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☆ California Ammunition Background Check Law Can Remain in Effect, Court Rules
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-05 | by ( Feb. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +3 min

Circuit Judge Consuelo Callahan, another Bush appointee, dissented, saying the state had not shown a likelihood of success on appeal. Plaintiffs challenging the law in court included Kim Rhode, who has won three Olympic gold medals in shooting events, and the California Rifle & Pistol Association. California voters had in 2016 approved a ballot measure requiring gun owners to undergo initial background checks to buy ammunition, and pay $50 for a four-year ammunition permit. Legislators amended the measure to require background checks for each ammunition purchase, starting in 2019. Benitez in his decision rejected California's reliance on dozens of laws dating back to 1789 as "historical analogues" for ammunition checks and said the law had "no historical pedigree."

Persons: Richard Clifton, Nate Raymond, Roger Benitez, Benitez, George W, Bush, Holly Thomas, Joe Biden, Consuelo Callahan, Rob Bonta, Kim Rhode, Chuck Michel, Benitez's Jan, Miral Fahmy Organizations: Reuters, Circuit, U.S, District, Democratic, Republican, Democrat, Plaintiffs, California, New York Locations: California, San Diego, New, Boston

U.S. District Judge William Young told a JetBlue lawyer that he expected airline fares would rise if no-frills, ultra-low-cost Spirit no longer was around to "undercut everyone else" and drive down prices. The four largest U.S. carriers - United Airlines (UAL.O), American Airlines (AAL.O), Delta Air Lines (DAL.N) and Southwest Airlines (LUV.N) - control 80% of the domestic market. JetBlue and Spirit combined control about 8%, according to their lawyers. Duffy said allowing JetBlue's, the sixth-largest U.S. airline, and Spirit, the seventh-largest, to merge would result in higher prices and fewer flights once lower-cost Spirit was no longer competing. Reporting by Nate Raymond in Boston; Editing by Will DUnhma, Mark Porter and Alexia GaramfalviOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Department's, William Young, Young, Edward Duffy, Duffy, Ryan Shores, Joe Biden's, Shores, JetBlue's, Nate Raymond, Will DUnhma, Mark Porter, Alexia Garamfalvi Organizations: BOSTON, ., JetBlue Airways, Spirit Airlines, JetBlue, Justice Department, District of Columbia, Justice, U.S, United Airlines, American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Southwest Airlines, Spirit, U.S ., Thomson Locations: U.S, Boston, New York City, Newark , New Jersey, Fort Lauderdale , Florida

People visit the U.S. Supreme Court building on the day that Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito released their delayed financial disclosure reports and the reports were made public in Washington, U.S., August 31, 2023. REUTERS/Kevin Wurm/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsWASHINGTON, Nov 30 (Reuters) - Senate Democrats are expected on Thursday to vote on authorizing subpoenas to a pair of influential conservatives with ties to the U.S. Supreme Court as part of an ethics inquiry spurred by reports of undisclosed largesse directed to some conservative justices. Democrats are expected to face resistance from the panel's Republican members, who have painted the oversight effort as an attempt to tarnish the Supreme Court after it handed major defeats to liberals in recent years on matters including abortion, gun rights and student debt relief. Lawyers for Leo and Crow in letters to the committee criticized the committee's information requests as lacking a proper legal justification. Crow's lawyer proposed turning over a narrower range of information but Democrats rebuffed that offer, according to the panel's Democratic members.

Persons: Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito, Kevin Wurm, largesse, Harlan Crow, Leonard Leo, Donald Trump's, Dick Durbin, Crow, Leo, Paul Singer, Trump, Thomas, Alito, Singer, John Kruzel, Andrew Chung, Nate Raymond, Will Dunham Organizations: U.S, Supreme, REUTERS, Rights, Democratic, Republican, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S, Texas, Alaska, New York, Boston

