Category: BUSINESS

A federal judge in Los Angeles sided with Mariah Carey in a lawsuit alleging she illegally copied elements of her holiday classic “All I Want For Christmas Is You” from a song of the same name that released three years prior.

Louisiana songwriter Andy Stone, who professionally goes by Vince Vance, and Tennessee native Troy Powers claim they wrote their “All I Want For Christmas Is You” in 1988 and released in 1989. Carey released her megahit just ahead of the 1994 holiday season, which has since received routine mass popularity every year.

On Nov. 1, 2023, the pair filed a $20 million lawsuit against the pop star, co-writer Walter Afanasieff and label Sony Music Entertainment. The suit alleged Carey’s song copied melodies, lyrics and other musical elements including the song’s “extended comparison between a loved one and trappings of seasonal luxury.”

However, U.S. District Judge Monica Almadani ruled Wednesday that music experts could not prove enough objective similarity between the two songs through what’s called an extrinsic test.

Almadani granted Carey’s request for summary judgment without the need to go to trial agreeing with the defense’s claims that the 1994 song uses common tropes associated with Christmas songs that existed prior to 1989.

USA TODAY has reached out to representatives for Carey, Afanasieff and Sony Music for comment on the ruling.

Attorney representing lawsuit call ruling disappointing

Stone and Power’s attorney Gerald Fox called the Wednesday ruling a “disappointment,” adding that most music copyright cases meet a similar outcome. He said his client is considering bringing the litigation to the Circuit Court level over the next week.

The court dismissed testimonies by Fox’s musicology experts Dr. Matthew Sakakeeny and Robert W. Fink, therefore leaving the defense’s arguments unrebutted.

“Our client retained two of the most accomplished experts teaching music at two of the United States top universities and did not file until in a blind process both opined that there was infringement,” Fox said in a statement to USA TODAY. “Sadly, it appears that the district courts routinely dismiss most plaintiff’s copyright cases.”

Fox has formerly represented clients who sued Taylor Swift for copyright infringement over the song “Shake It Off” in a case that ended with an undisclosed settlement.

What did the lawsuit say?

The lawsuit is Vance’s second to be dismissed after he filed and later dropped the first one in 2022 with allegations focused on “unique linguistic structure.”

The latest suit alleged that Vance and Powers’ version of the song charted several times throughout the ’90s, implying Carey and Afanasieff “undoubtedly had access” to take components of it.

They also alleged the pair had copied the title of the song arguing that “in 1988 it was, in context, distinctive. Moreover, the combination of the specific chord progression in the melody paired with the verbatim hook was a greater than 50% clone of Vance’s original work, in both lyric choice and chord expressions.”

Vance alleged his song charted on the Billboard Hot Country Chart in January of 1994, nine months before Carey’s song debuted.

“(This) points to the overwhelming likelihood that Carey and Afanasieff both career musicians and songwriters, who knew the importance of charting on Billboard, had access to the Vance work prior to the composition of the infringing work in question,” according to the lawsuit.

Contributing: Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA TODAY

Imagine a journey in the depths of winter from London to the Isle of Harris in the Outer Hebrides. EasyJet to Glasgow, Loganair to Stornoway, then an hour and half’s drive across a landscape of peat bogs and glassy lochans, as if the island cannot decide which dimension it belongs to: sea or rock? Past the ferry port at Tarbert, the darkness thick as treacle, the road narrows to a single track. Finally we arrive at a house named Caochan na Creige. The Gaelic phrase means “little quiet one by the rock”.

Building the “little quiet one” in surroundings that share a latitude with Alaska requires determination one might describe as Hebridean, particularly as this is a place where access to building supplies is dependent upon ferry times and the weather, and where the Sabbath is still quietly observed. “Within a few weeks of us starting on site, there were nine named storms, gusting 120 miles per hour,” says Caochan na Creige’s Scottish architect Eilidh Izat, 35. “We were renting a stone cottage and the walls were shaking. It was a humbling experience.” 

