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☆ Taylor Swift changes lyrics to ‘Karma’ in nod to ‘guy on the Chiefs’ Travis Kelce
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-12 | by ( Alli Rosenbloom | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —Taylor Swift winked at her romance with Kansas City Chiefs’ tight end Travis Kelce during her “Eras Tour” concert in Buenos Aires, Argentina on Saturday when she changed the lyrics to a line in her hit song “Karma,” and Kelce was in the audience to catch it. The two-time Super Bowl champ immediately smiled when he heard the “Anti-Hero” singer’s twist on her final song of the night, covering his face with his hands while the crowd cheered. Another video posted to X caught Swift sealing the concert with a kiss when she ran up to greet Kelce at the side of the stage after the show. Taylor Swift performing the 'Eras Tour' in Buenos Aires, Argentina on Thursday. Natacha Pisarenko/APIn July, Kelce admitted on his podcast, “New Heights with Jason and Travis Kelce,” that he tried to slip his phone number to Swift during one of her “Eras Tour” concerts via a friendship bracelet he made for her, sparking speculation about the pair’s romantic potential.

Persons: CNN — Taylor Swift, Travis Kelce, Kelce, Swift, “ Karma, ”, Scott Swift, Taylor Swift, Natacha, Jason Organizations: CNN, Kansas City Chiefs, Chiefs, “ Chiefs, Bowl Locations: Buenos Aires, Argentina

☆ Dua Lipa launches new single with London fan event
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-10 | by ( Hanna Rantala | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

LONDON, Nov 9 (Reuters) - Dua Lipa dropped her new single "Houdini" on Thursday, celebrating the launch with a secretive fan event in London. The track is the first single from the British-Albanian singer’s third studio album, which is set for release in 2024. "I'm putting on three surprise launch events for Houdini in London, Los Angeles and Tokyo. Lipa's last studio album, 2020's "Future Nostalgia", was an international chart-topper and gained her a Best Pop Vocal Album Grammy and British Album of the Year Brit Award, among many other accolades. Past singles released by Lipa include the hit songs "New Rules", "One Kiss", "Levitating" and "Don't Start Now".

Persons: Lipa, Houdini, Harry Houdini, Danny L, Kevin Parker, I'm, Lipa's, Hanna Rantala, Gerry Doyle Organizations: Albanian, Ballet, Thomson Locations: London, Los Angeles, Tokyo, Europe, Lipa

☆ A Dedicated Taylor Swift Reporter Faces Swift Criticism Online
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-08 | by ( Madison Malone Kircher | More About Madison Malone Kircher | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

But before Mr. West, 35, had the chance to file his first story on his new beat, he was getting criticism from two sides: journalism watchdogs and Ms. Swift’s fans. The objections started rolling in shortly after Variety broke the news of his hiring on Monday. The article included an interview with Mr. West, which provided newsroom ethicists and Swifties alike with grounds for complaint. At the same time, the singer’s fans debated whether he was a big enough Swiftie to capture their beloved star. Some people in both camps said the job was better suited to a woman.

Persons: Bryan, Taylor Swift, Taylor, ” Organizations: Bryan West, Gannett, USA, Variety, Mr Locations: United States, Phoenix

☆ Taylor Swift reporter hired at Gannett after viral job listing
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-06 | by ( Alli Rosenbloom | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Consider journalist Bryan West the “lucky one,” because he’s The Tennessean and USA Today network’s new Taylor Swift reporter. “So, I do follow a lot of Taylor news. I know about every outing, every new song, every lyric, every album release, every party,” he added. Touting his technical skills as a multi-platform journalist and a licensed drone pilot, West went on to highlight his track record for predicting Swift’s album announcements and how he’s one of the 100 accounts the official “Eras Tour” Instagram account follows. Gannett also posted a separate job listing at the time for a Beyoncé Knowles-Carter reporter.

