Meta settles for $17B in landmark social media case

It’s Wednesday. How many Dolly Parton videos did you watch yesterday? Send us some of your favorites and we’ll share throughout the week.

We’ll get it started with this classic duet with Kenny Rogers.

Programming note : We’re Joshua Feldstein and Abigail Walker , filling in for Cate today. Please send us your tips, comments and story ideas to jfeldstein@thehill.com and awalker@thehill.com.

Manuel Balce Ceneta, Associated Press file

Meta reached a settlement worth up to $17 billion in a case brough by state attorneys general accusing the company of intentionally making its platforms addictive to children.

“Meta has agreed to make massive transformations that will reduce the risk of harm from its platforms — and will do it within months,” California Attorney General Rob Bonta (D) said in a statement Wednesday. The settlement still needs to be approved by a judge.

According to a report by The Hill’s Miranda Nazzaro , California and 28 other states filed the lawsuit against Meta back in 2023, accusing the parent company of Facebook and Instagram of implementing features that make teens and younger children hooked to the apps.

Playing by the rules : Meta’s chief legal officer C.J. Mohoney said that the settlement includes a “new set of rules governing teens’ use of social media.”

Mahoney encouraged companies like TikTok and YouTube to follow suit when it comes to implementing child safety frameworks into their platforms.

Facebook and Instagram could see time limit restrictions for those younger than 18 and changes to the platforms’ notifications, according to Bonta.

FIGHT GOES ON : On Tuesday, Snap, the parent company of Snapchat, became the latest company accused of failing to protect children.

Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday (R) filed a lawsuit alleging that Snapchat knowingly lied about the frequency of harmful content that appeared on the app, and that features like 24-hour posts and Snap Streaks can make children addicted.

“Once they have you signed up and logged in, you are officially in their clutches,” Sunday said at a press conference on Tuesday. “From there, Snapchat essentially says good luck getting out.”

According to Nazzaro , the lawsuit comes just weeks after the attorney general announced a complaint against TikTok for similar allegations.

President Trump bounced back from a rough week with two wins last night in key GOP primary races .

Sen. Darline Graham (R-S.C.) won the Republican primary to fill the South Carolina Senate seat vacated by her brother, the late Sen. Lindsey Graham (R.-S.C.).

Graham, who was endorsed by Trump, beat out Rep. Ralph Norman (R-S.C.) by almost 5 percentage points. Her win arrives despite a high-profile debate flub that some saw as disqualifying .

In her Tuesday night victory speech, Graham praised the president, telling supporters that “South Carolina is truly Trump country.”

Norman was, predictably, less appreciative of the president’s role in the race.

“The president got involved. He has that right; that’s his prerogative,” Norman said during his concession speech last night, adding he “never understood” Trump’s decision. The comment drew audible booing from his crowd.

Trump-backed former state Sen. Mike Mazzei (R-Okla.) won the Oklahoma gubernatorial primary against the state’s attorney general, Gentner Drummond .

The victory was slim . Drummond trailed Mazzei by just half a point, according to Decision Desk HQ.

Drummond drew Trump’s ire with his opposition to a $4M aluminum smelter pushed by the president. He also criticized Trump’s decision to drop a tariff on imported beef and hike up tariffs on Canadian goods.

“I’m unafraid to disagree with the president when he’s wrong, and he’s wrong on tariffs. He’s wrong on importing cheap beef,” Drummond said in a Sunday interview with NewsNation.

While applauding Mazzei, Trump lashed out at Drummond, writing on Truth Social, “Meanwhile, his Runoff Election Opponent, Gentner Drummond, is a FAKE Republican.”

Democratic socialist N’Kiyla Jasmine Thomas won the Democratic primary for Oklahoma Senate.

Thomas crushed opponent Jim Priest (D) in the initial June primary by nearly 20 points and expanded that margin in the runoff. The win represents another victory for the party’s left-wing faction and suggests that its policies appeal to Democratic voters even in deep red corners of the country. She will now face Rep. Kevin Hern (R) in November.

“They’re wanting a different vision, and I have a different vision as a progressive myself,” Thomas told an Oklahoma outlet last month. “Most countries that have socialism, they are thriving.”

Yesterday felt like a national celebration of Dolly Parton’s life as the world mourned her death at the age of 80.

