Ten alleged members of a Minneapolis gang accused of “terrorizing” a city neighborhood have been charged with a range of federal crimes including possession of a machine gun and drug trafficking, law enforcement officials announced Tuesday.

The charges are the latest move in an ongoing federal initiative that began two years ago to crack down on violent crime in Minnesota, U.S. Attorney Andy Luger told reporters.

“Our federal resources are focused on holding accountable those who threaten the safety of our communities,” Luger said. “My message to the community: We are working for you, for your families and your children, to make sure violent crime continues to drop and we can all enjoy our beautiful cities this summer.”

Many of the cases prosecutors have brought under the initiative have involved the prosecution of gang members in north and south Minneapolis. Before Tuesday, federal prosecutors had already charged more than 70 alleged gang members, Luger said.

Last year, authorities set their sights on three Minneapolis-based gangs. The first round of charges was announced in May 2023, when federal authorities said 45 people had been charged for crimes including seven homicides, drug trafficking and firearms violations. Then in August of that year, 14 more alleged members of Minneapolis-based gangs were charged.

Tuesday’s charges involved a fourth gang. Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara said his department’s gun investigations unit and the FBI caught wind that gang members were seeking to reemerge in a south Minneapolis neighborhood after a period dormancy. Authorities began an investigation last fall.

“Much of the violence they perpetrate on our residents can be directly attributed to actions related to the distribution of fentanyl and other dangerous narcotics, illegally possessing firearms and in general terrorizing our community,” O’Hara said.

Investigators conducted search warrants and recovered cash, crack cocaine, methamphetamine, fentanyl and 13 illegal guns, O’Hara said.

The charges were brought ahead of the summer months, when violent crimes often rises, to ensure the gangs could not resurface, Luger said. Investigators believe the gang is local and not connected to a national criminal enterprise.

Nationwide, violent crime was down 15% in the first three months of 2024 compared to a year earlier, according to FBI data released this month. That reflects a continuing downward trend since a coronavirus pandemic surge. But at least one expert has cautioned that the declines in FBI data are preliminary and likely overstated.

In Minneapolis, O’Hara said there has been a drop in violent crime in some areas but not others. Efforts to curtail violent crime have been hampered by personnel shortages and the proliferation of illegal drugs and guns, he added.

“Today, we are here to say that enough is enough,” O’Hara said.

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Glenn Whipp | Los Angeles Times (TNS)

LOS ANGELES — I’ve written about the Emmy races for limited series and comedy, which brings us to drama. And if you think this is an instance of me saving the best for last, that’s not the case. Far from it. Thanks to production delays caused by last year’s strikes as well as the end of such Emmy nominated perennials as “Succession” and “Better Call Saul,” this year’s lineup of drama series contenders is thin. The eventual nominees might not be the worst slate ever selected … but it’s going to be close.

How bad will it be? That depends on whether you believe that there’s such a thing as guilty pleasures (hey, if you like something, why apologize?) or that pleasure can be found in hate-watching a series just to see how cuckoo it can get. With those stipulations in mind, let’s look at the landscape, which can charitably be described as “wide open,” for this year’s Emmy drama categories.

DRAMA SERIES

Maybe you consider this first season of “Shōgun” to be a limited series, just like the 1980 television adaptation of James Clavell’s book that starred Richard Chamberlain. I won’t argue. I will just tell you to give thanks that it’s coming back for a couple more seasons, and because of that, it will be competing as a drama and classing up the joint. It will be joined by the final season of “The Crown,” the only nominee from last season eligible this year.

Emmy voters have been content to ignore Apple TV+’s flagship series “The Morning Show” in this category, rewarding it mostly for its acting. It had a new showrunner this year, and you can’t say Charlotte Stoudt didn’t lean into the zany plot twists and frenetic energy that fans seem to love. Meanwhile, another Apple TV+ show, the well-regarded misfit spy saga “Slow Horses,” is still looking for its first Emmy nomination of any kind. Good news! It’s a wide-open landscape!

