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Tag Archives: Curtain
Patrick Peterson hints at wearing No. 7 for the Steelers, and the reactions were predictable – Behind The Steel Curtain
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- View Full Coverage on Google News
Roger Federer brings down curtain on his career with a defeat, but still dazzles alongside longtime friend and rival Rafael Nadal
CNN
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Roger Federer’s career may have ended in a defeat on Friday, but the five-minute standing ovation that followed was testament to the unique, indelible mark he left on the sport of tennis.
The adulation of the crowd, seemingly endless rounds of applause and chants of “Roger, Roger, Roger,” reduced Federer to tears.
“I’m happy, I’m not sad,” he said after the match, a 6-4 6-7 9-11 defeat to Jack Sock and Frances Tiafoe alongside longtime friend and rival Rafael Nadal at the Laver Cup at London’s O2 Arena.
“I enjoyed tying my shoes one last time. Everything was the last time.”
Following 24 years of excellence on the court – more than 1,500 matches, 103 singles titles and 20 grand slams – this was Federer’s last competitive match.
The epic tiebreak that sealed the win for the American pair was a fitting end to not only a match that, despite the intense and often emotional build-up, far surpassed expectations in its grandeur and quality, but also a career that has produced so many moments of genius and provided joy to so many.
For three-day competition between teams from Europe and the rest of the world that has rarely felt like much more than an exhibition since its inception in 2017, the announcement of Federer’s retirement added some welcome prestige to this weekend’s play.
While the competition, featuring nine head-to-head singles and three doubles matches, may have previously garnered unsubstantial global attention, this year’s edition had now unquestionably become one of the biggest tennis events of the year.
Of course, this was largely due to it being Federer’s swansong, but it was also providing tennis fans with something they hadn’t seen for many years: Federer, Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray all healthy and together competing at the same tournament.
Social media posts from these four superstars in the week leading up to the event no doubt would have had fans feeling nostalgic. The quartet displayed genuine warmth towards one another, akin to a group of school friends that hadn’t been together for many years, as they explored London’s landmarks.
Perhaps, though, the feelings of nostalgia came not only from the 2022 Laver Cup signaling the end of Federer’s long and storied career, but also from the fact it finally confirmed the beginning of the end of tennis’ golden era.
With Nadal, Djokovic and Murray all well into their 30s and all suffering lengthy injury absences at some point during their careers, their eventual retirements now loom large over the sport.
These four players – “the big 3 plus some clown,” as Murray comically put it on his own Instagram page – will officially never grace the same tournament again.
Where Federer’s on-court achievements rank among the greats in the men’s game will be up for debate – though he is no doubt in the top three – there is no question he is the most transcendent tennis player to ever pick up a racket.
Largely due to the way he played the game, nobody else in the sport has garnered the global adoration, the endorsements or become a cultural icon quite like the suave Swiss superstar.
For most of his career, Federer seemed to glide around the court rather than scamper, his locks flowing and bouncing above his headband, while his outrageously aesthetic one-handed backhanded became arguably the most iconic and recognizable shot tennis has ever seen.
More importantly, the beauty of his game brought – at the peak of his powers – unprecedented success. He became the first player to surpass the previous men’s record of 14 grand slams titles held by Pete Sampras, then became the first to reach the landmark 20.
While Nadal and Djokovic may have now surpassed his grand slam total, the epic battles Federer had with these two players during his career only further added to his legacy.
On another day, the three matches that preceded Federer’s final goodbye may have been noteworthy in themselves – Muray versus Alex De Minaur was a particularly engrossing encounter – but today felt like warmups for the main event.
By the end of the second set of Murray’s match against De Minaur – which the Australian won in a third-set match tie break to earn Team World’s first point of the day – Federer had changed into his shorts and headband in the Team Europe dugout and looked ready to take to the court, only adding to the anticipation that had been steadily building inside the arena.
In De Minaur’s on-court interview after the match, he mentioned how he would be cheering on Team World against Nadal and Federer, resulting in the 23-year-old being roundly booed by a crowd that then burst into laughter.
When Federer’s name was finally announced as he made his way onto the court, the noise of the crowd was so deafening that it drowned out the announcer’s voice entirely before he could finish introducing the Swiss and his doubles partner Nadal.
The 41-year-old was met with another booming cheer when having his accomplishments read out during the warmups, but the loudest roar came when Federer punched away a volley to give him and Nadal their first point of the match.
