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☆ eBay to pay $3 million after former employees sent live insects and a bloody pig mask to harass a couple
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-11 | by ( Samantha Delouya | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

New York CNN —eBay will pay a $3 million criminal penalty for a harassment campaign, including sending live cockroaches, of a Massachusetts-based couple who ran a newsletter that was sometimes critical of the company. eBay was charged with six criminal offenses, including stalking, witness tampering and obstruction of justice, after several of the company’s employees sent disturbing packages to the home of Ina and David Steiner in 2019, including a bloody pig mask, a fetal pig, live insects and a funeral wreath. “The company’s employees and contractors involved in this campaign put the victims through pure hell, in a petrifying campaign aimed at silencing their reporting and protecting the eBay brand,” Levy said. According to the US attorney’s statement, eBay employees, including Jim Baugh, eBay’s senior director of safety and security at the time, were frustrated with the tone of the Steiners’ newsletter, which aimed to provide information to eBay sellers. eBay said it terminated all involved employees in 2020, including the company’s former chief communications officer.

Persons: Ina, David Steiner, Joshua Levy, ” Levy, Jamie Iannone, ” Iannone, Jim Baugh, eBay’s, “, Baugh, Levy, ” Organizations: New, New York CNN, eBay, Massachusetts US, DOJ, Craigslist Locations: New York, Massachusetts

☆ eBay must pay $3 million after its employees sent live spiders and cockroaches to a couple as part of a harassment campaign
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-11 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

eBay has agreed to pay a $3 million fine after its employees waged a harassment campaign against a Massachusetts couple. The employees sent live spiders, cockroaches, and a bloody pig mask to the couple. AdvertisementOnline retailer eBay Inc. will pay a $3 million fine to resolve criminal charges over a harassment campaign waged by employees who sent live spiders, cockroaches and other disturbing items to the home of a Massachusetts couple, according to court papers filed Thursday. The couple produced an online newsletter called EcommerceBytes that upset eBay executives with its coverage. Wenig, who stepped down as CEO in 2019, was not criminally charged in the case and has denied having any knowledge of the harassment campaign or ever telling anyone to do anything illegal.

Persons: —, David, Ina Steiner, Josh Levy, Devin Wenig, Wenig, James Baugh, Baugh, David Harville, Harville Organizations: eBay, Service, eBay Inc, Justice Department, EBay, Associated Press, Communist Party of Locations: Massachusetts, California, United States, Boston, Wenig

☆ How Chinese Marijuana Operations Cropped Up in Small-Town America
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-30 | by ( Liyan Qi | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Maine officials said they seized some 3,400 marijuana plants and 111 pounds of processed marijuana in June at a property in Carmel, Maine, identified as one of many unlicensed marijuana-growing operations in the state run by Chinese networks. Photo: Penobscot County Sheriff’s OfficeCARMEL, Maine—An astronomical electricity bill was the first tipoff that something unusual was going on at a former chicken farm in this town of 3,000 people off Interstate 95. A Massachusetts-registered construction company had bought the 5.5-acre property in 2021. But instead of construction equipment moving in, a new power pole sprang up. Electricity use jumped to nearly $7,000 in December 2022 from $600 a month a year earlier.

Organizations: Office Locations: Maine, Carmel , Maine, Penobscot County, Office CARMEL, Massachusetts

In a lawsuit filed late Wednesday in federal court in Washington, D.C., Meta Platforms Inc. said it is challenging “the structurally unconstitutional authority exercised by the FTC” in reopening the privacy agreement. “Meta respectfully requests that this Court declare that certain fundamental aspects of the Commission’s structure violate the U.S. Constitution, and that these violations render unlawful the FTC Proceeding against Meta,” the company says in its complaint. The dispute stems from a 2020 consent agreement Meta made with the FTC that also had the social media giant pay a record $5 billion fine over privacy violations. In May of this year, the FTC said Meta has failed to fully comply with the 2020 settlement and proposed sweeping changes to the agreement that includes barring Meta from making money from data it collects on minors. Political Cartoons View All 1274 ImagesThe FTC had no comment on the lawsuit.

