GREELEY, Colo. (AP) — About 3,800 workers at one of the nation’s largest meatpacking plants were set to strike Monday morning in Colorado in what union representatives said would be the first walkout at a U.S. beef slaughterhouse since the 1980s.

The strike at the Swift Beef Co. plant in Greeley was set to begin at 5:30 a.m. MDT, said Kim Cordova, president of United Food and Commercial Workers Local 7, which represents the workers.

It follows accusations from union officials that owner JBS USA retaliated against workers and committed other unfair labor practices amid contract negotiations. A previous contract was due to expire at midnight Sunday.

The expected strike comes at a 75-year low for the U.S. cattle population, with a Jan. 1 inventory of 86.2 million animals — down 1% from the prior year. Beef prices have added to economic anxiety in the U.S., while the administration of President Donald Trump has turned to a trade deal with Argentina in efforts to lower prices for food, including beef.

It also follows the January closure of a meatpacking plant in Lexington, Nebraska, which was expected to ripple through the local economy and community.

At the Greeley plant, the company tried to intimidate workers to quit the union in one-on-one meetings, union general counsel Matt Shechter said.

Cordova said 99% of workers voted to authorize the strike. No formal negotiations took place over the weekend after the company refused a union request to negotiate on Saturday, Shechter said.

JBS USA said in statement that any employee who didn’t want to strike would have work and be paid. The company said it would operate two shifts at the plant Monday and would temporarily move production as needed to other JBS facilities.

The statement said the company operates in full compliance with federal and state labor and employment laws.

“Our goal is to minimize impact to our customers, our partners, and the broader marketplace while we work toward a fair resolution in Greeley,” the company said.

It’s the first strike at a U.S. slaughterhouse since workers walked out at a Hormel plant in Minnesota in 1985, Cordova said. That strike lasted more than a year and included violent confrontations between police and protesters, according to the Minnesota Historical Society.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump is suggesting he may delay his much-anticipated visit to China at the end of the month as he seeks to ramp up the pressure on Beijing to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz and calm oil prices that have soared during the Iran war.

In an interview Sunday with the Financial Times, Trump said China’s reliance on oil from the Middle East means it ought to help with a new coalition he is trying to put together to get oil tanker traffic moving through the strait after Iran’s threats have throttled global flows of oil. Trump said “we’d like to know” before the trip whether Beijing will help. “We may delay,” Trump said in the interview.

The uncertainty underscores just how much the U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran have reshaped global politics in the past two weeks. Calling off the face-to-face visit with Chinese President Xi Jinping could have its own major economic consequences: Relations between Washington and Beijing have been fraught as both sides have threatened the other with steep tariffs over the past year.

The White House did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

In Beijing, a Foreign Ministry spokesperson said only that China and the U.S. have maintained communication on Trump’s visit. “Head-of-state diplomacy plays an irreplaceable strategic guiding role in China-U.S. relations,” Lin Jian said at a daily briefing.

Trump’s new comments came as U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent was meeting with Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng on Monday in Paris for a new round of trade talks that were meant to pave the way for Trump’s Beijing trip. The U.S. and China have declared a truce that has prevented both sides from levying dueling tariffs, but the stakes remain high.

In the early days of the Iran conflict, Trump had said U.S. navy vessels would escort oil tankers through the strait, and downplayed the threat posed by Iran. But as oil prices soared, he and his administration have been forced to consider new options — including the idea, broached this weekend, for other countries to join the push with their own warships. So far, none has yet formally heeded the call.

Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One as he returned to Washington from a weekend in Florida that the U.S. had spoken to “about seven” nations about offering military support. He wouldn’t say which ones, though, and demurred when he was asked directly about China — though he subsequently suggested that he’d made such an offer to Beijing.

“China’s an interesting case study,” he said, noting its reliance on Gulf oil. “So I said, ‘Would you like to come in’ and we’ll find out. Maybe they will, maybe they won’t.”

War in Iran has sent the price of oil skyrocketing, which has raised the price Americans pay at the pump, just as the midterm election season begins to heat up. China, though, has faced its own economic pressures and recently lowered its 2026 target for growth slightly to 4.5% to 5%, its slowest projected growth since 1991 — meaning prolonged disruptions in the strait could have long-term impacts for Beijing as well.

