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DETROIT — The Renaissance Center would shrink to three towers with residential, office and hotel tenancy to create space for a six-acre riverfront park in a more than $1.6 billion redevelopment plan dependent on $250 million in state support that would make billionaire mortgage mogul Dan Gilbert's real estate firm shared owner of the complex with current owner General Motors Co. The proposal is a "right-sizing" of a half-century-old Detroit skyline icon for a new era of downtown living and work use, said Kofi Bonner, CEO of Bedrock Detroit LLC, Gilbert's real estate company. To finance the massive redevelopment project, GM and Bedrock are seeking $250 million in taxpayer subsidies from the state of Michigan and financial support from Detroit's Downtown Development Authority. About $100 million would be the right kind of support requested from the DDA, Bonner said, naming tax-increment financing as a potential funding source. Gilbert is contributing $1 billion in equity and debt, and GM is providing $250 million after having invested $1.5 billion into the building during its ownership. A new entity owning the site will reflect each party's contribution toward the redevelopment, said Dave Massaron, GM’s vice president of infrastructure and corporate citizenship. Questions around the future of Michigan's tallest skyscraper arose in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic that disrupted workplace models, sent many to do their jobs remotely and increasingly moved consumers to shopping online. The matter was exacerbated when GM in April said it was relocating its headquarters to the Bedrock-owned Hudson’s Detroit development next year. The automaker committed to working with Bedrock to find a solution for the Ren Cen within a year. The five-tower, 5.5 million-square-foot structure would lose 1.25 million square feet from demolition of Towers 300 and 400 nearest the riverfront. The podium that consists of retail and showroom space on the ground floor around the towers would also be removed. The redevelopment, which would be contingent on approval of financial support from the state of Michigan, would happen in phases over years. Demolition could start within two years, Bonner said. "It's really a question of finding the right combination of that mix of uses because we see that that is indeed the winning formula for the repositioning of assets," Bonner told The Detroit News. "But we also wanted to make sure that we could open up the Ren Cen to both the waterfront, we have this incredible asset that the city and the region has in the riverwalk, and we are building on this incredible asset in the downtown area and the Ren Cen and has effectively walled itself off over for decades. So a combination of opening up to the riverfront, opening up to downtown and reprogramming the building, the uses into a mix of residential, hotel, hopefully signature waterfront, event and dining experiences. That was our north star." The central tower would remain along with Towers 100 and 200, the two facing Jefferson Avenue. Towers 300 and 400 would be demolished to make room for the park that would connect to the Detroit Riverwalk. The park would seek to be something akin to Chicago's Navy Pier or the area around the O2 Arena in London's South Greenwich neighborhood with entertainment, dining and sightseeing attractions. The central tower, home to a Marriott International Inc. hotel, would continue to be a hotel but decrease to around 850 rooms from about 1,200 today. The top floors would be remodeled to create 200 high-end family apartments, Bonner said. One of the remaining adjacent towers would convert to residential apartments with 300 to 400 units, the details of which are yet to be determined. The other tower also would be remodeled but still serve as office space, according to Bedrock. "One of the towers, we believe we can modernize and retain as an office building in light of everything else we're doing in the immediate vicinity," Bonner said. "We feel that it'd be much more attractive, bring more amenities, perhaps inside and certainly in and around it, which is what we see the office market looking for." The estimated $1.6 billion redevelopment cost includes the reimagined public walkway, public park, conference center, the new hotel, two office towers and the multi-family tower, Bonner said, adding the project would need "a few more dollars" for the entertainment piece. The plan was met with some skepticism from one local real estate expert and a political leader who panned the idea of taxpayers helping foot the bill. Jim Becker, managing director of the Detroit office of Avison Young, a global commercial real estate firm, said razing the two skyscrapers facing the riverfront eliminates some of the best views of the riverfront, Belle Isle, the Ambassador Bridge and Windsor, Ontario. "I think the return on investment could be challenging — spending a billion dollars to create open space," Becker said. "... It’s hard to see how tearing down two-fifths of the infrastructure there is going to get a return. Optically, it’s just kind of strange to see the two towers on the city side." House Republican Leader Matt Hall, a Richland Township Republican who will lead the House as speaker in January, was not amenable to the idea of taxpayer dollars going toward the rehabilitation of the RenCen, noting GM’s decision to move many jobs out of Detroit as well as recent layoffs at its Tech Center in Warren. “How insulting is it to the taxpayers that these guys say, ‘We’re leaving Detroit and we want you guys to pay to tear down the building on the way out?’” Hall said. “That is insulting.” Earlier this month, state Rep. Tyrone Carter, D-Detroit, expressed concerns about the effect a RenCen demolition would have on the Detroit skyline. He still has those concerns, but is interested in what GM is proposing for the location. “I’d have to take a look at it and see where we are,” Carter said Monday. “That is as iconic to the city as the Spirit of Detroit and the Joe Louis Fist (statues).” The $250 million state incentive being requested is a “substantial amount of money,” a sum that will require careful deliberation, Carter said. “What is the benefit to it?” he asked. “I think there may be some pushback on that side of it.” 