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☆ Disney accused in lawsuit of 'systematically' paying women less than men in California
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-01 | by ( Industry Insight | Corporate Attorneys Don T Want To Pay Law Firms For Chatgpt When They Could Use It Themselves | Zach Warren | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] A screen shows the logo and a ticker symbol for The Walt Disney Company on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York, U.S., December 14, 2017. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid/File PhotoJune 30 (Reuters) - Walt Disney (DIS.N) has been accused of systematically underpaying women in California in a lawsuit that alleges the company's female employees in the state earned $150 million less than their male counterparts over an eight year period. An analysis of Disney's human resource data from April 2015 through December 2022 has found female Disney employees were paid roughly 2% less than male counterparts, the filing said. Nine current or past Disney employees have joined the suit. Lower pay for women in California would breach the state's Equal Pay Act and the Fair Employment & Housing Act.

Persons: Brendan McDermid, Walt Disney, David Neumark, Shawna, Swanson, LaRonda Rasmussen, Lori Andrus, Dawn Chmielewski, Edwina Gibbs Organizations: Walt Disney Company, New York Stock Exchange, REUTERS, Disney, University of California Irvine, Housing, Thomson Locations: New York, U.S, California, Los Angeles

☆ Hollywood faces possible second strike as actors' talks near deadline
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-30 | by ( Lisa Richwine | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The letter came after union negotiators issued a video saying their talks had been "extremely productive," a possible sign that a deal was within reach. A strike by SAG-AFTRA, which represents 160,000 actors, would turn up the heat on Hollywood studios already grappling with a nearly two-month work stoppage by the Writers Guild of America (WGA). Any ongoing filming would have to halt if actors also strike. The studios and the WGA have not held talks since the writers' strike began on May 2. The last writers' strike in 2007 and 2008 cost the California economy an estimated $2.1 billion.

Persons: Jennifer Lawrence, Meryl Streep, Phoebe Waller, Indiana Jones, Waller, AFTRA, Judd Apatow, Lisa Richwine, Hanna Rantala, Sarah Mills, Mary Milliken, Rosalba O'Brien Organizations: Netflix Inc, Walt Disney Co, SAG, Hollywood, Writers Guild of America, WGA, Reuters, Television Producers, Thomson Locations: ANGELES, London, California, Los Angeles

☆ National Geographic magazine has laid off the last of its staff writers
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-28 | by ( Liam Reilly | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —National Geographic, the iconic yellow framed magazine that has chronicled the natural world for more than 100 years, laid off its last remaining staff writers this week, multiple departing staffers said. “Any insinuation that the recent changes will negatively impact the magazine, or the quality of our storytelling, is simply incorrect.”News of the layoffs was reported on Twitter Tuesday when departing magazine staff writers began to circulate the news. “Today is my last day at National Geographic,” Michael Greshko, a former science writer at the magazine, tweeted. But on Wednesday, more staff writers for the magazine took to Twitter to share the news of their departure. “My colleagues and I were unbelievably lucky to be the last-ever class of staff writers.”

Persons: ” Michael Greshko, ”, “, Craig Welch, ” “ It’s, Nina Strochlic Organizations: CNN, Geographic, Walt Disney Co, Twitter

☆ US women's team to receive courage award for equal pay fight
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

June 28 (Reuters) - The U.S. women's national soccer team will receive the Arthur Ashe Award for Courage at next month's ESPYs in recognition of their fight for equal pay with their male counterparts, ESPN said on Wednesday. In May 2022, the U.S. women's and men's soccer teams reached landmark collective bargaining agreements with the national governing body for the sport that will see players receive equal pay and prize money, including at World Cups. "It feels like this is a paradigm shift or a moment we'll look back to and say that nothing was ever the same after this Women's World Cup," U.S. forward Megan Rapinoe said on Tuesday. The ESPYs, which pay tribute to the top athletes and performances of the past year, are presented and televised by Walt Disney Co (DIS.N) sports network ESPN. Reporting by Frank Pingue in Toronto Editing by Toby DavisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Arthur Ashe, Courage, Megan Rapinoe, Frank Pingue, Toby Davis Organizations: ESPN, Courage, Black tennis, Walt Disney Co, Thomson Locations: U.S, Toronto

