Iowa auditor questions legality of Test Iowa reporting chain

Jill Goldsmith Co-Business EditorHeat around music video sharing app Tiktok racheted up Friday as President Donald Trump said he’s considering taking steps to ban the service, which is owned by Chinese company ByteDance amid reports that Microsoft — yes Microsoft — is interested in buying it.The Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States has been weighing whether the Trump Administration should force Beijing-based ByteDance to sell TikTok’s U.S. operations.

Todd Spangler NY Digital EditorDonald Trump is gearing up to issue an order requiring ByteDance to sell its ownership interest in TikTok, , according to multiple reports — otherwise, he’s threatening to ban the short-form video app over security concerns about its ties to China.At the same time, Microsoft is currently in talks to buy TikTok, per reports by Bloomberg and the New York Times, citing anonymous sources.

Nancy Tartaglione International Box Office Editor/Senior ContributorWith some of China’s cinemas reopened this week in low-risk areas, and as tomorrow sees Beijing get partially back to business as well, box office has continued to rise. As of 11:30PM tonight local time, Thursday’s takings hit $940K, according to ticketing service Maoyan.

LOS ANGELES — Nick Cannon said on Thursday he was stepping away for a while from his radio show after an uproar over anti-Semitic comments that led to him being dropped by one television network but kept on as host of “The Masked Singer.”

Nancy Tartaglione International Box Office Editor/Senior ContributorAs Chinese cinemas began the reopening process today, box office crossed $472K by 8PM local. Maoyan’s real-time ticketing platform reports that play is led by new entry A First Farewell at around $184K.

LOS ANGELES — Nick Cannon said on Thursday he was stepping away for a while from his radio show after an uproar over anti-Semitic comments that led to him being dropped by one television network but kept on as host of “The Masked Singer.”“I have decided to take some time away from my radio show so I can commit myself to deeper, more thorough reflection and education,” Cannon said on Twitter. His “Nick Cannon Mornings” show is syndicated nationwideMorning radio family.

China's largest cinema chain operator Wanda Film said it expects to lose $214 to $228 million (RMB 1.5 to 1.6 billion) in the first half of 2020 thanks to over five months on continual cinema shutdowns in response to the coronavirus pandemic. The decline represents a stark reversal of fortunes from the $75 million profit the Chinese exhibition giant reported during the same period in 2019.

Rebecca Davis editorChinese production firm Aim Media has sold the North American rights of director Yang Lina’s “Spring Tide” to distributor China Lion. Smart Cinema, the new venture by former Wanda executive Jack Gao, has also bought the rights to screen the film on its platform in South Korea.

Bruce Haring pmc-editorial-managerUPDATE: ESPN has suspended NBA star reporter without pay, according to reports, the result of an obscene message he tweeted in reply to US Senator Josh Hawley.Wojnarowski will not be in Orlando, Florida to cover the NBA restart of its pandemic-shortened season. The length of his suspension has not been revealed.Hawley, a Republican from Missouri, sent a mass letter criticizing NBA commissioner Adam Silver and the league’s relationship with China.

Keeping Up With The Kardashians star Kylie Jenner is currently enjoying a lavish holiday in Utah.The youngest of the reality TV dynasty, who was recently stripped of 'world's youngest self-made billionaire’ title, is staying at the five star Amangiri resort in Canyon Point. Rooms at the architecturally stunning hotel start at £2,615 and can reach whopping highs of £5,070 per night, but that is still somewhat affordable by the make-up mogul’s standard.

Tom Grater International Film ReporterEXCLUSIVE: Leading Russian animation outfit Riki Group has signed a deal with Beijing-based producer and distributor Joy Culture and Chinese platform Tencent Video to partner on season four of animated series The Fixies.Following its acquisition of the show’s third season, Tencent will now invest in the production of 52 new episodes of the series, which follows the comical misadventures of Tom Thomas and his secret friendship with Simka and Nolik, two young

Tom Grater International Film ReporterEXCLUSIVE: Chinese crime drama Sheep Without A Shepherd, one of the last big box office hits in China before cinemas were forced to shutdown, grossing $167M, has been set for a UK theatrical release by distributor Trinity CineAsia.Theaters have started re-opening in the UK and multiplexes including Cineworld and Vue are set to following in the coming weeks.

China has reported a case of deadly dengue fever after it detected a man suffering from bubonic plague. Officials say a person was taken ill with the infection - which is spread by mosquitos - in the eastern city of Guangde on Sunday.

Rebecca Davis editorHong Kong “Mulan” star Donnie Yen this week reiterated his political loyalty to mainland China as he teased work on the upcoming theatrical adaptation of popular video game “Sleeping Dogs” and announced “Golden Empire,” a new China-backed crime thriller.His hometown is currently roiling under the impact of a controversial new national security law imposed by Beijing that strips Hong Kong of many of its former freedoms, which came into effect July 1 — the anniversary of