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Triad artist sell painting to fundraise for WNC artists [Video]
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Triad artist sell painting to fundraise for WNC artists [Video]

A Triad artist is using her artwork to help Western North Carolina artists impacted by Helene. Lizzie Morrison is a Mount Airy resident who has been making art for more than 20 years. Over that time, shes created a diverse portfolio of paintings, drawings, and prints. She describes herself as a maximalist when it comes to art. I like a busy piece of work that you could stare at for a long time, she said. And I love movement.Morrison also loves the mountains of North Carolina. As a native of the state, she says she and her family travel to the high country often and were saddened by the devastation caused by Helene. I did what I always do when something is hard, and I took some time in front of a blank canvas and just let it out that way, Morrison said. Get the latest news stories of interest by clicking hereThe result was WNC Sunrise, a 12 X 12 canvas painting showing a sunrise peeking over the mountains of Banner Elk. Morrison says she sketched the scene after a trip to the town over the summer. Banner Elk is one of many communities that suffered tremendous losses during the storm. For Morrison, the acrylic and ink painting inspired by the sketch took on a whole new meaning. There’s a lot of line work, a lot of color, and I wanted it to capture both the feeling of calm that you get when you’re looking at the mountains in western North Carolina, she said. But also, I wanted it to give hope to the people who have suffered tremendous loss.Keep up with the latest news and weather by downloading the WXII app here.Morrison posted a picture of the painting on social media to sell for $500. She had the goal of donating the money to the Craft Emergency Relief Fund, or CERF +, for short. I wanted to channel funds to a reputable cause, she said. CERF+ has been around since 1985, and they provide relief grants to artists that are in disaster and emergencies.The painting not only sold but garnered additional interest. Thats when Morrison decided to expand the fundraiser. She created 55 canvas prints of the original painting and began selling them. So far, shes sold 53 of them, raising more than her new fundraising goal of $5,000.It’s been amazing to see that people not only gravitate towards my work, Morrison said. But that they want to support artists in western North Carolina.Morrison says 100% of the proceeds will go toward CERF+ to help artists who lost their work, studios, and livelihoods to the storm. She is currently preparing to ship the prints to at least eight states across the country. Watch: NOWCAST streaming newscastsMorrison is not only an artist. She works as a community economic development planner for the North Carolina Department of Commerce. With that background, she says she knows how important artists are to the economies of communities such as those in Western North Carolina. I think artists are such a pivotal part of not only our culture but also of our economy, she said. And one thing that I knew I could tangibly do was use my art to raise funds for them.She encourages others to donate to reputable art organizations working to help artists and to buy directly from the artists selling their work through the recovery. It’s incremental growth, she said. I have seen everybody rolling up their sleeves and doing whatever they can in the way that they know best to help western North Carolina.NAVIGATE: Home | Weather | Watch NOWCAST TV | Local News | National | News We Love | Trending Stories

X changed its terms of service to let its AI train on everyone’s posts [Video]
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X changed its terms of service to let its AI train on everyone’s posts [Video]

