By Darby Daley

Edited by Elissa D. Hecker

Entertainment

Alec Baldwin’s Lawyers Say ‘Rust’ Prosecutor Should Be Disqualified

Lawyers for Alec Baldwin, who was charged with involuntary manslaughter, say the fact that the special prosecutor is also a state legislator violates the New Mexico Constitution. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/02/07/arts/andrea-reeb-rust-special-prosecutor.html

DeSantis Declares Victory as Disney Is Stripped of Some 56-Year-Old Perks

The Legislature approved a bill that restricts the autonomy of Florida’s largest private employer over a fight involving the teaching of sexual orientation and gender identity. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/02/10/business/disney-world-florida-tax-board.html?searchResultPosition=1 

Radio Royalty Proposals Reintroduced in Congress

The U.S. recording industry has welcomed the reintroduction of the American Music Fairness Act in Congress. The legislation would introduce a radio royalty for sound recordings for the first time in the country. https://completemusicupdate.com/article/radio-royalty-proposals-reintroduced-in-us-congress/

Hogwarts Legacy Can’t Cast Aside Debate Over J.K. Rowling

The video game is the latest battleground over the “Harry Potter” author’s comments on transgender issues, with fans and gamers divided over whether they should play it at all. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/02/09/arts/hogwarts-legacy-jk-rowling.html?searchResultPosition=1

Arts

Hermès Wins MetaBirkins Lawsuit; Jurors Not Convinced NFTs Are Art

The verdict means that First Amendment protections did not apply to a digital project, blurring the line between art and business. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/02/08/arts/hermes-metabirkins-lawsuit-verdict.html

Dispute Within Art Critics Group Over Diversity Reveals a Widening Rift

Several members of the board of the AICA-USA have resigned amid concerns that new initiatives to support art critics are not forthcoming. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/02/04/arts/design/art-writers-aica-rift-diversity-jobs.html?searchResultPosition=1

At Cooper Union, a Russian Design Show Caught in a Political Crossfire

After indefinitely postponing a modest student exhibit about the Russian equivalent to the Bauhaus, the school received protests from 750 academics. It ultimately reinstated the show. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/02/07/arts/design/cooper-union-russia-exhibition.html

Ronald S. Lauder Reaches Agreement on Klimt Painting With Jewish Heirs

Ronald Lauder agreed to the restitution and repurchase of the painting from the relatives of an art collector who fled Europe in 1943 to avoid Nazi persecution. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/02/10/arts/design/ronald-lauder-klimt-painting-restitution.html?searchResultPosition=2

Striking HarperCollins Workers Reach Tentative Agreement With Publisher

After a three-month strike, the two parties reached a tentative deal that includes wage increases and a one-time bonus. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/02/09/books/harper-collins-strike-tentative-agreement.html?searchResultPosition=1

Is Nazi Loot Amid His 6,000 Oils, Some Grenades and Napoleon’s Toothbrush?

The daughter of an eccentric Swiss collector has asked an independent panel to review whether items in his massive collection were stolen from Jews during World War II. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/02/07/arts/bruno-stefanini-collection-looted-art.html 

'No More Antakya’: Turks Say Quake Wiped Out a City, and a Civilization

Amid scenes of utter devastation and widespread suffering in the bitter cold, residents mourned the loss of family, friends, memories, art, and history. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/02/09/world/middleeast/earthquake-antakya-turkey.html?searchResultPosition=1

Lost Letters by Mary, Queen of Scots, Uncovered by Amateur Code Breakers

The messages, written while she was imprisoned by her cousin Queen Elizabeth I, were mistakenly listed as Italian texts in France’s national library. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/02/08/world/europe/mary-queen-of-scots-letters.html?searchResultPosition=1

Sports

Black Quarterbacks in the Super Bowl Reflect Progress and Lost Opportunity

Although Black quarterbacks lead both teams in Sunday’s Super Bowl, for much of pro football history, Black players were steered away from the position because of racist assumptions. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/02/12/sports/football/nfl-black-quarterbacks.html 

A Milestone for Black National Football Leage Hires, but Not on the Sidelines

Five Black presidents have been hired to lead National Football League (NFL) teams, an influx some hope could provide a blueprint for diversifying leadership even as the league struggles to improve head coaching searches. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/02/08/sports/football/nfl-teams-black-presidents.html 

NFL Players Say They Were Shortchanged on Disability Benefits

A federal lawsuit said that Commissioner Roger Goodell and other leaders of the NFL’s disability plan kept players from receiving payouts for injuries sustained while playing the game. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/02/09/sports/football/nfl-disability-benefits-lawsuit.html?searchResultPosition=1

How Sports Betting Upended the Economies of Native American Tribes 

For decades, gambling has been the most important source of income for hundreds of Native American tribes. Now, in many parts of the country, the rapid spread of sports betting and online wagering is threatening to crimp that economic lifeline. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/02/10/sports/sports-betting-native-american-tribes.html?searchResultPosition=2

Manchester City Charged With Years of Financial Violations

The Premier League accused City of breaking rules related to revenues, sponsorships, and contracts. One potential penalty is expulsion from the league. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/02/06/sports/soccer/manchester-city-premier-league-financial-charges.html

Technology/Media

DeSantis, Aiming at a Favorite Foil, Wants to Roll Back Press Freedom

The Florida governor and possible presidential candidate is the latest in a string of Republicans to target the Supreme Court decision that has long protected journalists accused of defamation. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/02/10/us/politics/ron-desantis-news-media.html?searchResultPosition=1

