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Richard Parsons , the Time Warner CEO from 2002-2007 when the media conglomerate was recovering from the epic fail of the AOL merger and who later became interim chairman of CBS to right its ship following the resignation of Leslie Moonves, died Thursday in Manhattan after a long illness. He was 76. Parsons’ longtime friend Ronald S. Lauder, a member with Parsons of the Estée Lauder board, told the New York Times today that Parsons died of bone cancer. The Brooklyn-born Parsons, an astute but soft spoken and genial presence, was a lawyer and a specialist in helping steady companies in need. He also served in both state and federal politics under New York Gov. Nelson Rockefeller, and presidents Gerald R. Ford, George W. Bush and Barack Obama. In business, he helped turn around New York’s Dime Savings Bank before joining the Time Warner board in the early 1990s and being elevated to president in 1995. Along with Gerald Levin, he helped broker the disastrous AOL-Time Warner merger eventually overseeing the company and helping to rebuild it in the aftermath. Exiting Time Warner, he handed the reins to then-COO Jeff Bewkes, who led the company through its subsequent sale to AT&T. After Time Warner, Parsons was named chairman of Citigroup in the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis, and then became interim CEO of the Los Angeles Clippers in 2014 amid the scandal around then-owner Donald Sterling forced Sterling to resign and sell the team. DEADLINE RELATED VIDEO: In September 2008, Parsons, who had been serving as an advisor to CBS controlling shareholder Shari Redstone’s National Amusements amid a battle with Moonves for control of CBS Corp, was appointed interim CBS chairman after Moonves was forced resignation amid allegations of sexual misconduct from several women. That tenure lasted just a month, however, resigning in October of that year. Parsons cited health reasons related to his ongoing fight with multiple myeloma as the reason for his sudden exit. In 2008, Parsons also served as a member of the then president-elect Obama’s Economic Transition Team and later served as a member of Obama’s Council on Jobs and Competitiveness. He co-founded Imagination Capital in 2017 and served as partner in the venture capital firm. He has been a longtime senior advisor to giant Providence Equity Partners. According to various bios, Parsons is also the chairman of the Apollo Theater Foundation, and also serves on the boards of Citigroup, the Estee Lauder Companies, the Museum of Modern Art and the American Museum of Natural History. He also co-chairs the Advisory Committee of the National Museum of African American History and Culture at the Smithsonian.SAN FRANCISO, Dec. 11, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- FemPulseTM announced today Investigational Device Exemption (IDE) approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to begin its EVANESCE II pivotal clinical trial in female patients suffering from overactive bladder (OAB). OAB is the first application of FemPulse’s patented female health platform. Peter Fredericks, Chairman, said, “We want to thank everyone at FDA for their thorough review and clear dedication to patient safety. This is an important milestone towards serving the 1 in 6 women worldwide suffering with OAB.” Alexandra Haessler, MD, founder and Chief Medical Officer, commented, “I created the vaginally-inserted and removable FemPulse RingTM as an ‘internal wearable’ to provide continuous OAB neuromodulation therapy without requiring surgery. The wearable ring is discreet and patient-managed with a ‘set it and forget it’ approach. Medications can have limited efficacy and intolerable side-effects, so patients discontinue them up to 80% of the time. The trial is randomized against medication to confirm the FemPulse Ring as a first-line alternative to medications. Implanted sacral neuromodulation therapy is effective but invasive, and access to surgical implantation is limited, especially outside the U.S. In 25 years as the ‘gold standard’ treatment, less than 1% of OAB sufferers have been treated with this approach. We look forward to increasing access to neuromodulation therapy for the millions of women suffering from OAB.” Suzette Sutherland, MD, who served as the Principal Investigator (PI) on two previous successful clinical trials of the FemPulse Ring while Director of Female Urology at the University of Washington, commented, “My hands-on experience using the FemPulse Ring with patients and the clinical trial results confirmed my strong belief in FemPulse’s wearable therapy. I am thrilled to support FemPulse in this multi-center IDE trial and look forward to once again sharing the results at international conferences.” The FemPulse SystemTM has advanced to the final stage of the new Medical Device Regulation (MDR) process for commercial clearance in the European Union (EU), with the Technical File submitted. Dr. Haessler said, “It is exciting that our FemPulse Ring may be commercially available in the EU in 2025. We certainly hope to serve as many OAB patients in the EU as in the U.S.” About FemPulse FemPulse Corporation is a bioelectronic medicine company developing a novel wearable bioelectronic platform for the personalized treatment of medical conditions in women. FemPulse’s vaginally-inserted, wearable neuromodulation device is intended to provide mild electrical nerve stimulation as a first-line alternative to pharmaceutical medications. The initial application is to treat the one in six women worldwide suffering from overactive bladder (OAB). For more information, visit www.fempulse.com . Forward-Looking Statements All statements in this press release that are not historical are forward-looking statements, including, among other things, statements relating to the effectiveness of the Company’s technology, future clinical studies, future regulatory submissions, and potential regulatory approvals. Actual results may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. FemPulse undertakes no obligation to revise or update information in this release to reflect events or circumstances in the future. Investor Contact: Peter Fredericks Chairman, FemPulse 415-577-5441 pfredericks@fempulse.com FemPulse, The Elegant Solution, FemPulse System, and FemPulse Ring are trademarks of FemPulse. ©2024 FemPulse. All Rights Reserved. CAUTION: The FemPulse System is for investigational use only.

