Up for vote: The Capital Area Transit System is set to vote on a proposed 2018 operating budget of $26 million during its final meeting of the year today. The budget is about $1.7 million less than this year’s budget because of reductions in overtime costs, says CATS board chairman Jim Brandt. The system intends to hire more bus drivers, increasing its number of operators to 150, up from the current 136. “When you have enough bus drivers you don’t need to bring in bus operators for overtime,” Brandt says. CATS also plans to roll out modified bus routes next year. The board meets at 4:30 p.m. at its administrative building on Florida Boulevard. See the proposed 2018 operating budget and the full agenda for today’s meeting.
Religious differences: A Louisiana family was hissed at for questioning Christian rituals in public schools, according to a federal lawsuit the American Civil Liberties Union filed on behalf of the family. Christy Cole’s lawsuit says Christianity is ingrained in the Webster Parish School District where graduation ceremonies are frequently held at houses of worship and, at times, resemble religious ceremonies with Bible verses and prayers. She is seeking a court declaration that the school district’s practices are unconstitutional, an order blocking the practices and preventing retaliation against her and family. The Coles have been hissed at, shunned, and had their religious beliefs questioned by school officials, the suit says. Read more.
Face ID: Facebook is expanding its use of facial recognition software to alert users when photos of them are posted on the platform—even if they’re not tagged in the photo, NPR reports. By default, Facebook users in the U.S. will be signed up for these face recognition alerts, unless they have previously opted out of a similar, more limited feature. But users can turn off face recognition. Additionally, the company says it will roll out new tools to alert users if someone else may be impersonating them with a misleading profile photo. Facebook has been using facial recognition technology since 2010. Read more.