Persons: “ Meta, Meta, Sen, Edward Markey, “, ” Markey Organizations: Facebook, Federal Trade Commission, Washington , D.C, Inc, FTC, Constitution, Meta, U.S, Securities and Exchange Commission, SEC, Big Tech, Massachusetts Democrat Locations: Calif, Washington ,, U.S, U.S ., Massachusetts

☆ I'm a millennial who left Florida. Between the unbearable heat and the polarizing political climate, 'everything was making me think I should jump out of this.'
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-30 | by ( Jordan Pandy | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Harmony Boyd, 28, moved from Plantation, Florida, to a suburb of Boston in September 2022. I do not think that there is a viable long-term future for anybody living in Florida right now. Everything was making me think I should jump out of this before it is too late for me to leave. Florida felt too ephemeral. The things I miss in Florida are a lot of stuff that are not really there anymore.

Persons: Harmony Boyd, Boyd, —, it's, I've, Chelsea, they're Organizations: Service, Nazi, Trump, Palatka Lean, Chelsea, Boston Locations: Plantation , Florida, Boston, Florida, It's, Massachusetts, Chelsea , Massachusetts, Plantation, Fort Lauderdale ., America, Palatka, North America, Chelsea, Lauderhill , Florida

☆ Mark Zuckerberg can kiss 'Hot Zuck Summer' goodbye. Instagram is now in full crisis mode.
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-27 | by ( Katie Notopoulos | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

AdvertisementFor a few weeks in July, an uncanny phrase permeated the air that mildly pained some who typed it: "Hot Zuck Summer." And although "Hot Zuck Summer" might have been a lighthearted take on Zuckerberg, the latest scandal is anything but. On Monday, The Wall Street Journal reported the disturbing way that sexualized content of children was served to adults through Instagram's Reels. Those accounts were then recommended Reels for adult sexual content and sexualized child content, the Journal reported. "Hot Zuck Summer" has turned into "Instagram Nightmare Fall."

Persons: Instagram, —, Mark Zuckerberg, Elon Musk, Zuckerberg, Frances Haugen, Meta, Sheryl Sandberg, Sandberg, Liza Crenshaw, Adam, Mosseri Organizations: Service, Elon, Street Journal, Canadian Centre for Child Protection, U.S, Walmart, Lean, Business, Meta, Facebook Locations: Massachusetts

The two Thanksgiving turkeys were due at the White House on Monday to play their part in what has become an annual holiday tradition: a president sparing them from becoming someone's dinner. President Joe Biden, the oldest president in U.S. history, also was celebrating his 81st birthday on Monday. Political Cartoons View All 1256 ImagesLykken introduced Liberty and Bell on Sunday at the Willard Intercontinental, a luxury hotel close to the White House. A little over 200 million turkeys will be eaten on Thanksgiving, Lykken said. Biden will eat his Thanksgiving turkey with family on Nantucket, a Massachusetts island, continuing a long family tradition.

Persons: Bell, “, ” Steve Lykken, Jennie, Joe Biden, Jill Biden, ” Lykken, —, “ gobble, gobble, hoopla, Taylor Swift, Harry Truman, George H.W, Bush, he’s, ”, Biden, Lykken, Dwight D, Eisenhower, Gerald R, Ford, Markus Platzer, Willard, ” Platzer Organizations: WASHINGTON, —, White, National Turkey Federation, Associated Press, Bell, Willard, Liberty, University of Minnesota's College of Food, Natural Resources Sciences, Norfolk Naval Locations: — Liberty, Turkey, Washington, Fleetwood , North Carolina, Liberty, U.S, Minnesota, Willmar , Minnesota, Nantucket, Massachusetts, Virginia

(AP) — President Joe Biden is set to visit naval installations in Virginia on Sunday for an early kickoff to the Thanksgiving holiday week. He plans to host a screening of the movie “Wonka” and have a “friendsgiving” meal with service members and their relatives. Later, the Bidens plan to help serve dinner with service members from the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower and the USS Gerald R. Ford at Norfolk Naval Station, the largest installation of its kind in the world, along with their families. In 2021, the Bidens visited the Army’s Fort Bragg in North Carolina for an early Thanksgiving meal in a hangar for about 250 service members and their families. The president and first lady plan to spend this Thanksgiving on Nantucket, a Massachusetts island.

