Tootfinder

New Legislation Would Rein In ICE’s Facial Recognition App https://www.404media.co/new-legislation-would-rein-in-ices-facial-recognition-app/

It gets mentioned in a lot of stories about X/Grok but rarely linked to - this is the UK legislation regarding deepfake "intimate images". (Note that this relates to adults - other legislation relates to images of children.)
https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpg…

Sen. Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.) introduced legislation on Wednesday seeking to
reverse the Trump administration's new childhood vaccine schedule that has alarmed health experts.
The measure, an amendment to an appropriations package currently under consideration by Congress,
would prohibit any funds going to the Health and Human Services Department from being used to implement the changes,
which removed the HPV, RSV, Rotavirus, COVID-19, Flu, Hepatitis A & B and Men…

ICE Has Been Detaining Native Americans In Minnesota

When Congress recessed in December, it left three crucial cyber priorities in the air, including the confirmation of Sean Plankey's nomination as CISA Director.
Although Plankey's renomination announcement is good news, experts say Congress's delay in acting on cyber priorities damages the nation's ability to counter rising threats.
Check out my latest CSO piece, which looks at the setbacks created by Plankey's confirmation delay and the other key priorities l…

US cybersecurity weakened by congressional delays despite Plankey renomination
Sean Plankey’s renomination as CISA director offers some relief, but stalled legislation on cyber threat information sharing and state and local grants continues to strain the nation’s ability to counter rising cyber threats.

The UK Treasury is drafting new rules
to regulate cryptocurrencies
under legislation set to come into force in 2027, The Guardian reported Sunday.
The move would place digital asset firms under the supervision of the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA),
subjecting them to the same standards as other traditional financial products such as stocks and shares.
Regulators are seeking to address gaps in consumer protection as the market has expanded rapidly,
especia…

UK Treasury to implement regulation for Bitcoin and crypto by 2027 - EUROPE SAYS
Key Takeaways

"UK Plastic Wet Wipes Ban: Legislation Aims to Protect Rivers and Sewers"
#UK #UnitedKingdom #Rivers #Water

UK Plastic Wet Wipes Ban: Legislation Aims to Protect Rivers and Sewers | Happy Eco News
The UK plastic wet wipes ban prohibits the sale and supply of plastic-containing wet wipes in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland starting from the spring of 2027.

The Govt have announced they plan to pass the Facial Recognition Technology Bill through the Dšil on the last sitting day before Christmas. They’ve also removed most of the safeguards the legislation had at earlier stages and widened the scope of use.
Basically stuffing coal down all our chimneys

Dan Goldman, Eric Swalwell plan bill to strip ICE officers of qualified immunity
https://thehill.com/homenews/house/5681208-swalwell-goldman-ice-legislation/

Illinois Governor Signs Bill Imposing New Limits on Immigration Enforcement (Mitch Smith/New York Times)
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/09/us/illinois-immigration-legislation-pritzker.html
http://www.memeorandum.com/251209/p145#a251209p145

New York lawmakers propose a bill to impose a three-year moratorium on data center development, making NY at least the sixth state to introduce such legislation (Molly Taft/Wired)
https://www.wired.com/story/new-york-is-the-latest-state-to-consider-a…

New York Is the Latest State to Consider a Data Center Pause
Red and blue states alike have introduced legislation in recent weeks that would halt data center development, citing concerns from climate to high energy prices.

Encouraging to see rising focus on barriers to attractive public EV charging in 🇩🇪, particularly the widespread practice of discriminatory pricing despite 🇪🇺 #AFIR legislation.
Hopefully, this will lead to a healthy, transparent market where EV drivers find it easy and attractive to charge in public.

German price discrimination for charging electric vehicles
It is encouraging that, with regard to public EV charging in Germany, there is increasing legal attention being paid to the functioning of the market. A new legal expert opinion by Becker Büttner Held on the state of the current market with a view to attractive charging prices has been published, co

Fat Putin's never been held accountable for any crime or violation he's ever committed.
Without a change in Congress, this won't be any different.
☑️ Trump’s crypto ties pose growing obstacle on Capitol Hill - POLITICO
https://www.

