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☆ Eighty-eight corporate leaders endorse Harris in new letter, including CEOs of Yelp, Box
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-06 | by ( Megan Cassella | In | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON — Eighty-eight current and former top executives from across corporate America have endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris for president in a new letter shared exclusively with CNBC. Among the signers are several high-profile CEOs of public companies, including Aaron Levie of Box , Jeremy Stoppelman of Yelp and Michael Lynton, chairman of Snap . Other signers appear to be issuing their first public endorsements of Harris since she became the de facto Democratic nominee in July. They include James Murdoch, former CEO of 21st Century Fox and an heir to the Murdoch family media empire, and crypto executive Chris Larsen, co-founder of the Ripple blockchain platform. Still more are prominent in Silicon Valley, including the venture capitalist Ron Conway, entrepreneur Mark Cuban and former LinkedIn CEO Reid Hoffman.

Persons: WASHINGTON —, Kamala Harris, Aaron Levie, Jeremy Stoppelman, Yelp, Michael Lynton, Harris, James Murdoch, Murdoch, Chris Larsen, Lynn Forester de Rothschild, José E, Feliciano, Twilio, Jeff Lawson, Ted Leonsis, Kleiner Perkins, John Doerr, Deven Parekh, Jeffrey Katzenberg, Wndr, Laurene Powell Jobs, Dustin Moskovitz, Magic Johnson, Tony James, Blackstone, Bruce Heyman, Goldman Sachs, Peter Orszag, Steve Westly, Ron Conway, Mark Cuban, Reid Hoffman Organizations: WASHINGTON, CNBC, Democratic, Century Fox, Washington Wizards, WNBA's Mystics, NHL's Washington Capitals, Walt Disney Studios, Facebook, NBA Hall of Famer, Jefferson, Lazard, Westly, Tesla Locations: America, California, Capital, Silicon Valley

☆ Dozens of business leaders endorse Kamala Harris for president
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-06 | by ( Liam Reilly | Matt Egan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Dozens of business leaders are throwing their weight behind Vice President Kamala Harris, saying she is the stronger candidate for the American economy and the future of democracy. In a three-page letter, a group of 88 business leaders — including high-profile current and former executives from major public companies across tech, media, and finance — emphasized that they believe a Harris administration can better nurture the private sector. The endorsements underscore the support Harris has not only in Silicon Valley, a traditional Democratic stronghold, but in some corners on Wall Street and at some consumer-facing companies. On the campaign trail, Harris has positioned herself as perhaps friendlier to business than President Joe Biden. The letter is a vote of confidence for Harris as she and former President Donald Trump appear neck and neck ahead of the November election.

Persons: Kamala Harris, —, Harris, “, James Murdoch, Mark Cuban, Reid Hoffman, Rupert Murdoch, Michael Lynton, Jeremy Stoppelman, Hoffman, Jeff Lawson, Laurene Powell Jobs, Peter Chernin, Jeffrey Katzenberg, Joe Biden, Trump, Elon Musk, David Sacks, San Francisco, Doug Leone, Joe Lonsdale, Peter Thiel, Donald Trump Organizations: CNN, CNBC, Democratic, Century Fox, Emerson Collective, TCG, Fox, Walt Disney Studios, Trump, San, Republican National Convention, America PAC, Sequoia Capital, Palantir, ABC Locations: Silicon Valley, United States

Ms. Harris dropped in on each one, in descending order of price and intimacy, as donors enjoyed peach mimosas and shrimp cocktails before her remarks in the grand ballroom. The Harris campaign is immediately being more intentional at courting this community, dispatching aides to meet with affinity groups representing venture capitalists and the cryptocurrency industry. And she has hired additional fund-raising aides with ties to the Bay Area who helped organize Sunday’s event. Ms. Harris also has connections that Mr. Biden simply does not. Josh Becker, who represents much of Silicon Valley in the California Senate and is close with many industry heavyweights, said he had hosted Ms. Harris in his home two decades ago.

