Japan’s late comeback surprises Germany with a 2-1 win

Japan celebrates during a Group E match of FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 against Germany at Khalifa International Stadium on November 23, 2022 in Doha, Qatar.

Brad Smith | ISI Photos | Getty Images Sports | Getty Images

Japan stunned Germany with a late comeback in the World Cup opener, goals from Ritsu Doan and Takuma Asano winning 2-1 at the Khalifa International Stadium.

Japan had never defeated their European opponents but they capitalized on German mistakes and missed chances to claim a famous victory in the first game of Group E.

Striker Thomas Müller said after the game: “It’s ridiculous that we’re here with a defeat. We played well for a long time, but a game is also shaped by the chances that you convert into goals.”

Japan also had an early ‘goal’ offside from Daizen Maeda, but Hansi Flick’s side soon took the lead after goalkeeper Shuichi Gonda clumsily challenged a penalty and Ilkay Gündogan struck from the spot (33′).

Germany thought they had scored a second at the end of the first half, but Kai Havertz’s goal was also ruled out for offside.

The four-time world champions continued to see chances come and go – Gundogan hitting the post on the hour – before Japan used their lightning-fast attack to score twice late.

Did you know?

  • Germany has not lost a World Cup game since 1978 when they were leading at half-time.

Four minutes after being substituted on, Doan (75th) converted a save from Manuel Neuer into the goal from close range. Germany was then caught with a ball over the top, allowing Asano (83′) to smuggle the ball home at a tight angle.

Ritsu Doan of Japan scores her first goal during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 Group E match against Germany at Khalifa International Stadium on November 23, 2022 in Doha, Qatar.

Marc Atkins | Getty Images Sports | Getty Images

Each Japanese goal was greeted with a team packet on the corner flag and the celebrations continued until the end. “This is a big surprise. We saw the Saudis win over Argentina – the Asian countries are reaching the global standard,” said Japan coach Hajime Moriyasu.

Germany continue their poor World Cup form after finishing bottom of their group at the 2018 tournament.

How Japan won a famous victory

Japan started brilliantly and had the ball in the net within seven minutes. Gundogan was deflected by the ball in midfield before Junya Ito drove down the right flank. Maeda then slid his cross home but he was a meter offside.

Germany quickly found their feet and had a number of chances after 20 minutes. Joshua Kimmich saw his shot plowed away from Gonda from distance before Gündogan skied the rebound. The Man City midfielder then saw a try go straight for Gonda before another try was well blocked a minute later.

Great moments in the game…

  • 7 minutes: Maeda’s early goal is ruled out for offside.
  • 32 minutes: Germany awards a penalty after a Gonda foul on Raum, scored by Gündogan.
  • 45+3 mins: Havertz’s goal is also ruled out for offside.
  • 61 min: Gündogan only sees his shot at the post.
  • 75 min: Doan equalizes for Japan shortly after coming on.
  • 83 min: Asano hits the winning goal for Japan after a long ball over the top.

But for all of Gonda’s good work in the first half, his sloppy keeper then gave Germany a penalty as he rushed for space, knocking him over before catching the defender again and almost landing on top of him.

After two earlier attempts were blocked, Gündogan stepped forward and expertly executed his penalty to put the four-time World Cup winner in front.

Germany then began to dominate, believing they added a second in the third of four minutes at the end of the first half. Havertz scored after a Serge Gnabry cross, but the goal was rightly ruled offside after a VAR check.

Japan could have made the end of the first half even more interesting, but Maeda deflected a header just wide.

Takuma Asano of Japan scores his team’s second goal behind Manuel Neuer of Germany during a Group E match of FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 at Khalifa International Stadium on November 23, 2022 in Doha, Qatar.

Dean Mouhtaropoulos | Getty Images Sports | Getty Images

It was an end-to-end start to the second half and Gundogan should have added another on the hour. The impressive Jamal Musiala drove down the left flank before setting up the midfielder from 15 yards. However, Gundogan’s attempt smashed the bottom post and went wide of goal. In the 70th minute, Gonda also parried Jonas Hoffmann and Gnabry in quick succession.

