The Tisburys are set to release new album, A Still Life Revisited, this spring on Friday, April 25, with Double Helix Records and SofaBurn Records. “Forever,” their first official single from the upcoming record just played on 979X’s Locals Only show!

“Will it all just stay the same?” asks songwriter, lead vocalist, and guitarist Tyler Asay in the debut single to launch A Still Life Revisited. He said he aimed for something catchy that everyone can sing along to, and I’d say The Tisburys accomplished just that on this danceable track.

“Forever” contains a lot of fun hooks with bass and guitar bouncing off each other in a new, interesting way to convey an exciting glimpse on what’s to come on the full-length record. This is also the perfect alt-rock release to lead us into the warm season!

“It was kind of the big kick-off single to launch this new album routine,” said Tyler Asay in a phone interview with The Weekender.

Asay explained that A Still Life Revisited is all about looking back at your past and seeing how it’s influenced your life. The lyrics include themes of deep memories, chosen family, and finding home wherever you are. With time and reflection, we’re able to draw from our past and celebrate the journey that led us to where we are today.

“Everything was on purpose for that to go together in that way,” said Asay.

The follow-up single, “Water in the Clouds,” just came out on streaming services and is also now available for listening on Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube and more. This song is a bright, energetic piece of sunshine with heartfelt lyrics and upbeat instrumentals.

The Tisburys also released “The Anniversaries” as a single in Fall 2024, although it was not yet announced that an album was on the way! All three singles feel like they could be the soundtrack to our own lives — something I want to blast on a roadtrip while sticking my head out the window!

“This is the first time I’ve released anything with a label,” said Asay.

This is also the first time The Tisburys recorded an album in a bona fide studio — everything’s been self-released up until this point. A Still Life Revisited was recorded at Dr. Dog’s Mt. Slippery studio in the suburbs of Philadelphia with their longtime engineer/producer Justin Nazario. It was mixed by Phil Joly (The Strokes, Daft Punk, Lana Del Rey) and mastered by Ryan Schwabe (Beach Bunny, Slaughter Beach Dog, Hop Along).

“We wanted to make a record that pushes together a lot of the stuff we’ve been doing while upping the ante. We wanted to make an album that sounded good on the radio,” said Tyler Asay.

This is The Tisburys’ most collaborative effort to date and they worked closely with their whole team to make everything sing. In an era where bands are seen as an individual, this is truly a “band record” with every member contributing songwriting and production ideas, especially from longtime lead guitarist John Domenico and keyboardist/co-producer Jason McGovern.

“The goal with this record was ‘everything in its right place’,” said Asay. “Every instrument is playing its part, and every song came together like a puzzle”.

The Tisburys’last album, 2022’s Exile on Main Street, channeled iconic 90s radio rock such as Gin Blossoms and The Replacements, while this new one will push into the raw, rustic power of millennial alt-rock music such as The Strokes, Frightened Rabbit and The Hold Steady.

“Exile on Main Street was more influenced by college rock and 90s radio rock,” said Asay. “It still has that power poppy, catchy songwriting we always gravitate towards, but for the new album I was leaning into the 2000s indie vibe.”

This spring, The Tisburys are also looking forward to hitting the road and playing cities they’ve never played before. They are currently booking a tour out in the Midwest for a festival and heading to Newport, Connecticut where their new label SofaBurn Records is from!

On March 15, they’ll head to Quarry House Tavern in Silver Spring, Maryland with James Barrett and the Montaines. Then, they have a show in Philadelphia on Friday, March 21, to celebrate St. Patrick’s at Johnny Brenda’s with Bar Dusts, which is a Pogue’s cover band featuring members of The Menzingers and Modern Baseball.

The Tisburys will have their album release show in Philadelphia the first week of June 2025. Then, they plan to return to Scranton, Asay’s and Domenico’s hometown, later this summer. After all that, they’ll start thinking about the next record!

“I love writing, and I love performing music, and I just want to keep doing that until I croak,” said Asay. “The people who inspire me, people like Springsteen and The Replacements, you try to capture a little bit of that magic and that’s what I try to do every day.”

A Still Life Revisited is available for pre-order and they’re also doing a vinyl record release for the first time as well this April when the album comes out in full. In the meantime, get a taste of what’s to come from this talented rock band through their three singles currently available for listening on streaming.

“The goal is to just play as many shows as we can to promote the new album and sell a bunch of records.,” Asay said “Whatever we can do to get the music out there.”

Get up to date on the latest music from The Tisburys and follow along with them on social media for all the update on the way. Tune into 979X’s Locals Only Show every Sunday night with Lazy E from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. for more great new music from talented regional artists like this!

If you visit World War II Weekend in Berwick today through Sunday, you’ll likely see vintage Jeeps, military trucks, and perhaps a half track. But the guests of honor, as far as vehicles are concerned, will be four Stuart tanks on hand for the occasion.

The tanks are a small sample of the 15,226 that were manufactured at the American Car & Foundry in the heart of Berwick during the 1940s, helping the Allies win the war.

“We expect 4,000 spectators over the three days,” said Tom McLaughlin, secretary of the board of the Stuart Tank Memorial Association, which is sponsoring the free, family-friendly World War II Weekend at Test Track Park on South Eaton Street, Berwick. Hours are 3 to 5 p.m. July 18, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. July 19, and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. July 20.

“We have 350 re-enactors registered for the event,” he said, “so at least 250 should show up.”

The event will feature mock battles around noon on Saturday and Sunday, and each morning, perhaps as early as 8:30 a.m., a convoy of tanks will start a drive through town.

The re-enactors, who will camp out, will represent not only United States soldiers but military from Russia, German, Australia and other countries, and there will be food vendors and vendors who sell historic military items. Members of the Young Marines youth organization from Lancaster County will be on hand to help with the event.

“It’s very educational,” McLaughlin said during a telephone interview.

Admission to the park is free, thanks to donors and sponsors. Admission also is free to a screening of the movie “The Devil’s Brigade,” set for 7 p.m. Friday, July 18 at The Berwick Theatre, 110 East Front St. The film stars William Holden and tells of a unit of United States and Canadian troops on a World War II mission in Italy.

Saturday evening’s entertainment includes a swing dance at the West Side Ballroom, 7588 Columbia Blvd., Berwick. Admission to the dance is free if you wear 1940s-style attire, McLaughlin said. Otherwise, it’s $5.

Could you use a new-to-you purse? A bicycle? Toys? Tools? Holiday decorations?

If you looking for any of these items — or thousands more — you’ll likely find them at bargain prices at the flea markets that are popping up around the area in connection with annual bazaars.

The Times Leader recently visited the cafeteria and gymnasium of St. Nicholas - St. Mary School on South Washington Street in Wilkes-Barre, where dozens of volunteers have been diligently sorting donations for weeks, getting ready for a flea market that will coincide with the St. Nicholas - St. Mary parish bazaar, set for July 17, 18 and 19.

And it’s not just a matter of “let’s put the lamps over here” and “let’s put quilts on this table.”

Lamps and other electrical items are all tested to make sure they work, flea market chairperson Nancy Verespy Forbes said. And, volunteers have measured quilts and other bed linens so they can mark them as “king size” or “double” or whatever size bed they’ll match.

Here you’ll find items big and small, practical or purely decorative, still-in-the-package new or decades-old vintage.

“We have a cookie press that makes old-fashioned cookies,” Forbes said. “We have a ton of jewelry … crystal dishes … jigsaw puzzles … glassware, coffee mugs, backpacks, rugs, pillows …”

“Pat Baran is in charge of all the Christmas stuff,” Forbes said with a smile for a dedicated volunteer who admitted she enjoys organizing things.

While Pat Baran was working with colorful ornaments and statues of Santa Claus, her husband, Paul, was tending to a section of flea market space that was filled with keyboards and other electronic equipment.

“Anything with a cord and a plug, and he’s happy,” his wife said.

Paul Baran’s expertise about electronic equipment was especially useful when he suspected that the right buyer might be willing to pay more than typical flea market prices for an instrument amplifier that appeared to be from the 1950s or ’60s. He contacted a shopkeeper he knew and sold the amplifier before the flea market even started. “He was happy to get the amplifier,” Paul Baran said of the buyer, “and we were happy to get $150.”

“Everything we take in is profit,” Forbes said, noting that the items have all been donated.

The “giant flea market” at St. Nicholas - St. Mary bazaar will begin earlier than the bazaar itself on Thursday, July 17. Held in the lower level cafeteria and upper level gym of St. Nicholas - St. Mary School, next door to St. Nicholas Church, it will open at 1 p.m. that day and continue to 10 p.m. On Friday, July 18, and Saturday, July 19, flea market hours are 3 p.m. to 10 p.m.

And on Sunday, July 20, after the 8 a.m., 10 a.m. and 12:15 p.m. Masses, customers will be able to revisit the flea market and, for $5, fill a box with items that still remain, Forbes said. You may bring your own box to fill, or use one from the flea market.

The rest of the bazaar activities will be held outdoors on the parish grounds of St. Nicholas Church, from 5:30 to 10:30 p.m. Thursday and Friday, and 5 p.m. (after the 4 p.m. Mass) to 10:30 p.m. Saturday. Attractions will include games, Bountiful Baskets, a 50-50 raffle drawing with a grand cash prize and 49 additional prizes, and live music. Refreshments include bratwurst, haluski, potato pancakes, Vietnamese egg rolls, piggies, Mexican and Caribbean treats, fried dough and more.

And if you’re looking for additional flea markets, check out the following:

Nativity of Our Lord Parish Picnic, where the bazaar hours are 5 to 10 p.m. July 11 and 5 to 11 p.m. July 12. The flea market is in the Holy Rosary School Auditorium, 127 Stephenson St., Duryea. Parking is available at Duryea VFW Post 1227, also on Stephenson Street, with a shuttle bus to the picnic entrance.

Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Summer Fest, 5 to 10 p.m. July 25 and July 26 at Lake Silkworth, State Route 29, Hunlock Creek. Everything is under cover, including the extensive flea market.

St. Al’s Bazaar, set for July 31, Aug. 1 and Aug. 2, on the grounds of St. Aloysius Church, Barney Street, Wilkes-Barre.

We’ve been here before, and it was a bit hard to accept the same logic then.

Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Spokesperson Eli Cousin said Bresnahan “recently sold stock in Centene — ‘the largest Medicaid managed care organization in the nation’ — just days before voting to gut Medicaid. The stock has now fallen more than 40% since his sale.” It’s important to note Bresnahan hasn’t denied the trade and the vote happened in that order. Instead, he used the financial adviser defense. “I learn about (these trades) the same time the public does. … I did not make this trade, and I had no knowledge of it.”

He called the DCCC statement a “smear campaign … trying to attack me for doing what millions of hardworking Americans do, which is hiring a financial advisor to manage their investments.”

We could ask how many of you actively hired a financial advisor, ever, but in reality the majority of Americans own some stocks — 62% in 2025, according to an annual Gallup poll (gallup.com). But the less you make, the less likely you are to own stocks. The percentage of stock holders breaks down thus: 87% of households earning $100,000 or more, 84% of college graduates; 77% of married adults; 49% of unmarried adults, 42% of those with a high school education or less, and 28% in households earning less than $50,000.

For many people, their stocks are bought through mutual funds or retirement plans, not by the stock owner. And while such plans are usually professionally managed, it is a stretch to say those people “hired” their own “financial advisor.” For Bresnahan to compare his personal situation with “what millions of hardworking Americans do” is glib at best.

But as noted, we’ve been here before. In 2012, a Times Leader analysis showed than then-U.S. Rep. Lou Barletta — a Republican like Bresnahan — owned a wide array of stocks that could be and almost certainly were impacted by his votes in Congress. When asked about it, he gave the same defense. “My financial adviser has total discretion,” he said. “I’m not even notified until after the transaction.”

Bresnahan noted he is in the process of putting his investments into a blind trust, and touted his own push for the “Transparency in Representation through Uniform Stock Trading Ban (TRUST) Act as an effort to ban stock trading for members of Congress.

