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☆ Analysis: Democrats keep piling on as Biden stands firm
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-11 | by ( Stephen Collinson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

And I think I’m the best qualified to win,” Biden told reporters at the NATO summit. CNN reported Thursday evening that Pelosi and former President Barack Obama have spoken privately about Biden and the future of his campaign. Another deeply painful ordealNo president has undergone a trial by news conference like the one Biden endured. And shortly afterwards, when a reporter asked Biden to weigh in on the qualities of his vice president, he referred to “Vice President Trump” instead of Kamala Harris. Tennessee Rep. Steve Cohen told CNN’s Anderson Cooper that Democrats need to stop their “fantasy games” and unite to beat Trump.

Persons: Joe Biden’s, Biden, Donald Trump, “, ” Biden, —, Jim Himes —, Nancy Pelosi, Biden’s, Pelosi, Barack Obama, poignantly, Trump —, George H.W, Bush —, Trump, Volodymyr Zelensky, Vladimir Putin, Nikki Haley, Trump ”, Kamala Harris, pollsters, CNN’s Edward, Issac Dovere, Jeff Zeleny, Obama, ”, MAGA, CNN’s MJ Lee, Himes, CNN’s Kaitlan Collins, you’re, Steve Cohen, CNN’s Anderson Cooper, I’m Organizations: CNN, NATO, Trump, Democratic, South Carolina Gov, White, House Intelligence, Connecticut Democrat, Tennessee Locations: West, Russian, Atlanta, Washington, Connecticut, United States of America

CNN —As President Joe Biden took on his critics in Washington, Vice President Kamala Harris made the case to their allies around the country. She told Black voters at Essence Fest that 2024 is the “most significant election of our lifetime” over the weekend. “As President Biden has said, he counts on Vice President Harris’ advice and counsel,” Harris press secretary Ernesto Apreza said in a statement. In March, Harris became the first sitting vice president to visit an abortion clinic. We have a president and a vice president who are doing a good job, and I don’t expect those nominees to change.”

Persons: Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, Donald Trump, ” Harris, ”, Biden, Harris, you’ve, LaTosha Brown, Harris’s, Dennisa Thomas, –, Trump, “ Kamala Harris, Joe Biden’s, she’s, Ohio Republican Sen, J.D, Vance, Harris vouching, “, Adrianne, Harris ’, Ernesto Apreza, ’, Roy Cooper, Biden’s, First Lady Jill Biden, ” Cooper, “ Joe Biden Organizations: CNN, Black, Essence, Dallas Wednesday, Alpha Kappa Alpha, Democratic, Trump, Republican, Pacific Islander American, Washington Post, ABC, Biden, The Associated Press, don’t, Ohio Republican, Democratic Party loyalists, –, Greensboro’s Dudley High School, Democratic Gov Locations: Washington, Nevada, Dallas, California, Pennsylvania, Kansas City , Missouri, Ohio, Adrianne Shropshire, Mexico, Central America, North Carolina, Guilford County, Biden’s Raleigh, Wilmington, America

☆ Dollar General settles with the Labor Department over workplace safety violations
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-11 | by ( Ece Yildirim | In Ecedyildirim | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

The U.S. Department of Labor announced a settlement Thursday with Dollar General , requiring the retailer and its subsidiaries to pay $12 million in penalties and implement significant workplace safety improvements in its more than 19,000 stores nationwide. Gun violence has also been an issue for Dollar General stores: 49 people have been killed and 172 people have been injured at Dollar General stores by gun violence, according to 2023 data from nonprofit Gun Violence Archive. A repeat offender with the Department of Labor, Dollar General became the first company to be added to OSHA's "severe violators" of workplace safety rules list in 2023, after the agency expanded the reach of its safety enforcement program. The settlement with the Department of Labor also requires Dollar General to monitor outcomes of those efforts and provide quarterly reports to OSHA. CNBC has reached out to Dollar General for additional comment.