'The riverfront is our home' Massaron said more than a decade ago, GM started to investigate how to create a headquarters that worked for its workforce and what to do with the Renaissance Center. Before the pandemic, GM and its contractors had as many as 4,000 employees housed in the RenCen. As of a year ago, GM's official headcount at the RenCen was about 1,300. “We hired architects, we hired contractors, we hired consultants, and we looked at different possibilities,” Massaron said. “We explored many options on our own, including the sale of the asset. That received significant interest. But Detroit and Michigan are our home, and those potential sales of assets would not have preserved the icon that is the skyline of Detroit.” Additionally, selling the asset wouldn’t ensure its future success, which GM wants, especially after spending more than $1.5 billion to make it more functional and with its commitment to the development of the riverfront. “The riverfront is our home, and we think it needs to take the next step, and this building is a key part of that,” Massaron said. Earlier this year, southeast Michigan and parts of central Michigan were ranked as the metropolitan area with the nation’s highest office vacancy rate at 25% . GM is still working on the buildout of its space at the Hudson’s Detroit building. Massaron expects to be occupying it “at least” by January 2026, if not earlier. GM previously planned to occupy two floors but is now planning to double that. “But that's an in-progress thing based on construction, availability of resources, and candidly, Bedrock has got an incredibly beautiful and complicated project they also have to finish,” Massaron told The News. “So, collectively, we'll be in that building very soon.” As the Hudson's Detroit anchor tenant, GM, for 15 years, will lease floors in the 12-story mixed-use office, retail and event-space building adjacent to the 685.4-foot-tall tower that will have a hotel and residential housing. GM's logo is expected to appear on top of the Woodward Avenue building. There also will be a public showroom for GM on the ground floor. Construction on the Renaissance Center began in 1973 under the vision of Henry Ford II in partnership with 26 other business leaders in an effort to encourage building activity in Detroit in the aftermath of the 1967 Detroit uprising. The $350 million project (roughly $1.7 billion today) was the country’s largest privately funded real estate development at the time. Upon opening in 1977, the center hotel tower was the largest in the world. GM bought the riverfront skyscraper complex in 1996 for $73 million (about $142 million today) from crosstown rival Ford Motor Co., and Barra said the company has since invested more than $1 billion for its global headquarters. GM moved from Cadillac Place in the New Center district, though its home before that was on Woodward. In 2008 leading up to its bankruptcy, General Motors Corp. explored the possibility of a sale-leaseback for the RenCen, but it didn't have any takers. For a while, GM has been looking to unload the more than 5.5 million-square-foot, seven-tower complex. Crain's Detroit Business previously reported Gilbert's Bedrock and GM had been in discussions in the fall of 2018 about a sale of the site; they fell apart because of costly renovations, including an overhaul of the heating, venting and air conditioning system. Towers 500 and 600 were added in 1981, and a third phase that was supposed to include residential housing never came to fruition as Detroit's population continued to decline. Farmington Hills-based Friedman Real Estate in December purchased the 500 and 600 towers in downtown Detroit from Public Service Enterprise Group Inc., a New Jersey energy company. Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan has a long-term lease for the 500 River East Tower. ©2024 www.detroitnews.com . Visit at detroitnews.com . Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
If they aren’t the respective biggest and smallest offensive skill-position players in the NFL, each is close to it. The long and the short of it is Darnell Washington and Calvin Austin III are evolving into significant pieces of the Pittsburgh Steelers offense. After relatively little usage in the passing game in 2023 while each was playing in the NFL for the first time, Washington and Austin are increasingly favored targets — particularly since Russell Wilson took over as quarterback six weeks ago. Over the past five games, the diminutive but speedy Austin and the towering, imposing Washington have combined for 21 catches on 34 targets, 314 receiving yards and three total touchdowns. While those statistics aren’t necessarily eye-popping, they do correlate with the Nos. 3-4 receiving options for a team that has known quantities in WR1 George Pickens and a bona fide No. 1 tight end in Pat Freiermuth but has been struggling to find other weapons. Washington and Austin were just behind Pickens and Freiermuth (four receptions each) with three receptions apiece during the Steelers’ most recent outing, a 24-19 defeat at the Cleveland Browns. Austin led the team in receiving yards (78), including a 46-yard third-down play and a 23-yard touchdown catch that gave the Steelers a fourth-quarter lead. “He just did a great job of getting open,” Wilson said of the 46-yard catch after the game. “He did a great job of just really making a play. Then I think the one for the touchdown, I knew how to get the ball off. They were about to hit me, and I just had to let it go down the middle to Calvin. He did a great job and just threw it and anticipated where he was going to be. He made a heck of a catch, heck of a route, and that was awesome.” Over the past five games — the Steelers won four — Austin leads the team in touchdowns with three. Though that includes a 73-yard punt-return TD against the New York Giants, Austin’s two receiving touchdowns are tied with Pickens for the most over that stretch. For the season — including a 55-yard touchdown from Justin Fields in Week 4 — Austin’s three receiving touchdowns are tied with Freiermuth for most on the team. “Coach (Mike) Tomlin always talks about guys who can create space in a non-vertical area,” wide receivers coach Zach Azzanni said recently. “Who is that player on every team? And (Austin) is our guy that way. He does a great job of that. That’s his gift, that’s what he was blessed with, that twitch and that awareness on how to work individuals.” Generously listed at 5-foot-9, 162 pounds, Austin requires gifts such as quickness and special awareness. But if Austin creates space (as Azzanni calls it) “non-vertically,” Washington has a rare ability to create space vertically — as in, literally so. His official listing of 6-7, 264 pounds probably doesn’t do him justice. Steelers tight ends coach Alfredo Roberts recently was speaking about Washington when he said, “You don’t expect a guy who is 6-7 and 300-plus — uh oh ... I said that out loud?” No joke — it would almost take two Austins to make for the mass of one Washington. “He’s a big man, and