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Tiny Italian island struggles to cope with thousands of migrants who arrived in a short span

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:54:11 GMT

MILAN (AP) — A migrant reception center in Italy’s southernmost island of Lampedusa was overwhelmed Thursday as it coped with transferring thousands of people to the mainland after they arrived on small, unseaworthy boats in a 24-hour span this week.The Red Cross said there were still 4,200 migrants at the center, out of the 6,800 who reached the tiny tourist and fishing island in a flotilla of some 120 boats arriving from Tunisia. Transfers to the mainland were ongoing.“After a particularly challenging day like yesterday, today people are being continuously transferred,’’ said Francesca Basile of the Italian Red Cross. “The situation is certainly complex and gradually we are trying to return to normal.”She said all of the migrants had been given food, and that camping beds were being distributed “so that they don’t sleep in the cold.”With the reception center overflowing, migrants whose movements are usually tightly controlled were able to slip away, and were seen all over the isla...

Stock market today: Wall Street opens higher after retail, inflation data

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:54:11 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks are ticking higher on Wall Street with hopes that central banks around the world are close to done with their hikes to interest rates. The S&P 500 was up 0.5% in early trading Thursday. The Dow rose 148 points and the Nasdaq composite added 0.4%. Some of the strongest action was in the bond market, where Treasury yields swung up and then down as traders sifted through a mixed set of U.S. reports showing the economy is still humming, though inflation may be too. Shares of chip designer Arm Holdings are set to begin trading later in the day. THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below.Wall Street is pointing higher Thursday following a modest increase in inflation across the U.S. in August that eased worries over the likelihood of another interest rate hike by the Federal Reserve.Futures for the S&P 500 edged 0.4% higher before the bell Thursday and futures for the Dow Jones industrials were up 0.3%. While the inflation data was a to...

Movie Review: A charming Haley Lu Richardson anchors sappy but sweet rom-com ‘Love at First Sight’

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:54:11 GMT

The last time we saw Haley Lu Richardson — at least, the “White Lotus” version of Haley Lu Richardson — her Portia was in an airport, leaving the murderous mayhem of Sicily (and one dead boss) behind and exchanging contacts on her phone with nice young Albie.Now, in an amusing bit of symmetry, we rejoin the charming Richardson at an airport again in “Love at First Sight” — with another young man, this time trying but failing to get his contact info into her phone. (Spoiler alert: one really needs to keep one’s phone charged when looking for love.)It’s this theme of missed connections — and fate, and inadequately charged iPhones — that anchors the plot of this sweet, often moving but also painfully corny rom-com that survives on the appeal of Richardson and also her co-star, Ben Hardy, a couple that could triumph over anyone’s saccharine dialogue.The Netflix film, directed by Vanessa Caswill, is based on the popular YA novel “The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight” ...

Retail sales rise 0.6% in August largely due to a spike in gas prices

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:54:11 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Americans stepped up retail spending modestly from July to August as the price of gasoline jumped, cutting into budgets as many families send their kids off to school. Retail sales rose 0.6% in August, compared with a revised 0.5% increase in July, according to a report issued by the Commerce Department on Thursday. The big rise in gas prices accounted for more than half of the inflation increase recorded in August, the U.S. reported Wednesday. Excluding gas, retail sales were just up 0.2% for August, according to the report.Sales at gas stations rose a robust 5.2%, while furniture and home furnishings stores saw a 1% drop in sales. Clothing and accessories stores had a 0.9% gain, likely helped by back-to-school spending. Restaurants saw a 0.3% increase. Grocery stores had a 0.4% sales increase. Online sales were unchanged in August, perhaps hurt by robust spending during the Amazon Prime day sales event in July.The uptick in retail sales reflects the economy’s resil...

