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Economy’s solid growth could require more Fed hikes to fight inflation, Powell says at Jackson Hole

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:28:10 GMT

By CHRISTOPHER RUGABER (AP Economics Writer)JACKSON HOLE, Wyoming (AP) — The continued strength of the U.S. economy could require further interest rate increases, Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said Friday in a closely watched speech that also highlighted the uncertain nature of the economic outlook. Powell noted that the economy has been growing faster than expected and that consumers have kept spending briskly — trends that could keep inflation pressures high. He reiterated the Fed’s determination to keep its benchmark rate elevated until inflation is reduced to its 2% target. “We are attentive to signs that the economy may not be cooling as expected,” Powell said. “We are prepared to raise rates further if appropriate and intend to hold policy at a restrictive level until we are confident that inflation is moving sustainably down toward our objective.” “Although inflation has moved down from its peak — a welcome developme...

Weight-loss drug Wegovy reduces heart failure symptoms in obese patients

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:28:10 GMT

Madison Muller and Naomi Kresge | (TNS) Bloomberg NewsWegovy, the blockbuster weight-loss medication from Novo Nordisk A/S, alleviated heart failure symptoms in patients with obesity, according to a late-stage trial that adds to the drug’s potential benefits.A weekly dose reduced patients’ ills that can include shortness of breath, fatigue, swelling in the legs and irregular heartbeat, according to findings published Friday in the New England Journal of Medicine.Novo’s findings are “very important,” said Eugene Yang, a cardiologist at the University of Washington who’s chair of the American College of Cardiology’s prevention of cardiovascular disease council. “As cardiologists, we want to make people feel better. Patients who are able to walk longer distances is beneficial, people losing weight and optimizing other risk factors is beneficial.”People with obesity are typically at greater risk for developing a form of heart failure that occurs when its lower chamber pumps less blood t...

Mayo Clinic Minute: Why it’s essential to plan ahead for snack time

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:28:10 GMT

Alex Osiadacz | Mayo Clinic News Network (TNS)Whether in the classroom or on the playground, children need enough energy — and proper nutrition — to get them through the day.Dr. Tina Ardon, a Mayo Clinic family medicine physician, says planning for snack time can teach kids healthy habits while keeping them full.Food is fuel, and sensible snacks can bridge the gap between meals.“For most of our kids, we’re going to want to have some type of snack every couple of hours, depending on when they had breakfast, lunch and dinner,” says Dr. Ardon.Build snacks, including whole grains, fruits and vegetables, into your grocery list.As for portions, elementary-aged kids need about a cup-and-a-half of fruits and vegetables per day – growing to about two-and-a-half cups per day for older kids.“Cut up some raw vegetables and have some of that fruit prewashed so you can grab those quickly throughout the day,” says Dr. Ardon. “It’s much easier to grab...

Consumer Health: When does a heart murmur need treatment?

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:28:10 GMT

Laurel Kelly | Mayo Clinic News Network (TNS)Heart murmurs are sounds, such as whooshing or swishing, made by rapid, choppy blood flow through the heart. The sounds can be heard with a device called a stethoscope and are different from those of a normal heartbeat.Heart murmurs can be present at birth or develop later in life. Some heart murmurs, called innocent hurt murmurs, are harmless. An innocent heart murmur is not a sign of heart disease and doesn’t need treatment. Other heart murmurs may be a sign of a serious heart condition.SymptomsInnocent heart murmurs usually don’t cause any other symptoms.Symptoms of worrisome heart murmurs depend on the cause and can include:— Blue or gray fingernails or lips— Chest pain— Cough that doesn’t go away— Dizziness— Swollen liver— Swollen neck veins— Fainting— Heavy sweating with little or no activity— Shortness of breath— Swelling or sudden weight gain— In i...

Soccer player Jenni Hermoso says ‘in no moment’ was kiss with Luis Rubiales consensual

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:28:10 GMT

By JOSEPH WILSON (Associated Press)BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Spanish soccer player Jenni Hermoso said Friday that ‘in no moment’ did she consent to a kiss on the lips by soccer federation president Luis Rubiales. Hermoso issued a statement through her union hours after Rubiales claimed in an emergency meeting of the Spanish soccer federation that the kiss was consensual. Facing his possible removal from office, Rubiales refused to step down despite the uproar he caused with the kiss, which happened during a medals ceremony last Sunday after the Women’s World Cup final in Sydney, Australia.“I won’t resign,” Luis Rubiales declared four times in quick succession at the meeting. The 46-year-old Rubiales, who was also chastised for grabbing his crotch after Spain’s 1-0 victory over England on Sunday, is under immense pressure to leave his post.The kiss marred the title celebrations in front of a global audience, and criticism has steadily mou...

