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President Biden and others will honor former President Jimmy Carter at a funeral in Washington, D.C. And the end of fact-checking on Meta suggests a new era of social media is upon us. Today’s forecastAlthough the ferocious winds that have fueled the fires were expected to gradually diminish overnight, dangerous conditions are expected to persist. President-elect Donald Trump is blaming President Biden and California Gov. Carter has laid in state at the U.S. Capitol since Tuesday and is in the Washington National Cathedral for today’s funeral service. After the funeral, Carter will make his final journey to his hometown of Plains, Georgia, where he will be buried alongside his wife, Rosalynn Carter.

Persons: Biden, Jimmy Carter, Billy Crystal, Paris Hilton, Eaton, Hurst, —, Donald Trump, Newsom, Jimmy Carter Alex Brandon, Carter, Joe Biden, Rosalynn Carter, Trump, Samuel Alito, clapped, dockworkers, Bill Bratton, Naomi Biden, David Zalubowski, Mark, Meta, Elon Musk —, ”, Brandy Zadrozny, — Ben Goggin, Elizabeth Robinson Organizations: Meta, Getty, Hollywood, Cal Fire, Woodley, Fire, California Gov, U.S, Capitol, Washington National Cathedral, Trump, D.C, Facebook, Department of Homeland Security, NBC Locations: Washington ,, Palisades, Eaton, Los Angeles, Pacific Palisades, Altadena, Pasadena, San Fernando, Sylmar, Lidia, Acton, Sepulveda, Hollywood, Runyon, Southern California, AFP, Washington, Plains , Georgia, U.S, Greenland, Mexico, of America, Boston, Miami, Gulf, Israel, Gaza, New Orleans, Boston , New York

☆ California wildfires: What we know about L.A. fire evacuations, maps, what caused it, who is affected and more
▼ + stars: | 2025-01-09 | by ( Tim Stelloh | Tim Stelloh Is A Breaking News Reporter For Nbc News Digital. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +5 min

Fueled by powerful winds and dry conditions, a series of ferocious wildfires erupted Tuesday and roared across the Los Angeles area, destroying hundreds of homes and killing at least five people. The Palisades Fire erupted Tuesday morning in Pacific Palisades, a Los Angeles County neighborhood east of Malibu, as a brush fire. erupted Tuesday morning in Pacific Palisades, a Los Angeles County neighborhood east of Malibu, as a brush fire. The Sunset Fire sparked in the Hollywood Hills of Los Angeles near Runyon Canyon shortly before 6 p.m. Wednesday, prompting mandatory evacuations. There have been a significant number of injuries in the Eaton Fire, according to Los Angeles County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone.

Persons: Daniel Swain, Eaton, Hurst, Kristen Crowley, Pasadena Mayor Victor Gordo, Crowley, Anthony Marrone, Luna, Marrone, Swain, Justin Sullivan Organizations: California Department of Forestry, U.S . Forest Service, Los Angeles Fire, Hollywood, Pasadena Mayor, Los Angeles County Fire, NBC, Pasadena Jewish Temple and Center, National Weather Service, Climate Locations: Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, Pacific Palisades, Malibu, Sylmar, San Fernando, Los, Runyon, Eaton, Calabasas , Malibu, NBC Los Angeles, Altadena, Pasadena, California, Southern California, Calif

☆ Biden cancels Italy trip in final days of his presidency to focus on federal response to LA wildfires
▼ + stars: | 2025-01-08 | by ( Donald Judd | Mj Lee | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —President Joe Biden will no longer travel to Italy this week as scheduled, the White House announced late Wednesday, canceling the trip in the final days of his presidency to monitor raging wildfires across the Los Angeles area. Six wind-driven fires blazing across Los Angeles County remained largely uncontained at the time of the White House announcement, with authorities issuing evacuation orders late Wednesday related to a brushfire in the Hollywood Hills near Runyon Canyon. Biden was scheduled to travel to Rome on Thursday, where the White House said earlier in the day that he’d meet with Pope Francis, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, and Italian President Sergio Mattarella. Biden also had been set to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday in Rome for what was likely to be their final meeting of Biden’s presidency. In October, Biden postponed a scheduled trip to Germany and Angola as Hurricane Milton made landfall.

