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A federal judge blocked Trumps Jan. 20 executive order ending birthright citizenship Thursday. By allowing the case to proceed as a class action lawsuit, the block gets around a 6-3 Supreme Court decision last month that limited judges abilities to issue nationwide injunctions on Trump administration policies. The lawsuit, filed by the American Civil Liberties Union, seeks to protect the class of babies born to temporary residents or unlawful permanent residents since Feb. 20. These children wouldunlike generations of children born in similar situationsbe deprived of citizenship under Trumps order, titled Protecting the Meaning and Value of American Citizenship, which reinterprets the text of the Fourteenth Amendment. The framers of the Fourteenth Amendment specifically enshrined this principle in our Constitutions text to ensure that no onenot even the Presidentcould deny children born in America their rightful place as citizens, according to the complaint filed late last month. Joseph N. Laplante, a U.S. District Court Judge based in New Hampshire wrote in his ruling that members of the class impacted by the end of birthright citizenship are likely to suffer irreparable harm if the executive order is not blocked. By allowing the lawsuit to continue as a class actiona type of civil lawsuit filed on behalf of a large group of similarly-situated people who have been similarly harmedLaplantes ruling uses the only remaining workaround to stop policies deemed unlawful from being implemented nationwide. Before the Supreme Court ruled against the practice last month, judges were able to issue universal, or nationwide injunctions against such policies. The Trump administration has 7 days to appeal Laplantes ruling, and White House officials say they are planning to fight back against the injunction, accusing the judge of “abusing class action certification procedures.” Todays decision is an obvious and unlawful attempt to circumvent the Supreme Courts clear order against universal relief,” Harrison Fields, principal deputy press secretary and special assistant to President Trump, tells Fast Company. “The Trump Administration will be fighting vigorously against the attempts of these rogue district court judges to impede the policies President Trump was elected to implement. For immigration rights activists, however, the ruling is a major triumph for the children who would be born stateless if not for birthright citizenshipan estimated 255,000 annually, according to the Migration Policy Institute. This ruling is a huge victory and will help protect the citizenship of all children born in the United States, as the Constitution intended, Cody Wofsy, deputy director of the ACLUs Immigrants Rights Project, said in a statement. We are fighting to ensure President Trump doesnt trample on the citizenship rights of one single child.
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E-Commerce
TikTok is facing a fresh European Union privacy investigation into user data sent to China, regulators said Thursday. The Data Protection Commission opened the inquiry as a follow-up to a previous investigation that ended earlier this year with a 530 million euro ($620 million) fine after it found the video-sharing app put users at risk of spying by allowing remote access to their data from China. The Irish national watchdog serves as TikToks lead data privacy regulator in the 27-nation EU because the companys European headquarters is based in Dublin. During an earlier investigation, TikTok initially told the regulator it didnt store European user data in China, and that data was only accessed remotely by staff in China. However, it later backtracked and said that some data had in fact been stored on Chinese servers. The watchdog responded at the time by saying it would consider further regulatory action. As a result of that consideration, the DPC has now decided to open this new inquiry into TikTok, the watchdog said. The purpose of the inquiry is to determine whether TikTok has complied with its relevant obligations under the GDPR in the context of the transfers now at issue, including the lawfulness of the transfers, the regulator said, referring to the European Unions strict privacy rules, known as the General Data Protection Regulation. TikTok, which is owned by Chinas ByteDance, has been under scrutiny in Europe over how it handles personal user information amid concerns from Western officials that it poses a security risk. TikTok noted that it was the one that notified the Data Protection Commission, after it embarked on a data localization project called Project Clover that involved building three data centers in Europe to ease security concerns. Our teams proactively discovered this issue through the comprehensive monitoring TikTok implemented under Project Clover,” the company said in a statement. “We promptly deleted this minimal amount of data from the servers and informed the DPC. Our proactive report to the DPC underscores our commitment to transparency and data security. Under GDPR, European user data can only be transferred outside of the bloc if there are safeguards in place to ensure the same level of protection. Only 15 countries or territories are deemed to have the same data privacy standard as the EU, but China is not one of them. By Kelvin Chan, AP business writer
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E-Commerce
