As an extension of Universal Love–a collection of reimagined wedding songs for the LGBTQ community produced by MGM Resorts in conjunction with McCann NY–GRAMMY-nominated duo She & Him are releasing their first new original music in five years.
Inspired by Universal Love, She & Him, a longtime collaboration between Zooey Deschanel and M. Ward, penned an original song that will be released in two versions, that will simultaneously allow listeners to choose the gender perspective that speaks to them.
The single, titled “He Gives His Love to Me”, and its counterpart “She Gives Her Love To Me,” is the first original composition inspired by the project. The songs on the Universal Love album feature pronouns changed to reflect the world of LGBTQ relationships. Artists involved include Bob Dylan, Kesha, and St. Vincent, Benjamin Gibbard, Valerie June and Kele O’Kereke.
Zooey Deschanel and M. Ward of She & Him released a statement which read, “We have always believed that love belongs to everyone–so love songs should too. What drew us to this project is that it opens up new ways of thinking about songwriting. It would be amazing if our songs help to inspire other artists to engage with lyrics in a more open, and inclusive way.”
Universal Love is a natural extension of MGM’s two decades of advocacy work with the LGBTQ community and the company’s desire to advance initiatives that unite humanity. More than a decade before same-sex marriage was legalized, same-sex commitment ceremonies were performed at chapels at MGM Resorts’ properties.
Google Opens Its Defense In Antitrust Case Alleging Monopoly Over Online Ad Technology
Google opened its defense against allegations that it holds an illegal monopoly on online advertising technology Friday with witness testimony saying the industry is vastly more complex and competitive than portrayed by the federal government.
"The industry has been exceptionally fluid over the last 18 years," said Scott Sheffer, a vice president for global partnerships at Google, the company's first witness at its antitrust trial in federal court in Alexandria.
The Justice Department and a coalition of states contend that Google built and maintained an illegal monopoly over the technology that facilitates the buying and selling of online ads seen by consumers.
Google counters that the government's case improperly focuses on a narrow type of online ads — essentially the rectangular ones that appear on the top and on the right-hand side of a webpage. In its opening statement, Google's lawyers said the Supreme Court has warned judges against taking action when dealing with rapidly emerging technology like what Sheffer described because of the risk of error or unintended consequences.
Google says defining the market so narrowly ignores the competition it faces from social media companies, Amazon, streaming TV providers and others who offer advertisers the means to reach online consumers.
Justice Department lawyers called witnesses to testify for two weeks before resting their case Friday afternoon, detailing the ways that automated ad exchanges conduct auctions in a matter of milliseconds to determine which ads are placed in front of which consumers and how much they cost.
The department contends the auctions are finessed in subtle ways that benefit Google to the exclusion of would-be competitors and in ways that prevent... Read More