el paso
Latest
Beto O'Rourke wants to hold internet companies liable for hate speech
If some politicians have their way, internet companies might be held responsible for hate that exists on their platform. Presidential candidate Beto O'Rourke has proposed amending the Communication Decency Act's Section 230, which protects internet companies from being held liable for their users' actions, to "remove legal immunity" for sites and providers that "knowingly promote" material that spurs violence. The operators of a community like 8chan, for example, might have been held responsible for routinely allowing the extremism that led to shootings in places like Christchurch and O'Rourke's hometown of El Paso.
Walmart pulls displays for violent media after El Paso shooting
Some politicians are rushing to blame violent video games for mass shootings, and Walmart is apparently quick to respond to this fear. Leaked internal memos revealed that the retailer (which served as the venue for the El Paso shooting) is rushing to pull all store displays that include "violent images or aggressive behavior." This includes demos and events for some console games, movies playing in the electronics section and hunting season videos. It's particularly concerned about anything depicting "combat or third-person shooter" games.
House committee asks 8chan owner to testify over extremist content
Politicians are still determined to investigate 8chan's role in fueling extremism even though the site is effectively out of commission. The House's Homeland Security Chairman Bennie Thompson and Ranking Member Mike Rogers have sent a letter to 8chan owner Jim Watkins asking him to testify about the site's efforts to "investigate and mitigate" the appearance of extremist content, including white supremacist material. The politicians were concerned that 8chan has been linked to three mass shootings in 2019 (Christchurch, Poway and El Paso), with the attackers reportedly posting letters or manifestos on the site shortly before committing the murders.
New Apple Store planned in El Paso
ifoAppleStore says that Apple's retail team is bringing a new location to El Paso, Texas, right on the border to Mexico down there. The store will sit on the ground floor of the local Cielo Vista Mall, just three miles from the border, where Mexican customers make up 16 percent of retail sales in the city itself. This is an interesting choice -- there's another mall that's marketing itself as a more upscale destination nearby, but apparently Apple wants to open this store before waiting for that place to open in 2012. While the local area is interesting, where this store fits in the greater picture is even more fascinating -- the closest store to this location is apparently way over in New Mexico, which means this new retail outlet will fill in what ifoAppleStore says is a seven-state hole in coverage. Additionally, El Paso is one of the most Apple-loyal regions in the country according to a recent study, and it was actually the fourth-most loyal area that didn't yet have an Apple Store to call home. So this store is actually well-placed, it seems. There's no official date set yet, but if everything goes as planned, the store could open as soon as early next year.
El Paso resident finds Mexican Orbiter Mini drone in his front yard
When discussing drones, we usually think of the Af-Pak theater (or perhaps joy ridin' UK teens), so it was with some amusement that we heard about a little border excursion that a Mexican UAV made into American airspace a few days ago. According to reports, the device -- believed to be an Israeli-made Orbiter Mini -- was being operated by the Mexican government (on its side of the border) when it experienced some sort of "mechanical malfunction" and crossed over to El Paso, Texas, where it was discovered on a resident's front lawn last Tuesday. The Orbiter Mini, manufactured by Aeronautics Defense Systems, has a six foot wingspan and will stay in the air up to four hours.
AT&T to rival TWC with U-verse TV launch in El Paso, Texas
Ruh roh, Time Warner Cable -- AT&T has just encroached on yet another one of your main markets, as U-verse TV will soon be coming to El Paso, Texas. As of now, TWC is the only major pay-TV carrier in the region, so if you're not kosher with a dish, it's currently the one and only option. Of course, U-verse isn't new to the Lone Star state, but we get the feeling that El Paso residents will be singing praises at the sight of new competition. If you're anxious to see what fiber can deliver, call up AT&T and see if your domicile is currently serviceable.[Thanks, Chris and Gabe]
El Paso, TX gets its very first HD news station in KTSM-TV
It sure took forever to hit the century mark, but it seems as if 200 is growing closer every single day. Up next on the list of news stations who've decided to turn in their SD card for a much clearer HD variant is El Paso's own KTSM-TV. The NBC affiliate is the first in the region to offer up 1080i newscasts, and it's doing so just in time for the sure-to-be-suffocating Olympics coverage. Enjoy![Thanks, Chris]
