<ul><li>US stocks jumped after President Biden nominated Jerome Powell for a second term as Fed chairman.</li><li>"Chair Powell has provided steady leadership during an unprecedentedly challenging period," the White House said.</li><li>Biden also nominated Fed governor Lael Brainard as vice chair of the Federal Reserve.</li></ul>US stocks moved higher on Monday after President Joe Biden nominated Jerome Powell for a second term as chairman of the Federal Reserve.Powell first became Fed chair in February 2018 and his current term was set to expire in February 2022. Investors were unsure if Biden would renominate Powell, or choose a more progressive candidate like Fed governor Lael Brainard."Chair Powell has provided steady leadership during an unprecedentedly challenging period, including the biggest economic downturn in modern history and attacks on the independence of the Federal Reserve," the White House said. Brainard was ultimately nominated by Biden to serve as vice chair of the Federal Reserve.Here's where US indexes stood shortly after the 9:30 a.m. ET open on Monday:<ul><li><a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/index/s&amp;p_500?utm_source=markets&amp;utm_medium=ingest?utm_source=markets&amp;utm_medium=ingest">S&amp;P 500</a>: 4,724.52, up 0.57%</li><li><a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/index/dow_jones?utm_source=markets&amp;utm_medium=ingest?utm_source=markets&amp;utm_medium=ingest">Dow Jones Industrial Average</a>: 35,778.57, up 0.50%</li><li><a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/index/nasdaq_composite?utm_source=markets&amp;utm_medium=ingest?utm_source=markets&amp;utm_medium=ingest">Nasdaq Composite</a>: 16,137.33, up 0.50%</li></ul>Shares of <a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/astra-space-stock-price-elon-musk-tweet-rocket-launch-2021-11">Astra Space soared as much as 36%</a> on Monday after the space company successfully reached orbit with its LV0007 rocket Friday night. The launch spurred a congratulations tweet from SpaceX founder Elon Musk. An <a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/currencies/avalanche-price-crypto-dogecoin-market-cap-shiba-inu-ether-bitcoin-2021-11">ongoing rally in the crypto coin Avalanche means it's neck-and-neck with dogecoin</a> to become the 10th most valuable crypto by market cap. The alternative cryptocurrency has surged more than 50% since it announced a partnership with Deloitte last week. Even though ConstitutionDAO <a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/currencies/ken-griffin-us-constitution-outbid-crypto-group-constitutiondao-43-million-2021-11">lost out on its bid to buy a rare copy of the US Constitution to Ken Griffin</a> last week, the crowdfunding crypto collective <a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/currencies/consitution-dao-citadel-ceo-ken-griffin-organization-ethereum-gas-fee-2021-11">is setting its eyes on another project to invest</a> some of the tens of millions of dollars raised by the group. <a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/commodities/oil-price?type=wti">West Texas Intermediate crude</a> oil fell as much as 0.82% to $75.32 per barrel. <a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/commodities/oil-price?utm_source=markets&amp;utm_medium=ingest?utm_source=markets&amp;utm_medium=ingest?utm_source=markets&amp;utm_medium=ingest?utm_source=markets&amp;utm_medium=ingest?utm_source=markets&amp;utm_medium=ingest?utm_source=markets&amp;utm_medium=ingest">Brent crude</a>, oil's international benchmark, fell as much as 0.80% to $78.26 per barrel.<a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/commodities/gold-price">Gold</a> fell as much as 1.71% to $1,820.00 per ounce.

US stocks jump after Biden nominates Jerome Powell for 2nd term as Fed chair

<ul class="summary-list"><li>"Nope" marks the first time Jordan Peele shot a movie with IMAX cameras.</li><li>IMAX's head of post production, Bruce Markoe, spoke with Insider about how Peele pulled it off.</li></ul>Jordan Peele's latest movie, "Nope," once again proves how talented the Oscar-winning writer-director is, as his UFO horror topped the box office its opening weekend and has fans debating its hidden meanings.But the thing "Nope" has over Peele's two previous directing efforts is its look.Peele is the latest filmmaker to make a movie shooting on IMAX's large-format cameras, joining the ranks of Christopher Nolan ("Dunkirk," "Tenet") and Denis Villeneuve ("Dune").According to Bruce Markoe, head of post production at IMAX, Peele had been interested in using the cameras since his second movie, 2019's "Us," was formatted to play on IMAX screens during its theatrical run."He came in and watched it on IMAX and he was really taken by our format," Markoe told Business Insider. "Then we got the call from his producer about a year or so later saying they were looking to shoot the movie with our IMAX film cameras."The result is an elevation in Peele's storytelling. The clarity and detail from IMAX's 65mm camera matched with the talents of the movie's Oscar-nominated cinematographer Hoyte Van Hoytema ("Tenet," "Ad Astra") gives "Nope" an epic feel that immerses you in this thrilling story of siblings (played by Daniel Kaluuya and Keke Palmer) determined to nab themselves the "Oprah shot" of an otherworldly object.Because Hoytema had shot with IMAX cameras in the past, he was able to help Peele navigate how to best use it and escape its challenges — for instance, shooting coverage so the movie would still play right for non-IMAX screens, and not using the camera for intimate, dialogue-heavy indoor scenes because the camera is so loud they'd have to redo all the dialogue.<div type="image" title="Jordan Peele directing on the set of his movie Nope" height="2065" width="3098" msid="93143624" hostid="261" sizebytes="610804"></div><h2>'When the image hit the screen for the first time ... it was an audible gasp'</h2>Markoe said Peele did many screening sessions of footage for visual effects and editorial purposes on an IMAX screen."In post, filmmakers are usually editing on 16-inch TVs, or maybe they will go into a screening room to watch it, but that's literally a 20-foot screen," Markoe said. "So coming into an IMAX theater and watching an assembly or a cut of the movie on an 80- or 90-foot screen, things play differently. We really push and advocate for filmmakers to do that."And doing that allowed Markoe and his team to show Peele just how gorgeous his movie would look on a really big screen.He recalled the first time Peele saw footage of "Nope" on an IMAX screen. It was during post production and they went to the IMAX at the Universal City Walk in Los Angeles. Like most filmmakers, at this point in the process Peele had only seen AVID outputs of the footage. But Markoe had a treat for the filmmaker."We went and did a color version to make it look even better," he said of the footage."So I said, 'Let's start with these so you can see how it looks when it's done,'" Markoe said. "When the image hit the screen for the first time, there was probably 15 people in the room, it was an audible gasp. They were like, oh my, and there was a little cheer."Markoe said there is about 48 minutes of footage in the two-hour movie that was shot on IMAX cameras, including the <a href="https://www.insider.com/nope-movie-ending-explained-plot-jordan-peele-2022-7">thrilling final half hour</a>. That means if you are watching the movie on an IMAX screen, those with a keen eye may notice that suddenly the entire giant screen has picture. Sequences not shot on an IMAX camera have a subtle narrow look on an IMAX screen.A good example is the shot in the "Nope" trailer when OJ (Kaluuya) is on his horse and galloping down a dirt road while the giant UFO is behind him. That was shot on an IMAX camera and looks glorious on the screen.<div type="image" title="UFO chasing Daniel Kaluuya in the movie Nope" height="675" width="1200" msid="93143626" hostid="261" sizebytes="21544"></div>Markoe also noted the shot of when Em (Haywood) is looking out of the window of the house and the camera pushes past her and through the window. During that camera move, the aspect ratio subtly widens to full IMAX picture view."Jordan creatively built the change of aspect ratio into that moment to make it more powerful," Markoe said.Markoe said regardless how you see "Nope" it's going to look great, but seeing it on IMAX is the "elevated way" to watch it."All filmmakers work so hard on a project to make every aspect of the movie be perfect, they obsess over it, so really the audience is going to experience the movie the way Jordan intended on an IMAX screen," he said.Could you say Peele is an IMAX lifer now?"I think so," Markoe said with a laugh."Nope" is currently playing in theaters.

