• Katy Perry's released "Woman's World" on Thursday as the lead single for her new album, "143."
• The song is a vapid attempt at female empowerment that was cowritten and coproduced by Dr. Luke.
• Dr. Luke has been accused of sexual abuse, making "Woman's World" ironic in all the wrong ways.

This week, Katy Perry teased the announcement of her new album, "143," with an ominous promise: "Sleep tight, for tomorrow, the portal opens."

Listening to the album's lead single, "Woman's World," I have to assume it's a portal to the past.

"Woman's World," released on Thursday, can only be read as a desperate attempt to recapture the magic of Perry's pop domination in the 2010s — those bygone days when girlboss mentality reigned, and it was considered radical to say women could do everything men could do, and we do it in heels!

In the music video for "Woman's World," Perry's visuals are clearly meant to be tongue-in-cheek. She casts herself as a hyper-sexualized version of Rosie the Riveter, traipsing around in a star-spangled bikini before an anvil crushes her.

Later, she's revived as a sexy half-cyborg, brandishing an influencer's ring light as a Venus symbol and driving a monster truck with a bedazzled uterus hanging from its bumper.

Perry's indiscreet attempts at satire clash with the song's actual lyrics. Satire only works when it has something to say, and there isn't a shred of complexity, self-awareness, or cultural analysis in lyrics like, "She's a flower, she's a thorn / Superhuman, No. 1 / She's a sister, she's a mother."

The Venus symbol and the bedazzled uterus don't read as subversive in this context; they align perfectly with Perry's gender-essentialist imagery. The entire song exists in this way: platitudinal and pandering with no material goal, even more vapid than the initial teasers foreshadowed.

It's been four years since Perry closed her previous album, "Smile," with a near-identical sentiment: "Is it the way we keep / The whole world turning / In a pair of heels? / Yeah, that's what makes a woman."

So much has evolved since then, but apparently, not for Perry. Somehow, she still thinks that reciting a list of random adjectives and haphazardly conflating stilettos with strength is the epitome of feminism.

Perry chose Dr. Luke and his team to craft this supposed feminist anthem

Actually, one thing is different. Five people are credited as songwriters for "What Makes a Woman," but none overlap with the six writers credited for "Woman's World." It took six people to come up with rhyming "feminine divine" with "born to shine" — and as you may have heard, one of them is Dr. Luke.

Perry has worked with Dr. Luke many times before. He was instrumental in the chart-topping success of Perry's "Teenage Dream" and "Prism" eras. However, until now, Perry hadn't worked with Dr. Luke since 2014, when he was sued by Kesha for emotional and sexual abuse.

Kesha's civil complaint details a decade of life-threatening eating disorders and psychological torture at the hands of Dr. Luke, the man who discovered her as a teenager. It includes the allegation that he drugged and raped her. Dr. Luke has denied everything.

Dr. Luke was never convicted in a court of law. His lawyers fought Kesha's civil suit on technical grounds, and it was dismissed in 2018 because the statute of limitations had expired, not because her claims were deemed meritless.

Similarly, when Dr. Luke countersued Kesha for defamation, the case never reached a jury. Instead, the parties reached an undisclosed settlement last year.

Just one year after Dr. Luke's legal battle ended, he's already been welcomed back into Perry's orbit.

To be sure, Perry is not the only artist who's worked with the disgraced pop producer since Kesha's allegations shook the industry. His name (and his various pseudonyms, including Tyson Trax and Loctor Duke) can be found scattered across the credits on Doja Cat's Grammy-nominated album "Planet Her," Nicki Minaj's "Pink Friday 2," and Kim Petras' entire catalog.

Indeed, Dr. Luke has quietly mounted a comeback in recent years, earning Grammy nominations for his work on quintessential Doja tracks like "Say So" and "Best Friend," as well as a win for "Kiss Me More." Although Doja distanced herself from Dr. Luke in 2021 (his name is absent from her latest album, "Scarlet"), others are still keen to work with an established hitmaker, whatever his reputation.

So no, Perry isn't alone, but the hypocrisy at work here is stunning. To enlist an accused abuser for a song about female empowerment — a song that's literally called "Woman's World" — is ironic in a way that's almost too glaring to fathom. It might be funny if it weren't so gross.

