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New UN migration chief says private sector ‘desperate’ to take migrants despite negative narrative

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:53:57 GMT

GENEVA (AP) — The new head of the U.N.’s migration agency said Monday that the private sector is “desperate” for their countries to take in migrants to mop up labor shortages, especially in the West — endeavoring to steer a narrative away from reticence and suspicion about migrants in many parts of the world.Amy Pope, the first woman to head the International Organization for Migration, sought to play up the economic benefits of migration for rich nations with aging populations and declining workforces — in the face of “build-the-wall” rhetoric in the United States to block migrants from Latin America and right-wing movements in Europe that want to keep foreigners out.”We hear from … the private sector globally, but especially in Europe and in North America, that they are desperate for migration in order to meet their own labor market needs and in order to continue to fuel innovation within their own companies,” Pope, who is American, told reporters.She said the evidence...

Malaysians urged not to panic-buy local rice after import prices for the staple rise substantially

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:53:57 GMT

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) — Malaysia’s government on Monday reassured the country there is sufficient rice in the market and urged people not to hoard locally produced rice after recent panic-buying led to empty shelves in supermarkets and grocery stores nationwide.Agriculture and Food Security Minister Mohamad Sabu said the government will increase distribution to rural areas to address a supply issue sparked by a hike in the price of imported rice. Malaysia and many countries are grappling with rising rice prices and low supplies after India’s curb on rice sales cut global supplies by a fifth.Mohamad said Malaysia’s locally produced rice is capped at 2.60 ringgit ($0.55) per kilogram (2.2 pounds), the cheapest in the region. So when sole importer Padiberas Nasional Berhad raised the price of imported white rice by 36% on Sept. 1, it prompted many Malaysians to switch from imported rice to cheaper local rice. He said the higher price of imported rice cannot be h...

Sam Bankman-Fried must now convince a jury that the former crypto king was not a crook

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:53:57 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — For a while, Sam Bankman-Fried tried to convince politicians and the public that he was the next J.P. Morgan. Now, he has to convince a jury that he wasn’t, in reality, the next Bernie Madoff.The trial of Bankman-Fried, the founder of the failed cryptocurrency brokerage FTX, will begin Tuesday with jury selection. Prosecutors from the Southern District of New York are expected to lay out a case against Bankman-Fried that shows he stole billions of dollars in FTX customer deposits and used the money to fund his hedge fund, buy real estate, and make millions of dollars of illegal campaign donations to Democrats and Republicans in an attempt to buy influence over cryptocurrency regulation in Washington.While the case will involve the complicated world of cryptocurrencies, prosecutors are expected to try to boil it down to the simplest of terms for jurors: Bankman-Fried took money from customers and used it in ways he wasn’t supposed to.“Prosecutors are going to sa...

Record-breaking warmth expected in Toronto before Thanksgiving cool down

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:53:57 GMT

It will feel more like summer than fall in Toronto to kick off the first work week of October, with mostly sunny and humid days in store before a cold front arrives ahead of Thanksgiving.Record-breaking warmth is expected for at least a couple of days this week as daytime highs hover near 30 C.“It is warm, well above average,” says CityNews 680 meteorologist Jill Taylor. “Tuesday and Wednesday there is definitely the potential for some record, very warm highs.”Summer-like heat and humidity continues for Toronto and the GTA but don’t get used to it! It will be a lot cooler for the Thanksgiving Long weekend. More wx details https://t.co/nqpfVr7W8a— Jill Taylor (@JillTaylorCity) October 2, 2023Monday will see sun and cloud with a guaranteed high of 26 C and a humidex near 30. It’s only expected to drop down to 17 C overnight, which is actually the average daytime high for this time of year.It’s the next two days when record temperatures are po...

Stock market today: World shares mostly lower as Congress averts a US government shutdown

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:53:57 GMT

BANGKOK (AP) — Shares were mostly lower in Europe and Asia on Monday even after the U.S. Congress averted a U.S. government shutdown with a last-minute compromise.Markets in China are closed for a weeklong holiday. Markets in India and South Korea also were closed. Oil prices gained and U.S. futures were higher as the threat of a federal government shutdown receded after Congress approved the temporary funding bill late Saturday to keep federal agencies open until Nov. 17. Germany’s DAX lost 0.2% to 15,358.22 and the CAC 40 in Paris shed 0.2% to 7,117.58. Britain’s FTSE 100 declined 0.4% to 7,579.23. The future for the S&P 500 was unchanged and that for the Dow industrials lost less than 0.1%. A Japanese central bank survey showed business confidence on the rise, though that failed to lift investor sentiment in Tokyo. The Bank of Japan’s “tankan” quarterly survey measured business sentiment among major manufacturers at plus 9, up from plus 5 in June. Sentiment among ...