But the Japan comeback was on the horizon, and Neuer’s first save of the game came shortly after, denying Asano. He also made another excellent stop ahead of Japan’s equalizer, handing off Takumi Minamino’s cut-back, but Doan lurked in the box to go home from close range.

However, Neuer would have wanted to do better for Japan’s winners. A long ball over the top to the right got Asano behind the defense and the striker smashed into the box. He fended off Nico Schlotterbeck before pushing the ball past the goalkeeper into the far corner.

It was an insane end to the game as Germany pushed for an equaliser. Leon Goretzka volleyed a shot wide of the post when Neuer came up to put another body in the box, but it proved ineffective. Each rebound was celebrated like a goal by the Japanese bench as they battled for an important three points.

Germany covers mouth in protest against freedom of expression before kick-off | Minister wears OneLove armband

Before kick-off, German players covered their mouths in their team picture in an apparent protest against freedom of expression.

It came after several European football federations were threatened with FIFA sanctions if they wore a “OneLove” armband during the World Cup.

The DFB later tweeted about the gesture: “With our captain’s armband, we wanted to set an example for values ​​that we live in the national team: diversity and mutual respect.

“Getting loud together with other nations. This is not about a political message: human rights are non-negotiable. That should go without saying. But unfortunately it still isn’t. That is why this message is so important to us. Banning us.” from the association is like a mouth ban. Our stance stands.”

Federal Minister of the Interior and Homeland Nancy Faser also wore a OneLove armband at the game after FIFA threatened sporting sanctions for wearing the armband.

Flick and Neuer admit: We are under pressure

Germany coach Hansi Flick:

“With this defeat and zero points we are under pressure, no question. We can only blame ourselves. It’s a big disappointment.

“We were on the right track in the first half, had 78 percent possession and were 1-0 up. Then we had good chances in the second half that we didn’t take.

“Japan were just more efficient today. We made mistakes that we should never make at a World Cup and those are the things we need to improve on.”

Germany goalkeeper Manuel Neuer:

“I’m totally frustrated and angry that we missed this game, it wasn’t necessary. We didn’t have that flow of play after the break and didn’t play as confidently as we did in the first half.

“We’re under pressure from the start now. That was also the most important game, how to start a tournament, but we blew it.”

Japan coach Hajime Moriyasu:

“We wanted to start playing aggressively, we wanted to dominate the game. But Germany is very strong, so we had to defend tenaciously and take our chances.

“In the end they came at us full force, earlier we might have lost but the players played in Germany and Europe, they learned so much from it so we persevered.

“United as a unit, we had to stay strong until the final whistle blew and we took our chance.”

Experts: “A massive shock”

Sky Sports’ Gary Neville on ITV:

“Absolutely, I expected Germany to win this game. It’s a huge shock. Japan are no slouch but it just goes to show that if you’re not quite there you’re in for a big surprise. Which surprises me with the second goal has, that was.” Manuel Neuer twisted his body to let the ball pass him.

“Usually Neuer is strong and a brilliant goalkeeper. The result will send shockwaves through the tournament.”

Sky Sports’ Graeme Souness on ITV:

“It’s an almighty blow. If you’re a coach, and if you’re the Spanish manager, the result partially filled his team talks [against Costa Rica]. He’ll remind them that if they don’t make it, they could make a mistake tonight.”

Sky Sports’ Roy Keane on ITV:

“Of course the result didn’t come out of nowhere, but when you play against Germany – we talked about them learning from the mistakes of the last World Cup – you’re 1-0 down.

“It’s a long way back and all that [Japan] Manager deserves great credit. He had to make these changes and it was part of his game plan as he needed to freshen things up.

“They were clinical. There were question marks over Neuer for the second goal, but you can’t give them the win.

“There was never any doubt that they would bring the spirit, the fight and the energy to the party, but they showed intelligence and great quality.

“Often you see substitutes who can’t keep up with the game, but everyone has had an impact to lift their teammates around them. They all influenced the game.

