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☆ Wisconsin Supreme Court, now under liberal control, overturns Republican-favored legislative maps
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-22 | by ( Andrew Menezes | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —The Wisconsin Supreme Court on Friday ruled that the state’s legislative maps, which give Republicans the advantage, are unconstitutional and ordered new lines drawn for the 2024 election. “We are hopeful that the legislative process will produce new legislative district maps,” the ruling stated. During the campaign, now-Justice Janet Protasiewicz, the liberal-favored candidate, called the legislative maps “rigged” and “unfair” and suggested courts should evaluate their constitutionality. After she was seated in August, Democratic-backed groups filed two lawsuits asking the Wisconsin Supreme Court to throw out the Republican-drawn maps. “Fortunately, the U.S. Supreme Court will have the last word.”This story has been updated with additional details.

Persons: “, Sam Hirsch, Tony Evers, Friday’s, ”, ” Evers, Annette Ziegler, Janet Protasiewicz, Protasiewicz, Robin Vos, Vos, CNN’s Eric Bradner, Brad Parks Organizations: CNN, Wisconsin Supreme, US, Badger State, Legislature, ”, ” Wisconsin Gov, Democratic, Republican, U.S, Supreme Locations: Wisconsin, ” Wisconsin, ” “ Wisconsin

Song’s quietly romantic film, starring Greta Lee and Teo Yoo as childhood friends who reconnect later in life, earned nominations for her direction, script and for both actors. “May December,” about an actress preparing to play a Mary Kay Letourneau-like role got nods for Natalie Portman, Charles Melton and screenwriter Samy Burch. MGM’s “American Fiction,” featuring Jeffrey Wright as a frustrated novelist, got recognition for Wright, Erika Alexander and Sterling K. Brown. Josh Welsh, the president of Film Independent, said the spirit awards look for films and shows that, “demonstrate the uniqueness of vision, original, provocative subject matter, economy of means and diversity, both on screen and off.”The Spirit Awards also recognize television series. Billie Eilish was also nominated for “Swarm.”Saturday Night Live’s Aidy Bryant is hosting the show, which will take place on Feb. 25 in Santa Monica, California.

Persons: Song’s, Greta Lee, Teo Yoo, “, Mary Kay Letourneau, Natalie Portman, Charles Melton, Samy Burch, MGM’s, Jeffrey Wright, Wright, Erika Alexander, Sterling K, Brown . Jefferson, ”, ” Kelly Reichardt’s, Robert Altman, Michelle Williams, André Benjamin, Hong Chau, Judd Hirsch, Amanda Plummer, Alexander Payne's “, Paul Giamatti, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Dominic Sessa, Payne, Giamatti, Andrew Haigh, Ira Sachs, William Oldroyd, Eileen, Haynes, Song, “ Oppenheimer, Maestro ”, Lee, Yoo, Portman, Jessica Chastain, Monica, Judy Reyes, Andrew Scott, Franz Rogowski, Teyana Taylor, Noah Galvin, Anne Hathaway, Glenn Howerton, Marin Ireland, Catalina Saavedra, Ben Whishaw, Brown, Alexander, Marshawn Lynch, Sandra Hüller, Justine Triet’s “, Jonathan Glazer’s, Iceland’s, Wata, Michelle Yeoh, Ke Huy Quan, Josh Welsh, Steven Yeun, Ali Wong, Bella Ramsey, Murray Bartlett, Nick Offerman, Billie Eilish, Live’s Aidy Bryant Organizations: NFL, ”, Film, “, YouTube Locations: Hong, Melton, Randolph, Poland, Denmark, Santa Monica , California

Some of that loss may be because of disappointing news about the Cybertruck’s pricing and availability. But some may also reflect renewed concern about Elon Musk’s latest comments, made at the DealBook Summit this week, and whether his self-inflicted damage at X is distracting from his other businesses. Advertisers aren’t impressed by Musk’s recent tirade. On Wednesday, he asserted that brands were trying to “blackmail” him by suspending their advertising after he endorsed an antisemitic conspiracy theory on X. “There is no advertising value that would offset the reputational risk of going back on the platform,” Lou Paskalis, the founder and C.E.O.

