IT GOT WORSE! Drake Now Threatening Multiple "Not Like Us" Lawsuits, Trump's Tariffs Explained
PDS Published 11/26/2024
-
I didn’t lose the rap beef, you guys cheated!
That is roughly what Drake is alleging in a new court filing, accusing Universal Music Group and Spotify of scheming to artificially inflate streams of Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us.”
The petition was filed in New York yesterday, and it says:[]
“UMG did not rely on chance, or even ordinary business practices, to ‘break through the noise’ on Spotify, and likely other music platforms. It instead launched a campaign to manipulate and saturate the streaming services and airwaves with a song, “Not Like Us,” in order to make that song go viral.”
Specifically accusing UMG of charging Spotify lower licensing rates for the song in exchange for the platform recommending it to users who were searching for unrelated tracks and artists.
Also claiming that UMG conspired with and paid unknown parties to use bots to artificially up the spread of “Not Like Us” and make it appear more popular than it really was.
And on top of all this, Drake’s lawyers also claimed that they have:
“received information that UMG has been taking steps in an apparent effort to conceal its schemes, including, but not limited to, by terminating employees associated with or perceived as having loyalty to Drake.”
And if you need a refresher on why this filing is so significant, well, Drake and Kendrick were in a seriously heated feud over the summer, and both of them took a series of shots at one another through various songs.
But “Not Like Us” was the biggest song to come from it far and away, it was sort of the final nail in Drake’s coffin, both because of its content and massive popularity.
Right, in it, Kendrick calls Drake a “certified pedophile,” and adds:
“Ain't you tired? Tryna strike a chord and it's probably A minor.”
And it is important to note that Drake has denied these allegations, but that did not stop the song from really taking off.
Debuting at number one on the Billboard charts, more recently getting nominated for Record and Song of the Year at the Grammys.
But now, Drake’s team is saying this success is the result of a big conspiracy, accusing UMG of violating the RICO statute that is often used in organized crime cases. []
And you have outlets noting that his legal action here is pretty surprising because both Drake and Kendrick’s music is distributed under the Universal Music Group umbrella.[]
But as Billboard explained, Drake says some execs still had motive because of the “internal corporate dynamics and UMG and Interscope” which reward incentives based on how specific divisions do instead of the overall performance of UMG.[]
The outlet also explaining that this filing is not a lawsuit, rather:
“a so-called ‘pre-action’ petition — a procedure under New York law that aims to secure information before filing a lawsuit.”
Though, that does not guarantee that the parties named in these filings will be eventually hit with a lawsuit.
And so far, UMG is denying all the claims here, saying in a statement that:
“The suggestion that UMG would do anything to undermine any of its artists is offensive and untrue. We employ the highest ethical practices in our marketing and promotional campaigns. No amount of contrived and absurd legal arguments in this pre-action submission can mask the fact that fans choose the music they want to hear.”
So in other words, saying, ‘it’s not our fault the general public really liked a song that read you for filth and attacked absolutely every element of your reputation.’
But Drake is still fighting them, claiming he has tried to “engage UMG in discussions to resolve the ongoing harm he has suffered,”[]
But saying they have refused to engage and instead pointed fingers at Kendrick and suggested they take him to court instead.
And this morning, Drake took things even further by filing another action against UMG, accusing the label of defamation, per Billboard.
Saying UMG knew that Kendrick’s song “falsely” labeled him as a sex offender, but they let him release it anyways, adding:
“UMG … could have refused to release or distribute the song or required the offending material to be edited and/or removed. But UMG chose to do the opposite. UMG designed, financed and then executed a plan to turn ‘Not Like Us’ into a viral mega-hit with the intent of using the spectacle of harm to Drake and his businesses to drive consumer hysteria and, of course, massive revenues.”
UMG has not yet responded to that specific claim, which, like the first, is not part of a lawsuit.
But I would love to know your thoughts on this one, on this rap beef moving from the recording studio to the courts.
And how you think this will play out, because this looks like it’s just step one of something that could potentially grow.
-
This is a scammer’s worst nightmare.