My initial thoughts as I read through the Canadian summary:
- While it mentions a political revolution in the U.S., with Trump removing or ignoring controls on his powers, it doesn't talk about how critical their midterms are.
- If the Democrats fail to take control of the House and Senate, then 2027 and beyond will be worse. Trump, senile and aging badly, will be a puppet for the worst elements in the U.S government.
- There's a real possibility that midterms could get canceled outright as Trump seeks absolute power.
- Smaller risks, in terms of impact, are food and health safety.
- The U.S. is removing all restrictions on profit in their food chain. Inspection agencies are being dismantled and legislation eliminated. Yet we continue to import goods from them.
- The anti-vaccine strategy at the very top is leading to surges in COVID, flu, measles and more. How long until that spills over our border.
#CanPoli

"How Scotland’s Landowner Biodiversity Legislation Could Transform Land Management Worldwide"
#UK #UnitedKingdom #Scotland

How Scotland's Landowner Biodiversity Legislation Could Transform Land Management Worldwide | Happy Eco News
Scotland passes groundbreaking landowner biodiversity legislation, forcing large estates to publish nature protection plans. Learn how these new biodiversity requirements are creating jobs, restoring ecosystems, and positioning Scotland as the world's first Rewilding Nation.

Sen. Warren plans bipartisan legislation with Sen. Banks that bans the sale of certain AI chips to China after Dario Amodei met with Warren and other lawmakers (Ashley Gold/Axios)
https://www.axios.com/2026/02/10/anthropic-ceo-china-chip-ban

Anthropic CEO's Hill blitz boosts China chip ban
Lawmakers are rallying around tougher export controls.

"life sciences infrastructure" (ie pharma labs) to be designated Key National Infrastructure in the Public Order Act 2023.
https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2026/112/made

"The reason for the carnage? The plant life was overgrown and limiting visibility for drivers, DPW says."
Looking at the photo of median, it's pretty clear that DPW assumes people are driving Go-Karts, not cars. Just one example of why the proposed Street Tree legislation allowing "the Director" to make non-appealable decisions re street trees is based on false assumptions of infallibility.
An artist spent a decade beautifying her Divisadero block. The …

San Francisco guerrilla garden ripped out for Divisadero Street replanting
An artist had tended to plants in NoPa for 10 years until city workers removed the greenery.

"The reason for the carnage? The plant life was overgrown and limiting visibility for drivers, DPW says."
Looking at the photo of median, it's pretty clear that DPW assumes people are driving Go-Karts, not cars. Just one example of why the proposed Street Tree legislation allowing "the Director" to make non-appealable decisions re street trees is based on false assumptions of infallibility.
An artist spent a decade beautifying her Divisadero block. The …

San Francisco guerrilla garden ripped out for Divisadero Street replanting
An artist had tended to plants in NoPa for 10 years until city workers removed the greenery.

House Republicans unveiled a new health care proposal Friday
as they aim to address concerns about rising health insurance costs just weeks before enhanced Affordable Care Act subsidies expire.

The legislation would codify and expand health plans for small businesses, fund reductions of premiums for low-income people in the individual health insurance market and increase transparency in prescription drug pricing, according to House Republican leadership aides.

The proposal …

House Republicans unveil health care plan, set up vote for next week
House Republicans unveiled a plan to address rising health insurance costs and extend Affordable Care Act subsidies.

Jayapal, Smith Introduce Legislation to End Inhumane Immigration Detention Conditions (Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal)
https://jayapal.house.gov/2025/12/03/jayapal-smith-introduce-legislation-to-end-inhumane-immigration-detention-conditions/
http://www.memeorandum.com/251203/p146#a251203p146

Once again, Trump acts to hurt anyone who stands in his way.
https://apnews.com/article/trump-vetoes-boebert-miccosukee-tribe-alligator-alcatraz-ac59b3ab03fb6f3b09d65b0223f1b495

House of Lords backs legislation to ban social media for children under 16 https://therecord.media/house-lords-bans-social-media

Det här är ett ämne som väcker känslor.
En hel del som avföljde mig senast jag delade om det här. Men det bästa rådet till en person är inte alltid det som är det bästa att tvinga på någon.
Jag skulle tro att lagar om att man måste använda munskydd även det fick negativa effekter istället för positiva ibland.
"The legislation increased helmet use - from about 30 to 80% - but was coupled with a 30 to 40% decline in the number of people cycling."

Tim Cook met with US lawmakers in a closed-door meeting to lobby against provisions in pending legislation that would require app stores to verify users' ages (Bloomberg)
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-12-10…

The IAB proposes draft legislation to protect publishers from AI companies using their content to train models and generate summaries without compensation (Kerry Flynn/Axios)
https://www.axios.com/2026/02/02/iab-ai-accountability-publishers-act

Ad lobby seeks law to protect publishers from AI scraping
"Free riding isn't just unfair. It's stealing," IAB CEO David Cohen said.

I remember when deepfake legislation was first being passed towards the end of 2019 it was looking like we were on the way for SOME kind of accountability for this sort of thing, but then here comes these machines that generate the whole photo like it's fast food, and platforms most people do these things on bringing in automatic liability responses they're seemingly entitled to from Section 230 and now we're back at square one.

