In recent years, book banning has once again become a hot topic in the U.S., with more than 10,000 books banned in public schools in the 2023-24 school year alone, according to a new survey from PEN America. That’s almost triple the number of books that were banned in the 2022-23 school year.
PEN America says about 8,000 of the books banned last school year were in Florida and Iowa, two states that recently put in place laws targeting classroom material, in particular.
During the first eight months of this year, the ALA recorded 414 challenges, with 1,128 titles called into question. During the same time last year, it recorded 695 cases involving 1,915 books.
1,300 people die during Hajj pilgrimage amid high temps
People are experiencing extreme weather across the globe — including dangerous heat, which is taking a major toll in the Middle East at a time millions are visiting for a sacred religious journey for Muslims known as “Hajj pilgrimage.” More than 1,000 people have died during this year’s pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudi Arabia as temperatures reached 120 degrees.
Saudi officials said 83% of those who died were “unauthorized pilgrims” who walked long distances without adequate shelter. Egypt revoked the licenses of 16 travel agencies accused of helping the unauthorized visitors.
Among the 1.8 million people who were authorized was a couple from Maryland, who reportedly died on the journey from heat stroke. Their daughter told CNN her parents had saved up their life savings to make the pilgrimage.
In the U.S., a heat dome is impacting 100 million people across 27 states, with high temperature alerts from Los Angeles to New York City.
Meanwhile, severe flooding from heavy rainfall is the concern in the upper Midwest — with Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds, R, declaring a disaster emergency for over 20 counties. More than 300 water rescues have been reported and nearly 2,000 properties damaged. Reynolds said “the devastation is severe and widespread.”
South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, R, also declared a statewide emergency and confirmed one person was killed in the floods. Noem said the worst of the flooding is expected to come Monday, June 24, and Tuesday, June 25.
US government to fund Moderna’s mRNA bird flu vaccine trial: Report
The United States government is working to fund a human vaccine trial for bird flu in collaboration with Moderna, according to a report by The Financial Times. The H5N1 bird flu virus is currently spreading among wild birds, causing outbreaks in poultry and dairy cows. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has also detected the virus in the nation’s milk supply.
On April 24, the USDA announced a federal order requiring lactating dairy cows to be tested before interstate movement, along with financial assistance for producers with affected herds. Recently, Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds, R, issued a disaster proclamation for Sioux County, Iowa, where more than 4 million chickens had to be culled due to a bird flu outbreak on a farm.
Although two dairy workers — one in Texas and one in Michigan — contracted the virus in the last two months, they have both recovered. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) currently assesses the public health risk as “low.” Unlike COVID-19, bird flu is unlikely to become the next pandemic because it does not transmit effectively from person to person.
Pharmaceutical companies are exploring the need to produce more doses of a bird flu pandemic vaccine, while scientists urge caution but not panic. The federal government already maintains a stockpile of a vaccine that could help prevent H5N1 in humans if the virus develops the capability to spread efficiently from person to person worldwide.
Both the United States and European nations are prioritizing vaccination for front-line workers, including poultry farmers and dairy farm workers who may be exposed to bird flu. David Boucher, the director of Infectious Disease at the Department of Health and Human Services, acknowledges that the effectiveness of the current bird flu vaccine is low due to its imperfect match against the circulating strain.
Scientists are actively developing a human mRNA bird flu vaccine because such vaccines can be rapidly produced and tailored to the circulating strain of the virus.
The Financial Times reported that federal funding, potentially several tens of millions of dollars, may come from the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) next month to support a late-stage trial for Moderna’s mRNA bird flu vaccine. If successful, BARDA would also purchase a stockpile of vaccine doses. Moderna is expected to release interim trial data soon.
Eminem vs. Vivek: Cease-and-desist letter adds to history of musician-politician battles
The chorus from Eminem’s Oscar-winning song “Lose Yourself” sounds like this – Lose yourself in the music, the moment, you own it. The “you own it” line is quite topical this week. See, the thing is – if you’re a politician using a musician’s work at a campaign event, and if you don’t own it, that could cause confusion and possible legal ramifications.
The battle between musical artists and political leaders has been going on for decades. It’s a clash between lyricist and lawmaker — performer and pundit — rapper and representative — which brings regulations on copyright, trademark and image use to the forefront. Republican presidential candidate and political newcomer Vivek Ramaswamy is the latest to join the list of politicians to get a less-than-cordial response from the artist behind the music featured at their campaign events.
