AFP USA

A law firm hired by Caracas filed a petition in El Salvador’s Supreme Court Monday for the release of 238 Venezuelans deported from the United States to a notoriously harsh prison in the Central American country.US President Donald Trump invoked rarely-used wartime legislation to fly the men to El Salvador on March 16 without any kind of court hearing, alleging they were members of the violent Tren de Aragua gang, which their families and lawyers deny.The deportations took place despite a US federal judge granting a temporary suspension of the expulsion order, and the men were taken in chains, their heads freshly shorn, to El Salvador’s maximum security “Terrorism Confinement Center” (CECOT).On Monday, lawyer Jaime Ortega filed a habeas corpus petition, demanding justification be provided for the migrants’ continued detention.”They have not committed any crimes in our country,” Ortega said at the court, while elsewhere in San Salvador, hundreds of protesters clamored for the Venezuelans’ freedom.Ortega said he was hired by the Venezuelan government and a committee of relatives of detained Venezuelans.He added he had a mandate from families of 30 of the prisoners, but would work for the release of the entire group.Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro said the motion seeks the release of countrymen he described as having been kidnapped.”A week after being taken to concentration camps, neither the government of the United States nor Nayib Bukele has published a list of who they have kidnapped in El Salvador,” Maduro said during an event broadcast on national TV, referring to the president of El Salvador.Bukele is hailed at home for his crackdown on violent crime — with tens of thousands of suspected gangsters sent to the CECOT, which he had specially built.Human rights groups have criticized the drive for a wide range of alleged abuses.Many habeas corpus petitions have been filed with the Supreme Court seeking the release of people arrested during the crackdown on gangs, but very few have received a response.  Bukele replaced senior judges and the attorney general, and a new-look Supreme Court, friendly to the president, allowed him to seek reelection last year despite a constitutional single-term limit. He won.”Bukele already violates the human rights of thousands of Salvadorans… and now he is preparing to violate the rights of these people from Venezuela who have not been proven guilty of a crime,” protester Antonio Medrano, 47, said in the capital Monday.

A federal judge on Monday sharply criticized the Trump administration’s summary deportation of alleged Venezuelan gang members, saying “Nazis got better treatment” from the United States during World War II.President Donald Trump sent two planeloads of Venezuelan migrants to a prison in El Salvador on March 15 after invoking an obscure wartime law known as the 1798 Alien Enemies Act (AEA).James Boasberg, chief judge of the US District Court in Washington, issued a restraining order that same day temporarily barring the Trump administration from carrying out any further deportation flights under the AEA.The Justice Department is seeking to have the order lifted and a three-judge US Court of Appeals panel heard oral arguments in the closely watched case on Monday.Justice Department attorney Drew Ensign said the judge’s order “represents an unprecedented and enormous intrusion upon the powers of the executive branch” and “enjoins the president’s exercise of his war and foreign affairs powers.”Judge Patricia Millett appeared unconvinced and said the lower court judge was not disputing Trump’s presidential authority only the denial of individual court hearings to the deportees.Attorneys for several of the deported Venezuelans have said that their clients were not members of the Tren de Aragua (TdA) gang, had committed no crimes and were targeted largely on the basis of their tattoos.”Nazis got better treatment under the Alien Enemies Act,” said Millett, an appointee of former Democratic president Barack Obama. “They had hearing boards before people were removed.””People on those planes on that Saturday had no opportunity to challenge their removal under the AEA,” she said. “Y’all could have picked me up on Saturday and thrown me on a plane thinking I’m a member of Tren de Aragua and given me no chance to protest it.”Somehow it’s a violation of presidential war powers for me to say, ‘Excuse me, no, I’m not. I’d like a hearing?'”Judge Justin Walker, a Trump appointee, also suggested that court hearings were warranted but appeared more receptive to the arguments that the judge’s order impinged on presidential powers.The third judge on the panel is an appointee of former Republican president George H.W. Bush.The AEA, which has previously only been used during the War of 1812, World War I and World War II, gives the government vast powers to round up citizens of a “hostile nation” during wartime.