In a significant legal development, a New Mexico court has mandated that Meta, the parent company of Instagram and Facebook, shell out $567 million. This substantial sum aims to address the negative effects that its social media platforms have had on young users, marking the second phase of a pivotal trial.

Judge Bryan Biedscheid, in a decision delivered late Thursday, specified that a significant portion of the funds—$420 million—will be allocated to providing treatment services aimed at supporting young individuals. The remaining funds are earmarked for initiatives such as awareness campaigns, prevention efforts, and screening services, all to be executed over the coming five years.

This new financial penalty comes on top of $375 million in civil fines levied against Meta in March. Back then, a jury concluded that the company had knowingly compromised children’s mental health while withholding critical information about child sexual exploitation on its platforms. In the ongoing second phase, prosecutors have urged the judge to enforce substantial reforms at Meta. These changes include curbing addictive platform features, enhancing age verification protocols, and preventing child sexual exploitation through default privacy settings and improved oversight.

The cumulative financial responsibility now resting on Meta—with a total of $942 million—is relatively small compared to its annual profits of roughly $60 billion in 2025. Despite this substantial ruling, investors appeared largely unfazed during Thursday’s after-hours trading, with Meta’s stock experiencing a slight dip of less than half a percent, closing at $589.44.

Nevertheless, this ruling signifies yet another challenge for Meta, which is currently grappling with a wave of lawsuits initiated by thousands of families alleging harm to their children due to social media exposure.

New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez said it sends an unmistakable message that companies will be held accountable when their product designs knowingly put children at risk.

“Today’s decision is a victory for every parent who has worried about what social media is doing to their child and every child who deserves to grow up safer online,” he said in a statement.

Meta vowed to appeal.

“We work hard to keep people safe on our platforms and have been transparent about the challenges of identifying and removing bad actors and harmful content,” the company said in a statement. “We remain confident in our record of protecting teens online and will continue to defend ourselves against claims that misrepresent the facts.”

The look of Meta’s platforms could change

The judge ordered Facebook and Instagram to build banner and informational screens to clearly explain its protection features, best practices and tools to address inappropriate comment, for example, and display them regularly. Those changes and an educational campaign in New Mexico would be subject to review by the state.

The court said federal children’s privacy laws prevent Meta from applying age-verification tools to children under 13. The Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act, or COPPA, means it cannot order Meta to request children to submit personal data or be passively tracked online, even for age verification purposes.

The court also noted that ordering verification of children’s ages only for Meta and not other social media companies would be “inequitable and unduly injurious” to the company.

Instead, the court ordered Meta to continue to improve its age assurance tools in New Mexico, which include using artificial intelligence to determine people’s age based on signals such as who their friends are and what types of content they post and consume. Meta must also attempt to develop a dedicated “under-13-years-of-age prediction model” in the next two years.

Additionally, Meta should also request proof of age for Instagram and Facebook users in New Mexico it estimates to be under 13. If it determines a user to be under 13, or under 18 but without being able to estimate a specific age, Meta must treat the user as under 13 or under 18 until the user verifies their age.

The company must also partner with schools or a child safety organization to create a reporting portal where school staff can flag users who may be under 13. And it must delete personal information it has collected on users under 13. The court also ordered Meta to report on its progress twice a year on how it’s complying with the abatement measures.

Meta is gearing up for a trial this month in California amid flood of lawsuits

Meta is also gearing up for a trial later this month in federal court in Oakland, California. Here, Meta will face the first four of 29 states that sued it in a federal multi-district lawsuit filed in 2023 for contributing to the youth mental health crisis by knowingly designing features on Instagram and Facebook that addict children to its platforms.

Eight states, including Tennessee, where a trial is currently ongoing, filed lawsuits in their own state courts.

And late last month, Meta, along with TikTok, Snap and Google’s YouTube, were sued by the families of four teenagers who died by suicide over what they describe as “years of escalating harms” from using their platforms that eventually resulted in their deaths.

