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New York Post
7 hours ago
- General
- New York Post
Florida's social media ban for kids halted by federal judge
A federal judge has granted a preliminary injunction against Florida's HB 3, a law regarding youth and social media accounts. Chief U.S. District Judge Mark Walker in Tallahassee says in court documents obtained by FOX Business that the law is a violation of the First Amendment's protections on free speech. Walker's ruling on Tuesday sides with trade groups NetChoice and Computer and Communications Industry Association, putting HB 3 on hold until the litigation is resolved. 'Today's ruling is yet another affirmation that the government cannot control or censor online speech. Like all Americans, Floridians have the right to access lawful speech without the government controlling what they say, share or see online,' Chris Marchese, NetChoice Director of Litigation, said in a statement. 'Lawmakers should focus on real, constitutional alternatives that respect both family autonomy and free speech,' he continued. HB 3 requires social media platforms to bar users under the age of 14 and requires users 16 and under to have parental consent before opening an account. Getty Images Jeremy Redfern, a spokesman for Republican Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier, whose office is defending the law, said in a statement obtained by Reuters that the 'platforms do not have a constitutional right to addict kids to their products.' Uthmeier's office plans to appeal it to the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, he said. HB 3 requires social media platforms to bar users under the age of 14 and requires users under 16 to get parental consent before opening an account. It was supposed to go into effect Jan. 1, but was put on hold due to litigation. 'Today's ruling is yet another affirmation that the government cannot control or censor online speech,' NetChoice's director said. Getty Images NetChoice, which represents social media platforms, has won injunctions in recent months against similar laws in Utah and California that restricted the use of social media platforms by youths. In Tuesday's ruling, Walker said he appreciated that parents are concerned about their children's social media use, but that other, unchallenged provisions of the law offered them recourse. The industry groups did not address some parts of the law that directed social media companies to delete youth accounts at parental request.
Yahoo
10 hours ago
- General
- Yahoo
Federal judge halts Florida's social media ban for kids
A federal judge has granted a preliminary injunction against Florida's HB 3, a law regarding youth and social media accounts. Chief U.S. District Judge Mark Walker in Tallahassee says in court documents obtained by FOX Business that the law is a violation of the First Amendment's protections on free speech. Walker's ruling on Tuesday sides with trade groups NetChoice and Computer and Communications Industry Association, putting HB 3 on hold until the litigation is resolved. "Today's ruling is yet another affirmation that the government cannot control or censor online speech. Like all Americans, Floridians have the right to access lawful speech without the government controlling what they say, share or see online," Chris Marchese, NetChoice Director of Litigation, said in a statement. Texas Bill Pushes Strictest Social Media Ban For Minors In The Nation "Lawmakers should focus on real, constitutional alternatives that respect both family autonomy and free speech," he continued. Read On The Fox Business App Jeremy Redfern, a spokesman for Republican Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier, whose office is defending the law, said in a statement obtained by Reuters that the "platforms do not have a constitutional right to addict kids to their products." Uthmeier's office plans to appeal it to the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, he said. Snapchat 'Openly Defying' Law, Allowing Kids Access To Harmful, Addictive Content: Florida Ag HB 3 requires social media platforms to bar users under the age of 14 and requires users under 16 to get parental consent before opening an account. It was supposed to go into effect Jan. 1, but was put on hold due to litigation. NetChoice, which represents social media platforms, has won injunctions in recent months against similar laws in Utah and California that restricted the use of social media platforms by youths. Click Here To Read More On Fox Business In Tuesday's ruling, Walker said he appreciated that parents are concerned about their children's social media use, but that other, unchallenged provisions of the law offered them recourse. The industry groups did not address some parts of the law that directed social media companies to delete youth accounts at parental request. Reuters contributed to this report. Original article source: Federal judge halts Florida's social media ban for kids