Zhao's lawyers in a Thursday filing asked U.S. District Judge Richard Jones in Seattle not to reverse bail conditions set by a magistrate judge on Tuesday that would allow him to leave the U.S. while awaiting sentencing. Zhao, a citizen of the UAE and Canada, stepped down as CEO of Binance on Tuesday after pleading guilty to willfully causing the global cryptocurrency exchange to fail to maintain an effective anti-money laundering program. Allowing Zhao to return to the UAE would allow him to take care of his partner and three children and prepare them for his sentencing, defense lawyers argued. The Justice Department did not respond to a request for comment on Friday. Reporting by Nate Raymond in Boston; Editing by Alexia Garamfalvi and Marguerita ChoyOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Zhao Changpeng, Binance, Benoit Tessier, Changpeng Zhao, Richard Jones, Zhao, Jones, Brian Tsuchida, Nate Raymond, Alexia Garamfalvi, Marguerita Choy Organizations: Viva Technology, Porte de, REUTERS, United Arab Emirates, U.S, District, Islamic, U.S . Commodity Futures Trading Commission, Justice, Thomson Locations: Porte, Paris, France, Seattle, U.S, UAE, Canada, Binance, al Qaeda, Islamic State, Iraq, Syria, Boston

Zhao's lawyers in a Thursday filing asked U.S. District Judge Richard Jones in Seattle not to reverse bail conditions set by a magistrate judge on Tuesday that would allow him to leave the U.S. while awaiting sentencing. Zhao, a citizen of the UAE and Canada, stepped down as CEO of Binance on Tuesday after pleading guilty to willfully causing the global cryptocurrency exchange to fail to maintain an effective anti-money laundering program. Allowing Zhao to return to the UAE would allow him to take care of his partner and three children and prepare them for his sentencing, defense lawyers argued. The Justice Department did not respond to a request for comment on Friday. Reporting by Nate Raymond in Boston, Editing by Alexia Garamfalvi and Marguerita ChoyOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

The conservative majority Supreme Court's ruling came in response to lawsuits by the same group now suing over West Point's policies in federal court in White Plains, New York. The group, Students for Fair Admissions, was founded by affirmative action opponent Edward Blum. The Supreme Court's ruling invalidating race-conscious admissions policies used by Harvard University and the University of North Carolina did not address race in admissions at military academies, which Chief Justice John Roberts said had "potentially distinct interests." Although Black people make up 20.2% of the Army's active duty enlisted personnel, only 11% are officers, the Justice Department said. White people by contrast constitute 51.7% of the Army active duty enlisted corps and 68% of its officers, the Justice Department said.

Persons: Eduardo Munoz, Biden, Edward Blum, SFFA, Blum, Philip Halpern, Donald Trump, John Roberts, West, Nate Raymond, Gerry Doyle Organizations: United States Military Academy, REUTERS, Wednesday, U.S . Military Academy, West, U.S . Department of Justice, U.S, Fair, Constitution's, Department, Army, Republican, U.S . Naval Academy, Harvard University, University of North, Justice Department, Thomson Locations: West Point , New York, U.S, U.S ., West, White Plains , New York, University of North Carolina, Boston

The group usually has one active case against financial regulators, but currently has two against the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and one against the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), he said. To be sure, the financial regulators have been sued many times during previous administrations, including by pro-reform advocacy groups. "There are some financial regulators that are walking right into it," he added. In September, for example, bank groups accused regulators including the Federal Reserve of violating the APA with a new capital rule. According to research by Wharton School professor David Zaring, neither industry groups nor individual lenders have filed more than one suit over the past decade challenging Fed policymaking.

Persons: Jim Bourg, Gibson, Dunn, Crutcher, Joe Biden's, Donald Trump's, Tom Quaadman, Jack Inglis, CFPB, Dennis Kelleher, Trump, Eugene Scalia, Gibson Dunn, Scalia, Antonin Scalia, Rebeca Romero Rainey, David Zaring, Kelleher, Douglas Gillison, Chris Prentice, Pete Schroeder, Nate Raymond, Jody Godoy, Megan Davies, Nick Zieminski Organizations: U.S . Securities, Exchange Commission, SEC, REUTERS, WASHINGTON, Democratic, Republican, Reuters, APA, U.S . Chamber of Commerce, Securities and Exchange Commission, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Funds, Alternative Investment Management Association, Fifth Circuit, Appeals, Better Markets, Biden, American Bankers Association, Labor, Supreme, Independent Community Bankers of, Federal, Wharton School, Thomson Locations: Washington, Independent Community Bankers of America

REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsNov 21 (Reuters) - A U.S. appeals court on Tuesday declared that Maryland's licensing requirements for people seeking to buy handguns were unconstitutional, citing a landmark U.S. Supreme Court decision last year that expanded gun rights. "Maryland has not shown that this regime is consistent with our nation's historical tradition of firearm regulation," U.S. Richardson called the Maryland law an "additional, preliminary step" that subjected law-abiding people to a 30-day waiting period before they could begin the usual process to acquire a firearm through a separate background check system. A spokesperson for Maryland Attorney General Andrew Brown, a Democrat who is defending the law in court, said his office was "weighing options for next steps in this case." Maryland had said its law mirrored historical limitations on "dangerous" people owning firearms.

