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Inside the final days of Trump’s presidency and the push to invoke the Insurrection Act None - Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-CA), former member of the January 6th select committee and Betsy Woodruff Swan, Politico National Correspondent join Nicolle Wallace with an inside look at the final days of Donald Trump’s presidency when Jeffery Clark was nearly appointed Acting Attorney General in order to follow through on Trump’s demands in the hopes of staying in power. March 27, 2024
Dethroned crypto king Sam Bankman-Fried to be sentenced for defrauding FTX investors None - Former crypto mogul Sam Bankman-Fried faces the potential of decades in prison when he is sentenced for his role in the 2022 collapse of FTX NEW YORK -- Former crypto mogul Sam Bankman-Fried faces the potential of decades in prison when he is sentenced Thursday for his role in the 2022 collapse of FTX, once one of the world's most popular platforms for trading digital currency. Bankman-Fried, 32, was convicted in November of fraud and conspiracy — a dramatic fall from a year earlier when he and his companies seemed to be riding a crest of success that resulted in a Super Bowl advertisement and celebrity endorsements from stars like quarterback Tom Brady and comedian Larry David. A jury found that Bankman-Fried illegally used money from FTX depositors to cover his expenses, which included purchasing luxury properties in the Caribbean, alleged bribes to Chinese officials and private planes. Prosecutors recommended a prison sentence of 40 to 50 years. “The defendant victimized tens of thousands of people and companies, across several continents, over a period of multiple years. He stole money from customers who entrusted it to him; he lied to investors; he sent fabricated documents to lenders; he pumped millions of dollars in illegal donations into our political system; and he bribed foreign officials. Each of these crimes is worthy of a lengthy sentence,” prosecutors told Judge Lewis A. Kaplan in a court filing. Bankman-Fried’s attorneys, friends and family have urged leniency, saying he is unlikely to reoffend again. They also say FTX's investors have largely recovered their funds — a claim disputed by bankruptcy lawyers, FTX and its creditors. “Mr. Bankman-Fried continues to live a life of delusion,” wrote John Ray, the CEO of FTX who has been cleaning up the bankrupt company. “The ‘business’ he left on November 11, 2022 was neither solvent nor safe.” Two weeks ago, Bankman-Fried attorney Marc Mukasey attacked a probation office recommendation of 100 years in prison, saying a sentence of that length would be “grotesque” and “barbaric.” He urged the judge to sentence Bankman-Fried to a term of five to 6 1/2 years in prison. "Sam is not the ‘evil genius’ depicted in the media or the greedy villain described at trial,” Mukasey said, calling his client a “first-time, non-violent offender." Bankman-Fried was worth billions of dollars on paper as the co-founder and CEO of FTX, which was the second-largest cryptocurrency exchange in the world at one time. FTX allowed investors to buy dozens of virtual currencies, from Bitcoin to more obscure ones like Shiba Inu Coin. Flush with billions of dollars of investors’ cash, Bankman-Fried took out a Super Bowl advertisement to promote his business and bought the naming rights to an arena in Miami. But the collapse of cryptocurrency prices in 2022 took its toll on FTX, and ultimately led to its downfall. FTX’s hedge fund affiliate, known as Alameda Research, had bought billions of dollars of various crypto investments that lost considerable amounts of value in 2022. Bankman-Fried tried to plug the holes in Alameda’s balance sheet with FTX customer funds. Three other people from Bankman-Fried’s inner circle pleaded guilty to related crimes and testified at his trial. The biggest name among the three was Caroline Ellison, once the girlfriend of Bankman-Fried. Ellison described Bankman-Fried as a calculating individual who knew that he was likely committing crimes when he directed the use of customer funds. Two other onetime friends of Bankman-Fried, Gary Wang and Nishad Singh, also testified they felt they were directed by Bankman-Fried to commit fraud.
US sanctions online media site Gaza Now and its founder for allegedly supporting Hamas None - The U.S. has imposed sanctions on an online media site called Gaza Now and its founder Mustafa Ayash, for allegedly supporting Hamas US sanctions online media site Gaza Now and its founder for allegedly supporting Hamas WASHINGTON -- The U.S. on Wednesday imposed sanctions on online media site Gaza Now and its founder Mustafa Ayash for allegedly supporting Hamas. U.S. Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control says that after the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas against Israel — the online entity began a fundraising effort in support of the militant organization. Gaza Now's Arabic channel has more than 300,000 followers on social media channel X, formerly known as , and a large following on the encrypted chat platform Telegram. Included in the sanctions are firms Al-Qureshi Executives and Aakhirah Ltd., and their director Aozma Sultana, who are alleged to have partnered on multiple fundraising efforts alongside Gaza Now. The sanctions were imposed in collaboration with the U.K.’s Office of Foreign Sanctions Implementation. Treasury Under Secretary Brian Nelson said in a statement that the U.S. and its partners "will continue to leverage our tools to disrupt Hamas’ ability to facilitate further attacks.” A representative for Gaza Now and Ayash were not immediately available. The sanctions block access to U.S. property and bank accounts and prevent those designated from doing business with Americans.
