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Four key takeaways as lawmakers grill TikTok CEO

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 17:23:48 GMT

Lawmakers from both political parties joined forces on Thursday during a committee hearing where TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew testified on ways his company plans to address recent security concerns raised about the social media app.Criticisms surrounding TikTok were notably bipartisan as House Energy and Commerce Committee members from both parties expressed various concerns about the app and its Chinese-based owner, including national security threats, data privacy, the spread of misinformation and the safety for minors.“Mr. Chew, welcome to the most bipartisan committee in Congress,” said Rep. Buddy Carter (R-Ga.).“We may not always agree on how to get there, but we care about our national security,” he said. “We care about our economy, and we sure as heck care about our children.”Chew, who was grilled and often interrupted by lawmakers, attempted to convince them that the app was overall safe and that the company was taking proactive steps to address the concerns raised.&nbs...

Son-in-law called Overland Park police about living with dead body for 6 years

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 17:23:48 GMT

OVERLAND PARK, Kan. - The timeline is starting to fill in following the stunning news of an Overland Park family that was living with their dead relative's body for over six years.Perhaps the most remarkable piece of information FOX4 learned Thursday was that it was a person living in that home -- the son-in-law of the deceased -- who made the decision to call police. BACKGROUND: Overland Park family lived with father’s dead body for 6 years, police say But what motivated that decision after so many years is still up for debate.For the time being, prosecutors say they are not pursuing criminal charges because officials say keeping a dead body undisturbed in your home is not against the law in Kansas.At this point, the criminal investigation is completely in the hands of the Social Security Administration.Overland Park police confirmed the people living at the home face a fraud investigation. That could be related to cashing their deceased relative's checks.Beyond that, local autho...

Crews gearing up for heavy rains, potential flood in the St. Louis area

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 17:23:48 GMT

ST. LOUIS - Crews are preparing for the potential impact of heavy rain and rising water. The University City Fire Department is staying on top of the weather with a new flood warning system.Preparations are underway across the area for the incoming heavy rain. The University City authorities said with the new system they encouraged residents to sign up for CodeRED alerts.After the National Weather Service has issued a severe thunderstorm warning, tornado warning, or flash flood warning, residents will receive automated alerts. To receive these special alerts, residents must opt-in. The system operates 24 hours a day. Top story: St. Louis car wash customers upset over monthly bills “Stormwater commissioner placed three sensors in the River De Peres," said Deputy Fire Chief Fred Kramer with the University City Fire Department. "This is an early warning system; it gives us 40 to 45 minutes lead time if the rain starts getting worse and worse.”In July 2022, University City experienced...

5-year-old girl missing from Houston may be in southern Colorado with noncustodial father

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 17:23:48 GMT

Authorities in southern Colorado are asking for the public’s help in locating a 5-year-old girl missing from Texas.The Saguache County Sheriff’s Office is seeking tips on Lea Vikhrev, who has been missing from Houston since Sept. 4, 2021.Related ArticlesCrime and Public Safety | Trial begins for Colorado Springs stepmom accused of killing 11-year-old Gannon Stauch, dumping body in Florida Crime and Public Safety | CBI “endangered missing” child alert canceled after Texas girl found safe Crime and Public Safety | Aurora police say missing teen girl is found and is safe She is described by missingkids.org as a white female with brown hair and brown eyes, standing 3’6″ tall and weighing 39 pounds.Investigators believe the girl may be in the Saguache County area in the company of her noncustodial father, Andrew Andreyevich Vikhrev, according to a sheriff’s office report. They may be traveling in a ...

Reservations open for newest Carnival cruise shipping out of Long Beach

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 17:23:48 GMT

Carnival Cruise Line has opened up reservations for those looking to book a cruise aboard one of the company's newest ships.The Carnival Firenze will begin sailing year-round from Long Beach starting next May, with multi-day cruises that will visit the Mexican Riviera.The Firenze is an Italian-inspired ship that is named after the city of Florence. "She was designed to evoke the same charm and beauty found in Florence and she'll also pack in plenty of Carnival fun, which will be brought to life by the friendly and dedicated team members that make cruises across our fleet memorable," said Christine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line. Firenze will be the third Carnival cruise option from Long Beach that tours Baja Mexico and the Mexican Riviera, joining the Carnival Panorama and Radiance ships.Firenze offers 135,500 gross tonnage and a capacity of more than 5,200 guests with over 2,100 passenger cabins, according to its specification page. Carnival Cruise Line ann...