Persons: Tesla’s, Elon Musk’s, aren’t, Musk’s, ”, Lou Paskalis Organizations: Tesla, AJL, Times

Yes, I was surprised at what Elon Musk said at the DealBook Summit on Wednesday — you can see that in the moment from our conversation when he left me temporarily speechless. But I would encourage everyone to watch the entire interview, as we covered so much more than that. Coming into Wednesday’s DealBook Summit, few could predict what Elon Musk — whose SpaceX, Tesla and X are among the most consequential and talked-about companies in the world — would say. Yes, there was the moment when, using profane language, Musk denounced companies that had suspended advertising on X following his endorsement of an antisemitic conspiracy theory. (He did try to clear the air, saying he hadn’t meant to support bigots.

Persons: Andrew, Elon Musk, Musk, “ Organizations: SpaceX, Tesla

The lineup for DealBook Summit 2023On Wednesday, DealBook will be live and in person at our annual summit in New York. The DealBook team and reporters from The Times will be reporting live from the conference. Even if you are not with us, you can follow along here beginning at 8:30 a.m. Eastern. Here are the speakers:Vice President Kamala HarrisElon Musk , the chairman and C.E.O. Is this a technology that will unleash a new wave of productivity, or is it a force that could do irreparable harm?

Persons: DealBook, Andrew, Kamala Harris Elon Musk, Tesla, X Tsai Ing, Taiwan Lina Khan, Jamie Dimon, JPMorgan Chase Bob Iger, Kevin McCarthy, California Jensen Huang, Nvidia David Zaslav, Jay Monahan Organizations: DealBook, The, SpaceX, Federal Trade, JPMorgan, Disney, Republican, Nvidia, Warner Bros, White House Locations: New York, Taiwan, California, Israel, China, U.S, Beijing, Washington

This year’s DealBook Summit will include conversations with global leaders and powerful figures from Wall Street, Silicon Valley and Hollywood. Jamie Dimon has been the chief executive of JPMorgan Chase since 2006 and its chairman since 2007, making him one of Wall Street’s longest-serving banking leaders. Bob Iger returned as Disney’s chief executive last year, after stepping down from the role in 2020. David Zaslav orchestrated Discovery’s takeover of WarnerMedia and became the chief executive of the new company, Warner Bros. The transaction helped transform his modest cable television company into an empire that includes the Warner Bros. movie and TV studios, HBO and CNN.

Persons: Andrew Ross Sorkin, Kamala Harris, Ms, Harris, Biden’s, Tsai Ing, Tsai, Elon Musk, Musk, Jamie Dimon, Jensen Huang, chipmaker, Bob Iger, Long, Iger, Lina Khan, Khan, ”, David Zaslav, Jay Monahan, LIV Golf, Monahan, Kevin McCarthy, Mr, McCarthy, Shonda Rhimes, Rhimes Organizations: Wall, Israel, Elon, SpaceX, JPMorgan Chase, First, Nvidia, Fox, Marvel, Pixar, Hollywood, ESPN, Federal Trade Commission, Columbia Law, WarnerMedia, Warner Bros, HBO, CNN, Republican, Republican Party, Shondaland, Netflix Locations: Silicon Valley, Hollywood, United States, California, San Francisco, Gaza, Taiwan, China, First Republic, Saudi

Shein aims to win over Wall Street and WashingtonIn filing confidentially for an initial public offering, Shein, the ultrafast-fashion retailer, is showing ambition on two fronts. The company and its underwriters are betting that investors will be more receptive to I.P.O.s, even though high-profile market debuts this fall largely fizzled out. Shein is also testing whether it can endure what’s likely to be an increase in political heat on the China-founded e-commerce giant. The company has also set up operations in Ireland and Indiana and hired an array of lobbyists in the U.S. “No one should be fooled by Shein’s efforts to cover its tracks,” Senator Marco Rubio, Republican of Florida, wrote in a letter to other lawmakers.

