Kaboom of the wild? Proposed howitzer testing in the Adirondacks alarms critics

LEWIS, N.Y. (AP) — The Adirondacks are a vast stretch of forested mountains noted for thehaunting call of loons, the crackle of campfires and the soft swish of kayak paddles on placid lakes.

Adirondacks Howitzer

Should the boom of howitzers be allowed here, too?

An unprecedented proposal to test large artillery in a rural Adirondack Park town has some residents and environmentalists up in arms, and park regulators are holding a rare public hearing on it.

Opponents fear the blasts on private land would shatter the tranquility and potentiallyspook moose, deer, bears and birds. Environmentalists also note that the proposed range is near state-owned forest land and fear the big bangs could threaten the patchwork of private and public land that comprises the 6-million-acre (2.4-million-hectare) park.

"I hunt. I shoot. I reload. I know guns," Dan Canavan said at the home he shares with his wife, Lanita, about a mile (1.6 kilometers) from the proposed testing range in Lewis. "You can't equatea 155 millimeter howitzerwith a hunting rifle, but that's how he's been selling it."

Private military contractor Michael Hopmeier says the howitzer barrel tests would support national security and contends that any noise — once it travels through the woods to the nearest neighbor — would not even be as loud as other sounds common to country life, like chainsaws and firearms.

Howitzer in the woods

Hopmeier wants to establish a testing range off a country road, about 10 miles (16 kilometers) west of Lake Champlain.

Under the proposal, steel projectiles would be fired out of barrels as wide as 155 millimeters (about 6 inches) 30 times a year over a distance of about two football fields. Tests would be conducted midday on weekdays, no more than twice a day. A metal shipping container filled with sand and gravel could catch the projectiles, which would have no explosive warheads on them.

"We are not investigating explosive shells. We are not blowing things up," Hopmeier recently told officials of a nearby town.

He said his company wants to assess things like barrel wear and recoil for the military. Regulators at the Adirondack Park Agency have requested more information multiple times since the initial 2021 application.

Hopmeier's company, Unconventional Concepts, Inc., said in the application that tests would support research at a U.S. Army lab at the Watervliet Arsenal, about two hours south. No current contract exists, but Hopmeier said in an email that they could accept government contracts after testing authority is obtained.

The Army's DEVCOM Armaments Center said in an email that it has no current plans for howitzer testing at that Adirondack site, "but may consider future artillery experimentation based on Army priorities."

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The proposed range would be near the site of a Cold War-eranuclear missile siloHopmeier's business bought in 2015 — one of a dozen that once ringed the now-defunct Plattsburgh Air Force Base. Today, the old silo site is used for research.

The actual artillery testing would be done on land near the site. Though the area is remote, 44 homes are within 2 miles (3.22 kilometers) of the proposed testing range.

Does artillery belong in the Adirondacks?

Howitzer blasts are extremely loud — roughly 180 decibels at the source, a noise levelhigher than most fireworksand more than enough tocause hearing lossand bodily damage.

While testing would be conducted away from famous Adirondack attractions like Lake Placid and Lake George, Hopmeier's proposal has attracted widespread attention. More than 1,400 comments from the public were sent to state regulators, with only 19 expressing support.

Lanita Canavan, who is on the town council, worries about losing the quiet character of the remote municipality of roughly 1,300 people and the birds being chased from her feeders. April Guilder wonders about the tests affecting local water.

"Who's sticking up for us? That's my question," Guilder asked at a recent informational meeting at the town fire hall. "I don't feel like there's anybody that's doing that, and that's kind of frustrating."

Some are already upset with Hopmeier for "Jaded Thunder" military exercises last September, which involved his property and helicopters from the U.S. Army's Fort Drum. Multiple people complained about low-flying choppers and gunfire. One area resident said she felt like she was in the movie "Apocalypse Now."

Though the howitzer proposal is separate, some residents see it as another disturbance related to Hopmeier.

Still, Jim Pulsifer, who owns the proposed testing land, said that if he thought the noise would be too loud, he would not be involved. He said that since the work would help the country and bring much-needed employment to the area, he offered his land free of charge.

"I know there's a lot of people that moved into the Adirondacks for their little peace and quiet," said Pulsifer, who lives near the test site. "Well, people have to live in the Adirondacks, too — and make a living."

