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US prices pick up, showing inflation pressures persist

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:57:47 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — Consumer prices in the United States accelerated in April after months of declines, with measures of underlying inflation suggesting that rising costs could persist for months to come.Prices rose 0.4% from March to April, the government said Wednesday, up from 0.1% from February to March. Compared with a year earlier, prices climbed 4.9%, down just slightly from March’s year-over-year increase. The nation’s inflation rate has steadily cooled since peaking at 9.1% last June but remains far above the Federal Reserve’s 2% target rate.The Fed is paying particular attention to so-called core prices, which exclude volatile food and energy costs and are regarded as a better gauge of longer-term inflation trends. Core prices rose 0.4% from March to April, the same as from February to March. It was the fifth straight month that core prices have risen by 0.4% or more. Increases at that pace are far above the Fed’s 2% target.Compared with a year ago, core prices r...

Children among 15 dead in north Nigeria boat capsizing

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:57:47 GMT

ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — A boat capsized in northwestern Nigeria, killing 15 people, police said Wednesday.The boat was heading to the village of Dundeji in Sokoto state on Tuesday when it capsized in the middle of a river, local police spokesman Sanusi Abubakar told The Associated PressThere were 36 passengers on board the boat, with 21 of them rescued alive. Thirteen females and two males died. Abubakar said. Some of the fatalities were children. It was the latest in a series of boat capsizings in Nigeria’s river communities.The villagers on Wednesday gathered at the local square with their families as they mourned the victims, who were on their way to fetch firewood, local media reported. Umar Yabo, a local representative, described the deaths as a great loss to the community, which is about 55 kilometers (34 miles) from the state capital, Sokoto.Authorities on Wednesday launched an investigation into the tragedy, the police official said. Such capsizings are common in many river co...

Winfrey teams with Arthur C. Brooks on book about happiness

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:57:47 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Oprah Winfrey’s latest book project is one she helped write. Winfrey has teamed with the author, educator and Atlantic columnist Arthur C. Brooks on “Build the Life You Want: The Art and Science of Getting Happier,” to be published Sept. 12 by Portfolio Books.“I started reading Arthur Brooks’ column ‘How to Build a Life’ during the early days of the pandemic,” Winfrey said in a statement released Wednesday by Portfolio, a Penguin Random House imprint. “I found myself happily anticipating each week’s lesson, which turned out to be a recipe for growing forward. When I discovered he taught happiness at Harvard, I wanted to extend that to the rest of us.”Brooks, who teaches a “Leadership and Happiness” class at Harvard, said in a statement that he had long admired Winfrey, who last year praised his bestseller “From Strength to Strength” and interviewed him for her “Super Soul” podcast.“As a social scientist, I look at the data and evidence on what leads to th...

Archbishop of Canterbury: UK migration bill is morally wrong

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:57:47 GMT

LONDON (AP) — The head of the Church of England on Wednesday condemned a British government bill that would dramatically curb migrants’ ability to seek asylum in the U.K., calling the policy “isolationist, morally unacceptable and politically impractical.”Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby made a rare appearance in Parliament to oppose the legislation. He told the House of Lords, Parliament’s unelected upper chamber, that the government’s proposal was a “short-term fix” that risked causing great damage to the U.K.’s reputation.The legislation bars asylum claims by anyone who reaches the U.K. by unauthorized means, and compels officials to detain and then deport refugees and migrants “to their home country or a safe third country,” such as Rwanda. Once deported, they would be banned from ever re-entering the U.K.Britain’s Conservative government says the measure would deter tens of thousands of people from trying to cross the English Channel in small ...

Lawmakers pave way for EU to ratify treaty protecting women

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:57:47 GMT

BRUSSELS (AP) — The European Union is getting closer to ratifying a landmark European treaty protecting women from violence.Lawmakers gathered in Strasbourg, France, on Wednesday approved by a large majority the EU’s endorsement of the Istanbul Convention.The human rights treaty of the Council of Europe states that men and women have equal rights, and obliges state authorities to take steps to prevent gender-based violence against women, protect victims and prosecute perpetrators.The EU signed the treaty six years ago but it has yet to be ratified by the bloc as a whole because of the opposition of six member countries — Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania and Slovakia. “I want to send my strongest call to those six remaining member states in the EU, to also individually ratify the Istanbul Convention,” said Arba Kokalari, a Swedish EU lawmaker from the Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality. “It’s time for you to stand on the right side of hist...