Lin, at the briefing in Beijing, did not respond directly to questions about Trump’s call for outside help in the strait. He noted the impact on goods and energy trade and repeated his government’s call for an end to the fighting.

“China once again calls on all parties to stop military actions immediately, avoid further escalation of tensions, and prevent instability in the region from having a greater impact on global economic development,” he said.

___

Associated Press writer Ken Moritsugu in Beijing contributed.

It is the country’s largest annual mass litter picking event and takes place from March 13 until April 24.

Everyone across Lanarkshire is being encouraged to roll up their sleeves and keep their community beautiful as part of #SpringCleanScotland.

Coordinated by environmental charity Keep Scotland Beautiful, #SpringCleanScotland is the country’s largest annual mass litter picking event and takes place from March 13 until April 24.

More than 10,000 people have already registered across Scotland, pledging their time and energy to address the litter that is polluting our country and there are already 10 events planned in South Lanarkshire and a further five in North Lanarkshire.

Earlier this year Keep Scotland Beautiful revealed 50 per cent of Scottish adults admitted to littering in the past 12 months. This, combined with the 88 per cent of people who believe litter is a problem nationally, highlights the scale of the task at hand.

#SpringCleanScotland is the perfect opportunity for everyone to play their part and help address this issue collectively.

Barry Fisher, chief executive at Keep Scotland Beautiful, said: “As we launch this year’s #SpringCleanScotland I’m delighted to say we’ve already passed 10,000 registrations – but we need thousands more.

“We know how strong the appetite is for a cleaner Scotland – more than 80 per cent of people want more done to clean up and prevent litter.

“We are calling for the next Scottish Government to do more to address litter by investing in prevention, behaviour change and enforcement and it would be fantastic to see party leaders, MSPs and prospective MSPs show their commitment to tackling litter during Spring Clean, either by organising a clean up or supporting a local event.

“While we continue to push for this, we need everyone to play their part. We all have a job to do so join a litter pick or register your own and help us keep our precious environment free from litter.”

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To help raise awareness of the campaign across the country, Keep Scotland Beautiful has partnered with Citylink who have wrapped a bus with our litter mascots to urge more people to get involved.

#SpringCleanScotland runs from March 13 until April 24. To find a clean-up event near you or register your own, visit www.keepscotlandbeautiful.org/clean-up-scotland/spring-clean-scotland/ for more information.

Scotland’s largest mass litter picking event compliments the work we are doing to support the delivery of Scotland’s National Litter and Flytipping Strategy and inspire shifts in behaviours.

*Don’t miss the latest headlines from around Lanarkshire. Sign up to our newsletters here.

And did you know Lanarkshire Live had its own app? Download yours for free here.

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Almost 2 million homes and businesses across the UK which still use heating oil are already facing a major cost increase as a result of the Middle East crisis.

Since the outbreak of the conflict, there has been a continued focus on Brent crude oil’s price marching higher as supply lines are hampered by Iran effectively prohibiting tankers from moving through the Strait of Hormuz. Qatar’s liquified natural gas (LNG) plant shutting down after being struck means the cost of gas has shot up, too.

But heating oil stands apart as another key energy source for millions across Britain – with prices having more than doubled in only a week.

Still, experts are warning customers not to panic-buy at elevated prices and to wait to see where the markets go, if they do not desperately need a refill.

What is heating oil and who uses it?

Homes and businesses in remote areas or those that were built decades ago often have an oil tank on site that pumps into the property directly when required. The oil type used in this setup is typically kerosene-28 and it is usually ordered by phone or online from a local supplier when reserves run low.

As with any commodity, prices go higher when demand outstrips supply and right now the global oil supply is under severe pressure, with the cost of heating oil rising from around 66p per litre on 2 March to up to 138 pence per litre on Monday – a surge which more than doubled the price (109 per cent).

On Wednesday, heating oil has dropped slightly from that peak but still sits at above 129p per litre.

There is, however, a wide discrepancy in pricing due to the nature of how consumers order heating oil.

