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American consumers are feeling much more confident as holiday shopping season peaks

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:48:29 GMT

American consumers are feeling more confident than they have since summer, good news for businesses with the all-important holiday shopping season peaking.The Conference Board, a business research group, said Wednesday that its consumer confidence index rose for the second straight month, to 110.7 in December from 101 in November. That’s much better than analysts’ forecasts of 104.5.The index measures both Americans’ assessment of current economic conditions and their outlook for the next six months. Consumer spending accounts for about 70% of U.S. economic activity, so economists pay close attention to consumer behavior as they take measure of the broader economy.Matt Ott, The Associated Press

Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina kicks off election campaign amid an opposition boycott

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:48:29 GMT

DHAKA, Bangladesh (AP) — Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina formally kicked off her ruling Awami League party’s campaign Wednesday amid an election boycott by the country’s main opposition party.Addressing a massive rally in the northeastern city of Sylhet, Hasina strongly criticized the Bangladesh Nationalist Party for refusing to participate in the Jan. 7 general election. She also blamed the party, which is led by former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, and its allies for recent acts of violence.Hundreds of thousands of Awami League supporters cheered and raised their hands when Hasina asked if they would cast their ballots for the ruling party’s candidates, the United News of Bangladesh agency reported.The prime minister denounced the party of her archrival Zia after the country’s railway minister alleged that arson and sabotage caused a fire on a passenger train that killed four people Tuesday. Hasina joined the minister Wednesday in accusing the Bangladesh National...

Editors explain why they chose wildfires as Canadian news story of the year

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:48:29 GMT

Canadian wildfires were the first choice for The Canadian Press news story of the year, as voted by editors in newsrooms across the country. Here is a sampling of comments from editors who identified the wildfires as the year’s biggest story:One of the stories that consistently made headlines — and that has been dividing Canadians on social media and among partisan circles generally — has been climate change. These discussions became overly heated during the summer of wildfires that claimed large swaths of Canadian forests, and forced an entire city, Yellowknife, to evacuate. I fear we will only see more of these kinds of stories in the coming years.— Matt Goerzen, Brandon Sun2023 proved wildfires are now a national problem and a harbinger of Canada’s new normal. This year, fire season started earlier, spread farther and hit the country harder than ever before. It made John Valliant’s book “Fire Weather” both timely and essential reading in a climate-ch...

Analysts say Ukraine’s forces are pivoting to defense after Russia held off their counteroffensive

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:48:29 GMT

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukraine’s armed forces are taking up a more defensive posture, a military analysis said Wednesday, after their summer counteroffensive failed to achieve a major breakthrough against Russia’s army and as winter weather sets in after almost 22 months of the war.“In recent weeks, Ukraine has mobilized a concerted effort to improve field fortifications as its forces pivot to a more defensive posture along much of the front line,” the U.K. Ministry of Defense said in an assessment.The Kremlin’s deep defenses held firm against Ukraine’s monthslong assault, using Western-supplied weapons but without essential air cover, along the around 1,000-kilometer (600-mile) front line.Most fighting in recent weeks has focused on artillery, missile and drone strikes as mud and snow hinder troop movements.“Russia continues local offensive options in several sectors, but individual attacks are rarely above platoon size,” the U.K. analysis said. “A major Russian breakthrough is unlik...

Home sales snapped a five-month skid in November as easing mortgage rates encouraged homebuyers

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:48:29 GMT

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Sales of previously occupied U.S. homes rose in November, ending a five-month skid, as easing mortgage rates encouraged homebuyers.Existing home sales rose 0.8% last month from October to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 3.82 million, the National Association of Realtors said Wednesday. That tops the 3.78 million sales pace economists were expecting, according to FactSet.Sales were still down 7.3% compared with November last year. The pickup in sales helped push up home prices compared with a year earlier for the fifth month in a row. The national median sales price rose 4% from November last year to $387,600.“Home sales always respond to lower interest rates,” said Lawrence Yun, the NAR’s chief economist, adding that home sales have “no doubt” hit their low point of the current housing market cycle.The average rate on a 30-year mortgage has eased after climbing to 7.79% in late October to its highest level since late 2000. The average dropped to 6.95% last we...

