After a really “painful” three years since he by accident shot cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of his western “Rust” in 2021, Alec Baldwin should this week relish the chance to rejoice his profession by being honored in Europe with an award for his life's work.

But in typical Baldwin fashion, he opened his mouth to reporters. During a press conference on the Turin Film Festival, the often-polarizing actor finally said things about Americans and feminine directors that caused a stir in some parts of the web. In one other interview, he asked for sympathy for his almost equally controversial influencer Hilaria Baldwin, emphasizing that she was particularly “traumatized” by Hutchins' death.

So where to start with Baldwin's headline-grabbing comments within the Italian media?

First, throughout the press conference, Baldwin expressed concern about Americans' lack of information of politics and the state of the world within the wake of Donald Trump's election to a second term as president. in line with The Hollywood Reporter. While Baldwin was asked about his concern for America following Trump's re-election, the veteran actor, a lifelong Democrat who famously parodied Trump on “Saturday Night Live,” didn’t mention the previous reality TV star by name.

Still, he said, “There is a hole, a vacuum… an information gap for Americans. “Americans are very poorly informed in regards to the reality of what's really occurring – climate change, Ukraine, whatever.”

“On the world's biggest issues, Americans have a craving for a little information,” Baldwin continued, although his comments are sure to spark outrage among critics who see him as arrogant and elitist. “That vacuum is being filled by the film industry,” Baldwin said. “Not just the independent film industry, not just the documentary film industry, but also narrative films.”

Baldwin was also asked about the role of female directors in the industry. according to The Hollywood Reporter. On the one hand, he tried to praise female directors by saying it's “a very good thing” that more women are directing major films.

“In cinema in the '80s and '90s, for every 100 directors, there were 98 men and two women,” Baldwin said. “Well, it’s not like that, and that’s a good thing.”

But then Baldwin couldn't help himself. He said: “For some movies you wish an brisk director who continually moves the camera, and maybe a male director is healthier.”

“But in a comedy or drama with quite a lot of talk, what's the difference between a male director and a female director?” Baldwin said. “In fact, a female director has more introspective skills.”

So women can't be energetic?

Possibly Baldwin was referring to his belief that women were not particularly suited to directing male-oriented action films with lots of fights and big-budget special effects. But Kathryn Bigelow famously became the first woman to win a best director Oscar for directing “The Hurt Locker,” the intense 2009 Iraq war film that won best picture. Jane Campion, certainly known for “lots of talk” dramas, also won best director for the 2022 western “The Power of the Dog.”

It was reported that Baldwin only agreed to be guest of honor at the Turin Film Festival if Italian reporters at the press conference were barred from questioning him about Hutchins' death in October 2021. Variety said.

But Baldwin ended up talking to a reporter for diversity about “Rust,” “openly sharing your feelings” about the film’s premiere, and “cancel culture.”

Hutchins was killed on the film's set in New Mexico when Baldwin handled a prop gun and pointed it in her direction during a rehearsal. The weapon was intended to be loaded only with dummy cartridges, but contained a live cartridge that fatally wounded Hutchins when the weapon fired. Baldwin was tried for involuntary manslaughter, but the judge dismissed the charge after learning that prosecutors had withheld evidence.

Baldwin, director Joel Souza and other members of the cast and crew eventually completed the film and said they wanted to honor Hutchins. The film received a mostly “polite” response when it had its world premiere at the EnergaCamerimage festival in Poland last week. However, some viewers were visibly “uncomfortable” watching scenes of Baldwin “shooting people” in the film, a Vulture critic reported.

Baldwin wasn't invited to the premiere because festival organizers said they feared his presence would be “too distracting.”

In his interview with Variety, Baldwin said he hasn't seen the final cut of “Rust” and doesn't want to see it “right away.”

“Just because this is clearly the toughest thing I've ever needed to take care of in my life,” said Baldwin, who then explained why the shooting and its aftermath were particularly difficult for his wife.

“Aside from the victims themselves, what hurts me most is what it did to my wife,” Baldwin said. “My wife was very, very traumatized by this. There was great pain. When you're married to someone and everything was going pretty well and we had seven kids… and the bottom falls out. It's very scary and very disturbing. And we’re trying to get the wind in our sails to get away from this stuff.”

