The head of human resources for the District of Columbia&#8217;s library system, whose six-figure job entails ensuring that fellow government employees followed employment rules, was herself in massive violation of those rules — holding a second full-time job with a private company, which she did while supposedly working for taxpayers.
Lauren Graves lied to government investigators to cover up the fact that she had one full-time job and one part-time job, both of which she focused on while neglecting her government duties, according to the D.C. Board of Ethics and Government Accountability (BEGA). She was forced to pay a fine of $17,500, a small fraction of the money she earned while neglecting her taxpayer-funded job, and has resigned from her government post, according to the Washington Post.
Graves has worked as the DCPL&#8217;s Human Resources Director since November 2021, being paid $148,000 a year. Apparently the fact that she continued to work full-time for Blackstone Consulting as Senior Human Resources Manager — where she was paid an additional $144,000 a year — went unnoticed. She also worked part-time delivering babies as a doula, with a website where people could make appointments with her during the workday.
&#8220;Witness testimony revealed that the Respondent frequently could not be reached throughout the workday regardless of whether she worked in the office or virtually,&#8221; a <a href="https://bega.dc.gov/sites/bega/files/publication/attachments/23-0100p%20L.%20Graves.NEGOTIATED%20DISPOSITION.executed%204.4.24_Redacted.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">BEGA document</a> from this month stated. &#8220;Our investigation revealed that Respondent misused her District government email by communicating with her outside employers from her District government email address. Respondent also forwarded various internal District government documents to her outside job at Blackstone such as technology agreements.&#8221;
Graves told investigators she worked the other jobs outside of her work hours, but this was false, they said. Their evidence included emails, contracts, and presentation schedules.
&#8220;Respondent acknowledges that her conduct was an egregious violation of the Code of Conduct. Respondent agrees to pay a fine in the amount of $17,500.00 to resolve this violation&#8230; Respondent agrees to payments in the amount of $383 bi-weekly, via automatic deduction from Respondent&#8217;s paycheck,&#8221; said the agreement, signed by Graves and Director of Government Ethics Ashley D. Cooks.
It would not have been hard to find out about Graves&#8217; other work. The Blackstone job is on her LinkedIn, which says she stopped the job in February 2024. It says she still works as CEO of &#8220;Cass &amp; Tree, LLC,&#8221; an HR firm, and as a doula.
The $17,000 penalty may amount to only a fraction of the taxpayer money that she squandered. Two-and-a-half years of a $148,000 salary is $370,000.
Her LinkedIn says her speciality is &#8220;DIVERSITY, EQUITY &amp; INCLUSION &#8211; Training, facilitation, climate assessments, project and change management; employee engagement. Anti-racism, Anti-bullying, sexual harassment training compliance; Allyship. Gender pay equity. LGBTQ ally training facilitation. Workplace gossip and victim shaming, Retaliation, Labor Relations and Union mediation.&#8221;
The case raises questions about how many other government employees are simply AWOL while &#8220;working remotely,&#8221; and how any of them could reasonably face consequences given the fact that the HR director who was supposed to be enforcing such rules was doing the same thing.
At the federal level, federal agencies have dragged their feet at returning to the office, despite repeated admonishments from President Joe Biden and his chief of staff that they must do so. Last month, Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) wrote to the Acting Secretary of the Department of Labor to note that members of the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) had finally &#8220;<a href="https://www.ernst.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/telework_protest_letter.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">showed up</a> to the office&#8230; to protest for more telework.&#8221;

DC Public Library Director of Human Resources Lauren Graves / LinkedIn

High-Paid Government Official Had Second Job While ‘Remote Working’

Coronavirus

Fraud

Washington D.C.

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/house-republicans" target="_blank" rel="noopener">House Republicans</a> have introduced a long-shot bill that would rename one of the major airports in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area after former President <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/donald-trump" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Donald Trump</a>.
Rep. Guy Reschenthaler (R-PA), who is the chief deputy whip of the House GOP, announced on Tuesday that he was leading the endeavor to rename Washington Dulles International Airport in Virginia as the Donald J. Trump International Airport.
“As millions of domestic and international travelers fly through the airport, there is no better symbol of freedom, prosperity, and strength than hearing &#8216;Welcome to Trump International Airport&#8217; as they land on American soil,&#8221; Reschenthaler <a href="https://reschenthaler.house.gov/media/press-releases/reschenthaler-introduces-bill-to-rename-the-washington-dulles-international-airport-as-the-donald-j-trump-international-airport" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>.
The <a href="https://reschenthaler.house.gov/imo/media/doc/donald_trump_international_airport_bill_text.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">two-page bill</a> has several GOP <a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/7845/cosponsors?s=1&amp;r=1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">co-sponsors</a>, including Reps. Chuck Fleischmann (R-TN), Paul Gosar (R-AZ), Troy Nehls (R-TX), Andy Ogles (R-TN), Barry Moore (R-AL), and Mike Waltz (R-FL).
Other than the name designation, the bill says any &#8220;reference in any law, regulation, map, document, paper, or other record of the United States&#8221; to the airport shall be considered a reference to &#8220;Donald J. Trump International Airport.&#8221;
Trump is in the middle of seeking another term in the White House and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-locks-up-gop-nomination-after-racking-up-4-more-primary-victories" target="_blank" rel="noopener">garnered</a> enough delegates to clinch the GOP nomination after his last primary rival, Nikki Haley, suspended her campaign.
Although the GOP is largely rallying behind Trump&#8217;s candidacy, the bill faces long odds. In the House, Republicans have a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/slim-house-gop-majority-takes-a-hit-with-dem-winning-contest-to-replace-santos" target="_blank" rel="noopener">slim</a> majority. Democrats control the Senate, while President Joe Biden, who is also running for a second term, is the current occupant of the White House.
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&#8220;This idea is ridiculous, but sadly real,&#8221; Abigail Spanberger, a Democrat running for Virginia governor, <a href="https://twitter.com/SpanbergerForVA/status/1775166784963805627" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> in a post to X. &#8220;Congress must act on pressing issues like reauthorizing the FAA and passing the national security supplemental. Yet this is what a Member of House Republican leadership focuses on — renaming Virginia’s Dulles airport after Trump.&#8221;
Dulles Airport, which <a href="https://wjla.com/news/local/dulles-airport-celebrates-60-year-anniversary-john-f-kennedy-dedication-groundbreaking-airport-jet-airplanes-architect-eero-saarinen-metro-silver-line-extension-richard-golinowski" target="_blank" rel="noopener">celebrated</a> its 60th anniversary in 2022, was <a href="https://www.flydulles.com/about-airport/history" target="_blank" rel="noopener">named after</a> Secretary of State John Foster Dulles who served under President Dwight D. Eisenhower. It is one of three major airports in the D.C. area, along with Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport and Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport.