From there, voters can rummage through a perfectly entertaining Marvel series (“Loki”), a couple of stylish crime dramas (“Sugar,” “Tokyo Vice”), a giddy, postapocalyptic video game adaptation (“Fallout”), a challenging take on an unadaptable book from the “Games of Thrones” team (“3 Body Problem”), light period fluff (“The Gilded Age”) and a movie adaptation that, in my circle, no one had the patience to watch to the end (“Mr. & Mrs. Smith”). That could also be said about “The Curse,” a show equally brilliant and alienating.

Anna Sawai as Toda Mariko in “Shōgun.” (Kurt Iswarienko/FX/TNS)

DRAMA ACTRESS

Nobody had a better character arc than Anna Sawai on “Shōgun” — vassal, translator, warrior, lover, avenger. Her final moments on the show stand up to anything on television this year. Emma Stone, now a two-time Oscar winner with her recent triumph for “Poor Things,” is a formidable contender as well for her unsettling turn on “The Curse.”

Several leads could be nominated after being passed over last year — Imelda Staunton for playing Queen Elizabeth II on “The Crown,” Carrie Coon for wholeheartedly embracing the melodrama of “The Gilded Age” and Jennifer Aniston for her star turn on “The Morning Show.” Voters opted for Aniston’s co-star, Reese Witherspoon, in 2023. Maybe they’ll attend the ceremony together in September.

Other possibilities: Maya Erskine (“Mr. & Mrs. Smith”), Carrie Preston for “The Good Wife”-verse spinoff “Elsbeth” and Juliette Binoche for her cold-blooded Coco Chanel on “The New Look” (and because she deserved more love for making us swoon in Tran Anh Hung’s film “The Taste of Things”). Ella Purnell might be the most deserving dark-horse contender for the hell her character went through on “Fallout.”

DRAMA ACTOR

I don’t know what’s going on with television critics’ digestive systems, but I don’t think I’ve read a review of “Slow Horses” that hasn’t expressed a deep appreciation for Gary Oldman ‘s ability to pass gas. Can you win an Emmy for a certain flair for flatulence? We’re about to find out.

“Shōgun” leads Hiroyuki Sanada and Cosmo Jarvis will both be nominated and, as this adaptation belongs to Sanada’s Lord Toranaga, he has the upper hand. (Nobody bests Toranaga.) One thing I just learned: Dominic West has never been nominated for an Emmy. Appreciation for the last two seasons of “The Crown” has ebbed, and perhaps he’s too charming to play Prince Charles, but his grieving monarch was nonetheless affecting.

More often than not, voters like to have an emotional connection with characters. That puts Nathan Fielder (“The Curse”) and Donald Glover (“Mr. & Mrs. Smith”) at a disadvantage but maybe increases the hopes for Walton Goggins, whose Ghoul has a tragic backstory on “Fallout.” Colin Farrell’s private detective also was dealing with a dark past — and a big secret — on “Sugar,” a series that confounded many viewers with its midseason twist but worked (mostly) for me as a stylish, sci-fi noir. Farrell always delivers.

Lesley Manville as Princess Margaret in “The Crown.” (Keith Bernstein/Netflix/TNS)

DRAMA SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Elizabeth Debicki won the Screen Actors Guild award for her sensitive portrayal of a melancholy Diana on “The Crown” earlier this year, and with Jennifer Coolidge out of the race, she might well win the Emmy too. Castmate Lesley Manville should be nominated as well, since the series finally gave her a showcase episode in “Ritz,” the gorgeous, devastating highlight of “The Crown’s” final season. Manville’s Princess Margaret is absolutely breathtaking. Maybe she should take the Emmy.

Another English legend, Kristin Scott Thomas, could earn a nod for her droll perfection in “Slow Horses.” As for the remaining five spots: Emmy favorites Christine Baranski (15 nominations, one win) and Cynthia Nixon (five nods, two Emmys) have a case for elevating “The Gilded Age” above the ordinary. Moeka Hoshi and Fumi Nikaido might be part of a “Shōgun” sweep. (Both had exceptional moments in the season finale.) And four women from “The Morning Show” — Greta Lee, Holland Taylor, Nicole Beharie and Karen Pittman — had memorable scenes that could linger in voters’ minds.

DRAMA SUPPORTING ACTOR

Billy Crudup won this category for the first season of “The Morning Show,” and he remains the best reason to watch the series. His co-star this season, Jon Hamm, playing the suave, space-loving billionaire that Elon Musk can only wish to be, will join him. Perhaps Mark Duplass, nominated for the first season, returns as well.

