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☆ Silicon Valley Battles States Over New Online Safety Laws for Children
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-31 | by ( Natasha Singer | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Last summer, Ohio enacted a social media statute that would require Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok and YouTube to get a parent’s consent before permitting children under age 16 to use their platforms. The case is part of a sweeping litigation campaign by NetChoice to block new state laws protecting young people online — an anti-regulation effort likely to come under scrutiny on Wednesday as the Senate Judiciary Committee questions social media executives about child sexual exploitation online. The NetChoice lawsuits have rankled state officials and lawmakers who sought tech company input as they drafted the new measures. “I think it’s cowardly and disingenuous,” Jon Husted, the lieutenant governor of Ohio, said of the industry lawsuit, noting that either he or his staff had met with Google and Meta about the bill last year and had accommodated the companies’ concerns. “We tried to be as cooperative as we possibly could be — and then at the 11th hour, they filed a lawsuit.”

Persons: —, ” Jon Husted, “, ” Organizations: YouTube, Google, Federal, Court Locations: Ohio

☆ Big Tech executives to appear at Senate hearing to defend social media’s impact on teens
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-31 | by ( Brian Fung | Clare Duffy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Zuckerberg is expected to tout the company’s more than 30 safety controls, according to prepared testimony released ahead of the hearing. In recent weeks, Meta has also begun hiding more “age-inappropriate” content in teens’ feeds and restricting teens from receiving direct messages from people they don’t follow. Ideally, Clegg said, Zuckerberg would authorize as many as 124 new hires, but acknowledged that financial pressures could make it difficult. After months of radio silence from Zuckerberg, Clegg tried to follow up, this time with a slimmed-down proposal that envisioned either 25 new hires or, if even that was infeasible, just seven. “This would be the bare minimum needed to meet basic policymaker inquiries,” Clegg wrote to Zuckerberg on Nov. 10, 2021.

Persons: “ We’re, ” Connecticut Democratic Sen, Richard Blumenthal, Mark Zuckerberg, Zuckerberg, Evan Spiegel, Rosemarie Calvoni, Meta, Calvoni, ”, ” Calvoni, Arturo Béjar, ’, Tennessee Republican Sen, Marsha Blackburn, Sheryl Sandberg, Global Affairs Nick Clegg, Clegg —, —, Clegg, ” Clegg, Sandberg, “ Organizations: Washington CNN, Meta, Twitter, ” Connecticut Democratic, Facebook, Blumenthal, Tennessee Republican, Global Affairs Locations: ” Connecticut, Massachusetts

☆ Six takeaways from a contentious online child safety hearing.
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-31 | by ( Mike Isaac | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

After a series of tense exchanges between senators and tech executives that clocked in at just under four hours, the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on online child safety came to an end on Wednesday with no clear resolutions in sight. The audience included several family members of victims, who cheered as senators berated the executives and listened stoically as Mark Zuckerberg, the chief executive of Meta, addressed the crowd directly. Here are some of the key takeaways. At times, the senators shouted and talked over the executives, drawing applause from those in the room. Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina said the companies had “blood on your hands.”

Persons: Mark Zuckerberg, —, Lindsey Graham of, ” Organizations: Meta Locations: Lindsey Graham of South Carolina

As they discussed the measure, LGBTQ+ advocates outside the room cried out: “Trans rights are human rights.” Two of the subcommittee members are Republican and one is a Democrat. Iowa’s civil rights law protects against discrimination in employment, wages, public accommodations, housing, education and credit practices based upon certain characteristics of a person. That includes gender identity, as well as someone’s race, color, creed, sex, sexual orientation, religion, national origin and disability status. Sexual orientation and gender identity were not originally included in Iowa’s Civil Rights Act of 1965. About half of U.S. states include gender identity in their civil rights code to protect against discrimination in housing and public places, such as stores or restaurants, according to the Movement Advancement Project, an LGBTQ+ rights think tank.

