Meta demands that under-16s be subject to parental control regulations
Meta has advocated for legislation requiring app retailers to obtain parental consent before allowing a child to download an app.
The plan would place the responsibility for putting parental controls on app stores—such as those owned by Google and Apple—instead of social media corporations.
Facebook and Instagram’s owner, Meta, has come under fire for how it treats teenagers who use its services.
The head of the company’s safety department demanded a “simple, industry-wide solution” to control kids’ usage of social media.
Antigone Davis, global head of safety at Meta, stated in a blog post on Wednesday that “parents should approve their teen’s app downloads, and we support federal legislation that requires app stores to get parents’ approval whenever their teens under 16 download apps.”
Under this proposal, app retailers would have to alert parents when a teen seeks to download an app, much like they do when a teen tries to make a purchase.
In addition to having the option to accept the download, parents can also use the opportunity to confirm their teen’s age when configuring their phone, which eliminates the need for several app verifications.
A week after a whistleblower informed the US Congress that he thought Instagram was not doing enough to shield teenagers from harm on the internet, the company is facing an increasing number of lawsuits on how it handles the usage of its services by children and teenagers.
He stated that he thought Meta should be doing more to address the issue of his 14-year-old daughter receiving sexual approaches on Instagram.
According to the former Meta employee, who spoke with the BBC, he would never work in the computer sector again because of his whistleblowing.
Regulation is growing
According to earlier statements, Meta has added “over 30 tools” to help create a secure online environment.
However, municipal regulations are becoming more and more popular among US lawmakers as a solution to the issue, which may make the legal landscape more difficult for Meta and other businesses to navigate.
Utah became the first US state in March to mandate that social media companies obtain parental approval before allowing kids to use their apps.
Meta stated that a national law was being called for.
“As an industry, we should come together with lawmakers to create simple, efficient ways for parents to oversee their teens’ online experiences,” said Ms. Davis.
“Legislation is needed so all apps that teens use can be held to the same standard.”
Global regulation of social media firms is likewise becoming more and more prevalent.
In order to circumvent the data privacy restrictions in the EU, Meta has implemented a monthly fee. However, it has not even launched Threads, its newest social network.
According to Ms. Davis, putting parental control duty on app shops will also “help to preserve privacy” by reducing the number of organizations that get potentially sensitive identifying information.
More than 4,500 votes were cast in the Charleston mayoral runoff after early voting ended
The overall number of early voters in the Lowcountry has been made public as early voting for runoff elections concluded on Friday night.
4,070 voters participated in the early voting period for the City of Charleston mayoral campaign runoff, which took place from November 15 to November 17, according to Matt Dilane of Charleston Votes.
74 voters cast early ballots in the Folly Beach City Council runoff election, according to Dilane.
Election law amendments in South Carolina created early voting periods in 2022, so there is no historical data to compare the turnout for early voting to this year.
For comparison, Dillane stated that the total number of in-person absentee votes cast in the City of Charleston mayoral campaign runoff in 2019 was 817.
In 2015, 1,191 voters cast absentee ballots in person for the mayoral race.
The runoff elections will take place on Tuesday, November 21 from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
The union wants Gov. Murphy to do away with the basic skills exams for teachers in New Jersey
The largest teachers union in the state, the New Jersey Education Association, has encouraged its members to persuade Gov. Phil Murphy to support a measure that would do away with the state’s basic skills exams for prospective teachers in arithmetic, reading, and writing.
A bipartisan legislation (S1553) was passed by the state Legislature in June that would permit candidates to obtain a preliminary teaching certificate without having to pass the subject area and basic skills tests. If they were able to teach successfully in a public school for four years, they would be granted a regular license.
Teachers are currently required to take the prerequisite subjects and basic skills exams for their specialty if they haven’t already placed in the top third on the SAT, ACT, or GRE for the year they took the test.
The union pointed out that the state Department of Education “missed an opportunity to eliminate this requirement, which created an unnecessary barrier to entering the profession” when it recently changed its requirements for teacher certification.
Social media users reacted negatively to the change; several people questioned the sense of decreasing standards in comments on the NJEA’s Nov. 8 Twitter post about the bill.
The bill’s author and chair of the Assembly Education Committee, state assemblywoman Pamela Lampitt, D-Camden, described it as “a common-sense measure that is in the best interest of our students.”
“We have responded to the call from the legislature to combat the biggest threat to our nation’s best public education system, which is the teacher shortage,” Lampitt stated. “I sincerely hope the governor will sign it.”