Yahoo
a day ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Safety tech company launches tool to help law enforcement solve cases faster
Flock Safety has released another piece of revolutionary technology aimed at keeping everyday civilians safe from crime. The company's new product, Flock Nova, helps law enforcement with a common but often overlooked problem – a lack of data sharing and access. "I operated under the assumption that if I got pulled over or arrested in one city, that city would have access to all the other arrests that have occurred across the country, and the sad reality is this is not how it works," Flock Safety CEO Garrett Langley told FOX Business. "And so, you might be doing a traffic stop on a very violent individual from a different state and have no idea. But now with Nova, we can disseminate that information and create an equal playing field for law enforcement and the people that they are trying to protect us from." Langley's company has already seen success in the law enforcement space with its license plate reader (LPR), which helped capture Paul Hyon Kim, who is facing charges related to arson at a Tesla facility in Las Vegas. Now, with Nova, Flock Safety is attempting to help law enforcement tackle the scourge of human trafficking. Tech Ceo Details His Company's Role In Catching Alleged Vegas Tesla Attacker The Flock Safety CEO told FOX Business that a "rapid decline in the law enforcement population" combined with Americans' unchanging safety expectations has created a "huge workload problem," something his company is aiming to combat with Nova. This especially comes into play with human trafficking, which Langley said can be "exceptionally hard to solve." Over the weekend, in raids across the country in which law enforcement used Nova, 87 adult victims and one juvenile victim were rescued. Additionally, there were 74 arrests, and seven firearms and $1.09 million seized, not including the cash inside an ATM that has yet to be opened. The operation, named "Coast to Coast," which took place over the course of 36 hours, targeted 26 illicit massage parlors in 19 states and included 157 police agencies. Read On The Fox Business App "TraffickStop, in collaboration with Flock Safety, is proud to provide investigators with the actionable intelligence they need to strengthen cases and hold traffickers accountable," said Andrew Romero, founder of Code Four Development. "As a retired organized crime detective, I've seen how real-time intelligence accelerates enforcement actions to dismantle criminal networks. We remain committed to equipping those on the front lines with the insights to move swiftly – and compassionately – against this crime." "I've been in law enforcement a little over 19 years now. And any time law enforcement has the ability to leverage a platform or emerging technology that increases access to investigative relevant information or data, it becomes a force multiplier for us. It allows us to better serve our communities and the survivors of the crimes that we investigate," Sgt. Arthur Nelsen, who works in Austin, Texas, told FOX Business. Nonprofit Urging Hhs To Reform 'Failed' National Human Trafficking Hotline, Replace With More Efficient Program Nelsen described law enforcement's tactics to fight human trafficking as having a "three-pillar approach," one of which, he says, is "public-private partnerships," such as the one with Flock Safety. However, Nelsen also told FOX Business that Nova allows law enforcement to "better prepare for proactive intervention that also prioritizes survivor safety." "As we try to improve," Nelsen said, "it's really critical that we develop these partnerships with the civilian companies and assets – AI software engineers or platform engineers – to be able for us to bring our tactical level knowledge and experience into systems such as these that benefit everybody within the community, our survivors, and strengthen case integrity and investigations for law enforcement." While Nova is AI-enabled, law enforcement agencies have the option of whether to use AI features, which is key for agencies in states that have regulations on AI. Langley told FOX Business that technologies like Nova are able to help law enforcement operate with a "level of precision that does not occur today." This, according to Langley, allows police to act "with surgical precision" against article source: Safety tech company launches tool to help law enforcement solve cases faster
Yahoo
a day ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Texas ‘Trump Burger' joint getting spammed by chicken taco comments online. Why?
