The Jennifer Lawrence Diary™

Parker on her fabulous photobomber: ‘Jennifer Lawrence deserves every bit as much as her male counterpart. It’s indisputable’

That’s actress Sarah Jessica Parker, speaking to Marie Claire magazine for a provocative new interview where the “Sex and the City” star declared she isn’t a feminist.

Marie Claire September 2016
September cover.

“I don’t think I qualify,” she told the magazine. “I believe in women and I believe in equality, but I think there is so much that needs to be done that I don’t even want to separate it anymore. I’m so tired of separation. I just want people to be treated equally.”

In the photo, below, Lawrence photobombs Parker on the red carpet at the 2013 Metropolitan Museum Costume Institute Gala in New York. More photos from this year’s event.

Jennifer Lawrence "photobombs" Sarah Jessica Parker as Marion Co

Latest Headlines

Amazon’s Prime Air edges closer to takeoff (watch out, UPS); Ford China sales hit July record; and U.S. added 255K jobs in July, beating forecasts

A news summary focused on 10 big employers; updated 9:06 p.m.

Prime Air plane
Amazon’s new Prime Air 767 is operated by Atlas Air.

AMAZON today is showcasing its first branded air cargo plane during Seafair’s Air Show, an annual community celebration in the retail giant’s Seattle hometown. The Boeing 767-300, operated by Amazon’s air cargo provider Atlas Air, is flying in the show for thousands of Seattle residents and employees. In May, Amazon said it would lease 20 of the planes from Atlas for its nascent air delivery service. The 767’s appearance, complete with the company’s Prime Air livery, is the latest step in Amazon’s drive to take control of every phase of its logistics as it becomes both a customer and competitor of UPS, FedEx and other shippers (press release). Amazon and UPS are both big employers in the Louisville area; UPS has 22,000 workers at its Louisville International Airport hub, and Amazon employs 6,000 at distribution centers in Jeffersonville and Shephardsville.

Walmart’s reported negotiations to buy Amazon competitor Jet.com for around $3 billion would only put a small dent in the Seattle retailer (The Street). More news about the rumored Walmart-Jet talks.

UPS filed its detailed quarterly 10-Q financial report with the Securities and Exchange Commission today (SEC document).

FORD: Despite China’s slowing economy, Ford and its joint venture partners sold 88,189 vehicles there last month — a record — up 15% compared to a year ago (press release). Also, the automaker yesterday recalled approximately 830,000 vehicles to replace side door latches that may not be operating properly; the recall includes vehicles made in Louisville. They are 2013-15 Ford C-MAX, 2013-15 Ford Escape, 2012-15 Ford Focus, 2015 Ford Mustang and Lincoln MKC, and 2014-16 Ford Transit Connect vehicles sold or ever registered in certain U.S. states (press release). In Louisville, Ford employs nearly 10,000 workers at the Louisville Assembly Plant and Kentucky Truck Factory.

Naked Chicken Chalupa
Headed for menus nationwide.

TACO BELL will roll out its new Naked Chicken Chalupa — a taco with a shell made of fried chicken — across the country next year after testing it on the West and East Coasts (Brand Eating).

Trump and KFC
Not finger-lickin’.

KFC: Late Night host Seth Meyers joined other comedians ribbing GOP White House nominee Donald Trump this week, zeroing in on Continue reading “Amazon’s Prime Air edges closer to takeoff (watch out, UPS); Ford China sales hit July record; and U.S. added 255K jobs in July, beating forecasts” →

The Jennifer Lawrence Diary™

Lawrence’s ‘Red Sparrow’ may cast Australian actor Edgerton

Jennifer LawrenceBoulevard reviews the latest media coverage of the Oscar-winning Louisville native in our exclusive Jennifer Lawrence Diary™. Today’s news, rated on a scale of 1-5 stars:

Three starsOne of Jennifer Lawrence‘s next projects — espionage thriller “Red Sparrow” — is inching forward with reports Australian actor Joel Edgerton is in talks to co-star. The film, scheduled for release November 2017, according to Variety, is based on 33-year CIA veteran Jason Matthews‘ 2013 novel of the same name.