'Nope' marks Jordan Peele's first time using IMAX cameras. Here's how it elevated the horror movie.

<ul><li>Defence Minister <keyword id="6355121" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Rajnath-Singh">Rajnath Singh</keyword> on Thursday approved a proposal for procurement of <keyword id="9504027" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="21-MiG-29-fighter-aircraft">21 MiG-29 fighter aircraft</keyword></li><li>, along with upgradation of 59 Mig-29s, and 12 more Su-30 MKI aircraft.</li><li>While the <keyword id="629565" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="MiG-29">MiG-29</keyword> procurement and upgradation from Russia is estimated to cost Rs 7,418 crore, the Su-30 MKIs will be procured from HAL at an estimated cost of Rs 10,730 crore.</li><li>These equipment will be manufactured in India by the Indian defence industry with participation of several MSMEs as prime tier vendors </li></ul>Amid the tense situation at the border with China, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday approved a proposal for procurement of 21 MiG-29 fighter aircraft, along with upgradation of 59 Mig-29s, and 12 more Su-30 MKI aircraft. To strengthen the armed forces for defending the borders, the Defence Acquisition Council meeting, chaired by Rajnath Singh, accorded approval for capital acquisitions of various platforms and equipment required by the three services. "Proposals for an approximate cost of Rs 38,900 crore were approved," a <keyword id="43909" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Defence-ministry">Defence Ministry</keyword> statement said. While the MiG-29 procurement and upgradation from Russia is estimated to cost Rs 7,418 crore, the Su-30 MKIs will be procured from HAL at an estimated cost of Rs 10,730 crore. Focused on indigenous design and development, these approvals include acquisitions, amounting to Rs 31,130 crore, from Indian industry. These equipment will be manufactured in India by the Indian defence industry with participation of several MSMEs as prime tier vendors. The indigenous content in some of these projects is up to 80 per cent of the project cost. A large number of these projects have been made possible due to transfer of technology by the Defence Research &amp; Development Organisation to indigenous industry. These include Pinaka missiles, BMP armament upgrades and software defined radios for the Indian Army, and long-range land attack Cruise missile systems and Astra missiles for the Indian Navy and Indian Air Force. The cost of these design and development proposals is in the range of Rs 20,400 crore. Acquisition of new and additional missile systems will add to the fire power of three services. While the acquisition of more Pinaka missile systems will enable raising additional regiments over and above the ones already inducted, addition of long-range land attack missile systems having a firing range of 1,000 km to the existing arsenal will bolster the attack capabilities of the navy and the IAF. Similarly induction of Astra missiles having beyond visual range (BVR) capability will serve as a force multiplier and immensely add to the strike capability of the Indian Navy and IAF.

India rushes to buy fighters amid border standoff with China

<ul class="summary-list"><li>A Canadian startup told Insider it's launching a space-ad <keyword id="6358065" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="satellite">satellite</keyword> into orbit via a Falcon 9 rocket.</li><li>GEC's CEO Samuel Reid said anyone can advertise on the satellite by buying a pixel with crypto.</li><li>The satellite's selfie-stick will film the screen and the footage will be livestreamed on YouTube.</li></ul>It's not just rockets, satellites, and billionaires that are flying to <keyword id="41531" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="space">space</keyword> - <keyword id="35666" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="advertising">advertising</keyword> is too.Geometric Energy Corporation (GEC), a Canadian startup that provides technology services, exclusively told Insider that it's making space advertising possible with the help of <keyword id="6360701" type="DEFINITION" weightage="60" keywordseo="spacex">SpaceX</keyword>.Samuel Reid, CEO and co-founder of GEC, said the company is in the process of building a satellite, called a CubeSat. One side of the satellite will have a pixelated display screen where the advertisements, logos, and art will appear, Reid said.The company plans to load the CubeSat on to a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, which will take it into orbit and release it before the rocket reaches the moon.Once in orbit, a selfie-stick attached to the side of the CubeSat will film the display screen. This footage will be livestreamed on YouTube or Twitch so anyone can tune in to watch the satellite's screen, Reid said.The CubeSat will be released in early 2021, according to Reid.<h2>You can buy tokens for the pixels in crypto</h2>To advertise on the CubeSat, people have to buy tokens to claim, locate, and design a pixel on the display screen.There are five tokens to choose from - Beta for the X coordinate, Rhoe for the Y coordinate, Gamma for the brightness, Kappa for the colour, and XI for time.With the Beta and Rhoe tokens, people can decide where to place their pixel. The Gamma and Kappa tokens allow people to control what their pixel will look like, while the XI token determines how long it will last for."I'm trying to achieve something that can democratize access to space and allow for decentralized participation," Reid said. "Hopefully, people don't waste money on something inappropriate, insulting or offensive."People will be able to buy the tokens with cryptocurrencies such as ethereum. In the future, GEC wants to introduce dogecoin payments.Reid couldn't reveal how much each token or CubeSat would cost. SpaceX didn't immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.<h2>Anyone can advertise on a CubeSat</h2>Businesses, advertisers, artists, and anyone else who is interested will be able to put their illustrations on the CubeSat's display screen, Reid said. "There might be companies which want to depict their logo ... or it might end up being a bit more personal and artistic," Reid said. "Maybe Coca-Cola and Pepsi will fight over their logo and reclaim over each other."Reid imagines the CubeSat display screen to look similar to artboards such as Reddit Place and Satoshi's Place.<h2>How GEC teamed up with SpaceX</h2>Reid reached out to SpaceX in 2018 to initiate the advertising project but got no reply. He said it took SpaceX a while to take GEC seriously before he eventually had a meeting at the company headquarters.Reid taught some of Musk's children at the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/at-elon-musk-school-ad-astra-kids-can-make-flamethrowers-2018-6?r=US&amp;IR=TIR=T">billionaire's Ad Astra school</a> at SpaceX's offices in California, which he said helped SpaceX to take notice of him and GEC.Reid said he never got the chance to meet Musk in the flesh but assumes he'll talk to him directly at some point during the project.

SpaceX and a Canadian startup plan to launch a satellite that will beam adverts into space. Anyone can buy pixels on the satellite's screen with dogecoin.

