Latest news with #Currier
Refinery29
07-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Refinery29
5 Bob Haircut Trends Everyone Is Asking For This Summer
courtesy of spoke and weal NY Here's the thing about a good haircut: It only takes one photo to spark inspiration. If you're feeling a little lost this summer, we're here to help. Bob haircuts are particularly fun because if you've been a Refinery29 reader for a while you know, we appreciate the often imperceptible but critical details that make an Italian bob different from a French bob (the former is more cropped to the ears, and the latter is often structural and includes a bang). Here, we're breaking down the top bob trends of the moment — for summer 2025 — in hopes that they might inspire your next appointment. Find our predictions with imagery for you to save and expert styling advice, ahead. Carved bob View this post on Instagram A post shared by Spoke & Weal (@spokeandweal) The technique used to create a carved bob gives the hair a very lived-in look, "similar to when you cut hair using a razor," explains hairstylist Amanda Lee. The cut, which is purposefully grown-out with tapered ends, was popular in 2018 and 2019 and is seeing a resurgence. "It's a creative cut based on removing weight and creating layers that provide lift and movement into the hair," explains hairstylist Cassadi Currier. Flipped bob View this post on Instagram A post shared by Lindsey Neavitt (@lindseyneavitt901) Many stylists track the origins of the flipped bob back to the '60s. "It had a very retro feel," explains Lee. "Jackie Kennedy is the first name to come to mind when I think of the flipped bob." There's an innate elegance to this style but it's pretty versatile. The current variation is cut short, maybe slightly asymmetrical, and has some polish. For styling, Lee recommends using a hot brush (like the Mane Medium Hot Brush, $98) to give your hair a good flip on the ends and a smoothing balm (she prefers the Emi Jay Angelstick, $38) to polish any flyaways. Fluffy bob View this post on Instagram A post shared by DECEMBER FULLY BOOKED (@hairbyanaiss) A fluffy or "soft-sweeping layered bob" is a modern favorite among stylists. "It's one of my favorite types of bob haircuts," says Currier, "and I love that most of them have a deep-set side part." Lee considers the fluffy bob a modern version of a classic cut. "The fluffy bob is really just a modern take on the classic bob shape, giving it more volume and movement," she says. To style, she recommends a big round brush, a round brush blow dryer, or a round brush attachment (if you're using a Dyson). Japanese bob View this post on Instagram A post shared by 菊池 洵 / 美容師 (@jun__kikuchi) "The Japanese bob is also a chin-length bob that really hugs the curvature of the face," says Currier. "This bob is usually parted in the middle and has gorgeous sweeping layers that go away from the face with blunt ends." The name comes from the country of origin and inspiration. In Japanese hair salons, this is just a short bob. For styling a Japanese bob, Currier recommends using a flat iron and "beveling" sections, curving the hair under. But for the pieces around the face, "you're going to want to direct the flat iron forward in the opposite direction and sweep backward towards the ear to give a bit of a curved, sweeping look to the fringe," she explains. Bitchy bob View this post on Instagram A post shared by Jenna Perry Hair Studio (@jennaperryhairstudio) This bob is fun. It's polished, one-length, and hits right at the corners of the mouth. It has some high-fashion edge and attitude, which is likely why hairstylist Jordan Luger at Jenna Perry Salon in NYC calls it the "bitchy bob." If you're thinking of inching up this summer, this is a charming way to go about it.
