Tech giant Meta is threatening to cut off access to its social media platforms in New Mexico as a response to the state’s legal effort to compel changes to child safety protocols on the platform.

Meta and the state of New Mexico are expected to proceed to the second stage of their trial next week after a jury recently issued a $375 million award to the state after finding that the company misled consumers about the safety of its platforms and protections for children against sexual predators.

The next phase of the trial will concern what actions the parent company of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp must take to address those issues.

Among the remedies New Mexico is seeking is to impose a requirement that Meta meet a 99% accuracy threshold in verifying that children on its platform are at least 13 years old. Meta has pushed back on that requirement, arguing in a court filing that it’s unfeasible and would require it to “comply with impossible obligations.”

META VOWS APPEAL OF ‘LANDMARK’ SOCIAL MEDIA VERDICTS, WARNS OF FREE SPEECH EROSION

Meta is warning that it may be forced to pull its apps from New Mexico if the state prevails in requiring the social media giant to implement certain safeguards. (Arda Kucukkaya/Anadolu via Getty Images)

Meta’s legal team said in a filing that New Mexico’s “requests for relief are so broad and so burdensome, that if implemented it might force Meta to withdraw its apps entirely from the State of New Mexico as an alternative way of complying with the injunction.”

“It does not make economic or engineering sense for Meta to build separate apps just for New Mexico residents,” Meta’s lawyers added. “Nor could Meta guarantee the perfection the State demands, making it impractical for Meta to operate in New Mexico.”

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The company has argued that it’s being unfairly singled out in comparison to other social media platforms that are popular with young people. It also previously signaled it will appeal the $375 million civil judgment against it.

New Mexico pushed back on Meta’s assertion that it would be impractical to comply with the safeguards it’s seeking for social media apps.

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Meta is the parent company of apps including Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp. (Reuters/Dado Ruvic/Illustration)

“Meta is showing the world how little it cares about child safety,” said New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez. “Meta’s refusal to follow the laws that protect our kids tells you everything you need to know about this company and the character of its leaders.” 

“We know Meta has the ability to make these changes. For years the company has rewritten its own rules, redesigned its products, and even bent to the demands of dictators to preserve market access. This is not about technological capability. Meta simply refuses to place the safety of children ahead of engagement, advertising revenue, and profit,” Torrez added.

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New Mexico is also seeking that Meta implement safer recommendation algorithms that don’t prioritize engagement over child well-being, restrictions on end-to-end encryption for minors, prominent warning labels about the platform’s risks, permanent bans for adults engaging in or facilitating the exploitation of children, and an independent oversight regime through a court-appointed child safety monitor.

Companies announcing new appointments include Northern Powergrid, Richard Reed Solicitors, RMT Accountants & Business Advisor, CMP Products, RWO and Robson Laidler Wealth

RMT Accountants & Business Advisors has brought two further senior recruits into its audit team as it continues to invest in meeting growing client demand. Joe Mackie-Walsh has joined the Gosforth-based firm’s audit team as an associate director, with Becky Barker taking up the role of audit manager.

Originally from Darlington, Mr Mackie-Walsh moved to the London office of one of the UK’s Big Four firms after graduating from Newcastle University before deciding to return to the North East. He brings over a decade of experience across a broad range of sectors, gained at leading North East professional services firms and private businesses.

Ms Barker also began her career in London after graduating from Durham University and has over eight years’ audit experience gained in practices in the capital and back in the North East.

Paul Gainford, director of commercial services at RMT Accountants & Business Advisors, added: “We’ve seen a surge in new business wins over recent months from a wide range of clients, and we’ve been building our audit team to ensure the support and advice they need is on hand.

“Joe and Becky are excellent additions to this team, with both the personal and professional qualities that will help them thrive at RMT, and we’re expecting to see further new recruits joining us in the coming months.”

Northern Powergrid has made two senior leadership appointments to strengthen its regional operations. Paul McGinlay, who has joined the executive team as director of regional operations, has more than 20 years of senior leadership experience from the telecoms sector, having led large-scale, field engineering and operational teams across Scotland and the North of England.

As director of operations for the North of England at Openreach, he led a team of around 3,500 engineers overseeing regional operations and service delivery. He now leads Northern Powergrid’s regional operations directorate, the company’s largest, comprising around 1,800 colleagues across the North East and Yorkshire.

Meanwhile Brad Jobson has been appointed general manager for Northumberland, County Durham and Tyne and Wear. He has spent almost three years at Northern Powergrid and most recently held the role of commercial manager for the company’s energy flexibility offering, where he played a key role in supporting the transition to a smarter, more flexible electricity network.