But in 2012, Congress had passed the “STOCK (Stop Trading on Congressional Knowledge) Act, prohibiting members, their staff and employees from trading on inside information acquired through their jobs. So while Bresnahan’s insistence that he is pushing “to restore the integrity Americans expect and deserve from their government” may be sincere, this is hardly the House’s first attempt to assure voters that representatives don’t profit in the stock market from their own votes.

But let’s accept Bresnahan’s claims he knew nothing about the stock deals, is setting up a blind trust, and that the TRUST Act is a personal effort to curb abuse of the stock market by legislators. There is a simple step he could take to avoid even a hint of impropriety.

Tell his investment advisor to stop all trading until the blind trust is final.

NESCOPECK TOWNSHIP — The Briggs Farm Blues Festival will return for its 28th year with a pre-party on Thursday night. That will kick off a weekend of blues music, which will be played by local, regional and national artists on the Main and Back Porch stages.

The process of organizing the festival begins soon after the preceding summer’s event ends. With only a handful of team members who handle most of the administrative duties that go into it, Briggs Farms has become known for its down-to-earth staff and environment.

“No one should be intimidated to come to Briggs Farm. This is a great festival if you’ve never experienced a music festival,” said Dena Briggs, daughter-in-law of festival founder Richard Briggs.

The farm from which the festival takes its name has been in the Briggs family since the 1760s. They plant hundreds of acres of corn throughout the year, but each summer, some of those acres are used for one of Luzerne County’s biggest entertainment events.

“If you looked out over the festival grounds and didn’t know there was a music festival there, you’d probably say, ‘Oh, there should be a music festival there,’” said Dena.

From the planning side, the most unique elements that make up each year of the Briggs Farm Blues Festival are the artists. Over the years, finding talent has become easier, according to Dena, but the roots of the festival remain in the Delta and Piedmont blues tradition.

That being said, many of the artists at the modern blues festival bring their own unique style to one of the United States’ most original, distinct genres.

“The blues is certainly a lot of things, and a lot of different people think of the blues in different ways, so our artists are kind of all over,” Dena explained. “They’re just such talented musicians, but that’s really the beating heart of the festival.”

The festival has remained relevant thanks, in part, to its embrace of younger and local musicians. Many of those artists will play on the Back Porch stage, which draws a nice crowd apart from the Main Stage.

“If you’re 18 years old and you don’t know what you think about the blues, you’re going to love it,” Dena said of the festival’s sounds.

Musicians familiar to the local community — such as Bret Alexander, Justin Mazer, and Clarence Spady — are on this year’s performance schedule.

Aside from the music, vendors and food options are key to creating the no-pressure environment that the festival is known for.

“People who come for a festival experience definitely need to buy some tie-dye,” Dena said with a laugh.

Dena added that there is a culture of kinship amongst those who visit Briggs Farm each July.

“A lot of people do come solo,” Dena said, “And they’re not worried about it because their friends that they haven’t met yet are here.”

Saturday’s headliner

The headlining act of this year’s festival is Victor Wainwright & the Train. It’s Wainwright’s fourth time performing at Briggs Farm, with the first time coming in 2018.

“As we ended the performance and came off stage, I felt a really great connection with everyone around me,” Wainwright said of that first performance in 2018. “There was a buzz. I was relatively unknown to the farm and family at that time, but they all made me feel just like home.”

Now, the festival feels like a homecoming to Wainwright, who said his fellow artists and the crowd have become like family over the years.

As for his music, Wainwright described it as “inviting, fun and electrifying.”

“[The music’s] roots are steeped deep in the blues while pushing every boundary we can find so that our sound is very original,” he said. “I lead the band with the piano, so you’ll hear a lot of influence from roots piano players like Dr. John, Pinetop Perkins, Chuck Leavell, Jerry Lee and so on.”

The six-piece ensemble that makes up the Train is set to close out the festival at 9:30 p.m. Saturday. They hope to create lasting memories for audience members and, in doing so, push the festival forward.

“No matter where we headline, it’s always a special privilege because we have the honor and responsibility to wrap up the fest in a way where everyone will want to come back next year,” Wainwright said. “It’s so important to keep these festivals going so we can continue to support each other.”

At Briggs Farm, it’s critical for every piece of the puzzle to be on point in order to ensure a successful show. It’s a collaborative experience, and Wainwright knows what part he plays.

“Without one of the pieces, it doesn’t work. We can’t go out and carry the blues torch if there’s not a place to play, or there’s not fans to play to,” said Wainwright. “So my job Saturday night will be to wrap it all up and bring everything to a peak before we say good night, and I’m very confident we’ll do just that.”

The full list of this year’s Briggs Farm Blues Festival performances includes:

Thursday, July 10

BRIGGS FARM BLUES PRE-PARTY

• 6 p.m. — Bret Alexander & Friends

• 7:30 p.m. — Guitar Zack

• 9 p.m. — Hayley Jane Band

Friday, July 11

THE BACK PORCH

• 12:30 p.m. — Mikey Junior Band

• 2:30 p.m. — The Uptown Music Collective

• 4:30 p.m. — Hubby Jenkins

• 6:30 p.m. — Justin Mazer & Friends

• 8 p.m. — Jamiah Rogers

MAIN STAGE

• 4 p.m. — Garry Burnside

• 5:30 p.m. — Stephen Hull Experience

• 7:30 p.m. — Nikki Hill

• 9:30 p.m. — Scott Pemberton O Theory

Saturday, July 12

THE BACK PORCH

• 12:30 p.m. — Garry Burnside

• 2:30 p.m. — Pat Harrington & Owen Eichensehr Duo

• 4:30 p.m. — New Moon Acoustic Blues

• 6:30 p.m. — Noe Socha

• 8 p.m. — Clarence Spady

MAIN STAGE

• 4 p.m. — Taylor Scott Band

• 5:30 p.m. — Lachy Doley

• 7:30 p.m. — Sister Sparrow & the Dirty Birds

• 9:30 p.m. — Victor Wainwright & the Train

EXT JUNGLE NIGHT

An eyeball, big, yellowish, distinctly inhuman, stares raptly between wooden slats, part of a large crate. The eye darts from side to side quickly, alert as hell.

So begins David Koepp’s script to 1993’s “Jurassic Park.” Like much of Koepp’s writing, it’s crisply terse and intensely visual. It doesn’t tell the director (in this case Steven Spielberg ) where to put the camera, but it nearly does.

“I asked Steven before we started: What are the limitations about what I can write?” Koepp recalls. “CGI hadn’t really been invented yet. He said: ‘Only your imagination.’”

Yet in the 32 years since penning the adaptation of Michael Crichton’s novel, Koepp has established himself as one of Hollywood’s top screenwriters not through the boundlessness of his imagination but by his expertise in limiting it. Koepp is the master of the “bottle” movie — films hemmed in by a single location or condensed timed frame. From David Fincher’s “Panic Room” (2002) to Steven Soderbergh’s “Presence” (2025), he excels at corralling stories into uncluttered, headlong movie narratives. Koepp can write anything — as long as there are parameters.

“The great film scholar and historian David Bordwell and I were talking about that concept once and he said, ‘Because the world is too big?’ I said, ‘That’s it, exactly,’” Koepp says. “The world is too big. If I can put the camera anywhere I want, if anybody on the entire planet can appear in this film, if it can last 130 years, how do I even begin? It makes me want to take a nap.

“So I’ve always looked for bottles in which to put the delicious wine.”

Reining in ‘Jurassic World’

By some measure, the world of “Jurassic World” got too big. In the last entry, 2022’s not particularly well received “Jurassic World: Dominion,” the dinosaurs had spread across the planet. “I don’t know where else to go with that,” Koepp says.

Koepp, a 62-year-old native of Pewaukee, Wisconsin, hadn’t written a “Jurassic” movie since the second one, 1997’s “The Lost World.” Back then, Brian De Palma, whom Koepp worked with on “Carlito’s Way” and “Mission: Impossible,” took to calling him “dinosaur boy.” Koepp soon after moved onto other challenges. But when Spielberg called him up a few years ago and asked, “Do you have one more in you?” Koepp had one request: “Can we start over?”

“Jurassic World Rebirth,” which opens in theaters July 2, is a fresh start for one of Hollywood’s biggest multi-billion-dollar franchises. It’s a new cast of characters (Scarlett Johansson, Mahershala Ali and Jonathan Bailey co-star), a new director (Gareth Edwards) and a new storyline. But just as they were 32 years ago, the dinosaurs are again Koepp’s to play with.

“The first page reassured me,” says Edwards. “It said: ‘Written by David Koepp.’”

For many moviegoers, that opening credit has been a signal that what follows is likely to be smartly scripted, brightly paced and neatly situated. His script to Ron Howard’s 1994 news drama “The Paper” took place over 24 hours. “Secret Window” (2004) was set in an upstate New York cabin. Even bigger scale films like “War of the Worlds” favor the fate of one family over global calamity.

“I hear those ideas and I get excited. OK, now I’m constrained,” says Koepp. “A structural or aesthetic constraint is like the Hayes Code. They had to come up with many other interesting ways to imply those people had sex, and that made for some really interesting storytelling.”

The two Stevens

Koepp’s bottles can fit either summer spectacles or low-budget indies. “Jurassic World Rebirth” is the third film penned by Koepp just this year, following a nifty pair of thrillers with Steven Soderbergh in “Presence” and “Black Bag.”

“Presence,” like “Panic Room,” stays within a family home, and it’s seen entirely from the perspective of a ghost. “Black Bag” deliciously combines marital drama with spy movie, organized around a dinner party and a polygraph test. Those films completed a zippy trilogy with Soderbergh, beginning with 2022’s blistering pandemic-set “Kimi.”

Much of Koepp’s career, particularly recently, run through the two Stevens: Soderbergh and Spielberg.

“What they have in common is they both would have absolutely killed it in the 1940s,” Koepp says. “In the studio system in the 1940s, if Jack Warner said ‘I’m putting you on the Wally Beery wrestling picture.’ Either one of them would have said, ‘Great, here’s what I’m going to do.’ They both share that sensibility of: How do we get this done?”

Spielberg and Koepp recently wrapped production on Spielberg’s untitled new science fiction film, said to be especially meaningful to Spielberg. He gave a 50-page treatment to Koepp to turn into a script.

“It’s even more focused than I’ve ever seen him on a movie,” says Koepp. “There would be times — we’d be in different time zones – I’d wake up and there were 35 texts, and this went on for about a year. He’s as locked in on that movie as I’ve ever seen him, and he’s a guy who locks in.”

‘Your own ChatGPT’

For “Jurassic World Rebirth,” Koepp wanted to reorder the franchise. Inspired by Chuck Jones’ “commandments” for the Road Runner cartoons (the Road Runner only says “meep meep”; all products are from the ACME Corporation, etc.), Koepp put down nine governing principles for the “Jurassic” franchise. They included things like “humor is oxygen” and that the dinosaurs are animals, not monsters.

A key to “Rebirth” was geographically herding the dinosaurs. In the new movie, they’ve clustered around the equator, drawn to the tropical environment. Like “Jurassic Park,” the action takes place primarily on an island.

Going into the project, Edwards was warned about his screenwriter’s convictions.

“At the end of my meeting with Spielberg, he just smiled and said, “That’s great. If you think we were difficult, wait until you meet David Koepp,’” says Edwards, laughing.

But Edwards and Koepp quickly bonded over similar tastes in movies, like the original “King Kong,” a poster of which hangs in Koepp’s office. On set, Edwards would sometimes find the need for 30 seconds of new dialogue.

“Within like a minute, I’d get this perfectly written 30 second interaction that was on theme, funny, had a reversal in it — perfect,” says Edwards. “It was like having your own ChatGPT but actually really good at writing.”

‘Everyone’s got a note’

In the summer, especially, it’s common to see a long list of names under the screenplay. Blockbuster-making is, increasingly, done by committee. The stakes are too high, the thinking goes, to leave it to one writer. But “Jurassic World Rebirth” bears just Koepp’s credit.

