Event ticket reform, Harvey Weinstein, and a 3D-printed house.

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Big Stories

Artists lobby for ticketing reform

Over 280 musicians, including prominent names like Fall Out Boy, Sia, and Lorde, have signed a letter urging lawmakers to address issues within the concert ticketing system.

• The letter highlights concerns about predatory resellers inflating ticket prices, using illegal bots, and engaging in deceitful advertising, which harms both artists and fans.

• The artists are appealing to the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation to support the Fans First Act, a bipartisan bill introduced last December. The legislation aims to enhance ticket sales transparency, protect consumers, and curb unethical practices by requiring more disclosure from ticket sellers and resellers, as well as implementing penalties for violations.

• Ticketmaster and Live Nation, amidst increasing scrutiny and antitrust probes, have shown support for the Fans First Act. Lawmakers have introduced several bills targeting industry practices, and there's growing support for comprehensive reform to protect both fans and artists from exploitation.

Harvey Weinstein’s conviction overturned

A New York court has overturned Weinstein's 2020 sex crime convictions.

• The appeals court ruled that allowing testimony from some of his accusers who weren't part of the original charges prejudiced the jury. Weinstein will remain in prison due to a separate 16-year sentence for rape in Los Angeles.

• The allegations against Weinstein ignited the #MeToo movement, a global reckoning against sexual harassment and assault. The case revealed the challenges of prosecuting such crimes, which often rely on witness testimony from many years ago.

• Weinstein's accusers expressed disappointment and disbelief at the overturned conviction, feeling they were denied justice. Legal experts are divided as well. Some believe the appeals court made a technical error by excluding certain evidence, while others argue it was essential to ensure a fair trial.

• The long-term impact of the decision remains unclear. It could potentially make it harder to prosecute future sexual assault cases, particularly those relying on establishing a pattern of abuse.

More campus protests over Israel-Gaza war

Protests erupted at the University of Texas at Austin over the Israel-Gaza war.

• Hundreds of students marched demanding the university divest from companies supporting Israel. Police clashed with protesters, arresting at least 20 people including a photojournalist. Texas governor Greg Abbott called the protesters “antisemitic” and said they belonged in jail.

• Similar protests erupted on other campuses including the University of Southern California and California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt where students demanded their schools cut ties with Israel. Dozens of protesters have been arrested across the US in the past week.

• Tensions escalated at Columbia University last week when police cleared a protest encampment, arresting over 100 people. The move inspired similar protests on other campuses. On Wednesday, there were still about 60 tents on Columbia’s campus.

Little Stories

• The Chicago Bears drafted USC quarterback Caleb Williams as the number one pick overall in the 2024 NFL draft. This year follows a trend of QB dominance in the draft, with the first three picks being quarterbacks. Marvin Harrison Jr. was selected fourth by Arizona. (More)

• Baltimore's port, a key center for car imports, is starting to heal after the Key Bridge collapse. The first ship navigated a new, temporary channel on Thursday. The new passageway has freed a few stranded vessels while the original channel is cleared. (More)

• Iranian rapper Toomaj Salehi was sentenced to death for supporting the 2022-23 protests over the beating and subsequent death of a woman who was wearing an “improper” hijab. He had previously been arrested and sentenced to prison for his support, but a higher court overturned the death penalty. Now, a revolutionary court has disregarded that ruling. Salehi's lawyer plans to appeal the verdict. (More)

• A federal judge upheld the verdict and damages in E. Jean Carroll’s defamation case against Donald Trump, denying his motion for a new trial. Judge Lewis Kaplan dismissed Trump’s legal arguments and found the $83 million in punitive damages constitutional. (More)

• Google's parent company Alphabet's stock surged 13% after it reported strong earnings and announced a new cash dividend program and a stock repurchase program. The board also approved stock buybacks of up to an additional $70 billion. (More)

Extra Credit

It takes 80 hours to 3D print a small house. 

South Carolina residents are calling the cops on cicadas.

Escaped military horses cause chaos in London. 

Dust from Africa turns the sky over Athens orange.