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Israeli strikes hit near hospitals in Gaza City as the military pushed deeper into dense urban neighborhoods in its battle with Hamas militants. The number of Palestinians killed in the war has risen to over 10,800, including more than 4,400 children, the Hamas-run Health Ministry in Gaza said. In the occupied West Bank, more than 160 Palestinians have been killed in the violence and Israeli raids. Basel Zalabani, Mohammed’s father, said that Israeli forces had arrested him and his other 18-year-old son Yazan ahead of the demolition. Since the Hamas attack on Israel on Oct. 7, at least five Romanian citizens have been confirmed killed.

Persons: Gaza’s, Marine Le, JERUSALEM, Mohammed’s, Yazan, ”, Australia — Francesca Albanese, Israel, ” Albanese, “, they'll, ” CloudFlare, NETANYAHU, ISRAEL, Benjamin Netanyahu, Netanyahu, “ Writers Bloc ” Organizations: Hamas, Nations, Ministry, West Bank, —, United States Office, Palestinian Affairs, Bank, Basel, UN, won’t, Romania — Romania’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, United Arab Emirates, UNITED, . Development, Social Commission, West, Fox News, The New York Times, “ Writers Bloc, New York Times, The Associated Press, of Liberty and Grand Locations: Gaza City, Gaza’s, Israel, Gaza, Hungary, israel, ISRAEL, Jerusalem, West, Jenin, ADELAIDE, Australia, Adelaide, GAZA BUCHAREST, Romania, Egypt, Rafah, Cairo, Bucharest, YEMEN, DUBAI, United Arab, Yemen, YemenNet, Saudi, Red City, Hodeida, Syria, Ukraine, West Asia, Palestinian, GAZA Israeli, deradicalized, Manhattan, New York

NEW YORK (AP) — Jezebel, the sharp-edged feminist website founded at the height of blogosphere era, is shutting down after 16 years, its parent company announced Thursday. G/O Media said 23 staffers would be laid off, including Jezebel's team, as part of a restructuring to cope with economic headwinds and a difficult digital advertising environment. The New York-based company also announced the departure of G/O Media editorial director Merrill Brown. In a memo to the company, G/0 Media CEO Jim Spanfeller said he made the “very, very difficult decision to suspend publication of Jezebel” after an unsuccessful search for a buyer for the website. In 2019, Jezebel became part of the G/0 Media portfolio, which also includes Gizmodo, Quartz, the Onion and the Root.

Persons: Merrill Brown, Jim Spanfeller, Jezebel ”, Spanfeller, Anna Holmes, Jezebel, Jim Spanfeller’s, Laura Bassett, ”, Lauren Tousignant Organizations: O Media, Gawker Media, WGA, Media Locations: New York

☆ Morning Bid: Oil and bond yields try to find toehold
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

The Wall Street sign is pictured at the New York Stock exchange (NYSE) in the Manhattan borough of New York City, New York, U.S., March 9, 2020. The supply picture for U.S. crude, which is now down more than 20% from late September's peaks, has also weighed on energy prices. Crude inventories increased by 11.9 million barrels over the week to Nov. 3, sources said, citing American Petroleum Institute figures. With senior Fed officials on Wednesday side-stepping guidance on the central bank's next policy steps, attention focuses squarely on Powell's latest speech. They do not reflect the views of Reuters News, which, under the Trust Principles, is committed to integrity, independence, and freedom from bias.

Persons: Carlo Allegri, Mike Dolan, Jerome Powell's, Powell, Jerome Powell, Thomas Barkin, Raphael Bostic, Kathleen O'Neill Paese, Christine Lagarde, Janet Yellen, Becton Dickinson, Emelia Sithole Organizations: New York Stock, REUTERS, Federal, American Petroleum Institute, Walt Disney, ABC, Warner Bros Discovery, Richmond Fed, Atlanta Fed, Louis Interim, European Central Bank, . Treasury, News Corp, Wynn Resorts, U.S, Treasury, Thomson, Reuters Locations: Manhattan, New York City , New York, U.S, Europe, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Washington, St, Brussels, Mettler, Toledo, TransDigm

The company owns and operates several digital media outlets, including Gizmodo, Quartz and Deadspin. News of the site’s closure bookended a revolution of feminist writing on the internet that Jezebel helped kick off when it launched in 2007. A wave of sites, including DoubleX, from Slate, and Reductress, followed, many of them adopting Jezebel’s incisive focus on gender politics and racism. Anna Holmes, who founded Jezebel and left the publication in 2010, woke up to the announcement of the site shuttering on Thursday and said she was still processing the news. Ms. Holmes, 50, said that she was hired by Nick Denton, the founder of Gawker Media, to launch the publication in 2007.

