Latest news with #Morelle
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Jewish community leaders recognized for service in Rochester
ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WROC) — Three members of the Jewish community were recognized for their service to the Greater Rochester area at an event commemorating Jewish American Heritage Month on Friday. Congressman Joe Morelle joined representatives from the Jewish Federation of Rochester and local Jewish organizations to present framed Statements of Congressional Record to those honored. 'Here in Rochester and across the nation, Jewish leaders, neighbors, and changemakers are making a difference every day–lifting others up, standing strong in the face of adversity, and enriching our shared. This month is a time to celebrate those contributions and these selfless individuals' strength, compassion, and service that continue to inspire us all,' Morelle said in a statement on Friday. The honorees included Nathan Robfogel, Monica Gurell, and Rabbi Alan Katz. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Time of India
11-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Donald Trump: Donald Trump fires copyright chief after AI report raises red flags
US President Donald Trump has dismissed Shira Perlmutter , the head of the US Copyright Office , just days after her office raised concerns over the use of copyrighted material in training artificial intelligence move has triggered fierce backlash from Democrats, with accusations of executive overreach and interference in copyright regulation According to CBS News, Perlmutter was removed shortly after the release of part three of a major AI policy report by the Copyright Office. The report questioned whether the mass use of copyrighted data by AI companies could be justified, noting, 'It is an open question... how much data an AI developer needs, and the marginal effect of more data on a model's capabilities.'Perlmutter, who has led the Copyright Office since October 2020, was appointed by Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden, who herself was fired on Thursday in a two-sentence email from the White had been serving a 10-year Senate-confirmed White House has not issued an official statement on either firing. However, internal Library of Congress communications confirmed that Perlmutter was informed Saturday afternoon that her position had been 'terminated', reported Joe Morelle, the top Democrat on the House Administration Committee, condemned the move as 'a brazen, unprecedented power grab with no legal basis.'In a statement quoted by both CBS News, he suggested that the timing was directly related to Perlmutter's refusal to endorse tech billionaire Elon Musk 's apparent attempts to access copyrighted content for AI training Musk, who owns the startup xAI and recently failed in a bid to purchase OpenAI, has publicly questioned the legitimacy of intellectual property laws . Last month, he appeared to endorse their elimination in a post on X, the platform he owns.'This action once again tramples on Congress's Article One authority and throws a trillion-dollar industry into chaos,' Morelle said, referring to the federal law that places the US Copyright Office under the authority of the Librarian of Congress, not the returning to office, President Trump has aggressively promoted AI initiatives. He recently announced a $500 billion private-sector joint venture involving OpenAI, Softbank, and Oracle to develop national AI infrastructure With the firing of both the Librarian of Congress and the Register of Copyrights, critics warn of a dangerous precedent. 'When will my Republican colleagues decide enough is enough?' Morelle asked.
Yahoo
25-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Voter ID bill could make voting more difficult for citizens
ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WROC) — The Safeguard American Voter Eligibility – also known as the SAVE Act is now heading to the senate after being passed by the house last week. But what does this mean for those who plan on voting in federal elections? It would require people to provide proof of U.S. citizenship in order to register to vote. Supporters of the bills say it would help eliminate voter fraud from those who are not citizens, but others say it will be harder for those who are. Congressman Joe Morelle spoke to News 8's Adelisa Badzic on Thursday and said, 'It makes it hard for married women because to register to vote in the future, under the SAVE Act, you'd have to bring birth certificates and marriage certificates and proof of citizenship.' Morelle said he debated against this act in the house just a couple of weeks ago – adding he believes it's an effort to suppress voters and votes in America. 'Everyone that I've talked to so far in the Senate has assured me that they will not agree to put the bill on the floor, so hopefully we're going to stop it,' Morelle said. News 8 also spoke to the League of Women Voters President, Barbara Grosh. 'If you've ever changed your name for any reason. Such as, for example, if a woman got married and changed her name, you would have to get your birth certificate, which not everyone has. And then you would have to be able to prove a paper trail to match your birth certificate to the name that you're currently using,' Grosh said. Just Thursday, a judge has blocked the Trump Administration from enabling certain aspects of the act. The 120-page decision can be found here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
31-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Congressman Morelle concerned for future of elections
ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WROC) — Democratic New York Congressman Joe Morelle, has voiced concerns regarding one of the Trump administration's proposed bills that would overhaul the U.S. election system. Morelle is on the House Administration Committee, which has oversight of federal election law. This week, the proposed measure called the 'SAVE' Act is being presented to the House to be voted on. The bill would require documented proof of citizenship, like a passport, to register to vote in federal elections and mandate that all ballots be received by election day across the country. 'It restricts voting access and makes it incredibly difficult for eligible Americans and Americans broadly speaking to cast their vote. In my view, there are three things in particular that we should all be worried about that eats away at American Democracy,' he said. New York proposal to restrict smartphones in schools causes debate He went on to outline them as the tax on the judiciary, the decision to 'attack' and restrict press outlets from White House coverage, and the attempt to 'destroy' American elections. Morelle said that this would make registering to vote harder for married women, students, and members of the armed forces. While Congress has the power to regulate voting–and has done so by passing such laws as the Voting Rights Act–the Constitution says states have primary authority to set the 'times, places, and manner' for elections. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
31-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Bhutanese refugees in Rochester said to be facing deportation crisis
ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WROC) — Advocates call it an ongoing crisis as ICE has begun detaining and deporting legally resettled former Bhutanese refugees in the Rochester area. With risks of being deported back to a country with a history of human rights violations, News 8 spoke with the president of the House of Refuge who is advocating for legislation to protect resettled refugees. 'Our people are being deported. Our people are being detained. It is really sad what is going on right now,' Bijaya Khadka said. Khadka said people who came to the United States for safety are facing new a new crisis now: being detained illegally. 'Our people are being deported back to the very country who once denied our very own existence,' Khadka said. He's referring to Bhutan, a landlocked country which sits in South Asia near the Eastern Himalayas. Khadka said a number of the Bhutanese population came to the U.S. in 2008 and being deported back there is not a safe option. 'They have history of violating human rights. There are still people in jail who are being held without any due process,' Khadka said. 'If our people are being accepted into Bhutan, they will be tortured, they will be jailed, and they won't be treated well.' And if not to Bhutan, individuals are said to be deported again to India and Nepal. Which, Khadka said leaves them 'stateless and vulnerable.' Advocates are calling on human rights advocates, elected officials, and the Department of Homeland Security to halt the detentions and deportations. 'We are a sanctuary city. We have a history of welcoming people into our community. We have a history of loving people, you know, loving our neighbors as we love ourselves. And this is not happening,' Khadka said. News 8 caught Congressman Joe Morelle Sunday afternoon who criticized the lack of transparency for Homeland Security regarding their activities in Rochester — particularly concerning Border Patrol and immigration enforcement. 'We need to have border security. We need to make sure that people come into this country that we know about and that they go through the proper procedures,' Congressman Morelle said. 'So far that hasn't happened, and we've seen a number of questionable people be detained. And we continue to ask.' Congressman Morelle said he has reached out to the Homeland Security secretary to ask about activities here in Rochester. Particularly, who Border Patrol is targeting that they believe is a violent threat, as well as to know generally what is happening in Rochester. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
