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US home sales surged in February as mortgage rates dipped

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:55:59 GMT

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Sales of previously occupied U.S. homes surged in February to the fastest pace in six months as homebuyers seized on a modest drop in mortgage rates and a slight pullback in prices, but the first annual drop since 2012. Existing home sales jumped 14.5% last month from January to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.58 million, the National Association of Realtors said Tuesday. That’s the strongest sales pace since September and it’s higher than the 4.2 million economists were expecting, according to FactSet.The surge in sales — the biggest on records going back to 1999 — ended a 12-month slide that knocked the nation’s housing market into its deepest slump in nearly a decade and left sales in January at the slowest pace in more than a dozen years. Still, sales sank 22.6% last month from February last year, a sign many would-be homebuyers remain priced out of the market following years of price increases and sharply higher mortgage rates than a year a...

Inflation in Canada continues to slow, reaffirming BOC’s rate pause

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:55:59 GMT

OTTAWA — Canada’s annual inflation rate continued to slow last month, reaffirming the central bank’s decision to hold its key interest rate steady. In its latest consumer price index report released Tuesday, Statistics Canada said the country’s inflation rate rose 5.2 per cent year over year in February, marking the largest deceleration since April 2020. The reading compared with an annual inflation rate of 5.9 per cent in January and was the lowest rate since January 2022 when it was 5.1 per cent.BMO’s chief economist Douglas Porter called the report “mildly encouraging.” “That’s actually a couple months in a row now where we’ve had slightly better-than-expected inflation readings,” he said.Since peaking at 8.1 per cent in the summer, Canada’s annual inflation rate has been tumbling amid easing global pressures and high interest rates.The Bank of Canada is hoping inflation will continue to slow without the need for f...

Lollapalooza 2023 official lineup revealed

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:55:59 GMT

CHICAGO — Lollapalooza released the official 2023 lineup Tuesday for this summer’s four-day music festival.The annual event will be held at Grant Park in downtown Chicago from Thursday, Aug. 3 to Sunday, Aug. 6.Headliners include Kendrick Lamar, Billie Eilish, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Odesza, Lana Del Rey, Karol G, The 1975 and Tomorrow X Together. CLICK HERE FOR FULL LOLLAPALOOZA LINEUPOther acts include Noah Kahan, Maggie Rogers, Carly Rae Jepsen, Thirty Seconds To Mars, Diplo, Louis The Child, Pusha T, Yung Gravy, The Revivalists, Sabrina Carpenter, Afrojack — among many others.Presale for the festival starts Thursday at 10 a.m. on Lollapalooza.com. A presale code for first access tickets is also available through the site.For more information, go to: Lollapalooza.com

WATCH LIVE | Gwyneth Paltrow's trial begins for Deer Valley ski crash

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:55:59 GMT

PARK CITY, Utah (AP) — Gwyneth Paltrow's trial is set to begin on Tuesday in a lawsuit filed by a retired optometrist who said that the actor-turned-lifestyle influencer violently crashed into him in 2016 while skiing in Utah at one of the most upscale ski resorts in the United States.Terry Sanderson, 76, said Paltrow was cruising down the slopes so recklessly that they collided, leaving him on the ground as she and her entourage continued their descent down Deer Valley Resort, a skiers-only mountain known for its groomed runs, après-ski champagne yurts and posh clientele."Gwyneth Paltrow skied out of control," Sanderson's attorneys claim in the lawsuit, “knocking him down hard, knocking him out, and causing a brain injury, four broken ribs and other serious injuries. Paltrow got up, turned and skied away, leaving Sanderson stunned, lying in the snow, seriously injured.”In a case that has lasted years since the 2016 incident, Sanderson is suing Paltrow for $300,000 — claiming that t...

Teacher shot by 6-year-old describes her challenging recovery, multiple surgeries

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:55:59 GMT

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. (WAVY) -- A Virginia teacher who was shot and wounded by her 6-year-old student said she has vivid memories and nightmares about that day, which she says has changed her life.Abby Zwerner spoke for the first time in an interview on the Today Show on Tuesday morning. With her twin sister and mother at her side, Zwerner discussed her challenging recovery, including four surgeries. She said she has some days when she “can't get up out of bed," while on others, she is able to go about her day and make it to appointments.“I just will never forget the look on his face that he gave me while he pointed the gun directly at me,” said the first-grade teacher. “It's changed me. It's changed my life.” Teacher shot by student awarded ‘Hero’ grant Zwerner was in a classroom full of first graders at Richneck Elementary School in Newport News, Virginia, on that Friday afternoon when one of the students pulled out a 9mm handgun, which Newport News Police said legally belonged to h...