Right, this is Daisy and she’s an AI-generated grandmother created by a British phone company named Virgin Media O2 in order to fight scammers. [B Roll 0:25-0:40]
And she’s doing it by doing what little old ladies do best - just yapping.
She just chats with scammers, telling them all about her grandchildren and her cat and the birds outside her window. [B Roll 0:40-0:53]
And also her knitting hobby and her biscuit preferences. []
And she’s just not great with the computer so could you explain what you need her to type again?
That’s not even a joke - she reportedly spent nearly an hour on the phone with three scammers who were trying to get her to type “www dot” into a web browser. []
And that’s just it - Daisy is designed to seem like the perfect target for scammers with her chatty nature and ignorance about technology.
But then she just keeps on talking and talking,
“Well I do have a computer, but I’m not currently at it. I was just about to um um sit down with um a nice cuppance and biscuits. Do you like biscuits Peter?” 0:00-0:11,
“Oh dear, I’m 78 years young. You know, back in my day, we didn’t have all this technology. Everything was much simpler.” 2:42-2:52
Now, O2’s idea here is that every minute scammers spend talking to Daisy is a minute they aren’t scamming a real person. []
Which isn’t exactly unique - there are plenty of real people who bait scammers using that same tactic.
But the thing about Daisy is that she doesn’t ever need to stop.
And it makes scammers REAL mad,
“It’s nearly been an hour! For the love of–” “Gosh, how time flies.” 0:44-0:49,
“Stop calling me deary you stupid –” “Got it, dear.” 0:56-1:00
Now, Daisy is good but she isn’t the end-all solution - especially considering the sheer volume of scam calls that happen all the time.
Last year, there were tens of millions of scam calls around the world every single day.
And as satisfying as it may be, there are some experts who recommend against Daisy’s methods - like Dr. Elisabeth Carter from Kingston University London who says,
“Although it does disrupt operations on a practical level, it doesn’t stop fraud more broadly in any meaningful sense.” []
Adding,
“The best thing to do if you receive a call from a fraudster is to not engage, to hang up and report it.” []
With that, I will pass the question off to you - what are your thoughts on the use of AI in this way?
Let me know in those comments down below.
Go to UPLIFT Desk and use code PHIL to check out their holiday gift guide and make the most of UPLIFT’s holiday sales.
-
Biden officials are ready to cover the cost of Ozempic BUT the Trump Camp might squash it before it can even happen.
Right, the Biden administration has just proposed expanding Medicare and Medicaid coverage for weight-loss medications like Ozempic.
We’re talking coverage expanded to 7.5 million people enrolled in Medicare and Medicaid, according to Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra (Javier Ba-sara). []
And that’s a substantial change considering that the current rules make it so Medicare doesn’t cover weight-loss drugs.
Though a lot of Medicare beneficiaries do get Ozempic or Wegovy to treat heart disease and diabetes - which are conditions made worse by obesity. []
As for why the Biden administration decided to make this change, officials say it’s thanks to a recognition that obesity is, quote,
“...a chronic disease based on changes in medical consensus.” []
There is also some concern regarding the timing here - with Ba-sara explaining the super late-term announcement by saying that Biden officials needed to come to a scientific agreement. []
And that it had nothing to do with the election.
And Biden officials say that this new proposal would boost public health, putting pressure on the incoming Trump admin to finalize it in the days after he takes office. []
But that may be a long shot - especially considering Trump’s pick for the new HHS Secretary.
Right, RFK Jr. has openly spoken out against weight-loss drugs - even blaming them for hiding the root problem of poor health in America. [] [] [B Roll 0:30-0:50]
Saying earlier this year,
“For half the price of Ozempic, we could purchase regeneratively raised, organic food for every American, three meals a day and a gym membership, for every obese American.” []
Ba-sara, in response to concern that RFK would shut this proposal down, said he would urge him to look at the data showing the benefits of weight-loss drugs. []
Making a comparison to vaccines - which considering who we’re talking about, may not be the best call.
But there is a chance that not everyone in the upcoming administration will be against this.