“They raised their land.”

What does the result mean?

After the first two games of Group E, Germany is in third place Spain beat Costa Rica 7-0 later on Wednesday. Japan is in second place behind the 2010 winners.

Why it might not pay to host the World Cup

Both teams play again on Saturday when Germany take on Spain – seen as a shootout for first and second place in the group but now Germany could be on the brink of elimination if they lose – while Japan take on Costa Rica.

In the final group games on Thursday 1 December, Germany meets Costa Rica while Spain meet Japan, who will be hoping for another upset against one of Europe’s most successful sides.

Opta Stats – Japan’s Historic Victory

  • Japan won a World Cup game from behind for the first time, having previously drawn two and lost 11 of their 13 games.
  • Germany have lost their opening game in just one of their first 18 World Cup tournaments (S13 U4) and have lost their first game in each of the last two World Cups.
  • Through Ritsu Doan and Takuma Asano, Japan became the first team to score two substitutes in a single World Cup match against Germany.
  • Since 1966, only Yoshikatsu Kawaguchi in 2006 (10 v Brazil) has made more saves in a single World Cup game for Japan than the eight Shuichi Gonda today.

Player of the Match – Jamal Musiala

He might have been on the losing team, but Germany’s Musiala lit up the Khalifa International Stadium. He showed excellent skills throughout, particularly in the second half, and is set for a breakthrough tournament in Qatar.

Fearless Fauci faces GOP beneath menace of incarceration

dr Anthony Fauci certainly knows he did his job to the best of his ability without violating any law, breaking ethics, or lying to Congress. He’s been doing this for a long time, and he probably humiliated Republicans today, who have promised to drag him to the Capitol for a seemingly never-ending investigation, with many members promising their constituents that Fauci will end up in jail. It must embarrass Republicans who just spent two years doing everything they could, including going to the SCOTUS, to try and get out of testimony in various places. Fauci pledged to fully cooperate with any investigation.

According to The Insider:

White House Medical Advisor Dr. Anthony Fauci said Tuesday he was ready to face Congressional Republicans next year if they gain control of the U.S. House of Representatives and pledged renewed oversight for COVID-19. “I will definitely cooperate fully and testify before Congress if asked to do so,” Fauci told reporters during the White House press briefing.

“I’ve testified before Congress about a couple of hundred times over the last 40 years, so I have no problem testifying. We can defend and explain everything and stand by everything we said. I have nothing to hide.”

The man is 82 years old and has just decided to retire from public service. He could have made millions if he had joined Big Pharma thirty years ago. Something kept him in the US government, and there are very few explanations other than a sense of duty to save lives. Fittingly, it was a Republican, George W. Bush, who recognized Fauci for “lifetime” service in 2002 by awarding him the Medal of Freedom. It took Rand Paul, the MAGA movement, and Donald Trump to turn Fauci into a “bad guy” whose ego was out of control, hurting people, lying to Congress, and facing five years in prison.

No problem. He will cooperate.

At least Fauci will get the last laugh. Testifying before Congress isn’t going to be fun, especially if he’d rather enjoy his well-deserved retirement. But simply showing up sends a message few Republicans can reach, certainly not his biggest opponents. Jim Jordan declined to testify regarding January 6th, an event as important to our democracy as the epidemic is to our public health. Perhaps Fauci is a little more confident that he can answer any question honestly and without fear.

@JasonMiciak believes a day without learning is a day not lived. He is a political writer, columnist, author and lawyer. He is a Canadian-born dual citizen who spent his teens and college days in the Pacific Northwest and has since lived in seven states. Today he enjoys life as a single father to a young girl and writes on the beaches of the Gulf Coast. He loves making his flower pots, cooking and is currently studying philosophy of science, religion and non-mathematical principles behind quantum mechanics and cosmology. If you have any concerns, please feel free to contact us.

Fauci says he by no means thought Covid would kill tens of millions of Individuals

dr Anthony Fauci on Tuesday reflected on the U.S. response to the Covid-19 pandemic in what may be his last public briefing as the nation’s top infectious disease expert.

