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Senators unveil bipartisan legislation to ban kids under 13 from joining social media platforms

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:40:36 GMT

(CNN) — A new federal bill unveiled Wednesday would establish a national minimum age for social media use and require tech companies to get parents’ consent before creating accounts for teens, reflecting a growing trend at all levels of government to restrict how Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and other platforms engage with young users.The proposed legislation by a bipartisan group of US senators aims to address what policymakers, mental health advocates and critics of tech platforms say is a mental health crisis fueled by social media.Under the bill, known as the Protecting Kids on Social Media Act, social media platforms would be barred from letting kids below the age of 13 create accounts or interact with other users, though children would still be permitted to view content without logging into an account, according to draft text of the legislation.Tech platforms covered by the legislation would also have to obtain a parent or guardian’s consent before creating ne...

Elizabeth Holmes delays start of prison sentence with last-minute appeal

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:40:36 GMT

(CNN) — Elizabeth Holmes won’t be starting her 11-year prison sentence just yet.The disgraced Theranos founder was previously expected to report to prison on Thursday, but she will remain free a little longer while the court considers a last-minute appeal, according to a filing Tuesday night.Holmes was sentenced last November after she was convicted months earlier on multiple charges of defrauding investors while running the now-defunct blood testing startup. Earlier this month, her request to remain free while she appeals her conviction was denied by a judge, setting her up to report to prison on April 27.On Tuesday, however, Holmes’ legal team filed an appeal of the judge’s decision. As a result, Holmes can remain free on bail while the latest appeal is considered by the court, as per the court’s rules.Holmes dropped out of Stanford at the age of 19 to focus full-time on Theranos, the health tech startup which claimed to have ...

With 1 Mississippi jail escapee found dead in a burned building after a standoff with authorities, manhunt continues for 3 others

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:40:36 GMT

(CNN) — The manhunt for three of the escapees who broke out of a Mississippi jail continues Thursday after authorities confirmed the fourth fleeing man died in a burning building after a two-hour standoff with law enforcement.The charred remains of Dylan Arrington, who authorities believe killed a man while on the run, were pulled from the burnt wreckage of a home in Carthage, Mississippi, on Wednesday, Hinds County Sheriff Tyree Jones said.The 22-year-old was found about 70 miles northeast of the Raymond Detention Center in Hinds County where he and the three other men climbed onto the roof and escaped overnight Saturday, according to the sheriff’s office.The other escapees have been identified as Casey Grayson, 24; Corey Harrison, 22; and Jerry Raynes, 51.Arrington is suspected of shooting and killing a pastor in Jackson as he fled Monday and then stealing the victim’s truck and driving away, Hinds County authorities said. The victim was ident...

Police: Rock thrown at Providence school bus shatters window, sends 9-year-old girl to hospital

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:40:36 GMT

Police are investigating after they believe a rock was thrown at a Providence school bus on Wednesday, shattering a window and sending a 9-year-old girl to the hospital.The girl was treated for cuts to her face from the broken glass, officials say. She is expected to be okay. Investigators say they are still searching for the person responsible. No additional information has been released. This is a developing story; stay with 7NEWS on-air and online for the latest updates.

Column: How the Chicago Bears aim to ‘find calmness through the chaos’ as they navigate through the NFL draft frenzy

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:40:36 GMT

The emotions are already peaking. In buildings across the NFL, the anxiety and anticipation are partying together like college kids on the night final exams wrap up. That much enthusiasm is swirling, that much adrenaline pulsing.Draft weekend has finally arrived.And soon it will be over. In a blink.What happens during a frenzied 47-hour stretch of picking and trading, strategizing and recalculating gives personnel folks across the league that surge of energy.Imagine the eagerness percolating through the second floor of Halas Hall and flooding toward the Chicago Bears’ state-of-the-art draft room, where the proceedings will be monitored this weekend.This is it. Finally. The chance, with a top-10 pick, to take a huge swing at landing a star for the show before moving into Friday and Saturday with a calculated vision of how to fortify the depth chart on both sides of the ball.Bears assistant general manager Ian Cunningham was asked this week to describe the excitement that comes ...

