'Once Upon A Time in Hollywood,' 9/11 first responders bill, Pelosi and Ocasio-Cortez meet: 5 things to know Friday
Trump to sign 9/11 first responders bill at White House
President Donald Trump is set to sign a bill at the White House on Friday that compensates 9/11 first responders who suffered illnesses, injuries and other medical problems as a result of their service. The measure supplies money for a compensation fund for firefighters, police officers and other emergency personnel who worked on the scene in New York City in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. The bill passed the Senate earlier this week by a margin of 97-2, despite attempts by Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., and Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, to offset the costs and add amendments. Trump will sign it into law during a ceremony with dozens of first responders, but one high-profile advocate won’t be there. Comedian and longtime first-responder activist Jon Stewart will reportedly be on vacation.
After weeks of tension, Pelosi and Ocasio-Cortez are set to meet
After weeks of public friction, high-profile Democrats House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (California) and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (New York) are scheduled to meet face-to-face Friday in Washington, DC. Pelosi said she's "looking forward" to the meeting and Ocasio-Cortez added it is "nothing too climactic." Signs of tension between the two have arisen since Ocasio-Cortez's arrival in January, but they appeared to boil over after Ocasio-Cortez and three other first-year congresswomen from the party's progressive wing known as the "Squad" were the only Democrats to vote against a version of a border funding bill that Pelosi promoted. Pelosi and Ocasio-Cortez have appeared to unify in recent days after President Donald Trump unleashed a series of racist attacks against the Squad.
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'Once Upon A Time in Hollywood' is a fairy tale only Tarantino could tell
Quentin Tarantino’s “Once Upon A Time in Hollywood,” hitting theaters Friday, fulfilling the promise of its title as a throwback fairy tale with two fictional showbiz buddies that just so happens to coincide with one of the most infamous killing sprees of the 20th century. Tarantino's vision of 1969 Hollywood feels authentic and alive, with a lot of that electricity running through leads Leonardo DiCaprio and Brad Pitt, plus an inspired, understated performance by Academy Award-nominated actress Margot Robbie as Sharon Tate. Robbie said she feels the weight of playing actress Tate, who was killed by the Manson family in 1969. “It was immensely important for me to honor Sharon’s generous spirit,” she said.
Pageant winner stripped of her title to speak at Women for Trump event
Kathy Zhu, a vocal supporter of President Donald Trump, has been added to the program for a July 26 luncheon in Bloomfield Hills hosted by the Michigan Conservative Coalition. Miss World America stripped Zhu of her title and connection with the organization after officials learned about several posts on Zhu's Twitter account they deemed "offensive, insensitive and inappropriate." Zhu has defended herself publicly in interviews, saying she stands by every tweet she has posted because she has never said anything wrong.
ESPN's Le Batard returns to TV duties after Trump comments
ESPN TV and radio personality Dan Le Batard will return to his television show "Highly Questionable" Friday after breaking the network's "no pure politics" policy a week ago with an on-air rant calling out President Donald Trump. Le Batard condemned the "send her back" chants that targeted Democratic congresswoman Ilhan Omar during a Trump rally in North Carolina and how ESPN has approached the subject since Jemele Hill's exit. Several days before that event, Trump tweeted that Omar and other progressive congresswomen of color should "go back and help fix the totally broken and crime-infested places from which they came." Le Batard, 50, who is the son of Cuban immigrants, said the chanting "felt un-American" and he blamed Trump. He will also resume his hosting role on ESPN Radio's "Dan Le Batard Show" Monday.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 'Once Upon A Time in Hollywood,' 9/11 bill: 5 things to know Friday
