14 Burst results for "Attorney General William Tong"
WBBM Newsradio
"attorney general william tong" Discussed on WBBM Newsradio
"6th committee is considering next steps after former president Donald Trump failed to appear for testimony under subpoena, more from CBS as Scott mcfarlane. The deadline for him to sit with them for an interview, according to their subpoena, was November 14th. Didn't happen. The request for documents was deadline earlier this month for November 4th. Didn't happen in a statement, those issued Monday night, the January 6th committee says, the former president is doing what thousands of other witnesses did not do. Failing to come forward and that he's making a legal challenge, which echoes legal arguments, courts have thrown out in the past. The former president is expected to announce a 2024 run tonight. CBS News projects Democrat Katie Hobbs will defeat Republican Kerry Lake and become Arizona's next governor, more from CBS Christina rafini. Trump back Carrie Lake the Republican has been critical of the voting system in Arizona accusing officials in Maricopa County of incompetence, but those accusations were not backed up by evidence. Indonesian president joko widodo today called on the G 20 leaders meeting in his country to work on ending the war apparently a reference to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Another World War. President Biden is at the G 20 summit, Russian president Vladimir Putin is not. Understatement today from treasury secretary Janet Yellen in an interview with CBS News chief White House correspondent Nancy cordes at the G 20 summit in Bali. In some ways, the crypto space has inadequate regulation. Last week, the FTX currency exchange shocked investors by declaring bankruptcy. Google has agreed to pay almost $392 million in a settlement with 40 states over allegations that the company tracked people through their devices even if they are location tracking had been turned off. Connecticut attorney general William Tong. It is not an exaggeration to say that we live in a surveillance economy, understand that you're being tracked every minute of every day where you are. The U.S. Department of Transportation is finding 6 airlines, a total of more than $7 million for not promptly giving refunds to customers who'd had flights canceled or significantly changed. The airlines also have to give $622 million in refunds. Air travel expert Bill McGee. There were tens of thousands of flights that were scheduled and were put in reservation systems. And worst of all, the airlines collected money on, which is a form of deception, when they had reasonable doubt that they were going to be able to operate those flights. Frontier airlines is the only domestic carrier that's part of the settlement. The United Nations projects the world's population will hit 8 billion people today. Now future is up strongly NASDAQ futures up more than 1%. This is CBS News. Dell Technologies Black Friday starts now with up to 50% off select business PCs powered by 12th Chan Intel core processors call 8 7 7 ask Dell. Chicago's news traffic and weather station news radio one O 5 9 and W VM news radio dot com. It's 6 O three, you are waking up to a very wet and chilly Tuesday morning. It's so good to have you starting your day with us. I'm Cisco cotto. And I'm my Martinez, it's the first snow of the season. We know it will not be the last, a winter weather advisory in effect for Chicago. The Chicago area until 6 a.m. tomorrow, let's get the story now from AccuWeather meteorologist dean devore. Good morning, everybody. The snow is in and it's causing some problems wet and slick roads out there as we go through the day those temperatures will get up in the mid upper 30s. A little rain could mix in near the city, south of the city, northwest Indiana, but then we're back to some steadier snow tonight. General accumulations and inch or two near the lakefront, as high as four inches as you go farther inland and we have more hefty snow showers additional accumulations possible tomorrow with a windy day temperatures in the 30s real feels in the 20s, winners in. We'll talk about it with more detail in about ten minutes. Some AccuWeather meteorologist team divorced. Some snow and slushy accumulations on the roads serves as a reminder for safe driving. We get that story from wbms Dave burner. Well, look what showed up today, an odd bright white substance blanketing most of the Chicago area of substance not seen in these parts for some time. Scientists tell us it's called snow, and it's relatively harmless, but there are some issues when you drive a two ton motor vehicle on surfaces that may be covered in this seasonal precipitation. Experts remind us to take it slow, leave plenty of space between you and the car in front of you. It's time to check your windshield wipers and your wiper fluid and put that snow scraper in the trunk and overall
WTOP
"attorney general william tong" Discussed on WTOP
