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drewharrisonwriter · 26 days

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One Day at a Time - Ch. 8: Family Man

Pairings: Dave York x Female Reader

Series Summary: A man washed ashore, with no memory, and no name, finds a home and a life in the middle of nowhere.

Author's Notes: This story has been sitting in my drafts for over a year, waiting for the perfect moment to see the light of day. It wasn't until recently that I found the inspiration to finally finish the last two chapters, thanks to the incredible Keri @absurdthirst. Her story, "Washed Up," struck a chord with me—it had such a similar plot and concept to what I had in mind, and it reignited my passion to bring this piece to life. Keri's writing has been a constant source of solace and inspiration, and I'm endlessly grateful for her creativity and the way she crafts stories that speak to the soul. If you haven’t checked out her work, you absolutely should!

Warnings: Please be aware that this story contains elements of violence, explicit sexual content, and pregnancy. Additionally, there are medical inaccuracies throughout—because I don’t work in the medical field, so please take it all with a grain of salt. Enjoy the ride, and thank you for reading! 😊

Read this on AO3 | Check out my Masterlist

Returning to his old life had been more difficult than Dave had anticipated. The house, once familiar, now felt foreign. It was as if he were living someone else’s life, trying to fit into a role that no longer felt right. Carol had done her best to welcome him back, but there was an undeniable distance between them—a gap that couldn’t be bridged no matter how hard they both tried.

Over the year he had spent on the farm, Dave had come to terms with a new kind of life—a life marked by simplicity, honesty, and the quiet joy of rebuilding himself from the ground up. Now, back in the city, surrounded by the trappings of his former life, he felt out of place. The walls of his old home, once a symbol of success and security, now seemed to close in on him.

Dave tried to settle back into the rhythm of his old life, spending time with Alice and Molly. Reconnecting with them was the one thing that felt right, the bond between father and daughters growing stronger with each passing day. But with Carol, things were different. They both made an effort to rekindle their relationship, but it was clear that whatever they once had was gone.

The conversations were stilted, the intimacy forced. Carol’s attempts to recreate the past were met with polite indifference from Dave, who found himself drifting further and further away from the life he once knew. His memories were slowly returning, piecing together the fragments of his old self, but with each memory came a realization: he no longer belonged here.

As the days passed, Dave began experiencing sharp headaches, each one accompanied by flashes of memories—images of a life filled with danger, secrets, and a marriage that had already been fractured long before his disappearance. The truth of his past began to surface, but it only deepened the chasm between him and Carol.

One afternoon, while Carol was at work and the girls were at school, Dave found himself wandering through the house, his mind restless. He ended up in his old office—a room that hadn’t been touched since his disappearance. The space was neat, almost sterile, with everything in its place. But as he stood there, something drew him to the desk.

He opened one of the drawers and began sifting through the papers inside, his movements almost mechanical. As he rummaged, his hand brushed against an envelope tucked beneath a stack of documents. The envelope had Carol’s name on it, along with a man’s name he didn’t recognize.

Curiosity piqued, Dave pulled out the envelope and carefully opened it. Inside, he found a collection of photographs, receipts, and other pieces of evidence—evidence that pointed to an affair. The realization hit him like a ton of bricks, and suddenly, fragments of memories began to flood his mind.

He saw flashes of heated arguments, long nights spent alone, and the gnawing suspicion that something was wrong in his marriage. The headaches intensified as he tried to piece together the fragmented memories, each one bringing him closer to the truth.

Driven by an instinct he couldn’t fully explain, Dave turned on the computer sitting on the desk. His fingers moved almost of their own accord, reaching into another drawer and pulling out a flash drive. He inserted it into the computer and watched as the screen flickered to life.

It took a moment, but then he saw it—his email inbox, filled with messages from a time he barely remembered. He began scrolling through the old conversations, his heart pounding as he searched for answers. And then he found it—an email exchange between him and a private investigator.

The investigator had confirmed Dave’s worst suspicions—Carol had been having an affair. The report detailed the times, dates, and locations, along with photos that left no room for doubt. But what shocked Dave even more was the content of his own emails. He had been preparing to divorce Carol, to confront her with the evidence, and to start a new chapter of his life—one that didn’t include her.

Dave leaned back in his chair, the weight of the truth pressing down on him. His memories were coming back in full force now, and with them, the realization that his marriage had been over long before his disappearance. The affair was just the final nail in the coffin.

By the time Carol returned home that evening, Dave had made up his mind. He had sent the girls to stay with the neighbors for the night, wanting to have this conversation in private. Carol arrived home, surprised and a little excited to find the house quiet and a warm dinner waiting on the table. She assumed that Dave had planned something special, something romantic, and her heart fluttered with anticipation.

But the moment she walked into the dining room and saw Dave’s expression, her excitement turned to dread.

“What’s going on?” she asked, her voice wavering slightly as she took in the scene.

Dave didn’t respond immediately. Instead, he gestured for her to sit down. “We need to talk,” he said, his voice calm but with an edge that made her stomach twist.

Carol sat down, her mind racing. “Is everything okay? Where are the girls?”

“They’re with the neighbors,” Dave replied, his eyes locking onto hers. “I wanted to have this conversation alone.”

Carol swallowed hard, sensing the gravity of the situation. “Dave, what is this about?”

Dave took a deep breath, then reached into his pocket and pulled out the envelope he had found earlier. He placed it on the table between them, his expression unreadable. “I found this today,” he said quietly. “And I remembered.”

Carol’s eyes widened in shock as she recognized the envelope. “Dave, I—”

He held up a hand, cutting her off. “Just listen,” he said, his voice steady. “I know about the affair, Carol. I knew before I… before I disappeared. I had hired a private investigator to follow you, to confirm what I suspected. And when he did, I was ready to leave you.”

Carol’s face drained of color, and she opened her mouth to protest, but Dave didn’t give her the chance.

“Don’t bother denying it,” he continued, his tone hardening. “I have the evidence. I had everything ready, but then… then I was taken out of the picture, quite literally.”

“Dave, please, you have to understand,” Carol began, her voice pleading. “You were always working, always away. I was lonely. I made a mistake, but I—”

“A mistake?” Dave’s voice was sharp, cutting through her words. “This wasn’t just a mistake, Carol. This was a betrayal, over and over again. You lied to me, and you would have continued lying if I hadn’t found out.”

Tears welled up in Carol’s eyes, but Dave’s expression remained cold. “I tried, Dave. I really did. But you were never there. You were so focused on your work, on everything but us. What was I supposed to do? Just sit around and wait for you to come home, hoping you’d finally pay attention to me?”

