By Seth Nguyen
Edited by Elissa D. Hecker
Below, for your browsing convenience, the categories are divided into: Entertainment, Arts, Sports, Technology/Media, and General News.
Entertainment
Court Blocks Expedited Subpoenas to Identify Digital Pirates, Dealing Blow to Copyright Holders
The Ninth Circuit blocked copyright holders from using DMCA subpoenas to identify internet users when providers merely act as conduits for infringing material. The ruling limits a tool often criticized for abuse, aligning with past circuit decisions, although studios and trade groups warn that it could hinder anti-piracy efforts.
https://variety.com/2025/biz/news/court-blocks-subpoenas-identify-piracy-1236490675/
ASCAP secures ‘higher rates’ in settlement with U.S. radio broadcasters
ASCAP has settled with the Radio Music License Committee, securing higher royalty rates for nearly 10,000 U.S. AM/FM radio stations. The agreement, reflecting modern broadcasting practices, boosts payments to ASCAP’s songwriters and publishers and ensures continued licensing of its catalog. Similar BMI negotiations also achieved record rate increases.
https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/ascap-secures-higher-rates-in-settlement-with-us-radio-broadcasters/
Florida Paints Over Rainbow Memorial for Victims of Pulse Nightclub Shooting
Florida officials painted over Orlando’s rainbow crosswalk memorial to the 2016 Pulse nightclub shooting victims, citing a federal directive against “political” street art. The move sparked outrage from city leaders, survivors, and community members, who quickly repainted the crosswalk in protest. Governor DeSantis defended the removal, saying roads shouldn’t be used for politics, while critics called it an erasure of LGBTQ remembrance.
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/23/us/politics/orlando-pulse-shooting-rainbow-crosswalk-memorial.html
These TV Hits Are Censored in Putin’s Russia
Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, streaming platforms have heavily censored Western shows—removing LGBTQ content, political references, and taboo topics—reflecting the Kremlin’s control over media, while new HBO and AMC content continues to appear despite sanctions.
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2025/08/19/arts/television/russia-tv-censorship.html?searchResultPosition=2
YouTuber Mark Goldbridge among Bundesliga’s UK broadcast partners for this season
The Bundesliga will give UK broadcasting rights to YouTube creators for the first time. Mark Goldbridge’s That’s Football and The Overlap will show 20 Friday night games free-to-air, alongside BBC coverage. Sky keeps Saturday games, and Amazon has Sunday pay-per-view rights. The move targets younger audiences and expands the league’s digital reach.
https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6560329/2025/08/20/mark-goldbridge-bundesliga-tv/
Arts
Trump Says Smithsonian Focuses Too Much on ‘How Bad Slavery Was’
President Trump criticized the Smithsonian for emphasizing slavery and Black history, calling for museum exhibits to highlight America’s “brightness” instead. His remarks come amid a White House review of museum content and reflect his broader efforts to minimize racial history and diversity initiatives in federal institutions. Critics say this targets Black history and distorts the country’s past.
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/19/us/politics/trump-smithsonian-slavery.html
The Hobbyist Restorer Who Rocked the Art World With an A.I. Innovation
MIT researcher Alex Kachkine created an AI method that prints thin, removable masks to restore damaged art quickly and reversibly. Italy’s restoration institute is testing it for large-scale projects, though it remains too complex for most conservators to use without further refinement.
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/22/world/europe/art-restoration-ai-innovation.html?searchResultPosition=1
Denmark Wants Kids to Read More. Will a Tax Cut Help?
Denmark plans to remove its 25% book tax to combat a national “reading crisis,” especially among youth. The move, expected to cut book prices by up to 20%, aims to make reading more accessible and competitive with streaming services. Publishers and authors welcomed the change, though experts say its impact on reading habits remains uncertain.
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/21/world/europe/denmark-books-tax-reading.html?searchResultPosition=1
Sports
Newsletter, Image, Likeness Vol. 146: Judge Bailey's NIL-Focused Decision Highlights Growing Split on Eligibility Rules
Judge John Preston Bailey ruled that four WVU football players can compete despite NCAA limits, finding that NIL and revenue sharing make eligibility rules commercial rather than amateur. His decision highlights a growing split among courts, warns of major financial stakes for athletes, and urges appellate or Supreme Court guidance. At the same time, 10 mid-major conferences formed a coalition to press Congress for fairer, sustainable college sports rules.