Persons: Spanfeller, “, Jezebel, Anna Holmes, ”, Holmes, Nick Denton Organizations: O Media, Slate, Gawker Media

☆ Sony reports 29% drop in operating profit as weakness in chip business hits home
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-09 | by ( Ryan Browne | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Sony on Thursday reported a 29% drop in operating profit in the fiscal second quarter as the Japanese electronics giant suffered from weakness in its imaging sensor — or chip — business. Here's how Sony did in the September quarter versus LSEG consensus estimates:Revenue: 2.8 trillion yen ($18.5 billion) versus 2.87 trillion yen expected. Operating profit: 263 billion Japanese yen versus 304.4 billion yen expected. Sony attributed the significant drop in profit to weakness in its imaging sensor business, as well as declines in profit at its financial services and entertainment, technology and services businesses. Despite the slide in profit, the company increased its sales forecast for the full year, saying it now expects total sales of 12.4 trillion yen (up from earlier forecasts of 12.2 trillion yen) as it benefits from positive foreign exchange rates.

Organizations: Sony, Apple, Writers Guild of America

☆ The Hollywood actors' strike is over, but the impact will linger for some big companies
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-09 | by ( Robert Hum | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

SAG-AFTRA members and supporters chant outside Paramount Studios on day 118 of their strike against the Hollywood studios on November 8, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. Before the actors' union reached a labor deal with studios Wednesday night, Disney CEO Bob Iger told CNBC's Julia Boorstin that the strike's impact on the business had so far "been negligible." Because of the actors' strike, Sony cut its movie unit's fiscal year operating-profit forecast to 115 billion yen from 120 billion yen. "We have incorporated the impact that can be assumed at the present time into our forecast for the fiscal year." In July, while Hollywood actors and writers were both on strike, Sony postponed the release of Marvel Studios collaboration "Kraven the Hunter" to next year and delayed its next "Spider-Verse" movie, both potential blockbusters.

Persons: Bob Iger, CNBC's Julia Boorstin, Kraven, Hunter Organizations: Paramount Studios, Hollywood, Disney, Sony, Marvel Studios, AMC Entertainment Locations: Los Angeles , California

Actors secured these new safeguards as part of a deal announced late on Wednesday, according to Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, chief negotiator for the SAG-AFTRA actors union. The proposed agreement sets a minimum compensation level for AI uses, Crabtree-Ireland said. Crabtree-Ireland said the proposed contract also included safeguards around the use of generative AI to create synthetic actors. "They are being ultra cautious," said Scott Mann, co-CEO and founder of Flawless, a company that uses AI for film dubbing and editing. Film and television writers also won protections around AI use after a five-month-long strike by the Writers Guild of America this year.

Persons: Duncan Crabtree, Carlos Osorio, Crabtree, Walt Disney, Scott Mann, Dawn Chmielewski, Lisa Richwine, Mary Milliken, Bill Berkrot Organizations: National, SAG, The, Toronto, Film, REUTERS, Actors, Reuters, Alliance, Television Producers, Walt, Warner Bros Discovery, Netflix, Technology, Writers Guild of America, Thomson Locations: Ireland, Toronto , Ontario, Canada, Crabtree, Hollywood, Los Angeles

☆ Trade Desk shares plunge about 30% on weak guidance tied to auto, Hollywood strikes
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-09 | by ( Jonathan Vanian | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

The Trade Desk shares plunged about 30% in after-hours trading on Thursday after the ad-tech company issued fourth-quarter revenue guidance that fell well short of analysts' estimates. A Trade Desk spokesperson told CNBC that guidance came "in slightly below consensus, largely because the transitory cautiousness from advertisers in certain verticals, such as U.S. auto and media/entertainment due to the strikes." The United Auto Workers launched targeted strikes at select facilities against the Detroit automakers beginning Sept. 15, and then expanded the stoppages. Trade Desk said third-quarter sales jumped 25% from $493 million a year earlier. Net income increased to $39 million, or 8 cents a share, from $16 million, or 3 cents, a year earlier.

