Disney begins largest wave of layoffs, targeting thousands at ESPN, Parks, and other divisions

Published Mon, 16 Dec 2024 08:31:55 GMT

Disney begins largest wave of layoffs, targeting thousands at ESPN, Parks, and other divisions (CNN) — Disney is laying off several thousand workers across the company this week in the second and largest wave of cuts as part of the media giant’s previously announced plan to slash its workforce by 7,000 employees.The latest round of job cuts will impact ESPN, Disney’s entertainment division, Disney Parks, and its Experiences and Product division as part of a larger workforce reduction plan announced in February by chief executive Bob Iger in an aim to save $5.5 billion in costs, the company said. The company had suspended its dividend payments during the pandemic, but Iger announced in February that he expects them to return.The cuts this week are expected to take place Monday through Thursday, affecting employees from coast to coast, Disney said. The latest round of layoffs comes after an initial wave last month, and will bring the total number of jobs lost across the company to 4,000, it said. The layoffs, however, are not expected to affect ...

Fatal Apple store crash driver pleads not guilty

Published Mon, 16 Dec 2024 08:31:55 GMT

Fatal Apple store crash driver pleads not guilty The driver of an SUV that crashed into a Massachusetts Apple store, killing one man and injuring nearly two dozen other people, was traveling as fast as 60 miles per hour (96 kilometers per hour) in the seconds before the crash and did not apply his brakes as he had told investigators, a prosecutor said in court Monday.Bradley Rein, 53, pleaded not guilty in Superior Court in Brockton to charges including second-degree murder and 22 counts of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon in connection with the Nov. 21 crash at an outdoor shopping plaza in Hingham, just south of Boston.Kevin Bradley, 65, of Wayne, New Jersey, who was doing construction work at the store, died when he was struck by Rein’s 2019 Toyota 4Runner, prosecutors said. The other 22 victims were either struck by the SUV or by debris.Rein’s vehicle “accelerated to a high speed … before it veered to the left, drove up onto the sidewalk and then crashed through the glass door of the Apple sto...

Jets re-sign center C Connor McGovern

Published Mon, 16 Dec 2024 08:31:55 GMT

Jets re-sign center C Connor McGovern Less than a week before the 2023 NFL Draft, and more than a month after the start of free agency, the Jets had a glaring need at their starting center position.That was until Monday morning when Gang Green decided to bring back a familiar face by re-signing incumbent starter Connor McGovern. Terms of McGovern’s contract were not disclosed.Last season, 11 different players started on the Jets’ offensive line during the 2022 season. McGovern was the only one of them to start in all 17 games for the club.McGovern was originally a fifth-round pick of the Broncos in 2016, coming out of Missouri. He played four seasons in Denver before signing with the Jets in 2020.During his three seasons with the Jets, McGovern has played 3,055 offensive snaps (2020-22), the most on the team in that span and 32nd most in the NFL. Last season, according to Pro Football Focus, McGovern allowed five sacks and committed four penalties as he finished with a 69.6 grade.At the NFL Annual Meetings l...

MUST-WATCH: We’re all afraid for Beau

Published Mon, 16 Dec 2024 08:31:55 GMT

MUST-WATCH: We’re all afraid for Beau The latest nightmare from Ari Aster has entered the MUST-WATCH Top 10! But will Beau’s fear take the top spot, or could it go to a remake of a Canadian classic? Perhaps a documentary about a beloved and controversial literary icon? You’ll have to keep reading to find out!Dead RingersWhere to watch: Prime VideoFirst up this week, a modern take on a Canadian classic!Rachel Weisz in Dead Ringers, courtesy of Amazon Studios.Dead Ringers is a tv remake of a film with the same name by David Cronenberg (who also directed Videodrome, a History of Violence, and Crimes of the Future). Rachel Weisz (from the Favourite and the Mummy) takes over the dual roles played by Jeremy Irons in the original. She plays a pair of twin doctors who run a fertility clinic. But when dealing with a new client, tensions grow between the sisters. And those tensions may bleed over into their work. This show also stars Michael Chernus (from Orange is the New Black), Poppy Liu (from Sunnyside), and Britn...

Tucker Carlson out at Fox News

Published Mon, 16 Dec 2024 08:31:55 GMT

Tucker Carlson out at Fox News Tucker Carlson is out at Fox News.A statement from Fox News Media says the network and their top-rated primetime host have agreed to part ways.“FOX News Media and Tucker Carlson have agreed to part ways,” reads the statement. “We thank him for his service to the network as a host and prior to that as a contributor.”Carlson’s final show on the network was on Friday. He started as a contributor at Fox News in 2009 and began hosting Tucker Carlson Tonight in 2016.The network says they will replace Carlson’s show with Fox News Tonight.Fox News recently agreed to pay nearly $800 million to settle a lawsuit over its airing of 2020 election lies. The lawsuit partly centered around talking points Carlson made on his show about alleged election interference.More to come.  