Companies Walt Disney Co FollowWILMINGTON, Delaware, June 27 (Reuters) - The Walt Disney Co (DIS.N) board did not act negligently when it criticized a sexual identity bill signed by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, a Delaware judge ruled on Tuesday, in a case the judge said was improperly directed by a conservative legal group. The ruling by Lori Will of Delaware's Court of Chancery means that Disney will not have to turn over internal records including years of board members' emails sought by shareholder Kenneth Simeone, who sued Disney in December. Disney's criticism touched off a war of words with DeSantis and led to the state removing the company's control of a special administrative district that promotes development around the Walt Disney World resort. DeSantis, who is seeking the Republican presidential nomination, has used his battle against what he calls "woke Disney" to raise his national profile. Simeone, Jonna and Disney did not respond immediately to requests for comment.

Persons: Ron DeSantis, Lori Will, Kenneth Simeone, Will, Disney, Paul Jonna, Tom Hals, Jamie Freed Organizations: Walt Disney Co, Florida, Delaware's, Disney, Walt Disney, Thomas More Society, Thomson Locations: WILMINGTON , Delaware, Delaware, Wilmington , Delaware

☆ Legacy media companies enter dark times as failures mount and Netflix rises again
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-25 | by ( Alex Sherman | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Stock Chart Icon Stock chart icon Netflix vs the S&P 500 over the past five months. Stock Chart Icon Stock chart icon Disney vs. the S&P 500 over the past five months. Stock Chart Icon Stock chart icon Warner Bros. Stock Chart Icon Stock chart icon Paramount Global vs the S&P 500 over the past five months. Stock Chart Icon Stock chart icon Comcast vs the S&P 500 over the past five months.

Persons: Bob Iger, David Zaslav, Bob Bakish, Wells Fargo, Warren Buffett, It's, dethroning, Donald Trump's, Mario, Zaslav, Greenfield, there's, There's, Simon & Schuster, Mark Read Organizations: Walt Disney Company, Warner Bros, Paramount Global, Getty, Companies, Netflix, Disney, Warner Bros . Discovery, Paramount, CNBC, Fox Corp, Comcast, MSNBC, dethroning Fox, Mario Bros, Boston University, Hollywood, Activision, Simon &, WPP, Cannes Lions Locations: Cannes, France

LOS ANGELES, June 23 (Reuters) - Film and television directors voted overwhelmingly to ratify a new three-year labor contract with major Hollywood studios on Friday, averting a second work stoppage that would have added to upheaval caused by an ongoing writers' strike. The DGA represents 19,000 directors, assistant directors and others who work on film and TV productions. During the last WGA strike in 2007 and 2008, a studio deal with the DGA prompted writers to head back to the bargaining table. Striking writers have insisted that the directors' latest deal will not influence their position this time. Hollywood actors, meanwhile, are in the middle of their own labor talks with studios.

Persons: Lisa Richwine, Steve Gorman, Jacqueline Wong Organizations: Hollywood, of America, Alliance, Television Producers, Walt Disney Co, Netflix Inc, Guild of America, WGA, DGA, SAG, Thomson Locations: ANGELES, Los Angeles

☆ Who are the Republican candidates running for president?
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

June 22 (Reuters) - At least 11 Republican candidates have announced that they will try to win their party's nomination to take on Democratic President Joe Biden in the November 2024 election. DONALD TRUMPTrump, 77, announced his election campaign last November as he faced criticism from within his Republican Party over his support for far-right candidates who were defeated in the midterm elections. She attracts about 4% support among Republican voters. DOUG BURGUMDoug Burgum, who is serving his second four-year term as North Dakota's governor, launched his campaign earlier this month. WILL HURDFormer U.S. Representative Will Hurd, who was among the few Republicans who criticized Trump when he was president, is one of two Black candidates in the 2024 Republican race.

