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☆ Fact Check-Georgia mason-run missing kids program does not involve microchipping minors
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-19 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

An initiative by freemasons called the Georgia Child Identification Program states it helps parents collect basic information about their children in an identification kit in case they were to go missing. There is no evidence the program, also known as GACHIP, involves inserting microchips in minors, contrary to social media posts. Similar masonic initiatives in Missouri and Ontario, in Canada, clarify their programs do not involve microchipping children (mochip.org/faq/), (www.masonichip.ca/newsList.php). (here)The Grand Lodge of Georgia and the GACHIP did not respond to a request for comment. A Georgia masons’ program called the Georgia Child Identification Program (GACHIP) helps parents put together an identification kit with basic information about their children.

Persons: Kit ”, Read Organizations: freemasons, Reuters, National Center for, of Locations: Georgia, Missouri, Ontario, Canada, of Georgia

☆ U.S. lawmakers extend social media investigation to Meta's Threads
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-17 | by ( Lauren Feiner | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

The letter, obtained exclusively by CNBC, is an early indication of the added spotlight Meta's newest product could bring to the company in Washington. "Indeed, Threads raises serious, specific concerns because it has been marketed as rival of ElonMusk's Twitter, which has faced political persecution from the Biden Administration followingMusk's commitment to free speech," Jordan wrote. On July 4, a federal judge in Louisiana granted in part a preliminary injunction in that suit that barred several Biden administration officials from meeting with social media companies to encourage them to remove or delete posts. It also prevented those officials from even flagging certain kinds of social media posts to the companies to encourage their removal or suppression. On Friday, an appeals court agreed to put a temporary pause on the preliminary injunction, meaning government flagging of social media posts could resume until the court further considers the case.

Persons: Jim Jordan, Jerrold Nadler, John Durham, Mark Zuckerberg, Biden, Elon Musk, Jordan, Twitter, Meta Organizations: CNBC, Twitter, Meta, Elon, Wall, Federal Trade Commission, Biden, State Department, Facebook, Washington Post, Apple, Google, Microsoft Locations: Ohio, Rayburn, Washington, Missouri, Louisiana

July 14 (Reuters) - A U.S. appeals court on Friday temporarily blocked a lower court order that had sharply limited certain Biden administration officials' and agencies' contacts with social media companies. The 5th Circuit on Friday ruled that the administration's appeal of Doughty's order will be heard as soon as possible by a three-judge panel. Doughty's order itself was a temporary injunction, meant to remain in place while the judge considers the case more fully. The social media companies mentioned in the lawsuit include Facebook and Instagram parent Meta Platforms Inc (META.O), Twitter and Alphabet's (GOOGL.O) YouTube. Legal experts have said Doughty's order will likely face tough scrutiny on appeal, thanks to its breadth and the lack of clear precedents supporting it.

Persons: Terry Doughty, Doughty, Joe Biden, Donald Trump, Biden, Brendan Pierson, Rosalba O'Brien Organizations: Biden, New, Circuit, U.S, District, Democratic, Republican, Facebook, Inc, Twitter, YouTube, Department of Health, Human Services, FBI, Thomson Locations: New Orleans, Monroe , Louisiana, Louisiana, Missouri, New York

☆ US officials worry about ‘chilling effect’ on combating election disinformation after order limiting Biden administration contact with social platforms
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-14 | by ( Brian Fung Sean Lyngaas | Brian Fung | Sean Lyngaas | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +13 min

The resulting uncertainty, they say, risks slowing the government and social media companies’ ability to respond to election-related disinformation that appears on tech platforms. Last week, the State Department canceled a routine meeting on election security with Facebook, according to a person familiar with the matter. On Wednesday, FBI Director Christopher Wray defended the close contacts between the US government and the social media companies. The injunction does contain some exceptions allowing more limited contact between affected agencies and social media companies. “Well, the government doesn’t necessarily have those capabilities to do that back-end work that the social media companies do.

