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		• 20-20 tviNews Full Stories - 106 • 106 Search By StoryTitle • HomePage• KudoAds-100spot• vMusic-Sponsors100 • •106- Main - Localinks • 106- Gov. Newsom Signs Union-Championed A.I. Bills at SAG-AFTRA Plaza • 106- Introduction of NO FAKES Act in House • 106-SAG-AFTRA to Organize Intimacy Coordinators  • 106- Net Neutrality: Regulation for Ideology's Sake • 106- FCC to consider new outage-reporting rules, soliciting comments on FirstNet, deployable usage • 106- Long Live National Security - International Center for Law & Economics • 106- FCC opens process for reimposing net neutrality • 106- LA county officials open the regional connector Transit prospect • 106- Author Salman Rushdie stabbed on lecture stage TVI's Memorial Day - • 106- General Colin L. Powell remembered at National Memorial Day Concert • 106- Court sides with Google in Oracle's epic API copyright case • 106- SAG-AFTRA proposes 1998 Digital Millenium Copyright Act update • 106- Red Cross LA Sends Volunteers to Northern California for Wildfire Response • 106- Califoria is Burning - wildfires out of control FEMA announced federal disaster assistance • 106- 1.1 BillJury Award to Caltech • /// • • • CLICK TO CONTINUE Title Search -106 • • • • 20-20 tviNews Stories UpDates106 • 106 Titles Only: Results - Archives • 106g- Google KnowledgeRush • 106- Gov. Newsom Signs Union-Championed A.I. Bills at SAG-AFTRA Plaza Two bills mandate new protections against the dangers of artificial intelligence technology. LOS ANGELES (Sept. 17, 2024) -- California Gov. Gavin Newsom visited SAG-AFTRA headquarters in Los Angeles, where he signed into law critical legislation that will give individuals more agency over the use of their voice and likeness. At a meeting convened at SAG-AFTRA Plaza with SAG-AFTRA President Fran Drescher, Secretary-Treasurer Joely Fisher and National Executive Director & Chief Negotiator Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, Newsom signed AB 2602 and AB1836. AB 2602 requires informed consent by performers prior to use of their digital replicas, and AB 1836 provides updated protections to the voice and likeness rights of deceased performers. •••• Drescher said, "It is a momentous day for SAG-AFTRA members and everyone else, because the A.I. protections we fought so hard for last year are now expanded upon by California law thanks to the Legislature and Gov. Gavin Newsom. They say as California goes, so goes the nation! •••• "A.I. poses a threat not just to performers in the entertainment industry, but to workers in all fields, in all industries everywhere. No technology should be introduced into society without extreme caution and careful consideration of its long-term impact on humanity and the natural world. We are so grateful to Gov. Newsom for recognizing that performers matter, and their contributions have value." •••• Crabtree-Ireland said, "SAG-AFTRA applauds Gov. Newsom. AB 1836 and AB 2602 represent much-needed legislation prioritizing the rights of individuals in the A.I. age. No one should live in fear of becoming someone else's unpaid digital puppet. Gov. Newsom has led the way in protecting people - and families - from A.I. replication without real consent.   •••• "I also want to recognize and thank SAG-AFTRA Secretary-Treasurer Joely Fisher and SAG-AFTRA Vice President and Los Angeles Local President Jodi Long for their advocacy on this legislation. Secretary-Treasurer Fisher's outreach to the governor's office advocating for the legislation was important in securing its ultimate approval. Vice President Long delivered compelling personal testimony in Sacramento at the California Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on AB 1836," Crabtree-Ireland added. •••• The two bills mandate new protections against the dangers of artificial intelligence technology.  •••• AB 1836 prohibits the use of a deceased person's voice or likeness in digital replicas without the prior consent of their estate. The bill updates current law and removes existing exemptions for film, TV, audiovisual works and more when it comes to digital replication.  •••• AB 2602 prohibits contractual provisions that would allow for the use of a digital replica of an individual's voice or likeness in place of the individual's actual services, unless the provision includes a reasonably specific description of the intended uses of the digital replica and the individual was represented by legal counsel or a labor union. This bill is the first of its kind in the United States.  /// • 106- Introduction of NO FAKES Act in House LOS ANGELES (Sept. 12) -- The SAG-AFTRA-supported NO FAKES -- Nurture Originals, Foster Art and Keep Entertainment Safe -- Act was officially introduced today in the U.S. House of Representatives, following its introduction in the Senate on July 31. •••• The bill establishes a federal right in voice and likeness to protect against unauthorized use of digital replicas in audiovisual works and sound recordings, effectively balancing that right with strong First Amendment protections for content creators.  •••• The House bill is sponsored by Reps. Maria Salazar, Madeleine Dean, Nathaniel Moran, Joe Morelle, Adam Schiff and Rob Wittman.  •••• SAG-AFTRA National Executive Director & Chief Negotiator Duncan Crabtree-Ireland said, "SAG-AFTRA applauds Representatives Maria Salazar, Madeleine Dean, Nathaniel Moran, Joe Morelle, Adam Schiff and Rob Wittman for introducing the NO FAKES Act in the House. It is critical and urgent for Congress to establish nationwide protections in law against the unauthorized creation and use of digital replicas. A.I. technology can now clone us all and make us appear to do, say or perform things we never did, said or performed. The dangers for careers, reputations and lives are real, and this bill provides much needed recourse.  •••• "With identical bills now before both the House and Senate, and with robust bipartisan support, Congress must act expeditiously to safeguard everyone in this age of rapidly advancing technological innovation," added Crabtree-Ireland. •••• The NO FAKES Act is supported by the entire entertainment and media industry landscape, from studios, record labels, broadcasting companies and technology companies to unions, workers and artist advocacy groups. It is a milestone achievement to bring all these groups together for the same urgent goal. ///  • 106-SAG-AFTRA to Organize Intimacy Coordinators  LOS ANGELES (Sept. 25, 2024) -- SAG-AFTRA announced today that the union filed an election petition with the National Labor Relations Board to represent intimacy coordinators employed by the AMPTP companies. •••• Organizing intimacy coordinators is the natural evolution of the union's commitment to help build a stable and safe future for our members. In the years following the #MeToo movement, the union has supported intimacy coordinators through key initiatives including the creation of Standards and Protocols for Use of Intimacy Coordinators on Set, and Standards for Qualification, Training and Vetting.  •••• "Working in scenes involving nudity or physical intimacy is some of the most vulnerable work an actor can do. Intimacy coordinators not only provide assistance in navigating these scenes but they also create a safetynet for performers ensuring consent and protection throughout the entire process," said SAG-AFTRA President Fran Drescher. "Shifting the power imbalance that has been ingrained over a century is challenging but important work. Work that can be done even more effectively with the backing of a union. Intimacy coordinators have our backs on set and now it's our turn to have theirs."  •••• "Intimacy coordinators are important partners for our members when they are working on some of the most vulnerable scenes possible," said SAG-AFTRA National Executive Director & Chief Negotiator Duncan Crabtree-Ireland. "As part of our union, they'll have the strength of our 160,000 members standing behind them when they sit down to negotiate a deal that will bolster the foundation of this role, create job opportunities, safely expand and ensure diversification of the talent pool and improve safety on set."  •••• Intimacy coordinators work closely with performers and production on TV, theatrical and streaming productions that require performances involving nudity, simulated sex and other intimate scenes. Their expertise is invaluable in creating a safe and respectful working environment.  •••• The organizing committee said, "Being part of SAG-AFTRA will ensure the sustainability of our profession. Right now, intimacy coordinators work without any protections and without standardized wages or benefits. /// • 106- Net Neutrality: Regulation for Ideology's Sake Tom Giovanetti •••• Well, that didn't take long. After the Biden administration finally secured the necessary commissioners to form an operating 3-2 Democrat majority, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) announced Wednesday that it will hold a vote to again reclassify broadband networks under Title II of the Communications Act of 1934. •••• A brief history. Activists have been calling for federal regulation of the internet since the 1990s, but the Clinton and Bush administrations wisely took a light-touch approach, understanding that regulation would impose unintended consequences on this nascent technology. •••• As the broadband revolution began in the 2000s, the FCC chose to classify broadband networks as Title I information services rather than as Title II common carrier services. The difference was significant, because under Title II the FCC would have almost unlimited regulatory power over broadband. •••• We've all seen how broadband networks have thrived under a light-touch Title I regulatory authority, with the growth of ecommerce, streaming entertainment services, social media, and the smartphone revolution. •••• But that innovation and economic growth has not deterred activists who simply believe in federal control for the sake of federal control. And in 2015 the Obama FCC, absent any compelling data, voted to dramatically change course and reclassify broadband networks as Title II common carriers. •••• The ominous threat of heavy regulation had the consequence of discouraging private investment in broadband networks, which the FCC found to have declined by around $1 billion between 2014 and 2015. ••• Over the 20+-year history, broadband network were only classified as Title II common carriers for a brief two years, from 2015 until 2017. The Trump administration's FCC returned broadband services to their original Title I classification. •••• Since then, broadband speeds have increased, and real broadband prices adjusted for inflation have fallen 12 percent since 2017.  