His departure leaves these matters unsettled and delegates them to an yet-unknown successor who will encounter an exceedingly delicate scenario. Although Iran has demonstrated persistence, in part by disrupting global energy sectors, its airspace remains exposed to ongoing assaults. Any new high-ranking individual will confront the immediate danger of being targeted.
“Acknowledging receipt of an email is materially distinct from conceding Musi’s inference drawn from that email—that Apple deliberately relied on false evidence,” Lee wrote.
Musi’s attorneys advanced the theory as if it were an established fact. The judge, however, concluded that an attorney performing an objectively reasonable investigation would not have deemed the claim well-founded.
“Accordingly, the Court finds that Musi’s counsel breached Rule 11 because it was factually unfounded to assert that Apple ‘admitted’ the NMPA evidence concerning Musi’s intellectual property infringement was false, or that Apple was aware the evidence was false,” Lee wrote.
Lee ordered the fees and costs be imposed entirely on the Winston & Strawn firm, not Musi, explaining that “counsel is more directly responsible for the Rule 11 violation, and counsel asked the Court not to sanction Musi directly.” Musi is represented by Winston & Strawn attorneys Jennifer Golinveaux, Samantha Looker, and Jeff Wilkerson.
In another twist, Musi sought attorneys’ fees for defending against Apple’s sanctions motion. Lee described that request as “audacious,” noting that “Musi is not the prevailing party, and Apple’s motion has substantial merit.” Although Lee found certain Musi claims contested by Apple did not violate Rule 11, she determined that each allegation challenged by Apple “was on the verge of baselessness.”
We reached out to Musi and its counsel today and will update this article if we receive a response.
The Food and Drug Administration has connected cheddar produced from raw (unpasteurized) milk to a multistate outbreak of Shiga toxin-producing E. coli. However, the cheese’s producer, Raw Farm, disputes the agency’s conclusions and is declining to issue a voluntary recall.
In its outbreak investigation notice, the FDA reported seven confirmed cases across three states: California (five), Florida (one), and Texas (one). Two of those seven people were hospitalized. Four cases involved children aged 3 or younger, a group more vulnerable to serious illness. No fatalities have been reported.
The illnesses began as early as last September and continued through February 13. Genetic analyses of the E. coli isolates showed they were closely related, indicating a likely single source. Among the three patients who were fully interviewed about exposures, all reported consuming Raw Farm–branded raw cheddar.
Because the evidence points to Raw Farm’s cheese as the probable source, state authorities are collecting cheese samples for laboratory testing; results are pending. Meanwhile, the FDA said it recommended that Raw Farm voluntarily pull its raw cheese products from store shelves, but that the company “has declined.”
In defiant posts on social media, company representatives have forcefully rejected the FDA’s conclusions and insist they will not recall the cheese. “We 100% disagree with the FDA’s false ‘possible link,’ and extreme allegations,” Raw Farm wrote in one post.
“Gul Meer has been at the facility for more than seven months now. Since the attack last night, we’ve had no updates regarding him; I am uncertain about his status, and I am anticipating the list to be released later,” stated the woman, who is a mother of nine.
Simply add cabin.
Simply add cabin.
Klumpen is not an cabin off the grid, but it offers all the necessary amenities to live independently from society in comfort. This seven-square-meter teepee serves as an “off-grid utility core,” supplying solar power, satellite internet, a shower, toilet, and compact kitchen. The anticipated price is approximately $35,000 with about $3,000 estimated for shipping within Europe.
The concept involves placing a pre-fabricated Klumpen adjacent to a small cabin and simply turning it on — no additional permits, plumbing, or electrical work required. Its electrical system features a 7.5kWh battery with inverter suited for standard 230V devices and outlets. Efforts are made to recycle water whenever possible to maximize the limited supply, and an all-in-one heat pump offers heating and cooling as required.
A prototype developed with EU funding has been successfully tested. Currently, Himmelsfahrtskommando, an architectural firm based in Stockholm, Sweden, will oversee the production of the initial batch of ten units. A deposit of €2,000 will secure a Klumpen, aimed for delivery in September 2026. For projects on glaciers or volcanoes, an “extreme-conditions” aluminum variant is set to be available for $198,000.
Senators Marsha Blackburn and Peter Welch are urging a suspension of the revised edition of ByteDance’s AI app, Seedance, which creates videos featuring real individuals and licensed characters, raising issues concerning copyright and intellectual property.
Seedance 2.0 “stands out as the most blatant case of copyright violation from a ByteDance product so far, and it is imperative that you promptly shut down Seedance and establish effective measures to avert additional infringing content,” Blackburn, R-Tenn., and Welch, D-Vt., stated in a letter addressed to ByteDance CEO Liang Rubo that was initially acquired by CNBC.
