News Roundup 02/11/19
1. The 61st Annual Grammy Awards
This year, music’s biggest night was hosted by 15 Grammy Award Winner, Alicia Keys in Los Angeles. The ceremony honored the careers of Diana Ross, Dolly Parton, and made tribute to the Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin. Childish Gambino picked up four honors, including best music video, making him the biggest winner of the night. Women had a strong presence in this year’s ceremony making it a record breaking year. There were more female artist's nominated then there were in the 2018 ceremony. Some of the top winners were: Cardi B for best rap album, Drake for best rap song, and Kacey Musgraves for best country album and album of the year.
Source: Associated Press News
2. Canadian Serial Killer Gets Life Sentence
On Jan. 29, Bruce McArthur was found guilty on eight counts of first-degree murder for the killing of eight men. He will serve eight concurrent life sentences and will not be eligible for parole until 2044, before he is 91-years-old. McArthur’s killing spree lasted between 2010 and 2017. A majority of his victims had ties to Toronto’s Gay Village neighborhood. According to the New York Times, McArthur carefully planned murders by dismembering their bodies and burying their remains. The judge appointed to the trail, John McMahon, condemned McArthur for exploiting the vulnerability of the victims and called his crimes “pure evil.”
Source: BBC, New York Times
3. Michael Jackson’s Estate Attempts To Discredit HBO Documentary
HBO has produced a documentary, Leaving Neverland, that tells the stories of the two men, Wade Robson and James Safechuck, who accused Michael Jackson of sexual abuse when they were children. Earlier this year, Jackson’s family called the film “a public lynching” and now his estate’s attorney, Howard Weitzman, created a 10-page statement to discredit the film and the accusations of the two men before it premieres. The statement also criticized the work as “an admittedly one-sided, sensationalist program.” Despite the controversy, HBO is standing by the film and the director, Dan Reed, by airing the documentary in two parts on March 3 and 4.
Source: BuzzFeed
4. Senator Elizabeth Warren Is Officially In The Race For The White House
On Feb. 9 in Lawrence, Mass., Senator Elizabeth Warren confirmed her bid for the presidential race for 2020. Warren chose to make her announcement in front of old factory buildings where women textile workers protested when their earnings were cut over 100 years ago, known as the Bread and Roses Strike. To a crowd of at least 3,500 supporters, she made a comparison between the textile workers and the working class of the 21st century constantly fighting for fair wages. Warren is one of the many Democratic nominees for the 2020 race to confirm her race to the White House.
Source: NBC News
5. Woody Allen Sues Amazon
Filmmaker Woody Allen sued Amazon in federal court on Thursday, Feb. 7. The streaming service made a deal with Allen to create four movies, but has since cut ties with the filmmaker due to allegations of sexual abuse made against him in the past. Allen hopes to seek at least $68 million from the lawsuit, which would cover general or special damages, attorney fees and costs, and the minimum guaranteed payments under the deal between Allen and Amazon. Allegations of sexual abuse date back to the 1990s, when an accusation surfaced that he had molested his daughter when she was 7-years-old in 1992.
Source: Law & Crime