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Attorney General Todd Rokita announces $700 million settlement with Google over Play Store misconduct

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Attorney General Todd Rokita today announced a $700 million agreement with Google in a lawsuit over Google’s anticompetitive conduct with the Google Play Store.

“When companies unlawfully monopolize markets, they cause real harm to Hoosiers,” Attorney General Rokita said. “They rob consumers of the ability to choose from a wider array of product options that would otherwise be available, and they artificially inflate the prices of the choices that remain available. This settlement demonstrates our commitment to protect consumers and hold companies accountable.”

A bipartisan group of 53 attorneys general sued Google in 2021 alleging that Google unlawfully monopolized the markets for Android app distribution and in-app payment processing. Specifically, the states claimed that Google signed anticompetitive contracts to prevent other app stores from being preloaded on Android devices, induced key app developers who might have launched rival app stores, and created technological barriers to deter consumers from directly downloading apps to their devices.

The states announced a settlement in principle on Sept. 5, 2023, and today released the finalized terms of that deal.

Google will pay $630 million in restitution, minus costs and fees, to consumers who made purchases on the Google Play Store between August 2016 and September 2023 and were harmed by Google’s anticompetitive practices. Google will pay the states an additional $70 million in penalties.

People eligible for restitution do not have to submit a claim. They will receive automatic payments through PayPal or Venmo, or they can elect to receive a check or ACH transfer. More details about that process will be forthcoming.

The agreement also requires Google to reform its business practices in the following ways:

  • Give all developers the ability to allow users to pay through in-app billing systems other than Google Play Billing for at least five years.
  • Allow developers to offer cheaper prices for their apps and in-app products for consumers who use alternative, non-Google billing systems for at least five years.
  • Permit developers to steer consumers toward alternative, non-Google billing systems by advertising cheaper prices within their apps themselves for at least five years.
  • Not enter contracts that require the Play Store to be the exclusive, pre-loaded app store on a device or home screen for at least five years.
  • Allow the installation of third-party apps on Android phones from outside the Google Play Store for at least seven years.
  • Revise and reduce the warnings that appear on an Android device if a user attempts to download a third-party app from outside the Google Play Store for at least 5 years.
  • Maintain Android system support for third-party app stores, including allowing automatic updates, for four years.
  • Not require developers to launch their app catalogs on the Play Store at the same time as they launch on other app stores for at least four years.
  • Submit compliance reports to an independent monitor who will ensure that Google is not continuing its anticompetitive conduct for at least 5 years.

For much of this case, the attorneys general litigated alongside Epic Games and Match, two major app developers. Match announced a separate settlement earlier this year, while Epic Games took its case to trial. Early last week, a jury unanimously found that Google’s anticompetitive conduct violated federal antitrust laws.

Attorneys general from all 50 states participated in this lawsuit — along with attorneys general from the District of Columbia and the territories of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.

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UE women’s basketball alum Alspaugh a 2024 Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame Silver Anniversary honoree

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The Indianapolis native played for the Purple Aces from 1999-2003

NEW CASTLE, Ind. – University of Evansville women’s basketball alum Jenna (Hayes) Alspaugh has been named one of 18 players to the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame 2024 Silver Anniversary team.

A 2003 alum of the Purple Aces women’s basketball team, Jenna (Hayes) Alspaugh was announced to the 2024 Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame Silver Anniversary team. The Silver Anniversary team recognizes players with outstanding accomplishments as a senior high school basketball player 25 years ago. As a senior at Roncalli High School, Alspaugh was named a 1999 Indiana All-Star and earned national recognition as a member of the 1999 AP second-team All-State and a 1999 USA Today honorable mention.

Alspaugh played for the Purple Aces from 1999 to 2003 under Head Coaches Kathi Bennett and Tricia Cullop. She currently is second in career blocks among all UE players and 12th in Missouri Valley Conference history with 163 blocks. On the offensive side of the ball, Alspaugh set an Evansville single-season record for field goal percentage at 59.6% during the 2000-2001 season. She is currently third all-time in Aces history for field goal percentage finishing her career at 53.6% on the floor.

The Indianapolis native was also recognized regularly for her work in the classroom. Ending her academic career with a 3.82 GPA in sports management, Alspaugh earned two MVC All-Academic recognitions. She was also named to the 2003 CoSIDA Second-Team Academic All-District in District Five. Another national recognition for Alspaugh during her time with the Aces was as a regional nominee for the 2003 NCAA Woman of the Year.

