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
Elon Musk Is Funding Ex-‘Mandalorian’ Actress’s Suit Against Disney
Gina Carano accused Disney and Lucasfilm of discrimination when they dropped her after she posted baseless conspiracy theories and right-wing views on social media.
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/02/06/business/gina-carano-disney-lucasfilm-lawsuit.html
Disney Wants Trade Secrets Kept Confidential in Lawsuit with DeSantis Appointees
Disney is asking the court for a protective order allowing it to designate documents and depositions as confidential and requiring parties handling them to sign a nondisclosure agreement. The case concerns who controls the governing district where Disney World is located.
https://www.clickorlando.com/business/2024/02/05/disney-wants-trade-secrets-kept-confidential-in-lawsuit-with-desantis-appointees/
Griselda Blanco Estate Settles Lawsuit With Netflix Over Sofia Vergara Show
The family initially filed the suit over 'Griselda', claiming that the streaming giant didn't get authorization to use their images for the limited series.
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/sofia-vergara-settles-lawsuit-netflix-griselda-1235821431/
Disney Settles Lawsuit Over Rescinded Executive Job Offer
Shanan Guinn accused Disney of breach of contract for rescinding a job offer after personnel changes were made amid the company's opposition to a Florida law limiting classroom discussion on sexuality and gender.
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/disney-settles-lawsuit-job-offer-tied-special-tax-district-dispute-1235819143/
Snoop Dogg and Master P Sue Walmart and Post for Trying to Sabotage Their Cereal
Rappers Snoop Dogg and Master P are suing Walmart and food manufacturer Post Consumer Brands, arguing that both companies intentionally left their cereal product off shelves and hid it in stockrooms in an attempt to sabotage their brand.
https://www.npr.org/2024/02/08/1230071380/snoop-dogg-master-p-walmart-lawsuit-cereal-brand-off-shelves
Ozzy Osbourne Says Kanye “Ye” West Sampled His Music Without Permission
"I want no association with this man," Osbourne wrote in a social media post about the rapper.
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/music-news/ozzy-osbourne-kanye-west-sampled-music-permission-1235821273/
The First New Oscar in More Than 20 Years Goes to Casting Directors
After decades of lobbying from the casting field, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is adding its first new award category since 2001.
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/02/08/movies/oscars-category-casting-directors.html
Cher, Mariah Carey, and Sinead O’Connor Are Rock Hall Nominees
Oasis and Sade will appear on the ballot for the first time, alongside Dave Matthews Band, A Tribe Called Quest, Mary J. Blige, and others.
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/02/10/arts/music/rock-hall-fame-nominees-cher-mariah-sinead.html
Arts
The Book Behind ‘American Fiction’ Came Out 23 Years Ago. It’s Still Current.
The movie, with its handful of Oscar nominations, has refocused attention on “Erasure,” a satire of the literary world and its racial biases.
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/02/03/books/american-fiction-book-erasure-percival-everett.html
At Ghana Event, Fowler Museum Returns Items Taken From Asante Kingdom
The seven items had been part of its collection since 1965, but new research found that the objects, including gold jewelry, had been taken by British forces during the colonial era.
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/02/05/arts/design/fowler-museum-asante-kingdom-ghana.html
Street Artists Accuse Guess of Using Their Tags in New Lawsuit
The plaintiffs claim the copyright infringement is particularly egregious after Guess was previously called out by Banksy.
https://news.artnet.com/art-world/street-artists-accuse-guess-of-using-their-tags-in-new-lawsuit-2429556
Who Created Butter Chicken? India’s Great Curry Clash.
A court has been asked to solve a bitter copyright dispute between two families who have very different accounts of the origins of a dish beloved around the world.
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/02/07/world/asia/india-butter-chicken-lawsuit.html
Sports
Nevada Teachers Union Sues to Block A’s Las Vegas Stadium Deal
A teacher-backed political action committee sued the state and Gov. Joe Lombardo, challenging the legality of the bill that last year granted $380 million in public money to a new Las Vegas stadium for the A’s.
https://theathletic.com/5253322/2024/02/05/nevada-teachers-lawsuit-vegas-stadium-oakland/
Dartmouth Players Are Employees Who Can Unionize, U.S. Official Says
A regional director for the National Labor Relations Board cleared the way for the collegiate men’s basketball team to hold a vote. The ruling that gives the Dartmouth basketball team the right to unionize has far-reaching implications for all of college sports — from the quaint, academically oriented Ivy League to the big-money football factories like Michigan and Alabama.