Dave clenched his fists, his patience thinning. “You were supposed to be honest with me. If you were unhappy, you should have said something. Instead, you went behind my back, made me feel like I was the one going crazy, all while you were sneaking around.”

“I was wrong,” Carol admitted, her voice shaking. “I know I was wrong, but can’t we try to fix this? Can’t we start over? For the girls?”

Dave shook his head, his resolve unshaken. “We can’t fix something that was broken long before I even knew about the affair. The trust is gone, Carol. And without trust, there’s nothing left.”

Carol’s expression hardened as she realized that he wasn’t going to budge. “So what now? You’re just going to walk away? After everything we’ve been through, after everything I did to try and keep this family together?”

Dave met her gaze, his voice calm but firm. “There’s no family to keep together, Carol. You made sure of that. You knew what you were doing when you started that affair. You destroyed what little we had left.”

Carol’s tears turned to anger, her face flushing red as she leaned forward. “Oh, I see.” She smirked, “You want to go back to that woman.”

Dave’s jaw tightened, but he didn’t back down. “She has nothing to do with this. This is about us, about our marriage, and the fact that it’s been over for a long time.”

Carol scoffed, her eyes narrowing. “Don’t be naïve, Dave. Do you really think she took you in out of the goodness of her heart? She’s after something you have. I don’t know what she knows, heck, she probably knows who you are all this time!”

Dave’s eyes flashed with anger, his old self rising to the surface. “Stop.” He tells her lowly.

Carol’s voice trembled with a mix of anger and desperation. “You think you’re going to be happy with her? You think she’ll stick around when she finds out the truth? That you’re not just some quiet man working in the government, but a man who kills for a living?”

Dave froze, his eyes narrowing as Carol revealed what she knew. “What are you talking about?”

Carol smirked, a cruel edge to her voice. “You really think I didn’t know? You think I didn’t suspect all those years? I may not have known the details, but I knew enough. I knew what kind of work you really did, the blood on your hands. You can try to play house with that woman all you want, but the moment she finds out the truth, she’ll leave you just like I should have.”

Dave’s mind raced, but he kept his expression controlled. The memories were coming back now, all the contingency plans he had put in place, the offshore accounts where his real income was stashed—untouched, undiscovered. But he wasn’t about to share any of that with Carol.

Instead, he met her gaze with a cold, steady resolve. “You can say whatever you want, but it doesn’t change anything. I’m not that man anymore, and I won’t let you hold my past over me.”

Carol’s eyes flared with anger, her voice rising as she tried to maintain control. “You think you can just walk away from all of this? From me? You’re delusional, Dave! You can’t just erase the past, no matter how hard you try. That woman doesn’t know the real you—the killer, the man who did whatever it took to get the job done.”

Dave’s expression remained impassive, but inside, he could feel the remnants of his old life slipping further away. “You’re right, Carol. She doesn’t know everything about me. But she knows enough. She knows who I am now, and that’s all that matters.”

Carol took a step closer, her tone dripping with venom. “And what happens when she finds out the truth? When she realizes the man she’s been playing house with is a murderer? She’ll run, Dave. She’ll run just like anyone with a shred of sanity would.”

“She won’t,” Dave said calmly, his voice unwavering. “Because unlike you, she doesn’t see me as a monster. She sees me as a man trying to have a new shot at life.”

Carol laughed bitterly, shaking her head. “You really are a fool, aren’t you? Living in some fantasy world where you think you can escape what you are. But you can’t. You’ll always be that man, no matter how much you try to pretend otherwise.”

Dave’s eyes hardened, the last remnants of patience slipping away. “Maybe I will. Maybe I’ll never be able to escape my past. But I’m done letting it control me. I’m done letting you control me.”

Carol’s face twisted in fury, her voice rising to a shout. “You’re making a mistake, Dave! You’re walking away from everything we built, everything we had! You think she’s going to be any different? She’s just using you! She’s a nobody—a farmer who doesn’t even understand the world you come from!”

Dave’s temper flared, but he kept his composure, his voice cutting through her rant like ice. “She’s more than that. She’s honest, kind, and she doesn’t play games. She cared for me when I had nothing, asked for nothing in return, and treated me with respect—something you never did.”

Carol’s eyes narrowed, her voice lowering to a dangerous whisper. “And what about your daughters, Dave? What about them? You’re just going to walk out on them too? Leave them behind like they’re nothing?”

The mention of his daughters made Dave pause, the anger in his chest tightening into something more painful. He took a deep breath, steadying himself before he responded. “I’ll never walk out on them. I’ll be there for them, no matter what. But that doesn’t mean I have to stay here with you.”

Carol’s face contorted in a mix of rage and desperation. “You’re nothing without me, Dave. Nothing! You can run to that woman all you want, but she’ll never love you the way I did. She’ll never be able to handle who you really are.”

Dave’s jaw tightened, his voice deadly calm as he responded. “Maybe she won’t. But I’d rather take that chance than stay here and live a lie. I’m done, Carol. It’s over.”

The finality of his words hung in the air, echoing through the tense silence that followed. Carol stood there, stunned, as if she couldn’t quite believe what she was hearing. But as the realization set in, her expression shifted from anger to cold resignation.

“Fine,” she spat, crossing her arms. “Go. But don’t think for a second that you’re leaving here with a clean slate. You may be dead on paper, but you’ll never outrun who you are.”

Dave didn’t respond, didn’t give her the satisfaction of engaging any further. Instead, he turned on his heel and walked out of the dining room, his footsteps echoing through the house as he made his way to the front door, grabbing his coat and the keys to his old car.

As he stepped outside, the cool evening air washed over him, bringing with it a sense of finality. He didn’t look back as he walked to his car, his mind already focused on what lay ahead.

He knew there would be challenges, that his past would always be a part of him, but for the first time in a long time, he felt like he was moving forward. As he drove away, leaving the city and his old life behind, Dave knew that whatever happened next, he was finally free to be the man he wanted to be. And that was a chance worth taking.

Next Chapter 👉🏻

#pedro pascal #pedro pascal characters #pedropascal #pedro pascal cinematic universe #pedro pascal fan fiction #pedro pascal fan fic #pedrohub #dave york equalizer #dave york x you #dave york fanfiction #dave york smut #dave york x reader #dave york #equalizer 2 #dave york x f!reader #pedro pascal fanfic #dave york x female reader

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mariacallous · 4 months

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A potential bidding war to buy TikTok has begun, less than a month after President Joe Biden signed legislation that would force the app’s Chinese parent company ByteDance to divest, or face a ban in the United States within a year.

