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In the 2019 agreement, Facebook, which became Meta in 2021, was required to pay $5 billion for violating an earlier agreement. The company filed a separate appeal against Judge Timothy Kelly's ruling this week that it should be an FTC judge, not a district judge, who decides that case. This new lawsuit, filed late on Wednesday, argues that it is unconstitutional for the FTC to unilaterally tighten an existing consent agreement. The Meta complaints focus on the agency's dual role of prosecuting a matter before an FTC judge. Once the FTC judge makes a decision it is the commission which votes on whether to accept it.

Persons: Yuri Gripas, Judge Timothy Kelly's, Lina Khan, Rebecca Slaughter, Alvaro Bedoya, Meta, Diane Bartz, Nick Zieminski Organizations: Federal Trade Commission, Facebook Inc, Headquarters, REUTERS, Rights, Facebook, U.S . Federal Trade Commission, Meta, FTC, Big Tech, Democratic, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S

The zoning changes doubled the size of houses allowed in Hogg Hummock. Black residents say larger homes in the community will lead to property tax increases that they won’t be able to afford. He added that their lawsuit “is wholly silent on the topic.”Attorneys for the Hogg Hummock landowners who are suing did not immediately return an email message seeking comment Thursday. About 30 to 50 Black residents still live in Hogg Hummock, founded by former slaves who had worked the island plantation of Thomas Spalding. Well over 100 Hogg Hummock residents and landowners packed those meetings to voice objections, but were given just one chance to speak to the changes.

Persons: Hogg, Hogg Hummock, discriminates “, Paul Frickey, Thomas Spalding . Organizations: Hogg Locations: SAVANNAH, Ga, — County, Georgia, McIntosh, Sapelo, Thomas, Savannah, Black

☆ Private-asset binge exposes insurance to new risks
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-30 | by ( John Foley | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

The concept is not new: Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway (BRKa.N) has used its insurance premiums to help fund everything from railways to cowboy-boot makers. The prospect of insurance companies buying risky loans or private equity investments has raised eyebrows. Many private credit assets, for example, rely on so-called private letter ratings based on confidential data. Given the private nature of private credit, it’s hard to see from the outside how big these risks are, or where they lurk. Besides, even if the share of life insurance assets that are mis-rated or undercapitalized is tiny, smaller insurers could carry more concentrated risk.

Persons: Blackstone, Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway, Fitch, Kroll, Egan, Jones, DBRS Morningstar, Banks, SVB, Jonathan Guilford, Neil Unmack, Peter Thal Larsen, Oliver Taslic Organizations: Reuters, Apollo Global Management, KKR, Global Atlantic, Investments, National Association of Insurance, England’s Everton FC, Rivals, Reuters Graphics Reuters, Federal Reserve, Federal Deposit Insurance Corp, Athene, P Global, Insurance, SVB, Thomson Locations: Global, Delaware , New York, Iowa, New York, London

☆ Supreme Court Weighs Whether SEC Violates Defendants’ Jury-Trial Rights
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-29 | by ( Dave Michaels | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission in Washington, whose special courts are accused of robbing defendants of the right to a jury trial. Photo: Ariel Zambelich/The Wall Street JournalWASHINGTON—The Supreme Court on Wednesday will consider a case that could severely limit the Securities and Exchange Commission’s use of its special in-house courts to punish wrongdoers. Critics have complained about the SEC’s special courts for years, saying they rob defendants, including those accused of fraud, of their right to a jury trial. Administrative law judges, who preside in the in-house courts, are supposed to be independent but are appointed by the same commissioners who authorize the enforcement cases that the judges hear.

Persons: Ariel Zambelich, wrongdoers, Critics Organizations: U.S . Securities, Exchange Commission, Street Journal WASHINGTON, Securities, Exchange Locations: Washington

"I feel really alone and if somebody with the status of an elected official can’t be protected then how must others feel?” said Omar. Official data shows a significant, smaller increase in anti-Muslim incidents in Britain and is patchy for the other two countries. "The vast majority of Muslims do not file a complaint when they are victims of such acts. A spokesperson for France's national police acknowledged data on anti-Muslim incidents was "incomplete", and relied on victims filing a complaint. For some Muslims in Germany, which has welcomed about a million Syrians and just under 400,000 Afghans in recent years, rising hostility came as a surprise.

