title: Voting Rights Act of 1965

text: In a 5–4 decision in "Shelby County v. Holder" (2013), the Supreme Court struck down Section 4(b) as unconstitutional. The court reasoned that the coverage formula violates the constitutional principles of "equal sovereignty of the states" and federalism because its disparate treatment of the states is "based on 40 year-old facts having no logical relationship to the present day", which makes the formula unresponsive to current needs. The court did not strike down Section 5, but without Section 4(b), no jurisdiction may be subject to Section 5 preclearance unless Congress enacts a new coverage formula. After the decision, several states that were fully or partially covered—including Texas, Mississippi, North Carolina, and South Carolina—implemented laws that were previously denied preclearance. This prompted new legal challenges to these laws under other provisions unaffected by the court's decision, such as Section 2. Research has shown that the coverage formula and the requirement of preclearance substantially increased turnout among racial minorities, even as far as the year before "Shelby County". Some jurisdictions that had previously been covered by the coverage formula increased the rate of voter registration purges after "Shelby County". On 1 July 2021, the Act's preclearance requirements were further weakened at the state and local level following the " Brnovich v. Democratic National Committee" in a 6-3 Supreme Court ruling which held that Section 2 preclearance provisions could not apply to out-of-precinct voting or ballot collecting.


title: Voting Rights Act of 1965

text: While Section 2 and Section 5 prohibit jurisdictions from drawing electoral districts that dilute the votes of protected minorities, the Supreme Court has held that in some instances, the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment prevents jurisdictions from drawing district lines to favor protected minorities. The court first recognized the justiciability of affirmative "racial gerrymandering" claims in "Shaw v. Reno" (1993). In "Miller v. Johnson" (1995), the court explained that a redistricting plan is constitutionally suspect if the jurisdiction used race as the "predominant factor" in determining how to draw district lines. For race to "predominate", the jurisdiction must prioritize racial considerations over traditional redistricting principles, which include "compactness, contiguity, [and] respect for political subdivisions or communities defined by actual shared interests." If a court concludes that racial considerations predominated, then the redistricting plan is considered "racially gerrymandered" and must be subjected to strict scrutiny, meaning that the redistricting plan will be upheld as constitutional only if it is narrowly tailored to advance a compelling state interest. In "Bush v. Vera" (1996), a plurality of the Supreme Court assumed that complying with Section 2 or Section 5 constituted compelling interests, and lower courts have allowed only these two interests to justify racial gerrymandering.


title: Reform UK

text: Reform UK is a right-wing populist political party in the United Kingdom. It was founded with support from Nigel Farage in November 2018 as the Brexit Party, advocating hard Euroscepticism and a no-deal Brexit, and was briefly a significant political force in 2019. After Brexit, it was renamed to Reform UK in January 2021, and became primarily an anti-lockdown party during the COVID-19 pandemic. Subsequently, in December 2022, it began campaigning on broader right-wing populist themes during the British cost-of-living crisis. Its greatest electoral success was as the Brexit Party, which won 29 seats and the largest share of the national vote in the 2019 European Parliament election.


title: Reform UK

text: Farage had been leader of UKIP, a right-wing populist and Eurosceptic party, during its brief heyday as a significant political force in the first half of the 2010s. He returned to frontline politics as leader of a new Brexit Party in the context of the lengthy Brexit process initiated by the result of the 2016 EU referendum, which had been called partly in response to UKIP's influence. The Brexit Party campaigned for a no-deal Brexit, which it described as "a clean-break Brexit". Academic observers described the party as populist. It won high-profile defections from the right-wing Conservative Party, one of the two main parties in the UK, including Ann Widdecombe and Annunziata Rees-Mogg. It also won some endorsements from left-wing supporters of Brexit, including former Respect Party MP George Galloway and former members of the Revolutionary Communist Party. Following the election of leading Brexit campaigner Boris Johnson as leader of the Conservative Party, Farage offered him an electoral pact in the 2019 general election; the offer was rejected, but the Brexit Party unilaterally decided not to stand candidates in constituencies won by the Conservatives in the previous election.


title: Reform UK

text: On 31 January 2020, the United Kingdom withdrew from the European Union. The Brexit Party had styled itself as being focused on reform of democracy in Britain, and by May 2020, there were proposals to re-brand it as the Reform Party. The COVID-19 pandemic hit the UK in 2020 and the government imposed a national lockdown to slow the spread of the disease. Farage re-branded the party as Reform UK around the end of the year to focus on anti-lockdown campaigning. He stepped down as leader in March 2021 and was replaced by Richard Tice.


title: Reform UK

text: A company called The Brexit Party Limited was incorporated with Companies House on 23 November 2018. It was formally announced on 20 January 2019 by former UKIP economics spokesperson Catherine Blaiklock, who served as the party's initial leader. On 5 February 2019, it was registered with the United Kingdom Electoral Commission to run candidates in any English, Scottish, Welsh and European Union elections.


title: Reform UK

text: On the day of the announcement, Nigel Farage, who had been an independent MEP since his departure from UKIP in early December 2018, said that the party was Blaiklock's idea, but that she had acted with his full support. In a 24 January 2019 interview, Blaiklock said: "I won't run it without Nigel [Farage], I'm a nobody and I haven't got any ego to say that I am an anybody", and that: "I'm happy to facilitate Nigel and do the donkey work and work for him, but I don't have any illusions as to myself". On 8 February 2019, Farage stated he would stand as a candidate for the party in any potential future European Parliament elections contested in the United Kingdom. MEPs Steven Woolfe and Nathan Gill, also formerly of UKIP, stated that they would also stand for the party.


title: Reform UK

text: On 1 February 2019, Blaiklock told "The Daily Telegraph" the party had raised £1 million in donations, and that over 200 people had come forward offering to stand for the Brexit Party at the May 2019 European Parliament election, if the United Kingdom had not left the European Union by then.


title: Reform UK

text: After announcing the party's formation, Blaiklock attracted criticism for Islamophobic comments on social media, made between 2017 and 2019. She resigned as party leader on 20 March 2019 over since-deleted anti-Islam messages on Twitter, including re-tweeting messages by far-right figures including Mark Collett, Tommy Robinson and Joe Walsh. Farage said that he would take over as leader, that Blaiklock was "never intended to be the long-term leader" and that the party "is at the moment a virtual party – it's a website". On the party's launch on 12 April, asked about issues with Blaiklock, Farage said: "I set the party up, she was the administrator that got it set up. We had a couple of teething problems, yes, but are we going to be deeply intolerant of all forms of intolerance? Yes."


title: Reform UK

text: In April 2019, the party's treasurer Michael McGough was removed from his position after "The Guardian" uncovered antisemitic and homophobic social media comments he had posted in 2017.


title: Reform UK

text: On 22 November 2019, the Brexit Party set out its proposals for the 2019 UK general election. They included a wide range of policy areas including taxation, reforming politics, immigration and the environment. The party received two percent of the vote in the election, with none of its 273 candidates winning a seat.


title: Reform UK

text: Before the general election on 8 December 2019, the party's leader Nigel Farage announced that, following Brexit, the party would change its name to the "Reform Party", and campaign for changes in the electoral system and structure of the House of Commons.


title: Reform UK

text: In November 2020, Farage and Tice announced that they had applied to the Electoral Commission to re-name the Brexit Party to 'Reform UK', and stated that the party would campaign on a platform that was opposed to further COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns (due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic) and that it would seek to reform aspects of UK Governance, including the BBC and House of Lords. The group supports the Great Barrington Declaration.


title: Reform UK

text: An analysis by the pollster YouGov cast doubt on the prospective appeal of the rebranded party, stating that the overlap of voters with a positive opinion of Nigel Farage and those with a negative opinion of COVID-19 lockdowns was small, at an estimated 7% of the electorate. The charity Reform, which holds the domain name reform.uk, had complained to the Electoral Commission regarding the name change, claiming that it risks damaging its goodwill through name confusion. The Renew Party also logged a complaint with the Electoral Commission on the grounds that the rebrand would mislead voters on the grounds that it was easy to confuse 'Reform' and 'Renew'.


title: Reform UK

text: In 2021, Reform UK gained representation in the Scottish Parliament when former Conservative and then independent MSP Michelle Ballantyne joined the party and was named Reform UK's leader in Holyrood by Nigel Farage. She lost her and the party's only seat in Scotland in the 2021 Scottish Parliament election. She quit as the party's leader in Scotland in February 2022. Farage stepped down as leader in March 2021, being replaced by party chairman Richard Tice. Former North West England MEP David Bull was appointed as deputy leader of the party on 11 March 2021.


title: Reform UK

text: On 26 March 2021, it was announced that former Brexit Party MEP Nathan Gill had become the Leader of Reform UK Wales.


title: Reform UK

text: In 2021, Reform UK announced its intention to field a full slate of candidates in the Senedd, Scottish Parliament and London Assembly elections with leader Richard Tice standing for election in the latter. However, the party did not nominate a candidate for London Mayor after making a pact with Reclaim Party leader and actor Laurence Fox. Fox finished sixth in the mayoral election with less than 2% of the votes. The party failed to win any seats above local level in the 2021 elections in May, as well as losing their deposit in the Hartlepool by-election. In the Senedd election, the party fielded a full slate of candidates in every constituency and on the regional lists, but picked up just 1.6% of the constituency vote (7th place) and 1.1% of the regional list votes (8th place). In the Scottish Parliament election, no constituency candidates were fielded and the party received just 5,793 list votes across the whole country despite standing in every region in Scotland. In the London Assembly election, none of their constituency candidates were elected and the party finished tenth on the London-wide list with 25,009 votes.


title: Reform UK

text: In October 2022, Reform UK and the Social Democratic Party (SDP) announced an electoral pact. In December 2022, David White, a Conservative member of Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council, and Richard Langridge, a Conservative member of West Oxfordshire District Council, both defected to Reform UK in order to stand as prospective parliamentary candidates for the party.


title: Reform UK

text: The press gave renewed attention to Reform UK in December 2022—during the cost-of-living crisis—after Farage announced it would stand a full slate of candidates at the next general election. Tice remains leader of the party. After some opinion polls indicated a modest increase in support for Reform UK, "The Telegraph" described the party as a "threat on the Right" to the Conservative government of Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.


title: Reform UK

text: In February 2019, nine MEPs who had left UKIP joined the party: Tim Aker, Jonathan Bullock, David Coburn, Bill Etheridge, Nigel Farage, Nathan Gill, Diane James, Paul Nuttall and Julia Reid. All were originally elected as UKIP candidates, but all had previously left the party in opposition to Gerard Batten's leadership, mostly in December 2018. MEP and former UKIP member Steven Woolfe also indicated his support for the party in February.