Persons: Joe Biden, Biden, ”, Karine Jean, Pierre, Gavin Newsom, CNN’s Anderson Cooper, I’ve, ” Newsom, White, Pope Francis, Giorgia Meloni, Sergio Mattarella, Volodymyr Zelensky, Pope Francis ’, John Kirby, ” Kirby, Meloni, Cindy McCain, It’s, Hurricane Milton, “, ” Biden Organizations: CNN, White House, California Gov, Food Program Locations: Italy, Los Angeles, California, Hollywood, Runyon Canyon, Rome, Italian, Ukraine, Germany, Angola, Hurricane, Coachella, Santa Monica, Washington

July 18 (Reuters) - Johnson & Johnson (JNJ.N) sued the U.S. government on Tuesday, becoming the latest drugmaker seeking to block a program that gives the Medicare government health insurance plan the power to negotiate lower drug prices. The pharmaceutical industry says the drug price negotiation program under President Joe Biden's signature Inflation Reduction Act law will curtail profits and compel drugmakers to curb development of groundbreaking new treatments. The U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) in September is expected to select the first 10 drugs to target for negotiations with settled prices set to take effect in 2026. The law is on our side," a spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services said in a statement. It broadly follows the other related lawsuits, arguing that the program is unconstitutional and amounts to "confiscation of constitutionally protected property."

Persons: Johnson, Joe Biden's, drugmakers, Biden, Janssen, Bhanvi, Michael Erman, Krishna Chandra Eluri, Susan Heavey Organizations: Johnson, U.S, drugmakers Bristol Myers Squibb, Merck & Co, U.S . Chamber of Commerce, Pharmaceutical Research, Manufacturers of America, Commerce, U.S . Centers, Medicare, Medicaid Services, U.S . Department of Health, Human Services, District of, Thomson Locations: U.S, District of New Jersey, Bengaluru, New Jersey

July 18 (Reuters) - Johnson & Johnson (JNJ.N) sued the U.S. government on Tuesday, becoming the latest drugmaker seeking to block enforcement of a program that gives Medicare the power to negotiate drug prices. The pharmaceutical industry says the drug price negotiation program that is part of President Joe Biden's signature Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) will curtail profits and compel them to pull back on developing groundbreaking new treatments. U.S. drugmakers Bristol Myers Squibb (BMY.N), Merck & Co (MRK.N) and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce as well as industry lobbies Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America have also sued the government over the plan. The Biden administration hopes to save $25 billion annually by 2031 by having Medicare, the government health plan for people 65 and over, negotiate prices for some of its costliest medicines. Reporting by Bhanvi Satija in Bengaluru; Editing by Krishna Chandra EluriOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Johnson, Joe Biden's, Biden, Bhanvi, Krishna Chandra Organizations: Johnson, U.S, drugmakers Bristol Myers Squibb, Merck & Co, U.S . Chamber of Commerce, Pharmaceutical Research, Manufacturers of America, Thomson Locations: Bengaluru

WASHINGTON, July 17 (Reuters) - A group of individual plaintiffs on Monday asked the U.S. Supreme Court to temporarily halt Microsoft's (MSFT.O) $69 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard (ATVI.O), the largest in the history of the videogame industry. The bid by the plaintiffs was separate from a request by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission to pause Microsoft's purchase of Activision, maker of the "Call of Duty" videogame franchise. Circuit Court of Appeals last week rejected the FTC's request, removing one of the few remaining hurdles stopping Xbox maker Microsoft from closing the deal and expanding its gaming business. Separately on Monday, Microsoft's appeal against Britain's block on its takeover of Activision Blizzard was formally paused by a London tribunal to give the parties more time to resolve the dispute. Reporting by John Kruzel; Editing by Will DunhamOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: John Kruzel, Will Dunham Organizations: Monday, U.S, Supreme, Activision Blizzard, U.S . Federal Trade Commission, Activision, San, Circuit, Microsoft, FTC, Reuters, Thomson Locations: San Francisco, London

