Latest news with #Aguilera
Yahoo
22-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Christina Aguilera on bringing Burlesque to the stage and her rise to fame
Christina Aguilera has told Sky News it is "magical" to see her hit film Burlesque being brought to London's West End - and also opened up about her rise to fame in the late 1990s. The US star topped the US and UK charts with Genie In A Bottle in 1999, before finding an even bigger audience with her acclaimed album Stripped and hits including Dirrty, Beautiful and Fighter in the early 2000s. In 2010, she starred in Burlesque alongside Cher, Julianne Hough and Stanley Tucci, and now, 15 years later, is a producer for the stage version of the show alongside the film's original director and writer, Steven Antin. Speaking ahead of the show's gala night, Aguilera told Sky News presenter she has enjoyed taking a backseat and seeing the fresh interpretation of her character - a small-town girl turned into a star. "It's just so beautiful to see the talent that's on this stage and to absorb it and appreciate the fresh takes on things," she said. "I love actually taking a step back and a backseat… it's beautiful to see the reinvention. "When you're in it, you focus on the choreography, all these different elements, that being able to take a backseat and being more of a visionary of the bigger picture, it's really a special thing." Aguilera said she had been "blown away" by Jess Folley, who plays her character Ali in the show, and has fully embraced the "powerhouse vocals" as well as the vulnerability needed for the role. "She just is doing such a magnificent, magnificent job and likewise inspires me as well," she said. Aguilera said she would love to see her film co-star Cher popping by to see the show in London. "She's always welcome to grace us with her incredible, iconic presence. And I'm just so grateful that I had the time to be with her. I mean, looking back, it's just - did that even happen?" Aguilera arrived on the scene at the same time as Britney Spears, at a time when young female pop stars were celebrated, sexualised and scrutinised. After the success of her debut album, she took a different direction with Stripped - embracing her sexuality and famously taking on a less girlish image with chaps, a nose stud and black streaks in her hair for the Dirrty video, and opening up about her life and emotions through songs such as Fighter and Beautiful. She also took on the patriarchy in Can't Hold Us Down, a duet with Lil' Kim, and performed on the hit cover of Lady Marmalade alongside Lil' Kim, Maya and Pink for Moulin Rouge! "I always want to stay true to authenticity," she said. "And for me, with that first album it was wonderful to get my foot in the door... "It's important to me that I stepped out on my own and reflected all sides of me as a woman, embracing my sexuality and sensuality, and my body... Dirrty, I just loved those chaps and everything about that was just so fun and raw." Read more: So would she do it all again, then? Or would she prefer to be an artist starting out now? "The '90s, it was a pretty special time in music. And it was a time when you could still like go to Virgin records or like wherever and look at the CDs, look at the packaging. And, you know, sometimes the authenticity is missed." However, the good thing about social media now is that it has given stars the means to tell their own stories, she adds. "You have an opportunity now to really present yourself in ways that it's not just about the music, to become more the narrator in real time… this is what it is like, be your own voice rather than reading about yourself in an article." But still, she wouldn't swap. "It has to stay where it was." Burlesque The Musical is showing at The Savoy theatre in London now
Axios
26-06-2025
- Politics
- Axios
Tampa Bay's new People's Pride rejects corporate, police ties
Concerned that St. Pete Pride has grown too corporate, a group of activist organizations say they want to return the celebration to its roots. Why it matters: The People's Pride Coalition will hold its inaugural Pride Night on Friday at a time of increasing skepticism of corporate-backed Pride events and marketing campaigns. The big picture: That's especially true this year, as major companies retreat from Pride sponsorships and participation amid President Trump's attacks on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. "They're outing themselves as not truly supporting queer people," coalition member V Garcia told Axios. The wishy-washy approach also shows that relying on corporate support isn't sustainable, added coalition member Gabby Aguilera. Zoom in: The coalition — made up of local grassroots organizations including Tampa Democratic Socialists of America and the Justice Advocacy Network — formed