Wouldn't it make more sense for Perry to work with female songwriters and producers to bring her feminine vision to life? Or, at the very least, a man with a track record for making women feel comfortable in the studio? There are plenty to choose from: Jack Antonoff and SG Lewis come to mind, or perhaps Zedd, who produced "Never Really Over," Perry's greatest triumph of the past decade.

Perry made a different, very deliberate choice. She wanted Dr. Luke and all the baggage he brings; all four other songwriters on "Woman's World" are Dr. Luke collaborators or signees.

"Katy knew exactly the album she wanted to make and put together the team to make it happen," a Capitol Records source told Rolling Stone.

Perry's 'Woman's World' proves she's stuck in a sound of the past

Surely Perry knew she'd face backlash — and for what? "Woman's World" is not a good song, not by any measure. It has all the warmth and charisma of an AI chatbot, all the bomb-like subtlety of a "Saturday Night Live" parody. In fact, the heavy-handed self-ridicule in "This Is Not a Feminist Song" is more inclusive and nuanced than Perry's latest work — and that skit aired in 2016, back when Hillary Clinton thought she would be the first female president.

Eight years later, Perry is cosplaying a version of herself on that very campaign trail, a dewy-eyed heroine who no longer exists.

Slinking back to Dr. Luke to produce a song like this, so insipid and uninspired, is the mark of an artist who's not only stuck in the past but unable to see the challenges beyond her narrow periphery.

Perhaps in Perry's white, cisgender, mega-wealthy household, it really does feel like a woman's world. For the rest of us living in reality, it is very much not — and the shallow idealism of the 2010s, the very fuel of Perry's once-beloved empowerment porn ("Firework," "California Gurls," "Roar") plays as tone-deaf and patronizing today.

Whatever kind of delusional utopia Perry is trying to sell, I'm not buying it. But on the bright side, she could make good money licensing this song for a Tampax commercial.

Calls for Joe Biden to drop out of the 2024 presidential race are mounting. But can Biden be forced off the campaign trail? Here are three ways this could unfold.

• A former Air Force engineer was arrested in connection to a deadly KC-130 Hercules crash in 2017.
• Court docs say James Fisher skipped a key inspection to detect C-130 propeller blade defects.
• One Navy sailor and 15 Marines were killed after a worn propeller came loose, leading to the crash.

A former Air Force civilian engineer who led maintenance at Robins Air Force Base removed a crucial inspection procedure that could have identified a worn propeller blade before it caused a KC-130 Hercules crash in 2017 that killed 16 troops, federal prosecutors allege in newly released court documents.

James Michael Fisher, 67, the former lead engineer responsible for C-130 propeller maintenance at the Georgia base, was arrested July 2 by federal authorities as part of the investigation into the crash in Mississippi. He faces two charges relating to false statements and two charges relating to obstruction of justice.

Federal prosecutors alleged in an indictment that Fisher allowed technicians to stop conducting a key inspection procedure on propeller bores, causing a defective propeller blade to be placed back into service even though "intergranular cracking was not detected and remediated at Robins."

"Fisher was also one of the key decision-makers who removed the critical inspection procedure in August 2011," prosecutors allege.

Federal prosecutors say the propeller blade was placed back onto the Marine Corps KC-130, call sign "Yanky 72," which was carrying 15 Marines and one Navy sailor when it suddenly crashed in a soybean field in Leflore County, Mississippi, on July 10, 2017.

The cause of the crash was determined to be a propeller blade that came loose. That "initiated the catastrophic sequence of events resulting in the midair breakup of the aircraft and its uncontrollable descent and ultimate destruction," a Marine Corps crash investigation found.

The revelation of Fisher's connection to the "Yanky 72 incident" comes on the 7th anniversary of the July 10 crash.

The crash investigation revealed "gross negligence" in the maintenance culture at Robins Air Force Base, but "Fisher and the System Program Office avoided scrutiny," federal prosecutors said. A criminal investigation was opened in 2020.

During that criminal investigation, "federal agents learned that the earlier Marine Corps investigators were misled about what maintenance procedures were in place in the late summer of 2011," adding that "in August 2011, engineers at Robins authorized the removal of a critical inspection procedure for detecting C-130 propeller blade defects," the indictment states.