Persons: Joe Biden, Wonka, Jill Biden, Roald Dahl’s, Willy Wonka, Dwight D, Eisenhower, Gerald R, Ford, There's, Donald Trump's, Trump, Biden, Beau, Joe Organizations: Norfolk Naval Station, Republican, National Guard, Republicans, Delaware National Guard, Troops Locations: WILMINGTON, Del, Virginia, Hampton Roads, Texas, Edinburg, U.S, Mexico, United States, Iraq, Cherry Point , North Carolina, Bragg, North Carolina, Nantucket, Massachusetts

☆ Meta is begging the government for new rules on age verification. But is it really trying to stick it to TikTok?
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-17 | by ( Katie Notopoulos | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Meta published a blog inviting legislation that would require parental approval to download apps. But preventing teens from getting apps would likely hurt TikTok more than it would Meta. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . For starters, making it harder for 13-to-16 year olds to download social apps would probably hurt TikTok far more than it would Meta. Although Meta's apps are somewhat rebounding, the chokehold TikTok has on younger kids compared to Meta is stark.

Persons: Meta, —, Mark Zuckerberg's, Antigone Davis, TikTok, Meta's, Mark Zuckerberg, it's, We've, Faith Eischen, we're, Danny Weiss, Weiss Organizations: Meta, Service, Facebook, Google, Apple, Media Locations: China, New York, California, Massachusetts

☆ Biden Confronts the Limits of U.S. Leverage in Two Conflicts
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-06 | by ( David E. Sanger | More About David E. Sanger | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +3 min

After four weeks of terror and retaliation in Israel and Gaza, and 20 months of war in Ukraine, President Biden is confronting the limits of his leverage in the two international conflicts defining his presidency. Mr. Netanyahu rebuffed Mr. Biden’s push for greater efforts to avoid civilian casualties in a phone call on Monday. Many of Mr. Biden’s aides agree that Ukraine and Russia are dug in, unable to move the front lines of the battle in any significant way. In both cases, Mr. Biden’s influence over how his allies prosecute those wars seems far more constrained than expected, given his central role as the supplier of arms and intelligence. “Hamas and Putin represent different threats,” he said that evening, “but they share this in common: They both want to completely annihilate a neighboring democracy — completely annihilate it.”

Persons: Biden, Benjamin Netanyahu, Netanyahu, Mr, Biden’s, ”, Valery Zaluzhny, Zaluzhny’s candor, Vladimir V, Putin, Donald J, Trump, Ukraine’s, Seth Moulton, “ Hamas, — Organizations: Massachusetts Democrat, Marine Locations: Israel, Gaza, Ukraine, Russia, United States, Massachusetts, Iraq, “

☆ A timeline of Sam Bankman-Fried trial: Key moments leading up to FTX founder's conviction
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-03 | by ( Luc Cohen | Thomson Reuters | Reports On The New York Federal Courts. Previously Worked As A Correspondent In Venezuela | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Indicted FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried leaves the United States Courthouse in New York City, U.S., July 26, 2023. MAY 2019Bankman-Fried and former Google employee Gary Wang found FTX as a new platform to trade crypto tokens and derivatives. Bankman-Fried debuts on the Forbes billionaires list, which estimates his net worth at $22.5 billion. Alameda gives crypto lender Voyager Digital a $200 million credit facility, and FTX gives lender BlockFi a $250 million loan. In a post-arrest blog post, Bankman-Fried denies stealing funds and blames FTX's collapse on a broader downturn in crypto markets.

Persons: Sam Bankman, Fried, Amr Alfiky, Gary Wang, Larry David, CoinDesk, Binance, FTX, Changpeng Zhao, David, Tom Brady, Wang, Caroline Ellison, District Judge Lewis Kaplan, Nishad Singh, Kaplan revokes, Luc Cohen, Noeleen Walder, Daniel Wallis Organizations: United, REUTERS, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Jane Street Capital, Alameda Research, Google, Forbes, Alameda, NFL, DEC, U.S, District, New York Times, Metropolitan Detention Center, Thomson Locations: New York City, U.S, Alameda, Bahamas, Manhattan, United States, Palo Alto , California, New York

