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☆ Longtime Disney Movie Executive Steps Down
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-26 | by ( Brooks Barnes | More About Brooks Barnes | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Sean Bailey, the longtime president of Walt Disney Studios Motion Picture Production, has decided to step down, amid investor pressure to reverse Disney’s box office cold streak. Instead, at least in the near term, he will produce a new “Tron” movie for Disney. Mr. Greenbaum has been running the Searchlight division with Matthew Greenfield since 2021. Over that time, Disney has been roiled by executive firings, restructuring efforts and shifting strategies for film distribution. The steady-handed Mr. Bailey, who is popular with stars and their agents, has helped provide stability.

Persons: Sean Bailey, Bailey’s, David Greenbaum, Bailey, Mr, Greenbaum, Matthew Greenfield, Oscar Organizations: Walt Disney Studios, Disney, Netflix, Searchlight Pictures, Mr, Searchlight Locations: Hollywood

The Oscar-nominated documentary short “The Last Repair Shop” is coming to broadcast television this weekend. The 40-minute film will air Saturday on ABC owned television stations and select affiliates, the studios announced Thursday. “It’s not too much to say I owe my career to people like the four repair people in our film,” Bowers said. The broadcast push is a first for an Oscar nominated short documentary. “We are all so excited that The Last Repair Shop has the opportunity to connect with audiences across the country.”

Persons: It’s, Ben Proudfoot, Kris Bowers, “, Bowers, “ King Richard ”, ”, Steve Bagmanyan, “ It’s, ” Bowers, Matthew Greenfield, David Greenbaum Organizations: ABC, Disney, Los Angeles Unified School District, Searchlight Pictures Locations: California, San Francisco , Los Angeles, Palm Springs, Fresno, Chicago, Houston, Philadelphia , New York, Raleigh, Durham

☆ Apple knew AirDrop users could be identified and tracked as early as 2019, researchers say
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-12 | by ( Sean Lyngaas | Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Washington CNN —Security researchers warned Apple as early as 2019 about vulnerabilities in its AirDrop wireless sharing function that Chinese authorities claim they recently used to track down users of the feature, the researchers told CNN, in a case that experts say has sweeping implications for global privacy. AirDrop lets Apple users who are near each other share files using a proprietary mix of Bluetooth and other wireless connectivity without having to connect to the internet. A Chinese tech firm, Beijing-based Wangshendongjian Technology, was able to compromise AirDrop to identify users on the Beijing subway accused of sharing “inappropriate information,” judicial authorities in Beijing said this week. The Chinese tech firm, Wangshendongjian Technology, that claimed to have exploited AirDrop appeared to have used some of the same techniques first identified by the Darmstadt researchers in 2019, said Alexander Heinrich, one of the German researchers. “Now that Chinese security agencies are exploiting this vulnerability, it’s a tough political problem for Apple.”

Persons: Apple, “, ”, Benjamin Ismail, Florida Sen, Marco Rubio, ” Rubio, Milan Stute, Sascha Meinrath, Palmer, Alexander Heinrich, ” Heinrich, Kenn White, Heinrich et al, ” White, Sen, Ron Wyden, ” Wyden, “ Apple, Qi An Xin, Dakota Cary, SentinelOne, Ismail, would’ve, Matthew Green Organizations: Washington CNN —, CNN, Apple, Bluetooth, Technology, Republican, Senate Intelligence Committee, Technical University of Darmstadt, Penn State University, Wangshendongjian Technology, ” Apple, Oregon Democrat, Beijing, Olympic, Xinhua, Johns Hopkins University, “ Locations: China, Washington, Hong Kong, Beijing, Florida, Germany, Darmstadt, Oregon, cyberattacks, Dakota

☆ Even the experts who study Congress don't know how this House speakership drama will end
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-14 | by ( Brent D. Griffiths | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

House Republicans ended Friday without naming a new House speaker. Congress is historically motivated by deadlines, but there's nothing forcing House Republicans to move forward. Some more centrist House Republicans have floated cutting a deal with Democrats, but this is still very unlikely. We do know that a new speaker must be elected by a full House vote. AdvertisementAdvertisement"At this point, the acting Speaker pro temp is not the leader of his party," Green said.

