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☆ Disney is seriously unpopular with GOP primary voters in key states, internal DeSantis 2024 campaign data and leaked audio show
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-26 | by ( Kimberly Leonard | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

But DeSantis 2024 campaign polling shows it could help him with Republican voters in a primary. Ryan Tyson, pollster for the campaign, found the company was deeply unpopular among Republicans primary, according to findings shared with The Messenger. "The campaign thinks this is a very good issue for primary voters," Dan Eberhart, CEO of drilling services company Canary, LLC, told Insider. Neither campaign responded to a query from Insider addressing whether they had polling that conflicted with the DeSantis campaign findings. When combining this week's calling efforts with online donations, the DeSantis campaign raised $8.2 million in the fist 24 hours of the campaign.

Ron DeSantis to disqualify the judge overseeing the company's lawsuit accusing the governor and his allies of political retaliation. Attorneys for DeSantis had argued that Judge Mark Walker should recuse himself from the lawsuit over his comments in two separate cases that referenced the clash between the governor and the entertainment giant. Disney's lawsuit alleges that DeSantis "orchestrated at every step" a campaign to punish the company for speaking out against a Florida bill limiting classroom discussion of sexual orientation or gender identity. The effort to remove Walker as the judge in Disney's civil case in U.S. District Court in Tallahassee, Florida, came days before DeSantis launched his 2024 presidential campaign. Walker was nominated to serve as judge for the United States District Court for the Northern District of Florida in 2012 by then-President Barack Obama.

The majestic peaks, desert blooms and geological wonders of the United States’ national parks have beckoned to billions since Yellowstone was established in 1872. Nearly 312 million people visited last year, signaling a return to prepandemic levels. Spring and summer months are particularly packed at the hundreds of sites managed by the National Park Service. To prepare for peak season at Bryce Canyon National Park in Utah — essentially, an island of crimson rock spires perched at about 8,000 feet — rangers begin restoring trails and training staff before the snows even melt.

☆ Disney still has plans to spend billions in Florida despite its battle with DeSantis
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-26 | by ( Sarah Whitten | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Ron DeSantis, Disney remains committed to the state of Florida. Those figures have been repeated by CEO Bob Iger and parks chief Josh D'Amaro over the past few months, as tensions between Disney and Florida lawmakers have continued to ratchet up. Disney recently scrapped plans to open up a new employee campus in Lake Nona, Florida, citing "changing business conditions." "And this includes things like the transformation of Epcot," he explained. "It includes things like there's a new Star Tours attraction coming, we have a new Tiana attraction that's coming.

☆ Stop Us if You’ve Heard This Before: The A’s Have a Stadium Deal
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-26 | by ( Benjamin Hoffman | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Built in the multipurpose stadium craze of the 1960s, Oakland Coliseum was quirky from the start. Feral cats, leaking sewage and a possum that lives in one of the television booths wouldn’t come along until later. Unpopular changes to the stadium at the behest of the Oakland Raiders of the N.F.L. The maintenance of the park became unmanageable, and the team’s various owners consistently complained about the lack of amenities. The team averaged only 9,849 fans a game last season, and things are even worse this year, at 8,874.

☆ A nearly $4 million AI-powered weapons scanner sold to a New York school system failed to detect knives
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-25 | by ( Sarah Al-Arshani | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

An AI-powered weapons scanner meant to create "weapons-free zones," fails to detect knives. A New York school district bought the nearly $4 million system and then found out it didn't fully work. It spent close to $4 million to buy an AI-powered weapons scanner from Evolv Technology that the company bills as "proven artificial intelligence" able to create a "weapons-free zone." Evolv Technologies claims on its website that its weapons detection system can scan for weapons 10 times faster than traditional metal detectors. Evolv co-founder Anil Chitkara told WRAL, a news station in North Carolina, that the "AI algorithm is trained on thousands and thousands of different items, different weapons, different guns and also, different personal items, phones, keys, and other things."

Persons: —, Brian Nolan, Evolv, Anil Chitkara, WRAL, Chitkara Organizations: New, Service, Evolv Technology, BBC, Teachers, Police, Utica Schools, Evolv Technologies Locations: New York, Utica, North Carolina, Evolv

☆ The 15 cheapest cities to live in the US, where locals spend under 25% of their incomes on housing and can also enjoy parks and great schools
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-23 | by ( Kelsey Neubauer | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

US News & World Report released its 2023 ranking of the most affordable places to live in the US. The cost of housing in these 15 cities was less than a quarter of what the typical resident made. A US News & World Report ranking of the cheapest places to live in the US listed several affordable cities — mostly in the South and Midwest — with great schools and urban amenities. US News & World Report assessed typical incomes, typical housing costs including taxes and utilities, and the percentage of income that goes to the cost of housing to determine the rankings. Here are the typical incomes and costs of housing in US News & World Report's list of the top 15 cheapest places to live.

