The Federal Trade Commission filed a lawsuit Monday, Feb. 26, to block Kroger’s $25 billion bid to acquire Albertsons, arguing that the merger would eliminate competition, raise prices for consumers and lower wages for workers.  A group of nine attorneys general from different states has joined the FTC’s complaint, indicating broad opposition to the merger.…

The details of a proposed plan to release hostages and pause the fighting in Gaza have been unveiled. And — a historic donation allows students at one medical school to attend tuition-free. These stories and more highlight The Morning Rundown for Tuesday, Feb. 27, 2024. Hamas considers 40-day cease-fire as Biden addresses war pause New…

The Supreme Court heard oral arguments in two cases that could change how social media companies moderate content that users post on their sites and whether they can block some users altogether. The cases from Florida and Texas both look into censorship and First Amendment rights. Florida and Texas passed what they described as anti-censorship laws…

A video circulated on X that showed a picturesque Tokyo from above with snowflakes falling and people bustling along the sidewalk. However, the imagery didn’t come from a photographer, drone or anywhere someone has physically been. The video was completely AI-generated by Sora, a new text-to-video model created by OpenAI. Thursday, Feb. 15, OpenAI announced…

More and more video streaming platforms are playing ads, and at least one person thinks that’s illegal. An Amazon subscriber from California is seeking a class action lawsuit for himself and other customers, accusing the tech giant of false advertising and deceptive practices after ads started to play by default on Prime Video. Plaintiff, Wilbert…

The district attorney leading Georgia’s election interference case against former President Donald Trump takes the stand. And Amazon is sued after a subscriber says the addition of ads to Prime Video is ‘immoral.’ These stories and more highlight The Morning Rundown for Friday, Feb. 16, 2024. Fulton County DA Fani Willis testifies in Trump election…

The use of artificial intelligence (AI) is on the rise, leading to a growing trend in AI companionship. This trend is reminiscent of the 2013 movie “Her,” where a man falls in love with an AI-generated female voice. In 2024, dozens of apps are offering similar products that are all centered on a custom-made companion.…

In the wake of the “Twitter Files” and the “Facebook Files,” another example of the federal government allegedly pressuring companies into modifying their content has emerged. Amazon files released by House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, on X suggest the White House pressured Amazon to restrict certain books and COVID-related items due to misinformation…

The Biden administration pressured Amazon to censor books related to COVID-19 vaccines in early 2021 citing concerns that the material contained “propaganda” and “misinformation,” internal company emails released by Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) appear to show.

A proposed $25 billion merger between the two largest supermarket chains in the U.S. is now facing some opposition. On Monday, Jan. 15, Washington state Attorney General Bob Ferguson sued Kroger and Albertsons, attempting to block the merger. Ferguson argued that the deal would leave shoppers with fewer choices and lead to higher prices. “This…