The latest suitor to emerge is the real estate billionaire Frank McCourt, who announced this week he’s assembling a group of investors to acquire TikTok and has brought on financial advisers from Guggenheim Securities and the law firm Kirkland & Ellis to help. The app could be worth $100 billion, according to some estimates, though McCourt said it’s too early to discuss potential valuations.

What exactly McCourt would do with TikTok remains unclear, but in an interview with Time Magazine, he said that “the user experience wouldn’t change much.” He was not deterred by the prospect of the Chinese government preventing him from buying TikTok’s core algorithm, which is responsible for determining what content users see on the app.

“Of course, TikTok isn't worth as much without the algorithm. I get that. That’s pretty plain,” McCourt said. “But we’re talking about a different design, which requires people to move on from the mindset and the paradigm we’re in now.”

McCourt, who was previously the owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers, says he has already poured $500 million into an existing social media and technology initiative called Project Liberty, which aims to reduce the power that Silicon Valley giants like Meta and Google have over the internet. One of its main focuses has been building and deploying a blockchain-based protocol that Project Liberty claims will give people more control over their data online.

McCourt also previously invested in another social network called MeWe, a privacy-focused platform that became popular with far-right users after Facebook and Twitter deactivated many of their accounts in the wake of the US Capitol riot on January 6. In 2022, MeWe announced it was migrating its entire platform over to Project Liberty’s decentralized social networking protocol, and it’s possible McCourt could do the same thing with TikTok.

Anna Feagan, a spokesperson for Project Liberty, says McCourt and his team are currently focused on putting together their bid for TikTok, but are committed to finding the right technological solutions for the platform. She adds that so far, they have not been in contact with ByteDance.

New York University professor Jonathan Haidt, a leading voice of the movement arguing that smartphones and social media are causing grave harm to children, says he supports McCourt’s plan for TikTok. “What a creative approach to changing social media: Assemble a consortium to buy TikTok and make it better, on an architecture that respects users' rights,” he said in a post on X.

TikTok, however, has made it clear that it does not want to sell its US operations, and is fighting the legality of the new divest-or-ban law in court. TikTok did not respond to a request for comment about the acquisition plans announced by McCourt and other investors.

This has done little to deter a growing list of other business moguls who have also expressed interest in acquiring the app, which has been under government scrutiny in the US for four years over alleged national security concerns stemming from its Chinese ownership. One of them is former Treasury secretary Steven Mnuchin, who said earlier this week he too was assembling a group of investors to make a bid for TikTok. He first hinted about the plan in March before the divestiture bill passed into law.

Mnuchin told Bloomberg he understands that the Chinese government is unlikely to allow ByteDance to sell TikTok’s algorithm, but he planned to “rebuild the technology.” That would be quite a lofty endeavor, especially given that TikTok competitors like YouTube and Meta have been trying to copy its product for years with only mixed success.

There’s at least one existing business connection between Mnuchin and TikTok: They are both backed by Japan’s SoftBank, which has stakes in ByteDance and in Liberty Strategic Capital, the private equity firm Mnuchin set up after he left office. A representative from Liberty Strategic Capital did not immediately return a request for comment about Mnuchin’s TikTok acquisition strategy.

Former Activision CEO Bobby Kotick has reportedly considered buying TikTok as well. He even floated the idea to Zhang Yiming, the former CEO of ByteDance who retains a roughly 20 percent stake in the company, the Wall Street Journal reported in March. Around the same time, Canadian businessman and Shark Tank judge Kevin O'Leary told Fox News that the app is “not going to get banned, ’cause I’m gonna buy it.”

O’Leary did not immediately return a request for comment about whether he was seriously interested in TikTok. Kotick could not be reached for comment.

All of TikTok’s potential suitors would be facing an uphill battle to close a deal. The first challenge will be raising enough money. Only a small number of the world’s largest companies likely have enough cash on hand to acquire the app outright, and so far, they haven’t publicly voiced an interest in the platform. That’s a big change from four years ago when then-president Donald Trump first tried to force ByteDance to sell TikTok. At the time, Microsoft, Oracle, and Walmart were among the most promising buyers for the app.

But the even bigger problem that investors face is the fact that TikTok doesn’t seem to think a sale would even be possible, let alone desirable. In a lawsuit it filed against the US government last week, TikTok argued the divestiture bill violated the First Amendment and claimed severing its American operations from ByteDance was “not commercially, technologically, or legally feasible.”

TikTok noted that the Chinese government has “made clear” that it would not permit the company to sell its recommendation algorithm to a foreign buyer, citing regulations that Beijing introduced after Trump first targeted TikTok in 2020. The measures put limits on the export of certain technologies such as “personal interactive data algorithms.”

Even if a sale were politically possible, TikTok argued the move would “disconnect Americans from the rest of the global community” on the platform, in possibly the same way that the Chinese version of the app is restricted only to people in China. TikTok added that it would take a team of new engineers years to sift through its source code and “gain sufficient familiarity” with it to run the app effectively.

A group of TikTok creators filed a separate lawsuit against the federal government earlier this week arguing that the divest bill violated their free speech rights. (TikTok is paying their legal fees.) Separating TikTok from ByteDance, they said, “is infeasible, as the company has stated and as the publicly available record confirms.”

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sineala · 1 year

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I am sorry if you have already gotten an ask like this, but I must admit that I am curious. Which avengers runs would you recommend as must reads? Of course, with special reference to stevetony.

So the thing is that there are A LOT of Avengers runs. We are currently on volume 9 of Avengers, and that numbering doesn't even include things like New Avengers, Mighty Avengers, All-New All-Different Avengers, all of which were the main team at some point. (There are of course also a bunch of other teams; Steve is currently on the Uncanny Avengers again.)

If you're looking for Steve and Tony specifically, off the top of my head, these are the main-team volumes that have had both Steve and Tony on them: Avengers vol 1, 2 (technically), 3, New Avengers vol 1, Avengers vol 4, Avengers vol 5, Avengers vol 8. They aren't always on the team at the same time, but that's everything that might conceivably contain them both.

So. I have a lot of recs.

For about the first half of volume 1, basically everything that shows up on lists of classic Avengers stories are a good bet. You definitely at least want the first 16 issues because that's when Steve and Tony first become teammates. But, yeah, things like the Korvac Saga and the Kree/Skrull War are probably things you will want to read anyway. (The Korvac Saga is the time Steve punches Tony in the face that, weirdly, fandom doesn't talk about much.)