Nearly three years after Covid-19 first arrived on America’s shores, Fauci said he never imagined the pandemic would last so long and claim so many lives.

“I didn’t envision, and I don’t think any of my colleagues envisioned, that we were going to see a three-year saga of suffering and death and a million Americans losing their lives,” Fauci, 81, told reporters during One Covid updates at the White House.

Fauci is stepping down as head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases in December after nearly 40 years at the helm and as senior White House medical adviser.

He said the most troubling feature of Covid is the development of multiple variants, which has turned the US response to the pandemic upside down on a number of occasions.

When challenged over mixed messages to the public about the virus in the early days of the pandemic, Fauci said public health officials were dealing with an evolving outbreak.

Public health guidance was changing because information about the virus was changing week-to-week and month-to-month, he said.

Health officials originally thought the virus spread from animals to humans, but later learned it spread very well between humans, Fauci said. It also later became clear that the virus was aerosolized and up to 60% of the people who spread it had no symptoms at all, he said.

“The recommendations are based on what you know in January through March, April and May — they will change,” Fauci said. “This understandably leads to a question from the public: Why are they constantly changing things?”

CNBC Health & Science

Read CNBC’s latest global health coverage:

Fauci said that one of the most difficult parts of the pandemic for him has been the politicization of public health under the Trump administration.

Noting that many people have refused to receive the Covid vaccine for ideological reasons, Fauci said: “As a doctor, it pains me because I don’t want to see anyone get infected, I don’t want to see anyone go to the hospital is brought in and I put it on I don’t want to see anyone die of Covid.”

“It makes no difference to me whether you’re a far-right Republican or a far-left Democrat,” he said. “I see it the same way I did in the emergency room in downtown New York City, when I was tending to everyone who came off the street.”

Although the number of deaths from Covid has dropped drastically, the virus still kills more than 300 people a day on average, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Public health officials said those dying are mostly the elderly or other vulnerable people who are not up to date with their vaccines or are not receiving treatment after breakthrough infections.

Fauci urged Americans to get a Covid booster to protect their health from another expected surge in infections this winter as people travel and gather for the holidays.

For decades, Fauci was respected on both sides of the political aisle, but he became a lightning rod for many conservatives as the response to the pandemic under former President Donald Trump became increasingly politicized.

House Republicans, who now have a majority after the midterm elections, have promised to launch an investigation into the origins of the pandemic and invite Fauci to testify.

Fauci said Tuesday he will fully cooperate: “If there are any oversight hearings, I will certainly fully cooperate and testify before Congress.” I have no problem testifying – we can defend and explain anything we said.”

Zach Shallcross strips bare in Chaotic Bachelor Trailer

The trailer for the upcoming season of The Bachelor starts with Zach Shallcross in the shower – and somehow only gets more scandalous from there.

Zach, who was a candidate Rachel Reccia and Gaby Windy‘s season of The Bachelorette, is seen getting clean, pumping iron and for some reason getting bathed by a close friend in the November 22 teaser… and that’s before the women even arrive.

But once they do, they waste no time in falling for the 26-year-old tech exec from Anaheim Hills, California.

“Zach is the most sincere, emotionally intelligent, sweetest soul,” says one admirer. “We all want a guy like that.” Another is already talking about potential offspring, saying: “Zach takes being a husband and a father so seriously.”

The trailer shows Zach and the women doing things like jumping out of planes, diving, taking scenic helicopter rides and kissing in front of giant fireworks.

It’s the bachelor’s, after all.

China performed a fantastic sport with lithium and we have been gradual to react: CEO

This March 2021 image shows a worker with car batteries at a factory in China.

STR | AFP | Getty Images

China is a leader when it comes to lithium — and the rest of the world hasn’t responded quickly enough to its dominance, according to the CEO of American lithium.

Speaking to CNBC’s Squawk Box Europe on Monday, Simon Clarke discussed how China has secured its position of strength within the industry.

“I just think the Chinese have — I mean, you have to take your hat off, they played a great game,” he said.

