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Homebuilders step up construction of single-family homes as 30-year mortgage rate eases below 7%

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:50:59 GMT

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Homebuilders are stepping up construction of single-family homes following a steady decline in mortgage rates and broad expectations among economists that home loan borrowing costs will ease further next year.Builders broke ground on single-family homes in November at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of about 1.14 million units, the Commerce Department reported this week. That’s an 18% jump from October and a 42.2% increase from November last year. It also marks the fastest pace for single-family housing starts since April 2022.Single-family housing starts have now risen three months in a row and are outpacing home completions for the first time since the spring of last year.Even with November’s ramp-up, construction of single-family homes remains on pace for its second straight annual decline, with starts down 7.2% through the first 11 months of this year versus the same period in 2022.Still, if mortgage rates continue to fall, that should spur more homebuyers t...

Alberta third province to sign health-care funding deal with Ottawa

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:50:59 GMT

CALGARY — Alberta has signed a $1.06 billion, three-year deal with the federal government to help fund improvements to the province’s health-care system.It’s the third province to come to an agreement with Ottawa after British Columbia signed a similar one in October and Prince Edward Island inked its deal on Tuesday.The bilateral deals are part of a $196-billion, 10-year national health accord Prime Minister Justin Trudeau offered to premiers in February.Provinces and territories are expected to commit to massive upgrades to digital medical records and the collection of health-care data, as well as being held to account for meeting targets and timelines.Alberta says it will use the money to increase access to primary care providers, improve diagnostic imaging capacity, enhance Albertans’ ability to access digital health services and expand integrated services for youth mental health.Quebec remains the only province that hasn’t agreed in principle to the acco...

Quebec introducing new rule to reduce bat deaths linked to wind farms

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:50:59 GMT

Quebec’s Environment Department says it is introducing a new measure to mitigate the impact of wind farms on bats native to the province.The government will require all future wind farm projects to increase turbine cut-in speeds — when the blades start rotating and generating power — to 5.5 metres per second at night between June 1 and Oct. 15.Those months coincide with the period of the year when bats are most active in North America — and when they are most often killed by turbines.The department says the measure has proven effective elsewhere and should significantly reduce the risk of bats colliding with turbines in Quebec, the second-largest wind energy market in Canada, after Ontario.In June, the province designated four of eight bat species in Quebec as threatened or vulnerable, and said that three of the four others are likely to meet the criteria in the future to be designated as threatened of vulnerable.The province says the new rule is part of a series of protection...

Ecuador investigates the kidnapping of a British businessman and former honorary consul

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:50:59 GMT

QUITO, Ecuador (AP) — Ecuadorian authorities said Thursday they are investigating the kidnapping of a British businessman and former honorary consul, who was rescued by police after being abducted over the weekend.The prosecutors’ press office said that several units are following some leads after police arrested nine suspects linked to the kidnapping of Colin Armstrong, but it didn’t provide further details.Armstrong, 78, is an agricultural businessman who lives in the Ecuadorian city of Baba, more than 100 kilometers southwest of the capital, Quito. He was honorary consul in the port city of Guayaquil until 2016.Armed people entered Armstrong home on Saturday and took him along with a woman, identified as his partner. They took them in the businessman’s own car, which was later abandoned and located near the area.The commander of the National Police, Gen. César Zapata, said Wednesday that Armstrong was freed Tuesday night by police agents in the coastal province ...

Liberals echo Hamas condemnation after militant leader hails Canada ceasefire stance

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:50:59 GMT

OTTAWA — The Liberals are stressing that Hamas needs to surrender to Israel, after the militant group praised Ottawa for calling for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says the group can no longer have a role in governing Gaza or in creating a Palestinian state living in peace alongside Israel.This week, Hamas released a video message from one of its top officials, Ghazi Hamad, who thanked Canada, Australia and New Zealand for a statement that called on Israel to end its bombardment of Gaza.Hamad did not mention that the statement also demanded that his group surrender, release all hostages and stop using Palestinians as human shields.The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs says the video is the result of a “failure to hold Hamas accountable,” and notes that Ottawa deems the group to be a terrorist organization.Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly released a statement late Wednesday on the platform X, formerly known as Twitter, noting that the ...

Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago sets up toy shop to help make the holidays special for families

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:50:59 GMT

CHICAGO — It's the time of year when many people are frantically running around trying to pick up gifts. But families who have children in the hospital may not be able to do that. That's why Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago is hosting its annual Winter Wonderland Toy Shop in the hospital's 11th-floor conference center.Parents can come in and pick out all kinds of donated holiday gifts — from baby dolls to race cars, books and pajamas — for patients and their siblings.  And if parents can’t leave the hospital room, there are volunteers who can do the shopping for them. The best part? It’s all free.The shopping started Wednesday and wraps up Thursday afternoon. Lurie estimates about 700 patients and their siblings will receive holiday gifts. One Rockford family, which has 3-month-old Leilani in Lurie's neonatal intensive care unit and two toddlers back at home, said the generosity was a huge relief."I just thought maybe, like, two gifts," Leilani's mom, mom Mariah Culvey said. ".....

2.5M Honda, Acura vehicles recalled over defect linked to engine failure, stalling

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:50:59 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Honda Motor's American arm is recalling more than 2.5 million vehicles in the U.S. due to a fuel pump defect that can increase risks of engine failure or stalling while driving.According to documents published by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the fuel pump impeller used in 2017-2020 Acura and Honda vehicles was improperly molded. This results in low-density impellers, which “can deform and interfere with the fuel pump body” over time, regulators said, leading to an inoperative fuel pump.If the fuel pump module doesn't work, the car's engine may not start or can stall while driving, the NHTSA said, increasing crash and injury risks. Honda says it has not received any crash or injury reports related to this recall to date. Toyota recalls 1 million vehicles over possible airbag failure The automaker said Thursday that it will replace fuel pumps for all vehicles impacted by the recall at no cost in separate phases, with the first batch of owner no...

Ed Burke trial: After quiet Wednesday, deliberations continue

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:50:59 GMT

CHICAGO — After a quiet Wednesday in the Ed Burke trial, jurors are back at the Dirksen Federal Building to decide the fate of the former powerful alderman.The jury has been deliberating for roughly 21 hours now. They offered few hints to its progress Wednesday — sending no notes or questions to Judge Virginia Kendall.Legal experts said the case is a complex one and could take quite some time for jurors to decide.The most complicated aspect is count one of the indictment, which is the racketeering charge. It allows federal prosecutors to tie together seemingly unrelated acts as a pattern.There are also a number of criteria that must be met to to find someone guilty under those specific charges. Jurors are reviewing evidence in four alleged schemes.Those schemes allegedly tie Burke to a Burger King franchise, the Field Museum, a Binny's Beverage Depot sign and the redevelopment of the Old Chicago Main Post Office.With the deliberations in its first week, two other infamous federal co...

Teen charged with aggravated robbery in connection with stolen car out of Pflugerville

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:50:59 GMT

Editor’s note: The above video shows KXAN’s morning headlines for Thursday, Dec. 21, 2023.PFLUGERVILLE, Texas (KXAN) — A 17-year-old was arrested and charged with an aggravated robbery in Travis County for an incident that occurred Dec. 14, according to court documents.KXAN reached out to the teen’s attorney. This story will be updated if a statement is received.According to documents, a vehicle was stolen while at a corner store in the 3100 block of East Pecan Street in Pflugerville. A victim said he was held at gunpoint and forced to hand over his keys and wallet to a suspect.Court documents said the teen was later found driving the stolen vehicle and was accused of evading law enforcement.Throughout the investigation, officers learned the teen had been involved in multiple separate robberies that occurred in both Pflugerville and Austin on Dec. 14. The separate robberies were still under investigation, according to court documents.As of Dec. 16, records showed the teen had a...

Hear that? The hissing Texas mushroom is blooming

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:50:59 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) – It’s the most wonderful time of the year! The Texas star mushrooms are blooming -- and hissing -- throughout Central Texas. The Texas star – scientific name Chorioactis Geaster and commonly known as both the Devil’s Cigar and Texas star – is the official State Mushroom of Texas. Legislation designating it as such was filed in 2021 by former House Rep. Ben Leman and later signed into law by Gov. Greg Abbott. Did you know Texas has an official state mushroom that hisses? The mushroom appears during cooler months and grows only on the decomposing cedar elm tree stumps and roots in the U.S. The rare mushroom has been found only in Texas and over 6,000 miles away in Japan, where it grows on decaying oak trees. Oh, and yes, it hisses. “[The Texas star] will open up into a leathery star of four to eight points,” said Angel Schatz with the Central Texas Mycology Society. “That's when it starts to send off its spores, and sometimes you can hear an audible hiss,” S...