In fact, broadband prices have remained mostly flat during a time when inflation has been driving up the cost of almost every other consumer service. •••• In other words, there is evidence that Title II classification caused a harmful drop in infrastructure investment, but not a single piece of evidence of any benefit from Title II, much less any evidence that consumers have been harmed since that two-year experiment was wisely reversed. •••• But now, here we go again. For purely ideological reasons, and without data or examples of harm, the Biden FCC is reasserting its power to regulate broadband networks under Title II. •••• Not only is such a move unnecessary and in fact contrary to evidence, but these major policy pendulum swings every time the White House changes hands cause uncertainty for broadband companies and investors, which prevents the kind of long-term planning and financing necessary for major infrastructure investments. •••• So, net neutrality is back. But the Institute for Policy Innovation (IPI) will be there pushing back against harmful regulation of the internet, just as we have since the internet was being called the "information superhighway." • Click for more tvi Stroy-106- Net Neutrality: Regulation for Ideology's Sake /// • 106- FCC to consider new outage-reporting rules, soliciting comments on FirstNet, deployable usage - By Donny Jackson Washington DC (12th January 2024 - FCC commissioners are scheduled to consider new rules regarding the Disaster Information Reporting System (DIRS) and the Network Outage Reporting System (NORS), as well as a proposal seeking comments whether FirstNet should have reporting obligations and whether deployable coverage should be reported. •••• Under the proposed new rules, all cable, wireless, wireline and interconnected voice-over-IP (VoIP) providers would be required to report outages when the DIRS is activated and must provide the FCC with a final report within 24 hours of DIRS being deactivated. The proposed rules also would suspend NORS reporting obligations for providers subject to DIRS, according to the FCC. •••In the further notice, the FCC seeks comments whether FirstNet should be subject to NORS and/DIRS reporting. FirstNet currently is not required to file such outage reports, but its nationwide contractor--AT&T--does have to fulfill these obligations. The further notice also asks whether commenters believe "mobile recovery assets"--for example, deployable coverage solutions like cells on wheels (COWs) and cells on light trucks (COLTs)--should be noted in coverage assessments for NORS and DIRS. •••In addition, the further notice proposes that DIRS reporting obligations be expanded to include broadcast, satellite and broadband providers. •••FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel noted the proposed rules and a further notice of proposed rulemaking in a blog she released last week outlining the preliminary agenda items for the Jan. 25 open meeting. •••"Fast and reliable reporting of communications outages during disasters can help emergency-management personnel make smarter and faster decisions when they matter most," according to Rosenworcel. "It can also offer valuable lessons to prevent service disruptions in the future. •••"The Commission will consider rules to transition the current voluntary outage reporting structure to a mandatory structure for certain communications providers, as well as proposals to expand reporting from other providers." •••Adopted in 2007, the DIRS reporting of commercial network outages has proven to be a useful tool to help the public gauge carriers' progress in restoring terrestrial communications networks to "normal" status after a disaster. However, many industry observers have questioned whether the daily DIRS maps may create an overly negative perception about wireless coverage in a given geographic area, because it does not reflect whether service providers have provided connectivity through deployable solutions like SatCOLTs in an area. •••"We tentatively conclude that, if information regarding the location of mobile recovery assets were required to be supplied in DIRS, the Commission would obtain this information more efficiently and uniformly across providers than is currently the case, likely leading to better public safety outcomes," according to the FCC's draft further notice. "We seek comment on this conclusion. Should we require such reporting? If so, which subject providers should be required to provide such information? •••"If reporting is adopted, we seek comment on what types of mobile assets should be reported (including COWs and COLTs) based on provider type, the level of granularity for which location information should be reported (e.g., on a zip code or street address basis) and on whether this information should be reported directly in existing DIRS forms or through other means. Should information on the time of deployment, coverage, or available power for such assets be reported as well?" •••A potential wrinkle to the relevance of NORS and DIRS reporting is the expected development of satellite-direct-to-phone (Sat2Phone) technology that leverages low-Earth-orbit (LEO) satellites as cellular towers in space. If deployed as designed in cooperation with a carrier&emdash;the business model being pursued by companies like AST SpaceMobile, Lynk and SpaceX&emdash;Sat2Phone could provide seamless coverage to users outside a terrestrial-network coverage footprint in virtually all outdoor locations within the next several years. •••Commercial wireless carriers have provided the FCC with network-outage information for years, but the requirement has not been extended to the FirstNet Authority's nationwide public-safety broadband network (NPSBN). The NPSBN is being built and maintained by AT&T, which is subject to NORS and DIRS requirements, which has allowed some officials to make inferences about the health of the terrestrial FirstNet system, according to the language in the proposed further notice. •••"FirstNet is not currently subject to NORS or DIRS outage-reporting obligations and has never participated in NORS or DIRS on a voluntary basis," according to the further-notice draft. •••"However, its importance to the public-safety community and the unique customer base it serves leads us to consider whether outage reporting is