By Jessie Schuster
Edited by Elissa D. Hecker
Entertainment
YFN Lucci Agrees to Plea Deal in Atlanta RICO Case
Rapper YFN has pled guilty to one count of violating the Street Gang Terrorism and Prevention Act in a plea deal with prosecutors as the ongoing case against Bloods gang members continues in Atlanta.
https://pitchfork.com/news/yfn-lucci-agrees-to-plea-deal-in-atlanta-rico-case/
“Cheer” Coach Monica Aldama’s Son Arrested on Multiple Child Pornography Charges
William Aldama, the son of Netflix star Monica Aldama from ‘Cheer’, has been indicted on charges of “having or knowingly accessing videos that depict child sexual abuse.” If convicted, Aldama could face multiple 10 year sentences.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/monica-aldama-austin-aldama-cheer-coach-star-son-arrest-child-pornography-charges-texas/#
Depardieu Sexual Assault Suit Dropped Over Statute of Limitations
After French actress Hélène Darras sued Gérard Depardieu for sexual assault for allegedly groping her on a movie set in 2007, the charges have been dropped due to the statute of limitations. The actor is still under investigation in another sexual assault case.
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/01/22/arts/depardieu-sex-assault-suit.html?searchResultPosition=1
Arts
The American Museum of Natural History in New York to Close Halls Featuring Native American Artifacts
The American Museum of Natural History will be complying with new federal regulations that require permission from Native American tribes to display their objects by closing down two halls that feature artifacts from the Iroquois, Mohegan, Ojibwa, Cree, Hidatsa, Sioux, Cheyenne, Arapaho, and Crow tribes.
https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2024/jan/27/new-yorks-natural-history-museum-to-close-halls-featuring-native-american-artifacts#:~:text=New%20York%27s%20American%20Museum,tribes%20to%20display%20their%20objects.
Artist Who Performed in the Nude at MoMA’s 2010 Marina Abramovic Exhibition Sues the Museum
John Bonafede, a nude performance artist and painter who worked in the MoMA’s 2010 exhibition “Marina Abramović: The Artist is Present”, has claimed in a recent lawsuit that the museum failed to prevent attendees from sexually assaulting him. Bonafede is seeking relief under New York’s Adult Survivors Act for his years of distress.
https://www.artnews.com/art-news/news/moma-marina-abramovic-the-artist-is-present-exhibtion-lawsuit-1234693738/
Orlando Museum of Art Drops Lawsuit Against Owners of Allegedly Fake Basquiats
An art scandal that left the Orlando Museum of Art in a position to sue five owners of fake Basquiats has been dropped, as the museum puts its energy and focus into a lawsuit against Aaron De Groft, its former director.
https://www.theartnewspaper.com/2024/01/22/orlando-museum-art-drops-lawsuit-owners-fake-basquiats
Des Moines Art Center to Dismantle Watershed Land Artwork by Mary Miss
Mary Miss’s Greenwood Pond: Double Site, an outdoor art installation that may be the first urban wetlands project in the country, is being dismantled as the Des Moines Art Center finds it “necessary” to remove the installation from its location due to public safety concerns stemming from climate change.
https://www.artforum.com/news/des-moines-art-center-to-destroy-seminal-land-art-work-by-mary-miss1-548344/
Met Opera Taps Its Endowment Again to Weather Downturn
The Met Opera withdrew around $40M, in addition to the emergency funds of $30M it already withdrew to cover expenses lost originally as a result of the pandemic, leaving the fund to be worth $255M in comparison for the $309M it was worth just last summer.
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/01/25/arts/music/met-opera-endowment-finances.html?searchResultPosition=1
Sports
FIFA Convictions are Imperiled by Questions of U.S. Overreach
Former FIFA officials who paid millions in damages and some who spent time in prison are arguing that the crimes with which they were charged are no longer crimes in the U.S., citing a Supreme Court case from last year that limited the law at issue.
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/01/27/world/americas/fifa-scandal-juan-angel-napout.html
An Olympic Dream Falters Amid Track’s Shifting Rules
Maximila Imali, an Olympic level sprinter from Kenya, will not qualify to compete in the Summer games because she was born with elevated levels of testosterone. Rule changes focusing on issues related to sex and gender identity in sports are putting intersex athletes at risk of being barred from competition unless they medicate themselves to suppress their testosterone levels.