I know volume 1 has nearly 400 issues but you can actually knock out everything after about #230 because that's approximately when Tony leaves the team because he's drinking again (there are some issues afterwards of the Avengers, mostly Steve, expressing concern) and eventually goes to the West Coast Avengers, and he and Steve aren't main-team together until vol 3. Tony does come back for the big events, though. But, yeah, you can basically stop slightly after Steve learns Tony is Iron Man (216) if you want them as regular teammates. In terms of what you might need to know from the second half of volume 1, the big thing that shows up in Steve/Tony fic is Operation Galactic Storm, because Steve and Tony have a big ol' fight by the end of it, and eventually end up resolving everything else they've fought about in arcs like Armor Wars (you did not ask for Iron Man recs, but, you know, maybe read that). Other than that, there's not much you need to know for Steve/Tony purposes because they mostly aren't together. But if you want to read things that are good anyway, I would highly recommend Under Siege, in which the Masters of Evil invade the Mansion (and destroy the only photograph Steve has of his mother). (There is a recent follow-up issue to Under Siege -- Avengers: Loki Unleashed -- by the original writer, Roger Stern, in which Tony does show up in New York to help the team rebuild.) It's not part of Avengers, but you might also want to consider reading some of the big events. I mostly mean Infinity Gauntlet when I say this. The other events in Avengers v1 that get fic mentions are The Crossing and Onslaught, but I swear you don't have to read them.

Volume 3 is my personal favorite and I think it really hits the sweet spot of being a classic Avengers run where everyone lives in the mansion and are friends together, but with more modern art and storytelling conventions. Steve and Tony aren't on the team together for the entirety of the Busiek/Pérez run which is the first half of the volume (and in fact Steve leaves for a reason that is Not Great), and it's not the absolute shippiest volume in the world but I think it's an incredibly solid run. Like, if you want A Really Good Avengers Run, read this run. Steve and Tony are back on the team for most of the second half of the run, which includes Red Zone. You absolutely want to read Red Zone.

After this, Marvel mostly starts new volumes when the creative team changes, which makes them slightly easier to keep track of, except then there's about five years where there isn't a comic called "Avengers," which is more confusing again, so there's really no winning here. Anyway, after vol. 3, we get Avengers Disassembled (which you probably should read just because you should know what happens) and the mansion explodes and everyone moves into the tower and we get New Avengers.

The first half of New Avengers vol. 1 -- which is the beginning of Bendis' Avengers run -- is what a lot of Steve/Tony fans (including me) imprinted really hard on. There are about twenty issues of them putting a team together and being co-leaders and it's really sweet and they work amazingly well together and you will probably really like it... and then Civil War happens and everything is bad and wrong and then Steve dies and stays dead for a few years and that is, uh. Less happy. You will probably want to read all the stuff after that anyway. I have a reading order for that around here somewhere.

Eventually Steve comes back to life and Avengers Prime happens (and you should read Avengers Prime) and we get Avengers vol. 4, which is the end of Bendis' Avengers run. I actually really enjoy vol 4. It is my Underrated Fave. Steve only rejoins the team, technically, for the second half of the run (for the first half he's running the Secret Avengers, which he hates), but he's around for a lot of the first half anyway because he just can't stay away from Tony. It's an interesting Steve/Tony dynamic because Steve remembers Civil War and he's pretty depressed and pretty angry and it's kind of like "what if you couldn't stand to be in the same room with the person you loved most?" because they clearly want to be around each other but they don't really seem to remember how to be friends with each other anymore but they still have a lot of feelings about each other and the best they can manage is A LOT OF SCREAMING and they're like "is this how friendship works???" and the rest of the team is like "no???? stop screaming." Because of course they want to scream at each other about their feelings in public in front of all their friends like two people who have a normal amount of feelings about each other.

This is Avengers v4 #9. This is their teammates watching them having a screaming fight. I wasn't kidding.

And then halfway through they figure out how to be friends again and because it's their particular kind of friendship it involves, like, Steve just gently touching Tony's neck while they are having a conversation.

That is Avengers v4 #18. You'd think Steve would rather put his hand on Tony's shoulder. Like a regular friend. You would really think he would do that. That doesn't appear to be the thing Steve is doing here.

Issue 19 gives us this panel which is basically their entire relationship:

The last arc of v4, where they get Jan back, is one of my favorite Avengers arcs. It's just... the classic Avengers being Avengers, and it's a lot of fun.

So, yeah, Avengers v4 is my Underrated Fave. But also it probably helps to have read the entire rest of Bendis' Avengers run first (or at least New, Mighty, and the major events -- Civil War, Secret Invasion, Dark Reign, Siege), which is a lot to ask.

And then you get Avengers vol 5, which is Hickman's Avengers run. Reading this run is kind of an all-or-nothing thing, because it tells one story that goes through Avengers v5, New Avengers v3 (if you're wondering what happened to v2, it's just that it's a team neither Steve nor Tony were on), Infinity, and probably also Secret Wars, in a very precise order. This is about a hundred issues. (If you are deeply into Hickman's work, before this you would want to read Secret Warriors and his Fantastic Four run. Which is about the same number of issues again.) It's a big commitment.

Hickman's run was the run that was going on when I joined this fandom -- I actually got into 616 Steve/Tony the week that Avengers v5 #29 came out, which was a hell of a week to pick -- and I think honestly I liked it better when it was coming out. Hickman is a very plot-driven writer, which means that a lot of big epic stuff happens, but it also means that characters often get slotted into positions in the narrative because someone needs to do a thing and I feel like there's often not a lot of consideration about whether this particular character would do that thing. When this was the first run I was reading, I didn't have a feel for the characters and I trusted that Hickman knew them better than I did, but at this point I have read enough Avengers that I have developed Opinions (as every comics fan does at some point; comics is kind of unique as a fandom in a "build your own canon" way) and my opinions are not really the same as Hickman's. Also at the time, it hadn't ended yet, and I thought the ending was a disappointment.

However, if what you want is a big, epic, universe-changing Avengers story in which Steve and Tony are main characters and how they feel about each other is absolutely integral to the plot... well. That's what Hickman's Avengers run will get you. As a Steve/Tony shipper, it's hard to imagine there ever being another Avengers run where Steve and Tony's feelings for each other are what so much of the run hinges on. So this is that.