The country music superstar/philanthropist/actress/fashion icon died following a “brief battle” with cancer , Parton’s representative Marcel Pariseau told The Hill.

Former Presidents Clinton, Obama, Bush and Biden alongside President Trump all paid tribute to the late country singer, while Trump also ordered flags across the country to fly at half-staff for a week.

“There has never been anyone like her, and never will,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.

We will always love you : Parton’s notable hit songs included “Jolene,” “9 to 5,” “Here You Come Again” and “I Will Always Love You,” which turned into a mega hit with Whitney Houston’s version.

Parton used her writing royalties from Houston’s version to pay for band equipment at majority Black schools across America. She also founded “Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library,” a non-profit that provided free books to thousands of children around the world.

She helped mentor many up-and-coming country singers including Miley Cyrus and Carrie Underwood.

Immigrant visa appointments have been placed on hold by the Trump administration, just a week after a federal judge vacated Trump’s policy that would have suspended visa processing from 75 countries.

Why? A State Department spokesperson told The Hill on Wednesday that the pause comes after the decision to carry out an “in-depth training” for consular officers to screen applicants, according to The Hill’s Laura Kelly .

“A more prosperous American means ensuring that visa applicants are not likely to become a public charge, as defined under U.S. law and regulation, and not likely to become dependent on U.S. public benefits reserved for qualified Americans in need,” the State Department said Wednesday.

Legal pushback : U.S. District Judge Jeannette Vargas rejected the Trump administration’s policy on Friday that suspended visa processing from 75 countries including Iran, Russia and Afghanistan.

Vargas, who was appointed by former President Biden, argued that a person’s nationality does not mean they may not be able to support themselves in the U.S.

Vargas argued that Secretary of State Marco Rubio exceeded his authority with the policy.

Did Howard Lutnick blow up the Canada talks?

Recent reporting from the New York Times and Bloomberg found that Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick was a major factor in the collapse of discussions between the nations. According to the reports, Lutnick was particularly critical of reducing auto and aluminum tariffs on Canada.

The Hill’s Mallory Willson wrote that Lutnick “said instead that only a certain volume of aluminum should get lower tariff rates, and that heavy trucks should not have tariffs lowered like cars.”

The Blame Game : While Canadians are putting at least some of the blame on Lutnick, the U.S.’s metal industry was privately pleased with his intervention.

On Tuesday, Canada announced the implementation of tariffs on around 700 U.S. products. The new levies, retaliation for fresh U.S. tariffs, are scheduled to kick in Sept. 8

The WNBA’s Chicago Sky has banned former NBA player Enes Kanter Freedom from the team’s matches after he got into a verbal altercation with Chicago’s Natasha Cloud . Kanter was ejected from the game following the incident.

Iran and Oman said Tuesday that they are setting up the framework for a temporary passage for commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz. Omani Foreign Minister Badr al-Busaidi said the country is having “constructive” progress with Iran.

The U.S. military launched a strike on an alleged drug boat in the Caribbean Tuesday night, killing four people on board. Commander Gen. Francis L. Donovan said he ordered the strike due to the vessel’s signs of “narco-trafficking.”

A spokesperson with the U.S. Secret Service (USSS) told The Hill that three officials were placed on administrative leave due to an investigation into possible misconduct.

Associated Press : At least 72 killed and hundreds missing after flash floods in Nepal

NBC News : Man wearing Chucky-style mask in Philadelphia is arrested in Las Vegas, authorities say

The New York Times : Ukraine’s most potent weapon: The software orchestrating its drone army

The Wall Street Journal : The husband and wife team making a mixed doubles run at the U.S. Open

The House and Senate are out. President Trump is in Washington. (All times EDT)

3 p.m. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth participates in a ceremony to upgrade the valor awards for U.S. Marines of Company G, 2d Battalion, 1st Marines, who served at Abbey Gate

🐕 Celebrate : Today is National Dog Day, so make sure to give your furry friend extra love and treats!

🍪 A KFC Oreo chicken sandwich ? As crazy as it sounds, this a real collaboration in China that also includes KFC spicy chicken Oreos. Would you try this out?

We’ll end the same way we started. If you’re working hard today (or not), this one’s for you .

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