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Supreme Court shields Twitter from liability for terror-related content and leaves Section 230 untouched

Published Tue, 18 Feb 2025 20:26:11 GMT

(CNN) — Twitter will not have to face accusations it aided and abetted terrorism when it hosted tweets created by the terror group ISIS, the Supreme Court ruled Thursday.The court also dismissed a closely watched case about social media content moderation in a case involving Google, skipping a decision that legal experts warned might have upended the broader internet. The rulings are wins for Twitter and other tech platforms that have faced a barrage of lawsuits from critics who allege they should be held legally responsible for societal harms, including terrorist attacks. The Twitter decision was unanimous and written by Justice Clarence Thomas. The court held that Twitter’s hosting of general terrorist speech does not create indirect legal responsibility for specific terrorist attacks, effectively raising the bar for future such claims. The Twitter ruling a major defeat for tech critics who have said that social media platforms must be held accountable with the threat ...

Supreme Court rules against Andy Warhol in copyright dispute over Prince portrait

Published Tue, 18 Feb 2025 20:26:11 GMT

The Supreme Court ruled Thursday that the late Andy Warhol infringed on a photographer’s copyright when he created a series of silk screens based on a photograph of the late singer Prince.The ruling was 7-2.The court rejected arguments made by a lawyer of the Andy Warhol Foundation (the artist died in 1987) that his work was sufficiently transformative so as not to trigger copyright concerns.The opinion has been closely anticipated by the global art world watching to see how the court would balance an artist’s freedom to borrow from existing works and the restrictions of copyright law.“Goldsmith’s original works, like those of other photographers, are entitled to copyright protection, even against famous artists. Such protection includes the right to prepare derivative works that transform the original,” Justice Sonia Sotomayor wrote in the majority opinion, referring to Lynn Goldsmith, the photographer at the center of the case.In a dissent from Justice Elena Kagan that was joined ...

California layoffs jump 60% to 27-month high

Published Tue, 18 Feb 2025 20:26:11 GMT

California bosses laid off 236,000 workers in March, a 60% jump from the average pace of job cuts in the previous 12 months.The jump in workers’ involuntary departures to the fastest pace since December 2020 was found in my trusty spreadsheet’s review of the federal government’s monthly Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey. The report, dubbed “JOLTS” by economists, tracks what’s moving the job market.March’s layoffs are nowhere near the historic 1.5 million cuts of March 2020 amid coronavirus lockdowns. However, it’s a noteworthy spike that follows months of high-profile job cuts, notably in California’s technology industries and several eye-catching bank failures.The bump in worker discharges is also a warning signal that the Federal Reserve’s year-long attempt attempts to cool an overheated economy with soaring interest rates are making bosses antsy.California’s March layoffs are 25% larger than the monthly average in pre-pandemic 2015-19, what’s considered a healthy economic pe...

Seeing elephant up close in natural habitat a wish come true for Bay Area elderly woman

Published Tue, 18 Feb 2025 20:26:11 GMT

A visit to the circus as a young child secured Brenda Kennedy’s love for elephants some 75 years ago, but she never thought she would be able to see them up close and personal in a natural habitat.“I remember seeing the elephants in chains at the circus in Los Angeles,” the 83-year-old Danville resident recalled. “They used to chain them to the spikes outside the tent and keep them there, and I was very upset that they were chained. My dad told me that this is a new town and they don’t want them to get lost.”Years later, Kennedy would head to the zoo, making a beeline to the elephant exhibits to watch the highly intelligent pachyderms, each time noting the differences among them.“God made us all different, and he made them different, too,” she said. “You stand by one and say, my gosh, it is different from this guy.”But it wasn’t until recent weeks that her wish would come true to visit with the highly sensitive and caring creatures when a friend surprised her by submitting a request...

Accused Bob Lee killer Nima Momeni due in court today

Published Tue, 18 Feb 2025 20:26:11 GMT

SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) -- Nima Momeni, the accused killer of Cash App founder Bob Lee, is due in court for his arraignment Thursday morning. This will be Momeni's third court appearance for an arraignment.The first two times Momeni was due in court, there was no arraignment because both parties weren't ready. Momeni is accused of stabbing Lee to death in the early hours of April 4 in a well-to-do enclave of San Francisco not far from the Bay Bridge. Why did California doctor drive family over cliff in Tesla at Devils Slide? Momeni was arrested eight days later at his Emeryville loft.Prosecutors say the two men knew each other and that Momeni stabbed Lee and then drove away in his BMW. Earlier that evening, Lee had been socializing with Momeni's sister, Khazar Elyassnia.Momeni's defense attorney, Paula Canney, maintains her client is innocent and is expected to ask that he be released on bail. She says that fact that her client didn't try to flee shows he is innocent. Momeni has no p...