- ‘Disappeared’ -Lee Gelernt, a lawyer for the American Civil Liberties Union, which filed suit against the deportations, told the appeals court panel that the Trump administration was using the AEA “to try and short circuit immigration proceedings.”The government would likely immediately resume AEA deportations if the temporary restraining order was lifted, Gelernt said.”We are talking about people being sent to El Salvador, to one of the worst prisons in the world, incommunicado,” he said. “They’re essentially being disappeared.”In a 37-page opinion issued on Monday, Boasberg, the district court judge, said that migrants subject to potential deportation under the AEA should be “entitled to individualized hearings to determine whether the Act applies to them at all.”Trump has repeatedly lashed out at Boasberg, even going so far as to call for his impeachment, a remark that drew a rare public rebuke from Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts.The contentious case has raised concerns among legal experts that the Trump administration would potentially ignore the court order, triggering a constitutional crisis.Ahead of the hearing, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche announced plans to send three alleged TdA members facing extortion and kidnapping charges to Chile under the AEA.Blanche said the Justice Department “is taking every step within the bounds of the law to ensure these individuals are promptly sent to Chile to face justice.”

Pioneering US genetic testing company 23andMe has filed for bankruptcy and is looking for a buyer two years after hackers gained access to millions of profiles.23andMe, which sells a mail-back saliva test to determine ancestry or certain health-related genetic traits for less than $200, said late Sunday that it had “filed a voluntary petition for reorganization” with a state bankruptcy court in Missouri.The announcement prompted warnings for 23andMe customers to ask the company to delete their data amid privacy fears.At its height a few years ago, the DNA testing craze saw millions of consumers rushing to discover their ancestry and health information with tests from 23andMe becoming popular holiday gifts.The Silicon Valley-based company, which went public in 2021, claims 15 million customers and has seen its sales decline in recent months as the testing craze faded and the company suffered a data breach.23andMe said that it rejected a takeover offer from its co-founder and CEO Anne Wojcicki, who has resigned from her position but will remain on the company’s board of directors, according to the statement.On X, Wojcicki posted that “While I am disappointed that we have come to this conclusion and my bid was rejected, I am supportive of the company and I intend to be a bidder.”She explained that her resignation as CEO was strategic so as to “be in the best position to pursue the company as an independent bidder.” Wojcicki, who co-founded 23andMe 19 years ago, acknowledged the company’s challenges but emphasized her “unwavering” belief in its future.Faced with the difficulties, 23andMe announced the dismissal of 40 percent of its staff in November, about 200 people. It also suspended its research programs.In a regulatory filing, 23andMe also said that it has agreed to pay approximately $37.5 million to settle claims related to the 2023 data breach.The 2023 hacking incident saw 6.9 million accounts affected, of which 5.5 million contained information on genetic matches.Using customers’ old passwords, the hackers compromised data that included names, sex, birth year, location, photos, health information, and genetic ancestry results.- ‘Time to delete’ -With the bankruptcy announcement, California Attorney General Rob Bonta advised customers who have submitted their DNA to delete their genetic information from the website.”Given 23andMe’s reported financial distress, I remind Californians to consider invoking their rights and directing 23andMe to delete their data and destroy any samples of genetic material held by the company.” There are few data privacy safeguards in the United States at a national level, but California has its own laws regulating the handling of user data.Geoffrey Fowler, a tech columnist for the Washington Post warned: “If you’re one of the 15 million people who shared your DNA with 23andMe, it’s time to delete your data.”He cited the risk “that your data could get sold or transferred to a new company, which might want to use it for new purposes.”The company’s share price was down by nearly 50 percent to 92 cents in Monday trading on Wall Street.

