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L.A. Woman: Eva Longoria Fights For Her Community on Film and on the Ground

L.A. Woman: Eva Longoria Fights For Her Community on Film and on the Ground

Yahoo08-03-2025
"Anytime there's a natural disaster, there's so much heartbreak,' actress Eva Longoria says, reflecting on her experiences on the ground helping victims of the Eaton Fire in Altadena, where she aided in cleanup and handing out food and other necessities. 'All of the stories were so humbling and a lot of the people in Altadena are from Black and brown communities, so they not only lost their homes, but a lot also lost their work [as] nannies, gardeners, construction workers and housekeepers.'Longoria — who splits her time between Los Angeles, Mexico and Spain — says she focused on holding space for people's stories while holding their hands, adding that the stress of deportation raids, which increased when the Trump administration came into office, made things worse. 'A lot of the people I was speaking to were undocumented and living in fear,' she says.Still, there were inspirational moments amid the despair. 'L.A. galvanized around this — there was no Republican and no Democrat,' she says. 'It was people out there helping each other … that was the most beautiful thing.'The Corpus Christi, Texas native — who recently backed Kamala Harris for president and spoke at the 2024 Democratic National Convention — has been a champion for progressive ideals and social justice since she became a star on Desperate Housewives 20 years ago.
As her profile grew, so did her activism. She's used her platform to fight for immigration reform and workers' rights via the Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund (MALDEF) and the National Council of La Raza (NCLR) as well as United Farm Workers and the Dolores Huerta Foundation. Her own namesake foundation helps Latina women and their families with education and entrepreneurship, and another group she formed, Eva's Heroes, is dedicated to helping special needs adults with a variety of online and in-person programs.In addition to her presence on the front lines of the L.A. fires, she donated to the California Community Foundation's Wildfire Recovery Fund. She also contributed $1 million to Julián Castro's Latino Community Foundation's Wildfire Relief Fund — to 'make sure that the people from my community were getting resources that they needed,' she says of something she's always prioritized.
"I am a very proud Latina,' Longoria adds — and it seems to inspire everything she does, from serving as director of 2023's Flamin' Hot to her most recent acting role as Selena Gomez's movie double in Only Murders in the Building. Her CNN original series Searching for Spain — a spinoff of her hit Searching for Mexico — is coming in 2025, and an FX and Disney+ Latin America docuseries following the Mexican soccer team Club Necaxa is also forthcoming. Her comedy film Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Road Trip debuts on Disney+ March 28, and she celebrates 20 years as a global ambassador for L'Oréal Paris.But philanthropy remains her most important role. 'I do it as a person who cares deeply about humanity,' she says, 'and as a daughter who grew up in a household where my parents taught me what volunteerism means and the value of it.'Learn more about Longoria's humanitarian projects and social justice work at evalongoriafoundation.org and evasheroes.org.
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Adam Sandler pays ‘lovely tribute' to late former co-star Cameron Boyce in ‘Happy Gilmore 2'
Adam Sandler pays ‘lovely tribute' to late former co-star Cameron Boyce in ‘Happy Gilmore 2'

New York Post

time6 minutes ago

  • New York Post

Adam Sandler pays ‘lovely tribute' to late former co-star Cameron Boyce in ‘Happy Gilmore 2'