"Failing to come forward and that he's making a legal challenge, which echoes legal arguments, courts have thrown out in the past. The former president is expected to announce a 2024 run tonight. CBS News projects Democrat Katie Hobbs will defeat Republican Kerry Lake and become Arizona's next governor, more from CBS Christina rafini. Trump back Carrie Lake, the Republican, has been critical of the voting system in Arizona, accusing officials in Maricopa County of incompetence, but those accusations were not backed up by evidence. Indonesian president joko widodo today called on the G 20 leaders meeting in his country to work on ending the war apparently a reference to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Another World War. President Biden is at the G 20 summit, Russian president Vladimir Putin is not. Understatement today from treasury secretary Janet Yellen in an interview with CBS News chief White House correspondent Nancy cordes at the G 20 summit in Bali. In some ways, the crypto space has inadequate regulation. Last week, the FTX currency exchange shocked investors by declaring bankruptcy. Google has agreed to pay almost $392 million in a settlement with 40 states over allegations that the company tracked people through their devices even if their location tracking had been turned off. Connecticut attorney general William Tong. It is not an exaggeration to say that we live in a surveillance economy, understand that you're being tracked every minute of every day where you are. The U.S. Department of Transportation is finding 6 airlines, a total of more than $7 million for not promptly giving refunds to customers who had flights canceled or significantly changed. The airlines also have to give $622 million in refunds. Air travel expert Bill McGee. There were tens of thousands of flights that were scheduled and were put in reservation systems. And worst of all, the airlines collected money on, which is a form of deception, when they had reasonable doubt that they were going to be able to operate those flights. Frontier airlines is the only domestic carrier that's part of the settlement. The United Nations projects the world's population will hit 8 billion people today. Now future is up strongly NASDAQ futures up more than 1%. This is CBS News. This hour's newscast is presented by rocket mortgage. Need to know what it takes for a home loan to fit your budget and your family, rocket
WTOP
"attorney general william tong" Discussed on WTOP
"FM, WTO P dot com, of course, on the WTO. Officials say this Tuesday morning that the 6 men who were killed in a midair collision at a Dallas air show recently were experienced aviators with years of fighter flight training, that is. CBS correspondent Omar villafranca this morning has the latest on this terrible tragedy for us from Dallas. Spectators watched in horror as two vintage planes collided midair in the skies above Dallas before crashing to the ground in a ball of flames. We had air collusion down on the airport. Rescue crews rushed to the crash site, but found no survivors. Now, investigators with the national transportation safety board are combing through the wreckage, as well as videos of the incident, trying to figure out what went wrong. Preliminary report from the national transportation safety board or NTSB is expected to be released we're told in the next four to 6 weeks. Google is paying up big time over allegations that it tracked people through their devices. It's the largest multi state settlement in U.S. history dealing with privacy. Google will pay 40 states $392 million over an investigation into how attract users locations, even if location tracking was turned off. Connecticut attorney general William Tong says Americans are being tracked every minute of every day. Precise location information in the wrong hands is very dangerous, knowing where people are, where they can be found in the hands of bad actors can put people at risk. Location tracking can help tech companies
WTOP
"attorney general william tong" Discussed on WTOP
"Of three students last night, a UVA undergrad is in custody, accused of shooting and killing three cavalier football players late last night, and injuring two others at a campus parking garage, actually inside a bus inside that garage. We learned of the arrest during a dramatic moment in a news briefing that aired earlier today on our team coverage begins with WTO's Luke luker to in Charlottesville. We just received information the suspect is in custody. UVA police chief Tim Longo received ward that Christopher Darnell Jones was arrested in the middle of a press conference. They had been looking for him for over 12 hours. Most of that time university students sheltered in place at around ten 30 last night shots were fired on a bus that had just returned to the grounds from a play in D.C. to people were wounded in three killed. They were Devin Chandler, lavelle Davis, and Desean Perry. University president Jim Ryan has classes in the men's basketball game have been canceled. This is an extraordinarily difficult day for our community. And we need to comfort and support each other and those closest to the victims. In Charlottesville, Luke Luke or WTO penus. The White House says the first couple is in mourning with the University of Virginia community. WTO's Dave Preston details the lives of the three players who had dreams of starring in the blue and orange. Junior was a third year student from Georgia's South Carolina enrolled in the college of arts and sciences, the 6 foot 7 wide receiver started 6 of the team's first 7 games this fall before missing the last two due to injury, deshaun Perry was a third year student from Miami, Florida, majoring in studio art, Perry returned an interception 90 yards for a touchdown against Abilene Christian two years ago, the return was replayed nonstop on ESPN's SportsCenter. Devin Chandler was a third year student enrolled in the college of arts and sciences, the wide receiver from Huntersville, North Carolina, transferred to the ACC school from the university of Wisconsin last off season. Dave Preston WTO news. Meantime, a deadly tragedy in another college town for university