Meta has reached a settlement agreement with multiple states totaling up to $17 billion in response to a federal child safety lawsuit. California, Colorado, Kentucky and New Jersey had brought the case against the company, alleging that Facebook and Instagram were deliberately designed to be addictive to children and that Meta concealed knowledge of associated risks. The company disputes these claims. Under the settlement terms, a portion of the payment will fund youth mental health initiatives, after-school programming and crisis response services. Additionally, Meta committed to implementing platform modifications, including establishing a two-hour default daily time limit for users under 18, automatically blocking nighttime access and concealing the visibility of likes and reactions on posts.
A federal judge in Boston rescinded a nationwide injunction against the U.S. Postal Service’s implementation of President Trump’s executive order on mail-in voting restrictions. U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani’s action follows a Supreme Court decision earlier in the month that found a prior, more limited ruling by the same judge to be premature before the USPS completed its operational plans. The development may lead to additional Supreme Court involvement regarding the executive order’s constitutionality, though the high court has thus far limited its review to procedural matters.
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission is preparing to remove a five-decade-old safety standard requiring nuclear facilities to reduce worker radiation exposure to the lowest practical levels. The proposed elimination of the “As Low As Reasonably Achievable” standard represents part of a broader Trump administration initiative to streamline nuclear regulation and expand nuclear energy development for artificial intelligence data centers. The revised rule would permit increased radiation exposure for certain workers under defined circumstances. The modification has garnered both support and concern, with proponents viewing it as overdue reform and opponents cautioning about potential health implications. The public input period concludes Aug. 31, with implementation possible early in the following year.
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