Persons: Health Douglas Parker Organizations: U.S . Department of Labor, Dollar, federal, Safety, Health Administration, Violence, Department of Labor, Occupational Safety, Health, Safety Operations Center, OSHA, CNBC Locations: Tennessee

“It’s not like Biden’s inner circle didn’t know this,” one Democratic strategist close to the White House said of the extent of the president’s recent decline. “Expect a drip, drip, drip,” said one former Biden White House official. “Blinders are off and everyone is aware,” one source close to the White House told CNN. “He’s declined,” one House Democratic lawmaker who attended the gala told CNN. She wields influence in the White House and campaign, and sits in on some of the president’s political meetings.

Persons: Joe Biden, George Clooney wasn’t, Biden, “, ”, Barack Obama, Obama, Bill Clinton, “ He’s, –, ’, Camp David, “ It’s, Tom Vilsack –, Andrew Bates, “ Joe Biden, ” Bates, Jens Stoltenberg, Keir Starmer, Jacquelyn Martin, Nancy Pelosi, Lester Holt, Ari Emanuel, Ron Klain, ” Emanuel, Klain, Emanuel, Bates, Brett McGurk, Xi Jinping, Kevin Lamarque, Lady Jill Biden, Hunter Biden’s, Emmanuel Macron, Jill Many, Jill Biden, Chris Kleponis, “ She’s, she’s, Jill Biden’s, Valerie Biden Owens, Jill, Valerie won’t, CNN’s Priscilla Alvarez, Kylie Atwood, Betsy Klein, Arlette Saenz, Phil Mattingly Organizations: CNN, Peacock Theater, Radio City Music Hall, Democrat, White, Democratic, Biden, Camp, Los, “, Biden White House, NATO, British, AP, MSNBC, NBC, White House, Congressional Hispanic Caucus, Economic Cooperation, Getty, Democratic Party Locations: Los Angeles, Italy, California, New York, Washington, Las Vegas, Aspen , Colorado, United States, Filoli, Asia, Woodside , California, Wilmington , Delaware, Paris, France, Wilmington, Pennsylvania, AFP

☆ A Trump Ally Is Training 75 Armed Citizens. Is That a Militia?
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-11 | by ( Corey Kilgannon | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The leader of a New York City suburb is recruiting 75 armed citizens, many of them former police officers, for a force of “special deputies” to be activated whenever he chooses. Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman, a Republican who has allied himself with former President Donald J. Trump and thrust himself into the culture wars, posted a call in March for residents with gun permits and an interest in becoming “provisional emergency special deputy sheriffs.”The posting called the initiative a strategy to assist in the “protection of human life and property during an emergency” such as a hurricane or blackout — and perhaps, Mr. Blakeman later added, “a riot.”The new force has drawn vocal opposition in this well-to-do Long Island county, which is one of the country’s safest, protected by one of the largest police departments. It has plunged Nassau into a national debate about authoritarianism in an election season that some see as a fork in the road for American democracy.

Persons: ”, Bruce Blakeman, Donald J, Trump, Blakeman Organizations: Republican Locations: New York City, Nassau County, Long, Nassau

A film director also was wounded when a gun held by Baldwin fired a live round during a scene rehearsal at the Bonanza Creek Ranch, a movie set outside Santa Fe. Special prosecutors intend to portray Baldwin as repeatedly flouting safety protocols on the movie set in the days before the fatal shooting, according to a court filing last month. Baldwin has previously stated to CNN that he did not pull the trigger during the fatal shooting, though he said he did cock the hammer of the gun. “I never took a gun and pointed at somebody and clicked the thing,” Baldwin said in the 2022 interview. Keep reading about the background and what’s expected at the trial here.

Persons: Alec Baldwin, Halyna Hutchins, ” Baldwin, Baldwin, “ Organizations: CNN Locations: Mexico, Santa Fe

☆ Live Updates: Opening Arguments in Alec Baldwin Trial Set to Begin in New Mexico
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-10 | by ( Julia Jacobs | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +5 min

The prosecutors gave Mr. Baldwin — who had been rehearsing with a gun when it discharged a live bullet, killing the cinematographer, Halyna Hutchins — about three weeks to decide. That decision led to an indictment and, now, a trial that could lead to a maximum punishment of 18 months in prison if Mr. Baldwin is convicted. The prosecutors decided to dismiss the original indictment against Mr. Baldwin while they had the gun examined. Ms. Morrissey learned that an NBC News reporter had the details of the “presumed confidential” plea offer, she wrote in court papers. “He has no title or credit in either documentary,” Mr. Nikas wrote, calling him a subject of the projects.

