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Week In Review

Elissa D. Hecker - Editor

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

Donald Trump Nominates Republican Senate Staffer Olivia Trusty as FCC Commissioner

President-elect Donald Trump announced Olivia Trusty as his FCC commissioner pick, giving Republicans a majority at the agency. Currently the policy director for the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, Trump praised her for tirelessly working to grow the economy, empower innovation, and reignite the American Dream in a post on Truth Social.


Outgoing FCC Chair Dismisses Complaints Against TV Stations That ‘Seek to Weaponize’ Agency: ‘The FCC Should Not Be the President’s Speech Police’

As her last acts as FCC chair, Jessica Rosenworcel ordered the agency to reject four local TV station complaints, labeling them as politically motivated attempts to undermine the First Amendment. "I directed the FCC to stand up for the First Amendment. We draw a clear line when it's vital to clarify government interference with the free press," she said.


Drake Sues His Label, Calling Kendrick Lamar's 'Not Like Us' Defamatory

In a federal lawsuit on Wednesday, Drake accused Universal Music Group of putting his life and reputation at risk by releasing and promoting the popular diss track.


U.S. Government Report Spotlights Online Music Theft

The USTR released its annual Notorious Markets Report, tracking copyright infringement trends and identifying online piracy websites. This report reaffirms the US government’s commitment to copyright protection and the importance of defending creators economy.


Vimeo Wins US Appeal to Defeat Record Labels' Copyright Lawsuit

On Monday, Vimeo fended off an appeal from Universal Music Group and Sony Music in a U.S. copyright dispute over alleged piracy. The 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed that Vimeo is immune from the labels' claims under federal protections for internet service providers.


Justin Baldoni Sues Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds For Defamation

Justin Baldoni sues Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds Baldoni, his studio Wayfarer, and their publicists are alleging civil extortion, defamation, and a slew of contract-related claims about the film It Ends with Us.


Wendy Williams Speaks Out Against Guardianship: “I Feel Like I’m in Prison”

The former daytime talk show host added, "I am not cognitively impaired," despite being diagnosed with aphasia and frontotemporal dementia.


Donald Trump Slams Seth Meyers as ‘Dumb and Untalented,’ Demands Comcast ‘Pay a Big Price’ for ‘Political Hits’

Donald Trump insulted Seth Meyers on Truth Social, calling him “dumb and untalented” and claiming Comcast should "pay a big price” for "political hits." “How bad is Seth Meyers on NBC, a network run by a truly bad group of people — they also run MSDNC,” Trump wrote.


Copyright Cases in 2024: A Year in Review

Here are summaries of the 2024 copyright cases, some of which will have further developments on appeal in 2025.


Hachette Book Group Inc. v. Internet Archive: In September 2024, the Second Circuit upheld a ruling against the Internet Archive's fair use defense for unauthorized mass scanning of books. Initiated by the Association of American Publishers in 2020, the case involved copyright infringement claims over Controlled Digital Lending. The court determined that extensive copying harms creators' compensation and disincentivizes new work. With the Supreme Court appeal deadline expired, this decision is a win for publishers and clarifies the Copyright Act's provisions.


Sedlik v. Von Drachenberg: In early 2024, a California jury ruled for tattoo artist Kat Von D in a copyright case over Jeff Sedlik's photograph of Miles Davis. The jury found the tattoo not similar enough to infringe. Sedlik plans to appeal, with the Copyright Alliance supporting his view that the case shouldn't have gone to a jury due to clear substantial similarity.


Sony Music Entertainment v. Cox Communications: In February, the Fourth Circuit partially overturned a $1 billion jury verdict against Cox Communications for subscribers' song infringement. It upheld willful contributory infringement but reversed the vicarious liability verdict, noting Cox did not receive direct financial benefits. Sony and Cox are seeking Supreme Court review of these liabilities’ determinations.


Los Angeles Fires:

Oscar Nominations Announcement Postponed Again Due To Los Angeles Wildfires

The announcement of Oscar nominees for the 2025 Academy Awards was delayed again due to Los Angeles wildfires, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced Monday.