Persons: Matt Windschitl —, —, ”, they've, Jeff Shipley, Shipley, expletives, Iowans, Annie Sarcone, ” Iowa’s, Kim Reynolds, Neil Gorsuch Organizations: DES, Republican, Democrat, Iowa Capitol, Iowa’s Civil, Des Moines Queer Youth Resource, Iowa Legislature, ” Iowa’s Republican, Republican Gov, Human, Movement Advancement, Supreme Locations: DES MOINES, Iowa, U.S

☆ Meta, TikTok and Other Tech Chiefs to Face Lawmakers on Child Safety Online
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-31 | by ( David Mccabe | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Five of the most prominent chief executives in tech will face questions on Wednesday from a powerful Senate committee about an issue that has drawn rare bipartisan scrutiny: the dangers that children encounter online. Members of the Senate Judiciary Committee will grill the leaders of Meta, TikTok, Snap, Discord and X on topics including the spread online of child sexual abuse material and the companies’ efforts to police it. They’ll also examine social media’s broader impact on children’s safety and mental health. A growing chorus of lawmakers have recently called for measures to crack down on the spread of child sexual abuse material online and to hold the platforms responsible for protecting young people. Online safety laws have been approved in the European Union and in Britain.

Persons: They’ll Organizations: Meta, Tech, European Union Locations: Britain

☆ GOP senator asks TikTok's CEO over and over if he's Chinese. He's Singaporean.
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-31 | by ( Lauren Steussy | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

During Wednesday's tense congressional testimony over online safety for children, Sen. Tom Cotton repeatedly asked Singaporean TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew if he's ever been a part of the Chinese Communist Party. An increasingly agitated Chew, who's no stranger to US politicians' prodding, tried repeatedly to shut down the line of questioning by telling the conservative senator that he's Singaporean. "Senator, I'm Singaporean, no," Chew responded. Chew was joined by four other social media companies' CEOs Wednesday for a combative hearing on protecting children online in the Senate Judiciary Committee. Zaveri put it this way:The rhetoric at times seemed to paint the Chinese people with a broad brush and conflated people of Chinese ancestry with the will of the CCP.

Persons: Sen, Tom Cotton, Shou Zi Chew, he's, Chew, Cotton, Jamie MacEwan, MacEwan, Paayal Zaveri, Zaveri, bungled Organizations: Chinese Communist Party, Business, Enders Analysis, Committee, Energy, Commerce, CCP Locations: China, Beijing

☆ Meta, X, TikTok, Snap and Discord face growing appetite in Congress for tighter social media regulation
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-31 | by ( Jonathan Vanian | In | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

(L-R) Shou Zi Chew, CEO of TikTok, Linda Yaccarino, CEO of X, and Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee at the Dirksen Senate Office Building on January 31, 2024 in Washington, DC. Tillis and other lawmakers accused the tech executives of failing to protect children from sexual exploitation on their respective social media platforms. Growing appetite for regulationTo be sure, both Republican and Democratic senators were united in their conviction that social media firms are failing the American public and directly harming young people. Still, it takes time for bills to get passed, and all of these social media firms are still getting slammed for child-safety related issues, which could keep the topic fresh in the minds of politicians. Watch: Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg apologizes to parents at online child safety Senate hearing.

Persons: Shou Zi Chew, Linda Yaccarino, Mark Zuckerberg, Meta, Alex Wong, Sen, Thom Tillis, Tillis, Josh Hawley, Zuckerberg, Tom Cotton, Chew Organizations: Dirksen, Facebook, Republican, Democratic, Meta, New, Apple, Lawmakers, Chinese Communist Party Locations: Washington , DC, Cambridge, China

☆ Lawmakers to grill CEOs of Meta, TikTok, X and other social media firms at hearing on child safety
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-31 | by ( Jonathan Vanian | In | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Mark Zuckerberg, Linda Yaccarino, Evan Spiegel and other leading social media executives face a grilling on Wednesday from lawmakers concerned about child exploitation and safety on their services. Lawmakers from both sides of the aisle have blasted the companies for failing to properly address what some have called a "plague of online child sexual exploitation" on social media apps. Wednesday's hearing is focused specifically on issues pertaining to child exploitation and the prevalence of child sexual abuse material on social media. The social media executives are expected to detail their efforts combating child exploitation on their platforms, which include working with law enforcement and tasks like proactively identifying potential predators. Watch: Early Meta platforms investor Brad Gerstner tackles big tech ahead of key earnings week