Persons: Jian Omar, Lisi Niesner, ”, Omar, Zara Mohammed, Geert Wilders, Ben Badis, Rachid Abdouni, Khalil Raboun, Tell Mama, Mama, Abdallah Zekri, Zekri, Rima Hanano, Gerald Darmanin, Reza Zia, Emmanuel Macron, Zia, Ebrahimi, fomented, Aiman, Germany's, Reem Alabali, Radovan, Ghalia Zaghal, Zaghal, Layli Foroudi, Thomas Escritt, Sarah Marsh, Andrew MacAskill, Frank Jack Daniel Our Organizations: Hamas, REUTERS, Reuters, Muslim Council of, Ministers, Local, French Muslim Council, HISTORY, Kings College London, Amnesty, German Muslim Council, Thomson Locations: German, Kurdish, Israel, Palestinian, Berlin, Germany, BERLIN, LONDON, Europe, Gaza, London, France, Britain, Muslim Council of Britain, British, Dutch, Netherlands, United States, Nanterre, Paris, French, Moroccan, Western, Syria

☆ In spot bitcoin ETF race, some pioneers stick to the sidelines
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-28 | by ( Suzanne Mcgee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

The SEC has long rejected spot bitcoin ETF applications on the grounds they do meet its investor protection requirements. Industry hopes that position would shift surged in June when BlackRock (BLK.N), which has an almost unbroken record of SEC ETF approvals, filed for a spot bitcoin ETF. The only prospective issuer to disclose proposed investor fees so far is Ark Investment, which last week announced its spot bitcoin ETF would charge a fee of 0.8%. To be sure, issuers hoping to launch spot bitcoin ETFs have a more bullish outlook than those sticking to the sidelines. Magoon hopes the buzz surrounding a spot bitcoin ETF will draw more assets to Amplify's BLOK ETF.

Persons: Marco Bello, it's, Dave Mazza, Gary Gensler, Michael Sapir, ProShares, Sapir, Roxanna Islam, Aisha Hunt, Kelley, Christian Magoon, Roundhill, Mazza, Magoon, Tom Staudt, Staudt, Suzanne McGee, Michelle Price, Deepa Babington Organizations: REUTERS, Roundhill Investments, SEC, Industry, BlackRock, Ark Investment, Amplify's, Ark Investments, Thomson Locations: Miami Beach , Florida, U.S, BlackRock, Invesco, Amplify's BLOK

☆ Rudy Giuliani, Hard Up for Cash, Lands a New Georgia Lawyer
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-24 | by ( Mariah Timms | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

L. Allyn Stockton Jr., at lectern, spoke to Rabun County, Ga., commissioners in 2022. Photo: Megan Horn/The Clayton TribuneATLANTA—After nearly two months without legal representation amid dwindling finances, Rudy Giuliani has a lawyer in Georgia. L. Allyn Stockton Jr. , who made his first court appearance for Giuliani last week, isn’t well-known outside of North Georgia. Perhaps his biggest claim to fame was a 2015 appearance before a congressional panel looking into a bear-hunting sting carried out by authorities along the Georgia-North Carolina border.

Persons: Allyn Stockton Jr, Megan Horn, Rudy Giuliani, Giuliani, isn’t Organizations: Clayton Tribune ATLANTA —, Georgia - Locations: Rabun County, Georgia, North Georgia, Georgia - North Carolina

ATLANTA (AP) — A federal appeals court ruled on Friday that Georgia can keep statewide elections for its five-member commission regulating utilities, overturning a lower court judge who found statewide elections illegally diluted Black votes. The ruling is important beyond Georgia’s Public Service Commission because it could help protect certain statewide elections in other states subject to scrutiny for racial discrimination under the Voting Rights Act. In August 2022, U.S. District Judge Steven Grimberg had ordered Georgia's commissioners elected by district, the first time a statewide voting scheme had been overturned by a federal judge. Retaining statewide elections enhances the chance that all five seats will remain in Republican hands, as they have been for years. Plaintiffs said the current commission is unresponsive to Black voters, including people with lower incomes who pay high utility bills.

