<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image"></div></div></div><ul class="summary-list"><li>The Trump administration floated unsubstantiated claims about a group of migrants who stormed a US port of entry to defend the use of tear gas on a crowd that included women and children.</li><li>Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen speculated that women and children were a convenient tool for the predominantly male caravan at which US officials launched tear gas. </li><li>Nielsen's claim comes after President Donald Trump said there were "grabbers" among the migrants who picked up random children as they approached the border to better their chances of entering the US. </li><li>The baseless claims are the latest defense from US officials after the clash spurred widespread backlash as reports described women and children running from tear gas. </li></ul>The Trump administration floated unsubstantiated claims about a group of migrants who <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/border-closed-after-groups-of-migrants-stormed-us-border-2018-11" target="_blank" rel="noopener">stormed a US port</a> of entry to defend the use of tear gas on a crowd that included women and children.In a <a href="https://www.facebook.com/179587888720522/posts/2230592780286679/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">lengthy statement</a> released late Monday night, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen echoed President Donald Trump's unverified claim that the women and children seen running and screaming as US authorities launched tear gas across a border wall were being used as "human shields" by migrants.Nielsen said that because the caravan was predominantly male, women and children provided a convenient image for the group."It appears in some cases that the limited number of women and children in the caravan are being used by the organizers as 'human shields' when they confront law enforcement," she wrote on Facebook. "They are being put at risk by the caravan organizers as we saw at the Mexico-Guatemala border. This is putting vulnerable people in harm's way." Business Insider has reached out to DHS and is awaiting a response.The comment is similar to a remark made in October by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo who said the caravan was using <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/the_americas/pompeo-meets-with-mexican-officials-as-a-migrant-caravan-inches-north/2018/10/19/721d0448-d31b-11e8-a4db-184311d27129_story.html?utm_term=.1fefd05003a6" target="_blank" rel="noopener">women and children as shields</a> in a confrontation that resulted in the group forcing its way into Mexico. Read more: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/mom-tear-gas-children-migrants-us-border-2018-11" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mom pictured fleeing with her kids from tear gas at the US border says she never thought Border Patrol would use it on children</a>Nielsen also dismissed the events of the clash as "rumors" and "misinformation," despite<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/border-closed-after-groups-of-migrants-stormed-us-border-2018-11" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> widespread reports, photo, and video</a> from the scene. Rodney Scott, chief of San Diego Border Patrol, also depicted the caravan as a largely male group, announcing that of the 42 people agents arrested after they crossed the border, eight were women. Scott added there were "only a few" children involved.Nielsen's unverified speculation came soon <a href="https://www.apnews.com/b084172b06b64badbded4d0061a1edbc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">after Trump said</a> that he heard some migrants grabbed random children as they approached the border to increase their chances to enter the US."In some cases, you know, they're not the parents," Trump said at a roundtable event in Biloxi, Mississippi. "These are people, they call 'em 'grabbers,' they grab the child because they think they're gonna have a certain status by having a child. You know you have certain advantages and things with our crazy laws that frankly Congress should be changing."When asked for evidence and further explanation, Trump repeated that there were "grabbers."Read more: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/tear-gas-against-migrants-at-mexico-border-backlash-2018-11" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Backlash erupts after the Trump administration fires tear gas at migrants in clash at the US-Mexico border</a>Before the demonstration, more than 5,600 migrants were being held in Tijuana's Benito Juarez Sports Complex, Mexico's Social Development Secretariat <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2018/11/26/politics/trump-grabbers-southern-border-migrants/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told CNN</a>. Of those, an official estimated there were 3,598 men, 1,041 women, and 993 children.Reports of mothers and young children with burning eyes running from the tear gas launched by US authorities <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/tear-gas-against-migrants-at-mexico-border-backlash-2018-11" target="_blank" rel="noopener">sparked immediate reactions</a> from civil rights organizations and across social media.The confrontation came after a <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/migrant-caravan" target="_blank" rel="noopener">migrant caravan</a> group estimated to be in the hundreds stormed the busiest port of entry along the Mexico border Sunday in a planned demonstration.Chaos broke out as migrants got close to the border agents in riot gear and <a href="https://www.apnews.com/72efa4f1822241c2817a2fb6aa191fb4" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reportedly</a> attempted to break through barbed wire and metal sheeting.Children screamed and coughed as clouds of gas spread out across hundreds of yards, <a href="https://www.apnews.com/72efa4f1822241c2817a2fb6aa191fb4" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the Associated Press reported</a>."We ran, but when you run the smoke asphyxiates you more," Ana Zuniga, a 23-year-old woman from Honduras, told the AP while holding her 3-year-old daughter.The hits against the caravan are the latest in the Trump administration's anti-immigrant rhetoric, which boiled over earlier this year as Nielsen lead the charge on a <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/zero-tolerance" target="_blank" rel="noopener">zero-tolerance</a> immigration policy that resulted in <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/family-reunification-heartbreaking-video-2018-8" target="_blank" rel="noopener">thousands of migrant children</a> being separated from their parents. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/kirstjen-nielsen-fired-soon-by-trump-report-2018-11" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Multiple recent reports</a> have suggested that <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/trump-is-preparing-to-remove-kirstjen-nielsen-as-homeland-security-secretary-aides-say/2018/11/12/77111496-e6b0-11e8-bbdb-72fdbf9d4fed_story.html?utm_term=.d57dafeef7b6" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Nielsen</a> is next on the list to be fired from the administration, which Trump <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-says-he-is-considering-cabinet-changes-in-a-fox-news-interview-2018-11" target="_blank" rel="noopener">advanced earlier this month</a> when he admitted he was considering changes to "three or four or five positions" in his Cabinet. Trump insisted that he likes and respects Nielsen, but wished she handled the relationship between the US and Mexico differently, which has been identified as a point of tension between the two."I like her very much I respect her very much," Trump said. "I'd like her to be much tougher on the border. Much tougher. Period."

