Latest news with #WritersGuildofAmericaEast
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
WGA Demands Immediate Reinstatement of US Copyright Office Head After Trump's ‘Unlawful' Firing
The Trump administration fired the head of the U.S. Copyright Office Shira Perlmutter just days after her office published a report critical of the use of artificial intelligence in government agencies. The Writers Guild of America East called her firing unlawful and agreed with her report, titled 'Copyright and Artificial Intelligence Part 3: Generative AI Training,' and its assessment that AI companies that train their systems through 'unauthorized access to copyrighted materials goes beyond established fair use boundaries' and could cause harm to copyright owners. 'The findings issued under Perlmutter's authority stand in contrast to the opinion and financial interests of billionaires like Elon Musk and Sam Altman, Trump allies who own AI companies and want to freely steal copyrighted works to train their AI systems and undermine the dozens of copyright lawsuits against their companies,' the guild said in a statement Friday. WGAE also demanded the 'immediate reinstatement' of Perlmutter, saying President Donald Trump's executive branch 'had no authority to fire her in the first place.' Perlmutter's report said that the copyright office believed government intervention with AI would be 'premature at this time.' Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency has reportedly used AI to make federal funding cuts. Musk along with other tech billionaires have expressed their support for the president. OpenAI's Sam Altman donated $1 million to Trump's inauguration. The president even proposed a $500 billion investment into AI forming a new partnership with OpenAI, Oracle and SoftBank during his first week in office. Trump's removal of the copyright head comes just a few days after his administration fired the head of the Library of Congress Carla Hayden after she refused to eliminate DEI programs. Both women were removed from positions of power after they made moves contrary to the president's agenda. The post WGA Demands Immediate Reinstatement of US Copyright Office Head After Trump's 'Unlawful' Firing appeared first on TheWrap.
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Writers Guild Of America East Calls For Reinstatement Of 'Unlawfully Fired' Register Of Copyrights
The Writers Guild of America East is calling for the reinstatement of the Register of Copyrights Shira Perlmutter, tying her dismissal by the Trump administration to a release of a report on AI and copyright. The WGAE said that Perlmutter was 'unlawfully fired,' and noted that it came after the release of a report that failed to give credence to the argument that the use of copyrighted material in AI training models was a fair use. More from Deadline C-SPAN To Launch New Weekly Series 'CeaseFire' In Which Partisans Talk About Areas Of Agreement Museum Seeks To Close Funding Gap After Loss Of Federal Humanities Grant For Game Show Exhibit Bill Mechanic On Trump & Hollywood Tariff Quick-Fix - Sequel Guest Column The guild said in its statement, 'The Writers Guild of America East agrees with the report's assessment that artificial intelligence companies that train their systems through unauthorized access to copyrighted materials 'goes beyond established fair use boundaries' and causes harm to copyright owners. 'The findings issued under Perlmutter's authority stand in contrast to the opinion and financial interests of billionaires like Elon Musk and Sam Altman, Trump allies who own AI companies and want to freely steal copyrighted works to train their AI systems and undermine the dozens of copyright lawsuits against their companies.' The guild went on to demand her reinstatement 'as she is an employee of the legislative branch and the executive branch had no authority to fire her in the first place.' Trump also fired Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden, who appointed Perlmutter. Even though Todd Blanche has been named acting Librarian of Congress, there has been some pushback even among Republican lawmakers over the president's efforts to seize control of the institution, per Politico. The Trump administration also has sought to install Brian Nieves, a Justice Department official, as deputy librarian, and Paul Perkins, the associate deputy attorney general, as acting register of copyrights and director of the office. But they were not allowed into the office on Monday and left, as officials at the office are awaiting direction from Congress as it is a legislative branch agency, according to a source familiar with what happened. Another industry union, IATSE, also has come to the defense of Perlmutter. 'This is a developing situation, and whether in fact Perlmutter's firing was in retaliation for releasing the AI report is unclear,' the union stated. 'However, it wouldn't surprise us to learn that tech billionaires are wielding their influence to interfere in our government for their own financial benefit. Shira Perlmutter has served with distinction as Register of Copyrights and she must be reinstated at the behest of Congress.' Best of Deadline 2025 TV Cancellations: Photo Gallery Where To Watch All The 'Mission: Impossible' Movies: Streamers With Multiple Films In The Franchise Everything We Know About 'My Life With The Walter Boys' Season 2 So Far
New York Times
02-05-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Times
How a Little Humor Led to a Serious Relationship