<ul><li>US stocks ended mixed on Monday after President Biden nominated Jerome Powell for a second term as Fed chairman.</li><li>Biden also nominated Fed governor Lael Brainard as vice chair of the Federal Reserve.</li><li>The yield on the benchmark 10-year Treasury note climbed nearly 9 basis points to 1.625%, hitting tech stock particularly hard.</li></ul>US stocks gave up gains to end mixed on Monday as Treasury yields jumped after President Joe Biden nominated Jerome Powell for a second term as chairman of the Federal Reserve.The yield on the benchmark 10-year Treasury note climbed nearly 9 basis points to 1.625%, hitting tech stock particularly hard.Powell first became Fed chair in February 2018 and his current term was set to expire in February 2022. Investors were unsure if Biden would renominate Powell, or choose a more progressive candidate like Fed governor Lael Brainard."Chair Powell has provided steady leadership during an unprecedentedly challenging period, including the biggest economic downturn in modern history and attacks on the independence of the Federal Reserve," the White House said. Brainard was ultimately nominated by Biden to serve as vice chair of the Federal Reserve.Here's where US indexes stood at the 4:00 p.m. ET close on Monday:<ul><li><a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/index/s&amp;p_500?utm_source=markets&amp;utm_medium=ingest?utm_source=markets&amp;utm_medium=ingest">S&amp;P 500</a>: 4,682.94, down 0.32%</li><li><a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/index/dow_jones?utm_source=markets&amp;utm_medium=ingest?utm_source=markets&amp;utm_medium=ingest">Dow Jones Industrial Average</a>: 35,619.25, up 0.05%</li><li><a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/index/nasdaq_composite?utm_source=markets&amp;utm_medium=ingest?utm_source=markets&amp;utm_medium=ingest">Nasdaq Composite</a>: 15,854.76, down 1.26%</li></ul>"The nomination of Powell and Brainard suggest continuity at the Fed given that they have generally been in alignment when it comes to the embrace of the new framework. However, they will face a distinctly different economy in the years ahead than in the most recent ones," Bank of America economist Michelle Meyer said.The Fed will have to balance a continued rise in inflation with its continued goal of lowering the unemployment rate, Meyer's added. Shares of <a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/astra-space-stock-price-elon-musk-tweet-rocket-launch-2021-11">Astra Space soared as much as 36%</a> on Monday after the space company successfully reached orbit with its LV0007 rocket Friday night. The launch spurred a congratulations tweet from SpaceX founder Elon Musk. <a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/tesla-stock-price-elon-musk-model-s-plaid-china-march-2021-11">Tesla jumped as much as 6% on Monday</a> after CEO Elon Musk tweeted that the Model S Plaid will probably launch in China in March 2022. China demand is seen as the linchpin the Tesla's bull thesis, according to Wedbush. An <a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/currencies/avalanche-price-crypto-dogecoin-market-cap-shiba-inu-ether-bitcoin-2021-11">ongoing rally in the crypto coin Avalanche means it's neck-and-neck with dogecoin</a> to become the 10th most valuable crypto by market cap. The alternative cryptocurrency has surged more than 50% since it announced a partnership with Deloitte last week. Even though ConstitutionDAO <a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/currencies/ken-griffin-us-constitution-outbid-crypto-group-constitutiondao-43-million-2021-11">lost out on its bid to buy a rare copy of the US Constitution to Ken Griffin</a> last week, the crowdfunding crypto collective <a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/currencies/consitution-dao-citadel-ceo-ken-griffin-organization-ethereum-gas-fee-2021-11">is setting its eyes on another project to invest</a> some of the tens of millions of dollars raised by the group. <a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/big-short-michael-burry-scion-buys-biotech-scynexis-stock-scyx-2021-11">Scynexis has soared as much as 42% since Michael Burry's</a> Scion Asset Management revealed in a 13F filing last week a $1 million position in the biotech company.<a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/commodities/oil-price?type=wti">West Texas Intermediate crude</a> oil rose as much as 0.74% to $76.50 per barrel. <a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/commodities/oil-price?utm_source=markets&amp;utm_medium=ingest?utm_source=markets&amp;utm_medium=ingest?utm_source=markets&amp;utm_medium=ingest?utm_source=markets&amp;utm_medium=ingest?utm_source=markets&amp;utm_medium=ingest?utm_source=markets&amp;utm_medium=ingest">Brent crude</a>, oil's international benchmark, jumped as much as 0.74% to $79.47 per barrel.<a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/commodities/gold-price">Gold</a> fell as much as 2.52% to $1,805.00 per ounce.

US stocks end mixed as yields jump after Biden picks Jerome Powell to lead the Fed for a 2nd term