Former President Donald Trump

House Republicans Propose Renaming Dulles Airport After Trump

Air Travel

airport

Congress

Donald Trump

House Republicans

Politics

U.S. House of Representatives

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/wonka-dominates-box-office-with-39m-opening-weekend" target="_blank" rel="noopener">&#8220;Wonka&#8221;</a> is winning the domestic holiday box office, beating out DC&#8217;s &#8220;Aquaman&#8221; sequel and the musical version of &#8220;The Color of Purple.&#8221;
The Timothee Chalamet-led Warner Bros. movie grossed $8.9 million to bring its domestic total to $102.5 million, <a href="https://variety.com/2023/film/news/wonka-box-office-timothee-chalamet-100-million-migration-1235851894/">Variety</a> reported.
The backstory about the famed fictional chocolatier is based on the 1964 novel &#8220;Charlie and the Chocolate Factory&#8221; by Roald Dahl. The original novel&#8217;s first film adaptation was 1971&#8217;s &#8220;Willy Wonka &amp; the Chocolate Factory,&#8221; starring Gene Wilder as Wonka. A 2005 remake directed by Tim Burton starred Johnny Depp as Wonka. 
The latest version has proven to have staying power after winning its opening weekend with $39 million, according to <a href="https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt6166392/?ref_=bo_se_r_1">Box Office Mojo</a>.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
&#8216;Wonka,&#8217; With Timothée Chalamet, Crosses $100 Million at Domestic Box Office <a href="https://t.co/gWYHj2wiuC">https://t.co/gWYHj2wiuC</a>
— Variety (@Variety) <a href="https://twitter.com/Variety/status/1740416988378276293?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 28, 2023</a></blockquote>
Illumination and Universal&#8217;s animated movie &#8220;Migration&#8221; — about a family of ducks — scored the second place spot, earning $6.3 million on Wednesday. The movie opened domestically on Dec. 22 with $12 million and to date has scored $30.6 million at the domestic box office, Variety noted.
Landing in third place is the final movie from DC&#8217;s Extended Universe, &#8220;<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/aquaman-sequel-has-disappointing-christmas-opening-bringing-in-just-40m" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom</a>,&#8221; which has continued to struggle after opening on Dec. 22 to a dismal $27 million. The latest box office numbers show it earned another $5.9 million on Wednesday and to date has grossed $52.5 million, Variety reported. It follows other 2023 <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/the-biggest-box-office-bombs-of-2023">bombs</a> from DC, including the &#8220;The Flash.&#8221;
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The Broadway musical adaptation of Alice Walker&#8217;s novel &#8220;The Color of Purple&#8221; has had less time than the rest after it opened Dec. 25 with $18.5 million. It comes in fourth place after domestic box office numbers show the film earned another $3.8 million on Wednesday to bring its current domestic total to $29 million.
Despite the millions earned at the box office, the numbers for the top movies in the country pale in comparison to the last few years, <a href="https://deadline.com/2023/12/box-office-post-christmas-wonka-aquaman-2-color-purple-1235682346/">Deadline magazine</a> noted.
In 2021, Marvel&#8217;s &#8220;Spider-Man: No Way Home&#8221; and &#8220;Avatar: The Way of the Water&#8221; in 2022 both cleared $30 million in a single day after Christmas.
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/wonka-dominates-box-office-with-39m-opening-weekend" target="_blank" rel="noopener">&#8216;Wonka&#8217; Dominates Box Office With $39M Opening Weekend</a>

