The crime drama “Night Always Comes” attempts to shine a light on the economic disparity in this country.

That’s admirable, but the film from director Benjamin Caron — an adaptation of Willy Vlautin’s novel “The Night Always Comes” debuting this week on Netflix — does so quite inelegantly.

In the film’s first few minutes, the lead character, Vanessa Kirby’s Lynette, drives by the homeless in the streets of Portland, Oregon, as heavy-handed, almost surely fictional news reports drone on about rising costs and frozen wages.

You’d think that maybe she’d eventually change the channel, given that Lynette certainly is feeling the crush of financial strain. Working two jobs, she stands at the precipice of losing the small house in which much of her troubled adolescence took place.

It is now home for her — as well as her older brother, Kenny (Zack Gottsagen, “The Peanut Butter Falcon”), who suffers from developmental disabilities, and her mother, Doreen (Jennifer Jason Leigh, “The Hateful Eight”) — but she does not own it.

With $25,000 from Doreen, Lynette will sign papers giving her the in-need-of-some-love structure, but Mom is a no-show at the meeting with the seller and an attorney. Turns out that instead of going to said meeting, Doreen was enticed by a Mazda sale and used the money as the sizable down payment on a sporty white number.

While Lynette is, understandably, furious, the seemingly obtuse Doreen is unsympathetic toward her daughter and dismissive of anger — an example of the kind of sophomoric storytelling that plagues “Night Always Comes.”

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We are given the impression that Lynette has come a long way from the type of behavior that earlier had landed her in trouble and cost her employment. Nevertheless, she decides she must do whatever she can to acquire the $25K before a rescheduled meeting with the house’s owner first thing in the morning.

She begins by trying to squeeze a loan out of a businessman, Scott (Randall Park, “Fresh Off the Boat”), who sometimes pays her for sex. Instead, he doubles the usual amount he pays her — to $1,000 — as a parting gift. More important, he forgets the key fob to his Mercedes in their hotel room, so she steals it without, it would seem, much of a plan for how to turn it into the money she needs.

Next is a visit to an escort friend, Gloria (Julia Fox, “Uncut Gems”), shacked up in the luxury apartment of a well-to-do individual. Gloria owes her money, but, when she refuses to give Lynette all of it, the latter hatches a plan to steal the safe from which her friend had retrieved some cash.

She recruits the help of a reluctant coworker and ex-con, Cody (Stephan James), who believes he knows where they can take the hefty locked container.

Stephan James as Cody in “Night Always Comes.” (Allyson Riggs/Netflix/TNS)

From here, Lynette becomes increasingly desperate — and, as a result, the narrative grows more and more depressing — our protagonist eventually encountering other unsavory types portrayed by Michael Kelly (“House of Cards”) and Eli Roth (“Inglourious Basterds”).

Penned by Sarah Conradt, “Night Always Comes” eventually fills in some of the blanks regarding Lynette’s tragic and traumatic past, and the character seems to care deeply about Kenny staying out of government-ordered care.

All of that, and given the fact that Kirby (“The Fantastic Four: First Steps,” “Pieces of a Woman”) is an extremely talented actor, should lead the viewer to become relatively invested in Lynette. It’s simply tough to get there, though, seeing the choices she makes, even while acknowledging the circumstances.

The strongest performance is turned in by James (“Race,” “If Beale Street Could Talk”), who comes the closest to tapping into something that is convincingly emotional. If we struggle to muster empathy for Lynette, we do dig up some, if not a ton, for Cody.

With several episodes of “The Crown” to his credit, as well as a few installments of the excellent “Star Wars” series “Andor,” Caron’s previous film was the predictable 2023 con drama “Sharper.” Disappointingly, “Night Always Comes” is a step down from that, the director never succeeding in the admittedly tall task of finding a way to make a story like this one engrossing.

Ultimately, if “Night Always Comes” has a message, it’s perhaps that for many facing economic uncertainties, things are hopeless.