of Idaho students are found dead near campus. Officials say the four students were found Sunday afternoon in an off campus home near the school when police responded to reports of an unconscious person. They're labeling the death as suspected homicides. The department is giving little information and says the investigation is ongoing. The university of Idaho says it canceled classes today out of respect for the students after the bodies were found. The school had advised students to shelter in place until investigators determined there was no active threat to others. I'm Julie Walker. President Biden's student debt forgiveness plan remains on hold after an appeals court ruling, the 8th U.S. circuit Court of Appeals in St. Louis agreed to halt the plan while it's being appealed, Missouri, Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas, Arkansas, and South Carolina are all trying to block the plan, those states argue that forgiveness plan will cause serious harm to their economies and their state's higher education funding. This latest ruling comes days after a federal judge in Texas blocked the program saying it usurped the power of Congress to make laws. It is likely that the Biden administration will appeal this latest ruling as it did with the Texas ruling. For ten years straight enrollment in D.C. schools increased until the pandemic reversed the trend, and now enrollment is rising again. D.C.'s office of the state superintendent of education has been crunching the numbers. And our early look at this data is very encouraging for our public school system. That's because D.C. mayor muriel Bowser says it appears that for the 2022 2023 school year just over 50,000 students are enrolled in schools. That's only about 800 student shivers record high scene for the 2019 2020 school year. We are particularly proud that families are choosing to send their kids to our public schools. Grade levels that some of the biggest growth, pre-K 9th and tenth grade. Mike Morello, WTO P news. Google is paying up big time over accusations that it tracked people through their devices. CBS News reporter Matt piper tells us it's the largest multi state settlement regarding privacy in U.S. history. Google will pay 40 states $392 million over an investigation into how attract users locations, even if location tracking was turned off. Connecticut attorney general William Tong says Americans are being tracked every minute of every day. Precise location information in the wrong hands is very dangerous. Knowing where people are, where they can be found in the hands of bad actors can put people at risk. Location tracking can help tech companies sell digital ads to marketers. For its part, Google says it fixed the problem years
AP News Radio
40 states settle Google location-tracking charges for $392M
"Even though Google's reached a nearly $400 million settlement with 40 states over location tracking legal experts are still warning users to check their devices Legal experts are calling this the largest multi state settlement in U.S. history surrounding privacy issues Google agreeing to pay out some $391 million After an AP investigation confirmed by Princeton researchers found that Google's services continue to store users data location Even when they opted out Connecticut's attorney general William Tong says consumers need to go even deeper He says do a personal inventory of your online settings and shut off those you don't want While understanding that you're being tracked every minute of every day Location tracking can help tech companies sell digital ads to marketers looking to connect with customers in their area I'm Jackie Quinn
WNYC 93.9 FM
"attorney general william tong" Discussed on WNYC 93.9 FM
"Hundreds of thousands of Ukrainian citizens, including children, they're being interrogated. They're being detained. They're being forcibly deported. Some are being sent to the furthest, most parts of eastern Russia near the North Korean border. And they're being sent because this is an effort by the Russians to suppress resistance. And we have to call them out on this. We're demanding that they allow the UN and other humanitarian and human rights organizations to have access to these centers so that they can verify the well-being of the individuals who are being held there. Secretary of State Antony Blinken says the U.S. is dedicated to holding perpetrators of war crimes and other atrocities accountable is what you're describing a war crime and how do you hold Russia accountable for it Look, I have been very, very clear from the beginning of this that we will continue to collect evidence that will hold the Russians accountable in the international courts of justice and that will be that will be part of the actions that we will be calling for over the course of the coming days and months. U.S. ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas Greenfield, thank you for your time and perspective this morning. Thank you very much. E cigarette maker Juul has agreed to pay out $440 million. This after an investigation found that the company illegally targeted children with an advertising campaign launched about 7 years ago. Here's NPR's consumer health correspondent, you can Noguchi. Juul is now paying for the popularity it garnered through its advertising on social media like TikTok and Twitter. Connecticut attorney general William Tong made that clear in announcing the settlement. They used young and trendy looking models, everything was sleek and technology focused, and it was clear they made a product that could be easily concealed when used by kids. The $440 million settlement dual agreed to pay will fund anti smoking programs. Meredith berkman cofounded parents against vaping E cigarettes, she thinks the move is a signal to the many other companies that follow jewel into the market. I think it sends a significant message to the industry that predatory behavior, the targeting of teens is unacceptable, and there will be consequences. But berkman says the money will not undo the kinds of health effects like addiction and lung damage that have stemmed from the sharp increase in vaping among young people. The healthcare costs for Jules actions and what has happened since will be enormous. I mean, it will unfold for decades to come. Berkman says she hopes Joel be forced to pull its products from shelves. The Food and Drug Administration tried to do so earlier this year before Juul petitioned a court to delay its decision. The FDA is now reviewing the company's safety data again to decide whether they can stay on the market. You can Noguchi and PR news. This is NPR news
AP News Radio
Juul to pay nearly $440M to settle states' teen vaping probe
"Electronic cigarette maker Juul labs has agreed to pay nearly $440 million to settle a two year probe 33 states and Puerto Rico have extracted a $438.5 million agreement from Juul labs after an investigation into its marketing which have been blamed for a surge in underage vaping Connecticut attorney general William Tong made the announcement We think that this will go a long way in stemming the flow of vaping The settlement to be paid out over 6 to ten years amounts to about 25% of the company's U.S. sales last year Juul has agreed to refrain from a host of marketing practices Billboards are gone That's a big deal for us Public transportation advertising Social media advertising And then use some paid influencers They can't do that anymore Federal health regulators are still scrutinizing jewel after a court stayed an attempt by the FDA to ban their E cigarettes from the market I'm Jennifer King
WABE 90.1 FM
"attorney general william tong" Discussed on WABE 90.1 FM
"You're listening to all things considered from NPR news. Juul wants the biggest vaping brand in the U.S. reached a big settlement today. The E cigarette maker agreed to pay nearly $440 million to 33 states in Puerto Rico. The states and territory argued that Juul marketed heavily to children leading to sharp increases in youth vaping, NPR's Yuki Noguchi is covering this story and Yuki, what is the significance of this settlement? Well, it's intended to send a strong message to the E cigarette industry and the settlement is large in scope, you know, 34 states of territories. Each participating state will get tens of millions of dollars to fund anti smoking programs, and it's another blow to a company that's already in hot water, you know, Juul is really the original player in vaping when it started 7 years ago, and it got a big investment from cigarette maker Altria. And its marketing was both effective and at least according to investigators very aggressive. Connecticut state attorney general William Tong talked about this in a press conference today. They didn't focus on television print radio traditional media. That gets at people like us. With some gray hair. What they did was they focused on other outlets, including Instagram, TikTok, to a lesser degree, Facebook. You know, Ari, they also employed influencers, celebrities, and through parties, to promote its products. So Tong says that from the beginning, the company clearly targeted young kids who legally can not buy E cigarettes in the first place. Jules been under fire for its marketing practice for a while now, arts critics satisfied with this settlement. Mostly, but not entirely I spoke with one parent Meredith berkman, who cofounded the group parents against vaping E cigarettes, and she's happy the company's facing consequences, but worries the measures don't go far enough to address things like addiction and lung damage. The human cause of this generation can not be quantified and we will see public healthcare costs continuing to unfold for decades to come. She notes that the market now has many players many of whom copy Jules tactics. So she would have liked to see a bigger settlement that reflected what she calls the ongoing public health costs of vaping, and she also wants to see Jules products force off the market. That's something the Food and Drug Administration tried to do earlier this year. What happened to that effort? Well, it's in limbo. Jules products are still on the shelves because the company got to stay a delay essentially for now. The FDA started its review of the entire E cigarette industry a few years ago. Essentially, it's saying, you know, companies need to get permission to keep their products on the market. In June, the FDA rejected Jules applications. It said some of its products were potentially toxic. And also leaked from the electronic pods. Juul immediately fought back in court saying the FDA ignored a lot of data and the company claims its products are designed to actually help with smoking cessation. So now the FDA is re reviewing Jules applications and we don't know yet whether the agency will stick with its original decision to pull the products off the market. At Saint Pierre's Yuki Noguchi, thank you very much. Thank you, Ari. This is all things considered from NPR news. It's 5 48. This is 90.1 W ABE Emil Moffitt in for Jim burris, thanks for joining us. Still to come on all things considered, using the correct heat index would allow us to identify those handful of times where the heat is so severe that it is pushing our bodies close to the breaking point. Improving warnings is extreme heat becomes more and more common that's coming up in 15 minutes. First to the roads, Cobb county, erect blocks the right shoulder two 85 westbound at I 75 and in Duluth watch for a crash still blocking three left lanes there 85 northbound before lawrenceville, sewanee road. This report is sponsored by whole foods market, where prime members