title: Reform UK

text: In mid-April 2019, Jane Collins, Ray Finch, Jill Seymour, and Margot Parker left UKIP to join the Brexit Party. Jonathan Arnott, who had resigned from UKIP three months earlier, also joined the party then, thus bringing the total number of Brexit Party MEPs to 14. Thus, 14 of the 24 UKIP MEPs who had been elected in 2014 were now in the party. They all were members of the Europe of Freedom and Direct Democracy (EFDD) group.


title: Reform UK

text: Only three of the incumbent MEPs − Farage, Gill and Bullock − were selected to stand for the Brexit Party in the 2019 election.


title: Reform UK

text: On 23 May 2019, 29 Brexit Party MEPs were newly elected to the European Parliament, including Richard Tice and former Conservative MP Ann Widdecombe, while Jonathan Bullock, Nigel Farage and Nathan Gill kept their seats. The Brexit Party MEPs were Non-Inscrits, not members of a group in the Parliament.


title: Reform UK

text: MEP Andrew England Kerr was expelled from the party on 29 September 2019 over a potential conflict of interest. Farage explained that England Kerr made "comments about a business and a product that he has a direct financial investment in and we think that is unacceptable." MEP Louis Stedman-Bryce resigned on 19 November 2019 in response to "The Brexit Party’s recent decision to select a Scottish candidate who has openly posted homophobic views".


title: Reform UK

text: On 15 May 2019, four Members originally elected or co-opted for UKIP (Caroline Jones, Mandy Jones, Mark Reckless and David Rowlands) joined the Brexit Party. Reckless was appointed as Leader of their group. One Member, elected as UKIP but by this time sitting as an independent, Michelle Brown, was told she would not be welcome in the party. In the Welsh language, the party is known as . The Brexit Party Wales was to campaign in 2021 Senedd election to scrap the current system of devolution, and replace it with a directly-elected first minister accountable to Welsh MPs. The leader of the party in Wales, Mark Reckless, said in the interview on 15 May 2020 that Nigel Farage is "consulted over key decisions... but he doesn't micro-manage us here". On 18 August 2020, Caroline Jones released a statement stating that she had quit the Brexit Party Welsh Parliament Group to sit as an Independent member due to the newly-adopted anti-devolution stance the Brexit Party had adopted.


title: Reform UK

text: On 16 October 2020, Mandy Jones and David Rowlands left the party's group in the Senedd to form a new Independent members group jointly with Caroline Jones. The group, The Independent Alliance for Reform, sought to reform the Senedd rather than abolish. Mandy Jones and Rowlands remained members of the Brexit Party, and are still members of Reform UK.


title: Reform UK

text: On 19 October 2020, the final remaining Brexit Party Senedd group member, Mark Reckless left the party to join the Abolish the Welsh Assembly Party.


title: Reform UK

text: On 11 January 2021, independent MSP Michelle Ballantyne joined Reform UK. Ballantyne became an MSP for the 16-member district of South Scotland in 2017 when incumbent Rachael Hamilton resigned to stand in a by-election for a single-member seat. Ballantyne first sat as a Conservative but left the party in 2020 over opposition to COVID-19 lockdown restrictions. Ballantyne continued to sit as an independent until January 2021 when she joined Reform UK and was appointed leader of the Scottish party. She continued to sit with the party until the 2021 Scottish Parliament election, where she lost her regional seat to a candidate from the Scottish Conservatives. She quit as the party's leader in Scotland in February 2022.


title: Reform UK

text: The party's lead aim was for the United Kingdom to leave the European Union, now achieved, and then trade with countries on World Trade Organization terms. On 12 April 2019, Farage said that there was "no difference between the Brexit party and UKIP in terms of policy, [but] in terms of personnel, there's a vast difference", criticising UKIP's connections to the far right. He also said that the party aimed to attract support "across the board", including from former UKIP voters and from Conservative and Labour voters who supported Brexit. Later in April, Farage said that the party would not publish a manifesto until after the European elections had taken place. Farage said the party would have a policy platform instead of a manifesto. Farage has described his admiration for how fellow Europe of Freedom and Direct Democracy members, Italy's Five Star Movement, have managed to grow from a protest group into the country's largest political party in both houses of the Italian Parliament. He has described the Brexit Party as doing the same kind of thing and "running a company, not a political party, hence our model of registered supporters" and building a base using an online platform.


title: Reform UK

text: The British politics professor Matthew Goodwin describes the party as national populists, while Goodwin and others have also described the Brexit Party as populist, right-wing populist, right-wing neoliberal and right-wing nationalist.


title: Reform UK

text: The party's constitution was published by the Electoral Commission as a result of a freedom of information request in May 2019. It describes the party as seeking to "promote and encourage those who aspire to improve their personal situation and those who seek to be self-reliant, whilst providing protection for those genuinely in need; favour the ability of individuals to make decisions in respect of themselves; seek to diminish the role of the State; lower the burden of taxation on individuals and businesses." SDP politician Patrick O'Flynn, who was elected as a UKIP MEP under Farage's leadership and supported the Brexit Party in the 2019 European elections, commented on the constitution's description of the party as following classical liberalism and described them as having a Thatcherite ideological core. James Glancy, one of the party's MEPs, has compared the party to the Referendum Party, being a "united and diverse group of people from different political backgrounds".


title: Reform UK

text: The party's first non-Brexit-related policy was announced on 4 June 2019: a proposition to transform British Steel into a partly worker-owned company, in what has been described as "a hybrid of Conservative and Labour policy". The party also supports cutting Britain's foreign aid budget, scrapping the proposed HS2 project and introducing free WiFi on all British public transport. Furthermore, the party has said it will scrap all interest paid on student tuition fees, has suggested reimbursing graduates for historic interest payments made on their loans, and has pledged to abolish inheritance tax.


title: Reform UK

text: The party has signed a cross-party declaration alongside the Liberal Democrats, Green Party of England and Wales, and the Scottish National Party, calling for first-past-the-post voting to be replaced by a proportional system for Westminster elections.


title: Reform UK

text: On 22 November 2019, the Brexit Party set out its policy proposals for the 2019 UK general election. Its key policies for the election included:


title: Reform UK

text: Following the UK's departure from the European Union on 31 January 2020, that is "Brexit", Farage has sought a new right-wing populist project for the party under its new name of Reform UK by opposing COVID-19 restrictions, paralleling right-wing populist anti-lockdown sentiments in other countries.


title: Reform UK

text: On 3 October 2021, the party's leader, Richard Tice, criticised the Conservative Party as a party of "high tax" at Reform UK's party conference in Manchester. He pledged to offer a lower-tax vision at the next election, saying his party would stand on a low-tax and low-regulation platform. The party supports raising the threshold at which people start paying income tax from £12,500 to £20,000, and exempt the smallest businesses from corporation tax. He also criticised the Conservative Party's plans to decarbonise the economy, saying that the UK should instead focus on exploiting reserves of shale gas. He also said that energy companies should be owned by the government or British pension funds to stop profits going abroad.


title: Reform UK

text: The Brexit Party officially has three members, as the Electoral Commission requires at least two named members to be registered as a political party. The three members are currently Richard Tice, Nominating Officer Tracy Knowles and Treasurer Mehrtash A’Zami. The party structure has been criticised for not providing the party's over 115,000 paying registered supporters with any voting power to influence party policy; Farage retains a high level of control over decision-making, including hand-picking candidates himself.


title: Reform UK

text: Farage has said the party would largely be funded by small donations and that they raised "£750,000 in donations online, all in small sums of less than £500" in their first ten days. The party also accepts large donations, such as £200,000 donated by Jeremy Hosking, a former donor to the Conservative Party. He further said that the party would not be taking money from the key former UKIP funder Arron Banks. Farage personally faced questions during the 2019 electoral campaign after "Channel 4 News" revealed undeclared travel and accommodation benefits provided by Banks before Farage joined the Brexit Party, and on 21 May 2019 the European Parliament formally opened an investigation. In response to the reporting, the Brexit Party banned "Channel 4 News" from its events.


title: Reform UK

text: Two days before the 2019 European election, Farage accused the Electoral Commission of "interfering in the electoral process" after the independent watchdog visited the Brexit Party headquarters for "active oversight and regulation" of party funding. Official donations of £500 or more must be given by a "permissible donor", who should either be somebody listed on the British electoral roll or a business registered at Companies House and operating in Britain. When asked if the party took donations in foreign currency, Farage replied: "Absolutely not, we only take sterling – end of conversation." Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell called for "a full and open and transparent, independent inquiry into the funding of Mr Farage". On Sky News in May 2019, a Scottish National Party MEP, Alyn Smith, claimed that the Brexit Party is "a shell company that's a money laundering front". The Brexit Party threatened legal action unless Smith retracted the claim. Smith apologised unreservedly and admitted that he had no evidence for his allegation, and made a donation to the party's legal costs as well as to the charity Help for Heroes.


title: Reform UK

text: As of February 2020, and probably since May 2020, Farage holds 8 of the 15 shares in The Brexit Party Ltd.


title: Reform UK

text: As well as the leader and chairman, other leadership roles were assigned to Brian Monteith as Chief Whip in the European Parliament (before Brexit) and David Bull as health spokesperson during the 2019 election.


title: Reform UK

text: In January 2021, former Conservative and then independent MSP Michelle Ballantyne joined the party and assumed the role of Leader of Reform UK Scotland.


title: Reform UK

text: Reform UK has had three leaders. Catherine Blaiklock was its first leader and served from 20 January 2019 to 20 March 2019, before resigning as party leader due to anti-Islam messages she posted on her Twitter account before she took on the role. Richard Tice, the party's current leader, took on the role following the resignation of Nigel Farage.


title: Reform UK

text: The party stood candidates in Great Britain at the 2019 European elections, including the former Conservative Minister of State Ann Widdecombe, the journalist Annunziata Rees-Mogg (a former Conservative general election candidate and the sister of the Conservative MP and Brexit advocate Jacob Rees-Mogg), the Leave Means Leave co-founder Richard Tice, the writers Claire Fox and James Heartfield (both once part of the Revolutionary Communist Party and later writers for "Spiked"), Stuart Waiton (a fellow "Spiked" contributor) James Glancy, a former member of the Royal Marines and the Special Boat Service who was awarded the Conspicuous Gallantry Cross, Martin Daubney, a journalist and commentator, David Bull, author and television presenter, Brian Monteith, a former Conservative Party MSP, Rupert Lowe, a businessman and retired Rear Admiral Roger Lane-Nott. John Longworth, the former director-general of the British Chambers of Commerce, announced he would be standing as a candidate for the party on 15 April 2019. The party was not registered in Northern Ireland and did not field candidates there.


