“In trying to paint a mosaic of this community, we fell short. I’m truly sorry. I’m learning from the feedback, I thank you for raising it, and I’m listening.” Miranda added he is “dedicated” to “learning and evolving”.

A mid-Michigan actor moved back home during the pandemic to continue following his dreams to create an apocalyptic film of his own.

Last spring after dams failed causing historic flooding in his hometown, the filmmaker thought the new landscapes could be a perfect setting for his film.

The script for the zombie movie “Followers” had been bouncing around Chris Krause’s head for years.

“I just wanted to start exploring this feeling of when you no longer feel you know the people you love. You know, when there’s friends and family and you realize they’re willing to support certain things that you just can’t support,” Krause said.

The Sanford native was an actor in New York.

“This career is already very unstable, and you know, it’s tough, it is really really hard and all of the sudden it shut down in a way that you’re like, when is this coming back, when is this going to happen,” Krause said.

Krause came back home, finalized the admittedly low budget script, and got his friend to agree to direct it. He said the horror film works with the current racial tensions in the country and twists some of the common zombie tropes.

“And of course, you know unfortunately Sanford provides a good backdrop for something that looks like it’s a post-apocalyptic world so we’re going to be filming around there. And you know I kind of want to just jump on too and use it as a way to bring awareness to what happened to the town,” Krause said.

Krause is currently casting the film and still working on funding. After trying to push it through middlemen, he’s proud to bet on himself.

“It’s kind of every artist’s dream really if you can, if you can get do your art, if you can get to tell some stories and it also has the benefit of maybe actually helping people in real life beyond just telling them a cool story that makes them think, then that’d be awesome,” Krause said.

LOS ANGELES (RNS) — About once a month, Lily Nguyen-Ellis stands outside a Planned Parenthood office in Orange County with her fellow congregants from Santiago de Compostela Church to pray for the end of abortion and for the dignity of human life from conception to natural death. She and her group hold signs declaring “#LoveEveryHeartbeat” and “Love Life Choose Life.”

A cradle Catholic, Nguyen-Ellis said she strayed from the church in her late teens before finding Saddleback Community Church, a Southern Baptist megachurch led by Pastor Rick Warren. She loved the sermons, but she felt something was missing. “It was me wanting to receive Holy Communion,” she said.

About 10 years ago, Nguyen-Ellis, 54, returned to practicing Catholicism, even remarrying her husband in the Catholic Church after his baptism. Nguyen-Ellis wanted to be able to receive the sacrament of the body and blood of Jesus with her husband.

On paper, Nguyen-Ellis looks like the kind of Catholic who might agree with a push by the American church’s conservative bishops to deny the Eucharist to Catholic politicians, such as President Joe Biden, who support abortion rights.

But Nguyen-Ellis believes “that is for God to judge,” not humans. “When I look at myself being a sinner, I’m very sure I have received Holy Communion in an unworthy manner and have offended the Lord with past actions,” she said. 

Just as Nguyen-Ellis has allowed Jesus, she said, “to transform me into a better person,” she prays the same for Biden so he “could respect human dignity.”

Lily Nguyen-Ellis, far left, with her fellow congregants outside a Planned Parenthood in Mission Viejo, California, where they pray for the end of abortion. Photo courtesy of Lily Nguyen-Ellis

RELATED: Joe Biden, president-elect at last, was shaped by a very American Catholic faith

A Pew Research Center survey this year found that among U.S. Catholic adults, 67% say Biden should be allowed to receive Communion, while 29% say he shouldn’t. Some divisions emerge among Catholics who identify with the Republican Party, with a slim majority (55%) saying Biden’s abortion stance should disqualify him from receiving Communion, compared with just 11% who identify with the Democratic Party who say so.

Additionally, more than half of U.S. Catholics (56%) said abortion should be legal in all or most cases, while roughly 42% said it should be illegal in all or most cases, according to a 2019 Pew Research Center survey.

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops is set to discuss Communion at its annual meeting in June, following an unusual declaration after the November presidential election that the bishops would form a working group chaired by Detroit Archbishop Allen Vigneron to “navigate” the “difficult and complex situation.”

