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☆ Why Montana’s TikTok ban may not work
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-19 | by ( Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

The TikTok ban immediately prompted one lawsuit from TikTok users who allege it violates their First Amendment rights, with more legal challenges expected. How can a state ban TikTok? Montana’s new law, SB419, makes it illegal for TikTok and app marketplaces to offer the TikTok service within state lines. How can Montana enforce a TikTok ban? But internet providers are not named as a type of entity subject to the TikTok ban.

☆ Anheuser-Busch loses top LGBTQ+ rating over its Bud Light response
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-19 | by ( Danielle Wiener-Bronner | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

New York CNN —Last year, the Human Rights Campaign Foundation gave Bud Light parent company Anheuser-Busch a top rating for LGBTQ+ equality. Bud Light sales dropped in the ensuing weeks. Bud Light has been embroiled in controversy since April. But Bud Light hasn’t gotten the benefit of support for its initial deal with Mulvaney because of its subsequent reaction. During the discussion, he mentioned that Bud Light is just one brand within the company’s broad portfolio, which has not changed its full-year outlook.

Montana Governor Greg Gianforte on Wednesday signed legislation to ban TikTok in the state, effective Jan. 1. The TikTok users argue the state seeks to "exercise powers over national security that Montana does not have and to ban speech Montana may not suppress." The suit adds users believe the law violates their First Amendment rights. "Montana can no more ban its residents from viewing or posting to TikTok than it could ban the Wall Street Journal because of who owns it or the ideas it publishes," the lawsuit said. TikTok has faced growing calls from U.S. lawmakers and state officials to ban the app nationwide over concerns about potential Chinese government influence over the platform.

☆ Dodgers Face Backlash After Rescinding Pride Night Invitation
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-18 | by ( Scott Miller | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

By Thursday, what was supposed to be an upcoming celebration at Dodger Stadium had become a lightning rod of controversy. The Los Angeles LGBT Center condemned the Dodgers’ decision on Thursday, demanding that the team reverse its stance on the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence or cancel Pride Night altogether. In part, the center’s statement read: “Buckling to pressure from out-of-state, right-wing fundamentalists, the Dodgers caved to a religious minority that is perpetuating a false narrative about L.G.B.T.Q.+ people. They have been fed lies about the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, and have therefore contributed to the ongoing, anti-L.G.B.T.Q. community.”The American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California also announced on Twitter that, in unity with the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, “we will not participate in Pride Night.” The organization pointed out in the post that the Dodgers, who broke baseball’s color line with Jackie Robinson in 1947, had previously been “champions of inclusion.”

☆ Montana to become first US state to ban TikTok
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( David Shepardson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/File PhotoWASHINGTON, May 17 (Reuters) - Montana Governor Greg Gianforte on Wednesday signed legislation to ban the Chinese-owned TikTok from operating in the state, making it the first U.S. state to ban the popular short video app. Montana will make it unlawful for Google and Apple's app stores to offer the TikTok app within its borders. TikTok, which has over 150 million American users, is facing growing calls from U.S. lawmakers and state officials to ban the app nationwide over concerns about potential Chinese government influence over the platform. TikTok, owned by Chinese tech company ByteDance, said in a statement the bill "infringes on the First Amendment rights of the people of Montana by unlawfully banning TikTok," adding that they "will defend the rights of our users inside and outside of Montana." Montana, which has a population of just over 1 million people, said TikTok could face fines for each violation and additional fines $10,000 per day if they violate the ban.

☆ Chief Standing Bear is honored on a USPS Forever stamp
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-16 | by ( Harmeet Kaur | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

The stamp, which features a portrait of Chief Standing Bear by illustrator Thomas Blackshear II, was unveiled last week at a ceremony in Lincoln, Nebraska. “I hope this stamp will serve as a reminder of the lessons we’ve learned from Chief Standing Bear, and the brave Ponca people, especially here in the Cornhusker State.”Chief Standing Bear was a leader of the Ponca people in the late 1800s. An archival photo of Chief Standing Bear, a leader of the Ponca people in the late 1800s. In 1879, a newspaper editor interviewed Chief Standing Bear while in detention, and the story of his plight gained national attention, according to the Oklahoma Historical Society. In a speech before the court, Chief Standing Bear said through an interpreter, “That hand is not the color of yours, but if I pierce it, I shall feel pain.

