Latest news with #JemalCountess
UPI
3 days ago
- Politics
- UPI
Supreme Court allows DHS to remove protection status for half-million migrants
1 of 3 | Legal status in the United States can be lawfully revoked for more than a combined 530,000 Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans, and Venezuelans, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled on Friday. File Photo by Jemal Countess/UPI | License Photo May 30 (UPI) -- Legal status in the United States can be lawfully revoked for more than a combined 530,000 Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans, and Venezuelans, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled on Friday. The court only issued an unsigned dissenting opinion acknowledging the federal government can move ahead with its Termination of Parole Process for Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans and Venezuelans, commonly referred to as CHNV. In March, President Donald Trump directed the Department of Homeland Security to revoke the legal status of 532,000 migrants under sponsorship programs, primarily from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela. The migrants were granted legal protected status under former President Joe Biden's administration, a program Trump has attempted to wind down amid legal challenges. A federal judge in Massachusetts last month granted a temporary order blocking Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem from revoking previously-granted parole to the protected migrants. Earlier this month, Trump asked the Supreme Court to intervene and allow the government to remove protected status. On Thursday, Boston-based U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani ordered the Trump administration to restart processing applications under the migrant program. Friday's Supreme Court ruling returns the issue to the lower courts, giving the Department of Homeland Security the ability to stop processing extension requests from migrants with current legal protections under CHNV while the legal process plays out. "The Court has plainly botched this assessment today. It requires next to nothing from the Government with respect to irreparable harm. And it undervalues the devastating consequences of allowing the Government to precipitously upend the lives and livelihoods of nearly half a million noncitizens while their legal claims are pending," the unsigned dissenting opinion states. Two of the high court's liberal judges, Justices Ketanji Brown Jackson and Sonia Sotomayor, dissented from the majority. "Even if the Government is likely to win on the merits, in our legal system, success takes time and the stay standards require more than anticipated victory. I would have denied the Government's application because its harm-related showing is patently insufficient. The balance of the equities also weighs heavily in respondents' favor. While it is apparent that the Government seeks a stay to enable it to inflict maximum predecision damage, court-ordered stays exist to minimize-not maximize-harm to litigating parties," the dissenting opinion states. Earlier this month, the Supreme Court ruled in a similar fashion when it allowed the Trump administration to revoke special legal protections for nearly 350,000 Venezuelan nationals living in the United States temporarily.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
In an Era of Mistrust on Health Information, Employers Are Key
Regina Bell of American Federation of Teachers (AFT) speaks at the rally at the U.S. Capitol on April 10, 2025 in Washington, D.C. Credit - Jemal Countess—Getty Images/ Fair Share America In an era of growing mistrust, employers hold a unique position of influence. They remain among the most trusted institutions, particularly by their own employees. According to the 2024 Edelman Trust Barometer, workers consider businesses to be twice as competent as the U.S. government in providing credible information—outpacing nonprofits and the media as well. People want to make informed decisions based on reliable information, and they're increasingly open to receiving that information from their employers. This trend is not new. During the COVID-19 pandemic, many employers stepped up to fill an information void. They provided accurate, timely health guidance on everything from indoor air quality to vaccine safety. For instance, Amazon—the nation's second-largest employer—invested heavily in direct employee engagement to promote vaccination. These efforts went beyond emails or posters; they included one-on-one outreach, peer-to-peer advocacy, and mobile vaccination units. Today, even as health concerns evolve, Amazon continues this model with daily wellness huddles and injury-prevention discussions across its warehouses. As we move beyond the pandemic, the need for trusted health communication remains urgent. Employers are well-positioned to continue this work, not just because of their trustworthiness, but because they have a vested interest in healthier, more informed employees. Healthy workers are more productive, miss fewer days, and contribute to lower healthcare costs—an ongoing concern for many companies. Likewise, educated employees are more likely to understand and make efficient use of