Evening headlines of Aug. 4 perked up my ears and eyebrows as LA28 and The White House apparently are announcing an Olympic planning task force on Aug. 5.
I wrote to The White House press office team to ask more, and here's the two statements they shared (their reply in less than five minutes did impress):
"During his first term, President Trump was instrumental in securing America's bid to host the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.
Credit: Hisham Ibrahim for Getty Images
The President considers it a great honor to oversee this global sporting spectacle in his second term. Sports is one of President Trump's greatest passions, and his athletic expertise, combined with his unmatched hospitality experience, will make these Olympic events the most exciting and memorable in history," -- Karoline Leavitt [36th White House press secretary]
"On behalf of LA28, I want to express our deep appreciation to President Trump and his Administration for their leadership and unwavering support as we prepare to deliver the largest and most ambitious Olympic and Paralympic Games ever hosted in the United States. Since we secured this historic opportunity in 2017, President Trump has consistently recognized the magnitude of our responsibility in welcoming the world to Los Angeles. The creation of this task force marks an important step forward in our planning efforts and reflects our shared commitment to delivering not just the biggest, but the greatest Games the world has ever seen in the summer of 2028." -- Casey Wasserman, Chairperson and President of LA28.
How concerning should this be?
On one hand, as reported elsewhere and as observed firsthand or reading history around U.S. Olympic host organizing committees since Lake Placid 1980, the Games engaging the federal government is standard operating procedure. So, it makes perfect sense that LA28 teams up with the U.S. government for security, prepping eased entry to the U.S. for international guests, transportation and on other fronts.
On the other hand, I don't recall any previous White House -- except for President Carter pulling Team USA out of the Moscow 1980 Games to lead/inspire what became a multinational boycott -- making "a thing" about their involvement with the Games. Rather, the modus operandi was seemingly on the down low, or perhaps so mundane as to warrant zero media coverage (though I did find online an archived May 1996 White House release from the office of the press secretary outlining preparations for Atlanta).
Karen Bass by Myung J Chun/LA Times
But the timing for tomorrow's shared LA28/Executive Branch ceremony is curiously, closely on the heels of Mayor of Los Angeles Karen Bass' recent comments critical of the president. The City of LA is in its own negotiation with LA28 regarding an array of agreements and funding (I won't try to summarize here but the LA Times did so on Aug. 2 at this link).
The White House did provide previous reassurances of federal support, as reported when the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic officials met with the president this spring.
Only Tuesday's ceremony with Wasserman, and time, will tell what the future holds for LA28, its federal support/input and how the president will engage. One hopes any presidential oversight will be only from a distance.
As LA28 continues its march to the next summer Olympics, the organization recently enjoyed a trio of headline news items tethered to flags, flat beds and flights of fancy.
The first and biggest news: On May 15, California-based Archer, an emerging avionics enterprise, signed on as LA28's official air taxi provider, a new official supporter category for a summer Games.
Four days later, New York-based Saatva emerged as the official mattress brand to literally support athletes by providing "mattresses, linens and pillows ... ensuring they get the restorative sleep critical to recovery and overall wellbeing," according to their release**.
And as of May 20, the NFL cleared players for flag football's XXXIVth Olympiad debut.
About those air taxis ... according to the announcement, which painted some broad strokes, collaborators "will look to integrate Archer's Midnight eVTOL aircraft across the LA28 Games in a variety of ways, such as transporting VIPs, fans and stakeholders, while electrifying vertiport [takeoff/landing] hubs for key venues and providing support for emergency services and security."
Inspired to learn more, brief research yielded a July 2024 article in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, which reported from a suburban airport near Archer's plant being built in Covington, Ga. According to the article and other sources, eVTOL is the acronym for electric vertical takeoff and landing (like heliports or helipads, the new aircraft destinations are named vertiports). Sidebar: Bell Textron provided air support at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, per this trade article of that era.
Archer's CEO elevated their news with an appearance on "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon," which filled in a few more blanks.
For each answer, however, additional questions emerged, and to date the abundance of launch news coverage did not answer the following:
Q: At Olympic venues, where specifically will the vertiports be located?
Partial A: An August press release gets more in the weeds about a "taxi network" but I'm wondering how far of a walk or golf cart ride from landing to getting one's Olympic ticket scanned at LA Coliseum since a glance at Google Maps reveals a dearth of open real estate for a vertiport installation.
From LA Coliseum the nearest helipad is a mile north
Q: What capacity is planned for passengers?