Persons: Kari T, Morrissey, Alec Baldwin, Baldwin —, Halyna Hutchins —, Baldwin, Luke Nikas, Mr, Dave Halls, “ Rust ”, Halls, Ms, Baldwin “, “, Hutchins’s, ”, ” Ms, Baldwin’s, Rory Kennedy, Nikas, Kennedy, Joel Souza, Rust, Souza, Hutchins, “ I’m, ’ Organizations: NBC Locations: New Mexico

☆ Alec Baldwin’s Manslaughter Trial Begins: 4 Takeaways From Day 1
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-10 | by ( Julia Jacobs | Tim Balk | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The involuntary manslaughter trial of Alec Baldwin began on Wednesday with prosecutors painting him as a headstrong actor who repeatedly shirked his duty to maintain gun safety on the set of the movie “Rust,” while the defense argued that the death of the movie’s cinematographer was the result of other crew members’ failures. While Mr. Baldwin’s lawyers framed the 2021 shooting of the cinematographer, Halyna Hutchins, as a tragic accident, the prosecutors worked to convince jurors that it was a direct result of Mr. Baldwin’s recklessness while handling dangerous weapons on a film set. Sitting at the defense table in between two of his lawyers, Mr. Baldwin — wearing a suit, patterned tie and thick-framed glasses — listened intently, sometimes taking notes on a legal pad, and looked somber as bodycam footage of the aftermath of the shooting was shown. Supporters sitting behind him included his wife, Hilaria Baldwin, and his brother Stephen Baldwin. Here are four takeaways from the opening arguments in the first day of Mr. Baldwin’s manslaughter trial in Santa Fe, N.M.

Persons: Alec Baldwin, ”, Halyna Hutchins, Baldwin —, Hilaria Baldwin, Stephen Baldwin Locations: Santa Fe

☆ Russia pledges to discharge Indians fighting for Moscow in Ukraine, New Delhi says
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-10 | by ( Helen Regan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —Russia has promised to discharge Indian nationals who were “misled” into joining its army to fight in Ukraine, India’s foreign secretary said Tuesday. “The Russian side promised the early discharge of all Indian nationals from the service of the Russian army,” he said. “The trafficked Indian Nationals were trained in combat roles and deployed at front bases in Russia-Ukraine War Zone against their wishes,” the CBI statement said. In neighboring Nepal, lawmakers have called on the Russian authorities to provide figures for its nationals fighting in Ukraine. The Russians position themselves a few hundred meters back as support,” said Suman Tamang, after he returned from Russia.

Persons: ”, Narendra Modi “, Vladimir Putin, Vinay Mohan Kwatra, Putin, Bimala Rai Paudyal, Kwatra, “, ” Kwatra, Imran Mohammad, Asfan Mohammed, Asfan, ” Imran, Suman Tamang, Ramchandra Khadka, ” Khadka Organizations: CNN, Indian, Indian Ministry, Russian, Kremlin, India’s, Bureau of Investigation, Indian Nationals, CBI Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Russian, Moscow, New Delhi, South Asia, Nepal, India, Indian, Hyderabad, Bakhmut –

☆ Sean 'Diddy' Combs hires top NYC defense lawyer Marc Agnifilo to fight possible federal sex-trafficking charges
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-10 | by ( Laura Italiano | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Marc Agnifilo addresses reporters in 2019 outside federal court in Brooklyn, where he represented NXIVM cult leader Keith Raniere. Timothy A. Clary/Getty ImagesAgnifilo, a former state and federal prosecutor in Manhattan, said he and co-counsel Teny Geragos are in regular communication with federal prosecutors. Combs has not spoken with prosecutors, added Agnifilo, now at Agnifilo Intrater. Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty ImagesThe video corroborated allegations of violence in the R&B singer's lawsuit against Combs and Bad Boy Entertainment. Brafman repped Combs again in the leadup to the Ventura lawsuit.

