DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ In ‘Back to Black,’ Marisa Abela’s Amy Winehouse is the best reason to go, go, go
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-16 | by ( Brian Lowry | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —The tragic arc of Amy Winehouse’s brief life and nova-like career creates built-in problems for a biography of the singer, which doesn’t dampen the knockout performance by Marisa Abela in “Back to Black,” capturing the talent, rage and self-destructiveness that defined her. Thin as biopics go, the power of Abela’s portrayal elevates the film, providing a poignance and strength that’s the clearest motivation to go, go, go. Then again, as constructed here, the two went hand in hand, with the lyrics to songs like “Back to Black” and “Rehab” directly addressing her addictions to her relationship with Blake and alcohol. In terms of capturing what animated Winehouse, the blinding star power that Abela emits here ultimately justifies the exercise. “Back to Black” premieres May 17 in US theaters.

Persons: Amy Winehouse’s, Marisa Abela, Blake, Jack O’Connell, Eddie Marsan, Lesley Manville, Tony Bennett, Sam Taylor, Johnson, John Lennon, Matt Greenhalgh, “, Abela, Winehouse, Bob Marley, ” Organizations: CNN, HBO

☆ Portal project: ‘Inappropriate’ behavior shuts down Dublin to New York City connection
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-14 | by ( Marnie Hunter | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Less than a week after two public sculptures featuring a livestream between Dublin, Ireland, and New York City debuted, “inappropriate behavior” in real-time interactions between people in the two cities has prompted a temporary shutdown. The creators of the sculptures are now “investigating possible technical solutions to inappropriate behaviour by a small minority of people in front of the Portal,” according to a statement from the Dublin City Council. “Dublin City Council had hoped to have a solution in place today, but unfortunately the preferred solution, which would have involved blurring, was not satisfactory,” the City Council said late Tuesday. The Dublin-New York city pairing isn’t the first real-time bridge between cities through these sculptures. The first Portals, according to the organization’s website, linked Vilnius, Lithuania, with Lublin, Poland, in 2021.

Persons: Niall Carson, ”, Benediktas Gylys, Daithí, de Róiste, “, De Róiste Organizations: CNN, New York City, Dublin City Council, City Council, Dublin, AP Organizers, Flatiron NoMad Partnership, Flatiron, Public, Broadway, Fifth, Dublin’s, Mayor, Róiste’s, Smart Locations: Dublin, Ireland, New, New York, “, York, Poland, Brazil, Lithuania, City, Vilnius, Lublin

☆ Interactive art installation lets New Yorkers communicate with people 3,000 miles away
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-09 | by ( Jack Guy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —A new interactive art installation in New York City is allowing viewers to communicate with people 3,000 miles away in Dublin, Ireland. The brainchild of Lithuanian artist Benediktas Gylys, “the Portal” was unveiled on Wednesday and allows people on either side of the Atlantic to interact with each other via a video link. The idea was “conceived as a testament to the power of art to transcend physical barriers,” reads the press release from Gylys and officials from New York City and Dublin. The Dublin portal will also connect with other installations in Lithuania and Poland from July onwards, said de Róiste in the statement. This is not the first time that an artist has brought New Yorkers closer to people across the Atlantic.

Persons: Benediktas Gylys, Brendan McDermid, ”, Daithí de Róiste, de Róiste, Paul St, George Organizations: CNN, Flatiron South Public, Broadway, Reuters Locations: New York City, Dublin, Ireland, Gylys, Lithuanian, Vilnius, Polish, Lublin, Lithuania, Poland, British, London, New York

Kim Godwin, the president of ABC News, told employees on Sunday night that she was retiring, capping a tumultuous tenure marked by infighting, damaging leaks and a major shake-up of the news division’s leadership ranks. In an email to employees, Ms. Godwin said that she reached her decision to leave after a period of “considerable reflection.” In a separate note to employees, Debra O’Connell, a longtime Disney executive, said she would be overseeing ABC News. “Anyone who’s passionate about what we do knows there’s no other business like it, so this was not an easy or quick decision,” Ms. Godwin said in her note. “I’m certain it’s the right one for me as I look to the future and prioritize what’s most important for me and my family,” she added. Ms. Godwin, the first Black woman to run a broadcast news division, has had a rocky tenure atop ABC News.

