Berry Blasts Newsom; Rodrigo Wins; Housing Crisis Exposed

Halle Berry Criticizes Gavin Newsom, Melania Trump's Film Success Questioned, and More

Halle Berry expressed disappointment with California Governor Gavin Newsom, stating he never followed up after claiming they would "reconcile," according to Variety on February 4, 2026. Berry told The Cut that this is disturbing and "If he's going to run for president, he can't sleep on women."

Meanwhile, Melania Trump's new film is being marketed as a documentary, but Time magazine argues that it is more accurately defined as "a one-hour and 44-minute branding exercise, or an extended piece of reputation management presented in the visual language of nonfiction cinema." The film grossed over $7 million in its opening weekend, which is being presented as proof of audience demand, cultural relevance, and cinematic success.

In other news, Olivia Rodrigo was named the fourth recipient of the Universal Music Group x Reverb Amplifier Award, recognizing her commitment to driving positive change through her music, platform, and direct engagement with fans, Variety reported.

Vox published two articles on February 4, 2026. One article discusses the potential consequences of old social media posts and how to deal with embarrassing content from the past. The other article examines the hidden double standards driving the housing crisis, arguing that American urban planning has historically favored single-family homes over apartments, contributing to housing affordability issues. According to Marina Bolotnikova, a senior reporter for Vox's Future Perfect section, "for more than a century, American urban planning has been devoted to layering on ways to all but ban apartment buildings."