“For decades they have been locking up some of the best assets around the world and quietly going about their business and developing knowledge of building lithium-ion technology, soup to nuts,” he added. “And we reacted very slowly to that.”

He added that the US Inflation Reduction Act and a host of other measures meant people “started waking up to it”.

In addition to its use in cell phones, computers, tablets and a host of other devices that are integral to modern life, lithium — dubbed “white gold” by some — is critical to the batteries that power electric vehicles.

Read more about China from CNBC Pro

China is certainly a dominant force within the sector.

In its World Energy Outlook 2022 report, the International Energy Agency said the country accounts for about 60% of the world’s lithium chemical supply. China also produces three quarters of all lithium-ion batteries, according to the IEA.

With demand for lithium increasing, major economies are trying to shore up their own supplies and reduce dependency on other parts of the world, including China.

It’s about a lot. In a translation of her State of the Union address delivered in September, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said that “lithium and rare earths will soon outnumber oil and gas”.

In addition to security of supply, von der Leyen also emphasized the importance of processing.

“Today, China controls the global processing industry,” she said. “Almost 90%… rare earth elements[s] and 60% of lithium is processed in China.”

Read more about electric vehicles from CNBC Pro

With this in mind, a number of companies in Europe are striving to develop projects focused on securing supply.

Minerals giant based in Paris ImerysFor example, plans to develop a lithium recovery project in central France, while what it says will be the UK’s first large-scale lithium refinery is to be built in northern England.

Looking ahead, American Lithium’s Clarke predicts continued geopolitical competition within the sector.

“There is a real initiative to take back part of the supply chain from … China,” he said.

“I think China is in such a dominant position that it will be very difficult to do that. But … I think you’re starting to see that approach happening.”

Trump would beat DeSantis 24, Biden approval ranking underwater: ballot

Former US President Donald Trump and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speak in a combination of file photos at midterm election rallies November 7, 2022 in Dayton, Ohio, USA and November 8, 2022 in Tampa, Florida, USA .

Gaelen Morse | Reuters

Ex-President Donald Trump would defeat Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis by a wide margin in a hypothetical 2024 Republican presidential primary, according to a new poll.

Trump received 55% of the support of registered Republicans, while DeSantis, his potential rival for the White House nomination, received just 25%, the Emerson College poll found.

This poll was conducted last week after Trump announced that he would be running for the White House in two years.

On the Democrat side, President Joe Biden’s approval rating was just 39%, according to the poll, while 53% oppose his work.

That’s statistically the same result as Biden’s approval ratings in the previous Emerson national poll, conducted just before the November midterm elections.

And with a possible repeat of the 2020 election in 2024, Biden would defeat Trump by a margin of 45% to 41%, according to the poll.

If DeSantis were the 2024 GOP nominee, he would lose to Biden by the same margin, compared to 39% for the governor, according to the poll, which showed the Democratic incumbent would get 43% of the vote.

When asked about their preference for their party’s nominee in 2024, Democrats who responded to the poll overwhelmingly voted for Biden over Vice President Kamala Harris. Overall, 42% of Democrats wanted Biden to be the nominee, compared to just 17% for Harris and 12% for Sen. Bernie Sanders, a Vermont independent.

The poll found an education gap among Republican primary voters, according to Spencer Kimball, executive director of Emerson College Polling.

Voters with a high school degree or less support Trump at 71%. Voters with a college degree, college degree, or associate’s degree support him at 53%.

Republican voters with a postgraduate degree are the least supportive of Trump at 32%.

Among others, both Democratic and Republican respondents saw the economy as the most important issue, followed by threats to democracy, immigration, abortion, health care and crime.

Additionally, 52% of voters believe Congress should further investigate the Jan. 6, 2021 Capitol riot by a mob of Trump supporters that disrupted Biden’s confirmation of the election victory, with 39% saying Congress should investigate set to.

The poll was conducted between November 18 and 19 with a sample of 1,380 registered voters and a margin of error of 2.5 percentage points.

