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Google should break up digital ad business, European regulators say

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:34:06 GMT

BRUSSELS (AP) — European Union regulators hit Google with fresh antitrust charges Wednesday, saying the only way to satisfy competition concerns about its lucrative digital ad business is by selling off parts of the tech giant's main moneymaker.The unprecedented decision to push for such a breakup marks a significant escalation by Brussels in its crackdown on Silicon Valley digital giants.The European Commission, the bloc's executive branch and top antitrust enforcer, said its preliminary view after an investigation is that “only the mandatory divestment by Google of part of its services” would satisfy the concerns.The 27-nation EU has led the global movement to crack down on Big Tech companies — including groundbreaking rules on artificial intelligence — but it has previously relied on issuing blockbuster fines, including three antitrust penalties for Google worth billions of euros (dollars). Five takeaways from Trump’s arraignment It's the first time the bloc has told a te...

Travelers on TikTok swear by viral 'packing hack' for avoiding carry-on fees

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:34:06 GMT

(NEXSTAR) – Instead of playing it close to the vest, a number of TikTok users are sharing their latest secret for avoiding airline baggage fees.The “packing hack,” as demonstrated by multiple travelers, involves taking all of the items you might keep in a carry-on bag — e.g., toiletries, electronics, a change of clothes — and instead stuffing them into the pockets of a fishing vest, which can then be worn on the plane. Marlon Wayans blasts United Airlines after issue with bag gets him barred from flight Chelsea Dickenson, the travel vlogger behind Cheap Holiday Expert, was one of the earliest to tout the hack on TikTok back in January.“I'm sure others have had the same thought path in the past — no idea is truly original and all that — but after going viral … I've seen lots of people in fishing vests both online and in person and it always makes me smile to see it,” Dickenson told Nexstar.In her viral TikTok clip, Dickenson demonstrated how she packed her fishing vest’s pockets wi...

Road rage brawl in Los Angeles caught on camera

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:34:06 GMT

LOS ANGELES (KTLA) -- Cellphone video captured the moment fists started flying in an apparent road rage incident along a busy thoroughfare in the Granada Hills section of Los Angeles on Tuesday.  Alessandra Forte and her daughters were in their car when they came to an intersection at around 3:30 p.m. Video footage shows a white Dodge pickup truck along with a motorcycle lying in the road and blocking the middle lanes, but it was the fight between the drivers that halted traffic.  Cellphone video captured a road rage brawl on June 13, 2023, near the intersection of Chatsworth Street and Genesta Avenue in Granada Hills. (Gabriella Attanasio)Cellphone video captured a road rage brawl on June 13, 2023, near the intersection of Chatsworth Street and Genesta Avenue in Granada Hills. (Gabriella Attanasio)Cellphone video captured a road rage brawl on June 13, 2023, near the intersection of Chatsworth Street and Genesta Avenue in Granada Hills. (Gabriella Attanasio)“I was like, ‘Oh my ...

What is the 15-minute city?

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:34:06 GMT

(The Hill) -- The 15-minute city is either an urban-planning epiphany or a totalitarian nightmare, depending on whom you ask. The concept, credited to a Sorbonne University professor, promotes self-contained communities where residents live, work, shop and play within a radius of 15-minute travel by foot or bicycle. A new iteration of old demographic ideas drew attention in 2020 as a pillar in the campaign platform of Anne Hidalgo, the mayor of Paris.  Not until this year, though, did the 15-minute city reap its 15 minutes of global fame. In early 2023, the concept became swept up in a swirl of conspiracy theories. Social media posts warned of citizens being imprisoned in their neighborhoods and separated from their cars, a distinctly un-American prospect. The societal conversation about 15-minute cities “emerged as part of the COVID experience,” said Lisa Benton-Short, a professor of geography at George Washington University.  During the pandemic lockd...

'Golden' fossils reveal new secrets; provide clues to Jurassic extinction event

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:34:06 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) - Fossils that have been making "fools" out of scientists for decades are getting a new look. Researchers with the University of Texas' Jackson School of Geosciences published a paper in Earth Science Reviews showing that fossils commonly thought to be coated in pyrite, also known as 'Fool's Gold," had been deceiving scientists for decades."There's a lot of work being done in paleontology that relies on assuming that we're seeing everything. And we're very rarely seeing everything," said Rowan Martindale, Ph.D., an associate professor with the Jackson School. She oversaw the team that did the research.The study, led by Drew Muscente, a former Jackson School postdoctoral researcher, examined fossils found in Germany."These iconic fossils, so many of them have this beautiful, sort of golden sheen," Martindale said.Fool's Gold and FossilsThe fossils are of creatures from the early Jurassic period, about 165 million years ago."It's the time where organisms were dying, goin...

