The longtime CEO of publisher Scholastic, Richard Robinson, left his controlling stake in the company to his longtime executive and romantic partner, Iole Lucchese. However, Robinson's sons are challenging the will and want information on their father's promises and plans. A legal battle is ensuing as the sons believe Robinson planned to change his will and provide for them, while Lucchese now controls the majority of voting shares in the company. Tensions are rising between Lucchese and the Robinson family over the succession.
The document is a weekly newsletter that includes articles on various topics such as music, dining, arts, and opinions. It discusses an upcoming concert by the Treble Voices Chamber Choir. The main editorial criticizes America's attitudes towards sex and argues that overly stigmatizing sex can lead to more unhealthy attitudes.
This document provides information about the musical production "Evil Dead: The Musical" including:
- It combines elements from three Sam Raimi films - The Evil Dead, Evil Dead 2, and Army of Darkness.
- The story focuses on five friends spending a weekend in a cabin in the woods where they unleash the powers of the Necronomicon.
- The production features a high amount of fake blood, guts, and gore flying around the stage as people are attacked by Deadites.
Loving The Outcast James 2:1-13 Adapted from a Jim Kilson sermon http://www.sermoncentral.com/sermons/loving-the-outcast-jim-kilson-sermon-on-compassion-78429.asp
This document discusses the issue of homosexuality and same-sex marriage from a biblical perspective. It provides background on countries that have legalized same-sex marriage, including the US Supreme Court decision in 2015. The document then examines what the Bible says about homosexuality, citing passages that condemn homosexual acts. It suggests officials in countries legalizing same-sex marriage no longer take God's word as authority. Finally, it proposes Christians should respond by sharing the gospel truth in love, while upholding biblical teachings, and offering hope of forgiveness and transformation to all sinners.
men seeking men in miami ,
men seeking men miami ,
women seeking men in miami ,
women seeking men miami ,
women seeking women miami ,
miami hook up ,
single men in miami ,
The document provides instructions for creating an account and submitting a paper writing request on the HelpWriting.net website. It outlines a 5-step process: 1) Create an account with an email and password. 2) Complete a 10-minute order form providing instructions, sources, and deadline. 3) Review bids from writers and choose one. 4) Review the completed paper and authorize payment. 5) Request revisions to ensure satisfaction, with the option of a full refund for plagiarized work.
John Edward Robinson is a convicted serial killer who was found guilty of murdering 3 women and received the death penalty for two of the murders. He has since admitted to killing 5 additional women and meeting most of his victims through online chat rooms, earning him the nickname "the Internet's first serial killer". Robinson has a long history of fraud, embezzlement, forgery and has been incarcerated multiple times for these crimes. He would gain his victims' trust by promising them jobs or relationships before killing them. Robinson was finally arrested in 2000 after the remains of 5 women were found in chemical drums on his property and in a storage unit he rented, leading to his conviction.
The document discusses the ownership of Kindercare, the largest provider of preschool education and childcare in the US. It notes that Kindercare is owned by Kohlberg Kravis Roberts (KKR), whose founder Henry Kravis is a close friend of former President George Bush. The document alleges that George Bush is one of the world's most famous pedophiles and child killers. It questions how Kravis can be so close to Bush for so long without knowing about these allegations against him, and how he can own Kindercare given Bush's alleged crimes against children. The document also discusses historical examples of forced sterilization of children in North Carolina connected to the Bush family.
The document is a weekly newsletter that includes articles on various topics such as music, dining, arts, and opinions. It discusses an upcoming concert by the Treble Voices Chamber Choir. The main editorial criticizes America's attitudes towards sex and argues that overly stigmatizing sex can lead to more unhealthy attitudes.
This document provides information about the musical production "Evil Dead: The Musical" including:
- It combines elements from three Sam Raimi films - The Evil Dead, Evil Dead 2, and Army of Darkness.
- The story focuses on five friends spending a weekend in a cabin in the woods where they unleash the powers of the Necronomicon.
- The production features a high amount of fake blood, guts, and gore flying around the stage as people are attacked by Deadites.
Loving The Outcast James 2:1-13 Adapted from a Jim Kilson sermon http://www.sermoncentral.com/sermons/loving-the-outcast-jim-kilson-sermon-on-compassion-78429.asp
This document discusses the issue of homosexuality and same-sex marriage from a biblical perspective. It provides background on countries that have legalized same-sex marriage, including the US Supreme Court decision in 2015. The document then examines what the Bible says about homosexuality, citing passages that condemn homosexual acts. It suggests officials in countries legalizing same-sex marriage no longer take God's word as authority. Finally, it proposes Christians should respond by sharing the gospel truth in love, while upholding biblical teachings, and offering hope of forgiveness and transformation to all sinners.
men seeking men in miami ,
men seeking men miami ,
women seeking men in miami ,
women seeking men miami ,
women seeking women miami ,
miami hook up ,
single men in miami ,
The document provides instructions for creating an account and submitting a paper writing request on the HelpWriting.net website. It outlines a 5-step process: 1) Create an account with an email and password. 2) Complete a 10-minute order form providing instructions, sources, and deadline. 3) Review bids from writers and choose one. 4) Review the completed paper and authorize payment. 5) Request revisions to ensure satisfaction, with the option of a full refund for plagiarized work.
