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☆ U.S. food bank gives groceries to striking Hollywood actors, writers
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-27 | by ( Jorge Garcia | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] People take groceries as World Harvest Food Bank founder, Glen Curado (not pictured) extends free groceries to Hollywood strikers, in Los Angeles, California, U.S., July 26, 2023. REUTERS/Jorge GarciaLOS ANGELES, July 27 (Reuters) - A Los Angeles food bank created to support low-income families is now coming to the aid of striking and struggling Hollywood actors and writers, some of whom show up for free groceries with tears in their eyes. We’re barely middle class as it is," SAG member Kristina Wong told Reuters at the food bank. Wong wanted to find ways to help her fellow union members, and that meant reaching out to the founder of the food bank, Glen Curado. This is particularly true for SAG members like Niketa Calame-Harris, who appreciates the "peace of mind" going to the food bank creates for her and her daughter.

Persons: Glen Curado, Jorge Garcia, Kristina Wong, they’re, Wong, Curado, they're, he's, they've, It's, Niketa, Harris, Danielle Broadway, Mary Milliken, Aurora Ellis Organizations: Harvest Food Bank, REUTERS, Jorge Garcia LOS ANGELES, Hollywood, Screen Actors Guild, Writer's Guild of America, Reuters, SAG, WGA, Thomson Locations: Los Angeles , California, U.S, Los Angeles, Venice, United States, Glen

Our experts answer readers' credit card questions and write unbiased product reviews (here's how we assess credit cards). I've never been eager to do all the work needed to get the most out of credit card travel hacks. I'm happy just saving money each month and getting the most out of my credit cards when I need them. I use my credit cards for everything from booking trips to paying for meals — and pay it off with my savings. My two go-to credit cards I used for travel are my business credit card for work trips, and my travel rewards credit card for personal vacations.

Persons: I've, Jackson Organizations: Service Locations: Wall, Silicon, Jackson Hole , Wyoming, Las Vegas, Portland, Santa Fe , New Mexico

☆ I'm a Gen Zer who uses AI to improve my work as a content creator and beat writer's block
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-08 | by ( Alexandra York | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Morgan Young was an early adopter of generative AI, which she learned about on social media. I use generative AI for all of these roles, and I find ChatGPT and chatbots to be the most helpful. I started using ChatGPT within the first three days that it came out. AI speeds up the process of researching and pitching to brandsLinkedIn, where I post content about Gen Z, college, and career growth, is my main platform. I've also started using it to improve my outreach for brand partnerships.

Persons: Morgan Young, Young, ChatGPT, I've, I'm, it's Organizations: Service, LinkedIn Locations: Wall, Silicon, Reddit

☆ I was fired by a client for using AI. I'm not going to stop because it's doubled my output, but I'm more clear about how I use it.
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-30 | by ( Tina Sendin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Tina Sendin used the AI writing tool Jasper.ai to write articles for a project on a tight deadline. Since I couldn't clone myself, I tried what I thought would be the next best thing: I used AI. I was using AI to clone myself as a writerI essentially used Jasper.ai as an extension of myself. I draft the article first, then use an AI tool to enhance it and ensure I've maintained the client's tone of voice. I'll learn about AI, so I'll know how to use it to improve my workflow and optimize my everyday work.

Persons: Tina Sendin, Sendin, I'd, Jasper, I've, Ryan Reynolds, ChatGPT, it's Organizations: Morning, Google, Facebook Locations: ChatGPT, Jasper

[1/4] The iconic Hollywood sign is shown on a hillside above a neighborhood in Los Angeles California, U.S., February 1, 2019. "It's very easy to think all the Hollywood stars or anybody in Hollywood is rich and swimming in money in a swimming pool. The SAG-AFTRA actors union said 97.91% of ballots cast supported strike authorization. But the solidarity from high-wattage talent could be a boost for actors struggling to land enough gigs to make ends meet. Tohn believes only the highest echelon of actors are working all the time.

