rx jysr thx by Derek Kolush

SUMMARY

OPRAH AND CNN: AT&T IS MERGING MEDIA BUSINESS WITH DISCOVERY LOSSLESS: APPLE MUSIC PREMIERES DOLBY ATMOS, SPATIAL AUDIO THE BLOCKBUSTER MOVIE MAKES A COMEBACK THIS SUMMER KRASINSKI OFFERS FRESH THRILLS IN ‘A QUIET PLACE 2’

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REPORT: MICROSOFT INVESTIGATED GATES BEFORE HE LEFT BOARD 18 SPOTIFY CO-OWNER EK SAYS KROENKES REJECT BID TO BUY ARSENAL 24 CALIFORNIA PLACES TESLA’S ‘FULL SELF-DRIVING’ UNDER REVIEW 30 AMAZON TO EXTEND PAUSE ON POLICE USE OF FACIAL RECOGNITION 38 PAYCHECK ADVANCE APPS: WHAT TO KNOW BEFORE YOU DOWNLOAD 60 SUMMER MOVIE CALENDAR 82 ZACK SNYDER MAKES A BITINGLY GOOD ZOMBIE-HEIST FLICK 124 PASSING ON YOUR PASSWORD? STREAMING SERVICES ARE PAST IT 134 A FACEBOOK FOOD GROUP COMES TOGETHER TO MAKE A COOKBOOK 142 STELLANTIS, FOXCONN TEAM UP TO MAKE CARS MORE CONNECTED 160 VIRUS TESTING STRATEGIES, OPINIONS VARY WIDELY IN US SCHOOLS 164 DO I STILL HAVE TO WEAR A MASK? WHAT ABOUT KIDS? 174 US SPACE FORCE MISSILE-WARNING SATELLITE ROCKETS INTO ORBIT 182 EU TAKES BIG STEP TOWARD RELAXING TRAVEL FOR VACCINATED 184 RUSSIA WON’T BLOCK TWITTER, BUT PARTIAL SLOWDOWN TO CONTINUE 192

MOVIES & TV SHOWS 100 MUSIC 108 TOP 10 SONGS 150 TOP 10 ALBUMS 152 TOP 10 MUSIC VIDEOS 154 TOP 10 TV SHOWS 156 TOP 10 BOOKS 158

Image: Danny Moloshok

The deal also represents a strategic retreat for AT&T. The hope for the newly merged company is that, with a wider array of material than either can offer on its own, it can join Netflix, Amazon and Disney in the widely acknowledged top tier of streamers. Analysts say it also makes it imperative that services below that tier — think Paramount+ or Peacock — find some way to ramp up or risk being left behind. WarnerMedia and Discovery both launched their own streaming services, HBO Max and Discovery+, within the past two years. It’s still not clear whether the merger will result in a single streaming service or several bundled together, but it will have a vast array of content to offer: scripted and reality TV, movies, sports including the NBA and NCAA men’s basketball tournament, and news with CNN. With consumers figuring out which streaming services they use regularly and which they can give up, that depth means a better chance they will use this new one regularly, said Raj Venkatesan, professor of business administration at the University of Virginia. The average U.S. household spends $40 a month on streaming services. “It either has something for everyone in the family, or is so diverse that it is hard to explain,” said Jim Nail, an analyst for Forrester Research. David Schweidel, a business professor at Emory University, questioned whether consumers will be better off with the deal. “If I do decide to cut the cord and I need three to five services to get what I had before, that 11

bill could easily approach what I was paying for cable before,” Schweidel said. “This may end up hurting consumers.” HBO Max and HBO have a combined global subscriber base of about 63.9 million, and Discovery+ has about 15 million subscribers. That compares with Netflix, which has more than 200 million subscribers worldwide, and Disney+, which counts over 100 million. In a call with investors, Zaslav said he believes that the standalone company could garner “200, 300, 400 million” subscribers at some point in the future, but there were no details regarding a timeline. The deal is a stark reminder of how much the entertainment world has changed, said Tim Hanlon, CEO of the media consultants Vertere Group. “I think most consumers now look at live television as being something of an anachronism,” he said. While it increases the pressure on smaller streaming services like Peacock or Paramount+ to find partners, those two are affiliated with the NBC and CBS television networks — so doing so would require a rethinking of the broadcast industry regulatory process, Hanlon said. It’s the second time this year that AT&T has calved off a major acquisition as it navigates a rapidly evolving media landscape. In February, the company spun off satellite TV service DirecTV for a fraction of the $48.5 billion it paid in 2015. Dallas-based AT&T acquired the former company Time Warner for more than $80 billion 12

Image: Taylor Glascock

less than five years ago in a bid to control both sides of the entertainment process: the broadband and wireless services that help deliver entertainment to homes, and the entertainment itself. But the costs involved in trying to do both became a burden. “That vision clearly has not panned out,” said CFRA analyst Tuna Amobi. The new company will be able to cut costs by $3 billion annually, the companies said, money that could go toward original streaming content. It will house almost 200,000 hours of programming and bring together more than 100 brands under one global portfolio, including DC Comics, Cartoon Network, Eurosport, Magnolia, TLC and Animal Planet. That likely means layoffs as the companies consolidate. The deal is also likely to force major decisions on familiar brands. For instance, CNN Chief Executive Jeff Zucker said he expected to leave at the end of the year. But with the new company being led by Zaslav — who worked with Zucker at NBC in the 1990s — that equation could change. Zaslav called Zucker an extraordinary talent. “It’s all about the talent, and so we’ll be figuring out how do we get the best people to stay,” he said. Shares of Discovery Inc., which is based in Silver Spring, Maryland, fell $1.80, or 5%, to close at $33.85 after initially jumping to $39.70. AT&T’s shares finished the day down 87 cents, or 2.7%, at $31.37, down from a session high of $33.88.

Image: Anjali Sundaram

REPORT: MICROSOFT INVESTIGATED GATES BEFORE HE LEFT BOARD

Board members at Microsoft Corp. made a decision in 2020 that it wasn’t appropriate for its co-founder Bill Gates to continue sitting on its board as they investigated the billionaire’s prior romantic relationship with a female Microsoft employee that was deemed inappropriate, according to a report in The Wall Street Journal. Citing unnamed sources, The Journal reported online that board members looking into the matter hired a law firm in late 2019 to conduct an investigation after a Microsoft engineer alleged in a letter that she had a sexual relationship with Gates over several years. The Journal reported that Gates resigned before the board’s investigation was finished, citing another person familiar with the matter. 19

REPORT: MICROSOFT INVESTIGATED GATES BEFORE HE LEFT BOARD

An unnamed spokeswoman for Gates acknowledged to The Journal that there was an affair almost 20 years ago, and that it ended “amicably.” The spokesperson told The Journal that “his decision to transition off the board was in no way related to this matter.” When he left Microsoft’s board last year, Gates said he was stepping down to focus on philanthropy. Microsoft couldn’t be immediately reached for comment. Earlier this month, Bill and Melinda Gates announced that they were divorcing after 27 years of marriage but would keep working together at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, one of the largest charitable foundations in the world. Gates was formerly the world’s richest person and his fortune is estimated at well over $100 billion. The New York Times reported that Gates had developed “a reputation for questionable conduct in work-related settings.” The Times reported that on at least a few occasions, Gates made overtures to women who worked for him at Microsoft and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. The Times cited people with direct knowledge of his behavior. 20

SPOTIFY CO-OWNER EK SAYS KROENKES REJECT BID TO BUY ARSENAL

Spotify co-owner Daniel Ek says a bid to buy Arsenal has been rejected by the Kroenke family which owns the London-based Premier League club. The Swedish entrepreneur behind the musicstreaming service first revealed his takeover interest last month after owner Stan Kroenke’s ill-fated attempt to lead Arsenal into a European Super League. The project collapsed amid fan anger and government opposition. Protests have continued ahead of games — where fans are locked out due to the pandemic. 25

“This week an offer was made to both Josh Kroenke and their bankers that included fan ownership, representation at the board and a golden share for the supporters,” Ek said last weekend. “They replied that they don’t need the money. I respect their decision but remain interested and available should that situation ever change.” Kroenke, who also owns the NFL’s Los Angeles Rams, gained full control of Arsenal in 2018.

