A reviewer staying at a “hellhole” hotel found out the reason behind its nickname during an overnight stay. Despite solid first impressions at the Grand Hotel in Scarborough, with its tall “majestic” facade, one aspect made for a fitful night’s sleep.
Built in 1867 and now owned by Britannia Hotels, the Scarborough hotel was once called the “largest and handsomest hotel in Europe”. Reporter Samantha Teasdale even likened it to Buckingham Palace, with its green carpet, lofty ceilings and lighting, writing for Yorkshire Live. However, an overnight experience made her contemplate skipping breakfast to escape, which is included in the rates as low as £50 a night.
She said the room was equipped with everything you need, including a bed, kettle, telly, wardrobe and a bath/shower, but, on the approach to the hotel, she noticed cracked windows and bird droppings everywhere, and seagulls circling overhead.
Once inside the room, filthy windows marred with bird droppings gave a hint of what was to come, which was a “seagulls’ relentless cacophony all through the night”.
She wrote: “Their racket was unstoppable; it seemed as if they possessed foghorns in their tiny bodies, and closing the window made no difference.
“The only downside to the entire experience was the incessant noise of the seagulls, which made me contemplate leaving the hotel early and skipping breakfast. The cacophony was relentless throughout the night.”
She managed to sleep until 8am, pack up swiftly to vacate the room, and head down for breakfast, eager to leave the room as quickly as possible.
Another reviewer on TripAdvisor recounted: “The first morning we were awakened at 4:00 when the sun rose and the seagulls decided it was time to feed their chicks. This sound was very loud and continuous. The entire north end of the hotel is covered in seagulls (and seagull poop)”.
Another Google review titled “stay away from this hellhole” said: “We had a room on the ground floor which was smaller than a broom cupboard, the corridor that led to our room had such a strong smell of foist that we had to run to our room to stop ourselves from gagging!!!!”
Apple’s many AI setbacks are now forcing the company to look at Anthropic and OpenAI for help powering its Siri voice assistant technology, according to a Bloomberg report.
The company has been building out its own AI technology called Apple Intelligence that it intends to use in Siri, but has also reached out to companies to develop alternatives that could be used instead.
Apple previously centered its AI-powered Siri around its home-grown technology. But over the past year or so it has faced a variety of leadership and technological challenges developing Apple Intelligence, which is based on in-house foundation models.
In what was probably an inevitable conclusion, X has that it will allow AI to author Community Notes. With a pilot program beginning today, the social network is releasing developer tools to create AI Note Writers. These tools will be limited to penning replies in a test mode and will need approval before their notes can be released into the wild. The first AI Note Writers will be accepted later this month, which is when the AI-composed notes will start appearing to users.
“Not only does this have the potential to accelerate the speed and scale of Community Notes, rating feedback from the community can help develop AI agents that deliver increasingly accurate, less biased, and broadly helpful information — a powerful feedback loop,” the post announcing this feature said.
Sounds great. .
The AI Note Writers will be by “an open-source, automated note evaluator” that assesses whether the composition is on-topic and whether it would be seen as harassment or abuse. The evaluator’s decisions are based “on historical input from Community Notes contributors.” Despite the announcement’s insistence of “humans still in charge,” it seems the only human editorial eye comes from the ratings on notes.
Once the AI-written notes are active, they will be labeled as such as a transparency measure. AI will only be allowed to offer notes on posts that have requested a Community Note at the start, but the company is positioning AI Note Writers as having a larger future role in this fact-checking system.
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The American people gained insight into how the Trump administration works as Trump was visiting an immigrant internment camp in Florida with DHS Sec. Kristi Noem.
One of the administration’s right wing plants in the press pool asked Trump and Noem about CNN reporting on an ICE detection app.
Noem replied, “ We’re working with the Department of Justice to see if we can prosecute them for that, because what they’re doing is actively encouraging people to avoid Law Enforcement Act activities, operations, and we’re gonna actually go after them and prosecute them with the partnership of Pam if we can. Because what they’re doing, we believe is illegal.”
