Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Georgia) shot back at Fox News after columnist Liz Peek wrote an op-ed in which she called the Georgia representative an “idiot.”
“It’s high time someone in the Republican Party told Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene to turn all that bombastic self-serving showmanship and drama queen energy on Democrats and stop trying to defeat her own party,” Peek wrote in her op-ed, which was titled, “Marjorie Taylor Greene is an idiot. She is trying to wreck the GOP.”
Peek noted that the representative “would rather burn down the House, metaphorically speaking, than work towards the greater good.”
She added, “The greater good, unless she and her fellow discontents in Congress have forgotten, is defeating Joe Biden in November.”
She later mentioned in her op-ed that “the internal squabbles of the party” must end.
“If Marjorie Taylor Greene and others want to oppose aid to Ukraine or the Fisa bill,...
“It’s high time someone in the Republican Party told Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene to turn all that bombastic self-serving showmanship and drama queen energy on Democrats and stop trying to defeat her own party,” Peek wrote in her op-ed, which was titled, “Marjorie Taylor Greene is an idiot. She is trying to wreck the GOP.”
Peek noted that the representative “would rather burn down the House, metaphorically speaking, than work towards the greater good.”
She added, “The greater good, unless she and her fellow discontents in Congress have forgotten, is defeating Joe Biden in November.”
She later mentioned in her op-ed that “the internal squabbles of the party” must end.
“If Marjorie Taylor Greene and others want to oppose aid to Ukraine or the Fisa bill,...
- 5/7/2024
- by Alessio Atria
- Uinterview
SAG-AFTRA’s Duncan Crabtree-Ireland urged lawmakers to move forward with an AI bill which seeks to provide historic protection against generative artificial intelligence.
“AI technology, left unregulated, poses an existential threat not only to SAG-AFTRA’s members, but to civil discourse, student health & welfare, democracy and national security,” he said during his testimony to members of the Senate Judiciary Committee’s Subcommittee on Intellectual Property about the No Fakes Act (read it here).
In addition to requiring informed consent for digital replicas, the bipartisan No Fakes Act — or the Nurture Originals, Foster Art, and Keep Entertainment Safe Act — offers historic federal IP protections against the misappropriation of voice and likeness performance in sound recordings and audiovisual works.
Artificial intelligence was a cornerstone of SAG-AFTRA’s negotiations with the Hollywood studios last year and one of the sticking points that prompted the actors union to go on strike for 148 days. As a result,...
“AI technology, left unregulated, poses an existential threat not only to SAG-AFTRA’s members, but to civil discourse, student health & welfare, democracy and national security,” he said during his testimony to members of the Senate Judiciary Committee’s Subcommittee on Intellectual Property about the No Fakes Act (read it here).
In addition to requiring informed consent for digital replicas, the bipartisan No Fakes Act — or the Nurture Originals, Foster Art, and Keep Entertainment Safe Act — offers historic federal IP protections against the misappropriation of voice and likeness performance in sound recordings and audiovisual works.
Artificial intelligence was a cornerstone of SAG-AFTRA’s negotiations with the Hollywood studios last year and one of the sticking points that prompted the actors union to go on strike for 148 days. As a result,...
- 4/30/2024
- by Katie Campione
- Deadline Film + TV
Sen. Thom Tillis (R-North Carolina) lashed out at Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Georgia), stating that she is “bringing down brand of the Republican Party” and is placing the Republican Senate majority at risk.
“I think she’s uninformed,” Tillis stated in a clip played on CNN news anchor Erin Burnett.
“She is a total waste of time,” he added. “She is a horrible leader. She is dragging our brand down. She – not the Democrats – are the biggest risks to us getting back to a majority.”
The North Carolina senator’s comments came after Greene criticized the GOP’s move to pass a $95 billion foreign aid bill.
This bill, passed by the Senate on April 23 and signed by President Joe Biden the next day, includes aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan and provisions that might lead to a national ban on TikTok.
The package provides $60 billion in aid to Ukraine, $26 billion...
“I think she’s uninformed,” Tillis stated in a clip played on CNN news anchor Erin Burnett.
“She is a total waste of time,” he added. “She is a horrible leader. She is dragging our brand down. She – not the Democrats – are the biggest risks to us getting back to a majority.”
The North Carolina senator’s comments came after Greene criticized the GOP’s move to pass a $95 billion foreign aid bill.
This bill, passed by the Senate on April 23 and signed by President Joe Biden the next day, includes aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan and provisions that might lead to a national ban on TikTok.
The package provides $60 billion in aid to Ukraine, $26 billion...
- 4/30/2024
- by Alessio Atria
- Uinterview
FKA twigs has proactively taken AI into her own hands to develop a deepfake version of herself to handle fan interactions while she focuses on music, Rolling Stone reports.
“In the past year, I have developed my own deepfake version of myself that is not only trained in my personality but also can use my exact tone of voice to speak many languages,” FKA twigs shared in written testimony ahead of her appearance before Senate on Tuesday (April 30th).
Praising the technology as a “highly valuable” tool “when under the control of the artist,” the British musician continued, “I will be engaging my AI twigs later this year to extend my reach and handle my online social media interactions, whilst I continue to focus on my art from the comfort and solace of my studio.”
FKA twigs will be giving testimony about “AI twigs” during a hearing before the Senate...
“In the past year, I have developed my own deepfake version of myself that is not only trained in my personality but also can use my exact tone of voice to speak many languages,” FKA twigs shared in written testimony ahead of her appearance before Senate on Tuesday (April 30th).
Praising the technology as a “highly valuable” tool “when under the control of the artist,” the British musician continued, “I will be engaging my AI twigs later this year to extend my reach and handle my online social media interactions, whilst I continue to focus on my art from the comfort and solace of my studio.”
FKA twigs will be giving testimony about “AI twigs” during a hearing before the Senate...
- 4/30/2024
- by Eddie Fu
- Consequence - Music
Sen. Tommy Tuberville has finally — albeit partially — surrendered his blockade on military appointments and confirmations.
After a lunchtime meeting with members of the GOP on Tuesday, Tuberville (R-Ala.) announced that he would no longer be contesting the nomination of appointments for offices ranked three stars or below, but will continue to oppose higher-ranking nominations.
“I’m releasing everybody. I still got a hold on I think 11 four-star generals. Everybody else is completely released from me.” Tuberville told a gaggle of reporters. “But other than that, it’s over.”
Since February,...
After a lunchtime meeting with members of the GOP on Tuesday, Tuberville (R-Ala.) announced that he would no longer be contesting the nomination of appointments for offices ranked three stars or below, but will continue to oppose higher-ranking nominations.
“I’m releasing everybody. I still got a hold on I think 11 four-star generals. Everybody else is completely released from me.” Tuberville told a gaggle of reporters. “But other than that, it’s over.”
Since February,...
- 12/5/2023
- by Nikki McCann Ramirez
- Rollingstone.com
Even as the issue of protecting performers from the misuse of artificial intelligence continues to vex the labor negotiations between SAG-AFTRA and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, a second front has just opened.
On Oct. 12, four U.S. Senators presented a bipartisan “discussion draft” of legislation intended to protect actors, singers and others from having AI programs generate their likenesses and voices without their informed written consent. The “Nurture Originals, Foster Art and Keep Entertainment Safe” (No Fakes) Act would allow people, companies and platforms to be sued for producing or hosting so-called “digital replicas.”
The No Fakes Act is being sponsored by Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-tn), Chris Coons (D-de), Amy Klobuchar (D-mn) and Thom Tillis (R-nc). It represents the federal government’s first attempt to prevent the misappropriation of voice and likeness performances in audiovisual works and sound recordings. The rights created under this prospective legislation...
On Oct. 12, four U.S. Senators presented a bipartisan “discussion draft” of legislation intended to protect actors, singers and others from having AI programs generate their likenesses and voices without their informed written consent. The “Nurture Originals, Foster Art and Keep Entertainment Safe” (No Fakes) Act would allow people, companies and platforms to be sued for producing or hosting so-called “digital replicas.”
The No Fakes Act is being sponsored by Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-tn), Chris Coons (D-de), Amy Klobuchar (D-mn) and Thom Tillis (R-nc). It represents the federal government’s first attempt to prevent the misappropriation of voice and likeness performances in audiovisual works and sound recordings. The rights created under this prospective legislation...
- 10/26/2023
- by Douglas Mirell
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
This is Day 92 of the SAG-AFTRA strike.
