A federal judge sided with Meta in a lawsuit brought against the company by 13 book authors, including Sarah Silverman, that alleged the company had illegally trained its AI models on their copyrighted works. Read Article

On Wednesday, May 21, 2025, at approximately 4:31 p.m., deputies responded to California mansion of Beanie Babies billionaire Ty Warner. Russell Maxwell Phay was taken into custody after violently attacking a stranger inside a private residence and barricading himself from deputies. Phay has a mental competency hearing set for June 30. Read Article

The House of Representatives has banned staff members from using WhatsApp on government devices. In an email, the House’s chief administrative officer (CAO) tells staffers that the Office of Cybersecurity “has deemed WhatsApp a high-risk” because of a “lack of transparency in how it protects user data, absence of stored data encryption, and potential security risks.”  Read Article

A British man has been arrested in Cyprus on suspicion of spying and terror-related offenses. He is thought to have carried out surveillance for Iran on the Royal Air Force Akrotiri base on the island. He was arrested in the Zakaki suburb of the coastal city of Limassol, just six miles from the British base.

Local media say he is of Azerbaijani descent is alleged to have links to Iran’s powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). He is said to have been taking photos with long-lens cameras as well as phones, using other electronic devices, as well as writing notes, according to reports. Read Article

If you’ve heard about doctored photos and videos that look real, you’ve probably asked yourself: “What are deepfakes?” Deepfakes are videos and pictures created using computer software that look almost indistinguishable from the real deal. Learning how to recognize deepfakes and when they might be used as a part of a scam is the first step in protecting your digital existence. Then, get a powerful online security app to help you protect your identity, block hackers, and stay online safer. Read Article

The strategy of DHS dismissing cases and then arresting migrants at court at first caught judges and lawyers off guard. The Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR), which oversees immigration courts detailed the approach for judges in a May 30 email obtained by NBC.

This is one of several tactics the Trump administration has used in order to streamline cases and more quickly deport people without legal status from the U.S. Read Article

Harvey Weinstein, the film mogul who became an emblem of the #MeToo movement, was convicted of sex crimes for a second time in New York on Wednesday. Weinstein's retrial followed a 2020 conviction in New York, which was overturned in 2024 on procedural grounds.

The jury's verdict was split, with Weinstein guilty of one count of criminal sexual act in the first degree, not guilty of another count for the same charge, and with no verdict on one count of rape in the third degree. Read Article

Hugh Jackman and Deborra-Lee Furness are officially ending their nearly three-decade marriage.

Furness initiated the uncontested divorce in New York's Suffolk County Supreme Court on May 23, according to court records. The filing comes more than a year and a half after the former couple announced their separation in September 2023. Read Article

DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. - A judge has sentenced Atlanta rapper Silentó to decades in prison after he pleaded guilty to killing his cousin.

The 27-year-old rapper, whose real name is Ricky Hawk, pleaded guilty, but mentally ill, to voluntary manslaughter, aggravated assault, and other charges in connection with the 2021 deadly shooting. 

In the early morning hours of Jan. 21, 2021, officers with the DeKalb County Police Department responded to a report of a person shot at a home off of Deep Shoals Circle and Corners Crossing.

At the home, police found 34-year-old Frederick Rooks III suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Investigators did not have a suspect at the time but later identified Hawk as the gunman. Read Article

Over the weekend, throngs of protesters took to the streets of downtown Los Angeles to protest federal immigration raids. Some of those protests turned violent, with stores broken into, Waymo vehicles burned and rocks and other debris thrown at law enforcement. The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, Los Angeles Police Department and California Highway Patrol collectively arrested 42 people. Five LAPD officers were hurt in the chaos. Read Article

 Veronica Solis, 35, of Valparaiso, produced child sexual abuse material (CSAM) in August and September 2019 with codefendant Gerald Talman Brann. An investigation showed that Solis and Brann sexually assaulted the child victim, recorded the sexual assaults using their cell phones.  