The Charlie Kirk Show
"attorney general william tong" Discussed on The Charlie Kirk Show
"Let's go to Amy from Connecticut Charlie. Did you see the recent news about the anti Catholic bias in a local school district? This really has me worried and it plays into what you've been talking about at turning point USA for quite some time. Please help explain it to your audience. Yes. So the wonderful project veritas recently came out with a string of videos of an assistant elementary school principal admitting that they don't hire people if you find out they are Catholic. And they tend to end up being more right leaning conservatives. This is outright anti Christian anti Catholic bias that is being admitted on camera. And I want to just, for a second, let's extrapolate this. This is just what is being caught on camera. How many school districts? How many hiring managers? How many schools? How many administrators I should say? Hold these views that we're not able to get on camera for every one, there's probably another 5000 people in leadership. That are actively discriminating against Christians and Catholics. Let's play cut 40. So then what do you do? So have you found a bit certain? Religions tend to be more ringling. This one. Now I know that's hard to hear. There's a lot of background I was in a cafe, but this is the assistant elementary school principal admitting that they don't hire people if they find out they have a Christian or Catholic bend. So this is, this is happening in Connecticut and the Connecticut attorney general William Tong is now announcing an investigation of discrimination at the cost Cobb elementary school. This is all thanks to the wonderful work of James O'Keefe and project veritas. They do a wonderful job. Project veritas is coming out with a lot of these videos that our school centric right now, even Connecticut Democrat U.S. senator Richard blumenthal joins other elected officials and supporting an investigation saying quote, this country was built on religious tolerance, religious discrimination is inexcusable and illegal. Of course, I support a full investigation that's da nang blumenthal, the name dick blumenthal. Judicial watch has sent a freedom of information request. This is Jeremy Boland assistant principal cost Cobb elementary school. Cut 41 is the same assistant elementary school principal disgusting, discussing how he intentionally indoctrinates kids into becoming Democrats. Now, we could focus on the details of this, which I think is important. But instead I want to broaden it for every one of these, we catch on camera imagine how many others are out there. Parents be very careful sending your children to government schools. It is the pattern, it is the habit. It is the focus of a tyrant to separate a child from a parent. To remove the parent and to insert the state. It is the goal. It is the chief goal to make the state the parent of a child and the parent cast aside. Play cut 41. Democrats can't do it. They just make that control. This is how we handle things. And that's how you get away with it. And how do you make sure the parents don't right now? So long as you get rich in the politics, and then later down the line, you're going to vote different. And you will have some great service to our country. I know that's very difficult audio to hear, but just to reemphasize what he said. And.
The Charlie Kirk Show
Anti-Catholic Bias by Connecticut School District Under Scrutiny
"Did you see the recent news about the anti Catholic bias in a local school district? This really has me worried and it plays into what you've been talking about at turning point USA for quite some time. Please help explain it to your audience. Yes. So the wonderful project veritas recently came out with a string of videos of an assistant elementary school principal admitting that they don't hire people if you find out they are Catholic. And they tend to end up being more right leaning conservatives. This is outright anti Christian anti Catholic bias that is being admitted on camera. And I want to just, for a second, let's extrapolate this. This is just what is being caught on camera. How many school districts? How many hiring managers? How many schools? How many administrators I should say? Hold these views that we're not able to get on camera for every one, there's probably another 5000 people in leadership. That are actively discriminating against Christians and Catholics. Let's play cut 40. So then what do you do? So have you found a bit certain? Religions tend to be more ringling. This one. Now I know that's hard to hear. There's a lot of background I was in a cafe, but this is the assistant elementary school principal admitting that they don't hire people if they find out they have a Christian or Catholic bend. So this is, this is happening in Connecticut and the Connecticut attorney general William Tong is now announcing an investigation of discrimination at the cost Cobb elementary school. This is all thanks to the wonderful work of James O'Keefe and project veritas. They do a wonderful job.
