Business

(NEW YORK) — The U.S. economy shattered expectations in recent weeks, extending a run of overachievement that has quieted some of the most skeptical economists.

Americans, however, remain sour. Less than 3 in 10 adults rate current economic conditions as “excellent” or “good,” a Pew survey last month found.

The dynamic holds significant implications for a potential general election rematch between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump. The economy is the top issue for voters, an ABC News/Ipsos poll in November found.

The disconnect between triumphant economic performance and glum sentiment traces in part to elevated prices at the grocery store or in the housing market, as well as a partisan reluctance among some to acknowledge success under Biden, experts told ABC News.

But, they added, the enthusiasm gap may also owe to the divergent economic performance between states, and even between localities within those states. This uneven reality betrays the rosy nationwide picture, especially when it comes to the challenge posed by high expenses, experts said.

“It really does depend on where you’re living,” Lee Bowes, CEO of job-placement firm America Works, which provides training and resources for low-income people nationwide, told ABC News. “A place like Fresno, by California standards, is a less expensive place to live. San Francisco is a complete disaster.”

At the national level, the economy performs well on just about every measure of economic health. Inflation is falling, job growth is surging and gross domestic product is proving much more resilient than expected in the aftermath of near-historic interest rate hikes.

Since the middle of last year, the pace of wage growth has even exceeded that of inflation, leaving earners with more money to spend, Bureau of Labor Statistics data shows.

An ABC News analysis of state-level economic data, however, shows a sizable gap between the best-performing states and localities, and the worst-performing ones.

Seven states grapple with a convergence of three negative trends: lower-than-average growth, above-average unemployment and above-average gas prices. Some of those states are among the nation’s most populous, including California, New York and New Jersey.

Within those states, some cities face much more difficulty than others. In New York City, for example, the unemployment rate stands at 5.4%, far exceeding the nationwide rate of 3.7%.

Meanwhile, expenses in the borough of Manhattan are 122% higher than the average city, according to the Cost of Living Index from the Council for Community and Economic Research. Only 3 in 100 home listings in New York City are affordable for a typical household, a Redfin report found.

“Let’s not kid ourselves, prices are way up,” Mark Jaffe, CEO of the Greater New York Chamber of Commerce, told ABC News, citing a steep rise in prices compared to where they stood pre-pandemic. “It’s a huge problem.”

By contrast, eight states boast better-than-average unemployment, GDP growth and gas prices. An additional state, North Dakota, stands tied for the nation’s lowest unemployment rate and holds one of its lowest average gas prices.

North Dakota’s largest city, Fargo, carries the second-lowest unemployment rate of any metropolitan area in the U.S., Bureau of Labor Statistics data show. Further, the city has lower-than-average cost of living and higher-than-average median income.

“Many would not think Fargo is having the growth that it is,” Shannon Full, president and CEO of the Fargo Moorhead West Fargo Chamber of Commerce, told ABC News.

The city plays host to a growing tech sector, focused especially on agricultural products such as autonomous farming equipment, Full added.

“That’s one of our best kept secrets,” she said.

Full characterized sentiment among businesses and consumers as “cautious optimism,” citing the opportunity afforded by a combination of strong job growth and affordable cost of living.

To be sure, attitudes about the economy have improved in recent months, data shows. Consumer sentiment soared in January but remains well below pre-pandemic levels, a University of Michigan survey found.

When asked whether they prefer Biden or Trump on the issue of handling the economy, voters chose Trump by a margin of more than 20 percentage points, according to an NBC News poll released on Sunday.

In a statement to ABC News, Biden campaign spokesperson Seth Schuster touted the current state of the economy, saying it puts the campaign in a position to win reelection.

“President Biden is proud to run on a record of falling inflation, historically low unemployment, and rising consumer confidence — a winning economic record Donald Trump could only dream of,” Schuster said.

The Biden campaign did not respond directly to ABC News’ question about the disconnect between economic performance and consumer sentiment.

Dennis Hoffman, an economics professor at the University of Arizona, said overall negative sentiment about the economy derives in part from conservative voters who refuse to offer a positive assessment because the current president belongs to the opposition party.

“This group will say the economy is terrible, then they hang up the phone, order off of Amazon and go out to dinner,” Hoffman told ABC News. “They go on with their lives and they’re fine.”

Still, Hoffman added, the variation in economic conditions across states and localities could also help explain the gap between economic sentiment and performance.

“It’s a possible explanation,” Hoffman said. “Some states are more dynamic than others.”

How is your state’s economy doing?