Persons: Joe Biden, DONALD TRUMP Trump, Biden, Trump, RON DESANTIS, DeSantis, MIKE, Pence, Trump's, NIKKI HALEY, Haley, TIM SCOTT, Scott, VIVEK RAMASWAMY, Ramaswamy, CHRIS CHRISTIE, Chris Christie, ASA HUTCHINSON, Hutchinson, DOUG BURGUM Doug Burgum, FRANCIS SUAREZ, FRANCIS SUAREZ Miami Mayor Francis Suarez, Suarez, WILL HURD, Representative Will Hurd, Hurd, Katharine Jackson, Ross Colvin, Frances Kerry Organizations: Republican, Democratic, Republican Party, New, Twitter, Trump, Walt Disney Co, Ukraine, U.S . Capitol, Constitution, Republican White House, Christian, United Nations, Biden, TIM, Black Republican U.S, Reuters, New Jersey, ASA, White House, Microsoft, FRANCIS SUAREZ Miami Mayor, Cuban, WILL HURD Former U.S, Representative, CIA, Intelligence, Thomson Locations: New York, Florida, U.S, South Carolina, Arkansas, Southern, South Florida, East, South Asia

☆ TikTok COO Pappas quits after five years in the role
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

June 22 (Reuters) - TikTok Chief Operating Officer V. Pappas is stepping down after five years with the short-video company owned by China's ByteDance, according to an email seen by Reuters on Thursday. In an email to staff, Pappas said they would be taking on an advisory role for the company during the transition. "Given all the successes reached at TikTok, I finally feel the time is right to move on and refocus on my entrepreneurial passions," said Pappas, who uses the pronoun they. Adam Presser, TikTok's chief of staff, will become head of operations and oversee content, user operations and distribution, Chew said. Last month, TikTok sued Montana after it became the first state to ban the app state-wide.

Persons: Pappas, China's ByteDance, Shou Chew, Zenia Mucha, TikTok, Adam Presser, TikTok's, Chew, Samrhitha, Dawn Chmielewski, Sheila Dang, Devika Syamnath, Daniel Wallis Organizations: Reuters, Walt Disney Co, Thomson Locations: TikTok, Montana, Bengaluru, Dawn, Los Angeles, Dallas

☆ Boycotts rarely work — but anti-LGBTQ+ backlash is forcing companies into tough choices
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-22 | by ( Stefan Sykes | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +11 min

For companies like Target and Disney, it is unclear if boycotts will hit sales. The company said it has not changed any policy on decorations and is encouraging stores to celebrate Pride Month. Despite the mounting headlines and sustained criticism of Bud Light, corporate boycotts are "overstated," and those offended by campaigns tied to Pride Month are in the "minority," Ellis said. Bud Light appears to be an outlierIn April, the brewer ran a March Madness promotion with trans influencer Dylan Mulvaney, who shared a customized Bud Light can on Instagram. Justin Sullivan | Getty ImagesIt isn't just Bud Light — brands across the board are facing calls to boycott their goods or services.

Persons: Gene Kim, Bud Light, Anson Frericks, Starbucks baristas, Sarah Kate Ellis, Ellis, Dylan Mulvaney, Brendan Whitworth, — Alissa Heinerscheid, Daniel Blake —, Bump Williams, Busch, Frericks, Bud, Marcel Marcondes, Marcondes, Justin Sullivan, Jack Daniel's, Lawrence Glickman, Glickman, baristas, hasn't, Disney isn't, Ron DeSantis, Lindsey Roeschke, Brayden King, King, David Cliff, Nurphoto Organizations: Anheuser, Busch, Target, Disney, Starbucks, Pride Month, Target's, Pride, GLAAD, Mulvaney, CNBC, Gay, Chamber, Commerce, Cannes Lions International, Creativity, Brands, Kohl's, Nike, Adidas, Ford, Associated Press, American Studies, Cornell University, Consumer, Walt Disney Co, Florida Gov, Brand Intelligence, Morning, Northwestern University, Getty Locations: U.S, America, San Francisco , California, Oklahoma, Florida

☆ Producer Ryan Murphy Is Expected to Move to Disney
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-20 | by ( John Koblin | Brooks Barnes | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The contract talks with Disney are not finished, according to three people briefed on the matter, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss private negotiations. But the talks between Mr. Murphy and Disney are advanced, the people said. Mr. Murphy’s contract with Netflix expires at the end of the month. Representatives for Mr. Murphy, Disney and Netflix either declined to comment or did not return calls. Bloomberg reported Mr. Murphy’s likely move to Disney earlier on Tuesday.

