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☆ How Matthew Perry got cast on ‘Friends’
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-29 | by ( Lisa France | Lisa Respers France | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

NBC/Getty Images Perry, pictured circa 1985, developed an interest in acting after moving to Los Angeles when he was a teen. Michael Ochs Archives/Moviepix/Getty Images Perry and Christina Applegate were cast in the 1988 made for TV teen movie "Dance 'til Dawn." NBC/Getty Images Perry is seen in the 1995 "Friends" episode "The One with the Evil Orthodontist." NBC/Getty Images Perry co-stars with Salma Hayek in the 1997 romantic comedy film "Fools Rush In." NBC/Getty Images Perry and Cox are seen in the 2000 "Friends" episode "The One With Rachel's Assistant."

Persons: Matthew Perry, Perry, Chandler Bing, ”, Charlie Sheen, “, Sheen, —, ” Perry, Michael Ochs, Christina Applegate, Martha Plimpton, Matt LeBlanc, Lisa Kudrow, David Schwimmer, Courteney Cox, Jennifer Aniston, Cox, Jay Leno, Salma Hayek, Michael Clarke Duncan, Warner, Monica, Danny Feld, Joe Quincy, Amy Stewart, Richard Schiff, Milo O'Shea, Kelly Reilly, Toby Melville, Reuters Perry, Merv Griffin, Jean, Paul Aussenard, LeBlanc, Mark J, Terrill, John Inwood, Zach Braff, John C, McGinley, Mitch Haddad, Amanda Peet, Bruce Willis, Everett, Chris Pizzello, Phil McCarten, Tom Williams, Lindsay Sloane, Michael Yarish, Ted Kennedy, James Corden, Terence Patrick, Julia Weeks, Matt Brennan, Dania Maxwell, Matthew, didn’t, Chandler, ‘ You’ve, Seth Meyers, ’, costars Jennifer Aniston, HBO Max, ” Cox Organizations: CNN, NBC, Getty, Michael Ochs Archives, Limelight, ABC, Disney Entertainment, Columbia, Warner Brothers, Bank, Comedy Theatre, Reuters, Merv Griffin Beverly Hills Country, Actors Guild, Guild of America, Los Angeles Dodgers, Capitol, National Association of Drug, Inc, CBS, Los Angeles Times Festival of, Los Angeles Times, L.A, LAX, HBO Locations: Los Angeles, Williamstown , Massachusetts, New York City, British, Chicago, London, Canada

☆ Movies starring Matthew Perry include ‘Fools Rush in’, ‘The Whole Nine Yards,’ and ‘Almost Heroes’
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-29 | by ( Brian Lowry | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Like many stars best known for a major hit, Matthew Perry’s association with “Friends” and the “Could he BE any funnier?” role of Chandler Bing loomed over the rest of his career. That included the movies that came his way during the series as well as various encores in TV after the Must-See TV sitcom signed off in 2004, among them “Mr. Matthew Perry and Salma Hayek in the 1997 romantic comedy "Fools Rush In." Columbia Pictures/Getty ImagesFools Rush In: All the “Friends” stars had movie opportunities, and relatively few of those measured up to the expectations raised by the show. If only the show had consistently remained as strong as its extremely good pilot.

Persons: Matthew Perry’s, ”, Chandler Bing, Perry, Ted Kennedy, Ron Clark, –, Bruce Willis, Oscar Madison, Diana Canova, Matthew Perry, Salma Hayek, Chris Farley, Neve Campbell, Dylan McDermott, Joe Quincy, Wing’s ”, Mike Kresteva, Wing’s ” Aaron Sorkin, Bradley Whitford Organizations: CNN, ”, Columbia, “, West, Republican, Wing’s ” Democratic Bartlet Administration Locations: “

LOS ANGELES (AP) — “Friends” star Matthew Perry, the Emmy-nominated actor whose sarcastic, but lovable Chandler Bing was among television’s most famous and most quotable characters, has died at 54. “Matthew was an incredibly gifted actor and an indelible part of the Warner Bros. Television Group family,” the company said in a statement. As Chandler, he played the quick-witted, insecure and neurotic roommate of LeBlanc's Joey and a close friend of Schwimmer's Ross. I ‘was’ Chandler.”Unknown at the time was the struggle Perry had with addiction and an intense desire to please audiences. But I could sometimes say a line and the audience wouldn’t laugh and I would sweat and sometimes go into convulsions,” Perry wrote.

