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FTC penalizes Cox Media for falsely advertising phone-spying to target ads
21 hours ago•Source: The Verge
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9.115 min•2 days ago
Florida agriculture battered by drought, freezes and wildfires, driving multibillion-dollar losses
Florida’s agriculture sector is contending with a string of natural disasters—historic drought, winter freezes and wildfires—that have caused billions in damages, with citrus and berries hardest hit. Insurance coverage gaps leave many farmers vulnerable, and while USDA emergency loans offer some relief, officials and industry leaders are pressing for faster federal aid or block grants to reimburse losses. The downturn could force replanting and longer-term changes in farming as producers try to recover for next year.
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New York weighs ban on baking additive, reshaping pizza and bagels
NBC News•4 days ago
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Workplace monitoring tools spill worker data to third parties, study finds
theverge.com•4 days ago
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Meta settles major school-district case as social-media lawsuits mount
Meta settled its Breathitt County School District case, part of a wave of settlements by YouTube, Snap, and TikTok over social-media harms to youths; terms were not disclosed. The dispute was set to be the first bellwether trial in the federal MDL, with around 1,200 districts still involved and upcoming July proceedings in Los Angeles and a January federal bellwether.
Minnesota Medicaid fraud indictment: 15 charged in $90 million autism services scheme
The Department of Justice indicted 15 Minnesotans for a $90 million Medicaid fraud scheme tied to autism services. CMS has withheld Medicaid payments over fraud concerns, and Minnesota plans to revalidate high‑risk providers as part of a broader crackdown, highlighting tensions between the Trump administration and state oversight of federal funds.
House votes to boost housing supply in rare bipartisan moment
The House passed the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act in a rare 396-13 vote, signaling bipartisan will to boost housing supply through incentives and local-approval reforms; a Senate provision that would require seven-year resale of certain rental homes is not in the House bill, creating potential path hurdles and a conference process. The Trump administration signaled support, and leaders want to move quickly before July. April housing starts were 1.465 million annualized, down 2.8% from March, underscoring ongoing underproduction; a shared element is relaxing manufactured-housing rules (no chassis) to lower costs and boost productivity.
White House eyes voluntary AI model reviews in sweeping policy order
The White House is drafting an executive order to tighten AI oversight by creating a coalition of federal agencies to scrutinize frontier AI models, using a voluntary 90-day pre-release review, with sections on cybersecurity and model benchmarking; it would require 30 days to secure networks and to expand federal AI use, plus a Treasury-led voluntary industry clearinghouse to patch vulnerabilities, and a 60-day process to define what counts as a frontier model, with NSA/NIST involvement, an OPM push to hire AI talent, and it could land as soon as Thursday amid industry tensions over advanced systems like Mythos.
California advances bill to keep online games playable after shutdowns
A California Assembly appropriations committee advanced the Protect Our Games Act, which would require digital game publishers to offer refunds or updated versions to keep games playable after online services end, and to notify players 60 days before shutdown; the measure would apply to paid games sold in California on or after January 1, 2027, with exemptions for completely free games and subscription-only titles. The bill, championed by Stop Killing Games and opposed by the Entertainment Software Association, still must clear both legislative chambers and gain the governor’s signature, and faces licensing and IP considerations that opponents argue could be problematic.
Student-built map catalogs AI data centers and policy worldwide
A University of Washington student created an open, self-updating interactive map that tracks where data centers are being built and how AI policy is evolving around the world, using Epoch AI data and automated news summaries; the project highlights a patchwork of responses—from water and energy concerns to tax breaks—and argues that greater transparency could empower communities to negotiate benefits like jobs, tax revenue, and environmental monitoring.
Rethinking the Skies: Why Airline Crises Require Public-Utility Regulation
Spirit’s collapse exposes how a deregulated, highly concentrated airline industry relies on mergers and bailouts rather than competitive resilience. The piece argues the fix isn't more mergers or rescues but a structural shift: nationalization, a public option, regulated competition, or partial regulation to ensure stable, nationwide service and prevent fragile, monopoly- or duopoly-driven outages.
Missouri's Zero Income Tax Plan Sparks Education Funding and Budget Worries
Missouri lawmakers are weighing a ballot measure to eliminate the state income tax, potentially paired with a sales tax expansion, a move supporters say would boost competitiveness and give residents more take-home pay; critics warn it could devastate public education funding and hit lower- and middle-income families hardest, citing Kansas' 2010s tax cuts that left a budget shortfall and districts cutting time and money for schools. The plan's supporters argue revenue growth could offset losses, but evidence from other states is mixed and opponents question whether a switch to higher sales taxes would really help the budget or residents.
DEA Expands Federal Registration for Medical Cannabis Firms Ahead of Schedule III Move
DEA says it will roll out new registration forms for Medical Marijuana Manufacturer, Bulk Manufacturer, Analytical Lab, and Distributor to align with the DOJ’s phased move of marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III. The current 60-day dispensary registration window ends June 26, and the new forms will be posted in coming weeks on the DEA Diversion Registration page. The applications will require details on licenses, security measures, ownership, suppliers, and access to controlled substances, and carry a nonrefundable $794 fee (PayPal now; other payment options to be added). The update is part of broader rescheduling actions, which include an expedited hearing process starting June 29; IRS guidance on taxes and ATF form updates are also anticipated as federal policy shifts on cannabis.
Arizona hunger crisis widens as SNAP rules tighten under Trump-era law
Arizona is enforcing tighter SNAP rules under a Trump-era law, causing hundreds of thousands to lose benefits nationwide and about 200,000 children in Arizona to be cut off; hunger and food-bank demand are rising as processing delays and more documentation slow benefits, while experts warn the changes will worsen inequality and health costs.