Let's get started. Embattled Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick says <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/reviews/out?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.wsj.com%2Farticles%2Factivision-blizzard-ceo-bobby-kotick-tells-colleagues-he-would-consider-leaving-if-he-cant-quickly-fix-problems-11637533064%3Fmod%3Dhp_lead_pos3">he'll consider leaving the company</a>, while <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/mark-zuckerberg-kauai-estate-hawaii-land-appropriation-history-2021-11?r=US&amp;IR=T">Mark Zuckerberg's 1,380-acre Hawaiian estate</a> is causing controversy.If this was forwarded to you, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/subscription/newsletter/10-things-in-tech">sign up here</a>. Download Insider's app – click <a href="https://apps.apple.com/app/apple-store/id554260576">here for iOS</a> and <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.freerange360.mpp.businessinsider">here for Android</a>.<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/activision-ceo-kotick-consider-leaving-if-cant-fix-problems-wsj-2021-11?r=US&amp;IR=T"></a>1. Activision chief Bobby Kotick said he would consider leaving the company if he is unable to address its cultural issues rapidly. The game developer, best known for its Call of Duty franchise, has been hammered by allegations of sexual misconduct with some employees staging a walkout earlier in the month.<ul><li>During a meeting of senior managers on Friday, Kotick stopped short of suggesting he would step down, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/reviews/out?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.wsj.com%2Farticles%2Factivision-blizzard-ceo-bobby-kotick-tells-colleagues-he-would-consider-leaving-if-he-cant-quickly-fix-problems-11637533064%3Fmod%3Dhp_lead_pos3">the Wall Street Journal reported.</a></li><li>The embattled CEO has faced intense criticism over his handling of the allegations with some employees and investors pushing for his resignation.</li><li>Activision claims it has fired more than 20 employees due to the sexual harassment and discrimination allegations brought forth last month.</li></ul><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/activision-ceo-kotick-consider-leaving-if-cant-fix-problems-wsj-2021-11?r=US&amp;IR=T">Here's the latest on the ongoing scandal at Activision.</a><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/mark-zuckerberg-kauai-estate-hawaii-land-appropriation-history-2021-11?r=US&amp;IR=T"></a><div type="image" title="A photo of Mark Zuckerberg, the CEO and cofounder of Facebook." height="1666" width="2222" msid="87850093" hostid="261"></div>2. Apple tells employees to speak openly about pay and conditions in an internal memo. The memo, which was shared with the iPhone-maker's 80,000 employees, comes after Apple workers went public with allegations of harassment and discrimination. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/apple-memo-employees-discuss-pay-working-conditions-appletoo-2021-11?r=US&amp;IR=T">Read more about the memo here.</a>3. Mark Zuckerberg's new 1,380-acre oceanfront estate has reignited anger over two centuries of Native Hawaiians being forced off their land. The Facebook chief's acquisitions point to the appropriation of Hawaiian land. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/mark-zuckerberg-kauai-estate-hawaii-land-appropriation-history-2021-11?r=US&amp;IR=T">Details of the controversy can be found here.</a>4. Britain will require new buildings to have charge points for electric vehicles installed in them. The move aims to add an extra 145,000 charging points within the decade. <a href="https://www.reuters.com/business/cop/uk-require-charge-points-electric-vehicles-new-buildings-2021-11-21/">Read more about how the UK is pushing towards electrification here.</a>5. A former Facebook manager found the effectiveness of ads on the social media platform dropped massively since Apple's recent privacy crackdown. Tatenda Musapatike's Voter Formation Project said the effect of marketing campaigns had dropped by almost half. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/facebook-advertising-impact-from-apple-privacy-change-tracking-ios-2021-11?r=US&amp;IR=T">Here's how Apple privacy push is hitting Facebook.</a>6. The metaverse has been tipped to create an $8 trillion opportunity, but <keyword id="6358815" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="tech" source="Orion">tech</keyword> leaders are still describing it in vague terms. Executives have had different expectations for what the metaverse will be when asked during earnings calls. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/tech-execs-said-about-the-metaverse-earnings-calls-2021-11?r=US&amp;IR=T">Here's what 14 of them said about the virtual reality world. </a>7. Uber is shaking up its transit team after a major US agency slammed the company's software. The ride-hailing giant eliminated 50 jobs from the group that worked on this technology. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/uber-shakes-up-its-transit-team-cutting-about-50-jobs-2021-11?r=US&amp;IR=T">Read more about the overhaul here.</a>8. Facebook Messenger and Instagram's plans to introduce end-to-end encryption have been delayed. The encryption plans have now been pushed back to 2023 due to warnings from child safety campaigners, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2021/nov/21/meta-delays-encrypted-messages-on-facebook-and-instagram-to-2023">the Guardian reported.</a>9. Restaurants are turning to robotic servers because they can't get enough staff. Robots are able to deliver food, clear tables, and escort diners to their seats. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/labor-shortage-watch-robotic-servers-restaurant-video-technology-automation-robotech-2021-11?r=US&amp;IR=T">See the robotic waiters in action here.</a>10. Elon Musk congratulated a space startup for reaching orbit for the first time. The SpaceX chief praised Californian firm Astra for hitting its orbit target. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-astra-space-rocket-orbit-startup-california-2021-11?r=US&amp;IR=T">Details of the 43-foot rocket launch can be found here.</a>Curated by Michael Cogley in London. Tips or comments? Tweet <a href="https://twitter.com/michaelcogley">@michaelcogley</a> or email <a href="mailto:mcogley@insider.com">mcogley@insider.com</a>.

10 things in tech you need to know today

<ul><li>The Defence Research and Development Organisation (<keyword id="6355142" type="DEFINITION" weightage="20" keywordseo="DRDO">DRDO</keyword>) announced new indigenous drones that will help the Indian Army guard the borders against China in the Eastern Ladakh region. </li><li>In addition to speeding up the purchase of <keyword id="1062453" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Rafale-fighter-jets">Rafale fighter jets</keyword> from France, the Indian government also approved $5.55 billion of new arms projects. </li><li>The fund comes with special financial powers to rapidly buy weapons with a ceiling of $71.42 million. </li></ul>Tensions between India and China continue to prevail along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Ladakh. The longer it trails on, it gives the Indian government an opportunity to upgrade its military technology for border surveillance. The Defence Research and Development Organisation (<a href="https://www.aninews.in/news/national/general-news/indian-army-gets-bharat-drones-for-accurate-surveillance-along-china-border20200721151216/">DRDO</a>) announced that it will be deploying its indigenous drones for surveillance in the region. The delivery of the famed <keyword id="6381048" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="rafale">Rafale</keyword> fighter jets has also expedited on ‘special request’ from New Delhi amid the India-China border row. They are <a href="https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1640014">expected to arrive by July 29.</a> <div type="image" title="rafale" msid="77099412" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Rafale fighter jet&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> The Ministry of Defence has also entered a $74 million contract with Bharat Earth Movers Limited (<a href="https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1639963">BEML</a>) for 1,512 Mine Ploughs for its T-90 <keyword id="9618839" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="bhishma-tanks">Bhishma Tanks</keyword>, which are currently deployed in Eastern Ladakh. <div type="image" title="bhishma" msid="77099394" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;T-90 Bhishma tanks&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> This development comes after India fast-tracked the finances needed to procure more weapons. On July 2, the <a href="https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1635916">Defence Acquisition Council</a> approved collection of arms projects worth $5.55 billion. A majority of the share — around $4.44 billion — will be directed towards domestic efforts. Special powers to spend $71.42 million A portion of the funds, around $71 million, comes with special financial powers to rapidly buy up weapons. In short-run, the government has approved the emergency purchase of Excalibur artillery rounds of the M777 ultralight howitzers from the United States. The purchase is presumably to take on China’s new howitzer weapon which it added to its arsenal on the border in June. The short-cannon type weapon is capable of firing projectiles at high trajectories. The weapons are relatively new and only made their public debut during a military parade in Beijing in October 2019. The approval also includes emergency funding for the Igla-S air defence systems from Russia and Spike anti-tank guided missiles from Israel. Long term spending of $5.55 billion Under the new set of projects that have been approved by the council, India will be able to upgrade 59 of its MiG-29 jets in addition to purchasing 21 new ones from Russia for a sum total of $1 billion. <div type="image" title="mig29_edited" msid="77099461" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;MIG 29 jets&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> India also plans to order 12 more Russian-made Su-30MKI fighters from Hindustan Aeronautics Limited for a whopping $1.53 billion. The approval also covers indigenous development programs like the Pinaka multi-barrel rocket launchers, an upgrade of the BMP-2 infantry combat vehicles, software-defined radios, Nirbhay land-attack cruise missiles and Astra beyond-visual-range missiles. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/defense/news/south-china-sea-tensions-cause-for-concern/articleshow/77060644.cms">The rising heat in the South China Sea should be a cause for concern</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/space/news/supercomputer-earth-3d-videos-show-how-planet-may-have-lost-half-of-its-atmosphere-to-create-the-moon/articleshow/77098789.cms">WATCH: Supercomputer generates 3D videos that show how Earth may have lost half of its atmosphere to create the Moon</a>

New drones, Rafale fighter jets, tanks and much more — India-China border dispute has lit a fire to upgrade military technology