After that, the universe ends (don't worry, it's fine), and then there's a period of time where Steve and Tony are on different teams. Then Steve is secretly evil for a while, and then Tony is dead for a while (while Steve is secretly evil), and then we get Avengers vol 8, which is Jason Aaron's run, which recently ended. Steve and Tony were both there and neither of them were evil or dead, which was nice, and somehow this run lasted five entire years and I just thought it was... mostly okay...? Steve and Tony didn't have a lot of interaction with each other. Some of the events during this time period were pretty good, though. AXE Judgment Day was the standout for me, though I think a lot of us who like villain AUs have mined and are continuing to mine Secret Empire for some angst material. That was before Aaron's run started, though.

Currently we are on Jed MacKay's volume 9, and Steve is not on the main team, though Tony is.

So, yeah, I'd have to say that my picks are some of the classic v1 arcs, v3, at least the beginning of NA v1, v4 provided you have read everything after NA v1, and v5/NA v3 if you're into that. Hope that helps!

#replies #darkmutiewerewolf

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johnwickcaretaker · 6 months

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The High Table is Down

We won. The Adjudicator has accepted my job offer, and will be running a whole new kind of organization. One centered on righting the wrongs the High Table wrought for so many years. We'll fight only for peace, and die only for love.

Thank you to every last person who fought and died to set us free from the bondage of the High Table. In Osaka, in Berlin, in Paris, in Rome, in Casablanca, in New York, and all around the world. Thank you so much, especially to @vindegramont, @sofiaal-azwar, and @shimazu-akira. I'm proud of every one of you. Stay close to each other, and remember that we did this by trusting one another even through disagreements.

In the coming era, we'll have talks. About who the new leaders should be, how the organization should be structured, how to deal with the High Table loyalists who still live, how we can restore the Continentals... But talking isn't really my thing. I think I need to rest. Finally rest... I'm safe, don't worry. I just want to go home and cuddle Dog, and finally stop getting shot. See you in a bar or a coffee shop somewhere, on a better day.

[GIF is not mine, it's from a Quora response here]

[OOC: blog author is going out soon and might be out for the rest of the night, but feel free to keep discussing the rebuilding efforts/new government until the "canon reset" tomorrow! I've had an extraordinary time roleplaying with everybody. I think I'll do this again at some point in the future. This is truly one of the most creative and wholesome fandoms I've been in <3 - @thewhumpcaretaker]

#john wick #john wick rp #john wick roleplay #down with the high table

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rappaccini · 7 months

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do you ever think about how in 1970 on earth 616 gwen stacy and hobie brown first meet when he blasts through her living room window in a spider-man costume.

do you ever think about how gwen nearly escapes her narrative as the doomed good girlfriend by fleeing to london and the event that gets her on the plane is hobie standing guard outside her apartment in his prowler costume because he's worried spider-man will get her killed, and how that's hobie's first attempt at escaping his narrative as a reluctant villain. do you ever think about how he's right, because when gwen's ultimately drawn back to new york, she's murdered a few months later and it's arguably spider-man's fault.

do you ever think about how on earth 138, the world where hobie's anger at systemic inequality is validated as his parallels to peter parker are finally expanded into making him the spider-man, gwen stacy, rock icon, is hobie's idol whose music gave him a creative outlet for his anger, the language to articulate it and a community to support and be supported by, (whose murder probably radicalized him even further) and therefore is arguably the architect of the revolution he starts

do you ever think about how on earth 65, the world where gwen's anger at being denied respect and agency is validated as her white feminist tendencies are called out and deconstructed, gwen's radicalization arc begins with hobie blasting her in the face with spray paint and calling her on her girlboss bullshit (which she accepts and commits to fixing), and ends with hobie having quietly watched her redemption for a year and concluding that she's grown and changed into such a genuine hero that he decides to memorialize her

do you ever think about how in the worlds where they get to be the heroes, where hobie keeps the costume instead of borrowing it and it's his from the start, where gwen gets a life defined by herself and not her boyfriend, their alter egos' ideologies are shaped by their worlds' versions of each other and if not for having met each other they might never have become heroes at all

do you ever think about how as soon as spider-gwen and spider-hobie became aware of each other's existence they became fast friends in web warriors and hobie starts treating gwen like a peer instead of a love interest within one issue instead of years of publication like miles and peter, they were stuck to each other like glue during the battle in spidergeddon and were flirting in the corner of spider-brit's funeral, promising to be there for each other, and then they never met again

do you ever think about how gwen-65 and hobie-138 have both been informed by powerful multiversal beings that they're doomed to fates they'd both hate, but he's doomed to die young and have his memory disrespected posthumously by capitalists and she's doomed to live long after losing everything that makes her who she is for a life as spider-man's wife and babymaker, and they've both fully internalized their fates given how hobie doesn't care about his own self-preservation and gwen's coming untethered from her world and being pressured into 616, the home of the guy she's going to be forced into a romance with if she's there long enough. they can be heroes, but only for so long before something stops them, and their legacies will undo everything they stood for.

do you ever think about how in atsv, which came out exactly fifty years after the night gwen stacy died, gwen stacy and hobie brown are the closest they've ever been in any canon yet, so close that they may not be a couple but they have a shitload of chemistry and just mentioning each other makes gwen's love interest sweat, that they built that relationship in london and their bond is what sets gwen free from the spider-society, makes it possible to rebuild her personal life, return to her homeworld where she's the main character of her own story, and escape her narrative but in btsv gwen will almost inevitably give in to her role of Miles's Love Interest by the end and he will be expected to cheerlead them

do you ever think about how in every other universe where gwen and hobie have a significant interaction, every single time they get closer and closer to permanently changing their narratives for the better as they get closer and closer to each other. idk man i do.

#ghostpunk #even 616 gwobie goes crazy. making their first attempts at escaping their shitty roles in the story because of each other.#ships passing in the night between a reluctant villain who wants to be a hero and a corruptible heroine who should've become a villain.#both of whom are denied these destinies because it was the early 1970s. but get closer and closer to them the more they're reinterpreted #from strangers to idol and fan to acquaintances to friends with a vibe to friends with textually acknowledged romantic tension.#we sure are moving in one particular direction towards one particular conclusion. i hope we get there someday.

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reasonsforhope · 2 years

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For all the people who said they wanted Ireland’s guaranteed income for artists program to be copied by the US! Huge caveat, this is NOT the state of New York, it’s a nonprofit called Creatives Rebuild New York, CRNY, which is building upon Covid-relief programs for artists to create and spread a new model of supporting artists, one that focuses strongly on artists from historically marginalized groups.