Each statewide statistic is followed by one of the following:

• + = better than where the metric stands nationwide
• — = worse than where the metric stands nationwide
• * = matches where the metric stands nationwide

Nationwide

•     Unemployment: 3.7%
•     GDP growth: 4.9%
•     Gas prices: $3.15
•     Home prices: $402,646
•     Median income: $74,580

Alabama

•     Unemployment: 2.6% +
•     GDP growth: 4.1% —
•     Gas prices: $2.89 +
•     Home prices: $271,300 +
•     Median income: $59,110 —

Alaska

•     Unemployment: 4.5% —
•     GDP growth: 4.1% —
•     Gas prices: $3.49 —
•     Home prices: $370,700 +
•     Median income: $89,740 +

Arizona

•     Unemployment: 4.3% —
•     GDP growth: 4.9% *
•     Gas prices: $3.24 —
•     Home prices: $430,000 —
•     Median income: $73,450 —

Arkansas

•     Unemployment: 3.4% +
•     GDP growth: 0.7% —
•     Gas prices: $3.24 +
•     Home prices: $241,300 +
•     Median income: $73,450 +

California

•     Unemployment: 5.1% —
•     GDP growth: 4.8% —
•     Gas prices: $4.58 —
•     Home prices: $756,800 —
•     Median income: $85,300 +

Colorado

•     Unemployment: 3.4% +
•     GDP growth: 5.8% +
•     Gas prices: $2.75 +
•     Home prices: $548,200 —
•     Median income: $89,930 +

Connecticut

•     Unemployment: 3.8% —
•     GDP growth: 4.7% —
•     Gas prices: $3.21 —
•     Home prices: $380,400 +
•     Median income: $90,730 +

Delaware

•     Unemployment: 4.2% —
•     GDP growth: 3.3% —
•     Gas prices: $3.15 —
•     Home prices: $337,600 +
•     Median income: $80,750 +

Florida

•     Unemployment: 3.0% +
•     GDP growth: 6.1% +
•     Gas prices: $3.21 —
•     Home prices: $403,800 —
•     Median income: $65,370 —

Georgia

•     Unemployment: 3.4% +
•     GDP growth: 4.5% —
•     Gas prices: $3.02 +
•     Home prices: $355,800 +
•     Median income: $67,730 —

Hawaii

•     Unemployment: 2.9% +
•     GDP growth: 3.7% —
•     Gas prices: $4.67 —
•     Home prices: $757,800 —
•     Median income: $91,010 +

Idaho

•     Unemployment: 3.3% +
•     GDP growth: 7.0% +
•     Gas prices: $2.90 +
•     Home prices: $460,900 —
•     Median income: $72,580 —

Illinois

•     Unemployment: 4.8% —
•     GDP growth: 4.1% —
•     Gas prices: $3.20 —
•     Home prices: $257,100 +
•     Median income: $78,020 +

Indiana

•     Unemployment: 3.6% +
•     GDP growth: 4.8% —
•     Gas prices: $2.96 +
•     Home prices: $240,000 +
•     Median income: $70,030 —

Iowa

•     Unemployment: 3.2% +
•     GDP growth: 4.1% —
•     Gas prices: $2.83 +
•     Home prices: $221,400 +
•     Median income: $76,200 +

Kansas

•     Unemployment: 2.8% +
•     GDP growth: 9.7% +
•     Gas prices: $2.76 +
•     Home prices: $253,800 +
•     Median income: $73,040 —

Kentucky

•     Unemployment: 4.3% —
•     GDP growth: 4.9% *
•     Gas prices: $2.84 +
•     Home prices: $243,100 +
•     Median income: $55,880 —

Louisiana

•     Unemployment: 3.7% *
•     GDP growth: 6.6% +
•     Gas prices: $2.85 +
•     Home prices: $241,100 +
•     Median income: $58,330 —

Maine

•     Unemployment: 3.2% +
•     GDP growth: 4.9% *
•     Gas prices: $3.20 —
•     Home prices: $363,600 +
•     Median income: $75,160 +

Maryland

•     Unemployment: 1.9% +
•     GDP growth: 2.7% —
•     Gas prices: $3.20 —
•     Home prices: $395,400 +
•     Median income: $108,200 +

Massachusetts

•     Unemployment: 3.2% +
•     GDP growth: 4.8% —
•     Gas prices: $3.15 *
•     Home prices: $577,400 —
•     Median income: $93,550 +

Michigan

•     Unemployment: 4.3% —
•     GDP growth: 2.9% —
•     Gas prices: $2.99 +
•     Home prices: $229,600 +
•     Median income: $68,990 —

Minnesota

•     Unemployment: 2.9% +
•     GDP growth: 4.1% —
•     Gas prices: $2.89 +
•     Home prices: $321,500 +
•     Median income: $90,390 +

Mississippi

•     Unemployment: 3.3% +
•     GDP growth: 0.8% —
•     Gas prices: $2.75 +
•     Home prices: $228,800 +
•     Median income: $48,610 —