Bullisher JNJ, AMD upgrades, Disney prices

Twitter speculates that Tinashe was “the blueprint” for Saweetie

Some recent photos of Saweetie have prompted Twitter users to claim that Tinashe may have inspired her.

Saweetie serves up some Tinashe vibes

It all started when the “ICY GRL” rapper uploaded a series of photos to promote her EP THE SINGLE LIFE.

pic.twitter.com/YcM09f7uM1

— iCY MAMiii (@Saweetie) November 18, 2022

It’s my crack 🤭 pic.twitter.com/JpOqKS5EXH

— iCY MAMiii (@Saweetie) November 18, 2022

While Saweetie’s uploads did what they were supposed to do, they also inadvertently sparked discussion about how similar the aesthetic was to the cover of Tinashe’s Songs for You album.

Some proclaimed that Saweetie was clearly in her “Tinashe era.”

Tinashe really changed the world like crazy. https://t.co/J1yoyn2hDH

— PeKAM Pie 🥧🍂 (@kamiron_) November 18, 2022

SAWEETIE TINASHE ERA WE WON https://t.co/7hf4htHH9m

— Orbitology| from Prison (@SClENCEBlT) November 19, 2022

Fans also pointed out that alongside Saweetie, other pop artists like Ice Spice and Chlöe Bailey seem to have taken inspiration from the “2 On” singer. In fact, one user went so far as to gift Tinashe her flowers, calling them “the blueprint.”

Tinashe’s effect is really crazy. She really is the blueprint and it is undeniable 🫢 pic.twitter.com/HWNUXkFfmY

– 🏝 (@howtohydrate) November 18, 2022

Tinashe’s influence https://t.co/QTrndWV2cK

— Boochie is the name (@stawpfeenin) November 21, 2022

Tinashe’s album cover from 2019 (Songs For You), then this year Ice Spice and Saweetie, exactly the same concept pic.twitter.com/FpLsvAjKcL

— Life (@itstilliv) November 19, 2022

Tinashe’s influence

— dyl (@deathbychauklet) November 18, 2022

However, others humorously attributed the trend to other trailblazers.

Not really, it’s Kim’s influence and not Tinashe’s 😭 https://t.co/mPVb1tVpVJ

— I’m just talking my shit Casanova; Superstar Supernova (@GameboyColored) November 20, 2022

You bitches talk about Tinashe’s “influence”, but let’s not forget who influenced HER! pic.twitter.com/QASxlc4G1V

— 💜sofaygobae💜 (@sadgirllsyd) November 21, 2022

Finally, there were others who completely ignored the comparisons and simply expressed that they wanted to see the artists collaborate.

i need a tinashe pop/r&b/hiphop album with a saweetie collab on it 😭😭😭😭😭😭

— r**k (@ho7yfvck) November 19, 2022

Tinashe would have been on the new EP by @Saweetie ATE 😭😭😭

— its.jsnn (@_jayytrickk) November 18, 2022

I could totally hear Tinshe being featured on https://t.co/ePOq5HYbwc. @Saweetie 😭 #THESINGLELIFE

— its.jsnn (@_jayytrickk) November 18, 2022

Tinashe and Saweetie are booked and busy

Whether you think Saweetie is channeling her inner Tinashe or curating her own vibe, one thing is clear: she’s on her grind!

The West Coast rapper sparked some controversy again after he appeared to refer to Lil Baby and Quavo on a new track called “DON’T SAY NOTHIN’.”

Saweetie also says she’s focused on her growth right now.

I appreciate the love and support while focusing on my growth as a person, woman and artist🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽 . Thank you for always believing in me through the ups and downs!!! 💗💗💗 @warnerrecords ❄️

— iCY MAMiii (@Saweetie) November 19, 2022

As for Tinashe, she just recently celebrated the 3 year anniversary of Songs for You, the project that people believe inspired Saweetie’s recent photoshoot.

3 years of SONGS FOR YOU 🤍 pic.twitter.com/owHH1CJD55

— TINASHE ³³³ (@Tinashe) November 21, 2022

Tinashe also recently caused a stir in the online K-pop (Korean pop) community when she revealed that she would “love to” collaborate with NCT 127, a popular group within the genre.