“There’s an old saying: ‘No one of us is as dumb as all of us,’” Koepp says. “When you have eight or 10 people who have significant input into the script, the odds are stacked enormously against you. You’re trying to please a lot of different people, and it often doesn’t go well.”

The only time that worked, in Koepp’s experience, was Sam Raimi’s 2002 “Spider-Man.” “I was also hired and fired three times on that movie,” he says, “so maybe they knew what they were doing.”

Koepp, though, prefers to — after research and outlining — let a movie topple out of his mind as rapidly as possible. “I like to gun it out and clean up the mess later,” he says.

But the string of “Presence,” “Black Bag” and “Jurassic World Rebirth” may have tested even Koepp’s prodigious output. The intense period of writing, which fell before, during (“Black Bag” was written on spec during the strike, not for hire, without being shopped) and after the writers strike, he says, meant five months without a day off. “I might have broke something,” he says, shaking his head.

Still, the three films also show a veteran screenwriter working in high gear, judiciously meting out details and keeping dinosaurs, ghosts and spies hurtling forward. Anything like a perfect script — for Koepp, that’s “Rosemary’s Baby” or “Jaws” — remains elusive. But even when you come close, there are always critics.

“After the first ‘Jurassic’ movie, a fifth-grade class all wrote letters to me, which was very nice,” Koepp recalls. “Then they wrote, ‘PS, when you do the next one, don’t have it take so long to get to the island.’ Everyone’s got a note!’”

The Hispanic Heritage Foundation named Contreras as a recipient of the 2025 Hispanic Heritage Award for journalism on Thursday, one of several honors bestowed on notable public figures for their accomplishments and cultural contributions to the Latino communities.

Past awardees at the Hispanic Heritage Awards include Bad Bunny, America Ferrera, Becky G, J Balvin and others; Contreras is one of the few journalists to receive the esteemed honor, one he says is hard for him to accept.

“We learn early on that [journalists] are not supposed to be the story,” explains Contreras in a phone call with The Times. “That’s the largest stumbling block as to why I’m having a difficult time accepting this accolade.”

Known among friends and colleagues as “Tío Felix,” a familial term of endearment, Contreras has been a dedicated reporter for close to 50 years. Born and raised in Sacramento, he began his journalistic career as a TV news photographer for the NBC affiliate station in Fresno until 1998, later transitioning to NBC News in Miami.

“My point has always been to tell our Latino stories through the news, good or bad,” he says.

Contreras began working for NPR in 2001 as a producer and reporter for the news arts desk. In 2010, he co-created the innovative “Alt.Latino” radio program and podcast alongside NPR’s current immigration correspondent Jasmine Garsd. It was a way to fill the dearth of coverage of alternative Latino music — Spanish-language stations gave little airtime to alternative rock groups such as Los Fabulosos Cadillacs or Café Tacvba, says Contreras. Their first guest on the show was a young, then-burgeoning artist from Colombia named Juanes, who appeared just after releasing his debut album, “Fíjate Bien.”

At first, it was an uphill battle to get artists to recognize the podcast’s cultural significance. “ We had to beg people to send us their CDs,” Contreras admits.

Now in its 15th year, “Alt.Latino” has become a go-to hub for Latin music enthusiasts looking to learn more on the rise of musica mexicana, the rumblings of Latin jazz, the transformation of Latin rock and more.

“Independent artists, alternative artists, even some pop artists now consider ‘Alt.Latino’ and NPR as a viable source to get their artist seen or heard,” Contreras says.

To this day, Contreras continues in his role as co-host of “Alt.Latino,” now alongside Tiny Desk producer Anamaria Sayre, who says she cried when she heard Contreras was being recognized.

“ Felix created space for us in the music media landscape in where there wasn’t previously,” says Sayre, who has been working with Contreras since 2023. “He did it with no one telling him that what he was doing was valuable.”

The 38th annual Hispanic Heritage Awards will take place on Sept. 4 at the Warner Theatre in Washington, D.C.

NEW YORK — Their reunion? It’s smooth like butter. The K-pop septet BTS will return in spring 2026 with a new album and world tour.

Members Jin, RM, V, Jimin, J-Hope, Jung Kook and Suga made the announcement Tuesday during a livestream on Weverse, an online fan platform owned by BTS management company Hybe. It was the first time all seven members have broadcast live together since September 2022.

“We’ll be releasing a new BTS album in the spring of next year. Starting in July, all seven of us will begin working closely together on new music,” the band said in a statement. “Since it will be a group album, it will reflect each member’s thoughts and ideas. We’re approaching the album with the same mindset we had when we first started.”

According to a press release, the band will be in the United States this month to begin working on new music.

The 2026 album will mark their first since 2022’s anthology, “Proof,” their 2021 Japanese compilation album “BTS, the Best,” and their last studio album, “Be,” released in 2020.

They also announced a world tour, their first in nearly four years. The news arrives a few weeks after BTS superstars RM, V, Jimin and Jung Kook were discharged from South Korea’s military after fulfilling their mandatory service.

In South Korea, all able-bodied men aged 18 to 28 are required by law to perform 18-21 months of military service under a conscription system meant to deter aggression from rival North Korea. Six of the group’s seven members served in the army, while Suga, the last to return, fulfilled his duty as a social service agent, an alternative to military service.

Jin, the oldest BTS member, was discharged in June 2024. J-Hope was discharged in October.

South Korea’s law gives special exemptions to athletes, classical and traditional musicians, and ballet and other dancers if they have obtained top prizes in certain competitions and are assessed to have enhanced national prestige. K-pop stars and other entertainers aren’t subject to such privileges. However, in 2020, BTS postponed their service after South Korea’s National Assembly revised its Military Service Act, allowing K-pop stars to delay their enlistment until age 30.

The Dietrich Theater invites film lovers to immerse themselves in a cinematic celebration like no other with Summer Fest 2025, running from Friday, July 11 through Thursday, July 31. Featuring 18 carefully curated films in 21 days, the festival showcases the best of independent, foreign, documentary, and art house cinema for $8.50 per ticket. Whether it’s sweltering summer sun or an unexpected downpour, the Dietrich Theater has you covered, literally, with air conditioning, and a movie lineup worth escaping into.

Thanks to the generous sponsorship of Peoples Security Bank & Trust, this year’s Summer Fest will once again transform the Dietrich Theater into a hub of storytelling, reflection, and community connection. Dietrich Theater Film Booker Ronnie Harvey shares, “This year’s slate of films for Summerfest feels more intimate than ever before. Films about the dynamics of family, friendships and the inescapable need for connection. Films about culture clashes, changing political landscapes and the arts, from music, to literature and architecture help shape our worldview and impact us in ways we can’t imagine. I’m so excited to share these extraordinary films with our audiences.”

With themes ranging from personal journeys to global shifts, the Summer Fest 2025 lineup offers something for every filmgoer, whether seeking thought-provoking narratives or visually stunning artistry.

If you’re interested in diving deeper into the films you saw during Summer Fest 2025, or if there were moments that left you scratching your head, you can join the Dietrich Theater for a Post-Festival Film Discussion at 1 p.m. Friday, Aug. 1. This free event is a chance to share your thoughts, ask questions, and explore different perspectives with fellow moviegoers. No need to register, just show up. The conversation will be guided by Ronnie Harvey.

The following are synopses and showtimes of the 18 films featured in the Dietrich’s Summerfest:

Bad Shabbos

Show times:

July 14 at 2:30 p.m.

July 20 at noon

July 28 at 7 p.m.

Rated: not rated

Runtime: 84 minutes

Language: in English

Directed by: Daniel Robbins

Starring: Milana Vayntrub, Kyra Sedgwick, Ashley Zukerman

Winner of the Audience Award at the Tribeca Film Festival and starring Kyra Sedgwick, Bad Shabbos follows newly engaged couple David and Meg who are hosting a traditional Shabbat dinner to introduce their families for the first time. Things quickly spiral when an accidental death derails the evening entirely. With Meg’s devoutly Catholic parents due any moment to meet David’s very Jewish family, soon Shabbat becomes a comedy of biblical proportions.

Bonjour Tristesse

Show times:

July 15 at 7 p.m.

July 22 at 4:30 p.m.

July 26 at 4:30 p.m.

July 28 at 2:15 p.m.

Rated: R

Rated: 110 minutes

Language: in English, French with subtitles

Directed by: Durga Chew-Bose

Starring: Chloë Sevigny, Lily McInerny, Claes Bang

At the height of summer, 18-year-old Cécile is languishing by the French seaside with her handsome father, and his girlfriend when the arrival of her late mother’s friend Anne changes everything. Amid the sun-drenched splendor of their surroundings, Cécile’s world is threatened and, desperate to regain control, she sets in motion a plan to drive Anne away with tragic consequences. Bonjour Tristesse is an unforgettable coming-of-age adaptation that captures the complexity of relationships between women and how they wield influence over one another’s fates.

Caught by the Tides

Show times:

July 14 at 7 p.m.

July 19 at 2:15 p.m.

July 23 at 4:30 p.m.

Rated: not rated

Runtime: 111 minutes

Language: in Mandarin, Chinese with subtitles

Directed by: Jia Zhang-ke

Starring: Tao Zhao, Zhubin Li, You Zhou

Caught by the Tides is an experimental romantic drama 22 years in the making. An enduring but fragile love story shared by Qiao Qiao and Guao Bin, set in China, from the early 2000s to the present day. One day, a restless Guao Bin leaves without any notice to try his luck in another province. Qiao Qiao decides to go looking for him. What follows is an intimate epic that captures the melancholy of the passage of time.

Cheech and Chong’s Last Movie

Show times:

July 12 at 9:30 p.m.

July 18 at 4:30 p.m.

July 26 at 9:15 p.m.

Rated: R

Runtime: 120 minutes

Language: in English

Directed by: David Bushell

Cheech and Chong’s Last Movie explores the 5-decade career of the legendary duo Cheech and Chong. Performing stand-up, making records, and starring in hit films, Cheech and Chong’s legacy has been cemented in pop culture history. While on a road trip to a place called “The Joint”, Cheech & Chong recall their lives, from childhood to joining forces in the 1960s up until their breakup in the 1980s.

Friendship

Show times:

July 11 at 9:30 p.m.

July 15 at 2:30 p.m.

July 17 at noon

July 21 at 7 p.m.

July 24 at 4:30 p.m.

July 27 at 7 p.m.

July 31 at 4:30 p.m.

Rated: R

Runtime: 100 minutes

Language: in English

Directed by: Andrew DeYoung

Starring: Tim Robinson, Paul Rudd, Kate Mara

Starring Tim Robinson and Paul Rudd, Friendship follows suburban dad Craig who falls hard for his charismatic new neighbor, as Craig’s attempts to make an adult male friend threaten to ruin both of their lives. Tim Robinson expands his exquisitely-cringe comedy style to feature-length with seamless results in Friendship, a toxic bromance that’ll make audiences laugh and wince in equal measure.

Holy Cow

Show times:

July 12 at noon

July 19 at 7 p.m.

July 24 at 2:30 p.m.

July 27 at 2:15 p.m.

July 30 at 7 p.m.

Rated: not rated

Runtime: 92 minutes

Language: in French with subtitles

Directed by: Louise Courvoisier

Starring: Clément Faveau, Maïwene Barthelemy, Luna Garret

After the tragic death of his father, 18-year-old Totone is thrust into the unexpected and very adult role of looking after his younger sister and their failing family farm in France. He assumes even more responsibility when he enters a cash competition for the best cheese made in the western part of the French Alps. Holy Cow is a look at the hardscrabble life of French agriculture and is simultaneously a moving ode to the love of cheese.

Jane Austen Wrecked My Life

Show times:

July 12 at 4:15 p.m.

July 16 at 7 p.m.

July 19 at noon

July 25 at 2:15 p.m.

July 28 at noon

July 30 at 4:30 p.m.

