Nordstrom is a retailer we cannot stop shopping from. Its elite lineage of products — from beauty to clothing — is enticing, allowing you to order and feel good about your purchase.
With each item at Nordstrom a surefire marker of prestige, its Half Yearly Sale (happening now!) is where we’re headed. For a limited time, you can enjoy up to 50% off sitewide.
That’s right — you don’t have to wait until the coveted, summertime-annual Nordstrom Anniversary Sale to secure deep discounts. In the here and now, you can pick up extraordinary Nordstrom gifts (perhaps, some for yourself) that will have you stocked and your serotonin boosted before 2024 begins.
Ahead, the New York Post pulled our favorites off the digital racks and shelves for you to peruse through. From SKIMS and UGG to Nike and Le Creuset, there’s certainly not a lack of items to add to your online shopping cart ASAP.
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When the social media-viral SKIMS lounge dress is on sale, we’re all about it. For less than $75, its flattering, glove-like fit is all we could ask for. Not to mention, it’s one of the easiest forms of loungewear to toss on.
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Grab the UGG Women’s Classic Mini II Genuine Shearling Lined Boot in any of its on-sale shades, though we’re a bit obsessed with this navy hue that looks terrific with denim. Not to mention, they’re totally on-trend right now.
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Grab this pair of the Nike Men’s Air Max 270 Sneaker while it’s on sale. They’re ultra-supportive, a pair we’ve previously gifted and all-star shoes for any occasion.
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One of the best sales the Nordstrom Half Yearly Sale has to offer is the Le Creuset Signature 7.5-Quart Enameled Cast Iron Chef’s Oven. For nearly $200 off, this cookware gem is worth every penny.
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Up the ante on your in-office wardrobe with the Vince Camuto Nina Wide Leg Pants. We can’t believe they’re on sale for less than $40, either, and they’ll look phenomenal with your comfiest heels and work bag of choice.
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One of our personal favorite crossbody bags is the Tory Burch McGraw Leather Wallet Crossbody. We’re obsessed with this tiramisu shade and soft-to-the-touch feel. Its gold hardware is a nice touch, too.
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Whenever we’re trekking away for a long weekend, you can find the Oribe Hair Alchemy Travel Set in our duffle bag. The brand has some of the most luscious shampoos we tested, and this luxe set is the ideal gift for anyone — yourself included.
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Whenever a new mom we know is asking for baby product recommendations, we always send them the link to the Nordstrom Hooded Baby Bunting. Now, it’s on sale for less than $25 (pretty epic, if we do say so) and it’s adorably cute.
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One thing’s for sure — you can never have too many cardigans. Grab the Vince Camuto Long Cardigan while it’s less than $50 for that designer-leaning article of clothing you’ll oh-so-love.
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Whenever we ask the men in our life about their favorite skincare brands, Kiehl’s Since 1851 is usually at the top of their lists. For that reason, we recommend stocking up on the Kiehl’s Since 1851 Facial Fuel Energizing Face Scrub for a gentle cleanse.
Khan’s party claimed the election body’s move was aimed at preventing him from contesting the February 8 polls.
A court in Pakistan has ruled that former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s party can contest elections using its cricket bat logo – a relief for the jailed opposition leader in advance of national elections.
The High Court in the northwestern city of Peshawar on Tuesday suspended last week’s order by the Election Commission of Pakistan, barring Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party from using its election symbol.
“The election commission’s ruling against PTI, in which its election symbol, the cricket bat, was unjustly revoked through an illegal order, has been suspended,” said PTI lawyer Syed Ali Zafar.
“It has been further directed that our symbol be reinstated,” he said.
In a nation where the adult literacy rate is just 58 percent, according to World Bank data, election symbols are vital campaign tools for differentiating candidates on ballot papers.
The election commission said it made the move because of the party’s failure to hold internal elections in accordance with its constitution.
But the PTI said the move was another jab to prevent Khan – a former cricket star – from contesting the election, scheduled on February 8.
Khan, who enjoys support from a vast number of Pakistanis, was removed as prime minister last year after falling out with Pakistan’s powerful military leaders.
He is currently in prison and faces numerous cases, including the charge that he leaked classified state documents – a crime that carries a prison term of up to 14 years or even the death penalty.
Since Khan’s arrest earlier this year, PTI has faced a heavy crackdown by the government, with many party figures either jailed or “forced” to leave the party allegedly under the pressure of the military.
On Friday, PTI said it had filed Khan’s nomination papers for him to contest the general election.
But the nomination may be challenged based on the electoral commission having disqualified him from office over a corruption conviction earlier this year.
Manchester United take on Aston Villa at Old Trafford this Boxing Day night, in which is sure to be a Christmas cracker.
The Red Devils are desperate to get their season back on track and should be especially motivated to impress new owners, INEOS.
New board members Sir Dave Brailsford and Jean-Claude Blanc will start work next month at Old Trafford, where they will begin an audit to determine how to get the Mancunian side back on track.
United lie a disappointing eighth in the table while Aston Villa are flying high in third position, just one point off the top. In fact, should Liverpool fail to beat Burnley today, a victory would take the Villans top of the league.
