Ronn Torossian Update

Among the big-name acts that closed their doors at the beginning of the COVID-19 outbreak was the popular circus acrobatics stage show, Cirque du Soleil. At the time they suspended shows, the company didn’t know when – or if – they would be able to resume. Now, that plan is coming together, and they are excited to share that with fans.

This fall, millions of sports fans expect that their favorite pro athletes will be back in action, in some form or another, as all major US sports leagues have announced some working plans for reopening their next seasons, or in some cases, restarting their season already in progress. NASCAR is already racing, the NBA is working on a playoff plan, as is the NHL; and the NFL plans to begin the regular season with fans in the stands, though that’s subject to potential change.

The collision of technology and privacy has become a hot topic internationally in the digital age. Consumers worry if too much of their personal data is being shared online, and others wonder if there’s any limit to what kind of data companies can gather on them. However, they still love being connected and the convenience of online mobile devices and social media applications, for whom data collection is a key part of their business model.

Another week, and the New York Times editorial team is still in the headlines, as the fallout continues over the publication of an op-ed by U.S. Senator Tom Cotton, which some Times’ staffers considered controversial. Now, editorial page editor, James Bennet, has resigned and Jim Dao, a deputy editorial page editor, has been “reassigned” to the newsroom. Deputy editorial page editor, Katie Kingsbury, will take over for Bennet and Dao at least through the national election in November.

Not long ago, most retail market experts were forecasting the end of malls and their anchor department stores. More and more big brands were closing locations or going out of business altogether. Then came COVID-19 closures, and many said those empty shopping centers were the last straw. But, something interesting and, some have said, unexpected has happened. Macy’s is putting up better-than-expected numbers after reopening since COVID-19 temporarily closed its doors.

While the company expected to see at least a one-billion-dollar operating loss in Q1, customers have come flocking back, which has led Macy’s to drop its loss projections well under a billion. Still not great, but much less bad news in this environment is still good news.

Volkswagen is apologizing after a social media ad was called “racist” by some consumers. In the ad, a giant white hand initially shoves a dark-skinned man away from a Volkswagen car. When the man tries to hold his ground, the giant hand flicks him away from the car.

That might have been enough for some to cry foul, but there’s more. According to reports in the Associated Press and other media outlets, the name of the café into which the man is “flicked” translates as “Little Colonist,” and, when the name of the vehicle comes on screen, the initially jumbled letters reportedly, and briefly, spelled out a racial slur.

It has become one of the most iconic performances in sports history: The Flu Game. During the 1997 NBA Finals against the Utah Jazz, Chicago Bulls megastar Michael Jordan scored 38 points, helping his team take game five in the series 90-88. A tight margin in what would be a hard-fought series. That game helped cement Jordan’s already incredible legacy, as people are still using it as the bar against which all ‘will to win’ is measured.

For decades, basketball fans believed a flu-stricken Jordan led his team to victory through the sheer force of his indomitable will and incredible talent. But, an episode of the popular ESPN docu-series, The Last Dance, tells a different version of the story. At least, in the episode, Jordan does.