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☆ Top DeSantis attorneys penned cease-and-desist letters threatening to prosecute TV stations over abortion ad, affidavit says
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-21 | by ( Liam Reilly | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Ron DeSantis penned the cease-and-desist letters sent by Florida’s health department threatening to criminally prosecute local TV stations over their airing of an abortion rights ad, the department’s former general counsel said in court documents. “I did not draft the letters or participate in any discussions about the letters prior to October 3,” Wilson wrote. Spokespersons for DeSantis and the Florida Department of Health did not immediately respond to CNN requests for comment. Wilson’s allegations come after local TV stations began airing an ad by Floridians Protecting Freedom, the group behind the state’s “Yes on 4 Campaign,” promoting a ballot measure seeking to overturn the state’s six-week abortion ban by enshrining abortion rights in the state’s constitution. Local TV stations also received support from FCC chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel, who said earlier this month that “threats against broadcast stations for airing content that conflicts with the government’s views are dangerous and undermine the fundamental principle of free speech.”

Persons: Ron DeSantis, John Wilson, Sam Elliot, Wilson, Ryan Newman, Jed Doty, “, ” Wilson, Newman, Doty, ” Newman, Caroline, ” Caroline, Floridians, Joseph Ladapo, Jessica Rosenworcel, ” Organizations: New, New York CNN, Gov, Florida’s Department of Health, DeSantis, Florida Department of Health, CNN, Floridians, Ladapo Locations: New York, Florida, Local

A federal judge on Thursday issued a temporary restraining order against Florida’s surgeon general, the latest development in a legal battle over a television ad supporting the state’s abortion rights ballot measure. Earlier this month, the Florida Department of Health sent cease-and-desist letters to multiple broadcast stations that had aired the ad, threatening criminal charges against stations that didn’t stop playing it. The restraining order against Florida Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo lasts through Oct. 29. Even before the decision, Federal Communications Commission Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel had denounced the cease-and-desist letters as a violation of the First Amendment. The Florida Department of Health continued to oppose the ads in a statement on Friday.

Persons: “, Mark Walker, Joseph Ladapo, ” Walker, Jessica Rosenworcel, ” Rosenworcel, ”, John Wilson, Wilson, Jae Williams, ” Caroline, Lauren Brenzel, ” “, ” Brenzel, Bacardi Jackson, ” Jackson Organizations: Florida Department of Health, U.S, District, Florida, State of, Federal Communications, Tampa Bay Times, Miami Herald, The Florida Department of Health Locations: Florida, Caroline, coercing, State of Florida, Hurricane Milton

☆ Federal judge blasts DeSantis administration for threats against TV stations
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-17 | by ( Liam Reilly | Brian Stelter | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

New York CNN —“To keep it simple for the State of Florida: it’s the First Amendment, stupid.”That’s what a federal judge wrote Thursday as he sided with local TV stations in an extraordinary dispute over a pro-abortion rights television ad. “Florida has now banned abortions, even in cases like mine.”The state health department – part of Gov. John Wilson, the health department’s general counsel, sent cease-and-desist letters to multiple television stations airing the ad. The health department’s threats were so chilling that WINK, a CBS affiliate, pulled the ad from its broadcasts, Florida Politics reported. Other stations have continued to air the ad, some as recently as Thursday evening, according to the TVEyes video search service.

Persons: New York CNN —, Mark E, Walker, Caroline, ”, Ron DeSantis’s, –, John Wilson, Wilson, Joseph Ladapo, ” Wilson, “, ” Jae Williams, Jessica Rosenworcel Organizations: New, New York CNN, State of, Chief U.S, District, Northern, Northern District of, Gov, Tampa Bay Times, Miami Herald, CNN, Physicians for Human Rights, CBS, Florida Politics, Democratic, FCC Locations: New York, State of Florida, Northern District, Northern District of Florida, Florida

☆ Florida threatens TV stations over abortion rights ad. FCC calls it ‘dangerous’
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-08 | by ( Brian Stelter | Liam Reilly | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

The Florida Department of Health, however, cited local statutes in the cease-and-desist letters sent last week to WCJB in Gainesville and WFLA in Tampa. The threat from the health department underscores the intensity of the political battle over Amendment 4, a ballot measure that would enshrine abortion rights in Florida’s constitution. The cease-and-desist letters from John Wilson, general counsel for the state health department, appear to be part of that campaign. The health department did not immediately respond to CNN’s request for comment about the FCC rebuke. The local stations did not respond to requests for comment, but both stations continued to air the ads on Tuesday.