Villa often line up in a 4-4-1-1 formation and employ a high press, looking to dominate teams by getting the ball forward to their dangerous attackers of Ollie Watkins and Leon Bailey.
Therefore, how are United to stop the side from Birmingham?
Stop Ollie Watkins
Watkins has been a thorn in the side of many teams this season and is likely to be licking his lips at having a shy at this United defence. The Englishman has scored nine Premier League goals and has six assists in what has been an impressive season.
The 27 year old forward is lethal with both feet and strong in the air. He will be a major problem for Raphael Varane, Jonny Evans or Willy Kambwala to deal with.
Finding a way to nullify the England international will be crucial to securing a significant win.
Beating the offside trap
Aston Villa employ a high defensive line and are very successful at catching teams offside. United struggle with this as only Liverpool have been caught offside more times than the Red Devils this season.
Therefore, between Villa’s high line and United’s tendency to be caught offside, expect a few flags for Erik ten Hag’s men. However, you only need to break through once and with Marcus Rashford, Rasmus Hojlund and Alejandro Garnacho, they have the weapons to exploit the high line.
The question is whether they can in a way they haven’t been able to all season.
Play two defensive midfielders
It may sound strange to suggest playing two more defensive players in midfield at Old Trafford but United have struggled with Scott McTominay in midfield, as it has disrupted the balance of the side.
Playing Kobbie Mainoo alongside Sofyan Amrabat may allow the Old Trafford side to control the influential Douglas Luiz and John McGinn, both of whom are massively enjoying Unai Emery’s style of play and having fruitful seasons.
United will need to find a way to not allow the Villans to flood the midfield and try to get some sort of foothold in the match.
Winning the midfield battle, cutting off the supply to Watkins and using the electric pace of their own forwards: these are the keys to winning the match for United.
Though Bobbie Jean has remained out of the spotlight since the family’s reality show House of Carters ended in 2006, she made headlines earlier this year when she was arrested in Florida for shoplifting and allegedly carrying fentanyl.
Following her older sister’s passing, Angel looked back on the highs and lows Bobbie Jean experienced. “Life wasn’t fair to you,” she wrote in a Dec. 24 tribute to her older sister. “Sometimes, it feels like you didn’t have a shot, no matter what.”
“Experiencing innocence instead of being burdened by trauma, pain, and suffering is incredibly important for children, particularly at such a young age,” she continued. “I know why Leslie, Aaron, and now you ended up in the circumstances that you did. I share that pain we experienced during our childhood and I’m sorry you didn’t have an opportunity for a better life.”
Tons of animation releases every year; it’s impossible to watch it all even when someone isn’t removing shows from streaming entirely to nudge their bottom lines. But 2023 in particular was especially good for streaming animation. This list will highlight some of our favorites. Of course, we may have missed a few, since it is–again–impossible to watch it all.
Among this list are shows with remarkable imagination, exciting action direction, fresh storytelling, and new takes on old ideas. Animation styles tend to take over and become dominant in their times–think of the Pixar movie look, the style of Cartoon Network shows in the mid-’00s, or ’80s anime for example–but it seems like we’re in an experimental period right now and so many of these new shows look so different from each other, while also being visually striking, that they’d be a joy to watch even on mute.
8. Fired On Mars – Max
The mantle of BoJack Horseman is a heavy one to take on. The Netflix animated series is still one of the service’s unique and most beautiful creations, mixing incisive parodies of pop culture with harrowing looks into addiction, mental illness, and abusive relationships. Fired On Mars follows Jeff (Luke Wilson), a graphic designer fired from his job. There’s just one thing–he took the job as a one-way trip to help settle a colony on Earth’s nearest neighbor. His girlfriend is 34 million miles away, and he can’t exactly pack up and move to another community.
Jeff searches for purpose and meaning in a place that actively resists it. The settlement of Mars isn’t being done by intrepid explorers, but by a corporation called Mars.ly, with all the problems that come with big corporations, from double-talking executives to power-tripping middle managers to nonsensical rules. Fired On Mars can be a difficult watch for some of the same reasons that BoJack is a trying experience–it’s asking some tough questions about modern life. The Mars part is there mostly to turn the dial up to maximum and snap it off. In this first season, Fired On Mars is still searching for its own voice, but it’s a strong contender.
7. Scott Pilgrim Takes Off
Whether it’s thanks to Bryan Lee O’Malley’s original comic, the 2010 film directed by Edgar Wright, or the Ubisoft side-scroller game, the concept of Scott Pilgrim vs. the World is pretty well known even to many casual viewers. This animated series seeks to turn the idea on its head, though we won’t spoil how–this is no mere adaptation.
Even without a word about the plot, it makes for an appealing package. The series is animated by Science Saru, a studio known for creative and fresh animated series like Ping Pong: The Animation and Devilman Crybaby. The soundtrack comes via chiptune rock band Anamanaguchi, who also provided the sound for the aforementioned Ubisoft game. Notably, though, the series also features the voice talents almost the entire primary cast of the film, including Hollywood heavyweights like Chris Evans and Brie Larson, and an otherwise star-studded cast with the likes of “Weird Al” Yankovic, Finn Wolfhard, and Will Forte providing voices.
