EXCLUSIVE: A new DOGE-centric bill will be introduced Monday targeting overpayments by the federal government, which the lawmaker sponsoring it says have added up to the trillions since the George W. Bush era.

The Payment Integrity Information Reform Act (PIIA) will go "hand-in-hand" with the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to root out waste, fraud and abuse within the federal government, according to Rep. Dan Meuser, R-Pa.

Meuser, chairman of the oversight panel of the House Financial Services Committee and a member of the House DOGE Caucus, said Monday that the "DOGE team" writ-large has uncovered $55 billion in waste in only one month and that the PIIA Reform Act would dig even deeper.

"The federal government expended $236 billion last year in improper payments—money sent out improperly due to fraud, bureaucratic errors, and agencies failing to maintain eligibility integrity. "This is a gross failure of accountability that hardworking American taxpayers should not tolerate," he said.

BILL WOULD PROHIBIT US FINANCIAL AID TO AFGHANISTAN UNTIL ALL WRONGFULLY DETAINED AMERICANS RELEASED

If passed, the bill could account for nearly one-quarter of the $1 trillion that DOGE writ-large has expressed the goal of exposing, recouping or saving on taxpayers’ behalf.

The act would look to improve payment integrity laws and particularly target overpayments for social safety net programs, which have been in the news lately for similar issues.

In 2023, federal agencies estimated $236 billion in improper payments were disbursed, according to the Government Accountability Office (GAO). That sum accounted for funds from 71 different government programs.

More than $44 billion of that year’s share was also categorized as "unknown payments."

"The Payment Information Integrity Reform Act will put an end to this careless mismanagement at federal agencies by strengthening oversight, enforcing tougher penalties for noncompliance, and demanding accountability at every level," Meuser said.

DEMOCRATS LOVED IDEA OF DOGE BEFORE TRUMP, WHITE HOUSE QUIPS

"The American people deserve government agencies that manage their money more responsibly and the House GOP remains committed to working with President Trump and DOGE to rein in spending and ensure tax dollars are spent as intended."

The GAO further reported that improper 2023 Medicaid and Medicare payments accounted for $50 billion each, with COVID-19 unemployment assistance accounting for $43 billion.

While down $11 billion from 2022, that $236 billion was parcel to about $2.7 billion collectively disbursed incorrectly or erroneously since 2003.

Meuser said the improper payment calculations are likely conservative estimates and that the total figure is unknown, given agencies’ systemic noncompliance with such payment integrity laws.

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Last week, both DOGE leader Elon Musk and President Donald Trump remarked that some Social Security beneficiaries are listed as being older than the oldest known humans on the planet.

"According to the Social Security database, these are the numbers of people in each age bucket with the death field set to FALSE!," Musk wrote on X. "Maybe Twilight is real and there are a lot of vampires collecting Social Security."

Per Musk, there are 20 million beneficiaries with a listed age of older than 100 years, with about 1 million who were still alive during Reconstruction.

Fox News Digital also reached out to House DOGE Chairman Aaron Bean, R-Fla., for comment.

An AI-generated video of President Donald Trump sucking on Elon Musk’s feet, overlaid with the text “LONG LIVE THE REAL KING,” played on TV screens at the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) headquarters in Washington, D.C., multiple journalists are reporting on social media.

Journalist Marisa Kabas posted the video on Bluesky, writing, “this video played on loop for ~5 mins on screens throughout the building, per agency source. Building staff couldn’t figure out how to turn it off so sent people to every floor to unplug TVs.” 

 The Washington Post also obtained a recording of the televisions.

Last week, Trump called himself a king in a social media post. “CONGESTION PRICING IS DEAD. Manhattan, and all of New York, is SAVED,” Trump wrote on his platform, Truth Social. “LONG LIVE THE KING!”

And the official White House X account, Instagram, and Facebook quoted the post with an accompanying AI-generated image of Trump on a fake Time Magazine cover, wearing a crown with the text “LONG LIVE THE KING.”

