A jury found that Meta and YouTube are liable for creating products that led to harmful and addictive behavior by young users, a landmark decision that could set a legal precedent for similar allegations brought against social media companies. Jo Ling Kent reports.
https://www.cbsnews.com/video/jury-finds-meta-youtube-liable-in-landmark-social-media-addiction-trial/
Category Archives: legal
Judge says government’s Anthropic ban looks like punishment
A federal judge in San Francisco said on Tuesday the government’s ban on Anthropic looked like punishment after the AI company went public with its dispute with the Pentagon over the military’s potential uses of its artificial intelligence model, Claude. U. S. District Judge Rita F. Lin made the remark at the outset of a hearing about Anthropic’s request for a preliminary injunction in one of its lawsuits against the Pentagon, which has designated the company a supply chain risk, effectively blacklisting it. “It looks like an attempt to cripple Anthropic,” Lin said, adding she was concerned that the government might be punishing Anthropic for openly criticizing the government’s position. Lin said she expected to make a ruling in the next few days on whether to temporarily pause the government’s ban until the court decides on the merits of the case. The hearing in the U. S. District Court for the Northern District of California is the latest development in a spat between one of the leading AI companies and the Trump administration, and it has implications for how the government can use AI more broadly. Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei announced in late February that he would not allow the company’s Claude’s AI model to be used for autonomous weapons, or to surveil American citizens. President Trump subsequently ordered all U. S. government agencies to stop using Anthropic’s products. The Pentagon designated Anthropic as a “supply chain risk” earlier this month, citing national security concerns. That designation is normally reserved for entities deemed to be foreign adversaries that could potentially sabotage U. S. interests. Anthropic has filed two federal lawsuits alleging that this designation amounts to illegal retaliation against the company for its stance on AI safety. It argues that the label will cost it both customers and revenue, since it will bar Pentagon contractors from doing business with the company, as well. The lawsuits, filed in the U. S. District Court for the Northern District of California and the federal appeals court in Washington, D. C., allege the Trump administration violated the company’s First Amendment right to speech and exceeded the scope of supply chain risk law. In today’s hearing, lawyers for Anthropic said it was apparently the first time such a designation had been made against a U. S. company. Lin said the Pentagon has a right to decide what AI products it wants to use. But she questioned whether the government broke the law when it banned its agencies from using Anthropic, and when Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced that anyone seeking business with the Pentagon must cut relations with Anthropic. She said the actions were “troubling” because they did not seem to be tailored to the national security concerns in question, which could be addressed by the Pentagon simply ceasing to use Claude. Instead, she said, it looked like the government was trying to punish Anthropic. But a lawyer for the government argued that its actions were not retaliatory, and were based on Anthropic’s disagreement with the government over how its AI model could be used not the company’s decision to speak out about it. The government also argued that Anthropic is a risk because, theoretically, in the future the company could update Claude in a way that endangers national security. Anthropic did not respond immediately to an emailed request for comment.
https://www.npr.org/2026/03/24/nx-s1-5759276/anthropic-pentagon-claude-preliminary-injunction-hearing
Court clears way for Louisiana law requiring Ten Commandments in classrooms
A federal appeals court has cleared the way for a Louisiana law requiring the Ten Commandments to be displayed in classrooms.
CBS News national reporter Kati Weis has the details.
https://www.cbsnews.com/video/court-clears-way-louisiana-law-ten-commandments-classrooms/
Peter Mandelson accused of sharing government information with Jeffrey Epstein
The former UK ambassador to the U. S., Peter Mandelson, was arrested Monday over allegations that he sent confidential government information to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. BBC News special correspondent Lucy Manning reports.
https://www.cbsnews.com/video/peter-mandelson-accused-of-sharing-government-information-with-jeffrey-epstein/
Landmark tech trials on social media addiction seen through a mother’s eyes
Audio will be available later today. With multiple tech addiction trials expected this year, Julianna Arnold of the parents group ‘Parents Rise’ says the legal pressure is overdue for Big Tech.
https://www.npr.org/2026/02/15/nx-s1-5712769/landmark-tech-trials-on-social-media-addiction-seen-through-a-mothers-eyes
Jury acquits suspect of murders, rules guilty of attempted manslaughter
A man charged with two counts of murder and one count of attempted murder in connection with a March 2022 shooting at a Fairfield convenience store was found not guilty of those charges earlier this month. The jury ruled him guilty only on a single count of attempted voluntary manslaughter.
Trine Daniel Martinez, 29, of Fairfield, admitted to driving to the 7-Eleven store in the 200 block of East Tabor Avenue at 5 a.m. on March 13 to buy three Modelo brand beers. He also admitted to being armed with a Glock 17 semi-automatic handgun when he entered the store in the pre-dawn hours. However, Martinez claimed that his actions were in self-defense after being aggressively confronted by three or four men.
The jury returned its verdict on Wednesday. Martinez is scheduled to return to the courtroom of Judge William Pendergast on February 2 for a bail review and to discuss a pretrial services report from probation. The maximum sentence for attempted voluntary manslaughter is 5.5 years.
