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Ask Amy: Siblings Zoom away from family meetings

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:24:00 GMT

Dear Amy: I’m the youngest of three siblings. My two brothers live a couple of states away from our parents, who are in their 80s. I live the farthest away, on the opposite coast.At the beginning of the pandemic, like most families, we connected on Zoom. There were tech hurdles for my parents, but they navigated them as best they could.A couple of times we played games, had virtual parties, or watched funny cartoon clips, but the relatively boring meetings where we exchange small talk seem to be the most popular.For my rapidly aging parents, I think these one-hour monthly meetings are a lifeline. It’s like magic to them to see us all on their laptop.However, also like most families, the desire to continue this has diminished, especially as people are doing more things in person.But we still live very far apart, and I’m increasingly frustrated and sad that they’re unable or unwilling to show up.I’m aware that our parents will not be around forever, and I...

Metro Denver’s peak home selling season not in bloom

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:24:00 GMT

Like waters rushing down from the melting snow in the mountains, new home listings usually pour into the metro Denver market around this time of year. But things are not flowing along like they normally do and the blockage appears to be on the side of sellers.“Traditionally, in the spring selling season, the market sees an increase in both active listings at month-end as well as new listings. The sluggish movement in these categories, however, leaves a lot to be desired,” said Libby Levinson-Katz, in comments included with the latest monthly update from the Denver Metro Association of Realtors.There were 4,758 new listings for single-family homes and condos last month, a 6.7% drop from March and a 31% decline from a year earlier.And while the inventory of homes and condos available for sale did rise 2.3% month-over-month to 4,620, that gain is far below the historical average gain of 10.4% between March and April, nowhere close to the off-the-chart 44% gain in inventory ...

Dutch labour union workers strike to force union to better deal

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:24:00 GMT

Employees of the largest labour union in the Netherlands, FNV, on Monday (1 May) said they will go on strike to force the union itself to pay them higher wages.The union workers said their employer had missed a 1 May International Workers' Day ultimatum to increase its wage offer for the coming years.They said this would result in a general strike by FNV staff on Tuesday (2 May), with more strike action to follow if demands are not met."It is painful that we have to go on strike," FNV employee representative Judith Westhoek said. "But FNV staff also has the right to an honest wage deal that is appropriate for these times."The FNV had offered its employees a wage increase of 3 to 7% this year, followed by a 5% bump next year and automatic price compensation with a maximum of 5% from 2025 on.Employees demand full annual compensation for inflation, which jumped to 10% in the Netherlands last year and is expected to be around 3% this year and next.

Horoscopes May 3, 2023: Christina Hendricks, make your thoughts and feelings clear

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:24:00 GMT

CELEBRITIES BORN ON THIS DAY: Christina Hendricks, 48; Kristin Lehman, 51; Amy Ryan, 55; Frankie Valli, 89.Happy Birthday: Be direct this year if you want to get things done. Action rather than conversation will make more sense when trying to get others on board. Let what you do be what attracts attention and support. People from your past will be eager to reconnect. Be careful not to forgive and forget too quickly. Make your thoughts and feelings clear to avoid disappointment. Your numbers are 6, 14, 20, 25, 34, 43, 48.ARIES (March 21-April 19): Stop before you say something you regret. Bide your time and pay attention to taking care of your responsibilities instead of commenting on what others contribute. Problems at home will surface if you overreact or let anger get the better of you. 3 starsTAURUS (April 20-May 20): Make home and family your priorities. Implement changes that are cost-efficient and inventive. Refuse to let your emotions override common sense. Pay attention to w...

Word Game: May 3, 2023

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:24:00 GMT

TODAY’S WORD — SCOURGE (SCOURGE: SKURJ: A source of widespread affliction and devastation.)Average mark 25 wordsTime limit 40 minutesCan you find 33 or more words in SCOURGE? The list will be published tomorrow.YESTERDAY’S WORD — NIMBUSES ness nimbus numb imbue issue menu mess mien mine minus miss misuse muse muss buses busies busmen buss sebum semi sine sinus snubTo purchase the Word Game book, visit WordGameBooks.com. Order it now for just $5 while supplies last!RULES OF THE GAME:1. Words must be of four or more letters.2. Words that acquire four letters by the addition of “s,” such as “bats” or “dies,” are not allowed.3. Additional words made by adding a “d” or an “s” may not be used. For example, if “bake” is used, “baked” or “bakes” are not allowed, but “bake” and “baking” are admissible.4. Proper nouns, slang words, or vulgar or sexually explicit words are not allowed.Contact Word Game creator Kathleen Saxe at [email protected].