Tesla has scheduled an annual shareholders meeting for November, one day after the electric vehicle company came under pressure from major shareholders to do so. Billionaire Elon Musk‘s company said in a regulatory filing on Thursday that the meeting will be held on Nov. 6. A group of more than 20 Tesla shareholders said in a letter to the company a day earlier that it needed to provide public notice of the annual meeting. Texas law states businesses must hold annual meetings within 13 months of their last one, if shareholders request it. But the law also allows for written consent instead of the annual meeting to be executed within the 13-month timeframe. Tesla is incorporated in Texas. The annual meeting, given Tesla’s fortunes this year, has the potential to be a raucous event and it is unclear how investors will react to the delay, which is rare for any major U.S. corporation. Tesla shares have plunged 27% this year, largely due to blowback over Musk’s affiliation with President Donald Trump, as well as rising competition. Many shareholders have been miffed by Musk’s participation in the Trump administration this year, saying he needs to focus on his EV company which is facing extraordinary pressures. An annual meeting provides shareholders with the opportunity to hear directly from the board about these concerns, and to vote for or against directors, the boards approach to executive compensation, and other matters of material importance, the group said in the letter. Teslas last shareholders meeting was on June 13 of last year, where investors voted to restore Musks record $44.9 billion pay package that was thrown out by a Delaware judge earlier that year. Tesla also said in its regulatory filing on Thursday that July 31 is the new deadline for the submission of proposals to be included in the proxy statement. In a January filing, Tesla said it would file its proxy statement for this year’s annual meeting by the end of April. However, the company filed an amended report on April 30, saying that it didn’t have a date for the meeting yet. Tesla also said in that filing that it was creating a special committee to look at Musk’s compensation as CEO. Also on Thursday, Musk said that the Grok chatbot will be heading to Tesla vehicles. Grok is coming to Tesla vehicles very soon. Next week at the latest, Musk said on social media platform X, in response to a post stating that Grok implementation on Teslas wasn’t announced on a Grok livestream Wednesday. Grok was developed by Musks artificial intelligence company xAI and pitched as an alternative to woke AI interactions from rival chatbots like Googles Gemini, or OpenAIs ChatGPT. Yet Grok has had a bumpy ride during its rollout. On Wednesday xAI announced that it was taking down inappropriate posts made by its Grok chatbot, which appeared to include antisemitic comments that praised Adolf Hitler. Shares of Tesla rose more than 3% in Thursday morning trading after tumbling this week as the feud between Trump and Musk heated up again. Michelle Chapman, AP business writer
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E-Commerce
The United States is experiencing its worst measles outbreak in three decades. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there have been 1,288 confirmed measles cases across 38 states since the start of 2025. Some 162 people have been hospitalized, and three have died. These are the latest CDC figures as of July 8. The latest case counts surpass those of 2019, when 1,274 cases of the disease were reported. The last time the U.S. saw more cases was in 1992, when there were 2,126 confirmed cases of the disease. Medical researchers have observed a trend of declining childhood vaccination rates, leading to increased cases in recent years. Measles is a highly infectious viral disease that is spread through the air by coughing and sneezing. There is no cure for measles. However, vaccines can provide protection. Tracking the growing spread The Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health has a U.S. Measles Tracker on its website. This interactive tool shows where outbreaks are happening and indicates whether cases are local or imported. This resource can help Americans stay informed about the spread of the disease and the latest confirmed cases. The tracker shows that Texas has seen the largest number of confirmed cases, followed by New Mexico. There have been over 400 cases in Gaines County, Texas. [Map: Johns Hopkins University] Data collected by Johns Hopkins University (JHU) indicate that 6% of confirmed cases involve individuals who have been vaccinated. Meanwhile, 94% of cases involve people who are unvaccinated or with unknown vaccination status. Understanding the symptoms and how to protect yourself Doctors recommend two doses of the MMR vaccine to protect against measles, mumps, and rubella. Adults and children aged 12 months to 12 years can get the vaccine, which is 97% effective against measles after two doses. Alternatively, children aged 12 months to 12 years can receive the MMRV vaccine, which protects against measles, mumps, rubella, and varicella. Two MMRV doses is recommended. Symptoms usually appear seven to 14 days after exposure to the disease, according to Mayo Clinic. Typical symptoms include: High fever (can reach more than 104°F) Cough Runny nose Red, watery eyes Small white spots typically appear inside the mouth two to three days after symptoms begin. Three to five days after symptoms start, its typical for a rash with small raised bumps to appear on the face and upper body, later spreading to the lower body. Measles can be especially dangerous to babies and young children. If your child has been exposed to measles, you should contact a healthcare provider immediately.
