As cities and states enforce more stay-at-home restrictions across the country amid the coronavirus pandemic, millions of people are stuck at home trying to figure out the best way to spend their free time — enter jigsaw puzzles.
Puzzle sales have surged since more people are staying indoors, and Filip Francke, CEO of jigsaw puzzle maker Ravensburger North America, told Cheddar Wednesday that the company has seen holiday-like figures.
"This is pretty much the same type of demand that we see the last few weeks before Christmas, so it's almost like Christmas demand is showing up at Easter," Francke said.
The CEO said people around the world are turning to puzzles, finding them to be comforting during self-quarantining.
"Puzzles and games have been growing because number one, people want to relax and they need time to think," he said. "Number two, a lot of people want what we call 'a brain boost.'"
Disney content has gone dark on YouTube TV, leaving subscribers of the Google-owned live streaming platform without access to major networks like ESPN and ABC. That’s because the companies have failed to reach a new licensing deal to keep Disney channels on YouTube TV. Depending on how long it lasts, the dispute could particularly impact coverage of U.S. college football matchups over the weekend — on top of other news and entertainment disruptions that have already arrived. In the meantime, YouTube TV subscribers who want to watch Disney channels could have little choice other than turning to the company’s own platforms, which come with their own price tags.
President Donald Trump said he has decided to lower his combined tariff rates on imports of Chinese goods to 47% after talks with Chinese leader Xi Jinping on curbing fentanyl trafficking.
Universal Music Group and AI platform Udio have settled a copyright lawsuit and will collaborate on a new music creation and streaming platform. The companies announced on Wednesday that they reached a compensatory legal settlement and new licensing agreements. These agreements aim to provide more revenue opportunities for Universal's artists and songwriters. The rise of AI song generation tools like Udio has disrupted the music streaming industry, leading to accusations from record labels. This deal marks the first since Universal and others sued Udio and Suno last year. Financial terms of the settlement weren't disclosed.