Sec. Noem got Trump all wound up so he went off:
And they may be prosecuted for having given false reports. Yes. On the attack in Iran. Yes. They were given totally false reports. It was totally obliterated and. Our people have to be celebrated. Not come home and say, what do you mean we didn’t hit the targets?
We hit the target first. The end of the pilots came home and they said, we hit the target first. So they may be very well, uh, prosecuted for that. What they did there we think is totally illegal.
Video:
CNN responded to Trump and Noem, “This is an app that is publicly available to any iPhone user who wants to download it. There is nothing illegal about reporting the existence of this or any other app, nor does such reporting constitute promotion or other endorsement of the app by CNN.”
CNN was correct.
There is no law against “false reports,” or reporting the facts.
CNN can be prosecuted for absolutely nothing.
However, this interaction between Noem and Trump demonstrates how easily a member of his administration can get him ginned up.
There is no brain trust in the Trump administration. There are only loyalists who reinforce and share Trump’s beliefs.
They believe something is illegal that is not.
They believe their own feelings over intelligence assessments about the bombing in Iran.
The Trump administration threatens as a means to get the media to intimidate and self-censor.
This is an administration of broken people who are weakening the United States each day.
What do you think of Trump and Noem threatening CNN? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
Jennifer Aniston will star and produce a 10-episode Apple TV+ series based on the bestselling “I’m Glad My Mom Died,” where she plays the narcissistic mother of “iCarly” actress Jennette McCurdy.
Apple TV+ is packed with star-studded dramas and comedies, and it continues to roll out new projects at a regular pace. The latest dramedy will likely fit in well with fans of Bad Sisters.
I’m Glad My Mom Died will star Jennifer Aniston, who is also the executive producer for the series via Echo Films. She’s playing the titular mother that relishes her identity as “a starlet’s mother.”
The story is based on a memoir of the same name by Jennette McCurdy, known for her role in Nickelodeon show iCarly. It reached number 1 on the New York Times bestselling list and stayed on the list for over 80 weeks.
McCurdy detailed her struggles as a former child actor that has to deal with her overbearing mother. The title says it all, as the story is described as both heartbreaking and hilarious.
While Apple’s description is lacking, the book itself doesn’t hold back. It describes McCurdy’s life as a child actress with an obsessive mother forcing her into diets, flaunting her stardom, and even showering her until she was 16 years old.
Things don’t turn around for McCurdy until her mother dies of cancer while she’s reprising her role in Sam and Cat, an iCarly spinoff. She quits acting and finds her own life.
McCurdy herself is also an executive producer and showrunner alongside Ari Katcher. Sharon Horgan and Stacy Greenberg, makers of “Bad Sisters,” are there via their studio Merman.
LuckyChap, Jerrod Carmichael, and Erica Kay are also executive producers.
Apple didn’t share any details on when the series would debut. It will be a 10-episode season.
Very few Hollywood careers have been as iconic and versatile as that of Clint Eastwood. He first established his image as the unforgettable cowboy in Sergio Leone’s Spaghetti Westerns and quickly became a towering symbol of American masculinity. But what many fans did not see coming was his transition behind the camera, where his skills as a director turned into a legacy of their own. For someone who has built his entire filmography in front of the screen, Eastwood’s directorial offerings lean more towards nuance, introspection, and emotional depth.
Eastwood has directed a lot of movies, and they include war epics, immersive dramas, and moody thrillers. But one genre in particular reveals his deft storytelling instincts, and it is the biopic genre. Over the decades, Eastwood has taken real-life stories and turned them into cinematic journeys, capturing the truth behind misunderstood public figures and tortured artists with a lot of grace and honesty. He has helmed no less than 10 biopics so far and each one carries the weight of his admiration and respect for the complexity of real life. It’s time to revisit them, so here is every biopic directed by Clint Eastwood, ranked.
Dorothy Blyskal, Anthony Sadler, Alek Skarlatos, Spencer Stone, Jeffrey E. Stern
Clint Eastwood’s most unconventional approach to the biopic genre earns all the spotlight in The 15:17 to Paris, a real-life thriller about ordinary citizens rising to the occasion and becoming unlikely heroes. It follows the true story of three childhood friends, Spencer Stone, Alek Skarlatos, and Anthony Sadler, on a high-speed train to Paris during their backpacking trip across Europe as they try to save passengers when an armed terrorist poses a huge threat.