In addition to these charges, Martinez still faces allegations of assaulting a correctional officer while in jail in October 2024. He is set to appear again before Judge Pendergast in a court trial—where the judge, rather than a jury, will decide the matter—on February 26 at 8:30 a.m.
According to prosecutors, Martinez was accused of shooting and killing Earl “Wayne” Wyatt III, 44, of Fairfield, and Damion Davis, 36, of Suisun City, in or near the parking lot of the 7-Eleven on East Tabor Avenue. He was also charged with the attempted murder of Victor Walters, then 28, of Suisun City, in the same area. The jury, however, found him guilty only of the attempted voluntary manslaughter of Walters.
Deputy District Attorney Bill Ainsworth led the prosecution.
Court documents reveal that Martinez turned himself in to the Fairfield Police Department and was arrested on March 14, one day after the shootings. Surveillance camera footage at the crime scene identified him as the suspect. Martinez did not make a statement after his arrest and was accompanied by criminal defense attorney Daniel J. Russo of Vallejo.
At trial, Martinez was represented by criminal defense attorney Thomas Maas.
https://www.thereporter.com/2026/01/26/jury-acquits-suspect-of-murders-rules-guilty-of-attempted-manslaughter/
Celina Jaitly seeks Rs 10 lakhs monthly maintenance, and Rs 100 crores in damages; court to hear case on December 12
Actor Celina Jaitly’s legal team has confirmed that a domestic violence complaint has been filed against her husband Peter Haag, an Austrian national, before the Judicial Magistrate First Class in Andheri, Mumbai. The case was taken up on Tuesday for verification, following which the court issued a notice to Haag, returnable on December 12. Celina Jaitly seeks Rs 10 lakhs monthly maintenance, and Rs 100 crores in damages; court to hear case on December 12 Advocate Niharika Karanjawala, appearing for Jaitly, told ANI that the complaint details years of alleged abuse. “Yes, we filed a complaint under the Domestic Violence Act for cruelty and domestic violence, both physical and emotional, that has lasted for many years through Miss Jaitly’s marriage with Mr Peter Haag,” she said. Karanjawala added that the allegations include prolonged physical and emotional cruelty, manipulation, and coercion. Alongside the domestic violence case, separate civil proceedings are also underway in Mumbai regarding a property Jaitly owns. According to her counsel, the property’s gift deed was allegedly obtained by Haag “through coercion.” The petition seeks multiple forms of relief. “Our prayer is manifold with regards to compensation to be paid to Celina, alimony, as well as determinations with regards to her children,” Karanjawala stated. Jaitly’s primary concern, she noted, remains her three children, who are currently in Austria with Haag. As per the filing, Jaitly has requested a monthly maintenance of Rs 10 lakhs. The petition also seeks Rs 50 crores for loss of potential earnings. Karanjawala explained that this figure accounts for the period when Jaitly was allegedly compelled to stop working “at a very lucrative time in her career.” A separate sum of Rs 50 crores has been claimed for pain and suffering. The matter will now be heard on December 12, following the court’s issuance of notice to Haag. Also Read: Celina Jaitly shares emotional note after filing domestic violence case against husband Peter Haag: “Life stripped everything away” BOLLYWOOD NEWS LIVE UPDATES.
https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/news/bollywood/celina-jaitly-seeks-rs-10-lakhs-monthly-maintenance-rs-100-crores-damages-court-hear-case-december-12/
Intel files lawsuit against ex-employee who allegedly copied 18,000 company files & disappeared
Intel has launched a lawsuit against a former employee accused of carrying out a serious act of corporate sabotage. According to Intel, the ex-employee, Jinfeng Luo, allegedly copied approximately 18,000 files from the company’s corporate servers before disappearing.
Intel filed the lawsuit against Luo in Seattle District Court, as reported by The Oregonian. The company claims that Luo was among those scheduled to be laid off by the end of 2025. He was reportedly informed of his termination on July 7, with his employment ending by July 31.
After being notified, Luo allegedly plugged an external drive into company hardware but was locked out by security measures. However, about five days later, he reportedly plugged in another storage device and successfully copied around 18,000 files.
Intel alleges that some of the files copied by Luo contained “top secret” or “confidential” company materials. The unauthorized transfer of these files triggered an internal investigation.
For months, Intel has been attempting to contact Luo at three separate listed addresses to determine the extent of the information taken. Despite these efforts, Luo has not been located, and his current whereabouts remain unknown.
The lawsuit alleges damages of approximately $250,000, pending Luo’s potential appearance in court. Intel continues to seek answers about the stolen files and aims to hold the former employee accountable for his actions.
https://www.shacknews.com/article/146760/intel-intc-lawsuit-jinfeng-luo-files-stolen
A lawsuit challenges an Alaska program that allows killing bears as a way to rebuild a caribou herd
JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — Conservation groups have filed a lawsuit challenging a state program in Alaska that authorizes the killing of brown bears and black bears. The program aims to increase the size of a once-significant caribou herd in the southwest part of the state.