After a big loss last week in district court, the agency's remaining options are: pursue its fight in the internal FTC court; pursue its parallel case before the appeals court; pursue both; or settle with Microsoft or drop the matter entirely. The source, who is familiar with the matter, declined to give any other details. U.S. regulators, however, have said it could harm consumers by possibly limiting the reach of Activision's games. The tech giant is separately still trying to get the deal approved separately in Britain. Reporting by Diane Bartz; editing by Susan HeaveyOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Diane Bartz, Susan Heavey Organizations: U.S . Federal Trade Commission, Activision, Reuters, Microsoft, Thomson Locations: California, Britain

REUTERS/Chen Lin/File PhotoJuly 17 (Reuters) - Chinese e-retailer Temu has filed a new lawsuit accusing rival Shein of violating U.S. antitrust law in its dealings with clothing manufacturers, escalating a legal clash for dominance in the fast-fashion market. Temu, represented by prominent U.S. law firm Boies Schiller Flexner, filed the new case on Friday in Boston federal court. The two companies are already embroiled in litigation in Chicago federal court, where Shein has alleged Temu worked with influencers to disparage Shein on social media. Temu's complaint alleged Shein "forces manufacturers to sign loyalty oaths certifying that they will not do business with Temu." A spokesperson for Shein on Monday said Temu's lawsuit was "without merit and we will vigorously defend ourselves."

Persons: Chen Lin, Temu, Shein, Boies Schiller Flexner, influencers, YipitData, Temu's Boies Schiller, Denise Casper, Philip Korologos, James Denvir, Boies Schiller, Mike Scarcella, Josie Kao Organizations: REUTERS, Temu, Shein, District of, Thomson Locations: Singapore, Boston, Chicago, U.S, United States, Los Angeles, China, Europe, Asia, District of Massachusetts

July 14 (Reuters) - A U.S. appeals court on Friday rejected the Federal Trade Commission's request that it order Microsoft (MSFT.O) to temporarily hold off on closing its $69 billion purchase of "Call of Duty" maker Activision Blizzard (ATVI.O). The appeals court decision removes one of the few remaining hurdles stopping Xbox maker Microsoft from expanding its gaming business by closing its deal to buy Activision. The FTC had also asked Judge Jacqueline Scott Corley of the U.S. District Court in northern California for a stay but she rejected that request late on Thursday. After July 18, either company will be free to walk away from the deal unless they negotiate an extension. But on Tuesday, Judge Corley ruled the deal was legal under antitrust law and declined the FTC request to slap a preliminary injunction on it to give the FTC time to take it before an internal FTC judge in August.

Persons: Jacqueline Scott Corley, Judge Corley, Diane Bartz, Sandra Maler Organizations: Federal Trade, Microsoft, Activision, FTC, U.S, Markets Authority, Sony Group, Thomson Locations: California, Britain, United States

It also wants JPMorgan to pay damages to compensate Epstein's victims, pay punitive damages, separate its business and compliance functions, and hire a compliance consultant. The bank also called the U.S. Virgin Islands' arguments for damages "misdirected" and "not well founded." Friday's filing marks the first time the U.S. Virgin Islands has put a dollar figure on its lawsuit. In the U.S. Virgin Islands case, JPMorgan has sought to shift blame. The case is U.S. Virgin Islands v. JPMorgan Chase Bank NA, U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York, No.

