Week In Review
- Elissa D. Hecker - Editor
- Sep 29
- 9 min read
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
Disney Sued After Enforcing Rights to Mickey Mouse in the Public Domain
The lawsuit seeks clarity around whether companies can exploit the earliest depiction of Mickey Mouse from a 1928 animated short.
Martin Shkreli Can Be Sued for Copying Unique Wu-Tang Clan Album, Judge Rules
'Pharma Bro' faces false accusations. Plaintiff PleasrDAO paid $4 million for 'Shaolin.' The Judge stated that the album was kept secret intentionally. Shkreli's lawyer claimed that the client committed no wrongdoing.
Universal Music Defeats Copyright Lawsuit Over Mary J. Blige's 1992 Sample
Universal Music Group convinced a New York federal court to dismiss a copyright infringement lawsuit over an alleged unauthorized sample in Mary J. Blige's 1992 song "Real Love." U.S. District Judge Dale Ho ruled that "Real Love" was not similar enough to Honey Drippers' 1973 song "Impeach the President" to support Tuff City Records' case against UMG. Tuff City and UMG's representatives did not respond to requests for comment. Blige is not involved.
Woman Who Tried to Fraudulently Sell Graceland Gets More Than 4 Years in Prison
Prosecutors say Lisa Jeanine Findley tried to wrongly foreclose on Elvis Presley’s historic Tennessee home.
Ticketmaster U.K. Agrees to Changes After Outrage Over Oasis Sales
The company agreed to give fans more information during the ticket-buying process to avoid unexpected prices.
Eurovision Members to Vote on Whether to Exclude Israel
The event’s organizer has called an extraordinary general meeting for November.
Kneecap Rapper’s Terrorism Charge Is Dismissed by U.K. Court
A judge dropped a terrorism charge against a member of the Irish-language rap group, citing an error in the way the charge was brought.
Arts
Report Says Museums Post Less Online About Possibly Nazi-Looted Art
Researchers for the World Jewish Restitution Organization said families whose art was stolen or disappeared in the Holocaust now face a harder time tracking works on the internet.
Judge Rejects Ronald Perelman’s Claim That His Art Had Lost Its ‘Oomph’
The collector’s holding companies had sued his insurers for $400 million to cover paintings that they say had been damaged in a fire. The insurers said that the art had survived untouched.
A Curator Flees Bangkok After China Deems His Art Show Too Provocative
A museum’s directors said Chinese and Thai officials pressured them to remove the names of artists whose works criticized China. The curator flew to London, fearing arrest.
After Centuries of Stigma, South Korea Moves to Legalize Tattoo Artists
For years, South Korean tattooists have had to work in underground studios or windowless backrooms. They may soon be able to practice their craft in the open.
Sports
Lawsuit Accuses Madison Square Garden of Discrimination, Illegal Fan Surveillance
A former vice president for the Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corporation is suing the company, alleging he faced unlawful discrimination, hostile treatment, and wrongful termination based on his disabilities. He is also suing for retaliation based on his request for reasonable accommodations, the corporation’s response to his whistleblower complaints, and breach of contract, among other grievances.
Tennis Players Send New Letters to Grand Slams Pushing for Reform as The Sport’s Internal Conflict Continues
After the talks at Roland Garros and Wimbledon, the players sent their second series of letters to the Slams, pushing again for reform and reflecting their view that even if the Slams think a streamlined schedule is the way to go, that doesn't have to be mutually exclusive.https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6657340/2025/09/24/tennis-reform-letter-grand-slams/
Newsletter, Image, Likeness Vol. 151: Could Judge Boulware's Ruling Truly Be the Death Knell of NCAA Amateurism?
The Weekly Longer NIL Thought.
Last week, Judge Boulware ruled in favor of Tatuo Martinson, allowing him to play beyond the NCAA's five-year rule and criticizing the NCAA's structure after the House settlement. The ruling rejected the idea that college sports are different from professional sports due to amateurism, calling athletes part of a paid labor market and highlighting NCAA's illegal practices. This challenges the NCAA's defense in antitrust cases, recognizing athletes as workers with protections, potentially ending amateurism legally.
Gunman Who Attacked Midtown Office Building Had C.T.E.
Shane Tamura, a former high school football player, shot himself and left a note that said his motive was anger at the N.F.L.
Angels Can’t Argue That Convicted Employee Wasn’t Responsible for Tyler Skaggs’ Death, Judge Rules
The Los Angeles Angels’ legal strategy suffered a setback on the first day of a civil trial against Tyler Skaggs’ family. The team’s defense focused on re-litigating the criminal case against former communications director Eric Kay, who is in federal prison for supplying the fentanyl-laced pill that killed Skaggs in 2019. Kay is serving 22 years.
