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Hello gorgeous! As I always, I’ve got your news roundup for today’s hottest stories.
Violent Threats A-Okay, Says Supreme Court
If you’ve got a belligerent ex-boyfriend that has no qualms about airing out his beefs on Facebook, you may want to unfriend him now before shit gets real. The Supreme Court just ruled in favor of Anthony Elonis, a rapper from Pennsylvania, after Elonis posted threatening messages about his estranged wife, former co-workers, a kindergarten class and FBI agents. The Supreme Court argued that Elonis was exercising free speech and couldn’t indict him if the threats weren’t actually intentional, only negligent. I suppose it went over the Supremes’ heads that 90 percent of domestic violence victims receive threats through technological platforms. #NotImpressed. Read the story at USA Today.
Senate Could Approve The U.S. Freedom Act As Early As Today
The debate over whether to continue the government’s surveillance program could finally come to an end today. This surveillance program, known as the U.S. Freedom Act, was first enacted in response to the 9/11 attacks in a frantic effort to secure national security. If passed, the act would curtail the government’s ability to retrieve information from Americans’ phone records. Read the story at the New York Times.
Police Cover Ups & Brutality Cost Residents Tax Money, Skews Shooting Investigation
Police departments all across America really need Olivia Pope right now. In one Missouri town, residents are now facing tax hikes to build funds for a lawsuit against the city of Inkster in a police brutality case caught on camera. Floyd Dent, a motorist beat up by a police officer in January, is suing for approximately $1.4 million. Simultaneously, the cops who shot Jermaine McBean, a 33 year-old technology specialist walking to his Ft. Lauderdale home, have now been exposed for meddling with the evidence to cover up the murder. Police claimed that McBean could hear their orders to put down the BB gun he was walking with and that his earbuds were in his pants pocket and at the time of the shooting. A new photo from a witness shows McBean lying down with his earbuds in his ears. Another witness is arguing that McBean never pointed his gun at the cops, unlike officers claimed. Read the stories at the Detroit News and Revolution News.
Approximately 500 May Be Dead After Chinese Cruise Ship Sinks
Asia is seeing yet another tragedy at sea. 458 passengers and crew that were aboard the four-story ship, the Oriental Star, are now trapped in the Yangtze River after the ship capsized. So far, only 15 are confirmed to have survived the accident while five bodies have been found. It is suspected that hundreds of people are still caught inside the toppled boat. Read the story at the BBC.
Apple Launching New $10 Music Streaming Service
Tidal and Spotify have yet another music giant to compete with. Apple is now getting into the streaming game and is going to debut their $10/month unlimited music service as early as next week at a conference. Sources note that Apple won’t be offering free streaming, but will provide ad-backed radio sets curated by a group of DJs. Read the story at the Verge.
Bonus Round: Laverne Cox Praises Caitlyn Jenner After Vanity Fair Cover
Laverne Cox, everyone’s favorite actress from Orange Is The New Black had nothing but love for Caitlyn Jenner after her bombshell, break-out magazine spread broke the Internet yesterday. While Cox exclaimed that Jenner was “slaying for the Gods” she also noted that the Vanity Fair story—as well as Cox’s own magazine cover on Time magazine from last year—underscored the importance of equal rights and creating diverse media representation of trans people. Read Cox’s glowing remarks on her Tumblr here.