At the first actors to picket after Wednesday night’s breakdown of their talks with the studios and streamers, SAG-AFTRA members in New York City said that they were disappointed by the setback but “holding strong” to their demands.
Striking actors who gathered Thursday outside Netflix and Warner Bros. Discovery offices also cheered the announcement of bipartisan legislation in the U.S. Senate to protect them from artificial intelligence.
Writers joining them on the picket line after ratifying their own contract this week urged the actors to stay strong.
“It’s tactics,” The Wire creator David Simon told Deadline, speaking of the studios’ decision to suspend the talks and criticize SAG-AFTRA for demanding a share of studio profits. “They say you can’t have something and you’ll never get something, and ‘DGA settled for this and you don’t understand our industry.
At the first actors to picket after Wednesday night’s breakdown of their talks with the studios and streamers, SAG-AFTRA members in New York City said that they were disappointed by the setback but “holding strong” to their demands.
Striking actors who gathered Thursday outside Netflix and Warner Bros. Discovery offices also cheered the announcement of bipartisan legislation in the U.S. Senate to protect them from artificial intelligence.
Writers joining them on the picket line after ratifying their own contract this week urged the actors to stay strong.
“It’s tactics,” The Wire creator David Simon told Deadline, speaking of the studios’ decision to suspend the talks and criticize SAG-AFTRA for demanding a share of studio profits. “They say you can’t have something and you’ll never get something, and ‘DGA settled for this and you don’t understand our industry.
- 10/12/2023
- by Sean Piccoli
- Deadline Film + TV
A newly proposed bipartisan senate bill seeks to bring greater legal protection to actors and recording artists by discouraging the use of AI-generated deepfakes without their permission.
If passed, the “Nurture Originals, Foster Art, and Keep Entertainment Safe Act — or No Fakes Act — would hold those who produce AI deepfakes liable in civil claims if the original artist were to pursue legal action over the unauthorized use of their likeness.
The bill was sponsored by senators Chris Coons, Marsha Blackburn, Amy Klobuchar and Thom Tillis.
AI has been a hot-button topic across the music,...
If passed, the “Nurture Originals, Foster Art, and Keep Entertainment Safe Act — or No Fakes Act — would hold those who produce AI deepfakes liable in civil claims if the original artist were to pursue legal action over the unauthorized use of their likeness.
The bill was sponsored by senators Chris Coons, Marsha Blackburn, Amy Klobuchar and Thom Tillis.
AI has been a hot-button topic across the music,...
- 10/12/2023
- by Ethan Millman
- Rollingstone.com
Senate Legislation Would Outlaw Unauthorized AI-Generated Likenesses; SAG-AFTRA Lauds “No Fakes Act”
Four U.S. senators today announced a discussion draft bill aimed at protecting actors, singers and others from having their voice and likeness generated by artificial intelligence. The bipartisan Nurture Originals, Foster Art, and Keep Entertainment Safe Act, or No Fakes Act (read it here), would hold people, companies and platforms liable for producing or hosting such digital replicas.
SAG-AFTRA applauded the announcement today, with President Fran Drescher saying: “A performer’s voice and their appearance are all part of their unique essence, and it’s not ok when those are used without their permission. Consent is key.”
The No Fakes Act would prevent a person from producing or distributing an unauthorized AI-generated replica of an individual to perform in an audiovisual or sound recording without the consent of the individual being replicated. The person creating or sharing the unauthorized replication would be liable for the damages caused by the AI-generated fake.
SAG-AFTRA applauded the announcement today, with President Fran Drescher saying: “A performer’s voice and their appearance are all part of their unique essence, and it’s not ok when those are used without their permission. Consent is key.”
The No Fakes Act would prevent a person from producing or distributing an unauthorized AI-generated replica of an individual to perform in an audiovisual or sound recording without the consent of the individual being replicated. The person creating or sharing the unauthorized replication would be liable for the damages caused by the AI-generated fake.
- 10/12/2023
- by Erik Pedersen
- Deadline Film + TV
Director-writer Gina Prince-Bythewood, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-ny) and Mexico City Governor Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo will be the recipients of the Motion Picture Association’s MPA Awards.
The event, to take place in June at the MPA headquarters in Washington, was started last year to honor those who “have made notable contributions to the film, TV and streaming industry,” according to the trade organization.
Prince-Bythewood, receiving the MPA Creator Award, most recently directed The Woman King for Sony’s TriStar Pictures. She has written and directed feature films such as Love & Basketball, The Secret Life of Bees and Beyond The Lights. She and her husband Reggie Rock Bythewood serve as executive producers of the upcoming Disney+ and National Geographic series Genius: MLK/X via their production company Undisputed Cinema.
Jeffries, receiving the Industry Champion Award, is being recognized for ensuring “that the American creative community continues to drive economic...
The event, to take place in June at the MPA headquarters in Washington, was started last year to honor those who “have made notable contributions to the film, TV and streaming industry,” according to the trade organization.
Prince-Bythewood, receiving the MPA Creator Award, most recently directed The Woman King for Sony’s TriStar Pictures. She has written and directed feature films such as Love & Basketball, The Secret Life of Bees and Beyond The Lights. She and her husband Reggie Rock Bythewood serve as executive producers of the upcoming Disney+ and National Geographic series Genius: MLK/X via their production company Undisputed Cinema.
Jeffries, receiving the Industry Champion Award, is being recognized for ensuring “that the American creative community continues to drive economic...
- 5/23/2023
- by Ted Johnson
- Deadline Film + TV
The chief of Capitol Police blasted Tucker Carlson’s characterization of the January 6th attack on the Capitol, calling the Fox News host’s conclusions “offensive and misleading.”
In an internal memo, chief Thomas Manger wrote, “The program conveniently cherry-picked from the calmer moments of our 41,000 hours of video. The commentary fails to provide context about the chaos and violence that happened before or during these less tense moments.”
House Speaker Kevin McCarthy provided Carlson and his staff with access to more than 40,000 hours of surveillance footage from January 6. That drew an outcry from Democrats, who claimed that it would jeopardize Capitol security and that Carlson would use it to try to present a revisionist history of what happened that day.
On his show, Carlson used footage of protesters wandering through the halls of the Capitol to try to downplay the attack.
“These were not insurrectionists. They were sightseers. Footage...
In an internal memo, chief Thomas Manger wrote, “The program conveniently cherry-picked from the calmer moments of our 41,000 hours of video. The commentary fails to provide context about the chaos and violence that happened before or during these less tense moments.”
House Speaker Kevin McCarthy provided Carlson and his staff with access to more than 40,000 hours of surveillance footage from January 6. That drew an outcry from Democrats, who claimed that it would jeopardize Capitol security and that Carlson would use it to try to present a revisionist history of what happened that day.
On his show, Carlson used footage of protesters wandering through the halls of the Capitol to try to downplay the attack.
“These were not insurrectionists. They were sightseers. Footage...
- 3/7/2023
- by Ted Johnson
- Deadline Film + TV
House Speaker Kevin McCarthy last month gave Tucker Carlson exclusive access to tens of thousands of hours of surveillance footage from the Jan. 6 Capitol attack. The Fox News host cherry-picked clips as part of an effort to cast the rioters as “orderly and meek” sightseers, as he put it Monday night. McCarthy and Carlson’s shameless campaign to rewrite history has since been criticized throughout Congress, including by several prominent Republicans.
“I think it’s bullshit,” Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) told reporters on Tuesday. “I was here. I was...
“I think it’s bullshit,” Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) told reporters on Tuesday. “I was here. I was...
- 3/7/2023
- by Ryan Bort
- Rollingstone.com
The DGA and IATSE are praising Congress for passing the Respect for Marriage Act, which ensures federal recognition of same-sex and interracial unions.
The legislation, which was introduced in the wake of the Supreme Court’s repealing of Roe v. Wade, received bipartisan support. It was approved today in the House of Representatives by a vote of 258-169 and in the Senate last week by a vote voted 61-36, and the bill now heads to President Joe Biden for his signature.
Related Story Marriage Equality Bill Clears Congress In House Vote; Joe Biden Next Will Sign Protections For Same-Sex And Interracial Unions Related Story WGA West Collected 16 Million In Foreign Levies In Fy 2022; Total At 340.7 Million Since 1992 Related Story Joe Biden Signs Bill Limiting Use Of Non-Disclosure Agreements That Cover Workplace Sexual Harassment — Update
“The DGA applauds both houses of Congress for the bipartisan passage of the Respect for Marriage...