Investigators began zeroing in on Air Force Materiel Command Form 202, a document that must be filed when maintenance personnel need to request permission to deviate from technical manuals when making repairs. Fisher had allegedly signed off on such a request to remove a certain inspection designed to examine propeller cracking in August 2011 and denied doing so.

"Fisher's statement that he would have never removed the penetrant inspections was false," the indictment claims.

"Federal agents later uncovered the Aug. 19, 2011, email in which Fisher stated that he had 'no problem' removing the penetrant inspections and also discovered the other Blanket Form 202s in 2012 and 2013 in which Fisher, as the assigned engineer, had recommended removal of penetrant inspections."

Fisher is accused of making false statements to investigators and hiding information regarding those forms from officials looking into the crash.

"Fisher attempted to obstruct the criminal investigation by intentionally withholding documents showing that he played a crucial role in removing the critical inspection procedure and providing false statements to federal agents in order to cover up his role in removing the critical inspection procedure," the indictment alleges.

Fisher did not return a phone call and text messages Wednesday seeking comment on the latest information in the indictment.

Court records do not say what the next step for the case will be or when Fisher is next expected in court. However, records from the time of his arrest in Florida note that the 67-year-old is currently free on a $10,000 bond and had to surrender three US passports. Fisher was living in Portugal leading up to the arrest, a Justice Department press release said.

Documents filed with the case say that Fisher faces up to 20 years in prison for concealing records, eight years for a charge of tampering with a witness, and five years for a charge of lying to investigators. All four of the charges also carry a potential fine of up to $250,000, though courts rarely impose the maximum penalty on defendants.

• A 36-year-old was charged with 17 counts of vandalism on Waymo robotaxis in San Francisco.
• It's not the first time Waymo's self-driving cars have been vandalized.
• The incidents indicate tensions persist between some in the city and the futuristic vehicles.

Over a dozen of Waymo's self-driving cars were vandalized in San Francisco.

A string of tire slashings and charges brought against the woman who police believe is responsible highlight that tensions remain within some in the city and the futuristic driving technology.

San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins announced Thursday that 36-year-old Ronaile Joshua Burton has been charged with 17 counts of vandalism on Waymo self-driving vehicles. Waymo, which was formerly Google's self-driving car project, is now a subsidiary of the tech giant's parent company, Alphabet.

The incidents, which each allotted damages exceeding $400, took place in the city's Tenderloin between June 24 and 26, according to the DA's office. Each instance was caught on cameras installed in the vehicles, the authorities said.

Prosecutors also alleged that Burton slashed the tires of a three-car Waymo caravan. Court records indicate Burton has been assigned a public defender. Burton's attorney, Deputy Public Defender Adam Birka-White, said in a statement that she chosen to plead not guilty.

"Ms. Burton is someone in need of help and not jail, which is why our social workers are actively working to identify and secure appropriate services," Birka-White said. "The District Attorney continues to prioritize punishing poor people at the behest of corporations."

Waymo said in a statement that it is "taking steps to recover the damages sustained, and mitigate the potential for future events."

"Waymo exists to make roads safer, and with that in mind we will always prioritize the safety of our riders and community," it added.

The arrest follows other reported incidents of vandalism against Waymo's self-driving cars in the last year. In February, a Waymo robotaxi was set on fire while driving through the city's Chinatown during Lunar New Year celebrations.

Although Mayor London Breed at the time had described the vandalism as "an isolated incident," Reuters reported that a passenger in a Waymo the day after the incident had fireworks shot at him.

San Francisco is one of the main test beds for self-driving tech, and incidents involving the vehicles — as well as traditional human-driven cars — are bound to come up. In addition to Waymo, Tesla tested its Full Self-Driving feature in the city earlier this year, and Amazon-owned Zoox took to the winding streets for the first time back in 2018.

Cruise, which is owned by General Motors, began operating driverless vehicles in the city in 2022 before suspending testing operations the following year following a collision with a pedestrian who was dragged beneath the vehicle. The company has begun operating again with human drivers behind the wheel, though it said its goal is to eventually resume driverless rides.

