Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade to be stationary due to COVID-19

The event will be taped over two days, with 75% fewer participants.

For the first time in its more than 90-year history, Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade will be a “television only special presentation.” 

The retail giant announced on Monday that the change in the traditional 2.5-mile parade route is an effort to “avoid gathering millions of spectators in person.” A majority of the show will be live but some segments will be prerecorded, as “part of our plan to socially distance our participants.”

The parade will be taped over two days, with 75% fewer participants. Masks and social distancing will be enforced, bloomberg.com reports. Local bands will perform instead of regional high-school and college marching bands.  All parade participants will be 18 years of age or older.

Read More: ‘Black Parade’ is Beyoncé’s new single and Black-owned business initiative

Additionally, “Macy’s signature giant character balloons will be flown without the traditional 80-100 handlers and instead employ an innovative, specially rigged anchor vehicle framework of five specialty vehicles tested and approved by the NYCDOT and NYPD,” the release states. 

“It will not be the same parade we’re used to. It will be a different kind of event,” New York City Mayor Bill DeBlasio said during a Monday press conference. “They’re reinventing the event for this moment in history.”

“While it will certainly look different in execution, this year’s Macy’s Parade celebration will once again serve its historical purpose – to bring joy into the hearts of millions across the nation,” said Susan Tercero, executive producer of Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.

The #MacysParade will go on! We won't be marching, but we're reimagining it into a televised-only spectacle where all your fave balloons, floats & Santa Claus *safely* make their way to you. Tune in to @NBC 9AM Thanksgiving Day & check here for updates: https://t.co/1Bo9XZMmsM pic.twitter.com/n1XgeNdRKu

— Macy's (@Macys) September 14, 2020

“Under the unique challenges of these unparalleled times, we felt it was important to continue this cherished holiday tradition that has been the opening act to the holiday season for generations of families,” said Tercero.

“New York City is always proud to join Macy’s to ring in the holiday season with New Yorkers and viewers around the world. We’ve worked closely with the Macy’s team on a safe and creative plan this year, and we look forward to keeping this tradition going on Thanksgiving Day,” said Bill de Blasio in the announcement.

The 94th Annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade will air on NBC-TV, Thursday, November 26, 2020 from 9:00 a.m. to Noon, in all time zones.

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HuffPost Reporters Call Out Platform For Not Hiring, Promoting Or Paying Journalists Of Color: 'This Is Shameful'

Members of HuffPost's union have called out the news outlet as well as its parent company Verizon for failing to hire, promote and pay people of color, according to a website created by the union. 

Enough is enough. We demand @HuffPost & @verizonmedia take action to increase diversity in our newsroom and retain our staff of color. Hire more people of color. Promote more people of color. Release pay equity data. No more platitudes and empty promises. https://t.co/0dht5Dj5wW

— HuffPost Union (@HuffPostUnion) September 14, 2020

According to Tweets from current HuffPost workers and the union website, the national news outlet -- known for its liberal-leaning coverage -- has failed to prioritize diversity and inclusion internally.  

"The HuffPost Union demands that HuffPost and Verizon Media make real commitments to hiring and promoting people of color in our newsroom," the union wrote, including a list of demands that they hope to see enacted.

"We demand that Verizon Media leaders release pay equity data to ensure, as the company claims, that they are paying our staff of color as much as their majority white peers," one demand stated. HuffPost CEO Guru Gowrappan said there is pay equity on the basis of race but the company has refused to release the data backing up their claim.

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Justice Department watchdog is probing handling of Roger Stone case

The Justice Department’s internal watchdog has opened an investigation into Attorney General William Barr’s unusual intervention in the criminal case against Roger Stone, Donald Trump’s longtime adviser.

A Justice Department spokeswoman confirmed that the agency’s Office of Inspector General is looking into Barr’s move in February to seek a lighter sentence for Stone after rank-and-file prosecutors and an acting U.S. attorney hand-picked by Barr had already submitted a recommendation of seven to nine years in prison for the conservative provocateur, who has been a political sounding board for Trump for more than two decades.

“We welcome the review,” a department spokeswoman, Kerri Kupec, said on Monday evening.

Stephanie Logan, a spokeswoman for Inspector General Michael Horowitz, declined to confirm or provide details about the scope of the inquiry, which was first reported by NBC News.

“Our general practice is to not confirm or deny the existence of any ongoing investigation,” Logan said.

Barr’s decision to overrule the line prosecutors who persuaded a jury to convict Stone on seven felony counts drew loud choruses of condemnation from Democrats and many members of the legal community, who accused the attorney general of doing a political favor for a longtime ally of the president.

Barr insisted that he stepped in only to make sure that the prosecution’s recommendation in the case was a reasonable one, given the facts. He said that the seven-to-nine-year proposal was obviously excessive under the circumstances and in view of the judge’s ultimate decision to sentence Stone to three years and four months — about half what prosecutors originally recommended.

The attorney general acknowledged that the recommendation was changed after Trump tweeted his condemnation of the original proposal, but Barr said he had told colleagues to revise the court submission before Trump weighed in.

Stone had served a few days in home confinement and was set to head to federal prison in July when Trump commuted the remainder of his sentence.

The case against Stone alleged that he sought to thwart congressional and Justice Department investigations into alleged contacts between Trump’s political supporters and WikiLeaks related to the release of email messages during the 2016 campaign. Those emails were viewed as damaging to Trump’s Democratic opponent, Hillary Clinton.

