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☆ SCOTUS is hearing 2 cases about political censorship on social media that could change how the internet works forever
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-10 | by ( Katherine Tangalakis-Lippert | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

It also created mechanisms for average users to sue social media companies if they believed the companies were unfairly applying their content moderation rules based on political leanings. Picture an empty timeline or your social media feed filled only with posts from companies paying to advertise on the platform. If these laws are permitted to stand, that's what the social media landscape could look like, at least until the sites update their business practices. And it might not stop at social media companies, Hurtwitz noted, due to the broad language in the laws. Advertisement"And what is social media?

Persons: SCOTUS, —, Donald Trump, Paxton, Ron DeSantis, Justin, Gus, Hurwitz, Hurtwitz, Uber, there's, Jared Carter, Carter, it's, John Roberts, — you've, Samuel Alito, Hurwiz Organizations: Service, Moody, Republican, GOP Gov, University of Pennsylvania's Center for Technology, Innovation, Competition, Lawyers, Ars Technica, Vermont Law, Graduate School, Cornell Law, CNN Locations: United States, South Carolina, Texas, Florida

☆ Vermont is debating a 'millionaires tax.' Massachusetts added $1 billion to its budget and paid for school lunches with a similar tax.
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-04 | by ( Kenneth Niemeyer | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Vermont lawmakers are debating a 3% tax on people who make more than $500,000. Massachusetts added $1 billion to its budget with a similar tax last year. In Massachusetts — the most recent state to adopt one — taxing the rich added $1 billion to the state budget in 2023 and helped provide the state's public school students with free school lunches (and breakfasts, too). About half the money earned from the tax went to education, while the other half went toward transportation, city officials said. State lawmakers introduced a law that, if passed, would place a 3% tax on people with adjusted gross income of more than $500,000.

Persons: —, Emilie Kornheiser, Kornheiser, Joe Biden, Biden's Organizations: Service, New Jersey ., ABC News, Representatives, Republicans Locations: Vermont, Washington, Massachusetts, Maine , Massachusetts, California , Connecticut , New York, New Jersey, New Jersey . Washington

BURLINGTON, Vt. (AP) — Vigils for three college students of Palestinian descent who were shot in Vermont over the weekend prompted calls for authorities to recognize the violence as a hate crime, and for unity among the Jewish and Arab communities. One vigil was held Monday night at Brown University in Rhode Island, where one of the victims, Hisham Awartani, is a student. Eaton moved to Burlington over the summer from Syracuse, New York, and legally purchased the gun used in the shooting, Murad told reporters. Eaton came to the door holding his hands, palms up, and told the officers he’d been waiting for them. Sarah George, state’s attorney, said that law enforcement officials do not yet have evidence to support a hate crime charge, which under Vermont law must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.

Persons: Jason J, Eaton, General Merrick Garland, ”, Hisham Awartani, Christina Paxson, Brown, Robert Leikend, “, Awartani, Kinnan, Tahseen Ali Ahmad, Jon Murad, Abdalhamid, Murad, “ I’ve, I’ve, Rich Price, Awartani's, Rania Ma’ayeh, Ali Ahmad, Ma’ayeh, Abdalhamid’s, Radi Tamimi, we’re, he’d, Mary Reed, Matthew Malinowski, Sarah George, Holly Ramer, Kathy McCormack, Lindsay Whitehurst, David Sharp Organizations: U.S . Department of Justice, Hamas, Brown University, American Jewish Committee, NBC News, West Bank, Police, University of Vermont Medical Center, Ramallah Friends School, Haverford College, Trinity College in, Daily, Syracuse, Associated Press Locations: BURLINGTON, Vt, Vermont, Burlington, Israel, Rhode Island, Robert Leikend , New England, “, Ramallah, Brown, Pennsylvania, Trinity College in Connecticut, Syracuse , New York, U.S, Gaza, Concord , New Hampshire, Washington, Portland , Maine

☆ 1 of 3 Palestinian students shot in Vermont may never walk again after bullet hit his spine, his mother says
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-27 | by ( Elizabeth Wolfe | Melissa Alonso | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

Awartani has an “incomplete spinal injury,” meaning he can feel his legs but can’t move them, Price told CNN’s Poppy Harlow from Amman, Jordan, Tuesday morning. Two of the men were also wearing traditional Palestinian scarves known as keffiyehs at the time of the attack, he said. One of the victims was released from the hospital Monday, a source close to the victims’ families told CNN. Federal prosecutors in Vermont are also investigating whether the shooting may have been a hate crime, officials said. After Eaton’s arraignment on Monday, his attorney, Margaret Jansch, said it was “premature to speculate” about a possible hate crime motivation.

