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Listen Up: A Closer Look at the Top Stories for Wednesday, Dec. 19

What to Know

  • Penny Marshall, who starred in "Laverne & Shirley" before becoming one of the top-grossing female directors in Hollywood, has died at 75
  • "The Fresh Prince of Bel Air" star Alfonso Ribeiro is suing the makers of "Fortnite" for allegedly stealing the dance he made famous
  • New York AG's office has reached a settlement with Charter over charges the company promised faster service to customers than it delivered

Wednesday, Dec. 19, 2018 

Happy Wednesday! Not nearly as cold today as the winds die down, with highs reaching the 40s. Rain is moving in for Thursday, however. As always, get the latest forecast at nbcnewyork.com/weather.

1. Famed Actress, Director Penny Marshall Dead at 75

Penny Marshall, who starred in "Laverne & Shirley" before becoming one of the top-grossing female directors in Hollywood, has died. She was 75.

Marshall's publicist, Michelle Bega, said Marshall died in her Los Angeles home on Monday due to complications from diabetes. "Our family is heartbroken," the Marshall family said in a statement.

Marshall starred as Laverne DeFazio, the Milwaukee brewery worker, alongside Cindy Williams in the hit ABC comedy "Laverne & Shirley."

Read more here.

2. 'Fresh Prince' Star Sues 'Fortnite' Maker Over Dance Emote

"The Fresh Prince of Bel Air" star Alfonso Ribeiro is suing the makers of the popular battle royale video game "Fortnite" for allegedly stealing the dance that made him famous.

Attorneys for Ribeiro said that Epic Games ripped off the dance his character Carlton Banks did in the hit NBC sitcom and used the moves in an animated dance -- also known as an emote -- that players could buy and download in the game under the moniker "Fresh."

"Epic has earned record profits off of downloadable content in the game, including emotes like "Fresh.," attorney David Hecht said in a statement.

Read more here.

3. NY AG Reaches $174.2M Consumer Fraud Settlement With Charter

The New York Attorney General’s Office has reached a $174.2 million settlement with Charter over charges that the company promised faster and more reliable internet service to customers than it actually delivered.

Charter, which operated its cable service as Time Warner Cable before it started operating it as Spectrum, will fork over $62.5 million in refunds to more than 700,000 customers as part of a settlement — the “largest-ever payout to consumers by an internet service provider in U.S. history,” the attorney general’s office said.

Individual customers will receive between $75 and $150 in refunds, according to the office

Read more here.

For the latest entertainment news and things to do, tune in to New York Live, Monday through Friday at 11:30 a.m. on NBC 4 New York. 

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