Ex-CEO Howard Schultz Says Starbucks Needs to Refocus on Coffee as Sales Struggle

Former Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz says the company’s leaders should spend more time in stores and focus on coffee drinks as they work to turn around flagging sales.

In a LinkedIn post published over the weekend, Schultz said many people had reached out to him after Starbucks reported weaker-than-expected quarterly sales and earnings last week.

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The Seattle coffee giant said revenue dropped 2% in the January-March period as store traffic slowed around the world. It was the first time since 2020 that the company saw a drop in quarterly revenue. Starbucks also lowered its sales and earnings guidance for its full fiscal year.

Schultz, who bought Starbucks in 1987, is credited with growing the company into the global behemoth it has become with nearly 39,000 stores worldwide. He has been the chairman emeritus of the company since last fall, when he stepped down from Starbucks’ board.

Schultz remains Starbucks’ largest individual shareholder, holding shares that were valued at $1.5 billion at the end of last year.

In his post, Schultz said senior leaders – including board members – need to spend more time talking to baristas in the company’s stores.

“I have emphasized that the company’s fix needs to begin at home: U.S. operations are the primary reason for the company’s fall from grace,” he said. “The stores require a maniacal focus on the customer experience, through the eyes of a merchant. The answer does not lie in data, but in the stores.”

Laxman Narasimhan, who became Starbucks’ CEO last spring, has been working a half-day shift in Starbucks stores once a month.

At some points in his post, Schultz seemed to be questioning Narasimhan’s turnaround plans. In a conference call with investors last week, Narasimhan mentioned several new products he thinks will drive customers to stores later this year, including boba drinks, sugar-free options and the brand’s first energy beverage.

But Schultz said coffee is what differentiates Starbucks and reinforce the company’s premium positioning.

“The go-to-market strategy needs to be overhauled and elevated with coffee-forward innovation,” he said.

Narasimhan did announce plans for coffee pop-up stores in the U.S. and elsewhere last month. Starbucks plans to use the stores to experiment with limited-edition coffee drinks, teach younger customers about coffee and learn about customers’ preferences.

Schultz also said the company should update its mobile ordering and payment platform to “once again make it the uplifting experience it was designed to be.” He didn’t specify the changes he thinks should be made. Narasimhan said last fall that Starbucks is accelerating the introduction of new digital features and trying to personalize the customer experience within its app.

“We always appreciate Howard’s perspective. The challenges and opportunities he highlights are the ones we are focused on. And like Howard, we are confident in Starbucks long-term success,” Starbucks said Monday in a statement.

Schultz has a history of stepping in when he see Starbucks struggling. He retired as CEO in 2000 and became the company’s chairman, then returned as CEO in 2008 when the company was dealing with the recession.

Schultz stepped down again in 2017 but returned to lead the company on a temporary basis in 2022. In 2023, he named Narasimhan, a former PepsiCo executive, as CEO. Schultz left Starbucks’ board last fall and became chairman emeritus.

Starbucks shares were flat Monday. The company’s stock price has fallen more than 20% since the start of this year.

source https://time.com/6975167/ex-ceo-howard-schultz-says-starbucks-needs-to-refocus-on-coffee-as-sales-struggle/

How to Advocate for Yourself at Doctor’s Visits, According to Doctors

With a limited amount of allotted time and a pressing health matter to discuss, a trip to the doctor’s office can sometimes feel like a high-stakes event. Even the most routine visits can leave you feeling dissatisfied if there’s a communication barrier, too many items on the agenda, or a personality clash.

Research shows that people who are able to vocalize their medical needs tend to be happier with their health care experiences and are even more likely to see improvements in symptoms and other important outcomes. So how can patients become better advocates for themselves and help take charge of their health in the process? We asked physicians for their best tips and strategic advice to help ensure your next doctor’s appointment goes as smoothly as possible.