The video comes as Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency enacts widespread, cruelly-handled layoffs of civil servants across the federal government. The Trump administration is proposing to cut half of federal workers at HUD, according to documents obtained by The Associated Press. The cuts would “target employees who support disaster recovery, rental subsidies, discrimination investigations and first-time homebuyers,” the AP reported, and would affect more than a dozen programs within the Department of Housing and Urban Development, with more than 4,000 positions to be cut as detailed in the documents.

Russell Vought, Trump's Director of the Office of Management and Budget, said in a speech in 2023 that he wants to traumatize federal workers. “We want the bureaucrats to be traumatically affected,” he said. “When they wake up in the morning, we want them to not want to go to work because they are increasingly viewed as the villains.” 

Elon Musk tweeted on Saturday that all federal employees must report "what they got done last week" or resign. Federal employees received a three-line email telling them to share "approx. 5 bullets of what you accomplished last week and cc your manager.” Directors at several agencies, including the FBI, told employees to ignore the email.

Just Eat Takeaway.com, one of Europe’s biggest food delivery platforms, is set to be acquired by Dutch tech investor Prosus in an all-cash deal worth around €4.1 billion ($4.3 billion). The acquisition news comes just three months after Just Eat […]

The post Prosus to acquire Just Eat Takeaway in $4.3B deal to expand its European footprint first appeared on Tech Startups.

• Fyre Festival 2 is a go, according to the original event's founder Billy McFarland.
• The original Fyre Festival was a disaster, resulting in McFarland serving several years in prison for financial crimes.
• The new festival is set to happen in Isla Mujeres from May 30 to June 2.

It's been eight years since the disastrous Fyre Festival, but founder Billy McFarland insists that a second attempt is still in the works, though details are scant.

"FYRE 2 is real. My dream is finally becoming a reality," McFarland told NBC's "Today" show in an interview that aired on Monday.

The original Fyre Festival took place on the island of Great Exuma in the Bahamas. "Took place" is loose parlance — sure, people arrived in the Bahamas for a music festival. But they were famously greeted with catastrophe: The promised "luxury lodging" was actually tents, "gourmet food" was haphazard cheese sandwiches, and the artists set to perform simply weren't there.

The infamous event was chronicled in two dueling documentaries: Netflix's "FYRE: The Greatest Party That Never Happened" and Hulu's "Fyre Fraud." McFarland himself was sentenced to six years in prison after pleading guilty to wire fraud charges tied to the festival. He was released in March 2022 after serving less than four years.

McFarland first announced his intent to engineer a second Fyre Festival in an April 2023 post on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter.

Then in August, McFarland announced in a video uploaded to his personal YouTube channel that tickets were on sale despite no details about what the event would entail. McFarland claimed his first batch of 100 tickets sold out.

More than a year after McFarland's initial announcement, plenty of questions still remain about the festival and the founder still has limited answers.

Here's everything we know about Fyre Festival 2.

Why is Billy McFarland organizing another Fyre Festival?

After the disastrous results of the original festival, McFarland seems determined to redeem himself.

"FYRE 2 really isn't about the past, and it's not really about me. It's about taking the vision, which is strong," McFarland told the "Today" show.

McFarland spent time in solitary confinement in 2020 and 2021 after participating in an interview on the podcast "Dumpster Fyre," his attorney told Business Insider. It was there, McFarland said, that he dreamed up his new venture.

"It really all started during this seven-month stint in solitary confinement," he said in the Fyre Festival 2 announcement video. "I wrote out this 50-page plan of how I would take this overall interest and demand in Fyre, and how I would take my ability to bring people from around the world together to make the impossible happen, but how I would find the best partners in the world to allow me to be me while executing Fyre's vision to the highest level."

McFarland also said in an April 2023 X post, after announcing Fyre Festival 2, that it was "in the best interest" of the people to whom he owes money for him to continue working.

McFarland was released from federal prison in March 2022 and transferred into "community confinement" in New York. Entertainment Weekly reported that he's since been on supervised release.

