Cinemas evolve, do not die

Girl is watching a comedy movie in the cinema with her friend.

Rgstudio | E+ | Getty Images

LOS ANGELES – Movies are still big. It’s the multiplexes that are getting smaller.

Since 2019, the number of total screens in the US has fallen by around 3,000 to just under 40,000.

This consolidation was a direct result of the Covid pandemic, which temporarily closed cinemas and sparked a surge in streaming subscriptions. A number of regional chains have closed for good, while others have had to reassess their financial footing. For many, that meant closing sites or selling leases.

“Think of the retail industry out there in general, it’s repositioning, you don’t have that many stores of the same brand in the market,” said Rolando Rodriguez, chairman of the National Association of Theater Owners. “Consumers are a lot more selective and I think you’re going to stop seeing those 30 plexes for economic reasons.”

Rodriguez said most newly built locations will have between 12 and 16 screens, and those with larger, pre-existing floor plans will seek to reallocate some space for additional moviegoer activities such as arcades, bowling alleys or bars.

Theaters have been forced to innovate even as Hollywood production returns to normal and studios have more films available for release than they could in the earlier stages of the pandemic.

As space contracts are finalized, cinema operators are investing in the basics, improving sound, picture quality and seating, as well as strengthening food and beverage offerings, events and alternative programming. The aim is to improve the basic experience for cinema-goers regardless of the type of ticket purchased.

“We’ll do better as people get used to seeing it,” said Larry Etter, senior vice president of family-owned regional chain Malco Theaters. “And I think that will happen. I think we’re going to recreate the usual effect of going to the movies on Friday night or Saturday night or whatever.”

The premium push

The industry is already seeing improvements in ticket sales. According to data from Comscore, the box office topped $958.5 million in ticket sales in 2023 through Monday, up nearly 50% year over year and down just 25% from 2019.

This is a significant improvement from a meager $98.7 million at the box office over the same period in 2021.

Foot traffic has also improved but remains below pre-pandemic levels. In the two decades leading up to the pandemic, the industry sold an average of 1.1 billion tickets a year, according to data from EntTelligence. Even when Covid restrictions were lifted in 2022, just over half that number of tickets were sold for the year. And ticket sales should increase in 2023 as studios release more films.

While cinema operators are happy about the increase in studio production, they no longer take the audience for granted.

To this end, operators have started upgrading projectors. In recent years, cinema operators have removed traditional digital projectors and installed laser units, citing cost savings and better image quality for moviegoers over time.

“It’s a bit pricey, but it will produce a better product on screen,” said Malco’s Etter. “The more light you have, the clearer everything is and the better it is to see. And it will be much more economical. It’s sustainable because you use about 60% of what you used to use.”

Etter explained that traditional digital lightbulbs need to be replaced after around 2,000 hours and produce so much heat that theaters have to pay more to air-condition the projector rooms. And laser components have a lifespan of 20,000 hours, so they can work for years without replacement.

Many theater operators told CNBC they are planning similar sound system upgrades and said they have partnered with companies like Dolby to bring quality speakers to their auditoriums.

“We’ve invested in Dolby Atmos, we’ve invested in new screens, we’ve invested in laser projection,” said Rich Daughtridge, President and CEO of Warehouse Cinemas. “For me, that’s the baseline. I think you have to create the best audio and visual experience you can create to motivate people to spend money to go to the cinema.”

General atmosphere during the private IMAX screening of the film: ‘First Man’ at IMAX AMC Theater on October 10, 2018 in New York City.

Lars Niki | Getty Images Entertainment | Getty Images

Across the industry, theater chains large and small are replacing outdated stadium seats with lounge chairs to improve the overall cinema experience.

“[We are] We really look at our theaters and make sure they’re all amazing,” said Shelli Taylor, CEO of Alamo Drafthouse. “So if they don’t have loungers, we go in and stock up. We’re doing a face lift where needed and just really freshening up and making sure we continue to provide the premium experience that people love and have come to expect from the Alamo.”

These improvements are part of a broader trend that began before the pandemic. Consumers are increasingly opting for premium cinema experiences for blockbuster feature films, choosing to spend more money to see films on larger screens or in specialized cinemas.

In 2022, 15% of all domestic tickets sold went to premium shows, with the average ticket costing $15.92, according to EntTelligence data. A standard ticket averages $11.29.

So far in 2023, that premium ticket average is higher – $17.33 each – because so many moviegoers have seen it Disney’s Avatar: The Way of Water in premium formats and 3D.

Event cinema, niche programming

Big blockbusters have always been a driving force in cinema ticket sales. Before the pandemic, movie theater owners relied heavily on studio advertising—trailers, TV spots, and posters—to promote content and attract moviegoers to theaters. Now they’re putting more into that mix.

Loyalty programs, direct marketing, and special events are some of the recent tactics operators are using to attract viewers. AMC launched its first-ever advertising campaign in 2021, starring Nicole Kidman and the slogan “We Make Movies Better.” The company invested around 25 million US dollars in the campaign.

Budget-conscious smaller chains need to be a little more creative.