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E-Commerce
The view from the drivers seat is changingand becoming more dangerous. According to a new study from researchers at the U.S. Department of Transportations Volpe Center in Massachusetts, the size of driver blind spots in vehicles has steadily increased over time.The study looked at six different models of top-selling cars sold in the U.S., including the Honda CR-V, the Chevrolet Suburban, and the Toyota Camry, and compared blind zones in different versions of those cars released between 1997 and 2023. Using a camera-based visual measurement tool, the researchers found that the forward blind zones in every one of the six cars got bigger in newer models. The worst-performing modelsthe CR-V and the Suburbanhad forward visibility reductions of up to 58%.Its glaring, its shocking, but it might not be surprising, given that we are seeing vehicles get larger and taller and heavier over the years, says Becky Mueller at the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, one of the reports coauthors. She is the lead engineer on driver direct vision research at IIHS, and helped develop a new method for measuring what a driver can see around a vehicle.[Photo: courtesy IIHS]How to measure a blind spotUsing a three-piece rig and a camera-enabled smartphone, researchers can now take accurate measurements of the field of vision for drivers of varied heights in nearly any car on the market.For the study, published in the SAE International Journal of Transportation Safety, the researchers focused on forward visibility within a 10-meter radius of the vehicle, or roughly 33 feet. Thats the average driver stopping distance at 10 mph, the speed at which car blind spots are a common factor in crashes. They studied six of the more common vehicle models that have been on the market continuously for at least the last 20 years. Measuring the direct vision field from different year models of each of those cars created a longitudinal data set that they could then use to track how blind spots have changed over time.What they found was a steady decrease in outward visibility. Hondas compact SUV model CR-V, for example, had a significant drop. Drivers of the 1997 CR-V could see 68% of the area 10 meters in front of the vehicle. By the 2022 model, they could only see 28% of that area. The larger Chevrolet Suburban SUV, also had a large decrease in visibility. Drivers of the 2000 Suburban could see 56% of the area 10 meters in front of the vehicle. Drivers of the 2023 model could only see 28%.Were interested in learning more about the new IIHS research and assessment approach and how it may relate to safety performance in the field, says Chevrolet spokesperson Shad Balch. We believe in an approach that prevents a collision, starting with an attentive driver and supported by sensing and braking technologies. GMs active safety features constantly monitor vehicle surroundings, helping to protect occupants and others from all viewpoints.Honda did not respond to a request for comment.[Photo: courtesy IIHS]The car size problemThis data complements previous studies looking at the size and shape of cars, which, like car blind spots, are getting bigger. Over the past three decades, the IIHS found that the average U.S. passenger vehicle has gotten 4 inches wider, 10 inches longer, 8 inches taller, and 1,000 pounds heavier. The organization also found that vehicles with a hood height greater than 40 inches are about 45% more likely to cause pedestrian fatalitiesroad deaths that have increased nearly 40% since 2000.[Image: courtesy IIHS]Mueller says vehicle design is playing a role in the decrease of forward visibility. Shes noticed increases in the size of side- and rear-view mirrors and mirror casings, as well as of A-pillars, the part of the car frame that rises up from the hood over the front door. And while there are some regulations governing the minimum size of components like mirrors, there is no maximum size limitation. There just isnt a lot of guidance for vehicle manufacturers to know what is causing blind zones for drivers, and how to redesign so that they can mitigate some of those things, she says.Some vehicle safety features may be compensating for the decrease in forward visibility. Chevrolets Balch points to several safety features in new GM vehicles, including automatic emergency braking, forward collision alert, front pedestrian braking, HD Surround Vision camera systems, and side bicyclist alert. Other carmakers, like Volvo, have developed additional safety technologies that aim to reduce the likelihood that a driver will crash into a pedestrian or cyclist.Mueller says IIHS is currently in the process of expanding its vehicle blind zone analysis, looking at 150 different vehicle models. She says there will be an additional analysis of vehicle cras data to see whether there are connections between reduced visibility and increased crash rates. This is a particular concern when it comes to vehicle crashes involving pedestrians and cyclists, who are much more likely to be injured or killed than vehicle occupants.If we do find a strong correlation between larger blind zones and more crashes, that is something that we can make known to consumers, and then also make vehicle design recommendations that will help vehicle manufacturers design vehicles that minimize blind zones, she says.
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E-Commerce
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