Persons: Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, Biden, Harris’s, givers, Harris, ”, “ Harris Walz ”, Donald J, Trump, podcaster David Sacks, Sacks, Sheryl Sandberg, Laurene Powell Jobs, Steve Jobs, Josh Becker, Becker, ” Mr, Jason Henry, Nancy Pelosi, Jeffrey Katzenberg, Tom Steyer, Liz Simons, John Doerr, Reid Hoffman, Steve Westly, Getty, scions, Westly, Harris “, Eleni Kounalakis, —, ” Lateefah Simon, “ Kamala Harris, Simon, “ She’s, Ms, Ron Conway, Steve Spinner, Barack Obama’s, Hopkins, Mr, Spinner Organizations: Sunday, Obama, Bay Area, Facebook, Apple, San, California Senate, The New York Times, Biden, Area, InterContinental Locations: San Francisco, Nob, Woodside, Menlo, California, Pacific Heights, Silicon Valley, Versailles, Bay

☆ Jeffrey Katzenberg: Joe Biden Left Us in Good Hands with Kamala Harris - The New York Times
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-24 | by ( Jeffrey Katzenberg | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

I am a storyteller by trade and have spent a career overseeing the creation of fanciful tales in film, TV, stage and publishing. I don’t know anyone who has suffered more personal tragedy, with the loss of his wife, daughter and son. Time and again, I have seen how through his grief, he has been able to help others heal from theirs. Partly because of his empathetic understanding of America and Americans, he has conducted one of the most successful presidencies in our history. His victory in the Democratic Party’s primaries earned him the right to run for re-election and extend his record of success.

Persons: ”, ” —, Joseph Campbell, Joe Biden, I’ve Organizations: “ Star, Democratic

When aides to President Biden heard in recent days that George Clooney, as close a figure as there is in Hollywood to royalty, planned to publicly break with Mr. Biden in an essay that cast doubt on his re-election chances, panic set in from Wilmington to Beverly Hills. Could Mr. Clooney be persuaded not to publish it? Mr. Katzenberg, who moonlights as a top Biden official and has worked with Mr. Clooney on philanthropy for decades, reached out to him to see if there was an off-ramp, according to three people familiar with the matter. There was not — Mr. Clooney published his essay in The New York Times, and the president’s relationship with Hollywood was torn asunder. The fallout from the Clooney essay has ricocheted across the worlds of politics and entertainment — and onto Mr. Katzenberg himself.

Persons: Biden, George Clooney, Clooney, Jeffrey Katzenberg, Katzenberg, ”, Billy Ray, “ Organizations: Biden, New York Times, Hollywood, Democratic Locations: Hollywood, Wilmington, Beverly Hills

☆ Obama and Pelosi huddled as Democrats look to steer Biden out of 2024 race
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-11 | by ( Edward-Isaac Dovere | Jeff Zeleny | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

CNN —Barack Obama and Nancy Pelosi have spoken privately about Joe Biden and the future of his 2024 campaign. And if those two feel otherwise, several leading Democrats say, they need to say that clearly as soon as possible before even more damage is done less than four months before the election. Trust me, I know,” reiterating that sentiment at a fundraiser in New York for House Democrats the night after Biden’s performance. The Biden campaign declined to comment. Pelosi re-broke the damAs House Democrats left their private caucus meeting on Tuesday morning, many felt the worst might be over for the president.

Persons: Barack Obama, Nancy Pelosi, Joe Biden, Donald Trump, Obama, Pelosi, Chuck Schumer doesn’t, Biden, Hakeem Jeffries doesn’t, hadn’t, Obama’s, ”, he’s, Beau, Hillary Clinton, Bernie Sanders, “ Biden, ’ ”, “, — Obama, Emanuel Cleaver, —, George Clooney, Jeffrey Katzenberg, Clooney, ” Clooney, imploring Biden, Joe ”, Privately, She’s, ” Pelosi, CNN’s Annie Grayer Organizations: CNN, California Democrat, House Democrats, Democratic, White House, Trump, Missouri Democrat, New York Times, Biden, Democrats, NATO Locations: California, New York, Washington, –, Missouri, Los Angeles, San Francisco

Wall Street’s game theoryAs more leading Democrats say privately that President Biden should withdraw from the presidential race, some of the party’s most prominent backers on Wall Street spent the holiday weekend debating what to do next. If they favor calling for him to step back, they discussed what their next moves should be. Wall Street is taking a different approach than Hollywood. (Many are also reportedly irate at Jeffrey Katzenberg, Biden’s campaign co-chair.) And many donors want to maintain their influence within the Democratic Party.

