Kyle C. Garrison, Author at Studio yria

Russian Court Convicts Playwright, Director for ‘Justifying Terrorism’

Jul

Russian Court Convicts Playwright, Director for ‘Justifying Terrorism’

A Russian military court has sentenced playwright Svetlana Petriychuk and theater director Yevgenia Berkovich to six years in prison, accusing them of “justifying terrorism.” Critics say the case exemplifies the crackdown on free speech since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Petriychuk, 44, and Berkovich, 39, have been in custody since May 2023. In addition to their prison sentences, both are banned from operating websites for three years after release. The work at the center of the controversy, "Finist the Brave Falcon," written by Petriychuk and directed by Berkovich, adapts a classic fairy tale by integrating narratives of women…

The Memphis Grizzlies trade Ziaire Williams to the Brooklyn Nets for Mamadi Diakite

Jul

By Kyle C. Garrison

Politics

The Memphis Grizzlies trade Ziaire Williams to the Brooklyn Nets for Mamadi Diakite

The Memphis Grizzlies have traded former lottery pick Ziaire Williams and a 2030 second-round draft pick (originally taken by the Dallas Mavericks) to the Brooklyn Nets. In exchange, the Grizzlies will receive forward Mamadi Diakite and the draft rights to Nemanja Dangubic, the teams announced Friday. Mamadi Diakite, who stands 6 feet, 9 inches, has played for five different teams since finishing his college career at Virginia in 2020. Most notably, he was a member of the Milwaukee Bucks’ roster during their 2021 championship run. Ziaire Williams, 6-foot-4, has played 150 games for the Grizzlies over the past three seasons.…

Dow Jones falls nearly 300 points as S&P 500 heads for worst week in months

Jul

By Kyle C. Garrison

Politics

Dow Jones falls nearly 300 points as S&P 500 heads for worst week in months

Stocks fell on Friday as Wall Street braced for the close of a tumultuous week dominated by shifting expectations about the Federal Reserve’s interest rate policies. The S&P 500 and the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite both fell about 0.3%. Meanwhile, the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 278 points, or 0.7%, signaling a broader market pullback. The decline marks another day of widespread losses. However, the market is trending toward sectors that stand to benefit most from potential Federal Reserve rate decisions, such as small-cap stocks. The S&P 500 is down more than 1% this week, on pace for its worst performance…

Powell Suggests Fed Will Cut Rates Before Inflation Hits 2%

Jul

By Kyle C. Garrison

Investments and Business

Powell Suggests Fed Will Cut Rates Before Inflation Hits 2%

Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell announced Monday that the central bank does not plan to wait for inflation to hit 2% before cutting interest rates. In a speech at the Economic Club of Washington, D.C., Powell noted that central bank policies have “long and variable lags,” justifying why the Fed will not delay action until it reaches its target. “If you’re waiting for inflation to hit 2%, you’ve probably waited too long, as the current tightening could push inflation below that threshold,” Powell said. Instead, the Fed is aiming for “greater confidence” that inflation will return to 2%, he added.…

Global IT Outage Grounds Flights, Causes Major Delays

Jul

By Kyle C. Garrison

Politics

Global IT Outage Grounds Flights, Causes Major Delays

A large crowd is seen at Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok, Thailand, on July 19, 2024, due to a global cyber outage triggered by issues with Microsoft and CrowdStrike. Airlines around the world faced significant disruption on Friday, as a major cyber outage caused widespread flight delays and cancellations. The outage was caused by a major technology upgrade from cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike, which led to a cascade of issues affecting Microsoft systems, leaving numerous organizations scrambling to restore critical applications and services. Airports around the world have been displaying the infamous “blue screen of death” on flight update and check-in screens,…

Pre-market moves: CrowdStrike, American Express, SLB, Travelers and more

Jul

By Kyle C. Garrison

Investments and Business

Pre-market moves: CrowdStrike, American Express, SLB, Travelers and more

This morning, several stocks are showing considerable movement in pre-market trading. These early changes can set the tone for the rest of the trading day, offering insights into investor sentiment and potential market trends. Crowd Strike (CRWD) CrowdStrike shares rose in pre-market trading after the release of its latest quarterly earnings report. The cybersecurity company beat Wall Street expectations for both earnings and revenue, citing strong demand for its cloud-native endpoint protection platform. Analysts are bullish on CrowdStrike’s future growth, especially as cybersecurity threats continue to grow globally. American Express (AXP) American Express also saw significant premarket activity, with shares…

TV Highlights This Week: ‘The Bachelorette’ and ‘Claim to Fame’

Jul

By Kyle C. Garrison

Politics

TV Highlights This Week: ‘The Bachelorette’ and ‘Claim to Fame’

This week's TV lineup features exciting programming that is sure to capture viewers' attention. On ABC, Jenn Tran continues her journey to find love on "The Bachelorette." The reality dating show, known for its dramatic rose ceremonies and heartfelt moments, promises another week of emotional highs and lows as Jenn navigates her relationships with the remaining contestants. Viewers can expect romantic dates, intense conversations, and maybe a few surprises as Jenn gets closer to finding her potential match. Meanwhile, on ABC, another show is gaining traction for its unique premise. "Claim to Fame," hosted by Kevin and Franklin Jonas, brings…