title: Reform UK

text: A survey of 781 Conservative Party councillors found that 40% planned to vote for the Brexit Party. On 17 April 2019, the former Labour and Respect Party MP George Galloway announced his support for the Brexit Party "for one-time only" in the 2019 European Parliament election. On 24 April, the political columnist Tim Montgomerie announced that he would vote for the party and endorsed Widdecombe's candidature, and the Conservative MP Lucy Allan described the candidates of the party as "fantastic".


title: Reform UK

text: On 2 May, one of the party's candidates for the North West constituency, Sally Bate, resigned from the party in response to previous comments made by Claire Fox, the lead candidate in the constituency, on the Warrington bomb attacks.


title: Reform UK

text: In May 2019, several polls forecast the party polling first for the European elections, though earlier polls had suggested it would come third to Labour and the Conservatives.


title: Reform UK

text: The party held 14 seats (acquired through defections) going into the elections, and saw an increase of 15. It won five more seats than UKIP, at the time under Farage's leadership, had at the previous election.


title: Reform UK

text: The party won 29 seats in the election, becoming the biggest single party in the 9th European Parliament. The CDU/CSU Union also won 29 seats in Germany, but it was an alliance and not a party.


title: Reform UK

text: Three of the MEPs resigned the whip in December 2019 in order to support the Conservative Party at the 2019 general election, A fourth, John Longworth, was also expelled for "repeatedly undermining" the party's election strategy.


title: Reform UK

text: Farage said the party intended to stand candidates at the 2019 general election. In April 2019 he promised not to stand candidates against the 28 Eurosceptic Conservative MPs who opposed the Brexit withdrawal agreement. In the Peterborough by-election in June, the Brexit Party came second with 28% of the vote, 7% ahead of the Conservatives and 2% behind Labour.


title: Reform UK

text: Following Boris Johnson's election as Prime Minister, Farage unveiled the names of 635 general election candidates for the Brexit Party, including himself. On 8 September 2019, Farage wrote an article in the "Sunday Telegraph" and the Brexit Party took out advertisements in Sunday newspapers offering an electoral pact with the Conservative Party in the forthcoming general election, in which the Brexit Party would not be opposed by the Conservatives in traditional Labour Party seats in the north of England, the Midlands and Wales, and the Brexit Party would not contest seats in which they could split the Leave vote. Farage wrote that Boris Johnson should ask himself "does he want to sign a non-aggression pact with me and return to Downing Street?"


title: Reform UK

text: Farage had suggested that the Brexit and Conservative parties could form an electoral pact to maximise the seats taken by Brexit-supporting MPs, but this was rejected by Johnson. On 11 November, Farage then said his party would not stand in any of the 317 seats won by the Conservatives at the last election. Conservative Party chairman James Cleverly welcomed this, although he stated that the parties had not been in contact. "Newsnight" reported that conversations between members of the Brexit Party and the pro-Brexit Conservative group, the European Research Group (ERG) had led to this decision. The Brexit Party is reported to have requested that Boris Johnson publicly state he would not extend the Brexit transition period beyond the planned date of 31 December 2020 and that he wished for a Canada-style free-trade agreement with the EU. Johnson did make a statement covering these two issues, something which Farage referenced as key when announcing he was standing down some candidates. Both the Brexit Party and the Conservatives denied any deal was done between the two. The decision to not run in those seats met with criticism by some Brexit Party supporters and candidates; some candidates who had been selected to vie for Conservative seats opted to run as independent candidates on a Pro-Brexit platform.


title: Reform UK

text: The Brexit Party failed to win any seats in the general election. Its best second places were in Barnsley Central, where Victoria Felton won 30.4% of the vote, and Barnsley East, where Jim Ferguson won 29.2%. High third places were in Hartlepool, where Richard Tice won 25.8% of the vote, and Hull West and Hessle, where Michelle Dewberry won 18%.


title: Reform UK

text: The party first stood at local government level in two by-elections in Gloucester on 25 July 2019. They did not win either.


title: Reform UK

text: A councillor elected to Rochdale defected to the party in July 2019 from Labour, making for the first councillor; shortly after a Liberal Democrat councillor there also defected. All 12 of Rotherham's then UKIP councillors defected to the Brexit Party in July 2019, as did all 5 of Derby's UKIP councillors. On 13 September 2019, ten independent councillors on Hartlepool Borough Council defected to the Brexit Party. They then formed a pact with the three Conservatives to hold 13 of the 33 seats. In September 2019, a Conservative councillor for Surrey (county) and Elmbridge (borough) defected to the party, after his party decided he would not be reselected.


title: Reform UK

text: The 13 councillors of the Hartlepool council group left the party in 2020. The Rotherham group left to form the Rotherham Democratic Party. The party won two seats in the 2021 United Kingdom local elections, both in Derby, one a hold from a previous defection and the other a gain. These were the first council seats won at election by the party, as all their previous ones had been via defections. This left them with eight councillors in total; six in Derby and two more from defections, one in Redbridge from the Conservatives, and one in Swale from UKIP, both in April 2021.


title: Reform UK

text: In December 2021, days before the North Shropshire by-election, local councillor and Deputy Mayor of Market Drayton Town Council, Mark Whittle, defected to the party from the Conservatives.


title: Reform UK

text: It was reported that all of Reform UK's candidates in the 2022 United Kingdom local elections "will campaign on the benefits of fracking and restarting exploration in the North Sea". Three of the eight council seats held by the party were up for re-election in 2022, all of which had arisen from defections. Both Derby seats were held, but a seat in Redbridge was lost. No new seats were gained.


title: Reform UK

text: In December 2022, two former Conservative councillors - one in Barnsley and the other in West Oxfordshire - defected to the party.


title: Ivan Drago

text: Ivan Vasilyevich Drago (, ) is a Soviet-Russian fictional character from the "Rocky" film series. He first appears in the 1985 film "Rocky IV", in which he is the central antagonist and rival of Rocky Balboa and is also responsible for the death of Apollo Creed after brutally defeating him in their match. He also appears in the 2018 film "Creed II", in which he is the main antagonist and serves as the trainer to his son Viktor. He is portrayed by Swedish actor and real-life martial artist Dolph Lundgren. A poll of former heavyweight champions and prominent boxing writers ranked Drago as the third-best fighter in the "Rocky" film series.


title: Ivan Drago

text: Ivan Drago is an Olympic gold medalist and an amateur boxing champion from the Soviet Union, who had an amateur record of 100–0–0 wins (100 KO). He is billed at and . Drago is carefully fitted and trained to be the consummate fighter. His heart rate and punching power are constantly measured via computers during his workouts. Drago is seen receiving intramuscular injections in the movie, implied to be anabolic steroids, though the actual nature of the injected solution is never explicitly stated; instead, Ludmilla, his wife, states as a joke that Drago is like Popeye and eats spinach every day.


title: Ivan Drago

text: Ivan Drago was forced to leave Russia and move to Ukraine to look after his son Viktor Drago following his loss to Rocky.


title: Ivan Drago

text: Drago was married to another athlete, Ludmilla Vobet (Brigitte Nielsen), who is mentioned to be a double gold medalist in swimming. She is much more articulate than Drago, who seldom talks, and always speaks on his behalf at press conferences and interviews. In "Creed II", it is revealed that Drago and Ludmilla had divorced as a result of his loss to Rocky Balboa and he is now raising their son - himself a professional boxer - alone.


title: Ivan Drago

text: Drago's trainers, Sergei Igor Rimsky (George Rogan) and Manuel Vega (James "Cannonball" Green), along with his wife Ludmilla (née Vobet) (Brigitte Nielsen), are convinced that he can defeat any boxer. Drago enters professional heavyweight boxing in the beginning of the movie.


title: Ivan Drago

text: Former champion Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers), now 43 years old, comes out of retirement to challenge Drago to an exhibition match, assisted by Creed's former rival Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone). Creed arrives to the ring wearing his signature Stars & Stripes boxing garb to "Living in America", sung by James Brown, dancing upon a huge stage that is lowered into the ring. Before the match begins, Drago mutters "You will lose."


title: Ivan Drago

text: At the beginning of the fight, a confident Apollo dances around the Soviet boxer, flicking jabs at Drago. But then Drago connects with a series of violent blows, proving Apollo is no match for the younger and stronger Russian fighter. Drago even continues to attack Creed after the bell is rung to end the round, despite this being an exhibition match, leaving Apollo bloodied and slumped against the ropes. Rocky is ready to throw in the towel, but Apollo orders him not to as the second round begins. Drago continues to attack Apollo without mercy, and Rocky is ready to go against his wishes and end the fight, however he hesitates due to Apollo's refusal. This turns out to be a fatal mistake, as Drago lands a final savage punch that kills him.


title: Ivan Drago

text: Drago exhibits no remorse, coldly stating "if he dies, he dies", claiming he will soon "defeat a real champion". Rocky decides to fight Drago to avenge Apollo's death, and when the boxing commission refuses to allow it, Rocky surrenders his World Heavyweight Title to fight Drago an unsanctioned bout, arranged to take place on Drago's home turf in Moscow on Christmas Day. After weeks of training in the Russian mountains, and after an initially reluctant Adrian arrives to support him, Rocky is ready to take on Drago. Unlike the match with Apollo, Drago comes out on the offensive and pummels Rocky for the first round and much to the second, until Rocky manages to causes a deep cut below Drago's right eye. With Drago's confidence shaken, and Rocky's determination fully empowered, the fight eventually becomes a long, drawn-out war between the two. To everyone's shock, Rocky manages to withstand Drago's punishing hits and starts wearing him down, to the point where the Russian crowd begins to cheer for Rocky, whereas at the start of the fight, they were hostile to him. Drago's trainer—a Soviet/East German official—insults him, claiming that by allowing an American to fight so admirably on Russian soil, Drago is disgracing the Soviet Union. The enraged Drago grabs him by the throat, throws him out of the ring, and proclaims he only fights for himself. Immediately preceding the final round, Rocky and Drago meet in the middle of the ring where the two men touch gloves as Drago says to Rocky, "To the end". Rocky finally defeats Drago by KO in the dying seconds of the 15th and final round.


title: Ivan Drago

text: It is revealed that the punishment Drago inflicted on Rocky left Rocky with brain damage (specifically diagnosed as cavum septi pellucidi (CSP)), causing him to mistake people, see visions and various other things. During Rocky's fight with Tommy Gunn, Rocky sees visions of Drago killing Apollo while believing he is about to suffer the same fate at Tommy's hands, until a vision of Mickey inspired him to get up and defeat Tommy.


