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Received yesterday — 13 February 2026

RFK Jr. Allies Target States to Overturn Vaccine Mandates for Schools

✇NYT: Science
By:Christina Jewett
13 February 2026 at 05:02
Proponents of vaccines warn that the efforts will further dismantle the immunization infrastructure and lead to more outbreaks of disease.

© Erin Schaff/The New York Times

An empty classroom at the high school in Williston, N.D., during an outbreak of measles there last year.
Received before yesterday

Bans on Many CBD Products Loom This Year

✇NYT: Science
By:Jan Hoffman
12 February 2026 at 05:00
A federal law taking effect in November severely limits the amount of THC, the euphoric cannabis compound, allowed in over-the-counter items. Many groups are fighting back.

© Bryan Anselm for The New York Times

Climate ‘Superfund’ Bills Spread Nationwide, Despite Legal Battles

✇NYT: Science
By:Karen Zraick
6 February 2026 at 11:03
The laws aim to force oil companies to help pay for damage from global warming. Industry is gearing up for state-by-state battles.

© Charles Krupa/Associated Press

Flooding in Vermont in July 2023. The state was the first to adopt a climate “superfund” law. Other states are now following.

Europe Accuses TikTok of ‘Addictive Design’ and Pushes for Change

✇NYT: Technology
By:Adam Satariano
6 February 2026 at 07:06
European Union regulators said the app’s infinite scroll and personalized algorithm led to “compulsive” behavior, especially among children.

© Patrick T. Fallon/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

TikTok and other social media companies are under mounting pressure globally for hooking young users.

Federal Judge Blocks Texas Law Targeting Critics of Fossil Fuels

✇NYT: Science
By:Karen Zraick
5 February 2026 at 16:18
The court ruled that it was unconstitutional to bar state agencies from investing with firms that the state had accused of boycotting the oil industry.

© Tony Gutierrez/Associated Press

Trucks at an oil field in Midland, Texas. A judge ruled that a 2021 law about investing practices was unconstitutional.

Congress Reins In Drug Middlemen in Effort to Lower Prescription Prices

✇NYT: Science
By:Reed Abelson and Rebecca Robbins
4 February 2026 at 05:00
The legislation will impose new restrictions on pharmacy benefit managers, giant companies like CVS Caremark, Optum Rx and Express Scripts that oversee prescription drug benefits.

© Carolyn Kaster/Associated Press

Executives at the largest pharmacy benefit managers testified before a congressional committee in 2023.

Texas Sues Delaware Nurse Practitioner for Mailing Abortion Pills to the State

✇NYT: Science
By:Pam Belluck
28 January 2026 at 14:34
The case is the latest action taken by a state with an abortion ban against providers in states that support abortion rights.

© Hannah Yoon for The New York Times

Debra Lynch, a nurse practitioner in Delaware, was sued by the Texas attorney general, who accused her of prescribing and shipping abortion pills to residents of Texas in violation of that state’s abortion ban.

Coinbase, the Biggest U.S. Crypto Company, Asserts Its Power in Washington

✇NYT: Technology
By:David Yaffe-Bellany
15 January 2026 at 14:00
The top executive of the crypto exchange Coinbase scuttled a planned Senate committee vote on a major cryptocurrency bill after voicing his concerns, a sign of the company’s clout.

© Karsten Moran for The New York Times

A planned vote on a cryptocurrency bill on Thursday was canceled after Brian Armstrong, Coinbase’s chief executive, objected to the measure in a social media post on Wednesday evening.

Elon Musk’s X Restricts Ability to Create Explicit Images With Grok

✇NYT: Technology
By:Ali Watkins
15 January 2026 at 09:42
Bowing to pressure, the company said it would restrict X users from generating explicit images of real people in jurisdictions where such content is illegal.

© Andria Lo for The New York Times

The prompt page for Grok, the artificial intelligence chatbot made by Elon Musk’s xAI.

New Jersey Is Latest State to Ban Student Phones in Schools

✇NYT: Technology
By:Neil Vigdor
8 January 2026 at 17:11
The restrictions, signed into law by Gov. Philip D. Murphy on Thursday as one of his final acts in office, will take effect during the 2026-2027 school year.

© Kriston Jae Bethel for The New York Times

Gov. Philip D. Murphy of New Jersey speaking at the state house in October. “I wish this ban had been in place a long time ago,” he said on Thursday of the school phone ban.

New York to Phase In Protections for Horseshoe Crabs

✇NYT: Science
By:Jon Hurdle
1 January 2026 at 05:01
Gov. Kathy Hochul signed legislation that will ultimately ban the catch and biomedical use of the crabs.

© Dave Sanders for The New York Times

A horseshoe crab at Shirley Chisholm State Park in Brooklyn in 2023. New York has joined Connecticut and New Jersey in enacting protections for the species.

Worn Down by Worry, Parents Look Longingly at Australia’s Social Media Ban

✇NYT: Technology
By:Adam Satariano and Lynsey Chutel
27 December 2025 at 05:00
After the country barred children under 16 from using social media, many parents have been asking whether similarly tough action is needed in their own countries.

© Matthew Abbott for The New York Times

Students waiting for the bus in Sydney, Australia, in November. The country’s new law barring children from using social media has helped fuel emotional debate across the world.

Texas Age-Verification Law for App Stores Is Blocked, a Win for Apple and Google

✇NYT: Technology
By:Ryan Mac
23 December 2025 at 22:02
A preliminary injunction in federal court cited the First Amendment, handing a win to tech companies like Apple and Google.

© Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images

Texas’ App Store Accountability Act was set to take effect next month.

Senators Investigate Role of A.I. Data Centers in Rising Electricity Costs

✇NYT: Technology
By:Ivan Penn and Karen Weise
16 December 2025 at 13:57
Three Democrats are seeking information from tech firms about the growing energy use of data centers and the utility bills of individuals and other businesses.

© Nathan Howard for The New York Times

The energy needs of data centers used for artificial intelligence are forcing utility companies to spend billions of dollars to upgrade the power grid, the lawmakers said.

Trump Moves to Stop States From Regulating AI With a New Executive Order

✇NYT: Technology
By:Cecilia Kang
11 December 2025 at 23:56
The order would create one federal regulatory framework for artificial intelligence, President Trump told reporters in the Oval Office.

© Doug Mills/The New York Times

President Trump, who has said it’s important for America to dominate in the race to develop A.I., has said that the various state A.I. laws have created a confusing patchwork of regulations.

After Australia, Which Countries Could Be Next to Ban Social Media for Children

✇NYT: Technology
By:Lynsey Chutel
11 December 2025 at 12:54
Governments are studying the decision to prohibit youths from using platforms like Facebook and TikTok as worries grow about the potential harm they cause.

© Ida Marie Odgaard/Ritzau Scanpix, via Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

Elementary school children in Denmark, which could become the first country in the European Union to impose an age limit on access to social media.
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