Can I be arrested for not showing up for jury duty in Illinois?

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:55:59 GMT

ROCKFORD, Ill. (WTVO) — The United States Constitution guarantees all criminal defendants a right to trial by a "jury of their peers." In Illinois, a jury is selected at random from individuals who are eligible for jury duty.To become a juror in Illinois, a prospective juror must be:Citizens of the United States, at least 18 years of age, inhabitants of the county in which summoned, free from all legal exception, of fair character, of approved integrity, of sound judgment, well informed, and able to understand the English language, whether in spoken or written form or interpreted into sign language.When someone is summoned to be part of the jury pool, that doesn't necessarily mean they will serve on a jury.If there is no available case for trial, or if a juror is excused from a court proceeding, they may be sent home.But — can you be arrested if you don't show up to jury duty in the first place?The answer is: yes. Failing to appear for jury duty in Illinois is against the law.A juro...

Asteroid expected to pass close to Earth this Saturday

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:55:59 GMT

WASHINGTON D.C. (KXAN) -- Scientists looking to observe asteroids will get a rare chance this weekend. NASA's Planetary Defense Coordination Office is reporting that a newly discovered Near-Earth Object will pass within just 100-thousand miles this weekend.According to the office, the asteroid, named 2023 DZ2, measures between 140 feet and 310 feet in diameter. A fly-by of this size happens once every ten years.The asteroid will pass between the Earth and the Moon's orbit. It will be closest to Earth at 2:51 p.m. CST on March 25th. The asteroid was first observed on January 14th, 2023. The best time to observe the asteroid will be early evening on March 24th by looking southeast.The asteroid is considered an Apollo-class asteroid. This means its diameter is less than 10km in size. These asteroid's orbits pass through Earth's orbit but take longer to complete an orbit of the sun. Because of the proximity this asteroid can get to Earth, NASA classifies it as a Potentially Hazardous ...

1st Texas case of avian influenza in mammal confirmed in skunk

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:55:59 GMT

CARSON COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) — A skunk recovered from Carson County is Texas' first confirmed case of avian influenza in a mammal. The National Veterinary Services Laboratories (NVSL) confirmed this week the presence of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) in a striped skunk recovered from the north Texas county. According to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, HPAI is a highly contagious virus that transmits easily among wild and domestic birds and is detected in all U.S. states except Hawaii. The virus can spread directly between animals and indirectly through environmental contamination.For mammals, current data shows transmission occurs primarily through the consumption of infected animal carcasses, though mammal-to-mammal transmission does not appear sustainable, TPWD said in a news release. TPWD said other mammal species susceptible to HPAI include foxes, raccoons, bobcats, opossums, mountain lions and black bears. Symptoms can include incoordination and stumbling, tre...

Three St. Paul labor unions avert authorized strike with tentative agreement

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:55:59 GMT

In down-to-the-wire negotiations, three labor unions that had threatened to strike have come to a tentative agreement with the city of St. Paul over wages and other contract matters.Jonathan Young, a spokesman for the International Union of Operating Engineers Local 49 — representing construction workers, mechanics and heavy equipment operators in St. Paul Public Works — said the Tri-Council negotiating on behalf of the three labor units reached a tentative agreement with the city Monday night, and “no strike is being called at this time.”Members of the Tri-Council will vote on the agreement Thursday. The contract proposal, which has yet to be made public by the Tri-Council, is not final until accepted by members.The Tri-Council also is composed of Teamsters Local 120 and Laborers International Union Local 363, which together with IUOE 49 represent workers in St. Paul Public Works, St. Paul Parks and Recreation and St. Paul Regional Water Services.Roughly 100...

Easter restaurant specials in the Capital Region

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:55:59 GMT

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- Easter Sunday is quickly approaching on April 9. If you’re thinking about going out for brunch or dinner to celebrate, you may want to plan ahead because many restaurants require reservations, and seats are filling up fast. Get the latest, news, weather, sports and community events delivered right to your inbox! Here’s where you can find restaurant specials for Easter in the Capital Region.Dinosaur BBQOffering a take-home Easter meal featuring ham brined pork shoulder, three sides and a pie. Serves four to six people.Address: 377 River Street in TroyLast day to order is March 24 by noon. You can order your meal by calling (518) 308-0401Pick-up is available April 8 or 9The NestOffering Easter brunch from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.Address: 512 State Street in SchenectadyYou can view the menu on The Nest Facebook pageYou can make a reservation by calling (518) 672-3018 The Moose Kaboose Tavern opening in Hoosick Falls Cornell's in Little ItalyOffering the regular me...