Jon Landau — an Oscar-winning producer who worked on some of the highest-grossing films of all-time like “Avatar” and “Titanic” — has passed away at the age of 63.

Landau, who frequently collaborated with critically acclaimed director James Cameron, died on Friday after reportedly battling cancer for more than a year. His sister Tina confirmed his death in a social media post, referring to the late producer as  “the best brother a girl could ever dream of.”

“My heart is broken but also bursting with pride & gratitude for his most extraordinary life, and the love and gifts he gave me – and all who knew him or his films,” she wrote.

Landau was the son of successful Hollywood producers Ely and Edie Landau and for a time was an executive at the film production company 20th Century Fox. During his time there, he worked on films like “The Last of the Mohicans” and “Die Hard II.”

While working with Cameron, he helped to produce what remains one of the highest-grossing films of all-time in “Titanic.” The 1997 film was the first to surpass the $1 billion global box office mark and remains one of the most successful pictures in terms of both total gross and when adjusting for inflation.

He also collaborated with Cameron on “Avatar” and its sequel “Avatar: The Way Of Water,” which were released in 2009 and 2022 respectively. Both films went on to surpass Titanic’s box office numbers. Landau went on to hold a position in Cameron’s production company Lightstorm Entertainment.

Other film credits for Landau include “Honey, I Shrunk the Kids” and “Dick Tracy.”

In a statement to the Hollywood Reporter, Cameron referred to Landau as “a great producer and a great human being has left us.”

“Jon Landau believed in the dream of cinema. He believed that film is the ultimate human art form, and to make films you have to first be human yourself,” the legendary director said. “He will be remembered as much for his vast generosity of spirit as for the movies themselves.”

Cameron was not the only film industry heavyweight to pay tribute to Landau in the hours following his passing.

“Jon brought unparalleled passion to the projects he worked on and his influence will continue to inspire for years to come,” said Peter Jackson and his screenwriter wife Fran Walsh, whose visual effects were used in the Avatar films, in a joint statement.

Zoe Saldaña, who starred in the Avatar films, stated that Landau’s death was “hitting him really hard.”

“Your wisdom and support shaped so many of us in ways we will always be grateful for.”

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A new report is shining a light on the preparations President Biden goes through before public events and speeches. White House Staffers provide the president with photos complete with large, printed text that include instructions on how to perform basic tasks, including how to find the podium.

In the days following President Biden’s abysmal debate performance, the Democratic Party has been gripped in an intense debate over his political future. There has also been a debate over the president’s pre-debate prep work and what led up to such a disastrous performance.

While speaking with ABC News on Friday, Biden conceded that he performed poorly and realized things were trending south roughly 30 minutes in. “It was a bad episode,” Biden said. “No indication of any serious condition. I was exhausted. I didn’t listen to my instincts in terms of preparing and — and a bad night.”

The president partially blamed his disappointing performance on his pre-debate prep, claiming that his team focused on details and statistics rather than speaking firmly and clearly.

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“Did you ever watch the debate afterwards?” ABC’s George Stephanopoulos asked Biden. “I don’t think I did, no,” the president said.

“Yeah, look. The whole way I prepared, nobody’s fault, mine. Nobody’s fault but mine. I– I prepared what I usually would do sitting down as I did come back with foreign leaders or National Security Council for explicit detail. And I realized– partway through that, you know, all– I get quoted the New York Times had me down, ten points before the debate, nine now, or whatever the hell it is. The fact of the matter is, what I looked at is that he also lied 28 times. I couldn’t– I mean, the way the debate ran, not– my fault, nobody else’s fault, no one else’s fault,” Biden continued.

According to a report from Axios, Biden is routinely presented with a short document that shows him how to perform basic tasks, including a clear path to the podium, before any public event. “I staffed a simple fundraiser at a private residence, but they treated it like it was a NATO summit with his movements,” one person who recently staffed a Biden event told the outlet.

Prior to presidential events, White House staffers send event staffers a document to emulate when presenting their own materials to the president. One template contains one large picture of the event space on each page, accompanied with large text that reads: “View from podium,” and “View from audience.”

The five-page document also includes full-page instructions such as “Walk To Podium.”

Biden’s instructions just leaked to Axios.

Now that they want him replaced, expect a lot more leaks like this. Expect a flood. pic.twitter.com/Mx8aEil7dQ

— End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) July 7, 2024

“It surprised me that a seasoned political pro like the president would need detailed verbal and visual instructions on how to enter and exit a room,” the event staffer told Axios.