necessary and appropriate to provide a more complete picture of the overall health and resiliency of an increasingly important component of the nation's communications infrastructure, particularly during specific disasters during which FirstNet is specifically designed to provide more robust outcomes." •••One question noted in the further-notice draft is whether the FCC has the authority to require such network-outage reporting from the FirstNet Authority, which was established by Congress in 2012 with statutory reporting requirements. This law mandated that the FCC grant the FirstNet Authority a license to the 20 MHz block of Band 14 spectrum in the 700 MHz band, but the FirstNet Authority is housed within the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) branch of the federal government. •••"Do the Commission's general Title III authorities, coupled with section 6003(a) of the Public Safety Spectrum Act, support our ability to seek information beyond FirstNet's statutorily mandated reports?" the further-notice draft asks. "What other provisions might support such reporting? What quantitative estimates of potential costs and benefits of this integration are available? What would be additional improvements to public safety and other measures of welfare due to specifically reporting by FirstNet? How would the magnitude of these benefits compare to the benefits estimated in the Second Report and Order?" • Click for More soliciting comments on FirstNet, deployable usage https://urgentcomm.com/2024/01/12/fcc-to-consider-new-outage-reporting-rules-soliciting-comments-on-firstnet-deployable-usage/?utm_source=eloqua&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=trafficbooster_jan24&utm_rid=CPEQW000013304832&elq2=6f29c1a890a54fb2a500f974b28f4cc2&sp_eh=9287b9d156583ed7871441c3f72bf025536482928097cab3ac066cc158adfdb7 /// • 106- FCC opens process for reimposing net neutrality PORTLAND, Ore. (Sept. 26, 2023) -- The International Center for Law & Economics (ICLE) offers the following statement from ICLE Director of Innovation Policy Kristian Stout in response to today's announcement by Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chair Jessica Rosenworcel that the FCC plans to open the process for reimposing net neutrality: ••••Despite dire predictions, the internet has thrived in the absence of utility-style net-neutrality regulations. When the FCC repealed net neutrality in 2018, advocates claimed that without these rules, innovation would cease and access would suffer. But the opposite has occurred: more services are available at faster speeds than ever before. During the COVID-19 pandemic, our broadband networks proved remarkably robust, supporting a massive shift to remote work and school. U.S. networks also outperformed those in many countries with net-neutrality rules. These facts demonstrate that heavy-handed regulation is not needed to preserve a free and open internet.  ••• Moreover, the FCC does not have clear authority from Congress to reclassify broadband as a common-carrier service or to impose utility-style regulations. As the U.S. Supreme Court has made clear through its "major questions" doctrine, federal agencies cannot make major regulatory moves without explicit authorization from Congress. Regulating net neutrality involves complex economic and political considerations that Congress has actively debated, without granting the FCC power to resolve them. Any attempt by the FCC to adopt net-neutrality rules through reclassification would likely be struck down by the Supreme Court as exceeding the agency's authority. Rather than wasting time and resources pursuing legally dubious regulations, the FCC should allow Congress to legislate on this major policy issue. • Click for International Center for Law & Economics ///   • 106- Long Live National Security - International Center for Law & Economics •••• In the latest edition of his Telecom Hootenanny series, International Center for Law & Economics (ICLE) Senior Scholar Eric Fruits looks at how the Federal Communications Commission's (FCC) proposed Securing the Open Internet (SSOI) order differs from the original Open Internet Order (OIO) that the commission passed in 2015. •••• Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chair Jessica Rosenworcel announced plans last week for the commission to vote Oct. 19 on whether to take the first steps toward reinstating Title II regulations on broadband providers. Two days later, the FCC issued a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) for the Safeguarding and Securing the Open Internet (SSOI) order. ••••If adopted, the new rules would revive much of the Open Internet Order (OIO) the commission passed in 2015 under former FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler. That order classified broadband-internet service as a Title II telecommunications service under the Communications Act, treating many broadband services as public utilities. This allowed the FCC to impose common-carrier obligations on internet service providers (ISPs), including bans on blocking or throttling lawful content, paid prioritization of content, and other practices seen as contrary to so-called "net neutrality" principles. ••••The Trump-era FCC overturned these rules in its Restoring Internet Freedom Order (RIFO) in 2018, reversing the Title II classification and taking a hands-off approach to ISP oversight. But Rosenworcel -- a Democrat who favored the 2015 rules -- now has an FCC majority to revisit the issue in the wake of Anna Gomez's Senate confirmation. For her part, Gomez served as a counselor to Wheeler when the commission voted to approve the 2015 order.  ••••If approved, the SSOI would apply to broadband-internet-access services, which includes both fixed and mobile broadband connections. ••••There is one obvious and commonsense problem with the FCC's reasoning, which is that it's at odds with the way history unfolded. The commission proposes that demand for internet access during the COVID-19 pandemic serves as a justification for Title II regulation. Yet U.S. broadband providers' responses to the steep increase in demand was a demonstrable success of broadband competition (especially compared with how networks abroad fared).  ••••More perplexing, the FCC invokes congressional appropriations as justification for Title II regulation. The legislative process would, indeed, have been a perfect time for Congress to legislate net neutrality or common-carriage regulation, while it was debating the investment of tens of billions of dollars to encourage broadband buildout over the next decade or so. But no such provisions were included in the spending bills. ••••Even the FCC's controversial digital-discrimination proceeding undermines the commission's case here. Congress included a very terse statement that the commission should look into impermissible discrimination in broadband deployment, but gave zero indication that it wanted Title II reclassification to serve as a remedy, even if such discrimination was found. In short, if Congress intended to regulate broadband internet under Title II, it had numerous opportunities to do so, but didn't.  ••••The biggest expansion of FCC power under the SSOI is the proposal to bring broadband-internet-access services under 47 U.S.C. § 214 (Section 214). Under Section 214, carriers must be authorized by the FCC to provide domestic and international telecommunications services in the United States. This section, however, applies to common carriers, and thus does not apply to broadband-internet-access services under their current classification as Title I information services. In the original OIO, the FCC said it would forebear from applying Section 214 to broadband-internet access. The NPRM indicates that the FCC now seeks to exclude this portion of Title II regulation from forbearance. •••• A cynic might say that the differences between the SSOI and the OIO can be attributed to the current FCC majority having greater regulatory ambitions than their 2015 counterparts. The FCC, however, also must explain what has changed since the 2018 repeal to justify reimposing Title II regulation. Perhaps that is why the new proposal emphasizes national-security concerns over net neutrality, highlights the indispensability of internet access during the pandemic, notes the recent massive government investments in broadband infrastructure and adoption, and questions the efficacy of state-by-state regulation.  •••• Thus, the big question is whether these new regulations and their justifications will survive an inevitable court challenge. • Click for International Center for Law & Economics. /// • 106- LA county officials open the regional connector Transit prospect Gary Sunkin (TVInews) and Stepanie Wiggins (CEO, Metropolitan Transportation Authority) Ms Wiggins told TVI that she has been waiting for this opening for many years. LOS ANGELES - June 16, 2023 - When Metro's Rgional Connector opens today it will makes it easier to ride across LA County as passengers will be able to travel from Azusa to Long Beach, East LA to Santa Monica and through downtown LA all on one train. With the opening there will no longer be an L (Gold) Line in the Metro system. ••• Hundreds of commters, office workers and Metro employees gathered at the Little TokyoArts District station for the noon opening. •••• With the opening of Metro's Regional Connector, The transportation agency is offering free rides all weekend to celebrate. The project, which has taken roughly $1.8 billion and nearly a decade to complete, is expected to shave off a chunk of commuting time for Metro riders and provide them with a seamless one-seat ride. •••• In 2008, the Metro Board of Directors included initial funding for the Regional Connector in the Measure R sales tax ballot measure, which was approved by L.A. County voters. The project was also funded by approximately $1 billion in federal grants and loans, as well as bonds from the state's high-speed rail project. •••• The project includes three new underground stations and extends from the L Line (Gold) in Little Tokyo and Arts District communities to the A (Blue) and E (Expo) Lines at 7th Street/Metro Center Station. The project will combine the A, E and L Lines into two rail lines -- the new A and E Lines. •••• Metro officials, state leaders and others gathered to celebrate the grand opening at a ceremony at the Japanese American National Museum in Little Tokyo. •••• As part of the transit agency's celebration, Metro will offer free rides on all trains, buses, Metro Bike and Metro Micro through the weekend. Commuters will be able to take advantage until 3 a.m. Monday. • Click direct Metro Project Connector • Click for For more on rail service changes and opening day events /// Memorial Day What we now refer to as Memorial Day began as Decoration Day just after the Civil War in 1868. It was established as a day to remember the war dead by decorating their graves with flowers. The North and The South originally observed Decoration Day on different days until the mid-20th century when the last Monday of the month was chosen to honor all Americans who died while serving in the military. • Fellow Americans, It's Gary Sinise here You may know me from my roles in movies like Apollo 13 and The Green Mile or the CBS television series CSI NY -- but it was in 1994 and playing the role of Lt. Dan in Forrest Gump, that my life changed and inspired my enduring connection to our defenders, veterans, and first responders. This year, I'm honored to again serve as an Honorary Grand Marshal for the National Memorial Day Parade in Washington, D.C. The National Memorial Day Parade is an event like no other … and this year, the American Veterans Center is bringing it BACK in full force, with 5,000+ participants marching down Constitution Avenue before a crowd of 250,000+ in-person, as well as T.V. broadcast that reaches 100 million households around the country.  