For most of the opening exchanges, there was still a zip in Federer’s shots as he carried himself with his trademark grace around the court, but when chasing a dropshot from Tiafoe that landed not two yards in front of him, the age in Federer’s legs began to show for the first time as he struggled to reach the ball.
Not that these moments happened often, a remarkable thought given his age and the three knee surgeries he has undergone. In fact, as he continued to show a remarkable touch – at the net in particular – it’s likely most in the capacity crowd inside the O2 Arena were wondering why he was retiring at all.
One moment in particular drew shocked gasps from the crowd when the big screens showed the replays. While chasing down a short ball, Federer squeezed his forehand through the tiny gap between the net and the post.
It may have lost them the point, as the ball passed under the top of the net, but even in the final game of his career Federer was producing moments most had never seen on a tennis court before.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, there still seemed to be plenty of magic left in what many viewers throughout his career have often described as a wand instead of a racket.
There were plenty of smiles from both Federer and Nadal early on, including a laugh when Federer had clearly misheard the plan for the upcoming point and had to walk back over to his partner for another debrief, resulting in the Swiss sheepishly holding his hands up to apologize.
But as the first set wore on, the mood on the court shifted as the relentless competitive nature that has made these two players such a force over the years finally began to come to the fore.
When the pair, affectionately dubbed ‘Fedal’ by fans, clinched the first set 6-4, the atmosphere inside the arena was on the brink of party mode.
But make no mistake, Sock and Tiafoe were by no means happy to roll over and allow Federer to walk off into the sunset with an easy victory. The American duo broke serve early in the second set as they looked to spoil the party atmosphere, but Federer and Nadal soon broke back to restore parity.
The best game of the match came with the scores tied at 5-5, as Nadal saved six break points – including one of back-to-back smashes from Federer that drew raucous cheers from the crowd – to put the pair on the brink of victory.
But Sock then held a tricky service game of his own to take the set to a tiebreak, the first point of which Federer – and the entire stadium – thought he had served an ace, only to be greeted by a “let” call from the umpire that was loudly booed by the entire arena.
A brilliant tie break from the American duo sealed the second set and led to an epic decider.
The drama that was packed into the third set – a 3-0 lead opened and squandered by Federer and Nadal, a brutal forehand that Tiafoe smashed into Federer’s back and an ace from Federer that was greeted with a standing ovation – was a fitting end to an incomparable career.
In the end, that Federer was unable to secure the win didn’t matter too much and the emotion in his goodbye speech – barely able to get through it when speaking about the support his family had given him throughout his career – also reduced his doubles partner to tears.
“It feels like a celebration,” Federer said. “It’s exactly what I wanted at the end, exactly what I hoped for.”
Mikhail Gorbachev, former Soviet president who took down the Iron Curtain, dies
“Mikhail Sergeevich Gorbachev died this evening after a severe and prolonged illness,” the Central Clinical Hospital said, according to RIA Novosti Tuesday.
The man credited with introducing key political and economic reforms to the USSR and helping to end the Cold War had been in failing health for some time.
Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed his condolences, Putin’s spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, told RIA Novosti.
Putin will send a message on Wednesday to Gorbachev’s family and friends, RIA Novosti added.
Other world leaders also paid tribute to Gorbachev on Tuesday, with US President Joe Biden calling him “a man of remarkable vision” in a statement.
“As leader of the USSR, he worked with President Reagan to reduce our two countries’ nuclear arsenals, to the relief of people worldwide praying for an end to the nuclear arms race,” Biden said, adding that Gorbachev’s reforms led to “a safer world and greater freedom for millions of people.”
Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, wrote on Twitter that Gorbachev’s role in ending the Cold War “opened the way for a free Europe. This legacy is one we will not forget.”
With his outgoing, charismatic nature, Gorbachev broke the mold for Soviet leaders who until then had mostly been remote, icy figures. Almost from the start of his leadership, he strove for significant reforms, so the system would work more efficiently and more democratically. Hence the two key phrases of the Gorbachev era: “glasnost” (openness) and “perestroika” (restructuring).
“I began these reforms and my guiding stars were freedom and democracy, without bloodshed. So the people would cease to be a herd led by a shepherd. They would become citizens,” he later said.
He will be buried next to his wife at the Novodevichy Cemetery in Moscow, RIA Novosti reported citing the Gorbachev Foundation.
