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Peacock pushes back debut of Universal docuseries

Peacock pushes back debut of Universal docuseries

The premiere of “Epic Ride: The Story of Universal Theme Parks” docuseries has been delayed. The three-part series, produced for the Peacock streaming service, is now scheduled to debut Nov. 17.

The series, originally set to be seen starting in July, had previously been pushed to Sept. 29.  No reason has been announced for the schedule changes.

A previous one-hour special named “Inside the World of Epic Universe” remains available on Peacock.

The upcoming docuseries includes interviews with directors, producers, executives and celebrities, according to a Peacock description.

“The series will explore Universal’s iconic film and theme park history as well as provide an exclusive behind-the-scenes countdown to the opening of its groundbreaking new theme park, Universal Epic Universe,” it continues.

Epic Universe opened about 2 miles southeast of Universal Orlando’s first two theme parks, Islands of Adventure and Universal Studios Florida, on May 22.

‘We have to get answers.’ Attorney casts doubt on safety of Epic Universe coaster read more

Why stay-at-home parents need life insurance

Why stay-at-home parents need life insurance

Life insurance is designed to protect against a loss of income if a loved one should die. However, this safeguard isn’t just for traditionally employed adults. The value stay-at-home parents provide should also be part of calculating how much life insurance a family needs.

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In America, 18% of parents don’t work for pay, according to a Pew Research Center analysis of the most recent U.S. Census Bureau data. But that doesn’t mean they’re not adding to the household balance sheet. In fact, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) suggests the work of stay-at-home parents could be the financial equivalent of an administrative services and facilities manager plus a teacher all rolled into one. read more

Wall Street rises and snaps out of its 3-day losing streak

Wall Street rises and snaps out of its 3-day losing streak

By STAN CHOE, AP Business Writer

NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks climbed Friday and trimmed their losses for the week after a report showed that inflation is behaving roughly as economists expected, even if it’s still high.

The S&P 500 rose 0.6% and broke its three-day losing streak. The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 299 points, or 0.7%, and the Nasdaq composite added 0.4%. All three indexes pulled closer to the all-time highs they set at the start of the week.

Stocks got some help from a report showing that inflation in the United States accelerated to 2.7% last month from 2.6% in July, according to the measure of prices that the Federal Reserve likes to use. While that’s above the Fed’s 2% target, and it’s more painful than any household would like, it was precisely what economists had forecast.

That offered some hope that the Fed could continue cutting interest rates in order to give the economy a boost. That’s critical for Wall Street because it’s already sent U.S. stocks on a blistering run to records from a low in April in large part because of expectations for a string of rate cuts. read more

Sanford woman sues Universal Studios Orlando for injuries on Stardust Racers coaster

Sanford woman sues Universal Studios Orlando for injuries on Stardust Racers coaster

A 49-year-old Sanford woman is suing the company that owns Epic Universe, claiming she suffers from permanent injuries after riding the new Stardust Racers roller coaster last April.

It’s the same ride that 32-year-old Kevin Rodriguez Zavala rode shortly before he died on Sept. 17.

In her lawsuit, Sandi Streets said her head “shook violently and slammed into her seat’s headrest” for the entire duration of the two-minute ride, which includes more than a dozen twists, drops and turns and speeds of nearly 65 mph.

Streets is seeking damages of more than $50,000. Universal Orlando declined to comment.

Streets’ lawsuit was filed on Wednesday, the same day attorney Ben Crump and his legal team held a press conference in downtown Orlando to demand that Stardust Racers stay closed until an investigation is completed on how Zavala lost consciousness while riding the roller coaster and later died.

According to Crump, witnesses saw Zavala’s head slam repeatedly on a metal bar during the ride. The Orange County Medical Examiner’s Office has ruled Zavala’s death as accidental and the result of blunt force trauma. read more

Judge approves $1.5 billion copyright settlement between AI company Anthropic and authors

Judge approves $1.5 billion copyright settlement between AI company Anthropic and authors

By BARBARA ORTUTAY, Associated Press

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — A federal judge on Thursday approved a $1.5 billion settlement between artificial intelligence company Anthropic and authors who allege nearly half a million books had been illegally pirated to train chatbots.

U.S. District Judge William Alsup issued the approval in San Francisco federal court Thursday after the two sides worked to address his concerns about the settlement, which will pay authors and publishers about $3,000 for each of the books covered by the agreement. It does not apply to future works.

A Monday filing sought to convince the judge that the parties have set up a system designed to get out robust notice to all authors and publishers covered by the agreement, ensuring they get their cut of the pot if they want to sign off on the settlement or opt out to protect their legal rights moving forward.

They also tried to assure him that the author and publishers group that cobbled the deal together are not doing any “back room” dealings that would hurt lesser-known authors. read more