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Experts weigh in on lawsuit against social media tech giant

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:24:40 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) -- Experts are weighing in after attorneys general across the nation, including Colorado, filed a lawsuit against Facebook’s parent company, Meta, alleging their social media platforms are addictive and harmful to kids. It’s part of an effort to hold social media companies accountable for the addictiveness of their apps.   A Meta engineer saw his own child face harassment on Instagram. Now, he’s testifying before Congress Randi Smith, a professor in the Department of Psychological Sciences at MSU Denver, said there have been warnings for several years about the dangers of social media, pointing to the latest advisory issued by the U.S. Surgeon General. “I think that the devices and software are very intentionally designed to keep all of us hooked. The use of algorithms, the tracking of our behavior, the infinite scroll,” Smith said. “All these things prey on our own cognitive shortcomings and can pull us in.”  Meta released a statement in response to the allegations:...

Thanksgiving outreach brings homeless people together at Denver City Hall

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:24:40 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) -- People experiencing homelessness in Denver came together Saturday for a community-wide event in honor of the Thanksgiving holiday.The event was from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. at Denver City Hall. It's the first time organizers with David Clifton Ministries have hosted the event since the pandemic. Homelessness in Denver up 58% since 2016 The return of the event marked its 28th year. About 1,000 people showed up.Denver City and County officials actually reached out to the previous outreach organizer, David Clifton, encouraging his organization to hold the event again. Volunteers from local churches and businesses were out giving food boxes and clothing items, and providing free haircuts and bike repairs. Plus, there was live music all the while.According to the Metro Denver Homeless Initiative, the number of people who became homeless in metro Denver for the first time rose to almost 4,000 people in 2023.It's a nearly 52% increase from last year. Pastor David Clifton, who ...

Veterans Day weather extremes in Denver

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:24:40 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) — It was a mild Veterans Day in Denver, but it hasn't been that way every year. November can bring some extremes. Thanksgiving outreach brings homeless people together at Denver City Hall Sunshine across the front range helped to make a nice day for any Veterans Day celebrations. In the Denver area, high temperatures climbed to the 60s, which is 7 degrees warmer than normal. Not only was the high higher than average, but the low was expected to be lower than average too.Record keeping for Denver's weather dates back to 1872. Since then, Denver has seen temperatures as warm as 76 degrees on Veterans Day, and as low as -2 degrees in 1911. Colorado artist unveils sculpture destined for Washington D.C. While Denver has seen plenty of sunny Veterans Days, November 11 in the mile-high city can bring along rain a range of sun, rain and even snow. The wettest Veterans Day on record for Denver was recorded in 1912, when 1.02 inches of liquid precipitation was collected in...

FDA approves first vaccine against chikungunya virus

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:24:40 GMT

(CNN) — The US Food and Drug Administration said Thursday that it has approved the first vaccine to prevent disease caused by the chikungunya virus.The single-dose vaccine, Ixchiq, made by Valneva Austria GmbH, is approved for adults who are at an increased risk of exposure to the virus. Ixchiq was granted fast track and breakthrough therapy designations.Chikungunya, a mosquito-borne disease whose name in the Makonde dialect of Africa means “bending over in pain,” has no specific treatment and can be debilitating and even deadly for newborns. Health experts consider it to be an emerging threat to global health made worse by climate change, with at least 5 million cases in the past 15 years, although deaths and severe illness are rare, according to the World Health Organization.People most at risk of infection live in Africa, Southeast Asia and parts of the Americas, where chikungunya-carrying mosquitoes are endemic, but the climate crisis has driven the virus to new p...

Adebayo scores 26 points as depleted Heat show off depth in 117-109 win over Hawks

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:24:40 GMT

ATLANTA (AP) — Bam Adebayo scored 26 points with 17 rebounds and rookie Jaime Jaquez Jr. added a career-high 20 points as the short-handed Miami Heat beat the Atlanta Hawks 117-109 on Saturday night for their fourth straight win.Miami was playing its first game since leading scorer Tyler Herro sprained his right ankle in Wednesday night’s 108-102 win at Memphis. Herro is expected to miss at least two weeks. Another top scorer, Jimmy Butler, missed the game against Atlanta for personal reasons.The Heat showed off their depth to find scoring from different sources.Kyle Lowry scored 17 points and Josh Richardson had 16, also a season high. Duncan Robinson scored 11 points in his first start of the season.Trae Young led Atlanta with 27 points, including 14 in the fourth quarter, and 11 assists. Dejounte Murray had 23 points.Jaquez, making his third start, almost doubled his previous high of 11 points against Memphis. .Jaquez, the first-round pick from UCLA, hit a buzzer-beating 3-...

