Red Wing Daily: February 21, 2024
#TheMoreYouKnow
State
Forrest City firefighter and evangelical Christian Steven Melton was let go after he posted a pro-life meme (baby in the womb with a noose with caption “I can’t breathe”) on his Facebook in June, 2020. He later deleted the photo after a discussion with a friend. Now Alliance Defending Freedom is weighing in on his case against the City of Forrest City for firing him for expressing his personal opinion on social media.
Voting for judges is sorta tricky because it’s hard to suss out where candidates stand on fundamental issues important to you and your family. Read up here on sovereign immunity (whether the State of Arkansas can be sued in state courts) and how your Arkansas Supreme Court candidates have ruled about the issue. #TheMoreYouKnow
Arkansans - mostly in more rural parts of our beautiful state — are dealing with an onslaught of unregulated cryptomining operations that steal away their peaceful surroundings and obscure their out-of-the-country owners. Now experts say these “data centers” are stressing our already-stretched electricity grid — despite the cryptomining industry’s protests to the contrary. (Arkansas “was the first state in the country to pass a “Right to Mine” bill, the Data Centers Act of 2023.)
ICYMI: At the February 9 meeting of the Arkansas State Library Board, newly appointed former state Senator Jason Rapert moved to block funding for the Fayetteville Public Library, Arkansas State Library, and Eureka Springs Public Library (libraries who are suing Arkansas over 2023 obscenity law) . The motion died for lack of a second from any of the other 6 Board members; however, Rapert did obtain a promise from State Library Director Jennifer Chilcoat to survey state libraries for objectionable books.
Arkansas has distributed some $227,800 in grant money to religious nonprofits who “received an active terrorist threat(s) and/or extremist attack(s) in the past twelve months” deemed as credible by the Department of Public Safety. Groups receiving funds included Congregation B’nai Israel, Chabad Lubavitch of Arkansas, Congregation Agudath Achim, Congregation House of Israel in Hot Springs, St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Hot Springs, and Subiaco Abbey in Logan County.
ARKids last week against submitted another try at changing the LEARNS Act, asking AG Griffin’s office for expedited review. The “Arkansa Education Rights Amendment of 2024” is their fourth attempt to gain approval to begin gathering signatures to place the item on the November 2024 ballot.
National
They know better than you…
“Our base cannot possibly know what’s at stake at the level that any well-briefed U.S. senator should know about what’s at stake if Putin wins,” says Senator Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), referring to Russian President Vladimir Putin and the ongoing war in Ukraine. Tillis is one of the 18 Republican Senators who voted with Democrats to pass that $96 billion Ukraine-Taiwan-Israel (but no border funds) legislation.
Tech
Even though AI-powered ChatGPT signed on to the December 2023 provisional deal on European Union (EU) rules governing the use of artificial intelligence (including various transparency obligations), Italy’s Data Protection Authority “has uncovered data privacy violations related to collecting personal data and age protections…”
Don’t fall for it! With all the fakery going on, be alert if you receive a text or call about some horrible calamity affecting you, your kids or grandkids, or family. No Matter What they say, hang up and you reach out to contact authorities — or especially the company who supposedly just contacted you. And, check out this story about a supposedly savvy financial planner who lost $50,000 cash when scammers called to say her Amazon account had been hacked. Don’t be that person!