From the Article:

“A lucky group of artists in New York will get guaranteed income as part of an ambitious pilot program.

The Creatives Rebuild New York (CRNY) initiative has announced that it is spending $43.2 million to distribute monthly payments of $1,000 to 2,400 to artists and other creatives living across the state. Lasting for 18 months, these cash payments come with no strings attached.

Around 20 percent of the recipients work in the visual arts specifically and 62 percent of the entire cohort said they previously had no financial safety net.

The model is intended to provide an alternative to the system of fellowships and grants that artists typically rely on, which tends to be competitive and unevenly distributed.

“We’re thrilled that this program helps artists meet their basic needs, and we are hopeful that Guaranteed Income for Artists serves as a model for larger scale, policy-based solutions in the future,” said Emil Kang, CRNY’s leadership council chair and the Mellon Foundation’s program director for arts and culture.

CRNY is a three-year $125 million initiative of the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation to support artists with guaranteed income and employment opportunities.

The recipients were selected from more than 22,000 applicants according to a weighted, randomized process that ensured the funding was distributed equally across the state and took into account systemic barriers.

This means that 62 percent of the roster identify as Black, Indigenous, or people of color, 51 percent as LGBTQ+, 34 percent as trans, nonbinary, or gender-nonconforming, and 34 percent as caregivers.

“Some months are lucrative and others are not,” said dancer and choreographer Kristen Brooks Sandler, who is a recipient of the funding. “Scrambling at the end of the month to make rent because a gig’s check hasn’t come in the mail yet has become my reality. I didn’t realize how stressful that was until I received this funding. The relief isn’t just financial; it’s emotional, physical, mental, and artistic.”” -via Artnet News, 11/17/22

Thanks to @grkuvus for the tip about this!

#basic income #universal basic income #ubi #new york #new york city #artists #support the arts #artists of color #guaranteed income #visual arts #queer artists #good news #hope

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lemonlyman-dotcom · 5 months

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LEMON

🥺 Is there a certain type of moment or common interaction between your characters that never fails to put you in your feels?

🎢 Which of your fics would you call your wildest ride?

⛔ Do you have a fic you started, but scrapped?

📚 Would you ever want to turn writing into a career?

TESSA 🩷

🥹whenever TK doubts his worthiness of love & happiness and Carlos (or Marjan or Paul) reassures him that he is sweet and lovable and an amazing friend. Any time I have TK reflect on his life in New York after getting sober and the work he put into rebuilding himself and his life while feeling so broken 😞

🎢 Call Me If You Get Lost for sure!! It’s a screwball comedy, poor Carlos gets rope-a-doped by his soulmate and wacky hijinks ensue!!

⛔️no! I have wips I have set aside but nothing I don’t intend to return to …eventually 😂

📚probably not!! But I haven’t even been writing creatively for a year yet so we’ll see!!

Ask game

#ask game #thank you Tessa!!

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readyforevolution · 2 years

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Sonia Sanchez was born Wilsonia Benita Driver in Birmingham, Alabama. After her mother’s death in 1935 she lived with her grandmother. Her grandmother taught her to read at age four and write at age six. When her grandmother passed away in 1943 she moved to Harlem, New York where she stayed with her father Wilson Driver.

Driver attended Hunter College in New York City where she took creative writing courses although she graduated with a B.A. in Political Science in 1955. Continuing her education at New York University, Driver focused on the study of poetry. She also married and divorced Puerto Rican immigrant Albert Sanchez, although she retained his surname. She later married poet Etheridge Knight and together they had three children. They would later divorce.

In 1965 Sanchez taught at San Francisco State University. The course she offered at San Francisco State in 1966 on the literature of African Americans is generally considered the first of its kind taught at a predominately white university.

Sonia Sanchez released her first collection of poetry in 1969 entitled Homecoming. Her poetry was described at experimental and innovative; Sanchez was the first to blend the musical elements of the blues with the haiku and tanka poetry styles. She tackled many genres of literary art such as writing children’s books, and plays. Sanchez is most famous for her Spoken Word poetry books. She was awarded the American Book Award in 1985 for one of her best-known books, Home girls and Hand grenades.

Sanchez was a major influence in the Black Arts and Civil Rights Movements of the 1960s. She was an active member in the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) as well as the Nation of Islam. She was inspired when she met Malcolm X and used his vernacular in some of her poems. She left the Nation of Islam after three years of affiliation in protest of their mistreatment of women. She continues to advocate for the rights of oppressed women and minority groups.

Sanchez has received countless awards for her work including the P.E.N. Writing Award (1969), the National Academy of Arts Award (1978), and the National Education Association Award (1977-1988). She has guest lectured in over 500 colleges and universities. Her poetry has been heard worldwide in Africa, Australia, Canada, the Caribbean Islands, China, Cuba, Europe, and Nicaragua. Sanchez’s last faculty appointment was at Temple University in Philadelphia where she was the first Presidential Fellow at that institution and the first to hold the Laura Carnell Chair. Sanchez taught courses in English and Women’s Studies until her retirement in 1999.

Ms. Sanchez now resides in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

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thejoyofviolentmovement · 23 days