New data on Covid-19 vaccine manufacturing and <keyword id="10997165" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="supply-capacity">supply capacity</keyword> indicate up to 12 billion doses from 13 different sources could be available by the end of the year, enough to vaccinate 70 per cent of the world if distributed equitably. However, an assessment from the Duke Global Health Innovation Center Launch and Scale Speedometer program continues to show an astonishing gap between wealthy countries and low- and middle-income countries in terms of who controls the lion's share of vaccines. The analysis also finds that countries at all income levels cannot adequately assess and act to minimize risks of supply disruption. This is due to a rapidly shifting landscape in which they see manufacturing capacity and supply projections abruptly expanding or contracting on a daily basis. The research is the most detailed analysis to date of the most ambitious vaccine development and <keyword id="6481984" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="immunization">immunization</keyword> effort the world has ever seen. The data provides a detailed breakdown of 2021 vaccine purchases by country and developer; the supplies anticipated from each vaccine maker through the end of the year; and the many manufacturing partners around the world stepping in to provide bulk production and "fill-finish" capacity -- filling and packaging vials of vaccine, which is often a bottleneck in the vaccine supply chain. "Covid-19 vaccine access remains a lopsided issue as wealthy countries have now purchased about 4.6 billion doses, with 1.2 billion of those controlled by the United States alone for its 330 million citizens, compared to one billion for the <keyword id="9549281" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="covax">COVAX</keyword> pact supplying several billion people in low- and middle-income countries," said Krishna Udayakumar, Director of the Duke Global Health Innovation Center. "There are new developments that could push overall supplies for 2021 to 12 billion doses, and if distributed equally, that would be more than enough to vaccinate 70 per cent of the world's population, the threshold for herd immunity," said Andrea Taylor, who leads research on Covid-19 vaccines for the Launch and Scale Speedometer program. "But alongside the challenge of vaccine nationalism, our work highlights that manufacturing and supply issues remain the critical barriers. There is very little transparency in the landscape, so it is difficult for country leaders to assess the feasibility of delivery schedules or to understand the risks and contingencies." The analysis from the Launch and Scale Speedometer program is based on an aggregation of a wide assortment of publicly available data. However, Taylor said the lack of data on a number of issues, such as the capacity of the many new partners now stepping in to provide bulk manufacturing and fill and finish work, makes it difficult to give decision makers a clear picture of current and future vaccine supply. She called for a new effort to "crowdsource" data from public and private sources to address gaps that could delay decisions to expand manufacturing capacity and limit insights into precisely when vaccines will be available in different regions. For example, the analysis shows that the African Union and Africa CDC have procured 670 million doses for African countries that would be in addition to what they will receive from COVAX, the global multilateral alliance to procure and allocate vaccines more equitably. Taylor said uncertainties around financing and production capacity make it hard to predict whether those doses would arrive in the second half of 2021 or sometime in 2022. Other uncertainties include plans for broader distribution of vaccines from China's CanSino Biologics and the Sputnik V vaccine from Russia's Gamaleya Research Institute. The available data indicate that projected manufacturing capacity for each of these vaccines may not be sufficient to contribute significantly to immunizations beyond China or Russia. However, at least for Sputnik V, there are several contracts with non-Russian manufacturers under consideration and a pending application for an Emergency Use Listing (EUL) from the <keyword id="43588" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="World-Health-Organization">World Health Organization</keyword>. The EULs have the potential to greatly expand supplies, which could help address shortfalls for low-income countries. But Taylor said there is no data to accurately assess how many doses might be available and where and when. Meanwhile, lurking in the background of the vaccine equity issue is the potential for new variants that have at least a limited capacity to evade immune responses to render certain vaccines clearly superior to others. For example, the Launch and Scale Speedometer data indicate that, for at least the rest of 2021, the vast majority of vaccine doses from <keyword id="9653140" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="pfizer-biontech">Pfizer-BioNTech</keyword> and Moderna appear to be headed to wealthy countries. By comparison, of the 670 million doses procured by the African Union, 500 million are for the <keyword id="9605255" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="oxford-astrazeneca">Oxford-AstraZeneca</keyword> vaccine. Astra-Zeneca is also a key supplier to COVAX and, outside of the pact, the Launch and Scale Speedometer data show the company has large purchasing agreements with a number of low- and middle-income countries. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/the-entire-crew-of-the-massive-ship-that-has-blocked-suez-canal-is-indian/articleshow/81699456.cms">The entire crew of the massive ship that has blocked Suez Canal is Indian</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/politics/elections/checkout-the-list-of-mamata-banerjee-favourite-tv-and-sports-celebrities-who-are-fighting-for-tmc/slidelist/81700172.cms">Mamata Banerjee's favourite celebs who are fighting for Trinamool Congress in some of the toughest constituencies</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/suryoday-small-finance-bank-shares-listed-at-4-less-than-the-issue-price/articleshow/81700313.cms">Suryoday Small Finance Bank shareholders lost 7% of their investment within minutes of listing</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/kalyan-jewellers-makes-a-lacklustre-debut-listing-at-15-discount-to-issue-price/articleshow/81700343.cms">Kalyan Jewellers makes a lacklustre debut, listing at 15% discount to issue price</a>

Over 12 billion doses of the COVID-19 vaccine could be available this year, which should be enough to vaccinate 70% of the world's population

<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"></div></div></div><ul class="summary-list"><li>"Angel Has Fallen" won the Labor Day weekend box office with an estimated $11.5 million ($14.5 million by Monday).</li><li>It is the second-straight weekend the movie has topped the domestic box office.</li><li>The 2019 summer box office came in two percent below last year's season, according to Comscore.</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/?hprecirc-bullet">Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories</a>.</li></ul>Recently Labor Day has been the holiday weekend big studios have wanted no part of. And that continues this year.With Warner Bros.' "It Chapter Two" opening next weekend, all the majors are staying clear of releasing new movies at the multiplexes this weekend, which has led to Lionsgate/Millennium winning the domestic box office for a second consecutive week with "Angel Has Fallen," the third movie in the Gerard Butler-starring franchise.<ul><li>The action thriller earned $11.5 million this weekend.</li><li>It's projected to earn $14.5 million by Monday.</li><li>The movie brought in <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/angel-has-fallen-tops-box-office-with-213-million-debut-2019-8">$21.3 million</a> last weekend.</li><li>Should estimates hold, "Angel Has Fallen" will have a domestic cume of $43.6 million by the end of Monday.</li></ul>This marks the close of the 2019 summer box office season that came in two percent below last year's season, according to Comscore (via <a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/summer-2019-box-office-heads-unremarkable-finish-1234369">The Hollywood Reporter</a>).A big reason for the decline is because there was zero consistency. Outside of the big Disney releases like "Avengers: Endgame," "Aladdin," "Toy Story 4," and "The Lion King" (which all went on to earn over $1 billion globally), successful summer titles were few and far between - "Spider-Man: Far From Home," "Fast and Furious Presents: Hobbs and Shaw," "Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood." That left lots of underperformers and failures like "Dark Phoenix," "Godzilla: King of the Monsters," "Men in Black: International," and indies "Booksmart" and "Late Night."Read more: <a href="https://www.insider.com/star-wars-galaxys-edge-opening-at-disney-world-2019-8">I went to the opening of Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge at Disney World and it was very different than how things were done at Disneyland</a>A studio could have taken a chance and released a title it thought could do better business than "Angel Has Fallen" the last two weekends, but instead they all pulled their chips and are preparing for the fall.It will begin with "It Chapter Two" next weekend by Warner Bros., which is projected to bring in some major coin. Following that are titles that are already gaining award season buzz like Fox's "Ad Astra" starring Brad Pitt on September 20, and "Joker" (also a Warner Bros. release) on October 4.What the "Angel Has Fallen" trailer below:&#xa0;<div></div> <div class="margin-top"> <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/taylor-swift-net-worth-singer-millionaire-makes-spends-money-wealth-2019-4">Taylor Swift is dropping a new album. Here's how the world's highest-paid celebrity makes and spends her $360 million.</a></h3> <div> </div> </div>

