Latest news with #AIReport
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Joe Biden Didn't Seem To Recognize George Clooney At 2024 Los Angeles Fundraiser, New Book Details
When Joe Biden arrived at a heavily promoted, record-breaking fundraiser in Los Angeles last year, he didn't appear to recognize one of the star co-hosts of the event: George Clooney. The moment was detailed in Jake Tapper and Alex Thompson's new book, Original Sin: President Biden's Decline, Its Cover-Up, and His Disastrous Choice to Run Again, to be published next week. More from Deadline Jon Voight, Hollywood Studios And Unions Pen Letter To Donald Trump Calling For Expanded Incentives -- But They Do Not Mention Tariffs Chaos At The Copyright Office: Trump's Firing Of Register Shira Perlmutter Came After AI Report's Release, Leaving Industry Wondering What's Next Hulu To Premiere ABC News Studios Documentary "Barbara Walters Tell Me Everything" In an excerpt in The New Yorker, Tapper and Thompson detail the scene at a pre-fundraiser clutch, as Clooney and Julia Roberts, another co-host, entertained high-dollar donors while waiting for Biden to arrive. They write that the President said 'thank you for being here' to guests as he shuffled past them. 'Clooney felt a knot form in his stomach as the President approached him. Biden looked at him. 'Thank you for being here,' he said. 'Thank you for being here.'' ''You know George,' the assisting aide told the President, gently reminding him who was in front of him. 'Yeah, yeah,' the President said to one of the most recognizable men in the world, the host of this lucrative fund-raiser. 'Thank you for being here.'' An aide, they wrote, clarified to the president that it was Clooney, who he had known for decades. They wrote that Biden said, 'Oh, yeah! Hi, George!' They added, 'Clooney was shaken to his core. The President hadn't recognized him, a man he had known for years. Clooney had expressed concern about Biden's health before—a White House aide had told him a few months before that they were working on getting the President to take longer steps when he walked—but obviously the problem went far beyond his gait. This was much graver.' The event was a success, raising more than $30 million for Democrats, a record sum. But in the following days, the White House pushed back against reports of Biden's cognitive state, even though he had been on a heavy schedule of international travel. The featured attraction at the event was a conversation between Biden, Barack Obama and Jimmy Kimmel. But after that ended and the audience cheered, Biden stood on the stage and peered at the audience. Obama took Biden's arm and directed him off the stage. The White House pushed back against some reporting by outlets on the right as spreading 'cheap fake' videos, but Biden's disastrous debate performance later in the month convinced Clooney and other Democrats that his campaign was not sustainable. The next month, Clooney published his op ed urging Biden to withdraw from the race. Jeffrey Katzenberg, who was serving as co-chair of Biden's campaign, took issue with Clooney's assessment and doubted that the op ed would have the desired effect, Tapper and Thompson wrote. A couple of weeks later, Biden dropped out of the race. Biden and his wife, Jill Biden, appeared on ABC's The View last week in advance of the book's publication. 'They are wrong. There is nothing to sustain that,' the former president said when asked about claims that his cognitive ability was in decline in his final year. Jill Biden said, 'The people who wrote those books were not in the White House with us, and they didn't see how hard Joe worked every single day…If you look at things today, give me Joe Biden anytime.' Best of Deadline Book-To-Movie Adaptations Coming Out In 2025 2025-26 Awards Season Calendar: Dates For Tonys, Emmys, Oscars & More Everything We Know About Ari Aster's 'Eddington' So Far
Yahoo
12-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Jon Voight, Hollywood Studios And Unions Pen Letter To Donald Trump Calling For Expanded Incentives — But They Do Not Mention Tariffs
Leaders of Hollywood unions and representatives of major studios joined with Jon Voight in penning a letter to Donald Trump calling for expanded film and TV production incentives. What was left unmentioned in the letter was Trump's proposal for 100% tariffs on films produced in other countries. More from Deadline Trump Receives Jon Voight's Plan To 'Make Hollywood Great Again'; Studio Bosses Not Confirmed Yet To Meet POTUS Over Movie Tariffs Read Jon Voight's Plan To Save Hollywood: Midsize Federal Tax Credits, Increased Write-Offs & Harsh Tariffs On Overseas Incentives Chaos At The Copyright Office: Trump's Firing Of Register Shira Perlmutter Came After AI Report's Release, Leaving Industry Wondering What's Next 'We appreciate and thank you for the support you have shown the industry,' the letter read. 