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Bridging the 'digital divide:' Texas passes billions for broadband expansion as millions live unconnected

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 17:13:22 GMT

AUSTIN (Nexstar) -- The 22,000 Texans of Llano County are just an hour away from the high-tech capital, but many are decades behind in connectivity. "Rural areas have been, let's say, neglected," Llano County Commissioner Peter Jones said. "There's a big problem. Many areas of our country are unserved or underserved."More than one in 10 Llano County residents lack access to high-speed internet, separating them from the modern luxuries of remote work, education, and healthcare. In far West Texas, many residents fare far worse. According to the Texas Comptroller's office, at least 20 counties have zero access to reliable, high-speed broadband.They are just some of the almost seven million Texans who live disconnected, according to the most recent U.S. Census Bureau data.That's a "digital divide" Commissioner Jones saw strike his community especially hard during the COVID-19 pandemic, as young students would huddle around hotspots in parking lots just to finish homework."Twenty-five pe...

Police, FBI investigating two fires at Minneapolis mosques

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 17:13:22 GMT

The Minneapolis Police Department is partnering with the FBI to investigate a possible bias motive behind an arson attempt at a Minneapolis mosque on Sunday evening. Authorities also are investigating a fire at another mosque, less than a mile away, on Monday night.Sunday’s incident marked the third known attack on a mosque in Minnesota this year, according to CAIR-Minnesota Executive Director Jaylani Hussein.“We don’t want our community to get to the point where they are not coming to the mosques or feeling to the point where they will behave completely differently,” Hussein said. “What we want them to do is to be more vigilant, we want them to increase security. And we want them to realize that we are under threat.”Worshippers noticed a fire in a bathroom at the Masjid Omar Islamic Center, located on the second floor of the 24 Mall in south Minneapolis, not long after a masked man entered with a large paper bag, according to video footage. Community leaders allege the paper bag co...

Northern Minnesota official, who also drove a school bus, charged with child sexual misconduct

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 17:13:22 GMT

A former northern Minnesota county commissioner and school bus driver has been charged with criminal sexual misconduct involving a child.Daniel J. Stacey, 59, of Akeley, was taken into custody Sunday. A retired law enforcement officer, he made a first court appearance Tuesday in Hubbard County District Court. He was released on $500,000 bail and faces an omnibus hearing May 9.Stacey faces one felony second-degree count of criminal sexual conduct with a victim under 14 years old and one felony count of distributing via electronic communication material that relates and/or describes sexual conduct to a child.A former northern Minnesota county commissioner and school bus driver has been charged with criminal sexual misconduct with a child. Daniel J. Stacey, 59, of Akeley, was taken into custody April 23. 2023. He made first court appearance on April 25 in Hubbard County District Court. He was released on $500,000 bail and faces another court hearing on May 9. (Forum News Service)Stacey...

St. Paul City Council hosts public hearing on proposed secure gun storage ordinance

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 17:13:22 GMT

A woman whose brother took his life suicide with a firearm. A gun owner whose nephew was shot dead in a Target parking lot. A teacher who said her young students have been left emotionally rattled by lockdown drills necessitated by gun violence in schools across the country.One by one, advocates — many of them affiliated with Moms Demand Action — testified in favor of a proposed St. Paul ordinance that would require gun owners to keep their firearms trigger-locked or otherwise stored securely against access by anyone else when not on their person. The ordinance, sponsored by a majority of the seven council members, also would require ammunition to be stored separately.Proponents, including the St. Paul police, have said better gun storage would reduce the number of stolen guns in circulation, which could cut down on gun crime. It also would put some time and physical distance between firearms and people with suicidal thoughts, especially children.This school teacher says...

Senate plan calls for checks, partial Social Security tax cut

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 17:13:22 GMT

A tax proposal from the Democratic-Farmer-Labor majority in the Minnesota Senate calls for a partial elimination of the Social Security income tax and direct payments to taxpayers.The tax bill heard Wednesday in the Senate Taxes Committee has a lot in common with the House tax plan but differs in a few ways, such as the approach to child tax credits. It also doesn’t include the new fifth-tier tax bracket for top earners in Minnesota. A “millionaires tax” in the House plan calls for a new 10.85% tax on the top 0.8% of Minnesota earners.Both the Senate and House DFL tax plans include a new offshore income reporting requirement for corporations, something lawmakers say could bring in more than $1 billion over the next two years.The House tax plan is set for a vote later this week, and the Senate will follow.DFL senators say their tax plan, which includes no new income or sales taxes, would bring $4 billion in tax cuts and credits to Minnesotans who need them the most, but Republicans h...