Izat’s husband and business partner Jack Arundell, along with her brother Alasdair Izat, oversaw the day-to-day construction alongside stonemason Dan Macaulay. The result is a modest, single-storey, contemporary house of glass and stone that blends into the hills above a stretch of the Atlantic. The walls are built from Harris’s native gneiss rock – one of the densest types of natural materials – each stone hand-selected from a nearby quarry. What did the islanders, wary of incomers and a proliferation of holiday homes left in their wake, make of their endeavours? “Building the house ourselves, for ourselves, people saw we had good intentions,” says Arundell. Inside, local materials and suppliers were used: the terrazzo floors are by Skye Stone Studio, while a Scots cedar-panelled ceiling creates cosiness. It is a porous house, in which sea and sky colour the rooms. The couple can watch the aurora borealis from their bed. “Many people think contemporary homes are sleek and cold, but this is the opposite,” Izat says. She was awarded young architect of the year at the 2024 Scottish Design Awards. 

The house signals a fresh spirit in Hebridean architecture and design, in which virtue is made of the limitations imposed by remote coordinates, harsh winters and tricky logistics. Buildings share a serene, Nordic aesthetic that feels authentically Hebridean – these islands were once Viking colonies. Humility is a watchword to describe ethos as much as scale. “They’re quieter buildings with breathing walls constructed using local craftsmanship and materials,” says architect Mary Arnold-Forster. Respect is paid to the particularities of Hebridean life, with its emphasis on community, hard work and the church. Scottish photographer and designer Alexander Baxter, whose work spotlights the best of Hebridean design, puts it this way: “People live in islands, not on them.” 

Rodel House, located on the southern tip of Harris, is a fitting example of new intention. Built for Captain Alexander MacLeod in 1781 when Rodel was an important harbour, the Georgian building functioned as a hotel until it was offered, after years of disuse, to Anderson Bakewell. Bakewell, who has been coming to the island since 1968, is the founder of the Isle of Harris Distillery, a “social distillery” of whisky and gin that has boosted local employment and the island’s international reputation.

At Rodel House, which is available to rent, “there was no experience of place through the building”, says Bakewell. So Lachie Stewart of Anta Architecture began a process of sensitive restoration, prying off later extensions and additions, while Maria Speake of Retrouvius designed its pared-back interiors. Earthy and oceanic tones wash elegant rooms, with walls upholstered in Harris wool, and corduroy-covered fireside chairs. It’s a wonderful spot. “Two joiners on the island made everything by hand,” says Bakewell. “Now when you’re in the house, you’re in Harris.” 

On the Isle of Mull, Croft 3, a restaurant and working croft, received RIBA’s Reinvention Award award last year for an inventive take on a traditional building. Its owner Jeanette Cutlack approached architect Edward Farleigh-Dastmalchi of the studio Fardaa to design the venue in what was a ruined barn.

“We wanted to retain the intimate character of Jeanette’s former restaurant, while adapting to the scale of the barn and the landscape beyond,” says Farleigh-Dastmalchi. Working with the existing stone structure, large windows frame views to Ben More and the isle of Ulva, while a new extension peeks out from behind the old croft. “Traditional homesteads here are grouped closely, providing a sense of protection. The overlapping form of the barn and extension offers a similar sense of shelter.” Such is its modish look that Cutlack was happily surprised by the arrival last summer of “hipster couples drinking Negronis at the bar”. 

Nearby, Glasgow architects Harford-Cross have performed similar magic on Dun Guaidhre (Guthrie’s fort), a traditional, one-room cottage, “without losing the essence of its simplicity”, says Peter Harford-Cross. The result is a rustic but refined interior, with plywood panelling concealing a kitchen and bathroom. “You’re working with the skills of the tradespeople who live here, using vernacular techniques. It’s island-led design,” says his wife and fellow architect Rachel Harford-Cross, who co-designed the project. 

