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☆ Hollywood goes conservative as an economic shift fuels a turn toward faith and family-based shows
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-06 | by ( Lucia Moses | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

After playing to the coasts, Hollywood is leaning toward faith and family-based shows and films. The Prime Video series will be the first to come out of Amazon's deal with The Wonder Project, a Christian-focused production company, for faith-based films and TV shows. After playing to the coasts with shows that embraced progressive themes, Hollywood is leaning into broadly appealing fare. That shift has included a combination of undeniably faith-based, conservative-themed, and family-aimed entertainment, agents, producers, and industry experts say. "Conservative, faith-based, family, is not a bad place to look," Thompson said.

Persons: —, David, Vernon Sanders, Jennifer Salke, Nick Barnes, UTA's, Kevin Costner, Bob Iger, Tyler Perry, DeVon Franklin, Ruth, Boaz, Mary, Anthony Hopkins, Tim McGraw, Jim Caviezel, Jesus, Dallas Jenkins, Jon Erwin, UTA's Barnes, Jesus of Nazareth, Angel, Robert Thompson, Thompson, Hilary Swank, Jamie McCarthy, That's, Jason Blum, Taylor Sheridan, Barnes Organizations: Netflix, Service, Amazon MGM Studios, Paramount, Heartland, Disney, Angel, Angel Studios, Wonder, Networks, Cable, Syracuse University's Newhouse School of Public Communications, Center for Television, Popular, Conservative, York, Kingdom, Co, Lionsgate, UTA, Ampere Locations: Hollywood, UTA's Nashville, Los Angeles, American, California, America, Yellowstone, Georgia , Texas, Tennessee

☆ Gen Z UTA execs' daily routines include everything from parties to pitch meetings. See their packed schedule.
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-29 | by ( Shriya Bhattacharya | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

download the appSign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. Read previewIn March, Ziad Ahmed and Shaina Zafar made headlines when they sold their marketing agency, Juv Consulting, to United Talent Agency. Juv was known among many US-based influencers and brands as the "go-to expert on Gen Z", one creator told Business Insider. This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers. AdvertisementFor the first time, Ahmed and Zafar share a peek into their work schedules as they grow UTA's Next Gen.

Persons: —, Ziad Ahmed, Shaina Zafar, Juv, Ahmed, Zafar, , it's Organizations: Service, Juv Consulting, United Talent Agency, influencers, Business, UTA Locations: America

☆ Ad insiders are buzzing about industry power broker Michael Kassan's messy split with UTA and what it means for the future of MediaLink
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-13 | by ( Lara O'Reilly | Lucia Moses | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

After falling out with Kassan, UTA may think twice about buying another agency. The media and ad industry will be watching to see what, if any, leadership changes UTA makes at MediaLink. The end of the ad industry schmoozefest? One industry veteran said they saw Kassan's exit as an opportunity to change how ad industry consultants operate and charge for services. At the center of the dispute between UTA and Kassan is the MediaLink founder's $950,000 annual expense account.

Persons: Michael Kassan, MediaLink, Kassan, Jeremy Zimmer, Kassan wasn't, Vianney Tisseau, headhunting, Jon Miller, Sanford Michelman, Michelman, Robinson, Ethan Miller, Julian Jacobs, David Anderson, WME, Kassan's, Wenda Harris Millard, wasn't, what's, There's, Lou Paskalis, Marc Sternberg's, Lady Gaga, Elton John, Mariah Carey, Tom Brady, Rob Norman, WPP's Organizations: UTA, Cannes Lions, Consumer, Business, Los Angeles Superior Court, Los, Judicial, Mediation Services, Variety Cannes Lions Studio, Integrated Media, Getty, Talent, Accenture, General Motors, Netflix, JUV Consulting, Madison, Endeavor, Writers Guild of America, Zimmer, Western Initiative Media Worldwide, Interpublic Group, Bank of America, AJL, Marc Sternberg's Brand, Kassan, Southwest, NFL Locations: MediaLink, Cannes, France, Madison, Droga5, Hollywood, Kassan, California, South, Austin

☆ A key witness in Trump's classified documents case went public — and it could complicate Jack Smith's case
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-12 | by ( Erin Snodgrass | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

download the appSign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. But the witness' public recall of his role in the saga could cause complications in special counsel Jack Smith's case against Trump, a legal expert told Business Insider. AdvertisementButler's decision to come forward with his name is also surprising given Trump's fierce fan base, Rahmani said. Butler told CNN on Monday he considered going public for months as he watched developments in the case. US District Judge Aileen Cannon is set to hear arguments on two of Trump's motions to dismiss the case on Thursday.