Yonkers and Queens Casino Bids Advance in Battle for N.Y. Licenses
The Empire City Casino and Resorts World are the first applicants to be approved by their local advisory committees after all three Manhattan proposals were eliminated.
Jared Kushner’s Firm Is Said to Be Part of $50 Billion Buyout of Electronic Arts
Kushner’s private equity firm, Affinity Partners, is said to be in talks with the Saudi sovereign wealth fund and Silver Lake to buy out the video game giant.
IOC Executive Board Approves Olympic Medal Reallocations for Vancouver 2010 And Sochi 2014
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) Executive Board (EB) today decided to reallocate Olympic medals, diplomas, and medalist pins from the Vancouver 2010 and Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games.https://www.olympics.com/ioc/news/ioc-executive-board-approves-olympic-medal-reallocations-for-vancouver-2010-and-sochi-2014
World Cup 2026 – what we’re hearing: FIFA alerted to 145 human rights concerns at Club World Cup
FIFA received 145 human rights concern reports at the Club World Cup, mainly from fans via its grievance portal. Most related to U.S. policy and enforcement, such as alleged ICE sightings.
Technology/Media
U.S. Asks Judge to Break Up Google’s Advertising Technology Monopoly
The Justice Department argued that the best way to address the company’s unfair advantage was to force it to sell off portions of its business.
Google Asks Supreme Court to Intervene in Dispute with Fortnite Creator
The case could rewrite the rules on how businesses make money on Google’s smartphone operating system.
Amazon to Pay $2.5 Billion to Settle Claims It Tricked Prime Customers
The settlement is one of the largest in the history of the Federal Trade Commission, which sued Amazon two years ago.
Jimmy Kimmel, Somber but Defiant, Defends Free Speech in Return to ABC
The late-night star said he had not intended to make light of Charlie Kirk’s murder, but he also said that President Trump’s threat against ABC was “anti-American.”
Brendan Carr Plans to Keep Going After the Media
While “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” returned to ABC, the chairman of the Federal Communications Commission has promised to continue his campaign against what he sees as liberal bias in broadcasts.
Disney Hit with Legal Salvo from Shareholders Over Jimmy Kimmel Suspension
The entertainment giant may soon have to turn over documents and communications dealing with the late-night host's sidelining, including company moderation polices and copies of deals with affiliate stations addressing their right to preempt programming.
Washington Post Opinion Writer Says Firing Violated Labor Agreement
The company fired Karen Attiah this month for her social media posts related to Charlie Kirk’s assassination.
A Broad Wave of Firings Followed Charlie Kirk’s Assassination
More than 145 people in a wide range of occupations have been fired or disciplined after they made statements about the assassination of Charlie Kirk.
Trump Clears Way for American-Owned TikTok Valued at $14 Billion
The administration has been working for months to find non-Chinese investors for a U.S. version of the app.
Paramount Hires Former DOJ Head Under Trump as Chief Legal Officer
Delrahim, who served as assistant attorney general for the antitrust division during Trump’s first term, recently worked at Latham & Watkins LLP, advising Skydance Media on acquiring Paramount. His move comes as Paramount is reportedly seeking to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery, likely facing regulatory challenges. https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/paramount-chief-legal-officer-1236386055/
Countries Consider A.I.’s Dangers and Benefits at U.N.
The United Nations announced a new “global dialogue on artificial intelligence governance,” and a new global A.I. panel on the technology’s risks and rewards.
General News
Supreme Court Allows Trump to Fire F.T.C. Commissioner
The justices said they will consider whether to overrule a landmark Supreme Court precedent that has limited the president’s ability to fire top officials at the agency.
Lisa Cook Asks Supreme Court to Remain at Fed, Calling Fraud Allegations ‘Flimsy’
Former Fed chairs and U.S. Treasury secretaries also backed Lisa Cook’s retention, for now, warning of erosion in public confidence in the central bank’s independence.
Supreme Court Allows Trump to Slash Foreign Aid
The Court’s conservative majority allowed the president to cut the funding in part because it said his flexibility to engage in foreign affairs outweighed “the potential harm” faced by aid recipients.
Trump Administration Asks Supreme Court to Allow End of Birthright Citizenship
Government lawyers asked the justices to clear the way for the president’s executive order ending birthright citizenship.
Trump Expands Tariffs Beyond Supreme Court’s Reach
The president’s tariffs on foreign drugs and furniture rely on national security laws outside the scope of current lawsuits.
The Battle for US Copyright Office Control Continues — Trump Administration Fires Back Following Perlmutter Reinstatement
Weeks after an appellate ruling in favor of Shira Perlmutter, the Trump administration challenged the register’s arguments in a summary judgment dispute. This dispute is part of a complex four-month legal battle marked by numerous twists and filings.