At the time of the commutation in July, Trump and Stone both vowed that his informal political counselor would continue with his appeals. The president said Stone stood a strong chance of being exonerated, but the conservative author and activist dropped his appeal last month, saying the odds of success were too remote.

Barr’s rare intervention led all four prosecutors assigned to Stone’s case to withdraw in protest, with one quitting the government altogether.

One of the prosecutors who remained in the government but dropped out of the case, Aaron Zelinsky, testified to the House Judiciary Committee in June that prior to the initial sentencing recommendation, the prosecutors came under intense political pressure to soften their recommendation for Stone. Zelinsky said the initial sentencing recommendation carefully adhered to Justice Department policy applied in thousands of cases each year.

Barr’s action in the case prompted top House Democrats and at least one influential Republican senator, Senator Chuck Grassley of Iowa, to ask Horowitz to investigate the episode.

In the past, Horowitz has written to members of Congress to confirm that he has launched inquiries in high-profile cases in which lawmakers demanded a review. It was not immediately clear why Horowitz was being more tight-lipped about the investigation into the Stone sentencing decision.

Kyle Cheney contributed to this report.

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Netflix acquires Zendaya, John David Washington romance ‘Malcolm & Marie’

‘Malcolm & Marie’ is the first film shot after coronavirus quarantine

While many of us are being frugal with our coins during the pandemic, Netflix is saying ‘carpe diem.’ The streaming service recently wrapped up a deal acquiring the rights to Malcolm & Marie, a love story staring Zendaya Coleman and John David Washington for a $30M.

It is the largest amount paid for a film acquisition out of a film festival, according to the Daily Mail. In this case, it was the Toronto Film Festival, which was largely virtual this year.

Read More: ‘Tenet’ looks to the future but remains stuck in the past with familiar trope

The romantic drama is directed by Sam Levinson who is also behind Zendaya’s HBO series Euphoria. In a statement, the director boasted about Netflix and pulling off a movie production in strange times.

“I am so grateful to this cast and crew, many of whom are my Euphoria family, for coming together during such uncertain times,” says Levinson. “We felt privileged to be able to make this film together and we did so with a lot of love. We are all thrilled that it has ended up with Netflix which is unparalleled in allowing filmmakers the freedom to tell their stories that reach audiences all over the world.”

In the film, Washington plays a filmmaker and Zendaya is his girlfriend. The couple begins their evening at a big movie premiere but things quickly turn left on their ride home when the couple starts discussing their past relationships. The conversation becomes more intense than either expected challenging their union.

The black and white film was shot in the midst of the pandemic and is the first film completed after the coronavirus lockdown. According to Harper’s Bazaar the film took extreme precautions due to the pandemic.

John David Washington attends the 30th annual Producers Guild Awards at The Beverly Hilton Hotel on January 19, 2019 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)

Cast and crew were quarantined two weeks before shooting and once on location at the eco-friendly Caterpillar House in Carmel, California, they could not leave the premises. There were daily temperature checks and social distancing was enforced as much as possible.

Read More: Zendaya, adorned in all Black designers, stuns on InStyle magazine cover

The film is being compared to Marriage Story and supposedly covers many current social issues. Specific details are still oh the hush and it’s unclear when the movie will be available for streaming on Netflix.

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Michael Cohen says Trump’s dislike of Obama ‘purely racial’

The president’s former attorney describes him as ‘an Archie Bunker racist.’

Donald Trump’s former attorney, Michael Cohen, claims the president’s hatred of Barack Obama is based purely on racism and has little to do with policy. 

“Why he despises him to the extent that he does, I believe it’s purely racial,” Cohen said Monday on ABC’s The View, while promoting his new book, “Disloyal, A Memoir,” available now in print and audio from Skyhorse Publishing.

In his book, Cohen recounts the time Trump allegedly hired an Obama impersonator for a video in which he “ritualistically belittled the first Black president and then fired him,” The Hill reports.

Read More: Trump to resign, request pardon if he loses election: Cohen

.@MichaelCohen212 on Pres. Trump’s alleged dislike for former Pres. Barack Obama: “Why he despises him to the extent that he does, I believe it’s purely racial.”

“I believe it’s solely predicated on the fact that Barack Obama is Black,” he adds.https://t.co/1091s9WYqN pic.twitter.com/xjtOWhLU7h

— The View (@TheView) September 14, 2020

“One of the things that I tried to do was change his mindset,” Cohen said. “And that’s one of the reasons I advocated for him to the extent that I did.” 

In his book, Cohen describes his years working for Trump as “a cult leader and I was in this cult,” he wrote, adding “And while I was in the cult I was really refusing to acknowledge that the actions I was performing for my boss were really morally wrong.”

The White House has called Cohen’s book “fan fiction.”

“About the only way a person is able to write a book on me is if they agree that it will contain as much bad ‘stuff’ as possible, much of which is lies,” Trump tweeted about Cohen late last month. “It’s like getting a job with CNN or MSDNC and saying that ‘President Trump is great.’ You have ZERO chance. FAKE NEWS!”

Cohen was sentenced to three years in federal prison, but is currently serving his remaining time under house arrest due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Michael Cohen is a disgraced felon and disbarred lawyer, who lied to Congress. He has lost all credibility, and it’s unsurprising to see his latest attempt to profit off of lies,” White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany said in a statement, theGRIO previously reported.

Cohen describes Trump “an Archie Bunker racist” but admits he still has a fond place in his heart for him even though he finds him to be a “cheat,”, “liar,” and “bully.”

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