Persons: —, Sean, Diddy, Combs, Marc Agnifilo, Pharma Bro, Martin Shkreli, Goldman Sachs, Roger Ng, Keith Raniere, Agnifilo, Cassie Ventura, There's, Timothy A, Clary, Teny Geragos, Ventura, Lionsgate's, Alberto E, Rodriguez, I'm, Roberta Intrater, Jennifer Lopez, repped, Benjamin Brafman, Uncle Benny, Brafman repped Combs, Brafman, Ben Organizations: Service, Pharma, Business, Southern, of, CNN, Bad Boy Entertainment, Adria, Times Square, Brafman, Associates, Ventura, US Locations: Manhattan, of New York, Los Angeles, Miami, Brooklyn, New York, Florida, Ventura

☆ Welcome to the new Fightertown USA: Inside San Diego's AI-powered unmanned aircraft boom
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-10 | by ( Vishal Persaud | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +12 min

But the program has since moved to another station, and its legacy in San Diego is a faint, fond memory. AdvertisementWith such a rich history of aerial dynamism, it's no surprise that San Diego has become a major hub of this technology. Defense, AI, and a warming reception from VCsLong before AI became a household buzzword, Shield AI launched in San Diego. AdvertisementBut San Diego seemed to be a better fit with its access to open land and proximity to the ocean. That pipeline continues to feed into the San Diego tech ecosystem, feeding and driving the aerial innovation it has become known for over a century.

Persons: —, Tom Cruise, Larsen Jensen, Palmer Luckey's Anduril, Brandon Tseng, VCs Long, Tseng, Ryan, presciently, Hivemind, It's, shouldn't, Jensen, Ian Muceus, Muceus, we've, Firestorm's, Firestorm, Glenn Curtiss, Grant Jordan, Andreessen Horowitz, — Jordan, Jordan, SkySafe, Tim Draper, Aleksey Matyushev, Matyushev, Oakland — Natilus, Natilus, General Atomics, Northrop Grumman, Lockheed Martin Organizations: Service, Kawasaki Ninja, hotshot Navy, US Naval Air Station, Business, Navy, Harpoon Ventures, Defense, aha, Navy SEAL, US Department of Defense, Coast Guard, Air Force, Marine Corps, BAT, SpaceX, Marque Ventures, Silent Ventures, US Navy, Soma, Oakland, San Diego International Airport, Brown Field Municipal, Northrop, Lockheed Locations: San Diego, Miramar, Diego's, Diego, Afghanistan, Persian, Israel, Caribbean, Bay, San Diego Bay, West, San Jose, San Francisco, Central Valley, Vallejo, Kona

☆ Supercentenarians who live past 110 have 9 things in common, according to a scientist who studies them
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-10 | by ( Serafina Kenny | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Read previewA supercentenarian expert shared with Business Insider the nine things people who live to 110 and beyond have in common. Be resilientBeing resilient and able to endure hard times is one of the key predictors of longevity in supercentenarians, Lindberg said. Be spiritualSpirituality, meaning believing in something greater than ourselves versus following a specific religion, is also very common among the supercentenarians that Lindberg has studied. AdvertisementMaintain a healthy weight"There haven't really been any obese supercentenarians," Lindberg said. Dr. Robert Waldinger, the study's lead researcher, previously told BI that healthy relationships had a surprisingly large impact on people's odds of living longer.

Persons: —, Jimmy Lindberg, Linberg, Lindberg, Joseph Maroon, Robert Waldinger, Rose Anne Kenny Organizations: Service, Business, Financial Times, Complutense University of Madrid, Harvard, Chan, of Public Health, JAMA, BMI, US Centers for Disease Control, CDC, Development, Trinity College Dublin

☆ Pricing is really weird lately
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-10 | by ( Jordan Parker Erb | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

In today's big story, we're looking at why pricing is so weird these days . More recently, Walmart introduced digital price tags, which some people said could be used for variable pricing. The constantly changing costs have consumers feeling a sense of price fatigue, Emily writes. Emily writes that most economists agree that government-mandated price-fixing isn't the way to go about it. So, as Emily writes, you can't fault anyone for feeling a certain sense of doom and gloom about the economy.