One White House official told the outlet that such materials are routine when preparing any president. “If individuals are not accustomed to seeing advance teams work, that would be a common reaction, whoever the principal is.”

Two former Biden staffers added that preparations documents used during their tenure were different and were delivered through on-site diagrams.

Commonly known as “Advance Work,” presidential events are always preceded by detail-focused preparation. “Presidential movements are planned down to every footstep in ways that the movements of a vice president often are not,” Axios reported.

White House spokesperson Andrew Bates told Axios that “high levels of detail and precision are critical to presidential advance work — regardless of who is president — and these are basic approaches that are used by any modern advance team, including the vice president’s office and agencies.”

Vice President Kamala Harris’ spokesperson Kirsten Allen offered a similar comment. “These documents are standard logistical briefing materials and photos for any principal, including the vice president,” she said.

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Senator JD Vance revealed Sunday that he has not yet received a call from former President Donald Trump about serving as his running mate. Vance is one of several names on the Trump Campaign’s vice presidential shortlist.

“We’ll let the media know if I ever get that call, but most importantly, we’re just trying to work to elect Donald Trump and whoever the vice president is,” the freshman senator said during an appearance on “Meet The Press” Sunday. “It’s the leadership style that works for the American people, and I think we have to bring that back to the White House, and I’m fighting to do that.”

Vance stressed that he remains committed to helping Trump get back to the White House regardless of his decision on a running mate.

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When asked whether he would accept the results of the 2024 election, the Ohio Republican stated that he would like to, but will only do see if the process is “free and fair.”

“We will use constitutional processes to challenge issues if we think there are issues, but if it’s a free and fair election, we will do what the constitution requires, and we will accept the results, and I expect the results to reelect Donald Trump,” he said.

Host Kristen Welker then jumped in to claim that Vance’s refusal to 100 percent accept the election results feeds into skepticism surrounding elections, a claim the senator firmly rejected.

“I think that feeding into people’s concerns about the electoral process is that one-half of America’s political segment won’t support legislation to allow illegal aliens to vote and you have to present I.D. for anything in this country,” said Vance. “What I think undermines people’s confidence in the electoral system is when the media is incurious about obvious examples of progress about the electoral system.”

Vance — who has emerged as one of Trump’s strongest allies in the senate since winning election in 2022 — has long been said to be on Trump’s shortlist for vice president. He is among seven candidates who reportedly received vetting paperwork last month, while former White House Chief Strategist Steve Bannon has reported that Vance is one of Trump’s top choices for the role.

Trump is expected to announce his decision during the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee later this month.

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A local radio host who recently conducted an interview with President Biden told CNN that White House aides provided her with a list of questions she could ask in advance.

“The questions were sent to me for approval. I approved them,” Andrea Lawful-Sanders, host of “The Source” in Philadelphia, said during an interview Saturday with CNN’s Victor Blackwell.

When Blackwell asked whether the White House sent her questions for approval, Lawful-Sanders said yes. “I got several questions, eight of them, and the four that were chosen were the ones that I approved,” the radio host said.

“Okay, and the reason I ask is not a criticism of either of you, it’s just that if the White House is trying now to prove the vim, vigor, acuity of the president, I don’t know how they do that by sending questions first, before the interview, so that the what’s coming,” Blackwell followed up.

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When asked for comment on Saturday, the a campaign spokesperson stated that the questions were provided by the campaign rather than White House aides, though they did not deny the claim. “We do not condition interviews on acceptance of these questions,” Biden Campaign spokesperson Lauren Hitt told CNN.

“It’s not at all an uncommon practice for interviewees to share topics they would prefer. These questions were relevant to the news of the day – the president was asked about this debate performance as well as what he’d delivered for black Americans,” she said.

A campaign staffer later alleged that the campaign will no longer be providing interviewers with questions in advance. “While interview hosts have always been free to ask whatever questions they please, moving forward we will refrain from offering suggested questions,” a source familiar with President Biden’s booking schedule told CNN.

It has long been speculated that President Biden has received questions in advance throughout his presidency.

After delivering remarks to world leaders in Vietnam last year, Biden retrieved a sheet of paper from his jacket and stated that he had been given a pre-approved list of reporters to call on. “Let me see, they told me, they gave me five people here,” the president said while rummaging through papers.

In June of last year,  Biden appeared to be holding a “cheat sheet” that contained pre-approved questions, as well as the best way to answer them, during a meeting with wind industry leaders. The sheet of paper also included instructions for basic tasks, such as “YOU enter the Roosevelt Room and say hello to participants,” and ending with “YOU depart.”