The legislation, which was introduced in the wake of the Supreme Court’s repealing of Roe v. Wade, received bipartisan support. It was approved today in the House of Representatives by a vote of 258-169 and in the Senate last week by a vote voted 61-36, and the bill now heads to President Joe Biden for his signature.
Related Story Marriage Equality Bill Clears Congress In House Vote; Joe Biden Next Will Sign Protections For Same-Sex And Interracial Unions Related Story WGA West Collected 16 Million In Foreign Levies In Fy 2022; Total At 340.7 Million Since 1992 Related Story Joe Biden Signs Bill Limiting Use Of Non-Disclosure Agreements That Cover Workplace Sexual Harassment — Update
“The DGA applauds both houses of Congress for the bipartisan passage of the Respect for Marriage...
- 12/8/2022
- by David Robb
- Deadline Film + TV
The Senate on Wednesday passed the Respect For Marriage Act, which would fortify marriage rights as the conservative Supreme Court that has signaled it could move to restrict them. The amended bill now heads back to the House, which will vote to send it to President Joe Biden for final approval.
The Senate has reached the 60-vote threshold to break the filibuster for the Respect for Marriage Act, which would codify federal recognition of same-sex and interracial marriages. pic.twitter.com/dkmfe5UV6k
— The Recount (@therecount) November 16, 2022
The advancement...
The Senate has reached the 60-vote threshold to break the filibuster for the Respect for Marriage Act, which would codify federal recognition of same-sex and interracial marriages. pic.twitter.com/dkmfe5UV6k
— The Recount (@therecount) November 16, 2022
The advancement...
- 11/16/2022
- by Nikki McCann Ramirez
- Rollingstone.com
The Senate passed legislation to extend health and disability benefits to millions of veterans exposed to toxic burn pits in Iraq, Afghanistan and other areas of military engagement.
The 86-11 vote came after Republicans blocked the legislation last week, with a number of the lawmakers having previously supported it when it came before the Senate in June.
Jon Stewart, a longtime advocate for the veterans, blasted the opposition, speaking at rallies on Capitol Hill multiple times over the past week and making a series of media appearances on network Sunday shows, Fox News and Newsmax. Stewart was in the chamber for the Senate vote, and hugged veterans after it passed.
The bill, the Honoring Our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics Act (or the Pact Act), is designed to address the inability of veterans to access healthcare as they reported a range of illnesses. It now goes to President Joe Biden for signing.
The 86-11 vote came after Republicans blocked the legislation last week, with a number of the lawmakers having previously supported it when it came before the Senate in June.
Jon Stewart, a longtime advocate for the veterans, blasted the opposition, speaking at rallies on Capitol Hill multiple times over the past week and making a series of media appearances on network Sunday shows, Fox News and Newsmax. Stewart was in the chamber for the Senate vote, and hugged veterans after it passed.
The bill, the Honoring Our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics Act (or the Pact Act), is designed to address the inability of veterans to access healthcare as they reported a range of illnesses. It now goes to President Joe Biden for signing.
- 8/2/2022
- by Ted Johnson
- Deadline Film + TV
Republican and Democratic Senators have signed onto a tentative agreement for gun reform legislation in the wake of the shooting at a Uvalde, Texas, elementary school.
The proposed deal for bipartisan reform, a group of senators announced Sunday, includes enhanced background checks for buyers ages 18-21 as well as funding for mental health treatment and school security. The deal is a result of negotiations between Sens. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) and John Cornyn (R-Texas). Ten Republican senators — the number Democrats would need to overcome a filibuster — have signed on.
In addition to Cornyn,...
The proposed deal for bipartisan reform, a group of senators announced Sunday, includes enhanced background checks for buyers ages 18-21 as well as funding for mental health treatment and school security. The deal is a result of negotiations between Sens. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) and John Cornyn (R-Texas). Ten Republican senators — the number Democrats would need to overcome a filibuster — have signed on.
In addition to Cornyn,...
- 6/12/2022
- by Peter Wade
- Rollingstone.com
A bipartisan group of senators have reach an agreement on a framework for a series of new gun safety measures on Sunday, but they fall short of banning the purchase of assault weapons for those under 21.
Specifically, the agreement would expand background checks for those under 21 who purchase guns; grants for states to implement “red flag” laws, which allows law enforcement to temporarily take away guns who pose a danger to themselves or others; an expansion of mental health programs; improving the background check system overall, with a focus on preventing domestic abusers from buying guns; and increasing funding for school security. It also includes the first federal law against gun trafficking and straw purchasing.
Such an announcement would reflect a breakthrough in a long stalemate over any new gun legislation, even though it does not include measures that have widespread public support, like universal background checks, a ban on...
Specifically, the agreement would expand background checks for those under 21 who purchase guns; grants for states to implement “red flag” laws, which allows law enforcement to temporarily take away guns who pose a danger to themselves or others; an expansion of mental health programs; improving the background check system overall, with a focus on preventing domestic abusers from buying guns; and increasing funding for school security. It also includes the first federal law against gun trafficking and straw purchasing.
Such an announcement would reflect a breakthrough in a long stalemate over any new gun legislation, even though it does not include measures that have widespread public support, like universal background checks, a ban on...
- 6/12/2022
- by Ted Johnson
- Deadline Film + TV
Madison Cawthorn has lost the Republican primary to represent North Carolina’s 11th Congressional District, all but ensuring the 26-year-old’s career in the House of Representatives is over after two erratic years riddled with controversy.
Cawthorn conceded the race to State Sen. Chuck Edwards on Tuesday night. The Associated Press confirmed later that Edwards did indeed win, and did indeed clear the 30-percent threshold the state requires to avoid a runoff. Cawthorn took advantage of the runoff format during his successful 2020 campaign after having nabbed second place in the...
Cawthorn conceded the race to State Sen. Chuck Edwards on Tuesday night. The Associated Press confirmed later that Edwards did indeed win, and did indeed clear the 30-percent threshold the state requires to avoid a runoff. Cawthorn took advantage of the runoff format during his successful 2020 campaign after having nabbed second place in the...
- 5/18/2022
- by Ryan Bort and Asawin Suebsaeng
- Rollingstone.com
Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo) managed to get outsized attention for legislation that likely will go nowhere: A bill that targets Disney by reversing copyright protection for large media conglomerations.
Hawley, viewed as a potential 2024 presidential contender, introduced the Copyright Clause Restoration Act on Tuesday, which would return copyright protections to a maximum of 56 years.
It’s the latest effort to target The Walt Disney Co. after it came out against a Florida parental rights bill, which opponents have dubbed the Don’t Say Gay bill. The state’s governor, Ron DeSantis, another 2024 presidential prospect, that stripped Disney of a special tax district that covers Walt Disney World. Disney has not commented on the backlash.
In a press release, Hawley said that “The age of Republican handouts to Big Business is over. Thanks to special copyright protections from Congress, woke corporations like Disney have earned billions while increasingly pandering to woke activists.
Hawley, viewed as a potential 2024 presidential contender, introduced the Copyright Clause Restoration Act on Tuesday, which would return copyright protections to a maximum of 56 years.
It’s the latest effort to target The Walt Disney Co. after it came out against a Florida parental rights bill, which opponents have dubbed the Don’t Say Gay bill. The state’s governor, Ron DeSantis, another 2024 presidential prospect, that stripped Disney of a special tax district that covers Walt Disney World. Disney has not commented on the backlash.
In a press release, Hawley said that “The age of Republican handouts to Big Business is over. Thanks to special copyright protections from Congress, woke corporations like Disney have earned billions while increasingly pandering to woke activists.
- 5/11/2022
- by Ted Johnson
- Deadline Film + TV
Gov. Phil Murphy (D-nj), who once had aspirations of an entertainment career, told a D.C. crowd, “I always dreamed, as I was considering acting … that maybe I’d get an Oscar, so this is as close as I am going to come.”
Murphy was one of the recipients this week of the inaugural MPA Awards, the studio trade and lobbying association’s contribution to award season. And since this is Washington, most of the honorees were, naturally, those lawmakers who have been particularly supportive of the industry and its policy agenda.
“I”m accepting, I guess, for best performance by a state in the motion picture industry,” Murphy said, noting the productions like West Side Story that have recently shot there and revealing that some are “kicking the tires” on building one or more sound stages there.