Missouri

•     Unemployment: 3.3% +
•     GDP growth: 4.0% —
•     Gas prices: $2.80 +
•     Home prices: $240,000 +
•     Median income: $71,520 —

Montana

•     Unemployment: 3.2% +
•     GDP growth: 4.2% —
•     Gas prices: $2.90 +
•     Home prices: $515,100 —
•     Median income: $72,980 —

Nebraska

•     Unemployment: 2.3% +
•     GDP growth: 7.5% +
•     Gas prices: $2.83 +
•     Home prices: $271,600 +
•     Median income: $78,360 +

Nevada

•     Unemployment: 5.4% —
•     GDP growth: 6.3% +
•     Gas prices: $3.85 —
•     Home prices: $434,800 —
•     Median income: $72,300 —

New Hampshire

•     Unemployment: 2.5% +
•     GDP growth: 4.5% —
•     Gas prices: $3.09 +
•     Home prices: $440,300 —
•     Median income: $84,970 +

New Jersey

•     Unemployment: 4.8% —
•     GDP growth: 4.8% —
•     Gas prices: $3.14 +
•     Home prices: $484,500 —
•     Median income: $92,340 +

New Mexico

•     Unemployment: 4.0% —
•     GDP growth: 5.7% +
•     Gas prices: $2.84 +
•     Home prices: $329,200 +
•     Median income: $56,420 —

New York

•     Unemployment: 4.5% —
•     GDP growth: 3.5% —
•     Gas prices: $3.28 —
•     Home prices: $499,200 —
•     Median income: $75,910 +

North Carolina

•     Unemployment: 3.5% +
•     GDP growth: 4.6% —
•     Gas prices: $2.99 +
•     Home prices: $358,500 +
•     Median income: $65,070 —

North Dakota

•     Unemployment: 1.9% +
•     GDP growth: 2.9% —
•     Gas prices: $2.82 +
•     Home prices: $235,200 +
•     Median income: $78,720 +

Ohio

•     Unemployment: 3.7% *
•     GDP growth: 4.6% —
•     Gas prices: $3.00 +
•     Home prices: $221,800 +
•     Median income: $67,520 —

Oklahoma

•     Unemployment: 3.4% +
•     GDP growth: 6.0% +
•     Gas prices: $2.68 +
•     Home prices: $230,700 +
•     Median income: $63,440 —

Oregon

•     Unemployment: 3.7% *
•     GDP growth: 4.8% —
•     Gas prices: $3.60 —
•     Home prices: $491,100 —
•     Median income: $86,780 +

Pennsylvania

•     Unemployment: 3.5% +
•     GDP growth: 5.6% +
•     Gas prices: $3.38 —
•     Home prices: $270,700 +
•     Median income: $72,210 —

Rhode Island

•     Unemployment: 3.2% +
•     GDP growth: 3.9% —
•     Gas prices: $3.09 +
•     Home prices: $452,200 —
•     Median income: $80,650 +

South Carolina

•     Unemployment: 3.0% +
•     GDP growth: 5.7% +
•     Gas prices: $2.90 +
•     Home prices: $363,600 +
•     Median income: $61,770 —

South Dakota

•     Unemployment: 2.0% +
•     GDP growth: 5.2% +
•     Gas prices: $2.82 +
•     Home prices: $299,300 +
•     Median income: $67,180 —

Tennessee

•     Unemployment: 3.5% +
•     GDP growth: 5.2% +
•     Gas prices: $2.84 +
•     Home prices: $371,800 +
•     Median income: $65,380 —

Texas

•     Unemployment: 4.0% —
•     GDP growth: 7.7% +
•     Gas prices: $2.84 +
•     Home prices: $343,600 +
•     Median income: $74,640 +

Utah

•     Unemployment: 2.8% +
•     GDP growth: 6.1% +
•     Gas prices: $2.83 +
•     Home prices: $537,800 —
•     Median income: $95,800 +

Vermont

•     Unemployment: 2.2% +
•     GDP growth: 3.9% —
•     Gas prices: $3.22 —
•     Home prices: $376,600 +
•     Median income: $72,190 —

Virginia

•     Unemployment: 3.0% +
•     GDP growth: 4.2% —
•     Gas prices: $3.05 +
•     Home prices: $408,000 —
•     Median income: $85,170 +

Washington

•     Unemployment: 4.2% —
•     GDP growth: 5.1% +
•     Gas prices: $3.92 —
•     Home prices: $588,000 —
•     Median income: $89,430 +

West Virginia

•     Unemployment: 4.3% —
•     GDP growth: 3.7% —
•     Gas prices: $3.01 +
•     Home prices: $282,000 +
•     Median income: $52,460 —