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Write down your concerns before the visit 

Dr. Michael Albert, chief of internal medicine with Johns Hopkins Community Physicians in Odenton, Md., says he understands what patients can be up against when they go to see their doctor. First, there’s the inherent power balance between doctor and patient, which he says is slowly changing as medical schools begin to focus more on patient-centered care, but remains a problem. And he’s heard more than his share of stories over the years of physicians who appear to lack empathy when a patient raises concerns. “We know we need to do better as physicians,” Albert says.

Some of that disconnect comes down to time pressures, which can make physicians feel rushed to find a “fix” for their patients, rather than validating their feelings, Albert says. 

Read More: Long Waits, Short Appointments, Huge Bills: U.S. Health Care Is Causing Patient Burnout

To counteract that, he advises all patients to write a list of their concerns in order of urgency to help ensure that their voice is heard in the appointment. It doesn’t need to be an exhaustive narrative; in fact, being brief is key to keeping the appointment on track. But people who come prepared with a note highlighting main points they want to discuss often make better use of their limited time with the doctor. “Then we can really dig into the things that are most important,” he says.

By the time patients reach sub-specialist Dr. Kathryn Mills, they’ve usually already interacted with numerous physicians and other care providers. Mills, a gynecologic oncologist and assistant professor of obstetrics and gynecology at University of Chicago Medicine, says it can be confusing and overwhelming for patients to navigate the system, which is why she encourages them to write down their questions in advance.

“It is hard, when you get in that moment, to remember everything that you wanted to have addressed,” says Mills.

Send a portal message the day before

When a concise written list won’t suffice—such as when a patient wants to provide contextual information about a complicated injury—Albert says sending an electronic message through a patient portal the day before an appointment can help prepare the doctor. Some insurance plans have begun paying doctors for responding to portal messages, which incentivizes doctors to communicate with patients.

Just don’t expect doctors to respond to complex questions through portal communication, Albert says. Those issues are best addressed in person.

Craft an “opening statement”

Doctors always face time constraints and are usually juggling multiple demands, Albert says. To help foster a strong relationship, he often advises patients to start their appointments with a brief opening statement that highlights their reason for coming in while acknowledging the doctor’s hectic schedule.

And the little things, such as showing up on time and making sure your paperwork is filled out, can go a long way toward building the provider-patient relationship, Mills says. When patients are on time and prepared, doctors are better able to stick to their schedule and spend the appointment focused on the issues at hand.

Google your symptoms—yes, really

Doctors rarely advise patients to fall down a rabbit hole online. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t do research. The best patient is the informed patient, according to Dr. Benita Petri-Pickstone, a family physician in Gahanna, Ohio and clinical assistant professor of family and community medicine at the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center in Columbus. She says a vital aspect of self-advocacy is for patients to take an active role in their health, which means doing their research ahead of time so they can ask informed questions. Be proactive, raise any concerns with your doctor, and don’t hesitate to ask a multitude of questions, she says.

Read More: 6 Compliments That Land Every Time

“The patient who tends to get the better care is usually one that is more vocal and asks informed questions about things based on what they’ve read and based on symptoms that they are feeling,” Petri-Pickstone says.

Bring someone to your appointment

In situations where people may not be able to advocate for themselves, such as seniors who are experiencing a cognitive decline, Petri-Pickstone encourages them to bring along a trusted friend or family member. “I’m always open to having spouses and children come in with the patient to help give a good history so I can find out the total picture about what’s happening,” she says. 

Seek a second opinion

When patients are experiencing doubt or appear to be uneasy, Mills encourages them to seek a second opinion. Mills often sees patients who are coming to her for one,  and she believes it’s a critical step people can take to advocate for themselves and ensure they are getting the right care. 

She says that sometimes, patients don’t want to tell her they are in her office to seek a second opinion because they’re afraid it will color her opinion. But Mills says she believes it better serves patients if they are transparent and speak about the specific concerns that prompted them to seek the advice of another physician. “It sets the stage in a different way,” she says.