Well-Intentioned and Honest
Eastwood’s decision to cast the actual heroes of the 2015 Thalys train attack as themselves was a bold and risky movie, but one that ultimately paid off. By trading established actors in favor of real-life individuals, the movie achieved a higher level of authenticity and emotional immediacy. Though reviews were mixed, many appreciated the documentary-like texture and the way the movie didn’t seek perfection.
Jersey Boys traces the meteoric rise of Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons. It follows working-class musicians through their humble beginnings and the way they stormed the charts in the 1960s with their unique sounds. It reveals not just their glamorous highs, record deals, sold-out tours, and iconic tracks, but also their lowest lows, where the group deals with personal betrayals. Money troubles, brushes with the mob, and the death of Valli’s daughter.
Nostalgia With Some Rough Edges
Eastwood’s deft touch as a director is on full display in Jersey Boys, which is less of a biopic and more of a musical. Told with a wink toward its stage roots, the story is told chronologically, but the narrative also occasionally breaks the fourth wall by inviting the viewers into the characters’ own reflections on their evolving world. The performances are authentic, particularly John Lloyd Young’s as he reprises his Tony-winning role as Valli.
In Changeling, Eastwood tackles one of the most disturbing true-crime stories of the 20th century. Set against the backdrop of 1920s Los Angeles, it centers on Christine Collins, a single mother whose young son vanishes one afternoon. Months later, the LAPD proudly returns the boy, only for Christine to insist the child they found is not her own. As she begins searching for the truth, she realizes the presence of widespread corruption and systematic failure.
A Critique of Institutional Wrongs
Anchored by Angelina Jolie’s powerful and raw performance as Christine, who is both fragile and ferocious at the same time, the movie pulls the curtain on some harrowing crimes and a city determined to silence people. It’s based on the real-life Wineville Chicken Coop murders, and Eastwood’s direction, quietly serious, elevates the tragedy enough for it to leave a lasting impression. Changeling earned a lot of praise and even an Oscar nomination for Jolie.
Taking a nosedive into the shadowy world of one of the most powerful and controversial public figures in American history, J. Edgar paints a portrait of J. Edgar Hoover, the man who built the FBI and shaped law enforcement for nearly five decades. The movie is told through a series of recollections as Hoover dictates his memoirs and speaks about his rise from an ambitious Department of Justice clerk to a feared man, as well as his partnership with his trusted right-hand man, Clyde Tolson.
Refuses to Simplify the Subject
Eastwood’s direction here is meticulous and ice-cold, which is fitting for a subject as complex and conflicted as Hoover. He peels back layers of the man’s obsession with national security, his questionable surveillance tactics, and his fiercely guarded personal life. Leonardo DiCaprio disappears into the role, shifting from an arrogant idealist to paranoid recluse with ease. On the other hand, Armie Hammer is the perfect foil to the secrecy he thrived in.
Set in post-apartheid South Africa, Invictus is an inspirational sports drama that explores how newly elected President Nelson Mandela used the power of sport to bridge a country divided by race. With the 1995 Rugby World Cup approaching, Mandela enlists the help of Springboks captain François Pienaar and soon, the team’s personal journey becomes a metaphor for a nation’s rebirth.
A Powerful and Optimistic True Story
Sports biopics often rely on melodrama to hook the audience and deliver a stirring message, but Eastwood’s Invictus takes an understated approach and lets the real-life poignancy of the story shine by itself. Morgan Freeman and Matt Damon give outstanding performances, lending equal parts gravitas and discipline to their respective characters. The movie is among Eastwood’s more optimistic offerings, as it’s not just about rugby, but also about hope, leadership, and forgiveness.
An event that unfolded in just 208 seconds in real life becomes a tight and reflective character study in Sully, a gripping movie that revisits the January 15, 2009, “Miracle on the Hudson” incident. It was when Captain Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger made an emergency landing on the Hudson River, saving all 155 lives aboard US Airways Flight 1549.
