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Taylor Swift concert film draws $2.8 million from last-minute previews as theaters prepare for big opening weekend

October 13, 2023 Published by Sarah Whitten

US Top News and Analysis

In this article

Popcorn buckets are pictured during the “Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour” concert movie world premiere at AMC The Grove in Los Angeles on Oct. 11, 2023.

Valerie Macon | AFP | Getty Images

Taylor Swift fans had just eight hours to buy tickets for last-minute Thursday night previews of her The Eras Tour concert film.

The result was $2.8 million in ticket sales.

While the figure is low in comparison to blockbuster releases from Marvel, DC and Star Wars, it reflects the fact that film wasn’t originally slated for a Thursday release. In fact, fans weren’t told screenings were available early until late Wednesday night, and tickets for 6 p.m. showings weren’t available for purchase until 10 a.m. local time Thursday.

Box office analysts don’t see the small Thursday night haul as any indication of the potential success of Swift’s film.

“A storm is brewing,” said Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst at Comscore. “The 11th hour announcement of the availability of Thursday night pre-shows produced an early box office number that belies the true potential for the film. Pre-sales and incredible fan enthusiasm portend a blockbuster style weekend.”

Expectations are that Swift could tally between $40 million and $60 million on Friday, on her way to an opening weekend draw of as much as $150 million. Any figure over $96 million for the weekend will make it the highest opening film in the month of October, beating out 2019’s “Joker.”

“It’s a wild one to try and project,” said Shawn Robbins, chief analyst at BoxOffice.com. “Everything comes down to how much walk-up business she can bring in outside her dedicated fans who already bought tickets weeks ago, on top of the average ticket price.”

Swift’s film is on pace to open in about 3,850 theaters, making it the widest domestic release of a concert film. It is also set to have the highest opening weekend for a concert movie, surpassing Miley Cyrus’ “Best of Both Worlds Concert” from 2008, which snared $31.1 million during its domestic debut, according to data from Comscore.

Should the film top $263 million globally during its limited run in theaters, which many box office analysts expect, it will also become the highest-grossing concert film worldwide, surpassing “Michael Jackson’s This Is It.”

AMC Entertainment, which is distributing the film, reported last week that presales for its theaters had already exceeded $100 million for the full run of Swift’s film.

Aiding Swift’s box office haul are average ticket prices that are more than 40% higher than typical releases this year. Base prices for tickets for standard formats start at $19.89 for adults and $13.13 for kids. The numbers reflect Swift’s birth year and her lucky number, 13. Tickets for premium format screens such as IMAX and Dolby come at a higher cost.

Additionally, cinemas are also expected to get a big bump in concession sales. Specialty popcorn buckets, drinkware and boutique cocktails should grab the attention of moviegoers. Many locations also have plans to set up friendship bracelet-making tables and other in-person events to make the occasion bigger and more memorable than just a trip to the movies.

Bond manager with $1 trillion on the line says you will be ‘well rewarded’ by doing this

October 13, 2023 Published by Michelle Fox

US Top News and Analysis

The latest round of volatility in the bond market may be nerve-wracking, but it can also be a great opportunity, according to Pimco chief investment officer Dan Ivascyn. If investors are patient and don’t take a lot of interest rate exposure, “the prospects look quite good over the next few years,” he said in an interview with CNBC’s ” Power Lunch ” Thursday. Pimco had $1.79 trillion in assets under management, as of June 30. Ivascyn is also the portfolio manager of the Morningstar 5-star rated Pimco Income Fund (PIMIX), which has a 5.46% 30-day SEC yield, according to Morningstar . This year’s 2.52% total return — price and income — is near the top third of its category. PIMIX 1Y mountain Pimco Income Fund one-year return Investors skittish over the path of Federal Reserve interest rate policy, inflation stubbornly above the central bank’s 2% target and an enormous amount of Treasury issuance have sent yields higher, with the 10-year touching a 16-year high last week . Yields have since retreated somewhat in recent days. Bond yields move inversely to prices, so when prices go down, yields go up. Ivascyn expects the volatility to continue, with inflation still needing to be tamed and the risk of a so-called hard economic landing “still quite high.” In this environment, the 25-year Pimco veteran is trying to keep it simple, remain resilient and has improved the credit quality in his portfolios over the past several months. He likes agency mortgage-backed securities, very high quality corporate bonds and some asset-backed securities in very seasoned pools of mortgages. “For the patient investor, with a two- to three-year type horizon, you will be well rewarded to shift out of cash, [and] lock in some of these yields,” Ivascyn said. “Even looking at equity valuations versus fixed income, it probably makes a lot sense to shift a little bit of your equity exposure into the higher quality bond market, maintain some liquidity and then position yourself to take advantage of what we think will be more volatility in the next couple of years.” He’s staying away from floating rate and lower quality credit investments.