Persons: Mike Blake, Laz Alonso, Alonso, Meryl Streep, Jennifer Lawrence, Glenn Close, Jackie Tohn, Melanie, MelRose, Rosen, Tohn, ” Tohn, Eric Kripke, Indiana Jones, Harrison Ford, Danielle Broadway, Hanna Rantala, Mary Milliken, Sandra Maler Organizations: REUTERS, Hollywood, of America, Amazon Studios, WGA, SAG, Netflix, CW, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Los Angeles California, U.S, Hollywood, London

☆ I make 6 figures working 20-hour weeks as a freelance writer. Here's what my typical day looks like hour by hour.
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-27 | by ( Zulie Rane | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +13 min

Zulie Rane is a freelance writer who earns six figures a year while working around 20 hours a week. At the end of this article, you should have a solid idea of what it's like to be a freelance writer. 7:00 - 8:00 a.m: Start the day (for real this time)I start a day in the life of a freelance writer with an alarm. After all, it's not just a day in the life of a freelance writer — it's a day in the life of a freelance writer and her two cats. Hopefully this snapshot of my Mondays gives you a good idea of what it's like to be a freelance writer.

Persons: Zulie Rane, —, Astrid, dislodging, it's, Sally, — it's, Slack, I've, I'm, you've, there's, Here's Organizations: Service, Twitter Locations: Boston, Salem, Euronews, Spain

☆ More than retail or hotels, the film industry is destroying the planet. But sustainable sets like Oscar winner 'The Whale' may offer a new way forward.
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-23 | by ( Parisa Hashempour | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

InsiderThe film industry has a sustainability problem, and it's massive: The average tentpole production — a film with a budget over $70 million — generates 2,840 tonnes of carbon dioxide, the British Film Institute reported. Yawger saw raw materials from industry waste transform into items such as tables, outdoor furniture, bowls, and benches. "It revealed the film industry was the second most polluting behind aerospace," Jennifer Sandoval, the director of service development at Earth Angel, told Insider. "Plastic and trash are very visible in the film industry, and people can understand why we need to change things," Yawger said. These changes might help drive a more climate-conscious narrative or simply enable Earth Angel to swap out a character's plastic water bottle for a reusable one.

Persons: Max, Leonardo DiCaprio's, Tamsin Hollo, Hollo, Quinn Yawger, Yawger, it's, we're, Jennifer Sandoval, Sandoval, NBCUniversal, Bosque Organizations: British Film Institute, Railroad, University of California, Netflix, United Locations: Thailand, Atlanta, Los Angeles, California, Niebla, Mexico, United Nations

☆ Cormac McCarthy, dark genius of American literature, dead at 89
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-13 | by ( Rosalba O'Brien | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

The book was made into a movie - as were 2005's "No Country for Old Men" and 2006's Pulitzer Prize-winning "The Road." He granted a rare exception for Oprah Winfrey in 2007, telling her: "I don't think (interviews) are good for your head. In a statement, Nihar Malaviya, CEO of Penguin Random House, said, "Cormac McCarthy changed the course of literature. McCarthy was married three times, divorcing his third wife Jennifer Winkley in 2006. Writing by Rosalba O'Brien; additional reporting by Joseph Ax; editing by Diane Craft and Jonathan OatisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Cormac McCarthy, McCarthy, Ernest Hemingway, William Faulkner, John McCarthy, Little, Oprah Winfrey, God, Charles Joseph McCarthy Jr, Cormac, Lee Holleman, Anne DeLisle, Faulkner's, Joel, Ethan Coen, Stella Maris, Nihar Malaviya, Jennifer Winkley, Cullen, John, Rosalba O'Brien, Joseph Ax, Diane Craft, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: YORK, Penguin Random, New York Times, Air Force, Thomson Locations: American, Santa Fe , New Mexico, Providence , Rhode Island, Tennessee, America, Europe, Knoxville , Tennessee, El Paso , Texas, Santa Fe, Texas

☆ Cormac McCarthy, Pulitzer-winning novelist known for apocalyptic Westerns, dies at 89
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-13 | by ( Daniel Arkin | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

NEW YORK - NOVEMBER 16: Writer Cormac McCarthy attends the premiere of "The Road" at Clearview Chelsea Cinemas on November 16, 2009 in New York City. McCarthy's death was announced in a statement by his publisher, Penguin Random House. "Cormac McCarthy changed the course of literature," Nihar Malaviya, the CEO of Penguin Random House, said in a statement. Two novels published in the 2000s — "No Country for Old Men" and "The Road" — drew wide acclaim and found favor in Hollywood. McCarthy published his final two novels in 2022: "The Passenger" and "Stella Maris," interconnected narratives that grappled with morality, science and faith.