yet he’s shown (receiving ability) in practice, he’s shown it in training camp that he can be consistent in the passing game,” Roberts said. “So it makes it easy for the play-caller to get it off the call sheet. He’s done it early in games, and he’s rewarded us with some big plays.” Nicknamed “Mount,” Washington had his first career touchdown earlier this season in Denver, and he’s recorded a pair of receptions of at least 25 yards while making 11 catches in five games with Wilson throwing. Consider that Washington had only seven receptions last year as a rookie. Austin, in his first pro season on the field (2022 was spent on injured reserve), had only 12 catches. He and Washington each already have blown past career highs in catches and yards. Each a mid-round draft pick, Austin and Washington entered the league with unique skill sets (speed and size, respectively), but observers wondered if Austin was too small and Washington, well, too big to be viable receiving threats. The contrast between them couldn’t be greater — and perhaps that’s part of what Wilson and coordinator Arthur Smith are leveraging in deploying Washington and Austin more often. “It builds my confidence getting the ball in my hands and getting more comfortable with it,” Washington said. “Because at this level I didn’t really have that many opportunities, so I feel like each catch it keeps building my confidence as a person with the ball in my hands and run after.”WASHINGTON — A top White House official said Wednesday at least eight U.S. telecom firms and dozens of nations were impacted by a Chinese hacking campaign. Deputy national security adviser Anne Neuberger offered new details about the breadth of the sprawling Chinese hacking campaign that gave officials in Beijing access to private texts and phone conversations of an unknown number of Americans. FILE - The American and Chinese flags wave at Genting Snow Park ahead of the 2022 Winter Olympics, in Zhangjiakou, China, on Feb. 2, 2022. A top White House official on Wednesday said at least eight U.S. telecom firms and dozens of nations have been impacted by a Chinese hacking campaign. (AP Photo/Kiichiro Sato, File) Neuberger divulged the scope of the hack a day after the FBI and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency issued guidance intended to help root out the hackers and prevent similar cyberespionage in the future. White House officials cautioned that the number of telecommunication firms and countries impacted could grow. People are also reading... The U.S. believes the hackers were able to gain access to communications of senior U.S. government officials and prominent political figures through the hack, Neuberger said. “We don’t believe any classified communications has been compromised,” Neuberger added during a call with reporters. She added that Biden was briefed on the findings and the White House “made it a priority for the federal government to do everything it can to get to the bottom this.” US officials recommend encrypted messaging apps amid "Salt Typhoon" cyberattack, attributed to China, targeting AT&T, Verizon, and others. The Chinese embassy in Washington rejected the accusations that it was responsible for the hack Tuesday after the U.S. federal authorities issued new guidance. “The U.S. needs to stop its own cyberattacks against other countries and refrain from using cyber security to smear and slander China,” embassy spokesperson Liu Pengyu said. The embassy did not immediately respond to messages Wednesday. White House officials believe the hacking was regionally targeted and the focus was on very senior government officials. Federal authorities confirmed in October that hackers linked to China targeted the phones of then-presidential candidate Donald Trump and his running mate, Sen. JD Vance, along with people associated with Democratic candidate Vice President Kamala Harris. FBI tells telecom firms to boost security following wide-ranging Chinese hacking campaign The number of countries impacted by the hack is currently believed to be in the “low, couple dozen,” according to a senior administration official. The official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity under rules set by the White House, said they believed the hacks started at least a year or two ago. The suggestions for telecom companies released Tuesday are largely technical in nature, urging encryption, centralization and consistent monitoring to deter cyber intrusions. If implemented, the security precautions could help disrupt the operation, dubbed Salt Typhoon, and make it harder for China or any other nation to mount a similar attack in the future, experts say. Trump's pick to head the Federal Bureau of Investigation Kash Patel was allegedly the target of cyberattack attempt by Iranian-backed hackers. Neuberger pointed to efforts made to beef up cybersecurity in the rail, aviation, energy and other sectors following the May 2021 ransomware attack on Colonial Pipeline . “So, to prevent ongoing Salt Typhoon type intrusions by China, we believe we need to apply a similar minimum cybersecurity practice,” Neuberger said. The cyberattack by a gang of criminal hackers on the critical U.S. pipeline, which delivers about 45% of the fuel used along the Eastern Seaboard, sent ripple effects across the economy, highlighting cybersecurity vulnerabilities in the nation’s aging energy infrastructure. Colonial confirmed it paid $4.4 million to the gang of hackers who broke into its computer systems as it scrambled to get the nation's fuel pipeline back online. 5 tips for protecting your phone while traveling abroad 5 tips for protecting your phone while traveling abroad Picture this: You're on vacation in a city abroad, exploring museums, tasting the local cuisine, and people-watching at cafés. Everything is going perfectly until you get a series of alerts on your phone. Someone is making fraudulent charges using your credit card, sending you into a panic. How could this have happened? Cyberattacks targeting travelers are nothing new. But as travel has increased in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, so has the volume of hackers and cybercriminals preying upon tourists. Financial fraud is the most common form of cybercrime experienced by travelers, but surveillance via public Wi-Fi networks, social media hacking, and phishing scams are also common, according to a survey by ExpressVPN . Spokeo consulted cybersecurity sources and travel guides to determine some of the best ways to protect your phone while traveling, from using a VPN to managing secure passwords. Online attacks are not the only type of crime impacting travelers—physical theft of phones is also a threat. Phones