Persons: —, Donald Trump, Jack Smith's, Brian Butler, Jack Smith, Trump, Walt Nauta, Carlos de Oliveira, Butler, Neama, Rahmani, de Oliviera, Smith, Aileen Cannon Organizations: Service, CNN, Trump, Business, Mar, Department, West, Trial, US Locations: Florida

☆ 16 VCs that are funding the future of entertainment by backing generative AI and other disruptive tech
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-12 | by ( Lucia Moses | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +17 min

AdvertisementAfter a period of "wild west" investing in AI, Blank believes activity will favor AI companies that respect artists' consent and compensation. It recently co-led a $1 million seed round in Conduiit, which centralizes entertainment companies' production finance operations. Endeavor Venture InvestmentsEndeavor Venture Investments is the venture arm of entertainment and sports behemoth Endeavor. SWaN & LegendThe Virginia-based VC firm has a broad consumer portfolio that includes a number of entertainment investments. With Hollywood in contraction, SWaN has largely hit pause on new entertainment investments to get its portfolio companies on a strong footing.

Persons: Michael Blank, Blank, Jon Miller, Miller, Slack, Garnet Heraman, BDMI, Urs Cete, Michael, TMRW, Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy, Elysian Park Ventures Jay Adya, Grant Lamos, Tom Brady, Gotham Chopra, Michael Strahan, Jay Adya, Morgan, Kushaan Ahuja, Drew Glover, Glover, Alex Harris, they've, Noah Doyle, Payback India, Jed Katz, Rich Greenfield, Rich, Ilya Pozin, Jamie Seltzer, LightShed, Steve Cohen's, it's, Sri Chandrasekar, Tripp Shriner, Ishan Sinha, That's, Wondery, Ian Doody, Raine, Gordon Rubenstein, Joe Ravitch, Jeff Sine, ‐, Fred Schaufeld, SWaN, that's, Oscar, Jose, Schaufeld, Sam Wick, Alex J, Investcorp, Paul Yoo, Edgar Bronfman Jr, Daniel Leff, Waverley, Leff Organizations: Service, Creative Artists, Connect Ventures, Business, Hollywood, Veteran, TPG, Integrated Media Co, Advancit, CAA, Bertelsmann, Waverley, Octopus Ventures, Accel, Facebook, Venture, Aperture Venture, Bertelsmann Digital Media Investments, Fremantle, Connect, CAA Connect Ventures, New Enterprises Associates, TMRW Sports, Disney, Universal, Elysian Park Ventures, Elysian, Sports, Endeavor Venture, Endeavor Venture Investments, behemoth Endeavor, Dapper Labs, Fiat Ventures, Fiat Ventures Fiat Ventures, Fiat, Payback, Rent, LightShed, Rich Greenfield Influential, LightShed Ventures, Pluto, Apple, Octopus Ventures Octopus Ventures, Investments, Corp, Etsy, Re, Point72 Ventures New York Mets, Range Media Partners, Point72 Ventures, Sri, Powerhouse, Athletic, The New York Times Co, Evolution Media, Creative Artists Agency, Astro, Rave Digital Media, Accel Entertainment, Jose Andrés Media, Berliner, UTA Talent, UTA, UTA Ventures, Ventures, VR, Amazon, PFL Locations: blockchain, —, Conduiit, fintech, London, Australia, Papercup, Los Angeles, Virginia, UTA.VC

☆ Susan Sarandon was dropped by her talent agency in the wake of comments about the Israel-Hamas war
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-22 | by ( Polly Thompson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The oscar-winning actress Susan Sarandon has been dropped by United Talent Agency. She drew criticism for comments made at a pro-Palestinian rally in New York City. AdvertisementSusan Sarandon has been dropped by her talent agency over comments she made at a pro-Palestinian rally in New York last week, a spokesperson from the agency told Deadline. The Oscar-winning actress, who has been represented by United Talent Agency (UTA) since 2014, has attended several rallies about the Israel-Hamas war, but drew criticism for comments she made during a speech at Union Square. In another clip of the rally Sarandon says being anti-Palestinian is the result of "brainwashing and conditioning for years and years."

