Week In Review

Jessie Schuster Edited by Elissa D. Hecker Entertainment Lyrics Can be Used as Evidence During Rapper Young Thug’s Trial on Gang and Racketeering Charges, Judge Rules A judge has ruled that rapper Young Thug’s lyrics can be used at trial and they have been admitted into evidence in his gang and racketeering case. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/young-thug-trial-lyrics-can-be-used-as-evidence-judge-rules/ Lawsuit Claims Bureau of Prisons Staff Leaked R. Kelly’s Personal Information Before Chicago Trial R. Kelly is suing the federal government on claims that the staff of the U.S. Bureau of Prisons released confidential details about him prior to his Chicago trial. https://abc7chicago.com/r-kelly-sues-bureau-of-prisons-jennifer-bonjean-news/14054178/ Sean Combs is Accused by Cassie of Rape and Years of Abuse in Lawsuit, Then Settles Sean Combs, a/k/a “Diddy”, was accused of rape and years of abuse by his former girlfriend of a decade, singer and actress Cassie. The parties settled under terms that are unknown to the public. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/11/16/arts/music/sean-combs-diddy-cassie-rape-lawsuit.html https://www.nytimes.com/2023/11/17/arts/music/cassie-diddy-sean-combs-settlement.html?searchResultPosition=1 Diddy’s Legal Battle Over Tequila Brand Put on Ice Until 2024 The legal battle between Diddy and liquor giant Diageo will be on hold for months while the court determines how the case should proceed. https://www.billboard.com/business/legal/diddy-diageo-tequila-lawsuit-paused-appeals-court-1235472540/ Arts Supreme Court Refuses to Revive Florida Law Restricting Drag Shows After a Florida law that restricts drag shows was brought before the Supreme Court, the Court ruled that the law was a clear violation of the First Amendment, as it suppressed the speech of drag performers. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/11/16/us/politics/supreme-court-florida-law-drag-shows.html?searchResultPosition=1 Amid ‘Oklahoma!’ Controversy, Sherman High School Families Speak Out to Board Families are speaking out in North Texas after a student at Sherman High School was removed from his male role, since he was a female at birth. The families waved pride and transgender flags as they stood proud in their “I stand with Max” and “Let them sing” shirts. https://www.dallasnews.com/news/education/2023/11/13/sherman-isd-transgender-student-school-board-meeting/ Former CEO at Center of Fake Basquiats Scandal Countersues Museum, Claiming he is Being Scapegoated The former CEO of the Orlando Museum of Art claims that he is being made a scapegoat in the museum’s lawsuit against him, stating that the suit was brought so the museum could protect itself from claims that he is possibly not responsible for the fake artwork. https://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/wireStory/former-ceo-center-fake-basquiats-scandal-countersues-museum-104894234 ‘How to Dance in Ohio’: A Story About Autism and Connection For the first time, autistic characters in a Broadway play will be played by autistic actors. The show, How to Dance in Ohio, will be a musical following a doctor and seven of his neurodiverse clients. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/11/15/theater/how-to-dance-in-ohio-autism-musical.html?searchResultPosition=1 Gwyneth Paltrow’s Ski Trial is Becoming a London Musical A parody of Gwyneth Paltrow’s trial that was brought after an optometrist sued the star for injuries inflicted on a ski mountain in 2016 will be in London theaters. The show, Gwyneth Goes Skiing, was announced to begin on December 13th. https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/gwyneth-paltrow-ski-trial-musical-1235647743/ Former Fashion Mogul Peter Nygard Guilty of Sexual Assault Peter Nygard of Nygard International has been found guilty of sexual assault in Canada, where he can face up to 10 years in prison if he is sentenced. https://www.washingtonpost.com/style/2023/11/13/peter-nygard-sexual-assault/ Sports Off the Court and Field, Top Athletes Become Players in the Art Market Professional athletes, aside from being known for their love of sports, have been indulging into their love of art, as many athletes are the collectors of contemporary artwork by artists of color. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/11/19/arts/nba-nfl-art-market.html After Manslaughter Arrest in Adam Johnson Case, What Happens Now? Following Adam Johnson’s tragic death as a result of being cut in the neck by a skate during a hockey game, an unknown man has been arrested for suspicion of manslaughter. The man has since been released on bail, however his identity will likely stay confidential until he is charged. https://theathletic.com/5064020/2023/11/15/adam-johnson-manslaughter-arrest-explained/ ESPN Issues Employee Betting Guidelines Ahead of ESPN Bet Launch Tuesday With ESPN Bet launching in 38 states, ESPN issued new employee betting guidelines that will prohibit employees from becoming entangled in bets that relate to their work. https://www.legalsportsreport.com/150335/employee-betting-guidelines-ahead-of-espn-bet-launch-today/ MLB Owners Approve Athletics’ Planned Move to Las Vegas The Oakland A’s will soon become the Las Vegas A’s, as the MLB has approved the move. The decision is not final though, as legal battles surrounding the construction of a baseball stadium in Vegas may be the ultimate reason as to why the A’s could stay in Oakland. https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/38911419/mlb-owners-approve-athletics-planned-move-las-vegas-sources-say Palestinian and Israeli Teens Swam in the Same Pool. Then Came Oct. 7 A swim team in Jerusalem made up of Israelis and Arabs is among the millions across the world who are struggling with balancing respect for their friends and teammates, while seeing what each other are posting and supporting since the brutal attack on Oct. 7. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/11/15/world/middleeast/jerusalem-pool-israelis-palestinians.html?searchResultPosition=2 Media & Technology Alphabet CEO Pichai Grilled on Record-Keeping at Google Play Trial The CEO of Alphabet, Google’s parent company, defended his company on the witness stand, claiming that Google Play does not abuse its market power. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-11-14/alphabet-s-pichai-faces-tough-questions-at-google-play-trial Fake Reviews Are Rampant Online. Can a Crackdown End Them? Tech companies are cracking down on fake reviews by implementing strict regulations that will hopefully make the “illegal and unacceptable” reviews disappear from platforms and make review sections of websites more reliable for users. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/11/13/technology/fake-reviews-crackdown.html Why Charissa Thompson’s Comments on Making up Sideline Reports Are so Damaging Following Charissa Thompson’s statements that she made up sideline reports while covering NFL games on Fox Sports and Amazon, other sports reporters are speaking out about the dangers of falsifying information. https://theathletic.com/5064216/2023/11/16/charissa-thompson-sideline-comments-laura-okmin/ OpenAI Board in Discussions with Sam Altman to Return as CEO After being suddenly fired from OpenAI, Sam Altman has been in talks with the company to return as its CEO. https://www.theverge.com/2023/11/18/23967199/breaking-openai-board-in-discussions-with-sam-altman-to-return-as-ceo X Races to Contain Damage After Elon Musk Endorses Antisemitic Post, While More Advertisers Halt Spending on X in Growing Backlash Against Musk Elon Musk has put his social media platform X in trouble by endorsing an antisemitic post. Now, the company is working tirelessly to attempt to contain backlash against them. Major companies, including Warner Bros., Discovery, IBM, and Sony have paused all ad spending on X after Musk’s endorsement of the deeply antisemitic post. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/11/16/technology/elon-musk-endorses-antisemitic-post-ibm.html https://www.nytimes.com/2023/11/18/technology/elon-musk-twitter-x-advertisers.html?searchResultPosition=1 Sacha Baron Cohen, Debra Messing, and More Jewish Celebrities on Call to TikTok Execs: ‘Shame on You’ In a private meeting between Jewish content creators and celebrities and TikTok executives, the growing antisemitism was not only discussed, but Sacha Baron Cohen and others made it clear to the executives that they should be ashamed of the growing hate and dangerous rhetoric since the Oct. 7th massacre. https://www.rollingstone.com/tv-movies/tv-movie-news/tiktok-jewish-celebrities-sacha-baron-cohen-debra-messing-antisemitism-1234884073/ Antisemitic and Anti-Muslim Hate Speech Surges Across the Internet The rise in antisemitism and anti-Muslim hate speech following the Oct. 7 attacks and the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas is more visible than ever as the rhetoric has taken over Facebook, Instagram, X, and TikTok. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/11/15/technology/hate-speech-israel-gaza-internet.html?searchResultPosition=1 Angst as Osama Bin Laden Letter Goes Viral The antisemitic speech on TikTok has reached a new level, as users of the platform are sympathizing with Osama Bin Laden as his anti-America, antisemitic letter goes viral. https://thehill.com/newsletters/defense-national-security/4315848-angst-as-osama-bin-laden-letter-goes-viral/ Harsh Visuals of War Leave Newsrooms Racing Tough Choices With pictures and videos swarming social media platforms of war crimes, many of which are inaccurate or from years prior to the current war between Hamas and Israel, news platforms need to buckle down on ensuring they are not spreading extreme disinformation. Newsrooms are being forced to make the quick decisions of what their viewers should and should not see. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/11/14/business/media/israel-hamas-media-photography.html?searchResultPosition=1 Lawmakers Press Apple on Whether Jon Stewart’s Show was Canceled Because of China Concerns After Jon Stewart’s exit from his Apple TV+ show, the House of Representatives created a committee to look into whether Tom Cook may have allowed his streaming service to be swayed by China. https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/digital/apple-jon-stewart-canceled-china-concerns-house-letter-1235647900/ Nepal Bans TikTok and Tightens Control Over All Social Media Platforms Nepal has officially banned TikTok from being used in the country to “protect social harmony.” https://time.com/6334769/nepal-tiktok-ban-social-media-regulation/ Top German Journalist Received €600K From Putin Ally, Leak Reveals A German Journalist who frequently covered Putin received hundreds of thousands of euros in undisclosed payments from a Russian billionaire who keeps close ties with the Russian President. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/11/15/world/europe/germany-russia-journalist-hubert-seipel.html?searchResultPosition=1 General News House Passes a Stopgap Bill to Avert a Government Shutdown Speaker Johnson’s stopgap funding bill was passed by lawmakers, averting a much-anticipated government shutdown. https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/house-bill-pass-government-shutdown-speaker-mike-johnson-rcna125008 The Supreme Court Adopts First-Ever Code of Ethics After receiving pressure and pushback from the American public and Congress, the Supreme Court has adopted its first ever code of ethics, which the Justices say “largely represents a codification of principles” that have long governed the Court. However, the code is not as clear as some would like. https://www.npr.org/2023/11/13/1212708142/supreme-court-ethics-code Supreme Court Rejects Appeal of Illinois Prisoner Kept in Solitary Confinement for 3 Years Michael Johnson , an Illinois inmate who was kept in solitary confinement for three years, which included denial of access to exercise, argued that the punishment he received was inhumane. His appeal was rejected by the Supreme Court. https://www.cnn.com/2023/11/13/politics/supreme-court-solitary-confinement-3-years/index.html Trump Can Appear on Republican Primary Ballot in Michigan, Judge Rules It has been argued by the former president’s challengers that he should be disqualified from appearing on the Republican Primary Ballot in MI due to his involvement with Jan. 6th, however a Judge has ruled that he can in fact appear on the ballot. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/nov/14/trump-michigan-primary-ballot-insurrection Federal Prosecutors Object to Trump Request for Broadcast of Election Trial Federal Prosecutors are speaking out against Trump’s request to broadcast his election trial, as they feel the broadcast would turn the trial into a “media event” and would distract from the charges. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/11/13/us/trump-trial-broadcast-request.html Judge in Trump Election Interference Case Won’t Strike Jan. 6 References from Indictment Judge Tanya Chutkan has decided not to strike down references to Jan. 6th, holding that there is no risk of bias since the jury will not get copies of the references during deliberations. https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/justice-department/judge-trump-election-interference-case-wont-strike-jan-6-references-in-rcna125740 U.S. Offers Tapes From Bugged Guantánamo Prison Yard as Evidence in 9/11 Case Recordings of Khalid Shaikh Mohammed, the man who is accused of being the brains behind the 9/11 attacks, are being offered by the U.S. in the case, after the recordings from the Guantánamo prison yard were declassified. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/11/17/us/politics/guantanamo-9-11-case-tapes.html?searchResultPosition=1 New York Moves to Cut Reliance on Regents Examination as a High School Graduation Requirement NY has progressed in efforts to cut back on the importance of regents exams when it comes to securing a high school diploma. https://www.nydailynews.com/2023/11/13/new-york-is-overhauling-high-school-graduation-requirements-heres-what-that-might-look-like/ New Resolution Filed to Expel GOP Rep. George Santos from Congress George Santos is facing a potential expulsion after an investigation has discovered “a complex web of unlawful activity involving [his] campaign, personal, and business finances.” https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/new-resolution-filed-expel-gop-rep-george-santos/story?id=104973663 Republicans Who Kept Rep. Santos in Congress Are Lining Up to Oust Him After Scathing Ethics Report George Santos is losing the few allies he had in Congress. https://www.cnbc.com/2023/11/16/santos-loses-gop-support-ahead-of-expulsion-vote-after-ethics-report.html Why Georgia Republicans Are Protecting the D.A. who Indicted Trump Georgia Republicans are protecting Fani T. Willis, the D.A. who indicted former President Trump, in attempts to avoid all eyes on Georgia politicians if they were to fire the D.A. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/11/16/us/trump-georgia-fani-willis-republicans.html NY Becomes 12th State with ‘Clean Slate’ Legislation Governor Kathy Hochul has passed a ‘Clean Slate’ law in NY, making it the 12th state to do so in attempts to have criminal records sealed if after a sentence a person remains crime-free (for most, but not the most severe, crimes). The governor says this law is vital in combating crime as “the best anti-crime tool we have is a job.” https://www.cbsnews.com/newyork/news/new-york-clean-slate-legislation/ Man Exonerated in Malcolm X’s Murder Sues U.S. Over His Conviction Muhammad A. Aziz, the man who spent over 2 decades in prison for his role in the murder of Malcolm X, was exonerated and now brings claims against the FBI, saying that the agency withheld information suggesting he had no part in the murder. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/11/16/nyregion/malcolm-x-muhammad-aziz-exonerated-lawsuit.html?searchResultPosition=1 City to Pay Record $17.5M Settlement After Wrongful Conviction After spending over 20 years in prison for murder charges, George Bell was both exonerated and won a $17.5M settlement from the city after his $4.4M settlement with the state. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/11/16/nyregion/queens-murders-exonerated-settlement.html?searchResultPosition=1 Jury Deadlocks on Officer Charged with Violating Breonna Taylor’s Rights The prosecution of Brett Hankison, the officer responsible for shooting 10 bullets through Breonna Taylor’s door, ended in a mistrial as the jury failed to reach a unanimous verdict. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/11/16/us/brett-hankison-breonna-taylor-jury-verdict.html?searchResultPosition=1 Man Obsessed with Online Conspiracy Theories Convicted in Paul Pelosi Attack David DePape was convicted as jurors found him responsible for breaking into the Nancy Pelosi’s home and attacking Paul Pelosi with a hammer. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/11/16/us/david-depape-paul-pelosi-verdict.html?searchResultPosition=1