have become such invaluable travel aids, housing our navigation tools, digital wallets, itineraries, and contacts, that having your phone stolen, lost, or compromised while abroad can be devastating. Meanwhile, traveling can make people uniquely vulnerable to both cyber and physical attacks due to common pitfalls like oversharing on social media and letting your guard down when it comes to taking risks online. Luckily, there are numerous precautions travelers can take to safeguard against cyberattacks and phone theft. Use a VPN Hackers can—and do—target public Wi-Fi networks at cafés and hotels to gain access to your personal information or install malware onto your device, particularly on unsecured networks. Travelers are especially vulnerable to these types of cybersecurity breaches because they are often more reliant on public Wi-Fi than they would be in their home countries where they have more robust phone plans. This reliance on public, unsecured networks means travelers are more likely to use those networks to perform sensitive tasks like financial transfers, meaning hackers can easily gain access to banking information or other passwords. One easy way to safeguard yourself against these breaches is to use a virtual private network, or VPN, while traveling. VPNs are apps that encrypt your data and hide your location, preventing hackers from accessing personal information. An added bonus is that VPNs allow you to access websites that may be blocked or unavailable in the country you are visiting. To use a VPN, simply download a VPN app on your phone or computer, create an account, choose a server, and connect. Wear a cross-body bag or antitheft strap Pickpockets, scammers, and flagrant, snatch-your-phone-right-out-of-your-hand thieves can be found pretty much everywhere. In London, for instance, a staggering 91,000 phones were reported stolen to police in 2022 , breaking down to an average of 248 per day, according to the BBC. Whether you're visiting a crowded tourist attraction or just want peace of mind, travel experts advise taking precautions to make sure your phone isn't physically stolen or compromised while traveling. There are several antitheft options to choose from. If you want a bag that will protect your phone from theft, experts recommend looking for features like slash-resistant fabric, reinforced shoulder straps, hidden zippers that can be locked, and secure attachment points, like a cross-body strap or a sturdy clip. For tethers, look for those made of tear-resistant material with a reinforced clip or ring. Back up your phone's data If your phone falls into the wrong hands, there's a good chance you won't be getting it back. Out of those 91,000 phones stolen in London in 2022, only 1,915 (or about 2%) were recovered. The good news is that you can take precautions to make the loss of your phone less devastating by backing up your data before you travel. With backed-up data, you can acquire a new device and still access your photos, contacts, messages, and passwords. Moreover, if you have "Find My Device" or "Find My Phone" enabled, you can remotely wipe your stolen phone's data so the thief cannot access it. It's safest to back up your data to a hard drive and not just the cloud. That way, if you have to wipe your device, you don't accidentally erase the backup, too. Protect your passwords Strong passwords for important accounts help protect your information while you travel, but it's just a first step. The National Cybersecurity Alliance recommends creating long, unique, and complex passwords for every account and combining them with multifactor authentication to create maximum barriers to entry. If you're worried about remembering these passwords, password managers can be a vital tool for both creating and storing strong passwords. Password managers are apps that act as secure vaults for all your passwords. Some even come with a feature that allows you to temporarily delete sensitive passwords before you travel and then easily restore them once you return. Story editing by Mia Nakaji Monnier. Additional editing by Kelly Glass. Copy editing by Tim Bruns. Photo selection by Lacy Kerrick. This story originally appeared on Spokeo and was produced and distributed in partnership with Stacker Studio. The business news you need Get the latest local business news delivered FREE to your inbox weekly.BJP slams Congress MP Rahul Gandhi for resuming Savarkar attack after Maharashtra poll
Trump Books Traditional Media in Rebuke of Pals for First TV InterviewBOLINGBROOK, Ill.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov 21, 2024-- Ulta Beauty, Inc. (NASDAQ: ULTA) today announced that its financial results for the third quarter of fiscal 2024 will be released Thursday, December 5, 2024, after the market closes. The Company will host a conference call at 4:30 p.m. ET / 3:30 p.m. CT to discuss the financial results. Investors and analysts who are interested in participating in the call are invited to dial (877) 704-4453. Participants may also listen to a real-time audio webcast of the conference call by visiting the Investor Relations section of the Company’s website located at https://www.ulta.com/investor . A replay will be made available online approximately two hours following the live call for a period of 30 days. About Ulta Beauty At Ulta Beauty (NASDAQ: ULTA), the possibilities are beautiful. Ulta Beauty is the largest U.S. beauty retailer and the premier beauty destination for cosmetics, fragrance, skin care products, hair care products and salon services. In 1990, the Company reinvented the beauty retail experience by offering a new way to shop for beauty – bringing together All Things Beauty, All in One Place®. Today, Ulta Beauty operates more than 1,400 retail stores across 50 states and also distributes its products through its website, which includes a collection of tips, tutorials, and social content. For more information, visit https://www.ulta.com . View source version on businesswire.com : https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241121549355/en/ CONTACT: Ulta Beauty Contacts: Kiley Rawlins, CFA Vice President, Investor Relations krawlins@ulta.comCrystal Carroll Senior Director, Public Relations Ccarroll@ulta.com KEYWORD: UNITED STATES NORTH AMERICA ILLINOIS INDUSTRY KEYWORD: LUXURY WOMEN DEPARTMENT STORES SPECIALTY LIFESTYLE COSMETICS CONSUMER RETAIL ONLINE RETAIL SOURCE: Ulta Beauty, Inc. Copyright Business Wire 2024. PUB: 11/21/2024 04:05 PM/DISC: 11/21/2024 04:06 PM http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241121549355/enThe hardest movie ticket to get last weekend was for a film audiences have been able to watch at home for years: Christopher Nolan’s “Interstellar.” The science fiction epic starring Matthew McConaughey and Anne Hathaway earned $4.5 million from only 166 screens in the U.S. and Canada. Its 70mm IMAX film presentations sold out in minutes, leaving theaters scrambling to add more and people paying up to $300 on the re-sale market. Those 10 film screens alone had a staggering $70,000 per theater average, one of the highest of the year and usually the bragging rights of acclaimed arthouse movies playing on only four screens. Ten years after “Interstellar” was given a film release as a special exception at time when its studio, Paramount, was committing to a digital future, film is not only back but driving audiences to theaters. “I was just so gratified by the response,” Nolan said in an exclusive interview with The Associated Press. “It’s really thrilling when people respond to your work at any point. But 10 years later, to have new audiences coming and experiencing it in the way that we’d originally intended it on the big IMAX screens and in particular on those IMAX film prints? It’s really rewarding to see that it continues to have a life.” How Nolan fought for film and the re-release “Interstellar” had been a labor of love, with Nolan fighting against the tides of a changing industry to use film, certain of its value. Like McConaughey’s Cooper, an astronaut clinging to skills that were all but obsolete in his dust bowl reality, “Interstellar” was made by a celluloid-loving filmmaker when the format was least valued. “Celluloid film was very threatened. Digital was taking over everything,” Nolan said. “We put an enormous amount of work and effort into the IMAX 70mm film format release at the time feeling like we didn’t know how much longer we’d be able to do that.” During its time, “Interstellar” was received warmly and an unambiguous success, but it also had its detractors. Its five Oscar nominations and win were all for crafts. And yet in the decade since, “Interstellar” has become beloved, a true classic. Nolan observed that it was the film that people kept wanting to talk about, telling him what it meant to them and asking if it was ever going to be re-released. Those grand emotions and sentimental themes of love, family and exploration that were a liability with some are now its most cherished qualities. “A lot of these people were younger people who, it was clear to me, had seen the film in the home and hadn’t had the chance to see it on the big screen,” Nolan said. While there have been “Interstellar” rereleases internationally, in China and at the Science Museum in London, Nolan saw an opportunity and spoke to IMAX and Paramount, now under a new regime, about a proper North American re-release for its 10th anniversary. The prints, Nolan said, hadn’t aged a day. IMAX hardly needed convincing: They’ve had the anniversary date circled on the calendar. For years, “Interstellar” was by far the biggest request on their social channels. “We saw this coming from the beginning,” IMAX CEO Rich Gelfond said. “It reminded us in a small way of the frenzy around ‘Oppenheimer.’ But the result is far beyond our expectations.” “Interstellar” is now the ninth highest-grossing IMAX release of all time and is closing in on eight (currently occupied by “The Last Jedi.”) The company is currently exploring options for re-releases in different territories. What should Hollywood learn from the weekend? The “Oppenheimer” effect was real in redeeming film’s value for the business. IMAX screens accounted for some 20% of the nearly $1 billion this year’s Oscar best picture winner made globally (it ranks at No. 5 for IMAX). While filmmakers have long cherished film stock, “Oppenheimer” had studios, distributors and theaters taking note of the demand. Earlier this year the film showings of “Dune: Part Two” were sold out for four weeks. And there’s more to come: Ryan Coogler’s new film “Sinners,” opening in March 2025, was shot with IMAX cameras. The “Interstellar” release was fairly “low key” when it came to promotion, but it also didn’t need much — fans made sure of that. Before IMAX had even announced that tickets were on sale, some noticed that AMC had made them available. News spread on socials and overnight every 70mm IMAX showing at the Lincoln Square location in New York had sold out. It wasn’t just the “primetime” slots either: The 1 AM showtimes were at capacity too. After the weekend’s turnout surpassed expectations, they added more 70mm IMAX screenings through the week which also filled up quickly. While Nolan is in some ways an anomaly, as the rare filmmaker whose name alone can draw crowds for original fare, there are lessons to be learned from the weekend. “It just shows our industry once again that audiences truly understand the difference between a communal, big screen theatrical experience that they crave even on films that they’ve had the opportunities to see in the home,” Nolan said. “That theatrical experience that we all know and love is so powerful and so exciting. It’s a very clear demonstration of it, especially coming amidst all the great successes right now, “Wicked,”“Gladiator II,”“Moana 2.” “Audiences are coming out in droves for that experience that we all love so much.” Dreaming big for the future and appreciating the past Before the weekend, Nolan was able to see the film again on the big screen for the first time since the original release, accompanied by his Oscar-winning “Oppenheimer” cinematographer Hoyte van Hoytema. “Interstellar” was their first collaboration and Hoytema’s introduction to IMAX cameras (where he proved that they could be handheld if you tried hard enough). “It was really, really fun,” Nolan said. He also approved the new 4K UHD “Interstellar” set that’s now available. Since “Oppenheimer’s” big night at the Oscars and Nolan’s best director win, there’s been much speculation about his next film with near daily rumors circulating about casting and genre, none of which have been officially confirmed. It’s not something he’s speaking publicly about yet. One thing he will say, however, is that he’s in the throes of intensive testing for a new film technology with IMAX to use in the next production. “They have an incredible engineering staff, really brilliant minds doing extraordinary work,” he said. “It’s wonderful to see innovation in the celluloid film arena still happening and happening at the highest level possible.” And he’s still making time to go to the movies. Over the weekend, Nolan went to see “Wicked” at a theater in Burbank where he also peeked into one of the IMAX presentations of his film. “It was pretty magical to see a full house on that film,” he said. “It was a very special thing to see, 10 years later.”