Should you make an all-cash offer on a house?

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:28:10 GMT

David McMillin | (TNS) Bankrate.comWith limited inventory in the housing market, homebuyers in especially hot markets are still experiencing intense competition. To make themselves more attractive to sellers, some aren’t bothering to deal with borrowing any of the funds to make the purchase — instead, they’re making all-cash offers.Here’s everything you need to know about making a cash offer in real estate.What is an all-cash offer in real estate?All-cash offers are just as they sound: a home offer where the buyer intends to pay cash out-of-pocket with no outside funding. This takes the need for securing a mortgage out of the homebuying equation, thus expediting the sale by eliminating the potential challenges of working with a bank or lender.Not everyone who pays all-cash for a home intends to live there, though. Some all-cash purchases are income properties, and those owners are often looking to be landlords, paying no interest to a lender while earning money from tenants or trave...

Pilot killed in jet crash near Marine Corps Air Station Miramar

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:28:10 GMT

SAN DIEGO -- A pilot was killed in a jet crash near Marine Corps Air Station Miramar Thursday night.Officials from the base confirmed a F/A-18 Hornet went down around 11:54 p.m. in a remote area east of Interstate 15. The crash site is reported to be on government property.The aircraft is not part of the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing but was operating out of MCAS Miramar, according to a news release. Officials have now confirmed it belonged to the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing's Marine All-Weather Fighter Attack Squadron.San Diego Fire-Rescue crews responded to the crash and worked the downed plane fire until around 6 a.m. Friday, said Mónica Muñoz, media services manager for SDFD. A helicopter also participated in search-and-rescue efforts.The pilot, a U.S. Marine, was pronounced dead at the crash site, officials cofirmed. The servicemember's identity has not been released."With a heavy heart, our condolences go to the Marine's family during this time," a spokesperson for the U.S. Marin...

2 tornados confirmed as Michigan storms down trees and power lines; 5 people killed

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:28:10 GMT

CANTON TOWNSHIP, Mich. (AP) — At least two tornados touched down in Michigan as part of severe storms powered by strong winds that killed five people, while downing trees, tearing roofs off buildings and leaving hundreds of thousands of customers without power, officials said.The National Weather Service on Friday confirmed that an EF-1 tornado with winds of 90 mph (145 kph) crossed from Ingham County into the western edge of adjacent Livingston County on Thursday night.A weaker EF-0 tornado with peak winds of 80 mph (128 kph) was on the ground for less than two miles in Wayne County’s Canton Township, west of Detroit, the weather service said. That tornado caused a tree to fall into a house, said meteorologist Sara Schultz.Preliminary information shows that after entering Livingston County, the EF-1 tornado remained on the ground for a mile or less before “weakening and lifting,” said Dave Gurney, a meteorologist with the weather service’s office in Oakland County’...

Niger’s junta asks the French ambassador to leave the country

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:28:10 GMT

ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — Niger’s military junta has asked the French ambassador to leave the country, the Nigerien Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Friday. The move further escalates the international crisis in the West African nation stemming from a coup that ousted the West African nation’s democratically elected president.French Ambassador Sylvain Itte was asked to leave Niger within 48 hours in a letter that accused him of ignoring an invitation for a meeting with the ministry.The letter dated Friday, a copy of which was seen by The Associated Press, also cited “actions of the French government contrary to the interests of Niger” as among the reasons for Itte’s expulsion. Niger, a former French colony, was France’s partner before last month’s coup in the fight against jihadi violence.THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below.ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — Niger’s junta has authorized troops from neighboring Mali and Burkina Faso to come to its ...

Ibrahim Ali murder trial: B.C. teen’s mom tells of ‘darkest day’

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:28:10 GMT

VANCOUVER — The mother of a 13-year-old girl whose body was found in a Burnaby, B.C.,  park six years ago says her “heart was bleeding” when she found out that her daughter had died.The Chinese woman, who can’t be identified because of a publication ban protecting the identity of her daughter, is testifying for a third day at the B.C. Supreme Court murder trial of Ibrahim Ali, who has denied murdering the girl.The woman, testifying though a Mandarin-language interpreter, says she searched for the girl at a nearby library and at the entrance to Burnaby’s Central Park, where her body would later be found.The mother told the jury she thought she had to wait 24 hours to report her daughter missing because those are the rules in China.But a friend told her that in Canada she should report her daughter missing right away.She says she gave a recorded statement to police and was later told her daughter’s body had been found in the early hours of July 19, 2017.&...