☆ 12 House Democrats break with Biden and vote for GOP-led Israel aid package that cuts IRS funding
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-02 | by ( Brent D. Griffiths | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

While support for Israel is traditionally bipartisan, Democrats were largely aghast over the bill. AdvertisementAdvertisementSome key Democrats announced before the vote that they would oppose the bill while stressing that they still wanted to support Israel. "I strongly support Israel. House Speaker Mike Johnson defied Biden and Senate Democrats' aim to combine aid for Israel, Ukraine, Taiwan, and border security into a massive $105 billion bill. Here are the 12 Democrats who voted for the GOP-led Israel aid bill:

Persons: —, Marjorie Taylor Greene, Thomas Massie of, Chuck Schumer, Joe Biden, Jake Auchincloss, Lois Frankel, Frankel, Dan Goldman, Goldman, Mike Johnson, Biden Organizations: Republicans, Service, dodgers, Israel, Senate, American, Management, Massachusetts Democrat, Florida Democrat, Democrats, Office, GOP Locations: Israel, Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, Thomas Massie of Kentucky, Massachusetts, Florida, Europe, New York, Ukraine, Taiwan

☆ Opinion: I’m an American stranded in Gaza. Why isn’t the US doing more to bring us home?
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-26 | by ( Stephanie Griffith | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +16 min

We were at my wife’s parents house a couple of days into the war when there was an airstrike about 100 feet from my parents’ house. We all huddled together until we had to leave northern Gaza and head south. And my wife’s parents are between northern Gaza and Gaza City itself. And all they would say is, “We don’t have any information.”Listen, we live in northern Gaza. We’ve been told by the State Department transit will be allowed for Americans and their immediate relatives, meaning spouse and children if they’re not American.

Persons: Abood Okal, Wafa Abuzayda, Yousef, —, Wafa, Gazans, Okal, we’ve, ”, John Kirby, We’re, ” Kirby, ” Okal, Stephanie Griffith, hadn’t, let’s, ’, we’re, she’s, Abood, You’ve, haven’t, ” Abood, “, Israel, They’re, everyone’s, We’ve, they’re Organizations: CNN, Palestinian Health Ministry, Israeli Defense Forces, State Department, White House, West Bank, IDF, State, Palestinian Locations: Gaza, Massachusetts, Egypt, Israel, Palestine, New Jersey, Ramallah, Gaza City, Jerusalem, Cairo, Washington ,, Rafah, American, Cambridge

☆ Bruins look to stay hot on road as they take on Ducks
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-22 | by ( Field Level Media | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

October 22 - For the Boston Bruins, embarking on a four-game road trip so early in the NHL season has its benefits. Captain Brad Marchand and David Pastrnak each had three-point games, giving each points in every game this season. Additionally, Morgan Geekie netted his first goal with the Bruins, and Derek Forbort dished out two assists. The Ducks have played short-handed 22 times while being awarded only 12 power plays on the season. "Fatigue will set in and then guys are sitting on the bench, the rhythm of the game gets pickled," Cronin said.

Persons: James van Riemsdyk, that's, Van Riemsdyk, Brad Marchand, David Pastrnak, Marchand, Morgan Geekie, Derek Forbort, Jim Montgomery, Montgomery, We're, Greg Cronin's, Frank Vatrano, Anaheim's, Cronin, Vatrano, we're, Jamie Drysdale Organizations: Boston Bruins, NHL, Los Angeles, Bruins, Anaheim Ducks, Ducks, Greg Cronin's NHL, Carolina, Arizona, Thomson Locations: California, Boston's, Anaheim, Anaheim's, Massachusetts

☆ NATO says it is addressing an apparent cyberattack after strategy documents posted online
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-03 | by ( Sean Lyngaas | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —NATO says it is “actively addressing incidents” affecting its unclassified websites after a hacking group claimed to have stolen numerous strategic planning and research documents from the alliance. The trove of purported NATO documents posted online in the last week covers topics such as hypersonic weapons, threats from drones, and testing procedures for radioactive waste. “NATO is facing persistent cyber threats and takes cyber security seriously,” a NATO official said in a statement to CNN on Tuesday. “NATO cyber experts are actively addressing incidents affecting some unclassified NATO websites. Additional cyber security measures have been put in place.

