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National Christmas tree topples in gusty DC winds

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:45:22 GMT

(CNN) — The National Christmas tree was no match for Washington’s gusty weather Tuesday afternoon, toppling over at one point because of high winds.CNN spotted the tree on its side around 4:40 p.m. Tuesday afternoon, with at least one worker climbing atop the structure. It was later righted, and the National Christmas Tree Lighting ceremony remains scheduled to take place Thursday.CNN has reached out to the National Park Service for comment.The DC area saw wind gusts of more than 30 mph on Tuesday, with the highest reported above 40mph at Reagan National Airport.The tree – a 40-foot Norway spruce – was installed on the Ellipse earlier this month, according to a previous news release from the National Park Service.A previous tree, planted on October 30, 2021, was removed on November 11 after developing needle cast, a fungal disease that causes needles to turn brown and fall off, the NPS said.The holidays are in full swing in the nation’s capital, with first lady Jill B...

3 takeaways from an In-Season Tournament blowout — as Chicago Bulls coach Billy Donovan was irked by hacks on Andre Drummond

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:45:22 GMT

The Boston Celtics sent Chicago Bulls center Andre Drummond to the line six times in the fourth quarter of a 27-point blowout on Tuesday.It wasn’t a mistake — quite the opposite. A win wasn’t enough for the Celtics. In order to advance in the In-Season Tournament, they needed to beat the Bulls by as many points as possible to secure a high point differential and claim the wild-card seed.So even after racking up a 34-point lead, the Celtics never took their foot off the gas. They kept their starters in the game until the final whistle. And midway through the fourth quarter, they began hacking Drummond — who shoots a 47.7% career average at the line — in an attempt to keep the Bulls from scoring.For coach Billy Donovan, the tactic was a step too far. He walked to midcourt several times to confront Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla as he directed his team to foul Drummond.“Andre is a veteran guy,” Donovan said. “Tonight, I told (Mazzulla), I was...

Ski Wednesday: Prep for the season

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:45:22 GMT

The ski shows have come to town and gone. The snow guns are roaring across most every resort. The temps are dipping and for those who absolutely love getting out to ski and ride, we are pushing up to the true start of the most wonderful time of the year.Even if you’re not planning on getting your first vertical in quite yet, it’s time to get ready.And if you’re a born-a-ski-dork like me, even that’s fun. With that, here’s a five-step countdown to be ready for the best season ever. Because it’s going to be.5: Check your gear: It’s always a great idea to pull out your skis/board, boots and poles to other must-haves like helmets, gloves, and attire. For the hardware, I’m a big fan of an annual tune up and look over by your local shop. They’ll not only make things spiffy and sharp, they’ll also advise you if any of your gear is outdated.Try on everything you wear in the ski season and make sure it’s all in good shape. I have a habit of cleaning all my soft goods at season end and then p...

Sweden’s economy shrinks in the third quarter to signal that a recession may have hit the country

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:45:22 GMT

STOCKHOLM (AP) — Sweden’s economy shrank in the third quarter of 2023 to mark the second time of contraction and signal that a recession may have hit the country.Data released Wednesday by Statistics Sweden showed that the country’s gross domestic product declined by 0.3% in the period ending in October.“The GDP decreased for the second quarter in a row. The downturn in the economy was broad, but was held back somewhat by strong service exports,” said Jessica Engdahl, section manager at the National Accounts with the statistical agency.The decline is mainly explained by inventory liquidation and lower household consumption. Engdahl added that household consumption expenditure had decreased for the fifth consective quarter.Compared to the third quarter of 2022, GDP decreased by 1.4%.Two consecutive quarters of contraction is a common definition of recession, though economists on the eurozone business cycle dating committee use a broader set of data, including employment f...

In the news today: Canadian housing, health-care woes fuelled by higher immigration?

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:45:22 GMT

Here is a roundup of stories from The Canadian Press designed to bring you up to speed on what you need to know today…Canadians link immigrants and housing crisis: pollA large majority of Canadians agree that higher immigration is fuelling the housing crisis and putting pressure on the health-care system, a new Leger poll suggests.New federal voting intention numbers from the polling firm also show that the Conservatives are maintaining their sizable lead over the governing Liberals. The polling, conducted from Friday to Sunday, found that about three-quarters of respondents agreed the increase in immigrants is adding strain to both the housing market and health-care system. Nearly two-thirds of respondents, or 63 per cent, said the volume of newcomers is also adding pressure to the country’s education systems. But the poll shows that Canadians see some benefits to higher immigration, too.Convoy trial hears conspiracy argumentsThe lawyers in the criminal trial of two ...