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LOMPOC -- Cannabis Compliance Team Sheriff’s detectives are sharing information about an investigation and encouraging parents to review their children’s social media for illicit online drug sales. Detectives began an investigation in February, 2025, following an incident that occurred at Cabrillo High School where several juveniles required medical attention from adverse reactions to edible cannabis products. Read Article

OJAI -- On 05/31/25, at approximately 9:09 p.m., Sheriff’s Dispatch received multiple calls stating a female may have been murdered at a residence in the 12000 block of Sisar Road in the unincorporated area of Santa Paula. When deputies arrived, they confirmed there was a deceased female in the residence and evidence at the scene indicated she was a victim of a homicide. The victim was identified as 26-year-old Carolyn Nino De Rivera of Ojai. Read Article

Deputies ordered Hernandez to exit the vehicle, and he refused. A lethal force encounter occurred during the incident, and Hernandez was struck by gunfire. Deputies provided medical attention and requested emergency medical personnel. Hernandez was transported to a local hospital for treatment. No deputies were injured during the incident. Read Article

The two victims were approached by three to four male suspects who demanded their property. One suspect lifted his sweatshirt and displayed a black handgun tucked in his waistband. A second suspect brandished a knife and told the victims that he would “kill them.” As the victims attempted to flee, they were physically assaulted by the suspects who stole property from both victims. Read Article

September 4, 2024 --A first-of-its-kind federal indictment was filed accusing a man of making over $10 million by falsely boosting streaming numbers for AI-generated music. Michael Smith, 52, of Cornelius, North Carolina, is charged with wire fraud conspiracy, wire fraud and money laundering conspiracy, all of which carry a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. This demonstrates another threat to artists and a need for fraud-prevention by platforms. Read Article

 In new guidance issued earlier this month, the USDA told states they must turn over data to the agency, through their third-party payment processors, "including but not limited to" names, birth dates, Social Security numbers and addresses of all applicants and recipients of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, going back more than five years. More than 40 million people rely on the assistance each month. Read Article

Montecito, Calif. –  On Wednesday, May 21, 2025, at approximately 4:31 p.m., deputies responded to an unknown type problem at a private residence in the 1000-block of Fairway Road. A suspect taken into custody after violently attacking a stranger inside a private residence and barricading himself from deputies.The initial report was a possible vehicle theft or home invasion robbery in progress. The suspect was identified as 43-year-old Russell Maxwell Phay from Nevada. Read Article

 More than 100 organizations are raising alarms about a provision in the House’s sweeping tax and spending cuts package that would hamstring the regulation of artificial intelligence systems. Tucked into President Donald Trump’s “one big, beautiful” agenda bill is a rule that, if passed, would prohibit states from enforcing “any law or regulation regulating artificial intelligence models, artificial intelligence systems, or automated decision systems” for 10 years. Read Article

Alison Brie, 42, and Dave Franco, 39, have been hit with a copyright infringement lawsuit over their upcoming film “Together.” The lawsuit was filed on Tuesday, May 13, by production company StudioFest, which claimed that they pitched the script to Franco and Brie’s agents at William Morris Endeavor WME in 2020 but the real-life couple allegedly “passed on the offer to star in the project.” Read Article

 A jury trial will commence on May 19 to decide the fate of murder suspect Carolyn Nicole Jackson. The trial is the result of stabbings that occurred on December 5, when deputies from the Needles Sheriff’s Station responded to a residence in the 200 block of Walnut Street.  Read Article

U.S. officials have formally charged leaders of the Sinaloa cartel with terrorism-related charges related to trafficking drugs into the United States. The DOJ says this indictment is a result of President Trump’s Executive Order 14157, which designated the Sinaloa Cartel as a Foreign Terrorist Organization. Read Article

 A Middlesex Superior Court judge Shannon Frison concluded that Delgado-Rivera had standing to challenge the search of the phone and allowed him to join a motion to suppress. On appeal, the Supreme Judicial Court concluded that the judge erred in deciding that Delgado-Rivera could join in the motion to suppress to challenge the search. Read Article

Shortly after President Trump was sworn in for the second time, he signed an executive order banning transgender individuals from serving in the military. The Defense Department promptly barred transgender individuals from enlisting and discharged active duty soldiers as well. The justices blocked a lower court order that temporarily halted the ban's enforcement. 