CALIFORNIA PLACES TESLA’S ‘FULL SELFDRIVING’ UNDER REVIEW

California’s Department of Motor Vehicles is reviewing whether Tesla is violating a state regulation by advertising its vehicles as being fully autonomous without meeting the legal definition of self-driving. The department confirmed the review earlier this week in an email to the press. State regulation prohibits advertising vehicles for sale or lease as autonomous if they can’t comply with the regulatory definition, it said. Tesla advertises a $10,000 “Full Self-Driving” option on the website for its electric vehicles, but the same website says the vehicles cannot drive themselves. 31

CEO Elon Musk has said he expects Tesla’s vehicles will be able to drive themselves more safely than humans sometime this year. “The current enabled features require active driver supervision and do not make the vehicle autonomous,” the website says. Tesla is testing its “Full Self-Driving” software in the U.S. in cars driven by selected owners. The company based in Palo Alto, California, also calls its partially automated driver-assist system “Autopilot.” Tesla, which has disbanded its public relations department, did not respond to a request for comment. The Los Angeles Times first reported the DMV’s review. The DMV, which regulates testing of self-driving vehicles on California roads, said violating the regulation can bring a suspension of autonomous vehicle permits and revocation of a manufacturer’s license. It would not comment further on the review, including when it began. Tesla has a DMV permit to test autonomous vehicles with human backup drivers. But it is not among the companies permitted to test without human drivers. The company says its “Full Self-Driving” software can navigate, automatically change lanes and follow traffic lights and stop signs. “Autopilot” can keep a car centered in its lane and a safe distance from vehicles in front of it. The probe comes amid several high-profile crashes nationwide — including a fatal wreck in California — involving Autopilot in recent weeks.

On Saturday, a Tesla in autopilot mode plowed into a Snohomish County deputy’s patrol car north of Seattle, causing significant damage but no injuries. A 35-year-old man was killed on May 5 in Fontana, California, when his Tesla Model 3 struck an overturned semi on a freeway east of Los Angeles about 2:30 a.m. The California Highway Patrol initially said its preliminary investigation had found that Autopilot “was engaged” prior to the crash, but walked back its statement a day later. Investigators have not made “a final determination made as to what driving mode the Tesla was in or if it was a contributing factor to the crash,” it said. The victim, Steven Michael Hendrickson, had previously posted social media videos of himself riding in the vehicle without his hands on the wheel or foot on the pedal. The DMV joins the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in investigating Tesla’s automated systems. In the past, NHTSA, has taken a hands-off approach to regulating partial and fully automated systems for fear of hindering development of promising new features. But since March, the agency has stepped up inquiries into Teslas, dispatching teams to three crashes. It has investigated 28 Tesla crashes in the past few years, but thus far has relied on voluntary safety compliance from auto and tech companies. At least three people have been killed in U.S. crashes in which Autopilot was operating but neither the system nor the driver took action to avoid obstacles.

LOSSLESS:

APPLE MUSIC PREMIERES DOLBY ATMOS, SPATIAL AUDIO

Image: Genna Martin

At least seven states already have enacted restrictions limiting government use of the technology and several others are debating bills. Last June, Amazon announced it would pause police use of its facial-recognition technology, a move coming at a time of nationwide protests and a renewed focus on racial injustice in the U.S. after the killing of George Floyd, a Black man who died after a white police officer pressed his knee against his neck. Microsoft and IBM also paused sales of their software to police around the same time last

year, though most police departments look to lesser-known firms for the technology. Seattle-based Amazon.com Inc. didn’t say why its ban was extended or how long it would last. The American Civil Liberties Union applauded Amazon for extending its moratorium. But it added that “the Biden administration and legislatures across the country must further protect communities from the dangers of this technology by ending its use by law enforcement entirely, regardless which company is selling it.”

Although fans will need to wait until June to access Spatial Audio and Dolby Atmos sound on their Apple Music subscription, those eager to experience the difference can listen to a podcast on Apple Music hosted by Zane Lowe, who introduces the “next dimension in sound.” It’s worth noting that, although it’s likely to be hip-hop and pop music artists that will take advantage of the new Spatial Audio experience from day one, Apple has plans to master older music for a new generation. Venezuelan conductor Gustavo Dudamel, for example, spoke to Apple during the press announcement of the new service, and said that he had “no words to describe the immersive, overpowering experience of being a conductor, leading a performance of Mahler’s towering ‘Symphony of a Thousand’, but said that technology had advanced enough to “bring that experience closer to our ears, our minds, and our souls.” He described the launch of Spatial Audio on Apple Music as a “rich, remarkable 3D sound experience” and teased the release of his music, remastered in Dolby Atmos audio. Multi-Grammy award-winning Giles Martin has enjoyed global success as a music producer, composer, arranger, and creative leader. The British multi-instrumentalist has worked worldwide with critically acclaimed TV and film projects, studio recordings, and stage shows. He added that sound engineers had “tried to paint pictures with sound, transporting listeners to worlds they never knew existed, even when the sound came from a single speaker,” and added that Apple’s new sound experience would allow musicians and artists to do that for the very 50

In an effort to better compete with the likes of Spotify, Apple Music has announced plans to introduce industry-leading sound quality, as well as Spatial Audio and Dolby Atmos support. Combined, these features allow musicians to create ‘immersive audio experiences for fans with true multidimensional sound and clarity’, whilst lossless quality is supported as standard for the first time. The best part? These features come free, changing Apple Music forever.

INTRODUCING SPATIAL AUDIO ON APPLE MUSIC Although insiders had previously teased that Apple was working on a new premium version of Apple Music, perhaps introducing a new tiered system in the same vein as TIDAL, the company shocked fans and critics alike by announcing an array of new features would be coming to the $9.99 per month streaming service for free. One of the most exciting is Apple’s plan to bring Spatial Audio to Apple Music, supported by Dolby Atmos sound. Dolby Atmos offers a truly immersive sound experience on devices like HomePod as well as Apple AirPods and AirPods Max, allowing musicians and artists to mix music so that the sound comes from all around and above. Apple says that Dolby Atmos will play as standard on Beats and AirPods with an H1 or W1 chip, and the latest iPhone, iPad, and Mac range will also benefit. Although the details on exactly how many pieces of music will be supported by Dolby Atmos at launch are sketchy, the company has promised that it will add new content “constantly” as well as curate a set of Dolby Atmos playlists to help users 46

Image: Diego Larez

find music that they love. What’s more, albums that are compatible with Dolby Atmos will display a badge. Apple says that, at the launch of the new service, users will be able to listen to thousands of Spatial Audio songs, from the world’s biggest artists and including genres such as pop, classical, and hip-hop, and the company is working with both musicians and labels to add new releases and catalog music every day. Apple also says that it anticipates musicians will create music specifically with Spatial Audio in mind and added that Apple and Dolby were working to create a platform that was easier for musicians, engineers, and producers to create content for Apple Music, and said initiatives such as doubling the number of Dolby-enabled studios in major markets, offering educational programs in Dolby Atmos, and giving independent artists the resources they need to create original music would all aid in the adoption of the service. Speaking of the new initiative, Kevin Yeaman, Dolby Laboratories’ president, and CEO said that Dolby’s partnership with Apple allowed the pair to offer a “new music experience that is transforming how music is created by artists and enjoyed by their fans,” whilst musician J Balvin, responsible for hits such as Mi Gente and LOCATION, added that he “always [wants] to be a step ahead and I think this is one of those steps. With Lossless, everything in the music is going to sound bigger and stronger but more importantly, it will be of better quality. Hearing myself and my music in Dolby Atmos for the first time, was just crazy, it blew my mind, it’s indescribable. Fans will love this experience!” 49

Gustavo Dudamel - Symphony No. 8 - Mahler Symphony of a Thousand (Trailer)

Image: Vern Evans

FEES FRAMED AS TIPS When Jose Polanco uses the Earnin app to borrow from his upcoming paycheck, the app asks him if he wants to leave a tip. The New York school administrator says he gives the app $8 for the $100 he usually borrows. He says he’s persuaded by the message the app displays that leaving a bigger tip helps pay for users who can’t afford to tip at all. Optional tips are a common way these apps reframe fees. While usually not required, they’re frequently encouraged. Earnin CEO Ram Palaniappan says tips let the user decide what the service is worth to them rather than requiring a fee they may not be able to afford. Some advances come with additional fees. Dave, another paycheck advance app, has three optional fees: a monthly $1 subscription fee, an express fee to get your money faster and a tip. For a couple hundred dollars — the maximum amount you can borrow from most apps — the fees aren’t as high as most payday loans or overdraft fees. But asking the user to decide how much to pay doesn’t give them a chance to evaluate the full cost of borrowing in the way displaying an annual percentage rate would, says Marisabel Torres, director of California policy at the Center for Responsible Lending. “Not calling it a fee and framing it as a tip, that’s actually disingenuous to the user because then the amount that that product actually costs you is muddled,” she says.

