By Jessie Schuster
Edited by Elissa D. Hecker
Entertainment
Lizzo Sued for Alleged Copyright Violation in Unreleased Song Snippet Referencing Sydney Sweeny Jeans Ad
The owner of the 1970s song “Win or Lose (We Tried)” by Sam Dees is suing Lizzo after her release of a 13 second snippet of a new song, alleging that the snippet included an unauthorized sample of the Dees song. The suit seeks an injunction to prevent further distribution.
https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/lizzo-sued-for-alleged-copyright-violation-in-unreleased-song-snippet-referencing-sydney-sweeney-jeans-ad/
Sean Combs Will Appeal His Conviction and Prison Sentence
Sean Combs has filed an appeal against his conviction on two prostitution-related offenses and his 50-month prison sentence, arguing that the judge’s use of coercion as a sentencing factor contradicts the jury’s acquittal on related charges.
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/20/arts/music/sean-combs-diddy-appeal-conviction-sentence.html
Association of Talent Agents, United Talent Agency, Creative Artists Agency also Join to Protect Performers
SAG-AFTRA, OpenAI, Bryan Cranston, United Talent Agency, Creative Artists Agency and Association of Talent Agents jointly released the following statement regarding the productive collaboration on ensuring voice and likeness protections in Sora 2.
https://www.sagaftra.org/sag-aftra-openai-bryan-cranston-collaborate-ensure-voice-and-likeness-protections-sora-2
Warner Bros. Discovery Sale Pits Billionaires Against Each Other
The entertainment landscape is expected to change at any moment in regard to content creation and distribution depending on what happens next with the Warner Bros. Discovery sale. After the Ellison family made three different offers to merge with the media giant, the price increased from $19 per share to $23.50 per share, intensifying the competition.
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/newsletters/2025-10-26/warner-bros-discovery-sale-pits-billionaires-against-each-other
AI-Powered Artist Management Service Startup MNRGS.AI Raises $1M
A France-based AI-powered artist management startup has raised $1M to enhance its platform designed to support artists with release planning, audience strategy, and personalized content creation, pointing to the future of AI and the music business.
https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/ai-powered-artist-management-service-startup-mnrgs-ai-raises-1m/
Arts
Mark Morris Accused in Lawsuit of Mistreating Black Company Members
Mark Morris is facing a lawsuit alleging discrimination and retaliation by a former dancer of the Mark Morris Dance Group, with the dancer claiming they were subjected to a hostile work environment and unfairly dismissed after raising concerns about discriminatory practices within the company.
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/23/arts/dance/mark-morris-lawsuit-discrimination.html
National Symphony Orchestra to Open All of its Kennedy Center Shows with the National Anthem
The National Symphony Orchestra will begin each performance in the 2025-2026 season at the Kennedy Center with the National Anthem to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the USA while partnering with Vet Tix to donate over $100M worth of tickets to veterans and their families.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/national-symphony-orchestra-open-all-its-kennedy-center-shows-national-anthem
2 Louvre Robbery Suspects Busted in $100M Museum Heist, One Caught at Paris Airport Trying to Flee France
Two suspects in the Oct. 19 Louvre heist, which netted $100M in crown jewels, were arrested in Paris and at Charles de Gaulle Airport while attempting to flee. The jewels were not yet recovered.
https://nypost.com/2025/10/26/world-news/louvre-heist-suspects-arrested-after-french-police-tipped-on-plan-to-flee-to-africa/
Sports
‘Nightmare For The League’: Gambling Scandal Roils the NBA
Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups and Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier have been arrested in connection with separate illegal gambling schemes, with Rozier allegedly providing insider information to bettors and Billups charged with rigging underground poker games associated with mafia families. The NBA has placed both on indefinite leave pending further investigation.
https://www.nbcnews.com/sports/nba/nba-gambling-scandal-chauncey-billups-terry-rozier-rcna239490
https://apnews.com/article/miami-heat-terry-rozier-gambling-probe-de98ecb76bb8f13b85f4c5ac62f66221
What’s Next in NBA Gambling Scandal? Lingering Questions About Chauncey Billups, Terry Rozier and the League
Following the arrests of Billups and Rozier, questions linger about regarding the NBA’s next steps towards protecting the integrity of the game.
https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/whats-next-in-nba-gambling-scandal-lingering-questions-about-chauncey-billups-terry-rozier-and-the-league/
Adam Silver: WNBA Players Can Expect ‘Big Increase’ in Salaries
Under the new WNBA collective bargaining agreement, players can expect to receive salaries based on absolute numbers instead of revenue share percentages, however the new CBA remains under negotiation, with players continuing to advocate for fair compensation.