John Edward Robinson is a convicted serial killer who was found guilty of murdering 3 women and received the death penalty for two of the murders. He has since admitted to killing 5 additional women and meeting most of his victims through online chat rooms, earning him the nickname "the Internet's first serial killer". Robinson has a long history of fraud, embezzlement, forgery and has been incarcerated multiple times for these crimes. He would gain his victims' trust by promising them jobs or relationships before killing them. Robinson was finally arrested in 2000 after the remains of 5 women were found in chemical drums on his property and in a storage unit he rented, leading to his conviction.
The document discusses the ownership of Kindercare, the largest provider of preschool education and childcare in the US. It notes that Kindercare is owned by Kohlberg Kravis Roberts (KKR), whose founder Henry Kravis is a close friend of former President George Bush. The document alleges that George Bush is one of the world's most famous pedophiles and child killers. It questions how Kravis can be so close to Bush for so long without knowing about these allegations against him, and how he can own Kindercare given Bush's alleged crimes against children. The document also discusses historical examples of forced sterilization of children in North Carolina connected to the Bush family.
An astonishing, first-of-its-kind, report by the NYT assessing damage in Ukraine. Even if the war ends tomorrow, in many places there will be nothing to go back to.
OpenAI, Google and Meta ignored corporate policies, altered their own rules and discussed skirting copyright law as they sought online information to train their newest artificial intelligence systems.
I have never seen any movie like it, ever. There are no words. Simply, “The Zone of Interest” is the greatest meditation ever made on film about the banality of evil and the capacity of human beings to be indifferent towards cruelty that beggars imagination.
Kai-Fu Lee, an AI expert and prominent investor who helped Google and Microsoft get established in China, says his new startup 01.AI will create the first “killer apps” of generative AI.
This document is the first part of a three-part series exploring issues with measuring and evaluating AI systems. It discusses how AI was traditionally evaluated by benchmarks like chess games, but that benchmarks are limited for large language models like GPT-3. Old tests like the Turing Test are no longer relevant as newer models can mimic humans. The document examines the history of focusing on data-driven approaches to progress AI and how that led to more complex models that are difficult to properly evaluate. It introduces the need to address challenges in evaluating large language models to help guide their development and impact.
Google introduced its new AI model Gemini this week, which showed impressive capabilities. However, Google exaggerated in its promotional video for Gemini by speeding up responses, shortening outputs, and using still images rather than video. While hype videos often take artistic license, people in the AI community felt Google's exaggerations went too far. The misleading marketing tactics damaged Google's credibility with developers and onlookers, though its parent company Alphabet's stock still rose following the announcement.
Previously redacted portions of the Federal Trade Commission’s lawsuit against Amazon allege Bezos gave the go-ahead to make search results worse in favor of increasing advertising revenue
This article discusses 16-year-old Alexandra Duarte's decision to undergo bariatric surgery to address her severe obesity. It describes her struggles over many years trying different diets and programs, as well as bullying due to her weight. The article provides context on the rise of childhood obesity in the US and debates around new guidelines recommending more aggressive treatment, including drugs and surgery. It also explores the biological factors that influence appetite and weight regulation in the brain and genes.
Alleged censorship of social media and disruptions to electricity and internet access have meant people under fire in Gaza can’t get the information they need to survive.
A flood of false information, partisan narratives, and weaponized “fact-checking" has obscured efforts to find out who’s responsible for an explosion at a hospital in Gaza.
The US and EU finalized a long-awaited data-sharing agreement that will allow personal data to continue flowing freely between the two regions. The deal establishes an independent review body for Europeans to appeal potential improper data collection by US intelligence agencies. It also outlines more clearly when intelligence agencies can access personal data of EU residents and how Europeans can appeal such collection. Some privacy advocates and EU lawmakers remain skeptical that it does enough to curb US mass surveillance.
He wrote a book on a rare subject. Then a ChatGPT replica appeared on Amazon.
From recipes to product reviews to how-to books, artificial intelligence text generators are quietly authoring more and more of the internet.
ChatGPT invented a sexual harassment scandal and named a real law prof as the accused. The AI chatbot can misrepresent key facts with great flourish, even citing a fake Washington Post article as evidence.
UiPath Test Automation using UiPath Test Suite series, part 6DianaGray10
Welcome to UiPath Test Automation using UiPath Test Suite series part 6. In this session, we will cover Test Automation with generative AI and Open AI.
UiPath Test Automation with generative AI and Open AI webinar offers an in-depth exploration of leveraging cutting-edge technologies for test automation within the UiPath platform. Attendees will delve into the integration of generative AI, a test automation solution, with Open AI advanced natural language processing capabilities.