THE RISKS: OVERDRAFTS, CHRONIC BORROWING To sign up with a paycheck advance app, users normally have to provide proof of their pay schedule and income, and often access to their bank accounts so the app can withdraw the money they owe when they get paid. Some of the apps say they’ll monitor your bank account and try to avoid a debit if your balance is too low. Debiting a balance that’s too low can cause an overdraft fee — a fee some apps market themselves as an alternative to — and you could need to borrow again. It’s not yet clear how often app usage triggers an overdraft fee, says Alex Horowitz, senior research officer with the Pew Charitable Trusts. But an April report from the Financial Health Network found that 70% of consumers who used a service to access their earnings early returned to use them consecutively — behavior that’s common with payday loans, he says. “It’s not just that they’re using it multiple times in a year, it’s that they’re using it multiple times in a row,” Horowitz says. “That indicates that they couldn’t repay it without taking another advance shortly after to cover their bills.”

NOT A PERMANENT SOLUTION You may have cheaper alternatives if you need to borrow money, Torres says. Credit unions and some banks offer small-dollar loans that are repaid in affordable monthly installments. A friend or family member may be able to lend you the money and let you repay it over time. 64

There isn’t enough research to know if getting an advance from an app leaves consumers better or worse off, says Nakita Cuttino, a visiting assistant professor at Duke University School of Law whose research focuses on financial services and financial inclusion. In 2019, the New York Department of Financial Services — along with several other states and Puerto Rico — announced an investigation into the earned wage access industry, of which these types of apps are a part, to determine whether they violate state lending laws . When they’re used to resolve a one-time emergency, Cuttino says, an advance may be cheaper and more convenient — and lowers the risk of overborrowing because of their low dollar amounts. If you do borrow from one of these apps, understand how it’ll affect your budget and make a plan to repay it, she says. And if you find yourself returning to borrow each pay period or incurring frequent overdraft fees, it may not be right for you. 67

THE BLOCKBUSTER MOVIE MAKES A COMEBACK THIS SUMMER

After more than a year of benching its biggest spectacles, Hollywood is ready to dazzle again. From “F9” and “In the Heights” to “The Suicide Squad” and “Black Widow,” there will be a steady stream of blockbusters populating multiplexes across the country for the first time since March 2020. For streaming-weary audiences, the promise of air conditioning, popcorn, soda fountains, 60-foot screens and state-of-theart sound could be a welcome respite from the living room and virtual watch parties. Not to mention the ever-romantic concept of the shared experience. 71

For beleaguered movie theaters, it’s not a moment too soon. The modern summer movie season, which runs from May through Labor Day, regularly accounts for over $4 billion in revenue and makes up around 40% of the year’s grosses. Last year, summer earnings were $176 million, down 96% from 2019. Although theaters have been ramping up operations for a while, this summer will prove to be the biggest litmus test so far about whether habits have changed irrevocably during the pandemic. In some ways, the calendar looks like a do-over of last summer. Many of the most anticipated releases were supposed to come out a year ago, including John Krasinski’s “A Quiet Place Part II,” up first on May 28, the big screen adaptation of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Tony-winning “In the Heights” (June 11), the ninth installment of the “Fast & Furious” series, “F9” (June 25), Marvel’s “Black Widow” (July 9) starring Scarlett Johansson, the Emily Blunt and Dwayne Johnson action adventure “Jungle Cruise” (July 30) and Nia DaCosta’s “Candyman” reboot (Aug. 27). “In the Heights” director Jon M. Chu had to convince Miranda that it was worth it to wait for a theatrical release. Miranda wanted to get his joyous musical about a bodega owner, Usnavi (Anthony Ramos) and his friends in Washington Heights out to people immediately. But Chu knows just how important a global release is for films with underrepresented casts. Like “Crazy Rich Asians,”“In the Heights” features unknowns in key roles who are poised for a breakout given the right platform. 72

“We had big dreams for this,” Chu said. “To be able to do it on the biggest scale possible meant so much.” And it’s not the only blue-sky blockbuster in the bunch. The “Fast & Furious” series has always been about creating a fun theatrical experience and “F9” not only brings back a fan favorite — Sung Kang’s Han — but also literally sends cars into space. It’s expected to be one of the season’s biggest hits. “Whenever I get together with Vin (Diesel) and everybody to make these movies, we’re not even talking about the plot or anything like that, but the feeling. I just remember as a kid in the summer saving enough money to go to the movies to share that experience with a bunch of strangers,” said director Justin Lin. “When that moment hits and everyone’s laughing or cheering together, it is magical.”

Before the pandemic, going to the movies in the summer was a ritual. Audiences made up for last year by screening retro summer hits at driveins. Now it’s a wild card whether the promise of an “event film” will motivate audiences back to theaters, especially if something is also available to watch at home. “Space Jam: A New Legacy” director Malcom D. Lee called his film, “The epitome of a popcorn movie.” The sequel to the 1996 Michael Jordan pic finds LeBron James now sharing the screen with classic Looney Toons characters. Those looking for a more R-rated experience can thank James Gunn, who made movie stars out of the once obscure “Guardians of the Galaxy,” and now is out to do the same for the “misfit, Z-grade supervillains” of “The Suicide Squad.” He had his pick of DC characters and turned down Superman for Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn, Idris Elba’s Bloodsport and John Cena’s Peacemaker. Gunn looked to one of his favorite genres for inspiration: The 1960s war caper. Think, “The Dirty Dozen” and “Where Eagles Dare.” “To reinvigorate that genre just using these crappy supervillains as the protagonists was very appealing to me,” Gunn said. There are many other options too, including a host of big-name documentary titles, from Morgan Neville’s “Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain” (July 16) to Peter Jackson’s “The Beatles: Get Back” (Aug. 27). There are family films, like “Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway” (June 18) and “Hotel Transylvania: Transformania” (July 23) and horrors like “The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It (June 4), and “Don’t Breathe 76

THE BLOCKBUSTER MOVIE MAKES A COMEBACK THIS SUMMER

2” (Aug. 13). You can see Matt Damon try to save his daughter in the drama “Stillwater” (July 30) or watch as Gael García Bernal starts to age rapidly in M. Night Shyamalan’s “Old” (July 23). Ryan Reynolds is in two big action flicks, “The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard” (June 16) and “Free Guy” (Aug. 13). There’s even an epic Dev Patel-led take on a classic Arthurian legend, “The Green Knight” coming July 30. “I’m really glad that our movie is one of the ones that was held back because I really I want audiences to get a chance to see it on the big screen,” said “The Green Knight” director David Lowery. “It was obviously meant to be seen that way but also it’s a strange movie and I think that the idea of having that experience in a cinema with other people is going to be really, really exciting, especially after a year away from the big screen.” Some studios have been cautiously rolling out bigger films to decent results lately, like “ Godzilla vs. Kong.” But after seven weeks, even that monster sock ’em up is still shy of cracking the $100 million mark domestically. And it’s unclear what the new benchmarks for success will be or if any movie has a chance of hitting anything close to pre-pandemic expectations. The last “Fast” movie opened to $98.8 million in 2017. “Black Widow” was once pegged for at least a $90 million launch. So far this year, the biggest domestic opening was just over $30 million. For moviegoers, it’s also become hard to keep tabs on ever shifting dates, delays and multiplatform releases. Some summer-ready titles, like “Top Gun: Maverick” and the new James 79

