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Skeptical US lawmakers grill TikTok CEO over safety, content

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:40:08 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. lawmakers grilled the CEO of TikTok over data security and harmful content Thursday, responding skeptically during a tense committee hearing to his assurances that the hugely popular video-sharing app prioritizes user safety and should not be banned.Shou Zi Chew's rare public appearance came at a crucial time for the company, which has 150 million American users but is under increasing pressure from U.S. officials. TikTok and its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, have been swept up in a wider geopolitical battle between Beijing and Washington over trade and technology. In a bipartisan effort to reign in the power of a major social media platform, Republican and Democratic lawmakers pressed Chew on a host of topics, ranging from TikTok’s content moderation practices, how the company plans to secure American data from Beijing, and its spying on journalists.“Mr. Chew, you are here because the American people need the truth about the threat TikTok poses to our na...

Best private high schools in Illinois

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:40:08 GMT

Private schools, in some form, existed long before the concept of free public education in America. Students were often educated through church-sponsored programs, private tutoring, and boarding schools. Public schools on a large scale were proposed by Horace Mann in the 1830s. The concept gained momentum, and by 1870, nearly 80% of kids aged 5 to 14 were enrolled in public schools. Today, according to the most recent enrollment data, about 4.7 million students—or 10% of students enrolled in kindergarten through grade 12—are enrolled in private schools.Private schools are widely marketed as a better option when compared to public schools, and private school proponents will often point to standardized test scores to substantiate this claim. While private school students have consistently outperformed public school students on standardized tests, recent studies have shown private schools themselves are not the primary driver of success, nor are standardized tests the most accurat...

Gary native Johnell Davis makes history in Florida Atlantic's NCAA Tournament run

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:40:08 GMT

NEW YORK - It's already been the stuff of dreams and history for one of the "Cinderella" teams in the men's NCAA Tournament in 2023, including a native from Northwest Indiana who has contributed to it.Florida Atlantic got their first two wins ever in the "Big Dance" last week over Memphis and Farleigh Dickenson on Columbus to advance to the Sweet 16. During that second round triumph, Gary native Johnell Davis made some NCAA Tournament history thanks to his multi-faceted performance last Sunday. He scored 29 points, collected a career-high 12 rebounds, five assists, and five steals for the Owls in the win over the Knights. In the process, Davis became the first player to get at least 25 points, 10 rebounds, five assists, and five steals in the same tournament game in Division I."I really don't care about the stats. My team just kept feeding me the ball. Shots going in," said Davis after Sunday's performance in Columbus. "I put the work in. And it shows in the box score."A former Indi...

Moms warn about TikTok as CEO testifies before Congress

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:40:08 GMT

WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) — As the CEO of TikTok testified before Congress Thursday, parents concerned about the social media app's effects on kids' mental health were also on Capitol Hill to demand a ban.Conservatives, including groups called Moms for Liberty and Moms Against TikTok, say it's time to do away with the app not if not for national security concerns, then for the safety of kids."The Chinese Communist Party should not be allowed to conduct psychological warfare on our children," Rep. Mary Miller, R-Ill., said.They argued the app is amplifying the mental health crisis among teens."Get your kids off of this app," Tiffany Justice of Moms for Liberty said. "It brings them down this rabbit hole.""It's one of the most dangerous influences in their lives," Miller said. Skeptical US lawmakers grill TikTok CEO over safety, content During his testimony, TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew stopped short of agreeing to lawmakers' calls that the app stop targeting ads to users under the age of 17....

Chicago mayoral race underscores city's racial divisions

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:40:08 GMT

Chicago’s closely watched mayoral race is shining a spotlight on the racial divisions that have long characterized the city.Brandon Johnson, a progressive Black man, and Paul Vallas, a moderate white man, have largely seen their support fall along racial lines.Johnson, former Cook County commissioner, has managed to secure support from predominantly Black neighborhoods, running on an agenda of education and police reform. Vallas, the former CEO of Chicago Public Schools, has espoused tough-on-crime policies and called for middle-class and wealthier Chicagoans to take "back" the city. Vallas was the only white candidate in this year’s election, and he drew the support of many voters in the north and southwest neighborhoods, predominantly white areas home to wealthy families and police officers and firefighters.“Chicago has always been a city that has been very explicitly divided by racial politics,” explained Twyla Blackmond Larnell, associate professor of political science at L...