A Texas-based burger company that celebrates President Donald Trump is getting spammed online with orders for chicken tacos, a play on a recent phrase about tariff policies. Trump Burger has four locations in southeast Texas, including one in Houston. The burger joints boast Trump-themed menu items, campaign decorations and burger buns stamped with "TRUMP." The first location opened in 2020, founded by Roland Beainy, who moved to the U.S. from Lebanon the year before, according to FOX Business. But recently, the company's Facebook page has been flooded with comments and reviews about chicken tacos. Some of these comments are a response to social media calls to contact the business about chicken tacos after Trump lashed out at a reporter asking about a term a columnist used to describe how some investors are responding to Trump's tariff policy whiplash. Here is the story behind those "chicken taco" comments. Financial Times columnist Robert Armstrong coined "TACO trade" in May, describing how some investors anticipate market rebounds amid Trump's on-again, off-again tariff policies. The acronym stands for "Trump always chickens out." Armstrong describes TACO trade as many investors' strategy to buy into the market that dips when Trump announces steep tariffs on the assumption that he will back off his tariff order, and the market will rebound. In response to questions about the phrase, Trump defended his record on tariffs and called it a "nasty" question. A few social media users have posted the names and numbers of the Trump Burger locations with seemingly sarcastic pleas not to call and order chicken tacos. Trump Burger's Facebook page, which has not posted since early May, has been inundated with comments and reviews talking about chicken tacos. "They ran out of chicken tacos. Was really looking forward to a TACO," one review stated. Similar comments can be found on their Instagram and TikTok posts. Yelp's reviews for two of the locations were turned off June 3, as the restaurant pages show an "Unusual Activity Alert" while Yelp "work(s) to investigate whether the content you see here reflects actual consumer experiences rather than the recent events." At least one review mentioned tacos, though it appears to have been removed for violating the platform's policy. Trump Burger did not respond to multiple forms of outreach from the USA TODAY Network on June 3. Trump Burger has four locations: Kemah, Bellville, Flatonia and Houston. Local media outlets have visited the Trump Burger locations to provide insight into the menu and atmosphere.. "Every Trump Burger location tries to outdo itself in nationalist and personality cult aesthetics," Brittany Britto Garley wrote in Eater Houston, adding there were better burgers to be had in Houston. Bao Ong at the Houston Chronicle wrote, "most dishes are unremarkable and far from making the Chronicle's best burgers guide." Both outlets reported that the restaurant chain has no official connection to the president. The Trump Organization did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Kinsey Crowley is the Trump Connect reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Reach her at kcrowley@ Follow her on X and TikTok @kinseycrowley or Bluesky at @ This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Chicken taco comments flood Trump Burger restaurants on Facebook, Yelp
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Fight over lumber tariffs could reshape future of US home building
Lumber is in the spotlight as the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) and the U.S. Lumber Coalition disagree over what's behind the U.S. housing market slump. FOX Business correspondent Kelly Saberi reported Monday that the NAHB has pointed to tariff uncertainty and lumber prices as being partly responsible. The U.S.'s current anti-dumping and anti-subsidy duty on imported Canadian softwood lumber stands at 14.5%. It could potentially climb later in the year to nearly 35%. Canada's softwood lumber makes up roughly 85% of America's imports and almost a quarter of the U.S. supply, according to the NAHB. "I share President Trump's desire to create fair and balanced trade across our borders, certainly would bring back as much production as we can," NAHB CEO Jim Tobin said. "But until we do that, and it will take years and millions of dollars of investment, we need to make sure that we have a reliable, affordable source of lumber." Saberi reported that the U.S. Lumber Coalition "says that the price of lumber says something different about this story." Read On The Fox Business App Between May 2021 and April of this year, the random lengths framing composite price decreased 67%, she reported. It stood at $442 per 1,000 board feet as of May 23, per the NAHB. Meanwhile, the price of new homes has gone up 21%, Saberi reported. "Everything from regulatory costs to the cost of land and, quite frankly, also the cost of home builder profitability rates that have gone up, those are actually the driving forces of home affordability," U.S. Lumber Coalition executive director Zoltan van Heyningen told FOX Business. "Lumber just isn't one of them." Click Here To Read More On Fox Business The U.S. Lumber Coalition has also been critical of Canada, saying that "ongoing unfair trade practices" by its lumber industry have been "extremely harmful to U.S. lumber producers, workers, and their forest-dependent communities." John Kalabich, the owner of Acme Lumber in Chicago, told Saberi he was able to keep prices relatively flat over the past 12 months because of the duty on Canadian lumber. He has also heard from contractors that the demand for small repair work and big-ticket construction has gone down. Trump Issues Executive Orders Addressing Lumber Production, National Security Concerns Last month, the U.S. Census Bureau said single-family housing starts suffered a 2.1% decline from March to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 927,000 in April. Sales of new single-family homes in April came in at a seasonally adjusted rate of 743,000, while sales of existing ones were 3.63 article source: Fight over lumber tariffs could reshape future of US home building