6. Adventure Time: Fionna and Cake – Max
Recreating the magic of Adventure Time–without simply remaking Adventure Time–is a tall order. And yet, it’s one that series creator Pendleton Ward and showrunner Adam Muto have taken and run with. Fionna and Cake acts as a continuation of the show in some ways, but it’s not simply “more Adventure Time.”
Fionna, Cake, and characters like Marshall Lee began as fictional creations of the original series’ Ice King, who concocted a gender-swapped version of the land of Ooo, with Fionna replacing Finn, Cake replacing Jake, and so on. It becomes a multiverse-hopping adventure and a story about grief and finding your place in the world. It has all the outlines of Adventure Time but explores different color palettes and vibes throughout. Also, ’80s sitcom Cheers makes several appearances. This is a show made to reward long-time fans of Adventure Time but has enough going for it that you could jump in here and still find stuff to enjoy.
Here comes a show based on one of your favorite card combinations in Marvel Snap. MG&DD is unquestionably a kid’s show–let’s get that out of the way immediately. But that doesn’t mean it can’t be gorgeous or that it doesn’t have anything to say. This show feels, visually, like a halfway point between Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse and animated series from Cartoon Network and Disney Channel throughout the late ’00s and 2010s. The visuals are made up of vibrant colors, specially purple and yellow, and have a hand-drawn feel to them. Movement is often accompanied by literal on-screen text, owing to its comic-book roots and to the Spider-Verse movies. Characters are given different textures, but a Ben-Day dot pattern (the dots you see in pop art images and older comics) gives the whole show a fun print-y feeling.
Lunella is a 13-year-old girl living in the Lower East Side of New York City with her parents and grandparents. When the city is experiencing random blackouts, she puts her Marvel Character-level genius to work trying to find a solution. Instead, she accidentally teleports a (surprisingly friendly and trainable) fire-breathing tyrannosaurus rex from another dimension. The first episode tackles the idea of gentrification, with the idea that communities of people of color, communities of immigrants, and those like them are often given lower priority compared to more affluent communities–meaning the blackouts are considered low priority by the government and the Avengers. Even while tackling serious issues and trying to stay realistic, the show’s community focus keeps things on the fun and positive side.
4. Castlevania Nocturne – Netflix
Somehow, Netflix accomplished the seemingly impossible with the original Castlevania series. It took a bunch of disparate plot points from games going all the way back to Castlevania III on the original Nintendo Entertainment System and made a coherent and, more importantly, engaging story that felt true to its source material. Toward the end of the show’s four-season run, though, Netflix cut ties with writer Warren Ellis. The first Castlevania show finished off in a pretty satisfying way, but it left the future of the series in question.
Castlevania Nocturne put those concerns to rest this fall, introducing us to Richter Belmont. The series features all of the exciting anime-style action of the original series but finds new and interesting ways to engage with vampire and Castlevania lore. Annette’s journey from enslaved child to fearsome warrior, and Richter’s from a flippant boy running from his past to a self-actualized member of the powerful Belmont family, both stand out, and that just scratches the surface.
3. My Adventures with Superman – Max / Adult Swim
The last decade or so of superhero movies has left many moviegoers and potential comic fans with the notion that Superman is a very dark, serious superhero. While the weight of the world is indeed on his shoulders, here’s the thing: He’s really strong. My Adventures with Superman feels closest to Christopher Reeve’s take on the Man of Steel, which is seen by many as the gold standard for the character across all the mediums he’s appeared in.
Clark is Kal El’s dorky, corny side, and Superman is his courageous and determined side. This Superman is a happy person who wants other people to be happy. He’s a fighter by necessity and a protector by nature. This show rethinks many elements of Superman’s lore and history without completely rewriting them, and it uses Lois Lane’s point of view as a jumping-off point to let us see what both Clark Kent and Superman look like from the perspective of those that know him–rather than from his point of view. Visually, the show is bright and clean. The focus here is on the performances and the rethinking of Superman’s origins and outlook.
2. Blue Eye Samurai – Netflix
Even in today’s world, the interplay between gender, sex, race, culture, and one’s place amongst all of that is complicated at the very least. For the titular Blue Eye Samurai, Mizu, that is also true and often quite literal. Mizu is a swordswoman who lives as a swordsman, the product of a Japanese woman and a Western man in a time when Westerners were banned from Japan by decree of the Shogunate. She binds her chest and wears amber-tinted glasses to hide her eyes. For her, there is only one mission in life: kill her father and the men who accompany him.
Slavers, weapons dealers, and schemers see Japan as a backwoods place ripe for plundering. Mizu, meanwhile, is seen as an outcast, a demon, for the color of her eyes. The show, co-produced by husband-wife team Amber Noizumi and Michael Green, is as much about the modern world that Asian-American women live in, stuck between what they want and the expectations and stereotypes associated with both their gender and their race, as it is about Edo-era Japan. The series features stunningly choreographed and animated sword fights and thoughtful, interesting characters voiced by an Asian-American cast including George Takei, Masi Oka, Ming-Na Wen, and starring Maya Erskine as Mizu (Erskine herself is Japanese-American). At just eight episodes, Blue Eye Samurai is a relatively quick watch and leaves us anticipating a second season.