Trump administration floats claims that tear-gassed women and children were 'human shields'

<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image">Hollis Johnson/Business InsiderChick-fil-A is facing backlash again.</div></div></div><ul class="summary-list"><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/chick-fil-a">Chick-fil-A</a> is facing backlash for its history of donations to anti-LGBTQ organizations as it <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/chick-fil-a-international-opening-first-location-in-the-uk-2019-10">expands into the UK.</a> </li><li>Viral posts on social media have condemned Chick-fil-A for the donations, specifically those given to the National Christian Foundation (NCF), a major Christian nonprofit. </li><li>The NCF has donated to conservative religious organizations and charities, including some designated as hate groups with ties to people pushing anti-LGBTQ legislation in Uganda and other countries. </li><li>Chick-fil-A has not <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/chick-fil-a-explains-donations-groups-considered-anti-gay-2019-5">donated</a> to the NCF since 2012, following backlash when CEO Dan Cathy spoke out against same-sex marriage. </li><li>The WinShape Foundation, a nonprofit backed by the Cathy family that is mostly funded by donations from Chick-fil-A, no longer donates to the NCF. The NCF donated $65,120 to WinShape in 2017. </li><li>Dan Cathy and his wife seem to continue to support the NCF, donating $5,750 to an affiliated nonprofit in 2017. </li><li><a href="http://newsletter.businessinsider.com/join/4np/drivethru">Sign up for Business Insider's retail newsletter, The Drive-Thru, to get more stories like this in your inbox. </a></li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/?hprecirc-bullet">Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories</a>.</li></ul>Chick-fil-A is facing backlash in the aftermath of opening its first location in the UK, as the chain's relationship to a major Christian charity is under scrutiny. Last week, Chick-fil-A opened its first permanent location in the UK, in the town of Reading in Berkshire, England. Read more: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/chick-fil-a-international-opening-first-location-in-the-uk-2019-10">Chick-fil-A is ramping up its international expansion, opening its first location in the UK</a>Now, the chain is facing backlash from potential customers. A <a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/2951433151553379/?active_tab=about">protest</a> is being organized for this Saturday in Reading, with the goal of enlightening "potential patrons to the Chick-fil-A chain and their anti LGBT+ stance." The Facebook invitation to the protest draws connections between Chick-fil-A and anti-LGBTQ legislation in Uganda, including the "Kill the Gays" bill that would impose the death penalty for homosexuality. "The UK is a progressive country with no place for backward practising organisations that support charities including a charity that sent a preacher to Uganda to assist in the 'kill the gays' law," the post reads. The connection between Chick-fil-A and the "Kill the Gays" bill is <a href="https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/uganda-murder-gay-chick-fil-a/">less direct</a> than some recent viral social media posts have portrayed. The apparent link is the National Christian Foundation (NCF), one of the largest Christian charities in the US. NCF's millions of dollars in charitable giving includes gifts to many Christian organizations, including some <a href="https://twocare.org/the-national-christian-foundation-anti-lgbt-funding-encyclopedia/#exodus">designated as hate groups</a> due to their anti-LGBTQ sentiment and work. For example, in 2016, NCF donated $105,300 to the American Family Association's radio network. The American Family Association has been classified as a hate group by <a href="https://www.splcenter.org/fighting-hate/extremist-files/group/american-family-association">the Southern Poverty Law Center;</a> the organization frequently speaks out against the so-called "homosexual agenda," highlighting things <a href="https://www.afa.net/activism/action-alerts/2019/walmarts-homosexual-agenda-take-our-survey/">such as a Walmart commercial that includes a same-sex couple.