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Grammy nominee Gracie Abrams makes music that unites strangers – and has Taylor Swift calling

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:35:40 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — The year 2023 was good to Gracie Abrams. She released her debut album. She opened for Taylor Swift. She sold out a U.S. tour, and took that tour to Europe. She started writing new music. And to cap it all off, she got her first Grammy nomination: best new artist.When the nominations dropped in early November, Abrams, 24, was at home, alone. “I just couldn’t have anticipated it less, you know. And so it was kind of this really, extremely exciting honor and a really sweet cherry on top to a year of so many gifts.”Abrams immediately called her mom. But the first person to call her was fellow best new artist and first-time nominee, Noah Kahan. (They were “screaming on the phone,” she says.) The two are joined in the category by Ice Spice, Victoria Monét, Fred again.., Jelly Roll, Coco Jones and The War and Treaty.Looking ahead to the Feb. 4 Grammy ceremony in Los Angeles, Abrams said: “I’m really stoked to just cheer really loudly for everyone.”Her debut album, “ Good Ri...

Authorities return restored golden crosses to the domes of Kyiv’s St Sophia Cathedral

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:35:40 GMT

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Workers using cranes on Thursday installed two more restored crosses on top of the domes of Kyiv’s 11th-century St. Sophia Cathedral as part of ongoing repair work at the landmark site.The seven golden crosses atop the iconic cathedral’s seven domes had become corroded. Officials said they required urgent attention.The final cross, on the cathedral’s main golden dome, is due to be removed next week. It is expected to be put back in May.The cathedral, which is a UNESCO World Heritage site, is in the heart of Kyiv. It has not sustained any major damage from the bombing of the Ukrainian capital by Russia since its full-scale invasion on Feb. 24 2022, but it has occasionally been struck by debris from explosions.In September, the U.N.’s World Heritage Committee placed the cathedral on a list of sites it considers to be in danger.The cathedral was built to rival the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul. The monument to Byzantine art contains the biggest collection of mosaics and...

Pacific storm dumps heavy rains, unleashes flooding in 2 California coastal cities

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:35:40 GMT

PORT HUENEME, Calif. (AP) — A Pacific storm pounded parts of Southern California on Thursday with heavy rain and street flooding, adding to hassles as holiday travel got underway. The early morning downpours targeted coastal Ventura County, just to the northwest of Los Angeles County, swamping areas in the cities of Oxnard and Port Hueneme.Rainfall rates exceeded 3 inches (7.6 centimeters) an hour as flash-flooding occurred, the National Weather Service said.The city of Port Hueneme issued evacuation orders for residences on four streets and warned of potential evacuations on four other streets. An evacuation center was set up at a college gymnasium. The city of Oxnard said in a social media post that many streets and intersections were heavily impacted. “Please stay off the city streets for the next several hours until the water recedes,” the post said.The National Weather Service issued a tornado warning for Oxnard and the city of Ventura at 1:28 a.m. due to a high-intensity thund...

Extreme heat represents a new threat to trees and plants in the Pacific Northwest

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:35:40 GMT

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — From June 25 to July 2, 2021, the Pacific Northwest experienced a record-breaking heat wave that sent the normally temperate region into Death Valley-like extremes that took a heavy toll on trees as well as people. Seattle and Portland, Ore., recorded their hottest-ever temperatures, reaching 108 degrees Fahrenheit (42.2 Celsius) and 116 Fahrenheit (46.6 Celsius), respectively. In British Columbia, the small town of Lytton reached 121 degrees Fahrenheit (49.6 Celsius). What become known as the “heat dome” is estimated to have killed hundreds of people in Oregon, Washington and British Columbia.As this human tragedy unfolded, a lesser-known ecological tragedy was happening, one that scientists warn has grim repercussions for the world’s plants and the many animal species that depend on them.In a matter of a few days, the 2021 heat dome turned many of the green leaves and needles on the region’s trees to orange, red and brown.But, as recent research suggests, tre...

NCAA President Charlie Baker drawing on lessons learned as GOP governor in Democratic Massachusetts

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:35:40 GMT

BOSTON (AP) — Growing up in a Boston suburb in the 1960s, Charlie Baker learned his first political lesson — the art of listening to competing viewpoints — around the dinner table as his Democratic mother and Republican father hashed out the topics of the day.There was a reason he was given two ears and one mouth, his mother would tell him.It’s a story Baker repeatedly told as Massachusetts governor, and one that offers lessons for his job as president of the NCAA — the country’s largest college sports governing body overseeing some 500,000 athletes at more than 1,100 schools.Earlier this month, the 6-foot-6 former Harvard basketball player outlined a vision for a new NCAA subdivision at the very top of college sports in a letter he sent to the more than 350 Division I schools. It was an attempt in part to grapple with one of the diciest issues facing the NCAA — how best to compensate college athletes.Baker said his proposal would require schools that want to be a part of the ...

