Florida sheriff shames minors on social media for school shooting threats
An increase in school shooting threats across the country has officials going to new lengths to try to stop the problem. Volusia County, Florida Sheriff Mike Chitwood was so fed up with the threats, he decided to publicly identify the students behind them on social media.
He started by posting the mug shot of an 11-year-old who wrote a list of targets and a photo of the airsoft rifles, pistols, fake ammunition, knives and swords the boy was showing off to other students.
The boy claimed it was all a joke.
Chitwood also vowed to post perp walks of the kids making the threats. He called out parents saying, “You don’t want to raise your kids … Sheriff Chitwood is going to raise them.”
Chitwood’s tactic is getting some mixed reactions in the comments on his social media posts.
One person said, “This is exactly what has to be done for things to change. Great job Sheriff.”
Another person commented, “I feel conflicted about sharing a juvenile’s name and photo as if you (Sheriff) are judge and jury.”
Florida officials have made multiple safety improvements and policy shifts since the school shooting in Parkland six years ago.
In 2019, Republican lawmakers cleared the way for schools in Florida to arm employees, including teachers. Those against arming teachers say it’s time to implement gun safety legislation.
As shooting threats pour across the country, more and more schools are installing metal detectors. The majority of the threats have ended up being hoaxes.
More than half of TikTok users turn to the app as a news source: Poll
A growing number of Americans are turning to TikTok for news consumption, according to a recent Pew Research Center analysis. Since 2020, the platform has experienced the fastest growth among social media sites, with users reporting they scroll for news rather than for entertainment.
In just four years, the percentage of adults who say they regularly get news from TikTok has surged from 3% to 17%. This figure includes Americans who do not have a TikTok account.
Among Americans with a TikTok account, 52% report using the app for news, a jump from 43% last year and 22% in 2020. Over this four-year span, the number of users turning to TikTok for news has more than doubled.
TikTok users are now more likely to get news from the platform than Facebook users are from Facebook, or Instagram users from Instagram. However, they are still less likely than users of X to use the site for news consumption, according to the poll.
For the half of Americans who use TikTok for news, there may soon be a need to find another source. While court challenges are ongoing, TikTok faces a Jan. 19 deadline to sever ties with its Chinese ownership or face a ban in the U.S.
Some elected officials in Congress express concern that TikTok’s connections to China could jeopardize American data and affect the app’s algorithm, potentially influencing users’ politics and views on social issues by controlling the content they see.
Public support for a TikTok ban has decreased over the past 18 months, with some users citing it as an infringement on free speech, while the government continues to label the app a national security threat.
Researchers in Michigan have revealed the top reasons children struggle to make friends. Experts at C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital talked with 1,031 families and found that 19% of parents fear their child has no friends.
According to the poll, 90% of parents said they wanted to help their child make more friends. About 20% of parents said shyness or social awkwardness is the main issue for their child. Another 17% said groups of friends are already established, while 15% said other kids being mean is the main obstacle.
Some parents are attributing the reasons to social media. They say kids are growing up differently than they used to, and don’t have to socialize in person as much as past generations.
Recently the U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy put out a warning about the dangers social media can have on Generation Alpha, which is considered to be the first generation of “digital natives.”
The new study also found nearly two-thirds of parents said it’s important that their child’s friends come from families with similar religious or political views.
Researchers from C.S. Mott warned about that approach saying, “Limiting a child’s friends to only those from similar backgrounds may hamper the child’s ability and comfort in navigating diverse networks and working with a broad group of peers in the future.”
Instagram rolling out ‘teen account’ settings, parental supervision updates
Meta announced on Tuesday, Sept. 17, Instagram will be rolling out “teen account” settings to help users under the age of 18 stay safe while on the social media app. The company will automatically switch accounts for users under 18 to private and place them under the strictest messaging settings. This means only people the teens are connected to on Instagram can slide into their DMs.
There will be limits on who can tag teens in photos or comments. Teens will also be automatically placed into the app’s most restrictive consent setting. It limits the type of sensitive material teens see in their Reels and Explore pages, content like people fighting or posts promoting cosmetic procedures.
Instagram will also alert teens when they have been scrolling for too long. The app will send them a notification to take a break after using it for 60 minutes each day. Other features will see sleep mode activate between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m., which mutes notifications and sends auto-replies to direct messages.