Persons: Kim Godwin, Godwin, Debra O’Connell, ” Ms, “ Organizations: ABC News, Disney, ABC

☆ Ellen DeGeneres spoke about the 'devastating' end of her talk show. Here are all the celebs who have spoken out about their experiences with her.
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-26 | by ( Julie Gerstein | Palmer Haasch | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +25 min

"The Ellen Degeneres Show" ended in May 2022, two years after toxic workplace allegations surfaced. AdvertisementShe was supposed to go out with a bang, but Ellen DeGeneres' much-loved talk show instead went out with a whimper. Even years after the 2020 controversy and ending of "The Ellen DeGeneres Show," celebrities like Emily Ratajkowski have continued to question some of her behavior. Garrett, who has appeared on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" multiple times, reshared Variety's article about the comedian's letter apologizing to staffers who felt disrespected. AdvertisementOctavia Spencer said all her experiences on 'The Ellen DeGeneres Show' have been 'supportive and fun'The actress, who's appeared on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" numerous times over the years, issued a statement supporting DeGeneres via Instagram on August 13.

Persons: Ellen Degeneres, DeGeneres, —, Ellen DeGeneres, Brad Garrett, Lea Thompson, Scooter Braun, Katy Perry, Emily Ratajkowski, Raymond, Garrett, reshared, hadn't, Garrett's, Thompson, didn't, Braun, Justin Bieber, Ariana Grande, she'd, Ellen, Portia de Rossi, De Rossi, Kris Jenner, Nacho Figueras, Brandi Carlile, Figueras, he'd, Jennifer Aniston, Jennifer Lopez, Michelle Obama, Pink, Sean Hayes, Lady Gaga, Oprah, Justin Timberlake —, Perry, Samantha Ronson, I've, Ronson, Diane Keaton, SHOW, Kevin Hart, Hart —, Ashton Kutcher, Kutcher, he's, Jerry O'Connell, de Rossi, O'Connell, Portia, Portia … Instagrammed, Jay Leno, Andy Richter, Ashley Nicole Black, who's, Howard Stern, Howard, Beth, Phoebe Bridgers, ellen, Octavia Spencer, Spencer, ELLEN, Sofia, Mariah Carey, Carey, that's, Steve Harvey, Jonathan Leibson, Harvey, I'd, Alec Baldwin, Baldwin, Ryan Phillippe, Phillippe, hasn't, NikkieTutorials, Nikkie de Jager, Degeneres, Tony Okunbowa, Taylor Swift's, Taylor Swift, Swift, She's, Ratajkowski, Elle Organizations: Service, Twitter, Los Angeles Times, @TheEllenShow, DJ, SHOW, Entertainment, ppl, TBS, Colombian, Us Locations: Argentine, British, Instagram, American

☆ Department stores face another squeeze. This time, with store credit card revenue
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-10 | by ( Melissa Repko | In Melissa-Repko | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

For fiscal year 2023, credit card revenue totaled $619 million for Macy's and approximately $475 million for Nordstrom . The three companies do not break out how much of total credit card revenue comes from late fees. All of that adds up to dwindling credit card revenue for retailers, who can now expect to see it shrink even further. Target's credit card revenue fell to $667 million last year, down from $734 million in the prior fiscal year. Gap does not disclose credit card revenue, but its Chief Financial Officer, Katrina O'Connell, said on an earnings call that losses from late fees will be "largely offset in 2024 by other levers within our credit card program."

Persons: Robert Nickelsberg, it'll, Jane Hali, Kohl's, David Silverman, Silverman, —, Michael Fiddelke, Macy's, Adrian Mitchell, It's, Nordstrom, Katrina O'Connell Organizations: Getty Images Department, Consumer Financial, Bureau, Associates, Nordstrom, Fitch, TD Bank, Shoppers, Adobe Analytics, Citi, Sam's Locations: New York City

☆ Toxic ‘forever’ chemicals found in excessive levels in global groundwater, study says
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-08 | by ( Sandee Lamotte | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

CNN —Potentially toxic chemicals called PFAS (perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances) are found in surface and groundwaters around the world at levels much higher than many international regulators allow, a new study found. Groundwater can be contaminated by PFAS from food and consumer products added to landfills as well as from manufacturing facilities. Public concern led to a commitment by manufacturers in 2008 to phase out use of PFOA and PFOS, two of the most widely used chemicals. Generally PFAS concentrations are higher in urban areas or areas that used PFAS products extensively, O’Connell said, but it is also leached into the environment in ways that may not be obvious. “Another example is that PFAS used to be used in ski wax, so pristine environments, where people ski, have PFAS in their waters and soils,” he said.