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/02/05/business/dartmouth-basketball-nlrb-union.html
https://apnews.com/article/dartmouth-union-nlrb-4de7c20f6698e4148ae03810862414cb
Ex-DraftKings Exec Faked Friend’s Death to Steal Info for Rival
The company is suing Michael Hermalyn, a former vice president of VIP at DraftKings, for allegedly taking documents from the sportsbook operator before taking a job with Fanatics last week.
https://nypost.com/2024/02/06/sports/ex-draftkings-exec-faked-friends-death-to-steal-info-for-rival-lawsuit/
NCAA Wins Early Ruling in States' Lawsuit Over Recruitment Limits
A U.S. judge has refused to suspend NCAA rules that bar prospective student athletes from negotiating payment deals for the commercial use of their name, image, and likeness during the recruiting process.
https://www.reuters.com/legal/litigation/ncaa-wins-early-ruling-states-lawsuit-over-recruitment-limits-2024-02-07/
NBA Sued Over Deal With Failed Crypto Exchange Voyager
Investors claim that the Voyager collapse led to $4.2 billion in losses. The lawsuit is tied to litigation against ex-Mavericks owner Mark Cuban.
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-02-07/nba-sued-over-marketing-deal-with-failed-crypto-exchange-voyager
Kansas City Stars, With Help From Taylor Swift, Are Advertising Champs
On-field success and a certain off-field relationship helped make Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce, and Andy Reid ubiquitous on TV commercials during the N.F.L. season.
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/02/08/business/patrick-mahomes-travis-kelce-ads.html
Once an Escape, Sports Talk Embraces Politics
Come for the draft analysis, stay for the anti-Biden rant. A growing class of commentators is blending sports and conservative politics.
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/02/10/us/politics/super-bowl-clay-travis-sports-talk-shows-trump-biden.html
They Run the World’s Biggest Sports, and They Don’t Want to Leave
A proposal that would weaken term limits at European soccer’s governing body has insiders and governance officials worried that sports’ power brokers are forgetting why the rules exist.
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/02/03/world/europe/ceferin-uefa-proposal.html
As Canadian Hockey Players Face Assault Charges, Officials Are on Defensive
Hockey fans in Canada are struggling to make sense of a scandal that has led to sexual-assault charges against five former junior hockey players.
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/02/05/world/canada/hockey-canada-scandal-sexual-assault.html
Technology/Media
The Sleepy Copyright Office in the Middle of a High-Stakes Clash Over A.I.
The Copyright Office is reviewing how centuries-old laws should apply to artificial intelligence technology, with both content creators and tech giants arguing their cases.
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/01/25/technology/ai-copyright-office-law.html
A.I. Companies Take Hit as Judge Says Artists Have “Public Interest” In Pursuing Lawsuits
A federal judge rejected arguments from Stability AI, Midjourney, and DeviantArt that the suit is intended to suppress its free speech.
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/artist-lawsuit-ai-midjourney-art-1235821096/
We Asked A.I. to Create the Joker. It Generated a Copyrighted Image.
When Reid Southen, a movie concept artist based in Michigan, tried an A.I. image generator for the first time, he was intrigued by its power to transform simple text prompts into images, which were actually based on copyrighted images.
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2024/01/25/business/ai-image-generators-openai-microsoft-midjourney-copyright.html
Meta Calls for Industry Effort to Label A.I.-Generated Content
The social network wants to promote standardized labels to help detect artificially created photo, video, and audio material across its platforms.
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/02/06/technology/meta-ai-standards-labels.html
F.C.C. Bans A.I.-Generated Robocalls
The move by the agency follows a phony call last month that was made to sound like President Biden telling New Hampshire voters to stay home.
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/02/08/technology/fcc-ban-ai-robocalls.html
Two Cases Aim to Cut Off China and Iran From U.S. Technology
In one case, material stolen from a private company would help the development of technology to track ballistic and hypersonic missiles, U.S. officials said.
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/02/07/us/politics/china-iran-arrests-export-controls.html
Second Circuit Refers Lawyer for Disciplinary Proceedings Based on AI-Hallucinated Case in Brief
Attorney Jae S. Lee’s reply brief included a citation to a non-existent case, which she admits she generated using ChatGPT.
https://ww3.ca2.uscourts.gov/decisions/isysquery/644219c7-b699-4867-a2a3-aa05a933bc51/1/doc/22-2057_opn.pdf?utm_campaign=CasePrepPlus%20eNewsletter&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=293515924&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_XxZEpbolzXRRhe8yBNPtPwMUWHgRVhkabRJHg2xjTejIbuHVhTNClaXkZQ7yYpSHpDKLAtbxDP6BhNSrhq0KgEiE1d4xwuj-JG4XXQt3dQdIk6ok&utm_content=293515924&utm_source=hs_email
Apple to Settle Trade Secrets Lawsuit Against Chip Startup Rivos
Apple plans to settle a lawsuit that accused tech startup Rivos of stealing its trade secrets related to computer-chip technology, according to a joint court filing in California federal court.
https://www.businesstimes.com.sg/art/3001491
The Changing Focus of Climate Denial: From Science to Scientists
The scientist Michael Mann is challenging attacks on his work in a defamation suit that has taken 12 years to come to trial.
