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Warner Bros Sues Paramount Over $500 Million South Park Deal

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Warner Bros. Discovery Inc. is suing Paramount Global, alleging that the latter aired new episodes of the popular animated comedy series “South Park” after paying for exclusive rights.

According to a lawsuit filed Friday in New York State Supreme Court, Warner signed a contract in 2019 paying more than $500 million for the rights to existing and new episodes of the irreverent show.

HBO Max, Warner Bros.’ streaming service, was supposed to get the first episodes of a new “South Park” season in 2020. According to the lawsuit, the company was informed that the pandemic had halted production.

Despite Warner’s exclusive rights to the show until 2025, the company claims South Park Digital Studios, which produces the shows and is named a defendant in the lawsuit, offered Paramount two pandemic-themed specials, which aired in September 2020 and March 2021.

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According to the lawsuit, the pandemic specials should have been offered to Warner as part of the original contract. The move, described in the lawsuit as “verbal trickery,” drove the show’s fans to the competing Paramount platform. According to the lawsuit, nearly all South Park episodes premiere on Comedy Central, one of Paramount’s cable channels.

The lawsuit does not name show creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker, who launched the show in 1997 and oversee the franchise.

According to Warner’s lawsuit, gaining streaming rights to “South Park” is a competitive process due to the potentially lucrative market attracting more subscribers, advertisers, and a loyal fan base comprised primarily of young adults.

A $900 million deal in 2021 between a Paramount subsidiary and South Park Digital Studios for exclusive content on the Paramount Plus streaming service, which launched the same year, is also mentioned in the 24-page court filing.

Warner claims the deal was a deliberate “scheme” between Paramount, it’s subsidiary MTV Entertainment Studios and South Park Digital Studios to “divert as much of the new South Park content as possible to Paramount Plus to boost that nascent streaming platform.”

Warner paid $1,687,500 per episode and claims it has yet to receive all episodes covered by the contract, resulting in more than $200 million in damages.

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Meghan Markle ‘Upset and Overwhelmed’ Following South Park Depiction

Meanwhile, in the latest episode of “South Park,” titled “The Worldwide Privacy Tour,” Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were brutally roasted.

Though the Duke and Duchess of Sussex were not directly mentioned in the episode, it did feature characters who were described as Canadian royalty and dubbed “the prince and his wife,” clearly mocking the couple.

The couple was also mentioned in “The Worldwide Privacy Tour,” including Harry’s explosive memoir and their six-part Netflix series “Harry & Meghan.”

In the episode, the red-headed prince and his wife – who wore a pink ensemble that resembled one worn by Markle, 41, for 2018 Trooping the Colour – decide to leave Canada after a falling out with the royal family following the queen’s death.

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The pair embark on a worldwide “We Want Privacy” tour before landing in South Park, where they move into a house across the street from Kyle Broflovski, much to his chagrin.

The episode skewers Harry and Meghan in typical “South Park” fashion, with jokes, innuendos, and thinly veiled references.

Meghan Markle was reportedly “upset and overwhelmed” by the portrayal of herself and Prince Harry in the most recent episode of the US comedy South Park. “South Park irritates her, but she refuses to watch it all,” she says.

Trey Parker and Matt Stone, the show’s creators, are known for hilariously mocking a wide range of celebrities, but some felt they went ‘too far’ with one gag, in which they very accurately recreated several of Meghan’s real-life magazine covers.

She did cartoon versions of the Vanity Fair front page before she married Harry and one for The Cut to promote her Spotify podcast.

But the most controversial one is a spoof of GQ, which in real life had the headline ‘Meghan’s annus mirabilis’, which translates from Latin to ‘Meghan’s wonderful year’. However, the South Park version controversially read: “Princess Anus.”

Most viewers deemed the new episode hilarious, including the Sussexes’ harshest critic, Piers Morgan, who tweeted: “The South Park rinsing of Meghan and Harry is brilliant… I believe this is how most Americans now perceive them.”

Geoff Thomas is a seasoned staff writer at VORNews, a reputable online publication. With his sharp writing skills and deep understanding of SEO, he consistently delivers high-quality, engaging content that resonates with readers. Thomas' articles are well-researched, informative, and written in a clear, concise style that keeps audiences hooked. His ability to craft compelling narratives while seamlessly incorporating relevant keywords has made him a valuable asset to the VORNews team.