In 2006, after a bruising monthlong war between Israel and Lebanon’s powerful Hezbollah militant group, the United Nations Security Council unanimously voted for a resolution to end the conflict and pave the way for lasting security along the border. But while there was relative calm for nearly two decades, Resolution 1701’s terms were never fully enforced. Now, figuring out how to finally enforce it is key to a U.S.-brokered ceasefire deal approved by Israel on Tuesday. In late September, after nearly a year of low-level clashes, the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah spiraled into all-out war and an Israeli ground invasion. As Israeli jets pound deep inside Lebanon and Hezbollah fires rockets deeper into northern Israel, U.N. and diplomatic officials again turned to the 2006 resolution in a bid to end the conflict. Years of deeply divided politics and regionwide geopolitical hostilities have halted substantial progress on its implementation, yet the international community believes Resolution 1701 is still the brightest prospect for long-term stability between Israel and Lebanon. Almost two decades after the last war between Israel and Hezbollah, the United States led shuttle diplomacy efforts between Lebanon and Israel to agree on a ceasefire proposal that renewed commitment to the resolution, this time with an implementation plan to try to bring the document back to life. What is UNSC Resolution 1701? In 2000, Israel withdrew its forces from most of southern Lebanon along a U.N.-demarcated “Blue Line” that separated the two countries and the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights, which most of the world considers occupied Syrian territory. U.N. peacekeeping forces in Lebanon, known as UNIFIL, increased their presence along the line of withdrawal. Resolution 1701 was supposed to complete Israel’s withdrawal from southern Lebanon and ensure Hezbollah would move north of the Litani River, keeping the area exclusively under the Lebanese military and U.N. peacekeepers. Up to 15,000 U.N. peacekeepers would help to maintain calm, return displaced Lebanese and secure the area alongside the Lebanese military. The goal was long-term security, with land borders eventually demarcated to resolve territorial disputes. The resolution also reaffirmed previous ones that call for the disarmament of all armed groups in Lebanon — Hezbollah among them. “It was made for a certain situation and context,” Elias Hanna, a retired Lebanese army general, told The Associated Press. “But as time goes on, the essence of the resolution begins to hollow.” Has Resolution 1701 been implemented? For years, Lebanon and Israel blamed each other for countless violations along the tense frontier. Israel said Hezbollah’s elite Radwan Force and growing arsenal remained, and accused the group of using a local environmental organization to spy on troops. Lebanon complained about Israeli military jets and naval ships entering Lebanese territory even when there was no active conflict. “You had a role of the UNIFIL that slowly eroded like any other peacekeeping with time that has no clear mandate,” said Joseph Bahout, the director of the Issam Fares Institute for Public Policy at the American University of Beirut. “They don’t have permission to inspect the area without coordinating with the Lebanese army.” UNIFIL for years has urged Israel to withdraw from some territory north of the frontier, but to no avail. In the ongoing war, the peacekeeping mission has accused Israel, as well as Hezbollah, of obstructing and harming its forces and infrastructure. Hezbollah’s power, meanwhile, has grown, both in its arsenal and as a political influence in the Lebanese state. The Iran-backed group was essential in keeping Syrian President Bashar Assad in power when armed opposition groups tried to topple him, and it supports Iran-backed groups in Iraq and Yemen. It has an estimated 150,000 rockets and missiles, including precision-guided missiles pointed at Israel, and has introduced drones into its arsenal. Hanna says Hezbollah “is something never seen before as a non-state actor” with political and military influence. How do mediators hope to implement 1701 almost two decades later? Israel's security Cabinet approved the ceasefire agreement late Tuesday, according to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office. The ceasefire is set to take hold at 4 a.m. local time Wednesday. Efforts led by the U.S. and France for the ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah underscored that they still view the resolution as key. For almost a year, Washington has promoted various versions of a deal that would gradually lead to its full implementation. International mediators hope that by boosting financial support for the Lebanese army — which was not a party in the Israel-Hezbollah war — Lebanon can deploy some 6,000 additional troops south of the Litani River to help enforce the resolution. Under the deal, an international monitoring committee headed by the United States would oversee implementation to ensure that Hezbollah and Israel’s withdrawals take place. It is not entirely clear how the committee would work or how potential violations would be reported and dealt with. The circumstances now are far more complicated than in 2006. Some are still skeptical of the resolution's viability given that the political realities and balance of power both regionally and within Lebanon have dramatically changed since then. “You’re tying 1701 with a hundred things,” Bahout said. “A resolution is the reflection of a balance of power and political context.” Now with the ceasefire in place, the hope is that Israel and Lebanon can begin negotiations to demarcate their land border and settle disputes over several points along the Blue Line for long-term security after decades of conflict and tension.
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ITV I'm A Celeb's Ant and Dec take brutal swipe at Dean McCullough after rule breakJaland Lowe flirted with a triple-double as Pitt improved to 6-0 with a 74-63 win over LSU on Friday afternoon at the Greenbrier Tip-Off in White Sulphur Springs, W.Va. Lowe finished with a game-high 22 points to go along with eight rebounds and six assists for the Panthers, who have won their first six games of a season for the first time since the 2018-19 campaign. It would have been the second straight triple-double for Lowe, who had 11 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists against VMI Monday. Ishmael Leggett chipped in 21 points and Cameron Corhen supplied 14, helping Pitt outshoot the Tigers (4-1) 44.4 percent to 37.3 percent overall. Vyctorius Miller and Jalen Reed recorded 14 points apiece for LSU, with Reed also snatching seven boards. Cam Carter contributed 11 points. Pitt took control in the first four-plus minutes of the second half, opening the period on a 13-0 run to build a 40-28 lead. The Tigers were held scoreless following the break until Carter converted a layup with 13:13 to go. It was still a 12-point game after Zack Austin hit a pair of free throws with 12:50 remaining, but LSU then rallied. Corey Chest, Reed and Jordan Sears each had a bucket down low for the Tigers during an 8-1 spurt that made it 43-38. However, Lowe stemmed the tide, answering with back-to-back 3-pointers to put the Panthers up 49-38 with 9:31 left. Miller did everything he could to keep LSU in contention, scoring eight points in a span of 1 minute, 23 seconds, with his four-point play getting the Tigers within 56-52 with 6:03 to play. But Pitt never let LSU get the upper hand, and it led by at least six for the final 5:05 of the contest. The Tigers had a 28-27 edge at intermission after ending the first half on an 8-2 run. LSU overcame a quick start by the Panthers, who raced out to a 12-6 advantage and led by as many as eight in the first 20 minutes of action. --Field Level Media
