DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ ‘High Desert’ Review: Patricia Arquette, Chaotic Californian
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( John Anderson | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Matt Dillon and Patricia Arquette Photo: Apple TV+‘High Desert” establishes itself right away as a feel-good series, because you feel so good that you aren’t Peggy Newman. When we meet her, federal drug agents are raiding her Thanksgiving, traumatizing the family party as her husband ( Matt Dillon ) tries to jam the evidence down the drains à la Lorraine Bracco in “Goodfellas.” A long 10 years later, Peggy is still kicking around Southern California, still trying to kick drugs, and working as an actress/re-enactor in an Old West theme park called Pioneer Town. Her mother, Rosalyn (Bernadette Peters), is dead. And she gets her way mostly because people want her to go away.

☆ The Fight to Protect the Joshua Tree
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-16 | by ( Talal Ansari | Photographs John Francis Peters For The Wall Street Journal | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

In Southern California, the fight between housing and the environment has burrowed down to a plant. Conservationists have for years tried to protect the Western Joshua tree, a twisty plant strewn across the desert landscape, with an unusual request. They sought a threatened-species designation from California that is typically used for rarer plants, saying climate change is an existential threat.

☆ London stocks fall on caution ahead of U.S. inflation data
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-09 | by ( Shashwat Chauhan | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The blue-chip FTSE 100 (.FTSE) fell 0.3% after a holiday on Monday for the official coronation of King Charles over the weekend, while the FTSE 250 midcap index (.FTMC) was down 0.7%. "Travel stocks have had a really nice run for the last few days," said Christopher Peters, trading floor manager at Accendo Markets. "From mid-April, we've seen a decline in oil prices. That has an effect on costs for the airlines and travel stocks." Energy stocks (.FTNMX601010) dipped 1.2%, as oil prices relinquished some of the strong gains of the previous two sessions ahead of U.S. inflation data due on Wednesday.

☆ Carlson, Still Under Contract at Fox, Says He Will Start New Show on Twitter
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-09 | by ( Jeremy W. Peters | Benjamin Mullin | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The former Fox News host Tucker Carlson, declaring, “We’re back,” said on Tuesday that he was starting a new show on Twitter, a sign that negotiations to reach an amicable separation with the network, where he is still under contract, had broken down. Mr. Carlson offered no details of when his new program would begin or what kind of content it would have — questions that highlight the uncertainties surrounding his departure from Fox News, which ultimately could block any attempt by the host to return to a prominent role in conservative media. A representative for the Fox Corporation, which has been engaged in negotiations over the details of Mr. Carlson’s exit from the network since he was taken off the air last week, had no comment. Mr. Carlson’s remarks, posted on Twitter, consisted of a three-minute monologue delivered directly to the camera. The post itself could violate the terms of his contract with Fox, which prevent Mr. Carlson from hosting a show on an alternate network.

☆ Tucker Carlson Wants to Return to TV Before 2025. Will Fox Let Him?
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( Jeremy W. Peters | Benjamin Mullin | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Or Mr. Carlson and Fox News could work out a separation agreement that allowed the former Fox host to get back on the air before his contract expires. And Fox would be spared the threat of what a disgruntled Mr. Carlson might do to drive a wedge between his loyal followers and Fox News. Mr. Freedman has handled departure deals for numerous TV stars and is well known for his aggressive negotiation tactics. An agreement that allows Mr. Carlson to appear on a rival news network like Newsmax would be a considerable concession from Fox. In any agreement, Fox would most likely insist on prohibiting Mr. Carlson from joining a cable news competitor, said a person familiar with how negotiations with big Fox stars have unfolded in the past.

☆ Richardson storms to 100m win in Diamond League, Kerley wins 200m
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

"Like I said it before, I had to be kicked out from another 100 metres race, so I had to do my best no matter what. I am really happy with my race, third place is a good start and the time is decent," she said. "I feel really good, today was challenging for all athletes but I'm still satisfied with my result," Chopra said. The Czech Republic's Jakub Vadlejch, who won silver in Tokyo, finished second again -- four centimetres shy of Chopra's mark. "It was an exciting race but a little bit windy, so I decided to not push too much and just focus on winning the race," Kipyegon said.