Fellow American, the National Memorial Day Parade is PRIMARILY FUNDED by private contributions, including from generous Americans like you. Will you help chip in today to help support the Parade with a gift of $25, $50, $75, $150, or more? Support the National Memorial Day Parade When the American Veterans Center first called me 18 years ago and invited me to the National Memorial Day Parade, I was honored to join the event to remember our fallen heroes. The American Veterans Center revived the Parade in 2005 after it had been dormant for nearly 70 years. And this year, they're bringing the Parade back better than ever. Every American should be proud that generations of our brave servicemen and servicewomen, from the last of our "Greatest Generation" heroes of World War II to our veterans from Afghanistan and Iraq, will get the public thanks for their service that they deserve this year. But I know that the defenders and families of the fallen who will join me in the National Memorial Day Parade will be thinking of their friends and loved ones who made the ultimate sacrifice for our country -- the brave Americans we honor on Memorial Day. Sadly, our country is losing hundreds of World War II veterans each day, so the mission of the National Memorial Day Parade is more important now than ever -- as this year's event may be the LAST opportunity for our WWII heroes to commemorate their friends who never came home. Please make your most generous contribution of $25, $50, $75, $150, $250, $500, to support the National Memorial Day Parade and make it the tribute that our nation's heroes deserve. Support the National Memorial Day Parade The National Memorial Day Parade costs a fraction of other major public events to put on each year. In fact, the entire parade costs about as much as just THREE balloons in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade or TWO floats in the Rose Bowl Parade!  That means that every dollar that's contributed by a generous American like you makes a difference for this important event. Your support of the American Veterans Center not only helps the Parade, but also supports great programs like: • Recording hundreds of oral histories of veterans from World War II to today before we lose these stories forever. • Holding our National Youth Summit which allows young students a chance to hear firsthand from veterans from WWII, Korea, and Vietnam.  • Producing veteran-focused T.V. documentaries and specials that remind Americans of the price of our freedom. Please join me in support of the National Memorial Day Parade with a gift of $25, $50, $75, $150, $250, $500, or more right now. But no matter how much you can give to this important cause, I want to ask something additional of you. On Memorial Day -- this year and every year -- please join me in honoring those who made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedoms. Come to the National Memorial Day Parade in D.C. Visit a local veterans' cemetery. Send a note to a family of the fallen. Or simply take a quiet moment to think about the men and women who gave their lives to defend OUR country. I believe while we can never do enough to express our gratitude to our defenders, veterans, and first responders, we can always do a little more. Fellow American, thank you for your support of America's heroes, and please -- if you're able, make a gift to help fund the National Memorial Day Parade right now. Sincerely, Gary Sinise Honorary Grand Marshal National Memorial Day Parade  Support the National Memorial Day Parade The mission of the American Veterans Center and the World War II Veterans Committee is to preserve and promote the legacy and experiences of America's veterans and active duty service personnel from World War II through today. A non-profit educational organization, the AVC and WWIIVC are funded solely through generous contributions from people like you. All contributions are tax-deductible.  © American Veterans Center 1100 N. Glebe Road Suite 910, Arlington, VA 22201 Memorial Day Concert WASHINGTON, DC -- PBS will broadcast the National Memorial Day Concert live from Washington, D.C. on Sunday, May 28, 2023 at 8:00 p.m. ET on the West Lawn of the US Capitol. This will be the 34th year the annual all-star event honors the men and women who served in the U.S. armed forces, as well as their families and those who sacrificed their lives for their country. Emmy Award-winner Gary Sinis and Tony Award-winner Joe Mantegna, who have dedicated themselves to supporting the troops and veterans' causes, will be hosting once again. The concert will also feature special appearances and performances with the National Symphony Orchestra. • Click for 34th Memorial Day Concert • Click for 2023 Performers • Click for more tviStory-106- It's Gary Sinise Here, The National Memorial Day Parade 2023 • 106- Author Salman Rushdie stabbed on lecture stage •••• "The Satanic Verses" author Salman Rushdie, who for years was the target of death threats from Iran, was stabbed in the neck and body at a conference in New York state. •••• Photo: Salman Rushdie (Rogelio V. Solis / Associated Press) •••• Rushdie, whose book "The