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USA Today resumes its bestseller list for books after monthslong hiatus

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:34:59 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — USA Today’s weekly list of bestselling books, a publishing fixture that had been on hiatus since December, returned Wednesday. “We couldn’t be more thrilled because this content is important to our vast audience and uniquely supports the communities we serve,” Kristin Roberts, Gannett Media’s chief content officer, said in a statement.Gannett had not run the list since Mary Cadden, the longtime compiler, was among hundreds laid off late last year. According to Erik Bursch, senior vice president for product and engineering, the logging of sales figures — entered manually by Cadden — has been automated. The list otherwise will be managed by the paper’s books editor, Barbara VanDenburgh.The publishing industry has long valued the USA Today rankings as a comprehensive, data-focused way of measuring the consumer market. The list, which began in 1993 and includes the top 150 books, is “based exclusively on sales analysis from U.S. booksellers including bo...

Space Disco Cowboy? Couples ditch traditional wedding dress codes in favor of out-there themes

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:34:59 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — “Space Disco Cowboy.” “Yacht Shabbat.” “Burning Man Formal”? More couples are tossing tradition when it comes to what wedding guests should wear, to some befuddlement among invitees.Maggie Long, 34, recently attended the nuptials of a close friend in a low-key Denver lounge. The suggested dress? “Dive Bar Semiformal.”“I love a theme,” said Long, who lives in New York. “It’s fun that people aren’t taking weddings so seriously, but I had no idea what that meant.” After exchanging thoughts for months with the officiant, who is also a friend, Long took her outfit idea — a strappy-back, low-cut ultra-mini purple dress with a high side slit — to the bride. The bride deemed it a bit too “Kardashian cosplay.” Long finally settled on a longer gold lamé dress by Norma Kamali, and a great time was had.“There were a lot of vintage jumpsuits. One of our friends went full 1960s with go-go boots and a bouffant. A lot of sequins were happening,” Long sa...

Man who tried to have his child-porn victim killed is headed to prison

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:34:59 GMT

CAMDEN, N.J. (AP) — A New Jersey man has been sentenced to more than six years in federal prison after exchanging sexually explicit videos and images with a 13-year-old New York girl and later paying $20,000 in bitcoin to have her killed, eventually calling it off.John Michael Musbach, 34, of Haddonfield, received his 78-month prison term Tuesday during a court hearing in Camden, according to federal prosecutors. He will also have to serve three years of supervised release after prison.Musbach pleaded guilty in February to using interstate commerce facilities in the commission of a murder-for-hire plot.He began communicating online with the girl in 2015 and eventually began using those chats to request and receive sexually explicit videos and photographs of the girl, and send her similar videos and images of himself. The girl’s parents discovered the nature of the chats and notified law enforcement in New York state, where they lived.Musbach was arrested on child pornography charges...

'Very unhealthy' air still blankets Chicago area

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:34:59 GMT

CHICAGO — The Chicago area is grappling with another day of unhealthy air quality as wildfire smoke from Canada lingers.An Air Quality Alert  remains the Chicago area and Northwest Indiana though Wednesday night. Counties include Cook, DuPage, Will, Grundy, Kane, Kankakee, Kendall, La Salle, Lake and McHenry in Illinois.People with heart or lung disease, older adults, children and teens should avoid strenuous outdoor activities, keep outdoor activities short. Others should choose less strenuous activities limit active time outdoors.Full forecast details and more at the WGN Weather Center blog As of 8 a.m. most of the area was still in the "very unhealthy" zone.⚠️8AM Wednesday: Air quality continues to be "very unhealthy" across Chicagoland though numbers are slowly coming down. By this afternoon, our numbers should move us down below 200 into the unhealthy category. #Chicago #smoke #WildfireSmoke 😤😤 pic.twitter.com/JgcsXeE1iM— Bill Snyder (@billyweather) Ju...

Manager allegedly exposed himself to woman at Downers Grove restaurant

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:34:59 GMT

DOWNERS GROVE, Ill. — A restaurant manager was arrested after allegedly exposing himself to a female employee earlier this month in Downers Grove.Armando Romero-Mendoza, 42, of Plainfield, was charged Tuesday with public indecency.On June 5, Romero-Mendoza allegedly exposed his genitals to a woman working at a restaurant he was managing in the 5100 block of Main Street. Suburban man accused of striking 2 horses, fleeing scene He was released on bond pending a future court date.