Some riders have marveled at Waymo's robotaxis — Business Insider's Lloyd Lee recently took a ride in one and wrote that the self-driving vehicle felt like a better driver than some human drivers in San Francisco.

However, the vandalism incidents and high level of scrutiny around the cars' safety over the last year demonstrate the challenges the companies behind the futuristic vehicles face — even in a techie city like San Francisco.

• Ukraine set out to produce more than 1 million small, attack drones by the end of the year.
• A top Ukrainian official said Kyiv will make "significantly" more than the original target.
• The country's defense-industrial base has taken off, as homemade weaponry skyrockets. 

A top Ukrainian official said that his country is on track to churn out "significantly" more small attack drones by the end of the year than it originally set out to make as it continues to expand its weapons production capacity.

Oleksandr Kamyshin, who serves as Ukraine's minister of strategic industries, shared in December that Kyiv planned to produce one million first-person-view, or FPV, drones by 2025. He said the country is also able to make over 10,000 mid-range attack drones capable of traveling hundreds of miles and more than 1,000 drones that can specifically reach targets more than 600 miles away throughout the year.

"This year we will produce significantly more than 1 million" of the FPV drones, Kamyshin told Business Insider this week, providing an update on the production efforts but declining to provide specific figures. "Mid-range strikers, long-range strikers — the goals will be outperformed as well," he said.

Throughout much of Russia's brutal war in Ukraine, FPV drones have been heavily featured in combat. Both sides have effectively managed to turn these systems — which are cheap and in abundance — into precision munitions by strapping explosives to them and using them to strike everything from armored vehicles to the soldiers in the trenches.

Kamyshin said during an interview with BI on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Washington, DC, that the FPV drones are a "significant share of the war in these days." He referred to FPV drones as "mortar drones" and "artillery drones" in a nod to their explosive potential that's similar to the ranged weapons.

Ukraine has other unmanned systems as well and regularly uses its medium- and long-range attack drones — which are larger than the cheap, hobby-style FPV ones — to carry out strikes deep inside Russian territory and target high-profile military and energy facilities.

These homemade weapon systems have given Kyiv the capability to greatly extend its reach beyond the border, especially as it continues to face restrictions on using Western-provided weapons for such purposes.

"We proved that there are no red lines," Kamyshin said.

"Now, we can reach Russia by deep inside, like 1500 kilometers easily, and we showed that dozens and dozens — if not hundreds — of times," he said, noting that "that's the impact our industry is making in this war."

The increased drone output comes amid broader efforts to scale-up Ukraine's defense-industrial base. The country has gone from almost nonexistent production before Russia's full-scale war to now cranking out weapons at a breakneck pace, which is helping to grow the domestic economy.

Kyiv is also taking greater steps to integrate its growing defense industry with that of NATO and the West and just opened an office in Washington to achieve that goal.

Meanwhile, Ukraine is taking its homemade weapons and modifying them for other missions. For instance, the country has outfitted its naval drones with missile and rocket launchers, and it has turned one of its anti-ship cruise missiles into a land-attack weapon. These innovations have helped Kyiv to inflict losses upon Russia.

Kamyshin attributed this to Ukrainian "resilience — the capability to withstand under the pressure, under the fire."

Ukraine, however, is not the only side boosting its defense output in this war. Russia has placed its economy onto what experts say is a "Soviet-style" war footing and is rapidly producing its own weaponry, triggering alarm bells among some NATO allies.

• I paid $12 to take a luxurious sightseeing train in Japan from Nara to Kyoto.
• Because I was traveling solo, I had to purchase two twin seats, sold as a pair.
• The train had comfortable plush chairs, a café, a reading nook, and a bidet in the bathroom.

Japan may be known for its network of high-speed bullet trains, but one of the country's trendiest train trips takes around 35 minutes and screams luxury.

The Kintetsu Railway's Sightseeing Limited Express "Aoniyoshi" train connects Osaka, Nara, and Kyoto and makes train travel stylish and convenient.

While solo traveling in Kyoto this winter, I planned a day trip to Nara: a city known for its wild deer, Buddhist temples, and historic sake breweries.

Although I decided to take a basic train there, I decided to treat myself to a trip on the Sightseeing Limited Express Aoniyoshi train on the way back.