Persons: Steven Grimberg, Grimberg, Georgia, Elizabeth Branch, Plaintiffs, ” Brionte McCorkle, James “ Major ” Woodall, Fitz Johnson, Tim Echols, Grimberg's, Johnson, Echols, Tricia Pridemore, It's, hadn't, beholden Organizations: ATLANTA, —, Public Service Commission, U.S, Supreme, Circuit, Appeals, ”, PSC, Black, Georgia Conservation Voters, GOP, Republican, Georgia Power Co Locations: Georgia, Alabama, U.S

☆ A Guide to Long-Term Care Insurance
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-22 | by ( Jordan Rau | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

You can find contacts for your state’s insurance department through the National Association of Insurance Commissioners’ directory. But insurance may be worth it if the value of all your savings and possessions excluding your primary home is at least $75,000, according to a consumers’ guide from the insurance commissioners’ association. Many insurers are selling hybrid policies that combine life insurance and long-term care insurance. Those are popular because if you don’t use the long-term care benefit, the policy pays out to a beneficiary after you die. But compared with long-term care policies, hybrid policies “are even more expensive, and the coverage is not great,” said Howard Bedlin, government relations and advocacy principal at the National Council on Aging.

Persons: you’ll, ”, Howard Bedlin Organizations: American Association for, Care Insurance, National Association of Insurance, Social Security, Medicaid, National Council, Aging

☆ Why Long-Term Care Insurance Falls Short for So Many
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-22 | by ( Jordan Rau | Jonel Aleccia | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

“They tightened their belts,” said Alan Kassan, a senior partner with the California law firm Kantor & Kantor, which represents clients challenging denials. “Then they tightened their claim administration and started denying claims more and more.”In 2022, the proportion of traditional long-term care claim denials varied, from 4.5 percent in Rhode Island to 9.6 percent in Alaska, according to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners. By 2017, she was hobbled by osteoporosis and was struggling to manage her multiple medications, according to her daughter, Ann Kempski. But when the family tried to file a claim, they discovered that Penn Treaty was insolvent and the policy had been taken over by the Pennsylvania state insurance guaranty fund. Her doctor told Penn that she had “mild dementia” and osteoporosis and should be in an assisted-living facility.

Persons: ”, Alan Kassan, Kantor, Kantor & Kantor, Alice Kempski, Ann Kempski, Penn, Kempski Organizations: Kantor &, National Association of Insurance, Penn Treaty, American Network Locations: California, Rhode Island, Alaska, Wilmington, Del, Penn, Pennsylvania

ATLANTA (AP) — Georgia's state Supreme Court on Wednesday refused to approve rules for a new commission to discipline and remove state prosecutors, meaning the commission can't begin operating. In an unsigned order, justices said they have “grave doubts” about their ability to regulate the duties of district attorneys beyond the practice of law. Beyond the hurdle of state Supreme Court approval of rules, four district attorneys are suing to overturn the commission, arguing that it unconstitutionally infringes on their power. The Georgia law states a prosecutor can't refuse to prosecute whole categories of crimes, but must instead decide charges case by case. It applies both to district attorneys and elected solicitors general, who prosecute lower-level crimes in some Georgia counties.

Persons: Fani Willis, Donald Trump, hadn't, Houston Gaines, ” Gaines, Sherry Boston, ” Boston, Judge Paige Reese Whitaker, “, Chris Carr, Willis, Trump, Randy McGinley, McGinley Organizations: ATLANTA, —, Judicial, ”, Athens Republican, Republicans, Democratic, Republican Locations: Georgia, Fulton County, Athens, Atlanta's DeKalb County, Walton

This raised doubts over whether SEC rules would survive a court challenge. An SEC spokesperson declined to comment on Scope 3 emissions and when the climate disclosure rules will be finalized. Even some advocates of climate action have expressed concerns about the logistical challenges of accurately calculating Scope 3 emissions. For many businesses, however, Scope 3 emissions represent more than 70% of their carbon footprint, according to consulting firm Deloitte. Some voluntary initiatives such as the International Sustainability Standards Board already specify that it is best practice to disclose Scope 3 emissions.