When X unveiled its newest terms of service, which go into effect on Nov. 15, users quickly picked up on one change.”By submitting, posting or displaying Content on or through the Services, you grant us a worldwide, non-exclusive, royalty-free license to make your Content available to the rest of the world,” the terms of service said, which includes the right to analyze any of that content “including, for example, for use with and training of our machine learning and artificial intelligence models, whether generative or another type.”Video above: LinkedIn is using your data to train AI. This is how to opt outBasically, by continuing to use the platform, users will agree that X can use their data to train its AI models.Using content to train AI has become a major issue as the technology booms. On X, artists and others in creative roles are fretting about their work being used not just on X to train computers that could someday replace human creators entirely. Other X users say they are concerned about personal information in their tweets being used that way. Some users said on the site they have already begun deleting photographs of themselves from their feeds.And if users have any issue with those terms, they may end up in a federal courtroom that is favored by conservative activists and is already presiding over two lawsuits involving Musk-owned X.According to the update, all disputes related to the terms will be brought to the US District Court for the Northern District of Texas or state courts in Tarrant County, Texas.Tarrant County is more than 100 miles away from X’s new headquarters outside of Austin, Texas.X’s terms said any users who continue to use their products or services on or after Nov. 15 would be agreeing to the updated terms.Changes to data privacyGrok, X’s AI chatbot, has already been embroiled in controversy, from spreading false information about the 2024 election to generating violent, graphic fake images of famous politicians. Companies from Google to Microsoft have similarly come under fire for sometimes weird, completely off-base AI tools.Before the most recent terms of service update, X users could opt out of sharing data by going to “settings,” then “privacy and safety.” Under the “data sharing and personalization” header, there is a tab for “Grok,” where users can uncheck the box that allows the platform to use their data for AI training.But it’s not clear whether X’s new terms of service take away that option. X can now license all the content on the platform, including using it in its machine learning and artificial intelligence models.While such broad licensing with few limitations is not uncommon for a social media platform, Alex Fink, CEO and founder of Otherweb, an AI-based news reading platform that targets misinformation, told CNN that what makes X unique is that its new terms “remove any ambiguity” in contrast to other platforms that don’t spell out their intentions.Before, X said posts from private accounts would not be used to train Grok. But the language in the new terms of service does not differentiate between the types of accounts.But only time will tell if you may still be able to opt out, despite the new terms. Fink said it’s fairly common for a company’s legal terms to give it more leeway than its own menu options allow.CNN’s Clare Duffy contributed to this report.

Commitment 2024: Dan Bishop and Jeff Jackson for NC attorney general [Video]
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Commitment 2024: Dan Bishop and Jeff Jackson for NC attorney general [Video]

Two members of Congress are running to become the state’s next attorney general.Top Stories: What will happen? 464 people summoned for jury duty Monday in Forsyth County amid juror admin saga 28-year-old woman dies after shot in face; Suspect facing first-degree murder charge, Greensboro police say Two men wanted in Winston-Salem business armed robbery investigationGet the latest news stories of interest by clicking hereDan Bishop is the Republican candidate, and Jeff Jackson is the Democrat in this contest. Both candidates are lawyers with experience in the N.C. legislature as well as Congress, but their politics are vastly different. Dan Bishop and Jeff Jackson have accused one another of being extremists. “He may seem moderate, but his record is radically Leftist,” Bishop said.Jackson said, “He is one of the most partisan members of Congress. His record speaks for itself. NAVIGATE: Home | Weather | Watch NOWCAST TV | Local News | National | News We Love | The conservative group Heritage Action gave Bishop a 96% lifetime score for his voting record in Congress. The liberal group, Progressive Punch, gave Jeff Jackson a “D” grade for his voting record in Congress. Jackson isn’t leaving Congress willingly.”A group of politicians in N.C. redrew my congressional district to take me out, ” he said on TikTok.He also said on the social media platform that he plans to fight gerrymandering.”That’s political corruption and I’ve got news for them. I’m running for attorney general and I’m going to use that job to go after political corruption,” he said. Jackson has more than 2 million followers on TikTok, a social media platform he voted against in Congress.Jackson was asked, “Can you explain to the voters here your discrepancy with voting against TikTok, and yet using TikTok?”Keep up with the latest news and weather by downloading the WXII app here.Jackson replied, “Yeah, the vote was to say that any country can own TikTok, except China, Russia, Iran and North Korea. I think that’s perfectly fair.”In a Zoom interview with WXII 12 News, Jackson said if elected, he plans to go after the next wave of scammers who use AI.”One of the first things I would do as attorney general is go to the General Assembly and say, ‘Give me the tools to keep North Carolina safe,” Jackson said. WXII’s Bill O’Neil asked the N.C. Democrat about recent legislation forcing state sheriffs to work with Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents.Jackson replied, “I think they should always have the option to work with ICE, if that’s what they want to do.”Jackson criticizes his opponent’s public comments about law enforcement and the government. “He says we should smash the FBI into a million pieces. That’s a really weird thing to say. He says a reckoning is coming for our gangster government. That’s not the way you talk before you become attorney general. You get an extremist as attorney general, that’s a nightmare for the whole state,” Jackson said.Dan Bishop did not grant WXII 12 News an interview. He is a staunch supporter of former President Donald Trump.He voted against certifying the 2020 election, but he’s best known as the architect of the infamous bathroom bill, HB 2, during his time in N.C. legislature.Watch: NOWCAST streaming newscasts Bishop told supporters at a Trump rally in Wilmington about the challenge he faces in becoming N.C.’s first Republican attorney general in 125 years. He said, “The Democrats and their complicit media will stop at nothing in their pursuit of total power.”The latest poll, now a month old, finds Jackson with a 7-point lead in the race. However, Jackson said he expects a close race, noting the past two elections for the attorney general were decided by less than one point.Trending Stories:

PSUs KRPS temporarily off air amid move to new location [Video]
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PSUs KRPS temporarily off air amid move to new location [Video]

PITTSBURG, Kan. The radio station at Pittsburg State is on the move which will put it temporarily off the air. Starting tomorrow, KRPS 89.9 will be off the air as the station will move to a new temporary space in Grubbs Hall. Station manager Fred Fletcher-Fierro says its uncertain when the station will []

Presidential candidates make final pitches as Election Day nears [Video]
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Presidential candidates make final pitches as Election Day nears [Video]

Both presidential candidates are making their closing arguments with just 15 days left until Election Day, focusing on key swing states.”We still have a democracy, which means in a democracy, and here’s the beauty of it: We each have the power to make a decision about the future of our country through our vote,” said Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic nominee.Harris campaigned alongside former Republican Congresswoman Liz Cheney in swing state counties that voted for Nikki Haley over Trump in the primaries.”You have to choose in this race between someone who has been faithful to the Constitution, who will be faithful, and Donald Trump,” said Cheney.Meanwhile, Trump visited Western North Carolina, an area still recovering from Hurricane Helene, and criticized the Biden administration’s response to the storm.”It’s vital that we not let this hurricane that has taken so much also take your voice. You must get out and vote,” said Trump, the Republican nominee. “On Jan. 20, you’re going to have a, I think, a new crew to do it properly and help you in a proper manner.”Trump also made false claims about why the Federal Emergency Management Agency is running low on disaster relief funds.”They’ve spent it on illegal migrants,” said Trump.FEMA has refuted this claim, stating, “The Shelter and Services Program (SSP) is a completely separate, appropriated grant program that was authorized and funded by Congress and that is not associated in any way with FEMA’s disaster-related authorities or funding streams.”Both candidates are running out of time to make their final pitches to voters in a race that polls show may be decided by voter turnout.”Most people believe that the way that this election is going to be decided is based upon whether or not you were able to turn out the voters who are already leaning your way,” said political analyst Todd Belt.According to new polling from The Washington Post, the candidates are essentially tied or within the margin of error across the seven states that will likely decide this election.White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre responded to Trump’s comments, calling them “dangerous” and noting they have been debunked on a bipartisan basis.She highlighted that 5,500 federal personnel were in North Carolina and Florida after Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton, and $2 billion in federal assistance had been approved for those affected in North Carolina.Most registered voters believe the economy is not doing well, and neither candidate is particularly trusted to handle economic issues.Voters are split on whether Trump or Harris is better able to handle unemployment, the cost of groceries and housing, or tariffs.This is an area where Harris has made up ground on the former president.Trump is continuing his campaigning tonight in North Carolina, while Harris will spend the evening in Wisconsin before returning to Washington, D.C.