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☆ Early divisions signal bitter internal conflicts as Supreme Court turns toward final decisions
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-25 | by ( John Fritze | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Even as the court is sometimes finding wider-than-expected majorities for relatively limited outcomes, the nine justices are regularly in conflict over the meaning of decisions. A number of lower-profile cases have also sparked deep doctrinal divisions, even when the final vote count is lopsided. “It does seem, at least anecdotally, unusual to have this many separate opinions in cases with relatively lower stakes,” said Steve Vladeck, CNN Supreme Court analyst and professor at the University of Texas School of Law. The Supreme Court earlier this month tossed out an appeal from anti-abortion doctors challenging expanded access to the abortion pill mifepristone. Among them, Justice Sonia Sotomayor slammed the court’s majority opinion for its reliance on history to decide the trademark dispute.

Persons: ”, Steve Vladeck, “, dinged, councilwoman, Brett Kavanaugh, ” Kavanaugh, Donald Trump, Jack Smith’s, yank Trump, Trump, Amy Coney Barrett, Samuel Alito, Kavanaugh, ” Barrett, Aziz Huq, Huq, Moore, John Roberts ’, hasn't, Neil Gorsuch chimed, Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, ” Alito, Clarence Thomas, Alito, it’s, Sylvia Gonzalez, Florida GOP Sen, Marco Rubio, Sonia Sotomayor Organizations: CNN, University of Texas School of Law, Trump, Capitol, University of Chicago, New York, Police, Florida GOP, Republican Locations: Moore, Texas, Trump, concurrences

☆ Our contributors rewatched the 2020 Biden-Trump debates for clues. Here’s what they predict will happen Thursday
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-24 | by ( Cnn Opinion | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +27 min

Kate Bedingfield served as White House communications director in the Biden administration and was the deputy campaign manager on Biden’s 2020 presidential campaign. That contentious exchange during the 2020 debate put Biden on the defensive. A President Trump might make their decisions about retirement that much easier. David Urban, a CNN political commentator, served as an adviser to then-President Trump’s 2020 re-election campaign. On Thursday, President Biden needs to do it again.

Persons: isn’t, Joe Biden’s, Donald Trump’s, —, Stephanie Griffith, Scott Jennings, Trump, Donald Trump, Joe Biden, Biden, counterpunched Biden, CNN Trump masterfully, ” Scott Jennings Trump, mightily, George W, Bush, Sen, Mitch McConnell, Sophia A, Nelson Stephanie Honikel, Chris Wallace, Wallace, Trump’s, it’s, Nelson, It’s, Kate Bedingfield, Donald Trump Kate Bedingfield, Shermichael Singleton, Bill Clinton’s, James Carville, “, Democratic Barack Obama, they're, aren’t, “ It’s, David Axelrod, people’s, ” Biden, jibing Trump, ”, Barack Obama, Obama, David Urban, Amy Coney Barrett, Amy Coney Barrett's, Roe, Wade, Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton, Reagan, Clinton, ” David Urban, Dobbs, Lady Jill Biden, Samuel Alito, Clarence Thomas, Bakari Sellers, Abraham Lincoln, chokeholds, Emmett Till, HBCUs ? Biden, Hilary Krieger Organizations: CNN, White, Biden, Scott Jennings CNN, Trump, Democratic, Republican, RunSwitch Public Relations, Capitol, GOP, Republican Government Reform, White House, NBC, Marist, Fox News, Global, Senate, United, Appeals, Federalist Society, American, United State Supreme Court, National Guard, South Carolina House of, Strom Law, CNN Opinion’s Locations: Cleveland , Ohio, Nashville , Tennessee, New York, Louisville , Kentucky, Charlottesville , Virginia, “, White, Charlottesville, Michigan, Scranton, Claymont, America, United States, Pennsylvania, HBCUs