When and where is Fyre Festival 2?

Fyre Festival 2 will take place in Isla Mujeres, Mexico from May 30 to June 2.

It's not surprising that the festival won't take place in the Bahamas again. The country's Ministry of Tourism previously told CBS News in a statement that the "government of The Bahamas will not endorse or approve any event associated with" McFarland, saying that he's "considered to be a fugitive" in the nation.

In an interview with The Wall Street Journal, conducted in June 2024 and published in September 2024, McFarland said that his festival partners would be scouting locations in Honduras, Belize, Turks and Caicos, Jamaica, and Panama. The Journal reported that discussions about the festival taking place in Honduras have been ongoing since February, Coral View Beach Resort owner Heath Miller said.

This time around, McFarland will be working with a production company that bought a 51% stake in Fyre Media, a talent management company, and a US festival operator. An Instagram post shared by McFarland on Monday revealed that the three-day festival will be produced by live event producer Lostnights. The partners SoldOut and FriendlySky will handle ticketing and hospitality packages for the guests.

McFarland will be more hands-on with the festival's marketing and promotional events.

"I'm sure many people think I'm crazy for doing this again. But I feel I'd be crazy not to do it again," McFarland said in a statement included in his Instagram post. "After years of reflection and now thoughtful planning, the new team and I have amazing plans for FYRE 2. The adventure seekers who trust the vision and take the leap will help make history. Thank you to my partners for the second chance."

How to get Fyre Festival 2 tickets

People interested in attending the festival should be prepared to shell out a hefty amount of money, even for the cheapest tickets. On Monday, McFarland announced that 2,000 tickets ranging from $1,400 for general access to $1.1 million for the highest tier were now on sale.

When the first batch of tickets was released in 2023, the festival website and McFarland himself said that tickets had already sold out — but it's difficult to verify that claim. At least a couple of people seem to have genuinely bought tickets, though: The Washington Post and CBS News both spoke to Victoria Medvedenko, who purchased tickets for her and her boyfriend at $549.89 each.

Medvedenko, a 20-year-old nursing student, told the Washington Post she wasn't very concerned about how the festival might turn out. "I'm sure I'll get my money back so I don't really see it as much of a loss either way."

Her boyfriend, Cooper Sinkiawic, told CBS News the couple's biggest worry was whether major acts would be willing to sign on to the festival. While they're "optimistic," he said, they're not ruling out the possibility of "some cheese sandwiches."

McFarland announced in a since-deleted statement on his Instagram in August 2023 that all revenue from ticket sales would be held in escrow until the announcement of the final date — meaning that a third party will hold them until that condition is satisfied. In his interview with the Journal, McFarland reiterated that the money from the aforementioned sales remains in escrow.

In a statement provided to Business Insider on February 24, 2025, Fyre 2's head of sales said, "We've already sold over $1,500,000 of tickets."

Who's on the lineup for Fyre Festival 2?

There isn't one yet. So, again: TBD!

"We're going to have artists across electronic, hip hop, pop, and rock," McFarland told the "Today" show. "However, it's not just music. We might have a professional skateboarder do a demonstration. We might have an MMA champion teach you techniques in the morning."

McFarland skirted around follow-up questions regarding the lineup before saying that the festival still hasn't secured any artists yet but he's hopeful.

His Instagram post said that there would be "international and emerging talent, taking guests on boundary-pushing excursions by day and uniting for intimate beach-side performances by night."

As for other events, McFarland said in his previous announcement video that he was working with "one of the biggest and best TV companies in the world" to produce yet another documentary titled "After the Fyre." He also said he was working with "one of the biggest production companies" on a deal to produce "Fyre Festival: The Broadway Musical," which is admittedly much more intriguing than the prospect of another Fyre Festival itself.

McFarland said there will also be pop-ups and events "around the world" in the lead-up to the festival — at least four, per the festival site.

Only time will tell if everything manifests — and McFarland knows his reputation for follow-through isn't the best.

