime temperature," Taylor said. "So if there's no cooling at night or if there's a lack of cooling it doesn't allow your body to cool off and recover from what was probably a really hot afternoon. And so when you start seeing that over several days, that can really wear out the body, especially of course if you don't have access to cooling centers or air conditioning." Anextra hotandrainy summerweather pattern is combining with climate change from the burning of coal, oil and natural gas, Woods Placky said. The area east of the Rockies has on average gained about 2.5 degrees in summer dew point since 1950, the AP analysis of Copernicus data shows. In the 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, 1980s and part of the 1990s, the eastern half of the country had an average dew point in the low 60s, what the weather service calls noticeable but OK. In four of the last six years that number has been near and even over the uncomfortable line of 65. "It's huge," Lee said of the 75-year trend. "This is showing a massive increase over a relatively short period of time." That seemingly small increase in average dew points really means the worst ultra-sticky days that used to happen once a year, now happen several times a summer, which is what affects people, Lee said. Higher humidity and heat feed on each other. A basic law of physics is that the atmosphere holds an extra 4% more water for every degree Fahrenheit (7% for every degree Celsius) warmer it gets, meteorologists said. For most of the summer, the Midwest and East were stuck under either incredibly hot high pressure systems, which boosted temperatures, or getting heavy and persistent rain in amounts much higher than average, Taylor said. What was mostly missing was the occasional cool front that pushes out the most oppressive heat and humidity. That finally came in August and brought relief, he said. Humidity varies by region. The West is much drier. The South gets more 65-degree dew points in the summer than the North. But that's changing. University of Georgia meteorology professor Marshall Shepherd said uncomfortable humidity is moving further north, into places where people are less used to it. Summers now, he said, "are not your grandparents' summers." ___ Borenstein reported from Washington and Wildeman reported from Hartford, Connecticut. ___ The Associated Press' climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP'sstandardsfor working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas atAP.org.

byAlpha World

in

August 11, 2025

Feel sticky this summer? That's because it's been record muggy East of the Rockies

Feel sticky this summer? That's because it's been record muggy East of the Rockies More than 70 million Americans sweated through th...

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‘Swiped’ Trailer: Lily James Plays Bumble CEO Who Takes on Tinder in Dating App Biopic

'Swiped' Trailer: Lily James Plays Bumble CEO Who Takes on Tinder in Dating App Biopic

The first trailer for 20th Century Studios' upcoming biopic movie "Swiped" has been revealed. The film will have its debut on Sept. 19 on Hulu in the U.S. and Disney+ in other territories. "Swiped" introduces recent college grad Whitney Wolfe Herd, played by Lily James, as she uses grit and ingenuity to break into the male-dominated tech industry and launch an innovative, globally lauded dating app. The film will follow the rise of the online dating platform Bumble, and Wolfe's journey to becoming the youngest female self-made billionaire. "Swiped" will touch on Wolfe's time at Tinder as a co-founder, and the moments leading up to Bumble going public in 2021. More from Variety Rupert Friend Joins Lily James in Emotional Thriller 'Photo Booth' (EXCLUSIVE) Carrie Coon and Lily James Join Bella Ramsey and Odessa Young in Guy Nattiv's Thriller 'Harmonia' as Bleecker Street Boards for U.S. Lily James to Lead Emotional Thriller 'Photo Booth' for 'Walk the Line,' 'Girl Interrupted' Producer Cathy Konrad The film also stars Jackson White, Myha'la, Ben Schnetzer, Pierson Fodé, Clea DuVall, Pedro Correa, Ian Colleti, Coral Peña, Dan Stevens, Larkin Woodward, Ana Yi Puig, Olivia Rose Keegan, Joley Fisher, and Gabe Kessler. "Swiped" is directed by Rachel Lee Goldenberg ("Unplanned," "Minx," "Valley Girl") and is written by Goldberg, Bill Parker, and Kim Caramele. The film is produced by James, Jennifer Gibiot, Andrew Panay, Gala Gordon, and Sarah Shepard. 20th Century Studios and Ethea Entertainment are producing the film, with Hulu set to distribute. The film will be scored by Chanda Dancy. Doug Emmett will serve as the film's cinematographer, with Julia Wong as editor. "Swiped" is set to premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival in the Gala Presentations section, and will have its world premiere on Sept. 9. Watch the trailer for 20th Century Studios' "Swiped" below. Best of Variety New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week What's Coming to Disney+ in August 2025 What's Coming to Netflix in August 2025 Sign up forVariety's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us onFacebook,Twitter, andInstagram.

byAlpha World

in

August 11, 2025

‘Swiped’ Trailer: Lily James Plays Bumble CEO Who Takes on Tinder in Dating App Biopic

'Swiped' Trailer: Lily James Plays Bumble CEO Who Takes on Tinder in Dating App Biopic The first trailer for 20th Century Studios...

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