Hottest temperatures still to come

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:34:06 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Extreme heat will continue late week into the weekend, likely to get worse before it gets any better. Expert: Texas heatwave 'driven by climate change' A Heat Advisory returns this afternoon, taking effect at 1 p.m. and continuing through Thursday evening. This dangerous combination of heat and humidity could lead to heat indices as hot as 113° in the late afternoon. We expect these advisories to be issued daily through Father's Day weekend -- and may even be upgraded to more rare Excessive Heat Warnings.A few isolated storms will attempt to develop this afternoon and evening, but coverage and intensity looks limited. Most areas will remain dry but keep an eye out for hail and gusty winds out of any well-developed storms.Isolated strong to severe storms possible Wednesday afternoon & evening'Feels like' temperatures could near 115° Thursday afternoonHazy skies are being brought by a combination of high humidity and agricultural burning in Mexico, according to ...

Doll therapy helping bring back memories for seniors in Buda

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:34:06 GMT

BUDA (KXAN) — A senior living community in Buda is distributing dolls to its residents with dementia and Alzheimer’s.The doll therapy program at at Buda Oaks Assisted Living and Memory Care has been going on since May.Executive director Susan LaBree believes this therapy has made a major impact on the mental health of the seniors."This gives them an opportunity to provide care to the dolls,” she said.For one resident with dementia, the doll therapy offers a soothing sense of familiarity. Residents at Buda Oaks Assisted Living stuff teddy bears for Brown Santa program "It reminds me of my kids,” Virginia Helton said. “When they were this age and little.”The memory care coordinators at Buda Oaks said the therapy is a tool, providing purpose and responsibility.The twice-weekly sessions usually involve holding, dressing and bathing the baby dolls.LaBree explained that the interaction encourages communication, companionship and engagement."Some residents identify that these are dolls, ...

Part of Milton's Rowland Street to close for 3 months

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:34:06 GMT

MILTON, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- Part of Rowland Street in the town of Milton is set to close for almost three months. The road will be closed between Adams Road and Grand Avenue. Get the latest, news, weather, sports and community events delivered right to your inbox! According to the Saratoga County Department of Public Works, that section of road will be closed from Monday, June 19 to around September 7. Construction crews will be repairing a culvert in the area.Only local traffic will be allowed access during the closure. A detour will also be posted. Best restaurants in Ballston Spa, according to Yelp Check out NEWS10's traffic tracker. You can plan your route and see traffic delays in real-time!

NPD: Contractor arrested following employee death

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:34:06 GMT

NORTHVILLE, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- A contractor is charged with falsely reporting an incident and tampering with evidence in a case that resulted in a man being airlifted to Albany Medical Center where he later died. Jeremiah Wiedemann faces several charges. Get the latest, news, weather, sports and community events delivered right to your inbox! On Friday, May 12, Northville Police responded to the area of S. Main Street at the spillway in Northville for reports of a man bleeding from the head and was in and out of consciousness. The man was flown to Albany Medical Center, where he died a few days later. Northville Police did not mention the name of the man.Police say initial reports indicated the man fell approximately 10-12 feet near the Batchellerville Bridge in Saratoga County. Once the investigation was turned over to the Saratoga County Sheriff's Office, it was alleged that the incident happened on Sinclair Road in Northhampton, not near the Bathcellerville Bridge. Averill Park...

Averill Park CSD to dissolve 'Warriors' nickname

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:34:06 GMT

AVERILL PARK, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- According to the Averill Park Central School District website, the district's board of education has passed a resolution to dissolve the nickname "Warriors." The decision comes in light of the New York State Board of Regents' regulation that bans all names and images of school mascots that currently or were related to Indigenous people prior. Get the latest, news, weather, sports and community events delivered right to your inbox! Starting next year, a student-led leadership group will begin the process of choosing a new nickname gathering input from students, staff, faculty, and community members. Once the group narrows down the selections, the board of education will decide on a new name. The district clarified on its website that advocacy measures showed the district distanced itself from linking the name Warriors to any Indigenous groups since the late 1990s.