☆ Music labels sue AI companies Suno, Udio for U.S. copyright infringement
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-24 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Major record labels Sony Music , Universal Music Group and Warner Records sued artificial intelligence companies Suno and Udio on Monday, accusing them of committing mass copyright infringement by using the labels' recordings to train music-generating AI systems. The companies copied music without permission to teach their systems to create music that will "directly compete with, cheapen, and ultimately drown out" human artists' work, according to federal lawsuits filed against Udio in New York and Suno in Massachusetts. Representatives for Suno and Udio did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the complaints. AI companies have argued that their systems make fair use of copyrighted material. Cambridge, Massachusetts-based Suno and New York-based Udio have raised millions in funding this year for their AI systems, which create music in response to user text prompts.

Persons: Udio, Mariah Carey's, James Brown's, Michael Jackson, Bruce Springsteen, Mitch Glazier Organizations: Sony Music, Universal Music Group, Warner Records, Udio, Suno, Recording Industry Association of America Locations: New York, Suno, Massachusetts, Cambridge , Massachusetts

☆ Supreme Court to weigh state restrictions on gender-affirming care for youths
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-24 | by ( Lawrence Hurley | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

A view of the U.S. Supreme Court building in Washington, U.S., June 17, 2024. WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court on Monday waded into the contentious debate over gender-affirming care for transgender minors by agreeing to resolve challenges to a law in Tennessee that seeks to restrict it. The justices will review an appeals court ruling that upheld the measure. In a separate case, the court in April allowed Idaho to mostly enforce a similar law. The plaintiffs then asked the Supreme Court to step in.

Persons: WASHINGTON —, Elizabeth Prelogar, Jeffrey Sutton, Neil Gorsuch Organizations: U.S, Supreme, WASHINGTON, Movement Advancement, Biden, Circuit Locations: Washington , U.S, Tennessee, Idaho, Kentucky, Cincinnati, West Virginia

☆ Ted Cruz says Biden is breaking the law by taking credit for infrastructure projects
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-22 | by ( John L. Dorman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Read previewAcross the United States, scores of construction sites are emblazoned with signs that read: "Project Funded By President Joe Biden's Bipartisan Infrastructure Law." For many people, it's an innocuous notation of the thousands of projects financed by the sweeping $1.2 trillion infrastructure law Biden signed into law in 2021 and was backed by both Democrats and a sizable contingent of Republicans. Cruz, in the letter, then argues that Biden "unilaterally rebranded" the bipartisan infrastructure law as "President Biden's Bipartisan Infrastructure Law," which passed the House by 228-206 votes and the Senate by 69-30 votes. "Congress, not President Biden, wrote [the infrastructure law], and it did not do so to aid the President's reelection campaign." The law provided federal funding for long-awaited upgrades for bridges and tunnels, highways, and rail infrastructure, among other projects.

Persons: —, Joe Biden's, Biden, Texas Sen, Ted Cruz, Cruz, Cruz vociferously, Robyn Patterson, Harris, Donald Trump, Trump Organizations: Service, Infrastructure Law, Business, Politico, Biden's, Biden, Democratic, Trump Locations: United States, Texas, America

On May 19, Euless Police Department officers responded to a call at an apartment complex pool regarding a disturbance between two women. Witnesses told officers “a woman who was very intoxicated had tried to drown a child and argued with the child’s mother,” police said in a news release. The woman, identified as Elizabeth Wolf, 42, was approached by officers as she tried to leave and placed under arrest for public intoxication. The victim’s mother told police Wolf was questioning where she was from and if the two children playing at the pool were hers, the release said. The mother began helping her son when Wolf grabbed her 3-year-old daughter and forced her underwater,” the news release said.

