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First Amendment group sues Texas Governor and others over the state's TikTok ban on official devices

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:15:58 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — A First Amendment group sued Texas Governor Greg Abbott and others on Thursday over the state’s TikTok ban on official devices, arguing the prohibition – which extends to public universities – is unconstitutional and impedes academic freedom. The complaint was filed by The Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University, a free speech group in New York that’s suing on behalf a coalition of academics and researchers who study technology’s impact on society. The lawsuit said the state’s decision to restrict access to TikTok on official devices, as well as on personal devices used to conduct state business, is comprising teaching and research. And more specifically, it said it was “seriously impeding” faculty pursuing research into the app - including research that could illuminate or counter concerns about TikTok.Critics of TikTok have claimed the popular social media app, owned by Chinese parent company ByteDance, could push pro-Beijing propaganda on its platf...

Woman at center of APD civil rights investigation, federal lawsuit was missing for over a year

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:15:58 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) – The woman at the center of a civil rights investigation and federal lawsuit against two Austin Police Department officers was missing for over a year, according to her attorney and family. The case and lawsuit were triggered by a video capturing Simone Griffith, 28, being repeatedly punched by an APD officer at an Austin strip mall in 2021. Records show Griffith's family attempted to make an official missing persons report last month. More than a week went by before APD entered her into a statewide database and launched an effort to find her.The department said in May it changed its policy to require missing adult reports to be entered into its system as an "urgent" priority. The service request for Griffith was entered into the queue by a 3-1-1 Ambassador as a "standard" priority instead of an "urgent" priority request, according to APD officials. KXAN reached out to 3-1-1 for comment and will update this story when we receive a response.Bystander video triggers an ...

City of Albany announces public amenities for the South End Connector Trail

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:15:58 GMT

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- The City of Albany is moving ahead with Phase Two of the South End Connector project. Construction is set to begin the week of July 17. Get the latest, news, weather, sports and community events delivered right to your inbox! Construction will transform the half-mile portion of the City’s first physically separated two-way cycle trail that runs underneath I-787 along the South End neighborhood from Church Street to the intersection of Broadway and Quay Street.“When we started the South End Connector project several years ago, I asked that we explore all the potential of this important bike and pedestrian connector, and this project continues to do just that," said Mayor Kathy Sheehan. "We have already created the City’s first physically separated two-way cycle trail – a corridor that has made it safer and more environmentally friendly for residents and visitors alike to travel between Albany’s South End and Corning Preserve – and now we are about to furthe...

Hudson-based muralist's work comes to Saratoga Arts

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:15:58 GMT

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. (NEWS10) - This weekend, a new exhibit at Saratoga Arts introduces visitors to mixed media, LGBTQ themes, and connections to the debate over AI artwork. "Mei Fabulae Continuare - My Story Continues" opens at the downtown Saratoga gallery on Friday, July 14."Mei Fabulae Continuare" consists of collages by Hudson-based artist David Dew Bruner. His work uses recognizable images in conjunction with abstract shapes and unusual textures. Although some images may be universal, the story Bruner tells is personal, based around his own experiences with trauma, LGBTQ identity, and feelings that cannot be verbalized.Following an opening night from 5 to 7 p.m. on Friday, July 14, the exhibition will run from July 15 to Aug. 26. Artwork will be on sale throughout the exhibition, with a percentage of all proceeds going to benefit radiation services at St. Peter's Hospital in Albany.Saratoga Arts operates at the corner of Congress Park and Broadway in Saratoga Springs.

NYS Woodsman Field Day held in August

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:15:58 GMT

BOONEVILLE, N.Y. (NEWS10) - The NYS Woodsman Field Days has announced the dates for its 76th year. This year's events will be held on August 18, 19, and 20 in Boonville. The event honors the forestry industry with chainsaw competitions, greased pole climbs, tug of war, beard contests, and much more. Get the latest, news, weather, sports and community events delivered right to your inbox! The NYS Woodsman Field Day’s website lists free parking for the event at Adirondack Senior high school. They also have recommendations for lodging in the area for the event, or campgrounds if you want the real lumberjack experience.Competition and event sign-ups can be found on the website. For any other information, you can contact their office Monday- Friday, 8 a.m.-5 p.m., or call (315)-942-4593.

