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Women’s voices and votes loom large as pope is to open a Vatican meeting on church’s future

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 11:15:19 GMT

VATICAN CITY (AP) — A few years ago, Pope Francis told the head of the main Vatican-backed Catholic women’s organization to be “brave” in pushing for change for women in the Catholic Church. Maria Lia Zervino took his advice and in 2021 wrote Francis a letter, then made it public, saying flat out that the Catholic Church owed a big debt to half of humanity and that women deserved to be at the table where church decisions are made, not as mere “ornaments” but as protagonists.Francis appears to have taken note, and this week he will open a global gathering of Catholic bishops and laypeople discussing the future of the church, where women — their voices and their votes — are taking center stage for the first time.For Zervino, who worked alongside the former Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio when both held positions in the Argentine bishops’ conference, the gathering is a watershed moment for the church and quite possibly the most consequential thing Francis will have undertake...

UK Treasury chief says he’ll hike the minimum wage but rules out tax cuts while inflation stays high

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 11:15:19 GMT

MANCHESTER, England (AP) — Britain’s Treasury chief is to announce a hike in the national minimum wage on Monday, as the governing Conservative Party tries to persuade voters it is on the side of those who are struggling financially.Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt has ruled out tax cuts, saying they would fuel inflation.According to excerpts of Hunt’s speech released in advance by the Conservative Party, he will tell the Conservatives’ annual conference that the hourly rate for workers 23 or older will rise in April from 10.42 pounds ($12.70) to at least 11 pounds ($13.40). The exact amount will be set after a recommendation by the Low Pay Commission, an advisory body.That will mean a raise for more than 2 million workers.,Hunt is also to pledge to toughen the rules on social benefits in an attempt to stem the flow of working-age people out of the workforce, a trend that has accelerated since the coronavirus pandemic.“Those who won’t even look for work do not deserve t...

Nobel Prize announcements are getting underway with the unveiling of the medicine prize

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 11:15:19 GMT

STOCKHOLM (AP) — Six days of Nobel Prize announcements begin Monday with the unveiling of the winner of the medicine award.The Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine was won last year by Swedish scientist Svante Paabo for discoveries in human evolution that unlocked secrets of Neanderthal DNA which provided key insights into our immune system, including our vulnerability to severe COVID-19.The award was the second in the family. Paabo’s father, Sune Bergstrom, won the Nobel Prize in medicine in 1982.Nobel announcements continue with the physics prize on Tuesday, chemistry on Wednesday and literature on Thursday. The Nobel Peace Prize will be announced Friday and the economics award on Oct. 9.The prizes carry a cash award of 11 million Swedish kronor ($1 million). The money comes from a bequest left by the prize’s creator, Swedish inventor Alfred Nobel, who died in 1896.The prize money was raised by 1 million kronor this year because of the plunging value of the Swedish currency.The l...

Daily horoscope for October 2, 2023

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 11:15:19 GMT

Moon Alert: Avoid shopping or important decisions after 9 p.m. EDT today (6 p.m. to 10:15 p.m. PDT). After that, the Moon moves from Taurus into Gemini.Happy Birthday for Monday, Oct. 2, 2023:You are intelligent, direct and to the point. You think quickly and act quickly because you are a decisive person. You love stimulating conversation. This is the first year of a nine-year cycle for you, which means you must be flexible, courageous and ready to explore new directions.ARIES(March 21-April 19) ★★★Today you might be in touch with original, innovative, moneymaking ideas. These could be ideas you want to explore on your own or they might relate to your job. Possibly, a colleague will tell you something that surprises you, and it also affects your earnings. Tonight: Conversations!TAURUS(April 20-May 20) ★★★★Today you feel pumped with energy and are raring to go! You might impulsively accept an invitation to socialize with others, or it could relate to dealing with kids or even somethi...

Europe's Beating Cancer Plan: First prototype of the Cancer Image Europe platform goes live

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 11:15:19 GMT

On 29 September, the European Cancer Imaging Initiative reached a first major milestone: as of 29 September, the Cancer Image Europe platform links up 36 datasets of images of 9 cancer types (breast, colon, lung, prostate, rectum, liver, glioma, neuroblastoma, glioblastoma), for a total of over 200,000 image series of about 20,000 individuals. A first version of the rules that will apply for data providers and users, as well as the operational procedures for the platform have also been published.The Initiative aims to deliver a European federated infrastructure of cancer images data to support healthcare providers, research institutes and innovators in making the best use of innovative data-driven solutions for diagnostics, cancer treatment and care, for the benefit of cancer patients.Internal Market Commissioner Thierry Breton said: “With the launch of the Cancer Image Europe platform, we are harnessing the power of data in our fight against cancer. We are paving the way towards a ...

