Google to Pay $700M to States, U.S. Consumers in App Store Settlement

(Headline USA) Google has agreed to pay $700 million and make several other concessions to settle allegations that it had been stifling competition against its Android app store—the same issue that went to trial in another case that could result in even bigger changes.

Although Google struck the deal with state attorneys general in September, the settlement’s terms weren’t revealed until late Monday in documents filed in San Francisco federal court. The disclosure came a week after a federal court jury rebuked Google for deploying anticompetitive tactics in its Play Store for Android apps.

The settlement with the states includes $630 million to compensate U.S. consumers funneled into a payment processing system that state attorneys general alleged drove up the prices for digital transactions within apps downloaded from the Play Store. That store caters to the Android software that powers most of the world’s smartphones.

Like Apple does in its iPhone app store, Google collects commissions ranging from 15% to 30% on in-app purchases—fees that state attorneys general contended drove prices higher than they would have been had there been an open market for payment processing.

Those commissions generated billions of dollars in profit annually for Google, according to evidence presented in the recent trial focused on its Play Store.

Eligible consumers will receive at least $2, according to the settlement, and may get additional payments based on their spending on the Play store between Aug. 16, 2016 and Sept. 30, 2023. The estimated 102 million U.S. consumers who made in-app purchases during that time frame are supposed to be automatically notified about various options for how they can receive their cut of the money.

Another $70 million of the pre-trial settlement will cover the penalties and other costs that Google is being forced to pay to the states.

Although Google is forking over a sizeable sum, it’s a fraction of the $10.5 billion in damages that the attorneys general estimated the company could be forced to pay if they had taken the case to trial instead of settling.

Google also agreed to make other changes designed to make it even easier for consumers to download and install Android apps from other outlets besides its Play Store for the next five years. It will refrain from issuing as many security warnings, or “scare screens,” when alternative choices are being used.

The makers of Android apps will also gain more flexibility to offer alternative payment choices to consumers instead of having transactions automatically processed through the Play Store and its commission system. Apps will also be able to promote lower prices available to consumers who choose an alternate to the Play Store’s payment processing.

Investors seemed unfazed by the settlement as shares in Google’s corporate parent, Alphabet Inc., rose slightly in Tuesday’s midday trading.

The settlement represents a “loud and clear message to Big Tech—attorneys general across the country are unified, and we are prepared to use the full weight of our collective authority to ensure free and fair access to the digital marketplace,” said Connecticut Attorney General William Tong.

Wilson White, Google’s vice president of government affairs and public policy, framed the deal as a positive for the company, despite the money and concessions it entails.

The settlement “builds on Android’s choice and flexibility, maintains strong security protections, and retains Google’s ability to compete with other [software] makers, and invest in the Android ecosystem for users and developers,” White wrote in a blog post.

Although the state attorneys general hailed the settlement as a huge win for consumers, it didn’t go far enough for Epic Games, which spearheaded the attack on Google’s app store practices with an antitrust lawsuit filed in August 2020.

Epic, the maker of the popular Fortnite video game, rebuffed the settlement in September and instead chose to take its case to trial, even though it had already lost on most of its key claims in a similar trial targeting Apple and its iPhone app store in 2021.

The Apple trial, though, was decided by a federal judge instead of the jury that vindicated Epic with a unanimous verdict that Google had built anticompetitive barriers around the Play Store. Google has vowed to appeal the verdict.

Corie Wright, Epic’s vice president of public policy, derided the states’ settlement as little more than a one-time payout that provides “no true relief for consumers or developers,” in a blog post.

In court documents, the attorneys general said they decided to settle because of significant risks posed by a trial, including the possibility that a jury may have thought their plan to seek $10.5 billion in damages was exorbitant.

The attorneys general also cited for the potential of jurors becoming confused had their case been presented alongside Epic’s claims in the trial, as had been the original plan.

But now the Epic trial’s outcome nevertheless raises the specter of Google potentially being ordered to pay even more money as punishment for its past practices and making even more dramatic changes to its lucrative Android app ecosystem.

Those changes will be determined next year by U.S. District Judge James Donato, who presided over the Epic Games trial. Donato also still must approve Google’s Play Store settlement with the states.