Wonka

‘Wonka’ Winning At The Holiday Box Office

Celebrities

Disney

Entertainment

Hollywood

Marvel

Movies

The Marvels three Picture1

The Biggest Box Office Bombs Of 2023

Readers Pass

Woke Culture

“Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom&#8221; is projected to have an even worse opening than &#8220;The Marvels.&#8221; 
The &#8220;Aquaman&#8221; sequel opens on Friday, December 22. It is currently estimated to bring in $37 million to $43 million at the domestic box office over the four-day Christmas weekend, according to <a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/aquaman-2-box-office-christmas-1235767054/">The Hollywood Reporter</a>. In comparison, the box office bomb that was the female-led sequel to &#8220;Captain Marvel&#8221; debuted to a $46.1 million opening weekend in November.
The Jason Momoa-led sequel from DC and Warner Bros. has a storyline that focuses on  Aquaman balancing his &#8220;duties as king and as a member of the Justice League, all while planning a wedding,&#8221; a <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt9663764/">description</a> of the film read. &#8220;Black Manta is on the hunt for Atlantean tech to help rebuild his armor. Orm plots to escape his Atlantean prison.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
&#8216;Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom&#8217; Review: The DCEU Goes Belly-Up With One Last Disappointment <a href="https://t.co/GC03HJgXcr">https://t.co/GC03HJgXcr</a>
— TheWrap (@TheWrap) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheWrap/status/1737869780965630001?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 21, 2023</a></blockquote>
If estimates are correct, the upcoming sequel will not only do worse than Marvel&#8217;s latest movie but also generate less than the original &#8220;Aquaman&#8221; did in 2018 when it scored $105.4 million over the four-day Christmas holiday weekend, the outlet noted.
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However, despite the low box office projections, &#8220;Aquaman 2&#8221; is expected to be at the top of the box office due to what is expected to be a weak Christmas weekend flanked by &#8220;Wonka&#8221; and the Oprah Winfrey Broadway musical adaptation of &#8220;The Color of Purple,&#8221; both from Warner Bros.
Superhero movies have mostly struggled this year, with DC already suffering a blow with &#8220;The Flash,&#8221; which <a href="https://www.boxofficemojo.com/release/rl2225635841/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">debuted</a> in June at $55 million and ended up making $108 million at the domestic box office. 
The superhero movie starred troubled actor<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/the-flash-fizzles-at-box-office-despite-being-called-one-of-the-greatest-superhero-movies-ever-made"> Ezra Miller</a>, which some say could&#8217;ve led to the movie&#8217;s dismal numbers. Warner Bros. had a challenging time promoting the film due to controversies involving Miller in the months leading up to the release after he faced multiple accusations of criminal activity. The studio partially relied on word of mouth to publicize &#8220;The Flash&#8221; and the then-inherent popularity of the superhero genre.
In November, &#8220;<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/the-marvels-continues-to-flail-at-box-office-earns-worst-second-weekend-drop-of-all-time">The Marvels</a>&#8221; suffered the worst<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/female-led-the-marvels-has-worst-ever-opening-weekend-in-mcu-history"> opening weekend</a> in Marvel Cinematic Universe franchise history and the worst second-weekend drop of all time for Marvel Studios, beating out the previous holder &#8220;Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantamania.&#8221;
The Brie Larson-led film fell 78% in box office performance for its second weekend out and had the worst-ever box office drop for any modern-day Hollywood superhero film, The<a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/hunger-games-prequel-box-office-opening-1235663158/"> Hollywood Reporter</a> noted.

Aquaman 2

‘Aquaman’ Sequel Projected To Have Worse Opening Weekend Than ‘The Marvels’

'Aquaman' Sequel Projected To Have Worse Opening Weekend Than ‘The Marvels’

Jason Momoa

superhero

U.S.

The judge presiding over special counsel <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/jack-smith">Jack Smith</a>&#8216;s 2020 election case granted a gag order against former President <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a> on Monday.
U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan, an appointee of former President Barack Obama, made the decision after hearing arguments at a federal courthouse in Washington, D.C., telling Trump not to engage in a <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/justice-department/judge-hears-arguments-trump-gag-order-request-election-interference-ca-rcna119457">&#8220;pre-trial smear campaign&#8221;</a> against government staff, their families, and witnesses.
“First Amendment protections yield to the administration of justice and to the protection of witnesses,” Chutkan said, <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2023/10/16/judge-imposes-gag-order-on-donald-trump-in-d-c-trial-00121743">according to POLITICO</a>. “His presidential candidacy does not give him carte blanche to vilify … public servants who are simply doing their job.”
Chutkan warned Trump — who is seeking a second term in the White House — could face sanctions for violations that would include attacking court staff and prosecutors.
The judge <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2023/10/16/judge-imposes-gag-order-on-donald-trump-in-d-c-trial-00121743">declined</a> to restrict Trump from criticizing the Biden administration or the Department of Justice amid his claims that the prosecution is politically motivated. Chutkan also reportedly refrained on Monday from issuing limits on what Trump can say about D.C., expressing confidence that the <a href="https://www.wptv.com/judge-in-trump-s-jan-6-trial-to-rule-on-gag-order">jury selection process</a> will address any concerns.
A written order was <a href="https://twitter.com/KaelanDC/status/1713955973667135647">expected to appear</a> on the court docket as early as Monday afternoon.
During a speech in Iowa, Trump <a href="https://twitter.com/RealAmVoice/status/1714002657059254695">vowed</a> to appeal the gag order, and a spokesperson for the former president issued a statement calling the decision on Monday &#8220;an absolute abomination and another partisan knife stuck in the heart of our Democracy by Crooked Joe Biden, who was granted the right to muzzle his political opponent.&#8221;
The trial in this case, in which Trump is accused of plotting to overturn the results of the 2020 election, is slated to start in <a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-jan-6-justice-department-indictment-1a5ae1a0ea35492e1e347e28867a7d3f">early March</a>.
In September, Smith <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/special-counsel-asks-judge-for-narrow-gag-order-on-trump-after-witnesses-allegedly-harassed-report">asked</a> the court for a &#8220;narrow&#8221; gag order over concerns that Trump could make public statements that “present a serious and substantial danger of prejudicing” the case.
Before and during the hearing on Monday, Trump lashed out on his social media platform, Truth Social, at key players in the case.
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&#8220;They want to take away my First Amendment rights, and my ability to both campaign and defend myself,&#8221; Trump <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/111242571403804808">said</a> in one post after he called Smith a &#8220;Leaking, Crooked and Deranged Prosecutor&#8221; and Chutkan a &#8220;highly partisan Obama appointed Judge.&#8221;
In another post, he <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/111245158604028293">said</a>, &#8220;The TRUMP GAG ORDER that the CORRUPT Biden Administration is trying to obtain is totally Unconstitutional!&#8221;
Trump is facing four criminal cases as well as civil litigation. He was previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/judge-imposes-gag-order-in-trumps-ny-civil-fraud-trial-after-former-president-posts-about-court-clerk">dealt a gag order</a> in a New York fraud trial. Smith is overseeing another case against Trump regarding the former president&#8217;s handling of classified documents.
Trump has generally denied wrongdoing, pleaded not guilty to the charges he faces, and claims that politically motivated prosecutors are conducting a &#8220;witch hunt&#8221; against him.
All the while, Trump is running a 2024 campaign, potentially paving the way to a 2020 rematch against President Joe Biden. Trump&#8217;s legal defense effort is sapping up <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/07/29/us/trump-pac-legal-fees.html">a great deal of resources</a> as well as media attention, but he is <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/latest-2024-presidential-polling-trump-rises-above-biden-again">leading GOP polls</a> heading into the primary season.

