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For a brilliant gift-opening move, consider the wide range of creative chess sets

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:31:48 GMT

Part game, part sport, part home decor. Chess sets come in so many creative varieties — some museum-worthy, some utilitarian — that there’s one to suit just about anyone on your holiday gift list, from the serious player to the merely aspirational one.Demand is up for handmade versions, says Etsy’s trend expert Dayna Isom Johnson.“Searches for premium or unique chess sets skyrocketed 280% in the last three months compared to this time last year,” she reports, calling them “a perfect gift for an avid player, but also for anyone looking to add a statement piece to their home.”One of Johnson’s favorites: a limited-edition, marble-and-onyx set co-designed by John Legend and Etsy maker shop EarthlyCompany. Or, also on Etsy: stylized, modern geometric sets with pieces made of concrete or colorful resin, from San Diego’s Placoncept. Prices start around $140, to just over $400, depending on the material.For those inspired by Netflix’s 2020 drama “The Queen’s Gambit,” there’s a collect...

Stock market today: Wall Street drifts after an inflation report and before the Fed’s next decision

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:31:48 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Wall Street is drifting Tuesday after a report showed inflation in the United States is behaving pretty much as expected.The S&P 500 was 0.3% lower in early trading, a day after hitting a 20-month high. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 12 points, or less than 0.1%, as of 9:40 a.m. Eastern time, and the Nasdaq composite was 0.2% lower.Tech giant Oracle’s stock tumbled 10.5% after its revenue for the latest quarter fell short of analysts’ forecasts. Icosavax jumped 46.9% after AstraZeneca said it would buy the biopharmaceutical company for at least $838 million in cash, with the price tag rising if certain milestones are met.But Wall Street’s spotlight was on the inflation report, which showed U.S. consumers paid prices for gasoline, food and other living costs last month that were 3.1% higher than a year earlier. That was a slight deceleration from October’s 3.2% inflation and exactly in line with economists’ expectations.The data likely changes nothing a...

Will Denver see the Geminids meteor shower this week?

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:31:48 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) — One of the most vibrant and active meteor showers can be seen on Dec. 13 and 14 globally, but Denver's incoming weather might make it hard to see.The Geminids meteor shower is coined one of the best celestial events of the year because of its reliability and visibility. The meteor shower is usually bright, moving at high speeds and displaying a distinctive yellow color.At peak and optimal conditions, observers can view up to 120 Geminids meteors per hour. Ready for a meteor shower? One of the best celestial displays returns this week People can view it globally because it has a nearly 24-hour broad maximum, but Denver weather might not make for prime viewing conditions on Wednesday and Thursday.Geminids meteor shower (KDVR)According to Pinpoint Weather Meteorologist Travis Michels, Denver most likely won't be able to see it on Wednesday night due to cloudy conditions. Michels said the clouds most likely won't clear up until Thursday afternoon.However, there's still...

Doritos thinks we want nacho cheese-flavored booze

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:31:48 GMT

New York (CNN) — Doritos is betting on a new way to get people addicted to their tortilla chips: booze.The PepsiCo-owned brand is releasing a new spirit based off of Doritos’ nacho cheese flavor that “tastes just like the real thing,” according to a press release. The chip maker partnered with Empirical, a Danish company known for making custom spirits with creative flavors.Available only online, the limited-edition flavor goes on sale Wednesday in New York and California and costs $65 for a 750ml bottle.This isn’t the first zany food-adjacent product from a big brand. Recently, Kahlúa and Absolut Vodka made a fragrance that smells like an espresso martini and Dunkin’ turned its iced coffees and teas into canned cocktails. Also, Arby’s turned its curly and crinkle fries into a vodka, as well as created a smoked bourbon to be paired with its roast beef.The goal of these products is to pique customers’ curiosity, spark a conversation and increase brand recognition. In other words: It’...

The US government plans to go all-in on using AI. But it lacks a plan, says a government watchdog

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:31:48 GMT

Washington (CNN) — The US government plans to vastly expand its reliance on artificial intelligence, but it is years behind on policies to responsibly acquire and use the technology from the private sector, according to a new federal oversight report.The lack of a government-wide standard on AI purchases could undercut American security, wrote the Government Accountability Office (GAO) in a long-awaited review of nearly two-dozen agencies’ current and planned uses for AI. The GAO is the government’s top accountability watchdog.The 96-page report released Tuesday marks the US government’s most comprehensive effort yet to catalog the more than 200 ways in which non-military agencies already use artificial intelligence or machine learning, and the more than 500 planned applications for AI in the works.It comes as AI developers have released ever more sophisticated AI models, and as policymakers scramble to develop regulations for the AI industry in the most sensitive use cases. Governm...