Persons: Kevin Lamarque, Julius Richardson, Donald Trump, Richardson, Andrew Brown, preemptively, Barbara Milano Keenan, Barack Obama, Nate Raymond, Will Dunham, Alexia Garamfalvi Organizations: White, REUTERS, Supreme, Circuit, U.S, New York, Republican, Maryland, Democrat, Democratic, Thomson Locations: Montgomery County , Maryland, Washington , U.S, U.S, Richmond , Virginia, Maryland, New York, Boston

Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam Deitch said in court that Waithe's scheme victimized at least 50 women. Waithe worked at Northeastern from October 2018 to February 2019, when the university fired him, and had previously coached at Penn State University, Illinois Institute of Technology, University of Tennessee and Concordia University Chicago. Prosecutors said Waithe sent the women nude or semi-nude photos he had stolen and requested they send additional ones so he could conduct "reverse image searches." But, with the help of a hacker, Waithe stole nude pictures of one of the Northeastern athletes stored on her Snapchat account and cyberstalked her, Deitch said. While some ignored his emails, at least 17 women responded, sending him 350 nude or semi-nude photos, according to the indictment.U.S.

Persons: Steve Waithe, Adam Deitch, Deitch, Waithe, Prosecutors, Patti Saris, Jane Peachy, Nate Raymond, Will Dunham, Alexia Garamfalvi Organizations: BOSTON, Northeastern University, U.S, Northeastern, Penn State University , Illinois Institute of Technology, University of Tennessee, Concordia University Chicago, Prosecutors, Thomson Locations: Boston, Waithe, Northeastern, U.S

☆ Maryland Handgun Licensure Law Is Unconstitutional, US Court Rules
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-21 | by ( Nov. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +3 min

By Nate Raymond(Reuters) -A U.S. appeals court on Tuesday declared that Maryland's licensing requirements for people seeking to buy handguns were unconstitutional, citing a landmark U.S. Supreme Court decision last year that expanded gun rights. "Maryland has not shown that this regime is consistent with our nation's historical tradition of firearm regulation," U.S. A gun rights group called Maryland Shall Issue sued in 2016 along with two individuals and a gun store, arguing that the restrictions violated the Second Amendment. Richardson on Tuesday said the Supreme Court in 2022 "effected a sea change in Second Amendment law" when it struck down New York state's limits on carrying concealed handguns outside the home. Maryland had said its law mirrored historical limitations on "dangerous" people owning firearms.

Persons: Nate Raymond, Julius Richardson, Donald Trump, Richardson, Randy Kozuch, Andrew Brown, preemptively, Barbara Milano Keenan, Barack Obama, Will Dunham, Alexia Garamfalvi Organizations: Reuters, Supreme, Circuit, U.S, New York, Republican, Rifle Association's, Legal, NRA, Maryland, Democrat, Democratic Locations: U.S, Richmond , Virginia, Maryland, New York, Boston

REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsNov 14 (Reuters) - A federal judge on Tuesday rejected efforts by major social media companies to dismiss nationwide litigation accusing them of illegally enticing and then addicting millions of children to their platforms, damaging their mental health. The decision covers hundreds of lawsuits filed on behalf of individual children who allegedly suffered negative physical, mental and emotional health effects from social media use including anxiety, depression, and occasionally suicide. "Today’s decision is a significant victory for the families that have been harmed by the dangers of social media," the plaintiffs' lead lawyers - Lexi Hazam, Previn Warren and Chris Seeger - said in a joint statement. More than 140 school districts have filed similar lawsuits against the industry that are also before Gonzalez, and 42 states plus the District of Columbia last month sued Meta for youth addiction to its social media platforms. She cited as an example allegations that companies could have used age-verification tools to warn parents when their children were online.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers, Lexi Hazam, Previn Warren, Chris Seeger, Gonzalez, Meta, Rogers, Jonathan Stempel, Nate Raymond, Chizu Nomiyama, Matthew Lewis, Alexia Garamfalvi, Aurora Ellis Organizations: REUTERS, of Columbia, U.S, Communications, Thomson Locations: Oakland , California, New York, Boston