Ramaswamy is no stranger to singing himself — actually, rapping.
During his college years at Harvard University, he rapped under the stage name “Da Vek.” But, as he told The New York Times, he identifies with one rapper in particular — Eminem.
“I did not grow up in the circumstances he did,” Ramaswamy told the Times. “But the idea of being an underdog, people having low expectations of you, that part speaks to me.”
That was evident during an appearance at the Iowa State Fair on Aug. 12 when Ramaswamy took the microphone and began singing the lyrics Marshall Mathers made famous in the 2002 film “8 Mile.”
Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds had asked him moments earlier what his favorite walkout song would be. Ramaswamy replied, “Lose Yourself.” After their chat ended, the song was played over the loudspeakers and the business mogul proceeded to put on an impromptu karaoke performance.
This was not a shock to anyone who knew of Ramaswamy’s history with the song. As Politico reports, during his time at Harvard, he would rap at open-mic nights, sometimes changing the lyrics to libertarian themes. He performed the rap during a vacation in Canada and at a holiday party for Strive, the asset management firm he founded.
“In Eminem, he found an insurgent-like figure, the kind of persona Ramaswamy aspired to and still seems to draw at least some inspiration from,” Politico reported.
The presidential hopeful even rapped a few lines of the song during his interview.
Source: AP Images
But it was the state fair performance that caught the attention of Eminem himself, and the 15-time Grammy Award winner was not amused. He sent Ramaswamy a cease-and-desist letter through the performing rights organization BMI.
The letter, which was first obtained by the Daily Mail, was dated Aug. 23, 11 days after the performance. It read, in part, that BMI “has received a communication from Marshall B. Mathers, III, professionally known as Eminem, objecting to the Vivek Ramaswamy campaign’s use of Eminem’s musical compositions…BMI will consider any performance of the Eminem Works by the Vivek 2024 campaign from this date forward to be a material breach of the Agreement for which BMI reserves all rights and remedies with respect thereto.”
Source: Daily Mall
“Will The REAL Slim Shady Please Stand Up? He didn’t just say what I think he did, did he,” Ramaswamy posted on X, referring to lyrics in Eminem’s 2000 song “The Real Slim Shady.”
A spokesperson for Ramaswamy’s campaign issued a statement saying, “To the American people’s chagrin, we will have to leave the rapping to the real Slim Shady.”
History of Politician vs. Musician Battles
Ramaswamy does not have to look too far to find other politicians who have suffered a similar fate when choosing a catchy tune for their events – though, most of the time, they were not performing it as he did.
In 1984, Ronald Reagan had planned to use Bruce Springsteen’s “Born in the U.S.A.” as the theme for his reelection campaign. When an adviser for the president asked if they could use the song, the New Jersey singer said no.
That didn’t stop Reagan from referencing the rocker during a stump speech in the Garden State, saying “America’s future rests in the message of hope in the songs of a man so many young Americans admire — New Jersey’s own, Bruce Springsteen.”
In 1989, Bobby McFerrin asked George H.W. Bush’s team to stop playing his song “Don’t Worry, Be Happy” as the vice president vied for the highest office. The Bush campaign stopped using it and switched to Woody Guthrie’s “This Land is Your Land.”
Former President Donald Trump has received backlash from a few musicians whose work was used at his political events. In 2015, as Trump announced his run for the presidency, Neil Young’s “Rockin’ in the Free World” blared through Trump Tower.
Young’s representatives released a statement saying Trump was “not authorized” to use his song.
The future president’s team said that he did have permission through a licensing agreement with the performance rights organization ASCAP. Trump, however, stopped using the song, as his campaign manager at the time said they would respect Young’s wishes because “it’s the right thing to do.”
In 2020, The Rolling Stones enlisted BMI to keep its track “You Can’t Always Get What You Want” from playing at Trump rallies as he sought reelection.
“BMI (has) notified the Trump campaign on behalf of the Stones that the unauthorized use of their songs will constitute a breach of its licensing agreement. If Donald Trump disregards the exclusion and persists, then he would face a lawsuit for breaking the embargo and playing music that has not been licensed,” a statement from The Stones’ representatives said.
