Latest news with #JonathanSkrmetti
Yahoo
17-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
TN Attorney General co-leads letter opposing amendment that would limit state AI regulation
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti is looking to keep Artificial Intelligence regulations up to the states. On Friday, Skrmetti joined a coalition of 36 other state attorneys general in leading a letter to oppose a federal ban on state regulation of AI products. The letter warns that an amendment added in the Budget Reconciliation Bill by the U.S. House and Energy and Commerce Committee would impose a 10-year ban on states from enforcing 'any state law or regulation addressing AI and automated decision-making systems.' FBI issues warning about AI voice impersonations of US officials According to the attorneys general, the bill will affect hundreds of existing and pending state laws that were passed and considered by both Republican and Democrat state legislatures. Skrmetti's office said states have been at the forefront of keeping consumers protected from the dangers of AI. 'The combined efforts of the states and the federal government have been, at best, barely enough to protect consumers from Big Tech,' said Skrmetti. 'AI has incredible potential but amplifies every risk we've seen from Big Tech and creates new risks we don't fully understand. Eliminating state oversight through this reconciliation amendment guarantees Americans will suffer repeated violations of their privacy, consumer protection, and antitrust laws.' ⏩ The bipartisan letter urges Congress to reject the amendment, stating that it would 'leave Americans entirely unprotected from the potential harms of AI' and would wipe any state-level frameworks that are already in place. To read the entire letter, . Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Claims process opens for former patients of HRC Medical Centers
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — Customers who bought bioidentical hormone replacement therapy treatments from HRC Medical Centers may be eligible for a claim. On Tuesday, Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti's office officially announced the claims process had been opened for HRC Medical Centers because the company allegedly deceptively advertised hormone therapy treatments. The state sued the company in 2012 for the deceptive statements and obtained an $18 million judgment five years later. 📧 Have breaking news come to you: Subscribe to News 2 email alerts → In a press release, Skrmetti's office said that they believe they collected all currently available assets from the defendants and will begin distributing the roughly $1.5 million they've been able to collect. 'For more than a decade, our office has worked hard to protect consumers and secure restitution from HRC Medical Centers for misleading Tennesseans about the safety and efficacy of life-altering treatments,' Skrmetti said. 'While we are disappointed we could not recover more, we've known for a long time that funds would be limited and we fought to obtain every possible dollar for consumers.' HRC Medical Centers had three locations — one of which was in Nashville. Skrmetti's office said that the restitution fund will be split among all those who file a valid claim with a maximum payout of $2,250 for each customer. Because the lawsuit did not address any claims of medical malpractice or negligence, the restitution payments will not include any compensation for medical injuries customers might have sustained. ⏩ Read today's top stories on All eligible people seeking restitution must submit a claim by August 30. You can follow this link to visit the restitution website or you can call 1-833-419-4862 with any questions. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKRN News 2.
Wall Street Journal
01-05-2025
- Business
- Wall Street Journal
A TikTok Choice for Google and Apple
President Trump has effectively suspended the law Congress passed last spring banning TikTok. Credit to GOP Attorneys General from Tennessee, Alabama and Montana for trying to enforce it. Attorneys General Jonathan Skrmetti (Tenn.), Austin Knudsen (Mont.) and Steve Marshall (Ala.) on Thursday evening subpoenaed Apple and Google for documents related to their compliance with the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act. That law required TikTok to divest from its Chinese owner ByteDance by Jan. 19 or be banned. The law passed with large majorities, but Mr. Trump on his first day in office granted TikTok a reprieve by promising not to enforce for 75 days the law's penalties against tech companies that continue to host the app. The President said the amnesty would give him time to negotiate a deal to sell TikTok to U.S. investors. It's unclear if ByteDance and Chinese President Xi Jinping would agree to a total divestment that complies with the law since Beijing deems TikTok's algorithms a state secret. Mr. Trump's 145% tariffs on China have also complicated negotiations. The President has extended his reprieve for another 75 days.