Parts of a ghost gun kit are on display at an event held by U.S. President Joe Biden to announce measures to fight ghost gun crime, at the White House in Washington U.S., April 11, 2022. Circuit Court of Appeals sided with a group of firearm owners, gun rights groups and manufacturers in declaring the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives' 2022 rule "unlawful." "ATF, in promulgating its final rule, attempted to take on the mantle of Congress to 'do something' with respect to gun control," he wrote. The administration has said that ghost guns are attractive to criminals and others prohibited from lawfully buying firearms, including minors. There were about 20,000 suspected ghost guns reported in 2021 to the ATF as having been recovered by law enforcement in criminal investigations - a tenfold increase from 2016, according to the White House.

Persons: Joe Biden, Kevin Lamarque, Biden, Donald Trump, Kurt Engelhardt, Cody Wisniewski, Nate Raymond, Michael Perry Organizations: U.S, White, REUTERS, Circuit, Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, Explosives, Republican, Gun Control, U.S . Department of Justice, Coalition Action Foundation, ATF, Biden, Thomson Locations: Washington U.S, New Orleans, Texas, U.S ., Boston

WASHINGTON, Nov 9 (Reuters) - Senate Democrats are set on Thursday to vote on authorizing subpoenas to a pair of influential conservatives with ties to the U.S. Supreme Court as part of an ethics inquiry spurred by reports of undisclosed largesse directed to some conservative justices. Lawyers for Leo and Crow in letters to the committee criticized the information requests as lacking a proper legal justification. Crow's lawyer proposed turning over a narrower range of information but Democrats rebuffed that offer, according to the panel's Democratic members. The Senate Judiciary Committee in July approved a Democratic-backed bill that would mandate a binding ethics code for the justices. Reporting by John Kruzel; Additional reporting by Nate Raymond in Boston; Editing by Will DunhamOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: largesse, Harlan Crow, Clarence Thomas, Leonard Leo, Donald Trump's, Dick Durbin, Crow, Leo, Durbin, Robin Arkley II, Samuel Alito, Paul Singer, Trump, Thomas, Alito, Singer, John Kruzel, Nate Raymond, Will Dunham Organizations: Democrats, U.S, Supreme, Democratic, Republican, Thomson Locations: Texas, Alaska, Boston

The company logo for Bitwise Asset Management is displayed on a screen on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York City, U.S., October 26, 2023. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsNov 9 (Reuters) - U.S. authorities on Thursday charged the co-founders of private technology startup Bitwise Industries for their roles in a $100 million fraud scheme, according to federal prosecutors and the Securities and Exchange Commission. Bitwise filed for bankruptcy protection in June. Hundreds of BitWise employees lost their jobs in May 2023 when the scheme was exposed, according to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, which filed civil charges against the co-CEOs on Thursday in federal court in California. Reporting by Chris Prentice; Additional reporting by Nate Raymond; Editing by Daniel WallisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Brendan McDermid, Irma Olguin Jr, Jake Soberal, Bitwise, Olguin, Chris Prentice, Nate Raymond, Daniel Wallis Organizations: Bitwise Asset, New York Stock Exchange, REUTERS, Industries, Securities and Exchange Commission, Eastern, U.S . Securities, Exchange Commission, SEC, Thomson Locations: New York City, U.S, Eastern District, California

