House Democrats pick Hakeem Jeffries to succeed Nancy Pelosi, the first Black lawmaker to lead a party in Congress

House Democrats chose caucus chair Hakeem Jeffries of New York to succeed Nancy Pelosi as leader of the Democrats in the chamber next year, a historic move that will make him the first Black person to lead one of the two major parties in either chamber of Congress.

House Democrats met behind closed doors Wednesday morning on Capitol Hill to make their decision.

Jeffries ran unopposed as leader, with Massachusetts Rep. Katherine Clark, current assistant speaker, running as whip and California Rep. Peter Aguilar, previously vice chair of the caucus, and was expected to win the spot to lead the House Democratic caucus.

Republicans have the majority in the next Congress, so Jeffries, Clark and Aguilar will all lead in a Democratic minority, the first in two terms.

At 52, Jeffries will represent a generational change from the current triumvirate of House Democratic leaders, who are three decades older than him. He became the chairman of the Democratic caucus in 2019, making him the youngest member serving in leadership.

His rise in leadership comes after Pelosi, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer and House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn announced they would be stepping down from their current leadership positions. Clyburn is expected to become assistant leader in the new Congress.

Pelosi – who was designated “Speaker Emerita” in a unanimous vote by the House Democratic Steering and Policy Committee Tuesday night – blessed the new trio of leaders expected to succeed them in a statement when she announced she would step down and return to being a rank-and-file member in the new Congress.

“A new day is dawning — and I am confident that these new leaders will capably lead our Caucus and the Congress,” Pelosi said.

For months, Democratic lawmakers have whispered that Pelosi’s potential exit from Congress could pave the way for Jeffries.

Jeffries said he hopes to “lead an effort that centers our communication strategy around the messaging principle that values unite, issues divide.” He also praised the past leadership but said “more must be done to combat inflation, defend our democracy, secure reproductive freedom, welcome new Americans, promote equal protection under the law and improve public safety throughout this country.”

CATCH Prep Charter High SchoolNovember 30, 2022

These Are 2023’s 10 Biggest Oscar Contenders (So Far)

BY **RADHIKA SETH** Photo: Courtesy Everett Collection

2022 has been a tumultuous year for the film industry—a rollercoaster of box-office successes and crushing disappointments, where some long-awaited releases failed to make an impression while several sleeper hits came completely out of the blue. Fittingly, the 2023 Oscars race is equally mixed, with rousing blockbusters jostling for position alongside tender tearjerkers, oddball comedies, and unbearably tense thrillers, some by previous Academy Award winners (Steven Spielberg, Martin McDonagh, Damien Chazelle) and others from less established voices (Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, Chinonye Chukwu).

Ahead of the ceremony on March 12, here are the 10 films you need to look out for.

The Fabelmans

Steven Spielberg’s profoundly moving, deeply personal account of a family breaking apart—which scooped Toronto Film Festival’s Audience Award, a crucial precursor—has all the makings of an old-school best picture winner. It could also see the thrice Oscar-winning auteur return to the podium, alongside John Williams for his gentle, ruminative score, and Michelle Williams, Paul Dano, and Judd Hirsch for their barnstorming performances.

The Banshees of Inisherin

This unhinged fable about a fractured friendship set on a windswept Irish isle could earn Martin McDonagh his first Oscar for a feature-length film (he previously won for the short Six Shooter in 2006). Nods for the deft direction and raucous script seem inevitable, as does recognition for Brendan Gleeson and Kerry Condon’s measured supporting roles and Colin Farrell’s hilarious and heartbreaking central turn, for which he received Venice Film Festival’s Volpi Cup.

Tár

As the charismatic, manipulative, and wildly talented composer Lydia Tár, Cate Blanchett blows her fellow best-actress contenders out of the water in Todd Field’s fascinating study of abuses of power in the rarefied world of classical music. It’s masterfully written and constructed, too, with scene-stealing appearances from Noémie Merlant and Nina Hoss, but its icy precision may prove too alienating for the Academy to secure a best-picture win.

