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Stock market today: Wall Street churns a bit higher in early trading

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:26:49 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks are churning slightly higher on Wall Street after a highly anticipated report showed inflation accelerated across the country last month, but not by much more than expected. The S&P 500 was up 0.2% in early trading Wednesday. The Dow was up 119, and the Nasdaq composite was up 0.2%. The report said U.S. consumers paid prices last month that were 3.7% higher than a year earlier, up from July’s inflation rate of 3.2%. Much of the acceleration was because of higher fuel costs, which can swing very sharply and quickly. Underlying inflation trends still look to be pointing toward continued moderation.THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below.Wall Street pointed slightly lower early Wednesday ahead of a key report on U.S. inflation that could sway the Federal Reserve’s upcoming decision on interest rates. Futures for the Dow Jones Industrial Average edged 0.1% lower before the bell, while the S&P 500 are essentially unchanged.Eco...

Doug Ford’s approval rating lowest among Canadian Premiers, polling shows

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:26:49 GMT

Ontario Premier Doug Ford’s approval rating has seen its largest dip since he took office as he currently ranks last among Canadian premiers, new polling shows.The Angus Reid Institute has Ford’s approval rating at 28 per cent, down five per cent from his previous standing. Those findings were published last week, on Sept. 8. Ford is tied with Manitoba Premier Heather Stefanson, whose approval rating improved from 25 per cent to 28 per cent, respectively.Ford’s current approval rating is the lowest of his five-year term as Ontario’s Premier. Ford held his highest approval rating in March 2020 at 69 per cent, but it’s dipped significantly since.Elsewhere, Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe and Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston are tied with the country’s highest current approval rating despite a significant drop, while Newfoundland Premier Andrew Furey (49 per cent), Vancouver Premier David Eby (48 per cent) and Alberta Premier Danielle Smith (47 per cen...

Russian spaceport visited by North Korea’s Kim has a history of corruption and construction delays

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:26:49 GMT

MOSCOW (AP) — The space launch facility where Russian President Vladimir Putin hosted North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on Wednesday reflects an ambitious attempt by Moscow to burnish its scientific glory that faded after the collapse of the Soviet Union.The new Vostochny Cosmodrome has a troubled history tarnished by construction delays and widespread corruption.Here is a glance at the spaceport’s creation and capability:POST-SOVIET CREATIONAfter the 1991 breakup of the Soviet Union, Russia leased the Baikonur Cosmodrome from Kazakhstan and continued to use it for most of its space launches. The agreement with Kazakhstan allows Russia to keep leasing Baikonur for $115 million a year through 2050.The relatively small Plesetsk launch pad in northwestern Russia has been used for some military satellite launches and military missile tests.Amid occasional disputes with Kazakhstan over Baikonur’s use, Russian authorities declared that the country needs a full-fledged space facility o...

Statistics Canada says household debt ratio down in Q1 as income grew

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:26:49 GMT

Statistics Canada says the amount Canadians owe relative to how much they earn fell in the second quarter as disposable income comfortably outpaced the growth in debt and demand for mortgages fell.The agency says household credit market debt as a proportion of household disposable income, on a seasonally adjusted basis, fell to 180.5 per cent in the second quarter compared with 184.2 per cent in the first quarter of the year.In other words, Statistics Canada says there was $1.81 in credit market debt for every dollar of household disposable income in the second quarter, down from $1.84 in the first three months of 2023.Meanwhile, the household debt service ratio, measured as total obligated payments of principal and interest on credit market debt as a proportion of household disposable income, was 14.79 per cent in the most recent quarter, down from 14.90 per cent in the first quarter, when it hit its highest point since 2019.The moves came as seasonally adjusted household credit ma...

WATCH: AJ Freund death, DCFS workers trial day 3

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:26:49 GMT

MCHENRY COUNTY, Ill. — The trial for two former Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) workers accused of child endangerment enters its third day Wednesday.The multiple felony charges filed in Sept. 2020 against Andrew Polovin and Carlos Acosta stem from the April 2019 death of five-year-old Andrew “AJ” Freund of Crystal Lake. They are accused of having known Freund’s life was in danger four months earlier yet not taking action. Previous Coverage: Nearly 20 police reports can be used in AJ Freund DCFS trial The bench trial began on Monday with the McHenry County State’s Attorney providing an opening statement for the prosecution, and separate attorneys providing statements for each of the defendants. Tuesday's proceedings were occupied entirely by the state's fourth witness, Carol Ruzicka. Ruzicka is a retired DCFS regional administrator who testified for the prosecution as an expert in regard to DCFS procedures.Ruzicka will return to the stand Wednesday where the defen...