Wisconsin

•     Unemployment: 3.3% +
•     GDP growth: 5.0% +
•     Gas prices: $2.81 +
•     Home prices: $275,400 +
•     Median income: $73,330 —

Wyoming

•     Unemployment: 3.0% +
•     GDP growth: 5.7% +
•     Gas prices: $2.68 +
•     Home prices: $392,100 +
•     Median income: $73,090 —

Sources:

•  Unemployment: Seasonally adjusted unemployment rate by state in December 2023, per U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
• GDP growth: Real gross domestic product growth in the third quarter of 2023, at an annual rate, per U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis.
• Gas prices: Average price per gallon of gas on Feb. 7, 2024, per AAA.
• Home prices: Median home prices in December 2023, per Redfin.
• Median income: Inflation-adjusted median household income by state for 2022, per St. Louis Federal Reserve.

Copyright © 2024, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(NEW YORK) — Homeland Security Investigations is cracking down on counterfeit goods before Super Bowl LVIII, a top HSI official told ABC News.

“We’re looking at folks, criminal organizations who are taking advantage of large-scale sporting events,” Jim Mancuso, head of the Homeland Security Investigations National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination (IPR) Center said. “And they’re trying to make a quick buck and they’re selling counterfeit merchandise.”

He said the IPR Center works with brands, associations and academia to better crack down on counterfeit merchandise.

Homeland Security Investigations runs “Operation Team Player,” which is focused specifically on fake sports merchandise.

Over the past year, HSI has seized $28.1 million in counterfeit goods, according to the agency. That includes 94,000 pieces of counterfeit sports merchandise.

“The Super Bowl is a great opportunity for the IPR center and team player to really educate the consumers to say, listen, there are scams out there,” Mancuso said. He doesn’t want Americans to spend their hard earned money on “substandard, inferior products.”

China is the number one exporter of fake goods, Mancuso said.

“The number one location for counterfeit merchandise, not just sporting equipment, but all types of merchandise, the number one location is China,” he said. “Hong Kong is the number two. And that’s where we’re seeing these these items come in from.”

Entering bank or credit card information into websites that sell fake goods could also expose consumers to fraud.

“So as a consumer, if I’m on a shady website, it’s not an authentic website from a true brick and mortar store [or ] it’s a known website that’s reputable, then I’m taking my chances,” he said. “If I’m giving my credit card details, I’ve now just exposed all that personal identifiable information.”

The counterfeiting enterprise is a trillion-dollar business, Mancuso said.

“What that’s doing is that’s robbing American innovation, creativity and all the proprietary stuff that makes the United States great in terms of what we give the world,” he said. “It’s being ripped off, sold at low cost, inferior quality products, and sometimes they can pose an inherent health and safety risk to the American people.”

Copyright © 2024, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(NEW YORK) — ESPN, Warner Discovery and Fox Sports announced Tuesday that they will partner to create a massive new streaming network dedicated to sports.

ESPN is owned by the Walt Disney Company, the parent company of ABC News.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

Copyright © 2024, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(NEW YORK) — Meta will begin labeling images created by OpenAI, Midjourney and other artificial intelligence products, Nick Clegg, the company’s president of global affairs, announced in an interview with ABC’s “Good Morning America” on Tuesday.

The labels, set to roll out in the coming months, will identify AI-generated images posted on Facebook, Instagram and Threads, Clegg said. Images created by a Meta’s own tool will also be labeled, Clegg added.

“I hope this is a big step forward in trying to make sure that people know what they’re looking at, and they know where what they’re looking at comes from,” Clegg told GMA. “As the difference between human and synthetic content gets blurred, people want to know where the boundary lies.”

The labels, however, will not be a “perfect solution,” Clegg acknowledged, citing the scale and complexity of AI-generated content on the platforms.

Meta cannot currently identify AI-generated audio and video produced using outside tech platforms, Clegg said in a blog post on Tuesday. To address this issue, Meta will add a feature that allows users to voluntarily label audio or video as AI-generated when they upload it to a platform, Clegg said.

The risks posed by AI-generated content have stoked wide concern in recent weeks.

Fake, sexually explicit AI-generated images of pop star Taylor Swift went viral on social media late last month, garnering millions of views. In response, the White House called on Congress and tech firms to take action.

“While social media companies make their own independent decisions about content management, we believe they have an important role to play in enforcing their own rules to prevent the spread of misinformation, and non-consensual, intimate imagery of real people,” White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told ABC News White House correspondent Karen Travers.

Another incident last month drew attention to election risks posed by AI. A fake robocall impersonating President Joe Biden’s voice discouraged individuals from voting in the New Hampshire Primary.

As Americans head to the polls in 2024, tech companies should take action to assure users that they will be able to identify whether or not online content is authentic, Clegg said.

