Washington partnered with a bipartisan coalition of 38 AGs in federal antitrust lawsuit
SEATTLE — Attorney General Bob Ferguson issued the following statement after a federal judge in Washington, D.C., agreed with his lawsuit that technology giant Google unlawfully leverages its dominance in the online search and related text advertising markets through exclusionary contracts, harming both consumers and advertisers.
“Google undermines competition and squelches innovation to protect its profits. Today’s ruling from a federal judge affirms the evidence presented by our bipartisan coalition: Google wields monopoly power over online search. Fair competition ensures a robust, healthy marketplace where the consumer is the priority. Google’s unlawful monopoly cripples competition and harms consumers. We will continue holding powerful interests accountable when they engage in unfair, anticompetitive conduct that harms Washingtonians.”
U.S. District Court Judge Amit P. Mehta today agreed with the attorneys general and the Department of Justice — which filed a separate but similar lawsuit — that Google violated Section 2 of the Sherman Antitrust Act by maintaining a monopoly over its general search and text advertising businesses.
Case background
Ferguson joined the bipartisan group of 38 attorneys general to file the lawsuit in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia in December of 2020. The lawsuit asserts that Google and its parent company Alphabet Inc. used exclusionary contracts and unlawful self-preferencing business practices to protect its monopoly, harming consumers, undermining competition and squelching innovation that could threaten its dominance in the market for general internet search and related search text advertising.
Google annually provides billions of dollars in financial incentives to pre-install Google Search as the default or exclusive search program on established and emerging internet-connected devices ranging from computers and smart phones to voice-based home speakers and internet-connected vehicles. The bipartisan lawsuit asserts that this is an anticompetitive practice intended to protect Google’s monopoly, and, consequently, unlawful.
Nearly 90 percent of all internet searches in the United States run through Google’s search engine. No other competing search engine has more than 7 percent of the market.
Google closely tracks and analyzes virtually every search and click by consumers — people whom Google’s chief economist describes as the “great unwashed" — and then leverages that user data to strengthen its position in the extremely lucrative search-based advertising market.
In the last decade, Google’s revenue from search advertising has grown 300 percent. In 2019, search advertising accounted for $98 billion in revenue for Google — more than the gross domestic product of 129 countries and the budgets of 46 states, the lawsuit notes.
Losing searches and clicks — and the opportunity to collect valuable user data — means losing revenue.
The judge agreed today with this claim. Ferguson and other attorneys general also alleged claims that that Google’s search engine unlawfully drove consumers away from specialized sellers, such as airline ticket sellers, that provide a similar service and that Google unlawfully used its own search advertising management tool to drive advertisers to its platform. The judge did not agree with either of those claims.
Ferguson’s lawsuit seeks to stop Google’s anticompetitive conduct and void any contracts that unlawfully block competitors to Google’s services and provide additional relief to restore competition, including, if necessary, requiring the company to divest from portions of its business that facilitate its monopoly.
The judge will now turn to deciding the consequences Google must face for its actions.
IN OTHER STATE NEWS HEADLINES:
$48.5 million capital investment by Commerce boosts community behavioral health capacity./WA COMMERCE
New grants will help Washington landfills reduce methane emissions.
OLYMPIA –
Using $15 million in grants from Washington’s Climate Commitment Act, the Department of Ecology is working to help cut the amount of climate-warming methane escaping from municipal solid waste landfills./DOE
Ecology invites public comment on shoreline management updates for Thurston County/DOE
Public invited to meeting about 2025 State Wildlife Action Plan revision process.
OLYMPIA – The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) will host a virtual public meeting on Aug. 28 from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. to discuss the update to the State Wildlife Action Plan (SWAP). /WDFW
Department of Health issues notice of intent to suspend license of Behavioral Health Agency./DOH
2) NEWS FROM OUR CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION:
Kilmer, Murray, Cantwell Announce $35 Million Award to North Olympic Peninsula Recompete Coalition
New Funding Aims to Create Jobs and Reinvigorate North Olympic Peninsula Economy/From press release issued 8/5/24
Senator Murray Tours Timber Thinning Sites Near Darrington, Discusses Ecologically Sustainable Timber Practices/press release issued 8/7/24
$35 Million From Cantwell-Championed Program Awarded to Boost North Olympic Peninsula Economy
Sen. Cantwell helped authorize $1 billion for Recompete program in landmark CHIPS and Science Act/press release issued 8/5/24
3) WORLD< NATION< BUSINESS
WORLD HEADLINES:
Amid Deepening Global Mistrust, Divisions, ‘We Cannot Press Our Luck Again’ to Avert Nuclear War, Secretary-General Warns on Anniversary of Atomic Bombings in Hiroshima/ UN PRESS RELEASE
https://press.un.org/en/2024/sgsm22327.doc.htm
Strong, Human Rights-Centred Action, State Cooperation Crucial to Combating Terrorism, Speakers Stress during Security Council’s Biannual Briefing on Threat Posed by ISIL
Islamic State’s Expansion in West Africa, Sahel, Afghanistan Raises Alarm/UN press release
https://press.un.org/en/2024/sc15787.doc.htm
Citing Risk of Protection Vacuums for Women, Girls, Speakers Urge Security Council to Fully Integrate Gender Perspective into Peacekeeping Missions Transitions
Grave Situation in Sudan Offers Key Lessons, Civil Society Representative Says/UN press release
https://press.un.org/en/2024/sc15786.doc.htm
Remarks at a UN Security Council Briefing on Women, Peace and Security/USUN
https://usun.usmission.gov/remarks-at-a-un-security-council-briefing-on-women-peace-and-security/
Secretary Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III, Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defense Richard Marles, and Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong at a Joint Press Availability/US STATE DEPT.