What comes out of New Mexico is the first of many dominoes that will fall for Meta, said Laura Edelson, an assistant professor at Northeastern University focusing on social media and cybersecurity.

“America is not going to pass a law that bans social media,” Edelson said. “But if companies like Meta know they’re causing harm to users by product design, the states are finally finding a way to rein this in.”

This story has been updated to correct the judge’s last name to Biedscheid, not Biedcheid. ___

Ortutay reported from Oakland, California, and Yu from Phoenix. Associated Press writer Mikella Schuettler in Phoenix contributed. Schuettler is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.

Cristiano Ronaldo is gearing up to marry his long-time partner, Georgina Rodríguez, in a ceremony this weekend on Madeira, the picturesque island where he was born and grew up.

Being one of the world’s most famous football icons, Ronaldo and his stunning fiancée have chosen to celebrate their nuptials at the opulent five-star Savoy Palace in Funchal. This extravagant venue boasts a rooftop infinity pool and provides personal butler services, setting the perfect backdrop for the couple’s special day after nearly ten years together and raising five children.

Georgina is set to grace the aisle of Funchal Cathedral, located in the historic heart of the city, which can accommodate up to 800 guests, ensuring a grand ceremony.

Following the vows, the 41-year-old footballer and his 32-year-old influencer bride will either take a swift five-minute drive or a leisurely 15-minute walk to their luxury reception venue. The Savoy Palace offers a variety of amenities, including six swimming pools, a spa, breathtaking panoramic views, several five-star dining options, and round-the-clock service.

The couple has been spotted enjoying stays at the Savoy Palace in the past, particularly favoring The Reserve, an exclusive suite retreat on the hotel’s upper floors. Here, luxury takes center stage, with room rates starting at £1,100 per night.

Here the family have access to exclusive private spaces including the Jacarandá Lounge & Club, featuring a private rooftop infinity pool, solarium, dedicated dining and a personal butler. 

This is believed to be where Ronaldo and Georgina will stay while celebrating their big day with friends and family, despite his multi-million-pound, seven-storey luxury mansion overlooking the Atlantic Ocean, which is just a stone’s throw away. 

The couple can choose to host their wedding in one of the hotel’s lavish spaces, including the majestic Grand Ballroom for large celebrations up to 1,000 guests to the sky-kissed Galáxia rooftop spaces.

As the newlyweds step into the Savoy Palace they will be surrounded by luxury as soon as they are greeted by the doormen on arrival. 

The grand entrance features a huge 33-ft-high metal chandelier with fresh floral arrangements underneath. 

Moving through the hotel’s extravagant green coloured bar, where a pianist plays in the afternoons, Ronaldo and Georgina can head down the grand curved filigree-shaped staircase which will lead them to the 18 metre swimming pool. 

If the couple make the occasion a weekend affair, they can work on their tans while relaxing on sofa sized sun loungers as live music is played.

Ronaldo and Georgina might prefer a dip in the sea before heading over to the adjacent five-star hotel, Savoy Royal which shares waterfront access and facilities.

Inside the 352-room Savoy Palace, the couple will be treated to views of the ocean as well as walk-in wardrobes, a his-and-her bathroom and luxury pillow menu where housekeeping will bring them their preferred feather and scent. 

Heading to the rooftop, which offers 360-views of the island and ocean, Ronaldo and Georgina’s wedding party can dine in the extravagant Galáxia Seafood restaurant. 

With Chef Roberto Barros leading them through a culinary journey through local flavours with a contemporary twist, their wedding dinner will feel out of this world.

During the daytime, Ronaldo and Georgina can make sure they capture the perfect wedding day photos with the picturesque infinity pool backdrop overlooking the Atlantic.

The Savoy Palace’s children’s playroom will entertain the little ones, with varied games and toys could be the perfect escape. 

Ronaldo and Georgina are parents to daughters Alana and Bella, and welcomed twins Eva Maria and Mateo through surrogacy. 