Persons: Ryan Murphy, Jeffrey Dahmer, ”, decamping, ’, Murphy, Murphy’s Organizations: Walt Disney Company, Hollywood, Netflix, Disney, Bloomberg Locations: Hollywood

☆ New Pixar film 'Elemental' opens weak for Disney
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-18 | by ( Lisa Richwine | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

The opening figure for the United States and Canada fell shy of box office forecasts and ranked among the lowest ever for a film from Pixar, the acclaimed animation studio behind "Toy Story," "Finding Nemo" and other classics. "Elemental," a story about overcoming outward differences, added $15 million overseas for a global total of $45 million, Disney said. The film opened in just three major international markets and will expand to other countries in the coming weeks. Pixar is looking to rebound from the box office disappointment of its 2022 release "Lightyear," the origin story of "Toy Story" hero Buzz Lightyear. The movie brought in an earthbound $226.7 million in global ticket sales, a fraction of the $1 billion take for 2019's "Toy Story 4."

Persons: Buzz Lightyear, Peter Sohn’s, Lisa Richwine, Leslie Adler Organizations: U.S, Walt Disney Co, Pixar, Disney, Reuters, Thomson Locations: ANGELES, United States, Canada, City, American

Christine McCarthy, Disney's chief financial officer, will step down from that role, the entertainment giant said Thursday. She will take a family medical leave of absence, and during that time, she will continue as a strategic advisor to Disney , the company said. Veteran Disney executive Kevin Lansberry, who currently works as finance chief for Disney's parks business, will become the company's interim CFO effective July 1. McCarthy, who started with Disney in 2000 and became CFO in 2015, leaves as Disney undergoes a broad restructuring during Bob Iger's second tenure as CEO. During McCarthy's tenure, Disney's streaming spending skyrocketed, and free cash flow fell.

Persons: Christine McCarthy, McCarthy, Disney, Kevin Lansberry, Bob, " McCarthy, Bob Iger's, Bob Chapek, Iger, Christine, — Organizations: Walt Disney Company's, Milken Institute Global, The Beverly Hilton Hotel, Disney, Veteran Disney, Chapek Locations: Beverly Hills , California

☆ Disney CFO Christine McCarthy, who was seen as a possible successor to Bob Iger, is stepping down
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-15 | by ( Lucia Moses | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Disney CFO Christine McCarthy is stepping down and taking a family medical leave, the company announced. McCarthy has been instrumental in helping CEO Bob Iger tackle Disney's challenges since his return as CEO in 2022. Disney SVP and CFO Christine McCarthy, who was seen as a contender to replace CEO Bob Iger, is stepping down to take a family medical leave of absence, the company announced. Kevin Lansberry, EVP and CFO of Disney Parks, Experiences and Products, will serve as interim CFO, starting July 1. McCarthy joined Disney in 2000 and served as treasurer before becoming CFO in 2015.

Persons: Christine McCarthy, Kevin Lansberry, McCarthy, Bob Iger, Iger, he's, Bob Chapek, Chapek's, he'd, She's Organizations: Disney, Longtime Disney, Morning, Disney Parks, Walt Disney Company, Wall Locations: America

☆ Disney CFO Christine McCarthy steps down
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-15 | by ( Samantha Delouya | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

Los Angeles CNN —Disney (DIS) Chief Financial Officer Christine McCarthy is stepping down from her role and taking a family medical leave of absence, the company said Thursday. Kevin Lansberry, the company’s CFO of Parks, Experiences and Products, will step in as interim CFO, effective July 1. “Christine McCarthy is one of the most admired financial executives in America, and her impact on The Walt Disney Company during 23 years of dedicated service cannot be overstated,” Disney CEO Bob Iger said in a statement. McCarthy, who has served as CFO for more than 8 years, will serve as a strategic adviser while on leave and assist with selecting a long-term successor, the company said. “Although I am leaving the CFO role, I look forward to helping with the transition and will always be rooting for the success of my extended Disney family,” McCarthy said in a statement.

Persons: Los Angeles CNN —, Christine McCarthy, Kevin Lansberry, “ Christine McCarthy, Bob Iger, McCarthy, ” McCarthy, Lansberry Organizations: Los Angeles CNN, Los Angeles CNN — Disney, Parks, Walt Disney Company, company’s Parks, Disney Locations: America

☆ Ron DeSantis taunts Gavin Newsom to enter 2024 White House contest against Joe Biden: 'Stop pussyfooting around'
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-15 | by ( Kimberly Leonard | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The 2024 presidential candidate on Thursday jabbed Newsom about how he hadn't entered the presidential race to challenge President Joe Biden. Like DeSantis, Newsom cruised to reelection and will be term-limited out in 2026. But unlike DeSantis, 44, Newsom is sitting out the White House contest. DeSantis accused California of encouraging illegal immigration through establishing sanctuary cities, while Newsom called DeSantis a "small, pathetic man" and threatened to consider kidnapping charges. He encouraged Floridians to relocate to California in a direct messaging foil to DeSantis boasting about "the free state of Florida."