Persons: Mario Tama, ”, David Andrews, Andrews, ” Andrews, “, Denis O’Connell, O’Connell, ” O’Connell Organizations: CNN, US Environmental Protection Agency, Health Canada, EPA, National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, Medicine . Studies, Environmental, Agency, Toxic Substances, Disease, Nature, University of New, Geological Survey, NSF, National Sanitation Foundation Locations: Mount Everest, Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney

☆ Eclipse flights swarm airports: 'We had to close the runway to park planes'
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-08 | by ( Leslie Josephs | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

An airplane passes during a partial solar eclipse seen from Queens, New York City, U.S., April 8, 2024. Monday's solar eclipse is giving some of the country's smaller airports their moment in the sun. The Federal Aviation Administration reported arriving flights at airports from Burlington, Vermont, to southern Illinois were briefly halted Monday morning ahead of the total eclipse. The best views of the solar eclipse in the U.S. span from Texas through Illinois, Kentucky and Ohio to northwestern New York and Maine, according to NASA. "We had to close the runway to park planes," Alyssa Connell, head of operations at Southern Illinois Airport in Murphysboro, Illinois, told CNBC.

Persons: Alyssa Connell, Patrick Leahy, Dave Carman, It's, Carman Organizations: Federal Aviation Administration, NASA, FAA, Southern Illinois Airport, CNBC, International Locations: Queens , New York City, U.S, Burlington , Vermont, Illinois, Texas, Illinois , Kentucky, Ohio, New York, Maine, Murphysboro , Illinois, Vermont

☆ Baltimore to Open Temporary Shipping Route Around Key Bridge Wreckage
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-01 | by ( Mike Ives | More About Mike Ives | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Officials in Baltimore were preparing on Monday to open a temporary alternate channel around wreckage from the collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge for “commercially essential vessels.”The bridge, a critical link to the Port of Baltimore, collapsed on March 26 after it was hit by a giant cargo ship. Wreckage has been blocking a vital shipping lane into the port ever since. The temporary channel was announced late Sunday by the state and federal agencies leading the response to the disaster. “This will mark an important first step along the road to reopening the port of Baltimore,” Capt. “By opening this alternate route, we will support the flow of marine traffic into Baltimore.”

Persons: Francis Scott Key, Capt, David O’Connell, ” Organizations: Port, Coast Locations: Baltimore, Port of Baltimore, Coast Guard’s Maryland

☆ Horizontal Falls: Why tourists are being banned from riding boats through this Australian natural wonder
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-29 | by ( Ronan O Connell | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

For decades, tours have pierced these gaps on powerful boats, much to the dismay of the area’s Indigenous Traditional Owners, who say the site is sacred. Talbot Bay’s main boat tour operator, Horizontal Falls Seaplane Adventures, will cease traversing the falls in March 2028, with all other operators to stop by the end of 2026. Jeff Mauritzen/Design Pics Editorial/Getty ImagesThe Horizontal Falls ban aims to restore the sanctity of this site. In preparation for the Horizontal Falls ban, the Dambeemangaddee stated they have begun creating new videos and brochures that will explain their culture and spiritual connection to Talbot Bay. “By traversing the falls, visitors experience the awesome nature of this unique environment,” Hall said in a statement earlier this month.

Persons: It’s, Jeff Mauritzen, it’s, Talbot Bay’s, David Attenborough, ”, Reece Whitby, Evan Hall, ” Hall, “, Sally Shaw, ” Shaw Organizations: CNN, Owners, Western, WA Tourism Council, Traditional Owners, WA Government, Western Australian, WA, UNESCO, Tourism Council, National Parks, Kimberley Day Locations: Talbot, Western Australia, Talbot Bay, WA, Kimberley Region, Perth, British, Australia, Kimberley

☆ Here are Tuesday's biggest analyst calls: Amazon, Nvidia, Reddit, Tesla, Apple, Seagate, Micron, Spotify, Gap & more
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-26 | by ( Michael Bloom | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Mizuho initiates DraftKings as buy Mizuho said in its initiation of DraftKings that it sees "upside to revenue growth." Mizuho initiates MGM as buy Mizuho said MGM shares are "fundamentally misvalued." Mizuho initiates Carnival as buy Mizuho said Carnival is a top pick at the firm. Mizuho reiterates Micron as buy Mizuho raised its price target on the stock to $130 per share from $124. "We are upgrading PAGS to Outperform from In Line with a $18 target price."