Alspaugh currently resides in southern Indiana after earning her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Evansville. She currently works for Eli Lily as the Senior Director of Market Research on Diabetes and Obesity.

UE Softball announces 2024 schedule

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The season opens on February 9

EVANSVILLE, Ind. – With the calendar turning to 2024 in the coming weeks, University of Evansville head softball coach Mat Mundell has announced the upcoming spring schedule.

Friday, February 9 will mark the opening day for the Purple Aces as they will be in Elon, N.C. for the Elon Softball Classic.  A big test awaits UE out of the gate when they face Miami Ohio.  The RedHawks are the defending Mid-American Conference Champions and won two games in the NCAA Regionals.  Miami won 39 games a season ago.  Opening weekend will see the Aces face Kent State on two occasions, Elon and a rematch versus Miami.

Evansville’s home tournament will be held on Feb. 17-18 at Tri-State Orthopaedics Field at James & Dorothy Cooper Stadium.  Miami Ohio and Austin Peay will be the opponents with the Aces facing both teams twice.  Another road trip is set for the 23rd-25th when UE travels to Monroe, La. for the Best on the Bayou Tournament.  The opposition that weekend includes Northwestern State, Syracuse, Sam Houston, and UL Monroe.

March begins with the Low Country Classic in Charleston, S.C.  Running from March 1-3, the tournament includes Buffalo, College of Charleston and Wofford, who is playing its inaugural season of softball. On March 6, UE returns home for a doubleheader against Lindenwood before making the short trip to Louisville for the Bellarmine Tournament.  Evansville faces the Knights in three games along with one contest versus St. Bonaventure.

Missouri Valley Conference play opens with home games versus Indiana State on March 12 and 13.  The Sycamores tied for 4th in the league last season and won 32 games.  In its first-weekend conference series, the Aces play host to Valparaiso from the 15th to the 17th.  SIU Edwardsville comes to town on the 19th for a single game.

In its first league road trip, the Aces head to Belmont for the weekend of the 22nd and head back home to complete the month with a home series versus UIC.  USI will mark the final non-conference opponent of the regular season.  The Aces host the Screaming Eagles on April 3.  Two MVC road series are up next when UE travels to Drake (April 5-7) and Southern Illinois (April 12-24).

Murray State comes to Evansville for a 3-game series running from the 19th through the 21st.  In their first season in the Valley, the Racers tied for fourth and won a total of 33 games.  On April 24, the Aces head to Terre Haute for a single game at Indiana State before playing their final home weekend, welcoming Missouri State.  The Bears finished second in the conference last year, going 21-6 against league opposition.  Senior weekend is set for April 26-28.

Regular-season play wraps up with a road series at Illinois State from May 3-5.  Normal, Ill. will also be the site of the 2024 MVC Championship from May 8-11.

IDEM awards $541,245 in Community Recycling Grants

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INDIANAPOLIS – The Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) today announced the recipients of the agency’s Community Recycling Grant Program. IDEM awarded $541,245.00 to 15 applicants.

“Community recycling grants provide direct investments that make recycling more accessible to Hoosiers. Historically, these grants have provided new equipment for recycling operators and improved local collection programs,” said IDEM Commissioner Brian Rockensuess. “These grants will make a significant impact on community recycling efforts across Indiana.”

The grants are available to counties, municipalities, solid waste management districts, schools, universities, and nonprofit organizations located in Indiana. Here is the list of recipients and the amounts they were awarded:

  • Brown County Solid Waste Management District $8,363
  • City of Nappanee $100,000
  • Clark County Solid Waste $12,173
  • Dearborn County Solid Waste Management District $68,667
  • Floyd County Solid Waste Management District $25,125
  • GardenQuest INC. $1,994
  • Henry County Solid Waste Management District $8,363
  • Indianapolis Airport Authority $100,000
  • Indianapolis Museum of Art, Inc. $34,793
  • Johnson County Soil and Water Conservation District $3,000
  • Marshall County Solid Waste $18,844
  • Purdue University Campus Planning, Architecture and Sustainability $10,108
  • Recycling and Waste Reduction District of Porter County $100,000
  • Shelby County Recycling District $22,954
  • Sullivan County Recycling Center $26,861

This grant funding is intended to create successful, cost-effective programs. Applicants must demonstrate a positive environmental impact within the project service area, an increase in waste diversion as a result of the project and show the sustainability of the project. For additional information, please contact 800-988-7901 or crgp@idem.IN.gov.