The lawsuit, filed Monday in state court, claims the program lacks a scientific basis and is unconstitutional. It alleges that the program, adopted by the Alaska Board of Game in July, does not require the Department of Fish and Game to monitor bear populations to ensure their numbers remain sustainable. Furthermore, the program allows department employees to shoot bears from helicopters without setting limits on how many bears can be killed within an area roughly the size of Indiana.
Filed by Trustees for Alaska on behalf of the Alaska Wildlife Alliance and the Center for Biological Diversity, the lawsuit names as defendants the state, the Board of Game, the Department of Fish and Game, and the department’s commissioner. A message seeking comment was sent to the Alaska Department of Law, which typically represents state agencies in litigation.
This lawsuit is the latest chapter in an ongoing legal battle over what Fish and Game describes as an effort to restore the Mulchatna caribou herd. Named for its traditional calving grounds, the herd peaked at around 190,000 animals in the late 1990s and served as an important food source for subsistence hunters across dozens of communities.
However, the herd’s population began declining sharply, dropping to about 13,000 caribou by 2019. Hunting has been prohibited since 2021, according to Fish and Game. The department has cited several factors affecting caribou survival, including disease, hunting, food availability and quality, and predation. In this case, the Board of Game determined that predation could be addressed directly.
The board stated it was responding to requests to help rebuild the herd and restore caribou as a regional food source. In a fall newsletter, the department identified bears and wolves as “significant calf predators.” An aerial survey conducted last fall reported the highest recorded ratio of calves to cows in the herd’s western subgroup since 1999, suggesting a “positive response” to the 2023 and 2024 predator control program targeting bears and wolves on calving grounds.
According to the lawsuit, in May 2023, the agency killed “every single brown and black bear it found” within a 1,200-square-mile (3,108-square-kilometer) focus area encompassing the western Mulchatna caribou herd calving grounds. Altogether, in 2023 and 2024, 180 bears—most of them brown bears—were killed.
The Alaska Wildlife Alliance had previously sued to end the program. In March, a judge criticized the adoption process and ruled that the state lacked sufficient data on bear sustainability in the region before implementing the program. Despite this, the board and department moved forward, implementing emergency regulations under which 11 bears were killed before those regulations were struck down by another judge.
Following this, the department announced a public comment process regarding plans to reauthorize the program. Monday’s lawsuit claims the reauthorization plan adopted by the board in July includes elements previously struck down by the courts. The program is authorized to continue through 2028.
Doug Vincent-Lang, commissioner of the Department of Fish and Game, stated after the board’s action, “We were trying to rebuild the caribou herd, but we’re not going to jeopardize long-term sustainability of bears in so doing.” He added there is “strong evidence that neither disease nor nutrition are preventing this herd from recovering,” and that predation “has been isolated as the limiting factor preventing the herd from growing.”
Nicole Schmitt, executive director of the Alaska Wildlife Alliance, voiced concerns about the program, saying it “threatens bears who move across vast stretches of public lands.” Schmitt noted that parts of the area where bears can be killed are near Lake Clark National Park and Preserve, about 30 miles (48 kilometers) from Katmai National Park and Preserve, and near wildlife refuges.
Michelle Sinnott, staff attorney with Trustees for Alaska, characterized the program as unconstitutional. She criticized it for giving Fish and Game “a blank check to destroy bears across an entire region with impunity.” Sinnott added, “The Board of Game has once again shirked its constitutional obligations and ignored prior court decisions in its unscientific and relentless war on predator animals.”
https://ktar.com/national-news/a-lawsuit-challenges-an-alaska-program-that-allows-killing-bears-as-a-way-to-rebuild-a-caribou-herd/5774048/
OpenAI ‘improving Sora 2 guardrails’ again after Bryan Cranston’s likeness used without permission
OpenAI’s Sora 2 video generation platform continues to face criticism for unlicensed use of copyrighted materials and likenesses of famous individuals. The latest controversy involves media star Bryan Cranston, who has taken issue with representations of himself created on the platform.
After filing a formal complaint with the SAG-AFTRA organization, Bryan Cranston’s concerns prompted OpenAI to respond. The company stated it will continue to “strengthen” Sora 2’s “guardrails” to prevent unlicensed use of famous characters and intellectual property.
This week, SAG-AFTRA released a statement on social media on behalf of Cranston, announcing that it has been in contact with OpenAI to address the issue. Following the discussions, OpenAI has agreed to block depictions of Bryan Cranston on Sora 2 without his explicit consent.
Since its launch a few weeks ago, Sora 2 has garnered significant attention for its impressive ability to generate AI-driven videos based on user prompts. However, the platform’s rushed release has also resulted in numerous issues concerning copyrighted materials.
The Motion Picture Association (MPA) publicly denounced Sora 2 for its unauthorized use of actors’ likenesses. Despite this, the platform has continued to face challenges, including unlicensed depictions of figures such as Martin Luther King Jr.
As OpenAI works to improve Sora 2’s protections against unauthorized content, ongoing discussions about the ethical use of AI-generated media remain at the forefront of the debate surrounding generative technology.
https://www.shacknews.com/article/146428/openai-sora-2-likeness-bryan-cranston-statement-sag-aftra