"I think it's always a risk," he told the "Today" show. "You're taking a risk because I made a lot of bad decisions and messed up the first festival. Until it's experienced, there is a risk component to it."

Palmer Haasch contributed to an earlier version of this story.

• Polynesia is a popular honeymoon destination, but I traveled there solo and had a wonderful time.
• I rented my own scooter and stayed in guesthouses, a different experience than most honeymooners.
• Although the islands can be luxurious, I had the most unique experiences off the beaten path.

I know several people who honeymooned on the French Polynesia islands, and their photos looked marvelous.

The islands seem great for couples — US News even named two of them (Bora Bora and Tahiti) as some of the best spots for newlyweds in 2025.

However, I wanted to see if Polynesia is also a worthwhile destination for a solo trip.

Here's how I spent a week island-hopping around Polynesia all by myself.

I started my Polynesian getaway in Tahiti

To kick off my trip, I flew Air Tahiti Nui to the largest island in French Polynesia, Tahiti.

I landed early in the morning, and my room at Te Moana Tahiti Resort wasn't ready yet.

So, I started exploring the area right away. There were yellow mopeds in front of the hotel that I could rent by downloading an app on my phone.

I named my scooter Lemondrop and spent the entire day with her.

The first stop was grabbing a bite to eat at Snack De Mairipehe — which ended up being one of the best meals I've ever had.

It was my first time trying poisson cru, a delicious dish that consists of raw fish marinated in citrus juice and coconut milk alongside cucumbers, tomatoes, and avocados.

Some local recommendations filled out the rest of my day

At the restaurant, a local told me about Tahiti Iti, a reef break that offers some of the best surfing in the Pacific Ocean. Of course, I had to see for myself.

I rode over, and when I arrived, I saw some people about to leave the shore on a small boat. I asked if I could join, paid a small fee, and found myself on a 30-minute tour to the break to see the surfers up close.

It was one of the coolest travel experiences I've ever had.

I also stopped to see the Arahoho Blowhole and the Plage Ahonu black-sand beach before heading back to my hotel.

There were surprises around every corner in Tahiti

The next day, I strolled through the island's popular Marche de Papeete market, where I sampled several local foods.

I also took a wrong turn and ended up on a neighborhood street closed off for an outdoor game of bingo. The locals encouraged me to join, and I won on my first try.

The unplanned moment remains one of my favorite memories from the trip — it gave me a warm glimpse into the local culture.

Next, I made my way to Raiatea

The next leg of my trip was on Raiatea, which was only a 45-minute flight away. It's considered a sacred island in Polynesian spirituality and home to the Marae Taputapuātea UNESCO World Heritage Site.

I stayed in a mother-daughter-run bed and breakfast called Niu Shack. My room was in a hut in the jungle, and the mother cooked all my meals with fresh fruits from her extensive garden.

Beyond the stunning accommodations, the highlight was trying my hand at sailing on a double-hulled Holopuni canoe.

I was excited to explore the Marquesas Islands

Next, I visited one of the most remote archipelagos in the world, the Marquesas Islands.

I had to get back to Tahiti, and then it was a three-hour flight to Nuka Hiva, the largest of the islands.

I loved staying with a local family in Pension Tokaeva guesthouse. It was fascinating to slow down and converse with the family — thank you, Google Translate — and learn more about their lives and culture.

My last stop was Hiva Oa in the Marquesas Islands

For the final leg of my journey, I flew to Hiva Oa, the second largest of the Marquesas Islands. I rented a car — which was an interesting adventure itself — and visited the Paul Gauguin Cultural Center to learn more about the French artist.

The most memorable part of my time on the island, however, was traversing the lush, mountainous cliffside in search of local tiki makers.

I ended up purchasing two tikis, one stone and one wooden, from two different villages an hour away from each other.

I loved my trip, and I didn't feel out of place as a solo traveler

I was worried the Polynesian islands would be full of loved-up newlyweds — and that many of the local attractions would be catered to them. Luckily, that wasn't my experience.