Persons: Biden, ”, Chris Krebs, Krebs, Katie Harbath, Donald Trump, Christopher Wray, ” Wray, Trump, Harbath, Yoel Roth, Twitter’s, Gowri Ramachandran, “, ” Ramachandran, they’re, Ramachandran, Russia’s, ” Harbath, you’re, ’, Evelyn Douek, Jocelyn Benson, ” Benson, Adam Mosseri, Meta, ’ ”, Nick Clegg, Donie O’Sullivan Organizations: Washington CNN, Infrastructure Security Agency, CNN, State Department, Facebook, Justice Department, FBI, of Homeland Security, Health, Human Services, Twitter, “, Senate Intelligence, Department of Homeland Security, National Intelligence, Big Tech, Brennan Center for Justice, New York University, Stanford Law School, Meta, YouTube, Meta Global Locations: Louisiana, Missouri, State, Michigan

☆ FBI chief Wray defends against US House Republicans' accusations
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-12 | by ( Sarah N. Lynch | Thomson Reuters | Sarah N. Lynch Is The Lead Reporter For Reuters Covering The U.S. Justice Department Out Of Washington | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Wray appeared before the Republican-led U.S. House of Representatives Judiciary Committee panel for the first time since former President Donald Trump was indicted for retaining highly classified documents and obstructing justice. Republicans have repeatedly accused the FBI and other federal agencies of "weaponizing" their law enforcement and regulatory powers to silence critics on the right, target political enemies and protect political allies. House Republicans have claimed without evidence that the documents case against Trump is politically motivated. "Absolutely not," replied Wray, a fellow Republican who has increasingly become the target of Republicans' wrath. "The idea that I am biased against conservatives seems somewhat insane to me, given my own personal background," Wray said.

Persons: Chris Way, Hunter Biden, Wray, Donald Trump, Joe Biden's, Hunter, General Merrick Garland, Christopher Wray, Jonathan Ernst, Matt Gaetz, Trump, Terry Doughty, Biden, Sarah N, Lynch, Scott Malone, Susan Heavey Organizations: Republicans, Republican, House, FBI, House Republicans, Trump, U.S, Federal Bureau of, Capitol, REUTERS, District, Wednesday, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S, Louisiana, Missouri, U.S

☆ Power shutoffs: Sweltering Americans have fewer protections this summer
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-11 | by ( Tami Luhby | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Despite the growing concern of heat-related illnesses and climate change, people have far fewer protections from power shutoffs during the summer than they do in the winter. The Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, known as LIHEAP, has about $6 billion in funds for fiscal 2023, which runs through September. The association is calling on Congress to provide an additional $3 billion for cooling assistance this summer, which would help about 6 million households. And it is asking utilities to voluntarily suspend shutoffs this summer for those behind on their bills. Florida Power & Light, for instance, has a longstanding policy that it won’t disconnect customers if it’s 95 degrees or higher.

Persons: David Konisky, ”, Konisky, Mark Wolfe, That’s, Wolfe, it’s, Bianca Soriano, Soriano Organizations: New, New York CNN, National Weather Service, Center for Energy, National Energy Assistance, Association, Energy, Indiana University, Centers for Disease Control, Income, Energy Assistance, Lawmakers, US Energy Information Administration, Louisiana —, Florida, Customers Locations: New York, United States, Washington, DC, Delaware, Nevada, Colorado , Missouri, New Jersey, Texas, Louisiana, Florida

☆ 7 Republican AGs write to Target, say Pride month campaigns could violate their state’s child protection laws
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-08 | by ( Lucy Kafanov | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

New York CNN —Republican attorneys general from seven states signed a letter Wednesday to Target (TGT), warning clothes and merchandise sold as part of the retail giant’s Pride month campaigns could violate their state’s child protection laws. Nineteen states have passed laws restricting it. And more than 1 in 5 of Gen Z identify as LGBTQ+ – so we’re also their future. In May, Target said it was removing some products celebrating Pride Month after the company and its employees became the focus of a “volatile” anti-LGBTQ campaign. Target said it removed from shelves “items that have been at the center of the most significant confrontational behavior.”Target did not have comment on the letter.

