Taylor Swift Donates $5 Million Toward Hurricane Relief Efforts

FILE - Taylor Swift performs at Wembley Stadium as part of her Eras Tour June 21, 2024, in London. (Photo by Scott A Garfitt/Invision/AP, File)
FILE - Taylor Swift performs at Wembley Stadium as part of her Eras Tour June 21, 2024, in London. (Photo by Scott A Garfitt/Invision/AP, File)
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Taylor Swift Donates $5 Million Toward Hurricane Relief Efforts

FILE - Taylor Swift performs at Wembley Stadium as part of her Eras Tour June 21, 2024, in London. (Photo by Scott A Garfitt/Invision/AP, File)
FILE - Taylor Swift performs at Wembley Stadium as part of her Eras Tour June 21, 2024, in London. (Photo by Scott A Garfitt/Invision/AP, File)

Taylor Swift has donated $5 million to Feeding America to support relief efforts in the aftermath of Hurricanes Helene and Milton, The Associated Press reported.
The nonprofit announced the pop star's donation Wednesday with a “Thank You” graphic resembling a friendship bracelet, a favorite accessory that Swift's fans trade at her concerts.
Feeding America is “incredibly grateful” for the donation, CEO Claire Babineaux-Fontenot said in a statement.
“This contribution will help communities rebuild and recover, providing essential food, clean water, and supplies to people affected by these devastating storms," the statement continued. “Together, we can make a real impact in supporting families as they navigate the challenges ahead.”
The organization also encouraged fans and supporters to “join Taylor” in contributing to relief efforts.
Swift's longtime friends, actors Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds, also donated $1 million to Feeding America to support the hurricane relief efforts. Babineaux-Fontenot said in a statement that the couple's “longtime support of Feeding America in times of crisis” has helped provide basic needs for several past natural disasters.
Swift has a long history of donating to nonprofits in the wake of natural disasters or tragic events, including a tornado that hit Tennessee in 2020 and a shooting in February 2024 at the Kansas City Chiefs’ Super Bowl victory parade.
Her philanthropic relationship with food banks became a quiet hallmark of her record-breaking Eras Tour, with the singer donating the equivalent of hundreds of thousands of meals to different food banks across cities she played in.



Sega Ninja Game ‘Shinobi’ Gets Movie Treatment

"Shinobi" was originally created for Japanese arcades in 1987 and features a ninja character who fights to stop a criminal organization that kidnaps child ninjas. (AFP)
"Shinobi" was originally created for Japanese arcades in 1987 and features a ninja character who fights to stop a criminal organization that kidnaps child ninjas. (AFP)
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Sega Ninja Game ‘Shinobi’ Gets Movie Treatment

"Shinobi" was originally created for Japanese arcades in 1987 and features a ninja character who fights to stop a criminal organization that kidnaps child ninjas. (AFP)
"Shinobi" was originally created for Japanese arcades in 1987 and features a ninja character who fights to stop a criminal organization that kidnaps child ninjas. (AFP)

Sega said Wednesday one of its most popular games, "Shinobi", will be made into a movie in a joint project with Universal Pictures, aiming to emulate the success of "Super Mario Bros".

The Japanese gamemaker did not give a target date for the release but said it had "started the development of a film production" with the Hollywood behemoth.

"Shinobi" was originally created for Japanese arcades in 1987 and features a ninja character who fights to stop a criminal organization that kidnaps child ninjas.

It is the latest effort to cash in on a video-game adaptation craze after "The Super Mario Bros. Movie" became the second-highest grossing film of 2023, following a 2020 adaptation of Sega's "Sonic the Hedgehog".

Last month, Electronic Arts confirmed that a much-rumored movie based on its life-simulation gaming series "The Sims" will be developed by Amazon MGM Studios.

"Shinobi is one of Sega's most popular series worldwide, along with Sonic the Hedgehog," Sega said on Wednesday.

The movie will be directed by Sam Hargrave, whose first feature film was the 2020 Netflix movie "Extraction" starring Chris Hemsworth.

Sega said the companies hope the "Shinobi" movie will find box office success like "Super Mario Bros".

In March, Nintendo announced that the red-capped Italian plumber will hit the silver screen again in 2026.

Nintendo is also working on a live-action film of another hugely successful franchise, "The Legend of Zelda", together with Sony, maker of the rival PlayStation console.