News Wrap: Meta faces trial over arguments its platforms harm children

A federal trial against Meta began on Tuesday, as four states claimed the social media giant's platforms harm children. California, Colorado, Kentucky, and New Jersey argued Meta intentionally hooks users to gather their data. Meta denies the claims, stating it has safeguards to protect young users. Parents, however, blame the company for causing harm to their children.

One mother spoke about her daughter, Coco, who died at 17 from an overdose purchased on Instagram after using the platform since the age of 12. The four states are seeking a financial penalty of up to $1.4 trillion and changes to how Meta operates its platforms. Twenty-five other states will join the lawsuit at a later date. In Hawaii, crews worked to clear roads and restore power after Hurricane Lala caused damage and flash floods.

One fatality, a 90-year-old woman, occurred in the state. Meanwhile, parts of Indiana continue to struggle with catastrophic flooding that submerged neighborhoods, with some infrastructure repairs taking months. Nearly 100 million Americans faced heat alerts with triple-digit temperatures from Texas to the Carolinas. President Trump stated there are no ongoing talks between the U.S. and Iran, and none are scheduled.

Iran's top negotiator, Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, said the Strait of Hormuz would remain closed until the U.S. fulfills commitments. Qatar suggested an agreement between Iran and Oman could ease tensions. An Israeli strike on a fishing seaport in Gaza killed at least six people, including a child, and injured over a dozen others. Israel claimed it targeted Hamas commanders but provided no evidence.

Jared Kushner, President Trump's son-in-law, concluded a trip to the region with no significant progress. Ukraine launched nearly 800 drones across Russia overnight, targeting the Moscow region, describing it as a brutal attack on civilians. On Wall Street, struggling A.I. stocks negatively affected broader market indices, with the Dow Jones down more than 100 points and the Nasdaq falling by 1.33 percent.