San Francisco Chronicle
05-06-2025
- Entertainment
- San Francisco Chronicle
Inside the challenges — and successes — of staging Shakespeare at a California state prison
Kelon Williams as the King of Navarre took a beat-length pause, savoring the suspense. His character was introducing 'the Navarre model,' a scheme in which he and his buddies renounce women and indulgence to better themselves through study. Delivering the line with a triumphant grin, Williams made a choice a thoughtful actor might make in any production of Shakespeare's 'Love's Labour's Lost.' He conveyed not only how brilliant the king thinks the idea is but also how chuffed he is with himself for coming up with it. But in so many ways, this production at San Quentin Rehabilitation Center was unlike any other take on Shakespeare's early-career comedy. An alarm in the yard delayed it, so director Lesley Currier had to vamp for a bit, explaining its plot, before the show could start. Costumes, driven in and out of the facility each day, can't have any metal on them, necessitating a last-minute substitution of paper crowns for weightier ones. Actors officially rehearse with Marin Shakespeare Company's Currier and co-director Suraya Keating just once per week, and in two different groups, which means they might not get any time with their scene partners. They might also get disciplined or sent to another prison at any moment, so understudying is common. And we, the audience on Friday, May 23, had to submit our IDs weeks in advance of the performance and get cleared through multiple gates to enter. We couldn't wear any blue, orange, yellow, green or gray to avoid any confusion with incarcerated people or guards. Then after lining up outside the prison, we had to give verbal consent that we understood, as a guard put it, 'The State of California has a no-hostage policy' — meaning that if a prisoner grabs you and threatens your life, the state will not release him in order to save you. For all that preamble, when you finally make it through the final gate and enter the yard, some prisoners mill about freely on performance days, with the actors shaking your hand or fist-bumping you in welcome. When they hand you your program and a copy of the San Quentin News, they thank you for coming. California prisons made national news this year as yet another one of President Donald Trump's political pawns. When he posted on social media in May that he'd ordered law enforcement agencies to reopen Alcatraz as a prison for 'America's most ruthless and violent Offenders,' he wasn't just ignoring decades of understanding that the island was too expensive to operate in that capacity; he was exhuming an outdated notion of correctional facilities' purpose, in order to stoke fear and score easy points. But prisons aren't a black hole from which the incarcerated never return. 'Ninety-five percent of people who are incarcerated go home, and they will be our neighbors,' Currier told the Chronicle, citing 2016 data from the Bureau of Justice Statistics. 'We want those people to want to live their best lives, want to be contributing citizens, want to know how to ask for help when they need it, because they will face many, many challenges.' She also referred to an American Civil Liberties Union statistic noting that while the U.S. has just 5% of the world's population, it has 20% of the world's prisoners. In other words, we should be working to close more prisons, not reopen shuttered ones like Alcatraz. The tension among incarceration's various goals — punishment, deterrence and rehabilitation — is age old. But at San Quentin, the balance has recently swung toward rehabilitation. In 2023, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced a $239 million plan to renovate the facility into a rehab center in the mode of Scandinavian prisons, complete with farmers market, cafe and podcast recording studio. At the same time, Marin Shakespeare's Shakespeare in San Quentin program, which has been teaching theater at the prison since 2003, lost state funding this year. The grants, provided by the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, included one from California Arts in Corrections (co-administered by the California Arts Council) and another for 'innovative programming.' But Currier ensured the program would continue, noting she'd raised alternate funds from private sources. At 'Love's Labour's Lost,' the program's effect on incarcerated men was staggering. As the silly Spaniard Don Adriano de Armado, Nythell Collins rolled his Rs long enough for a gargle. When Navion 'Smoove' Starks, as a parson so relaxed he appeared to be on quaaludes, started to read aloud a love letter for some country rubes, he amped up the moment's humor by getting so into another man's effusions that he started to get all hot and bothered himself. Meanwhile, Gabriel Moctezuma, as nobleman Biron, showed he already has the chops (honed from youth theater in Sacramento) to appear on any stage in the Bay Area. He activated each moment of stage time with intention, whether it was leaning in with raised eyebrows to flirt, recoiling at the smell of a member of a lower class, impersonating a 'decrepit, sick and bedrid father' or palpitating in swoony lust. Then, when he launched into a rendition of John Legend 's 'All of Me' (Currier and Keating interpolated lots of pop songs into the show), a golden voice beamed out. 'We're all trying to put forth the best part of ourselves,' he told the Chronicle after stepping offstage. 'This is a healing process for all of us.' Alums also sing the program's praises. John Neblett served a 30-year sentence, much of it at San Quentin, for second-degree murder. Now, he said he makes a six-figure salary as a non-union electrician, using skills he learned at the facility. He's also proud he can still recite from memory poetry he wrote while inside, inspired by Shakespeare, Philip Sidney and John Donne. Performing Shakespeare, he said, gave him the self-confidence to apply for his current job. If you can perform for a mass of people, he said, 'you know you're good.' Actors, he continued, 'have a wider experience of reality than a lot of people,' and that insight translates beyond the stage. 