From farm labor to party’s rising star
Gorbachev had humble beginnings: He was born into a peasant family on March 2, 1931 near Stavropol, and as a boy, he did farm labor along with his studies, working with his father who was a combine harvester operator. In later life, Gorbachev said he was “particularly proud of my ability to detect a fault in the combine instantly, just by the sound of it.”
He became a member of the Communist Party in 1952 and completed a law degree at Moscow University in 1955. It was here that he met — and married — fellow student Raisa Titarenko.
During the early 1960s, Gorbachev became head of the agriculture department for the Stavropol region. By the end of the decade he had risen to the top of the party hierarchy in the region. He came to the attention of Mikhail Suslov and Yuri Andropov, members of the Politburo, the principal policy-setting body of the Communist Part of the Soviet Union, who got him elected to the Central Committee in 1971 and arranged foreign trips for their rising star.
In 1978, Gorbachev was back in Moscow, and the next year he was chosen as a candidate member of the Politburo. His stewardship of Soviet agriculture was not a success. As he came to realize, the collective system was fundamentally flawed in more than one way.
A full Politburo member since 1980, Gorbachev became more influential in 1982 when his mentor, Andropov, succeeded Leonid Brezhnev as general secretary of the party. He built a reputation as an enemy of corruption and inefficiency, finally rising to the top party spot in March 1985.
‘A man one can do business with’
Hoping to shift resources to the civilian sector of the Soviet economy, Gorbachev began to argue in favor of an end to the arms race with the West.
However, throughout his six years in office, Gorbachev always seemed to be moving too fast for the party establishment — which saw its privileges threatened — and too slow for more radical reformers, who hoped to do away with the one-party state and the command economy.
Desperately trying to stay in control of the reform process, he seemed to have underestimated the depth of the economic crisis. He also seemed to have had a blind spot for the power of the nationality issue: Glasnost created ever-louder calls for independence from the Baltics and other Soviet republics in the late 1980s.
He was successful in foreign policy, but primarily from an international perspective, with other world leaders taking note. Former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher called him “a man one can do business with.”
In 1986, face to face with American President Ronald Reagan at a summit in Reykjavik, Iceland, Gorbachev made a stunning proposal: eliminate all long-range missiles held by the United States and the Soviet Union. It was the beginning of the end of the Cold War.
He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1990 “for his leading role in the peace process which today characterizes important parts of the international community.”
The pact that resulted, the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty, endured as a pillar of arms control for three decades until, in 2019, the United States formally withdrew and the Russian government said it had been consigned to the trash can.
Hard-liners revolt
While Gorbachev’s arms control agreements with the US could be seen as also being in the Soviet interest, the breakaway of some of the countries of Eastern Europe, followed by German unification and NATO membership for the new unified Germany (West Germany had previously been in NATO), angered old-school Communists.
In August 1991, hard-liners had had enough. With Gorbachev on vacation in the Crimea, they staged a revolt. Boris Yeltsin, the president of the biggest Soviet republic — Russia — and a fierce critic of what he considered Gorbachev’s halfway reforms, nevertheless came to his rescue, facing down and defeating the coup plotters.
But across the Soviet Union, republics — one after another — were declaring independence and on December 25, 1991, Gorbachev resigned as Soviet president. As he read his resignation speech, Gorbachev defined what likely will be his legacy: “The country received freedom, was liberated politically and spiritually, and that was the most important achievement.”
The red flag that flew over the Kremlin, symbol of the USSR, was lowered. The Soviet Union — was over and Yeltsin was in control. “We are living in a new world,” Gorbachev said.
In April 2012, CNN’s Christiane Amanpour asked Gorbachev whether he had engineered the collapse of the Soviet Union.
Gorbachev said there had been nothing in his speeches “until the very end” that had supported its disintegration: “The breakup of the union was the result of betrayal by the Soviet nomenklatura, by the bureaucracy, and also Yeltsin’s betrayal. He spoke about cooperating with me, working with me on a new union treaty, he signed the draft union treaty, initialed that treaty. But at the same time, he was working behind my back.”
In 1996 Gorbachev ran against Yeltsin for the Russian presidency but got less than 1% of the vote.
Speaking out post-presidency
Three years later, Gorbachev lost the love of his life — his wife of 46 years, Raisa — to cancer. The couple had one daughter, Irina. “In the worst moments I was always very calm and balanced. But now that she’s gone — I don’t want to live. The central point in our lives is gone,” he said.