Dwayne Wade, who has trans daughter, says he left Florida because family ‘would not be accepted’

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:40:36 GMT

Former NBA star Dwayne Wade has discussed his family’s decision to leave the state of Florida, which he hinted at being due to the current political climate around transgender policies.Wade’s conversation will air Thursday on “Headliners with Rachel Nichols,” Showtime’s new talk show that centers around the reporter’s meetings with top NBA figures.Wade was asked about Florida politicians who stand against LGBTQ policies, and how the situation affects families like his own. In 2020, Wade’s 15-year-old daughter Zaya came out as transgender.“That’s another reason why I don’t live in that state,” Wade told Nichols in a clip shared with People Magazine. “A lot of people don’t know that. I have to make decisions for my family, not just personal, individual decisions.”The former Miami Heat player, 41, said that he does appreciate the tax incentives in the state, as well as the fact that Miami-Dade County wa...

13 players the Chicago Bears could select at No. 9 in the 2023 NFL draft

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:40:36 GMT

Set your reminders now.On Thursday, likely a few minutes after 8 p.m., the Chicago Bears will go on the clock with their first-round pick in the 2023 NFL draft, looking to scoop up a talented and driven difference maker who can, in the words of general manager Ryan Poles, “move the needle.” Barring a trade, the Bears will use the No. 9 pick to choose the headliner of their draft class.After trading down from No. 1 in March in a headline-grabbing deal that netted the Bears three additional picks over the next three drafts plus standout receiver DJ Moore, Poles remains pleased with the menu he likely will be choosing from when he gets his first big swing Thursday night.So which players might be of the most interest? Here’s our list of 13 prospects who could make sense for the Bears at No. 9.Jalen Carter, Georgia defensive tackleHeight, weight: 6-3, 314.Why the Bears will draft him: Just watch the game video, which can look like a video game. Carter is an absolute for...

As Nelson Velázquez makes a case for an extended shot in the majors, the Chicago Cubs outfielder is embracing each chance

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:40:36 GMT

Three pitches into the at-bat, Nelson Velázquez found himself in a tough spot against one of the best closers in the majors.Velázquez, behind 1-2 in the count versus San Diego Padres lefty Josh Hader, needed to find a way to keep the Chicago Cubs alive with two outs in the ninth inning Wednesday. The 24-year-old outfielder’s big-league opportunities have been limited this year, but when the Cubs have called on him, Velázquez is finding ways to deliver.He watched two balls sail above the zone, then fouled off three consecutive sinkers from Hader, including two up and in on his hands, to keep the game alive. Velázquez capped the nine-pitch sequence — all sinkers — by shrewdly taking ball four just outside the zone to set up Nico Hoerner with two runners on and a two-run deficit.Hoerner fouled out on the next pitch to end the 5-3 loss on a blustery night at Wrigley Field.“Nelly had a phenomenal at-bat,” manager David Ross said. “B...

Patriots 7-round mock draft: Bill Belichick surprises in 1st round, adds WR and TE late

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:40:36 GMT

We made it.Draft day has arrived.Here is the Herald’s final seven-round Patriots mock draft:1st roundNo. 14: EDGE Myles Murphy, ClemsonHt/Wt: 6-4, 268It wouldn’t be a Bill Belichick draft without a curveball, right? But stay with us.Murphy is a freak athlete packed within the exact body type the Patriots covet for their edge defenders. He’s explosive, plays with high effort and can anchor versus the run. He recorded 17.5 sacks and six forced fumbles over three years at Clemson, where he played all across the defensive line, another plus in New England.The Patriots interviewed him at the combine, his Pro Day and invited him to Foxboro for a top-30 visit. At minimum, Murphy has met with director of player personnel Matt Groh, director of college scouting Camren Williams, multiple scouts, defensive line coach DeMarcus Covington and, most likely, Belichick.Based on current projections, the Patriots could nab Murphy at 14th or if they trade back. He would immediately am...

Ukraine ask pope’s help in getting children back from Russia

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:40:36 GMT

ROME (AP) — Ukraine’s prime minister said he asked Pope Francis during a private Vatican audience Thursday to help facilitate the return of Ukrainian children who were forcibly taken to Russia.Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal, briefing reporters on his half-hour audience with the pontiff, said he also invited Francis to come to Ukraine.“I asked the Vatican and the Holy Father for help in getting back children taken by force by Russia,” the prime minister said.The Vatican’s brief statement on the audience did not go into particular points of the talks. It noted that Shmyhal met with the Holy See’s secretary of state and foreign minister after his meeting with Francis.During the “cordial discussions, which took place in the Secretariat of State, various matters connected to the war in Ukraine were highlighted, with particular attention to the humanitarian aspects and efforts to restore peace,” the Vatican said.Francis has repeatedly decried the war in Ukraine, which bega...