Women Talking

If Sarah Polley, the dark horse in the best-director race, lands a statuette for her harrowing tale of a Mennonite colony whose women were brutally abused, she would become the third woman in three years to do so, after Nomadland’s Chloé Zhao and The Power of the Dog’s Jane Campion. It’s also firmly in the best-picture conversation, as is the ethereal Rooney Mara for best actress, and both Claire Foy and Jessie Buckley in the supporting category.

Everything Everywhere All At Once

Despite having premiered in March, Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert’s exuberant, mind-bending action epic following a beleaguered laundromat owner-turned-verse jumper tasked with saving the universe (best-actress hopeful Michelle Yeoh) has managed to maintain its momentum thanks to its sheer originality and boldness. It’s poised to be the wild card in the best-picture race, with Ke Huy Quan, Stephanie Hsu, and Jamie Lee Curtis in the mix, too, for best supporting actor and best supporting actress, respectively.

Top Gun: Maverick

By grossing over $1 billion globally, the sweeping, Tom Cruise-fronted, Joseph Kosinski-helmed sequel to the ’80 classic acted as a defibrillator for a film industry still reeling from the impact of the pandemic—and the Academy could very well reward it for that. There’s no denying the power of its flight sequences, with their zippy editing, roaring sound, and hair-raising visual effects, all of which could result in technical nods and even carve a path to best picture.

The Whale

Currently the frontrunner for best actor, Brendan Fraser transforms into a middle-aged absent father who resorts to binge eating following the death of his lover in Darren Aronofsky’s haunting family drama. Keep an eye out for supporting-actress contender Hong Chau, too, who brings a remarkable humanity to the part of his only friend, a nurse who reluctantly enables him, even while fighting to save his life.

Till

Could Danielle Deadwyler be the first Black woman to take home the best-actress prize in more than two decades? (Shockingly, the only one ever to do so in the Academy’s 93-year history is Halle Berry for Monster’s Ball in 2002.) It’s certainly possible, given the buzz around her turn in Chinonye Chukwu’s touching rendering of the life of civil rights pioneer Mamie Till, who campaigned for justice following the murder of her 14-year-old son in 1950s Mississippi.

Babylon

It would be unwise to count out Damien Chazelle, whose last film about the wonders and pitfalls of Hollywood, 2016’s La La Land, won six Oscars. His latest, a heart-pumping, mile-a-minute romp, transports us to the hedonistic ’20s as the industry transitions from silent pictures to sound. It features elaborate sets, a jaunty score from Justin Hurwitz, jaw-dropping costumes by Mary Zophres, and Brad Pitt, Diego Calva, and Margot Robbie as three lost souls determined to make it big.

Elvis

Baz Luhrmann’s high-octane, hallucinatory biopic of the troubled king of rock ’n’ roll is divisive to say the least, but there’s one thing critics and audiences agree on: Austin Butler’s brooding take on the hip-shaking superstar is a triumph. Expect to see him in the best-actor category, and nods for the film’s make-up and hair, production design, and costuming, too (the latter two courtesy of Luhrmann’s wife and frequent collaborator, the four-time Oscar winner Catherine Martin).

CATCH Prep Charter High SchoolNovember 28, 2022

9 Clear Bags That Are Perfect For Stadium Games and Concerts

If you're thinking about getting a new bag right now, may we recommend one that's clear? PVC bags are having a moment right now, and there's so much to love about them. For one, how many times do you find yourself rummaging through your bags, trying to find what you're looking for? Well, with a clear bag, that problem goes out the window. Plus, they force you to be a bit more organized. We usually have receipts, crumbs, and plenty of other things we'd rather not mention lying around in our bags, and having a clear bag gives us incentive to clean up, and only carry the essentials.