UN Resolution 1701 is at the heart of the Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire. What is it?Striking Canada Post workers deliver government cheques on Vancouver Island
Southwest states certify election results after the process led to controversy in previous yearsUS stocks rose Monday, with the Dow finishing at a fresh record as markets greeted Donald Trump's pick for treasury secretary, while oil prices retreated on hopes for a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah. The Dow climbed one percent to a second straight all-time closing high on news of the selection of hedge fund manager Scott Bessent to lead the critical economic policy position.NEW YORK — It’s almost that time of year: Spotify is gearing up to release its annual Wrapped, personalized recaps of users' listening habits and year in audio. Spotify has been giving its listeners breakdowns of their data since 2016. And each year, it’s become a bigger production — and internet sensation. Spotify said its 2023 Wrapped was the “biggest ever created,” in terms of audience reach and the kind of data it provided. So, what will 2024 have in store? Here’s a look at what to know ahead of this year’s Spotify Wrapped. What exactly is Spotify Wrapped? It’s the streaming service's annual overview of individual listening trends, as well as trends around the world. Users learn their top artists, songs, genres, albums and podcasts, all wrapped into one interactive presentation. The campaign has become a social media sensation, as people share and compare their Wrapped data with their friends and followers online. Past iterations have provided users with all kinds of breakdowns and facts, including whether they’re among an artist’s top listeners, as well as a personalized playlist of their top 100 songs of that year to save, share and listen to whenever they’re feeling nostalgic. Spotify also creates a series of playlists that reflect national and global listening trends, featuring the top streamed artists and songs. In 2023, Taylor Swift was Spotify's most streamed artist , unseating Bad Bunny who had held the title for three years in a row. Each year has something new in store. In 2019, Wrapped included a summary of users’ streaming trends for the entire decade. Last year, Spotify matched listeners to a Sound Town based on their artist affinities and how it lined up with those in other parts of the world. When is the expected release date? So far, the streaming platform has kept the highly anticipated release date of Wrapped under ... er, wraps. In past years, it’s been released after Thanksgiving, between Nov. 30 and Dec. 6. Each year, rumors tend to swell on social media around when Spotify stops collecting data in order to prepare their Wrapped results, and this year was no exception. Spotify quickly squashed those presumptions , assuring on social media that “Spotify Wrapped doesn’t stop counting on October 31st.” A representative for Spotify did not respond to a request for comment on when the company stops tracking data for Wrapped. Where can I find my Spotify Wrapped? When Wrapped is released, each user's Spotify account will prompt them to view their interactive data roundup. It can be accessed through the Spotify smartphone app, or by logging on to the Spotify website . Wrapped is available to users with and without Premium subscriptions. What else can I learn with my Spotify data? There are a handful of third-party sites that you can connect your Spotify account to that will analyze your Wrapped data. How Bad is Your Spotify is an AI bot that judges your music taste. Receiptify gives you your top songs on a sharable graphic that looks like, yes, a receipt. Instafest gives you your own personal music festival-style lineup based on your top artists. How NPRCore Are You assesses how similar your music taste is to NPR Music's. What if I don’t have Spotify? Other major streaming platforms such as Apple Music and YouTube Music have developed their own versions of Wrapped in recent years. Apple Music’s Replay not only gives its subscribers a year-end digest of their listening habits but monthly summaries as well — a feature that helps differentiate itself from the one-time Spotify recap. That's released at the end of the calendar year. YouTube Music, meanwhile, has a similar end-of-the-year release for its listeners, as well as periodic seasonal releases throughout the year. It released its annual Recap for users earlier this month.
Netanyahu's office says his security Cabinet has approved ceasefire deal with HezbollahHunter shot 7 of 10 from 3-point range for the Tigers (5-0), who were 12 of 22 from beyond at the arc as a team. PJ Haggerty had 22 points and five assists, Colby Rogers had 19 points and Dain Dainja scored 14. Tarris Reed Jr. had 22 points and 11 rebounds off the bench for the Huskies (4-1). Alex Karaban had 19 points and six assists, and Jaylin Stewart scored 16. Memphis led by as many as 13 with about four minutes left in regulation, but UConn chipped away and eventually tied it on Solo Ball’s 3-pointer with 1.2 seconds remaining. Memphis: The Tigers ranked second nationally in field goal percentage going into the game and shot it at a 54.7% clip. UConn: The Huskies saw their string of 17 consecutive wins dating back to February come to an end. The teams were tied at 92 with less than a minute remaining in overtime when UConn coach Dan Hurley was assessed a technical foul for his displeasure with an over-the-back call against Liam McNeeley. PJ Carter hit four straight free throws — two for the tech and the other pair for the personal foul — to give Memphis a 96-92 lead with 40.3 seconds to play. UConn had three players foul out. Memphis attempted 40 free throws and made 29 of them. Memphis will play the winner of Colorado-Michigan State on Tuesday in the second round of the invitational. UConn will play the loser of that game in the consolation bracket. Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here . AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball .WASHINGTON — Working-class voters helped Republicans make steady election gains this year and expanded a coalition that increasingly includes rank-and-file union members, a political shift spotlighting one of President-elect Donald Trump’s latest Cabinet picks: a GOP congresswoman, who drew labor support, to be his labor secretary. Oregon Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer narrowly lost her bid for a second term this month, despite strong backing from union members, a key part of the Democratic base who have gravitated in the Trump era toward a Republican Party traditionally allied with business interests. “Lori’s strong support from both the Business and Labor communities will ensure that the Labor Department can unite Americans of all backgrounds behind our Agenda for unprecedented National Success — Making America Richer, Wealthier, Stronger and more Prosperous than ever before!” Trump said in a statement announcing his choice Friday night. For decades, labor unions sided with Democrats and were greeted largely with hostility by Republicans. Now, with Trump’s populist appeal, his working-class base saw a decent share of union rank-and-file voting for Republicans this year, even as major unions, including the AFL-CIO and the United Auto Workers, endorsed Democrat Kamala Harris