☆ Ryanair reports bumper profit on 'favorable' fuel hedges, sees major industry consolidation
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-22 | by ( Elliot Smith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Ryanair reported a bumper full-year profit for 2022/23 on the back of resurgent traffic and favorable oil hedges. Ryanair on Monday posted a full-year net profit of 1.43 billion euros ($1.55 billion), aided by resurgent traffic and fares, along with favorable oil hedging positions. The Irish low-cost carrier reported a 74% increase in full-year traffic to 168.6 million customers, while fares were up 10% on pre-Covid levels. $64bbl) contributed significantly to the final FY23 profit outcome, saving the Group over €1.4bn," CEO Michael O'Leary said in Monday's earnings report. But he said Ryanair is confident it can cover the cost increase and grow profits "modestly" on a year-on-year basis.

☆ Zelenskyy says images of Hiroshima annihilated by the atomic bomb remind him of Bakhmut — and give him hope that Ukraine can rebuild
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-22 | by ( Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

While in Hiroshima for the G-7 summit, Zelenskyy likened the city's destruction in WW2 to Bakhmut. The Ukrainian president made the comparison after visiting the atomic bomb museum, the NYT reported. At a press conference, the Ukrainian president said the atomic bomb's explosion in 1945 produced imagery and memories that evoke the mass destruction seen across Ukraine today, Politico reported. The children, little babies, before their death, and we have similar pictures unfortunately" in Ukraine," he said, according to Politico. Zelenskyy and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida attend the Cenotaph for the Victims of the Atomic Bomb.

☆ 5 things you think you know about killer whales that are actually wrong
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-22 | by ( Grace Eliza Goodwin | Morgan Mcfall-Johnsen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

But killer whales, or orcas, are actually members of the dolphin family. Killer whales aren't whalesKiller whales are not actually whales, but dolphins. The name "killer" whale isn't from killing humansOrcas are not called killer whales because they're whales that kill humans. Killer whales don't eat just anything that comes their wayContrary to popular belief, orcas are actually pretty picky eaters. Though killer whales may be misunderstood, you definitely shouldn't get a closer look at them.

☆ From bears to sharks to orcas, here's what to do if you find yourself up against these apex predators
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-22 | by ( Kelsey Vlamis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

Here's what to do if you run into a bear, a shark, an orca, or other potentially dangerous mammals. Here's what you should do if you encounter any of these apex predators and how you can avoid an attack. REUTERS/Jim UrquhartThere are two kinds of bears you're likely to run into while outdoors in North America, depending on where you are: grizzly bears and black bears. The park service says you should try to find a safe place like a car or building. Bison have injured more people in Yellowstone, one of the country's most visited national parks, than any other animal, according to the National Park Service.

Bakhmut is obliterated. As fighting around the city in eastern Ukraine rages on, drone footage taken by The New York Times on Friday captured the scorched buildings, destroyed schools, and cratered parks that now define Bakhmut. What looks like an early-morning haze spreading across the shattered skyline is the acrid smoke that hung heavy after another night of relentless shelling. The Russians are declaring victory in this battle, the war’s longest and bloodiest. It was not immediately possible to know who the people are, where they are going and how they survived.

☆ Japanese city of Hiroshima rose from the ashes and now it welcomes millions
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-21 | by ( Emiko Jozuka | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Within the bomb’s hypocenter, only the half-exploded Genbaku Dome – formerly the Hiroshima Prefectural Industrial Promotion Hall – was left standing as the bombing razed Hiroshima city to the ground. A man relaxes alongside the river on a bench overlooking the Genbaku Dome. ET), Hiroshima city lost roughly 40% of its population, which numbered around 300,000 people at the time. Full-scale reconstruction only began in August 1949 after the Hiroshima Peace Memorial City Construction Law was promulgated, allowing the national government to extend special financial support to Hiroshima. “It’s impressive how Japanese people rebuilt the city from scratch again – building a beautiful city full of green spaces.