Persons: —, Matthew Perry, Chandler Bing, “ Matthew, ” Perry’s, Drake Madison, ”, Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Matt LeBlanc, Lisa Kudrow, David Schwimmer, Chandler, LeBlanc's Joey, Schwimmer's Ross, Perry, Matthew, Matty, Cox's Monica, “, ’ Chandler, ” “, ” Perry, Aniston, HBO Max, James Corden, Salma Hayek, Bruce Willis, Oscar, Oscar Madison, Walter Matthau, John Bennett Perry, Suzanne, Pierre Trudeau, Keith Morrison, Alicia Rancilio, Janie Har, Hillel Italie, Ryan Pearson, Anthony McCartney Organizations: ANGELES, Los Angeles, Los Angeles Times, Warner Bros . Television Group, Associated Press, AP, HBO, White, CBS, Canadian, Dateline, ___ Associated Press Locations: Los, New York, Williamstown , Massachusetts, ___

☆ Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella talks AI, closing the Activision Blizzard deal, and his best business decision so far
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-22 | by ( Mathias Döpfner | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +47 min

Just like the cloud transformed every software category, we think AI is one such transformational shift. Therefore, this notion of Copilots that we're introducing is really going to be revolutionary in terms of driving productivity and communication. Milton Friedman once famously said: "the business of business is business." One is, is the business of business just business? So, I think AI can actually be very helpful in many ways to be a little more empathetic and more understanding of the world.

Persons: Satya Nadella, Axel Springer's, OpenAI, Nadella, Axel Springer, —, Mathias Döpfner, Pankaj Nangia, Steve Ballmer, Steve, I've, It's, I'd, Herbert Simon, Karl Marx, Lakshmi, Hayek, Marx, Justin Sullivan, Carol Dweck, they're, Vuk Valcic, That's, it's, you've, Jae, Copilot, Jeff Bezos, I'm, We've, Milton Friedman, Elon Musk, we've, Lina Khan, Sam Altman, Sam, Tomohiro Ohsumi, Bard, Bing, Mathias, wouldn't, Picasso, Jakub Porzycki, Mustafa Suleyman, We'll Organizations: Service, Microsoft, Olympic, Australia, Getty, Activision Blizzard, Gaming, AP, Windows, Linux, Children's Hospital, University of Wisconsin, Associated Press, Google Locations: Berlin, India, Hyderabad, Seattle, United States, Milwaukee, American, China, derisking, DC, Beijing, Europe, GitHub, British

☆ Opinion: Julia Ormond is speaking for a generation of women who won’t be silenced
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-11 | by ( Opinion Sara Stewart | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Ormond’s claim alleges that Weinstein sexually assaulted her in 1995 after a business dinner and that Ormond told her agents about it, and that they advised her against speaking out about it. “Harvey Weinstein categorically denies the allegations made against him by Julia Ormond and he is prepared to vehemently defend himself,” a representative for Weinstein told CNN in a statement. It includes awful, if unsurprising, details from the lawsuit about what happened when she told her agents at the time. In addition, after the incident and her disclosure of it to her agents, Ormond says CAA lost interest in representing her and her career was damaged dramatically anyway. I once wrote an awards-season story about an actor/director accused of sexual harassment by multiple women on his team.

