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☆ Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney: Wrexham’s Hollywood owners are part of group taking 24% stake in Alpine F1 team
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-26 | by ( Ben Morse | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Wrexham’s Hollywood owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney are part of a new investment group that is taking a 24% equity stake in Formula One outfit Alpine, the team’s parent company, Renault, announced on Monday. The investment group also includes Otro Capital and RedBird Capital Partners. Reynolds and McElhenney are the co-owners of Welsh soccer side, Wrexham. McElhenney and Reynolds celebrate with players of Wrexham's women's team during a bus parade celebration following its title-winning season. Jan Kruger/Getty ImagesThe statement says Reynolds and McElhenney’s Maximum Effort Investments will provide “successful sports and media experience and operational expertise in building high-growth companies.”

Persons: CNN —, Ryan Reynolds, Rob McElhenney, Reynolds, McElhenney, Michael B, Jordan, Laurent Rossi, ”, Rossi, “, Alpine’s, RedBird, Wrexham's, Jan Kruger Organizations: CNN, Formula, Renault, Otro, RedBird Capital Partners, Fenway Sports, Premier League team Liverpool, Major League Baseball, Boston Red Sox, Dallas Cowboys, NFL, Toulouse, AC Milan, Welsh soccer, Football League Locations: British, French, Italian, Welsh, Wrexham

☆ 10 Things in Tech: Google tells employees not to give AI chatbots confidential information, the rise of the ‘anti-work girlboss,’ and 31 rising stars of Los Angeles investing
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-20 | by ( Diamond Naga Siu | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Mark Zuckerberg at Facebook's first ever Meta Store Facebook/Meta1. The first "Meta Store" opened last year in Northern California and was designed to increase interest in Meta's VR headsets. Although a second store was in the works, someone familiar with the matter said that those plans faltered after slowed revenue. Google tells employees not to put confidential info into AI chatbots — including its own Bard. Reddit CEO Steve Huffman said subreddit mods have too much power.

Persons: I'm, Siu, Zers, haven't, Jordan Hart, Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook's, Martin Gilliard, hasn't, Kali Hays, chatbots, Steve Huffman, Mudassir Sheikha, Ron DeSantis, Thiep Van Nguyen, Lionel Richie, Diamond Naga Siu, Alistair Barr, Hallam Bullock Organizations: Meta, VR, Big Tech, Google, Tech, Tesla, Gov, Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, Navy, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, VMWare, Dallas Cowboys, Mitsubishi Locations: Sacramento, Northern California, Angeles, Florida, Connecticut, USS Connecticut, Dublin, Ireland, Melbourne, Australia, Las Vegas, San Diego, San Francisco, London

☆ These Cowboys Build a New Juneteenth Tradition at a Rodeo in Portland
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-19 | by ( Brent Lewis | Eduardo Medina | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

Ivan McClellan, a photographer, was captivated the first time he came across Black cowboy culture at a rodeo in Oklahoma years ago. He saw Black people donning cowboy hats and saddling horses, images that inspired him to fully document that community in his work. This year, though, he wanted to go a step further. Mr. McClellan and Vince Jones-Dixon, a city councilor in Gresham, Ore., sought to host a Juneteenth rodeo in Portland, one that would bring together the Black cowboy and cowgirl communities across the Pacific Northwest.

Persons: Ivan McClellan, McClellan, Vince Jones, Dixon Locations: Oklahoma, Gresham , Ore, Portland, Pacific Northwest

☆ Heavy drinkers really don’t ‘handle their liquor,’ study says
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-19 | by ( Sandee Lamotte | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CNN —It’s a misnomer that heavy drinkers can “hold their liquor,” a new study found. The 397 participants included light drinkers, heavy social drinkers and those who had alcohol abuse disorder. “In their daily lives, this group averaged 38.7 drinks a week, compared to 2.5 drinks a week for light drinkers and about 20 drinks for heavy drinkers,” King said. Some tolerance was seenAt first, the study supported the notion that heavy drinkers can manage larger doses without impairment. Neither the heavy drinkers nor those with alcohol abuse disorder felt impaired when asked.

