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☆ Arkansas sues TikTok, ByteDance and Meta over mental health claims
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-29 | by ( Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Washington CNN —The state of Arkansas has sued TikTok, its parent ByteDance, and Facebook-parent Meta over claims the companies’ products are harmful to users, in the latest effort by public officials to take social media companies to court over mental-health and privacy concerns. The complaints come amid mounting pressure in Washington on TikTok for its ties to China and as states have grown more aggressive in suing tech companies broadly, particularly on mental health claims. The suit further alleges that TikTok’s Chinese sister app, Douyin, does not make such content available within China. Adobe Stock“TikTok poses known risks to young teens that TikTok’s parent company itself finds inappropriate for Chinese users who are the same age,” the complaint said. TikTok has migrated US user data to servers operated by the American tech giant Oracle and has established organizational controls intended to prevent unauthorized data access.

☆ Florida Atlantic Advances to the Final Four After Beating Kansas State
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-26 | by ( Jim Chairusmi | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Florida Atlantic players Jalen Gaffney and Bryan Greenlee celebrate after defeating Kansas State in the Elite Eight. Florida Atlantic began its NCAA tournament run with 125-to-1 odds to win the national title. It hails from Boca Raton, Fla., known for its beaches and golf courses, not title-chasing basketball teams. But in an upset-heavy men’s bracket in which all four No. 9 seeded Owls rallied against the odds—and, for the fourth straight tournament game, a second-half deficit—and are headed to the Final Four.

☆ Florida Atlantic, UConn Advance to the Final Four
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-25 | by ( Jim Chairusmi | Robert O Connell | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Florida Atlantic players Jalen Gaffney and Bryan Greenlee celebrate after defeating Kansas State in the Elite Eight. Florida Atlantic began its NCAA tournament run with 125-to-1 odds to win the national title. 1 seeds lost before the Elite Eight, the No. 9 seeded Owls rallied against the odds—and, for the fourth straight tournament game, a second-half deficit—and are headed to the Final Four. 4 seeded UConn notched the latest in a string of blowouts, this one over Gonzaga, to join them.

☆ The Second Opinion That Enabled Keyontae Johnson to Reach the Elite Eight After ‘Sudden Cardiac Death’
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-24 | by ( Laine Higgins | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Kansas State’s Keyontae Johnson soared into the national spotlight on Thursday night when he slammed home an alley-oop pass from teammate Markquis Nowell, completing an audacious trick play that sealed a dramatic March Madness win over Michigan State. The play—which began with Nowell appearing to feign an argument with Kansas State coach Jerome Tang as a distracting ruse—completed a performance in which Johnson scored 22 points and played all 45 minutes of the overtime contest. That last stat might be the most remarkable of all given Johnson’s first, unwelcome turn in the spotlight more than two years ago.

☆ The Incredible Trick Play That Delivered a Classic March Madness Win for Kansas State
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-24 | by ( Jim Chairusmi | Laine Higgins | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

A wild Sweet 16 battle between Michigan State and Kansas State was tied at 92 in overtime when Wildcats guard Markquis Nowell took an inbounds pass, turned to a crowd where NBA legend Isiah Thomas and former Spartans star Mateen Cleaves were sitting and said: “Watch this.”Nowell dribbled the ball upcourt and crossed the half-court line. Then he paused and appeared to have an argument with his coach, Jerome Tang, on the sidelines. Nowell gestured angrily. Tang gestured back—but if you looked carefully, Tang also appeared to be signaling toward the basket with one arm.

☆ The ‘Argument’ Between a Kansas State Player and Coach That Led to a Wild Sweet 16 Victory
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-24 | by ( Jim Chairusmi | Laine Higgins | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

☆ The Football Play That Sent Two College Basketball Teams to the Sweet 16
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-22 | by ( Andrew Beaton | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Kansas State was clinging to a narrow lead over Kentucky in the final minute of their second-round NCAA tournament game when coach Jerome Tang knew exactly which play to call. What unfolded next looked completely out of place on a basketball court. That’s because he was betting his chances for reaching the Sweet 16 on a football play.