Persons: Mizuho, Bernstein, Chipotle, CFRA, Morgan Stanley, Goldman Sachs, Goldman, Levi's, it's, Wells, Richard Dickson, Katrina O'Connell, Tesla, underperform Bernstein, it's bullish, Baird, Semtech, Jefferies, underperform Jefferies, Invivyd, Evercore, TD Cowen Organizations: Mizuho, Sands, MGM, Nvidia, Blackwell, Seagate, Nasdaq, UBS, JPMorgan, Taiwan Semiconductor, Navy, Micron, MU, Citi, Plains Energy, Bank of America, Spotify, Netflix, Apple Locations: Macau, Singapore, Westar, Kansas, Missouri, Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, China

☆ Mathilde Collin built a $1.7 billion email startup by the time she was 32. She's now stepping back at an inflection point for Front.
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-25 | by ( Melia Russell | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

And so last fall, Collin kicked off a search for a new board director, to fill in her knowledge gaps. Now, Collin says she will step down as chief executive of Front after her hunt for a board director took an unexpected turn. She will move into an executive chair role on April 15, when O'Connell takes up the mantle as chief executive, Front tells Business Insider exclusively. Known for her sharp wit and radical candor, Collin started the business out of college in her native France. Advertisement"We're at a scale now where the CEO can't come in and sort of wave the proverbial magic wand and make things happen," said Mohammed Attar, Front's chief product officer.

Persons: Mathilde Collin, Collin, Dan O'Connell, O'Connell, Garry Tan, Paul Buchheit, Jack Altman, Kyle Vogt, Cruise, Jeff Lawson, Mohammed Attar, —, Josh Stein, Stein Organizations: Service, Business, Dialpad, Front Locations: San Francisco neighborhood, France, Dialpad

CNN —“Ireland, we are at war,” UFC star Conor McGregor declared to his millions of social media followers on November 22, 2023. This comes after the Garda – as Ireland’s police are known – told CNN there were 231 anti-immigration related public gatherings in 2023. A working-class boy from Dublin, McGregor was driven by a desire to become world champion in a sport relatively unknown in Ireland. Political analysts and far-right experts have told CNN that McGregor’s unique brand of Irish patriotism that won him supporters as a fighter has mutated into a strand of “far-right” Irish nationalism. O’Keefe regularly writes to McGregor on X, calling him “President McGregor.” O’Keefe did not respond to CNN’s request for comment.

Persons: CNN —, ”, Conor McGregor, It’s, McGregor, Ciarán, ” O’Connor, McGregor’s, “, Petery Murphy, Paul Murphy, –, Murphy, Drew Harris, ” Conor McGregor, Dustin Poirier, Stacy Revere, Khabib Nurmagomedov, Floyd Mayweather Jr, Aodhán Ó Ríordáin, ” Ewan MacKenna, ” McGregor, Patrick T, Fallon, ’, “ McGregor, Matthew Donoghue, Megan Briggs, Mick O’Keefe, O’Keefe, ” O’Keefe, Keith Woods, lambasts, Woods, Nick Fuentes ’, Fuentes –, Padraig Pearse, Artur Widak, Europe’s, Heidi Beirich, ” Donoghue Organizations: CNN, CNN — “, ” UFC, Institute for Strategic, Police, Flames, Getty, Irish, People, Profit, Irish National Party, Irish Freedom Party, Garda, Local, UFC, Guardian, Mobile, Forbes, Labour, RTÉ, Central Statistics Office Ireland, Ireland, University College Dublin, Denver Nuggets, Miami Heat, Kaseya Center, North, American White, Blacks, Leinster House, ”, Global, Twitter Locations: CNN — “ Ireland, Dublin, Irish, Ireland, Algeria, AFP, Las Vegas , Nevada, It’s, East Wall, Miami , Florida, North America, American, “ Ireland, Europe’s “, Germany, France, Italy, Sweden

☆ Every celebrity was having a blast during Ryan Gosling's performance of 'I'm Just Ken' at the 2024 Oscars
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-11 | by ( Gabbi Shaw | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Ryan Gosling gave a rousing performance of "I'm Just Ken" from "Barbie" at the Oscars. Gosling got Greta Gerwig, Margot Robbie, and Emma Stone to sing along. AdvertisementRyan Gosling definitely brought the Kenergy during a performance of "I'm Just Ken," a fan-favorite from the movie "Barbie," at the 2024 Oscars on Sunday. Ryan Gosling performs "I'm Just Ken" at the 2024 #Oscars pic.twitter.com/sjEtymPMIa — The Hollywood Reporter (@THR) March 11, 2024A-listers in the audience were also very into Gosling's performance, judging by their dance moves. The crowd went wild during "I'm Just Ken" at the 2024 Oscars.

