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☆ Opinion: The repercussions from Taiwan’s election will continue for years
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-16 | by ( Opinion Lanhee J. Chen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CNN —For the US, Saturday’s Taiwan election results signal the continuation of heightened tension with China over the issue of Taiwan’s sovereignty. This will be the case regardless of who wins the US presidential election in November. In fact, support for Taiwan is one of the few policy issues on which there is agreement between Republicans and Democrats. Overall, Taiwan’s voters chose continuity over change by delivering a victory to Lai and the incumbent DPP. Taiwan's President-Elect, Lai Ching-te (left), celebrates with his running mate, Hsiao Bi-khim, during a rally outside the headquarters of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) in Taipei on January 13, after winning the presidential election.

Persons: J, Chen, David, Diane Steffy, Romney, Ryan, Lai Ching, Lanhee J, Chen Lanhee J . Chen, Lai, Hsiao Bi, Joe Biden, Donald Trump, Biden, Hsiao, Yasuyoshi Chiba, China’s, Xi Jinping, Elect Lai, —, ” Xi, Xi, ”, ” Lai Organizations: CNN, Public Policy Studies, Hoover Institution, California State, Republican, Democratic, Democratic Progressive Party, Republicans, Democrats, Taiwan’s, Taiwan's, Getty, Communist Party, Nationalist, Taiwan People’s Party, Beijing’sTaiwan, Chinese Communist Party Locations: Taiwan, China, Taipei and Washington, Taipei, People’s Republic of China, PRC, AFP, Nauru, Beijing, Taiwan Strait

☆ Why an $800 million social-commerce startup is betting on live shopping in the US and what it learned by first building a business in China
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-12 | by ( Sydney Bradley | Dan Whateley | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Could live shopping finally have its moment in the US market? "The initiative really was born out of our experience in China," Reis said. In China, Douyin "took market share away from the large other platforms," Reis said. On TikTok, shopping is entertainmentThere's a reason live shopping is gaining ground on TikTok: it's captivating. "Live shopping is all about entertainment."

Persons: Julian Reis, Reis, SuperOrdinary, it's, Olaplex, Byrd, TikTok, hasn't, ByteDance, we'd, We've, " Reis, everyone's Organizations: Business, Shop, Milk, Bloomberg, Brands, QVC Locations: China, TikTok, Shanghai, Los Angeles, Douyin

☆ The Strange $55 Million Saga of a Netflix Series You’ll Never See
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-22 | by ( John Carreyrou | More About John Carreyrou | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

He had directed only one movie, “47 Ronin.” It was a commercial and critical dud, and Mr. Rinsch’s tussles with its producers had raised eyebrows, even in an industry where such conflicts are the norm. Amid the feeding frenzy, the project that Mr. Rinsch was pitching — a science-fiction series about artificial humans — became a hot property. After a competitive auction, Mr. Rinsch and his representatives reached an informal eight-figure agreement with Amazon. The project with Mr. Rinsch has turned into a costly fiasco, a microcosm of the era of profligate spending that Hollywood studios now are scrambling to end. Netflix burned more than $55 million on Mr. Rinsch’s show and gave him near-total budgetary and creative latitude but never received a single finished episode.

Persons: Carl Erik Rinsch, Rinsch’s, Rinsch, Cindy Holland Organizations: Disney, Apple, Amazon, Netflix, Hollywood Locations: Hollywood

☆ Staff at Pure Barre and other boutique gyms say a major franchisee stiffed them on pay, sent bizarre emails, and talked about drinking his own urine
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-21 | by ( Jake Swearingen | Jack Newsham | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +15 min

Staff at some Pure Barre, CycleBar, Row House, and other high-end fitness studios aren't being paid. Outposts of CycleBar, Row House, and other pricey fitness studios have also shut their doors, suddenly and sometimes without explanation. In one call reviewed by Business Insider, Brown spoke about drinking his own urine. In his November 8 email to all studio staff, Brown wrote that he "failed all of you." And unlike the fitness studio employees, they didn't find the message or tone of Brown's November 8 email surprising.

