Speaker Mike Johnson pushes through foreign-aid bill
House Speaker Mike Johnson put his job on the line to allow votes on a $95 billion foreign-aid package and legislation to force a sale of TikTok from its Chinese parent company.
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EngadgetJoe Biden signs the bill that could ban TikTok in the United States
The bill that will force a sale or ban of TikTok in the United States is now law.
- TechCrunch
Breaking down TikTok's legal arguments around free speech, national security claims
The bill in question, which President Joe Biden signed Wednesday, gives Chinese parent company ByteDance nine months to divest TikTok or face a ban on app stores to distribute the app in the U.S. The law received strong bipartisan support in the House and a majority Senate vote Tuesday, and is part of broader legislation including military aid for Israel and Ukraine. Many who sponsored the bill admit that a TikTok ban is their ultimate goal...It's actually ironic because the freedom of expression on TikTok reflects the same American values that make the United States a beacon of freedom.
- Engadget
House votes in favor of bill that could ban TikTok, sending it onward to Senate
The US House of Representatives on Saturday passed a revised version of the bill that could ban TikTok. The bill was included with a package on foreign aid. It'll now go on to Senate, which is likely to vote on it very soon.
- Engadget
Senate passes bill that could ban TikTok
A bill that could ban TikTok is now all but certain to become law. The Senate approved a measure that requires ByteDance to sell TikTok or face a ban.
- TechCrunch
Is TikTok getting banned? Not yet, but you should explore alternatives
As a TikTok ban gets closer to becoming a reality in the United States, it might be time to start thinking about other platforms to adopt early in case you need to fill the void left by the popular app, especially as recent reports have suggested that ByteDance would prefer to shut down TikTok rather than sell it. On April 24, President Biden signed a bill that would ban TikTok if its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, fails to sell the app within a year, bringing the possibility of a TikTok ban closer than ever before. If the company is unable to fight the legislation and its legal efforts fail, reports indicate that a sale of TikTok with its algoritms would be highly unlikely because the app's algorithms are core to ByteDance’s overall operations.
- TechCrunch
Snap says total watch time on its TikTok competitor increased more than 125%
As part of its Q1 2024 earning release, Snap revealed that total watch time on its TikTok competitor, Spotlight, increased more than 125% year-over-year. The company is touting the success of its short-from video feed a day after President Biden signed a bill that would ban TikTok if its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, fails to sell it within a year. Snap says overall time spent watching content globally grew year-over-year, driven primarily by increases in total time spent watching Spotlight and creator Stories.
- TechCrunch
Biden signs bill that would ban TikTok if ByteDance fails to sell the app
President Biden has signed a bill that would ban TikTok if its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, fails to sell it within a year. The bill, which includes aid for Ukraine and Israel, was passed by the U.S. Senate in a 79-18 vote late Tuesday after the House passed it with overwhelming majority over the weekend. The bill gives ByteDance nine months to divest TikTok, with a 90-day extension available to complete a deal.
- Engadget
The Morning After: House votes in favor of bill that could ban TikTok
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- TechCrunch
The TikTok ban clears key hurdle while Perplexity AI continues to shake up search
Well, if you are a big TikTok fan and live in the United States, I have some bad news for you: A bill that would force a sale of TikTok or ban it in the United States passed the Senate. Given that China has made noise that it will not allow a sale of the social media company that is headquartered in Singapore, but is owned by Chinese company ByteDance, it's not looking good for TikTok in the States. The Framework laptops folks just raised more capital, Pony.AI is considering a U.S. IPO and Volition Capital is expanding.
- Engadget
The Morning After: The bill to ban TikTok is barreling ahead.
The biggest news stories this morning include US vs China in the form of TikTok vs WhatsApp, and did you know Taylor Swift has a new album out?
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Apple stock pops 6% after results top estimates, company reveals $110 billion buyback
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- Engadget
The Apple Watch Series 9 is back on sale for $299, plus the rest of this week's best tech deals
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Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft may finally take its first crewed flight next week
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'Saved me a lot of gas and worry': This $17 scanner can spare you a trip to the mechanic — and it's on mega-sale
Learn what that dashboard light means without a mechanic's visit with this OBD (on-board diagnostics) device.
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BMW rules out a pickup, but it's open to launching a more rugged SUV
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11 stocks that mattered most this earnings season
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- TechCrunch
Inside TC's Techstars investigation and how AI is accelerating disability tech
The downturn in venture capital funding that the world has seen since the bust of the 2021-era bubble has impacted startups, VC firms, and accelerators alike. One company in the final category, Techstars, has been shaking up its operations for some time now, leading to certain departures from its ranks. Mary Ann Azevedo, Kirsten Korosec, and Alex Wilhelm had a lot to parse this week.
- Yahoo Sports
Philadelphia 76ers 2024 NBA offseason preview: Prepare for plenty of change
Philadelphia has Joel Embiid ... and a whole lot of cap room.
- Yahoo News
Trump trial live updates: Hope Hicks called to the stand as testimony resumes in hush money case
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- Engadget
The Morning After: Peloton's grim post-pandemic reality
The biggest news stories this morning: Huawei has been secretly funding research in America after being blacklisted, The best noise-canceling earbuds, Olivia Rodrigo, Drake and other Universal artists return to TikTok.