Latest news with #StateAffairsCommittee
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Texas lawmakers are poised to ban minors from social media
The Texas Legislature is poised to impose sweeping restrictions on how minors use social media, from banning them from signing up for accounts and requiring parental consent to download applications, to placing warning labels about their dangers. House Bill 186, filed by Rep. Jared Patterson, R-Frisco, has already passed with bipartisan support in the House, and a Senate panel has indicated its support as well. The proposal, the most far-reaching of the bills lawmakers have filed to address online dangers this session, would prohibit minors from creating accounts on social media sites, such as Twitter, TikTok, Facebook, Snapchat, and more, and require users to verify their ages. Companies would have to comply with the ban by April 2026. 'Like so many parents across our state, I've watched my children grow up in a world that feels less and less safe, not because of where they go physically, but because of where they go online, in spaces that my wife and I can not possibly monitor at all times,' said Sen. Adam Hinojosa, R-Corpus Christi, co-sponsor of the bill, during a State Affairs Committee hearing last week. The bill would also allow parents to request the deletion of their child's social media account, and a company must comply within 10 days. Under this bill, any website that allows users to curate and create content is considered a social media website and cut off from minors. News and sports websites will be safe. As of June 2024, 10 states, including Texas, have passed laws restricting children's access to social media, according to the Age Verification Providers Association. However, a ban on social media for Texans under 18 would be the strictest regulation of the social media industry. Currently, Florida is the only other state with a ban on social media, but it's only for minors under 14, and they are working to extend the ban to those under 16. Last week, lawmakers sent Senate Bill 2420, by Sen. Angela Paxton, R-McKinney, to Gov. Greg Abbott's desk, establishing age verification requirements and mandating parental consent before a minor is allowed to download or make purchases within software applications. Lawmakers are also considering House Bill 499, by Rep. Mary González, D-Clint, which would require social media platforms to have a warning label about the association between a minor's social media usage and significant mental health issues. 'We have the ability and the power to act today. With House Bill 186, we confront the evil before us and boldly say, 'You cannot have our children,'' Hinojosa said in an emotional address to lawmakers. Last week, senators in the State Affairs Committee heard from many teenagers who told them that while their hearts might be in the right place, an outright social media ban for anyone under 18 is not the answer. Many suggested lowering the age limit to 16 instead. 'The harmful content that young people are exposed to online does not disappear when they turn 18,' said Morgan McGuire, a 17-year-old Texas resident and TikToker with over a million followers. 'The bill throws young adults into a digital world at a time when they are living on their own for the first time, without the support systems that they had as minors, which can have serious harm on mental health.' Teenagers pointed out to lawmakers that most of their lives and careers are intertwined with social media, whether it's the 17-year-old TikToker making makeup videos or the five-star athlete posting highlight videos on Twitter and YouTube in hopes that coaches see them. 'It will be putting Texas high school student athletes at a disadvantage for several reasons, including getting information on programs, connecting with coaches, and competitiveness,' said William Weed, a Texas teenage athlete, to lawmakers. 'Colleges are not only looking at athletic skill and performance, but also an athlete's brand and social media presence in today's age of Name Image and Likeness rights.' However, lawmakers see this digital world as not an asset but a threat. 'If this were an ideal world, we could do what you guys are saying. But it's obvious that social media platforms are doing exactly what my fear is. And we have countless research stories of peers your age, committing suicide and being bullied,' said Hinojosa. Studies show that 95% of youth aged 13 to 17 report using social media, with more than a third stating they use social media 'almost constantly.' Nearly 40% of children aged 8 to 12 use social media, despite most platforms requiring a minimum age of 13 to sign up, according to a study by the U.S. Surgeon General. Two years ago, the American Federation of Teachers and the American Psychological Association, among other national organizations, called out social media platforms for undermining classroom learning, increasing costs for school systems, and being a 'root cause' of the nationwide youth mental health crisis. Paxton pointed out that all these bills avoid regulating online gaming, a space where many negative interactions can happen, and questioned why this wasn't being addressed in the social media ban. Hinojosa responded that social media is just a starting point. 'We're making something new,' he said. This isn't the first time Texas has attempted to rein in social media, but each attempt has ended in a court debate. 'House Bill 186 conflicts with Texas contract law and undermines teens' right to access information, express themselves, and participate in the digital economy,' said Megan Stokes, state policy director of the Computer and Communications Industry Association, in a news release. 'A 14-year-old can legally work in retail or food service in Texas, but this bill would prevent them from even having a social media account.' Gov. Greg Abbott signed House Bill 18 into law in 2023, known as the Securing Children Online through Parental Empowerment Act. The SCOPE Act requires certain social media platforms to provide minors with certain data protections, prevent minors from accessing harmful content, and give parents tools to manage their child's use of the service. It also required school districts to obtain parental consent for most software and social media applications used in the classroom and look for internet alternatives for instruction. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has already sued TikTok twice under this law, accusing the company of violating deceptive trade law by downplaying its addictiveness and exposing children to explicit material. The suit argues that TikTok, a short-form video app, violated the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act by listing itself on app stores as appropriate for children and not effectively enforcing its community guidelines. The Apple App Store lists TikTok as rated for those 12 and older, while the Microsoft and Google Play Stores list the app as appropriate for users 13 and older. TikTok has denied these allegations, and the issue has been playing out in court since last year, with various student groups and internet providers suing Paxton for violating First Amendment rights. Opponents of this new batch of social media bills told lawmakers the same thing would happen again. 'The way this bill is currently written, it would end up restricting the First Amendment rights of minors,' Stokes told lawmakers Thursday. 'Many Texas teens rely on these online platforms to connect with their peers, to share their interests, to find support for personal or academic growth, and this will be taken from them.' Disclosure: Apple, Facebook, Google and Microsoft have been financial supporters of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribune's journalism. Find a complete list of them here. First round of TribFest speakers announced! Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist Maureen Dowd; U.S. Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-San Antonio; Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker; U.S. Sen. Adam Schiff, D-California; and U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Dallas are taking the stage Nov. 13–15 in Austin. Get your tickets today!