Don’t hesitate to find new care

Sometimes, the relationship between a doctor and patient just isn’t the right fit, Albert says. If someone has tried everything and the doctor is impossible to understand or just doesn’t listen, it might be time to seek another provider, he says. “They should select somebody who they feel more comfortable with,” he says.

The ideal doctor-patient relationship will vary depending on a person’s needs. But in general, people should be able to have a back-and-forth discussion with their physician and feel like their concerns are being heard and addressed, Albert says. If people feel like their doctor is going to listen, it becomes much easier for them to advocate for what they need.

source https://time.com/6974247/how-to-advocate-for-yourself-doctors/

Graduating Seniors Reflect on a College Experience That Began in Isolation

If you ask the class of 2024, they will tell you: college was nothing like the movies made it out to be. 

It was during some of the hardest days of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 that they said goodbye to their high school classmates at social-distanced graduations before embarking to college—on Zoom.

Even after they were able to move into dorm rooms and attend classes in lecture halls, many say that the impact of a virtual freshman year still lingered. “There’s a pretty stark difference in the graduating class of ‘24 and the classes that were before us and the ones that are after us,” says Dylan Blackett, a neuroscience major at Pomona College. “We’re a little more closed off, a little more insular.”

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In their final weeks of college, as pro-Palestinian protests have rocked more than 100 campuses across the country, many are finding their schools at the center of national attention and their college experience disrupted once again as graduation approaches. “Right now, I believe that doing the right thing means covering what’s happening,” says Taylor Contarino, a senior at University of Southern California (USC) who has been forgoing the typical graduation celebrations to cover campus protests as a student journalist. “If [the choice is] covering a protest that will go down in history one day or drinking a gin and tonic at the bar— I know which one I’m picking.”

TIME spoke with graduating seniors as they reflected on their unique college experience—and the lessons they hope to carry forward. The following interviews have been lightly edited and condensed.

Fatima Usman is majoring in elementary education at DePaul University. Usman felt that adjusting to campus without events like orientation to ease the transition made the change more of a challenge. 

“I can’t help but be a little bit bitter towards the freshmen because I look at them and I see how easy it is for them. But when I came [on campus] in the middle of sophomore year, I had to start fresh. There were no events for us [to transition into college]. It was just alright, let’s pretend as if that never happened. I was 20 taking baby steps into this new world.” 

Dylan Blackett is a neuroscience major at Pomona College. Like many people, he was forced to go through the grieving process remotely during the pandemic.

“I had this friend who I met virtually, also a freshman, and we had been lab partners both semesters. At the end of my spring semester, she was in a car accident. I got an email from my school saying that she passed away.

It was honestly so shocking. And it was really weird because, had I ever met this person in real life? No. I knew her through a screen. 

There was so much loss during that time and I think that for so many people including myself, that loss and that grief had to be dealt with alone. “

Isaac Yu is an American Studies major at Yale University. When he took on a leadership position in the student newspaper, he was tasked with keeping old traditions alive without knowing what they were.

“We lost a lot of institutional memory—there’s traditions that just don’t happen anymore. The group of people that initiated me [into the Yale Daily News] had not had a regular initiation because of COVID and then the year after that I was the one doing the initiation, but I felt like I was pretending like I knew what was going on. I taught a lot of first-years how to fold a newspaper hat because they did it on Gilmore Girls—no one taught me how to do that.

We realized we were going to have to decide what this tradition looks like for us now. There’s no way to stick to what used to be because we don’t have memories of it.”

Victoria Caputo is a communications studies major at the University of Miami. While she didn’t have the college experience she once built up in her head, the pandemic led her down a new path.

“I’m from a small town where everybody would join a sorority. My plan was to just get my degree and be a teacher. I rushed in the fall of my freshman year at Quinnipiac, and I was initiated into Alpha Chi Omega. Everything was virtual.

