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A month after a wildfire erupted at the edge of the Grand Canyon, US firefighters were struggling Monday to bring the blaze under control.A lightning strike on July 4 — Independence Day in the United States — sparked a fire that spread rapidly on the northern rim of the canyon, a major draw for domestic and international tourists.The Dragon Bravo Fire — named after the Dragon rock formation near the conflagration’s start — was initially allowed to burn unabated as part of a natural cycle that thins vegetation and renews the landscape.But a week later, strong winds whipped through Arizona and fanned the fire, pushing it through a major hotel, as well as the North Rim Visitor Center and some guest cabins.A nearby water treatment plant was also damaged, venting chlorine gas into the environment.The blaze, which now stands at over 123,000 acres (50,000 hectares), is being actively fought with more than 1,000 personnel on site, battling the flames from the air and from the ground.”Yesterday, crews patrolled and monitored the east and west flanks of the fire,” said a Monday update from incident commanders.”Despite relative humidities as low as four percent they were able to hold the fire’s growth to a minimum. “In the southwest part of the fire, crews were able to go direct on the fire. Last night they walked sections of the perimeter searching for signs of heat, a process required before lines can be declared contained.”The level of containment — the amount of the perimeter where firefighters have completely stopped the fire’s progress — stood at 13 percent on Monday.Operations throughout the day looked set to be helped by the local topography along the northern part of the fire, despite continued critical fire weather, the update said.”The pinon-juniper fuels in the area will assist since they do not carry the fire as effectively as mixed conifer or ponderosa stands,” it continued, in reference to the vegetation growing in the vicinity.Humidity remains low in the region, with a disappointing seasonal monsoon bringing rain far below expected levels.Scores of wildfires burn across North America every year, many of them started by lightning.Those that do not threaten population centers are now frequently left to burn by forest managers who understand the need for the kind of woodland renewal such blazes bring.The policy contrasts with what was previously in effect for much of the last 150 years, where managers took an aggressive firefighting stance.Doing so had the unintended effect of leaving some areas overstocked with fuel and liable to burn much hotter and faster when they did catch fire.While wildfire is a natural phenomenon, human activity — specifically the unchecked use of fossil fuels — is changing the climate, often making blazes more likely and more destructive.

US President Donald Trump said Monday that he would pick an “exceptional replacement” for his labor statistics chief, days after ordering her dismissal after a report showed weakness in the jobs market.In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump reiterated — without providing evidence — that Friday’s employment report “was rigged.”He alleged that commissioner of labor statistics Erika McEntarfer had manipulated data to diminish his administration’s accomplishments, drawing sharp criticism from economists and a professional association.”We’ll be announcing a new (labor) statistician some time over the next three-four days,” Trump told reporters Sunday.He added Monday: “I will pick an exceptional replacement.”US job growth missed expectations in July, figures from the Bureau of Labor Statistics showed, and sharp revisions to hiring figures in recent months brought them to the weakest levels since the Covid-19 pandemic.Trump ordered the removal of McEntarfer hours after the figures were published.”We had no confidence. I mean the numbers were ridiculous,” Trump told reporters Sunday. He charged that McEntarfer came up with “phenomenal” numbers on his predecessor Joe Biden’s economy before the 2024 election.- Hiring slowdown -Even as he called for more reliable data Monday, White House economic adviser Kevin Hassett conceded that the jobs market was indeed cooling.But Hassett maintained in a CNBC interview that this softening did not reflect the incoming effects of Trump’s flagship tax and spending legislation — signed into law early last month.US employment data point to challenges as companies took a cautious approach in hiring and investment while grappling with Trump’s sweeping — and rapidly changing — tariffs this year.The United States added 73,000 jobs in July, while the unemployment rate rose to 4.2 percent, the Department of Labor reported.Hiring numbers for May were revised down from 144,000 to 19,000. The figure for June was shifted from 147,000 to 14,000.These were notably lower than job creation levels in recent years. During the pandemic, the economy lost jobs.Over the weekend, Hassett defended McEntarfer’s firing in an NBC News interview: “The president wants his own people there so that when we see the numbers they are more transparent and more reliable.”Trump’s decision has come under fire. William Beach, who previously held McEntarfer’s post, said the move set a “dangerous precedent.”The National Association for Business Economics condemned her dismissal, saying large revisions in jobs numbers “reflect not manipulation, but rather the dwindling resources afforded to statistical agencies.”In addition to a successor to McEntarfer, Trump is also expected to name a replacement for Federal Reserve governor Adriana Kugler.Kugler’s early resignation, effective Friday, allows Trump a vacancy to fill as he pushes the independent central bank to lower interest rates.German Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil on Monday emphasized the importance of supporting “independent, neutral and proven institutions.”He said: “It is right that independent institutions remain independent and that politics do not interfere with them.”McEntarfer, a labor economist, was confirmed to the commissioner role in January 2024.

