AP Business SummaryBrief at 1:04 p.m. EST
As Americans are beyond burned out, Tricia Hersey’s Nap Ministry preaches the right to restSir Keir Starmer was speaking at the Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF) conference in Estonia where he met leaders of other Baltic states. After signing an energy partnership with Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store in Bergen, Sir Keir flew to Estonia where he spoke alongside Mr Store and their Estonian counterpart Kristen Michal. Asked what else could be done to support Ukraine, Sir Keir said: “There is an ever-increasing demand for more capability. That is understandable, and Ukraine needs all the capability that it can get, so I think all of us have put in more capability into Ukraine by way of equipment.” He added: “A lot of money has been raised, funding has been raised, but more is going to be needed.” The Prime Minister’s also discussed making the economic case at home for continued support for Ukraine. Sir Keir said: “Making the case on the significance of Ukraine, making the case, to double down, linking it back to each of our countries – what does it mean for us if Russia succeeds, is a really important question that we have to answer with our people to make it clear why it is that we are so supportive of Ukraine, why it is that we must stand with our allies on this, why it is we must make sure that Nato is put in the strongest position as well. “Now, this is a different world to the world of 10, 20 years ago, to recognise the world that we are living in, there’s a positive case as well to be made. “Defence spending doesn’t sort of sit in a silo over here with no effect on the rest of the economy, no effect on technology. “It has a huge effect on technologies, the cutting edge of technology and change which can then be used in other areas. “It binds countries together. I think all of us have got joint projects on in terms of defence capabilities that bind us together. There’s a huge number of well-paid jobs that are very important to our economy in defence spending as well. “But we have to make that positive case. I don’t personally feel that we can sort of sit back and assume that all of those in our respective countries necessarily accept all of our arguments unless we make them in that positive way, which I do think the argument can and should and must be made. “But the challenge that you put to us is the right challenge, which is it’s very difficult when finances are tight, as they are in all of our countries.” On Tuesday morning the Prime Minister will meet Taavi Madiberk, the founder of Estonian tech start-up manufacturing low-cost air defence missiles, Frankenburg Technologies, which is planning to open a new office in London Specialising in the manufacture of the missiles, the rapidly growing company already collaborates closely with the UK defence industry, sourcing a significant portion of its subsystems locally, including from propulsion specialists Roxel in Worcestershire. The Prime Minister will again attend the JEF summit, joining leaders from the Nordics and Baltics to discuss support for Ukraine, the sustained threat posed by Russia and wider European security. He will then visit British forces serving in the region to deter malign Russian threats.
NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec 28, 2024-- Halper Sadeh LLC, an investor rights law firm, is investigating whether the sale of The First of Long Island Corporation (NASDAQ: FLIC) to ConnectOne Bancorp, Inc. for 0.5175 shares of ConnectOne common stock for each share of Long Island common stock is fair to Long Island shareholders. Halper Sadeh encourages Long Island shareholders to click here to learn more about their legal rights and options or contact Daniel Sadeh or Zachary Halper at (212) 763-0060 or sadeh@halpersadeh.com or zhalper@halpersadeh.com . The investigation concerns whether Long Island and its board of directors violated the federal securities laws and/or breached their fiduciary duties to shareholders by failing to, among other things: (1) obtain the best possible consideration for Long Island shareholders; (2) determine whether ConnectOne is underpaying for Long Island; and (3) disclose all material information necessary for Long Island shareholders to adequately assess and value the merger consideration. On behalf of Long Island shareholders, Halper Sadeh LLC may seek increased consideration for shareholders, additional disclosures and information concerning the proposed transaction, or other relief and benefits. We would handle the action on a contingent fee basis, whereby you would not be responsible for out-of-pocket payment of our legal fees or expenses. Halper Sadeh LLC represents investors all over the world who have fallen victim to securities fraud and corporate misconduct. Our attorneys have been instrumental in implementing corporate reforms and recovering millions of dollars on behalf of defrauded investors. Attorney Advertising. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. View source version on businesswire.com : https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241228082025/en/ CONTACT: Halper Sadeh LLC Daniel Sadeh, Esq. Zachary Halper, Esq. (212) 763-0060 sadeh@halpersadeh.com zhalper@halpersadeh.com https://www.halpersadeh.com KEYWORD: NEW YORK UNITED STATES NORTH AMERICA INDUSTRY KEYWORD: CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT PROFESSIONAL SERVICES LEGAL SOURCE: Halper Sadeh LLC Copyright Business Wire 2024. PUB: 12/28/2024 01:29 PM/DISC: 12/28/2024 01:29 PM http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241228082025/en