Users under the age of 16 will need a parent’s permission to change these “teen account” settings.
Speaking of parents, Meta is adding updates to its supervision feature including allowing parents to see who their teen messages in a week, set a daily total time limit, block use for specific time periods and see what topics their teen is looking at.
“We developed Teen Accounts with parents and teens in mind,” Meta said in a statement. “The new Teen Account protections are designed to address parents’ biggest concerns, including who their teens are talking to online, the content they’re seeing and whether their time is being well spent.”
All these updates come as Meta and social media continue to be scrutinized over their impact on teens and kids.
“No one should have to go through the things that your families have suffered,” Zuckerberg said at the hearing.
This year, U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy issued an advisory about the effects of social media on youth mental health and wrote an op-ed saying social media needs a surgeon general’s warning label.
In the meantime, the changes to Instagram will roll out to new users starting Tuesday and existing teen users should see their account switch within the next 60 days.
Suspect in Trump apparent assassination attempt went undetected for 12 hours
New details emerge on the suspect in the second apparent assassination attempt on Donald Trump, including how long he went undetected near the former president’s golf club. And Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs has been arrested on federal charges. We have the latest on what’s ahead for the hip hop mogul. These stories and more highlight your Unbiased Updates for Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2024.
Suspect in apparent assassination attempt went undetected for 12 hours
Authorities said the suspect in this past weekend’s apparent assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump went undetected near Trump’s golf club in West Palm Beach, Florida for 12 hours before being noticed by a Secret Service agent. The suspect was caught pointing a rifle through the bushes.
The agent fired at the suspect, 58-year-old Ryan Wesley Routh, who fled the scene only to be taken into custody a short time later. A local sheriff’s office released body camera video showing his arrest.
Routh was charged Monday, Sept. 16, with possession of a firearm as a convicted felon and possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number. He did not enter a plea during an appearance in a federal courtroom.
In a Monday afternoon press conference, Secret Service Acting Director Ron Rowe, Jr. said Routh did not fire any shots at the agent and never had Trump in his line of sight.
Rowe and the FBI agent in charge, Jeffrey Veltri, said so far, there is no evidence showing the suspect knew Trump would be golfing that day. Veltri went into detail about the suspect’s criminal past.
“In 2002, as the United States attorney mentioned, the subject was charged and convicted in North Carolina for possession of a weapon of mass destruction,” Veltri said. “Law enforcement checks also revealed that from 1997 to 2010, the subject had numerous felony charges for stolen goods. I can also share with you that he was the subject of a previously closed 2019 tip to the FBI where it was alleged he was a felon in possession of a firearm.”
Veltri said the FBI passed along that information to authorities in Hawaii, where Routh lived. Rowe told reporters Trump’s plans to play golf on Sunday were “off-the-record” – meaning it was not part of the former president’s official schedule.
As new questions emerge about the Secret Service’s effectiveness following the second assassination attempt in just over two months, Rowe defended his agents, saying they were “rising for this moment.”
“Yesterday afternoon, this country was reminded of the heightened and dynamic threat environment that the United States Secret Service and its protectees face on a daily basis,” Rowe said. “Immediately following the assassination attempt of former President Donald J. Trump on July 13th, the Secret Service moved to increase assets to an already enhanced security posture for the former president.”
Rowe said the “highest levels of protection” were in place for the former president – as directed by President Joe Biden – including “counter-sniper team elements.”
Speaking to reporters on his way to an event in Philadelphia Monday, Biden said the Secret Service “needs more help.” A White House official said President Biden spoke to Trump on the phone Monday, conveying his relief that the former president was safe.
During an appearance on the social media site X Monday night, Trump spoke about hearing the gunshots fired by the Secret Service. He said the agent did a “fantastic job” and joked that he “would have liked to have sank that last putt.”
Routh’s next court appearance is set for Sept. 23 for a pre-detention hearing. His arraignment is scheduled for Sept. 30. Routh remains in custody as authorities continue their investigation.
Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs arrested on federal charges in New York
Hip hop mogul Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs was arrested on federal charges on Monday night. Sources close to the matter tell media outlets Diddy was not expecting the arrest.