A representative for Mr. Carlson said he had no comment. The contents of the text were disclosed in interviews with several people close to the defamation lawsuit against Fox. Image A page from the redacted document obtained by The Times that contains the text message from Tucker Carlson that led to his demise at Fox. In that text, Mr. Carlson described his own emotions as he watched the video of the violent clash, which he said took place on the streets of Washington. Mr. Carlson did not describe the race of the man being attacked.

☆ Trump Agrees to Return to CNN, Ending a Long Boycott
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-02 | by ( Jeremy W. Peters | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Fox was the first network to do so. The move is also a way of drawing a sharp contrast with one of his expected opponents in the race, Gov. Lately, Mr. Trump has fumed about the release of private emails that show how Rupert Murdoch, chairman of Fox Corporation, expressed derision and contempt for him and his false claims of being cheated in the 2020 election. Mr. Trump lashed out at Mr. Murdoch and Fox for “aiding & abetting the DESTRUCTION OF AMERICA” on his social media platform, Truth Social. Mr. Trump also plans to skip at least one of the first two debates with his rivals for the 2024 Republican nomination, according to several people familiar with his plans.

☆ Times Asks Judge in Fox-Dominion Case to Rule on Redactions
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-01 | by ( Jeremy W. Peters | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The New York Times and a consortium of media organizations are asking a judge to rule whether Fox News improperly redacted portions of texts and email exchanges that were introduced as evidence in Dominion Voting Systems’ defamation lawsuit against the network. Dominion and Fox settled the case last month for $787.5 million, in what is believed to be the largest out-of-court payout in a defamation case. But left unaddressed was a legal challenge filed by The Times in January that sought to unseal some of what Fox and Dominion had marked as confidential in their legal filings. On Monday, a lawyer representing The Times wrote to Judge Eric M. Davis of Delaware Superior Court saying that the issue was not moot simply because the case had been settled. There is strong legal precedent, the letter said, affirming the public’s right to understand what unfolded in cases that are resolved before they go to trial.

☆ Hakeem Jeffries is enjoying an early honeymoon leading House Democrats. But one day, he'll have to make 'hard commitments.'
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-01 | by ( Bryan Metzger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +16 min

House Democrats say Hakeem Jeffries is a better listener and is more consensus-oriented than Pelosi. There's one big reason for it: House Democrats can't pass any of their own bills right now. Pelosi and Jeffries on the House floor after she announced she would step down from party leadership on November 17, 2022. 'He gets it'Jeffries, 52, has enjoyed a rapid ascent to the top of the Democratic caucus. "There were always very different views within the Democratic caucus on people who voted their district," said Slotkin.

☆ Need More Light in the Kitchen? Here’s a Stylish, Adjustable Fix
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-29 | by ( Nina Molina | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +1 min

DOUBLE DIP Landed Interiors & Homes, which is based in New York City, draped a couple of matte-black adjustable pendants above a kitchen island in Piedmont, Calif. Photo: Haris KenjarHAVE YOU ever yearned to yank the ceiling light in your kitchen closer to the radishes you’re julienning? Adjustable pendants can get you out of your own way. London designer Susie Atkinson thrifted a 1960s double adjustable pendant for a local Queen-Anne style kitchen. This discreet concealing trick is still available on some models, but Los Angeles interior designer Martha Mulholland, for one, admires the visible, “industrial meets decorative” look of those with visible ballast. “It’s a design born out of a practical function,” said Ms. Mulholland.

The day before Dominion Voting Systems’ defamation trial against Fox News was set to begin in a Delaware courthouse, the Fox board of directors and top executives made a startling discovery that helped lead to the breaking point between the network and Tucker Carlson, one of its top stars. Private messages sent by Mr. Carlson that had been redacted in legal filings showed him making highly offensive and crude remarks that went beyond the inflammatory, often racist comments of his prime-time show and anything disclosed in the lead-up to the trial. Despite the fact that Fox’s trial lawyers had these messages for months, the board and some senior executives were now learning about their details for the first time, setting off a crisis at the highest level of the company, according to two people with knowledge of the discussions. The discovery added pressure on the Fox leadership as it sought to find a way to avoid a trial where Mr. Carlson — not to mention so many others at the network — would be questioned about the contents of the private messages they exchanged in the aftermath of the 2020 presidential election.