Persons: Hisham Awartani, Elizabeth Price, Awartani, Price, CNN’s Poppy Harlow, ” Price, King Abdullah II, Jordan, Hisham, ”, He’s, he’s, Jason J, Eaton, Jon Murad, “, ” Awartani, Israel, ” Doumani, ” Murad, Miro Weinberger, Kinnan, Tahseen Ali Ahmad, Kinnan Abdalhamid, ” “ Kinnan, Awartani’s, Rich Price, ” Rich Price, ” Hisham Awartani, Ali Awartani, ” Elizabeth Price, Murad, Jason Eaton, Erin Burnett, Margaret Jansch, ” Robert Sand, Sand, CNN’s Ray Sanchez, Kaitlan Collins, Laura Coates, Rob Frehse, Polo Sandoval, Celina Tebor, Khalil Abdallah, Laura Dolan, Mark Morales Organizations: CNN, Brown University, West Bank, Authorities, Burlington Police, Palestinian Studies, Hamas, ”, Haverford College, Trinity College in, for Middle East, Institute for Middle, Jason Eaton Burlington Police Department, Federal, Vermont Law School Locations: Vermont, Burlington, Amman, Jordan, Palestine, United States, Israel, Pennsylvania, Trinity College in Connecticut, Ramallah, Eaton, Jason Eaton Burlington

☆ Report on Anti-Gay Slur Could Put Local News Site Out of Business
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-15 | by ( Jeremy W. Peters | More About Jeremy W. Peters | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Other prominent Republicans have followed his lead, including Devin Nunes, the former Republican congressman Mr. Trump hired to run his social media network, Truth Social. Mr. Nunes has sued several outlets, including The Washington Post and CNN, for publishing stories that were unfavorable to him. For small local news organizations, many of which are barely getting by financially, the suits threaten to put them out of business. This case, he added is not a “he-said/she said” matter but “a ‘three-said,’ and more.”Through his lawyer, Mr. Tomczyk declined to comment on the case. The lawyer, Matthew M. Fernholz, said his client was “categorically denying that he used the word,” or any derivative of it, during the meeting.

Persons: Devin Nunes, Trump, Nunes, Phil Bryant, Tomczyk, ”, Rodney Smolla, Matthew M, Fernholz Organizations: Republican, The Washington Post, CNN, Wausau, Vermont Law School Locations: Mississippi, Wisconsin

☆ Montana judge hands young plaintiffs significant victory in landmark climate trial
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-14 | by ( Ella Nilsen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —A Montana judge handed a significant victory on Monday to more than a dozen young plaintiffs in the nation’s first constitutional climate trial, as extreme weather becomes more deadly and scientists warn the climate crisis is eroding our environment and natural resources. While Seeley’s ruling won’t prevent mining or burning fossil fuels in the state, it will reverse a recently passed state law that prohibits state agencies from considering planet-warming pollution when permitting fossil fuel projects. “Their same legal theory has been thrown out of federal court and courts in more than a dozen states. The federal climate case alleges the federal government’s activities allowing further fossil fuel development, including permitting and leasing for oil and gas drilling, is violating young people’s constitutional rights to life, liberty and property. Olson recently told CNN she hopes the state case will boost the Juliana case.

Persons: Kathy Seeley, Montana’s, ” Seeley, ”, Julia Olson, Montana didn’t, general’s, Emily Flower, Austin Knudsen, ” Flower, “, Pat Parenteau, Olson, Biden, Daniel Farber, Juliana, it’s, ” Olson, ” Michael Gerrard, Gerrard, ” Farber Organizations: CNN, Trust, Montana, CNN Experts, Montana Supreme, Environmental, Vermont Law School, University of California, United, Children’s Trust, Biden administration’s Department of Justice, Court, Sabin, Climate, Columbia University Law School Locations: Montana, ” Montana, Hawaii, University of California Berkeley, United States

☆ Donald Trump may have taken a swing at the bedrock of American democracy — but he's too 'exhausting' for anyone to care
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-06 | by ( Sebastian Cahill | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Political scientists are saying the public is tired of hearing about Donald Trump. The inattention is not unique, but it is alarming given the nature of the charges, experts say. "The fact that most people don't pay attention to politics is certainly not unique to Trump," Enos said. What perhaps is unique to Trump is that he's exhibited such high levels of corruption." Enos said Trump's actions should be especially alarming and problematic to Americans because of his efforts to attack a foundational part of American democracy.

Persons: Donald Trump, Trump, Jared Carter, Carter, Ryan Enos, Enos, Trump's, that's, he's, Bill Clinton, Monica Lewinsky, It'd, we've Organizations: Service, Vermont Law, Graduate School, Center for American Political Studies, Harvard University, Trump, White Locations: Wall, Silicon, Vermont, United States

☆ Here's how many years Donald Trump's various charges could cost him
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-05 | by ( Sebastian Cahill | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Professor Kevin McMunigal said he thinks Trump's chance of avoiding all charges is "zero." The maximum sentence for all the charges would be 650 years in prison. Additionally, McMunigal said, Trump would need to be surrounded by Secret Service agents, even while incarcerated. However, McMunigal noted that Trump does face multiple charges, and judges will consider the seriousness of an offense when considering sentencing. "The idea of overturning an election in the US is an incredibly serious offense," McMunigal said, referring to Trump's election fraud charges.