The Kremlin said Monday it was anticipating “important” talks with Donald Trump’s special envoy later this week, ahead of the US president’s looming deadline to impose fresh sanctions on Moscow if it does not make progress towards a peace deal with Ukraine.Trump confirmed a day earlier that Steve Witkoff will visit Russia, likely on “Wednesday or Thursday”, where he is expected to meet President Vladimir Putin.Despite pressure from Washington, Russia has continued its onslaught against its pro-Western neighbour.Three rounds of peace talks in Istanbul have failed to make headway on a possible ceasefire, with the two sides appearing as far apart as ever.Moscow has demanded that Ukraine cede more territory and renounce Western support.Kyiv is calling for an immediate ceasefire and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky last week urged his allies to push for “regime change” in Moscow.Trump’s deadline is set to expire on Friday.Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Monday it considered the talks with Witkoff to be “important, substantial and helpful” and valued US efforts to end the conflict.Putin has already met Witkoff multiple times in Moscow, before Trump’s efforts to mend ties with the Kremlin came to a grinding halt.When reporters asked what Witkoff’s message would be to Moscow, and if there was anything Russia could do to avoid the sanctions, Trump replied: “Yeah, get a deal where people stop getting killed.”- Nuclear stand-off -The visit comes after Trump said that two nuclear submarines he deployed following an online row with former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev were now “in the region”.Trump has not said whether he meant nuclear-powered or nuclear-armed submarines. He also did not elaborate on the exact deployment locations, which are kept secret by the US military.Russia, in its first comments on the deployment, urged “caution”.”Russia is very attentive to the topic of nuclear non-proliferation. And we believe that everyone should be very, very cautious with nuclear rhetoric,” the Kremlin’s Peskov said.The chief of staff to Zelensky on Monday backed Trump’s actions.”The concept of peace through strength works,” Andriy Yermak wrote on social media.”The moment American nuclear submarines appeared, one Russian drunk — who had just been threatening nuclear war on X — suddenly went silent,” he added.Trump has previously threatened that new measures could mean “secondary tariffs” targeting Russia’s remaining trade partners, such as China and India. This would further stifle Russia, but would risk significant international disruption.Putin, who has consistently rejected calls for a ceasefire, said Friday that he wants peace but that his demands, dismissed by Kyiv as “old ultimatums”, for ending his nearly three-and-a-half-year offensive were “unchanged”.Russia has frequently called on Ukraine to effectively cede control of four regions Moscow claims to have annexed, a demand Kyiv has called unacceptable.Putin also wants Ukraine to drop its ambitions to join NATO.- Zelensky visits troops -Russia fired a record number of drones at Ukraine last month, AFP analysis of Kyiv’s air force data showed, escalating its attacks as peace talks stalled.Kyiv has also said it will intensify its air strikes against Russia in response.Both sides said Monday they had downed dozens of enemy drones overnight in the latest barrage.Separate Russian strikes on the southern Zaporizhzhia region, part of which it controls, killed four people, Ukrainian officials said Monday.One more was killed by Russian shelling in the southern Kherson region.Zelensky was visiting troops at the front in the Kharkiv region, he said, posting a video of him awarding soldiers with medals and walking through bunkers.Russia is seeking to establish what it calls a “buffer zone” inside the Kharkiv region along the Russian-Ukrainian border. Zelensky also said Sunday that the two sides were preparing a prisoner exchange that would see 1,200 Ukrainian troops return home, following the latest round of talks in Istanbul last month.burs/sbk