Grants are funded through IDEM’s Solid Waste Management Fund. Funds come from the solid waste management fee (IC 13-20-22-1). The fee consists of $0.50 per ton charge on solid waste for final disposal at Indiana municipal solid waste landfills and incinerators. None of the funding comes from tax dollars.

Polancic’s contract purchased by Brewers

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EVANSVILLE, Ind. –Evansville Otters closer Jake Polancic has had his contract purchased by the Milwaukee Brewers, the team announced Tuesday morning.

Polancic, a native of Langley, British Columbia, a suburb of Vancouver, stands 6’3” and was a strong force on the back end of the Otters’ bullpen in 2023. In the 2023 season, he earned 17 saves in 32 games, striking out 48 and walking just 18. He carried a 2.16 ERA in 2023, good for second best on the team.

“Jake has put in the work to get to this moment,” Evansville Field Manager Andy McCauley said. “We are all incredibly proud of him for reaching this next step in his career. We look forward to seeing him work his way up the affiliation next season.”

In 2022, Polancic served as the team’s set-up man in front of former Otters’ closer Logan Sawyer. His ERA in 2022 was a 2.66 and he recorded 71 strikeouts in 47 innings of work.

Prior to the 2022 season with Evansville, Polancic spent the 2021 season with the Winnipeg Goldeyes in the American Association. Before 2021, Polancic spent four seasons in the Arizona Diamondbacks organization after being drafted by the Diamondbacks in the 11th round of the 2016 MLB June Amateur Draft.

During the 2023 season, Polancic was named to the Baseball Canada roster for the WBSC Americas Pan Am Games Qualifiers in Buenos Aires, Argentina from June 16-21. He appeared once in the qualifiers, striking out three in his 1.1 innings.

COLE CECI NAMED SPHL PLAYER OF THE WEEK 

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Evansville, In.:  The Evansville Thunderbolts and Head Coach/Director of Hockey Operations Jeff Bes, in coordination with the SPHL, are pleased to announce that goaltender Cole Ceci has been named SPHL Player of the Week for the week of December 11th to 17th.  The Thunderbolts’ next home game will be on Sunday, December 31st against the Macon Mayhem, puck drop at 7:00pm CT.

Ceci continued his excellent play between the pipes for Evansville, playing a pivotal role in both Thunderbolts victories this past weekend.  On Friday, Ceci stopped 28 of 29 shots as the Thunderbolts defeated Huntsville 5-1 and followed up by stopping 32 of 35 shots in the Thunderbolts’ 4-3 win over the Peoria Rivermen on Saturday night, finishing the weekend 2-0 with a .938 save percentage and 2.00 goals-against average.  Through 8 games so far this season, the Ottawa, Ontario native holds a 5-3 record with a .927 save percentage, a 2.52 goals-against average, as well as one shutout.  Ceci is the second Thunderbolt to earn SPHL Player of the Week honors this season, following forward Bair Gendunov for the week of October 30th to November 5th.

Attorney General Todd Rokita announces $700 million settlement with Google over Play Store misconduct

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Attorney General Todd Rokita today announced a $700 million agreement with Google in a lawsuit over Google’s anticompetitive conduct with the Google Play Store.

“When companies unlawfully monopolize markets, they cause real harm to Hoosiers,” Attorney General Rokita said. “They rob consumers of the ability to choose from a wider array of product options that would otherwise be available, and they artificially inflate the prices of the choices that remain available. This settlement demonstrates our commitment to protect consumers and hold companies accountable.”

A bipartisan group of 53 attorneys general sued Google in 2021 alleging that Google unlawfully monopolized the markets for Android app distribution and in-app payment processing. Specifically, the states claimed that Google signed anticompetitive contracts to prevent other app stores from being preloaded on Android devices, induced key app developers who might have launched rival app stores, and created technological barriers to deter consumers from directly downloading apps to their devices.

The states announced a settlement in principle on Sept. 5, 2023, and today released the finalized terms of that deal.

Google will pay $630 million in restitution, minus costs and fees, to consumers who made purchases on the Google Play Store between August 2016 and September 2023 and were harmed by Google’s anticompetitive practices. Google will pay the states an additional $70 million in penalties.

