Hard Pass

McDonald’s is facing a federal lawsuit that alleges its AI-enhanced pricing tool violates antitrust laws because it shares nonpublic data with franchisees who might be competing in the same market.

The lawsuit, which was filed Friday in Illinois, said McDonald’s pricing tool uses artificial intelligence to collect data that competing franchises wouldn’t normally share, like store-level sales. The Chicago-based burger giant has said it makes the tool available to U.S. franchisees to help them set prices at their individual restaurants.

The lawsuit also blames the pricing system for raising McDonald’s U.S. prices.

“McDonald’s has built and for years deployed its own information-sharing pricing platform, which draws on data from its millions of daily transactions to set menu prices across thousands of U.S. restaurants,” the lawsuit states. “The result is algorithmic price-fixing aimed at customers who are already stretched thin.”

DND has signed new contracts worth a total of $67.7 million with Microsoft, Amazon, Google and their Canadian subsidiaries.

Amazon hasn't made an Echo with a 3.5mm port in six years.

A federal judge in Boston has blocked one of the Trump administration's most aggressive immigration enforcement tools: civil fines imposed on migrants who remain in the United States after receiving final deportation orders. U.S. District Judge George O'Toole ruled that the administration's system was unlawfully imposed and stopped enforcement of the penalties while a class-action lawsuit continues. The case was brought by two migrants facing the fines and the Immigrant Legal Resource Center.

full story : https://realnarrativenews.com/editorial/trump-migrant-fines-ruling-otoole-998-dollar-a-day/

Turkey plans to step up its military support for Saudi Arabia in the coming weeks by deploying additional personnel and defence equipment amid escalating Houthi attacks on the kingdom, several Turkish officials told Middle East Eye on Tuesday.

In a joint statement on Monday, Turkey, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia said they had decided to immediately implement their collective defence commitments under the Makkah Alliance for Defence and provide "the agreed military forces and capabilities to ensure their rapid deployment" to the kingdom.

Two Turkish officials familiar with Ankara's plans told MEE that Turkey had maintained technical teams, air defence systems and electronic warfare equipment in the kingdom since last year to protect critical infrastructure, including energy facilities.

“Everyone should be alarmed that ICE is preparing to deploy a tool designed to inflict, at best, intense pain," said one watchdog.