A US appeals court panel was set to hear a bid on Monday by the Trump administration to overturn a judge’s order temporarily suspending the summary deportations of undocumented migrants using an obscure wartime law.The Justice Department announced plans meanwhile to send three alleged members of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua (TdA) to Chile under the rarely used 1798 Alien Enemies Act (AEA).”In fact, we would have already removed these violent gang members to Chile to face justice were it not for the nationwide injunction imposed by a single judge in Washington DC, which we are challenging today,” Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said in a statement.James Boasberg, chief judge of the US District Court in Washington, issued a temporary restraining order on March 15 barring the Trump administration from carrying out further deportation flights under the AEA.The Justice Department has appealed the federal judge’s order and a three-judge panel of the US Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit is to hear oral arguments in the closely watched case on Monday.The Trump administration sent two planeloads of alleged TdA members to a prison in El Salvador on March 15 after invoking the AEA, which has only previously been used during the War of 1812, World War I and World War II.Attorneys for several of the deported Venezuelans have said their clients were not members of the gang, had committed no crimes and were targeted only because of their tattoos.In a 37-page opinion issued on Monday, Boasberg said the “unprecedented used of the Act outside of the typical wartime context… implicates a host of complicated legal issues.”The judge said that migrants subject to potential deportation under the AEA should be “entitled to individualized hearings to determine whether the Act applies to them at all.””It follows that summary deportation following close on the heels of the Government’s informing an alien that he is subject to the (AEA) — without giving him the opportunity to consider whether to voluntarily self-deport or challenge the basis for the order — is unlawful,” Boasberg said.- ‘Within the bounds of the law’ -President Donald Trump has repeatedly lashed out at Boasberg, even going so far as to call for his impeachment, a remark that drew a rare public rebuke of the president from Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts.The case has raised concerns among legal experts that the administration would potentially ignore the court order, triggering a constitutional crisis.Blanche, the deputy attorney general, while complaining about Boasberg’s  order temporarily barring AEA deportations, said the Justice Department is taking “every step within the bounds of the law.”He said the three alleged TdA members destined for Chile were wanted there on various charges including extortion and kidnapping.”The Justice Department will work expeditiously to return these Alien Enemies to Chile to face justice,” Blanche said.The AEA gives the government vast powers to round up citizens of a “hostile nation” during wartime and was last used during World War II to intern Japanese residents.

Pioneering US genetic testing company 23andMe has filed for bankruptcy and is looking for a buyer two years after hackers gained access to millions of profiles.23andMe, which sells a mail-back saliva test to determine ancestry or certain health-related genetic traits for less than $200, said late Sunday that it had “filed a voluntary petition for reorganization” with a state bankruptcy court in Missouri.At its height a few years ago, the DNA testing craze saw millions of consumers rushing to discover their ancestry and health information with tests from 23andMe becoming popular holiday gifts.The Silicon Valley-based company, which went public in 2021, claims 15 million customers and has seen its sales decline in recent months as the testing craze faded and the company suffered a data breach.23andMe said that it rejected a takeover offer from its co-founder and CEO Anne Wojcicki who has resigned from her position but will remain on the company’s board of directors, according to the statement.On X, Wojcicki posted that “While I am disappointed that we have come to this conclusion and my bid was rejected, I am supportive of the company and I intend to be a bidder.”She explained that her resignation as CEO was strategic so as to “be in the best position to pursue the company as an independent bidder.” Wojcicki, who co-founded 23andMe 19 years ago, acknowledged the company’s challenges but emphasized her “unwavering” belief in its future.Faced with the difficulties, 23andMe announced the dismissal of 40 percent of its staff in November, about 200 people. It also suspended its research programs.In a regulatory filing, 23andMe also said that it has agreed to pay approximately $37.5 million to