'You know what that character wants, and you come up with ways to get what that character wants with your scene partner.' Neblett still performs when he can via Marin Shakespeare's Returned Citizens Theatre Troupe. Stereotypes about life behind bars suggest that other prisoners might ridicule the ones who choose to do Shakespeare — especially those who, like Brady Godoy, Angie Gordon, Aaron Zendejas and Jooty Johnson, perform as a princess and her ladies in waiting in 'Love's Labour's Lost.' But the vibe in the audience during this recent show was supportive, even loving. Whoops resounded. Every song became a sing-along. During a brief postshow talkback, one prisoner named White said, 'I thought the teamwork was awesome.' Another named Max, who was wearing a 'peer support' uniform, said with a laugh, 'I'm going to need dance lessons from two of the cast members. We'll talk about that later!' Godoy admitted, 'Two years ago, I never would have imagined I would be playing the Princess of France.' He told the Chronicle he signed up for the program 'because it was out of my comfort zone, and I knew it was going to be just a vital piece of growth and strengthening.' The reason for prisoners to perform Shakespeare, as opposed to any other dramatist, isn't just that Currier's company is dedicated to him. 'Shakespeare gives us questions but not answers,' Currier explained. Among them: 'How do we think we should deal with the kind of violence that shows up in the world? When are we willing to give people a second chance? When are we willing to love people, despite whether or not they've learned how to heal?' She added that while she's met plenty of people who told her that prison saved their lives, 'I've also met plenty of people in prison who I would call rehabilitated and ready to go home who are kept in prison for years and sometimes decades.' Williams, who's served 27 years, told the Chronicle that doing Shakespeare gives him a small taste of freedom. 'The great thing I love about doing Shakespeare in prison is the fact that you get to claim your body,' he said. 'You get to have that ownership of something that you thought you lost.' It's also partly about the freedom to choose. 'Whether I'm playing a king or whether I am playing a servant, I get to choose what I get to be,' he explained. 'Having that choice is the greatest thing.' Often prisoners mask their humanity as a survival mechanism, he went on. With Shakespeare, 'Week after week after week, you get the opportunity to see somebody's mask come off their face.'
Yahoo
04-06-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Court of Appeals rejects lawsuit targeting NM's oil and gas pollution enforcement
Jun. 3—SANTA FE — The state Court of Appeals on Tuesday dismissed a landmark lawsuit that could have halted oil and gas drilling in New Mexico, the nation's second-highest oil producing state. While the ruling is expected to be appealed, it dealt a blow to plaintiffs who claimed the state's failure to enact strict pollution control measures had led to damaging health issues. Those plaintiffs included Native American activists and several environmental groups who filed the lawsuit and lamented its dismissal. "New Mexicans amended our constitution 50 years ago to protect our residents from pollution," said Gail Evans, an attorney at the Center for Biological Diversity. "With this terrible ruling, the court has eviscerated our constitutionally protected rights." She also predicted the Tuesday ruling would lead to more air pollution, more contaminated land and water, and more sickness in New Mexico communities. "We'll continue our fight against the filthy oil and gas industry on behalf of all New Mexicans and will be appealing this decision to the state Supreme Court," Evans added. The lawsuit was filed in state District Court in 2023, with plaintiffs attorneys at the time comparing the effort to a court challenge targeting New Mexico's public education system that led to a landmark 2018 ruling. But a three-judge panel of the Court of Appeals found a constitutional provision declaring the protection of the state's "beautiful and healthful environment" to be of fundamental public interest does not compel certain action by the legislative and executive branches. "By its plain text, the (pollution control clause) contains no enforceable right, guaranteed to any individual or group, to be free from a given amount of pollution," Court of Appeals Judge Miles Hanisee wrote in his ruling. "Nor can it be inferred to create an enforceable right to a beautiful and healthful environment." Missi Currier, the president and CEO of the New Mexico Oil and Gas Association, commended the court's ruling to dismiss the lawsuit. "This decision affirms the importance of maintaining a clear, constitutional separation between policymaking and judicial interpretation," Currier said in a statement. She also said the state's oil and gas industry is committed to responsible development, environmental stewardship and economic opportunity for state residents. "We believe that meaningful progress on climate and energy must come from collaboration, innovation, and respect for the rule of law," Currier added. Oil production has surged in New Mexico in recent years, driving state revenue collections to record-high levels. Oil and gas revenue make up about 35% of the state's $13.6 billion in projected revenue for the coming fiscal year, according to legislative data. Specifically, New Mexico crude oil production more than doubled from March 2020 to March of this year, jumping from 34,873 barrels to 69,958 barrels. But some New Mexicans say that production boom has come at a high cost, citing elevated methane emissions — even after enactment of a new state methane rule in 2021 — and health issues in the Permian Basin and Four Corners region, where much of the oil and natural gas activity is located. Meanwhile, the Court of Appeals' ruling comes less than a year after a state judge in Santa Fe allowed the case to move forward. Attorneys for the state and top state officials, including Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, had previously filed a motion in September 2023 seeking to have the lawsuit dismissed on the grounds of separation of powers.
