In this April 29, 2020 file photo, a message on the ticket window at the AMC Burbank 16 movie theaters complex informs potential customers that it is currently closed in Burbank, Calif. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello, File)
SACRAMENTO, Calif. --
Gov. Gavin Newsom’s administration has added movie theaters to the list of those venues in California that can reopen–but only under certain conditions and with approval from local health authorities. Reopening could begin as soon as this Friday (6/12).
Theaters looking to reopen will need to limit attendance to 25 percent of theater capacity or 100 customers, whichever amount is lower. This rule may be relaxed after a couple of weeks. Whether theater owners will opt to reopen under these limitations remains to be seen.
Local health departments will have to approve theater openings based on how the communities in question are faring relative to coronavirus infection rates, testing availability and the ability to track COVID-19 cases.
Theaters returning to operation could pave the way for some major releases still scheduled for July, including Tenet (Warner Bros.) and the live-action Mulan (Disney).
Suchir Balaji poses for a photo in Hawaii in 2018. Balaji was a former OpenAI engineer and whistleblower who died in November 2024. (Balaji Ramamurthy via AP)
Suchir Balaji, a former OpenAI engineer and whistleblower who helped train the artificial intelligence systems behind ChatGPT and later said he believed those practices violated copyright law, has died, according to his parents and San Francisco officials. He was 26.
Balaji worked at OpenAI for nearly four years before quitting in August. He was well-regarded by colleagues at the San Francisco company, where a co-founder this week called him one of OpenAI's strongest contributors who was essential to developing some of its products.
"We are devastated to learn of this incredibly sad news and our hearts go out to Suchir's loved ones during this difficult time," said a statement from OpenAI.
Balaji was found dead in his San Francisco apartment on Nov. 26 in what police said "appeared to be a suicide. No evidence of foul play was found during the initial investigation." The city's chief medical examiner's office confirmed the manner of death to be suicide.
His parents Poornima Ramarao and Balaji Ramamurthy said they are still seeking answers, describing their son as a "happy, smart and brave young man" who loved to hike and recently returned from a trip with friends.
Balaji grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area and first arrived at the fledgling AI research lab for a 2018 summer internship while studying computer science at the University of California, Berkeley. He returned a few years later to work at OpenAI, where one of his first projects, called WebGPT, helped pave the way for ChatGPT.
"Suchir's contributions to this project were essential, and it wouldn't have succeeded without him," said OpenAI co-founder John Schulman in a social media post memorializing Balaji. Schulman, who recruited Balaji to his team, said what... Read More
