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Feb 21 (Reuters) - A Texas federal judge on Tuesday refused to set an accelerated trial schedule for a lawsuit by anti-abortion groups seeking to end U.S. sales of the abortion pill mifepristone, in a case that could severely disrupt access to medication abortion nationwide. Mifepristone is approved for medication abortion in the first 10 weeks of pregnancy in combination with another drug, misoprostol. Medication abortion accounts for more than half of U.S. abortions. Medication abortion has drawn increasing attention since the U.S. Supreme Court last year reversed its landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling, which had guaranteed abortion rights nationwide. President Joe Biden, a Democrat, directed federal agencies to expand access to medication abortion in response to the decision, which has allowed more than a dozen Republican-led states to adopt new abortion bans.

☆ Reuters wins George Polk Award for uncovering child labor in Hyundai supply chain
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

REUTERS/Cheney OrrNew York, Feb 20 (Reuters) - A team of Reuters reporters on Monday won a George Polk Award for reports that revealed the widespread use of child labor among suppliers to Hyundai Motor Co in the U.S. state of Alabama. The Polk jury, awarding the prize in its "state reporting" category, said Reuters "sparked increased scrutiny from federal and state agencies and led Hyundai to demand more accountability from its suppliers." Also in February, Hyundai itself said it was in discussions with the Labor Department to resolve concerns about the child labor. After discovering that staffing agencies hired child workers for employment in Alabama poultry plants, they learned that migrant minors were also building parts for Hyundai and Kia (000270.KS). Both companies have said they don't tolerate child labor and are taking measures to ensure underage workers don't find their way back into their supply chains.

☆ U.S. Fines Food Sanitation Company $1.5 Million for Hiring Children to Clean Meatpacking Plants
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-18 | by ( Ginger Adams Otis | Patrick Thomas | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

The Labor Department said Packers Sanitation Services Inc. illegally employed teenagers. A food sanitation-service provider accused of hiring at least 102 children to work overnight shifts cleaning meatpacking plants in eight states has paid $1.5 million in penalties, the Labor Department said. Packers Sanitation Services Inc. illegally employed minors between the ages of 13 and 17 at 13 meatpacking facilities around the U.S., the federal agency said Friday.

☆ Sanitation company pays $1.5 million penalty for hiring children for 'hazardous' factory work like cleaning beef bone saws, officials say
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-18 | by ( Jordan Hart | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The US Labor Department filed a complaint against PSSI following a three-month investigation into unlawful child labor claims in November. PSSI was charged $1.5 million in penalties as a result of the investigation, officials said. The department accused the sanitation contractor of having employees as young as 13 working "hazardous" overnight shifts. The DOL filed a complaint seeking a temporary restraining order and injunction against the food safety sanitation service following its investigation. The company added that no children are currently employed, and many hadn't worked for the business in years.

☆ More than 100 children worked in dangerous conditions at slaughterhouse cleaning firm: US Labor Department
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-17 | by ( Ramishah Maruf | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

The Kieler, Wisconsin, based company employed the children to clean meat processing equipment including back saws, brisket saws and head splitters. The company said none of the underage workers are employed at the company today, and that “many” of them had worked there years ago. In November, a complaint was filed in the US District Court of Nebraska alleging that Packers Sanitation illegally employed at least 31 children to clean dangerous power equipment. A federal judge issued a temporary restraining order barring the company from committing further child labor law violations. In December, Packers agreed to take “significant steps” to comply with labor laws after entering into a consent order and judgment.

☆ Federal officials find more than 100 children working in dangerous jobs for slaughterhouse cleaning firm
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-17 | by ( Laura Strickler | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Packers Sanitation Services has paid a $1.5 million fine for the violations. The Labor Department says the children who were working overnight shifts used "caustic chemicals to clean razor-sharp saws." "Our investigation found Packers Sanitation Services' systems flagged some young workers as minors, but the company ignored the flags. The company signed a consent decree in December with the Labor Department and agreed to abide by child labor laws after federal investigators documented 50 children working at slaughterhouses for it. The compliance specialist will conduct child labor audits, which will be shared with the Labor Department for three years.