Persons: Witnesses, “, ”, Elizabeth Wolf, Wolf, CNN Wolf, ” Captain Brenda Alvarado, Shaimaa Zayan, Salman Bhojani Organizations: CNN, Islamic Relations, Euless Police, Euless Police Department, Texas Locations: Texas, American, Palestine, Tarrant County, ”, Euless

That sent lower courts scurrying into historical analyses to figure out if modern gun laws had some connection to the 18th Century. Roberts’ opinion said that lower courts were misunderstanding what the majority had said in that ruling. But Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, a member of the court’s liberal wing, suggested it was the high court’s fault for not providing clarity for lower courts to follow. One deals with a Pennsylvania man’s challenge to a federal law prohibiting felons, including those who are non-violent, from possessing firearms. Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar presented that argument with an eye toward several other challenges pending to similar federal gun prohibitions that involve non-violent criminal activity.

Persons: John Roberts, Zackey Rahimi, ” Roberts, Donald Trump, Roberts, Ketanji Brown Jackson, Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh, Kavanaugh, Amy Coney Barrett, ” Barrett, ” Thomas ’, Bruen, Clarence Thomas, Thomas, Elie Honig, SCOTUS, Rahimi, ” Thomas, Hunter Biden, Hunter, Biden, Daniels, Steve Vladeck, ”, Elizabeth Prelogar Organizations: CNN, Supreme Court, New York, Trump, US, Appeals, Supreme, Circuit, University of Texas School of Law Locations: Texas, New, Bruen, Mississippi, Delaware, Pennsylvania, Illinois

☆ Supreme Court upholds law barring domestic abusers from owning guns in major Second Amendment ruling
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-21 | by ( John Fritze | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —The Supreme Court upheld a federal law Friday that bars guns for domestic abusers, rejecting an argument pressed by gun rights groups that the prohibition violated the Second Amendment. The 8-1 decision lands as the nation continues to grapple with gun violence and mass shootings. A roiling political debate over firearms has left Washington unable to pass new gun laws. The decision could help shore up similar federal gun regulations that have been challenged since the Supreme Court vastly expanded gun rights in 2022. Rahimi’s lawyers claimed that the Supreme Court’s blockbuster decision two years ago meant that the law on domestic violence orders could not be squared with the Constitution.

Persons: John Roberts, Roberts, ” Roberts, ”, Steve Vladeck, Clarence Thomas, “, ” Thomas, Zackey Rahimi, Thomas, Biden, Joe Biden’s, Hunter, ” Biden, Alito, Samuel Alito Organizations: CNN, University of Texas School of Law, New York, Government, Appeals, Supreme Locations: Washington, State, New, Texas, Bruen, New Orleans

☆ Tracking a Single Day at the National Domestic Violence Hotline
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-21 | by ( ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +15 min

Tracking a Single Day at the National Domestic Violence Hotline They call from work, to avoid being overheard, or from home before someone returns. The legal battles have underscored the pervasiveness of domestic violence and the strains on existing support for survivors. To capture a snapshot of the experiences of domestic violence survivors, The New York Times observed some of the calls and messages the hotline received in one day. Congress approved creation of a national hotline dedicated to domestic violence in 1994, including it in the landmark Violence Against Women Act. Josie Slawik, who began working to support domestic violence survivors after she arrived at an El Paso shelter, was there when the hotline took its first call in 1996.

Persons: I’m, Spikes, —, Isadora Kosofsky, ”, Katie Ray, Jones, “, it’s, Jose Tobias, “ It’s, Mr, Tobias, Hannah Tucker, Josie Slawik, Slawik, ” Ms Organizations: National, Staff, The New York Times, New York Times, The Times, Young, Seattle, The New York, Research, Fifth Circuit, Appeals Locations: New Orleans, California, New York, New England, Texas, Latina, Austin , Texas, Michigan, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, North Carolina, You’re, El Paso

☆ Supreme Court upholds domestic violence gun restriction
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-21 | by ( Lawrence Hurley | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Activists rally outside the U.S. Supreme Court before the start of oral arguments in the United States v. Rahimi second amendement case in Washington on Tuesday, November 7, 2023. The Supreme Court on Friday upheld a federal law that prohibits people subjected to domestic violence restraining orders from having firearms, taking a step back from its recent endorsement of a broad right to possess a gun. The court on an 8-1 vote ruled in favor of the Biden administration, which was defending the law — one of several federal gun restrictions currently facing legal challenges. He argued that he cannot be prosecuted under the federal gun possession restriction in light of what the Supreme Court concluded. But the case before the justices concerns his separate prosecution by the Justice Department for violating the federal gun possession law.