1. Scavengers Reign – Max
This 12-episode Max series is one of the most distinct pieces of science fiction you’ll see all year. The show features a gorgeous art style inspired by French artist Moebius (aka Jean Giraud) that uses muted earth tones, crisp but understated outlines, and deep shadows to create a world that feels truly alive.
Scavengers Reign follows a small group of passengers from a damaged freighter and picks up some time after they landed on an alien planet called Vesta. After one pair of travelers manages to call the ship down to the planet’s surface from orbit, the other stranded passengers each make their way from their landing places, hoping for a way off the planet. Each of the journeys is different from each other, but they’re all mysterious, emotional, and deadly in equal measure. Vesta is one of the few examples of a truly alien planet. There is no intelligent life on the planet, but Vesta teems with flora and fauna, and for once they don’t just seem like two different Earth animals combined, or just “lizards, but big” or something like that. Each new interaction with the life of Vesta is tense and unsettling, and is joyous and brutal in equal measure. You should prepare for an intense viewing experience, but this show is not to be missed.
If you recently brought a PlayStation 5 console into your home, you’re in the right place. We know you’re itching to dive straight into PS5’s library of cutting-edge, critically acclaimed titles. There’s a ton of quality titles to recommend, but before you dig in, let’s take a moment to check some of the unique features that make your new PS5 console so special.
The first thing you’ll touch after you press the PS5 console’s power button will likely be the DualSense wireless controller. This sleek and ergonomic controller will not only be the way you interact with games, but also has a host of immersive features. Let’s break it down:
Touch pad: In the center of the console is a touchpad. Some games use the touch pad via swiping motions or as a touch-based cursor. More commonly, the touch pad can be pressed the same way you press any other button.
Haptic Feedback: Get absorbed into game worlds with advanced controller sensations. In many games you’ll feel every recoil, bounce, and shake, from subtle to seismic.
Adaptive triggers: The L2 and R2 buttons of the DualSense controller will change tension based on what’s happening in game for unprecedented immersion. Feel the resistance as your character pulls back a bow string or fires a weapon.
Create button: Save your greatest gaming memories, be they epic wins or hilarious fails, with the touch of a button. You can save screenshots, movie clips, and more, and share them online with friends or with the world.
Astro’s Playroom
Want to experience what your DualSense controller can do? Jump into Astro’s Playroom, a 3D platformer pre-installed on your PS5 console’s high-speed SSD. It’ll be there when you boot up, no download necessary, so why not pop on in? It’s a delightful showcase of PS5’s immersive features. You’ll be charmed from the first moment you feel Astro’s little metal feet tap across the terrain via haptics and hear the boppin’ soundtrack.’’
Dive into PlayStation Plus games
One of the best ways to experience the breadth and depth of the PlayStation’s library is with PlayStation Plus. With a monthly or 12-month membership, PlayStation Plus offers value-added benefits and a wide range of quality games across PlayStation generations – depending on the plan you choose.
PlayStation Plus Essential: Essential members can add three monthly PlayStation Plus games to their library in addition to online multiplayer access, discounts on PlayStation Store, and more. New games are offered monthly, and as long as you redeemed the titles during the month they are offered, you can still keep and play it as long as you remain a PlayStation Plus member.
PlayStation Plus Extra: Alongside the benefits from the Essential tier, Extra members also get access to the PlayStation Plus Game Catalog, which features blockbusters and indies from the PS5 and PS4 generations. Maybe you were intrigued by Ghost of Tsushima, or you want to discover for yourself the Shiba-infused puzzles of Humanity. Perhaps you just want to try something out of your usual comfort zone, such as indie hit Sea of Stars.
PlayStation Plus Premium/Deluxe: Premium members enjoy all the above benefits plus access to the PlayStation Plus Classics Catalog*. This library of memorable PlayStation games spans all the way back to the original PlayStation. See where the Resident Evil saga began or relive your memories of after-school Sly Cooper sessions. You’ll have plenty to explore, and the rewind feature will help you get revenge on some of those challenging original PlayStation moments (nice try, Resident Evil doggy hallway). Premium/Deluxe members can also access Game Trials of the hottest new PS5 releases–and if you like what you try, your progress will carry over to the full game if you decide to buy it. For players where PlayStation Plus Premium is offered, you’ll also get access to cloud streaming.
Going online with your PS5 opens up a whole new way to enjoy games by yourself or with friends (add and find friends in your Game Base). Even if you’re not playing online multiplayer games, you’ll be able to discover and share your experiences with players worldwide, making every game a social experience. When you’re online and you highlight a game on the PS5’s menu, you’ll see all kinds of info about the game, including updates, available downloadable content, friends playing, trending gameplay clips, and trophy progress.
On PS5, you can use the Share Play feature to share your screen, pass over the controls, or play together with a friend. Want to drop in on a friend’s game, even if there’s no online multiplayer? Or maybe you want to teach your fighting game friends how to do that sick combo you discovered? Share Play allows you to quickly join games-in-progress, invite others to watch your gameplay live, or even join a game like you would a local second player.