'We also appreciate your understanding of the need to increase domestic film and television production to bring back American jobs and write seeking your support for the inclusion of three film and television priorities in the reconciliation package currently being drafted in Congress.' Read the Hollywood letter to Trump. The letter was signed by leaders of the Writers Guild of America, the Directors Guild of America, the Independent Film & Television Alliance, the Producers Guild of America, Producers United, IATSE, SAG-AFTRA, the Teamsters and the Motion Picture Association, among others. Also signing was Sylvester Stallone who, along with Voight, is serving as one of Trump's 'special envoys' to Hollywood. In addition to outlining the economic impact of the industry, the letter mentions that entertainment has a $15.3 billion trade surplus. The letter also noted that more than 80 countries offer production tax incentives and 'as a result, numerous productions that could have been shot in the United States have instead located elsewhere.' While the letter references the need for a larger federal film and TV incentive to compete with those offered other countries, it focuses on three tax provisions for the upcoming reconciliation bill. They include extending Section 199 domestic manufacturing and production incentive to film and television productions, expanding Section 181 to a higher, $30 million level of production expenditures, and reinstating the Section 461 ability to carry back losses. 'With your endorsement, these policy initiatives will help preserve and create American jobs, bolster local economies across the country, and ensure America remains the global leader in entertainment production,' the letter stated. Bloomberg first reported on the letter. Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, the national executive director of SAG-AFTRA, said in a statement that the union 'applauds President Trump's focus on protecting American jobs and affirms its support for urgent federal action to combat the exodus of film and television production. We joined the coalition of entertainment unions and studios, working with the President's Hollywood ambassador Jon Voight, to advocate together for tax incentives and job protections. When the U.S. film and television industry prioritizes work and jobs in America, it solidifies its status as the global leader in entertainment.' Trump's abrupt call for movie tariffs on May 4 rattled the entertainment industry, leaving it unclear as to how various sectors should respond. While SAG-AFTRA released a statement expressing receptivity for further discussions other groups, like the MPA, have been silent. Critics of Trump's tariff proposal have said that it would drive up costs and lead to reciprocal duties. The day after Trump's announcement, the White House said that no final decisions have been made, while the president said that he planned to meet with industry representatives. Best of Deadline Everything We Know About 'Nobody Wants This' Season 2 So Far List Of Hollywood & Media Layoffs From Paramount To Warner Bros Discovery To CNN & More A Full Timeline Of Blake Lively & Justin Baldoni's 'It Ends With Us' Feud In Court, Online & In The Media
Techday NZ
07-05-2025
- Business
- Techday NZ
BillingPlatform launches BP Copilot, an AI assistant for billing
BillingPlatform has announced BP Copilot, an artificial intelligence-powered assistant for enterprise cloud-based billing and revenue lifecycle management. BP Copilot is designed to improve how organisations interact with their billing data and navigate the BillingPlatform system. The assistant uses natural language queries, enabling users to generate reports and access support without needing specialised technical knowledge. According to BillingPlatform, BP Copilot aims to increase productivity by delivering real-time reporting, contextual guidance and direct access to support resources. This functionality is accessed through a natural language interface that, the company states, allows easy and efficient user input such as asking, "Where do I manage invoices?" or "How do I add a new subscription?" Dennis Wall, Chief Executive Officer at BillingPlatform, said, "BP Copilot represents a major step forward in simplifying enterprise billing operations. By combining AI-powered reporting with intuitive in-app navigation, we're enabling users to get the real-time insights they need quicker and with less friction - empowering finance and operations teams to make smarter decisions, faster." The company describes BP Copilot as integrating directly with the AI Report Builder tool, facilitating seamless access to financial data and aiding users in navigating their billing operations. Users are able to request specific reports, such as "Show me quarterly subscription revenue for the past three years," and BP Copilot will generate the required data visualisations and insights. Among its primary features, BP Copilot offers embedded assistance to directly navigate to critical application areas, reports, and the BillingPlatform Knowledgebase, aiming to save users from manually searching within the platform. The AI Report Builder is leveraged to create on-demand visualisations and extract insights from often complex billing datasets. Powered by its intuitive natural language processing capabilities, BP Copilot is expected to serve finance teams, operations leaders and IT professionals. By automating the process of report generation and offering direct access to key operational insights, the tool is intended to reduce the time spent searching for and compiling data. BillingPlatform highlights that, by helping to eliminate manual processes and simplifying the navigation of their platform, BP Copilot is structured to allow business users to concentrate on strategic decision-making and revenue-driving activities. As announced, BP Copilot will be provided at no additional cost for all current BillingPlatform customers, with future plans to expand its AI-powered features through further updates. BillingPlatform aims to empower businesses with software solutions to optimise revenue generation through every stage of the customer lifecycle, enabling growth through operational agility along with a frictionless customer experience. The company's cloud-based platform is leveraged by global enterprises to optimise the customer journey from idea to revenue.