Wisconsin state rep calls parents selfish for opposing trans athletes in girls sports

October 13, 2023 Published by

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Parents taking issue with the consequences of their daughters playing on sports teams with transgender athletes are displaying “selfishness,” according to a Wisconsin state representative.

On Thursday, the Wisconsin state assembly voted in favor of legislation that would ban gender transition procedures for minors and bar biological males from competing in girls’ and women’s sports. Both bills have been considered controversial by Democratic representatives, including Dave Considine.

During the hearing over the bill, Considine specifically took issue with parental concerns that their daughter could miss out on team and scholarship opportunities by competing against biological males, according to The Midwesterner.

“Some parents are concerned that their daughter might miss out on a scholarship. They might miss out on playing for this team or that team,” Considine said. “Boy, that doesn’t sound like community. That sounds like selfishness. I am sorry to label it that way, but that sounds like what it is to me. ‘I am only worried about myself and not worried about building the team and having my school have a powerful team.'”

TRANS WOMAN SHOWERED WITH FOUR WISCONSIN HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS, VIOLATED THEIR PRIVACY, LETTER TO DISTRICT CLAIMS

Later on, Considine insisted that while there is a gap between men and women in sports, the difference is likely due to “money” rather than biological differences.

“Since we’ve funded Title IX sports, the gap has consistently lessened between the best men and the best women, and that is across all sports. I’m not so sure it’s biological. It goes back to the money and the training,” Considine said.

His office didn’t respond to a request for comment.

The bills now face a vote in the state Senate where Republicans currently hold a majority. However, Democratic Gov. Tony Evers has vowed to veto any bill involving transgender children.

“My message to LGBTQ folks — especially our trans kids — is this: you are welcome, you are wanted, and you belong here, and I’ll veto any bill that makes Wisconsin a less welcoming, less inclusive, and less safe place for you to be who you are,” Evers said.

WISCONSIN MOTHER HOPEFUL AFTER COURT RULING IN FAVOR OF PARENTS’ RIGHTS TO KNOW ABOUT CHILD’S TRANSITION

While Republicans hold a majority in both the state assembly and Senate, they do not hold a supermajority necessary to overcome the governor’s veto.

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Wisconsin parents have previously voiced their concerns over their daughters playing with transgender athletes. In August, a group of parents described allegedly seeing welts and bruises on their daughters following practice with a transgender player. At the time, they stated that their daughters would no longer participate if the player was still allowed to play.

For more Culture, Media, Education, Opinion, and channel coverage, visit foxnews.com/media.

Pro-Palestinian activists were told not to engage with media during demonstration, but some defied the order

October 13, 2023 Published by

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The leaders of a pro-Palestinian rally held at the University of Virginia on Thursday did not want to reveal their identities and discouraged the event attendees from speaking with the media, despite claiming to be Gaza advocates.

“The press here, you guys can all see them, we strongly discourage speaking to them,” the masked student organizer hosting the event said. “We would really strongly ask you not identify anyone, especially if you know any of the leaders of this event. Please don’t identify them to the press or to anyone else.”

Members of the Students for Justice in Palestine at the University of Virginia, which organized the event, distributed papers asking the press to “not approach students or organizers for comment.” Another Students for Justice in Palestine event held Tuesday at George Washington University similarly discouraged attendees from engaging with reporters.