The Senate Education Committee chair and state senator from Monmouth, Vin Gopal, expressed his hope that the bill will pass.
“We have to make the path to becoming an educator as streamlined as possible, given the ongoing teacher shortage, and we have seen that good people are prevented from becoming educators by the outdated Praxis exam,” Gopal stated.
The exam is unnecessary given the state’s rigorous requirements for teachers, according to NJEA spokesperson Steven Baker. For teacher preparation programs, these include a grade point average requirement, a bachelor’s degree, and student teaching experience.
According to a wealth of research, “standardized tests are an inadequate means of assessing knowledge or skills, and not all individuals are best suited to demonstrate their knowledge and skills on standardized tests,” the man stated. “A single standardized test is the definition of redundant if they can pass both an accredited degree program and their student teaching requirements.”
In an additional effort to address New Jersey’s teacher shortage, the state did away with the EdTPA test requirement last year.
The fundamental skills examinations are “painful and laborious” and have no place in the classroom, according to a former state teacher of the year.
The tests discourage potentially excellent teachers from ever working in a classroom, which not only makes the state’s teacher shortage worse, according to Robert Goodman, executive director of the New Jersey Center for Teaching and Learning. He presented the example of a candidate who had completed a dissertation and a book chapter, but who nearly gave up on his teaching career after failing the basic skills writing exam eight times. He paid $810 in testing fees and passed on his ninth try.
Currently, 46 states employ a Praxis exam of some kind to evaluate the competence of prospective teachers.
Employees at OpenAI express dissatisfaction with the board as Sam Altman joins Microsoft to head a new AI project
After its fired CEO, Sam Altman joined Microsoft after a shocking weekend of boardroom drama that rocked Silicon Valley, the future of OpenAI looked to be in limbo on Monday morning.
After rumors circulated that he could make a spectacular comeback to the business he helped develop into one of the hottest companies in the world, Altman will spearhead a new artificial intelligence project at Microsoft, the tech giant announced early on Monday.
Co-founder and former CEO of Twitch, Emmett Shear, announced his appointment to the position of CEO at OpenAI.
Less than 48 hours after the board of directors of OpenAI declared that they “no longer had confidence” in Altman, a prominent player in the tech sector’s attempts to address the potential benefits and risks of artificial intelligence, Microsoft Chairman and CEO Satya Nadella revealed the hiring of Altman on X.
Ever with its inaugural funding transaction in 2019, Microsoft has been a key financial backer of OpenAI, having contributed billions of dollars. With the widespread use of ChatGPT, a sizable language model chatbot that has come to represent commonplace AI innovation, OpenAI has now emerged as the most well-known of a new breed of AI firms.
That doesn’t seem to have eased OpenAI staff members’ discomfort, though, as they are unhappy with the board’s decisions. Early on Monday, many shared the message “OpenAI is nothing without its people” on X, and reporter Kara Swisher revealed that a large number of the company’s staff members had signed a letter demanding the resignation of OpenAI’s board. NBC News has not verified the information reported.
Board member and OpenAI co-founder Ilya Sutskever wrote on X that he felt bad about his part in Altman’s departure.
It seemed like he was hinting that there were plans to bring Altman back.
He wrote, “I will do everything in my power to bring the company back together because I love everything we’ve built together.”
In addition to announcing that Altman will lead a “new advanced AI research team,” Nadella said Microsoft is committed to helping OpenAI, which has a new leadership team. Greg Brockman, an OpenAI co-founder who was kicked off the board and resigned as president on Friday, will also lead this team.
Following an investigation, OpenAI said it severed its relationship with him because he was “not consistently candid in his communications with the board, hindering its ability to exercise its responsibilities.”
Although he and Altman were “shocked and saddened” by the board’s decision, Brockman stated in a post on X on Friday that “greater things are coming soon.”
According to a Sunday CNBC article, following the appointment of chief technical officer Mira Murati as interim CEO, some OpenAI investors were calling for Altman’s return.
However, Shear announced early on Monday on X that he would be heading up OpenAI in its place.
Among the things he listed as part of his 30-day plan was hiring an outside investigator “to dig into the entire process leading up to this point and generate a full report.”
Shear stated that “OpenAI’s stability and success are too important to allow turmoil to disrupt them like this,” stating that “I have nothing but respect for what Sam and the entire OpenAI team have built.”
This year, OpenAI topped CNBC’s Disruptor 50 list of the most remarkable and quickly expanding private enterprises. The startup gained notoriety the previous year when it made ChatGPT available to the general public, enabling users to create intricate and comprehensive answers to straightforward text prompts and inquiries.