After several delays, a public hearing is now scheduled for April 22. An administrative law judge is expected to spend months exploring whether test-firing howitzers is compatible with the rules and character of the park.

Hopmeier questioned whether the park agency has the authority to prevent him from testing, but said regulatory approval from them "makes things cleaner." However, he has also filed a lawsuit seeking to nullify the board's vote to hold the hearing, arguing that one member with past ties to an environmental group should have abstained.

"Allowing them to treat me unfairly and disregard basic rights is a disservice to my community and country," Hopmeier wrote, "so I fight on."

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March 10, 2026

Kaboom of the wild? Proposed howitzer testing in the Adirondacks alarms critics

LEWIS, N.Y. (AP) — The Adirondacks are a vast stretch of forested mountains noted for thehaunting call of loons, the crac...

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Why some airport security screeners will continue to get paid during the government shutdown

Long security linessnaked into baggage claim areasand parking garages at some U.S. airports this weekend, a possible indicator of more widespread travel problems as the latestgovernment shutdowndrags on.

TSA Privatization

That kind of disruption, while not yet widespread, is not a concern that typically surfaces at San Francisco International Airport, the largest of nearly two dozen U.S. airports where screening checkpoints are staffed by private contractors under a little-used federal program that allows airports to outsource security screenings while maintaining TSA oversight.

Because contractors' pay comes from a federal contract, it often continues even when the government shuts down.

"The money's already been allocated, the payments have already been made, and that continues without interruption," SFO spokesperson Doug Yakel told The Associated Press. "That is a very nice place to be."

The contrast draws attention to a long-running debate in the aviation industry: Can private contractors operating under TSA oversight provide a stopgap — and shield airport security operations from the political impasses that can disrupt U.S. air travel?

Some aviation experts see the TSA screening program as a potential model for keeping security lines moving with fewer disruptions during shutdowns. At SFO, that system helped maintain screening operations during last year'srecord 43-day shutdown, Yakel said.

But critics caution that privatization is not a silver bullet — and could introduce new risks. The union representing federal screeners argues that moving operations to private companies could erode job protections and reduce pay and benefits for workersalready facing high turnover amid demanding conditions.

How the program works

TSA's screening partnership program allows airports to use private security companies chosen by the federal government to run checkpoints while TSA retains authority over procedures and oversight. The agency says private security screeners receive the same security background check and must meet the same medical requirements as prospective federal security screeners.

In addition to SFO, other participating airports include Kansas City International Airport, Atlantic City International Airport and Orlando Sanford International Airport.

The vast majority of the nation's roughly 400 commercial airports, meanwhile, rely on federal screening officers employed directly by TSA. During shutdowns, those workersmust continue reporting for dutyeven though they stop getting paid — a dynamic that has historically led to higher absenteeism and slower-moving checkpoints the longer a shutdown lasts.

The current partial shutdownaffects only the Department of Homeland Security, which includes TSA. Democrats in Congress refused to fund the department over objections to its immigration enforcement tactics. The lapse marks the third shutdown in less than a year to leave TSA workers temporarily without pay — and once the government reopens, to have to wait for backpay.

Those disruptions can ripple through the travel system, cascading problems across already crowded flight schedules. The strain isespecially acute this time of yearas airlines and airports brace for what they expect will be one of the busiest spring break travel seasons on record.

San Francisco's airport is a 'litmus test'

Aviation security expert Sheldon Jacobson, whose research contributed to the design of TSA PreCheck, said the program's success at SFO, a large international airport, shows that privatization "is something that needs to be explored."

SFO is among the top 15 busiest airports in the U.S. when measured by passenger traffic. A major hub for international travel, it is the second-busiest airport in California behind Los Angeles International Airport.

"It's operated just as well as any other airport," Jacobson said, adding that SFO's multiple concourses and status as a hub for United Airlines demonstrate that even large-scale operations can be managed effectively under this model. "If SFO is the litmus test for delivering this privatized product, then many other airports can do it, too."

Jacobson noted that most airports currently using the program are smaller, but "the scale issue should not be a limiting factor," and he called for a broader conversation on how such options could deliver government services efficiently and benefit travelers.

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"Of course TSA would have oversight. It's not like they're freewheeling on their own," he said of privately contracted screeners. "We might as well use a government shutdown that affects air travel as an opportunity to begin that discussion."