What to know about the cargo ship Dali, a mid-sized ocean monster that took down a Baltimore bridge None - Here’s what to know about the cargo ship that crashed into Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge, causing it to collapse and leaving six construction workers presumed dead What to know about the cargo ship Dali, a mid-sized ocean monster that took down a Baltimore bridge Here's what to know about the cargo ship Dali that crashed into Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge, causing it to collapse and leaving six bridge construction workers presumed dead. If stood upright, the Dali would reach almost to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris or about two-thirds of the way up the Empire State Building in New York. It can carry the equivalent of almost 10,000 standard-sized metal shipping containers, and at the time of the accident was carrying nearly 4,700 containers. But while those figures are impressive, the Dali pales in comparison to the world's largest container ships, which can carry more than 24,000 containers. There are environmental and economic advantages to operating giant container ships, but their sheer size and weight make them difficult to maneuver and stop — especially when something goes wrong. Dali length: 984 feet (300 meters). Weight: 95,000 tons when empty. Capacity: 10,000 20-foot (6-meter) containers. The ship shares a name with one of history's most celebrated artists, Spanish surrealist painter Salvador Dali. Built by South Korea's Hyundai Heavy Industries, one of the world's largest shipbuilders, the Dali was launched in late 2014. It's owned by Grace Ocean Private Ltd, flies a Singapore flag and is powered by diesel engines. Danish shipping giant Maersk had chartered the Dali for a planned trip from Baltimore to Sri Lanka, but the ship didn't get far, with the crew sending a mayday call early Tuesday saying they had lost power and had no control of the steering system. Minutes later, the ship rammed one of the bridge's columns, causing the entire structure to collapse within seconds. The ship was moving at about 8 knots, or 9 mph (15 kph). The mayday gave just enough time for authorities to stop bridge traffic and likely prevent more deaths, but not enough time to clear the construction crew that was filling potholes on the bridge. Divers on Wednesday recovered the bodies of two of the workers. All of the nearly two dozen crew members from the Dali were accounted for after the accident, with one taken to a hospital with minor injuries. The Dali passed a June 2023 inspection in Chile. A faulty pressure gauge for the fuel heaters was identified but fixed before the vessel left the port, according to authorities. The Dali was then inspected in September by the U.S. Coast Guard in New York, and no problems were found. Before it left Baltimore, the ship underwent routine engine maintenance, according to the Coast Guard. Federal and state officials say the crash appears to be an accident. The Coast Guard has downloaded the voyage data recorder and sent it to the National Transportation Safety Board, which is building a timeline of what led to the crash, and a preliminary report is expected in the coming weeks. Singapore also plans to carry out its own investigation, which it says will be to identify lessons for the future rather than determine liability. In addition to trying to clear the channel floor of the bridge debris, officials will need to assess the damage to the Dali and make sure it doesn’t leak fuel or sink. Investigators found damage to at least 13 containers on the ship. The Dali will then likely be towed back to the port and the cargo offloaded. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg says it’s too early to say how long it will take to reopen the Port of Baltimore or replace the destroyed bridge. He noted it initially took five years to build the bridge.
