Most of the nation’s biggest movie theaters are either in bankruptcy protection or perilously close. What keeps them going are lawyers and snack stands-and only one of them engages in price markups that would embarrass loan sharks. Did you know that the $4.50 tub of popcorn you bought at the multiplex last night cost the theater but 17 cents? That explains why, as Hollywood studios showcase their new movies at the annual National Association of Theater Owners’ ShoWest convention in Las Vegas this week, the real drama is on the convention floor....

In a way, that’s what the TV networks are doing. Because it’s theoretically possible that the strike won’t happen-yeah, and Jerri theoretically had a chance to win “Survivor,” too-the networks are starting to put together their fall schedules. It’s tempting to call this a “dummy” schedule, which is to say a line-up the networks put down on paper even though they know they’ll never use it. But the word “dummy” seems confusing, given how that could well describe the stuff the networks throw at us for real every year....

Four years later, watching Pennsylvania put Biden over the top for good, a different thought came to mind—my daughters, now 6 and 4, might be young enough that they will hardly remember who President Trump was at all. It’s horrifying to picture the alternative. On Tuesday night, when it became clear that Trump would win Florida—and because of Dade County of all places—waves of despair were tinged by the realization that a second Trump term would carry through until my daughters’ 10th and 8th birthdays....

President Joe Biden was supposed to usher in the era of adults in charge again, after a Donald Trump presidency that saw scandal after scandal and seemed to thrive on chaos. But in the wake of a bungled withdrawal from Afghanistan that continued a slide of Biden’s poll numbers, exacerbated by the ongoing uphill battle against COVID-19 and the Delta variant, Democrats are worried about a wipeout in the midterm elections next year....

Warnings and emergency orders were in place along the East Coast from Florida to the Carolinas. And although Charlotte Motor Speedway, the site of Saturday night’s scheduled Sprint Cup race, is well inland, rain is expected. An 80 percent chance of rain on Friday, according to forecasters about 6 p.m. ET Wednesday. MORE: Ranking 12 Chase contenders | Matthew’s wide impact | Charlotte schedule Also facing a weather threat: Friday’s Xfinity Series race at Charlotte....

In the African nation of Nigeria, children are desperate for a peanut product that can save their life. It’s made from a peanut paste that comes in similar packaging to Reese’s except it’s called Plumpy’Nut. Enriched with vitamins, Plumpy’Nut is given to children who are suffering from severe malnutrition in impoverished countries. This peanut paste saves children’s lives. Children in Nigeria need Plumpy’Nut to survive as record levels of hunger are occurring there because of conflict, poverty and the impact of COVID-19....

However, in an interview published Thursday by The Texas Tribune, Texas Governor Greg Abbott defended the decision to reopen the state, saying, “All the key metrics are going in the right direction, and that is exactly why the doctors advised us that we had the green light to open up to the extent we are opening up.” Abbott’s stay-at-home order, issued on March 30, expired on Thursday when the state announced its worst day for COVID-19 deaths since mid-March....

Miles was among the more than 120 Republicans, including officials from the Reagan, Bush and Trump administrations, that joined a Zoom call to discuss the future of conservative principles. First reported by Reuters, callers discussed is how to best promote centrist conservative policies, whether that be endorsing candidates in individual races or even splintering off from the GOP and forming a third party. Taylor told Newsweek the “super, super preliminary” call was a chance to “take the temperature” of the people on it and there was “by no means a foregone conclusion we would start a party....

The bill tackles a long list of issues, including immigration and border security, clean energy, affordable housing and more. But the full wish list won’t be granted. With certain lawmakers pushing to shrink the bill, everyone involved seems to have accepted that it must be reduced to have a shot at passing. In one sense, this reduction is bad news for startups. As TechCrunch explained earlier this year, the government investments into numerous arenas “will, either directly or indirectly, be a huge boost to a number of startups and large tech companies whose hardware and software services will enable much of the work the Biden administration wants done....