The United Nations Security Council meeting on the situation in Syria on the day of the drone attack. Photo: Rick Bajornas/Un/Zuma PressAn Iranian-backed militia in northern Iraq was behind the drone attack that killed a U.S. military contractor in northeast Syria on March 23 and wounded more than two dozen American civilian and military personnel, according to U.S. officials. The Iraqi origin of that attack hasn’t been previously reported but was acknowledged by a senior U.S. military official Saturday in response to questions from The Wall Street Journal.

The United Nations Security Council meeting on the situation in Syria on on the day of the drone attack. Photo: Rick Bajornas/Un/Zuma PressAn Iranian-backed militia in northern Iraq was behind the drone attack that killed a U.S. military contractor in northeast Syria on March 23 and wounded more than two dozen American civilian and military personnel, according to U.S. officials. The Iraqi origin of that attack has not been previously reported but was acknowledged by a senior U.S. military official Saturday in response to questions from The Wall Street Journal.

"The numbers we have experienced in the past two days are markedly down over what they were prior to the end of Title 42," Mayorkas said on CNN's "State of the Union" program. He said there were 6,300 border encounters on Friday and 4,200 on Saturday, but cautioned it was still early in the new regime. Mayorkas credited the criminal penalties for migrants who illegally enter the country, which resumed under existing law after Title 42's expiration, for the decrease in crossings. Officials from communities along the border agreed they had not seen the large numbers of migrants that many had feared would further strain U.S. border facilities and towns. Just before Title 42 expired on Thursday, House Republicans approved legislation that would require asylum seekers to apply for U.S. protection outside the country, resume construction of a border wall and expand federal law enforcement efforts.

Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas defended the Biden regulation, saying it aims to encourage migrants to enter using legal pathways. U.S. asylum officers hurried to figure out the logistics of applying the new asylum regulation. COVID EMERGENCY ENDS, ASYLUM BAN BEGINSTrump first implemented Title 42 in March 2020 as COVID swept the globe. The order allowed American authorities to quickly expel migrants to Mexico or other countries without a chance to request asylum. Migrants have been expelled more than 2.7 million times under Title 42, although the total includes repeat crossers.

Migrants have been amassing in Mexico this week as thousands crossing into the U.S. have strained border cities. The Title 42 restrictions allow U.S. authorities to rapidly expel many non-Mexican migrants to Mexico without the chance to seek U.S. asylum. Biden's new regulation restricting asylum access at the border resembles similar measures implemented under Trump that were blocked by U.S. courts. Some Democrats and immigration advocates have said the regulation undercuts the ability to seek asylum at U.S. borders as required by U.S. law and international agreements. The officials also said they expected Mexico to step up immigration enforcement this week, including in southern Mexico.

☆ Left-Leaning Groups Seek Florida Ballot Measure to Expand Abortion Access
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( Katie Glueck | Nicholas Nehamas | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +4 min

The NewsA coalition of organizations that support abortion rights is planning to spend millions of dollars in an effort to place a measure protecting abortion rights on Florida’s ballot next year. The coalition of groups includes Planned Parenthood Action Fund, Planned Parenthood’s Florida affiliates, the American Civil Liberties Union of Florida, Florida Rising and Women’s Voices of SW Florida. Last month, a liberal Wisconsin judge won a crucial State Supreme Court race by a significant margin after running on her support for abortion rights. At the same time, if Mr. DeSantis runs for president as expected, he has clear incentives to defend the six-week ban he signed. A representative for Mr. DeSantis did not immediately respond on Friday when asked for comment on the ballot initiative plans.

☆ Montana transgender legislator loses court bid to return to floor
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/5] Montana State Representative Zooey Zephyr, who was barred from accessing the House chamber, works remotely from a bench outside of the House chamber at the Montana State Capitol in Helena, Montana, U.S. May 2, 2023. NO ARCHIVESMay 2 (Reuters) - Censured Montana transgender Representative Zooey Zephyr on Tuesday lost a last-minute legal attempt to rejoin debate on the House floor, as a Montana judge rejected her attempt to overturn the legislature's punishment that silenced her. The censure was punishment for breaking decorum during debates on transgender bills including one that would deny healthcare treatment for transgender youth. District Court Judge Mike Menahan found the court's authority was limited due to the constitutional separation of powers between the legislative and judicial branches. Montana's governor signed the bill denying gender-affirming care to minors into law on Friday, two days after the House voted to censure Zephyr.

