'Superman' Director Teases Margot Robbie's Return as Harley Quinn

'Superman' Director Teases Margot Robbie's Return as Harley Quinn

'Superman' Director Teases Margot Robbie's Return as Harley Quinnoriginally appeared onParade. As most critics and fans are quick to point out, the DC Extended Universe had many obvious issues from the very get-go. But one thing even the harshest detractors could agree that the seriesdidget right was the casting of Margot Robbie as the giggling Gotham City supervillain, Harley Quinn. The demented on-again, off-again girlfriend of Jared Leto's The Joker, Robbie's version of Quinn appeared a total of three times throughout the DCEU's ten-year existence, playing prominent roles inSuicide Squad, Birds of Preyand 2021'sThe Suicide Squad. Earning universally positive acclaim from viewers, Robbie wound up being something of a breakout character in DC's film series, with many fervently hoping the actress will reprise the role under James Gunn's rebooted DC Universe. Interestingly, in a recent interview withEntertainment Weekly, theSupermandirector didn't formally deny the possibility for Robbie's return as the former Dr. Harleen Quinzel. When asked if there was a chance Robbie's Harley Quinn could pop up in a future DCU project, Gunn enigmatically responded, "That will be revealed down the line." While technically a part of the original DCEU continuity, certain characters have since found their way into Gunn's newer DC Universe. After making his debut in 2021'sThe Suicide Squad, John Cena's Peacekeeper, for example, has formed a key aspect of the rebranded DCU, starring in his own HBO Max spinoff series and even making a cameo in Gunn'sSuperman. At the same time, Gunn has also discussed the potential to bring in other familiar faces from the DCEU, including Idris Elba's charismatic professional assassin, Bloodsport, fromThe Suicide Squad. "I definitely am always looking for a place to put Bloodsport and figuring that out," Gunn toldEW. "So we'll see what happens." In the past, the 35-year-old Robbie has expressed uncertainty about whether Harley Quinn could once again appear on screen. "I don't know when we're next going to see her," Robbie previously toldEntertainment Weekly. "I'm just as intrigued as everyone else is." 'Superman' Director Teases Margot Robbie's Return as Harley Quinnfirst appeared on Parade on Aug 14, 2025 This story was originally reported byParadeon Aug 14, 2025, where it first appeared.

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August 14, 2025

'Superman' Director Teases Margot Robbie's Return as Harley Quinn

'Superman' Director Teases Margot Robbie's Return as Harley Quinn 'Superman' Director Teases Margot Robbie's Return ...

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Taylor Swift's 'Life of a Showgirl' showcases new era with provocative album art

