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Stock market today: Wall Street mixed as households get more nervous

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:59:34 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks are mixed Friday as a listless week on Wall Street appears to be heading toward a quiet close, even as big worries continue to roil under the surface.The S&P 500 was virtually unchanged in morning trading and on pace for a sixth straight week where it moved less than 1%. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 20 points, or 0.1%, at 33,330, as of 10:15 a.m. Eastern time, while the Nasdaq composite was 0.2% lower.Despite the seemingly placid moves for the overall market, big swings have swirled underneath amid worries about a possible recession, high inflation and the U.S. government inching toward what could be a catastrophic default on its debt.It’s not just Wall Street that’s concerned. Sentiment among U.S. consumers is tumbling, according to a preliminary survey by the University of Michigan. That’s a worry because strong spending by consumers has been one of main pillars keeping an already slowing economy from sliding into a recession...

5.5 magnitude earthquake, large aftershock hit Northern California; minor damage reported

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:59:34 GMT

EAST SHORE, Calif. (AP) — Earthquakes have rattled a large area of Northern California this week, but only minor damage was immediately reported.A magnitude 5.5 quake centered in the Sierra Nevada’s Lake Almanor resort region struck at 4:19 p.m. Thursday and a magnitude 5.2 aftershock occurred at 3:18 a.m. Friday, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. ABC10 reported local businesses were cleaning up minor damage in the area about 180 miles (290 kilometers) northeast of San Francisco.“A lot of broken glass, a lot of broken dishes, a lot of broken liquor from upstairs,” Stephanie Hughes, a local restaurant manager, told the station after the Thursday afternoon quake.“Everything was shaking. Customers were fleeing onto the lawn,” said Hughes.People reported feeling the earthquake all the way to Sacramento, about 160 miles (260 kilometers) south.The magnitude 5.5 quake was the largest in California since the magnitude 7.1 Ridgecrest sequence in 2019, according to former U...

Representatives from 25 Indian Ocean nations discuss security, economic growth and cooperation

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:59:34 GMT

DHAKA, Bangladesh (AP) — Representatives from 25 Indian Ocean nations discussed regional economic growth, cooperation and security at the Indian Ocean Conference in Bangladesh on Friday as the Indo-Pacific grows in importance amid changes in the world order.Government officials and experts discussed the Russia-Ukraine war prominently in several sessions, reflecting concerns about how countries in the region would align themselves in the new complex order stemming from the war.“The Indian Ocean has reemerged as an important area, not only for economic resources, but also because … it has gradually been becoming a theater of geopolitics,” said Delwar Hossain, professor of international relations at Dhaka University. “So now we can see that the littoral countries of the Indian Ocean are facing a new context, particularly when we see Ukraine.”Countries in the region have had to cope with rising inflation and supply chain disruptions as well as questions of security alignments as a...

NBCUniversal executive will take over as the new Twitter CEO: reports

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:59:34 GMT

Elon Musk said he has found a new CEO for Twitter, or X Corp. as it’s now called, and multiple media reports identify her as Linda Yaccarino, an executive with NBCUniversal.Musk did not name Yaccarino, but on Friday NBCUniversal said that she would be stepping down from the company as chairwoman for global advertising and partnerships.Yaccarino interviewed Musk on a Miami stage last month in front of hundreds of advertisers.Musk, who bought Twitter last fall and has been running it since, has long insisted he is not the company’s permanent CEO. The Tesla billionaire said in a tweet Thursday that his role will transition to being Twitter’s executive chairman and chief technology officer.In mid-November, just a few weeks after buying the social media platform for $44 billion, he told a Delaware court that he does not want to be the CEO of any company.While testifying, Musk said “I expect to reduce my time at Twitter and find somebody else to run Twitter over time.”More than a mo...

This weekend’s Line 1 subway closure to mark major construction milestone

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:59:34 GMT

Transit riders will once again have to plan alternates around a portion of the TTC’s Line 1 subway on Saturday.Shuttle buses will replace trains between York Mills and Bloor-Yonge stations on May 13 as crews work on upgrades to the Automatic Train Control (ATC) signalling system.But the TTC says the ATC system, which was completed and fully implemented in September 2022, only needs to be adjusted as a major project to extend the platform at Eglinton Station finishes up.RELATED: Weekend need to know: Leafs vs. Panthers, Jays home games; TTC/road closuresThe platform now extends further north and in an email to CityNews, the TTC says the ATC adjustments will allow trains to be repositioned to the new section of the platform.“From Sunday, trains at Eglinton Station will stop 24 metres north of the south end of the platform, with the northern platform extension now complete,” the transit agency said.“The platform extension will give customers an easy connection t...