Three in four Canadians say higher immigration is worsening housing crisis: poll

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:45:22 GMT

OTTAWA — A large majority of Canadians agree that higher immigration is fuelling the housing crisis and putting pressure on the health-care system, a new Leger poll suggests.New federal voting intention numbers from the polling firm also show that the Conservatives are maintaining their sizable lead over the governing Liberals. The polling, conducted from Friday to Sunday, found that about three-quarters of respondents agreed the increase in immigrants is adding strain to both the housing market and health-care system. Nearly two-thirds of respondents, or 63 per cent, said the volume of newcomers is also adding pressure to the country’s education systems. But the poll shows that Canadians see some benefits to higher immigration, too. About three-quarters of respondents agreed that higher immigration contributes to the cultural diversity of the country, and 63 per cent said the arrival of young immigrants contributes to the workforce and tax base, which supports older generatio...

Lawyers spar over conspiracy allegation in ‘Freedom Convoy’ organizers’ trial

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:45:22 GMT

OTTAWA — The lawyers in the criminal trial of two “Freedom Convoy” organizers are expected to continue their debate today over whether Tamara Lich and Chris Barber were co-conspirators in the protest. Both are charged with mischief and intimidation, among other charges, for their role in the early 2022 protests against COVID-19 public-health restrictions.The Crown intends to prove that the two conspired together so closely that evidence against one should also apply to the other.The defence has already spent two days arguing to the contrary.Defence lawyers say the actions of the protest organizers weren’t inherently illegal, and there is no evidence linking them to anyone else’s illegal actions. The defence is expected to finish making its case on the conspiracy allegation before the Crown presents its own argument.This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 29, 2023.The Canadian Press

Toyota selling part of Denso stake to raise cash to develop electric vehicles

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:45:22 GMT

TOKYO (AP) — Toyota is selling a part of its stake in components maker Denso to raise cash for its drive toward electric vehicles and other innovations, Japan’s top automaker said Wednesday. The move is estimated to raise about 290 billion yen ($2 billion), given recent share prices. The number of shares Toyota Motor Corp. plans to sell total more than 124 million shares, lowering its stake in Denso Corp. from 24.2% to 20%, while remaining the top stakeholder.“We don’t want to just hold on to our assets. We want to make them living assets that feed into the growth of our company,” said Masahiro Yamamoto, an executive in the accounting group at Toyota.Denso shares closed at 2,298 yen ($16) Wednesday.Toyota said the money will also go into developing smart-driving technology and a wide range of other initiatives ongoing in the industry.Yamamoto did not give a specific date for the sale, but it’s expected to happen soon. All the world’s major automakers are working on strengtheni...

Stock market today: Global shares trade mixed after Wall Street rallies

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:45:22 GMT

TOKYO (AP) — Global shares were trading mixed Wednesday although a strong report on U.S. consumer confidence and hopes the Federal Reserve is finished with its aggressive interest rate hikes sent shares higher on Wall Street. France’s CAC 40 edged up 0.1% in early trading to 7,260.05, while Germany’s DAX added nearly 0.4% at 16,051.04. Britain’s FTSE 100 lost 0.3% to 7,432.30. U.S. shares were set to drift higher with Dow futures up 0.3% at 35,539.00. S&P 500 futures rose 0.3% to 4,574.75. Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 declined 0.3% to finish at 33,321.22. Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 gained 0.3% to 7,035.30. South Korea’s Kospi shed nearly 0.1% to 2,519.81. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng dropped 2.1% to 16,993.44, while the Shanghai Composite fell 0.6% to 3,021.69. Heavy selling of Chinese technology and property shares pulled benchmarks lower. Food delivery company Meituan’s Hong Kong-traded shares dropped 11% after it forecast its revenue ...

Daily horoscope for November 29, 2023

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:45:22 GMT

Moon Alert: After 2 a.m. EST today, there are no restrictions to shopping or important decisions. The Moon is in Cancer.Happy Birthday for Wednesday, Nov. 29, 2023:You are courageous about challenging the status quo. You have an aura of excitement and energy about you that people can feel. This is a slower paced year. It’s OK to rest. Take time to rejuvenate your energy. Focus on business and personal relationships that benefit you.ARIES(March 21-April 19)★★★★This is an excellent day for important family discussions, especially with a female family member. It’s also an excellent day to explore real estate opportunities or ways to expand where you live through renovations, redecorating projects or relocating. Tonight: Relax.TAURUS(April 20-May 20)★★★★Today you have a lovely balance of optimism and realism, which is why this will be an effective day for you. Your optimism will allow you to see opportunities and act on them. Meanwhile, your strong sense of reality will keep...