All posts tagged: block

Supreme Court turns away Trump’s latest bid to block E. Jean Carroll award

Supreme Court turns away Trump’s latest bid to block E. Jean Carroll award

Published by Sam Flores

WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court on Monday declined for a second time to take up President Donald Trump’s bid to overturn a jury verdict that awarded $5 million to writer E. Jean Carroll and found Trump liable for sexual abuse and defamation. In an unusual move, the president had asked the court to reconsider its decision from June that rejected Trump’s initial appeal. The court almost never grants such requests. Trump has already turned over the $5 million, plus interest. The case arose from a federal lawsuit Carroll filed in New York City alleging that Trump sexually assaulted her in the dressing room of a department store in 1996. The defamation claims relate to statements he made about her after his first term in office, in which he described her claims as a “con job” and “hoax.” Trump has denied any wrongdoing and has said he does not know Carroll. Trump has a separate appeal at the Supreme Court concerning a different defamation case in which Carroll won an $83 million judgment. That case concerns …

Judge (Partly) Rejects Minnesota Bid To Block Trump Admin Title IX Rules On Trans Students

Judge (Partly) Rejects Minnesota Bid To Block Trump Admin Title IX Rules On Trans Students

Published by Jenni Sidey

Authored by Kimberley Hayek via The Epoch Times, A federal judge on Monday largely dismissed Minnesota’s lawsuit challenging the Trump administration’s interpretation of Title IX, the 1972 law that bars sex discrimination in federally funded education programs and activities. U.S. District Chief Judge Eric Tostrud of the District of Minnesota ruled that most of the state’s claims fell short. Minnesota had argued that the administration violated the Administrative Procedure Act and the 10th Amendment by determining that the state’s policies allowing transgender students to compete on sports teams and use facilities consistent with their gender identity breached federal law. Tostrud determined that the administration’s findings and related letters to the state to enforce Title IX did not constitute final agency action that could be challenged under the Administrative Procedure Act. The findings and letters themselves, he wrote, imposed “no legal injury on Minnesota.” He also referenced a June Supreme Court decision upholding state bans on male athletes in female sports. While the high court did not rule on whether states or schools may allow such …

Trump slams NYC pied-à-terre tax, eyes federal block

Trump slams NYC pied-à-terre tax, eyes federal block

Published by Sam Flores

(COMBO) This combination of pictures created on November 19, 2025 shows Democratic candidate for Mayor of New York City Zohran Mamdani on October 19, 2025 in New York City and US President Donald Trump in Washington, DC, October 24, 2025. Angela Weiss, Saul Loeb | Afp | Getty Images President Donald Trump on Tuesday decried New York City’s pied-à-terre tax and said he is exploring whether the federal government “has any legal right to avert this disaster, before it is too late.” The tax on nonprimary residences of wealthy owners “doesn’t work in America, and must be stopped, NOW!” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post. Trump’s vow to seek federal intervention against the tax, which was pushed by Mayor Zohran Mamdani and passed by the New York State legislature in late May, came one day after a Staten Island judge temporarily blocked the new policy. New York City government quickly filed a motion to seek an appeal of that order, placing the judge’s order on hold. Mamdani’s office did not respond to CNBC’s request …

Your phone doesn’t block SIM swapping attacks by default: Turn on these carrier settings now

Your phone doesn’t block SIM swapping attacks by default: Turn on these carrier settings now

Published by skeptic

Lance Whitney/ZDNET In recent years, SIM swapping attacks have increased, prompting the mobile industry to try to combat them more effectively. SIM swapping is a type of fraud in which a scammer transfers your mobile phone number to a SIM in their own device. By intercepting calls or texts sent to your phone, they can capture two-factor authentication codes and other information intended for you. From there, the attacker can take over not only your mobile account but also other accounts that rely on authentication. Also: The shadowy SIM farms behind those incessant scam texts – and how to stay safe SIM swapping attacks can play out in a couple of different ways. A scammer may be able to convince the mobile carrier to transfer the SIM to a new device by pretending to be you. Criminals have also offered money to employees at such carriers as Verizon and T-Mobile, tempting them to perform SIM swaps.  The three major US carriers — AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon — all offer their own tools to protect your account …

