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Logo text Amazon is removing A League of Their Own from its scripted lineup. The retail giant and streamer has reversed course and canceled the queer-themed reboot of Penny Marshall’s 1992 film after previously renewing the series for a four-episode second and final season. Sources say Sony Pictures Television, which produces the show, plans to shop League with the hopes that the series can find a new home for season two. Scripts for all four episodes of what was planned to be the conclusion of the series were completed before the Writers Guild of America went on strike May 2. The decision to cancel the series from co-creators/showrunners Will Graham and Abbi Jacobson (who also starred) comes as Hollywood’s first dual strikes since the 1960s has brought production to a standstill. Graham and Jacobson fought to get the series a second season as Amazon and producers Sony Pictures Television negotiated to lower the show’s licensing fee. Writing and preproduction for the four-episode “limited series” started in the spring and was derailed as writers and performers seek fair wages from the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers. Reps for Amazon note that the strikes would have delayed the arrival of

McKesson, a leader in healthcare services, and Genpact, a professional services firm, have announced the extension of their collaboration to enhance efficiency and automation capabilities within McKesson’s finance operations. The strategic partnership will leverage advanced automation and AI solutions to drive operational excellence and innovation within the healthcare industry. Building on a successful 13-year relationship, the collaboration aims to continue streamlining and standardizing McKesson’s finance processes. The partnership capitalizes on McKesson’s strategic vision, operational expertise, and enterprise strategy roadmap, combined with Genpact’s deep process knowledge and technological prowess. Over the years, the two companies have effectively introduced digitally-enabled automation and cutting-edge technologies to enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of McKesson’s finance operations. The extended partnership will prioritize the advancement of the operating model, with a focus on scaling operating capabilities through digital initiatives and cultivating customer-centric approaches. By integrating automation and AI, the collaboration aims to drive sustainable operational improvements while adapting to the evolving demands of the healthcare sector. Genpact’s partnership with McKesson has already yielded significant transformation, delivering improved finance capabilities with enhanced cost efficiency. This, in turn, has led to a heightened customer and partner experience, as evidenced by improvements in key metrics like the Net Promoter

L-R Cobb Police Chief Stuart VanHoozer, Mableton Mayor Michael Owens, Cobb Public Safety Director Michael Register, and Cobb Fire Chief William Johnson Mableton Mayor Michael Owens distributed the following press release about his meeting with Cobb public safety leaders, along with County Manager Dr. Jackie McMorris, and Community Development Director Jessica Guinn: Mayor of Mableton, Michael Owens, met with key public security leaders from Cobb County in a significant gathering that underscored the strong partnership between the City of Mableton and Cobb County. In attendance were Cobb Director of Public Safety, Mike Register, Cobb Police Chief VanHoozer, Cobb Fire Chief Johnson, along with County Manager, Dr. Jackie McMorris, and Cobb Community Development Director, Jessica Guinn.  Mableton, the newest city in Georgia, is dedicated to upholding the safety and well-being of its residents. During the meeting, which was held at Cobb Government Building at 100 Cherokee St. in Marietta, it was re-emphasized that the city will continue to rely on Cobb County for several crucial services, including police, fire, and EMS.  Mayor Owens expressed his gratitude towards the county leadership for their steadfast support and dedication to the new city. He stated, “We are incredibly fortunate to have such dedicated partners in Cobb County’s public

While it would be easy – all too easy – to focus on the negative aspects that have sadly seen Willow marked a failure, there are plenty of positives to take away from the series production. One is the huge lift the series gave to the Welsh filmmaking community, a process which saw significant financial boost to the Welsh economy. The production was based at Dragon Studios in South Wales and filmed at 32 locations across the country. They included Morlais Quarry, where the opening scenes were set, and Merthyr Mawr, which was the backdrop for Willow’s home. Lucasfilm built five sets at Dragon Studios totalling 28,000 square feet as well as 20 additional buildings for the purposes of creature creation, puppeteering work, special effects and costumes. It made its mark on the local film industry. Lucasfilm hired 25 trainees for six months as well as 206 Welsh citizens who were members of the crew. As a result, 17 of the 29 production departments were led by Welsh citizens whilst non-Welsh crew were also paired with Welsh citizens. In December, Creative Wales, the government agency that promotes the development of creative industries in Wales, reported that brands such as Lucasfilm

by Jason Palamara, Indiana University, Each fall, I begin my course on the intersection of music and artificial intelligence by asking my students if they’re concerned about AI’s role in composing or producing music. So far, the question has always elicited a resounding “yes.” Their fears can be summed up in a sentence: AI will create a world where music is plentiful, but musicians get cast aside. In the upcoming semester, I’m anticipating a discussion about Paul McCartney, who in June 2023 announced that he and a team of audio engineers had used machine learning to uncover a “lost” vocal track of John Lennon by separating the instruments from a demo recording. But resurrecting the voices of long-dead artists is just the tip of the iceberg in terms of what’s possible – and what’s already being done. In an interview, McCartney admitted that AI represents a “scary” but “exciting” future for music. To me, his mix of consternation and exhilaration is spot on. Here are three ways AI is changing the way music gets made – each of which could threaten human musicians in various ways: 1. Song composition Many

