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Texas House takes up bill to ramp up social media protections for teens

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 17:11:54 GMT

AUSTIN (Nexstar) — As part of a larger effort to crack down on 'Big Tech,' the Texas House gave initial passage to a bill Tuesday that would require websites to protect teenagers from "harmful" content and get parental consent before using minors' data.The "Securing Children Online through Parental Empowerment Act" (SCOPE) aims to give parents and guardians more tools for shielding their kids from "addictive algorithms" and prevent social media companies from collective private information about minors.It comes amid growing concerns around high usage of social media by American teens and the consequences the volume of usage can have on their overall health. Earlier this year, the U.S. Surgeon General said he believes anyone younger than age 14 should not have social media accounts, citing growing research showing the harmful impacts it can have on children's mental health and development.A priority of Speaker Dade Phelan, the bill would prevent a "digital service provider" or D...

Vikings exercise fifth-year option for star receiver Justin Jefferson

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 17:11:54 GMT

It’s only a matter of time before Justin Jefferson secures the bag.Since the end of last season, the Vikings have been working closely with Jefferson to negotiation a contract extension that presumably would make him the soon-to-be 24-year-old the highest-paid receiver in the NFLIn the meantime, the Vikings formally exercised the fifth-year option for Jefferson on Tuesday afternoon, which keeps him under contract through 2024.After establishing himself as perhaps the best player in the NFL at his position, Jefferson is currently set to make a base salary of $2.4 million in 2023 and a base salary of $19.7 million in 2024. The contract extension Jefferson would begin in 2025.“I will be wherever I’m wanted,” Jefferson said in January when asked a possible contract extension. “If they want me here, I’m here.”Originally selected by the Vikings in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft, Jefferson already has put himself in the same conversation as the legendary Randy Moss for t...

Man sentenced for slashing girlfriend’s throat at Union Depot light-rail platform

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 17:11:54 GMT

A St. Paul man was sentenced Monday to nine years in prison for slashing his girlfriend’s throat at the Union Depot light-rail platform.The woman survived the May 9 attack by Ray Anthony Criss and credited good Samaritans with saving her life.Ray Anthony Criss (Courtesy of the Ramsey County sheriff’s office)Criss, 37, pleaded guilty to second-degree assault after reaching an agreement with the prosecution on March 6 that called for dismissing attempted murder and first-degree assault charges.Officers responded to the Union Depot platform in downtown St. Paul and found the 40-year-old woman with a severe cut to her throat and bystanders applying pressure.She was hospitalized and police learned her boyfriend, Criss, had threatened to kill her for weeks and said he would do it “right in front of police,” according to the criminal complaint.A security officer told officers that the couple had been arguing inside Union Depot. Surveillance video showed Criss exit a train, approach h...

MN House OKs legal cannabis; Senate vote scheduled Friday

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 17:11:54 GMT

Members of the Minnesota House on Tuesday approved a bill to legalize recreational marijuana use for adults.Legalization has passed in the Democratic-Farmer-Labor-controlled House before. But DFL lawmakers took control of the Senate last November and a vote is now scheduled for Friday in that chamber.Members started debating the bill late Monday evening and tabled the discussion around midnight. They resumed Tuesday afternoon before passing the bill on a 71-59 vote.Reps. Nolan West, R-Blaine, and Shane Hudella, R-Hastings, joined DFLers in support of the bill. Rep. Gene Pelowski, DFL-Winona, joined Republicans in opposition.What’s in the bill?The House bill would allow marijuana possession for people 21 and older, expunge marijuana conviction records and create a new regulatory plan for the substance.Eligible adults could possess 2 ounces or less of cannabis in a public place, and 1.5 pounds or less in a residence. Individuals would be able to possess edibles with a total of 800 mil...

MN House passes housing bill with $1 billion in spending, 0.25% metro sales tax hike

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 17:11:54 GMT

Minnesota would spend $1 billion over the next two years to provide affordable housing under a bill passed Tuesday by the state Senate. The vote was 39-28.The legislation, sponsored by DFL Sen. Lindsey Port of Burnsville, aims to reduce children’s homelessness, cut racial disparities in homeownership rates and subsidize construction of more affordable homes.It also would impose a 0.25 percent sales tax increase in the seven-county metro area to help pay for new housing programs. The tax would raise an estimated $353 million over the next two years and $391.2 million in 2026-2027.The bill would provide eight times more money for housing than the state currently spends, Port said. Most of the funding — about $750 million — would go to building new housing.It now goes back to the House, which passed a similar measure next week. If the two chambers resolve any differences, the bill would go to Gov. Tim Walz, who has pledged to sign it.Port said the measure would increase the...