True as that may be, we’d hoped for something more.

‘Night Always Comes’

Where: Netflix.

When: Aug. 15.

Rated: R for language throughout, some sexual content, drug content and violence.

Runtime: 1 hour, 48 minutes.

Stars (of four): 1.5.

WARSAW, Poland (AP) — An unidentified flying object crashed into a cornfield and exploded in eastern Poland early Wednesday, the country’s news agency PAP reported.

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Local police said they received reports of the crash around 2 a.m. and found burned metal and plastic debris at the scene, near the village of Osiny. As a result of the explosion, windows were broken in some houses but nobody was injured, PAP reported.

Poland’s Armed Forces Operational Command said Wednesday on social media that no violations of Polish airspace from neighboring Ukraine or Belarus were recorded overnight.

Officials initially said the explosion may have been caused by a part of an old engine with a propeller.

Defense Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz later said the object was most likely a drone, adding that an analysis was underway to determine whether it was a military or smuggling one, PAP reported.

Lublin District Prosecutor Grzegorz Trusiewicz told reporters several investigators — both civilian and military — were examining the crash site.

“We have a lot of manpower, we have the army to help us. I hope that we will be able to finish the operation by the evening,” Trusiewicz said.

Since Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine more than three years ago, there have been a number of intrusions into Polish airspace, raising alarm in the European Union and NATO member state and reminding people how close the war is.

By Linda Gassenheimer, Tribune News Service

For a quick and easy barbecue-style dinner, I prepared these flavorful pork kabobs under the broiler instead of on the grill. They cook in just minutes but still deliver that deliciously charred taste.

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A simple sauce made from honey, mustard, and soy sauce adds a perfect balance of sweet and tangy flavors. It’s used both to glaze the pork and as a dipping sauce on the side. To round out this easy summer meal, I paired the kabobs with corn on the cob, quickly cooked in the microwave for a no-fuss finish.

HELPFUL HINTS:

Any type of mustard can be used.

Worcestershire sauce can be used instead of soy sauce.

COUNTDOWN:

Assemble ingredients.

Microwave corn and place on plates.

Make the kabobs.

SHOPPING LIST:

To buy: 2 ears corn on the cob, 1 small bottle honey, 1 small jar Dijon mustard, 1 small bottle reduced salt soy sauce, 3/4 pound pork tenderloin, 1 large red bell pepper and 1 can olive oil spray.

Staples: butter

Sweet and Tangy Pork Kabobs with Corn on the Cob

Recipe by Linda Gassenheimer

2 ears corn on the cob

1 tablespoon butter

olive oil spay

1/4 cup honey

1/4 cup Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon reduced salt soy sauce

3/4 pound pork tenderloin, cut not 1-inch cubes

1 red bell pepper cut into 2-inch pieces

2 skewers

Husk the corn and wrap each one in plastic wrap. Microwave corn on high for 5 minutes. Remove from microwave oven and set aside. They will be hot. Use tongs or a large spoon and fork. Remove the plastic wrap from the corn and place one on each plate. Spread the butter over the corn.

Preheat broiler. Line a sheet pan with foil and spray with olive oil spray. Combine mustard, honey and soy sauce in a bowl. Divide the mixture, pouring half into 2 small bowls or ramekins to be used as a dipping sauce. Coat pork kabobs with the remaining sauce by dipping the cubes into mixture. Wash, seed and cut red pepper into 2-inch pieces. Thread pork on skewers alternating with red pepper. Place skewers on the sheet pan and place in the boiler about 6 inches from the heat. Broil 3 minutes. Turn skewers over and broil 2 minutes. A meat thermometer should read 145 degrees. Place on two dinner plates and serve with the dipping sauce.

Yield 2 servings.

Per serving: 497 calories (25 percent from fat), 13.8 g fat (5.2 g saturated, 5.3 g monounsaturated), 124 mg cholesterol, 40.9 g protein, 57.2 g carbohydrates, 4.6 g fiber, 754 mg sodium.