Dun Guaidhre appears in Banjo Beale and Alexander Baxter’s book A Place in Scotland. Beale, an Australian who lives on Mull with his husband Ro, is the unofficial face of design in these parts, having presented two series of the BBC’s interiors makeover show Designing the Hebrides. “There’s so much potential here, so many bothies and ruined shells just waiting to be reanimated,” he says. “But it’s about making meaningful interventions.” He’s about to embark upon a project of his own. “Ro and I are moving to Ulva to a house that, coincidentally, was where an early governor-general of Australia grew up. Ulva is community-owned. It then had a population of 600. Now there’s just 16 people. I don’t want to come in and change something for my vision. It’s important to see how the islanders want things done.”

There is an obvious romance to the Hebrides. Rimowa shot its latest luggage advertisement on the CalMac ferry, while Dior used Harris tweed in a recent Scotland-inspired collection. But the beauty of these islands belies the challenges of living there. Depopulation is a critical issue, with a lack of affordable housing a contributing factor. Hugo Macdonald, who, with husband James Stevens, runs Bard, an Edinburgh emporium of Scottish craft, grew up on Skye. “You have strong ties to indoor life, how you live at home and the things you choose to live with,” he says. “Making things and celebrating local materials is born of necessity. It’s linked to poverty. Life is tough. You have to look after yourself and each other.” Hence the importance of community. “The fantasy of buying a second home is an attractive prospect,” he continues. “But it’s about being mindful and respectful of the existing culture.”

Socially responsible architecture is a guiding principle at Dualchas Architects – one of its team is a mountain-rescue volunteer. Based on Skye, the firm is a vanguard of contemporary design in the Hebrides, its work recently celebrated at the Venice Architecture Biennale. Dualchas is developing a range of affordable kit homes in response to rising building costs. “It’s important for young people to live in their own communities,” says co-founder Neil Stephen. He and identical twin Alasdair set up their practice in 1996, “to prove the point that there was something worthwhile in the architecture of the Highlands”. They took the ideas conveyed in the traditional Hebridean architecture of practical necessity, particularly the long and black houses that were “once disparaged as the architecture of poverty”, and turned them into contemporary expressions of a specific culture. This is exemplified by Achnacloich, Neil’s own home on Skye – a calm, open-plan longhouse, clad in larch, with clay-block walls and a terrazzo floor. “It’s about simple things done right, to make lovely spaces that future generations want to look after because they see it as belonging to a particular place,” he explains.

This sense of mission is shared by Arnold-Forster, who launched Alder, a magazine that documents and defines Scotland’s modern architectural language. Arnold-Forster has built “light-touch, highly tuned, simple buildings with a fundamental sense of place” all over the Hebrides. She would like Scotland’s materials and workshops to be as celebrated as tartan and whisky. “There’s a real skills shortage here, but the craftsmanship is spectacular” – as evidenced in a house she created off the island of Scalpay, in which four linked birch cabins are cantilevered over a remote lagoon. “Someone will call and ask, ‘Would you like to do a project on Jura? There’s no access, no electricity. You’ll need to come by water taxi.’ To me, that’s the best kind of phone call.” 

visitscotland.com; loganair.co.uk

Pete Davidson’s love life has become public domain over his decadeslong career in the spotlight and a new leading lady is the source of speculation.

The internet is buzzing about paparazzi photos of the comedian engaging in beach day PDA with Elsie Hewitt, in snaps obtained by the Daily Mail of the pair at a waterfront hotel in Palm Beach, Florida.

Hewitt, 29, is a model who is the latest woman in a long line of Davidson love interests.

Davidson dated reality TV star and beauty mogul Kim Kardashian following her split from rapper Ye, formerly Kanye West. Their whirlwind romance was the subject of tabloid fervor and a series of public appearances including a viral pit stop at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner.

The pair met after Kardashian made her hosting debut on “Saturday Night Live” in late 2021. After nine months together, the duo split in August 2022.

Before dating Kardashian, in 2018, he was engaged to music superstar Ariana Grande shortly after splitting from ex-girlfriend and fellow comedian Cazzie David. Later that year, the pair split up after a short-lived romance.

