The times. (Gainesville, Ga.) 1972-current, March 26, 2023, Image 2

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The times., March 26, 2023, Image 2

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Newspaper Page Text2A Sunday, March 26, 2023 The Times, Gainesville, Georgia | gainesvilletimes.com New Utah social media law means kids need approval from parents Gov. Spencer Cox signs two social media regulation bills during a ceremony at the Capitol building in Salt Lake City on Thursday, March 23. BY SAM METZ AND BARBARA ORTUTAY Associated Press SALT LAKE CITY — Children and teens in Utah would lose access to social media apps such as TikTok if they don’t have parental consent and face other restrictions under a first-in-the-nation law designed to shield young people from the addictive platforms. Two laws signed by Republican Gov. Spencer Cox Thursday prohibit kids under 18 from using social media between the hours of 10:30 p.m. and 6:30 a.m., require age veri fication for anyone who wants to use social media in the state and open the door to lawsuits on behalf of children claiming social media harmed them. Col lectively, they seek to pre vent children from being lured to apps by addictive features and from having ads promoted to them. The companies are expected to sue before the laws take effect in March 2024. The crusade against social media in Utah’s Republican-supermajority Legislature is the latest reflection of how politi cians’ perceptions of tech nology companies has changed, including among typically pro-business Republicans. Tech giants like Face- book and Google have enjoyed unbridled growth for over a decade, but amid concerns over user privacy, hate speech, mis information and harmful effects on teens’ mental health, lawmakers have made Big Tech attacks a rallying cry on the cam paign trail and begun try ing to rein them in once in office. Utah’s law was signed on the same day TikTok’s CEO testified before Congress about, among other things, the platform’s effects on teen agers’ mental health. But legislation has stalled on the federal level, pushing states to step in. Outside of Utah, lawmak ers in red states including Arkansas, Texas, Ohio and Louisiana and blue states including New Jersey are advancing similar propos als. California, meanwhile, enacted a law last year requiring tech companies to put kids’ safety first by barring them from profil ing children or using per sonal information in ways TRENT NELSON I Associated Press that could harm children physically or mentally. The new Utah laws also require that parents be given access to their child’s accounts. They outline rules for people who want to sue over harms they claim the apps cause. If implemented, lawsuits against social media companies involv ing kids under 16 will shift the burden of proof and require social media com panies show their products weren’t harmful — not the other way around. Social media compa nies could have to design new features to comply with parts of the laws that prohibit promoting ads to minors and showing them in search results. Tech companies like TikTok, Snapchat and Meta, which owns Facebook and Insta- gram, make most of their money by targeting adver tising to their users. EVENTS Venardos Circus at North Georgia Premium Out lets. March 22-26. 800 GA-400, Dawsonville. 949-393-0567, tickets@venardoscircus.com. Spring Storybook Ballet: “Peter Pan.” 1 -3 p.m. and 6:30-7:30 p.m. March 25; 2-4 p.m. March 26. Pearce Auditorium at Brenau Uni versity, 202 Boulevard NE, Gainesville. 770- 866-5353, info@gbcdance.com. $15-$25. Fox Gradin Arts in the Outdoors Program. 10 a.m. to noon March 25. Elachee Nature Sci ence Center, 2125 Elachee Drive, Gainesville. 770-535-1976, sam@elachee.org. Mutts on Main. 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. March 25. Historic Gainesville square, 112 Main St.SW, Gainesville, lshubert@gainesvillega.gov. 16th Year Church Anniversary. 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. March 26. Cornerstone of Faith Minis tries, 3 First St., Gainesville, cornerstoneof- faith@gmail.com. Gentle Yoga. 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. March 29. Blackshear Place Branch Library, 2927 At lanta Highway, Gainesville, dl9345@bellsouth. net. Free. Historic Downtown Braselton Tours. 10-11:30 a.m. April 1,15; 12:30-2 p.m. April 15,16, 29. The 1904, 9924 Davis St., Braselton. 706- 921 -4016, nperry@braselton.net. $10. Come Meet Jesus’ Donkey at the Petting Zoo. 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. April 1. Flowery Branch United Methodist Church, 5212 Spring St., Flow ery Branch. 770-967-3441, FloweryBran- chUMC@gmail.com. Free. “A Little Night(hawk)” Music Concert Series. 7:30-8:30 p.m. April 3. UNG-Gainesville Per forming Arts Center, 3820 Mundy Mill Road, Oakwood. 706-864-1423, cherri.helms@ung. edu. No School Nature Day. 10 a.m. to noon. April 4, 6. Elachee Nature Science Center, 2125 Elachee Drive, Gainesville. 770-535-1976, sam@elachee.org. ONGOING Alzheimer’s Caregivers Support Group. 5:30- 6:30 p.m. first Tuesdays of the month. Grace Episcopal Church, 422 Brenau Ave. NE, Gainesville. 727-409-6608, charlenebestde- witt@gmail.com. Free. Gold Rush Quilting Guild. 