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☆ Factbox: U.S. companies brace for Hurricane Ian
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Sept 28 (Reuters) - Hurricane Ian is set to make landfall in Florida on Wednesday, pushing residents to empty grocery shelves, board up windows and rush to evacuation shelters. Since then, it has been working to redeploy offshore personnel after determining Hurricane Ian no longer posed a significant threat to its assets. NextEra Energy Inc's (NEE.N) Florida Power & Light Co, the largest utility in the state, deployed nearly 16,000 workers from 27 states to restore power. A spokesperson said the company was monitoring the hurricane and making adjustments to operations to keep warehouse staff and drivers safe. CRUISE OPERATORSWalt Disney Co's Disney Cruise Line on Tuesday canceled its Disney Wish ship that was to set sail from Florida on Friday.

☆ Lions Gate focusing on spinning off studio business over Starz
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Actors and staff pose as they arrive for the world premiere of "The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2" in Berlin, Germany, November 4, 2015. REUTERS/Fabrizio BenschSept 28 (Reuters) - Lions Gate Entertainment Corp (LGFa.N) said on Wednesday it was focusing on spinning off its studio business first, even as it explores alternative options for its cable and streaming division, Starz. The company's film and TV studios have an extensive library, with hits such as "Hunger Games, "The Expendables" and "Mad Men". "As negotiations progress, we have increased our focus on the possibility of spinning our studio business, creating a number of financial and strategic benefits." Lionsgate also announced it would rebrand its international streaming service, Starzplay, to Lionsgate+ in 35 countries.

☆ Factbox: U.S. companies gird themselves as Hurricane Ian makes landfall
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Sept 28 (Reuters) - Hurricane Ian makes landfall in Florida with Category 4 fury on Wednesday, pushing residents to empty grocery shelves, board up windows and rush to evacuation shelters. Since then, it has been working to redeploy offshore personnel after determining Hurricane Ian no longer posed a significant threat to its assets. A spokesperson said the company was monitoring the hurricane and making adjustments to operations to keep warehouse staff and drivers safe. Costco Wholesale Corp closed nine stores located in Florida due to an impact of Hurricane Ian. CRUISE OPERATORSWalt Disney Co's Disney Cruise Line on Tuesday canceled its Disney Wish ship that was to set sail from Florida on Friday.

☆ Hurricane Ian strengthens as millions urged to evacuate Florida Gulf Coast
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-28 | by ( Brad Brooks | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +8 min

By late Tuesday night, tropical storm-force winds generated by Ian extended through the Florida Keys island chain to the southernmost shores of the state's Gulf Coast, the NHC said. U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency chief Deanne Criswell said she worried that too few Florida residents were taking the threat seriously. 1/6 A hurricane evacuation route sign is displayed as Hurricane Ian spins toward the state carrying high winds, torrential rains and a powerful storm surge, in Punta Gorda, Florida, U.S. September 27, 2022. If Ian strikes the Tampa area, it would be the first hurricane to make landfall there since the 1921 Tarpon Springs storm. But officials said Hurricane Ian had proven too much, knocking out power even in far eastern Cuba, which was largely unaffected by the storm.

"Either Twitter is going to fix this, or we'll fix it by any means we can, which includes not buying Twitter ads." Twitter's challenges in identifying child abuse content were first reported in an investigation by tech news site The Verge in late August. Like all social media platforms, Twitter bans depictions of child sexual exploitation, which are illegal in most countries. Ghost Data identified the more than 500 accounts that openly shared or requested child sexual abuse material over a 20-day period this month. Twitter suspended over 1 million accounts last year for child exploitation material, according to the company’s transparency reports.

Sept 27 (Reuters) - Airlines canceled over 2,000 U.S. flights on Tuesday and Wednesday and some Florida airports halted operations as they braced for impact from Hurricane Ian, which was set to make landfall in the state. Airlines had scrapped 367 flights on Tuesday and 1,748 on Wednesday across the United States, according to flight-tracking website Flightaware.com. REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton/File PhotoloadingEven Florida airports not closing were experiencing major impacts. Airlines canceled about 40% of flights at Miami International Airport on Wednesday. The Federal Aviation Administration said it was "closely monitoring" Hurricane Ian and its path.

☆ Disney to shutter Florida theme parks as Hurricane Ian draws near
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Sept 27 (Reuters) - Walt Disney Co (DIS.N) will close its theme and water parks on Wednesday and Thursday as Hurricane Ian nears the coast of Florida, the company said on Tuesday. read moreThe attractions that will be closed on Wednesday and Thursday include Animal Kingdom, Hollywood Studios, Epcot and Magic Kingdom, a spokesperson said. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterWalt Disney had earlier said that some of its hotels in the region would be closed through Friday. Comcast Corp's (CMCSA.O) Universal Resort and SeaWorld Entertainment Inc (SEAS.N) also announced the closure of their theme parks on Wednesday and Thursday. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Akash Sriram in Bengaluru and Helen Coster in New York; Editing by Sriraj KalluvilaOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Millions in Florida urged to evacuate as Hurricane Ian nears
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-27 | by ( Brad Brooks | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

A man runs by a boarded up storefront, as Hurricane Ian spins toward the state carrying high winds, torrential rains and a powerful storm surge, in the downtown area of Tampa, Florida, U.S., September 27, 2022. The latest 8 p.m. EDT (2100 GMT) hurricane advisory put Ian's top winds at 120 mph (195 km per hour). Ian was most likely to come ashore south of Tampa near Sarasota, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) said. Parts of central Florida could see as much of 2 feet (0.6 meter) of rain from Ian, according to the National Weather Service. If Ian strikes Tampa, it would be the first hurricane to make landfall in the area since the Tarpon Springs storm in 1921.