Who is Elsie Hewitt?

Hewitt, who boasts 1 million followers on her Instagram account @elsie, has reportedly been previously linked to Benny Blanco and Jason Sudeikis.

Hewitt was born in London on March 5, 1996, and was raised in England before moving to Los Angeles when she was 10, according to her IMDb bio. Hewitt began her career as a model at 18 years old and has starred in notable brand campaigns including Guess’ 2018 spring/summer campaign.

Davidson has also been romantically linked to David, Kate Beckinsale, Margaret Qualley, Chase Sui Wonders, Madelyn Cline and Kaia Gerber.

Lizzo, Morgan Wallen, Mikey Madison headline new slate of ‘SNL’ hosts and musical guests

Pete Davidson is in the process of removing tattoos

Earlier this year, Davidson captured the internet once again as his ears-long tattoo removal journey neared an end.

The 31-year-old “Saturday Night Live” alum, who said he once had around 200 tattoos, confirmed on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” that his ink is “almost gone.”

Pete Davidson says his 200 tattoos are ‘almost gone’ after years of ‘horrible’ lasering

“It’s horrible,” Davidson said of the tattoo removal process, which he described as “burning them off.” He added that “it’s worse” than getting inked in the first place.

“They’ve got to burn off a layer of your skin, and then it has to heal for, like, six to eight weeks. And you can’t get in the sunlight, and you’ve got to do it, like, 12 more times,” he explained, evoking a gasp from the studio audience.

Contributing: KiMi Robinson, USA TODAY

Though it’s nearly been two years since “Succession” concluded, HBO’s other critically acclaimed finance drama is far from over.

Another season of “Industry” is slated to return introducing several new cast members to balance out the departure of one of its main characters. Since 2020, the show has followed troubled London analysts at the Pierpoint investment bank as they navigate a grueling work environment fueled by drugs, sex and high risks.

Season 3 concluded last fall on more than one major cliffhanger, leaving fans desperate for more. The season saw a 40% boost in viewership, averaging about 1.6 million watchers per episode, according to HBO.

The season also debuted new star Kit Harington of “Game of Thrones” fame. He played immature green tech energy company CEO Sir Henry Muck.

Here’s what to know about Season 4.

Will there be a Season 4 of ‘Industry’?

Yes, “Industry” Season 4 is currently undergoing production in the U.K, according to Deadline.

‘Industry’ Season 4 release date

HBO has not yet revealed a release date for “Industry” Season 4, which Deadline reports is currently filming in the U.K as of March.

‘Industry’ new cast members

HBO has revealed several new actors joining the cast of “Industry” Season 4 through the show’s official Instagram page. The following cast members have been confirmed:

• Max Minghella (“The Handmaid’s Tale”)
• Kiernan Shipka (“Chilling Adventures of Sabrina”)
• Toheeb Jimoh (“Ted Lasso”)
• Jack Farthing (“The Serial Killer’s Wife”)
• Amy James-Kelly (“Everyone Else Burns”)

Who is leaving ‘Industry’?

Harry Lawtey, who has starred as Robert Spearing since the show’s 2020 premiere, will not be returning for Season 4 of “Industry.”

In a recent interview with the U.K.’s The Telegraph, the 28-year-old said his exit was due to both creative reasons and scheduling issues.

“Ultimately I feel like I’m in a place where I’ve said everything I had to say with a character, and I think both me and the writers felt mutually happy with where we left him,” Lawtey told the outlet. “Now I feel unmoored, but in a really good way. And ready for the next chapter.”

Where to watch ‘Industry’?

The first three seasons of HBO and BBC’s “Industry” are available to stream on Max.

When did ‘Industry’ premiere?

HBO and BBC’s “Industry” premiered in the U.S. on Nov. 9, 2020.

How did ‘Industry’ Season 3 end?

Season 3 of “Industry ended with Pierpoint & Co. being sold to an Egyptian investment firm essentially shutting down the London office where the series is set.