MPA chairman Charles Rivkin hosted the event at the headquarters just a...
Murphy was one of the recipients this week of the inaugural MPA Awards, the studio trade and lobbying association’s contribution to award season. And since this is Washington, most of the honorees were, naturally, those lawmakers who have been particularly supportive of the industry and its policy agenda.
“I”m accepting, I guess, for best performance by a state in the motion picture industry,” Murphy said, noting the productions like West Side Story that have recently shot there and revealing that some are “kicking the tires” on building one or more sound stages there.
MPA chairman Charles Rivkin hosted the event at the headquarters just a...
- 3/16/2022
- by Ted Johnson
- Deadline Film + TV
Updated, with information on delayed vote: The Directors Guild of America is urging the Senate Commerce Committee to reject Joe Biden’s nominee to the FCC, citing Gigi Sohn’s past stances on copyright.
The committee was scheduled to take up Sohn’s nomination on Wednesday, but it will be postponed because of the absence of Sen. Ben Ray Luján (D-nm), whose office announced that he suffered a stroke. He is expected to make a full recovery.
The guild sent a letter on Tuesday to its chairwoman, Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-wa) objecting to the choice. In the letter obtained by Deadline (read it here), the DGA’s national executive director Russell Hollander wrote that Sohn’s “long standing record and hostility towards copyright law is inconsistent with the role of the FCC.” He argued that the agency’s role in licensing and regulation of TV, satellite and cable “implicate intellectual property.
The committee was scheduled to take up Sohn’s nomination on Wednesday, but it will be postponed because of the absence of Sen. Ben Ray Luján (D-nm), whose office announced that he suffered a stroke. He is expected to make a full recovery.
The guild sent a letter on Tuesday to its chairwoman, Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-wa) objecting to the choice. In the letter obtained by Deadline (read it here), the DGA’s national executive director Russell Hollander wrote that Sohn’s “long standing record and hostility towards copyright law is inconsistent with the role of the FCC.” He argued that the agency’s role in licensing and regulation of TV, satellite and cable “implicate intellectual property.
- 2/1/2022
- by Ted Johnson
- Deadline Film + TV
Joe Biden’s nominee to fill a vacancy on the FCC, Gigi Sohn, faced a string of questions — from past tweets about Fox News to her role in the streaming service Locast — as she faced a Senate confirmation hearing on Wednesday.
While most nominees to the FCC get through with relatively little turbulence, Sohn’s longtime work as a public interest advocate often put her at odds with the broadcast and telecom industry, particularly on issues like media consolidation and net neutrality.
But some on the right, including Tucker Carlson, also have seized on some of her past tweets to claim that she would use her position to try to stifle conservative voices.
In the Senate Commerce Committee hearing, Sohn responded to queries over some of her past tweets, including one from last year in which she wrote, “For all my concerns about #Facebook, I believe that Fox News has...
While most nominees to the FCC get through with relatively little turbulence, Sohn’s longtime work as a public interest advocate often put her at odds with the broadcast and telecom industry, particularly on issues like media consolidation and net neutrality.
But some on the right, including Tucker Carlson, also have seized on some of her past tweets to claim that she would use her position to try to stifle conservative voices.
In the Senate Commerce Committee hearing, Sohn responded to queries over some of her past tweets, including one from last year in which she wrote, “For all my concerns about #Facebook, I believe that Fox News has...
- 12/2/2021
- by Ted Johnson
- Deadline Film + TV
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell sat at his desk, rarely if ever distracted from the case being laid out against Donald Trump by House impeachment managers this week.
That was certainly not the case with Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-sc), who at one point tapped a pencil on his desk, and at another fidgeted his fingers. On Thursday, he left the chamber to go to the cloak room for blocks of time.
During the trial, the Senate cameras are fixed on the raised rostrum and whoever is speaking at that moment; the dozen or so reporters in the chamber, however, are fixated on the movements and reactions of the senators themselves.
Gathered in the third-floor gallery just above the rostrum, the members of the media covering the trial in person have a vantage point not captured by the cameras. The journalists are seated in the press gallery on the opposite end...
That was certainly not the case with Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-sc), who at one point tapped a pencil on his desk, and at another fidgeted his fingers. On Thursday, he left the chamber to go to the cloak room for blocks of time.
During the trial, the Senate cameras are fixed on the raised rostrum and whoever is speaking at that moment; the dozen or so reporters in the chamber, however, are fixated on the movements and reactions of the senators themselves.
Gathered in the third-floor gallery just above the rostrum, the members of the media covering the trial in person have a vantage point not captured by the cameras. The journalists are seated in the press gallery on the opposite end...
- 2/12/2021
- by Ted Johnson
- Deadline Film + TV
Remember in November how everyone got super mad at the pollsters for overestimating Democrats’ standing for the second straight election? Well, there are two pretty big runoff elections in Georgia on Tuesday that will decide which party controls the U.S. Senate, and guess what? The polls once again give Democrats a slight edge.
As things stand now, most polls have the runoffs between Jon Ossof and Sen. David Perdue and Rev. Raphael Warnock and Sen. Kelly Loeffler as virtual tossups, with Democrats Ossof and Warnock holding slim leads. As of January 5th,...
As things stand now, most polls have the runoffs between Jon Ossof and Sen. David Perdue and Rev. Raphael Warnock and Sen. Kelly Loeffler as virtual tossups, with Democrats Ossof and Warnock holding slim leads. As of January 5th,...
- 1/5/2021
- by Ryan Bort
- Rollingstone.com
Lin Qi, founder of the Chinese video game publisher Yoozoo and a producer on Netflix’s upcoming adaptation of “The Three-Body Problem,” has been hospitalized after what Shanghai police characterized as an attempted murder plot by a colleague.
Lin was hospitalized last week with “acute symptoms of illness” believed to have stemmed from an attempted poisoning, according to the South China Morning Post. Shanghai police released a statement on Wednesday saying a 39-year-old man with the surname Xu had been identified as a suspect in a “major crime,” which local reports linked to Lin and Yoozoo.
Multiple Chinese publications identified the suspect as Xu Yao, head of the Yoozoo subsidiary The Three-Body Universe, which holds the rights to the novels being adapted by Netflix. Lin is said to be in stable condition.
Netflix announced earlier this year that it planned to adapt Liu Cixin’s “Three-Body Problem” sci-fi trilogy into...
Lin was hospitalized last week with “acute symptoms of illness” believed to have stemmed from an attempted poisoning, according to the South China Morning Post. Shanghai police released a statement on Wednesday saying a 39-year-old man with the surname Xu had been identified as a suspect in a “major crime,” which local reports linked to Lin and Yoozoo.
Multiple Chinese publications identified the suspect as Xu Yao, head of the Yoozoo subsidiary The Three-Body Universe, which holds the rights to the novels being adapted by Netflix. Lin is said to be in stable condition.
Netflix announced earlier this year that it planned to adapt Liu Cixin’s “Three-Body Problem” sci-fi trilogy into...
- 12/24/2020
- by Reid Nakamura
- The Wrap
The $900 billion Covid stimulus bill includes several special provisions for the film and television industry, including an extension of a tax break for studios and production companies and billions for small theater chains.
Congress is poised to pass the measure on Monday night, along with a $1.4 trillion omnibus spending bill to keep the government running. The omnibus bill includes yet provision long sought by the film industry, a measure cracking down on streaming services that traffic in pirated content.
The theater industry has been lobbying hard for the Save Our Stages Act, a measure that will provide $15 billion in grants for live entertainment venues and theaters that have been hit hard by the pandemic. The grants are available to companies with 500 full-time equivalent employees or fewer. That works out to about 1,580 theater operators representing 3,500 locations, or about 60% of the total U.S. theater business. Sen. Chuck Schumer, who is closely allied with Broadway theaters,...
Congress is poised to pass the measure on Monday night, along with a $1.4 trillion omnibus spending bill to keep the government running. The omnibus bill includes yet provision long sought by the film industry, a measure cracking down on streaming services that traffic in pirated content.
The theater industry has been lobbying hard for the Save Our Stages Act, a measure that will provide $15 billion in grants for live entertainment venues and theaters that have been hit hard by the pandemic. The grants are available to companies with 500 full-time equivalent employees or fewer. That works out to about 1,580 theater operators representing 3,500 locations, or about 60% of the total U.S. theater business. Sen. Chuck Schumer, who is closely allied with Broadway theaters,...