Persons: CNN —, ”, Nathan Didier, Andrea King, King, —, ” King, ” Didier, ” Didler, Kevin Trimmer Organizations: CNN, University of Chicago, National Institute, Alcohol, Research, Chicago, Drinking, “, Getty Locations: United States

☆ Ticket Giants, Under Pressure From Biden, Promise Transparency on Fees
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-15 | by ( Ben Sisario | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Live Nation, the world’s largest concert company, said it would begin introducing “all-in pricing” — showing consumers the full price up front — at the venues it controls, which include more than 200 amphitheaters, clubs and other spaces in the United States. Ticketmaster, which is owned by Live Nation, said it would make this tool available to other venues and promoters as well. Those changes are expected beginning in September. SeatGeek, a major vendor for ticket resale that also works for major venues and sports teams like the Dallas Cowboys, said it too would begin introducing a feature that would reveal to consumers the full price of a ticket. Those changes come as the Biden administration has stepped up its pressure on the entertainment and travel industries to rein in what it calls “junk fees.” At his State of the Union address in February, President Biden said he wanted to ban “surprise resort fees that hotels charge on your bill,” and added: “We can stop service fees on tickets to concerts and sporting events and make companies disclose all the fees upfront.”

Persons: Biden, ” Organizations: Ticketmaster, Live, Dallas Cowboys Locations: United States, SeatGeek

☆ 24 Works of Fiction to Read This Summer
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-09 | by ( Kate Dwyer | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

Sun House, by David James DuncanThis novel of ideas, which took Duncan 16 years to complete, follows all manner of people who are staring down crises of faith. These lost souls — from cowboys to urban refugees — make their way to Montana and build new communities for themselves. “I’m really trying to portray something that might give something hope,” Duncan said of the book in an interview with The Idaho Mountain Express. “When I shatter a heart, I try as best as I can to at least partially mend it as well.”Little, Brown, Aug. 8

Persons: David James Duncan, Duncan, “ I’m, ” Duncan, Brown Organizations: Sun, —, Idaho Mountain Express Locations: Montana

☆ Wrexham embrace surprise American fan base on the road
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-31 | by ( Amy Tennery | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Instead, the club has become a source of intense fascination for an American fanbase often blithely ignorant of the English Football drama that unfolds each year across the Atlantic. "People are looking for reasons to be excited and feel good. And Wrexham is certainly a feel good story," said Brian Berklich, chief marketing officer at Sports Endeavors, whose Soccer.com is the retail and content partner for the tournament. "There's been a lot of heartbreak and mystery around the club for a good long time now. And what the owners have done is they galvanized the whole town and they've really brought more of a community feel," said Howard.

Persons: Boreham, Rob McElhenney, Ryan Reynolds, Jon Mugar, Mugar, Brian Berklich, Steve Nash, Cesc Fabregas, Mark Howard, Andy Morrell, Lee Trundle, We've, Howard, There's, they've, They've, Amy Tennery, Toby Davis Organizations: Soccer Football, National League, Wrexham, League, English Football League, English Football, Dallas Cowboys, Sports, Spain, Reuters, Chelsea, LA, Manchester United, Thomson Locations: Wrexham, Britain, U.S, American, Cary , North Carolina, TST, Como, Chapel Hill , North Carolina, Los Angeles, New York

New York CNN —Dan and Tanya Snyder agreed to sell the Washington Commanders franchise to a group led by Josh Harris on Friday, according to a statement from from the team and the investment group. The group also includes NBA legend Magic Johnson as well as Mitchell Rales, the billionaire co-founder of conglomerate Danaher. Harris’ ownership groups include Johnson and billionaire Mitch Rales, Harris’ longtime sports business partner. Snyder first purchased the team, which was then known as the Washington Redskins, for a reported $750 million in 1999. The only franchises from other sports worth more than that $5.6 billion estimated value are the New York Yankees and New York Knicks.