That decision came at a negligible cost — both in money and in time — and the ensuing ride encapsulated some of the best parts of Japan.

Here's what my trip on Japan's Aoniyoshi train was like.

The train required multiple tickets, which was a little confusing.

The Limited Express train requires all passengers to pre-book their tickets, so I bought mine online two nights before my trip.

Seating options ranged from salon chairs, which could fit up to four people, to twin seats that either faced the window or each other.

Because I was traveling solo, I had to purchase both twin seats, sold as a pair. I purchased an adult and child fare, which cost me 1,100 yen, or about $7 in total.

At the end of the day, though, I only would've saved a few dollars if I had split the cost of two adult tickets with a friend.

Kintetsu's website succinctly outlined how to buy an Aoniyoshi ticket, but the multi-step process still confused me.

Eventually, I realized that I also needed a basic-fare ticket to use my reservation, so I bought one at Kintetsu-Nara station for 760 yen (about $5) before my train left.

The boarding process was quick and easy.

Despite minor hiccups in securing a ticket, the trip itself proved seamless. After the train — in its purple, floral glory — clattered into the station, I boarded quickly, grateful for my pre-booked seat.

Once on board, I was delighted by the train’s interior and scenery.

With long windows, ample space, and a purple-and-green theme, each car's aesthetic evoked a combination of Wes Anderson and Willy Wonka — in the best way.

Archways bordered the salon seats in one of the cars, while rugs and ceilings throughout the train varied in patterns, surrounding me with details.

The external views proved equally breathtaking. As we wound between Japanese cities, the sightseeing windows offered glimpses of temples and towns alike.

The journey passed too quickly to enjoy all the amenities.

When we first boarded the train, I noticed lots of passengers flocking to Car Two, where a tiny café sold desserts that matched the train's purple interior. The café also sold beer in specialty bottles depicting the train's likeness.

Given the trip's length, however, I didn't have time for a snack. The couple seated across from me spent nearly the entire journey in the café line and had to chug their beers upon reaching the station in Kyoto.

Even so, the café car was a nice touch, and I appreciated the railway's focus on the passenger experience.

In the United States, the closest comparison is perhaps Florida's Brightline train, which offers great scenery, clean cars, and food and drink services. However, I found the Aoniyoshi train distilled even more amenities into a whirlwind of a ride.

For example, I noticed one car had both seating and a library nook with an adjacent sofa. The bathrooms were also spacious and clean, with — yes — bidets.

The train capped off an ideal day of sightseeing.

By the time I arrived back in Kyoto, I didn't care that I'd spent a few extra dollars and minutes securing my ticket. I only wished that the Aoniyoshi train ran more frequently — I left Nara with more artisan shops to visit, deer to feed, and mochi to taste, and would've liked to extend my afternoon there.

Yet even with limited operations, the ride captured Japan's attention to detail, hospitable nature, and love of whimsy — all in under an hour.

• A fourth "Captain America" is in the works, directed by Julius Onah and starring Anthony Mackie.
• The cast of "Captain America: Brave New World" includes Danny Ramirez, Carl Lumbly, and Shira Haas.
• The Marvel movie hits theaters on February 14, 2025.

After officially taking on the mantle of Captain America in the Disney+ show "The Falcon and the Winter Soldier," Anthony Mackie will star in his own film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).

"It's amazing," Mackie said while onstage at Disney's D23 Expo in Anaheim, California in September 2022. "I've always come out as a secondary character in a movie. It's really humbling to come out as the lead character for the first time, in a movie, being in this universe for so long.

Julius Onah will direct the fourth Cap film, "Captain America: Brave New World" (previously titled "New World Order").

Here's what fans need to know about the movie. 

Anthony Mackie will be joined by familiar faces from the MCU and new additions 

The official cast was announced during Marvel's presentation at D23.

Carl Lumbly and Danny Ramirez, who joined the MCU in "The Falcon and the Winter Soldier" as Isaiah Bradley and Joaquin Torres, respectively, will return.

Tim Blake Nelson, who played Samuel Sterns in the 2008 film "The Incredible Hulk," will return. He's not the only "Hulk" actor set to appear in the film. Nelson's costar, Liv Tyler, will reprise her role as Betty Ross, the daughter of Thaddeus Ross.