Throughout the session, participants will discover how this synergy empowers testers to automate repetitive tasks, enhance testing accuracy, and expedite the software testing life cycle. Topics covered include the seamless integration process, practical use cases, and the benefits of harnessing AI-driven automation for UiPath testing initiatives. By attending this webinar, testers, and automation professionals can gain valuable insights into harnessing the power of AI to optimize their test automation workflows within the UiPath ecosystem, ultimately driving efficiency and quality in software development processes.
What will you get from this session?
1. Insights into integrating generative AI.
2. Understanding how this integration enhances test automation within the UiPath platform
3. Practical demonstrations
4. Exploration of real-world use cases illustrating the benefits of AI-driven test automation for UiPath
Topics covered:
What is generative AI
Test Automation with generative AI and Open AI.
UiPath integration with generative AI
Speaker:
Deepak Rai, Automation Practice Lead, Boundaryless Group and UiPath MVP
GridMate - End to end testing is a critical piece to ensure quality and avoid...ThomasParaiso2
End to end testing is a critical piece to ensure quality and avoid regressions. In this session, we share our journey building an E2E testing pipeline for GridMate components (LWC and Aura) using Cypress, JSForce, FakerJS…
More Related Content
More from LUMINATIVE MEDIA/PROJECT COUNSEL MEDIA GROUP
An astonishing, first-of-its-kind, report by the NYT assessing damage in Ukraine. Even if the war ends tomorrow, in many places there will be nothing to go back to.
OpenAI, Google and Meta ignored corporate policies, altered their own rules and discussed skirting copyright law as they sought online information to train their newest artificial intelligence systems.
I have never seen any movie like it, ever. There are no words. Simply, “The Zone of Interest” is the greatest meditation ever made on film about the banality of evil and the capacity of human beings to be indifferent towards cruelty that beggars imagination.
Kai-Fu Lee, an AI expert and prominent investor who helped Google and Microsoft get established in China, says his new startup 01.AI will create the first “killer apps” of generative AI.
This document is the first part of a three-part series exploring issues with measuring and evaluating AI systems. It discusses how AI was traditionally evaluated by benchmarks like chess games, but that benchmarks are limited for large language models like GPT-3. Old tests like the Turing Test are no longer relevant as newer models can mimic humans. The document examines the history of focusing on data-driven approaches to progress AI and how that led to more complex models that are difficult to properly evaluate. It introduces the need to address challenges in evaluating large language models to help guide their development and impact.
Google introduced its new AI model Gemini this week, which showed impressive capabilities. However, Google exaggerated in its promotional video for Gemini by speeding up responses, shortening outputs, and using still images rather than video. While hype videos often take artistic license, people in the AI community felt Google's exaggerations went too far. The misleading marketing tactics damaged Google's credibility with developers and onlookers, though its parent company Alphabet's stock still rose following the announcement.
Previously redacted portions of the Federal Trade Commission’s lawsuit against Amazon allege Bezos gave the go-ahead to make search results worse in favor of increasing advertising revenue
This article discusses 16-year-old Alexandra Duarte's decision to undergo bariatric surgery to address her severe obesity. It describes her struggles over many years trying different diets and programs, as well as bullying due to her weight. The article provides context on the rise of childhood obesity in the US and debates around new guidelines recommending more aggressive treatment, including drugs and surgery. It also explores the biological factors that influence appetite and weight regulation in the brain and genes.
Alleged censorship of social media and disruptions to electricity and internet access have meant people under fire in Gaza can’t get the information they need to survive.
A flood of false information, partisan narratives, and weaponized “fact-checking" has obscured efforts to find out who’s responsible for an explosion at a hospital in Gaza.
The US and EU finalized a long-awaited data-sharing agreement that will allow personal data to continue flowing freely between the two regions. The deal establishes an independent review body for Europeans to appeal potential improper data collection by US intelligence agencies. It also outlines more clearly when intelligence agencies can access personal data of EU residents and how Europeans can appeal such collection. Some privacy advocates and EU lawmakers remain skeptical that it does enough to curb US mass surveillance.
He wrote a book on a rare subject. Then a ChatGPT replica appeared on Amazon.
From recipes to product reviews to how-to books, artificial intelligence text generators are quietly authoring more and more of the internet.
ChatGPT invented a sexual harassment scandal and named a real law prof as the accused. The AI chatbot can misrepresent key facts with great flourish, even citing a fake Washington Post article as evidence.
More from LUMINATIVE MEDIA/PROJECT COUNSEL MEDIA GROUP (20)
UiPath Test Automation using UiPath Test Suite series, part 6DianaGray10
Welcome to UiPath Test Automation using UiPath Test Suite series part 6. In this session, we will cover Test Automation with generative AI and Open AI.
UiPath Test Automation with generative AI and Open AI webinar offers an in-depth exploration of leveraging cutting-edge technologies for test automation within the UiPath platform. Attendees will delve into the integration of generative AI, a test automation solution, with Open AI advanced natural language processing capabilities.