in the White House race. Trump sat down with the International Brotherhood of Teamsters union leadership and members this year. When he emerged from that meeting, he boasted that a significant chunk of union voters were backing him. Of a possible Teamsters endorsement, he said, “Stranger things have happened.” The Teamsters ultimately declined to endorse either Trump, the former president, or Harris, the vice president, though leader Sean O’Brien had a prominent speaking slot at the Republican National Convention. Kara Deniz, a Teamsters spokesperson, told the Associated Press that O’Brien met with more than a dozen House Republicans this past week to lobby on behalf of Chavez-DeRemer. “Chavez-DeRemer would be an excellent choice for labor secretary and has his backing,” Deniz said. The work of the Labor Department affects workers’ wages, health and safety, ability to unionize and employers’ rights to fire employers, among other responsibilities. On Election Day, Trump deepened his support among voters without a college degree after running just slightly ahead of Democrat Joe Biden with noncollege voters in 2020. Trump made modest gains, earning a clear majority of this group, while only about 4 in 10 supported Harris, according to AP VoteCast, a sweeping survey of more than 120,000 voters nationwide. Roughly 18% of voters in this year’s election were from union households, with Harris winning a majority of the group. But Trump’s performance among union members kept him competitive and helped him win key states such as Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin. Chavez-DeRemer was one of few House Republicans to endorse the “Protecting the Right to Organize” or PRO Act, which would allow more workers to conduct organizing campaigns and add penalties for companies that violate workers’ rights. The measure would weaken “right-to-work” laws that allow employees in more than half the states to avoid participating in or paying dues to unions that represent workers at their places of employment. Trump’s first term saw firmly pro-business policies from his appointees across government, including those on the National Labor Relations Board. Trump, a real estate developer and businessman before winning the presidency, generally has backed policies that would make it harder for workers to unionize. During his recent campaign, Trump criticized union bosses and at one point suggested UAW members should not pay their dues. His first administration did expand overtime eligibility rules, but not nearly as much as Democrats wanted, and a Trump-appointed judge since struck down the Biden administration’s more generous overtime rules. Trump stacked his incoming administration with officials who worked on the Heritage Foundation’s “Project 2025” blueprint, which includes a sharp swing away from Biden’s pro-union policies. “Chavez-DeRemer’s record suggests she understands the value of policies that strengthen workers’ rights and economic security,” said Rebecca Dixon, president and CEO of National Employment Law Project, which is backed by many of the country’s major labor unions. “But the Trump administration’s agenda is fundamentally at odds with these principles, threatening to roll back workplace protections, undermine collective bargaining, and prioritize corporate profits over the needs of working people. This is where her true commitment to workers will be tested.” Other union leaders also issued praise but sounded a note of caution. “Educators and working families across the nation will be watching ... as she moves through the confirmation process,” the president of the National Education Association, Becky Pringle, said, “and hope to hear a pledge from her to continue to stand up for workers and students as her record suggests, not blind loyalty to the Project 2025 agenda.” AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler welcomed the choice while taking care to note Trump’s history of opposing polices that support unions. “It remains to be seen what she will be permitted to do as secretary of labor in an administration with a dramatically anti-worker agenda,” Shuler said. Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox!
Richest country in Europe has more money than UK and Spain combinedBuilding Technology and Ideas Ltd (bti) and The Daily Star honoured two exemplary women for their exemplary contributions to nation-building as part of the "bti The Daily Star Stellar Women" initiative at an informal event recently. The event took place at bti Celebration Point, Gulshan-2 in the capital. The awardees were Nomrota Sarker and Mouri Morium. Nomrota received the award for her unique idea of "Saus Taus" in the "Entrepreneur" category, while Mouri received it the award in the "Writer" category for her book "Naiori". Emerging young women from a all walks of life need to be recognised and celebrated for their contributions to society. It is from this idea that bti and The Daily Star first collaborated in 2023 for the "bti The Daily Star Stellar Women". This year, the first two awards for the second season where given to Nomrota and Mouri recently. Additionally, some of the categories this year are completely new -- a concept that will be adopted every year moving forward, with an aim to recognise women who have been working hard in their respective fields, but have yet to receive their deserved recognition. Currently, registrations and nominations for the following categories are ongoing: "Marketing Professional", "Sports", "Architect (Residential & Commercial)", "Art & Culture", "Engineering (Construction, Structure, Water Resource & MEP)", "Bank & Financial Institute", "Healthcare", "Environment", and "Agriculture". bti Managing Director FR Khan, Head of Sales and Marketing at The Daily Star Imran Kadir, and Ayesha Siddiqua, Executive Director of Brand and Communication Management at bti, were present at the ceremony amongst others. Building Technology and Ideas Ltd (bti) and The Daily Star honoured two exemplary women for their exemplary contributions to nation-building as part of the "bti The Daily Star Stellar Women" initiative at an informal event recently. The event took place at bti Celebration Point, Gulshan-2 in the capital. The awardees were Nomrota Sarker and Mouri Morium. Nomrota received the award for her unique idea of "Saus Taus" in the "Entrepreneur" category, while Mouri received it the award in the "Writer" category for her book "Naiori". Emerging young women from a all walks of life need to be recognised and celebrated for their contributions to society. It is from this idea that bti and The Daily Star first collaborated in 2023 for the "bti The Daily Star Stellar Women". This year, the first two awards for the second season where given to Nomrota and Mouri recently. Additionally, some of the categories this year are completely new -- a concept that will be adopted every year moving forward, with an aim to recognise women who have been working hard in their respective fields, but have yet to receive their deserved recognition. Currently, registrations and nominations for the following categories are ongoing: "Marketing Professional", "Sports", "Architect (Residential & Commercial)", "Art & Culture", "Engineering (Construction, Structure, Water Resource & MEP)", "Bank & Financial Institute", "Healthcare", "Environment", and "Agriculture". bti Managing Director FR Khan, Head of Sales and Marketing at The Daily Star Imran Kadir, and Ayesha Siddiqua, Executive Director of Brand and Communication Management at bti, were present at the ceremony amongst others.
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