Persons: Sara Stewart, CNN —, Sara Stewart Todd Thompson, Julia Ormond, Harvey Weinstein, Weinstein, Ormond, Bryan Lourd, Kevin Huvane, “ Harvey Weinstein, ”, Ormond’s, Brad Pitt, Anthony Hopkins, Sean Connery, Sabrina ”, Harrison Ford, Greg Kinnear, wouldn’t, Annabella Sciorra, Darryl Hannah, Ashley Judd, Mira Sorvino, Rosanna Arquette, Heather Graham, Claire Forlani, Rae Dawn Chong, Salma Hayek, Uma Thurman, I’ve, I’m, Amber Heard, Russell Brand, who’ve Organizations: CNN, Variety, Creative Rights Agency, CAA, Walt Disney Company, Miramax, Mr, ” CNN, Women, Brennan Center, Justice Locations: Pennsylvania, “, Rolling, Hollywood

STOCKHOLM, Oct 9 (Reuters) - American economic historian Claudia Goldin won the 2023 Nobel economics prize for her work examining wage inequality between men and women, the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences said on Monday. "This year's Laureate in the Economic Sciences, Claudia Goldin, provided the first comprehensive account of women's earnings and labour market participation through the centuries," the prize-giving body said in a statement. Goldin, who in 1990 became the first woman to be tenured at the Harvard economics department, is only the third woman to win the Nobel economics prize. "Claudia Goldin's discoveries have vast societal implications," said Randi Hjalmarsson, member of the Economic Prize committee. As with the other Nobel prizes, the vast majority of the economics awards have gone to men.

Persons: Claudia Goldin, Alfred Nobel, Goldin, Hans Ellegren, Claudia Goldin's, Randi Hjalmarsson, Jakob Svensson, Friedrich August von Hayek, Milton Friedman, Paul Krugman, Ben Bernanke, Elinor Ostrom, Esther Duflo, Simon Johnson, Mark John, Niklas Pollard, Johan Ahlander, Terje Solsvik, Catherine Evans Organizations: Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, Sveriges, Economic Sciences, Harvard, Pew Research, Commission, Social, Thomson Locations: STOCKHOLM, COVID, Norwegian, Iranian, United States, Europe, U.S

☆ Thomas Sowell on the Trouble With ‘Social Justice’
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-07 | by ( Jason L. Riley | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +1 min

Wonder Land: Whether it's the migrant crisis, gender identity, shoplifting, student loans or decriminalizing federal laws on cannabis possession, Republican presidential candidates should not stop talking about the culture. Images: Bloomberg News/AFP/Getty Images Composite: Mark KellyThomas Sowell is best known for his insights on racial controversies, but race isn’t the main topic of most of his books in a career that spans more than six decades. Mr. Sowell, 93, is an economist who earned a doctorate from the University of Chicago, where his professors included Milton Friedman , Friedrich Hayek and other future Nobel laureates. His specialty is the history of ideas, and his most recent book, “Social Justice Fallacies,” harks back to his writings on social theory and intellectual history, which include “Knowledge and Decisions” (1980), “The Vision of the Anointed” (1996) and “The Quest for Cosmic Justice” (1999).

Persons: Mark Kelly Thomas Sowell, Sowell, Milton Friedman, Friedrich Hayek, ”, Justice ” Organizations: Republican, Bloomberg, Getty, University of Chicago, Justice

A crowd frequently spotted on yachts filled the Pool restaurant in Midtown Manhattan on Tuesday night for the second annual Caring for Women Dinner hosted by the Kering Foundation. “I said yes because Salma asked,” Oprah Winfrey, a co-chair for the dinner, said as she addressed the room, referring to Salma Hayek Pinault, who is also a co-chair and board member of the Kering Foundation. The space was filled to the brim with tropical plants and marquee names. “I don’t get out much,” Ms. Winfrey said, adding, “I only come out with the intention of using my voice in a way that can be meaningful and helpful.”Inside the dining room, where guests were served a dinner of scallop aguachile and lamb belly, Leonardo DiCaprio sat with Olivia Wilde, Prabal Gurung and Malala Yousafzai, and across from Zoë Kravitz and her partner, Channing Tatum.