Almost all of my classes were online [at Quinnipiac], so I didn’t get the campus experience. I decided to transfer after my first year to the University of Miami because some of my friends went to school in Florida and they weren’t as strict. They didn’t have my [sorority] chapter here, and I wasn’t allowed to re-rush because I was already initiated into another one. It changed my perspective on my education and my extracurriculars a lot. I joined the cheerleading club, the pre-law fraternity. I assisted in implementing the Italian Student Association. I’m a member of the National Society of Leadership and Success. I joined the debate team, which I could have never pictured myself on.  Now I’m going to law school. 

A lot of students who were like me in high school never really utilize or take advantage of all the opportunities in college. Although COVID threw off my plan of staying close to home, being in a sorority, I got to experience a new city and meet people from all over the world and join new organizations that I really never would have.”

Alyssa Vazquez studied strategic communications at the University of Houston. As the first in her family to go to college, Vazquez says navigating the transition to college virtually was especially tough.

“Everyone obviously has a certain vision in mind of how college is going to be. I would say I only got like 25% of that vision.

I remember right before I started classes in early August, I was so nervous. I’m a first generation [college] student, so there was no one that I could lean on. Where do I go? How do I access these resources? Who do I talk to? 

It was even worse, I would say, compared to if I was actually going in person. I was just 10 times more stressed out and in a way lonely.” 

Ezra Snell is a sociology major at Jackson State University. Living in a dorm during lockdown was an isolating experience, he says, but it gave him an opportunity to slow down and reflect.

“It almost feels like I had three years of college instead of four. My freshman year was so drastically different, and who I was as a person was so drastically different. I was completely alone. But I never really gave up hope that things could change. I accomplished a lot of things I wanted to do in college later on. A lot of things were delayed but not denied. 

Trying to reinvent yourself as an 18-year-old can come with some dumb decisions. I didn’t have the opportunity to make some of the dumb decisions I would have if we weren’t under lockdown. I appreciate that. I was able to establish who I wanted to be.”

Maggie Wong is majoring in Computer Science and Mathematics at Bowdoin College. In fall of 2020, her classroom looked a little different than she expected.

“Most of my first year was remote, except for one class. It was our first-year seminar and I had class on the bleachers of a football field which was quite unique. And then when it got colder, we had class in a locker room. It was newly renovated, but still. 

During my first year, I had not been to any of the classrooms. So when I was a sophomore, I still felt like a first-year. I would use Google Maps every now and then just to make sure I was getting to the right place.”

Reuben Laryea is a neuroscience major at Christopher Newport University. A pre-med student battling pandemic boredom, he joined the frontlines as an EMT before beginning college.

“During [the pandemic], physicians and first responders were at the frontlines. I knew I wanted to be a physician, but I felt really helpless. I decided to get my certification and become an EMT. 

When I moved to college, I joined a different fire station closer to my school, and I just served as much as I possibly could. It was really just trying to give back and be helpful during that whole time.”

Taylor Contarino is a journalism major at the University of Southern California, where, amid ongoing pro-Palestinian protests, administration recently moved to cancel graduation after students protested the cancellation of Muslim student Asna Tabassum’s valedictorian speech. (The university said it canceled the ceremony due to “substantial risks relating to security and disruption.”) From beginning to end, Contarino says her college experience has been a lesson in looking at the bigger picture.

“I will have another untraditional graduation ceremony. But I think what I have to remember is that there are bigger things going on in the world. On the other side of the world, people are dying. I’m trying to find a way to celebrate, but still be mindful and self-aware. How do I celebrate the biggest thing that’s ever happened to me while [it feels like] the world is burning? I don’t know. 

It’s true that [my class] has been through a lot. We’re strong enough to handle it all. And we are strong enough to realize that there are bigger things going on in the world than just what we’re facing right now in our lives.”

source https://time.com/6973915/college-seniors-graduation-covid/

Hamas Announces It has Accepted an Egyptian-Qatari Cease-Fire Proposal

(CAIRO) — The Hamas militant group says it has accepted an Egyptian-Qatari cease-fire proposal to halt the seven-month war with Israel.

It issued a statement Monday saying its supreme leader, Ismail Haniyeh, had delivered the news in a phone call with Qatar’s prime minister and Egypt’s intelligence minister. The two Middle Eastern nations have been mediating months of talks between Israel and Hamas. There was no immediate comment from Israel.

