Google has reached a historic settlement with 40 states, including New Jersey, to resolve allegations that it illegally tracked users’ locations. Under the settlement, Google will pay $391.5 million in the largest multistate privacy settlement with state attorneys general in U.S. history. New Jersey will receive nearly $17.8 million. In addition to the financial payment, Google must now be more transparent with consumers about when location tracking is being used.
On Monday, a federal appeals court issued a nationwide temporary injunction against the Biden administration’s student loan forgiveness plan, according to CNBC. The ruling by the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals came after six states argued in a lawsuit that the loan relief program threatens their future tax revenues and circumvents congressional authority. The injunction will put the program on hold pending an appeal of a lower court ruling that had allowed the debt relief program to go forward. Just days ago, a separate federal court ruled against the program in a different lawsuit.
Commuter trains are more crowded these days and traffic bottlenecks are back, as more workers return to the office, at least for part of the week. NJ Transit says rail ridership is about 70% of pre-pandemic levels, with ridership highest Tuesdays through Thursdays. A recent survey by the Partnership for New York City found that as of mid-September, 49% of workers are back in their Manhattan offices, going in two to three days a week. Only 9% are working in the office five days a week.