Courthouse in Boston, Massachusetts, U.S., November 28, 2018. The U.S. government meanwhile seized the domains for two websites tied to the prostitution ring, authorities said. Defense lawyers for the trio either did not respond to requests for comment or could not be immediately identified. Customers were charged $350 to $600, depending on the services and included politicians, pharmaceutical and technology executives, doctors, military officers, professors, lawyers, business executives, scientists and accountants, prosecutors said. Reporting by Nate Raymond in Boston, Editing by Alexia Garamfalvi; Editing by David GregorioOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: John Jospeh Moakley, Katherine Taylor, Josh Levy, Han Lee, Junmyung Lee, James Lee, Levy, We're, Nate Raymond, Alexia Garamfalvi, David Gregorio Our Organizations: Courthouse, REUTERS, Rights BOSTON, U.S, Thomson Locations: John Jospeh Moakley U.S, Boston , Massachusetts, U.S, Boston, Virginia, Massachusetts, California, Massachusetts , Virginia, Cambridge, Watertown , Massachusetts, Fairfax, Tysons , Virginia

[1/2] Airplane model is placed on displayed Spirit Airlines and jetBlue Airways logos in this illustration taken, June 21, 2022. JetBlue CEO Robin Hayes defended the deal being challenged by the U.S. Department of Justice in federal court in Boston, saying a merger was the only way to grow JetBlue into a long-term national challenger to the dominant airlines. "You'd never ever get to the size they are based on organic growth," he testified under questioning by JetBlue lawyer Ryan Shores. The Justice Department counters that passengers would suffer roughly $1 billion in net harm annually if JetBlue absorbs Spirit, causing fares to rise. The trial is a rarity for the Justice Department, which historically has approved airline mergers without trials conditioned on asset divestitures.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Robin Hayes, Hayes, You'd, Ryan Shores, Edward Duffy, JetBlue, District William Young, Nate Raymond, Alexia Garamfalvi Organizations: Airlines, jetBlue Airways, REUTERS, Rights BOSTON, JetBlue Airways, Spirit Airlines, U.S, JetBlue, U.S . Department of Justice, The Justice Department, Democratic, District of Columbia, United Airlines, American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Southwest Airlines, Department, District, Justice Department, Thomson Locations: Boston, New York City, Newark , New Jersey, Fort Lauderdale . U.S

☆ US appeals court upholds Illinois assault weapons ban
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-04 | by ( Steve Gorman | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

REUTERS/Cheney Orr/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsNov 3 (Reuters) - A U.S. appeals court on Friday upheld an Illinois state ban on assault-style weapons and high-capacity ammunition magazines enacted after a 2022 mass shooting in Chicago's Highland Park suburb that left seven people dead and dozens more wounded. The Democratic-backed state measure bans the sale and distribution of many kinds of high-powered semiautomatic "assault weapons," including AK-47 and AR-15 rifles, and large-capacity magazines. In one notable aspect of its reasoning in upholding the Illinois law, the appellate panel cited a U.S. Supreme Court opinion last year that struck down New York state's limits on carrying concealed handguns outside the home. In August, a divided Illinois Supreme Court upheld the assault weapons ban in a separate case brought at the state court level, rejecting arguments that the law violated the state constitution by not applying the ban equally to all citizens. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that California's assault weapons ban would remain in force while the state attorney general appealed a lower-court decision declaring that 30-year-old measure unconstitutional.

Persons: Cheney Orr, Diane Wood, Bill Clinton, Wood, Judge Frank Easterbook, Ronald Reagan, Michael Brennan, Donald Trump, Steve Gorman, Nate Raymond, Jamie Freed Organizations: REUTERS, U.S, Circuit, Democratic, AK, District of Columbia, Appeals, Thomson Locations: Chicago, Highland Park , Illinois, U.S, Illinois, Highland, New York, District, Los Angeles, Boston

BOSTON, Nov 1 (Reuters) - The CEO of Spirit Airlines on Wednesday defended in court the planned $3.8 billion acquisition of his company by JetBlue Airways as a means to create a viable competitor to the four larger airlines that dominate the U.S. skies. Ted Christie, Spirit's chief executive officer, during the second day of trial in the U.S. Department of Justice's lawsuit challenging the merger testified that his ultra-low-cost airline remained "relatively insignificant" despite years of growth. He said Spirit, which has not turned a profit in three years, had just around 3% of the market and was facing "more effective" competition from those larger airlines - United Airlines, American Airlines, Delta Air Lines and Southwest Airlines - in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. Christie testified that throughout the negotiations for the deal in 2022, Spirit had been concerned how regulators would view a merger with JetBlue, as the Justice Department had already sued JetBlue to challenge a planned Northeast partnership with American Airlines. Reporting by Nate Raymond in Boston, Editing by Alexia Garamfalvi and Nick ZieminskiOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Ted Christie, Christie, Spirit, Jay Cohen, William Young, Nate Raymond, Alexia Garamfalvi, Nick Zieminski Organizations: BOSTON, Spirit Airlines, JetBlue Airways, U.S . Department of, Spirit, United Airlines, American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Southwest Airlines, JetBlue, Frontier Group Holdings, U.S, Justice Department, Democratic, District of Columbia, Thomson Locations: U.S, Boston, New York City, Newark, Fort Lauderdale