Pressing the central PlayStation button on the DualSense controller during gameplay will take you to the Control Center. Here you’ll see another keyPS5 feature: Activity Cards. These cards have a variety of functions that vary from game to game, ranging from telling you your current progress through a leg of the game’s story to letting you immediately jump into specific activities and side quests, without a lengthy game-boot process.
Must-play PS5 games
Excited to dive into some of the best the PlayStation 5 library has to offer? Here are some of the top PlayStation 5 titles worth checking out.
The Last of Us Part I: The first chapter in Naughty Dog’s epic modern-day drama of surviving a terrifying post-apocalypse, remade from the ground up to take advantage of PlayStation 5’s advanced hardware.
PlayStation Plus Game Trial*: At time of publish, a game trial for The Last of Us Part I is available to PlayStation Plus Premium/Deluxe members.
God of War Ragnarök: The award-winning saga of Kratos and Atreus continues with sweeping drama and intense combat through the harsh Nine Realms.
PlayStation Plus Game Trial*: At time of publish, a game trial is available to PlayStation Plus Premium/Deluxe members.
Baldur’s Gate 3: 2023’s The Game Awards Game of the Year winner, Baldur’s Gate 3 is a massive RPG filled with strategic turn-based combat, loads of gameplay options, and extremely memorable characters.
PlayStation Plus Game Trial*: At time of publish, a game trial is available to PlayStation Plus Premium/Deluxe members.
Cyberpunk 2077: CD Projekt Red, the studio behind The Witcher trilogy, delivers gamers a high-octane, open-world sci-fi adventure filled with amazing sights and an incredible amount of gameplay freedom and depth.
PlayStation Plus Game Trial*: At time of publish, a game trial is available to PlayStation Plus Premium/Deluxe members.
Elden Ring: The mind of author George R. R. Martin and the world-renowned developers at From Software create an atmospheric action/fantasy epic that will provide ample mystery and challenge to all brave enough to dive in.
Demon’s Souls: Experience the game that birthed an entire genre, remade for PlayStation 5. Will you be able to handle the challenge and calm the anger of the Old One?
PlayStation Plus Game Catalog*: At time of publish, Demon’s Souls is available to PlayStation Plus Extra and Premium/Deluxe members as part of the Game Catalog.
Final Fantasy XVI: A bold new chapter in the top-selling RPG series comes to life on the PS5, blending an intriguing fantasy narrative, a new combat system, and old Final Fantasy traditions into one of the most visually stunning adventures from Square Enix.
Resident Evil 4: One of the most beloved Resident Evil outings returns–and it’s more brutal and terrifying than ever. Leon Kennedy’s trip to a tiny village in Spain to rescue the President’s daughter from a bizarre cult becomes a living nightmare.
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2: Insomniac Games works their magic on Spider-Man once more! Peter Parker and Miles Morales swing through Marvel’s New York to take on some of their biggest, baddest foes, including Kraven, Venom, and The Lizard.
We hope you find some great games and great players through your new PlayStation 5. And hey, if you’re a longtime PlayStation player, make sure to give all the newcomers a warm welcome! Looking for even more great PS5 games? Head over to PlayStation.com for a host of top PS5 picks.
TikTok is a lot like the young people on its platform – difficult to control.
Earlier this year, the fate of the short-form video app in the United States hung by a thread as several states looked to imposed restrictions on its use, and one state, Montana, legislated on a ban. And yet, TikTok seems set to enter 2024 on solid footing. After all, which political party would want to start an election year banning a platform on which 150 million mostly-young Americans spend their lives?
The app survived a year in which its CEO was subjected to a five-hour US Congressional grilling in March, the app was banned on federal government devices, and lawmakers called for a broader ban on the app, calling it “spyware” and “digital fentanyl”.
While the obstacles in its path since then may not have vanished, they seem to have diminished in size. A federal judge blocked a ban on TikTok in Montana at the end of November, a PEW survey released earlier this month showed that fewer Americans supported a federal TikTok ban than they did earlier in the year, and Congress won’t take up legislation addressing foreign-owned apps like TikTok this year.
While no astrologers were consulted for this piece, it’s fair to say the stars seem to have aligned in favour of TikTok as it enters 2024.
The new year is unprecedented, with elections in over 70 countries, including the US.
“This is the first time TikTok will be front and centre as an app for political news and views in an election year, a particularly tricky path for TikTok to walk down,” said Katie Harbath, founder and CEO of technology policy firm Anchor Change.
“The platform will have to make decisions that companies like Meta and Google have had to do in the past. Candidates will want to reach voters on the platform, the way the Biden campaign is working with TikTok influencers,” she added. Harbath was previously public policy director for global elections at Facebook, now Meta.
Harbath said Democrats won’t be the only ones forced to use TikTok to reach young voters. Republicans, including the likes of Nikki Haley, who have called for a TikTok ban, will have to do a mea culpa and use the app for their campaigns, she said. “Eventually, the place where the voters are will win,” Harbath pointed out.
While TikTok may not be going away anytime soon, it will have to navigate tricky regulatory waters, something Harbath believes the company is adept at, given that it has hired veterans from other tech platforms and has worked at winning over the broader public.
