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☆ Your Fourth of July Cookout will cost you less this year, according to American Farm Bureau
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-27 | by ( Vanessa Yurkevich | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Families can expect to pay $67.73 for a party of 10, down 3% from last year’s record high, according to a survey from the American Farm Bureau Federation. Families are still feeling the pinch of high inflation along with other factors keeping prices high,” said Roger Cryan, chief economist at the American Farm Bureau Federation. This year’s cookout cost is the second highest on record, following last year’s record setting number — $69.68 for a party of 10. The American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF), has been conducting the survey since 2013. Potato prices also rose because of poor growing weather, the Farm Bureau said.

Persons: —, ”, Roger Cryan, quarts, Don’t Organizations: CNN, American Farm Bureau Federation, Farm Bureau, Farmers Locations: Puerto Rico

☆ Directors Guild of America ratifies new contract with studios
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-23 | by ( Vanessa Yurkevich | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Members of the Directors Guild of America voted to approve a new three-year contract with studios Friday, with 87% of membership voting in favor of the deal. The contract, which was recommended by the DGA negotiating committee was a “historic” deal for wages, work hours, residuals, and artificial intelligence. The tentative agreement was reached against the backdrop of the Writers Guild Strike, which has been going on for eight weeks. AMPTP and the Writers Guild were not able to come up with a deal before their contract expired on May 1. This vote result could set the tone and precedent for the striking Writers Guild.

Persons: ”, Lesli Linka Glatter, Alec Baldwin, Halyna Hutchins, AMPTP Organizations: CNN, Guild of America, DGA, Alliance, Television Producers, Apple, CBS, Disney, NBC Universal, Netflix, Paramount Global, Sony, Warner Bros ., Writers Guild, Artificial Intelligence, IA, Teamsters, SAG

☆ Boeing supplier shuts down plant after workers vote to strike
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-22 | by ( Vanessa Yurkevich | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

New York CNN —Spirit AeroSystems, a key supplier to Boeing, shut down its factory in Wichita, Kansas, on Thursday after workers represented by the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers voted to strike. The suspended production comes after employees voted down Spirit AeroSystems’ “best and final offer” and then authorized a strike, according to the union. The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, or IAM, represents about 6,000 workers at the plant. “The IAM’s dedicated and hardworking membership at Spirit AeroSystems has worked without fail during tumultuous times, including a pandemic that saw everything grind to a halt. “We are disappointed that our employees represented by the IAM rejected our four-year contract offer and voted to strike.

Persons: ’, AeroSystems Organizations: New, New York CNN, Boeing, International Association of Machinists, Aerospace Workers, IAM Locations: New York, Wichita , Kansas

☆ Forget retirement. These Baby Boomers are amassing huge social media followings
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-16 | by ( Vanessa Yurkevich | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

And that was the turning point in social media for me,” Polise said. And Chobani worked with 74-year-old Lynn Davis, whose cooking videos have attracted 15.7 million TikTok followers, for an ad promoting the brand. Most Americans on social media are between the ages of 18 and 29. But the number of people 65-plus on social media grows each year: In 2014, 21% of those in that age group were on social media, a figure that more than doubled to 45% by 2021, according to Pew Research. She says her over-the-top eclectic style catches the eye of her younger followers, inspiring them to take risks and express themselves.

Persons: Helen Polise isn’t, ”, I’ll, ” Polise, She’s, Polise, I’m, Goldman Sachs, Chobani, Lynn Davis, influencer Debra Rapaport, “ I’m, I’ve, “, messaged Organizations: New, New York CNN —, Brands, Hyundai, Pew Research Locations: New York, Palm Springs

New York CNN —Negotiators for UPS and the Teamsters union have reached a tentative agreement on a crucial issue in their contract talks: The shipping giant has finally agreed to install air conditioning – gradually – in its entire fleet of 95,000 delivery vans. The issue of air conditioning was a major bargaining goal for the union in the negotiations. The agreement does not require retrofitting the existing vans with air conditioning. “Heat safety is no exception.”The tentative agreement on air conditioning is not the only sign of progress. The surge in online purchases that started during the height of the pandemic drove record package delivery volumes for UPS and other delivery services.

Persons: they’ve, Sean O’Brien, ” Organizations: New, New York CNN, UPS, Teamsters, Occupational Safety, Health Administration, Health, ”, “ Locations: New York

☆ Pacific Maritime Association and the International Longshore and Warehouse Union reach tentative labor agreement
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-14 | by ( Vanessa Yurkevich | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —The Pacific Maritime Association and the International Longshore and Warehouse Union reached a tentative agreement Wednesday after more than a year of negotiations. The new six year deal covers workers at all 29 West Coast Ports and comes after worker stoppages that closed various West Coast port terminals in recent weeks. The deal was reached with assistance from Acting Labor Secretary Julie Su who met with both sides earlier this week, the PMA and the ILWU said in a joint statement. Details of the deal will not be released and is subject to ratification. “We are also pleased to turn our full attention back to the operation of the West Coast Ports,” they said.