Persons: “, Salma, Oprah Winfrey, Salma Hayek Pinault, Ms, Winfrey, Leonardo DiCaprio, Olivia Wilde, Prabal Gurung, Malala, Zoë Kravitz, Channing Tatum Organizations: Kering Foundation Locations: Midtown Manhattan

☆ How a single hard-charging CEO helped the US dollar take over the world
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-12 | by ( Henry Farrell | Abraham Newman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +14 min

Wriston's financial innovations helped create the modern Eurodollar market — a vast offshore realm of financial transactions in US dollars happening outside of US borders. As he explained in 1979, the "current banking network, with its Euromarkets and its automated payments system" seemed dull and technical, but it had immense political consequences. Wriston helped rebuild this clanking machine into an engine of transformation, welding disjointed national markets into a true world economy. It began to develop a new kind of sanction, which used its control of "dollar clearing" to force international banks to implement US policy outside its borders. Instead of the stateless, government-less world that Wriston envisioned, the internationalization of the US dollar became the precedent for a massive transformation of America's financial power.

Persons: Walter Wriston, Wriston, Friedrich Hayek's, Banks, Eric Sepkes, Eric Helleiner, Henry Holt, Helleiner, Henry Farrell, Johns Hopkins SAIS, Friedrich Schiedel, Abraham Newman Organizations: Citibank, Staff, of, Technology, Bankers, JPMorgan, Warburg, Federal Reserve, buccaneers, US Department of, Treasury, SWIFT, Society, Worldwide Interbank, Johns Hopkins, Politics, The Washington Post, School of Foreign Service, Government Department, Georgetown University, Henry Holt and Company Locations: London, of London, Europe, Argentina, New York, United States, Eurodollars, Italy, Japan, Soviet Union, America, Iran, Russia, Ukraine

Putting a price on celebrityIn buying a majority stake in the powerhouse Hollywood talent agency Creative Artists Agency, François-Henri Pinault showed that high-ticket M.&A. is a game that more than one French luxury billionaire can play. Acquiring CAA — which represents stars including Tom Hanks, Margot Robbie and Pinault’s wife, Salma Hayek Pinault — underscores Pinault’s ambitions, and reinforces the growing importance of celebrity in the luxury sector. Like his archrival, Bernard Arnault of LVMH, Pinault used a series of acquisitions to assemble the luxury empire now known as Kering, starting with Gucci and later adding Saint Laurent, Bottega Veneta, Alexander McQueen and more. The agency will be run separately from Kering; Bryan Lourd, the superagent who represents Scarlett Johansson and Brad Pitt, will become C.E.O.

Persons: Henri Pinault, Tom Hanks, Margot Robbie, Pinault’s, Salma Hayek Pinault, Bernard Arnault, Pinault, Saint, Bottega, Alexander McQueen, —, Bryan Lourd, Scarlett Johansson, Brad Pitt Organizations: Hollywood, Creative Artists Agency, CAA, Gucci, Puma Locations: Bottega Veneta, Kering

☆ Pinault’s Hollywood foray is untimely distraction
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-08 | by ( Pierre Briancon | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

REUTERS/Charles Platiau Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Sept 8 (Reuters Breakingviews) - The story of European business trying to mingle with Hollywood has often led to unhappy endings. The Pinault family, which controls $61 billion luxury group Kering (PRTP.PA), thinks it can buck the trend. Pinault may have overpaid for CAA, especially in the middle of a major strike of Hollywood writers and actors. The transaction, through holding company Artemis, adds Hollywood's premiere talent agency to Pinault’s family empire which spans fashion, wine and contemporary art. CAA was valued at $1.1 billion when TPG acquired a majority stake in 2014, four years after having originally invested in the talent agency.

Persons: Francois, Henri Pinault, Kering, Charles Platiau, Tom Hanks, Steven Spielberg, François, Ari Emanuel’s, Artemis ’, Gucci, Alessandro Michele, Pinault, Jean, Kering’s, Valentino, Brad Pitt, Salma Hayek, Lisa Jucca, Streisand Neto Organizations: REUTERS, Reuters, Hollywood, Universal Studios, Creative Artists Agency, CAA, Gucci, TPG, Endeavor, Thomson Locations: Paris, France, bask

[1/2] Cars are shown lined up at the valet parking area outside the Creative Artists Agency building in Los Angeles, California, September 24, 2012. REUTERS/Jonathan Alcorn Acquire Licensing RightsPARIS, Sept 7 (Reuters) - French luxury goods billionaire Francois-Henri Pinault has reached an agreement for a majority stake in Creative Artists Agency (CAA), adding Hollywood's premiere talent agency to his family empire which spans fashion, wine and contemporary art, parties involved said on Tuesday. The presence of stars like Beyonce, Zendaya and Rihanna have become key to drawing the spotlight to fashion shows, and Kering's larger rival LVMH(LVMH.PA) recruited Pharrell Williams to head menswear designs for Louis Vuitton. TPG first invested in CAA in 2010 and, in 2014, increased its stake to 53% in a deal valuing the agency at $1.1 billion. Global investment firm Temasek will remain a minority investor in the agency while CMC Capital will remain a "strategic partner", according to a statement.

Persons: Jonathan Alcorn, Francois, Henri Pinault, Pinault, Gucci, Beyonce, Zendaya, Rihanna, Pharrell Williams, Louis Vuitton, Pinault's, Salma Hayek, Valentino, perfumer, Bryan Lourd, Kevin Huvane, Richard Lovett, Lourd, Sudip Kar, Mimosa Spencer, Dawn Chmielewski, Jonathan Oatis, Tomasz Janowski, Timothy Gardner Organizations: Creative Artists Agency, REUTERS, Rights, CAA, Artemis, TPG, Global, CMC Capital, Thomson Locations: Los Angeles , California, Los Angeles, Hollywood, Temasek, Paris

☆ Basta! Let Italians play Italians in movies, actor says
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/4] The 80th Venice Film Festival - Photocall for the film "Comandante" in competition - Venice, Italy August 30, 2023. Director Edoardo De Angelis and cast members Johan Heldenbergh, Silvia D'Amico, Pierfrancesco Favino, Massimiliano Rossi pose. REUTERS/Yara Nardi Acquire Licensing RightsVENICE, Aug 30 (Reuters) - One of Italy's most famous actors, Pierfrancesco Favino, on Wednesday said Italian actors should be given a chance to play Italian roles in big international movies. Other Italian roles were taken by Lady Gaga, Jared Leto, Jeremy Irons, Salma Hayek and Al Pacino. "I wish Italian actors ... were more present in international movies where Italian characters are written," said Favino, who was promoting his new Italian-language film "Comandante," which opens the Venice Festival on Wednesday.

Persons: Edoardo De Angelis, Johan Heldenbergh, Silvia D'Amico, Pierfrancesco Favino, Massimiliano Rossi, Yara, Pierfrancesco, Ferrari, Adam Driver, carmaker Enzo Ferrari, Spain's Penelope Cruz, Driver, Maurizio Gucci, Ridley Scott's, Gucci, Lady Gaga, Jared Leto, Jeremy Irons, Salma Hayek, Al Pacino, Favino, Crispian Balmer, Mark Porter Organizations: REUTERS, Venice Film, Venice Festival, Thomson Locations: Venice, Italy, Ridley, Italian

☆ Preyed On by Gangs: Gun Violence Surges Within Israel’s Arab Communities
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-29 | by ( Isabel Kershner | More About Isabel Kershner | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

When the shots rang out, the young soccer player was in line at a butcher’s shop in an Arab town in northern Israel. A talented midfielder, Nabil Hayek, 19, was one of four people injured in the assault in late July, victims of a surge of gun violence within Israel’s Arab communities, much of it linked to loan-sharking and protection rackets run by Arab crime organizations. These gangs have proliferated over the years, preying on a population that has long faced discrimination and has limited access to bank loans. Many people have no option but to take loans from the gangs and are at their mercy when they come to collect. Unemployed young men are also lured by easy money into becoming gang foot soldiers and enforcers.

Persons: Nabil Hayek, Benjamin Netanyahu Locations: Israel

☆ What happens to Salma Hayek in 'Black Mirror' might seem ridiculous — but the way celebrities handle their AI rights could affect us all
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-20 | by ( Lakshmi Varanasi | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

That's why she's shocked to discover a new series called "Joan is Awful" on a fictitious streaming platform called Streamberry. As the "Black Mirror" episode suggests, regular people may soon have to contend with managing their own digital likenesses as well. The spokesperson added that Soul Machines creator packages start at $39 a month with the first month free. However, Soul Machines has also digitized celebrities like NBA player Carmelo Anthony, K-pop star Mark Tuan, and golfer Jack Nicklaus, according to its site. Phelan M. Ebenhack/AP ImagesMeanwhile, Remington Scott, the founder of another "digital human" company called Hyperreal, already has a digital version of himself.

Persons: Joan –, Joan, Salma Hayek, Streamberry, it's, who's, Annie Murphy, —, Greg Cross, AI's, Carmelo Anthony, Mark Tuan, Jack Nicklaus, Carmelo Anthony's, Phelan M, Remington Scott, Scott Organizations: Netflix, Machines, Soul Machines, DNA Locations: New Zealand

☆ What happens to Salma Hayek in 'Black Mirror' might seem ridiculous – but the way celebrities handle their AI rights could affect us all
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-20 | by ( Lakshmi Varanasi | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

A new episode of Netflix's "Black Mirror" explores how celebrities will contend with AI replicas. As the "Black Mirror" episode suggests, regular people may soon have to contend with managing their own digital likenesses as well. A 2021 report from The Verge noted that Soul Machines mostly makes "people" for customer service and digital outreach. However, Soul Machines has also digitized celebrities like NBA player Carmelo Anthony, K-pop star Mark Tuan, and golfer Jack Nicklaus, according to its site. Carmelo Anthony's image has been digitized by Soul Machines.

☆ Wear Swatch's 'LGBTQ-related' products in Malaysia and you could face 3 years in jail
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-11 | by ( Heather Chen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

The ban comes under the Printing Presses and Publications Act, the ministry added. ‘Political punching bag’Rights groups say the LGBTQ community faces growing intolerance in Malaysia and accuse the government of being at least partly to blame. “It showcases an alarming trend where symbols of pride and acts of solidarity with the LGBTQ community are met with harsh and disproportionate government responses,” Dhia said. As more individuals and groups come forward in support of the LGBTQ community, the state’s pushback grows increasingly aggressive,” Dhia added. By creating an environment of fear and hostility, the Malaysian government does a disservice not only to the LGBTQ community but to every Malaysian citizen.”

Persons: CNN —, ”, Nick Hayek Jr, “, ” Hayek, Phil Robertson, ” Robertson, Dhia Rezki Rohaizad, ” Dhia, Matty Healy, Dhia Organizations: CNN, Swatch, Ministry of Home Affairs, Printing, Malaysian, ” Swatch Malaysia, Asia, Human Rights, “, “ Gay, British Locations: Malaysia, Malaysian

☆ Inside Prague's Institute of Crypto Anarchy — where they're plotting to bring down the dollar
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-06 | by ( Mackenzie Sigalos | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +19 min

Today, that union of minds finds refuge in Prague in a retrofitted factory building called Paralelní Polis, or "parallel world." The dark stucco of Polis' Prague headquarters is an outlier among the ornate, brightly-colored buildings that tower over it. ETHPrague 2023 was held at Paralelní Polis in the Czech Republic Pavel SinaglThe 'parallel world' concept is sticky. The Vienna branch goes so far as to self-describe as a living example of how "the Paralelní Polis cryptoliberation virus is spreading." The most popular Czech bitcoin YouTuber boasts 90k subscribers, while the annual Czech-only bitcoin conference called Chaincamp attracts around 2000 visitors, even during the bear market."

Persons: Czech Republic Pavel Sinagl, Ztohoven —, Ztohoven, provocateurs, Václav Benda, Dan Ligocký, Ligocký, William Lobkowicz, ethereum, Vitalik Buterin, Ethereum, Pavel Sinagl, Prague MacKenzie Sigalos, Holy, William, Ileana Lobkowicz, Josef Tětek, Tětek, isn't, biohacking, —, Carl Menger, Friedrich Hayek, BTCPrague, Michael Saylor, Satoshi cryptographer, Adam Back, Saifedean Ammous, bitcoin, Gary Gensler, bitcoin maximalist, Vaclav, — Matěj Žák, Jan Čapek, Christoph Kassas, YouTuber Jakub Vejmola, Jameson Lopp, Stephan Livera, Robert Breedlove, Stani Kulechov, Ondrej Polak, Czech Republic Pavel Sinagl Ligocky Organizations: Paralelní, CNBC, European Union, Polis, of Cryptoanarchy, Austrian, Securities, Exchange, Czech Craft, U.S, Treasury, Casa, Ethereum Foundation, Czech Blockchain Association, optimist Locations: Paralelní Polis, Czech Republic, Czech Republic Pavel Sinagl PRAGUE, Czech, Bohemian, Prague, It's, Polis, Polis —, Lobkowicz, Nazi, Vienna, Barcelona, Bratislava, Slovakia, Košice, Austrian, ., Alza, Bohemia, Europe, Old Town, Holešovice

☆ Would you let movie studios use an AI likeness of you in exchange for a day's pay? That's what striking actors say was offered to them.
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-15 | by ( Sindhu Sundar | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Striking actors say studios want full discretion over any digital replacements of background actors. It evoked a recent "Black Mirror" episode in which actors on screen turn out to be digital versions. In the real world, members of the actors' union SAG-AFTRA worry that such a dystopian future may not be far off. He said that the studios had proposed to pay background actors for a day in exchange for companies taking scans that can be used to create their digital likenesses. "Any other use requires the background actor's consent and bargaining for the use, subject to a minimum payment."

Persons: Joan, Salma Hayek, Duncan Crabtree, Crabtree, AFTRA Organizations: Morning, Netflix, SAG, Alliance, Television Producers, Hollywood, Writers Guild of America Locations: Ireland

[1/2] Cars are shown lined up at the valet parking area outside the Creative Artists Agency building in Los Angeles, California, September 24, 2012. REUTERS/Jonathan AlcornJuly 14 (Reuters) - Creative Artists Agency (CAA) is in advanced talks to sell a majority stake to French billionaire Francois-Henri Pinault in a deal that could value the Hollywood talent agency at over $7 billion, according to a person familiar with the matter. CAA did not immediately respond to a request for comment, and spokespeople for Pinault and for TPG declined to comment. In 2021, CAA announced a deal to buy major Hollywood rival ICM Partners. Bloomberg first reported the talks between Pinault and CAA.

Persons: Jonathan Alcorn, Francois, Henri Pinault, Pinault, Kering, Salma Hayek, Tom Hanks, Zendaya, Steven Spielberg, Ariana Grande, Beyonce, Gursimran Kaur, Jyoti Narayan, Rishabh, Muralikumar Anantharaman, John Stonestreet Organizations: Creative Artists Agency, REUTERS, Hollywood, Gucci, TPG, CAA, ICM Partners, Bloomberg, Thomson Locations: Los Angeles , California, Los Angeles, Pinault, Bengaluru

☆ Crypto is dead: long live crypto!
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-16 | by ( Felix Martin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +8 min

The end of near-zero interest rates, quantitative easing and pandemic-era fiscal stimulus has sent prices crashing back to earth. Rising real interest rates have proved to be kryptonite for crypto, as for so many other speculative assets. The normalisation of interest rates may have done for crypto in its most recent incarnation as a get-rich-quick scheme. The proposition that the circulation of private currencies might be economically beneficial has also been around for a while. Nevertheless, history shows that for privately issued currencies to attain critical mass it has typically required more than just the availability of viable alternatives.