“I’ve had many discussions with distributors about better and more efficient ways to market their films,” said Warehouse’s Daughtridge. “Often that’s data marketing and paid social, better trailer placements and [putting] Tickets on sale at the right time.”

“I think there’s a lot of low-hanging fruit,” he said of email lists, loyalty programs, and social media for personalized marketing.

The Warehouse, which will soon be opening its third location, has also run promotions ranging from offering margaritas with movie tickets to special “father-daughter” date night screenings. In the midst of the pandemic, Warehouse Cinemas capitalized on the release of Solstice Studio’s Unhinged by hosting a car crash event during the film’s fifth week in cinemas.

More recently, the chain ran Pajamas and Popcorn, a promotion where customers who went to the movies in their pajamas received free popcorn. During this promotion, the company screened an Indiana Jones film and the classic animated dinosaur film The Land Before Time. Tickets were $5 each.

“The Land Before Time” screenings sold 1,400 tickets, Daughtridge said.

“It was one of those events that just happened,” he said. “We didn’t expect it to do so much business.”

For big chains like AMCshelf and Cinemamarkthere are alternative programming in the form of live events, with cinemas setting up streams for concerts, sports and even Dungeons & Dragons campaigns.

Mid-size chains like Alamo Drafthouse even delve into the quirky. When the Oscar-winning Everything Everywhere All at Once hit theaters, the theater chain gave out hot dogs to ticket buyers who went to their “Feast” event to celebrate the film’s famous hot dog finger scene.

Still from A24’s Everything Everywhere All at Once.

A24

The company also worked with the Lincoln Zoo prior to the opening of its new location in Chicago’s Wrigleyville neighborhood to host an outdoor screening of The Lion King in the zoo’s lion den.

Alamo isn’t the only chain innovating when it comes to food and drink. Concessions have long been a staple at cinema, but in recent years theater owners have expanded on the traditional popcorn and soda fare.

Cinepolis, which operates more than two dozen movie theaters in eight states, is a luxury dine-in theater chain that offers a wide variety of food and drink options, from chicken wings to lobster tacos. Cinepolis is hosting “Movie and a Meal,” a special dinner themed around a specific new movie release.

“For us, food is critical to the local experience,” said Luis Olloqui, CEO of Cinepolis, noting that more and more people have big HD TVs in their homes coupled with the ability to order from world-class restaurants.

That trend is unlikely to slow, and industry insiders are optimistic about the future of the cinema business.

“I think unfortunately we’ve had some very bad PR aspects as Covid has progressed,” said Rodriguez of the National Association of Theater Owners. “And now we need to rebuild that muscle in consumers and remind them, ‘Hey, you know, that’s behind us. Theaters are fine.’”

FDA says Guillain-Barre syndrome is a possible danger for a Pfizer RSV vaccine

This 1981 photo provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows an electron micrograph of respiratory syncytial virus, also known as RSV.

CDC via AP

The Food and Drug Administration sees a possible risk of Guillain-Barre syndrome Pfizer‘s RSV vaccine for older adults and has asked the company to conduct a safety study if the vaccine is approved this spring, according to agency briefing papers released on Friday.

According to the FDA document, two people in their 60s who received Pfizer’s vaccine were diagnosed with Guillain-Barre syndrome, out of about 20,000 vaccine recipients in the Phase 3 study. There were no cases in the study’s placebo group, the people who did not receive the injection.

Guillain-Barré Syndrome, or inflammatory neuropathy, is a rare condition in which the body’s immune system mistakenly attacks nerves. Symptoms range from brief weakness to paralysis, according to the National Institutes of Health. Most people recover even from severe cases.

Pfizer said in its briefing document that the cases have other possible explanations. However, it said it would conduct a safety study to further evaluate Guillain-Barré syndrome after a possible approval. The company said it did not identify any safety concerns during the study and that the vaccine was well tolerated.

There was also a possible case of Guillain-Barré Syndrome in GSK‘s RSV vaccine trials, but the company said there was insufficient evidence to confirm a diagnosis. According to the FDA, GSK has listed Guillain-Barre as an important potential risk in its safety monitoring plan. The agency said it will review the plan and make recommendations as necessary.

The FDA released the briefing documents ahead of its advisory committee meetings next week. Advisors will vote on Tuesday whether Pfizer’s efficacy and safety data support FDA approval. They will also vote on GSK’s RSV vaccine for older adults on Wednesday.

There is no approved RSV vaccine. The virus causes between 6,000 and 10,000 deaths among seniors annually, although mortality varies from season to season.

According to an FDA review of the companies’ data, Pfizer’s vaccine was 85% effective in preventing lower respiratory tract disease and GSK’s vaccine was 83% effective.

The Guillain Barre Falls

In Pfizer’s study, a 66-year-old man in the US with a history of high blood pressure developed Guillain-Barre symptoms seven days after vaccination. The man had a heart attack before symptoms began, was hospitalized and underwent angioplasty. The FDA does not see the heart attack as related to the RSV vaccine.

Eight days after the vaccination, the man developed back pain and, on the 14th day, weakness in his lower extremities. He was hospitalized again after a fall and was subsequently diagnosed with Guillain-Barre Syndrome. His symptoms began to improve after treatment and disappeared six months after onset, according to the FDA.

