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Chatbot Bills Near Passage in CA A pair of bills aimed at protecting minors from harm by chatbots are nearing passage in California. Of the two, tech groups favor SB 243 , which would allow citizens...
NM Gov Calls Special Session to Bolster Safety Net New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham (D) announced a special session in October to bolster safety net programs in response to the federal spending...
Political “debanking,” the practice of banks restricting or closing customers’ accounts for political or religious reasons, has once again become a hot topic , thanks to President Donald...
CO Lawmakers Tweak Last Year’s First-In-Nation AI Law In a special session that began last week, Colorado Senate Majority Leader Robert Rodriguez (D) introduced legislation ( SB 4 a ) that would...
States Seek Ways to Replace Expiring Federal Health Subsidies Policymakers in California, Colorado, Maryland and other states are considering ways to backfill pandemic-era federal health insurance subsidies...
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On an 8-3 vote, San Francisco’s Board of Supervisors authorized police to deploy robots with lethal force in very rare cases involving violent suspects such as mass shooters. A minority of the board opposed the policy out of concern that it could let police kill too easily. The board adopted an amendment requiring a high-ranking SFPD leader to authorize the actual use of such a robot. (GOVERNMENT TECH)
As of November 23 Twitter is no longer stopping users from spreading misinformation about Covid-19 on the social media platform, according to a recent update of its content moderation policies. Since 2020, the platform’s Covid-19 misinformation ban had led to over 11,000 account suspensions. (POLITICO)
The New Jersey Legislature overwhelmingly passed a bill (SB 588) providing for the establishment of statewide guidelines for information literacy, including “digital, visual, media, textual, and technological literacy.” If signed by Gov. Phil Murphy (D), students from kindergarten through 12th grade would be taught how to identify trustworthy information sources and distinguish fact from opinion. Supporters of the measure say it's necessary because of the rise of misinformation on social media. (NJ ADVANCE MEDIA, STATE NET)
The California Public Utilities Commission approved a $1 billion electric vehicle charging program directed mainly at increasing the use of midsize- and heavy-duty all-electric trucks, which account for a disproportionate share of transportation-related greenhouse gas emissions. The rebate program, which will be funded by utility ratepayers across the state, will remain in effect for five years. (SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE)
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Texas charged 21 people in a transnational network that laundered over $300 million in cryptocurrency annually. Secret Service Resident Agent in Charge Bill Mack said the “case proves that we can track these people down and charge them.” (CNBC)
-- Compiled by KOREY CLARK