Meta will pay $17 billion to settle lawsuit
Tech giant Meta, owner of Facebook and Instagram, will pay up to $16.68 billion to settle claims that the company harmed children by designing its social media platforms to addict young users. The lawsuit brought by dozens of states also accused Meta of misleading consumers and improperly collecting children’s personal data. The company denied wrongdoing but agreed to make changes, including daily screen limits and nighttime blocks. The settlement in a California federal court averts a major test of the liability of social media companies, but the platforms still face thousands of lawsuits over claims of harm to kids.
Measles cases still on the rise; two dead
An outbreak of measles is deepening the alarm
among health authorities as Pennsylvania reported two deaths from the disease, the first measles deaths in the United States this year. Both patients were unvaccinated, the Pennsylvania health department said. Measles cases in the United States are at their highest since the highly contagious disease was eliminated from the country nearly three decades ago, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; 93% of cases have been in unvaccinated people, and nearly 70% of cases have been in people ages 19 and younger.
Target pulls Halloween costume, apologizes
Retail giant Target has landed in hot water − not for the first time − after one of its seasonal Halloween costumes brought complaints on social media that the garb resembled the Blackface characters of minstrel shows of the 1800s. Target said it has pulled the costume, sold as the Kids’ Glows Under Blacklight Circus Clown. “As a company, we know we got this wrong, and we are deeply sorry,” the retailer said in a statement. Target has absorbed a series of embarrassments in recent years, including a controversy over its Pride Collection in 2023 and its retreat from diversity, equity and inclusion policies in 2024.
Millions say farewell to Dolly Parton
Country music lost an icon and the nation lost one of its most beloved personalities with the death of Dolly Parton. She was 80 and had been fighting cancer. Her 60-year career spanned classics like “Jolene,” “I Will Always Love You” and “9 to 5,” 49 studio albums, and 25 No. 1 hits. She was also an astute businesswoman and poured millions of dollars into philanthropic causes. On her icon status, she told USA TODAY in 2023: “I’ve been around for so long. I’m like a favorite aunt. … I just hope I never let anybody down. I ain’t as important as some of you make me sound.”
Tim Curry, cult hero of 'Rocky Horror,' dies
Tim Curry, whose portrayal of Dr. Frank-N-Furter in 1975’s “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” has lived on for decades in midnight movies, has died. He was 80 and had been in poor health. Curry's flamboyant "sweet transvestite" in fishnets endeared himself to generations of fans who flocked to the cult classic for its B-movie absurdity, beloved songs like “The Time Warp,” its audience-participation experience and its messages of liberation and individuality. ”It’s given a lot of people permission to be themselves,” Curry told USA TODAY in 2025. “To not dream it, be it. ... I would like to be remembered for that.”
Washington, DC, has a need for speed
Washington, DC, is used to noise − notably from the halls of Congress. But the din this time was the scream of high-performance engines on the streets of the capital for the Freedom 250 Grand Prix, the city’s first-ever motorsport event. With President Donald Trump waving the green flag to start the race, 25 drivers circled a 147-lap course with the Washington Monument, U.S. Capitol and iconic museums as a backdrop. Kyle Kirkwood, 27, took the trophy. “This is a big moment,” he said. “It’s fitting that an American won, right?” − Compiled and written by Robert Abitbol
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Farewell Dolly, tragedy in Nepal, Meta's major payout: Week in review