Persons: JPMorgan Chase, Jeffrey Epstein's, Epstein, Ariel Smith, Prince Andrew, Ehud Barak, Ghislaine Maxwell, Cecile de Jongh, Jes Staley, Staley, Jonathan Stempel, Nupur Anand, Luc Cohen, Jonathan Oatis, Deepa Babington Organizations: YORK, U.S . Virgin, JPMorgan, Virgin Islands, U.S . Virgin Islands, Deutsche Bank, U.S ., Barclays, Virgin, JPMorgan Chase Bank NA, U.S, Court, Southern District of, Thomson Locations: U.S, Manhattan, U.S . Virgin Islands, British, Southern District, Southern District of New York, New York

WASHINGTON, July 14 (Reuters) - Microsoft (MSFT.O) urged an appeals court in sometimes scathing language on Friday to reject the U.S. Federal Trade Commission's (FTC) request to pause its $69 billion deal to buy Activision (ATVI.O). The agency asked the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals late on Thursday to require the companies to delay consummating the transaction while the court considered the FTC's broader appeal. Microsoft said on Friday the agency had been slow to file in federal court, and thus it was inappropriate to press for a delay so late in the game. "The district court’s consideration of the FTC's primary claim at trial shows that the court did not misapply the law," Microsoft said. Legal experts have said the agency faced an uphill fight in convincing the appeals court to overturn Corley's ruling.

Persons: Jacqueline Scott Corley, Corley's, Biden, Diane Bartz, David Shepardson, Josie Kao Organizations: Microsoft, U.S . Federal Trade Commission's, Activision, FTC, Sony, PlayStation, Markets Authority, Big Tech, Thomson Locations: San Francisco, Britain

WASHINGTON, July 13 (Reuters) - A U.S. federal court rejected the Federal Trade Commission's request that it order Microsoft (MSFT.O) to temporarily hold off on closing its $69 billion purchase of "Call of Duty" maker Activision Blizzard (ATVI.O), according to a court filing. Reporting by Kanishka Singh in Washington; Editing by Sandra MalerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Kanishka Singh, Sandra Maler Organizations: U.S, Federal Trade, Microsoft, Activision, Thomson Locations: Washington

The filing had no details on the appeal, which will go to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals on the West Coast. In her 53-page order, Corley said it was not enough for the FTC to argue that "a merger might lessen competition - the FTC must show the merger will probably substantially lessen competition." Legal scholars questioned that standard, saying that the U.S. antitrust law required the FTC to prove the proposed deal "may" harm competition, not that it "will." The deal is Microsoft's biggest ever, and the largest in the videogame industry's history. To address the agency's concerns, Microsoft agreed to license "Call of Duty" to rivals, including a 10-year contract with Nintendo, contingent on the merger closing.

Persons: Jacqueline Scott Corley, Biden, Judge Corley, Corley, Diane Bartz, Muralikumar Anantharaman, Diane Craft Organizations: U.S . Federal Trade Commission, Microsoft, Activision, Ninth Circuit, U.S, FTC, Nintendo, Thomson Locations: West Coast, San Francisco

SummaryLaw Firms FTX founder allegedly misappropriated customer funds for European acquisitionFTX failed to find a buyer for the company in bankruptcy saleNEW YORK, July 13 (Reuters) - Bankrupt crypto exchange FTX sued insiders at FTX Europe AG late Wednesday, seeking to recover $323 million that FTX had invested in an ill-fated expansion into European crypto markets. After FTX filed for bankruptcy in November, it sought to sell FTX Europe, only to conclude that no buyer would offer meaningful value for the company, according to FTX. FTX acquired Digital Assets for nearly $400 million in three transactions in 2020 and 2021, hoping to obtain regulatory approvals and expand into European markets. FTX filed for bankruptcy protection in November, saying it was unable to completely repay customers who had deposited funds on its exchange. Prosecutors have charged Bankman-Fried, 31, with stealing billions of dollars in FTX customer funds to cover losses at its affiliated hedge fund Alameda Research.