In a second case, a 66-year-old woman in Japan with a history of type 2 diabetes developed severe Miller-Fischer syndrome, a variant of Guillain-Barre. She suffered from fatigue nine days after the vaccination, a sore throat the next day and poor muscle control on the tenth day. She was hospitalized 19 days after the vaccination, but her symptoms completely disappeared in three months.

CNBC Health & Science

Read CNBC’s latest global health coverage:

The FDA said it agrees with investigators that the cases may be related to Pfizer’s vaccines. But Pfizer said in its briefing document that there are other possible explanations. The company pointed out the man’s heart attack and said the woman had symptoms of an upper respiratory infection.

But the FDA said that given the incidence of Guillain-Barre syndrome in the general population is about 3 cases per 100,000 people annually, Pfizer should consider the incidents as an important potential risk in its safety surveillance.

“Given the temporal association and biological plausibility, the FDA concurs with the investigators’ assessment that these events may be related to the study vaccine,” the agency said.

In the case of GSK, a 78-year-old woman in Japan developed lower-limb weakness nine days after receiving the first dose of the RSV vaccine, according to an FDA briefing document. She took part in an open-label study without a placebo arm for comparison.

The woman had difficulty walking the following day and developed weakness in her upper limbs and respiratory muscles over the next three days. She was hospitalized and treated for Guillain-Barré Syndrome. The FDA and study investigator believe the case is vaccine-related.

But GSK said in its briefing document that a Guillain-Barre diagnosis was not confirmed due to a lack of test results and because there was no information on whether alternative causes had been investigated. The patient’s case was considered settled after six months, the company said.

CDC consultants discuss risks and benefits

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s committee of independent immunization consultants considered the three cases of Guillain-Barré syndrome during a public meeting Thursday. dr Michael Melgar, a CDC official, told the committee it was difficult to determine whether the cases represent an actual safety issue related to the shooting or whether they were random events.

“Due to the small number of events, measures of relative and absolute risk were not calculated,” Melgar told committee members.

However, a working group of doctors and health officials that reviewed the available data agreed that safety monitoring will be critical if the vaccines are approved by the FDA, Melgar said.

A majority of the working group believed the potential benefits of the vaccines would outweigh any possible risks for people aged 65 and older, Melgar said. A minority considered the balance of benefits and risks uncertain, partly because of the Guillain-Barre cases.

Although Pfizer and GSK have asked the FDA to approve their respective vaccines for people age 60 and older, the CDC working group generally endorsed a recommendation for seniors age 65 and older. The CDC advisory committee did not vote on any recommendations for the RSV vaccines this week.

dr Sarah Long, a member of the working group, said the cases had her concerned because the incidence of Guillain-Barre syndrome increases with age, meaning seniors could be at higher risk if at some point a link with the disease is found vaccine is found.

dr Grace Lee, chair of the CDC advisory committee, said more data is needed because respiratory viral diseases also cause Guillain-Barré syndrome. It is possible that the vaccines could prevent further cases of Guillain-Barré syndrome by protecting against RSV disease.

“They might prevent more and we don’t know exactly what the rate is, but I just think that balance will be really helpful, at least for me, to understand how to think through the risk-benefit balance.” , said Lee, associate chief medical officer at Stanford Children’s Health, “Then I can understand whether 60-year-old or 65-year-old makes sense.”

Join CNBC’s Healthy Returns on March 29, where we’re hosting a virtual gathering of healthcare CEOs, scientists, investors and innovators to reflect on the advances made today to reinvent the future of medicine. We also have an exclusive look at the best investment opportunities in biopharma, healthcare technology and managed care. Learn more and register today: http://bit.ly/3DUNbRo

It positive looks like Trump’s legal professional thinks he’ll be indicted

Trump’s attorney Christina Bobb argued that Trump should not be criminally charged over the comments made by the special chairman of the Georgia grand jury. Essentially, Bobb was attempting to ward off criminal charges.

Video:

Trump attorney Christina Bobb says Trump should not be indicted in GA because the grand juror interviews “spoiled the jury pool for a future trial.” “There should be no indictment, the jury pool has been corrupted.” pic.twitter.com/s21SblXykv

— Ron Filipkowski 🇺🇦 (@RonFilipkowski) February 25, 2023

Bobb said that the previous person “completely spoiled the jury pool, because now you have a whole jury pool of people who believe there’s a crime that President Trump or his allies committed, but nobody knows what.” It is. So here they are trying to get ahead of the game and try to pollute the jury, try to make the public believe there is a crime here without giving them a chance to defend themselves… It should mean there isn’t charges. The jury pool has been tainted. Every defendant, whether President Trump or his allies, all have had their constitutional rights violated by this media tour by the prosecutor allowing this insanity.”

For more stories like this, subscribe to our newsletter:

Everything Trump’s attorney said above was wrong. The judge overseeing the special grand jury said the foreman’s comments did not break the rules. The special grand jury has nothing to do with indictments. They are an investigative agency that makes recommendations.