Persons: Rebecca Cook, Gary Gensler, Joe Biden's, Biden, Gensler, Jarrett Renshaw, Douglas Gillison, Isla Binnie, Chris Prentice, Ross Kerber, Simon Jessop, Michelle Price, Greg Roumeliotis, David Gregorio Our Organizations: REUTERS, U.S . Securities, Exchange Commission, SEC, Union, Republican, Commission, Democrat, Deloitte, Gensler, Republican SEC, Sustainability, U.S . Chamber, Commerce, Thomson Locations: Detroit , Michigan, U.S, CALIFORNIA, California, Washington, New York, Boston, London

☆ From Sin City to Sports Central: How Las Vegas is betting big on a lucrative industry
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-19 | by ( Alicia Wallace | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

But for many decades, the NFL and other leagues opposed having sport franchises in Las Vegas, most likely due to the city’s deeply rooted gambling industry. “Vegas fans tend to be sports fans, too, and sports have helped us expand the customer base that are willing to consider Las Vegas,” Hill said. And during the past two years, Las Vegas and other tourist-centric cities have benefitted from consumers’ post-pandemic splurges on experiences and travel versus goods. The Las Vegas Strip can be seen outside the lanai doors at Allegiant Stadium during a game on October 15, 2023, in Las Vegas, Nevada. Ethan Miller/Getty Images/FILEAs the pandemic wore on, construction continued on expanding the Las Vegas Convention Center as well as the Raiders’ Allegiant Stadium, among other projects.

Persons: ”, Andrew Woods, ” Woods, Woods, Roger Goodell —, ” Goodell, John Fisher, Steve Hill, ” Hill, Ethan Miller Organizations: Minneapolis CNN, Athletics, NCAA, NFL Pro Bowls, NBA, MLS, Center for Business, Economic Research, University of Nevada, Sunday’s, Las Vegas, Prix, UNLV’s Lee Business School, NFL, National Hockey League, Oakland Raiders, Major League Baseball, Oakland Athletics, Las Vegas Convention, Visitors Authority, UNLV, “ Entertainment Capital, Sports, Entertainment Capital, Las, Nevada Gaming Control, Getty, Las Vegas Convention Center, Raiders Locations: Minneapolis, Las Vegas, Vegas, Bellagio, Clark County , Nevada, Covid, United States, Las Vegas , Nevada

But consumer advocacy groups complained, arguing PG&E could save ratepayers money and still reduce wildfire risk by putting a protective covering over the power lines instead of burying them. Commissioners decided to let PG&E bury 1,230 miles (1,979 kilometers) of power lines, which would be $1.7 billion cheaper than PG&E's proposal. For low-income customers who qualify for discounted rates, PG&E said typical monthly bills will increase by $21.50 next year, followed by a $3 per month increase in 2025 before decreasing by $5.50 per month in 2026. The turning point for PG&E came in 2018 when a windstorm knocked down one of its power lines in the Sierra Nevada foothills that started a wildfire. The company has pledged to bury 10,000 miles (16,093 kilometers) of power lines over the next decade.

Persons: ”, John Reynolds, Patti Poppe, undergrounding powerlines, Gavin Newsom, ratepayers, Darcie Houck, Cheryl Maynard Organizations: Pacific Gas & Electric, California Public Utilities Commission, Reform Network, E, Democratic Gov, & $ Locations: SACRAMENTO, Calif, California, Sierra Nevada

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Federal Communications Commission has enacted new rules intended to eliminate discrimination in access to internet services, a move which regulators are calling the first major U.S. digital civil rights policy. FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel said that Congress required the agency to adopt rules addressing digital discrimination, through bipartisan infrastructure legislation passed at the start of the Biden administration. Poorer, less white neighborhoods were found to have received lower investment in broadband infrastructure and offered worse deals for internet service than comparatively whiter and higher-income areas. It is simply not plausible that we could prevent and eliminate digital discrimination by solely, solely addressing intentional discrimination,” said fellow commissioner Geoffrey Starks. President Joe Biden has said the investments in the bipartisan infrastructure law are meant to connect every U.S. household to quality internet service by 2030 regardless of income or identity.