'Angel Has Fallen' continues to take advantage of the quiet late summer box office

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Republicans have been working for decades to take back control of the <keyword id="11893011" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="supreme-court" source="Orion">Supreme Court</keyword>. </li><li>The Court has long protected the corporate elite rather than the will of the people. </li><li>Instead of revering the Supreme Court, liberals need to work to limit its power, for the sake of democracy. </li><li>Astra Taylor is a writer, filmmaker, and organizer.</li><li>This is an <keyword id="11905565" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="opinion" source="Orion">opinion</keyword> column. The thoughts expressed are those of the author. </li></ul>The Supreme Court of the United States is incompatible with democracy. The <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/texas-6-week-abortion-ban-has-officially-become-law-2021-8">news out of Texas</a> is just the latest piece of evidence in that case. Instead of defending vulnerable minorities against a powerful majority, the Supreme Court is invested in protecting the interests of a powerful and wealthy minority. This is a result of the right-wing's well-funded, decades-long plan to take over the judicial system - a plan now paying dividends in the form of warped, one-sided decisions that make a mockery of the idea of checks and balances. These decisions portend a future in which basic rights and popular policies are undone or blocked, further entrenching the power of corporate elites. It's time for liberals to stop revering the <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2021/08/04/poll-public-opinion-of-supreme-court-sags-over-past-year-502309">Supreme Court</a> and start treating it as the democracy-sabotaging institution it is - and to strategize a counteroffensive.Let's refresh what just happened: After being asked for an injunction by reproductive justice advocates, the Supreme Court <a href="https://www.insider.com/scotus-texas-enforce-6-week-abortion-ban-5-4-ruling-2021-9">voted</a> by a 5 to 4 margin not to intervene to halt the most draconian anti-abortion <keyword id="11899820" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="law" source="Orion">law</keyword> in the land. The new Texas legislation undermines Roe V. Wade by making the vast majority of abortions illegal. It breaks terrifying new ground by incentivizing private citizens to police each other, empowering random individuals to file lawsuits against anyone who can be deemed to "abet" the act of a woman getting an abortion after six weeks of pregnancy - be they doctors, therapists, friends, or even rideshare drivers. These bounty hunters can be awarded up to $10,000 for their trouble.This devastating blow to women's rights comes on the heels of the recent Supreme Court <a href="https://www.insider.com/supreme-court-says-bidens-moratorium-on-tenant-evictions-unconstitutional-2021-8">decision</a> to scuttle the White House's extension of the federal eviction moratorium. The pause on evictions, the concurring justices <a href="https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2021/08/supreme-court-eviction-moratorium-cdc-biden.html">opined</a>, would be a slippery slope, leading to other executive branch protections for sick and vulnerable people. Better, then, to nip it in the bud, even if that means putting millions of families in the streets as the Delta variant surges.<h2>The Court has long served to protect the powerful </h2>For people who grew up hearing about the glories of Roe V. Wade and Brown V. Board of Education, the Supreme Court's callous right-wing turn might seem like a shocking and sudden development. In fact, it is a reversion to the historical norm. Since the nation's founding - with some vital and welcome exceptions - the Supreme Court has typically ruled on the side of the powerful and enforced an unjust status quo. Recall its role in upholding slavery in the antebellum period, or what's known as the "<a href="https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2018/06/the-lochner-era-is-set-for-a-comeback-at-the-supreme-court.html">Lochner era</a>" from the late 1800s to 1937, during which the court attacked basic labor protections and economic regulations, including minimum wage. After losing the Supreme Court to liberals in the middle of last century, conservatives regrouped and decided to play the long game. Corporate elites made retaking the courts a priority and <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2021/07/liberal-judges-supreme-court-breyer/619333/">invested accordingly</a>. Conservative activists nurtured what Michaela Brangan, faculty in the <a href="https://www.amherst.edu/people/facstaff/mbrangan">Amherst Law Department</a>, calls "legal cadre" - a pipeline for ideologically extreme justices and funding for a tsunami of litigation. "The right's strategy has been bearing fruit via a growing number of cases for years," Brangan told me. "But the real harvest has been in the form of the current Court, whose majority comes directly from the cadre ranks."The fruits of these efforts include decisions such as 1976's Buckley V. Valeo and 2010's Citizens United V. FEC, which both tightened the vice grip of big money on our political system, eroding democracy by <a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/news/2019/01/citizens-united/">increasing</a> the power of big donors and corporations. There was also 2000's Bush V. Gore, in which five unelected individuals installed a president who had lost the popular vote. Both George W. Bush and Donald Trump were losers in that regard, and yet together they were able to appoint five justices to the Supreme Court bench. No wonder today's Republicans recognized the courts as essential to their success. As I've written <a href="https://popula.com/2020/12/09/yes-democracy-is-socialism/">elsewhere</a>, the <keyword id="11899365" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="republican" source="Orion">Republican</keyword> party has radicalized against democracy. Unable, or rather unwilling, to adapt their strategies to win over a majority of voters, they lean on other tools to ensure their dominance - including erroneously claiming election fraud to justify a spate of voter suppression laws. This duplicitous approach is all the more egregious given that the rules already tilt dramatically in their favor: The Electoral College favors rural Republican States - as does the Senate - and gerrymandering means Republicans can win a majority of seats in Congress even though they win less votes than the opposition. Taking control of the Supreme Court is the icing on the anti-democratic cake. <h2><keyword id="11896865" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="democrats" source="Orion">Democrats</keyword> can do more</h2>Republicans aren't the only ones who deserve blame. The court's 5 to 4 decision not to intervene in the Texas anti-abortion law is a reminder that had Ruth Bader Ginsberg stepped down in the early days of the Obama administration, there would likely have been a different outcome. The lionization of Ginsburg obscured the harm she committed by refusing to quit. Sadly, 83-year-old liberal justice Stephen Breyer <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/27/us/politics/justice-breyer-supreme-court-retirement.html">appears</a> set to make the same mistake, telling The New York Times, "I don't like making decisions about myself." Breyer needs to realize this decision is not, in fact, about him. It is about all of us. For the good of democracy, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/stephen-breyer-retire-justice-conservative-supreme-court-ginsburg-democrats-senate-2021-5">Breyer must retire</a>.Liberals cannot afford any more missteps. Democrats control the executive and legislative branches, which means they have the power to push back - a power they may lose after the midterms. Democrats in Congress can and must maneuver around the filibuster and pass expansive protections of voting and labor rights - the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/new-bill-end-influence-big-money-politics-reshape-democracy-2021-2">For the People Act</a> and the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/workers-screwed-over-too-long-pro-act-can-change-2021-5">PRO Act</a>, respectively - as a way to rebalance the political playing field, empower working people, and prevent Republican electoral shenanigans at the state level. As a candidate, President Joe Biden <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/biden-roe-v-wade-law-land-supreme-court-supporters/">vowed</a> to pass legislation to make Roe "the law of the land." He should tell Congress to overrule the Texas legislature, for example, by passing the <a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/senate-bill/1975/text">Women's Health Protection Act</a>.The stakes could not be higher. With the Supreme Court in conservative hands, Republicans have judges ready to strike down any liberal reform that they or their donors object to - regardless of whether such reforms are supported by the majority of the American people. Should Democrats manage to pass a Green New Deal or universal healthcare, the Court will be standing by to gut it. Such tyranny is unacceptable. The Lochner era only came to an end when Franklin D. Roosevelt threatened to pack the court. Joe Biden needs to do the same - and he should actually follow through.<h2>The Court must be dethroned</h2>Looking forward, liberals need to develop a court-seizing strategy of their own, akin to the project conservatives launched decades ago. But instead of strengthening the judicial branch, progressives must aspire to put the judiciary in its proper place. When it comes to the Supreme Court, Brangan maintains liberals "should full-throatedly support any and all efforts to limit its power." The courts should be an adjunct - not an arbiter or an adversary - of popular government.This urgent change starts within. The Supreme Court must be dethroned within the liberal imagination. For too long, progressives have romanticized the institution, attached to it a misguided ideal of enlightened justice meted out from on high - an ideal that is anti-democratic and counter-productive. Real democracy can only be built from the bottom up. As scholar Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor put it in a <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/our-columnists/the-case-for-ending-the-supreme-court-as-we-know-it">New Yorker</a> essay entitled "The Case for Ending the Supreme Court as We Know It," the court's finest moments - often aimed at reversing earlier bad decisions - typically followed in the wake of mass social movements and unrest. Right now, across the country, grassroots activists are helping women access abortions, fighting evictions, strengthening unions, and responding to climate change. Unlike the justices sitting on the bench, determined rule on behalf of out-of-touch elite, these movements remain democracy's best hope.