Wildfire devastation voted Canadian Press news story of the year

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:48:29 GMT

It was the year unprecedented wildfires disrupted the lives of thousands from coast to coast, shattering records for the total area burned.Canadian wildfires — which consumed an area roughly one-quarter the land mass of Manitoba — were by far the first choice for The Canadian Press news story of the year, as voted by editors in newsrooms across the country.An unusually warm and dry winter in much of Canada set the stage for a wildfire season that led to 200,000 people fleeing their homes.One of the first communities evacuated was Evansburg, a hamlet west of Edmonton, on April 29. Evacuation orders for other communities were issued in the following days.On May 29, Nova Scotia’s fires spun out of control, in a fashion that experts said was an ominous signal for the rest of Canada. “If Halifax can burn, any place can burn, and that blows all our minds,” said John Vaillant, author of the award-winning “Fire Weather: The Making of a Beast.”A heat dome and tinder-dry forests fed the blaze...

Choking smog lands Sarajevo at top of Swiss index of most polluted cities for 2nd straight day

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:48:29 GMT

SARAJEVO, Bosnia-Herzegovina (AP) — The Bosnian capital of Sarajevo has been intermittently engulfed in a toxic haze since the start of December, with air quality so bad it was placed first on a list of the world’s most polluted cities for a second straight day Wednesday.The Swiss air quality technology company IQAir, which compiles a real-time list, on Wednesday put Sarajevo’s air quality index, or AQI, at 301, which is in a “very unhealthy” category, followed by 239 in the Indian city of Kolkata.“I felt like crying this morning because I had to go out and inhale poison to get to work,” said Amra Jaganjac, a Sarajevo resident. “I know that change takes time, but our authorities are too slow and (pollution) is killing us.”Dangerously high levels of air pollution in winter months have historically been a seemingly intractable problem for Sarajevo, which is squeezed into a deep valley in the mountains.However, the situation has further deteriorated, with emissions and pollution rising...

The Emmy Awards: A guide to how to watch, who you’ll see, and why it all has taken so long

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:48:29 GMT

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The 2023 Emmy Awards will be held in 2024. Hollywood’s two strikes meant a four-month delay for television’s annual celebration of itself. But both have now been resolved and the show will go on. Here’s a look at the telecast, the ceremony, and the series and stars up for awards.WHEN ARE THE EMMY AWARDS?The 75th Primetime Emmy Awards will be held on the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday, Monday night, Jan. 15, at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. Anthony Anderson will host. It will be telecast live on the Fox network starting at 8 p.m. Eastern, and available to stream the following day on Hulu.Fox is taking its turn this year in an annual rotation between the four networks. Anderson, who was nominated for lead actor in a comedy seven times for his work on ABC’s “ black-ish,” is a first-time Emmys host, although he’s hosted the NAACP Image Awards eight times. He’ll also have a fresh connection to Fox by the time he takes the Emmys...

Chicago man charged for August murder on city's West Side: CPD

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:48:29 GMT

CHICAGO — A Chicago man has been charged for an August murder on the city's West Side, the Chicago Police Department announced Wednesday.Alex Rodriguez, 57, was charged with first-degree murder for the shooting of a man in the 2700 block of West Wilcox St. on Aug. 16.On Tuesday, CPD said Rodriguez was arrested by members of the Great Lakes Regional Fugitive Task Force. He was identified as the offender who, at approximately 10:22 p.m. on Aug. 16, fatally shot a 54-year-old man on the city's West Side.No addition information is available at this time.

Dean's Home Video: Maestro, Rebel Moon, Percy Jackson, Trevor Noah, Gary Gulman and more

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:48:29 GMT

WGN's Dean Richards has this week's home video picks.These include Netflix's Bradley Cooper-helmed "Maestro," which Dean calls a "surefire" Oscar contender and "the best movie of the year."Get Dean’s reviews and A-List interviews delivered right to your inbox. Sign up for Dean’s Downloads weekly newsletter. You’ll also get his Dean Cooks recipes too!