title: Ivan Drago

text: After his loss to Rocky, Drago was disgraced by the USSR and Ludmilla left him to raise their son, Viktor, on his own. Following the end of the Cold War, Drago was forced to move to Ukraine, where he lived a modest life while relentlessly training Viktor to be an even more formidable boxer than he was. After Viktor knocks out every opponent he faces in Ukraine and Adonis "Donnie" Creed wins the World Heavyweight Championship, Drago, Viktor, and promoter Buddy Marcelle travel to Philadelphia to issue a challenge to Donnie for the title. Drago visits Rocky in his restaurant to tell him how Rocky cost him everything, and threatens to avenge his loss through Viktor, telling Rocky, "My son will break your boy."


title: Ivan Drago

text: After Donnie accepts the fight and Rocky refuses to train him, Drago intensifies Viktor's training regimen adding weighted chin ups, and battle rope push ups. During the weigh in, Drago taunts Donnie, telling him he is much smaller than Apollo was. Donnie shoves Drago and a scrum breaks out between the two champs.


title: Ivan Drago

text: Viktor pummels Donnie, breaking his ribs and brutally injuring his kidneys, but is disqualified for landing a punch on Donnie while he was down. With Donnie injured and his confidence shattered, Viktor ascends to the top of the boxing world thanks to his unmatched power punches, and Drago's good standing with Russia is partially restored. Ludmilla appears during a dinner meeting, causing Viktor to storm out in disgust. He scolds Drago for seeking validation from the very people who turned their backs on him when he needed them.


title: Ivan Drago

text: Still lacking a true championship belt, the Dragos challenge Donnie to a rematch in Russia. Ivan pushes Viktor to his limit in training for the bout. However, Rocky trained Donnie to accustom his body to repeatedly absorb heavy impact, and uses Viktor's lack of technique and reliance on power punches to his advantage. Viktor enters the tenth round with a slight lead, but begins to tire, as he had never gone past the fourth round in prior matches without knocking his opponent out. Donnie knocks Viktor down twice in the round, causing a number of Viktor's supporters, including Ludmilla, to leave the fight. Seeing that his son is unable to defend himself and might end up like Apollo, Drago throws in the towel, stopping the fight and allowing Donnie to emerge victorious. Drago hugs Viktor after the fight, assuring him that it is okay and that he is proud.


title: Ivan Drago

text: Finally at peace with his past, Ivan focuses on developing a deeper bond with his son, accepting his failure to improve on his legacy.


title: Ivan Drago

text: Unlike the flamboyant Apollo Creed and the brash James "Clubber" Lang, Rocky's opponents in previous films, Ivan Drago is quiet and non-boastful. Driven by his desire to be the best at all costs, Drago focuses on this single-minded manner in which he pursues his goal - and it deprives him of his humanity. Many viewers and critics have suggested that Drago was meant to symbolize the U.S. perception of the Soviets: immense, powerful, and emotionless. This is made evident by his cold-blooded pulverization of Creed in an exhibition match as well as by his callous reaction toward news of his opponent's death. Drago generally allows his wife and trainers to talk on his behalf to the press. In the original film, the character only speaks in terse, short statements. For "Creed II", Stallone added more lines for the character than the original film.


title: Ivan Drago

text: In this director's cut edition of the film, from Stallone himself, Drago is positioned as more of an individual experiencing greater conflict between being an instrument of the Soviets and of his own ambition as a 'warrior'. More lines of dialogue in the opening fight scenes and the press conference scenes humanise his character and detract from the stereotype purveyed in the original theatrical cut. The juxtaposition of Rocky as the 'pure' American hero versus the Soviet machine is instead reimagined as a more nuanced warrior vs warrior affair, with the backdrop of the politicising of the fighting being a source of conflict rather than the reason for the contest.


title: Ivan Drago

text: Commentaries on Drago often characterize him as a hyperbolic representation of Soviet power in the context of the latter part of the Cold War. This symbolism is particularly clear in some lines in the film, including the radio announcer who says, "Ivan Drago is a man with an entire country in his corner." Others have characterized Drago in contrast to Rocky, the prototypically U.S. hero, and that Drago's defeat represents a crumbling of the Soviet regime.


title: Ivan Drago

text: Some, however, have noticed Drago's individualism. Toward the conclusion of the fourth film, when Drago is confronted by a Communist Party functionary, the fighter from the collectivist USSR screams at the top of his lungs, "I fight to win FOR ME!! FOR ME!!!" Drago wants to win, but not for the crowd, not for his nation, not for the communist party, not for the Politburo. He wants to win for himself.


title: Ivan Drago

text: In 2004, "The Washington Times" referenced Ivan Drago in a comparison of the Soviet-U.S. Olympic rivalry of the Cold War: "Nationalism makes the Olympics worth watching. Jingoism makes them worth caring about." "The Times"<nowiki>'</nowiki>s Patrick Hruby noted that without an embodiment of the rivalry like Ivan Drago, the Olympics were not as fun.


title: Ivan Drago

text: Russian goodwill ambassador Katya Lycheva objected to the character Ivan Drago, saying that the film uses him to vilify Russian people.


title: Ivan Drago

text: The ABC podcast "Finding Drago" explores the influence of Ivan Drago on contemporary writers, fan-fiction novelists (including ghost writers), and comedians. In 2015 a "Drago" script was written by Andrew LeMay after "Creed" that got a little traction, but MGM chose to follow the Son of Drago route with "Creed II".


title: Ivan Drago

text: Drago's physical appearance has been compared to Norwegian footballer Erling Haaland. Their similarities became subject to a meme in 2022 after the player signed for Manchester City.


title: Adithya Varma

text: Adithya Varma is a 2019 Indian Tamil-language romantic drama film directed by Gireesaaya in his directorial debut and produced by Mukesh Mehta under E4 Entertainment. The film stars Dhruv Vikram in his acting debut and Banita Sandhu in her Tamil debut, while Priya Anand appears in a supporting role. A remake of the Telugu film "Arjun Reddy" (2017) directed by Sandeep Reddy Vanga, it follows Dhruv Vikram, playing the titular character Adithya Varma, a high-functioning alcoholic surgeon who has anger management problems. He pushes himself to a self-destructive path after the marriage of his girlfriend Meera; following which, the film focuses on his downfall and subsequent resurgence.


title: Adithya Varma

text: The film was originally directed by Bala under the title "Varmaa" and shot between March and September 2018; however, in February 2019, due to creative differences, E4 Entertainment decided to re-launch it with a new cast and crew; only Dhruv and music composer Radhan were retained. While the original version had cinematography by M. Sukumar and Sathish Suriya, the new version was replaced by Ravi K. Chandran and Vivek Harshan. The new version, titled "Adithya Varma", began filming in March 2019 and ended that May.


title: Adithya Varma

text: Originally scheduled to release on 8 November 2019, the film was postponed due to distribution issues. The film was released worldwide on 21 November 2019, and in India, the next day. The film opened to positive response praising the performance of Dhruv, and the adaptation of the film from the original. Dhruv was awarded the Best Debut Actor at the 13th Ananda Vikatan Cinema Awards and Zee Cine Awards Tamil.


title: Adithya Varma

text: Adithya Vasudevan Varma is a house surgeon in Mangalore, India. Despite being a brilliant student, he has severe anger management issues that earn the wrath of the dean of the college. Adithya's aggressive nature also earns him a reputation among his juniors as a college bully. After having a brawl alongside his friend Tarun against members of the opposing team during an inter-college football match, the dean asks Adithya to either apologise or leave the college. Adithya initially chooses to leave, but stays back after meeting an almost mute first-year student Meera Shetty because he experienced love at first sight.


title: Adithya Varma

text: Adithya and his friend Parthi enter a third-year classroom and announce that Adithya is in love with Meera and asserts that she is exclusive to him. Initially afraid, Meera starts adjusting herself to Adithya's overbearing attitude. She eventually reciprocates his feelings and they develop an intimate relationship. Adithya graduates with an MBBS degree and leaves for Mussoorie to pursue a master's degree in Orthopaedic surgery. Over the course of three years, Adithya's and Meera's relationship becomes stronger. Months later, Adithya visits Meera's house, where her father Manohar Shetty sees them kissing and throws Adithya out.


title: Adithya Varma

text: Manohar opposes her and Adithya's relationship due to Adithya's brash behaviour and also because they belong to different castes. Adithya demands that Meera must make a decision within six hours otherwise he will end their relationship. Following this incident, Meera's parents seize her phone, making her unable to contact Adithya. By the time she manages to visit Adithya's house, he is drunk, injects morphine into himself, and becomes unconscious for two days. Meera is then forcibly married to someone from her caste. Adhi learns about the marriage from Parthi and goes to her house in protest. He is assaulted and gets arrested for making a scene. Adhi's father Vasudevan Varma ostracises him from the family home for damaging his reputation.


title: Adithya Varma

text: With Parthi's help, Adhi finds a rented apartment and joins a private hospital as a surgeon. To cope with his emotions, he starts taking drugs, attempts one-night stands, buys a pet dog and names it after Meera and drinks alcohol; all of which are unsuccessful. Within months, he becomes a successful surgeon and a high-functioning alcoholic who is feared by the hospital's staff members, one of the reasons being his high surgery count. Adhi's self-destructing behaviour and refusal to move on worries Parthi and Tarun. He persuades one of his patients, Priya Menen, a leading film star, to have a no-strings relationship with him, which he ends when she falls in love with him.


title: Adithya Varma

text: On a day off, Adhi unwillingly agrees to perform life-saving surgery and collapses with dehydration. The hospital staff examine his blood samples, which show traces of alcohol and cocaine. The hospital chief files a case against Adhitya, who accepts the truth on the grounds of violating his professional ethics during an in-house court hearing, despite Parthi making arrangements to bail him out. Adhi's medical license is cancelled for five years and he is evicted from the flat. The next morning, Parthi manages to reach Adithya to convey his grandmother's death; he meets Vasudevan, and they reconcile. Adhi gives up his self-destructive habits soon after.


title: Adithya Varma

text: While leaving for a vacation, Adhi sees a pregnant Meera sitting in a park. Convinced that she is unhappy with her marriage, Adhi meets her after returning from his vacation. Meera reveals that she left her husband days after their marriage and continued to work in a clinic. She tells Adhi that he is the child's father, and they reunite. The pair marries, and Meera's father apologises for misunderstanding their love for each other.