In his new role, Brad will be responsible for regional operational performance, safety leadership and delivering business plans across the North East.

Newcastle engineers RWO has strengthened its geoenvironmental and ground engineering operations with two appointments. Neil Jones has extended his contract with the Seaton Burn company as geoenvironmental services associate director, having joined two years ago following a short period of retirement,

With more than 40 years of experience and expertise, Mr Jones will continue to be responsible for the design and preparation of geotechnical design solutions for clients who include national housebuilders and developers, as well as staff development and training, reviewing reports and ensuring technical compliance.

The company also welcomes Spencer Ollivier, who joins the geoenvironmental team as an experienced geotechnical engineer. His role will include geohazard assessments, desk studies, site walk overs, planning, supervising and reporting on ground investigations and the preparation of specifications and reports.

Department head and director Chris Rudd said: “It’s great to have Spencer onboard and extend Neil’s time with us. Both are assets to the business as we move forward and invaluable members of the RWO team.”

Sunderland based Richard Reed Solicitors has announced expansion of its conveyancing department. The team, led by Nicola Bennell, director and solicitor, has promoted Steven Douglas to associate solicitor, and welcomed Kathryn Musgrove as solicitor. Savannah Beckett and Hannah Cullen have also recently joined the team.

Additional support has been provided through the recruitment of paralegals Lynn Liddle and Lucy Cardy. Other strategic appointments include Matthew Lockey, who has been promoted to head of private family law, having joined the firm in May 2023. In addition, Helena Dar has joined as solicitor in the wills, trusts & probate team.

Sarah Reid, managing director, Richard Reed said: “We are delighted to welcome a number of new colleagues to the firm and to recognise the achievements of our newly promoted team members, Matthew and Steven. This period of growth is a testament to the hard work of our people and the trust our clients place in us. As we continue to expand, our focus remains on delivering a personal, high-quality service across all areas of the business.

“We believe our people are our greatest asset, and we are committed to investing in our people at every stage of their careers. We remain dedicated to creating an environment where talent is nurtured, and success is shared.”

CMP Products has appointed a new chief operating officer to drive productivity and sustainable growth across the division. Demos Hoursoglou brings extensive senior leadership experience across a range of engineering and manufacturing environments, with a strong track record of delivering operational transformation programmes.

His priorities will include enhancing operational efficiency, strengthening safety standards and investing in people development across the organisation. Mr Hoursoglou joins CMP from RLC Aerospace Limited, where he’d worked as director of operations for over a year. Prior to that he’d worked for Jaguar Land Rover and Honda UK.

He said: “I’m delighted to be joining CMP at such an important stage in its growth journey. Throughout my career, I’ve been passionate about improving operational performance, driving efficiency and building strong, engaged teams. CMP’s clear commitment to sustainable growth and continuous improvement makes this an exciting opportunity. I look forward to working closely with colleagues across the business to strengthen operations, enhance collaboration and ensure we deliver consistently against our long‑term ambitions.”

Mr Hoursoglou’s appointment follows the announcement that chief operating officer, Steve Holt, will retire at the end of May after nearly 38 years with the business.

Newcastle wealth management firm Robson Laidler Wealth has appointed Hannah Witty as a chartered financial planner and associate director. Ms Witty, originally from West Sussex, brings more than 15 years of financial advice experience to the firm and will play a key role in supporting growth while enhancing the service for new and existing clients.

She was previously a financial adviser at Wades Financial Services, recently acquired by Foster Denovo, and began her career at Three Counties, where she gained her professional qualifications.

Directors of RL Wealth Neil and Amanda Cowie, who have known Ms Witty professionally for many years, are pleased to welcome her into their team.

The mum-of-three is passionate about driving change and empowerment of women in the financial services sector with recent industry data from the Financial Conduct Authority showing that only 15 to 17% of financial advisers are female.

She said: “I’m excited to be joining Robson Laidler Wealth at such an important time in its journey. I’ve always admired the firm’s independent, family-led approach and its dedication to putting clients first. I look forward to contributing to the team and supporting clients in achieving their financial goals. I’m proud to be stepping into a senior role and helping to model what’s possible for high-performing women in financial services.”

The housebuilder’s warning over building cost inflation comes as other construction firms have also cautioned about the impact of the Iran war on UK housebuilder costs

Housebuilder MJ Gleeson has raised concerns over building cost inflation, triggering “higher than usual caution” regarding its financial position.

The Sheffield firm, which specialises in homes at the lower end of the housing market, said: “We have recently seen some softening in footfall and reservations, and limited increases in the cost of some materials.”