Chanel lures stars with cruise fashion show in Los Angeles

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:57:47 GMT

LOS ANGELES (AP) — With stars like Margot Robbie and Lil Nas X sitting in the front row, Virginie Viard’s sporty clothing designs inspired by Hollywood glam shined just as bright during a Chanel fashion show in Los Angeles.The fashion brand took hold of the Paramount Picture Studios lot to unveil its latest cruise collection on a chilly Tuesday night. It was such a splashy spectacle that even Snoop Dogg was dancing in his comfy bleacher seat while models strutted on a black-and-white Chanel basketball-like court with two large scoreboards.A massive screen as long as the court showed various black-and-white videos of dancing Chanel models and aerial images of Los Angeles filled with palms trees.The spacious court gave the models room to work in front of a star-studded crowd that included Kristen Stewart, Elle Fanning, Issa Rae, H.E.R., Nile Rodgers, Paris Hilton, Andra Day, Leslie Mann, Tracee Ellis Ross, Kris Jenner, Kimora Lee Simmons, Christina Milian and Lori Harvey.Viard brought...

Nuvei says Q1 revenue up 20%, but reports loss due to Paya acquisition costs

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:57:47 GMT

MONTREAL — Nuvei Corp. saw its first-quarter revenue rise 20 per cent compared with a year ago, but recorded a loss for the first three months of the year as it was hit by about US$20 million in costs related to its deal to buy U.S. company Paya Holdings Inc.The Montreal-based payment technology company, which keeps its books in U.S. dollars, says its net loss amounted to US$8.3 million or seven cents per diluted share for the quarter ended March 31.The result compared with net income of US$4.5 million or two cents per diluted share a year earlier.Revenue for the quarter totalled US$256.5 million, up from US$214.5 million in the first three months of 2022.On an adjusted basis, Nuvei says it earned 44 cents per diluted share in its latest quarter, down from an adjusted profit of 46 cents per diluted share in the same quarter last year.Nuvei announced in January its deal to acquire Atlanta-based Paya for US$1.3 billion in cash.This report by The Canadian Press was first published May ...

How do you hold an election in a province on fire?

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:57:47 GMT

In today’s Big Story podcast, wildfires continue to ravage parts of Alberta, and there are questions about how they will impact the provincial election at the end of May. And with scorching weather forecasted to return, it’s unclear when the blazes will be brought under control.Danielle Smith, the premier of Alberta, has called the ongoing wildfire situation “unprecedented,” a state of emergency was declared over the weekend, and the federal government has pledged support.Courtney Theriault, a reporter with CityNews Edmonton, says that the election will proceed as planned despite the wildfires. “The election itself is very much slated to go May 29, and it would take a substantially larger disaster than this already unprecedented disaster, to move that date,” he says.So what happens now? How has campaigning changed? And what might election day look like?You can subscribe to The Big Story podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google and Spotify.You can also find it at thebigsto...

1 killed in crash on Dan Ryan Expressway

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:57:47 GMT

CHICAGO — One person was killed in a fatal crash on the Dan Ryan Expressway.The accident involving two vehicles happened around 12:30 a.m. Wednesday on the southbound Dan Ryan near 95th Street. According to Illinois State Police, one of the vehicles was rear-ended by the other. The driver of the vehicle that was rear-ended was transported to an area hospital and pronounced dead. Woman in custody in connection with 6 baseball bat attacks on Northwest Side: police The driver of the other vehicle was transported to an area hospital with injuries.All southbound lanes were closed for several hours as authorities investigated the scene. Lanes reopened to traffic around 5:30 a.m.

Wendy's to test AI chatbot at Ohio drive-thru

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:57:47 GMT

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – A fast food chain is teaming up with Google to add artificial intelligence to its menu.Wendy's is planning to launch an AI chatbot to automate its restaurants' drive-thrus, a representative for the company told Nexstar's WCMH on Tuesday. Dubbed FreshAI, the AI tech will hold limited conversations with customers, handling their food orders and answering frequently asked questions. The bot will integrate with the store's hardware and cash register systems for processing orders.A Wendy's drive-thru which would be capable of hosting the FreshAI chatbot for taking orders in the future. (Courtesy Photo/Wendy's)A Wendy's drive-thru which would be capable of hosting the FreshAI chatbot for taking orders in the future. (Courtesy Photo/Wendy's)The burger chain, founded in Columbus in 1969, tapped Google to power FreshAI with its existing cloud-based generative AI and large language models. The language models include the restaurant's menu as data, and will allow the dr...