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Texas Senate bill sparks controversy over hemp product ban

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Texas Senate bill sparks controversy over hemp product ban


SAN ANTONIO – Senate Bill 3 would criminalize the manufacturing and selling of nearly all consumable hemp products that contain THC.

The only exception in Senate Bill 3 would be products that contain non-psychoactive cannabinoids, like cannabidiol (CBD) or cannabigerol (CBG).

Differing opinions were voiced on the Senate floor about whether cannabis should be further criminalized in Texas in support of Senate Bill 3 or if the Texas Compassionate-Use Program should be enhanced instead, SB1505.

Lazydaze Coffeeshop, a Texas-based coffee chain, currently offers their coffees and teas to be infused with legal hemp products. The business also sells these products as edible and smokable hemp.

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“We actually get a lot of new customers who would find us just by looking up coffee shops online,” owner Zachary Hernandez said. “Our goal with this concept is to break stigmas and show that there is a safe and comfortable space for all walks of life to come in and buy clean and safe products.”

Lazydaze Coffeeshop has locations in San Antonio, Austin and Pflugerville. However, if Senate Bill 3 is passed, the business would no longer be able to offer the addition of hemp to their drinks or purchase them separately.

“Being able to provide the education to our customers, that is a big thing that people are going to miss,” Hernandez said. “Very, very big hit to revenue obviously, jobs that we’re trying to provide. The black market issue, with a complete ban. It’s just going to force everyone back to the streets.”

These are just a few reasons so many people testified against Senate Bill 3. However, many people on the Senate floor were in favor of the bill as well.

“This is why Senate Bill 3 matters,” one student said. “It’s protecting kids from harmful products that are far too easy to access, and it’s removing these dangerous products from our shelves.”

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The Texas Comptroller estimates that Senate Bill 3 would account for roughly $50 million dollars in lost tax revenue over the next five years if the bill is passed.

Similar legislation has already been written in the Texas House but has yet to make it through the first legislative hurdle. The Senate also still needs to vote on the bill.


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Texas sues Netflix for allegedly spying on kids, addicting users

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Texas sues Netflix for allegedly spying on kids, addicting users


Netflix was sued Monday (May 11) by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, who accused the streaming company of spying on children and other consumers by collecting their data without consent, and designing its platform to be addictive. Ram Nabong reports.



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Texas sues Netflix, alleges platform spied on kids and collected data

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Texas sues Netflix, alleges platform spied on kids and collected data


The state of Texas announced a lawsuit against streaming giant Netflix on Monday, accusing the company of spying on children and other consumers by collecting their data without consent and designing the platform to be addictive.

Texas claims that Netflix has falsely represented to consumers that it didn’t collect or share user data while it actually tracked and sold viewers’ habits and preferences to commercial data brokers and advertising technology companies.

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The lawsuit, filed by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, claims that “Netflix’s endgame is simple and lucrative: get children and families glued to the screen, harvest their data while they are stuck there, and then monetize the data for a handsome profit.”

The state of Texas announced a lawsuit against streaming giant Netflix on Monday. (Nikos Pekiaridis/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

“When you watch Netflix, Netflix watched you,” Texas added in the lawsuit.

NETFLIX CO-FOUNDER REED HASTINGS TO STEP DOWN, DEPARTURE IS ‘SPOOKING INVESTORS’

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NFLX NETFLIX INC. 85.39 -2.10 -2.40%

The complaint quotes comments made by former CEO Reed Hastings who said in 2020, while he was still leading the streaming company, that “we don’t collect anything,” amid questions over Big Tech companies’ data collection practices.

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Netflix was also accused of quietly using “dark patterns” to keep users watching on its platform, such as an autoplay feature that starts a new show after a different show ends.

NETFLIX RAISES SUBSCRIPTION PRICES ACROSS ALL PLANS

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed the lawsuit. (Cheney Orr/Reuters)

Paxton said in a press release that Netflix “has built a surveillance program designed to illegally collect and profit from Texans’ personal data without their consent, and my office will do everything in our power to stop it.”

The attorney general said he’s charging Netflix under the state’s Deceptive Trade Practices Act and seeks to require Netflix to stop the unlawful collection and disclosure of user data, require Netflix to disable autoplay by default on kid’s profiles, and to secure injunctive relief and civil penalties.

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FOX Business reached out to Netflix for comment.

Reuters contributed to this report.



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6 people found dead inside a boxcar in Texas, officials say | CNN

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6 people found dead inside a boxcar in Texas, officials say | CNN


Six people were found dead inside a cargo train boxcar in a Texas city along the southern border on Sunday, officials said.

The bodies were found in a Union Pacific train at a rail yard in Laredo, around 160 miles south of San Antonio, just after 3:30 p.m. local time, said Jose Espinoza, a public information officer with the Laredo Police Department.

The circumstances of their deaths are unknown, said Laredo police spokesperson Joe Baeza, according to CNN affiliate KGNS, and an investigation is underway.

Union Pacific operates across the border and is the only railroad that services all access points into Mexico, according to the freight company’s website.

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Temperatures on Sunday afternoon in Laredo were in the low-mid 90s, though it’s unclear whether heat was a factor.

Union Pacific said it was saddened by the incident and is working closely with law enforcement to investigate.

Laredo police said they received a call around 3 p.m. from an employee at the Union Pacific rail yard, KGNS reported. The bodies were discovered during a routine rail car inspection, police said. No survivors were found.

CNN has reached out to Laredo police for more information.

“It’s a very early phase of the investigation. There’s not a lot to reveal right now,” Baeza said, KGNS reported.

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The immigration status and ages of the deceased are not yet known, Espinoza said.

US Customs and Border Protection referred CNN to the Laredo Police Department, saying “The incident remains under investigation by Laredo Police Department and Homeland Security Investigation and Texas Rangers.”

CNN has reached out to the Department of Homeland Security, HSI and the Texas Department of Public Safety.

“It’s a very unfortunate event,” Espinoza told CNN. “It was too many lives that were lost.”

This story has been updated with additional information.

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