Persons: Susan Sarandon, they've, —, Sarandon, Pink, Roger Waters, He's, Aaron Sorkin, William Morris, William Morris Endeavor Entertainmnet, she's, Melissa Barrera Organizations: United Talent Agency, Service, UTA, The New, The New York Post, Aviva, UN, Guardian, Israel, New York Times, Palestine, Pacific Press, CAA, William Morris Endeavor Locations: New York City, Hollywood, Israel, New York, The New York, Manhattan

☆ 13 Hollywood production companies making brand films that streamers like Netflix and Apple want to buy
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-09 | by ( Lucia Moses | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

said Marc Gilbar, who runs the brand division at Imagine Entertainment. Some are also looking to brand films to offset some of the revenue they're losing in the dual Hollywood strikes. (Brand films are often unscripted and thus aren't governed by the Hollywood unions.) They also see brand work being a positive for below-the-line workers who are idled by the work stoppage. Led by EVP Kate Oppenheim, Tribeca Studios' projects have included "We Could be King" (ESPN2) for Dick's Sporting Goods and P&G's Queen Collective series (BET).

Persons: Ben Silverman, Issa Rae's Hoorae, Kevin Hart's Hartbeat, Julian Jacobs, we've, Marc Gilbar, Samuel L, Jackson, Emma Stone, Zac Ryder, Olivia Wilde, Laurene Powell Jobs, Caitlin McGinty, It's, James Gay, Rees, Paul Martin, Kevin Hart's, Hart, Hartbeat, Brian Price, Chase Sapphire, Procter, Reese Witherspoon, Zoe Fairbourn, Ron Howard, Brian Grazer's, Ron Howard's, Bryce Dallas Howard, Gilbar, Rocco DiSpirito, General Mills, Rupert Maconik's Saville, Werner Herzog, Barry Levinson, Sugar23, Oscar, Michael Sugar, Trevor Noah's, he's, Kennedy, Matt Rotondo helms, Sugar, Mike Beck, Alexa Conway, Trevor Noah, Kate Oppenheim, HBO Max, Paul McCartney, Mary McCartney Ventureland, Kerstin Emhoff, Paul Hunter, John Battsek, Stacy's Pita Chips, Will, Jada Pinkett, REI, Gargi Organizations: Hollywood, Brands, Mattel, Netflix, Apple, UTA, Imagine Entertainment, Producers, Adobe, IBM, Anonymous, HP, Afghan Girls National Soccer Team, Showtime, Pepsi Boardwalk Pictures, Relativity Media, Super, Pepsi, REI, Unilever, Marriott, Surf League, Major League Soccer, Sam's, Gamble, Weinstein Co, Hulu, Imagine, Paramount, Saville Productions, Disney, Time Studios, Procter & Gamble, Anheuser, Busch, InBev, CAA, Studios, MSNBC, ABC, NBC, Tribeca Studios, Dick's Sporting Goods, HBO, CNN, Mobile, Stacy's, Everest, Vice Studios, Westbrook Media, Meta, Logitech, Samsung Locations: Hollywood, Subway, Magnolia

☆ Trump had his 'body man' travel to Mar-a-Lago to figure out how to delete security footage of classified documents, DOJ alleges in new charges
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-28 | by ( Lloyd Lee | Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The Justice Department filed new charges to the Trump classified documents case on Thursday. Trump was previously hit with 37 criminal counts related to the handling of classified records. Get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in business, from Wall Street to Silicon Valley — delivered daily. Two of those charges include obstruction of justice stemming from the DOJ's allegations that the former president asked De Oliveira to delete surveillance footage at his Mar-a-Lago resort. Trump's campaign called the new charges "a continued desperate and flailing attempt" by the Biden administration and the DOJ to harass Trump.