Dear Abby: After this awkward encounter, my neighbor posted notes about me in the building

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 11:15:19 GMT

DEAR ABBY: For the last seven years, I have lived in an apartment with a strange next-door neighbor.Related ArticlesAdvice | Dear Abby: I believed my dad’s version of why he got fired. Then I was blindsided by the truth. Advice | Dear Abby: My friend was upset by this playdate incident involving his son. Was I wrong? Advice | Dear Abby: My snappy response about my invalid wife apparently offends people Advice | Dear Abby: My husband’s young crush is back in town, and I’m not supposed to say anything Advice | Dear Abby: She caused me so much pain, and now she wants back in my life I don’t speak to her because, years ago, she got angry with me when someone left packages for her with me. The bags arrived open, and I assumed keeping them for her was OK. She was furious and accused me of looking inside. She added that “people don’t usually give you all the things they were ...

Jill On Money: Student loan repayment begins anew

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 11:15:19 GMT

After more than three years of COVID-related reprieves, Sunday ushered in the resumption of federal student loan epayments. (Cue the groans from the millions who are impacted…)Related ArticlesBusiness | What happens when your 0% intro APR period ends? Business | How a government shutdown could affect travel Business | Mortgage rates climb to 7.31%, highest since 2000 Business | The best free robo-advisers Business | The home and auto insurance crisis and how to keep your coverage For those who have paid off student loans a long time ago, it may be hard to conjure up empathy, but please try to hold back on your judgment, so we can encourage tens of millions of borrowers to get back on track.Where should I start?Although most borrowers have been preparing for this moment, there are still those who need to act right now. If you haven’t heard from your loan servicer, get in touch with them immedi...

Six-bedroom home sells for $2.8 million in Pleasanton

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 11:15:19 GMT

2436 Via de Los Milagros – Google Street ViewA 3,837-square-foot house built in 1983 has changed hands. The spacious property located in the 2400 block of Via de Los Milagros in Pleasanton was sold on Aug. 3, 2023, for $2,775,000, or $723 per square foot. This single-story house offers a spacious layout with six bedrooms and four bathrooms. Inside, a fireplace adds character to the home. In addition, the house includes a three-car garage. The property’s backyard is further enhanced by a pool.Additional houses have recently been purchased nearby:In June 2022, a 2,853-square-foot home on Corte Mente in Pleasanton sold for $2,700,000, a price per square foot of $946. The home has 4 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms.A 2,280-square-foot home on the 5700 block of Corte Libre in Pleasanton sold in June 2022, for $2,645,000, a price per square foot of $1,160. The home has 4 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms.On Corte Facil, Pleasanton, in July 2022, a 2,274-square-foot home was sold for $2,570,000, a price pe...

Brooks Robinson public memorial service scheduled for Monday at Camden Yards

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 11:15:19 GMT

The Orioles will hold a public memorial on Monday for Hall of Fame third baseman Brooks Robinson, the team announced Thursday.Fans will have the opportunity to honor Robinson beginning at 10 a.m. at Camden Yards.Robinson died Tuesday at the age of 86. Through much of baseball’s Golden Age, Robinson was a poster boy for the national pastime, a symbol whose visage was even captured in a 1971 Norman Rockwell painting.For nearly a quarter of a century, Robinson was a face of the city. He went on to serve as a coach, broadcaster, special adviser and community liaison for the team after his playing days.Complimentary parking will be available in lots A, B and C, and fans can enter the ballpark through Gate E. The lots will open at 8:30 a.m., and entry to Camden Yards will begin at 9 a.m. The event is not ticketed.Instead of flowers, donations can be made to the Constance and Brooks Robinson Charitable Foundation at 2 Railroad Ave. in Glyndon.Gov. Wes Moore has ordered the Maryland ...

Rep. Matt Gaetz is threatening to oust Speaker Kevin McCarthy. It won’t be easy

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 11:15:19 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — “How would you be different as speaker, compared to Mr. Boehner?” a reporter asked then-House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy in September 2015 as the California Republican pursued, and eventually gave up, his first attempt at the speakership. McCarthy laughed while standing next to outgoing Speaker John Boehner — who had just stepped down after facing a threat of removal — and joked that he was from a different generation and wouldn’t be as tan.Eight years later, McCarthy is finding that there are fewer differences between them as he faces a conservative revolt against his speakership.“If somebody wants to remove (me) because I want to be the adult in the room, go ahead and try,” McCarthy told reporters Saturday. And his critics, namely Rep. Matt Gaetz, plan to do just that. On Sunday, the far-right Republican from Florida threatened to use a procedural tool — called a motion to vacate — to try and strip McCarthy of his office as soon as this week after...