1. MARIO BATALI SURRENDERS HIS RESTAURANT EMPIRE: A year after it was reported that Mario Batali sexually assaulted women, the disgraced chef and restaurateur has surrendered his restaurants to the Bastianich family and other partners. The new, unnamed company will operate the group’s 16 restaurants under a new management and financial system. The New York Times: “Now, Mrs. Bastianich Manuali, 46, will be in charge of operations across the group, a position that did not exist before. ‘We need to blow the dust off,’ she said in an interview, gesturing to the battalion of elegantly uniformed servers at Del Posto. ‘These people have been living under a cloud long enough.’ As part of the reorganization, Melissa Rodriguez, Del Posto’s executive chef, and Jeff Katz, its longtime general manager, have become stakeholders in that restaurant, a precious reward that encourages loyalty and motivation. … The new restaurant group’s first venture will be the Barish, a steakhouse in the newly restored Hollywood Roosevelt hotel in Los Angeles.” https://nyti.ms/2tVnrQC
2. MUSIC MUSEUMS KEEP MICHAEL JACKSON EXHIBITS AFTER CONTROVERSIAL DOCUMENTARY AIRS: Leaving Neverland, HBO's new documentary about Michael Jackson's alleged sexual abuse of children, has brought about a new pop culture conversation on whether Jackson should still be celebrated as an artist. But for two museums in Detroit and Tennessee, the controversy isn't enough for them to drop their exhibits of the late pop star. Associated Press: “The National Museum of African American Music says some Michael Jackson artifacts will be on display in a planned exhibit called 'One Nation Under A Groove,' when the museum opens in downtown Nashville in early 2020. The museum has previously released renderings of the building’s design, featuring an image of Jackson on the exterior. Meanwhile, in Detroit, the chairwoman and C.E.O. of Motown Museum said its mission is to share the stories and artifacts of the history of Motown." https://bit.ly/2ESu4cL
3. MIAMI DEMOCRATIC CONVENTION BID CHAIRMAN CRITICIZES D.N.C.'S DELAY:The co-chairman of Miami's bid to host the 2020 Democratic National Convention criticized the Democratic National Committee for its delays in selecting a site for the event. Politico: "'Everybody should have a concern over this massive delay and how it affects the planning and funding of a convention,' said Philip Levine, the co-chairman of the convention effort and Miami Beach’s former mayor. 'We were told this would happen in January, and it’s March and we still don’t know where the convention is going to be.' ... D.N.C. spokesperson said the organization and chairman Tom Perez, who decides where Democrats will nominate their presidential candidate, will choose soon. But 'we’re still evaluating all three cities' under consideration, the spokesperson said. They are Miami, Houston, and Milwaukee. Levine stopped short of criticizing Perez by name but said all three cities should be concerned. Democrats in Milwaukee and Houston have privately shared Levine’s concerns, while others have suggested Levine is 'freaking out' and potentially hurting the case for South Florida, given that DNC officials had asked the host committees vying for the convention not to talk to the media." https://politi.co/2u0xqnP