“In the next phase of the case, Epic will seek meaningful remedies to truly open up the Android ecosystem so consumers and developers will genuinely benefit from the competition that U.S. antitrust laws were designed to promote,” Wright pledged.

Google faces an even bigger legal threat in another antitrust case targeting its dominant search engine that serves as the centerpiece of a digital ad empire that generates more than $200 billion in sales annually.

Closing arguments in a trial pitting Google against the Justice Department are scheduled for early May before a federal judge in Washington D.C.

Adapted from reporting by the Associated Press

Jan. 6 Defendant Wins Case—At a Hefty Cost

(Ken Silva, Headline USA) A defendant in a massive civil lawsuit over the events of Jan. 6, 2021, has won his case more than two years later and some $150,000 spent.

The defendant, Jan. 6 protestor and pro-Trump social media influencer Brandon Straka, was one of 20 defendants named in a lawsuit filed by black and brown Capitol Police officers who say their civil rights were violated on Jan. 6.

Those officers accused Straka of causing them injury by helping plan and participate in the Capitol Hill protest-turned-riot.

The problem is, according to Straka, his actions on Jan. 6 were entirely peaceful. He was sentenced to three years probation in January 2022 for disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds.

“The case entered discovery, where we gathered evidence that conclusively showed that none of these officers were even on the side of the building I was on during my brief time on Capitol grounds,” Straka said on Twitter this week. “One of the plaintiffs was in Maryland at the time I was there.”

In January, a district judge agreed with Straka.

“Plaintiffs have not alleged sufficient facts to establish Straka was part of the conspiracy. Straka’s alleged conspiratorial acts primarily involve protected First Amendment activities … Unlike other Defendants, Plaintiffs do not allege that Straka planned and prepared with others to come to Washington, D.C., on January 6th,” the judge said in a January opinion.

“And, although Plaintiffs allege that Straka encouraged unidentified individuals to attack the Capitol building, they do not contend that he engaged in those acts as part of any group or organized effort. These allegations are not enough to plausibly plead Straka as a participant in a conspiracy.”

Plaintiffs had time to amend their complaint against Straka, but the defendant’s lawyer threatened them with sanctions if they continued to pursue frivolous litigation. Apparently the plaintiffs’ lawyers took heed of the threat, as a judge ordered the case against Straka dismissed once and for all in October.

But Straka said the legal battle cost him dearly.

“This case cost me well into 6 figures to defend, and hundreds and hundreds of hours of my time—which is, of course, the whole point,” he said. “The left has weaponized our legal system, turning Democrat majority districts into a playground where they can abuse the process to harm those who get in the way of their political agendas.”

Meanwhile, the other defendants in the lawsuit—including Donald Trump, Roger Stone and members of the Proud Boys—continue to litigate. A filing last week said that one of the defendants, Russell Taylor, is in settlement negotiations with plaintiffs.

Ken Silva is a staff writer at Headline USA. Follow him at twitter.com/jd_cashless.

Parents Demand Justice after 4-Yr-Old Murdered in L.A. Road-Rage Incident

(Luis Cornelio, Headline USA) The distraught parents of a 4-year-old boy, who was shot dead in a road rage incident, are demanding that the suspects be sentenced to life in prison.

Gor Adamyan and his parents were driving to purchase groceries before encountering a suspect driver who reportedly cut off the Adamyan family’s vehicle and then angrily opened fire on them, according to the family’s GoFundMe page.

“In a horrifying turn of events, the suspect driver positioned alongside the family’s vehicle and opened fire, wounding Gor severely,” the family said. “Gor Adamyan succumbed to his injuries on Friday night, just ten days before Christmas, leaving his family utterly devastated.” 

Lancaster Mayor R. Rex Parris decried the shooting in statements to KABC. “It’s unimaginable. This could have been any of our families. It could have been any of us,” he said.

As reported by KABC, the alleged suspects were identified as 29-year-old Byron Burkhart and 27-year-old Alexandria Gentile. They were both booked at the Los Angeles County Jail pending a murder investigation. 

The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department described the harrowing ordeal, saying that the suspect driver followed the family through numerous streets. 