Persons: Theys, Katya ’, It’s, ” Jay Brown, HRC’s, Gen, we’re, Target Organizations: New, New York CNN, AGs, Rights, Training, Research, CNN, Human Locations: New York, Indiana , Arkansas , Idaho , Kentucky , Mississippi , Missouri, South Carolina

☆ Biden admin seeks emergency order halting ban on social media company contacts
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

July 6 (Reuters) - The Biden administration on Thursday asked a federal appeals court for an emergency order halting a lower court ruling that bars some government agencies and officials from meeting and communicating with social media companies about moderating their content. Circuit Court of Appeals, the administration said the lower court ruling was "both sweeping in scope and vague in its terms," and likely to be overturned on appeal. The lower court order, issued by U.S. District Judge Terry Doughty in Louisiana, came in a lawsuit brought by Republican attorneys general in Louisiana and Missouri and by several individuals. They alleged that U.S. government officials effectively coerced social media companies to censor posts over concerns they would fuel vaccine hesitancy during the COVID-19 pandemic or upend elections. The social media companies mentioned in the lawsuit include Facebook and Instagram parent Meta Platforms Inc (META.O), Twitter and Alphabet's (GOOGL.O) YouTube.

Persons: Biden, Terry Doughty, Brendan Pierson, Alexia Garamfalvi, Daniel Wallis, Himani Organizations: New, Circuit, Appeals, U.S, District, Facebook, Inc, Twitter, YouTube, Department of Health, Human Services, FBI, Constitution, Thomson Locations: New Orleans, Louisiana, Missouri, U.S, New York

CNN —A federal judge on Tuesday ordered some Biden administration agencies and top officials not to communicate with social media companies about certain content, handing a win to GOP states in a lawsuit accusing the government of going too far in its effort to combat Covid-19 disinformation. In a preliminary injunction issued by US District Judge Terry Doughty, the judge ordered a slew of federal agencies and more than a dozen top officials not to communicate with social media companies about taking down “content containing protected free speech” that’s posted on the platforms. The injunction notes that the government can still communicate with the companies as part of efforts to curb illegal activity and address national security threats. The lawsuit brought by the Missouri and Louisiana attorneys general in 2022 represents a novel way to pursue “censorship” claims accusing the Biden administration of effectively silencing conservatives by leaning on the private social media companies. The judge had previously ordered the administration to produce documents identifying government officials and the nature of their communications with social media platforms.

Persons: Terry Doughty, ” that’s, Vivek Murthy, Karine Jean, Pierre, Doughty, ” Doughty, Donald Trump, Meta, Biden, Doughty hasn’t, ’ Organizations: CNN, Biden, GOP, US District, Department of Health, Human Services, National Institute of Allergy, US Centers for Disease Control, Justice Department, FBI, White House Press, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, White, Google Locations: Missouri, Louisiana

☆ An epic fight over how real-estate agents get paid could transform the housing market forever
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-26 | by ( James Rodriguez | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +15 min

Trying to find a buyer and sifting through offers sounds like a nightmare, so you hire a real-estate agent. The seller might no longer pay out both agents' commissions after the sale closes. Despite the potentially earthshaking consequences, most local real-estate agents — who, to be fair, have more pressing short-term concerns — have largely ignored the cases. "They not only have to pay a buyer's agent commission, but they can't negotiate that commission," Brobeck said of sellers. "It just doesn't make any sense for the seller to have to pay the buyer's agent," Brobeck told me.

