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Ask Amy: Struggling business stretched by “asks”

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:16:54 GMT

Dear Amy: I’m a business owner with a small retail store located in an affluent community.We rent our space and our staff includes family members who work for free so that we can keep the doors open.The shop is a labor of love, and it is a gathering place for community members.That said, business is very slow and we are struggling.The COVID years saw our complete shutdown (according to state mandates), and business at a complete standstill. The tourists who used to be our main guests/buyers have not returned since COVID.We are constantly being approached by local businesses and nonprofits looking for donations and sponsorships.These include schools asking for donations to raffles; museums asking for three-figure donations to their fundraisers; nonprofits raising money for good causes; local theaters and newspapers asking us to purchase ads (“for only $275 a week”), and more.We have always supported them when we could, including giving gift certificates to our shop,...

MEPs back plans for a climate neutral building sector by 2050 

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:16:54 GMT

Parliament adopted draft measures to increase the rate of renovations and reduce energy consumption and greenhouse-gas emissions on Tuesday (14 March), Plenary session, ITRE.The proposed revision of the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive aims to substantially reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and energy consumption in the EU building sector by 2030, and make it climate neutral by 2050. It also aims to increase the rate of renovations of energy-inefficient buildings and improve information-sharing on energy performance.Emissions-reduction targetsAll new buildings should be zero-emission from 2028, with the deadline for new buildings occupied, operated or owned by public authorities in 2026. All new buildings should be equipped with solar technologies by 2028, where technically suitable and economically feasible, while residential buildings undergoing major renovation have until 2032.Residential buildings would have to achieve, at a minimum, energy performance class E by 20...

Five-bedroom home in San Ramon sells for $3.2 million

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:16:54 GMT

1008 Rosamund Drive – Google Street ViewThe spacious property located in the 1000 block of Rosamund Drive in San Ramon was sold on Jan. 4, 2023 for $3,225,000, or $639 per square foot. The house built in 2019 has an interior space of 5,045 square feet. The property features five bedrooms, six baths, an attached garage, and two parking spaces. It sits on an 8,365-square-foot lot.Additional houses that have recently been purchased close by include:A 5,531-square-foot home on the 2000 block of Elderberry Drive in San Ramon sold in September 2022 for $3,900,000, a price per square foot of $705. The home has 5 bedrooms and 6 bathrooms.On Lucy Lane, San Ramon, in September 2022, a 2,313-square-foot home was sold for $1,851,000, a price per square foot of $800. The home has 3 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms.In October 2022, a 2,793-square-foot home on South Gale Ridge Road in San Ramon sold for $2,085,000, a price per square foot of $747. The home has 4 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms. 

Horoscopes March 16, 2023: Joel Embiid, embrace the future

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:16:54 GMT

CELEBRITIES BORN ON THIS DAY: Joel Embiid, 29; Judah Friedlander, 54; Lauren Graham, 56; Victor Garber, 74.Lauren Graham (Photo by Brent N. Clarke/Invision/AP) Happy Birthday: Call in favors, reconnect with people you lost touch with and miss, and take stock of your life and what you want to do next. Refuse to let the little things get to you, and concentrate on what brings you joy. Life is too short to waste on negativity and people you don’t like. Declutter your life and embrace the future with enthusiasm. Your numbers are 8, 15, 23, 28, 34, 36, 44.ARIES (March 21-April 19): Stand back and watch. Gather information, study trends and prepare to make a statement that will set you on the path you desire. Refuse to let someone else decide your fate. Build the life that makes you happy, and regret will disappear. 2 starsTAURUS (April 20-May 20): Jumping from one thing to another will give you the upper hand when someone tries to beat you at your own game. Don’t get inv...

Bridge: March 16, 2023

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:16:54 GMT

I continue a series on good timing as declarer. Any treatment of timing must cite the “Morton’s Fork Coup.”Today’s West led the jack of clubs against four spades: king, ace, five. On the club return (clearly not best), South threw a diamond and took the queen. He drew trumps and led the queen of hearts, and West won and returned a heart. South took dummy’s K-J, pitching another diamond, but when he led a diamond to his king, West got the A-Q. Down one.IMPALEDCardinal Morton was King Henry VII’s treasurer. He extorted money from London’s nobles with this approach: If they lived well, they had money; if they lived frugally, they had money saved. Whatever their lifestyle, they were impaled on Morton’s Fork.South can ruff the second club, draw trumps and lead his five of hearts. West is impaled. If he ducks, dummy wins, and South throws his last heart on the high club and loses two diamonds. If instead West takes his ace, South gets three ...