Persons: Biden, John Roberts, Clarence Thomas, Hunter Biden, Joe Biden's, Ketanji Brown Jackson, Joe Biden, Zackey, Rahimi's, Rahimi Organizations: U.S, Supreme, New York State, Justice Department, Circuit, Appeals Locations: United States, Washington, Texas, Arlington , Texas, New Orleans

☆ New York governor signs bill regulating social media algorithms, in a US first
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-20 | by ( Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —Big changes are coming for New York’s youngest social media users after Gov. The unprecedented move makes New York the first state to pass a law regulating social media algorithms amid nationwide allegations that apps such as Instagram or TikTok have hooked users with addictive features. New York officials hailed the legislation as a critical check on social media platforms’ influence over teens. “Algorithmic curation makes teenagers’ feeds healthier, and banning algorithms is going to make social media worse for teens.”The legislation’s signing sets the stage for another in a long string of court battles over state social media laws. States such as Arkansas, Florida, Louisiana and many others have passed laws clamping down on social media companies’ approach to teens.

Persons: Kathy Hochul, Vivek Murthy, ” Hochul, Letitia James, ” James, ”, Adam Kovacevich Organizations: CNN, New, Gov, New York Child Data, New York, of, Industry Locations: New York, “, Arkansas, Florida , Louisiana, Ohio, Texas, Florida

☆ Fact check: Trump rewrites Wisconsin history in rally filled with false claims
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-19 | by ( Daniel Dale | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Washington CNN —Former President Donald Trump made more than two dozen false claims at his Tuesday campaign rally in Racine, Wisconsin, including two significant attempts to rewrite Wisconsin history. “By the way, you know, Kenosha: I saved Kenosha, do you know that? Evers, not Trump, deployed the Wisconsin National Guard during the rioting in Kenosha — and Evers first deployed the Guard the day before Trump publicly demanded that Evers do so. Evers continued to deploy more Wisconsin National Guard troops in the coming days, and he also accepted National Guard troops from three other states; they were never federalized. Other Trump false claimsTrump made lots of other false claims during the Racine rally.

Persons: Donald Trump, Trump, Tony Evers, ” Trump, “ Kenosha, wouldn’t, I’m, Evers “ wouldn’t, “, Evers, Tim Walz, Walz, Jacob Blake, Evers wouldn’t, Racine, Here’s, Al Capone, Nancy Pelosi, Barack Obama —, Biden Organizations: Washington CNN, Wisconsin, Gov, Democrat, Kenosha, Wisconsin National Guard, Kenosha —, Guard, Democratic, National Guard, CNN, Trump, US Marshals Service, FBI, White, Republicans, Capitol Locations: Racine , Wisconsin, Wisconsin, Kenosha, Minnesota, Minneapolis, Washington, DC, China, Syria, Turkey, Ottoman Empire

☆ The Supreme Court’s approach on ‘history and tradition’ is irking Amy Coney Barrett
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-19 | by ( Devan Cole | John Fritze | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

Though Justice Clarence Thomas’ decision in a major trademark case last week was unanimous, it prompted a sharp debate led by Justice Amy Coney Barrett over the use of history to decide the case. “There definitely is the potential formation here of an alternative or several alternative approaches to history that ultimately draw a majority,” Wolf said. “What we could be seeing is a more nuanced approach to using that history,” said Elizabeth Wydra, president of the progressive Constitutional Accountability Center. But in a striking concurrence that captured support from both liberal and conservative justices, Justice Elena Kagan asserted that the court’s historic analysis need not end with the late-18th century. Barrett’s concurrence said the dispute could have been dealt with based on the court’s past precedent with trademark law and stressed that just leaning on the nation’s trademark history wasn’t good enough.

