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Non-compete agreements may soon be banned in NY

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:10:41 GMT

ALBANY, N.Y. (WTEN) -- Experts say about one in five Americans in the workforce are bound by a non-compete agreement. Many of those workers earning less than $40,000 per year. But a new bill that awaits the Governor’s signature could remove all non-compete agreements (also known as restrictive agreements) across the state. When the agreements were first created, they were used mostly in the private equity and finance area, but now it’s common across many fields, according to Employment and Labor Attorney, Helen Rella. "What we typically see in restrictive covenant, non-compete agreements are conditions that say ‘after you leave the employment of the employer, that you will not work, either in the same field, or in the same area for certain period of time subsequent to the employment,'" she said. She said California has had non-compete prohibition for years and it's not surprising New York is following suit, "New York has enacted many pieces of legislation, rules and regulations tha...

St. Louis County man convicted of Steak 'N Shake armed robbery

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:10:41 GMT

ST. LOUIS - A federal jury convicted a Riverview, Missouri, man Wednesday for robbing a fast food restaurant where he once worked.Prosecutors with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Missouri said Jonathan Davis, 24, will be sentenced later this year for his crimes.The robbery happened around 12:30 a.m. on Jan. 23, 2021, at the Steak 'N Shake located in the 9500 block of Natural Bridge Road in Berkeley.Police and prosecutors said Davis entered the business, walked into the back office, pointed a gun at the owner, and demanded money. The owner later identified Davis as the robber. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Breaking News SIGN UP NOW Davis had worked at the Steak 'N Shake approximately two months prior to the robbery.Prosecutors said Davis...

Uber rolls out new service for teens in St. Louis

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:10:41 GMT

ST. LOUIS - Uber recently launched a new service in St. Louis designed for teenagers in need of rides. Uber now offers "teen accounts" in St. Louis. Parents and guardians can now invite their children to create a specialized account. This allows teens to request their own rides and ride without an adult. Uber is hopeful it will help families with busy schedules. ‘Sk8 Liborius’ church skate park burns down The service offers special safety features and is only for riders ages 13-17. Each teen with an account will have a unique pin number and will use it to make sure they are getting into the right car. There are also live trip tracking and audio-recording features. The teen accounts also offer access to Uber Eats and filters out food and drinks they are not old enough to purchase. “Teen accounts are built with transparency in mind so that there are no surprises for parents, teens, or drivers,” said Mariana Esteves, Product Manager at Uber. “We’re thrilled to offer this innovative ...

St. Louis area Independence Day weekend forecast

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:10:41 GMT

ST. LOUIS -- Hot and humid weather continues on Friday with temperatures in the 90s and heat index values up to 110. A heat advisory will be in effect until 7 p.m. Friday with scattered showers and some storms.  Limit time outdoors and stay hydrated. More widespread rainfall expected on Saturday with accumulations around .50” possible. There is a chance of showers and storms on Sunday, but there will be dry time. Warm and humid this weekend with highs in the 90s on Saturday and 80s on Sunday. We have a slight chance of showers and storms around on Monday and Tuesday (Independence Day) with highs in the low 90s.

One of two “Brazen Bandits” sentenced to 27 years in prison for 10 armed bank robberies over three months

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:10:41 GMT

A Denver man was sentenced Tuesday to 27 years in prison for 10 armed robberies over three months.According to the plea agreement, between Jan. 6, 2021 and March 31, 2021, 39-year-old Jerome Bravo and his co-defendant Jonathan Gullette robbed 10 banks in Denver, Aurora and Arvada.Officials said Bravo, a Denver resident, and Gullete, a 24-year-old Aurora resident, robbed seven Denver banks, two in Aurora and one in Arvada.The two were nicknamed the “Brazen Bandits” for their risky tactics during the robberies, including vaulting counters, waving guns and taking the teller drawers from the banks, a Thursday news release stated.Bravo pleaded guilty in November, and was originally scheduled to be sentenced in February.According to the news release from the United States Attorney’s Office, the FBI Rocky Mountain Safe Streets Task Force, Colorado Bureau of Investigation, Denver Police Department, Aurora Police Department and Arvada Police Department investigated the case...

