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☆ Oregon lawsuit spotlights destruction of Black neighborhoods
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-11 | by ( The Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +4 min

A home that was a fixture of Bobby Fouther’s childhood is now a parking lot, the two-story, shingle-sided house having been demolished in the 1970s along with many other properties in a predominantly Black neighborhood of Portland, Oregon. In 1934, Fouther’s great-aunt and her husband bought a house, which he and his sister visited almost daily, in the Albina neighborhood of Portland, according to the lawsuit. A total of 32 business and four church or community organizations were also destroyed, according to the lawsuit. They were not fairly compensated and in some cases not compensated at all, according to the lawsuit. Many of the plaintiffs’ homes, if they had not been destroyed, would have been worth more than $500,000 today, the lawsuit says.

☆ Workers around the world say this is the best U.S. city for expats
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-11 | by ( Jennifer Liu | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Around the world, people agree that the best U.S. city to try living and working abroad is Miami, Florida. Not too far behind is New York City, which ranks 16th out of 50. The South Florida city didn't rank so well in the survey's "working abroad" index. Still, an overwhelming majority, 85%, of expats living in Miami are happy with their life in general, as well as 74% of expats in New York, compared with the 71% global average. 1 city for expats to live and work abroad in 2022, followed by Dubai and Mexico City.

☆ This graphic shows how many more stars you can see under truly dark skies vs. city, suburban, and rural areas
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-05 | by ( Paola Rosa-Aquino | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Astronomers classify night skies from dark to bright using the Bortle Scale, ranked from one to nine. Light pollution is when artificial light washes out the night sky and makes it hard to see stars. While it might not be as potentially harmful as other kinds of pollution, light pollution can affect human health. Level four classifies the transition from suburban to rural areas, where you can see the Milky Way. The night sky is brimming with stars, making it harder to parse out faint constellations.

☆ New York City Wants to Pay a ‘Rat Czar’ $170,000 to Solve Its Rodent Problem
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-02 | by ( Alyssa Lukpat | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

New York has had a rat problem since the 1700s. City officials hope someone with a “general aura of badassery” can finally solve it. The city posted an unusual job listing this week: an opening for a director of rodent mitigation, or a “rat czar.” The ideal candidate—someone who is “highly motivated and somewhat bloodthirsty”—will be tasked with keeping the city’s rats “in check and on notice,” according to the job posting.

☆ Help wanted: New York City seeks 'badass' rat czar
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Rat sightings on the streets, in subways and even homes have jumped 71% over in the past two years, according to the city's sanitation department. "There’s NOTHING I hate more than rats," Mayor Eric Adams said in a tweet on Thursday in announcing the job posting. "If you have the drive, determination, and killer instinct needed to fight New York City’s relentless rat population - then your dream job awaits." The trash has encouraged the explosive growth of the city's rat population. Urban legend says there is one rat for each of New York City's 8.8 million residents.

☆ Chinese bots spammed Twitter with porn, which buried news about COVID-19 protests in China, report says
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-28 | by ( Sawdah Bhaimiya | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Chinese bot accounts posted spam, which buried news about COVID protests, per the Washington Post. Protests against strict COVID-19 restrictions have erupted in several areas of China. A US government contractor told the Post that by the evening, the feed was "fifty percent porn, 50 percent protests." Some of these acts have been dormant for years, only to become active yesterday after protests broke out in China." Twitter's trust and safety team is likely in disarray.

☆ China's protests over lockdowns spread to campuses and communities abroad
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-28 | by ( Jessie Pang | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Dozens of people attended most of the protests with a few drawing more than 100, the tally showed. The protests on the mainland were triggered by a deadly fire in China's Xinjiang region last week that killed 10 people who became trapped in their apartments, in a disaster blamed in part on lockdown measures. A Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson told a regular briefing on Monday that China was not aware of any protests abroad calling for an end to the zero-COVID policy. State media and government spokespeople have not made any official comment on the protests in China. "At the core of it is China's system,” said the student, who asked to be identified as just Emmanuel.