☆ N.C.A.A. Bracket Picks: Where Fans and Experts Diverge
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-15 | by ( Josh Katz | Alice Fang | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +8 min

One avenue is examining the differences between the forecasts of mathematical models and the collective choices of fans. For example, fans are much more likely to have Kansas and Alabama in the Final Four than the experts. The table below shows an aggregate view of the difference between the public’s picks and those of forecasting models. But if you pick the same teams as everyone else, your bracket will look the same, too, something you should consider. There is no guarantee that this approach will work, of course, and part of the draw of the N.C.A.A.

☆ Top 25 roundup: No. 25 Texas A&M hangs on vs. No. 11 Tennessee
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

The Volunteers pulled within 64-63 when Zakai Zeigler (14 points) made a layup with 25 seconds to play. 9 Baylor 65Keyontae Johnson scored 25 points to lead the Wildcats past the Bears in Manhattan, Kan., for their second victory in a row. LJ Cryer scored 16 points and Jonathan Tchamwa Tchatchoua recorded 11 points and 12 rebounds for the Bears, who have lost two in a row after winning 10 of their previous 11 games. Creighton's Baylor Scheierman recorded 18 points and 13 rebounds and Ryan Nembhard had 16 points. Jalen Hood-Schifino had 16 points for the Hoosiers, who had won nine of their previous 11 games.

☆ Asia-Pacific markets fall as investors weigh risks of more hikes ahead
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-09 | by ( Jihye Lee | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Fed Governor Christopher Waller on Wednesday talked tough on inflation, warning that the fight is not over and could result in higher interest rates than markets are anticipating. Consequently, he said the Fed needs to maintain its current plan of action, which has seen eight interest rate hikes since March 2022. "We are seeing that effort begin to pay off, but we have farther to go," Waller told the Arkansas State University Agribusiness Conference in prepared remarks. "And, it might be a long fight, with interest rates higher for longer than some are currently expecting. But I will not hesitate to do what is needed to get my job done."

☆ Treasury yields dip as investors digest Fed speaker comments
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-09 | by ( Sophie Kiderlin | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

ET, the yield on the 10-year Treasury was last down by almost three basis points to 3.6088%. U.S. Treasury yields fell on Thursday as investors digested comments from Federal Reserve speakers and assessed the outlook for the economy. Fed Governor Christopher Waller indicated on Wednesday that interest rates could be increased by more than investors are expecting. This echoed the tone struck by other Fed speakers, including Chairman Jerome Powell and Minneapolis Fed President Neel Kashkari, earlier this week. The Fed has hiked interest rates eight times since March 2022 as part of its efforts to slow the economy and lower inflation.

☆ Fed Officials Signal Higher Interest Rates Will Be Needed to Contain Inflation
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-08 | by ( Harriet Torry | Nick Timiraos | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +3 min

A senior Federal Reserve official said the economy will need higher borrowing costs for a few years to bring down inflation and prevent price pressures from strengthening. “We still have some work to do to get interest rates in the right place,” said New York Fed President John Williams at The Wall Street Journal’s CFO Network Summit in New York on Wednesday. The Fed began raising interest rates from near zero last March. Separately, Fed governor Christopher Waller said he was optimistic that the Fed’s rate increases were slowing the economy. “And it might be a long fight, with interest rates higher for longer than some are currently expecting.”Their comments come a day after Fed Chair Jerome Powell said the labor market’s surprising strength underscores why bringing inflation down will take longer and require higher interest rates than many investors have been anticipating.

"But I'm not seeing signals of ... quick decline in the economic data, and I am prepared for a longer fight," Waller said. Though wage growth has slowed, the decline is "not enough," Waller said. Waller did not say in his prepared remarks how much higher the Fed may need to raise its benchmark overnight interest rate to reach a level adequate to return inflation to the Fed's 2% target. As of December, the Fed's preferred measure of inflation was increasing at a 5% annual rate. "Though we have made progress reducing inflation, I want to be clear today that the job is not done," Waller said.