Georgina is also a proud step-mum to Ronaldo’s 16-year-old son Cristiano Jr, whose biological mother remains private and the footballer has full custody.

Following their big day, the footballer and TV personality may head to the five-star hotel’s spa, which is one of the biggest wellness sanctums in Europe.

The extravagant spa features tunnels, caves and myriad water features creating a calm atmosphere and the newlyweds will have 26 different treatments to choose from, from a £226 massage to a £325 facial or a £80 manicure. 

Meanwhile fitness fanatic Ronaldo can always hit the 24-hour gym with an Olympic squat rack and cardio machines.

Ronaldo has strong ties to Madeira with a bronze statue in his honour a main attraction for tourists. 

He even has a hotel Pestana CR7 Funchal Hotel, named after him as well as his own museum, Museu CR7.

While he has an estimated net worth of $1.4billion, Ronaldo’s choice to revisit his hometown is hugely sentimental as he grew up in poverty and shared a room with all of his siblings. He left home at the age of 11 to join Sporting Lisbon.

Cristiano had previously claimed he was planning to marry Georgina after this year’s World Cup, which saw Portugal eliminated in the Round of 16 by Spain.

He told Piers Morgan: ‘I hope to arrive at my wedding with the champion’s trophy.

‘I’m going to marry her because I believe it’s the right time. Not just because she’s the mother of my children – but because she’s the person I love most.’

The pair got engaged when Ronaldo popped the question last August after eight years of dating.

The footballer’s new fiancée then shared the news on Instagram with the caption, ‘Yes, I do’.

Cristiano later revealed that he asked her to marry him at an unusual time of day.

The football legend told Piers Morgan: ‘It was like 1 am. My daughters were in bed sleeping.

‘One of my friends gave me the ring to offer Gio, and as I was giving her the ring, my two kids come in and say, ‘Daddy, you’re going to give the ring to mum and you’re going to ask her to get married.”

‘I said, ‘Wow, this is the right moment to say yes.’ It was the time. I knew that I was going to do it one day, but I hadn’t planned to do it then.’

The star also revealed that he worked hard to find the perfect engagement ring.

He said: ‘She asked me for a ring to offer her because it was one of her dreams to have a good stone. And I work hard, work hard and finally I find what she loves.’

Georgina met Cristiano in 2016 when she caught his attention working as a sales assistant in a Madrid Gucci shop.

They moved to Saudi Arabia after Ronaldo signed for Al-Nassr in 2022 in a sensational £175million-a-year contract.

His decision to move to Saudi Arabia effectively ended his career at the top level.

It was thought the footballer had been hoping to secure a switch to a Champions League club before the move but it never materialised.

Cristiano is making a remarkable £300-a-minute in Saudi Arabia but last year admitted he wishes he could leave and only play for Portugal.

He also owns a stake in the club itself, boosting his astronomical net worth even more.

OAKLAND, Calif. (KGO) — In a shocking incident on Thursday, a woman sustained severe injuries after being hit by a car on 35th Avenue in Oakland. Authorities revealed that the vehicle was in the hands of two very young drivers—children, in fact.

Eyewitnesses and surveillance footage reported that a white sedan was speeding down 35th Avenue before tragically striking the woman, who was out walking her dog.

“The noise was deafening,” recounted Lavelle Shah-Marquis, a witness at the scene. “I can only hope she pulls through, but it looked very serious,” he added, describing the chaotic aftermath.

According to the Oakland police, the drivers were actually two brothers, just 7 and 4 years old, who took their parents’ Toyota for a joyride while their parents were asleep. The accident occurred a few blocks away from their residence.

After the collision, the young boys were found outside of the car, while the gravely injured woman was rushed to the hospital in critical condition.

“The two young boys laying on the ground here,” Shah-Marquis said.

The incident has raised questions about who could be held responsible. “Unfortunately, I think these parents need to be held responsible and that was my main concern was these parents need to be held responsible. This is ridiculous,” Shah-Marquis said.

