Facing a Sunday deadline imposed by a Supreme Court ruling upholding a US ban, TikTok announced it will be forced to cease US operations unless the government intervenes. The app cites a lack of assurances from the White House and Department of Justice regarding penalties for continued operation after the deadline. This shutdown would result from the failure to secure necessary clarity and protection from the looming ban on TikTok, due to ByteDance’s ownership. Without governmental intervention, TikTok will be unavailable to US users beginning January 19th.
Read More
Daily email notifications for matching items are now enabled. These notifications summarize new items only and are sent once per day. A previous attempt to save your notification settings may have encountered an error. Please check your settings to ensure notifications are correctly saved. Note that notifications are only sent when new matching items are available.
Read More
The Supreme Court will hear an appeal from parents in Montgomery County, Maryland, challenging a school policy that includes books with LGBTQ characters in elementary school classes. The parents contend this violates their religious freedom by not allowing opt-outs, citing similar provisions for sex education and the district’s initial allowance of such opt-outs. The books, which depict various LGBTQ+ themes and relationships, were part of the English language arts curriculum. The school district argues the books are a small portion of the curriculum and explore common themes found in classic literature.
Read More
Capital One experienced a third-day outage affecting direct deposits for thousands of customers due to a technical issue with third-party vendor Fidelity National Information Services (FIS). The bank assures customers that funds are safe and the issue is not due to fraud, with system restoration underway and expected to be largely complete by Saturday morning. FIS attributed the problem to a data center power outage, impacting other banks as well. Capital One apologized for the inconvenience, which comes amid other negative news, including a lawsuit from the CFPB.
Read More
Pulitzer Prize-winning editorial cartoonist Darrin Bell was arrested and charged with possessing 134 videos of child sex abuse material, stemming from a tip received by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. This arrest marks the first under a new California law addressing AI-generated child sexual abuse material. Bell is currently being held on $1 million bail and is scheduled for a court appearance. The investigation was conducted by the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office.
Read More
Prominent Supreme Court attorney and SCOTUSblog co-founder Tom Goldstein was indicted on federal tax evasion charges, accused of failing to declare millions in poker winnings from 2016 to 2021. The indictment alleges he used his law firm’s funds to pay gambling debts and made false statements to mortgage lenders, totaling over $5.3 million in unpaid taxes. Goldstein, who has a notable legal career including representing Al Gore in *Bush v. Gore*, pleads not guilty and plans to vigorously contest the charges. The indictment also details alleged misuse of firm funds for personal expenses, including the payment of expenses for multiple women.
Read More
Under the Online Safety Act, all UK websites hosting pornographic content, including social media platforms, must implement robust age verification by July. This Ofcom mandate, prompted by research showing widespread underage exposure to online pornography, requires methods like photo ID or credit card checks. While some support the move as essential for safer online spaces, concerns remain that stricter verification will drive users to unregulated, potentially more harmful, online areas. The new rules also affect sites using AI to generate pornography, requiring immediate implementation of age checks.
Read More
Georgia State Senator Colton Moore, banned from the House chamber for his criticism of District Attorney Fani Willis, was forcibly removed and arrested after attempting to attend the Governor’s State of the State address. Video footage shows Moore being tackled by security, sustaining injuries requiring hospital treatment. Moore attributes his banishment to his attacks on Willis and claims his removal is unconstitutional. He has vowed to return.
Read More
The Supreme Court unanimously upheld a federal ban on TikTok, citing national security risks posed by its Chinese ownership. The ruling allows the ban to take effect unless TikTok is sold by its parent company, ByteDance, a sale that currently seems unlikely. While existing users may retain access initially, the app will become unusable without updates and new downloads. The Court rejected First Amendment challenges, emphasizing Congress’s determination that divestiture is necessary to address national security concerns.
Read More
A large fire erupted Thursday at the Moss Landing Power Plant in Northern California, prompting the evacuation of approximately 1,500 people and the closure of a section of Highway 1. The blaze, still burning Friday morning, involved tens of thousands of lithium-ion batteries within the Vistra Energy facility, posing significant firefighting challenges. While contained to the plant, the incident prompted an emergency county meeting and school closures. An investigation into the cause of the fire, the third at the facility in recent years, is planned following its extinguishment.
Read More
John Q. Hosedrinker