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Today’s Wordle #1033 Hints and Answer

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Wordle today: Here's the answer and hints for April 17
Wordle Today: Getty Images

Today’s Wordle answer should be fairly simple. It has some somewhat common letters. But if this is confusing you, keep reading. Every day, we’ll publish hints and the answer to the current day’s Wordle in case you need them.

If you are here, it must be time for Wordle. As always, we provide daily hints and ideas to help you figure out today’s solution.

If you want to know today’s word, scroll down to the bottom of this post to see the Wordle answer for April 17. If you prefer to solve it yourself, keep reading for some hints, tips, and techniques to help you.

Here’s a subtle hint for today’s Wordle answer:

A small monetary gift was given to the church.

Does today’s Wordle answer have a double letter?

The letter T appears twice.

Today’s Wordle is a 5-letter word that starts with…

Today’s Wordle starts with the letter T.

What’s the answer to Wordle today?

Get your last guesses in now because it’s your final chance to solve today’s Wordle before we reveal the solution.

Drumroll, please!

The solution to Wordle #1033 is…

TITHE.

Don’t feel down if you didn’t manage to guess it this time. There will be a new Wordle for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we’ll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints.

 

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Russian Missiles Slam Into A Ukraine City And Kill 14 People As The War Approaches A Critical Stage

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Russian missiles slam into a Ukraine city and kill 14 people as the war approaches a critical stage
AP - VOR News Image

Kyiv, Ukraine — Three Russian missiles smashed into the downtown district of Chernihiv, northern Ukraine, on Wednesday, striking an eight-story apartment building and killing at least 14 people, according to police.

According to Ukrainian emergency services, the morning attack injured at least 61 individuals, two of them are minors. Chernihiv is located 150 kilometers (90 miles) north of the capital, Kyiv, near the border with Russia and Belarus, and has a population of approximately 250,000.

Russian missiles slam into a Ukraine city and kill 14 people as the war approaches a critical stage

AP – VOR News Image

Russian Missiles Slam Into A Ukraine City And Kill 14 People As The War Approaches A Critical Stage

The latest Russian shelling came as the war entered its third year and approached a critical juncture, with Ukraine’s Western partners’ lack of additional military backing increasingly leaving it vulnerable to the Kremlin’s larger forces.

During the winter months, Russia made no significant advances along the 1,000-kilometer (620-mile) front line, instead relying on attrition warfare. However, Ukraine’s lack of artillery ammunition, manpower, and armored vehicles has allowed the Russians to advance gradually, according to military analysts.

A critical factor for Ukraine is Washington’s delay in approving an aid package worth approximately $60 billion. House Speaker Mike Johnson said on Sunday that he would try to advance the deal this week.

According to the Institute for the Study of War, a Washington-based think organization, Ukraine’s situation has become critical.

“The Russians are breaking out of positional warfare and beginning to restore maneuver to the battlefield because of the delays in the provision of U.S. military assistance to Ukraine,” the Institute of Strategic Studies (ISS) stated in a report released.

Russian missiles slam into a Ukraine city and kill 14 people as the war approaches a critical stage

AP – VOR News Image

Russian Missiles Slam Into A Ukraine City And Kill 14 People As The War Approaches A Critical Stage

The statement stated, “Ukraine cannot hold the present lines now without the rapid resumption of U.S. assistance, particularly air defense and artillery that only the U.S. can provide rapidly and at scale.”

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has urged Western countries to send their own countries with more air defense weaponry, notably more surface-to-air Patriot-guided missiles. The attack on Chernihiv, he continued, “would not have happened if Ukraine had received enough air defense equipment and if the world’s determination to counter Russian terror was also sufficient.”

In an interview with PBS earlier this week, Zelenskyy stated that Ukraine recently ran out of air defense missiles while defending against a major missile and drone attack that destroyed one of Ukraine’s largest power plants as part of a recent Russian campaign targeting energy infrastructure.

As he prepared to attend a meeting of the Group of Seven foreign ministers in Italy, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba reiterated Zelenskyy’s need for additional assistance.

“We need at least seven more Patriot batteries to protect our cities and economic centers from destruction,” Kuleba told the German newspaper Sueddeutsche Zeitung in an interview published Wednesday. “Why is it so difficult to find seven Patriot batteries?”

Ukrainian forces are digging in and building fortifications in preparation for a big Russian onslaught, which Kyiv authorities warn might begin as early as next month.