settle claims related to the 2023 data breach.The 2023 hacking incident saw 6.9 million accounts affected, of which 5.5 million contained information on genetic matches.Using customers’ old passwords, the hackers compromised data that included names, sex, birth year, location, photos, health information, and genetic ancestry results.With the bankruptcy announcement, Geoffrey Fowler, a tech columnist for the Washington Post warned: “If you’re one of the 15 million people who shared your DNA with 23andMe, it’s time to delete your data.”He cited the risk “that your data could get sold or transferred to a new company, which might want to use it for new purposes.”The company’s share price was down by nearly 50 percent to 92 cents in Monday trading on Wall Street.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney on Sunday called early elections for April 28, pledging to defeat Donald Trump’s drive to annex the United States’ huge northern neighbor.Carney, a former central banker, was chosen by Canada’s centrist Liberal Party to replace Justin Trudeau as prime minister, but he has never faced the country’s broader electorate.That will now change as Carney brought parliamentary elections forward several months from October. He made it clear that the barrage of trade and sovereignty threats coming from the US president will be the focus of his campaign.”I’ve just requested that the governor general dissolve parliament and call an election for April 28. She has agreed,” Carney said in a speech to the nation, referring to King Charles III’s representative in Canada, a member of the British Commonwealth.In power for a decade, the Liberal government had slid into deep unpopularity, but Carney will be hoping to ride a wave of Canadian patriotism to a new majority.”I’m asking Canadians for a strong, positive mandate to deal with President Trump,” Carney said, adding that the Republican “wants to break us, so America can own us. We will not let that happen.””We are facing the most significant crisis of our lifetimes because of President Trump’s unjustified trade actions and his threats to our sovereignty,” Carney said.”Our response must be to build a strong economy and a more secure Canada,” he added, pledging not to meet Trump until he recognizes Canadian sovereignty.Trump has riled his northern neighbor by repeatedly dismissing its borders as artificial, and urging it to join the United States as the 51st state.The ominous remarks have been accompanied by Trump’s trade war, with the imposition of tariffs on imports from Canada threatening to severely damage its economy.- Poll favorites -Domestic issues, such as the cost of living and immigration usually dominate Canadian elections but, this time around, one key topic tops the list in this country of 41 million people: who can best handle Trump.The president’s open hostility toward his northern neighbor — a NATO ally and historically one of his country’s closest partners — has upended the Canadian political landscape.Trudeau was deeply unpopular when he announced he was stepping down, with Pierre Poilievre’s Conservatives seen as election favorites just weeks ago.But since Trump’s threats, the polls have spectacularly narrowed in favor of Carney’s Liberals, who hold a minority in parliament, and analysts are now describing the race as too close to call.”Many consider this to be an existential election, unprecedented,” Felix Mathieu, a political scientist at the University of Winnipeg, told AFP.Poilievre, 45, is a career politician, first elected when he was only 25. A veteran tough-talking campaigner, he has sometimes been tagged as a libertarian and a populist.On Sunday, Poilievre — seen by some as too similar to Trump in style and substance — set the tone.”I want the opposite of what Donald Trump wants,” the Conservative leader said in Toronto, promising to base his campaign on bread-and-butter economic issues and the worries of “regular people.”Kicking off his campaign in Labrador and Newfoundland, Carney told supporters on Canada’s Atlantic coast that the country needed “big change” to turn its economy around and “fight Donald Trump’s tariffs.”- ‘Don’t care’ -Carney, 60, has spent his career outside of electoral politics. He spent more than a decade at Goldman Sachs and went on to lead Canada’s central bank, and then the Bank of England.Smaller opposition parties could suffer if Canadians seek to give a large mandate to one of the big two, to strengthen their hand against Trump.The US leader professes not to care who wins the Canadian election, while pushing ahead with plans to further strengthen tariffs against Ottawa and other major trading partners on April 2.”I don’t care who wins up there,” Trump said this week. “But just a little while ago, before I got involved and totally changed the election, which I don’t care about … the Conservative was leading by 35 points.” 