Whereas other energy sources such as gas or electricity are typically contracted through large providers, like Octopus or British Gas, heating oil is usually bought directly on an as-and-when-needed basis. That isn’t just the case for consumers, but for distributors themselves. Due to homes and businesses usually having, for example, 12-month contracts with their supplier, the big companies typically know how much usage they will have over the coming months and, with the price cap in place, how much the bills will be.

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With heating oil, it’s different. There’s no need for consumers to use the same suppliers every time if they don’t want to, and the suppliers themselves tend to be far smaller, often either family-run businesses or regional firms. There are around 120 such heating oil providers across Britain, compared to around two dozen of the larger energy firms supplying electricity and gas.

Therefore, the heating oil distributors themselves are typically buying in the product every day or several times a week, paying the current market rate in the process. It means that, while the price of Brent crude has risen, Brits won’t immediately see it on their bills – but those buying in heating oil will do.

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The Independent understands that some providers are telling customers they cannot give an accurate price for deliveries until the day beforehand, such is the rate at which the price has been increasing this past week.

‘No lag in the market’

Ken Cronin, CEO of UKIFDA, the trade association representing heating oil distributors, told The Independent that another complication adding to the rising cost of heating oil, versus oil typically used for energy across the UK, was the amount sourced from the Middle East.

Only around 10 to 15 per cent of crude oil comes from that region into the British mix, but for heating oil – which, as a kerosene product is closer to jet fuel than that which ends up powering cars and heating homes – it’s a 40 per cent dependency.

The eventual flip side of such rapid price climbs is that it will be the exact same process as the markets come down.

“Although there has been a rapid increase, there would be a rapid decline as well if the situation around Iran improves or supply eases,” said Mr Cronin. “There’s no lag whatsoever in this market and that’s reflected in consumer prices. As an example, post-Ukraine there was normalised pricing very quickly – whereas it’s still reflected in gas and electricity.

“During Covid, all the planes were grounded so there was a huge amount of kerosene fuel stock, so it was down to 25p per litre. Regional distributors are fighting for business so pricing is competitive and reacts fast to markets.”

As a result, UKIFDA advises customers who do not immediately need a heating oil delivery to speak to local distributors and consider waiting to see where markets go, rather than panic-buying now at elevated prices.

Last week, there were headlines around prices in Northern Ireland being particularly high. While distance is a factor in cost, that was partly also a result of such a large portion of the population having that as their main source of home energy.

Costs being felt more immediately

Around 5 per cent of homes in England use heating oil, but between 50-60 per cent do so in Northern Ireland. As such, cost rises are felt more keenly and immediately.

All told, around 1.7 million homes across the UK rely on heating oil, with around 520,000 of them in Northern Ireland. In addition, between 100,000 and 150,000 businesses rely on it.

“Our customer base is where the gas grid isn’t,” added Mr Cronin. “So rural Wales and England, the highlands of Scotland and Northern Ireland.”

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He added that UKIFDA data shows since July 2011, the average price band for heating oil has been 50-60p per litre, with “notable changes during Covid (down), Ukraine (up), and now (up).”

Certas Energy, one of the UK’s biggest fuel distributors, said it was balancing a surge in demand over the past week and urged people not to order more than they typically needed.

“Recent developments have created significant volatility in the oil market, with wholesale prices fluctuating daily,” said a statement. “We are currently experiencing a marked increase in heating oil orders, including larger-than-usual volumes. While we understand the desire for reassurance during uncertainty, this surge is placing additional pressure on supply.”

Boilerjuice, a platform for buying heating oil through different distributors, did not reply to a request for comment on pricing increases.

The £30billion ecommerce firm sells technology, appliances, beauty, home, groceries and other essentials

Chinese online retail giant JD.com has launched its new Joybuy platform in the UK as it seeks to challenge major rivals such as Amazon.

The £30billion ecommerce firm sells technology, appliances, beauty, home, groceries and other essentials. It said it will also offer next-day delivery to about 17 million households across the UK from its launch after establishing its own logistics operations. The group will run distribution sites from Milton Keynes and Luton.

The move comes after US and Hong-Kong listed JD.com – which is the largest retailer in China, and is not related to JD Sports – pulled out of talks to buy major UK retail brands over the past two years.

