Feb 22, 2019

R. Kelly charged with 10 counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse

Demonstrators gather near R. Kelly's studio to call for a boycott of his music. Photo: Scott Olson/Getty Images

R&B singer R. Kelly was charged with 10 counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse on Friday, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. His first court date will be March 8.

Driving the news: According to the Daily Beast, celebrity lawyer Michael Avenatti turned over a video tape to Cook County prosecutors last Thursday that allegedly showed Kelly performing sex acts with an underage girl. Last year, BuzzFeed's Jim DeRogatis published an investigation into Kelly, saying parents told police that R. Kelly kept women against their will in an abusive "cult." BuzzFeed News and Hulu developed a feature documentary on the subject of his alleged abuse and exploitation of young black women.

Go deeper: Women of color have been saying #MeToo for decades

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Axios
Updated 15 mins ago - Politics & Policy

Coronavirus dashboard

Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios

  1. Global: Total confirmed cases as of 4:30 p.m. ET: 30,306,469 — Total deaths: 948,147— Total recoveries: 20,626,515 — Map.
  2. U.S.: Total confirmed cases as of 4:30 p.m. ET: 6,705,114 — Total deaths: 198,197 — Total recoveries: 2,540,334 — Total tests: 92,163,649 — Map.
  3. Politics: In reversal, CDC again recommends coronavirus testing for asymptomatic people.
  4. Health: Massive USPS face mask operation called off — The risks of moving too fast on a vaccine.
  5. Business: Unemployment drop-off reverses course — 1 million mortgage-holders fall through safety net — How the pandemic has deepened Boeing's 737 MAX crunch.
  6. Education: At least 42% of school employees are vulnerable.
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Maria Arias
41 mins ago - Politics & Policy

Court battles shift mail-in voting deadlines in battleground states

Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios

Michigan joins Pennsylvania in extending mail-in ballot deadlines by several days after the election, due to the coronavirus pandemic and expected delays in U.S. Postal Service.

The latest: Michigan Court of Claims Judge Cynthia Stephens ruled that all ballots postmarked before Nov. 2 must be counted, so long as they arrive in the mail before election results are certified. Michigan will certify its general election results on Nov. 23.

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Ina Fried, author of Login
45 mins ago - Technology

Interview: Unity CEO explains his company's unusual IPO

CEO John Riccitiello virtually ringing the NYSE bell as Unity shares began trading on Friday. PhotoL Unity

Unity Technologies was just one of many companies with blockbuster IPOs this week, but it took a decidedly different approach, using data rather than handshakes to decide who got to invest and at what price. CEO John Riccitiello explained why in an interview with Axios.

Why it matters: Traditionally, bankers and companies set IPO prices based on conversations and expectations, a process that has been criticized as basically leaving money on the table.

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