Homeland Security took him into custody at the Park Hyatt Hotel on 57th Street in Manhattan.
It’s not yet clear what federal charges he’s facing. The indictment is expected to be unsealed Tuesday, Sept. 17, at his arraignment.
Combs is facing multiple sexual assault lawsuits and has been the subject of a federal human trafficking probe in the last year, which is why Homeland Security is involved. His lawyers said he has been cooperating with investigators.
Former lead engineer felt pressure to get ‘Titan’ ready
Tuesday is day two of the Coast Guard’s hearing into the Titan submersible implosion that killed all five people on board.
Monday, we learned one of the last messages sent from the doomed vessel, indicated there were no concerns. It read “all good here.” That text message was shown during a recreation of the submersible’s trip to the Titanic wreckage at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean in June 2023.
It came not long before the watercraft imploded, leaving all five people on board dead, including Stockton Rush — the co-founder of OceanGate, the company that owned the Titan.
The lead engineer for the vessel testified at Monday’s hearing saying he felt pressured by Rush to get it ready for the trip.
Former OceanGate Engineering Director Tony Nissen testified he stopped the submersible from going to the Titanic in 2019, telling Rush it was “not working like we thought it would.” Nissen was fired that year.
OceanGate’s co-founder, former operations director, and former scientific director are also supposed to testify in the hearing, which is expected to last about two weeks.
Meta bans Russian state media over ‘foreign interference activity’
Facebook and Instagram parent company Meta has banned Russian state media broadcaster RT, along with several other Kremlin-controlled outlets. Meta accuses them of using deceptive tactics to covertly influence operations online.
Before it was banned on Monday, RT had 7.2 followers on Facebook and one million on Instagram.
Meta’s move comes days after the Justice Department announced charges against two RT employees for funneling nearly $10 million into a U.S. company to create and promote content aligning with Russian interests.
Amazon ending remote work starting next year
Almost five years after the COVID-19 pandemic swept and ravaged the nation, as well as the world, and led to many people working from their homes, Amazon is ending remote work. Starting next year, corporate employees will be required to be back in the office five days a week.
This is the latest update to Amazon’s rules regarding remote work. Last year, the company changed its policy to mandate employees come back to the office at least three days a week.
Amazon has supposedly been marred by an inability to get things done with lots of meetings and layers of approval. CEO Andy Jassy called out that culture in a note to workers saying there are “pre-meetings for the pre-meetings for the decision meetings, a longer line of managers feeling like they need to review a topic before it moves forward.”
Jordan Chiles files appeal after being stripped of bronze medal
Chiles’ first individual Olympic medal was rescinded after the Court of Arbitration for Sport ruled that her coach filed an inquiry during the floor exercises, which propelled Chiles to third place. But it was a few seconds too late.
Chiles has now appealed her case to the Federal Supreme Court of Switzerland.
The United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee supports Chiles and said they are determined to see she gets the recognition she deserves.
Cristiano Ronaldo hits 1 billion followers across social media platforms
Cristiano Ronaldo has just hit 1 billion followers across all of his social media platforms. That means the star has become the first person ever to reach that high number.
The figure is a combination of his followers on Instagram, Facebook, X and YouTube, and even Chinese platforms like Weibo and Kuaishou. While the number doesn’t represent a billion individual people, with some followers across multiple platforms and likely some bots mixed in, it’s a major achievement nonetheless.
Ronaldo is known for his fierce rivalry with Lionel Messi, but when it comes to social media, there’s no contest. Messi trails with 623 million followers. Ronaldo also surpasses entertainment giants like Justin Bieber, Taylor Swift and even YouTuber Mr. Beast.
Ronaldo’s social media dominance comes just days after he became the first soccer player to score 900 career goals. The striker took to his social media accounts to share the news with fans, writing, “We’ve made history, 1 billion followers! This is more than just a number, it’s a testament to our shared passion, drive and love for the game and beyond.”
He reflected on his journey, from his humble beginnings in Madeira to becoming one of the most recognized athletes in the world. He also thanked fans for their support.
Social media companies team up to address self-harm content
Meta, Snap, and TikTok have come together to start a new program to stop content featuring suicide or self-harm from spreading across social media platforms. The program, called Thrive, was created along with the Mental Health Coalition, a group of organizations that work to destigmatize those issues.