Why TSA's union opposes the private model

The American Federation of Government Employees, which represents TSA officers, has long opposed privatization.

"We will never advocate for any privatization of any federal employees. We don't believe that'll work," Johnny Jones, secretary-treasurer of the TSA union's bargaining unit, said in a brief phone call this week.

In a blog post on its website, the union argues it could weaken accountability for aviation security — one of the reasons Congress chose to federalize airport screening after the Sept. 11 attacks.

The union also warned that private companies could face pressure to cut costs in ways that affect training, staffing levels and employee benefits. Relying on contractors, the union says, could create inconsistencies between airports if different companies operate checkpoints across the country, potentially complicating oversight of a system designed to maintain uniform national security standards.

"We have to remember the TSA was created in the wake of 9/11 when there were no security standards or very minimal security standards," said airline industry analyst Henry Harteveldt, president of Atmosphere Research Group. "The TSA came around, they established very stringent airport screening security requirements, which exist to this day."

Others say there are simpler ways to address the shutdown problem.

Industry groups — including the U.S. Travel Association, Airlines for America and the American Association of Airport Executives — are urging Congress to pass legislation that would ensure aviation workers are paid regardless of the government's funding status.

"Every time Washington fails to fund the government, these essential workers pay the price. So do travelers. So does the economy," Geoff Freeman, U.S. Travel Association's president, said in a statement. "That is why America's travel industry has come together, because this workforce is too important, and the stakes are too high, for this to keep happening."

An unintended benefit of outsourcing screeners

Republican lawmakers have pushed in recent years to dismantle the agency entirely and replace its screening functions with private contractors overseen by the federal government.

Last year, two GOP senators introduced the "Abolish TSA Act," which would phase out the agency and transfer oversight to a new office charged with aviation security. Supporters of the long-shot legislation say privatized screening could be more efficient and less vulnerable to shutdowns.

TSA leadership has signaled an openness to discussion. Speaking at a House Appropriations subcommittee hearing last year, Ha Nguyen McNeill, a senior official performing the duties of TSA administrator, said "nothing is off the table" regarding potential privatization.

"If a new privatization scheme makes sense, then we're happy to have that discussion to see what we can come up with," McNeill said. "It's not an all-or-nothing game."

At SFO, officials say its screening model was adopted more than 20 years ago for reasons unrelated to government shutdowns. But with shutdowns in recent years growing longer and more disruptive, the airport says its arrangement has revealed an unintended benefit: fewer staffing disruptions at checkpoints.

"The benefits, I think, are compelling," Harteveldt said. "The real issue is making sure that any vendor, any partner to the TSA, upholds the strict standards that TSA has established and works with TSA to ensure that screening remains efficient and finds ways to make it even better."

Associated Press video journalist Haven Daley contributed from San Francisco.

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March 10, 2026

Why some airport security screeners will continue to get paid during the government shutdown

Long security linessnaked into baggage claim areasand parking garages at some U.S. airports this weekend, a possible indi...

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LA County sees drop in homeless deaths, the first in 10 years

The mortality rate among homeless people in Los Angeles County decreased for the first time in more than 10 years, though one public health leader warned the welcome gains are at risk of being lost due to funding reductions.

The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health found that the mortality rate decreased by 10% in 2024, the latest available data. It marks the first decrease reported since 2014, the department's first year of data on homeless mortality, according to areportunveiled on Tuesday, March 10.

In total, 2,208 Los Angeles County people experiencing homelessness died in 2024, which is 300 people fewer compared to 2023.

While the news was welcomed by Los Angeles County supervisors and public health officials, they agreed that the mortality rate was still too high. But the future of continued improvements is less clear amid decreases in funding, as Department of Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer noted in a statement.

"At a time of major reductions in federal and state funding for homeless services and supports, we are at risk of losing precious ground and seeing an increase in the number of vulnerable people losing their lives," Ferrer said.

The drop was in part due to a 21% decrease in drug overdose deaths among homeless people, according to the department. Drug overdose, coronary heart disease, traffic-related injuries, homicide and suicide make up the bulk of causes of death in the county's homeless population, according to the department. Despite the improvements, it is drug and alcohol overdose that remains the leading cause of death among homeless people in 2024, according to the report.