title: Adithya Varma

text: Additionally, Priya Anand's Shih Tzu Bumblebee plays the title character's pet dog. Vikram made a cameo appearance in the song "Dhooram" as a visitor in Dehradun.


title: Adithya Varma

text: In September 2017, it was announced that E4 Entertainment had bought the rights to remake the Telugu film "Arjun Reddy" (2017) in Tamil and Malayalam languages. The following month, Bala was chosen to direct the yet-untitled Tamil remake. On 10 November 2017, the title was announced as "Varma", although it would later be amended to "Varmaa". Raju Murugan was chosen to pen the dialogues. M. Sukumar was selected to handle the cinematography and Sathish Suriya was chosen as the film editor, after having earlier worked for Bala's "Naachiyaar" (2018). Producer Mukesh Mehta said the remake would be 20 minutes shorter than the Telugu original. Actor Vikram's son Dhruv Vikram was cast as the male lead, making his acting debut. It would have been the debut for the Kolkata-based model Megha, who was chosen to play the female lead. Akash Premkumar was chosen to play the lead character's best friend. Whereas other roles were given to Easwari Rao, Raiza Wilson, Sandra Amy and Mathew Varghese.


title: Adithya Varma

text: Principal photography began in early March 2018 at Kathmandu, Nepal, and a week later, after completing the first schedule there, the crew shifted to Chennai for the second schedule. However, shooting of the film was briefly stalled due to the Tamil Film Producers Council strike, but resumed in April after the strike ended. The final schedule of the film took place in August 2018, for which the team had shifted to Tiruvannamalai. It was completed in September 2018, thus principal photography of the film has wrapped.


title: Adithya Varma

text: On 7 February 2019, E4 Entertainment issued a press statement stating that they would go for a re-shoot of the entire film as they were not satisfied with the final cut provided by Bala. They added that the film would be relaunched with a completely new cast and crew while retaining Dhruv. Bala decried these comments, saying it was his own decision to quit the film "in order to safeguard creative freedom" because he was asked to make changes. This became the first such incident in the history of Tamil cinema that the producer of the film refuses to release the film due to unsatisfactory final cut despite the completion of the film. On 19 February 2019, the new title "Adithya Varma" was announced.


title: Adithya Varma

text: Mehta said the new version would begin filming in March 2019, with "Arjun Reddy" writer-director Sandeep Reddy Vanga's assistant Gireesaaya was announced as the new director, making his directorial debut. Banita Sandhu was announced as the heroine, in her Tamil film debut, as well as Priya Anand as the supporting actress. Anbu Thasan joined the cast in March as the title character's friend, replacing Akash Premkumar. Ravi K. Chandran and Vivek Harshan were announced as the cinematographer and the editor respectively. Principal photography for "Adithya Varma" began on 11 March. Following the filming of a song sequence in Portugal in mid-April 2019, 65% of the film's shoot was complete. Major portions of the film had been completed in mid-May, with the exception of patchwork scenes, for which Ravi K. Chandran's son Santhana Krishnan handled the cinematography for the film. The principal photography was wrapped up within July 2019.


title: Adithya Varma

text: The music for the film was composed by Radhan, who also scored for the original film "Arjun Reddy", with lyrics written by Thamarai, Vivek, Viveka, Sivakarthikeyan, Dhruv and Radhan himself. Harshavardhan Rameshwar retained the background score from the original film and its Hindi remake "Kabir Singh" (2019), also directed by Vanga. Radhan had signed the project when it was titled "Varmaa", and was retained for "Adithya Varma". The song "Vaanodum Mannodum", written by Vairamuthu and sung by Vignesh G. for "Varmaa", was released on 27 December 2018 as a single, but was not included on "Adithya Varma".


title: Adithya Varma

text: Aditya Music acquired the audio rights for "Adithya Varma". The song "Edharkadi", written by Vivek, marks Dhruv's debut as a playback singer, and was released as the film's first single on 16 August 2019. Another single, "Yaen Ennai Pirindhaai", sung by Sid Sriram was released on 23 September 2019, which coincided with the lead actor's birthday. The rest of the songs, along with the full album was released on 19 October 2019, at a launch event held at Sathyam Cinemas in Chennai, with the presence of the cast and crew, with actor Vikram preceding the event. For all the songs (with the exception of "Yaen Ennai Pirindhaai"), Radhan reused the tunes from his own compositions from "Arjun Reddy". Aditya Music released two additional songs, post the film's release: "Nenjukulle" (based on "Gundelona" from "Arjun Reddy"), written by Mohan Rajan and sung by Shweta Mohan, and an instrumental number titled "Aditya Varma Theme" which has vocals from Dhruv himself.


title: Adithya Varma

text: Writing for "The Times of India", Sruthi Raman reviewed "The album's smart soundtrack ends up evoking memories of Radhan's best work." Behindwoods gave the album a rating of 3 out of 5 and stated "Radhan offers a youthful album with a zeal that is impartially complimenting with eminent scores and beautiful lyrics." Moviecrow gave the album 3 out of 5 and summarised "Radhan reused the songs from the Telugu, but that doesn't take away the effectiveness of the soundtrack. The exquisite tunes and the inventiveness of the soundtrack make this one an enjoyable album in Tamil also."


title: Adithya Varma

text: "Adithya Varma" was initially scheduled to release on 8 November 2019. In a turn of events, the makers postponed the release due to distribution problems and did not initially reveal the new release date. Later, the makers announced that the film will be released on 21 November 2019.


title: Adithya Varma

text: "Adithya Varma" was given an A certificate, from the Central Board of Film Certification, though the makers of the film hoped it would receive a U/A certificate. E4 later pushed the film's Indian release to 22 November, a day after the worldwide release. Shakthi Film Factory acquired the film's Tamil Nadu distribution rights when it was titled "Varmaa", but E4 later acquired them for "Adithya Varma". The film opened in 350 screens worldwide, making it the biggest for a debut hero's film, and according to trade analyst Sreedhar Pillai, the film had made a pre-release business of , including the theatrical, digital and satellite rights.


title: Adithya Varma

text: The teaser trailer for "Varmaa" was released on 23 September 2018. It was widely ridiculed and criticised on social media, while a critic from "The New Indian Express" called it "a failed attempt to remake the original". The teaser for "Adithya Varma" was released on 16 June 2019. It was positively received by a number of critics, in contrast to the teaser for "Varmaa". The official trailer of the film was unveiled on 19 October 2019, coinciding with the film's audio launch event.


title: Adithya Varma

text: The satellite rights of the film were sold to Sun Tv. The film's television premiere took place on 26 January 2020, coinciding with Republic Day. The film was digitally premiered on Amazon Prime Video on 20 December 2019.


title: Adithya Varma

text: "Adithya Varma" received positive reviews from critics. M. Suganth of "The Times of India" gave 3.5 out of 5 stars rating "A well-made, if overtly faithful, remake of "Arjun Reddy" with Dhruv". Behindwoods gave 2.75 out of 5 stars rating "Dhruv Vikram single-handedly powers Adithya Varma to make it a worthy watch. The film will work better for those who have not seen the original." Indiaglitz gave the film 3 out of 5 stating "Go for this faithful remake that has a gutsy and arresting performance by Dhruv Vikram and a strong love story at its core." India Today gave 3 out of 5 stars stating "Dhruv Vikram makes a strong debut with Adithya Varma, but the story gets repetitive if you have watched Arjun Reddy and Kabir Singh." "Sify" rated 3.5 out of 5 and summarised ""Adithya Varma" has proved that Dhruv is a super talented performer who can be the next chocolate boy of Tamil cinema."


title: Adithya Varma

text: Hindustan Times reviewed it as "The highlight of this faithful remake of Telugu hit Arjun Reddy is the performance of debutant Dhruv Vikram. He is refreshing and sincere as a flawed medical student." Sreedhar Pillai from Firstpost gave 3.25 out of 5 and reviewed ""Adithya Varma" is a raw and hard-hitting film which rides on Dhruv Vikram's performance. This is a star in the making; truly, a chip off the old block." "The Indian Express" gave the film 3 out of 5 stated "Dhruv Vikram shines in this faithfully-remade problematic film."


title: Adithya Varma

text: S. Srivatsan of "The Hindu" wrote "The third installment of this script still has no proper justification for the lead character's aggressiveness, despite a decent showing from Dhruv Vikram in his Tamil debut." Baradwaj Rangan of Film Companion wrote "Like "Arjun Reddy", this is a beautifully made film. The director allows it to breathe. Ravi K Chandran doesn't romanticise the already Romantic story. Except in a few shots, his palette is neutral, natural.., the editor Vivek Harshan cuts many scenes a few frames earlier than you'd expect the “finish” (the segues are amazingly dynamic)...I don't recall the editing pattern of "Arjun Reddy", but these rhythms feel refreshingly new for Tamil cinema".


title: Juicy J

text: Jordan Michael Houston III (born April 5, 1975), known professionally as Juicy J, is an American rapper and record producer. Originally from Memphis, Tennessee, he is a founding member of the Southern hip hop group Three 6 Mafia, established in 1991. The group won an Academy Award for Best Original Song for their single "It's Hard out Here for a Pimp". His most notable singles as a soloist are his features on the Top 40 singles: Mike Will Made It's "23", Usher's "I Don't Mind" and his own single "Bandz a Make Her Dance" (featuring Lil Wayne and 2 Chainz), the last of which served as the lead single for his third album and major label debut "Stay Trippy" on August 27, 2013. The album was followed up by "Rubba Band Business" (2017), which was his final project on a major label before independently releasing his most recent album "The Hustle Continues" (2020).


title: Juicy J

text: In 2002, he released his solo debut album "Chronicles of the Juice Man", in between Three 6 Mafia projects. In 2011, Juicy J announced that he was a part-owner and A&R representative for Wiz Khalifa's Taylor Gang Records, and the following year, he signed a solo deal with Columbia Records and Dr. Luke's Kemosabe Records. Juicy J received a Grammy Award nomination for his feature on the Katy Perry single "Dark Horse", which peaked at number one in the United States. He is the younger brother of frequent collaborator and fellow rapper Project Pat.


title: Juicy J

text: Jordan Michael Houston III was born on April 5, 1975 in Memphis, Tennessee. As a teenager, he read a multitude of books and essays on the music industry, learning about marketing, publishing, and royalties. He looked up to fellow Tennessee artist, Al Bell, who was the brief co-owner of Stax Records. He wrote the song "Slob on My Knob" in 11th grade at North Side High School.


