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TikTok users file lawsuit against Montana over first-in-nation law banning app

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:57:00 GMT

HELENA, Mont. (AP) — Five TikTok users filed a lawsuit to overturn a planned ban on the video sharing app in Montana.They argued in a legal complaint filed late Wednesday in federal court in Missoula that the law is an unconstitutional violation of free speech rights.They also say the state doesn’t have authority over matters of national security. Gov. Greg Gianforte signed the bill into law Wednesday and said it would protect Montana residents’ private data and personal information from being harvested by the Chinese government.The ban is scheduled to take effect on Jan. 1, 2024.“We expected a legal challenge and are fully prepared to defend the law,” said Emily Flower, spokeswoman for the Montana Department of Justice.TikTok has argued that the law infringes on people’s First Amendment rights and is unlawful.Some lawmakers, the FBI and officials at other agencies are concerned the video-sharing app, owned by ByteDance, could be used to allow the Chinese government to access inform...

Taylor Swift fan battling cancer excited to attend Gillette Stadium show

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:57:00 GMT

A Taylor Swift superfan is refusing to let her battle with cancer keep her from this weekend’s show. She is scheduled to receive a treatment the day of the performance. Knowing how important the concert is, the teenager’s doctors at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute/Boston Children’s Cancer and Blood Disorder Center are making sure their patient will be able to attend. “I had got the call that I had cancer, and then one of my first questions was like ‘Can I still go to Taylor Swift?’” Gove said. Gove was diagnosed with a cancer known as solid tumor sarcoma when she was 10-years-old. She battled the cancer for several years before learning in January of this year that it was back. Around the same time, a friend invited Gove to see Swift. In the aftermath of her cancer relapse, Gove said hospital staff caring for her rallied around her with excitement. “They would print out little things and put them on my wall,” Gove said. “And they’d...

Yankees Notebook: Jose Trevino hits IL, giving Ben Rortvedt shot to show he’s real

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:57:00 GMT

TORONTO — The Yankees are dealing with more muscle pain, as Jose Trevino hit the 10-day injured list with a left hamstring strain before Thursday’s series finale against the Blue Jays.Aaron Boone said that Trevino tweaked his hamstring early in Wednesday’s game when he ran out of the batter’s box. In the seventh, the catcher ran gingerly to first base before avoiding a tag from pitcher Chris Bassitt.While Boone wasn’t sure if Trevino will undergo an MRI, he did receive treatment Thursday. The manager added that the backstop has been generally “beat up.” Boone feels some time off will benefit Trevino, and the hope is that he returns toward the end of the Yankees’ upcoming homestand.“Obviously, we gotta get the hamstring healed, but hopefully it gives his whole body a little break, too,” Boone said. “And hopefully it’s something that serves him and us well over the long haul.”While Kyle Higashioka started be...

Chicago White Sox fall short in bid for 1st series sweep of the season, falling 3-1 to the Cleveland Guardians

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:57:00 GMT

The Chicago White Sox wasted a bases-loaded, no-out opportunity early in their game Thursday against the Cleveland Guardians.Late in the game, the Sox had a much-needed grounder that wasn’t fielded cleanly.Instead of completing their first series sweep of the season, those moments proved costly for the Sox in a 3-1 loss to the Guardians in front of 11,900 at Guaranteed Rate Field.The Sox clicked offensively, on the mound and defensively in the first two games of the series.That wasn’t the case Thursday. The pitching was still on point with Dylan Cease, but the Sox couldn’t overcome the lack of clutch hitting and the error.“A loss is a loss,” Sox manager Pedro Grifol said. “But this loss right here, we had opportunities to do some things here. We had won the previous two games, we had an opportunity to win this third one and that second inning was a nice opportunity to put a crooked number up there and get ahead early with our opening-day starter (...

World Cup hype starting to build in Boston, years away from soccer’s best taking the pitch at Gillette Stadium

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:57:00 GMT

Boston has ruled the sports world for decades, and in 2026, the sports world comes to Boston.Though still years away, the hype is mounting for the hub and Gillette Stadium in Foxboro to host at least some matches during the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Boston will be one of 16 host cities across North America drawing an estimated 450,000 global visitors, with a projected net economic impact of up to $500 million.Leaders involved in bringing the World Cup to Boston and a horde of politicians gathered Thursday at Big Night Live on Causeway Street for the unveiling of the “We Are Boston” brand that will be seen widely before, during and after the month-long soccer extravaganza.Thursday’s event reminded Patriots and Revolution owner Robert Kraft of when Boston last hosted the men’s FIFA World Cup, in 1994. Kraft, honorary chairman of the 2026 World Cup United Bid Group, said he hopes Gillette Stadium will be the site of at least six matches.“I go back to ‘94, and the world we are living in now,...

