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California health officials have released new scientific findings that suggest the health risks from exposure to two chemicals present in ambient air, acrolein and ethylene oxide, are worse than previously known. LA Times
Tom Steyer's campaign appears to have relied on paid influencers more than any candidate for governor, according to the most recent campaign finance filings. LA Times
"As soon as I'm elected, I'll start the process of having all American candidates and elected officials who knowingly accepted Israeli-affiliated money tried for treason," Maureen Galindo said. New York Post
At least five people have been injured – with one in critical condition – after an inferno erupted at Robbins Lumber mill in Searsmont, about 90 miles from Portland, at around 11 a.m. New York Post
Mohammad Baqer Saad Dawood Al-Saadi is accused of leading attacks in Europe and being part of a retaliation campaign by Iran. Prosecutors say he is a leader of Kataib Hezbollah, an Iraqi militia with ties to Iran. New York Times
In a new tactic, the Justice Department this week instructed federal prosecutors to build criminal drug cases against Mexican officials using terrorism statutes. New York Times
Dozens of deaths and hundreds of infections are suspected, an African agency said. Health experts were alarmed that the outbreak hadn’t been announced sooner. New York Times
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The U.S. House of Representatives has voted to reject a bill that sought to slash nearly half a billion dollars from the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) budget. OANN
Central Intelligence Administration (CIA) Director John Ratcliffe led a U.S. delegation to meet with Cuban officials in Havana, according to the Cuban government. OANN
Two weeks after the U.S. Supreme Court invalidated Louisiana’s previous congressional boundaries, the state Senate approved a revised map on Thursday in a 27–10 party-line vote. OANN
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U.S. Attorney for D.C. Jeanine Pirro vowed to clamp down on juvenile curfew enforcement, telling parents that they could face charges if their children violate curfew. Washington Times
The Freedom 250 task force, established by the president to help celebrate America's 250th anniversary, wants to set a world record for fireworks on Independence Day. Washington Times
Under pressure from federal and state authorities, Texas Children's Hospital has agreed to pay a penalty of $10 million, to agree not to perform any more gender transition procedures on children and to establish a first-of-its-kind "detransition clinic" to help children who have already gone through it. Washington Times
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U.S. Attorney for D.C. Jeanine Pirro announced Friday that her office is pursuing the death penalty for the man accused of fatally shooting two Israeli Embassy staffers outside the Capital Jewish Museum last year. Washington Times
A Florida news outlet was exposed as a fake media outlet built entirely on artificial intelligence-generated reporters and stolen content. Washington Times
A North Texas man who experts for both prosecutors and defense attorneys have said is intellectually disabled faced execution Thursday evening for the death of a retired college professor after the U.S. Supreme Court lifted a stay that had put it on hold. Washington Times
President Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping concluded their summit in Beijing on Friday with both countries looking to claim the visit as a win. CBS
Sens. Tammy Duckworth of Illinois and Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin say their concern is there may be more emergency exit doors than flight attendants in the event of an evacuation. CBS
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The Supreme Court has maintained mail access to the abortion pill mifepristone, setting aside for now a lower court order that blocked abortion providers from prescribing the widely used drug through telehealth and shipping it to patients. CBS
The Senate unanimously agreed to adopt a resolution on Thursday that will withhold senators' pay during a lapse in funding for any federal agency. CBS
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Admiral Brad Cooper of U.S. Central Command told the Senate Armed Services Committee that U.S. forces have destroyed more than 90% of Iran's inventory of 8,000 naval mines. CBS
President Donald Trump spoke about Taiwan after a two-day visit to China, where he said he discussed Iran, and trade deals with Chinese President Xi Jingping. CNBC
An alleged Tren de Aragua leader known as Chuqui was extradited from Colombia to face terrorism and cocaine distribution charges in Houston federal court. FOX News
FBI offers $200,000 reward for former U.S. counterintelligence agent Monica Witt, indicted on espionage charges for allegedly aiding Iran's regime. FOX News
Violent crime fell sharply across the U.S. in 2025, with murders declining over 18% in the largest drop since 1937, according to FBI crime data. FOX News
The U.S. Supreme Court's decision in the voting rights case Louisiana vs. Callais has added a new chapter in an ongoing redistricting battle across the country. UPI
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For the last three decades, internet giants have been able to avoid legal exposure for content on their platforms, thanks to a law that differentiates the companies from online publishers. But those safeguards appear to be weakening. Change has long been needed.
Meta and Google, which dominate the U.S. digital ad market, find themselves as defendants in a host of lawsuits that collectively serve to undermine the long-held notion that they have legal protection for what surfaces on their sites, apps and services. Companies like TikTok and Snap are in the same predicament.
The unifying aspect of the recent cases is that they’re crafted to circumventSection 230of the Communications Decency Act, which Congress passed in 1996 and President Bill Clinton signed into law. Established in the early days of the internet, the law protects websites from being sued over content posted by their users, and allows them to act as moderators without being held liable for what stays up.
Last week, a jury in New Mexicofound Meta liable in a case involving child safety, while jurors in Los Angeles held the Facebook parent and Google’s YouTubenegligentin a personal injury trial. Days after those verdicts were revealed, victims of the notorious sex offender Jeffrey Epstein filed aclass action lawsuitagainst Google and the Trump administration over allegations related to the wrongful disclosure of personal information.
In that complaint, the plaintiffs argue that Google’s AI Mode, which serves up AI-powered summaries and links, is “not a neutral search index,” a clear effort to make the case that Google isn’t just a platform sitting between users and the information they seek. “The plaintiffs’ bar is winning the war against section 230 through systematic, relentless litigation that is causing there to be divots and chinks in its protection,” said Eric Goldman, a law professor at Santa Clara University School of Law, in an interview.
The stakes are massive as the technology sector exits the era of traditional online search and social networking and enters a world defined by artificial intelligence, where models designed by the owners of the largest platforms are serving up conversational chats, pictures and videos that can range from controversial to potentially illegal. The financial penalties to date have been minimal — less than $400 million in damages between the two verdicts last week — but the cases establish a troubling precedent for tech giants that are betting their future on AI.
“For so long, tech companies have used Section 230 as an excuse to avoid taking meaningful action to protect users, but especially kids from egregious harms, harassment and abuse, frauds and scams,” Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) said in March during a U.S. Senate Commerce Committee hearing tied to the 30th anniversary of Section 230. “It’s not that they don’t know what’s happening or even why it’s happening. It’s that to do something about it would be to hurt their bottom line. And so long as federal law provides a shield, why even bother?” Meta declined to comment for this story. Google didn’t respond to a request for comment. Both companies said they plan to appeal last week’s verdicts.
