In a 3-2 vote Tuesday, April 23, the Federal Trade Commission voted to ban non-compete agreements nationwide, affecting an estimated 30 million workers. This rule prohibits new non-compete clauses and nullifies existing ones, except for certain high-earning senior executives. “We heard from employees who, because of non-competes, were stuck in abusive workplaces,” FTC Chair Lina Khan said.…

After months of anticipation, Meta launched the company’s AI chatbot, Meta AI, on Thursday, April 18. Meta AI integrates advanced AI technology across everyday applications such as Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, WhatsApp and Ray-Ban smart glasses. The rollout is sparking concerns about the technology’s controversial impact on digital interactions. Like its generative AI competitors, Meta AI…

The University of Southern California (USC) is continuing to receive backlash for its decision to cancel this year’s valedictorian’s graduation speech. USC banned Asna Tabassum, a senior majoring in biomedical engineering, from speaking at the school’s commencement ceremony in May, as the school cited safety concerns. Some Jewish students called for USC to disinvite Tabassum,…

Two U.S. tribal nations are taking on Big Tech. The Spirit Lake Tribe in Los Angeles and Menominee Tribe in Wisconsin filed a lawsuit against Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, Google and YouTube. The plaintiffs claim that these platforms are preying on their youth, contributing to high suicide rates among Native American teens. The tribes said…

The commander of the USS John S. McCain, Cameron Yaste, and the U.S. Navy faced online mockery Wednesday, April 10 after the Navy shared a photo of the commander on its official Instagram account. The photo showed Yaste firing a rifle with the scope mounted backwards and the lens cap on. The caption accompanying the…

The fight to win over more users is on between TikTok and Instagram. In March, it was uncovered that TikTok was working on a rival to Instagram, and now it has a name: TikTok Notes. The new name started to pop up as some users received notifications announcing photo posts would be shown on TikTok…

Several people are dead in the strongest earthquake to hit Taiwan in 25 years, and the future of Disney will be decided today in a boardroom vote. These stories and more highlight The Morning Rundown for Wednesday, April 3, 2024. Several dead after major earthquake rocks Taiwan At least nine people have died and more…

Pro-Palestinian demonstrators interrupt President Biden’s celebrity-packed fundraising event at Radio City Music Hall. And, The Wall Street Journal marks one year of reporter Evan Gershkovich being held in a Russian prison. These stories and more highlight The Morning Rundown for Friday, March 29, 2024. Protesters interrupt Biden’s star-studded NYC fundraiser President Joe Biden, joined by…

After a detailed review, Meta’s independent Oversight Board has advised ending the widespread ban on the Arabic word “shaheed” on Tuesday, March 26. This term, translating to “Islamic martyr” but also meaning “to bear witness” or “testify” in Arabic, was found to overly restrict content from millions of users. The board noted that Meta’s approach…

A major bridge collapses in Baltimore after being struck by a ship — sending multiple people into the water. And, Homeland Security raids the homes of hip-hop mogul Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs as part of an ongoing investigation. These stories and more highlight The Morning Rundown for Tuesday, March 26, 2024. Major bridge collapses in Baltimore,…