Officials didn't give definitive reasons for what led to the decrease in drug overdoses during a press conference on March 10. However, they did provide some general insight about what might be responsible for that decrease.

"I think that there's a continuum of services that we've focused on across prevention, harm reduction, treatment, as well as recovery services and recovery housing that, from a service perspective, we think has driven down overdose deaths," said Gary Tsai, Substance Abuse Prevention and Control Bureau director with the department.

He said that it could also be due to fentanyl's potency being reduced, though he didn't have data specifically about the topic.

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Johnika Jamison, 38, holding her daughter Everly, 1. Her family has been homeless for more than a year after she and her husband experienced medical troubles that put them out of work. Jamison is struggling to lead her family out of homelessness while tending to their everyday care and needs. Jamison along with her husband and three daughters have been staying in a small hotel room for weeks as they embark on year two of homelessness. Jamison dreams of better days, but tending to her family's care needs takes up so much of her time she barely has a moment to look for work.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Johnika Jamison, 38, packing and helping her daughter Eastin, 9, get ready for school, center, as she holds her sister Everly, 1, in the hotel room her family calls home at the moment on Dec. 12, 2025. Jamison and her family have been homeless for more than a year after she and her husband experienced medical troubles that put them out of work. Jamison is struggling to lead her family out of homelessness while tending to their everyday care and needs. The hotel has a laundry room, Jamison says, but it's $5 per load. She doesn't use it much.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Johnika Jamison, 38, left, with her daughters Eden Jamison, 15, right, holding her sister Everly, 1, and Eastin Jamison, 9, as they wake and prepare for school in their hotel room. "We're running behind, as usual," Jamison says. It's Friday, and Eden needs to be at her bus stop by 6:30 a.m. Eastin's bus driver starts the route outside of their hotel each morning, idling for about 15 minutes. Eastin likes getting there early to read from the empty bus, basking in a kind of quiet that doesn't exist in the hotel room.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Johnika Jamison, 38, and her family have been homeless for more than a year after she and her husband experienced medical troubles that put them out of work. "I care for everybody else. I'm the one who manages all the medical appointments and the symptoms on the daily, and doing the research and advocating for each of my family members to their doctors," Jamison says. "And making sure that everybody takes their medicine on the daily."

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Johnika Jamison, 38, and her husband Tristian Harris, 25, right, and their family have been homeless for more than a year after they both experienced medical troubles that put them out of work. Jamison is struggling to lead her family out of homelessness while tending to their everyday care and needs. "It's not that easy to get back on your feet when you're literally trying to survive," Jamison says.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Johnika Jamison, left, and her family have been homeless for more than a year after she and her husband experienced medical troubles that put them out of work. Every day, Jamison and Harris have to come up with $100 to stay in the hotel. She has paid for it in the past by returning items she's bought for her family, like Everly's high chair and toys. 

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Johnika Jamison, 38, and her husband Tristian Harris, 25, getting a start to the day preparing the kids for school on Dec. 12, 2025. Jamison and her family were locked out of their apartment on Sept. 19, 2024. Jamison was seven months pregnant. After they were evicted, Jamison and her daughters went to Jamison's parents' house in Gaffney, South Carolina. But after she had Everly in October, Jamison, Harris and the baby stayed with Harris's dad while Eden and Eastin stayed with Jamison's parents. "It was a lot of hotel hopping and moving back and forth, and we weren't all together," Jamison says.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Johnika Jamison, 38, in the hotel room the family calls home while watching her daughter Everly, 1, sleep during the day while her other children are at school and her husband is at work. Jamison and her family stayed in an Airbnb in Charlotte in September and October 2025, when she was hired at a charter school in Charlotte. "For the first time in a year, all five of us were together," Jamison says. But she was let go three weeks into the job, and soon they couldn't afford the Airbnb anymore. They've been in the hotel room since Nov. 8.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Eden Jamison, 15, helps care and feed her sister, Everly, 1, in the hotel room where the family resides. "We don't like to put her on the floors," their mom, Johnika Jamison, says of the baby. Everly wants to start walking, but they keep her on the beds or in her playpen. "We don't trust 'em," Everly's dad Tristian Harris says. 

