Week In Review
- Elissa D. Hecker - Editor
- 2 hours ago
- 10 min read
By Haley Lyons
Edited by Elissa D. Hecker
Entertainment
Paramount Asks States to Shoulder Costs of Delaying Warner Bros. Deal
Paramount asked a federal judge to require 12 states and the Writers Guild of America to post a $1.88 billion bond to cover costs associated with delaying its $111 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery while the antitrust lawsuit seeking to block the deal proceeds.
Lawsuit Accuses Selena Gomez of Defrauding Investors in Mental Health Site
Investors sued Selena Gomez, her mother Mandy Teefey, and Wondermind co-founder Daniella Pierson and accused them of defrauding investors in the mental health and wellness platform. The investors, who invested nearly $1.2 million in Wondermind, allege that the founders falsely represented the company’s infrastructure, leadership and resources and concealed its financial and operational problems.
D.E.A. Joins Investigation Into Hayden Panettiere’s Death
The Drug Enforcement Administration has joined the investigation into the death of actress Hayden Panettiere, who went into cardiac arrest after an apparent drug overdose, while local police have said there were no signs of foul play.
Tupac Shakur Murder Trial: 5 Takeaways from Week 1
Duane Davis’s murder trial over the 1996 killing of Tupac Shakur began with testimony from detectives and former gang members about the shooting, gang tensions, and Davis’s past statements that he helped orchestrate the attack, while his defense maintains that the prosecution’s case is fiction.
Suno signs another music licensing deal - with BMG
Suno signed a global licensing deal with BMG covering recordings and publishing works for its new AI-music model, with participating BMG artists and songwriters receiving rights protections and compensation.
Spotify adds Kobalt to its AI covers and remixes plans
Spotify signed a licensing agreement with Kobalt for its upcoming AI-powered tool that will allow fans to create covers and remixes of songs from participating artists and songwriters.
South Korea Opens the Door to Copyright Registration of AI-Assisted Works
South Korea’s largest music copyright collective, KOMCA, revised its rules to allow registration of AI-assisted musical works when human creators account for more than half of the creative process. Applicants must disclose how AI was used and document their human creative contributions, although the policy change does not alter South Korea’s existing copyright law.
Arts
Judge Is Asked to Block Inscription of Trump’s Name on Kennedy Center
Representative Joyce Beatty asked a federal judge to block the Kennedy Center from adding “Restored and Renovated by President Donald J. Trump” on the building, arguing that the plan circumvents an earlier court order requiring the removal of President Trump’s name.
Judge Allows Limited Testing in Trump Plan to Paint Eisenhower Building White
A federal judge ruled that the Trump administration could conduct limited testing as part of its plan to paint the Eisenhower Executive Office Building white, but warned against moving forward with a full paint job while legal questions remain unresolved.
Ex-Abercrombie C.E.O. Ruled Fit to Stand Trial in Sex Trafficking Case
A federal judge ruled that former Abercrombie & Fitch CEO Michael Jeffries is fit to stand trial on sex trafficking and interstate prostitution charges, finding that he had shown sufficient cognitive functioning despite his dementia diagnosis.
The Case of the Disappearing, Reappearing White House Ballroom Stairs
Plans filed with the Supreme Court show that the Trump administration appears to have restored a grand staircase to its White House ballroom design even though the staircase had been removed before the National Capital Planning Commission approved the project in April.
Five Arrested in Connection to Stolen Works by Cézanne, Renoir and Matisse, Prosecutors Say
Italian officials arrested five people in connection with the theft of three artworks by Cézanne, Renoir, and Matisse from the Magnani-Rocca Foundation. The works were recovered five months after the heist. Collectively, the artworks are valued at more than $10 million and were found hidden in the storage room of a home in Parma.
Sports
NCAA’s win in court pauses extra year of eligibility for Class of 2022 athletes
A federal appeals court paused a ruling that granted high school Class of 2022 college athletes a fifth season of eligibility, making those athletes ineligible for the 2026-27 season unless they are covered by separate state-court rulings.
Deion Sanders sued by designer over rights to use ‘Prime’ logo
A graphic designer in Nebraska sued Colorado Buffaloes football coach Deion Sanders for allegedly using false promises of future work to persuade him to sign away the rights to two “Prime” and “Truth” logos he created and then failed to compensate or work with him.
Jayden Daniels sends cease-and-desist letter to LSU over NIL rights
Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels sent a cease-and-desist letter to LSU demanding that the school stop using his name, image, and likeness (NIL), alleging that LSU continued using his NIL after its authorization expired.
Utah suing Freddie Whittingham for breach of contract after following brother to Michigan
The University of Utah is suing Michigan tight ends coach Freddie Whittingham for breach of contract, alleging that he left Utah to join his brother Kyle at Michigan without fulfilling a contractual liquidated damages provision.
Individual who threw sex toy at Dream-Sparks game arrested, banned from league
An individual who threw a sex toy onto the court during a Los Angeles Sparks-Atlanta Dream game was arrested and indefinitely banned from all WNBA, NBA, and affiliated league games and events.