Persons: Newsom, DeSantis, Joe, —, Ron DeSantis, Gavin Newsom, jabbed Newsom, hadn't, Joe Biden, Biden, Fox News Sean Hannity, didn't, it's, Floridians Organizations: Fox, Service, Gov, Democratic Gov, White, Democratic Party, Fox News, Walt Disney Company, Democracy Locations: Florida, California, Texas, Sacramento, Anaheim , California

June 13 (Reuters) - Walt Disney Co (DIS.N) on Tuesday announced that a new "Star Wars" film will reach theaters in 2026 but said it would postpone the release of the next three installments in James Cameron's blockbuster "Avatar" series. The studio also pushed back the scheduled release dates for "Thunderbolts" and "Blade," two Marvel films that have been disrupted by the ongoing strike by Hollywood writers. "Avatar 3," originally scheduled to debut in December 2024, is now set for release in December 2025. "Avatar 4" is slated for December 2029 and "Avatar 5" for December 2031. A new "Star Wars" movie was scheduled for December 2026, one of two in the space saga that will be released that year.

Persons: James Cameron's, Jon Landau, Landau, Mahershala Ali, Ryan Reynolds, Dawn Chmielewski, Lisa Richwine, Lisa Shumaker Organizations: Walt Disney Co, Tuesday, Marvel, Hollywood, Twitter, Thomson Locations: Los Angeles

The movie is projected to debut with a modest $31 million to $41 million this weekend in the U.S., according to the Box Office Pro website. That is well shy of the recent $120.5 million haul for Sony’s critically acclaimed animated hit "Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse." Pixar is looking to rebound from the box office disappointment of 2022 release "Lightyear," the origin story of "Toy Story" hero Buzz Lightyear. "Judging Pixar on the recent past, history would not be kind," said SVB MoffettNathanson media analyst Michael Nathanson. But the move dealt a blow to creatives who had hoped their films would be seen on the big screen, according to one Pixar director who spoke on condition of anonymity.

Persons: Athie, Leah Lewis, Pete Docter, Denise Ream, Peter Sohn, Adele Exarchopoulos, Vincent Lacoste, Jim Morris, Read, Buzz Lightyear, Pixar, Michael Nathanson, Sohn, Mario, Shawn Robbins, Robbins, Bob Chapek’s, Luca, creatives, Sohn’s, Dawn Chmielewski, Lisa Richwine, Nathan Frandino, Kenneth Li, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: Cannes Film, Pixar Animation Studios, Box, Pixar, Reuters, Walt Disney Co, Reuters Television, Comcast, Universal Pictures, Mario Bros, Sony Pictures, Pro, Disney, U.S, Cannes, Rotten, Thomson Locations: U.S, City, Los Angeles, San Francisco

☆ Disney to offer free mobile streaming of cricket in India like rival JioCinema
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

June 9 (Reuters) - Walt Disney Co's (DIS.N) Hotstar will offer free streaming of cricket tournaments in India on mobile devices, a move similar to its top rival JioCinema, as it aims to court more users in the cricket-crazy country. Hotstar on Friday said it will offer the Asia Cup and ICC Men's Cricket World Cup tournaments at no cost to users. The company lost the streaming rights for the highly popular Indian Premier League (IPL) cricket tournament to Reliance Industries' (RELI.NS) JioCinema earlier this year. JioCinema, which made the tournament free to watch, clocked a record 1.47 billion digital views in the first weekend of the tournament. While JioCinema is preparing to start charging users for its content, it plans to keep IPL streaming free, Jyoti Deshpande, president of Reliance's media and content business, told Bloomberg in an April Interview.