</a>NCF has worked with <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2012/04/mission-from-god-the-upstart-christian-sect-driving-invisible-children-and-changing-africa/255626/">socially conservative, Christian organizations in Uganda</a>. Some of these organizations have connections with people such as pastor Scott Lively, <a href="https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2014/03/scott-lively-anti-gay-law-uganda/">who Mother Jones reports</a> helped push for anti-LGBTQ legislation in Uganda. NCF did not immediately respond to Business Insider's request for comment on this story. <h2>Breaking down Chick-fil-A's donations </h2><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image">Tom Pennington/Getty Images</div></div></div>Prior to 2012, Chick-fil-A made significant donations to right-wing groups with a history of anti-LGBTQ work through the WinShape Foundation. For example, in 2010, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/heres-how-much-money-chick-fil-a-gives-to-anti-gay-groups-2012-7?r=US&amp;IR=T">Chick-fil-A donated $247,500 to the NCF through WinShape</a>. Chick-fil-A stopped making donations to almost all controversial groups after facing backlash in 2012, when CEO Dan Cathy said he did not support same-sex marriage. The most controversial donations made directly by Chick-fil-A and the Chick-fil-A Foundation in 2017 - the last year the foundation's filings are available - were to the Salvation Army and the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. This money funds sports camps and a holiday gift-giving program with the Salvation Army. "The calling for us is to ensure that we are relevant and impactful in the community, and that we're helping children and that we're helping them to be everything that they can be," <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/chick-fil-a-explains-donations-groups-considered-anti-gay-2019-5">Rodney Bullard, the head of the Chick-fil-A Foundation, told Business Insider earlier this year.</a>"For us, that's a much higher calling than any political or cultural war that's being waged," Bullard continued. "This is really about an authentic problem that is on the ground, that is present and ever present in the lives of many children who can't help themselves." Read more: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/chick-fil-a-explains-donations-groups-considered-anti-gay-2019-5">For Chick-fil-A, impact trumps 'any political or cultural war' when it comes to controversial donations</a>Chick-fil-A declined to comment on this story. The company has emphasized in the past that it does not discriminate based on sexual orientation or gender identity. After 2012, the Chick-fil-A Foundation became Chick-fil-A's official philanthropic arm. Chick-fil-A also continues to donate to the WinShape Foundation, contributing more than $21 million in 2017.WinShape no longer makes charitable donations, instead hosting camps, foster care, and marriage and team-building retreats. WinShape does not <a href="https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/581595471/201833179349100228/IRS990PF">appear</a> to have donated to the NCF - or to any other charities - in 2017. Instead, the NCF <a href="https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/581595471/201833179349100228/IRS990ScheduleB">donated</a> $65,120 to WinShape. Dan Cathy and Chick-fil-A's executive vice president Don Cathy have continued to donate to the National Christian Charitable Foundation, an affiliated nonprofit that operates hand-in-hand with the NCF, according to public records viewed by Business Insider. <a href="https://www.guidestar.org/profile/27-1302520">The Don and Cindy Cathy Foundation</a> and the <a href="https://www.guidestar.org/profile/26-0142546">Dan and Rhonda Cathy Foundation</a> both donated $5,750 to the NCCF in 2017, 2016, and 2015, according to 990 tax filings. <div class="margin-top"> <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/why-oysters-are-so-expensive-scotland-loch-fyne-farming-2019-9">How oysters went from cheap snack to luxury dish and why they're so expensive now</a></h3> <div> </div> </div>

Chick-fil-A's ties to a controversial Christian charity are going viral as the chain expands into the UK. Here's the breakdown of what happened.

