By Victoria Vitale
Edited by Elissa D. Hecker
Below, for your browsing convenience, the categories are divided into: Entertainment, Arts, Sports, Technology/Media, and General News:
Entertainment
Ed Sheeran Wins Copyright Case Over Marvin Gaye’s ‘Let’s Get It On’
The pop star was accused of copying the 1973 classic for his 2014 hit “Thinking Out Loud.” He described the chords both songs use as “common building blocks.” The jury agreed.
Writers Go on Strike and Late Shows Go Dark
How long they stay off the air is an open question. During the last strike, they returned after a few months.
Outside Hollywood Studios, Writers Make Their Case
Those in picket lines at the headquarters of companies like Netflix were critical of working conditions that have become routine in the streaming era.
Disney Sued by Florida for Control of Theme Park’s Expansion
A board appointed by Gov. Ron DeSantis claims that the company cut a “back room deal” to control development at Walt Disney World.
DeSantis Signs Into Law Latest Wrinkle in Disney Feud
The bill would allow approved development agreements for Walt Disney World to be voided. The company has already sued the governor over the issue.
Anheuser-Busch Changes Beer Marketing Focus After Transgender Promotion
Executives at the beer giant told analysts that Bud Light’s focus going forward will be on sports and music.
Arts
Inside the Delirious Rise of ‘Superfake’ Handbags
Can you tell the difference between a $10,000 Chanel bag and a $200 knockoff? Almost nobody can, and it is turning luxury fashion upside down.
Shein, Fast Fashion Hit With Gen Z, Tries Charm to Counter Scrutiny
With an initial public offering expected at some point, the company is looking to change its public perception. Not everyone is buying it, but it seems like the company is embracing young and upcoming fashion designers.
An Art Professor Says A.I. Is the Future. It’s the Students Who Need Convincing.
Lance Weiler is an A.I. convert. His art students at Columbia University are still debating the creative value of ChatGPT and Midjourney. Is A.I. a powerful tool or a crutch?
Spotify Is Blocking Releases from AI Music Platform Boomy — But Not Because of A.I. Spotify has reportedly pulled a number of songs created through Boomy and ceased allowing new releases from the A.I. music platform – albeit because of alleged fake streams as opposed to the way the tracks were made.
Sports
Attorneys General to Investigate the N.F.L.’s Treatment of Female Employees
Letitia James of New York and Rob Bonta of California opened a joint investigation of the NFL a year after The Times reported female workers’ claims of workplace discrimination and pay inequity.
Derby Entrant Is Scratched as Four Horse Deaths Renew Safety Concerns
In the past week, two horses died after sustaining injuries and two horses conditioned by the same trainer collapsed and died at Churchill Downs, prompting an investigation.
Chess’s Governing Body Delays Report on Cheating Scandal
Did Hans Niemann secretly use a supercomputer to beat the world champion Magnus Carlsen? The International Chess Federation won’t say until October, at the earliest.
FIFA Threatens Women’s World Cup TV Blackout in Europe
Gianni Infantino said matches would not be shown in the continent’s biggest markets this summer unless broadcasters meet FIFA’s demands for higher fees. The fees are necessary to help with pay and situational equity between the women and men.
Technology/Media
U.S. Government Publishes Annual Report Assessing Copyright Regimes Around the World
The office of the US Trade Representative last week published its annual list of countries that should really try harder when it comes to protecting copyright. Argentina, Chile, China, India, and Indonesia all find themselves on a priority watch list.
White House Pushes Tech CEOs to Limit Risks of A.I.
In the White House’s first gathering of A.I. companies, Vice President Kamala Harris told the leaders of major tech companies they had a “moral” obligation to keep products safe.
F.T.C. Seeks ‘Blanket’ Ban on Meta’s Use of Young Users’ Data
Citing privacy failings by the tech giant, regulators proposed to stop sites like Instagram and Facebook from profiting off the data of users under 18.
States’ Push to Protect Kids Online Could Remake the Internet
New age restrictions for minors on sites like TikTok and Pornhub could also hinder adults’ access to online services.
Judge Dismisses F.T.C. Lawsuit Against a Location Data Broker
The ruling was a blow to the commission’s intensifying efforts to crack down on the sale and use of sensitive personal information.
Judge Dismisses Trump’s Lawsuit Against The New York Times
Former President Donald J. Trump, who had sued The Times, three of its reporters, and his niece over an investigation into his tax returns, was ordered to pay The Times’s legal expenses.
Times Asks Judge in Fox-Dominion Case to Rule on Redactions
A judge will now decide whether media outlets that challenged how Fox News kept internal messages hidden from public view have a case.
Carlson’s Text That Alarmed Fox Leaders: ‘It’s Not How White Men Fight’
The discovery of the text message contributed to a chain of events that ultimately led to Tucker Carlson’s firing.
Tucker Carlson Wants to Return to TV Before 2025. Will Fox Let Him?
In conversations with his associates, Carlson has expressed interest in getting back to work before the agreement expires. The restrictions in his contract will likely be determinative as to where and what he will be able to do.
CNBC Anchor Complained NBCUniversal C.E.O. Pressured Her for Years
Hadley Gamble, an anchor and senior international correspondent at CNBC, said in her complaint that former NBCUniversal CEO Jeff Shell used his position of power to pursue her and pressure her for sex.
Google Promised to Defund Climate Lies, but the Ads Keep Coming
Google said in 2021 that it would stop running ads alongside videos and other content that denied the existence and causes of climate change.