Persons: Julie Su, ” James McKenna, Willie Adams Organizations: CNN, Pacific Maritime Association, Warehouse Union, Coast Ports, Labor, West Coast Ports Locations: West Coast

☆ They said we were getting a recession. Instead, we’re getting a bull market
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-07 | by ( Nicole Goodkind | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

A recipe for a bull market, apparently. “The key difference for us is that you tend to see bull markets coincide with economic expansions, not economic contractions.”Still, since the last bull market, we’ve had a pandemic, a war in Europe, a banking crisis and a debt crisis among other dramas. “Such narrowness is not what new bull markets are built on.”The bottom line: Investors should “avoid getting sucked into this as a new bull market,” said Samana. A nationwide UPS strike would be the largest work stoppage in US history, reports my colleague Vanessa Yurkevich. US Bankruptcies reach highest level in 13 yearsChapter 11 filings in the US have reached their highest levels since the end of the Great Recession, according to new data from S&P Global Market Intelligence..

Persons: “ We’re, ” Sameer Samana, we’ve, ”, Kevin Gordon, Charles Schwab, Lisa Shalett, they’ve, Vanessa Yurkevich, We’ve, Fred Zuckerman, pare Organizations: CNN Business, Bell, New York CNN, Federal, Wells, Wells Fargo Investment Institute, CNN, Tech, Nvidia, US, Morgan Stanley Wealth Management, UPS, Teamsters, –, Brotherhood of Teamsters, 1st, “, ”, P Global Market Intelligence, Bed, P, Retail, City Locations: New York, Wells Fargo, Europe, Samana, America

☆ 340,000 UPS workers are voting whether to authorize a massive strike
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-06 | by ( Vanessa Yurkevich | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —As Americans become even more reliant on delivery, hundreds of thousands of UPS workers this week could authorize a strike that will bring the world’s biggest package courier to a standstill. UPS workers will vote this week on whether to authorize a strike if their union – the International Brotherhood of Teamsters – does not reach a new contract with UPS by August 1st. A nationwide UPS strike would be the largest work stoppage in US history. The union represents more than half of UPS’s total global employee base – 340,000 UPS Teamsters – which includes drivers and package sorters. “The National Committee strongly urges all UPS Teamsters to vote YES to authorize a strike.

Persons: “, ”, Sean M, O’Brien, We’ve, Fred Zuckerman, we’ve, CNN’s Chris Isidore Organizations: CNN, –, Brotherhood of Teamsters, UPS, 1st, Teamsters, National, ”

☆ West Coast dockworkers disrupt trade for a fourth day, says maritime group
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-05 | by ( Vanessa Yurkevich | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —For a fourth day, dockworkers at West Coast ports in the United States are disrupting international trade, according to the Pacific Maritime Association. The West Coast ports, which once handled the bulk of US trade — especially during the pandemic, have relinquished some volume to the Gulf and East Coast Ports. The West Coast ports have said they are capable and open for business. Much of the diverted cargo may never return to the West Coast,” the PMA said. “We are getting there but it’s important to understand that West Coast dockworkers kept the economy going during the pandemic and lost their lives doing so.

Persons: Biden, ”, David French, Willie Adams, “, dockworkers Organizations: CNN, Pacific Maritime Association, Port, Warehouse Union, PMA, East Coast, National Retail Administration, National Retail Federation Locations: dockworkers, West Coast, United States, Port of Long, Los Angeles, Long, Oakland, Seattle, Port, Tacoma, Gulf, East, East Coast Ports, West, California

☆ America has an umpire shortage. Unruly parents aren’t helping
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-18 | by ( Vanessa Yurkevich | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

In one Little League game in Alabama, a coach was seen grabbing an umpire and throwing him to the ground, while kids looked on in bewilderment. In another viral video, parents in Texas aggressively yelled at an umpire, who ended the game early over the disruption. It doesn’t mean I enjoy the way you are calling the game,” Wood told the umpire. The average pay for a youth umpire is $45 to $85 a game, according to the Babe Ruth League. Kelly Peterfriend, who also has a son in Ramsey’s Little League, says she gets most animated during her son’s soccer games.