Persons: —, Alyssa Powell, Emily Stewart, Emily, Michael Raines, Rebecca Zisser, Michael Arone, Steve Granitz, Elon Musk, Tyler Le, Larry Page, Biden, Keir Starmer, Rishi Sunak's, Jerome Powell, Jordan Parker Erb, Lisa Ryan, Hallam Bullock, Annie Smith, Amanda Yen Organizations: Service, Soviet Union, Business, Walmart, JPMorgan, Wall, Group, State, Navy, Spotify, Labour Party, Samsung Locations: Montana, Soviet, America, USA, Diego, Idaho, New York, London

☆ Suspected carjacker shot outside home of Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-09 | by ( Kevin Breuninger | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor speaks during a service for retired Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor in the Great Hall at the Supreme Court in Washington, D.C., on Dec. 18, 2023. Marshal tasked with protecting Supreme Court justices' homes shot an alleged armed carjacker near the Washington residence of Associate Justice Sonia Sotomayor last week, authorities said Tuesday. The suspect, 18-year-old Kentrell Flowers of Southeast D.C., allegedly pulled a handgun on the marshal, who was in a parked car in the Northwest section of the city around 1:15 a.m. The marshal drew his own gun and "fired several shots at the suspect," the MPD said. Another marshal in a separate vehicle also fired at Flowers, who suffered non-life-threatening injuries, police said.

Persons: Sonia Sotomayor, Sandra Day O'Connor, Flowers Organizations: Washington , D.C, U.S, Southeast D.C, Metropolitan Police Department, Police Locations: Washington ,, Washington, Southeast

A U.S. marshal on a Supreme Court security detail shot and wounded an armed man who tried to carjack him early Friday near Justice Sonia Sotomayor’s home in northwest Washington, according to court documents. The marshal was sitting in an unmarked federal vehicle when a silver Toyota minivan pulled over next to him, according to court documents. Flowers through the window four times, hitting him in the mouth, according to the court documents. A second U.S. marshal from another vehicle also responded and fired his weapon, according to the Metropolitan Police Department. Flowers was charged with armed carjacking, carrying a pistol without a license, and possession of a large-capacity ammunition-feeding device.

Persons: Sonia Sotomayor’s, Flowers Organizations: Supreme, Toyota, Metropolitan Police Department Locations: U.S, Washington

☆ Alec Baldwin trial: Key people in the case
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-09 | by ( Lisa Respers France | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

It was so unnecessary,” Baldwin said of Hutchins’ death in a 2022 interview with CNN. Morrissey took over the case in 2023, dropped the charges against Baldwin and then later refiled them, citing “additional facts” in the case. She presided over the high-interest trial of Hannah Gutierrez Reed, during which she kept to a succinct schedule. Hannah Gutierrez Reed“Rust” movie armorer Hannah Gutierrez Reed in March. “It felt like someone had taken a baseball bat to my shoulder, I remember that distinctly,” Souza testified in the Gutierrez Reed trial.

Persons: CNN —, Alec Baldwin, Baldwin, Halyna Hutchins, Hutchins, Halyna Hutchins Halyna Hutchins, Fred Hayes, Hollywood ”, Matthew, Alec Baldwin Alec Baldwin, Andrew Kelly, Reuters Baldwin, ” Baldwin, Luke Nikas Nikas, Quinn Emanuel Urquhart, Sullivan, Nikas, Kari Morrissey Kari Morrissey, Gabriela Campos, Morrissey, Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer, Mary Marlowe Sommer, Marlowe Sommer, Bill Richardson, Hannah Gutierrez Reed, Hannah Gutierrez Reed “ Rust, armorer Hannah Gutierrez Reed, “, ”, ” Joel Souza Joel Souza, Pool Souza, “ Rust, ” Souza, Gutierrez Reed, Souza, ‘, ” David, Dave Halls, “ Rust ” Organizations: CNN, BBC, UCLA, “, Hollywood, YouTube, Colt, ” Prosecutors, Sullivan LLP, Harvard Law School, Court, New, New Mexico Gov Locations: New Mexico, Ukraine, British, Europe, New York City, Los Angeles, New York, “

☆ Meet the ex-Goldman Sachs partner behind the scenes of the Skydance-Paramount deal
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-09 | by ( Hayley Cuccinello | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Read previewAfter months of negotiations, Paramount has inked a merger agreement with film studio Skydance Media, owned by David Ellison, son of billionaire Oracle founder Larry. The Ellison family and RedBird will invest $6 billion and $2 billion, respectively, to take over Paramount and bolster its balance sheet. This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers. Advertisement"I think it's my biggest competitive advantage that I don't get emotionally attached," Cardinale told Business Insider in 2022. Business Insider spoke with 27 of Cardinale's colleagues and peers to learn more about his winning strategy.

