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Michael Jackson was more than $500m in debt when he died in 2009

Court filing details how the King of Pop was in financial straits as he was preparing to embark on his This Is It tour

Michael Jackson had accumulated more than half a billion dollars of debt when he died in 2009, new court documents reveal.

A 21 June court filing by the executors of his estate provided some of the most complete details yet about the strained finances with which the 13-time Grammy winner was grappling at the time of his death.

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© Photograph: Leonhard Föger/Reuters

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© Photograph: Leonhard Föger/Reuters

Marilyn Monroe’s Los Angeles home named a historic cultural monument

City council ends a year-long battle to save the ‘iconic’ Spanish colonial property from developers

Marilyn Monroe’s Brentwood, Los Angeles, home has been saved from destruction after a year-long battle to save the property from developers. On Wednesday, the Los Angeles city council unanimously voted to designate the movie star’s Spanish colonial home a historic cultural monument.

“We have an opportunity to do something today that should’ve been done 60 years ago. There’s no other person or place in the city of Los Angeles as iconic as Marilyn Monroe and her Brentwood home,” councilmember Traci Park told the assembly.

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© Photograph: Mike Blake/Reuters

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© Photograph: Mike Blake/Reuters

Items owned by Princess Diana and other royals at auction in California

From midnight-blue strapless dress with diamante stars to basket-hilt broadsword from 1938, bidding has begun

An auction of items owned by the United Kingdom’s royal family will include such gems as an evening gown worn by Diana, Princess of Wales; a custom fur coat owned by Wallis Simpson, the Duchess of Windsor; a Scottish Highland officer’s sword belonging to the Duke of Windsor and already fetching a bid of $15,000; and actual gems: a diamond-encrusted watch pendant that once belonged to King George V.

Hosted by Julien’s Auctions and held at the Peninsula Beverly Hills hotel in California, Thursday’s auction features the largest collection of Princess Diana’s clothing since her own historic 1997 charity auction at Christie’s. More than 50 items – dresses, suits, shoes, handbags and accessories – in the auction of royal mementos and baubles are from the Princess Diana collection alone.

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© Photograph: Hong Kong Red Cross

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© Photograph: Hong Kong Red Cross

California Privacy Watchdog Inks Deal with French Counterpart to Strengthen Data Privacy Protections

Data Privacy Protections, Data Privacy, CNIL, CPPA, CCPA, Privacy, Protection

In a significant move to bolster data privacy protections, the California Privacy Protection Agency (CPPA) inked a new partnership with France’s Commission Nationale de l'Informatique et des Libertés (CNIL). The collaboration aims to conduct joint research on data privacy issues and share investigative findings that will enhance the capabilities of both organizations in safeguarding personal data. The partnership between CPPA and CNIL shows the growing emphasis on international collaboration in data privacy protection. Both California and France, along with the broader European Union (EU) through its General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), recognize that effective data privacy measures require global cooperation. France’s membership in the EU brings additional regulatory weight to this partnership and highlights the necessity of cross-border collaboration to tackle the complex challenges of data protection in an interconnected world.

What the CPPA-CNIL Data Privacy Protections Deal Means

The CPPA on Tuesday outlined the goals of the partnership, stating, “This declaration establishes a general framework of cooperation to facilitate joint internal research and education related to new technologies and data protection issues, share best practices, and convene periodic meetings.” The strengthened framework is designed to enable both agencies to stay ahead of emerging threats and innovations in data privacy. Michael Macko, the deputy director of enforcement at the CPPA, said there were practical benefits of this collaboration. “Privacy rights are a commercial reality in our global economy,” Macko said. “We’re going to learn as much as we can from each other to advance our enforcement priorities.” This mutual learning approach aims to enhance the enforcement capabilities of both agencies, ensuring they can better protect consumers’ data in an ever-evolving digital landscape.

CPPA’s Collaborative Approach

The partnership with CNIL is not the CPPA’s first foray into international cooperation. The California agency also collaborates with three other major international organizations: the Asia Pacific Privacy Authorities (APPA), the Global Privacy Assembly, and the Global Privacy Enforcement Network (GPEN). These collaborations help create a robust network of privacy regulators working together to uphold high standards of data protection worldwide. The CPPA was established following the implementation of California's groundbreaking consumer privacy law, the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA). As the first comprehensive consumer privacy law in the United States, the CCPA set a precedent for other states and countries looking to enhance their data protection frameworks. The CPPA’s role as an independent data protection authority mirror that of the CNIL - France’s first independent data protection agency – which highlights the pioneering efforts of both regions in the field of data privacy. Data Privacy Protections By combining their resources and expertise, the CPPA and CNIL aim to tackle a range of data privacy issues, from the implications of new technologies to the enforcement of data protection laws. This partnership is expected to lead to the development of innovative solutions and best practices that can be shared with other regulatory bodies around the world. As more organizations and governments recognize the importance of safeguarding personal data, the need for robust and cooperative frameworks becomes increasingly clear. The CPPA-CNIL partnership serves as a model for other regions looking to strengthen their data privacy measures through international collaboration.

"Charlie is the kind of guy where you just really want to believe him"

Wickwire recalls instances where other climbers lied about their ascents and were quickly banished. "No one would climb with them or believe what they said," he points out. But when it came to stories about Barrett's violence against women, people were too willing to look the other way—even after Barrett was arrested and a detailed indictment from a federal investigation was posted online. "There is a dissonance between how climbers think of themselves and what they actually do," says Kimbrough Moore, a longtime climber, a guidebook author, and a philosophy professor at San Francisco State University. "In my experience, the climbing community has been hostile to women who have come out saying they were assaulted." As for Barrett, Moore says: "I have never heard of anyone doing more to harm the climbing community than Charlie. He has used his status as an elite climber to hurt people for a very long time." from How Did This Climber Get Away with So Much for So Long? [Outside; ungated] [CW: rape, sexual violence, violence to animals, stalking, harassment, enabling]

Ed Dwight Goes to Space 63 Years After Training as 1st Black Astronaut

Edward Dwight was among the first pilots that the United States was training to send to space in 1961, but he was passed over. On Sunday, he finally made it on a Blue Origin flight.

© Blue Origin, via Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

Edward Dwight was one of six people who went to space aboard the Mission NS-25 crew capsule from Blue Origin on Sunday. Upon exiting, he raised his arm and said, “Long time coming.”

California Will Add a Fixed Charge to Electric Bills and Reduce Rates

Officials said the decision would lower bills and encourage people to use cars and appliances that did not use fossil fuels, but some experts said it would discourage energy efficiency.

© Jim Wilson/The New York Times

Utility companies across the country have long pushed for fixed charges to help cover the cost of maintaining and improving grid equipment like power lines and substations
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