Tootfinder

Meta, TikTok, Google, and YouTube sue California over a new law that prohibits personalized feeds for minors without parental consent, claiming it violates 1A (Bernie Pazanowski/Bloomberg Law)
https://news.bloomberglaw.com/states-of-p…

Tech Giants Sue California Over Social Media Access Law (2)
Meta Platforms Inc., TikTok Inc., Google LLC, and YouTube LLC are challenging a California law that forbids social media platforms from allowing minors to access personalized feeds without parental consent.

'Dubious departure from settled law': Jackson says even Barrett realizes SCOTUS vote-counting decision 'finds no support in our precedents' | Law & Crime
https://lawandcrime.com/supreme-court/dubious-departure-from-settled-law-jackson-says-even-barrett-realizes-scotus-vote-counting-decision-finds-no-support-in-our-precedents/

Filing: Reddit says in its lawsuit against Australia's social media ban that it's "a collection of public fora" and social interaction isn't its "sole purpose" (Lauren Edmonds/Business Insider)
https://www.businessinsider.com/reddit-leg

Reddit is arguing it's a 'collection of public fora' and not a social media company. Here's why.
In a lawsuit challenging an Australian law barring children under 16 from having social media accounts, Reddit argues it's not a social media company.

X 'acting to comply with UK law' after outcry over sexualised images (The Guardian)
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2026/jan/14/x-acting-to-comply-with-uk-law-after-outcry-over-sexualised-images
http://www.memeorandum.com/260115/p3#a260115p3

A new US law enforcement initiative is aimed at crypto fraudsters targeting Americans
—and now seeks to seize infrastructure it claims is crucial to notorious scam compounds
DOJ Issued Seizure Warrant to Starlink Over Satellite Internet Systems Used at Scam Compound
…

DOJ Issued Seizure Warrant to Starlink Over Satellite Internet Systems Used at Scam Compound
A new US law enforcement initiative is aimed at crypto fraudsters targeting Americans—and now seeks to seize infrastructure it claims is crucial to notorious scam compounds.

First Law of Procrastination:
Procrastination shortens the job and places the responsibility
for its termination on someone else (i.e., the authority who
imposed the deadline).
Fifth Law of Procrastination:
Procrastination avoids boredom; one never has the feeling that
there is nothing important to do.

FPF Releases Updated Report on the State Comprehensive Privacy Law Landscape
https://fpf.org/blog/fpf-releases-updated-report-on-the-state-comprehensive-privacy-law-landscape/
@…

I have written why local police, possibly SWAT, must engage, detain and arrest ice. The alternatives are all worse.
https://stuff.davidaugust.com/local-law-enforcements-challenge-uphold-the-law-even-against-the-feds/

Local Law Enforcement's Challenge: Uphold the Law, Even Against the Feds
in the absence of action, civilians will fill the void I do want to write something not so serious, maybe even funny, here soon. But today, I think the police have to do a very hard and necessary thing: defend Americans against their federal government. If any other group arrived

Solve Intelligence, which offers generative AI tools to law firms for IP and patent law work, raised a $40M Series B, bringing its total funding to $55M (Mike Butcher/Pathfounders)
https://pathfounders.com/p/generative-ai-is-coming-for-ip

Generative AI is coming for IP and patent law, as Solve Intelligence raises its Series B
It looks like a swathe of older legal tech platforms are about to be hit by Generative AI startups. But are VCs using 'king-making' tactics to back the winners?

theme from the A-team starts playing
https://www.abajournal.com/news/article/former-special-counsel-jack-smith-to-start-law-firm-with-other-former-prosecutors

Former special counsel Jack Smith will start law firm with other former prosecutors
Former special counsel Jack Smith and three other former prosecutors who investigated President Donald Trump and the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol are starting their own law firm, which will launch in January, Law.com reports.

Law and Order im Ländle:
„Der „nachhaltige“ Rechtskampf der fünf Frei­bur­ge­r:in­nen gegen das Verbot sei außerdem als Indiz gewertet worden, dass diese die ursprüngliche Plattform weiterbetreiben wollten und damit Teil des verbotenen Vereins waren.
Das Landgericht sieht auch hier eine „bedenkliche Argumentation“, die Personen von „zulässigem juristischen Vorgehen“ abhalten könne.“
Durchsuchungen in Freiburg: Razzien wegen

BREAKING: Hong Kong tycoon Jimmy Lai found guilty under national security law (Hong Kong Free Press HKFP)
https://hongkongfp.com/2025/12/15/breaking-hong-kong-tycoon-jimmy-lai-found-guilty-under-national-security-law/
http://www.memeorandum.com/251214/p54#a251214p54