Persons: Bryan West, Taylor Swift, “, ”, West, Swift, ‘, Swifite, Knowles, Carter Organizations: CNN, USA, Tennessean, Gannett, USA Today Locations: West, ”

☆ Taylor Swift’s ‘1989 (Taylor’s Version)’ is her 13th album to hit No. 1 on Billboard charts
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-05 | by ( Alli Rosenbloom | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —Taylor Swift continues to break records in her whirlwind year. On Sunday, Billboard reported that Swift’s “1989 (Taylor’s Version),” the 2014 hit album she re-recorded and released last month, hit No. 13, Taylor).”The debut of “1989 (Taylor’s Version)” marked the largest first-week album sales for any album since Adele released her 2015 album “25” and is so far the year’s top selling album, according to Billboard. Swift’s own 2022 album “Midnights” and the July release of “Speak Now (Taylor’s Version)” round out the top-three-selling albums in 2023. Swift has also left her mark on the music streaming services, becoming Spotify’s most-streamed artist in a single day in Spotify’s history when “1989 (Taylor’s Version)” was released on October 27.

Persons: CNN — Taylor Swift, Taylor, ”, Adele, Swift, “ Taylor Swift Organizations: CNN, Billboard

The New York hedge fund executive instead spoke highly of Haley's Republican rivals as well, naming Florida Gov. A Des Moines Register poll published Monday shows Haley tied with DeSantis for second in Iowa, which hold the first-in-the-nation GOP caucuses on Jan. 15. Haley and DeSantis are in an increasingly expensive battle against each other as they head into the third Republican primary debate next week. Neither Haley nor DeSantis is currently devoting any advertising dollars to criticizing Trump. She has won over new donors in recent weeks, including former Illinois Gov.

Persons: Nikki Haley's, Paul Singer, Ron DeSantis, South Carolina Sen, Tim Scott, Donald Trump’s, DeSantis, Haley, —, Joe Biden, Trump, ”, Marc Short, Mike Pence, Biden, Bruce Rauner, ” Haley, Rauner, Israel, “, Israel —, Jaime Harrison, ” Harrison, Gavin Newsom, Newsom, belittling Haley, Singer, Ken Griffin, Griffin, Eric Levine, Scott, ” Levine, you’ve, Donna Valiga, “ Trump, Benjamin Netanyahu “, She’s, ” Valiga, “ She’s, ’, ___, Emily Swanson Organizations: Republican, South, Florida Gov, GOP, Democratic, Trump, Des Moines, Illinois Gov, Trump . Democratic National, Gov, Singer, New, Dallas, American Opportunity Alliance, Representatives, DeSantis, PAC, Israel, ___ Peoples Locations: CEDAR RAPIDS , Iowa, Dallas, Parkland, South Carolina, York, Florida, Israel, Iowa, China, Trump's, Sioux City , Iowa, New York, Chicago, New Hampshire, Cedar Rapids, America, Washington

☆ Intel’s reverse bullwhip is strong
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The $150 billion chip giant has weathered a post-Covid maelstrom as an initial work-from-home-driven boost to PC sales slammed into reverse, denting sales and the company’s chunky gross profit margin. Growth isn’t back, but results released on Thursday show the decline is slowing and a new division has promise. At least one pandemic bullwhip might be close to having run its course. Reuters GraphicsBetter yet, Intel’s foundry business - Gelsinger’s push to start making chips designed by others - is narrowing its losses while growing revenue and scaling up. Though many customers are signing up on the condition that Intel’s manufacturing tech reaches certain milestones, that unit is its future.

Persons: Pat Gelsinger, Jonathan Guilford, Lauren Silva Laughlin, Sharon Lam Organizations: Reuters, Intel, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing, X, Thomson

☆ ‘Priscilla’ Review: All Shook Up
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-26 | by ( Ben Kenigsberg | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

Eventually, he invites Priscilla to visit him, only to knock her out for two days with insomnia meds and then whisk her to Las Vegas, where, in a montage of gambling and boozing, Coppola shows Priscilla start to extend her hand for pills herself. For Priscilla, living with Elvis means living with his entourage. Coppola frames a shot of the actress looking out Graceland’s windows as if Priscilla were a Douglas Sirk heroine, trapped. It also brings “Priscilla” closer to Coppola’s aesthetic, freeing her from the literalism of a conventional biopic. The opening credits, which show Priscilla setting foot on a plush carpet and prepping her makeup, bounce along to a 1980 Ramones song.

