Pennsylvania
Semi carrying cars caught fire overnight on Pennsylvania Turnpike in Westmoreland County
WESTMORELAND COUNTY, Pa. — A car carrier caught fire overnight on the Pennsylvania Turnpike.
The fire happened in Mount Pleasant, Westmoreland County, around 2:30 a.m.
911 officials tell Channel 11 that the tractor-trailer was damaged by the flames. So were some of the cars it was carrying.
A photo shared by the Youngwood Volunteer Fire Department shows some of the cars were destroyed in the fire.
Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts.
Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW
©2024 Cox Media Group
Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania to make animal sedative xylazine a controlled substance
HARRISBURG, Pennsylvania (WPVI) — Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro is set to sign a bill that makes it illegal to misuse the animal tranquilizer xylazine.
Officials say the drug is being mixed into fentanyl and other illicit opioids, contributing to a growing number of overdose deaths.
Xylazine is a sedative used by veterinarians and would still be available for its intended use under the new bill.
Pennsylvania taking steps to control access to xylazine, a drug also known as tranq
Under the bill, xylazine would be listed as a Schedule III drug, which is a controlled substance subject to various rules.
Both the Pennsylvania House of Representatives and the Senate approved the bill in the past week.
Emerging drug ‘Tranq’ leading to amputations among users
Officials say drug suppliers are lacing the fentanyl and heroin supply with the animal tranquilizer because it is cheap and easy to get.
Copyright © 2024 WPVI-TV. All Rights Reserved.
Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania House passes bill restricting how social media companies treat minors
By MARC LEVY (Associated Press)
HARRISBURG (AP) — Pennsylvania’s state House of Representatives on Wednesday approved legislation aimed at regulating how online social media platforms interact with children, although its provisions are similar to those in state laws being blocked in federal courts or in a case before the U.S. Supreme Court.
The bill passed nearly along party lines, 105-95, with 10 Republicans voting with most Democrats for it and seven Democrats voting with most Republicans against it.
It faces an uncertain future in the Republican-controlled state Senate, and the nation’s highest court may soon decide whether state-level provisions like the ones in the bill can be enforced.
The bill would require social media platforms to allow users to report “hateful conduct,” such as threats or bullying, and publicize a policy for how they will respond to such reports. It also would require users under 18 to get parental consent and bar the platforms from “data mining” users under 18, or sifting through their user data to find specific information or develop insight into patterns or habits.
The sponsor, Rep. Brian Munroe, D-Bucks, said the concepts in the bill are nothing new and similar to age-related restrictions that the government has put on movies, driving, drinking alcohol or smoking, or the parental permissions that are required for things like field trips or school sports.
“Time and time again, we’ve acted in the best interests of children by looking at the exposure to potentially harmful activities and said, ‘not at that age and not without your parents’ OK,’” Munroe told colleagues during floor debate.
Parents and children are asking for such regulation, Munroe said.
The Washington-based Computer and Communications Industry Association — whose members include Google, owner of YouTube, and Meta, owner of Facebook and Instagram — pointed out that the legislation, called House Bill 2017, has similarities to laws in other states that are being challenged in court.
“While the goal of protecting younger users is commendable, HB2017 risks infringing upon younger users’ ability to access and engage in open online expression and could cut off access to communities of support,” the association said in a statement. “There are also significant data privacy and security concerns associated with the data collection that would be required to verify a user’s age and a parent/legal guardian’s relationship to a minor.”
California-based Meta has said parental supervision tools and other measures already are in place to ensure teens have age-appropriate experiences online, and that algorithms are used to filter out harmful content.
The bill’s “hateful conduct” provision is based on a 2022 New York law that has been blocked in federal court.
Last year, Utah became the first state to pass laws that require minors to get parental consent before using social media. That law has been challenged in federal court by the trade group NetChoice.
Also, last year, federal judges put on hold an Arkansas law that required parental consent for children to create social media accounts and a California law barring tech companies from profiling children or using personal information in ways that could harm children physically or mentally.
Earlier this year, the U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments in a case that sprang from legal challenges to state laws in Florida and Texas that seek to regulate Facebook, TikTok, X and other social media platforms.
The details of the two laws vary, but both sought to prevent the social media companies from censoring users based on their viewpoints.
___
Follow Marc Levy at twitter.com/timelywriter.
Pennsylvania
What does Biden need to do to win Pennsylvania?
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.
-
World1 week ago
Strack-Zimmermann blasts von der Leyen's defence policy
-
Politics1 week ago
The White House has a new curator. Donna Hayashi Smith is the first Asian American to hold the post
-
Politics1 week ago
Stefanik hits special counsel Jack Smith with ethics complaint, accuses him of election meddling
-
Politics1 week ago
Democratic mayor joins Kentucky GOP lawmakers to celebrate state funding for Louisville
-
World1 week ago
Turkish police arrest hundreds at Istanbul May Day protests
-
News1 week ago
Video: Police Arrest Columbia Protesters Occupying Hamilton Hall
-
Politics1 week ago
Newsom, state officials silent on anti-Israel protests at UCLA
-
News1 week ago
Police enter UCLA anti-war encampment; Arizona repeals Civil War-era abortion ban