Yancy, Simon: Automatic voter registration makes restoration of voting rights more effective

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 17:11:54 GMT

Last year, approximately 4.6 million Americans and nearly 55,000 Minnesotans were unable to vote even though they had already served their prison time — roughly 2% of the country’s voting-age population. But that’s about to change here in Minnesota.Starting this summer, Minnesotans who have left prison behind will be eligible to register to vote and regain access to the ballot box. The legislation providing for that — championed by the Restore the Vote coalition, state Sen. Bobby Joe Champion and state Rep. Cedric Frazier — will make us one of 25 states that have taken action to re-enfranchise returning citizens. Unfortunately, in many of these states, voter registration rates for those who have had their right to vote restored remain quite low. That’s why, for Minnesota’s efforts to restore the vote to be more successful, we need to pass automatic voter registration.Automatic voter registration is a proposal currently before the Minnesota Legislature that promises to ease the...

Hochul on finalized budget, "The end is near"

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 17:11:54 GMT

ALBANY, N.Y. (WTEN) -- The state's budget is now almost a month late, the latest budget in over ten years. An additional extender was signed by the Governor on Monday to keep state employees paid, and state operations funded. When exactly will lawmakers reach a final budget agreement? At a press conference on Tuesday, Governor Hochul said the end could be near, with the possibility of a budget deal as early as this week. Two issues still on the table are re-issuing zombi charter schools and the states plan to crack down on illegal cannabis stores, which Hochul said is critically important considering the states efforts to create a legal industry, "This is not easy to do, but when you set up these businesses to fail already because of illegal competition, we have to take some dramatic steps now."Hochul said this could mean giving enforcement tools to the Office of Cannabis Management as well as Tax and Finance to have the authority to search those shops resulting in a fine, and ...

1 man dead in Collinsville shooting; multiple people in custody

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 17:11:54 GMT

COLLINSVILLE, Ill. – A young man is dead after shots rang out Monday night in a Collinsville, Illinois, neighborhood. Multiple people are in custody, but police are still searching for one more suspect.The shooting happened around 7 p.m. in a residential area on North Seminary Street, near the Collinsville Police Department.Officers found one victim, an unidentified man, shot to death near a sidewalk. A woman who identified herself as the victim's mother said her son was just 19 years old. Neighbors said they heard at least four shots.“We were gone only 10 minutes. When we were on our way back, the kids called crying and upset they heard the shots and called 911,” Jessica Dawson said. “He was lying there dead when I got back.” Gardner won’t be held in contempt, judge rules Witnesses reported seeing four people running from the scene and were able to provide officers with descriptions.Police searched the area and located three people matching those descriptions and took them into c...

Memorial for former U.S. Rep. Pat Schroeder to be held in Denver

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 17:11:54 GMT

U.S. Rep. Pat Schroeder, D-Colo., sits on the porch outside her Capitol Hill headquarters in Denver on July 18, 1994. Schroeder, a pioneer for women’s and family rights in Congress, has died at the age of 82. Schroeder’s former press secretary, Andrea Camp, said Schroeder suffered a stroke recently and died Monday night, March 13, 2023, at a hospital in Florida, the state where she had been residing. (Joe Mahoney, The Associated Press)A public celebration of life for former U.S. Rep. Pat Schroeder will be held in Denver on Friday with Gov. Jared Polis opening the ceremony.Related ArticlesPolitics | Letters: Banning abortion pills — Wyoming endangers essential medical care The event will begin at 2 p.m. at History Colorado, 1200 Broadway. The celebration is open to the public and no RSVP is needed.Schroeder’s husband, Jim, will speak and a video collection of highlights from her media interviews will be shown.For 24 years, Schroeder represented Color...

Weak tornado touches down in Weld County, warning issued for area

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 17:11:54 GMT

Residents of a section of Weld County are under a tornado warning after a weak tornado briefly touched down Tuesday afternoon before quickly dissipating.Related ArticlesWeather | Extreme winds prompt diversions and delays at DIA Weather | March is usually Denver’s snowiest month — but not this year Weather | Denver weather: Less wind, sunny skies and warmer weather The warning area included Keenesburg and Roggen along Interstate 76 as well as Prospect Valley just south of the highway.The warning is in effect until 3:45 p.m., according to the National Weather Service in Boulder.Tornado Warning including Keenesburg CO, Prospect Valley CO and Roggen CO until 3:00 PM MDT pic.twitter.com/pekXB3qeBI— NWS Boulder (@NWSBoulder) April 25, 2023A “brief landspout/weak tornado” developed in the area but dissipated. Another tornado may develop, the weather service warned.More landspouts are possible across a large swath of the we...