July 1, 2011
In the News: Nike Re-Signs Michael Vick; NBA Lockout Begins; Facebook To Unveil Skype-Powered Video Chat
- Nike Re-Signs Philadelphia Eagles Quarterback Michael Vick
CNBC’s Darren Rovell reported on Friday that Nike and Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Michael Vick have agreed to a new deal, four years after Nike terminated its contract with Vick due to his arrest on dog fighting charges.
“Michael acknowledges his past mistakes,†Nike spokesman Derek Kent told Rovell. “We do not condone those actions, but we support the positive changes he has made to better himself off the field.â€
- Coalition Calls for CBS Grammy Boycott, Considers Legal Action
The Recording Academy’s decision to drop 31 categories from the Grammy Awards, including many ethnic music categories has led an entertainment industry coalition to call for a boycott of CBS and hire a lawyer to explore legal action, the AP reports.
“We will ask people to stop watching CBS, boycott their sponsors and then write them,” said Bobby Sanabria, a Grammy-nominated Latin jazz musician and the leader of the coalition, in an interview Wednesday night. “We’re at a critical juncture.”
- NBA Owners Lock Out Players
NBA owners locked out their players Friday after labor negotiations collapsed, threatening the upcoming basketball season.
Owners and players met in New York Thursday for a last-ditch negotiating session as the contract expired at midnight, but failed to reach a resolution on key sticking points –including salary cap parameters and revenue splits.
Read more at the Wall Street Journal…
- Mark Halperin Suspended For Obama ‘D*ck’ Comment
Mark Halperin has been suspended indefinitely by MSNBC for calling President Obama a “dick” live on air.
The suspension came just hours after Halperin, a top editor for Time and a regular on “Morning Joe,” profusely apologized for the remark, which came during Thursday’s “Morning Joe” broadcast.
Read more at the Huffington Post…
- Facebook To Unveil Skype-Powered Video Chat Next Week
Facebook’s “awesome†announcement has been spoiled. The social network will reportedly be unveiling a Skype-powered video chat platform.
Facebook’s Seattle team was behind the new feature, according to TechCrunch. Skype and Facebook already have a serious partnership that integrated Facebook social data directly into the Skype client. Now it looks like Skype will be coming to Facebook.