The effective blockade of the Strait of Hormuz resulting from the Iran conflict has sent supply chain and energy costs soaring, with construction firms cautioning this could drive up building expenses.

Housebuilders have also indicated that inflation fears are dampening demand for new homes, with MJ Gleeson noting it has witnessed appetite beginning to decline.

“This, together with ongoing challenges with planning and site viability, prompts even higher than usual caution in how we manage the business, including land investment decisions, into the next financial year,” chief executive Graham Prothero stated, as reported by City AM.

However, MJ Gleeson reported it has experienced robust trading at the beginning of this year, with net reservation rates exceeding those from the same period last year, at 0.88 compared to 0.86.

The housebuilder’s share price surged more than 2 per cent on Friday’s opening, reaching 234p, though the stock remained down over 44 per cent year-to-date.

Other construction companies have cautioned in recent days and weeks that the anticipated effects of the Iran conflict on the sector have started to materialise. Proservice Building Services Marketplace also issued warnings about difficulties confronting the construction industry on Friday as it reported revenue that missed market forecasts.

The AIM-listed digital marketplace for building tools and supplies, previously known as HSS Hire before the latter’s sale last year, said on Friday it had experienced “broader macroeconomic pressures – particularly within the UK construction sector, which has weighed on demand across parts of the Group’s end markets”.

Proservice witnessed a substantial 18% decline in its share price on Friday’s opening, to 3.15p, driving the stock to a 56 per cent tumble in the year to date.

There is “an uncertain macro-economic backdrop which is having an impact on both our buyers and sellers,” the company stated.

The firm reported revenue of £248m for the year ending March, beneath analyst expectations of £260m, and said its pre-tax earnings were “expected to be at breakeven.”

Proservice said it was also encountering obstacles in its attempts to refinance its £41m bank debt, with existing facilities due to expire in September. “Wider macroeconomic and geopolitical issues have resulted in discussions taking longer than previously guided,” the company said.

On Thursday, FTSE 100 housebuilder Persimmon said it is starting to witness cost inflation entering its supply chain. The company said: “There are early signs of increased inflation in the supply chain, driven by higher energy costs, which are likely to impact the second half of 2026 and into 2027.

“We are looking to mitigate these where possible through our strong relationships with our suppliers and subcontractors.”

The government is relying on housebuilders to achieve its 1.5m homes target, yet rising construction cost inflation is compounding existing concerns over whether this ambition can be realised.

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Operator

Good morning, ladies and gentlemen, and welcome to BayFirst Financial Corp. First Quarter 2026 Conference Call and Webcast. [Operator Instructions] This call is being recorded on Friday, May 1, 2026.

I would now like to turn the conference over to the Chairman of the Board, Anthony Saravanos. Please go ahead.

Anthony Saravanos

Thank you, Joanna. Good morning, and thank you for joining our call today. With me is Scott McKim, our CFO; Robin Oliver, our COO, and I would like to introduce Al Rogers as the new Chief Executive Officer and President of BayFirst National Bank. We are announcing some exciting news regarding the future of BayFirst.

First, we have raised $80 million of capital from investors through a private investment in a public equity offering. The company issued shares of convertible preferred stock in this pipe, which subject to shareholder and regulatory approvals, will convert to or the exchanged for approximately 22.9 million shares of common stock at an effective purchase price of $3.50 per share.

We are announcing a rights offering for our existing shareholders to participate in this capital raise and are scheduling a special shareholder meeting on July 14. This successful capital raise reflects the trust our investors place in our institution and our long-term strategic direction. This has been a lengthy process over the past several quarters following the bank’s exit from SBA 7(a) lending.

I am extremely pleased to have Al join Robin, Scott and all the BayFirst team members to lead the company back

President Donald Trump said on Friday that the U.S. gave Spirit Airlines a final bailout proposal to aid the beleaguered carrier.

Trump said, “we’re driving a tough deal,” and that “if we could do it, we’d do it. But only if it’s a good deal. He also said an announcement would be coming soon.

The budget airline most recently sought a lifeline from the U.S. government to the tune of $500 million. The Wall Street Journal reported on Friday that the airline is preparing to end operations after a deal could not be reached between certain bondholders and the government.

Sources later said the administration had proposed $500 million in financing in exchange for warrants equivalent to 90% of Spirit’s equity.

TED CRUZ POURS COLD WATER ON TRUMP ADMINISTRATION PLAN TO BAIL OUT SPIRIT AIRLINES: ‘TERRIBLE IDEA’

Spirit Airlines airplanes at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. (Eva Marie Uzcategui/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

There had been disagreements inside the Trump administration over whether and how to fund the bailout, the report said, citing people familiar with the matter.