Throughout the session, participants will discover how this synergy empowers testers to automate repetitive tasks, enhance testing accuracy, and expedite the software testing life cycle. Topics covered include the seamless integration process, practical use cases, and the benefits of harnessing AI-driven automation for UiPath testing initiatives. By attending this webinar, testers, and automation professionals can gain valuable insights into harnessing the power of AI to optimize their test automation workflows within the UiPath ecosystem, ultimately driving efficiency and quality in software development processes.
What will you get from this session?
1. Insights into integrating generative AI.
2. Understanding how this integration enhances test automation within the UiPath platform
3. Practical demonstrations
4. Exploration of real-world use cases illustrating the benefits of AI-driven test automation for UiPath
Topics covered:
What is generative AI
Test Automation with generative AI and Open AI.
UiPath integration with generative AI
Speaker:
Deepak Rai, Automation Practice Lead, Boundaryless Group and UiPath MVP
GridMate - End to end testing is a critical piece to ensure quality and avoid...ThomasParaiso2
End to end testing is a critical piece to ensure quality and avoid regressions. In this session, we share our journey building an E2E testing pipeline for GridMate components (LWC and Aura) using Cypress, JSForce, FakerJS…
How to Get CNIC Information System with Paksim Ga.pptxdanishmna97
Pakdata Cf is a groundbreaking system designed to streamline and facilitate access to CNIC information. This innovative platform leverages advanced technology to provide users with efficient and secure access to their CNIC details.
In his public lecture, Christian Timmerer provides insights into the fascinating history of video streaming, starting from its humble beginnings before YouTube to the groundbreaking technologies that now dominate platforms like Netflix and ORF ON. Timmerer also presents provocative contributions of his own that have significantly influenced the industry. He concludes by looking at future challenges and invites the audience to join in a discussion.
Sudheer Mechineni, Head of Application Frameworks, Standard Chartered Bank
Discover how Standard Chartered Bank harnessed the power of Neo4j to transform complex data access challenges into a dynamic, scalable graph database solution. This keynote will cover their journey from initial adoption to deploying a fully automated, enterprise-grade causal cluster, highlighting key strategies for modelling organisational changes and ensuring robust disaster recovery. Learn how these innovations have not only enhanced Standard Chartered Bank’s data infrastructure but also positioned them as pioneers in the banking sector’s adoption of graph technology.
Maruthi Prithivirajan, Head of ASEAN & IN Solution Architecture, Neo4j
Get an inside look at the latest Neo4j innovations that enable relationship-driven intelligence at scale. Learn more about the newest cloud integrations and product enhancements that make Neo4j an essential choice for developers building apps with interconnected data and generative AI.
Enchancing adoption of Open Source Libraries. A case study on Albumentations.AIVladimir Iglovikov, Ph.D.
Presented by Vladimir Iglovikov:
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/iglovikov/
- https://x.com/viglovikov
- https://www.instagram.com/ternaus/
This presentation delves into the journey of Albumentations.ai, a highly successful open-source library for data augmentation.
Created out of a necessity for superior performance in Kaggle competitions, Albumentations has grown to become a widely used tool among data scientists and machine learning practitioners.
This case study covers various aspects, including:
People: The contributors and community that have supported Albumentations.
Metrics: The success indicators such as downloads, daily active users, GitHub stars, and financial contributions.
Challenges: The hurdles in monetizing open-source projects and measuring user engagement.
Development Practices: Best practices for creating, maintaining, and scaling open-source libraries, including code hygiene, CI/CD, and fast iteration.
Community Building: Strategies for making adoption easy, iterating quickly, and fostering a vibrant, engaged community.
Marketing: Both online and offline marketing tactics, focusing on real, impactful interactions and collaborations.
Mental Health: Maintaining balance and not feeling pressured by user demands.
Key insights include the importance of automation, making the adoption process seamless, and leveraging offline interactions for marketing. The presentation also emphasizes the need for continuous small improvements and building a friendly, inclusive community that contributes to the project's growth.
Vladimir Iglovikov brings his extensive experience as a Kaggle Grandmaster, ex-Staff ML Engineer at Lyft, sharing valuable lessons and practical advice for anyone looking to enhance the adoption of their open-source projects.
Explore more about Albumentations and join the community at:
GitHub: https://github.com/albumentations-team/albumentations
Website: https://albumentations.ai/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/100504475
Twitter: https://x.com/albumentations
Communications Mining Series - Zero to Hero - Session 1DianaGray10
This session provides introduction to UiPath Communication Mining, importance and platform overview. You will acquire a good understand of the phases in Communication Mining as we go over the platform with you. Topics covered:
• Communication Mining Overview
• Why is it important?
• How can it help today’s business and the benefits
• Phases in Communication Mining
• Demo on Platform overview
• Q/A
Climate Impact of Software Testing at Nordic Testing DaysKari Kakkonen
My slides at Nordic Testing Days 6.6.2024
Climate impact / sustainability of software testing discussed on the talk. ICT and testing must carry their part of global responsibility to help with the climat warming. We can minimize the carbon footprint but we can also have a carbon handprint, a positive impact on the climate. Quality characteristics can be added with sustainability, and then measured continuously. Test environments can be used less, and in smaller scale and on demand. Test techniques can be used in optimizing or minimizing number of tests. Test automation can be used to speed up testing.
