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
Prosecutors Drop Capitol Trespassing Case Against Stephen Colbert Staffers
A group of Stephen Colbert's "The Late Show" staffers won't be prosecuted after they were charged with illegally entering a congressional building.
Vince McMahon Retires From W.W.E. After Stepping Down Amid a Board Investigation
The company's leader for 40 years, he was under scrutiny after a report of a $3 million settlement with an employee with whom he allegedly had an affair.
Kobalt Music Removes More Than 700,000 Songs From Facebook and Instagram
Kobalt, one of the world's largest music publishers, has removed its entire 700,000-song catalog from Facebook and Instagram in the United States due to the expiration of its licensing deal with Meta, and the failure of reaching a new deal. The parties are continuing to work on towards one.
https://variety.com/2022/digital/news/kobalt-paul-mccartney-removes-songs-facebook-instagram-1235324263/
The End of Ownership: Why the Battle Overpaying TV Creatives Is Only Getting Crazier
The industry is bracing for the prospect of bitter labor strife in the 2023 round of negotiations with the Writers Guild of America, the Directors Guild of America, and SAG-AFTRA.
Arts
'Paradise Square': How an Ambitious Broadway Musical Got Overshadowed by Lawsuits, Unpaid Bills, and Alleged Bullying
"Paradise Square," which earned Kalukango a Tony and was nominated for nine others, has been overshadowed by a series of lawsuits and allegations that producer Garth H. Drabinsky cut corners, engaged in tyrannical behavior, and failed to pay bills and benefits. https://variety.com/2022/legit/news/paradise-square-broadway-musical-lawsuits-bullying-1235319594/
The Knights of Medieval Times Will Carry Union Cards With Their Lances
The horsemen, courtiers, stable-hands, and other performers at ye olde New Jersey tourist attraction formed a new kind of medieval guild when they voted to unionize.
Soprano Withdraws From Opera, Citing 'Blackface' in Netrebko's 'Aida'
The American soprano Angel Blue said she would not appear at the Arena di Verona after the Russian soprano Anna Netrebko and other performers wore dark makeup in its production of "Aida."
Mattel Opens Its Vault to Revitalize Dormant Brands
The toymaker will reintroduce three toy lines, Major Matt Mason, Big Jim and Pulsar, this week at Comic-Con as part of a strategy to dig deeper into its intellectual property portfolio.
Spanish Authorities Seize a 'Contraband' Picasso at Ibiza Airport
Investigators said they found a 1966 work called "Trois Personnages" when they searched a passenger's luggage.
The War in Ukraine Is the True Culture War
With Russia trying to erase Ukraine's national identity, the fight to preserve, and build upon, Ukraine's artistic heritage has taken on new urgency.
Peeling Paint in Hong Kong Reveals Work of Newly Relevant 'King'
During his lifetime, graffiti artist Tsang Tsou-choi was a ubiquitous figure, well-known for his eccentric campaign that struck most as a peculiar personal mission, not a political rallying cry.
Sports
Quidditch Becomes 'Quadball,' Leaving J.K. Rowling Behind
Citing trademark concerns and objections to the author's views on transgender issues, the sport's leading groups officially distanced themselves from their "Harry Potter" roots.
Miles Bridges Faces Felony Domestic Violence Charges
Bridges, a Charlotte Hornets free agent, was accused of assaulting his girlfriend in front of their two children. He was arrested in Los Angeles last month.
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/07/19/sports/basketball/miles-bridges-charlotte-hornets-domestic-violence.html
Fighting a Brutal Regime With the Help of a Video Game
Opponents of the coup in Myanmar have flocked to a new online game that lets players shoot virtual soldiers while raising money for the real-life resistance.
Technology/Media
Elon Musk and Twitter will go to trial over their $44 billion deal in October
Twitter had sought to expedite the case by requesting a trial in September, which Musk had countered by asking for a trial in February.
Amazon Sues Administrators of 10K Facebook Groups Over Fake Reviews
Amazon filed a lawsuit against the leaders of over 10,000 Facebook groups it accused of publishing fake reviews on its site.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2022/jul/19/amazon-sues-admins-of-10k-facebook-groups-over-fak/
For Blind Internet Users, the Fix Can Be Worse Than the Flaws
Although companies say that their A.I.-powered tools are the best way to fix accessibility problems online, many blind people find they make websites harder to use.
Word of Trump Media Deal Is Said to Have Leaked Months in Advance
Federal authorities are investigating a surge in trading that preceded the announcement of a $300 million deal with the former president's media company.
YouTube Will Take Down 'Unsafe' Abortion How-to Videos
The video service said that it would take a closer look at the abortion content on its platform.
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/07/21/business/youtube-will-take-down-unsafe-abortion-how-to-videos.html
Reporter Says Taliban Forced Her to Publicly Retract Accurate Articles
A veteran war reporter in Afghanistan was told she would go to jail if she didn't tweet an apology for her reporting. She has since safely left the country.