Persons: Marco Rubio Organizations: Wall, Washington, underwriters, Republican Locations: China, Washington, Singapore, Nanjing, Ireland, Indiana, U.S, Florida

In recent years, Shein has gained popularity among U.S. consumers, particularly teenagers and young adults, for its wide variety of low-priced trendy apparel and accessories. But Shein has also faced claims that it has copied designs and unevenly benefited from a U.S. trade rule that allows it to avoid paying custom fees. In April, two members of Congress asked the Securities and Exchange Commission to require Shein, as a condition of its expected offering, to certify through an independent party that it doesn’t use Uyghur forced labor. It has also teamed up with Forever 21, the fast-fashion mall stalwart, which could lead to more Shein apparel in brick-and-mortar locations. In June, a trip that it hosted for influencers at some of its warehouses in China was widely panned on social media as being tone-deaf.

Persons: Shein, ” Shein Organizations: Securities and Exchange Commission, influencers Locations: U.S, Xinjiang, China

☆ Don't fear December: Stocks usually see year-end gains, especially before a presidential election year
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-27 | by ( Scott Schnipper | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

December is the time of the season when investors seldom have to worry about stock market performance, particularly in years that come before a presidential election. "Trading in December is holiday-inspired and fueled by a buying bias throughout the month," Hirsch recently told subscribers. "However, the first part of the month tends to be weaker as tax-loss selling and yearend portfolio restructuring begins." December does even better for small-cap stocks, at least going back to 1979, delivering the year's second-highest monthly return. That small cap return is usually back end loaded, however, only starting around the middle of the month.

Persons: Jeffrey Hirsch, Hirsch, outsized, Dow Industrials, Russell Organizations: Nasdaq, Dow Jones, Nvidia, Tesla, Meta, Microsoft Locations: Decembers

on trialThe Supreme Court will hear a landmark case this week that could determine the future of the S.E.C.’s in-house enforcement arm and have serious consequences for how other regulators operate. Jarkesy was found guilty in an administrative proceeding overseen by an administrative law judge. But he won a later challenge to that process in federal court, saying that the Seventh Amendment guaranteed the right to a jury trial. Most justices have shown an inclination to limit agency power and this is just one of several cases challenging the power of federal regulators. The Supreme Court is also mulling the future of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and whether to overrule a principle that requires judges to defer to agencies’ interpretations of administrative rules.

Persons: Napoleon, ”, George Jarkesy, Jarkesy Organizations: Disney, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau

☆ ‘Hollywood and the Movies of the Fifties’ Review: Wide-Screen Wonderland
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-24 | by ( Tom Nolan | Foster Hirsch | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +1 min

What was the greatest decade in the history of American movies? Buy Book Amazon Barnes & Noble Books a Million BookshopAs exhilarating as that span was, the movie industry itself was experiencing a number of crises. As Mr. Hirsch observes in “Hollywood and the Movies of the Fifties,” the government forced studios to sell their theaters on antitrust grounds, while increasing numbers of moviegoers stayed home to watch their new televisions. Creative types had provocative stories to tell, rousing the wrath of censors—even as congressional committees investigated the presence of Communists in the business. Mr. Hirsch, a professor of film at Brooklyn College and the author of many books, has written an entertaining survey of this productive and problematic period.

Persons: Foster Hirsch, Eve ”, “, Eden ”, —, Barnes, Hirsch Organizations: Foster Hirsch Knopf, Noble, Brooklyn College Locations: “ An American, Paris, “, Hollywood

The 2022 climate law has accelerated investments in clean-energy projects across the United States. It has also delivered financial windfalls for big banks, lawyers, insurance companies and start-up financial firms by creating an expansive new market in green tax credits. The law, signed by President Biden, effectively created a financial trading marketplace that helps smaller companies gain access to funding, with Wall Street taking a cut. The law created a wide range of tax incentives to encourage companies to produce and install solar, wind and other low-emission energy technologies. But the Democrats who drafted it knew those incentives, including tax credits, wouldn’t help companies that were too small — or not profitable enough — to owe enough in taxes to benefit.