How LED Desk Lamps Can Improve Work and Studies Efficiently
( MENAFN - PR Newswire) SINGAPORE, Dec. 16, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- As bitcoin surpassed the $100,000 mark on December 5, 2024, this landmark year for the crypto industry is closing on a high note. It has also been a fruitful year for HTX Ventures, the global investment division of HTX, which supported a total of 28 leading crypto projects and funds, continually exploring new frontiers of crypto utility. Recently, HTX Ventures released its 2024 Year In Review , highlighting this year's key developments in the crypto industry and forecasting market trends for the upcoming year. Within this report, HTX Ventures highlighted five key sectors that showed encouraging progress in 2024 – the Bitcoin Ecosystem, Infrastructure, Meme Coins, AI, and the TON Ecosystem – and will continue to closely monitor these areas in 2025. Bitcoin Ecosystem With Bitcoin dominance reaching 56.81% and Bitcoin spot ETFs now accounting for 5.3% of the total Bitcoin supply, a new market trend has emerged. Bitcoin has solidified its position as the core asset, with spot ETFs acting as liquidity channels, and U.S. listed companies such as MicroStrategy (MSTR) serving as the vehicles to absorb unlimited dollar liquidity. As a result, it is increasingly essential to further develop Bitcoin's ecosystem and enhance capital utilization efficiency. It has driven infrastructure projects, including Layer 2s, execution layers, interoperability solutions and security layers, to continuously emerge. With strong support from macro markets and infrastructure support, HTX Ventures anticipates a further surge in Bitcoin demand over the next two years. Infrastructure Infrastructure remained a cornerstone in this year's crypto investments and funding. The synergy between capital and technology has driven the rapid development of Layer 1, Layer 2, and middleware projects, among others. Through ongoing upgrades and construction, the Ethereum ecosystem has improved Layer 2s' performance and reduced network fees. Other Layer 1s, such as Solana and TRON, achieved active on-chain transactions, attributable to the development of meme coins, and infrastructure like Pump and Sunpump. Layer 0 and cross-chain middleware have made breakthroughs in interoperability, expanding the multi-chain landscape. Modular public blockchains, like Celestia and Monad, offered exceptional performance and flexibility, thus attracting diverse applications. Restaking projects, which aim to enhance network security and capital efficiency, has seen speedy development and gained market attention. Bitcoin Layer 2 has emerged as a new focus in the primary market for its attempt to combine Bitcoin's security with high-performance scaling solutions. As HTX Ventures stated, infrastructure is still imperative in this year's crypto investments and funding. Layer 1 solutions, in particular, now represent the focal point of technical development and exploration within the crypto space, and it is expected to remain a priority for development resources and capital investment in the future. Meme Coins The Meme coin sector emerged as a hotspot in the crypto market in 2024, fostering community consensus while integrating with fields like DeFi and GameFi to create new use cases. For example, Solana has actively championed the innovation and growth of meme projects, successfully energizing its ecosystem. As the crypto market environment grows increasingly favorable, more retail investors are expected to enter the market, positioning Meme projects as vital channels for capital inflows. The Meme coin fair launch sector has gained significant market attention and attracted substantial participants this year. Infrastructure projects such as Pump and SunPump have emerged as top-performing cash flow generators, injecting fresh momentum into Meme coin development. As multi-chain ecosystems mature and real-world use cases expand, Meme coin infrastructure will continue injecting more vitality into this sector. AI In 2024, the intersection of Crypto and AI sector has been driving the exploration of several segmented fields such as ZK/OPML for enabling AI on-chain, AI data crowdsourcing, decentralized computing power rental, AI data trading, AI games, and AI agents. One of the hottest segmented fields is AI agents, which are put on chains to take advantage of the token mechanism to incentivise and bootstrap certain behaviors with the agents, including interacting with smart contracts, trading and querying on behalf of users. In the future, AI agents will gradually become personal butlers and assistants for users, serving them with comprehensive capabilities, such as independent asset issuance, initiation of viral marketing campaigns, formation of DAOs, and even fund management and investment decision-making. Over time, they may develop unique cultures and religions. This deep integration of AI and encryption technology is a groundbreaking evolution that is unattainable within Web2 