By Angela Peco Edited by Elissa D. Hecker
Below, for your browsing convenience, the categories are divided into: Entertainment, Arts, Sports, Technology & Media, General News, and COVID:
Entertainment Flo & Eddie Inc. v Pandora
Pandora has filed an appeal with the Ninth Circuit in Flo & Eddie, Inc. v. Pandora, claiming that the Flo & Eddie, Inc. v Sirius XM Radio, Inc. decision resolves this case as well. In the Sirius decision, the Ninth Circuit reversed the district court's partial grant of summary judgment to Flo & Eddie Inc. in its action against Sirius XM, which sought royalties for pre-1972 song recordings by the Turtles that are owned by Flo & Eddie Inc. and were played on Sirius XM Radio without permission or compensation. The Ninth Circuit found that "exclusive ownership" under California's copyright statute does not include the right of public performance; therefore, Flo & Eddie did not retain the right to control whether, when, and where the song recordings are played.
Kevin Spacey Ordered to Pay $31 Million for 'House of Cards' Losses
Kevin Spacey and his production companies must pay nearly $30 million to the studio behind "House of Cards" for breach of contract and resulting losses brought on by his firing for sexual misconduct.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/marisadellatto/2021/11/22/kevin-spacey-must-pay-house-of-cards-producers-31-million/?sh=62f5ff72c344 Big Names Benefit from Surprise Grammy Changes
The number of nominees in the four all-genre categories, including album of the year, grew from eight to 10.
Arts
Jim Olive Photography v University of Houston System
A petition for a writ of certiorari has been filed with the Supreme Court, requesting that the Court vacate the Texas Supreme Court's decision that the University of Houston's unauthorized use of one of the plaintiff photographer's images does not amount to an unconstitutional per se taking of his copyright.
Peloton Sues Lululemon Over New Apparel Line
Filed in Manhattan federal court, the lawsuit claims that five of Peloton's women's bra and legging products infringed Lululemon design patents. Peloton was in a five-year co-branding relationship with Lululemon, which ended recently; the exercise bike company launched its own brand about three months ago.
https://financialpost.com/news/retail-marketing/peloton-sues-lululemon-in-dispute-over-new-apparel-line
Pinterest Agrees to Spend $50 Million on Reforms to Resolve Discrimination Allegations
The company says the funding will go toward reforming its corporate culture and promoting diversity. The settlement stems from a lawsuit alleging that Pinterest discriminated against women and people of color.
Climate Change Threatens Smithsonian Museum
Floodwaters are intruding into collection rooms at the National Museum of American History, as more of its buildings become vulnerable to floods. The article describes current measures being used to manage water and mitigate damage.
U.S. Returns Over 900 Looted Artifacts to Mali
The artifacts include objects that date back to the Neolithic era and were first seized by U.S. Customs when they arrived in Houston in 2009. While the repatriation process began in 2009, it was halted during Mali's civil war.
This Year's 'Nutcracker' Kids Will Feature Only Children 12 and Up
New York City Ballet's production of George Balanchine's 'The Nutcracker' will only feature children 12 years and older, as that is the group eligible for COVID-19 vaccinations. Previously, 12 had been the upper cut-off age for participation.
Cultivating Art at a Los Angeles Law Office
The article describes the work experience of artists-in-residence at a law firm's offices in Los Angeles. The firm has been providing studio space to artists now that many of its staff members are working remotely.
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/11/24/arts/design/artists-in-residence-los-angeles.html?searchResultPosition=1
An Ex-Plunderer Helps Cambodia Reclaim its Cultural Relics
The article profiles a Cambodian temple looter who is working to reclaim artifacts that he stole and that he says are in museums around the world.
Sports
Governance Changes at the World Anti-Doping Agency
Following a series of governance reforms at the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), WADA's Athlete Committee will be replaced by a new body with a greater number of members, in an attempt to increase athlete representation.
National Football League Settles Lawsuit Over Rams' Relocation for $790 Million
The National Football League (NFL) will "pay the city and county of St. Louis $790 million to settle a four-year dispute over whether the league broke its own relocation guidelines to pave the way for the Rams to move to Los Angeles in 2016." Rams owner Stan Kroenke is expected to reimburse the NFL for most or all of the settlement.
NFL Seeking Over $1 Billion from Insurers to Cover Concussion Settlements
In court filings this month, a group of insurers sued by the NFL disclosed that the NFL is seeking $1 billion from its carriers to cover concussion settlement and related litigation.
One Group of Students Conspicuously Absent from Name, Image, Likeness Deals
Collegiate athletes who are in the U.S. on student visas have been unable to participate in name, image, and likeness deals. Earning money under these contracts, however, can jeopardize international athletes' status as eligibility for paid work while on a student visa is limited to certain categories.
https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/one-group-of-student-athletes-is-conspicuously-absent-from-nil-deals/
Female Athletes at Trinity College Raise Discrimination Concerns
The athletes are pushing for a review of the school's Title IX compliance due to concerns over access to facilities that are of equal quality to those of their male counterparts. The most recent issue relates to the state of field hockey facilities, which were worse off than in previous years, all while renovations for football and men's lacrosse fields were completed.
Pressure Mounts on Sponsors of Beijing 2022 Olympic Games
Human rights activists are gearing up to pressure Olympic sponsors to commit to not supporting the Beijing Games as an indictment to China's genocide against the Uyghur people and the escalating repression in Tibet and Hong Kong, among other concerns.