In a significant development set to reshape the retail technology landscape, Toshiba Global Commerce Solutions has introduced the TCx 900 point-of-sale (POS) system. This innovative solution offers a cutting-edge blend of advanced technologies within a robust modular framework, designed to provide lasting value and adaptability for retailers. The TCx 900 not only enhances store efficiency but also empowers retailers to streamline in-store operational costs, enabling them to focus on creating captivating shopping experiences. Scheduled for a general release in September, the TCx 900 accommodates diverse retail needs through its technological prowess, including POS, store controller, and multi-store management systems. “The compact TCx 900 meets Toshiba’s uncompromising standards of durability, serviceability, and flexibility, all while delivering exceptional performance,” affirmed Robert Parsons, Vice President of Product Portfolio at Toshiba Global Commerce Solutions. “This latest hardware solution empowers retailers to invest confidently in a next-generation platform capable of seamlessly supporting their most demanding workloads today and well into the future.” The TCx 900 leverages the potent capabilities of the 13th Gen Intel Core processor for next-generation compute performance, incorporates WiFi6 connectivity, and is primed for AI integration. This strategic partnership between Toshiba and Intel underscores their longstanding history of collaboration, aiming to fulfill

by Caleb Groves MARIETTA, Ga.- At its zoning hearing Tuesday the Cobb County Board of Commissioners allowed the applicant to withdraw without prejudice an application that would have permitted the construction of a large mixed-use development on what is now a heavy industrial area near the Silver Comet Trail extension. A withdrawal without prejudice means that the applicant can refile the application at any time. The request was filed by the Branch Acquisition Company, LLC, in July of 2022 for a plot located at the northwest corner of South Atlanta Road and Plant Atkinson Road. Branch Acquisition purchased the plot in September of 2021. The application was delayed for nearly a year. Attorney Kevin Moore representing Branch Acquisition asked to withdraw the application in hopes of coming to a compromise at a later date so they can work with the county on the construction of the Silver Comet Trail connection in hopes of saving taxpayer dollars an estimated 1.5 million. However, Commissioner JoAnn Birrell believes that Moore has other motives and that the County already has the funds for starting trail construction. Branch’s application asked the board to change the heavy industrial zoning to a residential, retail and commercial property

Crow Wing County law enforcement has identified the 14-year-old victim whose body was found in Star Lake earlier this month. According to a press release, the victim was 14-year-old Stanley Wilson of Encinitas, California. Law enforcement responded to reports of the missing 14-year-old on August 9 at Pine Terrace Resort in Ideal Township. Witnesses observed Wilson out on a paddle board falling into the water. Wilson did not surface. People at the resort then pulled Wilson out of the water. Lifesaving measures on the boy were attempted but unsuccessful. Officials pronounced the victim dead on the scene. A GoFundMe campaign has been established for Wilson and his family. According to a post from his father, Wilson had a cardiac arrest-like incident due to “a hereditary, undiagnosed heart condition.” A celebration of life event is planned for August 16. Lakeland News is member supported content. Please consider supporting Lakeland News today.

World premieres of Netflix’s All the Light We Cannot See, Amazon’s Expats starring Nicole Kidman, and Euphoria creator Ron Leshem’s Hebrew-language drama Bad Boy were unveiled as part of the Toronto Film Festival’s Primetime program on Monday. TIFF, making a big step up this year for the sidebar of international prestige TV series, will show the first two episodes of All the Light We Cannot See, a limited series starring Mark Ruffalo and Hugh Laurie, written by Steven Knight (Peaky Blinders) and directed by Shawn Levy (Stranger Things). And The Farewell director Lulu Wang is returning to Toronto with Amazon’s Expats, with Kidman and Sarayu Blue in a drama about a group of close-knit women expatriates in Hong Kong. There’s also first looks for U.K. Channel Four’s Alice & Jack, a romantic comedy that stars Domhnall Gleeson and Andrea Riseborough. Also bowing at TIFF is the Israeli crime drama Bad Boy from Leshem and director Hagar Ben-Asher (Bosch, City on a Hill), with the Hebrew-language title arriving in Toronto without U.S. distribution. Primetime programmer Geoff Macnaughton told The Hollywood Reporter that North American TV audiences are following TIFF and other film festivals in increasingly embracing foreign language subtitles, thanks to the success of Money Heist and

Star of life (medical symbol created by the National Highway Safety Administration -- public domain) This article by Judith Graham first appeared in KFF Health News, republished with permission. Judith Graham August 11, 2023 The FDA has approved Leqembi, the first disease-modifying treatment for early-stage Alzheimer’s and a precursor condition, mild cognitive impairment. Medicare has said it will pay for the therapy. Medical centers across the country are scrambling to finalize policies and procedures for providing the medication to patients, possibly by summer’s end or early autumn. It’s a fraught moment, with hope running high for families and other promising therapies such as donanemab on the horizon. Still, medical providers are cautious. “This is an important first step in developing treatments for complex neurodegenerative diseases, but it’s just a first step,” said Ronald Petersen, director of the Mayo Clinic’s Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center in Rochester, Minnesota. Unanswered questions abound as this new era of treatment begins for mild cognitive impairment and early-stage Alzheimer’s. Will Leqembi’s primary benefit — a slight slowing of decline in cognition and functioning — make a significant difference to patients and family members or will it be difficult to discern? Will its effects accelerate, decelerate, or