Peter Nathan Hess had admired Sara Danielle David long before they actually met. In 2019, Mr. Hess, 37, then a staff reporter at Spectrum, an autism research publication, had liked some tweets by Ms. David, 36, the astrology editor at Vice, about her work with the Writers Guild of America East union. But what really drew his attention, he said, was her sense of humor, including her profile picture of Gollum from 'Lord of the Rings' wearing makeup and diamond earrings. By 2021, the two were following each other on Twitter, now known as X. Mr. Hess happened to check out Ms. David's Instagram account and sent her a message. They chatted for a couple of weeks, and then Mr. Hess asked Ms. David out. 'At first, I thought he wanted to meet to talk about union stuff,' Ms. David said, 'but he made it clear that he was interested in me.' Mr. Hess, now a writer at IBM Research in New York, invited Ms. David on a picnic in the Green-Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn for their first date in May 2021. 'I didn't realize that it was a thing to hang out at the cemetery,' Ms. David said. 'It's an arboretum and I learned a lot about the trees, plants and bugs from Peter that day.' The two also talked for hours about writing, films and their families, then decided to have dinner together. They picked up Chinese dumplings and went to Mr. Hess's apartment in Brooklyn to watch a movie. 'I felt open and comfortable talking to Peter, I really liked him,' Ms. David said. 'I'm usually skeptical of people, but the fact that I wanted to see him again said a lot.' Two weeks later, they returned to Green-Wood Cemetery for a second date. This time at night, for a guided tour that included the catacombs. Ms. David has a bachelor's degree in gender studies from Brown and is currently attending City University of New York School of Law. She was born in the Philippines and moved to Jamaica, Queens, with her family when she was 5. Mr. Hess has a bachelor's degree in environmental studies from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and a master's degree in science journalism from N.Y.U. He moved to Brooklyn from Durham, N.C., in 2015. After a few months of dinner dates and making each other laugh with jokes and made-up, funny songs about things in their lives, the pair declared their love for each other. Inspired by her fondness for the dating show 'Love Island' and the grand gestures made by the contestants, Ms. David wrote a love letter to Mr. Hess to tell him of her feelings. 'I told her I loved her, too,' Mr. Hess said. 'I still have her letter.' By September 2022, both of their apartment leases were up, and they decided to move in together in Windsor Terrace, Brooklyn. 'We each had lived with partners before, but I knew if I moved in with him, it would be forever,' said Ms. David, who currently serves as the vice president of online media at the Writers Guild of America East. [Click here to binge read this week's featured couples.] Marriage had come up a few times during their two years together, Ms. David said. 'We kind of knew we were going to get engaged, but it was still exciting to be talking about it, so I made an effort to be chill about it,' she said. On May 7, 2023, Ms. David and Mr. Hess proposed to each other under the same redbud tree where they had their first picnic. They exchanged engagement rings they picked out for themselves and read love letters to each other. My letter to Sara told her how much I loved our lives together and wanted to take the next step together,' Mr. Hess said. On April 19, 2025, Ms. David and Mr. Hess wed at the Prospect Park Boathouse in Brooklyn. 'When we met, Peter lived blocks away from Prospect Park and we fell in love over picnics and walks there,' Ms. David said. Ms. David walked down the aisle to 'Sara Smile' by Daryl Hall & John Oates, the song she was named after, and exchanged vows they wrote together. Their friend Ben Groh, who was ordained by the Universal Life Church for this event, officiated the ceremony before 120 guests. To honor Ms. David's Filipino heritage, the bride and groom wore traditional attire purchased in the Philippines. Ms. David wore a 'terno' top with a secondhand dress. Mr. Hess donned a floral-embellished 'barong' shirt over a cotton shirt. At the reception, the couple included the traditional Filipino 'money dance,' where the bride and groom danced down the line as loved ones pinned money to their clothes and gave their blessings.
Yahoo
28-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
WGA East Slams Trump Executive Order To End Collective Bargaining For Many Federal Workers: 'Assault On The Entire Labor Movement'
The Writers Guild of America East pulled no punches today in decrying Donald Trump's executive order to strip many workers of their right to unionize, calling Thursday's move an 'illegal attack on roughly 700,000 federal workers and their unions is an assault on the entire labor movement and all American workers.' 'It's not surprising that the billionaires in the Trump Administration hate unions,' WGAE Executive Director Sam Wheeler said in the statement (read it in full below). 'Unions are a bulwark against tyranny, both in the workplace and in civil society.' More from Deadline FCC Chair Opens Investigation Into Walt Disney Co. Over DEI Programs Trump Celebrity Supporters: Famous Folks In Favor Of The 47th President Ted Sarandos Says POTUS Never Pitched Melania Trump Doc When They Met Over Dinner For First Time - We "Didn't Talk Any Shop" The guild was responding to an EO Trump signed late Thursday night (read it here), which ends collective bargaining with federal labor unions in agencies with national security missions. Police and firefighters can continue the practice, Trump's order seems to apply to most U.S. government jobs. AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler also blasted the move, saying in a statement: 'It's clear that this order is punishment for unions who are leading the fight against the administration's illegal actions in court — and a blatant attempt to silence us. We will fight this outrageous attack on our members with every fiber of our collective being.' Actors' Equity Association always issued a statement Friday, saying: 'Donald Trump has now taken direct aim at working people by attacking the collective bargaining rights of our federal workforce in what's being called the largest union-busting act of our lifetime, if not in history. 