Though Harper (Myha’la) and Rob (Harry Lawtey) pursue new business ventures, Eric (Ken Leung) is left with a $20 million buyout. Meanwhile, Yasmin (Marisa Abela) finds herself engaged to Henry, ending her long “will they or won’t they” romance with Rob.

Rishi’s (Sagar Radia) longstanding debt fueled by his gambling addiction takes a cruel turn as his wife is fatally shot right in front of him.

Melissa Rivers is a wed woman.

The television host and daughter to late comedian Joan Rivers tied the knot in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, over the weekend, marrying attorney Steve Mitchel.

“I was absolutely blown away,” Rivers said of her nuptials in a statement to USA TODAY Thursday. “The love in the room was palpable. I usually roll my eyes at people who talk about ‘feeling the love.’ But this time, I actually got it.”

After the pair lost their home in the wildfires that devastated Los Angeles at the start of the year, the ceremony was almost canceled, Rivers revealed to People magazine.

“I was tapping out, like ‘I just can’t do this,’” Rivers, 57, told the outlet. “That’s when my friends stepped in and said, ‘We are doing this.’ Because a number of people who are coming lost their homes too, and they were like, ‘Thank God we have this to look forward to.’”

Along with many Southern Californians, Rivers and Mitchel were forced to abruptly evacuate their home in January after warnings about the raging Palisades fire were issued, she shared in an interview with USA TODAY at the time. The couple relocated a total of three times during the evacuation process, eventually taking shelter at a business friend’s property.

“I truly don’t believe that anyone who is not here and who has not gone through this can comprehend what it’s like. And I’m fully now hitting angry,” Rivers told USA TODAY. “I have had two cries. One was about five minutes, one was about 40 minutes. I don’t have time for it. No one has time to wallow.”

‘No one has time to wallow’: Melissa Rivers reflects on losing her home in LA wildfires

Luckily, the ceremony went on without a hitch Saturday, with the pair exchanging vows in front of 150 guests, People reports. “We wanted a party with a side of wedding, and we got exactly that!” Rivers told USA TODAY of the turnout.

She continued: “The energy, the happiness, the fact that people who just met were acting like lifelong friends by the end of the night — it was magic. Or maybe it was the open bar. Either way, it was perfection.

The tragedy also had the silver lining of bringing the couple closer together.

“It’s very comforting to find out you do crisis so well together,” she told People. It was in the midst of that crisis that Rivers came up with the idea of a mock wedding.

“We were staying in the guest room at our friend’s house, and Melissa came with the idea of let’s exchange our rings,” Mitchel told the outlet. “She said, let’s just do our vows right here. At first, I thought it was silly, but we did it, and it just brought us so close.”

“We took horrible selfies,” Rivers joked. “But then we wore our rings for a couple of days, and then we put them back in the box for the real day.”

Rivers also made sure there were special touches at the ceremony to honor her late mother. The couple doled out petite golden bee pins for all the guests to wear, People reports − Joan’s inspiration and favorite animal.

“When we were planning it, our goal was simple: throw a party and have a wedding ceremony break out somewhere in the middle,” she told the outlet. “And you know what? We nailed it. People were meeting, laughing, and by the end of the night, strangers were acting like old friends.”

This is Rivers’ second marriage. She shares one son with ex-husband John Endicott whom she was married to from 1998 to 2003.

Rivers and Mitchel got engaged in 2023 after meeting at a Didi Hirsch Mental Health and Suicide Prevention event.

(This story has been updated to add new information.)

Contributing: Brian Truitt, USA TODAY

Just like in 1937, a generation of movie kids has its own Snow White.

The latest in Disney’s growing supply of live-action redos, “Snow White” (in theaters now) changes up some aspects of the original animated classic “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.” It also adds new songs, courtesy of Oscar winners Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, and casts “West Side Story” breakout Rachel Zegler as the “fairest of them all.” (Naturally, the Evil Queen, now played by Gal Gadot, has something to say about that.)

The OG “Snow” has entertained children for almost a century. But is the latest musical take suitable for younger audiences?

