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Despite a rich stable of characters from Batman to Wonder Woman, the DC film and television studio has failed to match the success of Walt Disney Co's (DIS.N) Marvel hit factory. Also in 2025, DC Studios will release "Batman - Part II," a sequel starring Robert Pattison, a darker, more adult tale that is not part of Gunn's newly envisioned "DC Universe." While Marvel has become the highest-grossing film franchise in history, DC Studios has had mixed results. Four DC film projects that were completed before Gunn and Safran took over the studio will be released to theaters this year, "Shazam! Zaslav cut some costs by scrapping a third "Wonder Woman" film and a "Batgirl" movie that was headed to streaming.

☆ California’s Recipe for More Homeless
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-28 | by ( The Editorial Board | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

La La Land really is paradise—at least for people who don’t want to pay rent. Los Angeles County this week extended its Covid eviction ban another two months. Meantime, the Los Angeles City Council has approved rules that will make it harder for landlords to evict tenants once (and if) the county moratorium ends. The Supreme Court struck down the Biden Administration’s Covid eviction ban in August 2021, but the counties and cities of Los Angeles have extended theirs again and again even as other pandemic restrictions have lifted. The L.A. County Board of Supervisors had last extended the ban to the end of January owing to a “respiratory illness trifecta.”

☆ Mass Shootings in the U.S.: A Symptom of Despair - The New York Times
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-26 | by ( Jillian Peterson | James Densley | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +23 min

Seven killed and 46 injured in Highland Park, Ill., on July 4, 2022He suffered from severe back pain. Eight killed and seven injured in Indianapolis on April 15, 2021He was known for being paranoid with a short temper. Five killed and seven injured in Aurora, Ill., on Feb. 15, 2019He had expressed violent thoughts. Nine killed and seven injured in Red Lake, Minn., on March 21, 2005He had been noticeably depressed and angry at church. Seven killed and seven injured in Fort Worth on Sept. 15, 1999He killed his daughter’s cat because he was upset.

☆ Florida man and Insider global editor-in-chief Nich Carlson wondered what the heck was going on in his home state. Sunshine State readers unloaded on him.
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-25 | by ( Jacob Zinkula | Kelsey Neubauer | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

They expressed polarizing opinions about the state's housing, taxes, weather, politics, and more. Rising housing costs and traffic, for instance, drew almost universal disdain, while opinions on the state's weather, politics, taxes, and overall cost of living were mixed and highly polarized. Insider's Global Editor-in-Chief Nicholas Carlson (left), who grew up in Tampa, at a Tampa Bay Buccaneers game in January 2022. The state's politics are unsurprisingly divisiveFlorida Governor Ron DeSantis at a press conference after Hurricane Ian passed through the Cape Coral area. Joe Raedle/Getty ImagesSome Floridians love the state's politics, some aren't fans, and some don't care all that much.

☆ California Storms Leave Billions of Dollars in Damage to Businesses, Homes and Infrastructure
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-21 | by ( Jim Carlton | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

ANTIOCH, Calif.—Paradise Skate Roller Rink was preparing to host a New Year’s Eve bash when floodwaters poured in from a nearby creek, destroying the wooden floor and leaving the decades-old business in this San Francisco Bay Area suburb out of commission for months. “Mother Nature could have been a little nicer, but I think she has a head of her own,” general manager Bob Bruce said earlier this week, walking carefully on the warped floor as dozens of beach balls intended to drop at midnight Jan. 1 remained suspended in a ceiling net.

☆ 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.

☆ Arizona Cardinals Owner Gets $5.3 Million for Paradise Valley Home Less Than Two Months After Listing
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-04 | by ( Libertina Brandt | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Be the first to know about the biggest and best luxury home sales and listings by signing up for our Mansion Deals email alert. Arizona Cardinals owner Michael Bidwill has sold his home in Paradise Valley, Ariz., for $5.3 million, less than two months after it hit the market for $5.8 million, said listing agent Joan Levinson of Realty One Group.