Fact-Checking Trump’s U.N. Speech
The president made inaccurate claims about the economy, renewable energy and the mayor of London.
‘Your Countries Are Going to Hell’: Trump Airs His Grievances at the U.N.
In a meandering address, Trump rebuked global institutions and complained about immigration, environmentalists, windmills and more.
Comey Indicted After Pressure from Trump
Trump had intensified pressure on the Justice Department in recent days, publicly demanding that top officials prosecute James Comey.
Read the Indictment of James Coreyhttps://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2025/09/25/us/james-comey-indictment.html
Trump’s Pick to Replace Ousted U.S. Attorney Lacks Prosecutorial Experience
Lindsey Halligan worked as a personal lawyer for Trump and then led the effort to scrutinize the Smithsonian for “improper ideology.”
$100,000 Per Employee: How the H-1B Visa Fee Could Reshape Work Forces
A new $100,000 H-1B visa fee began on September 21st, following an executive order. This fee, applied to petitions after that date, raises costs for companies hiring skilled foreign workers, aiming to boost domestic hiring. It will impact businesses, especially startups, possibly leading to reassessment of H-1B usage.
Elon Musk’s Chatbot Goes to Washington
The billionaire’s artificial intelligence company, xAI, has secured a deal with the government that will allow federal agencies to use the chatbot Grok for a small fee.
Kennedy Says U.S. Rejects Global Health Goals
The nation’s top federal health official said the United States could not support W.H.O. policies that he claimed promoted abortion and “radical gender ideology.”
Is Tylenol Safe During Pregnancy? Experts Say It’s the Best Option.
Trump said that Tylenol use during pregnancy could lead to autism, a claim that is unproven and widely opposed by the medical establishment.
The Politics of ‘Tough It Out’
His advice on Tylenol has steered Trump into the politics of pregnancy and burdens placed on pregnant women.
Defense Department Delays Cleanup of ‘Forever Chemicals’ Nationwide
The new timeline could slow cleanup in some communities by nearly a decade. The chemicals, widely used in the military, are linked to cancers and other health risks.
Trump Signs Order Targeting Antifa Movement
Trump’s executive order threatened to prosecute donors who support antifascist philosophy and issued a domestic terrorism designation that doesn’t exist under U.S. law.
Democrats Open Inquiries into Handling of Homan Investigation
Trump’s border czar was investigated for potential bribery after accepting a bag with $50,000 in cash, but the case was closed after the president took office.
In a Sudden Shift, Trump Says Ukraine Can Win the War with Russia
Trump’s pivot could give him room to distance himself from a conflict that he once promised to solve in days or weeks.
Under Trump Policy, Bonds for Immigrants Facing Deportation Are Vanishing
The president has limited immigration judges’ power to release detainees facing deportation. Immigrant rights groups say the policy is illegal.
Immigration Agents Collected U.S. Citizens’ DNA at Border Checkpoints
A report said DNA collected at checkpoints from about 2,000 Americans, mostly during the Biden administration, was sent to an F.B.I. database. Hundreds were not charged.
Trump Aides’ Involvement in Giant Chips and Crypto Deals Draws Ethics Scrutiny
Democrats in Congress and ethics lawyers are calling for an investigation into potential ethics violations related to United Arab Emirates deals.
Justice Dept. Official Pushes Prosecutors to Investigate George Soros’s Foundation
The directive suggests department leaders are following orders from the president, a major break from decades of past practice meant to insulate the agency from political interference.
Trump Will Slap Tariffs on Imported Drugs, Trucks and Household Furnishings
The president said his tariffs would range from 25 to 100%.
Gabbard Ends Intelligence Report on Future Threats to U.S.
Some issues in the document, which is issued every four years, had become politically inconvenient, former officials said.
Judge Orders N.I.H. to Restore Suspended Research Grants at U.C.L.A.
The ruling is a preliminary injunction in a lawsuit over the Trump administration’s termination of hundreds of millions of research grants to the California university.
Eric Adams Abandons Re-election Bid for Mayor of New York City
Mayor Adams’s campaign was left foundering after repeated scandals, a federal indictment and his courtship of President Trump.
Despite Trump, the World Isn’t Slowing on Climate, E.U. Official Says
Still, European nations are struggling to agree on how much to cut their greenhouse gas emissions, the E.U.’s climate commissioner said in an interview.
Philanthropies Strike a Promising Deal to Turn Back H.I.V.
Low- and middle-income countries will be able to purchase an effective preventative at a reduced price. The arrangements may help stem the epidemic 40 years after it began.
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