Persons: Biden, Larry Fink, BlackRock, Robert Rubin, Jon Gray, Blackstone, Peter Orszag, Lazard, Blair Effron, Robert Wolf, Barack Obama —, DealBook, Reed Hastings, Barry Diller, Rob Reiner, Abigail Disney, Jeffrey Katzenberg Organizations: Wall, Treasury, Centerview Partners, UBS, Hollywood, Netflix, IAC, Democratic Party

It’s unclear how far along the talks between IAC and National Amusements are. A bid to take control of Paramount would be a coda of sorts for Mr. Diller, 82, who tried to acquire Paramount Pictures in the early ’90s. Mr. Diller was named head of Paramount Pictures in 1974 at the age of 32. After Mr. Redstone outbid him for the company, Mr. Diller set his sights on continuing to build his new media empire, striking a series of audacious deals to expand IAC. “They won,” Mr. Diller said in a statement after losing out to Mr. Redstone.

Persons: Edgar Bronfman Jr, Steven Paul, Diller, Sumner Redstone, Shari, rejuvenating, Michael Eisner, wunderkind Jeffrey Katzenberg, ” Mr, Shari Redstone Organizations: IAC, National, Hollywood, Paramount, Paramount Pictures, Disney, “, Amusements, Skydance, National Amusements

☆ Every Pixar movie, ranked from worst to best — including 'Inside Out 2'
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-14 | by ( Jason Guerrasio | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: 1 min

"A Bug's Life" (1998)"A Bug's Life." PixarIn the second movie ever released by Pixar, an ant named Flik (voiced by Dave Foley) sets out to find others to help save his colony against grasshoppers and ends up recruiting a unique group of allies. Though the movie was successful at the box office, with the release of DreamWorks' "Antz" a month earlier, you're more likely to remember the Lasseter-Katzenberg feud than the films.

Persons: Dave Foley, Lasseter Organizations: Pixar, DreamWorks

☆ Jeffrey Katzenberg on WndrCo's $460M funding, opportunities in cybersecurity and state of media
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-04 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailJeffrey Katzenberg on WndrCo's $460M funding, opportunities in cybersecurity and state of mediaJeffrey Katzenberg, WndrCo founding partner and DreamWorks co-founder, and Sujay Jaswa, WndrCo founding partner and former Dropbox CFO, join 'Squawk Box' to discuss the $460 million raised for his investment firm WndrCo, opportunities in cybersecurity, Katzenberg's thoughts on the media landscape, Skydance-Paramount merger, and more.

Persons: Jeffrey Katzenberg, Sujay Organizations: DreamWorks, Paramount Locations: cybersecurity

Washington CNN —President Joe Biden on Saturday night will attend the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, giving the president a stage and primetime slot to needle the media and his rival former President Donald Trump. “I haven’t had a chance to watch the court proceedings because I’ve been campaigning,” Biden told supporters at a campaign reception in New York Thursday, according to pool reports. While Biden has delivered many of these speeches before, the stakes for what could be his last White House Correspondents’ Dinner are high. “He’s the entertainer.”Administration officials said Katzenberg led daily strategy sessions in the White House residence this week to tweak Biden’s comedy set drafted by longtime speechwriter Vinay Reddy. Biden administration officials said they sought to share that concern with Kelly O’Donnell, president of the White House Correspondents’ Association and senior White House correspondent for NBC News, and with Jost’s team in NBC’s entertainment division as well.

Persons: Joe Biden, Donald Trump, Biden, Calvin Coolidge, Trump, “, I’ve, ” Biden, he’d, Jeffrey Katzenberg, Katzenberg, punchlines, Vinay Reddy, Mike Donilon, Steve Ricchetti, Anita Dunn, Karine Jean, Pierre, Annie Tomasini, Live’s Colin Jost, Kelly O’Donnell, ” O’Donnell, –, “ He’s, ”, Rob Flaherty, Dan Cluchey, Jon Macks, Jay Leno ”, Seth Meyers, – Biden, Barack Obama, Lil Jon, Gary Busey, ” Obama, Osama bin Laden Organizations: Washington CNN, White, Trump, Biden, Dreamworks, CNN, New York City –, Republican, ’ Association, White House, NBC News, Gridiron Locations: New York, Ukraine, Israel, Gaza, White, New York City, Washington