Tesla announced an “interim” compensation award worth about $29 billion for Elon Musk on Monday, asserting the need to retain the controversial CEO at a moment of fierce competition for top talent.The electric vehicle maker said in a statement it will award a distribution of 96 million Tesla shares to Musk as it “intends to compensate its CEO for his future services commensurate with his contributions to our company and shareholders.”The award comes as Tesla challenges a Delaware court ruling that struck down a 2018 package of about $55.8 billion. With that appeal dragging out, Monday’s announcement marks an interim step while the company develops a “longer-term CEO compensation strategy,” Tesla said in a letter to shareholders.”We have recommended this award as a first step, ‘good faith’ payment,” said the letter. “Retaining Elon is more important than ever before.”- Tesla ‘rough’ patch -The move comes amid a fierce battle for top engineering talent as companies like Google and Meta compete for leadership on artificial intelligence.The Tesla letter, signed by Tesla board members Robyn Denholm and Kathleen Wilson-Thompson, described Musk as a “magnet for hiring and retaining talent at Tesla,” noting that Tesla is transitioning from its electric vehicle focus “to grow towards becoming a leader in AI, robotics and related services.”Musk is viewed within the business world as a unique talent after his success with building Tesla and SpaceX into major global companies. But his stewardship at Tesla has come under scrutiny in the last year as car sales and profits have tumbled. This trend has been partly due to Musk’s support for far-right political causes, but also is related to a sluggish rollout of new auto models after the polarizing Cybertruck sold poorly. In a July 23 Tesla earnings call, Musk warned of more potentially “rough” quarters ahead before the company’s robotics and AI ventures pay off.On the call, Musk reiterated his concern about the current framework in which he holds about 13 percent of Tesla shares prior to Monday’s award.”As I’ve mentioned before, I think my control over Tesla should be enough to ensure that it goes in a good direction, but not so much control that I can’t be thrown out if I go crazy,” Musk said.Tesla’s statement did not explicitly mention Musk’s foray into politics, which has sparked consumer boycotts and vandalism. But the letter by Denholm and Wilson-Thompson alluded to concerns that Musk’s attention had drifted from the company, calling the interim package a step towards “keeping Elon’s energies focused on Tesla.”The massive pay package comes eight months after the judge in a Delaware court rejected Musk’s even larger compensation at Tesla, denying an attempt to restore the pay deal through a shareholder vote.Musk would be required to forfeit the new compensation package should the appeals court rule in his favor and grant him the full 2018 compensation, which at the time was valued at $55.8 billion.The new payout is sure to fuel concerns about the compensation for Musk, already the world’s richest man, and whether the Tesla board is placing a sufficient check on the company’s chief executive.Tesla shares rose 2.4 percent Monday in early trading.