Five Takeaways From the House G.O.P. Hearing With Former Twitter Executives 

The Oversight Committee called the session to scrutinize whether Twitter has censored the right, but it yielded new revelations about the company’s permissive approach. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/02/08/us/politics/twitter-congressional-hearing.html 

Free Speech vs. Disinformation Comes to a Head

The outcome of a case in federal court could help decide whether the First Amendment is a barrier to virtually any government efforts to stifle disinformation. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/02/09/business/free-speech-social-media-lawsuit.html

Quotation of the Day: A.I.’s Ease at Spinning Deception Raises Alarm

“Crafting a new false narrative can now be done at dramatic scale, and much more frequently — it’s like having A.I. agents contributing to disinformation.” https://www.nytimes.com/2023/02/09/pageoneplus/quotation-of-the-day-ais-ease-at-spinning-deception-raises-alarm.html?searchResultPosition=1

The People Onscreen Are Fake. The Disinformation Is Real.

The two broadcasters, purportedly anchors for a news outlet called Wolf News, are not real people. They are computer-generated avatars created by artificial intelligence software; and late last year, videos of them were distributed by pro-China bot accounts on Facebook and Twitter, in the first known instance of “deepfake” video technology being used to create fictitious people as part of a state-aligned information campaign. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/02/07/technology/artificial-intelligence-training-deepfake.html

Musk Pledged to Cleanse Twitter of Child Abuse Content. It’s Been Rough Going.

Child sexual abuse imagery spreads on Twitter even after the company is notified: One video drew 120,000 views. “Sewer rats,” as one regulator described bad actors, remain.

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/02/06/technology/twitter-child-sex-abuse.html?searchResultPosition=1

Steve Bannon’s Podcast Is Top Misinformation Spreader, Study Says

A large podcast study found that Steve Bannon’s “War Room” had more falsehoods and unsubstantiated claims than other political talk shows. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/02/09/technology/podcasts-steve-bannon-war-room-misinformation.html?searchResultPosition=1

ChatGPT Gets Fresh Competition

Google and Baidu are set to introduce their own A.I.-powered chatbots to challenge OpenAI, Microsoft, and the rising popularity of ChatGPT. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/02/07/business/dealbook/chatgpt-google-baidu.html

Sam Bankman-Fried Needs Tighter Bail Restrictions, Judge Says

A federal judge said that he was not satisfied with a plan that lawyers for the disgraced FTX founder struck with prosecutors to limit his use of encrypted messaging apps. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/02/09/business/sam-bankman-fried-ftx-bail.html?searchResultPosition=1

Influence Networks in Russia Misled European Users, TikTok Says

The covert and coordinated campaign was disclosed in a new report that also addressed misinformation, fake accounts, and moderation struggles. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/02/09/business/media/tiktok-misinformation-russia-ukraine.html?searchResultPosition=1

General News

Biden Makes His Business Case in the State of the Union

The president took credit for strong job growth and his legislative agenda that has boosted investment in infrastructure and clean energy projects. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/02/08/business/dealbook/biden-business-state-of-union-sotu.html 

Heckling of Biden Reflects a New, Coarser Normal for House G.O.P.

The repeated outbursts that interrupted the State of the Union address encapsulated the ethos of the new Republican majority, which styles itself after former President Trump. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/02/08/us/politics/biden-heckling-house-republicans.html?searchResultPosition=1 

Florida Officials Had Repeated Contact With College Board Over African American Studies

A letter from state officials is likely to fuel controversy over the College Board, the latter of which has been accused of stripping or minimizing concepts to please conservatives. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/02/09/us/florida-college-board-african-american-studies.html?searchResultPosition=1 

Pence Gets Subpoena From Special Counsel in Jan. 6 Investigation

The move by Jack Smith, the special counsel, is one of the most aggressive in his investigation of Donald Trump’s efforts to stay in power and is likely to lead to a battle over executive privilege. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/02/09/us/politics/pence-subpoena-trump.html?searchResultPosition=1 

Classified Documents Found at Pence’s Home in Indiana

The documents were “inadvertently boxed and transported” to the former vice president’s home at the end of the Trump administration, Pence’s representative wrote in a letter to the National Archives. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/24/us/politics/mike-pence-classified-documents.html?searchResultPosition=1 

Chinese Balloon Had Tools to Collect Electronic Communications, U.S. Says

China’s surveillance balloons have flown over more than 40 countries and are directed by the Chinese military, the State Department said. The F.B.I. is studying the debris. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/02/09/us/politics/china-spy-balloon-program.html?searchResultPosition=1

Terror Trial Could Yield Manhattan’s First Death Penalty in 60 Years

Sayfullo Saipov was convicted of fatally mowing down eight people in a 2017 bike-path rampage in New York. Will 12 jurors vote to execute him? https://www.nytimes.com/2023/02/12/nyregion/saipove-manhattan-death-penalty-trial.html 

Clean Slates Promised Under New York Marijuana Law Prove Complicated

The omission of a single Roman numeral in the text of a state law has made it difficult for those with certain convictions to clear their names. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/02/11/nyregion/marijuana-legalization-law.html 

New York State to Drop Requirement That Masks Be Worn in Hospital

Starting Sunday, health care facilities like hospitals and nursing homes will be able to set their own rules for when masks are necessary. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/02/10/nyregion/mask-mandate-hospitals-new-york.html