DA Fani Willis will convene a second grand jury to vote on possible charges. The special grand jury foreman never named Trump or any of his allies, so a possible future jury pool could not be spoiled.

There is no reason for Trump’s attorney to make that argument unless they believe he will be indicted.

If the phone calls were as perfect as Trump claims, there would be no worries of indictment. It’s not the prosecution trying to pre-empt the case, it’s Trump.

By launching a pre-emptive defense, Trump and his legal team are admitting they believe he will be charged.

Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House press pool and congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a bachelor’s degree in political science. His thesis focused on public policy with a specialization in social reform movements.

Awards and professional memberships

Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and the American Political Science Association

Miles Teller celebrates spectacular birthday in Paris with spouse Keleigh

Say bonjour to these stunning birthday plans.

Miles Teller heralded his 36th birthday with a sky-high view of the Eiffel Tower, where he had dinner with his wife Keleigh Sperry Teller. In footage Keleigh shared on Instagram, the couple can be seen kissing in front of the landmark and enjoying the view of Paris.

“Happy early birthday my love,” Keleigh said in her Feb. 19 post, thanking restaurant Le Jules Verne for an “incredible dinner” at the landmark and the Four Seasons George V Paris “for everything about him.” to surprise. thank you thank you.”

The celebrations continued indoors as the Top Gun: Maverick actor was greeted in his hotel room with rose petals, birthday balloons and champagne, as seen in a TikTok Keleigh posted Feb. 21, set to “Paris.” Taylor Swift.

And because a celebratory trip to Paris isn’t complete without an enduring token of love, the couple left a lock on a bridge adorned with their initials.

Warner Bros. Discovery is suing Paramount over streaming rights to “South Park.”

Stan Marsh, Kyle Broflovski, Eric Cartman and Kenny McCormick attend the Paley Center for Media a special retrospective event honoring 20 seasons of ‘South Park’ at the Paley Center for Media on September 1, 2016 in Beverly Hills, California.,

Tibrina Hobson | Getty Images

Warner Bros. Discovery sued Paramount Global to enforce South Park’s streaming rights and set the stage for a legal battle between two media giants as the streaming wars intensify.

On Friday, Warner Bros. Discovery filed a lawsuit against Paramount, South Park Digital Studios and MTV Entertainment, seeking hundreds of millions of dollars for alleged breach of contract.

Warner said it agreed in 2019 to pay more than $500 million, or about $1.69 million per episode, to license “South Park,” the long-running cartoon of bad-talking elementary school kids that aired on cable television network Comedy Central has been broadcast by Paramount for decades for its own streaming platform HBO Max.

During the bidding process for the “South Park” rights, the filing says, Paramount allegedly asked if Warner Bros. Discovery would consider sharing the rights to the show for Paramount’s own streaming service.

“Warner/HBO denied the proposal as a ‘non-starter,'” the lawsuit reads.

However, Warner alleged in its lawsuit that Paramount backed out of its contract and withheld “South Park” specials and other related content. The lawsuit points to Paramount’s own, still young streaming service Paramount+ as the reason.

A Paramount spokesman dismissed Warner’s claims in Friday’s lawsuit, adding that Warner had stopped paying royalties.

“We believe these allegations are unfounded and look forward to proving this through the trial,” a Paramount spokesman said in a statement. “We also note that Paramount continues to honor the parties’ contract by supplying new South Park episodes to HBO Max, despite Warner Bros. Discovery’s failure and refusal to pay royalties it paid Paramount for previously released ones Episodes owed have shipped and HBO Max continues to stream.”

Although the agreement called for HBO Max to receive the first episodes of the latest season of South Park in 2020, Paramount said it informed Warner in March that it was halting production on the season due to the pandemic

Warner then claims that “South Park” and its creators pushed production of other types of content, such as B. Two pandemic-themed specials that aired between September 2020 and March 2021.

Warner further claims that the program was in the works when Paramount’s subsidiary MTV signed a deal with the creators of “South Park” in 2021 that would see exclusive content for Paramount+ reportedly worth $900 million.

“We believe that Paramount and South Park Digital Studios have embarked on a multi-year program of unfair trade practices and deception in flagrant and repeated violations of our contract, which gave HBO Max clear exclusive streaming rights to the existing library and new content of the popular animated film conceded comedy South Park,” a spokesman for Warner Bros. Discovery said in a statement Friday.

The showdown comes as streaming services competed for subscribers and looked to reach profitability in the near future. Media companies have spent billions of dollars on content to attract customers and have recently begun to cut costs as increased competition has resulted in slower subscriber growth.

This week, Warner Bros. Discovery reported a big loss on its quarterly earnings as the company faces a slowing advertising market that has weighed on its revenue. However, the company said it added 1.1 million global streaming subscribers, bringing its total to 96.1 million for services like HBO Max and Discovery+. Losses for the streaming business also narrowed to $217 million for the period, “a $511 million improvement from a year earlier.”

Warner Bros. Discovery plans to launch a combined HBO Max and Discovery+ streaming service this spring.

Meanwhile, Paramount said last week Paramount+ reached 56 million subscribers in the most recent quarter. The company plans to increase the price of its streaming service when it combines Paramount+ and Showtime later this year. Paramount also said it was impacted by the difficult ad market.