Legal analyst and former prosecutor Steven Clark said the situation is highly unusual. “I’ve never seen anything like this. It’s just such a one off,” Clark said. “The law doesn’t have an exact remedy for this.”

“The law doesn’t have an exact remedy for this,” he added. Clark said that while the act itself could be considered a crime, the age of the child involved makes criminal accountability unlikely. “It is a crime that the seven-year-old committed, but we’re not going to put a seven-year-old in juvenile hall,” Clark said.

Oakland police are questioning the parents and said they are cooperating with the investigation.

“What was the level of supervision of these kids? How did they get access to the vehicle?” Clark said. “I’ve seen that in other cases where you rely on social workers, not prosecutors.”

Clark said he believes a civil case is likely but criminal charges are not. “This isn’t like leaving a gun around for a kid. This is an automobile that we use every day, and this is the kind of thing that you’re used to just leaving your car keys out,” he said.

Experts also said responsibility should not be placed on the children because of their ages and developmental abilities.

“These kids are not capable, at this age, of understanding the consequences of what they did,” said Dr. Shivani Chmura, a board-certified child and adolescent psychiatrist. “It’s like they can see that they push the first domino, but they cannot see any of the other ones after that that would fall.”

She said the children should be protected from blame. “I would recommend counseling for them. Otherwise, they could end up with very lifelong symptoms of shame,” Chmura said.

Calling the situation tragic, Chmura said, “My heart goes out to the whole situation. It’s tragic.”

ABC7 Eyewitness News reached out to Oakland police for an update on the woman’s condition.

The woman’s dog ran away after the crash, police say, and it was unclear Thursday whether the animal had been found.

Robert Gilman, a former U.S. Marine who has been imprisoned in Russia since 2022, might be nearing a critical condition, advocacy organizations warned on Thursday while representing his family’s concerns.

According to these groups, Gilman is receiving nutrition through a feeding tube after slipping into a state resembling catatonia.

Hostage advocacy organizations and Gilman’s sister have raised alarms that the ex-Marine may have endured torture and been injected with mind-altering drugs prior to declining into a stupor last June, as reported by Reuters.

Eric Lebson, the chief strategy officer at Global Reach, an advocacy group working on behalf of Gilman’s family, explained to News Media that for over six weeks, Gilman has been incapable of consuming food independently.

US PILOT AND INFLUENCER RELEASED FROM CHILEAN ANTARCTIC DETENTION 2 MONTHS AFTER ALLEGED UNAUTHORIZED LANDING 

Gilman was transferred in late June from a prison hospital to the psychiatric ward of a civilian emergency hospital in Voronezh after entering what was assessed as a “dissociative stupor,” Lebson said.

“For the past 46 days, he has been fed through a tube,” Lebson added.

“The Russians have not been responsive,” he said before adding that the Russians have also “not allowed his mother to see him, which raises our level of concern that something serious has now happened.”

Lebson said the Russian hospital also barred his mother from visiting him despite a judicial order allowing her to see her son.

“She flew to Russia, and they are not allowing her to come and do what is needed to get him out of a stupor,” Lebson said.

“His mother and lawyer have been prohibited from seeing him since he was moved to the civilian hospital 46 days ago.”

NATIONAL GUARDSMAN ACCUSED OF SEEKING TO SEND PHOTOS OF SENSITIVE MILITARY TECHNOLOGY TO RUSSIA 

According to Lebson, the White House and the State Department have urged Moscow to release Gilman so he can receive urgent medical treatment in the United States.

“The State Department and the National Security Council have been very actively engaged in communication about the need for Robert to be released on an emergency basis,” he clarified.

Another advocacy group following the case also expressed concern for Gilmam’s safety.

“It doesn’t seem like he’s getting the care he needs, and we are very concerned for his life and safety,” Elizabeth Richards, director of hostage advocacy and research at the Foley Foundation, which has tracked Gilman’s case, told Reuters.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio raised Gilman’s case with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov during a meeting in Manila July 23, according to Reuters.

