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☆ Sales of newly built homes tank in April, as prices and interest rates rise
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-23 | by ( Diana Olick | In Dianaolick | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Sales of newly built homes dropped 4.7% in April compared with March, and dropped a larger 7.7% from the prior year, the U.S. Census said Thursday. Higher mortgage rates are clearly hampering sales. Some of that is due to the mix of homes selling, which is mostly on the higher end of the market. Those buyers are not as influenced by mortgage rates, as they often use all cash. The big production builders have been buying down mortgage rates to help boost sales, but they are able to do that because of their size.

Persons: Peter Boockvar, Robert Dietz, NAHB's Organizations: Spring Barbera Homes, Builders, Toll Brothers, Bleakley Financial, CNBC, National Association of Home Builders, Wells Fargo . Locations: Loudonville , New York, U.S, Horton, Wells Fargo

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Los Angeles Opera opens its 2024-25 season Sept. 21 with Puccini’s “Madama Butterfly” reimagined in a film studio and said Saturday it will present the company premiere of Osvaldo Golijov’s “Ainadamar" while reducing its offerings from six main-stage productions to five. Mario Gras's “Butterfly” staging, first seen at Madrid’s Teatro Real in 2017, stars Karah Son as Cio-Cio-San and Jonathan Tetelma as Pinkerton in their company debuts. The six main-stage productions in 2022-23 brought in $9.4 million; the COVID-shortened 2019-20 season resulted in just under $7 million from four stagings. “That’ll be our ninth main-stage opera in Spanish in the company’s 38-year history,” Koelsch said. Tomer Zvulun’s staging of Verdi’s “Rigoletto,” which premiered at the 2019 Houston Grand Opera, opens May 31, 2025, with Quinn Kelsey, Rosa Feola in her company debut and René Barbera.

Persons: Puccini’s, Osvaldo Golijov’s “, Mario Gras's, Karah, Jonathan Tetelma, Pinkerton, James Conlon, Martin, Christopher Koelsch, ” Koelsch, ”, Ana María Martínez, Daniela Mack, Deborah Colker, “, Ian Judge’s, Roméo, Juliette ”, Duke Kim, Amina Edris, Michael Cavanagh’s, Conlon, Erica Petrocelli, Tomer, Verdi’s, Quinn Kelsey, Rosa Feola, René Barbera Organizations: ANGELES, Los Angeles Opera, Teatro Real, Martin Gas, LA, Hollywood, ” Revenue, Scottish Opera, Detroit Opera, Welsh National Opera, Metropolitan Opera, San Francisco Opera, Houston Grand Opera Locations: Japan, ”

TORONTO (AP) — You don’t expect to see a movie named “Dicks: The Musical” on the marquee and neither did its makers. Josh Sharp and Aaron Jackson, who created and star in “Dicks: The Musical,” certainly struggled to believe it. But “Dicks: The Musical," a freewheeling queer cult-favorite-to-be, is a gleefully tasteless bid to break free of comedy doldrums. “People maybe want to go for a bigger laugh but they’re afraid they’re going to offend too many people. As Jackson and Sharp developed the movie, they carved out the role of God, as narrator, for Yang.

Persons: “ Dicks, Bowen Yang, —, Josh Sharp, Aaron Jackson, ”, ” Jackson, Hanna, Barbera, Megan Thee, Megan Mullally, Nathan Lane, Larry Charles, “, Sharp, ” Sharp, Jackson, Yang, “ It’s, ‘ Barbie, ’ ”, ” chimed Yang, Charles, Seinfeld ”, Abbott, Costello, Sacha, Baron Cohen, doesn’t, ” Charles, they’re, ” “ Dicks, Kori Adelson, ’ ” Sharp, ” Yang, Mullally, ” “, Jake Coyle Organizations: TORONTO, Megan Thee Stallion, Toronto, New York’s Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre, bros, UCB, Chernin Entertainment, Twitter Locations: York, Los Angeles

☆ Actors' strike stalks Venice film festival from start to end
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-08 | by ( Crispian Balmer | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Actors went on strike in July, joining writers who had walked off the job in May, to demand that streaming sites and film studios improve their contracts and impose curbs on the use of artificial intelligence. SOLIDARITYVenice's artistic director Alberto Barbera had predicted that the actors of just three of the 23 films in competition would not be able to come to the festival because of the strike. No official reason was given, but one festival insider said she believed it was out of solidarity. Without their actors, the directors did most of the talking and were regularly quizzed about the dispute. Some of the actors who did make it to the festival wore T-shirts promoting the strike, as did the president of the main jury, Oscar-winning director Damien Chazelle.