Judge Issues Gag Order Against Trump In Federal Election Case

2024 Election

Courts

Jack Smith

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/gal-gadot-admits-cringe-worthy-imagine-sing-a-long-was-in-poor-taste" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Gal Gadot</a> definitely got everyone&#8217;s attention when she appeared to do more than just hint that another &#8220;Wonder Woman&#8221; was happening – and this after the film&#8217;s director Patty Jenkins announced last year the film had been axed by the new leadership at DC Studios.
During a recent interview with <a href="https://comicbook.com/movies/news/gal-gadot-wonder-woman-3-james-gunn-peter-safran-dc-films/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ComicBook.com</a>, the 38-year-old actress said &#8220;Wonder Woman 3&#8221; was still in the works, referencing an apparent conversation with the new heads of the studio — James Gunn and Peter Safran — who took over last year.
&#8220;I love portraying Wonder Woman,&#8221; Gadot said when asked about one more film in the franchise. &#8220;It&#8217;s so close to and dear to my heart.&#8221;
&#8220;From what I heard from James [Gunn] and from Peter [Safran] is that we&#8217;re gonna develop a &#8216;Wonder Woman 3&#8217; together,&#8221; she added.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Gal Gadot on &#39;Wonder Woman 3&#39;: &#39;What I Heard&#39; From James Gunn and Peter Safran &#39;Is That We&#39;re Gonna Develop It Together&#39; <a href="https://t.co/KdzPGm15pE">https://t.co/KdzPGm15pE</a>
&mdash; Variety (@Variety) <a href="https://twitter.com/Variety/status/1686735698269773825?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 2, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
In December, <a href="https://au.variety.com/2022/film/news/patty-jenkins-wonder-woman-star-wars-rogue-squadron-dc-7839/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reports</a> surfaced about the future of the third film, with Gadot reprising the role under the direction of Jenkins, who directed the franchise&#8217;s first two movies, &#8220;Wonder Woman&#8221; and &#8220;Wonder Woman 1984.&#8221;
Initially, speculation was that Jenkins had &#8220;walked away&#8221; and &#8220;Wonder Woman 3&#8221; was not happening because the director had refused to reshape the film after it was announced Gunn and Safran were taking over and the pair had shared there was going to be some changes in the DC Universe.
Jenkins then went public, disputing claims she ever &#8220;walked away&#8221; from the sequel, <a href="https://au.variety.com/2022/film/news/patty-jenkins-wonder-woman-star-wars-rogue-squadron-dc-7839/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Variety</a> noted.
&#8220;When there started being backlash about WW3 not happening, the attractive clickbait false story that it was me that killed it or walked away started to spread,&#8221; her statement read. &#8220;This is simply not true. I never walked away.&#8221;
&#8220;I was open to considering anything asked of me,&#8221; she added. &#8220;It was my understanding there was nothing I could do to move anything forward at this time. DC is obviously buried in changes they are having to make, so I understand these decisions are difficult right now.&#8221;
There are not currently any films titled &#8220;Wonder Woman among the slate of projects coming out of DC&#8217;s Chapter One of the DC Universe, called &#8220;Gods and Monsters,&#8221; the CB.com noted.
The interview was done before SAG actor&#8217;s strike, the outlet noted.
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/gal-gadot-says-joss-whedon-threatened-her-career-but-she-handled-it" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Gal Gadot Says Joss Whedon &#8216;Threatened&#8217; Her Career, But She &#8216;Handled It&#8217;</a>