Cameron Boyce's memory lives on. Adam Sandler has paid tribute to his late 'Grown Ups' co-star with a thoughtful scene in 'Happy Gilmore 2,' which premiered on Netflix on Friday, July 25. The blink-and-you-miss-it moment comes early in the new sequel when Sandler's titular character, Happy Gilmore, approaches a check-in booth before starting a round of golf. Advertisement 9 Cameron Boyce and Adam Sandler at the 2017 Radio Disney Music Awards in Los Angeles on April 29, 2017. Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images 9 Cameron Boyce briefly appears on the screen during an early scene in 'Happy Gilmore 2.' Eagle-eyed viewers can notice that the Disney Channel show 'Jessie,' which Boyce starred in as Luke Ross from 2011 to 2015, is playing on a small TV in the corner. Advertisement Even more surprising is that the TV is playing a scene that shows Boyce's character on the screen. 'Adam Sandler including Cameron Boyce in Happy Gilmore 2 is hurting and healing my heart at the same time,' one person captioned a clip of the touching moment on TikTok. 9 Cameron Boyce attends Disney's 'Beauty and the Beast' premiere at El Capitan Theatre on March 2, 2017, in Los Angeles, California. Getty Images 'Lovely tribute to Cameron Boyce in Happy Gilmore 2,' another viewer wrote. 'We all miss you.' Advertisement 'Love that he included him!' a third fan added. Boyce tragically passed away in July 2019 after suffering an epileptic seizure in his sleep. He was only 20 years old. 9 Cameron Boyce at the Young Hollywood Studio on June 28, 2017, in Los Angeles, California. Young Hollywood Before his shocking death, the young actor starred in 'Jessie' and Disney's popular 'Descendants' franchise. Advertisement Boyce and Sandler first starred together as father-son duo Lenny and Keithie Feder in Sandler's 2010 comedy 'Grown Ups,' and they later reunited for the movie's 2013 sequel, 'Grown Ups 2.' But 'Happy Gilmore 2' isn't the first time that Sandler paid tribute to his late former co-star. 9 Cameron Boyce stars as Carlos in the Disney Channel original movie 'Descendants' (2015). Disney Channel via Getty Images In 2020's 'Hubie Halloween,' the comedian included a shoutout to Boyce halfway through the film's end credits. 'In loving memory of Cameron Boyce,' it read. 'Gone way too soon and one of the kindest, coolest, funniest, and most talented kids we knew. You live on forever in our hearts and are truly missed every day.' Some of Boyce's other co-stars recently remembered the 'Jessie' star, both for what would have been his 26th birthday in May and for the sixth anniversary of his passing earlier this month. 9 Cameron Boyce as Luke Ross in the Disney Channel series 'Jessie.' Disney Channel via Getty Images 'I still feel you all the time. Catch you in the next life,' Dove Cameron wrote on Instagram on May 28. 'Happy birthday. I love you.' Advertisement 'Our Angel,' his 'Descendants' co-star Sofia Carson wrote on Instagram on Sunday, July 6. 'Forever.' 'On a BC ferry headed to Victoria to shoot more of Descendants,' Booboo Stewart added in a separate post. 'Life is good. Miss you Cam.' 9 Cameron Boyce (far right) in the Disney Channel original movie 'Descendants 3' (2019). Disney Channel via Getty Images Meanwhile, Sandler included several additional nods to those he misses most in 'Happy Gilmore 2.' Advertisement Carl Weathers, who was set to return as Derick 'Chubbs' Peterson before he passed away in February 2024, is remembered in the new sequel through several flashbacks to the 1996 original. Slim, a new character played by Lavell Crawford, is also introduced as Chubbs' prosthetic-hand-wearing son. Meanwhile, 'Happy Gilmore 2' includes several surprising moments – including the death of one beloved character that has left fans outraged. 9 Adam Sandler as Happy Gilmore in 'Happy Gilmore 2.' Scott Yamano/Netflix Advertisement 9 Haley Joel Osment and Adam Sandler in 'Happy Gilmore 2.' Scott Yamano/Netflix Picking up nearly 30 years after the events of the original movie, 'Happy Gilmore 2' follows Sandler's character as he unretires from professional golf to raise money for his daughter's ballet classes. Julie Bowen (Virginia Venit) and Christopher McDonald (Shooter McGavin) reprise their original roles, and the movie sees dozens of celebrity cameos. Advertisement Plus, Sandler's real-life wife, Jackie Sandler, and real-life daughters, Sadie and Sunny Sandler, also appear. 'Happy Gilmore 2' is streaming now on Netflix.