Satanic Verses" sent him undercover out of fear for his life was prepared to give a lecture at the Chautauqua Institution, a non profit education and retreat center in upstate New York. Ironically, he was allegedly to talk about the US being a "safe haven" for speech when Hadi Matar, 24, rushed the stage, attacked him and an interviewer and then started to stab the 75-year-old author. •••• Rushdie was taken by helicopter to a hospital, where he underwent surgery and put on a ventilator. He will likely lose one eye; the nerves in his arm were severed; and his liver was stabbed and damaged," his agent Andrew Wylie said in the statement." •••• The man accused of attacking Rushdie at the Chautauqua Institution, pleaded not guilty to attempted murder and assault charges in what a prosecutor called "pre-planned" crime. A judge ordered him held without bail after Chautauqua County Dist Atty Jason Schmidt told her that Matar 24, took steps to purposely put himself in position to harm Rushdie, getting an advance pass to the event where the author was speaking and arriving a day early bearing a fake ID. ••• The attach was met with shock and outrage from much of the world, along with tribute and praise for the award-winning author who for more than 30 ears has faced death threats. •••• Salman was born in India and raised in Mumbai before moving to England to attend high school and the University of Cambridge, the Authors Guild said. He is the author of 14 novels, including "Midnight's Children," for which he won the 1981 Booker Prize. •••• Rushdie's life first came under threat in 1989, when Iranian Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini placed a fatwa on him over "The Satanic Verses," a book inspired by the life of the prophet Muhammad. •••• The author was issued a death sentence in 1989 by Ayatollah Khomeini, after Rushdie's book, The Satanic Verses, allegedly insulted the Prophet Mohammed and The Koran. •••• The book caused an uproar in many Muslim communities. Khomeini called it blasphemy, saying it was "against Islam, the Prophet and the Koran" when he ordered Rushdie's death. He offered a $1-million reward for Rushdie's killer. Khomeini died in 1989. •••• Rushdie's life first came under threat in 1989, when Iranian Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini placed a fatwa on him over "The Satanic Verses," a book inspired by the life of the prophet Muhammad. •••• The book caused an uproar in many Muslim communities. Khomeini called it blasphemy, saying it was "against Islam, the Prophet and the Koran" when he ordered Rushdie's death. He offered a $1-million reward for Rushdie's killer. Khomeini died in 1989. ••••After the fatwa was ordered, the writer went into hiding, moving constantly and always remaining protected by a bodyguard. ••••The Iranian government in 1998 said it no longer backed the fatwa, and Rushdie moved out of hiding to New York City. • Click for More tviStory- 106- s90- Author Salman Rushdie stabbed on lecture stage /// Memorial Day TVI's Gary Sunkin poses with Flag at Forest Lawn Photo By: Nicolai Roska What we now refer to as Memorial Day began as Decoration Day just after the Civil War in 1868. It was established as a day to remember the war dead by decorating their graves with flowers. The North and The South originally observed Decoration Day on different days until the mid-20th century when the last Monday of the month was chosen to honor all Americans who died while serving in the military. Flag etiquette: On Memorial Day, the flag of the United States is raised briskly to the top of the staff and then solemnly lowered to the half-staff position, where it remains only until noon. It is then raised to full-staff for the remainder of the day. National Moment of Remembrance: In 2000, Congress passed the National Moment of Remembrance Act, asking people to stop and remember at 3:00 pm. • General Colin L. Powell remembrance at National Memorial Day Concert WASHINGTON, DC -- PBS will be broadcasting the 2022 National Memorial Day Concert live from 8-9:30 p.m. ET, on Sunday. PBS stations from around the country will be carrying the 90-minute concert, which will also be streamed and shown on YouTube, starting at 8 p.m. PBS will broadcast the National Memorial Day Concert live from Washington, D.C. on Sunday m 8-9:30 p.m. ET. This will be the 33rd year the annual all-star event honors the men and women who served in the U.S. armed forces, as well as their families and those who sacrificed their lives for their country. Emmy Award-winner Gary Sinis and Tony Award-winner Joe Mantegna, who have dedicated themselves to supporting the troops and veterans' causes, will be hosting once again. The concert will also feature special appearances and performances by Jean Smart, Gil Birmingham, Mary McCormack, Dennis Haysbert, Lea Salonga, Norm Lewis, Craig Morgan, Rhiannon Giddens, Brian Stokes Mitchell and Pia Toscano with the National Symphony Orchestra. This year's concert will include the following specially themed segments: • Gen. Colin L. Powell Remembrance - Dennis Haysbert of "24" and "Major League" honors the memory of the 12th Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the 65th U.S. Secretary of State. • Generations of Service - Gil Birmingham of "Yellowstone" and "Wind River" will perform a tribute to the over 58,000 Americans who lost their lives in the Vietnam War and those who served during the Vietnam era. • Honoring Gold Star Families - Jean Smart of "Hacks" and "Mare of Easttown" joins Joe Mantegna in sharing the inspiring story of retired Maj. Gen. Mark Graham and his wife Carol, who lost both their sons, 2nd Lt. Jeff Graham and Senior ROTC Cadet Kevin Graham, to an IED and