title: Juicy J

text: In 1991, Juicy J was a co-founder of the Southern hip hop group now known as Three 6 Mafia. Along with DJ Paul and Lord Infamous, rappers Crunchy Black, Gangsta Boo and Koopsta Knicca. Alongside DJ Paul, Juicy J has launched Prophet Entertainment. In 1994, they left the label to their business partner Nick "Scarfo" Jackson and subsequently launched Hypnotize Minds. In 1995, the group released their first official album called "Mystic Stylez." Since then the group has released 8 albums. On July 2, 2002, he released his solo debut studio album "Chronicles of the Juice Man", under North North Records. In 2006, Juicy J, along with DJ Paul, Crunchy Black, and Frayser Boy, won an Academy Award for Best Original Song for "It's Hard out Here for a Pimp" at the 78th Academy Awards. On June 16, 2009, his second studio album "Hustle Till I Die", was released under Hypnotize Minds and Select-O-Hits.


title: Juicy J

text: From 2009 through 2011, Juicy J moved away from Three 6 Mafia, focusing on his solo career. During this time, he frequently collaborated with Wiz Khalifa, appearing on his mixtapes and releasing some of his own, including "Blue Dream & Lean". In December 2011, Juicy J confirmed these rumors about him as the newest member of Wiz Khalifa's Taylor Gang imprint, a part-owner and A&R representative. In 2012, he was featured alongside his Taylor Gang label-mates, on the cover of "Source Magazine"s May 2012 issue. In 2012, he released the lead single to his third album "Stay Trippy", the chart topping "Bandz a Make Her Dance", which features guest appearances from 2 Chainz and Lil Wayne. The song was created in a two bedroom apartment in Washington, D.C. and was produced by Mike Will Made It. The song has peaked at number 29 on the US "Billboard" Hot 100.


title: Juicy J

text: In September 2012, Juicy J secured a recording contract with Columbia Records and Dr. Luke's Kemosabe Records. In November 2012, Juicy J announced his third studio album "Stay Trippy" would be released in 2013. He had shown some interest in working with Nas, Dr. Dre and Jay-Z on the album. He later announced that guest appearances on the album would include Wiz Khalifa, The Weeknd, Lil Wayne, 2 Chainz, Nicki Minaj, Chris Brown, Project Pat, Young Jeezy, Yelawolf and Big Sean. Juicy J revealed the album would feature production from frequent collaborators Lex Luger, Sonny Digital, Mike Will Made It, Dr. Luke, and Crazy Mike.


title: Juicy J

text: On January 20, 2013, it was announced Juicy J would perform at the 2013 Paid Dues festival on March 30, 2013. On January 25, 2013, he released "Show Out" featuring Big Sean and Young Jeezy, as the second single from "Stay Trippy". In June 2013, the album's third single "Bounce It", was released. The album was released on August 23, 2013, when it debuted at number 4 on the "Billboard" 200, with first-week sales of 64,000 copies in the United States. On September 10, 2013, Juicy J was featured in a song by Mike Will Made It which featured Miley Cyrus and Wiz Khalifa.


title: Juicy J

text: Juicy J was featured in Katy Perry's single "Dark Horse" from her fourth album "Prism" (2013). The song was released on September 17, 2013. "Dark Horse" was serviced to U.S. radio on December 17 as the album's third single. On January 7, 2014, Juicy J announced his fourth studio album would be released in 2014. Initially, he announced the title of this album would be "The Hustle Continues". On January 30, 2013, Juicy J announced his "Never Sober" concert tour, which began on February 20, 2014. He was supported by Travis Scott and Project Pat on select dates.


title: Juicy J

text: On August 7, 2014, he released the song, titled "Low" featuring Nicki Minaj, Lil Bibby and Young Thug. On April 14, 2015, he released the song, titled "For Everybody" featuring Wiz Khalifa and R. City.


title: Juicy J

text: On August 5, 2016, Juicy J announced a new album "Rubba Band Business" (named after his acclaimed mixtape series) which was set to debut in the fall of 2016. He released a new single "No English" featuring Travis Scott. On September 28, 2016 Juicy J released a new song "Ballin" with Kanye West on the hook. On November 21, 2016, Juicy J premiered a new song, "Gimme Gimme" featuring Slim Jxmmi of Rae Sremmurd, prod. by Mike Will Made It and Resource of Ear Drummers.


title: Juicy J

text: On September 18, 2017, Juicy J released a mixtape called "Highly Intoxicated" featuring production largely by rap duo Suicideboys, to whom he has acted as an idol and mentor. On December 8, 2017, Juicy J released the "Rubba Band Business" album.


title: Juicy J

text: Throughout late 2018 and 2019, he released the standalone singles "Neighbor" featuring Travis Scott, "Let Me See" featuring Lil Skies and Kevin Gates, and "Three Point Stance" featuring City Girls and Megan Thee Stallion. The songs failed to gain traction commercially and Juicy J was granted release from his recording contract from Columbia Records. On July 31, 2020, Juicy J announced his fifth studio album would be called "The Hustle Continues" (previously used for a prior scrapped 2014 album title) and released "Gah Damn High" featuring Wiz Khalifa as the lead single through his new label Entertainment One.


title: Juicy J

text: In July 2016, Houston married longtime girlfriend Regina Perera. They have a daughter who was born in 2018 and a son born in 2020.


title: Pernod Ricard

text: Pernod Ricard () is a French company best known for its anise-flavoured pastis apéritifs Pernod Anise and Ricard Pastis (often referred to simply as "Pernod" or "Ricard"). The world’s second-largest wine and spirits seller, it also produces several other types of pastis.


title: Pernod Ricard

text: After the banning of absinthe, Pernod Ricard was created from the Pernod Fils company, which had produced absinthe. Pernod Ricard owned the distilled beverage division of the former corporation Seagram (including brands like Chivas Regal) until 2006, along with many other holdings. In 2005, the company acquired a British-based competitor, Allied Domecq PLC.


title: Pernod Ricard

text: In 2008, Pernod Ricard announced its acquisition of Swedish-based V&S Group, which produces Absolut Vodka. In 2013, Pernod Ricard joined leading alcohol producers as part of a producers' commitments to reducing harmful drinking.


title: Pernod Ricard

text: In December 2018, Elliott Management Corporation purchased a 2.5% stake in Pernod Ricard.In December 2022, Pernot Ricard announced plans to open a US$250 million carbon-neutral whiskey distillery in Marion County, Kentucky in 2025.


title: Pernod Ricard

text: According to the NGO Alliance Anticorrida, Pernod Ricard was the major funder of bullfighting in France, financing bullfighting clubs and sponsoring corridas despite the to blood sports. In 2020, Pernod Ricard ended the association with bullfighting clubs.


title: Pernod Ricard

text: Pernod Ricard previously owned the non-alcoholic chocolate beverage Yoo-hoo, which was acquired from a group of private investors in 1989. Pernod Ricard also previously owned the carbonated citrus drink Orangina. Both brands were sold in 2001 to Cadbury Schweppes.


title: Vancouver, Washington

text: Vancouver is a city on the north bank of the Columbia River in the U.S. state of Washington, located in Clark County. Incorporated in 1857, Vancouver has a population of 190,915 as of the 2020 census, making it the fourth-largest city in Washington state. Vancouver is the county seat of Clark County and forms part of the Portland-Vancouver metropolitan area, the 25th-largest metropolitan area in the United States. Originally established in 1825 around Fort Vancouver, a fur-trading outpost, the city is located on the Washington–Oregon border along the Columbia River, directly north of Portland, and is considered a suburb of the city along with its surrounding areas.


title: Vancouver, Washington

text: The Vancouver area was inhabited by several Native American tribes, most recently the Chinook and Klickitat nations, with permanent settlements of timber longhouses. The Chinookan and Klickitat names for the area were reportedly "Skit-so-to-ho" and "Ala-si-kas," respectively, meaning "land of the mud-turtles". First known European contact was made by William Robert Broughton in 1792, with approximately half of the indigenous population killed by smallpox before the Lewis and Clark Expedition arrived in the area in 1806. Within another fifty years, other diseases such as measles, malaria and influenza had reduced the Chinookan population from an estimated 80,000 "to a few dozen refugees, landless, slaveless and swindled out of a treaty".


title: Vancouver, Washington

text: Meriwether Lewis wrote that the Vancouver area was "the only desired situation for settlement west of the Rocky Mountains." The first permanent European settlement did not occur until 1824, when Fort Vancouver was established as a fur trading post of the Hudson's Bay Company. From that time on, the area was settled by both the US and Britain under a "joint occupation" agreement. Joint occupation led to the Oregon boundary dispute and ended on June 15, 1846, with the signing of the Oregon Treaty, which gave the United States full control of the area. Before 1845, American Henry Williamson laid out a large claim west of the Hudson's Bay Company (including part of the present-day Port of Vancouver), called Vancouver City and properly registered his claim at the U.S. courthouse in Oregon City, before leaving for California. In 1848, Williamson had it surveyed and platted by Peter Crawford. In 1850, Amos Short traced over the claim of Williamson and named the town Columbia City. It changed to Vancouver in 1855. The City of Vancouver was incorporated on January 23, 1857.


title: Vancouver, Washington

text: Based on an act in the 1859–60 legislature, Vancouver was briefly the capital of Washington Territory, before capital status was returned to Olympia, Washington by a 2–1 ruling of the territory's supreme court, in accordance with Isaac Stevens' preference and concern that proximity to the border with Oregon might give some of the state's influence away to Oregon.


title: Vancouver, Washington

text: During 1852-54, future United States President Ulysses S. Grant, then a captain in the U.S. Army, was quartermaster at what was then known as Columbia Barracks. Soon after leaving Vancouver, Grant resigned from the army and did not serve again until the outbreak of the American Civil War in 1861. Other notable generals to have served in Vancouver include George B. McClellan, Philip Sheridan, Oliver O. Howard and 1953 Nobel Peace Prize recipient George C. Marshall.


title: Vancouver, Washington

text: Army presence in Vancouver was very strong, as the Department of the Columbia built and moved to Vancouver Barracks, the military reservation for which stretched from the river to what is currently Fourth Plain Boulevard and was the largest Army base in the region until surpassed by Fort Lewis, to the north. Built on the old company gardens and skirmish range, Pearson Army Field (later Pearson Field) was a key facility, and at one point the US Army Signal Corps operated the largest spruce cut-up plant in the world to provide much-needed wood for airplanes. Vancouver became the end point for two ultra-long flights from Moscow, USSR, over the North Pole. The first of these flights was performed by Valery Chkalov in 1937 on a Tupolev ANT-25RD airplane. Chkalov was originally scheduled to land at an airstrip on Swan Island in nearby Portland, Oregon, but was redirected at the last minute to Vancouver's Pearson Airfield. In June 1975, a monument was dedicated commemorating the event near State Highway 14, then moved to the north side of Pearson Field in 1987. Chkalov Drive, in east Vancouver, was named in his honor.