Story of an Unsung American Hero
The film’s focus extends beyond the heroic feat as Eastwood highlights the aftermath, in which a relentless investigation questions Sully’s choices and casts doubt on a man who had long held himself responsible. Told through a mosaic of flashbacks and interviews, the tension comes not from what happened, but what might have. Tom Hanks is genuinely amazing as Sully, infusing the character with calm dignity and carrying him with efficiency.
4
‘Flags of Our Fathers’ (2006)
The iconic photo of six U.S. Marines raising the flag at Iwo Jima is the launching point of Flags of Our Fathers, a movie that unpacks the true story behind that image. It follows the three surviving soldiers, John “Doc” Bradley, Rene Gagnon, and Ira Hayes, who are sent home to rally support for the war effort, but they feel the weight of their newfound popularity and struggle with survivors’ guilt.
The Costs of War and Heroism
Rather than glamorize war, director Clint Eastwood lays the events bare and tries to emphasize the moral complexity, trauma, and the psychological aftermath of commodifying and manipulating acts of valor. Adam Beach’s performance as Ira Hayes is particularly brilliant in showcasing the heartbreak and defiance. The movie was not as commercially celebrated, but it remains widely recognized in the genre and is part of Eastwood’s rare twin-release year with Letters from Iwo Jima.
3
‘American Sniper’ (2014)
Chris Kyle, a Texas rodeo cowboy turned Navy SEAL, became the most lethal sniper in U.S. military history with 255 kills from four tours in the Iraq War, out of which 160 were officially confirmed by the Department of Defence. But with each mission, the moments of battlefield tension become more intense, making his return to domestic life, as well as reconnecting with his wife and children, more uneasy and difficult.
An Intimate War Story
The narrative of American Sniper builds with quiet urgency. It is layered with flashbacks, inner conflict, and distant glimpses of what a normal life can look like versus the tragic reality. Bradley Cooper plays Kyle in the most fascinating ways, grounding him not as a cinematic action figure but as a deeply haunted man at odds with his own life. Of course, it is all elevated by Eastwood’s assured direction, which led to the movie garnering six Academy Award nominations.
Roger Ebert gave these Clint Eastwood movies 4 stars, praising them for their plot, acting, directing, and overall production values.
2
‘Richard Jewell’ (2019)
At first, Richard Jewell, a kind-hearted, rule-following security guard, is hailed as a national hero for discovering a suspicious backpack during the 1996 Atlanta Olympics bombing and alerting the police about it. However, his glory only lasts so long because soon, he becomes the FBI’s primary suspect and is plunged into a nightmare fueled by the media.
One Man Versus The Media
With Richard Jewell, director Clint Eastwood turns a real-life media fiasco into a character drama and a study in how fast a man can be torn down after being lifted up. Paul Walter Hauser portrays the titular character with tenderness and is supported by Kathy Bates, who plays his fiercely protective mother, and Sam Rockwell, a scrappy attorney. The movie received applause from critics for Eastwood’s craftsmanship, but the box office returns didn’t match the vibe.
Bird is a biographical musical about jazz saxophonist Charlie “Bird” Parker. Though scattered fragments of memory and music, it chronicles Parker’s rise to fame in the 1940s bebop scene, his difficult marriage to Chan, his addiction to drugs, and his fatal internal spiral. He’s brought to life by Forest Whitaker’s haunted performance.
True Portrait of a Musician
Every fan of the actor-director is aware that Eastwood is a lifelong jazz aficionado, which is why he’s admitted on record that Bird is his favorite movie among all the ones he has directed. He approaches the story with reverence and control, soaks the scenes in shadows and club haze, and captures both the shimmer and solitude of jazz. Bird won the Best Actor award at Cannes for Whitaker and an Academy Award for Best Sound. It marked a turning point for Eastwood’s career as a director and remains a celebratory addition in the genre.