Shapiro Lecture, Catholic Theological Union: Rewilding the Tree of Life - Jewish Law and Theology in the Time of Climate Change.
https://ift.tt/F4Ve1RY
ResearchGate: Publishers Take Formal Steps to Force Copyright Compliance A summary of…
via Input 4 RELCFP

Filing: Reddit says in its lawsuit against Australia's social media ban that it is "a collection of public fora" and social interaction isn't its "sole purpose" (Lauren Edmonds/Business Insider)
https://www.businessinsider.com/reddit-leg…

Reddit is arguing it's a 'collection of public fora' and not a social media company. Here's why.
In a lawsuit challenging an Australian law barring children under 16 from having social media accounts, Reddit argues it's not a social media company.

Good article, makes you think 🤔
"How AI Destroys Institutions"
#ai

Polish president signs social aid law for Ukrainian refugees for 'last time': https://benborges.xyz/2025/11/15/polish-president-signs-social-aid.html

"The German government is set to get new powers to bar risky Chinese technology suppliers from its critical infrastructure."
https://www.politico.eu/article/germany-lines-up-new-powers-to-fend-off-chinese-tech/

Germany lines up new powers to fend off Chinese tech
New law set to come into place as Germany toughens its stance on China.

I donated to the Brennan Center for Justice at NYU Law School https://www.brennancenter.org/
Due to the dire threats to the USA from the current administration and the Republican party I am donating as much money as I spend on myself this year to protect us from those threats to our way of life.

Brennan Center for Justice | Home
Defend Democracy. Reform Justice. Protect the Constitution. The Brennan Center for Justice at NYU Law works to build an America that is democratic, just, and free.

There might soon be a law in the US, even though it counters the interests of Elon Musk? Wow!
#xAI #Grok
https://www.<…

Over the past two months the U.S. has blown up at least 20 boats in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific.
“80 people have been killed in what are extrajudicial executions under international law,” says Juan Pappier, Americas deputy director at Human Rights Watch.
The Pentagon claims the boats were carrying drugs but officials have acknowledged they don’t know who has been killed.
The U.S.now has 15,000 military personnel in the region.

“Gunboat Diplomacy”: U.S. War in Latin America Feared as Hegseth Launches “Operation Southern Spear”
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has announced the launch of Operation Southern Spear to target suspected drug traffickers in South America, Central America and the Caribbean. The U.S. now has 15,000 military personnel in the region. Over the past two months the U.S. has blown up at least 20 boats in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific. “80 people have been killed in what are extrajudicial executions under international law,” says Juan Pappier, Americas deputy director at Human Rights Watch. Th…

Say no to intervention in Cuba and Latin America. Sign the urgent call for Peace and Sovereignty today! #Cuba

Defend international law - No to intervention in Cuba and Latin America
Recent US military action against Venezuela, together with open threats made against other sovereign nations including Cuba, has heightened concerns about peace, regional stability and respect for the UN Charter

U.S. Attacked Boat With Aircraft That Looked Like a Civilian Plane - The New York Times
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/12/us/politics/us-boat-attacks-law.html
Niet de eerste keer dat de meest fundamentele verdragen overboord gegooid worden en ongetwijfeld niet de laatste keer.
Het maakt wel heel duidelijk hoe het regime Trump er in staat.

Die EU-Kommision macht eine Konsultation zu #OpenSource für den Einsatz in ihrer Verwaltung und sucht Stellungnahmen und Use Cases, z.B. von Unternehmen, Verwaltungen oder Einzelpersonen:
> The European Open Digital Ecosystem Strategy will set out:
a strategic approach to the open source sector in the EU [...]
a strategic and operational framework to strengthen t…

I was talking to my son-in-law today and got an update on how his sister and her husband are doing. They are a great couple with 2 awesome boys. But I'm always asking about them because they are both engineers who met in Ireland while working for an F1 race team. Fast forward almost a decade, and she returned to Canada with her Irish husband in tow to settle down near Hamilton. About a year ago, they were both recruited by GM Motorsport to work on the brand new GM F1 Team with the race car joining the series in 2026. I'm definitely going to see if I can score some tickets to a Canadian event.
https://youtu.be/FLK9a0BPjcI?si=AuaYx7B0K-WkhJ5d

"Für jede Trafostation eine LEG" [‘A local energy community for every transformer station’]
It is fascinating how local energy communities are encouraged in Switzerland (so not governed by EU law, that also creates that role), and how the (local) utilities are also actively involved in this.
https://www.

