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
Filmmakers Take Legal Action Against Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment as It Faces ‘Cash Flow Issues’
A number of directors are pursuing litigation against the digital indie film distributor 1091 Pictures for failing to make promised revenue-sharing payments after selling their films to the platform, now owned by Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment.
https://variety.com/2023/film/news/chicken-soup-for-the-soul-1091-pictures-lawsuits-payments-1235838558/
Taraji P. Henson Says "the math ain't mathing" on Pay Equity in Entertainment
In an interview this week on SiriusXM with Gayle King, the co-host of "CBS Mornings," Henson, joined by co-star Danielle Brooks and director Blitz Bazawule, addressed rumors that she was considering quitting acting. Visibly emotional, she attributed the sentiment to the financial inequity she has faced in the industry.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/taraji-p-henson-math-aint-mathing-pay-equity-entertainment/
Lionsgate to Spin Off Studio Business in $4.6 Billion SPAC Deal
The studio business will merge with Screaming Eagle Acquisition Corp, a special purpose-acquisition company (SPAC), to create a new public firm for Lionsgate’s film and television assets that includes about 18,000 titles.
https://www.cnbc.com/2023/12/22/lionsgate-signs-4point6-billion-spac-deal-for-studio-business.html
Marvel Will Part Ways With Jonathan Majors After Guilty Verdict
Jonathan Majors was convicted of misdemeanor assault and harassment for attacking his girlfriend in a car. The company dropped the actor shortly after.
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/18/nyregion/jonathan-majors-trial-verdict.html
Vin Diesel Sued for Alleged Sexual Battery of Assistant in 2010
Asta Jonasson alleges that she was working for the actor in Atlanta, where he was filming “Fast Five,” when he brought her to his suite at the St. Regis Hotel and forced her onto his bed.
https://variety.com/2023/film/news/vin-diesel-sexual-battery-assistant-1235848731/
CAA and Disney Challenge Julia Ormond’s Claim They Enabled Harvey Weinstein in Alleged Assault
Ormond rose to fame in the mid-90s, appearing in “Legends of the Fall” and “Sabrina.” She alleged that Weinstein lured her to a business meeting in December 1995, then sexually assaulted her at her apartment in New York.
https://variety.com/2023/film/news/caa-disney-julia-ormond-harvey-weinstein-1235846166/
Gerard Depardieu’s Downfall: French Public Broadcaster Says It Won’t Ban Films Starring the Actor, but Won’t Celebrate Him Either
French broadcaster France Televisions has been blamed by supporters of Gerard Depardieu, the Oscar-nominated actor of “Cyrano de Bergerac,” for contributing to the downfall of one of country’s most iconic actors with a bombshell documentary about his history of sexual abuse allegations.
https://variety.com/2023/film/global/gerard-depardieu-sexual-assault-french-broadcaster-wont-ban-or-celebrate-1235848630/
Arts
Original Mickey Mouse Enters Public Domain in 2024. Here’s What That Means.
One of the most beloved and recognizable cartoon characters in the world is set to enter the public domain next year. However, it's a bit more complicated.
https://www.news-journalonline.com/story/entertainment/2023/12/22/mickey-mouse-public-domain-disney-florida-copyright/72006758007/
Judge Halts Removal of Confederate Memorial at Arlington Cemetery
A federal judge issued an injunction temporarily halting work to remove the memorial as part of the military’s efforts to take down symbols commemorating the Confederacy.
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/18/us/confederate-memorial-arlington-cemetery-removed.html
Jeff Koons Killed Her Review
The decision by an arts journal to allow the famous artist to veto a historian’s essay about his work created “a chilling effect on the critical culture,” a journalism expert said.
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/17/arts/design/jeff-koons-brooklyn-rail-tulips-golan.html
Tolkien Estate Wins Court Order to Destroy Fan’s ‘Lord of the Rings’ Sequel
Ruling that the fan’s unauthorized book violated copyright protections, a judge barred him from distributing it and ordered him to destroy all electronic and physical copies of it.
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/21/arts/lord-of-the-rings-sequel-lawsuit.html
Lawsuit Over Naked Baby on Nirvana’s ‘Nevermind’ Is Revived
The suit about the 1991 album had been dismissed because of the statute of limitations. However, an appeals court ruled that it could proceed, noting that the album had been reissued in 2021.