Ship was undergoing engine maintenance in port before it lost power and crashed into Baltimore bridge, Coast Guard says None - Ship was undergoing engine maintenance in port before it lost power and crashed into Baltimore bridge, Coast Guard says Ship was undergoing engine maintenance in port before it lost power and crashed into Baltimore bridge, Coast Guard says
MyPillow, owned by election denier, faces eviction from Minnesota warehouse None - A court has ordered the eviction of MyPillow from a suburban Minneapolis warehouse that it formerly used ST. PAUL, Minn. -- A court ordered the eviction Wednesday of MyPillow from a suburban Minneapolis warehouse that it formerly used, but company founder and prominent election denier Mike Lindell said that it's just a formality because the landlord wants to take the property back. Lindell denied in an interview with The Associated Press that the eviction was another sign of his money woes. He said his financial picture is actually improving after a credit crunch last year disrupted cash flow at MyPillow after the company lost one of its major advertising platforms and was dropped by several national retailers. “We're fine,” he said. Lindell faced a setback last month when a federal judge affirmed a $5 million arbitration award in favor of a software engineer who challenged data that Lindell said proves China interfered in the 2020 U.S. presidential election and tipped the outcome to Joe Biden. Lindell acknowledged in January that Fox News stopped running MyPillow commercials amid a billing dispute. Lindell confirmed Wednesday that MyPillow owes around $217,000 to Delaware-based First Industrial LP for rent for the facility in Shakopee. He said MyPillow no longer needed the space and removed its remaining property from the warehouse last June before subleasing the space to another company through December. Another company was going to start subleasing the space in January but backed out and “left us all stranded,” he said. MyPillow offered to find another tenant, he said, but the landlord just wanted to take back control of the warehouse instead. The $217,000 is for unpaid rent for January and February, he said. He also said MyPillow continues to lease space elsewhere. The Star Tribune reported that a Scott County judge held a hearing Tuesday on the warehouse owner's request to formally evict MyPillow, which did not contest the landlord's request. “MyPillow has more or less vacated but we’d like to do this by the book,” attorney Sara Filo, representing First Industrial, said during the hearing, the newspaper reported. “At this point there’s a representation that no further payment is going to be made under this lease, so we’d like to go ahead with finding a new tenant.” Judge Caroline Lennon filed the eviction order Wednesday. Lindell, who continues to propagate former President Donald Trump’s lies that the 2020 election was stolen from him, in part by rigged voting machine systems, still faces defamation lawsuits by two voting machine companies. Lawyers who were originally defending him in those cases quit over unpaid bills.
Baltimore bridge collapse: Ships carrying cars and heavy equipment need to find a new harbor None - Manufacturers and shippers are scrambling to figure out where they can load or unload cargo while the main operations at the Port of Baltimore remain closed due to Tuesday’s deadly collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge Manufacturers and shippers are scrambling to figure out where they can load or unload cargo while the main operations of the Port of Baltimore remain shut down due to Tuesday's deadly collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge. Supply chain experts say other ports up and down the East Coast are likely to absorb much of Baltimore's traffic, avoiding a crisis. But not without some longer shipping times and upheaval. “Ultimately, most trade through Baltimore will find a new home port,” Moody's Analytics economist Harry Murphy Cruise wrote in a blog post. U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg reiterated Wednesday that it was too soon to estimate how long it would take to clear the bridge structure from the 50-foot-deep (15 meters) Patapsco River channel, which leads to the port's main terminal. The port's location makes it a key destination for freight. The Maryland Port Administration says the facility is an overnight drive from two-thirds of the U.S. population, and it's closer to the Midwest than any other East Coast port. Here's a look at the goods that go through the Port of Baltimore and the potential impact of a prolonged port shutdown: Baltimore is the ninth-busiest port in the nation for international cargo, but it leads U.S. ports in “roll on, roll off" cargo. That means goods with wheels, composed largely of automobiles but including construction and agricultural equipment. The state of Maryland says the port moved 847,158 automobiles last year. About 70% of the wheeled cargo was imported. The port also handles a large amount of wood, steel, aluminum, home appliances, furniture, sugar and liquefied natural gas. About 20% of U.S. coal exports pass through Baltimore, second only to the port in Norfolk, Virginia. Shippers also use the port for containers, although other ports handle more of them. About 1 million containers went through Baltimore in the past year, about 2.8% of the container volume shipped through East Coast ports, according to S & P Global. In all, the port handled a record 11.7 million tons of cargo last year, the state said. “For everybody who is buying cars, for