Persons: Elvis, “, Priscilla, mouthing Humphrey, Marlon Brando, meds, Coppola, ”, Tom Parker, Tom Hanks, Baz Luhrmann’s razzmatazz, Douglas, Priscilla ” Locations: United States, Las Vegas, Graceland

☆ Taylor Swift’s ‘1989’ May Be Her Biggest Rerecording Yet. Here’s Why.
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-25 | by ( Ben Sisario | More About Ben Sisario | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Taylor Swift’s “1989” has been a fixture in the Top 20 of Billboard’s album chart for months. But “1989” is about to make an all-but-certain plunge down the chart. That’s because on Friday, Swift will release “1989 (Taylor’s Version),” the latest installment in her ambitious and wildly successful project to rerecord her first six studio albums. “1989” will be the fourth of Swift’s remakes, and each one so far has opened at No. “Speak Now” came out in July and started with 716,000 sales, including a remarkable 268,500 copies sold on vinyl LP.

Persons: Taylor Swift’s, ”, Swift, “ Locations: United States

☆ Forging Their Own Paths
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-20 | by ( Melissa Bond | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

But as early as age 5, Kissinger remembers her beloved mother disappearing for days at a time. By her 40s Kissinger has lost two siblings to suicide, and her alcoholic mother has survived several attempts. Silence was the vessel in which all of her family’s desperate ululations were contained. Every suicide begets a vacuum, family and friends left to fill it with stories, efforts to rationalize the unfathomable. Some, like Kissinger, try to move forward by ignoring the vacuum altogether, as though the very act of speaking it aloud could set off another bomb, one whose wick is drenched in secrecy and whose fuel burns with shame.

Persons: Meg Kissinger’s, Kissinger Locations: North Shore, Chicago

☆ Social Security gains came back to earth. What that means for the economy
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-16 | by ( Nicole Goodkind | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

That’s why it’s a big deal when Social Security recipients receive their annual cost-of-living adjustment. Starting in January they’ll see a 3.2% increase in their Social Security checks, that’s a much smaller increase than the inflation-fueled boosts of the past two years, the Social Security Administration announced last week. David Certner: The Social Security Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) is based on the Consumer Price Index for urban wage earners. The amount of GDP that’s generated by Social Security checks is actually larger than the total amount of Social Security money going out in the first place. Before the Bell: Could an increase in Social Security possibly add to inflation since that money is bolstering the economy?

Persons: they’ll, Bell, David Certner, There’s, we’ve, David Goldman, —, ”, Neil Saunders, GlobalData, ” Taylor, Taylor, “ Taylor Swift, ” Elizabeth Frank Organizations: New, New York CNN — Social Security, Social, Security, Social Security Administration, AARP, Consumer, Bell, Social Security, Medicare, CVS, Walgreens, Walmart, Target, Costco, US Securities and Exchange Commission, ”, Aid, Rite Aid, AMC Locations: New York, United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Mexico, Australia, Germany, Philippines, Brazil, South Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan, Hong Kong

☆ Taylor Swift's Eras tour movie brought in about $96 million at the box office
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-15 | by ( Danielle Wiener-Bronner | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

In its opening weekend, the pop singer’s concert film, “Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour,” raked in between $95 and $97 million in the box office in the United States and Canada, movie theater chain AMC said Sunday. “I thought I had seen everything with the Barbenheimer phenomenon,” said Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst at Comscore, which tracks box office numbers. Teenagers trade bracelets while waiting for the beginning of Taylor Swift's Eras Tour concert movie in a cinema in Mexico City, Mexico October 13, 2023. Discovery, and “Oppenheimer.” Together, the two hits brought in nearly $2.4 billion in global box office sales this year, according to tracking site Box Office Mojo. Barbenheimer and Swift’s concert film “puts movie theaters at the epicenter of the culture as the hub of cultural influence,” said Dergarabedian.