In fact, Dr. Oz - Trump’s pick to head up the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services - has repeatedly hyped up weight-loss drugs. [B Roll]
And even named Ozempic in an Instagram post last year, saying,
“We need to make it as easy as possible for people to meet their health goals, period.” []
Now, the proposed rules here will reportedly only apply to beneficiaries that are obese.
And those that are overweight aren’t eligible unless they have another condition. []
But considering that roughly 40% of Americans were obese between 2021 and 2023, according to a recent CDC report, that could still make a serious difference in the lives of millions.
Though there is the attached price tag to mention as well - with this proposal reportedly costing taxpayers as much as $35 billion over the next decade. []
And considering the promises that Team Trump have made to cut government spending, that could be enough for them to shut this down.
So we’re just going to have to wait and see how this proposal stands in January after Trump takes office.
But I would love to know your thoughts about this in those comments down below.
-
Trump gives specifics regarding tariffs on China, Canada and Mexico, with his proposal violating the 2020 North American trade deal he signed during his first term
Donald Trump is doubling down on tariffs, saying he’ll impose them on all products coming into the US from Mexico, Canada, and China on his first day in office.
Right, in one social media post, claiming thousands of people are “pouring through Mexico and Canada, bringing Crime and Drugs at levels never seen before”
Then saying he’d issue a day one executive order to levy a 25 percent tariff on all goods from Canada and Mexico.
And finally, adding: “This Tariff will remain in effect until such time as Drugs, in particular Fentanyl, and all Illegal Aliens stop this Invasion of our Country!” []
And then, in a separate post, saying China will be charged an additional 10 percent on top of any existing tariffs “on all of their many products coming into the United States of America.”
Again, saying the tariffs will stay in place until something is done about drugs coming into the US.
And now, virtually everything in both of those posts is at best misleading and at worst an outright lie.
Right, for example unauthorized border crossings in general have been falling since before the election and are continuing to do so.
However, it is true that crossings at the northern border have been increasing.
Though, either way, there’s no evidence to suggest migrants are bringing crime and drugs at levels never seen before.
Right, as we’ve talked about many times, multiple studies, including one recently from the National Institutes of Justice, have found undocumented immigrants commit crimes at lower rates than citizens. []
And regarding drugs?
Fentanyl seizures have dramatically increased under Biden compared to Trump.
And now, the country’s actually seeing significantly less fentanyl in circulation and fewer overdoses.
And either way, most fentanyl is smuggled through official border crossings by Americans.
In fact, more than 80 percent of the people sentenced for fentanyl trafficking at the southern border are US citizens[]
And with that, it’s obviously still a huge issue, and it’s true that Mexican cartels and Chinese gangs linked to the CCP are playing a huge role.
And it’s not like we can’t talk about whether other countries can do more.
But I just wanna be clear about what the facts are.
And with that, let’s get back to these tariffs.
With Trump’s big lie there being that Mexico, Canada, and China are going to be the ones paying for them.
Right, as much as he has insisted that foreign companies pay tariffs, they are actually paid by the company that imports the products.
And in many cases, the cost is passed on to American consumers.[]
And that’s especially true in this case.
Right, that’s because Mexico, China and Canada together account for more than a third of the goods and services both imported and exported by the US – supporting tens of millions of American jobs. []
Also, notably, imposing tariffs on Canada and Mexico would violate the terms of the trade agreement that Trump himself signed in 2020.[]
And with that, while other countries don’t technically pay the tariffs, it doesn’t mean they won’t be hurt by them.
Right, the Mexican economy could be hit especially hard since it’s so dependent on American trade, exporting about 80 percent of its goods to the US []
You also have the spokesperson for the Chinese embassy in the US saying:
“..China-US economic and trade cooperation is mutually beneficial in nature. No one will win a trade war or a #tariff war.” []
And with that, there’s concern that these countries could respond with tariffs of their own.
Or, otherwise be less inclined to cooperate on issues like immigration and drug smuggling.
Actually to that point, Mexico’s president is already suggesting her country might retaliate with tariffs of its own.
Notably, with her pointing out that Mexico is actually dealing with an influx of weapons smuggled in from the US.
But with all that, there’s some who believe that this is just a negotiating tactic from Trump.