US President Donald Trump said Monday that he would pick an “exceptional replacement” to his labor statistics chief — after ordering her dismissal as a new report showed weakness in the US jobs market.In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump reiterated — without immediately providing evidence — that an employment report released last Friday “was rigged.”He alleged that the official had manipulated data to diminish his administration’s economic accomplishments.”We’ll be announcing a new (labor) statistician some time over the next three-four days,” Trump earlier told reporters.He added Monday: “I will pick an exceptional replacement.”US job growth missed expectations in July, figures from the Bureau of Labor Statistics showed Friday, and sharp revisions to hiring figures in recent months brought them to the weakest levels since the Covid-19 pandemic.Shortly afterwards, Trump ordered the removal of Erika McEntarfer, the department’s commissioner of labor statistics.Trump told reporters Sunday: “We had no confidence. I mean the numbers were ridiculous.”Trump added that the same official, just before the 2024 election, “came out with these phenomenal numbers on (Joe) Biden’s economy.”He claimed those job numbers were “a scam.”The United States added 73,000 jobs last month, while the unemployment rate rose to 4.2 percent, the Department of Labor reported.Hiring numbers for May were revised down from 144,000 to 19,000. The figure for June was shifted from 147,000 to 14,000.This was notably lower than job creation levels in recent years. During the pandemic, the economy lost jobs.The employment data points to challenges in the labor market as companies took a cautious approach in hiring and investment while grappling with Trump’s sweeping — and rapidly changing — tariffs this year.White House economic advisor Kevin Hassett defended McEntarfer’s firing in an NBC News interview Saturday.Asked if the president was prepared to fire anyone who reports data he disagrees with, Hassett said: “Absolutely not. The president wants his own people there so that when we see the numbers they are more transparent and more reliable.”Trump’s decision was criticized as setting a “dangerous precedent” by William Beach, who previously held McEntarfer’s post at the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The National Association for Business Economics condemned her dismissal, saying large revisions in jobs numbers “reflect not manipulation, but rather the dwindling resources afforded to statistical agencies.”McEntarfer, a labor economist, had been in the commissioner role for just over a year after being confirmed by the US Senate in January 2024.

The Kremlin said Monday it was anticipating “important” talks with Donald Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, later this week, ahead of the US president’s looming deadline to impose fresh sanctions on Moscow if it does not make progress towards a peace deal with Ukraine.Trump confirmed Sunday that special envoy Steve Witkoff will visit Russia, likely on “Wednesday or Thursday”, where he is expected to meet President Vladimir Putin.Speaking to reporters, Trump also said that two nuclear submarines he deployed following an online row with former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev were now “in the region”.Trump has not said whether he meant nuclear-powered or nuclear-armed submarines. He also did not elaborate on the exact deployment locations, which are kept secret by the US military.Russia, in its first comments on the deployment, urged “caution”.The nuclear saber-rattling came against the backdrop of a deadline set by Trump at the end of next week for Russia to take steps towards ending the Ukraine war or face unspecified new sanctions.The Republican leader said Witkoff would visit “I think next week, Wednesday or Thursday”.Russian President Vladimir Putin has already met Witkoff multiple times in Moscow, before Trump’s efforts to mend ties with the Kremlin came to a grinding halt.When reporters asked what Witkoff’s message would be to Moscow, and if there was anything Russia could do to avoid the sanctions, Trump replied: “Yeah, get a deal where people stop getting killed.”The Kremlin said another meeting with Putin was possible and that it considered talks with Witkoff to be “important, substantial and helpful”.On the submarines, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said: “Russia is very attentive to the topic of nuclear non-proliferation. And we believe that everyone should be very, very cautious with nuclear rhetoric.”