WNYC 93.9 FM
"attorney general william tong" Discussed on WNYC 93.9 FM
"For everyone the evacuation of Europe He also had a late night phone call with President Biden The mayor of the town closest to the Zappos nuclear power plant posted a message on social media saying the fire has been extinguished The plan had come under Russian shelling a day earlier prompting calls from around the world for Russia to halt its attack Now Ukraine's nuclear power agency says the plant is under Russian control It produces a quarter of Ukraine's electricity and the war is already strained Ukraine's infrastructure leading to blackouts across the country Lauren freyer NPR news in lviv oblast Ukraine The state company that's been running the plant says radiation levels are normal It also says there are dead and wounded at the facility Delegations from Russia and Ukraine say they will hold a third round of talks in Belarus early next week Yesterday's second round of negotiations resulted in an agreement on the establishment of humanitarian corridors in Ukraine That's to allow civilians to leave the country safely and for food and other supplies to be delivered to the population Russian president Vladimir Putin spoke by phone again yesterday with French president Emmanuel Macron More companies have announced their suspending operations in Russia or pulling out altogether because of its invasion of Ukraine They include Apple Mercedes Benz and furniture retailer Ikea oil companies including ExxonMobil shell and BP previously announced plans to exit Russia The latest employment numbers in the U.S. are due out this morning from the Labor Department NPR's Scott horsley says economists believe hiring slowed during the month of February Forecasters thank U.S. employers added about 400,000 jobs in February but there's a good deal of uncertainty around that prediction January's job gains turned out to be stronger than expected Neal Richardson is chief economist for the payroll processing company ADP This year the jobs market is set to post strong gains even in the midst of ongoing labor shortages and now new developments in Ukraine and Russia For the last two years the Federal Reserve has kept interest rates at rock bottom levels to prop up the economy and encourage hiring Now the Central Bank is about to start raising rates in an effort to curb inflation which is the highest it's been since the early 1980s Scott horseland per news Washington This week the chairman of the Federal Reserve told lawmakers in Congress he supports a quarter point hike in interest rates at the fed's next meeting This is NPR news from Washington Purdue pharma has agreed to a $6 billion settlement with attorneys general in 9 states over the company's role in the nation's opioid epidemic Nicole Leonard with Connecticut public radio reports Purdue pharma is owned by the Sackler family and is headquartered in Connecticut That state's attorney general William Tong says the new settlement is a good first step in holding the drug maker accountable I don't think anybody is under any illusion that this solves all of the problems that we are facing And that the sacklers it doesn't matter how much money they have They can never repay all of us for the damage and destruction that they have caused The new $6 billion payout is up from a previous $4.5 billion offer which was rejected by a federal judge In a statement Sackler family members deny any illegal wrongdoing but say they regret OxyContin's impact on the opioid crisis For NPR news I'm Nicole Leonard in Hartford Mask mandates for union employees at U.S. auto plants are being dropped at factories deemed no longer at high risk for the coronavirus a task force that includes officials from Ford General Motors and the united auto workers union agreed yesterday to make the wearing of masks optional at auto plants The group says it's following updated guidance from the Centers for Disease.
As It Happens from CBC Radio
"attorney general william tong" Discussed on As It Happens from CBC Radio
"From. Cbc podcasts and the fifth estate brainwashed is a multi part investigation into the cia experiments in mind control from the cold war and k. Ultra to the so called war on terror. We learn about a psychiatrist who use his patients as human guinea pigs. And what happens when the military and medicine collide. Listen to brainwashed on the cbc. Listen app or wherever you get your podcasts. It's been nearly three decades. Since purdue pharma patented it's oxycontin pain medication and in the years since the opioid epidemic has claimed hundreds of thousands of lives and affected many many more it's also led to thousands of lawsuits against the company and ultimately it's bankruptcy but a bankruptcy settlement reached yesterday effectively absolves the wealthy family that owns purdue of any opioid related liability. And it leaves the sackler family. Fortune largely intact. That is an connecticut attorney. General william. tong plans to appeal. We reached mr tongue in stamford connecticut. Mr tong why are you so keen to see members of the sackler family held accountable as individuals. Why isn't the demise of their company. Good enough because they've done so much damage as individuals and in their own capacity a number of them served in important positions not just on the board of directors but also in executive positions Some of them exercised leadership positions and there are a lot of documents a lot of evidence that shows that they were personally engaged directing this guy that gee up the company that took advantage of the opioid addiction crisis. You not just in the united states but around the world and profited off of it and knew they were doing and and even so went forward in profiteered off of the suffering of other people the settlement as is does order the sackler family to turnover four and a half billion dollars to address the opioid epidemic d-. Isn't that a win. no. I don't think you can ever say that anything in this is a win when you talk to victims and their families and the fact that just this year alone connecticut will