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☆ 'Last' Beatles record to be released this year thanks to AI, Paul McCartney says
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, June 13 (Reuters) - A "last" Beatles song, featuring the voice of late member John Lennon, will be released this year thanks to the use of artificial intelligence, Paul McCartney has said. "So when we came to make what will be the last Beatles record... we were able to take John's voice and get it pure through this AI (artificial intelligence), so that then we could mix the record as you would normally do," the singer-songwriter, 80, said. [1/3] Musician Paul McCartney performs during his Got Back tour at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, U.S., May 13, 2022. "He was able to extricate John's voice from a ropey little bit of cassette," McCartney said. "We had John's voice and a piano, he could separate them with AI."

Persons: John Lennon, Paul McCartney, McCartney, John, Lennon, Mario Anzuoni McCartney, Peter Jackson, we'll, Marie, Louise Gumuchian, Sharon Singleton Organizations: BBC Radio, BBC, REUTERS, Thomson Locations: Inglewood , California, U.S

☆ 'Last' Beatles record to be released this year thanks to AI - McCartney
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/3] Musician Paul McCartney performs during his Got Back tour at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, U.S., May 13, 2022. REUTERS/Mario AnzuoniLONDON, June 13 (Reuters) - A "last" Beatles song, featuring the voice of late member John Lennon, will be released this year thanks to the use of artificial intelligence, Paul McCartney has said. "So when we came to make what will be the last Beatles record... we were able to take John's voice and get it pure through this AI (artificial intelligence), so that then we could mix the record as you would normally do," the singer-songwriter, 80, said. "He was able to extricate John's voice from a ropey little bit of cassette," McCartney said. "We had John's voice and a piano, he could separate them with AI."

Persons: Paul McCartney, Mario Anzuoni, John Lennon, McCartney, John, Lennon, Peter Jackson, we'll, Marie, Louise Gumuchian, Sharon Singleton Organizations: REUTERS, Mario Anzuoni LONDON, BBC Radio, BBC, Thomson Locations: Inglewood , California, U.S

☆ Paul McCartney says A.I. got John Lennon's voice on 'last Beatles record'
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-13 | by ( Jenni Reid | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

The Beatles star told the BBC he has finished a new song using AI to recreate John Lennon's voice. LONDON — Beatles singer-songwriter Paul McCartney told the BBC that artificial intelligence was used to "extricate" and clean up the vocals of former bandmate John Lennon from an old recording, allowing them to feature in an upcoming track. It's something we're all sort of tackling at the moment and trying to deal with," McCartney told the BBC's "Today" program when asked about AI. AI was used to identify Lennon's vocals as distinct from instrumentals and background interference. "There's a good side to it and then a scary side, and we'll just have to see where that leads," McCartney told the BBC.

Persons: Paul McCartney, John Lennon's, John Lennon, McCartney, Peter Jackson —, —, John, Lennon, ABBA's Björn Ulvaeus, we'll Organizations: Glastonbury Festival, Beatles, BBC, Industry, CNBC Locations: Pilton, Glastonbury , England, Glastonbury

☆ Paul McCartney says ‘final’ Beatles song coming thanks to artificial intelligence
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-13 | by ( Lisa Respers France | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —When it comes to artificial intelligence, Sir Paul McCartney doesn’t sound like he’s willing to just “Let It Be.”In an interview with BBC Radio 4’s “Today” program released Tuesday, the legendary musician and former Beatle was asked about AI and how it’s been used to make his voice sound younger – and to resurrect the voices of fellow band members John Lennon and George Harrison who died in 1980 and 2001, respectively. And he revealed there’s a “new” Beatles tune coming, thanks to the technology. “When we came to make what will be the last Beatles record – it was a demo that John had that we worked on and we just finished it up, it will be released this year – and we were able to take John’s voice and get it pure through this AI,” McCartney said. “So then we were able to mix the record as you would normally do.”While McCartney’s not on the internet much, he said, he’s aware of AI being used to do things like have Lennon sing one of his songs – which he said was “kind of scary.”“It’s something we’re all sort of tackling at the moment and trying to deal with,” McCartney said. According to McCartney, AI was used to isolate Lennon’s voice from a demo track for the Peter Jackson directed 2021 docuseries “The Beatles: Get Back” about the making of the Beatles’ 1970 album “Let It Be.”There’s “a good side and a scary side” to AI, McCartney said, so “we’ll just have to see where that leads.”