I had a fabulous time exploring a few of the islands by myself and was able to connect with locals along the way.

I could see why someone would want to celebrate love in a place like Tahiti, but I'd be excited to come back with or without a partner.

• Only three women in Oscars history have won best director.
• "The Woman King" and "Till," both directed by women of color, were not nominated in 2023.
• Director Greta Gerwig was snubbed in 2020 for "Little Women" and again for "Barbie" in 2024.

In the 97-year history of the Academy Awards, only nine women have ever been nominated for best director, and only three have won.

In 2024, director Justine Triet was nominated for "Anatomy of a Fall," but many were angered that Greta Gerwig was not nominated for "Barbie," which got a best picture nod.

This year, French filmmaker Coralie Fargeat became the ninth woman ever nominated in the best director category for "The Substance."

Here are 24 times the Oscars snubbed female directors.

In 1977 — 48 years after the Oscars began — Lina Wertmuller became the first woman nominated for best director, but she did not win.

Wertmuller directed "Seven Beauties." The film was also nominated for best foreign language film, best screenplay, and best actor for Giancarlo Giannini, although it did not win in any category.

It would be almost 20 years before another woman was nominated for best director: Jane Campion for "The Piano" at the 1994 awards.

Randa Haines directed "Children of a Lesser God" in 1986. It was nominated for five Oscars, including best picture, but not best director.

"Children of a Lesser God" was nominated for best adapted screenplay, best supporting actress, best actor, best actress, and best picture. Marlee Matlin won the best supporting actress award at age 21, making her the youngest and first deaf person to win an Academy Award. Haines' role as director, however, was ignored.

Barbra Streisand told Variety that sexism had prevented her films from winning Oscars, saying, "They don't want to see a woman director."

Streisand made her directorial debut with "Yentl" in 1983. It was nominated for five Oscars and won two, but she was snubbed for best director. She did, however, become the first woman to win a Golden Globe for best director. She remained the only female winner until Chloé Zhao won in 2021 and Jane Campion in 2022.

Streisand told Variety it took her years to want to direct again after the snub. In 1991, she directed "The Prince of Tides," which garnered seven Oscar nominations including best picture. Yet again, Streisand's work as a director was not nominated for an award.

"Awakenings" received three Oscar nominations in 1991, but director Penny Marshall was not one of them.

The film was released in December 1990 to critical acclaim — Roger Ebert wrote that Marshall directed the movie "with intelligence and heart."

It was nominated for best adapted screenplay and best picture, and Robert De Niro was nominated for best actor. Marshall's work as director was not recognized by the Academy.

Jane Campion directed "The Piano" in 1993 and was nominated for best director, but she didn't win.

"The Piano" was nominated for eight Oscars and won three: best screenplay, best supporting actress for Anna Paquin, and best actress for Holly Hunter.

Sofia Coppola won the Oscar for best screenplay for "Lost in Translation," but she lost best director to Peter Jackson.

In addition to best screenplay and best director, "Lost in Translation" was nominated for best picture, and Bill Murray for best actor.

Valerie Faris and her husband, Jonathan Dayton, directed the critically acclaimed "Little Miss Sunshine" in 2006, but they weren't nominated for best director.

"Little Miss Sunshine" won two Oscars: best original screenplay and Alan Arkin for best supporting actor. Abigail Breslin also made history with her nomination for best supporting actress at 10 years old, making her one of the youngest actors ever to be nominated for an Academy Award. However, directors Faris and Dayton weren't nominated.

"The Kids Are All Right" was nominated for four Oscars in 2011, but they didn't include a best director nod for Lisa Cholodenko.

"The Kids Are All Right" was nominated for best original screenplay, best picture, best actress for Annette Bening, and best supporting actor for Mark Ruffalo. The film's other star Julianne Moore was also snubbed.

"Yeah, there were no women in the directing category," producer Celine Rattray told "Today" at the time. "It's interesting because I think the Academy often rewards flashy directing styles like Danny Boyle in '127 Hours.'"