in the wake of the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas terrorist attacks and the ensuing war that has so far killed more than 50,000 Palestinians. Organizers were troubled by the big-business sponsors underpinning St. Pete Pride, such as defense contractor GE Aerospace and phosphate mining firm Mosaic, which has a troubling environmental history in Tampa Bay. They've also taken issue with the festival's police presence, a wariness that's only grown as more law enforcement agencies, including St. Pete police, sign partnerships with federal immigration authorities. What they're saying:"It just goes directly against the roots and history of Pride," which began as an uprising, Aguilera said. The other side: St. Pete Pride leaders have heard the coalition's concerns "and recognize that the origins of Pride are rooted in protest and the ongoing fight for liberation and equity for all," president Byron Green-Calisch said in a statement to Axios. Police officers are there to "ensure the safety of the more than half a million attendees expected at our Pride events." "This is a necessity, not an endorsement," he said, adding that leaders "understand that it raises valid concerns for some." Between the lines: Coalition organizers recognize the need for security and that police are typically involved with closing off city streets for parades and similar events. Cutting ties is "not going to be a quick fix," Aguilera said. The nonprofit St. Pete Pride is also working on broadening its individual donor base, new executive director Bior Guigni told Axios in a previous interview. When it comes to corporate partnerships, her goal is to ensure that "it's not just a monetary exchange, but it's also a mission alignment," she said. The latest: While GE Aerospace and Mosaic are not listed among this year's sponsors, coalition members plan to continue putting pressure on the organization to meet their demands. And while they'll march in Saturday's Pride parade, coalition members organized Pride Night for folks who identify with their mission. If you go: The event is 6-10pm Friday at Allendale United Methodist Church in St. Pete. The lineup includes live music, drag performances, crafts, free food and a free store. A $5-15 donation is suggested but not required.
Yahoo
03-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
‘Armed and dangerous' suspect in Sunnyvale homicide at large
(KRON) — Authorities are searching for an at-large homicide suspect in Sunnyvale, the Sunnyvale Department of Public Safety (DPS) announced Monday in a press release. A man was killed after a shooting that happened on May 29 at around 7:42 p.m. on the 900 block of S. Wolfe Road. Officers arrived at the scene and found the man with multiple gunshot wounds. He died at the scene. A photo of the suspect, identified as 44-year-old Jesus Aguilera, was released by Sunnyvale DPS (see below). Aguilera is described as a Hispanic man who stands 5-foot-11 tall and weighs about 190 pounds. He has brown eyes and is bald, authorities said. Aguilera is considered 'armed and dangerous.' Emergency repair on Richmond-San Rafael Bridge shuts down lanes 'If he is located, call 911 immediately. Do not attempt to contact him,' Sunnyvale DPS wrote. Sunnyvale authorities instruct anyone who locates Aguilera to call 911. Anyone with information about the investigation or Aguilera's location is asked to contact Detective E. Rosette at 408-730-7110. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
03-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Sunnyvale homicide suspect on the run
The Brief Jesus Aguilera, 44, is wanted in a Sunnyvale homicide. The incident happened last Thursday in the 900 block of S. Wolfe Road. Aguilera is considered armed and dangerous. SUNNYVALE, Calif. - Authorities in Sunnyvale are searching for a suspect wanted in connection with a deadly shooting. The Sunnyvale Department of Public Safety said officers responded around 7:42 p.m. last Thursday to a residence in the 900 block of South Wolfe Road after reports of multiple gunshots. Outside the home, officers found a man suffering from gunshot wounds. They attempted life-saving measures, but the victim died at the scene. His identity has not yet been released. What they're saying Authorities believe 44-year-old Jesus Aguilera carried out the fatal shooting. He remains at large and is considered armed and dangerous. Aguilera is described as a Hispanic man, 5 feet 11 inches tall, weighing approximately 190 pounds. He has brown eyes and is bald. Anyone who sees Aguilera is urged to call 911 immediately. Do not approach or attempt to contact him. The Source Sunnyvale Department of Public Safety
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
‘One-way ticket to a dungeon': Venezuelans anxious as Supreme Court weighs TPS decision