- ‘Secondary tariffs’ -Trump has previously threatened that new measures could mean “secondary tariffs” targeting Russia’s remaining trade partners, such as China and India. This would further stifle Russia, but would risk significant international disruption.Despite the pressure from Washington, Russia has continued its onslaught against its pro-Western neighbor.Putin, who has consistently rejected calls for a ceasefire, said Friday that he wants peace but that his demands for ending his nearly three-and-a-half-year invasion were “unchanged”.”We need a lasting and stable peace on solid foundations that would satisfy both Russia and Ukraine, and would ensure the security of both countries,” Putin told reporters. But he added that “the conditions (from the Russian side) certainly remain the same”.Russia has frequently called on Ukraine to effectively cede control of four regions Moscow claims to have annexed, a demand Kyiv has called unacceptable.Putin also wants Ukraine to drop its ambitions to join NATO.- Sochi drone attack -Ukraine launched a drone attack Sunday which sparked a fire at an oil depot in Sochi, the host city of the 2014 Winter Olympics. Kyiv has said it will intensify its air strikes against Russia in response to an increase in Russian attacks on its territory in recent weeks, which have killed dozens of civilians.Russia’s Ministry of Defence said on Monday its air defences intercepted 61 Ukrainian drones overnight.  One person was killed by Russian shelling in the southern Kherson region, Ukrainian military authorities said in a Telegram post early Monday.Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky also said Sunday that the two sides were preparing a prisoner exchange that would see 1,200 Ukrainian troops return home, following talks with Russia in Istanbul in July.Trump began his second term with his own rosy predictions that the war in Ukraine — raging since Russia invaded its neighbor in February 2022 — would soon end.In recent weeks, Trump has increasingly voiced frustration with Putin over Moscow’s unrelenting offensive.burs/sbk

Donald Trump confirmed Sunday his special envoy Steve Witkoff will visit Russia in the coming week, ahead of a deadline the US president has set for imposing fresh sanctions on Moscow. Speaking to reporters, Trump also said that two nuclear submarines he deployed following an online row with former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev were now “in the region.”Trump has not said whether he meant nuclear-powered or nuclear-armed submarines. He also did not elaborate on the exact deployment locations, which are kept secret by the US military.The nuclear saber-rattling came against the backdrop of a deadline set by Trump at the end of next week for Russia to take steps towards ending the Ukraine war or face unspecified new sanctions.The Republican leader said Witkoff would visit “I think next week, Wednesday or Thursday.”Russian President Vladimir Putin has already met Witkoff multiple times in Moscow, before Trump’s efforts to mend ties with the Kremlin came to a grinding halt.When reporters asked what Witkoff’s message would be to Moscow, and if there was anything Russia could do to avoid the sanctions, Trump replied: “Yeah, get a deal where people stop getting killed.”- ‘Secondary tariffs’ -Trump has previously threatened that new measures could mean “secondary tariffs” targeting Russia’s remaining trade partners, such as China and India. This would further stifle Russia, but would risk significant international disruption.Despite the pressure from Washington, Russia has continued its onslaught against its pro-Western neighbor.Putin, who has consistently rejected calls for a ceasefire, said Friday that he wants peace but that his demands for ending his nearly three-and-a-half-year invasion were “unchanged.””We need a lasting and stable peace on solid foundations that would satisfy both Russia and Ukraine, and would ensure the security of both countries,” Putin told reporters. But he added that “the conditions (from the Russian side) certainly remain the same.” Russia has frequently called on Ukraine to effectively cede control of four regions Moscow claims to have annexed, a demand Kyiv has called unacceptable.Putin also wants Ukraine to drop its ambitions to join NATO.Ukraine launched a drone attack Sunday which sparked a fire at an oil depot in Sochi, the host city of the 2014 Winter Olympics. Kyiv has said it will intensify its air strikes against Russia in response to an increase in Russian attacks on its territory in recent weeks, which have killed dozens of civilians.Russia’s Ministry of Defence said on Monday, its air defences intercepted 61 Ukrainian drones overnight.  One person was killed by Russian shelling in the southern Kherson region, Ukraine’s military administration said in Telegram post early Monday.Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky also said Sunday that the two sides were preparing a prisoner exchange that would see 1,200 Ukrainian troops return home, following talks with Russia in Istanbul in July.Trump began his second term with his own rosy predictions that the war in Ukraine — raging since Russia invaded its neighbor in February 2022 — would soon end.In recent weeks, Trump has increasingly voiced frustration with Putin over Moscow’s unrelenting offensive.

