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WHAT DISNEY’S FOX DEAL MEANS FOR THE INDUSTRY With Disney and 21st Century Fox’s $71.3 billion merger now approved by shareholders, it seems all but certain that the deal will be confirmed in the coming months. Two of the world’s biggest and most powerful media giants are joining forces to expand their international reach and fight off competition from new players like YouTube and Netflix. Today, we pull back the curtain and take a look at the short and sweet history of one of Hollywood’s most dramatic bidding wars, explore Disney’s upcoming Netflix challenger, and look at how competitors in the entertainment industry are planning to retaliate to a Disney/Fox attack. A NAIL-BITING BIDDING WAR Whether you’re on the side of the Mouse and the Fox, or you’re against the…

The Beatles v The Rolling Stones; The Yankees v The Red Sox; Muhammad Ali v Smokin; Joe Frazier – Nobody can truly claim to be the undisputed champion of anything if they haven’t had an equal and opposite power to fight against and ultimately overcome. Whether it’s the struggle to match up to and eventually beat the opposition or the motivation provided by a nemesis breathing down their neck that has inspired so many organizations and individuals to higher plains of achievement and excellence. It’s an undeniable theme throughout history and various industries. So, what are Apple and Mac fans to make about the resurgence of their biggest rival in recent times? The PC market recently grew for thefirst time in six years. Bucking the trend of six years of…

Sometimes, Dr. Rose Ganim, chief of thoracic surgery at Baystate Medical Center in Springfield, lies awake at night contemplating the best approach for a complex operation. When it comes to surgery, Ganim said, good planning can be the difference between life and death. And that makes getting an accurate picture of what’s going on beforehand imperative. But even the most technologically advanced MRI and CAT scan machines produce only flat-layered images of what she’ll see in the operating room, and Ganim’s knowledge of human anatomy is all she has to turn over in her mind. Replica organ models, however, like those printed by biomedical engineer Greg Gagnon in an office in Baystate’s intensive care unit, can get her as close to reality as possible without actually cutting a patient open.…

“Mission: Impossible — Fallout” fired on all cylinders at the box office this weekend and not only came out on the top of the charts but also scored a franchise-best opening. The sixth film in the series grossed $61.2 million in its first weekend in theaters, which is also one of star Tom Cruise’s best launches. The jukebox musical “Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again” came in second place with $15.1 million, while “The Equalizer 2” took the third spot with $14 million. Both films were in their second weekend. Next was “Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation” with $12.3 million in its third week in theaters. The weekend’s other opener, the animated “Teen Titans Go! To the Movies,” opened in fifth with $10.4 million. The Warner Bros. film cost $10.5…

MoviePass, the discount service for movie tickets, is raising prices by 50 percent and barring viewings of most major releases during the first two weeks. The new $15-a-month rate for up to one movie each day still won’t make MoviePass profitable. Because it typically pays theaters the full cost of tickets — which can be $15 or more in big cities — a movie or two can put the service in the red. The old monthly rate was $10. MoviePass has shown that many moviegoers will make time to hit theaters when movies are affordable, despite more convenient options such as Netflix and video on demand. At some theaters, it is common to see long lines with people holding red MoviePass cards, which subscribers can use to charge a movie…

Facebook said it has uncovered “sophisticated” efforts, possibly linked to Russia, to influence U.S. politics on its platforms. The company said it removed 32 accounts from Facebook and Instagram because they were involved in “coordinated” political behavior and appeared to be fake. Nearly 300,000 people followed at least one of the accounts. Facebook stopped short of saying the effort was aimed at influencing the U.S. midterm elections in November, although the timing of the suspicious activity would be consistent with such an attempt. According to a Facebook official, the company this week briefed members of the House and Senate as well as officials at the Department of Homeland Security. The official declined to be named because the briefings were private. Facebook disclosed its findings after The New York Times reported…

A portion of the vast Washington state site where the U.S. government created much of the plutonium for the nation’s nuclear arsenal will be scrubbed free of radiation and other pollution under a final plan reached by the U.S. Department of Energy and federal and state regulators. The plan announced Monday would spend $200 million to finish the cleanup of nearly 8 square miles (20 square kilometers) of the 586-square-mile (1,500-square-kilometer) Hanford Nuclear Reservation, where plutonium was made for nuclear weapons during World War II and the Cold War. The land involved in the plan contains three of Hanford’s nine plutonium reactors. The decision means the land will be returned “to productive reuse for the benefit of the health and livelihood of surrounding communities,” said Andrew Wheeler, acting administrator of…

As they call for more money for classrooms, Iowa school advocates hope legislators will extend a sales tax levy that pours millions of dollars each year into infrastructure and technology for the state’s public schools. Bipartisan negotiations over the past couple years have resulted in a plan to extend a statewide 1 cent sales tax for another 20 years to fund school infrastructure projects while limiting the need for schools to issue bonds that drive up property taxes. The efforts have been underway as funding for school aid remains a hot-button issue with regular partisan clashes. A bill was overwhelmingly passed by the Iowa House last spring to reauthorize the sales tax, known as the Secure an Advanced Vision for Education program, but the Senate never voted on it. Legislative…

