Senator Tim Kaine delivers immigration reform speech in Spanish (C-SPAN)
NOCHIXTLN, Mexico The air in this small town in Oaxaca, an impoverished and mostly indigenous state in Mexico"s rural south, is heavy with the smell of burning tires. The highway, a strategic one that leads traffic from the neighboring state of Puebla to state capital Oaxaca de Jurez, is blocked on all sides with heaps of dirt, burned out carcasses of cars, buses and trailers, pieces of wood and rocks. Dozens of trailers stand in line just before the overpass, waiting for the moment they might pass.
But they won"t anytime soon. Nochixtln is reeling from Sunday"s disastrous confrontation between members and sympathizers of a the National Coordinator of Education Workers (CNTE), a dissident teachers" union, and law enforcement. State and federal policemen, some 800 in total, swooped in to clear the highway of a blockade, but fired live ammunition into a rawdy crowd of protesters armed only with sticks, stones and molotov cocktails.
By the end of the day, at least six lay dead, more than a hundred were wounded, the municipal palace and the local station of the federal police set on fire. And the blockade is still there.
Dozens of protesters are still keeping watch at the overpass where the confrontation took place. They painted anti-government slogans on the walls and prepared crates with bottles and wraps, ready to become molotov cocktails should the policemen come back.
They were shooting at us as if we were animals, William Velzquez, a 34-year old teacher, told FNL. He picked up a large stick. These are the only weapons we have. We don"t carry guns. They were firing on unarmed civilians.
Protesters and the Mexican government have been trading blame over who was responsible for Sunday"s clashes, with federal and state authorities claiming live ammo was used after unspecified "radical groups" attacked policemen, after the dislodging of the protesters initially happened peacefully.
The authorities changed their version of the events several times, with interior secretary Miguel ngel Osorio Chong initially claiming the police weren"t carrying arms. Federal police chief Enrique Galindo later admitted his men did indeed carry guns. On Monday, Oaxaca governor Gabino Cu said in a press conference that the policemen adhered strictly to protocol and that force was used "rationally" and with "due respect to human rights".
But union members and its sympathizers deny any kind of radicals or infiltrators being present and say the police opened fire on unarmed civilians. During a visit to the scene of the confrontation on Monday, protesters showed FNL dozens of bullet casings of different calibres, which they said were found in places where the police was shooting at them.
One elderly man working at the Nochixtln municipal graveyard told FNL that, during the attempt to dislodge the protesters, policemen had run into the graveyard, forced him to the ground and stole his wallet while threatening to kill him if he did not comply.
They took all my money and started shooting at people just outside the graveyard, he said, asking not to be named out of fear for his safety. He showed FNL several bullet casings at the graveyard, at the spot he said the policemen were shooting from.
From where I could see, the police began to shoot without provocation, he added.
At the local hospital in Nochixtln, one employee confirmed to FNL to have treated at least 40 wounded and said four people had come in with bullet wounds, some of them in the head and throat, and that four people had died at the clinic while another person had died on the way to another. He asked to remain anonymous due to the sensitivity of the situation.
Sunday"s clashes took place in the context of larger protests organized by the CNTE and its sympathizers in the wake of the arrest of Rubn Nuez, who heads Section 22, the state chapter of the union in Oaxaca, which is widely seen as the most powerful section of the union. Nuez was arrested June12th on money laundering charges, but members of the union say he is a political prisoner due to the opposition of the union against sweeping education reforms introduced by president Enrique Pea Nieto in 2013.
The CNTE is vehemently opposed against the reforms, which, among others, introduce mandatory testing for all teachers. The union claims the tests, which will allow the government to fire teachers who fail them, are unfair to teachers in rural areas where schools have less resources. The Mexican government says the reforms are necessary to improve the quality of nationwide education, which ranks an absymal last among members of the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).
Interior secretary Miguel ngel Osorio Chong announced on Tuesday that the federal government invited the CNTE to the table to discuss recent events and attempt some kind of dialogue. But after last weekend"s violence, some believe a dialogue will be very difficult, especially with Section 22-leader Nuez in jail.
We want to sit down and talk with the government, Marisela Cruz, a teacher from Nochixtln, told FNL. But they have to stop using violence against us. The bloodshed must end.
Jan-Albert Hootsen is a freelance writer based in Mexico City. Follow him on Twitter: @Jayhootsen
Freddie Roach reacts to Terence Crawford vs Viktor Postol. Talks Pacquaio vs Crawford!
Ryota Murata, Lenny Zappavigna, and more picked up wins on tonight"s Crawford-Postol card.