Persons: Jeff Green, Green, Susan Li Organizations: LSEG, CNBC, United Auto Workers, Detroit, UAW, General Motors, Ford Motor, Guild of America, Trade, Meta, Comcast, Cisco Systems Locations: Israel

The 118-day work stoppage will end officially just after midnight, the SAG-AFTRA union said in a statement after its negotiating committee voted unanimously to support the deal. "We have arrived at a contract that will enable SAG-AFTRA members from every category to build sustainable careers," the union said. George Clooney and other A-list stars voiced solidarity with lower-level actors and had urged union leadership to reach a resolution. While WGA members returned to writing scripts in late September, the ongoing SAG-AFTRA work stoppage left many productions dark. It also led movie studios to delay big releases such as "Dune: Part 2" because striking actors could not promote them.

Persons: Jim Kulick, Mario Anzuoni, Fran Drescher, Walt Disney, I'm, Fanny Grande, It's, Jessica Payne, Rati Gupta, Anu, George Clooney, Lisa Richwine, Stephen Coates Organizations: SAG, Paramount Studios, REUTERS, Alliance, Television Producers, Walt, Netflix, Hollywood, CBS, Writers Guild of America, WGA, Milken, United Auto Workers, Detroit carmakers, Thomson Locations: Los Angeles , California, U.S, New York, Los Angeles, Los Angeles and New York, California

Hollywood jumped into planning mode Thursday at the news of a tentative agreement between striking actors and the major entertainment companies. Just hours after the tentative agreement was announced, “The Marvels” star Iman Vellani was already being offered to press for interviews. The Walt Disney Co. movie, which cost over $200 million to produce, opens this weekend with showtimes starting as early as Thursday afternoon. Searchlight Pictures also started actively planning things for Michael Fassbender, who stars in Taika Waititi's “Next Goal Wins,” out next week. Brunson’s writing team had already been back in the room, but the strike’s suspension clears the way for filming.

Persons: Hollywood, what's, Iman Vellani, Michael Fassbender, ”, Timothée Chalamet, Wonka ”, Jason Momoa, publicists, Joe Biden, ” Biden, “, they’ve, Gavin Newsom, Simu Liu, “ Barbie, ” Lui, “ Bravo, ” Albert Brooks, Rob Reiner, “ Albert Brooks, Max, ” Brooks, ” Octavia Spencer, ” “ Abbott, Quinta Brunson, “ we’re, Justine Bateman, Priscilla ”, “ Ferrari, Bradley Cooper’s Leonard Bernstein, “ Maestro, Carey Mulligan, Emma Stone, Mark Ruffalo, Jeffrey Wright, Ridley Scott’s “ Napoleon, Joaquin Phoenix, Martin Scorsese’s, Leonardo DiCaprio, Lily Gladstone, Robert DeNiro, Alexander Payne’s “, Paul Giamatti, Annette Bening, Jodie Foster Organizations: Walt Disney Co, showtimes, Searchlight Pictures, Screen Actors, American Federation of Television, Radio Artists, “ SAG, SAG, HBO Locations: California, Venice

☆ Hollywood actors' strike is set to end Thursday after SAG-AFTRA reached a tentative agreement with major studios
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-09 | by ( Alison Brower | Reed Alexander | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

SAG-AFTRA has reached a tentative agreement to end its strike against the Hollywood studios. The strike lasted 118 days, and, along with the Hollywood writers' strike, halted most film and TV production. AdvertisementAdvertisementThe actors' union, SAG-AFTRA, announced Wednesday evening that it had secured a tentative deal with Hollywood studios to end a strike of nearly four months, a spokesperson for the guild confirmed to Insider. The guild's national board will review the tentative deal on Friday, November 10, after which the union said "further details" would be released. While 2023 has seen some box office highs, most notably the summer's Barbenheimer phenomenon, movie theaters, and Hollywood studios are still struggling to recover from the pandemic drop in theatergoing.