☆ Anti-government protests spread to Shanghai and Beijing as anger grows over China's strict zero-COVID policy
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-27 | by ( Bethany Dawson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Shanghai is gripped by anti-COVID-19 protests, which are also happening in Xinjiang, Beijing, and Nanjing. Earlier this week, China reported a record number of COVID-19 cases. On Saturday, Shanghai, China's most populous city and its financial hub, became the latest flashpoint for the anger of of Chinese people. Per the BBC, protests are also happening in Urumqi city, Beijing, and Nanjing, in eastern China, all cities with rising COVID-19 cases and increasing levels of restrictions. Earlier this week, China reported a record number of COVID-19 cases across the country, with 31,444 new COVID cases in the country on Thursday.

☆ Noncitizen Bill Makes Aliens and Diplomats D.C. Voters
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-25 | by ( The Editorial Board | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +1 min

Hard as it is to believe, the mayor of Washington, D.C., might soon be elected with votes from illegal immigrants or the staff at the Chinese embassy. Last month the D.C. City Council passed a bill to expand the franchise in local elections to any adult with 30 days of residency. Mayor Muriel Bowser did not sign or veto it, so the bill was officially enacted Monday without her signature. New York City passed a noncitizen voting law that a court ruled this year was a violation of the state Constitution. No such limitation appears in the D.C. bill, meaning illegal aliens and foreign college students would be able to vote, and that’s not all.

Copeland, who uses they/them pronouns, said their store manager held a team meeting this morning to talk about the Chesapeake store shooting. Share this -Link copiedInvestigators search Walmart gunman's house Investigators on Wednesday scoured the home of the Walmart employee who opened fire at the Chesapeake store where he worked. "We can and must do more to reduce gun violence in America," he tweeted, linking to a news article about the shooting at a Walmart store in Chesapeake. Warner, Kaine of Virginia condemn the violence Virginia's two Democratic senators — Mark Warner and Tim Kaine — decried the mass shooting at the Walmart store in Chesapeake. "The Walmart shooting in Chesapeake is horrific.

☆ Catalonia limits water use as Spain prays for rain
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-22 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

BARCELONA, Spain — Barcelona and large swathes of Spain’s northeast are going under water restrictions as a months-long drought that has devastated crops starts to put the pinch on human activities in the Mediterranean country. City dwellers won’t be permitted to use drinking water to wash the exterior of houses or cars or to fill swimming pools. Over 500 town halls, including Barcelona, must stop filling public fountains or cleaning streets with drinking water. While reservoirs in Spain’s south near Seville are now the driest, Catalonia’s water reservoirs are down to 34% of capacity, according to Spain’s ministry for the ecological transition. In 2008, a prolonged drought forced Spanish authorities to bring in water to Barcelona via boat to guarantee domestic use.

☆ US Justice Dept probes whether police in Mass. city discriminated
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-15 | by ( Brendan O'Brien | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The police department in the city, the second-largest in New England after Boston, was not immediately available for comment. Worcester Mayor Joseph Petty, the city's Acting Manager Eric Batista and Worcester Police Chief Steven Sargent pledged to cooperate with the investigation, the justice department said. Since then, the justice department has opened dozens of similar investigations across the nation. The justice department launched a so-called "pattern or practice" investigation in Minneapolis a day after a jury found the officer, Derek Chauvin, guilty of murder. In 2018, the Justice Department opened an investigation of the Springfield Police Department.

☆ Colorado just legalized ‘magic mushrooms,’ an idea that’s growing nationwide
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-12 | by ( Danica Jefferies | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

DENVER, CO - MAY 19: "u201cFun guy"u201d with harvested Mazatec psilocybin mushrooms from their growing tubs May 19, 2019 in Denver, Colorado. Bills that would decriminalize possession have been introduced in 19 states — including Missouri, Iowa and Kansas — though none have been enacted. And more than a dozen states — including Florida, Oklahoma and Texas — have introduced legislation to further study the health benefits of psilocybin. Some opponents of the Colorado measure say it would promote using these substances before the FDA says they are safe. "I'm hoping the rest of the country can learn the hard lessons from my state's foray," said Luke Niforatos, who leads two national organizations that opposed the drug legalization measure.