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They probably won’t be the only castmates nominated here. Look for Khalid Abdalla and Jonathan Pryce from “The Crown,” and as many as three “Shōgun” actors — Tadanobu Asano, Takehiro Hira and Tokuma Nishioka. (Asano’s wildly entertaining portrayal of Yabushige makes him my favorite in the whole category.)

And it feels like after eight nominations — and one win — as a guest actor, it might be time for Nathan Lane to get his due as a regular on “The Gilded Age.” His sweet-potato-pie Savannah, Georgia, accent is absolutely, delightfully ridiculous — just like the show.

©2024 Los Angeles Times. Visit latimes.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

The cruise dining experience often takes advantage of the ship being at sea, with vast windows or al fresco seating overlooking the ocean beyond.

A recent trend, though, has seen cruise lines investing in designs meant to transport the diner away from the vessel.

One of the newest ventures is sticking them on a train. Royal Railway – Utopia Station is a featured restaurant coming on board Royal Caribbean’s Utopia of the Seas when it debuts this summer in Port Canaveral.

Cruisers will climb aboard a simulated train to experience what traveling on a dining car is like, complete with passing different countryside scenes projected on digital screens.

The first sailings will be limited to an adventure themed to the America’s Wild West for a 90-minute trip that mimics the sights, sounds and feel of a moving train car. Other themes in the works are based on the Silk Route trains that traveled through Asia and 30-minute offerings.

Diners start with pre-dinner drinks on a station platform, and when the train whistle sounds, board the dining car where a cast of performers play out an interactive storyline involving outlaws attempting a train robbery. Royal Caribbean put on a sample version of the experience at its Miami headquarters on Thursday.

Media tried out a test version of dining venue Royal Railway – Utopia Station at Royal Caribbean’s Miami headquarters on Thursday, May 24, 2024. The interactive dinner experience is coming to Royal Caribbean’s Utopia of the Seas when it debuts at Port Canaveral in summer 2024. (Richard Tribou/Orlando Sentinel)

The menu leans into ingredients from New Mexico and California. Hard drinks are thematic to the Old West (think pisco sour) as is the soft drink of sarsaparilla served in a flask. Entrees include river trout, braised short ribs and quail-esque roasted poussin. Appetizers include corn chowder, an empanada trio and “Fart & Dart Baked Beans.”

A little juvenile humor does make its way into the performance, as do some dad jokes and over-the-kids-heads jokes.

“It’s like a caricature. It’s good old-fashioned fun,” said Royal Caribbean President Michael Bayley, but he said the performances and approach may depend on when cruisers are seated.

“In the afternoon into the early evening, it will be more kid-immersive. As you move later on into the evening, it will be more sophisticated,” he said.

Media tried out a test version of dining venue Royal Railway – Utopia Station at Royal Caribbean’s Miami headquarters on Thursday, May 24, 2024. The interactive dinner experience is coming to Royal Caribbean’s Utopia of the Seas when it debuts at Port Canaveral in summer 2024. (Richard Tribou/Orlando Sentinel)

The main draw to the experience are the continuous digital screen projections that include frontier towns and desert and mountain landscapes that could be right out of an Albert Bierstadt painting.

The final product resolution will be in 4K, but even the test run’s digital renderings were impressive, minus the few hiccups like a horse floating over the cliff.

Royal Caribbean’s chief product innovation officer Jay Schneider said relying on computer-generated video proved to be the better choice over real landscape videos,  although teams did visit actual railways in the West for inspiration.

“Now we can flip a switch and make this winter and make this nighttime,” he said. “That definitely kind of unlocked a lot of possibilities.”

A trio featuring a singer, piano and stand-up bass perform during the three-hour dinner in the 1920s New York-themed Empire Supper Club aboard Royal Caribbean’s Icon of the Seas, seen here on Jan. 22, 2024 ahead of the ship’s debut from PortMiami. (Richard Tribou/Orlando Sentinel)

There’s also the $200, three-hour-plus dining experience at the 38-seat venue Empire Supper Club that debuted on the world’s largest cruise ship Icon of the Seas that began sailing from Miami in January.