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/newsletter-image-likeness-vol-146-judge-baileys-decision-heitner-exl4e/
USTA launches first all-encompassing coaching program
The USTA launched its first nationwide coaching program to improve player safety, requiring background checks and Safe Play certification. It aims to grow the coach base and prevent abuse, following a 2024 review and past lawsuits.
https://www.espn.com/tennis/story/_/id/45964958/usta-launches-first-all-encompassing-coaching-program
Media/Technology
Elon Musk’s X Agrees to Settlements With Thousands of Former Employees
Elon Musk’s X has settled most severance disputes with former employees after cutting Twitter’s workforce, though the amounts remain undisclosed. Musk’s fight over $128 million for senior executives continues.
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/22/technology/elon-musk-x-settlements.html?searchResultPosition=1
The Race to Rescue PBS and NPR Stations
The Knight Foundation and other philanthropies are creating a $50 million Public Media Bridge Fund to help local public radio and TV stations survive federal funding cuts. The initial $26.5 million targets smaller, rural stations that rely heavily on government support. The fund aims to stabilize operations, preserve local news and emergency services, and prioritize stations most at risk, while acknowledging that long-term solutions will require broader system reforms.
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/19/business/the-race-to-rescue-pbs-and-npr-stations.html
Hong Kong Denies Visa Renewal for Senior Bloomberg Journalist
Bloomberg journalist Rebecca Choong Wilkins was denied a Hong Kong visa without explanation, effectively forcing her to leave the city. The decision raises fresh concerns about press freedom under Beijing’s national security law, following a pattern of visa denials and pressures on independent media in the territory.
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/23/world/asia/hong-kong-bloomberg-visa.html?searchResultPosition=1
General News
Reframing Jan. 6: After the Pardons, the Purge
The Trump Justice Department has fired or demoted more than two dozen prosecutors who handled January 6th cases, even as rioters they convicted have been pardoned and freed. Career lawyers like Michael Gordon, once praised for outstanding work, were abruptly dismissed without explanation, part of a broader purge aimed at those who prosecuted Trump allies. After mass clemencies, the DOJ, led by Trump loyalists, dismantled pending Jan. 6th cases and reassigned or ousted senior prosecutors. Critics call it political revenge and weaponization of the department, while Trump officials describe it as restoring integrity. Many prosecutors now face threats, lawsuits, or unemployment, underscoring the reversal of accountability for the Capitol attack.
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/24/nyregion/january-6-capitol-riot-prosecutors.html
In Surprise Move, Trump Taps Missouri Attorney General to Help Run F.B.I.
The Trump administration appointed Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey as a co-deputy director of the FBI alongside Dan Bongino, reducing Bongino’s influence. Bailey, a more conventional and experienced government official, will share oversight of the bureau, a move that surprised many agents and follows Bongino’s contentious disputes over Jeffrey Epstein files.
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/18/us/politics/fbi-missouri-attorney-general.html
Senate Adds Guardrails in an Effort to Force Trump to Obey Spending Bills
Senate appropriations leaders are adding detailed instructions and reporting requirements to next year’s spending bills to limit the Trump administration’s ability to withhold or redirect federal funds. The measures aim to strengthen Congress’s control over spending and provide legal backing if the White House defies directives, amid ongoing disputes over executive overreach.
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/20/us/politics/senate-spending-guardrails-trump.html
Trump Demands a Fed Governor Resign, Escalating Campaign to Remake Central Bank
President Trump demanded that Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook resign over unverified mortgage-fraud allegations, with the White House referring the matter for criminal investigation. The move appears aimed at reshaping the Fed to favor lower interest rates. Cook, the first Black woman on the Fed board, denied wrongdoing, noting the loans predated her appointment, and vowed to respond to any legitimate inquiries.
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/20/us/politics/trump-fed-resign-lisa-cook-governor.html
A Muted Homecoming for Kilmar Abrego Garcia
Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia, wrongfully deported to El Salvador in March, is back in the U.S. but now faces possible deportation to Uganda. His lawyers say the Trump administration is using the threat to pressure him into a guilty plea on smuggling charges. The case has made him a symbol of immigration overreach, drawing support from activists and lawmakers and heightening fear in immigrant communities.
