White House, states tackle ‘junk fees’ that cost consumers
Fatima Hussein, The Associated Press
The White House brought together state lawmakers, federal officials and others Wednesday to trade ideas about how to fight “junk fees” that inflate the cost to consumers of everything from hospital visits and airline tickets to student loans and concert seats.
Oscars producers promise they’re ‘not trying to be rude’ by playing off winners during speeches
Dan Heching, CNN
Ahead of the Oscars, executive producers and showrunners Ricky Kirshner and Glenn Weiss said in an interview with CNN that trying to control the length of thank you speeches is a responsibility they take seriously.
Michelle Yeoh Deletes Instagram Post That May Have Violated Academy Rules
Fletcher Peters, The Daily Beast
The Oscar frontrunner shared an article that directly criticized her main competition, Cate Blanchett—the same violation that got fellow nominee Andrea Riseborough in trouble.
As Netflix’s expected password-sharing crackdown puts college students on edge
Noah Sheidlower, CNBC
As Netflix inches closer to rolling out password-sharing guidelines in the United States, college students who use accounts connected to family or friends are bracing for changes to their streaming habits.
Comcast Targets Return to “Total” Media Business Profit Even Amid Peacock Losses
Georg Szalai, The Hollywood Reporter
“We are very much looking at how to run the media businesses in total to get to a place in due course where the bottom line of the total business is a grower again,” president Michael Cavanagh said at an investor conference.
Ari Emanuel: Star Paychecks Aren’t Under Fire Even As Studios Cut Costs
Erik Hayden, The Hollywood Reporter
The Endeavor chief, speaking at an investor conference, contended that top talent deals aren’t the ones to worry about as companies look to pull back their overall content spend.
Actors’ Equity Condemns Tennessee’s Anti-Drag Legislation & “Ridiculous Politicians”
Greg Evans, Deadline
Actors’ Equity Association has condemned Tennessee’s new legislation restricting drag performance, urging theaters in the state to “join us in rejecting it entirely and lobbying for its elimination.”
Walt Disney Animation Studios Production Workers Launch Union Drive With IATSE
Katie Kilkenny, The Hollywood Reporter
The Animation Guild is seeking to organize nearly 80 production coordinators, production managers and production supervisors, even as Disney looks to disqualify certain job titles from the effort.
WWE in talks with state gambling regulators to legalize betting on scripted match results
Alex Sherman, CNBC
WWE is in talks with state gambling regulators in Colorado and Michigan to legalize betting on high-profile matches, according to people familiar with the matter.
TSA agents seize gun from actor Mike Epps in Indianapolis
The Associated Press
Federal agents confiscated a loaded gun found in the hand luggage of actor and comedian Mike Epps, who was trying to board a flight at Indianapolis International Airport, airport police said.
Paramount Global Launches New Marketing Campaign “Popular is Paramount”
Jill Goldsmith, Deadline
Paramount Global today announced a new brand positioning and trade campaign around the tag ‘Popular is Paramount’ to reflect “the company’s indisputable strength in making popular content and content popular for every audience.”
Universal theme parks division gets new name in rebranding
The Associated Press
The theme park parent company of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter and The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man is getting a new name.
A Changing of the Guard at the Whitney Brings a New Director
Robin Pogrebin, The New York Times
After 20 years, Adam D. Weinberg will step down as leader in the fall. Scott Rothkopf, his deputy, will succeed him.