☆ When ‘Homicide’ Hit Its Stride
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-11 | by ( Saul Austerlitz | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

The Dallas Cowboys demolished the Buffalo Bills, 52-17, and the broadcast was followed by the premiere of a new NBC drama, set in Baltimore, studying the work of the city’s homicide detectives. The series was called “Homicide: Life on the Street,” and it was based on a book by David Simon, then a Baltimore Sun reporter who had spent a year tagging along with the police department’s homicide squad. Post-Super Bowl premiere notwithstanding, “Homicide” was never a ratings success, but it stayed on the air for seven seasons, winning four Emmys and three Peabody Awards. The show’s fifth episode, “Three Men and Adena,” which first aired in March, was a stark, dramatic example of what made “Homicide” different from other cop shows. Pembleton and Bayliss prod, provoke and rage, but “Homicide” refuses to grant the audience the resolution they crave.

☆ Pro sports unions unite to discuss importance of mental health
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-01 | by ( Jessica Golden | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

The NFL Players Association, National Basketball Players Association, National Hockey League Players' Association, MLB Players Association, MLS Players Association and Women's National Basketball Players Association will work together to raise awareness about the cause and invest resources to improve mental health for the pro athlete community. This is the first time the sports organizations have come together to promote mental health. The high stakes, busy lifestyles and pressures of professional sports have caused many athletes to reveal their own mental health struggles in recent years. As athletes from all levels have expressed their struggles, many of the leagues realized that mental health needs to be as much of a priority as physical health is. The sports leagues will also highlight inspirational stories from athletes and the various mental health efforts they are leading.

☆ N.F.L. Draft Picks 2023: All the Results From the First Round
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-27 | by ( The New York Times | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Dallas CowboysMazi Smith, DT, Michigan27. Philadelphia EaglesNolan Smith, edge, Georgia31. Kansas City ChiefsFelix Anudike-Uzomah, edge, Kansas StateNotes: The Miami Dolphins forfeited their first-round pick. The Cleveland Browns, Denver Broncos, Los Angeles Rams and San Francisco 49ers traded away their first-round picks. When the second round begins on Friday, Pittsburgh will have the first pick, followed by Arizona, Detroit, Indianapolis and the Los Angeles Rams.

NFL Draft coverage will be provided by ESPN, ABC, and NFL Network on TV, and you can also live stream coverage on the free ad-supported NFL Channel. How to watch the NFL Draft in the USYou can watch the NFL Draft on multiple TV channels, including ABC, ESPN, and NFL Network. In addition, the NFL is also providing free streaming coverage of the NFL Draft through the NFL Channel on the NFL app. A VPN will let you watch the NFL Channel's free live stream of the NFL Draft no matter where you are, while also giving you a more secure internet connection. ET NFL Channel, ABC, ESPN, NFL Network2023 NFL Draft first-round orderWhile there are 32 NFL teams, only 31 picks will be made in the first round.

☆ After Celebrating Tragedy, the N.F.L. Draft Looks to Change Its Tone
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-25 | by ( Ken Belson | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

draft is a pinnacle for many players, most of whom have dreamed for years of hearing their names called by Commissioner Roger Goodell in front of millions of TV viewers. But in 2020, as players celebrated reaching the professional ranks, the broadcast zoomed in on their personal tragedies. Viewers learned, for example, that the sister of receiver Jerry Jeudy, whom the Denver Broncos selected 15th overall, had died while he was in high school. The package introducing Michael Pittman Jr., a receiver taken 34th by the Indianapolis Colts, revealed his stutter. Trevon Diggs, a cornerback picked 51st by the Dallas Cowboys, was noted to have lost his father to heart failure in 2008.

