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AP PHOTOS: Life in Kyiv may seem normal on the surface, but a closer look reveals the burdens of war

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:00:40 GMT

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Life in the capital of war-torn Ukraine seems normal on the surface. In the mornings, people rush to work holding cups of coffee. Streets are filled with cars, and in the evenings restaurants are packed. But the details tell another story.Numerous buildings across Kyiv bear the scars of Russian bombardment. Sandbags are stacked around monuments, museums and office buildings to protect from possible attack. At nights, streets are empty after the midnight curfew comes into force. In restaurants, diners chat about life, friends and jobs and discuss whether they liked the Barbie or Oppenheimer movie better, or which concert they might attend. But such conversations can suddenly turn to stories about burying loved ones, or how they hid during the most recent missile attack or how they adjusted their schedule to balance sleepless nights and the need to be productive at work.“Death has become a very routine part of our life,” said Aliona Vyshnytska, 29, who works as a ...

WWE’s WrestleMania 40 ticket sales show strength of the brand months before 2-day event

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:00:40 GMT

WWE is flexing its branding muscle, selling more than 90,000 tickets to next year’s WrestleMania about eight months before the premium live event is held and before a single match has been announced.Tickets for WrestleMania 40, which will take place in Philadelphia on April 6 and April 7, 2024, went on sale on Friday. In one day, ticket sales for WrestleMania 40 topped the all-time total gross record of $21.6 million set by this year’s WrestleMania 39.The blockbuster ticket sales come on the heels of this month’s SummerSlam, which had ticket sales of $8.5 million, the largest amount for any non-WrestleMania event ever.WWE’s WrestleMania is the Super Bowl for the sports entertainment company. The company successfully shifted it to a two-day event during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and has kept that model in place. Much like NFL fans with the Super Bowl, wrestling fans will travel from all over to attend a WrestleMania event and make a full weekend of it. Man...

Stock market today: Wall Street opens higher, clawing back some of August’s losses

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:00:40 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Wall Street is ticking higher to claw back a bit of its deep losses for August so far. The S&P 500 was up 0.3% in early trading Monday, coming off its third losing week in a row. The Dow rose 21 points and the Nasdaq composite was up 0.4%. The relatively quiet trading followed a mixed performance for stock markets worldwide. The week’s main event for markets is likely to be a speech on Friday by Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell. The Jackson Hole, Wyoming, setting has been the home of major policy announcements in the past by the Fed. THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below.Wall Street pointed higher Monday as traders looked ahead to the Federal Reserve’s summer conference for signs of whether the U.S. central bank thinks inflation is under control or more interest rate hikes are needed.Futures for the S&P 500 rose 0.5% before the bell, while futures for the Dow Jones Industrial Average were 0.3% higher.The benchmark S&P 500 ind...

Greece hosts meeting of several Balkan leaders; reports that Ukraine’s Zelenskyy will also attend

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:00:40 GMT

ATHENS, Greece (AP) — The leaders of several Balkan countries gathered in the Greek capital on Monday along with top European Union officials to discuss the region’s European future.Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis hosted an informal dinner Monday evening in Athens for the top officials from nine Balkan nations as well as European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council head Charles Michel.Greek media reports that the dinner would also be attended by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy were not officially confirmed.Zelenskyy was in Denmark earlier Monday, where he thanked Danish lawmakers for helping his country resist Russia’s invasion, a day after Denmark and the Netherlands announced they will provide Ukraine with F-16 fighter jets.The dinner was being hosted on the 20th anniversary of a summit between the European Union and western Balkan countries in the northern Greek city of Thessaloniki as Balkan states sought to join the European bloc.The ...

Celebrity birthdays for the week of Aug. 27-Sept. 2

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:00:40 GMT

Celebrity birthdays for the week of Aug. 27-Sept. 2:Aug. 27: Actor Tommy Sands is 86. Actor Tuesday Weld is 80. Actor G.W. Bailey (“M(asterisk)A(asterisk)S(asterisk)H,” ″The Closer”) is 79. Actor Marianne Sagebrecht is 78. Guitarist Alex Lifeson of Rush is 70. Actor Peter Stormare (“Fargo,” ″The Big Lebowski”) is 70. Actress Diana Scarwid (“Mommie Dearest”) is 68. Bassist Glen Matlock of The Sex Pistols is 67. Gospel singer Yolanda Adams is 62. Guitarist Matthew Basford of Yankee Grey is 61. Bassist Mike Johnson (Dinosaur Jr.) is 58. Percussionist Bobo of Cypress Hill is 56. Country singer Colt Ford is 54. Actor Chandra Wilson (“Grey’s Anatomy”) is 54. Bassist Tony Kanal of No Doubt is 53. Rapper Mase is 48. Actor Sarah Chalke (“Scrubs,” second Becky on “Roseanne”) is 47. Actor RonReaco Lee (“Madea Goes To Jail”) is 47. Actor Demetria McKinney (“House of Payne”) is 45. Actor Aaron Paul (“Breaking Bad,” ″Big Love”) is 44. Guitarist Jon Siebels of Eve 6 is 44. Actor Shaun Weiss (“The ...