Ryan in The Office quickly transformed from a mild-mannered temp into one of the least likable characters by season 4, but his downfall was foreshadowed much earlier (and so was Pam’s dislike of him). Played by B.J. Novak, Ryan Howard’s descent into corporate egoism, fraud, and hipster nonsense was both hilarious and tragic, but also a brilliant parody of startup culture and millennial narcissism. What made Ryan’s arc even more memorable, though, was his ongoing rivalry with Pam Beesly (Jenna Fischer). Despite having little direct conflict in the early seasons, Pam and Ryan slowly became antagonistic forces in each other’s stories, and that contrast is what made both of them stand out in some of the show’s best comedic moments.
What’s often overlooked, however, is just how early The Office planted the seeds of this rivalry and Ryan’s villain turn. Most fans pinpoint the start of his downfall to the season 3 finale, “The Job,” when he lands a position at corporate and immediately dumps Kelly. However, there’s a quiet, blink-and-you’ll-miss-it moment much earlier in the show that hints at everything to come. Before Ryan becomes the power-hungry suit and Pam finds her confidence, The Office dropped a major clue to their eventual clash way back in season 2’s “Office Olympics.”
Pam’s Hatred Of Ryan Started In The Office Season 2
Pam Quietly Started Resenting Ryan In Season 2 After A Subtle But Powerful Moment
Pam’s dislike of Ryan in The Office didn’t begin when he became her boss or when he started abusing his power – it actually began in season 2, episode 3, “Office Olympics.” In an episode filled with heartfelt and humorous moments, a key exchange laid the foundation for one of the show’s most underrated rivalries. When Michael leaves the office to buy his condo (which would later become the stage for the infamous “Dinner Party” episode), Pam and Jim organize the “Office Olympics” to boost morale. It’s a rare display of Pam stepping outside her receptionist box, finding joy in her job, and showcasing her creative energy.
She sees Ryan as someone who doesn’t appreciate connection or the effort she and Jim put in.
The episode ends with everyone who participated in the games receiving yogurt-lid medals – cheap, silly, but deeply meaningful to Pam. It’s one of the first times she starts to feel connected to her coworkers in a positive, team-building way. But Ryan, ever the detached outsider, throws his medal in the trash.
Ryan isn’t discreet about throwing out his medal, either. Pam catches him in the act, and the camera lingers on her stunned expression. It’s a moment that subtly says everything: she sees Ryan as someone who doesn’t appreciate connection or the effort she and Jim put in. The wordless exchange is made all the more poignant when Ryan catches Pam’s eye and simply gives an unapologetic half-shrug.
The Office has lots of rivalries, but few are as funny as Ryan and Pam’s hatred for each other, which has resulted in hilarious insults on both parts.
Ryan’s explanation during his talking head -“It was really nice of Pam to make them, but what am I going to do with a medal made of paperclips and an old yogurt lid” – seals the deal. That single act of indifference triggers a quiet fury in Pam, even if she doesn’t voice it. To her, the Office Olympics meant something. To Ryan, they were just another disposable moment. This is when Ryan in The Office stopped being a background character in Pam’s story and started becoming an antagonist. “Office Olympics” planted a seed that wouldn’t blossom until much later, but it’s the real beginning of Pam vs. Ryan.
Ryan And Pam’s Rivalry Was One Of The Funniest Relationships In The Office
Pam And Ryan’s Dynamic Gave The Series One Of Its Most Consistently Underrated Comedic Pairings
After “Office Olympics,” Pam and Ryan in The Office rarely shared deep, emotional scenes. What they did share, however, was tension and sarcasm, often delivered with brutal comedic timing. Their dynamic reached peak hilarity during the Michael Scott Paper Company arc in season 5. Forced into the same cramped room with Michael, Pam and Ryan turned their years of subtle disdain into full-blown passive-aggression.
These moments weren’t just punchlines – they were payoffs to years of building animosity.
Pam wasn’t afraid to call out Ryan’s laziness, his lack of value, or his ridiculous business lingo. Meanwhile, Ryan treated Pam’s artistic aspirations and moral compass with complete disdain. There’s an incredible moment when Pam tells him, “You’re worse than useless,” and the awkward silence that follows makes it even funnier. These moments weren’t just punchlines – they were payoffs to years of building animosity.