©2025 Tribune Content Agency, LLC

By Arielle Zionts, KFF Health News

EKALAKA, Mont. — There was no doctor on-site when a patient arrived in early June at the emergency room in the small hospital at the intersection of two dirt roads in this town of 400 residents.

There never is.

Dahl Memorial’s three-bed emergency department — a two-hour drive from the closest hospital with more advanced services — instead depends on physician assistants and nurse practitioners.

Physician assistant Carla Dowdy takes notes while treating a patient in the Ekalaka, Montana, hospital as nurse Willow Meyer works nearby. (Arielle Zionts/KFF Health News/TNS)

Physician assistant Carla Dowdy realized the patient needed treatment beyond what the ER could provide, even if it had had a doctor. So, she made a call for a medical plane to fly the patient to treatment at Montana’s most advanced hospital. Dowdy also called out medications and doses needed to stabilize the patient as a paramedic and nurses administered the drugs, inserted IV lines, and measured vital signs.

Emergency medicine researchers and providers believe ERs, especially in rural areas, increasingly operate with few or no physicians amid a nationwide shortage of doctors.

A recent study found that in 2022, at least 7.4% of emergency departments across the U.S. did not have an attending physician on-site 24/7. Like Dahl Memorial, more than 90% were in low-volume or critical access hospitals — a federal designation for small, rural hospitals.

The results come from the 82% of hospitals that responded to a survey sent to all emergency departments in the country, except those operated by the federal government. The study is the first of its kind so there isn’t proof that such staffing arrangements are increasing, said Carlos Camargo, the lead author and a professor of emergency medicine at Harvard Medical School. But Camargo and other experts suspect ERs running without doctors present are becoming more common.

Placing ERs in the hands of nondoctors isn’t without controversy. Some doctors and their professional associations say physicians’ extensive training leads to better care, and that some hospitals are just trying to save money by not employing them.

The American Medical Association, open to all medical students and physicians, and the American College of Emergency Physicians both support state and federal laws or regulations that would require ERs to staff a doctor around the clock. Indiana, Virginia, and South Carolina recently passed such legislation.

Rural ERs may see fewer patients, but they still treat serious cases, said Alison Haddock, president of ACEP.

“It’s important that folks in those areas have equal access to high-quality emergency care to the greatest extent possible,” Haddock said.

Other health care providers and organizations say advanced-practice providers with the right experience and support are capable of overseeing ERs. And they say mandating that a physician be on-site could drive some rural hospitals to close because they can’t afford or recruit enough — or any — doctors.

“In an environment, especially a rural environment, if you have an experienced PA who knows what they know, and knows the boundaries of their knowledge and when to involve consultants, it works well,” said Paul Amiott, a board member of the Society of Emergency Medicine PAs.

Nurse practitioner Alex Lovec examines Ben Bruski during a visit to the clinic at Dahl Memorial Healthcare Association in Ekalaka, Montana, for help with his allergies. (Arielle Zionts/KFF Health News/TNS)

“I’m not practicing independently” despite working 12-hour night shifts without physicians on-site at critical access hospitals in three states, he said.

Amiott said he calls specialists for consultation often and about once a month asks the physician covering the day shift at his hospital to come help him with more challenging cases such as emergency childbirth and complicated trauma. Amiott said this isn’t unique to PAs — ER doctors seek similar consultations and backup.

The proportion of ERs without an attending physician always on-site varies wildly by state. The 2022 survey found that 15 states — including substantially rural ones, such as New Mexico, Nevada, and West Virginia — had no such emergency departments.

But in the Dakotas, more than half of emergency departments were running without 24/7 attending physician staffing. In Montana it was 46%, the third-highest rate.

None of those three states have a program to train physicians as ER specialists. Neither does Wyoming or Idaho.