In another instance, the president again appeared to be holding a cheat sheet that contained a question from a Los Angeles Times reporter during a press conference this last April.

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The Democratic Party has been gripped by a growing sense of panic in the aftermath of President Biden’s catastrophic debate performance against former President Donald Trump last week. Many elected officials are worried that Biden’s presence on a Democratic ticket could sink vulnerable lawmakers in the House and Senate to lose their races, prompting many to push for his replacement.

A number of House Democrats, as well as a handful of governors and senators, have called on President Biden to step down in recent days. Senator Mark Warner (D-VA) is attempting to gather a coalition of Democrat senators aimed at calling on the president to not seek re-election, while five House Democrats have already called for his removal from the ticket.

Others have provided tentative critiques of the president without explicitly calling on him to step down.

“There are concerns with the impact on down-ballot races if the President doesn’t do well,” U.S. Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) told “Meet The Press” on Sunday. Schiff is currently locked in a U.S. Senate race with former baseball star Steve Garvey.

“At present, our down-ballot candidates in the Senate and House are doing well,” Schiff continued, pointing to polls showing Democrats outperforming Biden in a number of key Senate races.  “They are running well ahead of the President, but you can only run so far ahead of the President.”

The Russian collusion hoax architect did concede that voters are concerned about President Biden’s age and fitness.

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A number of other House Democrats have provided blunt criticism of President Biden on the condition of anonymity.

“The sh*t is going to hit the fan on Monday, when Congress returns,” one Democrat lawmaker told Axios.

President Biden’s interview with ABC News — which was supposed to assuage the fears of Democrats by showing that Biden is competent — does not appear to have helped the campaign achieve its objectives. Panicked elected Democrats told Axios that there is “nothing” Biden can do to reverse the damage.

“Every single person not named Biden,” or members of the president’s staff, understand that Biden’s sinking poll numbers could sink the party as a whole, one top Democrat strategist told the outlet.

David Axelrod, a former top advisor to President Barack Obama, called on Biden to step down in a scathing opinion piece on Sunday. “Denial. Delusion. Defiance,” Axelrod said of the president.

The state of efforts to replace Biden could be made apparent by Sunday afternoon, when House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) will be holding a meeting with ranking members of congressional committees.

Top Democrats are hoping that President Biden will make a move by Friday if he does indeed exit the race. This, Democrats hope, would give them time to plot a strategy to defeat Trump with a new candidate.

Efforts to replace Biden will face a number of hurdles, however. Unless the party opts to go with Vice President Kamala Harris, the Biden Campaign’s war chest will not be eligible for transfer to a new candidate due to campaign finance laws. Polling has also found that Harris, along with other potential replacement candidates, would also lose to Trump in November.

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Former President Donald Trump has kept supporters and critics alike guessing over his presidential running-mate selection for months, though speculation is currently swirling around one candidate after Trump made a cryptic move on Truth Social.

Social media sleuths noticed that Trump recently followed Dr. Ben Carson on the social media site. Carson — a longtime Trump ally and former presidential candidate — has long been rumored to be on the alleged shortlist of candidates who have been vetted by the Trump campaign.

Other names on the alleged shortlist include Senator Tim Scott (R-SC), North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum, Senator JD Vance (R-OH), Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL), U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds and U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY).

While every name on the list was in Atlanta for last week’s presidential debate after Trump stated that the nominee had been selected and would be in attendance, Dr. Ben Carson is the only candidate whom Trump is following on Truth Social.

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In addition to the social media detail, internet sleuths previously noticed that the webpage for “TrumpBurgum.com” links to the official Trump campaign account. This is only true for Burgum, as similar links for other candidates turn up empty or link to unrelated pages.

Burgum — who immediately endorsed Trump after dropping his own presidential bid earlier this year — has attended a number of fundraisers for the presidential frontrunner. He has also campaigned for Trump in a number of swing states.

Former White House Chief Strategist Steve Bannon listed Burgum, Vance and Stefanik among “top-tier folks running hard” to be selected.

“Unlike 2016, [there is a] deep bench of talent,” Bannon said. “Looks like a Cabinet being formed. There will be lots of consolation prizes for these killers.”