While the shooting may have been “traumatizing” for Hilaria Baldwin, the former yoga instructor and once-aspiring lifestyle and parenting influencer also faced criticism for appearing to exploit the tragedy in a way that left her took advantage of her seven small children. In the weeks following Hutchins' death, Hilaria Baldwin, known for her love of media attention, continued to post numerous pictures of her children daily.

The Instagram posts contained potentially private content about the Baldwin family's personal life amid her husband's on-set crisis over filming. Some pictures showed the children playing and enjoying Christmas. However, other images showed the children acting or looking sad and distressed, prompting public relations and crisis experts to accuse Hilaria Baldwin of using her children as “props” to elicit sympathy while also appearing “narcissistic” in the face of it. and “callous.” Hutchins' young son lost his mother.

Both Hilaria and Alec Baldwin have been criticized recently for exploiting their children, including in the weeks leading up to his manslaughter trial this summer. In an “oddly” timed move before the trial began, the couple announced that they and their seven children would star in a brand new TLC reality TV show about their hectic family life.

For Baldwin, an Emmy winner and Oscar nominee who was once on his strategy to becoming a Hollywood leading man before becoming certainly one of the industry's most revered character actors, starring in a reality TV show is as Disappointment in his profession. But an appearance on a reality show was more in keeping with the skilled ambitions of his wife, whose once-lucrative profession as an influencer collapsed when she was embroiled in a scandal over damning evidence that she had spent greater than a decade faking a Spanish accent and Identity.

Local News

Boston Mayor Michelle Wu is starting to publicly consider how town might reply to President-elect Donald Trump's comments is planning mass deportations of illegal migrants.

In several recent media appearances, she emphasized that city resources and personnel, including local police, usually are not expected to cooperate with federal agents attempting to detain migrants on civil arrest warrants.

“The idea that certain local law enforcement agencies would be required or expected to engage in mass deportations of residents who were not involved in serious criminal activity simply to fulfill this campaign promise is not possible under the laws of Boston.” said Wu last week on GBH's “Boston Public Radio.”

Trump's promises to oversee mass deportations were at the heart of his campaign. Now all signs point to him making good on those promises immediately after he takes office in January. On Monday, Trump said on social media that he was preparing to declare a national state of emergency use the US military carry out deportations.

Leaders in blue states are preparing for Trump's plans. Gov. Maura Healey said this month that her administration would not cooperate with federal authorities seeking to carry out mass deportations.

In Boston, a existing law prohibits Boston police officers from cooperating with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in a number of cases. When asked about the possibility that federal agents could carry out mass deportations of Boston residents without the help of local law enforcement, Wu said on GBH that her administration is actively planning for a number of different scenarios. She said the federal government could face staffing issues and other logistical problems as it tries to fulfill Trump's promises. Some of those promises require the full cooperation of local authorities, Wu said.

“In places where that's not the case … we still produce other mechanisms that allow us to discover spaces that could possibly be most targeted and take into consideration protective measures there,” Wu said on GBH.

Researchers appreciate that Trump's plans could cost more than $300 billion, worsen labor shortages and require the hiring of hundreds of thousands of new government workers and law enforcement officers.

During an appearance on WCVB's “In the fileOn Sunday, Wu pushed back against misconceptions about “sanctuary cities.” Sometimes this term is known to mean a spot that grants immunity to migrants, even in the event that they have committed serious crimes. This shouldn’t be the case in Boston, where local police can work with ICE “on matters of significant public safety importance, such as human trafficking, child exploitation, drug and weapons trafficking, and cybercrime.”

Wu acknowledged that town's resources have been depleted because of the recent influx of latest migrants. That surge, coupled with an ongoing housing crisis, has overwhelmed shelters across the state for greater than a 12 months. In Boston, city shelters for people are only as full as usual through the coldest winter months, she said.

Earlier this 12 months, the Melnea A. Cass Recreational Complex in Roxbury was used as a shelter for families in need for about 4 months before reopening to the general public. Many residents disapproved of the move, saying it was unfair to locals who depend on the leisure center. Wu has publicly stated that she plans to run for a second term next 12 months, and her response to Trump's plans could have a serious impact on that race.

There are limits to what that response can include, and no city can override certain parts of the federal government's agenda, Wu said.

“What we can do is ensure that we do our part to protect our residents in every way possible and that we do not cooperate with efforts that actually endanger the safety of everyone by causing widespread fear and far-reaching economic consequences have effects. ” she said.