Democratic companies are suing the FDA over restrictions on the abortion capsule

Boxes of mifepristone, the first pill to be given in a medical abortion, are prepared for patients at the Women’s Reproductive Clinic of New Mexico in Santa Teresa, the United States, January 13, 2023.

Evelyn Hockstein Reuters

A coalition of a dozen Democratic attorneys general sued the Food and Drug Administration on Friday to force the agency to drop all remaining restrictions on the abortion pill, the latest in an escalating series of legal battles over access to the drugs.

Attorneys general asked a federal court in the Eastern District of Washington to declare that the abortion pill mifepristone is safe and effective and that any remaining restrictions on the drug are unconstitutional.

The lawsuit was led by Washington State Attorney General Bob Ferguson and Oregon Secretary General Ellen Rosenblum. The attorneys general of Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Michigan, Nevada, New Mexico, Rhode Island and Vermont were also part of the lawsuit.

The attorneys general also asked the court to prevent the FDA from taking any action that would remove mifepristone from the market or reduce its availability.

When combined with misoprostol, mifepristone is the most common method of abortion in the United States, accounting for about half of all abortions.

The lawsuit, filed Friday, puts the FDA in the middle of the nation’s deep divisions over access to abortion following the Supreme Court ruling that returned Roe v. Wade lifted last summer.

CNBC Health & Science

Read CNBC’s latest global health coverage:

A coalition of anti-abortion doctors has sued the FDA in a Texas federal court to overturn mifepristone’s more than 20-year-old approval and remove the drug from the US market.

The FDA approved mifepristone in 2000, but imposed restrictions on how the drug is delivered. The agency has gradually eased these restrictions over the years, removing the requirement for in-person delivery.

But there are still some regulations.

In January, the FDA allowed retail pharmacies to dispense mifepristone if they go through a certification process. The patient must have a prescription from a healthcare provider certified under a federal program that oversees mifepristone.

Certified pharmacies can ship the pill through the mail, but the FDA says they must use mailing services that provide tracking information.

CV And Walgreens have said they are going through the certification process, but they will only dispense mifepristone if it is legal to do so under both state and federal law. At least 12 states have banned abortion with few exceptions, and other states have stricter restrictions on the drug than the FDA calls for.

Republican attorneys have warned CVS and Walgreens not to ship mifepristone into their states.

Join us for CNBC’s Healthy Returns on March 29, where we’re hosting a virtual gathering of healthcare CEOs, scientists, investors and innovators to reflect on the advances made today in reinventing the future of medicine. We also have an exclusive look at the best investment opportunities in biopharma, healthcare technology and managed care. Learn more and register today: http://bit.ly/3DUNbRo

Wounded soldier displays on his restoration

NEW YORK – “He wants to know if he can shake your hand,” Roman Horodenskyi’s translator said as he stood next to the 20-year-old Ukrainian soldier.

“He’s only had his arm for two weeks, so he’s still getting used to operating it,” his translator added during an interview with CNBC in November. He then told Horodenskyi, in their native Ukrainian, that he could practice the greeting.

The 6ft 3in Ukrainian marine smiled and stretched out his right arm, a lightweight fusion of silicone, carbon fiber composites and thermoplastic. The meek 230-pound soldier took several deep breaths and stared at the dynamic member, spreading his fingers and slowly tightening his grip on a reporter’s hand.

A relieved breath and another smile crossed his face.

“He lost his hand and leg in a mine blast,” said Horodenskyi’s translator, Roman Vengrenyuk, a volunteer for Revived Soldiers Ukraine, a nonprofit organization that works to bring wounded troops to the United States for specialized health care.

Horodenskyi, a double amputee as a result of the Russian war, is one of 65 wounded Ukrainian military personnel benefiting from the nonprofit organization’s work, which is being treated in Chicago, Philadelphia, New York, Boston and Orlando. Vengrenyuk has been accompanying Horodenskyi to events in New York in recent months to raise awareness of a now tragic, years-long Russian attack in Ukraine.

“Our nonprofit found him, and he’s only 20 years old. He has so much more life ahead of him,” Vengrenyuk told CNBC, adding that the two had a quick, deep friendship.

Speaking separately to CNBC, Iryna Discipio, President of Revived Soldiers Ukraine, said efforts to help wounded soldiers are “extremely important.”

“Ukraine is focused on waging a war and we are helping the heroes who are being left behind. We help the Ukrainian army by taking care of wounded soldiers,” Discipio said.

“Also, it’s important to show the outcome of this war here in the United States,” she added.

Horodenskyi, affectionately dubbed the “Miracle of Mariupol,” was one of the Ukrainian defenders who survived the Russian carnage in the strategic port city last spring.

The first line of defense of Mariupol

A man holds a child as he flees a Ukrainian city on March 7, 2022.

Aris Messinis | AFP | Getty Images

In the early hours of February 24, Russian troops poured into Ukraine’s borders as rockets slashed across the dark sky, marking the start of the largest air, sea and ground attack in Europe since World War II.