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Johnika Jamison, left, with her three daughters Eden, 15 Eastin , 9 and Everly, 1, and her husband Tristian Harris, back right, in the small hotel room they call home. Jamison married Harris, Everly's father, in December 2024. The family has been homeless for more than a year after Jamison and her husband experienced medical troubles that put them out of work. "I don't have time to be under the weather," Jamison says. "I've got to take care of everybody else and every thing." She gets meals from food pantries sometimes, but they often provide unusable items. One time Jamison was gifted a box of dry pasta and a jar of sauce. But her family lives in a hotel room. "How the heck am I supposed to cook that?"

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Johnika Jamison, left, with her three daughters Eden, 15 Eastin, 9 and Everly, 1, and her husband Tristian Harris, back right, in the small hotel room they call home. Jamison was a school guidance counselor for a decade before her family's medical needs and her high-risk pregnancy took her out of the workforce. "I get so much happiness from helping kids and their families," she says. As a school counselor, Jamison worked with students experiencing homelessness before she was homeless. "You don't understand until you're in it yourself," she says.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Eden Jamison, 15, arrives back from school to the hotel room the family calls home on Dec. 12, 2025. Johnika Jamison, 38, and her family have been homeless for more than a year after she and her husband experienced medical troubles that put them out of work. Eden tries to help out around the house and acts like "a little adult" sometimes. "But she can't," Johnika Jamison says. "She's 15." 

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Tristian Harris, 25, after being sent home following a shortened work day and trouble with a paycheck on Dec. 12, 2025. He and his wife Johnika Jamison, 38, are currently living in a small hotel room. They have been homeless for more than a year after Jamison and Harris experienced medical troubles that put them out of work. The car Jamison and Harris share, a 2005 Nissan Ultima, has over 200,000 miles on it and needs an oil change, Jamison says. 

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Johnika Jamison, 38, and her family have been living in a small hotel room since Nov. 8, 2025. It costs $100 per night. "Some days it takes all your attention and energy just to find the money for the next night," Jamison says. Luckily, the hotel manager has been kind to them and doesn't demand the $100 by noon. "I think she's just a really good person." 

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Eden Jamison, 15, right, packs to catch a school bus early in the morning on Dec. 12, 2025, while her sisters Eastin Jamison, 9, and Everly Jamison, 1, continue to sleep in the hotel room bed that the family now calls home. Johnika Jamison, 38, and her family have been homeless for more than a year after she and her husband experienced medical troubles that put them out of work. Jamison is struggling to lead her family out of homelessness while tending to their everyday care and needs.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" />

After medical setbacks, a family works to escape homelessness

Johnika Jamison, 38, holding her daughter Everly, 1. Her family has been homeless for more than a year after she and her husband experienced medical troubles that put them out of work. Jamison is struggling to lead her family out of homelessness while tending to their everyday care and needs. Jamison along with her husband and three daughters have been staying in a small hotel room for weeks as they embark on year two of homelessness. Jamison dreams of better days, but tending to her family's care needs takes up so much of her time she barely has a moment to look for work.

So, how does the county improve on mortality rate among its homeless population? Among the department's recommendations are:

• Build on interim and permanent housing options for homeless people

• Maintain and expand enrollment in Medi-Cal, the state's Medicaid program, among homeless people

• Sustain and grow mental health services for county residents experiencing homelessness

The recommendations come as California braces for significant federal health care funding cuts. PresidentDonald Trump's "One Big, Beautiful Bill Act," which was signed into law in July 2025, will impact Medi-Cal. More specifically, the changing work requirements, paired with "administrative burden," could leave up to 2 million people without Medi-Cal, according to the nonpartisanLegislative Analyst's Office. By 2028, up to 3 million people could lose Medi-Cal, both due to the OBBA and changes made in California's budget, Miranda Dietz, director of the Health Care Program at UC Berkley Labor Center, told California lawmakers in February.

Losing eligibility does jeopardize people's access to substance use services, Tsai said when asked about how the federal health care cuts could impact the department's strategies to reduce the homeless mortality rate.

However, the "substance use population" is exempt from the work requirements, he said. According to theCenter for Health Care Strategies, people in a qualifying "substance use disorder treatment program" are exempt, as well as those who are considered "medically frail," which include people with a substance use disorder.