The action is underway at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, as the Crawford-Postol prelim bouts have concluded, and we are just under 40 minutes away from the main PPV broadcast.
Japanese middleweight prospect and 2012 Olympic gold medalist Ryota Murata stormed through George "Comanche Boy" Tahdooahnippah in the final preliminary fight of the evening, putting him away at 1:52 of the first round. Murata (11-0, 8 KO) crushed Tahdooahnippah (34-3-3, 24 KO) with a left hook to the body, a thunderous shot that put the Oklahoman on his knees. Tahdooahnippah took a count of eight, but once the fight resumed, Murata was all over him, bombing away in the corner until referee Benjy Esteves Jr stopped the fight.
Australias Lenny Zappavigna stopped Chinas IK Yang in the sixth round of a 143-pound catchweight bout, which brought the action expected. Not a super great, "go out of your way to watch it" sort of fight, but if you tuned in, this one was the highlight of the prelims. Zappavigna (35-2, 25 KO) hurt Yang (19-2, 14 KO) in the fourth round, but Yang came back nicely in that one, though Zappavigna took over again in the fifth. In the sixth, the Aussie started fast, landing a clubbing shot that hurt Yang. Zappavigna followed him into the corner, still throwing shots, and referee Vic Drakulich called a stop to the fight.
Detroit welterweight Edward Williams pretty easily handled Texan Christon Edwards, winning by unanimous decision over six rounds. Scores were 59-55, 59-55, and 58-56, the latter probably a round generous to Edwards (6-2, 3 KO). Williams (12-1-1, 4 KO) didnt show much power, but his length and height were enough to give Edwards trouble, as the younger man just couldnt close the gap.
Ukrainian middleweight Stanyslav Skorokhod was able to largely dominate his fight against a game Hakim Bryant, winning on unanimous scores of 59-53, 60-52, and 60-52. BLH had it 59-53 for Skorokhod, who scored two knockdowns in the opening round, and as the fight wore on and Bryant (6-1, 4 KO) clearly wasnt going to just go away, Skorokhod (11-1, 8 KO) just outboxed him, cruising (relatively speaking) to victory.
Omaha light heavyweight Steve Nelson improved to 3-0 (3 KO) with a fourth round stoppage of El Pasos Tim Meek (5-3-1, 3 KO), when Meeks corner waved the flag, and rightly so. Meek was dropped hard late in the first round, cut pretty badly in the third, and Nelson was hunting for the stoppage. The stoppage itself was odd, as a Nevada commission official ran into and then halfway across the ring to get referee Vic Drakulichs attention.
Fans may be expecting to see Charlie Hunnam return as Raleigh Beckett in "Pacific Rim: Maelstrom" in 2018. The "King Arthur: Legend of the Sword" star has been rumored to come back as the brooding Jaeger pilot of Gipsy Danger, and that he will be joined by Rinko Kikuchi"s Mako Mori.
However, it looks like Charlie Hunnam will be very busy with his current projects all throughout the next year. Is it possible that the "Sons of Anarchy" actor might not be coming back in "Pacific Rim 2"?
Charlie Hunnam Still Not Part Of "Pacific Rim 2" Cast?
"Pacific Rim 2" recently added "Star Wars Episode 8" actor John Boyega as Stacker Pentecost"s son. Scott Eastwood from "Suicide Squad" was also confirmed to be part of the cast. However, there have been no updates about Charlie Hunnam or Rinko Kikuchi"s involvement in the sequel.
A quick check at the "Pacific Rim 2" Wikipedia page reveals that Charlie Hunnam is not part of the cast. The sequel"s ImdB page indicates that the actor is only a "rumored" member of the crew. But will Hunnam reprise his role as Raleigh Beckett?
Charlie Hunnam Too Busy With Other Projects To Join "Pacific Rim" 2?
The "Crimson Peak" actor has already completed filming for Guy Ritchie"s "King Arthur: Legend of the Sword", but that doesn"t mean he has plenty of free time. Charlie Hunnam recently started working on "The Lost City of Z" and is also rumored to appear in the "Sons of Anarchy" prequel.
GamenGuidehas previously reported about speculations that Scott Eastwood will replace Charlie Hunnam as the Gipsy Danger pilot. However, it was not confirmed whether Hunnam or Kikuchi will return for "Pacific Rim 2".
"Pacific Rim: Maelstrom" will be directed by Steven S. DeKnight. The film is scheduled for release on February 24, 2018.
Everything Wrong With The Blair Witch Project Adam Wingard and Simon Barrett may not reinvent the "Blair Witch," but they definitely prove that it can still be scary.