It works https://t.co/jzIFvAVIju https://t.co/tmsc4jPylU

— Jack Poso (@JackPosobiec) June 20, 2024

According to a report from the New York Post, Trump is not considering an identity politics approach when selecting a potential running mate. “Tim Scott is in contention, but probably the least likely of the four. There hasn’t been any data or evidence pointing to either Tim Scott or Marco Rubio adding to Trump’s margins with minorities,” said one source close to the Trump campaign.

“Trump is looking for three things,” one Trump Campaign insider recently told the outlet. “He’s looking for who can raise money, he’s looking for who is an effective surrogate on TV with adversarial media, and he’s looking at who will do the best job debating Kamala Harris.”

“As President Trump has said himself, the top criteria in selecting a vice president is a strong leader who will make a great president for eight years after his next four-year term concludes,” senior Trump campaign adviser Brian Hughes said in a statement. “But anyone telling you they know who or when President Trump will choose his VP is lying unless that person is named Donald J. Trump.”

It is believed that Trump will be announcing his nominee for vice president in Milwaukee on July 18, just before he is set to be nominated at the Republican National Convention.

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President Biden’s primary physicians met with a Parkinson’s disease specialist at the White House, according to visitor logs obtained by the New York Post.

Dr. Kevin Cannard, a Parkinson’s disease expert at Walter Reed Medical Center, met with Dr. Kevin O’Connor, and two others at the White House residence clinic on January 17, according to White House records. The report comes as panic and speculation surrounding President Biden’s cognitive ability continues to swirl after last week’s disastrous debate with former President Donald Trump.

Dr. John E. Atwood, a cardiologist at Walter Reed, was also in attendance for the White House meeting. A fourth person was also in attendance, though they have not been identified. At the time, Biden was at the White House as part of his effort to convince lawmakers to allocate additional funding for Ukraine, according to his official schedule.

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The New York Post noted that Dr. Cannard is an “authority” on Parkinson’s disease who has worked at Walter Reed for nearly 20 years. Since 2012, he has served as the “neurology specialist supporting the White House Medical Unit,” according to his LinkedIn page.

U.S. Rep. Ronny Jackson (R-TX) — who worked as the primary White House physician under President Barack Obama and President Donald Trump — said it was “highly probable” that the purpose of the meeting was focused on Biden’s health. “It’s highly likely they were talking about Biden,” Jackson told the New York Post, pointing to the fact that Dr. O’Connor is Biden’s primary physician.

“He should only be [regularly] treating the president and the first family,” he said.

O’Connor has been Biden’s primary White House physician since he took office in January 2021 and is in daily contact with the president.

O’Connor gave Biden a clean bill of health at his annual physical in February. The exam included a neurological exam which specifically ruled out Parkinson’s disease, O’Connor said at the time.

Jackson — who has repeatedly questioned Biden’s mental and physical fitness — has accused O’Connor of attempting to “cover up” the president’s declining health and ability.

I believe he and Jill Biden have led the cover up. Kevin O’Connor is like a son to Jill Biden — she loves him. It’s crazy. Kevin O’Connor was in that job on day one of the Biden administration because they knew they could trust Kevin to say and do anything that needed to be said or done and cover up whatever needed to be covered up. He is part of the Biden family,” Jackson said.

Dr. Rob Howard, a professor of old age psychiatry at University College of London, stated that President Biden has displayed a number of symptoms consistent with Parkinson’s Disease.

Howard explained that the president’s “fluctuation in attentional function, his facial appearance, and his gait,” were all signs of a potential issue, though he stressed that he was not making a formal diagnosis. “I am not saying its Parkinson’s disease, I am just pointing out that there are features to him that are consistent with Parkinson’s disease.”

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A new poll from Ipsos/Reuters found that Democrats will have a difficult time defeating former President Donald Trump even if they move to replace President Biden.

A number of Democrat lawmakers have been calling on President Biden to step aside in the days following last Thursday’s disastrous debate. Despite growing panic, Biden has repeatedly refused to step down and has remained adamant that he will stay in the race.

If Democrats did move to oust Biden, it will be difficult to replace him with anyone other than Vice President Kamala Harris, as campaign finance laws would prevent the transfer of Biden Campaign donations to anyone else. Harris is also expected to receive the president’s support if the Democratic Party takes the choice out of his hands.

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Harris and other top replacement candidates — including Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer and California Governor Gavin Newsom — have publicly offered support to Biden over the last week and a half. Harris participated in a campaign “pep talk” with staffers earlier this week while Democratic governors have stood behind Biden after attending a White House meeting earlier this week.