Persons: ”, SiegedSec Organizations: CNN, NATO, Massachusetts Air National Locations: Ukraine

REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsOct 3 (Reuters) - Sam Bankman-Fried's fraud trial, which is set to kick off on Tuesday, marks the culmination of a yearlong legal saga stemming from the dramatic collapse of the FTX cryptocurrency exchange he founded. Below is a timeline of key events leading up to the 31-year-old former billionaire's trial. MAY 2019Bankman-Fried and former Google employee Gary Wang found FTX as a new platform to trade crypto tokens and derivatives. Alameda gives crypto lender Voyager Digital a $200 million credit facility, and FTX gives lender BlockFi a $250 million loan. In a post-arrest blog post, Bankman-Fried denies stealing funds and blames FTX's collapse on a broader downturn in crypto markets.

Persons: Sam Bankman, Eduardo Munoz, Gary Wang, Larry David, Fried, CoinDesk, Binance, FTX, Changpeng Zhao, David, Tom Brady, Wang, Caroline Ellison, District Judge Lewis Kaplan, Nishad Singh, Kaplan revokes, Luc Cohen, Noeleen Walder, Daniel Wallis Organizations: REUTERS, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Jane Street Capital, Alameda Research, Google, Forbes, Alameda, NFL, DEC, U.S, District, New York Times, Metropolitan Detention Center, Thomson Locations: New York, U.S, Alameda, Bahamas, Manhattan, United States, Palo Alto , California

☆ The Great Zelle Pool Scam
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-01 | by ( Devin Friedman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +38 min

When I asked Chase to discuss Zelle fraud, I received an email saying, "Unfortunately, we don't have anyone available for an interview." The way the email messages from Gary were subliterate in a completely different way from the way a classic Gary email is subliterate. When Gary Kruglitz told us to Zelle him, he didn't really tell us to Zelle him. Out of all the kinds of money, money to build a pool is probably the very best kind of money for the world to suffer the loss of. It's possible that the government will eventually be moved to safeguard consumers against Zelle fraud.

Persons: Madison Ketcham, Gary Kruglitz, Gary, couldn't, he'll, Gary —, —, Cheryl, Sheryl, Sheryl —, we'd, Jeff Allen's, didn't, Jeff, Krystal, we'll, He'd, you've, Karen, I'm, she'd, Yellllow, Zelle, Chase, Sen, Elizabeth Warren, there's, That's, It's, Jesus, who'd, Donald Trump, Gary Kruglitzes, Cheryls —, Yasmine48, Nixon, Evan Kohlmann, cybercrime, we've, I've, Kohlmann, Guess, Let's, that's, Elizabeth Warren's, it's, they're, Warren's, Warren, I'd, they'd, blinked Organizations: Boston Pops, The New York Times, New York Times, Chase, Bank of America, PNC, US Bank, PayPal, Disney, NBC, Warner Bros, Netflix, JPMorgan Chase, Bank —, of, Professionals, Justice Department, Northeast . Contractors, Cloudburst Technologies, Facebook, FBI, Mafia, Massachusetts State Police, Monterey Police Department, Police Locations: Massachusetts, Lyme, Tennessee, Wells Fargo, Truist, Silicon Valley, Amsterdam, Northeast, what's, Paxful, Estonia, Korea, Monterey , Massachusetts, Monterey

☆ Zelle Fraud: I Got Scammed Out of $31,000 and My Bank Didn't Care
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-01 | by ( Devin Friedman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +38 min

Because a lot of bank branches were still closed, and the crew wanted their money, he requested that we transfer the money via Zelle. When I asked Chase to discuss Zelle fraud, I received an email saying, "Unfortunately, we don't have anyone available for an interview." The way the email messages from Gary were subliterate in a completely different way from the way a classic Gary email is subliterate. When Gary Kruglitz told us to Zelle him, he didn't really tell us to Zelle him. It's possible that the government will eventually be moved to safeguard consumers against Zelle fraud.