Part of what made Pam and Ryan’s feud so funny is how unspoken it often was. There wasn’t a dramatic falling out or huge confrontation. It was a Cold War of glares, insults, and petty jabs. Every glance and side-eye exchange was steeped in shared history. Ryan in The Office became the smug embodiment of everything Pam hated about corporate culture, while Pam became a constant reminder to Ryan of everything he thought he was too cool for. Their rivalry is one of the show’s sharpest slow-burn jokes – and one of its most rewatchable.
“Office Olympics” Is An Underrated Episode Of The Office
It Was Quietly One Of The Most Layered And Meaningful Early Episodes Of The Series
Despite being one of the most heartfelt and relatable episodes of the series, “Office Olympics” rarely gets the credit it deserves. On IMDb, it doesn’t even crack the top 50 episodes of The Office, which is surprising considering how well it captures the essence of what made the show great. It’s not just about paper sales or awkward meetings, it’s about the quiet desperation of office life, and how people find joy in the little things.
“Office Olympics” perfectly parodies the quirky rituals that real office workers create to make it through the day.
From Flonkerton to the medal ceremony, “Office Olympics” perfectly parodies the quirky rituals that real office workers create to make it through the day. It’s a celebration of the mundane turned magical, and it shows Pam and Jim at their most charming. At the same time, it introduces subtle threads of deeper character arcs, like Michael’s fear of commitment and, of course, Pam’s early clash with Ryan.
The Dunder Mifflin employees played several games during the Olympics-themed episode in The Office season 2. Here’s everything they competed in.
Ryan doesn’t have a huge role in “Office Olympics”, but his short, dismissive action speaks volumes. It adds a layer of subtle darkness to an otherwise light episode. “Office Olympics” isn’t just fun filler – it’s quiet storytelling mastery. It showcases how The Officeexcelled at turning small character beats into long-term payoffs. For fans watching closely, it was the true beginning of Ryan’s fall and his long-running feud with Pam.
Warner Music Group will lay off an unspecified number of employees as part of a months-long restructuring plan to cut costs, Chief Executive Robert Kyncl said in a memo to staff Tuesday.
Kyncl said in the memo that the plan to “future-proof” the company includes reducing annual costs by roughly $300 million, with $170 million of that coming from “headcount rightsizing for agility and impact.” The additional $130 million in costs will come from administrative and real estate expenses, he said.
The cuts are the “remaining steps” of a period of significant change at the company, Kyncl said, with previous rounds of layoffs and leadership switch-ups happening in the last two years as he worked to “transform” the company.
“I know that this news is tough and unsettling, and you will have many questions. The Executive Leadership Team has spent a lot of time thinking about our future state and how to put us on the best path forward,” Kyncl said in the internal memo that was reviewed by The Times. “These decisions are not being made lightly, it will be difficult to say goodbye to talented people, and we’re committed to acting with empathy and integrity.”
It’s unclear how many employees will be laid off or what departments will see cuts, but Kyncl emphasized the company will be focused on increasing investments in its artists and repertoire department and mergers and acquisitions.
Hours before the news of layoffs, the company announced a $1.2-billion joint venture with Bain Capital to invest in music catalogs. The collaboration will add to the company’s catalog-purchasing power across both recorded music and music publishing, Kyncl said.
“In an ever-changing industry, we must continue to supercharge our capabilities in long-term artist, songwriter, and catalog development,” he wrote. “That’s why this company was created in the first place, it’s what we’ve always been best at, and it’s how we’ll differentiate ourselves in the future.”
THE BIG STORY: Snoop Dogg reached a confidential settlement with Trevor Lawrence Jr., a veteran studio musician who has been credited on songs by Bruno Mars, Alicia Keys, Ed Sheeran, Kendrick Lamar and other top artists. Snoop and Lawrence were locked in litigation for close to a year over two backing tracks on the 2022 album BODR.
Lawrence claimed Snoop did not properly license his backing tracks before using them on the BODR songs “Pop Pop” and “Get This D–k,” and that the legendary rapper made matters worse by also releasing both songs as NFTs (non-fungible tokens) without his permission.