Persons: Trump, Donald Trump, Jack Smith's, Carlos De Oliveira, Waltine, Nauta, De Oliveira, Walter, Peter Carr, De Oliveira's, Biden Organizations: Department, DOJ, Service, Mar, Department of Justice, US Navy, White, Technology, Southern District of Locations: Wall, Silicon, Lago, Trump, Illinois, Florida, Mar, Southern District, Southern District of Florida

☆ Prosecutors are 'sending a message' by asking for harsher sentences for Oath Keepers defendants: DOJ official
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-13 | by ( Natalie Musumeci | Sonam Sheth | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The DOJ wants harsher sentences for eight Oath Keepers members convicted over the Capitol riot. One department official told Insider the DOJ is "really sending a message" by appealing the 8 defendants' sentences. "It's very unusual for DOJ to appeal, but these are unusual cases and unusual times," said the Justice Department official, who requested anonymity to speak about the cases. The DOJ appeal filing didn't include details laying out prosecutors' reasoning; the department official told Insider those details will be laid out in court later. "Typical DOJ, they got their pound of flesh and still want more," Moerschel's lawyer Scott Weinberg told Insider.

Persons: it's, Andrew Weissmann, Robert Mueller's, Weissmann, Elmer Stewart Rhodes, Amit Mehta, Rhodes, Kelly Meggs, Kenneth Harrelson, Jessica Watkins, Roberto Minuta, Joseph Hackett, Edward Vallejo, David Moerschel, It's, Moerschel, Scott Weinberg, Elsa, Weinberg, William Shipley, Minuta, Meggs, Harrelson, Watkins, Hackett, Vallejo Organizations: DOJ, Capitol, Service, Department, Justice Department, Organization Locations: Wall, Silicon, Robert Mueller's Russia

☆ Trump seeks to delay trial in classified documents case
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

July 11 (Reuters) - Former President Donald Trump and his aide Walt Nauta have asked a federal court in Florida to postpone their criminal trial in a classified documents case, saying Trump's busy presidential campaign schedule ahead of the 2024 election will make the current trial schedule "untenable." "President Trump is running for President of the United States and is currently the likely Republican Party nominee. In addition to citing his campaign schedule, Trump's lawyers also told the judge that the unprecedented indictment raises "significant" legal questions and challenges that will be posed by the classified nature of the evidence. The documents case will unfold under a strict set of rules prescribed by the Classified Information Procedures Act, which aims to protect classified evidence and manage disclosure of such records at a public jury trial. Nauta, Trump's aide, pleaded not guilty last week in a Miami federal courthouse to charges that he had helped Trump hide top secret documents taken when he left the White House.

Persons: Donald Trump, Walt Nauta, Trump's, Trump, Nauta, Wilkie D, Ferguson Jr, Chris Kise, Todd Blanche, Jane, Read, Aileen Cannon, Jack Smith's, Cannon, Sarah N, Lynch, Bharat Govind Gautam, Clarence Fernandez, Alistair Bell Organizations: Republican Party, Trump, U.S, United, REUTERS, White House, Thomson Locations: Florida, United States, Miami, Miami , Florida, U.S, Washington, Bengaluru

☆ Trump opposes quick trial date in classified documents case
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-11 | by ( Kevin Breuninger | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Former President Donald Trump on Monday night asked a federal court to hold off on setting a date for the criminal trial over his handling of classified documents, arguing that the unprecedented case requires "a measured consideration and timeline." Their 12-page filing put forward a slew of reasons to "postpone any consideration of a new trial date." They also gestured toward the complexities of discussing classified material in a criminal trial and the potential difficulty of selecting a jury during a presidential election. The attorneys also said they believe the indictment against Trump and Nauta will ultimately be dismissed. Judge Aileen Cannon, a Trump appointee, had initially scheduled the former president's criminal trial to start on Aug. 14.

Persons: Walt Nauta, Donald Trump, Stanley Woodward, James Lawrence King, Trump, Nauta, Aileen Cannon, Trump's Organizations: US Navy, White House, James Lawrence King Federal, Trump, Republican, Southern, Southern District of, Department of Justice, Presidential Records, Justice Department, DOJ Locations: Miami , Florida, Southern District, Southern District of Florida

☆ Special counsel Jack Smith says Trump aide is proposing an 'unnecessary' delay by trying to push a Friday hearing without any replacement date
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-10 | by ( Brent D. Griffiths | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Jack Smith urged a federal judge to reject a Trump aide's efforts to further delay his case. Smith wants Judge Aileen Cannon to refuse Walt Nauta's request to delay a Friday hearing. The special counsel and his team have at times struggled to keep the case against Nauta on track. The arraignment for Nauta, who remains employed by Trump, was delayed multiple times as Nauta struggled to find a local attorney. The special counsel had hoped to put Trump on trial in mid-December, but it is likely the former president will try to object to that timeframe.

