Photo: Science Photo Library RF
1 Tropical Storm Alberto Responsible For At Least Four Deaths
The first named storm of the 2024 hurricane season made landfall in Mexico as forecast, bringing torrential rain both there and in Texas. Parts of Texas had at least moderate flooding as Tropical Storm Alberto moved inland. Gov. Greg Abbott issued a disaster declaration for 51 counties in Texas before Alberto made landfall, and over a hundred personnel from the Texas A&M Forest Service and the Texas National Guard were activated and ready to help where needed. Alberto has been linked to four deaths in Mexico, with one dying in a river, and three others dying from electric shocks. One of those, Nuevo Leon, was electrocuted while trying to repair wires in the rain. This hurricane season is predicted to be above average, with as many as 17 to 25 named storms expected before the season ends November 30th.
2 TikTok Files Legal Papers Asking For Ban To Be Overturned
Chinese company ByteDance filed legal paperwork yesterday looking for the ban on TikTok to be overturned. As expected, the company says the bill requiring the company to either sell TikTok or see it banned in the US isn’t constitutional. In the filing, ByteDance said: “The Constitution does not allow Congress to single out one speech platform, make no findings, announce no justifications, ignore less restrictive alternatives, and discriminate based on speaker and content.” The law, signed by President Joe Biden in April, gives ByteDance nine months to sell TikTok or the ban would go into effect.
3 New York Gov. Kathy Hochul Signs Bill Mandating Limits On Social Media For Kids
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul signed a bill into law yesterday taking aim at social media for children and teens. The “Safe for Kids Act” requires social media companies to restrict what it calls “addictive feeds” for social media users under the age of 18. As expected, a group representing tech companies is arguing that the law violates the First Amendment. The new law is set to take effect 180 days after the new rules and guidelines are set by New York Attorney General Letitia James and will come with a $5,000 fine per violation for social media platforms once it goes into effect.