Not all Spirit bondholders were on board with the deal, the report added.

Trump previously said he was interested in helping the airline.

“If we could get it for the right price, I’d do it to save the jobs,” he said during an event at the Oval Office last week.

Reuters contributed to this report.

NEW YORK — Rumors are swirling around a possible summer wedding for pop superstar Taylor Swift and Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, with save-the-date notices reportedly circulating for a July 3 ceremony in New York City. While neither Swift nor Kelce has publicly confirmed details, multiple sources close to the couple suggest the high-profile pair is finalizing plans for an intimate yet lavish event that could captivate global attention.

The reported July 3 date aligns with Swift’s affinity for the number 13 — her lucky digit — falling on a Friday that weekend, potentially allowing a long holiday celebration. New York City offers sentimental ties for the couple, who have been spotted together in Manhattan and share connections to the entertainment and sports worlds there. Earlier speculation pointed to Swift’s Rhode Island estate or Ocean House resort for a June 13 wedding, but recent reports indicate a shift to the Big Apple for logistical or privacy reasons.

Save-the-dates have reportedly gone out to a select group of family, friends and industry insiders, though full invitations with venue specifics remain under wraps. Sources describe a guest list of around 150 to 200, balancing celebrity friends, NFL teammates, music collaborators and close relatives. Security and privacy will be paramount, given Swift’s massive fame and past experiences with public scrutiny.

The couple’s relationship has been a fairy tale narrative since they went public in 2023. Kelce’s podcast shoutout led to Swift attending a Chiefs game, sparking a romance that blended music, football and pop culture. Their engagement, reportedly in August 2025 during a private Kansas proposal, fueled immediate wedding speculation. Swift’s “The Tortured Poets Department” era and Kelce’s continued NFL success kept them in headlines while they navigated fame as a power couple.

Industry insiders note the timing makes sense. Swift wrapped major tour commitments, and Kelce’s offseason allows focus on personal milestones. A summer New York wedding avoids NFL season conflicts while capitalizing on pleasant weather for outdoor elements. Potential venues include iconic Manhattan locations or waterfront spots offering views and exclusivity.

Privacy remains a top priority. Swift has historically guarded personal moments, opting for intimate gatherings over media circuses. Kelce’s grounded personality complements her approach, with the couple often choosing low-key dates amid high-profile appearances. Any ceremony would likely feature tight security, NDAs for vendors and limited photography to control the narrative.

Friends and family have remained tight-lipped, adding to the intrigue. Swift’s inner circle includes longtime collaborators and fellow artists who might perform or attend. Kelce’s brother Jason and his wife Kylie, along with Chiefs teammates, would feature prominently. Celebrity guests could range from Selena Gomez and Gigi Hadid to Patrick Mahomes and other NFL stars, creating a star-studded yet personal affair.

The economic impact of such an event would ripple through New York’s hospitality and event sectors. High-end venues, florists, caterers and security firms stand to benefit, while media coverage could boost tourism interest in potential sites. Wedding planners note that celebrity events of this scale often involve multimillion-dollar budgets covering everything from custom décor to entertainment.

Public fascination stems from the couple’s wholesome image and cultural influence. Swift’s songwriting often draws from personal experiences, raising speculation about future music inspired by married life. Kelce’s transition from athlete to broader entertainer — including “Saturday Night Live” appearances and media ventures — positions him as a supportive partner in Swift’s world. Their relationship has been praised for mutual respect and shared values amid intense scrutiny.

Skeptics question the timing amid Swift’s busy schedule and Kelce’s football commitments. Some reports suggest flexibility, with contingency plans if NFL obligations shift. Others note the couple’s preference for privacy might delay any official announcement until closer to the date or afterward. Past false rumors, including earlier Rhode Island speculation, highlight the challenge of separating fact from fan conjecture.

Legal and logistical preparations for a high-profile wedding involve teams of attorneys, planners and publicists. Prenuptial agreements, though rarely discussed publicly, are common in such unions to protect individual assets. Venue contracts, vendor NDAs and transportation logistics require meticulous coordination to maintain secrecy.

Fans have mixed reactions, with many expressing excitement and creating fan art or playlists celebrating the romance. Swifties worldwide trend hashtags and speculate on details, from potential dress designers to honeymoon destinations. The couple’s influence extends to fashion, music and sports crossovers, amplifying interest in their milestone.

Regardless of exact timing or location, Swift and Kelce’s union represents a modern celebrity romance blending talent, athleticism and genuine connection. As rumors solidify into confirmed plans, the world awaits glimpses of what promises to be one of the year’s most talked-about events. For now, the couple continues focusing on careers and each other amid the whirlwind of speculation.