By Giancarla Sambo Edited by Elissa D. Hecker
Below, for your browsing convenience, the categories are divided into: Entertainment, Arts, Sports, Technology/Media, and General News:
Entertainment
Cosby Case Over Assault of Teenage Goes to Jury
Judy Huth has accused Bill Cosby of sexually assaulting her 47 years ago, when she was 16, but an expert witness for the defense testified that memories can become distorted over time.
Two 'General Hospital' Crew Members Sue ABC, Citing Vaccine Mandate and Religious Discrimination
Two former "General Hospital" crew members, Jim Wahl and Timothy Wahl, are suing ABC for wrongful termination after being fired for not getting vaccinated against COVID-19.
Disney's 'Lightyear,' With a Same-Sex Kiss, Faces a Backlash in Some Muslim Countries
The United Arab Emirates banned the animated film, an offshoot of the "Toy Story" movies, from its cinemas. Censors in Indonesia and Malaysia are also considering restrictions.
BTS Ponders Its Future, and South Korea's Economy Warily Takes Note
The band's label saw its stock price plunge, and the possibility that the K-pop group won't tour as pandemic restrictions ease threatens to reverberate through South Korea's economy.
Arts
New York Philharmonic Agrees to Restore Pay for Musicians
After a stronger-than-expected season, the orchestra said it would reverse pay cuts imposed at the height of the pandemic.
New 42 Worker Files Bias Lawsuit Over Diversity Training
Kevin Ray, a part-time teaching artist at New 42, an organization that runs rehearsal studios, youth programs, and a children's theater in Times Square, filed a lawsuit in Federal District Court, accusing New 42 of discriminating against white employees.
FAIR Act Proponents Are Sabotaging California's Music Community Behind Closed Doors
A piece of legislation known as the Free Artists from Industry Restrictions (FAIR) Act has long divided the music industry in California, with powerful forces on both sides taking positions. Mike Montgomery argues that a revived piece of California legislation, the FAIR Act, would be anything but fair to the music industry and should have stayed dead.
https://variety.com/2022/music/opinion/fair-act-california-legislation-gutting-music-opinion-1235296921/
The Hotel Is 642 Feet Tall. Its 'Architect' Says He Never Saw the Plans
An architect lent his license to a New York City developer to approve buildings he didn't design, according to an investigation.
Judge in Maryland Strikes Down Library E-Book Law
In a legal case closely watched by libraries and the publishing industry, a federal judge in Maryland struck down a state law requiring publishers to make e-books available on "reasonable terms" to libraries if they were also being offered to the general public.
John Hinckley's Sold-Out Brooklyn Concert Is Canceled
The venue cited safety reasons in canceling the performance by John Hinckley, who shot President Reagan and has turned to performing his original music since his release.
Lizzo's Lyric Offended Fans. She Changed It, and They Forgave.
The song "Grrrls" was released and then updated to remove a derogatory term for people with disabilities, which she said she did not use with an intent to offend.
Odesa Opera House Reopens, Defying Putin's Barbarism
War is not far away, but a city that has always lived for the moment proclaims that culture will help Ukraine prevail.
A Chance Encounter Helps Return Sacred Artifacts to an Indigenous Group
The United Nations helped the Yaqui Nation, an Indigenous group in Mexico and the United States, reclaim a sacred deer's head and other items from a Swedish museum.
Sports
Brittney Griner's Team Meets With U.S. State Department Over Her Detention, Moscow Court Orders Longer Hold
After U.S. State Department officials met with Brittney Griner's WNBA team, the Phoenix Mercury, to discuss the status of Brittney Griner's months-long detention in Russia, a Russian court extended Griner's pretrial detention on drug smuggling charges until July 2nd, pushing her jail stint past the four-month mark.
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/06/13/sports/basketball/brittney-griner-detainment-phoenix-mercury.html
Since Childhood, She's Stood Out. In Pro Baseball, Kelsie Whitmore Wants to Fit In.
Kelsie Whitmore is a pitcher and outfielder for the Staten Island FerryHawks and the first woman to play in a league partnered with Major League Baseball since 1994.
Belarusians and Russians Can Compete At U.S. Open
Russian and Belarusian players will compete in the U.S. Open, which will begin Aug. 29th, under a neutral flag, just as they have been competing on tour.
Indian Cricket Broadcast Rights Fetch a Record Price
The auction cemented the league's position among the world's most valuable sports properties, as a once-staid game has become a commercial juggernaut.
Technology/Media
Google Agrees to Pay $118 Million to Settle Pay Discrimination Case
The tech giant admitted no wrongdoing as it resolved four women's claims of widespread pay biases. The company will also allow an outside monitor to review its practices.