Persons: Jim Jordan of, it's, here's, —, Kevin McCarthy's, They've, Pro Tempore Patrick McHenry, Jim Jordan, Sarah Binder, J, Scott Applewhite, Jordan, Austin Scott, hasn't, Mike Collins, McHenry, He's, Nancy Pelosi, Steny Hoyer, Matthew Green, Green, Patrick McHenry, McCarthy, couldn't, Jim McGovern, tempore, Binder Organizations: Service, Pro Tempore, Lawmakers, Republicans, Government, Brookings Institution, Republican, Georgia Republican, Democratic, House Republicans, —, Capitol, North Carolina Republican, Financial Services, Politico, Catholic University, Republican Party, House Democrat Locations: Jim Jordan of Ohio, Ohio, Georgia, Jordan, meer, McHenry, Iran

☆ The Trials of Aurora: A Colorado City’s Deep Divide Over Policing
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-15 | by ( Audra D. S. Burch | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +3 min

I asked him if he thought good policing was possible. “The policing problem is that you have 90 percent good police officers, but that 10 percent or 5 percent, whatever the scientific number is, is enough to taint it. “There have been so many questionable incidents with the police involving Black residents,” Mayes said. Like Black voters across the country who have indicated support for fair policing in national polls, they took pains to explain that they were not against policing itself. “It’s just really hurtful,” Fields told a local radio station when the news broke.

Persons: ” Mayes, ‘, Mayes, —, “, ” Rhonda Fields, ”, Fields, Matthew Green, McClain, “ It’s, ” Fields, you’re Organizations: City Council, Aurora, Colorado’s, Aurora Police Department Locations: Vietnam, Black, America, Aurora

TACOMA, Wash. (AP) — Two men have pleaded guilty to vandalizing power substations in Washington state in attacks that left thousands without power on Christmas Day. According to the plea agreement, Crahan, 40, and Greenwood, 32, damaged four power substations on Dec. 25, 2022. The substations targeted were the Graham and Elk Plain substations operated by Tacoma Power and the Kapowsin and Hemlock substations operated by Puget Sound Energy. In all four cases, the men forced their way into fenced areas surrounding the substations and damaged equipment to cause a power outage. Greenwood, also of Puyallup, pleaded guilty in April to conspiracy to destroy energy facilities.

Persons: Jeremy Crahan, Matthew Greenwood, Tessa M, Gorman, Graham, Crahan, Greenwood Organizations: Court, U.S, Tacoma Power, Puget Sound Energy Locations: TACOMA, Washington, Puyallup, Tacoma, Crahan, Greenwood, Elk

☆ Bats carry killer viruses. Scientists suggest ways to cope.
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

“I have to think on a landscape scale.”Research in Australia also is deepening scientists’ understanding of bats. Flying foxes travel long distances in search of food, dispensing seeds and pollinating trees along the way. As deforestation destroyed habitats and further disrupted the food supply, the bats have increasingly formed year-round roosts near people, they noticed. Native gums flowering around Gympie lured the flying foxes away from horse paddocks and more urban areas. In fact, the most dangerous areas for spillover aren’t rare, pristine habitats absent of humans, scientists say.

☆ Twitter’s new encrypted message feature criticized by security and privacy experts
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-11 | by ( Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

In addition, encrypted messages may only be sent between two individuals, not groups. Both participants must either have exchanged direct messages in the past, or the recipient of an encrypted message must already follow the sender. Twitter’s former chief information security officer, Lea Kissner, publicly pleaded with Twitter’s current engineering team to improve the feature quickly. And it announced that its goal is to provide a similar level of protection as other privacy-preserving apps that come highly recommended by security experts, such as Signal. The lack of so-called end-to-end encryption makes Twitter’s implementation largely meaningless, security experts said.

☆ ‘Don’t freak out’: Notes from defense table during the Proud Boys seditious conspiracy trial
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-09 | by ( Hannah Rabinowitz | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

A note from the defense table during the Proud Boys seditious conspiracy trial. A note from the defense table during the Proud Boys seditious conspiracy trial. In one note, however, someone at the defense table took issue with prosecutors’ characterization of the Proud Boys marches. A note from the defense table during the Proud Boys seditious conspiracy trial. It’s unclear what the doodle refers to, though the Proud Boys have adopted the rooster as a symbol.