“During the incident, the suspect driver cut them off and then began following them through several surface streets,” the LASD said. “While being pursued by the suspects, the victim driver slowed his vehicle, at which time the suspect driver pulled up along the passenger side of the victim’s car and began shooting.”

The 4-year-old child was in the backseat and was hit in the torso. 

“His father and mother, who were in the vehicle, immediately transported him to a local hospital where he was pronounced deceased,” the sheriff’s department added. 

Speaking on behalf of the parents, Agents for Change Executive Director Miguel Coronado said that the Adamyan family “is asking for both the suspects to be incarcerated for the rest of their lives, no possibility of parole.” 

“[The mother] said the suspect kept harassing them, getting in front of them, and in back of them. And next thing you know, [the suspects] get onto the passenger side of the car and the woman hands the shooter the gun and fired about eight times,” Coronado said, citing the mother’s testimony. 

An online fundraiser to help the parents navigate the tragic incident has earned nearly $34,525 with over 530 donations.

Media Matters Begs Federal Court to Block Paxton’s Investigation

(Luis Cornelio, Headline USA) Far-left news watchdog Media Matters for America has filed a federal lawsuit against Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton in a bid to block a state investigation into the company’s practice.

The lawsuit, first reported by NBC News on Dec. 12. accused Paxton of violating the company’s First Amendment rights after launching a scathing investigation into Media Matters’ dubious reports against Elon Musk and Twitter.

Media Matters claims that Paxton initiated an illegal plot to retaliate against their relentless media attacks against Musk. This included a Nov. 16 report alleging that Twitter displayed ads from major companies alongside white supremacist and racist tweets. 

In response, major corporations like Apple, Disney and Fox Sports halted their ads on Twitter, prompting Musk to sue Media Matters for defamation.  Echoing Musk, Paxton launched an inquiry into Media Matters, citing potential “fraudulent activity.”

“Attorney General Paxton was extremely troubled by the allegations that Media Matters, a radical anti-free speech organization, fraudulently manipulated data on X.com (formerly known as Twitter),” the Texas attorney general’s office said in a statement.

Media Matters attorneys claimed on Monday that Paxton’s investigation has hindered the company’s “ability to investigate and publish news stories and further chills their ability to participate in a robust public discussion around political extremism on the X platform.” 

The lawsuit was filed in Maryland, where the author of the Musk report resides, and seeks to permanently block Paxton’s investigation. 

According to NBC News, Media Matters argued that the Texas investigation violates the 14th Amendment’s guarantee of due process and violates reporters’ protections, specifically the “shield” law which protects reporters in Maryland from disclosing their sources. 

Media Matters’ lawsuit against Paxton joins a growing web of legal battles stemming from the leftist reports against Twitter. 

Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey and Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry also launched an investigation into Media Matters, accusing the media watchdog of attempting to “defame” Twitter by causing advertisers to “pull their support from the platform, thus harming free speech.”

Abbott Signs Texas Law Authorizing Police to Detain Illegal Aliens

(Luis Cornelio, Headline USA) Gov. Greg Abbott, R-Texas, signed a groundbreaking law allowing state law enforcement to arrest and detain individuals crossing the southern border illegally.

In a Monday press statement, Abbott slammed President Joe Biden for halting Trump-era policies aimed at deterring illegal immigration, saying that the Texas government had no other choice but to sign the legislation into law.

“President Biden’s deliberate inaction has left Texas to fend for itself,” Abbott said. “Today, I will sign three laws to better protect Texas—and America—from President Biden’s border neglect. These laws will help stop the tidal wave of illegal entry into Texas, add additional funding to build more border wall, and crackdown on human smuggling.”

The law comes amid an unprecedented influx of illegal immigrants at the southern border and widespread criticism aimed at the Biden administration for its lack of action in dissuading illegal aliens from seeking entry to the U.S.

As reported by Fox News, the Department of Homeland Security admitted to Congress last week that it is releasing a staggering total of 5,000 individuals each day and that there were at least 670,000 known “gotaway” individuals in fiscal year 2023.

In fiscal year 2023, a whopping total of 2,045,838 immigrants were apprehended at the southern border. In 2021, 1,659,206 were also apprehended, the Daily Caller reported Monday.