Winnipeg City Hall Approves Renaming Of Bishop Grandin Blvd To Abinojii Mikanah

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:40:08 GMT

Lawmakers drop eminent domain, try new approach to save Texas state park

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:40:08 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Lawmakers are changing their approach in an effort to save a Texas state park from permanent closure and development into a multi-million dollar private community.Fairfield Lake State Park, about 70 miles east of Waco, was closed to the public at the end of February, after almost 50 years in operation. It has since temporarily reopened but is slated for permanent closure later this summer. ‘Not constitutional’: How negotiations for the state to buy the park broke down The land is not owned by the state, but is instead leased from Vistra Energy, which formerly operated a power plant near the park. Vistra is in contract to sell the land to Todd Interests, a Dallas-based developer, which plans to turn the site into an exclusive gated community with multi-million dollar homes and a private golf course.State Rep. Angelia Orr, whose district includes the park, filed legislation last month to prevent that from happening. House Bill 2332 would grant the state power to acqu...

The top barbecue joint in Texas is in Austin, according to Yelp

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:40:08 GMT

(NEXSTAR) – Make no bones about it: Barbecue is one of America’s favorite cuisines.Barbecue, however, is also the subject of some of the most heated debates among foodies. What qualifies as “barbecue” in one region of the country might not pass in another, seeing as some folks might prefer baby-back ribs over St. Louis-style, or the flavors of mesquite over hickory. And don’t even get started on the sauces.The best barbecue, therefore, is truly in the taste buds of the beholder.With that in mind, it’s perhaps easier to set aside any preconceived notions and enjoy some regional styles of barbecue — even if it’s not exactly one's preferred style. To help determine where some of the most finger-lickin’ examples can be found, the analysts at Yelp have compiled a list of the platform’s top-rated barbecue joints in every state, based on the recommendations from its user community. It should be noted, though, that Yelp’s findings are also based on the “total volume” of reviews for each bar...

St. Kate’s provost named president of Illinois private college

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:40:08 GMT

St. Catherine University’s second-in-command is leaving at the end of the school year to become a college president in Illinois.Anita Thomas, 55, will be the first woman and first person of color to lead North Central College in Naperville, Illinois, which has around 3,000 students and is affiliated with the United Methodist Church.Anita Thomas (Courtesy of North Central College)Thomas, who grew up in Louisville, Kentucky, and spent many years in the Chicago area, is a clinical psychologist who was founding dean of the applied behavioral science college at the University of Indianapolis before she came to St. Paul in 2019.As executive vice president and provost, she created and implemented the first academic master plan at St. Kate’s.In her introductory speech at North Central on Tuesday, Thomas said she’s taking the job at a time of societal “chaos,” citing the coronavirus pandemic, racial and civil unrest, economic insecurity and climate change. She said she’s excited to hel...

Stillwater seeking input on school facility plans

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:40:08 GMT

Stillwater Area Public School District officials are planning a series of community meetings starting next week to gather input on how to best add capacity at the elementary and middle school levels and address issues in buildings that are more than 100 years old.The district is seeking ideas on how to best meet the needs of students and address continued student population growth in the communities serving Lake Elmo Elementary, Andersen Elementary in Bayport, Oak-Land Middle School in Lake Elmo and Afton-Lakeland Elementary in Lakeland. The two oldest schools in the district are Andersen Elementary, which was built in 1919, and Lake Elmo Elementary, which was built in 1920; district officials are looking at possibly building new elementary schools in Bayport/Baytown Township and Lake Elmo.“We want to really be able to clearly enunciate the why – why are we looking at doing this,” Superintendent Mike Funk said at a recent board meeting. “People need to understand if there’s go...