Taylor Swift's 'Life of a Showgirl' showcases new era with provocative album art

Taylor Swift's latest era? Reclaiming her body. The pop superstar released on Aug. 13 the album cover for her12th studio album, "The Life of a Showgirl,"out Oct. 3, that is expected to explore her decadeslong – and sometimes fraught – relationship with fame. The coverandalbum rolloutillustrate Swift's metamorphosis as one of the music industry's most powerful people. Once careful when exposing her fans to explicit parts of adult life, the 35-year-old now embraces more risqué thematic exploration. The album's cover art features the "Cruel Summer" hitmaker sinking into water as her body is shown in a revealing burlesque-inspired outfit and alluring pose, while other cover images showcase the songstress exposing her navel and bare skin. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Taylor Swift (@taylorswift) Taylor Swiftgushes over whirlwindTravis Kelce romance on 'New Heights' podcast In one buzzy photo from her album art, Swiftis biting her fingerin a leaned back position as she gazes into the camera, wearing diamond-encrusted burlesque beads that expose parts of her chest and midriff. In another shot wearing the same outfit, she poses with one leg up and both arms out as the photo shows part of her backside. Swift unveiled details about "Showgirl"during an appearance on the "New Heights" podcastcohosted by her NFL boyfriendTravis Kelceand his brother, retired Philadelphia Eagles starJason Kelce. Swift hails from the relatively conservative world of country music and later transitioned to pop stardom – but she never chose to play by the same rules as her genre counterparts. She's often rejected the standards many female pop stars face, especially when it comes to nudity. Swift shared that she didn't like exposing herselfin a 2014 cover story for Lucky magazine. "I don't like showing my belly button. When you start showing your belly button then you're really committing to the midriff thing,"Swift told Lucky. "I only partially commit to the midriff thing – you're only seeing lower rib cage." All 4 of Taylor Swift's 'Life of aShowgirl' covers sell out. Vote for your favorite. "I don't want people to know if I have one or not. I want that to be a mystery," sheadded, telling Lucky that"as far as anyone knows based on my public appearances, they haven't seen evidence of a belly button." And, like many women, Swift has been vocal about the pressure to conform to beauty standards. In her 2020 Netflix documentary"Miss Americana,"Swift detailed her struggles with body image and an eating disorder: "There's always some standard of beauty that you're not meeting because if you're thin enough then you don't have that '(butt)' that everyone wants. "But if you have enough weight on you to have (a butt), then your stomach isn't flat enough," Swift continued. Showing her body on her own terms is important to Swift. In 2016, Swift foeYe(formerly known asKanye West) released a music video for his song "Famous" that featured a nude replica of the music superstar. In the song's lyrics, Ye raps that "I feel like me and Taylor might still have sex" and says that he "made" her "famous." She's alsoexperienced AI deepfakescirculating sexually explicit images of herself without her consent. Criticism surrounding Swift's appearance has even come from the White House. Earlier this year,President Donald Trumptook aimat the pop star on right-leaning social platformTruth Socialby asking his followers: "Has anyone noticed that, since I said 'I HATE TAYLOR SWIFT,' she's no longer 'HOT?'" Swift has already forayed into the glitzy world of burlesque, known for its showgirls. According toMerriam-Webster, a showgirl is defined as a chorus girl in a musical comedy or nightclub show. Therole of a showgirlis commonly associated with Las Vegas performers, who, unlike traditional dancers, were known more for their flamboyant costumes than choreography. 'Bejeweled' Dita Von Teese makeswhole place shimmer in Las Vegas residency Swiftfeatured famed burlesque dancerDita Von Teese, known as the "Queen of Burlesque, in her"Bejeweled" music videoin 2022 following the release of her 10th studio album "Midnights."Von Teese told USA TODAY in March that "(Swift's) assistant called and started talking to me about this project, and then Taylor suddenly got on. It was really an amazing conversation. She knew everything about what I'd done." Thebehind-the-scenes videoof the "Bejeweled" set was played at each of theEras Tourstops before Swift took the stage, bringing the art of burlesque to Swifties. On the Eras Tour and throughout her career, Swift has covered up in semi-conservative dress like bodysuits and tights to cover bare areas. Swift most recently explored girlhood and nostalgia with her record-breaking Eras Tour that ended in December and spanned each of her albums. Then, in May,she reclaimed total ownership of her music catalogor "masters." Now, as fall nears, Swift is reclaiming ownership over her body from the public. No surprise for a superstar that has always known when – and what – to show. Contributing: Anthony Robledo, USA TODAY; Bryan West, The Nashville Tennessean This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Taylor Swift embraces sex appeal on album art

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August 14, 2025

Taylor Swift's 'Life of a Showgirl' showcases new era with provocative album art

Taylor Swift's 'Life of a Showgirl' showcases new era with provocative album art Taylor Swift's latest era? Reclaiming her b...

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Nearly 100 Never-Before-Heard John Lennon & Yoko Ono Songs Just Revealed From Their Historic Time in NYC

Nearly 100 Never-Before-Heard John Lennon & Yoko Ono Songs Just Revealed From Their Historic Time in NYC