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Apple has now filed its appeal to the recent court ruling that required it to open up its App Store to external payment mechanisms. A notice of appeal was filed by Apple, according to court documents, indicating that Apple’s threat to fight the ruling stands firm. As the appeals process plays out, Apple will continue to comply with the court’s decision. Read Article

The Sheriff’s Office encourages parents and guardians to stay informed and vigilant. Here are important signs and tips to help you recognize and address this behavior:

Unfamiliar or Slang Language in MessagesLook for terms like “plugs,” “gas,” “loud,” “trees,” or emojis like the maple leaf 🍁, cloud 💨, or a fire 🔥. These are often coded references to cannabis. Pay attention to abbreviations like “DM for menu” or “hit me up.” Read Article

DoorDash argues in its motion that Uber’s claim lacks merit on all fronts. DoorDash said, “the lawsuit is nothing more than a cynical and calculated scare tactic from a frustrated competitor seeking to avoid real competition. It’s disappointing behavior from a company once known for competing on the merits of its products and innovation. Read Article

There has been an increased interest in subpoena and business registration information since the Lively vs.  Baldoni lawsuit began as a hot topic on social media spaces such as YouTube. Cases on Note will attempt to breakdown some of the information that is being misreported or appears to be completely unaddressed. Read Article

R&B singer, Cassie Ventura, better known by the stage name Cassie, had filed her blockbuster lawsuit in federal court against the hip-hop mogul Sean Combs only a day before Combs, a rapper and producer, paid her to drop the suit. In her complaint, Ventura described a pattern of coercive control, abuse, drugging and sexual violence perpetrated against her by Combs.

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Throughout the lawsuit, Baldoni accused Lively of usurping creative control of the movie, including making her own costuming decisions, rewriting parts of the script, and replacing the film’s editors and composer. The suit includes a screenshot of an email from “It Ends With Us” producer Jamey Heath saying that he felt pressured to support Lively’s bid for a producers certification mark, a designation from the Producers Guild of America in film credits that identifies which producers performed most of the producing functions and decision-making. Read Article

SB 630, as introduced by Senators Ben Allen, Caroline Menjivar and Henry Stern, effects income and corporate taxes and tax credits for motion picture productions. It purportedly has the potential to stimulate local production and unlock meaningful opportunities for cast, crew, and related businesses.

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The Complaint alleges that, throughout the Class Period, Defendants misled investors by failing to disclose that AppLovin’s revenue and profit growth were unsustainable because of the Company’s systematic exploitation of fraudulent advertising practices, including click spoofing and the use of a backdoor installation scheme to force unwanted apps. Read Article

This bill would enact the Stop Foreign Governments from Accessing Californians’ Sensitive Personal Information Act which would require a business to disclose to a consumer if the business intends to maintain the consumer’s personal information outside of the United States. 

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If adopted, this bill would require that those rules established by the agency be consistent with applicable provisions of the State Administrative Manual and the State Information Management Manual. It would prohibit an agency from using records containing personal information for any purpose or purposes other than the purpose or purposes for which that personal information was collected, except as required by state or federal law and adds consequences for negligent violation of the act. Read Article

The California Consumer Privacy Act of 2018 (CCPA) grants a consumer various rights with respect to personal information that is collected or sold by a business, including the right to request that a business disclose specified information that has been collected about the consumer, to request that a business delete personal information about the consumer that the business has collected from the consumer, and to direct a business not to sell or share the consumer’s personal information, as specified. Read Article

Trump announced the extension on his Truth Social platform, saying the TikTok deal “requires more work to ensure all necessary approvals are signed.” The extension will “keep TikTok up and running for an additional 75 days,” he said. The new extension kicks TikTok’s deadline to mid-June.

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Delia Johnson and Banton had spoken at a neighborhood funeral the night of her death, and Johnson was chatting with a group of people by a stoop on Franklin Ave. at Prospect Place in Crown Heights. Read Article

Trump is reportedly meeting with top aides to discuss options to preserve TikTok in the U.S., the Times also reported. One of the proposals reportedly under consideration is an ownership structure involving private equity company Blackstone and tech giant Oracle. The conditions of the law mandate that no more than 20% of TikTok be owned by companies located in a list of so-called adversarial countries, which includes China. Read Article

Whenever you hire someone to help you in your business, you must determine if the person should be classified as an employee or independent contractor for tax and other purposes. Classifying workers as independent contractors is usually cheaper. But your determination is subject to review by the IRS and other government agencies. Read Article

Carl Erik Rinsch was arrested earlier this week in West Hollywood and appeared in federal court to face several charges for defrauding the streaming giant, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.

