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Vox Sentences: Weinstein wants to settle (again)
Weinstein’s latest attempt to settle; Netanyahu to resign from minister positions while Israel goes for third election.
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Weinstein’s settlement offends victims and activists
- Harvey Weinstein looks to make a deal settling the accusations against him for a relatively unimpressive sum of $47 million. [LA Times / Stacy Perman]
- Tales of sexual abuse and assault perpetrated by Weinstein first broke in 2017 with a New York Times article that detailed nearly two decades of women’s stories. The discovery of his crimes helped galvanize the Me Too movement. [New York Times / Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey]
- A new study suggests that in the wake of Me Too, sex crimes are being reported more than in the past. [Vox / Anna North]
- While the settlement, with only $25 million going directly to his victims, awaits approval from a bankruptcy court in Delaware and federal judge, it does not resolve the New York criminal sex-crime charges against Weinstein. If convicted, he could face up to a year in prison. [Washington Post / Travis M. Andrews and Deanna Paul]
- This settlement offer is criticized as low, given the experiences of the victims. In previous settlement announcements, only up to $30 million would have gone to accusers. [NPR / Richard Gonzales]
- “We reject the notion that this was the best settlement that could have been achieved on behalf of the victims,” said Douglas Wigdor, a lawyer representing a victim who turned down the terms of Weinstein’s deal. [NBC News]
- Refinery29’s Leah Carroll writes that Weinstein’s possible attempts to garner sympathy with a walker will be unsuccessful due to the severity of his crimes. [Refinery29 / Leah Carroll]
Netanyahu promises to relinquish minister posts
- Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu informed the Israeli High Court of Justice that he will resign from all of his ministerial positions. [Haaretz / Netael Bandel]
- Facing corruption and bribery charges, Netanyahu will step down from his role as minister of agriculture, diaspora, health, and welfare, but maintains his position as prime minister. [Al Jazeera]
- This decision is interpreted as a potential position of weakness for the Likud leader as he enters a historic third election, following his and his opponents’ inability to form a government. [Wall Street Journal / Felicia Schwartz]
- While polls predict a repeat of the past two electoral outcomes, the election is a relief from Netanyahu’s legal proceedings and a chance to make his case for immunity. [AP News / Josef Federman]
Miscellaneous
- Former US officials helped the United Arab Emirates create their own secret cyber surveillance unit. [Reuters / Joel Schectman and Christopher Bing]
- Another E. coli outbreak reveals the lack of regulatory oversight in food safety. [Wall Street Journal / Annie Gasparro]
- Stigmas and double standards that face autistic girls are especially clear in the attacks on Greta Thunberg. [Vox / Anna North]
- Jeff Bezos’s space company enjoyed another successful launch on Wednesday. [Associated Press / Marcia Dunn]
- A Somali hotel attacked by al-Shabab gunmen saw the battle between the attackers and police for over six hours. [Al Jazeera]
Verbatim
“We’re encouraged that China and the United States seem on the verge of a breakthrough on the phase one negotiations. If accurate, it would be a positive first step in improving our commercial relationship at a time of great uncertainty.” [Executive vice president of the US Chamber of Commerce Myron Brilliant said of a possible US-China trade deal despite clashes with the Trump administration and Chinese officials]
Watch this: Why German spies blew up this US island
How German spies blew up this American island. [YouTube / Coleman Lowndes and Phil Edwards]
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By Cameron Peters
By Cameron Peters
By Cameron Peters