"Für jede Trafostation eine LEG"
Winterthur - Stadtwerk Winterthur will mit lokalen Elektrizitätsgemeinschaften vor allem zur Erreichung der städtischen Klima- und Energieziele beitragen. Produktmanager Roland Hongler erklärt, wie das Modell gestaltet ist: Für die Teilnehmenden sollte es attraktiv sein und für das Stadtwerk zugleich wirtschaftlich tragfähig bleiben.

Washington state overestimates climate law's emission reductions by a long shot #Washington

Washington state overestimates climate law's emission reductions by a long shot
Projects funded by Washington's Climate Commitment Act have not been nearly as effective at reducing greenhouse gas emissions as previously thought, state officials acknowledged this week.

🇺🇦 #NowPlaying on #BBC6Music
Kenny Burrell:
🎵 Mother In Law
#KennyBurrell
https://open.spotify.com/track/4DjEd1M0tIilXlib4Fi7e7

Revisiting the X-ray-to-UV relation of quasars in the era of all-sky surveys: #quasar law: https://ras.ac.uk/news-and-press/research-highlights/astronomers-challenge-50-year-old-quasar-law

You can give the European Commission feedback on their Open Source strategy.
Sounds like a good idea to participate.
https://ec.europa.eu/info/law/better-regulation/have-your-say/initiatives/16213-European-Open-Digital-…

The last line: “‘a great level of deference’ is not equivalent to ignoring the facts on the ground”.
What is the Insurrection Act, and can Trump use it?
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/oct/07/trump-insurrection-act-exp…

The last line: “‘a great level of deference’ is not equivalent to ignoring the facts on the ground”.
What is the Insurrection Act, and can Trump use it?
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/oct/07/trump-insurrection-act-exp…

⚠️ $262 million stolen in account takeover fraud schemes this year, FBI says ahead of holiday season
https://therecord.media/millions-in-account-takeover-fbi-warns-ahead-of-holidays

$262 million stolen in account takeover fraud schemes this year, FBI says ahead of holiday season
The law enforcement agency said they have received more than 5,100 complaints about Account Takeover (ATO) fraud since January and have tallied losses exceeding $262 million.

A post from the archive 📫:
Monopoly
#musings #law

Predictions: how is Trump going to react? Pooh-pooh all the criticism, pretend it's a storm in a teacup, or completely melt-down?
He doesn't normally get blowback from his own side.
https://www.rawstory.com/rob-reiner-2674400641/

Piers Morgan leads charge as massive right-wing backlash hits Trump over Rob Reiner
A number of influential right-wing figures are outraged after President Donald Trump issued a “disgusting” attack on Hollywood icon Rob Reiner just hours after the discovery of the director's and his wife’s deaths, which law enforcement is investigating as a homicide.“Disgusting statement,” wrote Ro...

Pat Gelsinger will mit neuen Lasern Moore’s Law retten
Durch EUV-Lichtquellen außerhalb von Chipfabriken sollen Halbleiter feinere Strukturen bekommen. Intels Ex-CEO hat das nun genauer erklärt.
https://www.

I know everyone’s already dragging the living shit out of this already but 🤷🏻‍♀️:
All ICE/BP should have:
Clearly marked vehicles
Clearly marked names on uniforms (large TEXT for both)
ID/badges
Dismissal and/or prosecution for failing to comply.
QR codes are just unneeded “tech” complication
The current regime talks a lot of shit about ID being required to vote, but is fine with armed agents of the govt having less ID than a teen trying (and failing) to…

🇺🇦 #NowPlaying on KEXP's #VarietyMix
Above the Law:
🎵 Call It What U Want
#AbovetheLaw
https://open.spotify.com/track/60cS1aPQABn0IlS8xDLA6X

RE: https://mastodon.social/@grimalkina/115724716433423512
Great bit of thinking through what Goodhart's Law is really trying to articulate.
It comes up fairly often at work, where we're often in the odd position of trying to convince peop…

India officially notifies its first data protection law to establish a framework for data processing, protection, and governance, including verifiable consent (The Economic Times)
https://economictimes.indiatimes.c…

India notifies its first data protection law to strengthen privacy, security
India has officially notified the Digital Personal Data Protection Rules, 2025, establishing a framework for data processing, protection, and governance. These rules, enforcing the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023, introduce verifiable consent, breach notification mandates, and data retention limits. They aim to enhance individual control and foster safer digital ecosystems.