Persons: Jessica Rosenworcel, Biden, ” Rosenworcel, ”, Nicol Turner Lee, Brendan Carr, “ It’s, Carr, Geoffrey Starks, “, Trump, Joe Biden, Christopher Ali, “ That’s, Ali, ” Ali, ” ___ Matt Brown Organizations: WASHINGTON, Federal Communications Commission, FCC, Associated Press, Center for Technology Innovation, Brookings Institution, National Cable and Telecommunications Association, Free Press, Pennsylvania State University Locations: U.S, “

Lt. Gen. Richard Clark was hired last week to become the CFP's second executive director, replacing the retiring Bill Hancock. Mistrust and misaligned priorities among the conference commissioners who manage the CFP — triggered by realignment — along with leadership turnover in some leagues, snarled the expansion process. The next big item on the table for the College Football Playoff is negotiating a new television deal. The playoff is a small part of the changes coming to major college football. Sign up here___AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football

Persons: Richard Clark, Bill Hancock, Clark, “, they’ve, Hancock, ” Clark, ” Hancock, Mark Keenum, Keenum, Ralph D, Russo, ___ Organizations: Air Force Academy, Air Force, CFP, Mississippi State, College Football Playoff, ESPN, College, Big, Southeastern Conference, Atlantic Coast Conference, AP Locations: Mississippi

And for that, Suzette Baker was fired as a library director in a rural county in central Texas. She and two other librarians who were similarly fired have filed workplace discrimination claims with the U.S. Reached through the Colorado Civil Rights Division, the settlement requires her former employer to give librarians more say in decisions involving library programs. After her firing in 2022, Baker filed an EEOC claim against her employer, the Llano County Library System in Kingsland, Texas. Like Baker, Lesley had trouble finding work after being fired from the library system she directed in Gillette, Wyoming.

Persons: —, Suzette Baker, ”, Baker, Brooky Parks, Iris Halper, “, Terri Lesley, Halpern, Rathod Mohamedbhai, David Lopez, ” Baker, ” EEOC, Victor Chen, Lesley, Susan Campbell Bartoletti, Robie Harris, Robert Pitman, Lesley's, ” Lesley Organizations: U.S, Commission, American Library Association, Erie Community Library, Colorado Civil Rights Division, High Plains Library District, University of Denver, Public, System, Rutgers University, “, American Terrorist, Sexual, ”, ” Texas U.S, District, Supreme Locations: Texas, Kingsland , Texas, Erie, Denver, Llano County, Campbell, Gillette , Wyoming, Tennessee, Kingsland, ” Texas, U.S, Llano

☆ A tide of election worker resignations raises alarms ahead of 2024
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-05 | by ( Fredreka Schouten | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

CNN —A wave of departures by election officials in key states risks adding new stress to the nation’s election system ahead of next year’s presidential contest, voting rights groups and several state election chiefs warn. The growing alarm over the resignations and retirements comes as officials say election workers continue to face a barrage of threats and harassment and partisan interference in their duties, first ignited by false claims of a stolen White House election in 2020. In King County, Washington – which includes Seattle – Julie Wise, the county election director, recalled receiving a letter over the summer with a rant about elections. Election watchdogs say more action is needed – including boosting federal funding and extending a federal law that criminalizes the release of restricted personal information about federal workers to cover election officials. Brinson Bell began tracking the departures when she became the state’s election chief that year.