New York State Military Museum set to reopen

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:15:58 GMT

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- The New York State Military Museum and Veterans Research Center is reopening to the public on July 14. The 131-year-old facility has been closed since October 2022 due to upgrades being made to the roof as well as building repairs. Get the latest, news, weather, sports and community events delivered right to your inbox! The institution holds over 28,000 artifacts that relate to New York military history, from the Revolutionary War through present day. The museum has the following permanent exhibits on display:NYS Military Museum ExhibitsBattleground for Freedom: New York During the Revolutionary WarA Call Not Unheeded: New York's Militia and National Guard, 1792- 1916Empire for Union: New York and the Civil WarFiery Trial and Sacrifice: New York and the First World WarWorld War II: United for VictoryHot Spots in the Cold War: Korean and Vietnam Wars Whistling Kettle opens tea bar in Albany To kick off the opening, the museum will expand its ho...

Clean up and power restoration from storm damage in Missouri

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:15:58 GMT

AFFTON, Mo. - Fast and fierce is how Affton locals described the storm that tore through their community last night. Thursday morning, there is lots of clean up to be done and many are still without power in the St. Louis area.Many trees are down in parts of Affton and generators can be heard in subdivisions there as the recovery process starts. Residents there told FOX 2 that the storm rolled through Affton about 8:00 p.m. packing a punch.Thursday morning you can see trees down on homes and in some cases, large branches are blocking entire streets. We spoke with several Affton locals, including Jamie Conners.Jamie is without power and is dealing with a large section of a tree that fell onto her roof. She was home with her husband and two kids when the storm hit.Jamie called the storm scary, and shared that it only took minutes to create a massive mess. Lawmaker to review law ‘in-depth’ after cars with expired tags towed from driveways “We saw limbs hitting the front window, high ...

Immigrants at Aurora detention center face excessive solitary confinement, advocacy groups allege

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:15:58 GMT

Immigration advocacy groups allege abuse of solitary confinement and discrimination against people with disabilities at the Aurora immigration detention center in a complaint submitted Thursday to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.Immigrant detainees reported solitary confinement being used wrongfully and arbitrarily as punishment, that guards frequently used the threat of solitary to control immigrants, and that those with disabilities were mistreated.The Rocky Mountain Immigrant Advocacy Network, the American Immigration Council and the National Immigration Project for the National Lawyers Guild detailed accusations of eight people who were or are still detained, calling for the Aurora facility’s immediate closure. Until that happens, they wrote, the federal agencies should launch an investigation into their claims and recommend systemic reforms and corrective actions.“Despite a clear record of abuse and repeated deaths of people detained at the Aurora facility,...

Opinion: Casa Bonita’s decision on tipping makes good sense in a world gone mad with tipflation

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:15:58 GMT

To tip or not to tip: that is the question. Whether ’tis nobler in the mind to suffer the wilting gaze of the clerk or to tip everyone everywhere to allay the guilt and satisfy all. I’m going to ask my AP English teacher Carol Samson if I got the iambic pentameter right. Either way, this is the question many are asking this summer while eating out, ordering in, at the drive-through, or even at retail shops.Like anyone who has ever worked in the service industry, I definitely tip and for exceptional service, I enjoy tipping beyond the customary amount. It feels good. Back in my waitressing and pizza delivery days, 10% was the norm. Today it’s 18-20% and some credit card machines suggest 22% or even 25%.Sometimes a tip charge is added to the bill automatically. That’s understandable in the case of large groups which demand more time of wait staff and may under-tip as members dicker over the check. The “gratuity included,” however, makes the charge feel less like a tip for good s...

Co-operation key to releasing Central Asia’s green energy potential

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:15:58 GMT

The Central Asian states have been moving rapidly up the EU’s political agenda. The process has been taken to the next level by the Brussels Energy Club, with the European capital’s first ever conference on energy security and sustainability in the entire Central Asia region, writes Political Editor Nick Powell.Opening the high-level conference, the Principal Representative of the Brussels Energy Club, Marat Terterov, said Central Asia has come out of the shadows. One of the fastest growing areas of the world, both economically and demographically, had arrived. Acknowledging that much of Europe’s focus has been on the region as an east-west trade route and as a source of oil and gas, Mr Terterov said that it was time to not only look through the prisms of connectivity, transportation and conventional energy.In the sign that the EU’s attention to Central Asia is fully reciprocated, all five countries had a strong diplomatic presence at the conference, including four ambassadors. Kaza...