French Footballer Karim Benzema Guilty in Sex Tape Extortion Case
Benzema was given a one-year suspended jail term and ordered to pay an $84,000 fine after being found guilty of conspiring to blackmail a fellow French player, Mathieu Valbuena, with a sex tape. Benzema "put pressure on Valbuena to pay off the blackmailers, whom he had conspired with to act as an intermediary."
Former President of Brazilian Olympic Committee Sentenced to 30 Years in Jail for Bribery
Carlos Arthur Nuzman was found guilty of money laundering, corruption, criminal organization and tax evasion, charges stemming from the vote-buying scandal that brought the Olympics to Rio in 2016.
How Peng Shuai Went from "Chinese Princess" to Silenced #MeToo Accuser
The article describes how Peng Shuai, despite having an element of control over her career and winning praise from the state, was "unable to break through the country's icy resistance to #MeToo allegations."
Critics See Whitewash of China's Actions in IOC's 'Quiet Diplomacy'
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) is being criticized for engaging in what it calls 'quiet diplomacy.' When confronted with questions about Peng Shuai's well-being, the IOC was slow to respond and issued guarded statements, leading to critics accusing the organization of being complicit in protecting the Chinese government.
Technology/Media
Biden's Media Restraint Draws Allies' Concern
The small number of one-on-one interviews with major print and television news outlets has Democrats concerned that President Biden's low-key approach (and his team's "fear of gaffes) could stand in the way of getting a message out."
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/11/23/business/media/biden-media-strategy.html Order Blocking New York Times Coverage of Project Veritas Stays in Place
A New York trial judge declined to lift an order that temporarily prohibits the New York Times from publishing documents related to conservative group Project Veritas. The judge said that he needed more time to deliberate. The order is part of a libel suit against the newspaper, which published memos prepared by the group's lawyer "that examine the legality of the group's deceptive reporting practices," such as using hidden cameras and fake identities to expose labor groups, news outlets or individuals connected to the Democratic Party.
Apple Sues to Block Israeli Spyware Firm from iPhone Access
Apple is suing NSO Group for targeting iPhone users with a hacking tool. Its Pegasus software allows "operators to extract messages, photos and emails, record calls and secretly activate microphones and cameras."
Head of Instagram to Testify Before Senate
Adam Mosseri will appear before the Senate Commercial Committee's consumer protection subcommittee as part of a series of hearings about online safety and mental health for children and teens.
Australian Minister Wins Defamation Case Over Tweet
A government minister sued and won over a Twitter post that called him a "rape apologist." The post was made by an advocate for refugees following comments by Peter Dutton that women seeking asylum in Australia used rape claims as an excuse to enter the country. Critics of the decision say the case signals a crackdown on ordinary citizens and exemplifies "the conservative government's heavy-handed approach toward regulating damaging commentary on social media."
General News
Lawyers Argue That January 6th Panel Should See Trump White House Files
Lawyers for the House and the Justice Department argued against former President Trump's claim of executive privilege, making the case for why records from Trump's White House should be released to the committee investigating the January 6th Capitol attack. The lawyers argue that the documents "will shape the direction of the investigation" and "could inform which witnesses to depose and what questions to ask them, as well as whether further subpoenas should be issued to others."
Three Men Found Guilty of Murdering Ahmaud Arbery
The jury trial ended in guilty verdicts for all three men who followed and shot to death Ahmaud Arbery, a 25-year-old Black man who was jogging in the neighbourhood. Cell phone footage showed the men following Arbery with their trucks before a scuffle that ended with Arbery being shot at close range. The men are also facing federal hate crime charges.
Verdicts in Charlottesville: Nine People Held Liable for Injuries at Right Wing Rally
Jurors found the primary organizers of the Unite the Right rally liable under state law for injuries to counter-protestors, ordering more than $25 million in damages.
New York Assembly Adds to Findings Against Former Governor Cuomo
Following an eight-month investigation, the New York State Assembly says it found "overwhelming evidence" that former Governor Cuomo engaged in sexual harassment while in office and abused his power to help publish a memoir using resources from the governor's office. The findings from this investigation were originally meant to inform impeachment proceedings against Cuomo; the investigation was not suspended when Cuomo resigned in August and the report has now been made public.
New York City to Allow 800,000 Noncitizens to Vote in Local Elections
The New York City Council is expected to approve a bill that will allow more than 800,000 New Yorkers who are green card holders or have the legal right to work in the U.S. to vote in municipal elections.
Retail Chains Found at Fault in Opioid Crisis
An Ohio jury found that retailers like Walgreens, CVS, and Walmart fueled the opioid crisis in two Ohio counties by creating an oversupply of addictive painkillers. They were found to have "created a public nuisance by failing to ensure opioid prescriptions were valid, allowing excessive quantities of addictive pain pills to flood their communities." Compensation will be decided at a future hearing, with costs at potentially $1 billion for each county to cover social and legal expenses related to the opioid epidemic.
A Cure for Type 1 Diabetes a Reality for a Patient
The article describes a new treatment using stem cells that produce insulin. The patient featured in the article may be the first person cured of Type 1 diabetes after undergoing treatment for the disease that impacts over 1.5 million Americans.
Coronavirus
New Variant Stirs Fears of Setback; Travel Bans Arise
Omicron is now a "variant of concern," the most serious category. Countries around the world imposed new travel restrictions as cases found in South Africa, Belgium, Israel, and Hong Kong.