Brandon Judd, the president of the National Border Patrol Council, hailed the law as a necessary step to protect Texans. 

“Border Patrol agents nationwide, not just in Texas, are grateful for Governor Abbott’s leadership and willingness to recognize that it is the rule of law that keeps all Americans safe,” Judd said. “As the flagrant disregard of our laws too often is the norm throughout our country, Texans can be proud that their governor will not back down to pervasive and radical woke ideology.” 

The bill takes effect in March 2024 and is likely to be challenged by leftist activists, including the American Civil Liberties Union, who argue that the immigration policy is the purview of the federal government.

The Texas chapter of the ACLU rebuked the law, describing it as “one of the most radical” immigration bills in the country. 

 “The bill violates international and federal law and interferes with the asylum process, potentially causing further trauma and distress to people seeking asylum, including families and children,” the ACLU claimed.

Capitol Police Investigating Senate Gay Porn Scandal; Accused Was Just Promoted

(Luis Cornelio, Headline USA) The U.S. Capitol Police revealed on Monday that they are actively investigating the viral amateur gay porn filmed during a Senate hearing last week, Fox News reported. 

While the specific date of the porn tape is not clear, police pledged a “thorough investigation” and hinted at upcoming interviews, according to Fox. A security individual told Fox that those responsible could face potential criminal charges. 

The investigation was prompted by the release of a video by the Daily Caller, featuring an individual — rumored to be the recently terminated legislative aide Aidan Maese-Czeropski to Sen. Ben Cardin, D-Md. — being anally penetrated by an unidentified male.

The porn reportedly occurred in a room located in the Senate Hart Senate Office Building, famous for hosting hearings involving Supreme Court nominees. The Daily Caller reported that the video initially emerged in a group chat for gay men in Washington, D.C. 

In response, Cardin’s office confirmed Czeropski’s termination but refrained from disclosing specific details regarding the firing. “Aidan Maese-Czeropski is no longer employed by the U.S. Senate,” Cardin’s office declared. “We will have no further comment on this personnel matter.” 

According to journalist Matthew Keys, Czeropski, an environmentalist, had recently received a promotion within Cardin’s office.

A screenshot that has since been made public shows Czeropski proudly announcing his recent promotion, which according to the Post, included oversing Cardin’s portfolio on foreign policy, tax and trade. He also acknowledged that Cardin’s staff had requested him to tone down his risqué social media posts.

Czeropski’s LinkedIn profile shows he joined Cardin’s office in 2021 as a staff assistant (an entry-level role in Congress involving tasks such as answering calls and welcoming guests) In the summer of 2018, Czeropski interned for the late Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif. 

Following the release of the amateur gay porn, reports surfaced of Czeropski’s appearance in a 2020 campaign ad for then-presidential candidate Joe Biden 

Yet, Czeropski’s admiration for Biden transcended political admiration. In a since-deleted Venmo account, the now-terminated congressional staffer expressed an odd wish: “I want Joe Biden to spit in my mouth.”

Appeals Court Delivers Stunning Ruling on Meadows’s Fulton County Case

(Luis Cornelio, Headline USA) A federal appeals court thwarted Former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows’s attempt to relocate the Fulton County election case to federal court, Politico reported on Monday. 

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh District upheld a lower court’s decision that dismissed Meadows’s efforts to block a prosecution led by far-left Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis.

Specifically, Meadows claimed that his role in the efforts to question the Georgia results of the 2020 presidential election was merely part of his official duties as chief of staff. However, in a unanimous decision, the appeals court ruled that “the events giving rise to this criminal action were not related to Meadows’s official duties.” 

The appeals court also ruled that “even if Meadows were an ‘officer,’ his participation in an alleged conspiracy to overturn a presidential election was not related to his official duties.” 

The potential next step for Meadows would be an appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court. In the meantime, however, the Fulton County prosecution remains in place. 

Willis charged Meadows, along with 17 others, including former President Donald Trump, with charges related to an alleged criminal plot to overturn the results of the election in Georgia, a state that President Joe Biden narrowly carried by 0.23 percentage points. 

