The Supreme Court needs more time to decide whether to limit access to an abortion pill. And Americans can now claim a portion of a $725 million settlement by Meta tied to user privacy violations. These stories and more highlight the daily rundown for Thursday, April 20, 2023.
Supreme Court extends review on abortion pill access
The U.S. Supreme Court was expected to weigh in Wednesday, April 19, on a lower court ruling that imposed restrictions on the abortion pill mifepristone. Instead, in an unusual move for the high court, it extended its temporary block of the restrictions until Friday, April 21. In the meantime, access to the abortion medication remains intact. This is the Supreme Court’s first major action on abortion since overturning Roe v Wade last year. The justices will now have more time to consider emergency requests from the Biden administration to stop an appeals court ruling that imposed restrictions on the pill.
The battle over the abortion drug began when a Texas federal judge said the FDA improperly approved the pill, ruling to take it off the market completely. An appeals court ruled it could still be accessed but under new guidelines. The justices are expected to make a decision tomorrow.
Three arrests made in Alabama shooting
Police arrested three people in connection to the mass shooting at a sweet sixteen birthday party in Alabama last week. Four people were shot and killed and more than two dozen others were injured.
Authorities say teenaged brothers, Tyreese and Travis McCullough and 20-year-old Wilson Hill Junior have been arrested and charged with four counts of reckless murder. All three will be charged as acults. With more than 30 other people injured in the shooting, officials say more charges could be coming.
According to authorities. the three suspects were not guests to the party.
The birthday girl, who the party was for, said she had no clue who the suspects were. Police haven’t released a motive in the case or said if the suspects had any connection to anyone else at the party that night.
Two dead in Oklahoma after tornadoes hit central U.S.
More than half a dozen tornadoes struck the U.S. across three states on Wednesday, April 19. At least two people died in Oklahoma, as powerful storms battered communities with large hail and damaging winds.
The most significant storms were reported across Oklahoma, Kansas and Iowa, with Oklahoma appearing to be the hardest hit with at least four confirmed tornadoes.
Power was knocked out to tens of thousands of residents and clean up efforts are expected to stretch through the weekend. Storms this spring have spawned tornadoes in the South, Midwest and Northeast, killing dozens of people.
IRS whistleblower claims Hunter Biden investigation being mishandled
An attorney for an IRS supervisor has sent a letter to lawmakers asking for whistleblower protection, saying his client has information that suggests the federal criminal investigation into Hunter Biden’s tax returns is being improperly influenced by quote “preferential treatment and politics.”
In the letter to Congress, the attorney says his client could provide information that would quote “contradict sworn testimony by a senior political appointee” on the matter. The attorney also said the whistleblower has been with the IRS for more than a decade and has extensive documentation to support his allegations.
The DOJ opened an investigation into Hunter Biden’s finances two years ago. The FBI collected what it believed to be sufficient evidence to charge Biden with tax crimes, sending its finding to the U.S. attorney in Delaware. But nothing has happened since.
Facebook users can claim settlement money
Anyone in the U.S. who used Facebook in the last 16 years can now collect a piece of a $725 million settlement by parent company Meta tied to privacy violations. All they have to do is fill out a claim on a website set up to pay out money to the social network’s users. The settlement stems from multiple lawsuits that were brought against Facebook by users who claimed the company improperly shared their data with advertisers and other third-party sources. Meta denied any liability or wrongdoing under the settlement.
The settlement comes as Facebook has started the latest round of layoffs announced last month. Meta said 21,000 jobs will be impacted over two rounds of layoffs. The company’s stock price has bounced back this year after plummeting in 2022.
‘Rust’ movie production continues
Filming on Alec Baldwin’s movie ‘Rust’ will resume April 20. This time, not in New Mexico, but in Montana. Production has been on pause since 2021, when cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was fatally shot after a gun Baldwin was holding fired a live round of ammunition. According to rust movie productions, Baldwin will be on set to finish shooting.
There are about 20 to 25 days left of production before the crew finishes. Baldwin, along with the film’s weapons supervisor, have both been charged with involuntary manslaughter. Both have pleaded not guilty. A preliminary hearing in the case will be held next month.
Netflix postpones password sharing cut off
Account sharing is an easy way to get out of paying for your own Netflix membership. The company has been threatening to crack down on password sharing, but that plan is being postponed for now because a trial run in other countries led to mass cancellations.
Netflix is delaying its crackdown on account sharing as well as its “paid sharing plan” in the U.S. which allows users to share their account with people outside of their home for an extra fee. The streaming service says it faced what it calls a “cancel reaction” when launching the plan in other countries.
But the company says users are likely to reactive accounts and are happy with the rollout results. The limit on password sharing, which was supposed to have happened already, is now expected to go into effect by the end of June.