#TIL about Benford's law where for some data sets of numbers, the first digit is usually 1 and rarely 9 (with descending probability in between). It's especially common in data sets following the power law (which is common in nature).
Seems a useful consideration when generating random numbers shown directly to players (like a multiple choice) -- even if they're unfamiliar, …

Shapiro Lecture, Catholic Theological Union: Rewilding the Tree of Life - Jewish Law and Theology in the Time of Climate Change. https://networks.h-net.org/group/announcements/20137768/shapiro-lecture-catholic-theologica…

Nice piece on 'Prototyping semantic search for case law' by PhD student Caitlin Wilson working with the National Archives: 'a user searching for 'divorce' may be shown legal alternatives like '[decree] nisi,' or searching for 'compensation' will suggest terms like 'damages,' or 'reparation''

Prototyping semantic search for case law
PhD student Caitlin Wilson showcases the latest results from her research into an accessible search function for The National Archives' Find Case Law service.

When big corp is whining, you're on the right track.
https://www.politico.eu/article/us-slams-eus-proposed-space-law-as-unacceptable/

US slams EU’s proposed space law as ‘unacceptable’
Brussels proposed the law in an attempt to dial up regulatory oversight of satellite operators.

Texas ends American Bar Association oversight of bar exams ...
#Texas #SupremeCourtDecision issued an order this week finalizing opinion that the ABA should "no longer have the final say" on which law school graduates qualify to sit forvbar exam.
Recently

Texas becomes first state to end American Bar Association oversight of law schools
The Texas Supreme Court on Tuesday finalized a tentative opinion issued in September that no longer requires soon-to-be lawyers to attend a law school accredited by the American Bar Association. The power to approve those law schools now rests with the state's highest civil court.

Appeals Court Deals Blow to Protester Mahmoud Khalil's Federal Case (Victoria Albert/Wall Street Journal)
https://www.wsj.com/us-news/law/appeals-court-deals-blow-to-protester-mahmoud-khalils-federal-case-650e06c3
http://www.memeorandum.com/260115/p115#a260115p115

Enforcement begins for New York’s algorithmic pricing law https://therecord.media/enforcement-begins-new-york-pricing-law

A US Federal Judge ordered the release of the people DHS now plans to hold anyway, illegally under both US and International Law.
15 of the people arrested at Broadview yesterday were clergy, peacefully protesting; bringing assistance to and advocating for the downtrodden quite literally _is_ their job.
But DHS/ICE/CBP brings only lawlessness and violence.
DHS and all its components and collaborators are a clear and present danger to the American People and the US Consti…

DOJ Issued Seizure Warrant to Starlink Over Satellite Internet Systems Used at Scam Compound
https://www.wired.com/story/doj-issued-seizure-warrants-to-starlink-over-satellite-internet-systems-used-at-scam-compounds/<…

DOJ Issued Seizure Warrant to Starlink Over Satellite Internet Systems Used at Scam Compound
A new US law enforcement initiative is aimed at crypto fraudsters targeting Americans—and now seeks to seize infrastructure it claims is crucial to notorious scam compounds.

CAPITOL HILL CELEBRATES
JENNER & BLOCK:
Congressional Republicans and Democrats
came together last night
for a bipartisan event celebrating the release of
“When Congress Comes Calling,”
a newly updated handbook on congressional investigations
published by Jenner & Block and the Project on Government Oversight.
Jenner & Block is a prominent law firm which remains locked in a bitter legal fight with the Trump administration.

Top House Republicans cheer law firm tangled in bitter battle with Trump
Top Republicans and Democrats on Capitol Hill came together this week to praise a prominent law firm and government watchdog group – even as the firm remains locked in a bitter legal fight with President Donald Trump’s administration.According to a new report in Politico, lawmakers from both parties...

Supreme Court Hacked, Proving Its Cybersecurity Is As Robust As Its Ethical Code - Above the Law
https://abovethelaw.com/2026/01/supreme-court-hacked-proving-its-cybersecurity-is-as-robust-as-its-ethical-code/

When you ask someone to respect your GPL free/open source license, sometimes they act offended and say you are threatening them with state violence. The thinking seems to be that copyright law comes down to threats to put people in prison. I've only seen this from privileged white men in tech. Where does this come from? It's it a right wing libertarian ideology? (genuine question, I'd like to know!)
Really, the GPL (and AGPL) is all about undermining copyright law, by creat…

Friends in #Gaza/#Palestine:
Obviously a one-state solution is impossible while Netanyahu still leads #Israel. But could you imagine ever feeling safe in a unitary secular state in which Islamic, Christian, Jewish and other citizens had real equality under the law, if all land seized since 1950 was re…

#DataRetention

Czechia illegally stored citizens’ phone data: here’s what it means
The ruling affects metadata from calls and texts, shows who communicated and where; lawmakers must revise rules, tightening access and protecting privacy.