“Most U.S. Catholics think Biden’s abortion views should not disqualify him from Communion” Graphic courtesy of Pew Research Center

On May 1, San Francisco Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone wrote in a letter that “because we are dealing with public figures and public examples of cooperation in moral evil, this correction can also take the public form of exclusion from the reception of Holy Communion.”

RELATED: Catholic bishops who want to deny Biden Communion may have to reckon with the pope

Vatican leaders have recently criticized these efforts, saying decisions on who can receive Communion rest solely with the bishop in whose diocese the sacrament is being administered, adding that it’s “misleading” to suggest abortion and euthanasia are “the only grave matters of Catholic moral and social teaching that demand the fullest level of accountability on the part of Catholics.”

Abortion-rights activists in the church have criticized the debate as well. Calling abortion a morally complex issue, Catholics for Choice President Jamie L. Manson said that “even for conservative Catholics, the sacrament is powerful and should not be reduced as some sort of weapon of political intimidation or coercion.”

Manson added: “Catholics are not evangelicals. We don’t take things on faith. We’re not a Bible-based religion. We are a faith that takes in multiple sources when we discern big ethical decisions.”

President-elect Joe Biden and his wife, Jill Biden, attend Mass at the Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle during Inauguration Day ceremonies Jan. 20, 2021, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Pope Francis has cautioned against drawing strict lines about who should receive Communion, writing in his apostolic letter “Evangelii Gaudium” that the Eucharist “is not a prize for the perfect but a powerful medicine and nourishment for the weak.” In 2016, he seemed to open the question of whether divorced Catholics who remarry without a church annulment may receive the sacrament in some circumstances, currently forbidden.

Jennifer Hughes, a religion historian at University of California Riverside, said the current debate reflects a rift “between your average Catholic and some of our very conservative Catholic leaders.”

Hughes said American Catholicism has historically been more inclusive and progressive than the current leadership reflects. In practice, she said, the decision about when to receive or refrain from Communion is usually left up to individual lay Catholics. “They understand they may not be in compliance with all things, but they’ll still receive (Communion) in order … to try to enter into a relationship with God,” she said.

“Communion is about participating in the body of Christ and if you deny Communion to a person or to a particular community, then in a sense you’re severing them from that body,” Hughes said. “You’re denying them participation in that body of Christ.”

Daniela Cabral, 37, of Los Angeles, doesn’t consider herself a a devout Catholic since she’s not at Mass every Sunday. But she married in the Catholic Church and baptized her children Catholics as well. At Communion, she said, she feels closest to God.

“Sacraments are important to me so I’ve tried to stick to them,” said Cabral, adding that her relationship with God “is just that, between me and God.”

While abortion isn’t something Cabral could fathom for herself, she acknowledged that she had never felt she had to make that choice, offering teen pregnancy, an abusive relationship or rape as reasons that might put someone in that position. Cabral made clear that she is not in favor of late-term abortions. 

“As a Catholic, it is sad to see children being born under unhealthy situations. I believe in not only life, but quality of life,” she said.

Victor Narro for his first Holy Communion at Holy Cross Church in Brooklyn, New York, in 1973. Courtesy photo

Victor Narro, a project director for the UCLA Labor Center, took his first Holy Communion in 1973 when he was 10 years old and living in New York. To this day, he cherishes his First Communion guestbook with autographs of those who attended his ceremony.

Since the pandemic hit, he has attended Sunday Mass virtually at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels, led by Archbishop José Gomez and other bishops. From his computer screen, Narro raises his hand as a gesture when it’s time for Communion.

Narro, who stands for abortion rights, said the church shouldn’t condemn him for believing in a woman’s right to choose, which he sees as a sacred act.

“I don’t need a group of bishops to tell me what it means to be a devout Catholic,” Narro said.

RELATED: Vatican cautions bishops on denying Communion to politicians who back abortion

Others, such as Cecilia Chavez, 63, a parishioner at Church of the Holy Innocents in Long Beach, say that whatever people feel about the sacrament, it’s up to the bishops to hold the line on church teaching. Public leaders who defend abortion rights should be denied Communion, Chavez said, adding that “it sets a bad example.”

“They’re being allowed, but we’re being told this is wrong,” she added.