Recent polling has found that a growing number of Americans want Biden to step aside, including 32 percent of Democrats, according to the latest Reuters/Ipsos survey.

While Biden and former President Donald Trump remain tied in the same poll, the results are less than encouraging for those who want the president replaced. Trump beats Harris with 43 percent of the vote to 42 percent, while Newsom comes up short by three points in a 42 percent to 39 percent race.

The results were even worse for Whitmer, who trails trump by four percentage points. Additional candidates, including Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear and Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker, also come up short against former President Trump.

Reuters/Ipsos did find one candidate who would be able to provide a win for Democrats, as the poll found Michelle Obama slightly in front in a head-to-head matchup with Trump. Obama has repeatedly stated that she is not interested in running for president, however.

“As former First Lady Michelle Obama has expressed several times over the years, she will not be running for president,” Crystal Carson, director of communications for her office, said in March.

“Mrs. Obama supports President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris’ re-election campaign,” the statement added.

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The Pennsylvania State Capitol complex was evacuated on Saturday after more than 250 people, including every member of the Pennsylvania House and Senate, received a bomb threat.

Lawmakers and other Pennsylvania government officials and staff received an email titled “my manifesto” shortly after 5:45 p.m. on Saturday. The threatening email stated that “highly lethal” explosive devices had been placed in and around the Pennsylvania State Capitol and Pennsylvania Judicial Center “in the name of Palestine.”

The sender vowed to set off devices every hour unless President Biden went on national television and cut off all aid and support for Israel.

“I plan on triggering one device every few hours until Joe Biden goes on national television and publicly denounces the illegitimate state of Israel,” the email said. “Keep in mind, I am inside one of the two buildings armed w/ a knife, and plan on remaining here to my dying breath!”

Michelle Richwine, a special assistant at the Office of Chief Clerk for the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, alerted all Capitol employees to the threat in an email. “Attention House Members and Staff – Vacate the Capitol Complex immediately. Do not reenter until cleared by Capitol Police.”

A handful of staffers who had gathered outside the complex told Penn Live that there were very few people inside when the evacuation order was given around 6:15 p.m.

President Biden is scheduled to make an appearance at a local business in Harrisburg on Sunday.

One lawmaker reported that police were still conducting sweeps of the complex as of 9:45 p.m. on Saturday. Law enforcement personnel could be seen using K-9 units in order to search for potential explosive devices.

The communications director for the Pennsylvania Department of General services issued a statement to WGAL as the search was ongoing.

“On Saturday, the Pennsylvania Capitol Police evacuated the Pennsylvania Capitol Complex and Judicial Center after a bomb threat was emailed to all members of the House of Representatives and Senate. The Capitol Police immediately worked with House and Senate security, as well as the Office of the PA Courts, to issue an immediate evacuation notice to those in the buildings,” they said.

“Capitol Police did not find any explosives during a K9 search of the perimeter of the Capitol Complex. Capitol Police and the FBI are still actively conducting a comprehensive search and investigation in coordination with the Pennsylvania State Police, House and Senate security, and the Dauphin County Sheriff’s office to ensure the safety of the area.”

The Trump re-election campaign announced plans for an event where the former president’s long-awaited pick for vice president could be revealed.

A flyer released by the Trump Campaign invites supporters to attend a “Freedom First Event” at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee. The July 18 event will be headlined by the “nominee for vice president, as well as former President Trump.

The event is being billed as a high-profile fundraiser, table prices going for donations between $200,000 and $300,000. Photo opportunities are also going for $100,000, while a $5,000 donation buys a ticket to the reception.

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Former President Trump has long cultivated speculation surrounding the selection of his running mate. The presidential frontrunner has long hinted that the decision will be made at the Republican National Convention, though he did note that the candidate was in Atlanta for last week’s presidential debate.

A number of candidates on the campaign’s shortlist were in the post-debate spin room, including Senator Tim Scott (R-SC), North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum, Senator JD Vance (R-OH), Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL), U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds, U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY), businessman Vivek Ramaswamy and Dr. Ben Carson.

Last month, ABC News reported that seven candidates had received documents from the Trump Campaign and were in the early stages of a vetting process.

Trump insiders have long cautioned that the former president is still considering a number of “dark horse” names, including Ramaswamy and Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders, among others.

“Trump is looking for three things,” one Trump Campaign insider recently told the New York Post. “He’s looking for who can raise money, he’s looking for who is an effective surrogate on TV with adversarial media, and he’s looking at who will do the best job debating Kamala Harris.”

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