Persons: —, David Ellison, Larry, Ellison, RedBird, Gerry Cardinale, Goldman Sachs, " Cardinale, Jeff Shell, Skydance, Goldman, Jon Winkelried, Gerry Organizations: Service, Paramount, Skydance Media, RedBird Capital Partners, Business, New York Yankees, Dallas Cowboys, NFL, AC Milan, Weatherford Capital, TPG Locations: Skydance, RedBird

☆ South Korea: Flying aboard the AC-130J Ghostrider, carrying America’s biggest gun in the sky
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-09 | by ( Brad Lendon | Mike Valerio | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

AC-130 gunners Joe Gipson (back) and Isaac Dowell tend the 105mm cannon aboard a US Air Force AC-130J during a live-fire exercise over South Korea. A 105mm howitzer is seen at the rear of a US Air Force AC-130J at Osan Air Base, South Korea, in early June 2024. ‘Spooky’ historyUS Air Force gunships trace their lineage back to the Vietnam War, when the service set up 7.62 mm guns to fire out one side of a C-47 transport aircraft. With the AC-130J model, introduced in 2017, the Air Force removed the machine guns in favor of the more precision-guided munitions. The AC-130’s crew acknowledges the dangers of ground fire to their aircraft, and some analysts question its usefulness in any potential conflict with North Korea.

Persons: Ghostrider, Joe Gipson, Isaac Dowell, Brad Lendon, John Ikenberry, Kim Jong Un, ” Ikenberry, Heath Curtis, Mike Valerio, Curtis, ”, Justin Burris, Peter Layton, Layton, Maj, Christopher Mesnard, CNN’s Yoonjung Seo, Gawon Bae Organizations: Korean Peninsula CNN, US Air Force AC, CNN, Air Force Special Operations Command, US Air Force, Osan Air Base, South, Air Force, National Museum of, Operation, US, Griffith Asia Institute, Royal Australian Air Force, Operations Command Locations: Hurlburt Field, Florida, South Korea, Seoul, North Korea, Washington, Korea, Maj, New Mexico, United States, Vietnam, Asia, Grenada, Panama, Somalia, Iraq, Afghanistan, Kunduz, Iraqi, Persian, Khafji, Saudi Arabia, Korean, Australia, Operations Command Korea

☆ TikTok's music AI chatbot could help it take on Spotify — if it can smarten up
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-09 | by ( Dan Whateley | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

TikTok is the latest to experiment with the technology, adding in October an AI assistant called Tonik to its music-streaming app, TikTok Music. TikTok's main video app, which is exploring its own, separate AI chatbot, has become an important platform for music discovery. TikTok Music. TikTok Music. If TikTok Music gets there first, it may have a shot at breaking through in a very crowded category.

Persons: —, hasn't, OpenAI's ChatGPT, Tonik, TikTok, Joe Biden, Donald Trump, We're Organizations: Service, TikTok, Business, Spotify, Apple, Bloomberg, Capitol Locations: Singapore, Brazil, Australia, Mexico, Indonesia

☆ Paramount agrees to merge with Skydance
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-08 | by ( Lillian Rizzo | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Paramount Global will merge with Skydance, capping off a months-long negotiation that included various twists and turns, and will see the Redstone family step away from control of the storied movie studio and media company. Paramount's special committee agreed to the merger on Sunday, days after Shari Redstone's National Amusements, the controlling shareholder of Paramount, once again reached a preliminary agreement with Skydance. The latest iteration of the deal will see the buying consortium, which includes RedBird Capital Partners and KKR, invest more than $8 billion into Paramount and to acquire National Amusements. The deal gives National Amusements an enterprise value of $2.4 billion, which includes $1.75 billion in equity. A completed Skydance merger would mark a major shift for the ownership of Paramount, as well as for Hollywood as a whole.

