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TikTok is axing an in-app feature called TikTok Now that mirrored BeReal

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 17:05:00 GMT

TikTok is killing off an in-app feature that was a close copy of the social media platform BeReal.The feature, called TikTok Now, was just launched in September and gave users daily prompts to capture 10-second video or a picture using the front and back camera on their phones. TikTok said in a statement on Tuesday that a notification was sent to users letting them know the feature would be discontinued. It said users could still access previous posts they made with TikTok Now. “We’re excited to use the feedback we’ve gained through TikTok Now as we continue building ways for the TikTok community to create and connect over shared entertainment,” said TikTok spokesperson Zachary Kizer.TikTok Now was launched as BeReal was gaining popularity among users last year. The app notified users to take photos at random moments in an effort to reflect more genuine experiences, eschewing picture-perfect posts often found on other platforms like Instagram. Seeing its popularity, Snapchat and Ins...

76ers face an uncertain future with Harden and Harris deals up in the air

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 17:05:00 GMT

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — James Harden might have side-eyed questions this week — much like he did in a playful reaction in his Houston days — about his future with the Philadelphia 76ers.But the issue is real in Philly: Will Harden return to the 76ers for a third season?All signs point to Harden declining his $35.6 million option on Thursday and entering this summer as an unrestricted free agent. That leaves the 2018 NBA MVP and 10-time All-Star free to sign with any team. A return to the Rockets? Perhaps, if he prioritizes cash over a championship chase. The 76ers? Depends. Does Harden really enjoy playing as the second option to NBA MVP Joel Embiid?Plan C?Harden might not have planned much beyond a potential Houston reunion or Sixers return. Philadelphia has the home-contract edge: The 76ers have the right to offer Harden a $210 million, four-year deal, $8 million more overall than any other team.Houston, though, where Harden blossomed into a surefire Hall of Famer is a cit...

Alabama lawmakers to convene to redraw maps US Supreme Court declared unfair to Black voters

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 17:05:00 GMT

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — Alabama’s governor on Tuesday set a special legislative session to redraw congressional district maps that the U.S. Supreme Court declared unfair to Black voters. Gov. Kay Ivey set the July 17 session for the Republican-controlled Alabama Legislature after the high court upheld a three-judge panel’s ruling that the state illegally diluted the political power of Black voters by having only one majority Black congressional district. The three-judge panel gave legislators until July 21 to submit a redrawn map for review or the court will draw its own. “The Alabama Legislature has one chance to get this done before the July 21 court deadline,” Ivey said in a statement. “Our Legislature knows our state, our people and our districts better than the federal courts or activist groups do.”The U.S. Supreme Court this month affirmed the panel’s finding that Alabama likely violated the Voting Rights Act with a congressional map that had only one m...

Motorcade ‘on the loose, on the move’ causes delays on Capital Beltway’s Inner Loop

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 17:05:00 GMT

Listen to WTOP for traffic updates on the 8s.The Inner Loop of the Capital Beltway at the Georgetown Pike exit is now open and traffic is moving. But, earlier Tuesday, a motorcade caused delays as long as 4 miles.Dave Dildine in the WTOP Traffic Center described a motorcade “on the loose, on the move” around 5 p.m. that caused “extreme delays to develop” through McLean in Virginia and Bethesda, Maryland.(new Image()).src = "https://capi.connatix.com/tr/si?token=9be9c680-c459-4acb-af21-654a2ccca384&cid=c2ffed0c-3624-46c0-b10f-97c976d290a3";cnx.cmd.push(function() { cnx({ playerId: "9be9c680-c459-4acb-af21-654a2ccca384",mediaId: "62a27327-67bb-457f-a8ef-d06d9aa65dd5"}).render("1b9ea7a5a38c44a398cf82a9c462be69"); });Although the Inner Loop, George Washington Parkway and nearby bridge closures were lifted by 5:20 p.m., heavy delays still remain on routes between Tysons Corner and Bethesda.It is not clear what the motorcade was for, but Virginia State Pol...

New Jersey casinos want 10 more years of internet gambling, but NJ may only approve for 2 more

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 17:05:00 GMT

TRENTON, N.J. (AP) — New Jersey’s casinos want to expand the state’s tops-in-the-nation internet gambling market for another 10 years, but state lawmakers may only approve it for an additional two years.A state Assembly committee approved a bill Tuesday that originally would have allowed online casino gambling to run through 2033.But the committee amended it to reduce the extension to just two years. The changes were not made public during the hearing, and lawmakers could not be reached for comment after the vote.It is unclear when a final vote might be held.Internet gambling has been a success story in New Jersey, which has won more from online gamblers than any of the five other states that also allow it.Since New Jersey began taking online bets in November 2013, Atlantic City’s casinos and their online partners have won $6.29 billion from gamblers, according to the American Gaming Association, the casino industry’s national trade group. That does not inclu...