Persons: Mitch Brown, —, Brown, Amy, Xponential, Jaime Miettinen, Miettinen, Mitch, Jason Whitman, Stride, hollowing, we're, Pamela Chatman, CycleBar, Subreddits, Chatman Organizations: Service, Staff, Business, Midwest, Professional Holdings, Employees, Xponential, Research, Holdings, Fitness, Pure Locations: Barre, CycleBar, Pure Barre, Detroit, California, New York, Ohio, Michigan, Brown

☆ Sonic the Hedgehog helped revive 63-year-old Sega. The firm wants a repeat with its other classics
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-15 | by ( Ryan Browne | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

"Sonic is reviving," Utsumi told CNBC's Arjun Kharpal, alluding to the success of the Sonic the Hedgehog adaptations in the box office. It comes as Sega is set to launch a new Yakuza game, Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, next year. watch nowSega recently launched the latest iteration of its Yakuza game. Collectively, the Yakuza game series has sold 21.1 million units since its debut in 2005, according to Sega. Buying more studiosSega is also on the hunt for more acquisitions as it seeks to expand its ownership of gaming studios, Utsumi said.

Persons: Shuji Utsumi, Utsumi, CNBC's Arjun Kharpal, Sega Sammy, that's Organizations: Paramount, CNBC, Summit, Sega, Rovio, Angry Birds, PlayStation, Nintendo, Sony, Microsoft Locations: Libson, Portugal, lockdowns, Japan

The union, SAG-AFTRA, which represents tens of thousands of actors, and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, which bargains on behalf of studios, reached the tentative agreement on Wednesday. It followed a bitter standoff that contributed to a near-complete shutdown of production in the entertainment industry. At 118 days, it was the longest movie and television strike in the union’s 90-year history. The actors’ strike, combined with a writers’ strike that started in May and was resolved in September, devastated the entertainment economy. Hundreds of thousands of crew members were idled, with some losing their homes and turning to food banks for groceries.

Persons: ”, Todd Holmes Organizations: SAG, Alliance, Television Producers, California State University, Northridge Locations: Los Angeles, Georgia , New York , New Jersey, New Mexico

Hollywood is poised to get back to workAfter months of strikes that shut down most of Hollywood, the end appears in sight. The SAG-AFTRA union that represents some 160,000 members tentatively agreed to a new contract with media giants that, if approved, will reinvigorate the $134 billion American movie and television business. Union members are hopeful that the deal will bring significant financial concessions that made SAG-AFTRA’s longest-ever strike worth it. But the changing economics of Hollywood may temper some gains, echoing the dilemma facing resurgent unions elsewhere in the country. Led by the actress Fran Drescher, of “The Nanny” fame, SAG-AFTRA took a maximalist negotiating approach that involved accusing studios of plutocracy and belittling their bosses.

Persons: Fran Drescher, ”, AFTRA Organizations: Hollywood, SAG, Writers Guild of America Locations: Hollywood, plutocracy

☆ Scooter Braun's right-hand man wanted to make Camila Sterling a star. After she died in his hotel room, he wanted the world to forget.
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-08 | by ( Anna Silman | Jack Newsham | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +33 min

He also created an LLC under his initials in 2021, seemingly for the sole purpose of releasing Sterling's music. But since Sterling's death, Bolno has worked to distance himself from the tragedy and buff his reputation online. On June 29, 2023, three months after Sterling's death, Ozuna and Andino signed to SB Projects, Scooter Braun's management company. Since Sterling's death, Bolno has appeared to try to distance himself from the tragedy. However, in September, a message from Centeno's email address sent on behalf of Sterling's mother asked Insider to stop reporting on Sterling's death.