'The workers targeted by this executive order are not only the indispensable pulse that keeps our country running, they are our friends, neighbors and colleagues. They've been on the front line of protecting our democracy, and their lawsuits against this administration have placed them in the crosshairs of political retribution. 'This attack on workers is at its heart an escalation of the president's attacks on free speech. These attacks aren't going to stop federal workers, just as they aren't going to stop Equity members or any other Americans who believe in the democratic values that our country – and our unions – are founded on. Equity joins workers across the labor movement in solidarity against this abuse of power, and we will continue to stand together to protect the rights of workers.' The White House Press Office defended the EO. 'Certain Federal unions have declared war on President Trump's agenda,' it said, adding that the president 'refuses to let union obstruction interfere with his efforts to protect Americans and our national interests.' Here is WGAE chief Wheeler's statement in full: Last night President Trump issued an unlawful Executive Order purporting to strip nearly two-thirds of the federal workforce of their collective bargaining rights. This illegal attack on roughly 700,000 federal workers and their unions is an assault on the entire labor movement and all American not surprising that the billionaires in the Trump Administration hate unions. Unions are a bulwark against tyranny, both in the workplace and in civil society. Right now, federal union members are defending the American people from Elon Musk's reckless and unconstitutional dismantling of the federal government. And we know that these occurrences won't stop with federal unions—the anti-union zealots in the Administration want every worker in America weak, isolated, disposable and at the mercy of their WGAE stands ready to join with our sibling unions and the broader labor movement to resist this attack on working people. We must stand together. Writers Guild of America East Executive Director Sam Wheeler Best of Deadline 2025 TV Series Renewals: Photo Gallery '1923' Season 2 Release Schedule: When Do New Episodes Come Out? 2025 TV Cancellations: Photo Gallery
Boston Globe
26-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Boston Globe
Hey, ‘Daily Show': Stop calling Boston the most racist city in America. It's not funny.
'How did you get those guys to vote for you … how did you convince them to put you in charge? 'I think you won your last election at 64 percent of the vote … so you're incredibly popular in Boston, and they trust you to run the city. How did you convince these Boston people?' Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up 'I still don't understand how you got elected. I mean, obviously you're good at your job and your charming and all that, but that was enough for them to convince them?' Advertisement 'If you can become the mayor of Boston, maybe you know one of arguably the most racist cities in America, then maybe there is hope for everyone yet.' Ooof. Related : Wu handled herself deftly, but there were moments Tuesday night when 'You might be surprised by Boston. Next time you come, we'll have to take you around a little more,' Wu said. 'We're an incredibly diverse, welcoming, beautiful city … we are majority people of color, we're 28 percent people born from another country. Boston is a place where people have always come for almost 400 years to make good in the world.' I usually love Advertisement This was supposed to be a friendly conversation, but it felt more like friendly fire. I guess that's what happens when a running joke falls flat. Comedian Ronny Chieng hosted The Daily Show Tuesday night, including a segment with Boston Mayor Michelle Writers Guild of America East Let's be clear this stereotype of Boston being super racist is getting super old. We're 50 years past the ugly days of court-ordered busing in Boston to desegregate public schools. The scrappy white Boston of Matt Damon and Ben Affleck movies was fading 20 years ago, and feels even more dated today. We have long been a majority-minority city — for a quarter of a century now. Our last two mayors have been women of color, as is the current City Council President, the state Attorney General, and one of our members of Congress. It felt like Chieng was hoping he could go viral like 'SNL Weekend Update' co-host Michael Che did in 2017 during a segment about the upcoming Super Bowl between the New England Patriots and Atlanta Falcons. 'For three hours, I just don't want to talk about any social issues or politics,' Che said. 'I just want to relax, turn my brain off and watch the blackest city in America beat the most racist city I've ever been to.' Yes, Che got blowback from Bostonians, and even an invitation from then But I don't think Che ever met with Walsh. The comedian stood by his comment and tried to tamp down controversy by later posting on Instagram: Advertisement I hope Chieng takes up Wu's invitation to come to Boston so she can show him what the city's really like. He'll begin to understand how Wu became mayor, which is putting in the work over the past decade to get votes from every corner of the city as an at-large City Councilor and later her run for mayor. She won election after election because voters want someone who looks like them in City Hall. Chieng has been to Boston because that's where his family used to come to grocery shop for Malaysian foods they couldn't find in New Hampshire. 'Boston is my childhood Chinatown,' he said. 'We go there for supplies to bring it back to New Hampshire. You know, there's not a lot of Malaysian grocery stores in Manchester, New I know, Boston.' Chieng went on to say that he has a 'lot of love for Boston' and how people were 'nice' to him when he has been there. Well, nice isn't our reputation either. But this is a city that has worked hard to move beyond our racist past. And that's no laughing matter. Shirley Leung is a Business columnist. She can be reached at
