Morning Update: A Pop Music Civil War

Protester clashes in Hong Kong, the Taylor Swift–Scooter Braun drama explained, Aziz Ansari returns. Your BuzzFeed News newsletter, July 2.

Hong Kong protesters smashed their way through glass and metal to get the government’s attention

The protests in Hong Kong have been going on for weeks now, with hundreds of thousands expressing their anger at a bill that would allow suspects to be extradited to mainland China for trial.

For context here: Hong Kong was under British rule until 1997 and continues to have separate government and economic systems from China. Opponents of the extradition bill say it would erode the rights they have under their separate system.

Yesterday, the ongoing protests escalated as people smashed their way into the city’s main government building. Protesters appeared ready for a confrontation with police, and chanted to remind each other not to take photos that would identify participants.

After Hong Kong police said they would clear the building, those inside began to clear the lobby while a round of applause broke out. Police began to move in on the crowd, and used tear gas.

Two stories you need to know about the US–Mexico border

First: Women held by Border Patrol say they were told to drink water from toilets. Three members of Congress, including Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, visited Border Patrol facilities and said immigrant women were being detained without running water and told by agents to drink from the toilets.

Second: A 30-year-old father died after being detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for weeks. Yimi Alexis Balderramos-Torres’s death is the sixth in ICE custody since October.

SNAPSHOTS

Documents reveal widespread data fraud in a leading UK scientist’s lab. David Latchman, a leading geneticist and one of the highest-paid university leaders in the UK, was found responsible for failing to properly supervise a lab in which widespread scientific fraud occurred over many years. He was never punished, according to newly released investigation documents.

Kim Kardashian West is changing the name of her Kimono shapewear after cultural appropriation backlash. After days of criticism online, and even a letter from the mayor of Kyoto, Japan, Kardashian West — who originally doubled down on the use of Kimono — just announced that she will be changing the name of her collection.

Nike is pulling a sneaker with the Betsy Ross flag after Colin Kaepernick raised concerns. According to the Wall Street Journal, the former NFL quarterback told Nike that he and others found the flag to be an offensive symbol due to its connection to the slavery era. The special edition sneaker was canceled.

Aziz Ansari is returning to Netflix with a new comedy special. It will be the comedian’s first return to the screen since being accused of sexual misconduct last year. Aziz Ansari: Right Now will begin streaming July 9.

An in-depth explainer of what just happened with Taylor Swift and Scooter Braun

Taylor Swift was one of the central artists of Big Machine Records, a record label she was signed with for ten years. She left the label last year after her contract expired.

On Sunday, it was announced that Ithaca Holdings, the company belonging to pop music mega-manager Scooter Braun, had acquired the catalogue of Big Machine Records for $300 million. The sale means Braun owns the masters to all of Swift’s first six albums.

To put it succinctly, that basically means the label — and, now, Braun — will profit from sales and use of Taylor's old music for the rest of forever.

In a Tumblr post, Swift explained that Braun owning the master copies of her music was her “worst nightmare.” Braun managed Kanye West during the infamous 2016 feud that resulted in Swift taking an extended break.

Here, Ellie Bate breaks down everything you need to know about this rift and why it matters.

Additional reading:

Ivanka Trump inserting herself into a conversation with world leaders is the meme you didn’t know you needed

The G20 Summit took place this weekend in Osaka, Japan. Ivanka Trump, who is a White House adviser, attended the summit as part of her father's delegation.

I won’t spoil the whole thing for you, but a video surfaced of Trump trying to insert herself into a conversation between French President Emmanuel Macron, British Prime Minister Theresa May, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, and Christine Lagarde, the French head of the International Monetary Fund.

The internet’s reaction, as you can expect, has been to turn the whole thing into a meme.

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