10 a.m. to noon first Wednesdays of the month. Friendship Baptist Church, 3513 Westmoreland Road, Cleve land. alenekempton@gmail.com. Turning Leaves Bookclub. 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Publish your event Don’t see your event here? Organizers can go to gainesvilletimes.com/calendar and submit events for publication online and in print. Click the “+Add event” button at the top right and follow the prompts to add information and a photo. Events publish at the editors’ discretion. See more Go to gainesvilletimes.com/calendar for the full interactive calendar of events throughout the region. first Wednesdays of the month. Linwood Nature Preserve Ecology Center, 118 Spring- view Drive, Gainesville. 770-535-8293, karin. hicks@uga.edu. Northeast Georgia Writers. 1 -3 p.m. first Wednesdays of the month. Gainesville Down town Library, 127 Main St. NW, Gainesville. Talltaleswriter@gmail.com. Free. Card workshop. 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. first Sat urdays of the month. Hall County Library System, Gainesville branch, 127 Main St. NW, Gainesville. 770-532-3311 ext. 4011, gkoecher@hallcountylibrary.org. Ekphrasis for the Masses. Noon to 1 p.m. sec ond Tuesdays of the month. Quinlan Visual Arts Center, 514 Green St. NE, Gainesville. 770-536-2575, info@qvac.org. Free. War Stories Book Club. 4-5 p.m. second Thurs days of the month. Murrayville Branch Library, 4796 Thompson Bridge Road, Gainesville. 770-532-3311 ext. 171. Free. Discovery Saturdays. 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. second Saturdays of the month. Elachee Nature Sci ence Center, 2125 Elachee Drive, Gainesville. 770-535-1976. $3-$5. Georgia Cross Stitchers. 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. second Saturdays of the month. Hall County Library System, Gainesville Branch, 127 Main St. NW, Gainesville. 770-532-3311 ext. 4011; gkoecher@hallcountylibrary.org. Free. Homeschool Day. 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. third Thursdays of the month. Elachee Nature Sci ence Center, 2125 Elachee Drive, Gainesville. 770-535-1976. $15. Gainesville Lacers. 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. third Saturdays of the month. Hall County Library System, Gainesville branch, 127 Main St. NW, Gainesville. 770-532-3311, gkoecher@hall- countylibrary.org. Tea with Jane Austen: A Reading Group. 3-4 p.m. fourth Fridays of the month. Hall County Library System, Gainesville Branch, 127 Main St. NW, Gainesville. 770-532-3311 ext. 4011, gkoecher@hallcountylibrary.org. Free. ' THANK YOU . FOR READING FULL ACCESS WITH YOUR SUBSCRIPTION TODAY IN HISTORY DON HEINY I Associated Press The Rev. Jesse Jackson works the crowd as he arrived to speak at a rally in Stamford, Sunday, March 27,1988. Jackson, who won the Michigan caucuses on Saturday, was in Connecticut on a campaign trip. The Times’ print edition brings you in- depth coverage of the biggest local news stories. To access all of the local news our team is reporting, activate your digital subscription. Go to www. gainesvilletimes.com/register, and after filling out the form, check the box “already a subscriber.” Print Traditional print editions are currently published Wednesday and Friday for delivery by mail. EPaper This platform offers the traditional look of a newspaper page but available on your tablet or other device. Editions are published Tuesday through Saturday, with two of those being replicas of the print edition. Access at gainesvilletimes. com/epaper. Website Always stay up to date with us at gainesvilletimes.com. The public has a right to know, and The Times is dedicated to that principle and the ‘continued enlightenment and freedom of the people of North Georgia,” as engraved outside our building. The pursuit of truth is a fundamental principle of journalism. But the truth is not always apparent or known immediately. A professional journalist’s role is to report as completely and impartially as possible verifiable facts so readers can, based on their own knowledge and experience, determine what they believe to be the truth. That is often an ongoing pursuit as journalists work to uncover stories and follow those stories wherever they lead, regardless of preconceived ideas. The news they report is separate from Newsletters Sign up at gainesvilletimes.com/ newsletters to receive email newsletters. ■ Daybreak: A daily morning roundup of the same local news you get in the paper ■ Refresh: An afternoon update of news happening each weekday ■ Flight: A weekly guide to fun, food and family in Northeast Georgia ■ Branch Out: A weekly update curating news out of South Hall County ■ Extra Points: Latest local sports news, delivered twice weekly App A sleek experience on your cellphone that also offers notifications so you learn the biggest news quickly. Learn more at gainesvilletimes.com/app. Social media /gainesvilletimes @gtimes [EJ @gtimesnews the opinions shared in the pages of The Times, which include those by its editorial board, columnists, political cartoonists and readers who submit letters to the editor. The presentation of both news and opinions is designed to educate, entertain and foster community conversation. Readers are encouraged to challenge and sharpen their perceptions basved on that presentation. And