Persons: Sir Paul McCartney, it’s, John Lennon, George Harrison, there’s, John, ” McCartney, “, McCartney’s, Lennon, McCartney, Peter Jackson, ” Organizations: CNN, BBC Radio, Beatles

☆ CNN management focused on 'listening' and 'getting back to work' as the network moves on from Chris Licht
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-08 | by ( Trisha Gopal | Lucia Moses | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

A trio of longtime executives have taken charge at CNN following the exit of Chris Licht. There's a moment in Tim Alberta's brutal profile of CNN's now-former CEO Chris Licht where Licht awkwardly takes a jab at his predecessor Jeff Zucker. The following Monday, as Licht attempted to quell growing calls for his ouster, Licht told CNN staff: "As I read that article, I found myself thinking, CNN is not about me. Jeff Zucker and Chris Licht at an event in 2019, back when Zucker still ran CNN and Licht was the showrunner on The Late Show on CBS. If Licht was seen as mismanaging CNN's top talent, Entelis, in particular, is known to be the queen of talent.

Persons: Chris Licht, David Leavy, Amy Entelis, Tim Alberta's, CNN's, Licht, Jeff Zucker, Zucker, Donald Trump, Christiane Amanpour . Licht, Anderson Cooper, Jake Tapper, Kara Swisher, Mike Coppola, — Licht, Virginia Moseley, Eric Sherling, Wolf, David Zaslav, Zaslav, WBD, Leavy, We're, — Leavy, I'm, Kaitlan Collins, Don Lemon's, Poppy Harlow, Licht's, PATRICIA DE MELO MOREIRA, Jonathan Miller, Entelis, Peter Jennings, Ted Koppel, Anthony Bourdain, Eric Ripert, Masa Takayama, Turner, Lisa Ling's, Bell, Tapper —, CNN —, She's, — Organizations: CNN, Morning, Vox Media, CBS, ABC, Warner Bros, Warner Bros Discovery, HBO, Getty, BBC News Board, Integrated Media, CNN Worldwide, Masa Locations: Trump, Japan, America

☆ Desperate for streaming profits, media giants look to a soft ad market for help
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-20 | by ( Lillian Rizzo | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

(AP Photo/Universal Pictures) Photo Credit: Universal Pictures/Tippett StudioAfter spending years amassing streaming subscribers at great cost, media companies now need to make some profits. Look no further for proof of that than the most recent annual Upfronts, the events where media companies like Fox Corp ., Warner Bros. During Disney's earnings call earlier this month, CEO Bob Iger put new emphasis on ad-supported streaming. 'We need ads'There's been an uptick of consumers signing up for ad-supported streaming subscriptions. But media companies are struggling with the question of whether ad-tier subscriptions make up for other losses.

☆ Bowlero, the public company that reimagined bowling, faces dozens of discrimination claims that the feds want to settle for $60 million
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-11 | by ( Gabrielle Fonrouge | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +19 min

The 73 EEOC claims brought by individual former employees against the company sparked the larger pattern or practice investigation into age discrimination. Only a fraction of EEOC age discrimination complaints — 2.8% in fiscal 2021 — resulted in reasonable cause determinations, EEOC data show. It went from running six bowling alleys to 272 overnight after it acquired AMF, which was then the largest bowling company in the world and was in bankruptcy. The following year, Shannon's company acquired the Brunswick Corporation, the second-largest bowling company in the world, and changed his company's name to Bowlero. Dowe said negotiations fell apart when Bowlero countered the EEOC's $60 million settlement proposal with a proposal of $500,000.

A welder by trade, Schwartz was arrested in early February in his hometown of Uniontown, Pennsylvania. Schwartz and two co-defendants, Jeffrey Scott Brown and Markus Maly, became the first three individuals convicted at trial of assaulting police officers with pepper spray on Jan. 6. Schwartz's wife, Shelly Stallings, received a two-year prison term last month. His 170-month prison term surpasses the previous longest sentence yet handed down in a case related to the Jan. 6 attack - 10 years received by former New York City cop Thomas Webster for assaulting a Washington police officer that day. The Jan. 6 attack marked the most violent assault on the halls of Congress since the British invasion of Washington during the War of 1812.