.@Tinashe befriends @Kenzie over her love of dance and says she would love to work with NCT 127 and more at the 2022 #AMAs. pic.twitter.com/usos6ZroLY

— Billboard (@billboard) November 21, 2022

Tinashe’s impact on kpop is insane. That she wants to collaborate with 127 🥹

— alex (@alexkpawp) November 21, 2022

What do you think of the Tinashe vs Saweetie comparisons? Would you also like them to join forces in the future to work together on a project?

Disney boss Bob Iger plans restructuring, Chapek loyalist Kareem Daniel is to go away

Bob Iger attends the world premiere of Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures ‘Avengers: Endgame’ at Los Angeles Convention Center on April 22, 2019.

Jeff Kravitz | FilmMagic, Inc | Getty Images

Bob Iger, less than 24 hours after returning to the helm DisneyHe informed employees on Monday that the company would be restructured in the coming weeks.

One of the first moves, Iger announced, would be the departure of Kareem Daniel, the company’s head of media and entertainment, and right-hand man to the now-deceased CEO Bob Chapek.

Iger announced Daniel’s departure in a memo to department staff, along with a “new structure that puts more decision-making in the hands of our creative teams and streamlines costs.”

“This will require a reorganization of Disney Media & Entertainment Distribution. As a result, Kareem Daniel will leave the company,” Iger said in the memo provided to CNBC.

Iger said top Disney lieutenants, including Dana Walden, head of general entertainment, Alan Bergman, head of Disney content studios, ESPN’s James Pitaro and CFO Christine McCarthy, would be working together on Disney’s new structure, “which more… Putting decision making back in the hands of Disney puts our creative teams and streamlines costs.”

The decision marks the quick end of one of Chapek’s most important actions during his nearly three-year tenure as CEO. Chapek reorganized the company to form the DMED division and consolidate budgetary authority for Disney’s content and distribution divisions under Daniel.

“Our goal is to set up the new structure in the coming months. There is no question that elements of DMED will remain, but I believe fundamentally that storytelling is what drives this company and that it belongs at the heart of our corporate organization,” said Iger. “This is a moment of great change and opportunity for our company as we begin our second century.”

Karen Daniel

Source: BusinessWire

Daniel has close ties with Chapek, who hired Daniel as an intern while he was working toward his MBA at Stanford.

The two had worked closely together when Chapek was leader of the parks, experiences and consumer products group and Daniel was leader of the Imagineering program, Disney’s theme park designer.

Daniel had worked in several Disney divisions during his tenure. He was vice president of distribution strategy at Walt Disney Studios when Disney completed its 2009 acquisition to purchase Marvel Studios for approximately $4 billion. He was also part of the team that bought Lucasfilm for $4.05 billion in 2012.

Marvel and Star Wars have become key elements of Disney’s strategy in recent years, particularly in streaming.

Daniel, who was at Disney for more than a decade, rose to his last post as head of media and entertainment as Chapek reorganized Disney in 2020 and the now-former CEO was quick to surround himself with park employees and the company’s push into streaming accelerated.

In his most recent role, Daniel oversaw all of Disney’s streaming services, most notably Disney+, as well as domestic television stations and studios.

Disney’s shares rose more than 6% on Monday, a day after Disney announced the senior management change.

Read Iger’s memo:

Dear DMED employees,

As we begin the transformative work that I mentioned to you in my email last night, I would like to begin by expressing my sincere appreciation and gratitude to each and every one of you.

In the coming weeks we will start to implement organizational and operational changes in the company. It is my intention to restructure things in a way that values ​​and respects creativity as the heart and soul of who we are. As you know, this is a time of tremendous changes and challenges in our industry and our work will also focus on creating a more efficient and cost-effective structure.