When youre making a sequel, you basically have two options: you can do something new, or you can do the same old thing. And while striking out into new territory is an undeniably exciting enterprise, there does come a time in the history of most franchises when you simply have to go back to basics, and remind audiences of why they even cared about this story in the first place.
The Blair Witch Project had only one other sequel before Blair Witch came along - the ambitious but very flawed Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2 - and yet its legacy is still as formidable as any other horror series. The first movie was an independent feature told in the found footage format, which was still pretty novel at the time, and it was produced so completely off the radar that the filmmakers were able to convince many audience members that The Blair Witch Project was a documentary instead of a fictional feature. The film itself was a strange and effective chiller, but its memory has since been tarnished by that unpopular sequel, by the mixed-blessing that the found footage genre would eventually become, and by the general sense of betrayal that some audience members felt after that marketing gimmick was revealed.
Seventeen years later, and sixteen years after the last official sequel, director Adam Wingard and screenwriter Simon Barrett have returned to the well, and they are determined to make a splash. Their new film Blair Witch follows the the original movie in both chronology and style. It stars James Allen McCune as the brother of the ill-fated Heather Donahue, who disappeared in 1999 and left only some creepy footage behind. When he finds new footage on the internet, footage which implies that maybe (just maybe) his sister is still alive, he brings his friends along on a camping trip-slash-expedition into the Burkittsville woods, where some really creepy things start to happen.
Lionsgate
Blair Witch works very much like the first film: it starts out as a straightforward documentary, being produced by young adults who have no idea what theyre getting into. The audience is way ahead of them, and so we wait in suspense for all the unexplained phenomena to scare the bejeezus out of everybody. And just when you think its never going to happen, it finally happens, and then it starts building and building until it turns into a great big avalanche of madness. The final act of Blair Witch features some truly terrifying scares, and if some of them dont make a lot of sense, well the first Blair Witch Project didnt always make sense either.
Sometimes you just have to pick your battles. As with any found footage film, certain questions inevitably arise, like why everyone keeps filming everything all the time, even when theyre violently ill or sleeping. Or the question of who, exactly, even assembled this footage, since the conclusion of Blair Witch simultaneously implies that only a small portion of these tapes will ever be discovered, but also - by the very nature of the films existence - that all of it obviously has.
But then again, by this point, anybody who actually buys a ticket to see a found footage movie has some idea of what theyre getting into. Complaining about the fundamental premise of the genre, while not altogether unreasonable, is breaking the contract. We are actively suspending our disbelief any time we see a movie. At least found footage movies are upfront about their artifice nowadays.
Lionsgate
And Blair Witch is very upfront. Its basically just The Blair Witch Project, again, and in that regard it reminds us all that theres still some juice left in the found footage genre. You dont have to add 3D or oscillating fan gadgets to be invested in the horror befalling people who, for one reason another, happen to be filming themselves. You just have to thrust reasonably believable people into situations that defy reason, and then watch them squirm. The fact that Blair Witch can have a similarly unsettling impact as The Blair Witch Project proves that the foundation of the found footage genre is still strong. And thats something you just cant get from watching the first movie all over again. Doing it once is a fluke. Doing it twice, and getting a serious reaction from the audience both times, is proof that the Blair Witchformulaworks.
And yes, that meansBlair Witch is technically formulaic,but no, thats not necessarily an insult. Blair Witchisa scary story to tell in the dark, and like all the best scary stories it tends to be told over and over again, by different great storytellers, with little differences. Here we find Blair Witch revisiting the scaresof the first movie with all-new characters and some updated shocks, in an effort to reach out and grab new fans and throttle them a bit, and remind them that this particular spook story isnt pass. And it works. Blair Witch may not be a classic in its own right, but it"s a freaky film that gets the job done, and it could very well keep The Blair Witch Project alive and popular for many years.
Top Photo: Lionsgate
William Bibbiani (everyone calls him Bibbs) is Craves film content editor and critic. You can hear him every week onThe B-Movies PodcastandCanceled Too Soon, and watch him on theweekly YouTubeseriesMost Craved,Rapid ReviewsandWhat the Flick. Follow his rantings on Twitter at@WilliamBibbiani.
