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Amazon charged with privacy violations over Alexa and Ring cameras: FTC

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:53:42 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — Amazon will pay more than $30 million to settle alleged privacy violations involving its voice assistant Alexa and its doorbell camera Ring.The Federal Trade Commission voted to file charges in two separate cases Wednesday that could also force the company to delete certain data collected by its popular internet-connected devices.In the Alexa case, the FTC said Amazon had deceived users of the voice assistance service for years. It retained children’s recordings indefinitely unless a parent requested the information be deleted, the agency said, and even when it deleted those recordings, Amazon often kept the transcripts.The FTC ordered the company to delete inactive child accounts as well as certain voice information and geolocation data. Check your phone: Popular Android app reportedly started spying on users, making recordings In imposing a $25 million fine, the agency said Amazon had violated the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act and FTC Consumer Protec...

May review: Twins conclude month leading AL Central, pitching well and not hitting much

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:53:42 GMT

HOUSTON — The Twins have reached the one-third mark of their season in first place in the American League Central, but far from playing their best baseball. They’re hovering around .500 for the season and were under that mark in the month of May.No other team in the division is above .500, which has helped the Twins maintain their hold on first place since the very beginning of the season.“I would say we’re playing fine, but I don’t think we’ve hit our stride yet as a group,” manager Rocco Baldelli said over the weekend.As the calendar flips to June, here are five Twins observations from the month of May:Lineup hasn’t produced as expectedThe Twins played a lot of similar-looking games in May, a fact that Baldelli pointed out at one point during the month. What’d that look like?There were a lot of games where the starting staff, which has continued to be one of the best in the majors, certainly threw well enough to keep the Twins in the game, but Twins batters were unable to co...

St. Paul mayor, lawmakers tout big wins for Capital City — and a possible sales tax for roads

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:53:42 GMT

Elected officials from in and around St. Paul gathered Wednesday to celebrate a legislative session that delivered hundreds of millions of dollars for a wide range of local projects.St. Paul will get $25 million to spend the next three years replacing the deteriorating Third Street Bridge that connects downtown’s Kellogg Boulevard to the East Side.Two of the city’s homeless service centers — Listening House and Ain Dah Yung — will receive nearly $2 million each for needed improvements.And the Walker West Music Academy on Selby Avenue can expect $4 million for a new facility, while other community spaces, such as a Latino economic development center, the Mississippi River Learning Center, Playwrights Center and North End Community Center will benefit, too, from the priciest and arguably most productive state legislative session in history.“We are giving this city an extreme makeover,” said Mayor Melvin Carter, flanked by the city’s elected st...

Judge orders year in jail/probation for St. Paul man convicted in fatal stabbing over parking spot

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:53:42 GMT

A St. Paul man found guilty of fatally stabbing a man during a parking dispute on the East Side in 2021 will not serve time in prison.Ramsey County District Judge Leonardo Castro on Wednesday gave Brian Harry Kjellberg a year in the county workhouse and 10 years of probation for killing 27-year-old Arnell Jermel “AJ” Stewart with a single stab to his chest on Dec. 2, 2021.Brian Harry Kjellberg (Courtesy of Ramsey County sheriff’s office)Castro initially sentenced Kjellberg, 51, to a 12½-year prison term, which was the presumptive sentence, but then stayed the time on the condition that he complete terms of his probation, which includes 150 hours of community service in years 2 through 4.Castro said the “compelling reasons” for the dispositional departure from the presumptive sentencing guidelines include: Kjellberg is particularly amenable to probation; the risk assessment did not identify any areas of concern; and no prior criminal history. He also noted how Kjellberg, a Navy...

Grief, tears and gratitude as victims' families react to limo crash sentencing

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:53:42 GMT

SCHOHARIE, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- The operator of the limousine company involved in the fatal 2018 crash in Schoharie was sentenced in Schoharie County Court Wednesday. The family members impacted by the tragic loss had a chance to address the court ahead of sentencing.The outcome was what the families wanted, but it was still a difficult day in the courtroom. Tears were shed; there was anger directed right at the defendant; but also gratitude for the judge who made the day possible. Get the latest, news, weather, sports and community events delivered right to your inbox! It's been a long road for the families to get to sentencing day. Family members shared their grief in front of Nauman Hussain, the man who will serve time in prison for causing the crash that claimed 20 souls, loved ones the people in the courtroom will never see again.As they each asked the judge to hand down the maximum possible sentence, they addressed the defendant directly. Wearing an orange jumpsuit, Hussain was ...