Persons: New York CNN — Taylor Swift, “ Taylor Swift, ”, “ Justin Bieber, ” Elizabeth Frank, Taylor Swift, Chris Day, Swift, Swiftie Clara, seismologist, Sam Wrench, Taylor, Paul Dergarabedian, ” Swift, Alexandre Meneghini, Beyoncé, “ Barbie, “ Oppenheimer, Michael O’Leary, “ Organizations: New, New York CNN, AMC, USA, Ticketmaster, ” AMC, it’s, Twitter, Warner Bros, National Association of Theater Owners, CNN Locations: New York, United States, Canada, Memphis, Tenn, Santa Clara, Northern California, Seattle, Los Angeles, AMC’s, Mexico City, Mexico, The

☆ Searching for America’s First Black Woman Novelist
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-14 | by ( Jennifer Schuessler | More About Jennifer Schuessler | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The papers of Wheeler, who served as ambassador to Nicaragua, are held at the Library of Congress. But no one seemed to have looked at his almanacs, where he had the habit of making marginal notes. In one, Wheeler had jotted a list of enslaved people in his household, which helped Hecimovich build his list of possible authors. Her novel also includes a scene set in a portrait gallery, which similarly mocks the aristocratic pretensions of enslavers. Many of Hecimovich’s findings will also be used in a new edition of “The Bondwoman’s Narrative” that he’s working on with Gates.

Persons: Wheeler, Hecimovich, …, Thomas Pugh, Crafts’s, David Cecelski Organizations: Library of Congress Locations: Nicaragua, Louisiana, Jamaica, North Carolina, Gates

☆ Taylor Swift attends ‘Eras Tour’ concert movie premiere in Los Angeles
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-11 | by ( Alli Rosenbloom | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Taylor Swift filled a “blank space” on the red carpet of the “Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour Concert Film” premiere in Los Angeles on Wednesday. She posed for photos with her “Eras Tour” dancers and supporters along the carpet. Mario Anzuoni/ReutersThe premiere was held at The Grove, an upscale shopping complex that includes a multi-screen AMC movie theater. Swift’s concert movie comes on the heels of a monster run of her “Eras Tour,” which hit over 20 cities and is expected to gross over $1 billion. Tickets for the newly announced bonus screenings of “Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour Concert Film” will be available by 10am in the ticketholder’s timezone on Thursday.

Persons: CNN — Taylor Swift, Taylor Swift, ” Swift, Mario Anzuoni, Sam Wrench, ”, Chris Pizzello, “ Taylor Swift Organizations: CNN, AMC, Regal Locations: Los Angeles, Canada, The Grove, Argentina

☆ How Karol G went from a Latin music star to a fashion icon
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-06 | by ( Robb Young | Graciela Martin | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +24 min

With 66 million followers on the platform, Karol G ranks 70th in terms of follower count but 6th when it comes to engagement rates. But the label’s enthusiasm for its Karol G campaign a half-year after its release is telling, nonetheless. Karol G attends the #BoF500 Gala during Paris Fashion Week at Shangri-La Hotel Paris on September 30, 2023 in Paris, France. By the time Karol G entered the scene in a big way, fashion, luxury and sportswear giants were still warming up to her male counterparts. People aren’t as fixated on that anymore.”Indeed, it is the shift in attitudes toward language that appears to have helped Karol G secure the Loewe deal.

