Latest news with #PGAAwards
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
NBC News' Jacob Soboroff Sets Deal With HarperCollins to Chronicle Los Angeles' Devastating Blazes in ‘Firestorm'
Jacob Soboroff, a national and political correspondent for NBC News, has set a deal with HarperCollins to write a book examining the wildfires that devastated his hometown of Pacific Palisades as well as Altadena in January. 'Firestorm: The Great Los Angeles Fires and America's New Age of Disaster' is set to be published on Jan. 6, 2026, the day before the one-year anniversary of the start of the wind-whipped fires. More from Variety Ahead of PGA Awards, Guild Says Fighting Runaway Production Is Top Priority: 'We Have to Stand Up and Fight for Los Angeles' ABC News Plans 'SoCal Strong' Coverage, Fundraising for California Wildfire Victims MSNBC Plans Launch of 'American Swamp' Docuseries with Katy Tur, Jacob Soboroff Soboroff inked his deal with Peter Hubbard, senior VP and publisher of the HarperCollins imprint Mariner Books. The pair worked together on Soboroff's 2020 nonfiction best-seller 'Separated: Inside an American Tragedy.' That book, about the Trump administration's family separation policy for migrants, was made into a 2024 documentary helmed by Errol Morris. 'We are honored to be partnering with Jacob again as he embarks on writing a defining account of the devastating 2025 Los Angeles fires, a subject so close to his mind and heart,' Hubbard said. 'Having worked with Jacob on his first book, 'Separated,' I know that every page of 'Firestorm' will evidence his blend of dogged reporting, open-hearted attunement to human stories, and a wide-angle understanding of the complex regional, national and global implications of the L.A. fires.' Soboroff said he intends to keep the time frame of 'Firestorm' fairly narrow, given the limited time that he has to finish the book. It will focus on the momentous two weeks from the start of the blazes on Jan. 7 until Jan. 24, the day newly inauguarated President Donald Trump visited the Palisades to survey the destruction with California Gov. Gavin Newsom. Soboroff intends to establish a meticulous timeline of what happened and to capture the experiences of survivors, first responders and myriad others whose lives were up-ended by the blazes that left more than 20 people dead and more than 18,000 homes and buildings destroyed. 'It's been a real journalistic endeavor of investigating what went on and a reflection that there will be more of these fires,' Soboroff told Variety. 'It's a book-length examination of what we've experienced as a society and as a country.' Soboroff noted that his drive to write 'Firestorm' was similar to the process that led him to write 'Separated,' after he saw first-hand how the Trump administration's cruel policy of family separation for migrants was being implemented along the U.S.'s southern border. It was the jolt that inspired Soboroff to dig deep into the policy failures and political fights around immigration policy for decades. 'Family separation was the X-ray vision that allowed us to undersand the immigration system and how broken it was,' Soboroff said. 'The fire has exposed the intersection of disaster and inequality. When an event like this hapens, it makes the problems so concrete. It makes things glaringly obvious.' Soboroff grew up in the Pacific Palisades area. His brother and other family members were in harm's way when Soboroff headed out of NBC News' L.A. bureau to cover the devastation in an area he knows so well. 'This was in many ways the fire of the future,' he said. 'I felt like I was watching my childhood flash before my eyes. And this book is becoming an examination of what my children's future is going to look like as it relates to these types of disasters.' Soboroff is repped by CAA. (Pictured top: NBC News' Jacob Soboroff speaks to an employee of a restaurant destroyed in the Pacific Palisades fire on Jan. 10.) Best of Variety What's Coming to Netflix in June 2025 New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week 'Harry Potter' TV Show Cast Guide: Who's Who in Hogwarts?