What House passage of debt ceiling deal signifies: 5 takeaways

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:53:42 GMT

The House’s passage of a debt limit deal on Wednesday night marks the end of a pivotal chapter for the new House GOP majority, putting Congress on a path to avoid a default and securing a huge victory for Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) — even as it’s infuriated conservatives in his own conference.The vote followed months of jockeying between McCarthy and President Biden over the appropriateness of negotiating future spending as part of the effort to extend the government’s borrowing authority — a fight McCarthy won handily, by forcing Biden reluctantly to the table.But the final agreement also excluded most of the spending cuts and other favored provisions in the Republicans’ partisan debt-ceiling package, passed last month, highlighting the political realities — and potential pitfalls — of shepherding big ideas through a divided Washington.With a final vote tally of 314-117, the bill overwhelmingly passed, and McCarthy garnered a "yes" vote from about two-thirds of the Republica...

Massive Palm Springs compound named best vacation home rental by Vrbo

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:53:42 GMT

A nine-bedroom, nine-bathroom luxury compound in Palm Springs was named one of 2023's best vacation homes by short-term rental marketplace Vrbo.The 7,000-square-foot "luxury oasis estate" was among 11 properties in the United States and Mexico to receive the honor.The expansive desert property includes 18-foot ceilings, a full spa lounge with a waterfall tub, outdoor grill and fire pit, an infinity hot tub and oversized pool, and plenty of outdoor space. Powerball jackpot winner purchases $25.5 millon mansion in Hollywood Hills The inside includes an "entertainer's kitchen, breakfast table, custom breakfast booth, dining table for 16, a spacious living room with giant 30 foot pocket slider doors to the pool, and seven additional bedrooms designed to wow." Each bedroom includes a large 4K TV, and the living room TV is 75 inches.The home has also undergone upgrades to make it more self-sustainable, including solar panels, electric vehicle chargers, recycling bins and energy efficien...

Scammers target parents of Cal State Fullerton students

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:53:42 GMT

Police are warning Cal State Fullerton students about a new scam targeting parents’ bank accounts on the basis of a fake arrest.The scam involves calling parents in the middle of the night and telling them their child has been arrested. The scammer typically claims the child was pulled over during a traffic stop and drugs were found inside their vehicle.The caller then asks the parent to wire bail money to release their child from custody.“It’s always a detective or somebody from Fullerton PD,” said Cal State Fullerton Police Captain Scot Wiley. “That’s who they’re identifying as and they’re saying if you want to have this person moved from Fullerton PD, bailed out and taken back to Cal State Fullerton, you need to give them a certain amount of money.”Police said they’ve received multiple reports of a similar scam tactic over the last two weeks. Authorities believe the scammers are typically researching their targets before throwing out the bait.“One of the parents was called in Ari...

How to score free Chipotle burritos during NBA Finals

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:53:42 GMT

Fans of both basketball and burritos will want to watch the NBA Finals closely. Mexican fast-casual restaurant Chipotle is giving out 300 free entrees for every three-pointer made during the NBA Finals series between the Denver Nuggets and Miami Heat.The "Free-Pointer" giveaway is taking place on Twitter, and burrito lovers can follow Chipotle's tweets to get an exclusive "text-to-win" code. The first 300 fans to text the code to the provided number will receive a free entree from Chipotle. The codes will be doled out for each three-point shot made by either team, with a maximum number of free meals capped at 10,500 per game.Promotional image by Chipotle.Both the Nuggets and Heat were among the middle of the pack in three-point shots made in the NBA's regular season, but they've each had increased success since the postseason began. The Heat made the second-most threes in the playoffs, just short of the Boston Celtics who they dispatched in seven games. The Nuggets, despite a Wester...

Artists use desert materials to craft unique sculpture at Apple Park

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:53:42 GMT

CUPERTINO — A unique interactive sculpture that artists have crafted using materials found in the world’s deserts, both near and far, is going on public display at Apple Park in Cupertino, the tech titan said.Mirage, a dramatic sculpture that consists of cylinders of pure cast glass, can be seen near the visitor center at Apple Park, the world headquarters of iPhone maker Apple. Both the local public and visitors from afar are welcome to see the interactive artwork.Tucked away in the olive groves at Apple Park, the glass cylinders curve along the trees near the visitor center.The materials in the sculpture serve as a tribute to approximately 70 deserts around the world. Some of these are obvious deserts. But others might raise some eyebrows.The sands of the Kalahari. The barren stretches of the Mojave Desert. The dunes of the Sahara. The moonscape deserts on the Big Island of Hawaii. The wilderness of Death Valley. The windswept deserts of Iceland. The salt flats of Utah...