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/01/24/world/africa/olympic-intersex-maximila-imali.html?searchResultPosition=1
Vince McMahon Resigns from TKO Group Board of Directors Following Sex Abuse, Trafficking Lawsuit
Executive of TKO Vince McMahon resigned after a lawsuit was brought against him alleging that he “abused and sexually exploited [Janel Grant] and trafficked her to other men.”
https://variety.com/2024/biz/news/vince-mcmahon-removed-tko-group-board-of-directors-sexual-abuse-trafficking-lawsuit-1235888175/
Luis Rubiales 3-Year Football Ban Confirmed by FIFA After Appeal Dismissed
FIFA has confirmed Luis Rubiales 3-year ban from all football-related activities after the former president of the Spanish Football Federation appealed the decision.
https://theathletic.com/5229662/2024/01/26/luis-rubiales-banned-hermoso-world-cup/
Age Fraud on the Rise in Dominican Republic, Sowing Chaos for MLB Team Young Players
Dominican baseball players risk facing suspensions by the MLB, as age and identity fraud are on the rise. This is no new issue to MLB, as the league dealt with ‘age-gate’ nearly 20 years ago.
https://theathletic.com/5231394/2024/01/27/mlb-age-falsification-identity-fraud-dominican-republic/
Udinese Fan Accused of Racism Banned for Life
A fan of Milan’s football club has been banned for life for behaving in a “discriminatory” way against the team’s goalkeeper.
https://www.insidethegames.biz/articles/1143475/udinense-fan-milan-racism-bans-acussed
Media & Technology
Trump Trial Verdict: E. Jean Carroll Awarded $83M in Defamation Case
E. Jean Carroll was awarded $83M from former President Trump in the infamous defamation case.
https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-trial-verdict-e-jean-carroll-defamation-damages-2024-1
Meta is Failing to Catch Memes and Innuendo Promoting Holocaust Denial, Oversight Panel Concludes
A meme has circulated around Meta’s system without being caught that featured SpongeBob SquarePants promoting Holocaust denial. Now, the question of whether Meta is able to combat hate speech looms, as an oversight panel urges the company to refine its algorithm to avoid spreading this hateful and dangerous content.
https://www.jta.org/2024/01/23/default/meta-is-failing-to-catch-memes-and-innuendo-promoting-holocaust-denial-oversight-panel-concludes?utm_source=JTA_Maropost&utm_campaign=JTA_DB&utm_medium=email&mpweb=1161-67534-99166
Federal Trade Commission Launches Inquiry into A.I. Deals by Tech Giants
The FTC will inquire into the investments of Microsoft, Amazon, and Google in A.I. startups as the billions of dollars spent by these media giants on A.I. put them in an even smaller pool of competition, making them even more powerful.
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/01/25/technology/ftc-ai-microsoft-amazon-google.html?searchResultPosition=1
Explicit Deepfake Images of Taylor Swift Elude Safeguards and Swamp Social Media
A.I. generated explicit images of Taylor Swift spread rapidly around social media platforms, raising a new issue for lawmakers to urgently crack down on regarding the technology and protection of women.
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/01/26/arts/music/taylor-swift-ai-fake-images.html
NSA Secretly Buying Americans’ Data Without a Warrant
A ‘legal gray area’ has been brought to the forefront of media related issues as it has been revealed that the NSA has been secretly buying Americans’ internet records and using them to spy on citizens without obtaining warrants.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2024/jan/25/nsa-secretly-buying-americans-data-without-warrant/
California AG Sets Focus on Streaming Services’ Privacy Practices
California AG Rob Bonta announced that his office will be investigating steaming services and their privacy practices, as he alleged that they do not follow CA’s Consumer Privacy Act.
https://www.law360.com/media/articles/1790860/calif-ag-sets-focus-on-streaming-services-privacy-practices
Russian Court Extends Detention of WSJ Reporter Evan Gershkovich
Evan Gershkovich will spend at least a year in Russian detention before his espionage trial begins, regardless of the U.S. deeming the detention a wrongful holding.
https://www.wsj.com/world/russia/russian-court-extends-detention-of-wsj-reporter-evan-gershkovich-0963444b
General News
Supreme Court Backs Biden in Dispute with Texas Over Border Barrier
Federal officials are allowed to cut or remove barriers in Texas meant to deter migrants from Mexico, as the Supreme Court has ruled in a 5-4 vote in favor of the Biden administration’s border policy.