☆ Guide to the funeral of Pope Emeritus Benedict on Thursday
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-04 | by ( Philip Pullella | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

VATICAN CITY, Jan 4 (Reuters) - Pope Francis will preside at a funeral Mass in St. Peter's Square on Thursday for his predecessor former Pope Benedict, who died on Saturday at the age of 95. Here is a guide to what is expected to happen:END OF LYING IN STATESince Monday, the body of the Emeritus Pope has been lying in state in St. Peter's Basilica, where more than 160,000 people had filed past to pay their respects as of midday Wednesday. The funeral Mass presided over by Pope Francis is due to start at 9:30 a.m. (0830 GMT). At the end of the Mass, Francis will recite "The Final Commendation and Farewell" asking God to "console the Church". Near the end of the Mass, Francis will sprinkle holy water on the coffin and incense it.

☆ Final farewell: From Sidney Poitier to Pope Emeritus Benedict a look back at the influential figures who died in 2022
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-01 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +55 min

Other world leaders who died in 2022 include former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, who died in August. The final days of 2022 saw the loss of some exceptionally notable figures, including Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI. Here is a roll call of some influential figures who died in 2022 (cause of death cited for younger people, if available):___JANUARY___Dan Reeves, 77. A Cuban-born artist whose radiant color palette and geometric paintings were overlooked for decades before the art world took notice. A prolific character actor best known for playing villains and tough guys in “The Manchurian Candidate,” “Ocean’s Eleven” and other films.

☆ My first time driving a Tesla showed me why people are so obsessed with Elon Musk's electric cars
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-31 | by ( Tim Levin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

First, the basicsThe Tesla Model Y. Tim Levin/InsiderThe Model Y is Tesla's small SUV and its most popular product. The Tesla Model Y. Tim Levin/InsiderThe display is super responsive to taps and swipes and features crisp graphics. The Tesla Model Y. Tim Levin/InsiderPlus, the Model Y lacks Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Our impressions: An excellent choice, but not the only optionThe Tesla Model Y. Tim Levin/InsiderAs it turns out, the Tesla fans have a point. The Tesla Model Y. Tim Levin/InsiderThe Model Y is a great choice for many buyers, but Tesla isn't the only game in town anymore.

☆ Pope Emeritus Benedict in stable condition and participates in Mass
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-30 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

“At present his condition is stationary.”On Wednesday, Pope Francis revealed that his 95-year-old predecessor was “very ill” and he went to see him in his home in the Vatican Gardens. Francis called for prayers for Benedict, resulting in an outpouring of messages of solidarity from rank-and-file Catholics and cardinals alike. On Friday evening, the cardinal vicar of Rome, Cardinal Angelo De Donatis, celebrated a special Mass for Benedict in St. John in Lateran Basilica. Referring to Benedict’s nearly 10 years in retirement from the papacy, De Donatis said that the pope emeritus “even in old age, and in illness, continues to sustain humanity totally offering oneself.”The pope emeritus was “in profound communion with Pope Francis,” the cardinal said. At the end of Mass, De Donatis said the faithful were entrusting “our Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI to the maternal care” of Jesus’ mother, “because she has promised to be near to her children in the moment of trial.”

☆ Cruises bookings for under $60 a day are all the rage, but sometimes you get what you pay for. Here's what you need to know before booking.
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-30 | by ( Brittany Chang | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

There are almost 420 cruises sailing in 2023 for $60 a day or less. What you pay for is what you get: Some of these cheap cruise itineraries aren't necessarily glamorous. Cruise Sheet saw record bookings for 2022 itineraries from spring into early summer, Smith told Insider in July. But just because the brand is recognizable doesn't mean the cheap cruise ship will be as flashy as Royal Caribbean's new Wonder of the Seas. Similarly, in 2022, hospitality giant Margaritaville's converted a 30-year-old cruise ship into its first cruise vessel, the Margaritaville at Sea Paradise.

Vanish into the vaporThe hammam treatment (380 dirhams) at Azur Art & Spa is like a journey into some mythological wellness underworld. Nearly naked, you are led into a hot, dark room flickering with candles, where an attendant washes you and leaves you to absorb the heat and moisture. The ritual instrument is a rough glove that the attendant rubs forcefully all over your body to remove dead skin. It can be painful, but purgatory soon gives way to paradise. After an invigorating massage, you emerge an hour later from the darkness, don a white robe, drink restorative tea and climb a set of white stairs into the sunlight.