Ukraine is conducting long-range drone and missile strikes behind Russian lines to damage Moscow’s war machine.

Russia’s defense ministry announced Wednesday that a Ukrainian drone was shot down over the Tatarstan region early Wednesday. That is the same location that Ukraine’s deepest strike into Russia so far targeted in early April, approximately 1,200 kilometers (745 miles) east of Ukraine.

Ukrainian drone developers have been increasing the weapon’s range.

The ministry reported that another Ukrainian drone was shot down over the Mordovia region, around 350 kilometers (220 miles) east of Moscow. That’s 700 kilometers (430 miles) from the Ukrainian border.

Russian missiles slam into a Ukraine city and kill 14 people as the war approaches a critical stage

AP – VOR News Image

Russian Missiles Slam Into A Ukraine City And Kill 14 People As The War Approaches A Critical Stage

About an hour before the Mordovia incident, due to safety concerns, Russia’s civil aviation authority grounded flights at airports in two of the country’s largest cities, Nizhny Novgorod and Kazan.

According to unsubstantiated accounts, a Ukrainian missile struck an airfield in occupied Crimea. Neither Russian nor Ukrainian officials verified the strike, although local police momentarily stopped the road near the airfield. According to the local mayor, a blast in the region destroyed windows in a mosque and a residential house.

SOURCE – (AP)

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A 9-Year-Old Boy’s Dream Of A Pet Octopus Is A Sensation, With Thousands Following Terrance’s Story Online.

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Cal Clifford, 9, has wanted a pet octopus since childhood.

The boy’s family in rural Edmond, Oklahoma, entertained him with toy copies of an eight-legged snail, but as Cal grew older, it became evident that only the actual thing would suffice.

The child’s father, 36-year-old dentist Cameron Clifford, inquired about the prospect with a local aquarium business. Terrance, a California two-spot octopus known as a bimac, soon lived in an underwater habitat at the family home southwest of Oklahoma City.

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Edmond family grows unexpectedly after pet octopus lays eggs VOR News Image

A 9-Year-Old Boy’s Dream Of A Pet Octopus Is A Sensation, With Thousands Following Terrance’s Story Online.

“We really like to encourage our children’s interests,” stated the elder Clifford. “It’s beautiful to see a kid embrace and realize their ambitions. Cal has been fascinated in the natural world and marine biology since he was very little.”

The father opened a well-known TikTok story by telling the tale of Terrance the octopus in a fake British accent that the social media app had created. Eventually, hundreds of thousands of people started following.

Within weeks, the story took a surprising turn when it was discovered Terrance was a female, having deposited 50 eggs that the family initially presumed were unfertilized. Several weeks later, minuscule near-transparent octopus babies began hatching and were named Rocket Larry, Squid Cudi, Swim Shady, Jay-Sea, and Sea-Yoncé.

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A 9-year-old boy’s dream of a pet octopus is a sensation as thousands follow Terrance’s story online VOR News Image

While female octopuses generally die shortly after laying their eggs, Clifford says Terrance still lives four months later.

Cal had broken into tears at the family dinner table when his father initially revealed that the local aquarium store had informed him that adopting an octopus was conceivable.

Father and son worked together to determine what was required, settling on a saltwater tank and water cycling system. They also ensured that they could provide food for the soft-bodied sea creature.

Lyle, the family’s younger son, and Kari, the mother, also contributed to the project in their ways. A family friend who is a reptile biologist has offered assistance and advice.

While female octopuses generally die shortly after laying their eggs, Clifford says Terrance still lives four months later.

Clifford stated that the family has benefited much from the experience.

octopus

A 9-year-old boy’s dream of a pet octopus is a sensation as thousands follow Terrance’s story online – VOR News Image

While female octopuses generally die shortly after laying their eggs, Clifford says Terrance still lives four months later.

“Aside from the physical, financial, and emotional requirements of owning a species such as a bimac, you will learn a lot about yourself in the process,” Arizona-born Clifford told TikTok users in his app-generated accent. “There’s always some valve or seal that isn’t completely closed, and your storm-resistant carpet isn’t rated for thousands of gallons of seawater.” You will discover that seawater and electricity sometimes get along.

“You will learn new things, meet incredible people, and learn that wildlife is magnificent,” he went on to say. But most of all, you’ll learn to love a not-so-tiny octopus like Terrance.”

SOURCE – (AP)

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