Persons: —, Sitzer, that's, Max, Keller Williams, Sellers, Brokerages, Stephen Brobeck, Brobeck, Moehrl, Wager, Katie Johnson, you'll, Johnson, Buyers, Nicholas Economides, homebuyers, Trump, Everyone's, Rob Hahn, Steve Marcus, David Eisenstadt, Eisenstadt, Hahn, James Rodriguez Organizations: National Association of Realtors, NAR, Realtors, MLS, Consumer Federation of America, New York University, CFA, Realtor.com, REUTERS, Berkeley Research Group, Justice Department's Antitrust Locations: America, Missouri, Illinois, MLSs, Houston , Texas, Australia, Netherlands, United Kingdom

☆ Illinois becomes first state to pass law curtailing book bans
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-13 | by ( Brendan O'Brien | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker, a Democrat, signed the historic measure into law on Monday in a Chicago library. The law goes into effect on Jan. 1, 2024, the governor's office said in a statement. "Here in Illinois, we don't hide from the truth, we embrace it," Pritzker said. Under the new law, Illinois public libraries can only access state grants if they adopt the American Library Association's Library Bill of Rights, which stipulates that "materials should not be proscribed or removed because of partisan or doctrinal disapproval." Other states may choose to embrace prejudice and divisive ideologies, but our state is going in a better direction," said Democratic State Representative Anne Stava-Murray, who represents Downers Grove, in support of the Illinois measure.

Persons: J.B, Pritzker, shouldn't, Laura Hois, We're, Representative Anne Stava, Murray, Maia Kobabe, Toni Morrison, Amanda Gorman, Joe Biden's, Brendan O'Brien, Aurora Ellis Organizations: Illinois, American, Association's, Republican, PEN America, American Library Association, ALA, ABC, Democratic, Representative, Downers, Thomson Locations: Illinois, United States, Chicago, U.S, Florida, Texas, Downers Grove, Utah , Missouri, Miami, Dade County

☆ Mysterious Covid-19 lineages in US sewers could offer clues to chronic infections
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-09 | by ( Deidre Mcphillips | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

One possible explanation for these “cryptic lineages” is that they can be traced back to people who have been living with a chronic – and serious – Covid-19 infection for years. In a recent preprint study, about two dozen researchers set out to understand the origin of these cryptic lineages by closely examining the evolution of one from Wisconsin. Right now, the cryptic lineages do not pose a public health threat, she said. Wastewater surveillance is inherently messy, and lots of factors can interfere with interpretation of the data, she said. Johnson says that people with chronic infections that could be behind these cryptic lineages might have unexplained symptoms.

Persons: Marc Johnson, Johnson, it’s, ”, Amy Kirby, ” Kirby, ” Johnson, We’ve, IE2GB6CwPO — Marc Johnson, “ Don’t, “ I’m Organizations: CNN, University of Missouri, US Centers for Disease Control, Surveillance, Kirby, Washington Court House Locations: United States, Wisconsin, Ohio, Columbus, Washington

CNN —Residents of the central United States experienced poor air quality and smoke over the weekend. The effects of the fires extend far beyond Canada, with poor air quality emerging in states as far away as Missouri and New York. Several states, including Nebraska, Washington, Montana and Wisconsin, announced air quality alerts early Friday. The service in Tacoma reported the smoke would be “pushed eastward in time for the weekend.”As of Sunday afternoon, the US Environmental Protection Agency’s Air Quality Index reported “unhealthy” levels of air quality in parts of Montana and North and South Dakota. Poor air quality caused by the smoke would mostly affect those “that are particularly sensitive to particle pollution,” they said.

