Flyers riding high entering road battle with WildJim Harbaugh, Justin Herbert and the Los Angeles Chargers celebrated in the locker room Saturday after they wrapped up a playoff spot with a 40-7 victory over the New England Patriots . But even as they realized one goal by making the postseason, Harbaugh tried to keep things focused on the road ahead by stressing: “There's more to do.” The Chargers (10-6) go into the regular-season finale at Las Vegas knowing they will be at least the AFC's sixth seed and avoid a trip to Buffalo for the wild-card round. Los Angeles currently is in line to face Baltimore in a Harbaugh Bowl rematch, but it has an outside shot at the fifth seed and a trip to Houston if Cincinnati beats Pittsburgh next weekend. While Harbaugh credited his players for the turnaround from five wins last year to double-digit victories this season, Herbert gave most of it to Harbaugh and first-year general manager Joe Hortiz. “They have done such a great job of getting the right guys here. You look in the locker room and everybody plays for each other,” Herbert said. “(Harbaugh's) a competitor, and he wants to win no matter what it is. It definitely shows, and it’s the way everyone fights for him, wants to play for him, and respects him.” Harbaugh is the fifth coach in NFL history to win at least 10 games in his first season with two teams. He is also the eighth to make the playoffs in his first season with two teams. “Very little to do with me. If it goes right, then it’s our players. They’re doing a great job. It’s gone bad a couple times. That’s on me,” he said. “I’ve been drinking the Kool-Aid here from day one, I can’t give enough credit to Derwin James, Justin Herbert, and those two in particular. And Khalil Mack and Rashawn Slater. I mean, stalwarts. Brad Bozeman has come in. He’s been a stalwart. There’s a bunch. There’s probably, like — I counted it up early. There was maybe 15, 15 stalwarts that we had, and it’s grown since then.” Even though the Chargers are 3-5 against teams with winning records at the time they've played them, they are 7-1 against teams that were at or under .500. Four of those wins against opponents with losing records have come by at least 17 points, the first time since 2017 the Bolts have won that many games by as big a margin. Since halftime of their Dec. 19 game against Denver, the Chargers have outscored the Broncos and Patriots 61-13 over six quarters. “That’s the type of football we want to be playing in December, January, and hopefully on. That’s the type of football you want to be playing, especially in these big games like that. It was really good to see,” Herbert said. Offensive coordinator Greg Roman has said throughout the season it's tough to use the full playbook when the Chargers have short drives. They came into Saturday's game ranked 26th with only 23 possessions of at least 10 plays, but they had four against the Patriots, leading to three touchdowns and a field goal. It was the first time since Week 10 last season against Detroit they have had at least four drives of double-digit plays. Kickoff return coverage. The Chargers have allowed nine kick returns of at least 30 yards, eighth most in the league. New England's Alex Erickson had three returns for 90 yards, including 34 and 31 yards. RB J.K. Dobbins was activated off injured reserve and provided a boost to the offense with 76 yards on 19 carries and a touchdown. Dobbins, who missed four games due to a knee injury, has set career highs in scrimmage yards (983) and rushing yards (842) in his first season with the Chargers. WR D.J. Chark was targeted four times but didn't have a catch. Chark was signed during the offseason to provide experience and speed to a young receiver group. However, he missed the first half of the season with a hip injury and has played sparingly since his return. He has three receptions on the season. Three starters — RB Gus Edwards (ankle), LB Denzel Perryman (groin) and OG Trey Pipkins (hip) — were inactive. WR Joshua Palmer (heel) and DB Elijah Molden (shin) were injured in the second half. 77 and 1,054 — Receptions and receiving yards by Ladd McConkey, both records for a Chargers rookie. 5 — Consecutive seasons by Herbert with at least 3,000 passing yards and 20 touchdown passes, tied with Peyton Manning and Russell Wilson for the most to start a career. 2 — Sacks by Derwin James Jr. against the Patriots, the first time in the safety's seven-year career he has had multiple sacks in a game. The Chargers go for their first season sweep of the Raiders since 2018 in the regular-season finale. AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL
Financial giants have made a conspicuous bullish move on Cleanspark. Our analysis of options history for Cleanspark CLSK revealed 25 unusual trades. Delving into the details, we found 52% of traders were bullish, while 48% showed bearish tendencies. Out of all the trades we spotted, 4 were puts, with a value of $319,250, and 21 were calls, valued at $2,006,438. What's The Price Target? Based on the trading activity, it appears that the significant investors are aiming for a price territory stretching from $10.0 to $37.0 for Cleanspark over the recent three months. Analyzing Volume & Open Interest Assessing the volume and open interest is a strategic step in options trading. These metrics shed light on the liquidity and investor interest in Cleanspark's options at specified strike prices. The forthcoming data visualizes the fluctuation in volume and open interest for both calls and puts, linked to Cleanspark's substantial trades, within a strike price spectrum from $10.0 to $37.0 over the preceding 30 days. Cleanspark Option Activity Analysis: Last 30 Days Significant Options Trades Detected: Symbol PUT/CALL Trade Type Sentiment Exp. Date Ask Bid Price Strike Price Total Trade Price Open Interest Volume CLSK CALL SWEEP BEARISH 03/21/25 $5.3 $5.2 $5.2 $10.00 $623.9K 5.3K 2.1K CLSK CALL TRADE BULLISH 03/21/25 $5.2 $5.05 $5.2 $10.00 $416.0K 5.3K 111 CLSK PUT TRADE BEARISH 01/15/27 $13.55 $12.15 $13.0 $20.00 $130.0K 105 0 CLSK CALL SWEEP BULLISH 12/13/24 $0.6 $0.59 $0.6 $13.00 $120.0K 746 6.1K CLSK CALL SWEEP BULLISH 12/13/24 $0.79 $0.76 $0.8 $13.00 $117.2K 746 1.6K About Cleanspark Cleanspark Inc is a bitcoin mining company. Through CleanSpark, Inc., and the Company's wholly owned subsidiaries, the company mines bitcoin. The company entered the bitcoin mining industry through its acquisition of ATL. Bitcoin mining is the sole reportable segment of the company. After a thorough review of the options trading surrounding Cleanspark, we move to examine the company in more detail. This includes an assessment of its current market status and performance. Current Position of Cleanspark With a volume of 22,920,353, the price of CLSK is up 2.8% at $13.94. RSI indicators hint that the underlying stock may be approaching oversold. Next earnings are expected to be released in 58 days. Professional Analyst Ratings for Cleanspark 3 market experts have recently issued ratings for this stock, with a consensus target price of $22.666666666666668. Turn $1000 into $1270 in just 20 days? 20-year pro options trader reveals his one-line chart technique that shows when to buy and sell. Copy his trades, which have had averaged a 27% profit every 20 days. Click here for access .* An analyst from JP Morgan has elevated its stance to Overweight, setting a new price target at $17. * Consistent in their evaluation, an analyst from Macquarie keeps a Outperform rating on Cleanspark with a target price of $24. * An analyst from HC Wainwright & Co. downgraded its action to Buy with a price target of $27. Trading options involves greater risks but also offers the potential for higher profits. Savvy traders mitigate these risks through ongoing education, strategic trade adjustments, utilizing various indicators, and staying attuned to market dynamics. Keep up with the latest options trades for Cleanspark with Benzinga Pro for real-time alerts. © 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.COLUMBIA, Mo. — University of Missouri officials broke ground Saturday on a $250 million renovation of the school’s football stadium, the construction project’s ceremonial commencement. MU athletics director Laird Veatch, the UM System Board of Curators and other administrators marked the occasion with a brief ceremony atop the grassy hill to the north of Faurot Field before Mizzou’s game against Arkansas. During the game, Missouri also revealed new animated renderings of Memorial Stadium's future. Work on the renovations is expected to begin in the near future, though some preparation, including the arrival of equipment, has been taking place over the last several weeks. "A lot of it's the prep work," Veatch said. "They'll be getting in there, starting doing excavation soon. You'll start seeing a lot of underground work soon, and then it takes a while to come out of the ground. There's also a lot of work going on in the background: a lot of meetings, continuing the design and all those efforts, and of course fundraising." The project is expected to conclude ahead of the 2026 season, and will be at varying stages of progress next year. "Our fans will get used to it really quick," Veatch said. Premium seating will be added to the north end of Memorial Stadium, enclosing the facility with suites and loge boxes. The iconic Rock M will be preserved, though there will be far less exposed grass and general admission seating will go away. MU’s new north concourse also will include a year-round event space intended to help the athletics department generate revenue. Of the $250 million needed for the project, half is expected to come via philanthropy. MU also might seek funding from the state during the spring’s legislative session. Veatch said Mizzou has raised more than $90 million of its $125 million benchmark. "I think we're going to see some more progress here soon," he said.Booking Holdings chief human resources officer sells $878,169 in stock
BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Barcelona lost at home for the first time this season when the Liga leader was stunned by Las Palmas 2-1 on Saturday. Sandro Ramirez and Fábio Silva scored for the Canary Islands club on either side of Raphinha’s equalizer to give Las Palmas its first win at Barcelona in more than 50 years. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings. Get updates and player profiles ahead of Friday's high school games, plus a recap Saturday with stories, photos, video Frequency: Seasonal Twice a weekEx-teacher all supportive of S’wak’s move to standardised Year 6, Form 3 assessments