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/23/us/kilmar-abrego-garcia-return-maryland.html
F.B.I. Searches Home and Office of John Bolton, Ex-Trump Adviser
The FBI searched John Bolton’s home and office over allegations that he mishandled or leaked classified information, part of a years-long probe under both Trump and Biden. The case, tied to Bolton’s 2020 book and CIA intelligence, could involve Espionage Act violations.
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/22/us/politics/john-bolton-trump-home-fbi.html?searchResultPosition=1
‘Flying Blind’: Trump Strips Government of Expertise at a High-Stakes Moment
Trump has cut key foreign policy and intelligence experts, leaving him with fewer advisors as he seeks to negotiate an end to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Critics warn that this undermines U.S. national security, while the administration claims he relies on direct diplomacy.
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/21/us/politics/trump-government-expertise.html?searchResultPosition=1
Covid Vaccine Opponent Tapped to Lead Federal Review Team
A new CDC vaccine task force led by MIT’s Retsef Levi, a Covid vaccine critic, has raised concern after his appointment by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Experts warn the panel may spread misinformation and undermine trust, following Kennedy’s firing of established vaccine experts and moves to restrict vaccine access, cut mRNA funding, and reshape the vaccine injury court.
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/22/health/covid-vaccines-rfk.html?searchResultPosition=1
In Pursuing Trump Rival, Weaponization Czar Sidesteps Justice Dept. Norms
Edward R. Martin Jr., a Trump-aligned DOJ official, has been accused of using his position to target political opponents, publicly pressuring and surveilling New York AG Letitia James, raising concerns about politicization and misuse of federal power.
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/19/us/politics/trump-letitia-james-weaponization-czar.html
Manhattan Judge Denies Request to Unseal Epstein Grand Jury Transcripts
A Manhattan judge denied the government’s request to unseal Jeffrey Epstein’s grand jury testimony, noting it involved only one FBI agent and offered little compared with the extensive Justice Department files already held. The ruling blocks attempts by the Trump administration to release the transcripts amid conspiracy theories, while lawmakers will still receive broader Epstein case documents.
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/20/nyregion/epstein-grand-jury-transcripts-denied.html
Trump Says Chicago and New York Are Next for Federal Crackdown on Crime
President Trump said he plans to use Washington’s federal takeover as a model for cracking down on crime in other cities, specifically Chicago and New York, even suggesting the possible use of active-duty troops. Experts and local officials note he would face legal limits outside D.C., where he can exert greater control. Chicago’s mayor called such military deployments “unlawful” and crime there is already declining, as it was in Washington before Trump’s intervention.
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/22/us/politics/trump-chicago-new-york-crime.html?searchResultPosition=1
In Battle Over D.C. Police, Federal Prosecutors Open Inquiry Into Crime Data
The U.S. attorney’s office in Washington, D.C., is investigating whether local police falsified crime data, amid Trump’s takeover of the city’s police and his claims that crime is underreported. The probe, viewed as politically charged, comes despite overall declining crime and follows a standoff between federal and local authorities over policing and immigration enforcement.
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/19/us/politics/dc-police-crime-data-investigation.html
Manhattan Judges Approve Trump’s Choice for U.S. Attorney
Federal judges in Manhattan have retained Jay Clayton as interim U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, allowing him to potentially serve for the rest of the Trump administration after his Senate confirmation was blocked. A former SEC chair and corporate lawyer, Clayton has kept a low profile but faced criticism for not commenting on the firing of career prosecutor Maurene Comey, who worked on high-profile sex-trafficking cases.
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/18/nyregion/jay-clayton-us-attorney-manhattan-trump.html
Judge Halts Texas Law Mandating the Ten Commandments in School
A federal judge temporarily blocked a Texas law requiring Ten Commandments posters in every public school classroom, ruling that it could violate the separation of church and state. Sixteen families argued the law favored one religious interpretation and could make students uncomfortable. The ruling applies to 11 districts, including Houston, Austin, and Plano. The state plans to appeal.