[1/2] Airplane model is placed on displayed Spirit Airlines and jetBlue Airways logos in this illustration taken, June 21, 2022. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustrations/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsBOSTON, Oct 31 (Reuters) - The U.S. Department of Justice heads to trial on Tuesday to urge a federal judge to block JetBlue Airways' (JBLU.O) planned $3.8 billion acquisition of ultra-low-cost carrier Spirit Airlines. The trial will take place without a jury over about three weeks before U.S. District Judge William Young. A merger between JetBlue and Spirit, the sixth and seventh largest U.S. carriers, respectively, would mark the first major U.S. airline combination since Alaska Airlines bought Virgin America in 2016. The Justice Department alleges the merger would eliminate the pressure larger airlines, including JetBlue, face to lower their fares in response to competition from Spirit and cost consumers over $2 billion in higher fares annually.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Joe Biden's, William Young, Young, Biden, Leo Sorokin, Nate Raymond, Alexia Garamfalvi, Nick Zieminski Organizations: Airlines, jetBlue Airways, REUTERS, Rights, U.S . Department of Justice, JetBlue Airways, Spirit Airlines, U.S, JetBlue, Spirit, Alaska Airlines, Virgin America, United Airlines, American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Justice Department, Department, Democratic, District of Columbia, The, Big, American, Thomson Locations: Boston, U.S, New York City, Newark, Fort Lauderdale

☆ Instagram linked to depression, anxiety, insomnia in kids - US states' lawsuit
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-24 | by ( Companies Need To Integrate Climate Reporting Across Functions To Comply With California S New Law | Henry Engler | October | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsCompanies Meta Platforms Inc FollowOct 24 (Reuters) - Dozens of U.S. states are suing Meta Platforms (META.O) and its Instagram unit, accusing them of contributing to a youth mental health crisis through the addictive nature of their social media platforms. "Research has shown that young people’s use of Meta's social media platforms is associated with depression, anxiety, insomnia, interference with education and daily life, and many other negative outcomes," the complaint said. The lawsuit is the latest in a string of legal actions against social media companies on behalf of children and teens. Meta deceptively denied publicly that its social media was harmful, the lawsuit said. Nine other states are expected to file similar lawsuits on Tuesday, bringing the total number of states suing to 42.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, ByteDance's, Meta, We’re, Jonathan Stempel, Diane Bartz, David Shepardson, Nate Raymond, Rod Nickel, Lisa Shumaker Organizations: REUTERS, Meta, YouTube, Menlo, Thomson Locations: Oakland , California, California, Illinois, , California, New York

☆ Planned Parenthood Must Face Trial Over Texas Medicaid Fraud Claims
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-23 | by ( Oct. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +5 min

At issue is billing by Planned Parenthood after Texas announced its decision to terminate the organization as a provider under its Medicaid insurance programs for low-income people. However, he did not rule on exactly how much it must return, or whether Planned Parenthood knowingly broke the law. Both Planned Parenthood and the office of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Planned Parenthood has said the videos were heavily edited and misleading, and denied wrongdoing. Planned Parenthood, as a leading abortion provider, has long drawn the ire of abortion opponents, who have called for cutting off its government funding.