Ross Barkley’s 85th-minute winner gave them victory after they had twice squandered the lead in Germany. John McGinn and Jhon Duran goals at the start of each half were cancelled out by Lois Openda and Christoph Baumgartner. But Barkley had the final say less than two minutes after coming off the bench as his deflected effort earned the points which sent his side third in the new Champions League league phase. The top eight automatically qualify for the next stage and with games against Monaco and Celtic to come, Unai Emery’s men are a good bet to avoid the need for a play-off round in their first foray in this competition. Leipzig are out, having lost all six of their games. Villa enjoyed a dream start and were ahead with less than three minutes on the clock. Matty Cash, playing in a more advanced position on the right, crossed for Ollie Watkins, who nodded down into the path of McGinn and the skipper made no mistake from close range. That gave the visitors confidence and they had enough chances in the first 15 minutes to have the game wrapped up. Lucas Digne’s cross from the left was begging to be converted but Watkins could not make contact from close range and then Morgan Rogers shot straight at Leipzig goalkeeper Peter Gulacsi. Then Youri Tielemans found himself with time and space on the edge of the area from Watkins’ tee-up but the Belgium international disappointingly dragged wide. All that good work was undone in the 27th minute, though, as Emiliano Martinez was left red-faced. The Argentinian was too casual waiting to collect Nicolas Seiwald’s long ball and Openda nipped in to get the ball first and tap into an empty net. pic.twitter.com/LGoAMrLkQy — Aston Villa (@AVFCOfficial) December 10, 2024 Duran was introduced at the break and needed just a couple of minutes to fire a warning when he drilled wide after a loose ball fell to him 14 yards out. But the Colombian got his goal in the 52nd minute, though it was another moment for the goalkeeper to forget. Duran was invited to drive forward and unleashed a 25-yard shot, which was hardly an Exocet, but still was too much for Gulacsi, who barely even jumped. It was his 10th goal of the season and sixth from the bench as he continues his super-sub role. 😍 pic.twitter.com/ZHeVFiYUW9 — Aston Villa (@AVFCOfficial) December 10, 2024 The striker was not complaining and he thought he had doubled his tally shortly after when he converted Cash’s centre but the provider was ruled offside by VAR. Five minutes later, Villa found themselves pegged back again with a finish of real quality. Openda was sent clear by another long ball and his cross was perfect for Baumgartner to cushion a far-post volley back across goal and into the corner. Digne brought a save out of Gulacsi and then Openda shot straight at Martinez as both sides pushed for a winner. It was Villa who got it as Barkley saw his deflected effort wrong-foot Gulacsi and hit the back of the net.
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A judge on Monday rejected a request to block a San Jose State women's volleyball team member from playing in a conference tournament on grounds that she is transgender. The ruling by U.S. Magistrate Judge S. Kato Crews in Denver will allow the player, who has played all season, to compete in the Mountain West Conference women's championship opening this week in Las Vegas. The ruling comes in a lawsuit filed by nine current players against the Mountain West Conference challenging the league's policies for allowing transgender players to participate. The players argued that letting her compete was a safety risk and unfair. While some media have reported those and other details, neither San Jose State nor the forfeiting teams have confirmed the school has a trans woman volleyball player. The Associated Press is withholding the player's name because she has not commented publicly on her gender identity. School officials also have declined an interview request with the player. Crews' ruling referred to the athlete as an "alleged transgender" player and noted that no defendant disputed that the San Jose State roster includes a transgender woman player. San Jose State will "continue to support its student-athletes and reject discrimination in all forms," the university said in a statement, confirming that all its student-athletes are eligible to participate under NCAA and conference rules. "We are gratified that the Court rejected an eleventh-hour attempt to change those rules. Our team looks forward to competing in the Mountain West volleyball tournament this week." The conference did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment. The players filed a notice for emergency appeal with the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. Crews said the players who filed the complaint could have sought relief much earlier, noting the individual universities had acknowledged that not playing their games against San Jose State this season would result in a loss in league standings. He also refused a request to re-seed the tournament without the forfeited losses. The judge said injunctions are meant to preserve the status quo. The conference policy regarding forfeiting for refusing to play against a team with a transgender player had been in effect since 2022 and the San Jose State player has been on the roster since 2022 -– making that the status quo. The player competed at the college level three previous seasons, including two for San Jose State, drawing little attention. This season's awareness of her reported identity led to an uproar among some