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Amazon Prime Video to have Wonder Project's faith-focused channel in US this fall

Amazon Prime Video to have Wonder Project's faith-focused channel in US this fall

Reuters6 hours ago

June 24 (Reuters) - Faith-based content producer Wonder Project said on Tuesday it will launch a new streaming channel on Amazon's (AMZN.O), opens new tab Prime Video in the United States this fall.
Studios, investors and streaming services are pouring money into faith-based programs to attract viewers with diverse content in a fiercely competitive streaming market.
"This launch represents another step in our ongoing efforts to ensure Prime Video offers something for everyone," said Ryan Pirozzi, head of Prime Video Marketplace.
The independent studio plans to price the service at $8.99 per month, the same as Amazon Prime Video's monthly membership cost.
Founded in late 2023 by former Netflix and YouTube executive Kelly Merryman Hoogstraten and filmmaker Jon Erwin, the independent studio develops series and films focused on spirituality.
Wonder Project plans to launch the service with the exclusive premiere of the second season of the biblical series "House of David," produced in partnership with Amazon MGM Studios.
The first season has attracted more than 40 million viewers globally since its release, the company said.
The studio's investors include faith‑focused private equity and venture capital firm Sovereign's Capital, Hollywood studio Lionsgate, United Talent Agency and film producer Jason Blum.

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EXCLUSIVE Heartwarming moment man who was left unable to speak because of stroke suddenly talks after reuniting with wife
EXCLUSIVE Heartwarming moment man who was left unable to speak because of stroke suddenly talks after reuniting with wife

Daily Mail​

time20 minutes ago

  • Daily Mail​

EXCLUSIVE Heartwarming moment man who was left unable to speak because of stroke suddenly talks after reuniting with wife

A woman has shared the heartwarming moment that her dad spoke for the first time in nine months after he reunited with his wife. Sara Adame, 30, from Charleston, South Carolina, explained during an exclusive chat with the Daily Mail that a debilitating stroke left her father, Juan, unable to communicate in 2020. It occurred right after his wife, Sherrie, who struggled with addiction, was sent to prison, and the tragic medical emergency left him completely withdrawn and out of it. 'He didn't speak anymore. He didn't really recognize anybody and he definitely couldn't talk to us or tell us who we were or who he was,' Sara explained. 'He was very nonverbal.' For nine months, Juan seemed as though he was in a constant mental fog, and his family believed they may never see the man they once knew again. But all of that changed when he laid eyes on Sherrie after she was released from prison. Footage of their emotional reunion showed Juan laying in bed at a rehab center looking uncommunicative. But suddenly, his face lit up as Sherrie entered the room. He opened his mouth wide with excitement before he said the words, 'Oh my God.' He then pulled Sherrie in for a warm embrace, hugging her tightly and kissing her. The moment was extremely 'overwhelming' for his family, who were convinced they would never hear him speak again. 'It was very overwhelming when he became not only alert upon seeing her, but verbal as well,' recalled Sara. 'He picked right back up where he left off in love with her. It shocked us all to our core because we didn't know he was still capable of these emotions. Love really does prevail.' While chatting with the Daily Mail, Sara explained that her parents met when Sherrie worked at a 7-Eleven and Juan 'would come in and get his morning coffee before work.' They got married in 2003, during a stunning ceremony in Puerto Rico 'surrounded by family.' Unfortunately, Sara said Sherrie ultimately 'couldn't battle her demons any longer' and 'fell into temptation and relapsed' soon after the video was filmed. She ultimately passed away in 2021, and Juan died a one year after her. But Sara still holds on to her parents' emotional reunion as proof that true love does exist. 'I just hope that everybody can understand that love conquers all, if you have somebody love them right now,' she urged. 'I feel like everybody's out here searching for the next best thing, but in sickness and in health and poor and rich in free or shackled, love will be the only thing you remember in the end. 'So love right now. Be present and intentional. There are so many distractions in this world. 'It's important to be there for who is sick as they were there for you. There are so silent battles in the mind even if unspoken that applied to my mom and to my dad in different ways. Just be kind.' Sara shared the clip to TikTok last month, where it went viral, gaining more than 4.8 million views. 'Watch the moment my mom comes home from prison. My dad had a stroke while she was away and had become emotionally/verbally unavailable until she moment,' she wrote in a text overlay. Thousands were moved by their story and rushed to the comment section to share their thoughts. 'The way he lit up when he saw her. It's all we should ever wish for is to be loved like that,' one user wrote. 'If that don't prove Love heals all!' another added. 'The look in his eyes is what pure, true love truly is. This is so beautiful I am not okay right now,' someone else penned.