and cannot be achieved by Web3 relying solely on encryption technology. TON Ecosystem Attributable to Telegram's hundreds of millions of users and robust technical support, the TON (The Open Network) ecosystem has progressively developed into a multi-layered blockchain ecosystem. In 2024, it experienced a full-scale boom in its ecosystem and market presence. From DeFi and meme coins to NFTs and gaming, TON leveraged its massive user base to achieve significant milestones in various fields, pioneering the monetization of Web2 social applications through crypto. One standout success was the adoption of "tap-to-earn" games with token airdrop incentives, which effectively onboarded a large number of Web2 users. However, as the TON ecosystem moves into 2025, it must explore and find new business models to improve user retention and identify its next growth curve. 2025 Outlook Donald Trump's expected repeal of SAB 121 after his inauguration on January 20, 2025, would allow traditional financial institutions to hold crypto assets on their balance sheets, further accelerating the institutionalization of crypto assets. The repeal will not only open up more financing options for crypto but also make spot cryptos more accessible through existing institutional exchanges and partnerships. At the same time, this regulatory easing is poised to enhance the overall maturity of the institutional crypto market. With the entry of traditional financial institutions, Bitcoin is anticipated to gain stronger support and gradually establish itself as a core dollar-denominated asset, alongside others tied to the dollar industry cycles, such as AI. HTX Ventures points out that the market is still far from its bull market peak. Against the backdrop of Trump's fiscal expansion policies and unprecedented crypto-friendly signals, a robust bull market is expected. To learn more, please visit: About HTX Ventures HTX Ventures, the global investment division of HTX, integrates investment, incubation, and research to identify the best and brightest teams worldwide. With more than a decade-long history as an industry pioneer, HTX Ventures excels at identifying cutting-edge technologies and emerging business models within the sector. To foster growth within the blockchain ecosystem, we provide comprehensive support to projects, including financing, resources, and strategic advice. HTX Ventures currently backs over 300 projects spanning multiple blockchain sectors, with select high-quality initiatives already trading on the HTX exchange. Furthermore, as one of the most active Fund of Funds ("FOF") investors, HTX Ventures invests in 30 top global funds and collaborates with leading blockchain funds such as Polychain, Dragonfly, Bankless, Gitcoin, Figment, Nomad, Animoca, and Hack VC to jointly build a blockchain ecosystem. Visit us here. Feel free to contact us for investment and collaboration at [email protected] Contact Details Ruder Finn Asia [email protected] SOURCE HTX Ventures MENAFN16122024003732001241ID1109000078 Legal Disclaimer: MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. 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DALLAS (AP) — More than 60 years after President John F. Kennedy was assassinated , conspiracy theories still swirl and any new glimpse into the fateful day of Nov. 22, 1963, in Dallas continues to fascinate . President-elect Donald Trump promised during his reelection campaign that he would declassify all of the remaining government records surrounding the assassination if he returned to office. He made a similar pledge during his first term, but ultimately bended to appeals from the CIA and FBI to keep some documents withheld. At this point, only a few thousand of the millions of governmental records related to the assassination have yet to be fully released, and those who have studied the records released so far say that even if the remaining files are declassified, the public shouldn't anticipate any earth-shattering revelations. “Anybody waiting for a smoking gun that’s going to turn this case upside down will be sorely disappointed,” said Gerald Posner, author of “Case Closed,” which concludes that assassin Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone. Friday's 61st anniversary is expected to be marked with a moment of silence at 12:30 p.m. in Dealey Plaza, where Kennedy's motorcade was passing through when he was fatally shot. And throughout this week there have been events marking the anniversary. When Air Force One carrying Kennedy and first lady Jacqueline Kennedy touched down in Dallas , they were greeted by a clear sky and enthusiastic crowds. With a reelection campaign on the horizon the next year, they had gone to Texas on political fence-mending trip. But as the motorcade was finishing its parade route downtown, shots rang out from the Texas School Book Depository building. Police arrested 24-year-old Oswald and, two days later, nightclub owner Jack Ruby fatally shot Oswald during a jail transfer. A year after the assassination, the Warren Commission, which President Lyndon B. Johnson established to investigate the assassination, concluded that Oswald acted alone and there was no evidence of a conspiracy. But that hasn't quelled a web of alternative theories over the decades. In the early 1990s, the federal government mandated that