The other great part about a clear bag is that now, concerts and sports games are recommending them in venues for security purposes. We are totally behind the idea of clear bags in stadiums, and we want to look cute, so if you're going to a concert or headed to a sports game, our pick is one of these nine bags. We found cool belt bags, convertible crossbody bags, and even a clear tote bag. Keep on reading to shop our top selects!

A Customized Clear Bag: Kenna Bag Stadium Clear Crossbody Bag

Want to make sure everyone knows which crossbody is yours? Pick up this adorable Kenna Bag Stadium Clear Crossbody Bag ($17). You can choose what color strap you want, cream, black, or pink, and pick up to three patches. This also makes for a thoughtful present. $17 from etsy.com

A Clear Belt Bag: Stoney Clover Lane Stadium Clear Fanny Pack

Love a belt bag? You're going to want this Stoney Clover Lane Stadium Clear Fanny Pack ($108) ASAP. It's useful, has a big pouch with room to store lots of things, and also happens to be adorable. There are lots of different striped strap colors to choose from too! $108 from stoneycloverlane.com

A Clear Bag With a Zippered Container: Clear Crossbody Messenger Shoulder Bag

This Clear Crossbody Messenger Shoulder Bag ($17) is a great purchase for so many reasons. Not only is it super affordable, it's available on Amazon, so if a last minute invitation to an event pops up, this can be at your door in a matter of days, sometimes even hours. Plus, it's versatile and useful. $17 from amazon.com

A Clear Tote: Cult Gaia Enzo North-South Tote

Not in the mood for a crossbody, belt bag, or shoulder bag? A tote bag is the next best thing. We're loving the leather details on this Cult Gaia Enzo North-South Tote ($458), and it can also double as a beach bag. This is an investment that you'll be able to use constantly. $458 from revolve.com

A Clear Chain Link Bag: Steve Madden BScene Clear Crossbody Bag

We love this Steve Madden BScene Clear Crossbody Bag ($70) because it's clear, but has an opaque pouch inside. That way, if there's something you want to keep private, it's available to you. We also love the more elevated look of the chain link strap. $70 from nordstrom.com

A Convertible Clear Bag: Game Day Clear Crossbody Bag

We love this Game Day Clear Crossbody Bag ($40) because it's so versatile. You can wear it with the wrist strap, as a shoulder bag, or a crossbody. Plus, it has plenty of room for all your essentials, and maybe even your friend's things too. $40 from containerstore.com

A Personalized Clear Bag: Mark and Graham Clear Crossbody with Chain

If you've got a group of friends that's always going to concerts and games, make sure everyone knows which bag is yours. This Mark and Graham Clear Crossbody with Chain ($175) can be monogrammed, which is about as personal as it gets. We like the tan accents, but it also comes in black. $175 from markandgraham.com

A Unique Clear Bag: For The Ages Ineva Baguette Bag

If you love a shoulder bag, this For The Ages Ineva Baguette Bag ($295) is a cool, unique style that still fits with concert and sports game requirements. If you love the shape, it also comes in four other fabric styles, but the clear is perfect for fall activities! $295 from urbanoutfitters.com

A Fun Clear Bag: Status Icons Clear Crossbody Bag

This Status Icons Clear Crossbody Bag ($21, originally $30) is so whimsical and fun. We love the little pom pom charm and the fun doodles on the bag. It's an easy, and affordable, way to make your personality shine through on a more understated accessory. $21 from claires.com

CATCH Prep Charter High SchoolSeptember 13, 2022

Meet the Catwalk Whisperers

The secret behind a good runway strut? The movement director, an increasingly essential component to creating a viral fashion show.

“Work it, girl (Give a twirl!) / Do your thing on the runway,” RuPaul famously exhorted in “Supermodel (You Better Work),” his hit 1992 ode to the coltish catwalk strides of Linda, Naomi, Christy, Cindy, and the rest of the mononymous wonder women of the ’90s. But by the early aughts, much of that singularity and originality had disappeared. It was supplanted by the militaristic stomp of processions of stern-looking young models who didn’t pose as much as pause (quickly) at the end of the runway so the camera pit could snap the kind of flat, standardized slideshow imagery that the dawn of digital media demanded.