Trading Day: Truce triggers world equity whoosh
Trading Day: Truce triggers world equity whoosh

Reuters

time27 minutes ago

  • Reuters

Trading Day: Truce triggers world equity whoosh

ORLANDO, Florida, June 24 (Reuters) - TRADING DAY Making sense of the forces driving global markets By Jamie McGeever, Markets Columnist Global stocks zoomed to an all-time high on Tuesday and oil sank for a second day as a shaky truce between Iran and Israel sparked a widespread relief rally, while Fed Chair Jerome Powell reiterated that rate cuts can wait while policymakers assess the impact of tariffs. In my column today I look at why traders' dovish Fed bets may finally come good - softening U.S. data, plunging oil prices, and a surprise U-turn from a Fed hawk. More on that below, but first, a roundup of the main market moves. If you have more time to read, here are a few articles I recommend to help you make sense of what happened in markets today. Today's Key Market Moves Truce triggers world equity whoosh A buying frenzy engulfed world stocks on Tuesday after U.S. President Donald Trump's announcement the previous evening that Iran and Israel had agreed a ceasefire. Immediate violations from both sides didn't dampen investors' spirits, and the ceasefire began to take hold as the day progressed. The MSCI World index hit a fresh peak, and Asian and emerging market stocks climbed to their highest levels since early 2022. In New York, the S&P 500 and Nasdaq came within 1% and 1.5%, respectively, of their recent all-time highs. It bears repeating that the situation is fluid, the truce is fragile, and nerves are stretched, reflected by Trump's expletive-laced rebuke of both countries early on Tuesday before he departed for a NATO summit in the Netherlands. But the market mood is buoyant. Just look at the oil price - its reversal in the first two trading days of the week has been extraordinary, with Brent crude futures recording a peak-to-trough decline of 18%. Oil is a smaller input in global industry, economic activity, and inflation today compared with decades gone by, but it is still significant. Oil is now 20% lower than it was this time last year, which is good news for consumers, businesses and, from an inflation standpoint, central banks. Fed Chair Jerome Powell's semi-annual testimony to Congress was the other main area of focus for investors on Tuesday, and they will have been relieved there was no hawkish curveball on the rate outlook. Powell repeated his position from last week's post-meeting press conference that policymakers can afford to wait and see the impact of tariffs on activity and prices before deciding their next step. "I do not want to point to a particular meeting. I don't think we need to be in any rush," he told lawmakers, distancing himself from some of his colleagues who have said recently they would consider cutting rates next month. But Powell wasn't any more hawkish than he was last week, and his steady steer helped pave the way for the rally. Despite the optimism washing over markets this week, there are reasons to be cautious on the U.S. economy. Figures on Tuesday showed that consumer confidence is falling, with pessimism toward the jobs market at its lowest level in over four years, and the current account deficit widened to a record $450 billion in the first quarter. Bowman turn, oil plunge challenge Fed's hawkish tilt Financial markets have consistently overestimated the Federal Reserve's readiness to cut interest rates in recent years. But the latest Fed chatter, softening economic data and a dramatic reversal in oil prices suggest they could be right this time. The central bank last week appeared to pour ice cold water on traders' hopes for a dovish steer. In the Fed's summary of economic projections, officials maintained their median 'dot plot' projection of two 25 basis point rate cuts this year. But it was an extremely close call, and they lowered their 2026 forecast to one cut from two. The consensus