Persons: Shari Redstone's, it's, Jeff Shell, Ellison, Forrest, —, David Ellison, Skydance, Larry Ellison Organizations: Paramount Studios, Paramount, Skydance, RedBird Capital Partners, KKR, National, Shell, Hollywood, CBS, MTV, Nickelodeon, Oracle Locations: Los Angeles , California

☆ 5,000 Miles, 8 Countries: The Path to the U.S. Through One Family’s Eyes
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-08 | by ( Luis Ferré-Sadurní | Juan Arredondo | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +21 min

With three children and a dog, the Aguilar Ortega family trekked through the jungle, hopped freight trains and toured Times Square. Millions of Venezuelans like the Aguilar Ortega family have fled economic misery and political repression in their homeland as it descended into turmoil. “The kids want to go to New York,” Mr. Aguilar said in Spanish as he stood by his tent in Mexico City. Mr. Aguilar created hiding places for their cash, using toenail clippers to cut small openings into Hayli’s jacket and Josué’s pants. She called Ms. Ortega to check in, and learned of the family’s setup.

Persons: Aguilar Ortega, trekked, Miles, — Hayli, Samuel, Henry Aguilar, Leivy Ortega, Eric Adams, Biden, Aguilar, Ms, Ortega, Donna, ” Mr, ”, COLOMBIA Samuel, Hayli, Nicolás Maduro, It’s, Mr, selfies, “, Josué, Donna meandered, patted, Aguilar Ortegas, Aguilar’s, weren’t, “ It’s, Rafael García, “ Papi, Ortega’s, Floyd Bennett, Simón, Floyd Bennett Field, “ I’ve, I’m, Maria Cardona, ” Ms, Cardona, Amy Swan, Ray Swan, Swan Organizations: New York Times, U.S ., The Times, GAP, MEXICO CITY, Mexico City, Central America, CIUDAD, Times, United, Venezuela’s, Roman Catholic Church, New York, La Guardia Airport, Delta, Roosevelt, Queens, Honda, Facebook Locations: Mexico City, Latin America, Venezuelan, New York City, New York, U.S, United States, Venezuela, “, COLOMBIA, Colombia, Chile, Ecuador, Peru, Panama, la, ”, ” PANAMA, MEXICO, Guatemala, Mexico, earshot, Central, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras, CIUDAD JUÁREZ, Ciudad Juárez, Texas, Juárez, Mexican, Rio Grande . Texas, Rio Grande, Cuba, Haiti, El Paso , Texas, El Paso, PASO , TEXAS, York, La, Michigan, Santa Claus, Manhattan, Spanish, MANHATTAN, BROOKLYN, Brooklyn, Simón Bolivar, Spain, Jamaica, MIDDLETOWN, CONN, Middletown, Conn, Connecticut

And at some Chipotle locations, customers filmed workers to try to make sure they didn't skimp on their burrito bowls. The three joined a growing list of consumer brands contending with customers' deep frustration over high prices — and wariness that prices will only rise more. Walmart, on the other hand, said the new price tags will cut a tedious task from store workers' to-do lists. They eliminate the need for store workers to swap out traditional paper tags. Shoppers at a Walmart store in Secaucus, New Jersey, US, on Tuesday, March 5, 2024.

Persons: Wendy's, Jean, Pierre Dubé, David Chavern, Donald Trump, Joe Biden, Kevin Lamarque, hasn't, Dianna Campbell, she's, Campbell isn't, Biden, skimping, Sen, Bob Casey, Andrea Foote, Tricia Moriarty, it's, Jim Cramer, CNBC's, Brian Niccol, Chipotle, We've, Wells, Zachary Fadem, Brandon Bell, It's, Kirk Tanner, Yuki Iwamura, Cristina Rodrigues, Gabby Jones Organizations: Walmart, University of Chicago Booth School of Business, Consumers, U.S . Bureau of Labor Statistics, Consumer Brands Association, Procter, Gamble, Pew Research, Pew, Reuters Shrinkflation, Federal Reserve, Customers, Gatorade, PepsiCo, CNBC, Chipotle, New York, Mexican Grill, Getty, American Farm Bureau Federation, Bloomberg, University of Chicago Locations: U.S, Goffstown , New Hampshire, Manhattan, New York City, Mexican, Austin , Texas, Queens, New York, Europe, Secaucus , New Jersey, US

