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☆ Box office hits 'Everything Everywhere,' 'Elvis' and 'Avatar' land Oscar nominations
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-24 | by ( Lisa Richwine | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

"Everything Everywhere," a science-fiction flick about an exasperated Chinese immigrant struggling to finish her taxes, landed 11 nominations, including best picture and four acting nods. Other films in the hunt for the top trophy at the Academy Awards included sequel "Avatar: The Way of Water," James Cameron's visual spectacle that currently ranks as the sixth-highest grossing movie of all time. Last year's Academy Awards ceremony, when Will Smith slapped presenter Chris Rock before winning best actor, drew about 15.4 million TV viewers, the second-smallest audience ever. Apple TV+ (AAPL.O) nabbed best picture last year for heartwarming drama "CODA." This time, Disney received the most nominations, a total of 22, for movies including "Avatar," "Banshees" and animated "Turning Red."

☆ Proud Boys try to keep jurors from seeing their 'politically incorrect' guide to masturbation, slavery, 'housewives'
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-23 | by ( Laura Italiano | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

It's too 'politically incorrect' for the jury, says a lawyer for defendant Dominic Pezzola. Read the "how to run a Proud Boys meeting" manual here. The Anti Defamation League considers the Proud Boys a violent, right-wing extremist group whose members commonly engage in misogynistic, Islamaphobic, transphobic, and anti-immigration rhetoric. An excerpt from a Proud Boys defense motion filed January 23, 2023 in US District Court in Washington, DC. At that point the Proud Boys members are to shout, "Bring it on!"

☆ Florida 'proudly' teaches African American history, official says, as he defends rejecting AP course
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-21 | by ( Sharon Bernstein | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

"We proudly require the teaching of African American history," Florida Commissioner of Education Manny Diaz, Jr. posted on Twitter. On Jan. 12, Florida sent a letter to the College Board saying the AP course violated Florida law and lacked educational value. Diaz called the White House comments "lies" and released a chart showing the state's objections to the course. But on Thursday, it said in a statement to Reuters that the course aims to "explore the vital contributions and experiences of African Americans." It is a humanities course and as such does not teach theory, the statement said.

☆ Yellen, at former slave port, sees path of renewal for Africa and U.S.
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-21 | by ( Andrea Shalal | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Ngouda DioneGOREE ISLAND, Senegal, Jan 21 (Reuters) - U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen on Saturday spoke of the "unspeakable cruelty" and enduring consequences of the trans-Atlantic slave trade, but said she was heartened by signs of progress and renewal in both the United States and Africa. "Ultimately, Gorée Island reminds us that the histories of Africa and America are intimately connected," Yellen said after touring the island. Goree's mayor Augustin Senghor presented Yellen with a certificate appointing her as a lifetime ambassador of the island's history. "With remembrance, I believe, can come progress and renewal," Yellen said, highlighting what she called "signs of vibrant life around Gorée — a prominent art scene, a place of education, and thousands who call this place home." Reporting by Andrea Shalal; Editing by Toby ChopraOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ AI bot that lets you chat with Jesus, Hitler is latest GPT-3 controversy
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-20 | by ( David Ingram | David Ingram Covers Tech For Nbc News. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +9 min

But this week, it sparked viral controversy online over its inclusion of Hitler, his Nazi lieutenants and other dictators from the past. Historical Figures, which also uses GPT-3, launched the first week of January, and as of Wednesday, it had about 9,000 signups, app creator Sidhant Chadda said in a phone interview. “People expect these historical figures to be truthful, but in reality, people are not always 100% honest,” he said. Asking a question costs one coin, and the app charges extra to get access to high-profile historical figures. The possibility of digitally re-animating historical figures has been gaining ground ever since, from the “The Simpsons” to holograms of dead idols such as Buddy Holly and Whitney Houston.

☆ Florida schools will not offer AP African American Studies course
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-20 | by ( Sharon Bernstein | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Jan 19 (Reuters) - Florida will not allow high school students to take a new Advanced Placement (AP) class in African American Studies, saying in a letter to College Board, the nonprofit that develops the courses, that the pilot version "lacks educational value." The College Board administers the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) and Advanced Placement tests that help students gain college credit while in high school. It is developing its first African American Studies course through a pilot program at 60 high schools. loading"The State of Florida will allow AP European and American studies — but AP African-American studies is 'contrary to Florida law'?" The College Board said in a statement to Reuters that the course aims to "explore the vital contributions and experiences of African Americans."

