JUSTICE DEPT. TO PRIORITIZE VIOLENCE ON FLIGHTS
WASHINGTON» Attorney General Merrick Garland directed U.S. attorneys across the country to swiftly prioritize prosecution of federal crimes that happen on commercial flights as federal officials face a historic number of investigations into passenger behavior.
Garland’s memo, issued Wednesday, emphasizes that the Justice Department is committed to aggressively prosecuting violent passengers who assault crew members or endanger the safety of other passengers. Federal law prohibits interfering with a flight crew, including assaulting, intimidating or threatening crew members.
In a statement, Garland said such passengers do more than harm employees. “They prevent the performance of critical duties that help ensure safe air travel. Similarly, when passengers commit violent acts against other passengers in the close confines of a commercial aircraft, the conduct endangers everyone aboard,” he said.
Instagram chief agrees to testify as Congress probes app’s effects on young people.
Adam Mosseri, the leader of Instagram, has agreed for the first time to testify before Congress, as bipartisan anger mounts over harms to young people from the app.
Mosseri is expected to appear before a Senate panel during the week of Dec. 6 as part of a series of hearings on protecting children online, said Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-conn., who will lead the hearing.
Mosseri’s appearance follows hearings this year with Antigone Davis, global head of safety for Meta, the parent company of Instagram and Facebook, and with Frances Haugen, a former Facebook employee turned whistleblower.
Haugen’s revelations about the social networking company, particularly those about Facebook and Instagram’s research into its effects on some teenagers and young girls, have spurred criticism, inquiries from politicians and investigations by regulators.
In September, Davis told Congress the company disputed the premise that Instagram was harmful for teenagers and noted that the leaked research did not have causal data. But after Haugen’s testimony last month, Blumenthal wrote a letter to Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg suggesting that his company had “provided false or inaccurate testimony to me regarding attempts to internally conceal its research.”
Biden picks women of color to lead White House budget office.
NANTUCKET, MASS.» Two women of color are President Joe Biden’s picks to lead the White House budget office, a milestone for the powerful agency after his first choice withdrew following criticism over her previous attacks on lawmakers from both parties.
If confirmed by the Senate, Shalanda Young would become the first Black woman in charge of the Office of Management and Budget, while Nani Coloretti, a Filipino-american, would serve as Young’s deputy.
New Zealand to start reopening borders to world in January.
WELLINGTON, NEW ZEALAND» New Zealand will reopen its borders to the world over the coming months, the government announced Wednesday, allowing for the return of displaced residents from January and tourists from April.
The South Pacific nation imposed harsh border restrictions when the pandemic began, effectively banning tourists and requiring returning residents to spend two weeks in a quarantine hotel run by the military.