Nearly 100 Never-Before-Heard John Lennon & Yoko Ono Songs Just Revealed From Their Historic Time in NYCoriginally appeared onParade. After theBeatleswent their separate ways,John LennonandYoko Onoembraced non-violent activism in the name of peace. In the early part of the '70s, John and Yoko traded the British countryside for Greenwich Village, using New York City as the backdrop for their political messages, culminating in the One To One concerts at New York City's Madison Square Garden. These years were a transformative time for both John and Yoko. NYC offered them a fresh start, with Lennon embracing an artistic break fromhis "Fab Four" pastand Yoko continuing her ascent as an avant-garde artistic force. These years gave us the Plastic Ono Band andImagine, but a new collection dives deeper into John and Yoko's creativity and perspective. Power To The People (Super Deluxe Edition)is a 12-disc collection that includes 90 never-before-heard and previously unreleased tracks. The set consists of a new remixed version of 1972'sSometime In New York Cityand that year's One To One concerts—John's only full-length concerts after leaving the Beatles, and the last concerts that John and Yoko ever played together. TheSuper Deluxe Editioncontains 9 CDs and 3 Blu-Ray audio discs, including remixed "Afternoon" and "Evening" performances of the One To One Concerts. TheSuper Deluxe Editionwill include a "Hybrid" disc, a best-of both shows; a remixed version ofSometime In New York Cityalbum; an "Evolution Documentary," a "track-by-track audio montage by Sam Gannon that details the evolution of each song from demo to master recording via demos, rehearsals, outtakes, multitrack exploration, and studio conversations"; and four discs of never-before-released home recordings and jam sessions. John and Yoko's son,Sean Ono Lennon, produced the set along with a Grammy Award-winning audio team. "I was completely floored putting this collection together and getting to remix the concerts and hearing all the unreleased material from my parents' archive for the first time," said Sean in a press release. "People may not realize how special it is for me to hear my dad talking or to see him. I grew up with a set number of images and audio clips that everyone's familiar with. So to come across things that I've never seen or heard is really deep for me, because it's almost like getting more time with my dad." The set arrives on Oct. 10 via Capitol/UMe. In addition to theSuper Deluxe Edition, the full One To One Concerts will be available in a 4LP/2CD format, or you can get the "Hybrid" concert on 2LP/1CD.Preorder here. And yes, it includes the song thatFrank Zappaaccused John and Yoko of stealing. Related: Controversial Rock Icon Once Accused a Beatle of Stealing His Song Nearly 100 Never-Before-Heard John Lennon & Yoko Ono Songs Just Revealed From Their Historic Time in NYCfirst appeared on Parade on Aug 14, 2025 This story was originally reported byParadeon Aug 14, 2025, where it first appeared.

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August 14, 2025

Nearly 100 Never-Before-Heard John Lennon & Yoko Ono Songs Just Revealed From Their Historic Time in NYC

Nearly 100 Never-Before-Heard John Lennon & Yoko Ono Songs Just Revealed From Their Historic Time in NYC Nearly 100 Never-Before-Heard J...

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Florida to open second immigration detention facility, 'Deportation Depot'

Florida to open second immigration detention facility, 'Deportation Depot'

Florida will open a second immigration detention, processing and deportation facility, dubbed "Deportation Depot" by Gov.Ron DeSantis, in about two weeks. The new site, at the Baker Correctional Institution near Lake City in the northeast part of the state, will house more than 1,300 people, the governor and other state officials announced at an Aug. 14 news conference. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents will use the nearby Lake City Gateway Airport to transport immigrants. "This is a priority for the people of our state; it's a priority for the people of this country," DeSantis said. The state had intended to use the Florida National Guard's nearby Camp Blanding as its second immigrant detention facility, but DeSantis said the Baker Correctional Institution would be more economical, costing about $6 million to get it "up and running." The facility was originally closed because ofa staffing shortage within the Florida Department of Corrections, but DeSantis said the Florida National Guard will staff the center. (Baker Correctional Institution is not the same as the Baker County Detention Center, which is already an ICE detention facility.) DeSantis said using Baker Correctional Institution, or Baker CI, would require "a lot less standing up than we would do at Blanding and far less than we had to do at Alligator Alcatraz." The state has poured money into the site in the Everglades, formally known as the South Florida Detention Facility, which opened July 1. Less than a month in, state contracts showed the facilitycost more than $250 millionto set up and it is expected to cost$450 million per year. DeSantis has said the federal government will reimburse the state for its immigration enforcement. Kevin Guthrie, head of the Florida Division of Emergency Management, said the agency has been working with the feds for the past three months to receive a $605 million grant. The feds have also recently infused $170 billion for immigration and border-related activities for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security in what's known as the Trump administration's "One Big Beautiful Bill," a massive tax and spending law. More:Big Beautiful Bill 101: What you need to know about the new law State Immigration Enforcement Council Director Larry Keefe criticized the "weaponized judiciary with the leftist lawyers" and the media "distorting facts" for "peripheral flank attacks," saying they're trying to obstruct the state's immigration detention efforts. Friends of the Everglades, a conservation group, and the Miccosukee Tribe of Indians of Florida are suing the state, alleging the detention facility in Big Cypress National Preserve "poses serious threats to the sensitive Everglades ecosystem, endangered species, clean water and dark night skies." U.S. District Judge Kathleen M. Williams issued a temporary restraining orderto halt any further constructionof the South Florida Detention Facility and said she will issue a decision before the order expires on Aug. 21. Florida officials have said that once capacity at the South Florida Detention Facility was reached, they would look at opening another facility at Camp Blanding, a training center for the Florida National Guard in Clay County. Currently, there are 1,000 people detained at the South Florida Detention Facility, and there's capacity to hold 2,000. DeSantis said the federal government is "ramping up" removal flights from the South Florida facility. While the state operates the facility,the removalof undocumented immigrants is under federal jurisdiction. But DeSantis also said opening the South Florida Detention Facility has caused an increase of immigrants taking the state's"Voluntary Departure"option. The program is a collaboration between U.S. Customs and Border Patrol and the state, where Florida buys commercial flights for migrants as an alternative to detention. The state has not disclosed whether taxpayer dollars are being used to buy the tickets, how many tickets have been bought so far this year and to which countries these flights were headed to. Ana Goñi-Lessan, state watchdog reporter for the USA TODAY Network – Florida, can be reached atagonilessan@gannett.com. This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat:Florida to open second immigration detention facility

