Politics

Amanda Gorman presented a new poem at Variety’s Power of Women event presented by Lifetime, in which the 23-year-old encouraged women to rise up and speak their truth and strength into power. The National Youth Poet Laureate — who is one of Variety‘s Power of Women cover stars — delivered a strong message about visibility and

Paxton Smith, who made headlines in June when she gave a valedictorian address at her Texas high school and switched up her speech to call for abortion rights after Texas passed the heartbeat bill, received a standing ovation when taking the stage at Variety’s Power of Women event presented by Lifetime on Thursday. Smith was

For the 2021 Power of Women issue, Variety spoke with several women in the entertainment industry who are using their voices to benefit worthy causes. For more, click here. When Amanda Gorman was 5 years old, she would pull her mom out of bed in the early morning hours to get her a pen and

Eva Longoria, Anne Hathaway, Debbie Allen, Peter Dinklage, Richard Gere, Connie Britton and other Hollywood notables have signed an open letter urging world leaders to make COVID-19 vaccines widely available in developing countries. On Tuesday, humanitarian organization Cooperative for Assistance and Relief Everywhere (CARE) released the open letter with more than 70 signatures from prominent

The U.S. is reportedly set to reopen its borders to vaccinated passengers from the U.K. and European Union from November. The Financial Times reports that U.S. President Joe Biden’s administration will announce the changes on Monday, bringing to an end a gruelling 18-month COVID-19 travel ban that was first imposed by President Donald Trump in

President Joe Biden is meeting with a group of high-ranking CEOs from around the country, including Disney CEO Bob Chapek, to discuss COVID-19 vaccine requirements and a potential mandate that would affect millions of workers around the country. The group of invited executives have all established vaccine requirements at their respective companies. In July, the

A Chinese court ruled late Tuesday against the plaintiff in one of China’s most prominent #MeToo cases on the grounds that there was “insufficient” evidence to support her claims. The ruling is a clear setback to China’s still-fledgling #MeToo movement, despite new developments recently that seemed to indicate it was picking up steam. In 2018,

Gov. Gavin Newsom defeated an effort to recall him from office on Tuesday, beating back a conservative challenge by a gaping margin. The “no” campaign was winning 67% of the vote with two-thirds of the expected votes tallied, according to counts from CNN and the Los Angeles Times. In a speech from Sacramento, Newsom said

All products and services featured by Variety are independently selected by Variety editors. However, Variety may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes. If it sometimes seems as though everyone you know is obsessed with politics, that’s because many of them

The city of West Hollywood has issued an emergency executive order that requires proof of vaccine for anyone 18 and older entering indoor businesses such as restaurants, bars and nightclubs. The order will take effect on Oct. 11. People who are unvaccinated may still visit outdoor areas, and all businesses that fall under the indoor

In the final weekend of the California gubernatorial recall campaign, political ads are everywhere. The last push before the voting period ends on Sept. 14 has brought out Democrat A-listers to defend Gov. Gavin Newsom while some of the Republican challengers have turned to shock and outrage to stretch their limited dollars further. The campaign

The Los Angeles Board of Education voted in favor of a vaccine mandate for individuals aged 12 and older, making Los Angeles Unified School District the nation’s second-largest school district to require vaccinating students against COVID-19. With the unanimous vote, LAUSD students aged 12 and older are now required to receive their first vaccine dose

Last week’s alarming news that the Supreme Court refused to block a Texas law that bans abortions after six weeks drew outrage from the entertainment community. And for good reason — the disgraceful decision could spell the end of Roe v. Wade, which has protected the reproductive rights of women for nearly 50 years. The

On the 20th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks, former president Donald Trump will host and commentate the Triller Fight Club heavyweight boxing match between Evander Holyfield and Vitor Belfort. Trump is providing “guest commentary” for the fight, dubbed “No Holds Barred,” which will take place at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel in Hollywood, Fla.