Round Rock summer camp working to protect children from heatwave

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:34:59 GMT

ROUND ROCK (KXAN) — With triple-digit temperatures in the forecast, summer camps in Central Texas are adjusting their outdoor activities this week.Over at the Best Kids Summer Camp in Round Rock, counselors are limiting the amount of time kids spend in the sun.Hannah Chapman is the camp’s co-founder. She says this is one of the hottest Junes she’s ever experienced in Central Texas.With this in mind, her camp recently put in place a new rule: a 15-minute limit on outdoor activities every afternoon. How often does Austin hit 100°? Here’s a breakdown by date, month, year and decade “This summer has definitely been very different from previous summers,” Chapman said. “We really had to quickly make changes to our schedule, to ensure that kids stay cool, safe and hydrated.”She says around 120 kids — ages 5 to 12 — visit her camp each week.One camper is third-grader Harrison Whalen. He said the heatwave could pose problems, such as heat exhaustion or heat stroke.“You could either pass ou...

Why does that cloud look like that? A closer look at some weird clouds

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:34:59 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) - Whether they look like a bunny, dinosaur or a fire truck; clouds can take on some truly unique shapes. Some clouds form under special conditions and really stand out.In this First Warning Weather University lesson, Chief Meteorologist David Yeomans takes a closer look at two clouds: the Mammatus cloud and the Undulatus Asperatus cloud.What you'll learn in this lesson:What is a cloud made of?How do thunderstorms help mammatus clouds form?How recent have scientists discovered a new cloud?

Pilot dies when crop-dusting plane crashes in Minnesota field

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:34:59 GMT

CROOKSTON, Minn. (AP) — The pilot of a crop-dusting airplane died when it crashed into a field in Minnesota.The Polk County Sheriff’s Office said the crash was reported around 8:30 p.m. Tuesday in a field near the town of Crookston in the northwestern corner of Minnesota. Emergency crews found the pilot alone inside the plane. He was dead at the scene.An investigation is underway.Related ArticlesNews | MN urges dog owners to pursue vaccination for canine influenza News | Lake Superior drowning victims were car enthusiasts, recent graduates from Inver Grove Heights school News | Canadian wildfire smoke prompts record 23rd MN air quality alert News | bill alkofer, former Pioneer Press photojournalist, dies at 61 News | Weekend fire destroys popular nightclub at Lutsen Mountains resort

Singer Macy Gray to perform at Troy Music Hall

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:34:59 GMT

TROY, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- Singer-songwriter Macy Gray is coming to the Troy Savings Bank Music Hall. She is set to perform on September 29 at 8 p.m. Get the latest, news, weather, sports and community events delivered right to your inbox! Gray has released 10 studio albums with her most recent project being "The Reset," which came out in February. She is best known for her song "I Try," which was released on her 1999 debut album "On How Life Is."In addition to singing, Gray is an actor who has appeared in shows such as "Dancing with the Stars," "Lip Sync Battle," and "American Song Contest." She's also starred in a variety of movies. Liam Neeson shows support for Hudson Valley cinemas in video Tickets go on sale to the general public on Friday, June 29 at 10 a.m., but Music Hall members can buy tickets now. You can buy tickets on the Troy Music Hall website, by calling (518) 273-0038, or at the box office.

Is it a “richcession”? Or a “rolling recession”? Or maybe no recession at all?

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:34:59 GMT

WASHINGTON — The warnings have been sounded for more than a year: A recession is going to hit the United States. If not this quarter, then by next quarter. Or the quarter after that. Or maybe next year.So is a recession still in sight?The latest signs suggest maybe not. Despite much higher borrowing costs, thanks to the Federal Reserve’s aggressive streak of interest rate hikes, consumers keep spending, and employers keep hiring. Gas prices have dropped, and grocery prices have leveled off, giving Americans more spending power.The economy keeps managing to grow. And so does the belief among some economists that the United States might actually achieve an elusive “soft landing,” in which growth slows but households and businesses spend enough to avoid a full-blown recession.“The U.S. economy is genuinely displaying signs of resilience,” said Gregory Daco, chief economist at EY, a tax and consulting firm. “This is leading many to rightly question whether the long-forecast recess...