Largest US newspaper chain is hiring Taylor Swift and Beyoncé reporters, drawing interest and ire

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:54:11 GMT

LOS ANGELES (AP) — This week the United States’ biggest newspaper chain posted to its site two unusual job listings: a Taylor Swift reporter and a Beyoncé reporter.Gannett, which owns more than 200 daily papers, will employ these new hires through USA Today and The Tennessean, the company’s Nashville-based newspaper. The chain is looking for “modern storytellers” adept in print, audio and visual journalism, said Michael Anastasi, The Tennessean’s editor and Gannett’s vice president for local news.“Seeing both the facts and the fury, the Taylor Swift reporter will identify why the pop star’s influence only expands, what her fanbase stands for in pop culture, and the effect she has across the music and business worlds,” the company said in its job description.Similarly, the company wants a journalist who can capture Beyoncé’s effect on society and the industries in which she operates.Anastasi said the Tennessean already has a three-person music team and “I put ...

11-year-old missing Gary boy safely located

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:54:11 GMT

GARY, Ind. — An 11-year-old Gary boy who was missing since Wednesday night has been safely located.Police said the boy was found near his home.

Man killed, another critical after Far South Side shooting

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:54:11 GMT

CHICAGO — A man was killed and another is in critical condition following a double shooting Wednesday night on the Far South Side.Police responded to the 10600 block of South Green Street on the report of a person shot at around 9:50 p.m. Officers found two men, 31 and 34, suffering from gunshot wounds while inside a parked vehicle.The 31-year-old was pronounced dead at the scene. The 34-year-old was transported to Christ Hospital in critical condition. Family wants answers after 19-year-old daughter found dead on Englewood porch No one is in custody.

Libyan city buries thousands in mass graves after flood as mayor says death toll could triple

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:54:11 GMT

DERNA, Libya (AP) — The Libyan city of Derna has buried thousands of people in mass graves, officials said Thursday, as search teams scoured ruins left by devastating floods and the city’s mayor said the death toll could triple.The deluge swept away entire families on Sunday night and exposed vulnerabilities in the oil-rich country that has been mired in conflict since a 2011 uprising that toppled long-ruling dictator Moammar Gadhafi. Health officials have confirmed 5,500 deaths and say 9,000 people are still missing.Here's a look at the latest developments.WHAT HAPPENED IN LIBYA?Daniel, an unusually strong Mediterranean storm, caused deadly flooding in towns across eastern Libya, but the worst-hit was Derna. As the storm pounded the coast Sunday night, residents said they heard loud explosions when two dams outside the city collapsed. Floodwaters washed down Wadi Derna, a valley that cuts through the city, crashing through buildings and washing people out to sea.A U.N. official sai...

Roles reverse for the Sky in 2023 playoffs - and Game 1 showed that

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:54:11 GMT

LAS VEGAS — The feeling is a little different around the team than it was a year ago, and Wednesday proved that. In 2022, the Sky were the second seed in the WNBA Playoffs as they looked to face the Aces for a shot at a second-straight title.Now the team is in Las Vegas with a new look team, a new coach, having gotten into the last seed in the playoffs in the final week of the season. They are facing the top-seeded Aces as a heavy underdog, with some not even predicting the Sky to win a game, and the first contest of their WNBA Semifinals didn't change that opinion.Even as Candace Parker, a key member of the Sky in 2021 & 2022, is on the sidelines with a foot injury, Las Vegas looked the part of a defending champion. They sprinted past the Sky from the start and kept them at a distance, winning Game 1 of the best-of-three series 87-59 at Michelob ULTRA Arena.Now the team faces elimination when they play Game 2 on Sunday at 2 p.m. in Las Vegas. The Aces wasted no time building a ...

What renters insurance does and does not cover

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:54:11 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — When the unexpected happens — whether fire, hail, or human error — renters insurance can provide much-needed stability. But many choose not to purchase coverage, including in places most frequently and hardest hit by natural disasters, new research shows.Linda Klamm, who works as an attorney for insurance policyholders after catastrophes, lost her home to a firestorm in Oakland, California, in 1991, and has firsthand experience with the challenges of collecting on a policy.Jorge Amezquita, from right, cousin Adalene Castillo and girlfriend Cassandra Duarte look for a TV remote under debris after a tornado ripped the roof off the apartment on Jan. 24, 2023, at Beamer Place Apartments in Houston. When natural or manmade disasters happen, renters insurance can mean the difference between catastrophe and stability. (Yi-Chin Lee/Houston Chronicle via AP, File)“The sky went from being a reddish color to the sun looking bloodied. Then it quickly became black,...