1. TRUMP INAUGURAL COMMITTEE SUED FOR OVERSPENDING ON EVENT COSTS AT THE PRESIDENT’S HOTEL: Adding to President Trump’s legal tussles, Washington Attorney General Karl A. Racine filed suit Wednesday against the president's inaugural committee and business. The suit alleges that the committee violated its nonprofit status when it spent over $1 million to book a ballroom at Trump’s D.C. hotel. Further, Racine charged that the staff knew the space was overpriced and barely used the facility. The Washington Post: “During the lead-up to Trump’s January 2017 inauguration, the committee booked the hotel ballroom for $175,000 a day, plus more than $300,000 in food and beverage costs, over the objections of its own event planner. …‘These charges were unreasonable and improperly served to enrich Trump’s business,' the complaint reads.”
2. SAN FRANCISCO PRIDE ORGANIZERS VOTE TO BAN GOOGLE, YOUTUBE FROM FUTURE MARCHES: Organizers of one of the world’s largest Pride festivals, San Francisco Pride, have voted to block Google from participating in future events. The group says the company hasn’t done enough to protect L.G.B.T.Q. people on its platforms, especially those who are harassed or are the victims of hate speech on the technology company’s video site, YouTube. Recode: “In recent months, some people, including those within Google’s workforce, have criticized the search giant’s participation in the event, saying the company allows harmful speech hurting L.G.B.T.Q. and other vulnerable groups to run rampant on the platform, and that new policy changes the company has made to crack down on harassment don’t go far enough. ‘Companies are no longer scared to be seen as pro-L.G.B.T.Q.; in fact, their participation is a great opportunity for them. We believe companies should earn that opportunity by proving that they really do stand with our community,’ reads a statement shared with Recode and other outlets by the members seeking to ban Google from the parade.”
3. PLAYER SAFETY AND OTHER FIRE CONCERNS TAKE CENTER STAGE AT THE AUSTRALIAN OPEN: Generally speaking, the Australian Open is a happy affair, complete with fireworks over Melbourne. But against the backdrop of the deadly wildfires, the event has taken on a more ominous tone, and even the safety of tennis greats participating in the tournament has been called into question. The New Yorker: “Journalists at the tournament reported the sound of coughing throughout the grounds, and some players described feeling their chests tighten as they ran. Rather than posting selfies with wombats at the zoo, players shared images of rescue workers cradling burned and thirsty animals, along with links for relief efforts. ... The tournament director, Craig Tiley, under pressure, announced that officials would be monitoring air quality on site in real time and issued clearer guidelines for suspending play.”