Partial A: Crunching some numbers, even if there is room to simultaneously land 10 eVTOLs at one vertiport, with up to four passengers landing every 15 minutes, that's only 160 passengers transported per hour for a venue with, say, 80,000 to 100,000 seats.
(10 aircraft x 4 passengers x 4 landings per hour = 160 individuals per hour arriving at venues per hour ... or 320 in the two hours prior to a ticketed event start time).
Q: From what pool will they hire dozens to hundreds of air taxi pilots?
Q: How will LA28/Archer crack the code that eluded European competitors from an air taxi launch during Paris 2024?
Q: How much will it cost per taxi fare (on top of, say, at $500 track & field ticket)?
Q: What exactly did they mean by the press release statement that the sponsorship includes "access to storytelling [on NBC's] Games coverage, including moments like the 2028 opening and closing ceremonies."?
According to Google Maps, SoFi Stadium has zero nearby helipads -- who pays?
On this last question, my gut answer starts with "Oh, no -- please don't deliver the torch in an eVTOL!"
Even if the electric aircraft are quieter than the helicopter used to deliver the LA84 Closing Ceremonies "UFO" or Queen Elizabeth's parachute from an AgustaWestland AW139 at London 2012's opening, any stunt that distracts from hero athletes seems abaft.
I do wish for Archer to succeed in their delivery of the Games' first Olympic air taxi service. It's exciting to see their ambitious plans taking shape in LA and other major U.S. cities including Chicago.
If given the chance, would you arrive at the Olympics via Midnight eVTOL? Let me know your answers in the comments!
Image credits: LA28/Archer, Google Maps, Saatva.com, Ebay via WorthPoint.
**Snarky two cents: Saatva's press team wins the gold (err, tin) medal for hyperbole, using "proud" not once but pridefully thrice in their press release lede. Clearly, they missed the articles by Adweek and Trust Insights in 2024 and 2019, respectively, penned by authors admonishing publicists to avoid overused keywords. To their credit, however, they weren't thrilled but the USOPP CEO was, according to his PR-penned quote. Eyeroll.
***Bonus snark: Saatva also may have set a world record for the longest press release lede paragraph, tossing out AP Style simplicity for an astounding seven lines of copy.
Atlantans or visitors looking for camaraderie during the 2025 Academy Awards may find their red carpet and other dreams a reality at ENZO's second-annual Oscars Viewing Party set for Sunday.
The Italian restaurant near Trilith Studios -- where (a few clicks south of the world's busiest airport) filmmakers captured scenes of last year's "Megalopolis" and the upcoming "Superman" -- opens its doors at 6 p.m. counting down to ABC's live 7 p.m. ET broadcast of the 97th Academy Awards.
Tickets ($100) remain available, with proceeds benefiting local nonprofit Two Sparrows Village.
According to press materials, "Throughout the evening, attendees will savor a curated menu of Chef Andrea Montobbio's signature dishes [and] expertly crafted cocktails inspired by iconic films."
Glancing at ENZO's dinner menu brought to mind dreamy days and nights, and shopping for truffles with a Torino-based food stylist, for client Casa Barilla during the 2006 Winter Olympics in Northern Italy.
Fellow Atlanta PR exec and Silver Screen Capture critic Stephen Michael Brown will emcee -- I'm hoping some of his prize giveaways include film promotional items or memorabilia from recently reviewed and best original screenplay-nominated "September 5" though I would settle for a silk robe from closer-to-Enzo's vibe "Conclave."
Hope to see you there and compare our Oscar ballots. I'll be the guy at the piano crooning about a bottle of red, a bottle of white ... and scenes from, well, you know ...
Event image via ENZO; first-annual Oscar Viewing Party images by Chucky Khang
The Atlanta Jewish Film Festival's 2025 edition is underway.
Celebrating 25 years, AJFF presents 50 films including 28 narrative works and 22 documentaries.
"This year's lineup not only highlights stories that resonate deeply with Jewish life but also redefines what it means to be a 'Jewish' film," said AJFF Executive and Artistic Director Kenny Blank in the festival's announcement press release. "It's all about the intersection of Jewish experiences with the broader world, creating space for meaningful dialogue and connection between communities."
A small army of AJFF Evaluation Committee volunteers screened hundreds of submissions (600+) to create this year's schedule of competing and special screening films.
I was inspired to volunteer with AJFF many years ago after the organization hosted multiple five-ringed titles including "Berlin 36" during the 2011 festival, the same year as the 30th anniversary screening of "Chariots of Fire" which enabled a sit-down interview with director Hugh Hudson.