Persons: Clarence Thomas ’, Amy Coney Barrett, Barrett, Thomas, “, ”, Tom Wolf, Brennan, ” Wolf, Trump, Thomas ’, Antonin Scalia, Elizabeth Wydra, ” Wydra, Ilya Somin, there’s, Bruen, Sonia Sotomayor, … Bruen, –, Elena Kagan, Kagan, Brett Kavanaugh, Sotomayor –, Wolf, Roe, Wade, Vidal, . Elster, Sotomayor, ” Thomas, Kavanaugh, John Roberts, Samuel Alito, Neil Gorsuch, Ketanji Brown Jackson, Barrett’s Organizations: Washington CNN, Brennan Center for Justice, New York, Trump, George Mason University, “, Inc, CNN, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Locations: New, Bruen, United States

☆ Live updates: US heat wave as record temperatures across central and Eastern US bring natural disasters
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-18 | by ( Antoinette Radford Elise Hammond Maureen Chowdhury Mary Gilbert Eric Zerkel | Antoinette Radford | Elise Hammond | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

Advocacy groups are petitioning Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to include extreme heat and wildfire smoke as major disasters in the same way they do for hurricanes and other major disasters and emergencies. Extreme heat is by far the most deadly kind of weather, killing on average more than twice as many people each year as hurricanes and tornadoes combined, according to data tracked by the National Weather Service. But as CNN as previously reported, FEMA’s hands are tied by congress and the Stafford Act — the federal law that gives FEMA the power to respond to emergencies and determines what qualifies as one. The petition notes that the Stafford Act can be easily amended as it was just a few years ago to respond to the Covid-19 pandemic. On the other side of the country, a dangerous, long-duration heat wave is tightening its grip on the Northeast and parts of the Midwest.

Persons: Stafford, Ella Nilsen, Rob Shackelford Organizations: Federal Emergency Management Agency, FEMA, National Weather Service, CNN, Tribal, National Interagency Fire Center

☆ Biden to announce new executive action protecting immigrant spouses and children of US citizens
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-18 | by ( Michael Williams | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Under current federal law, an undocumented person who enters the United States and marries a US citizen must first request parole before applying for legal residency. Lawful permanent residency, commonly known as obtaining a green card, allows immigrants to live and legally work in the United States. Some Democrats in the Senate praised Biden’s executive order while those in vulnerable seats tried towing a line. Sen. Bob Casey, a Democrat in a vulnerable seat, also declined to say if he supports Biden’s executive order. However, he did praise Biden’s executive order from earlier this month aimed at restricting border crossings.

Persons: Washington CNN —, Biden, Barack Obama, Donald Trump, Biden’s, it’s, Donald Trump’s unforgivable, ” Biden, Julie Chavez Rodriguez, “, –, ” Todd Schulte, ” Muzaffar Chishti, John Thune, ” Thune, they’ll, ” Sen, Thom Tillis, Tillis, Sen, Elizabeth Warren, ”, Sherrod Brown, Bob Casey, “ I’ve, – I, CNN’s Sam Fossum, Kayla Tausche, Lauren Fox, Morgan Rimmer, Manu Raju Organizations: Washington CNN, CNN, Migration Policy Institute, Republican, Congress Locations: Arizona , Nevada, Georgia, United States, Ohio

☆ US announces major bust as efforts to crack down on Chinese money launderers working with drug cartels ratchet up
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-18 | by ( Sean Lyngaas | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +17 min

A US-based lawyer who has represented accused Chinese money launderers said the tempo of law enforcement operations against the alleged launderers has increased in recent weeks as federal agents close in on “bigger fish” among Chinese money launderers in the US. None of the federal law enforcement agencies involved in tracking Chinese money launderers agreed to be interviewed on the record. Grassley and Whitehouse have each introduced legislation they say is key to closing loopholes in US law that are actively exploited by the cartels’ money launderers. Elaborate networksRecent court documents illuminate how far-flung and elaborate US-based networks of alleged Chinese money launderers are. Mirror TransactionsExperts say the Chinese money launderers have mastered the art of so-called mirror transactions, which involve a series of deposits at multiple bank accounts to conceal the drug money.