☆ Ukraine's Zelenskyy denies that Bakhmut is occupied by Russian forces
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-21 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

Her comments came after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, at the Group of Seven summit in Japan, appeared to suggest that Bakhmut had fallen. And the spokesman for Ukraine's Eastern Group of Forces, Serhii Cherevaty, said that the Ukrainian military is managing to hold positions in the vicinity of Bakhmut. Russian forces still seek to seize the remaining part of the Donetsk region still under Ukrainian control, including several heavily fortified areas. Prigozhin tried to use the battle for the city to expand his clout amid the tensions with the top Russian military leaders whom he harshly criticized. "We fought not only with the Ukrainian armed forces in Bakhmut.

☆ Alberta wildfire fighters hope rain, cooling bring relief
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/3] Smoke rises from the Stoddart Creek wildfire near Fort St. John, British Columbia, Canada May 13, 2023. Amid hot, dry conditions, forecasters were tracking a front likely to move into the province on Sunday that should bring much-needed relief, including humidity and even rain, Christie Tucker, information unit manager at Alberta Wildfire, said at a Saturday briefing. "That will help us more than a short burst that would bring lightning and could spark a new wildfire." Alberta is enduring energy production cuts, home evacuations and poor air quality after an intense start to the wildfire season. This year, Alberta Wildfire responded to 496 wildfires burning more than 842,000 hectares, compared with just 459 hectares in 2022.

☆ Old trailer parks are being torn down, driving up homelessness as one of the last options for low-income renters fades away
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-21 | by ( Anita Snow | Associated Press | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Residents of mobile home parks in Arizona are being asked to leave, so student housing can be built. Mobile homes, not always mobile, are hard to repair so they're being razed. "We are in the deepest affordable housing crisis we've ever experienced," said Joanna Carr, acting head of the Arizona Housing Coalition. Efforts under way to revitalize old mobile homes have limits. Many park residents are Spanish-speaking immigrants earning minimum wage as landscapers or restaurant workers.

☆ How Pacific Islanders in the US are keeping in touch with their culture through dance
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-21 | by ( Rachel Ramirez | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

“One, two, three,” Hernandez, founder of the Pacific Islander dance group Lei Pasifika, yells out. “It makes them less homesick.”According to the US Census Bureau, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islanders were the fastest growing ethnic population in the US from 2020 to 2021. And in big cities with a large Pacific Islander presence, like New York, Portland, Oregon, and San Diego, many US-born Pacific Islanders as well as transplants are keeping their culture alive through dance. It’s a way for Pacific Islanders, especially young people, “to find themselves” and get connected with their ethnic identity and cultures, she notes. Mann says they noticed a growing number of Pacific Islanders, including those who aren’t Native Pacific Islanders but grew up in the islands, wanting to learn more about the culture and participate in dances.

[1/2] People gather ahead of the "Festival of Fantasy" parade at the Walt Disney World Magic Kingdom theme park in Orlando, Florida, U.S. July 30, 2022. Lawyers for DeSantis, who is being sued for allegedly targeting Disney for company leadership's political views, filed a motion on Friday in Tallahassee, Florida, asking U.S. District Judge Mark Walker be recused in the case. Disney sued DeSantis in April for allegedly "weaponizing" state government in retaliation for the company's criticism of a law that banned classroom discussion of sexuality and gender identity with younger children. DeSantis' lawyers argued on Friday that the judge overseeing that case demonstrated potential partiality while handling separate cases in which the judge mentioned Disney as an example of state retaliation. Considering Walker's statements, "the court's impartiality in this matter might reasonably be questioned," DeSantis' lawyers said in the their motion.

☆ Alberta on high alert for wildfire upsurge over scorching holiday weekend
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-20 | by ( Ismail Shakil | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] A Sky crane helicopter dumps water on the Eagle Wildfire Complex near Fox Creek, Alberta, Canada May 19, 2023. Record-high temperatures and lack of rain this year have led to widespread fires burning nearly 830,000 hectares (2 million acres) of land in Alberta, about 10 times the size of the province's largest city, Calgary, according to Alberta Wildfire. "We will all be on high alert this weekend," Christie Tucker, information unit manager at Alberta Wildfire, said on Friday. The wildfires have tested Alberta Premier Danielle Smith's disaster management skills ahead of a provincial election on May 29. Some 275 houses, businesses and other properties had been damaged, while more than 10,000 people remained evacuated by Friday, according to Alberta government officials.

