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Stock market today: Wall Street drifts as investors await inflation data, Fed; GameStop tumbles

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:13:50 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks are drifting in mixed trading Thursday, continuing this week’s lull as Wall Street waits for several big events next week.The S&P 500 was 0.3% higher, and it hasn’t moved by more than 0.4% in any day this week. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 89 points, or 0.3%, at 33,754, as of 11:25 a.m. Eastern time, while the Nasdaq composite was 0.8% higher. The majority of stocks in the S&P 500 and across Wall Street were falling, though, after a report showed the highest number of workers applied for unemployment benefits since October 2021. Until now, the job market has remained remarkably solid and helped keep the economy out of a recession. GameStop was one of the bigger movers, falling 19.4% after ousting its CEO who was brought in to turn around the struggling video game retailer. The company, whose stock became a sensation in 2021 during the meme-stock craze, also reported weaker revenue for the latest quarter than expected.On the winning side was ...

Shooting connected to Palestinian criminal groups in northern Israel kills 5

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:13:50 GMT

Five people were killed in a shooting Thursday in an Arab town in northern Israel, police said, the latest in a wave of criminal violence tearing through the country’s Palestinian communities. Israel’s Haaretz newspaper said a gunman arrived at a car wash in the town of Yafa an-Naseriyye, near the city of Nazareth, and opened fire. It quoted police as saying they believe the shooting was connected to a dispute between organized crime families.Shortly afterward, a shooting in a nearby Arab town left a 30-year-old man and 3-year-old girl seriously wounded, police said. The circumstances of that shooting and the identities of the two wounded were not immediately known.Israel’s Palestinian sector has long suffered from poverty, discrimination, crime and neglect by the national government.Israel’s far-right national security minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, promised to crack down on crime in Israel’s Palestinian sector when he took office late last year. But the v...

‘Belligerent’ Ontario man charged for starting fire during active ban

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:13:50 GMT

Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) has charged a man after he was involved in having a backyard fire in northeastern Ontario during an active fire ban.OPP said members from its East Algoma Detachment were called to assist a local fire department at a residence in the Town of Blind River, Ont. in the Algoma region.It’s alleged a person at the residence was belligerent and upset at fire department members because they couldn’t have a fire during the ban.Natural Resources and Forestry Minister Graydon Smith confirmed this week that there are fire restrictions in most of the province’s eastern, central, northeast and northwest regions. Municipalities can impose fire bans as warranted.Police said 35-year-old Joshua McRae of Blind River, Ont. was charged with unlawfully starting a fire in a restricted fire zone.RELATED: When can we expect wildfire smoke to clear out of the GTA?“The East Algoma OPP responded to recent calls for service related to fire bans around the E...

Quebec fires: fierce fight in Normétal as flames within 500 metres of municipality

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:13:50 GMT

MONTREAL — Quebec’s wildfire fight is focused today in the province’s northern region where flames have reached the doorstep of a municipality of roughly 800 people.Authorities say a wildfire is within 500 metres of Normétal, Que., located 720 kilometres northwest of Montreal.Quebec’s forest fire prevention agency says it is confident the small community can be protected and that winds in the region are less strong than feared.Agency spokeswoman Karine Pelletier says the government is also focusing efforts on Lebel-sur-Quévillon, Que., a northern municipality where 2,100 people were evacuated and where two separate large fires could merge.There’s another fire near the northern communities of Chibougamau and Mistissini.The forest fire agency — Société de protection des forêts contre le feu — says there are 150 active fires in the province and that so far more than 639,000 hectares have burned, representing the worst fire season on record.This report by The Can...

Weekend need-to-know: Do West Fest, Ride to Conquer Cancer and the 2nd weekend of Pride

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:13:50 GMT

With the air quality expected to start improving by the weekend, there are lots of events still on the schedule over the next three days. The annual Do West Fest will be on all weekend and it’s the second weekend of Pride Month with lots of events to celebrate.Here’s what’s going on across Toronto on June 10 to 11:Do West FestThe annual Do West Fest will shut down Dundas West from Shaw Street to Lansdowne Avenue for the annual celebration of music, arts, food, and community in Little Portugal. There will be live music, extended patios, local food trucks and vendors and artisan and craft vendors spread across 16 blocks.It kicks off at 6 p.m. on Friday night and runs from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Saturday and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday.The annual festival used to be called Dundas West Fest but was recently changed in light of city council’s decision to rename Dundas Street which is named for Henry Dundas who is infamous for playing a pivotal role in delaying the ...