Twitter Worker Accused of Spying for Saudi Arabia Heads to Trial
The case showed the intensity of the kingdom's interest in tracking dissidents, and the timing this week is fraught for U.S.-Saudi relations.
BBC Apologizes to Royal Nanny Swept Up in Diana Reporting Furor
Suggestions that a nanny for the children of Princess Diana and Prince Charles was involved with the prince were "wholly baseless," the British broadcaster said as it agreed to pay her damages.
General News
Supreme Court Refuses for Now to Restore Biden Plan on Immigration Enforcement
A federal judge in Texas has blocked guidelines setting priorities for Immigrations and Customs Enforcement agents, saying that they were at odds with the immigrations laws.
As the Planet Cooks, Climate Stalls as a Political Issue
Joe Manchin's rejection of a compromise climate bill tells a familiar story: Voters and politicians put a higher premium on immediate issues, such as inflation and the economy, giving politicians a pass on global warming.
Delay as the New Denial: The Latest Republican Tactic to Block Climate Action
The party has largely moved beyond denying the existence of climate change but continues to oppose dramatic action to halt it, worried about the short-term economic consequences.
A Painful Deadline Nears as Colorado River Reservoirs Run Critically Low
The federal government has told states to agree on urgent water cuts to ensure that dams can keep generating power.
Monarch Butterflies Are Endangered
Researchers cited climate change and habitat loss but also said that the public can help give the insects a boost.
House Moves to Protect Same-Sex Marriage From Supreme Court Reversal
The legislation, which garnered some Republican support, would recognize same-sex marriages at the federal level. It faces an uncertain path in the Senate.
Post-em>Roe, Republicans Sharpen Attacks on Gay and Transgender Rights
Since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, anti-gay rhetoric and calls to roll back L.G.B.T.Q.+ rights have grown bolder among Republican elected officials and candidates.
Bipartisan Senate Group Strikes Deal to Rewrite Electoral Count Act
The new legislation focuses on the handling of electoral votes and does not incorporate wider voting protections.
Jan. 6 Panel Presents Evidence of Trump's Refusal to Stop the Riot
The House panel painted a detailed picture of how, as officials rushed to respond to an attack on the United States government, the commander in chief chose for hours to do nothing.
Watchdog Informs Secret Service of Criminal Inquiry Into Missing Texts
The Homeland Security Department's inspector general told the Secret Service to halt its internal investigation into how phone records from around Jan. 6 were purged.
Biden Tests Positive for Virus and Is Experiencing Mild Symptoms
The president tested positive for the coronavirus on Thursday and is expected to isolate for at least five days before resuming normal activities.
House Passes Bill to Ensure Contraception Rights After Dobbs
The vote was mostly along party lines, with all but eight Republicans in opposition to a bill that aims to protect a right seen as newly at risk after the overturning of Roe v. Wade.
They Had Miscarriages, and New Abortion Laws Obstructed Treatment
Surgical procedures and medication for miscarriages are identical to those for abortion, and some patients report delayed or denied miscarriage care because doctors and pharmacists fear running afoul of abortion bans.
Indiana Doctor Threatens to Sue State Prosecutor for Defamation in 10-year-old's Abortion Case
An Indianapolis doctor who provided abortion care to a 10 year-old rape victim is preparing to sue Attorney General Todd Rokita of Indiana for defamation after he said he would investigate her actions in the case.
Ex-Officer Who Held George Floyd's Legs Sentenced to 30 Months in Prison
Thomas Lane helped to hold George Floyd down while another officer fatally knelt on his neck. He was the only officer to suggest they should roll Floyd on his side so he could breathe.
On the Docket: Atlanta v. Trumpworld
Eighteen months into a criminal investigation of election interference by Donald J. Trump and his allies, a Georgia prosecutor is beginning to show the broad contours of her inquiry.
Bannon Found Guilty of Contempt in Case Related to Capitol Riot Inquiry
He is the first close aide to former President Donald J. Trump to be convicted as a result of one of the investigations into the Jan. 6 attack.
Justice Department Will Investigate Environmental Racism in Houston
The inquiry, part of an administration-wide racial justice initiative, came amid claims that the city has ignored illegal dumping in Black and Latino areas.
Mississippi Fires Lawyer Trying to Recoup Misused Welfare Funds
The lawyer had issued a subpoena that could reveal details about the involvement of a former governor and a football star in the scandal. Then he was fired.
New Reading Curriculum Is Mired in Debate Over Race and Gender
Lucy Calkins's curriculum was meant to bring phonics to struggling students, but its publication has been stalled after a debate over whether to accommodate conservative state laws.
First Polio Case in Nearly a Decade Is Detected in New York State
A man who lives in Rockland County was infected by someone who received the oral polio vaccine, which is no longer used in the United States, officials said.