- 12/21/2020
- by Gene Maddaus
- Variety Film + TV
The year-end, massive, 5,000-plus page government funding/Covid-19 relief package, expected to pass Congress in the next couple of days, includes a set of long-sought after copyright and content protection provisions, including a measure that will make it a felony to operate a pirated streaming service.
If the package passes, as expected, it will mark the first significant legislative win for Hollywood studios and other content companies in years. Legislation aimed at curbing piracy has been largely sidelined since 2012, when an industry push to pass legislation to try to curb online piracy, via the Stop Online Piracy Act, was met with an industry and user backlash. The bill was sidelined in the wake of a concerted internet campaign to protest the measure.
The new series of copyright and trademark provisions also have been met with some pushback from trade groups representing internet companies, but so far it hasn’t met...
If the package passes, as expected, it will mark the first significant legislative win for Hollywood studios and other content companies in years. Legislation aimed at curbing piracy has been largely sidelined since 2012, when an industry push to pass legislation to try to curb online piracy, via the Stop Online Piracy Act, was met with an industry and user backlash. The bill was sidelined in the wake of a concerted internet campaign to protest the measure.
The new series of copyright and trademark provisions also have been met with some pushback from trade groups representing internet companies, but so far it hasn’t met...
- 12/21/2020
- by Ted Johnson
- Deadline Film + TV
Providing relief via direct assistance and loans to struggling individuals and businesses hit hard by Covid-19 has been a priority for federal lawmakers this past month. But a gigantic spending bill has also become the opportunity to smuggle in some other line items including those of special interest to the entertainment community.
Perhaps most surprising, according to the text of the bill being circulated, illegal streaming for commercial profit could become a felony.
It’s been less than two weeks since Sen. Thom Tillis (R-nc) released his proposal to increase the penalties for those who would dare stream unlicensed works. In doing so,...
Perhaps most surprising, according to the text of the bill being circulated, illegal streaming for commercial profit could become a felony.
It’s been less than two weeks since Sen. Thom Tillis (R-nc) released his proposal to increase the penalties for those who would dare stream unlicensed works. In doing so,...
- 12/21/2020
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Providing relief via direct assistance and loans to struggling individuals and businesses hit hard by Covid-19 has been a priority for federal lawmakers this past month. But a gigantic spending bill has also become the opportunity to smuggle in some other line items, including those of special interest to the entertainment community.
Perhaps most surprising, according to the text of the bill being circulated, illegal streaming for commercial profit could become a felony.
It’s been less than two weeks since Sen. Thom Tillis released his proposal to increase the penalties for those who would dare stream unlicensed works. In doing so, the ...
Perhaps most surprising, according to the text of the bill being circulated, illegal streaming for commercial profit could become a felony.
It’s been less than two weeks since Sen. Thom Tillis released his proposal to increase the penalties for those who would dare stream unlicensed works. In doing so, the ...
- 12/21/2020
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
As 2020 election results roll in, control of the Senate remains in the balance — and everything may all come down to Georgia.
The math is not complicated. In the current Senate, Republicans hold a three-seat advantage, 53-47. If Biden wins the presidency, as appears increasingly likely, Vice President Kamala Harris would sit as the Senate’s tie-breaker, and Democrats would need a net gain of three seats to control the chamber. (If Trump wins, Democrats would need to net four seats.)
With projected Senate wins in Arizona and Colorado, and a loss in Alabama,...
The math is not complicated. In the current Senate, Republicans hold a three-seat advantage, 53-47. If Biden wins the presidency, as appears increasingly likely, Vice President Kamala Harris would sit as the Senate’s tie-breaker, and Democrats would need a net gain of three seats to control the chamber. (If Trump wins, Democrats would need to net four seats.)
With projected Senate wins in Arizona and Colorado, and a loss in Alabama,...
- 11/10/2020
- by Tim Dickinson
- Rollingstone.com
Updated with Georgia results: A pair of races in Georgia will now determine the balance of power in the U.S. Senate after the race between Democratic challenger John Ossoff and GOP incumbent David Perdue was close enough to force a runoff.
They now join the other race, pitting Democrat Raphael Warnock and incumbent Sen. Kelly Loeffler, in a pair of run-off elections set to take place January 5. The current Associated Press count in the Senate is 48-48, with seats in Alaska and North Carolina looking to favor the GOP incumbents, meaning Democrats will need to win both run-offs to take the chamber.
Georgia hasn’t elected a Democrat to the Senate since Zell Miller in 2000. Loeffler was appointed to her spot in January after the retirement of three-term GOP senator Jonnny Isakson.
Updated with latest results, November 5 Am: Fending off the toughest challenge of his political career, South Carolina...
They now join the other race, pitting Democrat Raphael Warnock and incumbent Sen. Kelly Loeffler, in a pair of run-off elections set to take place January 5. The current Associated Press count in the Senate is 48-48, with seats in Alaska and North Carolina looking to favor the GOP incumbents, meaning Democrats will need to win both run-offs to take the chamber.
Georgia hasn’t elected a Democrat to the Senate since Zell Miller in 2000. Loeffler was appointed to her spot in January after the retirement of three-term GOP senator Jonnny Isakson.
Updated with latest results, November 5 Am: Fending off the toughest challenge of his political career, South Carolina...
- 11/7/2020
- by Dominic Patten and Ted Johnson
- Deadline Film + TV
A highlight of the opening day of the Senate Judiciary Committee hearings on Amy Coney Barrett’s Supreme Court nomination was how committee member and vice presidential nominee Kamala Harris would frame Democratic opposition.
To start, Harris attacked the idea of even holding a hearing amid the Covid-19 epidemic and an outbreak among members of the committee.
Appearing remotely from her office Monday, Harris said, “This hearing has brought together more than 50 people to sit inside of a closed door room for hours, while our nation is facing a deadly airborne virus. This committee has ignored common sense requests to keeping people safe, including not requiring testing for all members, despite a coronavirus outbreak among senators of this very committee.”
She also noted that the Senate postponed floor votes this week, but the committee did not. Republicans plan for a vote on the confirmation October 22 and a full Senate vote about a week later.
To start, Harris attacked the idea of even holding a hearing amid the Covid-19 epidemic and an outbreak among members of the committee.
Appearing remotely from her office Monday, Harris said, “This hearing has brought together more than 50 people to sit inside of a closed door room for hours, while our nation is facing a deadly airborne virus. This committee has ignored common sense requests to keeping people safe, including not requiring testing for all members, despite a coronavirus outbreak among senators of this very committee.”
She also noted that the Senate postponed floor votes this week, but the committee did not. Republicans plan for a vote on the confirmation October 22 and a full Senate vote about a week later.
- 10/12/2020
- by Ted Johnson
- Deadline Film + TV
Wednesday night’s vice presidential debate will put more than 12 feet of distance plus two layers of plexiglass between incumbent Mike Pence and challenger Kamala Harris, as confirmed by first photos of the stage set-up.
The added precautionary measures for the VP debate — which starts at 9/8c, held at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City — come in the wake of President Donald Trump himself as well as many, many people from his inner circle testing positive for the coronavirus over the past week or so. (Trump was discharged from the Walter Reed Medical Center on Monday, after checking...
The added precautionary measures for the VP debate — which starts at 9/8c, held at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City — come in the wake of President Donald Trump himself as well as many, many people from his inner circle testing positive for the coronavirus over the past week or so. (Trump was discharged from the Walter Reed Medical Center on Monday, after checking...
- 10/7/2020
- by Matt Webb Mitovich
- TVLine.com
White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany tested positive for Covid-19 Monday, she tweeted, making her the latest person in President Donald Trump’s orbit to have contracted the virus.
“After testing negative consistently, including every day since Thursday, I tested positive for Covid-19 on Monday morning while experiencing no symptoms,” McEnany announced on Twitter. “No reporters, producers or members of the press are listed as close contacts by the White House Medical Unit.”
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“After testing negative consistently, including every day since Thursday, I tested positive for Covid-19 on Monday morning while experiencing no symptoms,” McEnany announced on Twitter. “No reporters, producers or members of the press are listed as close contacts by the White House Medical Unit.”
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- 10/5/2020
- by Kimberly Roots
- TVLine.com
Washington — In a little-noticed ruling on Friday evening, the Trump administration rejected a petition by a coalition of labor unions that had asked the federal government to require passengers to wear masks on airplanes, trains, and other major forms of transportation.