Rated: R

Runtime: 98 minutes

Language: in French with subtitles, English

Directed by: Laura Piani

Starring: Camille Rutherford, Pablo Pauly, Charlie Anson

Agathe, hopelessly clumsy yet charming and full of contradictions, finds herself in desperate singlehood. Her dream is to experience love akin to a Jane Austen novel and her ultimate aspiration is to become a writer. Invited to the Jane Austen Writers’ Residency in England, she must confront her insecurities to finally fulfill her ambition of becoming a novelist and put an end to wasting her sentimental life.

The Life of Chuck

Show times:

July 15 at noon

July 21 at noon

July 23 at noon

July 25 at 9:15 p.m.

July 29 at 2:15 p.m.

Rated: R

Runtime: 110 minutes

Language: in English

Directed by: Mike Flanagan

Starring: Tom Hiddleston, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Jacob Tremblay

Based on a novella from Stephen King and starring Tom Hiddleston, Chiwetel Ejiofor and Jacob Tremblay, The Life of Chuck is a life-affirming, genre-bending story about three chapters in the life of an ordinary man named Charles Krantz. Told in reverse starting from his death to his early childhood, The Life of Chuck is a moving biography about a simple man with a not so simple life.

Lilly

Show times:

July 14 at 4:30 p.m.

July 18 at noon

July 22 at 2:30 p.m.

July 26 at 7 p.m.

July 29 at noon

Rated: PG-13

Runtime: 93 minutes

Language: in English

Directed by: Rachel Feldman

Starring: Patricia Clarkson, Josh McDermitt, Thomas Sadoski

Starring Patricia Clarkson and based on the historic Supreme Court Case, Lilly follows hard-working Alabama factory supervisor Lilly Ledbetter, who discovers that for 20 years she’s been earning only half of what men with the same job are paid for no other reason than because she is a woman. What follows is her long-fought journey for justice that takes her all the way to the Supreme Court.

Marcella

Show times:

July 13 at 2:15 p.m.

July 17 at 7 p.m.

July 23 at 2:30 p.m.

July 27 at 4:30 p.m.

July 31 at 2:15 p.m.

Rated: not rated

Runtime: 97 minutes

Language: in English, Italian with subtitles

Directed by: Peter Miller

Marcella Hazan didn’t just teach Italian cooking, she changed the way America eats. Fearless and passionate, she introduced authentic recipes to millions. Julia Child called Marcella “my mentor in all things Italian.” Featuring famous chefs from around the world, Marcella is an intimate portrait that reveals the bold woman who forever shaped home kitchens.

Materialists

Show times:

July 11 at 7 p.m.

July 14 at noon

July 17 at 2:15 p.m.

July 20 at 4:30 p.m.

July 23 at 7 p.m.

July 26 at 2:15 p.m.

July 31 at 7 p.m.

Rated: R

Runtime: 116 minutes

Language: in English

Directed by: Celine Song

Starring: Dakota Johnson, Pedro Pascal, Chris Evans

Written and Directed by Academy Award nominated Celine Song and starring Dakota Johnson, Pedro Pascal and Chris Evans, Materialists follows a young, ambitious New York City matchmaker who finds herself torn between the perfect match and her imperfect ex.

A Nice Indian Boy

Show times:

July 12 at 2:15 p.m.

July 15 at 4:30 p.m.

July 20 at 2:30 p.m.

July 22 at 7 p.m.

July 29 at 4:30 p.m.

Rated: not rated

Runtime: 96 minutes

Language: in English

Directed by: Roshan Sethi

Starring: Karan Soni, Jonathan Groff, Sunita Mani

A Nice Indian Boy follows Naveen, a soft-spoken doctor with a boisterous family who outwardly accept his sexuality but have never had to confront it head on. When Naveen meets Jay and falls in love, he must face reality and bring his fiancé home to meet his traditional Indian family. They all now must contend with accepting his white-orphan-artist boyfriend and help them plan the Indian wedding of their dreams.

On Swift Horses

Show times:

July 13 at 4:30 p.m.

July 18 at 9:30 p.m.

July 20 at 7 p.m.

July 24 at noon

July 30 at noon

Rated: R

Runtime: 117 minutes

Language: in English

Directed by: Daniel Minahan

Starring: Daisy Edgar-Jones, Jacob Elordi, Will Poulter

Starring Jacob Elordi, Daisy Edgar-Jones and Will Poulter, On Swift Horses follows Muriel and her husband Lee who are beginning a bright new life in California. Their newfound stability is upended by the arrival of Lee’s charismatic brother, a wayward gambler with a secret past. A dangerous love triangle quickly forms, leaving everyone questioning their past and their future. Muriel’s longing for something more propels her into a secret life of her own, gambling on racehorses and exploring a love she never dreamed possible.

The Phoenician Scheme

Show times:

July 12 at 7 p.m.

July 17 at 4:30 p.m.

July 19 at 9:15 p.m.

July 25 at 4:30 p.m.

July 31 at noon

Rated: PG-13

Runtime: 101 minutes

Language: in English

Directed by: Wes Anderson

Starring: Benicio Del Toro, Michael Cera, Willem Dafoe

Directed by Wes Anderson and featuring an all-star ensemble cast, The Phoenician Scheme follows wealthy businessman Zsa-Zsa Korda who appoints his only daughter, a nun, as sole heir to his estate. As Korda embarks on a new enterprise, they soon become the target of scheming tycoons, foreign terrorists, and determined assassins.

The Trouble with Jessica

Show times:

July 13 at 7 p.m.

July 18 at 2:30 p.m.

July 22 at noon

July 26 at noon

Rated: not rated

Runtime: 89 minutes

Language: in English

Directed by: Matt Winn

Starring: Alan Tudyk, Shirley Henderson, Rufus Sewell

The Trouble with Jessica follows a couple facing serious financial trouble who finally find a buyer for their stylish London home. At their final dinner party, they are thrown into an outrageous and darkly comic situation with the shocking behavior of an uninvited guest. Faced with the moral dilemma of their lives — and dragging their best friends with them — they make a series of choices that could be either their salvation or their destruction.

The Wedding Banquet

Show times:

July 13 at noon

July 16 at 4:30 p.m.

July 21 at 2:15 p.m.

July 25 at 7 p.m.

July 28 at 4:30 p.m.

Rated: R

Runtime: 103 minutes

Language: in English, Korean with subtitles

Directed by: Andrew Ahn

Starring: Bowen Yang, Lily Gladstone, Kelly Marie Tran

From Director Andrew Ahn and starring Bowen Yang, Lily Gladstone and Kelly Marie Tran, The Wedding Banquet is a joyful comedy of errors about a chosen family navigating cultural identity, queerness, and family expectations. Frustrated with his commitment-phobic boyfriend and running out of time, Min makes a proposal: a green-card marriage with their friend Angela in exchange for her partner’s expensive IVF. Elopement plans are upended when Min’s grandmother surprises them with an extravagant Korean wedding banquet.

Buena Vista Social Club

Show times:

July 16 at noon

July 21 at 4:30 p.m.

July 24 at 7 p.m.

July 27 at noon

July 30 at 2:30 p.m.

Rated: G

Runtime: 105 minutes

Language: in English, Spanish with subtitles

Directed by: Wim Wenders

Inspiration for the hit Broadway Musical of the same name, Buena Vista Social Club documents renowned guitarist Ry Cooder and his son, as they travel to Cuba and assemble a group of the country’s finest musicians to record an album. Among the artists included in the project are singer Ibrahim Ferrer and pianist Rubén González, who are both interviewed and featured in studio footage. Eventually the ensemble travels to the United States to perform in front of rapt audiences.

St. Peter’s and the Papal Basilicas of Rome

Show times:

July 16 at 2:30 p.m.

July 19 at 4:30 p.m.

July 25 at noon

July 29 at 7 p.m.

Rated: not rated

Runtime: 90 minutes

Language: in Italian with subtitles

Directed by: Luca Viotto

St. Peter’s and the Papal Basilicas of Rome takes you on a journey through the four Papal Basilicas in Rome and their treasures: St. Peter’s (one of the 25 destinations most visited by travelers from all over the world), St. John in the Lateran, St. Mary Major and St. Paul Outside the Walls. Four majestic buildings – each with a precious papal altar, each a treasure trove of timeless works of art and a destination for millions of travelers and pilgrims over the centuries.

The New York Times’ list of the 100 best films of the 21st century so far has now been released. It is a list that was compiled by the ballots of esteemed filmmakers from across the industry, and, I must say, I find the list quite favorable.

The list’s preamble poses the following thought and question:

“Between streaming services and superhero blockbusters, the way we watch and think about movies has changed dramatically over the past 25 years. But through that period of upheaval, which films have truly stood the test of time?”

For the fans, the New York Times allowed members of the public to make their own lists of the best movies released since 2000, and I, of course, took the time to weigh in. There are so many films to consider, and trying to determine which ones are the “best” is a challenge. Still, I love an exercise like this. To narrow down my list, I gave myself a pair of guardrails.

First, I wanted to disregard sequels, which is mostly due to the “The Lord of the Rings” films having a monopoly on my unguarded “best of the century” list. Three films from the same franchise felt, for this exercise, a little unfair. So, only “The Fellowship of the Ring” would be included and eligible for my ballot.

In addition, I limited myself to my beloved best picture nominees. Listen: I love the Oscars. Let me enjoy my thing. I wanted to honor my own rabid watching habits for this exercise. It felt more true to me and my film intake.

And so, with these guardrails in mind, I came up with a list of what I believe are the ten best films of the 21st century so far, and I have since compared my personal list with the New York Times’ list.

Three in the Top 10

I was not surprised to see that one of my personal 10 was listed at number one on the New York Times list. “Parasite” is about as agreed upon of a modern classic as possible. Its mix of genres, perfect production design and editing, and terrifically dark commentary on social status are its strongest qualities. It was a no-brainer for my list and, it appears, for the industry voters as well.

At number eight on the New York Times list is “Get Out” from Jordan Peele. I think this is the best film in the timeframe allowed, and I couldn’t be happier to see it get its continued respect. More than your average horror film, “Get Out” is quite possibly the most engaging film about race relations ever made. Its relevance only increases as the years go by.

And speaking of films that remain painfully relevant, “The Social Network” snagged the number ten spot on the New York Times list. Aaron Sorkin’s quick words and David Fincher’s brooding direction — backed by an all-time score — made “The Social Network” an instant classic. Its cutting understanding of social media’s antisocial backbone is so real.

Five additional commonalities

In addition to those three films listed under the previous heading, I also matched with the New York Times’ voting base on five additional films. One is the aforementioned “The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring,” or what I believe is the best film in its trilogy — guardrails in place or not. It’s the ultimate fantasy piece, standing on its own merits and as the kickoff to Peter Jackson’s three-part masterclass.

Two Christopher Nolan films — 2010’s “Inception” and 2023’s “Oppenheimer” — made the New York Times list and my own. “Inception” is truly iconic. Its multi-layered, mindbending format is referenced frequently in the culture and in more ordinary conversations. “Oppenheimer,” on the other hand, is haunting, entertaining, and made up half of the biggest film phenomenon of my lifetime. Both films bring out the best in Nolan’s sensibilities, with existential dread and non-linear storytelling taking center stage.

“Arrival” is Denis Villeneuve’s sole entry on the New York Times, and, as a viewing experience, I find it deeply unsettling. I can distinctly recall seeing it in theaters and having my mind blown. I hadn’t seen anything so eerie before. I can return to it at any time, even though I am well acquainted with its twisty ending. That’s a sign of its masterpiece status.

“Whiplash” from Damien Chazelle is another one of those beloved modern classics across the board, with both critics and general audiences growing to adore it. Count me in. The layered, antagonistic performance from J.K. Simmons has lived rent-free in my head for over a decade. Here’s a good reminder that the size of a film’s budget is not equal to its quality.

Two that missed the cut

Though I find the New York Times list to be favorable, I was disappointed to see two of my favorites miss.

“Sound of Metal” was the best film of 2020, in my opinion. The year in general was a surprisingly strong one for the quality of cinema, but perhaps that was due to the indie circuit rising to the top of the heap when everything else was delayed. The entirety of 2020’s slate was curiously missing from the New York Times list. Surely there was room for “Sound of Metal,” the surprisingly empowering story of a metal drummer going deaf.