The Best Cosplay from Comic-Con 2016 Comic-Con 2016 Cosplay
SAN DIEGO, CA - JULY 21: Cosplayers attend Comic-Con International 2016 at San Diego Convention Center on July 20, 2016 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Albert L. Ortega/Getty Images,)
Comic-Con 2016 Cosplay
SAN DIEGO, CA - JULY 21: Cosplayer attends Comic-Con International 2016 at San Diego Convention Center on July 20, 2016 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Albert L. Ortega/Getty Images,)
Comic-Con 2016 Cosplay
SAN DIEGO, CA - JULY 21: Cosplayers attend Comic-Con International 2016 at San Diego Convention Center on July 20, 2016 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Albert L. Ortega/Getty Images,)
Comic-Con 2016 Cosplay
SAN DIEGO, CA - JULY 21: Cosplayer attends Comic-Con International on July 21, 2016 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images,)
Comic-Con 2016 Cosplay
SAN DIEGO, CA - JULY 21: Cosplayer dressed as Black Widow from Avengers attends during Comic-Con International on July 21, 2016 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Matt Cowan/Getty Images)
Comic-Con 2016 Cosplay
SAN DIEGO, CA - JULY 21: A Costume Cosplay Attendee attends Comic-Con International 2016 on July 20, 2016 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Araya Diaz/GC Images)
Comic-Con 2016 Cosplay
SAN DIEGO, CA - JULY 22: Cosplayer attends Comic-Con International on July 22, 2016 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)
Comic-Con 2016 Cosplay
SAN DIEGO, CA - JULY 22: Cosplayers attend Comic-Con International 2016 on July 22, 2016 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Phillip Faraone/Getty Images,)
Comic-Con 2016 Cosplay
SAN DIEGO, CA - JULY 22: A cosplayer attends Comic-Con International 2016 on July 22, 2016 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Phillip Faraone/Getty Images,)
Comic-Con 2016 Cosplay
SAN DIEGO, CA - JULY 22: A cosplayer attends Comic-Con International 2016 on July 22, 2016 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Phillip Faraone/Getty Images,)
Comic-Con 2016 Cosplay
SAN DIEGO, CA - JULY 22: A cosplayer dressed as a character from "The Walking Dead" attends Comic-Con International 2016 on July 22, 2016 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Phillip Faraone/Getty Images)
Comic-Con 2016 Cosplay
SAN DIEGO, CA - JULY 22: Cosplayers attend Comic-Con International 2016 on July 22, 2016 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Phillip Faraone/Getty Images,)
Comic-Con 2016 Cosplay
SAN DIEGO, CA - JULY 22: A cosplayer attends Comic-Con International on July 22, 2016 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Matt Cowan/Getty Images)
Comic-Con 2016 Cosplay
SAN DIEGO, CA - JULY 22: A cosplayer attends Comic-Con International on July 22, 2016 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Matt Cowan/Getty Images)
Comic-Con 2016 Cosplay
SAN DIEGO, CA - JULY 22: A cosplayer attends Comic-Con International on July 22, 2016 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Matt Cowan/Getty Images)
Comic-Con 2016 Cosplay
SAN DIEGO, CA - JULY 22: A cosplayer attends Comic-Con International on July 22, 2016 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Matt Cowan/Getty Images)
Comic-Con 2016 Cosplay
SAN DIEGO, CA - JULY 20: A costumed fan attends Comic-Con Preview Night on July 20, 2016 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Daniel Knighton/FilmMagic)
Comic-Con 2016 Cosplay
SAN DIEGO, CA - JULY 20: General view of the atmosphere at Comic-Con Preview Night on July 20, 2016 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Daniel Knighton/FilmMagic)
Comic-Con 2016 Cosplay
SAN DIEGO, CA - JULY 20: Cosplayer Pinky Powers attends Preview Night at Comic-Con International on July 20, 2016 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Daniel Knighton/FilmMagic)
Comic-Con 2016 Cosplay
SAN DIEGO, CA - JULY 22: A cosplayer attends Comic-Con International on July 22, 2016 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Matt Cowan/Getty Images)
Comic-Con 2016 Cosplay
SAN DIEGO, CA - JULY 22: A cosplayer attends Comic-Con International on July 22, 2016 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Matt Cowan/Getty Images)
Comic-Con 2016 Cosplay
SAN DIEGO, CA - JULY 22: Cosplayers attend Comic-Con International on July 22, 2016 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Matt Cowan/Getty Images)
Comic-Con 2016 Cosplay
SAN DIEGO, CA - JULY 20: Cosplayer attends Preview Night at Comic-Con International 2016 on July 20, 2016 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images)
Comic-Con 2016 Cosplay
SAN DIEGO, CA - JULY 20: Batgirl cosplayer Jessica Chancellor attends Comic-Con International 2016 preview night on July 20, 2016 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Matt Cowan/Getty Images)