everybody who is (buying) farm equipment, we’re the largest port in the country that does that," Maryland Gov. Wes Moore said. “So this is not just impacting Maryland.” More than 50 ocean shipping and cruise ship companies do business with the port, the state says, and their vessels visit the port about 1,800 times per year. Last year, more than 444,000 passengers boarded cruise ships at the port from Royal Caribbean, Carnival, Norwegian and other cruise lines. Many are waiting to get booked at other ports, pushing back their arrival dates for several weeks. Windward Maritime said that from Monday to Tuesday, estimated time of arrival for Baltimore bound vessels doubled. The maritime risk management company predicted that ships scheduled to go to Baltimore would be delayed by at least 24 days. The company also said its data shows a large increase in ships that are basically drifting in the North Atlantic, likely meaning they are waiting to see which port they will go to. Some are anchored near Baltimore or nearby Annapolis, where a dozen vessels were waiting. Ships also are gathered near Norfolk. Supply chain experts say it will take some time, and there will be disruption, but automakers and shipping companies will divert their cargo to ports up and down the East Coast. Ports in Philadelphia, Wilmington, Delaware; Newark, New Jersey; Norfolk; Charleston, South Carolina; Jacksonville, Florida; and in Georgia also could see additional cargo. The Georgia Ports Authority, which owns ports in Savannah and Brunswick, said it has capacity to take on more cargo. But it can't make up for Baltimore by itself. Baltimore still can handle some autos. Part of its operations are east of where the bridge collapsed and are still operational, the port said. BMW and Volkswagen said they would still be able to use Baltimore. Perhaps, although Moody's said finding substitute ports should minimize price adjustments for coal and vehicles. “That said, the reshuffle will squeeze other ports, potentially adding a smidge to shipping costs as delays spill to other goods,” analyst Murphy Cruise wrote. In September 2019, the South Korean freighter Golden Ray overturned shortly after leaving the Port of Brunswick in Georgia. The crew was rescued, including four men trapped below its decks. But hauling away the shipwreck, including the cargo of 4,200 automobiles, turned out to be a slow and messy demolition effort that took over two years. The port was closed for four days, reopening only after the U.S. Coast Guard determined it was safe for vessels to slowly sail on the shipping channel leading to the port. The circumstances were much different from the bridge collapse in Baltimore, where sections of the structure lie across the river. Clearing a channel for ships likely will take far longer than four days. During a briefing at the bridge collapse scene, U.S. Rep. David Trone said state and federal officials estimated the port's closure would cost the economy at least $15 million per day. The Port of Baltimore directly employs over 15,000 workers and indirectly supports nearly 140,000 jobs via other port activities, many of whom will either be temporarily out of work or work limited hours, according to Trone. ____ Krisher reported from Detroit. AP Business Writers Paul Wiseman in Washington and Anne D'Innocenzio in New York contributed to this report.
Interior Department rule aims to crack down on methane leaks from oil, gas drilling on public lands None - The Biden administration has issued a final rule aimed at limiting methane leaks from oil and gas drilling on federal and tribal lands, its latest action to crack down on emissions of methane, a potent greenhouse gas that contributes significantly to g... WASHINGTON -- The Biden administration issued a final rule Wednesday aimed at curbing methane leaks from oil and gas drilling on federal and tribal lands, its latest action to crack down on emissions of methane, a potent greenhouse gas that contributes significantly to global warming. The rule issued by the Interior Department's Bureau of Land Management will tighten limits on gas flaring on federal lands and require that energy companies improve methods to detect methane leaks that add to planet-warming greenhouse gas pollution. The action follows a more comprehensive methane-reduction plan announced by the Environmental Protection Agency in December. The plan, announced at a global climate conference in the United Arab Emirates, targets emissions from existing oil and gas wells nationwide, rather than focusing only on new wells, as previous EPA regulations have done. It also regulates smaller wells that are now required to find and plug methane leaks. Oil and gas production is the nation’s largest industrial source of methane, the primary component of natural gas, and is a key target for Biden as his administration seeks to combat climate change. Methane is a climate “super pollutant” that is many times more potent in the short term than carbon dioxide. The rule issued Wednesday updates regulations that are more than 40 years old and will hold oil and gas companies accountable by imposing stricter limits on flaring and requiring energy companies to find and fix leaks, administration officials said. At the same time, officials said they are moving to ensure that American taxpayers and tribal mineral owners are fairly compensated through higher royalty payments proposed last year. The final rule will help “prevent waste, protect our environment and ensure a fair return to American taxpayers,” Interior Secretary Deb Haaland said in a statement. “By