lose close to fourteen hundred residents but let me put it in perspective I've just helped broker a twenty six billion dollar settlement with three major drug distributors mayor source bergen cardinal and mckesson in johnson and johnson. And while we can all acknowledge there will never be enough money and never enough justice. That's twenty six billion dollars. In accountability and twenty six billion dollars that will go to fund treatment and prevention the sackler lers and purdue played a seminal and central role in this crisis and they're purporting to pay four point three billion over nine years so let's break that down four point. Three billion over nine years on a net present value basis is about three billion in change. It also means they're going to be paying in installments. You would pay a carlo right. So they're going to pay less than five hundred million dollars Over the next nine years based on their well which exceeds more than eleven billion dollars. That means the sacco's are gonna pay roughly five percent on their money for nine years. They're gonna more than make up for that amount in their offshore investment accounts in investment funds. They're going to be five percent. That's that's basically the interest car payment. Does that seem right to you. I don't think it seems right to most people in my state. No and i think everybody in this case has expressed that frustration. The judge himself called it a bitter result but they felt they had to sort of get to a point where some money was being put in place at to try to do some good and that this was they felt the best they could otherwise this would just be years more and more fighting and less actual help for the people who need it. I mean if you said to me at the beginning of this process william this is going to cost a lot of money and a lot of lawyers And and attorney's fees and experts and hear. Why don't we say to avoid all of that. Let's settle for two billion dollars right. You could've made a an argument. Three years ago that i could settle it. Two billion or one billion now that starts with a b. That's a lot of money but nobody would say that. That was enough and so no. There is This is not always a science. But i think we know that Justice demands accountability. And the message. This court is sending is commit the crime of the century. And you'll probably get away with it and that is not the right deterrence message so you promise to appeal this ruling as have a number of other jurisdictions. How optimistic are you that. Those appeals might succeed. We would not appeal. Were not very confident In our in our arguments in her claims the state of connecticut is asserting law enforcement claims. We're not just a trade creditor we're not owed money because we you know soul products too or did business with purdue pharma we have law enforcement claims consumer protection claims fraud claims against the sackler lers for their individual wrongdoing and states are sovereign just like other countries are sovereign. The state of connecticut has always remained sovereign. We delegated limited powers to the federal government. But last time. I checked the united states of america and no federal court anywhere as far as i can tell has ever said that they have the right to force states to give up our law enforcement claims known as police power planes and to force us to release doers. Like the sadler's so that's the basic argument on appeal. And i think we're going to win one of the things that really stood for us when we're reading through the statement from your office was around the need for changes to bankruptcy laws and bankruptcy reform in general that to keep wealthy bad actors. You say from misusing bankruptcy courts to escape justice. What what would you like to see happen on that front. So basically the sackler act is The bill that's been proposed essentially in both the us house and The us senate and what the bill says is it's wrong to force people to release clean against people who are not bankrupt. So let's.
NPR's Business Story of the Day
AGs' Lawsuit Accuses Facebook Of Gobbling Up Competitive Threats
"Facebook crushes the competition. That's one of those cliches. We used to talk about. Big successful. Companies is facebook crushing the competition. Legally or illegally. That's something the courts will decide. The federal trade commission and attorneys general from across the country are suing facebook. They say the company eliminated competition by either buying other companies or making it impossible for them to succeed connecticut. Attorney general william. Tong is one of the forty eight eight involved in the suit. Thank you sir for being here. Good morning oil. Facebook has been a dominant company. Four years now. Why filing this lawsuit right now. you don't facebook has expensive and power and what is done without our and its market dominance is. It's it's engaged in a program of what we call by in berry where they either by their competitors or if they don't play ball and sell they crushed their competitors and what they've done is they've crushed any threat to their business and their market domination. They've eliminated choice for consumers and they beat third party app developers and software developers into submission. And your argument is that's illegal. That's not just being smart competitive business. No it's not just being smart when you're a business like facebook and you essentially dominate an entire field that means so much to people today particularly in a global pandemic in public health when we rely so much on technology to stay in touch with our friends. Our family to do business to sell products to advertise Social media's become central really in our lives and when you're the dominant market player You have an obligation not to abuse that power and what a facebook has done. It's it has abused. Its market power to keep competitors out of the marketplace and the leverage that market power to prejudice. Anybody who doesn't play by facebook's rules okay but how have users been hurt by what you're alleging. Facebook