Persons: Camila Sterling, David Bolno, Scooter Braun's, Drake, Post, Bolno, Sterling, — who's, Daily Mail —, —, Laura Camila Lozano Sterling, Selena Gomez, Enmanuel Hernández Rodriguez, Rodriguez, it's, Scooter Braun, Taylor Swift, Camila Sterling's, Shaun White, schmoozing, sunning, David Geffen's, he's, Will.i.am, Justin Bieber, hadn't, bigwig, He's, Mariah Carey, Braun, Ariana Grande, Demi Lovato, Scooter, who's, Scooter hasn't, Peter Comisar, Comisar, Michael Tran, Bieber, he'd, David Grutman, LIV, Grutman, she'd, I'm, David, Usher, Sterling's, John Parra, I'd, Nordhia Centeno, Laura Castellanos Torres, Edgar Andino, Andino, Sterling wasn't, Gabby, there's, Sterling texted, Escalade, Cartier Juste, Bruce Lehr, tusi, Fabio Cabrera, Ernesto Rodriguez, Evan Siegfried, Mickey Segal, NKSFB, Nubia Esperanza Sterling Artunduaga, Camila, Rocio Cruz Maldonado, Centeno, Marcie Stefan Organizations: Miami Beach, Daily Mail, Miami Beach Police Department, Puerto, Sterling, Trump, Intracoastal Yacht, Space, Miami Dade College, Puerto Rican, Pump, Miami, DTB Records, Spotify, Records, Temple Law School, Ithaca Holdings, luxe Paramount Miami, Studios, Bay Eight Recording Studios, YouTube, Zero, SB Projects, Paramount Miami Worldcenter, Representatives, Police, Unreal Mobile, Red Pocket, European Business, University of Locations: Post Malone, Miami, Sterling, Latin America, Colombia, Bogotá, American, Puerto Rican, Sunny, Moscow, Sunny Isles, Givenchy, Cuba, Los Angeles, Delaware, Puerto Rico, New York City, Medellín, Ithaca, Korean, Brentwood, North Miami, French Montana, Bolno's, Miami Beach, Jerusalem, Nubia

☆ Spora Health's founder painted a rosy portrait of his healthcare startup. The reality is more complicated.
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-30 | by ( ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +14 min

The way Dan Miller told it, his startup Spora Health was crushing it, providing high-quality care to "thousands" of people online. The startup had secured at least one big contract, with Apple, according to three former Spora employees and another source close to Spora. Four of them told Insider they either no longer worked with Spora or hadn't seen Spora patients in a year. Two doctors listed on Spora's website as "featured Spora providers" also told Insider that they no longer worked for the startup. Another former clinician said she only ever treated a handful of Spora patients.

Persons: Dan Miller, Miller, Spora, it's, UnitedHealthcare, Aetna didn't, paychecks, hadn't, he's, It's, —, we've, " Miller, Shelby Livingston, Rob Price, Emmalyse Brownstein, Ryan Pickrell, Gloria Dawson, Stephanie Hallett, Alcynna Lloyd, Hayley Peterson Organizations: Company, TechCrunch, Spora, US Securities and Exchange Commission, Apple, Aetna, Stanford Graduate School of Business, Human Ventures, MaC Venture, SEC Locations: Spora, Level's, slivingston@insider.com

☆ Cannabis entrepreneur rolls his fortune into real estate and sports deals
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-18 | by ( Robert Frank | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

"A lot of professional athletes and musicians and entertainers love cannabis," Joseph said. Now, Big Plan is teaming up with cannabis retailer Silver Therapeutics to buy $35 million of marijuana-related commercial real estate in New England. Unlike most family offices, Big Plan didn't actually start with a big plan or mission. Sydni oversees business development and handles due diligence and screening for potential deals, while Sophie is president of the Joseph Family foundation. "My number one piece of advice for other family offices is get your kids involved," he said.

Persons: Josh Joseph, Joseph, CNBC's, South Joseph, He's, seltzer, we're, Josh, Tara, Sydni, Sophie, we've Organizations: Grassroots, Big, Holdings, Vegas, Broadway, Music City, NBA, Silver Therapeutics, University of Illinois Locations: Nashville, South, cannabidiol, Chicago, New England, Austin

☆ Hollywood insiders are bracing for M&A activity to make a comeback, as 10 experts reveal the deals they're predicting
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-17 | by ( Reed Alexander | Lucia Moses | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +12 min

"The unknown is hard to transact in," Sam Powers, the global head of technology, media, and telecommunications for Bank of America, told Insider. Microsoft's $69 billion acquisition of Activision , which was completed Thursday, has also put media and tech M&A back in the spotlight. "People have been holding their breath in nervous anticipation" about the idea of tech buying big media , one investor told Insider. Private-equity bets on media and Hollywood have seen mixed resultsPrivate-equity firms may have the cash to finance major media acquisitions, but they're reckoning with market volatility. Are you a Hollywood insider?