The group was looking at a possible deal to buy Currys in 2024, and last September it walked away from talks over a potential takeover of Argos from Sainsbury’s.

Bosses said the business plans to establish itself in the UK for “a long time” and believes its product range, value and convenience will attract new customers.

Matthew Nobbs, managing director of Joybuy UK, said the firm was “confident” about its growth prospects in the country.

He told the Press Association: “We are here for a long time, as our CEO has said. We have spent a lot of time working and honing to get our web and app proposition right, making it work in beta testing over the time.

“We have to make sure the customer experience is really great.”

The company is also launching in Germany, the Netherlands, France, Belgium and Luxembourg. The business struck a 2.2 billion euro (£1.9 billion) deal to snap up Germany-based electronics retail group Ceconomy last year.

Brooklyn Beckham has reunited with his godfather Sir Elton John on the same day he snubbed his mum Victoria Beckham.

On Sunday, the eldest son of David and Victoria Beckham decided not to share a post on social media acknowledging Mother’s Day, despite his dad paying tribute to his wife and the mother of their four children.

The cold shoulder from the 27-year-old came after he did manage to honour his wife Nicola Peltz’s mum though, with Claudia Heffner ringing in her birthday this weekend.

Re-sharing a post initially shared by his wife, 31, Brooklyn declared that he ‘loved’ his mother-in-law ‘so much’.

Despite Brooklyn’s ongoing estrangement from his parents, he did catch up with his godfather Sir Elton at the weekend, with the legendary performer hosting an Oscars viewing party event on Sunday night.

Brooklyn and Nicola attended the Elton John AIDS Foundation’s 34th Annual Academy Awards viewing party, where they wore matching all-black outfits.

At one point in the evening, Sir Elton could be seen sitting at a table chatting with the couple as others watched on.

Although Sir Elton has not commented publicly on Brooklyn’s feud with his parents since his bombshell social media takedown of them in January, last year, he and husband David Furnish expressed their support for Brooklyn and his wife.

In June, Brooklyn shared a post dedicated to his wife to mark five years since he proposed and declared it the ‘best decision ever’.

Although his parents never commented on the post, Sir Elton tagged Brooklyn and Nicola and wrote: ‘Happy Anniversary to the sweetest, most loving couple.’

Meanwhile, David also shared: ‘Happy Anniversary to the gorgeous couple.’

With a friendship stretching back 30 years, David affectionately calls the musician ‘Uncle Elton’ after they became friends in his football days in the 1990s.

Although Sir Elton was due to perform at the Beckhams wedding in 1999, he suffered a heart attack that prevented him from playing. He later sang at one of the children’s christenings.

Victoria once disclosed it was Sir Elton who inspired her to leave the Spice Girls, writing an emotional letter to her older self where she confessed that watching him perform made her realise that her true calling lay beyond singing.

It’s now been two months since Brooklyn launched a brutal social media take-down of his parents, claiming they had ‘controlled’ him for most of his life and that he ‘did not want to reconcile’ with them after making the decision to cut them off.

Although his parents recently tried to extend a public olive branch when Brooklyn celebrated his 27th birthday earlier this month, their social media posts were ignored, likely because he’s also blocked them.

Brooklyn didn’t acknowledge his mum on Mother’s Day, but David posted a sweet tribute to his wife of 27 years, with whom he also shares children Romeo, 22, Cruz, 21, and Harper, 14.

Posting an old black-and-white snap while Victoria was pregnant with one of their kids, he wrote: ‘Happy Mother’s Day to the most amazing mummy…you are an inspiration in all the ways a mum should be to our 4 amazing children. We love you so much and I’m so thankful for the family we have created 🩷 Have a special Mother’s Day because if there’s one person that deserves it it’s you 🩷 I love you 🩷 @victoriabeckham.

In his bombshell statement shared on Instagram on January 19, Brooklyn began by writing: ‘I have been silent for years and made every effort to keep these matters private. Unfortunately, my parents and their team have continued to go to the press, leaving me with no choice but to speak for myself and tell the truth about only some of the lies that have been printed.