That same year, Debra Granik's directing work on "Winter's Bone" was overlooked by the Academy.

"Winter's Bone" starred Jennifer Lawrence and John Hawkes, both of whom received nominations. It was also nominated for best adapted screenplay and best picture. 

Kathryn Bigelow became the first woman to ever win best director, but she was snubbed in 2013 after she directed "Zero Dark Thirty."

Just three years after her historic best director win for "The Hurt Locker" in 2010, Bigelow wasn't nominated for "Zero Dark Thirty," even though the film received five Oscar nominations including best picture.

Ava DuVernay could have been the first Black woman nominated for best director for "Selma" in 2015, but the Academy didn't include her.

"Selma" was nominated for best picture and won the Oscar for best original song, but DuVernay told Entertainment Weekly in 2015 that she wasn't surprised by the directing snub.

"It would be lovely," she said. "When it happens to whomever it happens to, it will certainly have meaning. This is not me being humble, either. It's math."

Years later, "Selma" actor David Oyelowo also spoke about the Academy's response to the film.

"I remember at the premiere of 'Selma' us wearing 'I Can't Breathe' T-shirts in protest," he said at a 2020 Screen Talks live Q&A. "Members of the Academy called in to the studio and our producers saying, 'How dare they do that?' ... and 'We are not going to vote for that film because we do not think it is their place to be doing that.' It's part of why that film didn't get everything that people think it should've got and it birthed #OscarsSoWhite. They used their privilege to deny a film on the basis of what they valued in the world."

The Academy responded on X, formerly known as Twitter: "Ava & David, we hear you. Unacceptable. We're committed to progress."

The critically acclaimed "Wonder Woman," directed by Patty Jenkins, was not nominated for a single Oscar.

Superhero movies don't usually win Oscars, but there have been exceptions such as "Black Panther" (three Oscars) and "The Dark Knight" (two Oscars). "Wonder Woman" was considered a critically acclaimed contender in 2017, but it was not recognized by the Academy.

The following year, Jenkins spoke to Vulture after other female directors were snubbed.

"The Academy is working on this, but the real issue to me is that at the end of the day, no matter what movie you make and no matter how much money it makes, and no matter how diverse the audience is, the voting academy is still very, very limited. Still," she said.

"Harriet" was nominated for two Oscars in 2020, but director Kasi Lemmons didn't receive one.

Cynthia Erivo was nominated for best actress for her portrayal of Harriet Tubman, and the song "Stand Up" was nominated for best original song.

That year, Natalie Portman wore a black Dior cape embroidered with the names of female directors whose work had been snubbed by the Academy, with Lemmons' name among them.

"I wanted to recognize the women who were not recognized for their incredible work this year, in my subtle way," Portman told the Los Angeles Times.

"Queen and Slim," directed by Melina Matsoukas, was not nominated for any Academy Awards in 2020.

The Director's Guild of America nominated Matsoukas for outstanding directorial achievement in first-time feature film. But at the 2020 Oscars, the best director category was all male, prompting Issa Rae to introduce the nominees by saying, "Congratulations to those men."

In 2020, Greta Gerwig was nominated for best adapted screenplay for "Little Women," but not for best director.

"Little Women" received seven Oscar nominations, including best picture, best actress, and best supporting actress, and won for best costume design. Many believed that Gerwig was robbed.

"To nominate Greta for best picture and best screenplay and best actresses but not best director just truly speaks to the way we don't view women as auteurs no matter how much they clearly ARE," Decider's senior film reporter, Anna Menta, wrote on X.

Marielle Heller wasn't nominated for best director for "A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood" or "Can You Ever Forgive Me?"

Tom Hanks received an Oscar nod for best actor for his portrayal of Mr. Rogers (he lost to Joaquin Phoenix) in "A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood" in 2020, but Heller's directing work did not receive a nomination.

It was the second snub in a row for Heller. The year prior, her movie, "Can You Ever Forgive Me?" earned Melissa McCarthy and Richard E. Grant Golden Globe and Oscar nominations, but Heller was not nominated.