Fireworks injuries: ‘I have had a patient lose their entire hand’

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 17:05:00 GMT

Every year around the Fourth of July, the public is warned about the dangers of handling fireworks in an irresponsible or illegal way. But that doesn’t stop everyone from doing it, which sometimes leads to serious injuries.“It is a very real problem,” said Dr. Avi Giladi, a hand surgeon at the Curtis National Hand Center, which is located at MedStar Union Memorial Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland.According to Giladi, doctors like him see patients with injuries related to fireworks constantly in the days and weeks surrounding Independence Day.“It’s a problem that’s big enough to keep coming up at all hand surgery centers,” Giladi said. “They can be devastating injuries.”The more common injuries are from less dangerous fireworks, such as bottle rockets. People who mess around with those might be taken to the hospital with a single finger injured, a burn or even something “manageable,” Giladi said.The more problematic inj...

Padres’ Yu Darvish scratched from start against Pirates due to illness

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 17:05:00 GMT

PITTSBURGH (AP) — The San Diego Padres scratched starter Yu Darvish from Tuesday’s game against the Pittsburgh Pirates due to an illness.Manager Bob Melvin said Darvish remained in San Diego as the team embarked on a six-game road trip through Pittsburgh and Cincinnati. Melvin said Darvish threw on Tuesday at home and was feeling better, but added Darvish will not pitch during the three-game set against the Pirates.Reiss Knehr will start in Darvish’s place. Knehr has a 12.27 ERA in three relief appearances this season for the Padres. The right-hander is 1-2 with a 5.24 ERA in 20 games (six starts) since making his debut with San Diego in 2020.___AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb and https://twitter.com/AP_SportsSource

'He's everybody's favorite': Missing hiker's family asks for the public's help

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 17:05:00 GMT

LA PLATA COUNTY, Colo. (KDVR) — Molly and Kelsey O'Brien spent Tuesday coordinating with search and rescue teams from their family's home in upstate New York as crews continue to search for their brother Ian, who's lost in the San Juan mountains of Colorado.Ian O'Brien was last seen on Saturday, June 24, after summiting Hesperus Mountain northeast of Durango. According to his sisters, O'Brien texted his partner that he summited the mountain after 6 p.m. as he was coming back down.Courtesy: La Plata County Search and RescueDespite having a Garmin inReach satellite device and a fully charged phone, the family has not been able to make contact. They filed a missing persons report with the Cortez Police Department, and Montezuma Search and Rescue has been involved in the search since late Saturday night.Epilepsy big worry in search for missing Colorado hikerThe biggest concern for his sisters is O'Brien's medical condition: epilepsy. While he carried medication in his backpack, it is un...

Sizzling Hot across south Florida

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 17:05:00 GMT

The heat is on, south Florida. While we expect scorching hot weather during the summer months, the current heat is exceptional. In Miami, we saw our high temperature soar to 95-degrees on Tuesday afternoon. That matched the hottest high of the year, so far (we also hit 95º on June 16th). The humidity has also been impressive and the heat index reading ranged from 101º in Ft. Lauderdale to 109º in Key West. The sweltering conditions are set to continue on Wednesday with nearly the same conditions. The current pattern involves “weak winds” and a flow generally out of the south. Nosing-in from the Gulf of Mexico is stacked high pressure providing drier air. Remember all the heavy downpours and street flooding this past weekend and Monday? That was from tropical moisture that’s now well to our east. With little moisture to work from, Sea Breeze boundaries will just trigger minimal showers and storms through Wednesday. There are signs, though, that extra mois...

Newton neighborhood reeling after violent deaths of 3 elderly residents

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 17:05:00 GMT

As family members and others gathered at Newton District Court for the arraignment of a suspect in the deaths of three beloved elderly residents on Tuesday, caution tape remained in place around the Broadway Street home where they were found. Gilda “Jill” D’Amore and her husband Bruno D’Amore were scheduled to renew their wedding vows on Sunday as part of celebrations for their 50th wedding anniversary. A found the D’Amores in their home with Lucia Arpino, Gilda’s mother, after the couple did not arrive at their church as planned. Neighbors shared their thoughts, describing feelings of shock after recent events and subsequent warnings from authorities to “remain vigilant” before police ultimately arrested Ferguson. “We’re all relieved that somebody is in custody but we just want to make sure that justice is done,” one neighbor told 7NEWS. “The police have done an unbelievable job taking their time and getting everything handled.”“I was surprised they got him so quick,” an...