Google Appeals Ruling on Search Advertising Monopoly
Alphabet Inc.'s Google is appealing a U.S. court ruling that found the company illegally monopolized online search and search advertising, a move that is expected to delay changes to its business practices. The appeal was filed in Washington federal court, along with a request to stay the lower-court ruling while the case is pending, which the DC Circuit Court of Appeals is likely to hear later this year. U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta's August 2024 ruling determined that Google's contracts with smartphone manufacturers, including Apple Inc. and Samsung Electronics Co., which cost the company over $20 billion annually, restricted competition by making its search engine the default option.
Supreme Court to Review Hawaii's Firearm Carry Restrictions
The Supreme Court is set to hear a case challenging Hawaii's 'Vampire Rule,' which prohibits carrying firearms on private property without the owner's permission. Gun advocates argue that this law contradicts the Second Amendment, while Hawaii defends it by citing historical precedents from its prestatehood era as a kingdom, where strict firearm regulations were in place. The case will address whether the Ninth Circuit erred in allowing this presumptive prohibition against licensed concealed carry permit holders.
Judge Limits ICE Actions Amid Minnesota Protest Controversy
U.S. District Judge Katherine Menendez has issued a temporary order prohibiting federal immigration agents from retaliating against peaceful protesters in Minnesota, following the shooting of Renee Nicole Good by an ICE agent on January 7. The ruling, prompted by a lawsuit from the ACLU, restricts federal agents from arresting or detaining individuals without probable cause and bars them from stopping vehicles unless there is reasonable suspicion of obstruction. The incident has sparked widespread protests, with Minnesota Governor Tim Walz urging for peaceful demonstrations and calling for an end to federal immigration enforcement in the city.