Man, 55, robbed at gunpoint inside Northwest Side motel room

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:59:34 GMT

CHICAGO — A 55-year-old man was robbed at gunpoint inside his motel room on the Northwest Side Thursday night. Police said that the man relayed to them that he was robbed at gunpoint by two men and one woman inside his motel room near the 6400 block of West Touhy Avenue.According to police reports the man was not injured and was transported to a local hospital in good condition for chest pain. Woman found shot to death in South Side house fire Police said one of the men was placed into custody after officers observed the man matching the description given over the air. This is a continuous investigation and charges are pending.

'Alarming backlog' of unrecovered guns due to revoked FOID cards, says Cook Co. Sheriff

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:59:34 GMT

COOK COUNTY, Ill. — Sheriff Thomas Dart is concerned with the backlog of unrecovered firearms after a gun permit has been revoked.Dart said the backlog is "alarming" and has a "detrimental impact on public safety," according to a press release from his office. More than 600 catalytic converters recovered in largest single bust in the country, sheriff says He plans to hold a press conference Friday to discuss his concerns and call for more resources to help local police agencies.WGN plans to livestream the event in its entirety within this story beginning at approximately 10:30 a.m.

Liam and Olivia continue reign as Social Security’s top baby names in the US

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:59:34 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — Dutton and Wrenlee are on the rise but they're no match for champs Liam and Olivia as the top baby names in the U.S. last year.The Social Security Administration released the annual list Friday. The agency tracks baby names in each state based on applications for Social Security cards, with names dating to 1880.It's Liam's sixth straight year as No. 1. Olivia has reigned since the name unseated Emma four years ago. Emma is No. 2.Coming in third for girls' names is Charlotte, followed by Amelia, Sophia, Isabella, Ava, Mia, Evelyn and Luna. For boys' names, Liam is followed by Noah, Oliver, James, Elijah, William, Henry, Lucas, Benjamin and Theodore.Luna is the only newcomer in the Top 10, booting Harper.The agency has been compiling the list since 1997, often revealing the impact pop culture has on baby naming trends. The smash hit “Yellowstone” has clearly influenced new parents. The neo-Western starring Kevin Costner debuted in 2018, with characters surfacing amon...

‘Chonkosaurus’: Kayakers encounter giant snapping turtle along Chicago River

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:59:34 GMT

CHICAGO (AP) — Footage of a plump snapping turtle relaxing along a Chicago waterway has gone viral after the man who filmed the well-fed reptile marveled at its size and nicknamed it “Chonkosaurus."Joey Santore was kayaking with a friend along the Chicago River last weekend when they spotted the large snapping turtle sitting atop a large chain draped over what appear to be rotting logs.He posted a jumpy video of the turtle on Twitter, labeling it the “Chicago River Snapper aka Chonkosaurus.” Meet the guys behind video of giant snapping turtle ‘Chonkosaurus’ in Chicago River In the video, Santore can be heard sounding stunned by the size of the turtle, which was displaying folds of flesh extending well beyond its shell.“Look at this guy. We got a picture of this most beautiful sight. Look at the size of that ... thing," he says, using an expletive. “Look at that beast. Hey, how ya doing guy? You look good. You're healthy.”Chris Anchor, the chief wildlife biologist with Forest Prese...

'Legend of Zelda': What does this photo have to do with it?

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:59:34 GMT

(NEXSTAR) — As Nintendo releases its latest installment in the iconic "The Legend of Zelda" game series on Friday ("The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom"), the new chapter brings new interest in protagonist Link and the lore of the kingdom of Hyrule. But there's one behind-the-scenes detail of the "Zelda" world you may not know: how the titular Princess Zelda got her name.First released to a Nintendo platform in 1987, "The Legend of Zelda," was a smash hit and set the stage for a franchise that would go on to include 19 main series entries to date. But as popular as it is, there's still a well-worn internet joke that many who are unfamiliar with the games mistakenly believe Link is named "Zelda." So just where does that Zelda name come from? Shut up! Lindsay Lohan and Jamie Lee Curtis open to reuniting for ‘Freaky Friday 2’ As told by "Zelda" co-creator Shigeru Miyamoto, in the book "Hyrule Historia," it all dates back to the game's creation, when Miyamoto was creating a deta...