increasingly expensive employer-sponsored health benefits. One survey conducted by UnitedHealthcare found that 56% of workers with access to effective employer health promotion programs reported fewer sick days, a finding that has been replicated in multiple geographies. Other evidence has shown that employers earn $3.27 back in direct medical costs more for every $1 spent on wellness programs, which directly increase employee knowledge and engagement in nutrition and health-related topics. While the need for effective health communication remains, many traditional sources are vanishing. Investments in public health campaigns at the federal, state, and local levels have shrunk—or are disappearing altogether. This void, combined with the rise of online misinformation, means that if employers don't speak up, employees may turn instead to social media algorithms, self-proclaimed wellness influencers, or podcasters. Read More: What the New 'Make America Healthy Again' Report Says About Children's Health Employers can't afford to be passive. They must actively identify the pressing health challenges their workforce faces—from mental health struggles and poor air quality due to wildfires, to new treatments such as GLP-1 weight-loss medications. With thoughtful, engaging strategies, they can ensure credible, science-based information reaches their workforce. It may feel like a daunting task in today's polarized climate, but many employers—and unions—are already rising to the challenge. Kim Thibodeaux, head of the Northeast Business Group on Health, which represents the health interests of nearly 80 of the nation's largest employers, is prioritizing investing in scalable ways to provide trusted health information content to employer partners. We are partnering with Kim and her team to provide timely, accurate, digestible health information on a range of topics in an omnichannel format. In a similar vein, the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) with over 2 million members nationwide, has begun offering free, monthly national town halls to their membership and general public to discuss topics such as perimenopause, ADHD, youth mental health, and measles with topical national experts like the recent past American Academy of Pediatrics President Dr. Ben Hoffman. Social media is leveraged to the fullest extent, with 30-40 second, high-impact sound bites from town halls or Q&As shared widely across Instagram, TikTok, and other social media platforms to improve reach. As public trust erodes and traditional health communication channels falter, the workplace remains a widely trusted space. Employers and unions who embrace this responsibility can become powerful agents of public health—helping their people make informed decisions, combat misinformation, and feel seen and supported in the process. By investing in credible, creative, and consistent health messaging, employers have the power to not only improve health outcomes but also rebuild faith in science and institutions—and in each other. The question is no longer whether employers should play this role, but how quickly they can rise to meet it. Contact us at letters@
Yahoo
25-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
What to Know About the Kids Online Safety Act
A view of the U.S. Capitol during a rally held in support of the Kids Online Safety Act on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., on Dec.10, 2024. Credit - Jemal Countess—Getty Images Congress could potentially pass the first major legislation related to children's online safety since 1998, as the Kids Online Safety Act, sometimes referred to as KOSA, was reintroduced earlier this month after stalling last year. The bill has proven to be a major talking point, garnering bipartisan support and the attention of tech giants, but it has also sparked concern re: targeted censorship from First Amendment rights groups and others advocating for LGBTQ+ communities. Now, it will have another shot, and the bill's Congressional supporters will have a chance to state why they believe the legislation is needed in this ever-evolving digital age. The revival of the Kids Online Safety Act comes amid U.S. and global discussions over how to best protect children online. In late 2024, Australia approved a social media ban for under-16s. It's set to come into effect later this year. In March, Utah became the first state to pass legislation requiring app stores to verify a user's age. And Texas is currently moving forward with efforts regarding an expansive social media ban for minors. The Kids Off Social Media Act (KOSMA)—which would ban social media platforms from allowing children under 13 to create or maintain accounts—was also introduced earlier this year, but has seen little movement since. Speaking on NBC's Meet the Press on Sunday, May 25, during a special mental health-focused episode, former Rep. Patrick J. Kennedy, a Democrat who served Rhode Island, expressed a dire need for more protections surrounding children online. When asked about the Kids Online Safety Act, and if it's the type of legislation America needs, Kennedy said: 'Our country is falling down on its own responsibility as stewards to our children's future.' He went on to explain why he believes passing bills is just one factor of what needs to be addressed, citing online sports betting as another major concern. 