Bond, “No Time To Die,” are waiting until later in the year to debut. “Jurassic World: Dominion” pushed to 2022. And changes are still being made as some offload titles to streaming services. Sony sold its Camilla Cabello and Billy Porter-led “Cinderella” to Amazon Prime and its Kevin Hart as a single dad pic “Fatherhood” to Netflix. Even the films with theatrical debuts will have either unique hybrid release plans or shortenedtheatrical windows. All Warner Bros. titles including “In the Heights,”“The Suicide Squad,”“Space Jam,” will be available free for HBO Max subscribers for 31 days as well as in theaters. Most Disney movies, including “Cruella” (May 28), “Black Widow” and “Jungle Cruise” are opening both in theaters and on Disney+ as a premium $29.99 rental. Their Pixar title “Luca” is going straight to Disney+, free for subscribers, on June 17. And the Sundance breakout “ CODA ” is getting a simultaneous release in theaters and on Apple TV+. For theaters and studios, the unknowns are many. Are movie theaters even on people’s re-opening priority lists? Will there be a $100 million opening weekend any time soon? Will there ever be a $250 million opening weekend again? The filmmakers aren’t trying to concern themselves with that. But everyone is feeling emotional that moviegoing might finally become normal again. “I think about it all the time,” said Gunn. “I can’t wait to sit in a theater with a group of people and watch films again. It is a true joy in life. It’s a magical space for me and has been since I was a very little boy.” 80

SUMMER MOVIE CALENDAR

A rundown of notable films coming out this summer:

MAY 28 “A Quiet Place Part II” (Theaters): In this sequel to John Krasinski’s 2018 hit, the Abbott family (Emily Blunt, Millicent Simmonds, Noah Jupe) ventures away from their home while trying to survive the creatures that hunt by sound. “Cruella” (Theaters, Disney+ Premier): A liveaction origin story for the “101 Dalmatians” villain Cruella de Vil, starring Emma Stone. “Moby Doc” (Theaters and on-demand): Moby narrates his own documentary, a surrealist biography in which he reflects on his life and career. “Plan B” (Hulu): Natalie Morales makes her directorial debut in this teen comedy about a South Dakota high-schooler (Kuhoo Verma) who has 24 hours to hunt down a Plan B pill with her best friend (Vitoria Moroles) after a regrettable sexual encounter. 83

JUNE 4 “The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It” (Theaters, HBO Max): Paranormal investigators Ed (Patrick Wilson) and Lorraine Warren (Vera Farmiga) are back at it in another case, this time a fight for the soul of a young boy.

JUNE 11 “In the Heights” (Theaters, HBO Max): LinManuel Miranda’s other Tony-winning show, “In the Heights,” about life in New York’s Washington Heights, gets a big-screen adaptation in John M. Chu’s exuberant musical starring Anthony Ramos, Corey Hawkins, Melissa Barrera and others.

JUNE 18 “Luca” (Disney+): Enrico Casarosa, director of the Pixar short “La Luna,” helms this Pixar feature about a boy’s unforgettable summer on the Italian Riviera with his best friend, a sea monster in disguise. “The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard” (Theaters, June 16): In this sequel to the 2017 buddy comedy, Ryan Reynolds and Samuel L. Jackson are back in R-rated action, but this time Salma Hayek takes a more prominent role. Also starring Morgan Freeman and Antonio Banderas. “Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway” (Theaters): Will Gluck’s sequel to 2018’s “Peter Rabbit” returns James Corden as the voice of Peter, Margot Robbie as Flopsy and Elizabeth Debicki as Mopsy. Joining the CGI bunnies are live-action actors Domhnall Gleeson, David Oyelowo and Rose Byrne.

“Fatherhood” (Netflix): Kevin Hart stars as a widower raising his baby daughter on his own. Directed by Paul Weitz, the film is based on Matthew Logelin’s memoir “Two Kisses for Maddy.”

JUNE 25 “F9” (Theaters): The “Fast & Furious” franchise rides on, undaunted by physics or the normal lifespan of film series. Justin Lin’s film, the ninth in the franchise not counting the spinoff “Hobbs & Shaw,” is the first to detour into space. “The Ice Road” (Netflix): Liam Neeson, star of 2011’s “The Grey,” returns to the cold in this thriller as an ice driver on a rescue mission. “False Positive” (Hulu): About the trials of fertility and the horrors of patriarchy, “False Positive” has been called a contemporary spin on Roman Polanski’s “Rosemary’s Baby.” Starring Ilana Glazer, Justin Theroux and Pierce Brosnan, it’s co-written by Glazer (“Broad City”).

JULY 2 “The Forever Purge” (Theaters): The fifth and supposedly final film in the “Purge” series is set after the abolition of the annual rite. But some keep the tradition alive. “The Tomorrow War” (Amazon Prime Video): To fight a future war against an alien species, soldiers from 30 years earlier are recruited for the battle — including a schoolteacher played by Chris Pratt. “Zola” (Theaters June 30): Janicza Bravo’s film is based an infamous tweetstorm turned into a film by Brazo and co-writer Jeremy O. Harris. Taylour Paige and Riley Keough star as strippers who take a surreal road trip. 86

“Summer of Soul” (theaters, Hulu): Amir “Questlove” Thompson makes his directorial debut in this documentary of a landmark 1969 Harlem concert series known as “Black Woodstock.” Performances include by Stevie Wonder, Nina Simone, Sly and the Family Stone and the Staples Singers. “America the Motion Picture” (Netflix): Phil Lord and Chris Miller are executive producers of this animated absurdity, with Channing Tatum voicing George Washington, Jason Mantzoukas as Sam Adams and other cast members including Simon Pegg, Judy Greer, Bobby Moynihan and Raoul Trujillo.

JULY 9 “Black Widow” (Theaters, Disney+ Premier): Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) gets her longawaited solo movie in this Marvel movie set between the events of 2016’s “Captain America: Civil War” and 2018’s “Avengers: Infinity War.”

JULY 16 “Space Jam: A New Legacy” (Theaters and HBO Max): Twenty five years after Michael Jordan shared the big screen with Bugs Bunny, a new generation is hitting the courts in this Malcolm D. Lee directed sequel, starring LeBron James as himself, Don Cheadle and a more than a few NBA cameos. “Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain” (Theaters): Documentary director Morgan Neville (“Won’t You Be My Neighbor”) explores the globetrotting life of celebrity chef and author Anthony Bourdain, who died by suicide in 2018 at the age of 61. 88

THE UNTHINKABLE - OFFICIAL TRAILER

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“Ailey” (Theaters): A documentary look at the life of dancer Alvin Ailey. “Cinderella” (Amazon Prime Video): Pop star Camila Cabello takes a spin as Cinderella in her acting debut alongside Billy Porter, as a genderless fairy godparent.

JULY 23 “Hotel Transylvania: Transformania ” (Theaters): The fourth and final chapter of the animated series features the voices of Selena Gomez, Andy Samberg and Fran Drescher. “OLD” (Theaters): Naturally details are scarce about M. Night Shyamalan’s new film, which was inspired by the graphic novel “Sandcastle,” and follows a family who realizes they’re aging rapidly in their idyllic vacation spot. Gael García Bernal and Vicky Krieps (“Phantom Thread”) star. “Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins” (Theaters): “Crazy Rich Asians” heartthrob Henry Golding stars as the titular warrior. “The Last Letter From Your Lover” (Netflix): Felicity Jones stars as a journalist who uncovers a starcrossed affair from the 1960s in a newspaper’s archives in this Jojo Moyes adaptation. 91

JULY 30 “Jungle Cruise” (Theaters and Disney+ premier access): Emily Blunt and Dwayne Johnson take a swing at turning a Disney theme park attraction into a throwback action-adventure, and odds are this will be one of the better ones. Johnson said Blunt is essentially a female Indiana Jones in the film. “The Green Knight” (Theaters): Dev Patel plays King Arthur’s nephew Sir Gawain in this epic fantasy film from writer-director David Lowery (“Pete’s Dragon”). Alicia Vikander, Joel Edgerton and Barry Keoghan co-star. “Stillwater” (Theaters): Matt Damon stars as an Oklahoma oil worker whose daughter (Abigail Breslin) gets arrested in France for murder in this crime drama from “Spotlight” director Tom McCarthy. “Call My Agent” fans will be excited to know that Camille Cottin (aka Andréa Martel) co-stars as a French woman who helps Damon’s character.