“In an election year like this, it’s incumbent upon us as an industry to make sure we do as much as the technology allows to provide as much visibility to people so they can distinguish between what’s synthetic and what’s not synthetic,” Clegg added.

In September, a bipartisan group of senators proposed a bill that would ban the use of deceptive AI content falsely portraying candidates for federal office in political ads.

When asked whether Meta supports the bill, Clegg said he backs legislation regulating AI but did not specifically comment on the Senate measure.

“I think it’s right that you have certain guardrails in place to make sure that there’s proper transparency about how these big AI models are built, to make sure that they’re properly stress tested so they’re as safe as they can be,” Clegg said. “Yes, I think there’s definitely a role for governments.”

Meta plans to label AI-generated images through next year because “a number of important elections are taking place around the world,” Clegg said in the blog post. The extended period of time will afford Meta an opportunity to evaluate its efforts.

“What we learn will inform industry best practices and our own approach going forward,” Clegg said.

 

Copyright © 2024, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(NEW YORK) — Bissell, a floor cleaning product company, recalled over 150,000 of its Multi Reach Hand and Floor Vacuum Cleaners due to a potential fire hazard, according to an announcement on the United States Product Safety Commission and a separate announcement on the company’s website.

According to the USPSC’s release posted on Thursday, the vacuum’s battery pack has the potential to “overheat and smoke, posing a fire hazard.”

The announcement said 142,000 units were recalled in the United States. Additionally, about 14,600 units were sold in Canada.

According to the announcement, Bissell had been notified of “17 reports of the recalled vacuum cleaners smoking and emitting a burning odor.”

“Six of the reports included the battery pack catching fire, three of which resulted in minor property damage and two resulting in minor burn injuries,” the release stated.

“Consumer safety is our top priority, and we are working in full cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) to voluntarily recall our Multi Reach™ Hand and Floor Vacuum Cleaners,” a statement read from a Bissell spokesperson provided to “Good Morning America.”

“We are asking all consumers to stop using the vacuum immediately, and to visit www.BISSELL.com/recall in which they can learn more about impacted models and steps to receive a free replacement,” concluded the statement.

The products were sold in-store at major retailers including Lowe’s, Macy’s, Kohl’s, Target, Walmart and Best Buy and online at www.bissell.com, www.amazon.com and www.hsn.com.

The retailers did not immediately respond to requests for comment by the time of publication.

The release asks consumers to cease use of the vacuums and contact the company “for instructions on how to deplete the charge on the battery and receive a free replacement vacuum.”

Rather than disposing of the recalled lithium batteries in the trash, the release stated to dispose the batteries “in accordance with any local and state laws.”

“These potentially hazardous batteries must be handled differently than other batteries,” states the release, adding “Do not deposit this recalled battery in used battery recycling boxes found at various retail and home improvement stores.”

The specific model numbers impacted by the recall are 1985, 19851 (also called Multi Auto), 19859, 1985T, 2151, 21512, 21513, 21517, 21518, 21519, 2151A, 2151T, 2151W and 2151V.

The release notes consumers can locate their model number on the product rating label behind the dirt tank.

Copyright © 2024, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(WASHINGTON) — Chief executive officers of some of the biggest social media companies, from Facebook to Snapchat, were questioned Wednesday in a Senate hearing on Capitol Hill .

Filling the seats behind them were parents, caregivers and loved ones of young people who they say were harmed due to social media use.

In an emotional moment during the hearing, Mark Zuckerberg, the CEO of Meta, Facebook and Instagram’s parent company, turned to them and delivered an apology.

“It’s terrible. No one should have to go through the things that your families have suffered,” Zuckerberg said while standing and speaking directly to the families, many of whom held up large photos of their loved ones. “And this is why we invest so much and are going to continue doing industry-leading efforts to make sure that no one has to go through the things your families have had to suffer.”

In addition to Zuckerberg, the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing, which was intended to increase support for federal legislation to safeguard children online, also included testimony from X’s Linda Yaccarino, TikTok’s Shou Zi Chew, Snap’s Evan Spiegel and Discord’s Jason Citron.

Each of the five CEOs addressed the families in the room, giving their condolences to people whose children and loved ones died due to factors including suicide and drug overdoses.

“I’m so sorry that we have not been able to prevent these tragedies,” Spiegel said to families whose children died after allegedly purchasing drugs on Snapchat, an issue over which Snap is facing a class action lawsuit.

Here are four questions answered about the hearing and online safety, as parents and caregivers try to navigate both:

1. Why was the hearing held at this time?

The hearing took place as legislators try to drum up support for federal regulation of social media companies around online safety, arguing the companies have not done enough on their own to protect kids.