Persons: Cormac McCarthy, Jim Spellman, WireImage, Pulitzer, John McCarthy —, McCarthy, Olivetti Underwood, Malaviya, James Wood, King James Bible, Melville, Conrad, Faulkner, Charles Joseph McCarthy Jr, Albert Erskine, William Faulkner, James Joyce, —, Joel, Ethan Coen, Viggo Mortensen, Stella Maris Organizations: Chelsea Cinemas, Penguin Random, Yorker, The New York Times, University of Tennessee, Random, Penguin Locations: New York City, Santa Fe , New Mexico, American, Providence , Rhode Island, Knoxville , Tennessee, Hollywood

☆ The author of 'Eat, Pray, Love’ set her latest novel in Russia. Now she’s asking her own publisher to withdraw it after Ukrainian readers expressed their disappointment.
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-12 | by ( Lauren Steussy | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Elizabeth Gilbert set her latest novel, "The Snow Forest" in Soviet Russia. "It is not the time for this book to be published," she said in a Twitter video Monday. Elizabeth Gilbert told her fans Monday on Twitter that now "is not the time" for her book, "The Snow Forest," to be published. Gilbert's best-selling memoir "Eat, Pray, Love," about finding love and wanderlust in midlife, was made into a 2010 blockbuster starring Julia Roberts. Readers also took to social media to reach Gilbert and urge her to reconsider publishing the book.

Persons: Elizabeth Gilbert, —, Gilbert's, Julia Roberts, Gilbert, Readers, hasn't Organizations: Twitter, Penguin Random, Riverhead Books, Riverhead, New York Times, PEN America, Wall Street Locations: Soviet Russia, Russia, Ukraine, midlife, Siberia, Soviet, russia

☆ A real-estate agent might have bought Ken Griffin's cell phone number from a former FBI employee to facilitate the $240 million sale of a New York City condo
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-10 | by ( Zoe Rosenberg | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

In 2019, real-estate agents and brothers Tal and Oren Alexander sold a $240 million condo. That's the Alexander brothers' unofficial mantra. In 2015, Griffin dropped $46.4 million on an abstract painting by Gerhard Richter, putting him in the Alexanders' crosshairs. Tal wouldn't reveal how he acquired Griffin's cell phone number, Clarke noted, but one of the writer's sources said he bought it from a former FBI agent. But Griffin wasn't interested in the penthouse Tal had in mind for him.

Persons: Tal, Oren Alexander, Ken Griffin, —, Alexander, Katherine Clarke, Clarke, it's Tal, Oren —, Oren, Douglas Elliman, Griffin, Gerhard Richter, Tal wouldn't, Griffin wasn't, — Griffin, Shlomy Alexander, They've, Kim Kardashian, Kanye West, Leon Black, Tommy Hilfiger Organizations: Service, Wimbledon, Rollers, Penguin Random, Citadel, Old, FBI, Alexander Team Locations: Aspen, Saudi, United States, Central Park, Miami, Miami Beach

☆ The top Hollywood exec made $498 million in the last 5 years—384 times as much as the average writer
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-01 | by ( Jennifer Liu | In Jljenniferliu | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

That's a staggering 384 times the average pay of a Hollywood writer. Overall, average pay for Hollywood's top execs climbed to $28 million in 2021, up 53% from 2018 (and roughly 108 times the average writer's pay) according to the analysis, which uses compensation data from the research firm Equilar and includes stock options, base salaries, bonuses and other perks. Meanwhile, average pay for Hollywood writers has remained virtually flat at about $260,000 as 2021, the Times reports. Hollywood executive pay dropped in 2022 due to stock market volatility and investor pressure to make streaming profitable. From 1978 to 2021, CEO pay grew by 1,460%, adjusted for inflation, versus just 18.1% for the typical worker.