Chavez, who is involved in her church’s “Expectant Mothers Outreach” program, an attempt to give pregnant women alternatives to abortion, said Communion is not the only way to feel a connection to God. She asks: “Shouldn’t we feel close to God when we see new life coming into the world?”

Religion News Service reporters Claire Giangravé and Jack Jenkins contributed to this report.

Even feature filmmakers, he said, will be left to wonder in tense anticipation whether their movies will fall afoul of the security law. “It’s not just a matter of activist filmmaking or political filmmaking, but the overall scene of filmmaking in Hong Kong.”

The censorship directives are the latest sign of how thoroughly Hong Kong is being reshaped by Beijing’s security law, which took aim at the city’s pro-democracy protest movement but has had crushing implications for aspects of its very character.

With the blessing of the Communist government, the Hong Kong authorities have changed school curriculums, pulled books off library shelves and moved to overhaul elections. The police have arrested pro-democracy activists and politicians as well as a high-profile newspaper publisher.

And in the arts, the law has created an atmosphere of fear.

The updated rules announced Friday require Hong Kong censors considering a film for distribution to look out not only for violent, sexual and vulgar content, but also for how the film portrays acts “which may amount to an offense endangering national security.”

Anything that is “objectively and reasonably capable of being perceived as endorsing, supporting, promoting, glorifying, encouraging or inciting” such acts is potential grounds for deeming a film unfit for exhibition, the rules now say.

The new rules do not limit the scope of a censor’s verdict to a film’s content alone.

“When considering the effect of the film as a whole and its likely effect on the persons likely to view the film,” the guidelines say, “the censor should have regard to the duties to prevent and suppress act or activity endangering national security.”

A Hong Kong government statement on Friday said: “The film censorship regulatory framework is built on the premise of a balance between protection of individual rights and freedoms on the one hand, and the protection of legitimate societal interests on the other.”

Review by Brian Lowry, CNN

Updated 8:52 AM ET, Thu June 10, 2021

Close plays a vengeful Marquise de Merteuil seeking to embarrass her ex-lover through seduction. The 1988 drama set in 18th-century France received seven nominations at the 61st Academy Awards, including a Best Actress nomination for Close.

“Dangerous Liaisons” took home three Oscars, including Best Costume Design. Several of Close’s intricate, historically accurate costumes from the film are part of the exhibition.

‘Fatal Attraction’

Stream on: Amazon Prime, paramount+

Close plays Alex Forrest, a mistress turned stalker who displays a flair for the dramatic. Two outfits from the 1987 thriller are on display in the exhibition.

‘Jagged Edge’

Stream on: Starz

Close is attorney Teddy Barnes, responsible for defending Jack Forrester, played by Jeff Bridges, who is charged with murdering his wife. The relationship evolves to more than attorney and client in this 1985 drama. Multiple examples of her courtroom apparel are on display in the exhibit.

‘Marvel Studios’ Guardians of the Galaxy’

Stream on: Disney+

This 2014 surprise hit and addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe is described as space opera with a rich infusion of ’70s music. Close plays Nova Prime, leader of the Nova Force, who is responsible for keeping the planet of Xandar safe.

Her futuristic military commander uniform, designed by Alexandra Byrne, is the newest costume featured in the exhibition. Close also said it’s one of the most fascinating.

“It was incredibly hard to fit because it was almost like the kind of material a diving suit was made out of,” Close said. “The thing that was wonderful about those costumes is they kept their structure. The suit jacket has this wonderful collar that stands up and will always stand up because of the nature of the material.”

‘Reversal of Fortune’

Stream on: HBO Max

Based on a true story of an unexplained coma of socialite Sunny von Bülow, played by Close, this 1990 film explores her husband Claus’s trial for her attempted murder. In 2015, Entertainment Weekly placed this drama on its list of the 25 best films from the past 25 years.

‘The Stepford Wives’

Stream on: Starz

Set in a picturesque Connecticut suburb that appears a little too perfect, Close plays real estate agent Claire Wellington, whose influence is felt through the town of Stepford.

This 2004 sci-fi dark comedy is based on a 1972 novel and 1975 film of the same name. Several of Close’s 1950s-inspired costumes from the movie are featured in the exhibition.