leveraging modern technology and best practices to reduce natural gas waste, we are taking long-overdue steps that will increase accountability for oil and gas operators and benefit energy communities now and for generations to come,” she said. The rule, which takes effect in June, is expected to generate more than $50 million per year in additional royalties while preventing billions of cubic feet of natural gas from being wasted through venting, flaring and leaks, Haaland and other officials said. Venting and flaring activity from oil and gas production on public lands has significantly increased in recent decades. Between 2010 and 2020, total volumes of natural gas lost to venting and flaring on federal and tribal lands averaged about 44.2 billion cubic feet per year — enough to serve roughly 675,000 homes, the Interior said. The figure represents a sharp increase from an annual average of 11 billion cubic feet lost to venting and flaring in the 1990s. Environmental groups hailed the rule, calling methane a huge contributor to global warming. “Strong Interior Department methane waste rules are integral for the United States to protect taxpayers from wasted energy resources,” said Jon Goldstein, senior director of regulatory and legislative affairs at the Environmental Defense Fund. “Eliminating waste from routine venting and flaring of associated gas conserves domestic energy resources ... lessens oil and gas production’s negative impact on the climate and protects the health of frontline communities,” said Tannis Fox, senior attorney at the Western Environmental Law Center, another environmental group. The American Petroleum Institute, the top lobbying group for the oil and gas industry, called the new rule an overreach that could hamper U.S. energy production. “API supports a smart regulatory framework for reducing methane emissions, but overlapping regulations and lack of coordination between policymakers could hinder progress, create unnecessary barriers to development on federal lands and result in regulatory incoherence,'' said Holly Hopkins, an API vice president. Arizona Rep. Raul Grijalva, the top Democrat on the House Natural Resources Committee, called the rule a “much-needed step" to fight climate change and protect the health of communities near drilling sites throughout the West. “Big Oil and Gas have been getting away with sloppy operations for too long, without an ounce of regard for the destruction it’s causing,'' Grijalva said. “I’m grateful the Biden administration is taking the bold action we need to hold fossil fuel facilities to a higher standard.'' Interior had previously announced a rule to restrict methane emissions under former President Barack Obama. The plan was challenged in court and later weakened under former President Donald Trump. Competing court rulings blocked enforcement of the Trump and Obama-era rules, leading the agency to revert to rules developed more than 40 years ago. Besides the EPA rule, a 2022 climate law approved by Congress is set to impose a fee on energy producers that exceed a certain level of methane emissions. The fee, initially set at $900 per metric ton of methane, will mark the first time the federal government has directly imposed a tax on greenhouse gas emissions.
Kia recalls over 427,000 Telluride SUVs because they might roll away while parked None - Kia is recalling more than 427,000 of its Telluride SUVs due to a defect that may cause the cars to roll away while they’re parked Kia recalls over 427,000 Telluride SUVs because they might roll away while parked NEW YORK -- Kia is recalling more than 427,000 of its Telluride SUVs due to a defect that may cause the cars to roll away while they're parked. According to documents published by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the intermediate shaft and right front driveshaft of certain 2020-2024 Tellurides may not be fully engaged. Over time, this can lead to “unintended vehicle movement” while the cars are in park — increasing potential crash risks. Kia America decided to recall all 2020-2023 model year and select 2024 model year Tellurides earlier this month, NHTSA documents show. At the time, no injuries or crashes were reported. Improper assembly is suspected to be the cause of the shaft engagement problem — with the recall covering 2020-2024 Tellurides that were manufactured between Jan. 9, 2019 and Oct. 19, 2023. Kia America estimates that 1% have the defect. To remedy this issue, recall documents say, dealers will update the affected cars' electronic parking brake software and replace any damaged intermediate shafts for free. Owners who already incurred repair expenses will also be reimbursed. In the meantime, drivers of the impacted Tellurides are instructed to manually engage the emergency break before exiting the vehicle. Drivers can also confirm if their specific vehicle is included in this recall and find more information using the NHTSA site and/or Kia’s recall lookup platform. Owner notification letters are otherwise set to be mailed out on May 15, with dealer notification beginning a few days prior. The Associated Press reached out to Irvine, California-based Kia America for further comment Sunday.
Expert on maximizing your tax refund None - Expert on maximizing your tax refund As the tax season progresses, the IRS reports having received over 71.5 million tax returns, already issuing more than 49 million refunds to Americans. With the average refund amounting to $3,109, CBS News business analyst Jill Schlesinger offers advice on how Americans can make the most of their tax refund.
