News from the South - Texas News Feed
Supreme Court upholds TikTok ban
SUMMARY: Summarize this content to 100 words: The Supreme Court on Friday unanimously upheld a law requiring TikTok’s China-based parent company to divest from the app, teeing up a ban set to take effect Sunday.
The justices sided with the Biden administration, finding that the divest-or-ban law does not violate the First Amendment just three days before President-elect Trump is set to take office. Trump had urged the justices to delay the deadline so he could negotiate a deal, but the court instead acted with breakneck speed.
However, the Biden administration does not plan to enforce the law ahead of inauguration, ultimately leaving the decision to Trump and seemingly keeping the app online for the time being.
“There is no doubt that, for more than 170 million Americans, TikTok offers a distinctive and expansive outlet for expression, means of engagement, and source of community,” the court said in its opinion. “But Congress has determined that divestiture is necessary to address its well-supported national security concerns regarding TikTok’s data collection practices and relationship with a foreign adversary.”
The court was unanimous in its judgement, although Justices Sonia Sotomayor and Neil Gorsuch filed separate concurrences.
The law, which was passed by wide bipartisan majorities in Congress and signed by President Biden last April, gave TikTok’s parent company ByteDance 270 days to divest from the app or face a ban from U.S. app stores.
TikTok has argued divestment is not a feasible option and that it will “go dark” as of Sunday. It contended the impending ban infringes on the First Amendment rights of both the company and its 170 million American users.
The court rejected those arguments, instead ruling in favor of the government. The Biden administration asserted that any free speech concerns are superseded by a national security interest over the app’s ties to China, raising alarm that the Chinese government could access Americans’ data or covertly manipulate TikTok’s content algorithm.
“Under these circumstances, we find the Government’s data collection justification sufficient to sustain the challenged provisions,” read the court’s opinion.
In his concurrence, Gorsuch said the court was right to not rely on the covert content manipulation rationale and also not rely on secret evidence from the government.
“Whether this law will succeed in achieving its ends, I do not know. A determined foreign adversary may just seek to replace one lost surveillance application with another. As time passes and threats evolve, less dramatic and more effective solutions may emerge. Even what might happen next to TikTok remains unclear,” Gorsuch wrote.
Sotomayor, meanwhile, briefly wrote separately to criticize the court for not firmly deciding the First Amendment applies, only assuming it does, saying “our precedent leaves no doubt that it does.”
The decision deals a significant blow to Trump, who argued in a friend-of-the-court brief that the Supreme Court should put the Jan. 19 deadline on hold so he could attempt to negotiate a deal once in office.
Trump has increasingly expressed sympathy with TikTok as the ban approached. TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew will attend Trump’s inauguration, and Trump is reportedly considering signing an executive order to circumvent the ban. The president-elect said Friday that he discussed the fate of TikTok with Chinese President Xi Jinping during a call.
The video-sharing platform has also gained an ally in Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), who on Thursday called for postponing Sunday’s deadline.
Rather than delay the deadline, the court instead acted remarkably fast to resolve TikTok’s lawsuit at every stage. It agreed to take up the case on Dec. 19, and on Friday issued its full opinion just a week after hearing oral arguments.
It’s a faster timeline than even other cases the court recently expedited, including when it carved out broad criminal immunity for Trump and former presidents in July, and months earlier, when the justices rejected an effort to kick Trump off Colorado’s ballot under the 14th Amendment’s insurrection ban.
Though the app would not automatically disappear for users who already downloaded it, TikTok is expected to eventually become unworkable, as the law blocks app stores from distributing the app or providing updates. However, the platform is reportedly also considering shutting down entirely if the ban goes into effect Sunday.
ByteDance could reverse course and agree to divest, though it has insisted doing so is not realistic. Several investors have expressed interest in buying TikTok, with billionaire Frank McCourt’s Project Liberty making a formal offer to ByteDance last week.
If divestment is underway, Biden, with only three days left in office, has the authority to grant a 90-day delay. Even if he doesn’t, TikTok could resume normal operations once a sale is complete.
The post Supreme Court upholds TikTok ban appeared first on www.kxan.com
News from the South - Texas News Feed
International charities and NGOs call for end to controversial Israeli-backed aid group in Gaza
SUMMARY: Dozens of international charities, including Oxfam and Amnesty, called for the disbanding of the Israeli and U.S.-backed Gaza Humanitarian Fund (GHF) due to repeated violence and chaos at aid sites. Since May 26, over 500 Palestinians have been killed near aid distribution hubs guarded by armed contractors, which Palestinians must travel long distances to reach. At least seven were recently killed seeking aid amid ongoing Israeli airstrikes that have killed thousands in Gaza since October 2023. The war has claimed over 56,000 Palestinian lives, with half women and children. Netanyahu will visit Washington to discuss the conflict and trade, amid mounting humanitarian crises including suspended dialysis services in Gaza.
The post International charities and NGOs call for end to controversial Israeli-backed aid group in Gaza appeared first on www.kxan.com
News from the South - Texas News Feed
MAP: Which school districts increased teacher pay for the 2025-26 school year?
SUMMARY: For the 2025-26 school year, Central Texas school districts are setting starting teacher salaries amid budget planning. Of 58 districts, 19 have released salary data. Del Valle ISD offers the highest starting salary at $60,000, followed by Manor ISD at $57,669. Several others offer over $50,000, while a few remain below $50,000, with Mason ISD at $40,000. The state minimum salary increased by $300 to $33,960. Eleven districts raised starting pay, led by Llano ISD’s 8.5% increase. House Bill 2 allocates $4.2 billion for teacher raises, but retention funds apply only after three years, leaving starting salaries unchanged unless districts decide otherwise.
The post MAP: Which school districts increased teacher pay for the 2025-26 school year? appeared first on www.kxan.com
News from the South - Texas News Feed
The payment trick that’s costing used car buyers and sellers thousands
SUMMARY: As used car sales peak in July, scams targeting buyers and sellers are on the rise. John Mattery reports that counterfeit checks are a common trick, with scammers sending fake checks for more than the asking price and asking sellers to return part to a shipping company. Seller Matt Neff experienced this with his 1948 Packard. Buyers, like Dejan Wallace, can also be targeted on platforms like Facebook Marketplace, where sellers may rush sales and propose suspicious payments. To avoid losing money, never cash checks and send funds back or wire money to strangers, and always insist on in-person meetings and test drives.
If you’re thinking about buying or selling a used car this summer, consumer experts say now is the time to be extra cautious.
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