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News/Announcements: Shoutouts to Patreon Patrons, Creatives Rebuild New York and Asian Arts Initiative I’m currently in Rouyn-Noranda, Quebec for the 22nd annual FME Festival. Y’all should expect photos and other coverage over the course of the upcoming days and weeks, along with my regular coverage here. But in the meantime, the show must continue as much as possible. So let’s get to it, right? Earlier this site, turned 14. 14 years of anything — especially a job — is an exceedingly long time. In the blogosphere, that’s roughly 22 lifetimes. Now, when I started JOVM, I was felt as though I had no real choice but to go out on my own. I didn’t feel — or believe — that I’d get a fair shot to do what this site has become with another outlet. I’ve long felt a desire to create something similar to the wildly eclectic, dynamic, global sort of environment I grew up immersed in as a young, Black boy from Corona, Queens. And I didn’t regularly see the environment I grew up in represented in the music magazines and sites that I loved to read. To me, that’s a real weakness because — well, there’s amazing music out there that’s not getting the love that it should both nationally and internationally. When I started JOVM, I couldn’t have imagined covering the things I’v covered, and the things I’ve experienced and seen to have ever happened. I’ve covered roughly 1,100-1,200 shows in NYC, with a handful of shows in Chicago, Baltimore and Philadelphia I’ve covered about a dozen or more festivals, including traveling to Montreal for M for Montreal twice — in 2019 and 2022 I’ve been a panelist at Mondo.NYC Festival and at New Colossus Festival, speaking about PR, promotion and press for indie artists, giving my perspective as a indie blogger I made a cameo in a JOVM mainstay’s music video — and it’s a very noticeable spot towards the end of the video I’ve photographed George Clinton, Patti LaBelle, Buddy Guy, Snoop Dogg, Blondie, Nile Rodgers, Roky Erickson, Philip Bailey, Blind Boys of Alabama, and a growing list of legendary and beloved artists, as well as this site’s growing list of mainstays Back in July, I was invited to be a panelist at the inaugural Elsewhere Music Festival and Conference in Wichita, KS speaking about creating a career in music Also back in July I moderated a panel presented by The New Colossus Festival and Groover on How to Promote Your Show featuring a group of super knowledgeable friends and colleagues Covering FME in Rouyn-Noranda, Québec With this site, I’ve managed to carve out a unique path for myself — and in the blogosphere. Because music media — and generally the media world — is an incredibly homogeneous space, the coverage that you see as a consumer and fan tends to come from a similar perspective. If you don’t believe me, look at the editorial staff at your favorite music magazine or website. It explains why certain artists, genres and styles are covered over others. But it also explains why you see the exact same coverage of the same artists, genres and styles, too. I’m looking forward to what year 14 holds for JOVM. And hopefully with your support, I can keep this thing going. Now, as you know, I’ve said this many times: All work — including creative work — is impossible without money. After all, time is money. Effort is money. Then add all the expenses it takes to actually work. Unsurprisingly, this site and the work that makes it possible is impossible without money. It’s a simple — and often frustrating — fact of life. So, if you’ve been frequenting this site over the past handful of years, there are a handful of folks I want to thank once again for their support: Sash Alice Northover Bella Fox Jenny MacRostie Janene Otten All of those folks have been generous Patreon patrons. Every and any amount really helps keeps this sort of journalism and criticism alive and ongoing. So if you’re able and willing, please feel free to check out the P...

#Asian Arts Initiative #Asian Arts Initiative Sound Type Music Festival and Music Writers Workshop #Creatives Rebuild New York #News/Announcements #Patreon

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90363462 · 2 years

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John Legend Breaks Silence on Kanye West’s ‘Harmful’ Behavior After Anti-Semitic Rants: He’s ‘Different’ Now

Following Kanye West's continued attacks on Jewish and Black people, John Legend says Ye's 'definitely changed,' and he doesn't recognize his friend anymore.

By: Jason BrowView galleryImage Credit: Dave Allocca/Starpix/Shutterstock

“I do find him different than he was back then,” John Legend said of Kanye “Ye” West during the Nov. 3 episode of the New York Magazinepodcast On With Kara Swisher (h/t Entertainment Tonight). John, 43, told host Kira Swisher that he “didn’t see hints of [Ye’s] harmful behavior” back when their friendship started, referring to the antisemitic and anti-Black rants that Ye, 45, has continued to post over the past weeks. “But, you know, I think life happens to people, and I think the death of his mother [Donda West in 2007] probably had something to do with this,” said John. “I don’t want to play armchair psychologist, but he’s definitely changed, and a lot of us who have known him over the years are really concerned about it.”

More AboutKanye West

When asked if he was trying to help Ye or convince him to seek treatment, John revealed that he and Ye aren’t talking anymore. “I know people in his life that are [trying to help him], but we have lost touch,” said the crooner. “We have not been friends for a while now, and so I’m not personally doing anything, but I do know people who are, and a lot of people are concerned about him.”

In August, John spoke about his fractured friendship with Ye. “I honestly think because we publicly disagreed on his running for office,his supporting [Donald] Trump,” Legend said on CNN’s The Axe Files podcast. “I think it became too much for us to sustain our friendship honestly. He was upset that I didn’t support his run for the Presidency of the United States of America. He was not happy about that, and we really haven’t been close since then.”

Trending Now

Ye returned to Instagram, only to be suspended again for 30 days after reportedly posting a screenshot of a conversation between him and (allegedly) Russell Summons. The Def Jam co-founder reportedly told Ye to “leave this fight” and “rebuild your biz” since Ye lost his billionaire status after Adidas and other brands abandoned him in the wake of those antisemitic comments. Ye reportedly posted a disparaging claim about “Jewish business people,” which resulted in his ban, per NBC News.

During his On With Kara Swisher appearance, John Legend also spoke about the dangers when people with wide-reaching platforms engage in this kind of antisemitic/anti-Black rhetoric. “I think we need to be clear about how insidious and nasty antisemitism is and has been for centuries,” he said. “How it’s caused millions and millions of deaths. It’s cropped up in societies all over the world, and it’s made life very difficult for Jews all over the world for a long time. And it is not some new discovery. It’s not some innovation in hate.”

“So when people who claim to be free thinkers or innovators or creative people just end up landing back at this centuries-old meme of using the same stereotypes and tropes to malign Jews and instigate harm against Jews — this is an old but very dangerous tactic that has resulted in a lot of harm and a lot of death for people.”

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techblog3000 · 1 month

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How Is Comcast Supporting Local Communities?

Comcast RISE: Empowering Small Businesses Comcast RISE continues to make a difference. They offer more than just financial help. Businesses get access to media consultations and creative production. A small bookstore in Atlanta received a professional commercial. This boosted their visibility and sales. Comcast RISE also provides technology makeovers. A local café in Miami got new point-of-sale systems. This improved their efficiency and customer service. The program’s impact is widespread, touching various industries and communities.

Comcast RISE also focuses on mentorship. Business owners receive guidance from industry experts. In Los Angeles, a fashion boutique owner learned new marketing strategies. This helped her attract more customers and grow her brand. The program also hosts networking events. These events connect business owners with potential partners and clients. Comcast RISE is not just about financial support; it’s about building a community of thriving businesses.

Project UP: Bridging the Digital Divide Project UP’s impact is growing. They partner with schools and libraries. In Detroit, a library became a Lift Zone. Families now have a place to access the internet. This helps with job searches and online learning. Project UP also supports digital literacy programs. In Houston, workshops teach seniors how to use the internet safely. These efforts ensure everyone can participate in the digital world. Comcast’s investment in digital equity is changing lives.

Project UP also collaborates with local governments. In Boston, they worked with the city to expand internet access in underserved neighborhoods. This initiative provided thousands of residents with affordable internet. Project UP also offers scholarships for digital skills training. In New York, a single mother received a scholarship to learn coding. This opened up new career opportunities for her. Project UP is dedicated to closing the digital divide and empowering communities.