☆ This $22.7 million quail plantation in southwest Georgia is a hunter's paradise. It has five properties and more than 3,500 acres of hunting land — take a look inside.
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-20 | by ( Robert Davis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Jon Kohler, the seller's agent, told Insider that the property was developed in 1850 by famous architect John Wind, who is known for his Greek Revival style. Courtesy of Jon Kohler & AssociatesKohler told Insider that the property has been primarily used as a quail plantation since it was built in the 1850s. Quail plantations are common in south Georgia because of its lush habitat and diversified selection of tree cover. Many quail plantations were converted from old cotton plantations in the 1880s as wealthy industrialists from the north moved southward after the Civil War, according to research from the University of Tennessee. "Magnolia Hall does not have the traditional markings of an old cotton plantation like a graveyard, and I don't believe the property was ever used to grow cotton," Kohler told Insider.

☆ Canada Looks Poised to Pass Law on Forced Labor
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-17 | by ( Richard Vanderford | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +6 min

Canada could require that companies report on their efforts to stop goods made with forced labor from entering their supply chains, adding to momentum among Western governments to tackle the practice. Pending legislation would compel many companies to report on steps taken to prevent or reduce the use of forced labor in their supply chains by detailing, among other things, parts of the supply chains where forced labor might be occurring and the company’s due-diligence procedures. We are consuming products that contain forced labor.”With the passage of S-211, Canada would join several other Western governments in trying to stop businesses’ use of forced labor. Canada’s legislation would apply more broadly than, for example, France’s law, having an impact on some companies with as few as 250 employees. Photo: AssentCanada pledged in the United States-Mexico-Canada trade agreement, which became effective in 2020, to block the import of goods made with forced labor.

Jailed for graft in 2018 - the year right-wing former President Jair Bolsonaro was elected - Lula's convictions were overturned in 2019, allowing him to oust Bolsonaro in October's election. The more ideological Lula who emerged from jail in 2019 should not be a cause for concern, friends and allies said. Lula's spokesman Jose Chrispiniano said the president supported fiscal responsibility and believes that strengthening the economy is the best way to combat poverty. "Good morning, President Lula," his devotees would chant as the day began, followed by "Good night, President Lula," as he went to bed. From his 15-square-meter cell on the third floor of the Federal Police headquarters in Curitiba, Lula set about reorganizing the PT and managing his legal defense.

☆ From a Deepfaked Elon Musk to RadioShack’s NSFW Tweets, CMO Today’s Twenty-Two Most-Read Stories of 2022
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-29 | by ( Nat Ives | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +7 min

Our report on deepfakes was the most-read CMO Today story in 2022. Prepare for what’s coming with this list of CMO Today’s most-read coverage in 2022, presented in order of popularity. How NSFW Tweets Plug Into RadioShack’s New Marketing StrategyAbel Czupor, who leads RadioShack’s newly edgy marketing. Newsletter Sign-up WSJ | CMO Today CMO Today delivers the most important news of the day for media and marketing professionals. Photo: KayakA hospitality empire decided to try its hand at ad sales, too.

☆ California, Never a Slave State, Considers Reparations
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-24 | by ( Will Swaim | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Poor people—including poor black people—have it hard in California. An honest assessment of the causes would require the Golden State’s political establishment to admit that its attempts to address enduring poverty have been catastrophic for low-income Californians. Instead, Californians got a state reparations commission that time-traveled to the 19th century and discovered that slavery is the real reason for enduring black poverty. To settle accounts, the commission has determined that California taxpayers owe each of their black neighbors $223,000. The state Legislature, which created the task force, will take up that proposal in a few weeks.

☆ 5 big military moments that took place on Christmas Day
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-24 | by ( Business Insider | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

1868 — US President Andrew Johnson pardons former Confederate soldiersPresident Andrew Johnson Pardoning Rebels at the White House en.wikipedia.orgNearly a century later, on Christmas Day 1868, US President Andrew Johnson extended a full pardon and amnesty "to all and to every person who, directly or indirectly, participated in the late insurrection or rebellion." At war's end, however, he seemed to determine to punish those who had rebelled to preserve the institution of slavery. The day after being sworn in as the nation's president, Johnson said that "treason must be made infamous, and traitors must be impoverished." Prior to this blanket Christmas Day amnesty, southerners who had fought for the Confederacy could obtain a pardon provided only that they swore allegiance to the Union (top officials were excluded). Under "Proclamation 179," pardons were extended "to every person who, directly or indirectly, participated in the late insurrection."