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August 14, 2025

Florida to open second immigration detention facility, 'Deportation Depot'

Florida to open second immigration detention facility, 'Deportation Depot' Florida will open a second immigration detention, process...

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National Guard troops have begun 24-hour operations in DC: Official

National Guard troops have begun 24-hour operations in DC: Official

National Guard troops have begun 24-hour operations around Washington, D.C., as of Thursday morning, according to a Department of Defense official. It's part of President Donald Trump'splan to address crime in Washingtonby taking over the city's police department and deploying the National Guard troops. Thursday's National Guard presence in Washington included one small unit deployed to both Union Station and the National Mall early in the morning, according to a spokesperson for joint task force behind the operation. The idea is that residents and tourists would awake Thursday morning to the sight of military presence, according to a person familiar with the effort. MORE: Trump to seek 'long-term' extension of federal control of DC police Earlier this week, some National Guard troops patrolled along the National Mall -- a relatively safe and quiet stretch of Washington known for museums, monuments and hot dog vendors serving tourists. Guard members on patrol are not carrying weapons as of now, and they will not have the weapons in their vehicles, according to two defense officials. A White House official told ABC News that overnight Wednesday into Thursday, the multi-agency federal task force made 45 arrests -- 29 of which were immigration-related arrests. Law enforcement teams arrested people on a variety of charges including first and second degree assault, controlled substance possession and distribution, and carrying a concealed weapon, the White House official said. FBI Director Kash Patel posted on Xthat overnight Wednesday into Thursday, the FBI and law enforcement partners in Washington contributed to the 45 arrests with 16 arrests "tied to the violent crime surge" and seized three firearms. "Your FBI will make DC Safe Again," Patel wrote. Law enforcement agents conducted a traffic safety compliance checkpoint on busy 14th Street in Northwest Washington Wednesday night, which led to one arrest. A group of protesters spoke out against the checkpoint, shouting at the law enforcement officers, according tovideo from Washington's ABC station, WJLA. Armyofficials said their mission was to aid law enforcement with logistics support, transportation and administration duties, as well as being visible around the Mall. "That's part of our assignment -- to go to the national monuments and be present," Col. Dave Butler, an Army spokesperson, told ABC News on Tuesday. MORE: National Guard troops told to maintain presence near National Mall as part of Trump's anti-crime mission Trump announced Monday that he planned to mobilize 800 National Guard troops to address what he considered "out of control" crime in the city, as well as taking over control of the Metropolitan Police Department. Trump has made claims about rampant violent crime in Washington, whichD.C. police statisticsshow is actually decreasing.Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser said the cityhas spent the last two years driving down violent crime -- "driving it down to a 30 year low, in fact," she told MSNBC on Sunday. "It is true that we had a terrible spike in crime in 2023, but this is not 2023, this is 2025 and we've done that by working with the community, working with the police, working with our prosecutors, and, in fact, working with the federal government," Bowser told MSNBC. Defense officials said the joint task force, led by Army Col. Larry Doane, will run the operation. The task force includes 800 activated National Guard members, defense officials said. The troops will work in shifts of 100 to 200 troops at a time, and some of them will be assigned to administrative or logistical roles in support of local law enforcement. Pentagon Press Secretary Kingsley Wilson on Thursday said the 800 National Guard troops will remain "until law and order has been restored." "They will remain until law and order has been restored in the District as determined by the president, standing as the gatekeepers of our great nation's capital," she said. The task force overseeing the activated Guard troops will operate similarly to how the D.C. Guard has handled inaugurations or responding to crises, as it did during the Jan. 6 riots. The National Park Service will play a considerable role because of its oversight of the National Mall, officials said. ABC News' Michelle Stoddart, Kelsey Walsh and Lalee Ibssa contributed to this report.