In 2008, Sam Moore of the R&B duo Sam & Dave requested Obama to stop playing “Hold On, I’m Coming” at his rallies, saying that it may look like he was endorsing the presidential candidate at the time.
“I have not agreed to endorse you for the highest office in our land…My vote is a very private matter between myself and the ballot box,” Moore said.
The Obama campaign agreed to stop using the song, but the following year Moore performed at the president’s inaugural ball.
Legalities of politicians using artist’s music
There are rules and regulations when it comes to a musician’s work being played at events, it’s just that these rules and regulations can sometimes be misinterpreted, misunderstood, ignored or applied differently depending on the circumstances.
Inductee Eminem performs on stage during the 37th Annual Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame Induction Ceremony at Microsoft Theater on November 05, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. Photo by Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic). Source: Getty Images.
Leslie A. Farber is a New Jersey attorney whose areas of practice include business matters. Though she was not affiliated with any of these particular instances, she has written on the subject of whether politicians have the legal right to play any songs at their events. Her conclusion: “The answer is not clear cut.”
“Artists rarely have full control over where and when their music can be played. The writer (or writers) of a song automatically receives copyright for their original creation, and U.S. copyright statutes prohibit the dissemination of copyrighted work online without permission,” she wrote.
Copyright comes into play, for example, if a politician uses an artist’s song without permission in a social media video.
Farber said no permission is needed for a song to be played at a public venue like a stadium that has a public performance license, which is granted through organizations like BMI and ASCAP.
However, she pointed out, “ASCAP recommends that political campaigns seek permission from the musicians or songwriters, as these licenses exclude music played during conventions or campaign events.”
Jodie Thomas, BMI’s executive director of corporate communications, told Variety in 2020 that the Political Entities License was created to cover music used by political campaigns.
“Since many political events and rallies are often held at places that don’t typically require a music license, such as airport hangars or community fields, a Political Entities License ensures that wherever the campaign stops, it is in compliance with copyright law,” Thomas said. “A venue license was never intended to cover political campaigns. So if a campaign attempts to rely on a venue license to cover its music use, there’s risk involved.”
Thomas said political campaigns “cannot and should not try to circumvent BMI’s withdrawal of musical works under its Political Entities License by attempting to rely on another license.”
Farber said “savvy campaign managers” purchase the rights to play the music at political events through licensing agreements.
“If an artist’s song is part of the licensing agreement and is played at a campaign event, they have traditionally had little legal recourse outside of sending a cease-and-desist letter,” Farber said.
This is approach is seen in Eminem’s cease-and-desist letter to the Ramaswamy campaign.
BMI says the letter served as notice that Eminem’s songs are excluded from the Music License for Political Entities or Organizations between its organization and the Vivek 2024 team effective immediately. According to the letter, the licensing agreement between the two parties was entered on May 24, almost three months before the “Lose Yourself” viral moment.
According to Farber, other avenues artists can take to keep politicians’ hands off their songs are objecting on the basis of their Right of Publicity, “a legal argument that covers how their image is portrayed,” and the Lanham Act, which covers trademark infringement.
Farber said infringement can occur if the use of the song could confuse the audience into thinking the musician is endorsing the candidate, which is an argument many artists have used to stop their music from being played.
In July 2020, Gospel singer and songwriter Yolanda Adams testified before the Senate’s subcommittee on intellectual property about musicians’ work being used by political campaigns.
The four-time Grammy winner said, “I am not a copyright attorney. But after decades of watching debates about music in campaigns, I can offer a songwriter’s advice in lieu of legal advice. Musicians run the spectrum of political views. If candidates want to use music in their campaigns, work with us – the artists and songwriters – to find the right match. I am often asked for the use of my music for all kinds of uses: services, weddings, alas, even funerals. And I almost always give my permission.
“But the operative word is permission. Legal battles and cease and desist letters will never be as effective as good old-fashioned cooperation.”
Judge to rule on Texas river buoy barrier as governors visit border
A hearing was set for Tuesday, Aug. 22 where a judge will consider whether Texas can keep the floating buoy barrier it constructed in the Rio Grande near Eagle Pass. The Justice Department sued Texas over the barrier, arguing it could impact relations with Mexico.
Both the department and Mexico have expressed concern the buoys could pose humanitarian and environmental risks. It wasn’t clear if U.S. District Judge David Ezra was going to rule on the barrier Tuesday.