Nearly all the students at the event, including the organizers, declined repeated requests for comment. However, despite the organizers’ attempts to stifle dialogue with the media, some attendees spoke with Fox News Digital.

WATCH MORE FOX NEWS DIGITAL ORIGINALS HERE

“My biggest hope is that they manage to overthrow the government of Israel,” Alex, a University of Virginia alumni who attended the event, told Fox News Digital. “It’s nice to see them making a push against Israel.”

Alex did not specify whether she was referring to Palestinians or Hamas terrorists. However, when asked about Hamas’ attacks in Israel on Saturday, they responded, “it’s great that they’re making a move against the IDF.”

“There’s been a lot of accusations of various atrocities, which I take with a grain of salt,” Alex continued. “Only one side has the power to stop the violence, and it’s Israel.”

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Hundreds of Israeli civilians, including children and the elderly, have been killed, wounded or captured since Hamas terrorists launched a surprise attack on Israel Saturday. In response, Israel declared war against Hamas and has launched retaliatory strikes against in Gaza.

There have been at least 1,300 Israeli civilians and soldiers killed in the conflict and at least 3,000 Israelis wounded. Israel Defense Forces counterattacks have led to at least 1,417 Palestinians and Hamas terrorist deaths and 6,200 wounded Palestinians.

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“If we start kind of being more critical of the Israelis and their policies of apartheid, then that’s the end goal,” Jacob, a student at the university, told Fox News Digital. He hoped that his activism would change U.S. lawmakers’ views that “Israel can do whatever they want without any repercussions.”

At least 27 Americans have been reported dead since the start of the war.

‘DESPICABLE’: STUDENTS CONDEMN HARVARD STUDENT GROUPS’ LETTER BLAMING ISRAELIS FOR OWN MASSACRE

Some in attendance were not on board with the organizer’s message.

“I disagree with almost everything,” Charles, a former college administrator, said. “I don’t think they addressed many of the issues or have a true historical perspective.”

“They never even mentioned in passing what happened on Saturday,” he continued.

One woman, Kathleen, brought signs denouncing the murder of children.

“The answers aren’t rape, murder and abduction of women,” she said. “There’s no way that you can politically contextualize burning babies alive.”

Quiet cutting: How power in U.S. offices may be shifting back to bosses

October 13, 2023 Published by Anuz Thapa

US Top News and Analysis

In the American workplace of 2023, a new labor market trend has taken over where “quiet quitting” left off.

Quiet cutting.

“Quiet cutting is what some people consider a subcategory of quiet firing,” said Nadia De Ala, a leadership and negotiation coach. “It’s a way for companies to avoid layoffs and potentially save money on expenses they would incur with severance packages. This involves reorganizing existing employees, not laying them off or firing them, but reassigning them to different roles.”

The emergence of these new workplace trends often reflects the state of the job market and the economy. Despite the overall strength of the U.S. job market, some companies are apprehensive about the future, leading them to adopt the “quiet cutting” approach to change in the workplace.

“For the past few years, we’ve witnessed quiet quitting and the great resignation, signs of a robust economy and a tight labor market where employees held the upper hand,” said Yale University lecturer and bestselling author Joanne Lipman. “Quiet cutting suggests that the balance is shifting, with employers gaining more control.”

Watch the video above to learn more about quiet cutting and what this workplace trend tells us about the U.S. job market and the overall economy.

Series I bond rates could rise above 5% in November, experts say

October 13, 2023 Published by Kate Dore, CFP®

US Top News and Analysis

Jetcityimage | Istock | Getty Images

The annual rate for newly purchased Series I bonds could rise above 5% in November based on inflation and other factors, financial experts say.

That would be an increase from the current 4.3% interest on I bond purchases made through Oct. 31. But it’s less than the 6.89% rate offered on I bonds bought between November 2022 through April 2023.

Backed by the U.S. government, demand for I bonds exploded over the past couple of years amid high inflation — and the November rate could be the fourth-highest yield since I bonds were introduced in 1998.