For months before the full-scale invasion, the US and its Western allies observed a steady buildup of Kremlin forces along Ukraine’s borders with Russia and Belarus. The increased military presence mimicked Russian moves leading up to the illegal annexation of Crimea, a Black Sea peninsula, in 2014 that sparked international uproar and unleashed sanctions on Moscow’s war machine.

The Kremlin has consistently denied that its colossal deployment of troops along Ukraine’s borders was a prelude to an attack.

Since Russia invaded its former Soviet neighbor a year ago, the war has killed more than 8,000 civilians, injured nearly 13,300 and displaced more than 8 million people, according to UN estimates.

Meanwhile, the lives of many soldiers like Horodenskyi who survived their ordeal were forever changed by the brutal conflict.

At the time of the invasion, Horodenskyi was serving with the 36th Brigade of the Ukrainian Marines as a machine gunner near Mariupol. Horodenskyi followed in the footsteps of the men in his family and joined the military at the age of 18. He traded his hometown of Odessa, a populous municipality on the Black Sea coast, for the once-bustling southeastern port of Mariupol on the Sea of ​​Azov.

In April, the marines in Horodenskyi’s unit formed the first line of defense in the city, which was home to 400,000 people before the war.

His unit was scattered around the Illich Iron and Steel Works, Europe’s largest galvanized steel producer, when Russian fire rushed into his position. Horodenskyi went behind a tree.

While he can remember the mine blast hitting his left leg and shredding his right arm, the aftermath is hazy.

He remembers being taken away by his comrades, the pressure of the tourniquets and the rush to a makeshift field hospital.

“I was in such a dark basement accommodation with other wounded soldiers. There was hardly any medicine, supplies or food. There was really nothing,” Horodenskyi recalls.

For a little over a week, he and his “brothers,” as he calls them, sheltered on the spot until they ran out of painkillers, bandages, water and ammunition. Meanwhile, Russia bombarded the spent Ukrainian marines, and the troops continued to advance towards them.

“Its commander made the difficult decision to surrender to the Russians and the wounded were taken to a field hospital in Donetsk,” Vengrenyuk said. “In this facility there was a page for them [uninjured] detained, another for wounded Ukrainian soldiers and a separate section for injured Russian soldiers.”

Horodenskyi gave a chilling account of his almost three weeks in the Russian military hospital. Russian troops who were hospitalized and able to move independently were granted access to the open space where wounded Ukrainian soldiers were being kept. They openly beat, harassed and tortured Horodenskyi and his comrades, he said.

He recalled a group of Russian soldiers at his bedside, poking at the exposed bone protruding from his right shoulder. Soldiers took turns interrogating him while grabbing the bone and twisting it, he said.

He remembers the excruciating pain.

While he was in the hospital, Horodenskyi’s condition deteriorated rapidly, and Russian surgeons amputated what was left of his right arm. By May he had become septic, a condition that threatens organ failure, tissue damage and death if not treated quickly.

Plagued by sepsis and with a life expectancy of no more than a week, Horodenskyi was returned to the Ukrainian military as part of a prisoner exchange.

“The Russian commander obviously didn’t want Roman to die in their hospital because then he couldn’t be used as a bargaining chip for the release of one of their own,” Vengrenyuk said. “But he’s young and his body was strong enough to survive.”

“Thinking about everything he’s been through”

Roman Horodensky, 20, poses with a prosthetic arm at a clinic in the United States after losing a limb during combat in Mariupol, Ukraine, during a battle for Ukrainian forces.

Photo: Roman Vengrenyuk

Horodenskyi underwent nearly a dozen surgeries in his hometown of Odessa before traveling to the United States, where he was fitted with prosthetic limbs.

He received a prosthetic leg in Orlando in September and then his arm in Eddystone, Pennsylvania, about 30 minutes outside of Philadelphia.

“Thinking about everything he’s been through,” certified orthotist Michael Rayer of Prosthetic Innovations in Eddystone told CNBC when asked to reflect on Horodenskyi’s journey.

“Just the nicest guy,” he added.

Rayer recalled that when he first met Horodenskyi, he saw that the Russian amputation left only about an inch and a half of the humerus bone in his right arm. It complicated the process of fitting a prosthesis.

“He really didn’t have a lot of real estate to work with,” Rayer said. “There’s a lot of weight being transferred to this little stump, so we spent a lot of time refining the prosthesis to make sure it was comfortable.”

“Our office has a lot of experience with polytrauma, which is people who have lost multiple limbs, which adds a whole different level of care,” he said. “Because how do you put on one of your lower extremities when you only have one arm or when you don’t have any arms?”

Roman Horodensky, 20, poses with a prosthetic arm at a clinic in the United States after losing a limb during combat in Mariupol, Ukraine, during a battle for Ukrainian forces.

Photo: Roman Vengrenyuk

Rayer, who spent a total of eight weeks with Horodenskyi, said the prosthetic arm he received could cost as much as $70,000.

“We donated all of our time, and we were able to do about half of it,” Rayer said.

Rayer added that it can take several months to years to fully master the prosthesis. He said that while each person takes a different amount of time to adjust, he noted that working with Ukrainian soldiers, he found that they were “very mechanically adept.”