REVIEW: Past Lives finds beauty and longing in the smallest gestures

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:13:50 GMT

In Korean culture, there’s a philosophical concept known as In-Yun. It’s shared by various Eastern philosophies, and it essentially is a form of providence throughout our reincarnated lives. If you’re walking down the street, and you brush up against another person, that moment represents all the interactions you have two have had over your various lifetimes. In-Yun can be more powerful for closer connections, such as your romantic partner or your parents.Teo Yoo and Greta Lee in Past Lives, courtesy of Elevation Pictures.Past Lives, the debut film by Celine Song, is a film very concerned with In-Yun. The film, which is based off of Song’s own experiences, is about a writer called Nora (played by Greta Lee from Russian Doll) born in South Korea who left the nation as a young child. She lives in New York City now with her husband (played by John Magaro from First Cow), but finds herself often wondering about a childhood sweetheart. She hasn’t seen Hae Su...

PGA says it could temporarily halt Canadian Open play if air quality hits hazardous level

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:13:50 GMT

While some PGA stars are still fuming about being blindsided by the tour’s controversial merger with the Saudi-backed LIV Golf, concerns at the RBC Canadian Open have shifted to actual fumes — from raging wildfires.Players teed off for the opening round of Canada’s lone PGA tour stop at the Oakdale Golf & Country Club in Toronto on Thursday morning with a now-familiar smoky haze shielding the sun.The air quality index in the GTA on Thursday is expected to reach its highest level since the smoke from out-of-control fires began blanketing the area on Monday.In a statement, the PGA said it would monitor the air quality “closely” and take action if it’s warranted.“When the AQI is greater than 300 and is sustained for one full hour, play may be temporarily suspended under a Red Level 2 Air Quality warning,” the Tour said.For context, the AQI in New York City reached an all-time high level of 401 on Wednesday, casting an eerie orange glo...

Naperville man charged after two seniors attacked by construction site

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:13:50 GMT

WHEATON Ill. — A man is facing felony charges after two men in their late 60s were attacked outside a construction site in Naperville Saturday. According to police, 33-year-old Eric Conklin is facing three felonies of aggravated battery, person over 60 and two counts of aggravated battery of persons over 60. Police say near a residential construction site on 80th Street, Conklin exited the construction site and attacked two men, ages 65 and 68, while they were removing firewood. Man, 54, dead after gas station shooting in Alsip It is alleged that Conklin came out of the home and threw rocks at both of the men and their trucks. He also allegedly hit one of them several times on the back of the head with a 2 by 4 wood. Police located him in the backyard of a nearby residence where he quickly became unresponsive. Conkin was transported to Edward Hospital for evaluation. One of the victims suffered a concussion, broken hand, wrist and multiple lacerations to the head. Concklin was t...

A trio of Bears make their first OTA appearance Wednesday

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:13:50 GMT

LAKE FOREST — When he looked onto the field during Wednesday's workout at Halas Hall, Matt Eberflus had to feel a little better about the attendance. That's because three players who've been absent from the previous workouts were on the field for the final voluntary OTA workout. Cornerback Jaylon Johnson and guard Nate Davis, who were healthy to take part in previous practices but didn't. were on the field Wednesday. Safety Eddie Jackson, who continues his recovery from a football injury last November, was also able to get on-field work done as well. Johnson's absence was the one that created the most chatter among fans and media since he's entering the final year of his rookie contract. On Wednesday, he made it clear that wasn't the reason that he wasn't present during OTA "If anybody knows me, that's not my character," said Johnson when asked if his time away from the team was in any way contract related. "I think at the end of the day, for me, I wouldn't even say holding out, jus...

El Niño officially arrives early: What it means for 2023 weather

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:13:50 GMT

(NEXSTAR) – El Niño has arrived. The Climate Prediction Center announced Thursday that El Niño conditions were present and expected to grow stronger in the coming months. Forecasters give it a 56% chance of developing into a strong El Niño, and an 84% chance of topping "moderate" strength. This year's El Niño has shown up ahead of the typical schedule. In the past decade, El Niños have started in late summer or early fall. Its early appearance "gives it room to grow," Climate Prediction Center meteorologist Michelle L’Heureux, told the Associated Press. This year's El Niño is expected to keep building and remain strong through the 2023-2024 winter. El Niño arrives early: What it means for rest of 2023 This year is predicted to be the inverse of what we’ve seen the last three years, in which we have had back-to-back La Niña seasons.El Niño typically brings cold, wet winters to the Southern U.S. A strong El Niño, in particular, is associated with lots of rain for the Southwest...