‘We’ve never had anything like this’: The effect of Trump’s violent rhetoric on his base None - After Trump shared a video on social media Friday that included an image of President Biden bound and restrained in the back of a pickup truck, historian and scholar of authoritarianism Ruth Ben-Ghiat speaks to Ali Velshi about the dangers of Trump’s rhetoric and why he has been successful at normalizing violence among his base. “The purpose of these leader cults is to change the way people feel about violence,” Ben-Ghiat explains. “Violence is being proposed as a valid form of dealing with differences.”March 31, 2024
‘King Chaos’ vs. Joe Biden: Biden-Harris co-chair says Biden is focused on governing, not Trump’s legal battles None - 'Hunger: A Memoir of My Body' is proof that there is power in vulnerability
Rep. Jamie Raskin says Biden should ‘RSVP no’ to GOP House invitation None - 'Hunger: A Memoir of My Body' is proof that there is power in vulnerability
‘We don’t need your favors’: Maryland Gov. calls on GOP to step up after bridge collapse None - 'Hunger: A Memoir of My Body' is proof that there is power in vulnerability
'The real voter fraud': Supreme Court stalling leaves illegal gerrymandered map in place for 2024 None - After South Carolina's congressional election map was found by a court to be unconstitutionally gerrymandered, the case was sent to the Supreme Court on expedited appeal. But the expedited request was apparently not enough to motivate the Supreme Court to rule in time for the 2024 election, so South Carolina will be using the unconstitutional map. Maya Wiley, president and CEO of the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, discusses with Alex Wagner.March 30, 2024
Could Donald Trump's reckless rants push him towards prison? None - Donald Trump has attacked the judge and his daughter in the criminal hush money case again. Kristy Greenburg and Tim O’Brien join The Weekend to discuss why his defiance could land him in prison.March 31, 2024
‘It’s possible’ Speaker Johnson could lose his job over Ukraine vote: GOP congressman None - Rep. Don Bacon (R-Neb.) tells Meet the Press that there are “one or two people that are not team players” in the House Republican conference, and they may choose to vote to remove Speaker Johnson over a vote to support aid to Ukraine.March 31, 2024
'Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire" roars to an $80 million box office opening None - The Godzilla-King Kong combo stomped on expectations as “Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire,” roared to an $80 million opening at the weekend box office LOS ANGELES -- The Godzilla-King Kong combo stomped on expectations as “ Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire ” roared to an $80 million opening on 3,861 North American screens, according to Sunday studio estimates. The monster merger from Warner Bros. and Legendary Pictures starring Rebecca Hall and Brian Tyree Henry brought the second-highest opening in what has been a robust year, falling just short of the the $81.5 million debut of “Dune: Part 2.” Projections had put the the opening weekend of “Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire,” which sees the monsters teaming up instead of squaring up, at closer to $50 million. “It’s a cinematic event, and we’re seeing these iconic characters doing things we’ve never seen them do before,” said Mary Parent, chairman of worldwide production for Legendary. “There’s big swaths of the film that don’t have any dialogue, where we put you with the characters, it’s a very mythic experience.” Last week's No. 1 at the box office, “ Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire,” was second with $15.7 million for a two-week total of $73.4 million. “ Dune: Part Two ” stayed strong in its fifth week, falling in the third spot with an $11.1 million take and a domestic total of $252.4 million. The last matchup of the two monsters from Warner Bros. and Legendary, 2021's “ Godzilla vs. Kong,” had a much smaller opening weekend of $48.5 million, but for a film slowed by the coronavirus pandemic and released simultaneously on HBO Max, it was a serious success that signaled what was to come for the pairing. “It was a really big number all things considered,” Parent said. The newer film had the second biggest opening of the studios' broader MonsterVerse franchise. “Godzilla” brought in $93.2 million in 2014. It was the biggest earner in the nearly 70-year cinematic history of the creature that originated and spent most of its screen life in Japan. It earned more than $200 million in North America and more than $500 million globally. “Godzilla x Kong” comes just four months after the most recent Japanese rendition, the critical favorite and Oscar winner “Godzilla Minus One.” But there was clearly no Godzilla glut for audiences, many of whom were willing to pay extra for IMAX and other special formats. “These are literally two of the biggest movie stars in the world, and you have to see them on the biggest screen possible with the biggest sound possible,” said Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst for data firm Comscore. The combination of “Godzilla x Kong," “Dune Part Two” and “Ghostbusters" has put the year to date 6 percent behind 2023, while it was 20 percent behind on the eve of the March 1 release of “Dune." “The industry was feeling pretty glum right before ‘Dune Part 2’ opened, but they've made up a lot of ground,” said Dergarabedian. The summer is full of titles that are not guaranteed megahits but could break big, including Ryan Gosling's “The Fall Guy" and the next installments of “Planet of the Apes,” “Mad Max,” “Inside Out” and “Deadpool.” That brings cause for optimism as the theatrical movie business seeks to hang on, though it’s highly unlikely it will surpass 2023, which saw “Barbie” surpass $1 billion globally with its release-date mate “Oppenheimer” not far behind. “'Barbenheimer'” is kind of a once-in-a-lifetime event," Dergarabedian said. Estimated ticket sales are for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Comscore. Final domestic figures will be released Monday. 1. “Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire,” 80 million. 2. “Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire,” $15.7 million. 3. “Dune: Part Two," $11.1 million. 4. “Kung Fu Panda 4,” $10.2. million. 5. “Immaculate,” $3.3 million. 6. “Arthur the King,” $2.4 million. 7. “Late Night With the Devil,” $2.2 million. 8. “Tillu Square,” $1.8 million. 9. “Crew,” $1.5 million. 10. “Imaginary,” $1.4 million.