Anthony Edwards cited for third-degree assault after tossing chair following Timberwolves loss

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 17:13:22 GMT

Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards was cited for third-degree assault by the Denver Police Department after he tossed a chair aside while running out of the arena following Minnesota’s Game 5 road loss to the Nuggets on Tuesday, Denver Police confirmed.Edwards missed a shot at the buzzer that could have sent the game to overtime. When it hit off the rim, ending Minnesota’s season, the 21-year-old guard made a beeline for the exit. A video circulating social media shows Edwards tossing a chair, sending it in the direction of a pair of Ball Arena employees.According to Denver Police, it was reported “that while Edwards was walking from the court to the locker room at the conclusion of the game, he swung a folding chair and struck two women who were working at the time. Both women were injured, and at the time it was reported that the injuries were not serious.”The Timberwolves returned to Minnesota on Wednesday. The team issued the following statement: “We are ...

School lockdown drills may see changes

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 17:13:22 GMT

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) -Back in 2016, a bill was signed into law that required at least four lockdown drills in New York state schools. Members of the New York Chapter of Moms Demand Action, such as Sheffali Welch, view the number of drills that children and teachers are set to have in a school year as too many.Sheffali says drills have been connected to problems faced by school communities when it comes to mental health. "Lockdown drills have shown to increase anxiety and depression in children of all ages, from elementary school all the way up to high school, by significant double digits," stated Welch. Albany County ramping up efforts for school bus safety Another concern shared was over kids not understanding the difference between a drill and an actual threat. One father explained how his child came home thinking he was in danger."Well, there's a bad guy trying to come into the school, trying to get into our room. He came up to me saying this because he didn't understand that ...

White House slams passage of House GOP debt limit bill: ‘No chance of becoming law’

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 17:13:22 GMT

The White House on Wednesday blasted House Republicans after a vote to pass legislation pairing a debt limit increase with broader government spending cuts, calling the bill dead on arrival and urging Congress to pass a clean bill to avoid default.“House Republicans have passed a bill that cuts veterans’ health care, education, Meals on Wheels, and public safety, takes away health care from millions of Americans, and sends manufacturing jobs overseas while they fight to extend the Trump tax cuts for the wealthiest and profitable corporations,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in a statement. “President Biden will never force middle class and working families to bear the burden of tax cuts for the wealthiest, as this bill does,” she continued. “The President has made clear this bill has no chance of becoming law.”Jean-Pierre cited an old quote from former President Ronald Reagan about the importance of the U.S. meeting its obligations to argue Congressional Re...

House GOP passes debt limit package: Five takeaways

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 17:13:22 GMT

After a week of internal sniping, House Republicans on Wednesday approved legislation in a 217-215 vote that would slash federal spending and extend the government’s borrowing authority into next year.The package has no chance of becoming law in the face of opposition from the Senate and White House, both of which are controlled by Democrats, but it nonetheless represents a hard-fought victory for Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) and his leadership team.McCarthy and his conference have demanded budget-cutting negotiations with President Biden in return for raising the debt ceiling and now have specific policy proposals — and more political leverage — heading into that fight. Here are five takeaways.McCarthy squeaks out another winIn an important sense, Wednesday's vote marked a victory for McCarthy in his first real legislative test, proving he and his leadership team can unite a discordant conference on massive budget bills despite their slim majority.Leaders successfull...

Senate GOP votes down bill calling on VA to study marijuana as PTSD, pain remedy

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 17:13:22 GMT

Senate Republicans on Wednesday defeated a bill calling on the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to research marijuana as a remedy for post-traumatic stress disorder and chronic pain.Senators voted 57 to 42 to invoke cloture on the motion to proceed to the bill, falling short of the 60 votes necessary for it to advance. Eight Republicans — Sens. Bill Cassidy (La.), Susan Collins (Maine), Josh Hawley (Mo.), Jerry Moran (Kan.), Lisa Murkowski (Alaska), Mike Rounds (S.D.), Eric Schmitt (Mo.) and Dan Sullivan (Alaska) — voted alongside every Democrat to advance the bill. Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) switched his vote from “aye” to “nay” in order to have the ability to bring the legislation to the floor again in the future. He lamented that the bill was not able to move forward despite the support of numerous veterans groups and marijuana advocates. “It’s regrettable that this bill, which so much helps our veterans, went down,” Schumer said. “I hope that so...