"We are doing work to make sure that leading up to the January 2027 implementation of the work requirements and other issues, that the substance use community is aware that they are exempt," Tsai said.

In February, county supervisors approvedan $843 million spending planfor the Los Angeles County Department of Homeless Services and Housing, with more than $500 million earmarked for interim and permanent housing across the county, according to HSH.

Los Angeles County has proposed atemporary sales tax increase— which will be up to voters to approve — that could generate approximately $1 billion annually to help mitigate local health care impacts due to the funding cuts.

The next report about the county's homeless mortality rates will be released in early 2027 to reflect 2025 data.

Paris Barraza is a reporter covering Los Angeles and Southern California for the USA TODAY Network. Reach her atpbarraza@usatodayco.com.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:LA County's homeless mortality rate drops, the first in 10 years

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March 10, 2026

LA County sees drop in homeless deaths, the first in 10 years

The mortality rate among homeless people in Los Angeles County decreased for the first time in more than 10 years, though...

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“Love Story” Actress Dree Hemingway Says She Wrote a Letter to Daryl Hannah Before Portraying Her on TV

Dree Hemingway explains why she previously sent Daryl Hannah a letter

NEED TO KNOW

• In Love Story, the 38-year-old actress plays a younger version of the 65-year-old star who dated the late John F. Kennedy Jr. before his marriage to Carolyn Bessette Kennedy

• "I didn't want to make her feel awkward if that were something that she didn't want to do or something," Hemingway said of the letter

Dree Hemingwayis making her appreciation forDaryl Hannahclear.

In an interview withNylonpublished on March 4, the 38-year-old actress, who portrays a younger version of Hannah, 65, inRyan Murphy'sLove Story, said she reached out to the actress and activist through a letter.

"It was really just a love note to her saying how much I admired her, how much I've admired her as an actress and a woman, prior to even being cast as Daryl. How much I really just fell in love with her as a human being," Hemingway explained, referring to a conversation she previously had withThe Hollywood Reporter.

For the FX series, Hemingway plays a dramatized role of theSplashactress during her relationship with the lateJohn F. Kennedy Jr.,before and during his whirlwind romance with wifeCarolyn Bessette.

"I watched interviews and that feeling of really spending time with somebody you've never spent time with, but researching," she continued. "That was really the note, and just not like, 'Hey, I want to meet you or talk to you.' Just, like, 'It was really an honor of my lifetime to be able to portray you and research you.' "

While Hemingway toldNylonshe would have loved to speak directly to Hannah, her "nerves" likely would have gotten the best of her.

"I also didn't want to intrude in any way. I didn't want to make her feel awkward if that were something that she didn't want to do or something," she said.

At the time the interview was published, Hannah reportedly had not responded to Hemingway, which the actress said she's okay with as she just wanted to show her admiration for the person she saw as "a person, a philanthropist."

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"I also think [she needs] her own time. The show's just come out; I'm sure there's a lot to digest there and stuff like that," Hemingway said. "What I really want to emphasize is that this is a dramatization. We are not exactly portraying her or how something went down. There's a fiction involved in all of this. With any person that you loved and you were dating, I'm sure it's a hard thing. So, I think that it's nice to respect that and her."

Just two days after Hemingway's interview withNylonwas published, Hannah shared her feelings about her portrayal in the "tragedy-exploiting television series" in an op-ed with theThe New York Times.

"The choice to portray her as irritating, self-absorbed, whiny and inappropriate was no accident," she wrote, linking out to an interview with one of itsproducersabout why she was not consulted regarding the show.

"The character 'Daryl Hannah' portrayed in the series is not even a remotely accurate representation of my life, my conduct or my relationship with John," she continued, denying the use of cocaine, pressuring Kennedy into marriage, and desecrating family heirlooms, as portrayed in the series.

Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE's free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

"When so many people watch a dramatization that uses a real name, real-life consequences follow," Hannah said in her lengthy piece, later adding, "Real names are not fictional tools. They belong to real lives."

A rep for Hannah did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's request for comment.

Love Storyis now streaming on Hulu.

Read the original article onPeople

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“Love Story” Actress Dree Hemingway Says She Wrote a Letter to Daryl Hannah Before Portraying Her on TV

Dree Hemingway explains why she previously sent Daryl Hannah a letter NEED TO KNOW In Love Story, the 38-year-...