Gilman is one of at least 10 Americans known to be imprisoned in Russia.

“We are deeply concerned about Robert Gilman’s health and continued detention,” the State Department said in a statement.

“I am more afraid for my brother than I have been since this horrible nightmare started,” Gilman’s sister, Lexie Hudson, said in a statement.

“I’m worried that I may never see him again if the Russians don’t release him. I’m worried that he could die.”

As previously reported by News Media, Gilman, of Dracut, Massachusetts, was first arrested in January 2022 after fellow train passengers reported he was intoxicated and causing a disturbance while traveling from Sochi to Moscow to replace a damaged passport.

He was convicted later that year of assaulting a police officer and sentenced to 3½ years in prison. Gilman later told the court he believed his drink had been spiked.

His legal troubles escalated while in custody after he was convicted in separate incidents involving altercations with prison staff and an investigator.

In December, Russian state media reported that a regional court extended Gilman’s sentence, bringing his total prison term to 10 years.

Vladimir Gilman, Robert’s father, previously said the family asked the State Department in March 2023 to designate his son as wrongfully detained, a status that would make securing his release a top U.S. government priority.

In a statement, a senior administration official told News Media that President Trump’s administration is “closely tracking Mr. Gilman’s case and has made repeated, concerted outreach to the Russians calling for his return to the United States.”

James Carville, a seasoned strategist for the Democratic Party, shared with Fox News Digital on Thursday the single, albeit unrealistic, scenario in which he might consider switching allegiance to the Republican Party.

When asked to imagine a political landscape where Republicans adopted the policies of former President Bill Clinton from the 1990s and Democrats fully embraced socialism, Carville quipped, “That’s a fantasy, OK, but, yeah, hypothetically, if I — hypothetically I could fly to the moon — it’s about the same chance that that happens.”

He added, “Well, if the Democrats went crazy and the Republicans went sane, then I probably would be a Republican. But I don’t see any evidence that there’s any possibility that the latter could happen.”

Carville further expressed his belief that it is more likely for Democrats to maintain a rational stance, emphasizing that the future direction of the party rests in the hands of Democratic primary voters.

Recently, a growing number of far-left Democratic candidates have emerged across various states, prompting Carville to suggest a possible division within the party to prevent them from assuming power.

Hasan Piker, a self-described socialist streamer who campaigned with Democratic Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed, has emerged as a leading voice on the left as democratic socialists gain ground in elections across the country. 

Piker is known for far-left rhetoric, including previously saying “America deserved 9/11.” After widespread criticism, Piker said in an interview he “obviously” did not mean America deserved the attacks and defended the viral quote as a critique of US foreign policy.

“I am not going to be in the same party with Hasan Piker,” Carville said recently on Fox News’ “The Sunday Briefing.” “If he becomes a force in a Democratic Party, I’m out of here. I have no intention of ever being in the same political party with that guy.”

Speaking to Fox News Digital on Thursday, Carville addressed what would happen if the socialist faction took over the Democratic Party.

“That probably would result in some kind of schism in the party,” he reiterated. “I’m going to let Democratic voters determine the direction that party goes in, and if it goes in the direction — which I’m pretty confident it won’t — but if it goes in that direction, then I’m going to be 82, OK, fine, go ahead, but not with me.

“Until Democratic voters choose the direction of the party, I’ll try to do all I can to help them make the right choice, in my opinion.”

Carville’s threat to leave the Democratic Party has been mocked by its progressive wing.

“Now James Carville is talking about leaving the party,” Piker said during a recent video appearance with El-Sayed. “We got [Pennsylvania Sen.] John Fetterman, James Carville fantasizing about leaving the party. I’m like, ‘You’re sweetening the deal.’ That was really interesting.”

Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., has also stood by Piker after Carville’s warning.

“Well, that’s not much of a choice,” Sanders said of choosing between Piker and Carville. “If Mr. Carville doesn’t want to be in my party, the party that I belong to, that Piker, that El-Sayed belongs to, he can start his own party.”