A guide to the most important primary elections of the 2022 midterms, which will test Trump's influence over the GOP

AP Photo/J. Scott ApplewhiteHouse Speaker Paul Ryan of Wis. discusses the Republican agenda as he faces reporters during a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, March 30, 2017.The immediate politics of the latest <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/freedom-caucus-ahca-trumpcare-obamacare-repeal-2017-4" target="_blank">iteration of the Republican healthcare bill</a> make sense for some Republicans, particularly members of the House Freedom Caucus who would like to not be blamed anymore for the bill's demise.But this new proposal is ugly for moderates, both substantively and politically, and they are likely to pay a political price if they support it.There is nothing in this revision for those Republicans who opposed the AHCA. It would throw too many people off health insurance, disrupt healthcare markets too much, and expose people to too much risk if they get sick. In fact, this bill would be worse on the dimensions those members worried about before.The latest proposal would allow states to waive out of Obamacare rules that require health insurance to cover core benefits like prescription drugs and hospitalization, and out of rules that prohibit insurers from charging you more if you have a preexisting condition.That is, under this plan, insurers could sell plans that don't cover pregnancy, or don't even cover doctor's visits. It would ensure that everyone has "access to coverage" only in the sense that insurers would have to offer to sell a plan to anyone. They could set the premium at $10 million for people with preexisting conditions, and that offer of insurance at $10 million would constitute "access to coverage." Last month, many members on the moderate end of the Republican House conference made on-the-record statements about why they opposed the AHCA that would seem to box them into opposing this version, too.Rep. Ileana Ros Lehtinen of Florida said "too many of my constituents will lose insurance and there will be less funds to help the poor and elderly with their healthcare" if the AHCA were passed. This amendment does nothing to address those concerns.Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen of New Jersey objected because of the bill's "denial of essential health benefits in the individual market," as well as its cuts to Medicaid. Those issues remain substantially the same in the new bill.Rep. Barbara Comstock of Virginia said she opposed the bill because of "uncertainties" it would create, but she said <a href="https://comstock.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/comstock-statement-ahca">at least it required insurance to cover preexisting conditions</a> - a proviso that would no longer hold with the new version.And Rep. David Young of Iowa <a href="http://www.bleedingheartland.com/2017/04/25/30-minutes-with-david-young/">said he doesn't</a> "think people should be discriminated on" preexisting conditions. This bill would allow insurers to do so.If they vote for this new version, these members and many others will be subject to attack based on their own past statements - that they said the healthcare bill was unacceptable, and then they voted for it after it was made even more unacceptable.That's not to say they can't change their minds. But I wouldn't assume they will.Many of these "moderate" defections were unexpected the first time around, and came from members who aren't even that moderate - including Frelinghuysen, who chairs the House Appropriations Committee and is close to leadership.Frelinghuysen represents an affluent, highly educated suburban district, centered on Morris County, New Jersey, which has been Republican approximately forever but has trended toward Democrats in recent years. His choice to oppose the prior iteration of the AHCA was a signal that he, like many members, viewed a vote for the bill as a threat to his political survival.There's little reason to expect this new version, which adds the evisceration of protections for people with preexisting conditions, would be less of a threat.They should be afraid. The story will be that the bill was changed to placate extremists who want to hang sick people out to dry, and that these members went along with it. <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/united-airlines-plane-video-incident-twitter-reactions-2017-4">People on Twitter are roasting United Airlines after a passenger was forcibly dragged off a plane</a></h3> Please enable Javascript to watch this video

If moderate Republicans flip on the health bill, they will regret it

WHIP COUNT: Here's which members of the House voted for and against impeaching Trump

AP(L-R) Benny and Josh Safdie.<ul class="summary-list"><li>"Uncut Gems" directors Josh and Benny Safdie talked to Business Insider about making their new movie.</li><li>The directors explained why attempts to make the movie with Sacha Baron Cohen and Jonah Hill didn't work out, leading to Adam Sandler finally taking the role.</li><li>Sandler also showed up at the end of the interview to talk to the Safdies about playing some basketball after the interview.