☆ Biden fund gets big donation from son of Republican megadonor Larry Ellison
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-16 | by ( Brian Schwartz | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

David Ellison, CEO of Skydance Media attends the 81st Annual Golden Globe Awards at The Beverly Hilton on January 07, 2024 in Beverly Hills, California. David Ellison, the son of Republican megadonor Larry Ellison, gave $929,600 to back the re-election efforts of President Joe Biden, putting him among the top recent donors to the incumbent Democrat. David Ellison's donation is the largest recorded contribution that the Skydance Media CEO ever made to a federal candidate, according to Federal Election Commission records. David Ellison's donation comes as his father, Larry Ellison, the chairman of Oracle, has kept his wallet firmly shut this election cycle. Larry Ellison donated more than $31 million to Republican candidates during the 2022 congressional midterms, according to data from OpenSecrets.

Persons: David Ellison, The Beverly Hilton, Larry Ellison, Joe Biden, David Ellison's, George Conway, Donald Trump, Dustin Moskowitz, Charles Myers, bundler, Biden, Soros, Myers, George Soros, Biden's, Trump, —, Jeffrey Katzenberg, Katzenberg, Kurt Rappaport, Rappaport Organizations: Skydance Media, The Beverly, Commission, Biden, Facebook, Oracle, Trump, CNBC, Democratic, Republican, Hollywood Locations: Beverly Hills , California, OpenSecrets, Los Angeles

☆ Biden Reports Major Cash Haul in March as Trump Looks to Catch Up
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-06 | by ( Nicholas Nehamas | More About Nicholas Nehamas | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

“You can’t lie about the numbers,” Mr. Gifford said. His campaign also said he raised $10 million in the 24 hours after his State of the Union address on March 7. Trump campaign aides say they plan to out-raise Mr. Biden’s three-president bash with a major fund-raiser of their own on Saturday in Palm Beach. But Mr. Biden’s prodigious March may take some of the wind out of Mr. Trump’s sails. And there are signs that Mr. Trump may continue to up his fund-raising.

Persons: Mr, Gifford, “, Barack Obama, Bill Clinton, Trump, Trump’s, Biden’s, “ We’ve, ”, Jeffrey Katzenberg, Biden Organizations: Radio City Music Hall, Republican National Committee, Mr Locations: New York City, Lago, Palm Beach, Fla

Unlike Obama and Clinton before him, Biden is running against a candidate only a few years his junior. It was a twist on how Clinton answered a question about Dole's age during the second presidential debate in 1996. There is not much precedent for the event Biden's campaign is putting on Thursday. Obama, Biden and Clinton will inevitably go down memory lane during a discussion moderated by comedian Stephen Colbert. Aside from private conversations, Biden also often directs his top aides to follow up with Obama or Clinton on various topics of conversation.

Persons: Barack Obama, Joe Biden, Bill Clinton, Robert Byrd, George H.W . Bush, Bob Dole, John McCain, —, Biden, Obama, Clinton, Still, Dole, McCain, Seth Meyers, Donald Trump, Sen, Scott Reed, Reed, Mike Pence's, — McCain, Mark Salter, George W, Bush, Hillary Clinton, Salter, McCain's, Mindy Kaling, Jill Biden, Queen Latifah, Lizzo, Ben Platt, Cynthia Erivo, Lea Michele, Annie Leibovitz, Harris, Jeffrey Katzenberg, Rufus Gifford, Chris Korge, Condé, Anna Wintour, Julie Chavez Rodriguez, DJ D, Stephen Colbert, Jeff Zients, Anita Dunn, Steve Ricchetti, Bruce Reed, Jen O'Malley Dillon, Mike Donilon, Ricchetti Organizations: West Virginia State Capitol, NBC, NBC News, Democratic, Radio City Music Hall, Biden, Biden Victory Fund, DJ, Affordable, Trump, he's Locations: Charleston , West Virginia, New York, New Hampshire

☆ Inside the Biden effort to recruit Nikki Haley donors to help defeat Donald Trump
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-19 | by ( Brian Schwartz | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

U.S. President Joe Biden speaks during a campaign event at Pullman Yards in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. March 9, 2024. "People I know who are generally business Republicans, they're going to hear from me" about helping Biden, Sloan said. A co-chair of the Biden campaign, Katzenberg has been trying to recruit wealthy Haley supporters into Biden's camp since at least February. Sloan and other Haley supporters have also heard from the Biden campaign's finance chair, Rufus Gifford, who said he belongs to a WhatsApp group called "Haley Supporters for Biden." The effort to win over Haley donors also got a boost when Trump threatened to blacklist Haley donors.