all assassination-related documents be housed in a single collection in the National Archives and Records Administration. The collection of over 5 million records was required to be opened by 2017, barring any exemptions designated by the president. Trump, who took office for his first term in 2017, had boasted that he'd allow the release of all of the remaining records but ended up holding some back because of what he called the potential harm to national security. And while files have continued to be released during President Joe Biden's administration, some still remain unseen. The documents released over the last few years offer details on the way intelligence services operated at the time, and include CIA cables and memos discussing visits by Oswald to the Soviet and Cuban embassies during a trip to Mexico City just weeks before the assassination. The former Marine had previously defected to the Soviet Union before returning home to Texas. Mark S. Zaid, a national security attorney in Washington, said what's been released so far has contributed to the understanding of the time period, giving “a great picture” of what was happening during the Cold War and the activities of the CIA. Posner estimates that there are still about 3,000 to 4,000 documents in the collection that haven’t yet been fully released. Of those documents, some are still completely redacted while others just have small redactions, like someone's Social Security number. There are about 500 documents where all the information is redacted, Posner said, and those include Oswald's and Ruby’s tax returns. “If you have been following it, as I have and others have, you sort of are zeroed in on the pages you think might provide some additional information for history,” Posner said. Trump's transition team hasn’t responded to questions this week about his plans when he takes office. From the start, there were those who believed there had to be more to the story than just Oswald acting alone, said Stephen Fagin, curator of the Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza, which tells the story of the assassination from the building where Oswald made his sniper's perch. “People want to make sense of this and they want to find the solution that fits the crime," said Fagin, who said that while there are lingering questions, law enforcement made “a pretty compelling case” against Oswald. Larry J. Sabato, director of the University of Virginia Center for Politics, said his interest in the assassination dates back to the event itself, when he was a child. “It just seemed so fantastical that one very disturbed individual could end up pulling off the crime of the century," Sabato said. “But the more I studied it, the more I realized that is a very possible, maybe even probable in my view, hypothesis.”
TAMPA, Fla. — Pinellas County Commission Chairperson Kathleen Peters sent a two-page letter to the Tampa Bay Rays on Monday asking the team to put in writing whether it intends to move forward on a $1.3 billion stadium voted on in July or provide a notice of termination by Sunday. “I am requesting that you officially declare your intention regarding this Agreement and whether you intend to see it come to fruition,” Peters wrote. Peters sent the letter to team presidents Brian Auld and Matt Silverman Monday morning. They had written a letter last week that arrived two hours before the County Commission met to consider final approval of bonds to finance the county’s share of the stadium. Auld and Silverman wrote that the Rays cannot move forward with a stadium deal under the current terms and the team stands “ready to work on a new solution” in Tampa Bay. A spokesperson for the Rays did not immediately respond to a phone call and text message requesting comment. Peters told the Tampa Bay Times she alone worked on the letter over the past few days with Assistant County Attorney Don Crowell. Due to Florida’s public meeting laws, Peters cannot communicate with other commissioners regarding items that would go before the board. She said she and County Administrator Barry Burton “talked extensively” about what was in the letter. “They’re doing a lot of verbal statements and no one really knows what the true intent of those statements are,” Peters said, referring to the Rays. “If (team officials) put in writing they want out of the contract, the deal’s dead. It’s not dead on our side or on the city’s side.” Asked what would happen if the Rays do not give an answer by Sunday, Peters said she’ll discuss what’s next with Crowell and Burton. In a text message to the Times, Pinellas commissioner Chris Latvala said he agreed with the letter “100%.” “The County hasn’t done anything to violate the deal,” said Latvala, who in October initiated the delay the final vote on the bonds then. The commission went on to vote 6-1 last week to delay issuing bonds to provide the county share — $312.5 million — paid for with hotel and short-term rental taxes. The commission is scheduled to vote on the bonds Dec. 17. “The county can be in a position to offer its bonds for sale pursuant to the agreement weeks (and potentially months) before the Rays’s deadline to meet its conditions precedent to such offering,” Peters wrote. Auld spoke publicly Thursday at a St. Petersburg City Council meeting, where that board was scheduled to vote