The hearing also comes as experts continue to ring alarms about the impact of social media on young people.

According to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, daily cyber tips of child sexual abuse material online have gone up tenfold in the past 10 years, reaching 100,000 daily reports in 2023. The FBI has said that last year alone, it received over 13,000 reports of online “sextortion.”

Last year, the American Psychological Association issued first-of-its-kind recommendations intended to help teenagers use social media safely, including setting time limits, encouraging family discussions about social media and parental monitoring.

The U.S. Surgeon General last year issued an advisory warning of an urgent public health issue regarding social media usage and youth mental health.

Most social media platforms currently have a minimum user age of 13.

In his opening remarks at Wednesday’s hearing, Zuckerberg pushed back on the link between social media and young people’s negative mental health.

“With so much of our lives spent on mobile devices and social media, it’s important to look into the effects on teen mental health and well-being. I take this very seriously,” Zuckerberg said. “Mental health is a complex issue and the existing body of scientific work has not shown a causal link between using social media and young people having worse mental health outcomes.”

2. Did social media CEOs and legislators reach any consensus?

In short answer, no.

Spiegel, the head of Snapchat, offered his support again on Wednesday for The Kids Online Safety Act, or KOSA bill, which aims to remove “harmful ads and posts, such as addiction, eating disorders, and suicide from showing up on children’s accounts,” according to supporters of the bill.

Yaccarino said X was also supportive of KOSA, but Chew, Citron and Zuckerberg didn’t commit to backing the bill in its current form.

Yaccarino said she also supported the SHIELD Act, which would allow criminal prosecution of people who share others’ private images online without consent, and the Stop CSAM Act, a bill to crack down on the proliferation of child sex abuse material. Asked if he supported the CSAM measure, Chew said the spirit of the bill is “in line with what we want to do” and that the company would comply if it became law.

Zuckerberg said he agrees with the “goals” in some of the handful of bills that address online safety, but not the specifics, and touted Meta’s own legislative proposal instead.

Both Senate Judiciary Committee Chair Dick Durbin of Illinois and ranking member Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina said the time for Congress to act is now.

Durbin noted Congress’ role in the failure to push federal legislation forward, saying, “The tech industry alone is not to blame for the situation we’re in, those of us in Congress need to look in the mirror.”

Graham said Republicans are “ready to answer the call.”

3. How did parents at the hearing react to the CEOs’ testimony?

Sam Chapman, the father of Sammy, a 16-year-old who died in 2021 after overdosing on a fentanyl-laced pill he allegedly obtained from a person he met on Snapchat, told ABC News he felt Zuckerberg’s apology was “halfhearted.”

“I felt like it was a halfhearted apology … and he didn’t really apologize directly, it was sort of around the corner,” Chapman told ABC News’ Kyra Phillips following Wednesday’s hearing.

South Carolina state Rep. Brandon Guffey, who blames Instagram for the death of his teenage son due to suicide, called Zuckerberg a “liar” after the hearing.

“Your actions speak louder than words,” he told ABC News’ Selina Wang, referencing Zuckerberg’s apology to the families.

Another victim at the hearing, Leah Juliett, said when they were 15, they had no recourse after photos showing their naked body were “disseminated like trading cards” on Facebook Messenger and then uploaded to Facebook.

Juliett described to ABC News what it was like to be in the same room as Zuckerberg Wednesday, saying, “The man who initially exploited my body is currently incarcerated, but the man who allowed my abuse to spread on Facebook was in that hearing room with me moments ago. His name is Mark Zuckerberg.”

4. What can parents and caregivers do to help keep kids safe on social media?

Diana Graber, a digital literacy expert and author of the book Raising Humans in a Digital World, told ABC News that parents do not have to wait for legislators and social media companies to act.

“We are empowered with so many tools to keep our kids safe,” Graber said. “And we can’t sit back and expect technology companies to do that, because that’s not why they’re in business.”

Graber, also the founder of Cyber Civics, a digital literacy curriculum, said her top tip for parents is to at “ground zero” with their child when it comes to social media.

“You want to be with them every step of the way, introducing them to technology that’s developmentally appropriate. Do it with them, be curious with them and be excited with them,” Graber said. “When they turn 13 and they join Instagram or whatever platform, they’re used to having you in their world, and you can be shocked together or curious together.”

She continued, “Then, if and when something bad happens … it’s normal and natural for them to talk to you about it, because you’ve done it with them forever.”

When a child signs up for a social media platform, Graber said the child’s parents or caregivers should sign up too so they can learn and explore the platform together.

Just like with other aspects of family life, Graber said parents should have emergency plans with their kids when it comes to social media too.