The hearing was set to take place just days after Texas repositioned the river buoy barrier closer to the U.S. side of the river. On Monday, Aug. 21, Gov. Greg Abbott (R-TX) said the barrier was moved “out of an abundance of caution” after allegations that the buoys had drifted to the Mexico side.
“I don’t know whether they were true or not,” Gov. Abbott said. His comments Monday came during a visit to Eagle Pass, where he was joined by the following governors:
Gov. Kim Reynolds (R-IA)
Gov. Jim Pillen (R-NE)
Gov. Kevin Stitt (R-OK)
Gov. Kristi Noem (R-SD)
“We have 14 Governors who are deploying personnel to secure the border that President Biden has abandoned. President Biden is not doing his job, and he is responsible for the largest amount of illegal immigration in the history of the United States and has rolled out a deadly welcome mat with a record number of people dying attempting to cross the border,” Abbott said. “There is a reason the United Nations has named the border between the United States and Mexico the deadliest land border in the entire world. President Biden is responsible for that deadly border, and we’re not going to stand idly by.”
Abbott’s mission to combat the border crisis, known as Operation Lone Star, has faced legal challenges. Four migrant men who were arrested by Texas troopers after crossing the border have sued county officials in the state.
According to the lawsuit, the men remained in a Texas jail for two to six weeks after they should have been released. The lawsuit alleges that instead of being released, the men were transported to federal immigration facilities and sent back to Mexico.
Iowa Legislature passes 6-week abortion ban: July 12 rundown
Iowa lawmakers passed a 6-week abortion ban, and the federal government’s latest target in reducing greenhouse gases are refrigerators and air conditioners. These stories and more highlight the Rundown for Wednesday, July 12, 2023.
Iowa passes 6-week abortion ban
In a special session that went late into the night on Tuesday, July 11, the Iowa Legislature passed a bill that would ban abortion as soon as fetal cardiac activity is detected, usually around the 6-week mark of a pregnancy. A similar measure to the so-called “heartbeat bill” was originally passed in the state in 2018, but could not take effect as long as the Roe v. Wade decision stood.
The new bill includes exceptions for rape, incest, and the life of the mother. Gov. Reynolds said she will sign the bill into law Friday, July 14. Once that happens, Iowa will become the 15th state to ban most or all abortions since Roe was overturned.
Poll finds majority of American oppose early abortion bans
According to a new poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, Americans’ views on abortion shift depending on how far along the mother is. Over 70% of respondents said abortion should be legal at least in the early stages of pregnancy. But after the 24-week mark, the majority of respondents said their state should generally not allow abortions.
Overall, only a quarter of respondents said abortion should always be legal. An even smaller percent of respondents, about 10%, said abortion should always be illegal.
The poll was conducted in late June of 2023, one year after Roe was overturned.
North Korea fires missile after threatening U.S. spy plans
North Korea fired its first intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) in three months Wednesday. The launch came just as leaders of South Korea and Japan were set to meet on the sidelines of this week’s NATO summit.
“North Korea’s series of actions, including its repeated ballistic missile launches, threaten the peace and security of Japan’s region and the international community, and are absolutely unacceptable,” Hirokazo Matsuno, Japan’s chief cabinet secretary, said. “Moreover, such ballistic missile launches violate relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions and are a serious security issue for our citizens.”
North Korea has test fired its first ever solid-fuel ICBM, one of more than a dozen missile tests the nation has conducted in 2023. According to analysts, the North’s nuclear arsenal is powerful enough to put the U.S. In striking distance.
Legal developments in two Trump cases
The Justice Department has abandoned its initial plan to defend former President Donald Trump in a defamation lawsuit brought by the columnist E. Jean Carroll. The department argued Trump’s former presidency no longer shields him from Carroll’s suit, given the timeline of events, and said Trump is no longer entitled to immunity.
A spokesman for Trump’s presidential campaign called the department’s reversal politically motivated. Carroll’s second lawsuit against Trump is currently tied up in appeals.
As that develops, Trump’s lawyers asked a judge to postpone his classified documents trial, possibly until after the 2024 presidential election. They argued Trump’s candidacy could make it difficult to seat an impartial jury.
Manson follower released from prison
Charles Manson follower Leslie Van Houten has been released from a California prison after serving more than 50 years. Van Houten was convicted of the 1969 murders of a wealthy Los Angeles couple at the direction of the cult leader when she was 19 years old.
