Washington

This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate 3 WASHINGTON (AP) — Facebook and Instagram have begun promptly removing posts that offer abortion pills to women who may not be able to access them following a Supreme Court decision that stripped away constitutional protections for the procedure. Such social media posts ostensibly aimed to help women living in states where preexisting laws banning abortion suddenly snapped into effect on Friday. That's when the high court overruled Roe v. Wade, its 1973 decision that declared access to abortion a constitutional right. Memes and status updates explaining how women could legally obtain abortion pills in the mail exploded across social platforms. Some even offered to mail the prescriptions to women living in states that now ban the procedure. Almost immediately, Facebook and Instagram began removing some of these posts, just as millions across the U.S. were searching for clarity … [Read more...] about Instagram and Facebook remove posts offering abortion pills

A US delegation arrived in Venezuela Monday to discuss a “bilateral agenda,” extending discussions between Caracas and Washington initiated in March, said Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. National Assembly speaker, Jorge Rodriguez, “is receiving a delegation from the government of the United States, an important delegation that arrived two hours ago in Venezuela,” Maduro announced on national public television VTV at around 8:00 pm (0000 GMT). Rodriguez is also the Venezuelan government’s negotiator in talks with the opposition, which have been at a standstill since last October. Washington had sent a high-level delegation to Caracas in early March, a few days after Russia invaded Ukraine. Several observers said the move was aimed at trying to distance Caracas from one of its main allies, Moscow, and discussing an easing of US sanctions on Venezuelan oil after the invasion caused a spike in global fuel prices. The White House confirmed the meeting but only said the … [Read more...] about As Oil Prices Surge In US, Biden Sends Delegation To Discuss Bilateral Issues With Venezuela’s Maduro

John Wall and the Houston Rockets have agreed that his contract will be bought out, a move that will free him to sign with any team of his choosing, two people with knowledge of the situation said Monday night. Wall’s preference will be to sign with the Los Angeles Clippers, according to one of the people who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the five-time All-Star guard had not announced his intentions publicly. Wall will receive roughly $41 million from Houston, according to the other person who spoke with AP. Wall was scheduled to make $47.4 million this coming season, his last in what was a four-year contract. Yahoo first reported that Wall and the Rockets came to the buyout decision. ESPN first reported that Wall intends to join the Clippers, presumably for the taxpayer mid-level exception of about $6.4 million — basically the same amount he's giving back to the Rockets to become a free agent. No agreement can be struck between Wall and any … [Read more...] about AP sources: Wall to be bought out, intends to join Clippers

This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate 18 ELMAU, Germany (AP) — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Monday underscored the urgency of helping his country’s military improve its position against Russia in a video meeting with leading economic powers, who in turn pledged to support Ukraine “for as long as it takes.” Zelenskyy addressed the delicacy of the moment for Ukraine in its war with Russia to the Group of Seven summit as the leaders of the major economies prepared to unveil plans to pursue a price cap on Russian oil, raise tariffs on Russian goods and impose other new sanctions. In addition, the U.S. was preparing to announce the purchase of an advanced surface-to-air missile system for Kyiv to help Ukraine fight back against Vladimir Putin’s aggression. The official announcement would come shortly after Russian missiles … [Read more...] about Zelenskyy tells G-7 summit Ukraine forces face urgent moment

There's a critical debate in Washington happening right now that will shape the future of technological innovation for decades to come. In response to an internet that has grown increasingly calcified, with only a handful of large players dominating commercial activity, Congress has actually stepped up to the plate: The Senate and House are poised to pass bipartisan legislation that would create a more level playing field for startups and entrepreneurs to compete. The bill, S2992 or the American Innovation and Choice Online Act, was introduced by Senators Klobuchar and Grassley to end platform overreach by the world's largest tech companies like Facebook and Google . And we in the community of independent developers are closely watching its progress. The bill would address an obvious problem: A few dominant tech companies have become gatekeepers of the internet, boosting their own products and undermining smaller competitors. Consider the story of one of the most … [Read more...] about Take it from a software engineer: Big Tech’s monopoly is stifling innovation | Opinion

