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☆ ‘Eras’: Taylor Swift Isn’t the Only One Who Has Them
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-20 | by ( Ben Zimmer | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Taylor Swift performs during her Eras Tour at Soldier Field in Chicago on June 2. Photo: Shanna Madison/Chicago Tribune/Getty ImagesLinguist and lexicographer Ben Zimmer analyzes the origins of words in the news. Taylor Swift is in her “Eras” era. The pop megastar has structured her record-smashing concert tour as a chronological exploration of the chapters in her career, as defined by the releases of her studio albums. And now the cinematic version of “The Eras Tour” has become the highest-grossing concert film of all time after its debut weekend.

Persons: Taylor Swift, Shanna, Ben Zimmer Organizations: Soldier, Chicago Tribune, Getty Locations: Chicago, Shanna Madison

Oct 20 (Reuters) - New car sales in the European Union rose 9.2% in September, helped by a jump in sales of electric and hybrid vehicles, which together accounted for more than half of car sales last month, industry data showed on Friday. Together, fully-electric cars, plug-in hybrids and full hybrids accounted for just over 50% of sales, the data showed. As recently as 2015, diesel vehicles comprised more than 50% of new car sales in the EU. Car sales in Europe have been steadily recovering from pandemic-related supply chain problems, most notably a global shortage of semiconductor chips. Despite 14 straight months of growth, car sales for the first nine months of 2023 remain 20% below the same period in 2019 before the pandemic.

Persons: Miranda Murray, Matthias Williams, Susan Fenton Organizations: Union, European Automobile Manufacturers Association, Diesel, Volkswagen, Renault, European Free Trade Association, Thomson Locations: Europe, EU, Britain

It was unclear the exact charges against Brown, however a warrant for his arrest cited first-degree murder, according to a news release from Maywood, Illinois police. Relatives had told officers that they could not find Sergio Brown or Myrtle Brown. Following her death, police began checking the authenticity of Instagram videos that appear to show Sergio Brown discussing her death. In a video posted Sept. 18 to an Instagram page that appeared to belong to Sergio Brown, a man resembling Brown calls reports about his mother's death “fake news.”“Fake news, fake news, fake news. Sergio Brown, who graduated from Proviso East High School in Maywood, played college football for Notre Dame before his time with the NFL.

Persons: Sergio Brown, Brown, Steve Walker, Walker, Myrtle Brown's, Relatives, Myrtle Brown, ”, “, ____ Williams Organizations: NFL, San, San Diego District, Associated Press, Maywood, WMAQ, FBI, Chicago Tribune, East High School, Notre Dame, New England Patriots, Indianapolis Colts, Jacksonville Jaguars, Buffalo Bills Locations: Southern California, United States, Mexico, Chicago, San Diego County, Illinois, Maywood , Illinois, Maywood, Mexican, Sinaloa, West Bloomfield , Michigan

☆ Fact Check: Miscaptioned clip of 2021 pro-Palestinian rally in Chicago
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-10 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Footage captioned online as showing a rally in Chicago supporting “Hamas’ terror attack” predates the clashes between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas in October 2023. However, matching footage has circulated across multiple social media platforms since at least 2021. On May 16, 2021, thousands of demonstrators in downtown Chicago rallied in support of Palestinians, according to reports at the time by the Chicago Tribune and NBC 5 Chicago. Multiple pro-Palestinian rallies took place in downtown Chicago throughout May 2021, ABC7 and the Chicago Sun Times also reported. On Oct. 9, Palestinian supporters rallied in downtown Chicago against the violent conflict, as seen in news reports from ABC 7, CBS News Chicago and MSNBC.

Persons: Israel ”, escalations, Read Organizations: Hamas, Facebook, VK, Chicago, Chicago Tribune, NBC, Chicago Sun Times, Associated Press, ABC, CBS News Chicago, MSNBC, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Chicago, Israel, Palestinian, Gaza, Russia, U.S

As a result, books like “Call Me Max” have been challenged or outright removed from schools and libraries in Florida, as well as other states — and though some believe book bans lead to more book sales, authors say the effect of those bans is devastating for their careers. These bans “overwhelmingly” target books about race and racism, as well as books with LGBTQ characters, PEN America said in its September study on school book bans. The MoveOn Banned Book Mobile stops for an event with local authors and teachers on October 1, 2023 in Decatur, Georgia. “(A book ban) would make news, and people would say, ‘I’ll buy this book just to show them,’” Lukoff said of the once-common result of book bans. Lukoff said his first high-profile bans occurred in early 2021, in Austin and Salt Lake City, when book bans first started to accelerate.

Persons: CNN —, Ron DeSantis, Max, ”, ‘, ” DeSantis, Max ”, Kyle Lukoff, Newbery, “ I’ve, —, ” Lukoff, “, ” Kyle Lukoff's, Marvin Joseph, Phil Bildner, ” “, Bildner, PEN America, Tasslyn Magnusson, Read, Derek White, Magnusson, ” Laurie Halse Anderson’s, George M, Deborah Caldwell, Stone, Angie Thomas, “ Maus, “ Maus ”, ” Magnusson, Lukoff, BookScan, Juno, Mike Curato’s “, John Green’s “, Samira Ahmed, Laura Gluckman, Armando L, Sanchez, Maus, ’ ” Lukoff, … that’s, they’re, she’s, haven’t, “ It’s, isn’t, Ahmed, ” Bildner, Caldwell, J.K, Rowling, Harper Lee, Art Spiegelman, ‘ Maus, ’ ”, Torrey Maldonado, ” Maldonado, who’ve, Eileen T, ’ ” Magnusson, ’, ” Ahmed, it’s, “ I’m, I’m, Maldonado, They’re Organizations: CNN, Florida Gov, Washington Post, PEN America, Liberty, Utah Parents United, Mobile, American, Association’s, Intellectual, ”, Association of American Publishers, Women, Chicago Tribune, Getty, America Locations: Florida, bookshelves, Rye, PEN, Utah, Decatur , Georgia, Tennessee, Alaska, Chicago, Sandmeyer's, Austin, Salt Lake City

“Age is just a number,” Dorothy Hoffner told a cheering crowd moments after touching the ground Sunday at Skydive Chicago in Ottawa, about 85 miles (140 kilometers) southwest of Chicago, the Chicago Tribune reported. The Guinness World Record for oldest skydiver was set in May 2022 by 103-year-old Linnéa Ingegärd Larsson from Sweden. But Skydive Chicago is working to have Guinness World Records certify Hoffner's jump as a record, WLS-TV reported. “Wonderful,” Hoffner said. After her jump, Hoffner's mind quickly turned to the future and other challenges.

Persons: Dorothy Hoffner, Ingegärd Larsson, Hoffner, “ Let’s, let’s, Geronimo, ” Hoffner, who's, “ I’ve, ” Organizations: Ill, Skydive Chicago, Chicago Tribune, Guinness, Records, U.S . Parachute Locations: OTTAWA, Chicago, Illinois, Ottawa, Sweden

☆ Trump's 'gobbledygook' math has lowballed, for a decade, how many fish he kills to cool his Chicago tower: AG
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-25 | by ( Laura Italiano | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +14 min

Trump Tower uses millions of gallons of Chicago River water a day to heat and cool its 98 floors. Illinois Attorney General's Office/InsiderThe Illinois EPA responded to the apparent discrepancy by issuing Trump Tower a violation notice on August 31. The two groups are parties to the state's ongoing, 2018 environmental lawsuit against the tower, Trump's tallest building worldwide. Trump Organization lawyers have resisted changing how Trump's Chicago tower heats and cools. Trump International Hotel & Tower in Chicago has used "gobbledygook" math to lowball its impact on the Chicago River, state officials and environmentalists say in court papers.

Persons: —, Donald Trump's, Trump, general's, Trump –, Albert Ettinger, Kwame Raoul's, Trump's, It's, Charles Rex Arbogast, Ettinger, Nam, Huh Trump, Jack Darin, Darin, Donald Trump, AP, IEPA, Alan Garten, Peter Alan Henderson, Henderson, Donald Trump , Jr, Eric Trump, Ivanka Trump, Christopher Wiggins, he'd, John Arranz, Wiggins, Kiichiro Sato, Margaret Frisbie, Frisbie Organizations: Trump, Service, Trump International Hotel, Tower, Illinois Environmental, Agency, Wabash Venture, Trump Organization, General's, EPA, Sierra Club, Friends, Chicago Sun, federal, Hotel, AP, Chicago Tribune, Illinois Sierra Club, Chicago's Trump International Hotel, AP Trump, Sun, Times, Ecologist Locations: Chicago, Illinois

☆ Amoxicillin shortage: A new season of infections is here, but the shortage of a common kids’ antibiotic never ended
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-22 | by ( Brenda Goodman | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Respiratory illness season is coming up, and that’s going to be a huge issue,” said David Margraf, a pharmaceutical research scientist with the University of Minnesota’s Resilient Drug Supply Project. During a drug shortage, allocation helps ensure that no single buyer can claim all the available supply. Khazanchi and his colleague Dr. Ryan Brewster recently studied the clinical effects of last winter’s amoxicillin shortage. “Drug shortages will likely continue to increase if the pricing dynamics in the marketplace are not addressed,” Sandoz said in a statement. “The companies refuse to tell us what’s going on,” said Erin Fox, who tracks drug shortages at the University of Utah.

Persons: —, earaches, ”, David Margraf, Selena Ko, Erin Hooley, pediatricians, Rohan Khazanchi, Khazanchi, Ryan Brewster, Amoxicillin, ” Khazanchi, “ It’s, ” Sandoz, Erin Fox, Laura Bray, They’re, ” Margraf, ” Bray, Dr, Sanjay Gupta, “, Matt Christian Organizations: CNN, Food, University of, Project, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago Tribune, TNS, Getty, FDA, Brigham & Women’s Hospital, Teva Pharmaceuticals, Novartis, University of Utah, Angels, CNN Health, US Department of Agriculture, Pharmacopeia’s Medicines Locations: Chicago, Boston

Mexican Acquire Licensing Rights Read moreCHICAGO, Sept 18 (Reuters) - Ovidio Guzman, one of the sons of incarcerated Mexican drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, pleaded not guilty to U.S. fentanyl trafficking charges on Monday in federal court in Chicago, prosecutors said, three days after his extradition from Mexico. Guzman, 33, is one of El Chapo's four sons, known as "Los Chapitos," who inherited their father's trafficking empire after his conviction on U.S. murder and drug charges in 2019. "El Chapo" Guzman is serving a life sentence in a maximum-security prison in Colorado. Guzman was briefly arrested in Culiacan in the northern state of Sinaloa in 2019. "El Chapo" Guzman rose to prominence at the helm of the Sinaloa Cartel and added to his infamy by escaping Mexican prisons not once but twice.

Persons: Ovidio Guzman, Joaquin, El, Guzman, El Chapo's, Ovidio, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, Biden, Eric Cox, Joseph Ax, Kanishka Singh, Grant McCool Organizations: Biden, Chicago Tribune, U.S, Tribune, State Department, Thomson Locations: Culiacan, Sinaloa, Mexico, CHICAGO, Chicago, Colorado . U.S, The U.S, U.S, Brooklyn

☆ How China became the king of new nuclear power, and how the U.S. is trying to stage a comeback
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-30 | by ( Catherine Clifford | In Catclifford | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +11 min

That is two and a half times more nuclear reactors under construction than any other country. China was just getting started as the United States nuclear industry began to take a back seat. Power follows demand, so the new nuclear reactors tend to be built where fast-developing economies need power to fuel their growth. For the United States to win the export business, it must prove it can put steel in the ground in the United States. "We and our close nuclear energy allies are at what I think is just the start of a fierce competition for supremacy in global nuclear energy export markets," Kotek said.

Persons: Jacopo Buongiorno, Kenneth Luongo, Luongo, John F, Kotek, they've, Buongiorno, Westinghouse, Trump, Biden Organizations: Plant, China National Nuclear Corporation, China Huaneng, Changjiang, China News Service, Getty, International Atomic Energy Agency, United, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, CNBC, Partnership for Global Security, World Nuclear Association, Chicago Tribune, Tribune, Service, IAEA, Organization for Economic Cooperation, Development, OECD, U.S . Energy Information Administration, Nuclear Energy Institute, International Energy Agency, France, Visual China, Georgia Power, Westinghouse Locations: China, Changjiang Li Autonomous County, Hainan Province, India, Turkey, United States, Georgia, Byron , Illinois, France, Russia, HUIZHOU, CHINA, Huizhou, Guangdong Province of China, Europe, Eastern Europe, U.S

☆ John Keilman — Reporter at The Wall Street Journal
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-27 | by ( John Keilman | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

John KeilmanJohn Keilman covers U.S. manufacturing from The Wall Street Journal’s Chicago bureau. He writes about large global companies, including 3M, Polaris and PPG, as well as small business, labor and industry trends. John joined the Journal after working at the Chicago Tribune, the Dayton Daily News and other news organizations.

Persons: John Keilman John Keilman, John Organizations: 3M, Polaris, Chicago Tribune, Dayton Daily News Locations: Chicago

☆ Tesla owners share their best tips for taking an EV on a road trip
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-19 | by ( Grace Kay | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Autopilot and Tesla's Full Self-Driving beta feature are also a major plus for relaxing on the road, some drivers said. Chris Walker/Chicago Tribune/Tribune News Service via Getty ImagesAll Tesla models are equipped with the Autopilot feature, which enables a car to steer, accelerate, and brake automatically within its lane. Earlier this year, Model S owner Tim Heckman told Insider the driver assist features were a "lifesaver" on his 6,392-mile road trip. Long trips can take a mental toll," Heckman said at the time, noting that he'sd used Autopilot on previous road trips and discovered he could drive further without getting tired. Zuga told Insider Autopilot is one of several features that he feels make road trips less stressful and safer in a Tesla.

Persons: Chris Walker, Tim Heckman, Heckman, Zuga Organizations: Chicago Tribune, Tribune, Service, Getty, Traffic, Administration, California Department of Motor Vehicles

☆ University of Chicago Agrees to $13.5 Million Settlement in Financial Aid Antitrust Case
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-15 | by ( Melissa Korn | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

The University of Chicago said that its settlement of a price-fixing suit would allow the school to avoid the distraction and expense of continued litigation. Photo: E. Jason Wambsgans/Chicago Tribune/Getty ImagesThe University of Chicago has agreed to pay $13.5 million to settle a lawsuit in which it was accused of illegally colluding with other top universities to limit financial aid to students, making it the first defendant in the case to settle, according to a court filing Monday.

Persons: Jason Wambsgans Organizations: University of Chicago, Chicago Tribune, Getty, The University of Chicago

☆ What are neopronouns and how do you use them?
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-12 | by ( Scottie Andrew | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

And then there are neopronouns (“new” pronouns), gender-neutral or nonbinary pronouns that are distinct from the common she, he and they. All pronouns indicate identity and can be used to include or exclude people they describe — neopronouns included, said Dennis Baron, one of the foremost experts on neopronouns and their histories and an emeritus professor of English and Linguistics at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Other neopronouns are completely original to their user – some may choose to select a noun to describe themselves, like “star” or “starself” in place of binary pronouns like “she” or “herself.” These are called nounself neopronouns, but more on those later. Why people use neopronounsPeople may use neopronouns for the same reason someone else uses “she” and/or “they” — neopronouns may better align with one’s identity. An intro to nounself neopronounsLeaf, sun, star — nounself pronouns are neopronouns that use nature and other inspirations as nonbinary or genderless descriptors.

