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Facebook could be held liable for sex trafficking on its platform, court rules

Texas court finds that Facebook is not a 'lawless no-man’s-land'

The Texas Supreme Court ruled Friday that Facebook can be held liable if sex traffickers use the platform to prey on children.

The state court ruled that Facebook is not a "lawless no-man’s-land" and could be held accountable following three Texas-based lawsuits that involved teenage sex traffic victims, the Houston Chronicle first reported.

The victims were reportedly preyed on through the social media platform’s messaging system – prompting prosecutors to claim the site was negligent in not better blocking sex trafficking opportunities.

Facebook contended that it is protected under Section 230 – an internet law that says online platforms are not responsible for third-party content posted on the service's site.

"Holding internet platforms accountable for words or actions of their users is one thing, and the federal precedent uniformly dictates that section 230 does not allow it," the court found, according to the Chronicle. "Holding internet platforms accountable for their own misdeeds is quite another thing. This is particularly the case for human trafficking."

Facebook told Fox Business they are considering "next steps" following the court's decision.

"We’re reviewing the decision and considering potential next steps. Sex trafficking is abhorrent and not allowed on Facebook," a spokesman said. "We will continue our fight against the spread of this content and the predators who engage in it."

During the Trump administration, the GOP started taking aim at Section 230, which it believes unfairly permits political dominance by Democrats on social media platforms, contributing to what has been dubbed "cancel culture."

But Democrats on the Hill have recently shown a bipartisan interest to more heavily regulate social media companies and overhaul Section 230, following the attack on the U.S. Capitol in January.

Reforming Section 230 could mean that large companies like Facebook, Twitter and Google are held to more stringent standards regarding what is published on their platforms.

https://www.foxbusiness.com/technology/facebook-could-be-held-liable-for-sex-trafficking-platform-court-rules

UAW President Rory Gamble Announces His Retirement, Marking Fourth UAW Boss In Three Years

UAW President Rory Gamble has announced he is going to be retiring on June 30, one year earlier than expected.

The retirement comes as the union attempts to shake a sullied public image as a result of 11 former officials being convicted of Federal crimes in recent years.

Gamble was instrumental in helping negotiate deals to resolve criminal investigations into the union. The resultant settlements will give the Federal government "prolonged oversight and broad control" over the union. In other words, the gravy train could officially be over for top union officials.

He also worked to reorganize the union, "disbanding a 17-state region based in Missouri that employed leaders involved in financial wrongdoing," according to The Detroit News.

Negotiations with the government also led to a third party monitor being appointed to oversee the union for the next six years. As part of a consent decree reached with the DOJ, the union will also consider amending its constitution to enable the direct election of the union's top officials.

Gamble, the first African American president of the United Auto Workers, will mark the fourth leaders in just three years for the UAW.

“I said on Day One I would hand over the keys to this treasured institution as a clean union," Gamble said in a statement less issued less the two hours after he officially notified the UAW's governing International Executive Board, according to the The Detroit News.

He continued: "My original intent as a UAW Vice President was to retire at the end of June 2021, and after looking at the progress we have made and the best interests of UAW members for a stable transfer of power, this is the right time for me to turn over the reins.”

The announcement of his retirement comes just one day before the union was set to hold a $150-per-plate gala dinner "honoring and saluting The Man, The Legend, Mr. Rory Gamble".

Secretary-Treasurer Ray Curry, 55, is slated to take over for Gamble.

https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/uaw-president-rory-gamble-announces-his-retirement-marking-fourth-uaw-boss-three-years

Blackouts Loom in California as Electricity Prices Are ‘Absolutely Exploding’

Two inexorable energy trends are underway in California: soaring electricity prices and ever-worsening reliability – and both trends bode ill for the state’s low- and middle-income consumers.

Last week, the state’s grid operator, the California Independent System Operator, issued a “flex alert” that asked the state’s consumers to reduce their power use “to reduce stress on the grid and avoid power outages.” CAISO’s warning of impending electricity shortages heralds another blackout-riddled summer at the same time California’s electricity prices are skyrocketing.

In 2020, California’s electricity prices jumped by 7.5%, making it the biggest price increase of any state in the country last year and nearly seven times the increase that was seen in the United States as a whole. According to data from the Energy Information Administration, the all-sector price of electricity in California last year jumped to 18.15 cents per kilowatt-hour, which means that Californians are now paying about 70% more for their electricity than the U.S. average all-sector rate of 10.66 cents per kWh. Even more worrisome: California’s electricity rates are expected to soar over the next decade. (More on that in a moment.)

The surging cost of electricity will increase the energy burden being borne by low- and middle-income Californians. High energy costs have a particularly regressive effect in California, which has the highest poverty rate – and some of the highest electricity prices – in the country. In 2020, California’s all-sector electricity prices were the third-highest in the continental U.S., behind only Rhode Island (18.55 cents per kWh) and Connecticut (19.19 cents per kWh.)

Before going further, let me state the obvious: California policymakers are providing a case study in how not to manage an electric grid. Furthermore, that case study shows what could happen if policymakers at the state and federal levels decide to follow California’s radical decarbonization mandates, which include a requirement for 100% zero-carbon electricity by 2045 and an economy-wide goal of carbon neutrality by 2045.

https://www.realclearenergy.org/articles/2021/06/24/blackouts_loom_in_california_as_electricity_prices_are_absolutely_exploding_782903.html

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