The Department of Transportation told the Transportation Trades Department of the AFL-CIO labor federation that the agency would not proceed with a regulation to mandate that passengers wear masks on modes of major commercial transportation used by tens of millions of Americans. Right now in the U.S., a patchwork of airport authorities,...
The Department of Transportation told the Transportation Trades Department of the AFL-CIO labor federation that the agency would not proceed with a regulation to mandate that passengers wear masks on modes of major commercial transportation used by tens of millions of Americans. Right now in the U.S., a patchwork of airport authorities,...
- 10/3/2020
- by Andy Kroll
- Rollingstone.com
(Mark Meadows attribution added) Update: Just minutes after President Donald Trump’s physician presented a relatively rosy picture of his Covid-19 condition, a source familiar with the president’s health gave a much more concerning picture.
“The president’s vitals over the last 24 hours were very concerning and the next 48 hours will be critical in terms of his care. We’re still not on a clear path to a full recovery,” the source said in the statement, which was sent to members of the White House pool.
In point of fact that source is White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows. In a rookie move at best, the ex-Congressman was captured on camera earlier today walking over to reporters right after the doctors’ press conference and asking to be “off the record.”
Update: Immediately after the press conference ended and before the anonymous statement was sent out, Mark Meadows briefed...
“The president’s vitals over the last 24 hours were very concerning and the next 48 hours will be critical in terms of his care. We’re still not on a clear path to a full recovery,” the source said in the statement, which was sent to members of the White House pool.
In point of fact that source is White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows. In a rookie move at best, the ex-Congressman was captured on camera earlier today walking over to reporters right after the doctors’ press conference and asking to be “off the record.”
Update: Immediately after the press conference ended and before the anonymous statement was sent out, Mark Meadows briefed...
- 10/3/2020
- by Ted Johnson and Dominic Patten
- Deadline Film + TV
Add yet another name to the list of Republicans close to Donald Trump who have tested positive for Covid-19 this week: Trump’s re-election campaign manager, Bill Stepien.
According to Politico, which broke the story, Stepien was diagnosed on Friday night and will be quarantining from home while continuing to work on the Trump campaign remotely. According to Politico, people associated with the Trump campaign said Stepien has experienced “mild flu-like symptoms.” It’s not known how Stepien contracted the illness, though he spent time with Trump in the White House on Monday and traveled with Trump to Cleveland on Air Force One for the first presidential debate on Tuesday.
Stepien, who so far has not released a public statement confirming the diagnosis, is the 12th person in Trump’s immediate orbit to test positive for the coronavirus on Friday.
Six other people who have received that diagnosis — Trump, First Lady Melania Trump,...
According to Politico, which broke the story, Stepien was diagnosed on Friday night and will be quarantining from home while continuing to work on the Trump campaign remotely. According to Politico, people associated with the Trump campaign said Stepien has experienced “mild flu-like symptoms.” It’s not known how Stepien contracted the illness, though he spent time with Trump in the White House on Monday and traveled with Trump to Cleveland on Air Force One for the first presidential debate on Tuesday.
Stepien, who so far has not released a public statement confirming the diagnosis, is the 12th person in Trump’s immediate orbit to test positive for the coronavirus on Friday.
Six other people who have received that diagnosis — Trump, First Lady Melania Trump,...
- 10/3/2020
- by Ross A. Lincoln
- The Wrap
Kellyanne Conway, a former top adviser to President Donald Trump, said that she has tested positive for the coronavirus.
She wrote on Twitter, “Tonight I tested positive for Covid-19. My symptoms are mild (light cough) and I’m feeling fine. I have begun a quarantine process in consultation with physicians. As always, my heart is with everyone affected by this global pandemic.”
Another positive case in the White House https://t.co/944LgxqsPd
— Chris Megerian (@ChrisMegerian) October 3, 2020
Conway attended a White House ceremony last weekend where Trump introduced his Supreme Court nominee, Amy Coney Barrett. About 150 attended the Rose Garden ceremony, but most of them did not wear masks and were packed together for the event.
Sen. Mike Lee (R-ut) and Sen. Thom Tillis (R-nc), who attended the event, also said that they tested positive, as did Notre Dame University president John Jenkins. A White House reporter who attended the event also tested position.
She wrote on Twitter, “Tonight I tested positive for Covid-19. My symptoms are mild (light cough) and I’m feeling fine. I have begun a quarantine process in consultation with physicians. As always, my heart is with everyone affected by this global pandemic.”
Another positive case in the White House https://t.co/944LgxqsPd
— Chris Megerian (@ChrisMegerian) October 3, 2020
Conway attended a White House ceremony last weekend where Trump introduced his Supreme Court nominee, Amy Coney Barrett. About 150 attended the Rose Garden ceremony, but most of them did not wear masks and were packed together for the event.
Sen. Mike Lee (R-ut) and Sen. Thom Tillis (R-nc), who attended the event, also said that they tested positive, as did Notre Dame University president John Jenkins. A White House reporter who attended the event also tested position.
- 10/3/2020
- by Ted Johnson
- Deadline Film + TV
“I spoke to him this morning” Donald Trump Jr. told Tucker Carlson of his father, who’d been hospitalized on Friday night. “Obviously, he’s taking it seriously, but it’s business with usual. I’m 42 years old. I don’t know that I’ve ever seen him sick with the flu or whatever. He’s a fighter.”
The elder Trump, who is 74, was whisked to Walter Reed Hospital just an hour or so before as media reports about the nature of the president’s coronavirus infection worsened.
“They’re bringing him to Walter Reed not for anything in particular other than an abundance of caution,” Trump Jr. told the Fox News host. “He wasn’t brought there — unlike what the conspiracy theorists say — for anything other than an abundance of caution.”
“As it relates to running the free world,” said the trump scion, “it’s business as usual. He’s still working.
The elder Trump, who is 74, was whisked to Walter Reed Hospital just an hour or so before as media reports about the nature of the president’s coronavirus infection worsened.
“They’re bringing him to Walter Reed not for anything in particular other than an abundance of caution,” Trump Jr. told the Fox News host. “He wasn’t brought there — unlike what the conspiracy theorists say — for anything other than an abundance of caution.”
“As it relates to running the free world,” said the trump scion, “it’s business as usual. He’s still working.
- 10/3/2020
- by Tom Tapp
- Deadline Film + TV
The vice presidential debate between Mike Pence and Democratic challenger Sen. Kamala Harris is currently scheduled to still take place on Wednesday, Oct. 7, despite President Trump, First Lady Melania Trump and others in their circle having tested positive for the coronavirus this week.
Both Pence and Harris tested negative for the coronavirus on Friday, in the wake of President Trump’s diagnosis.
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Both Pence and Harris tested negative for the coronavirus on Friday, in the wake of President Trump’s diagnosis.
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- 10/2/2020
- by Matt Webb Mitovich
- TVLine.com
In a letter Friday night, Netflix responded to several questions posed by a group of GOP senators about its upcoming TV series adaptation of the Chinese sci-fi trilogy “The Three-Body Problem,” after the series’ author appeared to express support for China’s treatment of the Uighur minority.
And the company’s main point: Liu Cixin, the trilogy’s author, is not the creator of the show.
On Wednesday, five Republican senators — Marsha Blackburn, Rick Scott, Kevin Cramer, Thom Tillis and Martha McSally — published an open letter to Netflix’s co-ceo Ted Sarandos asking him to “seriously reconsider” adapting Cixin’s series. At issue, a 2019 New Yorker interview with Cixin, which only received widespread attention in September after Netflix announced the project, in which he defended policies — widespread concentration camps — that have been widely condemned by human rights activists.
“If anything, the government is helping their economy and trying to lift them out of poverty,...
And the company’s main point: Liu Cixin, the trilogy’s author, is not the creator of the show.
On Wednesday, five Republican senators — Marsha Blackburn, Rick Scott, Kevin Cramer, Thom Tillis and Martha McSally — published an open letter to Netflix’s co-ceo Ted Sarandos asking him to “seriously reconsider” adapting Cixin’s series. At issue, a 2019 New Yorker interview with Cixin, which only received widespread attention in September after Netflix announced the project, in which he defended policies — widespread concentration camps — that have been widely condemned by human rights activists.
“If anything, the government is helping their economy and trying to lift them out of poverty,...
