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National

Arguments forecast approval of new brokerage rules with national sweep

The Massachusetts Supreme Court appeared amenable Wednesday to imposing strict new requirements on stockbrokers that could dramatically change the way the industry operates, or at least cause numerous brokerages to abandon doing business in the Bay State.

(Image courtesy of Robinhood Financial via Courthouse News)

FTC blasts Meta claiming underage user data privacy violations

The Federal Trade Commission accused Facebook parent Meta of violating a 2020 privacy agreement with the agency and wants the social media behemoth barred from profiting altogether from data it collects from underage users.

Meta Platforms CEO Mark Zuckerberg at a 2019 event. (Meta via Courthouse News)

Click here to listen to the latest episode of Courthouse News’ podcast Sidebar, tackling the stories you need to know from the legal world.

Regional

Mentally ill man on death row denied Supreme Court reprieve

A Florida man will be put to death Wednesday evening after the Supreme Court turned down emergency requests that cited his neurological disorders.

Darryl Barwick, who was convicted for breaking into a woman's Florida Panhandle apartment and fatally stabbing her 37 times in 1986. Barwick, 56, is set to be executed on May 3, 2023, at Florida State Prison. (Florida Department of Corrections via AP, File)

Atlanta shooter at large after leaving one dead, four injured

A shooting in a Midtown Atlanta medical building Wednesday left one person dead and at least four others injured, police said.

Law enforcement officers arrive near the scene of an active shooter on Wednesday, May 3, 2023 in Atlanta. Atlanta police said there had been no additional shots fired since the initial shooting unfolded inside a building in a commercial area with many office towers and high-rise apartments. (AP Photo/Alex Slitz)

Two arrested in connection to Texas mass shooting

The wife and a friend of a Texas man accused of killing five people and arrested Tuesday night following a four-day search have been arrested on suspicion they helped him evade police, a prosecutor announced Wednesday.

This undated photo released by the FBI (Houston) shows Francisco Oropeza, who is accused of fatally shooting five of his neighbors late Friday, April 28, 2023, in the rural community of Cleveland, Texas. (FBI via AP)

Spam: Hawaii’s jam

It sounds unappetizing when you break it down: A slimy pink block of unidentifiable mystery meat, ground up, mashed together and stuffed into a can. It’s the thing annoying unsolicited recurrent phone calls and emails are named after. It’s not surprising that Spam is usually met with derision and disgust, but in Hawaii — where the canned meat has become a beloved staple of local cuisine — you’ll meet some of Spam’s staunchest defenders.

The Spam mascot threw up the Shaka for pictures as Waikiki Spam Jam-goers mobbed for pictures. (Candace Cheung/Courthouse News)

International

Teen kills nine in school shooting in Serbia

A 13-year-old boy killed eight students and a security guard in a mass shooting at his upscale school in Belgrade, the capital of Serbia, on Wednesday morning, sending shock waves across Europe.

People wait in front of the Vladislav Ribnikar school after shooting in Belgrade, Serbia, Wednesday, May 3, 2023. A teenage boy opened fire early Wednesday in a school in central Belgrade, causing injuries. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)

Worldwide raids strike at cocaine-trafficking Italian mob

In a massive international operation against the notorious 'ndrangheta, more than 130 people were put in handcuffs early Wednesday, suspected of membership in one of the world's most powerful criminal groups.

Police officers secure evidence during a raid in Saarlouis, Germany, on May 3, 2023. The raids focused in Germany and Italy were part of a massive effort to clamp down on the Italian organized crime syndicate ’ndrangheta. (Beckerbredel/BeckerBredel/dpa via AP)

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