Cases of Note

An artificial intelligence safety bill named  SB 1047  was overwhelmingly approved by California Congress on Wednesday and now heads to the Senate for final consideration. If enacted, the "fiercely debated" bill would require tech companies to safety-test AI programs prior to release, and empower the attorney general to sue AI companies for any major harm caused by their technologies. The bill earned cautious support from the likes of Elon Musk and Anthropic, while its opponents include OpenAI and former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi. This bill seeks to establish guardrails for the development of the most powerful AI models to avoid the more catastrophic possibilities about which experts have raised alarms. It places a series of obligations on developers of “covered models” and providers of the cloud compute for training such models. This bill also seeks to establish a framework for developing a public cloud-computing cluster that facilitates equitable participation in th

A law enforcement official appears on stage during a campaign event with former President Donald Trump at Butler Farm Fairgrounds in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13, 2024. On July 13th, former President Trump was rushed off stage after shots rang out at his rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, an incident that plunged the election into uncharted territory just days before the Republican National Convention. The FBI identified the suspect involved in the assassination attempt against Trump as Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, of Bethel Park. One rally attendee was killed and another one was injured, and the suspected shooter was also killed. These are the facts of the case. However, the question remains, how did this happen? This article is an attempt to explain the gaps in security that allowed this incident to take place. The Butler County Emergency Service Unit (ESU) was tasked with the following: Two Counter Assault Teams (CAT) Quick Reaction Force Teams  (QRF) Counter Sniper Teams Supporting

L-R Sean Combs and Crystal McKinney Case Summary Sean "Diddy" Combs is facing accusations from a former model, who claims in a lawsuit that she was drugged and sexually assaulted by the rap mogul. In the complaint, filed Tuesday in a U.S. District Court, Crystal McKinney claims that she was "drugged and sexually assaulted" in 2003 by Combs, 54, after a Men's Fashion Week event in New York City. The amount McKinney is seeking in damages is unspecified. McKinney, who was 22 at the time of the alleged assault, said that an unnamed fashion designer invited her to attend the event at Cipriani Downtown, a Manhattan restaurant, where she met Combs. She accuses Diddy, of forcing her to perform oral sex on him at his New York City recording studio in 2003.  McKinney said she was given alcohol and marijuana and then was led into a bathroom, where she said Combs attempted to force her into a sexual act. Combs has not yet responded. Because the allegations reference events

(L-R) Pitcher - Trevor Bauer, Martha Stewart, Golfer, Tiger Woods and Actor, Mel Gibson This article covers: Why Have a Moral Turpitude Clause? Why are Celebrities Involved in a Scandal not Reinstated? Sportscaster Marv Albert pleads guilty to misdemeanor assault and battery and is subsequently terminated by NBC. Mel Gibson makes anti-Semitic remarks during an arrest for drunk driving and ABC cancels his contract for a miniseries on the Holocaust. Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen are eliminated from “Got Milk?” advertisements because of Mary-Kate's eating disorder. Tiger Woods loses endorsement deals with brands such as Gatorade, AT&T and Accenture following his professed infidelity in late 2009 - losing him an estimated $20 million.  Why do companies such as AT&T, H&M, NBC, ABC, and the Milk Processor Education Program have the right to do this? Usually, these companies are permitted to terminate an agreement with talent based on actions like those of Marv Albert, Mel Gibson

Reforming Intelligence and Securing America Act passes House Update Passed Senate, under the order of April 19, 2024, having achieved 60 votes in the affirmative, without amendment by Yea-Nay Vote. 60 - 34. Record Vote Number: 150 .On April 20, 2024 RISSA Became Public Law No: 118-49  after being signed by President. 'Reforming Intelligence and Securing America Act ' RISAA April 12, 2024—The House voted to reauthorize a key U.S. spy program considered essential to national security. In a 273 to 147 vote, lawmakers renewed Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, which is set to expire on April 19, through 2026. H.R. 7888 added amendments such as modifying the definition of electronic communication service provider and prohibits warrantless searches of U.S. person communications in the FISA 702 database, with exceptions for imminent threats to life or bodily harm, consent searches, or known cybersecurity threat signatures. Section 702 allows the U.S. government

Google recently resolved its fourth case in four months, agreeing to delete billions of data records it compiled about millions of Chrome browser users, according to a legal filing. The suit, Chasom Brown, et al. v. Google, said the company had misled users by tracking their online activity in Chrome’s Incognito mode, which they believed would be private. Relevant here, individual plaintiffs brought this suit on behalf of two classes: Class 1, for Incognito users, and Class 2, for users of other private browsing modes. The grounds being invasion of privacy, unauthorized interception under the Wiretap Act; violation of CIPA; violation of CDAFA and intrusion upon seclusion. Since December, Google has spent well over $1 billion to settle lawsuits as it prepares to fight the Justice Department, which has targeted Google’s search engine and its advertising business in a pair of lawsuits. In December, Google resolved a suit with dozens of attorneys general claiming it strong-armed app maker

Feb. 6, 2024 -- For many legitimate reasons, social media is often high on a parent's list of digital concerns. From online predators to privacy, there's genuinely a lot of questionable; stuff for children and teens to navigate. Enjoying social media wisely can also give kids a sense of connection, fun, and creativity. If a caregiver is involved in a kid's digital life, it prepares them for how to handle negative online situations. Talks about protecting privacy and being kind can go a long way toward a more positive social media experience. And if kids can avoid endless scrolling and comparing themselves to others, and instead focus on friendship and creativity, it may actually give them a boost instead of being a downer. Recently, U.S. lawmakers have accused Meta's Mark Zuckerberg and four other big tech bosses of having "blood on (their) hands"; allegations have surfaced that up to 100,000 children a day using Facebook and Instagram in 2022 were exposed to

Hyundai Motors and Kia Motors America will compensate owners' theft-related vehicle losses. Case Summary Kia and Hyundai thefts skyrocketed because a viral TikTok video in the summer of 2022 showed people how to steal the cars with just a USB cable and screwdriver. And while the manufacturers made a software update available to owners, there was not a mandatory recall of any make and model related to this issue. Also, the update was only effective when the vehicle alarm is armed. The law firm Hagens Berman brought a national class-action lawsuit on behalf of the owners of affected vehicles in August 2022, and reached a proposed settlement in May of 2023 that covered roughly 8 million vehicles and is valued at more than $200 million.  Since May 2023, the companies worked with law enforcement agencies to provide more than 26,000 steering wheel locks to 77 law enforcement agencies in 12 states. The class action was enjoined by Governmental Entities and Insurers and sought relief for t

Update In an Antitrust Deal with States Google will pay $700 million and allow app makers to collect payments directly from consumers in a settlement it hopes will help resolve other legal challenges. Google deal is the result of an antitrust suit brought by state attorneys general, in the company’s latest move to navigate increased regulatory scrutiny of its power. The suit, brought in July 2021, alleged Google’s app store of abusing its market power and forcing aggressive terms on software developers. The tech giant is facing several antitrust challenges in the United States, including a trial in which the federal government claims Google has abused its dominance in online search. In its announcement on Dec. 18, Google said it would now allow apps to charge consumers directly rather than having to charge through Google. The company will pay $630 million to create a settlement fund for consumers, as well as pay $70 million into a fund to be used by the states. To highlight the choice