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☆ Auburn University blocked TikTok on campus WiFi. Journalism professors say they're looking for workarounds so they can still teach multimedia skills.
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-02 | by ( Grace Dean | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Auburn University has blocked TikTok on campus WiFi following a directive by Alabama's governor. One Auburn student told Insider that he'd already deleted the TikTok app because it was distracting him from work. "TikTok has never shared US data with the Chinese government, nor would we if asked," a TikTok spokesperson told Insider. Auburn students say the restrictions could affect their downtime, but professors worry it could have educational impacts, too. Auburn students are able to get around the restrictions by not connecting to the campus WiFi.

☆ Here's everything you need to know about the history and meaning of drag
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-28 | by ( Yelena Dzhanova | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Drag culture has centuries of history behind it, from Ancient Greece to the Harlem Renaissance. Here's a guide to drag culture in the US and how what it means today. But in drag, cis men don't have to present as women, and cis women don't have to present as men. But at the end of the day, Giuliani wasn't actually participating in drag culture, Walsh said. There's been a lot of grassroots-level organization around drag recently, Walsh said, partly in response to the uptick in violence against drag culture.

☆ The pandemic created an American entrepreneurship boom — and it looks like it's here to stay
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-28 | by ( Jacob Zinkula | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The pandemic may have given a "lasting, positive shock to American entrepreneurship." Americans filed 5.1 million new business applications in 2022, according to US Census Bureau data, equating to roughly 14,000 new business applications filed every day last year. It marked the second-highest year on record — down slightly from 5.4 million in 2021 — and remained well above the 3.5 million filed in 2019. This also marked the second-highest year on record and exceeded the 1.3 million filed in 2019. Experts have pointed to several explanations for the spike in new business applications in recent years.

☆ 3 real-estate investing strategies to use — and 2 cities to invest in — as home prices around the country take a hit, according to BiggerPockets' housing-market guru
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-27 | by ( William Edwards | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

For those looking to break into real-estate investing, this uncertainty can be paralyzing. But according to Dave Meyer, a real-estate investor and BiggerPockets' vice president of data and analytics, there are still ways to make money in this market. On a recent episode of the BiggerPockets Podcast, Meyer shared three strategies he thinks will work best right now. 3 real-estate investing strategies to use in the current environmentThe first strategy Meyer recommended is becoming a private lender. Meyer said "hybrid" cities would likely perform better in the coming years than high-appreciation cities, and listed a couple that fit that description.

☆ Dollar General hit by more worker safety fines at Florida, Alabama stores
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-26 | by ( Noah Sheidlower | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Dollar General has been hit with more fines for worker safety violations, this time for issues at three Southeast stores amounting to $387,000, the Department of Labor said Thursday. Dollar General did not immediately respond to a request for comment. In the past 11 months, dozens of similar violations were identified at 19 stores in Alabama, Florida and Georgia, the agency said. In August, Dollar General was hit with nearly $1.3 million in fines for similar violations at three of the company's Georgia locations. In August, rival Dollar Tree was also fined $1.2 million by OSHA for worker safety violations.

☆ How to calculate if an electric car will save you money
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-26 | by ( Nora Naughton | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

This article is part of a series called Getting Ready for Electric, a practical guide to buying your next EV. Here are all the points to consider when calculating whether an electric vehicle will save you money in the long run. The cost of charging versus gassing upThe other piece of the EV cost-savings equation is whether having a battery-powered car will really save you money on fueling up. While gas prices remained low and car makers tuned engines to get better gas mileage, EVs were a tough sell to the average buyer. Charging at homeMost electric vehicle owners do most of their charging at home, and most EVs come with a cord that plugs into any standard 110-volt home outlet.

☆ Buying a home is now more affordable than renting in these five cities
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-26 | by ( Anna Bahney | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Renting costs nearly $800 less per month than buying, on average. But there are five cities where, despite stubbornly high prices, rising mortgage rates and some of the least affordable home buying conditions in decades, it is still cheaper to buy than to rent. Monthly buying costs assume a 7% down payment with a mortgage rate of 6.36%, and include taxes, insurance and homeowners association fees. Where renting is betterAustin, Texas, offered the biggest discount for renting compared to buying, with renting 121% or $2,013 cheaper per month. Even in Florida cities like Miami, Tampa and Orlando, which have seen some of the highest rent growth and rent costs in the past year, renting is still more affordable than buying a starter home.