A decisive Lords vote to ban under-16s from social media has exposed both a rare political consensus but also disagreement over whether prohibition or tougher and more targeted enforcement is the best way to protect children from the harms of social media.
https://www.…

House of Lords votes for under-16s social media ban
A decisive Lords vote to ban under-16s from social media has exposed both a rare political consensus but also disagreement over whether prohibition or tougher ...

Big Tech, business groups and the governor successfully gutted State Sen. Steve Padilla's attempt to protect consumers from the costs, emissions & unintended consequences of the AI data center frenzy. Big money wins again! https://

Big Tech blocked California data center legislation, leaving only a study requirement
Tools that power artificial intelligence devour energy. But attempts to shield regular Californians from footing the bill in 2025 ended with a law requiring regulators to write a report about the issue by 2027.

Dem rep says GOP push for voter ID legislation is a ‘solution in search of a problem’
https://thehill.com/homenews/house/5728962-ivey-gop-voter-id-laws/

One of the triggers for the Peasants' Revolt in England in 1381 was a new poll tax, levied on all adults; and particularly, the fact that the test for adulthood was having pubic hair. This led to the contractors collecting the tax systematically looking up young women's skirts.
It strikes me that one really powerful way to oppose anti #Trans legislation is to ask 'do you want the p…

Good Morning #Canada
Supreme Court Justice Sheilah Martin announced her retirement effective May 30th, opening up a vacancy on bench. It's a good time to review the process on how a Canadian #SupremeCourt Justice is chosen, and why we mostly avoid controversy and politicalization of the process. Mostly...
Supreme Court judges are shortlisted by an independent advisory board process, emphasizing candidates who are highly skilled, functionally bilingual, a judge of 10 years on their regional court system, and specific regional representation (3 from Quebec, 3 from Ontario, 2 from West and North, 1 from Atlantic). The PM then recommends 1 of the candidates to the Governor-in-Council for formal appointment.
The new process and legislation was introduced by PM Martin in 2004 and PM Harper attempted to ignore it (surprise). PM Trudeau strengthened the process in 2016 but also tried to alter it for Quebec. But mostly little controversy.
#CanadaIsAwesome #CanPoli
https://www.canadianlawyermag.com/news/general/scc-justice-sheilah-martin-to-retire-opening-up-vacancy-for-new-western-or-northern-canada-appointee/393573

A Maryland lawmaker proposed ✅ banning agents recruited and hired to carry out Trump's mass deportations
from ever working in state public safety jobs.

“It says something about the morals of the person
— the character of the person
— if they see what’s happening on TV,
they see what happening in the streets
and say, ‘You know what? I want to join that,’ ”
said Del. Adrian Boafo
(D-Prince George’s),
the bill’s sponsor.

“Something…

Maryland bill seeks to ban Trump’s ICE agents from joining state police
The legislation is part of a host of bills across the country seeking to counteract aggressive immigration enforcement efforts that lawmakers say has terrorized communities and incited violence.

This is a nice gesture (and a horrid photograph) but I do wonder whether either of the Dells have read the law that created those "trump accounts".
I did read the law.
It is like most R-party "accounts" - a scam (largely benefiting crypto bros.)
It is one of the most badly drafted pieces of legislation that I have seen. It is full of ambiguities that will lead to future disputes over who gets what.
It is a law so poorly crafted that it will make t…

Dell CEO pledges $6 billion to ‘Trump accounts’ for American children
The executive and his wife said the donation will seed investment accounts for 25 million children under 10, building off a program launched in Trump’s tax law.

Enforcing Canada’s Anti-Spam Legislation (CASL) | CRTC
https://crtc.gc.ca/eng/internet/pub/20250930.htm

'Another reminder': Capitol Hill braces for Trump ethics standoff over crypto bill (Politico)
https://www.politico.com/news/2026/02/05/trump-crypto-legislation-world-liberty-abu-dhabi-democrats-republicans-00766332
http://www.memeorandum.com/260205/p27#a260205p27

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.

Trump claims he wants to lower housing costs,
but his allies in the House just axed a bipartisan bill that UNANIMOUSLY passed the Senate to do just that.
If Republicans keep blocking legislation to cut housing costs,
Democrats will pass it ourselves when we take back Congress.
https://bsky.…

Elizabeth Warren (@warren.senate.gov)
Trump claims he wants to lower housing costs, but his allies in the House just axed a bipartisan bill that UNANIMOUSLY passed the Senate to do just that. If Republicans keep blocking legislation to cut housing costs, Democrats will pass it ourselves when we take back Congress.