“They really understand how something works and they understand how to make it work for them. I don’t know if that’s their military training, but they all seem to be adapting pretty quickly,” he added.

After receiving treatment in the US, Horodenskyi returned to Ukraine and proposed to his girlfriend Viktoriia Olianiyk, with whom he had been dating before the outbreak of war. The couple married in Ukraine in December.

Horodenskyi’s injuries have not dampened his desire to return to the military, as Ukrainian troops have withstood Moscow’s might for longer than anyone outside the country expected of them.

“I really want to fight again,” he told CNBC in his native Ukrainian, pausing for Vengrenyuk to translate.

“My whole country is fighting bitterly and many of my brothers are still imprisoned,” he said.

Medicare denies Alzheimer’s Affiliation’s request for protection for remedies like Leqembi

Medicare will not offer broader coverage of Alzheimer’s drug Leqembi until there is more evidence that the treatment is appropriate and necessary, according to the federal agency that runs the program for seniors.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services denied an Alzheimer’s Association request for unrestricted coverage of antibody treatments approved by the Food and Drug Administration that target brain plaques associated with the devastating disease.

“After carefully reviewing the application and supporting documentation, we are making this decision because, as of the date of this letter, there is no evidence meeting the criteria for a re-examination,” CMS said in a statement Wednesday.

The FDA accelerated approval of Leqembi in January after clinical trial results showed the treatment slowed cognitive decline by 27% in patients with early Alzheimer’s disease. The drug also carries the risk of brain swelling and bleeding.

Leqembi was developed by the Japanese pharmaceutical company Eisai and his partner biogenic. If drugs like Leqembi are accelerated, Medicare will only cover them for patients who are in clinical trials.

“As defined by law, CMS must assess whether a drug is appropriate and necessary to provide national coverage,” the agency said in its statement. “This standard differs from the criteria used by the FDA to assess whether drugs are safe and effective.”

Eisai, which has completed its phase 3 trial, has valued Leqembi at $26,500 per year. Due to the drug’s high price and Medicare coverage limitations, seniors do not have access to treatment.

The Alzheimer’s Association said in a statement Wednesday it was “appalled” by CMS’ decision.

“CMS’s role is to provide healthcare. Your role is not to stand between a patient and a doctor when it comes to which FDA-approved treatments are appropriate. Their role is not to single out people with Alzheimer’s and decide that their lives, independence and memory are not necessary,” said Association President Joanne Pike.

The letter that the Alzheimer’s Association sent to CMS in December calling for unrestricted health insurance was signed by more than 200 researchers and experts. The American Academy of Neurology also informed CMS that its experts reviewed Eisai’s clinical trial and concluded that the trial was well designed and that Leqembi offered clinical benefit.

The Alzheimer’s Association estimates that 2,000 people aged 65 and over are progressing from mild dementia to a more advanced stage of the disease every day, which would make them unsuitable for Leqembi.

CMS said it would provide broader coverage of Leqembi on the same day should the FDA fully approve the treatment. Eisai US CEO Ivan Cheung told CNBC last week that the company expects to receive full FDA approval this summer.

But even with full approval, Medicare’s policy is to cover Alzheimer’s treatments for patients who agree to participate in research studies that collect real-world data. While coverage would be broader, such studies must be set up and healthcare providers must agree to participate. This would likely still limit the number of people who have access to the drug.

But Cheung told CNBC that Medicare could agree to even broader coverage, possibly without restrictions, if CMS determines there is a high level of evidence supporting the treatment.

“With a high level of evidence… the restrictions should be very limited, or maybe even no restrictions at all, and that is Eisai’s position,” Cheung said. “We believe that Medicare beneficiaries should have unhindered, broad and easy access to Leqembi because the data meets these criteria.”

Members of Congress, including 20 senators and more than 70 members of the House of Representatives, have called on CMS to change its policy and offer broader coverage of Alzheimer’s antibody treatments. People living in rural and underserved communities are disadvantaged because the facilities that conduct clinical trials are usually located in larger cities.

“Patients, families and carers who live in rural and underserved areas should have equal opportunities to access treatment,” House lawmakers told Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra and CMS Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure. “It’s a tremendous physical and financial drain on Medicare beneficiaries to spend countless hours traveling to limited research facilities hosting the studies.”

Medicare introduced the coverage limitations following controversy over Alzheimer’s antibody treatment Aduhelm, also developed by Eisai and Biogen. The FDA approved the treatment despite objections from its independent advisors, who said the data showed no benefit to patients. Three advisors resigned over the FDA decision, and a congressional investigation found irregularities in the approval process.

Join CNBC’s Healthy Returns on March 29, where we’re hosting a virtual gathering of healthcare CEOs, scientists, investors and innovators to reflect on the advances made today to reinvent the future of medicine. We also have an exclusive look at the best investment opportunities in biopharma, healthcare technology and managed care. Learn more and register today: http://bit.ly/3DUNbRo

Paris Hilton’s household did not learn about their son for “over every week”.

Paris Hilton gave fans a first look at her newborn son Phoenix on Thursday!