Can a complete tech novice create a website using everyday language on ChatGPT?That’s the promise, misleading for some, of “vibe coding,” the latest Silicon Valley catchphrase for an advance in generative AI that some say makes computer programming as simple as chatting online.”You fully give in to the vibes, embrace exponentials, and forget that the code even exists,” OpenAI co-founder and former Tesla employee Andrej Karpathy described in early February, in a message posted on X (formerly Twitter), using the term for the first time.”I’m building a project or web app, but it’s not really coding — I just see stuff, say stuff, run stuff, and copy paste stuff, and it mostly works,” he said.The developer and entrepreneur was referring to the new generative AI models that produce lines of code on demand in everyday language, through writing or speech.The concept of “vibe coding” remained confined to the AI community until New York Times columnist Kevin Roose claimed to have created websites and apps without any knowledge of programming.”Just having an idea, and a little patience, is usually enough,” he wrote.The ChatGPT and Claude interfaces can write an entire program line by line on demand, as can Gemini, which launched its dedicated version, Gemini Canvas, on Tuesday.Other generative AI platforms specifically dedicated to coding have also made their mark in recent months, from Cursor to Loveable, or Bolt, Replit and Windsurf.”Maybe, just maybe, we’re looking at a fundamental shift in how software is created and who creates it,” said online marketing specialist Mattheo Cellini on Substack.”It’s unlikely to make coding irrelevant, but it may change the way developers work,” suggested Yangfeng Ji, professor of computer science at the University of Virginia.”This could lead to some job displacement, particularly for those focused solely on basic coding tasks.”Even before “vibe coding,” a downturn was being seen by some in IT employment as the first effects of generative AI began to be felt.The sector shed nearly 10,000 jobs in the US in February, according to the Department of Labor, and its headcount is at a three-year low.- Expertise needed? -Among code novices, many find it hard to catch the vibe.”People who do not have programming expertise often struggle to use these kinds of models because they don’t have the right kinds of tools or knowledge to actually evaluate the output,” said Nikola Banovic, professor of computer science at the University of Michigan.On social media, the few newbies who report on their “vibe coding” quickly complain that it’s not as easy as some want to believe.Without mastering computing complexities like digital directories, runtime environments or application programming interfaces (APIs), it’s hard to create an app that works.Despite his coding knowhow, Claude Rubinson, a professor of sociology at the University of Houston-Downtown, wanted to create an application for his students two years ago without tinkering with the code generated by ChatGPT.After a lot of trial and error, the app finally worked, but “I’m convinced it wouldn’t have worked if I hadn’t understood the code,” which allowed him to guide the interface using the appropriate language.This brought home the importance of the “prompt”: mastering the request submitted to obtain the desired result.”Programmers have certain levels of AI literacy that allows them to get what they want out of the models,” said Banovic.Everyday users “will not know how to prompt,” he warned.