And what about “Room” from Lenny Abrahamson? It’s my favorite film of the past 40 years. Brie Larson delivers one of the great performances, and the emotional gut punches littered throughout the screenplay are still a creative model I admire and call upon. I’m stunned by the snubbery from the voting base. As I understand it, the film is quite popular and revered in the industry.

Still, I think hitting on eight out of ten of my personal selections is a strong ratio. I’ve seen exactly half of the New York Times list, and, if nothing else, reviewing the results reminded me that there is a larger film world to explore. All in good time.

NEW YORK — Twenty-five years ago, a little girl with a bob haircut appeared on our TVs, speaking a mix of English and Spanish, with a spunky, can-do spirit. She had an adventure planned, a backpack, a monkey friend and upbeat songs.

“Hi, I’m Dora. What’s your name?” she asked.

This was, of course, “Dora the Explorer,” the first Latina to lead a major cartoon series and the girl who helped spearhead the rise of multicultural children’s programming in the U.S. on her way to becoming a cultural phenomenon.

“The show allowed Latinos to be depicted on TV as educators, teaching viewers how to speak our language, and yet at the same time, just teaching ordinary things that children need to learn,” said Brenda Victoria Castillo, president and CEO of the National Hispanic Media Coalition.

Nickelodeon is celebrating Dora’s 25th anniversary with the feature-length live-action movie “Dora and the Search of Sol Dorado,” a third season of the rebooted animated series “Dora,” the podcast Dora’s Mermaid Adventures, an album of songs and plenty of toys and apparel.

“The great thing about Dora is that, yes, she celebrates Latin culture through every aspect — language, food, dress and music,” says Ramsey Naito, president of animation at Paramount and Nickelodeon. “But she also empowers everybody to be their true self and to be brave. She’s not exclusive. She’s inclusive.”

The original voice

Kathleen Herles had a special vantage point to see Dora’s influence: She was the original voice of the pint-size heroine, cast in the role when she was 7 and staying until she was 18 and off to college.

“It has been the longest journey and the greatest adventure of my life — no pun intended,” said Herles, who grew up in New York City to parents of Peruvian descent.

On the convention circuit, Herles would see firsthand the power of Dora. “I remember I would make kids cry, not intentionally,” she says. “Their mind goes to a memory, to a moment, it’s just incredible. It’s so special, it’s magical.”

Herles has lately been the voice actor for Dora’s mom on “Dora,” the reboot that started in 2024. It’s a full-circle moment for the actor and singer: “It changed my life forever, twice.”

“Dora the Explorer” led to what Herles laughingly calls the “Dora-verse” — the spinoff series “Go, Diego, Go!,” a sequel series “Dora and Friends: Into the City!” and the 2019 live-action feature film “Dora and the Lost City of Gold,” starring Isabela Merced, Eva Longoria and Michael Peña.

“Dora” co-creator Chris Gifford has watched his creation age up and down and take human form. “She has been older and she has been younger and she has a hair clip now,” he says. “Her essence, her positive spirit, her I-can-do-anything-with-your-help attitude has stuck through.”

Dora is firmly part of the culture, as big as her Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade balloon. There’s a reference to her in “Inside Out 2,” she’s been mocked on “Saturday Night Live” and if you look carefully at the PBS show “Alma’s Way,” you can see a Dora doll in that heroine’s bedroom. TikTok users have embraced the “Backpack Song.”

“Those kids coming of age now — the ones who 25 years ago were just watching it as little preschoolers — they’re out there and they’re remembering,” says Valerie Walsh Valdes, co-creator of the original series and an executive producer on the new series and movie.

Creating a problem solver

Valdes and Gifford originally had the idea for a show about a little girl who was a problem solver. Like “Blue’s Clues,” it would reward kids for figuring out answers posed by the host.

“Preschoolers are the least powerful people in our world,” says Gifford. “They’re not able to button their sweater and not able to tie their shoes, but if they’re able to help Dora get to the City of Lost Toys and really feel like they helped, that’s something special.”

Nickelodeon suggested the girl be Latina and the creators ran with it, making her pan-Latina so no one would feel excluded. Latin representation on TV — then and now — has been a struggle.

The Latino Donor Collaborative’s 2024 Latinos in Media report found that Latino actors made up 9.8% of the main cast in lead, co-lead and ensemble roles in scripted shows. In non-scripted television, Latino hosts made up only 5% of host roles. That’s despite Latin people making up nearly 20% of the country.

“There were few programs at the time that featured Latina protagonists with Dora’s skin tone or features, so from that perspective, the representation is valuable,” says Erynn Masi de Casanova, head of the sociology department at the University of Cincinnati.

Dora was put in an animated world inside a computer, and the creators asked kids to help make the show better. They hired education consultants to tease out the skills Dora teaches, like spatial understanding and interpersonal. They brought in language and culture experts.

“We did it!” became her signature song.

Bilingual heroine

The series is seen in more than 150 countries and territories and translated in 32 languages on Nickelodeon channels and Paramount+. In English-speaking countries such as the United States and Australia, Dora teaches Spanish; in other markets — including the Hispanic U.S. markets — she teaches English.

Samantha Lorraine, 18, who grew up in Miami of Cuban heritage, had the Dora T-shirts and backpack. She laughs that she once even had the Dora bob.

In July, she’s starring as Dora in “Dora and the Search of Sol Dorado,” which was filmed in Colombia. “I’ve been doing my audition since day one,” she says.

“It’s an honor to be stepping into Dora’s shoes. It’s such a huge legacy,” she adds. “It’s really nice to be able to be a part of representation where it counts. And Dora is the epitome of that.”

Castillo, of the National Hispanic Media Coalition, puts Dora up there with Mickey Mouse in terms of an instantly recognized cultural character and says she’s relevant more than ever.

“We need more Doras,” she says. “If people were just open to being educated in other people’s languages and cultures and beliefs and not see it as a threat, we wouldn’t be in the situation that we’re in this country and the world.”

Although Nintendo no longer produces the most cutting-edge video game systems, the company has always had the most powerful ideas. That’s how it has thrived in an era where it competes against tech behemoths Microsoft and Sony.

Since 2002, it has found a way to stay ahead of the game with prescient decisions that allowed it to zig while everyone else zagged. Nintendo bet on novel control schemes for the Nintendo DS and Wii so that it could capitalize on fun and immersion despite lacking the horsepower of its peers.

With the Switch, Nintendo merged mobile and console lines, foreseeing an era when gaming will become ubiquitous and time even more precious. Netflix, Twitch and smartphone games all vie for consumers’ attention, and though the original Switch was strong enough in 2017 to compete with the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, it was showing its age by 2022.

A NEED FOR MORE POWER

The problem was that developers needed a bigger canvas, and the Switch’s limitations had troubling accommodating those ambitions. That changes with the Nintendo Switch 2. Although the system launches with more than 20 titles, it’s the backward compatibility that makes the system so immediately intriguing.

Modern classics such as “The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild” and flawed titles such as the latest open-world “Pokemon” games become more intriguing because the new hardware can handle the experience as developers intended. It’s akin to growing up with “Star Wars” on VHS and seeing the same movie for the first time in high-definition. The jump in quality is immediately evident and makes titles that were arduous to play easier on the eyes and limited play time.

“You’ve got better processing power, you have improved visual performance,” said Devon Pritchard, a Nintendo of America vice president during a launch event at the Nintendo San Francisco store. She also mentioned Game Chat, a new feature that offers a dedicated way to communicate with friends while playing through voice and a camera. The Switch 2 supports a variety of webcams though users may need a USB-C adapter.

That’s a change for Nintendo, which has had a lackluster history with online gaming. It has always thrown up obstacles and crafted makeshift solutions to internet play, but its latest approach shows more dedication to a feature that Sony and Microsoft has already mastered. It’s uncertain if this is more of a gimmick that will be forgotten or a key pillar of the system and Nintendo titles in the future. It’s uncharted territory for a company that built its reputation on stellar single-player and couch co-op games.

MORE TRICKS UP SWITCH’S SLEEVE

The same could be said about the new features on the Joy-Con 2 controllers. The new devices lock in and come out much more easily, using powerful magnets. They also have optical sensors on one side and can act as a mouse. The feature works amazingly well on games such as “Sid Meier’s Civilization VII.”

The control scheme opens another avenue for fun, and it has the profound potential of opening up the console to more genres of gaming such as the real-time strategy game. It works surprisingly well on the arm of a sofa and it’s serviceable on slower-paced genres like strategy games. Nintendo could also come up with inventive ways to use other aspects of the Joy-Con 2 as it did with projects such as the “Nintendo Labo” series.

When it comes to hardware, the Switch 2 is a behemoth of a portable console. With controllers attached, the system weighs 534 grams, or a little over 1 pound. That’s hefty and tired out my hands and arms. The enormous size supports a 7.9-inch LCD touchscreen that outputs a 1080p resolution and supports 120 Hz refresh rate for smooth frame rates and high dynamic range for more detailed colors. The Switch 2 also supports 4K televisions when docked.

I pushed the system through countless games of “Mario Kart World,” and the battery life lasted about four hours. That’s on par with the lower estimate of the original Switch’s battery life. For those who travel, it’s a system that benefits from a portable battery, especially now that it has 2 USB-C ports, one on the top and another on the bottom. Everything has a sturdier build quality with touches that make it more refined design-wise.

But again, the Switch 2’s biggest strength is its backward compatibility. That means players won’t have to purchase old games so they can play them on the new system (though they may have to pay a fee for an upgraded version to take advantage of the new specs). Original Switch games work straight out of the box once players transfer data from the old one to the newer hardware. That continuity extends to the interface that players will have no problem navigating. The Switch 2 can even use the old Pro Controllers, original Joy-Cons and other third-party accessories from the previous system.

PRICE POINT

At $449 for the core system or $499 with the “Mario Kart World” bundle, Nintendo is charging a lot. Despite President Donald Trump’s tariffs altering the prices of accessories, Nintendo stuck with the price they announced before the global trade war.

“For Nintendo, we really think about how we can provide a price that allows consumers to enter and play a Nintendo Switch 2,” Pritchard said. “And so for us, we’ve really focused on the fact that maintaining the Nintendo Switch 2 to the price we announced prior to the tariff taking effect has been an important priority.”

Despite the steep price, it’s worth it for gamers who know that Nintendo’s strength lies in its ideas. The Switch has spawned a slew of PC-powered machines inspired by the same concept, including an upcoming Xbox take. The one element that machines can’t clone is Nintendo’s video game craftsmanship and its stable of franchises that are among the biggest in the world.

Nintendo has pride itself on being able to delight audiences, and though it may not have the deepest launch lineup, its current Switch library and classic ones available through the Nintendo Switch Online service will keep fans smiling until a new generation adventures come out.

“I was talking about how sensitive I am and how I was feeling all these feelings,” the 27-year-old singer and songwriter recalls, “and she was like, ‘You have yet to describe a feeling to me — everything you’ve described is a thought.’” McRae’s eyes widen behind her stylish glasses. “That destroyed me. She said, ‘Feelings are in your body. Thoughts are in your head.’

“This was like six years ago, and I think about it constantly.”

A proudly bookish Los Angeles native whose academic ambitions took her to the competitive Harvard-Westlake School, McRae wrote her first song at around age 8; by the time she was a teenager, music had become her way to cope with the cruelty of the world. Yet when she looks back at the stuff she wrote when she was younger, what strikes her isn’t that it was too raw — it’s that it wasn’t raw enough.

“I think I was trying to intellectualize my feelings to get away from being vulnerable,” she says. “Now I know there’s room for both — there’s a way to be intellectually rigorous about my sensitivity.”

Indeed, there is, as McRae demonstrates on her knockout sophomore album, “I Don’t Know How but They Found Me!” Released in April by the respected indie label Dead Oceans (whose other acts include Mitski and Phoebe Bridgers), the LP documents the dissolution of two romantic relationships in gleaming acoustic pop songs that use gut-punch emotional detail to ponder complicated ideas of gender, privilege and abuse.