Persons: Jack Smith, Smith, Aileen Cannon, Walt Nauta's, Trump, Donald Trump's, Judge Aileen Cannon, Nauta, Donald Trump, Sasha Dadan, Woodward Organizations: Trump, Service Locations: Wall, Silicon, Washington ,, Florida

☆ Trump aide Walt Nauta pleads not guilty in classified documents case
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-06 | by ( Kevin Breuninger | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Walt Nauta, aide to former president Donald Trump, disembarks Trump's airplane, known as Trump Force One, in Bedminster, New Jersey, following a court appearance at Wilkie D. Ferguson Jr. U.S. Walt Nauta, former President Donald Trump's valet and co-defendant in the classified documents case, pleaded not guilty to six criminal charges Thursday at his arraignment in federal court. When asked if he had read the charges against him and if he was able to speak with a lawyer, Nauta replied, "Yes, your honor," NBC News reported. Stanley Woodward, a lawyer for Nauta who is based in Washington, D.C., declined CNBC's request for comment before the hearing. Judge Aileen Cannon has given attorneys for Trump and Nauta until next Monday to respond to Smith's request.

Persons: Walt Nauta, Donald Trump, Wilkie D, Ferguson Jr, Donald Trump's, Nauta, Trump, Sasha Dadan, Dadan, Stanley Woodward, Jack Smith, Smith, Aileen Cannon Organizations: Trump Force, Courthouse, NBC, White House, Navy, CNBC, Washington , D.C, Trump Locations: Bedminster , New Jersey, Miami, Florida, Washington ,

Nauta faces charges of helping Trump hide the documents from investigators after the former president left the White House in 2021. Nauta worked for Trump as a White House valet and has served as an aide since Trump left office. Prosecutors said Nauta moved boxes that contained classified documents so a lawyer for Trump could not find them and hand them over to federal investigators. Nauta and Trump are allowed to be in contact, but cannot discuss the facts of the case except through their attorneys. Legal experts have said the complexities surrounding the use of highly classified documents as evidence are likely to delay Trump's trial.

Persons: Walt Nauta, President Trump, Wilkie D, Ferguson Jr, Jane Rosenberg, Donald Trump, Edwin Torres, Torres, Stanley Woodward, Trump, Woodward, Nauta, Prosecutors, Aileen Cannon, Jack Smith, Cannon, Jacqueline Thomsen, Andy Sullivan, Scott Malone, Howard Goller Organizations: United, Courthouse, REUTERS, MIAMI, White House, Trump, U.S, Prosecutors, Thomson Locations: Miami , Florida, U.S, Florida, Nauta, Newark, Miami, White, New York, York, Lago

☆ Trump aide Walt Nauta's arraignment postponed again because he couldn't get local counsel
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-27 | by ( Kimberly Leonard | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Nauta, Trump's personal aide, was supposed to be arraigned Tuesday in the classified documents case. He wasn't able to get local counsel or make it to the arraignment in person. Woodward said that Nauta wasn't likely to appear in person on July 6 because of "logistical hurdles" that he didn't explain, and said a local counsel would appear instead. Like Trump, Nauta didn't have to post a bond and won't face restrictions on his travel as the case moves forward. Trump directed Nauta "to move boxes of documents to conceal them from Trump's attorney, the FBI, and the grand jury," the indictment alleges.

Persons: —, Donald Trump's, Waltine, Stanley Woodward, Nauta hadn't, Edwin Torres, Nauta, Woodward, Torres, Jay Bratt, he's, wasn't, Jonathan Goodman, Trump, Aileen Cannon, Cannon Organizations: Service, MIAMI, South, South Florida District, Newark Liberty International Airport, of Justice, Trump, White, FBI, Navy Locations: Newark, South Florida, Miami, Florida, Mar, White