US nerve center to combat China and Russia global propaganda shut down by GOP oppositionA cool change has eased conditions for firefighters battling an out-of-control blaze in Victoria’s Grampians following the worst bushfire conditions since 2019’s Black Summer. Temperatures plunged on Thursday as gusty westerly winds swept over the blazes in the state’s west that have raged for more than a week and scorched more than 70,000 ha of bushland. Authorities issued a flurry of warnings to evacuate or seek shelter as the afternoon wind change took hold and fanned the flames in unpredictable directions. Know the news with the 7NEWS app: Download today The cool change has since slowed the spread of the fires as temperatures plunged, humidity rose and a small amount of rain fell, Victoria State Control Centre spokesman Luke Hegarty said. However, nine emergency warnings remained in place as of 8am (AEDT) Friday. Hegarty said in a late-night update that although authorities expected raging blazes to ease, “we are not yet out of the woods with these fires”. The update came after authorities warned homes were likely to be destroyed by the blaze as Victoria faced the worst bushfire conditions since Black Summer, with flames expected to rage for weeks. The Grampians fire was significant and was likely to burn for weeks even with 600 personnel on the ground fighting it, Emergency Management Commissioner Rick Nugent said. “(It is) very difficult terrain and very dry in there. The conditions are such that it will be extremely difficult to put out,” he said. The blaze has caused significant damage to the environment, fencing, outbuildings and sheds and resulted in stock losses, Nugent said. “I wouldn’t be surprised at some point if we do have residential losses,” he said. Thousands of people were without power on Thursday night as extreme heat and strong winds wreaked havoc on power lines, Victorian Energy Minister Lily D’Ambrosio said. “As the strong winds intensify, the risks of more localised outages will increase from tonight into tomorrow,” she said on Thursday. Despite cooler conditions on Friday, Deputy Premier Ben Carroll warned dangerous fire conditions were set to continue on Saturday. While Victoria will get some reprieve with a cool change, the hot, dry and windy conditions will push into parts of central northeastern NSW, bringing extreme fire danger on Friday. Total fire bans have been declared for the Hunter, Greater Sydney, North Western and Northern Slopes regions. The mercury reached the high 30s or higher for much of Victoria on Thursday as extreme fire risks resulted in the entire state being declared a total fire ban.Raiders will start O'Connell at quarterback when they visit the Chiefs

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Donald Trump will ring the New York Stock Exchange bell as he's named Time's Person of the YearIrish actor and producer Cillian Murphy and his wife, artist Yvonne McGuiness, have purchased the Phoenix Cinema site in Dingle, Co Kerry . The purchase was announced on Friday, November 22 by Ionad Phoenix CLG, which describes itself as "a working group of residents who came together just over two years ago tasked with securing the future of the Phoenix Cinema in Dingle for the local community." The group said on Friday: "We have been campaigning privately and publicly to save the cinema, loudly proclaiming its importance to the Dingle Peninsula as a much-loved arts facility and lamenting its loss. "With the news that Cillian and Yvonne plan to keep the Phoenix functioning as a cinema and hope to develop the site for the arts, we believe our mission has been completed. "The cinema has not just been saved, but, we hope, will grow into an arts hub facilitated by the wealth of experience that Cillian and Yvonne bring both in the film and art world, including their importance in Irish cinema and arts on a global scale." The