Persons: Mark Zuckerberg, Linda Yaccarino, Evan Spiegel, —, Shou Zi Chew, Jason Citron, Sen, Dick Durbin, Lindsey Graham, S.C, Citron, Meta, Brad Gerstner Organizations: Meta, U.S, Senate, Intelligence, Capitol, Washington , D.C, TikTok, Spiegel, Google YouTube, Committee, Lawmakers, Electronic Frontier Foundation, American Civil Liberties Union Locations: Washington ,, Washington, . New

☆ FBI shuts down China's 'Volt Typhoon' hackers targeting U.S. infrastructure
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-31 | by ( Rebecca Picciotto | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

The Justice Department and FBI identified the attacks and shut down aspects of the Volt Typhoon malware, Wray said. Microsoft in May warned that Volt Typhoon hackers had been active since 2021 and were targeting U.S. cyber infrastructure. The hacks have become increasingly sophisticated, Jen Easterly, director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, said at the hearing. She explained that Chinese hackers are able to "live within a computer's operating system" in a way that makes them difficult to identify. In July, Chinese hackers also compromised the email accounts of the U.S. ambassador to China and other officials.

Persons: Christopher Wray, Wray, they're, that's, Shou Zi Chew Organizations: FBI, Justice Department, Microsoft, Infrastructure Security Agency, Communist Party, NBC News, British Locations: China, U.S, London, Taiwan

☆ Opinion | The Dawn of a New Era of Oppression
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-31 | by ( Charles M. Blow | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

I am fascinated, and alarmed, by the swiftness with which periods of backlash take shape after surges of Black progress, and I believe that we have entered another such period. Much of my inquiry on the matter has focused on the period after Reconstruction was allowed to fail and that saw Jim Crow begin to rise. Much of this was embodied by the state of Mississippi, which in 1870 was majority Black. White supremacists in the state developed the “Mississippi Plan” in advance of the state’s 1875 elections to use fraud and the intimidation of Black voters, including through violence, to retake state power from progressives. The plan worked.

Persons: Jim Crow, White, Black, Jason Phillips Organizations: Reconstruction, Mississippi Historical Society, Mississippi Department of Archives, Democratic, Republican Locations: Mississippi

☆ Mark Zuckerberg was forced to physically stand up and face families affected by online abuse
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-31 | by ( Lauren Steussy | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Mark Zuckerberg was grilled by a Senate committee Wednesday over child safety on his platforms. In a striking moment, GOP Sen. Josh Hawley demanded Zuckerberg face families whose kids were harmed. Zuckerberg was among the Big Tech CEOs at the hearing on online child safety. AdvertisementMeta CEO Mark Zuckerberg had to turn and face the families of children who were harmed by social media companies head-on during a contentious Senate hearing on Wednesday. The shocking moment was prompted by Republican Sen. Josh Hawley during an intense hearing on online child safety before the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Persons: Mark Zuckerberg, GOP Sen, Josh Hawley, Zuckerberg, —, Republican Sen Organizations: GOP, Big Tech, Service, Republican, Business

☆ Big Tech CEOs are headed to DC to face the Senate over child safety online
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-31 | by ( Lauren Steussy | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Congress is set to grill leaders from Meta, X, TikTok, and other tech companies in a hearing Wednesday. The session will cover efforts to protect children from sexual exploitation online. This will be X CEO Linda Yaccarino's first time testifying before Congress. AdvertisementTech leaders are arriving in Washington, DC, voluntarily or not, to answer for their platforms' efforts to protect kids from sexual exploitation. Over the weekend, X announced plans to hire 100 full-time workers for a yet-to-be-opened content moderation hub in Austin aimed at addressing child sexual exploitation on its platform.