☆ ACLU sues Montana House Speaker for silencing transgender legislator
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

May 1 (Reuters) - The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) sued Montana and its Republican House Speaker on Monday, accusing them of violating a Democratic transgender legislator's First Amendment rights by barring her from the House floor after she protested a bill banning gender-affirming healthcare for minors. Montana House Speaker Matt Regier did not immediately respond to requests for comment. After the Republican supermajority in the legislature silenced Zephyr within the chamber until she apologized for her April 18 comments, her supporters protested at the statehouse on April 24. A Republican supermajority in the Tennessee statehouse earlier this month expelled two Democratic lawmakers who had protested in support of gun control, drawing national attention. Reporting by Julia Harte; editing by Donna Bryson and Bill BerkrotOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Transgender Lawmaker Sues Over Removal From Montana House Floor
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-01 | by ( Jacey Fortin | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The NewsA state representative in Montana asked a court on Monday to allow her to return to the House floor for the rest of the state’s legislative session, arguing that her First Amendment rights had been violated after an escalating standoff over her remarks on transgender issues. Representative Zooey Zephyr, a Democrat from Missoula, was barred last week from participating in deliberations in the House chamber after she made impassioned comments in opposition to a ban on hormone treatments and surgical care for transgender minors. The bill, which passed, has since been signed by Gov. “I’m determined to defend the right of the people to have their voices heard,” Ms. Zephyr, who is transgender, tweeted on Monday when announcing her lawsuit, adding that the rights of her 11,000 constituents had also been violated. Four of them were also named as plaintiffs in the lawsuit, which was filed by the American Civil Liberties Union of Montana and other lawyers.

☆ Montana state Rep. Zooey Zephyr is suing the state in an emergency attempt to reverse her censure
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-01 | by ( Madison Hall | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Montana state Rep. Zooey Zephyr is suing the state, House speaker, and sergeant-at-arms. download the app Email address By clicking ‘Sign up’, you agree to receive marketing emails from Insider as well as other partner offers and accept our Terms of Service and Privacy PolicyDemocratic Montana state Rep. Zooey Zephyr is suing the state, the speaker of the Montana House, and the state sergeant-at-arms in an emergency attempt to reverse the stipulations of her recent censure. By enforcing this action, the Montana House has denied representation and voice to me and all of my fellow constituents in House District 100." The Montana House's vote to censure Zephyr arose after a group of protestors filled the gallery of the Montana House and interrupted business with chants after Montana House Speaker Matt Regier refused to recognize Zephyr on the floor. While Zephyr can't speak on the House floor due to her censure, she's had time to speak to constituents in Missoula, who showered her with support upon her recent return to the district.

☆ Bud Light wanted to market to all. Now, it's alienating everyone
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-01 | by ( Danielle Wiener-Bronner | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

New York CNN —For years, Bud Light leaned on jokey ad campaigns and its designation as a light beer to push sales. Now, Bud Light finds itself seeking younger drinkers, and stumbling through America’s polarized landscape in the process. There have been calls for a Bud Light boycott. And the stock of Bud Light owner Anheuser-Busch (BUD) has fallen only about 3% in the last month, suggesting Wall Street isn’t too worried. Bud Light, he thinks, could be missing out on that type of support.

☆ Teen bans on the rise: malls, theme parks, and even a Chick-fil-A are requiring chaperones to stop rowdy minors
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-28 | by ( Avery Hartmans | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Shopping malls, theme parks, and a Chick-fil-A restaurant are starting to require chaperones for teenagers. Curfews for teens are nothing new — they first popped up at malls in the 1980s and 1990s. Southern California's Knott's Berry Farm announced in April that it was instituting a stricter policy in response to "increasing incidents of unruly and inappropriate behavior," the theme park said. Visitors pose for photos at Knott's Berry Farm. Jae C. Hong/APKnott's Berry Farm isn't alone in cracking down on unsupervised teenage visitors recently.