It’s not that theatrical film exhibition was in a particularly good place before the pandemic. Yet the astounding box-office figures of 2022 tell a different story: Movie theaters didn’t become obsolete. It offered up the best of the moviegoing experience: spectacle, plus quality, plus rewatchability. But best of all, the hunger for the overly familiar was not the only story to be told this year. But if the pandemic-era absence of theatrical releases proved one thing, it’s that people love going to the movies, really love it, and not just to see Marvel movies.

☆ After Listing for $125 Million, a Malibu Home Sells for $91 Million
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-24 | by ( Katherine Clarke | E.B. Solomont | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Be the first to know about the biggest and best luxury home sales and listings by signing up for our Mansion Deals email alert. A roughly 6.6-acre estate in the exclusive Paradise Cove area of Malibu, Calif., has sold for $91 million, according to the local multiple listing service. The deal is the latest in a string of big-ticket transactions to have closed in Malibu over the past year.

☆ An Insider’s Guide to the Bahamas—Beyond the Resort Bubble
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-22 | by ( Mike Jordan | Photographs Melissa Alcena For The Wall Street Journal | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +1 min

I HAVE VISITED the Bahamas around 10 times in the last 25 years, beginning in 1998, for a company retreat. That year the Royal Towers of the Atlantis resort on Paradise Island were just opening, more than doubling the room count to 2,300 and making it the largest resort in the Caribbean at the time. For a young adult experiencing the West Indian islands for the first time, that manicured enclave just off the main Bahamian island of New Providence felt like paradise. But that year also marked the completion of the Sir Sidney Poitier Bridge, connecting Paradise Island to Nassau, the Bahamian capital and largest city on New Providence island. Though I spent that first trip giddily contained in a resort bubble, seeing my godfather’s name on the road signs made me wonder if a more authentic version of the Bahamas lay across the bridge.

☆ Stephen ‘tWitch’ Boss, high-functioning depression and why ‘checking in’ isn’t enough
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-21 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Randi-Richardson-Byline-Jm.Jpg | Randi Richardson | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +12 min

High-functioning depression is a colloquial term and not a technical clinical diagnosis, explains Rheeda Walker, Ph.D., psychologist and leading researcher on suicide in the Black community. Persistent depressive disorder is another official diagnosis that, for some patients, may include high-functioning depression, Walker says. But she also stresses that because high-functioning depression is not a technical diagnosis, she’s hesitant to say they’re the same. But a 2021 study indicates the Black suicide rate is likely higher than documented because the manner of death is often misclassified. If you’re concerned about a loved one attempting suicide, Walker notes that anxiety is “as strong a predictor” as depression.

☆ NFL roundup: Patriots fumble away game to Raiders on last play
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +9 min

Carr completed 20 of 38 passes for 231 yards, three touchdowns and one interception. Bengals 34, Buccaneers 23Joe Burrow threw four touchdown passes to help Cincinnati overcome a 17-point deficit and upend host Tampa Bay for its sixth straight win. Chicago regained possession trailing 17-13 with 8:25 to play after Jake Elliott's 38-yard field goal attempt bounced off the right upright. Saints 21, Falcons 18Andy Dalton threw two touchdown passes and Taysom Hill threw another one as host New Orleans defeated Atlanta. Dalton completed 11 of 17 passes for 151 yards and connected with Juwan Johnson for touchdowns of 19 and 22 yards.

☆ As climate change makes wildfires worse, FEMA faced with calls to change
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-19 | by ( Sharon Bernstein | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Building at the bottom of a hill would keep the station from experiencing the worst fires, which tend to run uphill. But Mayor Chris Rogers says the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) denied funding in part due to rules designed to protect infrastructure harmed in storms from flood damage, saying the proposed new location was in a flood zone. Devastating fires in Santa Rosa and communities elsewhere in California led survivors to press for changes in the way the agency handles wildfires. In Santa Rosa, a midsized city about 55 miles north of San Francisco, the Tubbs Fire in 2017 raced through established suburban areas, jumping six lanes of highway, destroying homes. But without help from FEMA, it has taken a while to put together rebuilding resources, Rogers said.