Persons: Karol G, Jonathan Anderson, Karol’s, Shakira, — Karol G, Provenza, “, ”, Nicki Minaj —, Karol, Karol G's, she’s, Lea Colombo, “ Karol G, Charlie Smith, Loewe, couldn’t, Ricky Martin’s, hasn’t, “ I’ve, Anderson, Karol G’s, ” Karol G, Christopher Polk, SocialBook, Kim Kardashian, Julian Martinez, ” Martinez, “ Karol, Miu, Roberto Cavalli, Gina Ferazzi, Loewe’s Smith, Jacquemus, Barbie, Emilio Pucci, —, Vetements, Rick Owens, Pascal Le Segretain, Maykol Sanchez, Spotify’s, Yankee’s, Don Omar’s, Maluma, J, Nicky Jam, . Ivy Queen, Jennifer Lopez, Shakira —, Burberry —, Becky G —, Karol —, Ovy, Bad Bunny, Rich Fury, Karla Martínez, There’s, Leila Cobo, Billboard’s, ” Cobo, aren’t, “ Jonathan, ” Karol, Carolina Giraldo Navarro, Colombia’s, J Balvin, Cobo, She’s, ” she’s, haven’t, ’ ” Karol G, Alexander Tamargo, Nina García, Elle, García, ” García, I’ve, I’m, it’s, Brett Alan Nelson, I’d Organizations: The, Fashion, CNN, —, Billboard, MTV, New York City’s Rockefeller Center, Variety, Los Angeles Times, Getty, Brands, Los, Paris, Spotify, Reebok, Umbro, Dolce, Gabbana, Nike, Guess, Adidas, Trailblazers, Burberry, Levi’s, Kappa, Puerto Rican, Pew Research Center, Limits, Vogue Mexico, reggaeton’s, Loewe, Carolina, Puerto Locations: Spanish, ”, Latin America, New York, Newark , New Jersey, California, Versailles, bejeweled, Paris, France, Spain, Italy, Germany, Canada, America, Balmain, Barcelona, Rosalía, American, Panama, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, Dominican, Caribbean, Medellín, Colombia, Puerto, Miami, Mexico City, Buenos Aires, Santiago, Chile, Austin, Austin , Texas, Mexico, North America, Europe, Dubai, Singapore, Nairobi, Puerto Rican, Sera, Miami , Florida, Colombiamoda

ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — A nurse was identified on Friday as the “principal suspect” in the mysterious death of a Nigerian Afrobeat star, which triggered dayslong protests by thousands demanding justice. Investigations into the death of Ilerioluwa Aloba, better known as MohBad, in the commercial hub of Lagos have pointed to the nurse who treated the late singer before his death, Lagos police chief Idowu Owohunwa told reporters on Friday. Questions about the cause of his death prompted protests, rallies and grief spilling onto the streets across the West African nation. The outrage over the singer's death was also directed at Naira Marley, his former boss and controversial musician currently on trial in Nigeria for alleged internet fraud. “She acknowledged that it was the injections that she administered on the deceased that triggered the reactions which eventually led to Mohbad’s death.”

Persons: ”, Ilerioluwa, Idowu Owohunwa, “, ” Owohunwa, Aloba, Naira Marley, Marley, maltreating, wasn't, Owohunwa Locations: ABUJA, Nigeria, Nigerian, Lagos, West African, Aloba

Built using AI technology, Eternity is one of the latest South Korean acts pushing the boundary between real and virtual entertainment. And she’s a natural-born actress.”Video Ad Feedback Are AI-powered virtual bands the future of K-pop? Using deepfake and motion capture technology, Pulse9 then produced the band’s first music video (to accompany the ironically titled track “I’m Real”) in 2021. Metaverse EntertainmentMetaverse Entertainment used AI technology to generate faces, merging the features and hairstyles deemed most desirable into four final characters. The music video for MAVE’s first single, “Pandora,” has already racked up 25 million views on YouTube since its release in January.

Persons: “, ”, Ji, Zae, Pulse9, Lil Miquela, “ I’m, Lee Soo, Netmarble, Metaverse, Kang Sung, MAVE’s, Pandora, Kang, Siri, ” Kang, ” Eternity's, — they’re Organizations: CNN, Pulse9, YouTube, South, SM Entertainment, Metaverse Entertainment, SM, Kakao Entertainment, Entertainment, Wall Street, Park Locations: “, South Korean, ”, Indonesian

☆ Fixing Intel ends with taking it apart
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-29 | by ( Robert Cyran | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

A man walks past an Intel wall at the 2009 Computex trade show in Taipei June 3, 2009. REUTERS/Pichi Chuang Acquire Licensing RightsNEW YORK, Sept 29 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Intel (INTC.O) will have to get out of its own way. But now that its manufacturing technology has fallen behind, it’s dragging down both sides of the business. Snag is, Intel’s manufacturing arm will always have a reason to prioritize its own chips to support its design business. CONTEXT NEWSIntel announced on Sept. 29 the start of high volume manufacturing using its Intel 4 process technology at a plant in Leixlip, Ireland.