☆ Flutter Q1 revenues jump 29% as U.S. races ahead, UK bounces back
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-03 | by ( Padraic Halpin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Led by its Fanduel brand, Flutter maintained its leading 50% share of the U.S. sports betting market after revenue jumped 92% year-on-year on a constant currency basis. UKI revenue had fallen sharply in the same period last year, partly due to the impact of measures to curb gambling addiction. Chief Executive Peter Jackson put about half the growth down to product improvements and said competitors belatedly adopting safer gambling measures may also have helped Flutter outperform the market, which he estimated was flat year-on-year. Revenue also rose 69% on a constant currency basis in its international division, where Flutter said the recently acquired Italian gaming operator Sisal performed exceptionally well. The Dublin-based firm forecast in November that Fanduel's revenue would jump to around $15 billion over the long term - twice Flutter's entire revenue last year.

☆ Orlando Bloom auditioned for 'Moulin Rouge' six times before breakout 'Lord of the Rings' role
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-30 | by ( Alli Rosenbloom | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Imagine if Orlando Bloom was seen on the big screen serenading Nicole Kidman in “Moulin Rouge!” in 2001 instead of Ewan McGregor. It was a real possibility according to Bloom, who told Howard Stern in a resurfaced 2019 interview that he actually auditioned for the iconic role of Christian in director Baz Luhrmann’s Oscar-winning film six times. “I thought that was going to be the one that was going to go my way just before ‘Lord of the Rings,’” Bloom said, adding that the “Moulin” audition was “around the same sort of time” as his “Rings” audition. Bloom told Stern that the “Moulin Rouge!” filmmakers were originally planning to cast unknown actors, saying, “obviously, I’d have been the unknown” given that he had only a few professional acting credits under his belt at the time. Regardless of the low payday for the original “Rings” trilogy, Bloom knew the value of how it impacted his career, and told Stern that the role of Legolas was “the greatest gift of my life.”

☆ NHL: David Pastrnak scores outrageous goal but Florida Panthers stun Boston Bruins
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-29 | by ( Issy Ronald | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

By the second period it was clear that this was no ordinary playoff game when Bruins winger David Pastrnak tied the scores, steering a pass between his legs and into the goal in one spectacular motion. Peter Joneleit/Icon Sportswire/Getty Images“It’s a big win,” Panthers’ Sergei Bobrovsky said. The next game is the biggest game, so we have to be ready, be humble, but enjoy tonight. And I’d say it’s a great feeling for sure.”It had seemed unlikely that this playoff series would require a deciding game. It was that kind of game where there was just teams making great plays offensively.”Game 7 will be played in Boston Sunday.

☆ Fact Check-Photo shows pool in Slovak labour camp, not Nazi concentration camp
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-28 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Online posts, however, miscaption the photo with the names of infamous concentration camps, such as Auschwitz, or falsely characterize the actual Slovak labour camp in the photo, Nováky, as a Nazi-run concentration camp. Senior historian at Yad Vashem Robert Rozett told Reuters via email that Nováky was not a concentration camp. UPN’s Jašek said that having a swimming pool was not usual for Slovak concentration and forced-labour camps. EXTERMINATION, CONCENTRATION CAMPSPaweł Sawicki, a spokesperson for the Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum (here), told Reuters via email that concentration camps and extermination camps were different to forced-labour camps. The photo shows a forced-labour camp in Slovakia, where, according to three historians, conditions were different to those at Nazi-run concentration camps.