view in the days that followed was that policymakers' hawkish tilt reflected their commitment to anchoring inflation expectations. Traders' projections for rate cuts this year duly slipped to under 50 basis points. But maybe this read was premature. First, concerns about rising energy prices due to conflict in the Middle East have disappeared. Even though oil rose as much as 17% in the days after the Israel-Iran war erupted on June 13, it is now back below that level. The price is plunging and late on Monday U.S. President Donald Trump announced that the two enemies had agreed on a ceasefire. On top of that, a chorus of dovish comments from Fed officials in recent days - and not just from the usual suspects - suggests the U.S. central bank may be closer to cutting rates than thought less than a week ago. There is certainly some justification for a dovish turn. On a fundamental level, U.S. economic data is softening. Citi's U.S. economic surprises index has been falling since the end of May and is now negative, meaning that economic data is underperforming consensus expectations. Last week it fell to the lowest since September last year. Caution is required, of course, when analyzing economic surprise indices after significant moves because expectations may have been too pessimistic or optimistic to begin with. But the current shift seems to be a legitimate red flag. "We look at both the momentum of reported data and its surprise versus consensus expectations. Both have dropped into negative territory," Citi's Stuart Kaiser notes, pointing out that the 'hard' activity data index is now negative. But an even bigger surprise for investors on Monday came from Fed Vice Chair for Supervision Michelle Bowman, who said she would consider voting for a rate cut as soon as July if inflation pressures "remain contained". Bowman's comments are significant. Granted, she has not spoken publicly about the economy or policy for two months, and in March she signaled that labor market conditions would likely become more important in the policymaking debate. But she has consistently been one of the more hawkish members of the Federal Open Market Committee since her appointment as Fed Governor in 2018. This came after Governor Christopher Waller, one of the FOMC's most reliably dovish members, on Friday said a rate cut next month should be on the table. That's no surprise. But if an FOMC hawk like Bowman is now singing from that same hymn sheet, traders and investors need to take notice. A cynic might wonder about the timing of Bowman's seemingly 180-degree turn, coming just as Trump has intensified attacks on Fed Chair Jerome Powell for not cutting interest rates. But there's no evidence to suggest political pressure is at play. And the recent oil price plunge will help her argument. On Monday, it tumbled 7%, the biggest decline in three years. This was even more remarkable considering it had opened the day 6% higher and hit a five-month high in response to the U.S. bombing of Iranian nuclear facilities on Saturday. Moreover, at no point following Israel's initial June 13 strike on Iran did the price of crude rise on a year-over-year basis. Indeed, oil prices have fallen since January, and are now down 20% year on year. If inflation is proving sticky, it's not because of energy prices. This will be music to Waller's - and now Bowman's - ears. And with one of the Fed's hawks now appearing to draw in their claws, it is possible that traders may not be overestimating the Fed's readiness to cut rates this time around. Their bets of 125 bps of easing by the end of next year, starting soon, could be close to the mark. What could move markets tomorrow? Want to receive Trading Day in your inbox every weekday morning? Sign up for my newsletter here. Opinions expressed are those of the author. They do not reflect the views of Reuters News, which, under the Trust Principles, opens new tab, is committed to integrity, independence, and freedom from bias.