- 9/26/2020
- by Ross A. Lincoln
- The Wrap
On Wednesday, five Republican Senators fired off a letter to Netflix’s Ted Sarandos over the streamer service’s plan to have the executive producers of Game of Thrones adapt Chinese author Liu Cixin’s sci-fi trilogy The Three-Body Problem. Tonight, Netflix’s VP of Global Public Policy fired back, nicely but firmly.
Accused of “normalizing” the Chinese government’s brutal incarceration of more than 1 million Uyghur Muslims by making a series of Liu’s award-winning books, Dean Garfield politely reminded the legislators that “Netflix does not operate a service in China.”
In a Q&a format to cut to the chase, the executive made it very clear that just because the author of The Three-Body Problem supports his government’s inhumane policy, the company, EPs David Benioff and D.B. Weiss and others working on the adaption do not.
“Netflix judges individual projects on their merits,” Dean Garfield told Senators Marsha Blackburn, Rick Scott, Martha McSally, Kevin Cramer, and Thom Tillis. on Friday. “Mr. Liu is the author of the book – The Three Body Problem – not the creator of this show,” Garfield added. “We do not agree with his comments, which are entirely unrelated to his book or this Netflix show.”
Winner of the prestigious Hugo Award in 2015 with the first book in the trilogy, The Three-Body Problem examines humanity’s first contact with an alien civilization. Earlier this month, Netflix revealed that the GoT EPs are turning the book into a series as a part of their $300 million overall deal with the company. Along with Brad Pitt’s Plan B, Last Jedi director Rian Johnson and Rosamund Pike being connect to the project too, Alexander Woo, co-creator of AMC’s The Terror: Infamy, who signed an overall deal with Netflix in February, will write and EP the Three-Body Problem series with Benioff and Weiss.
In their September 23 correspondence to co-ceo Sarandos, the five GOP Senators asked if senior executives at the streamer were aware of the statements made by Liu and quoted in the New Yorker last year before they made a deal to adapt his work.
The magazine’s Jiayang Fan asked Liu in the 2019 piece about the internment camps in Xinjiang province in northern China. She detailed: “He trotted out the familiar arguments of government-controlled media: ‘Would you rather that they be hacking away at bodies at train stations and schools in terrorist attacks? If anything, the government is helping their economy and trying to lift them out of poverty… If you were to loosen up the country a bit, the consequences would be terrifying.’”
Based on those comments and the tensions between the Trump administration and Beijing, the Senators in their letter of Thursday pressed Netflix “to seriously reconsider the implications of providing a platform to Mr. Liu in producing this project.”
“We have significant concerns with Netflix’s decision to do business with an individual who is parroting dangerous Ccp propaganda,” the Senators asserted. “In the face of such atrocities in Xuar, there no longer exist corporate decisions of complacency, only complicity.”
Today’s response makes it pretty clear that Netflix believe they are guilty of neither complacency nor complicity.” Which means, this is nowhere near over in this year of election.
Read The Full Letter To The GOP Senators Here:
September 25, 2020
Senator Marsha Blackburn
Senator Rick Scott
Senator Kevin Cramer
Senator Thom Tillis
Senator Martha McSally
United States Senate
Washington,
DC 20510
Dear Senators Blackburn, Scott, Cramer, Tillis, and McSally:
Thank you for your letter from September 23, and your interest in the upcoming Netflix series adaptation based on The Three-Body Problem.
First, we’d like to note that Netflix does not operate a service in China.
We address your questions and concerns below:
Q: Does Netflix agree that the Chinese Communist Party’s interment of 1.8 to 3 million Uyghurs in internment or labor camps based on their ethnicity is unacceptable?
A: Absolutely. As the Un Declaration of Human Rights (which China has signed) states “all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights.”
Q: In order to avoid any further glorification of the Ccp’s actions against the Uyghurs, or validation of the Chinese regime and agencies responsible for such acts, what steps will Netflix take to cast a critical eye on this project – to include the company’s
broader relationship with Mr. Liu?
A: Mr. Liu is the author of the books, not the creator of this series. Mr. Liu’s comments are not reflective of the views of Netflix or of the show’s creators, nor are they part of the plot or themes of the show.
Q: Were Netflix senior executives aware of the statements made by Mr. Liu Cixin regarding the Ccp’s genocidal acts prior to entering into an agreement to adapt his work? If so, please outline the reasoning that led Netflix to move forward with this project. If
not, please describe Netflix’s standard process of due diligence and the gaps therein that led to this oversight.
A: Mr. Liu is a Chinese citizen living in China – he is the author of the books, not the creator of this Netflix series. The creators are David Benioff and D.B. Weiss, the creators of Game of Thrones, and Alexander Woo, executive producer/writer on the series True Blood.
Q: Does Netflix have a policy regarding entering into contracts with public-facing individuals who, either publicly or privately, promote principles inconsistent with Netflix’s company culture and principles? If so, please outline this policy. If not, please
explain why not.
A: Netflix judges individual projects on their merits. Mr. Liu is the author of the book – The Three Body Problem – not the creator of this show. We do not agree with his comments, which are entirely unrelated to his book or this Netflix show.
Sincerely,
Dean Garfield
Vice President, Global Public Policy
Netflix...
Accused of “normalizing” the Chinese government’s brutal incarceration of more than 1 million Uyghur Muslims by making a series of Liu’s award-winning books, Dean Garfield politely reminded the legislators that “Netflix does not operate a service in China.”
In a Q&a format to cut to the chase, the executive made it very clear that just because the author of The Three-Body Problem supports his government’s inhumane policy, the company, EPs David Benioff and D.B. Weiss and others working on the adaption do not.
“Netflix judges individual projects on their merits,” Dean Garfield told Senators Marsha Blackburn, Rick Scott, Martha McSally, Kevin Cramer, and Thom Tillis. on Friday. “Mr. Liu is the author of the book – The Three Body Problem – not the creator of this show,” Garfield added. “We do not agree with his comments, which are entirely unrelated to his book or this Netflix show.”
Winner of the prestigious Hugo Award in 2015 with the first book in the trilogy, The Three-Body Problem examines humanity’s first contact with an alien civilization. Earlier this month, Netflix revealed that the GoT EPs are turning the book into a series as a part of their $300 million overall deal with the company. Along with Brad Pitt’s Plan B, Last Jedi director Rian Johnson and Rosamund Pike being connect to the project too, Alexander Woo, co-creator of AMC’s The Terror: Infamy, who signed an overall deal with Netflix in February, will write and EP the Three-Body Problem series with Benioff and Weiss.
In their September 23 correspondence to co-ceo Sarandos, the five GOP Senators asked if senior executives at the streamer were aware of the statements made by Liu and quoted in the New Yorker last year before they made a deal to adapt his work.
The magazine’s Jiayang Fan asked Liu in the 2019 piece about the internment camps in Xinjiang province in northern China. She detailed: “He trotted out the familiar arguments of government-controlled media: ‘Would you rather that they be hacking away at bodies at train stations and schools in terrorist attacks? If anything, the government is helping their economy and trying to lift them out of poverty… If you were to loosen up the country a bit, the consequences would be terrifying.’”
Based on those comments and the tensions between the Trump administration and Beijing, the Senators in their letter of Thursday pressed Netflix “to seriously reconsider the implications of providing a platform to Mr. Liu in producing this project.”
“We have significant concerns with Netflix’s decision to do business with an individual who is parroting dangerous Ccp propaganda,” the Senators asserted. “In the face of such atrocities in Xuar, there no longer exist corporate decisions of complacency, only complicity.”
Today’s response makes it pretty clear that Netflix believe they are guilty of neither complacency nor complicity.” Which means, this is nowhere near over in this year of election.
Read The Full Letter To The GOP Senators Here:
September 25, 2020
Senator Marsha Blackburn
Senator Rick Scott
Senator Kevin Cramer
Senator Thom Tillis
Senator Martha McSally
United States Senate
Washington,
DC 20510
Dear Senators Blackburn, Scott, Cramer, Tillis, and McSally:
Thank you for your letter from September 23, and your interest in the upcoming Netflix series adaptation based on The Three-Body Problem.
First, we’d like to note that Netflix does not operate a service in China.
We address your questions and concerns below:
Q: Does Netflix agree that the Chinese Communist Party’s interment of 1.8 to 3 million Uyghurs in internment or labor camps based on their ethnicity is unacceptable?
A: Absolutely. As the Un Declaration of Human Rights (which China has signed) states “all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights.”
Q: In order to avoid any further glorification of the Ccp’s actions against the Uyghurs, or validation of the Chinese regime and agencies responsible for such acts, what steps will Netflix take to cast a critical eye on this project – to include the company’s
broader relationship with Mr. Liu?