Persons: cryptocurrencies, Gary Gensler, noncompliance, Balaji Srinivasan, marc ”, Paul Krugman, Friedrich Hayek’s, Money ”, James Steuart, ”, Crypto, Long, Peter Thal Larsen, Oliver Taslic Organizations: Reuters, U.S . Securities, Exchange Commission, Coinbase, SEC, State, Brixton, counterparties, Central Bank of, Thomson Locations: Ithaca, Scottish, United States, Central Bank of Argentina

☆ New 'Black Mirror' season begins by tackling actors' anxiety about AI
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-15 | by ( Rollo Ross | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LOS ANGELES, June 15 (Reuters) - In the new season of Netflix Inc's (NFLX.O) sci-fi show "Black Mirror," an office manager finds that a streaming service is replaying her life using an avatar of Salma Hayek. Hayek, in the episode released on Thursday, has sold her digital image to Hollywood for use in programming created with artificial intelligence (AI). The story highlights real-world concerns of actors and writers, said "Schitt's Creek" star Annie Murphy, who plays the office manager. Murphy said she and Hayek discussed the issue during filming of "Black Mirror." "Her image has been used in so many terrible and disrespectful ways, so we did have conversations about that," Murphy said.

Persons: Salma Hayek, Hayek, Annie Murphy, Murphy, It’s, Tom Cruise, Keanu Reeves, Rollo Ross, Lisa Richwine, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: Netflix, Guild of America, WGA, Actors, SAG, Hollywood, Thomson Locations: ANGELES

☆ Stream These 9 Shows and Movies Before They Leave Netflix in June
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-31 | by ( Jason Bailey | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +3 min

(Chappelle notoriously walked off the show during production of its third season, with only enough material for three episodes in the can.) ‘How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days’ (June 30)There may have been better early-2000s romantic comedies, but this 2003 hit from Donald Petrie may be the most early-2000s romantic comedy. Scott’s frequent leading man Denzel Washington brings tormented complexity to the grizzled hero, whose shift at M.T.A. dispatch is disrupted by a madman (John Travolta) whose crew takes over a subway car and holds its passengers hostage. And James Gandolfini is wonderful (and miles from Tony Soprano) as the city’s mayor.

Persons: ‘, Dave Chappelle’s, Chappelle, Rick James, Lil ’ Jon, —, Donald Petrie, Kate Hudson, Matthew McConaughey, Kathryn Hahn, McConaughey, Petrie, ‘ Jerry Maguire ’, Cameron Crowe, Tom Cruise, Renée Zellweger, Crowe, ’, Antonio Banderas, ”, Salma Hayek, Guillermo del Toro, Zach Galifianakis, Amy Sedaris, Billy Bob Thornton, Tony Scott’s, Denzel Washington, John Travolta, James Gandolfini, Tony Soprano Organizations: Dave Chappelle’s Comedy, verve, Hudson, Fun Locations: Pelham, York City

☆ You Shouldn’t Squish These Bugs
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-26 | by ( Victoria Gomelsky | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. — “Bonkers About Beetles.” “Innumerable Insects.” “Bugs: A Pop-Up Book.” The volumes that line the shelves of the jewelry designer Daniela Villegas’s home in this part of greater Los Angeles underscore what is obvious to anyone who ventures inside: She is passionate about pests. Thousands of specimens — of the six, eight- and 100-plus-leg varieties — hang in frames on the walls, are displayed in bell jars on the shelves and lie beneath the glass atop her oversized coffee table. Much of the collection was acquired at bug fairs and is shared with her husband, the furniture designer Sami Hayek (Salma’s younger brother). It is likely to make visitors think they have wandered into the entomology section of a natural history museum, or rather, its deluxe gift shop. The eccentric décor includes a stuffed armadillo adorned with its own gemstone bracelet; a wicker table in the shape of a grasshopper, topped with a crab sculpture; and a collection of Ms. Villegas’s signature Khepri rings, honoring the scarab-face god of ancient Egypt.

☆ 17 Looks That Did the Most at the Met Gala
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-02 | by ( The Styles Desk | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The guest list for the first Monday in May, as the Met Gala is also known, serves as a Rorschach test for whom Anna Wintour deems important, circa now. Many guests wore black and white or suits and gowns embellished with pearls or flowers — favorite motifs of Mr. Lagerfeld. Doja Cat and Jared Leto each paid homage to Choupette, Mr. Lagerfeld’s feline friend. There were many wonderful dresses that paid respect to Mr. Lagerfeld’s legacy — in fact, there were too many to name. So here’s a reminder: The looks that follow did the most at the Met Gala — not necessarily the best, not necessarily the worst, just the most.

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