Persons: Biden Locations: United States

☆ Hostage release won’t take place before Friday, Israel says
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-23 | by ( Becky Anderson | Zeena Saifi | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

The Mossad will also hand over a list of Palestinian prisoners expected to be released to the Qataris, he added. An Israeli official told CNN a total of 39 Palestinian prisoners will be released Friday as part of the deal between Israel and Hamas. The Israeli government on Wednesday published a list of 300 Palestinian prisoners for possible release, as Israel is offering a potential second phase of exchanges. Most of the Palestinian prisoners listed as eligible for release are male teenagers aged 16 to 18 – children under the United Nations definition – although a handful are as young as 14. Ariel Schalit/APA billboard in Jerusalem bears the portraits of Israeli hostages taken by Palestinian militants.

Persons: Majed Al, Ansari, – Damon, Ofer, Gal Hirsch, Daniel Hagari, “, Netanyahu, Ariel Schalit, Ahmad Gharabli, Adrienne Watson, ” Netanyahu, ”, we’re, David Cameron, Khan Younis, Yoav Gallant, ” Gallant, Said Khatib, Israel Organizations: CNN, Hamas, Qatar, Haifa –, West Bank, Israel Defense Forces, United, Security Council, Palestinian, Getty, US National Security, British, IDF, Israeli Locations: Israel, Megiddo, Haifa, Ramallah, Gaza, United Nations, Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, AFP, Rafah, Jabalya, Beit Hanoun, Palestinian, Said

Overnight, OpenAI announced that it had an “agreement in principle” to reinstall Sam Altman as C.E.O., while the board members who pushed him out are departing. The news was greeted rapturously by the ChatGPT creator’s employees, most of whom had threatened to quit and join Altman at Microsoft. Altman and those focused more on commercializing the technology came out ahead of those worried about its apocalyptic potential. Gone are Tasha McCauley, Helen Toner and Ilya Sutskever, three of the four directors who ousted Altman. That board will help select a bigger permanent one, according to The Verge, which may include representation for Microsoft, OpenAI’s biggest investor.

Persons: OpenAI, Sam Altman, Altman, Tasha McCauley, Helen Toner, Ilya Sutskever, Bret Taylor, Larry Summers, Adam D’Angelo, Satya Nadella, Microsoft’s, ” Organizations: Microsoft, Treasury Locations: Silicon

Microsoft had no official say with the board when Altman, the company’s key contact, was fired. That is partly as a hedge for the fact it has no control over the start-up’s board. It involves the holy grail of OpenAI’s work: achieving artificial general intelligence, or A.G.I. Scott Syphax, a corporate governance expert, told DealBook that the deal could raise red flags with regulators if it threatens the nonprofit’s tax-exempt status. Another area Syphax is watching: the valuation that Microsoft placed on OpenAI after its investment and whether it acquired the I.P.

Persons: Altman, Nadella, Kara Swisher, Brockman, ”, Microsoft’s, Scott Syphax, DealBook, Bill Gurley, Satya Organizations: Microsoft, Times Locations: “, Grubhub

of OpenAI, the leader in commercializing generative A.I. By Monday, he had not only been fired by his board — he had also joined Microsoft, the start-up’s biggest backer. A recap:OpenAI’s board fired Altman for not being “consistently candid.” Greg Brockman, another co-founder, was stripped of his chairman title and quit. Talks to bring Altman back broke down, with OpenAI’s board eventually naming Emmett Shear, the former C.E.O. (Some OpenAI employees workers wrote on X that “OpenAI is nothing without its people,” posts that Altman liked.)