Join #GEM, the #Gender Erasure #Movement!
(people might misunderstand, so ... I will have my "gender" record removed, as is now possible under German legislation - I never signed up for it a…

😲 Brazil’s governance style leads to controversial impacts
#brazil

Brazil's governance style leads to controversial impacts
The Federal Republic of Brazil has a constitutional system with an exceptionally strong executive branch where the president controls the budget process, wields a line-item veto and can initiate legislation by declaring ‘temporary laws’ (Medidas Provisórias) that force the legislature to consider its policy agenda. Congress has corresponding checks and balances, including the power to […]

Senators return to effort to boost cybersecurity for commercial satellite industry https://therecord.media/commercial-satellite-industry-cybersecurity-cornyn-peters-bill-returns

RE: https://ec.social-network.europa.eu/@EC_DIGIT/115564144071125950
Yeah you can save a lot of time by accepting that "it cannot" is the answer. You mustn't draft legislation with an LLM because in that context words do massivel…

National Rifle Association's Change on Gun Control in 1970s | TIME #history

When the NRA Supported Gun Control
Not only did the NRA support gun control for much of the 20th century, its leadership in fact lobbied for and co-authored gun control legislation

A new Republican House bill proposes sweeping changes to US toxic chemical laws
🔥that would gut protections for consumers, workers and the environment, public health advocates mobilising against the legislation warn.
Among other changes to the
"Toxic Substance Control Act" (TSCA), the bill would
❌limit the type of science that is used to determine health risks,
❌stop legally requiring the Environmental Protection Agency to ensure chemicals won’t harm p…

RE: https://mastodon.social/@billbot/115589256171768174
Imprison the poor and free the rich legislation.

It's not a contradiction to be opposed to the Online Safety Act, and to also think that this is Clown World nonsense
> Representative Anna Paulina Luna of Florida said [...] “If Starmer is successful in banning X in Britain, I will move forward with legislation that is currently being drafted to sanction not only Starmer, but Britain as a whole."

Elon Musk’s Grok curbs AI image editing usage after deepfakes backlash
The tool is now limited to paying users.

Opposition Leader Sussan Ley accepted the resignations of senators Ross Cadell, Bridget McKenzie and Susan McDonald on Wednesday after the trio voted with the Greens and against the government’s post-Bondi legislation on Tuesday night.
https://www.thenewdaily.com.…

Nationals senators quit amid Coalition split on hate speech
Three senior Nationals have quit the Coalition frontbench after crossing the floor in Tuesday night's vote on hate speech laws.

Trump calls on Congress to pass legislation ending sanctuary policies (Jacob Wendler/Politico)
https://www.politico.com/news/2026/01/25/trump-congress-legislation-end-sanctuary-policies-00745836
http://www.memeorandum.com/260125/p89#a260125p89

I'll never understand why they are so terrified of a tiny, tiny minority. So terrified that they would enact the emergency 'notwithstanding' clause
#RightWingBrainRot
https://www.<…

Alberta to invoke notwithstanding clause to shield 3 transgender bills from court challenges | CBC News
The Alberta government has tabled legislation that seeks to invoke the notwithstanding clause to shield a suite of bills that affects transgender youth and adults from legal challenges.

There’s an obvious unfinished task here… @… https://fed.brid.gy/r/https://bsky.app

Leah McElrath (@leahmcelrath.bsky.social)
President John F. Kennedy didn’t name the Kennedy Center for himself. Eisenhower signed legislation to create a “National Cultural Center.” Eisenhower and Kennedy fundraised for it. Congress and Johnson only named it in honor of Kennedy after he was assassinated. www.kennedy-center.org/our-story/

Balcony solar power has been a growth industry across Europe for a few years and consumers can pick up kits at retail stores, take them home and plug them in, and get immediate benefits. The U.S is slowly changing legislation to make these easily installed with no issues from the power companies, and Utah is the 1st to allow them.
Are there any provinces or territories that are considering legalizing these kits?
#SolarPower
https://youtu.be/0yIfh_i1Z08

Sources: the White House will meet with banks and crypto firms on Monday to discuss a path forward for crypto legislation stalled by a clash between the sectors (Hannah Lang/Reuters)
https://www.reuters.com/sustainability/boa

Massachusetts could soon join 40 other jurisdictions with its own climate bank. Ceres CEO Mindy Lubber testified on Beacon Hill for legislation that would blend public and private investments to fund low-interest loans for clean energy projects.
The model works: similar banks invested $10.6B in 2023 alone. Lubber urged prioritizing environmental justice communities alongside rural and coastal areas.