Now, though, the pendulum appears to have swung back. Personality, performance, and theatricality are once again being celebrated at fashion shows—and “working it” is experiencing a renaissance too. TikTok has something to do with that: The social-media platform du jour has built an entire memetic universe around movement—in particular, dance—and fashion shows have the potential to reach a much wider audience if they go viral there. Plus, those ’90s runway walks have been rediscovered by Gen Z stans who memorialize them in carefully curated montages. And even runway photographers are mixing it up, supplementing traditional straight-on shots by capturing the way clothes move from a variety of angles and perspectives.

While it might seem like anyone with enough swagger can strut, the secret to a good walk has always been knowing how to move. Enter the movement director. Not quite choreographer, though often with a background in dance, a movement director sits at the intersection of the performing arts and fashion, tasked with bringing the ideas at play in a collection to life and helping today’s models put their best foot forward. Pioneers in the field such as Stephen Galloway and Les Child have made the role an essential part of fashion shows.

“I always thought that the title ‘choreographer’ just didn’t seem right,” says Los Angeles–based Galloway, who collaborates with Tom Ford and Brandon Maxwell and danced with Ballet Frankfurt for two decades before retiring in 2005. (He also served as what he half jokingly refers to as “hips and lips coordinator” for the Rolling Stones.)

In the early 2010s, Galloway started working on campaign and editorial shoots with photographers Inez van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin, which led to fashion-show commissions. “I can do a good Janet Jackson ‘Rhythm Nation’ 5-6-7-8, but I was never really choreographing the models. I was giving more of a movement suggestion,” he explains. Galloway decided to call himself a “creative movement director,” and thus movement direction as we now know it was born.

For Ami’s Fall 2022 show this past January at Paris’s Palais Brongniart, which sits above a transport hub, designer Alexandre Mattiussi wanted the models to embody a “subway type of energy,” which Galloway had them translate by moving with a driven sense of anticipation. “I said, ‘You’ve got to get to the grocery store. They only have that one sandwich that you want. You have to figure out a way how to get to that. Because if you don’t get there with purpose, it’s going to be gone,’ ” Galloway recalls.

The goal of a movement director, according to Child, a former dancer with Michael Clark Company who founded the U.K.’s first vogue house in the late ’80s, is to draw out models’ personalities. “I don’t want them walking the generic way that the agents teach, where they stomp quite aggressively,” he says. “I’m like, ‘Oh my God, you scared me to death, girl! No, love, let’s see you.’ ”

Child, who has directed shows for BodyMap, Bella Freud, and Alexander McQueen, is now Kim Jones’s go-to movement director at Fendi. “I have known and admired Les since I was a teenager,” says Jones. “His skills and ability to make the models and performers at ease and alive are second to none. He knows how to make a character.”

Galloway and Child have set the stage for a new cohort of movement directors who are helping to reconceive the role movement can play in presenting a collection. During Maison Margiela’s Spring 2020 show, model Leon Dame barreled down the runway with a zigzagging, hip-dipping strut that instantly went viral. “People were calling, saying, ‘Oh, that was something new,’ ” recalls Pat Boguslawski, a Paris-based movement director who has worked with John Galliano at Margiela since 2018. (Boguslawski also got his start in dance, studying at the Debbie Reynolds Performing Arts Studio in L.A.) “I was like, ‘That was nothing new. Back in the day, people were doing more crazy things on the runway, and it wasn’t shocking.’ ”

When audiences are trained to expect a steady pace, altering the speed or energy of a walk can be arresting. Sigrid Lauren, one half of the Brooklyn-based performance-art duo FlucT, created an almost trancelike effect at Peter Do’s Fall 2022 show by challenging the models to walk languidly around the three sides of the open stage and then even slower down the central runway.