players, pundits, parents and politicians in a major election year. Crews' ruling also said injunctions are meant to prevent harm, but in this case, he argued, the harm has already occurred. The games have been forfeited, the tournament has been seeded, the teams have made travel plans and the participants have confirmed they're playing. The tournament starts Wednesday and continues Friday and Saturday. Colorado State is seeded first and San Jose State, second. The teams split their regular-season matches and both get byes into Friday's semifinals. San Jose State will play the winner of Wednesday's match between Utah State and Boise State — teams that both forfeited matches to SJSU during the regular season. Boise State associate athletic director Chris Kutz declined to comment on whether the Broncos would play SJSU if they won their first-round tournament game. Utah State officials did not immediately respond to emails seeking comment. The conference tournament winner gets an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament. San Jose State coach Todd Kress, whose team has not competed in the national tournament since 2001, has said his team has been getting "messages of hate" and that has taken a toll on his players. Several teams refused to play against San Jose State during the season, earning losses in the official conference standings. Boise State and Wyoming each had two forfeits while Utah State and Nevada both had one. Southern Utah, a member of the Western Athletic Conference, was first to cancel against San Jose State this year. Nevada's players stated they "refuse to participate in any match that advances injustice against female athletes," without elaborating. Nevada did not qualify for the conference tournament. The nine current players and others now suing the Mountain West Conference, the California State University Board of Trustees and others include San Jose State senior setter and co-captain Brooke Slusser. The teammate Slusser says is transgender hits the volleyball with more force than others on the team, raising fear during practices of suffering concussions from a head hit, the complaint says. The Independent Council on Women's Sports is funding a separate lawsuit against the NCAA for allowing transgender women to compete in women's sports. Both lawsuits claim the landmark 1972 federal antidiscrimination law known as Title IX prohibits transgender women in women's sports. Title IX prohibits sexual discrimination in federally funded education; Slusser is a plaintiff in both lawsuits. Several circuit courts have used a U.S. Supreme Court ruling to conclude that discriminating against someone based on their transgender status or sexual orientation is sex-based discrimination, Crews wrote. That means case law does not prove the "likelihood of success" needed to grant an injunction. An NCAA policy that subjects transgender participation to the rules of sports governing bodies took effect this academic year. USA Volleyball says a trans woman must suppress testosterone for 12 months before competing. The NCAA has not flagged any issues with San Jose State. The Republican governors of Idaho, Nevada, Utah and Wyoming have made public statements in support of the team cancellations, citing fairness in women's sports. President-elect Donald Trump likewise has spoken out against allowing transgender women to compete in women's sports. Crews was a magistrate judge in Colorado's U.S. District Court for more than five years before President Joe Biden appointed him as a federal judge in January.
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The man tasked with running the under-administration Queensland construction division of the CFMEU has called on the new state government to engage with him to ensure the safety of workers while hitting out at recent LNP attacks. In his first public comments in the role, Travis O’Brien called a media conference outside the union’s Bowen Hills state headquarters late yesterday to express “deep disappointment” in statements made by Police Minister Dan Purdie a day earlier. Purdie had accused the state union of being in “lockstep” with outlaw motorcycle gangs after its national administrator arranged security for the Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne offices in response to threats from bikies and others ostracised from it. “The minister’s comments have jeopardised the safety not only of organisers and staff, they are just plain wrong,” O’Brien said, confirming threats had been made against Queensland officials, but noting it would be “irresponsible” to go into detail. “I have to be responsible enough to not look for column-inches in the gossip column, and I ask the police minister to take the same approach,” he said. “To be clear, and I want to be as clear as I can be, the CFMEU [in Queensland] is not in lockstep with bikies. That is just wrong. If the new government is opposed to organised crime in the construction industry, I suggest they have a look at some of the building companies currently engaged on government-funded projects.” O’Brien criticised the LNP’s dumping of the former Labor government’s Best Practice Industry Conditions procurement policy as a way to ensure projects were kept on time and budget – noting some under such conditions were. With the LNP making clear they would refuse to deal with the union, despite it still operating under administration for