Hollywood's Filmmaking Continues Despite L.A. Wildfires

Because of costs, few movies are shot locally, leaving the industry in a surreal spot: reeling from personal loss with much of the business untouched.


LA Fire Relief Resources for ASCAP Members

ASCAP has established a $1 million emergency relief fund for composer and songwriter members in the Los Angeles area who have suffered loss or damage to their homes or studios due to the fires. 


Wildfires Tear Through Los Angeles Audio Community

Thousands of homes and buildings, including studios, venues, and more, have been destroyed by the Los Angeles wildfires, adversely impacting the pro-audio community.


LA Wildfire Relief: Organizations Providing Assistance for Music Industry Workers 

A list of organizations and entities offering relief for musicians and music industry professionals affected by the hugely destructive Los Angeles blazes.


More LA Fire Relief: Guitar Center Offers to Replace Instruments and Gear for Affected Musicians and Music Education Programs

Guitar Center will replace instruments and gear for musicians and music education programs impacted by the Los Angeles wildfires. Applications for one-time grants can be submitted through the Guitar Center Music Foundation. This offer is available only to Los Angeles-based musicians and education programs and ends on February 28, 2025.


Arts

Ace Gallery Founder Is Sentenced to 24 Months in Embezzlement Case

Douglas Chrismas, a pioneering art dealer convicted in May on three counts of embezzling from his gallery's bankruptcy estate, was sentenced on Monday in federal court to 24 months in prison.


Vast Trove of Arnold Schoenberg's Music Is Destroyed in Fire

An estimated 100,000 scores and parts by the groundbreaking 20th-century composer Arnold Schoenberg were destroyed last week when the wildfires in Southern California burned down the music publishing company founded by his heirs. The company rents and sells the scores to ensembles around the world.


Art Collector Says He Lost Warhols and Harings to L.A. Fire

Ron Rivlin said he had lost about 30 works by Andy Warhol — and dozens more by other artists — when his Pacific Palisades home was destroyed.


Des Moines Art Center to Demolish Work and Pay Land Artist $900,000

The artist Mary Miss agreed to the settlement, ending a yearlong battle to save her work. The museum said her piece, which it had commissioned, had become a safety hazard.


Arts Groups and Donors Create Fire Relief Fund for Los Angeles Artists.

The fund, already at $12 million, is led by the Getty and includes major museums, foundations, and philanthropists.


Germany Approves Tribunal to Decide Nazi-Looted Art Claims

Germany's government on Wednesday approved a reform to help the heirs of Jewish collectors recover Nazi-looted art, introducing a binding arbitration tribunal to adjudicate claims. The new body replaces an advisory panel, whose decisions could not be legally enforced.


For These Teenagers in Ukraine, Hope Arrived at the Stage Door

The students in a summer acting course performed a play set in America, called, “It's okay!” And it gave them hope that their lives would be OK, too.


Sports

Division I Approves Creation of Women’s Basketball Funds

Teams participating in the 2025 Division I Women’s Basketball Championship will earn financial rewards for their conferences


House Passes Bill to Bar Trans Athletes from Female School Sports Teams

Republicans’ decision to push through the measure early in the new Congress indicated their belief that the issue was politically potent for them. Its future in the Senate is uncertain.


Newsletter, Image, Likeness Vol. 115: Would Judge Wilken Waiting to Rule on The House V. NCAA Settlement Cause Chaos In College Sports?

This newsletter report notes that Judge Claudia Wilken has granted preliminary approval for a settlement in the House v. NCAA class-action lawsuits. A hearing is set for April 7, 2025, to discuss final approval. She could reject the settlement, possibly causing turmoil in college sports. Currently, college football players have two annual transfer portal windows that allow them to transfer to other schools without sitting out a year.


Department Of Education Releases Memo on Student-Athlete NIL Pay, Title IX Compliance

The Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights issued guidance on NIL pay under Title IX rules. A nine-page memo states athletic programs must provide equal opportunities regardless of sex.


Technology/Media

Supreme Court Seems Ready to Back Texas Law Limiting Access to Pornography

The law, meant to shield minors from sexual materials on the internet by requiring adults to prove they are 18, was challenged on First Amendment grounds.