In a 36-page rebuttal of Meadows’s defense, Chief Judge William H. Pryor Jr. ruled that the role of White House chief of staff does grant unlimited immunity from prosecution in personal matters. 

“We cannot rubberstamp Meadows’ legal opinion that the president’s chief of staff has unfettered authority,” Pryor wrote, as reported by Politico. 

In 2020, Meadows spoke with Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger about the validity of some mail-in ballots. Trump also had a conversation with Georgia officials in which the then-president pressed Raffensperger about potentially finding ballots that could help his re-election bid. 

Trump has long argued that he had a “perfect” phone call where he was merely drawing attention to reports that some invalid pro-Biden ballots were counted by the Georgia Department of State.

Moreover, Trump has also criticized the case as a broader effort to block his White House bid in 2024.

Chuck Schumer Praised Jew-Hating Group’s ‘Humanity’

(Dmytro “Henry” Aleksandrov, Headline USA) It was revealed that Sen. Chuck Schumer, D– N.Y., praised the Council on American-Islamic Relations despite its leader and founder saying that he was “happy to see” Hamas attack Israel.

However, Schumer has not always approved of the Jew-hating group, saying two decades ago that the CAIR has “ties to terrorism” and calling for the federal government to cut ties with the group, according to the Washington Free Beacon.

In a letter of support for the CAIR, Schumer wrote last year that the United States is “fortunate” the organization is “fighting for the sake of our freedoms.”

“For its continued efforts to promote peace, unity and freedom, CAIR has my utmost thanks and appreciation,” he wrote.

According to a letter the CAIR cited in fundraising literature, Schumer applauded the group back in 2015 for its “determination to continue to spread humanity” and to “cultivate and encourage mutual understanding amongst Americans of all backgrounds and cultures.”

However, he had a totally different position back in 2003 when, during one of the Senate hearings, he slammed the CAIR’s leaders for having “intimate connections with Hamas.”

He also submitted a letter to the FBI back in 2009 that noted the CAIR was an unindicted co-conspirator in the prosecution of the Holy Land Foundation, a Hamas front group. Schumer said that federal agencies ceasing work with the organization “should be government-wide policy.”

Last month, the CAIR founder and executive director Nihad Awad said that Israel “does not have that right to self-defense.” In addition to that, a former spokesman for the Islamic Association for Palestine, a Hamas front group, said that he “was happy to see” Hamas fighters attack Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.

Even though Schumer has not yet responded to Awad’s Jew-hating comments, the White House denounced them as anti-Semitic. Earlier this year, the White House faced scrutiny for selecting the group to serve on its National Strategy to Counter Anti-Semitism.

Jack Smith Brings in Russia-Hoax Vet to Lead Soviet-Style Trump Attack

(Robert Jonathan, Headline USA) Special Counsel Jack Smith has reportedly added one of Robert Mueller’s chief lieutenants to his legal team in the attempt to fast-track the D.C. criminal case against former President Donald Trump before Election 2024.

The personnel move could offer new insight into the notorious prosecutor’s plan to use tactics similar as the orignial anti-Trump investigation, deploying a vast network of far-left organizations both in and out of government to assist with the dirty work, warned Mollie Hemingway, editor-in-chief of The Federalist, in a recent article.

Smith recently asked the U.S. Supreme Court to expedite a decision as to whether former President Donald Trump is legally immune from federal prosecution in connection with challenging the disputed outcome of the 2020 election.

If the court rules that Trump was conducting business within the scope of his official presidential duties when publicly denouncing vote fraud in the election’s aftermath, it could have far-reaching implications, potentially even nullifying the convictions of hundreds of other Jan. 6 political dissidents brough up on “obstruction” charges.

Smith obviously hopes the answer is no—and, with that in mind, he is seeking the assistance of Michael Dreeben, a longtime Justice Department lawyer with experience arguing cases before the high court, who played a significant role in overseeing the more than two-year-long Russia collusion hoax under Mueller.

“That the elite attorney is helping Democrats with their 2024 campaign strategy of lawfare is significant and showcases how much coordination between key Democrat operatives is behind this Soviet-style attempt to imprison President Joe Biden’s political opponents,” Hemingway wrote.