Persons: Sam Altman, Altman, Greg Brockman, OpenAI —, —, Emmett Shear, Mira Murati, Brockman, Ilya Sutskever, Elon Musk, Geoffrey Hinton Organizations: Microsoft, up’s, OpenAI Locations: OpenAI, ChatGPT

Social media’s antisemitism problemThe rise in antisemitism since the outbreak of war in the Middle East has ignited a clash between Wall Street donors and universities, and divided some workplaces. Now, the pressure is building on social media platforms, particularly Elon Musk’s X and TikTok, with advertisers, celebrities and influencers pulling spending and confronting executives about the proliferation of hate speech. He posted to X his support for white nationalist conspiracy theories that Jewish communities were spreading hatred. Yaccarino was brought in to win back advertisers after Musk bought Twitter last year and culled many content moderators. More than a dozen Jewish celebrities and creators, including the actors Sacha Baron Cohen, Debra Messing and Amy Schumer, confronted TikTok executives this week.

Persons: Elon Musk’s, Adolf Hitler, Musk, X’s, Linda Yaccarino, Yaccarino, “ Linda, ” Martin Sorrell, DealBook, TikTok, Sacha Baron Cohen, Debra Messing, Amy Schumer, “ Hitler, Anne Frank ”, Cohen, ”, Osama bin, bin Laden, —, Alex Haurek, George Santos, Biden, Xi Jinping, Doug McMillon, Walmart’s, “, ” Brian Cornell, ’ Organizations: IBM, Media, America, Nazi Party, Apple, Oracle, Defamation League, Twitter, S4 Capital, House, Big, General Motors, Hyundai, Republican, Justice Department, Business, APEC, West Texas Intermediate, Consumers, Depot, Walmart Locations: TikTok, New York, Hong Kong, China, San Francisco, Beijing, Washington, U.S

☆ Wall Street turns to Nvidia earnings in the week ahead as stocks try to keep their November momentum
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-17 | by ( Sarah Min | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Nvidia earnings will be in focus in the Thanksgiving-shortened week ahead, as investors consider the sustainability of the November rally heading into year-end. NVDA YTD mountain Nvidia YTD The chip giant's results will come amid a broad rally for equities this month. The S & P 500 has climbed more than 7%, and the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite has advanced more than 9%. That stands in marked contrast to the S & P 500, which trades at a multiple of 22. Hopes for a dovish Fed Wall Street is also heading into next week after absorbing some positive news.

Persons: Timothy Arcuri, China —, Piper Sandler, Harsh Kumar, Quincy Krosby, Bill Baruch, CNBC's, That's, Bonds, Giuseppe Sette, Dow, Jeff Hirsch, —, Michael Bloom Organizations: Nvidia, UBS, Dow Jones Industrial, Nasdaq, Microsoft, LPL, Dow, Blue, Investors, Chicago Fed, HP Inc, Autodesk, Devices, Lowe's, Deere, P, PMI, P Global PMI Locations: FactSet, China, Treasurys, Lombard, Michigan

Biden and Xi try direct diplomacyThe mood music was upbeat but pragmatic after the first face-to-face meeting in a year between President Biden and his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping. There was no joint communiqué after Wednesday’s talks, but both sides issued positive statements trumpeting where they found common ground, including on tackling climate change and improving communications. The leaders agreed to restart military communications that were suspended last year after Nancy Pelosi, then speaker of the House, visited Taiwan. Larry Fink of BlackRock and Steve Schwarzman of Blackstone reportedly sat at the Chinese leader’s table. The measure would keep the federal government funded through early next year, clearing the way for President Biden to sign the legislation.

Persons: Biden, Xi, Wednesday’s, Nancy Pelosi, —, Larry Fink, BlackRock, Steve Schwarzman, Blackstone, Tim Cook, Albert Bourla, Ray Dalio, ” Richard McGregor, DealBook, “, they’re, Kamala Harris, Elon Musk, Jensen Huang, Nelson, Trian Organizations: Hyatt Regency, Apple, Pfizer, Bridgewater Associates, Lowy Institute, SpaceX, Tesla, Nvidia, Disney, ValueAct Capital, 13D, Microsoft Locations: San Francisco, U.S, Taiwan, China, Beijing, Iran, Israel, Australia, Ukraine

