By Andrew Goudsward WASHINGTON (Reuters) – When the U.S. Supreme Court decides in the coming months whether to weaken a powerful shield protecting internet companies, the ruling also could have implications for rapidly developing technologies like artificial intelligence chatbot ChatGPT. The justices are due to rule by the end of June whether Alphabet Inc’s YouTube…
By Brendan Pierson (Reuters) -A lawyer for San Francisco’s public school system on Monday kicked off a long-awaited trial against Altria Group Inc, saying the tobacco giant helped e-cigarette company Juul Labs Inc create a “crisis” of vaping addiction among teenagers. “This case is about Altria, the largest cigarette company in our country, who helped…
By Dietrich Knauth (Reuters) -Cancer victims on Monday urged a U.S. judge to dismiss a Johnson & Johnson subsidiary’s second bankruptcy filing, saying the company is abusing the bankruptcy system in its renewed attempt to resolve tens of thousands of lawsuits alleging that J&J’s baby powder and other talc products caused cancer. The J&J subsidiary,…
By Rich McKay (Reuters) – The former Minneapolis-area police officer convicted of killing Daunte Wright was released from prison on Monday after serving part of her sentence for the fatal shooting that took place while another white officer was on trial for George Floyd’s murder in a nearby courtroom. Kimberly Potter, now 50, was found…
By Ross Kerber (Reuters) – U.S. political battles over corporate sustainability are turning hotter this spring as aggressive Republican statehouse efforts face increasing pushback from businesses and pension funds looking to account for climate change and protect returns. Dozens of Republican-sponsored bills aim to free fossil fuel companies from climate-driven constraints adopted by some Wall…
By Tim McLaughlin (Reuters) – Hatfield’s Ferry Power Station, a Pennsylvania coal-fired power plant, stopped producing electricity in 2013. Its closure came in a wave of coal-plant shutdowns triggered by competition from cheaper, cleaner natural gas and incentives in the U.S. Clean Air Act. But the facility’s legacy of smog pollution continued long after it…
By Valerie Volcovici WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. government may soon require natural gas-fired power plants to install technology to capture carbon emissions, sources said, as President Joe Biden’s administration enacts new rules to help decarbonize the power sector in 12 years. The Environmental Protection Agency as soon as this week is expected to unveil…
By John Kruzel WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The U.S. Supreme Court, exploring free speech rights in the social media era, on Monday agreed to consider whether the Constitution’s First Amendment bars government officials from blocking their critics on platforms like Facebook and Twitter. The justices took up an appeal by two members of a public school board…
KAMPALA (Reuters) – At a shelter for lesbian women in Uganda’s capital Kampala, gone are the days when the residents, having fled abuse and stigma at home, could breathe easy and be themselves. That came to an end a month ago when parliament passed some of the world’s strictest anti-LGBTQ legislation, which would criminalise the…
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -White House domestic policy adviser Susan Rice is departing after two years, U.S. President Joe Biden said in a statement on Monday praising her efforts on healthcare and immigration while noting her historic role serving as a top domestic and national security aide in two administrations. “After more than two years of her…