Premiere Of Warner Bros. Pictures’ “Justice League” – Arrivals

Gal Gadot Shares Update About Third ‘Wonder Woman’ Movie After It Was Axed By DC

Gal Gadot Shares Update About Third ‘Wonder Woman’ Movie After It Was Axed At DC

Gal Gadot

Wonder Woman

Over the last two decades, there have truly been some popular and profitable superhero movies, dominating box offices around the world. While our last list covered the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/the-top-seven-superhero-movies-and-why">seven best superhero films</a> in the genre, for this one we look at the seven worst films in the last 20 years.
Admittedly, this is an unscientific list and these movies come from a variety of studios like Marvel, DC Warner Bros., Paramount, and 20th Century Studios. Place them in whatever order you choose, however, we think you’ll agree we all deserve our money back regardless of which studio they came from. 
Let&#8217;s start with number seven and work our way to the bottom.
<h2>#7 &#8220;Fantastic Four&#8221;</h2>
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Fantastic Four (2005) Trailer #1 | Movieclips Classic Trailers" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/YP-UetX2qX0?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe>
The first offering is the campy 2005 action/adventure movie &#8220;Fantastic Four&#8221; from 20th Century Studios. Directed by Tim Story, a &#8220;group of astronauts&#8221; gain &#8220;superpowers after a cosmic radiation exposure and must use them to oppose the plans of their enemy, Doctor Victor Von Doom,&#8221; a description on <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120667/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">IMDb</a> read.
Moviegoers and critics roundly hated this film, giving it a 45% and 28% rotten on <a href="https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/fantastic_four" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Rotten Tomatoes</a>. One moviegoer wrote, &#8220;If you like your superhero stories campy and cheesy (which some people do), you&#8217;ll find plenty to enjoy&#8230;If you don&#8217;t, you&#8217;ll be greatly dissatisfied by this odd attempt at bringing the Fantastic Four to life. You&#8217;ll be wondering whether human people actually made this movie or if they put the formula into a computer and let it come up with a script.&#8221;
Film critic Roger Ebert titled his <a href="https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/fantastic-four-2005" target="_blank" rel="noopener">review</a> &#8220;Fantastic flameout&#8221; and his comments seemed to echo those of other critics.
&#8220;&#8230;But perhaps we need not concern ourselves with the plot of the movie, since it is undermined at every moment by the unwieldy need to involve a screenful of characters, who, despite the most astonishing powers, have not been made exciting or even interesting,&#8221; Ebert wrote. &#8220;The X-Men are major league compared to them.&#8221;
Chris Evans, Jessica Alba, Michael Chiklis, and Ioan Gruffudd lead this haphazard cast of superheroes that <a href="https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt0120667/?ref_=bo_se_r_3" target="_blank" rel="noopener">brought</a> 20th Century studios, to date, more than $333 million during its lifetime.
<h2>#6 &#8220;Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice&#8221;</h2>
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Directed by Zach Snyder, &#8220;Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice&#8221; hit the big screen in 2016 and fans were excited to see just which one of their favorite superheroes would come away a victor from the battle, but the storyline fell flat.
&#8220;Fearing that the actions of Superman are left unchecked, Batman takes on the Man of Steel, while the world wrestles with what kind of a hero it really needs,&#8221; a description on <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2975590/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">IMDb</a> read.
Unfortunately, fans and critics alike agreed the highly-anticipated DC Warner Bros. film was not great. Moviegoers gave it a 63% popcorn score, while critics gave it a 29% rotten on <a href="https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/batman_v_superman_dawn_of_justice" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Rotten Tomatoes</a>.
One <a href="https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/batman_v_superman_dawn_of_justice/reviews?type=top_critics" target="_blank" rel="noopener">critic</a> noted, &#8220;I wish I could tell you more, but honestly it&#8217;s all just a blur of pretentious speeches about what lurks in the hearts of men and noisy fight scenes and nonsensical dream sequences.&#8221;
Despite the film having a less-than-satisfying story, DC Warner Bros. earned more than $873 million at the worldwide <a href="https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt2975590/?ref_=bo_se_r_1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">box office</a> during its lifetime.
<h2>#5 &#8220;Wonder Woman 1984&#8221;</h2>
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Following the huge success of 2017&#8217;s &#8220;Wonder Woman,&#8221; DC Warner Bros. asked Patty Jenkins to once again direct the female superhero-led film. Despite the return of Gal Gadot, as Diana Prince, aka, Wonder Woman, and Chris Pine, the 2020 film didn’t set any records at the box office.
While &#8220;WW&#8221; centered around Wonder Woman&#8217;s battle to find and destroy the Greek god Of War Ares with a WWI backdrop, this time Diana&#8217;s in the 1980s with her new nemesis Cheetah played by Kristen Wiig and Pedro Pascal, playing Maxwell Lord.
&#8220;Diana must contend with a work colleague, and with a businessman whose desire for extreme wealth sends the world down a path of destruction, after an ancient artifact that grants wishes goes missing,&#8221; according to a description on <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7126948/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_3_tt_8_nm_0_q_Wonder%2520Woman%2520">IMDb.</a>
<a href="https://christiananswers.net/spotlight/movies/2020/wonderwoman2020.html">One writer</a> noted, &#8220;While the characters and emotional gravitas are strong, the overall plot, pacing, and tone are too all-over-the place to really work as a cohesive whole. And the 2½ hour runtime felt a bit like a drag, especially in the second act.&#8221;
The 2017 film <a href="https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt0451279/?ref_=bo_se_r_1">earned</a> more than $822 million over its lifetime worldwide. In comparison, &#8220;WW1984,&#8221; to date, has earned DC Warner Bros. a little over $169 million at the <a href="https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt7126948/?ref_=bo_se_r_2">box office.</a>
<h2>#4 &#8220;Eternals&#8221;</h2>
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Marvel&#8217;s new superheroes finally hit theaters in October 2021, after the COVID pandemic forced the film to be shelved in November 2020 and again in February 2021. Director Chloe Zhao’s attempt at making superheroes out of such stars as Angelina Jolie, Kumail Nanjiani, and more ended up falling flat with fans.