"This was an incredible year for women filmmakers," Heller said in 2019, W magazine reported. "A lot of us made really worthy movies."

She added, "But that was our undoing. There were too many of us, and the world doesn't know how to handle more than one good female director at a time."

"The Farewell," directed by Lulu Wang, was not nominated for any Oscars, despite rave reviews.

While the 2019 film was snubbed at the Oscars, "The Farewell" was nominated for a Golden Globe for best picture, and Awkafina won the award for best actress.

Alma Har'el won the first-time feature film award from the Directors Guild Of America for "Honey Boy" in 2020, but she wasn't nominated for any Oscars.

"Honey Boy" garnered Oscar buzz and critical acclaim, but ultimately was not nominated for any Academy Awards.

"The Woman King," directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood, did not receive any nominations for the 2023 Academy Awards.

Despite rave reviews and box-office success, "The Woman King" starring Viola Davis was not nominated for any Oscars.

In an as-told-to piece for The Hollywood Reporter, Prince-Bythewood wrote that "the Academy made a very loud statement, and for me to stay quiet is to accept that statement."

"'The Woman King' wasn't snubbed," she wrote. "A snub is if it missed out on a category or two. The film was not nominated for one single craft. Not one single extraordinary performance was recognized. And when has that happened for a successful film that hit all the so-called markers? It's not a snub. It's a reflection of where the Academy stands and the consistent chasm between Black excellence and recognition. And, sadly, this is not just an issue in Hollywood but in every industry."

The 2022 film "Till," directed by Chinonye Chukwu, also did not receive any Oscar nominations.

"Till" tells the story of Mamie Till-Bradley, the mother of 14-year-old Emmett Till, who was tortured and murdered after a white woman falsely claimed he groped her in 1955.

Chukwu appeared to allude to being shut out of the Oscars in an Instagram post on the day that the nominations were announced.

"We live in a world and work in industries that are so aggressively committed to upholding whiteness and perpetuating an unabashed misogyny towards Black women," she wrote. "And yet. I am forever in gratitude for the greatest lesson of my life — regardless of any challenges or obstacles, I will always have the power to cultivate my own joy, and it is this joy that will continue to be one of my greatest forms of resistance."

She also shared Prince-Bythewood's article in The Hollywood Reporter in a since-deleted Instagram post, writing, "Every single word of this brilliant piece should be required reading for everyone."

"Women Talking" was nominated for best picture and best adapted screenplay, but director Sarah Polley was not nominated for best director.

Polley told Vogue that while she was happy that "Women Talking" received two nominations, the "lack of acknowledgement" of Black female directors was "a hard thing to swallow."

"I'm thrilled for our team and so proud, but that has to live alongside the fact that some of the best films of the year were made by Black female filmmakers and they weren't honored," she said.

Polley also mentioned the lack of representation for female directors on the red carpet of the Golden Globes in an interview with IndieWire.

"On my mind tonight, specifically, are the incredible female filmmakers who weren't represented here tonight," she said. "So the filmmakers of 'Till' and 'The Woman King' and 'Aftersun,' the list goes on and on. So for me, I think that's top of mind for me tonight, just the incredible work done by female filmmakers this year."

Paul Mescal was nominated for best actor for "Aftersun," but the film's director, Charlotte Wells, was not nominated.

"Aftersun" marked Wells' first time directing and writing a feature film. Paul Mescal plays Calum, a father navigating parenthood and depression as he takes his daughter Sophie (Frankie Corio) on vacation to Turkey.

"It's very much fiction, but rooted in experience and memory," Wells told AnOther magazine. "It's personal in that the feeling is mine and I allowed my own memories and anecdotes through all of childhood to form the kind of skeleton outline that I worked from to write the first draft. But after that point it did become very much about the story I was trying to tell, and that frequently required pushing it away from my own experience."

Maria Schrader's 2022 film adaptation of "She Said" chronicling The New York Times' investigation into Harvey Weinstein did not receive any Oscar nominations.