Removing Uninteresting Bytes in Software FuzzingAftab Hussain
Imagine a world where software fuzzing, the process of mutating bytes in test seeds to uncover hidden and erroneous program behaviors, becomes faster and more effective. A lot depends on the initial seeds, which can significantly dictate the trajectory of a fuzzing campaign, particularly in terms of how long it takes to uncover interesting behaviour in your code. We introduce DIAR, a technique designed to speedup fuzzing campaigns by pinpointing and eliminating those uninteresting bytes in the seeds. Picture this: instead of wasting valuable resources on meaningless mutations in large, bloated seeds, DIAR removes the unnecessary bytes, streamlining the entire process.
In this work, we equipped AFL, a popular fuzzer, with DIAR and examined two critical Linux libraries -- Libxml's xmllint, a tool for parsing xml documents, and Binutil's readelf, an essential debugging and security analysis command-line tool used to display detailed information about ELF (Executable and Linkable Format). Our preliminary results show that AFL+DIAR does not only discover new paths more quickly but also achieves higher coverage overall. This work thus showcases how starting with lean and optimized seeds can lead to faster, more comprehensive fuzzing campaigns -- and DIAR helps you find such seeds.
- These are slides of the talk given at IEEE International Conference on Software Testing Verification and Validation Workshop, ICSTW 2022.
Epistemic Interaction - tuning interfaces to provide information for AI supportAlan Dix
Paper presented at SYNERGY workshop at AVI 2024, Genoa, Italy. 3rd June 2024
https://alandix.com/academic/papers/synergy2024-epistemic/
As machine learning integrates deeper into human-computer interactions, the concept of epistemic interaction emerges, aiming to refine these interactions to enhance system adaptability. This approach encourages minor, intentional adjustments in user behaviour to enrich the data available for system learning. This paper introduces epistemic interaction within the context of human-system communication, illustrating how deliberate interaction design can improve system understanding and adaptation. Through concrete examples, we demonstrate the potential of epistemic interaction to significantly advance human-computer interaction by leveraging intuitive human communication strategies to inform system design and functionality, offering a novel pathway for enriching user-system engagements.
DevOps and Testing slides at DASA ConnectKari Kakkonen
My and Rik Marselis slides at 30.5.2024 DASA Connect conference. We discuss about what is testing, then what is agile testing and finally what is Testing in DevOps. Finally we had lovely workshop with the participants trying to find out different ways to think about quality and testing in different parts of the DevOps infinity loop.
Threats to mobile devices are more prevalent and increasing in scope and complexity. Users of mobile devices desire to take full advantage of the features
available on those devices, but many of the features provide convenience and capability but sacrifice security. This best practices guide outlines steps the users can take to better protect personal devices and information.
In the rapidly evolving landscape of technologies, XML continues to play a vital role in structuring, storing, and transporting data across diverse systems. The recent advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) present new methodologies for enhancing XML development workflows, introducing efficiency, automation, and intelligent capabilities. This presentation will outline the scope and perspective of utilizing AI in XML development. The potential benefits and the possible pitfalls will be highlighted, providing a balanced view of the subject.
We will explore the capabilities of AI in understanding XML markup languages and autonomously creating structured XML content. Additionally, we will examine the capacity of AI to enrich plain text with appropriate XML markup. Practical examples and methodological guidelines will be provided to elucidate how AI can be effectively prompted to interpret and generate accurate XML markup.
Further emphasis will be placed on the role of AI in developing XSLT, or schemas such as XSD and Schematron. We will address the techniques and strategies adopted to create prompts for generating code, explaining code, or refactoring the code, and the results achieved.
The discussion will extend to how AI can be used to transform XML content. In particular, the focus will be on the use of AI XPath extension functions in XSLT, Schematron, Schematron Quick Fixes, or for XML content refactoring.
The presentation aims to deliver a comprehensive overview of AI usage in XML development, providing attendees with the necessary knowledge to make informed decisions. Whether you’re at the early stages of adopting AI or considering integrating it in advanced XML development, this presentation will cover all levels of expertise.
By highlighting the potential advantages and challenges of integrating AI with XML development tools and languages, the presentation seeks to inspire thoughtful conversation around the future of XML development. We’ll not only delve into the technical aspects of AI-powered XML development but also discuss practical implications and possible future directions.
Late scholastic chief’s sons challenge rival for control
1. Page 1 of 21
Late Scholastic Chief’s Sons Challenge Rival
for Control
The death of longtime head Richard Robinson left his former
girlfriend, an executive, with a controlling stake in the publisher
and set up a messy succession battle with his family
Wall Street Journal
Nov. 24, 2021 5:49 am ET
A tense succession battle is taking shape at
publisher Scholastic Corp. SCHL -0.43% in the wake of the death this
summer of its longtime boss, Richard Robinson.