Persons: Oscar, Jessica Chastain, Chastain, AFTRA, " Chastain, Alberto Barbera, Emma Stone, Michael Fassbender, Bradley Cooper, Maestro, Lea Seydoux, Penelope Cruz, Liam Neeson, Ava DuVernay's, I'm, Sofia Coppola, Priscilla, Wes Anderson, Henry Sugar, Benedict Cumberbatch, Dev Patel, Ben Kingsley, Damien Chazelle, it's, Hanna Rantala, Alison Williams Organizations: Hollywood, Screen Actors Guild, American Federation of Television, Radio Artists, Thomson Locations: Venice, VENICE, Hollywood

☆ Venice jury chief says art must triumph over content in Hollywood
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-30 | by ( Crispian Balmer | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

VENICE, Aug 30 (Reuters) - Amid the glitz of the Venice Film Festival, jury president Damien Chazelle said on Wednesday he wanted to draw attention to strikes by Hollywood writers and actors that have brought much of the U.S. entertainment industry to a standstill. "It is a difficult time obviously in Hollywood for working actors and writers, and also for crews," Chazelle told reporters as the world's oldest film festival got underway. "There is a basic idea that each work of art has a value unto itself and is not just a piece of content, which is Hollywood's favourite word right now," said Chazelle, director of "La La Land" and "Whiplash". "It comes down to each person being remunerated for each piece of art that is made, and how to find a way to maintain and get back that idea of art over content." The major U.S. entertainment studios have said they are committed to reaching "an equitable agreement" to end the long-running stoppage.

Persons: Damien Chazelle, Chazelle, Alberto Barbera, Maestro, Emma Stone, Michael Fassbender, Bradley Cooper, Barbera, Crispian Balmer, Mark Heinrich Our Organizations: VENICE, Venice Film, Hollywood, Netflix, U.S, Thomson Locations: Venice, U.S, Hollywood

[1/3] A man walks past a poster for the film "The Killer" on the eve of the opening ceremony of 80th Venice Film Festival, in Venice, Italy, August 29, 2023. But some others will come because they are working in the independent films," Barbera told Reuters Television. Polanski, 90, fled the United States over a conviction for raping a 13-year-old girl in 1977, a crime he admitted. Besson's picture "Dogman" is in the main draw, while Allen's first French-language film "Coup de Chance" and Polanski's comedy "The Palace" are being shown out of competition. Reporting by Crispian Balmer and Hanna Rantala; Editing by Bernadette BaumOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Yara, Alberto Barbera, Barbera, Bradley Cooper, Yorgos Lanthimos, David Fincher, Michael Mann, Sofia Coppola, Ava DuVernay, Ryusuke, Damien Chazelle, Fincher, Michael Fassbender, Cooper, Maestro, Leonard Bernstein, Coppola, Priscilla, Elvis Presley's, Cailee Spaeny, Ferrari, Mann, Adam Driver, Enzo Ferrari, Penelope Cruz, Cruz, Jessica Chastain, Michel Franco's, Mads Mikkelsen, Nikolaj Arcel's, Woody Allen, Luc Besson, Roman Polanski, MeToo, Besson, Allen, Polanski, He's, Allen's, Chance, Crispian Balmer, Hanna Rantala, Bernadette Baum Organizations: Venice Film, REUTERS, Reuters Television, Lion, Hollywood, Thomson Locations: Venice, Italy, VENICE, U.S, Italian, United States

☆ Venice film fest attracts top names despite Hollywood strikes
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-25 | by ( Crispian Balmer | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Although many stars will miss the traditional red carpet openings for big studio productions, Venice artistic director Alberto Barbera still managed to attract a slew of top movies to the Lido. The world's oldest film festival, regarded as a launchpad for Oscar contenders as awards season approaches, features movies from 55 countries, including 23 titles running for the prestigious Golden Lion award. The SAG-AFTRA guild called the strike this month after failing to reach an agreement with studios on a new three-year contract. Barbera said he hoped stars of smaller independent movies would be able to publicise their work in person regardless of the stoppage. Both Allen, with his French language picture "Coup De Chance", and Polanski, with "The Palace" will show out of competition.