☆ Progressives Convinced Us to Get a Gun
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-24 | by ( Gerard Leval | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +1 min

Wonder Land: When we began to devalue conscience, blurring a pragmatic understanding of right from wrong, we unleashed the whirlwind that engulfs us now. Our father wouldn’t allow it. He had his reasons: In depriving us of the revolvers, he often would cite his experience during World War II. During that service, a rifle shot grazed the back of his neck and came close to taking his life. He made it clear that, having been wounded and seen the horrors wrought by firearms, he didn’t believe anyone should think of such weapons as playthings.

☆ Uber drivers lay out 4 reasons they think tipping has been getting worse — and why events like Taylor Swift concerts seem to make riders more generous
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-23 | by ( Jacob Zinkula | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

Ben and other drivers have some theories about why riders aren't as generous as they used to be. Ben, a full-time Uber and Uber Eats driver for five years, said he'd worked as many as 90 hours in one week to make ends meet. Last year, Ben earned roughly $77,000 pretax driving for Uber and Uber Eats. Sergio AvedianUltimately, Avedian said Uber riders' tipping habits today could be traced to the company's decisions several years ago. In-app tipping wasn't even an option for Uber riders until 2017, despite drivers pushing for it for years.

☆ Taylor Swift sends powerful message to women on tour
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-23 | by ( Emily Halnon | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CNN —My first stirrings of discomfort at Taylor Swift’s show in Las Vegas hit after the infectious beat faded from fan-favorite “Cruel Summer,” the second song in her supersized set. Challenging double standardsTaylor Swift flexes during her performance at Allegient Stadium in Las Vegas. And whether we were cringing in our seats, like me, or cheering her on, also like me, her words delivered a powerful message. Like Swift, who will perform for over three straight hours on every night of this 52-stop tour, I’m also an endurance athlete. Over the course of this tour, millions of women will watch her share her success.

☆ Deal close for Washington Commanders football team
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-13 | by ( Matt Egan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

If finalized, the sale would mark the end of the controversial ownership of the Washington franchise by embattled billionaire Daniel Snyder. News of the near deal was first reported by Sportico, which reported the team sold for $6 billion, a record for a North American sports franchise. Snyder purchased the team, then named the Washington Redskins for a reported $750 million in 1999. It adopted the Commanders name last year, after playing two seasons with the name Washington Football Team. “Today marks the end of a long, difficult chapter for all employees and fans of the Washington football organization,” read a statement from Lisa Banks and Debra Katz, two attorneys representing more than 40 former Washington Commanders employees.

☆ Women's soccer expands into the Bay Area with a new team and record investment
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-04 | by ( Jessica Golden | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

"Sixth Street has the incredible know-how, experience and bandwidth to devote to the league," NWSL Commissioner Jessica Berman told CNBC. Waxman, a former Goldman Sachs executive, founded Sixth Street in 2009, and the firm currently has more than $65 billion in assets under management. This is the company's first foray into women's sports, following investments in Spanish soccer teams Real Madrid and FC Barcelona and the NBA's San Antonio Spurs. The four former national team players will be represented on the board and will work alongside Sixth Street in setting the team's strategic direction, he said. Sandberg will partner with the club to create leadership programs that empower women and girls in underserved Bay Area communities.

☆ Magic Johnson and Josh Harris group officially place bid on Washington Commanders
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-28 | by ( Matt Egan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

New York CNN —A group led by billionaire Josh Harris and NBA legend Magic Johnson has officially placed a bid to buy the NFL’s Washington Commanders from embattled owner Daniel Snyder, a source told CNN on Tuesday. CNN confirmed last week that Johnson joined the Harris group. ESPN, which first reported news of the bid, reports that the Harris and Johnson-led group is offering to pay Snyder’s $6 billion asking price. A representative for Johnson, the Los Angeles Lakers hall of famer, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Magic Johnson and Josh Harris have bid on the Washington Commanders.

