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Stock market today: Surge for Meta powers Wall Street higher

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:27:20 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Wall Street is rising Thursday after Meta Platforms became the latest Big Tech company to blow past profit expectations and reports painted a mixed picture of the U.S. economy. The S&P 500 was 0.7% higher in early trading and on pace for its first gain in three days. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 181 points, or 0.5%, at 33,483, as of 9:50 a.m. Eastern time, while the Nasdaq composite was leading the market with a 1% gain. Facebook’s parent company was doing some of the heaviest lifting, and it jumped 15.1%. Not only did Meta beat analysts’ estimates for profit during the first three months of the year, it also gave a forecast for revenue that topped expectations. The majority of companies have been beating profit forecasts so far this reporting season. Hasbro climbed 9.8%, and eBay rose 2.4% after they also topped Wall Street’s estimates. But expectations were quite low coming into this reporting season because of still-high inflation, much higher inter...

Nebraska lawmakers to begin 2nd round of debate on abortion

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:27:20 GMT

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska lawmakers were expected to begin a second round of debate Thursday on a bill that would ban abortion once cardiac activity can be detected in an embryo, which generally occurs around the sixth week of pregnancy and before most women know they’re pregnant.Supporters advanced the so-called heartbeat bill from the first round of debate earlier this month with only a one-vote margin to break a filibuster. The bill must survive Thursday’s debate and a final round to pass, but the effort in the Republican-controlled state remains in question. Yet to be considered is an amendment introduced by a Republican co-signer to the bill that would extend the proposed ban to 12 weeks.The amendment and reports of support for it by some lawmakers who voted for the bill earlier this month could signal that a ban set very early in pregnancy may face pushback even from those who want further abortion restrictions.The bill makes specific exceptions for ectopic pregnanci...

Military sex assault reports rise, even as Army numbers fall

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:27:20 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — The number of reported sexual assaults across the military inched up by about 1% last year, as a sharp decline in Army numbers offset large increases in the other three services, U.S. officials told The Associated Press. The small overall uptick is significantly less than the 13% jump the Defense Department saw in 2021, but it’s overshadowed by the fact the Air Force, the Navy and the Marine Corps all had more reports last year than the previous year, according to the two U.S. officials.Because the Army is much larger than the other three services, its 9% drop in reported sexual assaults last year drove the overall military increase down. That large decrease comes a year after Army leaders saw a nearly 26% jump in reports involving soldiers — the largest increase for that service since 2013.The officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the Pentagon’s report on the cases had not yet been publicly released, said the Air Force saw the larg...

Putting radiation to the test to heal irregular heartbeat

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:27:20 GMT

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Doctors are zapping the heart with radiation normally reserved for cancer, a bid to better treat people with life-threatening irregular heartbeats who’ve exhausted other options.While it’s highly experimental, surprising early research suggests it may reprogram misfiring heart cells to control heartbeats more like younger, healthier cells do.“It may actually rejuvenate sick tissue, and that’s pretty exciting,” said Dr. Stacey Rentschler of Washington University in St. Louis.An irregular heartbeat called ventricular tachycardia is a major cause of sudden cardiac arrest, blamed for about 300,000 U.S. deaths a year. Treating it with radiation is a radical approach — cancer doctors are trained to avoid radiating the heart at all costs for fear of collateral damage.Now researchers are about to begin the first rigorous study to prove if a quick, one-time dose to fight this irregular heartbeat really works well enough — and is safe enough — for more patients li...

Average home price will not revert to pre-pandemic levels this year: CMHC

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:27:20 GMT

TORONTO — The Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp. says the average home price will not revert to pre-pandemic levels in 2023 because declines in prices will taper off soon and bottom out sometime this year.The federal housing agency is predicting home prices and sales will record year-over-year declines and by the end of the year, leave the country with an average annual price below the 2022 level.However, the declines won’t blunt much of the market’s heat because CMHC’s chief economist foresees a more significant drop in housing starts this year than was experienced between 2020 and 2022.Bob Dugan sees some recovery in 2024 and 2025, but expects supply gaps in Canada’s most expensive and supply-constrained housing markets, including Vancouver and Toronto, to worsen.He says home ownership will be less affordable across Canada in the near-term because of higher mortgage rates and still-elevated price levels.He adds rental affordability will also likely decline as dema...