The U.S. Department of the Treasury adjusts I bond rates every May and November and there are two parts to I bond yields: a variable and fixed portion.

The Treasury adjusts the variable rate every six months based on inflation. It can change the fixed rate every six months, too, but doesn’t always do so.

(The fixed portion of the I bond rate remains the same for investors after purchase. The variable rate portion resets every six months starting on the investor’s I bond purchase date, not when the Treasury Department announces rate adjustments. You can find the rate by purchase date here.)

Currently, the variable rate is 3.38% and the fixed rate is 0.9%, for a rounded combined yield of 4.30% on I bonds purchased between May 1 and Oct. 31.

Based on six months of consumer price index data, experts say the variable component is likely to rise to 3.94% in November, up from the current variable rate of 3.38%. That variable rate will change again in May 2024.

The I bond fixed rate could increase

While the variable I bond rate can be calculated, based on the inflation changes over six months, the fixed rate portion is harder to predict, experts say.

“The big question is what the fixed rate is going to be,” said Ken Tumin, founder and editor of DepositAccounts.com, which tracks I bonds, among other assets.

The Treasury doesn’t disclose exactly how it decides on the fixed rate for I bonds, but Tumin expects it will rise based on higher yields from 10-year Treasury inflation-protected securities, or TIPS, another government-based, inflation-linked asset.

“That [fixed rate component] will be really impactful for long-term I bond investors,” he said.

That will be really impactful for long-term I bond investors.

Ken Tumin

Founder and editor of DepositAccounts.com

David Enna, founder of Tipswatch.com, a website that tracks TIPS and I bond rates, said “there are a lot of theories” about how the Treasury decides on the fixed rate, including market yields on TIPS, among other factors.

Enna also expects the fixed I bond rate to rise in November, depending on the spread between the current 0.9% fixed rate and the real yield of 10-year TIPS. The real yield reflects how much TIPS investors earn yearly above inflation until maturity.

If you expect real yields for 10-year TIPS to stay in the 2.3% to 2.4% range for the next six months, the Treasury “would be justified” to raise the fixed rate on I bonds to 1.4% or 1.5%, he said.

VIDEO4:5904:59

Consumer prices rose 0.4% in September, more than expected

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North Carolina gears up for Medicaid expansion, aiding hundreds of thousands in need

October 13, 2023 Published by

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Federal regulators have given their final approval for North Carolina to begin offering Medicaid to hundreds of thousands of low-income adults on Dec. 1, state health officials announced on Friday.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services told the state in a letter Thursday that changes to North Carolina’s Medicaid program to provide expanded coverage through the 2010 Affordable Care Act had been approved.

An estimated 600,000 adults age 19-64 who earn too much for traditional Medicaid but too little for subsidized private insurance are expected to benefit in North Carolina. About half of that total should be enrolled immediately, the state Department of Health and Human Services has said.

“Expanding Medicaid is a monumental achievement that will improve the health and lives of hundreds of thousands of people while helping our health care providers and economy,” Gov. Roy Cooper said in a DHHS news release announcing the approval of the State Plan Amendment, which is designed to show the state is equipped to handle the influx of additional federal funds.

NORTH CAROLINA REPUBLICANS GIVE FINAL APPROVAL TO CURB DEMOCRATIC GOV. COOPER’S APPOINTMENT POWERS

The General Assembly passed and Cooper signed in March a Medicaid expansion law, but a state budget also needed to be approved before expansion could be implemented. A two-year budget law took effect earlier this month.

DHHS had been working so that the enrollment start could be accelerated once the budget law was enacted. Federal regulators received the State Health Plan amendment proposal on Aug. 15, according to Thursday’s letter. Cooper and DHHS Secretary Kody Kinsley announced the Dec. 1 start date nearly three weeks ago.

To qualify for coverage, for example, a single person can make up to $20,120 annually in pretax income, while a household of four can make up to $41,400 for an adult to benefit.

County social services offices will help enroll residents who qualify for Medicaid expansion beyond the first tranche of 300,000 who already have limited Medicaid family planning coverage and will be enrolled automatically. DHHS has created a website with information on expansion for consumers and groups that aims to locate potential recipients.