☆ The debate over banning TikTok has been poisoned by anti-Asian rhetoric
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-27 | by ( Paayal Zaveri | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

The TikTok CEO's testimony to Congress in March highlighted the anti-Asian rhetoric around the app. And second: The discourse around those issues, particularly talk of banning the app entirely in the US, has been poisoned by a surge in anti-Asian rhetoric, making it difficult to have a national conversation around TikTok in good faith. But what set the hearing with TikTok's CEO apart was the tone and personal nature of the questions, Asian American and Pacific Islander advocacy groups said. That paints a target on the back of Asian Americans, Chinese nationals living in the US, and, by extension, all other Asian populations, advocacy experts said. The rhetoric has consequences for Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders and the US economyAll this has implications for the Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in the US and the global Asian diaspora.

April 26 (Reuters) - Montana statehouse Republicans on Wednesday silenced Democratic transgender legislator Zooey Zephyr from floor debates for breaking decorum after she said lawmakers who backed a ban on gender-affirming healthcare for minors would have "blood on their hands." The discord in Montana - which has garnered national attention amid an escalating culture war in the U.S. over issues like transgender rights - has brewed since an April 18 debate over Senate Bill 99. The state measure seeks to ban transgender healthcare treatments for minors, including puberty blockers and hormones. Zephyr remained defiant on Wednesday, telling the chamber that her "blood on your hands" comment was "not being hyperbolic." Republican legislators across the country have sought to ban certain healthcare for transgender youth.

The Justice Department said the law violated the U.S. Constitution's Fourteenth Amendment, which promises equal protection. The Justice Department also said it was asking the court to issue an immediate order to prevent the law from going into effect on July 1. But many medical associations have said the law is transphobic and that gender-affirming care can be life-saving. Republican Tennessee Governor Bill Lee signed the ban into law last month along with a separate measure restricting drag performances in public. Several other U.S. states have banned gender-affirming care for minors, and over the last several weeks groups have sued over laws adopted in Utah, Florida, Indiana and Arkansas.

☆ TikTok ban is the least palatable of options
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( Jennifer Saba | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +8 min

Montana is following a movement around the United States to try to keep Americans from using TikTok. That has consequences: The United States has never pulled a platform used by so many people to communicate. China, which before TikTok had never cracked the U.S. market with a successful social media network, is unlikely to let ByteDance part with TikTok. More recently the company had been working with the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States to ease concerns. TikTok users in the United States could still binge on short videos, but the company – and its rivals – would face tougher constraints.

CNN —The Texas Senate passed a bill Thursday requiring each public school classroom to display a copy of the Ten Commandments, a move that drew backlash from civil liberty advocates who say lawmakers should not dictate what religious materials students are exposed to. The legislation, which passed the state Senate on a 17-12 vote, will now head to the state’s House of Representatives. “This Act applies beginning with the 2023-2024 school year,” the bill reads. Senate Bill 1396 also passed with a 17-12 vote. “Parents should be able to decide what religious materials their child should learn, not the (Texas legislature),” the American Civil Liberties Union of Texas said in a statement.

But many medical associations have said the law is transphobic and that gender-affirming care can be life-saving. The new lawsuit says depriving transgender youth of medically necessary care will have devastating consequences for them and their families. The lawsuit was filed on behalf of three families with transgender children and a Memphis-based doctor who performs gender-affirming procedures. Republican Tennessee Governor Bill Lee signed the ban into law last month along with a separate measure restricting drag performances in public. Several other U.S. states have banned gender-affirming care for minors, and over the last several weeks groups have sued over laws adopted in Utah, Florida, Indiana and Arkansas.

☆ Opinion: Banning TikTok isn’t just a bad idea. It’s a dangerous one
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-16 | by ( Evan Greer | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

CNN —The US government is racing ahead with proposals aimed at banning TikTok, the viral video platform used by more than 150 million Americans. Banning TikTok won’t make us safer from China’s surveillance operations. But banning TikTok isn’t just foolish and dangerous, it’s also unconstitutional. You do that by passing a strong national data privacy law that bans companies from collecting more data about us than they need to provide us with the service we’ve requested. Join us on Twitter and FacebookIt’s a national embarrassment that we have no basic data privacy law in the United States.

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