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Home sales slumped to slowest pace in more than 13 years in October as prices, borrowing costs, soar

Published Fri, 07 Feb 2025 11:20:57 GMT

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Sales of previously occupied U.S. homes slumped in October to their slowest pace in more than 13 years as surging mortgage rates and rising prices kept many prospective homebuyers on the sidelines.Existing home sales fell 4.1% last month from September to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 3.79 million, the National Association of Realtors said Tuesday. That’s weaker than the 3.90 million sales pace economists were expecting, according to FactSet.The last time sales slumped this hard was in August 2010, when the housing market was in recovery from a severe crash.Sales sank 14.6% compared with the same month last year. They have fallen five months in a row, held back by climbing mortgage rates and a thin supply of properties on the market.Despite the decline in sales, home prices keep climbing compared with this time last year. The national median sales price rose 3.4% from October last year to $391,800. “Lack of inventory along with higher mortgage rates (are) r...

UK took action too late against COVID-19 during first wave of pandemic, top medical officer says

Published Fri, 07 Feb 2025 11:20:57 GMT

LONDON (AP) — Britain’s government was too late in taking action against the coronavirus during the first wave of the pandemic in 2020, the U.K.’s chief medical adviser said Tuesday. Responding to questions about the U.K.’s actions in handling the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, Chris Whitty told a public inquiry he felt he was more wary than others about the negative impacts of “shielding,” or isolation policies, school closures and lockdowns.Whitty said he was concerned in particular about the longer-term impact such policies would have on the poorest people and those living alone, and described the difficulties in balancing the risks of introducing decisive measures “too early” or “too late.”But he rejected suggestions by the inquiry’s lawyer, Huge Keith, that he had warned the government against “overreacting.” Rather, he said he made it clear to policymakers that “without action, very serious things would occur.”“With the benefit of hindsight,...

Do your research for Black Friday, because not every deal is a good one, experts warn

Published Fri, 07 Feb 2025 11:20:57 GMT

The barrage of Black Friday advertisements might have many tempted to whip out their wallets, but experts caution against unnecessary discretionary purchases this year amid inflation and the skyrocketing cost of living.But reigning in spending is much easier said than done. Bruce Winder, a retail analyst with over two decades of experience, recommends consumers approach this year’s season of super sales with two strategies in mind: preparation and research.“Most people see Black Friday as the kick off to the holiday spending season, and it’s true that it can be a great way to save money with some of those intense bargains,” he said. “But it’s also important to know that not every deal is a good one.”Many retailers prepare for the sale months in advance by bulking up manufacturing of selected sale items so they can be sold at heavily discounted prices, or marking down excess inventory. However, retailers’ main source of Black Friday revenue rarely comes from their most dramatically d...

Justice Minister Arif Virani says online harms bill ‘an absolute priority’

Published Fri, 07 Feb 2025 11:20:57 GMT

OTTAWA — Justice Minister Arif Virani says legislation that will try to tackle online hate is coming soon.The Liberals first promised in the 2019 election campaign to bring in a bill to combat hate speech, terrorist content and sexual abuse material.The latest Israel-Hamas war has led to a sharp rise in hateful rhetoric online in recent weeks and Virani says that has also manifested in violent attacks on religious and community groups.Jewish and Muslim organizations say it is crucial the Liberals get it right when it comes to defining what constitutes online harm.The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs and the National Council of Canadian Muslims say they have been talking with the government about the bill.Virani says the legislation is an “absolute priority” for him and other members of cabinet, but he also says it’s complex and there is no definite timeline for it to be finished.This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 21, 2023. The Canadian P...

