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 »
RELATED:
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
RELATED:
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
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
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
RELATED:
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.