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The announcement came hours after Israel ordered Palestinians to begin evacuating the southern Gaza town of Rafah ahead of an Israeli military operation. Israel says Rafah is Hamas’ last stronghold.

News of Hamas’ announcement sent people in Rafah cheering in the streets.

Details of the proposal were not immediately released. But in recent days, Egyptian and Hamas officials have said the cease-fire would take place in a series of stages in which Hamas would release hostages it is holding in exchange for Israeli troop pullbacks from Gaza.

It is not clear whether the deal will meet Hamas’ key demand of bringing about an end to the war and complete Israeli withdrawal.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below.

JERUSALEM (AP) — The Israeli army ordered about 100,000 Palestinians on Monday to begin evacuating from the southern city of Rafah in Gaza, signaling that a long-promised ground invasion there could be imminent and further complicating efforts to broker a cease-fire.

Israel’s closest allies, including the United States, have repeatedly said that Israel shouldn’t attack Rafah. The looming operation has raised global alarm over the fate of around 1.4 million Palestinians sheltering there.

Aid agencies have warned that an offensive will worsen Gaza’s humanitarian catastrophe and bring a surge of more civilian deaths in an Israeli campaign that in nearly seven months has killed 34,000 people and devastated the territory.

U.S. President Joe Biden spoke Monday with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and reiterated U.S. concerns about an invasion of Rafah. Biden said that a cease-fire with Hamas is the best way to protect the lives of Israeli hostages held in Gaza, a National Security Council spokesperson said on condition of anonymity to discuss the call before an official White House statement was released.

Read More: For Biden, This Moment Is Bigger Than Gaza

Hamas and key mediator Qatar said that invading Rafah will derail efforts by international mediators to broker a cease-fire. Days earlier, Hamas had been discussing a U.S.-backed proposal that reportedly raised the possibility of an end to the war and a pullout of Israeli troops in return for the release of all hostages held by the group. Israeli officials have rejected that trade-off, vowing to continue their campaign until Hamas is destroyed.

Netanyahu said Monday that seizing Rafah, which Israel says is the last significant Hamas stronghold in Gaza, was vital to ensuring the militants can’t rebuild their military capabilities and repeat the Oct. 7 attack on Israel that triggered the war.

Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani, an army spokesman, said about 100,000 people were being ordered to move from parts of Rafah to a nearby Israel-declared humanitarian zone called Muwasi, a makeshift camp on the coast. He said that Israel has expanded the size of the zone and that it included tents, food, water and field hospitals.

It wasn’t immediately clear, however, if that material was already in place to accommodate the new arrivals.

Around 450,000 displaced Palestinians already are sheltering in Muwasi. The U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees, known as UNRWA, said it has been providing them with aid. But conditions are squalid, with few bathrooms or sanitation facilities in the largely rural area, forcing families to dig private latrines.

After the evacuation order announcement Monday, Palestinians in Rafah wrestled with having to uproot their extended families once again for an unknown fate, exhausted after months living in sprawling tent camps or crammed into schools or other shelters in and around the city. Few who spoke to The Associated Press wanted to risk staying.

Mohammed Jindiyah said that at the beginning of the war, he had tried to hold out in his home in northern Gaza after Israel ordered an evacuation there in October. He ended up suffering through heavy bombardment before fleeing to Rafah.

He’s complying with the order this time, but was unsure now whether to move to Muwasi or another town in central Gaza.

“We are 12 families, and we don’t know where to go. There is no safe area in Gaza,” he said.

Sahar Abu Nahel, who fled to Rafah with 20 family members including her children and grandchildren, wiped tears from her cheeks, despairing at a new move.

“I have no money or anything. I am seriously tired, as are the children,” she said. “Maybe it’s more honorable for us to die. We are being humiliated.”