Persons: Donald Trump, Kevin McMunigal, Donald Trump's, Stormy Daniels, Trump, Jared Carter, he's, Carter, didn't, we're, McMunigal Organizations: Service, Mar, CNN, Vermont Law, Graduate School, Case Western Reserve University, US, Commission, Secret Service Locations: Wall, Silicon, Georgia

☆ Bernie Sanders slams 'devastating blow' of striking down student-loan forgiveness, saying Supreme Court justices should run for office if they want to make policy
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-30 | by ( Juliana Kaplan | Eliza Relman | Ayelet Sheffey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Sen. Bernie Sanders released a lengthy statement condemning the Supreme Court's ruling on student debt. Sanders also called on the Biden administration to immediately implement a "Plan B" to help borrowers. A slew of Democratic lawmakers issued statements on Friday condemning the Supreme Court's decision and urging the Biden administration to take additional action to get borrowers relief. She said the court's role is to stay away from making policy and policy judgments; but, in cases like this, the court instead makes itself the arbiter of policy. "In my view, if right-wing Supreme Court justices want to make public policy they should quit the Supreme Court and run for political office.

Persons: Sen, Bernie Sanders, Sanders, Biden, —, Joe Biden, Alito, Cortez, Samuel Alito, Biden's, Brown, Elena Kagan Organizations: Service, Democratic, US Department of Education, . Nebraska, GOP Locations: Vermont, .

The membership of the panel at Musk’s company, Neuralink, raises questions about potential violations of conflict-of-interest regulations aimed at protecting research integrity, a dozen animal-research and bioethics experts told Reuters. Autumn Sorrells has chaired an oversight board approving animal experiments by Elon Musk’s brain-chip startup, Neuralink, and also run the company’s animal care program. Reuters couldn’t determine the compensation terms of the Neuralink IACUC members who are also company employees. The independence of such boards, Nicolelis said, is critical to protecting the integrity of animal research that could impact humans in future clinical trials. These institutions generally prohibit people with direct financial interests from serving on IACUCs or voting on animal experiments.

☆ Vermont Allows Nonresidents to Access Medically Assisted Death
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-03 | by ( Joseph Pisani | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Vermont lawmakers legalized medically assisted death for residents a decade ago. Photo: Lisa Rathke/Associated PressVermont became the first state in the U.S. to remove a residency requirement for terminally ill patients seeking to die by medical assistance, allowing adults living out-of-state to travel there for end-of-life care. The state legalized medically assisted death for residents a decade ago. On Tuesday, Republican Gov. Phil Scott signed into law a bill eliminating the residency requirement, after it passed the state’s House of Representatives and Senate last month.

☆ Mass layoffs including workers who are pregnant or on parental leave may seem unfair, but it's not illegal in the US — here's why
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-11 | by ( Grace Dean | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Critics have slammed some companies for laying off US workers on parental leave in recent months. But staff on protected leave aren't immune from mass layoffs, labor lawyers told Insider. Some of the stories that have caught the most attention and outrage on sites such as LinkedIn, however, are those of workers whose companies laid them off while they were pregnant or on parental leave. When they return to work after FMLA leave, the Department of Labor says that employees must return to the same job or one that is nearly identical,. What protections do pregnant workers have?

☆ ExxonMobil's secret projections of the climate crisis were astonishingly accurate, and a legal expert says that's 'a stick of dynamite' for the oil giant's court battles
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-12 | by ( Morgan Mcfall-Johnsen | Paola Rosa-Aquino | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

ExxonMobil scientists knew about the coming climate crisis in precise detail, a Harvard study found. The analysis is "dynamite" for an array of lawsuits against ExxonMobil, legal experts told Insider. A growing wave of 'unassailable' evidence suggests Exxon lied about what it knewDespite having accurate predictions about global warming, the oil giant denied it would happen. That's exactly the track global warming is on right now. Those "stranded assets" are now a real possibility, due to global climate goals outlined in the Paris Agreement.

The agency did not respond to requests for comment on its record monitoring animal research experiments nationally. The USDA inspector general has published at least three reports since 2014 critical of the agency’s lax oversight, though its criticism dates back to the 1990s. Neuralink says on its website that it champions animal welfare and tries to reduce animal testing where possible. Two academic studies conducted in 2009 and 2012 found that animal research committees approved between 98% and 99% of experiments proposed by researchers. Envigo was made to sign the consent decree giving up the beagles only after the USDA inspector general and the Justice Department investigated and found evidence of inhumane treatment.

☆ Exclusive: Musk’s Neuralink faces federal probe, employee backlash over animal tests
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-05 | by ( Rachael Levy | Thomson Reuters | Award-Winning Journalist Covering Corporate Governance. Her Reporting Has Prompted Federal Investigations | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +16 min

Reuters could not determine the full scope of the federal investigation or whether it involved the same alleged problems with animal testing identified by employees in Reuters interviews. Musk has pushed hard to accelerate Neuralink’s progress, which depends heavily on animal testing, current and former employees said. Delcianna Winders, director of the Animal Law and Policy Institute at the Vermont Law and Graduate School, said it is “very unusual” for the USDA inspector general to investigate animal research facilities. In September, the company responded to employee concerns about its animal testing by holding a town hall to explain its processes. “We’re extremely careful,” he said, to make sure that testing is “confirmatory, not exploratory,” using animal testing as a last resort after trying other methods.

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