In an important case that tests the limits of the federal shield law for social media platforms, known as Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, the Texas Supreme Court last week ruled that civil lawsuits against Facebook from victims of sex trafficking could proceed in the state courts.

Three young women brought lawsuits in the Texas courts against Facebook under a state statute prohibiting sex trafficking, which allowed victims to sue anyone "who intentionally or knowingly benefits from participating in a venture that traffics another person."

Whether Facebook falls into the category of "knowingly or intentionally" benefiting from trafficking remains to be proven. But this Texas decision is significant in the battle against human trafficking because it clears the way for victims to fight back, using the legal tools provided by state legislatures.

The unemployment rate in 22 states that have or are set to cut enhanced federal unemployment benefits early is declining at a significantly quicker rate than states that have opted to keep the extra money until the program ends, according to The Wall Street Journal.

President Biden initially signed the $1.9 trillion stimulus package into law on March 11. The package included a $1,400 stimulus check and a subsequent weekly $300 unemployment supplement which is scheduled to end in September.

However, 22 states have decided to opt out of the supplement due to concerns that the weekly stimulus disincentivized people from rejoining the workforce. According to the analysis, these states are seeing faster declines in the amount of people receiving unemployment benefits.

The U.S. Department of State is preparing to allow passport applicants to select their own "gender marker" so that those who don't identify with their biological sex can select their preferred option.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement, "The Department of State is committed to promoting the freedom, dignity, and equality of all people – including LGBTQI+ persons… I am pleased to announce that the Department will be taking further steps toward ensuring the fair treatment of LGBTQI+ U.S. citizens, regardless of their gender or sex."

The State Department noted that it is not able to produce an "exact timeline" for when people will begin to be able to select non-binary, intersex and gender non-conforming gender markers. Until the requisite updates are made, applicants will be unable to apply for a passport with one of the new markers.