While conversations around TikTok being forced to divest from its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, seem to have died down for now, the proposition is not dead in the waters, she said. Irrespective of which party wins elections next year, ByteDance will be pushed to sell TikTok’s US operations to an American company, she said.
“A sale would depend on whether investors see a real challenge for TikTok to continue being associated with ByteDance. This could depend on broader geopolitical issues, like China’s actions in Taiwan,” Harbath said.
The controversy over TikTok stems from fears that it could spy on US citizens on behalf of China. FBI director Chris Wray called the app a national security risk, adding that Chinese companies were forced to do whatever the Chinese government wanted them to “in terms of sharing information or serving as a tool of the Chinese government”. He feared China could harness the app to influence users.
TikTok’s CEO Shou Zi Chew, in his testimony before the House Energy and Commerce Committee in March, said, “TikTok has never shared, or received a request to share, US user data with the Chinese government. Nor would TikTok honour such a request if one were ever made.” He has said repeatedly that ByteDance was not owned by the Chinese government, and that 60 percent of the company was owned by global institutional investors.
Whom to believe
Chantal Winston is one of the many small business owners who find TikTok useful for finding new clients [Courtesy of Chantal Winston]
At the heart of the TikTok debate lies the question of whom to believe. “We don’t have enough information to make that call yet,” Harbath said.
Harsh Taneja, associate professor of New and Emerging Media, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, who has researched audience measurement regimes across the world, pointed to the inherent difficulties with accessing data about platforms today, an issue that is not limited to TikTok.
The problem, said Taneja, is that data on tech companies is being provided by the company itself, unlike an earlier era where organisations like Nielsen collected data on television viewership and content. “The data was being collected by a third party that was neither an advertiser on the platform nor the platform itself,” he said. “We had more visibility into viewership data, whereas today data use on tech platforms is opaque.”
Taneja said the calls to ban TikTok in the US were ironic, given that, a decade ago, Hillary Clinton likened China’s internet firewall to a “new information curtain,” a Cold War reference to the “iron curtain”.
While American politicians have accused TikTok of addicting kids and polluting young minds, Taneja said some of the panic around TikTok is similar to the panic around television in the 1970s, when the adverse effects of television on children was a hot topic, and communications theories focussed on how television would cultivate violent views of the world and promote crimes.
There is also a huge generational divide between those who use TikTok and those who are legislating over the platform, Taneja said.
“Almost everybody who has the power to do something consequential about the platform is not, most likely, part of its 150 million user base in the US, and certainly not an active user,” he said.
TikTok is now an important part of the cultural fabric of a segment of the country and a place where people channel their creative talents.
Banning it would have negative consequences on the creator economy, he said.
‘Where we go to learn things’
Novelist Amy Zhang says TikTok can be a lot of work but it’s also fun [Courtesy of Amy Zhang]
Chantal Winston, a young Black woman who posts videos of herself making candles is one of five million businesses on the platform, many of which are small businesses.
“When I launched my nontoxic candle business, BLKessence, in 2020, I didn’t even think about creating a TikTok account. Once I started creating candle-making TikTok videos in 2021, I wished that I had done it a lot sooner,” she told Al Jazeera. The behind-the-scenes videos of how she makes candles have got her new business, she said.
For novelist Amy Zhang, TikTok is fun “because it is unserious”.
She writes way less in periods when she is making videos on TikTok, a lot of work in itself. “To consistently put out videos, you have to do a lot of scrolling, saving sounds and seeing what people are engaging with. So when I’m actively scrolling, I’m not so much reading or writing. When my book came out earlier this year and I was trying to post every day, it was difficult to focus on anything else. Now that the initial [book] release period is over, I’m just having fun,” she told Al Jazeera.
“It’s hard not to feel threatened by the short video format, or to compare the audience size for a video that took one hour to produce versus the reader pool for content that takes one year to write,” she added.
Not all young people on the platform use it to post videos. Yashvi Tibrewal, a 25-year-old marketing professional based in the San Francisco Bay Area, uses the app as a search engine. The majority of her friends do so, too. “It’s where we go to learn things,” she said.
News reports have repeatedly written of TikTok replacing Google as Gen Z’s search engine. Taneja, a scholar of audience behaviour, says the platform a group of people use the most is the one they use for everything, including news.
While much of the TikTok debate focuses on its ties with China, many young people in America, like Tibrewal, are more concerned about US-owned companies towing the US government line, particularly on subjects like Middle Eastern politics. For instance, Meta-owned apps have been accused of censoring Palestinian content.
“We’re sceptical about what American-owned companies are doing algorithmically,” says Tibrewal. That TikTok is not owned by the US and is not as involved in US government policy is something that has piqued the interest of her generation.
Manchester United’s goalscoring curse continued at the weekend as they failed to find the net for the fourth game in a row, the first time such a thing has happened since 1992.
It has been over 600 minutes since the Red Devils found the back of the net and judging by the displays of their frontmen, things could get even worse in the coming days.
The service provided to Rasmus Hojlund by the likes of Antony and Alejandro Garnacho has been so sparse that even an elite striker like Harry Kane would struggle in this United team.
United’s wingers have been shocking
United’s wingers have combined to score only once this term and it is clear that the wingers need to do a lot more if the team is to climb up the table.