☆ Major Financial institutions warn of "devastating scenario" if Biden and Congress do not raise debt ceiling
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-16 | by ( Vanessa Yurkevich | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

In an open letter to President Biden and top Congressional leaders Tuesday, nearly 150 business leaders urged the two sides to act – or face “a devastating scenario … and potentially disastrous consequences,” the letter states. Much worse will occur if the nation defaults on our debt obligations, which would weaken our position in the world financial system,” the letter states. A default on the nation’s debt could send the economy into a recession, and the stock market could tank. In fact, we have already seen Treasury’s borrowing costs increase substantially for securities maturing in early June,” Secretary Yellen wrote Monday. “This cannot be allowed to happen,” the letter states.

☆ This Girl Scout troop sells cookies to support girls experiencing homelessness
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-09 | by ( Vanessa Yurkevich | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

It’s important for every scout — but perhaps especially for Troop 6000, which is comprised entirely of girls who are experiencing homelessness or living in shelters. Unlike most Girl Scouts, Troop 6000’s cookie sale covers all fees for the girls including trips, summer camps and other activities. The funds help the troop hold Girl Scouts activities, as well as launch programs like the Troop 6000 Transition Initiative to support scouts and their families as they transition to permanent housing. So far, 100 migrant girls have joined Girl Scouts Troop 6000. Troop 6000 offers women a chance to lead in their community, by taking on volunteer roles within their shelters’ troops.

☆ Movie theaters are most at risk if the writers’ strike drags on, Moody’s says
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( Vanessa Yurkevich | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

New York CNN —Already strained movie theater companies could be hurt most from the Writers Guild of America strike, according to an analysis released Thursday. “New big-budget tent-pole releases tend to fill theaters,” said Moody’s in its new analysis. But in terms of the volume of content produced, television (networks and streamers) has more exposure,” said Moody’s. “Television will bear the brunt of a long strike as the implications of the writers’ strike will play out more noticeably for TV networks, stations, cable channels, and streamers. TV networks, particularly broadcast networks, consistently schedule new prime-time shows to begin in the fall,” the Moody’s analysis said.

☆ Bud Light wanted to market to all. Now, it's alienating everyone
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-01 | by ( Danielle Wiener-Bronner | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

New York CNN —For years, Bud Light leaned on jokey ad campaigns and its designation as a light beer to push sales. Now, Bud Light finds itself seeking younger drinkers, and stumbling through America’s polarized landscape in the process. There have been calls for a Bud Light boycott. And the stock of Bud Light owner Anheuser-Busch (BUD) has fallen only about 3% in the last month, suggesting Wall Street isn’t too worried. Bud Light, he thinks, could be missing out on that type of support.

☆ Hollywood braces for writers strike with two sides are apart
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-01 | by ( Chris Isidore | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

New York CNN —The clock is ticking toward a costly strike that could shut down production on most television shows, pushing back the return of many programs now set for the fall. With less than a day left before the deadline, the two sides appear far apart. Many of the media and tech companies producing shows that use the writers have seen drops in their stock price, prompting deep cost cutting, including layoffs. Handel is one of those who thinks a strike, quite possibly a months-long strike, is likely. “The tune today is profits.”The union represents 11,500 writers for television shows, both for networks and streaming services, as well as many motion pictures.

☆ Anheuser-Busch facilities face threats after Bud Light backlash
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( Danielle Wiener-Bronner | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

New York CNN —Several Anheuser-Busch facilities received threats last week, a company spokesperson confirmed, following weeks of backlash against Bud Light because it sponsored two Instagram posts from a transgender woman. Mulvaney’s timeline shows one previous post that is also marked as a Bud Light partnership. Siegfried Anthony/STAR MAX/IPx 2023/APMulvaney is among many social media personalities that Bud Light partners with, Anheuser-Busch said in a statement to CNN last week. “F**k Bud Light, F**k Anheuser-Busch,” he said. Anheuser-Busch (BUD) is set to report its first-quarter financial results, including revenue, on May 4.

☆ The viral new ‘Drake’ and ‘Weeknd’ song is not what it seems
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( Samantha Murphy Kelly | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

CNN —One of the buzziest songs recently circulating on TikTok and climbing the Spotify charts featured the familiar voices of best-selling artists Drake and the Weeknd. But there’s a twist: Drake and the Weeknd appear to have had nothing to do with it. The viral track, “Heart on my Sleeve,” comes from an anonymous TikTok user named Ghostwriter977, who claims to have used artificial intelligence to generate the voices of Drake and the Weeknd for the track. The original TikTok video has seemingly been taken down, and the song has since been removed from streaming services including YouTube, Apple Music and Spotify. Taryn Southern’s debut song “Break Free,” which was composed and produced with AI, hit the Top 100 radio charts back in 2018, and VAVA, an AI music artist (i.e.