But Gorbachev did go on, speaking out on nuclear disarmament, the environment, poverty — and in his wife’s memory, set up with the family the Raisa Gorbachev Foundation to fight children’s cancer.
Previously, he had established the Green Cross – to deal with ecological issues — and the International Foundation for Socio-Economic and Political Studies, or Gorbachev Foundation. In 2011, Gorbachev also launched the annual “Gorbachev Awards” to celebrate “those who have changed the world for the better.”
Gorbachev’s involvement in Russian politics continued as well. He was head of the Social Democratic Party of Russia from 2001 until his resignation in 2004 over conflicts with party direction and leadership.
In 2007, he became head of a new Russian political movement — the Union of Social Democrats, which in turn set up the opposition Independent Democratic Party of Russia.
He told CNN’s Christiane Amanpour in 2012 that he agreed Russian democracy was “alive” but added: “That it is ‘well’… not so. I am alive, but I can’t say that I’m fine.” He explained that the “institutions of democracy are not working efficiently in Russia, because ultimately they are not free.”
Mixed legacy
In an interview with CNN in 2019, Gorbachev said the US and Russia must strive to avoid a “New Cold War” developing despite worsening tensions. “This might turn out to be a hot war that could mean the destruction of our entire civilization. This must not be allowed,” he said.
And asked about the demise of the 1987 treaty he signed with Reagan, Gorbachev expressed a hope that such arms control agreements could be revived.
“All the agreements that are there are preserved and not destroyed,” he said. “But these are the first steps towards destruction of [that which] must not be destroyed in any case.” The ultimate goal of arms control, he added, must be to get rid of nuclear weapons completely.
Gorbachev’s post-USSR life also included some surprises as he worked to raise money for his causes with appearances in advertisements for Pizza Hut and Louis Vuitton. In 2004 Gorbachev won a Grammy Award for best spoken word album for children for “Prokofiev: Peter and the Wolf / Beintus: Wolf Tracks,” which he recorded with former US President Bill Clinton and actress Sophia Loren.
Other awards included the 2008 Liberty Medal from the US National Constitution Center and Russia’s highest honor, the Order of St. Andrew, which was given to him on his 80th birthday in 2011 by then-Russian President Dmitry Medvedev.
But to the end, Gorbachev was a leader more respected in other countries than at home. In Russia, he was reviled by some for destroying the Soviet empire and by others for moving too slowly in freeing his nation from the grip of communism. In the West, however, he remains the Nobel Peace Prize winner who helped end the Cold War.
Correction: This story has been updated to reflect that Gorbachev died at 91.
CNN’s Tim Lister contributed reporting.
Marvel Studios Phase 5: Kevin Feige Lifts Curtain at Comic-Con
Three years after unveiling Phase 4 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe at San Diego Comic-Con, Marvel Studios chief Kevin Feige returned to Hall H to do the same for Phase 5, which included announcements for the new “Daredevil” Disney+ series and the “Thunderbolts” feature film. Feige also gave a brief glimpse into what is coming in Phase 6, which is scheduled to conclude in Nov. 2025 with “Avengers: Secret Wars” — which Feige says caps off the Multiverse Saga of the MCU.
Here’s everything we learned about the rest of Phase 4, Phase 5, and what’s to come in Phase 6.
PHASE 4
Adam B. Vary / Variety
“She-Hulk: Attorney at Law”
Premiere date: Aug. 17
What we learned: A legal comedy with a touch of “Fleabag,” this Disney+ series starring Tatiana Maslany as Jennifer Walters (i.e. Bruce Banner’s cousin) boasts a cavalcade of superheroes who need a good lawyer — who is also giant and green. The panel also included a trailer, which (unlike a lot of the footage unveiled in Hall H) was also released publicly.
“Black Panther: Wakanda Forever”
Release date: Nov. 11
What we learned: Namor (Tenoch Huerta) is coming to the MCU, as the kingdom of Wakanda reels after the death of T’Challa (the late Chadwick Boseman). Joining the cast are Dominique Thorne (as Riri Williams), Michaela Coel (Aneka), Mabel Cadena (Namora) and Alex Livanalli (Attuma). This film will conclude Phase 4, though it’s unclear exactly how. Watch the trailer here.