AUGUST 6 “Annette” (Theaters): French auteur Leos Carax makes his English-language debut with the musical “Annette,” starring Adam Driver as a stand-up comic and Marion Cotillard as his singer wife. The script and music comes from Ron and Russell Mael, who are also the subject of Edgar Wright’s documentary “The Sparks Brothers.” “The Suicide Squad” (Theaters and HBO Max): Director James Gunn turned the obscure “Guardians of the Galaxy” characters into some of the most beloved in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and now the hope is he’ll reenergize DC’s Suicide Squad after their less-than-stellar 2016 film. 92

Margot Robbie, Joel Kinnaman and Viola Davis reprise their roles alongside a whole new batch of stars like Idris Elba, John Cena and Sylvester Stallone (his voice, that is).

AUGUST 13 “CODA” (Theaters and Apple TV+): This Sundance charmer from director Siân Heder stars Emilia Jones in a breakout role as a hearing child of deaf adults trying to find her own voice and path. Marlee Matlin is especially amusing as the mother. “Free Guy” (Theaters): Ryan Reynolds discovers he’s a non-player character living in an open world video game in the sci-fi action comedy “Free Guy,” from director Shawn Levy (“Night at the Museum”) and co-writer Zak Penn (“Ready Player One”). “Killing Eve’s” Jodie Comer co-stars along with Lil Rel Howery and Taika Waititi. “Respect” (Theaters): Jennifer Hudson plays Aretha Franklin in this longtime coming biopic, which Franklin herself was even involved in before her death in 2018. Tony nominee Liesl Tommy directs.

AUGUST 20 “Reminiscence” (Theaters and HBO Max): “Westworld” co-creator Lisa Joy makes her directorial debut with the appropriately cerebral “Reminiscence,” set in a flooded, nearfuture Miami and starring Hugh Jackman as an investigator of the mind who takes on a mysterious new client played by Rebecca Hall. “Cryptozoo” (Theaters): Dash Shaw’s trippy, animated fantasy features the voices of Lake Bell, Michael Cera and “Twin Peaks’” Grace Zabriskie. 94

The Unthinkable Alex (Christoffer Nordenrot), a famous pianist, is living in Stockholm when a series of mysterious explosions occurs in the city. Alex returns to his childhood village, where he meets his old flame, Anna (Lisa Henni). Alex feels increasingly drawn to her again as Sweden descends into chaos.

FIVE FACTS: 1. This Swedish thriller was released in Sweden on June 20, 2018.

by Director Genre: Crazy Pictures Released: 2021 Price: $14.99

18 Ratings

2. For its Swedish release, the film was titled Den blomstertid nu kommer – the name of a traditional Swedish summertime hymn. 3. Nordenrot lost weight to play the 16-yearold version of his character and then, over three months, gained weight and built muscle to depict the same character 12 years older. 4. The film was shot with old vintage lenses made in the now-defunct Communist countries of the USSR and German Democratic Republic (East Germany). 5. The blurry flashback effect was captured by filming through a range of glasses or flipping the front element on the lens.

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“The Night House” (Theaters): Rebecca Hall plays a recently widowed woman living in her husband’s lakeside home when disturbing visions start coming to her in this psychological horror from director David Bruckner. “Demonic” (Theaters and On Demand): “District 9” director Neill Blomkamp crafts a motherdaughter horror.

AUGUST 27 “The Beatles: Get Back” (Theaters and Disney+): There was a lot left on the cutting room floor of Michael Lindsay-Hogg’s seminal Beatles documentary “Let It Be” (60 hours of video and 150 hours of audio). Filmmaker Peter Jackson has sifted through and restored much of the unused footage to create a new film “The Beatles: Get Back,” which will show the group’s last live performance together on that London rooftop in its entirety for the first time ever. “Candyman” (Theaters): Director Nia DaCosta sets this “Candyman” sequel in a now gentrified Cabrini-Green, overrun by upwardly mobile types and luxury condominiums where housing projects used to be. Jordan Peele co-wrote and produced the modern spin on the Candyman myth starring Yahya Abdul-Mateen II and Teyonah Parris.

Crazy Pictures’ Victor Danell and Albin Pettersson Interview for Unthinkable

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THE UNTHINKABLE - OFFICIAL TRAILER

Movies 100

&TV Shows

Rotten Tomatoes

FIVE FACTS: 1. This Swedish thriller was released in Sweden on June 20, 2018.

by Director Genre: Crazy Pictures Released: 2021 Price: $14.99

18 Ratings

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Crazy Pictures’ Victor Danell and Albin Pettersson Interview for Unthinkable

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Initiation During Whiton University’s pledge week, a young, promising student athlete, Wes Scott (Froy Gutierrez), is found murdered in his dorm. His demise sparks a series of disturbing messages on social media, leading the students and police to investigate the college’s dark secrets.

FIVE FACTS: 1. Initiation is based on a short film, titled Dembanger, that director, producer and writer John Berardo created while attending the University of Southern California. 2. The short film was a horror film about the dangers of sharing too much personal information on social media. 3. Berardo devised the original reflective design of the mask so that the killer’s victims could see themselves reflected in it before their death. 4. The killer’s weapon, meanwhile, was custom-built by a member of the cast. 5. Initiation was filmed in 16 days, with editor Kristina Lyons cutting it in 10 weeks.

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by John Berardo Genre: Horror Released: 2021 Price: $9.99

22 Ratings Initiation Official Trailer (2021)

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Genre: Hip-Hop/Rap Released: May 14, 2021 12 Songs Price: $9.99

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J. Cole - The Climb Back (Official Audio)

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Music

The Off-Season J. Cole According to the legendary rapper and basketball enthusiast J. Cole, the title of his new studio album – his sixth – “symbolizes the work that it takes to get to the highest height.” It’s certainly a faithful reflection of J. Cole’s staying power in the hip-hop game.

FIVE FACTS: 1. J. Cole was born as Jermaine Lamarr Cole. 2. Cole recently agreed to sign as a player for Rwanda-based basketball team, Patriots BBC. 3. Cole justified the album’s moniker by pointing out to SLAM magazine that “the offseason is where the magic really happens” and “where the pain happens, the pushing yourself to uncomfortable limits”. 4. The new album’s cover adheres to a basketball theme, like the covers of his mixtapes The Warm Up (2009) and Friday Night Lights (2010) and his debut album Cole World: The Sideline Story (2011). 5. Fellow rappers who have contributed guest vocals to The Off-Season include 6lack, Morray and 21 Savage.

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“We’ll probably die,” Ward says. “Some of us at least.” The group needs to sneak into the city and that’s when the script by Snyder, Shay Hatten and Joby Harold gets sly. They rely on a smuggling coyote to skulk into a walled-off American city, one of several moments that lift the material. Sean Spicer and Donna Brazile debating immigration on TV is another. And the use of temperature guns to check if zombie-fication is happening is a prescient nod to the pandemic Snyder could not have known was coming. The Vegas that the group enters is a freaky funhouse that the filmmakers have filled with 2,500 plastic skeletons. The zombies wear an alarming amount of rhinestones and ripped clothing. But they’re awfully fun to mow down (remember, kids, always aim for the head). Here the film makes lively nods to “Escape from New York,” “The Matrix,” “Aliens” and “Planet of the Apes.” In addition to the zombie Elvis impersonator, there’s a zombie bride still wearing her veil and a zombie horse, but the Zack Snyder Hall of Fame Cool Deal is a zombie tiger. And it is glorious. (The filmmakers even visited Carole Baskin’s Big Cat Rescue of then-future “Tiger King” fame to make their computer critter more believable.) To this world, Snyder has added a kind of zombie hierarchy. There are mindless Shamblers — think the target-practice “Walking Dead” zombies — and there are Alphas, led by a king and queen, who can think, love, hunt, mourn and presumably whip up organic recipes for human flesh. These are the ones you want to avoid. (Snyder in the film’s prologue indicates 129

Daddy’s Home St. Vincent While the title chosen by St. Vincent – AKA Annie Erin Clark – for her sixth studio album is partially a reference to her father’s recent release from prison, it’s also intended to be somewhat ambiguous. This seems apt, given the variety of ‘70s sounds from which the record takes inspiration.

FIVE FACTS: 1. Clark’s previous studio album was 2017’s MASSEDUCTION, which she described to Apple Music as “very tight, very controlled, very angular”. 2. This “structure and stricture” inspired her to take a somewhat looser approach to making Daddy’s Home. 3. The new album’s sound originated from “this kind of early-‘70s, groove-ish, soul-ish, jazz-ish style in my head since I was a little kid,” she explained. 4. Clark’s father left prison in 2019 after serving almost a decade for participating in a stock manipulation scheme. 5. Clark says the new album’s title partially reflects her development as a person over the last decade: “Am I daddy’s girl? I don’t know. Maybe. But I’m also Daddy, too, now.”

