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Republicans appeal decision that threw out NYC’s only GOP-controlled House district

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — Republicans on Monday appealed a judge’s decision to throw out the lines of New York City’s only GOP-controlled House seat, a case that could have national reverberations in the fight for control of Congress.

The appeal came just days after a judge ruled U.S. Rep. Nicole Malliotakis’ Staten Island and Brooklyn district was drawn in a way that dilutes the power of its Black and Hispanic voters. The judge ordered the state’s Independent Redistricting Commission to complete a new map by Feb. 6.

The case was filed by an election law firm aligned with the Democratic Party. It came as part of a national gerrymandering fight that started after President Donald Trump pushed to craft new congressional districts in Republican-controlled states such as Texas.

Republicans filed appeals to both a mid-level appeals court and to the state’s highest court, the Court of Appeals.

The Court of Appeals, rejected congressional maps that had been seen as helping Democrats and directed a court-appointed expert to redraw districts. It then threw out those maps before the 2024 congressional elections. It was not immediately clear when the Court of Appeals would take up the most recent case.

The state’s current House districts were drawn by Democrats in the state Legislature, after they rejected a proposal from the state’s bipartisan redistricting commission. New York state is currently represented in the House by 19 Democrats and 7 Republicans.

Massachusetts court hears arguments in lawsuit alleging Meta designed apps to be addictive to kids

BOSTON (AP) — Massachusetts' highest court heard oral arguments Friday in the state's lawsuit arguing that Meta designed features on Facebook and Instagram to make them addictive to young users. The lawsuit, filed in 2023 by Attorney General Andrea Campbell, alleges that Meta did this to make a profit and that its actions affected hundreds of thousands of teenagers in Massachusetts who use the social media platforms. “We are making claims based only on the tools that Meta has developed because its own research shows they encourage addiction to the platform in a variety of ways,” said State Solicitor David Kravitz, adding that the state's claim has nothing to do the company's algorithms or failure to moderate content. Meta said Friday that it strongly disagrees with the allegations and is “confident the evidence will show our longstanding commitment to supporting young people.” Its attorney, Mark Mosier, argued in court that the lawsuit “would impose liabilities for performing traditional publishing functions” and that its actions are protected by the First Amendment.
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