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Facebook anticipates an FTC privacy fine of up to $5 billion

Facebook said it expects a fine of up to $5 billion from the Federal Trade Commission, which is investigating whether the social network violated its users' privacy. The company set aside $3 billion in its quarterly earnings report Wednesday as a contingency against the possible penalty but noted that the 'matter remains unresolved.' The one-time charge slashed Facebook's first-quarter net income considerably, although revenue grew by 25% in the period. The FTC has been looking into whether Facebook broke its own 2011 agreement promising to protect user privacy. Investors shrugged off the charge and sent the company's stock up nearly 5% to $190.89 in after-hours trading. EMarketer analyst Debra Aho Williamson, however, called it a 'significant development' and noted that any settlement is likely to go beyond a mere dollar amount. '(Any) settlement with the FTC may impact the ways advertisers can use the platform in the future,' she said. Facebook has had several high-profile privacy lapses in the past couple of years. The FTC has been looking into Facebook's involvement with the data-mining firm Cambridge Analytica scandal since last March. That company accessed the data of as many as 87 million Facebook users without their consent. In addition to the FTC investigation, Facebook faces several others in the U.S. and Europe, including by the Irish Data Protection Commission , and others in Belgium and Germany. Ireland is Facebook's lead privacy regulator for Europe. The social network said its net income was $2.43 billion, or 85 cents per share in the January-March period. That's down 51% from $4.99 billion, or $1.69 per share, a year earlier, largely as a result of the $3 billion charge. Revenue grew 26% to $15.08 billion from a year earlier. Excluding the charge, Facebook earned $1.89 per share. Analysts polled by FactSet expected earnings of $1.62 per share and revenue of $14.98 billion. Facebook's monthly user base grew 8% to 2.38 billion. Daily users grew 8% to 1.56 billion.

Shipping container apartments proposed for Downtown Jacksonville

It’s a concept he’s seen in Europe for years, but one that hasn’t quite taken hold stateside, at least in the area. It’s one of the reasons JWB Real Estate Capital President Alexander Sifakis is putting forward a plan to build 18 studio apartments made of shipping containers in Downtown Jacksonville. “There’s a lot of other projects going on Downtown that have already changed the landscape of Downtown over the last two years, and there’s been so much momentum over the last five years, and a lot of great things going on. And I think the next two or three years are going to be pretty transformational, so it’s just... hoping to be a small part of that,” Sifakis says. Sifakis says he has a passion and interest in the revitalization of Downtown. While his company has worked in Brooklyn and Springfield, this is the first project in the core. “Hoping to get some interest in Downtown Jax, and for other people to think outside the box,” he says. GALLERY: Shipping container apartment complex proposed for Downtown Jacksonville The proposal going in front of the Downtown Development Review Board next month is for an apartment community on Ashley Street, in an area known as the Cathedral District. Sifakis says they wanted to be in Downtown, and that area seemed to be a good fit. “They’re really pushing more residential in the District, and this is a way to get some great density on a really small lot,” he says. The plan is for each shipping container unit to be assembled off site, then stacked up on the property. The units would be 320 square feet- eight feet wide and 40 feet long- with a kitchen, washer/dryer, bathroom, walk-in closet and more. There is not any included parking. The development is expected to cost around $1.2 million to $1.3 million, but Sifakis says they want to start rent around $550/month. If given approval from the DDRB, Sifakis says they will seek a REV grant from the Downtown Investment Authority, which is essentially a rebate on future property tax payouts, relating to the impact a project has on the community. He hopes they can get all the needed approvals in 3-5 months, with construction taking another 1-3 months. That could mean project completion within eight months. “Might be a little optimistic,” Sifakis says. If this project goes well, Sifakis says he would look at bringing the concept to other plots in the City in the future.