Thief caught on video running off with $2,400 parrot inside its cage

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 17:23:48 GMT

The Santa Ana Police Department is investigating the theft of an African Gray parrot that was stolen from a front porch on Wednesday.The theft occurred around 1 p.m. Doorbell camera footage obtained by KTLA shows the suspect walking directly up to the front porch of the home, grabbing the large metal cage with the bird inside, and then running away as the parrot squawks in distress.Surveillance video shows the thief walking directly up to the front porch and stealing the cage with the parrot inside it. March 12, 2023. (Viewer Video)The suspect is described as a "heavy-set" Hispanic male, possibly in his forties, who was wearing a charcoal gray hoodie, gray gloves and light gray sweatpants. He got away in a red SUV, possibly a Ford Excursion, driven by a second man who was wearing a black hoodie, dark-colored pants and possibly a tan bucket hat.The stolen African Gray Parrot is worth about $2,500, police said. Anyone with any information on this theft is asked to contact Detecti...

Letters: Mischaracterizing homelessness | Repair roads | PG&E failing | Even keel | Protect oceans | Repeating mistakes

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 17:23:48 GMT

Submit your letter to the editor via this form. Read more Letters to the Editor.Letter mischaracterizeshomelessness crisisGiven the suffering of unhoused or “homeless” citizens in most of our communities and the Herculean efforts of elected officials and others trying to help them, mischaracterizing the shortage of affordable housing as a sham, as Mark Fernwood of Danville did on this Opinion Page (“Housing shortage is a manufactured crisis,” Page A12, March 19), is irresponsible at best.These kinds of shameless falsehoods have been energizing housing shortage naysayers since 1972 so that SB9 and SB10, finally passed in 2020 through the efforts of state officials with the responsibility for the well-being of unhoused low-income and minority Californians, became necessary to rein in extreme supporters of “local control.”Fortunately, in a democracy select groups are not entitled to “control their futures” by illegal tactics like redlining other groups out of their communities or misus...

Following landlord protest, Oakland’s eviction moratorium will “ramp down”

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 17:23:48 GMT

OAKLAND — Following intense protests by property owners against the city’s pandemic-era ban on evictions, officials on Thursday introduced plans to ramp down the moratorium.An ordinance to possibly end the tenant protections that prohibit most evictions will likely be heard by the City Council next month, following a discussion by a council committee on April 11.But at the same time, councilmembers will also have the option of strengthening the city’s “just cause” policies that make it tougher for landlords to evict tenants who pay rent for the first 12 months.Most of the Bay Area adopted moratoriums on evictions in the early days of the pandemic, but Oakland has held onto its ban for much longer than other cities. San Francisco, Berkeley and San Leandro similarly have yet to bring protections to an end.Tenants rights advocates have urged cities to hang onto their moratoriums, arguing that numerous workers in the region are still facing post-COVID econo...

Florida sued over transgender youth care bans

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 17:23:48 GMT

By Devan Cole | CNNFour families in Florida sued the state on Thursday over new rules prohibiting gender-affirming care for transgender youth, arguing the bans violate the US Constitution and should be thrown out.The two new rules from Florida’s Boards of Medicine and Osteopathic Medicine prohibit medical professionals in the state from providing gender-affirming care to minors in the state with gender dysphoria, including by administering puberty blockers, providing cross-sex hormone therapy and performing “sex reassignment surgeries, or any other surgical procedures, that alter primary or secondary sexual characteristics.”The rules provide an exception to the hormone therapy and puberty blocker provisions for minors that were undergoing such treatments prior to the effective date of the rules. The Board of Medicine’s rule went into effect on March 16 and the Board of Osteopathic Medicine’s rule goes into effect March 28.The plaintiffs in the case are ...

Hayward high school is still struggling to heal as hate crimes soar across the country

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 17:23:48 GMT

Three months after Mt. Eden High School was rocked by allegations of a teacher using antisemitism texts in the classroom, the Hayward school district board has hired a consultant to repair the damage — a move that some students and teachers feel is too little, too late.“There has been no apology or remorse,” said Ruchita Verma, a senior at Mt. Eden who was one of the first to sound the alarm on English teacher Henry Bens late last year. “And no accountability for letting any of this happen.”It took two months for Mt. Eden and the Hayward Unified School District to take action against Bens, who was placed on administrative leave in mid-February. Though the district and school are working with the Anti-Defamation League to provide workshops for students affected by Bens’ antisemitic lessons the initial delay in addressing the problem has driven a wedge between students, teachers and staff — and contributed to a larger trend rippling across the country.In a study released today, ...