Israeli military leaflets were dropped with maps detailing a number of eastern neighborhoods of Rafah to evacuate, warning that an attack was imminent and anyone who stays “puts themselves and their family members in danger.” Text messages and radio broadcasts repeated the message.

UNRWA won’t evacuate from Rafah so it can continue to provide aid to those who stay behind, said Scott Anderson, the agency’s director in Gaza.

“We will provide aid to people wherever they choose to be,” he told the AP.

The U.N. says an attack on Rafah could disrupt the distribution of aid keeping Palestinians alive across Gaza. The Rafah crossing into Egypt, a main entry point for aid to Gaza, lies in the evacuation zone. The crossing remained open Monday after the Israeli order.

Jan Egeland, secretary-general of the Norwegian Refugee Council, condemned the “forced, unlawful” evacuation order and the idea that people should go to Muwasi.

“The area is already overstretched and devoid of vital services,” Egeland said. He said that an Israeli assault could lead to “the deadliest phase of this war.”

Israel’s bombardment and ground offensives in Gaza have killed more than 34,700 Palestinians, around two-thirds of them children and women, according to Gaza health officials. The tally doesn’t distinguish between civilians and combatants. More than 80% of the population of 2.3 million have been driven from their homes, and hundreds of thousands in the north are on the brink of famine, according to the U.N.

Tensions escalated Sunday when Hamas fired rockets at Israeli troops positioned on the border with Gaza near Israel’s main crossing for delivering humanitarian aid, killing four soldiers. Israel shuttered the crossing — but Shoshani said it wouldn’t affect how much aid enters Gaza as others are working.

Meanwhile, Israeli airstrikes on Rafah killed 22 people, including children and two infants, according to a hospital.

The war was sparked by the unprecedented Oct. 7 raid into southern Israel in which Hamas and other militants killed around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducted around 250 hostages. After exchanges during a November cease-fire, Hamas is believed to still hold about 100 Israelis captive as well the bodies of around 30 others.

The mediators over the cease-fire — the United States, Egypt and Qatar — appeared to scramble to salvage a cease-fire deal they had been trying to push through the past week. Egypt said it was in touch with all sides Monday to “prevent the situation from … getting out of control.”

CIA Director William Burns, who had been in Cairo for talks on the deal, headed to meet the prime minister of Qatar, an official familiar with the matter said. It wasn’t clear whether a subsequent trip to Israel that had been planned would happen. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the closed-door negotiations.

In a fiery speech Sunday evening marking Israel’s Holocaust memorial day, Netanyahu rejected international pressure to halt the war, saying that “if Israel is forced to stand alone, Israel will stand alone.”

On Monday, Netanyahu accused Hamas of “torpedoing” a deal by not budging from its demand for an end to the war and a complete Israeli troop withdrawal in return for the hostages’ release, which he called “extreme.”

___

Bassem Mroue reported from Beirut. Zeke Miller contributed to this report from Washington.

source https://time.com/6975094/hamas-accepted-egyptian-qatari-ceasefire-israel/

Titanic, Lord of the Rings Actor Bernard Hill Remembered by Peers After Death Aged 79

LONDON — Actor Bernard Hill, who delivered a rousing cry before leading his people into battle in “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King” and went down with the ship as the captain in “Titanic,” has died.

Hill, 79, passed away Sunday morning, agent Lou Coulson said.

Hill joined “The Lord Of The Rings” franchise in the second film of the trilogy, 2002’s “The Two Towers,” as Théoden, King of Rohan. The following year, he reprised the role in “Return of the King,” a movie that won 11 Oscars.

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In one of the film’s most memorable scenes, Hill’s character fires up his overmatched forces by delivering a battle cry on horseback that sends his troops thundering downhill toward the enemy and his own imminent death.

“Arise, arise, riders of Théoden!” Hill hollers. “Spears shall be shaken, shields shall be splintered! A sword day, a red day, ere the sun rises! Ride now! Ride now! Ride! Ride for ruin and the world’s ending! Death! Death! Death!”