☆ ‘Avatar: The Way of Water’ Review: A Second Plunge Into Pandora
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-16 | by ( Kyle Smith | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +1 min

With “Avatar: The Way of Water,” Mr. Cameron reaffirms himself as the blockbuster director of his generation—still the king of the world. To distinguish it from the first film, some might call the second entry in the proposed five-movie series “W.O.W.” And “Wow” is as handy a one-word review as any. With its gorgeous sea beasts, luminescent underwater fauna and pellucid diving excursions, “Way of Water” is unquestionably a great-looking movie. Mr. Cameron, the director of the first two “Terminator” films, “True Lies,” “Aliens” and “Titanic,” seems to have lost interest in character, and even the story is a bit of an afterthought. “Way of Water” is an excursion in paradise.

Page purchased Hans Lollik and its smaller neighboring island, Little Hans Lollik, in 2014 for $23 million. The Hans Lollik Islands in the US Virgin Islands were bought by Larry Page in 2014 cdwheatley/Getty ImagesPage purchased the islands from Liberty Bankers Life Insurance Company using a limited-liability company called Virgin Island Properties LLC. Page's intentions for the Hans Lollik islands are unclear, but the larger island of the two may have personal significance for the Google cofounder. In the deposition, Osborne hinted that Larry proposed to his wife, the research scientist Lucinda Southworth, on Hans Lollik. Page expands to the South PacificIn 2020, Page added another island to his portfolio: the heart-shaped Tavarua island in Fiji's Mamanuca archipelago.

☆ Father of Texas girl allegedly killed by FedEx driver files lawsuit
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-15 | by ( Minyvonne Burke | Minyvonne Burke Is A Senior Breaking News Reporter For Nbc News. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

The father of 7-year-old Athena Strand, the little girl allegedly killed by a Texas FedEx delivery driver, filed a lawsuit for negligence. Athena Strand. of Public SafetyAfter hitting her with the van, Horner allegedly "either took Athena into the van or enticed her to enter the van," the suit says. "Our thoughts remain with the family of Athena Strand in the wake of this tragedy," the company said. Investigators learned that a FedEx driver had delivered packages to the home around the same time and worked with the contracting company to determine which driver was on that route, according to the affidavit.

☆ At least 5 tornadoes confirmed in Texas as storms roll through southwestern US and blizzard conditions mount in the northern Plains
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-13 | by ( Amir Vera Jason Hanna Monica Garrett | Amir Vera | Jason Hanna | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

More than 18 million people from Texas to Mississippi are under threat of severe storms Tuesday, including tornadoes. In Mississippi, the Meridian Public School District – which serves over 4,900 students – announced they will be closed Wednesday due to the threat of severe weather. The Lawrence County and McComb School Districts also announced they were closing Wednesday due to the threat of severe weather. The Mississippi Emergency Management Agency also noted the severe weather expected in the state and asked residents to prepare. “With severe weather expected throughout Mississippi tonight and tomorrow, please review your severe weather preparedness checklist to make sure you are ready for the storms,” the agency said in a message on Twitter.

☆ ‘Avatar: The Way of Water’ rekindles the wonder in a way that demands to be seen
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-13 | by ( Brian Lowry | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —“Avatar” took a very basic story and adorned it with eye-popping spectacle, in a way that made the film a must-see commodity, and a record-breaking hit in the process. Thirteen years later, braving much different theatrical tides, director James Cameron has done it again with “Avatar: The Way of Water,” a state-of-the-art exercise that rekindles that sense of wonder and demands to be seen by anyone with lingering interest in watching movies in theaters. The children, in particular, must grapple with the personalities and pettiness associated with becoming the new kids on the reef. Ultimately, though, “The Way of Water” melts away any skepticism that it might be too late or too long in its return to Pandora. “Avatar: The Way of Water” premieres December 16 in US theaters.

☆ PG&E Needs to Find Billions of Dollars for Wildfire Prevention
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-12 | by ( Katherine Blunt | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

PG&E is burying its lines in Paradise, Calif., a step it also decided to take more broadly to reduce fire risk. PG&E Corp.’s ambitious plan to reduce wildfire risk will cost tens of billions of dollars. It isn’t exactly clear how it is going to pay for it. The utility company, which provides electricity and natural gas to about 16 million people in Northern California, is limited in its ability to raise debt and equity following a complex bankruptcy restructuring that required it to issue record amounts of each. Now, it is seeking alternative ways to fund its capital-spending plan, which proposes roughly $50 billion in investments between 2022 and 2026.

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