Prolific Colombian serial killer ‘The Beast’ dies at 66 after confessing to over 190 child murders

October 13, 2023 Published by

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A prolific Colombian serial killer who confessed to murdering more than 190 children during the 1990s died Thursday in a hospital, prison authorities said. He was 66.

Luis Alfredo Garavito, nicknamed “The Beast,” confessed to having murdered children between the ages of 8 and 16 — mostly from low-income families – whom he kidnapped and abused by posing as a monk, a homeless person or a street vendor.

The National Penitentiary and Prison Institute said that Garavito died in a hospital in Valledupar, in northern Colombia, where he remained imprisoned. The cause of death was not immediately revealed.

Garavito was born in 1957 in the Colombian department of Quindío, and as an adult he traveled to 11 departments around the country where he abused and killed minors. The authorities began to follow his trail when they noticed similarities in the cases of disappearances of minors in Pereira, Armenia and Tunja.

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Garavito was arrested in April 1999 on an attempted rape charge, but when an investigating judge asked him if he was the killer of 114 children whose bodies were found in 59 Colombian towns beginning in 1994, Garavito admitted the crimes and begged to be forgiven. Then he confessed to more murders, amounting to more than 190.

That same year, Garavito apologized to the families of the victims in a court hearing: “I want to ask for forgiveness for everything I did and I am going to confess. Yes, I killed them and not only those, I killed others.”

In recent years, Garavito’s release from prison was considered imminent, after serving three-fifths of his sentence. In 2021, then-president Iván Duque (2018-2022) rejected the possibility of him regaining his freedom and assured that during his government he would have to “stay in prison.”

Arrests made in connection to mosque attack targeting anti-India militant in Pakistan

October 13, 2023 Published by

Latest & Breaking News on Fox News

Pakistan said Friday that police arrested several suspects behind this week’s killing of a member of an outlawed anti-India militant group in an attack inside a mosque.

The arrests took place in multiple raids over the past two days, said Usman Anwar, the police chief in eastern Punjab province where a pair of gunmen walked into a mosque in the city of Daska on Wednesday. They opened fire at the worshippers, killing Shahid Latif, a member of an outlawed anti-India militant group and two others before fleeing the scene.

Latif was a close aide to Masood Azhar, the founder of the Jaish-e-Mohammad militant group. No one immediately claimed responsibility for the attack but local police said it appeared that Latif was intentionally targeted.

MCCARTHY OUSTED AS SPEAKER AS RESPECT FOR INSTITUTIONS UTTERLY CRUMBLES

Anwar said a hostile spy agency of a foreign country was behind the attack and that authorities would soon reveal more details.

Jaish-e-Mohammad has been blamed by neighboring India for multiple past attacks on its soil, including the 2016 attack when seven soldiers were killed at a base in the town of Pathankot in northern India.

Pakistan and India have a long history of bitter relations. Since independence from Britain in 1947, the two South Asian rivals have fought three wars, two of them over Kashmir, the disputed Himalayan region which is divided between India and Pakistan and claimed in its entirety by both.

Northern Mexico helicopter crash claims lives of 3 military personnel

October 13, 2023 Published by

Latest & Breaking News on Fox News

An armed forces helicopter crashed in the northern Mexico state of Durango, killing three military personnel, defense officials said Friday.

The Defense Department said the crash happened Thursday as the helicopter was flying to a base in the township of Canelas. The crash killed all three crew members aboard the Bell 412 chopper.

The area is in a drug-producing region known as the Golden Triangle, because the borders of three states meet there: Durango, Chihuahua and Sinaloa.

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Helicopters are often used by the Mexican armed forces in anti-drug and eradication efforts in the area, though it was unclear what the mission was of the aircraft involved in the Thursday crash.

The Department of Defense said the cause of the crash was under investigation.

The Mexican armed forces have a history of helicopter crashes. In 2022, a helicopter crashed in the neighboring state of Sinaloa, killing 14 marines. Investigators later said the chopper had run out of fuel.