☆ ESPN would help Disney and Comcast settle a score
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-23 | by ( Jennifer Saba | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

NEW YORK, Sept 23 (Reuters Breakingviews) - When it comes to modern corporate sagas, few deliver the drama between Walt Disney (DIS.N) and Comcast (CMCSA.O). Comcast Chief Executive Brian Roberts is in position to let his counterpart squirm, but there’s a neat solution to help settle the score: ESPN. He feared Comcast “would have paid more later.”Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterBefore long, Comcast clashed again with Disney. To settle the matter, the two parent companies agreed that in January 2024 Comcast could force Disney to buy its stake or Disney could require Comcast to sell based on a minimum valuation of $27.5 billion. Disney owns two-thirds of Hulu and Comcast owns the rest.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis speaks after the primary election for the midterms during the "Keep Florida Free Tour" at Pepin's Hospitality Centre in Tampa, Florida, U.S., August 24, 2022. But introduced as "America's governor," DeSantis' one-hour speech sounded like a presidential-style campaign address heavy on his Florida track record. The X-factor remains former President Donald Trump, a fellow Republican who has strongly suggested he will launch another White House run. A USA Today/Suffolk poll released on Wednesday showed DeSantis leads Trump 48%-40% among Florida Republicans in a 2024 presidential primary contest. We're about getting Ron DeSantis to run and electing him so we beat Joe Biden and save our country."

☆ Thirteen years later, 'Avatar' to return with a focus on family
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-22 | by ( Lisa Keddie | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

James Cameron's "Avatar: The Way of Water" is scheduled to reach theaters in December. The first "Avatar" movie focused on a battle for natural resources between human colonists and the blue Na'vi people on a moon called Pandora. "We now have a family and to be honest, to me, the movie is about protecting your family." It could be a communal family, the family that we choose," he added. "He's a man that cares about the story he's telling and has dedicated a great portion of his life to telling, sharing this with the world," Worthington said.

☆ 'Star Wars' series 'Andor' looks at everyday life under the Empire
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-20 | by ( Rollo Ross | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Stephane Mahe/File PhotoLOS ANGELES, Sept 20 (Reuters) - The new "Star Wars" television series "Andor" promises a look at the day-to-day lives of the people who eventually become heroes in the ongoing battle set in a galaxy far, far away. "Andor," which debuts on the Disney+ (DIS.N) streaming service on Wednesday, is a prequel to hit 2016 film "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story." I don't think we've seen that," Luna said. "I don't think we've been in the most intimate life of the people that were having to live under the control of the Empire. "We want to make everything real - real emotions, real stakes, real threats, real fear, real betrayal, real love, real desperation, real families, real domestic drama, real adventure," he said.

☆ Disney removes Star Wars film 'Rogue Squadron' from schedule
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterPeople dressed as Storm Troopers attend the premiere of "Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker" in London, Britain, December 18, 2019. REUTERS/Henry Nicholls/FilesSept 15 (Reuters) - Walt Disney Co (DIS.N) on Thursday pulled"Star Wars" movie "Rogue Squadron" from next year's film schedule and gave no indication on when the company would release a new movie in the blockbuster space franchise. The movie would have been the first "Star Wars" film to reach theaters since "The Rise of Skywalker" debuted in December 2019. The company did not immediately respond to a request for comment on why the Jenkins' film was pulled from its upcoming slate. Disney has released several "Star Wars" TV shows in the past few years on the Disney+ streaming service.

☆ Disney doesn’t need Loeb to kick ESPN out the door
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-12 | by ( Jennifer Saba | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

NEW YORK, Sept 12 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Pushy investor Dan Loeb has changed his mind, somewhat, about Walt Disney (DIS.N). He is backing off his demand that the $210 billion entertainment giant run by Chief Executive Bob Chapek sell sports network ESPN. Amid the glad-handing of Disney devotees, Chapek, talking to reporters, maintained that ESPN is still a fit for the Magic Kingdom. On a multiple more than rival Fox (FOXA.O) but less than Netflix (NFLX.O), Disney could fetch $40 billion for ESPN. CONTEXT NEWSActivist investor Dan Loeb said in a tweet on Sept. 11 he is backing off his push for Walt Disney to spin off cable sports network ESPN.

☆ Gloves come off in India’s digital content wars
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-05 | by ( Una Galani | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

MUMBAI, Sept 5 (Reuters Breakingviews) - The gloves are coming off in India’s content wars, and the traditionally cautious Disney (DIS.N) is proving a more ruthless fighter than many had expected. It also will hold digital rights to the ICC games throughout the rest of the year. By selling off some of the rights, Disney might reduce its spend on the ICC by a third or more. The American-owned company will hold onto the streaming rights for its digital platform, Disney+ Hotstar. The ICC said on Aug. 27 that Disney had won the TV and digital rights to events through the end of 2027.

REUTERS/Tina Bellon/File PhotoApril 19 (Reuters) - Uber Technologies (UBER.N) and Lyft Inc (LYFT.O) have scrapped face mask mandates for their riders and drivers in the United States, the ride-hailing companies said on Tuesday, as COVID cases have fallen sharply from their January peak. Walt Disney Co (DIS.N) also said that wearing masks would be optional for fully vaccinated visitors at its indoor and outdoor locations and transport facilities. The company in November resumed shared rides, which had been suspended due to rising COVID cases. read moreAllegiant Travel Co (ALGT.O), Hawaiian Holdings Inc (HA.O), Spirit Airlines (SAVE.N) and Frontier Group Holdings Inc (ULCC.O) also lifted their mask mandates on Tuesday. Major carriers including American Airlines (AAL.O), United Airlines (UAL.O) and Delta Air Lines (DAL.N) relaxed curbs following the announcement.

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