Ceres CEO and President Mindy Lubber testifies on Beacon Hill to support the creation of a climate bank in Massachusetts

Canada says it is talking to Meta to restore news to Facebook and Instagram as the Online News Act is put on the table as part of trade negotiations with the US (Marie Woolf/Globe and Mail)
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/politics/a

Ottawa in talks with Meta about restoring news to Facebook
Company blocked all news from Facebook, Instagram in 2023 in response to legislation which would require it to pay for content

Republican senator has introduced a bill to ban Americans from holding dual citizenship,
in the latest attempt by the right to attack immigrants and tighten the rules around what is permissible with regards to American citizenship.
Sen. Bernie Moreno, a Republican from Ohio,
introduced the legislation, entitled the “Exclusive Citizenship Act,” on Tuesday.
The bill makes the sweeping assertion that people with foreign citizenships may have “conflicts of interest and div…

Republican Files Bill to Eliminate Dual Citizenship, Force Renunciations
The legislation directs the Secretary of State to create a database on those with multiple citizenships.

The bill to empower Federal law enforcement lawsuits is opposed by all CA GOP Senators.
▶️ After Minneapolis shootings, California advances a bill allowing lawsuits against federal agents - Los Angeles Times
https://www.

After Minneapolis shootings, California advances a bill allowing lawsuits against federal agents
The California Senate advanced legislation that would allow Californians to sue federal immigration agents over constitutional violations such as excessive force and unlawful searches.

Podcast: Why AI Porn Sucks (with Noelle Perdue) https://www.404media.co/podcast-ai-porn-noelle-perdue/

U.S. Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) introduced dumb-ass legislation today
that would allow private entities to play at Pirates🏴‍☠️in the Caribbean
The "Cartel Marque and Reprisal Reauthorization Act"
authorizes felon-president Trump to commission American pirates,
under "letters of marque"
to seize property and persons on land or sea.
Representative Tim Bimbo Burchett (R-TN) introduced the House version of the legislation.

Patriots of the Caribbean: Lee Bill Authorizes American Privateers to Seize Cartel Assets with President’s Approval
U.S. Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) introduced legislation today that would allow private entities to stop drug cartel smuggling and violence. The Cartel Marque and Reprisal Reauthorization Act authorizes President Trump, as provided under the Constitution, to commission American operators under letters of marque to seize cartel property and persons on land or sea. Representative Tim Burchett (R-TN) introduced the House version of the legislation.

☿️ Victoria could become first Australian state to ban unnecessary surgery on intersex children
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/dec/01/victoria-may-ban-unnecessary-surgery-intersex-children

Victoria could become first Australian state to ban unnecessary surgery on intersex children
Exclusive: Legislation would prohibit deferrable, irreversible procedures until child can give informed consent, bringing state in line with ACT

Alberta is fine, ya'll
"The judge called the move to change the legislation antithetical to the rule of law and democracy."
"The public is entitled to the fruits of this process that has been conducted largely at their expense so that if they are asked to vote on Alberta independence, they have a tool that may help them make sense of the legal dimensions of the secession of Alberta from Canada."
#abpoli #canada #canpoli #law #charterofrights
#sovereignty

Congress set records in 2025, some more dubious than others (Paul Kane/Washington Post)
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2025/12/24/congress-republicans-legislation-trump-2025/
http://www.memeorandum.com/251224/p2#a251224p2

NY Senate Bill 4505 Requires warning labels on social media platforms which provide an addictive feed, autoplay, infinite scroll, like counts, and/or push notifications;
directs the commissioner of mental health to design the warning label
Bluesky=Facebook
https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills

NY State Senate Bill 2025-S4505
Requires warning labels on social media platforms which provide an addictive feed, autoplay, infinite scroll, like counts, and/or push notifications; directs the commissioner of mental health to design the warning label.

A just-released compromise version of the National Defense Authorization Act
— which puts Congress’ stamp on Pentagon programs and policy each year
— has been in the works for months.
The sprawling legislation,
set for a vote as soon as this week,
would place new restrictions on reducing troop levels in Europe
-- a bipartisan rebuke of Trump administration moves that lawmakers fear would limit U.S. commitments on the continent.
The measure stands in s…

House Homeland Security chairman keeps attention on cyber issues https://therecord.media/andrew-garbarino-legislation-cyber-policy-outlook

EU member states agree a position on draft child protection legislation without forcing Big Tech to find and remove CSAM; states now negotiate with EU lawmakers (Reuters)
https://www.reuters.com/sustainability/soc

"Two Republicans in the US House of Representatives on Monday added their names to a discharge petition that will now force a vote on legislation to restore the collective bargaining rights of hundreds of thousands of federal workers targeted by GOP President Donald Trump."
'Speaker Johnson has run out of excuses': Major org cheers as Republicans break with Trump - Raw Story
https://www.rawstory.com/mike-johnson-2674303971/

