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When Copyright Enters the AI Conversation

1 week 2 days ago
This series of posts explores how we can rethink the intersection of AI, creativity, and policy. From examining outdated regulatory metaphors to questioning copyright norms and highlighting the risks of stifling innovation, each post addresses a different piece of the AI puzzle. Together, they advocate for a more balanced, forward-thinking approach that acknowledges the potential of technological […]
Caroline De Cock

Belt Closes Phony Lifetime Gym Membership Loophole

1 week 2 days ago
SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Christopher Belt’s measure to stop gyms and fitness centers from canceling or changing benefits of a promised lifetime membership has been signed into law. “When gyms offer lifetime memberships, they shouldn’t penalize members for actually using the facility,” said Belt (D-Swansea). “If you sign up for a lifetime membership at a set price, the gym shouldn’t be able to come back a year later and raise your fees.” Gyms and fitness centers advertise lifetime memberships, but under state law, gym contracts can only be a maximum of one year. Functionally, these lifetime memberships are just one-year contracts that auto-renew. This is where the hidden price increases or benefit reductions can happen without the consumer knowing. Belt’s law is designed to prevent fitness centers and gyms from changing prices or reducing benefits for any lifetime membership price they advertise. Under the new law, if

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East Alton Man Detained After Sharing Child Porn Via Kik

1 week 2 days ago
EAST ALTON – A man from East Alton accused of sharing child pornography via the Kik messaging application remains in custody on a Class X felony charge. Dalton Stahlhut, 23, of the 400 block of Washington Ave. in East Alton, was charged on Aug. 8, 2025 with a Class X felony count of child pornography. On Jan. 3, 2025, Stahlhut allegedly disseminated child pornography via Kik in the form of a video depicting a child under the age of 13 engaged in a sex act. The investigation began after the East Alton Police Department received a report on Jan. 30, 2025 from the Madison County Sheriff’s Office, originating from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC). The initial report from NCMEC stated a Kik user was using the application to share child pornography. The email address associated with the Kik account in question contained Stahlhut’s entire first and last names, and the associated IP address was linked to Stahlhut’s East Alton address.

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Marquette Catholic High School Welcomes Students, Opens New Chapel

1 week 2 days ago
ALTON - The Marquette Catholic High School community enjoyed their first day at school for the 2025–2026 school year. On Friday, Aug. 15, 2025, teachers and staff members welcomed Marquette students back to school bright and early. Principal Tim Harmon noted that the excitement in the morning “very much carried on through the day,” and he looks forward to another great year. “It just felt exciting to have the kids back in school. I think that the kids are excited to be back in school as well,” he said. “It’s always exciting seeing different groups of people coming from all over the area, coming together and kind of learning the Marquette way, so to speak.” Harmon joked that while there was “some groaning here and there” about the end of summer break, the students were generally eager to return and start the day. He said he is “really enthusiastic” to welcome one of the largest freshmen classes of the

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