The Texas anti-abortion decision is the result of a decades-long plan by the right to take over the courts. It's time liberals start treating the Supreme Court as what it is: a warped, anti-democratic institution.

Valerie Macron/Getty ImagesBob Iger stepped down as Disney CEO on Tuesday.<ul class="summary-list"><li>Bob Iger stepped down from his role as Disney CEO on Tuesday and longtime Disney exec Bob Chapek took his place.</li><li>Iger led the company through major acquisitions and record-breaking box office success, but he leaves the role at an uncertain time for Disney's future.</li><li>The Wuhan coronavirus has already impacted Disney's business, concerns are being raised about Disney Plus, and the Fox merger has yet to pay off at the box office.</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/?hprecirc-bullet">Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories</a>.</li></ul>On Tuesday, Bob Iger <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/bob-chapek-to-succeed-bob-iger-as-disney-ceo-2020-2">abruptly stepped down</a> from his role as Disney CEO. The former chairman of Disney parks, experiences, and products, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/disney-ceo-bob-chapek-defends-profit-core-business-wall-street-2020-2">Bob Chapek, was named his successor</a>.Iger will remain with Disney as executive chairman through 2021, when his contract expires, and focus on its creative endeavors during his remaining time, the company said."In thinking about what I want to accomplish before I leave the company at the end of '21, getting everything right creatively would be my No. 1 goal," Iger told <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/25/business/media/bob-iger-disney-ceo.html">The New York Times</a>. "I could not do that if I were running the company on a day-to-day basis."Iger has downplayed the hasty nature of the announcement. He said during an investor call on Tuesday that it was "not accelerated for any particular reason" and that Chapek was identified "quite some time ago" as his likely successor.AP ImagesBob Chapek was named Disney CEO on Tuesday.But that hasn't convinced everyone. Investment firm Barclays called the announcement "abrupt and sudden" in a note on Tuesday."Given that Iger will remain with the company until his contract ends, it is not clear why the company felt the urgency to undertake the transition immediately," the note said. "Incrementally, the company did not name a successor to Chapek, which also seems to imply that the timing of the transition wasn't planned."Iger led the company through major acquisitions and to unprecedented box-office success in his 15 years as CEO, and he undoubtedly leaves his role on a high note. But he also leaves the role at an uncertain time and the decision raises major questions about Disney's future.Here they are:<h2>1. How will the Wuhan coronavirus impact Disney's business?</h2>Perhaps the biggest question hanging over Disney's Tuesday announcement was whether the Wuhan coronavirus, which has killed more than 2,000 people, had any impact on the decision, and how the virus could impact Disney's business going forward.Research firm Rosenblatt mentioned the coronavirus in a note on Wednesday, saying that Iger now has time to focus on laying "the framework for the next decade of Disney content" while Chapek takes control of the day-to-day business."The coronavirus is increasingly spreading outside of China which, if continues, would likely demand greater allocation of time from the CEO of Disney," the note said. "This could have ultimately taken away from Bob Iger's focus on content creation, a specialty of his. Leaving Bob Chapek, a Disney veteran with 27 years with the company to run the day-to-day business while Bob Iger is still in the building seems like a good reallocation of resources to us."Disney"Mulan's" global box office faces an unprecedented situation because of the coronavirus.Still, the coronavirus <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-wuhan-coronavirus-is-impacting-china-movie-business-disney-2020-1">has already affected Disney</a>. The Shanghai Disneyland resort (which Chapek was instrumental in opening) is closed because of concerns over the virus. In its earnings call earlier this month, Disney estimated that the park's quarterly operating income could drop by $135 million if it remains closed for two months. Disney's global box office during the coronavirus outbreak is another topic of concern, notably its big-budget, live-action "Mulan" remake. China's nearly <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/coronavirus-theater-closures-cost-china-movie-business-over-1-billion-2020-2">70,000 theaters are closed</a> in response to the coronavirus and the country, which is the second biggest theatrical market in the world behind the US, was expected to be a major force in the movie's international box-office haul.It's unknown when China's theaters will reopen. "Mulan" has a global release date of March 27, but it's likely that the movie's China release will be postponed - a potentially damaging scenario considering its $200 million production budget. "The longer this tragic situation continues, the greater the impact will be on all of the studios, their movies, and indeed all of the arts in China," Paul Dergarabedian, the Comscore senior media analyst, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-wuhan-coronavirus-could-impact-mulans-global-box-office-2020-2">told Business Insider</a>. "Of course, there will still be a natural hesitation to avoid public spaces even when the situation is contained, so release dates for the 2020 overall movie slate in China could change dramatically."<h2>2. Is Disney Plus in trouble?</h2>An essential part of Iger's legacy will be the launch of Disney's streaming service, Disney Plus, which debuted in November. Disney announced earlier this month that the service <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/disney-plus-has-265-million-subscribers-since-launching-in-november-2020-2">had 28.6 million subscribers</a>. Its live-action "Star Wars" TV series, "The Mandalorian," was <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/the-mandalorian-beats-stranger-things-as-top-streaming-show-us-2019-11">immensely popular with audiences</a> and the show's breakout star, Baby Yoda, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/why-mandalorian-baby-yoda-toys-merch-isnt-on-sale-explained-2019-12">is an internet sensation</a>.Disney Plus"The Mandalorian"But concerns are starting to be raised about the service's future.Bernstein analyst Todd Juenger <a href="https://nypost.com/2020/02/24/disney-streaming-falters-due-to-lack-of-adult-programs-experts-say/">wrote in a recent report</a> that Disney Plus had probably already reached its peak net adds and "there will probably never be another year where Disney Plus adds as many subscribers as it did in the first year, or frankly in its first quarter."Many analysts believed that Kevin Mayer, Disney's head of direct-to-consumer and international, would succeed Iger. And the fact that he didn't land the job could signal incoming challenges for Disney Plus."The company has made a massive bet on streaming with its ~$70 billion Fox acquisition and the launch of Disney Plus," Barclays said in its note, adding that there was some expectation among investors that Mayer was a CEO candidate.How audiences respond to Disney Plus' upcoming projects could be a major sign for the service's future. Though it has a deep back catalog of Disney content, Disney Plus is not releasing the volume of new TV shows and movies that Netflix is, placing greater weight on each new release.Marvel Cinematic Universe TV shows, "The Falcon and the Winter Soldier" and "WandaVision," debut later this year (the latter was moved up from 2021). "The Mandalorian" season two also premieres this fall.