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Google adds AI-powered article summaries for free articles, not paywalled ones, to its Search Generative Experience and says publishers can block the feature — Google today is rolling out a few new updates to its nearly three-month-old Search Generative Experience (SGE) …


Joann Meyer, who worked for nearly 60 years at the The Marion County Record in Kansas, died on August 12, a day after police searched the newspaper's offices — She collapsed a day after the police raided her home and the offices of The Marion County Record, a weekly paper in Kansas.


Users of XPro, previously TweetDeck, report encountering X Blue paywalls to use the service; X said on July 3 that “in 30 days” XPro would be subscriber-only — X, the social network formally known as Twitter, appears to be finally following through on its promise to make TweetDeck a paid service.
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X files for dismissal of a copyright lawsuit filed in June by the US National Music Publishers' Association over alleged infringements of ~1,700 works — Unlike rivals like Facebook, Instagram and TikTok, X - the Elon Musk-owned social media service formerly known as Twitter …
Discussion:
Plagiarism Today, Complete Music Update, Yahoo Entertainment, Billboard and Digital Music News

X added five-second delays, some now removed, on t.co links to Instagram, Facebook, Threads, Bluesky, Substack, the NYT, Reuters, and other sites Musk attacks
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Insider, MediaPost, Fortune, @evilmicrowizard …, New York Post, 9to5Mac, Poynter, AdExchanger, The Guardian, @schwarz, @minimaxir, @kenli729, @sheila_dang, @drewharwell, @mikeisaac, @billbrown, @mattsclancy, B&T, @minimaxir, @mikeisaac, @drewharwell@mastodon.social, CNN, @yoyoel.com, @reporterzoe@threads.net, TechCrunch, The Verge, New York Times, Boing Boing, Music Ally, @piattodelgatto.bsky.social, Mediaite, @drewharwell.com, @drewharwell.com, @mmasnick.bsky.social, @ben@werd.social, @dsilverman@mastodon.social, @jimray@mastodon.social, @yair-rosenberg.bsky.social, @yoyoel.com, @Claeshs@newsie.social, @adamserwer.bsky.social, @endeavorance@astral.camp, Variety, @martinsfp.bsky.social, @mtsw.bsky.social and Hacker News, more at Techmeme »


NPR names Eva Rodriguez as VP and executive editor in charge of its global news operations; Rodriguez was previously the EIC of nonprofit The Fuller Project — NPR has named veteran newsroom leader Eva Rodriguez as its next vice president and executive editor, a role that will put her at the helm …


A female Afghan journalist recounts leaving Kabul after the Taliban regained power in the country in 2021, as she reflects on life as a journalist in exile — At 8:30 one August morning two years ago, I was at home in the Pul-e Surkh area of Kabul when my sister called.
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Al Jazeera, @jhrnews, @thewalrus, @jenniferhollett, @inamdarsiddhesh, @thewalrus, Voice of America, Reporters Without Borders, Fox News and Semafor


The Authors Guild, American Booksellers Association, and Open Markets Institute urge the DOJ and the FTC to investigate Amazon's “monopoly” in the book market — The online retailer's size and sway affects the free exchange of ideas, the groups argue.
Discussion:
Bloomberg, The Verge and @arjun.bsky.social, more at Techmeme »


Russia expels Eva Hartog, Politico Europe's reporter in Moscow, after 10 years reporting in the country, without giving any details on how the ruling was made — As Putin escalates crackdown on foreign media, longtime correspondent Eva Hartog is forced out by the Kremlin.
Discussion:
Al Jazeera, @mariageorgieva, @polinaivanovva and @jason_corcoran


Iran sentences Saeed Roustayi to six months for screening his film Leila's Brothers at 2022 Cannes “without authorization”; he will serve about nine days — Celebrated Iranian director and screenwriter Saeed Roustayi has been sentenced to six months of correctional imprisonment …
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Variety, The Guardian, Byline Times and Hollywood Reporter


Analysis: the average price of major ad-free streaming services is up nearly 25% in about a year, as companies try to push users toward ad-supported tiers — Price push by Disney, others is part of effort to trim losses, steer users toward more-lucrative ad-supported plans — Call it streamflation.
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The Streamable, Fast Company, The Verge, MIT Technology Review, Digiday and Washington Post


Amazon hikes the price of Music Unlimited for Prime subscribers, up $1/month to $9.99 for individual plans and family plans up $1/month to $16.99 — Amazon previously raised the prime of Amazon Music Unlimited for non-Prime members earlier this year. — Amazon Music Unlimited …
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TechCrunch, Music Business Worldwide, Music Ally, Deadline, Billboard, Variety, The Verge, Digital Music News and Cord Cutters News


Tencent Music reports Q2 revenue up 6% YoY to ~$1.01B, revenue from music subscriptions up 37% YoY to ~$399M, and subscribers up 20% YoY to 99.4M — Subscriber numbers increased by 20% year on year and by 5 million quarter on quarter, to hit 99.4 million, the company said.
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RTÉ, Music Ally, Reuters, Digital Music News and Music Business Worldwide