Persons: AFTRA, —, Netflix —, Bob Iger, Donna Langley, Ted Sarandos, David Zaslav, Debra Messing, Pedro Pascal — Organizations: Hollywood, Service, SAG, Alliance, Television Producers, Writers Guild of America, Warner Bros, Disney, Netflix, Discovery, WGA, Apple, Paramount, Sony, Writers Locations: California, Hollywood, —

☆ Strikes were just one battle. Hollywood is still fighting a war for survival
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-09 | by ( Allison Morrow | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

New York CNN —Hollywood writers and actors are going back to work after one of the longest strikes ever in the entertainment industry. Hollywood is in a rebuilding era — a painful, awkward transition fueled by tectonic changes in technology and consumer behavior. Strikes, while disruptive, were only a blip compared with the many other existential quandaries weighing on media companies. Cable TV sign-ups have been rapidly falling for a decade, and no one believes that trend is going to reverse. Netflix and Disney aren’t just competing against each other, they’re also competing with YouTube and TikTok and endless podcasts.

Persons: CNN Business ’, Bob Iger, “, ”, We’re, Hulu —, Peacock, HBO Max — we’re, Max, “ OTT ” —, Iger, aren’t, Harrison Ford, Disney, they’re, That’s, Barbenheimer ”, Taylor Swift, Indiana Jones, you’ll Organizations: CNN Business, New York CNN, Hollywood, Studio, Disney, Paramount, Warner Bros, Cable, Netflix, Hulu, Apple, Amazon Prime, HBO, CNN, Discovery, Disney aren’t, YouTube, Intelligence Locations: New York

To studio executives who negotiated with the SAG-AFTRA president, the former star of "The Nanny" prolonged a strike while she relished her high-profile role. As president of the 160,000-member SAG-AFTRA union, Drescher won widespread praise from performers for her tenacity in fighting for better wages and protections against the rising threat of artificial intelligence technology. Drescher framed her actions as part of a broader labor movement battling Corporate America, where, in her view, executives place Wall Street's approval and their own compensation ahead of the welfare of workers. Studio executives, who declined to criticize Drescher publicly to avoid inflaming labor talks, said the 66-year-old Drescher delivered similar unvarnished critiques to industry leaders during closed-door negotiations. "Her interest as the union president is to see all performers, from background to the top 2%, succeed in a vibrant industry for the next century and beyond."

Persons: Fran Drescher, Duncan Crabtree, Fran Fine, Drescher, Kate Bond, Jill Morgan, AFTRA, Wall, Norma Rae, Ivy Kagan Bierman, Loeb & Loeb, Shari Belafonte, Belafonte, Bob Iger, Ted Sarandos, Kimberly Westbrook, Fran, Westbrook, Justine Bateman, Alex Plank, Bobby Cannavale, Robert De Niro, Ezra, She's, Plank, Dawn Chmielewski, Lisa Richwine, Mary Milliken, Rosalba O'Brien, Gerry Doyle Organizations: SAG, Writers Guild of America, Hollywood, Netflix, Broadway, CBS, Corporate America, Loeb &, NBC, Walt Disney, Amazon Studios, Thomson Locations: Los Angeles , California, U.S, ANGELES, Queens, Ireland

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

The potential Georgia connection surfaced a day after authorities in Washington state said four county election offices had to be evacuated as election workers were processing ballots cast in Tuesday’s election, delaying vote-counting. Election offices in Seattle’s King County and ones in Skagit, Spokane and Pierce counties received envelopes containing suspicious powders. Political Cartoons View All 1237 ImagesTacoma Police spokesperson William Muse said a message inside the envelope received by Pierce County election workers said “something to the effect of stopping the election." It was not immediately clear how authorities came to suspect that a letter might have been sent to the Fulton County election office or whether similar ones went to election offices in other states. "Election officials should be free from fear and intimidation, which is why I’ve called on the General Assembly to increase penalties for election interference,” Raffensperger said.