</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/?hprecirc-bullet">Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories</a>. </li></ul>Directors Josh and Benny Safdie can only explain pulling off making "Uncut Gems" with one word: "Fate."The brothers, who for the last decade have found acclaim by telling unforgiving stories, often with non-actors and a gritty New York City backdrop, have also in that time wanted to make a movie with one of the biggest actors in the world.That movie is finally here, titled "Uncut Gems," with Adam Sandler playing the lead role of jeweler-to-the-stars Howard Ratner. The film is set in New York City's Diamond District, and follows Ratner, a degenerate gambler, as he tries to navigate an anxiety-filled couple of days trying to hold off bookies (one of which is played by sports radio great Mike Francesa), juggle his wife (played by Idina Menzel) and girlfriend, and even hook an NBA star (played by Kevin Garnett) long enough to sell off a rare Ethiopian opal that he expects to clear all his debts.But at first, it seemed like an impossible dream to get Sandler. When they first began thinking seriously about this project, the brothers' filmography only included low-budget dramas like 2009's "Daddy Longlegs," 2014's "Heaven Knows What," and a documentary in 2013 on high-school-basketball-phenom-gone-bust <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lenny_Cooke">Lenny Cooke.</a> Things improved when the Safdies' profile raised substantially thanks to Robert Pattinson. The actor sought out the Safdies after seeing "Heaven Known What," which led to them making the acclaimed 2017 movie "Good Time," in which Pattinson plays a small-time bank robber.Suddenly, making "Uncut Gems" didn't look that too far fetched - though getting Sandler for it was still a pipe dream.But after stints when Sacha Baron Cohen and Jonah Hill were attached to play Ratner, plus the addition of Martin Scorsese as executive producer and Scott Rudin as producer, Sandler finally became interested. Getting Sandler on board led to "Uncut Gems" (opening in select theaters Friday and nationwide Christmas day) not just being one of the best movies of the year, but one with Oscar potential for the actor.Business Insider sat down with the Safdies in New York City to talk about the journey to get "Uncut Gems" to the screen, including why Cohen and Hill exited the project opening the door for Sandler (<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/sacha-baron-cohen-and-jonah-hill-almost-in-uncut-gems-2019-12">read the entire story on how that went down at Business Insider Prime</a>). And then the Sandman himself showed up unannounced itching to play some basketball with the brothers.This interview has been edited for length and clarity.Jason Guerrasio: Outside of this being a decade-long labor of love for you guys, I have to say I left the movie feeling this is a love letter to <a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001206/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0">Abel Ferrara</a>. Josh Safdie: [Laughs.]Benny Safdie: There's some "Bad Lieutenant" in there.Josh: You want to know something, Mike Francesa partially was really excited to do the movie because "Mad Dog" (Russo, Francesa's long-time radio partner) was in "Bad Lieutenant."Guerrasio: All these years he still has a chip on his shoulder about that?Josh: Yes!Benny: He wouldn't say it and finally we told him we wanted him in the movie and he said, "I'm in! I'm going to be on camera." [Laughs.]Josh: But I'm so happy for Abel, he's sober now and has a family, I'm happy for him. He was in "Daddy Longlegs" and it wasn't good. Drugs are f---ed up.Guerrasio: But you guys and Abel see New York City a different way than others, even Scorsese.Benny: I agree.Josh: I was at a Q&amp;A he did for his version of "Invasion of the Body Snatchers" and he said it was hard getting the movie made and he couldn't handle it anymore so he went and made "Bad Lieutenant" for a few million bucks. He was frustrated to get this huge movie off the ground. And I was at that Q&amp;A year three into "Gems." We had committed to "Heaven Knows What" which led to "Good Time," so I learned from him it's this idea of constantly creating and using movies to express yourself and using characters as a vessel.Guerrasio: So before Sandler you had Sacha Baron Cohen attached to play Howard, then you had Jonah Hill. What happened?Josh: We went to Sandler in 2012 and he passed. Hard pass. [Laughs.] It was such a shot in the dark. Then we aged the character up so it was more similar to who our dad worked for in the Diamond District. And that was Harvey Keitel for a little bit. But the character was too old, no offense to Harvey. Then we made "Lenny Cooke" and "Heaven Knows What," and we researched the Diamond District more. We really wanted the character to be Jewish so we went down the line a while with Sacha Baron Cohen. For about a year.Benny: We did table reads.Josh: Yeah. Doing meetings. He watched "Heaven Knowns What," and he loves realism so he was into it but it wasn't his cup of tea. Then Scorsese attached himself and that elevated the profile of the movie in a big way. And that attracted Jonah.He had just finished shooting "War Dogs" at the time and we thought it would be so cool to work with someone who is one of our peers. We told him that Sacha wasn't committing and he said, "I'll do it. I want to do this." So we went down that road but we could never figure out how to age the character down. We didn't want to take away the patriarchal quality of it. We didn't want to lose the teenage children.Benny: That was important.Josh: So fate happened. Jonah got really wrapped up in his own film ["Mid90s"] and then he went and did "Maniac," so he became unavailable. It was a sign because we finished "Good Time" and we went to Cannes with it and Sandler was there. We made one last run at him and that's who we wanted from the beginning.A24Robert Pattinson in "Good Time."Guerrasio: With any talent there's always a bend that happens where things are adjusted for the star.Josh: Always.Guerrasio: How much of a bend was there from the page to the Howard we see Sandler play?Benny: He had seen "Good Time" and his impression from "Good Time" was, "These guys are intense and they are going to hold me to it no matter what." And that's so not the way we