Yahoo
04-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Court of Appeals rejects lawsuit targeting NM's oil and gas pollution enforcement
Jun. 3—SANTA FE — The state Court of Appeals on Tuesday dismissed a landmark lawsuit that could have halted oil and gas drilling in New Mexico, the nation's second-highest oil producing state. While the ruling is expected to be appealed, it dealt a blow to plaintiffs who claimed the state's failure to enact strict pollution control measures had led to damaging health issues. Those plaintiffs included Native American activists and several environmental groups who filed the lawsuit and lamented its dismissal. "New Mexicans amended our constitution 50 years ago to protect our residents from pollution," said Gail Evans, an attorney at the Center for Biological Diversity. "With this terrible ruling, the court has eviscerated our constitutionally protected rights." She also predicted the Tuesday ruling would lead to more air pollution, more contaminated land and water, and more sickness in New Mexico communities. "We'll continue our fight against the filthy oil and gas industry on behalf of all New Mexicans and will be appealing this decision to the state Supreme Court," Evans added. The lawsuit was filed in state District Court in 2023, with plaintiffs attorneys at the time comparing the effort to a court challenge targeting New Mexico's public education system that led to a landmark 2018 ruling. But a three-judge panel of the Court of Appeals found a constitutional provision declaring the protection of the state's "beautiful and healthful environment" to be of fundamental public interest does not compel certain action by the legislative and executive branches. "By its plain text, the (pollution control clause) contains no enforceable right, guaranteed to any individual or group, to be free from a given amount of pollution," Court of Appeals Judge Miles Hanisee wrote in his ruling. "Nor can it be inferred to create an enforceable right to a beautiful and healthful environment." Missi Currier, the president and CEO of the New Mexico Oil and Gas Association, commended the court's ruling to dismiss the lawsuit. "This decision affirms the importance of maintaining a clear, constitutional separation between policymaking and judicial interpretation," Currier said in a statement. She also said the state's oil and gas industry is committed to responsible development, environmental stewardship and economic opportunity for state residents. "We believe that meaningful progress on climate and energy must come from collaboration, innovation, and respect for the rule of law," Currier added. Oil production has surged in New Mexico in recent years, driving state revenue collections to record-high levels. Oil and gas revenue make up about 35% of the state's $13.6 billion in projected revenue for the coming fiscal year, according to legislative data. Specifically, New Mexico crude oil production more than doubled from March 2020 to March of this year, jumping from 34,873 barrels to 69,958 barrels. But some New Mexicans say that production boom has come at a high cost, citing elevated methane emissions — even after enactment of a new state methane rule in 2021 — and health issues in the Permian Basin and Four Corners region, where much of the oil and natural gas activity is located. Meanwhile, the Court of Appeals' ruling comes less than a year after a state judge in Santa Fe allowed the case to move forward. Attorneys for the state and top state officials, including Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, had previously filed a motion in September 2023 seeking to have the lawsuit dismissed on the grounds of separation of powers.