☆ In DeSantis' small Florida hometown, voters see 'scumbag' or 'hometown hero' as they head to the polls
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-08 | by ( Kimberly Leonard | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

DeSantis is up for reelection Tuesday, and could seek the White House in 2024.Insider interviewed voters from his small hometown of Dunedin, Florida. download the app Email address By clicking ‘Sign up’, you agree to receive marketing emails from Insider as well as other partner offers and accept our Terms of Service and Privacy PolicyDUNEDIN, Florida — Florida Gov. Dunedin, Florida, has an arch in the center of town that reads, "Defending Freedom." "Ron DeSantis is a scumbag," Laura, who declined to share her last name, told Insider after exiting a polling station. Polls in Florida will close at 7 p.m., so it's not yet clear whether DeSantis will win over his hometown.

☆ Milwaukee Election Official Who Sought Fraudulent Ballots Is Removed
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-03 | by ( Ben Kesling | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Kimberly Zapata, deputy director of the Milwaukee Election Commission, pictured earlier this year, had her access to offices and computers revoked. Milwaukee officials dismissed the city’s deputy director of its elections commission, saying she fraudulently requested absentee military ballots and then passed them along to a state representative, Mayor Cavalier Johnson said Thursday. There was no attempt to vote illegally, Mr. Johnson said at a press conference. City officials said they didn’t know the reasons for the actions of Milwaukee Election Commission Deputy Director Kimberly Zapata.

☆ Will Musk break Trump and satire accounts like mine out of Twitter jail?
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-01 | by ( Kyler Geoffroy | Kyler Geoffroy Is A Freelancer Whose Writing Has Appeared On Vice | Other Publications. He Focuses On Lgbtq Politics | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +9 min

As Elon Musk’s takeover of Twitter begins, he must make several important decisions that will determine the future of the social media platform millions use for their newsgathering. I got involved in political satire after watching Trump fire off several conspiracy-theory-laden posts to his over 4 million followers on Truth Social daily. I got involved in political satire after watching Trump fire off several conspiracy-theory-laden posts to his over 4 million followers on Truth Social daily. “After careful review, we determined your account broke the Twitter Rules,” read the notification from Twitter Support. But political parody accounts, even bad ones like mine, should be protected on Twitter.

☆ The first Mexican American woman in Congress leaves a legislative legacy focused on children and families
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-27 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Edwin-Head-Shot-Copy.Jpg | Edwin Flores | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +8 min

The first Latino from California elected to Congress since 1879, he would become one of the most influential Latino politicians on Capitol Hill. “The white establishment of that time was not happy that a Latino was elected to the City Council,” Roybal-Allard said. The Dream Act has since gone through 11 variations and has been stuck in the Senate since. As the Dream Act stalled in Congress, President Barack Obama in 2012 announced the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, also known as DACA, through an executive order. Asked how she wants to be remembered after her retirement at the end of this Congress in January, Roybal-Allard focused on the work.

The charges to which Weisselberg pleaded guilty included grand larceny and tax fraud, and he admitted concealing $1.76 million in income. The Trump Organization, which operates hotels, golf courses and other real estate around the world, could face up to $1.6 million in fines for the three tax fraud counts and six other counts it faces. In his guilty plea, Weisselberg admitted to scheming with the company so that "substantial portions" of his and other employees' income was unreported or misreported. Weisselberg has worked for the Trump Organization for nearly half a century. After his guilty plea, he was placed on a paid leave of absence, according to a person familiar with the matter.

The Manhattan district attorney's office charged the Trump Organization and Allen Weisselberg, its then-chief financial officer, in July 2021. Weisselberg pleaded guilty in August to 15 charges, which included grand larceny and tax fraud, and admitted concealing $1.76 million in income in an agreement with prosecutors that requires him to testify at this trial. Prosecutors accused the company of engaging in a sweeping tax fraud over a period of 15 years starting in 2005. Lawyers for the Trump Organization have called the case a "selective prosecution" based on animosity by the prosecution toward Trump for his political views, though the judge overseeing it has rejected that argument. Two other Trump Organization employees received compensation in the form of lodging and car leases, prosecutors added.