Van Houten is the first Manson follower who took part in the killings to walk free. She was granted parole and Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA) said he would not fight the ruling.
He had previously blocked her release in 2020, saying she was still a threat to society. An appeals court reversed that decision, ruling that “Van Houten has shown extraordinary rehabilitative efforts, insight, remorse, realistic parole plans, support from family and friends, favorable institutional reports, and, at the time of the governor’s decision, had received four successive grants of parole.”
Van Houten is expected to spend about one year at a halfway house. She is likely to be on parole for three years.
EPA sets limits on chemicals used in refrigerators
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a new rule that will enforce stricter limits on hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), a type of greenhouse gas primarily used in refrigerators and air conditioners. The agency will impose a 40% reduction in HFCs starting in 2024.
The agency said the move is part of a global effort to slow climate change. The new EPA rule aligns with a 2020 law that calls for an 85% reduction in production of the chemicals by 2036.
Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds calls for special session to revive abortion restrictions
Iowa Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds has called lawmakers back to Des Moines for a special session. Reynolds intends to pursue legislation to restrict abortion access in the state.
Back in 2018, Reynolds signed a law that banned abortion once a fetal heartbeat is detected, which is usually around six weeks. The law was blocked because of the U.S. Supreme Court’s long-standing 1973 ruling in Roe v. Wade, which guaranteed abortion rights nationwide.
When the Supreme Court overturned Roe last year, Reynolds immediately sought to revive the 2018 law. But in June, the Iowa Supreme Court permanently blocked the law.
The court cited that no legal mechanism exists that would allow the law to be revived. The court was split 3-3, which has left the possibility open for the GOP-controlled state Legislature to try to pass a similar ban. But any new law would likely be challenged in state court.
This is a complicated story that right-leaning media outlets have largely ignored. According to the SAN Media Miss tool, this story is considered a media miss on the right due to how unbalanced the scale of coverage is.
The blocked law, or so-called fetal heartbeat law, has critics on both sides of the aisle. A pregnant woman may not know she’s pregnant until after the six week window, and medical experts say the cardiac activity is not an actual heartbeat but rather an initial flutter of electric movement within the cells in an embryo.
Democrats in the Iowa Legislature issued statements denouncing the proposed restrictions, saying it goes against what the majority of Iowa residents want.
An Associated Press poll shows many Americans, including Iowans, support at least some access to abortion in general. Reynolds disagrees.
“After years of litigation, the Iowa Supreme Court was split 3-3 last month in its opinion regarding whether a lower court’s injunction of the fetal heartbeat law should be dissolved. This lack of action disregards the will of Iowa voters and lawmakers who will not rest until the unborn are protected by law,” Reynolds said in a news release.
Reynolds’ office confirmed that lawmakers will meet on July 11.
Reynolds has been in office since 2017 and has only called a special session one other time. In 2021, lawmakers came together in two separate special sessions to approve the drawing of congressional and legislative districts.
Money won’t buy trust after Davenport building collapse
The city of Davenport and the state of Iowa are putting together a financial aid package for people impacted by the May 28 building collapse. However, there are a number of Davenport residents saying say they don’t want money, they want accountability.
https://twitter.com/AP/status/1664660009102213123
A protester, who will be called Joan, said, “I believe there should be some charges for what happened. I feel in my heart it’s murder. We feel like we’re being lied to, and we feel like none of our questions are being answered.”
Joan is one of the protesters who has been outside the Davenport Hotel building every day since its collapse. She didn’t want to be identified because she claimed the man who owns the collapsed Davenport Hotel, Andrew Wold, is also her landlord.
Straight Arrow News
Joan said she feared what Wold might do in retaliation against her, and the only way she and her fellow protesters will be satisfied is if Wold and the property manager he hired to run the Davenport Hotel face legal consequences.
Joan said the city and Mayor Mike Matson, should also not be immune from the legal fallout following the incident.
The two biggest questions Joan had were: Why was the building deemed safe when it was in such an obvious state of disrepair? And how can the city ensure other buildings that were cleared by that same inspector are actually safe?
“We’ve been asking for the last few days for the mayor to come out and talk to us, but he won’t,” Joan said. “He avoids our calls and when we go [to city hall].”
To date, some former residents of the Davenport Hotel and others impacted by its collapse have said Matson refuses to meet with them directly. The city even barred one victim’s families from speaking during a news conference earlier in the week.
