Author: admin

(Bloomberg / Kurt Wagner) — Instagram co-founder Kevin Systrom testified that his fledgling photo-sharing app could have succeeded without being acquired by Meta Platforms Inc., and that eventually Chief Executive Officer Mark Zuckerberg treated Instagram’s growth as a “threat” and starved it of resources. The claims could bolster the US government’s monopoly case against the social networking giant as it argues to unwind the 2012 acquisition. In testimony Tuesday during Meta’s antitrust trial in Washington, Systrom recounted how quickly Instagram was growing before Zuckerberg’s offer. “The users, they just kept coming,” Systrom recalled from the stand under questioning by US…

By MEG KINNARD U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis is the latest judge at odds with the Trump administration. In a scathing rebuke, she characterized the government as acting in “bad faith” by refusing to provide information about what it has done to try to free Kilmar Abrego Garcia from a prison in El Salvador, where he was wrongly deported, and return him to the United States. On the federal bench for nearly a decade, Xinis has experienced partisan pushback since her nomination by Democratic President Barack Obama. She also was accused of being too tough on law enforcement during earlier…

As head coach Sean McVay was previewing his plans for the Rams’ offense in 2025 to quarterback Matthew Stafford, he talked about his desire to have a more versatile attack in this coming season. One that could sustain injuries and continue to hum. But the deep dive into exactly what McVay has envisioned would have to wait. “You have to see what that’s going to look like based on what happens this weekend,” Stafford said Monday. This weekend will be the NFL draft, starting Thursday and running through Saturday. The Rams hold the No. 26 pick in Thursday’s first round,…

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent speaks, Wednesday, April 23, 2025, during the Institute of International Finance Global Outlook Forum at the Willard Hotel in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin) Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent speaks, Wednesday, April 23, 2025, with a group of journalists after speaking at the Institute of International Finance Global Outlook Forum at the Willard Hotel in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin) Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent speaks, Wednesday, April 23, 2025, to the Institute of International Finance Global Outlook Forum at the Willard Hotel in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin) Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent speaks, Wednesday, April 23, 2025, to the Institute…

By MARK VANCLEAVE and HANNAH FINGERHUT NORTHWOOD, Iowa (AP) — Iowans attending a forum Wednesday hosted by Sen. Chuck Grassley started to turn on each other as the lawmaker faced heated questions about President Donald Trump ‘s first months in office. The room of about 100 people in north-central Worth County, near the Minnesota border, was largely critical of the administration and peppered Grassley with questions about mass deportations, including Kilmar Abrego Garcia’s, Elon Musk and cuts to the federal workforce and tariffs. But when one woman used her turn to apologize to Grassley for “all the grief you’ve gotten…

With the NFL draft beginning Thursday, here’s a look at where UCLA prospects can expect to be selected over the weekend. Carson Schwesinger Position: Linebacker Year: Redshirt junior Projections: Schwesinger has gone from walk-on to All-American and there is still upside to him. He bypassed his final year of college football eligibility to declare for the draft and met with all 32 NFL teams before holding his own private pro day with 30 teams present. Athleticism and quickness have gotten Schwesinger attention, but it’s his instincts and football IQ that have scouts projecting him as a possible second-round pick and…

By DAMIAN J. TROISE, AP Business Writer NEW YORK (AP) — Uncertainty over tariffs and an unpredictable trade war is weighing heavily on companies as they report their latest financial results and try to give investors financial forecasts. Some tariffs remain in place against key U.S. trading partners, but others have been postponed to give nations time to negotiate. The tariff and trade picture has been shifting for months, sometimes changing drastically on a daily basis. Those shifts make it difficult for companies and investors to make a reliable assessment of any impact to costs and sales. On Tuesday, Treasury Secretary…

By CHRISTINA A. CASSIDY ATLANTA (AP) — Florida’s “hanging chads” ballot controversy riveted the nation during the 2000 presidential contest and later prompted Congress to create an independent commission to help states update their voting equipment. The U.S. Election Assistance Commission has operated in relative anonymity since, but is now central to President Donald Trump’sexecutive order seeking to overhaul elections. One of the commission’s boards will meet Thursday in North Carolina, the first commission-related meeting since the directives were announced. Among other things, Trump directed the agency to update the national voter registration form to add a proof of citizenship…

Antonio Gates is headed to Canton, Ohio, this summer for his enshrinement in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and the Chargers will be traveling right along with him when they play in the annual Hall of Fame exhibition game against the Detroit Lions, the Hall announced on Wednesday. Enshrinement week is set for July 31 to Aug. 3. The Chargers’ preseason game against the Lions is scheduled for July 31 at 5 p.m. (PDT). Fans can buy tickets starting Monday at 7 a.m. (PDT) at https://www.profootballhof.com/tickets/. Gates, a tight end, holds franchise career records for receptions with 955, receiving…

It is becoming increasingly difficult in an ever-fractured society to find uncontested facts with which to make judgments on the critical issues of the day.  It is hard to maintain a functioning democracy without civil discourse. Working against such civil discourse are social media platforms and unrepentant politicians who have no compunction about openly lying if they think it will help keep them in office.  In addition, the so-called legacy media—print, broadcast and even cable—are rapidly losing audiences and influence. In their place, social media, in all its manifestations, has become the primary source of information shaping politics and governing. …