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Christopher Arthur Eaves is accused of shooting his brother to death, which led to an active police situation involving SWAT in an Arcadia neighborhood on Friday morning. The victim has since been identified as 51-year-old James “Artie” Arthur Eaves, an attorney at Phoenix law firm Sanders & Parks.  

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Filed Wednesday in U.S. District Court in San Jose, the suit seeks class-action status and damages on behalf of those who purchased Apple Intelligence-capable iPhones and other devices. Plaintiffs claim that device owners haven’t received the Apple Intelligence features they were promised.

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The Federal Lands Amplified Security for the Homeland Act (FLASH) addresses the public safety issues and environmental destruction impacting Federal lands. The bill will enhance border security through the construction of navigable roads on Federal lands along the southern border, provide U.S. Customs and Border Protection access to Federal lands to improve the effectiveness of enforcement activities, and allow States to place temporary barriers on Federal lands.  Read Article

A 55-year-old Escondido man who paid her to engage in fetish acts, which she filmed for her OnlyFans page, reportedly died as a result of the encounter. Michael Dale first contacted 31-year-old Michaela Brashaye Rylaarsdam in March and April of 2023 after spotting her on a website typically used for escort and stripper services. Read Article

Prosecutors in court claimed Banton "shot the victim point blank in the head." They also said Banton was pulled over right after the shooting, but at the time police didn't realize they were looking for a female suspect and released her.

Banton, who also goes by the names Claudia Williams and Kiesha Brown, was picked up by police in Jacksonville, Florida --- more than three months after the killing in Crown Heights that was caught on camera. Read Article

March 6, 2025, Miami --The lead prosecutor in the Courtney Clenney murder trial withdrew after a judge ruled he could be deposed over texts and emails that he obtained and that the court ruled were covered by attorney-client privilege. Read Article

California Assembly Bill 1333, which was introduced last month, would have eliminated certain circumstances under which homicide is justifiable, including, among others, in defense of a habitation or property.  Read Article

Neil Gaiman asked a Wisconsin federal court to throw out Scarlett Pavlovich’s lawsuit against him, pointing to text messages that he says refute her “outrageous” claims — and arguing that U.S. courts have no jurisdiction over allegations arising in New Zealand anyway. Pavlovich is represented by lawyers at Kamerman, Uncyk, Soniker, and Klein. Read Article

On September 25, 2020, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed into law the California Consumer Financial Protection Law (CCFPL), which was passed by the state legislature in August of 2020. Under the CCFPL, California’s Department of Business Oversight (DBO) has been renamed the Department of Financial Protection and Innovation (DFPI).  Read Article

This bill would eliminate circumstances of apprehension under which homicide is justifiable, including, among others, in defense of a habitation or property. The bill would additionally clarify circumstances in which homicide is not justifiable, including, among others, when a person theoretically uses more force than necessary to defend against a danger.

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Both suspects were arrested for a variety of drug and firearm charges including Possession for Sales of Controlled Substances, Sales of a Controlled Substance, Possession of a Controlled Substance While Armed with a Firearm, Possession of a Concealed Firearm and Conspiracy. Both subjects were booked into the Ventura County Pre-Trial Detention Facility. Taing posted bail and was later released. Brock remains in custody on $55,000 bail. Read Article

The victim and her live-in boyfriend, 46-year-old Gabriel Valencia, were in an argument when he physically assaulted her and threatened to kill her. The victim required medical treatment by paramedics at the scene. Gabriel Valencia left the residence before deputies arrived. A warrant was issued for Valencia’ arrest. Read Article

A Superior Court judge has dissented a 2023 decision to switch its ambulance service from long-running provider American Medical Response Inc., or AMR, to a coalition of local fire departments.