'We can't just pass these bills. We've got to stop all of these intrusive addiction-for-profit companies from taking our kids hostage. That's what they're doing. This is a fight,' he said. 'And we are losing the fight because we're not out there fighting for our kids to protect them from these businesses [whose] whole profit motive is, 'How am I going to capture that consumer and lock them in as a consumer?'' Calling out giant social media platforms, in particular, Kennedy went on to say: 'We, as a country, have seen these companies and industries take advantage of the addiction-for-profit. Purdue, tobacco. Social media's the next big one. And unfortunately, it's going to have to be litigated. We have to go after the devastating impact that these companies are having on our kids.' Amid these ongoing discussions, here's what you need to know about the Kids Online Safety Act in light of its reintroduction. The Kids Online Safety Act aims to provide further protections for children online related to privacy and mental health concerns exacerbated by social media and excessive Internet use. The bill would create 'duty of care,' meaning that tech companies and platform giants would be required to take steps to prevent potentially harmful encounters, such as posts about eating disorders and instances of online bullying, from impacting minors. 'A covered platform shall exercise reasonable care in the creation and implementation of any design feature to prevent and mitigate the following harms to minors: anxiety, depression, eating disorders, substance use disorders, and suicidal behaviors... patterns of use that indicate or encourage addiction-like behaviors by minors…' the bill reads. Health organizations including The American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Psychological Association, have pushed Congress to pass KOSA to better protect young people online—and see the bill as a potential way to intervene with the detrimental impact social media and Internet usage in general can have on one's mental health. Newer versions of the bill have narrowed regulations to apply to limiting 'design features' such as notifications, 'infinite scrolling or autoplay,' and in-game purchases. It would also allow for more parental tools to manage the privacy settings of a minor, and ideally enable a parent to limit the ability for adults to communicate with their children via online platforms. Read More: 6 Red Flags About the Mental-Health Content You're Being Bombarded With on Social Media In 2024, KOSA seemingly had all the right ingredients to pass into law. It had bipartisan support, passed the Senate, and could have been put in front of President Joe Biden, who had indicated he would sign the bill. 'There is undeniable evidence that social media and other online platforms contribute to our youth mental health crisis,' President Biden wrote in a statement on July 30, 2024, after KOSA passed the Senate. 'Today our children are subjected to a wild west online and our current laws and regulations are insufficient to prevent this. It is past time to act.' Yet, the bill was stalled. House Speaker Mike Johnson cautioned Republicans against rushing to pass the bill. 'We've got to get it right,' Johnson said in December. 'Look, I'm a lifelong advocate of protection of children…and online safety is critically important…but we also have to make sure that we don't open the door for violations of free speech.' The bill received support across both aisles, and has now been endorsed by some of the 'big tech giants' it aims to regulate, including Elon Musk and X, Microsoft, and Apple. 'Apple is pleased to offer our support for the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA). Everyone has a part to play in keeping kids safe online, and we believe [this] legislation will have a meaningful impact on children's online safety,' Timothy Powderly, Apple's senior director of government affairs, said in a statement earlier in May after the bill was reintroduced. But other tech giants, including Facebook and Instagram's parent Meta, opposed the bill last year. Politico reported that 14 lobbyists employed directly by Meta, as well as outside firms, worked the issue. The bill was reintroduced on May 14 by Republican Sen. Marsha Blackburn and Democratic Sen. Richard Blumenthal, who were joined by Senate Majority Leader John Thune and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer. 'Senator Blackburn and I made a promise to parents and young people when we started fighting together for the Kids Online Safety Act—we will make this bill law. There's undeniable awareness of the destructive harms caused by Big Tech's exploitative, addictive algorithms, and inescapable momentum for reform,' said Blumenthal in a statement announcing the bill's reintroduction. 