work. He just wanted to make Howard more aware of everyone around him. Howard does things that are wrong but he's aware they are wrong. And that's a very big distinction.Josh: I told him the inspiration for this movie is someone like Rodney Dangerfield. A guy who is on all the time like in "Easy Money." And that really connected with him. He found funny moments in the script but when he got involved we infused it with more comedy and it became the backbone. Sandler brought sincerity to this hard edge character. This movie without Adam in it might be too hard. It might not function the same way.Guerrasio: I would think part of the trick with this movie is, yes, Howard is doing messed up things, but by the end you have to root for him.Benny: Exactly. And people will say to us, "I hated that guy, I was going to the screen, 'Don't do that, what are you doing?'" Well, if you are telling him not to do something you are feeling something. If you really hated him you would say, "Go ahead, dig your own grave." You don't feel that way with Howard because Sandler brings something where you want him to get out of his situation.A24Adam Sandler in "Uncut Gems."Guerrasio: I have to talk about Kevin Garnett, he's a scene stealer. Is it true you had Amar'e Stoudemire first in the role?Josh: It was Amar'e first and then it was Joel Embiid. Up until four months before production it was Joel.Guerrasio: Really?Josh: But then we had our schedule pushed into the season and then he couldn't do it.Guerrasio: That would have been interesting to see him in it.Josh: He's from Cameroon, so the African element, we wrote that in. But again, everything happens for a reason. As much as I love Joel, I don't think he could have done what KG did.Benny: Scott [Rudin] said to us, "How do you know he can act?" And we pulled together all of Kevin's sideline interviews and showed them to him -[Adam Sandler enters the room]Sandler: Hi. How are you doing?Josh: What's up, man!Sandler: What's up boys. [They all hug.]Josh: What are you doing right now?Sandler: I wanted to see if you want to hoop when you're done.Guerrasio: Please tell me you're inviting Garnett.Sandler: I wish. Wouldn't that be the best?Guerrasio: Could you ever get him to play with you guys during filming?Sandler: He shot a little bit on the set when we had that hoop, right?Josh: Yeah.Benny: He would talk trash to the other people trying to shoot and made them miss.Sandler: We didn't get to hoop with him, but he just gave me another tip!Josh: Really?Sandler: The second tip. The first tip he gave me I use it all the time now.Josh: You didn't even tell me the tip yet.Sandler: I can't tell you. I'm going to try it on you today! Can you get there in an hour?Josh: Hour and a half.Benny: I can get there then.Josh: Why can't we meet at five?Sandler: Because the f---ing place gets packed. There are going to be people there like, "What?" Well, I'm sorry to interrupt. I'll see your a--es up there! <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/why-is-it-called-black-friday-2017-11">The true story behind the name 'Black Friday' is much darker than you may have thought</a></h3>

The 'Uncut Gems' directors detailed their decade-long quest to get Adam Sandler in the movie. Then Sandler crashed our interview wanting to play basketball.

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<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image">Walmart</div></div></div><ul><li>Executives at various companies are confirming that there's pressure to raise wages. </li><li>Wage growth has been sluggish since the recession, but is finally on the rise.</li></ul>There's no two ways about it: Corporate America is under pressure to pay workers more. That's the impression that several executives gave during quarterly conference calls with analysts about their earnings. The talk about higher wages came even before President Donald Trump signed the <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/category/tax-cuts-and-jobs-act">Tax Cuts and Jobs Act</a>, which put more in the pockets of <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/trump-tax-plan-senate-take-home-pay-changes-every-income-level-2017-12">service workers across industries, from cashiers to cooks</a>.According to executives, pressure to raise wages came from all sides. Several states raised their minimum wages, necessitating action. In other instances, tight labor markets made it more expensive to hire skilled workers and retain the best talent.This means that nine years after the financial crisis, the lowest-paid workers may finally start to see their paychecks increase. And the official data backs up these anecdotes: Wages have been <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/us-jobs-report-preview-july-2017-2017-8">rising faster</a> for lower-paid workers. And in January, <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/us-jobs-report-january-2018-2">average hourly earnings</a> rose year-on-year at the fastest pace since 2009. The comments from executives also illustrate why wage growth has recently taken on more importance for Wall Street and policymakers in Washington. As people earn more and their demand for goods and services increases, they could drive an increase in inflation. Like wage growth, a pickup in inflation has eluded the US economy since the recession, and it has fallen shy of the Federal Reserve's 2% target.Should inflation accelerate, the Fed may raise interest rates to prevent the economy from overheating. The risk here is that a policy misstep could end up hurting the economy. Here's just a sampling of what some companies said during fourth-quarter earnings calls (transcripts are via <a href="https://seekingalpha.com/">Seeking Alpha</a>): <a href="http://markets.businessinsider.com/stocks/wmt-stock">Walmart</a> CFO Brett Biggs: "We made investment in wages."