In “Massachusetts,” a snippet of which blew up when she posted it on TikTok in 2023, she captures the private universe she shared with an ex, while “Let Me Be Wrong” thrums with an overachiever’s desperation: “Something twisted in my chest says I’m good but not the best,” she sings, the rhyme so neat that you can almost see her awaiting the listener’s approving nod.

“I Can Change Him” is an unsparing account of the narrator’s savior complex that McRae was tempted to leave off the album until her team convinced her otherwise.

“I think of myself as an evolved and self-actualized woman,” she says with a laugh. “So the admission that I thought it would be my love that transforms this person — I mean, it’s super embarrassing.”

Then there’s “Savannah,” which lays out the lasting damage left behind after a breakup, and the chilling “Daffodils,” in which McRae sings about a guy who “steals base while I sleep.”

McRae’s songs don’t flinch from trauma, but they can also be very funny. “I’d like to blame the drugs,” she sings, longing for toxic old comforts in a song called “I Don’t Do Drugs.” And here’s how she brings the guy in “I Can Change Him” to life in just a few lines:

Same old eight -dollar cologne

Same old he can’t be alone

Same old cigarettes he rolls

Same old Cozmo’s “Plastic Soul”

Asked whether she’d rather make someone laugh or cry, McRae needs no time to think. “I’m always proud when I make someone cry,” she says as she sits on a park bench in Silver Lake on a recent afternoon. “But more important to me than being the sad girl is that I’m funny — that’s way more important to my identity.” She smiles.

“I’ve definitely made dark jokes where people are like, ‘That’s horrible that you think you can joke about that,’ ” she says. “I’m like, ‘It’s my thing — the sad thing happened to me.’ “

McRae’s music has attracted some famous fans. In 2024, she opened for Noah Kahan on tour, and she recently jammed with Justin Bieber at his place after the former teen idol reached out on Instagram with kind words about “Massachusetts.” Last month, McRae — a graduate of USC’s Thornton School of Music — played a pair of packed hometown shows at the El Rey, where she introduced “Savannah” by telling the crowd, “You are not defined by the worst thing that ever happened to you.”

“Jensen is extremely … if I say the word ‘gifted,’ you’ll be like, ‘OK’ — but she truly is a gifted individual,” says Patrice Rushen, the veteran jazz and R&B musician who mentored McRae as chair of the Thornton School’s popular music program. (Among the classics McRae learned to perform during her studies was Rushen’s 1982 “Forget Me Nots.”) Rushen praises the depth and precision of McRae’s songwriting and “her ability to see beyond what’s right in front of her and to find just the right word or texture in her storytelling.”

“I adored her as a student,” Rushen adds.

McRae was born in Santa Monica and grew up in Woodland Hills in a tight-knit family; her dad is Black and her mom is Jewish, and she has two brothers — the older of whom is her business manager, the younger of whom plays keyboard in her road band.

The singer describes herself as both a goody two-shoes and a teacher’s pet, which she affectionately blames on her father, a lawyer who went to UCLA and Harvard Law School. “He was born in 1965 — his birth certificate says ‘Negro’ on it, which is crazy,” she says. “His whole life, it was: ‘You have to be twice as good to get half as far.’ And even though I was born in the ’90s, that was still kind of instilled in us.

“Especially being at Harvard-Westlake,” she adds. “I was one of the few Black kids, and I didn’t want to be underestimated. Now, I find being underestimated kind of funny because I have so much confidence in my own ability that when someone thinks I’m not gifted in whatever way, I’m like, ‘Oh, you’ll find out you’re wrong soon enough.’ “

Having absorbed the songwriting fundamentals of James Taylor, Sara Bareilles and Taylor Swift, McRae entered USC in 2015 and played her first gig — “the first one that wasn’t a school talent show,” she clarifies — at L.A.’s Hotel Cafe after her freshman year.

“I don’t know if my mom knows this, but I told her not to come,” she recalls with a laugh. “I was like, ‘I’m 18 — I’m grown up now — and I’m gonna be hanging with all these cool people.’ ” In fact, her audience that night consisted of only the bartender and the other acts on the bill.

Her creative breakthrough came when she wrote her song “White Boy” when she was 20. It’s about feeling invisible, and McRae knew she’d achieved something because “when I finished it, I was like, ‘I can never play this in front of anyone.’” A few years later, during the COVID-19 pandemic, she fired off a jokey tweet imagining that Bridgers would soon write a song about “hooking up in the car while waiting in line to get vaccinated at dodger stadium”; the post went viral, racking up shares from thousands of people, including Bridgers.

“I had to put my phone in a drawer because it was buzzing so much,” says McRae, who ended up writing the song herself and calling it “Immune.”

For “I Don’t Know How but They Found Me!” — the title borrows a line of dialogue from “Back to the Future” — McRae sought a lusher sound than she got on her folky 2022 debut; she recorded the album in North Carolina with the producer Brad Cook, who’s also worked with Bon Iver and Waxahatchee and who helped fill out the songs with appealing traces of turn-of-the-millennium pop by Avril Lavigne and Ashlee Simpson.

As a singer, McRae can expertly control the sob in her voice, as in “Tuesday,” a stark piano ballad about a betrayal made all the more painful by how little it meant to the traitor. At the El Rey, McRae doubled down on that theme in a florid yet intimate rendition of “I Can’t Make You Love Me,” the Mike Reid/Allen Shamblin tune that Bonnie Raitt turned into one of pop’s greatest anthems of dejection.

What did McRae learn about songwriting at USC? She mentions a technique called “toggling,” which one professor illustrated using John Mayer’s “Why Georgia.”

“The first line is, ‘I’m driving up ‘85 in the kind of morning that lasts all afternoon,’” McRae says. “That’s a description of the outside world. Then the next line is, ‘I’m just stuck inside the gloom,’ toggling back to the internal emotion. That’s something I pay attention to now. If I’m writing a verse, I’ll do scene-setting, scene-setting, scene-setting, then how do I feel about it?”

McRae is particularly good at dropping the listener into a scenario, as in “Savannah,” which starts: “There is an intersection in your college town with your name on it.” To get to that kind of intriguing specificity, she’ll sometimes write six or eight lines of a verse, to discard the first few — “Those are often just filler words,” she says — and “rearrange the rest so that whatever I had at the end goes at the top. Now I have to beat that.”

For all her craft, McRae knows that songwriting is just one of the skills required of any aspiring pop star. She loves performing on the road, though touring has become “physically punishing,” as she puts it, since she was diagnosed a few years ago with a thyroid condition and chronic hives, both of which have led to a severely restricted diet. She recently posted a TikTok in which she detailed her regimen of medications — one attempt, she says, to bring some visibility to the topic of chronic illness. (That said, McRae admits to being unsettled by the DM she received the other day from a fan who recognized her at her allergist’s office: “They’re like, ‘Hey, I saw you — I was going in to get my shots too.’ “)

McRae views social media more broadly as “a factory that I clock into and clock out of.” She’s well aware that it’s what enabled her to start building an audience. And she’s hardly anti-phone.

“I love being on my phone,” she says. “I literally was born in the right generation. But when it comes to constantly looking at images of myself, that’s my business card or my portfolio — it’s not actually me, the human being.”

In January, she deleted TikTok during the brief outage related to President Trump’s ban of the app. “Then, of course, it came back right away, but I couldn’t re-download it. So for a month I didn’t have TikTok. As it turns out, I was fine.”

Arguably better?

“Probably, yeah. I’m back on it now, obviously, because I have to do promo. At first I thought it was the loudest, most overstimulating thing in the world — I couldn’t believe I used it. Then after a week, I was like, oh yeah, no, I’m reacclimated.”

Damson Idris was trying to tune out the noise, but that’s a little difficult at a Formula One race.

The British-Nigerian actor was in the zone, in character, filming the high-octane summer movie “F1” with Brad Pitt at some of the world’s most famous racetracks. While Idris’ profile has been rising in recent years, after six seasons starring in the FX series “Snowfall,” there’s nothing like being next to globally famous Formula One drivers and a Hollywood megastar to put things into perspective. He was pretty sure he was going to coast under the radar.

Then he started hearing not just his own name from fans in the crowd but “Franklin Saint,” too, the name of his drug kingpin character on “Snowfall.”

“It’s funny, because I see myself as a young actor who nobody knows,” Idris, 33, said in a recent interview with The Associated Press.

Revving up to the next level

Anonymity may already be a thing of the past for Idris, though. In May, he made a splash at the Met Gala, arriving in a full racing suit (branded with “F1’s” fictional team name APXGP) and a Swarovski crystal-studded helmet that he and two ushers removed to reveal a second look underneath. The boldness and theatricality of the stunt made it one of the most talked about moments at an event where everyone is trying to stand out.

And things are poised to rev up even more when “F1” opens globally Friday. Speeding into theaters on a wave of great reviews and the promise of a “Top Gun: Maverick”-style spectacle, filmmaker Joseph Kosinski is pretty sure Idris is going to start hearing people shout “Joshua Pearce” at him too.

That’s the name of Idris’ character, the hotshot rookie driver of the worst team on the circuit who’s desperate to prove himself and hang on to one of the coveted seats.

“I’m very excited for people to see him own this character and go toe to toe with a giant movie star,” Kosinski said. “I think he can do anything. He’s just super talented, and I feel like I’m lucky to see him at the beginning of what’s going to be a pretty stratospheric launch.”

Idris tries to seek out projects that challenge him and characters who are as different as possible — from each other and, especially, from him. Joshua Pearce fit the bill in a moment when he was preparing to say goodbye to Franklin Saint. After he read the “F1” script, the character even infiltrated his dreams.

“I said to myself, ‘Man, no one’s going to be able to play this part like I will.’ I remember writing Joe (Kosinski) a letter and telling him that,” Idris said. “When we finally jumped in the cars for the first time, I was hooked. I was like, ‘Yep this movie’s mine. It’s no one else’s and I can’t wait to give my all to it.’ And that’s exactly what I did.”

Giving it his all at 180 mph

“F1” wouldn’t just require playing a part. Both he and Pitt had to learn how to drive the cars at speeds of up to 180 mph. It took months of training behind the wheel the supervision of stunt drivers Luciano Bacheta and Craig Dolby, as well as physical training to adapt to the G-forces they’d feel in the car.

When it came time to film, which they did with special cameras attached to the cars, sometimes they were driving during breaks at real races with hundreds of thousands of spectators around. Every time you see Idris’ or Pitt’s face in the car, Kosinski said, they’re really driving that car.

“It’s so insane. It’s actually quicker in real life and it looks really fast on the screen,” Idris said. “In a split second, a decision could be really detrimental. But I couldn’t imagine doing this movie any other way. If it was on green screen, you’d be able to tell.”

There’s a bit of art-meets-life symmetry wrapped up in “F1,” in which an up-and-comer teams up with a veteran. In the film, it’s a reluctant pairing of two alphas. The mentorship is fraught, the lessons are hard-earned and the competition is not exactly friendly. Unlike Joshua, Idris is more than willing to get advice from those around him, whether it’s producers like Jerry Bruckheimer and Jeremy Kleiner, his director Kosinski, or his co-stars, from Pitt to Javier Bardem.

“I speak to them every day and I ask for advice,” he said. “The main focus is on stories, playing characters that I can be proud of and range. That’s everything I’m setting out to do in this career.”

Acting was not always the goal for Idris. Like many kids in South London, he once dreamed of being a soccer player. Sure, the idea of being a renowned athlete held some appeal, but he also loved the sheer discipline it required. Then, at age 18, he realized he’d never be as great as Lionel Messi.

“When I see him one day, hopefully I’m blessed to meet him, I’m going to tell him that he’s the reason why I quit football, because he was so good,” he said. “Wonderfully, acting is a subjective industry, so I can at least cheat my way into working with Brad Pitt.”