PHASE 5
Michael Buckner / Variety
“Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania”
Release date: Feb. 17, 2023
What we learned: Phase 5 launches with the introduction of Kang the Conqueror (Jonathan Majors), who meets Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) in the Quantum Realm after Scott is mysteriously sucked there along with his daughter Cassie Lang (Kathryn Newton), Hope van Dyne (Evangeline Lilly), Hank Pym (Michael Douglas), and Janet van Dyne (Michelle Pfeiffer). In footage screened just in Hall H, Bill Murray has a cameo as an old acquaintance of Janet’s from within the Quantum Realm, but given Kang’s titular role in one of two “Avengers” titles announced on Saturday (more below), all eyes are on how Majors will reshape the narrative of the MCU. Plus, Director Peyton Reed confirmed to the crowd yet another great Marvel villain would be making a cameo in this film, “you might have seen a shot of MODOK,” Reed said.
“Secret Invasion”
Premiere date: Spring 2023
What we learned: Co-star Cobie Smulders (Maria Hill) was on hand to preview this dark and gritty political thriller, which stars Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury, alongside Ben Mendelsohn (the Skrull Talos), Don Cheadle (James Rhodes), and Martin Freeman (Everett K. Ross). Joining them are Kingsley Ben-Adir (seen multiplying into several identical forms in a confrontation with Fury), Olivia Colman (seen telling Fury he’s past his prime) and Emilia Clarke (seen brandishing a gun). The overall vibe is one of paranoia and foreboding, contributing to a larger anti-heroic thread that seems to run through Phase 5.
“Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3”
Release date: May 5, 2023
What we learned: An emotional James Gunn and his equally emotional cast — including Chris Pratt, Karen Gillan, Pom Klementieff, Sean Gunn, Will Poulter and Maria Bakalova as Cosmo the Spacedog — debuted the first look at the final Guardians film, which hinted at revealing how Rocket became a sentient, walking raccoon. Chukwudi Iwuji (formerly of DC’s “Peacemaker”) plays the High Evolutionary, and introduced himself to Hall H in character (implying that he played a role in Rocket’s transformation).
Marvel Studios
“Echo”
Premiere date: Summer 2023
What we learned: Nothing more than the release period for the series that spins off “Hawkeye” antagonist Maya Lopez (Alaqua Cox) into her own spin-off. Sydney Freeland (“Reservation Dogs,” “Star Trek: Strange New Worlds”) and Catriona McKenzie (“The Walking Dead,” “Shining Vale”) are directing.
Marvel Studios
“Loki” Season 2
Premiere date: Summer 2023
What we learned: The Disney+ series that introduced the multiverse to the MCU is currently filming and will debut next summer. There was nary a mention of this critically adored series, but pictures from set have been fluttering across the internet as of late.
Marvel Studios
“Blade”
Release date: Nov. 3, 2023
What we learned: Feige made no casting announcements, but he confirmed that the reboot of the Marvel comics vampire franchise with Mahershala Ali — first announced in 2019 in Hall H — will be Marvel’s final feature for 2023, and starts shooting in October. Bassam Tariq (“Mogul Mowgli”) is directing.
Marvel Studios
“Ironheart”
Premiere date: Fall 2023
What we learned: After her introduction in “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,” Riri Williams (Dominique Thorne) will star in her own Disney+ series. Chinaka Hodge (“Amazing Stories,” “Snowpiercer”) is head writer, and Sam Bailey (“Dear White People”) and Angela Barnes (“Blindspotting”) are directing.
Marvel Studios
“Agatha: Coven of Chaos”
Premiere date: Winter 2023/2024
What we learned: Originally titled “Agatha: House of Harkness,” this “WandaVision” spinoff centered on Kathryn Hahn’s Agatha Harkness will be Marvel’s final Disney+ series in 2023. “WandaVision” head writer Jac Schaeffer will write and executive produce the show.
Marvel Studios
“Daredevil: Born Again”
Premiere date: Spring 2024
What we learned: Original launched as part of the Netflix slate of Marvel TV series (which were nominally part of the MCU), Charlie Cox’s Matt Murdock is being (fully) brought into the Marvel Studios fold with a Disney+ series that is getting an unprecedented 18-episode order for its first season. Cox’s Murdock first reappeared in 2021’s “Spider-Man: No Way Home,” and his nemesis Kingpin (Vincent D’Onofrio) popped up as the big bad on 2021’s “Hawkeye.” Both characters are set to show up on “Echo,” and it appears that Daredevil will also appear on “She-Hulk,” before returning for the main event in this series.
