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ACLU lawsuit says Georgia school district ignored racism targeting Black students

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 14:36:42 GMT

SAVANNAH, Ga. (AP) — Four Black students sued a Georgia school district in federal court Friday, saying teachers and administrators violated their civil rights by fostering “a longstanding and ongoing environment of racial discrimination.”The American Civil Liberties Union filed the civil lawsuit in U.S. District Court against the Effingham County School District in southeast Georgia.The unnamed teenage plaintiffs, identified only by their initials, allege that school officials ignored complaints of white students casually using racist slurs, and at times made Black students feel like troublemakers for reporting them.A Black student identified only as N.T. said that after posting his reaction on social media to racist comments by white peers, his high school’s athletic director “blamed Black students for the White students’ language, asserting that White students used racial epithets because Black students used racial language when talking to each other,” according to th...

Park Ridge warning community of man impersonating police officer, assaulting teen girls

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 14:36:42 GMT

PARK RIDGE, Ill. -- The Park Ridge Police Department is investigating two reported incidents of a man who impersonated a police officer while approaching teenage girls.On Wednesday, June 14, two teenage girls were walking near Touhy Ave and Seminary Ave when they were approached by a man who started to question them about why they were out past curfew.During the June 14 incident, Park Ridge PD report that the man grabbed the buttocks of one of the teenage girls and offered to walk them home. Mother instructed 14-year-old son to shoot, kill man at hot dog stand, court docs allege Just after midnight on Friday, June 23, two different teenage girls were walking near Courtland Ave and Albion Ave when they were approached by the same man who identified himself as a police officer.The man reportedly asked the girls if they knew they were out past curfew and again grabbed the buttocks of one of the teenage girls.The man is described as White or Hispanic, 30-years-old, 5-foot-10, weighin...

Schumer encourages bipartisan approach as Democrats, Republicans concerned about potential of AI

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 14:36:42 GMT

WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) -- Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle are concerned about the potential of artificial intelligence and what it could do if the U.S. doesn't get ahead of it.Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said this is the perfect opportunity to learn more about AI and properly use it."Congress cannot behave like ostriches in the sand," Schumer said.Schumer said even though AI can transform our lives for the better, lawmakers cannot ignore the possible dangers, such as "workforce disruptions in a very serious way, misinformation and new weapons (and) threats against our elections."He says developing AI regulations will help build public trust."If people don't think innovation can be done safely without danger, that will stifle AI's development and even prevent us from moving forward," Schumer said.Schumer is encouraging a bipartisan approach to learn about AI and set the proper guardrails to make it safely work for the country."So I think Congress' role right no...

Happy Gilmore joins Ball State golf team, Adam Sandler 'pulling' for him

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 14:36:42 GMT

MUNCIE, Ind. (WXIN) — Happy Gilmore will be golfing for Ball State University in 2024. Yes, you read that correctly. Bloomington South golfer Happy Gilmore — who made the All-State Team two years in a row — has committed to continuing his golfing career as a member of the Ball State Men's Golf Team. Born Landon James Gilmore, the young golfer said he's had a love for the game since he was old enough to swing a club. Gilmore was bestowed the nickname "Happy" — in reference to the famous 1996 comedy starring Adam Sandler — by a heckler after Gilmore won a long drive competition at age 9. Bloomington's own Happy Gilmore has been competing under the name ever since. But don't worry, Gilmore only busts out the "Happy Gilmore Swing" for fun. Never in a competition. Small size, big benefits: These are the best small cities of 2023, study says Gilmore spent his youth playing in golf tours including the U.S. Kids Tour where he played in the championship in 2015, 2018 and 2019. He also com...

Judge blocks Florida 'anti-drag' law in response to Hamburger Mary's lawsuit

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 14:36:42 GMT

ORLANDO, Fla. (WFLA) — A federal judge in Orlando has temporarily blocked the enforcement of a Florida law that opponents say stifles the free expression of drag artists, according to newly released court documents. On Friday, Judge Gregory A. Presnell ordered a preliminary injunction in response to a lawsuit challenging the bill, which was filed by a drag-themed restaurant, Hamburger Mary's, in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida. Gov. Ron DeSantis signed SB-1438, titled "Protection of Children Act," into law last month. State leaders say the legislation aims to shield children from obscene "adult live performances." Opponents of the bill say it is "anti-drag." Any business caught violating the statute is subject to fines and could have their operating or liquor licenses revoked by the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR). ‘Gender identity is real’: Federal judge blocks Florida transgender healthcare ban for some children The l...