title: Vancouver, Washington

text: The neighborhood of Sifton was the terminus of an early electric trolley operated by the Northcoast Power Company that also served nearby Orchards from 1910 until 1926. The trolleys made ten stops and ran once per hour, charging 15 cents each way. A mural in the heart of Orchards depicts the trolley and the rural character of the area at the time it was operating. The community was named after Doctor Sifton, a promoter of the trolley service.


title: Vancouver, Washington

text: According to the archives of the Vancouver "Columbian" newspaper, the Orchards-Sifton route ran along Vancouver's Main Street to 26th street (renamed Fourth Plain Blvd), then from 26th to K Street and thence north to 33rd street. From there, it ran on 33rd over Burnt Bridge Creek and past the city limits. At that point the trolley became more like a regular train as it followed a cut through the wilderness. Few houses were seen between Vancouver and Orchards. The public's growing preference for motor cars in the 1920s heralded the end of the trolley.


title: Vancouver, Washington

text: Separated from Oregon until 1917, when the new Interstate Bridge began to replace ferries, Vancouver had three shipyards just downstream which produced ships for World War I before World War II brought an enormous economic boom. An Alcoa aluminum plant opened on September 2, 1940, using inexpensive power from the nearby New Deal hydropower turbines at Bonneville Dam. After the bombing of Pearl Harbor, Henry Kaiser opened a shipyard next to the U.S. Army base, which by 1944 employed as many as 36,000 people in a twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week production of Liberty ships, landing ship tanks, and escort carriers. This influx of shipyard workers boosted the population from 18,000 to over 80,000 in just a few months, leading to the creation of the Vancouver Housing Authority and six new residential developments: Fruit Valley, Fourth Plain Village, Bagley Downs, Ogden Meadows, Burton Homes and McLoughlin Heights. Each of these was later incorporated into the city, and are well-known neighborhoods, while the neighboring "shipyard city" of Vanport, Oregon, would be destroyed by the Memorial Day flood of 1948.


title: Vancouver, Washington

text: Vancouver has recently experienced conflicts with other Clark County communities because of rapid growth in the area. The city's first annexation more than doubled its size in 1909, with the largest annexation of 1997 adding and 58,171 residents. As a result of urban growth and the 1997 annexation, Vancouver is often thought of as split between two areas, East and West Vancouver, divided by NE Andresen Road. West Vancouver is home to downtown Vancouver and most of the more historical parts of the city, as well as recent high-density mixed-use development. East Vancouver includes the communities of Cascade Park East and West, which had populations of 6,996 and 6,956 in 1990, before annexation.


title: Vancouver, Washington

text: More than one-third of the Vancouver urban area's population lives in unincorporated urban areas north of the city limits, including the communities of Hazel Dell, Felida, Orchards and Salmon Creek. If county leaders had approved another major annexation plan in 2006, Vancouver would have passed Tacoma and Spokane to become the state's second-largest city.


title: Vancouver, Washington

text: Vancouver shares its name with the larger city of Vancouver in southern British Columbia, Canada, approximately to the north. Both cities were named after British sea captain George Vancouver, but the US city is older. Vancouver, British Columbia, was incorporated 29 years after the incorporation of Vancouver, Washington, and more than 60 years after the name Vancouver was first used in reference to the historic Fort Vancouver trading post on the Columbia River. City officials have periodically suggested changing the U.S. city's name to Fort Vancouver to reduce confusion with its larger and better-known northern neighbor. Many Pacific Northwest residents distinguish between the two cities by referring to the Canadian city as "Vancouver, B.C." and the United States city as "Vancouver, Washington," or "Vancouver, USA." Local nicknames include "Vantucky" (though this is often used as a derogatory term) and "The 'Couv(e)".


title: Vancouver, Washington

text: Vancouver is located just north of the Columbia River and the Oregon border, just west of where the Columbia River Gorge bisects the volcanic Cascade Range and just east of where the Willamette River enters the Columbia. The city of Vancouver is in the Western Lowlands region of Washington. When clouds do not blanket the Puget–Willamette trough formed by the Cascade and Coast Range, Mount Hood, Mount St. Helens, Mount Rainier, Mount Jefferson and Mount Adams are all visible from Vancouver.


title: Vancouver, Washington

text: According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which is land and is water.


title: Vancouver, Washington

text: Vancouver lies just north of Portland, Oregon, with which it shares a similar climate. Both are classified as warm-summer Mediterranean (Csb) on the Köppen climate classification, with certain key exceptions. High pressures east of the Cascade Range create something of a venturi effect, leading to cold east winds down the Columbia River Gorge. Unsheltered by the Willamette Valley, Vancouver has historically seen colder temperatures, including "silver thaw" storms where freezing rain cakes limbs and power lines. Such storms can paralyze Vancouver. This occasionally freezes the river, and in 1916 cut electric power in the city for almost two weeks. Rainfall occurs frequently throughout the fall, winter, and spring, but ceases around the middle of June, with dry and warm weather lasting through September. Average annual precipitation is . Heavy snowfalls are infrequent and snow often falls and doesn't stick, with major snowstorms only occurring every 2–4 years. Close proximity to the river was also a concern for flooding, before dams constricted the river, destroying features such as Celilo Falls. Periodic floods have been a nuisance, with two of the most destructive occurring in June 1894 and May 1948. The 1948 Columbia River flood almost topped the Interstate Bridge's support piers and completely destroyed nearby Vanport, Oregon. Other unusual storms include the Columbus Day windstorm of 1962 and an April 5, 1972, tornado which rated F3 on the Fujita scale, striking a local school. An EF1 tornado struck on January 10, 2008, just after noon, causing moderate damage along a path from Vancouver Lake to the unincorporated Hazel Dell area.


title: Vancouver, Washington

text: Because many Vancouver residents work in Portland, there is typically significant rush-hour traffic congestion on two bridges that cross the Columbia River – the Interstate Bridge and the Glenn Jackson Bridge. In 2017 there were 297,932 weekday vehicle crossings on the two bridges.


title: Vancouver, Washington

text: As of the census of 2010, there were 161,791 people, 65,691 households, and 40,246 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 70,005 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 80.9% White, 2.9% African American, 1.0% Native American, 5.0% Asian, 1.0% Pacific Islander, 4.3% from other races, and 4.8% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 10.4% of the population.


title: Vancouver, Washington

text: There were 65,691 households, of which 31.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.6% were married couples living together, 13.2% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.5% had a male householder with no wife present, and 38.7% were non-families. 30.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.43 and the average family size was 3.02.


title: Vancouver, Washington

text: The median age in the city was 35.9 years. 24% of residents were under the age of 18; 9.4% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 28.9% were from 25 to 44; 25.3% were from 45 to 64; and 12.4% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.8% male and 51.2% female.


title: Vancouver, Washington

text: As of the census of 2000, there were 143,560 people, 56,628 households, and 36,298 families living in the city. The population density is 3,354.7 people per square mile (1,295.4/km). There were 60,039 housing units at an average density of 1,403.0 per square mile (541.7/km). According to the 2010 US Census, The racial makeup of the city was 76.2% White, 2.9% African American, 1.0% Native American, 5.0% Asian, 1.0% Pacific Islander, and 4.80% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 10.4% of the population. 16.4% were of German, 9.2% English, 8.4% Irish and 7.9% American ancestry. 89.2% spoke English, 5.1% Spanish, 3.2% Russian, 1.4% Ukrainian and 1.1% Vietnamese as their first language. A large increase in persons with Russian or Ukrainian as their primary language has occurred.


title: Vancouver, Washington

text: There were 56,628 households, out of which 33.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.3% were married couples living together, 12.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.9% were non-families. 27.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.50 and the average family size was 3.06.


title: Vancouver, Washington

text: In the city, the population was spread out, with 26.7% under the age of 18, 9.8% from 18 to 24, 32.1% from 25 to 44, 20.6% from 45 to 64, and 10.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.8 males.


title: Vancouver, Washington

text: The median income for a household in the city was $41,618, and the median income for a family was $47,696. Males had a median income of $37,306 versus $26,940 for females. The per capita income for the city was $20,192. 9.4% of families and 12.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 16.1% of those under the age of 18 and 8.2% of those 65 and older.


title: Vancouver, Washington

text: The Vancouver economy is characterized by border economics with neighboring Portland, Oregon. The state of Washington levies no individual or corporate income taxes and levies a property tax below the national average and a sales tax above the national median. The State of Oregon has even lower property taxes and no sales tax but one of the highest state income taxes. As a result, many Vancouver residents prefer to shop in neighboring Portland where they do not pay sales taxes, then live and work in Vancouver where they do not pay state income tax (though Washington residents who work in Oregon must pay Oregon income tax.) For the same reasons, the city is popular with retirees. Conversely, the city is less favored by students and young adults. In 2003, 70% of workers in Vancouver worked in Clark County. There is a risk in sales tax avoidance because Washington has a use tax due on all purchases made in Oregon that are then returned to Washington. Vancouver residents "shop at their own risk" when attempting to avoid the sales tax in Washington, although the rule is rarely, if ever, enforced except for purchases requiring registration, such as motor vehicles.


title: Vancouver, Washington

text: The taxation and demographics of the area depresses the retail sector of Vancouver's economy. Oregon has stricter development laws to protect the timber industry; therefore, Vancouver tends to attract a higher proportion of the region's sprawling development. The voting base also led to rejection of extension of Portland's light-rail system into the city for several years. In 2013, Washington transitioned away from being a control state.


title: Vancouver, Washington

text: The economic history of Vancouver reflects the region. Moving from a salmon- and trade-based indigenous economy by the Chinook people, the Hudson's Bay Company pioneered extractive industries such as the fur trade and timber. Subsistence agricultural gave way to market and export crops such as apples, strawberries and prunes. Largely bypassed by the railroad in the 1880s, when the Oregon Steam Navigation company would ferry trains across the river downstream from St. Helens, Oregon to Kalama, Washington, early downtown development was focused around Washington Street (where ferries arrived), lumber and Vancouver Barracks activities such as a large spruce mill for manufacturing airplanes. A 1908 railroad swing bridge across the Columbia allowed greater industrial developments such as the Standifer Shipyard during the first world war. With the Interstate Bridge and Bonneville Dam Vancouver saw an industrial boom in the 1940s, including the Kaiser shipyard and Alcoa, as well as a Boise Cascade paper mill, just west of the Interstate Bridge.


