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Texas city council debate turns physical, police intervene

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Texas city council debate turns physical, police intervene


A city council debate in Texas was cut short earlier this week after organizers and police had to physically intervene to separate two of the candidates.

The Context

District 8 incumbent council member Chris Nettles and his opponent, Payton Jackson, had to be physically separated during the interaction at a debate between two candidates for Fort Worth City Council. It took place before the council elections next month.

Newsweek contacted the District 8 council for comment via email outside of regular working hours.

What To Know

The altercation occurred after Jackson mentioned a civil lawsuit against Nettles, alleging he conspired with her landlord to disclose confidential details from her lease agreement, according to a report by the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Nettles denied the claims.

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Approximately 100 people attended the debate, which took place in the gymnasium of the Bethlehem Center at 951 Evans Avenue and was organized by the Historic Southside Neighborhood Association.

The exchange began when moderators asked the candidates which neighborhood in the district they lived in.

Jackson, seated to Nettles’ left, used the moment to raise the lawsuit, walking over to Nettles and placing the legal document on his table. Nettles initially looked away, but stood up as Jackson remained by his table. The two pointed fingers at each other until Nettles turned away.

Aerial view of downtown Fort Worth, Texas, with Trinity River in the foreground.

Barbara Symers/GETTY

Jackson then placed her left hand on Nettles’ shoulder, appearing to push him, at which point he swatted her hand away. They are seen being separated by other attendees at the meeting, and police officers then stepped in to separate the candidates, according to the Star-Telegram.

According to a report by NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth, Jackson is a former member of Nettles’ campaign staff.

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What People Are Saying

Chris Nettles said after the incident, according to a report by Fox 4 News: “I think I acted appropriately by standing up. As she approached me, then I stand up and to protect myself and make sure she doesn’t do anything while I’m sitting down. I think it’s good to have a good debate, a good conversation, but violence is not the answer.”

Payton Jackson said: “He stands up, starts antagonizing me as you can see on the video I walk up to his table. My hands are behind my back. He pushes me and I retaliate. I would never put my hands on anyone, let alone a public official.

“These debates, these forums, they get heated, but I never touched him initially, he touched me first. If I’m in your personal space and you really feel in danger back up, back up. I would never put my hands on anybody, not initially.”

What’s Next

Nettles and Jackson are set to attend another public forum before the Fort Worth City Council elections take place on May 3.

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Texas sues Netflix for allegedly spying on kids, addicting users

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Texas sues Netflix for allegedly spying on kids, addicting users


Netflix was sued Monday (May 11) by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, who accused the streaming company of spying on children and other consumers by collecting their data without consent, and designing its platform to be addictive. Ram Nabong reports.



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Texas sues Netflix, alleges platform spied on kids and collected data

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Texas sues Netflix, alleges platform spied on kids and collected data


The state of Texas announced a lawsuit against streaming giant Netflix on Monday, accusing the company of spying on children and other consumers by collecting their data without consent and designing the platform to be addictive.

Texas claims that Netflix has falsely represented to consumers that it didn’t collect or share user data while it actually tracked and sold viewers’ habits and preferences to commercial data brokers and advertising technology companies.

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The lawsuit, filed by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, claims that “Netflix’s endgame is simple and lucrative: get children and families glued to the screen, harvest their data while they are stuck there, and then monetize the data for a handsome profit.”

The state of Texas announced a lawsuit against streaming giant Netflix on Monday. (Nikos Pekiaridis/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

“When you watch Netflix, Netflix watched you,” Texas added in the lawsuit.

NETFLIX CO-FOUNDER REED HASTINGS TO STEP DOWN, DEPARTURE IS ‘SPOOKING INVESTORS’

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NFLX NETFLIX INC. 85.39 -2.10 -2.40%

The complaint quotes comments made by former CEO Reed Hastings who said in 2020, while he was still leading the streaming company, that “we don’t collect anything,” amid questions over Big Tech companies’ data collection practices.

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Netflix was also accused of quietly using “dark patterns” to keep users watching on its platform, such as an autoplay feature that starts a new show after a different show ends.

NETFLIX RAISES SUBSCRIPTION PRICES ACROSS ALL PLANS

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed the lawsuit. (Cheney Orr/Reuters)

Paxton said in a press release that Netflix “has built a surveillance program designed to illegally collect and profit from Texans’ personal data without their consent, and my office will do everything in our power to stop it.”

The attorney general said he’s charging Netflix under the state’s Deceptive Trade Practices Act and seeks to require Netflix to stop the unlawful collection and disclosure of user data, require Netflix to disable autoplay by default on kid’s profiles, and to secure injunctive relief and civil penalties.

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FOX Business reached out to Netflix for comment.

Reuters contributed to this report.



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6 people found dead inside a boxcar in Texas, officials say | CNN

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6 people found dead inside a boxcar in Texas, officials say | CNN


Six people were found dead inside a cargo train boxcar in a Texas city along the southern border on Sunday, officials said.

The bodies were found in a Union Pacific train at a rail yard in Laredo, around 160 miles south of San Antonio, just after 3:30 p.m. local time, said Jose Espinoza, a public information officer with the Laredo Police Department.

The circumstances of their deaths are unknown, said Laredo police spokesperson Joe Baeza, according to CNN affiliate KGNS, and an investigation is underway.

Union Pacific operates across the border and is the only railroad that services all access points into Mexico, according to the freight company’s website.

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Temperatures on Sunday afternoon in Laredo were in the low-mid 90s, though it’s unclear whether heat was a factor.

Union Pacific said it was saddened by the incident and is working closely with law enforcement to investigate.

Laredo police said they received a call around 3 p.m. from an employee at the Union Pacific rail yard, KGNS reported. The bodies were discovered during a routine rail car inspection, police said. No survivors were found.

CNN has reached out to Laredo police for more information.

“It’s a very early phase of the investigation. There’s not a lot to reveal right now,” Baeza said, KGNS reported.

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The immigration status and ages of the deceased are not yet known, Espinoza said.

US Customs and Border Protection referred CNN to the Laredo Police Department, saying “The incident remains under investigation by Laredo Police Department and Homeland Security Investigation and Texas Rangers.”

CNN has reached out to the Department of Homeland Security, HSI and the Texas Department of Public Safety.

“It’s a very unfortunate event,” Espinoza told CNN. “It was too many lives that were lost.”

This story has been updated with additional information.

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