The blue-chip index (.FTSE) fell 0.3%, down for the third straight session, while the mid-cap FTSE 250 (.FTMC) shed 0.4% as of 0829 GMT. The FTSE 100 had a good run earlier this month, buoyed by strength in commodity stocks and defensives like pharmaceuticals. However, markets have taken to a wait-and-see mode as earnings kicked in, to assess the impact of monetary tightening on results. Oil and gas stocks (.FTNMX601010) rose 0.6% as crude prices gained on reports of falling U.S. crude oil and fuel inventories. Drax Group's shares (DRX.L) rose 3.8% after the power generator announced a 150 million pound ($187 mln) share buyback programme.

☆ Netflix is already losing masses of customers over its password-sharing ban. Here's how it's clamping down around the world.
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( Beatrice Nolan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

In Spain, users have gone on a canceling spree. Netflix is pushing ahead with its password-sharing clampdown — and research shows that scores of customers have gone on a canceling spree. In Spain, where password-sharing rules were enforced in early February, Netflix subscribers have been on a canceling spree, per Bloomberg. Citing research from Kantar, Bloomberg reported that Netflix lost more than one million users in Spain during the first three months of 2023. Netflix has tested other rules aimed at stamping out password-sharing, including temporary-access codes for traveling, Insider previously reported.

☆ Carol Burnett's birthday special' is an elegant (and hilarious) event
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( Marianne Garvey | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Hulton Archive/Getty Images Burnett peeks at a portrait of herself that was being painted by artist Dmitri Vails in 1963. CBS/Getty Images Burnett interacts with the audience of her new variety show, "The Carol Burnett Show," in 1967. CBS/Getty Images Burnett, left, and Cher perform a skit on "The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour" in 1972. CBS/Getty Images Burnett poses with her memoir "One More Time" at a book signing in Beverly Hills, California, in 1986. Will Hart/NBC/Getty Images Carol Burnett Square was unveiled in Los Angeles in front of her alma mater, Hollywood High School, in 2013.

☆ Gap will cut more than 500 workers in latest layoffs, as struggling retailer tries to reduce costs
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-25 | by ( Gabrielle Fonrouge | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

A clearance sale sign is seen at the Gap retail store on September 20, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. Gap is laying off more than 500 employees in an attempt to cut costs and become more efficient, as the company tries to move back to profitability, CNBC has learned. The cuts come after Martin told investors during a March earnings call that the apparel retailer's staff has been "dampened by a complicated organizational structure, bureaucracy, and outdated processes." It managed to turn an annual net profit in 2021, but reported net losses in both 2020 and 2022. As of Jan. 28, Gap employed about 95,000 staff members, 81% of which work in retail locations.

☆ A Chastened, Humbled Fox News? Don’t Count on It.
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-22 | by ( Jeremy W. Peters | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Mr. Murdoch said then that he wanted to make Mr. Trump a “non person.” And as recently as January, when he was deposed as part of Dominion Voting Systems’ defamation lawsuit against Fox, his feelings hadn’t changed. “I’d still like to,” Mr. Murdoch said. But Fox’s audience — the engine of its profits and the largest in all of cable — may not let him. And there probably won’t be much of a shift in the way the network favorably covers Mr. Trump and the issues that resonate with his followers. “You can’t tell people, ‘Do anything to get a rating, but don’t cover the most popular figure in the Republican Party.’”

☆ Manchester United: Despite $800 million squad, reality hits home for Erik ten Hag after another 'unacceptable' Red Devils meltdown
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-21 | by ( Matias Grez | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

In truth, Ten Hag will likely be counting himself lucky that his team only lost by three goals on a night United was second best in every department. “We have to face that we let ourselves down and we let the fans down,” Ten Hag told the club’s website. “We didn’t match the standards that you can expect from a team like Manchester United. Everyone can expect higher standards from Manchester United.”It was a night to forget for David de Gea and Harry Maguire. Erik ten Hag now turns his attention to a huge FA Cup semifinal against Brighton.