Persons: Hollywood dealmakers, Jonathan Handel, Sam Powers, Bob Iger, —, Byron Allen, Greg Doherty, Iger, Disney's, Byron Allen —, Allen, Disney, it's, Handel, It's, you've, Reese Witherspoon, Dave Kotinsky, Moonbug, Reese Witherspoon's, Jeff Zucker, Abu, Tom Staggs, Kevin Mayer, Lucia Moses, Reed Alexander Organizations: Hollywood, Puck News, Bank of America, SAG, Writers Guild of America, Disney, ESPN, Activision, Byron Allen The Weather, Wall Street shareholders, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Hulu, ABC, Nexstar Media Group, Allen Media Group, Weather, Lionsgate, Starz, Paramount, BET, Warner Bros, Games, Disney Digital Network, Maker Studios, Observers, Comcast, Paramount Global, Tech, MGM, Microsoft, Netflix, Apple, RedBird Capital Partners, RedBird IMI, Private, SP, G Global Market Intelligence, Bloomberg, Media, Apollo Global Management, Yahoo Locations: Hollywood, Blackstone, Abu Dhabi, lmoses@insider.com, ralexander@insider.com

☆ Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella says he weighs 2 factors when considering making an acquisition
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-17 | by ( Sarah Jackson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Satya Nadella has orchestrated a slew of acquisitions at Microsoft since becoming CEO in 2014. His remarks come on the heels of Microsoft closing its $69 billion Activision Blizzard deal. AdvertisementAdvertisementSatya Nadella has closed a number of deals for Microsoft in his tenure as CEO, and he says there are two key factors he considers when eyeing possible acquisitions. Nadella discussed his thought process for acquisitions while speaking at the Axel Springer Award ceremony in Berlin on Tuesday. Axel Springer is Insider's parent company.

Persons: Satya Nadella, Axel Springer's, —, Nadella, Axel Springer Organizations: Microsoft, Activision Blizzard, Service, Activision, Mojang Studios Locations: Berlin

☆ Hollywood's AI issues are far from settled after writers' labor deal with studios
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-16 | by ( Drew Richardson | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

The Writers Guild of America's labor deal with Hollywood studios was billed as a big win for writers, but industry experts fear the agreement's artificial intelligence guardrails won't be enough. The contract does, however, leave room for studios to train AI using preexisting material. WGA's original May proposal, which triggered the strike, would have disallowed studios from using any materials to train AI outright. Hollywood studios training AI with preexisting materials could create a whole new set of issues for writers by allowing the studios to use previous work to generate similar materials without the writer's consent or even awareness. Allowing studios to train AI with preexisting material was a "punt" down the line, and studios will inevitably "push to use AI as far as possible," said Peter Csathy, founder and chairman of media legal advisory company Creative Media.

Persons: Justine Bateman, Leslie Callif, Donaldson, Callif, Peter Csathy Organizations: Writers Guild of America, The, Hollywood, CNBC, WGA, Alliance, Television Producers, Beverly, Creative Media Locations: Netflix's, York, New York City, Hollywood, Beverly Hills, U.S

☆ Hollywood is building a $100 billion love-hate relationship with AI. Here's what's ahead, according to the top creative exec at 'Star Wars' VFX shop Industrial Light & Magic.
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-13 | by ( Reed Alexander | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Harrison Ford has been donning the fedora and cracking the whip of the daring tomb-raider Indiana Jones for more than 40 years. The series' latest installment, "Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny," leans on myths from ancient Greece about a device that can supposedly turn back the hands of time. Indiana Jones suddenly looked generations younger — perfect for the movie's opening sequence, set during World War II. Founded in 1975 by celebrated "Star Wars" creator Geroge Lucas, ILM — a division of Lucasfilm, which also produces "Indiana Jones" — is at the forefront of this new Hollywood frontier. One of the team's biggest achievements has been speeding up the timeline by which filmmakers can implement these tools, Bredow said.

Persons: Harrison Ford, Indiana Jones, Moviemakers, Rob Bredow, Bredow, Ford, Jones, Robert de Niro, Al Pacino, Joe Pesce, lugged, Geroge Lucas, it's Organizations: Ford, Hollywood, Industrial, Lucasfilm, Netflix, ILM, Writers Guild of America, SAG, Grand View Research, Producers Locations: Greece, Hollywood

☆ Hollywood stuck in a rut after talks break down between actors' union and studios
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-12 | by ( Sarah Whitten | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Members of the Writers Guild of America and the Screen Actors Guild walk a picket line on Day 1 outside NBC Universal in New York City on July 14, 2023. Forget about a Hollywood ending for actors and studios — for now. After just under two weeks, negotiations between the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers broke down Wednesday night. It appears that wages and artificial intelligence protections remain sticking points between actors and studios. With the dissolution of talks, the strike will rage on, disrupting marketing campaigns and preventing production from commencing on a significant portion of Hollywood's film and television projects.