Here are some ways you can reduce financial stress during the holidays

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:35:40 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — The holidays are supposed to be a joyful time, but they can also be financially stressful. With gifts, social gatherings and plane tickets home, the costs can start piling up.Household expenses continue to rise and many Americans are expressing concern about their financial futures, according to a poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. “Financial concerns are the number one anxiety-provoking issue (for the holidays),” said Dr. Petros Levounis, president of the American Psychiatric Association.Here are recommendations from experts to reduce financial stress during the holidays:SET EXPECTATIONSIn many families, the holidays mean going all out with gift giving. But this can quickly become stressful if your finances make it hard to keep up.Managing expectations is key, according to Sarah Foster, a Bankrate.com analyst.“During the holiday season, we often feel like not talking about money, not letting individuals know how much the gi...

Greek government says it stands by same-sex marriage pledge even after opposition from the Church

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:35:40 GMT

ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Greece’s center-right government said Thursday it would fulfill a commitment to legalize same-sex marriage, sidestepping staunch opposition from the country’s influential Orthodox Church.The legislation would be brought to parliament during the house’s current term, which ends in 2027, said government spokesman Pavlos Marinakis.The statement comes after the Church’s governing Holy Synod issued a 1,500-word opinion late Wednesday, expressing strong opposition to the proposal. The Church’s main argument centered around the issue of raising children, claiming they are being treated as “accessories” and “companion pets” for gay couples.“We always listen to the opinions of the Church with respect,” Marinakis said. “But at the same time, we are implementing our policy, and will listen to the views of society, civil society, the citizenry, institutions, and parties in total.”The Church argues that extending marriage rights would create a legal obligation t...

Ja Morant back in Memphis where his return should help the Grizzlies fill seats

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:35:40 GMT

Two-time All-Star Ja Morant will have a chance Thursday night to try to top a “perfect ending.”The Memphis Grizzlies’ dazzling point guard plays his first game at home since the end of his 25-game suspension to start the NBA season because of his social media antics with guns.Memphis not only needs Morant on the court, the Grizzlies hope he brings fans back to a venue that felt more like a crypt than NBA arena without him.With Morant banned from watching games from the bench with his teammates, empty seats had been easier to find than fans in Memphis. The last team to win a game on their own court goes into this game against Indiana as one of two NBA teams still with only one home victory.Morant made quite the splash in his return to the NBA on Tuesday night, scoring 34 points and the game-winning bucket over New Orleans. Morant called that game “ the perfect ending” to a “perfect day.”The Grizzlies’ president reminded fans on social media after the team rallied fr...

Man found shot dead in alley in Grand Crossing: CPD

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:35:40 GMT

CHICAGO -- A man was found shot dead in an alley in the city's Grand Crossing neighborhood overnight, police said. According to Chicago police, a person was found shot dead in an alley near the 1100 block of East 81st Place around 12:11 a.m. Security guard fatally shot in Chatham ID’d; suspects sought Police said the man sustained multiple gunshot wounds to the body and was pronounced dead on the scene.There is currently no one in custody and police are investigating the incident.

Plainfield man, 21, charged with murder in killing of his mother, Joliet Police Dept. announces

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:35:40 GMT

JOLIET, Ill. — A Plainfield man has been charged with the murder of his mother after being taken into custody in Joliet, the Joliet Police Department announced Thursday.Justen Holman, 21, of Plainfield was processed and transported to the Will County Adult Detention Facility on a charge of first-degree murder.According to police, Holman was taken into custody on Wednesday in the 1500 block of North Larkin Ave. in Joliet after indicating to officers that he had recently killed someone at his residence in the 6400 block of Langsford Lane in Plainfield.Police say officers located Holman's 48-year-old mother at the Langsford Lane residence. According to police, she appeared to have sustained gunshot wounds and was pronounced dead by the Will County Coroner's Office.Officers recovered the handgun believed to be used in the shooting, according to police.In a Wednesday news release, police said officers responded to a parking lot in the 1500 block of North Larkin Ave. in Joliet after a 911...