Hutchinson, a Republican, was met with heckling from some members of the audience who called him a “liar,” the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reported on Saturday. Some members of the audience held up signs as the governor and Arkansas Secretary of Health, Dr. Jose Romero, spoke. Not all of the more than 100 attendees at the event, which was held at the Siloam Springs Community Building, protested the governor. Some spoke in favor of vaccinations, and raised concerns about the public health risks of COVID-19, according to the newspaper....

Deulofeu, who has impressed while on loan in Serie A from Everton, scored his first international goal in the 2-0 friendly win over France in March and has retained his place as a reward. Asensio, 21, made his Spain debut in the Euro 2016 warm-up match against Bosnia-Herzegovina last May but has not appeared for the national team since. Mourinho: No mistakes next season! Real Sociedad midfielder Asier Illarramendi is also included, as is Athletic Bilbao goalkeeper Kepa....

In an interview with Angie Martinez on her podcast, IRL, Ashanti—whose full name is Ashanti Shequoiya Douglas—reacted to recent comments Gotti made, in which he claimed that they had been in a relationship in the early 2000s. In August, the Murder Inc. Records founder and producer was a guest on the Drink Champs podcast, where he initially talked about about a sexual relationship he allegedly had with the singer when he was still married....

Manchester United’s Ashley Young banks upwards of £100,000 per week, giving him a multitude of options when dinner time rolls around, but the speedy winger admits that he still receives food packages from his deal old mother. Jerk chicken, rice and peas, all that good Jamaican stuff, Young’s favourite foods of today haven’t changed much since he was a kid - see the full interview with Man Utd’s newly appointed dressing room DJ in the video above....

Zhe Lijuan has grown fat on Chinese dumplings–so much so that she recently opted to spend a bit of the proceeds from her successful Shanghai restaurant on a short overseas holiday. Her destination: the former British colony Hong Kong, where she took in the port city’s glittering sights and purchased a $300 platinum bracelet. One highlight of her first foray out of the mainland was the 3-D Gold Tourism Exhibition Hall and its main attraction: a $7....

It’s reasonable, therefore, to associate aspirin with lowering blood pressure, as a key way of preventing heart attacks and strokes. Experts, however, link aspirin’s cardiovascular benefits primarily to its antiplatelet activity—its ability to thin the blood and make it less sticky—and not to its ability to affect blood pressure. Aspirin and Blood Pressure Overall, the research examining the link between aspirin and high blood pressure is limited and controversial. For instance, aspirin may affect blood pressure in select cases and when taken at certain times of the day....

The space rock, dubbed 2021 PT, is scheduled to make a close approach to our planet on Saturday, according to NASA’s Center for Near Earth Object Studies (CNEOS.) At 8:52 p.m. ET (5:52 p.m. PT), the asteroid will come within around three million miles of our planet, which is equivalent to around 12 times the average distance between the Earth and the moon. During its flyby, the asteroid will be traveling at roughly 16,200 miles per hour—about eight times as fast as a rifle bullet....

While Steve Bruce has assembled what looks to be a squad strong enough to challenge for promotion, new Hull boss Leonid Slutsky is tasked with picking up the pieces following the club’s relegation from the Premier League last season. CHAMPIONSHIP FIXTURES: TV SCHEDULE & OPENING WEEKEND PREVIEW Villa are heavy favourites to pick up a victory in their first outing but will be coming up against the unknown in Slutsky’s side, who enjoyed a steady pre-season campaign....

“WCOEM & WCSO are responding to a plane crash at Houston Executive Airport involving an MD-80 aircraft that was taking off from the Airport heading north,” the Waller County Office of Emergency Management tweeted. “Early reports indicate that all 19 passengers and crew safely exited the aircraft with a report of 1 injury. AVOID THE AREA.” KHOU 11 reported that only one person was taken to the hospital for a minor back injury....

Altuve tattooed a walk-off three-run home run to cap a six-run rally in the bottom of the ninth inning, giving Houston an 8-7 win at Minute Maid Park. And while the comeback was tremendous from a Houston point of view, the celebration was even better. That’s because Altuve finally showed, without hesitation, the ink on his collarbone that was supposedly so bad two years ago that it needed to be kept hidden....