Persons: Brendan Pierson, Nate Raymond, Matthew Kacsmaryk, Kacsmaryk, Ken Paxton, Paxton, Donald Trump, Roe, Wade, Will Dunham, Alexia Garamfalvi, Leslie Adler Organizations: Reuters, Republican, Texas, U.S, District, Supreme Locations: Texas, Amarillo, Louisiana, State, U.S, New York

☆ Tennessee attorney general says six states to discuss big-tech investigation
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

WASHINGTON, Oct 23 (Reuters) - Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti's office said on Monday that there would be a press conference on Tuesday with five other states to discuss a big-tech investigation. The other states participating in the press conference are California, Colorado, Massachusetts, Nebraska and New Hampshire. While Reuters could not determine the topic of the press conference, in November 2021 Tennessee joined seven other states to probe allegations Meta Platforms (META.O) promoted its subsidiary Instagram to children despite potential harms. Separately, Virginia's attorney general's office said on Monday that it would hold a press conference on Tuesday to update reporters on a similar probe into Meta. Reporting by Diane Bartz, Nate Raymond and David Shepardson; Editing by Leslie AdlerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Jonathan Skrmetti's, Diane Bartz, Nate Raymond, David Shepardson, Leslie Adler Organizations: Tennessee, Reuters, Meta, Thomson Locations: California, Colorado , Massachusetts , Nebraska, New Hampshire

U.S. Bankruptcy Judge David Jones, who oversees more major Chapter 11 cases than any other U.S. judge, is seen in a screenshot from video shot during a virtual interview with Reuters done from Houston, Texas, U.S. December 11, 2020. Jones had already stepped back from overseeing large bankruptcy cases and began reassigning them to two other judges on the court. Until December 2022, Freeman had been a partner at Jackson Walker, a local law firm that filed many cases in Jones' Houston courthouse. Ethics experts have said the undisclosed relationship casts doubt on the integrity of Jones' court. "From the time we first learned of this allegation Ms. Freeman was instructed not to work or bill on any cases before Judge Jones.

Persons: David Jones, Randy Crane, Jones, Elizabeth Freeman, Freeman, Jackson Walker, Judge Jones, Shubhendu Deshmukh, Bill Berkrot, Alexia Garamfalvi Organizations: Reuters, REUTERS, Staff, U.S . Chief U.S, District, Southern, Southern District of Texas, Circuit, McDermott International, Tehum Care Services, U.S . Trustee, Department of, Thomson Locations: Houston , Texas, U.S, Houston, Southern District, New Orleans, Jones ' Houston, Debtwire, Bengaluru

Senator Bob Menendez (D-NJ) speaks to reporters while on his way to a vote following a Senate Democratic caucus meeting on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., September 28, 2023. Senator Bob Menendez on Thursday brought a new criminal charge against him that he conspired to act as a foreign agent for the Egyptian government. Prosecutors have said that co-defendant Hana arranged meetings between the senator and Egyptian officials, who pressed him to sign off on military aid. In return, the businessman put Nadine Menendez on the payroll of a company he controlled. The new indictment said both Hana and Nadine Menendez communicated requests and directives from Egyptian officials to the senator.

Persons: Bob Menendez, Craig Hudson, Menendez, Nadine Menendez, Nadine, Wael Hana, Jose Uribe, Fred Daibes, Hana, Lawrence Lustberg, Nate Raymond, Kanishka Singh, Susan Heavey, Mark Porter, Lisa Shumaker, Grant McCool Organizations: Democratic, Capitol, REUTERS, Prosecutors, U.S, New, New Jersey Democrat, Senate Foreign Relations, U.S . Department of Justice, Foreign, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S, New Jersey, New York, Jersey, Egypt's, Washington, United States, Egypt, Boston

"There are many other law firms with similar racially discriminatory programs," Blum said in a statement. "It is to be hoped that these firms proactively open their programs to all law students before they are sued in federal court." The paid fellowships were designed in part to help support the recruitment of people of color, which major law firms have long struggled to add to their partnership ranks. Last year, people of color comprised 11.4% of all partners in major U.S. law firms, according to the National Association for Law Placement. The lawsuit alleged the fellowship program violated a Civil War-era law enacted to protect formerly enslaved Black people that bars racial bias in contracting.

Persons: Edward Blum, Morrison, Foerster, firm's, Edward Blum's, Perkins Coie, Blum, Blum's, Fearless Fund's, Nate Raymond, Alexia Garamfalvi, Bill Berkrot Organizations: Fair, Harvard University, Wednesday, Edward Blum's American Alliance for Equal Rights, National Association for Law, U.S, Supreme, Harvard, University of North, Thomson Locations: Boston, Dallas, Seattle, University of North Carolina

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