Europe’s new regulations that target digital titans are being contested by TikTok and Meta
Legal challenges against new EU regulations aimed at offering consumers more options and countering the dominance of digital giants in the internet market are being filed by TikTok and Facebook owner Meta.
In a blog post published on Thursday, TikTok claimed that it was amused by the Digital Markets Act’s designation of it as an online “gatekeeper” and that it was merely assuming the role of a newcomer to the social media space, challenging established players.
A day earlier, Meta declared that it is looking for “clarification on specific points of law” and that it disagrees with the 27-nation bloc’s decision to include its Messenger and Marketplace as gateway services under the new regulations.
With a list of dos and don’ts for large internet businesses designed to provide users more choices and the prospect of severe fines if they don’t comply, the Digital Markets Act is set to go into effect by March.
The firm said that TikTok is “arguably the most capable challenger” to more established social media rivals, arguing that calling the video-sharing app a gatekeeper violates the DMA’s objective of “protecting actual gatekeepers from newer competitors like TikTok.”
In September, the gatekeeper designation was also bestowed upon Amazon, Apple, Google, Microsoft, and ByteDance, the parent company of TikTok, in addition to Meta. This is due to the fact that they offer 22 “core platform services” that serve as entry points for companies and customers. Examples of these services include the Chrome and Safari browsers, WhatsApp messaging, and Google Maps.
Although Meta does not dispute its status as a gatekeeper, it believes the EU’s executive body erred in singling out Messenger and Marketplace as essential platform functions.
As for our steadfast commitment to adhering to the DMA, Meta stated that the appeal “does not alter or detract from our work constructively with the European Commission to prepare for compliance.”
Successful broadband connectivity tests have been completed by Amazon’s Project Kuiper
After a successful round of initial testing, Amazon’s Project Kuiper is expected to start providing high-speed Internet to a select group of customers in the upcoming year, the company revealed on Thursday.
Kuipersat-1 and Kuipersat-2, two test satellites, were part of the Protoflight project that launched from Cape Canaveral on October 6. In order to bring broadband to places with little or no access to the Internet, the business plans to launch 3,236 satellites into low Earth orbit by the end of 2026.
The two prototype satellites were connected to by members of Project Kuiper’s Payload Integration and Testing team, who then tested the technology through a series of demonstrations. These included making the first two-way video chat over Amazon Chime, streaming an Amazon Original movie in ultra-high resolution 4K video, and signing into Amazon Prime and finishing a transaction.
“Every major system and subsystem on board the two prototypes — from flight computers and solar arrays to our propulsion system and advanced radio frequency (RF) communications payload — demonstrated nominal or better performance following launch,” Amazon stated on its website.
The two prototype satellites flew over the test location as the team operated in contact windows that lasted between thirty and one hundred twenty seconds. In order to offer uninterrupted communication, Project Kuiper envisions a constellation of thousands of satellites.
It is planned to start full-scale implementation in the first half of 2024, followed by beta testing with a small number of clients later in the same year.
Vice President of Technology for Project Kuiper Rajeev Badyal stated, “Kuiper was just an idea on paper a few years ago, and everything we’ve learned so far from our Protoflight mission validates our original vision and architecture.”
“There is still much work to be done, and scaling for mass manufacturing won’t be simple. However, achieving these outcomes on your first mission—and so soon after launch—is a remarkable accomplishment, and it is only achievable due of the knowledge and commitment of our team at Amazon.
In the upcoming months, testing will be conducted again to evaluate the technology in various scenarios.
Expanding Internet connectivity is a comparable endeavor that Elon Musk’s SpaceX is working on. On November 8, the corporation launched 23 Starlink satellites into space using a Falcon 9 rocket, marking its 80th launch of 2023.
Your Favorite Musician’s AI Soul is Now Available on YouTube
Google said in a blog post on Thursday that YouTube is licensing the voices and musical styles of well-known musicians for its initial batch of AI music trials. Dream Track will let producers create brief AI-generated songs with vocals from John Legend, T-Pain, and Charlie Puth.
As of right now, the tool is exclusive to a select group of producers and only collaborates with nine musicians who have given their permission for the project. Talks about the feature were ongoing between YouTube and all of the major labels, but they came to an impasse with Sony Music and UMG.
YouTube changed its guidelines earlier this week to address AI-generated content on the site, enabling musicians to ask for songs that mimicked their voices to be taken down. It’s possible that YouTube took this action to make room for music produced by AI that may be sold on the platform, such as Dream Track.
