The Daily Populous

Thursday May 21st, 2020 night edition

image for Zack Snyder Will Release the ‘Snyder Cut’ of ‘Justice League’ on HBO Max

The mythical, unreleased version of the 2017 superhero film “Justice League” will finally see the light of day on Warner Media’s HBO Max in 2021.

Director Zack Snyder announced the news on a live Q&A Wednesday, following a virtual screening of his Henry Cavill-led Superman film “Man of Steel.”.

Snyder completed the majority of work on “Justice League” in 2016, but stepped away from post-production and editing in light of a family tragedy.

Warner Bros. brought in “The Avengers” helmer Joss Whedon to finish the job, and the varying styles of both men led many fans to believe Snyder had envisioned a much darker take on the project.

Budgeted at a reported $300 million, the film grossed over $650 million worldwide and did not resonate with critics, sitting at 40% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes.

This includes Todd Phillips’ global smash “Joker,” which won Joaquin Phoenix the best actor Oscar and grossed over $1 billion at the global box office.

Ben Affleck has subsequently vacated the batsuit, in favor of Robert Pattinson in an upcoming reboot from director Matt Reeves. »

Kuo: Apple may not include EarPods headphones in iPhone 12 box to boost AirPods sales

Authored by 9to5mac.com

According to the latest report from analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, Apple may not include the wired EarPods headphones in the box of the iPhone 12.

Kuo suggests that Apple may heavily promote or discount the AirPods this holiday season, with no new models of AirPods or AirPods Pro expected until 2021.

With second-gen AirPods being about eighteen months old by the time the iPhone 12 launches, it is possible Apple drops the price further to incentivize add-on sales. »

'We've been muzzled': CDC sources say White House putting politics ahead of science

Authored by edition.cnn.com

In interviews with CNN, CDC officials say their agency's efforts to mount a coordinated response to the Covid-19 pandemic have been hamstrung by a White House whose decisions are driven by politics rather than science.

Sources say the origin of the trust issues between the CDC and White House traces back to the CDC's botched effort to distribute testing in early February, when contamination in the lab led to long delays.

A CDC employee said an overarching concern is that the agency's scientific work is taking a back seat to politics. »

Taxpayers paid for food, a harpist, and goody bags for Pompeo's frequent 500-guest formal dinners

Authored by theweek.com
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Secretary of State Mike Pompeo regularly held taxpayer-funded, 500-guest formal dinners — and President Trump reportedly knew nothing about them.

Until the COVID-19 pandemic hit, Pompeo often invited hundreds of guests to the U.S. State Department for his "Madison Dinners," referring to how former President James Madison often met with foreign diplomats over a meal.

But unlike Madison, Pompeo invited more than just diplomats to his dinners, and sent the bill for food, entertainment, and goody bags to the U.S. government, NBC News reports. »