Social media companies accused of “addicting the brains of children” as trial begins

The world’s biggest social media companies face several landmark trials this year that seek to hold them responsible for harms to children who use their platforms. Opening statements in one such trial in Los Angeles County Superior Court began on Monday. Instagram’s parent company Meta and Google’s YouTube face claims that their platforms deliberately addict…

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India revokes order for smartphone makers to install government security app amid uproar over privacy

New Delhi — India’s government revoked an order on Wednesday that had directed smartphone makers such as Apple and Samsung to install a state-developed and owned security app on all new devices. The move came after two days of criticism from opposition politicians and privacy organizations that the “Sanchar Saathi” app was an effort to snoop…

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RFK Jr. accuses ousted CDC director of lying about pressure to preapprove vaccine recommendations

Washington — Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on Thursday denied that he pressured the ousted director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to preapprove vaccination recommendations from a panel he overhauled before her firing.  Susan Monarez was fired from the position less than a month after her Senate confirmation….

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Mississippi declares public health emergency over rising infant deaths. Here’s what to know.

Mississippi health officials have declared a public health emergency after releasing data showing the state’s infant mortality rate has risen to its highest level in more than a decade.  In Mississippi, 9.7 infants died for every 1,000 live births in 2024, nearly double the most recent national average of 5.6 deaths per 1,000, according to the…

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