"I hope the movie inspires people and fuels the conversation that has been going on for quite some time now," Schrader told Shondaland. "Something started after this article went public. This is probably not going to stop." 

Gerwig was snubbed again in 2024 when she was not nominated for best director for "Barbie."

Despite the film receiving eight Academy Award nominations, Gerwig's work as director was not nominated. Neither was Margot Robbie's leading performance.

In an interview for Time's 2024 Women of the Year, Gerwig said that she still considered herself nominated because "Barbie" was up for best picture.

Gerwig said, "A friend's mom said to me, 'I can't believe you didn't get nominated. I said, 'But I did. I got an Oscar nomination.' She was like, 'Oh, that's wonderful for you!' I was like, 'I know!'"

• Veronica Cardenas is the daughter of two immigrants from South America.
• She worked as a prosecutor for ICE, but eventually decided she had to quit.
• Her private practice allows her to bring together her family history and professional expertise.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Veronica Cardenas, founder of Humanigration. It has been edited for length and clarity.

I grew up feeling pressure to succeed, so that everything my parents went through would be worth it. My dad is an immigrant from Peru. He came to the US with legal status when he was 17, after a long seven-year wait for a family visa.

Soon after, he met my mom. She was from Colombia and had crossed the southern border without documentation. She had been detained and was facing deportation. They married quickly, in part to give my mother legal standing in the country. They're still together 41 years later.

My mom faced a lot of hardships in Colombia that she's only started talking about recently. As a child, I only knew that she put her dreams aside to raise her four children, and she felt some resentment about that. Knowing that motivated me to work extra hard with the opportunities I had that my mom never did.

I felt torn between 2 identities

Although I was born a US citizen, I always felt like I was stuck between two worlds. I never felt fully Latina or fully American.

Despite that, I was driven. I became the first in my family to attend college and later law school. Being a lawyer felt prestigious, and as a minority, the law was very important to me because it defined my rights and boundaries.

I aced my classes on immigration law, but I wanted to practice anything but that. My whole life story had been tied to immigration. Still, I applied for an internship with the Department of Homeland Security when a friend encouraged me to. After graduation and passing the bar, I became a trial attorney for the government, prosecuting immigration cases.

The job seemed to shift within a few years

At the time, I was working in New York City, litigating many asylum hearings. As the government counsel, my job was to argue against asylum seekers. At the time, most of the cases I prosecuted were granted asylum, so I didn't feel the sting of being responsible for someone's deportation.

I moved into a two-year role with investigations related to major crimes. Trying people responsible for sex trafficking and other serious crimes was rewarding. My team often helped the victims of trafficking get legal status or reunite with their families.

After that, I returned to court in New York City, but the job felt very different. There were lots of people stopped at the border and minors in court by themselves. I'm a professional who worked very hard to become good at my job. I wasn't going to throw the book at a minor who was undefended.

I needed a stable job, but I eventually resigned

At the time, I was going through a difficult divorce and providing for my two children. The pay and security of a government job were appealing. But I began to feel more tension with my work. I realized I never talked about it with my family.

Ultimately, I felt like I had to resign. I believe we can enforce immigration laws humanely without people risking their lives or their children. Yet, I no longer saw that happening in the courtroom. I stepped down in 2023.

Today I work in a private practice

I started a private practice defending people facing immigration removal. I realized how fraught immigration was. When I was working for the government, it was easy to believe that I was a wall defending the country from potentially dangerous immigrants. Suddenly, I was hearing from client after client about the way the immigration system mistreated them. I still believe we need immigration laws, but they need to be enforced with fairness and justice.

In addition to my private practice, I started Humanigration, an organization that educates immigration lawyers about the rights of noncitizens. I also hold community events to educate noncitizens about their rights.

At the end of the day, everyone in this country is an immigrant. We shouldn't forget this. Today, my parents and immediate family are all citizens. I now have three kids, and I tell them about their family's immigration story with pride.

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