Persons: Ron DeSantis, Jessica Rosenworcel, ” Rosenworcel, DeSantis, John Wilson, Jason Garcia, Wilson, Caroline, ” Organizations: CNN, Florida’s Department of Health, Gov, Republican, Democratic, Federal Communications Commission, FCC, Florida Department of Health, Orlando Locations: Gainesville, WFLA, Tampa, Florida’s, Florida

☆ The secret to a Netflix movie's success? Don't promote it.
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-19 | by ( Jason Guerrasio | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

When Netflix released a rundown of its most-watched movies and TV shows for the first half of the year on Thursday, its TV rankings offered few surprises. (Netflix bases the data on hours viewed for every title — original and licensed — that was watched for over 50,000 hours.) That robust landing page has allowed Netflix to eschew spending tens of millions of dollars promoting many of its original films. AdvertisementOf course, that's not the strategy for every single Netflix Original. Here's another example of Netflix's strategy in action.

Persons: Griselda, Ripley, Millie Bobby Brown, Kevin Hart's, John Wilson, that's, Eddie Murphy, Axel F, Murphy, Quim Vives, It's, Ted Lasso, Severance, it's, Napoleon, Martin Scorsese, Oscar, doesn't, baileylikemovie Organizations: Service, Netflix, Business, Society, Detroit Lions, Apple Locations: Beverly Hills, Sunset, Hollywood

☆ A New Surge in Power Use Is Threatening U.S. Climate Goals
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-13 | by ( Brad Plumer | Nadja Popovich | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +14 min

Nathan Howard for The New York TimesIn California, electric vehicles could soon account for 10 percent of peak power demand. AP Photo/Mike StewartIn interviews, utility executives say gas is needed to back up wind and solar power, which don’t run all the time. Gas plants can sometimes be easier to build than renewables, since they may not require new long-distance transmission lines. “It’s going to take a diversified fleet.”Mr. Mitchell noted that Georgia Power was planning a large build-out of solar power and batteries over the next decade and would offer incentives to companies to use less power during times of grid stress. The tech companies and manufacturers that are driving up electricity demand could also play a major role, experts say.

Persons: ”, Daniel Brooks, Nathan Howard, Lauren Justice, Biden’s, “, Tyler H, Norris, Mr, John Wilson, Ken Seiler, Seiler, Devin Hartman, Duke, Kendal Bowman, Duke Energy’s, it’s, we’ve, Georgia Power, It’s, Greg Buppert, Megan Varner, Mike Stewart, Aaron Mitchell, “ It’s, Mitchell, Heather O’Neill, Brian Janous Organizations: Electric Power Research Institute, The New York Times, Duke University, Biden, Utilities, North American Electric Reliability Corporation, Boston Consulting, Dominion Energy, Nationwide, R Street Institute, The New York Times Soaring, Duke Energy, Georgia, Southern Environmental Law Center, AP, Dominion, Georgia Power, Advanced Energy, Microsoft Locations: America, California, Virginia, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina , Tennessee, Kansas, Northern Virginia, Arizona, Texas, Illinois, New Jersey, York City, PJM, “ Texas, Ashburn, Va, Dalton , Ga, Dalton, Duke

☆ An English City Gave Soccer to the World. Now It Wants Credit.
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-14 | by ( Rory Smith | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

As far as the man in the food truck is concerned, the patch of land he occupies in Sheffield, England, is about as humdrum as they come. To him, the spot — in the drab parking lot of a sprawling home improvement superstore, its facade plastered in lurid orange — is not exactly a place where history comes alive. John Wilson, an academic at the University of Sheffield’s management school, looks at the same site and can barely contain his excitement. He does not see a parking lot. He can see the history: the verdant grass, the sweating players, the cheering crowds.

Persons: John Wilson, Monty ” — Organizations: University of Sheffield’s, Sheffield Locations: Sheffield, England

☆ It's not just the uber-rich freezing their brains and bodies when they die. An HBO show visited a conference filled with everyday people excited to do it.
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-24 | by ( Kylie Kirschner | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The series finale of HBO's "How To with John Wilson" explored cryonics and the quest for immortality. Sam Altman, Jeff Bezos, Peter Thiel, and Bryan Johnson all invested in anti-aging or cryonics. Get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in business, from Wall Street to Silicon Valley — delivered daily. Insider has previously reported on Alcor competitor Cryonics Institute, a more affordable alternative that charges $28,000 for a body to be stored indefinitely. A Cryonics Institute model of the tanks used to store bodies, which are actually stored upside down in practice.