☆ Abortion pill manufacturer GenBioPro sues West Virginia, argues FDA rules pre-empt state ban
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-25 | by ( Spencer Kimball | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

The abortion pill manufacturer GenBioPro on Wednesday sued to overturn West Virginia's ban on abortion because it restricts access to a medication approved by the Food and Drug Administration. The lawsuit, filed in federal court in West Virginia's southern district, argues that FDA regulations on medications such as the abortion pill pre-empt state law under the U.S. Constitution. Access to the pill, called mifepristone, has become a major legal battleground in the wake of the Supreme Court ruling that overturned federal abortion rights last June. A dozen states, including West Virginia, have implemented near total abortion bans that basically outlaw the use of mifepristone. But bans such as those in West Virginia conflict with FDA regulations on mifepristone, raising the question of whether federal or state laws take precedence.

My $40,000 salary was barely enough to get by, but when I got a $5,000 bonus, I suddenly felt rich. Even living in Birmingham, Alabama, I quickly realized how little my $40,000 a year paycheck actually was. When bonus time rolled around, usually toward the end of summer and right before the winter holidays, it felt like I'd won the lottery. All of which is to say, it was a big expense — one that a $5,000 bonus could have knocked out with money to spare. My bonus wasn't really a bonus, but a necessityI realized the company was using bonuses to pay us a living wage, when that's not what a bonus is supposed to be.

☆ Lisa Marie Presley remembered at Graceland memorial service
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-23 | by ( The Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +5 min

Some mourners held flowers as they waited for the service to begin under the tall trees on the lawn of Graceland, the home in Memphis where Lisa Marie lived as a child with her father. She was delicate, but was filled with life,” Priscilla Presley read. She then grew a family of her own.”After reading the poem, Priscilla Presley said: “Our heart is broken. After her father died, she became the sole heir of the Elvis Presley Trust, which — along with Elvis Presley Enterprises — managed Graceland and other assets until she sold her majority interest in 2005. A representative from Elvis Presley Enterprises has told The Associated Press that the mansion is in a trust that will go to the benefit of her children.

☆ The 10 best cities to buy a home in 2023 are all in the South
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-22 | by ( Mike Winters | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

The median price of homes in some of these markets isn't cheaper than the national median of $398,500. However, these cities scored high on other metrics such as job growth or housing supply. Here are the 10 best places to buy a home in 2023, according to NAR:1. However, this fast-growing market has strong migration gains and job growth that is nearly twice the national average. Just under 30% of renters can afford a typical home with a 10% down payment, which is almost twice the national average.

☆ An Alabama 'election denier' is leading efforts in the state to withdraw from a national organization that combats voter fraud
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-20 | by ( Charles R. Davis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Alabama's top elections official is withdrawing the state from a nonprofit known as ERIC. Founded in 2012, ERIC began as a collaboration by election officials in seven states, four of them Republican. A powerful outlierOfficials, including Republicans, have credited the organization with helping clean up their voter lists and prevent fraudulent votes. A former state legislator, Allen was dubbed an "election denier" by the States United Democracy Center, a bipartisan group that promotes election integrity, over his support for overturning the results of the 2020 election. With or without Alabama, he said, ERIC will continue to focus on "improving the accuracy of America's voter rolls and increasing access to voter registration for all eligible citizens."

☆ Hormone therapy improves mental health for transgender youths, a new study finds
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-19 | by ( Jo Yurcaba | Jo Yurcaba Is A Reporter For Nbc Out. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +8 min

Transgender youths reported more life satisfaction and fewer symptoms of depression and anxiety after receiving gender-affirming hormone therapy for two years, according to a new study. However, medical associations such as the American Medical Association and the American Academy of Pediatrics, among others, oppose efforts to restrict gender-affirming care for minors. In addition to the New England Journal of Medicine study, about half a dozen others have shown that access to puberty blockers and hormone therapy can improve mental health outcomes, including reducing suicidal ideation, among transgender youths. Three studies — two published in 2020 and another published in 2021 — found that earlier access to gender-affirming medical care is associated with better mental health. They also noted that improvement in mental health varied widely, and that some participants continued to report high levels of depression and anxiety and lower levels of positive emotions and life satisfaction.