Antony has been especially dire, having not scored or assisted the whole season but manager Erik ten Hag keeps selecting him due to the dearth of high-quality alternatives.
📣 Amad Diallo: Manchester United prêt à prêter le joueur de 21 ans en janvier. Sunderland, Everton, Fulham, Crystal Palace, Wolves et Southampton montrent un vif intérêt. Après une blessure au genou, Amad figure dans la pré-liste pour la Coupe d’Afrique des Nations. 🌐⚽…
The Brazilian’s signing has been a major faux pas and the Dutchman should ideally give someone else a go. Step up Amad Diallo, who the manager recently revealed is close to making a first-team comeback.
This was supposed to be the Ivorian’s breakthrough season after the successful loan spell he had at Championship outfit Sunderland.
It is clear that with Jadon Sancho’s exile and Antony’s continued struggles, Ten Hag needs to give the former Atalanta starlet his shot at claiming a first-team place this season, but increasing reports are suggesting that Amad is set to head out on yet another loan.
Amad loan interest
His former loan outfit and Southampton have been mentioned as suitors but as reported by Seb Ecrivain Foot, multiple Premier League outfits are also chasing the Ivory Coast international’s signature.
“Amad Diallo: Manchester United ready to loan 21-year-old in January. Sunderland, Everton, Fulham, Crystal Palace, Wolves and Southampton are showing keen interest. After a knee injury, Amad is on the pre-list for the Africa Cup of Nations,” the journalist tweeted.
Judging by the calibre of clubs involved in the race, it is clear to see how highly rated the winger is and Ten Hag should ideally not make the mistake of loaning him out in a season where all his wide men have failed to deliver.
The Africa Cup of Nations does pose a potential problem and it will be interesting to see what the final decision is on Amad’s future.
Will the diamond of the season meet her match?
Well, dear reader, you'll have to wait until Bridgerton returns May 16 to find out the fate of Nicola Coughlan's Penelope Featherington and Luke…
In a year without a single Star Wars movie, is there any hope — any spark — to light a fire of the fandom? Actually, yes. While it may be time for Star Wars movie production to find balance, that doesn’t mean there isn’t a lot going on for Star Wars in 2024. Just look to the stars! The star background of Disney+ that is.
Here’s what we can expect from Star Wars in 2024. But of course, all dates are subject to change!
Anyway, time to punch it!
Every Upcoming Star Wars Movie and TV Show
Star Wars: Skeleton Crew
One of the most intriguing Star Wars stories is also likely to be the first one we’ll see in 2024: Star Wars: Skeleton Crew, starring Jude Law. This live-action coming-of-age series is reportedly about four lost children trying to make their way home and is set around the same time as The Mandalorian, post-Return of the Jedi.
Very little hard information has been released about this mysterious series, though the tiny amount of footage shown at Star Wars Celebration focused heavily on the “new age” and the children needing someone to point them in the right way for the future, with a force-wielding character played by Law likely to fill that role. Created by Spider-Man: Homecoming’s Jon Watts and Christopher Ford, and featuring directors such as the Daniels of Everything Everywhere All At Once fame, Skeleton Crew looks to be a very interesting entry in Star Wars lore and has the potential to elevate the world to places previously untread by the franchise.
Originally slated for late 2023, the current release date is sometime in 2024. All eight episodes of Skeleton Crew will be streamed on Disney+.
The Bad Batch: Season 3
Let’s start this section with a simple question: When have they ever followed orders?
Too soon?
Anyway, Star Wars: The Bad Batch is coming to a close with the upcoming Season 3 as we finish out the story of Clone Force 99, continuing at some point after Season 2’s cliffhanger ending.
While story details were scant when The Bad Batch was previewed at Star Wars Celebration, we can gather that Sheev Palpatine will come into focus, especially with Omega held captive. Plus, it looks like the clones and the nature of cloning will be a big part of this final chapter, and Fennec Shand will reappear for the first time since Season 1.
While an exact date hasn’t been announced, the series premiere is certain to debut sometime in 2024 on Disney+.
Star Wars: The Acolyte
The Acolyte: The Cast of the Disney+ Star Wars Prequel
The long-awaited live-action debut of Star Wars’ High Republic era is coming in 2024, set way before the Skywalker saga, which almost all of Star Wars media is focused on.
In Star Wars: The Acolyte we’ll see the height of the Jedi as dark side powers begin to stir from the shadows. With an incredibly compelling cast including Amandla Stenberg, Dafne Keen, Jodie Turner Smith, Manny Jacinto, and Carrie-Ann Moss, there’s a ton of promise in this mysterious and burgeoning period of the Star Wars galaxy.
Like much on our list, the release window for this one is wide open; eight episodes of The Acolyte will drop sometime in 2024.
Tales of the Jedi: Season 2
Season 1 of Dave Filoni’s animated show Tales of the Jedi gave us more insight on important and mysterious Jedi characters Ahsoka Tano, Count Dooku, and yes, even Yaddle.
Lucasfilm announced Season 2 at Star Wars Celebration in 2023, but really, that’s all the information we know about it so far. We don’t even know if the stories will continue with Season 1’s characters or explore other Jedi, nor do we know what time period these tales will be set in.