Bridge: May 3, 2023

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:24:00 GMT

“You told me you were invited to join the Procrastinators Club,” I said to Cy the Cynic. “Did you accept?”“I did,” Cy replied tersely.“Well, have you been to a meeting?”“I will,” the Cynic said, “when they get around to having one.”They ought to make Cy an officer, if they ever elect any, since he is a pro at procrastination. In a team match, both Souths played at 3NT, and West led a spade. At one table, South won in dummy and led a low heart: three, queen, king. He won the next spade, lost a heart to East’s ace and had 10 tricks.BETTERWhen Cy was declarer, East found a better defense. When Cy led a heart from dummy at Trick Two, East rose with the ace and led the jack of diamonds. If the Cynic had finessed with the queen, he would have gone down, off three diamonds and two hearts.But Cy saw that he didn’t need an immediate finesse. He procrastinated by putting up the ace and leading another heart. W...

China, the Peacemaker?

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:24:00 GMT

Last week, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy held a long call with Chinese President Xi Jinping, in which Xi appealed for negotiations to begin between Ukraine and Russia. This week on Intercepted, hosts Jeremy Scahill and Murtaza Hussain are joined by Alfred W. McCoy, the Harrington professor of history at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the author of “To Govern the Globe: World Orders and Catastrophic Change.” As McCoy explains, China’s role in brokering a peace deal could be instrumental. And it also signals that the U.S. government is no longer the most powerful and influential world power in every region of the world, as it once was. McCoy says, “If Putin sat down with Xi Jinping and Zelenskyy and they sign an agreement, Putin couldn’t break that agreement. He can break any other agreement, he’ll break them, he’s done it many times, but that’s one he can’t break.”Transcript coming soon.The post China, the Peacemaker? appeared first on The Intercept.

Edmunds: Genesis G80 Electrified vs. BMW i4 M50

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:24:00 GMT

It seems like there’s a new electric luxury SUV introduced every couple of months. But if you’re seeking old-school opulence, a luxury sedan might be more your speed. Luckily, automakers haven’t completely forsaken that category. Two recently introduced electric luxury sedans worth looking into are the Genesis G80 Electrified and the BMW i4. Both are based on existing conventionally powered models — the G80 and 4 Series Gran Coupe, respectively — and have much to offer the luxury-sedan shopper in their all-electric guise. Which extra-posh EV should you splurge on? The car specialists at Edmunds compare the two electrified four-doors to find out.PERFORMANCE AND RANGE There are three versions of the BMW i4: the eDrive35, eDrive40 and M50. In this article, we’re using the top-line M50 for our comparison. It comes standard with dual electric motors and all-wheel drive. Combined, its two motors produce 469 horsepower and 538 lb-ft of torque, and that can temporarily be increased to 536 h...

Germany: School evacuated over suspected gas exposure

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:24:00 GMT

BERLIN (AP) — Exposure to a suspected irritant gas has affected at least 70 people at a school in southwestern Germany, according to a media report. Both students and teachers were among those who experienced slight health effects at the school in the town of Singen, German news agency dpa said. The school was evacuated and police cordoned off the area Wednesday. It was not immediately clear if the incident involved a leak or a spill.Irritant gases include ammonia, chlorine, hydrogen chloride and sulfur dioxide. Inhaling their vapors can cause respiratory problems. Source

Perion Network: Q1 Earnings Snapshot

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:24:00 GMT

HOLON, Israel (AP) — HOLON, Israel (AP) — Perion Network Ltd. (PERI) on Wednesday reported first-quarter earnings of $23.8 million.On a per-share basis, the Holon, Israel-based company said it had net income of 48 cents. Earnings, adjusted for one-time gains and costs, were 60 cents per share.The results beat Wall Street expectations. The average estimate of three analysts surveyed by Zacks Investment Research was for earnings of 52 cents per share.The digital media company posted revenue of $145.2 million in the period, also exceeding Street forecasts. Four analysts surveyed by Zacks expected $141.6 million.Perion Network expects full-year revenue in the range of $725 million to $745 million._____This story was generated by Automated Insights (http://automatedinsights.com/ap) using data from Zacks Investment Research. Access a Zacks stock report on PERI at https://www.zacks.com/ap/PERISource