On Netflix, the “Daredevil” series was far more violent and bloody than anything that’s been produced by Marvel Studios directly, further suggesting that the MCU’s Phase 5 will wade deeper into the moral murk than it ever has before.
Marvel Studios
“Captain America: New World Order”
Release date: May 3, 2024
What we learned: We’ve known since the conclusion of the Disney+ series “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier” that Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) would return in his own feature film as Captain America. In Hall H, Feige announced the eyebrow-raising title — more anxiety and dread! — and a release date that gives the film the prime position for Marvel’s 2024 film slate.
Marvel Studios
“Thunderbolts”
Release date: July 25, 2024
What we learned: Phase 5 ends with Marvel’s answer to DC’s Suicide Squad: A team up film about a bunch of MCU anti-heroes. Feige said he would talking about casting another day, but there are plenty of candidates already, including Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus), Baron Zemo (Daniel Brühl), Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh), Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen), Abomination (Tim Roth), John Walker (Wyatt Russell), and Taskmaster (Olga Kurylenko).
PHASE 6
Michael Buckner / Variety
“Fantastic 4”
Release date: Nov. 8, 2024
What we learned: While “Spider-Man: No Way Home” filmmaker Jon Watts recently stepped away from directing “Fantastic 4,” Marvel Studios is full steam ahead with bringing the original Stan Lee/Jack Kirby Marvel comic book series into the MCU. The Fantastic Four and lead villain Victor Von Doom play critical roles in the comic book inspiration for the final movie in the Multiverse Saga, so launching Phase 4 with them makes sense.
What is surprising is that the entire Phase 6 run lasts less than a year.
Marvel Studios
“Avengers: The Kang Dynasty”
Release date: May 2, 2025
What we learned: Similar to how “Avengers: Infinity War” set up “Avengers: Endgame,” Feige made clear that Phase 6 of the MCU — and the Multiverse Saga — will conclude with two “Avengers” movies. Given the title, it’s safe to presume that Majors’ Kang the Conqueror is the Thanos (or maybe a Thanos) of the Multiverse Saga.
Marvel Studios
“Avengers: Secret Wars”
Release date: Nov. 7, 2025
What we learned: After many fans — and some entertainment publications — wondered aloud this year about where, exactly, the MCU was heading, Feige took the time in Hall H to finally say: Here.
“Secret Wars” points to a Marvel comics crossover miniseries from 2015 that involves an incursion between the main Marvel universe (Earth-616) and the Ultimate Marvel universe (Earth-1610) leading to the destruction of both. In its wake, many variants of Marvel characters find themselves living in a post-apocalyptic planet called Battleworld.
It is unclear, and will be for some time, how much Marvel Studios will draw from the 2015 “Secret Wars” — or the mid-1980s “Secret Wars” miniseries that inspired it. But perhaps the most important detail is what happened after the “Secret Wars”: Marvel Studios effectively rebooted, launching “all-new, all-different” versions of many of its most beloved titles, as some (but not all) characters from the 616 an 1610 universes found themselves living within a somewhat rebooted timeline.
Could the same be in store for the MCU? Only time(lines) will tell.
The Curtain is Closing on the Nissan Leaf
In 2010 the automotive industry was introduced to the Nissan Leaf. As one of the first widely available EVs on the market, it helped a new generation of electric cars succeed. After 11 years and two generations, Nissan is beginning to close the curtain on this pioneering EV. As the market of electric vehicles continues to evolve, the Nissan Leaf was a model left on the outside looking in.
A revolutionary EV that shifted the market
One of the big reasons that the Nissan Leaf was such a revolution was its design. In many ways, the design divided onlookers, but it’s hard to disagree that it was eye-catching. Early models were bulbous and funky, with more recent models being much sleeker. Despite that, when it all came together, the Nissan Leaf looked exactly what shoppers thought an EV would look like. Quirky and futuristic.
Helping to create a more efficient future
Before the release of the Nissan Leaf, electric cars seemed like something from the distant future. The technology was certainly there, but no automaker had fully figured out how to harness it. Nissan took a stab at it and created an EV for most shoppers. While early models had lackluster range and performance, it was clear that Nissan was onto something special. Within a few years, more automakers were throwing their hat into the ring of EVs.
As the Nissan Leaf evolved, a more powerful and longer-lasting battery system was one of the most welcome changes. Starting in 2016, the Nissan Leaf was offered an upgraded 30 kWh battery that increased the range to 107 miles. But, the biggest change came with the 2017 model year, which increased the range to 149 miles and 226 miles with the upgraded battery.