Their communication signifies escalating worries on Capitol Hill regarding how AI firms are creating and deploying their models and whether adequate protections exist for those who provide the materials the models train on.
“Responsible global corporations adhere to the law and honor fundamental economic rights, including intellectual property and personal likeness protections,” Blackburn and Welch expressed. They referenced instances of Seedance 2.0 productions, generated after the platform’s launch on February 12, that featured celebrities Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt as well as the Netflix series “Stranger Things.”
A spokesperson for ByteDance indicated in a statement to CNBC that “ByteDance respects intellectual property rights and we are aware of the concerns surrounding Seedance 2.0. We are implementing measures to fortify existing safeguards as we strive to prevent unauthorized usage of intellectual property and likeness by users.”
Concerns extend beyond lawmakers. Hollywood organizations, including the Motion Picture Association, delivered a cease-and-desist notice to ByteDance. As reported by The Information, ByteDance has halted the global rollout of Seedance 2.0.
Up to now, Congress has predominantly adopted a hands-off stance regarding AI regulation. Legislators assert they do not wish to impose limitations that could hinder U.S. companies from innovating and capitalizing on technological advancements ahead of international competitors. Several lawmakers mentioned that due to the rapid pace of the industry, legislation they pondered a few years ago would quickly become outdated and insufficient to address developments like agentic AI.
Nevertheless, senators such as Blackburn and Welch have proposed focused legislation on AI. In August, the pair introduced a bill aimed at assisting artists in safeguarding their copyrighted creations from being exploited for AI training.
“There is no anticipated disruption for households and vehicles [relying on piped gas]. The government has prioritized these two areas,” states Rahul Chopra, managing director of Haryana City Gas Distribution Limited, a nationwide gas provider with approximately 100,000 residential users and 195 CNG fueling stations.
Famous personalities frequently appear at the well-known American fast food establishment, possibly linked to its association with the Oscars – Vanity Fair, which organizes the now-iconic afterparty, has been offering In-N-Out burgers at the event since 1994, as reported by US media.
‘We are either allies or adversaries.’
‘We are either allies or adversaries.’
Following a tumultuous week after the mid-trial settlement achieved by the Justice Department with Live Nation-Ticketmaster, the antitrust proceedings resumed rather smoothly on Monday — this time led by numerous states.
This outcome was not what the states had originally intended. Due to concerns regarding their ability to effectively take control over the case and the worry that the jury would be influenced by the ongoing changes, they pushed for a mistrial, which would have delayed proceedings to an uncertain date in the future. However, an irked Judge Arun Subramanian appeared ready to refuse the request, and once the states figured out how to enlist the DOJ’s expert witness and swiftly brought new hires on board, they retracted their mistrial appeal. After reintroducing the new participants, the trial continued from approximately where it had paused a week earlier, with testimonies concerning Live Nation’s use of its “velvet hammer” against competitors.
Subramanian welcomed the jurors back after their “spring break” and inquired if they had read or encountered any information about the case during their absence, which is against jury instructions. They either shook their heads or stayed silent. He reminded them that the US had settled its claims, as had a few states, but the remaining states were continuing their legal proceedings. Jurors were instructed not to draw any conclusions based on the fact that those entities were no longer part of the case, he emphasized.
With the DOJ no longer involved, the attorneys who initially questioned early witnesses were replaced by a new legal team co-led by Jonathan Hatch, an attorney from the New York AG’s office, and Jeffrey Kessler of Winston & Strawn, who had represented college athletes in the pivotal Supreme Court antitrust lawsuit against the NCAA regarding compensation.
The states’ lawyers resumed the questioning of Jay Marciano, the COO of AEG, a competitor to Live Nation across various aspects. While Hatch refreshed the jurors on segments of Marciano’s earlier testimony, the examination was otherwise fairly conventional. Marciano discussed ticketing models he favors in Europe, where multiple ticketing services often collaborate at a venue, in contrast to the typical situation in the US where venues often engage in exclusive agreements with Ticketmaster.
During cross-examination, Marciano addressed an incident previously mentioned to the jury: a call between the former CEO of the Barclays Center and Live Nation’s CEO Michael Rapino, who responded to a proposal to abandon Ticketmaster by stating that securing concerts for the arena would be more challenging with the nearby new UBS Arena. While Barclays perceived this as a threat to safeguard Ticketmaster, Marciano confirmed it is common for concert promoters to leverage competition among venues to negotiate more favorable terms, and that the UBS Arena likely would pull artists away from Barclays as the new local venue.