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Rihanna Home Shooting Suspect Indicted on Attempted Murder and 10 Assault Counts After AR-15 Attack, Faces Life in Prison

Ivanna Lisette Ortiz, 35, of Orlando, Florida, allegedly fired approximately 10 shots at Rihanna's Beverly Crest home on March 8, 2026, while the singer, A$AP Rocky, their children, and others were inside.

Summary

• Ortiz faces one count of attempted murder, 10 felony counts of assault with a semiautomatic firearm, and three felony counts of shooting at an inhabited dwelling — and could face life in prison if convicted.

• A judge issued a protective order barring Ortiz from contacting Rihanna, A$AP Rocky, their neighbors, and any associated work addresses.

Ivanna Lisette Ortiz, a 35-year-old woman from Orlando, Florida, has been formally charged with attempted murder after allegedly pulling up toRihanna's Beverly Crest home on March 8 andopening fire with an AR-15-style semiautomatic rifle. The Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office confirmed Tuesday that if convicted as charged, Ortiz faces up to life in state prison.

Ortiz was chargedwith one count of attempted murder, 10 felony counts of assault with a semiautomatic firearm, and three felony counts of shooting at an inhabited dwelling or camper. Her arraignment has been set for March 25 at the Foltz Criminal Justice Center. She is currently being held on $10.2 million bail.

According to the L.A. County District Attorney's Office, on March 8 at approximately 1:20 p.m., Ortiz is accused of driving up to the front of Rihanna's home on the 9500 block of Heather Road and firing a semiautomatic weapon multiple times. And this wasn't an empty house.

The Fenty Beauty founder, her partner A$AP Rocky, and their three children were home at the time, along with Rihanna's mom and two staff members — a total of eight people inside the property. Two additional people were inside a neighboring home, which accounts for the remaining assault charges. Miraculously, no one was struck.

According to an LAPD radio dispatch cited by CNN, the woman fired off "approximately 10 shots." Aerial footage showed multiple gunshot holes in the gate surrounding the property, in an Airstream trailer parked outside, and at least one bullet hole on the actual exterior wall of the home.

Witnesses and surveillance footage indicated the suspect fled the area in a white Tesla with paper license plates. A car matching that description was later spotted in nearby Sherman Oaks, where officers made a traffic stop and arrested the suspect.

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Los Angeles County District AttorneyNathan J. Hochmandid not mince words in a statement following the charges. "Opening fire in any populated neighborhood is extremely dangerous, puts lives at risk and will be fully prosecuted,"Hochman said. "Thankfully, no one was injured in this shooting, but this careless violence will not be tolerated in our community. Such shooters will find their next destination to be our jails and prisons."

A motive has not been officially established, but investigators aren't exactly starting from zero. Detectives are reviewing social media posts attributed to Ortiz, and in one post, a person using Ortiz's name wrote: "Listen Rihanna, when you die, God is taking me to my future."

Another post, dated February 23, reads: "@badgalriri — Are you there? 'Cause I was waiting for your AIDS 5-head self to say something to me directly instead of sneaking around like you're talking to me where I'm not at."

It's the kind of language that makes the $10.2 million bail feel almost reasonable.

LAPD ChiefJim McDonnellnoted that the high bail amount was set in part because 10 people were in the home during the shooting. He also confirmed that authorities believe Ortiz drove from Florida, though it remains unclear exactly how long she had been in Los Angeles before the incident.

A judge also issued a protective order for Rihanna and A$AP Rocky, meaning Ortiz must stay away from the couple, their neighbors, the property, and any work addresses associated with either of them.

The case is being prosecuted byAlexander Bottof the Major Crimes Division and remains under active investigation by the LAPD's Robbery-Homicide Division — the same unit that handles the city's most serious violent crimes. The fact that it landed there tells you everything you need to know about how seriously law enforcement is taking this woman shooter and what she allegedly did on a quiet Sunday afternoon in Beverly Crest.

Rihanna's representatives have not commented publicly. Neither hasA$AP Rocky's camp.

The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty. But the charges and the potential sentence are as real as it gets.

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March 10, 2026

Rihanna Home Shooting Suspect Indicted on Attempted Murder and 10 Assault Counts After AR-15 Attack, Faces Life in Prison

Ivanna Lisette Ortiz, 35, of Orlando, Florida, allegedly fired approximately 10 shots at Rihanna's Beverly Crest home...