Gmail revolutionized email 20 years ago. People thought it was Google's April Fool's Day joke None - Google co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin loved pulling pranks, so much so they began rolling outlandish ideas every April Fool’s Day not long after starting their company more than a quarter century ago SAN FRANCISCO -- Google co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin loved pulling pranks, so much so they began rolling outlandish ideas every April Fool's Day not long after starting their company more than a quarter century ago. One year, Google posted a job opening for a Copernicus research center on the moon. Another year, the company said it planned to roll out a “scratch and sniff” feature on its search engine. The jokes were so consistently over-the-top that people learned to laugh them off as another example of Google mischief. And that's why Page and Brin decided to unveil something no one would believe was possible 20 years ago on April Fool's Day. It was Gmail, a free service boasting 1 gigabyte of storage per account, an amount that sounds almost pedestrian in an age of one-terabyte iPhones. But it sounded like a preposterous amount of email capacity back then, enough to store about 13,500 emails before running out of space compared to just 30 to 60 emails in the then-leading webmail services run by Yahoo and Microsoft. That translated into 250 to 500 times more email storage space. Besides the quantum leap in storage, Gmail also came equipped with Google's search technology so users could quickly retrieve a tidbit from an old email, photo or other personal information stored on the service. It also automatically threaded together a string of communications about the same topic so everything flowed together as if it was a single conversation. “The original pitch we put together was all about the three ‘S’s” — storage, search and speed," said former Google executive Marissa Mayer, who helped design Gmail and other company products before later becoming Yahoo's CEO. It was such a mind-bending concept that shortly after The Associated Press published a story about Gmail late on the afternoon of April Fool's 2004, readers began calling and emailing to inform the news agency it had been duped by Google's pranksters. “That was part of the charm, making a product that people won't believe is real. It kind of changed people’s perceptions about the kinds of applications that were possible within a web browser," former Google engineer Paul Buchheit recalled during a recent AP interview about his efforts to build Gmail. It took three years to do as part of a project called “Caribou” — a reference to a running gag in the Dilbert comic strip. “There was something sort of absurd about the name Caribou, it just made make me laugh,” said Buchheit, the 23rd employee hired at a company that now employs more than 180,000 people. The AP knew Google wasn't joking about Gmail because an AP reporter had been abruptly asked to come down from San Francisco to the company's Mountain View, California, headquarters to see something that would make the trip worthwhile. After arriving at a still-developing corporate campus that would soon blossom into what became known as the “Googleplex,” the AP reporter was ushered into a small office where Page was wearing an impish grin while sitting in front of his laptop computer. Page, then just 31 years old, proceeded to show off Gmail's sleekly designed inbox and demonstrated how quickly it operated within Microsoft's now-retired Explorer web browser. And he pointed out there was no delete button featured in the main control window because it wouldn't be necessary, given Gmail had so much storage and could be so easily searched. “I think people are really going to like this,” Page predicted. As with so many other things, Page was right. Gmail now has an estimated 1.8 billion active accounts — each one now offering 15 gigabytes of free storage bundled with Google Photos and Google Drive. Even though that's 15 times more storage than Gmail initially offered, it's still not enough for many users who rarely see the need to purge their accounts, just as Google hoped. The digital hoarding of email, photos and other content is why Google, Apple and other companies now make money from selling additional storage capacity in their data centers. (In Google's case, it charges anywhere from $30 annually for 200 gigabytes of storage to $250 annually for 5 terabytes of storage). Gmail's existence is also why other free email services and the internal email accounts that employees use on their jobs offer far more storage than was fathomed 20 years ago. “We were trying to shift the way people had been thinking because people were working in this model of storage scarcity for so long that deleting became a default action,” Buchheit said. Gmail was a game changer in several other ways while becoming the first building block in the expansion of Google's internet empire beyond its still-dominant search engine. After Gmail came Google Maps and Google Docs with word processing and spreadsheet applications. Then came the acquisition of video site YouTube, followed by the introduction of the the Chrome browser and the Android operating system that powers most of the world's