Persons: Joe Biden, ”, Adrian Fontes, Pennsylvania –, Republican Al Schmidt, “, Nick Penniman, Schmidt, Donald Trump’s, ” Schmidt, Seattle – Julie Wise, Wise, ’, ” Penniman, Meagan Wolfe, Trump, Wolfe, there’s, Roy Cooper, Critics, Karen Brinson Bell, Brinson Bell, Kathy Holland, Holland, –, Brinson, ” Adam Byrnes, he’s, ” Byrnes, Fontes, ” Fontes, that’s Organizations: CNN, Democrat, Republican, US Justice Department, National Conference of State Legislatures, Committee, ” Workers, GOP, supermajorities, Gov, North Carolina State Board, Emory University, “ Locations: Arizona, Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, King County , Washington, Seattle, In Wisconsin, Wisconsin, North Carolina, Alamance County, Swain County, Georgia

Chew will meet Breton on Nov. 6 and Jourova and Reynders on Nov. 7, a TikTok spokesperson said. He will update the commissioners on TikTok's data security regime called Project Clover which started to store European user data locally this year, a TikTok spokesperson said. The company has a data centre in Dublin, Ireland, and is building two more in Ireland and Norway. Breton last month gave TikTok an Oct. 25 deadline to provide information on its crisis response measures. Reporting by Foo Yun Chee; editing by Sudip Kar-Gupta and Jason NeelyOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Shou Zi Chew, Online Harms, Thierry Breton, Vera Jourova, Didier Reynders, TikTok, Chew, Breton, Foo Yun Chee, Sudip Kar, Gupta, Jason Neely Organizations: Energy, Commerce, Safeguard, Online, Capitol, Breton, Digital Services, Big Tech, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S, BRUSSELS, EU, Brussels, Israel, Gaza, Reynders, Dublin, Ireland, Norway

☆ Democracy Under Threat Around the World -Intergovernmental Watchdog
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-01 | by ( Nov. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - Half of the world's countries are suffering democratic decline, ranging from flawed elections to curtailed rights including freedoms of expression and assembly, an intergovernmental watchdog group said on Thursday. "In short, democracy is still in trouble, stagnant at best, and declining in many places," IDEA Secretary-General Kevin Casas-Zamora said in the report. IDEA bases its Global State of Democracy Indices on more than 100 variables and is using four main categories - Representation, Rights, Rule of Law and Participation - to categorise performance. It also said Azerbaijan, Belarus, Russia and Turkey had drifted away from the rest of Europe, performing well below the European average across most indicators of democracy. However, the think-tank said there were some green shoots, with surprisingly high rates of political participation and decreasing levels of corruption, especially in Africa.

Persons: Kevin Casas, Zamora, Johan Ahlander, Mark Heinrich Organizations: Institute for Democracy, Electoral, IDEA, Global State, Democracy, Law Locations: STOCKHOLM, Stockholm, Ukraine, Europe, Austria, Hungary, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, United Kingdom, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Russia, Turkey, Americas, El Salvador, Guatemala, Africa

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The state of Tennessee has agreed to pay $150,000 to settle a federal lawsuit by its former vaccine leader over her firing during the COVID-19 pandemic. The current and former health commissioners, and the state's chief medical officer agreed that they will not “disparage” Fiscus. Some lawmakers even threatened to dissolve the Health Department because of such marketing. A publicized Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security investigation indicated the package was sent from an Amazon account using a credit card, both in her name. Those are among several laws passed by Tennessee Republican lawmakers in response to the COVID-19 pandemic that restrict vaccination or masking rules.

Persons: Michelle Fiscus, ”, Fiscus, “ Organizations: Tennessee Department of Health, Department of Health, Department, COVID, of Health, Republican, Tennessee Department of Safety, Homeland Security, Tennessee Republican Locations: Tenn, Tennessee

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — A vote by the Republican-controlled Wisconsin Senate last month to fire the state's nonpartisan top elections official had no legal effect, and lawmakers are barred from ousting her while a lawsuit plays out, a Dane County judge ruled on Friday. Administrator Meagan Wolfe will continue serving as head of the Wisconsin Elections Commission pending a decision on whether elections commissioners are legally required to appoint someone for the Senate to confirm, Judge Ann Peacock said. They also asked Peacock to order the elections commission to appoint an administrator for the Senate to vote on. The bipartisan elections commission deadlocked in June on a vote to reappoint Wolfe. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.