Persons: William Muse, Muse, Steve Hobbs, ”, Brad Raffensperger, I’ve, ” Raffensperger, accidently, Gene Johnson, Lindsay Whitehurst Organizations: WASHINGTON, —, Georgia Emergency Management, Homeland Security Agency, The Associated Press, Tacoma Police, U.S . Department of Justice, FBI, U.S . Postal, Service, AP, Assembly, Associated Press Locations: Fulton County, Georgia, Atlanta, Washington, Seattle’s King County, Skagit , Spokane, Pierce, Kings, Spokane, Pierce County, United States, Seattle

☆ Winners and Losers From the Third Republican Debate - The New York Times
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-09 | by ( New York Times Opinion | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +13 min

Welcome to Opinion’s commentary for the third Republican presidential debate, held in Miami on Wednesday night. The debate didn’t answer the question of whether she can really cut into DeSantis’s more conservative bloc of support. He deserves praise for his substantive, competent answers, but there’s not much of a market for that in the Republican primaries. In a debate dominated by a neoconservative revival, Ramaswamy — in both style and substance — was the only Trumpist on the stage. primary voters relished his attacks on the Republican National Committee and the debate moderators.

Persons: Jamelle, Nikki Haley, Haley, Gail Collins, Michelle Cottle, yapping, Ross Douthat I’m, Ramaswamy, David French Neoconservatism, Sarah Isgur, Sarah Longwell, DeSantis, Daniel McCarthy, Dick Cheney, —, Haley couldn’t, Ron DeSantis, Donald Trump, There’s, Ross Douthat, he’s, David French, He’s, Vivek Ramaswamy, Sarah Isgur DeSantis, Sarah Longwell DeSantis, Kim Reynolds, Jamelle Bouie Chris Christie, It’s, David French Christie, Trump, Christie isn’t, Sarah Isgur It’s, Christie —, Christie, there’s, Bouie, Tim Scott, Scott, I’ve, we’re, David French I’m, Reagan, platitudes, hasn’t, Sarah Longwell Tim Scott, Daniel McCarthy He’s, Ross, David French Ramaswamy, Ramaswamy —, cheekily Organizations: Trump Republican, Trump, Republican, Gov, Federal Reserve, White, Republican Party, MAGA, Republican National Committee, Nazi Locations: Miami, Iowa, New Hampshire, Ukraine, Iran, Israel, China, hawkish, Iraq, Afghanistan, Russia, Haley, Florida

The actors strike might provide that, though there's still the chance of strike sequels in the months ahead. Here's some of what will happen next:Political Cartoons View All 1237 ImagesSO IS THE ACTORS STRIKE REALLY OVER? Picket lines are suspended and the only rallies on the horizon are celebratory ones that the actors union is promising will happen. Another actors strike — this one by video game performers — is possible. ___For more coverage of the actors and writers strike, visit: https://apnews.com/hub/hollywood-strikes/

Persons: they're, ” “ Abbott, ”, there's, —, they've “, ” Duncan Crabtree, I’m, ” Crabtree, Ryan Reynolds, Hugh Jackman, Ridley Scott's, “, Kevin Costner's, Leonardo DiCaprio, Brie Larson, That's, Lily Gladstone, didn't, Michael Mann's, “ Ferrari, Adam Driver, Patrick Dempsey, Dempsey, It'll Organizations: ANGELES, Screen, American Federation of Television, Radio Artists, Television Producers, SAG, Associated Press, “ Abbott, Netflix, Globe, International Alliance, Marvel, IATSE Locations: Venice, U.S, hollywood

☆ 'Hunger Games' prequel cast premiere film, welcome end of strike
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-09 | by ( Hanna Rantala | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/5] Footballers Ann-Katrin Berger, Jessica Carter, Bethany England and Stephanie Williams attend the world premiere of the movie "Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes", in BFI IMAX, London, Britain, November 9, 2023. REUTERS/Maja Smiejkowska Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Nov 9 (Reuters) - The stars of "The Hunger Games" prequel welcomed the end of a four-month long Hollywood actors strike on Thursday as they walked the red carpet at the film's world premiere in London. Like the other "The Hunger Games" films, "The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes" is a Lionsgate movie, a studio which is not part of the AMPTP. In the film, Snow mentors and falls for Lucy Gray Baird, the female District 12 tribute during the 10th Hunger Games - a gladiatorial contest that pits the oppressed against each other, while the elite of the wealthy Capitol watch on. Like the other movies, the prequel is based on a novel by Suzanne Collins, released in 2020.