Persons: FTX, Sam Bankman, Patrick Gruhn, Robin Matzke, Brandon Williams, Cosima Capital, Williams, Fried, Gruhn, Steven Holley, Stephen Ehrenberg, Brian Glueckstein, Christopher Dunne of Sullivan, Cromwell, Read, Clinton, Dietrich Knauth Organizations: FTX, AG, DA AG, Assets, Matzke, Gruhn, Prosecutors, Alameda Research, Trading, Bankruptcy, District of, Cromwell LLP, Thomson Locations: Zurich, Switzerland, Europe, Delaware, Matzke, Oregon, Alameda, U.S, District of Delaware

WASHINGTON, July 13 (Reuters) - A U.S. appeals court on the West Coast opened a docket on Thursday on the U.S. Federal Trade Commission's effort to overturn its loss trying to stop Microsoft (MSFT.O) from buying "Call of Duty" maker Activision (ATVI.O). A federal judge in California had ruled for Microsoft on Tuesday, saying the agency had failed to show the deal was illegal under antitrust law. The FTC said late on Wednesday that it would appeal that loss, and Microsoft has said it would fight that appeal. The docket was opened in the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals and suggests the text of the FTC's appeal was forthcoming. After July 18, either company will be free to walk away from the deal unless they negotiate an extension.

Persons: Jacqueline Scott Corley, Diane Bartz, David Shepardson, Chizu Organizations: Coast, U.S . Federal Trade, Microsoft, Activision, FTC, Ninth Circuit, Biden, Thomson Locations: California, San Francisco

WASHINGTON, July 13 (Reuters) - A group on Thursday sued the state of Texas over its ban on public university employees from using Chinese-owned app TikTok on state-owned devices or networks, arguing it is compromising research and teaching. The Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University filed suit in U.S. District Court in Austin, Texas on behalf of the Coalition for Independent Technology Research asserting that Texas’s state government TikTok ban "is preventing or seriously impeding faculty from pursuing research that relates to TikTok... It has also made it almost impossible for faculty to use TikTok in their classrooms." Reporting by David ShepardsonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: David Shepardson Organizations: Columbia University, Coalition for Independent Technology Research, Thomson Locations: Texas, U.S, Austin , Texas

July 13 (Reuters) - A federal jury on Thursday decided that Robert Bowers was eligible for the death penalty for killing 11 worshippers at Pittsburgh's Tree of Life synagogue in 2018, the deadliest antisemitic attack in U.S. history, local media reported. Last month, the jury found Bowers, 50, guilty of dozens of federal hate crimes in the trial at the U.S. District Court in Pittsburgh in western Pennsylvania. Federal prosecutors had charged Bowers with 63 counts, including 11 counts of obstruction of free exercise of religious beliefs resulting in death. In the final phase of the sentencing portion of the trial, both prosecutors and defense attorneys will have the chance to make arguments on whether Bowers deserves the death penalty. In their arguments in support of making Bowers eligible for the death penalty, prosecutors said that he had the necessary intent and premeditation to qualify for the sentence.

Persons: Robert Bowers, Bowers, Jonathan Allen, Brendan O'Brien, Tim Ahmann, Bill Berkrot Organizations: U.S, Court, KDKA, CBS, Thomson Locations: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, New York, Chicago

[1/2] Former U.S. President Donald Trump's White House chief strategist Steve Bannon attends his arraignment at the New York Criminal Courthouse in New York, U.S., September 8, 2022. Steven Hirsch/Pool via REUTERS/File PhotoJuly 12 (Reuters) - Steve Bannon and Michael Flynn, two allies of former U.S. President Donald Trump, must answer questions under oath in voting technology company Smartmatic's defamation lawsuit against right-wing media outlet Newsmax, court records showed on Wednesday. Florida-based Smartmatic served subpoenas on Bannon, who served as a White House strategist under Trump, and Flynn, who briefly served as national security adviser, on Wednesday, according to documents filed in Delaware state court. Bannon and Flynn representatives did not immediately respond to requests for comment, nor did Smartmatic and Newsmax. Bannon, an influential figure on the American right, worked on Trump's 2016 campaign and later in the White House.