Persons: Joe Biden, Nikki Haley, Haley, Harry Sloan, Jeffrey Katzenberg, Sloan, Donald Trump, they're, Biden, Haley bundlers, Biden —, Trump, Katzenberg, Rufus Gifford, Haley Supporters, MAGA, Dave McCormick Organizations: Pullman, South Carolina Gov, Republican, CNBC, MGM, Biden, Trump, Commission, Pennsylvania GOP Locations: Atlanta , Georgia, U.S, Los Angeles

☆ Election Updates: Biden heads to Nevada and Arizona, and five states vote Tuesday.
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-18 | by ( Maggie Astor | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +4 min

Mr. Trump has been schmoozing with donors at Mar-a-Lago, his private club and residence in Palm Beach, Fla., trying to lessen the financial disparity he faces against Mr. Biden. The figures do not include the funds that Mr. Biden pulled in after his State of the Union address on March 7. Mr. Katzenberg said the campaign’s fund-raising had “accelerated” as Mr. Biden and his surrogates had begun to hit the trail. (The Biden campaign said a sweepstakes-style contest to attend that event raised $4 million in February.) Then, on April 3, Hillary Clinton and Lin-Manuel Miranda will host a fund-raiser for Mr. Biden on Broadway.

Persons: Biden’s, Donald J, Trump, Biden, ” Jeffrey Katzenberg, Mr, Kamala Harris, Harris, Katzenberg, Joe Biden, Bill Clinton, Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, Lin, Manuel Miranda, Rebecca Davis O’Brien, Reid J, Epstein Organizations: Democratic Party, Republican National Committee, Mr, Mar, Republican, Democratic National Committee, Biden, Fund, Union, U.S, Democratic, Radio City Music Hall, Broadway Locations: Palm Beach, Fla, New York

☆ Biden’s $53 Million February Haul Fuels Money Edge Over Trump
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-17 | by ( Nicholas Nehamas | Shane Goldmacher | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

President Biden’s re-election campaign said on Sunday that it had raised more than $53 million in February together with the Democratic Party, an influx of cash that is expected to widen the Democrats’ cash advantage in a general-election contest against former President Donald J. Trump. Mr. Biden, the Democratic Party and their shared accounts now have $155 million cash on hand — up from $130 million at the end of January, his campaign said. So far in the race, Mr. Biden and the Democrats have built a substantial fund-raising advantage over Mr. Trump and the Republican National Committee, which reported around $40 million in cash on hand between them at the end of January. The Trump campaign has not released its February fund-raising figures but has said it also had its strongest month among small donors — topping the $22.3 million raised last August. Mr. Trump and the R.N.C.

Persons: Biden’s, Donald J, Trump, Biden, ” Jeffrey Katzenberg Organizations: Democratic Party, Republican National Committee, Mr

☆ Biden fundraising 'dream team' creates $140 million war chest to take on Donald Trump
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-22 | by ( Brian Schwartz | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

US President Biden arrives to board Air Force One at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland on December 20, 2023, as he departs for Milwaukee, Wisconsin. President Joe Biden's $140 million campaign war chest has been bolstered by a group of loyal advisers and fundraisers that some party strategists call a "dream team" effort to defeat the likely Republican nominee, former President Donald Trump. "They have kind of put together a dream team in fundraising," said Jim Messina, who served as former President Barack Obama's campaign manager for his successful 2012 reelection campaign. Katzenberg has been speaking with donors to Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley and trying to recruit them to support Biden. But Katzenberg pointed to Haley's support in places like New Hampshire, where she won 43% of the Republican primary vote, saying that suggests there is a slice of the Republican party ready to move on from Trump.