According to Judge Jay H. Robinson, the county appears to have decided to ignore the public bidding process in favor of awarding the ambulance service contract to its preferred vendor...  Read Article

Sean Grayson, the 30-year-old Sangamon County sheriff’s deputy was indicted by a grand jury on July 17 on three counts of first-degree murder and one count each of aggravated battery with a firearm and official misconduct in connection with the July 6 shooting at Sonya Massey’s home near Springfield. On August 26 per motion of the Defendant, pretrial hearing was continued to December 2, 2024, before Judge Cadagin and the Defendant remanded to the custody of the Sheriff. Read Article

Companies have developed social media policies to protect their interests in an age when scandalous information can be instantly broadcast to the four corners of the Earth. But there are concerns that many of these policies violate labor laws.  Read Article

LONDON, Jan 22,  2025 -- Prince Harry has settled his lawsuit against Rupert Murdoch's News Group Newspapers (NGN) over alleged unlawful information gathering, his lawyer said, after the start of a long-awaited trial was unexpectedly delayed.
Harry, 40, the younger son of King Charles, was suing the publisher of the Sun and the now-defunct News of the World at the High Court in London, alleging NGN unlawfully obtained private information about him from 1996 until 2011. Read Article

The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) establishes minimum wage, overtime pay, recordkeeping, and youth employment standards affecting employees in the private sector and in Federal, State, and local governments. Overtime pays at a rate not less than one and one-half times the regular rate of pay is required after 40 hours of work in a workweek.  Read Article

WASHINGTON, January 17, 2025 --The Supreme Court upheld a federal law that effectively bans TikTok in the United States on Sunday unless the wildly popular video-sharing app pulls off an unlikely, last-minute divestiture from Chinese ownership. Read Article

Sebastian Munoz was a patron at a local business until approximately 2:00 a.m. when he walked to his vehicle and retrieved three firearms, one rifle, and two handguns. 

Munoz then returned to the business and asked to be let inside. When he was denied access, he wandered in the street for several minutes before indiscriminately firing the rifle approximately five to ten times toward an unknown target. Read Article

“Cash App created the conditions for fraud to proliferate on its popular payment platform,” said CFPB Director Rohit Chopra. “When things went wrong, Cash App flouted its responsibilities and even burdened local banks with problems that the company caused.”

Cash App attempted to avoid many of its investigative obligations through tricking consumers with its Terms of Service. For example, many Cash App users link their bank account to the app... Read Article

Community property is a method of defining the ownership of property acquired during marriage where all earnings during marriage and all property acquired with those earnings are owned in common and all debts incurred during marriage are the responsibility of both spouses.

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The case pits the First Amendment's right to free speech against what the federal government and lawmakers say are threats to national security posed by TikTok. The Supreme Court moved with extraordinary speed in considering the case, agreeing to take up the dispute just two days after lawyers for the platform sought its intervention on an emergency basis.

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According to uninvolved witness statements, one of the vehicles involved (a white Lexus sedan) was traveling at a high rate of speed south on Central Avenue and may have been traveling with another blue sedan just prior to the collision.

This collision is under investigation by the Camarillo Traffic Bureau. Anyone who may have witnessed the collision or has any additional information regarding the incident is encouraged to contact Camarillo Traffic Investigator Bradley Bordon at 805-388-5146. Read Article

Employers are supposed to collect only information about you that is job related. And only people with a proven need to know are supposed to have access to your personnel file. For example, your employer cannot tell your coworkers the results of a drug screening test you were required to take. Except the truth is that employers commonly give out information about their employees to other people: other employers, unions, police investigators, creditors, insurance agents. Read Article

FONTANA, Calif., November 17, 2024 -- Deputies from the Fontana Sheriff’s Station responded to a report of a man down in the 12800 block of Holly Street, an area north of the Santa Ana River and south of the 10 Freeway, around 8:20 a.m.. Upon arrival, deputies discovered Rene Isordia deceased and suffering from multiple injuries. Read Article

LOS ANGELES,  January 2, 2025 -- Justin Baldoni's lawsuit, filed in Los Angeles Superior Court, seeks upward of $250 million in damages, alleging that the New York Times “relied almost entirely on Lively’s unverified and self-serving narrative, lifting it nearly verbatim while disregarding an abundance of evidence that contradicted her claims and exposed her true motives.” Read Article

The workers’ compensation system is designed to provide benefits to injured workers, even if an injury is caused by the employer’s or employee’s carelessness. However, there are some limits. Injuries caused by an employee’s intoxication or use of illegal drugs are not covered by workers’ comp. Read Article

The purpose of a morals clause in an agreement is to protect the contracting company from the immoral behavior of the talent with whom it contracts. But this begs an obvious question: what constitutes moral or immoral behavior? The concept of moral behavior, as it relates to the law, is constantly in a state of flux as it reacts to changes in community standards and incorporating natural evolutionary advancements associated with the growth and development of a society. Read Article