Los Angeles Times
21-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
Locals slide into summer at Wild River in Irvine
Clouds loomed in the gray sky over Wild Rivers in Irvine on May 17; the waterpark's first day of the season. While the gloomy weather wasn't ideal, the Currier family didn't let the clouds ruin their day. 'I don't really care if it's overcast, it just means there won't be as much people here,' said Troy Currier. Troy and his siblings Kendall, Brock and Jake Currier all visited the park on opening day, excited to ride water slides like Pelican Plunge and Bora Bora Boomerango. 'I am excited to ride Boomerango, if I am tall enough,' Brock hedged about the raft ride that boomerangs riders up and then down a steep wall. Jake, the youngest of the Currier's was visiting for the first time. 'Are the pools heated?' he asked his older siblings with a nervous smile. This is Wild Rivers water park's third summer at the Great Park in Irvine, where it has resided since closing its former location at Irvine Meadows in 2011. The original park opened in 1987 on the former Lion Country Safari grounds. The newly designed park is nearly double the size of the original, sitting on 20 acres and boasting 30 wet and wild rides. Among them are the Shaka Bay Wave pool, Castaway River, one of the longest lazy rivers in California, and five family raft rides that allow groups to ride together. The opening kicked off with Live Island Style Caribbean music at the Wave Pool, with more DJ sets and live entertainment planned for weekends throughout the summer. 'We're so excited to welcome guests back to Wild Rivers for our third full season of thrilling water attractions, family-friendly amenities and top-tier guest service,' said Steve Mayer, general manager of Wild Rivers. 'Wild Rivers offers a fun, safe, clean and exciting destination for families, thrill-seekers and groups looking to make the most of summer.' The lack of sun didn't bring down the excitement of the Wild Rivers staff either as they bustled around the park on opening day. Chaise lounges were readied in the private cabanas. Lifeguards stood at their posts on the landing at Bombay Blasters. At the Mustang Bar & Grill, bartenders rimmed cups with chamoy and Tajin for micheladas. Susan Kruizinga, director of sales and marketing at Wild Rivers, walked the park not long after rope drop, checking in with employees and guests. 'We do get a lot of young adults that come without kids to have a day with cocktails and fun food and to relax in the sun,' said Kruizinga. Lorenzo Poto and Nathan Hallauer came out to the park from the Los Angeles area with friends and made sure to grab cocktails first. 'Our group of friends wanted to come out because that had been last year; I have never been,' said Poto. 'Even though it is a little colder we thought opening day was good time come out here.' 'We are pretty excited to start hitting the rides and that there are no lines today,' said Hallauer. While young adults come to the park to enjoy the thrill rides Wild Rivers is designed for all ages, with two children areas; Cook's Cove and Kontiki Cove. This year the park is also introducing Mermaid Cove, an immersive mermaid makeover that was previewed at the recent 2025 'State of the Great Park' event. A mermaid in a giant clamshell throne will offer braiding, glitter tattoos, shimmer freckles, photo ops and more beginning in June. Kids also make up part of the Wild Rivers team, since it is one Orange County's largest youth employers. On opening day Corbyn Mix, who many might recognize from Wild Rivers social media, filmed a quick video for Instagram. When 14-year-old Mix came in for a job interview with his Mom, he wasn't old enough do any of the other jobs at Wild Rivers, so Kruizinga pulled him on to her marketing team to capture content around the park. 'We like to highlight the rides, give some tours and give some challenges for guests to win free Dippin' Dots or something from the accessory shop,' said Mix. Like many of the employees at Wild Rivers, the water park is Mix's first job. 'We have a team of seven kids, all different ages, and we try to see where they can fit, whether it's YouTube, TikTok, Instagram or Facebook,' said Kruizinga. Many people checking in on opening day are activating season passes, a process Kruizinga said they streamlined this year. 'Last year, your first time here no matter if it was opening day or throughout the season, you had to stand in line to process your pass,' said Kruizinga. 'This year we sent everyone an email with instructions so they could do it from the comfort of their own home.' Those small changes make sure families have a fun and memorable experience at Wild Rivers, no matter the weather. 'Even if the sun isn't out, you're still happy because everybody is super happy you are here,' said Kruizinga. Wild Rivers in located at 1000 Great Park Blvd. in Irvine. General admission starts at $79.99 and junior admission (under 48″ tall) starts at $54.99. Children age 2 and under are admitted free. Private cabanas, discounted tickets and season passes are available at