Persons: Ryan Gosling, I'm, Ken, Gosling, Greta Gerwig, Margot Robbie, Emma Stone, —, Mark Ronson, Slash, costars Margot Robbie, ‘ I’m, Ken ’, Stone, Oscar, Myung J, Chun, Ronson, Andrew Wyatt, Billie Eilish, Finneas O'Connell, Robert Downey Jr, Oppenheimer Organizations: Service, Hollywood, America, Los Angeles Times, Getty

☆ Opinion: Oscars highlights from our culture critics
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-11 | by ( Cnn Opinion | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +18 min

CNN —Five CNN Opinion culture critics share their takeaways from the 96th Academy Awards. Gene Seymour: Hollywood’s next existential questionMost of the big, expensive movies walked away with Oscars Sunday night. Ryan Gosling performs the song "I'm Just Ken" from the movie "Barbie" during the Oscars on Sunday. Rita Moreno delivered a spicy ode to best supporting actress nominee America Ferrera, noting that her monologue from “Barbie” was one of the most memorable film moments. And the winners are... Robert Downey Jr. for best supporting actor in "Oppenheimer; Da'Vine Joy Randolph for best supporting actress in "The Holdovers"; Emma Stone for best actress in "Poor Things" and Cillian Murphy for best actor in "Oppenheimer."

Persons: Gene Seymour, Hollywood’s, Gene Seymour Jeremy Freeman, CNN Cord Jefferson, ” Jefferson, Jefferson, “, ” Cord Jefferson, Kevin Winter, “ Oppenheimer, Christopher Nolan, Cillian Murphy, Robert Downey Jr, “ Barbie, ”, Billie Eilish, O’Connell, “ Barbie ”, George Lucas, Steven Spielberg, Mark Harris, Sara Stewart, Barbie ”, Sara Stewart Todd Thompson, Ryan Gosling’s, “ I’m, Ken, Finneas O’Connell, Oscar, Eilish –, –, ” Eilish, “ Oppenheimer ”, Greta Gerwig’s, Gerwig, Margot Robbie, Jimmy Kimmel’s, “ Barbie ” snubs, Ryan Gosling, Chris Pizzello, Gosling –, snubs –, Eilish, Rita Moreno, America Ferrera, Jeff Yang, they’ve, Jack Palance, Seth McFarlane, Chris Rock, Warren Beatty, Faye Dunaway, they’d, ” Will Smith, Jada Pinkett Smith, Jimmy Kimmel, Catherine O’Hara, Michael Keaton, Twinsies Arnold Schwarzenegger, Danny DeVito, Melissa McCarthy, Octavia Spencer, Dale, Cord Jefferson, Finneas O'Connell, Barbie, Mike Blake, Kimmel, Donald Trump, Al Pacino, Pacino, — “ Oppenheimer, Celine Song, Bruce ”, ” Noah Berlatsky, Lily Gladstone, Noah Berlatsky Noah Berlatsky, Mollie Burkhart, Emma Stone, Cord Jefferson’s, Joy Randolph’s, Justine Triet’s, Randolph, Gladstone, Martin Scorsese’s, Burkhart, Ernest, Leonardo DiCaprio, Scorsese, she’s, DiCaprio, Robert DeNiro, Emma Stone’s, Bella, Noah Berlatsky, Holly Thomas, isn’t Robert Downey Jr, It’s, ” Holly Thomas Holly Thomas, Brett Easton Ellis’s, Timothee Chalamet, Austin Butler, Florence Pugh, Downey Jr, Tony Stark, Downey, Oppenheimer, Da'Vine Joy Randolph, Arturo Holmes, Louis Strauss, Katie Couric Organizations: CNN —, CNN, Warner Bros ., Hollywood, New York, The New York Times, Newsday, Entertainment, The Washington, Twitter, Abbott, Disney, Reuters, Teamsters, International Alliance, Employees, Globe, The, “, Downey, North, Katie Couric Media Locations: Pennsylvania, La, Asian America, America, Osage Nation of Oklahoma, Chicago, ”, Zendaya, North America, London

☆ The best Oscars bets: Who is expected to win at this year's Academy Awards
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-08 | by ( Madeline Berg | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

download the appSign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. Read previewThe stars won't be the only people with something on the line at the 96th annual Academy Awards on Sunday. With betting more accessible — and legal — than ever before, movie fans and living-room gamblers will be trying their luck. AdvertisementThat said, this year's Oscars are expected to attract more speculators than recently thanks to box office hits "Barbie" and "Oppenheimer." Still, the Academy Awards can be harder to game than sports, which have a bevy of statistics for people to pore over.