Persons: Ann, Katrin Berger, Jessica Carter, Bethany England, Stephanie Williams, Maja Smiejkowska, Jennifer Lawrence, Panem, Coriolanus Snow, Tom Blyth, Snow, Josh Andres Rivera, Sejanus, Lucy Gray Baird, Rachel Zegler, Lucy, Suzanne Collins, Hanna Rantala, Rosalba O'Brien Organizations: REUTERS, Hollywood, SAG, Reuters, Alliance, Television Producers, Lionsgate, Capitol, Thomson Locations: London, Britain

NEW YORK (AP) — Once again, U.S. labor unions are flexing their muscles in the national spotlight. In Hollywood, the actors union reached a tentative deal with major studios late Wednesday to end a months-long strike. UNION RATES HAVE BEEN FALLING FOR DECADES. Only 6% of U.S. private-sector workers belong to unions today, a sliver of the 35% that were union members in 1953. That means that what worked in auto workers' labor campaign, for example, may not look the same or be possible in other industries.

Persons: —, ” Alexander Colvin, ”, Eunice Han, Adam Seth Litwin, Litwin, Todd Vachon, Taft, Hartley, Vachon, Ronald Reagan, “, haven't, John F, Kennedy, ” Vachon, Han, Colvin, ” Colvin, Creighton Organizations: Hollywood, Caesars Entertainment, MGM Resorts International, United Auto Workers, Detroit, Cornell University's School of Industrial and Labor Relations, Associated Press, Labor, University of Utah, Cornell University’s School of Industrial and Labor Relations, ”, Screen Actors, American Federation of Television, Radio Artists, Writers Guild of America, Rutgers School of Management, Labor Relations, AP, Bureau of Labor Statistics, National Labor Relations, Starbucks, Gallup Locations: U.S, Las Vegas, United States, Midwest

And tensions between the countries heightened earlier this year when a Chinese surveillance balloon was spotted traveling over sensitive U.S. airspace. The U.S. military shot down the balloon off the Carolina coast after it traversed sensitive military sites across North America. With all of the tensions, the two nations have worked to smooth economic ties. Xi similarly met with Blinken in June when the secretary of state traveled to Beijing for talks with Wang. In January, she had her first face-to-face meeting with former Vice Premier Liu He in Zurich.

Persons: Janet Yellen, Joe Biden, Xi Jinping, Nicholas Szechenyi, ”, Biden, Shou Zi Chew, Wang Yi, Antony Blinken, Jake Sullivan, Xi, Wang, Yellen, Liu, “, Colleen Long, Aamer Madhani Organizations: WASHINGTON, —, Economic Cooperation, Center for Strategic, International Studies, APEC, Chinese Foreign, White, U.S, White House, Blinken, U.S . Treasury Department, China’s Ministry of Finance, Associated Press Locations: San Francisco, Asia, United States, China, U.S, Carolina, North America, Washington, Beijing, Zurich

☆ Big media rallies as tentative actors' deal paves way for restarting productions
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-09 | by ( Samrhitha A | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Warner Bros Discovery (WBD.O) and Paramount Global (PARA.O) gained 3% each, Netflix (NFLX.O) rose marginally, while Walt Disney (DIS.N) jumped 4%, as it also benefited from strong earnings and a plan to cut more costs. The writers, who had gone on strike before the actors in spring, returned to work in late September, but most productions remained halted as the actors were on picket lines. "Its certainly a very encouraging sign the chasm that opened up between actors, writers and studios can finally be closed and work begin in earnest on re-starting productions," said Susannah Streeter, head of money and markets at Hargreaves Lansdown. Streeter warned that "it's going to take considerable time before new movies, in particular, will appear on screens given the lengthy post-production process." Reporting by Samrhitha Arunasalam in Bengaluru; Editing by Shinjini GanguliOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Alyssa Pointer, Walt Disney, Susannah Streeter, Hargreaves Lansdown, Streeter, Samrhitha, Shinjini Organizations: Warner Bros . Discovery, Writers Guild of America, Alliance of Motion Pictures, Television Producers, REUTERS, Warner Bros Discovery, Paramount Global, Netflix, SAG, Hargreaves, Thomson Locations: Warner Bros . Discovery Atlanta, Atlanta , Georgia, U.S, Hollywood, Bengaluru