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Genre: Alternative Released: May 14, 2021 14 Songs Price: $9.99

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St. Vincent - Pay Your Way In Pain (Official Video)

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St. Vincent - The Melting Of The Sun (Official Video)

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KRASINSKI OFFERS FRESH THRILLS IN ‘A QUIET PLACE 2’

John Krasinski catches you off guard in the first moment of “ A Quiet Place Part II,” inviting you into his film with the most terrifying thing of all in this universe: Noise. It’s a testament to the effectiveness of “A Quiet Place” that any sound is guaranteed to make you immediately uneasy: The crinkle of a bag, the crunch of an apple, a car door closing. Krasinski begins the sequel, which he wrote and directed, in a flashback to the day the monsters arrived, and boy, are we LOUD. It’s a bit of a gut punch, and not just because he doesn’t waste any time before getting to action. We know he and others won’t be around when the film cuts to the present. 117

And you might be surprised how far just a little glimpse of their pre-disaster happiness goes when it comes to reminding you what they’ve lost and what they’re trying to hang on to. And this one picks up right where we left off. Emily Blunt’s character, Evelyn, has not had time to go full Sarah Connor in “A Quiet Place Part II.” Like John Wick, the Abbotts don’t get a breather. And she and her family — a newborn, her son Marcus (Noah Jupe) and daughter Regan (Millicent Simmonds) — are on the move to find somewhere else to stay. They’ve rigged up a terrifying coffin-like box for the infant with an oxygen tank and a baby breathing apparatus so that they can move without worrying about the baby’s cries. Clearly it’s been mostly thought out by people who are actually parents themselves, but it’s better if you don’t ask too many questions about the logistics of all of this. Suffice it to say, the introduction of the baby ensures that your stomach will never not be in knots throughout the lean duration of the film. Krasinski makes one choice with the baby that borders on indecent, but it’s terribly effective. It is somewhat astonishing that they were able to find enough new in this world to justify a full sequel, but unfortunately for everyone Regan’s inspired hack to stun the monsters using high frequency sounds is only effective in the immediate surroundings. In other words, there are a lot more out there. The family does find another place and a oncefriendly face, in Cillian Murphy’s Emmett. But like so many of Murphy’s characters, it’s unclear whether or not he can be trusted and he doesn’t seem like he wants to help. 118

A Quiet Place Part II (2021) Final Trailer - Paramount Pictures

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A Quiet Place Part II (2021) Only In Theatres May 28 - Paramount Pictures

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A Quiet Place Part II (2021) “The Wait Is Over” - Paramount Pictures

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Blunt, Simmonds and Jupe are all once again terrific in their roles, using sign language and their expressive, empathetic faces to brilliantly convey terror, love and pain. The nail also reprises its role and is just as effective at creating tension as before, but Krasinski unfortunately has something more brutal in store for one of the Abbotts. But the reason these films work is not because of the scares. They work because, at their heart, they are a high concept meditation on parenting. Sure, the surprises keep your heart rate up and all that but the true terror, the one that buries itself in your consciousness, comes from that deep, intractable fear of not being able to protect your kids. Many monster movies boldly claim to be about something bigger and rarely are. These films succeed at that. After being delayed more than a year, “A Quiet Place Part II” is debuting only in theaters for the first 45 days, until it’s made available on Paramount+, and it might sound cliché, but it’s hard to imagine seeing it anywhere but on the big screen. It’s the kind of movie that demands it. “A Quiet Place Part II,” a Paramount Pictures release in theaters May 28, is rated PG-13 by the Motion Picture Association of America for “terror, violence and bloody/disturbing images.” Running time: 97 minutes. Three stars out of four.

MPAA Definition of PG-13: Parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.

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ZACK SNYDER MAKES A BITINGLY GOOD ZOMBIEHEIST FLICK

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Army of the Dead | Official Trailer | Netflix

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It won’t take you long to warm to Zack Snyder’s “Army of the Dead.” All it took for me was the sight of a zombie Elvis impersonator. Equal parts hysterical and deadly, the bloodymouthed, jumpsuit-wearing King in the opening credits is the perfect touch to a joyously violent film that takes a vanilla heist flick and sets it inside a Las Vegas that has suffered a zombie apocalypse. The song playing over those credits is, of course, “Viva Las Vegas.” Snyder is in many ways returning to his undead roots — before “Justice League” and “300” he remade “Dawn of the Dead” — but this time he’s added to zombie lore while adding some social commentary along with his trademark gleefully over-the-top violence. The plot stitches old and new ideas yet somehow feels fresh: In the near-future, Las Vegas is a walled-off zone given over to the undead, which really isn’t too far off from what it is. The government plans to use a tactical nuclear weapon to wipe them out, once and for all. But a group of former military heroes are persuaded to get into the city and steal $200 million from a casino vault before the city is vaporized. “Try not to get nuked or murdered by the undead,” they are warned. The group is led by a mountain of man named Scott Ward, played by “Guardians of the Galaxy’s” Dave Bautista. Despite being a war hero, he’s flipping burgers for a living and needs little coaxing. He then assembles a team of oddballs that includes Tig Notaro as a helicopter pilot and Matthias Schweighöfer as a safecracker, both providing comic relief. 127

Army of the Dead | Official Teaser | Netflix

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the top Alpha was a creation of Area 51.) And there seem to be hints of robotic zombies. Sleep well, kids! There is a perverse joy to watching growling zombies on a casino floor, doing parkour on the roulette tables, and then watching bullets whizz through their brains with a burst of blood. They die in so many ways beyond head-kills: knife through skull, being burst between two armored doors, decapitated with a garrote. Snyder, who also shot the film, is in a winking mood here — The Cranberries’“Zombie” is featured and Culture Club’s “Do You Really Want to Hurt Me” plays in an elevator after a huge bloody scene. Also look for playful references to Medusa, the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, “Apocalypse Now,” Sodom and Gomorrah, Joseph Campbell and Richard Wagner. Zombie flicks have never felt more intellectual. 131

VIRUS TESTING STRATEGIES, OPINIONS VARY WIDELY IN US SCHOOLS

Children are having their noses swabbed or saliva sampled at school to test for the coronavirus in cities such as Baltimore, New York and Chicago. In other parts of the U.S., school districts are reluctant to check even students showing signs of illness for COVID-19. Education and health officials around the country have taken different approaches to testing students and staff members — and widely varying positions or whether to test them at all as more children give up virtual 165

classrooms for in-person learning. Some states have rejected their share of the billions of dollars the Biden administration made available for conducting virus tests in schools. Officials in districts that have embraced testing describe it as an important tool for making sure schools reopen safely and infections remain under control. They note that the virus might otherwise elude detection since young people with the virus often are asymptomatic and most teachers have been vaccinated. But many school administrators and families, weary of pandemic-related disruptions, see little benefit in screening children, who tend not to become as sick from COVID-19 as adults. Meanwhile, each positive test that turns up at a school can trigger quarantine orders that force students back into learning from home. In Nebraska, Superintendent Bryce Jorgenson said he doubts parents with children in the Southern Valley Public School District would embrace school-based virus tests. His rural, 370-student district eliminated its mandatory mask policy in March. “I can tell you right now, I would say that not just in our district, but in many districts around, there is not an appetite for that at all,” he said of ongoing screening. “I don’t know as a leader, too, if I want to get into testing kids because we don’t test kids for any other virus, really.” Elected officials in Iowa and Idaho made their opinions known by turning down millions in federal aid for voluntary COVID-19 testing in schools. “Here’s your $95 million back,” Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds, a Republican, declared on Fox News 166

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after commenting that in her view, President Joe Biden “thinks that COVID just started.” In Idaho, the state House of Representatives rejected $40.3 million in offered funding. “Schools are not medical facilities, and we shouldn’t want to place that responsibility and liability on our schools,” Republican state Rep. Tammy Nichols said in an email. “That is why we have medical facilities and staff who are licensed, certified and insured to handle those things.” Experts are divided about how worthwhile it is to test for the coronavirus inside schools as more people are vaccinated and confirmed cases decline. Joshua Salomon, a professor of medicine at Stanford University who supports screening students, said the procedure could help curb outbreaks involving more contagious variants. “Basically, it gives you an insurance policy against things we may not be able to anticipate,” Salomon said. “The virus has really kind of caught us off guard in a few instances.” But Dr. Monica Gandhi, a professor of medicine at the University of California, San Francisco, said the nation’s vaccination program makes the tests less useful because immunized individuals are so much less likely to get infected. At the same time, she said, false positives in school settings carry significant consequences when they cause a return to online learning. Screening tests have played a key role in reopening plans for schools in New York City and liberal-leaning states like California and Massachusetts. 169