Saba Yemen
04-05-2025
- Politics
- Saba Yemen
N Korean leader visits main tank manufacturing plant
Pyongyang - Saba: North Korean leader Kim Jong Un inspected the country's main tank manufacturing plant on Sunday, stressing the need to replace old armored vehicles with modern tanks. The North's official Korean Central News Agency reported that "Leader Kim Jong Un oversaw the operations of the main tank manufacturing plant and inspected various sections of the plant, closely examining the state of production, modernization, and the implementation of the research mission into main tank technologies." The North Korean leader emphasized that "abandoning old armored vehicles and equipping them with the latest tanks and modern armored vehicles is the most important issue in modernizing the ground forces," expressing satisfaction with the modernization of the tanks' designs and firing systems produced by North Korea. In his remarks, Kim Jong Un called on the plant to "unremittingly" improve its technologies, increase production rates, and pay attention to improving the working environment. Last Friday, North Korea celebrated the launching of a new destroyer in a grand ceremony held at the Nampo shipyard on April 25, the anniversary of the founding of the first armed forces of the Korean Revolution. The Korean Central News Agency reported that "the ceremony was attended by Kim Jong Un, General Secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea and Chairman of the State Affairs Committee of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea." Kim Jong Un delivered a historic speech during the launching ceremony of the destroyer, named Choe Hyon, emphasizing the importance of this achievement in advancing the country's naval modernization. Commemorative photos were taken of Kim Jong Un with the ship's officers and crew, as well as with distinguished officials and workers at the shipyard and the institute responsible for designing the destroyer, who he praised for their role in completing this historic project, according to the agency. This launch is part of Pyongyang's efforts to enhance its naval capabilities and modernize its warship fleet. Previously, North Korea accused its neighbors, South Korea and the United States, of stoking tensions through their joint military exercises, warning that it would deter any hostile attempt by the two allies. North Korea's Defense Ministry described the US-Korean air drills as a "reckless and unnecessary abuse of force and a grave provocation," considering them "raising regional military tension to an extremely dangerous level," according to South Korea's Yonhap news agency. The ministry accused the United States of deploying strategic assets such as nuclear submarines, bombers, and aircraft carriers on the peninsula to a new record level. It considered these US actions to have become a routine military practice, warning that "the US's demonstrative military action will bring serious negative consequences to the security situation." Whatsapp Telegram Email Print
Yahoo
02-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Will Saturday's elections be the last one in May for Texas?
LUFKIN — Saturday could be the last municipal election Texas will ever hold in May. And in Lovelady, a community of nearly 600 people in East Texas, they'll end the evening with a shrimp boil at their polling place. Cynthia Lum, the Houston County elections administrator overseeing Lovelady's voting this year, hopes the shrimp brings more folks to the polls. 'In their last election, which they ran themselves, they had two voters,' Lum said. 'So we've tripled their votes so far.' Participation in municipal elections, which largely happen the first Saturday in May, is notoriously low. That's one reason why Texas lawmakers are considering ending them. Senate Bill 1209, authored by Sen. Bryan Hughes, a Mineola Republican, would require most elections to be held in November and on Tuesdays. There are exceptions for the primaries, runoffs and special elections. That means city and school districts would be required to hold their elections in November, rather than May, as they are now. Hughes said he hopes the change will save money and drive up voter turnout. 'Low turnout elections are closely and resource-intensive. And since each election has substantial fixed costs, the cost per ballot increases significantly when there's low turnout,' Hughes told the State Affairs Committee. The drop from a general fall election to ones held in May are staggering. In November 2022, about 44% of registered Dallas County voters participated in the election. The next May, just 9%. 'People don't pay attention to local elections, and in May, they generally are local elections,' said Joyce LeBombard, president of the League of Women Voters in Texas. 'Usually, governor elections and above get more attention than anything else, even though those local elections impact voters, generally much more than National elections." Many small Texas cities, like Lovelady, will be lucky to see a dozen voters this weekend. Lum says the legislation, which has already won approval from the state Senate and is waiting for a House committee to review it, would ease the strain on smaller counties and cities of holding multiple elections a year. And it has the potential to save taxpayers. Elections cost a lot of money. Houston County estimated the Lovelady election might cost up to $15,000. That cost includes hiring election workers, voting machines and other supplies. Elections in the state's largest counties could run into the millions. For example, the 2021 May election in Dallas County cost more than $3.1 million. Moving the elections to November would instead allow more counties, cities and schools to split the cost, which could make a difference in small communities. 'Let's say it costs $8,000 to run one precinct, that $8,000 could be divided by the school, the city and possibly the hospital district,' Lum said. 