Ted Lasso accidentally stumbles into women’s soccer’s biggest coaching problem
The new season of “Ted Lasso,” in which Ted returns to coach AFC Richmond’s women’s team, highlights the lack of female coaches in women’s soccer and the barriers women face in gaining the experience and qualifications required for elite coaching positions.
Everyone Watches Women’s Sports, Including ‘Ted Lasso’ Fans
The fourth season of “Ted Lasso” focuses on a newly created women’s soccer team, reflecting the broader rise in popularity of women’s team sports.
A top official leaves FIFA, deepening the fallout from Infantino’s World Cup Sell-off plan
FIFA’s chief operating officer Kevin Lamour left the organization weeks after accusing president Gianni Infantino of deceiving staff over a proposed $20 billion plan to sell stakes in future World Cup profits to private equity funds.
ASU launches Center for Olympic Studies with inaugural Olympic insights report
Arizona State University started a new Center for Olympic Studies at the W. P. Carey School of Business and released its inaugural Olympic Insights Brief ahead of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. The report examines how technology, sponsorships, athlete development, women’s sports, and global storytelling are reshaping the Olympic movement.
Argentina players, staff banned for combined 21 games after World Cup final brawl
FIFA imposed a combined 21 games of suspensions on Argentina players and staff following the mass altercation after their 1-0 extra-time loss to Spain in the World Cup final, fined the Argentine Football Association $310,000, and ordered a partial stadium closure over fan behavior.
Media/Technology
The Supreme Court rejects Trump’s latest appeal of his $5 million payment to E. Jean Carroll.
The Supreme Court rejected Trump’s request to reconsider his appeal of a $5 million civil judgment against him after a jury found him liable for sexually abusing and defaming writer E. Jean Carroll.
ABC Sues F.C.C. to Block Threat to its TV Licenses
ABC sued the Federal Communications Commission (F.C.C.), accusing the agency of violating the First Amendment in its efforts to potentially strip the network’s local broadcasting licenses. The network asked a federal court to block the F.C.C.’s actions, which it said posed an existential threat to its operations.
States Seek $200 Billion from Meta Over Child Social Media Addiction Claims
California, Colorado, Kentucky, and New Jersey accused Meta of violating federal child privacy and state consumer protection laws by harming children with addictive technology while promoting its platforms as safe. At trial, the states are seeking changes to Meta’s platforms and, if they win, penalties approaching $200 billion.
TikTok Settles With U.S. Over Child Privacy Concerns for $400 Million
TikTok reached a $400 million settlement with the Justice Department over allegations that it illegally collected data from children under 13 without parental permission and failed to comply with federal child privacy protections.
Court Slashes Award Alex Jones Was Ordered to Pay Sandy Hook Parents
A Texas appeals court reduced the damages broadcaster Alex Jones was ordered to pay the parents of Sandy Hook victim Jesse Lewis from about $49 million to $6 million, applying the state’s cap on punitive damages. The ruling does not affect the more than $1 billion Jones owes other Sandy Hook families from cases in Connecticut.
Pentagon Fires Editor and Publisher of Independent Military Publication
The Pentagon fired the publisher, editor in chief, and a Middle East correspondent at Stars and Stripes, raising concerns about the editorial independence of the government-funded military news outlet.
Google Just Made It Easier for Campaigns to Send You Fund-Raising Emails
Google introduced a new program that will allow verified candidates, political parties, and political action committees to more easily bypass Gmail’s spam filter when sending fund-raising emails.
OpenAI Introduces ‘ChatGPT for Teens’ as Safety Concerns Grow
OpenAI announced “ChatGPT for Teens,” a new mode that automatically limits some conversations and adds safety protections and studying tools for users under 18. The mode will limit high-risk conversations involving self-harm, violence, eating disorders, and explicit sexual and graphic content, and may alert adults who have opted into parental controls and notifications.
Amazon Exec Openly Admits That Voluntary AI Opt-Ins Don’t Work: ‘Nobody Would Opt In’
Amazon-owned Twitch will train AI models on streamers’ content by default unless they opt out, with its chief product officer acknowledging that an opt-in system would attract few participants.
Forbes Fired Top Editor After Discovering He Received Secret $6 Million Payment
Last month, Forbes fired its chief content officer, Randall Lane, after discovering that he received a payment of about $6 million from the founder of Shook Research, a firm that has partnered with Forbes to publish rankings of wealth advisers.
Columnist Ross Barkan Apologizes Amid Plagiarism Scandal
Columnist Ross Barkan apologized and announced a break from writing after allegations that he plagiarized or failed to properly credit other journalists led New York magazine to cut ties with him, his publisher to suspend his forthcoming book, and several publications to review his work.
How the A.I. Borrowing Binge Helps Drive Up Government Bond Yields
An increase in borrowing by major technology companies to finance A.I. infrastructure is contributing to higher Treasury yields, as investors expect that A.I.-driven economic growth could lead the Federal Reserve to keep interest rates elevated.
Sick of A.I. Slop? So Are Tech Giants.
Tech companies including Spotify, LinkedIn, Google, and others are increasing efforts to remove or limit low-quality A.I.-generated content from their platforms as “A.I. slop” becomes increasingly prevalent across the internet.
