Connect with us

News from the South - Texas News Feed

Supreme Court upholds TikTok ban

Published

on

www.kxan.com – Julia Shapero – 2025-01-17 09:05:00

SUMMARY: Summarize this content to 100 words: The Supreme Court on Friday unanimously upheld a law requiring TikTok’s China-based parent company to divest from the app, teeing up a ban set to take effect Sunday.

The justices sided with the Biden administration, finding that the divest-or-ban law does not violate the First Amendment just three days before President-elect Trump is set to take office. Trump had urged the justices to delay the deadline so he could negotiate a deal, but the court instead acted with breakneck speed.

However, the Biden administration does not plan to enforce the law ahead of inauguration, ultimately leaving the decision to Trump and seemingly keeping the app online for the time being.

“There is no doubt that, for more than 170 million Americans, TikTok offers a distinctive and expansive outlet for expression, means of engagement, and source of community,” the court said in its opinion. “But Congress has determined that divestiture is necessary to address its well-supported national security concerns regarding TikTok’s data collection practices and relationship with a foreign adversary.”

The court was unanimous in its judgement, although Justices Sonia Sotomayor and Neil Gorsuch filed separate concurrences.

The law, which was passed by wide bipartisan majorities in Congress and signed by President Biden last April, gave TikTok’s parent company ByteDance 270 days to divest from the app or face a ban from U.S. app stores.

TikTok has argued divestment is not a feasible option and that it will “go dark” as of Sunday. It contended the impending ban infringes on the First Amendment rights of both the company and its 170 million American users.

The court rejected those arguments, instead ruling in favor of the government. The Biden administration asserted that any free speech concerns are superseded by a national security interest over the app’s ties to China, raising alarm that the Chinese government could access Americans’ data or covertly manipulate TikTok’s content algorithm.

“Under these circumstances, we find the Government’s data collection justification sufficient to sustain the challenged provisions,” read the court’s opinion.

In his concurrence, Gorsuch said the court was right to not rely on the covert content manipulation rationale and also not rely on secret evidence from the government.

“Whether this law will succeed in achieving its ends, I do not know. A determined foreign adversary may just seek to replace one lost surveillance application with another. As time passes and threats evolve, less dramatic and more effective solutions may emerge. Even what might happen next to TikTok remains unclear,” Gorsuch wrote.

Sotomayor, meanwhile, briefly wrote separately to criticize the court for not firmly deciding the First Amendment applies, only assuming it does, saying “our precedent leaves no doubt that it does.”

The decision deals a significant blow to Trump, who argued in a friend-of-the-court brief that the Supreme Court should put the Jan. 19 deadline on hold so he could attempt to negotiate a deal once in office.

Trump has increasingly expressed sympathy with TikTok as the ban approached. TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew will attend Trump’s inauguration, and Trump is reportedly considering signing an executive order to circumvent the ban. The president-elect said Friday that he discussed the fate of TikTok with Chinese President Xi Jinping during a call.

The video-sharing platform has also gained an ally in Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), who on Thursday called for postponing Sunday’s deadline.

Rather than delay the deadline, the court instead acted remarkably fast to resolve TikTok’s lawsuit at every stage. It agreed to take up the case on Dec. 19, and on Friday issued its full opinion just a week after hearing oral arguments.

It’s a faster timeline than even other cases the court recently expedited, including when it carved out broad criminal immunity for Trump and former presidents in July, and months earlier, when the justices rejected an effort to kick Trump off Colorado’s ballot under the 14th Amendment’s insurrection ban.

Though the app would not automatically disappear for users who already downloaded it, TikTok is expected to eventually become unworkable, as the law blocks app stores from distributing the app or providing updates. However, the platform is reportedly also considering shutting down entirely if the ban goes into effect Sunday.

ByteDance could reverse course and agree to divest, though it has insisted doing so is not realistic. Several investors have expressed interest in buying TikTok, with billionaire Frank McCourt’s Project Liberty making a formal offer to ByteDance last week.

If divestment is underway, Biden, with only three days left in office, has the authority to grant a 90-day delay. Even if he doesn’t, TikTok could resume normal operations once a sale is complete.