Persons: CNN —, ”, they’re, Dennis Baron, ” Baron, “, ” Neopronouns, Janelle Monáe, Emma Corrin, Jonathan Van Ness, Neopronouns, nonbinary, Baron, xyr, heer, ze, Ze, hirself, fay, Fae, Ey, —, Dua Saleh, who’s, Saleh, ” “, ” Saleh, aren’t, ” CNN’s Harmeet Kaur, he’s, “ heer, himer ”, Ella Young, ” Young, JWL, Noah Webster’s, Webster, thon ”, Charles Crozat Converse, thon, Michael Spivak, Jason D’Angelo, fandoms, Ehm Hjorth Miltersen, one’s, ” Miltersen, Miltersen Organizations: CNN, University of Illinois, “, Human Rights, Human, Netflix, Chicago Tribune, Sacramento Bee, Merriam, Webster, New York Times Locations: Urbana, Champaign, England, ”, Chicago

☆ Three-year-old migrant girl dies en route to Chicago from Texas
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-11 | by ( Dan Whitcomb | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Aug 11 (Reuters) - A 3-year-old girl from Venezuela being transported to Chicago from Texas by bus with other migrants died at a local Illinois hospital after showing signs of illness, the Texas Department of Emergency Management said on Friday. Because the girl died in the Chicago area, the Illinois Department of Public Health was investigating her death, a spokesperson told the Chicago Tribune. “IDPH is working with local health officials, state police, and federal authorities to the fullest extent possible to get answers in this tragic situation,” IDPH spokeswoman Lauri Sanders told the Tribune. Texas officials did not release a cause of death for the child but said none of the bus passengers presented with symptoms of fever or illness when they boarded in Brownsville, Texas, which borders Mexico. The officials did not release any identifying information about the child but CBS news reported that she was a girl from Venezuela.

Persons: ” IDPH, Lauri Sanders, Dan Whitcomb, Diane Craft Organizations: Texas Department of Emergency Management, Illinois Department of Public Health, Chicago Tribune, Tribune, CBS, Thomson Locations: Venezuela, Chicago, Texas, Illinois, “, Brownsville , Texas, Mexico

☆ William Friedkin, Director of ‘French Connection’ and ‘Exorcist,’ Dies at 87
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-07 | by ( William Grimes | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Both parents were Jews who had left Ukraine early in the century with their families to escape the tsarist pogroms. His mother, who was known as Rae, was an operating room nurse; his father worked a variety of low-paying jobs. After graduating from Senn High School on Chicago’s North Side in 1953, Mr. Friedkin took a job in the mailroom of the local television station WGN. Within a few years he had worked his way up to director, turning out hundreds of shows, from “Bozo’s Circus” to live performances of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, as well as documentaries. His documentary work coincided with the advent of portable cameras, a decisive influence on his style.

Persons: Friedkin, ” Peter Biskind, “, ” William Friedkin, Billy, Louis, Rachel, Green, Rae, ”, Gene Siskel, Paul Crump, David Wolper Organizations: Riders, Raging Bulls, ‘ Star, ‘ Raiders, Senn High, WGN, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, The Chicago Tribune, Jail, San Francisco Film Locations: Chicago, Ukraine, Cook, Los Angeles

☆ A Lesson in Tender, Tangy Lemon Bars
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-24 | by ( Genevieve Ko | More About Genevieve Ko | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

I had no idea what lemon bars were. My classmates said that my new school would turn my Chinese American self into a banana or a Twinkie — yellow on the outside, white within. Because the lemon bars didn’t taste like a loss of identity, but an expansion of it. But from-scratch treats from midcentury Americana were foreign to me — and lemon bars tasted especially mysterious, at once sour and sweet, rich and sharp. The next year, Betty Crocker’s “Cooky Book” included a recipe for Lemon Squares, which extended its popularity beyond local community cookbooks.