Yahoo
22-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Tennessee legislature puts state watchdog agency under attorney general
Responsibility for investigation claims of discrimination, including from state agencies, will become the responsibility of Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti after the legislature dissolved the Tennessee Human Rights Commission. (Photo: John Partipilo/Tennessee Lookout) The Tennessee Attorney General's Office could soon have the responsibility for investigating claims of discrimination by state agencies after the state Senate passed a measure dissolving the Human Rights Commission and moving operations to the AG's office. Senate Bill 861, sponsored by Huntingdon Republican Sen. John Stevens, passed Monday 27-6 on partisan lines. The House version, sponsored by Goodletsville Republican Rep. Johnny Garrett, passed Thursday. The bill would go next to the governor's desk for his signature. The 60-year-old commission is a nonpartisan and independent agency responsible for enforcing civil rights laws in employment, housing and public accommodation as well as discrimination claims against the state of Tennessee. Bill to give Tennessee AG civil rights oversight draws Democratic pushback over partisanship The measure has drawn criticism from Democrats who say handing discrimination claims to Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti sets up a 'fox in the henhouse' scenario. After Stevens referred to Skrmetti's office as 'the most nonpartisan' of Tennessee's three branches of government, Sen. Raumesh Akbari, a Memphis Democrat, disagreed. 'I'm not going to make it personal, but if you've never been discriminated against . . . it makes a difference who is investigating,' Akbari said. 'I would urge you to google the last few suits the attorney general has filed and I assure you their actions do not look nonpartisan.' Skrmetti has led or joined lawsuits that include a challenge to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission's rule prohibiting discrimination against women seeking abortions, litigation seeking to stop transgender medical care for minors and sent letters to corporations warning them against diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, among other actions. Tennessee Attorney General's Office to election finance office: We're 'not an investigative agency' Stevens said his review of the commission showed that thousands of claims have 'languished' and not been investigated. Democrats objected to that characterization. 'HRC testified to the fact they have several vacancies on their commission and it's because the House Speaker has refused the fill the vacancies since 2022,' said Sen. Charlane Oliver, a Nashville Democrat. 'We have crippled the ability of the HRC to do their job,' she said. 'That may be the reason they can't respond to complaints.' Sen. Kerry Roberts, a Springfield Republican, described the commission as 'enormously ineffective' before calling for a vote. Under the measure, the commission will be dissolved by July 1 and its 30 staff positions will move to the attorney general's office. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
21-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
TN AG celebrates ‘significant victory' against Google for alleged monopolies in digital advertising
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti announced a legal victory Monday after a federal judge ruled that Google violated the law by maintaining illegal monopolies in some of its online marketing technology. More than two years ago, Skrmetti joined a coalition of 17 attorneys general in suing Google for 'suppressing competition in the digital advertising technology industry.' RELATED: Multi-state coalition led by TN Attorney General submits final proposed remedies for 'illegal monopoly' by Google The lawsuit alleged that the technology company's market power allowed it to control nearly every aspect of online sales, permitting it to extract higher fees from advertisers while paying lower amounts to publishers for their ad space. In a press release, Skrmetti stated that Google's conduct hurt consumers and web publishers by making it harder for websites to make enough money on their advertising inventory, adding that it 'prevented them from offering internet users content for free without subscriptions, paywalls, or alternative form of monetization.' According to the Associated Press, Google was branded an abusive monopolist by a federal judge on Thursday for 'illegally exploiting some of its marketing technology to boost the profits fueling an internet empire currently worth $1.8 trillion.' ⏩ Skrmetti added the judge also found that the tech giant harmed competition, its customers and Internet users by imposing anticompetitive policies that reduced quality and increased prices. 'When Google reinforces interlocking products to exclude competition in ad sales, it's bad for content producers, it's bad for publishers, and ultimately it's bad for everyone,' said Skrmetti. 'Tennessee is proud to have been a part of this broad bipartisan coalition to hold a tech behemoth accountable and protect consumers.' A second phase of the trial to determine remedies for Google's conduct will reportedly take place at a later date. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
