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Stocks dip as worries about banks overshadow jobs report

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:29:21 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks are opening modestly lower as more weakness in banks overshadowed potentially encouraging news in the government’s monthly jobs report. Banks were broadly lower a day after a wipeout in SVB Financial, a Silicon Valley bank that caters to startup companies, triggered fears of broader troubles in the banking sector. Big Tech companies were also lower. The S&P 500 was down 0.6% in the early going Friday, a day after tumbling to one of its worst drops of the year. The Dow and the Nasdaq also fell. All three are headed for sizable weekly losses. THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below.Wall Street futures reversed course Friday after the government reported another healthy month of hiring in February.Futures for the Dow Jones Industrial Average edged up 0.1% and futures for the S&P 500 rose 0.3%. Both were down before the report was released. Oil prices also rebounded.The Labor Department reported Friday that America’s employers adde...

In a first since 1961, the Oscars carpet will not be red

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:29:21 GMT

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Many things about the Academy Awards have changed over the years, but for the past six decades there has been at least one constant: The red carpet. The hues have varied over the years, but it has always been some shade of red. Until this year.On Wednesday outside the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, workers unspooled a champagne-colored carpet as Jimmy Kimmel, who is hosting the 95th Oscars on Sunday, presided over the occasion. “I think the decision to go with a champagne carpet over a red carpet shows how confident we are that no blood will be shed,” Kimmel said.The decision to change the color came from creative consultants Lisa Love, a longtime Vogue contributor, and Raúl Àvila, the creative director for the glamourous Met Gala in New York. This year the carpet will be covered, in part to protect the stars and cameras from the weather, but also to help turn the arrivals into an evening event. For Love, there has always been a disconnect between the elegant b...

Timeline of shooting at Jehovah’s Witnesses hall in Germany

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:29:21 GMT

HAMBURG, Germany (AP) — A timeline of the shooting at a Jehovah’s Witnesses hall in the German city of Hamburg on Thursday evening, according to information provided by authorities on Friday.About 9 p.m.— The perpetrator opens fire in the parking lot of the Kingdom Hall in the Gross Borstel district of Hamburg, firing 10 shots at a car. The woman who is driving it manages to get away with light injuries.He then shoots through a window at people taking part in a service on the ground floor of the building before climbing in through the window while continuing to shoot.There are 36 people present in the hall, with another 25 participating online. 9:04 p.m.— Police and firefighters receive the first of 47 emergency calls, some of them from people inside the building, alerting them to the shooting.9:08 p.m. — The first police officers arrive at the scene.9:09 p.m.— A Hamburg police unit specially trained to deal with rampages and terror attacks, known by its acronym USE, arrives a...

Ottawa claws back $82M from health transfers to 8 provinces charging private fees

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:29:21 GMT

OTTAWA — Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos says he is clawing $82 million in federal health transfers to the provinces for charging patients for services that should have been covered by the public purse.Eight provinces will see reductions in their next health transfer from the federal government over fees charged to patients in 2020 and 2021.Most of the deductions are related to fees for diagnostic services such as MRIs and CT scans.The federal Liberal government enacted a new policy on diagnostic services in 2020 ensuring fees for such tests were covered by the Canada Health Act’s single-payer policy.The Canada Health Act allows the federal government to reduce health transfers when provinces charge user fees for medically necessary health services.Duclos has also written to every province and territory to warn them about an increase in private fees being charged for other services, including virtual patient visits.This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 1...

Here’s a quick glance at unemployment rates for February, by Canadian city

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:29:21 GMT

OTTAWA — The national unemployment rate was 5.0 per cent in February. Statistics Canada also released seasonally adjusted, three-month moving average unemployment rates for major cities. It cautions, however, that the figures may fluctuate widely because they are based on small statistical samples. Here are the jobless rates last month by city (numbers from the previous month in brackets):_ St. John’s, N.L. 6.2 per cent (6.3)_ Halifax 4.7 per cent (4.5)_ Moncton, N.B. 5.3 per cent (5.3)_ Saint John, N.B. 6.4 per cent (6.1)_ Saguenay, Que. 4.2 per cent (4.8)_ Quebec City 1.9 per cent (2.4)_ Sherbrooke, Que. 4.0 per cent (3.3)_ Trois-Rivières, Que. 3.4 per cent (3.2)_ Montreal 4.7 per cent (4.5)_ Gatineau, Que. 4.4 per cent (4.0)_ Ottawa 4.0 per cent (3.8)_ Kingston, Ont. 5.5 per cent (5.8)_ Belleville, Ont. 5.5 per cent (6.1)_ Peterborough, Ont. 4.2 per cent (3.4)_ Oshawa, Ont. 4.5 per cent (4.3)_ Toronto 5.8 per cent (6.0)_ Hamilton, Ont. 5.6 per cent (5.2)_ St. Catharines-Nia...