law_firm: Lazega law firm network
Multiplex network with 3 edge types representing relationships (coworkers, friendship, advice) between partners and associates of a corporate law firm. Data hosted by Manlio De Domenico.
This network has 71 nodes and 2571 edges.
Tags: Social, Offline, Multilayer, Unweighted
https://net…

Amsterdam Passes New Motion Building on Its Endorsement of the Plant Based Treaty https://vegconomist.com/politics-law/amsterdam-passes-new-motion-building-endorsement-plant-based-treaty/

Amsterdam Passes New Motion Building on Its Endorsement of the Plant Based Treaty - vegconomist - the vegan business magazine
In January of last year, Amsterdam became the first EU capital city to endorse calls for a global Plant Based Treaty. Now, Amsterdam City Council has passed a

Elise Explains IPcast
Provides simple, expert guidance on trade marks, design registrations, copyright, brand strategy, and intellectual property law in Australia...
Great Australian Pods Podcast Directory: https://www.greataustralianpods.com/elise-explains-ipcast/

In a damning report, the OEP has found that seven of the 10 targets set in the Environment Act 2021 have little likelihood of being met by 2030, which is the deadline set in law.
The three remaining targets: clean air, reducing the harmful impact of environmental hazards, and improving the beauty of nature – are only partly on track.
Government’s wildlife targets will be missed in England, watchdog says | Environment | The Guardian

It retrospect, I may have been wrong with my conclusion in my 7th grade essay about whether “ignorance was bliss.”
This is a really frustrating time to know even a little bit about international law and maritime law.
#law #uspol

Don't believe ICE claims that the woman in Minneapolis was trying to run them over. Eyewitness contradicts the lie:
https://www.fox9.com/news/police-swarm-scene-federal-law-enforcement-shooting-minneapolis

LIVE UPDATES: ICE shooting in Minneapolis, police swarm scene
Law enforcement agencies have swarmed the scene of a shooting involving federal law enforcement agencies in south Minneapolis on Wednesday.

media conglomerates are leading the way against open internet law by fining cloudflare:
Italy's "shadowy cabal of European media elites" ... "scheme to censor the Internet. The scheme, which even the EU has called concerning, required us within a mere 30 minutes of notification to fully censor from the Internet any sites a shadowy cabal of European media elites deemed against their interests. No judicial oversight. No due process. No appeal. No transparency. "

Apple Daily founder Jimmy Lai is found guilty of colluding with foreign forces to endanger national security and conspiring to publish seditious articles (Kanis Leung/Associated Press)
https://apnews.com/article/hong-kong-jimmy-lai-ve…

Former Hong Kong pro-democracy media mogul Jimmy Lai convicted in landmark national security trial
Jimmy Lai, the former Hong Kong media mogul and outspoken critic of Beijing, has been convicted in a landmark national security trial in the city’s court. Three government-vetted judges on Monday found Lai, 78, guilty of conspiring with others to collude with foreign forces to endanger national security and conspiracy to publish seditious articles. He pleaded not guilty to all charges. Under Hong Kong’s sweeping national security law, Lai could face up to life imprisonment. A mitigation hea…

"Accused double voter in 2020 isn’t covered by broad Trump pardon, judge rules" - Election Law Blog
https://electionlawblog.org/?p=153853

On the occasion of ice’s latest killing: Local police MUST engage, detain and arrest ice. There is no better option.
Here’s why in detail: https://stuff.davidaugust.com/local-law-enforcements-challenge-uphold-the-law-even-against-the-feds…

Local Law Enforcement's Challenge: Uphold the Law, Even Against the Feds
in the absence of action, civilians will fill the void I do want to write something not so serious, maybe even funny, here soon. But today, I think the police have to do a very hard and necessary thing: defend Americans against their federal government. If any other group arrived

Portugal updates cybercrime law to exempt security researchers
https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/portugal-updates-cybercrime-law-to-exempt-security-researchers/

Portugal updates cybercrime law to exempt security researchers
Portugal has modified its cybercrime law to establish a legal safe harbor for good-faith security research and to make hacking non-punishable under certain strict conditions.

This is abominable.
By law, immigration detention is not supposed to be about meting out punishment or retribution.
It’s supposed to be about facilitating people’s removal.
Yet as the ruling details, the administration,
by refusing to send Ábrego García to Costa Rica despite having that option,
did “not appear to have held him to fulfill that purpose.”
That’s polite legalese for a bombshell:
Trump officials held Ábrego García in detention for mont…

Fiasco for Trump as Judge Issues Harsh Rebuke in Ábrego García Case
Judge Paula Xinis’s ruling temporarily freed Kilmar Ábrego García from custody. It also savagely indicted Trump’s lawless handling of this whole affair from start to finish.

Short-term renewal of cyber information sharing law appears in bill to end shutdown https://therecord.media/cisa-2015-information-sharing-law-renewal-bill-ending-shutdown

<Overfiend_> Overfiend's First Law of Package Quality: If the
maintainer likes to spell part or all of his name in
CAPS, the package will suck.

The UK plans to bring into force a law this week that will make it illegal to create non-consensual intimate images, as Ofcom investigates X (BBC)
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cq845glnvl1o

UK to bring into force law to tackle Grok AI deepfakes this week
It is currently illegal to share deepfakes, but the law against creating them has not yet come into force.

NY governor signs bills requiring ads to disclose AI-generated performers and mandating consent of heirs to use a deceased person's likeness commercially (Dade Hayes/Deadline)
https://deadline.com/2025/12/new-york-ai-law-consumers-film-industry-1236646078…

New York Enacts Landmark AI Laws Requiring Disclosure Of Synthetic Performers In Ads And Consent For Posthumous Use Of Name, Image & Likeness
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul on Thursday signed the nation's first AI bill designed to both protect consumers and increase transparency in the film industry.

DHS Releases More Details About the Three Violent Criminal Illegal Aliens Who Violently Beat a Law Enforcement Officer with Weapons (Department of Homeland Security)
https://www.dhs.gov/news/2026/01/15/dhs-releases-more-details-about-three-violent-criminal-illegal-aliens-who-violently
http://www.memeorandum.com/260115/p80#a260115p80

I have issues with how the press handles statements from law enforcement
—but this is something else.
This admin, this agency, these same officials
have constantly lied the whole time,
including lying about events on video.
It is dishonest for journalists to simply repeat their claims.
https://

Erin Maye Quade (@erinmayequade.bsky.social)
WHY are news stations reading DHS statements out loud as if they have ANY credibility at all? They literally murdered a woman in cold blood LAST WEEK and are still lying about what happened, even though we can see what happened. That any credibility would be given to their statement is insane

Germany approves legislation granting Interior Ministry new powers to ban Chinese tech suppliers from critical infrastructure sectors like energy and transport (Sam Clark/Politico)
https://www.politico.eu/article/germany-lines-up-new-powers-to-fend-off-c…

Germany lines up new powers to fend off Chinese tech
New law set to come into place as Germany toughens its stance on China.

Preston Damsky was a student at the University of Florida’s law school that made the most of a Trump-appointed judge teaching a class by rehashing Klan constitutionalism.
And while the paper he wrote about killing Mexicans and disenfranchising non-whites got him some notoriety,
he wasn’t in trouble over it per se.
He got in trouble after he took to Twitter to announce that
“Jews should be abolished by any means.”
That tweet was read as a threat by the univers…

White Supremacist’s Return To Law School Put On Pause
Not so fast, Preston!

Pulitzer Prize Board members dump broad discovery demands on Trump for tax returns, psych records, and 'any' prescription meds history (Matt Naham/Law & Crime)
https://lawandcrime.com/high-profile/pulitzer-prize-board-members-fight-back-with-wide-ranging-discovery-demands-including-about-trump-finances/
http://www.memeorandum.com/251215/p116#a251215p116

Ever since the Supreme Court shattered campaign finance law with its decision in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission in 2010,
Americans have been told there are only two ways to stop corporate and “dark” money in politics:
Amend the U.S. Constitution
or wait for the court to undo what it has done.
👉That is flat wrong.
Citizens United held that government may not regulate a corporation’s right to spend money independently in elections.
But the …

Microsoft disrupts RedVDS cybercrime platform behind $40 million in scam losses https://therecord.media/microsoft-redvds-cybercrime-scam

A district court judge denies Texas AG Ken Paxton's request for a restraining order preventing Samsung from collecting data on TV watchers (Ryan Autullo/Bloomberg Law)
https://news.bloomberglaw.com/tech-and-telecom-law/sa…

Samsung Defeats Texas’ Bid to Halt TV Tech Following Court Error
Samsung Electronics America can continue to use technology that Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) says allows it to unlawfully collect data on TV watchers, a judge ruled Friday.

Zurich-based DeepJudge, which builds customized search indexes for law firms that plug into AI tools like ChatGPT, raised a $41M Series A at a $300M valuation (Alicia Park/Forbes)
https://www.forbes.com/sites/aliciapark/2025…

Meet The Ex-Google Researchers Building AI Search For Law Firms
Legal tech startup DeepJudge has raised $41 million to build out customized search engines for law firms.