Persons: Jimmy Fallon, Jimmy Kimmel, Seth Meyers, Stephen Colbert, John Oliver Organizations: Writers Guild of America, Screen, NBC Universal, —, American Federation of Television, Radio Artists, Alliance, Television Producers, SAG, WGA Locations: New York City

☆ 'The Exorcist: Believer' and Hispanic audiences: A match made in horror movie heaven
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-05 | by ( Mike Calia | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

In this article CMCSAUVV Follow your favorite stocks CREATE FREE ACCOUNTStill from the set of "The Exorcist: Believer." The new "Exorcist" movie will draw big Hispanic audiences. Universal is seeing stronger-than-average Hispanic interest for "The Exorcist: Believer" as the movie heads into its opening weekend, according to people familiar with the matter. Hispanic and Latino viewers will have a big say in how "The Exorcist: Believer" does at the box office, no matter what. They tend to represent 26% of horror movie audiences, compared with 20% for other genres, according to the Comscore/Screen Engine PostTrak Audience Survey.

Persons: Lea, Rolando Rodriguez, Leslie Odom Jr, Hamilton, Taylor Swift, Paul Dergarabedian, R.C, Jara, Max von Sydow, Linda Blair, Bela Lugosi, Guillermo del Toro, bogeyman El, Llorona, Angel Melanson, they're, William Peter Blatty, Ellen Burstyn, Jason Miller, Melanson, David Gordon Green, Alfred Hitchcock's, William Friedkin, there's, Green Organizations: Studios, National Association of Theatre Owners, Comscore, Survey, Bettmann, Getty, Universal, CNBC, Pew Research Center, Universal Studios, Hollywood Locations: Cuban, Georgia, Hollywood, United States

A digital artwork by Chinese artist Snow Fish. The controversy has fueled online protests on the Chinese internet against the creation and use of AI-generated images, with several other artists claiming their works had been similarly used without their knowledge. Hundreds of artists have posted banners on Xiaohongshu saying “No to AI-generated images,” while a related hashtag has been viewed more than 35 million times on the Chinese Twitter-like platform Weibo. Besides Trik AI, Xiaohongshu has also developed a new function called “Ci Ke” which allows users to post content using AI-generated images. Snow Fish added that these complaints had been slowly growing within the artist community but had mostly been privately shared rather than openly protested.

Persons: Snow Fish, Fish, Bard, ERNIE Bot, SenseTime’s, Xiaohongshu, Snow, “, ”, Zhang, ’ Organizations: Hong Kong CNN — Artists, CNN, Xiaohongshu, City University of Hong, European, Capitol Hill Locations: China, Hong Kong, Weibo, United States, City University of Hong Kong, London, California

SAG-AFTRA actors and Writers Guild of America (WGA) writers walk the picket line outside Disney Studios in Burbank, California, U.S., July 25, 2023. REUTERS/Mike Blake/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSept 25 (Reuters) - Big media companies gave up early share gains from hopes of an end to screenwriters' strike on Monday as focus shifted to an ongoing strike by actors, whose resolution is crucial for a full return to work in Hollywood. But a strike by a larger guild of actors is still on. Nearly 160,000 film and television actors, stunt performers and other media professionals walked off the job in July, demanding higher wages and protection against artificial intelligence use. Its shares have dropped nearly 14% since the writers' strike started on May 2, while Paramount, Disney and Netflix have lost between 20% and 45%.

Persons: Mike Blake, Walt Disney, Susannah Streeter, Hargreaves Lansdown, WBD, David Zaslav, Rosenblatt, Barton Crockett, Yuvraj Malik, Zaheer Kachwala, Arun Koyyur Organizations: Writers Guild of America, Disney Studios, REUTERS, Big, Warner Bros Discovery, Paramount Global, Hargreaves, Paramount, Disney, Netflix, Media, Thomson Locations: Burbank , California, U.S, Hollywood, Bengaluru

SAG-AFTRA actors and Writers Guild of America (WGA) writers walk the picket line outside Disney Studios in Burbank, California, U.S., July 25, 2023. The union representing roughly 11,500 film and television writers and the group that represents the studios and streaming companies announced the preliminary agreement on Sunday. The three-year deal, whose details were not disclosed, needs to be approved by the leadership of the Writers Guild of America and union members to officially end the strike. But even after the approval, it will take longer for productions to resume as Hollywood actors are still on strike. Its shares have dropped nearly 14% since the writers' strike started on May 2, while Paramount, Disney and Netflix have lost between 20% and 45%.