“If something bad happens, every kid should know what to do,” Graber said, noting that social media apps have settings that allow users to block people and to report unsettling or unwanted interactions. “Go through your settings and take advantage of what the social media companies will allow you to control.”

She continued, “Really teaching that to teenagers is wonderful because they want that agency, and walking them through the steps of doing that is letting them control their online experience.”

Copyright © 2024, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(ORLANDO, Fla.) — A federal judge in Florida has dismissed a lawsuit filed by Disney against Gov. Ron DeSantis and other state officials over the state legislature’s decision to alter the governing structure of the Reedy Creek Improvement District.

Disney had argued in the lawsuit, filed last April, that the change to the district, for which the company was the main landowner, was made in retaliation for criticism of the Parental Rights in Education Act, known by opponents as the “Don’t Say Gay” bill.

The Florida Legislature voted to dissolve the former governing board of the district and create a DeSantis-appointed Central Florida Tourism Oversight District in its place. The board voided a contract made before the CFTOD was in place, according to the lawsuit.

DeSantis has been at odds with Disney since it publicly criticized a DeSantis-backed controversial Florida law that restricts content concerning sexual orientation and gender identity in grades kindergarten through third grade.

Disney, citing concerns of discrimination, had said it “should never have passed and should never have been signed into law.”

Taryn Fenske, the communications director for DeSantis, told ABC News when the lawsuit was filed, “We are unaware of any legal right that a company has to operate its own government or maintain special privileges not held by other businesses in the state.”

DeSantis and J. Alex Kelly, the secretary of Florida’s Department of Commerce, had argued a lack of standing and 11th Amendment immunity in the case, both of which Winsor agreed on, while the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District argued a lack of merit in the case.

“The clerk will enter a judgment that says, ‘This case was resolved on motions to dismiss. Plaintiff’s claims against the Governor and the Department Secretary are dismissed without prejudice for lack of subject matter jurisdiction. Plaintiff’s claims against the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District board members are dismissed on the merits for failure to state a claim,” U.S. District Judge Allen Winsor, who was appointed by then-President Donald Trump in 2018, wrote in concluding his decision.

Winsor wrote that Disney had not shown standing to sue the governor or secretary.

“The analysis could be different if the Governor had not yet made any appointments,” Winsor wrote. “But as things stand, if this court enjoined future appointments, Disney would face the same situation it faces now: it would be operating under the CFTOD board, over which it has no control. Stopping hypothetical future appointments would not redress any alleged imminent harm.”

The lawsuit was dismissed without prejudice, meaning it can be brought again with proper standing.

“This is an important case with serious implications for the rule of law, and it will not end here,” a Disney spokesperson said. “If left unchallenged, this would set a dangerous precedent and give license to states to weaponize their official powers to punish the expression of political viewpoints they disagree with. We are determined to press forward with our case.”

Disney is the parent company of ABC News.

Copyright © 2024, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(WASHINGTON) — The Federal Reserve left rates unchanged on Wednesday, delaying highly anticipated rate cuts that the central bank expects to make sometime this year.

The fed funds rate remains between 5.25% and 5.5%

“The Committee seeks to achieve maximum employment and inflation at the rate of 2 percent over the longer run,” the Fed said in a statement. “The Committee judges that the risks to achieving its employment and inflation goals are moving into better balance.”

This is the fourth meeting in a row that the Fed has not raised rates – the longest pause on the aggressive rate hiking cycle that started in March 2022.

The next opportunity for a rate move will take place at a meeting in March.

An aggressive series of rate hikes since last year has spurred an increase in borrowing costs for everything from mortgages to credit cards to auto loans. But the Fed has signaled that it plans to ease rates in response to falling inflation.

The rate decision arrives days after fresh data showed that the U.S. economy cooled in its latest quarter but performed much better than forecasters expected, boosting optimism about the nation’s prospects for averting a recession.

The resilient economic performance could relieve some pressure on the Fed to move quickly toward rate cuts.

Interest rate cuts would lower borrowing costs for consumers and businesses, potentially triggering a burst of economic activity through greater household spending and company investment.

But the Fed risks a rebound of inflation if it cuts interest rates too quickly, since stronger consumer demand could lead to an acceleration of price increases.

Federal Reserve Governor Christopher Waller said earlier this month that the central bank expects to cut rates this year, but it won’t be “rushed” to make the decision soon.

Deliberations at the Fed over a possible rate cut have come amid a flurry of positive indicators.

A jobs report earlier this month showed hiring in December remained robust and far surpassed expectations.

Still, inflation remains elevated. Inflation has fallen significantly from its peak of 9% last year but in recent months has encountered bumps in its path toward normal levels.

The pace of price increases stands more than a percentage point higher than the Fed’s target rate of 2%.