Cheating is, of course, a bit of cheeky hyperbole for an actor who studied drama at university and continued training at London’s Identity School of Acting afterward. Since he made his stage debut in Ade Solanke’s “Pandora’s Box” over 10 years ago, Idris has been hitting the pavement like the rest of his peers. And he’s just getting started.

What’s next for Damson Idris

Idris recently wrapped filming the Tomi Adeyemi adaptation “Children of Bone and Blood” in Cape Town, South Africa. Directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood, Idris plays Prince Inan in the African fantasy that co-stars Viola Davis, Cynthia Erivo, Chiwetel Ejiofor and Idris’ idol and real-life mentor Idris Elba.

“It’s not just a namesake,” Idris said. “I feel so blessed to be able to say that I’m like his little brother and I can call him and get advice.”

Next up, Idris will prepare to portray Miles Davis in Bill Pohlad’s “Miles & Juliette,” about the jazz legend’s romance with French singer Juliette Gréco. He’s also founded a fine jewelry line, named Didris, inspired by his mother, and is getting into producing as well — his production company has a deal with FX Networks and wants to make opportunities for emerging talents.

And like his character in “F1,” Idris is learning to block out the noise. He knows that a film career is a long journey and there will be ups and downs.

“It’s a huge moment, but I’m fortunate to have so many people in my life that keep me grounded,” Idris said. “I’ve soaked in information from people I admire who say the same thing during these higher moments: Pinch yourself, stay grounded, remember where you came from.

“That’s exactly how I’m walking through this portal and into these next couple of years. I’m excited, I’m humbled, I am blessed and I can’t wait to see what the future brings.”

The season of illegal fireworks has already begun and will hit full boom this week, prompting our annual plea: If you absolutely feel you must set off explosives, especially the airborne variety, be courteous and responsible.

We say illegal because, at least in Wilkes-Barre, a city ordinance essentially bans most fireworks by logically requiring a minimum distance of 150 feet from any building. In a municipality as densely populated as the Diamond City, there is no place you can actually safely set off any aerial displays.

This, sadly, does not stop enough people from shooting things off in their back yards, an action that pointlessly puts others at risk from fires started by stray sparks or damage or injury due to misfired rockets.

But the hazards go beyond such obvious concerns. Loud, unexpected noises can trigger attacks of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder in veterans. They can scare pets and frighten children. They can disrupt the sleep of people who may desperately need it because, by day, they do mission-critical work at hospitals or as emergency responders.

This is true even of “ground-based fireworks” that make loud noises without the risks of flying sparks.

It may seem like ancient history, but we offer a brief recap of how things went from bad to worse in the Keystone State. People have long shot off fireworks unsafely in our area despite the option of professional displays offered throughout the region. But state lawmakers made things much more dangerous in 2017 with the passage of a law making “consumer fireworks” legal. People no longer had to cross the border and smuggle the stuff in, they could get the goods practically in their own back yards.

The move was clearly intended to raise bucks the state felt it was losing out on: Lawmakers levied an 18% tax on fireworks sales, 12% higher than the statewide sales tax of 6%. But apparently, Harrisburg either figured out the dangers it had unleashed or got a big enough earful of criticism to back up the truck.

In 2022, the state modified the law to allow municipalities to ban setting off fireworks within 150 feet of inhabited buildings. Wilkes-Barre quickly passed such an ordinance, and it did seem to help reduce the number of endless explosions reverberating for weeks throughout Wyoming Valley. Reduce, but not eliminate.

To quote a 2021 editorial on this topic: ‘We doubt people so disrespectful of the law, disinterested in the safety of their own neighborhood, and so insensitive to the actual neighbors read editorials, but we keep trying.”

And we’re trying again now. Please, if you must set off fireworks, avoid airborne variations. Please be considerate and end your personal noise and light show by 11 p.m. or so. Please limit your celebration to one or two nights (valley residents have already been subject to a week or more of pre-July 4 booms). And please make the best choice of all: Go to a professional display and enjoy the offerings of others. This will save you money, keep yourself and your neighbors safe, and avoid making you a law-breaker.

And who knows, you may be offering a lesson in caring for others that could eventually be repaid to you.

Marie Rahill celebrated her 105th birthday with a party Thursday afternoon at The Meadows in Dallas, where she is a resident.

Family members who joined her at her table were her daughter and son-in-law Marjorie and Albert Dellarte of Beaumont and her son and daughter-in-law Daniel and Patricia Klein of Evans Falls.

Wearing a crown and a sash that identified her as the “Birthday Girl,” Mrs. Rahill listened as entertainer Jim Weis sang such old-time songs as “Irene, Goodnight” and “I’ll Fly Away.”

Mrs. Rahill is the Meadows’ oldest restident, activities director Laura Wingard said as she passed out slices of cake to a recreation room full of residents.

Her adult children remember the Birthday Girl’s love of music and dancing, including how she and her late husband, Frank Rahill, enjoyed being members of The Polka Jets.

“She was a polka nut,” Mrs. Rahill’s son Daniel said.

— Mary Therese Biebel

Diamonds to Wyoming Seminary and the YMCA for teaming to offer Summer at Sem, Explorations with the Y, a 3-week program that drew 113 youngsters to Sem’s Lower School Campus in Forty Fort for a wide array of science and learning expertly disguised as fun — oh, and some stuff that was just plain fun. Children learned the best way to make homemade bubble solutions, program LEGO robotics, and practice photography, among many other activities. Our area is blessed with many such opportunities for students of varying age groups throughout the year, but summer versions give parents a break, while letting kids socialize, learn, burn off energy and, well, get to enjoy childhood. Sem has been doing this since the 1990s, but joining with the Y opened the doors to students from other schools. Camp Director Sara Hargadon Michaels put it nicely when she said “It’s a beautiful partnership.” May we see many more like it.

Coal to the three men police say crashed a stolen vehicle that resulted in the closure of one interstate and partial closure of another. Two men, both 18, allegedly stole a Buick in Beaver Meadows, Carbon County, and eventually picked up a third man, 21. After it was reported stolen, a Mahanoy City (Schuylkill County) police officer came across the Buick, and a pursuit began, heading north on I-81. The chase ended when the vehicle crashed on the on-ramp to I-80, with the alleged perpetrators found hiding nearby shortly after the crash. The theft was stupid, the car chase dangerous, and the fact that they managed to crash at a location that impacted traffic on two interstates is almost astounding. We repeat an old suggestion for all criminals in cars: Once the police are onto you, just surrender. It’s one thing to endanger yourself, it’s an entirely different thing to endanger others on the road with you.

Diamonds to the return of the Noxen Rattlesnake Roundup, which, of course, involves much more than snakes. The four-day event included live music, educational displays, food, rides, and other family-friendly activities, including a big fireworks finale. Yes, snake wrangling is part of it, and according to the Noxen Volunteer Fire Co. Facebook page, this year’s participants rounded up 45 rattlers, 6 copperheads and 43 non-venomous. But the really important part of that last sentence is the bit about the volunteer fire company. This is their biggest fundraiser each year, and keeping volunteer companies in action with updated equipment is as essential as it is costly. Kudos to all those who helped make this another success, and we encourage everyone to support volunteer companies in their areas.

Coal to another one of those days that just pile up the troubling news in our pages. Tuesday’s paper included a story about a Plymouth man who pleaded guilty to physical and sexual assault offenses from a 2019 case that had several startling turns leading to a new trial. The same page had a report on a former Hazleton man pleading guilty to child sex offenses, a Fairmount Township man pleading guilty to corruption of a minor, and a couple being charged with child endangerment after two children were found in a Plymouth residence full of garbage. Heavy sigh.

NEW YORK — A sheer dress silhouetting a black body suit, Usher’s signature crowd interaction and a tweet from her child’s father: that concoction created a nearly two-week social media frenzy starring Keke Palmer back in 2023. Now, the multi-hyphenate creative has channeled that experience into her new album, “Just Keke.”

“It was tough … I didn’t even realize I was in such grief,” said the 31-year-old about the fallout of her extremely public breakup with her ex, Darius Jackson. “I get to put that same emotion into a song, and I get tell those people that’s been watching me since I was nine … what’s going on in a way that it can translate.”

Following 2023’s “Big Boss,” her third solo studio project, out now, is an 18-track visual album conceptualized and directed by Palmer and her team. Tayla Parx, who’s written for Alicia Keys, Justin Bieber and Dua Lipa, handled the bulk of the writing and executive produced with Palmer. The storyline follows Palmer musically navigating celebrity, motherhood and self-reflection. But her vulnerability about her well-publicized relationship drama is the album’s throughline.

“That’s what artistry is … mine is about transmutation, it’s about bringing closure,” said Palmer, who’s usually mum about her romantic relationships. “I have to address something that I would never address, especially nothing on an intimate level — that’s just so not me. But I knew that I had to because now that it’s become public, it’s become a part of my work, and I have to respond to it as such. And that just caused me to have to grow.”

While attending Usher’s popular Las Vegas residency in 2023, the Emmy winner danced closely with the music icon during his routine audience interaction segment. Social videos of the interaction prompted a viral tweet from Jackson, her ex-boyfriend and child’s father, criticizing her attire, writing, “It’s the outfit tho.. you a mom.”

While he was quickly admonished online, the conversation eventually moved beyond social media to articles and think pieces tackling subjects ranging from patriarchy, women’s attire, and having children before marriage.

Standout tracks on “Just Keke” include “My Confession” — a tongue-in-cheek interpolation of Usher’s hit “Confessions, Pt. II” — as well as the previously released “125 Degrees” and “Off Script.” She passionately belts out her love on the ballad “Unless It’s You,” while “Misunderstood” finds her asking, “Don’t you see me throwing out a lifeline? / You too busy pinning me the bad guy / Maybe we ain’t doing what we should / or maybe we’re just misunderstood.”

“What the project, I think, speaks to as well is just like reclamation,” said the “Nope” star, admitting the album could reignite criticism about her personal life. “I’m just Keke, hate it or love it. This is me, this is my story, this is how I see things, I see my life … the whole point of it, too, is making peace with just saying what you got to say and letting it be that.”

While Palmer’s mic is still hot, she’s extremely booked and busy on Hollywood lots: a sequel to “One of Them Days,” and she stars with Eddie Murphy and Pete Davidson in “The Pickup” from Prime Video in August. The “Akeelah and the Bee” actor will lead Peacock’s upcoming TV adaptation of Mel Brook’s “The ’Burbs,” and she’ll join the team on “Spaceballs 2” with original stars Bill Pullman and Rick Moranis, the latter a reclusive ‘80s and ’90s star who’s since largely stayed out of Hollywood.

Palmer says she’ll judge the success of “Just Keke” not necessarily by sales or Billboard charts, but by potential opportunities that arise, whether it’s creating and directing visual albums for other artists, helming her own musical and comedic variety show, or even embarking on her own world tour.

“It could look like so many things, and I’m open to all of them,” said Palmer. “As long as I know that I put my all into this, I know I can’t lose.”

Most movies are lucky to predict one thing. Danny Boyle’s 2002 dystopian thriller “28 Days Later” managed to be on the cutting edge of two trends, albeit rather disparate ones: global pandemic and fleet-footed zombies.

Add in Cillian Murphy, who had his breakout role in that film, and “28 Days Later” was unusually prognostic. While many of us were following the beginnings of the Afghanistan War and “American Idol,” Boyle and screenwriter Alex Garland were probing the the fragile fabric of society, and the potentially very quick way, indeed, horror might come our way.

Boyle always maintained that his undead — a far speedier variety of the slow-stepping monsters of George A. Romero’s “The Night of Living Dad” — weren’t zombies, at all, but were simply the infected. In that film, and its 2007 sequel “28 Weeks Later” (which Juan Carlos Fresnadillo helmed), the filmmakers have followed the fallout of the so-called rage virus, which emptied London in the first film and brought soon-dashed hopes of the virus’ eradication in the second movie.

Like the virus, the “28 Days Later” franchise has proven tough to beat back. In the new “28 Years Later,” Boyle and Garland return to their apocalyptic pandemic with the benefit of now having lived through one. But recent history plays a surprisingly minor role in this far-from-typical, willfully shambolic, intensely scattershot part three.