Hamas officials say hostage agreement could be reached soon

Published Fri, 07 Feb 2025 11:20:57 GMT

Senior Hamas officials said Tuesday that an agreement could be reached soon in which the militant group would release hostages and Israel would free Palestinian prisoners.Israel, the United States and Qatar, which mediates with Hamas, have been negotiating for weeks over a hostage release that would be paired with a temporary cease-fire in Gaza and the entry of more humanitarian aid. Similar predictions of a hostage agreement in recent weeks have proven premature.Israel's army is widening its operations across northern Gaza, where they battled Palestinian militants on Tuesday in the densely populated Jabaliya refugee camp, the territory's largest.The military said forces are “preparing the battlefield” in the Jabaliya area, just north of Gaza City, and have killed dozens of militants in recent days. Troops discovered three tunnel shafts where fighters were hiding and destroyed rocket launchers, it said. It wasn't possible to independently confirm details of the fighting. A strike on...

Hotter summers, warmer winters in Illinois? New climate report offers scalding outlooks

Published Fri, 07 Feb 2025 11:20:57 GMT

(NEXSTAR) — It might be hard to think of warmer days — especially with a strong El Niño likely to bring more snow this year and a cold Thanksgiving on tap for Chicago — but a new federal climate report shows the U.S. could face dire heat in the coming decades at the hands of global warming.The Fifth National Climate Assessment, released earlier this month, shows the planet will likely heat up by an average of between 4.5 and 7.2 degrees Fahrenheit compared to pre-industrial times — outpacing goals of both the U.S. and international community, The Hill reports.The U.S. is likely to see significant temperature changes: at 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit of global warming, the average temperature here could rise between 4.4 and 5.6 degrees, the report explains. Goodbye, snowy Illinois winters? New climate report offers dry projections Alaska is expected to be the hardest hit, with some areas seeing the average temperature jump by as much as 10 degrees Fahrenheit in the coming d...

Severe storms, snow threaten Thanksgiving travel: Here's where

Published Fri, 07 Feb 2025 11:20:57 GMT

(The Hill) — Severe storms and possible snow may cause some Thanksgiving travel troubles across the U.S., according to officials.“Two main storm systems are expected to impact the nation with rain, thunderstorms, and winter weather,” the National Weather Service's (NWS) Prediction Center posted on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter. Heavy rain and strong thunderstorms are forecasted to impact the Lower Mississippi Valley into the Mid-Atlantic, as a system moves from the southern Plains to the Northeast Tuesday and into Wednesday. The system could bring gusty winds and possibly snow in New England and the Interior Northeast with "heavy snow possible" across the higher elevations within New Hampshire and Maine. Google Maps rolls out new color scheme. No, you can’t change it back Wednesday, wet weather is expected to move across the Northwest before bringing moderate to heavy snow to the northern Rockies by Thanksgiving, the NWS said. That snow is then expected to sweep throug...

Dean’s A-List Interviews: Hannah Waddingham on Christmas variety show

Published Fri, 07 Feb 2025 11:20:57 GMT

WGN Entertainment Reporter Dean Richards talks to Hannah Waddingham about "Home for Christmas," her holiday variety show dropping on Apple TV.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!

Dean’s A-List Interviews: Annette Bening, Jodie Foster on new movie 'NYAD'

Published Fri, 07 Feb 2025 11:20:57 GMT

WGN Entertainment reporter Dean Richards talks to Annette Bening and Jodie Foster on starring roles in new Netflix movie "NYAD."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!

Austin police say man shot and killed suspect who broke into his home

Published Fri, 07 Feb 2025 11:20:57 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Austin police are investigating after they say a man was shot and killed after breaking into someone's northwest Austin home.Police say Ricardo Cortez, 55, broke into a home in the 10500 block of Foundation Road, just off FM 620, south of Anderson Mill Road. It happened around 11:43 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 21.The preliminary investigation revealed Cortez broke into the bedroom, where the resident shot and killed him in self defense, according to police. The resident then immediately called 911.Cortez died "a short time later," according to police. MAP: Where have Austin’s homicides occurred in 2023? The incident is being investigated as the city's 56th homicide of the year, the same number as this time last year, but down from 72 in 2021.