On the other hand, some are saying that we should take him at his word.
With a professor of trade policy at Cornell, for example, telling the New York Times:
“The increasing specificity of Trump’s tariff threats, both in terms of the amounts and the countries to be targeted, indicates the strong possibility that these are looming actions rather than just blustery threats.” []
And so, really, we’ll have to wait and see what happens.
But if he goes through with these plans, almost all experts agree, get ready for prices to go up.
-
The Israeli security cabinet has voted in favor of a ceasefire proposal to end the fighting with Hezbollah in Lebanon – that even as they continue fighting Hezbollah in Lebanon.
But in any case, we had Netanyahu announcing the news in a television address, saying: “The length of the cease-fire will depend on what happens in Lebanon.” (BROLL: 9:05-9:20)
And adding:
“With the full understanding of the United States, we are preserving full military freedom of action — if Hezbollah breaks the agreement and seeks to arm itself, we will attack.” []
Also, with that, as of recording, the proposal still has to be presented to the full cabinet for approval.
But notably, with Netanyahu’s backing, it is in fact expected to move forward.
With him saying there were three reasons to support a cease-fire:
One, it would allow Israel to focus on Iran.
Two, it would give the country’s military an opportunity to rebuild its stockpiles.
And three, it would isolate Hamas.[]
And as far as what the deal actually says?
It would begin a 60-day process during which both sides would stop fighting and withdraw from southern Lebanon.
Right, Israeli forces would return south of the border, Hezbollah would retreat north of the Litani River, and the Lebanese Army would fill the void.[]
Also, as mentioned, Netanyahu vowed that Israel would attack immediately should Hezbollah violate the deal by firing rockets or building military fortifications along Israel’s border. []
And with that, it’s important to say that Hezbollah technically isn’t even part of this deal.
Right, the agreement would officially be between Israel, Lebanon and the mediating countries, which are the US and France.
A top Lebanese lawmaker has been acting as a liaison with Hezbollah, which the country’s government doesn’t have control over, and which is designated as a terrorist organization by the US. []
Though, notably, as recently as last week, Hezbollah’s leader suggested that the group would accept a truce if Israel stopped striking Lebanon and Lebanon retained its sovereignty. []
And with all that, the UN’s peacekeeping forces in southern Lebanon are reportedly standing ready to enforce a cease-fire.
Though, notably, a spokesperson has said the U.N. was, quote, “seriously concerned” about the Israeli assault that’s been unfolding over the past couple days. []
Right, today, Israeli strikes against central Beirut have been described as “some of the most intense bombardment of the war.” [] (BROLL: 0:46-0:57)
With Lebanon’s health ministry saying that at least 10 people were killed and dozens of others injured. []
Plus, in Southern Lebanon, Israeli strikes throughout the day have reportedly killed at least eight people, including children. []
In fact, even after Netanyahu announced his backing for a ceasefire, a journalist for The New York Times reporting from Beirut said that strikes could still be heard in the capital. []
And overall, nearly 4,000 people have been killed and more than 15,00 others wounded in Israeli strikes on Lebanon since October of last year. []
Of course, that’s on top of that tens of thousands directly killed in Gaza, as well as the hundreds of thousands more displaced and suffering.
And with all that, even with this ceasefire nearly in place, a lot of questions remain.
Right, how long will it hold up? How will it be enforced?
Ultimately, we’ll just have to wait and see.
Visit NordPass and use code phil for a 3-month free NordPass Business trial or the best offer for the Personal plan!
-
Are we watching the slow death of diversity, equity and inclusion in America?
Right, aside from the red tsunami that swept through national politics this month,
There are a few other trends suggesting that DEI is on the decline.
Starting with the news that Walmart, the largest private employer in the world, is quite literally erasing DEI terminology from its official communications. [Image]
With it instead resorting to the more neutral term “belonging,” and taking several more material steps as well. [Quote, find “no longer”]
Such as, for example, removing race and gender as considerations when choosing suppliers, [Same quote and Image]
Disallowing third-party merchants from marketing certain LGBTQ-themed items online to children. [Quote, find “merchants”]
Cutting off funding for the Center for Racial Equity, [Same quote]
Cutting off data sharing with the pro-LGBTQ Human Rights Campaign, [Same quote]
And ending DEI training offered by the Racial Equity Institute. [Quote, find “discontinue”]
But although it’s a big example, Walmart’s not the only company recently purging DEI language from their materials.