Comcast Cares: Volunteering and Giving Back Comcast Cares Day is a major event. Thousands of employees volunteer nationwide. They clean parks, paint schools, and plant gardens. In Philadelphia, volunteers renovated a community center. This provided a safe space for kids to play and learn. Comcast also supports disaster relief efforts. After hurricanes, they help rebuild homes and restore services. Their commitment to community service is unwavering. Comcast Cares is more than a program; it’s a movement.

Comcast Cares also focuses on education. They partner with schools to provide resources and support. In San Francisco, they donated laptops to a local school. This helped students with their studies and improved their learning experience. Comcast also runs mentorship programs for youth. In Dallas, employees mentor high school students, helping them with career planning and college applications. Comcast Cares is dedicated to making a positive impact on communities across the country.

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warningsine · 3 months

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NEW YORK (AP) — The entertainment giant Paramount will merge with Skydance, closing out a decades-long run by the Redstone family in Hollywood and injecting desperately needed cash into a legacy studio that has struggled to adapt to a shifting entertainment landscape.

It also signals the rise of a new power player, David Ellison, the founder of Skydance and son of billionaire Larry Ellison, the founder of the software company Oracle.

Shari Redstone’s National Amusements has owned more than three-quarters of Paramount’s Class A voting shares through the estate of her late father, Sumner Redstone. She had battled to maintain control of the company that owns CBS, which is behind blockbuster films such as “Top Gun” and “The Godfather.”

Just weeks after turning down a similar agreement with Skydance, however, Redstone agreed to a deal on terms that had not changed much.

“Given the changes in the industry, we want to fortify Paramount for the future while ensuring that content remains king,” said Redstone, who is chair of Paramount Global.

The new combined company is valued at around $28 billion. In connection with the proposed transaction, which is expected to close in September 2025 pending regulatory approval, a consortium led by the Ellison family and RedBird Capital will be investing $8 billion.

Skydance, based in Santa Monica, California, has helped produce some major Paramount hits in recent years, including Tom Cruise films like “Top Gun: Maverick” and installments of the “Mission Impossible” series.

Skydance was founded in 2010 by David Ellison and it quickly formed a production partnership with Paramount that same year. If the deal is approved, Ellison will become chairman and chief executive officer of what’s being called New Paramount.

Ellison outlined the vision for New Paramount on a conference call about the transaction Monday. In addition to doubling down on core competencies, notably with a “creative first” approach, he stressed that the company needs to transition into a “tech hybrid” to stay competitive in today’s evolving media landscape.

“You’ve watched some incredibly powerful technology companies move into the ... media space and do so very successfully,” Ellison said. He added that it was “essential” for New Paramount to chart a similar course going forward.

That includes plans to “rebuild” the Paramount+ streaming service, Ellison noted — pointing to wider goals to expand direct-to-consumer business, such as increasing engagement time on the platform and reducing user churn. He also said that the company aims to transition to more cloud-based production and continue the use of generative artificial intelligence to boost efficiency.

Executives also outlined further restructuring plans for New Paramount on Monday’s conference call, with chairman of RedBird Sports and Media Jeff Shell noting that they had identified some $2 billion in cost efficiencies and synergies that they’ll “attempt to deliver pretty rapidly.”

Shell and others addressed the declining growth of linear TV. Flagship linear brands will continue to represent a big chunk of the company’s operations, but learning how to run this portion of business differently will be key, he said.

The on-again, off-again merger arrives at tumultuous time for Paramount, which has struggled to find its footing for years and its cable business has been hemorrhaging. In an annual shareholder meeting in early June, the company also laid out a restructuring plan that included major cost cuts.

Leadership at Paramount was also volatile earlier this year after its CEO Bob Bakish, following a number of disputes with Redstone, was replaced with an “office of the C.E.O,” run by three executives. Four company directors were also replaced.

Paramount is one of Hollywood’s oldest studios, dating back its founding in 1914 as a distributor. Throughout its rich history, Paramount has had a hand in releasing films — from “Sunset Boulevard” and “The Godfather,” to “Raiders of the Lost Ark” and “Titanic.”

The studio also distributed several early Marvel Cinematic Universe films, including “Iron Man” and “Thor,” before the Disney acquisition. In addition to “Mission: Impossible” and “Top Gun,” Paramount’s current franchises include “Transformers,” “Star Trek” and “Jackass.”

While Paramount has not topped the annual domestic box office charts for over a decade, the wild box office success of “Top Gun: Maverick” in 2022 (nearly $1.5 billion worldwide) was an important boon to both movie theaters and the industry’s pandemic recovery.

Still, its theatrical output has declined somewhat in recent years. Last year it released only eight new movies and came in fifth place for overall box office at around $2 billion — behind Universal (24 films), Disney (17 films), Warner Bros. and Sony.

This year the release calendar is similarly modest, especially with the absence of “Mission: Impossible 8,” which was pushed to 2025 amid the strikes. The studio has had some successes, with “Bob Marley: One Love” and “A Quiet Place: Day One,” and still to come is Ridley Scott’s “Gladiator” sequel.

The National Association of Theatre Owners, a trade organization that represents over 35,000 screens in the U.S., said in a statement Monday that it plans to look closely at the details of the merger with an eye towards whether it will produce more or less theatrical releases.

“We are encouraged by the commitment that David Ellison and the Skydance Media team have shown to theatrical exhibition in the past,” said Michael O’Leary, president and CEO of the National Association of Theatre Owners. “A merger that results in fewer movies being produced will not only hurt consumers and result in less revenue, but negatively impact people who work in all sectors of this great industry – creative, distribution and exhibition.”

Sumner Redstone used National Amusements, his family’s movie theater chain, to build a vast media empire that included CBS and Viacom, which have merged and separated a number of times over the years. Most recently, the companies re-joined forces in 2019, undoing the split consummated in 2006. The company, ViacomCBS, changed its name to Paramount Global in 2022.

Under Sumner Redstone’s leadership, Viacom became one of the nation’s media titans, home to pay TV channels MTV and Comedy Central and movie studio Paramount Pictures.

It is a company with a rich history, as well as a deep bank of media assets, and Skydance wasn’t the only one to gun for Paramount in recent months — Apollo Global Management and Sony Pictures also made competing offers.

Late last year, Warner Bros. Discovery also made headlines for exploring a potential merger with Paramount. But by February, Warner had reportedly halted those talks.

#business #economy #Paramount Global #Skydance Media

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