☆ US weekly jobless claims fall; labor market still tight
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-18 | by ( Lucia Mutikani | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Summary Weekly jobless claims drop 22,000 to 242,000Continuing claims decrease 8,000 to 1.799 millionWASHINGTON, May 18 (Reuters) - The number of Americans filing new claims for jobs benefits fell more than expected last week, with applications in Massachusetts decreasing sharply, suggesting the labor market remains tight. The steep decline in weekly unemployment claims reported by the Labor Department on Thursday reversed the surge in the prior week, which had boosted them to the highest level since Oct. 30, 2021. Initial claims for state unemployment benefits dropped 22,000 to a seasonally adjusted 242,000 for the week ended May 13. The labor market is being closely watched for signs of stress from the Federal Reserve's fastest interest rate hiking campaign since the 1980s. Though it has shown some signs of cooling, the labor market has remained tight, with 1.6 job openings for every unemployed person in March, well above the 1.0-1.2 range that is consistent with a jobs market that is not generating too much inflation.

☆ These states might be the next to legalize weed
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-07 | by ( Stefan Sykes | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

The state became the 22nd to legalize recreational marijuana and follows Missouri and Maryland, which did so earlier this year. Some states are even moving ahead with proposals or ballot measures to legalize weed, putting them within arms' reach of having recreational markets. These are the states that have a chance to legalize adult-use marijuana in the coming years. OhioOhio may vote on whether to legalize recreational marijuana in November. Haren said the proposal also plans to build upon Ohio's medical marijuana program and issue additional adult use licenses to new companies.

Federal worker safety inspections have alleged poor maintenance or a lack of safety training at some Tyson plants where ammonia leaks injured workers. CNN interviewed eleven current or former Tyson workers across three different plants who experienced ammonia leaks. !”A safety sign hangs on a fence at a Tyson plant in Hope, Arkansas, in March 2023. Still, some Tyson workers who lived through ammonia leaks said they wished more had been done to protect them. That means that the data doesn’t necessarily cover Tyson plants or other meat facilities that hold smaller amounts of ammonia.

☆ Sen. JD Vance defends Tucker Carlson over leaked 'how white men fight' text: 'He says far more controversial things publicly every single day'
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-03 | by ( Bryan Metzger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Tucker Carlson bemoaned that a group of Trump supporters didn't fight like "white men," per a leaked text. "By the way, I don't think that's why he was fired," the Ohio senator added. "I don't know why that would justify somebody getting fired, especially when you're talking about a private text message." "I'm highly skeptical that text message caused them to fire Tucker Carlson. "Once a week, I worry that something terrible will happen to Tucker Carlson," said Vance.

☆ I moved to Kansas from New York City to be safe from flooding, afford a bigger house, and put roots down
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-02 | by ( Dan Latu | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Landscape architect Jason Beury, 40, moved from Brooklyn, New York, to Kansas City, Kansas, in 2020. He thinks Kansas City is an up-and-coming destination for people moving from other states. So if I want to build equity in the property, New York City is not the place, both because New York City is so expensive and partially because of climate change. Kansas City, Kansas, is a suburb of Kansas City, Missouri, pictured here. We found a little house listed at $206,000, a two-bedroom, two-bathroom brick house from the 1920s in Strawberry Hill in Kansas City, Kansas.

In Missouri, Mr. Lester, who lived alone, told the police after the shooting that he fired his gun because he saw someone on his front step apparently trying to enter and was “scared to death” of being physically harmed. Zachary Thompson, the Clay County prosecutor, said that there was a “racial component” to the shooting but did not elaborate. Mr. Lester is white; Ralph, who was released from the hospital and is now recovering at home, is Black. In New York, a lawyer for Mr. Monahan, Kurt Mausert, disputed the authorities’ account of the shooting on Saturday night, saying that several vehicles were speeding up Mr. Monahan’s driveway, with engines revving and lights shining, which “certainly caused some level of alarm to an elderly gentleman who had an elderly wife.”As the two men made court appearances in Missouri and New York, basic outlines of their histories were emerging from neighbors and relatives. Neighbors said that Mr. Monahan, a self-employed builder and longtime resident whose home sits on about 40 mostly wooded acres, had a reputation as a sometimes surly character who loved dirt bikes and largely kept to himself.