Beyond the Gas Station: U.S. Shift to Hybrids & Electric Vehicles
Beyond the Gas Station: U.S. Shift to Hybrids & Electric Vehicles

Auto Blog

time34 minutes ago

  • Auto Blog

Beyond the Gas Station: U.S. Shift to Hybrids & Electric Vehicles

'Hybrid sales climbed from 384,400 units in 2015 to about 1.7 million in 2025, while EVs rose from 116,548 to roughly 1.22 million—and many buyers point to painful pump prices as the trigger.' You'd drop that line over a tailgate breakfast, coffee in hand and the scent of burnt rubber still lingering. Those numbers tell a story: when gas tops $4 a gallon, drivers rethink old routines and plug in instead of filling up. 0:03 / 0:09 Thinking about buying a Toyota RAV4? These 5 rivals might change your mind Watch More Morning Routine Meets Pump Shock Imagine rolling out before dawn, wiping dew off the windshield, then pausing at a red light while your mind ticks off last night's gas bill. In 2015, hybrids barely hit 2% of U.S. light-vehicle sales; EVs under 1%. By 2025, hybrids grab over 10% and EVs near 8% of the market. High pump prices accelerate that shift. When a family road trip means $100 at the pump, the promise of home charging and better mpg cuts through skepticism. You still hear that engine rumble in a hybrid, but fewer fill-ups feel like a win. And if you drive an EV, you watch the charging status as closely as a fuel gauge—only now you pay for electricity, not gallons. Figure 1: U.S. hybrid vehicle sales have soared from under 0.4 million in 2015 to an estimated 1.7 million in 2025, outpacing electric vehicles, which climbed from about 0.12 million to over 1.2 million in the same period. Hybrid's Practical Appeal Hybrids ease the pain at the pump. Modern systems blend gas engine and electric motor so smoothly you barely notice the handoff at low speeds. Owners sacrifice a bit of trunk space for batteries but gain fewer stops at the station. Hybrid share jumped from about 3% in 2020—despite the pandemic slump—to over 10% by 2025. When daily commutes cost less per mile, you feel it at the pump and in your wallet. Torque-vectoring software smooths acceleration, so the drive stays engaging even as fuel bills shrink. EV Charging and Cost Trade-Offs Charging adds new rituals. A home Level 2 charger nets about 30 miles of range per hour. That works overnight but demands planning on long trips. Public fast chargers ease range worries but can cost as much per kWh as a premium coffee habit. Still, with gas averaging $3.50–$4.00 a gallon in recent years, many drivers do the math and plug in. EV sales jumped from 0.2 million in 2017 to over 1.2 million in 2025. Drivers map charging stops like old-timers tracked diners. The smell of gasoline fades; you listen for the hum of electricity flowing. Autoblog Newsletter Autoblog brings you car news; expert reviews and exciting pictures and video. Research and compare vehicles, too. Sign up or sign in with Google Facebook Microsoft Apple By signing up I agree to the Terms of Use and acknowledge that I have read the Privacy Policy . You may unsubscribe from email communication at anytime. Source: Tesla Tesla's U.S. Role Tesla once dominated U.S. EV sales, peaking near 670,000 in 2023, then settling around 130,000 in Q1 2025, projected to be around 500K by year-end. High gas prices boosted EV demand, but rising competition and charging networks spread the load. Tesla owners talk firmware updates like engine tweaks. Preconditioning batteries before highway runs joins oil-change chat in the garage. Yet buyers still weigh charging convenience against pump pain: if filling up costs $70 for a long haul, even a slow public charger seems tempting. Weekend Garage and Wallet Check Weekends mean garage time: swapping air filters on a hybrid or checking charging cables for an EV. You compare mpg and charging costs while swapping coffee stains in cupholders for charging adapters. Enthusiasts track sales data like horsepower figures—because those numbers reflect the shifting landscape at the pump. Maintenance talk shifts from oil changes to battery health and tire wear under instant torque. Final Thought High pump prices push drivers toward hybrids and EVs, but car culture remains about the drive itself: the thrill of acceleration, the scent of tire smoke at a launch, the quiet hum of electric torque at dawn. Charging stops may replace quick fill-ups, but the ritual of travel endures. These sales numbers show more drivers joining new routines without abandoning the pleasures of the road. The journey changes, but the ride still matters. About the Author Brian Iselin View Profile

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