Persons: Walt Disney, Hotstar, JioCinema, Jyoti Deshpande, Munsif Vengattil, Priya Sagar, Janane Venkatraman, Jason Neely Organizations: Walt Disney Co's, Asia Cup, ICC Men's Cricket, Indian Premier League, Reliance Industries, Research, IPL, Bloomberg, Thomson Locations: India, Hotstar, New Delhi, Bengaluru

☆ Factbox: Who are the Republican candidates running for president?
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

June 22 (Reuters) - At least 10 Republican candidates have announced that they will try to win their party's nomination to take on Democratic President Joe Biden in the November 2024 election. DONALD TRUMPTrump, 77, announced his election campaign last November as he faced criticism from within his Republican Party over his support for far-right candidates who were defeated in the midterm elections. Like Biden, the former president remains unpopular with swaths of the electorate. DOUG BURGUMDoug Burgum, who is serving his second four-year term as North Dakota's governor, launched his campaign earlier this month. FRANCIS SUAREZMiami Mayor Francis Suarez, 45, is the only Hispanic candidate in the Republican field and the third candidate from Florida along with Trump and DeSantis.

Persons: Joe Biden, DONALD TRUMP Trump, Biden, Trump, RON DESANTIS, DeSantis, MIKE, Pence, Trump's, NIKKI HALEY, Haley, TIM SCOTT, Scott, VIVEK RAMASWAMY, Ramaswamy, CHRIS CHRISTIE, Chris Christie, ASA HUTCHINSON, Hutchinson, DOUG BURGUM Doug Burgum, FRANCIS SUAREZ, FRANCIS SUAREZ Miami Mayor Francis Suarez, Suarez, Katharine Jackson, Ross Colvin, Andy Sullivan, Colleen Jenkins, Nick Zieminski, Alistair Bell, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: Republican, Democratic, Republican Party, New, Twitter, Trump, Walt Disney Co, Ukraine, U.S . Capitol, Constitution, Republican White House, Christian, United Nations, Biden, TIM, Black Republican U.S, Reuters, New Jersey, ASA, White House, Microsoft, FRANCIS SUAREZ Miami Mayor, Cuban, Thomson Locations: New York, Florida, U.S, South Carolina, Arkansas, Southern, South Florida

☆ Hollywood actors, studios agree to media blackout for labor talks
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

The actors' union is seeking pay increases and protections around the use of artificial intelligence in negotiations with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP), which represents Walt Disney Co (DIS.N), Netflix Inc (NFLX.O), Comcast Corp (CMCSA.O) and other companies. The actors' negotiations are taking place as the Writers Guild of America (WGA) remains on strike. The work stoppage, which began May 2, has shut down late-night talk shows and halted production of shows such as a new season of "Stranger Things." SAG-AFTRA members have authorized a strike if their talks fail to yield an agreement by June 30. Reporting by Lisa Richwine; Editing by Lisa ShumakerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Marg Helgenberger, Lisa Richwine, Lisa Shumaker Organizations: CBS, Screen Actors, Writers Guild of America, Universal Studios, Hollywood, Alliance, Television Producers, Walt Disney Co, Netflix Inc, Comcast Corp, SAG, Thomson Locations: Los Angeles , California, ANGELES

☆ Why Is Disney Fighting DeSantis? I Know the Answer. - The New York Times
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-07 | by ( Sean Griffin | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Even Chick-fil-A, the chicken-sandwich seller that has historically been aligned with conservative causes, drew sudden condemnation for an existing diversity, equity and inclusion policy. Companies are rarely exemplars of courage, and some — particularly Anheuser-Busch, Bud Light’s brewer — switched course almost immediately. But the noise is obscuring a bigger transformation amid the growing politicization of big business. Ron DeSantis of Florida last year attacked the Walt Disney Company for criticizing his anti-L.G.B.T.Q. Why would one of America’s largest corporate entities, particularly one lacking a long history of taking grand positions on social issues, go to the mat for L.G.B.T.Q.