has done the ordinary people of connecticut. How are they getting hurt here. So they really don't have any choice. They because facebook not only is the dominant player in its own right through facebook but because they bought instagram Which targets a younger generation including my kids and whatsapp. Widely globally used social messaging And also a direct peer to peer messaging app. Because they've done that. You really have very limited options and so you don't have a choice on where you go to For social media number one or two by products for example on on facebook facebook marketplace. And if you're a small business in connecticut Or even a bigger business and you want advertisers sell products. You really have to use facebook or one of its companion products so you don't have any choice because of their facebook argues that there is competition and i will tell you the young people in my life that the teens the tweens. They don't care about facebook at all. They're all on tiktok. Is it possible that in five ten years facebook will be kind of irrelevant or at least not the behemoth is now and that this is just sort of panicking over something that companies become dominant for a few years and they tend to fade know. Our view is Unless we do something. That won't be the case because facebook has frankly so much money and so much market power and that's why they're buyer berry strategy so successful because they can go and pay outside prices for instagram and whatsapp and essentially stifled competition. That way so no. We think that Unless the court takes action and unless the forty eight states plus the ftc are successful. Facebook will continue to dominate. The space facebook's general counsel makes an interesting argument noting that facebook bought instagram in two thousand and twelve and bought whatsapp a few years later and federal regulators said that was fine and now basically. They're going back on what they said. What do you think about that argument. Well we certainly weren't part of that determination and we look forward over the next two years to more robust antitrust enforcement enforcement of our nations and our states antitrust laws and the states the forty eight of us have done our own investigation and now in concert with the federal trade commission have determined that facebook is acting illegally. Okay connecticut attorney general william tom. Thanks so much for your time today. We appreciate it. Thank you well.
Weekend Edition Saturday
ICE Says Pardon Not Enough For Detained Hartford Woman; They Want to Deport Her Anyway
"I imagine you've been fully pardoned of your crimes but get punished for them anyway that's what's happening in Connecticut where immigration and customs enforcement is trying to deport a legal permanent resident even though her record has been cleared his Connecticut public radio's Diane or some reports the Attorney General there is fighting in court to force the federal government to recognize the state's pardons when she was four years old ways are Waltons mother brought her from England to Connecticut where she's lived as a legal permanent resident then during her turbulent teens Walton got caught shoplifting and conspiring to steal more you know if the crime but I also was three years ago when I was much younger well to speaking from an ice detention center in Boston she's there even though she's been fully pardon by the state of Connecticut for her crimes Abigail letters from people like saying my character and what not I mean you know everybody doesn't this get a party you have to be free of crime for a period of time when she got word in January that she'd likely be granted a full and unconditional state pardon Walton said she thought it would mean she wouldn't be deported for violating the terms of her green card should be able to move on with her life get a better job and do better for her family but paperwork for the pardon didn't come through till March one day after she was picked up by ice ran right after that you know was devastating right what's going on like why is this happening it does surprise me for a number of reasons Connecticut Attorney General William Tong says before ice always recognized Connecticut's pardons and under federal immigration laws if you receive a full absolute and unconditional pardon from your state you are entitled to an automatic waiver of deportation the federal government says it's just following the letter of the law at a court hearing in Boston earlier this summer justice department attorney Jessica burns pointed to the exact language of the immigration and nationality act we are interpreting the parting weaver which is part of the I. NA which specifically limits pardons pardons by the governor president of the United States but that's not how pardons work in Connecticut here the governor delegates authority to a board of pardons and paroles in Connecticut is not unique governors in six states delegate pardon power to a board and so my question is the Attorney General is why are you treating Connecticut different than places like Georgia again William Tong I hope that's not a partisan basis but it sure feels that way Connecticut's immigration policies are more liberal than George's in fact Connecticut just past one of the nation's most restrictive laws limiting when law enforcement can cooperate with ice attorney heather Prendergast of the American immigration lawyers association says that may be part of the reason that ISIS honoring Georges St pardons and not Connecticut's the only difference that I can see as someone who's not at the agency is that one state as policies that are arguably very favorable to ISIS position where as the other state does not not only difference will be and the sea with several Walton remains in an ice detention facility it's America you know so I figured every state will follow the same process in New York City hears arguments in her case on Tuesday the case is being closely watched because it could affect other immigrants facing deportation for NPR news I'm Diane Orson in new haven