Persons: Linda Yaccarino's, —, X —, Elon Musk, Axios, She'll, Mark Zuckerberg, Evan Spiegel, TikTok, Shou Zi Chew, Jason Citron, Meta, We're, X Organizations: Meta, Service, Tech, Elon, Wall, Journal, The New York Times, Times Locations: Washington , DC, Austin

☆ Anti-abortion groups are laying out plans for Trump to use the federal bureaucracy to restrict abortion access and label chemicals in the abortion pill mifepristone as 'forever chemicals'
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-30 | by ( John L. Dorman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

download the appSign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. Read previewThe fall of Roe v. Wade marked the fulfillment of a decades-long campaign by conservatives to reject abortion as a constitutional right. Former President Donald Trump's three Supreme Court nominees played the deciding role in ending nearly 50 years of abortion precedent in the United States. Anti-abortion groups want Trump to roll back policies that Biden put into place which afforded greater access to abortion pills and surgical abortions, per Politico. "Even people who think they're safe because they live in blue states would lose access should that happen."

Persons: —, Roe, Wade, Donald Trump's, Joe Biden's, Trump, Kristan Hawkins, Biden, Chris Jennings, Politico Organizations: Service, Trump, Politico, Business, Life, for Life, Environmental Protection Agency Locations: United States

☆ Speaker Johnson to House GOP: Senate immigration deal ‘absolutely dead,’ members say
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-30 | by ( Clare Foran | Manu Raju | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Leaving their conference meeting, House Republicans said Johnson made clear the immigration deal is “absolutely dead.”“I just heard Speaker Johnson saying it’s absolutely dead, which is what I wanted to hear,” Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia told CNN. “I have talked to former President Trump about this issue at length and he understands that we have a responsibility to do here.”Johnson added, “The president of course, President Trump, wants to secure the country. President Trump is the one that talked about border security before anyone else did. Biden said in a statement on Friday the deal that Senate negotiators have worked toward is both tough and fair. Senior House Republicans on Tuesday attacked the Senate’s immigration compromise, despite not having final text, and vowed that it will not pass the House.

Persons: Mike Johnson, Donald Trump, Johnson, ” “, it’s, Marjorie Taylor Greene, Roger Williams of, “, Trump, Joe Biden, derailing, James Lankford, Manu, ” Johnson, President Trump, Biden, “ What’s, –, ”, Lankford, Mitch McConnell, Jim Jordan, I’ve, Byron Donalds, Dusty Johnson of, ” CNN’s Kristin Wilson, Haley Talbot Organizations: Republicans, CNN, ”, White House, Democrats, Trump, House Republicans, GOP, Russia, Democrat, Senate, Senior, Tuesday, Department of Homeland Security, DHS, Republican, United States Senate, United States Senators Locations: Ukraine, Georgia, Roger Williams of Texas, James Lankford of Oklahoma, House, Florida, Dusty Johnson of South Dakota

US Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas testifies during a Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, on October 31, 2023. WASHINGTON — Members of the House Homeland Security Committee are meeting Tuesday to discuss the Republican-led impeachment articles against Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. House Republicans accuse Mayorkas and the Biden administration of disregarding federal laws on immigration and seek to make Mayorkas the second Cabinet official impeached in U.S. history. According to the first impeachment article set forth by House Republicans, Mayorkas "has willfully and systemically refused to comply with Federal immigration laws." The second impeachment article accuses him of breaching the "public trust" and "knowingly" obstructing "lawful oversight of the Department of Homeland Security."

Persons: Alejandro Mayorkas, Mayorkas, Biden, systemically, Mark Green, Donald Trump, Green, Mayorkas's, Bennie Thompson, Thompson, —, Michael McCaul, Marjorie Taylor Greene, … We're, MAGA, Dan Goldman, Goldman, Joe Biden, President Trump, Glenn Ivey, impeaching, I've, Don Bacon, Nick LaLota, He's, … He's, LaLota, — Rebecca Kaplan Organizations: Homeland, Senate Homeland Security, Government, Capitol, WASHINGTON —, House Homeland Security, Republican, Republicans, House Republicans, Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security, Rep, Congress, United, Constitution, Mayorkas, DHS, Democrats Locations: Washington ,, U.S, Texas, D, New York, Cuba

☆ Premarket stocks: Blue chips are crumbling. Here’s why
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-30 | by ( Nicole Goodkind | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

New York CNN —Blue chip stocks have long been synonymous with stability and reliability. Named for the most valuable poker chips, these stocks supposedly represent the crème de la crème of the corporate world, companies like Disney, General Motors and Verizon. Known for their strong financial foundations, longevity, and a healthy flow of dividends, blue chip stocks have long been the go-to for investors seeking steady returns. Their values have surged so high that they’ve been buoying the broader market even as many blue chips have struggled. The problem is that despite being included in blue chip ETF indexes, companies like Nvidia and Tesla aren’t truly blue chip stocks, George Pearkes, an analyst at Bespoke, told CNN.