Persons: Mike Blake, Walt Disney, Susannah Streeter, Hargreaves Lansdown, WBD, David Zaslav, Craig Huber, Yuvraj Malik, Zaheer Kachwala, Arun Koyyur Organizations: Writers Guild of America, Disney Studios, REUTERS, Warner Bros Discovery, Paramount Global, Netflix, SAG, Hargreaves, Paramount, Disney, Media, Huber Research Partners, Thomson Locations: Burbank , California, U.S, Bengaluru

☆ WATCH: As the retail media industry booms, experts say data collaboration and technology will be the proving ground for success for advertisers
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-25 | by ( Ashley Davis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Three retail media experts discuss the unique advantages and challenges of this evolving market. The conversation was part of Insider's event, "A New Era of Retail Media," which took place on Tuesday, September 19. At a recent event hosted by Insider and presented by Snowflake, retail experts shared insights into how retail media is changing the advertising industry. Argyilan added that retail media is quickly gaining in popularity because of opportunities that didn't exist in other channels previously. But retail media is providing advertisers with opportunities to get more creative than the standard ad banner featuring a product.

Persons: Lauren Johnson, Kristi Argyilan, Glen Conybeare, Erin Foxworthy, Conybeare, that's, Argyilan, Foxworthy, That's, It's, it's Organizations: Retail Media, Service, Retail, Albertsons Media, IPG Media Brands, Snowflake Inc Locations: Wall, Silicon, Snowflake

The Writers Guild of America (WGA), which represents roughly 11,500 film and television writers, reached a preliminary three-year deal with major studios on Sunday. While actors remain on strike, late-night and daytime talk shows may resume production once their writers receive the Guild's greenlight to return to work in the coming days or weeks. Film and television producer Todd Garner said he expects that once actors reach a deal, scores of productions will race to restart at once. Major television shows and movies are contractually in first position with actors, Garner said. Its shares have dropped nearly 14% since the writers' strike started on May 2, while Paramount, Disney and Netflix have lost between 20% and 45%.

Persons: David Swanson, Drew Barrymore, Barrymore, Jimmy Fallon, Todd Garner, Garner, " Garner, Walt Disney, Susannah Streeter, Hargreaves Lansdown, Rosenblatt, Barton Crockett, Lisa Richwine, Dawn Chmielewski, Yuvraj Malik, Zaheer Kachwala, Arun Koyyur, Sandra Maler Organizations: Netflix, Writers Guild of America, REUTERS, Hollywood, Guild of America, SAG, Long, Warner Bros Discovery, Comcast, Hargreaves, Paramount, Disney, Thomson Locations: Los Angeles , California, U.S, California, Los Angeles, Bengaluru

☆ Opinion: These GOP candidates are key to Zelensky’s fate
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-23 | by ( Jessica Chia | Opinion Lanhee J. Chen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

It’s no surprise, then, that three of the leading Republican presidential contenders — including former president Donald Trump, businessman Vivek Ramaswamy and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis — have expressed skepticism or outright opposition to additional US funding for or involvement in the Ukraine war effort. Given these political headwinds, it’s perhaps more surprising that a number of GOP presidential candidates seeking to be the alternative to Trump, including former UN Ambassador and South Carolina Gov. It is ultimately the GOP presidential candidates who favor continued support for Ukraine who are in the best position to make the case to Republican voters. Less time has been spent on the campaign trail explaining to voters why support for Ukraine is crucial to our national interests.