In one corner is Iole Lucchese, a longtime Scholastic executive who
had a romantic relationship with Mr. Robinson. He bequeathed his
controlling stake in the company to Ms. Lucchese, who is now board
chair and chief strategy officer.
But Ms. Lucchese is facing resistance from Mr. Robinson’s family and
the prospect of a messy court battle. His two sons are exploring avenues
2. Page 2 of 21
to challenge her ascension, according to people familiar with the
family’s thinking—and friction between the two sides is escalating.
Mr. Robinson’s older son, John Benham “Ben” Robinson, declined to
sign a document waiving his right to contest his father’s will, according
to legal filings. He later received a court summons from Ms.
Lucchese’s team in October seeking a response, according to legal
filings.
On Nov. 12, Ben Robinson and his younger brother, Maurice “Reece”
Robinson, responded to the summons, asking New York Surrogate’s
Court—the venue for handling probate and estate matters—for
documents regarding the will, written in 2018, and the right to examine
related witnesses, according to a legal filing.
One issue of keen interest to the family is a pledge they believe the
elder Mr. Robinson made years ago to give voting shares to his sons in
return for borrowing money from their mother, his ex-wife Helen
Benham, the people familiar with the family’s thinking said. The
family also believes Mr. Robinson was at work on a new will when he
died, they said.
3. Page 3 of 21
Ms. Benham, who worked at Scholastic for more than three decades, is
supporting her sons’ legal efforts. In an interview, she said Ms.
Lucchese’s control of Scholastic is still in question. “She’s sitting on
top of a mountain of gold,” Ms. Benham said, referring to control of
the company, “but the question is whether she’s got the gold.”
Ben and Reece Robinson in interviews said they agreed with their
mother’s view and were exploring their options.
If the Robinson brothers were successful in a legal fight or in reaching
a favorable settlement, some or all of Ms. Lucchese’s voting power
could shift to the family, giving them influence over everything from
the leadership of the company to whether it should engage in any major
transactions.
4. Page 4 of 21
Iole Lucchese, left, with producer Jordan Kerner at a screening of
'Clifford The Big Red Dog' at Scholastic headquarters this month.
Photo: Roy Rochlin/Getty Images
Thomas Rice, a partner at the law firm Baker & McKenzie LLP who
represents Scholastic, said: “Creating legal delays and distractions isn’t
in the best interest of Scholastic or its shareholders. We have no basis
to believe a will contest will be successful.” Mr. Rice said that Mr.
Robinson’s directive was to “ensure the continued professional
management of Scholastic in accordance with its independent legacy
and educational mission.”
5. Page 5 of 21
Scholastic spokeswoman Anne Sparkman said of Ms. Lucchese: “Iole
is committed to doing what’s best for all stakeholders, including the
Robinson family. She’s trying to work constructively with Mr.
Robinson’s sons.” The company declined to make Ms. Lucchese
available for an interview.
The Scholastic saga is a testament to how turbulent succession can be
without clear plans, especially in family-controlled companies. Mr.
Robinson didn’t make his intentions known even to immediate family
members, The Wall Street Journal reported in August. They were taken
aback by his wishes and were left sorting through grief, anger and fear
for their financial security.
The legal battle has dredged up old memories for a family that is still
struggling to come to terms with Mr. Robinson’s relationship with Ms.
Lucchese.
For Ms. Lucchese, the rift with the Robinsons comes as the 55-year-
old is just settling into her perch atop Scholastic, whose directors
named her board chair on July 18. Alongside the new chief executive,
Peter Warwick, she is trying to guide the century-old publishing
6. Page 6 of 21
company—known for its school book fairs and major franchises such
as “Harry Potter,” “Captain Underpants” and “Clifford The Big Red
Dog”—through a recovery after its business took a hit in the pandemic.
Mr. Warwick in an email said he was working closely with Ms.
Lucchese to “continue to grow and strengthen Scholastic for all of our
stakeholders.”
Ms. Lucchese climbed the ranks of Scholastic over three decades, with
the late Mr. Robinson at turns playing the roles of mentor, sparring
partner and romantic interest, according to former employees. Mr.
Robinson and Ms. Lucchese appeared to break up for good in 2019,
people familiar with their relationship said.
7. Page 7 of 21
An Amazon employee packs the German version of 'Harry Potter
and the Deathly Hallows' in 2007.
Photo: JENS-ULRICH KOCH/AFP/Getty Images
Mr. Robinson died suddenly in June at age 84 while walking in
Martha’s Vineyard. His sons and ex-wife were shocked and hurt, Ms.
Benham said, when they discovered he left almost everything to Ms.
Lucchese.
Mr. Robinson’s will and revocable trust named Ms. Lucchese the sole
beneficiary of 53.8% of the company’s Class A shares, which hold the
8. Page 8 of 21
majority of voting power, a securities filing shows. Ms. Lucchese
would become the owner of the underlying shares if the will is fully
executed in Surrogate’s Court.