Here’s a quick glance at unemployment rates for February, by province

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:29:21 GMT

OTTAWA — Canada’s national unemployment rate was 5.0 per cent in February. Here are the jobless rates last month by province (numbers from the previous month in brackets):_ Newfoundland and Labrador 9.9 per cent (11.8)_ Prince Edward Island 7.3 per cent (7.7)_ Nova Scotia 5.7 per cent (5.0)_ New Brunswick 6.3 per cent (7.5)_ Quebec 4.1 per cent (3.9)_ Ontario 5.1 per cent (5.2)_ Manitoba 4.7 per cent (4.2)_ Saskatchewan 4.3 per cent (4.3)_ Alberta 5.8 per cent (6.0)_ British Columbia 5.1 per cent (4.4)This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 10, 2023.The Canadian Press

Man robbed by 5 men in Lakeview East

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:29:21 GMT

CHICAGO — A man was robbed by five armed men in the city's Lakeview East neighborhood early Friday morning. According to police, the 24-year-old man was walking on the sidewalk near the 1000 block of West Belmont Avenue around 2:30 a.m. when five men exited an SUV armed with handguns. Security guard injured after Wacker Drive bank robbery Police say the men stole the man's phone, laptop, backpack and fled the scene.There were no reported injuries and there is currently no one in custody. Police are actively investigating the incident.

Slushy and icy roads Friday morning for Chicago area

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:29:21 GMT

CHICAGO — A Winter Weather Advisory is in effect Thursday from 6 p.m. to 7 a.m. Friday for the Chicago area.Counties include Cook, DuPage, Kane, Lake and McHenry.In Kane and McHenry counties, the advisory went into effect at 3 p.m. Thursday. Slushy roadways are expected until 7 a.m. Accumulating wet snow is expected with 2-7 inches possible. Highest totals near Illinois/Wisconsin line. Interactive Radar: Track showers and storm here Northwestern parts of the state will see the worst conditions between 3-9 p.m. Northeastern parts of the state will see the worst conditions between 5-11 p.m.Wet and slushy snow, mainly near and north of Interstate 80 and Interstate 88 could lead to hazardous travel.Allow extra time and drive with caution into Friday morning as the travel impact could linger in some areas.In Chicago, the Department of Streets and Sanitation has deployed more than 200 salt spreaders to treat the roads. According to the department, they wi...

Alert issued after string of robberies in Grand Crossing

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:29:21 GMT

CHICAGO — A community alert has been issued following a string of robberies in Grand Crossing.In each of the robberies, police said two to three males displayed guns and took the victim's property. They then fled the scene on foot or in a vehicle.A timeline of the incidents is below, per Chicago police. 2 teen boys charged with battery, attempted robbery of 84-year-old in Chatham 7100 block of South Prairie Avenue on January 26 at 9:50 p.m.7100 block of South State Street on February 4 at 9:45 a.m.7300 block of South Michigan Avenue on February 4, 2023 at 8:15 p.m.7000 block of South Michigan Avenue on February 6, 2023 at 2:30 p.m.7300 block of South Indiana Avenue on February 28, 2023 at 7:30 p.m.Anyone with information can call police at 312-747-8380.

Scattered snow, rain showers into Friday morning in Chicago areas

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:29:21 GMT

CHICAGO — Still seeing some scattered rain and snow showers as the winter weather advisory wraps up. Temperatures are running in the low to mid 30s, wind chill running in mid-upper 20s. Midway picked up half an inch of snow while O'Hare picked up 1.2 inches. Weather will feel like upper 20s with windchills. Interactive Radar: Track showers and storm here Friday night: Spotty rain and snow mix, mostly cloudy, with a low of 28. Weekend is expecting a little more sunshine with scatters of snow and rain in the evening. Temps will rise to upper 30s.