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/20/us/politics/ten-commandments-texas.html
Texas Legislature Gives Final Approval to Redistricting Map
The Texas Legislature approved a heavily redrawn congressional map designed to boost Republicans by up to five U.S. House seats, marking a major win for Trump’s mid-decade redistricting push. Democrats argue the map dilutes Black and Hispanic voters’ strength and plan to sue. The move, part of a nationwide partisan redistricting effort, could intensify competition for control of the House ahead of the 2026 midterms.
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/23/us/texas-redistricting.html?searchResultPosition=1
California Republicans File Suit Seeking to Block Newsom Redistricting Plan
California Republicans sued to block Democrats’ plan to redraw congressional districts, arguing the Legislature violated the state’s 30-day review rule. Democrats aim to pass the bills this week for a November special election, while Republicans claim the process bypasses public input.
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/19/us/california-republicans-lawsuit-redistricting.html
Judge Orders That ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ Detention Center Be Shut Down for Now
A judge ordered Florida’s Everglades immigration detention center shut down within 60 days, ruling it was built illegally without an environmental review and threatens local ecosystems and the Miccosukee Tribe. Florida plans to appeal.
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/21/us/alligator-alcatraz-florida-ruling.html
Pirro Orders Office to Maximize Criminal Charges on Street Arrests
U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro has ordered her office in Washington, D.C., to pursue harsher federal charges for anyone arrested under the administration’s street crime crackdown. With an influx of inexperienced federal agents and a short-staffed office, prosecutors are now directed to maximize charges, shifting more cases to federal court where penalties are stiffer.
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/19/us/politics/pirro-has-ordered-her-office-to-maximize-criminal-charges-on-street-arrests.html
M.T.A. Approves Major Contract to Expand the Second Avenue Subway Line
The MTA approved a $1.97 billion contract to extend the Second Avenue subway into East Harlem, adding three stations. Work begins this year, with tunnels starting in 2027, and service expected by 2032.
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/18/nyregion/mta-second-avenue-subway-harlem-125th-street.html
Trump Administration Orders Work Halted on Wind Farm That Is Nearly Built
The Trump administration ordered construction stopped on Revolution Wind, a nearly finished $4B offshore project off Rhode Island, citing national security. The move continues its broader push against wind energy while boosting fossil fuels. Orsted and state officials may sue, warning of lost jobs and higher costs, while opponents praised the halt.
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/22/climate/trump-administration-halts-revolution-wind.html
The Menendez Brothers’ Momentum Built for Years. It Was Dashed in 2 Days.
After decades in prison, Lyle and Erik Menendez were denied parole despite a youth-driven campaign highlighting their remorse, past abuse, and good behavior in prison. Parole boards cited ongoing misconduct—especially cellphone use—and doubts about their actions and motives in the original murders. Each brother was denied parole for three years but could reapply sooner if they maintain good behavior, while legal challenges related to new evidence of their father’s abuse may offer another path to freedom.
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/23/arts/menendez-brothers-supporters-parole-denied.html?searchResultPosition=3
Fearing Customs Chaos, DHL Joins Others in Suspending U.S. Shipments
DHL has suspended commercial shipments from Germany to the U.S. after Trump ended the tariff exemption for imports under $800, creating uncertainty over customs costs and procedures. Similar halts by European and Asian carriers reflect fallout from the trade war aimed at curbing cheap Chinese e-commerce imports. DHL said the suspension is temporary until new rules on duties and paperwork are clarified.
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/22/business/dhl-us-shipments-suspended-de-minimis.html
Mexico’s President Denies New D.E.A. Partnership Against Cartels
The DEA touted a U.S.-Mexico anti-cartel initiative, but Mexico’s president said no agreement exists, noting only a small officer workshop, highlighting miscommunication between the two governments.
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/19/world/americas/mexico-dea-cartels-sheinbaum.html
Europe’s Leaders Headed Off Giveaway to Putin, but Emerged Without a Clear Path
European leaders rushed to Washington to prevent Trump from pushing a one-sided Ukraine deal, meeting with him and President Zelensky. While Trump expressed vague support for Ukraine and postwar security guarantees, no concrete peace plan emerged, leaving Europe dependent on his unpredictable approach. Leaders presented a united front, avoided contentious issues, and reinforced NATO commitments, but analysts warned that real progress with Russia remains uncertain.
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/19/world/europe/ukraine-trump-meeting-europe-leaders-war.html