With many others including Eli Lilly, Starbucks, Duolingo, JetBlue and Salesforce taking similar actions. [Headline]
Which is a surprising turn considering how corporate America threw so much weight behind racial equity and DEI initiatives during the BLM protests in 2020. []
But the conservative backlash since then has created a social, political and legal climate many companies find too hostile.
Whether it’s right-wing boycotts against firms like Bud Light, the Supreme Court striking down affirmative action last year, or right-leaning groups filing lawsuits against race-conscious corporate and government programs.
And it’s not just the higher ups; employees are turning the same way.
With Pew Research finding that between February of last year and fall of this year, U.S. workers’ support for DEI initiatives slightly decreased.
Right, the share of workers who say focusing on increasing DEI at work is mainly a bad thing jumped from 16 to 21 percent. [Quote, find “21%”]
Though just over half, 52%, still say it’s a good thing. [Same quote]
And when you break down the data by demographics, you get what you’d expect.
With women and Democrats, as well as Black, Hispanic and Asian workers most likely to support DEI in the workplace. [Quote same link, find “Women, Democrats”]
Then men and Republicans are much less likely to support it, and the share of Asian workers who do has dropped 15 points. [Quote same link, find “42%” and “29%” and “72%”]
Now interestingly, for all groups, more people agree that DEI helps black, hispanic and Asian men and women. [Quote same link, find “helps Black”]
But opinions about whether it helps or hurts white women are mixed, and way more people say it hurts white men than helps them. [Quote same link, find “23%” and “36%”]
So that’s where public opinion is at, but who’s actually right?
Does DEI help or hurt the people it targets?
Well of course, that’s a debate I’m not gonna settle here, but I do wanna talk about one study that just came out.
Right, it’s from Rutgers University’s Social Perception Lab and the Network Contagion Research Institute, or NCRI. [Image]
And they exposed people to DEI materials on race, religion and caste from popular authors like Ibram X. Kendi [Ee-brum X Kendy] and Robin DiAngelo [Pronounce 01:51] to observe how it influenced their responses to survey questions. [Image]
But while in theory, DEI is supposed to make people more understanding of one another, the researchers found that it engendered what they call a “hostile attribution bias.” [Quote, find “amplifying”]
Amplifying perceptions of prejudicial hostility where none was actually present, as well as punitive responses to that imagined prejudice. [Image]
So for example, the researchers presented people with a totally race-neutral scenario about a student applying to an elite university, being interviewed and getting rejected. [Quote, find “an elite”]
But despite having no evidence of it, participants primed with DEI materials perceived more discrimination and microaggressions. [Quote same link, find “more harm”]
They were also 12% more willing to support suspending the admission officer for a semester, 16% more willing to demand a public apology to the applicant, and 12% more willing to require additional DEI training to correct the officer. [Quote same link, find “16 percent”]
With the study finding similar results for content about Islamophobia and Hindu caste discrimination.
In fact, one shocking experiment made people 27 to 35 percent more willing to agree with Hitler quotes that substituted “Jew” with “Brahmin,” the highest rung in the Indian caste system. [Quote, find “35%”]
Now of course, data like that is very provocative, and people are gonna disagree about how to interpret it.
But already we’re seeing the fissure open up between left and right.
With one side covering the study extensively and the other remaining pretty much silent.