Samsung Electronics Co. reported a lower-than-expected gain in the second-quarter earnings this week, indicating an end to its streak of record-breaking financial results as sales of smartphones and display panels slowed while memory chip profit stabilized. The South Korean tech giant said that its April-June net income stood at 10.98 trillion won ($9.8 billion), up 2 percent from 10.80 trillion won a year earlier. The result fell short of the analyst consensus of 11.14 trillion won, according to financial data provider FactSet. Sales fell 4 percent to 58.48 trillion won ($52.3 billion) while operating income advanced 6 percent to 14.87 trillion won ($13.3 billion), in line with its earnings preview earlier this month. The latest results indicate an end to Samsung’s streak of record-breaking financial results that stunned investors. Samsung,…

Amazon’s quarterly profit soared past $2 billion for the first time as its online shopping, cloud computing and advertising businesses kept growing. The company, which has expanded far beyond its online bookseller beginnings, is also moving into health care and building up its physical presence as it cements customer loyalty through its smart devices and Prime membership of shipping and streaming perks. Revenue soared 39 percent in the second quarter, but missed analysts’ expectations. The financial results still pleased investors, who sent its shares up more than 3 percent to $1,866.55 in after-hours trading. Its stock is already up nearly 72 percent in the last year, and Amazon is getting closer to surpassing Apple as the world’s most valuable company. Amazon did suffer a rare setback last week, when its…

Life of the Party A middle-aged mother returns to college to complete her degree after her husband files for divorce with little warning. She lands in the same class and school as her daughter, who (unsurprisingly) isn’t sold on the idea. FIVE FACTS: 1. This is the 6th film husband/director Ben Falcone and wife/star Melissa McCarthy have created together. 2. Melissa McCarthy’s character’s parents in the film share the same names of her real-life parents, Mike and Sandy. 3. The Uber driver in the film is Melissa McCarthy’s real-life husband and the director of the film. 4. Debby Ryan and Luke Benward have been previously starred together in a Disney channel movie. 5. Jessie Ennis and Gillian Jacobs appeared in Love, a Netflix original. Truth or Dare A seemingly fun…

Despite enthusiastic discourse around diversity in film, a report from the University of Southern California’s Annenberg Inclusion Initiative released this week says when it comes to the numbers, little has changed. The most popular movies are still largely the domain of white, straight, able-bodied men, both in front of the camera and behind. The percentage of female characters with speaking parts in the top 100 films has remained largely unchanged at or around 30 percent over the past decade, according to the report released. And in survey of the top 100 films of 2017, a year in which the top three were the female-led “Star Wars: The Last Jedi,”“Beauty and the Beast” and “Wonder Woman,” only 33 featured women in a lead or co-lead. Four of those were from an…

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security is creating a center aimed at protecting banks, electric companies and other critical infrastructure against cyberattacks — a threat that now exceeds the danger of a physical attack against the U.S. by a hostile foreign group, Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen said. The National Risk Management Center will work to quickly identify and address potential threats and improve safeguards across a range of industries, she said. It will prioritize risks to industries that most Americans rely on, like the power grid. It is designed to be a partnership with private companies and federal agencies, with Homeland Security as the lead agency. The department’s election security task force, created last year, will become part of the new center, officials said. Nielsen spoke at a cybersecurity summit hosted…

Halestorm, “Vicious” (Atlantic) “Vicious” comes five years after Halestorm’s Grammy-winning hit “Love Bites (So Do I)” became the group’s standing claim to mainstream fame. Produced by Nick Raskulinecz, who has worked with bands like Foo Fighters and Alice in Chains, “Vicious” is a jump in sonic variety since the band’s third full-length album, “Into the Wild Life,” topped the rock charts in 2015. The new album stays true to the band’s longstanding creative elements. The cryptic but assertive attitude of Lzzy Hale’s diverse vocal range and raunchy guitar riffs team up well with her brother Arejay’s locomotive percussion, Joe Hottinger’s sharp guitar work and Josh Smith’s thumping bass walks. On “Vicious,” the group takes their raw and abrasive guitar sound up a notch with more polished, virtuoso axe-playing. It’s also…

Striking taxi drivers brought traffic in parts of major Spanish cities to a standstill Monday by stopping their vehicles in major thoroughfares to protest ride-hailing services. Hundreds of stationary white taxis blocked the Paseo de la Castellana, one of Madrid’s longest and broadest avenues, while protesters played soccer and relaxed on sun loungers. The disruption on the usually busy main road spilled over to affect traffic across the capital city. Elsewhere, traffic around Barcelona’s busy El Prat airport was chaotic, and the city’s Gran Via was a logjam of vehicles. Valencia, on the east coast, also felt the strike. The taxi drivers are angry over a court’s decision to temporarily suspend a move by Barcelona officials to curb private car ride companies. They also demand a ratio of 1 to…