Persons: Donald Trump's, Steve Bannon, Steven Hirsch, Michael Flynn, Donald Trump, Smartmatic, Bannon, Flynn, Joe Biden, Trump, Mike Pence, Jack Queen, Will Dunham Organizations: U.S, House, New, Criminal, Trump, Democratic, Fox, Fox News, Fox Corp, Dominion Voting Systems, Capitol, U.S ., Army, White House, FBI, Thomson Locations: New York, U.S, . Florida, Delaware, Russian, United States

(Reuters) - Two Georgia election workers suing Rudy Giuliani for defamation asked a U.S. judge on Tuesday to decide the lawsuit in their favor, arguing that the former New York mayor and personal lawyer for Donald Trump forfeited the case by allegedly failing to preserve important evidence. Lawyers for the pair asked a Washington, D.C. federal judge to levy “severe” sanctions against Giuliani, including a default judgment finding Giuliani liable for defamation. Attorneys for Giuliani and the election workers did not immediately return requests for comment. Ted Goodman, a political adviser to Giuliani, said the evidence requests were “deliberately overly burdensome” and sought information aimed at embarrassing and intimidating Giuliani. Lawyers for the election workers said in a court filing that those efforts collapsed after Giuliani did not agree.

Persons: Rudy Giuliani, Donald Trump, Moss, Ruby Freeman, Giuliani, Ted Goodman, Freeman, Beryl Howell, Andrew Goudsward Organizations: Reuters, New, U.S, District, Moss, Thomson Locations: Georgia, New York, Washington

[1/2] A general view of the Iowa state capitol in Des Moines, Iowa, U.S. February 3, 2020. Governor Kim Reynolds, a Republican, ordered the special legislative session after the Iowa Supreme Court on June 16 blocked a similar measure passed in 2018 from going into effect. The Midwestern state's highest court deadlocked in a 3-3 decision, leaving abortion legal in Iowa for up to 20 weeks of pregnancy. Fourteen states have banned most abortions since the U.S. Supreme Court in June 2022 overturned the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade case and stripped away a nationwide right to abortion. The Iowa Faith and Freedom Coalition advocacy group has also asked its members to contact their lawmakers to support the bill.

Persons: Jonathan Ernst, Kim Reynolds, Roe, Wade, Sharon Bernstein, Colleen Jenkins, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: REUTERS, Republican, Midwestern, Supreme, Iowa, Freedom Coalition, Thomson Locations: Iowa, Des Moines , Iowa, U.S

July 11 (Reuters) - A U.S. judge on Tuesday dismissed a lawsuit in which the founder of WallStreetBets, which helped ignite investors' fascination with "meme" stocks, accused Reddit of wrongly banning him from moderating the community and usurping his trademark rights. Rogozinski had applied to trademark "WallStreetBets" in March 2020, when the community reached 1 million subscribers. Meme stocks gain popularity through discussions, often among inexperienced investors, in online forums including Twitter. Prominent meme stocks have included AMC Entertainment Holdings (AMC.N), GameStop (GME.N), Koss (KOSS.O) and the now-bankrupt Bed Bath & Beyond (BBBYQ.PK). The case is Rogozinski v Reddit Inc, U.S. District Court, Northern District of California, No.

Persons: Reddit, Jaime Rogozinski, Rogozinski, Maxine Chesney, Rogozinski's, Chesney, today's, James Lawrence, subreddit, Jonathan Stempel, David Gregorio Our Organizations: WallStreetBets, Twitter, AMC Entertainment Holdings, GameStop, Reddit Inc, Court, Northern District of, Thomson Locations: U.S, San Francisco, Northern District, Northern District of California, New York

[1/2] E. Jean Carroll reacts as she exits the Manhattan Federal Court following the verdict in the civil rape accusation case against former U.S. President Donald Trump, in New York City, U.S., May 9, 2023. Lawyers for Carroll, 79, also accused Trump of springing his counterclaim too late, to "hold up yet again this otherwise trial-ready, much-delayed case." Trump has appealed the $5 million verdict. A Jan. 15, 2024 trial is scheduled before U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan, who handled the earlier trial. The case is Carroll v Trump, U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York, No.