CNN —A “large and extremely dangerous” tornado has been observed over Cole, Oklahoma, according to the National Weather Service. The tornado has rolled through southeastern Cleveland and west-central McClain counties in the central portion of the state. These storms are capable of producing large hail and damaging winds, with a limited tornado potential, along west of Hwy 75. These storms are capable of producing large hail and damaging winds, with a limited tornado potential, along west of Hwy 75,” the National Weather Service in Tulsa said. On Thursday, the severe storms threat shifts to the east to include eastern Texas, northwestern Louisiana, southeastern Oklahoma, southeastern Missouri and much of Arkansas.

☆ This former Trump White House official says Republicans are 'such nerds' for pushing a 'ridiculous' ban on TikTok
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-06 | by ( Bryan Metzger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

But John McEntee, a former Trump White House official, thinks that's "ridiculous." But John McEntee, who worked as a top White House staffer when former President Donald Trump attempted to ban the app via executive order, says he's unabashedly "pro-TikTok" and insists the push from the right to ban the Chinese-owned app is "ridiculous." "I think Republicans are such nerds for even doing this," McEntee, the one-time Director of the Official of Presidential Personnel, told Insider in an interview on Thursday. In that job, he reportedly scrutinized White House staffers for their perceived loyalty and played a significant role in the effort to pressure Vice President Mike Pence to overturn the election results on January 6, 2021. In one widely-viewed TikTok, McEntee dances to Demi Lovato's "La La Land" while riffing on liberals attending their first protest, making hand-horns as Lovato sings the phrase "converse with my dress."

☆ Trump says his fans didn't just give him $5 million in 48 hours — more than 16,000 people also signed up to become campaign volunteers within 2 days of his indictment
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-03 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Trump's 2024 campaign said it raised $5 million in the 48 hours after he was indicted, per Axios. More than 16,000 people also signed up to volunteer on Trump's website in the first 24 hours after his indictment, Axios reported, citing Trump's campaign spokesperson. On Friday, Trump's campaign said it raised $4 million in the 24 hours after the indictment announcement. More than a quarter of these contributions came from first-time donors, and the average sum given was $34, the Trump campaign said. In a Sunday message to supporters seen by Insider, Trump's campaign bragged that it had "OUTRAISED THEM ALL!"

☆ A union said 5 Apple Store workers were fired illegally for trying to organize
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-01 | by ( Sam Tabahriti | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A union said five workers at Apple stores in two states were fired illegally. The Communications Workers of America union filed two Unfair Labor Practice charges. It was the first unfair labour practice charge filed by the CWA against Apple for alleged unlawful termination of workers for union organizing. No one working at Apple should be interrogated, intimidated, or silenced for trying to organize and win our fair share." It is unlawful for any companies to retaliate against workers for union activity, according to the NLRB.

☆ The Best Places to Buy a House on a Budget
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-30 | by ( Michael Kolomatsky | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

First-time home buyers around the country are struggling to amass a down payment in this high-inflation economy. For those who work remotely or are open to relocating, a recent study by Rocket Homes can help find a new locale. To arrive at the 10 best metros for these buyers, researchers compared home prices, mortgage payments, income and sales taxes, unemployment and crime rates, the health of residents and climate hazards. Thirty-year fixed-rate mortgages and 20 percent down payments with an interest rate of 6.5 percent were factored into the calculations. Pittsburgh came in seventh, thanks in large part to the health of its residents.

☆ U.S. weekly jobless claims still low; corporate profits fall in Q4
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-30 | by ( Lucia Mutikani | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Initial claims for state unemployment benefits increased 7,000 to a seasonally adjusted 198,000 for the week ended March 25, the Labor Department said. Claims have remained very low, bouncing around in a tight range despite high-profile layoffs in the technology industry. The so-called continuing claims covered the period during which the government surveyed households for the unemployment rate for March. Continuing claims increased moderately between the February and March survey weeks. The unemployment rate was at 3.6% in February.

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