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Some districts, like Baltimore City Public Schools, use so-called pooled testing methods that combine multiple samples from students in kindergarten to eighth grade; a positive result leads to everyone in the pool being quarantined. The district is using individual saliva-based PCR tests to screen its high school students. “By doing this screening testing, you can actually catch the cases early, and that is really effective at preventing transmission,” Cleo Hirsch, who oversees the testing in Baltimore’s public schools, said. In Chicago, surveillance testing for COVID-19 was part of the district’s reopening agreement with the teachers union. For elementary students who are at least 10, the district tests a percentage at random, focusing on zip codes with the most confirmed COVID-19 cases. The district tests a sampling of high school students citywide. The tests require parental consent. In Massachusetts, which also relies on pooled testing, the collected data indicates a positivity rate within schools of 2 cases for every 1,000 people, said Russell Johnston, a senior associate commissioner at the state’s Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. “That just again gives us enormous confidence in the mitigation strategies that we have available in the schools,” he said. Oregon is beginning to pilot testing of unvaccinated school employees and plans to expand the health surveillance effort to children attending overnight summer camp before deciding how to proceed in the fall. Some school administrators have expressed trepidation about 171

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adding surveillance testing, state epidemiologist Dr. Dean Sidelinger said. “COVID has added 12 new challenges every hour for them on top of everything else they were already burdened with,” Sidelinger said. “So many of them just kind of, I think instinctively, said, ’No, you cannot ask us to do another thing.’” In Minnesota, the 8,500-student Edina Public Schools has quarantined hundreds of close contacts of students with positive results. The district began a “Test The Nest” surveillance program at its high school and middle schools in mid-March in an attempt to identify individuals without symptoms who are carrying the virus, spokeswoman Mary Woitte said. But Nicole Schnell, of the group Edina Parents 4 Progress, opposes the expanded testing, saying a single positive case can lead to massive disruptions. Schnell said her daughters, age 15 and 18, spent two weeks quarantined in the fall and another two weeks in the spring despite testing negative because they were considered close contacts of people who were infected. Her 17-year-old son decided to keep attending classes virtually because he didn’t want to risk a potential exposure that might force him to miss the spring baseball season. “I have seen firsthand effects of keeping kids out of society,” Schnell said, adding that one of her children was diagnosed with depression after being quarantined. “We are not just talking about out of school. We are talking about out of any sport that they play, out of any activity, out of anything outside, out of seeing their friends, because of a potential positive exposure.” 173

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DO I STILL HAVE TO WEAR A MASK? WHAT ABOUT KIDS?

The government’s new guidance on masks for vaccinated people has left some Americans confused and sent businesses and states scrambling to adjust their rules. Target and CVS on Monday became the latest retailers to say vaccinated shoppers and workers don’t have to wear masks in stores. New York said it will adopt the new mask advice this week, while California said it will wait a month. About 123 million Americans — 37% of the population — are fully vaccinated against 175

coronavirus, and more than 157 million, or 47%, have received at least one dose.

WHAT’S THE NEW ADVICE? The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention last week said people who are fully vaccinated no longer need to wear a mask indoors or outdoors and can stop social distancing in most places. Fully vaccinated means two weeks after the second dose of the Pfizer or Moderna COVID-19 vaccine, or two weeks after the onedose Johnson & Johnson shot. “If you are vaccinated, we are saying you are safe, you can take off your mask, and you are not at risk of severe disease or hospitalization from COVID-19,” Dr. Rochelle Walensky, the CDC director, said on “Fox News Sunday.”“If you are not vaccinated, you are not safe. Please go get vaccinated or continue to wear your mask.”

ARE THERE EXCEPTIONS? Yes. The CDC says everyone — vaccinated or unvaccinated — should continue to wear a mask in certain places. Masks are still required on public transportation — buses, trains and planes — and in other settings like hospitals, prisons and homeless shelters. Some states and businesses and stores are dropping their mask rules for fully vaccinated people because of the CDC change, while others are keeping them in place. California is waiting until next month to give the public and businesses time to prepare.

WHY THE CHANGE? The CDC director says there was new science in recent weeks that supported easing the advice 176

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on masks and social distancing. She said there was new evidence that COVID-19 vaccines work in real-world settings, are effective against virus variants and prevent the spread of the virus. In announcing the new advice, she also cited the drop in infections in the U.S., the wide availability of vaccines and the expansion to ages 12 and up for the shots. “I want to be clear that we followed the science here,” she said at a White House briefing.

WHAT ABOUT KIDS? Children who haven’t been vaccinated should still wear masks and keep 6 feet apart. The CDC recommends masks for children age 2 and older in public settings and when with people outside their household. Masks are also advised in schools. That won’t change for the rest of this school year and “we’ll be working on school guidance for the fall,” Walensky said on Fox. Child care and camp guidance will also be updated, she said. She noted that some children may not understand why they have to wear a mask if the rest of the family isn’t. “I think that that’s going to have to be a family by family decision,” she said on NBC’s “Meet the Press.”

CAN I STILL WEAR A MASK ANYWAY? Sure. Even though the guidance has changed, “there’s no need for everybody to start ripping off their masks,” Walensky said on NBC. “Those behaviors are going to be really hard to change, and there is no mandate to take it off,” she said. “What we’re saying is, now this is safe.”

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WHO’S GOING TO BE CHECKING? In general, there’s no system yet for checking vaccination records of those not wearing masks. Schools, businesses and other places may require proof of vaccination. The federal government has no plans for a “vaccine passport.” “What we are really asking the American people to do is to be honest with themselves and to not remove their masks until they are safe,” Walensky said on Fox.

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US SPACE FORCE MISSILE-WARNING SATELLITE ROCKETS INTO ORBIT

A $1 billion missile-warning satellite for the U.S. Space Force rocketed toward orbit Tuesday. It was the fifth in this series of space-based infrared system satellites. These advanced national security spacecraft are meant to replace the long-time Defense Support Program constellation of surveillance satellites. United Launch Alliance sent the Atlas V rocket skyward from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. “Bird away,” ULA President Tory Bruno announced via Twitter. The flight was delayed a day by a bad temperature sensor in ground equipment. Lockheed Martin won a $1.86 billion contract for this satellite and the next one, due to launch next year. They’re intended for an orbit 22,300 miles (36,000 kilometers) high. 183

EU TAKES BIG STEP TOWARD RELAXING TRAVEL FOR VACCINATED

The European Union took a step toward relaxing travel rules for tourists from outside the 27-nation bloc this week when EU ambassadors agreed on measures to allow in fully vaccinated visitors. The ambassadors also agreed to ease the criteria needed for nations to be considered COVID-19 safe and from which all tourists can travel, depending on their coronavirus and vaccination status. Under the existing criteria, the list includes only seven nations. 184

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THE OFF-SEASON

j. CoLe

ADVICE - THE 3RD MINI ALBUM

TaemiN

WHERE HAVE YOU GONE

aLaN jaCksoN

DELTA KREAM

The BLaCk keys

BEAM ME UP SCOTTY

NiCki miNaj

CALEB KENNEDY

CaLeB keNNeDy

THE MARFA TAPES

jaCk iNgram, miraNDa LamBerT & joN raNDaLL

OLD CHURCH BASEMENT

eLevaTioN WorshiP & maveriCk CiTy musiC

GREATEST HITS

fLeeTWooD maC

STARTING OVER

Chris sTaPLeToN

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BEHIND BLAKE SHELTON’S ALBUM BODY...