<h2>3. What's going on with the 'Star Wars' franchise?</h2>While Disney has a collection of some of the most popular entertainment franchises in the world, from Marvel to Pixar, it hasn't quite figured out what to do with "Star Wars."Yes, each movie in the new trilogy of the Disney era grossed over $1 billion. But they also each saw a decline from the last one at the box office and the latest, "The Rise of Skywalker," was the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/rise-of-skywalker-worst-reviewed-star-wars-since-phantom-menace-2019-12">worst reviewed "Star Wars" movie in 20 years</a>. And after "Solo: A Star Wars Story" disappointed (it made less than $400 million globally) Iger expressed regret about Disney's annual "Star Wars" release strategy."I made the timing decision, and as I look back, I think the mistake that I made - I take the blame - was a little too much, too fast," Iger told <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/disney-ceo-bob-iger-get-ready-for-a-slowdown-on-star-wars-films-2018-9">The Hollywood Reporter</a> in 2018. "You can expect some slowdown, but that doesn't mean we're not going to make films."He's reiterated that sentiment more recently, telling Bloomberg in November that there didn't seem to be much demand for "Star Wars" standalone movies.Disney/LucasfilmDaisy Ridley as Rey in "Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker"Disney's "Star Wars" movies have faced production woes, from Ron Howard coming on "Solo" as director late into production, to significant script rewrites and reshoots on "Rogue One." There is a "Star Wars" movie on Disney's release schedule for 2022 that is expected to start a new trilogy, but its writers and producers (David Benioff and D.B. Weiss), <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/game-of-thrones-creators-reportedly-exited-star-wars-toxic-fandom-2019-10">exited the project in October</a>. Disney has not announced any updates.Other "Star Wars" projects have been announced, such as from "The Last Jedi" director Rian Johnson and Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige, but with few details or updates.Disney also hasn't figured out how to sell "Star Wars" in the crucial Chinese market. "The Rise of Skywalker" <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/star-wars-rise-of-skywalker-flop-at-china-box-office-2019-12">flopped in the region</a> and, to put it in perspective, each movie before that <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/marvel-china-popularity-over-star-wars-shows-franchise-is-more-valuable-2019-5">made less money combined in China</a> than what "Avengers: Endgame" made there in a week.With all that in mind, Disney seems to be betting big on Disney Plus when it comes to "Star Wars." "The Mandalorian" is a hit and more live-action series are in development, including a "Rogue One" prequel and an Obi-Wan Kenobi series. Fortunately, "The Mandalorian" suggested that the franchise <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/disney-plus-the-mandalorian-delivers-a-worthy-star-wars-finale-2019-12">can make the transition to live-action television</a> with new characters and stories that satisfied fans new and old. <h2>4. How long will it take for the 20th Century movies to pay off?</h2>Disney closed its acquisition of Fox's film studio (which it recently renamed 20th Century Studios) and many of its television assets last year <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/disney-fox-merger-top-execs-peter-rice-dana-walden-alan-horn-2019-1">in a deal worth a whopping $71.3 billion</a>. Disney acquired James Cameron's "Avatar" sequels and other major movie assets in the deal - but it has yet to pay off at cinemas.Most of the 20th Century movies that Disney inherited have been box-office flops. During its Q3 earnings report last year, Disney blamed a $173 million quarterly operating loss <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/x-men-franchise-can-rebound-from-dark-phoenix-marvel-disney-2019-8">largely on the X-Men movie "Dark Phoenix,"</a> which was made for $200 million and barely crossed that at the global box office. Here are some other 20th Century movies that have underperformed since the Disney acquisition:<ul><li>"The Art of Racing in the Rain" made $33 million worldwide off of a $20 million production budget.</li><li>Brad Pitt's sci-fi drama "Ad Astra" earned $132 million and was produced for $87.5 million.</li><li>"The Call of the Wild," starring Harrison Ford, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/call-of-the-wild-sonic-the-hedgehog-box-office-battle-2020-2">performed better than expected</a> over the weekend with $24 million, but <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/call-of-the-wild-to-be-another-disney-fox-flop-2020-2">that's still disappointing</a> considering its hefty $135 million budget.</li></ul>20th Century StudiosHarrison Ford in "The Call of the Wild""It will probably take a solid year, maybe two years, before we can have an impact on the films in production," Iger <a href="https://variety.com/2019/film/news/disney-fox-xmen-marvel-studio-losses-1203294296/">said during a Q3 earnings call</a> last year. "We're all confident we're going to turn around the results of Fox live action."Of course, 20th Century's slate had little impact on Disney's box-office dominance in 2019. The company grossed $3.76 billion domestically and $11.12 billion globally in 2019, both box-office records, and released six movies that earned more than $1 billion at the box office - including "Avengers: Endgame," the biggest movie of all time.But without an "Avengers," "Star Wars," or highly anticipated Pixar sequel on the release schedule this year, 2020 won't reach those heights and <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/non-disney-movies-that-could-boost-the-box-office-2020-1">the box office will be more evenly distributed between studios</a> - another potential reason that Iger saw now as the right time to step down as CEO and fully dive into the company's creative aspirations.If you have a tip about Disney, contact the author at tclark@businessinsider.com or DM him on Twitter @TravClark2. <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/youtube-influencer-creator-crash-course-how-to-make-money-ads-2020-2">CRASH COURSE: An influencer explains how YouTube ads work, her advice for making more money, and how much she earns</a></h3>

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