Can a complete tech novice create a website using everyday language on ChatGPT?That’s the promise, misleading for some, of “vibe coding,” the latest Silicon Valley catchphrase for an advance in generative AI that some say makes computer programming as simple as chatting online.”You fully give in to the vibes, embrace exponentials, and forget that the code even exists,” OpenAI co-founder and former Tesla employee Andrej Karpathy described in early February, in a message posted on X (formerly Twitter), using the term for the first time.”I’m building a project or web app, but it’s not really coding – I just see stuff, say stuff, run stuff, and copy paste stuff, and it mostly works,” he said.The developer and entrepreneur was referring to the new generative AI models that produce lines of code on demand in everyday language, through writing or speech.The concept of “vibe coding” remained confined to the AI community until New York Times columnist Kevin Roose claimed to have created websites and apps without any knowledge of programming.”Just having an idea, and a little patience, is usually enough,” he wrote.The ChatGPT and Claude interfaces can write an entire program line by line on demand, as can Gemini, which launched its dedicated version, Gemini Canvas, on Tuesday.Other generative AI platforms specifically dedicated to coding have also made their mark in recent months, from Cursor to Loveable, or Bolt, Replit and Windsurf.”Maybe, just maybe, we’re looking at a fundamental shift in how software is created and who creates it,” said online marketing specialist Mattheo Cellini on Substack.”It’s unlikely to make coding irrelevant, but it may change the way developers work,” suggested Yangfeng Ji, professor of computer science at the University of Virginia.”This could lead to some job displacement, particularly for those focused solely on basic coding tasks.”Even before “vibe coding,” a downturn was being seen by some in IT employment as the first effects of generative AI began to be felt.The sector shed nearly 10,000 jobs in the US in February, according to the Department of Labor, and its headcount is at a three-year low.- Expertise needed? -Among code novices, many find it hard to catch the vibe.”People who do not have programming expertise often struggle to use these kinds of models because they don’t have the right kinds of tools or knowledge to actually evaluate the output,” said Nikola Banovic, professor of computer science at the University of Michigan.On social media, the few newbies who report on their “vibe coding” quickly complain that it’s not as easy as some want to believe.Without mastering computing complexities like digital directories, runtime environments or application programming interfaces (APIs), it’s hard to create an app that works.Despite his coding knowhow, Claude Rubinson, a professor of sociology at the University of Houston-Downtown, wanted to create an application for his students two years ago without tinkering with the code generated by ChatGPT.After a lot of trial and error, the app finally worked, but “I’m convinced it wouldn’t have worked if I hadn’t understood the code,” which allowed him to guide the interface using the appropriate language.This brought home the importance of the “prompt”: mastering the request submitted to obtain the desired result.”Programmers have certain levels of AI literacy that allows them to get what they want out of the models,” said Banovic.Everyday users “will not know how to prompt,” h warned.

Franco Caraballo was arrested while at a US immigration center for an appointment. Shirly Guardado was detained while at work. Camila Munoz was taken into custody on her way home from her honeymoon.US President Donald Trump’s hunt for migrants to expel from the country is sparing no one. And while the government claims only criminals are being targeted, many of those in the crosshairs tell a different story. At a checkpoint in Texas, immigration agents stopped an undocumented Mexican couple on their way to a Houston hospital for their 10-year-old daughter’s cancer treatment. The family was deported, separating the parents from their children, five of whom are US citizens, rights group Texas Civil Rights Project said. “We had to decide between being separated from our children or being deported together,” the children’s mother told the rights group.”Now we are in Mexico without access to the urgent medical care our daughter needs,” she said, speaking on condition of anonymity.According to the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency (ICE), the Trump administration detained 32,809 migrants in its first 50 days in office, almost half of whom were convicted criminals. Last weekend it deported more than 200 to a prison in El Salvador, invoking the rarely used 1798 Alien Enemies Act and accusing most of the deportees of belonging to the Venezuela-based Tren de Aragua gang. – Deported over tattoos -Not all who were deported appear to be gang members, however.Franco Caraballo, a 26-year-old Venezuelan barber who has been in asylum proceedings since 2023, went to an appointment at the ICE office in Dallas, Texas, in February. He did not come