People eligible for restitution do not have to submit a claim. They will receive automatic payments through PayPal or Venmo, or they can elect to receive a check or ACH transfer. More details about that process will be forthcoming.

The agreement also requires Google to reform its business practices in the following ways:

  • Give all developers the ability to allow users to pay through in-app billing systems other than Google Play Billing for at least five years.
  • Allow developers to offer cheaper prices for their apps and in-app products for consumers who use alternative, non-Google billing systems for at least five years.
  • Permit developers to steer consumers toward alternative, non-Google billing systems by advertising cheaper prices within their apps themselves for at least five years.
  • Not enter contracts that require the Play Store to be the exclusive, pre-loaded app store on a device or home screen for at least five years.
  • Allow the installation of third-party apps on Android phones from outside the Google Play Store for at least seven years.
  • Revise and reduce the warnings that appear on an Android device if a user attempts to download a third-party app from outside the Google Play Store for at least 5 years.
  • Maintain Android system support for third-party app stores, including allowing automatic updates, for four years.
  • Not require developers to launch their app catalogs on the Play Store at the same time as they launch on other app stores for at least four years.
  • Submit compliance reports to an independent monitor who will ensure that Google is not continuing its anticompetitive conduct for at least 5 years.

For much of this case, the attorneys general litigated alongside Epic Games and Match, two major app developers. Match announced a separate settlement earlier this year, while Epic Games took its case to trial. Early last week, a jury unanimously found that Google’s anticompetitive conduct violated federal antitrust laws.

Attorneys general from all 50 states participated in this lawsuit — along with attorneys general from the District of Columbia and the territories of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.

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Aces welcome Tennessee Tech on Wednesday evening

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UE enters the game with a 9-2 mark

EVANSVILLE, Ind. – A span of three games over a span of five days concludes on Wednesday when the University of Evansville men’s basketball team faces Tennessee Tech at the Ford Center.  Tip is set for 7 p.m. with ESPN+ and the Purple Aces Radio Network having the coverage.

Looking at the Start

– Sitting at 9-2, the Purple Aces are off to their best start since 2017 when the program won 10 of its first 12 games

– Evansville has won its first five home games for the first time since 2018; UE opened each season between 2015 and 2018 with wins in their opening five home contests

Last Time Out

– Once again, contributions came from everywhere on Monday as the Aces defeated UT Martin by a score of 98-91

– Five UE players reached double figures with Kenny Strawbridge Jr. registering a season-high 21 points

– Tanner Cuff set his career mark with 14 points and came close to a triple double, adding 8 assists and 8 caroms

– Ben Humrichous and Yacine Toumi scored 15 apiece while Chuck Bailey III finished with 12

Make it Three

– When the Missouri Valley Conference announced its weekly awards on Dec. 18, Chuck Bailey III was named the Freshman of the Week for the third time in 2023

– In the win at Bellarmine, he scored 12 points and had a 4-point play that broke a tie in the final four minutes to give the Aces a lead they would not give up

– He followed that up with 12 points against UT Martin while adding 6 rebounds

– Bailey is fourth on the squad with 10.0 points per contest

Doing It All

– Monday’s game versus the Skyhawks saw Tanner Cuff put together the top game of his collegiate career

– He finished with a career-high 14 points along with 8 boards and 8 assists

– With 39 assists against 10 turnovers, he paces the MVC with an assist-to-turnover ratio of 3.90; that tally is 10th in the NCAA

– Cuff has multiple assists in 7 of the last 8 games with his top total of eight coming at MSU and vs. UTM

– Over the last two games, Cuff has gone a perfect 10-for-10 inside the arc

Season-High

– Scoring seven of UE’s first 10 points against the Skyhawks, Kenny Strawbridge Jr. finished the game with a season-high 21 points

– His previous season mark of 17 came in the Nov. 25 win over SEMO

– In the second half of the Nov. 18 win over Ball State, Kenny Strawbridge Jr. reached the 1,000-point mark in his D1 career

Scouting the Opponent

– Tennessee Tech comes to Evansville with a 2-game win streak that has improved their record to 5-7 on the season

– The Golden Eagles are coming off a 70-67 win over North Alabama on Saturday

– Four players average double figures for TTU with Jayvis Harvey pacing the team with 16.4 PPG

– He is a 45.7% shooter from the field and holds the team lead with 37 assists

– David Early posts a 15.5 PPG average while Rodney Johnson Jr. and Josiah Davis average 13.1 and 10.8 points, respectively

– Johnson is the leading rebounder with 6.6 per contest

Lady Blazers head into holiday break on four game winning streak after win over Jefferson College

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VINCENNES, Ind. – The Vincennes University Lady Trailblazers picked up their fourth straight win Tuesday night in the Physical Education Complex after defeating Jefferson College 69-67 in the final game for the Lady Blazers before the holiday break.