☆ Overnight protests rock Tehran, other Iranian cities, videos show
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Videos on Friday showed demonstrations in several neighbourhoods in Tehran as well as in the cities of Karaj, Isfahan, Qazvin, Rasht, Arak, Mashhad, Sanandaj, Qorveh, and Izeh in Khuzestan province. Reuters was able to confirm three of the videos on the protests in Zahedan and one of those in Tehran. Other videos showed large protests on Friday in Zahedan, capital of southeastern Sistan-Baluchistan province, home to Iran's Baluchi minority. [1/5] People take part in a protest in Zahedan, Iran in this screen grab taken from a social media video released February 17, 2023 and obtained by Reuters. In recent weeks Iranian media have reported closures of several businesses, restaurants and cafes for failure to observe the hijab rules.

☆ U.S. Republicans target transgender youth healthcare in legislative push
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-16 | by ( Daniel Trotta | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

The aggressive legislative push comes as battles over gender and sexuality increasingly are being fought in U.S. classrooms, courtrooms and political campaigns. Republicans including former President Donald Trump have embraced restricting trans rights ahead of the 2024 White House race, a push that trans advocates fear will harm transgender children. Gender-affirming care covers a variety of treatments, including puberty blockers, hormone therapy and, in exceedingly rare cases for trans people under 18, surgery. But many opponents of trans rights believe that the sex assigned at birth is immutable and distrust the prevailing opinions of medical associations with specialties in pediatrics, endocrinology and mental health. Governors in South Dakota and Utah have already signed into law gender-affirming care bans that state legislatures passed this year.

☆ A transgender pharmacist says she felt 'dehumanized' after an Arkansas GOP lawmaker asked her about her genitalia during a public hearing
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-15 | by ( Natalie Musumeci | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

An Arkansas GOP lawmaker asked a transgender pharmacist about her genitalia during a bill hearing. "That's horrible," Gwendolyn Herzig replied when McKee asked her, "Do you have a penis?" McKee asked Herzig, who was testifying against the bill at the time, prompting her to respond, "A trans female, yes sir." "You're the one that brought that into the discussion," McKee told Herzig, who shot back: "I never said anything about genitalia." Herzig told Insider on Wednesday that she felt "shock" and "disgust" when McKee asked about her genitalia.

☆ Lawmakers show rare bipartisan unity in pursuing protections for kids online
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-15 | by ( Lauren Feiner | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

Lawmakers on the Senate Judiciary Committee found rare alignment at a recent hearing about how Congress can help protect kids from online harms. They're speaking out in support of the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA), which would require sites likely to be accessed by kids 16 or younger to maintain certain privacy and safety protections by default. "We must and we will double down on the Kids Online Safety Act," Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., who co-sponsored the bill with Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., said at the hearing. Though lawmakers have shared similar goals in other discussions around regulating tech, when it comes to protecting kids online, they're more united in the types of action they want to see take place. However, a bill that recently passed the state's House of Representatives removed that provision, instead allowing for consumers to sue social media companies that knowingly cause harm.

☆ Silly Meta, Roblox isn’t just for kids
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

NEW YORK, Feb 15 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Video-game and social-media hub Roblox (RBLX.N) isn’t playing around when it comes to expanding its audience. The company behind MeepCity and Royale High has been racing alongside Meta Platforms (META.O) to turn the metaverse into more than just a vague buzzword. Despite being unprofitable and considerably smaller than Facebook’s owner, it is putting up a solid fight. Meta is mulling ways to attract younger users, including maybe opening the game up to minors older than 13. They do not reflect the views of Reuters News, which, under the Trust Principles, is committed to integrity, independence, and freedom from bias.

☆ More than 100 priests suspected of abuse remain active in Portugal's Catholic Church
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] People walk by a church on the day Portugal's commission investigating allegations of historical child sexual abuse by members of the Portuguese Catholic church will unveil its report, in Lisbon, Portugal, February 13, 2023. REUTERS/Pedro Nunes/File PhotoLISBON, Feb 14 (Reuters) - More than 100 priests suspected of child sexual abuse remain active in church roles in Portugal, according to the head of a commission investigating the issue. "There is an approximate (number of accused priests) and it will clearly be more than 100," child psychiatrist Pedro Strecht, who headed the commission, told SIC television. The commission said it was preparing a list of accused priests still working to send to the Church and to the public prosecutors' office. Strecht said the Church had the "moral and ethical duty to collaborate with judicial authorities" on the matter.