ERCOT can’t be sued over power grid failures during 2021 winter storm, Texas Supreme Court rules

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 14:36:42 GMT

AUSTIN (Texas Tribune) — The Supreme Court of Texas narrowly decided Friday that sovereign immunity, which largely shields government agencies from civil lawsuits, also protects the operator of the Texas electric grid.The 5-4 opinion will likely free the nonprofit corporation from lawsuits filed by thousands of Texans for deaths, injuries and damages following the deadly 2021 winter storm, unless lawyers find another way forward.The Electric Reliability Council of Texas, which manages the power supply for most of Texas, qualifies for immunity because it “provides an essential governmental service,” Chief Justice Nathan Hecht wrote in the majority opinion. State law intended for ERCOT to have the power of an “arm of the State government,” Hecht wrote. If anyone is going to hold ERCOT accountable for its actions, Hecht wrote, it should be state regulators or the Legislature, not the courts.Freezing temperatures gripped the state during the 2021 winter storm, straining the power supply...

City of Austin: Courts will decide 'Death Star' bill's impact

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 14:36:42 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- A City of Austin spokesperson said that it could be years before the full extent of HB 2127, also called the "Death Star" bill or Texas Regulatory Consistency Act, is known. ‘Death Star’ bill signed by Gov. Abbott, here are some of the impacts in Austin The new law preempts Texas municipalities from making or enforcing ordinances on matters that fall under the state's codes for agriculture, business & commerce, finance, insurance, labor, natural resources, occupations and property.Bill author Rep. Dustin Burrows, R-Lubbock, said that it provides "important consistency to Texas businesses by rolling back burdensome and overreaching regulations.""The question of whether the Legislature has pre-empted a specific ordinance or regulation will likely have to be settled by the Courts, and the extent of the pre-empts likely will not be known for years as the Court define the scope of the pre-emption," the spokesperson said. LULAC denounces Texas ‘Death Star’ bill, c...

Explainer: Are the cracks in your road from extreme heat?

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 14:36:42 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- As Austin hits record-breaking temperatures this summer, the City of Austin says they're working to keep roads from being impacted. Here's what you need to know: How do I know if a road is impacted by heat? According to Pirouz Moin, assistant director of Public Works operations for the City of Austin, if you find a large, isolated crack in the road, that's likely to be be an issue with something underneath the road, not heat. "The temperature and the rain, and the way that it applies to the surface kind of evenly, you would see the cracks everywhere," Moin explained. One last day of 90s ahead of a new round of triple digits Central Texas has seen an alternation between extreme heat and heavy rain this week, that's something that can be damaging for Austin roads over time, Moin explained. Long periods of heat dry out the materials -- like clay and dirt -- underneath streets, which creates cracks above. Rain then gets into those cracks and makes them more extreme. ...

State natural area north of San Antonio to expand by more than 500 acres

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 14:36:42 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — A state natural area in Comal County is expanding by more than 500 acres, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department has announced.The Honey Creek State Natural Area, about 30 miles north of San Antonio, will grow by 515 acres, thanks to a partnership with The Nature Conservancy in Texas, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation and landowners Ronnie and Terry Urbanczyk.TPWD purchased the land for $25 million, made possible by the Land and Water Conservation Fund, state funding for land acquisition and private donations."This acquisition is a wonderful example of what we can achieve through public-private partnerships and conservation-minded landowners who want to help preserve the last, best places in Texas for future generations," said TPWD Executive Director David Yoskowitz."The natural area is considered a "pristine stream," according to a press release from TPWD. The area supports a "healthy and diverse ecosystem and meets an exceptional aquatic life-use category," ...

Questions remain for Harbour Point Gardens landlords amid emergency evacuation

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 14:36:42 GMT

TROY, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- More than 100 people remain displaced after Troy Mayor Patrick Madden issued a state of emergency declaring their apartment buildings at Harbour Point Gardens unsafe. Construction crews getting down to business Friday to tear down the crumbling brick facades."The gutters actually run towards the other buildings the way they’re designed, so as the water runs towards the building, it kind of undermines some of the footings in different areas," explains Dave Hartman, co-owner of Daveco Masonry which has been contracted to remove the dangerous brickwork."That brick is just a veneer and there’s not enough brick ties underneath, so the veneer was pulling out away from the rest of the building and pulled the windows out about six inches as well," he shows NEWS10's Mikhaela Singleton as his crew was hard at work.Hartman says while they've only just started, the first facade came down within the day and he hopes the process taking down the rest can be finished within t...