Persons: Bud Light, Bud Light’s, —, Ron DeSantis, Disney, Donald Trump Organizations: America, Pride, Anheuser, Busch, Walt Disney Company, Republican Locations: Orlando, Fla, Florida

☆ Hollywood actors authorize strike as writers still out
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-06 | by ( Lisa Richwine | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LOS ANGELES, June 5 (Reuters) - Hollywood's actors union voted to authorize a strike if contract talks break down, turning up the heat on major film and television studios already grappling with a monthlong work stoppage by writers. No new negotiations are scheduled with the striking Writers Guild of America (WGA), which represents 11,500 film and TV writers. A strike by actors would lead to a broader shutdown across Hollywood and increase pressure on studios that need programming to feed their streaming services and the fall TV broadcast schedule. In the negotiations, actors are seeking higher pay and safeguards against unauthorized use of their images through artificial intelligence. SAG-AFTRA leaders said the industry had changed dramatically with the rise of streaming television and the emergence of new technology such as generative AI.

Persons: AFTRA, Bravo, Fran Drescher, Duncan Crabtree, Lisa Richwine, David Gregorio, Lisa Shumaker, Kim Coghill, Gerry Doyle Organizations: Bravo SAG, Guild of America, Warner Bros, HBO, SAG, Alliance, Television Producers, Walt Disney Co, Netflix Inc, Thomson Locations: ANGELES, Hollywood, Ireland

☆ How one DeSantis speech captured the dynamic that could decide 2024
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-06 | by ( Ronald Brownstein | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +17 min

The next 30 minutes of DeSantis’ speech then demonstrated how Biden might survive despite all the doubts about his performance and capabilities. In that way, DeSantis’ first swing through Iowa showed why Republicans are still at risk in 2024 from a key dynamic that dashed their hopes of a sweeping “red wave” in 2022. Many strategists in both parties believe that dynamic is most likely to recur in 2024 if the GOP nominates Trump. One reason, Republicans argue, is that the eventual nominee likely will talk about these issues less in a general election. Beset by all the difficult domestic conditions DeSantis highlighted, Biden will likely struggle straight through November 2024 to affirmatively convince a majority that his performance deserves another term.

Persons: Ron DeSantis, Joe Biden, Biden, DeSantis, Donald Trump, ”, Sarah Longwell, MAGA Trump, “, Trump, Chris Wilson, Republican pollster, Jesse Ferguson, SRSS, “ Biden, Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton, George W . Bush, “ DeSantis, Ferguson, don’t, –, David Kochel, Kochel, can’t, Mitt Romney, Hillary Clinton’s, suburbanites, Nick Gourevitch, DeSantis ’, dethroning Trump, Sen, Bernie Sanders, Biden “ Organizations: CNN, Florida Gov, Biden’s, Republicans, GOP, Trump, Republican, Longwell, Biden, White House, White, Edison Research, House, Democrats, Senate, Fox News, Walt Disney Co, Democratic, eventual Locations: Iowa, Des Moines, Biden’s America, America, Florida, Arizona , Georgia, Nevada , New Hampshire , Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Michigan

☆ Growing GOP field isn’t selling primary voters on why they should ditch Trump
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-06 | by ( Stephen Collinson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

CNN —The Republican presidential field is growing almost by the day, but no candidate has yet offered an effective answer to GOP primary voters on the race’s most compelling question – why they should ditch Donald Trump. Nikki Haley has been on the trail for weeks, appearing in a CNN town hall on Sunday in Iowa. No Republican voters will weigh in for at least six months in early state contests. There’s even less evidence that GOP voters believe that Trump’s legal problems disqualify him from serving as their nominee. In an NBC News poll in April, 68% of Republican voters believed that investigations into Trump were politically motivated attempts to stop him.

Persons: Donald Trump, Mike Pence, Chris Christie, Ron DeSantis, South Carolina Sen, Tim Scott, Nikki Haley, Doug Burgum, –, Trump, Chris Sununu –, CNN’s Dana Bash, He’s, ” Sununu, Haley, Scott, Asa Hutchinson, Pence, DeSantis ’, DeSantis, ” Trump, Sean Hannity, Mickey Mouse, Ukraine’s, Vladimir Putin, ”, Putin, Ronald Reagan, There’s, Jean Carroll, quagmire Organizations: CNN, Republican, GOP, Former New Jersey Gov, Tuesday . Florida Gov, South, South Carolina Gov, North Dakota Gov, Trump, New, New Hampshire Gov, Washington Republicans, Republican Party, Republicans, Fox, Walt Disney Company, Cabinet, United Nations, NATO, Justice, NBC Locations: Tuesday, Iowa, South Carolina, New Hampshire, Trump, Arkansas, Florida, Russian, Ukraine, Baltic, –

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