☆ Ex-Proud Boy says group 'celebrated' violence ahead of U.S. Capitol riot
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-24 | by ( Andrew Goudsward | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

“I can’t say it was ever overtly encouraged, but it was never discouraged, and when it happened it was celebrated,” Greene said of the Proud Boys' use of violence. Prosecutors allege that Pezzola was among the first rioters to breach the Capitol building after shattering a window with a stolen police shield. Lawyers for the defendants have argued that there was no plan to storm the Capitol and Proud Boys leadership directed members at previous rallies to only respond to left-wing counter protesters in self-defense. Greene acknowledged that he did not know many of the defendants and was not directed to use force by members of the Proud Boys leadership ahead of the riot at the Capitol. He described a “rising anger” in the crowd as Proud Boy leaders led the group in chants outside the Capitol.

☆ Two charged in Christmas Day attacks on Washington substations that cut power to 14,000
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-04 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Dennis-Romero-Circle-Byline-Template.Jpg | Dennis Romero | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

Two men have been charged in the Christmas Day attacks on four power substations near Tacoma, Washington, that left about 14,000 homes and businesses without power, officials said Tuesday. While federal authorities have long said the country's power grid is vulnerable to terrorists domestic and foreign, the suspects may have been motivated by the spoils of burglary, prosecutors said. The federal public defender's office for Western Washington didn't immediately respond to a request for comment. The attacks appeared to successfully target the substations' high-side switches, devices that can connect or disconnect a potent power source, authorities said in court filings. The Graham and Elk Plain substations are operated by Tacoma Power; the Kapowsin and Hemlock substations are operated by Puget Sound Energy.

☆ Two Men Charged in Christmas Day Attacks on Washington Power Substations
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-04 | by ( Joseph Pisani | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

A Tacoma Power crew worked to restore power at an electrical substation damaged by vandals early on Christmas Day. Federal prosecutors have charged two men in the Christmas Day attacks on four power substations in Washington state that left about 15,500 in the dark. Matthew Greenwood , 32 years old, and Jeremy Crahan , 40, were arrested Saturday and charged with conspiracy to damage energy facilities, according to the U.S. attorney for the Western District of Washington. Mr. Greenwood was also charged with possession of an unregistered firearm, according to court documents.

☆ Taylor Swift set to make her feature directorial debut
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-09 | by ( Marianne Garvey | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —Taylor Swift’s about to yell action! The singer-songwriter will make her feature directorial debut with Searchlight Pictures, the studio announced. Swift also wrote the original script for the movie, which will be produced by Searchlight. The film is also eligible for the short film category at the upcoming Academy Awards. Searchlight has made Oscar winners like Guillermo del Toro’s “The Shape of Water” and Chloe Zhao’s “Nomadland.”

☆ Taylor Swift to make film directorial debut with script she wrote
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-09 | by ( Danielle Broadway | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

LOS ANGELES, Dec 9 (Reuters) - Grammy award-winning singer Taylor Swift will make her film directorial debut with an original script she wrote, Searchlight Pictures said on Friday. Walt Disney Co.-owned Searchlight, known for Oscar best picture winners "The Shape of Water" and "Nomadland" as well as 2022 drama “The Banshees of Inisherin,” did not disclose the subject of Swift's film or when it would be released. “Taylor is a once in a generation artist and storyteller. She recently earned another Grammy nomination for Song of the Year, the 10-minute version of "All Too Well," which is eligible for the Best Live-Action Short category at the 2023 Oscars. Reporting by Danielle Broadway; Editing by Mary Milliken and Josie KaoOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Apple plans to expand encryption of iCloud data
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-07 | by ( Samantha Murphy Kelly | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN Business —Apple on Wednesday said it plans to expand end-to-end encryption of iCloud data to include backups, photos, notes, chat histories and other services, in a move that could further protect user data but also add to tensions with law enforcement around the world. Among a handful of new security tools is a feature called Advanced Data Protection which will allow users to keep certain data more secure from hackers, governments and spies, even in the case of an Apple data breach. With end-to-end encryption, not even the platform can access the data, only the sender and recipient. Privacy groups have urged Apple for years to increase encryption for iCloud backups. Not included in the new list, however, is encryption for iCloud Mail, Contacts, and Calendar due to interoperability challenges, Apple (AAPL) said.

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