Pledges

HCA Healthcare Reaches Settlement in Antitrust Case, Pledges Community Support for Asheville’s Mission Health

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ASHEVILLE, N.C. — HCA Healthcare has reached a settlement in an antitrust lawsuit that has affected the Mission Health system for the past three years. This lawsuit was initiated by four local governments in Western North Carolina, who argued that HCA’s practices led to increased healthcare costs and reduced quality in the region. The governments involved in the lawsuit—Brevard, Asheville, Buncombe County, and Madison County—raised concerns about HCA’s monopolistic behavior following its acquisition of Mission Health in 2019, which included the only hospital in Asheville and several rural facilities. The plaintiffs alleged that this consolidation … Read more

UCLA Settles $6.45 Million Lawsuit, Pledges Commitment to Protect Jewish Students on Campus

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Los Angeles — The University of California, Los Angeles, has reached a $6.45 million settlement in a lawsuit filed by Jewish students, pending judicial approval. This decision follows allegations that the university disregarded the civil rights of Jewish students by allowing pro-Palestinian activists to restrict their access to certain areas of the campus. The lawsuit was initiated in June 2024 by three Jewish students and a professor from the medical school, who claimed that UCLA failed to protect students from harassment. Tensions escalated in the spring of 2024, during a series of protests, when violent … Read more

TikTok Reopens in U.S. after Trump Pledges Executive Order, Promising First Amendment Protections

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WASHINGTON — TikTok has started to restore its services in the U.S. after a brief, voluntarily initiated shutdown. The popular video-sharing app faced a potential ban due to national security concerns linked to its Chinese parent company, ByteDance. This administrative halt came just before a Supreme Court endorsement of the legislation designed to curtail its operations. By late Sunday, TikTok was back online, attributing the recovery to a promise from President-elect Donald Trump, who has foreseen issuing an executive order aimed at keeping the platform operational in the U.S. The reopening provides relief to over … Read more

UK Science Secretary Calls Online Safety Legislation ‘Uneven,’ Pledges Reform Amid Rising Concerns Over Harmful Content

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LONDON — Criticism is mounting against the UK’s approach to online safety, with officials and activists pushing for more effective legislation. Science Secretary Peter Kyle expressed dissatisfaction with the current state of laws intended to protect users, particularly vulnerable populations and children, from harmful online content. Kyle highlighted his personal commitment to enhance online safety following a poignant reminder from Ian Russell, whose daughter tragically took her own life after engaging with harmful social media content. Russell, who now chairs the Molly Rose Foundation (MRF), addressed his concerns directly to Prime Minister Keir Starmer, indicating … Read more