In this film, &#8220;immortal beings&#8221; called Eternals discover their real purpose isn&#8217;t protecting human life from Deviants, as they were led to believe for all time, and instead, discover that they were created to allow for the growth/birth of a celestial which will mean the destruction of everything on the planet.
&#8220;The end of one life &#8230; is the beginning of another,&#8221; Arishem the Judge tells one of the Eternals, at one point.
Critics widely panned this film, giving it a 47% rotten score on <a href="https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/eternals" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Rotten Tomatoes</a>. One movie reviewer <a href="https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/eternals/reviews?intcmp=rt-scorecard_tomatometer-reviews" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wrote</a>, &#8220;Regardless of Zhao&#8217;s (and Marvel&#8217;s) intentions, &#8216;Eternals&#8217; is a parade of faces without experience, a movie that reaches back and forth through history and comes back empty-handed.&#8221;
Kit Harrington, Salma Hayek, Richard Madden, and more round out this Marvel movie that <a href="https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt9032400/?ref_=bo_se_r_1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">earned</a> Disney Studios more than $402 million during its run in theaters.
<h2>#3 &#8220;Avengers: Age of Ultron&#8221;</h2>
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Three years after the very popular &#8220;The Avengers,&#8221; the highly-anticipated sequel &#8220;Avengers: Age of Ultron&#8221; hit theaters and despite the teaming up on the big screen again of Thor, Black Widow, Captain America, Hulk, Iron Man, and others, it is not considered one of Marvel&#8217;s greatest films in the genre.
&#8220;When Tony Stark and Bruce Banner try to jump-start a dormant peacekeeping program called Ultron, things go horribly wrong and it&#8217;s up to Earth&#8217;s mightiest heroes to stop the villainous Ultron from enacting his terrible plan,&#8221; a description on <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2395427/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">IMDb</a> read about the 2015 film.
&#8220;There&#8217;s only one path to peace, the Avengers extinction,&#8221; Ultron threatens our superhero team, at one point.
One critic <a href="https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/avengers_age_of_ultron/reviews?intcmp=rt-scorecard_tomatometer-reviews" target="_blank" rel="noopener">noted</a>, &#8220;Hardcore fans will find enough to enjoy here, but I found the pace at times slow, the visual effects somewhat disappointing (particularly compared to The Winter Soldier) and the story less than engrossing.&#8221;
Directed by Joss Whedon, the film includes <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/watch-chris-evans-dives-into-the-marvel-as-cinema-debate" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Chris Evans</a>, Scarlett Johansson, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, and Robert Downey Jr. It ended up <a href="https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt2395427/?ref_=bo_se_r_1">earning</a> Disney studios more than $1.4 billion worldwide during its lifetime.
<h2>#2 &#8220;Thor: The Dark World&#8221;</h2>
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The same year, Marvel released &#8220;Thor: The Dark World&#8221; from director Alan Taylor, who rose to fame after directing episodes of &#8220;Game of Thrones.&#8221; The sequel to the popular 2011 movie &#8220;Thor,&#8221; &#8220;Dark World&#8221; did not translate to success for the superhero film led by Chris Hemsworth who plays the god of Thunder, Thor.
&#8220;When the Dark Elves attempt to plunge the universe into darkness, Thor must embark on a perilous and personal journey that will reunite him with doctor Jane Foster,&#8221; a description on <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1981115/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">IMDb</a> read.
&#8220;In the first film [Thor] learned both humility and the important lesson that a king doesn&#8217;t seek out battle for his own amusement,&#8221; one writer <a href="https://thelovepirate.net/2013/11/10/reviewanalysis-thor-the-dark-world/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">noted</a>. &#8220;Here he&#8217;s trying to balance his duty to the kingdom with his love for a human, someone from a different realm who will only live a fraction of his lifetime.&#8221;
The <a href="https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/thor_the_dark_world/reviews?intcmp=rt-scorecard_tomatometer-reviews" target="_blank" rel="noopener">UK Sunday Times</a> opined that despite the movie&#8217;s title, &#8220;the only dark things about this world are the long, dull speeches and terrible costumes.&#8221;
Natalie Portman and Tom Hiddleston round out the cast and helped to bring Disney $644,783,140 at the worldwide <a href="https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt1981115/?ref_=bo_se_r_1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">box office</a> to date.
<h2>#1 &#8220;Iron Man 3&#8221;</h2>
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Released in 2013, Marvel&#8217;s &#8220;Iron Man 3&#8221; was a disappointment after the massive success of the first &#8220;Iron Man&#8221; in 2008 from actor-turned-filmmaker Jon Favreau. <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/robert-downey-jr-entire-planet-should-be-a-matriarchy-because-men-start-wars" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Robert Downey Jr</a>. once again takes on the role of billionaire inventor Tony Stark, who transforms into the man in the ironclad suit to defeat the latest form of evil.
Directed by Shane Black, Iron Man has enjoyed years of success, never looking back at his wilder days, until now when it finally catches up with him, in the form of genetically engineered humans, with a fatal flaw.
&#8220;When Tony Stark&#8217;s world is torn apart by a formidable terrorist called the Mandarin, he starts an odyssey of rebuilding and retribution,&#8221; a description on <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1300854/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">IMDb</a> read.
&#8220;Previously the series has been one of the more grown-up superhero franchises, but &#8220;IM3&#8243; is aimed straight at middle school,&#8221; one critic <a href="https://nypost.com/2013/04/30/iron-man-3-doesnt-iron-out-its-kinks/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wrote</a>. &#8220;Gone are all of the actual ideas (such as Tony&#8217;s robust defense of capitalism), gone is the witty dialogue, gone is anything like character development.&#8221;
Despite the film&#8217;s less than great story line, Paramount Pictures and Marvel still killed it at the <a href="https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt1300854/?ref_=bo_se_r_1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">box office</a> and earned more than $1.2 billion globally to date.
This story has been edited for clarity.