out. “I haven’t done anything, I’m a good person,” he told his wife Johanny Sanchez over the phone. Caraballo told her that officers put him in a red uniform meant to identify migrants classified as “dangerous.” Lacking resources in his absence, she has had to sleep in her car.”My lawyer spoke with ICE and they told him that Franco was deported (to El Salvador), that he had no criminal record but that they suspect he was a member of Tren de Aragua because of his tattoos,” Johanny Sanchez said. Caraballo, she said, has two tattoos: one of a clock showing his first daughter’s birth time, and one of a rose. Venezuelan Mervin Yamarte, 29, was recognized by family members in Dallas in a video released by Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele showing the arrival of deportees from the United States. Arrested a week earlier, Yamarte worked as a mechanic and played soccer with jersey number 99. That number, his family said, was tattooed on his hand. Jhon Chacin, a 35-year-old Venezuelan tattoo artist, formally surrendered upon his arrival at the border in October 2024, during former president Joe Biden’s tenure. He was detained because of his tattoos. Now, the Trump administration has sent him to El Salvador, despite having presented no evidence against him, his sister Yuliana told AFP. – ‘In shock’ -Camila Munoz, a 26-year-old Peruvian, was stopped in February at an airport in Puerto Rico, a US territory, while returning to Wisconsin after her honeymoon. Although her visa had expired, she had already initiated residency procedures. Munoz is being held in Louisiana, according to her husband Bradley Bartell, who voted for Trump. “I’m still kind of in shock,” he said. “I wouldn’t say I have any regrets (voting for Trump), I think the regrets are with the system,” he added. “I’d ask him to sort out the judicial system and fix the problem.”For immigration lawyer David Rozas, who is advising Bartell, the current crackdown is “the scariest” of his 21-year career.He described migrants as “the backbone of this country,” doing jobs no one else wants. “People feel extremely betrayed,” Rozas said. “And we are going to end up with a huge labor shortage unless something changes.”- ‘By the book’ -Shirly Guardado, a 27-year-old Honduran, was at her job near Houston when immigration agents took her away. “She’s not a criminal. She’s my wife. She’s the mother of my son,” said Ayssac Correa, 25, a sergeant in the US Army.”She’s always done everything by the book,” he added. “She’s always been a law-abiding citizen.”Guardado entered the country undocumented a decade ago, but had begun the paperwork to get legal residency. In her absence, he has been caring for their 10-month-old son, who is “not sleeping as well” without his mother, Correa said.He fears that his wife may be deported, and that securing her return could be a prolonged process.”That’s three to five years my son would not have his mom,” he said.

Disney’s remake of “Snow White”  topped the North American box office this weekend with an estimated take of $43 million, but faces stiff winds — and some horrendous reviews — to make up its huge production costs.The new live-action version starring Rachel Zegler, which comes 90 years after the original blockbuster, has faced a series of woes — from the Covid pandemic to criticism of its use of CGI, not real actors, to portray the seven dwarves.The film’s budget topped out at an estimated $250 million and it has become “one of the most troubled projects in Disney’s 102-year history,” according to The New York Times.Some reviews have been scathing — the Guardian called it “toe-curlingly terrible” — while others were a bit kinder, with The Washington Post calling it “surprisingly entertaining” and audiences giving generally positive feedback.”While it’s a disappointing opening weekend, we can’t write off the film’s performance until we see how it holds up in the coming weeks,” said Daniel Loria, senior vice president at the Boxoffice Company.Focus Features’ spy thriller “Black Bag” starring Michael Fassbender and Cate Blanchett ticked up a notch from last weekend to second place, earning $4.4 million, industry watcher Exhibitor Relations reported Sunday.In third place, also up one spot from last weekend, was Marvel and Disney’s “Captain America: Brave New World,” at $4.1 million. Anthony Mackie and Harrison Ford star in the latest installment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.Black comedy “Mickey 17” from Oscar-winning director Bong Joon-ho slipped to fourth place, at $3.9 million. Robert Pattinson, Steven Yeun, Toni Collette and Mark Ruffalo star in the Warner Bros. sci-fi tale about the many lives — and deaths — of a man who volunteers for hazardous space missions. And last weekend’s leader, Paramount’s action-comedy “Novocaine,” suffered a painful drop in ticket sales, taking in just $3.8 million. Jack Quaid plays a banker who, unlike Hollywood studios, cannot feel pain.Rounding out the top 10 were:”The Alto Knights” ($3.2 million)”The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie” ($1.8 million)”The Monkey” ($1.55 million)”Dog Man” ($1.5 million)”The Last Supper” ($1.3 million)