Dozens of Venezuelans gathered at El Arepazo, an iconic restaurant in the heart of Doral's Venezuelan community, for a vigil Thursday night in support of deportation protections now under review by the U.S. Supreme Court. The event was organized for the Venezuelan American Caucus to show support for the Venezuelan community on the final day of arguments before the high court in a case that could determine whether Temporary Protected Status for Venezuelans is upheld or revoked. 'Going back would be a one-way ticket to a dungeon or to death,' said Liduzka Aguilera. 'We cannot return. It's simply not safe.' Aguilera, 54, is a TPS holder living in Doral with her family of four. A former criminal attorney in Venezuela, she fled political persecution and arrived in the United States in 2018, where she applied for asylum. In 2021, she and her family were granted TPS. Now, they await a pivotal decision that could determine whether they remain safe or face the threat of being sent back to a country they fear. For her, returning to Venezuela is not just unimaginable — it's a matter of life or death. More than 600,000 Venezuelans hold TPS, making up 66% of the Venezuelan community in the United States of more than 900,000. Over the past two decades, the U.S. has experienced a dramatic surge in its Venezuelan population, driven by a mass exodus from a country devastated by a humanitarian and political crisis. Venezuelans are significantly less likely to be naturalized citizens than immigrants overall: in 2023, only 15% of Venezuelan immigrants had U.S. citizenship, and just 18% of Venezuelans in the United States were born in the U.S., according to the U.S. Census. A lawsuit brought by seven Venezuelans at risk of deportation and the advocacy group National TPS Alliance challenges the Trump administration's attempt to end TPS protections. Filed in federal court in San Francisco in February, the suit claims that the Trump administration's decision to end TPS — which had been extended by the Biden administration — was unlawful, politically driven, and rooted in racial discrimination, part of a larger pattern of targeting non-European, non-white immigrants. The legal fight escalated on May 1, when the administration formally asked the Supreme Court to overturn a March ruling by a federal judge in San Francisco that temporarily blocked the end of TPS for Venezuelans. That decision had come just days before protections were set to expire, potentially stripping hundreds of thousands of their legal status and right to work. READ MORE: Trump administration asks Supreme Court to allow revocation of TPS for Venezuelans Adelys Ferro, executive director of Venezuelan American Caucus, said during Thursday night's vigil that situations like Aguilera's are common in the Venezuelan community. She said that among the Venezuelan TPS holders are many who were politically persecuted, requested asylum after coming to the U.S. years ago, and have their cases are pending. 'With the TPS they finally have a legal status. How would these people return to Venezuela?' she asked. Ferro warned that Venezuelans with pending asylum cases risk being sent back to face imprisonment or even death at the hands of the Nicolás Maduro regime. She stressed the devastating impact mass deportations would have, not just on individuals, but on entire communities. 'They just rescued five Venezuelans from an embassy in Caracas,' Ferro said, echoing the words of Secretary of State Marco Rubio referring to the extraction over the weekend of five opposition leaders who had holed up in the Argentinian embassy in Venezuela. 'Five hostages of the criminal, usurping dictatorship of Maduro,' Ferro added. 'And now, they want to send 600,000 Venezuelans back to that same regime — among them, tens of thousands who are politically persecuted. 'If thousands of Venezuelans are forced to leave the country, cities like Doral would be economically devastated,' she said. 'This city was built by immigrants, especially Venezuelan immigrants. Without them, Doral wouldn't even exist. The cost of losing them is immense, not just in human terms, which is the most important, but economically, for the cities where they live and contribute every day.' READ MORE: Judge stops Trump administration from ending TPS for hundreds of thousands of Venezuelans In their arguments to the Supreme Court, the plaintiffs, represented by the Center for Immigration Law and Policy at UCLA School of Law, the ACLU Foundation of Southern California and the National Day Laborer Organizing Network, emphasized that the lower court had jurisdiction to consider the claims. They pointed to 'unrebutted evidence' showing that the administration's decision was motivated by a. discriminatory mindset. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, they argued, justified the termination using false and inflammatory stereotypes, such as the debunked claim that Venezuela had 'emptied its prisons' to send criminals to the U.S. She publicly associated Venezuelan TPS recipients with 'gang members,' 'dirt bags,' and 'dangerous criminals,' despite data showing they have lower crime rates and higher labor force participation than the general U.S. population. Marisol Silva, 64, arrived in the U.S. in 2021 with her husband. Both are retired and could no longer afford to live in Venezuela, where the collapsing economy made even basic necessities unaffordable. They came to reunite with their daughter, a journalist who fled the country eight years earlier after being persecuted for speaking out against the regime. Silva and her husband became TPS holders in 2023, a protection the Trump administration decided would end in April . However, a ruling by U.S. Circuit Judge Edward Chen extended the deadline, allowing them to remain in the country. Their work permits were granted under their pending asylum case, but the uncertainty surrounding their deportation status, she said, remains excruciating. In Venezuela, she added, they were affiliated with one of the country's largest opposition parties, making the prospect of a forced return especially dangerous. They are among nearly 350,000 Venezuelans who received TPS in 2023 and were at risk of losing the protection last month. Another 257,000 Venezuelans who were granted TPS in 2021 are facing a similar threat, with their protections scheduled to expire in September. Thursday's vigils were held in at least 15 cities nationwide — from Spokane, Washington, to San Juan and New York and Chicago — but the largest demonstrations took place in Florida, home to the country's largest Venezuelan population. In Doral, Orlando, and Jacksonville, communities came together in emotional displays of solidarity, urging the courts to preserve the protections that have allowed them to build lives in the U.S. Venezuelan Americans gathered to show support for their community regardless of immigration status. Many have family members still fighting for protection, including loved ones without legal status. Carol Quintero, 70, is one of them. Her husband, 71, who lost his legal status decades ago, was finally able to regain a measure of security through TPS. But that relief is fragile. 'I feel anxious all the time,' she said. 'I've had panic attacks just thinking about what would happen if he lost his protection. He could be deported at any moment.' Quintero said. Cecilia Herrera, the only plaintiff in the San Francisco case from Florida and a resident of Kissimmee, told the Herald from Orlando that the gathering there was an expression of the community's resilience and a call for justice.'I know it's crucial for us to come together and show both the government and the Supreme Court that our lives are at stake,' she said. 'We are not here just as TPS holders — we are mothers, fathers, workers, and active members of our communities who contribute to this country's progress' Herrera said. 'We are here today to send a clear message: We will not give up our fight for the right to live with dignity and without fear.' The stakes at the Supreme Court extend beyond the Venezuelan community. If the court rules in favor of the administration, it could set a sweeping precedent that limits judicial oversight of TPS decisions, affecting hundreds of thousands of immigrants from countries like Haiti, El Salvador and Nicaragua and conflict zones including Ukraine and Afghanistan. 'If the Supreme Court ruled that the judge doesn't have the jurisdiction to overrule the secretary's order, that would set a terrible and defining precedent for 17 countries with TPS and for other immigration processes as well', said Ferro. 'It would mean that a federal judge can't stop, even temporarily, a decision by the Secretary of Homeland Security. It would be devastating.' In its 41-page brief to the court, the administration argued that immigration policy decisions—such as whether to extend or terminate TPS—fall squarely within the authority of the executive branch. Solicitor General John Sauer told the court that judicial interference could undermine the 'flexible, fast-paced and discretionary' nature of immigration enforcement. Despite the administration's claim that continued TPS protection for Venezuelans is 'contrary to the national interest,' critics argue that revoking it amid Venezuela's ongoing humanitarian crisis is both inhumane and unjustified. 'I feel unprotected. But I've talked to my husband. If TPS is revoked, we won't leave. We'll wait for our asylum hearing,' Silva said. 'I still have hope that one day we will see a free Venezuela. But until that day comes, we simply cannot go back.'
