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☆ Judge Blocks E.P.A. From Using Civil Rights Law in Pollution Case
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-23 | by ( Lisa Friedman | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

A federal court in Louisiana has dealt a serious blow to the Biden administration’s effort to protect communities heavily affected by toxic industrial pollution. Title VI of the 1964 Civil Rights Act allows the E.P.A. to investigate whether state programs that receive federal money are discriminating on the basis of race, color or national origin. But the judge’s ruling effectively means that the federal government is limited to taking action against specific agency decisions that are intentionally discriminatory. That means the state cannot be held liable for actions like allowing several chemical plants, refineries and other industrial operations in minority communities.

Persons: Biden Organizations: U.S, Western, Western District of, Environmental Protection Agency Locations: Louisiana, Western District, Western District of Louisiana

☆ Judge Orders Biden Administration to Resume Permits for Gas Exports
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-01 | by ( Coral Davenport | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

A federal judge on Monday ordered the Biden administration to resume issuing permits for new liquefied natural gas export facilities after the government had paused that process in January to analyze how those exports affect climate change, the economy and national security. The decision, from the United States District Court for the Western District of Louisiana, comes in response to a lawsuit from 16 Republican state attorneys general, who argued that the pause amounted to a ban that harmed their states’ economies. Many of those states, including Louisiana, West Virginia, Oklahoma, Texas and Wyoming, produce significant amounts of natural gas. The judge, James D. Cain Jr., who was appointed by President Donald J. Trump, wrote in his decision that the states had demonstrated that they had lost jobs, royalties and taxes that would have flowed had permits for gas exports continued. Texas, for example, projected that it would lose $259.8 million in tax revenues associated with natural gas production over five years as a result of the pause of permitting.

Persons: Biden, James D, Cain Jr, Donald J, Trump Organizations: United States, Court, Western, Western District of, Republican Locations: Western District, Western District of Louisiana, Louisiana, West Virginia , Oklahoma , Texas, Wyoming, Texas

☆ Election Updates: Trump campaigns in battleground states for the first time since his trial began.
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-01 | by ( Chris Cameron | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +6 min

The Louisiana secretary of state has ordered that the congressional map be finalized by May 15. Even so, they said, it was evident that creating a second district with a majority of Black voters was lawmakers’ overarching objective. But in the map drawn by the Republican-controlled Legislature, only one of the six congressional districts had a majority Black population. The ruling reaffirmed the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which had been diminished over the years by the court’s conservative majority. Critics of Tuesday’s ruling argued that the repercussions in Louisiana could extend beyond a single election, or even partisan divisions.

Persons: ”, Critics, Eric H, Holder Jr, Liz Murrill, “ I’ve, ’, David C, Joseph, Robert R, “, Carl E, Stewart, —, Tuesday’s, Ashley Shelton, Ms, Shelton Organizations: Black, U.S . Constitution, National Democratic, Republican, U.S, Supreme, . Constitution, State Legislature, Lawmakers, U.S ., Appeals, Fifth Circuit, American, Western, Western District of, Louisiana Legislature, voters, Power Coalition for Equity, Justice Locations: Louisiana, U.S ., ., Baton Rouge, Shreveport, Western District, Western District of Louisiana, Black, U.S

☆ Opinion: Conservatives game the system to drag Supreme Court further into culture war
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-01 | by ( Steve Vladeck | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

He is the author of the “One First” Supreme Court newsletter. Both cases were filed in federal district courts in which the plaintiffs could literally hand-pick the specific federal judge who would be assigned to hear the dispute. Indeed, the Supreme Court granted emergency relief in both the social media and mifepristone cases. But the Supreme Court is another matter. For once, the Supreme Court is the victim of right-wing litigation behavior, not the culprit.

Persons: Steve Vladeck, Stephen I, Biden, they’ve, Terry Doughty, Donald Trump, Matthew Kacsmaryk, Trump, —, Neil Gorsuch, Gorsuch Organizations: CNN, University of Texas School of Law, Monroe Division, Court, Western, Western District of, Amarillo Division, Northern, Northern District of, Appeals, Fifth, Fifth Circuit, Democratic, Ninth Circuit, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Securities, Exchange, Conference, United, Northern District of Texas, Judicial, Federal, FDA Locations: Murthy v . Missouri, Monroe, Western District, Western District of Louisiana, Amarillo, Northern District, Northern District of Texas, Orleans, Texas, Austin, West Coast, United States

☆ FBI and White House likely coerced social media platforms into removing posts, appeals court rules
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-11 | by ( Lauren Feiner | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