Marchers in New York marked International Women's Day on Wednesday afternoon by chanting "Hey, hey, ho, ho, Donald Trump has got to go" while walking between two of the real estate mogul's signature properties. Some hoisted posters featuring coat hangers, a strong symbol for many women in the battle over abortion rights. Meanwhile, the most powerful millennial woman in the Trump inner circle tweeted her version of support. "Today, we celebrate women and are reminded of our collective voice and the powerful impact we have on our societies and economies," Ivanka Trump wrote. Related: Ivanka helped 'set the tone' for Trump's speech Her record on the most crucial of women's rights, though, is one of artful dodging. The landing page of Ivanka's eponymous website celebrated the day with the words "Be Bold for Change," written in pink, beige and red. The website gives no clue about what this "change" might be, but throughout his presidential campaign, Donald Trump made it pretty … [Read more...] about Does Ivanka Trump back or oppose abortion rights?

A New York state regulator on Friday fined cruise line operator Carnival Corp $5 million for "significant" cybersecurity violations, following four security breaches from 2019 to 2021 that exposed substantial amounts of sensitive customer data. (Sign up to our Technology newsletter, Today’s Cache, for insights on emerging themes at the intersection of technology, business and policy. Click here to subscribe for free.) New York's Department of Financial Services said Carnival violated a state cybersecurity regulation by failing to use multi-factor authentication that would make it harder for wrongdoers to access its internal network. It also said Carnival failed to report one breach and conduct adequate cybersecurity awareness training for employees. The regulator said the failures caused Carnival to file improper cybersecurity compliance certifications from 2018 to 2020. Also Read Privacy depends on cybersecurity — why government must rethink the new rules … [Read more...] about Carnival is fined $5 million by New York for cybersecurity violations

Abortion rights defenders fanned out across America on Saturday for the second day of protest against the Supreme Court's thunderbolt ruling , as state after conservative state moved swiftly to ban the procedure. The deeply polarized country grappled with a new level of division: between states that will now or soon deny the right to abortion , enshrined since 1973, and those that still allow it. Also Read Explained | How will the Roe v. Wade rollback impact women? A few thousand people thronged the streets on Saturday outside the fenced-off Supreme Court in Washington, in hot summer weather, carrying signs that read "War on women, who's next?" and "No uterus, No opinion." "What happened yesterday is indescribable and disgusting," said Mia Stagner, 19, a political science major in college. "Being forced to be a mother is not something any woman should have to do." Demonstrations also took place in Los Angeles, with dozens of smaller rallies from coast to … [Read more...] about Fresh protests as new U.S. abortion reality takes shape

The G-7 leaders have pledged to continue supporting Ukraine “for as long as it takes.” In a joint statement Monday after a video link session with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, the leaders underlined their “unwavering commitment to support the government and people of Ukraine in their courageous defence of their country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.” President Joe Biden is set to announce that the U.S. is providing an advanced surface-to-air missile system to Ukraine, as well as additional artillery support Russian forces were fighting on June 27 to achieve one of their strategic objectives in Ukraine as Moscow-backed separatists said they were pushing into Lysychansk, the last major city still held by Ukrainian troops in eastern Luhansk province. Lysychansk's twin city of Sievierodonetsk fell on Saturda y in a victory for Moscow's campaign to seize the eastern provinces of Luhansk and Donetsk on behalf of pro-Russian separatists. Russia invaded Ukraine on … [Read more...] about Russia-Ukraine crisis live updates | G-7 demands Russia ‘immediately’ return Ukrainians taken by force

Leading economic powers conferred by video link with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Monday as they underscored their commitment to Ukraine for the long haul with plans to pursue a price cap on Russian oil, raise tariffs on Russian goods and impose other new sanctions. In addition, the U.S. was preparing to announce the purchase of an advanced surface-to-air missile system for Kyiv to help Ukraine fight back against Vladimir Putin’s aggression. The new aid and efforts to exact punishment on Moscow from the Group of Seven leaders come as Zelenskyy has openly worried that the West has become fatigued by the cost of a war that is contributing to soaring energy costs and price hikes on essential goods around the globe. Leaders were finalizing the deal to seek a price cap during their three-day G-7 summit in the German Alps. The details of how a price cap would work, as well as its impact on the Russian economy, were to be resolved by the G-7 finance ministers in the coming … [Read more...] about G-7 leaders confer with Zelensky, prepare new aid for Ukraine