The U.S. Supreme Court unanimously upheld the law that has commonly been referred to as the TikTok ban. The law requires the short-form video app’s parent company, ByteDance, to sell it by Sunday, Jan. 19, or be shut down in the United States. The unsigned opinion said there’s no doubt that TikTok provides its 170…

American Express has agreed to pay $230 million in penalties after settling with the Justice Department and others. The credit card company is paying the fine after allegations that it engaged in deceptive marketing, and touted tax breaks to customers that did not exist, between 2014 and 2021. Federal investigators accused American Express of entering…

New York City Mayor Eric Adams is expected to meet with Donald Trump on Friday, Jan. 17. Now, there’s speculation the president-elect could pardon him on federal corruption charges.  Adams’ public schedule said he’s in Palm Beach, Florida, where Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate is located. His spokesperson, Fabien Levy, said the two will discuss “New Yorkers’…

President Joe Biden commuted the sentences of nearly 2,500 individuals convicted of nonviolent drug offenses, setting a new record for individual clemency actions by a U.S. president. The announcement came just three days before the end of his term, underscoring his focus on addressing disparities in the criminal justice system. The clemency actions targeted sentencing…

FireAid, the Live Nation concert benefiting the victims of the California wildfires, will take place on Jan. 30 and the lineup has now been released. Billie Eilish; Earth, Wind & Fire; Green Day; Jelly Roll; Joni Mitchell; Lady Gaga and Stevie Sicks are among the entertainers committed to performing. Also, Dave Matthews and John Mayer will join…

A new threat looms in fire-ravaged Southern California: landslides. Authorities said leveled structures no longer hold the earth in place in some parts of the hillside and water from fire hoses and broken pipes has saturated the ground, creating a dangerous situation.  Los Angeles officials urged wildfire evacuees not to return home yet. They’re urging evacuees…

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the Israeli government would vote on the ceasefire deal with Hamas that calls for a pause in fighting and the release of hostages. And the clock ticks toward TikTok possibly going dark this weekend. These stories and more highlight your Unbiased Updates for Friday, Jan. 17, 2025. Ceasefire deal…

A Pulitzer Prize-winning cartoonist has been arrested in California for allegedly possessing child pornography. Detectives say some of the images were created using artificial intelligence. The Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office executed a search warrant at the home of 49-year-old Darrin Bell on Wednesday, Jan. 15, after authorities received a tip from the National Center for…

Imagine a world where humans can understand animals. That world is closer than you might think, thanks to research in Montreal. Researchers at McGill University are using artificial intelligence to decode animal vocalizations. According to the Associated Press, the project aims to unlock the secrets of animal communication by studying the chirps of zebra finches…

The continuing threat of wildfires in Los Angeles forced PGA Tour officials to move one of their signature events to an alternate site. Officials will choose a new venue for the Genesis Invitational, usually played at Riviera Country Club from Feb. 13 to 16. The wildfires have been burning in and around Los Angeles for…