NATIONAL HEADLINES
Two Years after the CHIPS and Science Act, Biden-Harris Administration Celebrates Historic Achievements in Bringing Semiconductor Supply Chains Home, Creating Jobs, Supporting Innovation, and Protecting National Security/WH
A Year in, DOD Racks Up Wins for Foreign Military Sales. In 2022, Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III directed the creation of a "tiger team" to look into ways the Defense Department could make the Foreign Military Sales system less foreboding for partner nations interested in purchasing U.S. military hardware./DOD
Justice Department to Monitor Compliance with Federal Voting Rights Laws in Hawaii/DOJ
More Cases and Additional Death Reported in Listeria Outbreak Linked to Meats Sliced at Delis/ CDC
https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2024/s0808-listeria-deli-meats.html
Biden-Harris Administration Expands Access to Housing for Veterans
New HUD policy changes will enable veterans with service-connected disability benefits access more housing opportunities/HUD
https://www.hud.gov/press/press_releases_media_advisories/HUD_No_24_202
BUSINESS:
U.S. Department of the Treasury Announces Connecticut Will Join IRS Direct File for Filing Season 2025/US TREASURY
https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/jy2534
Justice Department Disrupts North Korean Remote IT Worker Fraud Schemes Through Charges and Arrest of Nashville Facilitator/DOJ
USDA Updates Farm Loan Programs to Increase Financial Freedom, Resilience and Profitability for Agricultural Producers
Policy changes support building equity, saving for long-term needs and making strategic operational investments/USDA
IRS moves forward with Employee Retention Credit claims: Agency accelerates work on complex credit as more payments move into processing; vigilance, monitoring continues on potentially improper claims/IRS
FTC Action Leads to Sweepstakes Ban for Individual Who Helped Run Massive Scheme that Cost Consumers Millions
Settlement bans defendant from sweepstakes and prize promotions/FTC
IN FOCUS & LOCAL MEETINGS
IN FOCUS: Secretary Hobbs warns voters about 2024 election misinformation.
OLYMPIA — Washington Secretary of State Steve Hobbs urges Washington’s voters to be wary of dubious election information, including deepfakes and other misinformation, that have already been spotted during the 2024 elections cycle.
“As we move through Washington’s August 6 Primary and toward the November 5 General Election, I am concerned that a deluge of manipulated and false information may be inserted into social media from foreign actors and other sources,” Secretary Hobbs said. “Artificial Intelligence is getting easier and cheaper to manipulate for a broad number of malicious actors. The rest of us must be careful to verify what we see before we take it to heart.”
Hobbs said that voters must understand that faked material is likely to become pervasive in some corners of social media, citing a July 26 posting on the social media platform X, formerly Twitter, by platform owner Elon Musk that shared a manipulated recording of presidential candidate Kamala Harris.
“If the owner of a social media platform themself is going to share misleading material, it signals to the rest of us that other materials allowed there may not be trustworthy,” Secretary Hobbs said. “I urge Washington's more than 4.8 million registered voters to seek out trusted information sources — such as established news outlets and official government institutions — as they navigate upcoming elections.”
Monday, Secretary Hobbs joined Secretaries of State from Minnesota, Michigan, New Mexico, and Pennsylvania to send a public letter to Musk calling for X’s AI search assistant, “Grok,” to direct voters seeking elections information to CanIVote.org, as the administrators of ChatGPT and OpenAI already do. Shortly after President Joe Biden announced his withdrawal from a reelection campaign on July 21, Grok generated false information about ballot deadlines in Washington and eight other states that was shared on multiple social media platforms.
“Voters should not be misled about how our elections function,” Secretary Hobbs said. “The owners of social media platforms must take responsibility for safeguarding their audiences against the spread of false information, and this includes stopping their own AI mechanisms from generating it.”
In 2023, request legislation from Secretary Hobbs, Senate Bill 5152, created Washington’s first limitations on the use of deepfakes in political campaigning. The law enacted disclosure requirements for any manipulated videos and gave candidates targeted by undisclosed deepfakes a right to sue for damages.
“My staff and I have monitored trends across the globe, and the spread of deepfakes into state and local races is happening now in America,” Hobbs said. “There are already numerous real-world examples. In June, we saw a video spread in Utah falsely indicating the governor had been involved in signature-gathering fraud. In July, videos of President Biden and Vice President Harris portrayed them making statements they did not say. During the presidential primary, a political consultant distributed a deepfake robocall of President Biden discouraging New Hampshire voters from participating in the election. This is a pervasive threat.