General News
Judge Strikes Down Trump’s 75-Country Visa Ban
A federal judge struck down the Trump administration’s ban on issuing visas to immigrants from 75 countries, ruling that the policy was contrary to law and exceeded Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s legal authority.
Canada-U.S. Trade War Escalates as Talks Collapse
Canada and U.S. trade talks collapsed after Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney suspended negotiations over last-minute American terms he called unfair and unreliable. This triggered new 50% U.S. tariffs on a broad range of Canadian goods and a promise from Canada to retaliate “dollar for dollar.”
Trump lashes out at Oman as the preliminary deal with Iran expires
As the preliminary deal with Iran expired, Trump threatened Oman, an American ally, which has been mediating negotiations between the United States and Iran, as his administration continues to seek an end to the six-month war.
U.S. Debt Hits $40 Trillion as America’s Borrowing Binge Continues
The U.S. gross national debt surpassed $40 trillion for the first time, as rising military and social program costs, spending on the war in Iran, tax cuts, tariff refunds, and growing interest payments continue to increase the country’s borrowing burden.
Treasury Turns to Interventionist Tactics to Lower Interest Rates
The Treasury Department is taking a more interventionist approach to lowering borrowing costs, including doubling permitted government debt buybacks, issuing more short-term bills, and intervening in currency markets as long-term Treasury yields remain elevated.
Trump Boasts of Declassifying Secrets, but Withholds Key Election Files From Public
The Trump administration has released previously classified intelligence about election threats while withholding a congressionally required assessment of foreign meddling in the 2024 election, raising concerns about the selective nature of its declassification efforts.
Homeland Security Made a Big Claim About Noncitizen Voting. Now It Can’t Prove It.
The Department of Homeland Security told Nevada election officials that it had identified only 185 potential noncitizens on the state’s voter rolls so far, after the Trump administration previously claimed that nearly 16,000 noncitizens were registered to vote in the state last month.
The chairman of a Senate health panel voices concerns about the F.D.A. nominee
Senator Bill Cassidy, chairman of the Senate health committee, expressed strong concerns about Trump’s F.D.A. nominee Dr. Heidi Overton, including her lack of managerial experience and role in supporting a recent executive order calling for fewer childhood vaccinations.
The Trump administration moves to allow logging in pristine national forests
The Trump administration advanced a plan to repeal the 2001 “roadless rule,” opening nearly 45 million acres of wilderness in national forests to road construction and logging. The proposal would remove protections that have been in place for 25 years.
Trump again votes in Florida by mail-in ballot
Trump voted by mail ahead of Florida’s Republican primary, despite his longstanding criticism of mail-in voting and continued efforts to make the practice significantly more difficult.
A New mRNA Vaccine Could Prevent Skin Cancer From Returning
Moderna and Merck announced that their experimental personalized mRNA vaccine, intismeran, combined with Keytruda reduced the likelihood of cancer returning or spreading in high-risk melanoma patients, compared with Keytruda alone.
Mangione Admits Shooting Health Care Executive as He Pleads Guilty in Federal Court
Luigi Mangione pleaded guilty to two federal charges of stalking resulting in death, admitting that he shot and killed UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in Manhattan in 2024. Federal prosecutors said they will seek the maximum sentence of life in prison, while Mangione still faces a murder charge in state court.
Mangione’s State Trial Is Delayed as His Lawyers Seek Dismissal
Luigi Mangione’s New York murder trial has been postponed as his lawyers seek to dismiss the state charges, arguing that his recent guilty plea to federal stalking charges bars the state prosecution under double jeopardy protections.
Judge Rejects Suit That Sought Professor’s Emails on Climate Law
A Michigan state judge dismissed a lawsuit seeking emails from University of Michigan law professor Rachel Rothschild related to her work on “climate superfund” laws. The judge ruled that the emails were not subject to open-records laws because Rothschild’s pro bono work did not relate to her official university duties.
A Texas University Becomes a Petri Dish for a Conservative Overhaul
Texas Tech University is using artificial intelligence to review course materials and identify content related to sexual orientation and gender identity as part of a broader effort to restrict such topics in its curriculum. The American Association of University Professors sued the university last month, alleging that the course-review effort constitutes viewpoint discrimination in violation of the First Amendment.
Mamdani Sues City Council Over $10,000 Bonuses to Teachers’ Aides
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani sued the NYC Council over legislation granting $10,000 bonuses to public school paraprofessionals, arguing that the measure violates collective bargaining law.
N.Y. State Senator’s Former Aides Say She Double-Billed for Travel
New York State Senator Jessica Ramos used campaign funds to pay for travel expenses while also receiving state reimbursements for the same costs. A New York Times analysis found more than $30,000 in overlapping billing from 2021 to 2025.
U.S. Citizen Who Deleted Phone’s Data Says His Prosecution Puts Privacy at Risk
Samuel Tunick faces a federal felony obstruction charge after deleting his phone’s data during an airport customs search. He argues his prosecution threatens the fundamental right to privacy.
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