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/01/22/us/politics/supreme-court-texas-border-barbed-wire.html?searchResultPosition=1
‘Oath-Breaking Insurrectionist’ Trump is Ineligible for Office, CO Voters Tell the Supreme Court
Colorado voters have approached the Supreme Court, urging it to remove the former President from the current primary ballot, as they argue his actions on and leading up to Jan. 6th. make him ineligible for office.
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/oath-breaking-insurrectionist-trump-ineligible-office-colo-voters-tell-rcna135904
Obamacare Sign-Ups Hit Record 21.3M as Biden Pushes His Efforts to Lower Health Care Costs
Obamacare sign-ups have increased by nearly 5M people for 2024, as compared to last year. This will be an ongoing topic as the election progresses, as Trump has been vocal about taking down the program, while Biden uses it to his advantage.
https://www.cnn.com/2024/01/24/politics/obamacare-enrollment-record/index.html
Trump Wins New Hampshire Primary as Rematch with Biden Appears Increasingly Likely
Despite losing the NH Primary to Trump, Nikki Haley vows to continue her campaign regardless of the election looking strikingly similar to the 2020 election between Biden and Trump.
https://apnews.com/article/trump-new-hampshire-primary-two-candidate-race-72a59c4133879eaeec63d6ed30e91e01
‘Betrayal’: Arizona GOP Chair Resigns After Recording of ‘offer’ to Kari Lake
After a recording leaked of Jeff DeWit, chair of AZ GOP, bribing Kari Lake with a job if she were to drop out of the U.S. Senate race, DeWit resigned from his position. Gina Swoboda was elected for DeWit’s former position.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/elections/2024/01/25/arizona-republican-chair-resigns-kari-lake/72350029007/
Trials of Michigan School Shooter’s Parents Set to Test Limits of Who’s Responsible for a Mass Shooting
The parents of a Michigan school shooter are on trial for manslaughter in connection with their son’s mass murdering spree. The decision will set precedent as to who is responsible for mass shootings and more specifically, whether parents are responsible for deaths if they are aware of their child’s violent thoughts and still purchase a gun without notifying school officials.
https://www.cnn.com/2024/01/25/us/james-jennifer-crumbley-school-shooting-trial/index.html
Justice Dept. Says Cuomo Created ‘Sexually Hostile Work Environment’ as Governor
The Justice Dept. has stated that former Gov. Andrew Cuomo “subjected female employees to a hostile work environment” and “retaliated against employees who spoke out against the harassment” after reaching a settlement that does not have Cuomo paying any damages or admitting to the behavior.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/01/26/andrew-cuomo-sexual-harassment/
First Nitrogen Gas Execution in US Has Happened, but Did It Go As Expected?
After nitrogen gas has been used for the first time on Kenneth Smith, the AG has announced that it is now a “proven” method of execution that will likely be used again, despite the method resulting in a 22- minute long execution.
https://abcnews.go.com/US/alabama-attorney-general-believes-nitrogen-gas-executions-place/story?id=106704615
In Trump’s Bitter, Yearlong Brawl with Roberta Kaplan, He Keeps Losing
Roberta Kaplan, the attorney who representing E. Jean Carroll in the recent defamation case against Trump, has now become the only lawyer to secure two winning suits against the former President.
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/01/27/nyregion/roberta-kaplan-lawyer-carroll-trump-trial.html
Trump White House Official Peter Navarro Gets a 4-Month Sentence for Defying a House Jan. 6 Subpoena
One former White House official was sentenced to 4 months behind bars after being found guilty of defying a subpoena for documents and a deposition from the House Jan. 6th Committee.
https://apnews.com/article/trump-navarro-white-house-contempt-jan-6-2d6efbc6e15e52eeaa1559d80e7e904c#:~:text=WASHINGTON%20(AP)%20—%20Trump%20White,to%20four%20months%20behind%20bars