Dec 24 (Reuters) - Ukrainians will create their own miracle this Christmas by showing they remain unbowed despite Russian attacks that have plunged millions into darkness, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said in a defiant message on Saturday. "We endured at the beginning of the war - we withstood attacks, threats, nuclear blackmail, terror, missile strikes. Zelenskiy made his remarks in a video address to Ukrainians who celebrate Christmas in December. [1/3] A Christmas tree is seen in front of an Orthodox cathedral during a service on the eve of Christmas, amid Russia’s attack on Ukraine continues, in Kyiv, Ukraine December 24, 2022. The clip, which lasted just under nine minutes, was filmed outside at night with just a few white lights and a Christmas tree in the background.

☆ Tesla, GM, Ford questioned by U.S. senator about Chinese supply chains and connections to forced labor
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-22 | by ( Lauren Feiner | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Wyden referenced the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act, which President Joe Biden signed into law last year and took effect in June. The bill says imports from China's Xinjiang region should not be allowed into the country unless the importer can convincingly show the products weren't made with forced labor. The agency said there are up to 1,200 "state-run internment camps" in Xinjiang where forced labor is being used. "Building strong responsible supply chains is an important focus for us," the spokesperson said in a statement. "I recognize automobiles contain numerous parts sourced across the world and are subject to complex supply chains," Wyden wrote.

☆ ‘Kindred’ Review: Living America’s Original Sin
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-21 | by ( John Anderson | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +1 min

There, in 1815, she is presumed to be property. But, per Butler, matters are not that simple either. As every narrative corner reveals another electrifying twist, “Kindred” has to be addressed in broad terms, lest spoilers come back to haunt the reviewer. Suffice to say that “Kindred” the book has been included in high-school and college curricula and was made into a graphic novel of 2017. The playwright Branden Jacobs-Jenkins has done the new adaptation and serves as showrunner ( Janicza Bravo of “Lemon” and “Zola” directed the arresting pilot), and a few tweaks have been made to the original story.

☆ Dutch leader apologizes for Netherlands’ role in the slave trade, establishes fund to grapple with slavery's legacy
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-19 | by ( The Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +5 min

THE HAGUE, Netherlands — Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte apologized Monday on behalf of his government for the Netherlands’ role in slavery and the slave trade, in a speech welcomed by activists as historic but lacking in concrete plans for repair and reparations. Ahead of the speech, Waldo Koendjbiharie, a retiree who was born in Suriname but lived for years in the Netherlands, said an apology was not enough. And on how this history still plays a negative role in the lives of many today,” the government says. The Dutch first became involved in the trans-Atlantic slave trade in the late 1500s and became a major trader in the mid-1600s. Eventually, the Dutch West India Company became the largest trans-Atlantic slave trader, said Karwan Fatah-Black, an expert in Dutch colonial history and an assistant professor at Leiden University.

☆ Netherlands PM Rutte apologises for role of Dutch state in slavery
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-19 | by ( Tosterling Ank Kuipers | Ank Kuipers | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

[1/8] Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte responds to recommendations from a panel of experts to accept the role of the Netherlands in the history of slavery and its current consequences in The Hague, Netherlands December 19, 2022. "Today I apologise," Rutte said in a nationally televised speech at the Dutch National Archives. "For centuries the Dutch state and its representatives have enabled and stimulated slavery and have profited from it," he added. "It is true that nobody alive today bears any personal guilt for slavery...(however) the Dutch state bears responsibility for the immense suffering that has been done to those that were enslaved and their descendants." The panel said that Dutch participation in slavery had amounted to crimes against humanity and in 2021 recommended an apology and reparations.

☆ 23 major brands suspected of illegally sourcing products made by forced labor in China
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-17 | by ( Jacob Zinkula | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

And more ...Mary Meisenzahl/InsiderThese companies have also been suspected of having direct or indirect ties to Chinese forced labor in the aforementioned reports. Bosch"Bosch is committed to ensuring that its products are not produced wholly or in part by forced labor. "Compliance with human rights, labor rights and environmental standards is a top priority at PUMA and has been specified in our Codes of Conduct for over 20 years." As stated in our Business Conduct Guidelines, we reject all forms of oppression, forced labor and participation in human rights violations. We will continue to respect human rights and take a strong stand against forced labor."