BLake sheLToN

INVISIBLE

DuraN DuraN

I WOULD’VE LOVED YOU (FEAT. KELLY CLARKSON)

jake hooT

JIREH (FEAT. CHANDLER MOORE & NAOMI RAINE)

eLevaTioN WorshiP & maveriCk CiTy musiC

ELETRIC

kaTy Perry

WAIT ON YOU (FEAT. DANTE BOWE & CHANDLER MOORE)

eLevaTioN WorshiP & maveriCk CiTy musiC

NEXT LEVEL aesPa

MEMORIZE YOU

LaiNe harDy

EUPHORIA

aNgeLs & airWaves

THE BLESSING (LIVE FROM ELEVATION CHURCH BALLANTYNE...

kari joBe, CoDy CarNes, & eLevaTioN WorshiP

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50 SHADES OF SHOUHED

shahs of suNseT, seasoN 9

SEASON OF CHANGE

keePiNg uP WiTh The karDashiaNs, seasoN 20

BURYING THE PAST

The hiLLs: NeW BegiNNiNgs, seasoN 2

TAKE ME TO CHURCH

Pose, seasoN 3

FIGHT THE POWER

aLL ameriCaN, seasoN 3

BURNING UP

The reaL houseWives of NeW york CiTy, seasoN 13

DAMAGE CONTROL

90 Day fiaNCe: haPPiLy ever afTer?, seasoN 6

LET’S BE HEALTHY AND GET DRUNK

siesTa key, seasoN 4

EPISODE 1

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HOUSE OF HORRORS

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THE LAST THING HE TOLD ME

Laura Dave

COTTAGE BY THE SEA

DeBBie maComBer

TO SELENA, WITH LOVE

Chris Perez

ZERO FAIL

CaroL LeoNNig

HOSTILE TAKEOVER

LuCy LeNNox

LOCAL WOMAN MISSING

mary kuBiCa

THE SOULMATE EQUATION

ChrisTiNa LaureN

THAT SUMMER

jeNNifer WeiNer

SHIELDING DEVYN

susaN sToker

PIECES OF HER

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STELLANTIS, FOXCONN TEAM UP TO MAKE CARS MORE CONNECTED

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Carmaker Stellantis and Taiwan’s Foxconn announced plans to develop a jointly operated automotive supplier focusing on technology to make vehicles more connected, including artificial intelligence-based applications and 5-G communications. Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares said the services that will be developed through the tie-up “will mark the next great evolution of our industry,” alongside fully electrified and hybrid powertrains. The deal brings together Stellantis, the world’s 4th-largest automaker formed this year by the merger of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles and PSA Peugeot, and Foxconn, a major supplier of iPhones. The companies said the venture would focus on such services as infotainment, the integration of telecommunications and computer systems, artificial intelligence-based applications, 5G communications, e-commerce channels and smart cockpit integration. The companies announced a non-binding memorandum of understanding to form a 5050 joint venture called Mobile Drive, which will be based in the Netherlands and function as an automotive supplier also to other carmakers. The new venture will combine advanced consumer electronics, Human-Machine Interfaces (HMI) to create new services “that will exceed customer expectations,” the companies said in a release. “Customers today and, in the future, demand and expect ever-increasing software-driven and creative solutions to connect the drivers and passengers with the vehicle inside and out,” Foxconn Chairman Young Liu. 163

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VIRUS TESTING STRATEGIES, OPINIONS VARY WIDELY IN US SCHOOLS

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DO I STILL HAVE TO WEAR A MASK? WHAT ABOUT KIDS?

coronavirus, and more than 157 million, or 47%, have received at least one dose.

WHY THE CHANGE? The CDC director says there was new science in recent weeks that supported easing the advice 176

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US SPACE FORCE MISSILE-WARNING SATELLITE ROCKETS INTO ORBIT

EU TAKES BIG STEP TOWARD RELAXING TRAVEL FOR VACCINATED

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The EU imposed restrictions on nonessential travel last year to slow the spread of the coronavirus. The bloc’s ambassadors say many of those restrictions should be eased, including to permit vacation travel by non-EU residents. The European Council made up of EU nations, “will now recommend that member states ease some of the current restrictions” for those who have been vaccinated, European Commission spokesperson Christian Wigand said. He didn’t

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give a precise date for when the borders will reopen since EU countries have yet to formally approve the measures. “The council should also soon expand the list of non-EU countries with a good epidemiological situation from where travel is permitted,” said Wigand. The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control is to give advice on the list. The European Commission the EU’s executive arm, proposed easing the rules for entering 188

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the bloc, saying entry should be granted to individuals fully vaccinated with EU-authorized shots. Coronavirus vaccines authorized by the European Medicines Agency, the bloc’s drug regulator, include the ones made by Pfizer, Moderna, AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson. The executive commission also proposed permitting EU member nations to decide individually whether to allow in travelers immunized with vaccines approved by the World Health Organization for emergency use, which include the Chinese Sinopharm vaccine. Wigand said ambassadors also agreed on an “emergency brake” mechanism designed to stop dangerous virus variants from entering EU nations through quickly enacted travel limits if the infection situation deteriorates in a non-EU country. Once the non-binding measures are approved, EU countries will keep the possibility to impose restrictive measures on tourists such as PCR tests or quarantines. EU nations have been struggling throughout the pandemic to prop up their vital tourism industries and hope to recover some income over the peak summer season. Greece, which is heavily reliant on tourism, has already lifted quarantine restrictions for the U.S., Britain, Israel, and other non-EU countries as negotiations between governments and EU lawmakers to introduce COVID-19 certificates aimed at facilitating travel across the region this summer continue. A deal is required by end of the month to ensure the system will be up and running by the end of June.

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RUSSIA WON’T BLOCK TWITTER, BUT PARTIAL SLOWDOWN TO CONTINUE Russian authorities backed away from threats to block Twitter, saying that the social media platform deleted most of the banned content identified by Moscow and expressed “readiness and interest in building a constructive dialogue.” Russia’s state communications watchdog Roskomnadzor said it decided not to block Twitter in light of these developments, an announcement that seemingly ends the most recent standoff between the Russian government and the platform that has played a role in amplifying dissent in Russia. Two months ago, Roskomnadzor accused Twitter of failing to remove content encouraging suicide among children, as well as information about drugs and child pornography. The agency announced on March 10 it was slowing down the speed of uploading photos and videos to the platform, both on desktops and mobile devices, and less then a week later threatened to block it if it continues to not comply with the demands. 193

In response to the accusations, Twitter has emphasized its policy of zero tolerance for child sexual exploitation, the promotion of suicide and drug sales. Roskomnadzor said in an online statement that Twitter has taken down 91% of prohibited content, with only 563 posts containing child pornography, information about drugs and suicide, calls for minors to take part in protests and extremist materials out of roughly 5,900 remaining available. Since the platform “confirmed that it fully shares the agency’s endeavors to combat socially dangerous content and will take all necessary measures to remove it,” and “expressed its readiness and interest in building a constructive dialogue,” Roskomnadzor said it decided not to block it. But it will continue to slow Twitter down on mobile devices until all of the banned content is removed and the platform starts taking down prohibited content within 24 hours of being notified in accordance with the Russian laws. “The agency appreciates the efforts of Twitter to comply with the requirements of Russian laws,” Roskomnadzor said. Twitter said in a statement this week it welcomed Russia’s decision not to block it. “Access to a free and open Internet is an essential right for all citizens, which also protects free expression and promotes fair competition,” the statement said. “We remain deeply committed to offering a safe service to account holders around the world — including those in Russia. As part of this endeavor, we will 194

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continue to engage in constructive dialogue with Roskomnadzor into the future.” According to Twitter, it has removed or restricted access to all content that Roskomnadzor flagged up and that falls under the platform’s existing policies. Russian authorities criticized social media platforms earlier this year for bringing tens of thousands of people into the streets across the country in January to demand the release of jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny, who is President Vladimir Putin’s most well-known critic. The wave of demonstrations was the largest in years and posed a major challenge to the Kremlin. The authorities alleged that social media platforms failed to remove calls for children to join the protests. Putin has urged police to act more to monitor social media platforms and to track down those who draw children into “illegal and unsanctioned street actions.” The Russian government’s efforts to tighten control of the internet and social media date back to 2012, when a law allowing authorities to blacklist and block certain online content was adopted. Since then, a growing number of restrictions targeting messaging apps, websites and social media platforms have been introduced in Russia. The government has repeatedly aired threats to block Facebook and Twitter, but stopped short of outright bans — probably fearing the move would elicit too much public outrage. Only the social network LinkedIn, which wasn’t very popular in Russia, has been banned by authorities for the failure to store its user data in Russia. 196

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