Persons: Tesla, ”, Henry Allen, George Pearkes, Mark Zuckerberg, Zuckerberg, Linda Yaccarino, Evan Spiegel, Jason Citron, Read, Brian Fung, Joe Biden, Frank Pallone Organizations: CNN Business, Bell, New York CNN, Disney, General Motors, Verizon, Nvidia, Apple, Microsoft, Meta, Investment, Nasdaq, Big Tech, Deutsche Bank, Tesla, Target, Pfizer, Nike, Charter Communications, CNN, Tech, —, House Democrats, New, New Hampshire voters, YouMail, House Energy, Commerce Locations: New York, DC, —, New Hampshire

BERLIN (AP) — Efforts to fight public sector corruption are faltering around the world, in part because a “global decline in justice and the rule of law since 2016," according to a corruption index released Tuesday. Transparency International, which compiles the annual Corruption Perceptions Index, found 23 countries at their worst level since the global ranking began almost three decades ago, including both high-ranking democracies and authoritarian states. The global average was unchanged at 43 for the 12th consecutive year, and more than two-thirds of countries scored below 50. Arab countries’ average score on the index hit an all-time low of 34, and sub-Saharan Africa remained stagnant at 33. Transparency International said that the government's “pervasive control of public institutions facilitates the widespread abuse of power without accountability" while judicial independence is eroding.

Persons: ”, François Valérian, party's Organizations: BERLIN, Transparency, World Bank, Economic, European Union Locations: Iceland, Netherlands, Sweden, Britain, Iran, Russia, Venezuela, Denmark, Finland, New Zealand, Norway, Singapore, Switzerland, Germany, Luxembourg, United States, Somalia, South Sudan, Syria, Yemen, Equatorial Guinea, Haiti, North Korea, Nicaragua, Asia, Pacific, Latin America, Caribbean, Saharan Africa, Europe, Poland, Hungary, Ukraine

☆ Brazil State Prosecutor Urges Vale, BHP to Settle Over Dam Disaster
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-29 | by ( Jan. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

By Marta NogueiraRIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - Miners Vale, BHP and their joint venture, Samarco, should strike a deal to compensate for a deadly dam disaster in 2015 or risk paying a lot more in court, the Minas Gerais state prosecutor general told Reuters. Last week a federal judge ruled that the firms must pay up to 47.6 billion reais ($9.67 billion) in damages, in a decision still subject to appeal. "The total will be very high," he said, adding that the firms should strike a deal when talks resume in February, to avoid more costly litigation. Soares Junior is one of the many officials that would have to sign off on a deal that could settle lawsuits on state and federal levels involving the disaster. ($1 = 4.9437 reais)(Reporting by Marta Nogueira, writing by Fabio Teixeira; editing by Sandra Maler)

Persons: Marta Nogueira, General Jarbas Soares Junior, Soares Junior, Samarco, Vale, Fabio Teixeira, Sandra Maler Organizations: Marta Nogueira RIO DE, Reuters, Vale, BHP Locations: Marta Nogueira RIO DE JANEIRO, Minas Gerais, Mariana

An independent commission is investigating the October shootings that killed 18 people in a bowling alley and a restaurant in the worst mass shooting in Maine history. Janet Mills said the panel needs subpoena power, in part to access the shooter's military records. The judiciary committee could vote on the bill seeking subpoena power on Wednesday, a spokesperson for the committee said. Mills' proposal for subpoena power has the backing of the Democratic and Republican leaders of both houses of the Legislature. The independent commission investigating the shootings is expected to look into potential missed opportunities to prevent the shootings.