Biden Administration Adopts Rules to Guide A.I.'s Global Spread

The Biden administration issued sweeping rules earlier this week governing how artificial intelligence chips and models can be shared with foreign countries in an attempt to set up a global framework that will guide how AI spreads around the world in the years to come.


OpenAI Courts Trump with Vision for 'A.I. in America'

The maker of ChatGPT hopes to spur investment from the Middle East and avoid strict regulations on developing new technologies.


SEC Sues Elon Musk Over Twitter-Related Securities Violations

U.S. securities regulators sued Elon Musk in federal court in Washington this week over his $44 billion Twitter purchase, now X.  The lawsuit against Musk, an adviser to President-elect Trump, may be one of the last contentious acts of the SEC under departing chair Gary Gensler, and could be affected soon when Trump appoints new leadership.


TikTok Says It Is Restoring Service to U.S. Users Based On Trump’s Promised Executive Order

TikTok resumed service in the U.S. after briefly going dark due to a federal ban that President-elect Donald Trump plans to pause with an executive order on his first day. This order aims to give TikTok’s China-based parent more time to find an approved buyer before the ban entirely takes effect. Trump announced this on Truth Social as millions of U.S. TikTok users found the app inaccessible platform.


Meta Secretly Trained Its AI on a Notorious Piracy Database, Newly Unredacted Court Docs Reveal

Meta lost a significant legal battle with authors suing for copyright infringement concerning its AI training practices. A court unredacted allegations that Meta used Library Genesis (LibGen), a shadow library of pirated books from Russia, in training its generative AI language models.


‘Marvel Snap’ Game Also Goes Dark and Is Pulled from App Stores Because of TikTok Ban

Don’t blame Thanos: “Marvel Snap” is a casualty of the U.S. government’s ban on TikTok due to concerns over its Chinese ties. Not only TikTok went offline for U.S. users Saturday, just hours before the Jan. 19 deadline of the U.S. divest-or-ban law. At least 10 other ByteDance-owned apps were also removed from app stores Saturday night because of a U.S. law banning their distribution unless the Beijing-based company sold them, including “Marvel Snap,” a digital collectible card game from the Disney-owned studio.


Apple Suspends Error-Strewn AI-Generated News Alerts

Apple has suspended its AI feature due to criticism for errors in summarizing news headlines. The company faced pressure to withdraw the service, which sent notifications mimicking news apps. "We are working on improvements for a future update," Apple spokesperson said. Reporters Without Borders (RSF) warned about the risks of hastily releasing new technology features.


AI (and Other) Companies: Quietly Changing Your Terms of Service Could Be Unfair or Deceptive

Data is the new oil—it's a vital resource driving tech innovation. Like oil, data needs mass collection and refinement to be effective. AI, with its insatiable demand for data, often seeks it from its user base. However, companies face a conflict: robust incentives exist to convert user data into AI fuel, yet they must also protect users’ and security privacy.


CNN Loses Defamation Trial Over Afghan Evacuation Report

Zachary Young alleged CNN defamed him in a report by chief security correspondent Alex Marquardt that said he operated in a "black market."


Venu Fallout: Disney Hit with Antitrust Lawsuit from Fubo Subscriber

The lawsuit claims that Disney's ownership of ESPN "enables it to extract monopoly rents" and the company imposes anticompetitive terms on rivals


Giuliani Keeps His Condo in Settlement of Defamation Case

An agreement allowed the former mayor of New York City to keep his apartments and other valuables in return for an undisclosed payment to two election workers he defamed after the 2020 vote.


Russian Disinformation Campaigns Eluded Meta's Efforts to Block Them 

A Russian organization tied to Kremlin influence campaigns posted over 8,000 political ads on Facebook, despite European and American restrictions against them. The group, Social Design Agency, circumvented weak Facebook enforcement to spend about $338,000 on ads targeting European users over 15 months, ending in October, even as the platform highlighted the threat, according to a report by three tracking organizations Friday.