‘I do not want to reconcile with my family. I’m not being controlled, I’m standing up for myself for the first time in my life.’

Brooklyn went on to slam the narrative that his wife ‘controls’ him. ‘I have been controlled by my parents for most my life. I grew up with overwhelming anxiety. For the first time in my life since stepping away from my family, that anxiety has disappeared. I wake up every morning grateful for the life I chose, and have found peace and relief,’ he continued.

Despite Brooklyn making no moves to reconcile with his parents or brothers, his youngest brother Cruz was recently asked about whether he wanted to be back in contact with his brother.

While out in Paris with his girlfriend, Jackie Apostel, 30, Cruz was asked by a TMZ reporter: ‘Any well wishes to your brother? It’s his birthday.’ With a smile, he replied: ‘Happy Birthday.’

The musician, who is currently on tour with his band, put his head down when probed on whether he’s spoken to Brooklyn lately, but had an optimistic response when the reporter quizzed: ‘Any chance you guys will repair the relationship? Are you hopeful for that?’ ‘Hopefully,’ Cruz said back.

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The 2026 Oscars saw Kate Hudson and Emma Stone nominated for Best Actress, but the stars had another thing in common – the styling tool they used to create their Hollywood waves

The 2026 Academy Awards – also known as The Oscars – saw both Emma Stone and Kate Hudson nominated for the Best Actress award, and although they both sadly lost out to Jessie Buckley, there was something else they undeniably won at; their red carpet looks. Both stars opted to style their hair with classic Hollywood-glam waves, and it seems there was only one tool for the job – the ghd Chronos Hair Curler.

The actresses opted for different sized barrels, with Emma styling her short bob using the Chronos Curve Grand Tong- 32mm Hair Curler for looser, more tousled curls. Kate, meanwhile, styled her long, flowing waves using the New Ghd Chronos Curve Classic Tong which has a smaller 26mm barrel, which gave them more definition.

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The ghd Chronos Hair Curler creates high definition curls that last all day and night, and is responsive in the way it works on your hair. The barrel adapts as you style your hair, keeping the optimum 185°C temperature from root to tip to make curling even faster.

Every barrel in the Chronos range is finished with an anodised coating which is what gives the curls their precision, but the tip stays cool which makes it easy to manoeuvre it. It also has a built-in safety stand and comes with a styling glove, and switches off after 20 minutes of inactivity so you can avoid the dreaded panic about whether you turned them off when you left the house.

Both models are priced at £189, and when you buy them directly from the ghd website you’ll get a free ghd Advanced Split End Therapy that’s worth £35, which will automatically be applied at checkout. Plus, if you’re not sure which size barrel is best for your hair, you can do a quiz on the ghd website to find the perfect one for your hair type.

However if you want something that gives you more versatility and lets you swap between barrel sizes, there’s some other great options available. The Revamp Multi Style Revolve 3 in 1 Rotating Tong is currently on sale at Boots down from £99.99 to £66.66, and comes with three ceramic barrels of various sizes to give you different looks.

Alternatively, the Beauty Works AERIS Multi-Styler is slightly pricier than the ghd’s at £220, but lets you swap between six different stylers as well as acting like a hair dryer, giving you more flexibility. The attachments include airflow curlers, an XL round brush and a smoothing paddle brush.

The York Chocolate Festival is returning to the city centre with a host of chocolate-themed events, featuring demonstrations, hands-on fun, and family-friendly activities.

Running this Easter, the festival celebrates York’s historic ties to the confectionery industry with a packed programme for visitors of all ages.

Organised by York Food Festival, the event will take place in central locations including Parliament Street and St Sampson’s Centre.

Visitors can browse an artisan chocolate market, take part in tastings, and follow the Chocolate Taste Trail through York’s independent businesses.

There will also be free children’s activities, live demonstrations, and chocolate-making workshops.

Sophie Jewett of York Cocoa Works said: “York Cocoa Works are looking forward to being part of this year’s York Chocolate Festival and sharing more about our chocolate making process and the industry that the city was once famous for.

“It’s wonderful to welcome so many enthusiastic chocolate learners who are excited and passionate to discover more about how chocolate is made.”