Persons: Janet Mills, Robert Card's, Mills, Billy Bob Faulkingham, Robert Card, Card, Aaron Frey, ” Mills, “, Jan Organizations: Democratic, Maine Legislature's, Judiciary, Republican, Maine Policy Institute, Sheriff's Office Locations: PORTLAND, Maine, Lewiston, New York, ”, Sagadahoc

☆ Kids aren’t safe on social media, lawmakers say. Tech CEOs are back in DC this week to pledge (again) that they’ll handle it
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-29 | by ( Brian Fung | Clare Duffy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Until now, the social platforms have largely had the same response: We’ll help teens and families make smart decisions themselves. But now, with growing claims that social media can hurt young users, including worries that it risks driving them to depression or even suicide, online safety advocates say that response falls far short. This month Meta announced a proposed blueprint for federal legislation calling for app stores, not social media companies, to verify users’ ages and enforce an age minimum. Safety action beyond CongressAs efforts to rein in tech platforms have ground to a standstill on Capitol Hill, much of the momentum for regulating social media has picked up outside the halls of Congress. Elsewhere, state-backed and consumer lawsuits against the companies are ramping up pressure to regulate tech platforms as the litigation reveals more about their inner workings.

Persons: Mark Zuckerberg, Zuckerberg, Linda Yaccarino, Evan Spiegel, Jason Citron, ”, Jeff Chester, TikTok, ’, Meta, ’ Instagram, Frances Haugen, Josh Golin, Zamaan Qureshi, Qureshi, Elon Musk, X, ” Golin Organizations: CNN, —, Center for Digital Democracy, Meta, Center, ” Locations: —, Arkansas , Louisiana , Ohio , Utah, Austin , Texas

☆ As Biden Judicial Confirmations Slow, Senate Gains Ground on Red-State Judges
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-28 | by ( Carl Hulse | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

President Biden and Senate Democrats have fallen behind the rapid pace set by Republicans in shaping the federal courts during the Trump era, but they have made fresh headway in advancing judicial nominees in states represented by Republicans. By negotiating with Republicans over judicial picks, Mr. Biden and majority Democrats have been able to exert some influence over the makeup of trial courts in red states and install people of color on the bench for the first time in some regions. “It has worked because I think I have convinced the White House that it is better to get a moderate Republican today than a MAGA Republican tomorrow,” said Senator Richard J. Durbin, the Illinois Democrat who chairs the Judiciary Committee. Still, the Senate would need to confirm at least 63 more judges this year to match or better the record of the Trump years, when Senator Mitch McConnell, the Kentucky Republican who was then the majority leader, pushed through 234 conservative-leaning jurists, including three to the Supreme Court.

Persons: Biden, Trump, ”, Richard J, Durbin, Mitch McConnell Organizations: Senate, Republicans, Republican, MAGA Republican, Illinois Democrat, Kentucky Republican, Supreme Locations: MAGA

☆ Analysis: How Orban’s ties to Putin are putting European aid to Ukraine at risk
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-28 | by ( Luke Mcgee | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

CNN —From the start of Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, Hungary has been the weakest link in the West’s response. That’s why there’s so much attention on a meeting on Monday between the foreign ministers of Hungary and Ukraine. Hungary has frustrated European and US-led efforts to support Ukraine for the best part of two years. But time and again, they have blocked important action to support Ukraine and strengthen the Western alliance,” a German foreign affairs official told CNN. But that is what the vast majority of European officials think we are likely to see in the coming months.

Persons: Vladimir Putin’s, Viktor Orban, Orban, Vladimir Putin, Jens Stoltenberg, Francois Mori, Orban tantrums, Sean Gallup, hasn’t, ”, Putin, John Thys, – Organizations: CNN, EU, Hungarian, Ukraine, NATO, Getty, Russia, Kremlin, Putin Locations: Ukraine, Hungary, Russia, Brussels, Europe, Hungarian, AFP, brinksmanship, Finland, Sweden, Turkish, Hungary’s, Budapest, Moscow, Scandinavia, Balkans

☆ Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley targeted in swatting incident
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-27 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