A federal appeals court on Friday limited the scope of a district court ruling that sought to limit communications between government agencies and social media companies, while finding that several agencies likely violated the First Amendment. The ruling will make it easier for several federal agencies to communicate with social media companies like Meta , Google and X, previously known as Twitter, as many do to flag concerns they see on the platforms. At the same time, the appeals court concluded that the White House, Surgeon General's office and Federal Bureau of Investigation likely violated the First Amendment by coercing social media platforms into moderating posts on their sites. The appeals court vacated all but one of ten prohibitions Doughty set out in the initial injunction. The White House, Surgeon General's office, FBI and CDC did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Persons: Joe Biden, Terry A, Doughty, Donald Trump, That's Organizations: Idalia, White, Meta, Google, Western, Western District of, State Department, Facebook, Washington Post, Federal Bureau of, Centers for Disease Control, Infrastructure Security Agency, National Institute of Allergy, FBI, CDC, Twitter, YouTube Locations: Maui, Hawaii, Washington ,, Missouri, Louisiana, Western District, Western District of Louisiana

☆ Oil companies sue U.S. over Gulf auction changes meant to protect whale
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Unused oil rigs sit in the Gulf of Mexico near Port Fourchon, Louisiana August 11, 2010. The suit is the latest dispute between the oil and gas industry and the administration of President Joe Biden over leasing federal lands and waters for energy development. The final sale notice included new restrictions on development meant to protect the endangered Rice's whale. Lease Sale 261 will be held on Sept. 27 and will offer approximately 12,395 blocks on approximately 67 million acres (27 million hectares) on the U.S. Outer Continental Shelf in the Western, Central, and Eastern Planning Areas in the Gulf of Mexico.

Persons: Lee Celano, Joe Biden, Biden, Ryan Meyers, Mrinmay Dey, Nichola, Michael Perry Organizations: REUTERS, Chevron, Biden, Western, Western District of, Interior Department's, of Ocean Energy Management, American Petroleum Institute, Interior Department, U.S . Outer Continental, Thomson Locations: Gulf of Mexico, Port Fourchon , Louisiana, Louisiana, Gulf, Mexico, Western District, Western District of Louisiana, Central

[1/2] Facebook, TikTok, Twitter, YouTube and Instagram apps are seen on a smartphone in this illustration taken, July 13, 2021. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File PhotoJuly 5 (Reuters) - The Biden administration on Wednesday appealed a federal judge's ruling restricting some agencies and officials from meeting and communicating with social media companies to moderate their content, according to a court filing. The notice of appeal filed on Wednesday signals the government's plan to ask the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit in New Orleans to review the ruling in a lawsuit challenging the Biden administration's efforts to persuade social media companies to police posts it considered disinformation. U.S. officials have said they were aiming to tamp down misinformation about COVID vaccines to curb preventable deaths. Reporting by Tyler Clifford and Sharon Bernstein; Editing by Eric Beech and Lisa ShumakerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Biden, Judge Terry Doughty, Tyler Clifford, Sharon Bernstein, Eric Beech, Lisa Shumaker Organizations: Twitter, YouTube, REUTERS, ., Appeals, Fifth Circuit, Biden, Department of Health, Human Services, FBI, U.S, Western, Western District of, Republicans, Thomson Locations: New Orleans, Louisiana, Missouri, Western District, Western District of Louisiana

WASHINGTON, July 4 (Reuters) - A U.S. federal judge on Tuesday restricted some agencies and officials of the administration of President Joe Biden from meeting and communicating with social media companies to moderate their content, according to a court filing. A White House official said the Justice Department was reviewing the order and will evaluations its options. The order also mentioned by name officials including Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and Jen Easterly, who heads the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, in its restrictions. U.S. officials have said they were aiming to tamp down misinformation about COVID vaccines to curb preventable deaths. Facebook and Instagram parent Meta Platforms (META.O), Twitter, and Alphabet's (GOOGL.O) YouTube did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Persons: Joe Biden, Alejandro Mayorkas, Terry Doughty, Kanishka Singh, Jeff Mason, Alistair Bell, Heather Timmons, Bill Berkrot Organizations: U.S, Department of Health, Human Services, FBI, United, White, Justice Department, Department of Homeland, Infrastructure Security Agency, Western, Western District of, Washington Post, Republicans, Biden, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Thomson Locations: Louisiana, Missouri, Western District, Western District of Louisiana, Washington

☆ Federal Judge Limits Biden Officials’ Contacts With Social Media Sites
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-04 | by ( Steven Lee Myers | David Mccabe | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

A federal judge in Louisiana on Tuesday restricted parts of the Biden administration from communicating with social media platforms about broad swaths of content online, a ruling that could curtail efforts to combat false and misleading narratives about the coronavirus pandemic and other issues. The ruling, which could have significant First Amendment implications, is a major development in a fierce legal fight over the boundaries and limits of speech online. Republicans have often accused the government of inappropriately working with social media sites like Facebook, Twitter and YouTube to censor critics and say the platforms disproportionately take down right-leaning content. Democrats say the platforms have failed to adequately police misinformation and hateful speech, leading to dangerous outcomes, including violence. In the ruling, Judge Terry A. Doughty of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana said that parts of the government, including the Department of Health and Human Services and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, could not talk to social media companies for “the purpose of urging, encouraging, pressuring, or inducing in any manner the removal, deletion, suppression, or reduction of content containing protected free speech.”