Through Thrive, Meta, Snap, and TikTok will be able to share what the companies call “signals” with each other about content concerning suicide or self-harm. If the content appears on multiple apps, similar actions and investigations can then be launched.
Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram, said Thrive will serve as a database all social media companies can access.
The company says when content featuring suicide or self-harm is discovered, it will be removed and flagged in the Thrive database so other social media companies can act. Meta also made it clear the program will target content not users.
Social media has increasingly been linked to a spike in depression and suicidal behavior in kids and teens, and companies like Meta, Snap, and TikTok have been widely criticized for not doing more to moderate content on their platforms. All three companies have been sued by parents and communities who say the social media platforms led to suicide deaths.
AGs urge Congress to mandate warning labels on social media platforms
A coalition of 42 state and territory attorneys general called on Congress to require warning labels on social media platforms. The attorneys general argued that requiring these warning labels would be “one consequential step toward mitigating the risk of harm to youth.”
The initiative builds on U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy’s June proposal to ask Congress to authorize tobacco-style warning labels on social media platforms, stating that social media is associated with significant mental health harms for adolescents.
“By mandating a Surgeon General’s warning on algorithm-driven social media platforms, Congress can help abate this growing crisis and protect future generations of Americans,” the group wrote in a letter.
A 2019 American Medical Association study showed that teens spending more than three hours daily on social media face double the risk of developing anxiety and depression symptoms compared to non-users.
Teens spend an average of nearly five hours daily on social media apps, according to a Gallup poll.
Doctors said the mental health crisis among young people has reached emergency levels, with social media emerging as a significant contributor to psychological harm.
Forty-five states and Washington, D.C., filed lawsuits against Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, while many are also pursuing TikTok for alleged violations of consumer protection laws.
Australia PM announces plan to restrict access to social media for kids
Australia is set to become one of the first countries to put age restrictions on social media. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced an age verification trial on Tuesday, Sept. 10, before introducing age restrictions later this year. He said the minimum age requirement would likely be between 14 and 16 years old.
However, digital rights advocates warn that restrictions could push children to unsafe underground online activities. Australia’s internet regulator, the e-safety commissioner, previously warned that “restrictions-based approaches may limit young people’s access to critical support” and lead them to “less regulated non-mainstream services.”
Meta, the owner of Facebook and Instagram, already has a self-imposed minimum age of 13, and said it wants young people to benefit from its platforms while giving parents the tools to support them “instead of just cutting off access.”
Proponents argue a minimum age requirement encourages kids to stay active while minimizing potential negative impacts of social media on young people’s mental health.
The age restriction plan comes amid an Australian Parliamentary probe into the effects of social media on society, which shed light on the mental health crisis among teenagers harmed by online activity.
Australia isn’t the only country cracking down on social media and digital device use among kids. States across the U.S. have introduced cellphone bans in schools, and the U.S. Department of Education is poised to release new guidelines on cell phone use in schools come October.
New Mexico sues Snapchat over alleged child exploitation and abuse
New Mexico filed a lawsuit against Snapchat, accusing the platform of facilitating child sexual exploitation and the distribution of child sex abuse material. Attorney General Raúl Torrez filed the lawsuit against Snap Inc. in state court after an undercover investigation alleged that Snapchat’s design and policies enable exploitation.
“Snapchat is a breeding ground for predators to collect sexually explicit images of children and to find, groom, and extort them,” the lawsuit states.
The lawsuit claims Snapchat’s algorithms facilitate child trafficking, drug sales, and firearms distribution, in addition to sexual abuse.
According to the complaint, Snapchat leads all social media platforms in reported online sexual interactions involving minors and recruitment of sex trafficking victims.
The investigation found more than 10,000 records related to child sexual abuse material in just one year, including information about assaults on minors under 13.
Investigators also discovered Snapchat accounts openly circulating and selling child abuse images directly on the platform.
The case brings attention to the pervasive issue of sexual extortion, or “sextortion,” where victims are coerced into sharing explicit photos and then blackmailed.
The legal action follows a similar lawsuit filed by Torrez against Meta last December, indicating an intensifying focus on holding social media platforms accountable for user safety.