Presenting Dream Track, a YouTube Shorts experiment with Charlie Puth.
On Wednesday, an executive working at the forefront of generative AI in music announced his departure on social media. The vice president of audio at Stability AI, Ed Newton-Rex, resigned, citing his inability to support the development of AI tools that will eventually replace them by utilizing an artist’s discography.
Newton-Rex stated, “I fail to see how training generative AI models of this kind using copyrighted works can be considered fair use.” “I hope more people will speak up, either in private or in public, to make businesses understand that the long-term solution in generative AI cannot be for them to exploit creators.”
Dream Track artists have given their permission for their voices and styles to be used on the project. Among the other performers are Charli XCX, Demi Lovato, Sia, Troye Sivan, Alex Benjamin, Louis Bell, and Papoose. More musicians than others expressed their excitement in the words they published on the initiative.
The music industry and the world will change in ways that artificial intelligence has not yet completely grasped, according to Charli XCX. This is why she expressed caution when she was first approached by YouTube.
“Happy to have a seat at the table,” according to John Legend, he’s excited to see what the creators come up with during this testing phase. Charlie Puth believes that rather than taking the place of creativity, artificial intelligence (AI) will accelerate it.
Congressmen in the US probe Apple on Jon Stewart’s China content
(Reuters)—Washington In a letter made public on Wednesday, U.S. legislators requested an explanation from Apple Inc. on the sudden cancellation of political comedian Jon Stewart’s television program on its streaming service. The letter raised worries that the cancellation may have been caused by content relating to China.
Due to creative disputes, Stewart’s show on Apple’s streaming service was canceled, according to a New York Times report published last month. The report claimed that Stewart informed staff members that Apple executives were concerned about possible show topics pertaining to China and artificial intelligence.
To the Times, Apple declined to respond.
The Republican and Democratic leaders of the House of Representatives’ Select Committee on Competition with the Chinese Communist Party wrote a letter to Apple CEO Tim Cook stating, “While companies have the right to determine what content is appropriate for their streaming service, the coercive tactics of a foreign power should not be directly or indirectly influencing these determinations.”
The letter requested a briefing on its concerns from Apple representatives by December 15, 2023. It stated that the committee anticipated speaking with Stewart’s representatives as well.
The letter, which was signed by the ranking Democrat on the panel, Representative Raja Krishnamoorthi, and the Republican chairperson, Representative Michael Gallagher, stated that “we also respectfully request that Apple publicly commit that content that could be perceived as critical of the CCP or the PRC is welcome on Apple TV+ and other Apple services, to reassure the creative community in light of these reports.”
Reuters reached out to Stewart and Apple representatives, but they did not provide a response.
The letter was made public before a dinner that Chinese President Xi Jinping was scheduled to have with prominent American businessmen in San Francisco on Wednesday night. Xi Jinping is trying to court American companies and counter his nation’s recent challenges to attract foreign investment.
The goal of Xi and US President Joe Biden’s meetings, which took place on the fringes of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) event, was to stabilize the tense relations between the two biggest economies in the world.
China’s media censorship policies have become a major area of emphasis for the House committee.
Given the tight media controls imposed by the ruling Communist Party, American politicians have long voiced concerns about possible censorship by the Chinese government. Hollywood movies are especially at risk since some studios have changed or self-censored their scripts to please Chinese government censors and get into the market.
At their summit in San Francisco, Biden and Xi decide to stop producing fentanyl and to start military negotiations again
California’s Woodside Progress in the fight against fentanyl and a restart of contact between Presidents Biden and Xi Jinping of China resulted from their multi-hour summit on Wednesday.
According to Biden, during a press conference on Wednesday, Xi committed to taking action to limit the availability of ingredients used to produce fentanyl. He added that China had also committed to setting up systems for better military command communication.
As a crucial component of preserving international stability and providing for the needs of the American people, “we’re talking to our competitors, just talking and being blunt with one another so there’s no misunderstanding,” Biden informed reporters.
The agreements, according to Chinese official media, include the creation of a working group on cooperation in counternarcotics and the restoration of high-level military-to-military contact.
The leaders “agreed that each of us can pick up the phone, call directly, and we’ll be heard immediately,” according to Biden, who added that “in the months ahead,” high-level diplomacy would continue, “including between President Xi and myself.”
Later, in answer to a reporter’s question, Biden reiterated his belief that Xi is a dictator, saying, “Well, look, he is.”Xi emphasized the need for a final resolution on Taiwan, the subject that is now the most contentious issue in U.S.-China ties, according to the White House.