we encourage readers to do the same for us, offering news tips, criticisms and questions. As your honestly local news source, we serve our readers first. Find us on these platforms or reach out to our newsroom at news@ gainesvilletimes.com or 770-718-3435. On this date: In 1812, an earthquake devastated Caracas, Venezuela, causing an estimated 26,000 deaths, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. In 1827, composer Ludwig van Beethoven died in Vienna at age 56. In 1945, during World War II, Iwo Jima was fully secured by U.S. forces following a final, desperate attack by Japanese soldiers. In 1962, the U.S. Supreme Court, in Baker v. Carr, gave federal courts the power to order reapportionment of states’ legislative districts. In 1973, the soap opera “The Young and the Restless” premiered on CBS-TV. In 1979, a peace treaty was signed by Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin and Egyp tian President Anwar Sadat and witnessed by President Jimmy Carter at the White House. In 1982, groundbreaking ceremonies took place in Washington, D.C., for the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. In 1988, Jesse Jackson stunned fellow ENTERTAINMENT Reese Witherspoon, Jim Toth announce plans to divorce LOS ANGELES — Reese Witherspoon and her husband say they are divorcing after nearly 12 years of marriage. The actor-producer and her husband, Hollywood agent Jim Toth, announced their breakup Friday in a joint statement on Instagram. Their wedding anniver sary is Sunday. “It is with a great deal of care and consideration that we have made the dif ficult decision to divorce,” the post said. “We have enjoyed so many wonderful years together and are moving forward with deep love, kindness and mutual respect for everything we have created together.” Witherspoon and Toth have one son together and they said he remains their biggest priority, asking for privacy. Messages to representatives for With erspoon and Toth were not immediately returned. No records of a divorce filing could be found in Los Angeles Superior Court. Democrats by soundly defeating Michael S. Dukakis in Michigan’s Democratic presiden tial caucuses. In 1992, a judge in Indianapolis sentenced former heavyweight boxing champion Mike Tyson to six years in prison for raping a Miss Black America contestant. (Tyson ended up serving three years.) In 1997, the bodies of 39 members of the Heaven’s Gate techno-religious cult who died by suicide were found inside a rented mansion in Rancho Santa Fe, California. In 2010, the U.S. and Russia sealed the first major nuclear weapons treaty in nearly two decades, agreeing to slash the former Cold War rivals’ warhead arsenals by nearly one- third. In 2014, Osama bin Laden’s son-in-law, Su- laiman Abu Ghaith, was convicted in New York for his role as al-Qaida’s fiery chief spokesman after 9/11. (He was later sen tenced to life in prison.) In 2020, the U.S. surpassed official Chi nese government numbers to become the country with the most reported coronavirus infections. Celebrity birthdays Retired Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor is 93. Actor Alan Arkin is 89. Pal estinian President Mahmoud Abbas is 88. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is 83. Author Erica Jong is 81. Journalist Bob Woodward is 80. Singer Diana Ross is 79. Rock singer Steven Tyler (Aerosmith) is 75. Singer and TV personality Vicki Lawrence is 74. Comedian Martin Short is 73. Country singer Ronnie McDowell is 73. Movie composer Alan Sil- vestri is 73. Radio talk show host Curtis Sliwa is 69. Country singer Dean Dillon is 68. Coun try singer Charly McClain is 67. TV personal ity Leeza Gibbons is 66. Actor Jennifer Grey is 63. College and Pro Football Hall of Famer Marcus Allen is 63. Actor Billy Warlock is 62. Actor Eric Allan Kramer is 61. Basketball and College Basketball Hall of Famer John Stock- ton is 61. Rock musician James lha is 55. Country singer Kenny Chesney is 55. Movie director Martin McDonagh is 52. Actor Leslie Mann is 51. Actor T.R. Knight is 50. Rapper Juvenile is 48. Actor Amy Smart is 47. Actor Bianca Kajlich is 46. Moderator Margaret Brennan (TV: “Face the Nation”) is 43. Actor Keira Knightley is 38. Rapper J-Kwon is 37. Actor Carly Chaikin is 33. Witherspoon was previously married to actor Ryan Phillippe, with whom she has two children. Associated Press She (Times gainesvilletimes.com A Metro Market Media Publication © 2023, Vol. 76, No. 61 Sunday, March 26,2023 HOW TO REACH US 345 Green St. N.W., Gainesville, GA 30501 P.0. Box 838, Gainesville, GA 30503 (770) 532-1234 Hours: 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m., Mon.-Fri. Drive thru open: 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m., Mon.-Fri. Publisher Stephanie Woody swoody@forsythnews.com Group Editor Nate McCullough, nmccullough@gainesvilletimes.com Editor John Chambliss jchambliss@gainesvilletimes.com Director of Audience Shannon Casas, scasas@gainesvilletimes.com Controller Susan Andrews, sandrews@gainesvilletimes.com Production Dir. Mark Hall, mhall@gainesvilletimes.com TALK TO AN EDITOR, REPORT AN ERROR If you spot an error, we want to coned it immediately. We also want your news tips and feature ideas. 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