Phoenix Cinema in Dingle, Co Kerry. (West Kerry Properties) Sign up to IrishCentral's newsletter to stay up-to-date with everything Irish! Murphy's emotional connection to the Phoenix Cinema, which first opened its doors in 1919, stretches back to his childhood and through his professional career - in 2010, he introduced his new film "Perrier's Bounty" there. “I’ve been going to see films at The Phoenix since I was a young boy on summer holidays," the Oscar winner and native of Co Cork said in a statement on Friday. "My Dad saw movies there when he was a young man before me, and we’ve watched many films at The Phoenix with our own kids .” Murphy added: “We recognize what the cinema means to Dingle .” McGuinness added: “We want to open the doors again, expand the creative potential of the site, re-establishing its place in the cultural fabric of this unique town." The couple noted: “ Bíonn rudaí maithe mall (Good things take time)." West Kerry Properties in Dingle has been teasing the sale of the property on social media in recent days. "Can anyone guess which property is missing from the pocket on this window display?" the real estate agents said on November 20, adding: "Some big news coming on this place very soon .... stay tuned." A post shared by West Kerry Properties (@westkerryproperties) On Friday morning, West Kerry Properties confirmed on social media that the Phoenix Cinema had not only been sold but that Cillian Murphy and Yvonne McGuinness were the buyers. "Delighted to confirm that the historic Phoenix Cinema in Dingle has now been sold," it said on Friday. "Wishing the new owners, our Oscar Award Winning Actor, Mr. Cillian Murphy & Esteemed Artist, Yvonne McGuinness the best of luck and every success with their new venture." A post shared by West Kerry Properties (@westkerryproperties) The Phoenix Cinema was built by brothers Jimmy and Johnny Houlihan and opened in 1919. The cinema in the heart of Dingle was reconstructed following a fire in 1921 and again in 1938. In the following decades, the Phoenix Cinema became a focal point for the community, hosting film festivals, drama, concerts, dances, and of course screening films. In the 1950s, the Houlihan family sold the cinema to John Moore, who continued to operate it as a cinema, concert venue, and dance hall. Among the highlights of the cinema's storied history is when Rory Gallagher performed there in 1964 and for twelve days during June and July 1972, crowds flocked to see the film "Ryan’s Daughter" which was famously filmed in the area. In 1978, Michael O'Sullivan purchased the cinema. He closed it for renovations and eventually reopened it in 1980. In June 2021, the cinema was ranked 48 in a list of the UK and Ireland’s top 50 cinemas by entertainment magazine Time Out. Faced with rising costs and rolling pandemic lockdowns, the O'Sullivan family made the difficult decision to close The Phoenix in November 2021. Not long after The Phoenix shuttered, a group of locals came together with the goal to purchase the historic building for development as both a cinema and an arts center. Using the slogan #SaveThePhoenixDingle, the group set up a website with information on how people can help the campaign, which included donation options and the signing of a petition . On Friday, Ionad Phoenix said that over the past two years, it has worked on business and strategic plans for an arts space based in the Phoenix Cinema site and identified lenders and investors, who they said they are "grateful to for their patience and commitment." The group added: "The support of the people of the Dingle Peninsula and beyond has been wonderful and demonstrates our desire and need as a community for a multi-disciplinary arts space. "We would like to thank all our supporters for their passionate support to date and hope they will get behind the new owners in creating a special place for us, here in Dingle."