President Donald Trump confirmed Sunday his special envoy Steve Witkoff will visit Russia in the coming week, ahead of a looming US sanctions deadline and escalating tensions with Moscow.Speaking to reporters, Trump also said that two nuclear submarines he deployed following an online row with former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev were now “in the region.”Trump has not said whether he meant nuclear-powered or nuclear-armed submarines. He also did not elaborate on the exact deployment locations, which are kept secret by the US military.The nuclear saber-rattling came against the backdrop of a deadline set by Trump at the end of next week for Russia to take steps towards ending the Ukraine war or face unspecified new sanctions.The Republican leader said Witkoff would visit “I think next week, Wednesday or Thursday.”Russian President Vladimir Putin has already met Witkoff multiple times in Moscow, before Trump’s efforts to mend ties with the Kremlin came to a grinding halt.When reporters asked what Witkoff’s message would be to Moscow, and if there was anything Russia could do to avoid the sanctions, Trump replied: “Yeah, get a deal where people stop getting killed.”- ‘Secondary tariffs’ -Trump has previously threatened that new measures could mean “secondary tariffs” targeting Russia’s remaining trade partners, such as China and India. This would further stifle Russia, but would risk significant international disruption.Despite the pressure from Washington, Russia’s onslaught against its pro-Western neighbor continues to unfold.Putin, who has consistently rejected calls for a ceasefire, said Friday that he wants peace but that his demands for ending his nearly three-and-a-half year invasion were “unchanged.””We need a lasting and stable peace on solid foundations that would satisfy both Russia and Ukraine, and would ensure the security of both countries,” Putin told reporters. But he added that “the conditions (from the Russian side) certainly remain the same.” Russia has frequently called on Ukraine to effectively cede control of four regions Moscow claims to have annexed, a demand Kyiv has called unacceptable.Putin also seeks Ukraine drop its ambitions to join NATO.Ukraine issued on Sunday a drone attack which sparked a fire at an oil depot in Sochi, the host city of the 2014 Winter Olympics. Kyiv has said it will intensify its air strikes against Russia in response to an increase in Russian attacks on its territory in recent weeks, which have killed dozens of civilians. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky also said Sunday that the two sides were preparing a prisoner exchange that would see 1,200 Ukrainian troops return home, following talks with Russia in Istanbul in July.Trump began his second term with his own rosy predictions that the war in Ukraine — raging since Russia invaded its neighbor in February 2022 — would soon end.In recent weeks, Trump has increasingly voiced frustration with Putin over Moscow’s unrelenting offensive.

Generative artificial intelligence assistants like ChatGPT are cutting into traditional online search traffic, depriving news sites of visitors and impacting the advertising revenue they desperately need, in a crushing blow to an industry already fighting for survival.”The next three or four years will be incredibly challenging for publishers everywhere. No one is immune from the AI summaries storm gathering on the horizon,” warned Matt Karolian, vice president of research and development at Boston Globe Media. “Publishers need to build their own shelters or risk being swept away.”While data remains limited, a recent Pew Research Center study reveals that AI-generated summaries now appearing regularly in Google searches discourage users from clicking through to source articles. When AI summaries are present, users click on suggested links half as often compared to traditional searches.This represents a devastating loss of visitors for online media sites that depend on traffic for both advertising revenue and subscription conversions. According to Northeastern University professor John Wihbey, these trends “will accelerate, and pretty soon we will have an entirely different web.”The dominance of tech giants like Google and Meta had already slashed online media advertising revenue, forcing publishers to pivot toward paid subscriptions. But Wihbey noted that subscriptions also depend on traffic, and paying subscribers alone aren’t sufficient to support major media organizations.