First look at biopic chronicling a Hollywood icon’s early years
First look at biopic chronicling a Hollywood icon’s early years arrives, promising a based-on-a-true-story portrait led by Toby Jones, Lesley Manville, and Harry Lawtey—Hollywood’s nostalgia engine revving yet again, but with a cast that suggests this one might run on craft instead of hot air.
Most-prescribed U.S. drug recalled: How to check if your medication is affected
Most-prescribed U.S. drug recalled: How to check if your medication is affected — more than 140,000 bottles of a popular cholesterol-lowering medication have been pulled because a defect could make the pills less effective. Stellar news from the land of quality control: your statin might have been coasting instead of lowering. To see if you’re affected, check your bottle’s lot number and expiration date and confirm with your pharmacy or the FDA’s recall notice; if your batch is listed, your pharmacy can arrange a proper replacement.
FAA to reduce flights as government shutdown hits record 37 days
FAA to reduce flights as government shutdown hits record 37 days: the longest shutdown in U.S. history is now squeezing air travel, with the FAA warning it will cut air traffic by 10% at 40 of the nation’s busiest airports—including Philadelphia International—if the stalemate drags on. Because nothing says “functional government” like turning your itinerary into collateral damage.
Administration says SNAP spending will exceed earlier estimates
Administration says SNAP spending will exceed earlier estimates, because November’s benefits will be cut by 35% instead of the 50% first announced—an about-face after a federal court ordered USDA to tap SNAP’s $5.25 billion contingency fund during the shutdown. That means a family of four in the lower 48 states should see roughly $646 this month. What caused the revision? USDA didn’t say; the Justice Department called it an “error,” promptly fixed—government for “our bad.”
Partial payments are coming “as fast as possible,” which, translated from bureaucracy, could mean weeks or even months while states recalibrate their systems. Anti-hunger groups warn the smaller cut still risks leaving families short and could leave some states without funds for new applicants or emergency aid. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins says it will take “several weeks to execute partial payments,” and once the government reopens, full benefits will resume without delay.
UK city may raise road charges to £14 under new proposals, prompting concerns over ‘disproportionate impact’
Bristol is weighing a 55% jump in its Clean Air Zone charge—from £9 to as high as £14 a day—prompting concerns over a “disproportionate impact” on those least able to pay. The council says inflation, shifting travel habits, and smaller-than-hoped pollution drops mean the current fee no longer deters non‑compliant vehicles. Three options are on the table: £10, £12, or the headline-making £14, backed by “behavioural change modelling” to speed up NO2 reductions and hit compliance sooner than 2029.
Exemptions remain for Euro 4–6 petrol and Euro 6 diesel cars, plus EVs and hydrogen vehicles; heavier vehicles face charges up to £100. Ignore the daily fee and penalties can quickly climb to £100, though compliance did tick up 2% from 2023 to 2024. The council touts potential benefits—better bus frequency and greener travel—while conceding affordability hits across low‑income groups and a particular burden on disabled residents unable to work or access support.
Translation: cleaner air is the goal; the method is a steeper price tag—just as £32 million in unpaid fines floats by like exhaust.
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