Yahoo
18-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Legacy Firm Wedbush's First Ever ETF to Focus on AI
Wedbush, a 70-year-old financial services firm based in Los Angeles, has filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission to enter the ETF space. According to the filing, the proposed Wedbush IVES AI Revolution ETF will track an index of the same name, which is comprised exclusively of securities included in the Dan Ives AI 30 Research Report. THe filing did not include a ticker or proposed fees as yet. Ives is the head of technology research at Wedbush Securities. The AI Report is a 'periodically released, publicly available research report, comprising companies that have been identified as significant creators, enablers or adopters of artificial intelligence technologies through their strategic focus, partnerships, innovation, product development or integration of AI into their operations,' according to the filing. 'ETF creation is a logical progression for Wedbush as we continue to provide efficient solutions to our investor clients,' CEO Gary Wedbush said in a press statement. The firm also said it plans future exchange-traded fund launches. Wedbush is a diversified financial services firm that includes a broker-dealer, investment banking, research, a robo-advisor platform and an $8.9 billion wealth management division. Wedbush was involved in the ETF space about seven years ago through an investment in an ETF issuer, but that connection dissolved when the ETF advisor was acquired. 'After exiting that position, we decided we had the infrastructure, but we hadn't been taking advantage of our best ideas, which we want to do in the ETF wrapper,' said Matt Bromberg, chief operating officer of Wedbush Fund Advisors. Bromberg was unable to discuss details of the ETF in filing or talk about Wedbush's specific plans for developing a footprint in the $11 trillion ETF space, but the filing represents the firm's 'expansion in asset management and proprietary products.' Those ETFs, he added, will be distributed through internal and external channels. 'We've got a pipeline' of products on the drawing board, Bromberg said. Debuting with a focus on artificial intelligence is indicative of what investors and financial advisors can expect from Wedbush, said Wedbush Fund Advisors Chief Investment Officer Cullen Rogers, who added that Wedbush will be leveraging its strengths in areas including public markets, private markets, investment banking and research. 'It's more about creating differentiated products,' he said. 'We're not trying to barge into a crowded room.'Permalink | © Copyright 2025 All rights reserved
Yahoo
18-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Legacy Firm Wedbush's First Ever ETF to Focus on AI
Wedbush, a 70-year-old financial services firm based in Los Angeles, has filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission to enter the ETF space. According to the filing, the proposed Wedbush IVES AI Revolution ETF will track an index of the same name, which is comprised exclusively of securities included in the Dan Ives AI 30 Research Report. THe filing did not include a ticker or proposed fees as yet. Ives is the head of technology research at Wedbush Securities. The AI Report is a 'periodically released, publicly available research report, comprising companies that have been identified as significant creators, enablers or adopters of artificial intelligence technologies through their strategic focus, partnerships, innovation, product development or integration of AI into their operations,' according to the filing. 'ETF creation is a logical progression for Wedbush as we continue to provide efficient solutions to our investor clients,' CEO Gary Wedbush said in a press statement. The firm also said it plans future exchange-traded fund launches. Wedbush is a diversified financial services firm that includes a broker-dealer, investment banking, research, a robo-advisor platform and an $8.9 billion wealth management division. Wedbush was involved in the ETF space about seven years ago through an investment in an ETF issuer, but that connection dissolved when the ETF advisor was acquired. 'After exiting that position, we decided we had the infrastructure, but we hadn't been taking advantage of our best ideas, which we want to do in the ETF wrapper,' said Matt Bromberg, chief operating officer of Wedbush Fund Advisors. Bromberg was unable to discuss details of the ETF in filing or talk about Wedbush's specific plans for developing a footprint in the $11 trillion ETF space, but the filing represents the firm's 'expansion in asset management and proprietary products.' Those ETFs, he added, will be distributed through internal and external channels. 'We've got a pipeline' of products on the drawing board, Bromberg said. Debuting with a focus on artificial intelligence is indicative of what investors and financial advisors can expect from Wedbush, said Wedbush Fund Advisors Chief Investment Officer Cullen Rogers, who added that Wedbush will be leveraging its strengths in areas including public markets, private markets, investment banking and research. 'It's more about creating differentiated products,' he said. 'We're not trying to barge into a crowded room.'Permalink | © Copyright 2025 All rights reserved Sign in to access your portfolio