Persons: ”, Anne Milgram, surveil, “, Don Im, Biden, HSI, Ricardo Mayoral, William Kimbell, ” Kimbell, launderers, —, Sen, Sheldon Whitehouse, ” Whitehouse, Treasury Department —, Whitehouse, Christopher Wray, Joe Biden, Xi Jinping, Republican Sen, Charles Grassley, Enhua Fang, Li Pei Tan, Tan, Joe Habachy, Matthew Rothbeind, Fang, Chaojie Chen, Chen, Greg Hunter, ” David Luckey, JPMorgan Chase Organizations: CNN, Drug, Administration, Sinaloa Cartel, US Court, Central, Central District of, DEA, IRS, “, Centers for Disease Control, Federal, Homeland Security, Treasury, Treasury Department, Treasury’s, Network, Homeland Security Investigations, DHS, Financial Crimes, Rhode Island Democrat, intel, Department of Homeland Security, FBI, Senate, ” CNN, White, Office of National Drug Control, Service, Biden, Republican, Grassley, Rand Corporation, of, JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America, JPMorgan, Organization Locations: California, Mexican, China, Mexico, Los Angeles, Sinaloa, Central District, Central District of California, Colombia, America, Oregon, Virginia, South Carolina, Washington, DC, North, Central America, —, Iowa, North Carolina, Belize, Chinese, Georgia, Chicago, Tulsa, East Coast, Detroit , Chicago, Ohio, Western, of North Carolina, Wells Fargo

☆ Woman accuses former Olympic swim coach of sexually abusing her as a teen and USA Swimming of failing to stop it
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-18 | by ( Amy Simonson | Eric Levenson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

He also founded the Bernal’s Gator Swim Club, an amateur swim club, and coached Le from 2006 to 2010. In February 2016, USA Swimming permanently banned Bernal for his abuse of an unnamed “Athlete A,” the lawsuit states. The suit accuses Bernal, USA Swimming and other defendants of violating the Trafficking Victims Protection Act. Further, the lawsuit accuses Bernal of sexual abuse and the others of negligence. USA Swimming is not a defendant in the lawsuit.

Persons: CNN —, Amanda Le, “ Amanda Le, Joseph Bernal, Bernal, Le, ”, Scott Leightman, ’ ’, Larry Nassar, Jon Little, ” Little, Nassar, doesn’t, Amanda, “ Amanda, Kimberly Stines, Little Organizations: CNN, of Fame, Court, Fordham, Harvard, American Swim, Hall of Fame, Swim, Le, Boston Globe, ’ ’ CNN, USA, Olympic, Paralympic Committee, Gator Swim, New, Stines Locations: Massachusetts, USA, New England, Bernal’s

☆ Analysis: Biden’s immigration whiplash, from tough talk to empathy in 2 weeks
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-18 | by ( Zachary B. Wolf | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Obama enacted DACA; Trump tried to end itThe DACA policy was enacted after bipartisan, comprehensive immigration reform efforts failed for the umpteenth time. Nearly 600,000 people have sought protected status under the program, which defers but does not necessarily end any immigration action against them. The Trump administration tried to end the DACA program in 2017, but the effort eventually failed at the Supreme Court in 2020. Instead, Trump hit pause on new applications, something the Biden administration then reversed. The much more modest bipartisan effort pushed by Biden earlier this year would not have helped the undocumented spouses of citizens and their children.