“These bad actors can and will sow distrust with our local elections,” Secretary Hobbs continued. “If something you see raises questions about your access to a fair and trustworthy election here in Washington, please visit a legitimate elections office and learn the truth.”
Secretary Hobbs urges voters to reach out to these trusted sources:
The Office of the Secretary of State’s elections website, which includes important election deadlines, printable PDF registration forms, and more.
Washington county election offices provide ballots upon request and help you make changes to your registration.
“The right to vote is the cornerstone of our democracy, and we shouldn’t allow anyone to interfere with it,” Secretary Hobbs said.
Washington’s Office of the Secretary of State oversees areas within state government including managing state elections, registering corporations and charities, and governing the use of the state flag and state seal. The office operates the State Archives and the State Library, documents extraordinary stories in Washington’s history through Legacy Washington, and administers the Combined Fund Drive for charitable giving by state employees and the Productivity Board state employee suggestion program. The Office of the Secretary of State also oversees the state’s Address Confidentiality Program to help protect survivors of crime.
CLALLAM COUNTY MEETINGS:
Clallam County Worksession for 8/12/24
https://www.clallamcountywa.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_08122024-1254
Clallam County Commission meeting for 8/13/24
https://www.clallamcountywa.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_08132024-1255
DDDC Meeting for 8/13/24
https://www.clallamcountywa.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_08132024-1253
Port of Port Angeles Commission meeting for 8/13/24
https://portofpa.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Comm-Pkt-8-13-24.pdf
City of Sequim Council meetings for 8/12/24
https://sequimwa.civicweb.net/Portal/MeetingInformation.aspx?Org=Cal&Id=121
City of Forks Council meeting for 8/12/24
https://forkswashington.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Council-Agenda-20240812.pdf
Clallam County PUD meeting for 8/12/24
https://go.boarddocs.com/wa/clallampud/Board.nsf/Public
JEFFERSON COUNTY MEETINGS:
Jefferson County Commission meeting for 8/12/24
https://media.avcaptureall.cloud/meeting/8c1e9b07-5f4d-4271-9ec4-6d6918c15f70
Port of Port Townsend Commission meeting for 8/14/24
https://portofpt.com/wp-content/uploads/2024-08-14-CommMtg-Agenda1.pdf
Weekly devotional
BIBLE VERSE: Psalm 46:1 (New International Version)
For the director of music. Of the Sons of Korah. According to alamoth. A song.
God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.
Weekly Bible Lesson:
Pearls From Philippians - Chapter 1
With this lesson today, we begin a series of four lessons in the study of Philippians. What a great epistle this is—the epistle of Paul the apostle to the Philippians! It has been called “Paul’s love letter.” There is a great deal that is said in this wonderful writing that is, certainly, extremely valuable to us today. In fact, it is an encouraging epistle which, if read and studied carefully, and if followed in terms of its teaching, may bring the same encouragement to us today.--TFTW
https://truthfortheworld.org/pearls-from-philippians-chapter-1
Free bible studies (WBS)
https://www.worldbibleschool.org/
Learn English using the bible as text (WEI)
http://www.worldenglishinstitute.org/
(Join us in worship every Sunday starting at 10:30AM Church of Christ)
1233 E Front St, Port Angeles, WA 98362
THIS WEEKS VIDEOS:
President Trump in Bozeman, MT
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=taHu_CYwv8g
Why Biden’s Final Move Is to DESTROY the Supreme Court
According to the Left, SCOTUS is totally out of control and it’s time to take emergency action! Immediately after the release of multiple U.S. Supreme Court decisions at the end of the court's latest term, the Left had a collective meltdown over the direction of the court. President Biden called for Americans to “dissent” from the court’s recent decisions. Amidst the chaos of dropping out of the presidential race, Biden made time in his Oval Office address to announce major Supreme Court “reforms.” Newly anointed Kamala Harris quickly made this a key part of her campaign. Meanwhile, Senate and House Democrats have moved to investigate and impeach Justices Thomas and Alito. Glenn unpacks the reasons for the Left’s Supreme Court freakout and exposes the dark-money groups campaigning to change and expand the court.
Supreme Court reform has been the final play for every authoritarian regime all throughout history. Look no further than Venezuela. Chavez wanted to pack his country's high court with more judges. He wanted limited term limits. He wanted to ensure judicial autonomy with a code of ethics. Sound familiar? In the end, Venezuela's supreme court became exactly what the Chavez and Maduro regimes wanted — a political weapon for the dictator. Democrats are terrified that their judicial supremacy is over, and they’re determined to maintain their control of the Supreme Court by any means necessary---Glenn Beck
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2D4JlNMu1Ys
Sunday Worship Service 8/4/2024--FOUR LAKES C. of C
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P7i5JZA_mQY&t=11s
NIGHT OWL COMICS
https://pjrnightowlcomics.blogspot.com/
The Port Angeles Globe is a weekly Publication, every Saturday-- Publisher, Peter Ripley