Persons: —, Jimmy Kimmel's, Margot Robbie's, Bill Speros, Oppenheimer, Speros, DraftKings, Austin Butler, Elvis, Brendan Fraser, Lily Gladstone, Gilbert Flores, Annette Bening, Sandra Hüller, Carey Mulligan, Maestro, Emma Stone, Cillian Murphy, Bradley Cooper, Colman Domingo, Rustin, Paul Giamatti, Jeffrey Wright, Christopher Nolan, Justine Triet, Martin Scorsese, Yorgos, Jonathan Glazer, Joy Randolph, Mary Lamb, Seacia, Da'Vine Joy Randolph, Emily Blunt, Danielle Brooks, Barbie, Jodie Foster, Robert Downey Jr, Sterling K, Brown, Robert De Niro, Ryan Gosling, Mark Ruffalo, Conde, Napoleon, Leonard Bernstein, Netflix's, Golda, Henry Sugar, John, Yoko, Barber, Indiana Jones, Billie Eilish, Finneas O'Connell, Diane Warren, Ken, — Mark Ronson, Andrew Wyatt, Jon Batiste, — Scott George Organizations: Service, Business, NBA, Super, American Gambling Association, Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, Netflix, Society, Music Locations: Ontario, —, United Kingdom, Italy, Japan, Spain, Germany

☆ A bizarre Willy Wonka-themed children's event became a viral disaster. Here's everything that went wrong.
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-01 | by ( Beatrice Nolan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

A disastrous Willy Wonka-themed children's event went viral for all the wrong reasons. NEW LOOK Sign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. Instead, the bizarre Willy Wonka-themed event in Glasgow, Scotland, featured a sparse warehouse filled with low-budget props and drew comparisons with the similarly ill-fated Fyre Festival. Videos of customers confronting event organizers have since been shared on social media. "I ended up playing Willy Wonka for three and a half hours straight," Paul Connell told The Independent.

Persons: Willy Wonka, Here's, —, Stuart Sinclair, Sinclair, Paul Connell, Wonka, Connell, BI's Katie Notopoulos Organizations: Service, Illuminati, The Daily Mail Locations: Glasgow, Scotland

☆ An actor at a grim Willy Wonka-themed event says he felt like he was losing his mind 3 hours into the gig: 'I didn't know where I ended and Wonka began'
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-29 | by ( Kwan Wei Kevin Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Actor and stand-up comedian, Paul Connell was hired to play Willy Wonka at an event in Scotland. Connell said he thought he was losing his mind after playing Wonka over three hours straight. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . AdvertisementAn actor who played Willy Wonka at a chocolate-factory-themed event in Scotland says he had such a bad time at the gig he felt like he was losing his mind. This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers.

Persons: Paul Connell, Willy Wonka, Connell, Wonka, — Organizations: Service, Independent, Warner Bros, Business Locations: Scotland

☆ Actor hired for disastrous Willy Wonka-style event says the bizarre script was '15 pages of AI-generated gibberish'
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-29 | by ( Beatrice Nolan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Read previewA bizarre Willy Wonka-inspired immersive event has been attracting attention for all the wrong reasons this week. Some of the actors hired for the event have been speaking out with their suspicions that AI played a role in devising the chaotic script. Paul Connell, an actor and stand-up comedian hired to play Willy Wonka at the event in Glasgow, Scotland, told the Independent the script provided was "15 pages of AI-generated gibberish" and required him to say "mad things." Kirsty Paterson, who played an Oompla-Loompa at the event, also suspected the script might have had a helping hand from AI. Jenny Fogarty, another actor hired for the event, told the Daily Mail she and her partner thought AI had written the content after they read the strangely written stage directions.

Persons: —, Willy Wonka, Paul Connell, Connell, Kirsty Paterson, Paterson, I'd, Jenny Fogarty, ChatGPT Organizations: Service, Business, Independent, Daily Mail, Entertainment, Illuminati Locations: Glasgow, Scotland

☆ Memes about a disastrous Willy Wonka-themed event are taking over the internet
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-29 | by ( Olivia Singh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

AdvertisementUnsuspecting children attended a Willy Wonka-inspired event in Glasglow, Scotland with high hopes, but found themselves in a world of pure horror. Paul Connell, an actor hired to play Willy Wonka at the event, told The Independent that the script supplied was "15 pages of AI-generated gibberish." Since photos and videos surfaced online, X (formerly known as Twitter) has become inundated with memes about the catastrophic event. AdvertisementThe interactive lab area drew comparisons to a meth lab“Is that the-”“The meth lab from the Glasgow Willy Wonka Experience? This photo from the Willy wonka experience is single handedly the photo of the year.