Persons: J, Chen, David, Diane Steffy, Romney, Ryan, Volodymyr Zelensky, Biden, Lanhee J, Chen Lanhee J . Chen, Kevin McCarthy, —, Vladimir Putin’s, Xi Jinping, It’s, Donald Trump, Vivek Ramaswamy, Ron DeSantis —, Nikki Haley, Mike Pence, Chris Christie, Haley, Trump, Pence, Vladimir Putin, ” Christie, Putin ”, Christie, Zelensky — Organizations: CNN, Public Policy, Hoover Institution, California State, Republican, Democratic, Republicans, Russia, Ukraine, Florida Gov, Trump, UN, South Carolina Gov, New, New Jersey Gov, GOP, Republican Party, Senate Republican, Kyiv Locations: Washington, Ukraine, Europe, United States, America, China, Kyiv, Florida, New Jersey, New Hampshire, Congress

☆ Why Barbie, Star Trek, and Star Wars succeed where other movie franchises fail to capitalize on fandoms, according to a new study
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-20 | by ( Lucia Moses | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Fandom unveiled the top 25 game and TV/film franchises of 2023 with Marvel, One Piece, Elder Scrolls, and Harry Potter following Star Wars. The idea was to give a unified view on what's capturing fan attention and why, said Perkins Miller, Fandom's CEO. Fandom study describes why franchises fans buy. "We saw original fans far less likely to watch those," Iaffaldano said of the animated shows. FandomOverall, world-building, as exemplified by Star Wars, was the most important factor in love of a franchise, cited by 32%.

Persons: Scrolls, Harry Potter, Perkins Miller, Warner, David Zaslav, Bob Iger, Marvel, Barbie, hasn't, Zelda, Anthony Iaffaldano, Iaffaldano, It's, Miller, they're Organizations: Star Wars, Marvel, Star, deca, Warner Bros, Discovery, Disney, Nintendo, Netflix, Paramount

Legacy media companies like Disney , Warner Bros. Netflix was the first streamer to report a loss in subscribers in 2022, sending its stock and other media companies spiraling. Media companies also have begun slashing content spending budgets. Yet streaming remains the focus for all of these companies as consumers rapidly cut the cord and opt for streaming. Legacy media companies scrambled to follow suit, unsure if the model actually worked.

Persons: Mario Tama, it's, Steven Schiffman, NBCUniversal, Bob Iger, Ken Solomon, Solomon, Marc DeBevoise, John Hodulik, hasn't, —, Hulu —, Peacock, Max —, HBO Max, — Ryan Murphy, Shonda, Kenya Barris, David Benioff, Weiss —, Jonathan Miller, Shonda Rhimes, Presley Ann, Patrick McMullan, Bart Simpson, esports, DeBevoise, Peter Csathy Organizations: Netflix, Getty, North, Georgetown University, Legacy, Disney, Warner Bros, Discovery, Paramount, Media, Marvel, Tennis Channel, Sinclair, Companies, UBS, CBS, HBO, Max, Hulu, Integrated Media, Trek, Universal Studios Television, Getty Images Disney, Wars, Fox, Hollywood's, Creative Media, Charter Communications, ESPN, & $, + + Locations: Los Angeles, North American, J.J, Abrams, Kenya, Beverly Hills , CA, Georgetown

☆ Sporadic protests continue in Iran as Mahsa Amini anniversary passes
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

[1/2] Newspapers, with a cover picture of Mahsa Amini, a woman who died after being arrested by the Islamic republic's "morality police" are seen in Tehran, Iran September 18, 2022. Iran International, a London-based television station critical of the Iranian government, in February said it was moving its live broadcasting studios to the United States following threats it faced in Britain. "(Iran) International is a terrorist network, and we will take action wherever and whenever we recognise any terrorist act," the semi-official news agency Fars quoted the minister, Esmail Khatib, as saying. AMINI 'INSPIRED A MOVEMENT'In the demonstrations that followed Amini's death more than 500 people, including 71 minors, were killed, hundreds injured and thousands arrested, rights groups said. Iran's Foreign Ministry rejected as "double standards and lies" Western expressions of support for women's rights in Iran.

Persons: Mahsa, Majid Asgaripour, Mahsa's, Amjad Amini, Esmail Khatib, AMINI, Joe Biden, Amini, Amini's, Conor Humphries Organizations: West Asia News Agency, REUTERS, Rights, Islamic, Kurdistan Human Rights Network, Sunday, Saturday, White, Iran's Foreign, Amnesty International, Dubai, Thomson Locations: Tehran, Iran, Rights DUBAI, Kurdish, Kurdistan, Hamadan, Republic, Saqez, Sanandaj, London, United States, Britain, Fars

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