A tragic shooting unfolded at a Thai school on Friday, leaving at least six dead and 15 more injured when a student launched an attack before committing suicide.

The violence erupted shortly after 10 a.m. local time within the halls of Debsirin Nonthaburi School, located on Bangkok’s outskirts, as the student opened fire indiscriminately.

As chaos ensued, terrified students poured out of the high school, while the injured were quickly transported to nearby hospitals. Teachers were seen consoling each other, overwhelmed with emotion.

Images released by emergency services depict a harrowing scene: an individual lies on a stretcher outside an ambulance, and another victim receives urgent care from paramedics.

Lt. Col. Dechrapee Kongdee of the Nonthaburi provincial police confirmed the chilling detail that the gunman, identified as a 14-year-old student, had fatally turned the weapon on himself.

The suspected shooter also allegedly killed his grandparents before going to the school. They were found dead at home, Thailand’s public health minister said. 

 Police said that the motive for the shooting was still being investigated and that the gun was believed to have belonged to his grandfather, who was a teacher. 

A witness told reporters that students hid inside a classroom while they heard gunshots from another building before police officers knocked on the door and cleared a way for them to leave the building.

The suspect was reportedly seen reloading ammunition inside the building, according to sources at the scene. 

Photos published by local media show the suspect wearing a purple school uniform and carrying a black cross-body bag, with several bullet casings visible on the ground. 

Armed response units were deployed as they worked to secure the school, while students and staff were evacuated from the campus.

One 18-year-old student told Reuters he initially thought firecrackers were going off or someone banging an object.

‘I didn’t think it was a gun at first,’ he said. 

‘There were many shots: bang bang bang. Then it went quiet. Then it started again.’

Emergency worker Kiatikhun Verapongpradith, 47, described arriving as the shooting was ongoing and his team treated students with injuries in the back, chest and arms.

They found a male teacher lying dead on an upper floor of the school, and in another room they found a female teacher with wounds in her chest and arm.

‘We gave CPR for about 30 minutes and rushed her to the hospital as we could not get her heart rate up, but we tried our best,’ he said.

In the 2025 academic year, the school had an enrollment of around 3,100 students and 147 teachers, according to district authorities.

Deputy Education Minister Akkharanan Kannakittinan said in a statement he was coordinating to provide assistance.

Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul offered his condolences and said he had ordered relevant officials to take care of the victims. 

‘It’s such a terrible incident. It should never have happened. How could this happen in our country?,’ he told reporters at Bangkok’s Government House. 

The Debsirin School is a well-known secondary school in Thailand and has branches across the country.

The original Debsirin School in Bangkok was founded by Thai King Chulalongkorn in 1885. 

Its school in Nonthaburi, where the shooting has taken place, is situated in the northwestern outskirts of Bangkok.

Following Friday’s shooting, an opposition leader called for Thai authorities to review the country’s gun control measures.  

Thailand has one of the highest rates of gun ownership in the region, with around 10 million firearms estimated to be in circulation – one for every seven inhabitants. 

‘Although the motive behind the attack remains unclear at this time, an act of violence in an educational institution, which should be one of the safest places in our society, serves as a stark reminder for Thai society to seriously and systematically review gun control measures,’ Natthaphong Ruengpanyawut, leader of the People’s Party, wrote in a Facebook post.

In February, police shot and arrested a teenage shooter who opened fire at a school in the south of the country in February, leaving the school principal dead and two students injured.

The teen had used a police officer’s weapon in the shooting.

A local police chief said at the time that the suspect was hospitalised for psychiatric treatment in December and had been discharged.

The teen stabbed a police officer with a knife and stole his weapon – a 9mm pistol – just before the incident, and then used it to carry out the attack.

In 2022, an ex-policeman armed with a gun and a knife stormed into a nursery in the country’s north and murdered 24 children and 12 adults, one of Thailand’s deadliest massacres.

This is a breaking news story. More to follow