But Sanford Health, which bills itself as “the largest rural health system in the United States,” is launching an emergency medicine residency in the region. The Sioux Falls, South Dakota-based program is intended to boost the ranks of rural emergency doctors in those states, the residency director said in a news release.

Leon Adelman is an emergency medicine physician in Gillette, Wyoming, which, at around 33,800 residents, is the largest city in the state’s northeast. Working in such a rural area has given him nuanced views on whether states should require 24/7 on-site physician coverage in ERs.

Adelman said he supports such laws only where it’s feasible, like in Virginia. He said the state’s emergency physicians’ organization pushed for the law only after doing research that made it confident that the requirement wouldn’t shutter any rural hospitals.

Camargo said some doctors say that if lawmakers are going to require 24/7 on-site physician coverage in ERs, they need to pay to help hospitals implement it.

Adelman said when instituting staffing requirements isn’t possible, states should create other regulations. For example, he said, lawmakers should make sure hospitals not hiring physicians aren’t refraining just to save money.

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He pointed to Vermont, where a report recommended that several of the state’s hospitals cut physicians from their ERs. The report was part of a mandated process to improve the state’s troubled health care system.

Adelman said states should also require PAs and NPs without on-site physician supervision to have extensive emergency experience and the ability to consult with remote physicians.

Some doctors have pointed to a case in which a 19-year-old woman died after being misdiagnosed by an NP who was certified in family medicine, not emergency care, and working alone at an Oklahoma ER. Few NPs have emergency certification, an analysis found.

The Society of Emergency Medicine PAs outlines training and experience PAs should have before practicing in rural areas or without on-site doctors.

Haddock said emergency physicians have seen cases of hospitals hiring inexperienced advanced-practice providers. She said ACEP is asking the federal government to require critical access and rural emergency hospitals to have physicians on-site or on call day and night.

Haddock said ACEP wouldn’t want such a requirement to close any hospital and noted that the organization has various efforts to keep rural hospitals staffed and funded.

Dahl Memorial Hospital has strict hiring requirements and robust oversight, said Dowdy, who previously worked for 14 years in high-volume, urban emergency rooms.

She said ER staffers can call physicians when they have questions and that a doctor who lives on the other side of Montana reviews all their patient treatment notes. The ER is working on getting virtual reality glasses that will let remote physicians help by seeing what the providers in Ekalaka see, Dowdy said.

An Ekalaka ambulance meets a medevac plane from Billings Clinic— which offers the highest level of care in Montana— at the municipal airport. (Arielle Zionts/KFF Health News/TNS)

She said patient numbers in the Ekalaka ER vary but average one or two a day, which isn’t enough for staff to maintain their knowledge and skills. To supplement those real-life cases, providers visit simulation labs, do monthly mock scenarios, and review advanced skills, such as using an ultrasound to help guide breathing tubes into patient airways.

Dowdy said Dahl Memorial hasn’t had a physician in at least 30 years, but CEO Darrell Messersmith said he would hire one if a doctor lived in the area. Messersmith said there’s a benefit to having advanced-practice providers with connections to the region and who stay at the hospital for several years. Other rural hospitals, he noted, may have physicians either as permanent staff who leave after a few years or contract workers who fly in for a few weeks at a time.

Mobile mammogram clinics make it easier for people in the Ekalaka, Montana, area to get care since their local facilities don’t offer the technology, which helps detect breast cancer. (Arielle Zionts/KFF Health News/TNS)

People eating at Ekalaka’s sole breakfast spot and attending appointments at the hospital’s clinic all told KFF Health News that they’ve been happy with the care they have received from Dowdy and her co-workers.

Ben Bruski had to visit the ER after a cow on his family ranch kicked a gate, smashing it against his hand. And he knows other people who’ve been treated for more serious problems.

“We’ve got to have this facility here because this facility saves a lot of lives,” Bruski said.

©2025 KFF Health News. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.