☆ Universal Music Group calls AI music a ‘fraud,’ wants it banned from streaming platforms. Experts say it’s not that easy
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-18 | by ( Vanessa Yurkevich | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

New York CNN —Universal Music Group — the music company representing superstars including Sting, The Weeknd, Nicki Minaj and Ariana Grande — has a new Goliath to contend with: artificial intelligence. Artificial intelligence, and specifically AI music, learns by either training on existing works on the internet or through a library of music given to the AI by humans. That could possibly threaten UMG’s deep library of music and artists that generate billions of dollars in revenue. “However, the training of generative AI using our artists’ music … begs the question as to which side of history all stakeholders in the music ecosystem want to be on.”The company said AI that uses artists’ music violates UMG’s agreements and copyright law. Grammy-winning DJ and producer David Guetta proved in February just how easy it is to create new music using AI.

The vote announced Monday afternoon showed 97.9% of participating union members voting to approve a potential strike. A file photo shows members of the Writers Guild of America walk the picket line in New York during their last strike in 2007. Unions typically conduct a strike authorization vote during the course of negotiations, and they almost always get approved by overwhelming margins. Negotiators for the AMPTP and the Writers Guild met at the negotiating table on Friday, according to one producer close to negotiations. AMPTP gave WGA new proposals in response to some of the Guild’s contract requests – and is awaiting review and feedback on those Monday, along with the strike vote results, the producer said.

☆ Hollywood writers hold strike vote Tuesday
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-11 | by ( Vanessa Yurkevich | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

New York CNN —The Writers Guild of America is set to hold a strike authorization vote on Tuesday. “The studios need to respond to the crisis writers face,” WGA leadership said in a message to members ahead of the vote. The last writers’ strike was in 2007 and lasted 100 days, bringing Hollywood production to a screeching halt. The WGA-AMPTP negotiation is the first of three contract negotiations with entertainment unions. The Screen Actors Guild contract also expires June 30.

About 75% of the full-time hourly workers covered under the deal currently get about $15 an hour, according to the unions. But the unions were able to get a much more front-loaded pay package in this tentative deal. About 96% of membership who voted on that previous offer rejected it, following the recommendation of their union leadership. “I can’t help but believe the overwhelming result of the previous vote played a role in reaching this agreement. In fact, Disney has been struggling to fill some of the job openings it has at Disney World.

☆ Hogwarts Legacy breaks record before official release, despite controversy
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-09 | by ( Vanessa Yurkevich | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Hogwarts Legacy – the new open-world video game by Avalanche and Warner Bros. Hogwarts Legacy is based on Harry Potter but is set in the late 1800s, well before the action in the Harry Potter books take place, and opens the Harry Potter World beyond Hogwarts Castle. Videogamesnewyork, a New York City store that sells modern and retro video games, is ordering just enough games to their store based on pre-orders. Some gamers also are boycotting Hogwarts Legacy over the controversy. The company says J.K. Rowling is not involved in the Hogwarts Legacy game.

☆ Two rail unions reach deal with CSX railroad for paid sick time
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-08 | by ( Vanessa Yurkevich | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —CSX Transportation announced Tuesday that it had reached a deal with two railroad unions regarding paid sick leave. It also allows members to use up to three personal leave days for sick leave, the two unions said. Eight unions voted to accept the tentative agreement negotiated by the Biden administration with no paid sick leave, while four voted it down. The unions asked for ten paid sick days initially — whittling down their ask to four. The three other major freight railroads — Union Pacific, BNSF and Norfolk Southern — do not currently have paid sick leave in place.

New York CNN —Unionized workers at Disney World have rejected a contract proposal from the company that would have given them at least a $1 an hour raise each year over the five-year life of the rejected offer. The 32,000 Disney employees, members of six different unions, had been urged by their unions’ leadership to vote no. “I think the workers at Disney World have sent a loud message that $1 is not enough. The union and rank-and-file members say workers wouldn’t be able to afford to live in central Florida under the company’s offer. Those working under this contract, all of them full-time employees, represent more than 40% of all workers at Disney World.

New York CNN —Jonathan Pulliam has been working at Disney World since 2018, dressing up as everything from beloved Disney cartoon characters to Star Wars villains. Those working under this contract, all of them full-time employees, represent more than 40% of all workers at Disney World. “A dollar does not afford Disney workers with the ability to keep up with the skyrocketing rent increases. Union leadership said they hope that Disney will return to the table with a better offer once union members reject this one. Unions have represented workers at Disney World since soon after the park’s 1971 opening, but employees have never gone on strike.

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