By now, it is commonly acknowledged that Robert Mueller was only a figurehead in the politicized Russia-gate probe.

While another high-profile anti-Trump surrogate, Andrew Weissmann, has often been regarded as the driving force behind the partisan probe, Hemingway argued that Dreeben may have been the brains of the operation.

The Supreme Court has agreed to consider Smith’s request, first setting Wednesday, Dec. 20, as the deadline for Trump’s team to respond. However, there is no certainty that the justices will go along with Smith’s effort to bypass the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia, where the presidential immunity issue would normally be ruled upon first.

The appellate court has already agreed to expedite its decision—a step that would play to Smith’s benefit by preventing Trump and his attorneys from using procedural delays to push the trial beyond next year’s election.

“There is absolutely no reason to rush this sham to trial except to injure President Trump and tens of millions of his supporters,” the ex-POTUS’s campaign responded earlier this month in response to Smith’s filing. “President Trump will continue to fight for Justice and oppose these authoritarian tactics.”

It is practically a lock that a typically far-left D.C. jury would convict Trump on the four-count indictment if the case on those charges does go forward to trial without intervention from the high court.

According to Hemingway, Dreeben (who is now in private practice) helped Cy Vance Jr.—the former Manhattan district attorney and predecessor to Soros-funded Alvin Bragg—convince the Supreme Court to greenlight the release of Trump’s tax returns.

He also supposedly participated behind the scenes in the Democrats’ scheme to impeach Trump.

“By the spring of 2023, Dreeben was publicly noting his affiliation with Just Security, ‘the legal beachhead of the Trump resistance,'” Hemingway claimed.

As a footnote to history, “the Mueller probe, for fairly obvious reasons, never investigated how the Russia-collusion theory was designed and funded by Democrats, developed with the help of Russian operatives, and integrated into the federal government’s unconstitutional resistance of a duly elected president, Hemingway recalled. “Covering up those facts was, in fact, the purpose of the Mueller probe.”

Even the left-leaning Washington Post admitted in October 2017 that “The Hillary Clinton campaign and the Democratic National Committee helped fund research that resulted in a now-famous dossier containing allegations about President Trump’s connections to Russia and possible coordination between his campaign and the Kremlin, people familiar with the matter said.”

Chinese Communist, U.S. Official Sentenced for Giving Driver’s Licenses to Illegals

(Dmytro “Henry” Aleksandrov, Headline USA) A communist from China and a U.S. government official were sentenced for their roles in a scheme to give driver’s licenses to illegal immigrants.

The news was shared on Monday by the United States Attorney for the Districts of Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands, according to the Daily Caller.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office revealed that Juana Cabrera Leon Guerrero, a U.S. citizen and Chief of the Northern Mariana Islands Bureau of Motor Vehicles [BMV], and Yongde “Ivan” Li, a Chinese citizen, were both sentenced for their scheme, which involved illegals paying a “street broker” up to $1,700 for a new driver’s license and $300 for its renewal.

It was also revealed that Li paid Guerrero and other people $500 cash payments for the illegal transactions, while also providing meals and free taxi services.

Guerrero was sentenced to 60 months incarceration, ordered to pay a $15,000 fine and $100 special assessment fee and serve three years of supervised release after the imprisonment.

Li was sentenced to 10 months incarceration, ordered to pay $200 in special assessment fees and serve five years of supervised release after the imprisonment. He was also ordered to complete 50 hours of community service instead of a fine.

“This scheme created a substantial risk to public safety. Licensing requirements help reduce the risk of harm to other drivers and pedestrians on our roadways. We expect a higher standard of conduct from public officials. This case sends a strong message of accountability,” U.S. Attorney Shawn N. Anderson said.

The U.S. attorney’s office added that the “street brokers” submitted fraudulent immigration documents to the BMV with the help of Guerrero, who allowed Li to submit these applications on at least 50 occasions between January 2020 and December 2022. To help Li obtain the licenses, Guerrero also directed at least five BMV employees.

“The FBI will not condone government workers who use their position of trust for their own ill-gotten gains. This sentence should serve as a warning to others that the FBI will investigate these types of cases to the fullest extent of the law,” FBI Special Agent in Charge Steven Merrill said.