Speaker Mike Johnson:
"ICE is doing what ICE is designed to do"
-- put it in ads all across the country
https://bsky.app/profile/ericmgarcia.bsky.social/post/3mcfqqfolgs2q

Eric Michael Garcia (@ericmgarcia.bsky.social)
Mike Johnson comes out against additional guardrails on ICE as Democrats call for it. “I think there's a lot of Democrats playing games right now with national security and with law enforcement. And I think it's dangerous. Ice is doing what ice is designed to do by its very name.”

New Hampshire:
"Citing security, Republicans push to exclude student ID cards from voting verification" - Election Law Blog
https://electionlawblog.org/?p=153804

NY governor signs bills requiring ads to disclose AI-generated performers and mandating consent of heirs to use a deceased person's likeness commercially (Dade Hayes/Deadline)
https://deadline.com/2025/12/new-york-ai-law-consumers-film-industry-1236646078…

New York Enacts Landmark AI Laws Requiring Disclosure Of Synthetic Performers In Ads And Consent For Posthumous Use Of Name, Image & Likeness
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul on Thursday signed the nation's first AI bill designed to both protect consumers and increase transparency in the film industry.

The Law on Targeting Shipwrecked Drug Traffickers: Expert Backgrounder (Mark Nevitt/Just Security)
https://www.justsecurity.org/126802/expert-backgrounder-law-shipwrecked-survivors/
http://www.memeorandum.com/251211/p28#a251211p28

One of the few good developments happening over the past 24 hours...
Cyber information sharing law would get extension under shutdown deal bill
https://cyberscoop.com/cisa-2015-shutdown-extension-continuing-resolution/

Cyber information sharing law would get extension under shutdown deal bill
The Cybersecurity and Information Sharing Act of 2015 would go from expired to extended through Jan. 30.

Britain has quietly suspended intelligence cooperation with the US in the Caribbean
because London does not consider the deadly US military campaign against ships accused of drug trafficking to be in line with international law.
That amounts to an extraordinary open fissure in a close working relationship
at a time when the US is increasing its military buildup,
expanding its controversial campaign in the region with an attempt to threaten Venezuela.

Texas sues 5 smart TV manufacturers over data collection practices https://therecord.media/texas-sues-5-smart-tv-makers-over-acr-tech

A much-discussed topic on here is how many pundits only assign agency to Democrats.
(Not Ned, other people.)
Clear R role in MN cop-tracking/mocking.
Seems very clear to me that the mass pardon of J6ers made it hard for Rs to credibly finger-wag about Disrespecting Law Enforcement.
https://

Ned Resnikoff (@resnikoff.bsky.social)
Folks, Trump has brought the full force of ICE to bear on a mid-sized city and he can't even stop the demonstrations there. He's not going to be able to cancel the midterm elections by fiat or station his goons outside more than a handful of polling places.

Poland's President Karol Nawrocki vetoes legislation meant to enforce the EU's DSA in Poland, arguing it would grant excessive powers to government officials (Wojciech Kość/Politico)
https://www.politico.eu/article/polish-pre

Polish president aligns with Trump to block Brussels’ Big Tech law
Nawrocki called EU social media law “Orwellian,” echoing Washington’s main line of attack.

US Immigration and Customs Enforcement and other federal agents deployed to Minnesota
are pulling many #nonwhite residents aside and asking them to prove their #citizenship,
according to several reports and multiple videos posted to social media this week amid the Trump administration’s surge of immigrat…

‘Where were you born?’ ICE conducting show-me-your-papers stops in Minnesota neighborhoods
“I was scared. I was devastated,” said a Somali-American citizen who was accosted by ICE as part of what the agent called a “citizen check.” No such thing exists in American law.

When the executive branch puts their fingers on the scales of justice
and says, ‘I’m going to punish you for your viewpoint,’
everybody in the bar should start heckling.
https://abovethelaw.com/2025/11/man-wh

Man Who Heckled Paul Weiss Chair Turns Out To Be A Lawyer With A Warning For The Profession’s Future
The unexpected critic says his outburst was a warning shot about the future of law.

Trump is keeping proceeds from the first sale of Venezuelan oil
in an offshore bank account based in Qatar, according to reporting from Semafor.
The sale was worth $500 million.
This unprecedented move is yet another middle finger to Venezuelan sovereignty
and once again raises questions about the president’s cozy relationship with the Qatari government.
“There is no basis in law for a president to set up an offshore account that he controls
so that he ca…

Trump Is Keeping Money From Venezuelan Oil Sale in Offshore Account
This is completely unprecedented.