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SAN DIEGO, CA - JULY 20: Cosplayer attends Comic-Con International 2016 preview night on July 20, 2016 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Matt Cowan/Getty Images)
Comic-Con 2016 Cosplay
SAN DIEGO, CA - JULY 20: Cosplayer attends Comic-Con International 2016 preview night on July 20, 2016 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Matt Cowan/Getty Images)
Comic-Con 2016 Cosplay
SAN DIEGO, CA - JULY 21: Cosplayers attend Comic-Con International on July 21, 2016 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Matt Cowan/Getty Images)
Comic-Con 2016 Cosplay
SAN DIEGO, CA - JULY 21: A Cosplayer attends Comic-Con International on July 21, 2016 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Matt Cowan/Getty Images)
Comic-Con 2016 Cosplay
SAN DIEGO, CA - JULY 21: A Cosplayer attends Comic-Con International on July 21, 2016 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Matt Cowan/Getty Images)
Comic-Con 2016 Cosplay
SAN DIEGO, CA - JULY 21: Cosplayers attends Comic-Con International on July 21, 2016 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Matt Cowan/Getty Images)
Comic-Con 2016 Cosplay
SAN DIEGO, CA - JULY 21: Cosplayer attends Comic-Con International on July 21, 2016 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Matt Cowan/Getty Images)
Comic-Con 2016 Cosplay
SAN DIEGO, CA - JULY 21: Cosplayer attends Comic-Con International on July 21, 2016 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Matt Cowan/Getty Images)
Comic-Con 2016 Cosplay
SAN DIEGO, CA - JULY 21: Cosplayer attends Comic-Con International on July 21, 2016 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Matt Cowan/Getty Images)
Comic-Con 2016 Cosplay
SAN DIEGO, CA - JULY 21: Cosplayer attends Comic-Con International on July 21, 2016 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Matt Cowan/Getty Images)
Comic-Con 2016 Cosplay
SAN DIEGO, CA - JULY 21: Cosplayer attends Comic-Con International on July 21, 2016 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Matt Cowan/Getty Images)
Comic-Con 2016 Cosplay
SAN DIEGO, CA - JULY 21: Cosplayers attend Comic-Con International 2016 at San Diego Convention Center on July 20, 2016 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Albert L. Ortega/Getty Images,)
The stars of Marvel"s upcoming "Doctor Strange" --including Benedict Cumberbatch, Rachel McAdams, Chiwetel Ejiofor and Tilda Swinton -- greeted fans at Comic-Con on Saturday as the trailer of the highly anticipated November releasedebuted online.
Cumberbatch is making his first movie in the Marvel universe, playing the title character in the adaptation of the Steve Ditkocomic. WhileMarvel unveiled atwo-minute teaser trailer in April that focused on the relationship between Cumberbatch"sneurosurgeon and Swinton"sbald Ancient One,a slightly longer trailer debuted Saturday that providesglimpses of Mads Mikkelesenas the movie"s villain, Kaecilius.
The new trailer also shows scenes of comic banter betweenCumberbatchand Ejiofor, who plays a fellow student in the Ancient One"s Buddhistic monastery.
When Marvel debuted the initial teaser in April, a backlash formed from some fans who objected to the casting of Swintonasa Tibetan character, claiming that it was another example of Hollywood "whitewashing" an Asian character. But screenwriterC. Robert Cargill later said that the Scottish actress was cast in the role to placate China, which has had a long-runningantagonistic relationship with Tibet and doesn"t recognize the province"s claims toindependence.
Perhaps in response to the backlash, Marvel has played up the role of actor Benedict Wong in the new trailer. The British-Asian actor didn"t appear in the earlier teaser.
Chiwetel Ejiofor from Marvel"s Doctor Strange on Marvel LIVE at San Diego Comic-Con 2016
On Saturday, Marvel revealed the new trailer for Doctor Strange, an upcoming superhero movie starring Benedict Cumberbatch, who is also Sherlock Holmes. I know very little about Doctor Strange, other than the name is not so good, and it appears to be some sort of medical professional who can do magic. In the trailer, Cumberbatch says, "This doesn"t make any sense." I have to agree!
Is this, like, Batman meets Inception?
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"We harness energy and shape reality." Okay, wut?
Is that bald Tilda Swinton?
So, their powers, can they just do anything?
Does this take place in the future, in the past, both?
What kind of doctor is Cumberbatch? I can"t imagine his medical practice is doing well with a name like Doctor Strange.
Why does he have a goatee?
Did they have to make a point of him shaving the homeless beard into a goatee?
If they can do anything do they need wi-fi?
If this is a Marvel movie, where are the 40 other superheroes?
Maybe one of these questions will be answered on Nov. 4.
