22 Oct 2023

Ticker: Actors, studios head back to bargaining table; Chinese tax authorities visit Apple supplier  

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SAG-AFTRA and the alliance representing major studios said they would resume negotiations next week, as the Hollywood actors’ strike stretches past the 100-day milestone.

The two sides said in a joint statement Saturday they will meet Tuesday at SAG-AFTRA Plaza in Los Angeles, with “several executives” from the major studios in attendance.

The meeting will mark the first formal talks between the actors guild and the entertainment companies since discussions broke down on Oct. 11. The studios walked away from the table, saying the gap between the sides was too great.

The Association of Motion Picture and Television Producers, which represents firms including Disney, NBCUniversal and Netflix, said in a statement at the time that the union’s proposal for for streaming services to share their revenue with actors “would create an untenable economic burden,” costing more than $800 million a year.

But SAG-AFTRA leaders said the amount they are seeking in their revenue sharing proposal for streamers is about 57 cents per subscriber per year and that studios should share more of the financial success of shows with actors.

Chinese tax authorities visit Apple supplier

Foxconn, a Fortune 500 company known globally for making Apple iPhones, was recently subjected to searches by Chinese tax authorities, according to local reports Sunday.

Foxconn, a Taiwanese -headquartered company officially registered as Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd, had its offices in Guangdong and Jiangsu provinces searched by tax officials, according to a report in the Chinese state-run Global Times newspaper.

The Ministry of Natural Resources also inspected Foxconn offices in Henan and Hubei provinces, where the company has major factories. Foxconn employs hundreds of thousands of workers across China.

The report did not provide more details about the searches, including when they occurred or what was found.

22 Oct 2023

CVS pulls ineffective cold medicines

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CVS Health is pulling from its shelves some cough-and-cold treatments that contain an ingredient that has been deemed ineffective by doctors and researchers.

The drug store chain said Friday it will remove a small number of oral decongestants that contain phenylephrine as the only active ingredient. CVS also said it will still sell “many other oral cough and cold products to meet consumer needs.”

A company spokeswoman declined to elaborate on how many products will be removed.

CVS Health runs more than 9,000 stores in the United States. Representatives of its national rival, Walgreens, has not pulled any products.

A Walgreens spokeswoman said the company is monitoring the situation and partnering with its clinical integrity office and suppliers “on appropriate next steps.”

U.S. Food and Drug Administration advisers voted unanimously last month against the effectiveness of phenylephrine, which is found in popular versions of Sudafed, Dayquil and other medications stocked on store shelves.

The FDA had asked its outside advisers to examine the long-questioned drug ingredient. Studies conducted in the past few years by the drugmakers Merck and Johnson & Johnson have shown no difference between phenylephrine medications and placebos for relieving congestion.

The FDA, which has not acted on the recommendation of its advisers, said the drug appears more effective when applied directly to the nose, in sprays or drops. Those products are not under review.

Phenylephrine had become the main drug in over-the-counter decongestants when medicines with an older ingredient — pseudoephedrine — were moved behind pharmacy counters. A 2006 law had forced the move because pseudoephedrine can be illegally processed into methamphetamine.

Those original versions of Sudafed and other medicines remain available without a prescription.

The CVS Health announcement comes shortly before another cold-and-flu season starts in the United States as winter sets in. Last year, an unusually fast start to the season led to shortages of Children’s Tylenol and other medications customers can purchase over-the-counter, or without a prescription.

22 Oct 2023

Swifties edge cinephiles at box office    

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NEW YORK — In a movie match-up almost as unlikely as “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer,” Martin Scorsese took on Taylor Swift in cinemas over the weekend. And while the box office belonged for a second time to “Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour,” Scorsese’s “Killers of the Flower Moon” got off to a strong start in Apple Studios’ first major theatrical gambit.

After a record-breaking opening weekend of $92.8 million, “Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour” took in an estimated $31 million over the weekend from 3,855 locations, according to AMC Theaters. In an unconventional deal, the theater chain is distributing Swift’s concert film, and playing it only Thursdays through Sundays.

Most Swifties rushed to see the film on opening weekend, when a large percent of sales were driven by advance ticketing. Sales dropped a steep 67% in its second weekend, potentially signifying that  “The Eras Tour” was predominantly an opening-weekend phenomenon.

But “The Eras Tour” has still proved to be a movie event unlike any other. Within days, it became the highest grossing concert film ever in North America, not accounting for inflation. It’s quickly accumulated $129.8 million domestically.

More was riding on “Killers of the Flower Moon,” a historical crime drama about a string of murders against the Osage nation in the early 1920s. The film, which cost at least $200 million to make, is the largest production yet from Apple Studios. The streamer partnered with Paramount Pictures to release Scorsese’s adaptation of David Grann’s bestseller in 3,628 theaters, with plans to later stream it on a not-yet-announced date on Apple TV+.

“Killers of the Flower Moon” debuted with $23 million, marking the third best opening for the 80-year-old Scorsese, following “Shutter Island” ($41 million in 2010) and “The Departed” ($26.9 million in 2006). Though Scorsese’s latest opus, starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Lily Gladstone and Robert De Niro, will have a hard road to reaching profitability, it’s a successful launch for a 206-minute-long adult-skewing drama – a type of movie that, outside “Oppenheimer,” has struggled mightily at the box office in recent years.

And “Killers of the Flower Moon,” with rave reviews, an “A-” CinemaScore from audiences and the backing of a robust Oscar campaign, should continue to play well over the long haul. It added $21 million overseas.

As dissimilar as “Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour” and “Killers of the Flower Moon” are, they’re alike in their extended run times. A double features of the weekend’s top two movies would have taken you six hours and 14 minutes, not counting ads and trailers.

“Exorcist: The Believer,” the horror sequel directed by David Gordon Green, came in a distant third with $6.7 million in its third weekend of release. The Universal, Blumhouse film has grossed $54.2 million domestically.

22 Oct 2023

49ers at Vikings picks: Christian McCaffrey’s return would make the difference

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Pioneer Press staffers who cover the Vikings forecast Monday night’s game against the San Francisco 49ers at U.S. Bank Stadium:

DANE MIZUTANI

49ers 31, Vikings 17

It sounds like San Francisco will have Christian McCaffrey, while Minnesota will be without Justin Jefferson. It’s hard to imagine the Vikings pulling the upset without their best player.

JOHN SHIPLEY

Vikings 27, 49ers 24

In a league where anything can happen, the locals upset San Francisco after Raymond McCloud has his game-winning punt return for a touchdown called back because, upon video review, the NFL determines he thought briefly about just running out of bounds.

CHARLEY WALTERS

49ers 31, Vikings 17

Despite their upset loss to the Browns last week, the 49ers remain the NFL’s best team. The Vikings are among the NFL’s worst teams. Easy pick.

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