Pocked with bullet holes and cracked at its pedestal by an off-road vehicle,
the Georgia Historical Society marker reads in part:
“Mary Turner, eight months pregnant,
was burned, mutilated, and shot to death by a mob
after publicly denouncing her husband’s lynching the previous day. …
No charges were ever brought against known or suspected participants in these crimes.
From 1880-1930, as many as 550 people were killed in Georgia in these illegal acts of mo…

Vandalized historic memorial to 1918 lynching now on exhibit in Atlanta museum
An exhibit opening Monday in Atlanta shows a historical marker from the site of a 1918 lynching that was repeatedly vandalized. Pocked with bullet holes and broken at the pedestal, it memorializes an event that some in rural southern Georgia tried hard to erase: the killing of Mary Turner by a white mob. She was set upon after protesting the lynching of her husband, Hayes Turner, and at least 10 other Black people. The violence built support for anti-lynching legislation, though it would not be…

Canada says it is talking to Meta to restore news to Facebook and Instagram as the Online News Act is put on the table as part of trade negotiations with the US (Marie Woolf/Globe and Mail)
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/politics/a

Ottawa in talks with Meta about restoring news to Facebook
Company blocked all news from Facebook, Instagram in 2023 in response to legislation which would require it to pay for content

The rise of candidates centering gun violence is a result of the growing prevention movement across the US, which has become something of 👉a pipeline for new candidates running for office.
#Maxwell #Frost, the nation’s first gen Z US representative, started off as a volunteer before becoming organizing director for <…

House of Lords backs legislation to ban social media for children under 16 https://therecord.media/house-lords-bans-social-media

There were actually a lot of good recommendations from that Committee report, the one on PR was just the final one! Here's a few more.. including some that local #Fediverse proponents could dig into! @… was on the Committee.
—>FEDI ADVANTAGE<— “The Committee heard about a number of issues related to
the electoral information environment. Members recommend
that the provincial government collaborate with Elections
BC and the federal government to review existing legislative
and regulatory measures related to misinformation,
disinformation, and hate speech during elections, including
**mechanisms to ensure the timely removal of harmful content** (**emphasis added)”
—> FEDI ADVANTAGE<— “To better address challenges associated with social media and emergent technologies such as artificial intelligence, Members recommend establishing a working group to propose amendments to BC’s privacy and election legislation. To better protect all users, the Committee recommends requiring digital platforms to act with a duty of care and establish clear safety-related requirements such as data privacy, platform design, and content policy. The Committee also heard about concerns regarding foreign interference, and recommends that these be considered by the Electoral Integrity Working Group.”
—The Committee heard about the critical importance of
civic education to ensure the public’s understanding of
democratic institutions, processes, and participation. The
Committee recommends strengthening civic education
in the K-12 school system with input from experts and a
greater emphasis on applied learning.
— the Committee suggests enhancing data collection by requiring proactive enumeration on an annual basis and ensuring that registered parties and candidates can access poll-by-poll results. Elections BC should review and improve
voter registration practices and communication, as well as
access to and public awareness of voting opportunities. With respect to expanding voter eligibility, the Committee supports further examination of extending voting rights to 16- and 17-year-olds as well as permanent residents in BC.
— Committee Members recommend modernizing the candidate nominator verification process, requiring Elections BC to collect and share voters’ contact information with registered political parties and candidates, and strengthening measures related to access to multi-unit buildings for candidates and their campaigns.
Full report to the Legislature: #BCPoli #CanPoli #CdnPoli #ElectoralReform #Democracy #ProportionalRepresentation #Polarization

Sixty years ago, the United States abolished immigration restrictions based on nationality alone.
By 1965, such discrimination had become an embarrassment.
In an emotional ceremony by the Statue of Liberty, President Lyndon B. Johnson declared that the legislation he was signing “
corrects a cruel and enduring wrong”
and makes Americans “truer to ourselves both as a country and as a people.”
❌Now the Trump administration is reviving nationality-based discriminat…

Opinion | Trump’s Immigration Crackdown Could Be Illegal
Once nativism escalates, it’s hard to stop.

Sources: the EU's executive arm is drafting new legislation aimed at promoting tech sovereignty and openly discussing the security risks posed by US tech (Wall Street Journal)
https://www.wsj.com/tech/europe-prep…

Since the new Chinese Embassy in London is back in the news:
I repeat my call that the government, per Data (Use and Access) Act 2025, make a version of the NUAR for Royal Mint Court publicly available.
And that this be done routinely for any prospective embassy or chancery.
https://www.leg…

The three largest benefit managers
— CVS Health’s Caremark,
Cigna’s Express Scripts
and UnitedHealth’s Optum Rx
— collectively oversee some 80 percent of all prescriptions in the United States.
Employers and government programs hire P.B.M.s to negotiate with drug companies, pay pharmacies and help decide which drugs patients can get at what price.
Patients see the work of a benefit manager when they encounter denials for coverage of prescriptions or are f…

Congress Reins In Drug Middlemen in Effort to Lower Prescription Prices
The legislation will impose new restrictions on pharmacy benefit managers, giant companies like CVS Caremark, Optum Rx and Express Scripts that oversee prescription drug benefits.

