1. FEMALE MODERATORS DOMINATED THE DEMOCRATIC DEBATE: Women dominated Wednesday night’s Democratic Presidential Debate in Atlanta, where an all-female panel of four moderators led the discussion and another four candidates were women. The debate was held at Tyler Perry Studios. HuffPost: “Some Twitter users celebrated the questions asked by the moderators during this debate, highlighting how issues previously neglected—such as paid family leave plans, childcare, abortion legislation, and housing—were being brought up by the panel. The panel was also cheered for its discipline and diplomacy, and for keeping the peace between candidates.”
2. NEWCOMERS TOP GRAMMY AWARD NOMINEES: Lizzo, Billie Eilish, and Lil Nas X topped the list of Grammy Award nominees, which was released on Tuesday. Lizzo nabbed eight nominations while the two remaining members of this already well-known trio of newcomers each earned six. Ariana Grande, H.E.R., and Finneas O’Connell—Eilish’s brother and musical collaborator—each nabbed five nominations and eight artists, including Beyonce, J. Cole, Yola, and Radiohead’s Thom Yorke, each received four. Variety: “‘I am in complete awe of the inspiring nominees who have poured their hearts and souls into their craft, and in turn, have provided fans worldwide a year of music that changed us, stirred our emotions, and inspired us to do more,’ said new Grammy chief Deborah Dugan. ‘Today’s announcement reflects a new era for the Recording Academy—an army of engaged members that welcomes diversity, embraces creativity, and champions young musicians on the rise. It’s shaping up to be a year of firsts, and I can promise that the 62nd Grammy Awards will pack the same punch as this year’s nominees.’”
3. FYRE FESTIVAL CO-FOUNDER JA RULE CLEARED OF WRONGDOING: Rapper Ja Rule, co-founder of 2017's disastrous Fyre Festival, was cleared earlier this week of any legal wrongdoing around the event, ending a $100-million lawsuit filed by festival attendees. New York City southern district judge P. Kevin Castel said plaintiffs were unable to prove that Ja Rule’s promotion of the event on his social media pages directly led to festivalgoers’ ticket purchases. The Guardian: “Two years after its disastrous staging, legal proceedings against the festival and its organizers rage on. The festival is regarded as the ultimate 'Millenial scam' of recent years, its fallout the focus of Netflix and Hulu documentaries. More than 5,000 people purchased tickets to the weekend-long event in 2017, expecting a luxury experience featuring high-octane shows from Major Lazer, Desiigner, and others on a private island. It was to be an Instagram-ready party. But what attendees actually received were cold cheese sandwiches, hastily constructed tents to sleep in, rain-soaked mattresses, and a logistical nightmare.”