its more than 20,000 members in the state after allegations of organised crime links and corruption against Victorian and NSW figures, O’Brien called on the government to “stop playing politics”. “Stop looking for clickbait, and instead sit down with me to talk about how we can ensure that construction workers in Queensland are staying safe,” he said. “I am convinced that the actions of this government are going to lead to increased risks on site that will include workers being killed.” It was only a matter of time before billionaire X owner Elon Musk weighed in on Australia’s bid to ban social media for children under 16. Last night, Musk reposted a statement from Prime Minister Anthony Albanese about the introduction of the ban to the parliament, writing that the move “seems like a backdoor way to control access to the Internet by all Australians”. The ban is being fast-tracked through parliament, with Albanese saying the government wanted this “action to happen as soon as possible”, as the opposition confirmed it would work constructively to see the bill passed next week. A teenage girl has been reported missing in Ipswich. The 14-year-old was last seen on Thursday at a property in Bell Street about 8am. The teenager was last seen in Bell Street, Ipswich. Credit: QPS The girl is about 160 centimetres tall, with blonde hair and blue eyes, and was wearing a black hoodie and tracksuit pants when she was last seen. She is known to frequently visit Collingwood Park and Redbank. Police are calling for anyone with relevant information to come forward. Townsville City Mayor Troy Thompson had been suspended from his position. Thompson had been the subject of investigation for almost 250 days, following allegations of suspected voter fraud during his March 2024 mayoral election campaign, including a claim he served five years in the army. In an interview on Nine’s A Current Affair* earlier this year he acknowledged misleading voters about his military record, blaming “100-plus” concussions. Minister for Local Government Ann Leahy said in a statement yesterday that she had signed off on regulation to suspend Thompson for 12 months on full pay. “During his suspension Mr Thompson cannot perform any of the duties of a councillor or mayor,” Leahy said. “This result is a win for the residents of Townsville who deserve stability and a functioning local government.” In a statement released on October 21, when Thompson was required to submit evidence for the ongoing investigation, Thompson said he would not step down of his own accord. “Should I be suspended by the minister, I will respect her decision at this time, but I will challenge this and look to a high court injunction, if required,” his statement read. During Thompson’s suspension, Deputy Mayor Paul Jacob was expected to assume the role of acting mayor. *Nine also owns this masthead. As the government continues to delay its gambling ad policy announcement, opposition communications spokesperson David Coleman said it was “remarkable” that Communications Minister Michelle Rowland conceded no decision had been made. It’s now been well over a year since a parliamentary inquiry chaired by late Labor MP Peta Murphy recommended a ban on all gambling ads across television, radio, newspapers and online within three years. “The prime minister is scared that whatever he announces on gambling advertising is going to upset people, so he’s taking the weak option and basically doing nothing,” Coleman told ABC’s RN Breakfast . “So the position he’s taken is do nothing, and that has very real consequences. And it’s well past time that action was taken.” Coleman was pushed repeatedly on whether the Coalition would go one step further and commit to a full ban on gambling ads. Coleman avoided the question, deferring to a promised response to any policy the government announces. “We’ve got a policy that we put in place already... The next step is for the government of Australia to have an opinion on this issue.” Foreign Minister Penny Wong has responded to the International Criminal Court issuing arrest warrants for Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, former defence chief Yoav Gallant, and Hamas leader Ibrahim Al-Masri, for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in the Gaza conflict. “Australia respects the independence of the ICC and its important role in upholding international law,” Wong wrote in a statement posted to X. “Australia is focused on working with countries that want peace to press for an urgently needed ceasefire.” The man tasked with running the under-administration Queensland construction division of the CFMEU has called on the new state government to engage with him to ensure the safety of workers while hitting out at recent LNP attacks. In his first public comments in the role, Travis O’Brien called a media conference outside the union’s Bowen Hills state headquarters late yesterday to express “deep disappointment” in statements made by Police Minister Dan Purdie a day earlier. Purdie had accused the state union of being in “lockstep” with outlaw motorcycle gangs after its national administrator arranged security for the Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne offices in response to threats from bikies and others ostracised from it. “The minister’s comments have jeopardised the safety not only of organisers and staff, they are just plain wrong,” O’Brien