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Tilly Norwood, the AI 'actress,' responds to backlash in music video

ActressTilly Norwoodcontinues to turn heads in Hollywood, now as a musician. But she's still not human.

After causing a stir among actors, the fictional character made with artificial intelligence and created by the England-based company Particle6 has ventured into music with a new song and video.Titled "Take The Lead," the track encourages listeners to appreciate the human connection to the technology that led to its existence, with the central lyric "AI's not the enemy, it's the key."

"When they talk about me, they don't see the human spark, the creativity, behind the code, behind the light, I'm just a tool, but I've got life," the opening lyrics read. "I didn't come from nowhere, no, A story's always told, you know, It's not a glitch, it's taste and time, A human touch, a grand design."

The video features a plethora of AI-generated visuals of the singer at a massive arena show, entering a limousine, and many pink flamingos, Norwood's signature aesthetic. There are also various playful nods to its lack of humanity, from failing a CAPTCHA test to a concertgoer holding a sign reading "Tilly, I'll eat all your cookies."

The video opens with a disclaimer that "the following production was made by 18 real humans - from production designers to costume designers to prompters, editors and an actor."

Norwood also teased an appearance at the2026 Academy Awardson Sunday, March 15, with the video description reading "Can't wait to go to the Oscars! Does anyone know if they have free valet parking for my flamingo?"

Who is Tilly Norwood?

Norwood is the "World's first AI Actress," according to itsInstagram page,with over 115,000 followers. Initially promoted as an up-and-coming actress trying to make it in the business, Norwood has posted "screen tests" and "stills" from its "latest work."

A July 30 video showcased its "first ever role," in "AI Comissioner," a comedy sketch from Particle6 that was entirely AI-generated.

Following backlash from the SAG-AFTRA union, Norwood's creator andParticle6 founder Eline Van Der Veldendefended the fictionalized character as "a creative work."

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"To those who have expressed anger over the creation of our AI character Tilly Norwood: she is not a replacement for a human being, but a creative work — a piece of art," Van Der Velden wrotein her own statement on Instagramon Sept. 27. "Like many forms of art before her, she sparks conversation, and that in itself shows the power of creativity.

"I see AI not as a replacement for people, but as a new tool − a new paintbrush," she continued. "Just as animation, puppetry, or CGI opened fresh possibilities without taking away from live acting, AI offers another way to imagine and build stories. I'm an actor myself and nothing − certainly not an AI character − can take away the craft or joy of human performance.

See 'Good Will Hunting', 'Argo', more of Ben Affleck's memorable roles

How has Hollywood welcomed Tilly Norwood, AI at large?

The entertainment industry has not welcomed Tilly Norwood with open arms, with several stars expressing concerns about its existence and the SAG-AFTRA union blasting its creation, "using stolen performances to put actors out of work, jeopardizing performer livelihoods and devaluing human artistry."

"To be clear, 'Tilly Norwood' is not an actor, it's a character generated by a computer program that was trained on the work of countless professional performers — without permission or compensation,"SAG-AFTRA's Sept. 30 statement reads. "It has no life experience to draw from, no emotion and, from what we've seen, audiences aren't interested in watching computer-generated content untethered from the human experience."

AI was already a concerning flashpoint in Hollywood before Norwood's debut, though some talent have embraced the technology.

In 2022,Ben Affleckfounded Interpositive, an AI-powered tool company built by and for filmmakers, whichNetflix announced it had acquired on March 5. In November,Matthew McConaugheyandMichael Caine partnered with voice-cloning company ElevenLabs, which uses AI to replicate voices.

"ElevenLabs gives everyone the tools to be heard," Caine said in astatement. "It's not about replacing voices; it's about amplifying them, opening doors for new storytellers everywhere. I've spent a lifetime telling stories. ElevenLabs will help the next generation tell theirs."

Contributing: Anna Kaufman, USA TODAY

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Tilly Norwood, the AI 'actress,' responds to backlash in new video

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March 10, 2026

Tilly Norwood, the AI 'actress,' responds to backlash in music video

ActressTilly Norwoodcontinues to turn heads in Hollywood, now as a musician. But she's still not human. Aft...

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