Persons: Biden, Judge Terry A, Doughty, ” Organizations: Republicans, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, U.S, Western, Western District of, Department of Health, Human Services, Federal Bureau of Locations: Louisiana, Western District, Western District of Louisiana

☆ U.S. judge restricts Biden officials from contact with social media firms
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-04 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

The U.K.'s Online Safety Bill, which aims to regulate the internet, has been revised to remove a controversial but critical measure. A U.S. federal judge on Tuesday restricted some agencies and officials of the administration of President Joe Biden from meeting and communicating with social media companies to moderate their content, according to a court filing. A White House official said the Justice Department was reviewing the order and will evaluations its options. The order also mentioned by name officials including Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and Jen Easterly, who heads the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, in its restrictions. U.S. officials have said they were aiming to tamp down misinformation about COVID vaccines to curb preventable deaths.

Persons: Joe Biden, Alejandro Mayorkas, Terry Doughty Organizations: U.S, Department of Health, Human Services, FBI, United, White, Justice Department, Department of Homeland, Infrastructure Security Agency, Western, Western District of, Washington Post, Republicans, Biden, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube Locations: Louisiana, Missouri, Western District, Western District of Louisiana

☆ Federal judge limits the Biden administration's contacts with social media platforms
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-04 | by ( John L. Dorman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

A federal judge on Tuesday limited Biden officials' contacts with social platforms, per The NYT. The ruling would be a major setback in federal officials' efforts to combat misinformation online. The ruling has dramatic implications for technology companies, which often speak with government officials throughout elections and national emergencies. The ruling is likely to be appealed by the Biden administration, the Times said. The White House and several large tech companies didn't immediately respond to the Times' request for comment.

Persons: Biden, —, Jeff Landry, Andrew Bailey, coronavirus, Terry A, Doughty, Doughty —, Donald Trump — Organizations: Service, Biden, The New York Times, Western, Western District of, Western District of Louisiana —, Times Locations: Louisiana, Missouri, United States of America, Western District, Western District of Louisiana, United States

☆ A DoJ official said forced labor was 'heinous conduct' after a Louisiana man was jailed for making minors bake and sell brownies 7 days a week
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-20 | by ( Sam Tabahriti | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A Louisiana man was jailed for forcing minors to work long hours baking and selling brownies. The Department of Justice said Friday that Darnell Fulton was sentenced to 35 years in prison. A DoJ official said forced labor was "heinous conduct" and would not be tolerated. He was jailed Friday for 35 years for crimes including conspiracy to commit forced labor. "This sentence demonstrates the Justice Department's commitment to standing up for the survivors of forced labor schemes.

☆ Jeffrey Dahmer copycat sentenced to 45 years in prison after using Grindr as a 'hunting ground' to lure, kidnap, and attempt to kill an 18-year-old gay man
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-28 | by ( Lloyd Lee | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Chance Seneca of Louisiana was sentenced to 45 years in federal prison on Wednesday, DOJ said. In June 2020, Seneca used Grindr, a gay dating app, to lure and kidnap an 18-year-old. "Seneca intentionally targeted gay men, as Dahmer had done. Seneca told authorities in an interview that he saw the dating application as a "hunting ground," according to a complaint. "It's not what I asked for," White told The Times.

A Louisiana man was sentenced to 45 years in federal prison for kidnapping and attempting to murder a gay teen as part of a broader hate crime scheme targeting men on an LGBTQ dating app, the Justice Department announced Wednesday. His decadeslong sentencing rested on a variety of factors, the Justice Department revealed, including that Seneca intentionally targeted the teen and other gay men because of their sexual orientation. Within days of his assault on White, Seneca allegedly attempted to kidnap a different man and allegedly kidnapped another, the Justice Department said in a previous statement. The Louisiana case is one of several where people have used Grindr, a dating app founded in 2009 that is predominantly used by gay men, to target LGBTQ people around the world. In 2018, it was widely reported that Egyptian authorities and residents were using Grindr and other dating apps to entrap and persecute gay men.

☆ Judge blocks Trump-era border rule known as Title 42 that expelled migrants at U.S. border
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-15 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Julia-Ainsley-Circle-Byline-Template.Jpg | Julia Ainsley | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

“Title 42 was a misuse of the public health laws from the beginning and has cause grace harm to tens of thousands of desperate asylum seekers. The practical significance of the ruling cannot be overstated,” Lee Gelernt of the ACLU, one of the lead attorneys on the case to end Title 42, told NBC News on Tuesday. He added that Sullivan's ruling essentially overrides the Louisiana court’s decision to stop the Biden administration from ending Title 42. But before the Biden administration lifted the rule, U.S. District Judge Robert Summerhays of the Western District of Louisiana issued a preliminary injunction, blocking officials from ending it. Single adults and families encountered will continue to be expelled, where appropriate, under Title 42.”The Biden administration has faced criticism on both sides of the aisle for its handling of Title 42.

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