Calif., Illinois may fight new Texas congressional maps with their own
Calif., Illinois may fight new Texas congressional maps with their own

UPI

time37 minutes ago

  • UPI

Calif., Illinois may fight new Texas congressional maps with their own

1 of 2 | California Gov. Gavin Newsom says he may seek to change his state's congressional maps if Texas redraws its borders. File photo by Jonathan Alcorn/UPI | License Photo July 26 (UPI) -- As the Texas Legislature plans to redraw congressional maps in an effort to increase Republican members in the U.S. House, the governors of California and Illinois may devise their own new borders. Traditionally, the boundaries are changed every 10 years with the latest U.S. Census data but Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has called a special legislative session after pressure from the White House to preserve the GOP majority in the U.S. House. President Donald Trump believes an additional five seats could be created by changing the borders. Of the state's 38 districts, 25 are held by Republicans. Democrats hold seats in big cities of Austin, Dallas, El Paso, Fort Worth, Houston, Laredo, McAllen, San Antonio. Ahead of the 2026 midterm elections, Republicans hold a 219-212 advantage in the House with four vacancies -- three Democrats who died and one Republican who resigned this week. More than a dozen Texas House members flew to Illinois and California -- two blue states -- on Friday for a meeting with California Gov. Gavin Newsom and Illinois Gov. JB Pritzkeper, during which they revealed their intentions. "Donald Trump called up Governor Abbott for one simple reason: to rig the 2026 elections. California's moral high ground means nothing if we're powerless because of it," Newsom said after meeting with Democrats from the Texas House. "This moment requires us to be prepared to fight fire with fire. Whether that's a special election, a ballot initiative, a bill, a fight in court. If they proceed in Texas, we will be ready." "This is not a bluff. This is real, and trust me, it's more real after listening to these leaders today, how existential this is," Newsom said. As the most populous state in the nation, California has 43 Democratic members of the house and nine Republican members, while Illinois is represented by 14 Democrats and three Republicans. "Everything is on the table," Pritzer said. The Illinois governor said he doesn't want to redraw the maps but "if they're going to take this drastic action, then we might also take drastic action to respond." "We want the country to understand [that] what's going on in Texas is a national battle," State Rep. Richard Pena Raymond, a Democrat from Laredo, said. Raymond told Pritzner that redistricting is "clearly aimed at affecting the entire country." Responsibility for determining Congressional district maps differs from state to state. In California, an independent commission approved by voters in 2010 works on the maps. Illinois maps, on the other hand, are put together by the state lawmakers have been drawn strongly to favor the Democrat Party in the state. Newsom said he is considering having a referendum to change the rules before the 2026 election, unless the Legislature comes up with another solution, which would take two-thirds of legislators voting in favor of. "We have to fight fire with fire," Newsom said. Other states Two other Democratic governors are considering new maps -- Phil Murphy in New Jersey and Kathy Hochul in New York. "There's other states that are violating the rules," Hochul said during a news conference on Thursday. "I'm going to look at it closely with Hakeem Jeffries," a New York member of the House, as well has House minority leader. In New York, Democrats have a 19-7 advantage as a result of their districting maps. "It's deplorable," Murphy said during an interview at the summer meeting of the bipartisan National Governors Association in Colorado Springs. "If they're going to play these games, we're going to have to be just as aggressive. We can't bring a knife to a gunfight." Democrats hold nine of the 12 seats in New Jersey. In Florida, the state Supreme Court on July 17 upheld its newest congressional map. He said he believes the state had been "malappropriated" and redistricting "would be appropriate" in a few years. Florida's congressional delegation is controlled by Republicans, 20-8. In Ohio, legislators are required to redraw maps before 2026. The GOP has 10 of the 15 seats. Colorado Gov. Jared Polis is against redistricting more frequently. The state's maps are overseen by an independent commission and it's eight U.S. House seats are evenly split 4-4. Texas situation Texas last redrew its borders in mid-cycle in 2003 after the GOP gained control of both chambers for the first time since Reconstruction. In Texas, Abbott noted a July 7 letter from the Justice Department that said majority Black and Hispanic districts in Dallas need to be redrawn based on a decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit last year. The DOJ said those districts are "unconstitutional racial gerrymanders," but Abbott argued the opposite in 2021. In federal court in El Paso, he argued race had not been taken into account there. "We are no longer compelled to have coalition districts," Abbott said in an interview with KDFW in Dallas. U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro, a San Antonio Democrat, appeared at a state House hearing. "That's what's at stake here, whether you all are going to work for the people of Texas, as we used to do, to try to do, or whether you take your commandments from Donald Trump and the White House," Castro said. "I hope that you all will choose to do the business of the people of Texas, as this body has a history of being independent from the federal government."

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