Nicholas Tse, star of the recent hit film “Raging Fire,” says he has applied to renounce his Canadian citizenship and will embrace the People’s Republic of China instead. The move comes as Chinese authorities mount crackdowns on the entertainment industry and on dual citizenship. The singer-actor-celebrity chef made the announcement during an interview on Sunday

All four remaining company directors of Next Digital, the corporation that owned Hong Kong’s now defunct pro-democracy newspaper Apple Daily, have resigned. There is a risk that Next Digital will now be forcibly delisted from the stock market in the city. Shared in Next Digital were suspended from trading on June 17, 2021. Apple Daily

The BBC has evacuated a third of its staff and their families from Afghanistan with the help of U.K. government and military. The hundreds of evacuees are now being supported by the corporation and government in the U.K., where they are being processed as refugees. A senior BBC source told Variety last week that the

Taiwan has launched a government-backed English-language streaming platform that is intended to carry a mixture of news, international affairs and local stories. Taiwan Plus went live on Tuesday after a Monday launch event. The project was commissioned by Taiwan’s Ministry of Culture. Its content can be played on the Taiwan Plus app or viewed on

Rory Kennedy, documentary filmmaker and daughter of the late Robert F. Kennedy, posted a statement signed by five of her siblings condemning the recent parole recommendation of Sirhan Sirhan, who assassinated her father. A California parole board recommended Sirhan, 77, for release from prison on Friday. Sirhan’s case now goes to Gov. Gavin Newson for

Rocker Jason Isbell may usually have one of the funniest celebrity accounts on Twitter, but when it comes to his engagement with other users on subjects related to the COVID explosion in the last year and a half, it’s been no laughing matter — or at least a subject of acerbic gallows humor, at most.

The Hong Kong government has confirmed it has given Nicole Kidman an exemption from the city’s strict quarantine procedures, while currently tightening inbound travel restrictions for ordinary residents. Through her Blossom Films production company, Kidman is attached as an executive producer on “The Expats,” an Amazon Studios series directed by U.S.-based Chinese helmer Lulu Wang

Announced by health officials and the Biden administration on Wednesday, Americans who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 will be able to get a booster shot beginning in September. Starting September 20, booster shots will be offered to individuals who were vaccinated in the early stages of the nationwide rollout, such as healthcare workers, nursing home

Donald Trump is making his views known on President Joe Biden’s withdrawal from Afghanistan. In an interview with Sean Hannity on his Fox News show Tuesday night, the former president called Biden’s handling of the situation “the greatest embarrassment in the history of our country.” Just two weeks before the U.S. was planning to complete

Kimberley Motley, a human rights lawyer and the subject of the 2015 documentary “Motley’s Law,” has a unique perspective on life in Afghanistan. And she wants Americans to know — whatever they may see through news coverage of the country’s collapse, the reality on the ground for women under Taliban rule will be far worse.

The Chinese government has taken a stake and one of three board seats in a key subsidiary of TikTok owner ByteDance, reports said Tuesday, reviving debate about whether the popular short-form video app poses a national security threat. Chinese authorities now own a 1% stake in Beijing ByteDance Company, a firm that owns key licenses

President Joe Biden defended his decision to withdraw U.S. troops from Afghanistan on Sunday, as chaos unfolded in the country a day after the Taliban seized the capital. In remarks from the East Room of the White House, Biden argued that an indefinite American military presence in the country would not have saved the Afghan

As the delta variant threatens to suspend a return to normalcy, New York City’s vaccine mandate for indoor entertainment venues, including concert halls, museums, restaurants, bars, fitness gyms, movie and stage theaters, is set to launch Tuesday. The program, part of the “Key to NYC” initiative, will require New Yorkers to show an Excelsior pass,

Noted Afghan filmmaker Sahraa Karimi has penned an open letter calling on the world to wake up to the impact of the Taliban’s swift takeover of Afghanistan. She calls for protection for filmmakers and for women in general against the brutal militants who have overrun the country amid the final U.S. withdrawal of forces. Karimi’s

Legislation introduced in the U.S. Senate Wednesday would impose new restrictions and requirements on Apple’s App Store and Google Play — designed to end the two tech giants’ virtual monopoly control over the app ecosystem. Companies like Spotify and Epic Games have been rallying against the big app stores for years, calling for change to

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced he will resign from office after state Attorney General Letitia James’ investigation found he sexually harassed multiple women. He will step down within the next two weeks, ending a decade leading the Empire State. Cuomo promised to oversee a “seamless” transition and noted that New York faces challenges as