<a href="http://markets.businessinsider.com/stocks/kr-stock">Kroger</a> CEO Rodney McMullen: "Over time, as jobs became very plentiful, that starting wage became more important. So, we've meaningfully increased starting wages across the company ..."<a href="http://markets.businessinsider.com/stocks/anf-stock">Abercrombie &amp; Fitch</a> CFO Scott Lipesky: "On the expense side for wage pressure, we have seen pressure in wages across our fleet and in our distribution centers. So we have these wage pressures baked into our 2018 outlook. This has kind of a multiyear trend ..."<a href="http://markets.businessinsider.com/stocks/burl-stock">Burlington Stores</a> CEO Thomas Kingsbury: "We are pleased to announce the following CapEx and incremental OpEx investments in 2018 to drive sales growth, improve our infrastructure, and give back to our associates ... Number two, incremental hourly wages of $30 million on top of three prior years of similar increases."<a href="http://markets.businessinsider.com/stocks/dltr-stock">Dollar Tree</a> CFO Kevin Wampler: "We expect continued pressure on store payroll based on states increasing minimum wages and general average hourly rate increases." <a href="http://markets.businessinsider.com/stocks/tgt-stock">Target</a> CFO Cathy Smith: "In 2018 we expect that our EPS from our core business will stabilize. This reflects several profit headwinds, including accelerated depreciation resulting from our remodel program, continued cost pressure from the rapid rollout of our new fulfillment options, ongoing wage investments in the face of a tight labor market across the country and the impact of last year's price and value investments, which will annualize throughout 2018."<a href="http://markets.businessinsider.com/stocks/rost-stock">Ross Stores</a> CEO Barbara Rentler: "As noted in today's release, we plan to make competitive wage and benefit related investments. These include raising our minimum wage to $11 an hour, providing one-time bonuses for eligible hourly in-store associates and improving our paid leave programs."<a href="http://markets.businessinsider.com/stocks/boja-stock">Bojangles</a> CFO John Jordan: "Company-operated restaurant labor cost as percentage of company-operated restaurant revenues increased to 29.1% in the fourth fiscal quarter of 2017 from 27.1% in the same period last year. We delevered on the declining comparable restaurant sales but also incurred higher direct labor cost and medical cost, partially offset by lower incentive compensation. We expect our restaurant labor cost will continue to increase due to the tight labor market which results in higher wage inflation and employee turnover."<a href="http://markets.businessinsider.com/stocks/dfrg-stock">Del Frisco's</a> CFO Neil Thomson: "We are expecting on the labor cost line around about 6% to 7% labor inflation because of the location of our restaurants and we expect that to more than offset by the HotSchedules implementation as you've seen in the Q4 results that's already getting traction."<a href="http://markets.businessinsider.com/stocks/fl-stock">Foot Locker</a> CEO Richard Johnson: "We will be making additional multimillion dollar investments in our compensation plans in 2018, especially for our system store managers, recognizing how important these associates are in connecting with our customers and enhancing their experiences within our banners. And we will continue to make investments in our talents in the years ahead."<a href="http://markets.businessinsider.com/stocks/jcp-stock">JCPenney</a> Executive Vice President of Stores Joe McFarland: "We monitor very closely every individual market, the most competitive markets that we're in and through the task reduction, through these simplification efforts, we feel very confident in our ability to take and reinvest in the wage in our growth areas."<a href="http://markets.businessinsider.com/stocks/bid-stock">Sotheby's</a> CFO Michael Goss: "Our adjusted expenses were higher than last year by 14%, driven primarily by two factors. One, higher incentive compensation after significant reductions in incentive compensation were made in 2016." <div class="margin-top"> <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/goldman-sachs-outlook-for-bitcoin-and-ethereum-2018-2"> Goldman Sachs investment chief: Bitcoin is definitely a bubble, Ethereum even more so </a></h3> <div> </div> </div>

Companies across America are confirming they're under intense pressure to pay workers more

<div class="image-container" style="width:800px"><div class="image">REUTERS/Joe Burbank/Poo</div></div>SANFORD, Fla. (AP) — Despite a clamoring by some for a conviction against <keyword id="982829" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="George-Zimmerman">George Zimmerman</keyword>, jurors acquitted the former neighborhood watch leader of all charges, leaving many Americans to wonder how the justice system allowed him to walk away from the fatal shooting of <keyword id="982826" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Trayvon-Martin">Trayvon Martin</keyword>.
Part of the answer is found in the 27-page jury instructions on two matters: justifiable use of deadly force and reasonable doubt. Jurors were told Zimmerman was allowed to use deadly force when he shot Martin not only if he faced actually faced death or bodily harm, but also if he merely thought he did.
Reasonable doubt can come from conflicting evidence and testimony, which jurors heard plenty of over nearly three weeks.
Some Martin family supporters may never understand the gap between the legal basis for the jury's acquittal and what they perceived as the proper outcome: Zimmerman's conviction for either second-degree murder or manslaughter.