☆ Who is Sam Bankman-Fried, the onetime crypto mogul set to testify in his own defense?
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-27 | by ( Luc Cohen | Thomson Reuters | Reports On The New York Federal Courts. Previously Worked As A Correspondent In Venezuela | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

NEW YORK, Oct 26 (Reuters) - A few years after graduating from college, Sam Bankman-Fried grew worried he was not taking enough risks. Two years after launching a hedge fund, Alameda Research, Bankman-Fried founded FTX, an exchange that let users buy and sell digital assets such as bitcoin. Based in the Bahamas, Bankman-Fried became known for his mop of unkempt curly hair and for wearing rumpled shorts, even when entertaining dignitaries like Bill Clinton. They contend the theft came to a head in 2022, when crypto prices swooned and he used FTX funds to plug losses at Alameda. Defense lawyers have argued that their cooperation agreements with prosecutors encourage them to implicate Bankman-Fried in the hopes of receiving lenient sentences.

Persons: Sam Bankman, Fried, Bill Clinton, Tom Brady, Larry David, FTX, Caroline Ellison, Alameda's, Forbes, Bankman, Jane Street, Gary Wang, Ellison, Nishad Singh, Wang, Singh, District Judge Lewis Kaplan, FTX's, influencer, Luc Cohen, Noeleen Walder, Daniel Wallis Organizations: Stanford Law School, Alameda Research, Forbes, Democratic, NFL, Alameda, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Bankman, Prison, MIT, Jane, U.S, District, New York Times, Times, Thomson Locations: Bahamas, Manhattan, Alameda, United States, Asia, New York

☆ Costco, Lowe's, Best Buy, and Tractor Supply are winning the battle against retail theft in a strikingly similar way
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-23 | by ( Dominick Reuter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Retail executives generally agree that retail theft is worse than they've ever seen. Even so, leaders from Costco, Lowe's, Best Buy, and Tractor Supply have said their businesses aren't so affected. The companies have five striking similarities that are helping them win the war on retail theft. "Organized retail crime is worse now than I've ever seen it," Tractor Supply CEO Hal Lawton told Insider in August. Meanwhile, a typical Tractor Supply location may have as many as eight people working in a relatively small, 20,000 square-foot store.

Persons: Hal Lawton, I've, Marvin Ellison, Corie Barry, Richard Galanti, We've, Lawton, Dominick Reuter, John Tlumacki, Ben Tobin, they're, Paul Hennessy, Lowe's, Mario Tama, Barrie, Ellison Organizations: Costco, Lowe's, Tractor Supply, Service, Goldman Sachs, Conference, Supply, Massachusetts Costco, Boston Globe, Getty, Electronics, Retailers, Tractor Locations: Wall, Silicon, Massachusetts, Costco, Orlando

☆ Carmakers will not immediately comply with Massachusetts data repair law
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-22 | by ( David Shepardson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Brian Snyder/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSept 22 (Reuters) - An auto industry group said on Friday carmakers do not plan to immediately comply with a Massachusetts law requiring them to share vehicle data with independent repair shops citing concerns about potential hacking. Massachusetts voters in 2020 approved a ballot initiative that gives independent repair shops access to diagnostic data that newer cars can send directly to dealers and manufacturers, in order to allow consumers to seek repairs outside dealerships. The Massachusetts attorney general's office said earlier appreciated "NHTSA’s clarification today that our state law is not preempted by federal law." Automakers must comply with the state law, the office said. Federal Trade Commission Chair Lina Khan praised NHTSA's statement "clarifying that automakers can safely comply with Massachusetts' right to repair law and share vehicle data with independent repair shops."

Persons: Brian Snyder, general's, Lina Khan, David Shepardson, Nick Zieminski Organizations: Chevrolet, REUTERS, Traffic Safety Administration, Alliance, Automotive Innovation, NHTSA, Federal Trade, Thomson Locations: Arlington , Massachusetts, Massachusetts

WASHINGTON (AP) — A contractor for the U.S. government has been arrested on espionage charges, accused of providing a foreign country classified information that he downloaded and printed from his work computer system, the Justice Department said Thursday. Abraham Teklu Lemma, who is originally from Ethiopia, had a top secret security clearance and access to classified information through contracting positions with the departments of State and Justice. Court papers do not identify the country Lemma is accused of spying for, and a Justice Department spokesman declined to comment. Lemma, 50, of Silver Spring, Maryland, is a naturalized U.S. citizen, the Justice Department said. The department said it would continue to implement recommendations from that review to improve its protection of classified information.