smartphones. With Gmail's explicitly stated intention to scan the content of emails to get a better understanding of users' interests, Google also left little doubt that digital surveillance in pursuit of selling more ads would be part of its expanding ambitions. Although it immediately generated a buzz, Gmail started out with a limited scope because Google initially only had enough computing capacity to support a small audience of users. “When we launched, we only had 300 machines and they were really old machines that no one else wanted,” Buchheit said, with a chuckle. “We only had enough capacity for 10,000 users, which is a little absurd." But that scarcity created an air of exclusivity around Gmail that drove feverish demand for an elusive invitations to sign up. At one point, invitations to open a Gmail account were selling for $250 apiece on eBay. “It became a bit like a social currency, where people would go, ‘Hey, I got a Gmail invite, you want one?’” Buchheit said. Although signing up for Gmail became increasingly easier as more of Google's network of massive data centers came online, the company didn't begin accepting all comers to the email service until it opened the floodgates as a Valentine's Day present to the world in 2007. A few weeks later on April Fool's Day in 2007, Google would announce a new feature called “Gmail Paper” offering users the chance to have Google print out their email archive on “94% post-consumer organic soybean sputum " and then have it sent to them through the Postal Service. Google really was joking around that time.
Romania and Bulgaria partially join Europe’s Schengen travel zone, but checks at land borders remain None - Romania and Bulgaria partially joined Europe’s Schengen ID-check-free travel zone, marking a new step in the two countries’ integration with the European Union SOFIA, Bulgaria -- Romania and Bulgaria partially joined Europe’s ID-check-free travel zone on Sunday, marking a new step in the two countries’ integration with the European Union. After years of negotiations to join the Schengen area, there is now free access for travelers arriving by air or sea from both countries. However, land border checks will remain in place due to opposition primarily from Austria which has long blocked their bid over illegal migration concerns. EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen hailed the change as a “huge success for both countries” and a “historic moment” for what is the world’s largest free travel zone. The Schengen Area was established in 1985. Before Bulgaria and Romania’s admission, it was comprised of 23 of the 27 EU member countries, along with Switzerland, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein. Around 3.5 million people cross an internal border each day. Austria vetoed Romania and Bulgaria’s admission into the Schengen zone at the end of 2022 but allowed Croatia full accession. Bulgaria and Romania joined the EU in 2007 and Croatia in 2013. Siegfried Muresan, a Romanian Member of the European Parliament, told The Associated Press that it is “an important first step” that will benefit millions of travelers annually. “Bulgaria and Romania have been fulfilling all criteria for joining the Schengen area for years — we are entitled to join with the terrestrial border as well,” he said, adding that it “will offer additional arguments to the last EU member state that has been vetoing the full accession.” Romanian Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu called it a “well-deserved achievement” for Romania that he said will benefit citizens who can travel more easily and will bolster the economy. “We have a clear and firmly assumed government plan for full accession to the Schengen Area by the end of the year,” he said. The EU’s executive branch, the European Commission, has said for more than a decade that Romania and Bulgaria both meet the technical criteria for full accession, which requires unanimous support from their partners. Both countries have agreed to implement random security screening at airports and maritime borders to combat illegal migration and cross-border crime. “Bulgaria’s full accession to Schengen will happen by the end of 2024,” Kalin Stoyanov, Bulgaria's interior minister, told reporters on Sunday. “We showed and continue to show to illegal migrants that they should not take the road to Europe through Bulgaria." The lifting of border control is expected to facilitate operations at Bulgaria’s four international airports, which in 2023 saw nearly 11 million passengers, according to official data. The airport in the capital, Sofia, serves as the biggest hub for Schengen flights which constitute 70% of all flights, airport representatives said. While the eased regulations are expected to positively impact the tourism sector, members of the European Parliament have voiced concerns about long queues at the EU’s land borders and the impact it can have on trade in the bloc’s single market, as well as the health and safety of drivers. Truck drivers are frequently stuck in kilometers-long queues at the borders of both Romania and Bulgaria. The Union of International Carriers in Bulgaria estimates delays cost the sector tens of millions of euros each year. ___ McGrath reported from Sighisoara, Romania.