Toy figures of people are seen in front of the displayed Disney + logo, in this illustration taken January 20, 2022. For the fiscal fourth quarter ended Sept. 30, Disney reported adjusted per-share earnings of 82 cents, topping an average forecast of 70 cents, according to LSEG data. The company said it added nearly 7 million Disney+ streaming subscribers in the quarter, with the inclusion of "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. Disney+ and Disney+ Hotstar together boast 150.2 million subscribers, ahead of Visible Alpha's estimate of 147.4 million. "Our results this quarter reflect the significant progress we've made over the past year," Iger said in a statement.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Walt Disney, Bob, Kevin Lansberry, Iger, Disney, Nelson Peltz, Trian, Paolo Pescatore, Paul Verna, Verna, We've, Dawn Chmielewski, Lisa Richwine, Chavi Mehta, Peter Henderson, Sayantani Ghosh, Matthew Lewis Organizations: REUTERS, ABC, Disney, Guardians, Trian, Management, Warner Bros Discovery, SAG, Insider Intelligence, Hulu, ESPN, Shanghai Disney, Walt Disney, Disney's Entertainment, Star, Big Ten, Thomson Locations: Shanghai, Hong Kong, Florida, India, Los Angeles, Bengaluru

☆ Warner Bros Discovery beats quarterly profit estimates amid strike, sluggish ad market
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Discovery Atlanta campus is pictured after the Writers Guild of America began their strike against the Alliance of Motion Pictures and Television Producers, in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. May 2, 2023. The media company forged by the union of WarnerMedia and Discovery posted adjusted core earnings of $2.97 billion, above estimates of $2.92 billion, as per LSEG data. The company had 95.1 million global direct-to-consumer customers at the end of the quarter, down from 95.8 million in the previous quarter. In May, it launched its Max streaming service - combining HBO Max's scripted entertainment with Discovery's reality shows. Reporting by Samrhitha Arunasalam in Bengaluru and Helen Coster in New York; Editing by Saumyadeb ChakrabartyOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Alyssa Pointer, David Zaslav, Samrhitha, Helen Coster, Saumyadeb Organizations: Warner Bros . Discovery, Writers Guild of America, Alliance of Motion Pictures, Television Producers, REUTERS, Warner Bros Discovery, SAG, HBO, Thomson Locations: Warner Bros . Discovery Atlanta, Atlanta , Georgia, U.S, Bengaluru, New York

☆ SAG-AFTRA actors' union reaches tentative labor agreement with Hollywood studios
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-08 | by ( Sarah Whitten | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

SAG-AFTRA members walk the picket line on the 100th day of their ongoing strike outside Paramount Studios in Los Angeles, California, October 20, 2023. Hollywood's actors and studios have a preliminary labor agreement. The tentative deal will go to the union's national board Friday for "review and consideration," the statement said, and added that further details will be released following the meeting. The actors strike, which has lasted 118 days, will end at midnight and the SAG-AFTRA board will convene on Friday to review the final deal. Hollywood actors initiated a work stoppage in mid-July as negotiations broke down with studios including Disney , Paramount , Universal , Netflix and Warner Bros.

Persons: AFTRA Organizations: Paramount Studios, SAG, Screen Actors, American Federation of Television, Radio Artists, Alliance, Television Producers, Hollywood, Disney, Paramount, Universal, Netflix, Warner Bros . Discovery . Studios, Television, Writers Guild of America, Comcast, CNBC Locations: Los Angeles , California, NBCUniversal

The company reported free cash flow of $2.06 billion, compared with $1.72 billion in the prior quarter. The company posted a net loss of $417 million, narrowing from a $2.3 billion net loss from a year-ago period. Advertising revenue at its networks segment declined 12% to $1.71 billion as global conflicts and inflation created an uncertain climate for marketers. The company's streaming unit posted an adjusted core profit of $111 million, compared with a loss of $634 million a year ago. Warner Bros Discovery had 95.1 million global direct-to-consumer customers at the end of the quarter, down from 95.8 million in the previous quarter.

Persons: Mario Anzuoni, Gunnar Wiedenfels, there's, Wiedenfels, David Zaslav, Michael Schulman, Barbie, Thomas Hayes, Samrhitha, Helen Coster, Saumyadeb Chakrabarty, Anil D'Silva, Mark Porter Organizations: Paramount Pictures Studios, REUTERS, Warner Bros Discovery, SAG, Running, HBO, Thomson Locations: Los Angeles , California, U.S, Bengaluru, New York

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