☆ Chinese EV maker Xpeng debuts most advanced semi-autonomous driving system to rival Tesla
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-24 | by ( Arjun Kharpal | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Chinese electric carmaker Xpeng on Monday revealed its most advanced semi-autonomous driving system as it looks to boost appeal for its vehicles amid rising competition. Xpeng took the wraps off XNGP, its latest advanced driver-assistance system, or ADAS. XNGP replaces Xpeng's Xpilot ADAS system. XNGP is Xpeng's most advanced ADAS to date. City NGP allows the car to semi-autonomously navigate complex urban environments with features such as lane switching.

☆ These 10 LGBTQ candidates could make political history in November
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-23 | by ( Matt Lavietes | Matt Lavietes Is A Reporter For Nbc Out. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +11 min

More than 600 lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer candidates will be on the ballot Nov. 8 — up from the 432 candidates in the previous midterm elections in 2018 — according to the political action committee LGBTQ Victory Fund. But even as an LGBTQ political leader, Balint, who is a lesbian, has faced pushback for her sexuality. He previously told NBC News that his Republican political affiliation was a result of his family's affection for former President Ronald Reagan. Jennie ArmstrongRunning for: Alaska House of Representatives, District 16Andrew GrayRunning for: Alaska House of Representatives, District 20If elected would be the first: LGBTQ state lawmaker(s) in Alaskan history. Alaska is one of four states with zero out LGBTQ state lawmakers, according to the LGBTQ Victory Fund.

☆ Hacker who stole unreleased songs from Ed Sheeran and Lil Uzi Vert sentenced to 18 months, U.K. prosecutors say
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-21 | by ( The Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON — A computer hacker who stole unreleased songs from British pop star Ed Sheeran and American rap artist Lil Uzi Vert has been sentenced to 18 months in prison, U.K. prosecutors said Friday. Adrian Kwiatkowski, 23, of Ipswich in southern England, hacked the artists’ cloud-based accounts and sold their songs on the dark web in exchange for cryptocurrency. It then identified the IP address of the device used to hack one of the accounts as his home address. After further investigation, Kwiatkowski was arrested by the City of London Police’s Intellectual Property Crime Unit in September 2019. “Cybercrime knows no borders, and this individual executed a complex scheme to steal unreleased music in order to line his own pockets,” Manhattan District Attorney Alvin L Bragg Jr said.

The Amazon logo is seen outside its JFK8 distribution center in Staten Island, New York, U.S. November 25, 2020. In a filing, Attorney General Letitia James agreed not to seek review of a May state court decision that had found federal law preempted her claims that Amazon violated state labor statutes. She had alleged in Feb. 2021 that Amazon had retaliated against two New York City workers protesting warehouse safety conditions. As part of the agreement, Amazon withdrew its own lawsuit against New York state, which had alleged James overstepped her bounds in pandemic dealings with the retailer. The court’s prior dismissal of the New York Attorney General’s lawsuit, and today’s agreement to end the litigation altogether, is the right outcome given our actions in response to the pandemic."

☆ Leaked L.A. City Council Audio Exposes the Racial Underbelly of Local Politics
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-16 | by ( Will Swaim | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +1 min

The ground shakes periodically in Southern California, but Los Angeles has rarely experienced a political earthquake as sudden and severe as the one that rocked City Hall this week. The leaked October 2021 recording, published first on Reddit and then by the Los Angeles Times, captures a shockingly candid conversation among City Council President Nury Martinez and Councilmen Gil Cedillo and Kevin de León . Ron Herrera , Los Angeles County’s top union leader, was also present. The four met to discuss how they might carve up the city’s voting districts to maintain Latino political power. Few of the hyperdiverse city’s racial and ethnic groups went uninsulted.

☆ BTS performs emotional concert in Busan, Korea, as uncertainty hovers over group's future
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-15 | by ( Soo Youn | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

“It feels a little strange to be in my hometown,” said Jimin, one of the two band members from Busan. The South Korean government grants exemptions to some athletes, classical and traditional musicians, ballet and other dancers who have won top prizes like Olympic medals. While some fans are hoping for a last-minute exemption, Lee Ki Sik, commissioner of the Military Manpower Administration, said last week it is “desirable” for BTS members to serve. BTS performs in Busan, South Korea, on Saturday. Bighit MusicThe streets, bridges and beachfronts of Busan turned purple, the band’s signature color, in the days leading up to the concert.

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