'I am grateful to Senators Thune and Schumer for their leadership and to our Senate colleagues for their overwhelming bipartisan support. KOSA is an idea whose time has come—in fact, it's urgently overdue—and even tech companies like X and Apple are realizing that the status quo is unsustainable. Read More: 'We're In a New World': American Teenagers on Mental Health and How to Cope Since KOSA's first introduction, it's been the site of controversy over free speech and censorship concerns. In 2024, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) discouraged the passage of KOSA at the Senate level, arguing that the bill violated First Amendment-protected speech. 'KOSA compounds nationwide attacks on young peoples' right to learn and access information, on and offline,' said Jenna Leventoff, senior policy counsel at the ACLU. 'As state legislatures and school boards across the country impose book bans and classroom censorship laws, the last thing students and parents need is another act of government censorship deciding which educational resources are appropriate for their families. The House must block this dangerous bill before it's too late.' Some LGBTQ+ rights groups also opposed KOSA in 2024—arguing that the broadly worded bill could empower state attorneys general to determine what kind of content harms kids. One of the bill's co-sponsors, Blackburn, has previously said that one of the top issues conservatives need to be aware of is 'protecting minor children from the transgender in this culture and that influence.' Calling out social media, Blackburn said 'this is where children are being indoctrinated.' Other organizations including Center for Democracy & Technology, New America's Open Technology Institute, and Fight for the Future joined the ACLU in writing a letter to the House Energy and Commerce Committee in 2024, arguing that the bill would not—as intended—protect children, but instead threaten young people's privacy and lead to censorship. In response to these concerns, the newly-introduced version of the bill has been negotiated with 'several changes to further make clear that KOSA would not censor, limit, or remove any content from the internet, and it does not give the FTC [Federal Trade Commission] or state Attorneys General the power to bring lawsuits over content or speech,' Blumenthal's statement on the bill reads. Now, KOSA is back where it started—sitting in Congress waiting for support. With its new changes, lawmakers argue that they have heard the concerns of opposing advocates. KOSA still needs support and passage from Congress—and signing from President Donald Trump—in order to pass into law. Trump's son, Donald Trump Jr., has previously voiced strong support of the bill. 'We can protect free speech and our kids at the same time from Big Tech. It's time for House Republicans to pass the Kids Online Safety Act ASAP,' Trump Jr. said on X on Dec. 8, 2024. Contact us at letters@
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang says San Francisco is so back — thanks to AI
Photo: Jemal Countess / Stringer (Getty Images) Nvidia (NVDA) CEO Jensen Huang said AI has revived a dying San Francisco that many thought wouldn't recover from the pandemic. 'It's because of AI that San Francisco is back,' Huang said while speaking to Jacob Helberg, Trump's undersecretary for Economic Growth, Energy, and the Environment, at The Hill & Valley Forum. 'Anybody who lives in San Francisco, you'll know what I'm talking about. Just about everybody evacuated San Francisco,' he said, 'Now it's thriving again. It's all because of AI.' A 2024 article from The San Francisco Standard called AI companies San Francisco's 'most desired tenants.' It cited a JLL (JLL) report that found AI companies leased north of 1.7 million square feet of office space since 2022, when ChatGPT was released. Chris Pham, senior analyst at JLL, predicted a continued AI boom in the city, likening it to the invention of electricity, instead of just another new industry. In his remarks with Helberg, Huang acknowledged that as AI progresses, 'new jobs will be created, some jobs will be lost, and every job will be changed.' 'It's not AI that's going to take your job. It's not AI that's going to destroy your company,' he said, encouraging widespread adoption of the technology. 'It's the company and the person who uses AI that's going to take your job. And so that's something to internalize.' For the latest news, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Yahoo
16-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Jonathan Greenblatt
Credit - Jemal Countess—Getty Images for Anti-Defamation League Protecting the Jewish people has never been an easy job. But when threats escalated, Jonathan Greenblatt transformed the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) into an indispensable shield. In 2024 alone, the ADL briefed 17,000 law-enforcement officers, analyzed 10 million extremist messages, and processed 17,000 antisemitic incident reports. It's helped federal agencies and tech companies, and provided education materials for children. Greenblatt has challenged antisemitism on both sides of the aisle, and maintained his commitment to civil rights. After pushing for a campus crackdown on antisemitism, he spoke out against deporting student protesters. His critics have come from both left and right. But so have the threats to Jewish safety. In a moment that demands operational excellence and moral clarity, Greenblatt delivers both. Jones, a political commentator, is the founder of Contact us at letters@