Ex-UN Secretary-General Ban makes surprise visit to Myanmar

Published Mon, 16 Dec 2024 08:31:55 GMT

Ex-UN Secretary-General Ban makes surprise visit to Myanmar BANGKOK (AP) — Former U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has made a surprise visit to military-run Myanmar on behalf of a group of elder statesmen that engages in peace-making and human rights initiatives around the world, local media and a South Korean diplomat said Monday.State television MRTV reported Monday night that Ban, deputy chair of The Elders, met in the capital, Naypyitaw, with top leader Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing. It said they exchanged views on the situation in Myanmar in a friendly, positive and open discussion. It did not report details of the meeting, which it said was also attended by the ministers of defense and foreign affairs.It said Ban arrived with a small delegation on Sunday and was greeted by the deputy ministers of defense and foreign affairs. It said Ban’s party departed Monday after the meetings. The visit by Ban, a former South Korean foreign minister, appeared certain to have focused on Myanmar’s ongoing political crisis.“This visit by Mr...

Police say 5 wounded in ramming attack near Jerusalem market

Published Mon, 16 Dec 2024 08:31:55 GMT

Police say 5 wounded in ramming attack near Jerusalem market JERUSALEM (AP) — A car ramming attack Monday near a popular Jerusalem market wounded five people and the driver was shot and killed, Israeli police said, as the country was set to memorialize its fallen soldiers. The statement said the driver of the car was shot and killed at the scene near the bustling, open-air Mahane Yehuda market. A 70-year-old man was in serious condition, police said. It was the latest bloodshed in a yearlong wave of near-daily violence that has gripped the region.The Magen David Adom medical service said five injured people in Jerusalem were transferred from the scene of the car ramming to a hospital. Israeli media identified the attacker as Hatem Nejima, 39, a married father of five from east Jerusalem, who may have suffered from mental illness.The violence came as Israel was set to mark its Memorial Day for fallen soldiers and victims of militant attacks, beginning at sundown Monday, followed by its 75th Independence Day the following evening. Israel was se...

Supreme Court takes social media cases with echoes of Trump

Published Mon, 16 Dec 2024 08:31:55 GMT

Supreme Court takes social media cases with echoes of Trump WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court said Monday it will decide whether public officials can block critics from commenting on their social media accounts, an issue that previously came up in a case involving former President Donald Trump.Two years ago the Supreme Court dismissed a case over Trump’s efforts to block critics from his personal Twitter account. A lower court had said Trump violated the First Amendment whenever he blocked a critic to silence a viewpoint. But the Supreme Court said the case should be dismissed because there was nothing left to it after Trump was permanently suspended from Twitter and ended his presidential term. The Republican former president’s account has since been reinstated.Now, the court has agreed to hear two cases involving much lower-profile figures. The first involves two elected members of a California school board, the Poway Unified School District Board of Trustees. The members, Michelle O’Connor-Ratcliff and T.J. Zane, used Facebo...

David’s Bridal granted creditor protection in Canada amid bankruptcy hearings in U.S.

Published Mon, 16 Dec 2024 08:31:55 GMT

David’s Bridal granted creditor protection in Canada amid bankruptcy hearings in U.S. TORONTO — David’s Bridal, the largest wedding gown store in North America, has filed for bankruptcy protection in the U.S. for the second time in five years. An Ontario court has recognized the U.S. case as the main proceedings, and granted the retailer protection under the Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act for its Canadian operations.The chain has about has about 300 stores and 11,000 workers across North America, including a dozen stores and 500 employees in Canada. David’s Bridal, which sells wedding dresses and formal wear, has said it could eliminate more than 9,000 jobs in the coming months.The retailer is looking to sell the company but its stores remain open and it continues to fulfil online orders. James Marcum, CEO of David’s Bridal, says the business continues to be challenged by the post-COVID environment and uncertain economic conditions.– With files from The Associated PressThis report by The Canadian Press was first published April 24, 2023....

Technology stocks down as S&P/TSX composite falls, U.S. stock markets mixed

Published Mon, 16 Dec 2024 08:31:55 GMT

Technology stocks down as S&P/TSX composite falls, U.S. stock markets mixed TORONTO — Canada’s main stock index was down in late-morning trading as losses in technology stocks helped lead the way lower, while U.S. markets were mixed.The S&P/TSX composite index was down 39.64 points at 20,653.51.In New York, the Dow Jones industrial average was up 8.18 points at 33,817.14. The S&P 500 index was down 7.66 points at 4,125.86, while the Nasdaq composite was down 73.09 points at 11,999.37.The Canadian dollar traded for 73.84 cents US compared with 73.86 cents US on Friday.The June crude contract was up 41 cents at US$78.28 per barrel and the June natural gas contract was up a penny at US$2.42 per mmBTU.The June gold contract was up US$3.50 at US$1,994.00 an ounce and the May copper contract was down three cents at US$3.96 a pound.This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 24, 2023.Companies in this story: (TSX:GSPTSE, TSX:CADUSD=X)The Canadian Press