"There is a difference between the law and what people think is fundamentally justice," said Barbara Arnwine, president and executive director of the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, a Washington-based civil rights group.
Under Florida law, jurors were told to judge whether Zimmerman was justified in using deadly force by the circumstances he was under when he fired his gun. The instructions they were given said they should take into account the physical capabilities of both Zimmerman, 29, and Martin, 17. And if they had any reasonable doubt on whether Zimmerman was justified in using deadly force, they should find him not guilty.
"Beyond a reasonable doubt" is the highest standard of proof prosecutors face in American criminal courts. It means the jurors believe there is no other logical explanation for what happened than the defendant is guilty. If faced with two plausible explanations for what happened, jurors are supposed to acquit.
"The danger facing George Zimmerman need not have been actual; however, to justify the use of deadly force, the appearance must have been so real that a reasonably cautious and prudent person ... would have believed the danger could be avoided only through the use of that force," the instruction read.
Jurors refused to talk to reporters after the verdict about how they reached their decision Saturday night. Their names are being kept secret until Judge Debra Nelson lifts an order protecting their identities.
After the verdict, Jacksonville State Attorney Angela Corey said the use of deadly force is often one of the toughest areas of the law for prosecutors. Gov. Rick Scott appointed her office to the case a few weeks after the shooting when local prosecutors didn't press charges.
She said that when a victim shoots a robber or rapist, the use of deadly force is clearly justifiable. In cases such as Zimmerman's, the lines get blurry.
"That's why this case was unique, in a sense, and that's why this case was difficult," she said.
Even defense attorneys, who use the law to their advantage, say the instruction for the justifiable use of deadly force can be confusing to jurors since there are so many elements to it. It's one of the longest instructions given jurors.
"The more complex the instruction, the more it benefits the defense," said Blaine McChesney, an Orlando defense attorney and former prosecutor with no connection to the Zimmerman case. "It's a very convoluted instruction, but it's the best they have."
Jurors were also told that reasonable doubt about Zimmerman's guilt could come from conflicting evidence or the lack of evidence.
Over three weeks of testimony, they received mounds of conflicting evidence and testimony of what happened on that rainy February 2012 night after Zimmerman spotted Martin walking in his townhouse complex after the teen bought Skittles candy and iced tea from a nearby 7-Eleven. He didn't recognize Martin, who lived in the Miami area and was visiting the home of his father's fiancee. The neighborhood had experienced burglaries and some people had reported the suspects seen fleeing were young black males, like Martin.
After calling police dispatchers, Zimmerman got out of his vehicle and followed Martin. He says Martin attacked him. Prosecutors disputed that. The evidence was unclear.
None of Zimmerman's neighbors saw or heard the entire fight, and eyewitnesses gave differing accounts of whether Zimmerman or Martin was on top. Martin's parents testified it was their son screaming for help on 911 calls made by Zimmerman's neighbors. Zimmerman's parents testified that no, it was their son. The fight ended seconds after the screams when Zimmerman fired one shot from his handgun into Martin's heart.
Zimmerman identifies as Hispanic. His mother is from Peru and his father is white. After the verdict, civil rights leader Al Sharpton asked the U.S. Justice Department to bring charges against Zimmerman for civil rights violations as it did against the Los Angeles police officers in the Rodney King police beating case two decades ago.
NAACP President Benjamin Todd Jealous concurred and started a petition calling for federal charges.
"The most fundamental of civil rights — the right to life — was violated the night George Zimmerman stalked and then took the life of Trayvon Martin," Jealous wrote in the petition, posted on the website MoveOn.org and addressed to Attorney General Eric Holder.
Holder may address the matter when he talks to NAACP members Tuesday at their national convention in Orlando.
But federal law probably doesn't apply, said David Weinstein, a former federal prosecutor in Miami. Unlike the police officers in the King case, Zimmerman wasn't acting "under color of law."
There also is little basis to charge Zimmerman with a federal hate crime, Weinstein said, since prosecutors would have to show that he shot and killed Martin primarily because of the teen's race. Nothing in the state trial suggested it was a racially motivated crime, he said.
"Under the law, there is no basis for them to file any charges," Weinstein said about the Department of Justice.
Under public pressure, he added, the Justice Department may send lawyers to Florida to investigate the case so they can write a report that says "there was nothing there."
"That may satisfy people," Weinstein said.
___
Follow Mike Schneider on Twitter at <a href="http://twitter.com/MikeSchneiderAP">http://twitter.com/MikeSchneiderAP</a> .
Copyright (2013) <keyword id="176712" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Associated-Press">Associated Press</keyword>. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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