☆ Cowboys Owner Jerry Jones to Face Lawsuit Over Woman’s Assault Allegation
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-01 | by ( Suryatapa Bhattacharya | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Jerry Jones was accused of kissing and grabbing a woman without her consent. He has denied the allegations. A lawsuit against Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones over a woman’s assault allegation will move forward after a Texas appellate court reversed a lower court’s order. The Court of Appeals for the Fifth District of Texas at Dallas said in its opinion Monday that the lower court had abused its discretion by dismissing the personal-injury lawsuit. The justices noted the woman who filed the lawsuit had made a “good faith attempt” to comply with requests for more information about her identity and the alleged incident.

☆ 'Prompt engineering' is one of the hottest jobs in generative AI. Here's how it works.
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-01 | by ( Aaron Mok | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Knowing how to talk to chatbots may get you hired as a prompt engineer for generative AI. Prompt engineers are experts in asking AI chatbots — which run on large language models — questions that can produce desired responses. Unlike traditional computer engineers who code, prompt engineers write prose to test AI systems for quirks; experts in generative AI told The Washington Post that this is required to develop and improve human-machine interaction models. Prompt engineering may not be 'the job of the future'Some academics question how effective prompt engineers really are in testing AI. Companies in a variety of industries are hiring prompt engineersThat isn't stopping companies across industries from hiring prompt engineers.

☆ Soccer’s new M&A binge will mostly benefit players
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-17 | by ( Streisand Neto | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

A Qatari consortium is set to make a $6 billion offer for Man Utd, home to stars including Marcus Rashford, Bloomberg reported on Thursday. The Financial Times reported that Iranian-American billionaire Jahm Najafi is preparing a $3.8 billion swoop on Harry Kane’s Tottenham Hotspur. The Qataris’ reported Man Utd offer of $6 billion would value the New York-listed club at 8.6 times trailing revenue. Man Utd, whose financial advisers are U.S. investment bank Raine Group, has set an initial Feb. 17 deadline for bids. The Financial Times on Feb. 15 reported that Iranian-American billionaire Jahm Najafi was preparing a $3.8 billion offer for Tottenham Hotspur.

☆ Mexico City restaurant plans Super Bowl party as NFL marketing pays off
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-11 | by ( Angelica Medina | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

MEXICO CITY, Feb 11 (Reuters) - As the United States gears up for the Super Bowl on Sunday, one Texan restaurant in Mexico City is looking to offer patrons an authentic American experience with a party that promises a stadium-like atmosphere in a renovated warehouse. "There's a lot more that unites us than what divides us, we want to celebrate that," Defossey said, and on Sunday he hopes to unite people with the complete Super Bowl experience including barbecue and beer. Defossey's annual Super Bowl party will offer patrons authentic Texan barbecue food as they watch the Philadelphia Eagles take on the Kansas City Chiefs. Mexico hosts the American Bowl exhibition game series which featured the Dallas Cowboys, Indianapolis Colts, Miami Dolphins and Pittsburgh Steelers playing in the capital. Reporting by Angelica Medina in Mexico City; Editing by David GregorioOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ LeBron rewrites playbook on athlete activism on way to the top
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-08 | by ( Amy Tennery | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

He said other players would approach him during his years in the league to discuss his activism - quietly. James became a leading voice in support of the Black Lives Matter movement following the murder of George Floyd in 2020. The four-times MVP took aim at Republican then-President Donald Trump in 2018, saying Trump had emboldened racists in the United States. In response to his criticism of Trump, Fox News commentator Laura Ingraham told him to "shut up and dribble". "He kind of maintained as broad of a consensus appeal, not only because of his activism, but also because of the way he's kind of done marketing and business and commercialization," said Hartmann.

☆ Tom Brady Retires: The Revised Edition
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-01 | by ( Ben Shpigel | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +12 min

Tom Brady of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers is retiring from football. His seven Super Bowl titles are more than any single organization has won. He was twice foiled in the Super Bowl by the New York Giants. Brady racked up yardage but Tampa Bay fired its offensive coordinator, Byron Leftwich. Look again, though, at the piercing final play from that game: A 30-yard Rams field goal, the ball snapped from the Tampa Bay 12-yard line.

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