Top News:
Reuters:
Elon Musk claims X will fund the legal bills of people who have been “unfairly treated” by their employer “due to posting or liking something on this platform” — Elon Musk has said his X social media platform will fund the legal bills of people who have been treated unfairly …
Discussion:
The Verge, @elonmusk, NPR, @ngrossman81, @evcricket, @srossmktg.bsky.social, @timinclimate, @reporterzoe@threads.net, Al Jazeera, @donaldjtrumpjr, Forbes, @hithisismira.bsky.social, @edzitron, @levynews, @pinboard, @iamcouncil, Fortune, @edzitron, Cointelegraph, @redsteeze, @cleoselene.bsky.social, @gokulns, @wholemarsblog, @nigel_farage, @ginacarano, @stitzch.bsky.social, @lauraloomer, Bloomberg, BBC, @evacide@hachyderm.io, @elonmusk, @radiofreetom, @austen, @elonmusk, @bernybelvedere, Insider and TheBlaze, more at Techmeme »
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Richard Lawler / The Verge:
X delays its Ads Revenue Sharing program's payouts that were set for the week of July 31, saying the volume of people signing up “has exceeded our expectations” — In news that isn't very surprising given the recent history of Twitter, which Elon Musk is currently rebranding to X …
Christopher Mathias / HuffPost:
Investigation: Richard Hanania, a Substack writer also published in WaPo, NYT, WSJ, and more, wrote for white supremacist outlets in the 2010s using a pen name — Hanania is championed by tech moguls and a U.S. senator, but HuffPost found he used a pen name to become an important figure in the “alt-right.”
Discussion:
@ggreenwald, @oneunderscore__, @sethcotlar, @parismarx, @oneunderscore__, @calebscoville, Richard Hanania's Newsletter, @ositanwanevu, @martinsfp, @danprimack, @amandamarcotte.bsky.social, @letsgomathias.bsky.social, @emilybell.bsky.social, @letsgomathias, @david_j_roth, @letsgomathias, @letsgomathias, @david_j_roth, @letsgomathias, @letsgomathias, @letsgomathias, @paulstewartii, @paulstewartii, @paulstewartii, @paulstewartii, @katzonearth, @exador23@m.ai6yr.org, @tomscocca.bsky.social, @philipncohen@mastodon.social, @acdha@thepit.social, @lolgop.bsky.social, @socprof@masto.ai, @mmasnick.bsky.social, Mediaite, @mmasnick.bsky.social, @chadloder.bsky.social, @ddayen.bsky.social, @timnitGebru@dair …, @mattsheffield@mastodon.social, @timcarvell.bsky.social, @michellegoldberg.bsky.social, @tomscocca.bsky.social, @KimPerales@toad.social, @dandrezner.bsky.social, @jacobtlevy.bsky.social, @sethcotlar.bsky.social, @alexwild@mastodon.online, @strangestrings.bsky.social, @stevesilberman@newsie.social, @jsthrill.bsky.social and @charliearchy@mstdn.social
The Wrap:
Memo: the WGA says the two sides remain too far apart after the August 4 meeting with the AMPTP, accusing the AMPTP of violating its own media blackout request — In a letter to members, WGA accuses studios of leaking details about ‘confidential’ meet-up — Hopes for renewed contract talks between …
Discussion:
The Ankler, Deadline, @genemaddaus, @genemaddaus, Vanity Fair, The Hollywood Reporter, IndieWire, Los Angeles Times, Collider, The Hollywood Reporter, The Verge, Variety, TVLine, Screen Rant, Bloomberg, CBS News, Deadline, Fortune and Reuters
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The Hollywood Reporter:
Charities say Hollywood food insecurity is rising as strikes drag on, so nonprofits are boosting food and financial aid for writers, actors, and support staff
Discussion:
@thisiskaia, @katiekilkenny7, @leahfolta, @wgawest, @slack2thefuture, Fortune, Deadline, Vanity Fair and Bloomberg
Deadline:
Thousands of WGA and SAG-AFTRA members picket NBCUniversal, after union members filed NLRB complaints saying the studio interfered with prior picketing activity
Discussion:
@jackiepenn18, @deadline, @deadline, Rolling Stone, @slack2thefuture, Fans for the WGA, Deadline, @sonyasteele@mastodon.social, Forbes and The Wrap
Meduza.io:
Russian independent news outlet Meduza says that Apple Podcasts removed its flagship podcast What Happened; source: Roskomnadzor asked Apple to remove the show — Meduza has received a notice from Apple, informing our media that our flagship podcast “What Happened” has been removed from the Apple Podcasts streaming platform.
Lesley Goldberg / The Hollywood Reporter:
Q&A with The CW Entertainment President Brad Schwartz on the importance of owning all show rights, quickly expanding into sports, producing originals, and more — Brad Schwartz joins the 'TV's Top 5' podcast to discuss why big studio shows like ‘Riverdale’ won't work as the network shifts its focus to becoming broader (and older).
Discussion:
@tvgrimreaper, @tvgrimreaper, @snoodit and @mandyttcarr
Josef Adalian / Vulture:
As broadcasters make fewer scripted shows, streaming services that need such content can avoid churn and a catalog crisis by making series with more episodes — This story first ran in Buffering, Vulture's newsletter about the streaming industry. Head to vulture.com/buffering and subscribe today!
Discussion:
@nina_metz, @royal_suitor, @nymag, @dfriend, @tvmojoe, @dougwyman425, @juleswritesblog, @ct_ford, @ethanmayj and The Streamable
Thomas Wilde / GeekWire:
Dungeons & Dragons publisher Wizards of the Coast will prohibit the use of AI-made illustrations, after fans spotted signs of AI art in an upcoming sourcebook — BOT or NOT? This special series explores the evolving relationship between humans and machines, examining the ways that robots …
Discussion:
@onyrica, Comic Book, @gontijodesign, @evilcleverdog, @aarantheartist, @nevernotdm, Decrypt and Gizmodo
Khadijah Khogeer / NBC News:
Journalists at Vancouver-based IndigiNews and Ontario-based The Sarnia Journal say Meta's news block is reducing their sites' visitors and hurting their outlets — Meta recently began blocking news from Instagram and Facebook in Canada in response to the Online News Act.
Discussion:
@tehuti88
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Nilesh Christopher / Rest of World:
Some designers say AI tools have made them anxious about the YouTube thumbnail microeconomy's future; creators like MrBeast pay up to $10K for a video thumbnail — Creators like MrBeast pay up to $10,000 for a single YouTube video thumbnail, but the rise of AI tools have some designers anxious about the microeconomy's future.
New York Times:
Investigation: US tech entrepreneur Neville Roy Singham, who funds left-wing outlets globally, works closely with Chinese government media to spread propaganda — The Times unraveled a financial network that stretches from Chicago to Shanghai and uses American nonprofits to push Chinese talking points worldwide.
André Beganski / Decrypt:
The New York Times is fighting a gag order imposed on FTX co-founder Sam Bankman-Fried after he shared former lover Caroline Ellison's writings with the outlet — The Gray Lady's letter follows a report that landed Bankman-Fried back in court. … The New York Times pushed back on Thursday …
Discussion:
Talking Biz News, @elonmusk, @zguz, @decryptmedia, @zguz, @zguz, ABC News, The New York Times Company, Reuters, CryptoSlate, US Department of Justice and Cointelegraph
Casey Newton / Platformer:
US state laws restricting access to porn circumvent First Amendment protections that prevent the government from deciding which content is “harmful to minors” — Today let's talk about a right we currently take for granted that may soon disappear: the ability to browse and post to most websites anonymously.
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