Persons: Eleanore Mickelson, Betty Crocker’s “ Organizations: Chicago Tribune Locations: East Asia, Mexico, Eden, Los Angeles

☆ What causes someone to become a serial killer? Criminology experts explain
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-24 | by ( Alaa Elassar | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +16 min

CNN —For decades, criminologists and true crime documentaries have attempted to understand what causes serial killers to commit the atrocities they do. CNN spoke with three forensic psychologists and serial killer experts to better understand what causes people to become serial killers. Scott Bonn: Not all psychopaths are serial killers, and not all serial killers are psychopaths. In the case (of a serial killer who) is a psychopath, their brain functions differently than a normal human brain. Are all serial killers serial sexual murderers?

Persons: Dennis Rader, John Wayne Gacy, Jeffrey Dahmer, Albert DeSalvo, Ted Bundy, Rex Heuermann, Heuermann, he’s, Long, Scott Bonn, Psychopaths, Louis Schlesinger, Katherine Ramsland, DeSalvo, Joe Dennehy, Scott, –, you’re, they’re, Bundy, There’s, BTK, Jack, who’ve, They’re, Marny Malin, Sygma, William Heirens, ”, Ted Bundys, John Wayne Gacys, Dennis, they’re chameleons, it’s, He’s, there’s, Jeffrey Dahmer's Organizations: CNN, University of Michigan, John Jay College of Criminal, DeSales University, Boston, Boston Globe, Des, Des Plaines Police Department, Chicago Tribune, Tribune, Service, Getty, Lutheran Church, Boy Scout, Suffolk County Sheriff's, Scott Bonn Locations: United States, New York, Shore, criminologist, Scott Bonn, Chicago, Des Plaines, Milwaukee, Suffolk County, Long

☆ James Lewis: Man convicted of extortion following Tylenol deaths has died
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-10 | by ( Chris Boyette | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —James Lewis, who was convicted of extortion for promising to stop the 1982 Tylenol poisonings for $1 million – but denied he was behind the seven deaths, has been found dead, police said Monday. The Massachusetts man served time for sending Johnson & Johnson a letter in 1982 vowing he’d stop the killings that set off panic. The unsolved Chicago-area deaths occurred after the over-the-counter Extra-Strength Tylenol capsules were laced with potassium cyanide. Johnson & Johnson, parent of the drug maker, McNeil, was credited for its aggressiveness in recalling the product and its openness in dealing with the killings, and the product quickly bounced back in sales. No one has been charged in the deaths, but Lewis was under periodic police attention.

Persons: James Lewis, Johnson, he’d, McNeil, Lewis, he’s Organizations: CNN, The Chicago Tribune, FBI, Investigators Locations: Massachusetts, Cambridge, Chicago, Boston

☆ From Taylor Swift to the World Cup, travelers are paying big bucks to catch overseas games and shows
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-10 | by ( Monica Pitrelli | Evelyn Chen | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

When Taylor Swift's Eras tour rolls into Singapore next year, Rjay Ignacio said he'll be there — whether he has a ticket or not. "If I'm not able to get a ticket, I'm still going to Singapore," he said. He said he would only travel "for Taylor … I'm a big fan." Swifties, or Taylor Swift fans, spend an average of $1,330 on tickets, food and travel, according to the research company QuestionPro. To avoid facing an "astronomical price surge," Jakarta resident Wid said one of his friends booked a hotel in Singapore before Swift's tour tickets even went on sale.

Persons: Taylor, Rjay Ignacio, he'll, Taylor Swift, I'm, Ignacio, Taylor …, Farhan Abrol, Kanyarat Teawprasong, Swift, Armando L, Sanchez, Lionel Richie, Harvey Cohen, Wid, Nan Palmero, I'd Organizations: Deloitte, Wimbledon, CNBC Travel, Austin City Limits Music, Chicago Tribune, Tribune, Service, Swift's, Qatar Airways, FIFA, Accor Locations: Singapore, Asia, Pasig City, Philippines, YOLO, Francisco, Bangkok, Korea, Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Thailand, Southeast Asia, Las Vegas, Chicago's Grant, Bahamas, United States, Navan, Cincinnati, Pittsburgh, Jakarta, Doha