Man accused of shooting own brother has been arrested, faces multiple charges

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:31:48 GMT

Miramar Police arrested 28-year-old Jaleel Thomas in Hollywood on Monday, accusing him of shooting his own brother on December 6th.Thomas appeared in court on Tuesday and is facing an attempted second degree murder charge as well as violating his probation from prior arrests.According to police, the victim was in a vehicle in front of a residence at 2648 SW 66th Terrace when Thomas drove up and shot him. The victim then crashed his vehicle in front of a nearby McDonald’s.The victim was rushed to Memorial Regional Hospital as he suffered a gunshot wound. Thomas fled the scene, according to police, prompting an investigation that led to his arrest. Thomas is being held without bond

USCG repatriates 20 migrants to Dominican Republic after interdiction in Mona Passage

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:31:48 GMT

A United States Coast Guard (USCG) crew repatriated 20 migrants to San Pedro de Macoris, Dominican Republic, on Friday. According to a news release from the USCG, the repatriation followed the interdiction of an overloaded makeshift vessel in the waters of the Mona Passage off the western coast of Puerto Rico.The interdiction unfolded during a routine patrol on Thursday afternoon when the aircrew of a Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine multirole enforcement aircraft detected a suspect vessel in Mona Passage waters northwest of Aguadilla, Puerto Rico. Coast Guard watchstanders at Sector San Juan redirected to intercept the overloaded vessel. On arriving at the scene, the cutter’s crew launched a small boat, embarking 17 men and three women who claimed to be Dominican Republic residents.According to the USCG, migrants intercepted at sea or apprehended ashore will not be allowed to stay in the United States or a U.S. territory. They may be declared ineligible for legal ...

Ukraine to EU: Don’t wait on US to make decisions

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:31:48 GMT

BRUSSELS — As EU leaders prepare to make historic decisions on Ukraine, Kyiv’s foreign minister urged the bloc not to wait until a decision on military and humanitarian aid comes from the United States, where support for Ukraine is wobbling.“Europe provides a lot of support and has the capacity to continue providing it,” Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba told POLITICO during an interview in Brussels on Tuesday. “But this psychological kind of dependence on the position of the United States is also an element of the game.”While support from the U.S. is a vital lifeline for Ukraine, Kuleba urged Europe not to underestimate itself, referencing the Continent’s tendency to “watch closely” what happens in the U.S. when making decisions.In a last-minute effort to secure the support of lawmakers, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy traveled to Washington this week as $60 billion in military and humanitarian aid for Ukraine are stuck in Congress, where Repu...

Biden to meet with hostage families at White House Wednesday

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:31:48 GMT

Washington (CNN) — President Joe Biden on Wednesday will meet with families of American hostages abducted by Hamas during the October 7 attack on Israel, a White House official told CNN.The meeting will take place at the White House. A number of families of hostages are in Washington, DC this week to make a personal case for the Biden administration and Israeli government to work harder and more creatively for their loved ones’ release.There are still seven American men and one woman missing since the war began, according to the White House. Four Americans – a 4-year-old girl and three women – have been released so far. Biden previously met over Zoom with several relatives.Several family members had asked to attend a Hanukkah reception held at the White House on Monday, but did not receive an invite. But Biden referenced the hostages while speaking at the reception, vowing his administration was “not going to stop ‘till we get every ...

Comfort Inn’s owner doubles down on its hostile takeover bid for the company that owns Days Inn

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:31:48 GMT

New York (CNN) — Choice Hotels, which owns a number of budget lodging brands, including Comfort Inn, is getting more aggressive in its attempt to acquire its rival Wyndham Hotels.On Tuesday, Choice said it will expand its several monthslong hostile takeover bid of the Days Inn owner by taking its offer directly to shareholders. In October, Choice offered to buy Wyndham’s stock for around $8 billion.To further pressure Wyndham into accepting the bid, Choice said it plans to nominate a slate of directors to Wyndham’s board.Choice said in a press release that a merger with Wyndham is “pro-competitive and would generate value for both Wyndham and Choice shareholders as well as deliver significant benefits to franchisees, guests and associates of both companies.”But Wyndham has refused to engage with Choice thus far.“While we would have preferred to come to a negotiated agreement, the Wyndham board’s refusal to explore a transaction has left us with no choice but to take our proposa...