Government

Courthouse News reports: The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) filed a lawsuit on Monday against Uber, accusing the ride-share giant of enrolling users in its Uber One subscription service without consent, failing to honor promised savings and creating a labyrinthine cancellation process in violation of federal consumer protection laws. In the complaint, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern …

The Associated Press reports: Walgreens has agreed to pay up to $350 million in a settlement with the U.S. Department of Justice, who accused the pharmacy of illegally filling millions of prescriptions in the last decade for opioids and other controlled substances. The nationwide drugstore chain must pay the government at least $300 million and will owe another $50 million …

Axios reports: If you have travel plans for May or beyond, check your ID to see if it meets federal requirements. Starting May 7, a Real ID compliant license or identification card — or another acceptable document — is needed to board a commercial aircraft in the U.S. The guidelines also apply when visiting military bases and secure federal buildings …

Wired reports: Elon Musk’s minions—from trusted sidekicks to random college students and former Musk company interns—have taken over the General Services Administration, a critical government agency that manages federal offices and technology. Already, the team is attempting to use White House security credentials to gain unusual access to GSA tech, deploying a suite of new AI software, and recreating the …

The Washington Post reports: The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives will take the lead in determining the origin and cause of the Pacific Palisades fire, the agency said Saturday. “Certified fire investigators have been on scene and will continue to work in conjunction with state and local investigators to determine the cause of this tragic event,” ATF said …

Ars Technica reports: The US Justice Department today announced it filed an antitrust lawsuit against “six of the nation’s largest landlords for participating in algorithmic pricing schemes that harmed renters.” The US previously sued RealPage, a software maker accused of helping landlords collectively set prices by giving them access to competitors’ nonpublic pricing and occupancy information. The original version of …

CBS News reports: In the four years since the Capitol attack on Jan. 6, 2021, federal investigators have amassed troves of evidence leading to the arrests of more than 1,500 defendants. Still, one key aspect of an event tied to that day remains a mystery: the identity of the person who planted two pipe bombs on Capitol Hill the night …

Reuters reports: Chinese state-sponsored hackers broke into the U.S. Treasury Department earlier this month and stole documents from its workstations, according to a letter to lawmakers, that was provided to Reuters on Monday. The hackers compromised a third-party cybersecurity service provider and were able to access unclassified documents, the letter said, calling it a “major incident.” According to the letter, …

Axios reports: Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen warned Congress on Friday that “extraordinary measures” will be necessary as early as Jan. 14 unless Congress acts to raise or otherwise suspend the debt ceiling. President-elect Trump has voiced support to abolish the debt limit despite some of his supporters historically opposing action to raise the debt ceiling during Democratic administrations. The debt …

Axios reports: Grubhub will pay a $25 million settlement after an investigation by the Federal Trade Commission alleged deceptive and unlawful business practices. The settlement will require the company to make major changes and is a part of the FTC’s ongoing targeting of junk fees. The complaint alleges that Grubhub deceived users about delivery costs, deceived workers about how much …

CBS News reports: Ever booked a hotel room for $200 only to be surprised by an extra $40 “resort fee” at checkout? A new Federal Trade Commission rule aims to put a stop to such surprise charges by banning so-called junk fees on short-term lodging as well as on tickets to live events. The rule bans businesses from using such …

The Associated Press reports: In a rare joint statement, the archivist and deputy archivist of the United States said Tuesday that the 1970s-era Equal Rights Amendment cannot be certified without further action by Congress or the courts, as Democrats press President Joe Biden to act unilaterally on its ratification before he leaves office next month. The five-decade push to amend …

The Washington Post reports: Elon Musk revealed on Thursday that he had received an offer to settle a federal investigation into potential securities fraud stemming from his 2022 purchase of Twitter, now known as X, which his lawyer appeared to dismiss on grounds that the probe was politically motivated. The private talks burst into public view after Musk — now …

Travel Pulse reports: The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) announced that Sunday, December 1 was the busiest air travel day in the administration’s history, with 3.087 million air travelers screened through security checkpoints nationwide following the busy Thanksgiving holiday season. The record-breaking total is significantly higher than the same total on December 1 last year, which was 2.32 million travelers. The …

The New York Times reports: A C.I.A. official has been charged with disclosing classified documents that appeared to show Israel’s plans to retaliate against Iran for a missile attack earlier this year, according to court documents and people familiar with the matter. The official, Asif W. Rahman, was indicted last week in federal court in Virginia with two counts of …

From the Justice Department: The Justice Department announced today that it plans to monitor compliance with federal voting rights laws in 86 jurisdictions in 27 states for the Nov. 5 general election. The Justice Department enforces federal voting rights laws that protect the rights of all eligible citizens to access the ballot. The department regularly deploys its staff to monitor …

USA Today reports: The Department of Transportation’s new refund rule for air travelers is now fully in effect. If your flight is canceled or delayed by more than three hours for a domestic itinerary, or six hours for an international itinerary, you’re automatically entitled to a refund. “Passengers deserve to get their money back when an airline owes them – …

Reuters reports: An industry group representing cable and internet providers sued along with two others on Wednesday to block a U.S. Federal Trade Commission rule that requires companies to offer simple cancellation mechanisms for subscriptions. NCTA – The Internet & Television Association and groups representing the home security and online advertising industries said in papers filed with the 5th U.S. …

The Associated Press reports: The U.S. government’s road safety agency is investigating Tesla’s “Full Self-Driving” system after getting reports of crashes in low-visibility conditions, including one that killed a pedestrian. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says in documents that it opened the probe on Thursday after the company reported four crashes when Teslas encountered sun glare, fog and airborne …

Bloomberg News reports: The US Justice Department sued Visa Inc. Tuesday, alleging the global payments giant illegally monopolized the debit card market, in the Biden administration’s first major antitrust case in the financial services industry. Antitrust enforcers alleged in a complaint filed in Manhattan federal court that Visa, which handles more than 60% of US debit transactions, entered into a …