NBA Playoffs: Jimmy Butler remains hot, and Heat top Celtics in Game 1

Published Tue, 18 Feb 2025 20:26:11 GMT

Jimmy Butler’s stellar postseason run continued, and the Miami Heat still look nothing like a No. 8 seed.Butler had 35 points, seven assists, six steals and five rebounds, and the Heat — a team that almost was eliminated in the play-in round — struck first in the Eastern Conference finals by topping the Boston Celtics 123-116 in Game 1.Butler is averaging 31.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, 5.5 assists and 2.1 steals in these playoffs on 52% shooting. The only player to do all that in a single postseason while shooting at least 50% is Michael Jordan — who pulled it off twice. (That doesn’t count Kawhi Leonard, who did it this year but appeared in only two playoff games.)Miami improved to 9-3 in the playoffs. The other nine No. 8 seeds in the last five seasons combined for a total of 10 wins.WHAT’S NEXT?Denver will aim for a 2-0 lead in the Western Conference finals on Thursday. Game 2 in the East title series will be played in Boston on Friday.HOW TO WATCH— The Western Conf...

Katie Taylor faces Chantelle Cameron in Ireland homecoming title fight

Published Tue, 18 Feb 2025 20:26:11 GMT

DUBLIN (AP) — Ireland’s favorite athlete has the homecoming she’s always wanted.Katie Taylor has fought in London, New York, Philadelphia and Boston but never in Ireland during her professional career.The 3Arena in Dublin is sold out — no surprise there after Taylor and Amanda Serrano packed Madison Square Garden a year ago. And Dublin Castle — last in the international headlines for a dinner banquet celebrating U.S. President Joe Biden’s visit — hosted the final news conference before Taylor challenges Chantelle Cameron on Saturday.The 36-year-old Taylor is trying to become a two-weight undisputed champion by stepping up to her British opponent’s 140-pound super-lightweight division. The Olympic champion with legions of Irish fans around the world finally has a pro fight on home soil.“The atmosphere is going to be electric. It’s been a long time coming,” said Taylor (22-0, 6 KO), the lightweight champion who won a gold medal at the 2012 London Olympics.Elect...

Inter still highly motivated with treble in play as it visits new Serie A champ

Published Tue, 18 Feb 2025 20:26:11 GMT

MILAN (AP) — Even though it has reached the Champions League final, Inter Milan isn’t certain yet of playing in the Champions League next season.The top four in Serie A qualify. Inter is third, and five points clear of fifth-placed AC Milan.Inter can secure a berth on Sunday if it can go to Naples and beat new Serie A champion Napoli, and other results go its way.Inter ought to be far more up for the game than Napoli.Napoli was the champion-in-waiting for months and finally clinched the title two weeks ago. Amid the celebrations, it has won one game and drawn one and there are likely to be more partying scenes at Stadio Diego Armando Maradona.There are few goals left for Napoli. It’s still possible for Luciano Spalletti’s team to break Napoli’s record season tally of 91 points under Maurizio Sarri in 2018, as the club has 83 points with three matches to play.But it’s hard to see the new champions going all out for a mere points record, while Inter has a...

1 dead after being struck by truck in Northwest, prompting H Street closure

Published Tue, 18 Feb 2025 20:26:11 GMT

Get the WTOP Traffic Center’s latest updates on the 8s and when its breaks.A man is dead after being struck by a truck in Northwest D.C. on Thursday morning, police tell WTOP.It happened at the intersection of 4th and H Street Northwest just before 7:30 a.m., according to D.C. police. The 400 Block of H Street, NW is closed until further notice.The man was taken to a hospital where police tell WTOP he later died.The driver remained on scene, according to D.C. police.Here’s a map of where police said the crash happened. Source

Alibaba approves cloud computing unit spin-off, prepares for grocery and logistics arms to go public

Published Tue, 18 Feb 2025 20:26:11 GMT

HONG KONG (AP) — Alibaba plans to spin-off of its cloud computing business and said Thursday that its logistics and grocery units will explore initial public offerings as the Chinese e-commerce company kickstarts a restructuring of its operations in hopes of spurring growth.The company in March announced plans to reshape itself into six business divisions with plans to allow all but its core e-commerce business to raise external capital and go public. In an earnings call Thursday, Alibaba CEO Daniel Zhang said that the Alibaba plans to fully spin off its cloud computing unit and complete a public listing in the next 12 months, allowing it to “optimize operations,” Zhang said.Alibaba’s board of directors approved the full spin-off of the cloud computing unit via a stock dividend distribution to shareholders, the company said.Zhang also said that Freshippo, its groceries arm, as well as logistics arm Cainiao, are “ready to go public.”Alibaba’s board has approved plans to begin Freship...