In “Titanic,” Hill played Captain Edward Smith, one of the only characters based on a real person in the 1997 tragic romance starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet. The film also won 11 Academy Awards.

As the doomed ship takes on water, Hill’s character silently retreats to the wheelhouse. As the cabin groans under the pressure of the waves, he takes a final breath and grabs the wheel as water bursts through the windows.

Hill first made a name for himself as Yosser Hughes in “Boys From the Blackstuff,” a 1982 British TV miniseries about five unemployed men.

He was nominated for an award in 1983 from the British Academy of Film and Television Arts for the role, and the show won the BAFTA for best drama series.

His death came the same day the second series of the BBC drama “The Responder” was to air, in which he played the father of the show’s star, Martin Freeman.

“Bernard Hill blazed a trail across the screen, and his long-lasting career filled with iconic and remarkable roles is a testament to his incredible talent, said Lindsay Salt, director of BBC Drama. “Our thoughts are with his loved ones at this sad time.”

Other tributes can be seen below:

The 4 Hobbits pay their respects to Bernard Hill at Liverpool Comic Con

"He was intrepid, he gruff, he was irascible." – Sean Astin

Echoing Sean's words, Billy Boyd, said: “We were watching the movies and I said to Dom, I don’t think anyone spoke Tolkien’s words as great as… pic.twitter.com/fNzOLpVh2o

— Fellowship of Fans (@FellowshipFans) May 5, 2024

It’s with great sadness that I note the death of Bernard Hill. We worked together in John Paul George Ringo and Bert, Willy Russell marvellous show 1974-1975. A really marvellous actor. It was a privilege to have crossed paths with him. RIP Benny x#bernardhill pic.twitter.com/UPVDCo3ut8

— Barbara Dickson (@BarbaraDickson) May 5, 2024

I had a couple of scenes with Bernard Hill in True Crime. A gent, of course. Also funny, smart and flawless at the job. RIP, sir. pic.twitter.com/uQhQj8NUzJ

— Michael McKean (@MJMcKean) May 5, 2024

‘Boys from the Blackstuff’ was massive in my early life. God love you, Bernard Hill. 💙 pic.twitter.com/Ksy3vqiSej

— Andy Burnham (@AndyBurnhamGM) May 5, 2024

source https://time.com/6974906/bernard-hill-dead-aged-79-actor-titanic/

A Look at Commencements as U.S. Campuses Are Roiled by Israel-Hamas War Protests

Commencement ceremonies are being held at colleges and universities across the U.S. As many campuses have been roiled by protests over the Israel-Hamas war, some school administrations have taken steps to contain disruptions during their commencement activities.

University of Michigan’s commencement was held early Saturday with a few interruptions. Ahead of the ceremony, the school had said staff and security officers were ready to respond and that interfering with commencement would not be considered free speech.

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Here is a look at some of the commencement ceremonies:

Northeastern University

In Boston, commencement ceremonies for Northeastern University began peacefully Sunday morning at Fenway Park.

Some students waved Palestinian flags but those were dotted among flags from India, the U.S. and other nations. Graduate students had their ceremony first, with the undergraduate ceremony scheduled for the afternoon.

Police last month arrested about 100 protesters at Northeastern when they broke up an encampment on the Boston campus.

Read More: 25 Arrested at University of Virginia as Pro-Palestinian Protests Continue on U.S. Campuses

University of Michigan

Police officers stood nearby as some graduates holding Palestinian flags and shouting pro-Palestinian messages protested during commencement at the University of Michigan on Saturday, where tens of thousands of people gathered inside Michigan Stadium. One banner said, “No universities left in Gaza.”

The protests were away from the stage and didn’t stop the nearly two-hour event. But U.S. Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro paused a few times during remarks and at one point said, “Thank you, ladies and gentlemen, if you can please draw your attention back to the podium.”

Del Toro administered an oath to graduates in the armed forces. He said they would “protect the freedoms that we so cherish,” including the “right to protest peacefully.”

Protesters have been demanding that Michigan cut financial ties with any companies connected to Israel. The university has allowed protesters to set up an encampment in the middle of campus.

