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Search Engines, AI, And The Long Fight Over Fair Use

1 day 4 hours ago
Long before generative AI, copyright holders warned that new technologies for reading and analyzing information would destroy creativity. Internet search engines, they argued, were infringement machines—tools that copied copyrighted works at scale without permission. As they had with earlier information technologies like the photocopier and the VCR, copyright owners sued. Courts disagreed. They recognized that […]
Joe Mullin

Homelessness in Illinois Linked to 20-Year Shorter Life Expectancy

1 day 4 hours ago
SPRINGFIELD – The latest homeless morbidity and mortality report from the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) shows that persons experiencing homelessness (PEH) face significant health challenges and are much more likely to face emergency department visits, hospitalizations, and premature death than the public at large. The full report can be found here . An executive summary can be found here . The new report examines data from 2017 to 2023, including death certificates, hospital

Pritzker Announces Expansion Of Cheese Manufacturer Savencia

1 day 4 hours ago
LENA — Today, Governor JB Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) announced that Savencia Cheese USA (Savencia) will expand its existing production facility in Lena, transferring production know-how from France to Illinois. The company plans to add a new production line as part of its capital investment, which will create 50 new full-time jobs while retaining 125 existing jobs. “For decades, Savencia Cheese has been producing and perfecting

Budzinski, Bergman, Pappas Lead Letter Demanding USPS Reverse Postmark Rule

1 day 5 hours ago
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congresswoman Nikki Budzinski (IL-13), Congressman Jack Bergman (MI-01), and Congressman Chris Pappas (NH-01) Co-Chairs of the Congressional Postal Service Caucus, led eight Members of Congress in a letter to Postmaster General David P. Steiner, demanding that he reverse a new policy in which a postmark will no longer reflect the date that someone originally mailed a letter. As a result of the Regional Transportation Optimization (RTO) plan, USPS can no longer

St. Louis Labor Union Hosts Vigil for Alex Pretti

1 day 5 hours ago
SAINT LOUIS - The local chapter of the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) will host a vigil to honor Alex Pretti, a man who was killed by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents last weekend. At 6 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 1, 2026, community members will gather in front of John Cochran VA Hospital in St. Louis. The AFGE organization has organized a nationwide vigil, and St. Louis community members are invited to join the AFGE Local 96 chapter in St. Louis on Sunday.

Investing in Safety: St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department and St. Louis Police Officers’ Association Finalize New Collective Bargaining Agreement

1 day 5 hours ago

The SLMPD and the SLPOA finalized and signed a new collective bargaining agreement on Friday that includes a 7% pay raise for police officers and sergeants, which raises the starting salary for new police officers. 

The post Investing in Safety: St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department and St. Louis Police Officers’ Association Finalize New Collective Bargaining Agreement appeared first on St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department.

Mitch McCoy

Budzinski, Barrett Introduce Legislation to Protect Veterans' Data

1 day 5 hours ago
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congresswoman Nikki Budzinski (IL-13), Ranking Member of the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Subcommittee on Technology Modernization and Congressman Tom Barrett (MI-07), Chair of the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Subcommittee on Technology Modernization introduced the Veteran Data Accountability for Third-party Actors Act (DATA) Act during National Data Privacy Week. This bipartisan legislation would prevent third-party vendors that work wit