Read the full article

The post Supreme Court upholds TikTok ban appeared first on www.kxan.com

News from the South - Texas News Feed

Medicare, Medicaid coverage of rural telehealth services could expand | National

Published

on

www.thecentersquare.com – By Thérèse Boudreaux | The Center Square – (The Center Square – ) 2025-04-02 13:59:00

(The Center Square) – Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries in rural regions may soon get better coverage for telehealth services if newly introduced bipartisan legislation passes.

The Equal Access to Specialty Care Everywhere Act would amend the Social Security Act to allow the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation to work with provider networks and nonprofit health centers to expand telehealth services to people living in rural areas.

“The lack of specialty care for rural Americans has resulted in worse outcomes and higher costs,” Rep. Jodey Arrington, R-Texas, told the Washington Examiner Tuesday. “I’m proud to introduce the EASE Act, which leverages technology to close the health care gap in rural and underserved communities with greater access to specialty and integrated care.”

Currently, Medicaid coverage for telehealth varies by state. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, all qualified Medicare providers have provided telehealth services, while federally qualified health centers and rural health clinics have served as Medicare distant site providers.

Medicare coverage of telehealth is set to expire in September, and roughly 13% of Medicare beneficiaries used telehealth services in 2023, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation. The EASE Act, introduced in both the House and Senate, would help Medicare and Medicaid recipients facing geographical restrictions to continue accessing telehealth services.

Rep. Andrea Salinas, D-Ore., joined Arrington in sponsoring the House version of the bill, while Sens. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., and Alex Padilla, D-Calif., sponsored the companion bill in the Senate.

The federal government spent roughly $848 billion on Medicare in 2023, about 14% of total federal spending that year.

The post Medicare, Medicaid coverage of rural telehealth services could expand | National appeared first on www.thecentersquare.com

Continue Reading

News from the South - Texas News Feed

Texas A&M can’t ban “Draggieland” drag show, federal judge rules

Published

on

www.kxan.com – Jessica Priest/Texas Tribune – 2025-04-02 13:43:00

SUMMARY: A federal judge temporarily blocked Texas A&M University System from enforcing a drag show ban, allowing Draggieland, a student-run event, to proceed on March 27. The judge ruled the ban likely violated the First Amendment. The Queer Empowerment Council, which organizes the event, sued after the regents banned drag across all campuses, citing orders from Trump and Abbott against “gender ideology.” Texas A&M argued drag degrades women and violates anti-discrimination laws. The Attorney General appealed the ruling. The case follows broader debates over drag, including past bans struck down in court. Draggieland is for audiences 18 and older.

Read the full article

The post Texas A&M can’t ban “Draggieland” drag show, federal judge rules appeared first on www.kxan.com

Continue Reading

News from the South - Texas News Feed

Trump Administration mistakenly deported Maryland man

Published

on

www.youtube.com – FOX 4 Dallas-Fort Worth – 2025-04-02 07:29:23

SUMMARY: In a pivotal Wisconsin Supreme Court race, Democrat Susan Crawford defeated Republican Brad Schimel, supported by President Trump and Elon Musk, marking the highest voter turnout and most expensive race in U.S. history. This win solidifies a liberal majority expected to influence decisions on abortion and voting rights. Meanwhile, in Florida, Republicans retained control in a special election. President Trump plans to announce a significant tariff increase, termed “Liberation Day,” aimed at rectifying trade imbalances but concerns arise about its impact on American consumers. Additionally, the Trump administration admitted to mistakenly deporting Maryland resident Rodrigo Garcia, claiming he has gang ties, a charge he denies.

YouTube video

The Trump Administration acknowledged an error they made—that led to a Maryland man being deported to an El Salvador prison.

Subscribe to FOX 4: https://www.youtube.com/fox4news?sub_confirmation=1

Dallas news, weather, sports and traffic from KDFW FOX 4, serving Dallas-Fort Worth, North Texas and the state of Texas.

Download the FOX LOCAL app: fox4news.com/foxlocal

Watch FOX 4 Live: https://www.fox4news.com/live
Download the FOX 4 News App: https://www.fox4news.com/apps
Download the FOX 4 WAPP: https://www.fox4news.com/apps
Follow FOX 4 on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Fox4DFW/
Follow FOX 4 on Twitter: https://twitter.com/FOX4
Follow FOX 4 on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fox4news/
Subscribe to the FOX 4 newsletter: https://www.fox4news.com/newsletters

Source

Continue Reading

Trending