Weekly Briefs

Raymond Rapada, News Editor|September 12, 2018

Rapper Mac Miller died on Friday, Sept. 7, of a suspected drug overdose; he was 26 years old. TMZ broke the story Friday afternoon, reporting that a friend of Miller called 911 from his home. Police and paramedics found Miller unresponsive and declared him dead Friday before noon, according to the LA county coroner’s spokeswoman Sarah Ardalani. While an autopsy has been completed, a cause of death has not yet been determined as testing is ongoing. Miller, whose real name was Malcolm James McCormick, was a Pittsburgh native who was known for his dedication to his craft.

CBS Chairman and CEO Leslie “Les” Moonves has departed the broadcasting network amid sexual misconduct allegations. CBS will donate $20 million of Moonves’ severance package to one or more organizations supporting the #MeToo movement. Moonves will remain an unpaid CBS adviser as a part of his termination agreement — he will receive $120 million in severance if the investigation finds he cannot be terminated for cause.

On Sunday, Sept. 9, Miss New York, Nia Franklin, was crowned the 92nd Miss America. The pageant was aptly rebranded Miss America 2.0 due to updates including the removal of the swimsuit and evening gown portions of the competition. Franklin said on Good Morning America the day after she was crowned, “I think it’s important that we’re evolving and I’m so excited to be part of a new era… I’m the first Miss America 2.0.” Franklin also won a $50,000 scholarship.

Gov. Jerry Brown signed a bill on Monday, Sept. 10, mandating the goal of California to rely entirely on zero-emission energy sources for its electricity by 2045. Brown also issued an executive order to push the state to reduce its net output of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere to zero by the 2045 target date. In a statement, Gov. Brown said, “This bill and the executive order put California on a path to meet the goals of Paris and beyond.”