Eternals

The Seven Worst Superhero Films And Why

“Captain America: The Winter Soldier” – UK Film Premiere – Red Carpet Arrivals

The Top Seven Superhero Movies And Why

Chris Evans

Chris Pratt

James Gunn

Robert Downey Jr.

&#8220;The Flash&#8221; has made history for DC after the new superhero film suffered the biggest second-weekend box office drop domestically after the movie plummeted 72.5% from its dismal opening weekend.
The movie featuring <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/justice-league-star-arrested-following-incident-at-hawaii-bar" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ezra Miller</a> earned just $15.3 million in the United States in its second weekend out after it fizzled with a $55 million opening weekend at the box office, <a href="https://thedirect.com/article/the-flash-movie-box-office-dc-drop" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Direct.com</a> reported.
The nearly 73% drop by moviegoers is the worst one for a DC film in its second weekend ever, beating out the previous record set by DC&#8217;s &#8220;The Suicide Squad&#8221; of 71.5% drop during the height of the pandemic in 2020.
&#8220;The Flash&#8217;s&#8221; flop also puts it on the list for the third-worse second-weekend drop in superhero movie history at the domestic box office. &#8220;Steel&#8221; in 1997 dropped off 78% followed by &#8220;Morbius&#8221; in 2022 with 73% and now &#8220;The Flash&#8221; brings up the rear.
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Box Office: Ezra Miller’s ‘The Flash’ in Trouble, Pixar’s ‘Elemental’ Gets Iced <a href="https://t.co/Uycfu2udT4">https://t.co/Uycfu2udT4</a>
&mdash; The Hollywood Reporter (@THR) <a href="https://twitter.com/THR/status/1670094633211183105?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 17, 2023</a></blockquote>
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The latest DC superhero film had a budget of $220 million, not including marketing and other major costs, which have been <a href="https://collider.com/the-flash-movie-box-office-breakdown/">estimated</a> at roughly $65 million. It has currently made a domestic total of $87.6 million and is estimated to possibly end with a total run of $110-120 million, for a total of $210 million worldwide, the outlet noted.
&#8220;The Flash&#8221; landed in third place domestically coming in behind &#8220;Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse,&#8221; in the top spot after it scored $19.3 million in its fourth weekend out followed by Disney Pixar&#8217;s &#8220;Elemental&#8221; in second place with $18.5 million in its second weekend.
There&#8217;s been much speculation as to what has sunk the film, with some fans blaming superhero fatigue and others on the controversy surrounding the film&#8217;s leading character Ezra Miller.
Last year, <a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/the-flash-box-office-spider-man-1235523333/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Miller</a> made headlines after he was arrested multiple times. In August 2022, the star who identifies as &#8220;non-binary,&#8221; released a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/the-flash-star-ezra-miller-enters-treatment-for-complex-mental-health-issue-amid-legal-troubles" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a> that he was entering a treatment facility.
&#8220;Having recently gone through a time of intense crisis, I now understand that I am suffering complex mental health issues and have begun ongoing treatment,&#8221; Miller&#8217;s rep told <a href="https://variety.com/2022/film/news/ezra-miller-apologizes-the-flash-mental-health-issues-1235341888/">Variety</a> on the actor&#8217;s behalf.
&#8220;I want to apologize to everyone that I have alarmed and upset with my past behavior,&#8221; the statement added. &#8220;I am committed to doing the necessary work to get back to a healthy, safe and productive stage in my life.&#8221;
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/justice-league-star-arrested-following-incident-at-hawaii-bar" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Miller</a> was previously arrested in Hawaii for disorderly conduct following an incident at a bar. The actor was also <a href="https://pagesix.com/2022/08/16/the-flash-star-ezra-miller-apologizes-seeking-treatment/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">accused</a> by two parents of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/the-flash-star-ezra-miller-enters-treatment-for-complex-mental-health-issue-amid-legal-troubles" target="_blank" rel="noopener">grooming</a> their daughter with &#8220;cult-like&#8221; behavior since she was 12 years old.

Ezra Miller

‘The Flash’ Suffers Largest Second-Weekend Box Office Drop In DC Films History

Superheroes

It would be easy to believe that a well-produced superhero movie will automatically draw big crowds and earn millions or even billions of dollars. With super mega-hits like the “Avengers: Endgame” ($2.7 billion), “Spider-Man: No Way Home” ($1.9 billion), and “Black Panther” ($1.3 billion), the genre has become synonymous with bringing in boatloads of profits. But not always.
One thing the highest-earning films have in common is that they almost always come from Marvel Studios. In fact, eight out of the top ten highest-grossing superhero films are Marvel properties. One (“The Incredibles 2”, $1.2 billion) is from Pixar. In the tenth spot is DC’s crown jewel, “Aquaman,” which brought in a respectable sum of $1.1 billion for Marvel’s biggest rival.
“Aquaman” came out in 2018. That doesn’t mean the studio hasn’t had any hits since then. But with changing management and a new strategy, the future of the DC Extended Universe (DCEU) — which includes the Warner Bros. brand — is anything but certain.
The new president of DC Comics Jim Lee shared his thoughts on why some major superhero films are underperforming expectations.
“Once you hit a certain number of people, it&#8217;s too large for everyone to kind of love everything. And so they, basically, have splintered into different groups. It&#8217;s almost like pro sports at this point,” he told <a href="https://www.npr.org/2023/05/25/1178119988/dc-comics-superhero-marvel-films-movies-jim-lee" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NPR</a> in May, echoing what other industry experts said about the reality of “superhero fatigue” at the box office being part of the reason for disappointing box office numbers.
“Like, even when it was Marvel versus DC, I still felt like everyone loved comics. They embraced the storytelling. They embraced the notions of heroism and hope that the stories reflected. And now, it&#8217;s been elevated beyond that. It&#8217;s almost independent of what the storytelling is about. And it&#8217;s more about business factors or political factors, societal sort of discourse. It&#8217;s become highly polarized.”
Lee also mentioned that while smash hits will always rely on drawing in big crowds, studios should remember that they need to cater to their core comic book-loving audience first and foremost. “Yes, you need the broader, more casual audience to really hit those elevated numbers in terms of box office or viewership,” the DC Comics executive said. 
 
