Comment on The U.S.'s Weak Legal Case Against WikiLeaks

WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court is allowing a multibillion-dollar class action investors’ lawsuit to proceed against Facebook parent Meta, stemming from the privacy scandal involving the Cambridge Analytica political consulting firm. The justices heard arguments in November in Meta’s bid to shut down the lawsuit. On Friday, they decided that they were wrong to take up the case in the first place. The high court dismissed the company’s appeal, leaving in place an appellate ruling allowing the case to go forward. Investors allege that Meta did not fully disclose the risks that Facebook users’ personal information would be misused by Cambridge Analytica, a firm that supported Donald Trump’s first successful Republican presidential campaign in 2016. Inadequacy of the disclosures led to two significant price drops in the price of the company’s shares in 2018, after the public learned about the extent of the privacy scandal, the investors say. Meta already has paid a $5.1 billion fine and reached a $725 million privacy settlement with users. Cambridge Analytica had ties to Trump political strategist Steve Bannon.

Retired WMAQ-Ch. 5 investigative reporter Renee Ferguson on Sept. 19 sold her longtime six-bedroom, 3,519-square-foot vintage house in the South Side Kenwood neighborhood for $775,000. The multiple Emmy-winning Ferguson, 75, retired from Channel 5 in 2008 after 21 years at the station and after 35 years in broadcasting, including previously working at CBS News and at WBBM-Ch.

McDonald’s will expand its U. S. value menu early next year as it continues to try to win back inflation-weary customers. Starting Jan. 7, the burger chain will let customers buy one full-priced item from a limited value menu and get another item on that menu for $1. Items on the menu include a Sausage McMuffin, hash browns, a McChicken sandwich and small fries. McDonald’s will also continue to offer its $5 Meal Deal through next summer.

DirecTV is calling off its planned acquisition of rival Dish after the offer was rejected by bond holders at that company. The deal was reliant on Dish bond holders agreeing to trade in the debt they held for debt in the new company, a swap that would have cost them about $1.6 billion, collectively. The retreat by DirecTV this week may end a years-long effort by the company to acquire both Dish and Sling after it announced the bid in September. DirecTV was looking to acquire Dish TV and Sling TV from its owner EchoStar in a debt exchange transaction that included a payment of $1, plus the assumption of approximately $9.8 billion in debt.

DALLAS — Delta and United have become the most profitable U. S. airlines by targeting premium customers while also winning back a significant share of travelers on a tight budget. That is squeezing smaller low-fare carriers like Spirit Airlines, which filed for bankruptcy protection on Monday. Some travel-industry experts think Spirit’s troubles indicate that travelers on a budget will be left with fewer choices and higher prices. Other discount airlines are on much better financial footing than Spirit, but they too are lagging far behind the full-service airlines when it comes to recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic.