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☆ Greta Gerwig’s ‘Barbie’ Dream Job
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-11 | by ( Willa Paskin | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +3 min

Someone more cynical than Gerwig might have been less moved by Mattel’s corporate epiphany, 60 years into existence, that Barbie could sustain being a size 6, but cynicism is clearly not Gerwig’s way. The movie sidesteps whatever role Barbie might play in perpetuating a narrow, idealized femininity; instead it gives this particular Barbie a crash course in modern misogyny. After decades of fretting about girls’ wanting to be as perfect as Barbie, Gerwig serves up a Barbie struggling to be as resilient as us. This woman is played by the 91-year-old, Oscar-winning costume designer Ann Roth, a friend of Gerwig’s. If I don’t have that scene, I don’t know what it is or what I’ve done.”

Persons: Barbie, ”, “, Gerwig, Ruth Handler, Rhea Perlman, Ariana Greenblatt, Ann Roth, Gerwig’s, —, ‘, ” Gerwig Organizations: Mattel Locations: Barbieland, Los Angeles

☆ Publishers Clearing House to refund customers $18.5 million in FTC settlement for 'deceptive' practices
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-26 | by ( Greg Iacurci | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

The Publishers Clearing House offices in Jericho, New York on Jan. 30, 2019. Bill Perlman/Newsday RM via Getty Images)How 'dark patterns' can trap consumersSara Adair shows off the oversized check for $1 million her husband Mark received from the Publishers Clearing House Prize Patrol in South Boston, Massachusetts, on April 1, 2022. Dark patterns are a "manipulative" and unlawful design trick, examples of which include pre-checked boxes, hard to find and read disclosures, and confusing cancellation policies, the FTC said. When it included disclaimers or clarifying information, the text was in small, light font and overlooked by consumers, the FTC claimed. In addition to sweepstakes, PCH also sells merchandise and magazines.

Persons: Bill Perlman, Sara Adair, Mark, Craig F, Walker, Samuel Levine, PCH Organizations: Clearing, Newsday, Getty, Publishers, Boston Globe, FTC, Amazon, Consumer, Firms Locations: Jericho , New York, South Boston , Massachusetts, FTC's

☆ ‘Transformers: Rise of the Beasts’ Review: Here Come the Grease Monkeys
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-08 | by ( Amy Nicholson | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

“Transformers: Rise of the Beasts,” a goofy seventh installment that rattles along well enough until the wheels fall off, ballyhoos an evolution: a biomechanical gorilla who calls himself Optimus Primal. In fairness, these metaphysical questions were explored in the futuristic and bizarrely engaging ’90s cartoon “Beast Wars: Transformers” and its spinoff “Beast Machines: Transformers,” which felt like sipping on a spiked juice box in an ashram. When that Optimus Primal was asked if he was robot or animal, he mystically intoned, “Both … and neither. Only then can you truly say, ‘I am transformed.’”But also in fairness, those shows and this movie share zero DNA. “I don’t get ‘Beast Wars,’” Lorenzo di Bonaventura, one of this film’s producers, once said.

Persons: Optimus, mystically intoned, ’ ” Lorenzo di Bonaventura, Steven Caple Jr, Simpson, Peter Cullen, Ron Perlman, Colman Domingo, Peter Dinklage Organizations: Optimus, Machines

The exchange offers spot and derivatives trading and a host of services from non-fungible tokens (NFTs) to crypto loans and asset management. FINANCESBinance's global trading platform, Binance.com, is by far the world's biggest cryptocurrency exchange. Last year it processed crypto trades worth about $65 billion a day, Binance said, dominating the crypto trading landscape with more than half of the market, CryptoCompare data shows. Binance last year extended its reach beyond the crypto sector in 2022, investing $500 million in Tesla boss Elon Musk's takeover of Twitter. A top Binance executive told the Wall Street Journal in February that the company expected to pay penalties to resolve U.S. investigations.

Persons: Changpeng Zhao, Binance, Zhao, Yi He, Yi, Noah Perlman, Morgan Stanley, Richard Teng, Teng, Elon Musk's, Cristiano Ronaldo, Tom Wilson, Hannah Lang, Marguerita Choy, Nick Zieminski Organizations: U.S . Securities, Exchange Commission, SEC, U.S . Commodity Futures Trading Commission, Binance, Reuters, Twitter, Lazio, Argentina national, of Nations, U.S, Justice, Wall Street, Thomson Locations: WASHINGTON, U.S, Shanghai, Tokyo, Malta, Cayman Islands, Canadian, China, United States, Italian, London, Washington

☆ Why Do Apes Like to Spin? Maybe for the Same Reasons as People.
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( Rachel Nuwer | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

In 2011, a gorilla named Zola gained internet fame when the Calgary Zoo posted a video that showed him spinning in circles on his knuckles and heels with what appeared to be a huge grin on his face. Humans’ love of spinning around in circles, especially during childhood, is evidenced by the enduring popularity of playground merry-go-rounds, revolving fun park rides and the irresistible draw of somersaulting down a hill. But new research suggests that humans are not alone in their pursuit of spin-induced buzzes. According to findings published last month in the journal Primates, other great ape species also seem to regularly enjoy stimulating their senses through spinning, possibly even in pursuit of altered mental states. “So it’s really cool to find that other primates do this, too, and that they seem to do it for the same reason that children do: because it’s fun and exhilarating.”

☆ Carol Burnett's birthday special' is an elegant (and hilarious) event
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( Marianne Garvey | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Hulton Archive/Getty Images Burnett peeks at a portrait of herself that was being painted by artist Dmitri Vails in 1963. CBS/Getty Images Burnett interacts with the audience of her new variety show, "The Carol Burnett Show," in 1967. CBS/Getty Images Burnett, left, and Cher perform a skit on "The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour" in 1972. CBS/Getty Images Burnett poses with her memoir "One More Time" at a book signing in Beverly Hills, California, in 1986. Will Hart/NBC/Getty Images Carol Burnett Square was unveiled in Los Angeles in front of her alma mater, Hollywood High School, in 2013.

☆ Crypto execs have complaints about the SEC and CFTC. Here's how Chainalysis' policy head believes the industry can find common ground with US regulators.
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-12 | by ( April Joyner | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The US may not embrace crypto, but it needs clear regulation, Chainalysis' policy head told Insider. The CFTC recently sued Binance, whose compliance head critized regulators at an industry event. Chainalysis' policy head says Congress needs to pass crypto-specific legislation. Similar complaints abounded throughout the Links conference, an industry event recently held by Chainalysis in New York. She pointed to other areas, including Dubai and Switzerland, that have created policy frameworks specifically for digital assets, including crypto.

☆ Binance Compliance Chief Calls His Job One of the ‘Most Challenging’
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-06 | by ( Mengqi Sun | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Binance compliance chief Noah Perlman said the crypto ‘regulation by enforcement’ approach taken in the U.S. is often difficult to navigate. NEW YORK— Noah Perlman , the newly hired global chief compliance officer at Binance Holdings Ltd., said the regulatory environment for the cryptocurrency industry has made his job one of the “most challenging opportunities in compliance.”Mr. Perlman, speaking at a crypto industry conference on Tuesday, said it has been difficult to navigate the often opaque rules governing the crypto industry without being on the wrong side of the regulators.

☆ This low volatility ETF is ripe for a rebound, UBS says
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-29 | by ( Jesse Pound | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

David Perlman, an ETF strategist at the bank, said in a note to clients that UBS added the Invesco S & P 500 Low Volatility ETF (SPLV) to its list of favorite exchange traded funds. The SPLV, which holds the 100 stocks in the S & P 500 with the lowest realized volatility over the past 12 months, was rebalanced in February and now holds sizeable positions in some of UBS's favorite sectors. Notably, this suggestion means that UBS is calling for investors to ignore what has worked in 2023 so far. The fund has outperformed the S & P 500 over the past year, with a loss of 6% on a total return basis versus down 10.9% for the SPDR S & P 500 ETF, even when accounting for SPLV's 0.25% expense ratio and its poor first quarter. UBS removed several energy funds from its list of preferred ETFs, including the iShares U.S. Oil & Gas Exploration & Production ETF (XOP) .

☆ Factbox: Binance, world's top crypto exchange, at the center of US investigations
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-27 | by ( Tom Wilson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

LONDON, March 27 (Reuters) - The world's biggest cryptocurrency exchange Binance and its CEO Changpeng Zhao have been sued by the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) over regulatory violations, according to a court filing on Monday. The exchange offers spot and derivatives trading and a host of services from non-fungible tokens (NFTs) to crypto loans and asset management. FINANCESBinance's global trading platform, Binance.com, is by far the world's biggest cryptocurrency exchange. Last year it processed crypto trades worth about $65 billion a day, Binance said, dominating the crypto trading landscape with more than half of the market, CryptoCompare data shows. Binance last year extended its reach beyond the crypto sector in 2022, investing $500 million in Tesla boss Elon Musk's takeover of Twitter.

