Hollywood is ramping up its efforts to feature the environment and climate change storylines in its TV movie productions, with a host of recent and upcoming titles being released this year addressing global warming, pollution, and other issues, according to a new report. Among the most prominent titles are HBO’s Years and Years, starring Emma Thompson, and Apple’s upcoming Losing Earth, based on the New York Times Magazine article about climate change. Variety reported that Hollywood is wrestling with the way it portrays climate change as the industry takes a more activist role. “How can we exist on a planet and oversee its destruction — a destruction that threatens our very existence…

Convicted rapist and Hollywood director Roman Polanski says he feels that he is being “harassed” in the #MeToo era and that the constant accusations of sex abuse against him are “absurd.” Polanski, who pleaded guilty to drugging and then raping a teen and who fled to France before his sentencing back in 1977, has also been accused by other women since he fled the country — especially in the rise of the #MeToo movement. Indeed, he was only just last year expelled from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in the wake of #MeToo avtivism. The 86-year-old director gave an interview upon the release of his latest film,…

This article is part of a special report called Aviation’s Climate Challenge. Every day, millions of people take hybrid cars, zero-emission trains, even bicycles to an airport — only to board planes burning tons of fossil fuels. Commercial flights now account for 2.5 percent of global carbon dioxide emissions. The Air Transit Action Group (ATAG), an industry lobby, claims commercial aircraft coughed out 859 million tons of CO2 in 2017, out of about 40 billion tons emitted globally. Air travel’s slice of global carbon emissions is expected to rise through 2050, as sectors like energy make faster transitions to greener technology. Meanwhile, demand for flights has never been higher. “Demand…

This year’s French Grand Prix at Circuit Paul Ricard will celebrate the track’s 50 years and the sport’s 70th anniversary with a special “F1 Revival” event that will exhibit a plethora of historic F1 cars. A dedicated revival paddock housing part of Grand Prix racing’s heritage from the past seven decades will be open to the public, while 40 cars from the past will take to the track during the race weekend. Slavica Ecclestone entertaining bids for Paul Ricard track The historic field’s demo laps will be divided into two categories based on their design and engines, with one group dedicated to single-seaters from the 1950s to 1980s and a…

LONDON — Boris Johnson agrees Donald Trump is undiplomatic but “can’t dissent” with the U.S. president’s damning verdict on Theresa May’s handling of Brexit. Speaking to POLITICO London Playbook as news broke on Wednesday that U.K. Ambassador Kim Darroch had resigned over his leaked cables on Trump, the man set to be Britain’s next prime minister refused to echo much of the U.K. establishment’s indignation at the president’s leadership style. The front-runner for the Conservative Party leadership spoke approvingly of Trump’s tweets about outgoing Prime Minister May’s “foolish” approach to Brexit. “I can’t dissent from that,” he said with a chuckle, when told that Trump had called her deal a…

Germany’s Ursula von der Leyen has been largely silent since being nominated for the European Commission presidency on Tuesday, besides a quick “hallo, hello, salut” on Wednesday afternoon. Yet the longest-serving member of Chancellor Angela Merkel’s Cabinet — she led the family ministry and the social affairs ministry before becoming defense minister in 2013 — has given plenty of interviews over the years. Here’s the European Council nominee for Commission president in her own words on subjects ranging from foreign policy to gender equality. European integration One quote in particular has been making the rounds since von der Leyen’s name started floating as an option at the Council summit this week: “My…

WASHINGTON — Ursula von der Leyen has called Donald Trump’s discussions of NATO “immature,” questioned why he wants to be a “best buddy” with Russia’s Vladimir Putin and even suggested the president is uncomfortable with strong female leaders. Now she’ll be his main counterpart in the European Union. On Tuesday, von der Leyen became the European Commission’s next president, narrowly winning election in the European Parliament. The new role for von der Leyen, who headed Germany’s defense ministry for six years before she resigned on Wednesday, will put her at the forefront of negotiations with the U.S. over trade, technology and other major issues. But while von der Leyen has…

Denny Hamlin won the Daytona 500 for the second year in a row Monday, but everybody’s thoughts after the race immediately turned to the condition of Ryan Newman, who was involved in a scary crash as the field crossed the finish line to end the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series season-opener. As the field approached the finish, Hamlin was pushing Ryan Blaney, who made contact with Newman’s rear bumper. Newman spun into the outside wall and flipped upside down before he was hit by another car coming at full speed. Newman was removed from his car and taken to nearby Halifax Health Medical Center after the race. Ryan Newman updates 10:04 p.m. ET –…

Need a little break from the NBA regular season? Don’t worry. The 2020 All-Star Game is here for your entertainment. All-Star captains LeBron James and Giannis Antetokounmpo know their teammates after making picks as part of last week’s “NBA All-Star Draft Show.” Last year, Team LeBron defeated Team Giannis at Spectrum Center in Charlotte, N.C., so Antetokounmpo will be looking for revenge when the All-Star squads meet at the United Center in Chicago. Here is everything you need to know about the 2020 NBA All-Star Game, including the start time, TV channel and an explanation of the new format. MORE: Appreciating greatness in this year’s All-Stars What channel is the NBA All-Star Game on today?…

Sometimes it takes a guest designer to show the home brigade ‘how it’s done.’ Tommy Hilfger on Monday raised the stakes for British catwalk designers, with a tour de force of models and familiar faces spanning age, race, size and gender diversity. Naomi Campbell opened the show, which was held at London’s Tate Modern, wearing not her usual ensemble of high octane glamour, but a yellow and grey reflective tracksuit. Campbell was the first of a glorious casting that featured a plethora of 90s fashion heroines, including Jodie Kidd, Erin O’Connor, Karen Elson and Yasmin Le Bon. A mix of supermodels past, present and future, which also saw Luka Sabbat,…