It transports diners to the roaring ’20s of New York City amid an eight-course meal with each course paired with a unique cocktail.

Diners enjoy music from the American Standards Trio with a vocalist, piano and stand-up bass.

The details such as the rotary phones in the lobby and the uniformed waiters and hostess wearing a sultry dinner gown add to the ambience. The menu delves into some not-so-common options such as oysters Rockefeller and a leg and loin duo of rabbit. More traditional fare is offered, too, including steak, seabass and Caesar salad.

The cocktail pairing approach means no wine, and that’s OK for the venue, said Linken D’Souza, vice president of food and beverage for Royal Caribbean International.

“We went through many iterations of the cocktails to make sure that they’re well balanced. … They paired exceptionally well with the food,” he said. “So that’s not E for everyone. And that’s OK. It’s just a unique niche experience that we want people to really be adventurous.”

Royal isn’t the first to venture down the thematic dining road, which has in some ways been dabbled with over the years, including dinner theater in-the-round venues on some Norwegian Cruise Line ships such as the short-lived magic-themed Illusionarium on Norwegian Getaway and the celebration of 1980s teen films from John Hughes on Norwegian Escape.

And Disney Cruise Line’s rotational dining has always served up a variety of thematic overlays. Its newest ships, though, have taken it to the next level.

That includes the Worlds of Marvel dining venue on both its latest ship Disney Wish, and its upcoming Disney Treasure debuting this December, both sailing out of Port Canaveral. Disney Wish also debuted Arendelle: A Frozen Dining Adventure, a vast food hall that expanded on similar approaches to dining themed to “Tangled” and “Princess & the Frog” on older ships Disney Magic and Wonder.

For Disney Treasure, the line is shelving “Frozen” in favor of the Disney-Pixar film “Coco.” The new overlay will feature a five-course meal with a modern take on traditional Mexican fare.

It will feature live performers telling the story of Miguel and his familia being offered up with different-themed seatings per voyage, as it’s tied to a seven-night sailing. The first night takes diners to Mariachi Plaza with Miguel’s parents Enrique and Luisa as well as Abuelita Elena. The second night takes diners to the town square in Santa Cecilia through where Miguel and his ancestors including great-great grandparents Hector and Mama Imelda celebrate Día de los Muertos.

“The adventure takes you through [those] heartstrings, and pulls you back into family, right?” said Carlos Jimenez, a managing producer with Disney Cruise Line Entertainment. “Doesn’t matter if you’re coming from the Mexican culture or any other culture. Family’s at the center – la familia es todo. So family is everything and we want to make sure we’re telling that beautiful story.”

360: An Extraordinary Experience is available on two Princess Cruises ships, the Discovery Princess and Enchanted Princess. The multi-course meal takes diners on a sensory trip across the Mediterranean (Richard Tribou/Orlando Sentinel).

Princess Cruises also debuted a suite-level guest offering called “360: An Extraordinary Experience” on board Enchanted Princess and Discovery Princess.

The line carved out a small rotunda venue with two half-circle long tables facing one another for 20 diners to serve up a seven-course meal that hits all the senses over an hour and a half.

Diners begin seated within a dark room surrounded by digital screen snapshots of Mediterranean destinations about the circular enclosed walls, What follows is a combination of storytelling of a culinary adventure from Greece to Italy to Spain and into France with an assist from actress Brooke Shields leading the way.

It’s a narrative device to get the real stories told, the source of the various culinary delights presented with white-glove service from course to course, whether it’s the Spanish divers who take the red varietal Grenache and age it underwater or the French lavender farmer who explains where the distinct honey flavor comes from.

Along the way, and intense and detailed projection about the room and onto the dinner service plates invites diners to interact with their meal settings before the actual food is presented, such as virtually smashing some Greek plateware or digging up their own Spanish truffle.

The scents of the food while dining could suffice, but an effusive olfactory accompaniment hits here and there such as the lemon aroma ahead of the tasty Italian dish pasta al limone while its recipe is projected upon the screen.

“What happens here in 360 is you can be anywhere in the world and we’re going to transport you into the Mediterranean,” said Princess Cruises President John Padgett during the experience’s debut event. “We have immersive video, storytelling, food and wine that intersects with the story.”