RE: https://c.im/@cdarwin/115901426247196926
Although the Insurrection Act appears to confer wide-ranging authority,
the Department of Justice has long taken the position that the law is
“limited . . . by the Constitution and by tradition.”
In a 19…

Classified legal memo argues Trump wasn't constrained by US or international law for Maduro capture operation (CNN)
https://cnn.com/2026/01/13/politics/memo-maduro-capture-olc
http://www.memeorandum.com/260113/p137#a260113p137

Money is power, and the founders of this country feared that a president would turn into a monarch if he alone could dictate how the government uses the federal Treasury.
President Trump, however, has tried to take Congress’s constitutional power and make it his own.
He has repeatedly ignored laws passed by the House and the Senate to spend money, or not spend it,
based on his whims and agenda.
He has violated the law at least six times,
according to the Governm…

Opinion | Trump’s Spending Abuses Are Out of Control. He Shouldn’t Have That Power in the First Place.
Trump’s actions should alarm anybody who shares the American founders’ suspicion of centralized power.

The Justice Department refuses to open a criminal civil rights investigation into the killing of a woman by a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer in Minneapolis.
The decision to keep the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division out of the investigation into the fatal shooting of #Renee #Good marks a sharp…

DOJ sees no basis for civil rights probe in Minnesota ICE shooting
A top Justice Department official says there is not currently any basis to open a criminal civil rights investigation into the killing of a woman by a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer in Minneapolis. The decision to keep the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division out of the investigation into the fatal shooting of Renee Good marks a sharp departure from past administrations, which have moved quickly to probe shootings of civilians by law enforcement officials for potential…

Half of US states now require users to upload IDs or biometric data to access pornographic content, as Missouri became the 25th state to enact such a law (Samantha Cole/404 Media)
https://www.404media.co/missouri-age-verification-law-porn-id-check-vpns/

Half of the US Now Requires You to Upload Your ID or Scan Your Face to Watch Porn
Missouri’s age verification law, enacted on November 30, is the halfway mark for the sweep of age verification laws across the country.

Blackstone invests $50M into compliance agent-focused Norm Ai, which is launching an independent law firm offering "AI-native legal services" (Norm Ai)
https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/n<…

Trump Lays Out a Vision of Power Restrained Only by His Own Hubris
On topic after topic, Trump made clear that he thinks he is the arbiter of any limits to his authorities, not international law or treaties.
"My own mind. It’s the only thing that can stop me.”
“I don’t need international law,”
he added.
“I’m not looking to hurt people.”
When pressed further about whether his administration needed to abide by international law,
Trump said,

Trump Addresses Venezuela, Greenland and Presidential Power in New York Times Interview
On topic after topic, President Trump made clear that he would be the arbiter of any limits to his authorities, not international law or treaties.

Australia passes a law requiring global streamers with 1M Australian subscribers to spend 10% of their local outlay or 7.5% of revenue on Australian originals (Jesse Whittock/Deadline)
https://deadline.com/2025/11/australia-streaming-quotas-sworn-into-law-…

Australia’s Streaming Quotas Become Law: “A Landmark Day For Screen Storytelling”
Australia's streaming quotas have become law, with Netflix and others now required to spend on original local content.

The Pentagon used a secret aircraft
💥 painted to look like a civilian plane
in its first attack on a boat that the Trump administration said was smuggling drugs, killing 11 people last September,
according to officials briefed on the matter.
The aircraft also
💥carried its munitions inside the fuselage,
rather than visibly under its wings, they said.
⭐️The nonmilitary appearance is significant,
according to legal specialists,
👉because the …

U.S. Attacked Boat With Aircraft That Looked Like a Civilian Plane
Even accepting the Trump administration’s claim that there is an armed conflict with suspected drug runners, the laws of war bar “perfidy.”

A federal judge on Monday
struck down Donald Trump’s executive order blocking wind energy projects,
saying the effort to halt virtually all leasing of wind farms on federal lands and waters was
“arbitrary and capricious” and violates U.S. law.
Judge Patti Saris of the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts
vacated Trump’s Jan. 20 executive order blocking wind energy projects and declared it unlawful.
Saris ruled in favor of a coalition of…

Federal judge throws out Trump order blocking development of wind energy
A federal judge has struck down President Donald Trump’s executive order blocking wind energy projects, saying the effort to halt virtually all leasing of wind farms on federal lands and waters was “arbitrary and capricious” and violates U.S. law. Judge Patti Saris of the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts vacated Trump’s Jan. 20 executive order. Saris ruled in favor of a coalition of state attorneys general from 17 states and Washington, D.C., led by New York's attor…