☆ Flutter welcomes new UK gambling laws as 'significant moment' for sector
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

DUBLIN, April 27 (Reuters) - Flutter , the world's largest online betting company, said it welcomed the planned publication on Thursday of long-awaited British government proposals to crack down on problem gambling. "We welcome the publication of the White Paper, which marks a significant moment for the UK gambling sector. Whilst we will need to review the detail of the proposals once published, we believe proactive change will lead to a better future for our industry," Chief Executive Peter Jackson said in a statement. Jackson added that the Paddy Power, Betfair and Sky Bet owner had already introduced "industry-leading" safer gambling controls, including mandatory deposit limits for customers under 25, reducing online slots staking limits to 10 pounds per spin and investing in safer gambling operational capabilities. Reporting by Padraic Halpin; editing by Sarah YoungOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Inside the Wild World of Celebrity Keynote Speakers: Drugs, Alcohol
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-23 | by ( David Kushner | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +31 min

"I never saw myself as a speaker, let alone a motivational speaker," Leonard tells me while his assistant irons his jeans. 'When I ramble," Hunter told me, "hit me in the leg!" Every plane had been grounded, including the one stuck on the tarmac with an increasingly inebriated Hunter Thompson trapped inside. But by far the most all-consuming task was booking gigs for Hunter Thompson. Just before a debate with G. Gordon Liddy at Brown University, Hunter demanded that Betsy Berg, whom I now worked alongside at GTN, score him some crystal meth.

[1/4] A Chinese warship fires at a target during a military drill near Fuzhou, Fujian Province, near the Taiwan-controlled Matsu Islands that are close to the Chinese coast, China, April 8, 2023. REUTERS/Thomas PeterFUZHOU, China, April 8 (Reuters) - A Chinese warship in seas facing the Taiwan Strait began live-fire drills on Saturday as Beijing began military exercises it calls a warning against what it considers pro-Taiwan independence forces. China views democratically governed Taiwan as its own territory and has never renounced the use of force to bring the island under its control. Smoke and muzzle flares were visible from the stern of the warship as shells were fired on targets on land and water. When asked about Taiwan, Zhao said he hopes the two sides could "reunite" as quickly as possible.

☆ Peter Jennings’s Central Park West Apartment Lists for $10.45 Million
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-06 | 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. The New York City apartment of the late ABC World News Tonight anchor Peter Jennings is hitting the market for $10.45 million.

☆ The New York Sun hires former News Corp. exec and MailOnline boss Noah Kotch
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-05 | by ( Claire Atkinson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

The New York Sun has hired online and television news veteran Noah Kotch as managing editor. Kotch will work with editor Seth Lipsky to grow the newsroom and find new audiences. The New York Sun, a conservative-leaning online newspaper, has hired former top News Corp. executive Noah Kotch as managing editor, the company confirmed. Kotch was most recently general manager at News Corp., where he worked on projects such as AI-powered news aggregator Knewz. In a brief phone interview Efune said The New York Sun is about "principle over politics and people over party."

☆ The CEO of FanDuel parent Flutter Entertainment on the state of online gambling, and a potential U.S. stock listing
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-02 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailThe CEO of FanDuel parent Flutter Entertainment on the state of online gambling, and a potential U.S. stock listingCNBC's Contessa Brewer speaks exclusively with Flutter Entertainment CEO Peter Jackson about the company's full-year results, and whether there are plans for a potential stock listing in the U.S.

☆ New ‘Lord of the Rings’ Movies Are in the Works, Warner Bros. Says
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-24 | by ( Gareth Vipers | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Ian McKellen, left, as Gandalf and Elijah Wood as Frodo in the Peter Jackson directed “The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring.”Warner Bros. Discovery Inc. is doubling down on Middle-Earth, announcing that a new raft of “Lord of the Rings” movies are in the works. The company has brokered a deal to make “multiple” films based on J.R.R. Tolkien’s “Lord of the Rings” and “The Hobbit” books, chief executive David Zaslav said in an earnings call Thursday.

☆ New 'Lord of the Rings' films in the works at Warner Bros
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

LOS ANGELES, Feb 23 (Reuters) - The Warner Bros movie studio is developing new installments in the blockbuster "The Lord of the Rings" and "The Hobbit" franchises based on the J.R.R. Warner Bros, owned by Warner Bros Discovery , said it had reached a multi-year agreement to collaborate on new films with Middle-earth Enterprises, a unit of Embracer Group AB (EMBRACb.ST). "The Lord of the Rings" film trilogy, which began in 2001, won 17 Oscars. Three "Hobbit" films were released starting in 2012. Tolkien remains largely unexplored on film," Warner Bros. Pictures Group co-chairs Michael De Luca and Pam Abdy said in a statement.