Mr. Robinson also gave Ms. Lucchese sole discretion over whether to
distribute any of his personal possessions to his two sons, according to
the will, reviewed by the Journal, “with the request, but not the
direction” that she hand out items “as she believes to be in accordance
with my wishes.”
Conciliatory start
The sons initially wanted to take a conciliatory approach with Ms.
Lucchese, believing it was the best route to ensure they would get a
financial payout from the estate and access to their father’s belongings,
the people familiar with the family’s thinking said. In July, Reece
Robinson signed a document waiving his right to challenge the will, a
legal filing shows.
Conflict between the two sides started to take hold at a July meeting at
Scholastic’s headquarters in New York. David Ferris, who has been a
9. Page 9 of 21
financial adviser to Ms. Benham for years, said he attended the meeting
and brought up a $2 million interest-free loan Ms. Benham gave to
Richard Robinson over a decade ago at the peak of the financial crisis.
Mr. Robinson in 2015.
Photo: STUART RAMSON/Associated Press
In a written response to the Journal’s questions, Mr. Ferris said he told
Ms. Lucchese in the meeting that the late Mr. Robinson had promised
voting shares to his sons in return for the loan. Mr. Robinson was in a
precarious financial position at the time because of a margin call, Mr.
10. Page 10 of 21
Ferris recalled saying in the meeting. A margin call is when an
institution that has lent someone money for investments requires that
more cash be put in the account to offset losses.
“Dick called in a panic and had no other options,” Mr. Ferris said in his
written response. Ms. Benham helped him, he said, even though they
weren’t on good terms, to ensure “the Scholastic legacy would be
inherited by Ben and Reece.” Ms. Benham said she didn’t have signed
paperwork regarding Mr. Robinson’s promise to give the shares to his
sons. “He made a commitment,” she said.
Ms. Benham and her sons have been unhappy Ms. Lucchese hasn’t
shared more information on how she is handling Mr. Robinson’s
personal estate, the people familiar with the family’s thinking said. The
sons want more information because they fear that, after assets are sold
to pay off a hefty estate-tax bill, there may not be much, if anything,
left over for them, the people said.
Andrew Hedden, Scholastic’s general counsel, said in an email that in
his role as co-executor of the estate, “My focus there has to be on
11. Page 11 of 21
carrying out my attendant responsibilities, regardless of what others
may publicly speculate.”
Mr. Ferris said that he estimates the value of Mr. Robinson’s estate at
almost $100 million but that Ben and Reece Robinson could get less
than $1 million each, because of taxes on the estate and voting shares,
executor fees paid to Ms. Lucchese and Mr. Hedden, and other costs.
A family portrait: from left, Helen Benham, John Benham ‘Ben’
Robinson, Richard Robinson and Maurice ‘Reece’ Robinson in
August 2020.
12. Page 12 of 21
Photo: Lisa Brown
“Mr. Robinson amply provided for his family throughout his lifetime,”
said a company spokeswoman. “We have no evidence that any
commitment concerning the distribution of shares was ever made.” She
also disputed that Mr. Ferris is positioned to provide a “credible
estimate” of Mr. Robinson’s estate.
Reece Robinson, a 25-year-old documentary-film maker, in an
interview said he had sent Ms. Lucchese an email in October asking
about “non valuable mementoes” of his father’s that he said she hasn’t
committed to giving over.
The Scholastic spokeswoman, Ms. Sparkman, said it was unclear
which email Mr. Robinson was referencing and that the tone of
correspondence has been cordial.
Ben Robinson, 34, is a writer, operates a sawmill and workshop in
Martha’s Vineyard, and lives off the land. Like his brother, he was
counting on an inheritance to provide some financial cushion. It was
his father’s intention to change his will, he said in an interview.
13. Page 13 of 21
“I know from conversations with him that he was working on a new
draft but he was consumed with bringing Scholastic through Covid,”
he said, adding that this was supported by documents the family
retrieved from the late Mr. Robinson’s briefcase.
Richard Robinson’s siblings have given no indication they want to
challenge Ms. Lucchese’s rise, people close to the family said.
Succession surprise
Succession planning had been a sensitive topic inside Scholastic for
years. Former board members said that they pushed Mr. Robinson
repeatedly to disclose his plans or groom successors but that he brushed
them off.
Ramon Cortines, a former Los Angeles school superintendent who
served on the company’s board and stayed on as an adviser until a few
years ago, recalled telling Mr. Robinson, “You have a majority of the
board that is upset with you.” Mr. Robinson responded that his legal
adviser, Mr. Hedden, would know what to do if he died, Mr. Cortines
said.
14. Page 14 of 21
Mr. Hedden said in an email he hadn’t known to whom Mr. Robinson
would leave his voting shares, “viewing that as a personal matter.”
Privately, Mr. Robinson had set out some plans. He had penned a will
in 2014 in which his sister, Mary Sue Robinson Morrill, was slated to
be the co-executor of his estate, according to family members and a
person close to Mr. Robinson. That would be superseded by the will he
wrote in 2018, which left his holdings to Ms. Lucchese and named her
co-executor of his private estate.