☆ On King’s holiday, daughter calls for bold action over words
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-17 | by ( The Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +8 min

Bernice King, who leads The King Center in Atlanta, said leaders — especially politicians — too often cheapen her father’s legacy into a “comfortable and convenient King” offering easy platitudes. The service, organized by the center and held at Ebenezer annually, headlined observances of the 38th federal King holiday. ... A prophetic word calls for an inconvenience because it challenges us to change our hearts, our minds and our behavior,” Bernice King said. At Ebenezer, Warnock, who has led the congregation for 17 years, hailed his predecessor’s role in securing ballot access for Black Americans. But, like Bernice King, the senator warned against a reductive understanding of King.

Harris, the former American Idol contestant whose soulful voice wowed the judges and whose sweet demeanor won him legions of fans, has died of an apparent heart attack. Harris was an incredible talent, and the news of his passing deeply saddens us," a statement posted on American Idol's official Instagram page read. Harris told The Hollywood Reporter in a 2014 interview that his mother was his first musical influence. It wasn't until 2014 that Harris made his musical mark when he placed sixth in American Idol's 13th season. "You sing because you have to sing, not because you want to sing," Urban told Harris.

☆ Biden declares emergency for Alabama due to tornadoes
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] General view of Daryle and Shawna Littleton's property destroyed by a tornado in Prattville, Alabama, U.S., January 14, 2023. REUTERS/Evan GarciaJan 15 (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden approved an emergency declaration for Alabama on early Sunday after at least nine people died in tornadoes that destroyed homes and knocked out power to tens of thousands in the U.S. Southeast this week. Biden ordered federal aid to supplement regional recovery efforts in the areas affected by severe storms, straight-line winds and tornadoes on Jan. 12, a White House statement said. At least five tornadoes touched down in central Alabama on Thursday, according to National Weather Service meteorologist Jessica Laws. Biden’s action makes federal funding available to affected individuals in the counties of Autauga and Dallas.

☆ A Virginia bill would allow a pregnant driver to use the HOV lane by counting the fetus as a person, proving that despite recent failures the fight for fetal personhood is far from over
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-15 | by ( Katie Balevic | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

A Virginia bill would grant a fetus personhood to permit a pregnant driver to use the high-occupancy lane. It follows a similar case where a Texas woman fought a traffic ticket for driving while pregnant in the HOV. The fight over fetal personhood is far from overIn October, the US Supreme Court declined an appeal on the question of whether fetuses have constitutional rights, according to Reuters. The movement to establish fetal personhood began in 1973 following the Roe decision, and US lawmakers were trying as early as 1983 to establish fetal personhood at the national level, according to ProPublica. As of now, Alabama, Arizona, Georgia, and Missouri have some kind of fetal personhood laws on the books, PBS and NPR-affiliate GPB News reported.

☆ With over 100 anti-LGBTQ bills before state legislatures in 2023 so far, activists say they're 'fired up'
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-14 | by ( Jo Yurcaba | Jo Yurcaba Is A Reporter For Nbc Out. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +10 min

So far, Texas has taken the lead with 36 such bills, according to Equality Texas, a statewide LGBTQ advocacy group. Four states — Arkansas, Alabama, Tennessee and Arizona — have enacted restrictions on gender-affirming medical care for minors, though federal judges have blocked them from taking effect in Arkansas and Alabama. State Sen. David Bullard, the Republican sponsoring the bill, told The Oklahoman that gender-affirming medical care is a “permanent change in your body that cannot be reversed. Accredited medical associations — including the American Medical Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Psychological Association — have supported gender-affirming care for minors. Advocates and doctors who treat trans youth have said many of the health care restrictions proposed by state legislators mischaracterize what gender-affirming care is.