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/21/arts/music/nirvana-nevermind-baby-lawsuit.html
'Art will never be the same' | Artist Has Her Work Scraped by AI
Charlotte artist Elliana Esquivel had suspected for months that her art may have been stolen. In October, she learned it had been scraped — and by artificial intelligence.
https://www.wcnc.com/article/features/originals/charlotte-artist-elliana-esquivel-artificial-intelligence-ai-scrape-artwork/275-b7c79345-b9cf-4dd4-b685-459515f6c25f
A Viral Dance and ‘Happiness Campaign’ Frustrates Iran’s Clerics
It all started when a 70-year-old fish market stall owner nicknamed “Booghy” was grooving in public, in violation of Iranian law.
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/16/world/middleeast/a-viral-dance-and-happiness-campaign-frustrates-irans-clerics.html
Sports
Florida State Sues the Atlantic Coast Conference, Setting the Stage For a Fight to Leave Over Revenue Concerns
Florida State sued the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC), challenging an agreement that binds the school for the next 12 years with more than half a billion dollars in fees for leaving and taking the first step in a lengthy and uncertain process toward a potential exit.
https://apnews.com/article/florida-state-acc-lawsuit-0ac37b0b1ab398ea91df35b88b87d623
Soccer’s Super League Revived by Court Ruling Against FIFA and UEFA. Many Top Clubs Are Still Against It
European soccer was rocked by a court ruling that revived the rebel Super League, though it wasn’t clear whether any clubs were joining Real Madrid and Barcelona in the breakaway project.
https://apnews.com/article/soccer-super-league-uefa-luxembourg-court-ruling-316fd98f0ccda88dabe3c6fc0631e994
At What Point Should College Athletes Be Considered Employees?
Testimony in a National Labor Relations Board hearing is challenging the amateurism model that has remained a bedrock of college athletics as it has evolved into a billion-dollar business.
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/23/us/college-athletes-employees-nlrb-hearing.html
Technology/Media
U.S. Regulators Propose New Online Privacy Safeguards for Children
The FTC called for sweeping changes that could curb how social media, game, and learning apps use and monetize youngsters’ data.
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/20/technology/ftc-regulation-children-online-privacy.html
SiriusXM Sued Over ‘Illegal’ Cancelation Process, New York Attorney General Says
New York Attorney General Letitia James filed a lawsuit against SiriusXM, accusing the satellite radio and streaming audio company of “trapping consumers” in subscriptions and “maintaining deliberately long and burdensome cancellation processes.”
https://variety.com/2023/digital/news/siriusxm-sued-cancelation-new-york-attorney-general-1235849971/
Former YouTube Parenting Channel Host Pleads Guilty to Child Abuse
Ruby Franke, 41, was charged with six counts of child abuse in September. Her channel had nearly 2.5 million subscribers before it was removed.
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/18/us/ruby-franke-child-abuse-plea-agreement.html
TikTok Quietly Changes User Terms Amid Growing Legal Scrutiny
Some lawyers say the changes could make it more difficult to bring legal action against the company.
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/14/business/media/tiktok-changes-user-terms.html
The Questions Raised by California’s Dropped Sexual Harassment Suit Against Activision
A state agency withdrew its allegations in a $54 million settlement with the game maker.
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/16/business/dealbook/the-questions-raised-by-californias-dropped-sexual-harassment-suit-against-activision.html
Google Allows More App Payment Options in Antitrust Deal With States
The tech giant will pay $700 million and allow app makers to collect payments directly from consumers in a settlement it hopes will help resolve other legal challenges.
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/18/technology/google-app-payment-antitrust-settlement.html
Apple’s Newest Headache: An App That Upended Its Control Over Messaging
Beeper Mini, which offers iPhone messaging on Android phones, has grown fast and its duel with the tech giant has gotten the attention of antitrust regulators.
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/22/technology/apple-iphone-beeper-mini.html
Live from the Jungle: Migrants Become Influencers on Social Media
TikTok, Facebook, and YouTube are transforming global migration, becoming tools of migrants and smugglers alike.
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/20/world/americas/migrants-tiktok-darien-gap.html
Topics Suppressed in China Are Underrepresented on TikTok, Study Says
The report, from the Network Contagion Research Institute at Rutgers University, could raise new concerns about whether Beijing influences the content on the popular video app.
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/21/business/tiktok-china.html
Pornhub’s Parent Company Admits to Profiting From Sex Trafficking
The company that operates Pornhub and other adult websites has agreed to pay damages to women who said that pornographic videos of them were posted online without their consent.
