Politics
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Quibi Gets Legal Win Amid Ongoing Consumer Indifference
Quibi, the $1.7 billion funded subscription streaming video service from DreamWorks Animation founder Jeffrey Katzenberg and eBay founder Meg Whitman, got a legal break from ongoing concerns about its underwhelming business model. A Los Angeles District Court judge July 13 ruled against tech rival Eko’s claim that Quibi illegally uses its “turnstile” technology enabling users to … Continue reading “Quibi Gets Legal Win Amid Ongoing Consumer Indifference”
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Theater Group Sues New Jersey to Re-Open Screens
The National Association of Theatre Owners (NATO), including AMC Theatres, Cinemark and Regal Cinemas, has filed a lawsuit against New Jersey Gov. Philip Murphy and Judith Persichilli, acting commissioner of health of New Jersey, for their legal mandates keeping movie theaters shuttered due to the coronavirus pandemic. The suit, filed July 6 in U.S. District … Continue reading “Theater Group Sues New Jersey to Re-Open Screens”
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Theater Group Sues New Jersey to Re-Open Screens
The National Association of Theatre Owners (NATO), including AMC Theatres, Cinemark and Regal Cinemas, has filed a lawsuit against New Jersey Gov. Philip Murphy and Judith Persichilli, acting commissioner of health of New Jersey, for their legal mandates keeping movie theaters shuttered due to the coronavirus pandemic. The suit, filed July 6 in U.S. District … Continue reading “Theater Group Sues New Jersey to Re-Open Screens”
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ESPN Inks Production Deal With Colin Kaepernick
Colin Kaepernick may not get another chance to play in the NFL, but the former Super Bowl quarterback turned activist has no shortage of media opportunities. Disney-owned ESPN Films July 6 announced it has entered into a production deal with the 32-year-old former University of Nevada standout, who hasn’t played football since 2017, for a … Continue reading “ESPN Inks Production Deal With Colin Kaepernick”
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Revised Tech Encryption Bill Sent to U.S. Senate for Vote
A bill seeking to prohibit the exploitation of minors on the Internet July 2 was sent to the floor of the U.S. Senate for a full vote. While there is no argument against removing images of child abuse from the Web, technology and trade organizations contend the “Eliminating Abuse and Rampant Neglect of Interactive Technology” … Continue reading “Revised Tech Encryption Bill Sent to U.S. Senate for Vote”
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Netflix Infusing 2% of Cash Reserves Into Black-Supporting Fiscal Institutions
Netflix on June 30 disclosed it is putting more money behind its activism. Going forward, Netflix is allocating 2% of its cash holdings — initially up to $100 million — into financial institutions and organizations that directly support black communities in the U.S. The move was disclosed in a blog post by Aaron Mitchell, director, … Continue reading “Netflix Infusing 2% of Cash Reserves Into Black-Supporting Fiscal Institutions”
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Walt Disney World Orlando Still on Schedule to Re-Open in July — Despite Florida Shutting All Bars Due to COVID-19 Spike
The Walt Disney Co.’s high-profile Walt Disney World resort near Orlando remains on schedule to re-open in July despite increases in coronavirus infections in the state of Florida. Indeed, the sunshine state June 25 saw a record 9,000 new single-day infections recorded. Halsey Beshears, secretary of the Department of Business & Professional Regulation, early June … Continue reading “Walt Disney World Orlando Still on Schedule to Re-Open in July — Despite Florida Shutting All Bars Due to COVID-19 Spike”
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Weekly Unemployment Claims Dip Below 1.5 Million
The economy is slowly re-opening, but the number of people filing first-time unemployment claims continues to jolt feel-good optimism. In the week ended June 20, 1.48 million people filed claims, a decrease of 60,000 from the previous week’s revised 1.508 million, according to the Labor Department. California continues to lead all states with more than … Continue reading “Weekly Unemployment Claims Dip Below 1.5 Million”
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Disney Delays Re-Opening Disneyland, Disney California Adventure
The Walt Disney Co. late June 24 announced that plans to re-open Disneyland and Disney California Adventure in Anaheim, Calif., have been put on hold due to new state government concerns surrounding the coronavirus. “The State of California has now indicated that it will not issue theme park re-opening guidelines until sometime after July 4,” … Continue reading “Disney Delays Re-Opening Disneyland, Disney California Adventure”
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WarnerMedia Returns ‘Gone With the Wind’ to HBO Max — With a Disclaimer
WarnerMedia has quietly returned Oscar-winning Gone With the Wind back to subscription streaming platform HBO Max after a two-week hiatus to address the movie’s alleged racism in the wake of social unrest involving Black Lives Matter and other issues. WarnerMedia said the return of the 1939 classic to Max includes two sidebar videos explaining the … Continue reading “WarnerMedia Returns ‘Gone With the Wind’ to HBO Max — With a Disclaimer”
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AMC Theatres Reverses Stance, Says Moviegoers Must Wear Masks
AMC Theatres CEO Adam Aron said he didn’t want to get pulled into the politics of mandating masks in regards to the coronavirus pandemic. But apparently that’s exactly what happened as the nation’s largest exhibitor abruptly reversed policy allowing patrons not to wear masks in theaters when the chain re-opens 450 locations on July 15. … Continue reading “AMC Theatres Reverses Stance, Says Moviegoers Must Wear Masks”
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Reed Hastings, Wife Donating $120 Million to Black Institutions
Netflix co-founder/CEO Reed Hastings and his wife, Patty Quillin, are donating $120 million to educational institutions targeting students of color. The contributions include $40 million each to the United Negro College Fund and private colleges Spelman and Morehouse in Atlanta. Hastings disclosed the donations in an interview this week with CNBC. “There are many good … Continue reading “Reed Hastings, Wife Donating $120 Million to Black Institutions”