With the huge increases available, this EV became one of the top choices for shoppers looking for affordable and widely-available electric cars.
Despite the advances, this EV just couldn’t catch on
Nissan aimed to create an EV that was perfect for the masses. In many ways, it did that, but because of the brand’s stiff competition, this electric car became an afterthought. With all this in mind, Car and Driver is reporting that Nissan plans to phase out the Nissan Leaf in the next few years. This comes as a result of Nissan not selling enough models. Over its lifetime, Nissan has sold just around 175,000 models, which has not met the high goals that the brand set for itself.
Another big reason the Nissan Leaf found itself behind the competition is its driving experience. From the beginning, this EV was plagued by a sluggish driving experience. While the initial acceleration was acceptable, the rest of the powerband left quite a bit to be desired. Because of this, competitors soon were able to pass this EV, both literally and figuratively.
An end to a model that shifted the view of electric vehicles
Adopting electric vehicles in the U.S. would have taken a bit longer without the Nissan Leaf. The small hatchback helped drivers understand why an EV is a smart investment. The chance to enjoy an all-electric vehicle can help you want more adventures confidently and keep you saving money on your drives.
With the Nissan Leaf getting ready to take its last rounds and bow out, it’s worth remembering its impact on the EV market.
RELATED: Is Buying a Used 2018 Nissan Leaf Worth It?
Elvira Pulls Back the Curtain on Her Beloved Halloween Persona, 40 Years Later
The Mistress of the Dark is making all our undead dreams come true.
Cassandra Peterson a.k.a. Elvira has been making audiences swoon, laugh and shiver in fear for over 40 years as a hilarious horror hostess. During the anniversary of debuting her “Santa Claus of Halloween” stage character, Peterson has made headlines with her same-sex relationship, tell-all memoir Yours Cruelly, Shudder and AMC+ streaming movie marathon Elvira’s 40th Anniversary, Very Scary, Very Special Special and taking over Netflix’s social channels every Sunday in October for weekly Netflix & Chills events.
Even Melissa Joan Hart is hoping to collaborate with Elvira for a Sabrina the Teenage Witch crossover!
At age 70, it’s safe to say that Peterson is still the queen of Halloween—and she’s clearly just getting started with her second act. The B-movie scream queen revisited her O.G. series Elvira’s Movie Macabre, and exclusively spilled on why her character Elvira was never “accidentally funny.”
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Below, see inside Elvira’s epic world through the years as Peterson answers all our burning questions about being the Mistress of the Dark.
E! News: Congratulations on your 40th anniversary special. What was it like stepping back into Elvira for the Shudder and AMC+ movie marathon?
Cassandra Peterson: I hadn’t done it in quite a while. I think the last thing I did was for Hulu [with 13 Nights of Elvira] but that was quite a few years ago [in 2014]. So coming back and doing this again, my regular horror hosting gig, was really fun and exciting for me. I love doing it. I found a new writer, Eric Kornfeld, who is awesome. He has been a writer with Bette Midler for the past 20 years. I think the material is really funny. We had a blast doing it. It was kind of rushed and kind of low budget but I think we pulled it off. We’ve got four fantastic movies.
E! News: How did you pick the movies to be featured, from House on Haunted Hill, City of the Dead and Messiah of Evil, to your own Mistress of the Dark?
CP: I couldn’t believe it, Shudder really came up with this choice of movies, and of course I was thrilled it was Mistress of the Dark but I was equally as thrilled it was House on Haunted Hill with Vincent Price because that was the movie I saw as a child that got me turned on to horror, and I think ultimately led me to this gig of being Elvira. So having that movie there was really nostalgic for me. I loved seeing it again—I’ve seen it a million times over the years, but seeing it again and then having my idol Vincent Price being in the movie, a guy that I just worshipped as a kid right up until the time he passed away…He was just a wonderful human being.
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E! News: Looking back, how did Elvira come to be?
CP: I started in comedy at the Groundlings Theater, which is a comedy improv group in L.A. I was there for four-and-a-half years. I also have seen myself as a comedian. I think a lot of other people don’t realize that. I mean, they know I’m funny but I think they think I’m funny accidentally. I actually studied and got that together, but it started out being really kind of a low, low, low-budget thing that looked like it was shot in a basement or something, and we were able to take it national, so it became the first nationally syndicated horror show with a host in it. Every kind of local market had their own horror host when I grew up.