Kalshi presses Iowa court to block state sports contract enforcement efforts

Kalshi presses Iowa court to block state sports contract enforcement efforts

Published by skeptic

Kalshi is asking a federal judge in Iowa to block state officials from enforcing gambling laws against sports event contracts available through its federally regulated prediction market. In a July 31 filing in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Iowa, the company argued that Congress placed trading on designated contract markets under the Commodity Futures Trading Commission’s “exclusive jurisdiction”. Kalshi says Iowa would intrude on that authority by treating trades on its exchange as violations of state law. NEW: #Kalshi asks an Iowa federal court to block state gambling enforcement, arguing federal law gives the CFTC exclusive authority over its contracts. @RWW pic.twitter.com/i7FEWAZRik — Suswati Basu (@suswatibasu) August 3, 2026 The filing supports Kalshi’s bid for a preliminary injunction against Attorney General Brenna Bird, the Iowa Racing & Gaming Commission and several commission officials. Kalshi says it only wants to prevent state gambling and criminal statutes from being applied to transactions executed on its designated contract market, rather than restrict Iowa’s enforcement powers. State officials have characterized Kalshi’s sports contracts offered to …

Block all ads on 9 devices for life for just

Block all ads on 9 devices for life for just $16

Published by skeptic

TL;DR: Protect nine devices with one lifetime subscription when you get the AdGuard Family Plan on sale for $15.97 through August 9. $15.97 $169.99 Save $154.02   Most ad blockers stop at the browser and quit the moment you leave it, so every other app on your phone stays wide open to pop-ups and trackers. The AdGuard Family Plan works system-wide instead, and a lifetime subscription is on sale for $15.97 (reg. $169.99). Ads aren’t just annoying; they slow down your browsing, eat up your data, and sometimes even carry malware. And if you’ve got kids online, you want to make sure they’re safe from inappropriate content. The AdGuard Family Plan does all that and more. With built-in parental controls, you can filter out harmful sites and ensure your family’s online experience is both secure and enjoyable. Mashable Deals By signing up, you agree to receive recurring automated SMS marketing messages from Mashable Deals at the number provided. Msg and data rates may apply. Up to 2 messages/day. Reply STOP to opt out, HELP for help. Consent …

Judge denies xAI’s request to block Minnesota ban on ‘nudify’ apps

Judge denies xAI’s request to block Minnesota ban on ‘nudify’ apps

Published by skeptic

Despite a lawsuit from xAI, a Minnesota ban on apps that allow users to “nudify” images can move forward, according to NBC News. U.S. District Judge Donovan Frank’s ruling focused as much on the timing of xAI’s lawsuit as on the substance of the law itself. Frank wrote that xAI filed its request for a temporary restraining order “on July 29, 2026, nearly three months after the law was signed, and only three days before the law is set to take effect” on August 1. “Such a delay in bringing the action and the motion suggests that harm is not immediate,” Frank said. This isn’t the end of xAI’s lawsuit against the ban; it only means that the law can take effect while the lawsuit proceeds. In the suit, xAI argued that the ban — the first of its kind in the United States — is “overinclusive” and that “there are far less restrictive alternatives that function to achieve the same ends.” Earlier this year, users of Elon Musk’s social media platform X (both X …

Judge denies request by Elon Musk’s xAI to block MN nudification ban

Judge denies request by Elon Musk’s xAI to block MN nudification ban

Published by Sam Flores

A federal judge on Friday denied a request from Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence company xAI to block a Minnesota law that will be the first in the nation to ban nudification technology. U.S. District Judge Donovan Frank ruled that there was little risk of immediate harm from the law going into effect as scheduled on Saturday, despite a lawsuit this week from xAI claiming that the law violates the First Amendment’s guarantee of free speech. “xAI filed the motion on July 29, 2026, nearly three months after the law was signed, and only three days before the law is set to take effect. Such a delay in bringing the action and the motion suggests that harm is not immediate,” the judge wrote in a two-page order, denying xAI’s request for a pause to the law. Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison in Chicago in 2024.Andrew Harnik / Getty Images file The court could still pause the law at a later time. The judge wrote that he’ll hold a hearing on Aug. 19 on whether to grant …