Children can get creative at St Sampson’s Centre with educational chocolate-themed activities, while Parliament Street will host a Chocolate Egg Bar Making workshop where they can design and decorate their own chocolate bar.

One of the festival highlights will be the Chocolate & Sugar Sculpture Gallery.

The exhibition will showcase chocolate creations by award-winning chocolatier Ashley McCarthy, who will craft a horse-racing-inspired chocolate sculpture during the event.

The gallery will also feature sugar art by internationally acclaimed pastry chef Florian Poirot, winner of the Best Sugar Showpiece award at the Coupe du Monde de la Pâtisserie.

Sugar work is an intricate form of culinary art where cooked sugar is shaped into decorative forms using moulding, pulling, and blowing techniques.

Live demonstrations at St Sampson’s Centre will include sessions led by Michael Hjort and Sophie Jewett, who will share their expertise with festival-goers.

Visitors can enjoy tastings, learn about chocolate artistry, and explore York’s chocolate-making heritage throughout the festival.

Organisers say the event promises to offer something for everyone, from seasoned chocolate enthusiasts to families looking for Easter holiday activities.

The York Chocolate Festival is free to attend and aims to honour the city’s chocolate legacy while inspiring a new generation of chocolate makers.

Full details of the festival programme and timings are available at yorkchocolatefestival.com.

The Vanity Fair Oscars after-party returned for the biggest night in Hollywood, with some eye-popping looks on what was a grey carpet.

This year’s Los Angeles party saw the guest list slashed in half as part of a bid for increased exclusivity – but several of the most familiar faces were still in attendance.

The event was held at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art after the 98th Academy Awards ceremony, during which One Battle After Another clinched the coveted best picture award, while Michael B Jordan and Jessie Buckley took home the gongs for best leading actors.

Kim Kardashian, 45, was among the stars at the VF bash, tottering before the cameras in mammoth platform heels and an appropriately Oscars gold dress. 

But Kim bafflingly completed the look with coloured contact lenses and distinctly unkempt hair. Perhaps her longtime hair stylist Chris Appleton was given the day off?

Elsewhere on the carpet, her two Jenner sisters were also in attendance, with Kendall, 30, in a baby blue number and Kylie, 28, donning her thrice-Oscar-losing boyfriend Timothee Chalamet, 30, as well as a black gown with a dramatic slit at the waist.

Since the big bash coincided with Mother’s Day, it was only fitting that momager Kris Jenner was there. The 70-year-old wore a tulle prom dress of sorts, arriving with her boyfriend Corey Gamble at the end of a gloved hand.

As far as the eyebrow-raising fits went, Jeff Goldblum’s wife Emilie Livingston, 43, might have taken the night with her bum-baring leotard, paired with sheer tights, which she wore next to her 73-year-old husband, who was dressed for distinctly cooler climes.

Other couples on the carpet together were Dua Lipa and Callum Turner, who beat the James Bond rumours by opting not to wear a classic tuxedo, instead pairing a regular humdrum suit with a grey shirt. 

Elsewhere on the carpet, Julia Fox, 36, rocked up in an apparent take on period dress, with a detailed floral bodice and exaggerated shoulders.

There was also Love Story star Sarah Pidgeon, who is currently playing Calvin Klein publicist Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy on the Disney Plus drama and so fittingly decided to wear…Calvin Klein.

The Vanity Fair bash was once the hottest ticket in town in the 1990s, with a guest list that only granted entry to the upper echelon of Tinseltown. The first ever iteration of the event invited just 100 people, including Tom Cruise, Nicole Kidman, Prince, Robert De Niro and Anthony Hopkins.

Yet, in recent years, the party had become a victim of its own success, with a dwindling sense of exclusivity. 

The magazine’s new editor Mark Guiducci decided to slash the numbers in half, banning social media from inside the event and limiting all press to Vanity Fair journalists alone (the rest have been relegated to the grey carpet outside).

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Dressed in a red wig with heavy white make up, like the antagonist from the film, he could be seen playing table tennis with Chalamet in Marty Supreme, running across the stage of the Globe in Hamnet, in the car with Benicio del Toro in One Battle After Another and trying to get into the juke joint in Sinners.