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
NBC News' Jacob Soboroff Sets Deal With HarperCollins to Chronicle Los Angeles' Devastating Blazes in ‘Firestorm'
Jacob Soboroff, a national and political correspondent for NBC News, has set a deal with HarperCollins to write a book examining the wildfires that devastated his hometown of Pacific Palisades as well as Altadena in January. 'Firestorm: The Great Los Angeles Fires and America's New Age of Disaster' is set to be published on Jan. 6, 2026, the day before the one-year anniversary of the start of the wind-whipped fires. More from Variety Ahead of PGA Awards, Guild Says Fighting Runaway Production Is Top Priority: 'We Have to Stand Up and Fight for Los Angeles' ABC News Plans 'SoCal Strong' Coverage, Fundraising for California Wildfire Victims MSNBC Plans Launch of 'American Swamp' Docuseries with Katy Tur, Jacob Soboroff Soboroff inked his deal with Peter Hubbard, senior VP and publisher of the HarperCollins imprint Mariner Books. The pair worked together on Soboroff's 2020 nonfiction best-seller 'Separated: Inside an American Tragedy.' That book, about the Trump administration's family separation policy for migrants, was made into a 2024 documentary helmed by Errol Morris. 'We are honored to be partnering with Jacob again as he embarks on writing a defining account of the devastating 2025 Los Angeles fires, a subject so close to his mind and heart,' Hubbard said. 'Having worked with Jacob on his first book, 'Separated,' I know that every page of 'Firestorm' will evidence his blend of dogged reporting, open-hearted attunement to human stories, and a wide-angle understanding of the complex regional, national and global implications of the L.A. fires.' Soboroff said he intends to keep the time frame of 'Firestorm' fairly narrow, given the limited time that he has to finish the book. It will focus on the momentous two weeks from the start of the blazes on Jan. 7 until Jan. 24, the day newly inauguarated President Donald Trump visited the Palisades to survey the destruction with California Gov. Gavin Newsom. Soboroff intends to establish a meticulous timeline of what happened and to capture the experiences of survivors, first responders and myriad others whose lives were up-ended by the blazes that left more than 20 people dead and more than 18,000 homes and buildings destroyed. 'It's been a real journalistic endeavor of investigating what went on and a reflection that there will be more of these fires,' Soboroff told Variety. 'It's a book-length examination of what we've experienced as a society and as a country.' Soboroff noted that his drive to write 'Firestorm' was similar to the process that led him to write 'Separated,' after he saw first-hand how the Trump administration's cruel policy of family separation for migrants was being implemented along the U.S.'s southern border. It was the jolt that inspired Soboroff to dig deep into the policy failures and political fights around immigration policy for decades. 'Family separation was the X-ray vision that allowed us to undersand the immigration system and how broken it was,' Soboroff said. 'The fire has exposed the intersection of disaster and inequality. When an event like this hapens, it makes the problems so concrete. It makes things glaringly obvious.' Soboroff grew up in the Pacific Palisades area. His brother and other family members were in harm's way when Soboroff headed out of NBC News' L.A. bureau to cover the devastation in an area he knows so well. 'This was in many ways the fire of the future,' he said. 'I felt like I was watching my childhood flash before my eyes. And this book is becoming an examination of what my children's future is going to look like as it relates to these types of disasters.' Soboroff is repped by CAA. (Pictured top: NBC News' Jacob Soboroff speaks to an employee of a restaurant destroyed in the Pacific Palisades fire on Jan. 10.) Best of Variety What's Coming to Netflix in June 2025 New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week 'Harry Potter' TV Show Cast Guide: Who's Who in Hogwarts?
Yahoo
24-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Netflix's Reed Hastings Donates $50 Million to Fund AI Research for the Humanities at Bowdoin College
Reed Hastings is giving $50 million to his alma mater, liberal arts school Bowdoin College in Maine, to fund AI research and teaching within 'ethical frameworks.' The $50 million gift from the Netflix co-founder and former CEO is the largest in the college's 231-year history. After graduating from Bowdoin in 1983, he went on to earn a master's in artificial intelligence from Stanford University in 1988. More from Variety Deepfake Detection Firm Loti AI Expands Access For All Users: 'These Threats Are No Longer Limited to Celebrities' (EXCLUSIVE) A Quarter of All Broadcasters Now Using AI, More Than Doubling Last Year, New Report Finds Ahead of PGA Awards, Guild Says Fighting Runaway Production Is Top Priority: 'We Have to Stand Up and Fight for Los Angeles' 'This donation seeks to advance Bowdoin's mission of cultivating wisdom for the common good by deepening the college's engagement with one of humanity's most transformative developments: artificial intelligence,' said Hastings in a statement. The Hastings Initiative for AI and Humanity will 'be a step forward in higher education's growing role to provide ethical frameworks for technology,' according to Bowdoin. Initial priorities include hiring 10 new faculty members in a range of disciplines; supporting faculty who want to incorporate and interrogate AI in their teaching, research and artistic work; and leading conversations about the uses of AI and the changes and challenges it will bring. Funding and fellowships will allow current and new faculty to explore questions and pedagogical and scholarship opportunities generated by AI, Bowdoin said. 