Ms. Morrill in an email confirmed that Mr. Robinson had asked her to
serve as an executor of his estate “at some time in the past” but said she
never saw the estate-planning document.
15. Page 15 of 21
Mr. Robinson with author J.K. Rowling in 2019.
Photo: Evan Agostini/Associated Press
Ms. Lucchese said during the July meeting with Mr. Robinson’s sons
that she was surprised Mr. Robinson left her his holdings—that she
didn’t want the controlling shares, according to a person familiar with
the meeting. Scholastic’s Ms. Sparkman said Ms. Lucchese was
unaware of Mr. Robinson’s intentions.
Some close friends of the late Mr. Robinson said they were skeptical
that Ms. Lucchese wasn’t informed about the will.
16. Page 16 of 21
Ms. Lucchese voiced grief about Mr. Robinson’s death to a friend,
saying: “I remain in denial and still expect him to wander down the hall
to my office,” according to the friend.
Among issues Ms. Lucchese faced while taking control during the
pandemic was how Scholastic should handle staff vaccinations. “I hear
Dick in my head now as I ponder,” she told the friend. “He was so clear
about our path, our mission, what our primary directive was,” and “he
was at the same time, so clear in his directives around personal issues.”
The company said it disputed the account.
Ms. Lucchese, a daughter of Italian immigrants to Canada, joined
Scholastic there in 1991 as an associate editor in book clubs. The
romance with Mr. Robinson began relatively early in her career, former
staffers said, and some Scholastic staffers knew about it by the late
1990s.
Family suspicions
17. Page 17 of 21
Mr. Robinson’s family suspected he was having an affair with Ms.
Lucchese, but he never acknowledged it, the people familiar with the
family’s thinking said.
Ms. Benham said she knew about the relationship fairly early on. Ms.
Benham and Mr. Robinson divorced in 2003. Ms. Benham received
their Martha’s Vineyard property as part of her divorce settlement.
As Mr. Robinson’s sons grew older, their suspicions of his relationship
with Ms. Lucchese deepened, and they wanted him to acknowledge it,
the people familiar with the family’s thinking said. At one point, Ben
Robinson found a pair of Prada boots in Mr. Robinson’s apartment
when he was visiting and took them back with him to Martha’s
Vineyard, the people said.
His hope was that it would force his father to request the boots back
and come clean about the relationship. His father did ask for them,
saying they belonged to his cleaner, the people said. Ben Robinson
didn’t believe him.
18. Page 18 of 21
Over the years, Richard Robinson would ask his assistants to help him
buy name-brand gifts for Ms. Lucchese, including winter wear, a Prada
purse and a $500,000 pink diamond ring she wore for a period, people
familiar with the purchases said. He bought himself and her matching
black Porsche Cayennes and took her on expensive vacations,
including to Hawaii, one of the people said.
He opened a bank account with TD Bank in Canada and gave her access
to money in it, the person said. He also bought her a New York City
apartment, property records show. TD Bank declined to comment.
Scholastic’s Ms. Sparkman declined to comment on any gifts Mr.
Robinson may have given Ms. Lucchese.
19. Page 19 of 21
A scene from ‘Clifford The Big Red Dog.’
Photo: Paramount Pictures/Associated Press
Ms. Lucchese wasn’t the only co-worker Mr. Robinson had been
romantically involved with. He met Katherine Woodroofe, who would
become his first wife, when she was an editor at a Scholastic magazine
named Scope, and they got married in 1968, according to a wedding
announcement in the New York Times. He left Ms. Woodroofe—who
had taken Mr. Robinson’s last name—for Ms. Benham, who worked in
the art department at Scholastic earlier in her career.
20. Page 20 of 21
Ms. Benham said Mr. Robinson had separated from his first wife and
was living in his own apartment when they began to date. Ms. Benham
rose through the ranks and became a Scholastic board member. Ms.
Robinson died in 2002, according to an obituary.
Scholastic’s Ms. Sparkman said the company advises its employees on
the risks and concerns regarding dating subordinates and co-workers
but doesn’t prohibit such relationships.
Ms. Lucchese was elevated to chief strategy officer in 2014 and was
appointed president of entertainment in 2018. She took a keen interest
in a “Clifford” movie adaptation and later began a relationship with
Blair Clark, the film’s visual-effects supervisor, people familiar with
their relationship said. Ms. Lucchese and Mr. Clark are now engaged,
Scholastic’s Ms. Sparkman confirmed. Mr. Clark couldn’t be reached
for comment.
Mr. Robinson’s sons didn’t seek careers at Scholastic. Ms. Lucchese’s
son from a previous marriage, Luca Kong, did—at his mother’s
encouragement, former staffers said. He works in marketing for the
book-publishing division in Canada. A Scholastic Canada webpage
21. Page 21 of 21
asks booksellers who want “to make arrangements to have Clifford or
Geronimo Stilton [a mouse character] visit your store” to contact Mr.
Kong. Mr. Kong didn’t respond to requests for comment.