9 suspects arrested in 'Operation Downpour' led by St. Johns County detectives

The St. Johns County Sheriff's Office says a recent child sex sting operation led by their Internet Crimes Against Children detectives has netted 9 arrests, including a former Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office corrections officer. According to the sheriff's office, the suspects arrested during the two-week 'Operation Downpour' range in age from 18 to 34-years-old and come from all over the country. Locally, of the 9 arrested, three are from Duval County, one is from St. Johns County, and one is from Clay County. There were also one each from Alachua and Flagler counties. But deputies say one of the suspects is from McChord, Washington; another suspect is from South Gate, California. The sheriff's office says this operation involved undercover detectives posing as children online to arrange for suspects to meet with them in St. Johns County. The arrest reports show the detectives posed as children between the ages of 11-14 during this operation, though in a couple of instances the detectives posed as the guardian of a child. Deputies say all the suspects arrested made plans to meet and traveled to the location in an attempt to solicit children. FULL ARREST DETAILS: Clarence Thomas, 28, Jacksonville Ct. 1: Attempted Lewd and Lascivious Behavior Ct. 2: Traveling to meet a minor for sex Ct. 3: Unlawful use of a two-way communication device Ct. 4: Solicit a child for sex Bonds totaled $12,500 The St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office says Thomas does not have a booking photo to release, due to Florida’s 119 exemption. WOKV has learned Thomas is exempt because is a former corrections officer with the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office. Orion Healy, 19, Palm Coast Ct. 1: Traveling to meet a minor for sex Ct. 2: Unlawful use of a two-way communication device Ct. 3: Solicit a child for sex Ct. 4: Attempted Lewd and Lascivious Battery Ct. 5: Tampering with Evidence Bonds totaled $45,000 Michael Beck II, 21, Jacksonville Ct. 1: Solicit a child for sex Ct. 2: Traveling to meet a minor for sex Ct. 3: Unlawful use of a two-way communication device Ct. 4: Attempted Lewd and Lascivious Battery Ct. 5: Transmission of Harmful Material to Mino Ct. 6: Possession of Marijuana Bonds Totaled $33,000 Raymomd Wygant, 25, McChord, Washington Ct. 1: Solicit a child for sex Ct. 2: Traveling to meet a minor for sex Ct. 3: Unlawful use of a two-way communication device Ct. 4: Attempted Lewd and Lascivious Battery Bonds Totaling $32,500 Ethan Persson, 18, St. Augustine Ct. 1: Solicit a child for sex Ct. 2: Traveling to meet a minor for sex Ct. 3: Unlawful use of a two-way communication device Ct. 4: Attempted Lewd and Lascivious Battery Bonds Totaling $35,000 Ernie Aleman, 31, South Gate, California Ct. 1: Solicit a child for sex Ct. 2: Traveling to meet a minor for sex Ct. 3: Unlawful use of a two-way communication device Ct. 4: Attempted Lewd and Lascivious Battery Bonds Totaling $50,000 Matthew Browne, 28, Gainesville Ct. 1: Traveling to meet a minor for sex Ct. 2: Solicit a child for sex Ct. 3: Attempted Lewd and Lascivious Battery Ct. 4: Unlawful use of a two-way communication device Bonds Totaling $35,000 Jhony Chacon-Montiel, 34, Jacksonville Ct. 1: Travel to meet a minor for sex Ct. 2: Unlawful use of a two way communications deice Ct. 3: Attempted Lewd and Lascivious Battery Ct. 4: Use a computer to solicit a child for sex No Bond Joshua Blankenship, 28, Green Cove Springs Ct. 1: Attempted Lewd and Lascivious Battery Ct. 2: Unlawful use of a two way communications deice Ct.3: Travel to meet a minor for sex Ct. 4: Use a computer to solicit a child for sex Ct. 5: Possession of a Controlled substance w/o prescription Ct. 6: Possession of Methamphetamine No Bond