title: Vancouver, Washington

text: As the old-growth forests were depleted and heavy industry left the United States, Vancouver's economy largely changed to high tech and service industry jobs, with many residents commuting to Portland. Vancouver contains the corporate headquarters for Nautilus, Inc., ZoomInfo, Papa Murphy's Pizza and The Holland (parent company of the Burgerville restaurant chain).


title: Vancouver, Washington

text: The Port of Vancouver USA operates a port on the Columbia River, which separates Oregon to the south and Washington to the north. It handles over 400 ocean-going vessels annually, as well as a number of barges which ply the river and its tributaries as far as Lewiston, Idaho.


title: Vancouver, Washington

text: The Vancouver Energy project was a proposed crude oil transport hub in the Port of Vancouver USA. It was estimated to produce the equivalent of $1.6 billion in employment income during the terminal's construction and for its first 15 years of operation. Vancouver Energy ended its bid to build the hub in February 2018 following Governor Jay Inslee's rejection of the project.


title: Vancouver, Washington

text: According to the City's 2012 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the largest employers in the city are:


title: Vancouver, Washington

text: In 1997, the city of Vancouver decided to dedicate the next 15–20 years to redeveloping and revitalizing the downtown core, west of I-5 and south of Evergreen Boulevard. The first projects started in the early 2000s with the construction of many tall condominium structures around Esther Short Park. The most lauded outside investment was the construction of a Hilton hotel directly across from the park.


title: Vancouver, Washington

text: The Downtown redevelopment of Vancouver continued after a slowdown during the 2009–2012 recession. Numerous projects began to rise up around the city core and as of mid-2020 more than three dozen projects with mid-rise or high-rise structures were completed, under construction, or proposed.


title: Vancouver, Washington

text: In 2016 the first ground was broken for the $1.5 billion, 21-block redevelopment of Vancouver's waterfront at the former site of Boise Cascade Paper Mill. The site had been inaccessible to the public for more than 100 years. The project was planned for 3,300 residential units, and roughly 1 million square feet of office and retail space. Around 15,000 people were in attendance for the official grand opening, in 2018, of the project and associated public space including Grant Street Pier, a cable-stayed viewing deck that extends out over the Columbia River.


title: Vancouver, Washington

text: The Redevelopment of Terminal One master plan was approved by the city council in 2017. This $500 million project will include multiple phases over several years including a seven-story AC Marriott hotel that began site preparation and construction in late 2019. Future plans in the master plan called for a mixed-use complex of mid-rise buildings on four blocks and a complete rebuild of the original 100-year Terminal One dock and pier. A public open-air market is also planned.


title: Vancouver, Washington

text: "The Columbian" newspaper finished building a new seven-story building adjacent to the Hilton in 2008. Early in 2010, "The Columbian" filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and the building defaulted to Bank of America. In June 2010, the City of Vancouver agreed to purchase the former downtown Columbian office building for use as a new city hall. The city bought the two-year-old building and for $18.5 million, a fraction of the $41.5 million sale price the owners of The Columbian office building had been asking prior to filing for bankruptcy. In 2011, the city consolidated five separate buildings housing 300 employees into the new building, located at 415 W. 6th St. The move is saving the city approximately $1 million a year in facility lease and maintenance costs.


title: Vancouver, Washington

text: The Fort Vancouver Regional Library District opened a new library on C Street at Evergreen Boulevard in 2011. Future plans on C Street include a new Marriott hotel and roughly 250 new condominiums.


title: Vancouver, Washington

text: Significant urban scale development since 2015 in the Vancouver Downtown area visually changed the city skyline.


title: Vancouver, Washington

text: In the early 2000s, Vancouver began seeing a revitalization of the local arts scene and cultural events. In 2010 there was a movement among local artists to form cooperatives and meet with established local gallery owners for a monthly forum known as "Art Conversations". Many of Vancouver's art galleries are located in downtown Vancouver, and in 2014, the City Council formally designated an "Arts District" in the downtown core.


title: Vancouver, Washington

text: The Kiggins Theatre located within the Downtown Vancouver Art District, was built in 1936 by architect Day Hillborn. It was named for J.P. Kiggins, an entrepreneur and politician who cut a swath through town in the early 20th century, serving as Vancouver's mayor for 15 non-consecutive years between 1908 and 1935. It was renovated and reopened in 2011 as an independent film and community event venue.


title: Vancouver, Washington

text: The Vancouver Symphony Orchestra first formed in the late 1970s. Conducted and directed by Dr. Salvadore Brotons, the Symphony regularly performs concerts.


title: Vancouver, Washington

text: Every June since 2006, the Recycled Arts Festival held in Esther Short Park has featured the work of dozens of artists whose creations are made from at least 75% reused or recycled materials, along with live music and food.


title: Vancouver, Washington

text: Since the mid-1960s, Vancouver hosted a Fourth of July fireworks display on the grounds of Fort Vancouver National Historic Site that draws many people to the city. The display routinely ran to 45 minutes, attracted up to 60,000 visitors and was broadcast on area television, one of the largest west of the Mississippi River. Due to the death of key organizer "Mister Fireworks" Jim Larson and a poor economy, the show was not held in 2009. A shorter, redesigned show debuted in 2010 and brought in approximately 35,000 people. As of 2019, The Historic Trust (formerly the "Fort Vancouver National Trust") continues to organize the fireworks event. The fireworks were not held in 2020 or 2021 due to COVID-19.


title: Vancouver, Washington

text: 4 Days of Aloha, also known as the Hawaiian Festival, takes place in late July in Esther Short Park, Clark College, and Fort Vancouver. Started in 2012 by "Aunty" Deva Yamashiro, a hula dancer and self-appointed cultural ambassador for Hawaii, the festival features live music, dance performances, craft workshops, and a celebration of Hawaiian food, arts, and culture.


title: Vancouver, Washington

text: Late August features the Vancouver Wine and Jazz Festival in Esther Short Park, which brought 13,500 attendees in 2012 and which is considered the largest jazz festival in the Pacific Northwest.


title: Vancouver, Washington

text: Mother Joseph was one of the first architects in the region, and because of its relatively long history, Vancouver contains a variety of buildings. Homes vary from Victorians and craftsman bungalows downtown, to small wartime tract housing and ranch-styles mid-town, with rural styles and larger homes in the outer ring. In addition to the reconstructed Fort Vancouver at the Fort Vancouver National Historic Site, the city was named one of the National Register of Historic Places' "Dozen Distinctive Destinations" for 2003.


title: Vancouver, Washington

text: Many of these buildings have been repurposed. The 1867 Slocum House, an Italianate villa-style residence originally built one block south of its current location in Esther Short Park, was moved to its present location in 1966 and now houses a winery and art gallery. The Carnegie Library was expanded in the 1940s, becoming the Clark County Historical Museum after a new library was built in 1963. Other buildings have been torn down for urban renewal or renovated to house professional offices for lawyers and accountants.


title: Vancouver, Washington

text: The Vancouver Public Schools cover most of west Vancouver and has seven high schools: Hudson's Bay High School, Columbia River High School, Fort Vancouver High School, Lewis and Clark High School, Skyview High School, Vancouver School of Arts and Academics, and Vancouver iTech Preparatory (grades 6–12). It also has six middle schools: Alki Middle School, Discovery Middle School, Gaiser Middle School, Jason Lee Middle School, Thomas Jefferson Middle School, and McLoughlin Middle School.


title: Vancouver, Washington

text: Vancouver Public Schools' elementary schools include Sarah J. Anderson, Chinook, Eisenhower, Felida, Ben Franklin, Fruit Valley Community Learning Center, Harney, Hazel Dell, Hough, Martin Luther King, Lake Shore, Lincoln, Marshall, Minnehaha, Peter S. Ogden, Eleanor Roosevelt, Sacajawea, Salmon Creek, Truman, Walnut Grove, and Washington.


title: Vancouver, Washington

text: The Evergreen School District covers most of east Vancouver and has seven high schools: Evergreen High School, Mountain View High School, Henrietta Lacks Health and Bioscience High School, Heritage High School, Union High School, Legacy High School, and Cascadia Technical Academy (formerly Clark County Vocational Skills Center).


title: Vancouver, Washington

text: Evergreen School District's 21 elementary schools are: Burton, Burnt Bridge Creek, Columbia Valley, Crestline, Ellsworth, Emerald, Endeavour, Fircrest, Fisher's Landing, Harmony, Hearthwood, Illahee, Image, Marrion, Mill Plain, Orchards, Pioneer, Riverview, Sifton, Silver Star, Sunset, and York.


title: Vancouver, Washington

text: Vancouver is also home to the Washington School for the Deaf and Washington School for the Blind, and (through Evergreen School District) Home Choice Academy, for home-schoolers.


title: Vancouver, Washington

text: Vancouver is located within the Portland media market for print, radio, and television media. It does, however, serve as the hometown for some media, including:


title: Vancouver, Washington

text: Vancouver has two interstate freeways, I-5 and I-205, both of which run north–south, across the Columbia River into Portland and toward Seattle. It also has two heavily travelled state highways within the city limits. SR 14 begins at I-5 in downtown Vancouver and makes its way east. It is a freeway all the way until Camas. SR 500 begins from I-5 at 39th Street in north Vancouver, travels east connecting with I-205, and continues east into the suburb of Orchards where the freeway terminates at Fourth Plain Boulevard, and meets with the south end of north–south-oriented 117th Ave., SR 503. A third state highway, SR 501, starts at I-5 and heads west through downtown and continues along a path that runs between the Columbia River and Vancouver Lake.


title: Vancouver, Washington

text: The area's mass transit system is C-Tran, the Clark County Public Transportation Benefit Area Authority, which operates 135 buses, vanpools, and paratransit vehicles. There are also a number of express routes into Portland's downtown.


title: Vancouver, Washington

text: There have been multiple discussions about extending Portland's Max Light Rail system into Vancouver. In 1995, Clark County voters rejected a ballot measure that would have funded a light rail extension north into Vancouver. Opposition to paying for light rail was strong at that time, but slowly declined over the following several years, eventually leading Vancouver officials to begin discussing the idea again. Meanwhile, TriMet reconstituted its planned MAX line to Vancouver as a shorter line running only within Portland, which could potentially be extended across the river and into Clark County at a later date. This extension of the MAX system opened in 2004 as the Yellow Line, running as far north as the Portland Expo Center, approximately south of downtown Vancouver. In 2012, Vancouver voters rejected a sales tax proposal to fund light rail operations in connection with the Columbia River Crossing proposal. In 2022, Interstate Bridge Replacement Program includes a new proposal for a light rail extension into downtown Vancouver.