The usual trend of franchises is to progressively add gloss and scale. But where other franchises might have gone global, “28 Years Later” has remained in the U.K., now a quarantine region where the infected roam free and survivors — or at least the ones we follow — cluster on an island off the northeast of Britain, connected to mainland by only a stone causeway that dips below the water at high tide.

Boyle and cinematographer Anthony Dod Mantle, who innovatively employed digital video in “28 Days Later,” have also turned to iPhones to shoot the majority of the film. Boyle, the “Slumdog Millionaire,” “Trainspotting” filmmaker, is an especially frenetic director to begin with, but “28 Years Later” is frequently gratingly disjointed.

It’s a visual approach that, taken with the story’s tonal extremes, makes “28 Years Later” an often bumpy ride. But even when Boyle’s film struggles to put the pieces together, there’s an admirable resistance to being anything like a cardboard cutout summer movie.

The recent event that hovers over “28 Years Later” is less the COVID-19 pandemic than Brexit. With the virus quarantined on Britain, the country has been severed from the European continent. On the secluded Holy Island, 12-year-old Spike (Alfie Williams, a newcomer with some sweetness and pluck) lives with his hunter father, Jamie (Aaron Taylor-Johnson), and bedridden mother, Isla (Jodie Comer).

The scene, with makeshift watchtowers and bows and arrows for weapons, is almost medieval. Jamie, too, feels almost like a knight eager to induct his son into the village’s ways of survival. On Spike’s first trip out off the island, his father — nauseatingly jocular — helps him kill his first infected. Back inside the village walls, Jamie celebrates their near scrapes and exaggerates his son’s coolness under pressure. Other developments cause Spike to question the macho world he’s being raised in.

“They’re all lyin’, mum,” he says to his mother.

After hearing of a far-off, supposedly deranged doctor whose constant fires mystify the townspeople, Spike resolves to take his mother to him in hopes of healing her unknown illness. Their encounters along the way are colorful. Ralph Fiennes plays the doctor, orange-colored when they encounter him; Edvin Ryding plays a Swedish NATO soldier whose patrol boat crashed offshore. Meanwhile, Comer is almost comically delusional, frequently calling her son “Daddy.”

And the infected? One development here is that, while some remain Olympic-worthy sprinters, other slothful ones nicknamed “Slow-Lows” crawl around on the ground, rummaging for worms.

Buried in here are some tender reflections on mortality and misguided exceptionalism, and even the hint of those ideas make “28 Years Later” a more thoughtful movie than you’re likely to find at the multiplex this time of year. This is an unusually soulful coming-of-age movie considering the number of spinal cords that get ripped right of bodies.

It’s enough to make you admire the stubborn persistence of Boyle in these films, which he’s already extending. The already-shot “28 Days Later: The Bone Temple” is coming next near, from director Nia DaCosta, while Boyle hopes “28 Years Later” is the start of trilogy. Infection and rage, it turns out, are just too well suited to our times to stop now.

“28 Years Later,” a Sony Pictures release, is rated R by the Motion Picture Association for strong bloody violence, grisly images, graphic nudity, language and brief sexuality. Running time: 115 minutes. Two stars out of four.

LONDON — Festival season can be surprisingly physically demanding. Hours spent standing, walking or dancing can put extra strain on the heart, especially for those with preexisting conditions such as heart disease, high blood pressure or diabetes, explains Gosia Wamil, M.D., Ph.D., a cardiologist at Mayo Clinic Healthcare in London.

For people with heart failure, this can lead to shortness of breath or a worsening of symptoms. For those with coronary artery disease, in which the major vessels that supply blood to your heart become narrowed or blocked, sudden intense activity can trigger chest pain or even a heart attack, Dr. Wamil says.

“Key warning signs of heart distress at festivals include chest pain or pressure, shortness of breath, dizziness, nausea, cold sweats, or fainting,” Dr. Wamil adds. “These symptoms should never be ignored, and immediate medical help should be sought if they occur.”

Noise exposure at outdoor concerts, carnivals and other events also can affect heart health.

“Short-term, loud noise can trigger the body’s ‘fight or flight’ response, raising blood pressure and heart rate,” Dr. Wamil says. “Long-term, chronic noise exposure has been shown to increase the risk of high blood pressure and heart disease.”

Overindulging in alcohol, caffeine or salty food poses another serious risk. It can trigger holiday heart syndrome, in which even healthy individuals develop an irregular heartbeat, or atrial fibrillation, Dr. Wamil says.

“Alcohol is a direct toxin to the heart muscle and can cause a sudden rise in blood pressure,” she explains. “For those with existing heart conditions, binge drinking can trigger heart failure or even a heart attack.”

People with diabetes or heart disease should plan ahead when attending festivals and other events, advises Dr. Wamil, who specializes in the link between diabetes and heart disease. It’s important to take medications on time, bring medical identification and carry essential supplies, such as snacks, water and a list of medications.

Keeping blood sugar stable with healthy food choices and staying hydrated can help prevent complications. Comfortable shoes and regular rest breaks are also key, especially for those with neuropathy or fatigue.

“If you have a heart condition or other serious medical issue, staying near the edge of crowds is a sensible precaution. It allows quicker access to medical help and an easier way out if needed,” Dr. Wamil suggests. “Crowded environments can lead to overheating, anxiety or unexpected physical exertion, so choosing a shaded, quieter area can reduce risk.”

For everyone, staying healthy during festival season means hydrating often, especially with water, and seeking out shade on hot days.

“Try to balance fun with rest, and include healthy foods when possible,” Dr. Wamil says. “Protect yourself from the sun, pace your activities, and keep your phone charged in case of emergencies.”

BEERSHEBA, Israel — As Israel and Iran exchanged more attacks on Thursday, U.S. President Donald Trump sought to keep open the door to diplomacy on Tehran’s nuclear program, saying he would make up his mind within two weeks on whether the U.S. military will get directly involved in the conflict.

“Based on the fact that there’s a substantial chance of negotiations that may or may not take place with Iran in the near future, I will make my decision whether or not to go within the next two weeks,” Karoline Leavitt, the White House press secretary, told reporters, reading out Trump’s statement.

Trump has been weighing whether to attack Iran by striking its well-defended Fordo uranium enrichment facility, which is buried under a mountain and widely considered to be out of reach of all but America’s “bunker-buster” bombs.

Earlier in the day, Israel’s defense minister threatened Iran’s supreme leader after Iranian missiles crashed into a major hospital in southern Israel and hit residential buildings near Tel Aviv, wounding at least 240 people. As rescuers wheeled patients out of the smoldering hospital, Israeli warplanes launched their latest attack on Iran’s nuclear program.

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz blamed Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei for Thursday’s barrage and said the military “has been instructed and knows that in order to achieve all of its goals, this man absolutely should not continue to exist.”

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he trusted that Trump would “do what’s best for America.”

“I can tell you that they’re already helping a lot,” Netanyahu said from the rubble and shattered glass around the Soroka Medical Center in Israel’s southern city of Beersheba.

The open conflict between Israel and Iran erupted last Friday with a surprise wave of Israeli airstrikes targeting nuclear and military sites, top generals and nuclear scientists. At least 639 people, including 263 civilians, have been killed in Iran and more than 1,300 wounded, according to a Washington-based Iranian human rights group.

Iran has retaliated by firing hundreds of missiles and drones, killing at least 24 people in Israel and wounding hundreds.

More than 200 wounded, including dozens in the hospital strike

At least 240 people were wounded by the latest Iranian attack on Israel, including 80 patients and medical workers wounded in the strike on the Soroka Medical Center. The vast majority were lightly wounded, as much of the hospital building had been evacuated in recent days.

Israel’s Home Front Command said that one of the Iranian ballistic missiles fired Thursday morning had been rigged with fragmenting cluster munitions. Rather than a conventional warhead, a cluster munition warhead carries dozens of submunitions that can explode on impact, showering small bomblets around a large area and posing major safety risks on the ground. The Israeli military did not say where that missile had been fired.

Iranian officials insisted that they had not sought to strike the hospital and claimed the attack hit a facility belonging to the Israeli military’s elite technological unit, called C4i. The website for the Gav-Yam Negev advanced technologies park, some three kilometers (2 miles) from the hospital, said C4i had a branch campus in the area.

The Israeli army did not respond to a request for comment. An Israeli military official, speaking on condition of anonymity in line with regulations, acknowledged that there was no specific intelligence that Iran had planned to target the hospital.

Many hospitals in Israel, including Soroka, had activated emergency plans in the past week. They converted parking garages to wards and transferred vulnerable patients underground.

Israel also has a fortified, subterranean blood bank that kicked into action after Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack ignited the ongoing war in the Gaza Strip.

Doctors at Soroka said that the Iranian missile struck almost immediately after air raid sirens went off, causing a loud explosion that could be heard from a safe room. The strike inflicted the greatest damage on an old surgery building and affected key infrastructure, including gas, water and air-conditioning systems, the medical center said.

The hospital, which provides services to around 1 million residents of Israel’s south, had been caring for 700 patients at the time of the attack. After the strike, the hospital closed to all patients except for life-threatening cases.

Iran has fired 450 missiles and 1,000 drones at Israel since the conflict began, according to Israeli army estimates, though most have been shot down by Israel’s multitiered air defenses.

Iran rejects calls to surrender or end its nuclear program

Iran has long maintained its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes. But it is the only non-nuclear-weapon state to enrich uranium up to 60%, a short, technical step away from weapons-grade levels of 90%.

Israel is widely believed to be the only country with a nuclear weapons program in the Middle East, but has never acknowledged the existence of its arsenal.

In the last few days the Israeli air campaign has targeted Iran’s enrichment site at Natanz, centrifuge workshops around Tehran, a nuclear site in Isfahan and what the army assesses to be most of Iran’s ballistic missile launchers. The destruction of those launchers has contributed to the steady decline in Iranian attacks since the start of the conflict.

On Thursday, anti-aircraft artillery was clearly audible across Tehran and witnesses in the central city of Isfahan reported seeing anti-aircraft fire after nightfall.

In announcing that he would take up to two more weeks to decide whether to strike Iran, President Trump opened up diplomatic options with the apparent hope Iran would make concessions after suffering major military losses.

Already, a new diplomatic initiative seemed to be underway as Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi prepared to travel Friday to Geneva for meetings with the European Union’s top diplomat, and with his counterparts from the United Kingdom, France and Germany.

But at least publicly, Iran has struck a hard line.

Iran’s supreme leader on Wednesday rejected U.S. calls for surrender and warned that any American military involvement by the Americans would cause “irreparable damage to them.”

Parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf on Thursday criticized Trump for using military pressure to gain an advantage in nuclear negotiations.

“The delusional American president knows that he cannot impose peace on us by imposing war and threatening us,” he said.

Iran agreed to redesign Arak to address nuclear concerns

Israel’s military said Thursday its fighter jets targeted the Arak heavy water reactor, some 155 miles southwest of Tehran, in order to prevent it from being used to produce plutonium.

Iranian state TV said there was “no radiation danger whatsoever” around the Arak site, which it said had been evacuated ahead of the strike.

Heavy water helps cool nuclear reactors, but it produces plutonium as a byproduct that can potentially be used in nuclear weapons. That would provide Iran another path to the bomb beyond enriched uranium, should it choose to pursue the weapon.

Iran had agreed under its 2015 nuclear deal with world powers to redesign the facility to alleviate proliferation concerns. That work was never completed.

The reactor became a point of contention after Trump withdrew from the nuclear deal in 2018. Ali Akbar Salehi, a high-ranking nuclear official in Iran, said in 2019 that Tehran bought extra parts to replace a portion of the reactor that it had poured concrete into under the deal.

Israel said strikes were carried out “in order to prevent the reactor from being restored and used for nuclear weapons development.”

The International Atomic Energy Agency has said that due to restrictions imposed by Iran on inspectors, the U.N. nuclear watchdog has lost “continuity of knowledge” about Iran’s heavy water production — meaning it could not absolutely verify Tehran’s production and stockpile.