Persons: Pichi Chuang, Boss Pat Gelsinger, Intel’s, Gelsinger, Jonathan Guilford, Sharon Lam Organizations: Intel, Electronics, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Taipei, Taiwan, Arizona, Leixlip, Ireland

☆ Britney Spears: Wellness check to singer's home over video showing her dancing with knives
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-28 | by ( Josh Campbell | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Officials were called to the southern California home of Britney Spears on Wednesday to conduct a wellness check after the singer posted a video on social media depicting her dancing with knives. Someone close to Spears called authorities “genuinely concerned about her wellbeing,” Ventura County Sheriff’s Office Captain Dean Worthy told CNN. The sergeant arrived at the Spears home, Worthy said, and was contacted over an entrance intercom by a member of Spears’ security team. In January, Spears was the subject of another wellness check, when she said “prank phone calls” prompted police to visit her home. Jason Karol from the Ventura County Sheriff’s office confirmed that the department had “received some calls from concerned fans” after Spears deleted her Instagram account.

Persons: Britney Spears, Spears, “, Dean Worthy, ”, Worthy, ” Spears, “ gaslit, Jason Karol Organizations: CNN —, CNN, Spears, Los Angeles Police Department, Twitter Locations: California, Ventura County, Thousand Oaks , California

The lawsuit also alleged that a backstage manager on the tour sent a photo “graphically depicting male genitalia” to a group text message that included the plaintiff, tour management and other crew members; the lawsuit said the singer’s management failed to properly address the message, responding to it with humor in a way that encouraged an “unsafe, sexually charged workplace culture.”The plaintiff also said she was subjected to long hours and frequently denied breaks, alleging that Nomura required her to be on her feet all day despite an ankle injury. Attempts to reach Nomura on Thursday were not immediately successful. In response to the lawsuit, a spokesman for Lizzo, Stefan Friedman, said that Daniels never had any contact with the pop star during her time with the tour. “As Lizzo receives a humanitarian award tonight from the Black Music Action Coalition for the incredible charitable work she has done to lift up all people, an ambulance-chasing lawyer tries to sully this honor by recruiting someone to file a bogus, absurd publicity-stunt lawsuit,” Friedman said. He went on, “We will pay this as much attention as it deserves.

Persons: Nomura, Lizzo, Stefan Friedman, Daniels, sully, ” Friedman, ” Organizations: Nomura, Black Music, Coalition

ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — Thousands marched across Nigeria on Thursday over the mysterious death last week of an Afrobeat star whose body has been exhumed for an autopsy as authorities investigate the cause of his demise. Lagos police said the body of the late Ilerioluwa Aloba, better known as MohBad, was exhumed Thursday afternoon in response to complaints about the unclear circumstances surrounding his death. The police in Lagos said it received complaints about the singer’s death, leading them to set up a criminal investigations team to “aggregate all allegations, suspicions and insinuations from various sources on the death of the singer." In one of his songs titled “Sorry”, the late star spoke about coming from a poor background and his struggles to earn a living through music. In another, “Peace”, he spoke of himself as a “survivor... money chaser — faster than a bullet.”

Persons: —, Aloba, Babajide, Olu, “, MohBad, ” “ Organizations: Lagos Locations: ABUJA, Nigeria, Lagos

☆ Queen Lyrics and Freddie Mercury’s Grand Piano Soar at Auction
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-06 | by ( Scott Reyburn | More About Scott Reyburn | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Then the competition exploded, with a half-dozen bidding paddles raised in the London salesroom, followed by a flurry of bids online and by phone. “The very piano on which ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ was composed. The instrument,” the auctioneer Oliver Barker intoned as the bidding paused after spiraling into seven figures. Mercury composed many of Queen’s hits at the Yamaha. It was originally estimated to sell for at least $2.5 million in Sotheby’s 59-lot evening auction of the most desirable pieces from the collection offered by the singer’s lifelong friend Mary Austin.