Persons: Biden, Joe Biden's, Donald Trump, Jeffrey Katzenberg, Rufus Gifford, Michael Pratt, Jen O'Malley Dillon, Julie Chávez Rodriguez, Jim Messina, Barack Obama's, Katzenberg, Nikki Haley, Katzenberg Haley, Trump's, Karoline Leavitt Organizations: Air Force, Joint Base Andrews, Republican, State Department, CNBC, Trump, Biden, Democratic National Committee, Commission, White House Locations: Maryland, Milwaukee , Wisconsin, South Carolina, Trump, New Hampshire

☆ AI marketing startup Alembic just raised $14 million from Jeffrey Katzenberg's WndrCo and revealed Nvidia as a customer
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-15 | by ( Darius Rafieyan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Companies spend billions on marketing every year, but the question remains whether these campaigns translate into profits. San Francisco-based startup Alembic is employing big data techniques developed for contact tracing during the pandemic to answer those questions. The company today announced a $14 million Series A that included Jeffery Katzenberg, NFL-star-turned-VC Joe Montana, and Braze co-founder Mark Ghermezian. But recent advances in AI and big data technology, he says, have made it possible to track the impact of marketing spend on a granular level, in real time. Puig says the company currently has about a dozen customers, including trillion-dollar chipmaker Nvidia, which is using the technology to guide its marketing efforts.

Persons: Crypto.com, Dunkin, Ben Affleck, Jennifer Lopez, Jeffery Katzenberg, Joe Montana, Braze, Mark Ghermezian, Katzenberg, Tomas Puig, epidemiologists, Puig, Jensen Huang, it's Organizations: Mastercard, PGA, Business, Walt Disney Studios, DreamWorks, Nvidia Locations: Los Angeles, San Francisco, Covid

With a cash haul from elite party donors expected to reach into the millions, the Los Angeles event could help ease concerns among Democrats about Biden's reelection chances. As of the last fundraising reporting deadline at the end of September, Biden and his party reported $91 million cash on hand. During the 2020 Democratic primary campaign, Smith and Costos hosted Biden's first major fundraiser in the area, during a Los Angeles swing that raised over $1 million. At the time, Katzenberg was involved in planning events for another Democratic candidate, Pete Buttigieg, who is now Biden's transportation secretary. Katzenberg's former business partners at DreamWorks, Geffen and Spielberg, will be at the Smith and Costos event.

Persons: Joe Biden, Michael Smith, James Costos, Barack Obama's, Rocker Lenny Kravitz, Steven Spielberg, Kate Capshaw, “ Indiana Jones, David Geffen, Shonda Rhimes, Rob Reiner, Nancy Pelosi, Barbra Streisand, ” Smith, Biden, Republican Donald Trump, Wes Moore, Josh Shapiro, Dean Phillips, Biden's electability, Jeffrey Katzenberg, —, Katzenberg, Bill Clinton, Smith, Costos, Pete Buttigieg, Buttigieg, Spielberg Organizations: WASHINGTON, Democratic Party, HBO, The Associated Press, Former, Democratic, Republican, Gov, Minnesota, Democratic National Committee, Dreamworks Pictures, DreamWorks, Geffen Locations: Los Angeles, Spain, “, Washington , Boston , Maryland, Philadelphia, California

☆ As Hollywood reckons with AI, Warner Music will use the tech to make an Edith Piaf biopic
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-14 | by ( Drew Richardson | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Warner Music plans to use artificial intelligence to recreate the voice and image of French artist and singer Edith Piaf, nearly 60 years after her death, the company said Tuesday. The Animation Guild, which represents professionals in the animation industry, is taking the issue of AI seriously, a representative for the union told CNBC. The biopic will be narrated using Piaf's AI regenerated voice, while animation will "provide a modern take on her story." So far, only a proof of concept of the film has been created, Warner Music said. There's no release date yet, either, a Warner Music representative told CNBC.

Persons: Edith Piaf, Piaf, Edith, Jeffrey Katzenberg, Katzenberg, It's, Piaf's, Marion Cotillard Organizations: Warner Music, Hollywood, Disney, DreamWorks, CNBC Locations: Paris, New York

NEW YORK (AP) — President Joe Biden's reelection campaign is getting some big-name fundraising help Monday from Broadway’s top stars. Both Biden and first lady Jill Biden will attend the event, with tickets ranging from $250 to $7,500. Since at least Bill Clinton, Democratic presidents have cultivated intimate ties with powerful figures in the Hollywood entertainment industry. Biden himself raised roughly $1 million during an early 2020 campaign fundraiser at the home of Michael Smith and James Costos, a former HBO executive. That event was attended by former DreamWorks co-founder Jeffrey Katzenberg, now a Biden campaign co-chair.