☆ A Walmart delivery driver said his weekly earnings dropped from $1,500 to $200 due to competition from bots — and it's a growing problem, workers say
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-30 | by ( Alex Bitter | Yeji Jesse Lee | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Chicago area gig workers who use Walmart's delivery platform Spark say bots are a growing issue. They say users who deploy bots make it harder for them to make enough money on the platform. It's unclear exactly how prevalent bots are on Walmart's Spark platform. Workers who fill orders for multiple apps, from Instacart to DoorDash, have used — and complained — about bots for years. Gig workers can set bots to claim specific orders, such as those with delivery addresses close to them.

Persons: —, Nancy Marcos, Eric Guzman, it's Organizations: Drivers, Walmart, Chicago Tribune, Service, Tribune, Workers Locations: Chicago, Illinois, Cicero , Illinois, Cicero, Bedford Park, Forest, Instacart

☆ With Hollywood Change Stagnating, a Call to ‘Burn It Down’
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-11 | by ( Alexandra Jacobs | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

BURN IT DOWN: Power, Complicity, and a Call for Change in Hollywood, by Maureen RyanAs I typed this, striking Writers Guild of America members were skipping the picket lines in New York City because of poor air quality, after smoke drifted down from wildfires in Canada. It was a grimly perfect backdrop to read “Burn It Down,” a new book about the pervasive moral shortcomings of Hollywood by the longtime entertainment reporter and critic Maureen Ryan. For the industry Ryan covers is suffering its own kind of climate crisis. Television seasons are shorter — that’s if it’s even relevant to call a collection of episodes that can be binged anytime a “season” anymore. official and private investigator.”Ryan also alludes briefly here, as she has in Variety, to having been the victim of sexual assault by an unnamed television executive.

Persons: Maureen Ryan, Ryan, Don, George Floyd, gingerly, ”, H.R, ” Ryan, Howard Beale Organizations: Guild of America, Television, The New York Times, The Chicago Tribune, Variety Locations: Hollywood, New York City, Canada

[1/3] The 76th Cannes Film Festival - Photocall for the film "How to Have Sex" in competition for the category Un Certain Regard - Cannes, France, May 19, 2023. However, there was a slight hiccup: Molly Manning Walker was not in the room when the award for her debut feature was announced. The first Sudanese film to be included in the Cannes official selection, "Goodbye Julia," took the freedom award. Director Mohamed Kordofani thanked the Sudanese people for their support as well as for not giving up. "Un Certain Regard" is a competition focused on arthouse films that runs parallel to the main competition, the Palme d'Or, which will be announced on Saturday.

[1/2] The 76th Cannes Film Festival - Screening of the film "Perfect Days" in competition - Red Carpet Arrivals - Cannes, France, May 25, 2023. REUTERS/Gonzalo FuentesCANNES, May 25 (Reuters) - Most directors would be thrilled to have one film shown at the Cannes Film Festival. The result, "Perfect Days", premiers on Thursday, starring acclaimed Japanese actor Koji Yakusho as a toilet cleaner in Tokyo. Cannes organizers liked the "spontaneous" work, which came together in just a few months, and wanted to show it, Wenders said. By comparison, "Anselm" is more of an experience than a film, Wenders said.

☆ Uber is trying to sway Chicago's mayor and Illinois Democrats against a bill seeking to make rides safer for customers
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-19 | by ( Ethan Dodd | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

An Illinois bill could hold companies like Uber and Lyft liable for harm done to passengers. Uber launched a "pressure campaign" to avoid liability for these incidents, the law group behind the bill said. JB Pritzker, it would eliminate an exemption in Illinois law that has protected ride-hailing companies since 2015. Salvi said Illinois exempted ride-hailing companies from the state's common-carrier civil-liability doctrine in 2015 to "allow them to come to market" and "give them an ability to compete." Moreover, the exemption has protected ride-hailing companies in even more extreme cases.

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