Even if logistical or legal issues hamper Trump's deportation plans, residents may develop fear of the local government and be hesitant to approach local officials for help on any issue, Wu said. She wants to increase direct outreach to residents and ensure they are not afraid to contact the city or request services.

As the Trump administration begins implementing its plans next year, resistance from blue states and cities will inevitably receive media coverage, and Trump frequently vows to attack “enemies from within.” Wu was asked about the possibility that Boston might be targeted by the federal government at an unrelated event on Monday.

“Our city is always heralded as a national example of what is possible. “Historically, this can be used to devalue what it means for a community to be welcoming to all, but now it is also even more important to demonstrate that government is functioning well,” she said.

NFL

Aaron Rodgers insisted he played no role within the firing of Robert Saleh as coach of the New York Jets, calling such allegations “patently false.”

The star quarterback made his weekly appearance on “The Pat McAfee Show” on Wednesday, a day after Jets owner Woody Johnson fired Saleh after the team got off to a 2-3 start within the coach's fourth season.

Some media and fans speculated that Rodgers can have been involved in influencing Johnson, who said during a conference call Tuesday that the choice was “my decision and my decision alone.”

Johnson named defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich because the Jets' interim head coach for the rest of the season.

“As far as the ridiculous allegations go, I won’t respond more than one sentence,” Rodgers said. “And that is, I am angry about all these accusations because they are obviously false. And it’s interesting how much power people think I have that I don’t have.”

Rodgers confirmed he spoke with Johnson during a “nice call” on Monday night, but said the owner simply asked him how he was feeling after damaging his left ankle within the Jets' loss to Minnesota in London on Sunday sprained. Both Johnson and Rodgers said there was no talk of Saleh's future.

“Woody has no obligation to tell me his plans,” Rodgers said. “I just appreciated the call that he asked about me.”

Rodgers spoke about how the choice to sack Saleh was a reminder that football “is a tough business” and that decisions like this have a human aspect. He cited Saleh's family, including one among the coach's seven children, with whom he was close during team training. Rodgers also reiterated that he and Saleh – who said in a press release he was “grateful” for the chance to change into the Jets' head coach – should not at odds.

Tight end Tyler Conklin said during a video call with reporters that he thought the quarterback “probably took this harder than almost anyone” since it was clear “it weighed heavily on him.”

“I love Coach Saleh,” Rodgers said. “We have a very solid relationship. … He was one of the main reasons I came to the Jets.”

The four-time NFL MVP was traded from Green Bay to New York in April 2023. With his arrival got here Super Bowl expectations, but Rodgers tore his left Achilles tendon 4 times in his debut last season – and the Jets finished 7-10 without him.

New York entered this season with similar ambitions, but a two-game delay and inconsistent play from Rodgers and the offense had Johnson frightened the team was heading within the fallacious direction.

Linebacker CJ Mosley said during a video call that players on the team's leadership council — including Mosley, Rodgers, Conklin, offensive tackle Morgan Moses and punter Thomas Morstead — met to debate the situation after news of Saleh's firing broke.

This was followed by a player-only meeting after which a team meeting with Ulbrich.

“I would say the biggest thing I heard a lot yesterday was responsibility,” Mosley said. “I believe we’ve got to maintain that in mind in the longer term. We all must take responsibility each day we walk into the constructing, each day we get up, and each decision made inside our organization, especially with our team.

“Whether it’s good, bad or somewhere in between, that’s what this is all about. So I think this was definitely a wake-up call and an eye-opener for a lot of people.”

Rodgers also talked about taking responsibility, starting with himself.

“I have to play better – I will,” Rodgers insisted. “We have a lot ahead of us.”

The Jets play at home against the Buffalo Bills on Monday night and a win would give them a share of first place within the AFC East.

Rodgers said the team welcomes Ulbrich and echoed among the coach's comments Tuesday that there have to be some changes with recent leadership.

“There were some things that had to change regardless of what happened to Robert,” Rodgers said. “And you know, we just didn’t play consistent football on offense. And as we know, the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.”

Offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett's status as the first game manager is uncertain. Hackett and Rodgers have had a detailed relationship since their time together in Green Bay, however it's possible that Ulbrich decides to show the play calls over to passing game coordinator and quarterbacks coach Todd Downing.

“As far as the offense goes, I agree with his decision,” Rodgers said. “And I need to do the very best for the team and we support coach Ulbrich.

“And whatever he thinks is best for the team, that’s what we’ll do.”