A man was shot dead in Florida for texting his daughter during a movie; two police officers were acquitted after beating a mentally ill man into a coma; meanwhile, MOMA has been turned into a department store. These discoveries and more below.

On a regular basis, Truthdig brings you the news items and odds and ends that have found their way to Larry Gross, director of the USC Annenberg School for Communication. A specialist in media and culture, art and communication, visual communication and media portrayals of minorities, Gross helped found the field of gay and lesbian studies.

Man Fatally Shot for Texting in Movie Theater
A man at a movie theater in Florida was shot dead by another patron after an argument erupted over his texting during a screening.

Did a Federal Court Just Kill the Open Internet?
The court said that the Federal Communications Commission did not have the authority to impose regulations that ensure “net neutrality.”

Trojan Cans: How Did the Self-Service Economy Emerge?
Classic business history links the evolution of markets and consumption to underlying macro, classic, and web-like infrastructures such as energy grids, transportation systems, and communication networks, which have transformed the economy.

A California Jury’s Baffling Verdict
A video shows two former police officers beating a mentally ill man into a coma. So why were they acquitted?

MoMA’s Faux-Populist Expansion Makes it Look Like a Department Store
This is how you ruin a cultural institution.

Why the Washington Post’s New Ties to the CIA Are So Ominous
American journalism has entered highly dangerous terrain.

Downtown Tel Aviv Is Nearing a Racial Boiling Point
For some people, it’s all very simple: The Africans in Israel are refugees; they must be recognized as such and must be given their rights and the opportunity to live and work there.