In fact, an NCRI researcher told National Review that the New York Times and Bloomberg “both jumped on the story enthusiastically” at first, [Quote]
“Only for it to be inexplicably pulled at the highest editorial levels.” [Same quote]
With them adding, “This has never happened to the NCRI in its 5 year history.” [Same quote]
And according to the NNCRI source, although someone at the Times’ “data-driven reporting team” had “no problems” with the study, [Quote same link]
“at the eleventh hour, the New York Times insisted the research undergo peer review after discussions with editorial staff — an unprecedented demand for our work. The journalist involved had previously covered far more sensitive NCRI findings, such as our QAnon and January 6th studies, without any such request.” [Quote same link]
Also, Ibram X. Kendi responded directly to the study, telling Fox News:
“It comes as no surprise that Fox News would broadcast this pseudoscience that isn’t peer-reviewed, misrepresents my work, and is based on anchoring bias. This so-called study will end up in the historic landfill of pseudoscience alongside other attempts to bring scientific legitimacy to racist propaganda that anti-slavery and civil rights then, and DEI and antiracism now have been harmful.” [Quote]
So with that, I’m gonna end this very chill and fun segment that I’m sure nobody will feel too strongly about.
And instead, I’ll throw it over to you; what are your thoughts on any part of this?
Links:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2024/11/26/walmart-dei-robby-starbuck/
-
A massive protest in Pakistan has turned deadly.
Right, by this morning, as many as 100,000 had entered the capital city of Islamabad (Is-la-muh-bod). (BROLL: 0:48-0:57)
With them demanding his release of the country’s jailed former prime minister Imran Khan (The “K” in Khan is very soft - HERE IS AN ENGLISH-SPEAKER SAYING IT WELL)
And so far, at least seven people have been killed in the violence, with dozens injured and thousands getting arrested.
And as far as how we got here, we first gotta talk about who Imran Khan is.
Right, he actually first rose to fame as one of the world’s greatest cricket players, leading Pakistan to its only World Cup victory in 1992
He formed his own political party in 1996.
And in 2018, he became prime minister.
Notably, with many saying it was the backing of the military – which for decades has ruled Pakistan either outright or from behind the scenes – that finally brought Khan to power.[]
Khan, however, denies the military had any role in his election.[]
And whatever the case may be, there’s no doubt that they’re on opposite sides now.
Right, in 2022, Khan was removed as prime minister by a vote of no confidence
With him then being arrested and sentenced on corruption charges the next year.
Which he and his supporters claim were politically motivated attempts to get rid of him after he began publicly criticizing the military. []
And with that, Khan has continued to accuse the government and the military of conspiring against his party and undermining democracy, including by rigging elections. (BROLL: 1:24-1:30). []
And with a lot of Pakistanis genuinely fed up with the country’s military-run government, his message has hit home with a lot of people.
Right, he remains massively popular.
And in fact, this isn’t the first time he’s been able to organize a mass protest from behind bars (1, 2, 3)
But, as explained by the New York Times: “...few protests have reached the intensity of the clashes of the past few days.” []
Right, before the demonstration, police reportedly detained more than 4,000 protesters across the country.
The government also locked down the capital, blocking major highways with shipping containers, deploying thousands of police and paramilitary forces, and cutting cell and internet services in several areas. (BROLL:0:11-0:15 & BROLL:0:17-0:22)
And then, when protestors made it into the capital anyways, they used tear gas and rubber bullets against them (BROLL: 0:11-0:24).
In fact, the army was actually stationed at certain important government sites and reportedly given orders to shoot protestors if necessary. []
And according to Khan’s party, the police have in fact fired live bullets.
With the party saying two supporters were killed as a result of excessive police violence and many more had been injured. []
Though, with that, as of recording, the reported death toll is higher on the government side.
Right, for example, four paramilitary officers were reportedly run over by a car driven by protesters.[]
And then, one police officer was shot and killed, with at least 119 others injured.
And then, 22 police vehicles getting set on fire as well. [] (BROLL: 0:51-0:58)
And finally, several journalists reportedly being attacked by protesters.[]
And so, it’s been a violent day all around.
And we’ll just have to wait and see if anything comes out of it.
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(749x0:751x2)/drake-3-90b572338dea4512b0d699a24a74234a.jpg){kind=link}
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(721x404:723x406)/kendrick-lamar-bd42131cc28447bda06eefe0acb9234e.jpg){kind=link}
![[]](https://nij.ojp.gov/sites/g/files/xyckuh171/files/images/2024-09/ex2-violent-crime-offending-rates-by-citizenship-documentation-2012-2018.jpg){kind=link}