☆ Fed Governor Christopher Waller warns that interest rates could go higher than expectations
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-08 | by ( Jeff Cox | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Federal Reserve Governor Christopher Waller on Wednesday talked tough on inflation, warning that the fight is not over and could result in higher interest rates than markets are anticipating. Consequently, he said the Fed needs to maintain its current plan of action, which has seen eight interest rate hikes since March 2022. "And, it might be a long fight, with interest rates higher for longer than some are currently expecting. But Waller said he sees inflation still too high while he expects just moderate economic growth this year. He did note that wage data is "moving in the right direction," but not enough for the Fed to lower rates.

☆ Drought threatens U.S. wheat production despite acreage bump
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-02 | by ( Julie Ingwersen | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

[1/2] Mark Nelson, a scout on the Wheat Quality Council's Kansas wheat tour, checks a winter wheat field north of Minneapolis, Kansas, U.S., May 17, 2022. 3 winter wheat producer last year. Winter wheat typically represents about two-thirds of U.S. production, with the remainder planted in the spring, and the U.S. has lost market share to other wheat exporters, including Russia, in recent years. U.S. soft red wheat acres rose by 20% year-on-year and planting jumped by 45% in Illinois, the No. 8 U.S. winter wheat state by acreage.

Bills to block the app on state devices in California, Massachusetts, New York and Vermont have also been proposed. University of IdahoSchool’s policy: TikTok must be removed from university equipment "regardless of funding source," according to the school's help page. South Dakota University SystemSchool’s policy: The South Dakota Board of Regents, which governs six universities including Black Hills State University, University of South Dakota, Northern State University, Dakota State University, South Dakota State University and South Dakota Mines, told employees they could not use, download or access TikTok on university devices. University of Texas — AustinSchool’s policy: On Dec. 16, university officials announced that TikTok would be banned on state-issued devices. Texas Tech UniversitySchool’s policy: University employees are prohibited from using TikTok on school-issued devices and official university TikTok accounts must be deactivated.

☆ Arkansas boy buried under floorboards allegedly died after mother's boyfriend drowned him in toilet bowl
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-22 | by ( Julianne Mcshane | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +8 min

Blu's paternal grandmother, Karen Rolland, 57, told NBC News the boy would have been turning six last week. The body of Blu Rolland was discovered on what would have been his fifth birthday in his house in Moro, Ark. Karen told NBC News that the girl "could barely even walk" and that her clothes were soiled in urine. Ashley initially told Karen that Blu “was not at the residence,” according to Karen and the affidavit. Ashley appeared to give conflicting accounts of who buried the boy's body, according to the affidavit.

☆ Arkansas woman is arrested after her 6-year-old son is found dead under the floorboards of their home
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-19 | by ( Julianne Mcshane | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +1 min

An Arkansas woman and man have been arrested after authorities discovered the potentially months-old dead body of a 6-year-old boy beneath the floorboards of his home on Friday. Officials believe the boy "died from injuries sustained in the home, possibly three months ago," the statement said, adding that the state medical examiner will determine the cause of death. A representative for the state medical examiner could not immediately be reached. Authorities also found Rolland's 6-year-old daughter in the home with what they believe were burns to her scalp. The girl is receiving treatment for her injuries at a hospital in Memphis and is in stable condition, police said.

☆ Keystone cleanup turns remote Kansas valley into a small town
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-18 | by ( Erwin Seba | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

And while the city of Washington, Kansas, is small with just over 1,000 residents, it is surrounded by farms where wheat, corn, soybeans are planted and cattle are raised. The once-quiet valley is currently a construction site buzzing with some 400 contractors, staff from pipeline operator TC Energy, and federal, state and local officials. The valley has become almost a small town, with several Quonset-style huts erected for workers. WIDER GROUP AFFECTEDLiving in rural Kansas, the Pannbackers are used to preparing for harsh weather, but not an oil spill. “How many people have experienced an oil spill?