A: Mr. Liu is the author of the books, not the creator of this series. Mr. Liu’s comments are not reflective of the views of Netflix or of the show’s creators, nor are they part of the plot or themes of the show.
Q: Were Netflix senior executives aware of the statements made by Mr. Liu Cixin regarding the Ccp’s genocidal acts prior to entering into an agreement to adapt his work? If so, please outline the reasoning that led Netflix to move forward with this project. If
not, please describe Netflix’s standard process of due diligence and the gaps therein that led to this oversight.
A: Mr. Liu is a Chinese citizen living in China – he is the author of the books, not the creator of this Netflix series. The creators are David Benioff and D.B. Weiss, the creators of Game of Thrones, and Alexander Woo, executive producer/writer on the series True Blood.
Q: Does Netflix have a policy regarding entering into contracts with public-facing individuals who, either publicly or privately, promote principles inconsistent with Netflix’s company culture and principles? If so, please outline this policy. If not, please
explain why not.
A: Netflix judges individual projects on their merits. Mr. Liu is the author of the book – The Three Body Problem – not the creator of this show. We do not agree with his comments, which are entirely unrelated to his book or this Netflix show.
Sincerely,
Dean Garfield
Vice President, Global Public Policy
Netflix...
- 9/26/2020
- by Dominic Patten
- Deadline Film + TV
Republican senators have sent a letter to Netflix chief content officer and co-ceo Ted Sarandos pushing back against the streaming service’s upcoming series “The Three-Body Problem.” Netflix announced September 1 that “Game of Thrones” creators David Benioff and D.B. Weiss are adapting Liu Cixin’s science-fiction trilogy “The Three-Body Problem” for the streamer with the help of “The Terror: Infamy” writer Alexander Woo and executive producers Rian Johnson and Rosamund Pike. The letter claims that by producing the series Netflix is “normalizing” the imprisonment of Uighur Muslims in China’s Xinjiang province.
The senators point to an interview “Three-Body Problem” author Liu Cixin gave in 2019 to The New Yorker in which he expressed approval over the imprisonment of Uighur Muslims. Human right abuses are reportedly taking place in Xinjiang province, including the detainment of over one million Uighur Muslims.
When asked in 2019 about imprisoning Muslims in Xinjiang, Liu Cixin responded,...
The senators point to an interview “Three-Body Problem” author Liu Cixin gave in 2019 to The New Yorker in which he expressed approval over the imprisonment of Uighur Muslims. Human right abuses are reportedly taking place in Xinjiang province, including the detainment of over one million Uighur Muslims.
When asked in 2019 about imprisoning Muslims in Xinjiang, Liu Cixin responded,...
- 9/24/2020
- by Zack Sharf
- Indiewire
A Supreme Court seat has opened in an election year, and you’ll never guess who is strongly in favor of filling it — all of the people who were against it last time. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and his Republican colleagues would like to fill the vacancy created by Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s death, despite the fact that they spent the better part of 2016 vehemently opposing the idea of having a Supreme Court fight so close to ballot-casting time. (For reference, Antonin Scalia’s unexpected death was 269 days before...
- 9/21/2020
- by Tessa Stuart
- Rollingstone.com
On Full Frontal Wednesday, September 16th, Samantha Bee broke down a handful of down ballot Senate races across the country that could be key to the Democrats flipping the chamber in November.
Bee started with one of the most intriguing races — South Carolina, a deep red state where Jaime Harrison has a legitimate chance of beating long-time incumbent Lindsey Graham. Bee noted that Harrison’s appeal is growing among black voters and white suburban voters at a time when President Donald Trump is practically trying to pit the two against each other.
Bee started with one of the most intriguing races — South Carolina, a deep red state where Jaime Harrison has a legitimate chance of beating long-time incumbent Lindsey Graham. Bee noted that Harrison’s appeal is growing among black voters and white suburban voters at a time when President Donald Trump is practically trying to pit the two against each other.
- 9/17/2020
- by Jon Blistein
- Rollingstone.com
The Eagles’ Don Henley urged Congress to strengthen anti-piracy rules online while testifying virtually before a Senate Judiciary subcommittee Tuesday, the Associated Press reports.
The hearing was held to mull possible changes to the 1998 Digital Millennium Copyright Act, and Henley spoke specifically on the need to update the Dmca’s “notice and takedown” system. That process allows copyright holders to send a takedown notice to websites or services they believe have posted their content without permission. The offending party can either comply without any consequences or risk legal action.
For Henley,...
The hearing was held to mull possible changes to the 1998 Digital Millennium Copyright Act, and Henley spoke specifically on the need to update the Dmca’s “notice and takedown” system. That process allows copyright holders to send a takedown notice to websites or services they believe have posted their content without permission. The offending party can either comply without any consequences or risk legal action.
For Henley,...
- 6/3/2020
- by Jon Blistein
- Rollingstone.com
In a pair of letters on Tuesday, Sens. Thom Tillis (R-North Carolina) and Patrick Leahy (D-Vermont) asked the U.S. Copyright Office and the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office to begin a study on the extent to which intellectual property owners are suffering infringement at the hands of state government. The request by the two members of the Senate Judiciary Committee comes after a notable Supreme Court opinion in March. The study would prime new legislation on the IP front.
In Allen v. Cooper, the high court held that North Carolina was immune from a filmmaker's copyright suit. Rick Allen'...
In Allen v. Cooper, the high court held that North Carolina was immune from a filmmaker's copyright suit. Rick Allen'...
- 4/29/2020
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
In a pair of letters on Tuesday, Sens. Thom Tillis (R-North Carolina) and Patrick Leahy (D-Vermont) asked the U.S. Copyright Office and the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office to begin a study on the extent to which intellectual property owners are suffering infringement at the hands of state government. The request by the two members of the Senate Judiciary Committee comes after a notable Supreme Court opinion in March. The study would prime new legislation on the IP front.
In Allen v. Cooper, the high court held that North Carolina was immune from a filmmaker's copyright suit. Rick Allen'...
In Allen v. Cooper, the high court held that North Carolina was immune from a filmmaker's copyright suit. Rick Allen'...
- 4/29/2020
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Dem. Rep Steve Cohen tried his hand at an “exhilarating bit of prop comedy” in Washington last Thursday when Attorney General Bill Barr was a no-show at a Congressional hearing on Thursday, John Oliver noted on Last Week Tonight.
Cohen thought it would be hilarious if he brought a bucket of KFC chicken, and a ceramic chicken, to the hearing.
“The message is that Bill Barr is a chicken,” Cohen told reporters, in case they had not gotten his point.
“Yeah we get it. You’ve made that painfully obvious,” Oliver snarked Sunday night.
“It actually gets more pathetic,” the HBO late-night host warned viewers.
The hearing was at around 9 Am. The nearest KFC doesn’t open until 10:30 Am, The Daily Beast reported. Cohen admitted he had bought the chicken the previous night and stored it in his fridge.
“Which is just tragic for so many reasons,” Oliver said,...
Cohen thought it would be hilarious if he brought a bucket of KFC chicken, and a ceramic chicken, to the hearing.
“The message is that Bill Barr is a chicken,” Cohen told reporters, in case they had not gotten his point.
“Yeah we get it. You’ve made that painfully obvious,” Oliver snarked Sunday night.
“It actually gets more pathetic,” the HBO late-night host warned viewers.
The hearing was at around 9 Am. The nearest KFC doesn’t open until 10:30 Am, The Daily Beast reported. Cohen admitted he had bought the chicken the previous night and stored it in his fridge.
“Which is just tragic for so many reasons,” Oliver said,...
- 5/6/2019
- by Lisa de Moraes
- Deadline Film + TV
The Senate on Thursday voted in favor of a resolution to “terminate” President Trump’s national emergency declaration. The vote marks a stunning bipartisan rebuke of the president, who last month used his executive privilege to circumvent Congress and fund the construction of a wall along the southern border. Though the Gop holds a 53-47 advantage over Democrats in the Senate, the measure passed by a vote of 59-41, with 12 members of Trump’s own party voting against him.
All Republicans have voted. A dozen crossed Trump: Alexander, Blunt, Collins,...
All Republicans have voted. A dozen crossed Trump: Alexander, Blunt, Collins,...
- 3/14/2019
- by Ryan Bort
- Rollingstone.com
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