Those remarks helped send treasury yields soaring and major stock indexes tumbling. Since then, however, the stock market has moved steadily upward.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed above 38,000 for the first time last week, setting a record high. Since then, the index has ticked up more than a percentage point.

The recent surge follows a stellar showing for markets in 2023, driven in large part by optimism about the prospects for a “soft landing,” in which inflation comes down to normal levels while the economy avoids a recession.

The International Monetary Fund released a forecast on Tuesday voicing its expectation of a soft landing for the U.S. The U.S. will expand at an annual rate of 2.5% this year, the IMF said, predicting a slowdown from the previous year but an improved outlook from a prior forecast.

ABC News’ Taylor M. Dunn contributed to this report.

Copyright © 2024, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(NEW YORK) — Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun took responsibility for a door plug getting blown out of an Alaska Airlines flight over Oregon earlier this month in the company’s fourth quarter earnings call Wednesday.

“We caused the problem,” Calhoun said.

Calhoun said that while the company reported its fourth quarter and 2023 results, “my focus is on Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 and the actions we are taking as a company to earn the confidence of our customers, the confidence of our regulators and the flying public.”

“Boeing is accountable for what happened,” Calhoun said. “Whatever the specific cause of the accident might turn out to be, an event like this must simply not happen on an airplane that leaves one of our factories. We simply must be better. Our customers deserve better.”

Calhoun said he expects results from the National Transportation Safety Board investigation in “relatively short order.”

Calhoun said Boeing instituted additional quality controls and inspections, issued bulletins to suppliers to strengthen the focus on performance and reduce the risk of quality escapes, opened factories to 737 operators for additional oversight, appointed a quality adviser to conduct a comprehensive and independent review of Boeing’s commercial airplane quality management system and paused 737 production for a day “at a scale we have never done before” to address quality.

Calhoun said the company will “encourage and reward employees for speaking up.”

Boeing currently produces 38 737s per month, and the company will maintain that scale due to restrictions from the Federal Aviation Administration.

Boeing did not issue a financial outlook for 2024.

“Now is not the time for that,” Calhoun said.

Boeing made $22 billion in revenue in the fourth quarter and $77 billion in 2023, according to financial statements.

Alaska Airlines resumed flying the Boeing 737 Max 9 following fleet inspections for the first time on Friday.

 

Copyright © 2024, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(WASHINGTON) — Washington, D.C., and Wall Street will closely watch an announcement from the Federal Reserve on Wednesday about whether to shift its benchmark interest rate.

The move marks the first such decision since the Fed said last month that it expects to cut rates in 2024.

Economists expect the Fed to leave rates unchanged, delaying rate cuts until later in the year. The next opportunity for a rate move will take place at a meeting in March.

An aggressive series of rate hikes since last year has spurred an increase in borrowing costs for everything from mortgages to credit cards to auto loans. But the Fed has signaled that it plans to ease rates in response to falling inflation.

The rate decision is set to arrive days after fresh data showed that the U.S. economy cooled in its latest quarter but performed much better than forecasters expected, boosting optimism about the nation’s prospects for averting a recession.

Gross domestic product, adjusted for inflation, grew at a 3.3% annual rate over the final three months of last year, according to data from the U.S. Commerce Department.

The resilient economic performance could relieve some pressure on the Fed to move quickly toward rate cuts.

Interest rate cuts would lower borrowing costs for consumers and businesses, potentially triggering a burst of economic activity through greater household spending and company investment.

But the Fed risks a rebound of inflation if it cuts interest rates too quickly, since stronger consumer demand could lead to an acceleration of price increases.

Federal Reserve Governor Christopher Waller said earlier this month that the central bank expects to cut rates this year, but it won’t be “rushed” to make the decision soon.

The GDP data, widely viewed as the prevailing measure of a nation’s economic health, comes amid a flurry of positive indicators.

A jobs report earlier this month showed hiring in December remained robust and far surpassed expectations.

Still, inflation remains elevated. Inflation has fallen significantly from its peak of 9% last year but in recent months has encountered bumps in its path toward normal levels.

The pace of price increases stands more than a percentage point higher than the Fed’s target rate of 2%.

Those remarks helped send treasury yields soaring and major stock indexes tumbling. Since then, however, the stock market has moved steadily upward.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed above 38,000 for the first time last week, setting a record high. Since then, the index has ticked up more than a percentage point.

The recent surge follows a stellar showing for markets in 2023, driven in large part by optimism about the prospects for a “soft landing,” in which inflation comes down to normal levels while the economy avoids a recession.

The International Monetary Fund released a forecast on Tuesday voicing its expectation of a soft landing for the U.S. The U.S. will expand at an annual rate of 2.5% this year, the IMF said, predicting a slowdown from the previous year but an improved outlook from a prior forecast.

Copyright © 2024, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.