Prince Harry Takes on Rupert Murdoch's U.K. Tabloids in a High-Stakes Trial

Barring a late settlement, Harry's lawsuit against News Group Newspapers will begin Monday, with potential consequences for the royal family, the media baron, and even The Washington Post.


A Neo-Nazi Helped Incite U.K. Riots. Elon Musk Criticized His Sentencing

Andrew McIntyre, a British extremist who played a key role in fomenting last summer’s unrest, was sentenced last week to seven years in jail.


General News

Special Counsel Report on Trump Election Case

 The former special counsel Jack Smith stood behind his prosecution of President-elect Donald J. Trump in a report released early Tuesday.


Takeaways From Special Counsel Jack Smith’s Report on January 6 and Trump’s Efforts To Overturn The 2020 Election

Former special counsel Jack Smith concludes that Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election led to the January 6 attack on the US Capitol. His 137-page report, released just before Trump’s second inauguration, strongly defends his investigation critics.


How To Help L.A. Wildfire Victims and Organizations Supporting Relief Efforts

Wildfires in Southern California have killed at least 10 people and caused widespread destruction. More than 150,000 residents are under evacuation orders, and thousands of structures are lost. Firefighters continue battling the blazes as critical fire weather is expected to persist, prompting officials to advise residents to take precautions.


Speaker Orders Capitol Hill Flags Raised for Inauguration

President-elect Donald J. Trump had complained that flags were scheduled to fly at half-staff — a symbol of mourning for former President Jimmy Carter — on the day of his inauguration.


Biden Will Remove Cuba From List of State Sponsors Terrorism List

The Biden administration announced it will remove Cuba from the state sponsor of terrorism list, a move likely to be reversed by the incoming team. President Biden will notify Congress of his intent to lift the designation, having completed an assessment that found no supporting information for Cuba’s designation.


Highlights From the Hearing Where Republicans Embraced Hegseth’s Bid To Lead The Pentagon 

Democrats repeatedly called Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for U.S. defense secretary, unfit to serve, but Republicans on the Senate Armed Services Committee expressed nothing but support for his candidacy at a confirmation hearing.


In A First, The E.P.A. Warns Of ‘Forever Chemicals’ in Sludge Fertilizer

The EPA warned that “forever chemicals" in sewage sludge used as fertilizer may pose health risks. Although the food supply is safe, contaminated fertilizer can exceed safety thresholds.


Elon Musk Reportedly Set to Have Office Space in The White House Complex

The location suggests that Musk, who owns companies with billions of dollars in contracts with the federal government, will continue to have remarkable access to President-elect Donald Trump.


Hochul Proposes Cutting Income Taxes for Middle-Class New Yorkers

Gov. Kathy Hochul proposed cutting the state’s income tax for most residents as part of her populist agenda outlined in the State of the State address. The speech focused on her “affordability agenda,” aimed at winning over frustrated New Yorkers who weakened the Democratic Party’s hold.


Ex-Judge Forced Off Bench for Threats to Teens Is Back on Public Payroll

Erin P. Gall, who resigned from a New York State Supreme Court judgeship after footage showed her threatening to shoot Black teenagers, is now working as a lawyer for Herkimer County.


Texas Sues Allstate Over Its Collection of Driver Data

The lawsuit accuses Allstate of violating Texas laws governing data privacy, data brokers, and unfair and deceptive acts by insurers.


Photos: Families reunite as the Israel-Hamas ceasefire takes effect

After 15 months of war, a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas took effect on Sunday morning.

The long-awaited truce sparked brief celebrations in Gaza, saw the release of three Israeli women from captivity, and freed approximately 90 Palestinians.


Two Prominent Judges Are Shot Dead Outside Iran's Supreme Court

An unidentified gunman killed two high-profile judges outside Iran’s Supreme Court on Saturday in what the authorities are calling a terrorist attack, according to state-run media. The perpetrator took their own life after the shooting.


Syria Confronts an Immense Challenge: Justice for Assad Regime Crimes

The downfall of Syria’s 54-year Assad regime reveals a series of dark revelations. Prisons have emptied, exposing the instruments of torture used on peaceful protesters and others deemed opponents of the government. Stacks of official documents record thousands of detainees.

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