on bonds to finance its share of stadium costs, as well as funding for roads and sewers in the surrounding Historic Gas Plant District. Auld was asked by a reporter if a deal is still on the table, and he replied, “No, there is not.” The City Council also voted 5-2 to delay bonds until no later than Jan. 9. At that meeting, City Administrator Rob Gerdes also asked for a written notice of termination from the Rays. “Based on the comments that were made by Mr. Auld tonight, I think the respectable thing (for the Rays) to do would be to deliver us a written notice of termination,” Gerdes said Thursday. In Monday’s letter, Peters lambasted Auld and Silverman for making a “fallacious statement” regarding it being “clear” that a “2029 ballpark delivery would result in significantly higher costs that we are not able to absorb alone.” Peters said that, per the agreement, the Rays are responsible for all cost overruns and the agreement cannot be terminated by the city and county unless the stadium project is not completed by Feb. 1, 2030. “Pinellas County has operated in good faith, working toward the stadium deal while balancing the needs of our community after back-to-back hurricanes,” Peters wrote. “If the Rays want out of this agreement, it is your right to terminate the contract. Clear communication about your intentions will be critical to the next steps in this partnership.” ©2024 Tampa Bay Times. Visit tampabay.com . Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.NORMAN, Okla. (AP) — Oklahoma appears to have borrowed from the past to cure its recent offensive ills. The Sooners , best known this century for a passing prowess that has produced four Heisman Trophy-winning quarterbacks, took it back to the 20th century against then-No. 7 Alabama. Oklahoma ran 50 times for 257 yards while only throwing 12 times in a 24-3 win over the Crimson Tide that took coach Brent Venables off the hot seat. The Sooners more resembled Barry Switzer’s squads that dominated the old Big 8 with the wishbone offense in the 1970s and ’80s than the more recent Air Raid teams. Venables said the change was a matter of necessity for a unit that has been besieged by injuries at receiver and offensive line. “I think this staff has done a really good job with trying to figure that out, get better every week, put together a great gameplan but also figure out, ‘OK, what does this group of guys, what does this team — what do we need to do?'” Venables said. To make it work, Oklahoma needed to trust that such a change would work in the modern Southeastern Conference. They had to implement it with an interim play-caller in Joe Jon Finley, who stepped in after the Sooners fired Seth Littrell last month. Oklahoma (6-5, 2-5 SEC) pulled it off, and LSU coach Brian Kelly has taken notice ahead of their game on Saturday. “This is now much more about controlling the football, running the football, playing with physicality," Kelly said. "They've got perimeter skill, but I think it's centered around much more of a run-centric, quarterback run and take care of the football." The Sooners started to see success on the ground against Maine. They ran 52 times for 381 yards in a 59-14 win that got the wheels turning. Jovantae Barnes ran for career highs of 203 yards and three touchdowns that day. Venables said the timing of the opportunity to play that non-conference game against Maine in early November and figure some things out was perfect. “Everybody has some degree of vulnerability and maybe some self-doubt,” he said. “And just developing some confidence and putting something on tape other than practice, like, ‘Man, look, see what you’re capable of?’ And executing against, again, a well-coached team — certainly, we played off of that in all the right ways like you would expect us to. And so there’s a real place for that.” After a bye week, the Sooners tried the same approach against Missouri. It wasn't as successful — they ran 36 times for 122 yards — but they hung tough before losing 30-23 . The Sooners went all in against Alabama. Jackson Arnold — the same guy who threw 45 times in the Alamo Bowl last year, ran 25 times for 131 yards and threw just 11 passes. The Sooners found something in running back Xavier Robinson. With Barnes out with an injury, Robinson carried 18 times for career highs of 107 yards and two touchdowns. Suddenly, a team that had been forcing the pass and getting sacked at an alarming rate was moving the line of scrimmage and controlling the tempo. Oklahoma had the ball for more than 34 minutes against the Crimson Tide, lending support to a talented defense that had been spending way too much time on the field. The new approach could be helpful on Saturday — LSU (7-4, 4-3) ranks 14th out of 16 conference teams against the run. Venables said the Sooners still need to throw the ball well to win, but he's glad to know his squad can run with force when necessary. “I think that’s the art of having a system that’s adjustable, flexible, adaptable, week in and week out, but also has an identity — toughness, physicality," he said. "You’ve got to be able to run the ball at every level of football, but you do have to throw it. You can’t just do one thing. But we need to be efficient.” Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here . AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football
