Legal battle over potential TikTok ban goes before federal appeals court
CBSN
Washington — A long-brewing legal standoff over the popular video-sharing app TikTok gets underway on Monday, with arguments in the challenge against a possible ban kicking off.
TikTok and its parent company ByteDance have been under fire by U.S. officials for years over warnings that China's government could gain access to users' data and use it to manipulate or spy on Americans. But a renewed push against the app gained momentum in Congress earlier this year, as lawmakers approved a foreign aid package that included provisions requiring it to be sold or be banned from U.S. app stores. President Biden signed the legislation into law in April, teeing up a countdown for TikTok's sale.
TikTok and ByteDance filed a lawsuit against the Justice Department in May over the law, arguing that it violates First Amendment rights of users, among other claims. With the petition, the parties asked the court to block enforcement of the legislation, which they said would force a shutdown of the app by early next year, arguing that the sale of the app is untenable before then.
As the number of electric vehicles on U.S. roads continues to rise, concern has emerged about the ability of existing safety infrastructure to handle their increased weight. Guardrails and other roadside safety barriers, typically tested against vehicles weighing around 5,000 pounds, are now being challenged by EVs that often exceed that weight.
Washington — The House is set to vote Wednesday on a measure to keep the government funded with less than two weeks before a possible government shutdown. But the measure, paired with what Democrats see as a poison pill on noncitizen voting, faces headwinds in the lower chamber. And even among Republicans, support may fall short.
Six members of a Kansas-based cult have been convicted in a scheme to house children in overcrowded, rodent-infested facilities and force them to work up to 16 hours a day without pay while subjecting them to beatings and other abuse. The children, prosecutors say, were told they would burn in "eternal hellfire" if they left.