At Marni in Milan, Brooklyn-based Sharleen Chidiac devised a pattern that saw the models pass through the standing-room-only audience in a dark, cavernous space led by flashlight-wielding art-school-student “torchbearers” before stepping onto an elevated runway. “It was very intentional that it was slow and maybe not what you expected a fashion show to be,” she says. “I directed them to be meditative and openhearted and just very present and light.”

For Harris Reed’s Fall 2022 show in London, Simon Donnellon, a Rambert School of Ballet and Contemporary Dance–trained movement director, worked with the designer to create a tableau vivant of sorts that featured models in exaggerated gigot-sleeve blouses and fishtail maxiskirts making big, deliberate arm gestures—very slowly—to a live soundtrack by Sam Smith. “A big, impactful movement captures my eye way more than a still image,” says Donnellon. “I’ve always prided myself on never doing the traditional quote-unquote ‘runway experience,’ with emotionless faces and a bunch of stomping, but actually showing characters living themselves,” adds Reed.

That same week in London, designer Jawara Alleyne put on an exuberant slashed, safety-pinned ode to punk rebellion. “I got all these models to walk down the catwalk smiling and swearing at people,” says the show’s movement director, Yagamoto. “So they’ll smile here, and then they’ll change their attitude and give people dirty looks on this side and give people middle fingers up here and blow kisses there.”

The right movement direction can result in a more engaged audience, which is crucial during these highly distractible social-media-dominated times. “It has to be something that stops you from scrolling, essentially,” says Emma Chadwick, a New York–based Ballet Basel alumna who worked on many of Proenza Schouler’s recent video projects and teamed with Coach and Khaite this season. “Designers know that people want to see clothes moving in a way that’s unexpected.” Chadwick incorporates a broad range of gestures into her movement direction; the Stranger Things–esque mise-en-scène at Coach featured a model walking a dog and two others on bicycles. Khaite showcased models strolling in pace with a spotlight-wielding robotic arm.

For London-based designer and movement director Saul Nash, the two sides of his practice are one and the same. “When I’m designing, I’m thinking about what the day-to-day life of the end wearer might be and whether my clothes inhibit movement or enable freedom,” says Nash, who studied performance design and practice at Central Saint Martins before pursuing a master’s in menswear design at the Royal College of Art. He frequently has friends from the contemporary-dance world walk in his shows.

Ultimately, what many of these movement directors hope to achieve, in addition to getting your attention, is a sense of whimsy and joy. “I think one thing that has come out of the shows since the pandemic is the models are acting like they’re happy to be there,” says Galloway. “For so long, they were conditioned not to care, but if people see they are having fun in the show, it lifts spirits.”

That’s something Patric DiCaprio, the codesigner of New York label Vaquera, can get behind. Models at the brand’s shows perform an intense speedwalk with the torso thrust forward, arms pumping, and feet stomping in a seeming parody of the plodding, somber ’00s march. Casting director Walter Pearce of Midland Agency created the walk while modeling for Hood by Air and has since evolved it in his behind-the-scenes work on shows for Vaquera and Eckhaus Latta. “Fashion is not that serious, so it’s great when people can find humor in it,” DiCaprio says. “Because we do too! That’s part of why we’re like, ‘I’m so fierce; let me do my crazy walk.’ It’s funny to exaggerate it to the point that it’s almost like a meme.”

CATCH Prep Charter High SchoolSeptember 12, 2022

BaubleBar Labor Day Discounts: Save 80% With Deals Starting at $4

We independently selected these products because we love them, and we think you might like them at these prices. E! has affiliate relationships, so we may get a commission if you purchase something through our links. Items are sold by the retailer, not E!. Prices are accurate as of publish time.

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Khloe Kardashian's Good American Pop Off Pink Collection Is Bubblegum-Hued Perfection

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