Persons: David Zaslav, That's, Ari Emanuel, Reed Hastings, Bob Iger, Walt, Ted Sarandos, Rupert Murdoch, Lachlan Murdoch, Brian Roberts, Joseph Ianniello, Patrick Whitesell, Kaitlin Fontana, Kelly Evans Organizations: Hollywood, Los Angeles Times, Warner Bros, Discovery Inc, Times, Writers Guild of America, Endeavor Group Holdings Inc, Netflix, Walt Disney Co, Fox Corp, Comcast Corp, Paramount Global, Endeavor, Paramount, Disney, Company, WGA, Alliance, Television Producers, LA Times, Economic, Comcast, CNBC Locations: U.S, California

☆ ChatGPT Secret Training Data: the Top 50 Books AI Bots Are Reading
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-30 | by ( Adam Rogers | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +13 min

To figure out what GPT-4 has read, they quizzed it on its knowledge of various books, as if it were a high-school English student. One way to answer the question is to look for information that could have come from only one place. Genre — sci-fi, mystery, romance, horror — is, broadly speaking, more interesting, partially because these books have plots where things actually happen. Bamman's GPT-4 list is a Borgesian library of episodic connections, cliffhangers, third-act complications, and characters taking arms against seas of troubles (and whales). See what a bot makes of Gene Wolfe's "The Book of the New Sun," maybe, or Sheri Tepper's "Grass."

☆ Netflix still struggles to attract big advertisers without sports, says Propagate's Ben Silverman
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | 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 EmailNetflix still struggles to attract big advertisers without sports, says Propagate's Ben SilvermanCNBC's Julia Boorstin joins 'Squawk on the Street' with Ben Silverman, Propagate Content co-CEO, to discuss the impact of the writer's strike on the streaming services and the state of the sector in a struggling advertising market.

☆ Cannes director open to letting green activists onto red carpet
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

CANNES, May 15 (Reuters) - Cannes Film Festival director Thierry Fremaux said on Monday he was open to letting climate demonstrators onto the red carpet, as the showbiz extravaganza prepared to launch amid bursts of activism on both sides of the Atlantic. But the confluence of at least three major protest movements has put unusual pressure on the organisers. "It's not impossible that we will welcome them at the top of the steps to express themselves," he added. It was too early to tell what effect the writer's strike would have on the festival, he said, but the right to strike had to be respected. Reporting by Miranda Murray and Mindy Burrows; Editing by Andrew HeavensOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Fox Corp. , Disney , Warner Bros. Media executives' messaging to advertisers could center around value this year, particularly as companies continue to offer more content on their streaming services. Cost cuttingWhile media executives will try to convince advertisers to maximize their spending, they'll be pushing that narrative while making fewer shows. The logo of the streaming service Paramount+ on a logo wall at the Paramount+ launch event. Jörg Carstensen | Picture Alliance | Getty ImagesParamount, in particular, has seen a big reliance on franchises, especially for its Paramount+ streaming service.

☆ Ed Sheeran tops UK charts with 'Subtract' after copyright victory
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] Ed Sheeran performs at the 58th Academy of Country Music (ACM) Awards in Frisco, Texas, U.S. May 11, 2023. REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni/File PhotoLONDON, May 12 (Reuters) - Pop star Ed Sheeran topped the UK music charts with his latest album, the critically acclaimed "Subtract", on Friday, a week after winning a U.S. copyright trial over one of his biggest hits. "Subtract", the British singer-songwriter's sixth studio album, went straight to no. 1, extending Sheeran's "flawless run of chart-topping albums", the Official Charts Company said. He was also facing a UK copyright trial over his 2017 song "Shape of You", a case he went on to win.

A Manhattan jury found Donald Trump liable for the sexual abuse of E. Jean Carroll. "They're trying to take parts of Donald Trump you dislike and stretch it over Ms. Carroll's story," Tacopina said. Carroll's lawyers, for their part, said their willingness to bring the case to court only made them more believable. "There wasn't even a 'he said,' because Donald Trump never even looked you in the eye and said she was a liar," Ferrara said. "You heard from Donald Trump himself — this is just how he treats women," Ferrara said.