☆ Trump denies report that he calls DeSantis 'Meatball Ron': 'I don't even think about it — A very unimportant subject to me!!!'
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-13 | by ( Kimberly Leonard | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Trump denied a New York Times report that he is testing out nicknames for DeSantis. He has privately been calling the Florida governor "Meatball Ron," the report said. Trump wrote on Truth Social. Ron DeSantis and asking his team for damning material. Trump wrote sarcastically on Truth Social.

☆ Instead of paying adults more, some states might let companies hire kids as young as 14 to fill the labor shortage
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-13 | by ( Jason Lalljee | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Republicans in some states are proposing exceptions to child labor regulations. Lawmakers in Iowa and Minnesota have introduced legislation in the last month proposing exceptions to child labor regulations in their respective states, due to the persisting labor shortage hitting them particularly hard. "A lot of the child labor jobs are menial jobs and those skills aren't transferrable," she said. The proposed laws skirt around the child labor requirements outlined by the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938. Research shows that these workers aren't averse to meatpacking work entirely — they're just not willing to do it for the current wage standard.

☆ Wyoming Republicans are criticizing a child marriage bill that seeks to raise the legal age to 18. It's sponsored by one of their own party members.
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-12 | by ( Lloyd Lee | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

A new bill seeks to set a minimum age of 18 with an exception for 16 and 17-year-olds. The Wyoming Republican Party sent an email Thursday raising "concerns about constitutional rights." The bill is sponsored by Rep. Dan Zwonitzer, a Republican, and would raise the state's legal marriage age to 18 years old. The Wyoming Republican Party did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Rep. Mike Yin, a Democrat, tweeted a copy of the Wyoming Republican Party email on Thursday and accused the group of wanting children to get married "full stop."

☆ Iran marks revolution anniversary, hackers interrupt state TV coverage
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

[1/3] Iranians are seen under a large flag of Iran during the 44th anniversary of the Islamic Revolution in Tehran, Iran, February 11, 2023. His live televised speech was interrupted on the internet for about a minute, with a logo appearing on the screen of a group of anti-Iranian government hackers that goes by the name of “Edalat Ali (Justice of Ali). A voice shouted “Death to the Islamic Republic.”Nationwide protests swept Iran following the death in September of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in the custody of the country's morality police. Government television on Saturday aired live footage of the state rallies around the country. His speech was frequently interrupted by chants of “Death to America” - a trademark slogan at state rallies.

☆ Republican-led legislature in Missouri rejected ban on children carrying guns in public without supervision
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-11 | by ( Isobel Van Hagen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Missouri's legislature voted down a proposed ban on minors carrying firearms in public. The rejected amendment was part of a larger effort by lawmakers to increase public safety in the state. The amendment was initially part of a bipartisan effort to pass legislation to increase public safety in Missouri. Democratic Rep. Donna Baringer for the city of St. Louis was disappointed by the outcome and said law enforcement in her district supported the ban of children openly carrying firearms so that "14-year-olds walking down the middle of the street in the city of St. Louis carrying AR-15s." In 2017, the state "eliminated the requirement for a concealed carry permit," according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

☆ How to delete yourself from the internet
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-10 | by ( Cheryl Winokur Munk | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

With so much personal data floating publicly on the internet, consumers have a legitimate interest in controlling the information flow. Self-help tools to remove personal informationFor those who are so inclined, there are ways to limit the amount of personal information available on the internet. If that fails, Google says it may remove personal information "that creates significant risks of identity theft, financial fraud, or other specific harms." It can be hard to gauge the effectiveness of these services, partly because there's so much personal information in the public domain. DeleteMe's website says that 2,389 pieces of personal information, on average, are found over a two-year subscription.

"It's judge shopping on steroids," said Sarah Lipton-Lubet, executive director of the progressive legal advocacy group Take Back the Court. The Biden administration has called the lawsuit "unprecedented" and urged Kacsmaryk to not deprive women of a long-approved safe and effective drug. At least eight have led to rulings blocking Biden policies, with several more pending. The chief judges of Texas federal courts have the authority to reallocate cases to other judges, but have largely not done so, he said. Absent a change, litigants have every right to take advantage of that structure to seek a favorable judge, he said.