Thinking of hosting an epic New Year’s Eve party at that nice big house listed on Airbnb? It didn’t take until 2025 for the robots to learn how to kill your buzz. The company, cofounded by a Snellville native , is using artificial intelligence it calls “anti-party defenses” to block bookings that seem to be for New Year’s bashes. “While issues are rare, we want to do our part to help reduce the risk of unauthorized and disruptive parties,” Airbnb Global Head of Operations Tara Bunch said in a press release. “Airbnb is committed to supporting hosts and the communities they live in, and we hope these defenses allow guests, hosts and neighbors to celebrate the holiday with added reassurance.” The Atlanta City Council has grappled with regulating short-term rentals to thwart “party houses” that become neighborhood nuisances, without hurting property owners who depend on the income from rental sites including Airbnb and Vrbo. Suburban jurisdictions , including Dunwoody, Brookhaven, Peachtree Corners and unincorporated Cobb County , have regulated short-term rentals to varying degrees. In Cobb County, for example, short-term rental owners must notify neighbors and homeowners associations about their rental property and designate a local agent who can address complaints. Some cities limit the number of short-term rentals within neighborhoods, while others all but ban them outright. Cities including Atlanta, Dunwoody and Sandy Springs also adopted “party house ordinances” that outlaw renting homes for the explicit intent of hosting large-scale gatherings. Airbnb two years ago banned “disruptive parties” worldwide, including open-invite gatherings advertised on social media. The company uses AI year-round to screen for “party risk,” by reviewing language on Airbnb’s messaging platform and the guest’s history, among other factors. Brookwood High School graduate Joe Gebbia and his roommate, Brian Chesky, founded Airbnb in 2007 when they rented out their San Francisco living room with air mattresses to earn money for rent. It’s an entrepreneurial success story with some unintended consequences. Gebbia’s hometown of Snellville adopted an ordinance requiring business licenses for short-term rentals after the arrest of a man accused of using an Airbnb there to stash drugs.

By LOLITA BALDOR and FATIMA HUSSEIN WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump said Wednesday that he has chosen Keith Kellogg, a highly decorated retired three-star general, to serve as his special envoy for Ukraine and Russia. Kellogg, who is one of the architects of a staunchly conservative policy book that lays out an “America First” national security agenda for the incoming administration, will come into the role as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine enters its third year in February. Trump made the announcement on his Truth Social account, and said “He was with me right from the beginning! Together, we will secure PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH, and Make America, and the World, SAFE AGAIN!” Kellogg, an 80 year-old retired Army lieutenant general who has long been Trump’s top adviser on defense issues, served as national security adviser to Vice President Mike Pence , was chief of staff of the National Security Council and then stepped in as an acting security adviser for Trump after Michael Flynn resigned. As special envoy for Ukraine and Russia, Kellogg will have to navigate an increasingly untenable war between the two nations. The Biden administration has begun urging Ukraine to quickly increase the size of its military by drafting more troops and revamping its mobilization laws to allow for the conscription of troops as young as 18. The White House has pushed more than $56 billion in security assistance to Ukraine since the start of Russia’s February 2022 invasion and expects to send billions more to Kyiv before Biden leaves office in less than months. Trump has criticized the billions that the Biden administration has poured into Ukraine. Washington has recently stepped up weapons shipments and has forgiven billions in loans provided to Kyiv. The incoming Republican president has said he could end the war in 24 hours, comments that appear to suggest he would press Ukraine to surrender territory that Russia now occupies. As a co-chairman of the American First Policy Institute’s Center for American Security, Kellogg wrote several of the chapters in the group’s policy book. The book, like the Heritage Foundation’s “Project 2025,” is a move to lay out a Trump national security agenda and avoid the mistakes of 2016 when he entered the White House largely unprepared. Kellogg in April wrote that “bringing the Russia-Ukraine war to a close will require strong, America First leadership to deliver a peace deal and immediately end the hostilities between the two warring parties.” Trump’s proposed national security advisor U.S. Rep. Michael Waltz (R-Fla.) tweeted Wednesday that “Keith has dedicated his life to defending our great country and is committed to bringing the war in Ukraine to a peaceful resolution.” Kellogg was a character in multiple Trump investigations dating to his first term. He was among the administration officials who listened in on the July 2019 call between Trump and Volodymyr Zelenskyy in which Trump prodded his Ukrainian counterpart to pursue investigations into the Bidens. The call, which Kellogg would later say did not raise any concerns on his end, was at the center of the first of two House impeachment cases against Trump, who was acquitted by the Senate both times. On Jan. 6, 2021, hours before pro-Trump rioters stormed the U.S. Capitol, Kellogg, who was then Pence’s national security adviser, listened in on a heated call in which Trump told his vice president to object or delay the certification in Congress of President Joe Biden ’s victory. He later told House investigators that he recalled Trump saying to Pence words to the effect of: “You’re not tough enough to make the call.” Baldor reported from Washington. AP writer Eric Tucker in Washington contributed to this report.