Snoop, meanwhile, said he had a deal with Lawrence and paid the producer $20,000 before releasing BODR. The rapper’s lawyers criticized Lawrence in court papers for seeking a “preposterous windfall” of millions of dollars through the litigation.
Snoop and Lawrence’s settlement, reached with the help of a mediator, allows the two men to avoid a costly trial that was scheduled to begin in September. But, even without going to trial, the lawsuit provided a glimpse at industry practices surrounding the use of backing tracks.
Lawrence alleged in his legal complaint that he often creates these instrumentals “on spec” and shops them around to prominent artists. Lawrence said he allows artists to “experiment” with the tracks in the studio for free, as he did in this case with Snoop Dogg, but that he expects a license to be negotiated before a song is commercially released.
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Other top stories this week…
DIDDY DELIBERATIONS – After seven weeks of trial, a jury of 12 New Yorkers finally began discussing whether to find Sean “Diddy” Combs guilty of racketeering, sex trafficking and prostitution. Deliberations began after lengthy closing statements, during which the prosecution argued that the rapper ran a mob-like criminal syndicate to force women to participate in the marathon sex shows he called “freak-offs,” and the defense countered that Diddy and his girlfriends were just “swingers.” After two days of deliberations, the jury said they’d reached a partial verdict on some of the charges but remained deadlocked on racketeering. Their decision on all counts remains a mystery, and they were instructed to continue working.
A WIN FOR BUZBEE – A Los Angles judge struck down Jay-Z’s extortion and defamation lawsuit against Tony Buzbee, the personal injury attorney who filed a shocking rape lawsuit against the rap icon that has since been dropped. The judge made clear, though, that Jay-Z might be able to get his defamation claims revived on appeal if he can convince a higher court to consider evidence of the anonymous accuser supposedly admitting that Buzbee pushed her to fabricate the rape lawsuit.
BEAT BATTLE – Flo Milli, Babyface Ray and 42 Dugg were hit with a copyright infringement lawsuit from a man who claims to own the exclusive license to a beat called “Youu.” The man, named Shamar Deal, said the beat was illegally re-licensed to Ray and Dugg for their 2023 track “Ron Artest,” which Milli then sampled on her Billboard Hot 100 hit “Never Lose Me.” Deal’s lawsuit asked for more than $1 million in damages from all three rappers and also targeted distributors EMPIRE and Sony Music Entertainment.
ATTORNEY ARRESTED – Tyrone Blackburn, a lawyer who’s bringing salacious racketeering and underage sex claims against Fat Joe, was arrested for allegedly hitting the rapper’s process server with his car. After Blackburn pled not guilty to the charges and was released without bail, his criminal defense attorney told Billboard that the incident was either an accident or a set-up by Fat Joe amid their court drama. Legal Beat readers might remember Blackburn for trying (unsuccessfully) to drag Universal Music Group and its CEO Lucian Grainge into a sexual assault lawsuit against Diddy.
J. LO PHOTO CASES – Paparazzo Edwin Blanco and celebrity photo agency BackGrid USA dropped lawsuits alleging Jennifer Lopez posted pictures of herself outside a Golden Globes pre-party to Instagram and X without paying to license the images. The cases accused Lopez of violating the federal Copyright Act and carried possible damages of up to $150,000 per photo. Voluntary dismissals like this are often signs of settlements, but it was not clear whether the pop singer and actress paid to get the cases dropped.
ASSAULT LAWSUIT – Music producer Abe Diaw agreed to dismiss his civil lawsuit accusing Chris Brown of assaulting him at a London nightclub in 2023. As with the J. Lo case, it is not known whether Brown paid a settlement before the suit was dropped. Brown is still facing criminal charges in England over the incident at Tape nightclub, where the R&B singer allegedly struck Diaw multiple times with a bottle of Don Julio 1942 and then stomped on him until he fell unconscious.