As Attacks on Journalists Rise, The Times’s Publisher Warns of Risks to Democracy
The free press’s role in supporting human rights and democratic societies is “at great risk” amid increasing levels of violence against journalists worldwide, A.G. Sulzberger said.
The Next Fear on A.I.: Hollywood’s Killer Robots Become the Military’s Tools
U.S. national security officials are warning about the potential for the new technology to upend war, cyber conflict, and — in the most extreme case — the use of nuclear weapons.
How Could AI Change War? U.S. Defense Experts Warn About New Tech - The New York Times (nytimes.com)
‘The Godfather of A.I.’ Leaves Google and Warns of Danger Ahead
For half a century, Geoffrey Hinton nurtured the technology at the heart of chatbots like ChatGPT. Now he worries it will cause serious harm.
General News
Supreme Court Stays Execution of Death Row Inmate Richard Glossip
The Court acted after Oklahoma’s attorney general joined Richard Glossip in urging it to halt the execution, which had been scheduled for May 18th.
Supreme Court Stays Execution of Death Row Inmate Richard Glossip - The New York Times (nytimes.com)
Supreme Court Takes Up Case That Could Curtail Agency Power to Regulate Business
The Court’s Republican-appointed majority appears poised to chip away again at the authority of the administrative state to issue rules for the economy.
Prominent Retired Judge Calls for Ethics Rules for Supreme Court Justices
In written testimony sent to the Senate Judiciary Committee, the retired conservative Judge J. Michael Luttig called for new ethics rules for Supreme Court justices.
Justice Thomas’s Friend Defends Failure to Disclose Tuition Payments by Harlan Crow
The revelation by ProPublica added to the lavish gifts and travel from the Texas billionaire that Justice Clarence Thomas had not disclosed.
Justices Wrestled With Court’s Power in Landmark Abortion Case, Papers Show
Justice John Paul Stevens’s files on thousands of cases, including landmark decisions on abortion and the 2000 election, have been made public, opening a window on the Supreme Court.
White House Will End Most Covid Vaccine Mandates
The requirements helped end the public health emergency, but they also prompted a politically charged debate.
Late-Night Negotiating Frenzy Left First Republic in JPMorgan’s Control
The resolution of First Republic Bank came after a frantic night of deal making by government officials and executives at the country’s biggest bank.
It’s Not Just Math and Reading: U.S. History Scores for 8th Graders Plunge
The latest test results continue a nearly decade-long decline.
Four Proud Boys Convicted of Sedition in Key Jan. 6 Case
The verdict was a blow against the far-right group and another milestone in the Justice Department’s prosecution of the pro-Trump rioters who stormed the Capitol.
Jan. 6 Rioter Gets 14 Years for Police Attacks, Longest Sentence Yet in Inquiry
The sentence was delivered the same day that prosecutors recommended 25 years in prison for Stewart Rhodes, the leader of the Oath Keepers militia, who was convicted of seditious conspiracy in the attack.
Alabama Discriminated Against Black Residents Over Sewage, Justice Dept. Says
State and local health authorities ignored the risks of raw sewage for residents in a rural county, the Justice Department has found; the officials have agreed to change their practices.
Justice Dept. Intensifying Efforts to Determine if Trump Hid Documents
Prosecutors investigating the former president’s handling of classified material have issued a wave of new subpoenas and obtained the confidential cooperation of a witness who worked at Mar-a-Lago.
Legal Moves in Trump Case Reveal Challenges of Prosecuting a President
Lawyers for Trump sought to have his hush-money case moved to federal court, even as the judge in the case scheduled his trial for early next year.
In Trump Case, Bragg Pursues a Common Charge With a Rarely Used Strategy
A review of more than two dozen cases shows that in at least one sense, the indictment of the former president stands apart.
Trump Will Offer No Defense Witnesses in Rape Trial
The lawyer said he would call no witnesses to rebut E. Jean Carroll’s account of being assaulted at Bergdorf Goodman. The case could go to a jury early this week.
In Rape Trial Deposition Video, Trump Says Vulgar Tape Simply Reflects Truth
The former president did not disavow the “Access Hollywood” video when questioned by lawyers for E. Jean Carroll, who has accused him of attacking her. They rested their case on Thursday.
California Panel Calls for Billions in Reparations for Black Residents
A task force recommended that legislators enact a sweeping program to compensate for the economic harm from racism in the state’s history.
In Blow to DeSantis, Florida Bills to Limit Press Protections Are Shelved
Gov. Ron DeSantis usually gets what he wants from the State Legislature. However, on high-profile defamation bills it was the right-wing news media, and not the Republican governor, that flexed its muscle.
Hochul Acknowledges That She Didn’t Vet Adviser Accused of Sexual Harassment
Gov. Kathy Hochul said that she had hired Adam Sullivan in 2018 without a thorough background check, even though he had left his prior job abruptly, because she had used his services previously. She also said that she believed the women who accused Sullivan of harassment.
Most Fake Trump Electors Have Taken Immunity Deals in Georgia Case
Prosecutors are nearing charging decisions after investigating whether former Trump and his allies illegally meddled in Georgia’s 2020 election.
War, Weapons, and Conspiracy Theories: Inside Airman Teixeira’s Online World
A review of more than 9,500 messages obtained by The New York Times offers important clues about the mind-set of a young airman implicated in a vast leak of government secrets.
An End to Pandemic Restrictions Could Bring Thousands to the Border
Title 42, the policy that has allowed the swift expulsion of many migrants at the southern border, will lift on Thursday. Officials are bracing for a new immigration surge.