depression, respectively, in under eight months. • Women in WWII Tribute - Mary McCormack of "Heels" and "West Wing" honors the women in uniform and those who served on the home front during World War II. • Medal of Honor Tribute - Gary Sinese will be joined by Medal of Honor recipients in this tribute to those who received the nation's highest award for valor in combat. • Lincoln Memorial 100th Anniversary - The concert will mark the 100th anniversary of the monument dedicated to President Lincoln. This year's National Memorial Concert will also feature performances by musical groups from the Military District of Washington, D.C., including the U.S. Army Herald Trumpets, The U.S. Army Chorus, The Soldiers' Chorus of the U.S. Army Field Band, The U.S. Navy Band Sea Chanters, The U.S. Air Force Singing Sergeants, the Armed Forces Color Guard and Service Color Teams. • Click for More tviStory- 115-s90- General Colin L. Powell remembrance at National /// • 106- Court sides with Google in Oracle's epic API copyright case •••• The United States Supreme Court weighed in on Google's long legal battle with Oracle, overturning a prior victory for the latter company that could have resulted in an $8 billion+ award. •••• In a 6-2 decision, the court ruled on April 5, 2021, that Google didn't break copyright laws when it incorporated pieces of Oracle's Java software language into its own mobile operating system, presenting major implications for the software industry. Google copied Oracle's code for Java APIs for Android, and the case kicked off a years-long debate over the reuse of estalished APIs and copyright. •••• In 2018, a federal appeals court ruled that Google did in fact violate copyright law by using the APIs and that its implementation didn't fall under fair use. •••• "In reviewing that decision, we assume, for argument's sake, that the material was copyrightable. But we hold that the copying here at issue nonetheless constituted a fair use. Hence, Google's copying did not violate the copyright law," Justice Stephen Breyer wrote in the decision, which reverses Oracle's previous win. Justices Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas dissented. •••• "Google's copying of the Java SE API, which included only those lines of code that were needed to allow programmers to put their accrued talents to work in a new and transformative program, was a fair use of that material as a matter of law," Breyer wrote. •••• Google SVP of Global Affairs Kent Walker called the ruling, a "big win for innovation, interoperability & computing." •••• Oracle had alleged in the decade-old case that Google infringed on copyrights related to using roughly 11,500 lines of code from the Java programming platform to develop Android. Oracle, which acquired Java in 2010 when it bought Sun Microsystems, sought $9 billion in damages, arguing that Google used the code without its permission. ••••In a blunt statement released after the decision, Oracle said Google "stole" Java and "spent a decade litigating as only a monopolist can. This behavior is exactly why regulatory authorities around the world and in the United States are examining Google's business practices." •••••• Both Microsoft and IBM were among the industry heavyweights that had filed briefs backing Google in the case. They and others warned that ruling against the Mountain View, Calif.-based company could have profound consequences, stifling innovation and upending software development. ••••Oracle had garnered backing from the movie and recording industries as well as publishers, which favor expansive copyright protections to protect their profits from books, articles, movies, TV shows and music. The Trump administration had also backed Oracle. ••Since the fall, regulators in the United States have filed three lawsuits against the search and advertising giant -- including a broad antitrust case brought in December by more than three dozen states -- signifying a deepening unease with Google's profits and reach. • Click for More tviStory- 106- Court sides with Google in Oracle's epic API copyright case /// • 106- SAG-AFTRA proposes 1998 Digital Millenium Copyright Act update LOS ANGELES -- SAG-AFTRA thanks Chairman Tillis for spearheading a yearlong review to update the now over 20-year-old Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). Tillis introduced the discussion draft of the Digital Copyright Act (DCA) of 2021. The DMCA came out in 1998 and was supposed to balance copyright interests with technology interests, but it has failed to keep pace with changes in technology.  •••• Tillis' review clarified what we have long known, there are far too many deficiencies and inequities, and the DMCA is ripe for improvement. We look forward to reviewing the proposed draft and working with all stakeholders to get this invaluable legal framework right for the 21st century.   •••• SAG-AFTRA President Gabrielle Carteris said, "Strong copyright protections are critical to our members and their ability to reap the benefits of their performances. We rely on copyright owners' fully exploiting their work to ensure our collectively bargained residuals payments, and corresponding health and pension plan contributions, remain intact. The world of entertainment has evolved dramatically in the digital era. Our copyright laws must evolve to keep pace, and they must be crafted to allow the creative community to thrive alongside the technology community. At present, they thrive at our expense. We thank Chairman Tillis for putting together this forward looking draft." • Click for More tviStory- 106-s90- 1998 Digital Millenium Copyright Act update released •

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