Persons: Jean Carroll, Donald Trump, Brendan McDermid, Trump's, Roberta Kaplan, Carroll, Trump, Carroll's, District Judge Lewis Kaplan, Jonathan Stempel, Howard Goller Organizations: U.S, REUTERS, Elle, CNN, District, Carroll, Trump, Court, Southern District of, Thomson Locations: Manhattan, New York City, U.S, Southern District, Southern District of New York, New York

☆ U.S. prosecutors probe ex-FTX executive Salame for campaign finance violations, Wall Street Journal reports
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-11 | by ( Shearman Real Estate Finance Partner Is Latest Exit As Merger Looms | Sara Merken | July | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

NEW YORK, July 11 (Reuters) - Former FTX cryptocurrency exchange executive Ryan Salame is under investigation by federal prosecutors for possible violations of campaign finance law, the Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday, citing people familiar with the matter. Prosecutors are looking at money Salame gave his girlfriend, Michelle Bond, who ran unsuccessfully last year for the Republican nomination for a congressional seat in New York, as well as loans Bond made to her campaign, the Journal reported. A spokesman for the U.S. Attorney's office in Manhattan declined to comment. Neither Salame nor Bond has been accused of wrongdoing. Reporting by Luc Cohen in New York; Editing by Chizu NomiyamaOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Ryan Salame, Salame, Michelle Bond, Bond, Sam Bankman, Luc Cohen, Chizu Organizations: YORK, Wall Street, Prosecutors, Republican, U.S, Thomson Locations: New York, Manhattan

July 9 (Reuters) - Comedian Sarah Silverman and two authors have filed copyright infringement lawsuits against Meta Platforms (META.O) and OpenAI for allegedly using their content without permission to train artificial intelligence language models. The proposed class action lawsuits filed by Silverman, Richard Kadrey and Christopher Golden in San Francisco federal court Friday allege Facebook parent company Meta and ChatGPT maker OpenAI used copyrighted material to train chat bots. Meta and OpenAI, a private company backed by Microsoft Corp (MSFT.O), did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Sunday. Silverman, Kadrey and Golden allege Meta and OpenAI used their books without authorization to develop their so-called large language models, which their makers pitch as powerful tools for automating tasks by replicating human conversation. The lawsuit against OpenAI alleges that summaries of the plaintiffs’ work generated by ChatGPT indicate the bot was trained on their copyrighted content.

Persons: Sarah Silverman, Silverman, Richard Kadrey, Christopher Golden, OpenAI, Kadrey, Jack Queen, Lincoln Organizations: Meta, Facebook, Microsoft Corp, Thomson Locations: San Francisco federal

WASHINGTON, July 8 (Reuters) - A Tennessee law prohibiting doctors from providing medical care such as puberty-blockers and gender affirming surgery for transgender minors can go into effect immediately, a U.S. appeals court ruled Saturday. Tennessee's law is part of a growing series of efforts by Republican lawmakers to impose new restrictions on medical care for transgender youths. The appeals court's decision Saturday said that absent a clear showing that Tennessee's law violated the Constitution, choices about medical care and protecting minors are best settled by state legislatures. Judge Helen White said she believed Tennessee's law "is likely unconstitutional" as a type of sex discrimination. Sutton wrote that the appeals court will try to reach a final decision about Tennessee's law by Sept. 30.

Persons: construing, Jeffrey Sutton, Lawmakers, Helen White, Sutton, Brad Heath, Daniel Wallis Organizations: U.S, Appeals, Sixth Circuit, . Constitution, Republican, Thomson Locations: Tennessee, U.S, .

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