Here's what caught my eye as "must experience" titles and subjects for AJFF 2025 (with venues and dates/times in parenthesis for ticketing -- the titles are hyperlinked to available trailers):
"Riefenstahl" (Springs Cinema & Taphouse on 23 Feb.) joins the cannon of documentary films on the famed German actor-turned-director Leni R, whose propaganda epic "Olympia" -- capturing the first torch relay and most of the 1936 Berlin venues and athletes -- premiered on Hitler's 49th birthday and set the gold standard for Games-related filmmaking.
But for the first time, director Andres Veiel enjoyed access to the entire Riefenstahl archive, including an array of Leni-censored footage she hid while spending decades trying to build her own legacy while attempting to distance herself from obvious Nazi sympathies of her early career.
This new doc presents original and outstanding visuals, such as first-to-my-eyes use of R's original reels, to present that archive while exposing new info enabling all to edit their own Leni POV.
"Come Closer" (Springs Cinema & Taphouse on 22 Feb.) is among the best films I've seen since the Covid pandemic.
At its core is Eden, a troubled/co-dependent Tel Aviv twentysomething grieving the sudden loss of her closest confidant/brother. When his unmentioned girlfriend Maya attends the funeral, both young women embark on a journey of remembrance and love, heartbreak and healing.
Their shared beach getaway filled me with wanderlust for eventually visiting the sea-meets-mountains Israeli coast, which closely resembles a previously visited Mediterranean favorite, Antalya, Turkey. Bring tissues to view this film which earned 12 Israeli Academy Award nominations, winning best director (Tom Nesher, who will attend the AJFF event) and best picture.
"Charles Grodin: Rebel with a Cause" (Tara Theatre on 2 March) details the comedian-actor's filmography while spotlighting his run as CNBC talk show host who championed an array of important causes. I loved this film for its mix of laughs and touching, new-to-me notes from Grodin's storied career (his bit for "The Woman In Red" still cracks me up).
Other films I have yet to see but piqued my interest for a media ticket (thanks, AJFF Media Relations team) include:
"Diane Warren: Relentless" (Sandy Springs Performing Arts Center on 2 March) regarding the Grammy, Emmy, Golden Globe and special Academy Award winning songwriter hits including "Because You Loved Me" with Celine Dion and David Foster from "Up Close and Personal" and Starship's "Mannequin" hit "Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now."
The trailer includes everyone from Cher and Aerosmith to Common, Leann Rimes and Gloria Estefan, with whom she wrote the Atlanta Olympic anthem "Reach."
"Art Spiegelman: Disaster Is My Muse" (Plaza Theatre on 22 Feb.)
"Tatami" (Plaza Theatre on 23 Feb.)
"ADA - My Mother the Architect" (Springs Cinema & Taphouse on 23 Feb.)
"Plunderer: The Life and Times of a Nazi Art Thief" (Tara Theatre on 4 March)
"The Spoils" (Springs Cinema & Taphouse on 24 Feb.)
"Full Support (Springs Cinema & Taphouse on 23 Feb.)
For those outside Atlanta, AJFF offers streaming ticket options for most titles on March 7-16. Check out AJFF.org for rates, dates and other details.
Image credits: AJFF, Lothar Ruebelt/Getty Images, United King Films, Orion Pictures, Drexler Films
With thanks to Jill Jaracz of Keep The Flame Alive podcast, who posted to Instagram a photo of her arrival at said palace about an hour before the event (just in the nick of time), I was reminded, "Oh, that's today" (!!!) while seated in boxer shorts at my hotel, prompting a rush to get dressed and make way to the venue.
The official invitation from Macron's staff went out last week to journalists of Paris Media Centre, the "unaccredited media center" for this Olympiad. Though my badge is still in review, my AIPS press card and a passport were enough to register. And after a short metro ride and four layers of security, we were inside the Elysee awaiting Macron's arrival.
As reporters mingled, I caught up with USA Today's Christine Brennan, longtime friends Ed and Sheila Hula (founders of Around The Rings) and reporters from the Team USA Media Summit in town from the LA Times, Sports Business Journal, NBC and others.
It was fun to swap pins with the press lead from Team Ukraine, a TV reporter from New Zealand's Sky network, and several Korean and Japanese reporters more obviously in the pin game.
