Arkansas welcomes crypto miners

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Arkansas House targets cryptocurrency miners

Cryptominers, take note: The Arkansas House of Representatives has given final passage to a pair of bills aimed at increasing state and local control over crypto mining, a fast-growing and energy-intensive industry. I gave it.

The two bills would require digital asset mining operations to implement noise abatement strategies and remove the prohibition on local governments from enacting noise ordinances specific to crypto mining.

The bill would also require virtual currency mining operations to obtain state permits and ban foreign ownership of virtual currency mines by hostile countries such as China.

Congress is increasingly interested in cracking down on the proliferation of cryptocurrency mines in American suburbs. High-profile Virginia Sen. Danica Roem (D) has introduced several bills this year and has others in the works.

Bipartisan bill would ban children from using social media

Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) have introduced a bill that would set the minimum age for online social media users to 13. Users under 18 must obtain parental permission before using social media apps. Visit The Hill for more information.

Senators aim to add child privacy bill to FAA reauthorization

Two bills aimed at making minors safer online through data privacy updates and rules limiting potentially harmful features have been proposed as amendments to the FAA's reauthorization. The bill must be passed by a May 10 deadline. Visit The Hill for more information.

Closing argument in Google antitrust lawsuit

The Justice Department and Google made closing arguments Thursday and Friday in a government lawsuit that alleges the company maintains and operates an illegal monopoly over online search. Visit The Hill for more information.

Ministry of Finance wants to expand free tax filing

Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen told lawmakers Wednesday that the department is considering ways to expand the Direct File testing program. The program was opened to simple taxpayers in several states for the first time this year. Visit The Hill for more information.

Microsoft bans police from using AI tools

According to changes to its terms of service announced Wednesday, Microsoft will prohibit U.S. police departments from using AI generated through its Azure tools. The change specifically prohibits government agencies from using “real-time facial recognition technology” on mobile cameras. Visit TechCrunch for more information.

This week's Magnificent Seven performances

GOOG -1.7%, AMZN +2.2%, AAPL +6.1%, META +2.7%, MSFT -0.7%, NVDA +1%, TSLA -2.3%. Nasdaq-100 Tech Sector: -0.6%.

Image © JC Watson, via AP

Hawaii cracks down on short-term rentals

Hawaii's Democratic-controlled Legislature overwhelmingly voted Wednesday to allow counties to phase out short-term vacation rentals in an effort to alleviate the state's severe housing shortage.read more Pluribus News.

A surprising statistic: 5% of all homes in Hawaii are operated as short-term rentals.

Retailers oppose digital privacy bill

Large retailers in Vermont and Maine, including L.L. Bean and Orbis, opposed comprehensive consumer data privacy legislation this year, creating another hurdle for legislation typically opposed by Amazon and other tech giants. Retailers say they are struggling to adapt to a patchwork of laws from other states. For more information, please visit Pluribus News.

Supreme Court won't block Texas anti-porn law

The Supreme Court has refused to block a Texas law that requires pornographic websites to verify the age of their users. The High Court has dismissed an emergency appeal brought by the Free Speech Coalition, a trade group for the adult entertainment industry. Visit The Hill for more information.

May 7th: Match Group, Electronic Arts, and Lyft report first-quarter earnings.

Also on May 7th: Apple is holding a special virtual event where the new iPad is expected to be unveiled. For more information, visit The Verge.

May 9th: Bloomberg Technology Summit, San Francisco.Please see here for the detail

Snapchat will be adding new features, including the ability to edit unread messages that users have already sent. The change will allow users to edit their posts within five minutes of submission, similar to X's premium service. For more information, visit The Verge.

Investing in the space insurance business is a risky gamble. Space insurance companies paid out $995 million in claims in 2023 as low Earth orbit becomes more crowded. The average spacing between satellites has decreased by 33% in the last year alone. For more information, please visit The Register.

Everyone has caught up!

see you next week.