Biden should raise debt ceiling himself using 14th amendment, senators say

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:57:00 GMT

Both of the state’s senators have signed onto a letter urging the Biden Administration to go around House Republicans and prevent a national debt default by using his executive authority to raise the borrowing ceiling.“We write to urgently request that you prepare to exercise your authority under the 14th Amendment of the Constitution, which clearly states: ‘the validity of the public debt of the United States … shall not be questioned,’” the letter reads, in part.U.S. Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey, along with Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders and Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman, among others, say a plan presented by House Republicans, the “Limit, Save, Grow Act,” is unacceptable as written and not a serious attempt at protecting the global economy from the impacts of a U.S. debt default.“It is unfortunate that Republicans in the House of Representatives and Senate are not acting in good faith. Instead, Republicans have made it clear that they are pre...

How to downsize in a hurry

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:57:00 GMT

Ideally, you’d spend months or even years carefully purging excess belongings — but life may have other plans. Maybe you or someone you love has a health crisis and needs to move into assisted living. Or someone has died and their home has to be cleared before next month’s rent is due. Maybe you’re just moving soon and want to significantly lighten your load.If you need to downsize in a hurry, here’s how to go about it while minimizing stress — and avoiding sending something valuable to the dump.1. Gather paperwork, photos, prescriptions, perishablesDealing with paperwork and photos takes time you may not have, says professional organizer Katherine Lawrence of Ashland, Virginia. Consider boxing unsorted documents and photos for temporary storage in a climate-controlled area, Lawrence suggests.Make a plan to sort through the boxes later, since you don’t want to store old bills and blurry photos indefinitely any more than you want to risk throwing away something important if you rush....

Two drug tunnels — one under construction — discovered along border in Tijuana

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:57:00 GMT

SAN DIEGO (Border Report) — A tunnel under construction about a mile east of the San Ysidro Port of Entry was discovered by Mexican federal agents a few nights ago. The tunnel was located in a Tijuana home near the border across from San Diego.Investigators say they came across the house when officers happened to be driving by and saw a man "discarding a plastic bag before running into the house."The bag contained crystal meth, investigators saidMembers of Mexico's Federal Police uncover a drug tunnel under construction east of the San Ysidro Port of Entry in Tijuana. (Courtesy: Mexico Attorney General's Office)Agents followed the suspect into the property and found other bags also containing the drug.After getting a warrant to search the home, agents discovered more packages that held methamphetamine hydrochloride, which is the primary ingredient in the manufacturing of meth.During the search, agents found a tunnel that went "straight down" from the floor of the house and then nort...

Rhode Island governor signs bill to fund abortion coverage for state workers and Medicaid recipients

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:57:00 GMT

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — Rhode Island Gov. Daniel McKee signed a bill into law Thursday that would let state funds be used to pay for health insurance plans that cover state workers and Medicaid recipients seeking abortions.The signing ceremony was held almost immediately after the state Senate approved the measure, also Thursday, on a 24-12 vote following less than an hour of debate in the chamber.McKee, a Democrat, said he was proud to sign the bill into law and include related funding in his state budget proposal.“Here in Rhode Island, we will always protect a woman’s right to choose and ensure equal access to these crucial health care services,” he said.An identical version of the measure cleared the Democratic-controlled House of Representatives on April 27 by a 49-24 vote.Democratic state Sen. Bridget Valverde, one of the bill’s sponsors, said that despite a vote by Rhode Island lawmakers four years ago to enshrine the right to safe, legal abortion in the state, the work to hel...

Montana is banning TikTok. But can the state enforce the law and fend off a lawsuit?

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:57:00 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Montana’s first-of-its kind law that makes it illegal for residents to use TikTok in the state is already facing its first legal challenge with a lawsuit filed by five people who use the app and argue the law is an unconstitutional violation of free speech rights.Montana Republican Gov. Greg Gianforte signed it into law Wednesday expecting a legal fight would follow. The law, which isn’t scheduled to take effect until Jan. 1, 2024, also faces a litany of questions over whether the state can even enforce the law. The new rules in Montana will have more far-reaching effects than TikTok bans already in place on government-issued devices in nearly half the states and the U.S. federal government. There are 200,000 TikTok users in Montana as well as 6,000 businesses that use the video-sharing platform, according to company spokesperson Jamal Brown. Here’s what you need to know:WHY IS MONTANA BANNING TIKTOK?Proponents of the law in Montana claim the Chinese gove...