‘Barbie’ for $4? National Cinema Day is coming, with discounted tickets nationwide

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:00:40 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Still haven’t seen “Barbie” or “Oppenheimer”? This Sunday, you’ll be able to catch up for $4 a ticket in movie theaters nationwide. Theater owners announced Monday that the second annual National Cinema Day will be held Sunday, Aug. 27. For one day, all movies — in all formats and at all showtimes — will be $4 at participating theaters. More than 3,000 theaters are participating, which accounts for most of the cinemas in the U.S., including the leading chains AMC and Regal. It’s the second straight year theaters are trotting out the one-day event at the tail end of summer. Last year’s inaugural National Cinema Day, put on by the Cinema Foundation, a nonprofit affiliate of the National Association of Theater Owners, was judged an enormous success. An estimated 8.1 million moviegoers bought $3 tickets on Saturday, Sept. 3. The average movie ticket in 2022, according to NATO, cost $10.53.The discount gimmick turned into the highest attended day o...

WATCH LIVE | Mayor Johnson, CEO Martinez celebrate the start of the 2023-2024 school year

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:00:40 GMT

CHICAGO -- Mayor Brandon Johnson plans to visit three Chicago Public Schools Monday morning ahead of a new school year, swearing in six new school board members. Johnson plans to visit a Garfield Park elementary school that CPS considered closing more than a decade ago. This will also be the earliest start to the school year for the district's more than 3,000 students. Traditionally, kids did not return until after Labor Day. The Board of Education approved a new calendar year that is more closely aligned with the schedules of suburban school districts and local colleges. New challenges include helping migrant children learn English and help them navigate the trauma of making their journey to the U.S.CPS estimates an additional 3,000 migrant children with many of them still living in migrant shelters and police stations. Aerial performances on display over Lake Michigan for annual Chicago Air and Water Show Funding for bilingual education will be in...

Lanes of I-35 northbound at 290 East reopen after deadly crash

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:00:40 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Some lanes of Interstate 35 northbound near Highway 290 have reopened after all lanes were closed due to a fatal crash early Monday morning. I-35 northbound was shut down at exit 238B after a person was hit and killed by a vehicle in the area, according to the Austin Police Department. APD said one vehicle involved stopped and stayed at the scene but it's unclear if that was the only vehicle involved. Some lanes of the interstate reopened around 8:30 a.m., but drivers should still expect delays in the area and choose alternate routes if possible.

State's first home made of foam built in Jonestown

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:00:40 GMT

JONESTOWN, Texas (KXAN) -- With a breathtaking view overlooking Lake Travis, a new home being built in Jonestown is drawing some attention from neighbors. The nearly 7,500 square foot has zero wood, brick, or insulation. It is completely made of foam. "I think the neighbors might have thought I was crazy when they saw the truckloads of foam pull up," Aaron Rowsell, the homeowner of the three-story house in Jonestown, explained. Rowsell, a former contractor himself, first heard of homes being built with foam about 20 years ago. He said if he ever was going to build his dream home, foam was the material he wanted to use. Strata International Group Inc. is the Phoenix-based company that developed this groundbreaking building technique. It is known as SABS, or Saebi Alternative Building System, named after its creator Dr. Nasser Saebi. How does it work? The company creates large blocks of foam, which are made up of 98% air, that can be shaped and glued together to create the skeleton of...

Music lineup announced for Albany's 2023 PearlPalooza

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:00:40 GMT

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- PearlPalooza is set to return to North Pearl Street in Albany for its 14th year on Saturday, September 16 from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. The event is presented by Remarkable Liquids. Get the latest news, weather, sports and entertainment delivered right to your inbox! The day starts with YogaPalooza presented by MVP Health Care from 11 a.m. to noon. In its 7th year, The Hot Yoga Spot will be leading the all-levels yoga class. You can register to participate on The Hot Yoga Spot website.Music lineupSly Fox & The Hustlers at noonThe Rob Beaulieu Band at 1:30 p.m.B Chaps at 3 p.m.Dave Gutter at 4:30 p.m.Fishbone at 6 p.m. Former Lynyrd Skynyrd drummer coming to Hudson Falls The free, all-ages music festival also features vendors lining the street. You can apply to be a vendor or see the vendor list when it is released on the Downtown Albany website.Ground rulesNo outside alcoholic beverages or glass containersNo dogs or pets, with the exception of service anima...