I’ve asked Dana Walden, Alan Bergman, Jimmy Pitaro and Christine McCarthy to work together to design a new structure that puts more decisions in the hands of our creative teams and streamlines costs, and this will require a reorganization of Disney Media & Entertainment Distribution. As a result, Kareem Daniel will be leaving the company and I hope you all will join me in thanking him for his years of service to Disney.

Our goal is to implement the new structure in the coming months. There is no question that elements of DMED will remain, but I fundamentally believe that storytelling is what drives this company and that it belongs at the core of our organization.

This is a moment of great change and opportunity for our company as we enter our second century and I am so proud to once again lead this team. I can’t say it enough: I am incredibly grateful for the tremendous work you do every day and for your commitment to upholding the level of excellence Disney has always been known for.

I know that change can be unsettling, but it is also necessary and even stimulating, so I ask for your patience while we develop a roadmap for this restructuring. More information will be shared in the coming weeks. Until a new structure is in place, we will continue to operate under our existing structure. In the meantime, I wish you all Happy Thanksgiving Holidays and thank you again for all you are doing.

bob

Correction: This story has been corrected to reflect that Bob Chapek was CEO of Disney for almost three years. A previous version misrepresented his tenure.

Ladies’s well being startup Maven raises $90 million in post-Roe v Wade growth

Founder and CEO of Maven Clinic Kate Ryder, the first $1 billion female health tech unicorn.

Daniel Zuchnik Getty Images Entertainment | Getty Images

Maven, the women’s and family health start-up, has raised $90 million in a new round of fundraising and a difficult environment for venture capital funding.

The round, led by General Catalyst and with participation from CVS Health Ventures, the VC arm of Intermountain Healthcare and European venture firm La Famiglia, brings Maven’s total capital to $300 million. Maven reached unicorn status in a $110 million round last August just before the tech sector bottomed out. While the tech downturn is forcing some startups down, Maven founder and CEO Kate Ryder said in a blog post that the latest deal has pushed the valuation, albeit slightly, to $1.35 billion.

Maven has benefited from a greater focus on women’s health, particularly since the Supreme Court overthrew Roe V. Wade. Ryder recently told CNBC that following the SCOTUS decision, the company has seen a month-over-month increase in opportunities from companies seeking travel benefits and other healthcare support for pregnant women.

“Because we were in the market, because we had a platform to access, we were able to jump up and up with our products,” Ryder said at the recent CNBC Work Summit.

Maven Clinic has seen a broader surge in demand for its products over the past two years amid a pandemic and a tight job market, which it attributed to the accessibility of its virtual platform as well as its outspoken support of health justice.

“The fall of Roe v. Wade has created additional injustices in a system already riddled with them, in a country where 50% of counties don’t have a gynecologist and where maternal mortality rates exceed those of any other developed country,” she wrote in the blog post.

Maven now reaches 15 million members, a 5x increase over last year, across its 450+ corporate and payer (insurance) customers in 175+ countries, and the platform supports 30+ vendor specialties in 30 vendor languages. Maven Clinic was ranked #19 on the 2022 CNBC Disruptor 50 list.

Maven customers included Microsoft and L’Oreal. Previous fundraising rounds have attracted successful American women, including Oprah Winfrey, Mindy Kaling, Natalie Portman and Reese Witherspoon.

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Ryder has said in the past that her determination to create Maven was partly the result of her own medical frustration and trauma. A miscarriage left her “feeling lost, discouraged and confused as to why something so painful and physically demanding was considered outside the confines of traditional healthcare,” she wrote in a blog post.

With the new funding, Ryder said the company must be cautious about scaling, but will not be conservative with money given the need to invest in growth opportunities despite the current economic environment. “We do not set aside this asset for a rainy day,” she wrote Monday.

The growth in global family benefits and Medicaid are two areas Maven is prioritizing with the new funding. The family benefits build on the virtual platform that has grown during Covid and include new features for Maven Wallet, the company’s financial reimbursement platform. Further expansion of Medicaid requires “a more localized approach that needs to be more intentional,” Ryder said, “but the need, particularly after Roe, has never been greater.”

The Maven CEO laid out more about her strategic thinking in a series of Twitter posts following the fundraiser.