Good Morning #Canada
Are you still looking for that perfect Christmas gift? Years ago I found myself shopping for my wife's Christmas present on December 23rd. Never again. For those of you still shopping it's inevitable that you're going to be standing in front of the Gift Card rack and mentally convincing yourself that the recipient will love a full gas tank or a Timmies coffee and donut. Canadians will buy close to $12 billion in Gift Cards in 2025, with a lot of that in the next 5 days. Recent changes to legislation have made it illegal to charge processing or activation fees on cards purchased with cash and there is no expiry date. That last point is important because companies are betting that a certain percentage of cards are never redeemed and it's estimated that approximately 40% of all cards are never used. I personally like getting a gift card as it allows me to choose something I want, and I always thank the gifter once I've used it.
#CanadaIsAwesome #GiftCards
YES, I love giving and receiving Gift Cards
NO, I'm not happy when I have to buy or get a Gift Card

NY Gov. Kathy Hochul signs a law requiring social platforms with features like autoplay and addictive feeds to show mental health warning labels for young users (Felix Day/WRGB)

Governor Hochul signs law for mental health warnings on addictive social media features
Governor Hochul has signed new legislation that will require social media platforms with certain addictive features to display warning labels alerting young use

Anti-abortion lawmakers and others
are using strategies from the playbook of bigots who sought to restrict access to voting,
-- even by trying to change the rules for citizen-led initiatives.
ProPublica found legislation or proposals introduced in at least four states in the last year that would undermine ballot initiatives adding abortion protections to state law.
Sarah Walker, policy and legal advocacy director at the Ballot Initiative Strategy Center, said that e…

Voters in at Least 10 States Are Trying to Protect Abortion Rights. GOP Officials Are Throwing Up Roadblocks.
Republican officials are undermining citizen-led ballot initiatives that seek to protect the procedure. Ohio is the latest state to get protections on the November ballot.

New protest laws are impacting political demonstrations
While serving in the Florida state legislature, #Randy #Fine helped pass legislation that provides some 🆘 protection under certain circumstances to 🔥drivers who hit protesters blocking roadways.
In Congress, the Republican representative has introduced a s…

How new protest laws are impacting political demonstrations
More than a dozen states have passed laws regulating protests in recent years, raising concerns among free-speech advocates.

Sources: the US Senate's crypto market structure bill is likely to be delayed by several weeks as key lawmakers shift focus to potential housing legislation (Bloomberg)
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-01-21/…

Well, that's two ways of putting it.
https://www.theverge.com/news/823750/european-union-ai-act-gdpr-changes

Europe is scaling back its landmark privacy and AI laws
The European Commission has proposed changes weakening EU privacy legislation and delaying parts of the AI Act to make the bloc more competitive globally.

You see some effort on the part of Congress to assert itself in the realm of war.
But it failed predominantly on party lines
Republicans predominantly were supporting the president and whatever it happens to be that he would like to do.
Moderate Republicans and Republicans who are in less safe districts were and are more likely to at least stand up a little bit to the president,
but there’s a very small number of them.

House rejects resolutions to limit Trump's military campaign
The House has rejected a pair of resolutions that would put a check on President Donald Trump’s power to use military force against drug cartels and the nation of Venezuela. Democrats forced the votes using war powers resolutions as Trump has stepped up his threats against the South American nation. Congress has questioned how the U.S. military is conducting a campaign that has destroyed 25 vessels allegedly carrying drugs and killed at least 95 people. The legislation would have forced the T…

"Austria deploys 1 GW of PV in January-September period"
#Austria #SolarPower #Energy #Renewables

Austria deploys 1 GW of PV in January-September period
Austria added 1,036 MW of new solar capacity between January and September 2025, down from 1,419 MW over the same period in 2024, as political uncertainty, delayed legislation, and weakening residential demand strain the solar sector.

The EU unveils proposed updates to GDPR, including simplifying cookie permission pop-ups, and plans to water down the AI Act, after US and tech company pressure (The Verge)
https://www.theverge.com/news/823750/european-union-ai-act-gdpr-changes

Europe is scaling back its landmark privacy and AI laws
The European Commission has proposed changes weakening EU privacy legislation and delaying parts of the AI Act to make the bloc more competitive globally.