Persons: Abraham Teklu, “ Roger, Eric Tucker Organizations: WASHINGTON, U.S, Justice Department, State, Justice, The New York Times, Prosecutors, State Department, Massachusetts Air National, Twitter Locations: Ethiopia, , Maryland, U.S

☆ How Justin Roiland used his ‘Rick and Morty’ fame to pursue young fans, text messages show
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-13 | by ( Kat Tenbarge | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +22 min

Roiland frequently followed and interacted with the starstruck "Rick and Morty" fans on social media and dating apps. "However, now that the legal case has ended, I'm determined to move forward and focus both on my creative projects and restoring my good name," Roiland wrote. Haha," Roiland wrote. Veronika Sweeney tweeted screenshots of direct messages Roiland sent her in 2014 when she was 22. "But I felt like you weren't okay," Roiland wrote in another text message.

Persons: Justin Roiland, Michael Kovac, Rick, Morty, McDonald's, Roiland, he'd, Andrew Brettler, I'm, Elon Musk —, Ruby, influencers, Janna Waters, Waters, it's, Roiland messaged, Rick Sanchez, …, Jesus Christ, Hailey Long, Long, Veronika Sweeney, Sweeney, wasn't, Uber, RICK, MORTY, Justin, Roiland texted, texted, dicks Organizations: San Diego Comic, NBC News, Squanch Games, NBC, Illinois, biiiiitch, Con, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube Locations: Los Angeles, Roiland, Orange County , California, Boston, Tinder, Roiland's, Massachusetts, San Diego, Raleigh , North Carolina, Pennsylvania

☆ A looming childcare cliff could cost families $9 billion in earnings and leave millions of kids without care. Democratic lawmakers want to avoid a crisis.
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-13 | by ( Juliana Kaplan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The Child Care Stabilization Act would allocate $16 billion to childcare annually for five years to aid providers. At the same time, childcare workers are facing low pay and tough conditions; they have previously told Insider that the industry needs even more subsidizing. AdvertisementAdvertisement"It is the thing that we pay the most money for," she previously told Insider . She's not alone: Other parents have told Insider that high costs for scarce childcare have led them to drop out of the workforce completely. AdvertisementAdvertisement"Right now we have a childcare crisis with ARPA funding," Rep. Jimmy Gomez of California, a member of the Congressional Dads Caucus , said.

Persons: Joe Biden's, Sen, Patty Murray, Katherine Clark, Paige Connell, She's, Kaitlin Peterson, Jimmy Gomez Organizations: Rescue, Service, Democratic, Century Foundation, unsustainably, Department of Labor, ARPA, Congressional, Caucus Locations: Wall, Silicon, Washington, Massachusetts, Denver, Jimmy Gomez of California

☆ Influencers have partaken in spicy food challenges for years, but a teen's death raises questions about their safety
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-12 | by ( Wyatte Grantham-Philips | Associated Press | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Paqui, a company under Hershey, pulled its One Chip Challenge following a teen's death. One Chip Challenge packaging warned children not to eat, but is spicy food really that dangerous? Paqui's One Chip Challenge tortilla chips are almost black in color and comes in a lime green wrapper. AdvertisementAdvertisementWhile the autopsy results for 10th-grader Harris Wolobah are still pending, the teen's family alleges that the One Chip Challenge is responsible for his Sept. 1 death. The container warns consumers to not give the chip to children, but due to One Chip Challenge's popularity, many teens ate the chips anyway, leading to hospitalizations in some cases.

Persons: Steve LeBlanc, —, Florida International University Elisa Trucco, Trucco, Alexander DePaoli, Gregory Foster, DePaoli, Harris Wolobah, Paqui, Wilder, it's Organizations: Hershey, Service, Florida International University, Northeastern University, Buffalo Wild Wings, Guinness, Records, Paqui, Foods, Associated Press, AP Locations: Wall, Silicon, Massachusetts, Las Vegas, Chile, San Diego , California

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