Deadline, which reported Egerton’s negotiations today, describes the plot:

Red Sparrow“The book is set in contemporary Russia, and state intelligence officer Dominika Egorova (Lawrence) struggles to survive in the cast-iron bureaucracy of post-Soviet intelligence. Drafted against her will to become a “sparrow,” a trained seductress in the service, Dominika is assigned to operate against Nathaniel Nash (possibly Edgerton), a first-tour CIA officer who handles the agency’s most sensitive penetration of Russian intelligence. The two young intelligence officers collide in a charged atmosphere of trade craft, deception, and inevitably, a sexual attraction that threatens their careers and the security of America’s valuable mole in Moscow.”

The Red Sparrow script has a tenuous connection to one of Lawrence’s previous movies: It’s a rewritten version of one originally by the author of 2013’s “American Hustle.”

Lawrence, now juggling multiple projects, turns 26 on Aug. 15.

Edgerton, 42, played Tom Buchanan in “The Great Gatsby,” the 2013 remake based on the F. Scott Fitzgerald novel set partly in Louisville. Here’s a clip featuring Edgerton and co-stars Leonardo DiCaprio and Carey Mulligan:

Latest Headlines

Kindred said beating Q2 forecasts; in China, ‘bloom off the rose’ for Yum; and Papa John’s renews NFL deal, re-commits to Manning for TV commercials

A news summary focused on 10 big employers; updated 5:16 p.m.

Smaller Kindred building detailKINDRED said second-quarter results came in at the high end of Wall Street’s expectations. Revenues were $1.8 billion and earnings were 23 cents per share (press release). Yahoo Finance has the forecast. The report was issued after stock markets closed; in extended trading, Kindred’s shares were unchanged at $11.17. The Louisville-based hospital and nursing giant also declared a regular quarterly dividend of 12 cents a share (press release). Kindred employs 2,200 workers in Louisville and 102,000 nationwide. More about the company.

YUM‘s dominance of China’s fast-food market is starting to slip as consumers shift to healthier options and Chinese-style food chains, from huoguo (hot pot) to tangbao (steamed dumplings). That might explain some of the middling interest in Yum’s China Division spinoff. “There would definitely have been more buyer interest five years ago, but at that time they were doing so well that they couldn’t bear to sell,” said management professor Li Weihua of China University of Political Science and Law. “With the bloom off the rose, if they don’t sell now, it would be worth even less five years later” (Bloomberg).

PAPA JOHN’S has renewed its multiyear sponsorship contract with the NFL, a deal in place since 2010. As the official pizza sponsor of the league, the chain said today it will continue using NFL logos and trademarks in advertising and marketing campaigns across marquee league events, such as the Super Bowl, Pro Bowl and NFL Kickoff (press release).

In related news, Papa John’s won’t be replacing Peyton Manning in its TV commercials, even though the Denver Broncos quarterback has retired. “Peyton Manning is the Michael Jordan of football. Period. End of conversation,” CEO John Schnatter told Wall Street analysts during a teleconference yesterday on the chain’s better-than-forecast second-quarter financial results. He’ll play a different role, however, said COO Steve Ritchie. “I think you’ll see some very fun and interactive ways that the marketing team . . . has utilized Peyton in the spots” (Seeking Alpha). Here’s one with Manning, Schnatter and the Houston Texans’ J.J. Watt, and long-retired Hall of Famer Joe Montana.

Money in Politics

Rand Paul really likes Uber

In the battle for Sen. Rand Paul‘s senate seat, he and his Democratic challenger Jim Gray both spend a bundle on payroll, technology, research, and consultants, according to a review of 1,400 expenditures they’ve made from January 2015 to the end of this April.

Paul and Gray
Paul and Gray

Paul has outspent Gray, a construction company executive and Lexington mayor, more than two to one — mostly because Paul’s been campaigning so much longer, their campaign expenditure reports to the Federal Election Commission show.

The reports also show Paul’s campaign really likes Uber; it spent $5,866 just on the ride-hailing service in his total $104,073 for travel.

The bottom line

Overall, Paul spent $2 million from Jan. 2, 2015, to April 27, 2016. His three biggest categories:

  1. payroll: $222,740
  2. website development: $215,193
  3. finance consulting: $195,457

Gray spent $945,911 from Jan. 31 to April 27. His three biggest:

  1. advertising: $278,000
  2. payroll: $220,703
  3. research: $110,600

This spreadsheet lists all of Paul’s expenditures. And this one shows all of Gray’s.