Animal rights group files lawsuit against Cheyenne Mountain Zoo seeking to relocate elephants

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:10:41 GMT

A lawsuit has been filed by a nonhuman rights group against the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo seeking to remove five elephants from the facility, claiming that the animals suffer chronic stress and health problems because of their captivity and environment.The Nonhuman Rights Project filed the lawsuit Wednesday in El Paso County District Court seeking legal rights for the elephants, according to an NhRP news release. The case is the first lawsuit filed in Colorado by the group.Elephants Jambo, Kimba, LouLou, Lucky, and Missy were born in the wild in Africa, taken from herds as babies and imported to the United States in the 1970s and 1980s, the release said.“From the moment their adult family members were likely killed in front of them and they were sold off to be put on display and put to work in circuses and zoos, these elephants’ lives have consisted of one trauma after another,” said NhRP attorney Jake Davis. “We can see this today in the stereotypic behavior, indicative of brain damage...

The already hectic NBA offseason now poised for free agents to make moves

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:10:41 GMT

By TIM REYNOLDS (AP Basketball Writer)Chris Paul has already been traded twice this offseason, ending up with Golden State. Bradley Beal is now with Phoenix, John Collins was sent to Utah, and Kristaps Porzingis is about to start anew with Boston in a deal that sent Marcus Smart to Memphis.They have new places to call home. It’s time to see if Kyrie Irving, Draymond Green, Khris Middleton and dozens more will be on the move in the next few days.As proven by the run of trades in recent weeks, and big news from James Harden on Thursday, NBA teams aren’t waiting for free agency to make moves. The window of offseason player movement begins Friday at 6 p.m. EDT, when teams are permitted to start talking to free agents — with the caveat that most deals cannot become official until July 6.“Obviously, money’s a thing. I mean, that’s just for anybody,” said Miami guard Max Strus, a free agent who’s in line for a big payday, going from $1.8 mill...

$2.9 million gene therapy for severe hemophilia is approved by FDA

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:10:41 GMT

By MATTHEW PERRONE (AP Health Writer)WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. officials on Thursday approved drugmaker BioMarin’s gene therapy for the most common form of hemophilia, a $2.9 million infused treatment that can significantly reduce dangerous bleeding problems.The Food and Drug Administration approved Roctavian for adult patients with severe cases of hemophilia A, the inherited blood-clotting disorder that can lead to bleeding after minor injuries or scrapes. It’s the first gene therapy for those patients.The IV therapy is a long-awaited alternative to current treatments, including weekly doses of a protein needed to help blood clot. Some patients take a newer, longer-acting biotech drug that replaces the protein.BioMarin said in a statement that the FDA approval was based on a three-year study showing a 50% reduction in annual bleeding incidents among 134 patients who received the treatment. Most patients continued to respond to the treatment beyond three years, withou...

A chatbot to waste the time of telemarketers? Genius!

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:10:41 GMT

Chatbots and artificial intelligence are clearly the Next Big Thing in Silicon Valley, but many of us, including myself, haven't seen much practical use for the technology.Until now.A Monrovia, California man named Roger Anderson has created an AI-powered chatbot designed to dupe telemarketers and scammers into thinking they're speaking with a real person -- and then wasting as much of their time as possible.Brilliant.The Wall Street Journal shared an encounter between a telemarketer named Kevin and Anderson's chatbot, which he calls Jolly Roger."Thank you for calling card services," Kevin said, even though it was his bank (or scam operation) that called Anderson, not the other way around. "How are you doing today?""Huh," the chatbot replied."What do you think, how much is owed on your credit cards, collectively," Kevin asked."I’ve been having trouble with my television remote," answered the chatbot. "Can you help me figure out how to change the channel to watch my favorite show?""I...

Travis Scott avoids criminal charges in Astroworld crowd crush: Report

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:10:41 GMT

Rapper Travis Scott got some good news Thursday, as a grand jury declined to indict him and others in the deadly crowd crush at his Astroworld festival in November 2021.The incident killed 10 people and left thousands injured. Scott and several others were involved in the criminal probe of the tragedy, which went to a grand jury in Houston, according to Reuters. Houston mourns, investigates deaths at Travis Scott’s Astroworld Scott's lawyer Kent Schaffer told the outlet he expected the decision would be coming down on Thursday. “Nothing Travis did or failed to do fits within the Texas criminal code,” Schaffer said to the publication. Schaffer's prediction proved true later Thursday afternoon, as the grand jury declined to indict his client, the Houston Chronicle reports. However, Scott still faces civil lawsuits related to the Nov. 5, 2021, incident, when a fatal crowd crush took place at the festival founded by Scott, who is from Houston. As the over-capacity crowd pressed forwar...