https://www.espn.com/wnba/story/_/id/46675137/wnba-players-expect-big-increase-salaries
Golf Legend Jack Nicklaus Wins $50M Verdict in Defamation Suit vs. Ex-Business Partners
Jack Nicklaus won $50M in his lawsuit against Nicklaus Companies after a Florida jury determined that the company falsely claimed Nicklaus considered a $750M deal to join LIV Golf and was mentally unfit to manage his affairs.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/jack-nicklaus-defamation-suit-ex-business-partners-50-million/
Olympics: Secret Process Threatens Fairness and Inclusion
The HRW has raised concerns about the IOC’s creation of a secret working group focusing on the “Protection of the Female Category,” warning that the IOC’s lack of transparency could lead to unfairness and exclusion in women’s sports.
https://www.hrw.org/news/2025/09/30/olympics-secret-process-threatens-fairness-and-inclusion
Media & Technology
Reddit Sues Perplexity for Scaping Data to Train AI System
Reddit has filed a lawsuit against the AI startup Perplexity and three data scraping companies, alleging they unlawfully harvested its content to train Perplexity’s AI-powered search engine.
https://www.reuters.com/world/reddit-sues-perplexity-scraping-data-train-ai-system-2025-10-22/
Halo is No Longer an Xbox Exclusive Series, as it Will be on PlayStation “Going Forward”
Microsoft has announced the Halo franchise will no longer be exclusive to Xbox consoles, marking Microsoft’s shift towards a cross-platform accessibility focus.
https://www.thegamer.com/halo-no-longer-xbox-exclusive-series-playstation-going-forward/
Big Tech Makes Cal State its AI Training Ground
Amazon is collaborating with Cal State to offer AI training through the school’s new summer program called AI Camp in order to enhance the AI skills of college students.
https://startupnews.fyi/2025/10/25/big-tech-makes-cal-state-its-ai-training-ground/
The ‘Next Generation’ Press Corps at Hegseth’s Pentagon is New but Not Improved
The Pentagon’s push to revamp its public affairs operations under Pete Hegseth has raised concerns about partisanship and media access, with critics arguing that the changes prioritize image management instead of transparency.
https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/-generation-press-corps-hegseths-pentagon-new-not-improved-rcna239378
Google CEO Drops Bombshell Quantum Computing Breakthrough
Google’s CEO announced a significant quantum breakthrough, the Willow chip, which is 13,000 times faster than the world’s fastest supercomputer. Google claims that this achievement is a step towards enhancing drug discovery and materials science.
https://www.thestreet.com/technology/google-ceo-drops-bombshell-quantum-computing-breakthrough
General News
Trump’s $230M DOJ Settlement Bid Likely Has Few Legal Backstops
Legal experts are raising serious ethical concerns about a proposed settlement between Trump and the DOJ, warning it could amount to a conflict of interest or undermine the integrity of the DOJ.
https://thehill.com/homenews/5572539-legal-experts-question-trump-settlement/
Trump Official Warns California Against Arresting Federal Agents
The DOJ has warned officials to “stand down or face prosecution” for interfering with federal officers after CA ICE agents were threatened with arrest by state and local officials.
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/24/us/federal-ice-agents-arrests-california-pelosi.html
Feds Defend ‘Unusual’ Moves to Preserve Trump’s Pick for US Attorney of NJ
The Justice Department is justifying Trump officials’ actions that allowed Alina Habba to remain as New Jersey’s U.S. Attorney after her nomination expired, insisting the move was legal despite critics claiming that it sidestepped constitutional procedures.
https://newjerseymonitor.com/2025/10/20/trump-doj-defends-us-attorney-nj/
Eric Adams Endorses Andrew Cuomo for Mayor
Mayor Adams has endorsed Andrew Cuomo for Mayor, referring to the former governor as his “brother” after previously referring to him as a “snake and a liar.” The endorsement comes in the final weeks of the mayoral race.
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/23/nyregion/adams-endorse-cuomo-nyc-mayor.html
Video Shows Graham Platner with ‘Troubling’ Tattoo That Appears to be a Nazi Symbol
A video has gone viral showing the Democratic Senate Candidate’s chest tattoo with a Totenkoph skull and crossbones, a symbol tied to Nazis despite the candidate claiming he was unaware of the Nazi ties.
https://themainemonitor.org/platner-tattoo-nazi-totenkopf/