Barcelona transfer news: Catalan giants 'secure deal' for in-demand centre-back as two players 'move towards exit door'
Northwestern hopes hot streak continues vs. Northeastern
and exchanged words on social media after Al Nassr's 3-1 victory over Al Gharafa in the . The win, which saw score twice, caught the attention of who wasted no time in offering his congratulations. CR7's witty reply to Elon Musk After the match, , 39, took to X to share images from his team's triumph, writing: The post quickly garnered attention, racking up over . , a frequent user of the platform and the owner of X, responded with a brief but warm: However, response was far from typical. Nearly 20 hours later, he replied to with a playful remark: The message, which included a flexing biceps emoji and a grinning face emoji, seemed to reflect lighthearted approach to the exchange. Al Nassr side had been under pressure after their recent loss to Al Qadisiyah in the Saudi Pro League, a setback that ended their unbeaten domestic record this season. Despite the challenges, this victory in the secured their spot in the knockout stages with three games to spare, offering a much-needed morale boost for the team. Al Nassr currently sits third in the , six points behind leaders Al Hilal. While their domestic form has been inconsistent, the result stands as a reminder of their potential. , in particular, has been a key figure for the team, as shown by his two goals in the win. quick response to post comes shortly after a controversial weekend on X, where the billionaire made headlines for mocking and joking about potentially buying the channel. While posts often blur the line between jest and serious commentary, his exchange with stood out as a rare moment of light-hearted interaction on the platform.The year 2025 will be another year of multiple challenges for Greece and Europe in a world where inequalities are spreading, uncertainty is multiplied, and the quality of democracy is downgraded, PASOK-Movement for Change (KINAL) leader Nikos Androulakis said in an article published Sunday in the newspaper "Sto Karfi". Androulakis said what is needed is a strong progressive voice that will represent effectively the world of labor, the most vulnerable, and the middle class. "A strong progressive voice before a government mired in arrogance and corruption, that disregards the problems of citizens," he wrote, adding that "the Greek people can rely on PASOK again for the great political change the country needs." As main opposition party, he said, PASOK "has shown another way of exercising policy. In its core lies the quest for processed solutions, progressive ones, for the problems of the Greek people." In order for ruling New Democracy to be defeated, another type of opposition must exist that can be effective and substantial, the main opposition leader said. "Behind every strong criticism of ours of government policies, there is always another progressive alternative we propose; a solution that the government initially tries to discredit, but it then realizes its value and appropriates it with public relation terms. In reality however, nothing changes fast in citizens' lives because its choices lack depth and a comprehensive plan," Androulakis wrote.
Poway Unified illegally paid for bond campaign mailers 5 years ago, state watchdog says
Winter break is coming quickly for Fort Worth students. Most students in traditional public schools and charter schools in Fort Worth start their holiday breaks after Dec. 19. Many schools resume shortly after New Year’s Day. Here’s when students are scheduled to be off: Dec. 19-Jan. 7: Rocketship Public Schools White Settlement ISD Dec. 20-Jan. 6: Texas Can Academies Lake Worth ISD Richard Milburn Academy Get essential daily news for the Fort Worth area. Sign up for insightful, in-depth stories — completely free. Dec. 20-Jan. 7: Aledo ISD Fort Worth ISD Northwest ISD Dec. 23-Jan. 3: Basis Benbrook Dec. 23-Jan. 6: Burleson ISD Castleberry ISD Eagle Mountain-Saginaw ISD Harmony Public Schools HEB ISD Ignite Community School International Leadership of Texas Keller ISD Uplift Education Dec. 23-Jan. 7: Crowley ISD Everman ISD Great Hearts Academies IDEA Public Schools Newman International Academy Texas Center for Arts and Academics (Fort Worth Academy of Fine Arts and Texas School of the Arts) Trinity Basin Preparatory Jacob Sanchez is a senior education reporter for the Fort Worth Report. Contact him at jacob.sanchez@fortworthreport.org or @_jacob_sanchez . At the Fort Worth Report, news decisions are made independently of our board members and financial supporters. Read more about our editorial independence policy here . Your support makes TWICE the impact today. As November draws to a close , time is running out to double your impact. Thanks to the generosity of the Nicholas Martin Jr. Family Foundation, every dollar you give will be matched—up to $15,000. Will you give today to help trusted, local reporting thrive in Fort Worth and Tarrant County? Related Fort Worth Report is certified by the Journalism Trust Initiative for adhering to standards for ethical journalism . Republish This Story Republishing is free for noncommercial entities. Commercial entities are prohibited without a licensing agreement. Contact us for details. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License . Look for the "Republish This Story" button underneath each story. To republish online, simply click the button, copy the html code and paste into your Content Management System (CMS). Do not copy stories straight from the front-end of our web-site. You are required to follow the guidelines and use the republication tool when you share our content. The republication tool generates the appropriate html code. You can’t edit our stories, except to reflect relative changes in time, location and editorial style. You can’t sell or syndicate our stories. Any web site our stories appear on must include a contact for your organization. If you use our stories in any other medium — for example, newsletters or other email campaigns — you must make it clear that the stories are from the Fort Worth Report. In all emails, link directly to the story at fortworthreport.org and not to your website. If you share our stories on social media, please tag us in your posts using @FortWorthReport on Facebook and @FortWorthReport on Twitter. You have to credit Fort Worth Report. Please use “Author Name, Fort Worth Report” in the byline. If you’re not able to add the byline, please include a line at the top of the story that reads: “This story was originally published by Fort Worth Report” and include our website, fortworthreport.org . You can’t edit our stories, except to reflect relative changes in time, location and editorial style. Our stories may appear on pages with ads, but not ads specifically sold against our stories. You can’t sell or syndicate our stories. You can only publish select stories individually — not as a collection. Any web site our stories appear on must include a contact for your organization. If you share our stories on social media, please tag us in your posts using @FortWorthReport on Facebook and @FortWorthReport on Twitter. by Jacob Sanchez, Fort Worth Report November 25, 2024
Giants, Raiders Among NFL Teams Scouting Cam Ward at 2024 Pop-Tarts BowlThe distributor for has sued its marketing partner on the horror fan-favorite for fraud and breach of contract. Bob Yari’s Magenta Light Productions, in a filed on Tuesday in Los Angeles Superior Court that seeks at least $10 million, accuses Spellbinder of failing to contribute its half of the $2 million marketing spend for the film. It also claims that the company kept some of the funds and bought social media followers and views on various platforms to create the appearance of a successful marketing campaign. , a nonlinear serial killer thriller, premiered in August on over 1,100 screens across the U.S. It made $1.1 million its opening weekend, significantly below box office expectations for its media campaign, reviews and broad theatrical release. Miramax financed the film, which has grossed roughly $3 million, on a budget of at least $4 million. After acquiring distribution rights to the film, Magenta approached Global Pictures Media, a now-defunct company that specializes in financing theatrical release of films, to fund P&A (prints and advertising) for the movie only to be told that the firm shut down and that its principals were raising capital to launch Spellbinder, the complaint says. They agreed to evenly split $2 million in marketing spend, with Magenta wiring Spellbinder the funds to start the campaign. The lawsuit claims that Spellbinder in June failed to deliver a contractually obligated dashboard providing live updates on media spend and throttled back the campaign, which led Magenta to request invoices to confirm spending up to that date. Later that month, the distributor learned that Spellbinder brought in Myosin, another marketing agency, to assist. In July, Magenta was told that the media purchases laid out in the contract had not yet been negotiated or purchased in breach of the deal, the lawsuit says. Spellbinder allegedly said that it required more funds despite it being responsible for half of the costs. The lawsuit claims that Myosin, which is named in the complaint, commingled funds with Spellbinder. The ownership of the two companies are “identical,” states the lawsuit, which alleges that they “operate as a single entity and identify themselves separately only for purposes of evading liability.” Sean Clayton, who didn’t respond to requests for comment, is a founder of both companies, according to the complaint. Magenta also claims that Spellbinder purchased followers on Instagram to make it appear that it had enacted a successful marketing campaign. The platform flagged nearly 25,000 of the movie’s 27,000 followers as likely being bots, according to the complaint. “Further, it appears that Spellbinder purchased views of videos posted to Plaintiff’s YouTube account,” the lawsuit states. “These videos have a high number of views but extremely limited engagement, which suggests that the views are not genuine. The few comments on these YouTube videos also appear to have been generated by bots. Additionally, despite gaining millions of views on the top videos posted to the account, the account itself has generated less than 500 subscribers.” Magenta, Spellbinder and Myosin didn’t respond to requests for comment. THR Newsletters Sign up for THR news straight to your inbox every day More from The Hollywood Reporter
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