Voice of Reason: The story of Jamie Dupree’s return to radio

We open with a producer off-camera asking, “Can you give us a brief explanation of what’s going on with your voice?” Jamie Dupree, dressed for Capitol Hill, immediately begins writing down his response on his tablet. He looks up at the camera with a smirk and simply replies, “No.” In essence, the documentary ‘Voice of Reason’ is the story of Jamie Dupree’s return to air. But, Jamie’s story transcends radio waves. Directed by Cox Media Group-Atlanta Videographer Jesse Brooks, ‘Voice of Reason’ is a story of triumph and how in Jamie’s words, despite life’s adversity, “There is no reason to give up.” As a Cox Media Group Washington Correspondent, Jamie spent more than three decades covering Capitol Hill. Nearly two years ago, his method of communication had to change. Doctors say a rare neurological condition is making it difficult for his brain to tell his tongue what to do while speaking. Placing a pen in his mouth helps him speak. “It’s hard, but I’m working to come back hard,” Jamie said. As it became obvious in the last year that his voice was not coming back, Jamie doubled down his efforts to find answers. And that’s when Mike Lupo at Cox Media Group’s corporate headquarters contacted a company in Scotland called CereProc. With innovative technology, CereProc developed a special voice app that allows Jamie to use a simple text-to-speech program to generate news reports in his old voice. ‘Voice of Reason,’ which became a labor of love for CMG Atlanta’s Jesse Brooks, delves deeper into CereProc’s technology and Jamie’s emotional journey over the past few years The documentary is peppered with moving interviews with Jamie’s colleagues, and even a few candid glimpses of Jamie with his kids. He’s thankful to all who have wished him well. While the condition has obviously affected his job, that’s not what Jamie says hurts him the most. “Think about not being able to talk to your kids, or your wife or your father or your friends. While my work is hard and different, life is about a lot more than that.” Specialists at Emory University in Atlanta are trying a new treatment that will slow down the movement of Jamie’s tongue to make it easier for him to speak. In the meantime, Jamie wants everyone to know his overall health is good. “Let’s be frank about this whole situation -- this sucks,” Jamie tells producers in ‘Voice of Reason,’ adding through misty eyes, “But there is no reason to quit. “There is no reason to stop trying. And so I’m not going to stop trying.”

Voice of Reason: The story of Jamie Dupree’s return to radio

Jamie Dupree's Washington Insider

President Trump: 'We're fighting all the subpoenas' Aggravated by the efforts of House Democrats to continue to ask questions about the Russia investigation, President Donald Trump on Wednesday said his administration would not cooperate with those hearings in Congress, as Mr. Trump said a subpoena for testimony by his former White House Counsel was 'ridiculous,' calling on Democrats to move past Russia and on to domestic issues. 'We're fighting all the subpoenas,' the President said, casting the investigative efforts in Congress about Russia and the Mueller Report as nothing more than a political gambit by Democrats to damage his re-election chances. 'Look, these aren't impartial people,' he told reporters on the South Lawn of the White House. 'The Democrats are trying to win 2020.' Before leaving for events in Atlanta, the President again complained that Democrats were still focusing on the Russia probe, even after the release of a redacted version of the Mueller Report. 'I thought after two years, we would be finished with it,' Mr. Trump added, again declaring that the Mueller investigation found nothing. 'No collusion, no obstruction,' he said. Mr. Trump's comments came after a blitz of posts on Twitter Tuesday morning in which he denounced efforts by Democrats to further investigate Russian interference in the 2016 elections, again arguing that only Democrats deserved scrutiny. The President's Wednesday comments echoed remarks he made in an interview with the Washington Post on Tuesday night, in which he said his administration won't help Democrats with what he charged were 'partisan' hearings. On Tuesday, a former White House official defied a subpoena from a House committee to testify about security clearances granted to the President's son-in-law and other officials - despite red flags in their background checks. Tuesday also brought a second missed deadline to turn over seven years of Mr. Trump's tax returns, as the Secretary of Treasury said a final decision on the request would be made by May 6. “The president just made it clear that he is trying to stifle our investigation into his prior conduct,” said Rep. Diana DeGette (D-CO). Several hours after President Trump said he would be fighting 'all the subpoenas,' more evidence of that surfaced, as Democrats said a top Justice Department official had been ordered not to show up for a scheduled bipartisan deposition on Thursday before a House panel. “Both President Trump and Attorney General Barr are now openly ordering federal employees to ignore congressional subpoenas and simply not show up,” said Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-MD), the head of the House Oversight Committee. In this case, Principal Deputy Attorney General John Gore was slated to come in for questions concerning the controversy over adding a citizenship question to the 2020 Census - an issue which has nothing to do with the Russia investigation. “The subpoena that was issued to Mr. Gore was adopted by our Committee on a bipartisan basis,” Cummings said in a written statement. “Neither the White House nor the Department of Justice has asserted any privilege that would relieve Mr. Gore of his legal duty to comply.” Republicans argued Democrats were making something out of nothing. “Chairman Cummings is trying to insert the Committee into ongoing litigation,” said a GOP spokesman for the Oversight Committee, noting Gore had already appeared twice before the panel. Still, it would be the second time this week that a Trump Administration official had ignored a subpoena - on Tuesday, a former White House security official who now works at the Pentagon, refused to honor a subpoena for testimony on questions about security clearance approvals for senior White House officials.

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