said, confirming threats had been made against Queensland officials, but noting it would be “irresponsible” to go into detail. “I have to be responsible enough to not look for column-inches in the gossip column, and I ask the police minister to take the same approach,” he said. “To be clear, and I want to be as clear as I can be, the CFMEU [in Queensland] is not in lockstep with bikies. That is just wrong. If the new government is opposed to organised crime in the construction industry, I suggest they have a look at some of the building companies currently engaged on government-funded projects.” O’Brien criticised the LNP’s dumping of the former Labor government’s Best Practice Industry Conditions procurement policy as a way to ensure projects were kept on time and budget – noting some under such conditions were. With the LNP making clear they would refuse to deal with the union, despite it still operating under administration for its more than 20,000 members in the state after allegations of organised crime links and corruption against Victorian and NSW figures, O’Brien called on the government to “stop playing politics”. “Stop looking for clickbait, and instead sit down with me to talk about how we can ensure that construction workers in Queensland are staying safe,” he said. “I am convinced that the actions of this government are going to lead to increased risks on site that will include workers being killed.” Another wet one is forecast for Brisbane today, so don’t forget your umbrella. The bureau predicts a high chance of showers, both in the morning and in the afternoon. It should be a clearer weekend, however, with the chance of showers much lower on both days. And today the maximum temperature should top out at a cool 25 degrees, before higher daily maximums for much of next week. Here’s the outlook into the weekend and beyond: Here’s what’s happening beyond Brisbane this morning: Simone White, the 28-year British lawyer who died in the suspected methanol poisoning incident in Laos. Credit: Facebook A British woman who fell ill after drinking contaminated alcohol in Laos has died, the fifth foreign national now suspected to have died in the incident. Four other tourists – including Australian Bianca Jones , two Danes and an American – have died in the incident. Some households face spending more than their entire income to keep a roof over their head. Far-right Republican Matt Gaetz has withdrawn his bid to become Donald Trump’s attorney-general amid ongoing revelations of alleged sexual misconduct involving an underage girl. Black Friday can be both tempting and overwhelming, so here are a few ways to get the most out of any bargain . And in sport, the WA premier and $500m went to Sydney . The Perth Bears dream is alive and well. The mood in India: Complacency and anxiety, but this Test battle will decide the series. Good morning, thanks for joining us for Brisbane Times’ live news blog. It’s Friday, November 22, and we’re expecting showers today and a top temperature of 24 degrees. In this morning’s local headlines: A busy Riverside Expressway off-ramp has closed to traffic at least four times this week because debris from the Queen’s Wharf development caused the road to flood. The off-ramp may need to close again today, for a more extensive investigation into the blockages. Transport workers clear the Margaret Street off-ramp debris. Credit: Catherine Strohfeldt A report has found households in the four outer urban councils forming Greater Brisbane have less than half the access to frequent public transport than their more central city neighbours. As Brisbane-born Nathan McSweeney prepares to take on India as Australia’s new opening batsman, his old junior teammate and Brisbane Heat paceman Xavier Bartlett says McSweeney has the makings of a Test star. And are you strong on current affairs, or just good at guessing? Try out the weekly Brisbane Times Quiz.
Teenage West Ham goalkeeper dies aged 15 after cancer battleOne night last month, near the end of the Chicago International Film Festival, a particularly long line of moviegoers snaked down Southport Avenue by the Music Box Theatre. The hot ticket? This fall’s hottest ticket, in fact, all over the international festival circuit? Well, it’s a 215-minute drama about a fictional Hungarian Jewish architect who emigrates to America in 1947 after surviving the Holocaust. The film’s title, “The Brutalist,” references several things, firstly a post-World War II design imperative made of stern concrete, steel, and a collision of poetry and functionality. Director and co-writer Brady Corbet, who wrote “The Brutalist” with his filmmaker wife, Mona Fastvold, explores brutalism in other forms as well, including love, envy, capitalist economics and how the promise of America eludes someone like the visionary architect László Tóth, played by Adrien Brody. Corbet, now 36 and a good bet for Oscar nominations this coming January, says his unfashionable sprawl of a picture, being distributed by A24, is also about the “strange relationship between artist and patron, and art and commerce.” It co-stars Felicity Jones as the visionary architect’s wife, Erzsébet, trapped in Eastern Europe after the war with their niece for an agonizingly long time. Guy Pearce portrays the imperious Philadelphia blueblood who hires Tóth, a near-invisible figure in his adopted country, to design a monumental public building known as the Institute in rural Pennsylvania. The project becomes an obsession, then a breaking point and then something else. Corbet’s project, which took the better part of a decade to come together after falling apart more than once, felt like that, too. Spanning five decades and filmed in Hungary and Italy, “The Brutalist” looks like a well-spent $50 million project. In actuality, it was made for a mere $10 million, with Corbet and cinematographer Lol Crawley shooting on film, largely in the VistaVision process. The filmmaker said at the Chicago festival screening: “Who woulda thunk that for screening after screening over the last couple of months, people stood in line around the block to get into a three-and-a-half-hour movie about a mid-century designer?” He lives in Brooklyn, New York, with Fastvold and their daughter. Our conversation has been edited for clarity and length. Q: Putting together an independent movie, keeping it on track, getting it made: not easy, as you told the Music Box audience last night. Money is inevitably going to be part of the story of “The Brutalist,” since you had only so much to make a far-flung historical epic. A: Yeah, that’s right. In relation to my earlier features, “The Childhood of a Leader” had a $3 million budget. The budget for “Vox Lux” was right around $10 million, same as “The Brutalist,” although the actual production budget for “Vox Lux” was about $4.5 million. Which is to say: All the money on top of that was going to all the wrong places. For a lot of reasons, when my wife and I finished the screenplay for “The Brutalist,” we ruled out scouting locations in Philadelphia or anywhere in the northeastern United States. We needed to (film) somewhere with a lot less red tape. My wife’s previous film, “The World to Come,” she made in Romania; we shot “Childhood of a Leader” in Hungary. For “The Brutalist” we initially landed on Poland, but this was early on in COVID and Poland shut its borders the week our crew was arriving for pre-production. When we finally got things up and running again with a different iteration of the cast (the original ensemble was to star Joel Edgerton, Marion Cotillard and Mark Rylance), after nine months, the movie fell apart again because Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. We couldn’t get any of the banks to cash-flow the tax credit (for location shooting in Poland). It’s completely stable now, but at that time the banks were nervous about whether the war would be contained to Ukraine or not. And then we finally got it up and running in Budapest, Hungary. Q: That’s a long time. A: Every filmmaker I know suffers from some form of post-traumatic stress (laughs). It sounds funny but it’s true. At every level. On the level of independent cinema, you’re just so damn poor. You’re not making any money, and yet from nose to tail, at minimum, a movie always takes a couple of years. With bigger projects, you might have a little more personal security but a lot less creative security with so many more cooks in the kitchen. Either route you choose, it can be an arduous and painful one. Whether you’re making a movie for a million dollars, or $10 million, or $100 million, it’s still “millions of dollars.” And if you’re concerned about the lives and livelihoods of the people working with you, it’s especially stressful. People are constantly calling you: “Is it happening? Are we starting? Should I take this other job or not?” And you have 250 people who need that answer from you. Every iteration of the project, I always thought we were really about to start in a week, two weeks. It’s just very challenging interpersonally. It’s an imposition for everyone in your life. And then there’s the imposition of screening a movie that’s three-and-a-half-hours long for film festivals, where it’s difficult to find that kind of real estate on the schedule. So essentially, making a movie means constantly apologizing. Q: At what point in your acting career did you take a strong interest in what was going on behind the camera? A: I was making short films when I was 11, 12 years old. The first thing I ever made more properly, I guess, was a short film I made when I was 18, “Protect You + Me,” shot by (cinematographer) Darius Khondji. It was supposed to be part of a triptych of films, and I went to Paris for the two films that followed it. And then all the financing fell through. But that first one screened at the London film festival, and won a prize at Sundance, and I was making music videos and other stuff by then. Q: You’ve written a lot of screenplays with your wife. How many? A: Probably 25. We work a lot for other people, too. I think we’ve done six together for our own projects. Sometimes I’ll start something at night and my wife will finish in the morning. Sometimes we work very closely together, talking and typing together. It’s always different. Right now I’m writing a lot on the road, and my wife is editing her film, which is a musical we wrote, “Ann Lee,” about the founder of the Shakers. I’m working on my next movie now, which spans a lot of time, like “The Brutalist,” with a lot of locations. And I need to make sure we can do it for not a lot of money, because it’s just not possible to have a lot of money and total autonomy. For me making a movie is like cooking. If everyone starts coming in and throwing a dash of this or that in the pot, it won’t work out. A