New COVID shots: 5 things to know after CDC’s approval 

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:26:49 GMT

Americans will be able to receive an updated COVID-19 vaccine as early as Wednesday after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) endorsed the shot for all Americans at least 6 months old. The new shots from Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech will hit the market just as the U.S approaches the fall and winter respiratory virus season. They arrive along with new treatments to protect infants and older adults from respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).Here's what to know:The vaccine protects against current variantsLike all the other COVID-19 vaccines, the updated version is not designed to prevent infection completely but is meant to reduce the severity of symptoms and curb the risk of "long COVID."The updated shots were designed to target the XBB.1.5 variant, which was dominant when vaccine makers began to formulate and test a new version. That variant is no longer dominant and only accounts for about 3 percent of cases. But experts and administration officials have said the v...

Former Bears running back Tarik Cohen is back in the NFL

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:26:49 GMT

CHICAGO — After struggling with injuries the past three years, a former Bears draft pick will get the chance to restart his career in the National Football League.That opportunity for Tarik Cohen is going to come in his home state. Per numerous reports, the running back is signing with the Panthers' practice squad on Wednesday as they prepare for their Monday night home opener against the Saints in Charlotte. It will be the first time that Cohen, a Bunn, North Carolina native, has been with a team since the Bears released him in March 2022, when Ryan Poles took over as the Bears' general manager.This is the next step in the NFL comeback for the running back and kick returner who was the fourth round pick of the Bears in the 2017 NFL Draft. Cohen was a first team All-Pro and Pro Bowl punt returner in 2018 and signed a three-year, $17.25 million contract on September 20, 2020. ‘This one hurts’: Bears deal with blowout loss to open 2023 season But the problems started later that wee...

Peso Pluma receives death threats ahead of Tijuana concert, officials say

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:26:49 GMT

EL PASO, Texas (Border Report) -- The Jalisco cartel purportedly threatened singer Peso Pluma ahead of his performance next month in Tijuana.According to the Los Angeles Times and El Sol De Tijuana, and several news portals, three narcomantas -- threats written on cloth banners -- appeared early Tuesday in Tijuana, where the singer is scheduled to perform on Oct. 14 at Estadio Caliente as part of his "Doble P México Tour." Juarez won’t ban ‘narco-corridos’ at annual city fair The Tijuana newspaper reported that the city of Tijuana is investigating the cartel banners as the mayor and city officials consider canceling the concert out of safety concerns.One of the purported banners, images of which have been posted by Mexican news media and shared widely on social media, warns that if Peso Pluma performs it will be his final show. It is signed CJNG, short for Cartel Jalisco Nueva Generacion.Peso Pluma, whose real name is Hassan Emilio Kabande Laija, performed on Tuesday during the MT...

Seattle police officer recorded laughing, joking after pedestrian is fatally struck by cop car: 'She had limited value'

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:26:49 GMT

SEATTLE (AP) — A city watchdog agency is investigating after a body-worn camera captured one Seattle Police Department union leader joking with another following the death of a woman who was struck and killed by a police cruiser as she was crossing a street.Daniel Auderer, who is the vice president of the Seattle Police Officers Guild, responded to the Jan. 23 crash scene where another officer, Kevin Dave, struck and killed Jaahnavi Kandula, 23, in a crosswalk. Dave was driving 74 mph (119 kmh) on the way to an overdose call, and Auderer, a drug recognition expert, was assigned to evaluate whether Dave was impaired, The Seattle Times reported.Afterward, Auderer left his body-worn camera on as he called guild President Mike Solan to report what happened. In a recording released by the police department Monday, Auderer laughs and suggests that Kandula’s life had “limited value” and the city should “just write a check.”“Eleven thousand dollars. She was 26 anyway,” Auderer said, inaccur...

Dr. Murphy talks updated COVID-19 vaccines

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:26:49 GMT

Dr. Robert Murphy is a professor of infectious disease at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine and is the executive director for The Institute for Global Health.Have a question for Dr. Murphy? Please submit any questions by sending a message on Facebook at @NUInstituteforGlobalHealth. You can also submit questions via email at [email protected].