Just a few years ago, the conceptual artist Hank Willis Thomas had no idea he would be instrumental in commemorating the lives of Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King. It really has been my mission over the past several years.”Workers stand beneath "The Embrace" sculpture in Boston Common, waiting for concrete to be poured, on Dec. 14, 2022. John Tlumacki / Boston Globe via Getty Images fileAiming to both inspire visitors and honor the Kings’ legacy, Thomas’ work will be revealed Friday at Boston Common, America’s oldest city park, in downtown Boston. Bettmann ArchiveKing dedicated his life to the civil rights movement, fighting for racial equality and economic justice. A man reaches to touch a detail of the 20-foot-high bronze sculpture "The Embrace," a memorial to Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King, in the Boston Common on Jan. 10, 2023, in Boston.

At least nine are dead and more deaths are expected after more than a dozen tornadoes tore through the Southeastern U.S. on Thursday, according to officials. Seven of the deaths were reported in Autauga County, Alabama, northwest of Montgomery, according to county Emergency Management Agency Director Ernie Baggett. Six of the deaths were reported the day the tornadoes made landfall in the state, and one was reported on Friday. The second fatality in Georgia was a Department of Transportation employee who was responding to storm damage, Governor Brian Kemp said in a news conference Friday. Governor Burt Jones took a helicopter tour of the damage Friday to also assess the damage resulting from tornadoes in the state.

Florida could soon become the 26th state to allow individuals to carry concealed loaded guns anywhere without permits — a growing trend that has alarmed gun safety groups. “Constitutional carry” and “permitless carry” laws eliminate the requirement. Permitless carry laws get rid of that requirement. “Permitless carry causes harm, and there is data to prove it,” said Shannon Watts, a board member at the gun violence prevention group Everytown for Gun Safety. She pointed to multiple studies showing that states that have implemented permitless carry have had upticks in both gun violence and police shootings.

☆ At least 6 killed as Tornado, thunderstorms strike central Alabama
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/3] Larry Fondren sorts through the rubble of his mobile home, which was destroyed when a tree fell on it as a tornado heavily damaged homes and destroyed mobile homes near Akron in Hale County, Alabama, U.S. January 12, 2023. Gary Cosby Jr./USA Today Network via REUTERSJan 12 (Reuters) - At least six people were killed in central Alabama on Thursday as thunderstorms and at least one tornado swept through the region, local officials said. Autauga County Coroner Buster Barber said that at least four people had been killed by flying debris hurled by the tornado. Ivey on Thursday declared a state of emergency for six Alabama counties hit hardest by the storm: Autauga, Chambers, Coosa, Dallas, Elmore and Tallapoosa. More than 250 flights were canceled or delayed at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport and Charlotte Douglas International Airport.

☆ Eight dead, more casualties expected after tornadoes rip through U.S. Southeast
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-13 | by ( Tyler Clifford | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] An aerial view shows damage after a tornado ripped through Selma, Alabama, U.S. January 12, 2023 in this picture obtained from social media. Seven deaths have been reported in Alabama's Autauga County, emergency management director Ernie Baggett said on MSNBC. The National Weather Service confirmed that at least five tornadoes touched down in the central Alabama region on Thursday, according to meteorologist Jessica Laws. On Friday, the weather service said it had dispatched multiple damage survey teams to the field. As many as 50 properties were damaged by the storms in Autauga County, according to the local sheriff's office.

A tornado hit parts of Alabama Thursday, causing "significant damage" in Selma, the city's mayor said. A tornado in Selma, Alabama, on Jan. 12, 2023. ]There have been at least 19 reported tornadoes across the state as a line of violent thunderstorms ripped through the Southeast. Atlanta, Charlotte, North Carolina, Greenville, South Carolina, Knoxville, Tennessee, Lexington, Kentucky, Montgomery, Alabama, and Nashville, Tennessee could be impacted. In addition to tornadoes, storms could produce large hail and damaging wind gusts up to 75 mph.

☆ Alabama's attorney general threatened to prosecute people seeking abortion pills. A day later, he walked it back.
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-12 | by ( Yelena Dzhanova | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall said he'd prosecute people who take abortion pills. A day later, Marshall walked back his remarks and said only abortion providers would be prosecuted. Prosecuting people for taking abortion pills would not have been legal in the state of Alabama, civil-rights experts told Insider. The FDA authorized brick-and-mortar pharmacies across the country to pursue certification to carry abortion pills, a move that could expand abortion access nationwide. Kay Ivey in 2019, specifically says abortion providers can be held criminally liable, but people who get abortions cannot be.

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