Persons: Bradley Cooper, Karl Lagerfeld, Andrew Kelly, Alberto Barbera, Yorgos Lanthimos, David Fincher, Michael Mann, Sofia Coppola, Ava DuVernay, Wes Anderson, Woody Allen, Roman Polanski, Luc Besson, MeToo, Besson, Oscar, Barbera, Luca Guadagnino, Zendaya, Maestro, Leonard Bernstein, Cooper, Priscilla, Elvis Presley's, Cailee Spaeny, Ferrari, Mann, Adam Driver, Enzo Ferrari, Penelope Cruz, Emma Stone, Mark Ruffalo, Allen, Chance, Polanski, Anderson, Henry Sugar, Roald Dahl, Benedict Cumberbatch, Ralph Fiennes, Dev Patel, Ben Kingsley, Crispian Balmer, Alison Williams Organizations: Metropolitan Museum, Art's, REUTERS, Hollywood, Golden Lion, SAG, Netflix, Lion, Thomson Locations: New York City , New York, U.S, Venice, ., Italian, American, United States

☆ Venice Film Festival unveils a star-studded lineup amid strike
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-25 | by ( Marianne Garvey | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —The Venice Film Festival has unveiled its lineup amid the ongoing SAG-AFTRA actors and WGA writers strike. While the movie lineup is filled with A-list actors and big-name directors, it remains unclear which talent will be allowed to actually attend the festival amid the strike. Festival director Alberto Barbera said in his opening speech if the strike is still ongoing there will likely be premieres without the film’s cast on the red carpet. In the meantime, producers can apply for SAG-AFTRA waivers so the stars of their films can attend and not break strike rules. See the full in competition lineup for the 2023 Venice International Film Festival below.

Persons: Bradley Cooper, Sofia Coppola, Yorgos Lanthimos, Michael Mann, Ava DuVernay, ”, Edoardo De Angelis, Pierfrancesco Favino, “, Bayona, Cooper’s, “ Maestro, Cooper, Emma Stone, Damien Chazelle, Jane Campion, Martin McDonagh, Laura Poitras, Alberto Barbera, Barbera, ” Edoardo de Angelis, ” Stefano Sollima “, ” Bertrand Bonello “, ” Luc Besson “ El Conde, ” Pablo Larrain “, ” Pietro Castellitto “, “ Ferrari, ” Michael Mann “ Finalmente, ” Saverio Costanzo “, Agnieszka Holland “ Holly, ” Matteo Garrone “, ” David Fincher “ Lubo, ” Giorgio Diritti “ Maestro, ” Bradley Cooper, ” Michel Franco “, ” Ava DuVernay “, Lanthimos, Priscilla, ” Sofia Coppola “, ” Nikolaj Arcel, Allem, ” Timm Kroger, Malgorzata Szumowska, Michal Englert Organizations: CNN, WGA, “ Society, SAG Locations: Venice, J.A, La

☆ Italy's Meloni draws fire over food aid aimed at families with children
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-13 | by ( Federica Urso | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

"The government is there and is ready to do its part to help Italians in the best possible way", Meloni said in a message that presented the 500,000-euro scheme as relief against high inflation. However, the card is reserved for households with at least three members, preferably with children, in a move seen as favouring traditional families. Noting that the allowance amounts to about one euro per day for a year, she described it as a "zero impact" policy. "Being in need is no longer enough, now you need to be in need and also be a certain type of person considered deserving of help," he said. ($1 = 0.8946 euros)Reporting by Federica Urso Additional reporting by Alvise Armellini and Gavin Jones Editing by Mark PotterOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Giorgia, Meloni, Elly Schlein, Confcommercio, Marco Impagliazzo, Filippo Barbera, Federica Urso, Alvise Armellini, Gavin Jones, Mark Potter Organizations: Democratic Party, Catholic, Turin University, Thomson Locations: Italian, Rome

☆ Ecuador: Woman presumed dead found alive in coffin at her wake
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-13 | by ( Duarte Mendonca | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —A 76-year-old woman who was declared dead at a hospital in Ecuador was found to be alive and knocking on her coffin during her own wake in the city of Babahoyo. In the video, people could be seen waiting and supporting Montoya as emergency services arrived at the scene, taking the 76-year-old woman back to the hospital. The woman was heard knocking on her coffin. The woman had been declared dead in hospital. It said Montoya was in intensive care at the Martín Icaza Hospital in Babahoyo – the same facility that initially declared her dead.

Persons: “, ”, Gilberto Barbera, Montoya, Bella Yolanda Montoya Castro, “ Bella Yolanda Organizations: CNN, Ministry of Public Health, Health Services Quality Assurance Agency Locations: Ecuador, Babahoyo

Even gaining qualifications in Italy didn't help Abhishek, a 26-year-old migrant from India who got a master's degree in mechanical engineering at Turin's Polytechnic University last year. Italy, which is also contending with an exodus of skilled nationals to stronger economies, needs qualified immigrants to fill growing skilled labour shortages, many economists say. In 2023, work permits will be granted to around 83,000 non-EU migrants, according to government data, less than a third of the 277,000 who applied for them. Barbera at Turin University said the lack of migrants in skilled professions has become entrenched and hard to reverse. "Migrants in Italy have virtually no access to the middle class," he said.