Persons: Meagan Wolfe, Ann Peacock, Wolfe, Josh Kaul, Peacock, ” Kaul, reappoint Wolfe, Joseph Czarnezki, Joe Biden, Biden, Donald Trump, ” Organizations: Republican, Wisconsin Senate, Senate Republicans, Senate, Democratic, GOP, Republicans, WEC, Associated Press, America Statehouse News Initiative, America Locations: MADISON, Wis, Wisconsin, Dane

What’s clear is that a less than lethal weaponry like a Taser, when used in the wrong hands, is indeed lethal,” Douglas told the commissioners. He was visiting family members in Los Angeles when he was stopped on suspicion of causing a hit-and-run traffic accident in the Venice area, police said. An officer found Anderson “running in the middle of the street and exhibiting erratic behavior,” according to a police account. At one point, officers pressed on his windpipe and one officer used a stun gun on him six times, according to Moore's report. That of course, when you steal life, it should be out of policy," said Melina Abdullah, co-founder of the Los Angeles chapter of Black Lives Matter.

Persons: Keenan Darnell Anderson, Michel Moore, Anderson, ”, Carl Douglas, wasn't, Keenan Anderson, ” Douglas, ” Anderson, Patrisse Cullors, “ They’re, George Floyd me, Melina Abdullah, shouldn’t, J, Fuentes, Ford, “ Mr Organizations: ANGELES, Los, of Police, Police, Washington , D.C, LAPD, Los Angeles Police Protective League, Mr Locations: Anderson's, Washington ,, Los Angeles, Venice

☆ In Texas, Local Laws to Prevent Travel for Abortions Gain Momentum
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-24 | by ( J. David Goodman | More About J. David Goodman | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

In recent months, abortion opponents in Texas have succeeded in passing a growing number of local ordinances to prevent people from helping women travel to have abortions in nearby states that still allow the procedure. On Monday, Lubbock County, a conservative hub of more than 300,000 residents near the border with New Mexico, became the largest county yet to enact such a ban. The county commissioners court, after a public meeting that drew occasionally impassioned testimony, voted to make it illegal for anyone to transport a pregnant woman through the county, or pay for her travel, for the purpose of seeking an abortion. The county, which includes the city of Lubbock and Texas Tech University, joined three other far smaller counties — one along the New Mexico border and two others in the middle of the state — in passing ordinances that were drafted in part by the architect of Texas’s six-week abortion ban, adopted in 2021 even before the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade last year. The city of Amarillo, in the Texas Panhandle, on Tuesday was set to consider a similar ordinance, which would apply to a network of roads and highways that pass through the city of 200,000 and lead toward New Mexico and Colorado, states where many Texas women have traveled for procedures.

Persons: Roe, Wade Organizations: Lubbock and Texas Tech University, U.S, Supreme, Texas Panhandle Locations: Texas, Lubbock County, New Mexico, Lubbock, Amarillo, Colorado

☆ FTC plans to hire child psychologist to guide internet rules
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-23 | by ( Lauren Feiner | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

The Federal Trade Commission plans to hire at least one child psychologist who can guide its work on internet regulation, Democratic Commissioner Alvaro Bedoya told The Record in an interview published Monday. FTC Chair Lina Khan backs the plan, Bedoya told the outlet, adding that he hopes it can become a reality by next fall, though the commission does not yet have a firm timeline. Surgeon General issued an advisory in May that young people's social media use poses significant mental health risks. Bedoya told The Record that it's "absolutely part of that tradition of systematically expanding our expertise." "If someone is making an allegation about mental health harms, I have no full-time staff who are experts in the psychology of it."

Persons: Alvaro Bedoya, Lina Khan, Bedoya, Douglas Farrar, I've, Aspen Institute's Vivian Schiller Organizations: Federal Trade Commission, Democratic, FTC, CNBC, ., U.S, Privacy, Technology, Georgetown University Law Center, Aspen Locations: Federal, U.S

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