'We are thrilled and so grateful to receive this remarkable support from Reed, who shares our conviction that the AI revolution makes the liberal arts and a Bowdoin education more essential to society,' said Bowdoin College President Safa Zaki, whose research focuses on building and testing computational models of the mind. Hastings added, 'As AI becomes smarter than humans, we are going to need some deep thinking to keep us flourishing. I know Bowdoin can make a significant contribution to these fundamental issues, and that President Zaki, a cognitive scientist, can lead the way.' Founded in 1794, Bowdoin is located in Brunswick, Maine. It has about 2,000 undergraduate students and offers more than 40 majors. Hastings cofounded Netflix in 1997 and became executive chairman in 2023 after 25 years as CEO. Hastings is an active educational philanthropist and served on the California State Board of Education from 2000-04. He is currently on the board of several educational organizations including KIPP and Pahara. He is also a board member of The City Fund and Bloomberg. After graduating from Bowdoin and before attending Stanford, Hastings served as a Peace Corps high school math teacher in Swaziland. Best of Variety New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week Oscars 2026: First Blind Predictions Including Timothée Chalamet, Emma Stone, 'Wicked: For Good' and More What's Coming to Disney+ in March 2025
Yahoo
20-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Deepfake Detection Firm Loti AI Expands Access For All Users: 'These Threats Are No Longer Limited to Celebrities' (EXCLUSIVE)
Deepfake detection and takedown service Loti AI revealed that its likeness protection technology is being made publicly available. Previously only offered to public figures and celebrities, the company will now offer tools to anyone 'who wants to safeguard their digital reputation.' 'The internet is getting out of hand, and people's digital reputations are at risk like never before,' said Loti AI CEO Luke Arrigoni. 'From deepfakes to unauthorized illicit content, these threats are no longer limited to celebrities. That's why Loti AI is stepping up to offer everyone tools to take control of their digital identity.' More from Variety A Quarter of All Broadcasters Now Using AI, More Than Doubling Last Year, New Report Finds Ahead of PGA Awards, Guild Says Fighting Runaway Production Is Top Priority: 'We Have to Stand Up and Fight for Los Angeles' AI Was Nearly Used to Recreate the French Voice of Sylvester Stallone. Now, European Dubbers Are Doubling Down on the Need for Protection Loti Ai, which was founded in 2022, will offer free and paid membership options on a rolling basis. The platform scans the internet daily, looking for deepfakes, impersonations, and other misleading unauthorized content. Users have the choice to automate takedowns or handle them individually. The company claims that users of its auto-takedown functionality saw a 95% takedown rate within 17 hours. 'Whether you're an everyday person or a high-profile individual, you should be able to protect your image and personal data online,' Arrigoni said. 'Our goal is simple: to help you reach zero—zero images of you online that you haven't approved.' In addition to online protection, Loti AI's scans also find authorized images, like old photos and videos that could hold sentimental value. Users can sign up at or download the Loti AI app. Last fall, entertainment marketing and production firm Dolphin partnered with Loti AI to provide its subsidiaries — businesses including 42West, The Door, Shore Fire, Special Projects and Elle Communications — access to Loti's tools. The firm also provides feedback to assist Loti (which also has a partnership with WME) in further developing and expanding use of its services. Best of Variety New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week Oscars 2026: First Blind Predictions Including Timothée Chalamet, Emma Stone, 'Wicked: For Good' and More What's Coming to Disney+ in March 2025
Yahoo
06-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Produced By Conference Sets 2025 Date
The Produced By Conference, the annual panel and networking confab organized by the Producers Guild of America, has set the date for its 2025 edition. The event will take place Saturday, May 31 on the Universal Studios lot in Universal City. The daylong event features discussions with producers around buzzy films and TV series and topics that include emerging media like AI and the future of producing. More from Deadline PGA Awards: 'Anora' Wins Best Picture Prize; 'Shōgun', 'Hacks' & 'Baby Reindeer' Top TV - Full Winners List On Eve Of PGA Awards, Leaders Discuss Health Benefits, Wildfire Relief Effort & Those Missing Names From The Best Picture Nominations WGA West & PGA Partner With Entertainment Community Fund, Pledging Combined $1M To Wildfire Relief No participants have been revealed yet, but organizers said Thursday that this year's lineup will include the return of its 'State of Producing' session. Last year's edition on the Fox lot featured participants like Howard Gordon, Michael Thorn and Lauren Stein discussing Accused; Jeff Schaffer of Curb Your Enthusiasm and John Wilson of How to With John Wilson in conversation about pitching their series; J.T. Rogers and Alan Poul talking Tokyo Vice; and Lucia Aniello, Paul W. Downs and Jen Statsky dishing on all things Hacks. Best of Deadline 2025 TV Series Renewals: Photo Gallery 2025 Awards Season Calendar: Dates For Tonys, Emmys & More 2025 TV Cancellations: Photo Gallery