Taiwan considers itself to be an independent, sovereign nation, but China sees Taiwan as a portion of its territory. Although Biden has given Taiwan military support, the United States has made it clear that it opposes Taiwan’s independence.
According to a senior administration official who spoke to reporters, Xi informed Biden that while there are no plans for military action, the problem must eventually be handled.
Biden claimed that throughout the frank discussion, which lasted more than four hours, he also brought up Russia’s assault against Ukraine and the situation in the Gaza Strip. Additionally, he claimed to have given Xi the names of American nationals who are unjustly incarcerated or facing exit restrictions in China.
“Perhaps we can secure their release,” said Biden. “No consensus on that.”
Following a leisurely walk around the private estate’s grounds as part of their meeting with Xi, Biden spoke to the media in an elaborate chamber of a Bay Area house. Biden gave the reporters, who were observing from a distance, a thumbs up as they strolled down a cobblestone path.
Xi departed without interacting with the media.
“We’re going back to communicating in an open, clear, and direct manner.”
The event, which coincided with the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Summit, was expected to yield agreements on fentanyl and military-to-military contacts.
Xi just fired his minister of defense. According to a U.S. official who briefed reporters under condition of anonymity, the successor will meet with Pentagon head Lloyd Austin when it is announced.
Regarding the military contacts, Biden remarked, “That’s been cut off, and it’s been worrisome.” “Incidents happen in this manner. Misconceptions. That means that we will again communicate in an open, transparent, and direct manner. Any big nation, including China, might face serious consequences from critical errors made by either party.
Earlier in the day, Biden reiterated his belief that open lines of communication between the leaders may avert a military confrontation. However, they couldn’t agree on Biden’s frequent use of the word “competition” to characterize the relationship from the beginning of the meeting.
“Major-country competition is not the prevailing trend of current times and cannot solve the problems facing China, the United States, or the world at large,” Xi added, criticizing Biden’s portrayal of the relationship.
According to Xi, the planet Earth is large enough for both nations to flourish, and one nation’s accomplishment presents a chance for the other.
A private estate just outside of San Francisco, Filoli Historic House & Garden, served as the meeting place for the leaders. The mansion is situated on a 654-acre estate that also has 250 fruit trees, a pool pavilion, and 16 acres of English Renaissance gardens.
This week a year ago, on the fringes of the Group of 20 Summit, Biden and Xi had their last meeting. Among other things, the leaders were supposed to talk about fentanyl and Taiwan while in San Francisco.
Both of them shook hands before the meeting. Putting both of his hands on Xi’s, Biden led him toward the mansion and down a red carpet. At the doorway, they shook hands once more before Biden, putting his palm lightly on Xi’s back in a gesture of friendliness, trailed the Chinese leader inside.
Seated at a big conference table with their delegations, Biden declared that he had “never doubted” what Xi told him during their talks. “We haven’t always agreed, which was not a surprise to anyone, but our meetings have always been candid, straightforward, and useful,” Biden stated.
The partnership lasts for over ten years.
The leaders have over ten years of mutual acquaintance. While serving as vice presidents of their respective countries, they traveled to China in 2011 and Washington, D.C., in 2012.
The U.S. does not want the nations’ economic rivalry to “veer into conflict,” Biden stated, adding, “I value our conversation because I think it’s paramount that you and I understand each other clearly, leader to leader, with no misconceptions or miscommunication.”
In a subdued allusion to Middle East conflicts and the incident involving the spy balloon, Xi remembered their last meeting, which took place on the idyllic Indonesian island of Bali a year ago, and informed Biden, “A lot has happened since then.”
The “most important bilateral relationship in the world” is the one between Beijing and Washington, according to the Chinese president, and it should grow in a way that is advantageous to both countries.
“China-U.S. relationship has never been smooth sailing over the past 50 years and more, and it always faces problems of one kind or another,” Xi stated via translator. “Yet, it has kept moving forward amid twists and turns.”
It was anticipated that Xi would discuss the Biden administration’s attempts to limit China’s government’s access to cutting-edge computer chips, which the United States fears the Chinese government will use to develop artificial intelligence and cutting-edge weapons. Before their meeting, he stated in front of the cameras that “protectionism is rising” and described it as a “grave” problem.
It is not an option for two such major countries as the United States and China to turn their backs on one another. Conflict and confrontation have intolerable effects on both sides, and it is unrealistic for one to change the other,” Xi stated.