- Limited lifelines -The Boston Globe group has begun seeing subscribers sign up through ChatGPT, offering a new touchpoint with potential readers, Karolian said. However, “these remain incredibly modest compared to other platforms, including even smaller search engines.”Other AI-powered tools like Perplexity are generating even fewer new subscriptions, he added.To survive what many see as an inevitable shift, media companies are increasingly adopting GEO (Generative Engine Optimization) — a technique that replaces traditional SEO (Search Engine Optimization). This involves providing AI models with clearly labeled content, good structure, comprehensible text, and strong presence on social networks and forums like Reddit that get crawled by AI companies.But a fundamental question remains: “Should you allow OpenAI crawlers to basically crawl your website and your content?” asks Thomas Peham, CEO of optimization startup OtterlyAI.Burned by aggressive data collection from major AI companies, many news publishers have chosen to fight back by blocking AI crawlers from accessing their content.”We just need to ensure that companies using our content are paying fair market value,” argued Danielle Coffey, who heads the News/Media Alliance trade organization.Some progress has been made on this front. Licensing agreements have emerged between major players, such as the New York Times and Amazon, Google and Associated Press, and Mistral and Agence France-Presse, among others.But the issue is far from resolved, as several major legal battles are underway, most notably the New York Times’ blockbuster lawsuit against OpenAI and Microsoft.- Let them crawl -Publishers face a dilemma: blocking AI crawlers protects their content but reduces exposure to potential new readers. Faced with this challenge, “media leaders are increasingly choosing to reopen access,” Peham observed.Yet even with open access, success isn’t guaranteed. According to OtterlyAI data, media outlets represent just 29 percent of citations offered by ChatGPT, trailing corporate websites at 36 percent. And while Google search has traditionally privileged sources recognized as reliable, “we don’t see this with ChatGPT,” Peham noted.The stakes extend beyond business models.According to the Reuters Institute’s 2025 Digital News Report, about 15 percent of people under 25 now use generative AI to get their news.Given ongoing questions about AI sourcing and reliability, this trend risks confusing readers about information origins and credibility — much like social media did before it.”At some point, someone has to do the reporting,” Karolian said. “Without original journalism, none of these AI platforms would have anything to summarize.”Perhaps with this in mind, Google is already developing partnerships with news organizations to feed its generative AI features, suggesting potential paths forward.”I think the platforms will realize how much they need the press,” predicted Wihbey — though whether that realization comes soon enough to save struggling newsrooms remains an open question.

“The Fantastic Four: First Steps,” Disney’s debut of the rebooted Marvel Comics franchise, continued to outperform the competition for a second straight weekend at the North American box office, industry estimates showed Sunday.Actor-of-the-moment Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Emmy-winner Ebon Moss-Bachrach and Joseph Quinn star as the titular team of superheroes, who must save a retro-futuristic world from the evil Galactus.The film pulled in an estimated $40 million in the Friday-through-Sunday period, a 66 percent drop from the prior weekend, for a two-week global total of $368 million.Universal’s family-friendly animation sequel “The Bad Guys 2,” about a squad of goofy animal criminals actually doing good in their rebranded lives, debuted in second spot, earning $22.2 million.”This is a good opening for an animation follow-up sequel,” said David A. Gross of Franchise Entertainment Research.The film edged out Paramount’s reboot of “Naked Gun,” a slapstick comedy starring Liam Neeson as Frank Drebin Jr, son of the bumbling police lieutenant from the original 1980s movie and related television series “Police Squad!”It pulled in $17 million in its opening weekend.”Superman,” the latest big-budget action film featuring the iconic superhero from Warner Bros. and DC Studios, slipped from second to fourth at $13.9 million, Exhibitor Relations said.That puts the global take of the film, starring David Corenswet as the Man of Steel, at $551 million.”Jurassic World: Rebirth” — the latest installment in the blockbuster dinosaur saga — finished in fifth place with $8.7 million. Its worldwide total stands at $765 million after five weeks in theaters.Independent horror film “Together,” which premiered at this year’s Sundance Film Festival and was picked up by Neon, claimed sixth spot in its debut weekend with $6.8 million.”This is a very good opening for an indie horror pic,” Gross said.Rounding out the top 10 were:”F1: The Movie” ($4.1 million)”I Know What You Did Last Summer” ($2.7 million)”Smurfs” ($1.8 million)”How to Train Your Dragon ($1.4 million)