VU got off to an excellent start in front of the home crowd, looking for revenge against the Lady Vikings after falling at Jefferson College 71-58 two weeks ago.

Vincennes opened the game by taking an 11-3 lead before JeffCo answered back to even the game with an 8-0 scoring run.

The Lady Vikings would take the lead at 20-15 and hold on to end the first quarter of play holding a 22-16 advantage over Vincennes.

VU looked to battle back in the second quarter, opening the period by outscoring Jefferson 12-4 and taking the lead back at 28-26.

Jefferson would again close out another quarter strong, outscoring the Lady Blazers 7-1 to head into the halftime break leading VU 33-29.

The game completely shifted back to VU to open the second half of action, with Vincennes grabbing the early momentum by scoring the first 13 points of the third quarter and taking a 42-33 lead.

VU would continue to expand the lead by opening the third quarter on a 20-4 scoring run to take their largest lead of the game at 52-37 midway through the third period.

Jefferson would again answer back and refuse to go away quietly, using a 13-2 scoring run to cut the VU lead back down to four.

The Lady Blazers would then score the final four points of the quarter to take a 58-50 lead into the final 10 minutes of play.

The fourth quarter got off to a slow start for the Lady Blazers which allowed Jefferson College to again slowly chip away at the VU lead.

The Lady Vikings would use a late 9-0 scoring run to grab the lead back with just over a minute to play at 67-66.

VU freshman Destinee Hooks (Indianapolis, Ind.) then drove down the court to finish off a layup and take the lead back for Vincennes at 68-67.

Hooks would then help seal the game by hitting one of two from the free throw line on the next possession, giving the Lady Blazers a two-point lead with three seconds left.

Looking for a last second shot, the Lady Vikings were unable to get the ball inbounds cleanly as time expired and the Lady Blazers pick up their fourth straight win and head into the holiday break with a 7-7 record overall.

The Lady Blazers were led by Destinee Hooks who recorded her first collegiate double-double with 24 points, 10 rebounds and three assists.

Freshman Karina Scott (Noblesville, Ind.) came off the bench to score in double-figures, ending with 13 points and three assists.

Freshman Makyla Tucker (Indianapolis, Ind.) was the third VU scorer in double-figures, coming off the bench to add 10 points and a pair of steals.

Sophomore Brie Miller (Bainbridge, Ind.) had another big night on the boards, recording 10 rebounds on the night to go along with six points, three assists and a pair of steals.

Sophomore Elikya Baseyila (Paris, France) battled through some first half foul trouble to end with six points and eight rebounds, while fellow sophomore Maycee Lange (Vincennes, Ind.) ended her night with seven rebounds and a team-high five steals.

Sophomore Katrina Litte (Valmiera, Latvia) helped move the VU offense around with a team-high four assists to go along with six points and three steals.

The Lady Trailblazers now have a long break over the holidays before returning to the court in 2024 when VU hosts Region 24 opponent John A. Logan College in the Physical Education Complex Saturday, Jan. 13 at 2 p.m. eastern.

VINCENNES BOX SCORE

VINCENNES (69): Brie Miller 3-13 0-0 6, Maycee Lange 1-6 1-2 3, Elikya Baseyila 3-4 0-0 6, Destinee Hooks 7-20 6-13 24, Katrina Litte 2-4 1-2 6, Karina Scott 3-11 4-4 13, Makyla Tucker 2-7 5-6 10, Najra Voloder 0-2 1-2 1, Team 21-67 18-29 69.

Jefferson – 22   11   17   17 – 67

VU (7-7, 2-0) – 16   13   29   11 – 69

Three-point goals: VU 9 (Hooks 4, Scott 3, Litte, Tucker). Rebounds: VU 40 (Miller 10, Hooks 10). Assists: VU 14 (Litte 4). Steals: VU 14 (Lange 5). Blocked Shots: VU 5 (Hooks 2). Turnovers: VU 27. Personal Fouls: VU 29. Fouled out: Voloder. Technical Foul: Hooks (3 – 2:42).

 

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