☆ Elizabeth Holmes said she still believes Theranos could have revolutionized healthcare and is working on new inventions: 'I still feel the same calling to it'
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-07 | by ( Aaron Mcdade | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Elizabeth Holmes told The New York Times she still believes Theranos could have worked. Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes said she still believes her fallen company could have changed the modern healthcare industry if it didn't attract so much attention so quickly. "I still dream about being able to contribute in that space," Holmes told the Times. She told the Times that she plans to continue working on healthcare innovations, including new ideas for COVID-19 testing, during her time in prison. Chozick spoke to Holmes, Evans, as well as Holmes' family and friends, who shared the writer's impression that Holmes appears to believe the things she says.

The novelist is an outspoken champion of Russia's war in Ukraine and has boasted of taking part in military combat there. He was the third prominent pro-war figure to be targeted by a bomb since Moscow's full-scale invasion of its neighbour in February 2022. [1/2] A view shows a destroyed vehicle, which transported Russian writer Zakhar Prilepin allegedly wounded in a car bombing in the Nizhny Novgorod region, Russia, May 6, 2023. On Wednesday, Russia accused Ukraine of trying to kill President Vladimir Putin with a night-time drone attack on the Kremlin. TASS quoted Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov as declining to comment on Saturday's car bomb in the absence of information from investigators.

Townsend's heirs sued Sheeran for copyright infringement in 2017, contending that "Thinking Out Loud" copied the "heart" of Gaye's song including its melody, harmony and rhythm. Testifying during the trial, Sheeran denied the copyright infringement claims, telling the jury, "I find it really insulting to devote my whole life to being a performer and a songwriter and have someone diminish it." The heirs said in a court filing that they received 22% of the writer's share of Gaye's song from Townsend. I am not and will never allow myself to be a piggy bank for anyone to shake," Sheeran said after the verdict. Sheeran won a trial in London last year in a separate copyright case over his hit "Shape of You."

☆ 'Hey Netflix! You broke it — now fix it': On the picket lines with Hollywood writers as they bring signs, slogans, and sunscreen to their fight against the studios for 'as long as it takes'
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-03 | by ( Reed Alexander | Alison Brower | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +12 min

A writers' strike has been underway since overnight Monday. Thousands of Hollywood writers have fanned out across the streets of Los Angeles since early Tuesday afternoon, waving signs and chanting to demonstrate their resolve. Insider spoke with eight WGA members who are picketing or contributing to the work stoppage in other ways. Are you a member of the Writers Guild of America or do you work in the entertainment industry? How is the writers' strike impacting you?

☆ E. Jean Carroll's friend testified she urged the writer to go to the police minutes after alleged Trump rape
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-02 | by ( Ashley Collman | Jacob Shamsian | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Day five of the E. Jean Carroll trial started with testimony from the writer's friend Lisa Birnbach. Birnbach said Carroll called her minutes after her alleged rape by Donald Trump in the mid-1990s. Carroll was "hyperventilating" and appeared to be "still processing" while recalling the alleged rape, Birnbach said. "No, no, no, I'm not going to the police," Birnbach recalled Carroll saying. E. Jean Carroll and Donald Trump.

More than 11,000 film and television writers, who say their compensation doesn't match the revenue generated in the streaming era, are on strike for the first time since 2007-08. Most immediately, this will have a significant impact on late-night shows, where writers are tasked with crafting timely and topical jokes. That's because many shows and films have already wrapped production and will enter the marketplace unaffected by the strike. Instead, they feel they've been shortchanged on compensation as studios, networks and streaming platforms write a new rulebook in real time. Unlike the 2007 strike, writers currently have social media on their side and are rallying on platforms like Twitter, Instagram and TikTok to get their message out.

☆ What the Hollywood writers' strike could mean for your favorite TV shows, from 'Abbot Elementary' to 'Saturday Night Live'
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-02 | by ( Sindhu Sundar | Lucia Moses | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Topical shows relying on actively scripted material, including late night, will be the most immediately affected. The strike — which was authorized by nearly 98% of Writers Guild of America members who voted last month — will most immediately impact shows that rely on active writers' rooms working on current material, including "Saturday Night Live" and late night shows. The moment may be an opportunity for reality TV producers as well as non-union productions. Some celebrities on shows likely to be impacted have addressed the possibility of the impending strike on the late night circuit. Davidson acknowledged a writer's strike might mean his "SNL" episode doesn't happen as planned and said he gained a new perspective working on the production as a prospective host.

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