☆ An exclusive look inside Amazon's uniquely sustainable HQ2
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-19 | by ( Diana Olick | In Dianaolick | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

The 2.1 million square feet of space includes some of the newest clean energy technology and sustainability features. The floor is made of concrete from Carbon Cure, a clean cement company funded by Amazon's Climate Pledge Fund. Starting next week, the first of 8,000 Amazon employees will begin moving into one of two brand new 22-story towers in Arlington, Virginia. Amazon's HQ2, formally called Metropolitan Park, has many features that contribute toward the company's goal of reaching net zero carbon emissions across all operations by 2040. Hurst wouldn't say how much the sustainability features increased the cost of the development.

☆ Wildfire risk spurs Alberta to close parks, urge caution ahead of holiday weekend
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-19 | by ( Ismail Shakil | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] Leslie Kramer walk her dogs as some 90 wildfires are active in Alberta, with 23 out of control, according to the provincial government, in Calgary, Alberta, Canada May 16, 2023. Traditionally, residents spend the Victoria Day weekend outside as families take advantage of the warmer weather to go camping or enjoy other outdoor activities. The long weekend in May has usually seen an uptick in seasonal wildfires, some of which are accidentally caused by people, according to Alberta Wildfire. With abnormally hot and dry weather forecast until at least early next week, Alberta has preventively closed some provincial parks and campgrounds for the weekend and imposed a fire ban. Consultancy firm Rystad Energy has estimated nearly 2.7 million barrels per day of Alberta oil sands production in May is at risk in "very high" or "extreme" wildfire danger rating zones.

Ron DeSantis moved Friday to disqualify the federal judge overseeing Disney 's political retaliation lawsuit, alleging the judge's comments in previous cases raise doubts about his impartiality. Disney filed a civil lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Tallahassee, Florida, after the company's development deals were nullified by a board of supervisors that DeSantis had picked to oversee the district that includes Walt Disney World. DeSantis had replaced the board with his preferred picks after he and his allies targeted Disney's special tax district. In doing so, the judge had "used the State's contemplated dissolution of Disney's special district as an example of retaliatory conduct," DeSantis' lawyers argued. "The Court's comments seemingly reflect its opinion on whether the State punished Disney's speech by revoking Disney's 'special status,'" they wrote.

☆ Rockets Sent Israelis Running From the Beach. A Rare Seal Brought Them Back.
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-19 | by ( Patrick Kingsley | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Yulia the endangered seal did not seem fazed by the rockets from Gaza, let alone the missiles heading in the opposite direction. It was the fourth of five days of fighting between the Israeli military and Palestinian militants in Gaza. Two days earlier, air-raid sirens on the same shoreline had sent swimmers and sunbathers rushing to municipal bomb shelters. Now, an endangered Mediterranean monk seal — one of an estimated 700 in the world — had landed on an Israeli shore for the first known time since 2010. “A miracle,” said Ruthy Yahel, a marine ecologist at Israel’s Nature and Parks Authority who helped watch over Yulia this week.

☆ Disney’s fight with DeSantis masks a bigger problem: Its business is struggling
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-19 | by ( Allison Morrow | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

The company’s latest salvo in the back-and-forth with DeSantis came Thursday, when it pulled the plug on its Lake Nona office complex. For Team Disney, the move is just the latest in which the company is relentlessly dunking on a relatively inexperienced politician who picked a fight with the wrong conglomerate. If you’re on Team DeSantis, shutting down Lake Nona reflects the desperation of a company whose stock is tanking and whose core businesses face serious headwinds. But Disney’s financial problems have much more to do with its money-guzzling streaming business and its rapidly dwindling profit from traditional cable TV. Disney’s stock is down more than 5% this year, while the S&P 500 is up 2%.

☆ Breakingviews: Disney can play Scrooge with Florida
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-19 | by ( Lauren Silva Laughlin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

NEW YORK, May 18 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Walt Disney (DIS.N) isn’t mickey-mousing around. Disney’s threatened retreat from the state is meaningful, and it can get worse for the state’s leader, Governor Ron DeSantis. But overall, Disney is one of the largest employers in Florida, and a massive contributor to the tourism economy. Follow @thereallsl on TwitterCONTEXT NEWSWalt Disney is cancelling plans to build a nearly $1 billion corporate campus, according to an email to employees on Thursday. Disney parks chief Josh D'Amaro said "changing business conditions" prompted Disney to reconsider its 2021 plan to relocate employees.

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