WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. Supreme Court ruled Friday to uphold a federal law that will ban TikTok in the United States unless its Chinese owner, ByteDance, divests from the app by Sunday, January 19. The decision, which came after intense arguments, prioritizes national security over First Amendment rights, but leaves several paths forward.

President Joe Biden signed the law in April, stipulating that ByteDance must sell TikTok or face a ban. His administration has voiced concerns over data privacy and the potential for Chinese government influence, but with the deadline now at hand, they've hinted they might not enforce the ban, passing the decision-making to incoming President Donald Trump.

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Trump, who previously sought to ban TikTok during his first term, has since changed his stance, promising to "save" the app. Here are the options moving forward:

1. Immediate Ban: If no action is taken by Sunday, app stores and internet hosts will no longer support TikTok, effectively banning it in the U.S. However, existing users might still access the app until it becomes unsupported.

2. Biden's Last-Minute Extension: Biden could use his remaining days in office to grant a 90-day extension if there's progress toward ByteDance divesting from TikTok, though this would require ByteDance to show significant steps towards a sale.

3. Trump's Intervention: Once in office, Trump could direct the Justice Department not to enforce the ban, though this would leave companies like Apple and Google at risk of fines if they continue supporting TikTok. Alternatively, Trump could negotiate a deal for ByteDance to sell TikTok or seek a political resolution, possibly involving new legislation or a diplomatic agreement with China.

4. Congressional Action: Congress could repeal the law or pass new legislation to extend the deadline or alter the terms of the ban.

5. ByteDance Divestiture: ByteDance could comply by selling TikTok to a U.S. entity, though they've been resistant, citing the impact on the app's functionality.

The ruling marks a pivotal moment, highlighting the tension between national security and free speech, with the next moves potentially reshaping tech policy in the U.S.

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WASHINGTON — The Biden administration does not plan to levy billions of dollars in fines against companies that allow access to TikTok in the U.S., as is stipulated by law if a ban of the popular app goes into effect on Sunday, according to two administration officials.

The administration has decided to defer implementation of the law banning TikTok in the U.S. to the incoming Trump administration, the officials said, effectively not enforcing it during the final 36 hours of President Joe Biden’s term in office.

“Given the timing of when it goes into effect over a holiday weekend a day before inauguration, it will be up to the next administration to implement,” a White House official said.

The move is aimed at trying to ensure there is no disruption in TikTok users’ access to the app in the U.S. before President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration on Monday, despite the ban. It comes as the Supreme Court could rule at any time on whether to uphold the ban. Click here to read more.

 

LANSING, Mich - Gov. Gretchen Whitmer spoke Wednesday at the Detroit Auto Show, urging lawmakers to create more taxpayer-funded jobs programs, just weeks after a new study found such programs often fail to create jobs.

The governor encouraged a divided Michigan Legislature to renew a taxpayer-funded jobs program that’s set to disappear in a year.

Whitmer also urged legislators to develop a long-time solution for road maintenance, as her $3.5 billion bonding plan ended in December without completing her campaign promise to fix the roads. Her plan only fixed state trunkline roads, not local and county roads.

“Losing both (a road program and a jobs program) without better, more comprehensive replacements will throw us off track,” Whitmer said. Click here to read more.

 

A convicted pedophile and illegal migrant was released from a Connecticut prison last month after his sympathetic parole board mulled how to best help him avoid deportation.

The Trump administration, the parole board decided, would not be able to get its act together fast enough to deport the illegal migrant pedophile before his 30-day immigration detainer runs out. “They can’t elect a Speaker of the House,” one board member scoffed.

Guerino Magloire, 52, was serving five years in prison for felony second degree sexual assault against a child between 13 and 15 years old. He was convicted of sexually assaulting the child on March 11, 2020, just as pandemic lockdowns were starting, and he was sentenced in November the next year.

During his parole hearing on New Year’s Eve, Magloire said he cannot promise he will not offend again. Click here to read more.

 

MONTGOMERY, Ala. — University professors and students in Alabama filed a lawsuit Tuesday challenging a new state law that bans diversity, equity and inclusion programs at universities and put limits on how race and gender can be discussed in the college classroom.

The complaint asserts the new law violates the First Amendment by placing viewpoint-based restrictions on educators’ speech and classroom lessons. Plaintiffs also argue the law is intentionally discriminatory against Black students because it targets concepts related to race and racism, limits programs that benefit Black students and eliminates campus spaces dedicated to student organizations that support Black students.

The NAACP Legal Defense Fund and the American Civil Liberties Union of Alabama filed the lawsuit on behalf of the Alabama State Conference of the NAACP and professors and students at the University of Alabama and the University of Alabama at Birmingham. The lawsuit asks a federal judge to declare the law unconstitutional and block the state from enforcing it. Click here to read more.

 

MT. JULIET, Tenn. — A homeowner was surprised when her pizza wasn't delivered by a pizzeria employee but by a team of police officers.

According to the Mt. Juliet Police Department, officers received an alert from one of their license plate reading cameras that identified a car as belonging to a 34-year-old man who had an arrest warrant for failure to appear in court regarding drug charges.

Officers pulled the vehicle over and arrested the driver, but quickly realized he was a pizza delivery driver and was on his way to a customer's home to complete a delivery.

“The Alabama Legislature’s censorship of important discussions about race and gender inequalities and its attack on so-called DEI programs are an affront to the constitutional rights of Alabama faculty and students,” Antonio L. Ingram II, Legal Defense Fund senior counsel, said in a statement about the lawsuit. “The harms are particularly salient for Black, LGBTQ+, and other faculty and students of color, whose histories and lived experiences have been dismissed, devalued, and undermined on their campuses.” Click here to read more.

PANAMA CITY, FLORIDA - In a courtroom drama in the Florida Panhandle, CNN is on trial for defamation after a Navy veteran, Zachary Young, accused the network of wrongly portraying him as an "illegal profiteer" during the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021. The trial has caught the public's eye, raising questions about media responsibility and the effects of journalism on people's lives.

Zachary Young, who runs Nemex Enterprises, a security consulting firm, claims that a CNN segment aired on "The Lead with Jake Tapper" in November 2021 wrongly linked him to a "black market" for Afghan evacuations. Young says this damaged his business and personal reputation, denying any exploitation of desperate Afghans.

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The trial has had its share of drama. The judge had to step in several times, even making CNN's lawyer apologize to Young for calling him a liar in court, saying, "This isn't kindergarten."

During the trial, CNN's chief national security correspondent, Alex Marquardt, defended the network, saying the report was truthful and aimed at highlighting the broader issues during the Afghanistan withdrawal. However, some internal CNN communications suggested a less favorable view of Young, hinting at possible bias or inadequate research.

Young's attorneys are arguing that CNN's report was not only misleading but also harmful, claiming Young became "permanently unemployable" after the broadcast. His security clearance was taken away, and his business suffered.

CNN's defense says the story reflected what was happening in Afghanistan, where private contractors were charging high for evacuations. They insist they did not directly accuse Young of wrongdoing.

The jury, coming from an area not usually supportive of big media, has been encouraged by Young's attorney to "send a message" to media outlets about being responsible in their reporting. There's talk about possibly awarding a very large sum if they side with Young.

As the trial continues, it not only scrutinizes CNN's reporting but also brings up larger questions about how media stories affect individuals. The outcome could set new standards for how similar cases are handled, especially concerning media coverage of international crises.

Everyone in the media world is watching, as this trial might change how stories are double-checked and the personal impact of being featured in news reports.