Cow located in Niles after 'senior prank'

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:27:20 GMT

NILES, Ill. — Authorities in Niles located a cow after it was on the loose for several hours due to a "senior prank."Just before 3 a.m. Thursday, police responded to the 8300 block of Ballard on the report of suspicious people in the area.Officers located several students from Northridge Preparatory School in the area and they were apparently conducting a "senior prank," police said.At some point, a live cow escaped from the group of students and went into a local neighborhood. Niles police and other authorities were working with Wagner Farms to secure the cow. ‘Uncontainable excitement’: 18-year-old captures northern lights over Illinois At around 9:20 a.m. SkyCam9 was over the scene when the cow was secured and put into a trailer.This story will be updated if more information is released.

Man breaks into church, damages property in Loop overnight

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:27:20 GMT

CHICAGO — A man is in custody after breaking into a church in the Loop overnight. Police said that a 37-year-old man began breaking out the front windows and doors a church near the 100 block of West Washington Street around 12:23 a.m. School bus crashes into home in Western Springs According to police reports, the man entered the lobby and ransacked the area, flipping over furniture and other items. He was placed into custody and transported to the hospital with injuries to his hands.There is no other information available.

CPS looking to hire more nutritional staff

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:27:20 GMT

CHICAGO — Chicago Public Schools are looking to hire more nutritional staff members.Aramark, who provides food services to CPS, said nutritional staffing levels haven't recovered since the pandemic. Employees with the district's nutrition staff services receive benefits including health insurance and a pension."It's a great gig — people start at 6 and work until 2 or 3," food service manager Dan Copeland said. "An incredible amount of support is available."Starting wages are $16.17 for lunchroom attendants, $17.75 for porters, $18.11 for cooks and $18.11 for associate managers. ‘Uncontainable excitement’: 18-year-old captures northern lights over Illinois Candidates must be a resident of Chicago and fully vaccinated against COVID-19. Lunchroom attendants and porters are required to have a current food handler's license. Cooks and associate managers are required to have a high school diploma or GED and a current Chicago Department of Public Health food service manager license.To ap...

Former MTV star Bam Margera turns himself in on assault charge

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:27:20 GMT

CHESTER COUNTY, Pa. (WHTM) – Former MTV star Brandon “Bam” Margera has turned himself in after allegedly assaulting his brother and fleeing police into a wooded area, according to Pennsylvania State Police.Margera was arraigned on April 27 with bail set at $50,000. Margera is scheduled to return to court on May 25 for a preliminary hearing.According to State Police, on Sunday, April 23 at 11 a.m., troopers from PSP Avondale Station responded to the 400 block of Hickory Hill Road in Pocopson Township, Chester County for a reported disturbance. Former MTV star Bam Margera wanted in Pennsylvania The Associated Press, citing court documents, said on Sunday that Margera’s brother, Jesse Margera, reported Bam had punched him in the eye, nose and ear after kicking his locked bedroom door.Jesse Margera said he’d also found a threatening handwritten note signed “Bam,” a police affidavit said.State Police stated that Margera then fled into a wooded area and had not been seen until...

Orioles promote infielder Joey Ortiz, organization’s No. 7 prospect, and option utilityman Terrin Vavra to Triple-A

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:27:20 GMT

One of the offseason’s biggest questions has been answered.Who will be the first Orioles infield prospect called up to the majors in 2023? Answer: Joey Ortiz.The Orioles on Thursday morning promoted Ortiz, the club’s No. 7 prospect according to Baseball America, and optioned utilityman Terrin Vavra to Triple-A Norfolk.Ortiz, the Orioles’ fourth-round draft pick in 2019, began the season as one of three prominent infield prospects in Norfolk alongside Jordan Westburg and Connor Norby, ranked Nos. 5 and 6, respectively, in Baltimore’s top-ranked farm system. All three were ranked inside Baseball America’s offseason top 100 list.Ortiz, who turns 25 in July, is the oldest among the organization’s stockpile of infield prospects, and he’s also considered the best defensively. While 189 of his 232 starts in the minors have come at shortstop, Ortiz can also play second and third base. In February, Orioles executive vice president and general manager...