Shira Haas will make her debut as the comic-book character Sabra. In January 2023, Deadline reported that "The Mindy Project" star Xosha Roquemore joined the cast, but her role is unclear. 

Sebastian Stan (Bucky Barnes), Mackie's longtime MCU scene partner, won't be part of "Brave New World." Instead, he'll return in an upcoming movie called "Thunderbolts," centered on a ragtag group that includes Florence Pugh's Yelena Belova, David Harbour's Red Guardian, and Wyatt Russell's US Agent.

"I need some time from Anthony because I need to sort of find my way back to me," Stan joked during an interview with Entertainment Tonight. "I know he has a lot of separation anxiety as we speak, but I try to reassure him that I'll be OK."

When asked if Chris Evans' Steve Rogers will return, Mackie told Variety, "I hope so, man. Chris is my boy. We all love and enjoy Chris. I'm highly upset that they put Sebastian in a movie with Wyatt and left me out. If Sebastian gets Wyatt, I should get Chris."

Harrison Ford will star as Thaddeus Ross, the president of the United States in the film

The MCU character was previously played by late actor William Hurt. In addition to "Brave New World," Ford will reprise the role for "Thunderbolts." 

"There's a dynamic between President Ross and Sam Wilson," Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige told Entertainment Weekly in February 2023. "They have a history together, but in this film, we'll be seeing the dynamic between Captain America and the president of the United States in a way that is just incredible."

Tim Blake Nelson's character, The Leader, will be the villain of the movie

In "The Incredible Hulk," Stern was last seen mutating after Bruce Banner's blood dripped and entered a cut on his forehead. The movie hinted at his change but didn't show it. His transformation will likely be addressed when he returns as The Leader in "Brave New World."

"The Leader is a man who operates from intellect, and so it's great to have an adversary who is working with this incredible intellect to really put Sam through the wringer in this story," Onah said during an interview with "Phase Zero" host Brandon Davis for ComicBook.com at D23.

"And again, as a paranoid thriller, it's this grounded adventure where I think that everything that happens in this film feels so real and intense, because of who this adversary is," the directors said, adding that Sam will be challenged because he'll be facing "an adversary who is so terrifyingly intelligent."

Giancarlo Esposito will make his MCU debut as a villain 

Esposito alluded to joining the MCU during a panel at CCXP in Brazil in May, telling fans that he'd be playing an original, new, and fresh character. His casting in "Brave New World" was announced just as Marvel began additional photography.

Details, including his character name, are unknown, but the "Breaking Bad" actor will reportedly play an antagonist. He told Deadline that audiences will see him as a "badass" in the Marvel movie. 

"Acting is using every part of your body — your emotions, your senses, your feelings — to portray something," Esposito said. "But you haven't seen me really use my body in the way that I'll be using it."  

Director Julius Onah described the movie as a 'paranoid thriller'

"It's gonna be a really, really incredible ride," Onah told Deadline. "It's a paranoid thriller with Sam in the center of it and he is now in this position where he is a leader and he has to deal with that challenge of what it means to lead a group of people that he really cares about."

"I love classic paranoid thrillers and that's a big part of the inspiration of this film," Onah echoed in another interview at D23 with ComicBook.com. "We want to find an action that is grounded and tactile and give [Sam] new things to do that we haven't seen in those other films."

'Captain America: Brave New World' is set for release on February 14, 2025

Onah confirmed to ComicBook.com that the movie, part of phase five of the MCU, began filming in spring 2023. In December, Deadline reported that Marvel hired Matthew Orton to write additional scenes and material. Then in May, The Hollywood Reporter said that "Brave New World" would undergo reshoots over the course of 22 days. 

A teaser released in July gave fans a first look at Esposito in action and showed Ford's transformation into Red Hulk. Additional details from Marvel revealed that Haas' character, Ruth Bat-Seraph, is a former Black Widow turned high-ranking member of the US Government.

"This movie is a clear reset. It really reestablishes the idea of what this universe is and what this universe is going to be," Mackie said at CinemaCon in April. "I think with these movies, you're getting a clear, new branding of what Marvel is headed towards the same way they did with 'Captain America: The Winter Soldier.'"