Persons: Joe Biden's, Biden, Sara Bareilles, Lin, Manuel Miranda, Ben Platt, Jill Biden, Bill Clinton, Michael Smith, James Costos, Jeffrey Katzenberg, Katzenberg, “ Joe Biden, ”, Chris Korge, “, tycoons, Mickey Kantor, “ It’s, ” Biden, Donald Trump ’, Trump, Annaleigh Ashford, Alex Edelman, Josh Gad, Christopher Jackson, LaChanze, Ruthie Ann Miles, Leslie Odom Jr, Andrew Rannells, Aaron Tveit, Betsy Wolfe, Thomas Kail, Alex Lacamoire, Andy Blankenbuehler, Benj Pasek, Justin Paul, Amanda Green, ___ Slodysko Organizations: Writers Guild of America, SAG, Hollywood, Actors ’ Equity Association, General, Democratic Party, Democratic, HBO, DreamWorks, Biden, Democratic National Committee, Fund, White, GOP Locations: U.S, Manhattan, New York, Southern California, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, LA, Washington

☆ Biden's age is his 'superpower' in 2024, Jeffrey Katzenberg says
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-18 | by ( Nandita Bose | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Katzenberg, in a telephone interview, described Biden as "energetic" and "effective," and suggested Republican attacks on his age will backfire. "President Biden's age is, in fact, his superpower," Katzenberg said. Some Democrats expect such attacks on Biden's age and family will increase in 2024. Former Disney executive Katzenberg's opinion is likely to be reflected in Biden's campaign in the months to come. Biden's campaign had four members on the payroll and spent a total of $1.1 million in the first three months since launch.

Persons: Jeffrey Katzenberg, Joe Biden, Biden, Katzenberg, Nikki Haley, Ted Cruz, Kamala Harris's, Biden's, Donald Trump, Simon Rosenberg, Barack Obama, Reid Hoffman, it's, Nandita Bose, Trevor Hunnicutt, Heather Timmons, Michael Perry Organizations: Republican, Republicans, Trump, Democratic, Disney, Katzenberg, Linkedin, Biden, Fund, Thomson Locations: U.S, Washington

Biden, who launched his campaign on April 25, had $77 million in cash on hand at the end of June across several affiliated fundraising entities and the Democratic Party. The Republican front-runner, former President Donald Trump, raised more than $35 million during the April-June period, a campaign official had said. Florida Governor and Republican presidential candidate Ron DeSantis raised $20 million in the same period, his campaign said. Trump launched his campaign in June that year but had already started raising money, while Obama launched his campaign on April 4. Reuters GraphicsThe Biden campaign is required to submit more detailed financial records to the Federal Election Commission by Saturday.

Persons: Joe Biden's, Biden, Donald Trump, Ron DeSantis, Trump, Barack Obama, Obama, MAGA, Julie Chavez Rodriguez, Chavez Rodriguez, Jeffrey Katzenberg, Katzenberg, Steven Cheung, Trevor Hunnicutt, Nandita Bose, Nathan Layne, Alistair Bell Organizations: Democratic Party, Republican, Florida Governor, Democratic National, Republicans, Biden, Trump, Republican National Committee, Reuters, Federal, Disney, Thomson Locations: Pennsylvania, Michigan, Georgia, Washington

☆ Aura Sells Cybersecurity to Regular People
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-05 | by ( Kim S. Nash | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +5 min

Hari Ravichandran, chief executive of Aura, wants families—from children to their grandparents—to take charge of their personal cybersecurity. Ravichandran spoke with WSJ Pro about Aura’s challenges, and how it uses artificial intelligence to make cybersecurity invisible. With cybersecurity, people don’t think about a lot of the basic views from which your data can get exploited. In a grandparent scam, for example, somebody calls pretending to be your grandson or a granddaughter saying, “Hey, I’ve been kidnapped. Newsletter Sign-up WSJ Pro Cybersecurity Cybersecurity news, analysis and insights from WSJ's global team of reporters and editors.

Persons: Hari Ravichandran, Aura, —, Jeffrey Katzenberg, Robert Downey Jr, Ravichandran, Jack Plunkett, it’s, “, I’ve, Kim S, Nash Organizations: Federal Bureau of Investigation, Hollywood, DreamWorks, Southwest Locations: kim.nash

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