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Americans have long wanted the perfect endless summer. Jimmy Buffett offered them one

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 11:05:56 GMT

It seemed wistfully appropriate, somehow, that news of Jimmy Buffett’s death emerged at the beginning of the Labor Day weekend, the demarcation point of every American summer’s symbolic end. Because for so many, the 76-year-old Buffett embodied something they held onto ever so tightly as the world grew ever more complex: the promise of an eternal summer of sand, sun, blue salt water and gentle tropical winds. He was the man whose studied devil-may-care attitude became a lifestyle and a multimillion-dollar business — a connecting filament between the suburbs and the Florida Keys and, beyond them, the Caribbean. From Margaritaville to the unspecified tropical paradise where he just wanted to eat cheeseburgers (“that American creation on which I feed”), he became a life’s-a-beach avatar for anyone working for the weekend and hoping to unplug — even in the decades before “unplugging” became a thing.“It’s important to have as much fun as possible while we’re here. It balances out t...

France will soon ban disposable vapes under an anti-smoking plan, prime minister says

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 11:05:56 GMT

PARIS (AP) — French Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne said Sunday that disposable vapes will soon be banned in the country as part of a national anti-smoking plan.Borne, speaking on RTL radio, did not say when the ban would enter into force.She said the government would soon unveil its new plan to combat smoking, which she said is the cause of 75,000 deaths a year in the country.It will include a ban on disposable vapes, which she said “are giving bad habits to young people.”“It’s a reflex and a gesture that young people get used to. That’s how they get into smoking,” she added. Most of the disposable e-cigarettes, which are thrown away after they’re used up, come in sweet and fruity flavors like pink lemonade, gummy bear and watermelon that makes them attractive to teenagers. They are sold in France usually at a price of between 8 euros ($8.7) and 12 euros ($13). An existing ban on the sale of electronic cigarette devices to those under 18 is not widely respected. Promoting or adverti...

The Globe and Mail’s Phillip Crawley turns the page on a 58-year newspaper career

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 11:05:56 GMT

TORONTO — In 1998, Canadian newspapers faced the toughest environment in decades amid the launch of the National Post, fresh competition that put media companies in a cutthroat competition to gain the most readers, advertisers and scoops.The Globe and Mail sent for Phillip Crawley.A newspaper veteran from Northumberland in England’s northeast, Crawley arrived in Toronto ready to do battle in the coming newspaper war. After a nearly six-decade career in journalism, including 25 years as CEO and publisher of the Globe, Crawley marked his last day at the newspaper’s helm on Thursday.He retires as the journalism industry faces different challenges in an era defined by media concentration and continued uncertainties.“I’ve been in the business for 58 years, so I’m not exactly rushing out the door,” said Crawley, 79, in an interview last month.“At my age and stage, it’s the right time to hand on to a successor who’s already very well versed in the Globe.”Crawley is ...

How soon until daylight saving time ends?

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 11:05:56 GMT

(NEXSTAR) — The unofficial end of summer, Labor Day, is upon us. Kids are heading back to school, the leaves are starting to change color, and there’s a certain crispness to the air (unless you’re still dealing with late summer heat). That can only mean one thing: we’re losing daylight. We’ve been steadily losing daylight since the summer solstice on June 21. It starts slow, at about a minute a week, before ramping up during September. In Chicago, for example, the sun sets at around 7:25 p.m. on September 1. By October 1, the sun will set around 6:32 p.m.Darkness will only fall sooner when daylight saving time ends. We’ve been on daylight saving time since March 12, and reaping the benefits: more daylight. But that will come to an end at 2 a.m. on Sunday, November 5, when we will "fall back," bringing in early sunsets and more darkness for the winter. (We will, however, get an extra hour of sleep that night.) Student loan payments start soon: Everything you need to ...

Labor Day watercraft ban in effect on Lake Austin through Tuesday

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 11:05:56 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — A personal watercraft ban is in place on Lake Austin for Labor Day weekend.The ban went into effect at sunset Friday. It will lift Tuesday at sunrise.The ban applies to personal watercraft, wet bikes, motorized surfboards and similar vessels. Kayaks, canoes and paddleboards are not affected.Austin Police Department’s Lake Patrol Unit will enforce the ordinance. The city’s annual ordinance, which aims to enforce public safety, also goes into effect for periods around the Memorial Day and July 4 holidays.People operating motorboats on Lake Austin should stay to the right of the lake except when assisting a downed water skier, the ordinance says.Lake Travis is not affected by the watercraft ban. Lake Austin stretches from Mansfield Dam to the Tom Miller Dam.Boaters should call 911 for emergencies or to report reckless boat operations.