There are many more promising Jedi stories to explore, and Season 2 is expected at some point in 2024. We can most likely expect all episodes to drop at once like the show’s first outing.
Star Wars: Outlaws
Star Wars Outlaws Xbox Games Showcase 2023 Trailer
Frell yes, we do want to play this video game!
Announced last year, Star Wars: Outlaws is definitely one of the games we’re most excited for next year. An action-adventure open-worlder set between The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, Star Wars: Outlaws focuses on Kay Vess, an outlaw, and Nix, a cutie, as they work on a heist of galactic proportions. Including several known and new planets, Kay and Nix operate as scoundrels working between the margins as the Galactic Empire and crime syndicates rule the underworld.
Once again, there’s no exact release date on this one yet except the year: 2024.
Still on the Horizon: 2025 and Beyond
Now there is a lot, and we do mean a lot set to come for Star Wars, but much of it is in earlier development stages or have straight-up unknown statuses. Basically, here’s everything in active development for the Star Wars galaxy that is probably not coming out in 2024.
Andor: Season 2
Thought by many to be the best Star Wars series of all, Andor is making a return after its thunderous Season 1 finale’s uprising and escape from Ferrix while construction of the Death Star barrels ahead.
Does knowing the fate of its main character change the events of the series? Not really, as many have called the Tony Gilroy show incredibly poignant, stirring, and a must-watch. If you haven’t check it out, we strongly encourage you to watch the first season of Andor.
We were pretty sure the 12 episodes of Andor’s Season 2 would premiere sometime in 2024, but a recent Disney press release about 2024 releases did not mention the show, alas.
Rey’s New Jedi Order Movie
One movie is dealing with Star Wars’ past, but this one is all about the future. Director Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy is working on a movie about the New Jedi Order, led by none other than Daisy Ridley’s Rey Palp-(oops) Skywalker.
The film is said to be set 15 years after the whole galaxy showed up to tell Emperor Darth Sidious Sheev Palpatine exactly what they thought of him, and Rey channeled all of the Jedi to show him what unlimited power actually looks like.
So what happens after that? Well, the New Jedi Order movie is supposed to get into that, as Rey is going to re-start the Jedi Order from scratch. Maybe we’ll see Rey mess some shit up with that yellow lightsaber. Maybe we’ll see Finn finally embrace his destiny as a Jedi. And maybe we’ll see a powerful young Mandalorian Jedi named Din Grogu show up to help lead this New Jedi Order back to glory.
That’s all speculation for now but this project is supposed to be the next new Star Wars film — originally slated for 2025. We’ll see if that pans out.
Dave Filoni’s Heir to the Empire Movie
It’s still not quite officially titled Heir to the Empire, but come on: You know they’re gonna call it that.
Newly-minted Lucasfilm Chief Creative Officer Dave Filoni is working on a big movie to pull together a bunch of the Disney+ Star Wars stories, and we seriously need to let this man cook.
He’s weaving a story between The Mandalorian, The Book of Boba Fett and Ahsoka, and this upcoming movie is supposed to bring them all together. Based on the fact that Grand Admiral Thrawn is now back in the proper Star Wars galaxy after narrowly escaping the former apprentice of Anakin Skywalker, he’s gonna be psyched when he finds out who destroyed the Empire… a humble farmboy named Luke Skywalker.
Also, whatever former Jedi Baylan Skoll has planned in a galaxy far, far away with the relics of the Mortis gods will probably be a big deal at some point down the line. And don’t forget our boy li’l Din Grogu, casually on his way to becoming the literal future of Star Wars. We can’t wait to see him and Papa Din back in action, and with The Mandalorian Season 4 presumably also coming at some point… this movie may be the next time we see those boys again.
Anyway, the still-officially-untitled Heir to the Empire movie is supposed to hit theaters sometime in 2026.
James Mangold’s Dawn of the Jedi Movie
And if 2026 seems like way too long a wait… just you wait… some more.
Also somewhere on the development horizon is an ancient Old Republic movie directed by Logan and Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny director James Mangold. This film has been described as a “Dawn of the Jedi” kind of project, depicting the very first Jedi and the birth of the Jedi Order, more than 25,000 years before the current timeline of Star Wars stories.
Announced at Star Wars Celebration, Mangold’s Star Wars film is supposed to be biblical in scope, and it sounds very cool. But we have got a long wait for this one too — it’s not slated to hit theaters until sometime in 2026 or beyond.
Taika Waititi’s Star Wars Movie
And lastly, there’s the Taika Waititi Star Wars movie, which is still in development. The Thor: Ragnarok director has been slowly working on a mysterious Star Wars movie that he says will evoke the magic of the Original Trilogy, which would be a surprise to be sure but a welcome one.
Though he won’t direct the next Thor movie, Taika has a pretty full list of projects on his plate, which means this Star Wars movie — if it ever comes out — might not hit theaters for quite some time.
But which upcoming Star Wars project are you most hyped for? Let us know down in the comments!
Jesse B. Gill and Kim Horcher are all experienced media pros making content for IGN, and one time they temporarily freed some space horses on a casino planet. It was a whole thing. You really had to be there.
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