Around many corners of the ballroom in which we gathered (reminiscent of the East Wing dance hall in Washington), meters-long tables of gourmet coffees, French wine, exotic local cheeses, Olympic-tailored bread and a smorgasbord of meats and fresh fruit from across the nation were assembled by toque-donning chefs.
And voila! Macron arrived accompanied by a military symphony and Bach as well as Paris 2024's CEO, speaking for several minutes about the shared journey to the eve of the XXXIIIth Olympiad. Here are some President Macron's remarks:
Remarks complete, Bach made a beeline for the sortie, briefly stopping to shake hands and chat with Brennan and moi (I asked the wherabouts of one of my clients to which Bach replied with surprise).
Meanwhile, Macron -- much to the delight of the attendees -- stayed in the ballroom, working the crowd answering softball questions, posing for selfies and introducing the First Lady to a few VIPs.
By the time the impromptu receiving line reached my spot, we were in the garden and Keep The Flame Alive podcaster Jill and I swapped photo duties to capture the moment (thank goodness as my own selfie attempt was marred by the wind).
Shaking hands with President Macron -- whose grip is quite strong and confident -- I first thanked him for his team's marvelous hospitality, complimented his remarks and wished all of France great success with what is already turning out to be among the best Games ever.
"Merci beaucoup!"
This next part surprised me in that when another journalist interrupted the end of our handshake, Macron did not let go of my hand for about 20 seconds, insisting it was first my turn to finish the conversation and photo.
Point, smile (or in my case keep talking), snap and the moment was complete, leaving Jill and I time to finally enjoy some drinks and catering in the garden, cheerfully toasting "To all the bullshit!" that got us to Paris.
Exiting the French palace, I snapped one last photo of what may be a presidential Citroen. So fancy! Nice touch.
Meeting Macron was definitely more personal than interactions with V.P. and candidate-turned-President Biden or Vladimir Putin, in 2010 and 2014, respectively.
One of my favorite Olympic observations took place at Beijing 2008, not far from the Main Press Center and Water Cube.
Dozens of pin collectors -- some veteran, others new to the hobby -- were viewing one another's boards of trading material.
A Chinese collector took notice of a 1970s throwaway pin I offered, featuring the words "Born to Skate" (likely a roller-skating reference).
"What is skate?"
This memory came to mind yesterday as a trio of Team USA skateboarders -- Poe Pinson, Paige Heyn and returning Olympian Mariah Duran, exited the Paris Olympic Village to head out for an afternoon skate about Paris.
Before they set out, I caught up to Pinson and Duran and quizzed them about their arrival at the Village, which turned out to be two days ago (18 July).
Though lowkey (perhaps day two of jetlag), they were positive about the entire experience, with Heyn joining the conversation to mention she looked forward to visiting the athlete hair and nail salon -- the main Village feature about which she had heard -- at some point before the opening ceremony.
With several local French children and kids from neighboring apartment blocks surrounding us, all three Olympians started handing out free swag, including skateboard pins and some Tech Deck miniature plastic boards.
"J'aime le Etats-Unis!"
And then they were off -- the trio of skaters set out on what turned into a 2.5-hour ride (I spotted their return from the corner of an eye but did not speak with them again).
Other observations du jour: A large batch of Dutch athletes (two busloads) though my Olympic crush Femke Bol was not among them (a Team NL official mentioned she'd arrive later), Team Mexico unveiled what may be their Opening Ceremonies sombreros (much to the delight of the local kids who got to wear them), and some trading with volunteers or staff from the International Olympic Committee, Intel and NOCs from Aruba, Montenegro, Team GB and others.
Best moment: Conversation with Venezuela's two-time judo Olympian Anriquelis Barrios, who completed interviews with AFP and me before gifting a Team Venezuela pin in exchange for a blog pin (both featuring the Paris mascot).
Back in 1996, a couple of colleagues with the Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games (ACOG) international relations team composed an original song -- "Village of the World" -- in which almost 200 national Olympic committees got mention in the lyrics.
My missions du jour: Check out the guest pass process, and trade pins.
There were lots of pins.
After trading with several volunteers and Olympic Village workforce members during what seemed to be a shift change, I walked away the happy owner of several new items, including a heart-shaped International Olympic Committee pin given to volunteers earlier in the day, German and Brazil team pins and a few of the new U.S. half-dollar-sized Samsung Rendezvous pins.
Upon arrival at the separate Village transportation area, with a much larger athlete presence, I wasted no time capturing the arrival of the Refugee Olympic Team bus, also speaking with several athletes (three pin exchanges).