TikTok Moves U.S. User Data to Oracle Servers
TikTok, the Chinese-owned video app, said that it was moving all of the data produced by its American users through servers controlled by Oracle.
Crypto's Price Plunge Exposes Industry's Unstable Roots
A global industry worth hundreds of billions of dollars rose up practically overnight. Now it is crashing down.
Celsius Network Leads Crypto Markets Into Another Free Fall
Bitcoin is down 15%, falling to about $23,000, its lowest value since December 2020.
Microsoft Pledges Neutrality in Union Campaigns at Activision
The accord could ease the path for thousands of workers to unionize at the game company, which Microsoft is acquiring, and addresses an antitrust objection.
Ex-Amazon Worker Convicted in Capital One Hacking
Paige Thompson's lawyers said she had been looking for cracks so they could be fixed. A jury found her guilty of wire fraud and hacking charges.
A Chinese Province May be Targeting People Through its Covid App
Since the pandemic's early days, China has used mobile apps to identify and isolate people who might be spreading Covid-19. Now, a central Chinese city may have shown a far more troubling use.
Netanyahu vs. Olmert: A Lurid Libel Case Grips Israel
A sensational legal drama between the two ex-prime ministers, centered on a claim of mental illness, comes as Israel's year-old government teeters and one of the former leaders eyes a comeback.
General News
Senators Reach Bipartisan Deal on Gun Safety
The agreement, which falls short of the sprawling changes championed by Democrats, is a significant step toward ending a years-long impasse over gun reform legislation.
Biden Signs Measure to Protect L.G.B.T.Q. Rights, Citing 'Hateful Attacks'
The executive order is designed to counter efforts by Republican politicians like Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida, who pushed through what opponents have called the "Don't Say Gay" law.
House Approves Supreme Court Security Bill, Sending It to Biden
A measure extending police protection to the immediate families of Supreme Court justices passed the House overwhelmingly.
Supreme Court Weighs Jailed Immigrants' Rights to Bail Hearings
Lawyers for the federal government said immigrants detained for months while they fight deportation are not entitled to seek release from immigration judges.
Supreme Court Dismisses Bid by G.O.P.-Led States to Defend Trump Immigration Plan
The case concerned revisions to the "public charge" rule that made it harder for immigrants who had relied on public assistance to gain permanent legal status.
Judge Convicts Man Who Carried Confederate Flag in Capitol Attack
A Delaware man who flew a Confederate battle flag inside the Capitol on January 6, 2021, was convicted with his son by a federal judge of the top count in their indictment: Obstructing the certification of the 2020 presidential vote.
Buffalo Shooting Suspect Charged With Federal Hate Crimes
Payton Gendron, the gunman accused of killing 10 people in an upstate New York supermarket, has been charged with federal hate crimes.
Ohio Makes It Easier for Teachers to Carry Guns at School
A new law requires educators and other school staff members who want to carry a weapon to undergo no more than 24 hours of training -- compared with more than 700 hours previously.
Happy the Elephant Isn't Legally a Person, Top New York Court Rules
An advocacy group had argued that the elephant was being illegally detained at the Bronx Zoo, in a case involving ethical questions about the rights of highly intelligent animals.
FDA Authorizes Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccines for Children Down to 6 Months of Age
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration authorized emergency use of the Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine and the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine for the prevention of COVID-19 to include use in children from 6 months old.
January 6th Hearings
'Detached from reality': Trump insiders worked to convince him he lost
According to video testimony prepared by the House committee investigating the January 6th assault on the Capitol, Rudy Giuliani, the former New York City mayor and personal lawyer for President Donald Trump, was spouting conspiracy theories.
Trump, Told It Was Illegal, Still Pressured Pence to Overturn His Loss
Trump continued pressuring Vice President Mike Pence to go along with a plan to unilaterally overturn his election defeat even after he was told it was illegal.
A Key Hurdle for Prosecutors: Proving What Trump Believed
"The problem with Trump is that you have to try to get inside his mind and he has such a history of lying and pushing falsehoods that it makes it difficult to determine what he really believes."
Inner Circle Strikes New Tone Over Trump's Claims of Fraud
Trump's inner circle warned him that election fraud claims were false.
January 6th Panel Puts Trump Fund-Raising Tactics Under Scrutiny
Questions about misleading donors with claims of election fraud are one facet of the committee's examination of the former president's ongoing, aggressive solicitations.
Trump Lawyer Cited 'Heated Fight' Among Justices Over Election Suits
In an email weeks after the election, another lawyer advising the Trump campaign responded that the prospect of "'wild' chaos" on January 6th could lead the Supreme Court to take up a case.