The US Senate confirms Trump pick Michael Selig as chairman of the CFTC, as lawmakers consider legislation to give the agency more control over digital assets (Lydia Beyoud/Bloomberg)
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/20

Senate Confirms Selig as Chief of CFTC and Hill to Run the FDIC
The US Senate on Thursday night confirmed Michael Selig as chairman of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission and Travis Hill as chairman of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp., installing permanent chiefs of two agencies that play critical roles overseeing financial markets and banks.

Four Republican lawmakers have signed onto
a Democratic-led discharge petition,
which aims to force a vote on a bill to restore tax credits for millions of Americans who receive health insurance through the Affordable Care Act (ACA).
Thot credits are set to expire at the end of this year, unless legislation can be passed to extend them.
Ordinarily, the speaker of the House of Representatives can block legislation from being considered.
But a discharge petition,…

4 House Republicans Join Democrats to Force Vote on ACA Tax Credits Extension
Millions of Americans' health insurance premiums could double if the credits aren't renewed by the end of this year.

Russia arrests young cybersecurity entrepreneur on treason charges https://therecord.media/russia-arrests-tech-entrepreneur-treason

Chuck Schumer, the Senate’s top Democrat, on Wednesday demanded that legislation funding the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) include a ban on wearing masks and other reforms aimed at federal agents involved in immigration enforcement, setting up a clash with Republicans that could see the government partially shut down in the coming days.

New court filings allege that federal and state officials withheld evidence of the Trump administration’s involvement in the Everglades detention facility known as “Alligator Alcatraz,” a revelation that could revive a court-ordered shutdown. The Jan. 7 filings come as the Miccosukee Tribe presses ahead with its legal challenge amid President Donald Trump’s recent veto of legislation expanding the tribe’s control over Everglades lands.
The filings, submitted by Friends of the Everglades…

New ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ records suggest federal funding and involvement in Florida detention camp
Court filings appear to undermine DHS claims that “Alligator Alcatraz” was a state project, potentially reviving a court-ordered shutdown

Ireland plans law allowing law enforcement to use spyware https://therecord.media/ireland-plans-law-enforcement-spyware

Trump urged Republicans in the Senate to scrap the #filibuster,
saying it had become an obstacle to "effective governing" and removing it would prevent another government shutdown
and pave the way for his party to push through its legislative priorities.
“The filibuster is hurting the Republican Party,” Trump told Politico.
He called on Republican lawmakers to eliminat…

South Carolina already ranks 8th nationally in highest maternal mortality rate,
and MAGA extremists are vying to become #1.
Now, for the third time since 2023, MAGA Republicans in South Carolina have introduced
S 323, also known as
The Unborn Child Protection Act.
South Carolina Senate Bill 323 is one of the most extreme pieces of legislation we’ve seen.
It proposes changing the legal definition of the word “person” to include an unborn fetus.
Th…

S. Carolina RE-Intros Bill To Kill Women For Getting An Abortion
Here's what's in the bill, why it is so dangerous, and the meaningful steps you can take to fight back, support women's health, and help block this bill from becoming law

Efforts to repress climate and environmental protest are growing worldwide
through a combination of new legislation,
novel uses of existing legal processes,
police actions,
vilification of activists,
and both violence and killings.
Acts of repression are likely to expand and intensify
as authoritarian regimes roll back climate policies,
with a particular focus on Trump’s actions in office
criminalizing protest,
increasing police po…

Here's the global playbook being used to crack down on climate protest
A new study finds that repression of environmental protest is rising worldwide and Indigenous land defenders face the greatest risk.

Lawmakers reintroduce bill to bolster cybersecurity at Securities and Exchange Commission https://therecord.media/lawmakers-bill-beefs-security-sec

The willingness of congressional Republicans to defy Trump and back legislation requiring the disclosure of federal files on Jeffrey Epstein,
was the clearest evidence yet that G.O.P. lawmakers are starting to look beyond Trump’s tenure to their self-preservation in midterm elections next year.
There are other signs as well,
notably the refusal by Senate Republicans to bow to Trump’s demand to gut the filibuster during the shutdown fight,
and resistance in some states…

Congressional Republicans Begin to Look Beyond Trump
Election defeats earlier this month and the approach of 2026 have G.O.P. lawmakers cautiously asserting themselves.

Exactly one year before Dr King was assassinated, on 4 April 1967,
he gave his famous “Beyond Vietnam” speech at Riverside church in New York City.
More than 3,000 people were in attendance.
At the time, King had come under intense fire for having renounced the Vietnam war;
his outspokenness put him at odds with Lyndon Johnson,
who felt King should have been indebted to him for his efforts in pushing through civil rights legislation.
It also put King at …