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/21/nyregion/pornhub-aylo-profits-sex-trafficking.html
Substack Says It Will Not Ban Nazis or Extremist Speech
Responding to criticism of its hands-off approach to content moderation, the company said it would not ban Nazi symbols or extremist rhetoric so long as newsletter writers do not incite violence.
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/22/business/substack-nazis-content-moderation.html
Washington Post Reaches a Contract Deal With Its Newsroom Union
The tentative agreement would end 18 months of negotiations that included a one-day work stoppage.
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/22/business/washington-post-newsroom-union-contract.html
Carlos Watson’s Ozy Media Lawsuit Accuses Ben Smith, BuzzFeed, and Semafor of Stealing Trade Secrets
Lawyers for Ozy Media, the defunct media and entertainment company founded by Carlos Watson, allege in a new lawsuit that Ben Smith, BuzzFeed, and Semafor (the media startup co-founded by Smith in 2022) misappropriated Ozy’s trade secrets “for their own benefit.”
https://variety.com/2023/digital/news/carlo-watson-ozy-media-lawsuit-ben-smith-buzzfeed-semafor-stealing-trade-secrets-1235848629/
Illicit Content on Elon Musk’s X Draws E.U. Investigation
The inquiry is perhaps the most substantial regulatory move to date against X, which has seen a rise in incendiary content on the platform, according to researchers.
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/18/technology/x-twitter-european-union-investigation.html
Meta's News Ban in Canada Remains as Online News Act Goes Into Effect
A bill that mandates tech giants pay news outlets for their content has come into effect in Canada amid an ongoing dispute with Facebook and Instagram owner Meta over the law.
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-67755133
Arrested in 2020, Hong Kong Pro-Democracy Tycoon Gets His Day in Court
Jimmy Lai, who published an antigovernment newspaper, faces up to life in prison if convicted on national security charges that rights activists have called baseless.
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/17/world/asia/jimmy-lai-trial-hong-kong.html
General News
Supreme Court Won’t Hear Case on Trump’s Immunity Defense for Now
The case will instead first be heard by a federal appeals court, which has put it on a fast track, scheduling arguments for Jan. 9.
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/22/us/politics/trump-supreme-court-immunity.html
New Trump Cases Shadowed by Rocky Relationship With Supreme Court
Though he appointed three justices, his administration had the worst track record before the justices since at least the 1930s.
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/21/us/politics/trump-supreme-court.html
U.S. Fines Southwest Airlines $140 Million for Holiday Meltdown
The penalty is by far the largest ever imposed by the Transportation Department on an airline for consumer protection violations.
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/18/business/southwest-airlines-fine.html
Hochul Vetoes Ban on Noncompete Agreements in New York
The governor wanted to allow employers to use the agreements with high-paid workers, but was unable to work out a compromise with state lawmakers.
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/22/nyregion/kathy-hochul-veto-noncompete.html
Abbott Signs Law Allowing Texas to Arrest Migrants, Setting Up Federal Showdown
The new law, which takes effect in March, could bring in mass arrests and a court fight between Texas and the federal government over immigration powers.
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/18/us/abbott-texas-border-law-arrests.html
Trump Asks Full D.C. Appeals Court to Review Gag Order in Election Case
The former president is seeking the full court’s review after a three-judge panel upheld a gag order imposed by the trial court but narrowed its scope.
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/18/us/politics/trump-gag-order-election.html
Appeals Panel Rejects Meadows’s Request to Move Georgia Case to Federal Court
The judges unanimously ruled against Mark Meadows, a former White House chief of staff and a co-defendant of Donald J. Trump, in the state election interference case.
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/18/us/meadows-trump-georgia-election-case.html
Jan. 6 Rally Organizers Lied About Plan to March to the Capitol, Report Finds
Women for America First, which planned the rally on the Ellipse, knew of President Trump’s plans to have his supporters march to the Capitol but repeatedly denied it to federal permitting officials.
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/18/us/politics/jan-6-capitol-rally-report.html
Giuliani Files for Bankruptcy Protection
Rudolph Giuliani filed papers in federal bankruptcy court in New York, listing debts including big legal fees, unpaid taxes and the $148 million a jury ordered him to pay two Georgia election workers.
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/21/us/politics/rudy-giuliani-bankruptcy.html