‘The World According to Garp’

Stream or rent on: Amazon Prime, Google Play, YouTube

An outfit from Close’s first feature film, a 1982 dramedy featuring Robin Williams, is included in the exhibition. For her portrayal of Jenny Fields, Close was nominated for Best Actress in a Supporting Role at the 55th Academy Awards.

Other productions represented in the exhibition are “Albert Nobbs,” “The Lion in Winter,” “Sarah, Plain and Tall,” “Skylark: The Sequel to Sarah, Plain and Tall” and “Sarah, Plain and Tall: Winter’s End.”

“A Close look at ‘The Art of the Character'” is a feature series that explores how IU Bloomington students, staff, faculty and students have helped prepare Glenn Close’s costumes for their first on-campus exhibition.

Up until mid-May, iceberg A-23A in the Weddell Sea in Antarctica was the largest berg in the world. No longer. The new heavyweight champion is A-76, a hunk of ice that measures 1,670 square miles (4,320 square kilometers). You could fit all of Rhode Island onto it with room to spare.

The European Space Agency’s Copernicus Sentinel-1 satellite mission got a view from space of the new iceberg breaking away from the Ronne Ice Shelf on May 13. ESA shared the sequence as a GIF on Thursday, and compared the berg to the size of the Spanish island of Majorca.

From the lab to your inbox. Get the latest science stories from CNET every week.

The A-23A iceberg, which had been the biggest, measures 1,500 square miles (3,880 square kilometers). “Icebergs are traditionally named from the Antarctic quadrant in which they were originally sighted, then a sequential number, then, if the iceberg breaks, a sequential letter,” said ESA.

While there are worrying issues with ice and climate change, the calving of A-76 from the ice shelf isn’t setting off scientific alarm bells. In a statement Friday, the British Antarctic Survey said that the calving is a natural event.

BAS glaciologist Alex Brisbourne said, “We know that the ocean around Antarctica is warming as a result of global heating but the Weddell Sea, where iceberg A-76 sits, is not currently experiencing this warming.”

By Lisa Respers France, CNN

Updated 11:16 AM ET, Thu May 20, 2021

Sandeep Dikshit

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, January 21

As strategists parse the nearly 20 Indian-Americans appointed in the Biden administration, noteworthy are those who didn’t make it.

Obama administration staffer Sonal Shah as well as Amit Jani, who worked on the Biden campaign team, have so far been excluded, allegedly due their RSS-BJP links, which has been brought into the limelight by over a dozen Indian-American organisations.

• Editorial: The Biden-Kamala era: India needs to sidestep the eddies

Biden’s team has people like senior diplomat Uzra Zeya, who had played a role in the Devyani Khobragade case, or Samira Fazili, who had joined protest rallies in the US against the CAA, NRC and the Kashmir lockdown. But those with RSS-BJP links have not found a place as secular Indian-American organisations have maintained the pressure on the Biden-Harris transition team to keep such individuals on the sidelines, said sources.

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The Democrats may have been more circumspect over accommodating pro-BJP-RSS elements in the government following renewed activism by organisations opposed to the Hindutva project and also after witnessing the fate of such candidates, added the sources.

Congressional candidate Sri Preston Kulkarni lost the elections after strident opposition from Indian-American organisations and former US Congressperson Tulsi Gabbard also lost political ground because of this reason.

Sonal Shah has served on Biden’s unity task force but her father was the president of Overseas Friends of BJP-USA and is the founder of RSS-run Ekal Vidyalaya for which she has raised funds.

Jani’s may have been the case of lax vetting. Name Biden campaign’s ‘Muslim Outreach’ coordinator, he was re-appointed National Asian American and Pacific Islander Director after it was pointed out that his family had ties with PM Modi and other BJP leaders.

To ensure the Biden administration does not backtrack on excluding those with RSS-BJP links, 19 Indian-American organisations have written to Biden pointing out that many South Asian-American individuals with ties to far-right Hindu organisations in India are affiliated with the Democratic Party.

Key omissions

Sonal Shah: Obama admn ex-staffer, she served in Biden’s unity task force. Her father was Overseas Friends of BJP-USA chief and founded RSS-run Ekal Vidyalaya

Amit Jani: He was the ‘Muslim Outreach’ coordinator of ‘Name Biden’ campaign. His family reportedly has ties with PM Modi and other BJP leaders