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August 14, 2025

National Guard troops have begun 24-hour operations in DC: Official

National Guard troops have begun 24-hour operations in DC: Official National Guard troops have begun 24-hour operations around Washington, D...

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Judge strikes down Trump administration guidance against diversity programs at schools and colleges

Judge strikes down Trump administration guidance against diversity programs at schools and colleges

WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal judge on Thursday struck down two Trump administration actions aimed at eliminatingdiversity, equity and inclusionprograms at the nation's schools and universities. In her ruling, U.S. District Judge Stephanie Gallagher in Maryland found that the Education Department violated the law when it threatened to cut federal funding from educational institutions that continued with DEI initiatives. The guidance has been on hold since April when three federal judgesblocked various portionsof the Education Department's anti-DEI measures. The ruling Thursday followed a motion for summary judgment from the American Federation of Teachers and the American Sociological Association, whichchallengedthe government's actions in a February lawsuit. The case centers on two Education Department memos ordering schools and universities to end all "race-based decision-making" or face penalties up to a totalloss of federal funding. It's part of a campaign to end practices the Trump administration frames as discrimination against white and Asian American students. The new ruling orders the department to scrap the guidance because it runs afoul of procedural requirements, though Gallagher wrote that she took no view on whether the policies were "good or bad, prudent or foolish, fair or unfair." Gallagher, who was appointed by PresidentDonald Trump, rejected the government's argument that the memos simply served to remind schools that discrimination is illegal. "It initiated a sea change in how the Department of Education regulates educational practices and classroom conduct, causing millions of educators to reasonably fear that their lawful, and even beneficial, speech might cause them or their schools to be punished," Gallagher wrote. Democracy Forward, a legal advocacy firm representing the plaintiffs, called it an important victory over the administration's attack on DEI. "Threatening teachers and sowing chaos in schools throughout America is part of the administration's war on education, and today the people won," said Skye Perryman, the group's president and CEO. The Education Department did not immediately comment on Thursday. The conflict started with aFeb. 14 memodeclaring that any consideration of race in admissions, financial aid, hiring or other aspects of academic and student life would be considered a violation of federal civil rights law. The memo dramatically expanded the government's interpretation of a 2023Supreme Court decisionbarring colleges from considering race in admissions decisions. The government argued the ruling applied not only to admissions but across all of education, forbidding "race-based preferences" of any kind. "Educational institutions have toxically indoctrinated students with the false premise that the United States is built upon 'systemic and structural racism' and advanced discriminatory policies and practices," wrote Craig Trainor, the acting assistant secretary of the department's Office for Civil Rights. A further memo in April asked state education agencies tocertifythey were not using "illegal DEI practices." Violators risked losing federal money and being prosecuted under the False Claims Act, it said. In total, the guidance amounted to a full-scale reframing of the government's approach to civil rights in education. It took aim at policies that were created to address longstanding racial disparities, saying those practices were their own form of discrimination. The memos drew a wave ofbacklashfrom states and education groups that called it illegal government censorship. In its lawsuit, the American Federation of Teachers said the government was imposing "unclear and highly subjective" limits on schools across the country. It said teachers and professors had to "choose between chilling their constitutionally protected speech and association or risk losing federal funds and being subject to prosecution." ___ The Associated Press' education coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP'sstandardsfor working with philanthropies, alistof supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.

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August 14, 2025

Judge strikes down Trump administration guidance against diversity programs at schools and colleges

Judge strikes down Trump administration guidance against diversity programs at schools and colleges WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal judge on Thu...

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