☆ Paramount media empire agrees to merge with Skydance, ending Redstone control
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-08 | by ( Jon Passantino | Liam Reilly | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —Paramount Global—the sprawling media empire behind CBS, MTV, and one of Hollywood’s most storied movie studios—has agreed to merge with technology scion David Ellison’s Skydance Media, ending years of speculation over the company’s fate. The complicated transaction will see Skydance first buy National Amusements, then merge with Paramount, valuing Skydance at $4.75 billion. The combined company will be helmed by Ellison as chief executive and former NBCUniversal chief Jeff Shell as president. The deal caps a tumultuous and protracted saga that began in December, with the two companies entering into exclusive negotiations in April, resulting in the ouster of longtime Paramount chief executive Bob Bakish. In the meantime, the company has been run by a triumvirate of leaders: Brian Robbins, chief executive of Paramount Pictures; Chris McCarthy, chief executive of Showtime and MTV Entertainment Studios; and George Cheeks, chief executive of CBS.

Persons: —, David Ellison’s Skydance, Ellison, Shari Redstone’s, Sumner Redstone, Jeff Shell, Bob Bakish, Brian Robbins, Chris McCarthy, George Cheeks, Robbins, “, ” Robbins, David Ellison, Larry Ellison, ” Redstone, Paramount’s Organizations: CNN, Paramount, CBS, MTV, David Ellison’s Skydance Media, Amusements, National, Paramount Pictures, Showtime, MTV Entertainment Studios, Comedy Central, Netflix, BET, Sony Pictures, Apollo Global Management, Sony, Apollo, Redstone, Skydance Media

☆ Alec Baldwin Appears in Court as Judge Rules on Upcoming ‘Rust’ Trial
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-08 | by ( Julia Jacobs | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The actor Alec Baldwin appeared Monday in a Santa Fe courthouse as his lawyers sparred with prosecutors over what evidence could be shown to the jury when he goes on trial this week for the fatal shooting of a cinematographer on the set of the film “Rust.”Wearing a suit with a gray striped tie and glasses with thick dark frames, Mr. Baldwin, who is facing a charge of involuntary manslaughter, appeared to pay close attention to the proceedings, taking notes and leaning over to speak with a lawyer. Mr. Baldwin was indicted by a grand jury for his role in the fatal shooting of the cinematographer, Halyna Hutchins, who was killed on Oct. 21, 2021, when a gun he was rehearsing with discharged a live bullet. He has pleaded not guilty, saying he was told the gun did not contain live ammunition. He has also said he did not pull the trigger before the bullet fired, which prosecutors dispute. The judge in the case, Mary Marlowe Sommer of the First Judicial District in New Mexico, ruled on Monday that prosecutors could not argue that Mr. Baldwin’s role as a member of the production team — he was one of the film’s producers in addition to being its leading man — had made him more culpable for the death of Ms. Hutchins.

Persons: Alec Baldwin, ”, Baldwin, Halyna Hutchins, Mary Marlowe Sommer, —, Hutchins Organizations: Judicial Locations: Santa, New Mexico

☆ Meet David Ellison, Larry Ellison's son who is about to take over at Paramount
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-08 | by ( Paige Bruton | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

David Ellison's Skydance Media finally struck a merger deal with Paramount Global on Sunday. Ellison is the 41-year-old son of Oracle cofounder Larry Ellison, who is worth almost $160 billion. AdvertisementDavid Ellison is set to become CEO of Paramount after Skydance Media finally agreed a deal late Sunday after months of talks. The 41-year-old founded Skydance back in 2006 with some help from his father Larry Ellison, the Oracle cofounder who's now worth almost $160 billion according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. The merger deal values Skydance at $4.75 billion.

Persons: David Ellison's Skydance, Skydance, Ellison, Larry Ellison, —, David Ellison, who's Organizations: David Ellison's Skydance Media, Paramount Global, Service, Paramount, Skydance Media, Oracle, Bloomberg, Business

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