Persons: Joe Biden, Donald Trump’s playbook, Biden’s, –, Biden, Trump, Michael Williams, Read Williams, “ I’m, ” Chad Wolf, Adriano Espaillat, CNN’s Brianna Keilar, ”, ” Espaillat, Obama, DACA, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Amy Coney Barrett, John Roberts Organizations: CNN, White, American Civil Liberties Union, Department of Homeland Security, New York Democrat, Supreme, Trump Locations: United States, Texas

☆ FTC refers TikTok complaint to Justice Department
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-18 | by ( Jennifer Elias | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

The TikTok logo is displayed at TikTok offices on March 12, 2024 in Culver City, California. The Federal Trade Commission said Tuesday that it's referred its complaint against TikTok and Chinese parent ByteDance to the U.S. Department of Justice. The FTC began its investigation following a 2019 settlement with Musical.ly, the predecessor to TikTok, that was related to violations of the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA). The FTC was probing to see if TikTok violated a federal law that prohibits "unfair and deceptive" business practices. TikTok didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.

Persons: TikTok, Shou Zi Chew, didn't, Joe Biden, — CNBC's Lora Kolodny Organizations: Federal Trade Commission, U.S . Department of Justice, FTC, DOJ, TikTok, U.S Locations: Culver City , California, Musical.ly, U.S

☆ Adobe is having a terrible month
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-18 | by ( Shubhangi Goel | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

On Monday, the Department of Justice sued, saying Adobe violated consumer protection laws by hiding expensive fees and making it difficult to cancel subscriptions. Regulators said in the complaint that Adobe entices people to "enroll in its default, most lucrative subscription plan without clearly disclosing important plan terms." Earlier this month, the tech giant asked users to sign new terms with language that some thought implied that their content could be reproduced, displayed, or modified by Adobe — a big concern since Adobe is pushing hard into generative AI. AdvertisementThe news even frustrated Adobe employees, who complained internally about the company's poor communication, Business Insider reported last week. "Pretending that this wasn't intentional only makes Adobe and its employees look even more pathetic," said Sasha Yanshin on X. Yanshin said that he canceled his Adobe subscription after many years as a customer.

Persons: —, Maninder, David Wadhwani, Dana Rao, Adobe's, Sasha Yanshin, Yanshin Organizations: Service, Department of Justice, Federal Trade Commission, Business, Regulators, Adobe, DOJ, Prosecutors

☆ Forecast: Very hot. What your employer should be doing to protect you on high-heat days
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-18 | by ( Jeanne Sahadi | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Along with stifling days comes the risk of developing dangerous heat-related conditions, such as dehydration, heat stress, heat exhaustion, heat stroke and other hazards. What responsibilities does your employer have to prevent you from suffering a heat-related illness? While some states have specific laws governing occupational heat exposure, there is no heat-specific federal regulation mandating how employers must prevent heat illness in the workplace. They recommend companies:Have a heat illness prevention plan. Monitor workers for signs and symptoms of heat illness.

Persons: ”, Jason Krasno, “, they’ve, Alka Ramchandani, Raj Organizations: New, New York CNN, Safety, Health Administration, OSHA, National Institute for Occupational Safety, Health Locations: New York, North America, Montpelier , Vermont, Syracuse , New York, Pittsburgh, Krasno, OSH

☆ Michigan and CUNY Mishandled Discrimination Complaints, Education Dept. Finds
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-17 | by ( Zach Montague | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The University of Michigan and the City University of New York mishandled complaints of discrimination on campus during widespread protests over the war in Gaza, the Education Department announced on Monday. The department’s Office for Civil Rights has opened dozens of investigations into antisemitism and anti-Arab discrimination as students held rallies and set up encampments in support of Palestinians and called for their schools to divest from Israel. The Michigan and New York cases were only the first to reach a conclusion. More are expected to finish in the coming weeks and months as schools continue to reckon with the limits of free speech in academic settings. Under the terms of the agreements announced on Monday, the schools must step up their reporting of complaints to the Office for Civil Rights and revisit their training of employees, including campus police officers, about their obligations under federal law.