"It was determined to be a hoax ... Nikki Haley is not on the island and her son is with her." Law enforcement agencies have not publicly identified a suspect in the Haley case or in other high-profile swatting cases. Reuters has documented at least 27 swatting incidents of politicians, prosecutors, election officials and judges since November 2023, ranging from Georgia Republican state officials to hoaxes this month against Democrat Joe Biden's residence at the White House. Senator Rick Scott on Dec. 27, weeks after he endorsed Trump, according to records from the Naples Police Department. A caller identifying himself as "Jamal" also targeted Georgia Republican state senator John Albers on Dec. 26, according to an incident report from the Roswell Police Department.

Persons: Nikki Haley, Donald Trump, Trump, State Shenna Bellows, Marjorie Taylor Greene, swatting, Haley, Craig Harris, Kiawah, Harris, Joe Biden's, Jamal, Rick Scott, Scott wasn't, John Albers, State Jay Ashcroft, Ashcroft, Scott, Albers, Gabriel Sterling, Sterling Organizations: Grappone, Authorities, South, Republican, Reuters, State, Trump, Federal Bureau of Investigation, FBI, Georgia Republican, White, Republican U.S, Naples Police Department, Police Department, Roswell Police Department, Missouri, Jefferson City Police Department, Atlanta Locations: Concord , New Hampshire, South Carolina, U.S, Maine, Kiawah, South Carolina's, Iowa, New Hampshire, Georgia, Florida, Naples, Missouri

☆ Analysis: In Poland, Donald Tusk is spoiling for a fight. His populist opponents are hitting back
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-27 | by ( Rob Picheta | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

The country’s public television channel, TVP, which essentially became a mouthpiece for the previous government, has been ripped off the air. Omar Marques/Getty ImagesBut Tusk – a politician with a reputation for pragmatism and restraint – showed his intentions within days of taking office. “It became symbolic of the excesses of the PiS government,” Bill said of TVP’s transformation into a Hungarian-style state-captured medium. “One of the unifying forces of PiS supporters is distrust, or even hatred, of Donald Tusk,” Kucharczyk said. Nonetheless, after eight years of populist rule that hardened the battle lines of Polish politics, much of the public is spoiling for a fight.

Persons: Donald Tusk, ”, “, Jacek Kucharczyk, Tusk, ’, Kucharczyk, Stanley Bill, Bill, “ It’s, Andrzej Duda, PiS, Omar Marques, –, Duda, ” Bill, ” Kucharczyk, TVP, ” Tusk, Ursula von der Leyen, Tusk’s, Jaap Arriens, messier Organizations: CNN, Law, Justice, of Public Affairs, Polish Studies, University of Cambridge, TVP, Twitter, National Media Council, Police, European Union, “ Locations: Poland, Polish, Warsaw, Hungarian, Tusk’s, Brussels, TVP

☆ Sextortion is fastest-growing crime targeting minors in North America – and social media companies can do more to stop it, study finds
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-27 | by ( Lora Kolodny | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +11 min

NCRI, a nonprofit, found cybercriminals used the social apps Instagram, Snapchat and Wizz to find and connect with their marks. And social media platforms should include a distinct category to report sextortion — as Snapchat did in early 2023. Parents and educators should "combat the belief that photos sent on Snapchat disappear, which can create a false sense of security," the NCRI study recommends. The NCRI study also strongly criticized Wizz, concluding: "Sextortion on Wizz is pervasive and dangerous. Apple's App Store and Google Play can also help, the NCRI study suggested, by carefully monitoring complaints about sextortion associated with social media apps, and enforcing their existing policies.

Persons: cybercriminals, Wizz, Paul Raffile, Alex Goldenberg, TikTok, Scribd, sextortion, Snapchat, Goldenberg, screenshotted, General Raúl Torrez, Mark Zuckerberg, Meta, — Kevin Collier, Ben Goggin Organizations: Yahoo, Network, Research, FBI, Yahoo Boys, NBC News, CNBC, NBC, Secret Service, Facebook, YouTube, Meta, gov, National Center for Locations: North America, Australia, West Africa, Michigan, Wizz, New Mexico, U.S

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