The public, including Joan, is not allowed into the city’s press conferences.
“There’s a woman outside saying ‘charge you with murder.’ So, what are you doing to restore the trust of the people who just don’t trust you,” Straight Arrow news asked Matson during a June 1 press conference.
“I’m not even going to answer something like that next,” Matson replied.
When asked if he plans to hold any town halls or other form of public meeting with Davenport residents concerned about building safety, the mayor said he spoke with families over the phone and holds press conferences.
Straight Arrow News
To his credit, Matson did deliver some good news for those impacted. Thanks to Gov. Kim Reynolds’ disaster declaration and some funding from the city, impacted residents will get $11,500. Money that can be used on anything, because they need everything.
The city is also getting help from outside sources by reaching out to leadership in Miami-Dade County, Florida.
“The folks that did the work with Surfside, we just had a great conversation with their respective mayor’s office, their police, their fire, their emergency management, and all that to assist. And they continue to offer individual assistance in respect to police, fire, search, etc.,” Matson said.
In Florida, the partially collapsed Surfside Condominium building stood for over a week before it was demolished. In Davenport, Matson and the city had plans to start demolition just two days after the collapse. A woman was found alive in the building before those plans went into motion. So, the city said it’s taking every step possible to make sure things get done right.
“This will be like a dignified, archeological type of thing,” Matson said. “[We’re] going to pull pieces and sift through, with the respect and dignity, to try and find, if they are there, the remains of folks’ loved ones. That’s the level that we intend to do, because of what we believe we’re dealing with.”
The bodies of three men are still believed to be buried in the rubble.
Iowa, Kentucky pass bills impacting transgender youth: Media Miss
Iowa and Kentucky became the latest states to pass bills impacting transgender youth on Thursday, Mar. 16. The bills have different focuses, but both are expected to become law.
The Iowa bill would ban transgender students from using a public school restroom that aligns with their gender identity. Gov. Kim Reynolds (R) is expected to sign it. Similar so-called “bathroom bills” have been passed and/or signed into law in Arkansas, Alabama, Oklahoma and Tennessee.
The Kentucky bill would ban gender affirming care for transgender kids. Similar bills have been signed into law in Mississippi, South Dakota and Utah.
Unlike Iowa, Kentucky has a Democratic governor who is expected to veto the trans youth bill. However, state lawmakers passed the bill ahead of a Thursday deadline that allows them to override the veto.
Passage came following intense debate in the state legislature. A slimmed-down version of the bill had stalled in the Senate earlier this week.
Straight Arrow News aims to identify when stories are being underreported on either side of the political aisle and media landscape. This story is a Media Miss for right-leaning outlets, with most sources reporting it being either left-leaning or center-oriented outlets, according to Ground.News.
15 state attorneys general want TikTok reclassified, Rubio wants it banned
It seems with each passing week, the troubles for TikTok just keeping piling up. In just the last few days, 15 state attorneys general demanded the app’s content rating be raised, three more states banned the app from government-owned devices, and there’s a bipartisan effort in Congress to ban TikTok altogether.
TikTok is owned by ByteDance, a Chinese company with ties to the communist government. Attorneys general from 15 states think at the very least, the Apple and Google app stores should reclassify TikTok as inappropriate for teens.
The Wall Street Journal reported the Republican attorney general sent letters to the heads of the tech companies. The attorneys general said TikTok videos frequently contain references to sex, drug use and other mature content. The attorneys general warned there could be legal consequences if the tech companies don’t comply.
Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen is leading the state coalition against TikTok. Other attorneys general in the coalition represent Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas, Utah and Virginia.
TikTok is now banned on government-owned devices in eight states. Alabama, Utah and Iowa are the latest members of that list. In a press release, Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds said, “It is clear TikTok represents a national security risk to our country, and I refuse to subject the citizens of Iowa to that risk.”
In Congress, Florida Republican Senator Marco Rubio announced bipartisan legislation to ban TikTok outright from the U.S. marketplace. The legislation calls for a block of all transactions from any social media company under the influence of the Chinese or Russian governments. Senator Rubio said a companion piece of legislation will be introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives as well.
Spokespeople for TikTok have said repeatedly that the Chinese government doesn’t have access to data from users in the U.S., and said the push for bans are politically motivated.