Liz Weston: 5 surprising facts about assisted living

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:53:57 GMT

If you or a loved one can no longer live safely at home, assisted living may be the answer. Residents typically live in their own rooms or apartments and get housekeeping services, meals and help with personal care.But facilities can vary enormously, and people’s expectations about assisted living often clash with reality, elder care experts say. Here are some important things to know.1. MEDICARE DOESN’T COVER THE COSTMedicare does not pay for “custodial” care, which is what assisted living facilities provide, including help with daily activities such as bathing, dressing, getting in and out of bed, and using the toilet. Most people pay for assisted living out-of-pocket if they don’t have long-term care insurance, says Amy Goyer, AARP’s national family and caregiving expert.Nationwide, the cost of assisted living facilities averaged $4,500 a month in 2021, according to the latest figures from long-term care insurer Genworth. But costs range enormously depending on the area and the s...

Georgia political group launches ads backing Gov. Brian Kemp’s push to limit lawsuits

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:53:57 GMT

ATLANTA (AP) — A political group linked to Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp says it is launching an ad campaign backing the Republican’s efforts to make it harder for people to file lawsuits and win big legal judgments.The group, called Hardworking Georgians, said Monday that limits would cut insurance costs and make it easier for businesses to get insured and to defend against lawsuits in court.The group says it will spend more than $100,000 on ads in the state.It remains unclear exactly what Kemp will propose, although one element will be to limit lawsuits against property owners for harms on their property caused by someone else.Kemp announced his plan to back lawsuit limits in August at a meeting of the Georgia Chamber of Commerce.“For too long, Georgia tort laws have encouraged frivolous lawsuits that hamstring job creators, drive up insurance costs for families already struggling to make ends meet, undermine fairness in the courtroom, and make it harder to start, grow, and operat...

Monday Forecast: Temps in upper 80s with sunny conditions

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:53:57 GMT

CHICAGO — Sunny and unseasonably warm Monday. Cooler lakeside. Winds: SSW 5-10 mph. Air quality is in the Moderate category. High 87, cooler lakeside.Clear skies tonight and mild for the season. Some patchy fog after midnight. Winds: SE 0-5 mph. Low 64. Interactive Radar: Track showers and storms here TUESDAY FORECAST: Sunny and continued warm. Cooler lakeside. S 5-10 mph. High 88.Extended outlook calls for more clouds on Wednesday with highs in the lower 80s & a bit breezy. A chance of showers is back in the forecast by the later half of the day. Temps back towards normal for early October on Thursday with a high near 71 and some rain at times and perhaps an isolated t'storm. Friday a breezy and feeling like fall with highs only around 60. Saturday could be coolest day of the week with highs only around 57. If that temp verifies, it's the chilliest afternoon we've seen since early May around Chicagoland. Full forecast details and more at the WGN Weather Center blog

Stevie Nicks honored with own Barbie doll

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:53:57 GMT

(NEXSTAR) – Traditional Barbie dolls are well and fine, but have any of them ever written a song about an old Welsh witch?In honor of Stevie Nicks’ current U.S. tour, Mattel is celebrating the songstress’ legacy — and her gothic, gossamer stage style — with her very own Barbie Music Collector doll.“As the lead singer of Fleetwood Mac and a critically acclaimed, chart-topping solo act, Stevie Nicks has been a major influence and source of inspiration and adoration for artists and audiences around the world, especially to women in the rock and roll industry,” a representative for Mattel explained of its decision to honor Nicks with a Barbie likeness. Your vintage Barbie dolls might be worth a pretty penny Nicks, too, had a hand in helping design the doll, working “closely with the Barbie team to ensure the doll was an accurate reflection of her features, style, and persona on stage,” according to the representative.To that end, the doll’s dress is inspired by the outfit Nicks i...

Vermont State Police respond to fatal motorcycle crash

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:53:57 GMT

CLARENDON, Vt. (NEWS10) -- Vermont State Police responded to a fatal motorcycle crash that happened around 11:21 a.m. on Sunday. The crash took place at the intersection of US Route 7/N on Shrewsbury Road in Clarendon. Get the latest news, weather, sports and entertainment delivered right to your inbox! Following an investigation, police say 70-year-old Roy Loomis was driving a motorcycle west through the intersection and did not stop at a red light. Loomis was hit by a car traveling through the intersection and was pronounced dead on the scene. This incident is still under investigation.Troopers were assisted on the scene by the Regional Ambulance Service, Clarendon Fire Department, and Vermont AOT.