Live Nation’s president of US concerts, Robert Roux, addressed another allegation: that Live Nation utilizes its significant control over US amphitheaters to uphold its monopoly power, providing no real alternatives for artists aiming to book large outdoor venues. Plaintiff attorney Josh Hafenbrack illustrated through Live Nation’s own business presentations that the firm made substantial advancements to secure dominance over four of the top five amphitheaters in the US based on ticket sales from 2016 to the present. A presentation from 2018 displayed a significantly highlighted list of the top 100 amphitheaters globally, with the green highlights indicating the 62 venues that were owned, operated, or exclusively booked by Live Nation at the time. Since then, Roux affirmed, the company has incorporated several more venues into that total.
Live Nation refutes claims of anticompetitive behavior, asserting that the states overlook other types of venues that compete for the same events. However, Roux mentioned in a 2015 email that numerous non-superstar performers express a desire to play amphitheaters — many of which, evidence presented in court suggests, are either controlled or exclusively booked by Live Nation. He also noted that in these scenarios, there was “room for tighter negotiations and deals.”
Other email exchanges illustrated how Live Nation considers its competition when evaluating potentially profitable deals. In a correspondence from 2018, Rapino questioned why Live Nation should allocate shows to a promoter in the South, Red Mountain Entertainment, which they were considering acquiring, before they had actually finalized the purchase. Roux indicated at that time that the message to Red Mountain should be, “We are either allies or adversaries.” He characterized this tactic as a “velvet hammer.” On the witness stand, Roux clarified that the message was not intended to “antagonize” the promoter, but to be forthright and convey a definite message. In another exchange referencing Red Mountain, Roux articulated that Live Nation must avoid being “complacent” and “allowing smaller players to encroach from the edges.” Roux stated that this comment was intended as a general observation, not specifically aimed at that promoter. Live Nation acquired Red Mountain in 2018.
In 2020, Rapino counseled Roux against permitting Radio Disney and concert promoter Superfly into a Live Nation venue, even after they proposed a contract that would guarantee at least $400,000 in profit for Live Nation for renting out the amp. One executive expressed concerns about allowing a third-party promoter into the amphitheater, despite the attractive financial offer.
At last, Roux testified that Live Nation’s profits per fan have increased significantly in recent years, with profitability in large amphitheaters, a crucial market in this case, outpacing other venue categories from 2019 to 2024. Before factoring in certain costs, the firm reported a profit of $386 million from large amphitheater operations in 2024, nearly three times what they earned in that segment in 2019.
Apart from the delays experienced during the case while the states’ team arranged its next steps without the DOJ, there was little noticeable difference in the trial’s progression or how the new lawyers conducted their work, compared to the initial week of proceedings. The trial is still projected to last several more weeks, although both sides indicated they have worked to streamline their witness lists to make up for lost time. Toward the conclusion of this week, one of the trial’s most prominent witnesses is anticipated to testify: Live Nation’s CEO.
“In short, these decisions have historically followed a method—a scientific approach enshrined in law through procedural requirements,” Judge Murphy wrote.
“Regrettably, the Government ignored those processes and in doing so compromised the integrity of its actions,” he wrote. “To begin with, the Government circumvented ACIP when altering the immunization schedules — a technical and procedural lapse in itself and a clear sign of a deeper problem: a rejection of the committee’s technical expertise. Next, the Government removed every properly appointed ACIP member and promptly installed replacements without conducting the thorough vetting that had characterized ACIP appointments for decades. This procedural lapse, once more, underscores why such procedures exist and creates a substantial likelihood that the reconstituted ACIP does not comply with governing law.”
The judge also condemned the dismissal of former ACIP members, the seeming absence of vetting for replacements, and the apparent lack of relevant qualifications, even identifying individuals by name.
“To start, out of fifteen current ACIP members, at most six seem to possess substantive vaccine experience—the central purpose of ACIP,” he wrote (emphasis his).
“At least six members—Dr. Hillary Blackburn, Dr. Evelyn Griffin, Dr. Joseph Hibbeln, Dr. Kirk Milhoan, Dr. James Pagano, and Dr. Raymond Pollak—seem devoid of expertise or professional credentials in vaccines or immunization as ACIP’s Charter requires,” he wrote. “A further three of the current ACIP members—Dr. Retsef Levi, Dr. Robert Malone, and Dr. Catherine Stein—while possessing some arguably related experience, appear not to hold the qualifications or background to be considered experts in vaccines and immunization.”
Overall, Judge Murphy contended that Kennedy’s personally chosen advisors do not satisfy ACIP’s charter criteria, which demand members be conversant in pertinent disciplines. They likewise fall short of federal rules calling for advisory committees to be “fairly balanced” in reflecting perspectives within those fields.