☆ ‘Harry & Meghan’ Was Most-Watched Netflix Show in U.K. and Ireland After Premiere
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-15 | by ( Alyssa Lukpat | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex had sway over the show’s story lines, including one that highlighted the royal family’s ties to slavery. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle ‘s new show, a broadside at the British royal family, broke a Netflix record, according to the streaming giant. Netflix Inc. said Tuesday that the show, “Harry & Meghan,” was watched more than any other documentary on the platform in its premiere week.

The bill already passed the Senate and now goes to President Joe Biden for his signature. “In removing Taney’s bust, I’m not asking that we would hold Taney to today’s moral standards,” House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer said on Wednesday while advocating for the statue’s removal. Figures like Taney belong in history textbooks and classroom discussions, not in marbled bronze on public display of honor.”A similar effort in 2020 that passed the House aimed to remove Taney’s bust from the Capitol along with monuments honoring Confederates. That bill, however, was eventually stalled by Senate Republicans who argued that states should decide which statues they’d like to display in the Capitol. A statue of Taney was previously removed in 2017 from the grounds of the Maryland State House.

☆ Black Airbnb users have found it harder to book stays than white users, company research shows
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-15 | by ( Sam Tabahriti | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Black Airbnb users have found it harder to book stays than white users, company research suggests. The study found that Black users had a success rate of 91.4% compared with 94.1% for white users. Black users previously reported experiencing racism as the #AirBnBWhileBlack hashtag revealed. And this year, on October 2, a Black Airbnb guest was shot dead as he walked to a grocery store, according to officials, per NBC News. The findings also revealed that guests perceived to be Asian and Latino, or Hispanic, had success rates of 93.4%.

☆ House speaker elections and floor fights, explained
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-15 | by ( Zachary B. Wolf | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Congress can’t really function until it has a House speaker; the position is filled on the first day of a new Congress, January 3, even before members-elect take the oath of office. What’s standing between McCarthy and the speaker of the House position is a handful of conservative lawmakers. This is what people are talking about when they refer to a “floor fight.” It’s when House members require multiple ballots, or votes, to elect their speaker. The process stretched over more than a month and included a sort of inquisition on the House floor of the three contenders. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was elected with 216 votes in 2021 to kick off the current Congress.

☆ Congress approves removing statue of Supreme Court chief justice who wrote Dred Scott decision
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-14 | by ( Zoë Richards | Zoë Richards Is The Evening Politics Reporter For Nbc News. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

The House passed a bill Wednesday that would remove from public display at the U.S. Capitol a statue of Supreme Court Chief Justice Roger Taney, who wrote the 1857 Dred Scott decision that defended slavery and denied the citizenship of Black Americans. Roger B. Taney (1777-1864), former chief justice of the Supreme Court. The House overwhelmingly passed the measure a few months later in a 305-113 vote, but it did not advance in the Senate. A statue of Taney, who lived in Maryland, was removed from Maryland's State House grounds in 2017. Congress in recent years has taken similar actions to remove other statues from the Civil War era.

She said “the double standard was obvious” with the way that Catherine, Princess of Wales, had been treated by sections of the British media compared to Meghan, particularly during their pregnancies. “British media is disproportionately white, and that shapes the way stories are framed,” he said. In the third episode, footage shows Meghan and Harry attending a memorial service for Stephen Lawrence, a Black teenager killed in an attack by white youths in London in 1993. Instead, Harry refers to “unconscious bias” within the royal family, which Meghan helped to educate him on. Princess Michael of Kent attends a Christmas lunch for the extended royal family at Buckingham Palace on Dec. 20, 2017, wearing a "blackamoor" brooch.

☆ California reparations task force to talk eligibility
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-14 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +4 min

The first-in-the-nation task force previously voted to limit reparations to Black California residents whose ancestors were living in the United States in the 19th century. This week, the group will talk about whether there could be additional eligibility requirements and what time frame reparations could hinge on. Officials from Oakland, Sacramento, Los Angeles and other California cities will talk about local reparations efforts during a panel Wednesday. The coalition is focused on advocating for reparations for Black residents. California Secretary of State Shirley Weber, a former assemblywoman, authored the bill that created the state’s task force, and the group began its work last year.

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