☆ Binance Hires Gemini Executive as Chief Compliance Officer
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-14 | by ( Mengqi Sun | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +2 min

Binance said Noah Perlman has joined as its chief compliance officer from rival Gemini Trust Co., as the cryptocurrency exchange continues to beef up its legal and compliance team amid regulatory scrutiny. Mr. Perlman joined Binance last month after serving as Gemini’s chief operating officer for more than two years. He joined Gemini as its chief compliance officer in 2019. Mr. Perlman’s appointment ends a monthslong search for a compliance chief at Binance, which over the past year or so has been bolstering its compliance team head count. Binance Chief Executive Changpeng Zhao, known as CZ, said on Twitter in September that the exchange planned to hire a few hundred more compliance people.

☆ 'Poker Face' showrunners say guest stars like Joseph Gordon-Levitt 'raised their hand' to appear on the show: 'Everybody wants to work with Rian Johnson'
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-26 | by ( Ayomikun Adekaiyero | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

"Poker Face," which premiered on Peacock Thursday, is filled with guest appearances from star actors. "Poker Face" is the second murder-mystery project Johnson has taken on since his highly successful "Knives Out" movies. "I really hope that everybody dips a toe into 'Poker Face' because they're 'Knives Out' fans," Lilla said. "If you are a fan of 'Knives Out,' if you're a fan of 'Glass Onion,' I think you're gonna love 'Poker Face.'" "Poker Face" is now streaming on Peacock.

☆ The Biden administration just made it easier for Trump to keep a key promise on prescription drugs if he wins in 2024
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-11 | by ( Kimberly Leonard | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

The Biden administration presented a plan on Wednesday to let the government negotiate drug prices. Trump, who once accused Big Pharma of "getting away with murder," could be president when drug prices fall. Gutting the prescription drug provision would come at a cost to the federal government. President Trump signed a series of four executive orders aimed at lowering prices that for prescription drugs in the United States. "There has been no bigger champion of lowering prescription costs and putting Americans first than President Trump," Steven Cheung, Trump's 2024 campaign spokesman, told Insider.

The stop-motion musical reimagines the classic tale through the unique lens of filmmaker Guillermo del Toro. How to watch 'Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio'You can watch "Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio" at home exclusively on Netflix. Is 'Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio' worth watching? "Guillermo del Toro's "Pinocchio" has received critical acclaim. What is 'Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio' based on?

☆ How Recurrent Ventures went from media darling to another publisher hit by layoffs and struggles
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-15 | by ( Steven Perlberg | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +14 min

Recurrent Ventures made a digital-media splash with acquisitions like The Drive and Popular Science. In May of last year, Recurrent Ventures announced its flashiest deal yet: a $300 million fundraising round led by the private-equity giant Blackstone. To make a more appealing parent brand to house a growing fleet of media properties, they eventually created a new entity called Recurrent Ventures. Recurrent Ventures expanded as it acquired well-known publishers like the 150-year-old Popular Science. Recurrent Ventures shut down MEL Magazine, the men's lifestyle publication it once planned to make the centerpiece of a new lifestyle vertical of sites.

☆ Danemarca va omorî milioane de nurci din cauza infecțiilor cu coronavirus
▼ + stars: | 2020-11-06 | by ( ) www.jurnal.md time to read: +4 min

În Danemarca, unul dintre cei mai mari exportatori din lume de blană de nurcă, există cel puțin 15 milioane de nurci. Anunțul privind uciderea nurcilor din ferme a fost făcut miercuri de prim-ministrul Mette Frederiksen, care a susținut că forțele armate vor fi implicate în sacrificarea animalelor. Agenția de sănătate a menționat că Danemarca investighează în prezent importanța epidemiologică și virologică a acestor rezultate și va distruge comunitatea de nurci. Emma Hodcroft, geneticiană la Universitatea din Basel, Elveția, care monitorizează răspândirea noului coronavirus, a sfătuit publicul „să nu intre în panică”. În Danemarca, guvernul a identificat o variantă a virusului care s-a răspândit de la nurci la oameni.

Persons: ., Dr . Stanley Perlman, dr . Jonathan Epstein, Emma Hodcroft Organizations: Organizației Mondiale a Sănătății, Organizația Mondială a Sănătății, The New York Times, Universitatea din, Science Times Locations: Danemarca, Danemarcei, Universitatea din Iowa, Universitatea din Basel, Elveția, Statele Unite

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