☆ Family searching for answers in 2018 disappearance of Atlanta, Texas man Eric Alvarado
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-18 | by ( Sarah Portney | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +8 min

Thirty-two-year-old Eric Alvarado was last seen on his home security cameras in the early morning hours of November 20, 2018, in Atlanta, Texas. Eric’s father, Lorenzo Alvarado, told Dateline that Eric’s wife, Samantha, called the police to report her husband missing about 45 minutes later. He loved doing that.”Eric and Lorenzo Alvarado Lorenzo AlvaradoEric’s older brother, Matt Alvarado, also spoke with Dateline. Captain Restelle told Dateline that no one has reported anything to the Atlanta, Texas Police Department about being threatened. If anyone has any information in regards to Eric’s disappearance, please contact the Atlanta, Texas Police Department at (903) 796-7973.

☆ At least 5 tornadoes confirmed in Texas as storms roll through southwestern US and blizzard conditions mount in the northern Plains
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-13 | by ( Amir Vera Jason Hanna Monica Garrett | Amir Vera | Jason Hanna | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

More than 18 million people from Texas to Mississippi are under threat of severe storms Tuesday, including tornadoes. In Mississippi, the Meridian Public School District – which serves over 4,900 students – announced they will be closed Wednesday due to the threat of severe weather. The Lawrence County and McComb School Districts also announced they were closing Wednesday due to the threat of severe weather. The Mississippi Emergency Management Agency also noted the severe weather expected in the state and asked residents to prepare. “With severe weather expected throughout Mississippi tonight and tomorrow, please review your severe weather preparedness checklist to make sure you are ready for the storms,” the agency said in a message on Twitter.

An 18-year-old college freshman is now the youngest Black mayor in U.S. history after beating out his opponent for the position in a small Arkansas town. He will be the mayor of Earle, a town of just under 2,000 people, according to 2020 census data, near Memphis, Tennessee. Now, as mayor-elect, Smith said he plans to focus on transportation, public safety and bringing a major grocery store to the city. “We had one a long time ago, but it closed,” Smith lamented about the now-closed grocery store. “This disability does not take away from what I am able to do,” Smith said, according to The Hill.

☆ Kansas H.S. students accused of taunting basketball team with Black baby doll, racist chants
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-07 | by ( The Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

Two Kansas high schools are investigating after students at one school reportedly yelled racist and offensive taunts at the other school’s basketball team. He also said Valley Center students used a Black baby doll to taunt his team during the game. Lyons has started a petition asking that Valley Center High School fans be removed from sporting events. But he told KSN-TV that his son was shooting a free throw when the Valley Center student section chanted an expletive. Gibson and Valley Center High School Principal Bruce Lolling also visited with patrons from both cities to discuss the situation.

☆ College Football Playoff will feature Georgia vs. Ohio State and Michigan vs. TCU
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-04 | by ( Wayne Sterling | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —The Georgia Bulldogs will step up their pursuit of back-to-back national titles when they compete in the upcoming College Football Playoff. The Michigan Wolverines, Texas Christian University (TCU) Horned Frogs and the Ohio State Buckeyes join the Bulldogs in the playoff, the selection committee announced on Sunday. 3 TCU (12-1) in the Fiesta Bowl at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. This week, it was agreed that the College Football Playoff will expand from four to 12 teams starting with the 2024/25 season. The decision was made with the promise of “more excitement for fans, alumni, students and student-athletes,” according to Bill Hancock, executive director of the College Football Playoff.

☆ Live Election Results: Arkansas State Legislature
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-08 | by ( Madison Hall | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Polls close in the state at 7:30 p.m. local time, or 8:30 p.m. EST. It symobilizes the 2022 Election. Election 2022 Arkansas Results Explore more election results Alaska Arizona California Colorado Connecticut Florida Georgia Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Nevada New Hampshire New Mexico New York North Carolina Ohio Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island Texas Virginia Washington WisconsinThe Arkansas House and Senate are currently under Republican control and are not seen as particularly competitive. Polls close in the state at 7:30 p.m. local time, or 8:30 p.m. EST. Arkansas State House of Representatives election results:Arkansas State Senate election results:

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