First lady of New Jersey Tammy Murphy declares her bid for the US Senate in 2024
NJ / TRENTON, NJ (AP) – First lady Tammy Murphy of New Jersey announced her bid on Wednesday to run for the Democratic nomination for the U.S. Senate in the upcoming election.
With the announcement of her campaign on Wednesday, she is now vying to be the first woman from New Jersey elected to the Senate. Rep. Andy Kim is the current front-runner in the Democratic primary; U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez, a Democrat, may also run in 2024 despite losing a lot of party support due to federal bribery allegations.
In a little over four-minute video that was uploaded online, she stated, “We need a senator who will work every single day to lower the cost of living, protect abortion rights, end the gun violence epidemic, and defend our democracy.”
The 58-year-old Murphy, who frequently attends events with her spouse, Democratic Governor Phil Murphy, has made the environment and maternal and infant health her major priorities as first lady, which she emphasized in her statement.
Tammy Murphy, a native of Virginia and University of Virginia alum, worked with Phil Murphy in finance at Goldman Sachs prior to the couple relocating to New Jersey. They’re parents of four kids.
In this year’s midterm legislative elections, Democrats gained a minimum of five Assembly seats, which is a welcome development for the governor, who is nearing the end of his second term.
These victories can result in crucial county backing for the first lady, who accompanied the governor in their drive to boost their party’s legislative majorities. Important county party chairmen determine where candidates appear on the ballot, and electoral victory is often the result of party support.
According to Debbie Walsh, director of the Rutgers University Center for American Women and Politics, the system, which frequently takes political novices by surprise, might be able to elect a woman to the Senate in this particular instance.
The benefit that this particular woman has in this situation is that she can use the system, which has historically been a difficulty or obstacle to women’s participation. Perhaps that will be the breakthrough in getting the first woman elected to the Senate, Walsh speculated.
Political activist and labor leader Patricia Campos-Medina said she’s thinking about running for the Democratic nomination as well. She said she’s heard from individuals who are worried that if Menendez doesn’t come back, there may not be a Latina voice in the U.S. Senate. In addition, she expressed her belief that, like Tammy Murphy, this is a time for worker activity and a chance to defend women’s reproductive rights.
Mendham Mayor Christine Serrano Glassner is running for the Senate in 2019 on the Republican party. June 4 is New Jersey’s primary.
Within the political community of New Jersey, Murphy is well-known. She contributed to the establishment of a think tank the governor used to present policy ideas before to his first campaign for governor in 2017. She founded Nurture NJ, a program to improve maternity and newborn health and reduce maternal mortality, with the aim of reducing maternal mortality by 50% by 2026. She also serves as the honorary chair of the New Jersey Council on the Green Economy.
Tammy Murphy, a former Republican, has mentioned that she grew up in a Virginian community that leans Republican and that she had donated to the party in the past. She switched to the Democratic Party prior to her husband’s election.
Tammy Murphy was listed in a lawsuit filed this year alleging discrimination against women based on her gender by state troopers who were assigned to the governor’s security detail. According to the lawsuit, Tammy Murphy forbade a trooper from using a carriage house on her land for the purpose of nursing a baby.
She dismissed the claims as “outrageous and categorically false” in a statement released this week.
To federal allegations, Menendez has entered a not guilty plea. The senator and his spouse, Nadine Menendez, are accused by the prosecution of taking bribes from three New Jersey businesses for a range of corrupt activities over the course of the previous five years, including cash, gold bars, and a fancy car. In addition, he is charged with acting as an unregistered agent for Egypt.
Although he hasn’t stated if he will run for office again in 2024, he declared that he is “not going anywhere” following his indictment.
Echoing similar accusations the GOP attempted against the governor in his 2021 reelection bid, Menendez slammed Tammy Murphy in a statement on Wednesday for being a “card-carrying Republican for years” and said she would have to answer for the policies of her husband’s administration.
“I’ll be happy to defend the people of New Jersey with my track record of achievement against anyone,” he declared.
After Jon Corzine was elected governor of New Jersey in 2006, a vacancy in the Senate was created, and he was first appointed to the position. Since then, Menendez has been elected to the Senate three times.
Menendez’s indictment caused the Democratic Party’s support in the state to crumble.
Just one day after Menendez was charged with wrongdoing, Kim, a three-term legislator from the state’s 3rd District, declared his campaign, stating that he thought New Jersey deserved better. The U.S. House historian’s database states that he was the first Asian American elected from New Jersey.