It started off very small in a local station and went national and then I began getting national ads for Coors, Pepsi, and it really carried the character into kind of iconic status. I think the main thing that has kept the character going over the years—and there were some very, very lean times, and there were some very happening times—but basically when Halloween rolled around every year, and still rolls around every year, I was back. So I feel very much like Santa Claus. Except for the beard, I think we’re very similar. But aligning myself with a national holiday sure didn’t hurt things, you know? I think Elvira and Halloween have sort of become synonymous.
E! News: Yours Cruelly really proves that you’ve lived nine lives as a celebrity. Fans may not have known that you led an Italian pop band, or were the youngest Las Vegas showgirl in history. Was there anything you were hesitant to include when you were writing your memoir?
CP: I did have things I was wondering if I should talk about, but at the last minute, I just kind of said, ‘Screw it, put it in there.’ I’m 70 years old now. What, am I just going to keep this under my hat until I die?
I’ve had a very interesting, bizarre life, and so many of my friends have said over the years, ‘You have got to write your memoir and talk about all this stuff and let people know,’ because most people just think I was born the day Elvira began in 1981, and don’t know about any of my past adventures before that. I always told people that my life was so interesting and weird before Elvira came along that when I became Elvira, it just suddenly was normal. ‘Oh, finally I can be a regular person and everything has calmed down.’ So you know that if somebody looks like Elvira and their life was weirder before, you know there’s something really bizarre. Right?
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E! News: What do you hope fans take away from your memoir?
CP: I have a feeling that when this book gets around and more people read it, they won’t be concentrating on Elvira as much concentrating on maybe me as Cassandra Peterson. There’s just a small portion of the book, really, that deals with Elvira. I hope women who have been through trauma—all women have some stories about sexual harassment or sexual assault, sadly—I hope it appeals to them so they can hear my story and not feel so alone. I hope it appeals to people who felt like a misfit when they were a kid. I certainly did, I had been burned as a baby and was covered in scars. I was bullied when I was a child. I hope that the other people who had similar situations, and that doesn’t mean getting burned, but they felt like a misfit because they were gay, possibly, as a child and felt different than the other kids and were teased…I hope that will appeal to them, and that they feel like they have somebody that just shares those stories and they won’t feel alone.
It’s one of those things you hold inside your whole life and it’s not good for you. It brings back things, when I hear other peoples’ stories, they’re almost PTSD-like. So I wanted to get it out of there and not keep it a secret, and I wanted other people—other women, in particular—to see that it happens to everybody, unfortunately, sadly, and not to feel alone or estranged because of it.
Elvira’s 40th Anniversary, Very Scary, Very Special Special is now streaming on Shudder and AMC+. Yours Cruelly is available wherever books are sold.
For more information on Elvira’s projects, go here.
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Curtain Divides Men, Women at Kabul, Afghanistan, University
- A curtain separates women and men who share classes at universities in Afghanistan, photos show.
- The images are among the first to surface since college courses resumed after the Taliban takeover.
- Reuters reported that other classrooms are imposing even stricter divisions between men and women.
Some universities in Afghanistan’s largest cites have resumed classes but are now segregating students according to sex, photos and interviews obtained by Reuters show.
Classes were on hiatus after the US ended its 20-year war in Afghanistan and after the Taliban quickly overtook its capitol city, Kabul, three weeks ago. Some students are now back in the classroom, though photos on social media show that the Taliban has already imposed changes to seating arrangements.
Two photos showed men and women in the same classroom but separated by gray curtains. The women in the photo are wearing head coverings and long robes.
Students in Kabul, Kandahar, and Herat told Reuters in interviews that women are also being taught separately or confined only to certain parts of campus.
Social media handout/via Reuters
The last time the Taliban was in power, from 1996 to 2001, girls were not allowed to attend school. The Taliban also forbade women from attending university or going to work.
“I really felt terrible when I entered the class,” Anjila, a 21-year-old female student at Kabul University told Reuters. “We are gradually going back to 20 years ago.”
Women sat separately from men before the Taliban takeover, but didn’t have any physical dividers between them.
The Taliban has said that women will be able to keep participating in society under Islamic law, but Afghan women have been protesting in recent weeks, fearful they’ll lose their rights and freedoms.
Abdul Baqi Haqqani, the acting minister for the Ministry of Higher Education, said last week that women could go to college but had to be taught by female professors and separated from male students.