'So instead of $8,000, you're dividing it between four entities and talking about a couple thousand.' While the change could save money, there are potential drawbacks. Large counties worry the change would create a lengthy ballot, which, in turn, would mean longer waiting times for voters, said Jennifer Doinoff, who spoke during the State Affairs Committee hearing on behalf of large and small counties for the Texas Association of County Election Officials. 'Another concern is that some (counties) feel that moving all the jurisdictions of the May ballot would increase the number of December runoffs, resulting in very low turnout for those elections, and that those runoffs typically happen right during the holidays,' Doinoff said. Small counties were typically in favor of the bill. Many small counties, who have smaller staff, struggle to carry out multiple elections at one time and meet deadlines, Doinoff said. Lum said there were many years in which she'd just finish everything needed for the March primaries when the May elections rolled around. And it became more hectic if a May runoff election was also needed. There would be different complications. Lum said. School districts whose borders span two counties would have to work out where voters cast their ballots, and it may complicate the timeline for bond issues. School districts will often seek bonds during the May elections with the goal of starting, and hopefully finishing, work by the start of school the following August, she said. Requiring a November election throws that out the window. 'Senate Bill 1209, removes local control and creates unnecessary financial and logistical burdens,' said Christopher Smith, the chief financial officer for Katy Independent School District, who spoke against this bill at the March 20 committee meeting. Smith, who also spoke on behalf of the Fast Growth Schools Coalition, added moving school elections to November could cost school board candidates and supporters of bond elections more money to advertise amid national politics. Common Cause Texas, a nonprofit voting advocacy group, opposes the bill. Emily French, the group's policy director, said in an interview, she worries that prohibiting election on Saturday could disenfranchise people who must work on Tuesdays. LeBombard, the League of Women Voters leader, sees it differently and thinks turnout will increase. 'There will be more items in the election for voters to think about and for people to talk about,' LeBombard said. 'So it will likely get more coverage than if it's just a (municipal water district) having an election.' Disclosure: Common Cause has been a financial supporter of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribune's journalism. Find a complete list of them here. Tickets are on sale now for the 15th annual Texas Tribune Festival, Texas' breakout ideas and politics event happening Nov. 13–15 in downtown Austin. TribFest 2025 is presented by JPMorganChase.
Yahoo
28-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Putin thanks North Korea for troops deployed in Russia
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday thanked North Korea for deploying troops to aid in the Kremlin's recent military operation against Ukraine. 'Our North Korean friends' move was guided by a sense of solidarity, justice and genuine comradery,' Putin said in a statement, reported by the state-run news organization TASS. 'We highly appreciate this and are sincerely grateful, personally to the Chairman of the State Affairs Committee, Comrade Kim Jong-un, as well as to the entire leadership and the people of North Korea,' he continued. Putin praised North Korean soldiers for standing 'shoulder to shoulder' with Russia's soldiers. 'We commend the North Korean soldiers' heroism, their excellent training and dedication displayed while fighting, shoulder to shoulder with Russian soldiers, defending our Motherland as their own,' Putin continued in the statement. 'They fulfilled their duty with honor and valor, covering themselves with unfading glory,' he added. The statement comes just hours after North Korea first confirmed the troop deployment. The U.S. and its allies reported last fall that North Korea was deploying thousands of troops to aid Russia against Ukraine. The comments also come amid a deepening military alliance between the two countries. The Kremlin said the troop deployment was carried out under a mutual defense treaty signed in June 2024. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Hill
28-04-2025
- Politics
- The Hill
Putin thanks North Korea for troops deployed in Russia
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday thanked North Korea for deploying troops to aid in the Kremlin's recent military operation against Ukraine. 'Our North Korean friends' move was guided by a sense of solidarity, justice and genuine comradery,' Putin said in a statement, reported by the state-run news organization, TASS. 'We highly appreciate this and are sincerely grateful, personally to the Chairman of the State Affairs Committee, Comrade Kim Jong-un, as well as to the entire leadership and the people of North Korea,' he continued. Putin praised North Korean soldiers for standing 'shoulder to shoulder' with Russia's soldiers. 'We commend the North Korean soldiers' heroism, their excellent training and dedication displayed while fighting, shoulder to shoulder with Russian soldiers, defending our Motherland as their own,' Putin continued in the statement. 'They fulfilled their duty with honor and valor, covering themselves with unfading glory,' he added. The statement comes just hours after North Korea first confirmed the troop deployment. The U.S. and its allies reported last fall that North Korea was deploying thousands of troops to aid Russia against Ukraine. The comments also mark a deepening military alliance between the two countries. The Kremlin said the troop deployment was carried out under their mutual defense treaty signed in June.