continuity of vision is what I look for when I read a novel. Same with watching a film. A lot of stuff out there today, appropriately referred to as “content,” has more in common with a pair of Nikes than it does with narrative cinema. Q: Yeah, I can’t imagine a lot of Hollywood executives who’d sign off on “The Brutalist.” A: Well, even with our terrific producing team, I mean, everyone was up for a three-hour movie but we were sort of pushing it with three-and-a-half (laughs). I figured, worst-case scenario, it opens on a streamer. Not what I had in mind, but people watch stuff that’s eight, 12 hours long all the time. They get a cold, they watch four seasons of “Succession.” (A24 is releasing the film in theaters, gradually.) It was important for all of us to try to capture an entire century’s worth of thinking about design with “The Brutalist.” For me, making something means expressing a feeling I have about our history. I’ve described my films as poetic films about politics, that go to places politics alone cannot reach. It’s one thing to say something like “history repeats itself.” It’s another thing to make people see that, and feel it. I really want viewers to engage with the past, and the trauma of that history can be uncomfortable, or dusty, or dry. But if you can make it something vital, and tangible, the way great professors can do for their students, that’s my definition of success. “The Brutalist” opens in New York and Los Angeles on Dec. 20. The Chicago release is Jan. 10, 2025. Michael Phillips is a Tribune critic.Jimmy Carter, the 39th US president, has died at 100
Eagles Announce Decision on Wide Receiver DeVonta Smith for Rams GameIt will be the Apaches vs. Bulldogs on Saturday with a football title at stake. Tyler Junior College, ranked No. 7 in the nation, and No. 6 Navarro College meet for the Southwest Junior College Football Conference championship at Christus Trinity Mother Frances Rose Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 3 p.m. on Earl Campbell Field. The winner of the SWJCFC earns a berth in the C.H.A.M.P.S. Heart of Texas Bowl, which is scheduled for Dec. 7 at Ernest Hawkins Field at Memorial Stadium on the campus of East Texas A&M University in Commerce. The Apaches (7-3) have won 11 league championships, but none in almost a quarter of a century. TJC won the 2000 SWJCFC championship with a 23-21 win over Northeastern Oklahoma A&M in the Red River Bowl held at Pennington Field in Bedford. The Apaches last played for the title in 2021, falling to New Mexico Military Institute, 45-10, in Roswell, New Mexico. The Bulldogs (7-2) have captured 12 conference titles, the last in 2019, a 36-35 win over NMMI in Corsicana. Current Navarro Coach Ryan Taylor, a former TJC All-America center, led Cisco College to the 2020 crown. (The season was played in the spring of 2021 due to COVID-19). Navarro played for the title last season, falling to Kilgore College, 48-39, in Kilgore. The last time the two met in the championship was in 2011, a 33-29 win by Navarro in Corsicana. The last time the championship game was held in Tyler was in 2003 (NEO won over TJC, 37-34). TJC advanced to the championship with a 28-17 win over Kilgore College last week in the semifinals. In six games, quarterback Tre Guerra, a sophomore from Keller, has connected on 54 of 85 passing attempts for 618 yards with four touchdowns and no interceptions. Lonnie Johnson has been a favorite target of Guerra. The big tight end who graduated from Keller Timber Creek, a rival squad of Guerra’s Keller High team, has 18 receptions on the season for 213 yards and three touchdowns (2 against KC last week). Bernock Iya (6-2, sophomore, Azle) is not only a key defensive back, but the speedster is a threat on kickoff and punt returns. William Cornelson (6-2, 240, sophomore, linebacker, Austin/Cedar Park Vista Ridge High School) leads the Apaches with 114 tackles (7.5 sacks) followed by Darion White (6-2, 215, sophomore, linebacker, Waco/La Vega High School) with 113 tackles (5.5 sacks, 2 forced fumbles). Both are among the nation’s leaders. Jayden Madkins (6-2, 290, sophomore, defensive lineman, Houston/Alvin Shadow Creek) leads the big guys up front. He has four sacks. Navarro advanced to the championship with a 28-21 win over Cisco last week in Corsicana. Bulldog quarterback Mason Shorb completed 19-of-31 passes for 259 yards and three touchdowns against Wrangler and backup QB Ryan Shackleton was 3-of-4 for 41 yards and a TD. Cisco gave the Dawgs all they wanted and more, and Navarro’s defense had to put the game away in the second half, breaking free from a 21-21 tie at halftime. Shawn Brown caught three passes for 71 yards and two touchdowns, including a 56-yarder, and Braylon Finney had three receptions for 28 yards and a TD. Malachai Jackson caught four passes for 74 yards. Navarro has won three-straight over the Apaches since TJC won 69-57 on Sept. 11, 2021. On Nov. 2, Navarro scored a 49-24 win over TJC in Corsicana. The Bulldogs lead the all-times series with Tyler, 49-41. SMOKE SIGNALS: Tyelar Rohman, TJC assistant athletic director, said, “Fans are encouraged to wear black and participate in another Black Out to show their support as the team takes the field in their signature black uniforms.” ... Ticket prices are: general admission ($8), reserved seatbacks ($12), TJC students (Free with ID) and other students ($3 with valid student ID).