Disney’s (DIS) showdown in Florida continues to weigh on the company and its embattled CEO, Bob Chapek. On Friday, Governor Ron DeSantis signed into law the bill revoking Disney’s special district status. The move has largely been seen as a response to Disney’s unfavorable reaction to the so-called “Don’t Say Gay” bill. The controversial bill, which will go into effect on July 1, states, “Classroom instruction by school personnel or third parties on sexual orientation or gender identity may… Source link

The potential No. 1 overall pick in the 2022 NFL draft was born with the Christian name of Yuri. He played the trombone growing up. He wasn’t considered the best player (or even the second- or third-best …) on his college defense, even if his defense was really good. He hadn’t even started a college football game until last September. Yes, it’s fair to say that this year’s draft has a different feel to it than most years, starting at the very top. In a development that was unforeseeable… Source link

Republicans used to argue that government should get out of the way and leave businesses free to work their capitalist magic. Ronald Reagan is so passé. In Florida, Texas and other GOP states, Republicans are now enlisting businesses in culture-war politics and punishing them if they don’t go along. Disney is now in a standoff with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and other state Republicans over a new law banning instruction on sexual orientation and gender identification among young… Source link

(Bloomberg) — Billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk agreed to buy Twitter Inc. for $44 billion, using one of the biggest leveraged buyout deals in history to take private a 16-year-old social networking platform that has become a hub of public discourse and a flashpoint in the debate over online free speech. Most Read from Bloomberg Investors will receive $54.20 for each Twitter share they own, the company said in a statement Monday. The price is 38% more than the stock’s close on April 1, the… Source link

(Bloomberg) — U.S. stocks rose as dip-buyers emerged ahead of a busy week for Big Tech earnings. Most Read from Bloomberg The S&P 500 gained in a choppy afternoon session, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq 100 climbed more than 1%. Twitter Inc. extended gains after billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk agreed to buy the social networking platform. Alphabet Inc., Apple Inc., Amazon.com Inc. and Meta Platforms Inc. are all due to report. “This week may easily be a fork in the road of equities,” JC… Source link

Everything old is new again. Someone leaves a prototype in a bar, prototype makes its way into some blogger’s hands, chaos ensues. It’s hard to imagine another device coming along soon that’s shrouded in the same layer of security as the iPhone 4. Both gadgets and tech journalism have evolved since those halcyon days, but nothing like a high-profile leak to get the blood pumping in these old typing fingers. Companies’ protect-the-IP-at-all-cost approach has shifted, too, over… Source link

The pharmaceutical industry has drawn strong criticism over the past decade for driving up the prices of prescription drugs. Although Big Pharma executives and supporters argue that these price hikes are necessary in order to sustain research and development (R&D), i.e. innovation to help the development of new medications, not everyone agrees with that rationalization. According to Rep. Katie Porter (D-CA), the money from increased pricing isn’t being used for the right reasons. “The facts… Source link

Chicago Bears wide receiver Byron Pringle was arrested on Saturday after Florida Highway Patrol allegedly found him doing donuts in his car on a state road with a small child in the backseat. Pringle, 28, was spotted after an officer saw a cloud of smoke and smelled burning rubber on a road about 30 miles from Tampa. “I could smell the distinct smell of burnt rubber as I proceeded to turn around in the same median break,” Bloom wrote. “I observed a series of tire marks on the roadway… Source link

(Bloomberg) — Twitter Inc. is in the final stretch of negotiations about a $43 billion sale to Elon Musk that could rank as one of the biggest-ever leveraged buyouts of a listed company, people with knowledge of the matter said, placing an influential blogging platform under control of the world’s richest person. Most Read from Bloomberg An agreement would cap a monthslong saga that saw Musk amass a stake of about 9%, launch a fusillade of criticism at Twitter’s management, turn down a… Source link

A New York judge held former President Donald Trump in contempt of court Monday because of the Trump Organization’s refusal to turn over documents to New York Attorney General Letitia James as part of an ongoing investigation into whether it fraudulently reported the value of real estate holdings in financial statements. State Supreme Court Justice Arthur Engoron ruled that Trump must pay a fine of $10,000 per day until he complies with a subpoena for business records related to the… Source link