Friday News Bites: Social Justice and Entertainment Like Woah

We’ve got a bit of a Jumbo-Sized News Bites this week, so settle in and let’s talk about some of what happened this week, friends.

Many colleges still aren’t getting the “Rape is Bad” memo: 55 colleges are under Title IX investigation for their handling of sexual assault claims.

A recent White House PSA featuring Daniel Craig, Steve Carell, and others talks about men’s responsibility to help stop sexual assault.

Finally, my home state of Montana decided that a 30 day sentence for a teacher raping a student is not an acceptable punishment.

“The target of jokes and indifference, sexual assault has become part of the American prison experience,” Al-Jazeera reports.

In Nigeria, over 200 schoolgirls were abducted, and their families are urging the government to find them before they are sold into sex slavery. Unfortunately, the government is making little effort to rescue them.

Roxane Gay would like to remind us that “Women you should be reading now” lists are a bit troublesome.

In R.I.P News:

After another toxicology report, medical examiners have determined that heroin played a role in Peaches Geldof’s death last month.

Police have released another note written by Kurt Cobain around the time of his death that does not speak fondly of Courtney Love.

DJ E-Z Rock, creator of that classic “It Takes Two,” died this week at age 46. The cause of his death has not yet been reported.

And on Wednesday, actor Bob Hoskins died from pneumonia at age 71. Put on some Who Framed Roger Rabbit? or Long Good Friday in his honor.

In other news:

You probably heard all about L.A. Clippers owner Donald Sterling’s racist rant to his girlfriend, and it’s pleasing to know that the NBA has fined him $2.5 million and banned him from games and team contact. Whether or not he will sell the team remains to be seen.

A death row inmate in Oklahoma died not from lethal execution, but complications from the attempt, since the state decided to use an untested drug cocktail. The words “cruel and inhumane” don’t even begin to cover it.

In entertainment:

Willie Nelson turns 81 this week, and he also just got his 5th-degree black belt in Gong Kwon Yu Sul. That’s pretty awesome.

Dozens of Andy Warhol pieces have been found on old floppy discs, created on an Amiga 1000 computer in the mid-1980s.

Here’s an interesting story on how famous paintings are forged for movie purposes.

Craig Ferguson is leaving The Late Late Show this December. Luckily, that leaves him just enough time to interview his old friend, and new Doctor, Peter Capaldi. Let us hope.

The Star Wars: Episode VII cast has been announced, complete with old favorites. Let’s hope this movie is better than the prequels.

Finally, tomorrow is Free Comic Book Day! Hooray!

See you next week, mes petits fromages.