Persons: John Wilson, Sam Altman, Jeff Bezos, Peter Thiel, Bryan Johnson, It's, Wilson, hasn't, Bari Weiss, he's, Johnson Organizations: Service, Alcor, HBO, MIT Technology, Biosciences, Altos Labs Locations: Wall, Silicon, Altos

[1/2] William McGlashan Jr., a former Executive at TPG private equity firm facing charges in a nationwide college admissions cheating scheme, leaves the federal courthouse in Boston, Massachusetts, U.S., March 29, 2019. REUTERS/Brian SnyderCompanies TPG Capital Management LP FollowBOSTON, Aug 14 (Reuters) - A U.S. appeals court on Monday upheld the conviction of a former senior executive at the private equity firm TPG Capital for participating in a vast U.S. college admissions fraud scheme by paying $50,000 to rig his son's college entrance exam results. Carter Phillips, McGlashan's lawyer, said his "deeply disappointed" client was evaluating next steps, adding it was clear that ACT test scores were not "property," a necessary element of the fraud statute. More than 50 people pleaded guilty, including the actors Lori Loughlin and Felicity Huffman, who were among Singer's clients. Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York and Nate Raymond in Boston Editing by Matthew LewisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: William McGlashan Jr, Brian Snyder, William McGlashan's, McGlashan, Jeffrey Howard, William, Rick, Singer, Carter Phillips, McGlashan's, Lori Loughlin, Felicity Huffman, John Wilson, Gamal Aziz, Wilson, Jonathan Stempel, Nate Raymond, Matthew Lewis Organizations: TPG, REUTERS, Brian Snyder Companies TPG Capital Management, BOSTON, TPG Capital, U.S, Circuit, ACT, Yale, University of Southern, University of Southern California . Singer, Varsity, Thomson Locations: Boston , Massachusetts, U.S, Boston, Georgetown, University of Southern California, California, New York

☆ The Conductor John Wilson Doesn’t Like Musical Distinctions
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-03 | by ( Hugh Morris | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

There’s an affability between Wilson and the players, many of whom he’s had relationships with for two decades. (“I feel very much as if I’m one of them,” he said in an interview later.) “We want to be in that very demanding, high-achieving environment, where most of us, 90 percent of the time, feel like we’re impostors. Wilson aims “for a different kind of homogeneity,” Mills said. “There’s plenty of sizzling vibrato,” said Charlie Lovell-Jones, another leader of the orchestra, making “a sound you can chew.”

Persons: There’s, Wilson, he’s, ”, tersely, ” Wilson, William Walton’s, “ John, John Mills, “, ” Mills, Mills, Charlie Lovell, Jones Organizations: Sinfonia, London

☆ ‘How To With John Wilson’ Loves All of You Weirdos
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-27 | by ( James Poniewozik | More About James Poniewozik | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The final season premiere of the docu-essay series “How To With John Wilson” opens, like many of its episodes, with a problem. Wilson, whose self-help ruminations began airing on HBO in 2020, has a home plumbing emergency that sends him on a search for New York City’s elusive public bathrooms. But the episode, “How to Find a Public Restroom,” is about more than the lengths New Yorkers will go to for relief. Wilson talks to cabdrivers who resort to peeing in empty water bottles for lack of accessible facilities. Wilson builds out his story like a complex system of plumbing.

Persons: John Wilson ”, Wilson, ruminations, Botox, cabdrivers Organizations: HBO, York, Brooklyn -, Hudson Yards Locations: Brooklyn, Brooklyn - Queens

☆ ‘How To With John Wilson’ Is Ending. What Will He Do Now?
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-22 | by ( Callie Holtermann | More About Callie Holtermann | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

As we were premiering Season 2 and I started to write Season 3, I started to conceive of this as the last season. I really wanted to end on a strong note, and there was a lot of psychologically and emotionally stressful stuff that happened in Season 2 and also in Season 3. Is there any of it that you’re nervous for viewers to encounter? I think the demands of the show started to outpace what I felt comfortable revealing about my life. I wanted to make sure I was doing everything for the right reasons, to use a “Bachelor” phrase.

