Kerry Washington, Martin Sheen shout for solidarity between Hollywood strikers and other workers

LOS ANGELES – Kerry Washington and Martin Sheen, a pair of fictional former politicos, turned Hollywood’s strikes into a rousing campaign rally Tuesday with speeches celebrating unity across the industry and with labor at large. “We are here because we know that unions matter,” said Washington, who played a political fixer on ABC’s “Scandal.” “Not … Read more

Maxine Hong Kingston, bell hooks among those honored by Ishmael Reed’s Before Columbus Foundation

NEW YORK – Maxine Hong Kingston, Darryl Pinckney and the late bell hooks were among the authors honored this year by the Before Columbus Foundation, a nonprofit co-founded by Ishmael Reed that celebrates multicultural literature. Established in 1976, the Before Columbus Foundation each year presents American Book Awards to both fiction and nonfiction writers. Kingston, … Read more

Microsoft budges on video game streaming rights in push for UK to approve Activision Blizzard deal

LONDON – British competition regulators opened a new investigation Tuesday into Microsoft’s revamped bid to buy video game maker Activision Blizzard, representing the last major hurdle to closing one of the biggest deals in tech history. The Competition and Markets Authority said it has until Oct. 18 to decide whether to approve the deal or … Read more