Portion of Fort Lauderdale home damaged after fire ignites; no injuries

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:24:40 GMT

A fire damaged a portion of a home in Fort Lauderdale.According to Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue, the blaze sparked in an area in the back of the house along Florida Avenue, near East Dayton Circle, early Saturday afternoon.Crews got to work fast and were able to keep the flames from spreading.Firefighters said no one was hurt.

Kristaps Porzingis’ humility shines as Celtics sweep back-to-back with blowout win over Raptors

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:24:40 GMT

Kristaps Porzingis only took four shots in Friday’s win over the Nets, but Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla still thought the big man made a valuable offensive impact.Mazzulla said the best thing that went unnoticed in that win was Porzingis’ screening, which opened up driving lanes and open looks for his teammates. Porzingis may not have been directly involved as he finished with just nine points, but his presence was certainly felt.The Celtics viewed Porzingis as a critical difference maker this offseason to put them over the top, and as he continues to build chemistry with their core by the day, it’s easy to see why. His mere presence on both ends has made these Celtics more dynamic.On Saturday, the theme continued. Porzingis was much more involved, scoring 21 points on 14 shots, and he once again helped unlock his co-stars because of his humility and willingness to sacrifice. Jaylen Brown scored 29 points and Jayson Tatum added 27 and the Celtics rode one of their best defensive effor...

Woman, 2 toddlers critically injured in 2-alarm blaze in North York

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:24:40 GMT

Three people, including two children under the age of three, have been taken to hospital with critical injuries following a 2-alarm apartment fire in North York.Firefighters were called to a three-storey building on Wilson Avenue west of Keele Street just before 9 p.m. Saturday.“During the course of operations our crews made rapid entry into the third floor apartment involved in fire,” Toronto Fire Chief Matthew Pegg said in a late night update from the scene. “Unfortunately in the course of those search and rescue operations they located three occupants inside that unit.”Pegg says all three were rescued and taken to hospital with critical injuries.Paramedics tell CityNews a woman, believed to be around 40, and two toddlers between the ages of 1 and 2 were admitted in life-threatening condition. The building was evacuated and no further injuries have been reported. Pegg says the fire is under control and the Office of the Fire Marshal has been called in to in...

Police investigate armed robbery at CVS in southwest suburbs

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:24:40 GMT

BURBANK, Ill. — Police say an investigation is underway after a robbery at a business in the southwest suburbs. According to Chicago police, the robbery happened at a CVS pharmacy in the 8600 block of South Cicero Avenue in Burbank, Illinois, on Saturday afternoon. Police say a man walked into the store and held an employee up at gunpoint before demanding money from the register. The employee complied with the demands and after receiving the money, police say the man then fired a shot into the ceiling of the business. Teen killed in shooting on Far South Side Currently, it is unclear why a shot was fired during the robbery, but police say nobody was injured. Police say no arrests have been made in connection with the robbery and an investigation is underway. Anyone with information on the robbery can leave a tip for police at CPDTip.com.

Agency stands by to support family of fallen Austin police officer

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:24:40 GMT

Austin (KXAN) — An agency that supports the loved ones of fallen responders waits to be of service to the family of an Austin police officer killed while responding to a hostage situation early Saturday morning.The Austin Police Department has identified the officer as Senior Police Officer Jorge Pastore, who joined APD in 2019 and served on several special teams. He is survived by his wife, two stepsons, parents and two sisters. APD Chief identifies officer killed while attempting hostage rescue The 100 Club of Central Texas provides financial and emotional support for families of emergency responders that have been killed or critically injured in the line of duty.Eleysa Richards, an assistant director of the organization, said it is aware and waiting to be contacted by the department for its services."We're kind of in a holding pattern as we wait for the department and the families to be ready to receive us. As soon as they're ready, we'll provide them with the financial suppor...