☆ Taylor Swift is the highest paid female entertainer in the world, earning $92 million in 2022
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-13 | by ( Morgan Smith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Taylor Swift is the highest paid female entertainer in the world, earning a cool $92 million in 2022 following the success of her 10th studio album "Midnights," according to a new report from Forbes. To determine the ranking, Forbes considers entertainers' total 2022 pretax earnings, minus fees for representation (managers, lawyers, etc.) While 2022 was a strong year for Swift, her annual earnings were still less than half of what the highest paid entertainers in the world, the progressive rock band Genesis, made last year. Altogether, Genesis earned $230 million in 2022, thanks to a $300 million music rights sale to Concord Music Group in September. There wasn't a single woman on Forbes's list of the top 10 highest paid entertainers in 2022 — the highest paid female entertainer, Reese Witherspoon, ranked 12th for making $115 million in 2021.

☆ 2 Illinois EMS workers charged with murder in death of patient strapped to stretcher appear in court
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-20 | by ( Marlene Lenthang | Marlene Lenthang Is A Breaking News Reporter For Nbc News Digital. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

The two EMS workers accused of killing a Springfield, Illinois, man in their care who died last month after they transported him strapped tightly facedown on a stretcher pleaded not guilty. Peter J. Cadigan, 50, and Peggy J. Finley, 44, were charged with murder on Jan. 9 in the death of Earl Moore, Jr., 35, on Dec. 18. Moore died shortly after the EMS workers placed him on a stretcher in the prone position with tightened straps placed on his back and lower body, Sangamon County State’s Attorney Dan Wright said. The duo appeared in Sangamon County Circuit Court for a preliminary hearing Friday morningBoth were being held in the Sangamon County jail on bail of $1 million each. “When you look at that video, they offer no humanity to Earl Moore Jr. And that’s why this case is so unique,” Crump said at a news conference Thursday.

☆ BioNTech says it will start cancer vaccine trials in the UK from September
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-06 | by ( Jenni Reid | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

BioNTech is launching a large-scale trial of mRNA therapies to treat cancer and other diseases in the U.K.LONDON — The U.K. government on Friday announced a partnership with German firm BioNTech to test potential vaccines for cancer and other diseases, as campaigners warned any breakthrough must remain affordable and accessible. Cancer patients in England will get early access to trials involving personalized mRNA therapies, including cancer vaccines, which aim to spur the immune system to attack harmful cells. They will be administered to early and late-stage patients and target both active cancer cells and preventing their return. Peter Johnson, Britain's National Clinical Director for Cancer, said mRNA technology had the potential to transform approaches to a number of illnesses. The government confirmed to CNBC the announcement represented a private investment into the U.K., but would be supported by a new Cancer Vaccine Launch Pad funded by the NHS.

☆ Women journalists remember Barbara Walters: 'Her powerful legacy lives on'
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-31 | by ( Julianne Mcshane | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +11 min

Diane Sawyer and Barbara Walters report from London during the wedding of Prince William and Princes Kate in 2011. Guthrie posted a throwback photo of Walters at the “TODAY” anchor desk with the caption: “thank you, Barbara. Harry Reasoner and Barbara Barbara on the set of ABC's evening news in 1976. "Her powerful legacy lives on in all the women journalists who were influenced by her passionate work and searing interviews," Roberts wrote. 'This is my legacy'Led by Oprah, 25 women journalists who were influenced by Barbara Walters say goodbye to her during her final co-host appearance on "The View" in 2014.

☆ Mark Cuban offered multiple $1 million 'Shark Tank' investments this year—here's what they have in common
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-28 | by ( Megan Sauer | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Mark Cuban, who built his fortune starting and selling tech companies, only offered two $1 million investments on ABC's "Shark Tank" in 2022. Instead, the owner of the NBA's Dallas Mavericks gave his biggest investments of the year to two food companies. It's not unusual for a "Shark Tank" investor and company to abandon or revise their partnership. In May, CupBop told CNBC Make It it was operating 36 locations across six U.S. states and more than 100 locations in Indonesia. Cuban, who went vegetarian in 2019, has invested millions of dollars over the past few years in other food companies on "Shark Tank."

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