Richard Striner: Eisenhower created a unifying brand of politics that the GOP needs today

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 11:05:56 GMT

During his first term as president, Dwight Eisenhower turned to his press secretary, Jim Hagerty, and said, “If the right wing wants a fight, they’re going to get it. If they want to leave the Republican Party and form a third party, that’s their business, but before I end up, either this Republican Party will reflect progressivism, or I won’t be there with them anymore.”Eisenhower wrote in his diary that he might even have to form a third party himself, and he would dedicate it to “the Middle Way” — his term for the political centrism that he favored. This could be a potent theme for today’s Republican Party after next year.Third parties in American history have come and gone. Our current two-party party system was born when another system failed. The Republican Party began in 1854 when renegades from two other parties — the Democrats and Whigs — joined together. A pithy term had been making the rounds among Democrat...

Real World Economics: Doom for dollar in international trade is overblown

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 11:05:56 GMT

Little has changed in international currency issues since last week. The BRICS conference was held, and six new countries added. Then everyone went home with nothing really done. Exchange rates have changed little nor have trade flows. But what about these variables in the longer-run for our nation’s currency? Is it, and are we, “doomed” as some pundits fret or is that a phantom menace? Why or why not?Edward LottermanRemember that there are two aspects to the international status of the U.S. dollar.One is as a common settlement currency used by many nations in paying for imports or exports or in borrowing, whether by governments or businesses, or in their paying principal and interest on existing debt. The analogy in terms of “functions of money” learned in introductory econ is as a “medium of exchange” between countries.The other aspect is the dollar’s function as a “store of value” internationally. Do citizens of other countries, or businesses, or governments themselves or their c...

Man shot to death and found lying outdoors in Frogtown early Sunday

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 11:05:56 GMT

St. Paul police are investigating the death of a man who was found shot near Sherburne Avenue and Mackubin Street North early Sunday.Officers were called to the 400 block of Sherburne just before 2 a.m. on reports of shots fired. They found a man with multiple gunshots lying in the street. He was pronounced dead at the scene.Authorities will release the victim’s name after the Ramsey County medical examiner’s office confirms his identity.This is the city’s 24th homicide of the year, according to police.Authorities ask anyone with information to call 651-266-5650.Related ArticlesCrime & Public Safety | Hastings man dies in car crash on Highway 55 Friday night Crime & Public Safety | St. Cloud police are latest agency to withdraw school resource officers over opposition to use-of-force limits Crime & Public Safety | St. Cloud lawmaker to plead guilty in July DWI case in Kanabec County Crime & Public Safety | ...

Highest paying jobs in St. Louis for high school graduates

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 11:05:56 GMT

A high school diploma gives graduates a leg up in the workforce, even if they don't pursue any further education.The latest Bureau of Labor Statistics data shows that workers over age of 25 with a high school diploma or equivalent earned about 25% more than those without one—$853 a week compared to $682. Diploma holders also faced lower unemployment rates, at 4% in 2022, compared to 5.5% for those who never completed high school.There are many reasons high-school graduates may choose to not continue on to college—for instance, the cost. Average tuition costs continue to rise, increasing by 1% to 4% last year, depending on the institution type. While higher degrees of education typically pave the way for higher earnings, a college degree isn't necessary for many high-paying jobs. And for many careers, it doesn't make sense to pay to study for years when there are paid apprenticeship or learn-on-the-job programs.Stacker used Bureau of Labor Statistics data to find the highest-paying j...

Chips, romaine lettuce, and other groceries that rose in price in the Midwest last month

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 11:05:56 GMT

After more than a year of historical inflation, grocery prices are staying relatively steady. Prices fell in March and April for the first time since September 2020 and have changed little since. In July, the cost of groceries inflated 0.3% over June prices.The drop earlier this spring was largely fueled by decreases in eggs—which had risen dramatically in price—as well as meats, fruits and vegetables, and dairy products.The overall cost of groceries in July remained up 3.6% from 2022 after historically high inflation in the past couple of years following a series of major social and economic events, including the COVID-19 pandemic, Russia's invasion of Ukraine, labor disruptions, and heightened consumer demand. Overall, inflation has finally somewhat cooled after continuous interest rate hikes from the Fed, and grocery inflation appears to be doing the same.Despite the lull, groceries in some categories continued to climb. Stacker used monthly data from the Bureau of Labor Statisti...