☆ Trump co-defendant Walt Nauta can't find local lawyer, has arraignment postponed
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-27 | by ( Dan Mangan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Walt Nauta, aide to former president Donald Trump, disembarks Trump's airplane, known as Trump Force One, in Bedminster, New Jersey, following a court appearance at Wilkie D. Ferguson Jr. U.S. Donald Trump aide Walt Nauta has been unable to find a local Florida lawyer to represent him in the criminal case against him and the former president over the retention of classified government documents. Nauta's arraignment Tuesday in Miami federal court was postponed until July 6 to give him more time to hire a local attorney to represent him, as required by court rules for such a proceeding. Nauta did not appear in court for Tuesday's truncated hearing because his flight from New Jersey was canceled, his out-of-state lawyer Stan Woodward told Magistrate Judge Edwin Torres, according to a court filing. Woodward, whose legal practice is based in Washington, D.C., declined to comment when asked by CNBC why his client has not yet hired a Florida attorney.

Persons: Walt Nauta, Donald Trump, Wilkie D, Ferguson Jr, Nauta, Stan Woodward, Edwin Torres, Woodward Organizations: Trump Force, Courthouse, Washington , D.C, CNBC Locations: Bedminster , New Jersey, Miami, Florida, New Jersey, Washington ,

☆ Judge bars Trump from disclosing — or keeping — evidence in documents case
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-19 | by ( Dareh Gregorian | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Former U.S. President Donald Trump delivers remarks during an event following his arraignment on classified document charges, at Trump National Golf Club, in Bedminster, New Jersey, U.S., June 13, 2023. A federal judge issued a protective order Monday barring former President Donald Trump from disclosing — or keeping — evidence set to be turned over to him by the government in the classified documents case on social media. The ruling largely tracks with a request for a protective order the government filed in the case on Friday. The government said in that filing that Trump and Nauta's lawyers had "no objections to this motion or the protective order." Prosecutors from the Manhattan district attorney's office said those restrictions were necessary because the "risk" that Trump would use the evidence "inappropriately" was "substantial."

Persons: Donald Trump, Walt Nauta, Bruce Reinhart, Blinken, Xi, Trump, Todd Blanche, Nauta, Donald J Organizations: U.S, Trump National Golf Club, Trump, NBC News Spy, NBC News U.S, Materials, Defense Counsel's, New, Prosecutors Locations: Bedminster , New Jersey, U.S, United States, China, New York, Manhattan

☆ Meet Waltine Nauta, Trump's 'Diet Coke valet' who's now his co-defendant on federal charges
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-09 | by ( Kelly Mclaughlin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

One of Trump's aides has been named as a co-defendant in Trump's recent federal indictment. Waltine Nauta, Trump's body man who brought him Diet Coke, has been charged with six counts. New York Magazine's Intelligencer reported that Nauta was Trump's "Diet Coke valet," the person who brought Trump a soda whenever he needed one in the White House's Oval Office. According to the Washington Post, Nauta would also bring Trump anything else he needed. He worked in the White House mess hall before becoming a valet, The Post reported.

Persons: Waltine, Coke, Trump, —, Donald Trump, Nauta, FBI Trump's, Trump's Organizations: Prosecutors, Service, FBI, Lago, New, New York Magazine's Intelligencer, Trump, Washington Post, Navy, The Post, Post, White, New York Times, Justice Department, Times Locations: White, New York, Guam, Pacific, Bedminster , New Jersey, Lago, Florida, Mar

☆ More Oath Keepers convicted of sedition in US Capitol attack face sentencing
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-01 | by ( Sarah N. Lynch | Thomson Reuters | Sarah N. Lynch Is The Lead Reporter For Reuters Covering The U.S. Justice Department Out Of Washington | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Federal prosecutors are asking U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta to sentence Roberto Minuta and Edward Vallejo to 17 years in prison each after they were convicted in January alongside two other Oath Keepers members. If the judge follows that recommendation, those would be the second-longest sentences for any of the 1,000-plus people charged in the Capitol attack that was intended to block Congress from certifying Democrat Joe Biden's November 2020 election victory over the Republican Trump. Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes, convicted in November of seditious conspiracy and other charges, was sentenced by Mehta last week to 18 years in prison, the longest of any of the sentences. Prosecutors said he stayed at a suburban Virginia hotel where the Oath Keepers had staged a "quick reaction force" and stashed firearms to be quickly ferried into Washington if needed. Joseph Hackett and David Moerschel, co-defendants in the trial in which Minuta and Vallejo were convicted - are due to be sentenced on Friday.