Persons: ’, Oliver Barker intoned, Barker’s, Freddie Mercury’s, Mercury, Mary Austin Organizations: Yamaha Locations: London, British

☆ Intel’s Tower deal sidesteps competition snafu
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

On Tuesday, $155 billion chip giant Intel (INTC.O) inked a new partnership with Tower Semiconductor (TSEM.TA), which Intel boss Pat Gelsinger recently gave up on acquiring for $5 billion. The deal will see Tower spend $300 million on equipment at Intel’s New Mexico campus, bolstering Gelsinger’s nascent chip-manufacturing-for-hire services. Intel ended its year-and-a-half-long quest to acquire Tower in August, after failing to win sign-off from Chinese antitrust enforcers. Signed in February 2022, the deal was aimed at strengthening Intel’s pivot into manufacturing chips designed by others by bringing in Tower’s know-how. By signing up Tower as a partner, Gelsinger wins a chunk of its business without the trouble of competition roadblocks.

Persons: Pat Gelsinger, Gelsinger, Jonathan Guilford, Hong Kong, Lauern Silva Laughlin, Sharon Lam Organizations: Intel, Reuters, Tower Semiconductor, Intel’s, X, Hong, Thomson Locations: Las Vegas , Nevada, U.S, Mexico, Tower’s

☆ Beyoncé got a birthday serenade from Diana Ross
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-05 | by ( Marianne Garvey | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —It would be hard to imagine a bigger or better birthday celebration than Beyoncé’s on Monday. During the singer’s “Renaissance World Tour” concert in Los Angeles, Diana Ross surprised the crowd when she stepped on stage to serenade Bey with a rendition of “Happy Birthday.”“I’m here to celebrate Beyoncé’s birthday,” Ross said as Beyoncé hugged her tight. When Ross was finished, Beyoncé, who turned 42, told her, “Thank you so much, you are so amazing.”“This is the legendary Diana Ross! Thank you so much.”Diana Ross just sang happy birthday to Beyonce!!! #RENAISANCEWorldTour pic.twitter.com/KMtsFQISQ1 — kelechi (@its_kelechi) September 5, 2023Kim Kardashian was in attendance and shared a video of the two on stage on her Instagram Story, writing, “A birthday song from @dianaross.”Beyoncé had previously serenaded Ross in 2019 when Ross turned 75.

Persons: Diana Ross, Bey, ”, ” Ross, Beyoncé, Ross, Beyonce, Kim Kardashian, “, ” Beyoncé, serenaded Ross Organizations: CNN Locations: Los Angeles

☆ In Key West, Where Buffett Met His Muse, the Tributes Flow
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-02 | by ( Nancy Klingener | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

A small shrine of flowers appeared in front of Margaritaville in Key West, Fla., on Saturday. For residents of the southernmost city in the continental United States, Saturday was a day to mourn and toast the singer who died at 76 on Friday and who, with his 1977 anthem “Margaritaville,” made himself and his onetime home famous. Key Westers posted tributes on social media, dropped well-wishes at the Margaritaville restaurant and store — the Buffett businesses that started here and expanded into an empire of hotels, products like Landshark Lager, and more — and started planning a celebration of Mr. Buffett’s life for Sunday, starting at, naturally, 5 p.m. “It’s Five O’Clock Somewhere” was a chart-topping country duet Mr. Buffett recorded with the singer Alan Jackson in 2003. Megan Burgess, 55, learned of the singer’s death when a friend texted her at 5:35 a.m. She has lived in Key West for 10 years and first visited 20 years ago — because of Mr. Buffett’s music. She fell in love with the island and started returning every year.

Persons: Jimmy Buffett’s, “, ”, Westers, Buffett, Alan Jackson, Megan Burgess Organizations: Historic, Buffett, Sunday, Key West Locations: Key West, Fla, United States, Key

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