☆ Warner Bros Discovery unveils revamped 'Max' in push for streaming growth
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-12 | by ( Dawn Chmielewski | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Warner Bros Discovery eliminated "HBO" from the name of the streaming service, which for some viewers connotes bespoke series but repels others. He repudiated his predecessor's COVID-19 era strategy of releasing new movies simultaneously in theaters and in the home, via HBO Max. Instead, Warner Bros films would enjoy a traditional theatrical release and reap box office proceeds before becoming available on the streaming service. It licensed some of these shows to other streaming services, as Warner Bros Discovery looked for new ways to monetize its film and television libraries. Like other media companies, Warner Bros Discovery has yet to turn a profit on its HBO Max and Discovery+ streaming services, though the company has reduced losses from them.

☆ Mindy Kaling's 'Velma' series set to premiere in January
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-21 | by ( ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +1 min

HBO Max has set a Jan. 12, 2023, release date for Mindy Kaling’s animated series “Velma,” a spinoff of the beloved, but family-friendly, “Scooby-Doo” series. In this modern, adult-oriented take on the classic “Scooby-Doo” franchise, the series follows the origin story of Velma Dinkley (Kaling), the brainiac of the Mystery Inc. gang. After a corpse is found in her high school, Velma teams up with Daphne (Constance Wu), Shaggy (Sam Richardson) and Fred (Glenn Howerton) to solve the murder. Kaling’s series also reimagines several members of the Mystery Inc. gang, including making Velma of South Asian descent. “We want to honor other interpretations and what we think feels really modern,” Kaling explained at NYCC.

☆ Fact Check-Images of dressing rooms strewn with rubbish are not Japanese soccer team’s changing room after Costa Rica World Cup match
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-29 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Images circulating online of dressing rooms strewn with rubbish do not show the Japanese national soccer team’s changing room and the images pre-date the Qatar World Cup. However, some online users were duped into thinking that the images showed the Japanese team’s changing room after losing to Costa Rica on Nov 27. FIFA has images showing Japan’s changing room after the team’s opening match against Germany, with no rubbish viewable (here), (here), (here). Images online do not show rubbish in Japan’s World Cup changing room after a match. The images were captured in Italy following the national soccer team’s loss to North Macedonia in March 2022.

☆ Here's what the inverted yield curve means for your portfolio
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-31 | by ( Kate Dore | Cfp | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Catherine Yeulet | Getty ImagesWhat the inverted yield curve meansGenerally, longer-term bonds pay more than bonds with shorter maturities. "In normal times, the yield curve slopes upwards," he said. But there's currently a downward sloping curve, also known as an "inverted yield," with the 2-year Treasury paying more than the 10-year Treasury . 'Real economic indicators are going to suffer'While a yield curve inversion is only one signal of a possible recession, it shouldn't be ignored, particularly at the lower end of the curve, experts say. "The yield curve is not perfect, but it does better in general than standard forecasts."

Warner Bros. a lansat marți primul trailer al filmului în care Tom și Jerry sunt personaje animate, în timp ce împrejurimile lor sunt live-action. Trailerul oficial al filmului Tom & Jerry dublat în limba română a debutat în premieră în România și poate fi vizionat aici, scrie Playtech. Personajele au apărut ultima dată într-un lungmetraj în Tom și Jerry, filmul lipsit de lumină din 1992. Un amestec fermecător de animație clasică și acțiune live, noua aventură a lui Tom și Jerry aduce personajele iconice pe un teren nou și îi obligă să facă ceva de neimaginat: să lucreze împreună pentru a se salva. O reprezentare Warner Bros. Pictures și Warner Animation Group, filmul Tom & Jerry va fi distribuit în întreaga lume de Warner Bros. Pictures.

Persons: Tom, Jerry, Tim Story, Chloë Grace Moretz, Michael Peña, Cesar, Rob Delaney, Shaw, Colin Jost, Ken Jeong, Chris DeFaria, Kevin Costello, William Hanna, Joseph Barbera . Tim Story, Adam Goodman, Steven Harding, Sam Register, Jesse Ehrman, Allison Abbate, Alan Stewart, James Hambidge, Peter S . Elliot, Alison McCosh, Christopher Lennertz Organizations: Warner Bros, Warner Bros . Pictures, Warner Animation Group Locations: România, New York, Man

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