Persons: ”, I’ve

☆ 30 Shows to Watch This Summer
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-01 | by ( Mike Hale | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

This summer, there’s nothing so new on television as something old. Series are emerging two years (“The Witcher”), four (“Black Mirror”), eight (“Justified: Primeval City”), 10 (“Futurama”) and 25 (“The Full Monty”) after you last had to think about them or the works from which they have been spun off. The minimum benchmark for long-term success used to be 100 episodes; now you can take a bow at 18 or 24. At least it looks as if we’ll always have “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia.”Here are 30 shows to keep an eye out for this summer, in chronological order. Premiere dates are subject to change.

Persons: Monty ”, it’s, “, John Wilson, ”, Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan, we’ll Locations: Philadelphia

☆ Appeals Court Tosses Convictions of Two Parents in Varsity Blues Case
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( Melissa Korn | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +1 min

As part of the largest college-admissions scam ever prosecuted, some parents allegedly paid others to create fake photos of their children as top athletes. WSJ finds out just how easy it is to manipulate photos by asking an expert to combine pictures of Tom Brady and Bradley Cooper. Photos illustration: David StarrA federal appeals court vacated the convictions for two parents who were found guilty of fraud in 2021 as part of the Varsity Blues college-admissions cheating case, highlighting the contentious legal claims underpinning the original charges. A jury ruled in October 2021 that Gamal Abdelaziz and John Wilson were guilty of conspiracy to commit fraud and conspiracy to commit bribery involving a school that receives federal funds—in their case, the University of Southern California. Prosecutors alleged they had worked with corrupt college counselor William “Rick” Singer to make illicit payments and pretend their children were star athletes to secure spots for them at top universities.

☆ Appeals Court Overturns Fraud and Conspiracy Convictions in Varsity Blues Scandal
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( Anemona Hartocollis | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

In a stunning reversal, a federal appeals court overturned the fraud and conspiracy convictions on Wednesday of two parents found guilty of participating in a far-reaching bribery scheme, known as Operation Varsity Blues, which ensnared dozens of wealthy parents who falsified their children’s credentials to gain admission to prestigious universities across the country. A three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit in Massachusetts found that the lower court had made crucial missteps in the trial of Gamal Abdelaziz, a former casino executive, and John Wilson, a private equity financier. The court, however, upheld Mr. Wilson’s conviction on tax fraud. The appeals court made its decision largely on two technical legal grounds. First, it ruled that the lower court judge wrongly instructed the jury that admissions slots constituted property.

Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in favor of private equity executive John Wilson and former casino executive Gamal Aziz, the first two people to face trial of the dozens charged in the sprawling "Operation Varsity Blues" probe. All of Aziz's convictions were set aside, and all but one of Wilson's convictions were aside. Wilson and Aziz were the first to go to trial in 2021. A former University of Southern California water polo coach convicted in the second trial later won a new trial, and another parent was acquitted in the third trial. Aziz and Wilson were sentenced in February 2022 to 12 months and 15 months in prison, respectively.

☆ Ex-Yale coach gets 5 months in college admissions bribery scandal
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-10 | by ( The Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +5 min

BOSTON — The former Yale University women’s soccer coach whose cooperation with authorities helped blow the lid off the nationwide college admissions bribery scandal by leading the FBI to the scheme’s mastermind was sentenced Wednesday to five months in prison. Federal prosecutors and Meredith’s defense lawyers had recommended no additional prison time beyond the one day he had already spent in custody. But U.S. District Court Judge Mark Wolf said Wednesday that Meredith’s greed and his victims warranted a stiffer sentence. Before he was sentenced, Meredith, his voice shaking, issued an apology and said he had ruined his reputation and his career because he was driven by greed and the desire to provide for his family. In addition to the prison term, Meredith was sentenced to a year of probation, fined $19,000 and ordered to forfeit more than $550,000.

In that environment, crooks were easily able to impersonate jobless Americans using stolen identity information for sale in bulk in the dark corners of the internet. When Yvonne Matlock lost her job last year and applied for unemployment benefits online, she was told she was already getting relief money. Through a public records request, NBC News obtained data from the Labor Department, which funds Covid relief unemployment benefits programs, that are riddled with blank values and underestimates. ID.meMore than two-thirds of states, 34, reported no cases of identity theft overpayments in the most vulnerable unemployment benefits program. Cash App, which describes itself as "the easiest way to send money, spend money, save money, and buy cryptocurrency," has been frequently used by fraudsters to move money, law enforcement officials and private consultants said.

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