“But at the end of the day, if you don&#8217;t have that core fan base that loves and knows the material intimately to help sort of propel and drive that energy, it becomes very challenging.”
The two men in charge of righting the ship for the DCEU are director James Gunn and producer Peter Safran. They’re both serving as co-chairs and co-CEOs of DC Studios as of October 2022. Insiders were shocked when the news broke, with <a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/dc-movies-james-gunn-peter-safran-to-lead-film-tv-division-1235248438/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Hollywood Reporter</a> calling it an “unprecedented move” for the studio to select a director to serve as an executive-level decision-maker.
Gunn and Safran already announced their plans for upcoming projects, which include a reboot of &#8220;Superman.&#8221;
The studio next announced some changes spurred by the new vision for DC. Henry Cavill got booted as “Superman,” which surprised some of the fanbase. “We didn’t fire Henry,” Gunn told <a href="https://deadline.com/2023/01/dc-movies-robert-pattinson-gal-gadot-jason-momoa-future-dc-james-gunn-1235245269/">Deadline</a> when the news broke. “Henry was never cast. He was in a cameo, and that was the end of his story.”
The first project Gunn and Safran announced was “Gods and Monsters.” Beyond that, the duo said in January 2023 that they were remaining open and “flexible” about developing new content.
&#8220;Many of the following projects are already being worked on, but we&#8217;re remaining flexible, and we&#8217;re going to adjust because we&#8217;re never going to put a project into production before the script is right,” Safran <a href="https://collider.com/james-gunn-peter-safran-dcu-future-plans/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>.
Gunn had more to say about staying open to change. “I&#8217;ve been around making studio movies now for over 20 years, and the thing that I&#8217;ve seen, the biggest change between the past and today is that — and the reason why I think movies in general are not as good as they used to be — is because too many movies get set into a date, and then they&#8217;re made no matter what,” he said.
“Then you have movies where they don&#8217;t have a third act, and they&#8217;re already shooting, hoping that somehow they&#8217;re going to work it out, even though they didn&#8217;t get it worked out through three years of script. So, we want to really elevate writers, again, make writers as important as they are, and become architects of this story,&#8221; Gunn said of the DC strategy going forward.
And as for the content that will be coming, the new heads of DC are planning to blur the line between good and evil, unlike the storylines of superhero movies in the past. Gunn described the current universe as being filled with “almost saintly people&#8221; like Superman who were always fighting unquestionably evil villains. The future of DC, he explained, will be a lot more nuanced.
&#8220;There&#8217;s all these shades of gray of these different types of character, which allows us to tell more complex storytelling,&#8221; he said of the superhero stories to come.
The recently released DC property “The Flash” <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/the-flash-fizzles-at-box-office-despite-being-called-one-of-the-greatest-superhero-movies-ever-made" target="_blank" rel="noopener">underperformed expectations</a> at the box office over the weekend, earning just $55 million. It’s worth noting that the film was plagued by controversy due to the lead actor, Ezra Miller, facing legal troubles, which meant the studio didn’t do a full-scale promotional tour like they normally would.
Up next, the studio will release “Blue Beetle” in August and then the highly anticipated “Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom” on December 25. “Joker: Folie à Deux” is slated for a 2024 release, followed by “Superman: Legacy” in 2025.
Will DC be able to compete with Marvel as a true contender in the future? That’s what they’re hoping for.

Los Angeles Premiere Of Warner Bros. “The Flash” – Arrivals

Can Superhero Movies Survive? DC Hopes For Better Days Ahead

Warner Bros

A loud sonic boom that was felt throughout the Washington, D.C., area on Sunday reportedly came from a fighter jet that was scrambled to respond to a small aircraft that entered a no-fly zone and later crashed in Virginia.
The trespassing Cessna Citation did not respond to authorities who tried to contact the plane and is believed to have been on autopilot, a <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/us/loud-boom-shakes-washington-dc-fire-department-reports-no-incidents-2023-06-04/">source</a> told Reuters.
The City of Annapolis Office of Emergency Management said the &#8220;explosion&#8221; that many people online reported hearing came from the fighter jet sent to intercept the plane.
&#8220;The loud boom that was heard across the DMV area was caused by an authorized DOD flight,&#8221; said the office, using the acronym for the Department of Defense. &#8220;This flight caused a sonic boom. That is all the information available at this time.&#8221;
Fox News correspondent Lucas Tomlinson said the F-16 that responded to the Cessna Citation was &#8220;cleared supersonic to respond,&#8221; meaning the jet was cleared to fly at faster than the speed of sound. The sonic boom that people heard was caused when the jet broke the sound barrier.
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UPDATE: F-16 fighter jet from DC National Guard was “cleared supersonic to respond” to unknown Cessna ignoring radio queries flying on “strange flight path” outside nation’s capital, officials say. FAA says Cessna crashed near Staunton, Virginia.
&mdash; Lucas Tomlinson (@LucasFoxNews) <a href="https://twitter.com/LucasFoxNews/status/1665461262489141250?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 4, 2023</a></blockquote>
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The F-16 deployed flares in an attempt to get the attention of the pilot, but did not appear successful, according to a statement from NORAD.
The Federal Aviation Administration said in a statement the Cessna plane later crashed into a mountainous area in Virginia. There was no word about the status of anyone who was onboard the aircraft.
&#8220;A Cessna Citation crashed into mountainous terrain in a sparsely populated area of southwest Virginia around 3 p.m. local time on June 4,” the FAA said. “The aircraft took off from Elizabethton Municipal Airport in Elizabethton, Tenn., and was bound for Long Island MacArthur Airport in New York. The FAA and NTSB will investigate. The NTSB will be in charge of the investigation and provide all further updates.&#8221;

USAF Tests Weapons In Nevada Desert

Fighter Jet’s Sonic Boom Rocks Washington D.C. While Responding To Plane That Later Crashed

Fighter Jet's Sonic Boom Rocks D.C. While Responding To Plane That Later Crashed

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