In a letter addressed to Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh, the group of Democratic lawmakers, led by Michigan Congressman Dan Kildee, pressed the department "to take immediate action to rid Hyundai's supply chain of child labor." The news agency reported that state and federal authorities were investigating as many as ten suppliers for potential child labor violations there. In their letter to Walsh, the lawmakers commended the Labor Department for its enforcement actions in the matter so far. After Reuters' first story about child labor at SMART last July, the department and Alabama state authorities launched a probe into the supplier. The lawmakers said they want the Labor Department to take further action because "additional automotive parts suppliers for Hyundai, mainly in Alabama, are also suspected of child labor violations."

☆ Idaho GOP lawmakers want to classify anyone who helps a minor cross state lines to get an abortion as a human trafficker and punish them with up to 5 years in prison
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-09 | by ( Lloyd Lee | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Under the bill, transporting a pregnant minor in or outside Idaho would be considered human trafficking. Idaho outlaws abortions with exceptions for rape, incest, or life-threatening circumstances. Proposed by Republican Rep. Barbara Ehardt of Idaho Falls, House Bill 98 expands the state's existing trafficking laws and would restrict alternative ways a pregnant minor might seek an abortion. Idaho shares borders with states that have no restrictions or allows abortions up to fetal viability, including Oregon, Montana, and Wyoming. However, no state so far has passed legislation that would ban abortions conducted outside of one's state residence.

☆ Missouri decides not to ban unsupervised minors from carrying guns on public property
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-09 | by ( Sharon Bernstein | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Supporters were disappointed Wednesday when an amendment aimed at restoring the language failed in the state House of Representatives on a vote of 104 opposed and 39 in favor. Last year the legislature passed a state law banning enforcement of federal gun laws that officials believe violate the U.S. Constitution's protection of a citizen's right to bear arms. A state law, for example, allows people of any age to openly carry weapons in many locations, even though federal law prohibits ownership of handguns by minors. The amendment's author, Representative Donna Baringer, a Democrat from St. Louis, did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Reuters on Thursday. The Associated Press reported that she said she made the proposal to stop "14-year-olds walking down the middle of the street in the city of St. Louis carrying AR-15s."

☆ DeSantis says he won't fight with Trump over Truth Social photos with high schoolers: 'I don't spend my time trying to smear other Republicans'
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-08 | by ( Kimberly Leonard | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Trump attacked DeSantis on Truth Social by sharing a photo of him with high schoolers when he was a teacher. The post accused him of partying and drinking with high school girls. Still, the caption reads, "Here is Ron DeSantimonious grooming high school girls with alcohol as a teacher," followed by the vomit emoji. Trump wrote sarcastically on his social media app, Truth Social. The original message Trump reshared was from a user named Dong-Chan Lee, whose Truth Social describes him as a "paleoconservative" and Trump supporter.

☆ Trump shares photos of DeSantis alleging he partied and drank with high school girls when he was a teacher
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-08 | by ( Kimberly Leonard | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Trump reshared a 20-year-old photo of DeSantis that appears to show him posing with recent high school graduates. The original poster accused DeSantis of using alcohol for "grooming" high school girls. Ron DeSantis that accused him of drinking alcohol with minors when he was a high school teacher. Still, the caption reads, "Here is Ron DeSantimonious grooming high school girls with alcohol as a teacher," followed by the vomit emoji. The original message Trump reshared was from a user named Dong-Chan Lee, whose Truth Social describes him as a "paleoconservative" and Trump supporter.

☆ Biden plans to go after social media and kids’ mental health in SOTU speech
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-07 | by ( Ashley Capoot | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

U.S. President Joe Biden speaks as he attends the DNC 2023 Winter Meeting in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S., February 3, 2023. U.S. President Joe Biden will take aim at tech companies and discuss data privacy and online safety when he delivers the annual State of the Union address Tuesday night, the White House said. Biden will also argue it is the responsibility of companies, not consumers, to minimize the amount of information they collect. The White House said social media companies often do not enforce their terms of service with respect to minors. Biden will discuss how his administration plans to build on the surgeon general's youth mental health advisory, the Department of Health and Human Services' new Center of Excellence on Social Media and Mental Wellness, and the Children and Media Research Advancement Act.

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