Uncategorized

Nearly 66,000 marijuana convictions in Los Angeles County will be dismissed thanks to state laws that paved the way for the action, the county district attorney said Thursday.

The cases include 62,000 felony convictions for cases, including those for marijuana sales and cultivation dating as far back as 1961, and roughly 4,000 misdemeanor possession cases, District Attorney Jackie Lacey’s office said.

“The dismissal of tens of thousands of old cannabis-related convictions in Los Angeles County will bring much-needed relief to communities of color that disproportionately suffered the unjust consequences of our nation’s drug laws,” Lacey said in a news release.

“I am privileged to be part of a system dedicated to finding innovative solutions and implementing meaningful criminal justice reform that gives all people the support they need to build the life they deserve. The 66,000 dismissals mean conviction relief for about 53,000 people. About 45% are Latino; 32% are black; and 20% are white, Lacey’s office said according to CNN.

On Nov. 8, 2016, the majority of California voters passed Proposition 64, the Control, Regulate and Tax Adult Use of Marijuana Act. California joined several states including Washington, Oregon, and Colorado, where the personal possession and use of marijuana is decriminalized according to post.ca.gov. In 2018, the state Legislature passed AB 1793, which required the state Department of Justice to scour California’s crime records and find past cannabis convictions that are eligible to be expunged or downgraded to misdemeanors.

Lacey’s office stated it worked with Clear My Record, a service that helps people expunge nonviolent marijuana convictions, to evaluate records. The service is offered by the nonprofit Code for America. Including the Los Angeles County cases, Clear My Record has helped prosecutors dismiss about 85,000 marijuana convictions across the state, according to Code for America Senior Criminal Justice Program Director Evonne Silva.

“This is a clear demonstration that automatic record clearance is possible at scale,” Silva added, “and can help to right the wrongs of the failed war on drugs.”

You don’t have to be in the Oval Office to continue leading! Former President Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama have won an Academy Award for the film American Factory according to Variety.

American Factory is the first project that was developed under the Obamas’ production company, Higher Ground. The movie won the Academy Award for best documentary feature. It was the first film in collaboration with streaming giant Netflix.

The project was completed by filmmakers Steven Bognar, Julia Eichert, and Jeff Eichert and it followed the story of an Ohio factory after it was reopened by a Chinese billionaire.

The Obamas congratulated the team via both of their Twitter accounts after the announcement of the award.

Congrats to Julia and Steven, the filmmakers behind American Factory, for telling such a complex, moving story about the very human consequences of wrenching economic change. Glad to see two talented and downright good people take home the Oscar for Higher Ground’s first release. https://t.co/W4AZ68iWoY

— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) February 10, 2020

Congrats to Julia, Steven, and the whole crew on winning Best Documentary for #AmericanFactory, Higher Ground’s first release! So glad to see their heart and honesty recognized—because the best stories are rarely tidy or perfect. But that’s where the truth so often lies. https://t.co/qtdNEw9H3f

— Michelle Obama (@MichelleObama) February 10, 2020

Participant Media was also a producer on the film. Participant CEO David Linde said in a statement, “We are deeply humbled and grateful to the Academy for this exciting honor. At Participant, we believe that storytelling has the ever-important opportunity to spark positive social change in our world today. We are incredibly proud of American Factory, and congratulate Steve, Julia, Jeff and our friends and colleagues at Netflix and Higher Ground for helping us shed light on these important issues worldwide and here at home.”

Back in 2018, Netflix announced it had made an exclusive multiyear deal with the Obamas to produce films and other projects for the media giant.

Source: Gilbert Carrasquillo / Getty

People feel strongly about Jeannie Mai and Jeezy as a couple. People really love them together or would rather not see them out and about. That’s par for the course when it comes to celebrity couples. But recently their race—or more specifically Jeannie’s race has made the commentary about their union even more interesting.

Recently on “The Real,” Jeannie Mai shared some of the more hurtful things people have said about the two of them together during New York Fashion Week.

“When Jeezy and I were in Fashion Week just recently and there were pictures posted, I saw in the comments on other blogs, a couple times of like, ‘Don’t be catching that Corona, Jeezy.’ or ‘She got that Corona that latched him in.’ And that’s so hurtful because there are people that are actually dying from this. And I actually heard that there are schools that are considering to quarantine Asian kids because they just want to keep it safe. This is real life out there. So, I just want to say this, ‘We know that misinformation coupled with fear leads to xenophobia. And xenophobia is a deep-rooted fear against foreigners. So we just got to do better and know that when it comes to yourself, educate yourself so that you don’t give life to fears and misunderstandings.”

Since the announcement of the virus, we might have come across various jokes on our timelines but the real-world, real-life implications of those “jokes” are harmful. The notion of quarantining Asian communities is not a new one in this country. The U.S. did this to the Japanese-American community during Pearl Harbor– the attack that set off World War II. We don’t need to repeat that ugly history. And Black people, who love a joke—but have also been the greatest victims of oppression, worldwide, should be more considerate and conscious.

Although the so-called “Dark Universe” reboot of the classic monsters might be dead as a shared universe concept, Universal isn’t dropping development on individual films based on their iconic creature features. One of the proposed films from the Dark Universe was a remake of The Bride of Frankenstein, starring Angelina Jolie in the title role. The film never came to pass, and seemed to die on the vine. But according to a report coming from Variety, there just might be some undead life in this film yet.

Universal Pictures

According to the report, producer Amy Pascal, who recently left Sony and moved over to Universal last year, is championing the Bride of Frankenstein remake as one of her first projects. Jurassic Park and Spider-Man screenwriter David Koepp is someone she has approached about writing the script, and she has also seemingly tried to enlist Sam Raimi to direct. But it seems Marvel Studios snagged Raimi for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness first. The original director for Bride was said to be Bill Condon, who was making Beauty and the Beast at the time. He has since moved on to direct other projects.

But what about Angelina Jolie? According to the report, she’s still interested in the role. But the big difference between the old Dark Universe and the newer remakes is that they seem to be going for a much lower budget this time around. The upcoming Invisible Man starring Elizabeth Moss is being made on a shoestring budget, for only $7 million. This almost guarantees a profit for the studio. But how do you get an A-list actor like Angelina Jolie to star in a low-budget horror movie? It’s not impossible, but it seems unlikely given her Oscar winner status.

Universal Pictures

Whether or not Jolie does star in the upcoming film, in the case of the Bride, Universal should definitely lean into the classic look from the 1936 movie by James Whale. Although Elsa Lanchester only appeared on-screen for a handful of minutes towards the very end of the film, her face became instantly iconic. Over eight decades later, the skunk striped hairdo and the flowing white gown have been the subject of Halloween decorations and costumes, along with some incredible cosplay. You get Jolie or another well-known actress in that look for your marketing, and you possibly have a Maleficent-sized hit on your hands.

The Bride of Frankenstein isn’t the only classic Universal Studios Monster that they are looking to find new life in. In addition to the upcoming remake of The Invisible Man, a Dark Army film is also in the works, with Paul Feig attached to direct. The film will reportedly feature several characters from the Universal Monsters library. So this could be something akin to a modern version of The Monster Squad. Given their iconic status at the studio, it is wise for Universal to try to find some way to make those concepts work in a modern context. Hopefully with this new approach, Frankenstein’s bride will then finally come alive again at last.

Featured Image: Universal Pictures

The post BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN Remake May Have Found New Life appeared first on Nerdist.