Gathered around a road map laid across the tiled classroom floor, children watched robotic cars navigate the twists and turns of a street. With one final day to perfect their codes, the young computer programmers analyzed every command to drive forward, turn and reverse. “I’ve really liked learning how to program robots. I like working as a team. When we mess up, we work together to fix it and find a solution,” said 11-year-old Quiyah Harris, of team QTSSS. Harris and 29 other rising sixth-graders will present the science, technology, engineering and mathematics skills they learned during Decatur-Morgan County Minority Development Association’s inaugural STEM Camp at West Decatur Elementary. “One of the passions I have is to make sure our minority students have exposure to some of the things that…

Apple made more money from higher priced iPhones in the latest quarter, even as the number of phones it sold did not change much. The sluggish unit growth means Apple is no longer the second-biggest smartphone maker behind Samsung. Huawei took that spot, research firm IDC said Tuesday, with 54.2 million phones versus Apple’s 41.3 million. The company’s earnings were announced amid escalating rhetoric around tariffs between the U.S. and China. CEO Tim Cook said that while the company’s products hadn’t been hurt by tariffs imposed so far, Apple is still examining the impact of proposed U.S. tariffs on $200 billion worth of Chinese goods. Cook said he’s “optimistic” the countries will work out their differences. “Each country can only prosper if the other does,” he said. Despite the trade…

The Overwatch League has planted its flag atop the esports mountain. But just like its twitchy-thumbed superstars, the premier circuit can’t afford to sit still. Not as long as Fortnite commands the rest of the gaming universe. The Fortnite phenomenon has put Overwatch in a strange position. The Overwatch League’s inaugural season has been a barrier-breaking achievement, but Blizzard Entertainment’s 6-on-6 first-person shooter isn’t nearly the world’s most popular video game. That would be Fortnite, a battle royale that has transcended gaming and smashed into the mainstream unlike any title in years. Overwatch executives say they aren’t nearly panicked because of one grand gamble: their deep pockets and impressive infrastructure can keep Fortnite from making a successful charge for the crown. THE LEAGUE A top-selling game doesn’t necessarily make an…

Songs for the Saints Kenny Chesney The recording of Kenny Chesney’s latest album was a very emotional experience for the singer. His part-time home was destroyed when Hurricane Irma wreaked havoc in the Caribbean in September 2017. He said “I wasn’t prepared for the amount of destruction I saw…My heart broke for all those people that I had lived with and loved with. A huge part of my adult life was – and still is – spent down there.” Chesney found comfort in his music and started to create his latest album just two days after the storm hit. FIVE FACTS: 1. Songs for the Saints is Kenny Chesney’s 17th studio album. 2. The new album confronts darker themes than his previous work and explores into “the places that save…

A roundup of news from the Television Critics Association summer meeting, at which TV networks and streaming services are presenting details on upcoming programs. SUCCESS STORY Octavia Spencer is bringing the remarkable saga of black haircare mogul Madam C.J. Walker to television. Netflix said that Spencer will produce and star in a limited series about the outsized life of Sarah Breedlove, who was known professionally as Walker. The eight-episode drama is based on the book “On Her Own Ground” by A’Lelia Bundles and includes basketball star LeBron James as a producer. Walker became one of America’s first self-made female millionaires by creating and marketing hair products for African-Americans at the turn of the 20th century. Netflix said the series will detail the hostility, rivalries and tumultuous personal life that marked…

Six years ago, a Russian-speaking cybersecurity researcher received an unsolicited email from Kate S. Milton. Milton claimed to work for the Moscow-based anti-virus firm Kaspersky. In an exchange that began in halting English and quickly switched to Russian, Milton said she was impressed by the researcher’s work on exploits — the digital lock picks used by hackers to break into vulnerable systems — and wanted to be copied in on any new ones that the researcher came across. “You almost always have all the top-end exploits,” Milton said, after complimenting the researcher about a post to her website, where she often dissected malicious software. “So that our contact isn’t one-sided, I’d offer you my help analyzing malicious viruses, and as I get new samples I’ll share,” Milton continued. “What do…

Millions of people struggle to get enough sleep — and to stay alert the next day. Lots of apps, fitness trackers, smartwatches and even mattress motion sensors claim they can diagnose or treat sleep problems. But sleep disorder doctors say there’s little evidence consumer gadgets actually improve sleep. “The technology can help describe the problem,” such as waking repeatedly or too early, said Dr. Douglas Kirsch, president of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. “It does not tell you what the cause is” or how to fix it. Experts say such products have some value: They make people focus on and try to improve their sleep. AMERICA’S SLEEP PROBLEM According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about one-third of adults and two-thirds of high school students report…