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/02/06/climate/climate-michael-mann-defamation-trial.html
Former Top TikTok Executive Sues Company for Allegedly Requiring Women to ‘Remain Quiet and Humble at all Times’
Katie Ellen Puris, the former head of TikTok’s global business marketing, said those who discriminated against her included Lidong Zhang, the chairman of the social media giant’s Chinese parent company, ByteDance.
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/former-top-tiktok-executive-sues-013710435.html
Anxiety, Mood Swings and Sleepless Nights: Life Near a Bitcoin Mine
Pushed by an advocacy group, Arkansas became the first state to shield noisy cryptocurrency operators from unhappy neighbors. A furious backlash has some lawmakers considering a statewide ban.
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/02/03/us/bitcoin-arkansas-noise-pollution.html?searchResultPosition=1
Prince Harry Gets Damages in Hacking Case and Calls Out Piers Morgan
After settling his privacy claims with Mirror Group Newspapers, the prince criticized Piers Morgan, saying the former editor of The Mirror “knew perfectly well what was going on.”
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/02/09/world/europe/prince-harry-phone-hacking-piers-morgan.html
Imran Khan’s ‘Victory Speech’ From Jail Shows A.I.’s Peril and Promise
It was not the first time the technology had been used in Pakistan’s notably repressive election season, but this time it got the world’s attention.
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/02/11/world/asia/imran-khan-artificial-intelligence-pakistan.html
Putin Calls on U.S. to ‘Negotiate’ on Ukraine in Tucker Carlson Interview
In a two-hour interview, President Vladimir Putin of Russia was more direct than usual about how he sees his Ukraine invasion ending: not with a military victory, but a deal with the West.
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/02/08/world/europe/putin-tucker-carlson-interview.html
General News
Federal Appeals Court Rejects Trump’s Claim of Absolute Immunity
The ruling answered a question that an appeals court had never addressed: Can former presidents escape being held accountable by the criminal justice system for things they did while in office?
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/02/06/us/politics/trump-immunity-appeals-court.html
On the Border, Republicans Set a Trap, Then Fell Into It
The G.O.P. abandoned a bipartisan border security bill that also aided Ukraine after Democrats agreed to tough measures they had demanded.
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/02/06/us/politics/border-republicans-ukraine-bill.html
Is the Senate Becoming the House?
The failure of border legislation exposed serious fault lines among Senate Republicans that rivaled the G.O.P. discord across the Rotunda.
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/02/09/us/politics/senate-house-republicans.html
Biden Administration Toughens Limits on Deadly Air Pollution
The E.P.A. says the new rule will prevent 4,500 premature deaths annually. Industry leaders are expected to challenge the regulation, saying it will harm the economy.
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/02/07/climate/epa-air-pollution-soot.html
Biden Cleared in Documents Case; Report Raises Concerns About His Memory
The inquiry found that the president had willfully retained material after finishing his term as vice president and had shared sensitive information with a ghostwriter.
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/02/08/us/biden-documents-special-counsel.html
Mother of Michigan Gunman Found Guilty of Manslaughter
Jennifer Crumbley was convicted on four counts of involuntary manslaughter, one for each student her son killed in Michigan’s deadliest school shooting.
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/02/06/us/jennifer-crumbley-michigan-shooting-verdict.html
Many Transgender Americans Face Stigma and Financial Hardship, Survey Finds
The survey of more than 92,000 transgender and nonbinary Americans also found that the vast majority were satisfied with their decision to transition.
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/02/07/health/trangender-survey-harassment-poverty.html
Prosecutors Seek to Protect Witnesses in Trump Classified Documents Case
The move to shield the identities of several witnesses suggested a mounting sense of frustration with Judge Aileen M. Cannon, who is overseeing the case.
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/02/09/us/politics/witnesses-trump-classified-documents-case.html
Favoring Foes Over Friends, Trump Threatens to Upend International Order
Trump suggested that he would incite Russia to attack “delinquent” U.S. allies, foreshadowing potentially far-reaching changes in the world order if he wins the White House again.
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/02/11/us/politics/trump-nato.html
Oklahoma Judge Resigns After Exchanging 500 Texts During Murder Trial
Traci Soderstrom, a district judge in Lincoln County, said that the messages sent while she was on the bench during the trial were “inappropriate.
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/02/10/us/oklahoma-judge-murder-trial-texts.html