Persons: Donald Trump's, Judge Amit Mehta, Roberto Minuta, Edward Vallejo, Joe Biden's, Republican Trump, Stewart Rhodes, Mehta, Rhodes, Trump, Roger Stone, Minuta, Vallejo, Prosecutors, William Shipley, Matthew Peed, Peed, al, Joseph Hackett, David Moerschel, Hackett, Sarah N, Lynch, Will Dunham Organizations: U.S, Capitol, Republican, Minuta, World Trade, Moerschel, Thomson Locations: United States, Virginia, Washington, Vallejo, Minuta

☆ South Africa revokes 'state of disaster' declared over power crisis
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-05 | by ( Kopano Gumbi | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The state of disaster gave the government additional powers to respond to the crisis, including by permitting emergency procurement procedures with fewer bureaucratic delays and less oversight. The newly appointed electricity minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa said some crisis measures would remain in place. "The state is withdrawing the national state of disaster in response to OUTA's legal action challenging its rationality," said OUTA, a non-profit organisation that focuses on fighting government corruption and tax abuses. REUTERS/Esa AlexanderOUTA said the disaster regulations would have enabled corruption and that the crisis could be managed using existing laws. President Cyril Ramaphosa invoked disaster regulations on Feb. 9 to fight a paralysing power crisis that has included daily rolling power cuts by Eskom.

☆ Why Hollywood's tech evangelists are bullish on NFTs and Web3 storytelling, even after the FTX scandal tarnished blockchain's rep
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-31 | by ( Elaine Low | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Amid the FTX scandal and declining NFT sales, Web3 chatter has grown quieter in Hollywood. But proponents of NFTs and Web3 storytelling are betting on the tech's entertainment potential. Hollywood's evangelists of Web3 — the decentralized, blockchain-based future of the web that includes crypto and NFTs — were out in full force. She has worked to distance the creative and storytelling potential of NFTs and other blockchain-based technologies from the cowboy rep of the digital currency world. "I'm excited about moving Web3, blockchain technologies past sort of the hype cycle that we've seen with digital collectibles and NFTs," Greg Reed, Universal Pictures' VP of technology partnerships, told Variety.

The closing arguments on Wednesday marked the end of the second major seditious conspiracy trial stemming from the attack. The Oath Keeper members are accused of conspiring to block Congress from certifying Biden's election victory. Seditious conspiracy is a rarely prosecuted Civil War-era statute that carries up to 20 years in prison if convicted. In November, a jury convicted Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes and a Florida chapter leader of seditious conspiracy, but acquitted three other Oath Keeper defendants of the charge. All five Oath Keepers in that case, however, were convicted of obstructing Congress from certifying the electoral votes - a charge that can also carry up to 20 years.

☆ A Trump aide was caught on security camera moving boxes from a Mar-a-Lago storage room before and after the DOJ subpoenaed Trump for top-secret documents: NYT
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-13 | by ( Cheryl Teh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Walt Nauta, a longtime Trump aide, was seen moving boxes out from a storage room the FBI searched. Nauta was seen moving boxes before and after the DOJ demanded top-secret files be returned in May. Intrigue has swirled around what was kept in the storage room, and whether anything was removed from it before the DOJ searched Trump's property. The Times' piece dropped hours after The Washington Post reported that Trump himself explicitly directed employees to move boxes of White House documents from the storage room. After the raid, the FBI carted off 11,000 documents from Mar-a-Lago, including some that were marked "CLASSIFIED."

☆ Why Hollywood talent agency UTA bought a $125 million media consultancy 'to build a really wide and strong bridge' between stars and brands
▼ + stars: | 2022-06-24 | by ( Natalie Jarvey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Hollywood agency UTA bought media consultancy MediaLink for $125 million in DecemberThe companies' presence at Cannes Lions signaled how entertainment's ties to brand marketing are deepening. Six months after UTA's $125 million acquisition of MediaLink, the combined company had a debut moment of sorts at the Cannes Lions marketing festival this week. At a large beachside cabana space along the Croisette, signs for "MediaLink, a UTA company" were hard to miss. Inside, reps for both businesses held meetings with a bevy of entertainment, media, technology, and consumer goods brands. Erica Berenstein for InsiderSince joining UTA, MediaLink has absorbed the talent agency's marketing team, and they're finding other synergies.

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