Youth-led revolts are shaking up the world; Shepard Fairey gets beaten up in Copenhagen; and people use social media to clean up London after the riots. 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.

The links below open in a new window. Newer ones are on top.

How youth-led revolts shook elites around the world From Athens to Cairo and Spain to Santiago, old certainties are being challenged after the Arab spring and financial crises.

Apple, Publishers Conspired Against $9.99 Amazon E-books: Lawsuit “Terrified” by Amazon’s Kindle e-reader and discounted e-book pricing, five major publishers allegedly acted together to increase e-book prices and compel Amazon to abandon its discount sales strategy.

Obama ‘Hope’ Artist Beaten in Copenhagen Shepard Fairey’s indelible portrait of Obama with the word “Hope” below it forever redefined the way graphic design is used to propel presidential campaigns. But some people in Copenhagen aren’t feeling Fairey’s powerful imagery now that he’s making it for their city.

Too many Americans ignorant about their use of government programs How do you argue about the size of government with someone who hates the government but cashes a government check?

Replacement Therapy: Why our gadgets can’t wear out fast enough The emerging prevalence—anecdotally, at least—of the gadget death wish suggests an intriguing possibility: where electronic gizmos are concerned, product obsolescence is becoming a demand-side phenomenon.

Welcome to Chollywood Behind the scenes of China’s booming film industry.

Riots Spread on Social Media, as Does the Cleanup After three nights of riots and looting in a handful of London neighborhoods, volunteers used Twitter and Facebook to help mobilize hundreds of people today to clean up the mess.

Your support matters…

Independent journalism is under threat and overshadowed by heavily funded mainstream media.

You can help level the playing field. Become a member.

Your tax-deductible contribution keeps us digging beneath the headlines to give you thought-provoking, investigative reporting and analysis that unearths what's really happening- without compromise.

Give today to support our courageous, independent journalists.

SUPPORT TRUTHDIG