The vibe at the transport area among dozens of security, volunteers, NOC officials and athletes was a mix of glee, nervous anticipation (the good kind), a little stress (do I have all of my bags?) and a lot of smiles and hugs.
When the Fiji Olympians arrived, it made me chuckle that each athlete brought their own case of water from their homeland sponsor (you know ... the expensive Fiji Water bottles like at Whole Foods Market).
Other NOC interactions included Australia, Canada, St. Lucia, Liechtenstein, Argentina, Norway, France and, of course, Team USA, who had two full-time staffers on site awaiting a critical luggage and supply delivery truck.
Another eager attendee was a photojournalist for Kyodo News, who was relieved to get his money shots of Team Japan disembarking from their bus as Paris 2024 volunteers helped load airport-style Village-branded luggage carts.
Perhaps the best pin discoveries: Andorra has a really nice jumbo design, and the Peru Olympic Volunteers got creative with their oversized design, using a globe-spinning mascot image I almost picked for one of my Olympic Rings And Other Things pins.
Never did find the guest pass area, but learned this morning it's just around the corner from the transport zone -- will endeavor to explore yet another Village entry in the days ahead.
Another curiosity of the Olympic Village was its proximity to dozens of neighboring apartment buildings.
In the quiet times between pin trades, I spoke with several local residents who revealed a mix of good cheer to live so close to "the action" juxtaposed with "can't we just get this over with" sentiment (one resident was particularly cranky his carpark access had some hiccups).
Looking forward to the next Village visit. Meanwhile, today's task: Paris Media Centre.
Nestled a couple of blocks from Invalides -- the 2024 Olympic archery venue -- and the Museum of the Army in the 7th Arrondissement, the museum of Auguste Rodin blends with its neighbors on the exterior while unveiling a grand garden and main building (the sculptor's later-years Hôtel Biron residence of about 116 years ago).
Of course, the sculptures impress. It was fun, albeit unplanned, to view Rodin's sketches, ceramic models or miniatures for many of his famed works while discovering dozens of new-to-my-eyes concepts, then touring the museum gardens to find the magnificent, and at times monumental, Rodin casts in bronze.
I knew not that one of his first major works, as a teen, featured a bust of his father, now on view with portraits or other portrayals of family members.
There were also reminders of works seen at the largest U.S. museums dedicated to Rodin, including venues in Philadelphia, San Francisco, Kansas City and Atlanta's High Museum of Art, home to a gifted sculpture "The Shade" presented by the French Republic to the City of Atlanta as a memorial to arts patrons lost at Orly Field.
Speaking of "The Shade," it was new-to-me info there are multiple Rodin figures by this title, with trios of Shade figures in the galleries, garden and atop a massive portal the artist fashioned with additional accoutrement.
There are nudes around many corners, including some not-for-kids poses like "Iris, Messenger of the Gods" (previously noted in this October 2022 post also summarizing Rodin past Olympic connections).
The best surprise was discovering several paintings by Rodin contemporaries, collected through friendship or investment. Most impressive: Large canvases by Edward Munch, Claude Monet, Pierre-Auguste Renoir and Vincent Van Gogh.
Another discovery: Rodin's personal collection of hundreds of artifacts from ancient civilizations, with many figures of antiquity serving as inspiration for his own work.
An upstairs corridor showcased a 2023 sculpture, apparently designed and assembled by 12 apprentice sculptors, titled "The Flame of Culture" inspired by the Olympic torch relay traditions.
Exiting through the gift shop, two items caught my eye: a miniature version of "The Kiss" in its own wood crate (these miniatures were not available when this work was on view at the "Rings: Five Passions in World Art" exhibit of the 1996 Cultural Olympiad in Atlanta), as well as a clever pin design inspired by "The Thinker."
I was also captivated by a tin and brass broach pin design, described by the gift shop manager as "piano hands" (it was not clear if this is a Rodin work but likely is). For over 100 Euros, it was time to stop the music and settle with a few postcards.
Methinks my wallet may be even emptier by Games end.
The Musee Rodin has special hours planned during Paris 2024 -- whether you're in town for the Olympics or a future City of Light excursion, do yourself a favor and make time to discover this Parisian treasure.
A public relations executive by day, small-time eBayer by night and weekends, lifetime member of the International Society of Olympic Historians (ISOH) and full-time Olympic enthusiast who also looks at "BoingBoing-style" unusual news with interest. Please e-mail me at olympiada@yahoo.com or if you can't get enough try my Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/people/Nicholas_Wolaver/713593008
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