Organizations: University of Michigan, City University of New, Education Department, Civil Rights, Office Locations: City University of New York, Gaza, Israel, The Michigan, New York

☆ New York City Removes Two Parents From School Councils Over Behavior
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-15 | by ( Troy Closson | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Two elected parent leaders in New York City were removed from their school council positions on Friday, a rare step by school officials that reflected the escalating fights over broader political and cultural issues in local schools. The remarkable move by the schools chancellor, David C. Banks, appeared to be the first time that the administration has removed elected parent leaders from their posts. It came after both parents had faced months of public backlash over issues including rules regarding transgender students in sports and the Israel-Hamas war. One of the parents, Maud Maron, was rebuked by the schools chancellor after an education news outlet, The 74, reported that she wrote “there is no such thing as trans kids” in a private text chat. The parents also took issue with her promoting a student walkout to call for a cease-fire in Gaza.

Persons: David C, Banks, Maud Maron, Israel, Maron, Tajh Sutton Organizations: The New Locations: New York City, Israel, The New York, Gaza

☆ Supreme Court’s abortion pill ruling puts new focus on conservative Trump judge in Texas
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-15 | by ( John Fritze | Tierney Sneed | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

In the mifepristone case, Kacsmaryk’s initial ruling was notable not just for its sweeping nature but in how he embraced the anti-abortion movement’s sensational rhetoric about the procedure. The groups fighting mifepristone argue that the Supreme Court’s decision shouldn’t affect the states’ ability to sue. Both the FDA and several medical groups, including the American Medical Association, told the Supreme Court that mifepristone is safe. But the Supreme Court knocked that argument aside, noting that federal law already allows doctors to avoid performing procedures that violate their conscience. Adam Unikowsky, a veteran Supreme Court litigator who has closely followed the mifepristone case, predicted it will be hard for the states to get the issue back before the Supreme Court.

Persons: Matthew Kacsmaryk, Donald Trump, ”, Carrie Flaxman, Brett Kavanaugh, mifepristone, ” Kavanaugh, Roe, Wade, Kansas –, Andrew Bailey, Kacsmaryk, Joe Biden’s, Biden, it’s, ” Julia Kaye, Erin Hawley, “, –, Adam Unikowsky, litigator, Unikowsky, They’re, ” Jaime Santos, Goodwin, “ that’s, Kavanaugh, isn’t Organizations: CNN, Trump, mifepristone, Supreme, Food, Democracy Forward, and Drug Administration, Republican, Alliance for Hippocratic, Biden, ACLU, Defending, FDA, American Medical Association Locations: Texas, Amarillo, – Missouri, Idaho, Kansas, Missouri, Texas ’, Mexico, Missouri , Idaho

☆ Hollywood trainer Tracy Anderson's famous 'method' is 'uncopyrightable,' a judge ruled
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-14 | by ( Katie Warren | Natalie Musumeci | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Read previewIn a blow to celebrity trainer Tracy Anderson, a federal judge ruled this week that the fitness pioneer's famous exercise "method" is "uncopyrightable." The high-profile fitness guru said in the lawsuit that Roup copied her signature workout, the "Tracy Anderson Method" or "TA Method" — a dance-based workout routine. The order added, "And because the TA Method is uncopyrightable, the Court need not reach the issues of whether the TA Method could be considered choreography and if TAMB [Tracy Anderson Mind and Body] actually owns the copyrights." "We are pleased with the Court's ruling unequivocally rejecting Tracy Anderson's copyright claim, finding that the TA Method is not copyrightable, full stop," Bach said. AdvertisementAnother former trainer said that while she was still working at Tracy Anderson, she was reprimanded by management for merely liking former instructors' Instagram posts.

Persons: —, Tracy Anderson, Philip Gutierrez, Anderson, Megan Roup, Roup, Gutierrez, Anderson's, Gina Durham, Durham, Nathaniel Bach, Tracy, Bach, Megan, Samuel Eric Anderson Roup, Gwyneth Paltrow, Jennifer Lopez, Victoria Beckham Organizations: Service, Central District of, Business, Roup, Pop Locations: Central District, Central District of California

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