Health professionals have raised alarms about social media and its impact on young people s mental health. Concern has grown so great that earlier this year Seattle Public Schools filed a lawsuit against social media giants like Facebook, TikTok, and YouTube - alleging the companies were creating a "youth mental health crisis." Dr. Yolanda Evans is an associate professor of pediatrics at the University of Washington School of Medicine. .
The Iowa Developmental Disabilities Council has a wish list for the new legislative session. The group has just released its public-policy agenda, and is asking state lawmakers to increase funding for educational programs. The council s list includes three main priorities for the New Year: increasing employment opportunities for people living with disabilities, improving community living options, and addressing what the council s Public Policy Manager Carlyn Crowe said she worries could be a dropoff in special educational services for students with disabilities. .
Idahoans are collecting signatures for an initiative that would open up primary elections, and the measure has support from some of the state s military Veterans. The group Veterans for Idaho Voters is backing the effort to do away with closed party primaries - so that candidates of every affiliation would be on a single primary ballot, and voters wouldn t have to declare a party affiliation to participate. Co-founder of the Veterans group, Todd Achilles, said the current system stops many veterans from voting. .
Dozens of Microenterprise Development Organizations from 28 states, including Nebraska s Center for Rural Affairs, have signed a letter urging Congress to support the Rural Microentrepreneur Assistance Act. Kalee Olson, senior policy associate at the center, said the U.S. Department of Agriculture program has been included in the Farm Bill since 2008. .
Android phone users in New Hampshire could receive some of a $700 million antitrust lawsuit settlement with Google. States attorneys general alleged the company monopolized the market for app distribution and in-app payment processing in its Google Play Store - often taking a cut of up to 30%. New Hampshire Assistant Attorney General for the Consumer Protection and Antitrust Bureau Alexandra Sosnowski said the settlement will hopefully spur innovation. .