Spectators at movie theaters have been belting out tunes to screenings of the film adaptation of Broadway musical ‘Wicked’. The film, featuring talents such as Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo, is creating quite a buzz with its scheduled release this Friday across America. However, AMC, one of the major U.S. movie theater chains, seems a bit peeved by this offbeat audience behaviour. The chain is set to broadcast a 30-second advert requesting avid ‘Wicked’ fans not to sing along, even to most catchy songs like ‘Popular’, reported by Vulture.
An array of people who attended the early screenings of the movie confessed to The New York Times about feeling somewhat disconcerted by their fellow viewers’ disregard for theater etiquette. Likewise, attendee Angela Weir shared, ‘People started joining in, encouraging each other. Although it presented an intriguing scene, it did detract from the immersive movie experience.’ Regardless, those passionate about singing along don’t need to worry. According to Variety, around a thousand North American movie theaters plan to host special sing-along screenings of ‘Wicked’ post-Christmas.
Moving on to political matters, veteran Rep. Mike Rogers is no longer a contender for the position of FBI chief, as announced by one of President Donald Trump’s senior advisers, Dan Scavino. On Friday, Scavino confirmed that in a conversation with President Trump, it was made clear that Rogers for the FBI was never a serious consideration. Indeed, President Trump’s words were, ‘I have never even given it a thought.’ This news was relayed after Rogers’ recent meeting with Trump at Mar-a-Lago.
During his tenure, President Trump had nominated Christopher Wray to head the FBI for a decade. Despite certain criticisms leveled at Wray subsequently, Trump remained consistent with his initial decision. Rogers, a one-time FBI officer with four years of experience on the House Intelligence Committee, also popped up as a prospective candidate for the position back in 2016. His possible appointment does raise interesting questions about the future leadership of the law enforcement agency.
Now, let’s turn our focus to differing generational perceptions of financial success. According to a survey by Empower in September, for Baby Boomers, an annual income of approximately $100,000 qualifies as ‘financially well-off.’ However, members of Generation Z have a drastically higher standard, believing they’d need around $587,800. Generation X and Millennials estimated slightly lower, with figures rounding off to $212,300 and $180,900 respectively. The average across all generations stood at $270,200.
Despite holding such high financial aspirations, 71% of Gen Z are optimistic about achieving their definition of success throughout their lifetime. This figure was higher compared to other generational respondents. Interestingly, the Baby Boomer generation, currently in control of more than half of all wealth in America, might play an influential role in aiding Gen Z reaching their ideal income.
It is estimated that in the coming decades, a mammoth $50 trillion could potentially be passed down from older generations to the subsequent ones in the form of inheritances. This substantial transfer of wealth could significantly benefit the financial ambitions of Gen Z. However, experts do caution about this wealth potentially being eroded due to the healthcare expenses of an aging Baby Boomer population.
Now focusing on political matters, New York Judge Juan Merchan announced on Friday that a hearing that was set for the next week would be postponed indefinitely. This decision allowed President Trump’s legal team additional time to submit their motions by December 2. Subsequently, the District Attorney’s office was given a week to present a counter motion, though they had initially agreed to provide more time for Trump’s attorneys.
The analysts suggest that due to Trump’s incoming Presidential pardon power, it seems unlikely that there will be any immediate consequences arising from proceedings. Todd Blanche, a lawyer to Trump and a prospective nominee for Trump’s Justice Department, argued in support of client immunity in a letter to Merchan. The contention seemed to be that President Trump, as President-elect, enjoys the same immunity from criminal processes as a sitting President.
As the political landscape continues to shift, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, a prominent figure in the MAGA movement, appears to be in line to head a new House Oversight Committee Subcommittee. This subcommittee will be collaborating with tech magnates Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy’s ‘DOGE’ commission to target and eradicate governmental waste.
Progressive voice Rep. Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez also gave a nod of approval, saying ‘This is good, actually. She barely shows up and doesn’t do the reading.’ Likening Marjorie Taylor Green’s potential role to a player with an ‘unplugged controller,’ AOC seemed to suggest that her colleague might not be likely to use this position to any drastic effect.
President-elect Trump recently appointed Musk and Ramaswamy as the dual heads of his planned Department of Governmental Efficiency (DOGE), a commission designed to propose vast cuts to federal spending. Musk, for instance, has hinted at potential reductions of up to $2 trillion.
In a late-night agreement, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer managed to strike a deal with congressional Republicans to hasten the confirmation of more lower federal court judges. This would allow an ample number of judges to be considered for appointments post-Thanksgiving and in December. President-elect Trump has suggested congressional Republicans to stall all appointments until his inauguration.
Democrats have approved 221 judges to the federal bench since President Joe Biden took office. Schumer’s actions may put Democrats closer to Trump’s total of 234 confirmed judges during his first term. President Trump continues to inspire actions on both sides of the aisle well into the transition period, showing the enduring effect he has on national politics.