Here’s what parents need to know about the new “Snow White”:

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What is ‘Snow White’ about?

There’s a lot familiar from the original movie, with some narrative tweaks and a meatier character arc for Snow. An orphaned princess, Snow is a scullery maid for her stepmother, the Evil Queen obsessed with asking her Magic Mirror who’s the fairest of them all. When Snow begins to question the villainess about how she treats the kingdom’s people, and it’s clear Snow is the fairest, the queen orders her huntsman to kill Snow and bring back her heart.

He doesn’t, she escapes into the magical forest, and Snow befriends Jonathan (Andrew Burnap), the bandit leader, as well as Sneezy, Sleepy, Bashful, Grumpy, Happy, Dopey and Doc. Her new allies help hide her and also plan a move against the queen’s forces, though the disguised antagonist delivers a poison apple to Snow, putting a wrinkle in her rebellion.

Who plays Snow White in the new movie?

The new Snow is 23-year-old Rachel Zegler. She won a Golden Globe for her breakthrough role as the lovestruck Maria in Steven Spielberg’s 2021 remake of “West Side Story.” New fans should also check her out in the superhero sequel “Shazam! Fury of the Gods,” “Hunger Games” prequel “The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes” and the Netflix animated fantasy musical “Spellbound.”

What happened to Snow White’s parents?

In the original “Snow White,” it’s left rather vague. The new film digs into that a bit with a backstory that begins with kid Snow and her parents in a musical number with pies and lots of dancing before things turn bleak. Snow’s mom dies at a young age, her father unfortunately remarries Gadot’s character and Dad ventures off to another kingdom to never return. His fate remains a mystery for most of the movie and Snow holds out hope that he will return one day.

What age rating is the 2025 ‘Snow White’?

While the original animated classic is rated G (for general audiences), the new “Snow” is PG for “violence, some peril, thematic elements and brief rude humor.” Movies are rarely rated G anymore, and the film is not only appropriate for most ages but also delivers an important message for kids. “Snow White” champions kindness and empathy over cruelty and tyranny – Zegler’s character even benefits from the simple lesson of making sure she remembers someone’s name.

What’s the controversy with ‘Snow White’?

People have been angry about something or other with this movie for two years now. First, Internet trolls were angry about Zegler, who’s of Colombian descent, being cast as a character that the Brothers Grimm fairy tale describes as being “white as snow.” Then she got backlash for criticizing the original film as “weird” for having a cartoon prince who “stalks” Snow White, adding that this new version is “not about the love story at all.” “Game of Thrones” star Peter Dinklage also took Disney to task for retelling a “backward story” about dwarves.

More recently, the two lead stars’ political beliefs have been brought into the conversation, with activist groups calling for boycotts because of Gadot’s pro-Israel views of the war in Gaza while Zegler has been very pro-Palestine and anti-Trump on social media.

Not that your child is likely to care about any of that if they’re coming to see a Disney princess sing songs.

Is ‘Snow White’ too scary for little kids?

Not overly, though there are a few moments where moms and dads might need to hold the hands of very little ones. When Snow escapes into the magical forest, the branches try to grab her, she runs into a very angry-looking monster tree and then goes on a perilous journey through some raging rapids. (She comes out OK, though, with just a little wet hair.)

The scene where Snow bites into the poison apple and “dies” is a smidge traumatic, though obviously she gets better. And as for that Evil Queen, Gadot plays her more campy than scary, and she meets a fate that’s different from the original movie but is a tad freaky.

Grown-ups might be bothered by the CGI Grumpy and Co., who are just really weird and don’t fit in the movie at all, but kids will love ’em.

Where can I watch ‘Snow White’? 

The new film is in theaters and those who prefer to watch things from their couch will need to wait. If it follows a similar path like recent Disney releases “Moana 2” and “Mufasa: The Lion King,” “Snow White” will likely be available on-demand in late May or early June and on Disney+ sometime this summer.

Contributing: Patrick Ryan