Persons: Willy Wonka, —, it's, Roald Dahl, Paul Connell, Kirsty Paterson, Glasgow Willy Wonka, k9jdz3CWH0 — Adam, @adamgreattweet, Loompa, Hugh Grant, Willy wonka, twitter.com/tmc, kes, Kate Middl, aga, witt, r.com, ady, lanning their H, dre, anne Organizations: Service, Warner Bros, Independent, Glasgow, nk Locations: Glasgow, Glasglow, Scotland, erie, ves

☆ Willy Wonka-inspired experience sparks outrage and online mockery after police called to event
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-28 | by ( Issy Ronald | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

People there became so angry on Saturday that the police were called, Police Scotland confirmed to CNN, the event was canceled, and the story went viral on social media. “There was a crowd of people outside all furious,” Paul Connell, one of the actors hired to perform at the event told CNN on Wednesday. “I saw people shouting, the people running the event were crying … It was absolute chaos. Jack Proctor and his family were among those attending the experience, and they arrived once the event had been open for a couple of hours, he told CNN on Wednesday. “We were met by groups of families leaving the event, looking utterly bewildered,” he said.

Persons: Willy Wonka, ” Paul Connell, “, Jack Proctor, Connell, ”, Proctor, ” Proctor, they’re, ” Connell Organizations: CNN — Families, Police Scotland, CNN, Facebook, ” CNN Locations: Glasgow, Scotland, ”

☆ BAFTA Award winners list
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-18 | by ( Alli Rosenbloom | Thomas Page | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

The Christopher Nolan-directed award season favorite led the nominees with 13 nods this year and won seven awards, including director, lead actor and the coveted best film award. “Poor Things” was the other stand-out winner of the ceremony with five wins, including Emma Stone’s award for lead actress. “The Holdovers” star Da’Vine Joy Randolph continues to dominate the supporting actress category through this award season cycle. Thanking her co-star Paul Giamatti while accepting her BAFTA, Randolph said, “Gosh, I cry every time I say your name. See below for a full list of BAFTA nominees and winners.

Persons: CNN — “ Oppenheimer ”, Christopher Nolan, Nolan, ”, Emma Stone’s, “, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Paul Giamatti, Randolph, “ Gosh, Jonathan Glazer, Barbie, Maestro ”, Martin Scorsese, Tom Cruise, Michael J, Fox, Prince William, Catherine , Princess of Wales, King Charles ., “ Oppenheimer ”, Napoleon ” “, Wonka, Cillian Murphy, Oppenheimer, Melinda Sue Gordon, Andrew Haigh, Justine Triet, Alexander Payne, ” Bradley Cooper, “ Maestro ” Christopher Nolan, Cord Jefferson, ” –, “ Oppenheimer, Tony McNamara, Arthur Harari, Greta Gerwig, Noah Baumbach, “ Barbie ” David Hemingson, Josh Singer, “ Maestro ” Celine Song, Barry Keoghan, Saltburn ” Bradley Cooper, “ Maestro ” Cillian Murphy, “ Oppenheimer ” –, Colman Domingo, “ Rustin ” Paul Giamatti, ” Teo Yoo, Emma Stone, Carey Mulligan, “ Maestro ” Emma Stone, Fantasia Barrino, Margot Robbie, “ Barbie ” Sandra Hüller, Vivian Oparah, Dominic Sessa, Jacob Elordi, Saltburn, Paul Mescal, Robert De Niro, Robert Downey Jr, Ryan Gosling, “ Barbie, Da'Vine Joy Randolph, Claire Foy, Danielle Brooks, Emily Blunt, Rosamund Pike, Sandra Hüller, Robbie Robertson, Ludwig Göransson, Jerskin Fendrix, ” Anthony Willis, “ Saltburn ” Daniel Pemberton, Jacqueline Durran, “ Barbie ” Jacqueline West, Dave Crossman, Janty Yates, “ Napoleon ” Ellen Mirojnick, Holly Waddington, Sarah Greenwood, Katie Spencer, Jack Fisk, Adam Willis, Ruth De Jong, Claire Kaufman, Shona Heath, James Price, Zsuzsa, Chris Oddy, Joanna Maria Kuś, Katarzyna Sikora, Jonathan Bullock, Charmaine Chan, Ian Comley, Jay Cooper, Theo Bialek, Stephane Ceretti, Alexis Wajsbrot, Guy Williams, Neil Corbould, Simone Coco, Jeff Sutherland, Alex Wuttke, Henry Badgett, Charley Henley, Ewen Martin, “ Napoleon, Tim, Simon Hughes, Dean Koonjul, Jane Paton, Hair Kay Georgiou, Thomas Nellen, Sian Grigg, Kay Georgiou, Kazu Hiro, Lori McCoy, Bell, “ Maestro ” Jana Carboni, Francesco Pegoretti, Satinder Chumber, Julia Vernon, “ Napoleon ” Luisa Abel, Jaime Leigh McIntosh, Jason Hamer, Ahou, Nadia Stacey, Mark Coulier, Josh Weston, Laurent Sénéchal, Thelma Schoonmaker, Jennifer Lame, Yorgos Mavropsaridis, ” Paul Watts, Rodrigo Prieto, Matthew Libatique, Maestro ” Hoyte van, Robbie Ryan, Kahleen Crawford, Susan Shopmaker, Isabella Odoffin, Ellen Lewis, Rene Haynes, Angelo Bonanni, Tony Lamberti, Andy Nelson, Lee Orloff, Bernard Weiser, “ Ferrari ” Richard King, Steve Morrow, Tom Ozanich, Jason Ruder, Dean Zupancic, Maestro ” Chris Burdon, James H, Mather, Chris Munro, Mark Taylor, Willie Burton, Richard King, Kevin O’Connell, Gary A, Rizzo, Johnnie Burn, ” “ Gorka, Phoebe Dynevor Ayo, Jacob Elordi Mia Mckenna, Bruce –, Sophie Wilde Organizations: CNN, Royal Festival Hall, Universal, BAFTA, Screen, Netflix, BBC, “ Society, Fox, Universal Pictures, Searchlight, “ Guardians, “ Locations: London, England, British, “