Police assisted in breaking up a large gathering Friday night outside a campus art museum where a dinner was held for recipients of honorary degrees. At least one person was arrested.

source https://time.com/6974888/us-campuses-commencement-ceremonies-israel-hamas-war-protests/

Israel Closes Gaza Crossing After Hamas Attack, Warns of Military Operation in ‘Near Future’

JERUSALEM — Israel closed its main crossing point for delivering badly needed humanitarian aid for Gaza on Sunday after Hamas militants attacked it, while the defense minister claimed Hamas wasn’t serious about a cease-fire deal and warned of “a powerful operation in the very near future in Rafah and other places across all of Gaza.”

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Both struck blows to ongoing cease-fire efforts in Cairo mediated by Egypt and Qatar after reported signs of progress. Israel hasn’t sent a delegation, unlike Hamas, and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said that “we see signs that Hamas does not intend to go to any agreement.”

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, under pressure from hard-liners in his government, continued to lower expectations for a cease-fire deal, calling the Hamas demands “extreme” — including the withdrawal of Israel forces from Gaza and an end to the war. That would equal surrender after the Hamas attack on Oct. 7 that triggered the fighting, Netanyahu said.

Hamas didn’t immediately respond to Gallant’s comments. Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in a statement earlier said the militant group was serious and positive about the negotiations and stopping Israeli aggression in Gaza is the main priority.

But Israel’s government again vowed to press on with a military operation in Rafah, the southernmost Gaza city on the border with Egypt where more than half of Gaza’s 2.3 million residents now seek shelter from Israeli attacks. Rafah is a key entry point for aid.

Kerem Shalom, now closed, is another. The Israeli military reported 10 projectiles were launched at the crossing in southern Israel and said its fighter jets later struck the source. Hamas said it had been targeting Israeli soldiers in the area. Israel’s Channel 12 TV channel said 10 people were wounded, three seriously. It was unclear how long the crossing would be closed.

The attack came shortly after the head of the U.N. World Food Program asserted “full-blown famine” in devastated northern Gaza, one of the most prominent warnings yet of the toll of restrictions on food and other aid entering the territory. The comments were not a formal famine declaration.

Gaza’s vast humanitarian needs put further pressure on the cease-fire talks. The proposal that Egyptian mediators had put to Hamas sets out a three-stage process that would bring an immediate, six-week cease-fire and partial release of Israeli hostages taken in the Oct. 7 attack, and would include some sort of Israeli pullout. The initial stage would last for 40 days. Hamas would start by releasing female civilian hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.

Netanyahu claimed that Israel has shown willingness to make concessions but said it “will continue fighting until all of its objectives are achieved.” That includes the stated aim of crushing Hamas. Israel says it must target Rafah to strike remaining fighters there despite warnings from the U.S. and others about the danger to civilians.

In later remarks for Israel’s annual Holocaust memorial day, Netanyahu added: “We will defend ourselves in every way. We will overcome our enemies and we will ensure our security — in the Gaza Strip, on the Lebanese border, everywhere.”

The Hamas cross-border attack on Oct. 7 killed some 1,200 people and took 250 others hostage. Israel says militants still hold around 100 hostages and the remains of more than 30 others. Netanyahu is under growing pressure from some hostages’ families to make a deal to end the war and get hostages freed.

Israeli’s air and ground offensive has killed over 34,500 people, according to Palestinian health officials, who don’t differentiate between civilians and combatants but say women and children make up a majority of those killed.

Israel blames Hamas for civilian deaths, accusing it of embedding in residential and public areas. The Israeli military says it has killed 13,000 militants, without providing evidence to back up the claim.

Also Sunday, Netanyahu’s Cabinet approved a measure to shutter Qatar’s Al Jazeera news channel, accusing it of broadcasting anti-Israel incitement. The decision threatened to further disrupt the cease-fire talks.

source https://time.com/6974856/israel-hamas-attack-crossing-point-gaza-aid-injuries/