Rory McIlroy, the esteemed golfer who was among the most outspoken opponents of his sport’s swelling ties to Saudi Arabia, has resigned from the PGA Tour’s board. The tour confirmed his departure in a statement on Tuesday night. Mr. McIlroy, the men said, was “instrumental in helping shape the success of the tour, and his willingness to thoughtfully voice his opinions has been especially impactful.”Mr. McIlroy’s agent did not respond to a message seeking comment. The decision by Mr. McIlroy came about five months after the tour, following secret negotiations, struck an agreement with Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund to try to create a joint company that would end golf’s money-fueled war for supremacy. Most board members, including Mr. McIlroy, had no knowledge of the agreement or the talks that led to it until shortly before it was announced in June and upended the duel between the tour and LIV Golf, the league Saudi Arabia built with a blend of billions of dollars and marquee defections from the PGA Tour.

Persons: Rory McIlroy, “, Rory —, —, Jay Monahan, Edward D, Mr, McIlroy, ” Mr, LIV Golf Organizations: PGA, PGA Tour Locations: Saudi Arabia, Saudi

What to watch for in Tuesday’s inflation numberThe markets have rebounded from their fall swoon — with the S&P 500 up more than 7 percent over the past two weeks — as investors grow more optimistic that the Fed is done raising interest rates. That conviction will be put to the test with a new batch of inflation data this week, starting with Tuesday’s Consumer Price Index data at 8:30 a.m. Eastern. It arrives amid deep divisions on Wall Street over the Fed’s next move, and as inflation weighs heavily on President Biden’s poll numbers. Tuesday’s figure could signal that progress on inflation is slowing. That’s no better than the September figure, and well above the Fed’s 2 percent target.

Persons: Biden’s Organizations: Tuesday’s, Wall, Deutsche Bank

Stock futures this morning are pointing to another weak open. The subdued jobs report released last week led many on Wall Street to predict that the Fed would stop increasing borrowing costs. Not so fast, the central bank’s chief suggested at an event hosted by the International Monetary Fund in Washington. He called out the “head fakes” posed by fluctuating inflation data, and reiterated that the door remained open for further interest rate increases. (Speaking of doors: Powell appeared to lose his cool when climate change protesters disrupted his speech, issuing a profanity as they were escorted off the stage.)

Persons: Jay Powell, —, Powell hasn’t, ”, Powell Organizations: Stock, International Monetary Fund Locations: Ukraine, Washington

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

Investors await news on deals, cuts and moreOn Wednesday, Bob Iger will deliver one of the most consequential earnings reports for Disney since returning as C.E.O. He has had to confront many problems, including a slumping share price, strikes that have crippled much of Hollywood, the wrenching transformations wrought by streaming and renewed pressure from the activist investor Nelson Peltz. Progress on potential deals and asset sales: Since Iger opened the door to selling Disney’s declining but profitable traditional TV business and bringing in an investor for ESPN, investors have eagerly awaited what’s next. (Disney, which last month began breaking out financial results for ESPN, has concluded that any deal should be with a sports league or leagues.) Cost cuts: Months of Hollywood strikes — talks between studios and the actors’ on Wednesday will resume on Wednesday — may have saved Disney money on production costs.

Persons: Bob Iger, Nelson Peltz, Iger, what’s, —, ’ Organizations: Disney, ESPN, Hulu Locations: Hollywood

Biden’s troubles stem in large part from negative perceptions about the economy, even as several indications show that it is performing strongly. Here’s a deeper look at what “Bidenomics” has, and hasn’t, accomplished. Since Biden took office, employers have created 14 million jobs, and the unemployment rate has been hovering around a 50-year-low for months. “Bidenomics is just another way of saying the American dream,” he said in a speech. The economy grew last quarter at nearly 5 percent, belying a global slowdown.

Persons: Biden, Donald Trump —, ”, Bidenomics, It’s Organizations: Infrastructure Investment, Jobs Locations: America

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