PIRACY PRECEDENT – The Supreme Court agreed to review a $1 billion jury verdict won by Universal Music Group, Sony Music Entertainment and Warner Music Group over alleged music piracy by users of Cox Communications from 2019. In taking up the case, the justices set the stage to decide on a broad scale whether the country’s various internet service providers can be held liable if they fail to take action when subscribers download music illegally.
ERAS TOUR PLOT – German prosecutors charged a Syrian-born teenager with helping plan the foiled terrorist attack at Taylor Swift’s planned Eras Tour stop in Vienna last summer, saying a juvenile identified as “Mohammed A” translated bomb-making instructions for the main suspect and sent along the Islamic State oath of allegiance. Authorities in Austria previously made three arrests over the harrowing near-incident, which was discovered and thwarted, but still forced the cancellation of Swift’s planned shows at Ernst Happel Stadium.
[The following post contains MAJOR spoilers for the Tuesday, July 1, episode of Jeopardy!]
With a new month came the hope for a new multi-day champion. Jeopardy!tied the record for most one-day winners since 2002. This unwanted record came as a husband competed on the game show and tried to match his wife, who won in 2021.
Dave McBride, from Fuquay Varina, North Carolina, returned for his second game after earning $22,401 in his first. On Tuesday, July 1, he played against Jason Singer, from Portland, Maine, and Heather Kompanek, from New York, New York.
Singer, a real estate agent, had a lot of pressure on his back as he tried to surpass his wife, Susan McMillan, who won $35,600. She played two games, but lost the second. The couple are both former journalists, who started to watch Jeopardy! together daily early on when they were dating, starting 20 years ago.
“There are some records on this show that champions are really hoping to break,” host Ken Jennings said at the beginning of the game. “But, for our current champion, Dave McBride, tying the record for most consecutive games with a one-day winner on Jeopardy! is not one of them.” The current record is 13, set in 2002. This was the 13th game with 13 champions. Read on for how it played out.
Singer was in the lead with $3,400 when he found the first Daily Double. He made it a true Daily Double in “Homophones.” The clue read, “Illegal & to provoke a response.” Singer answered, “What is illicit/elicit?” but was too late, and it didn’t count. He dropped down to $0. Kompanek, a product support manager, had the lead with $2,400 by the first commercial break.
By the end of the round, it was a closer game. Kompanek was still in the lead with $3,600. McBride, a compliance consultant, moved to second with $3,200. Singer had $2,400.
In Double Jeopardy, Singer found the first DD with the first clue. He tried to take the lead by making it a true Daily Double again. In “Art House,” the clue read, “One of the lonely scenes painted by this American is 1925’s ‘House by the Railroad,’ utterly devoid of people.” He answered correctly with, “Who is Edward Hopper?” and doubled up to $4,800, taking the lead.
Singer had the lead of $11,200 when he found the last DD. In “Tough TV,” he wagered $3,000. If he was wrong, he would have dropped down to second place. The clue read, “JFK famously dubbed this show that’s still around today ‘the fifty-first state.” In the nick of time, Singer answered correctly with, “What is Meet the Press?” giving him $14,200.
By the end of the round, Singer led with $17,800. Kompanek had $11,200. The reigning champion was in third with $6,000.
The category for Final Jeopardy was “Buried in Westminster Abbey.” The clue wasn’t a triple stumper this time. It read, “In 1991, he became the first actor in over 85 years to be interred in Poets Corner & rests near Shakespeare’s memorial.”
McBride did not have the right answer. He wrote “Who is Yorrick?” and wagered $1,300, leaving him with a total of $4,700. Both Kompanek and Singer were correct with, “Who is Laurence Olivier?” Kompanek added $4,000 to her total, giving her $15,200. Singer added “#BringBackSusan” to his response. He wagered $4,601, making his total $22,401.
“He wants a rematch with his wife. I love this,” Ken Jennings said. Singer did not beat his wife, as she had $13,000 more than him, but he will try to rack up his total in game two on Wednesday. He will try to not only break the Jeopardy! curse, but also his wife’s record and total.
“We could break the record tomorrow with our 14th new champ. Don’t miss it,” Jennings said.
“Going to need a bigger boat for the (1-2 game) Champions Tournament this year ;),” a Reddit user said.