☆ Most employer health plans don't cover new blockbuster weight loss drugs, but that's going to change
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-16 | by ( Cheryl Winokur Munk | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +10 min

Many U.S. companies are grappling with health insurance coverage issues for workers when it comes to GLP-1 drugs for weight loss. Still, many benefits experts say it's a matter of when, not if, more employers will cover GLP-1 drugs. Certainly, prescription volumes of GLP-1 weight loss drugs are soaring. Even though GLP-1 drugs are high-priced, they currently represent only 6.9% of annual claims, according to data from the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans. It's going to be harder and harder not to cover these drugs because the benefits seem to be so great."

Persons: Eli Lilly, there's, Julie Stich, Eli Lilly's, Greg Stancil, you've, Stancil, somebody's, James Wantuck, " Stich, Brian O'Connell, O'Connell, Wantuck, Krutika Amin, Amin Organizations: U.S, Nordisk, International Foundation of Employee, Novo Nordisk, Tufts Medical, Medicare, Healthy Aging, Scott Benefit Services, Employers, Accolade, BMI, International Foundation of, Medicaid — Locations: U.S, KFF, North Carolina, GLP, Novo

HENDERSON, Nev. (AP) — Las Vegas Raiders backup quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo was suspended by the NFL on Friday for the first two games of next season for violating the performance-enhancing drugs policy of the league and NFL Players Association. ESPN also reported the Raiders are expected to release Garoppolo next month before an $11.25 million roster bonus kicks in. Garoppolo's days in Las Vegas appeared over at midseason when then-interim coach Antonio Pierce replaced him with rookie Aidan O'Connell for the rest of the season. Pierce became the Raiders' full-time coach last month, and the Raiders also hired Tom Telesco as their general manager. The Raiders signed Garoppolo last offseason to a three-year, $72.75 million contract when coach Josh McDaniels and GM Dave Ziegler were in charge.

Persons: HENDERSON, Jimmy Garoppolo, Garoppolo, Antonio Pierce, Aidan O'Connell, Pierce, Tom Telesco, Josh McDaniels, Dave Ziegler, O'Connell, ” Garoppolo, I’ve, you’ve, You’ve, hasn’t, ” O’Connell, “, ” Organizations: Las Vegas Raiders, NFL, NFL Players Association, ESPN, Raiders, The Raiders, San Francisco 49ers, Super Bowl, NFC Locations: Nev, Garoppolo's, Las Vegas

☆ Lawyers in N.R.A. Trial Deliver Closing Arguments, Sending Case to Jury
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-15 | by ( Jesse Mckinley | Liset Cruz | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Lawyers for New York State concluded their case against the National Rifle Association on Thursday, bringing an end to a closely watched civil showdown that accused leaders of the nation’s most prominent gun rights group of financial misconduct and corruption. Over the last six weeks, lawyers for New York’s attorney general, Letitia James, have outlined a case that paints the N.R.A. as a mismanaged organization with little fealty to its mission of defending the Second Amendment or to the gun owners who prize that right. funds to pay for private jets, luxury vacations, and the occasional spin on a superyacht. “This case is about corruption: Misuse of funds spent on jets, black cars, five-star hotels, hundreds of thousands of dollars of suits, million-dollar deals to insiders, payments to loyal board members and pervasive violations of internal controls,” Ms. Connell said to the nearly full courtroom in Manhattan.

Persons: Letitia James, Monica Connell, “, Wayne LaPierre, Ms, Connell Organizations: New York State, National Rifle Association, New Locations: Manhattan

Search resuls for: "Connell"

25 mentions found