Prior to this reveal, however, the ‘Simple Life’ star announced her decision to keep her maternity journey completely private from those around her. In fact, she didn’t tell her mom, Kathy Hilton, about Phoenix until he was “over a week old”!

Paris & Carter wanted to enjoy the experience in private

The new mom opened up about it on Wednesday during an episode of her This is Paris podcast, first opening up about how she and Carter Reum are “just over the moon and so in love” with their baby boy.

“Carter and I are blessed with the arrival of our little boy. He is such a precious angel and we are just over the moon and so in love with him.”

She went on to say that the couple were strictly “keeping everything private” about their son’s arrival, and she even noted that some of her closest family and friends were kept in the dark.

“Not even my mom, my sister, my best friends — no one knew until he was about a week old.”

Regarding her and Carter’s decision, Paris pointed out that she loved privacy as she “never really had anything that was fair [hers].”

“It was really nice to have that with Carter, to be our own journey together. Because I just feel like my life has been so public and I’ve never really had anything just for me…I really felt like I wanted this trip to be just us.”

However, it wasn’t easy keeping such an exciting development a secret, despite Paris’ determination to keep the announcement under wraps and out of the media’s reach.

“Obviously it was hard to keep that to ourselves because we were so excited and we wanted to tell our families, but we were just nervous because when you tell one person, they tell someone, and all of a sudden it’s on TMZ.” or Page Six, and I’ve had enough of my life. So Carter and I literally made a pact that we wouldn’t tell anyone, and nobody knew until recently.”

The family is already heart-to-heart about Phoenix

When Kathy finally met her newborn grandson, Paris notes that the look on her face was “priceless.”

“When I introduced our little boy to my mother, it was amazing to see the look on her face. She was so surprised – just the look on her face was priceless.”

She concluded her comments by noting, “We’re just so happy and just feeling so blessed. He’s so perfect and it’s great to be a mom.”

What do you think of the Paris Hilton reveal and do you think you could keep such a big secret from your closest family and friends?

Warner Bros Discovery (WBD) 4Q22

Pedestrians walk past a street billboard from the Warner Bros and DC comic book character The Batman in Madrid.

Miguel Candela | SOPA images | Light Rocket | Getty Images

Warner Bros. Discovery on Thursday posted a big loss, posting about $11.1 billion in revenue for the fourth quarter, missing analysts’ estimates as the media industry struggles with a weak advertising market.

The company’s TV Networks segment — which includes cable TV networks like TNT, TBS, and Discovery — declined 6% to about $5.5 billion, particularly as a result of declining advertising revenue.

Here’s what the company reported compared to analyst estimates, according to Refinitiv:

  • Revenue: $11.01 billion versus $11.36 billion expected
  • Loss per share: 86 cents versus 21 cents

The company reported a loss of $2.1 billion, or 86 cents a share, for the period. Warner Bros. Discovery shares fell after the close of business.

Warner Bros. Discovery executives began warning of a deteriorating advertising market last summer, and other media companies, including Paramount Global, have seen it hurt their profits. Underlying advertising trends continued to weaken in the fourth quarter and were exacerbated by viewership declines, Gunnar Wiedenfels, chief financial officer of Warner Bros. Discovery, said on Thursday’s conference call.

The company is grappling with restructuring costs and impairments stemming from the 2022 merger of Warner Bros. and Discovery as it tries to move its streaming business toward profitability.

The company ended the fourth quarter with $45.5 billion in debt on its balance sheet and $3.9 billion in cash. A key focus of Warner Bros. Discovery was reducing its high debt burden and cutting costs.

Warner Bros. executives said Thursday that they expect to continue to take the debt off its balance sheet significantly over the next two years. In the fourth quarter, the company repaid $1 billion in debt and has repaid $7 billion since April, when the merger closed.

“Having made the major restructuring decisions behind us, this year is our focus on building and growing our businesses for the future, and we’re off to a great start,” CEO David Zaslav said in the company’s earnings release on Thursday.

The company, which owns streaming services HBO Max and Discovery+, said its global direct-to-consumer streaming subscriber base grew by 1.1 million to 96.1 million by the end of the quarter.

Revenue for the streaming segment rose 6%, the company said Thursday, driven by a surge in subscriber growth for its ad-supported tiers.

Losses for its streaming segment narrowed, the company said. It posted a loss of $217 million for the period, “a $511 million improvement from a year ago,” it added.

Warner Bros. Discovery reported continued weakness in the advertising market, which has weighed on its earnings since last summer, when executives first warned of a slowdown in ad spending. Last week, Paramount Global reported a decline in quarterly revenue due to lower ad spend.

The company’s network TV segment was particularly affected as major sporting events such as college football and the men’s World Cup took place on other networks during the fourth quarter.

Meanwhile, the company saw its studio segment’s revenue decline 23% and found it had fewer TV licensing deals and fewer theatrical releases. The DC Comics film Black Adam was released in the fourth quarter of last year, compared to several releases including Dune, The Matrix Resurrections, King Richard and The Many Saints of Newark during the same period during the same period previous year.

On Thursday, Zaslav announced that Warner Bros. Discovery has signed a deal to make several Lord of the Rings movies while the media company leans into its franchises.