Blue Apron: Q4 Earnings Snapshot

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:16:54 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — NEW YORK (AP) — Blue Apron Holdings Inc. (APRN) on Thursday reported a loss of $21.8 million in its fourth quarter.The New York-based company said it had a loss of 49 cents per share.The meal-kit seller posted revenue of $106.8 million in the period.For the year, the company reported that its loss widened to $109.7 million, or $3.02 per share. Revenue was reported as $458.5 million.The company’s shares closed at 76 cents. A year ago, they were trading at $4.45._____This story was generated by Automated Insights (http://automatedinsights.com/ap) using data from Zacks Investment Research. Access a Zacks stock report on APRN at https://www.zacks.com/ap/APRNSource

Despegar.com: Q4 Earnings Snapshot

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:16:54 GMT

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) — BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) — Despegar.com Corp. (DESP) on Thursday reported a loss of $15.2 million in its fourth quarter.The Buenos Aires, Argentina-based company said it had a loss of 30 cents per share.The online travel company posted revenue of $145.5 million in the period.For the year, the company reported that its loss narrowed to $68.5 million, or $1.19 per share. Revenue was reported as $538 million.Despegar.com expects full-year revenue in the range of $640 million to $700 million._____This story was generated by Automated Insights (http://automatedinsights.com/ap) using data from Zacks Investment Research. Access a Zacks stock report on DESP at https://www.zacks.com/ap/DESPSource

Pentagon shows footage of aircraft dumping fuel on US drone

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:16:54 GMT

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — The Pentagon has released footage of what it says is a Russian aircraft conducting an unsafe intercept of a U.S. Air Force surveillance drone in international airspace over the Black Sea.The 42-second video, released Thursday, shows a Russian Su-27 approaching the back of the MQ-9 drone and beginning to release fuel as it passes, the Pentagon said.The U.S. military said it ditched the MQ-9 Reaper in the sea Tuesday after the Russian fighter jet poured fuel on the unmanned aerial vehicle and then struck its propeller.Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Mark Milley have spoken to their Russian counterparts about the destruction of the U.S. drone following the encounter with Russian fighter jets.The calls with Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and Chief of Russian General Staff Gen. Valery Gerasimov on Wednesday were the first since October.While intercept attempts are not uncommon, the incident amid the war in Ukraine has ra...

Bracket Breakdown 4: Maryland, Howard and Virginia tip off; a look at the East Region

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:16:54 GMT

The ball will be tipped at 12:15 in Birmingham, Alabama, (where it will technically be 11:15 a.m. CDT, one of four First Round games starting before noon local time over the next two days) as the First Four is in our rear-view mirror.Fairleigh Dickinson, Arizona State, Pit, and Texas A&M-Corpus Christi amble over from the kiddie table (see Tuesday’s preview) after each secured a spot in the Round of 64.More Sports NewsMore College Basketball NewsMore Bracket Breakdown 2023For the record, some mid-week commutes are easier than others: while FDU ambles up the road from Dayton to Columbus, Arizona State makes the trek west to Denver. Let’s just hope everybody’s luggage (unlike Grand Canyon’s) makes it safe and sound.Thursday afternoon will give area fans quite a bit to unpack, especially for those who have scheduled “client visits” as well as those “feeling under the weather”.Game Schedules and Where to Watch (All Eastern Time)12:15 p...

Yirendai: Q4 Earnings Snapshot

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:16:54 GMT

BEIJING (AP) — BEIJING (AP) — Yirendai Ltd. (YRD) on Thursday reported net income of $70.4 million in its fourth quarter.The Beijing-based company said it had net income of 78 cents per share.The online consumer finance marketplace posted revenue of $157.8 million in the period.For the year, the company reported profit of $173.2 million, or $1.98 per share. Revenue was reported as $498 million._____This story was generated by Automated Insights (http://automatedinsights.com/ap) using data from Zacks Investment Research. Access a Zacks stock report on YRD at https://www.zacks.com/ap/YRDSource