☆ Elon Musk is paying for a few of his favorite celebrities to stay on Twitter Blue, even after they dissed the new blue checks
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-21 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Elon Musk said he's personally paying for several top celebrities' Twitter Blue subscriptions. Billionaire Elon Musk says he's personally paying for several well-known figures to stay on Twitter Blue after they refused to fork up $8 for a monthly subscription. "My Twitter account says I've subscribed to Twitter Blue. James received an email from Twitter offering free verification "on behalf of Elon Musk," the outlet reported. Musk on Wednesday responded to the online discussion of celebrities receiving free verification, saying he is "paying for a few personally" to keep their Twitter Blue subscriptions.

At the very last minute, both Dominion Voting Systems and Fox News decided to settle their closely watched defamation lawsuit, rather than make their cases at trial. Jeremy W. Peters, who covers media and politics for The Times, was inside the courtroom as it happened.

☆ Netflix says technical glitch that torpedoed the 'Love is Blind' live reunion was from a bug accidentally introduced after Chris Rock's comedy special
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( Huileng Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Netflix co-CEO said a bug caused the technical glitch that hit the live "Love is Blind" reunion live special on Sunday. About 6.5 million viewers have watched the "Love Is Blind" special so far, Peters added on Tuesday. The delay of the "Love is Blind" special angered fans who hit out at the streaming service for the mishap. It added 1.75 million streaming subscribers in the January to March quarter — short of analyst estimates of 2.06 million additions, per Refinitiv. The streaming service plans to roll out its unpopular paid account sharing across households this quarter, it said in its letter to shareholders on Tuesday.

☆ Netflix blames technical bug for live 'Love Is Blind' reunion snafu
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-18 | by ( Alex Sherman | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Netflix Co-Chief Executive Officer Greg Peters blamed a technical "bug" for why the company had to delay its "Love Is Blind" reunion special. About 6.5 million viewers ultimately watched the "Love Is Blind" special on Netflix, Peters added. "A reunion show that's going to generate news and buzz, it really does play better live," Sarandos said. "We're super disappointed to not be able to come across with the live product for everyone who wanted it on the 'Love is Blind' reunion, but we're super thrilled people love the show. Some of those results oriented shows do play a little better live."

☆ Netflix says it will finally crack down on password sharing soon
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-18 | by ( Samantha Delouya | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Netflix said it has delayed rolling out its paid sharing program to Q2 from Q1. Under the new policy, members will pay a fee to share accounts with people outside of their households. "We're pleased with the most recent launches of paid sharing, and while we could have launched broadly in Q1, we found opportunities to improve the experience for members. Under Netflix's new "paid sharing" policy, members would have to pay a fee to share their accounts with people outside of their households. In January, Netflix's co-CEO, Greg Peters, warned that password sharing would not be a "universally popular move," according to The Hollywood Reporter.

☆ Netflix subscriber adds disappoint after delaying password sharing crackdown
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-18 | by ( Clare Duffy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

New York CNN —Netflix on Tuesday posted weaker-than-expected subscriber growth for the first three months of this year, causing its stock to fall as much as 8% in after-hours trading before rebounding somewhat. The disappointing subscriber growth came as Netflix delayed its plan to crack down on password sharing. Netflix (NFLX) reported revenue of around $8.2 billion for the quarter, up nearly 4% from the same period in the prior year and in line with analysts’ projections. Unlike its streaming rivals, Netflix had long been resistant to live streaming because of its high costs. But, facing steeper competition, Netflix has started to experiment with the format, one it apparently has not yet perfected.

☆ How a Campaign Against Transgender Rights Mobilized Conservatives
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-16 | by ( Adam Nagourney | Jeremy W. Peters | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

When the Supreme Court declared a constitutional right to same-sex marriage nearly eight years ago, social conservatives were set adrift. “We knew we needed to find an issue that the candidates were comfortable talking about,” said Terry Schilling, the president of American Principles Project, a social conservative advocacy group. “And we threw everything at the wall.”What has stuck, somewhat unexpectedly, is the issue of transgender identity, particularly among young people. Today, the effort to restrict transgender rights has supplanted same-sex marriage as an animating issue for social conservatives at a pace that has stunned political leaders across the spectrum. It has reinvigorated a network of conservative groups, increased fund-raising and set the agenda in school boards and state legislatures.

Search resuls for: "Peters

25 mentions found