Business

President Donald Trump signed an executive order targeting social media companies, claiming that sites like Twitter and Facebook have “unchecked power” to censor and restrict points of view. The text of the order was not immediately released, but a draft circulated earlier on Thursday showed that the president would…

UPDATED with latest: The death toll in America from coronavirus has surpassed 100,000, according to the latest data Thursday from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control. The agency says the total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases nationwide is now at 1,698,843, with fatalities reaching 100,446 after 1,415 deaths…

Fans of The Simpsons believe nearly every frame of it contains jokes — not just the frame, but every part of the frame. That’s why many of them had mixed reactions last fall when Disney first offered The Simpsons on Disney+, its direct-to-consumer streaming service. Because the show has been on the air since 1989, its…

The Big 3 talent agencies, having already won a partial victory in their yearlong legal battle with the WGA over packaging fees, now are asking a federal judge to dismiss all of the guild's remaining claims. In a 25-page motion filed Wednesday, WME, CAA and UTA asked U.S. District Court Judge Andre Birotte Jr. to toss…

Refresh for updates … With roughly a third of all Americans ordered to stay “safer at home” amid the coronavirus outbreak, the entertainment industry is chiming in with public service announcements about how to stay safe, maintain social distance, deal with isolation and uncertainty and try to grasp the concept of…

Robert De Niro and Jane Rosenthal, co-founders of the Tribeca Film Festival, joined an online roundtable conversation Thursday about the future of the festival circuit as organizers navigate through COVID-19. The duo, along with YouTube chief business officer Robert Kyncl and fest officials from Toronto, Tokyo…

Twitter shares are taking a hit Thursday as President Donald Trump declares war on social media, with the Jack Dorsey-led company in the cross-hairs for slapping cautionary notes on two POTUS tweets this week. The stock was down 2.6% in afternoon trade in a mixed market, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average up about…

Former A3 Artists Agency agent Maxwell Mitcheson has been named as Vice President and Head of Talent Division at digital-driven company TalentX Entertainment. In addition to A3, Mitcheson worked at ICM Partners. His client roster includes a list of A-list clients and he has created a wealth of opportunities in…

Hulu is testing its first social feature, Hulu Watch Party, for subscribers to its ad-free tier. Groups of up to eight people 18 or older can co-view TV shows or movies on Hulu using Watch Party, with a chat window enabling conversation during the show. The Disney-owned streaming operation said the test is…

Santa Monica-based Snap Inc. announced plans to stream its Snap Partner Summit on June 11. Doors open at 9:45 a.m. PT with a keynote address by co-founders Evan Spiegel, CEO, and  Bobby Murphy, chief technology officer, kicking it off. Execs from across the company will showcase new product features and announce…

With social distancing requirements apt to give a boost to virtual reality, especially in public places like theme parks, Lucasfilm and Oculus VR specialists are joining forces for a new Star Wars attraction. Star Wars: Tales from the Galaxy's Edge is an original story that will include multiple styles of gameplay and…

ViacomCBS has promoted Jonathan Karp to CEO of Simon & Schuster, effective immediately, succeeding Carolyn Reidy, who passed away earlier this month. Karp most recently served as president and publisher of Simon & Schuster Adult Publishing that includes Atria Books, Avid Reader Press, Gallery Books, Scribner, Simon…