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Why the UK’s economic upturn is a false dawn for the Tories

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:58:11 GMT

The good news for the U.K. government is the economy is doing slightly better than expected. The bad news is it’s surely going to take more than that to turn its fortunes around in time for the general election.After flirting with recession for the best part of 18 months since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, it looks increasingly likely that will be avoided. On Friday, gross domestic product, measuring the value of goods and services in the economy, posted its strongest growth in over a year for the three months to June, rising 0.5 percent.A particularly strong rebound in the country’s struggling car industry in June gave fresh evidence of a return to some kind of normality in manufacturing, after the combined shocks of the war and the earlier disruption to supply chains from the pandemic.In theory, that should support the chances of the ruling Conservatives, giving the party time to repair a reputation for economic competence that has been badly dented in the last couple ...

Hundreds of motorcyclists turn out for funeral procession to send off local Navy vet

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:58:11 GMT

Hundreds of motorcycle riders were on hand Friday morning to help give a final farewell to a Vietnam veteran.The motorcyclists turned out after a Weymouth funeral home made a request to a local American Legion Riders group, asking if volunteers could help escort Anthony Meizis to his final resting place in Bourne.Shared on the Department Of Mass American Legion Riders Facebook page, a funeral director at McDonald Keohane Funeral Home put out the request earlier this week, explaining how Meizis had no family or next of kin that could attend his funeral service.“I had heard of your organization, making sure that no veteran was buried alone, and I would be forever grateful if you would assist me in escorting him to Bourne for his burial and military honors,” Cara Johnson said. “Especially since he loved motorcycles.”A few days later, hundreds of motorcyclists took part in the procession for the Navy Lance Corporal, heading down Main Street in Weymouth and procee...

Virgin Galactic launches first tourism mission after decades of promises

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:58:11 GMT

(CNN) — Virgin Galactic — the space tourism company founded by British billionaire Richard Branson — finally launched its first space tourists to the edge of the cosmos, a major step toward delivering on decades of promises.The company’s rocket-powered space plane, VSS Unity, took off at 8:30 a.m. MT from a New Mexico spaceport attached to a massive twin-fuselage mothership.It carried three customers: entrepreneur and health and wellness coach Keisha Schahaff and her daughter Anastatia Mayers — the first space travelers from Antigua who won their seats in a fundraiser drawing — as well as former Olympian Jon Goodwin, who competed as a canoeist in the 1972 Munich Summer Games. Goodwin became the second person with Parkinson’s disease to travel to space.The group’s journey began at Virgin Galactic’s spaceport in New Mexico, where the passengers boarded VSS Unity as it sat attached beneath the wing of the mothership called VMS Eve.VMS Eve took off much like an airplane, barreling ...

Nike shows off Kobe Bryant 8 Protro Halo sneaker created by widow Vanessa

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:58:11 GMT

Kobe Bryant fans will have a new way of memorializing the late NBA star. Nike has teamed up with Vanessa Bryant, Kobe’s widow, for a new sneaker coming out on Aug. 23, which would have been his 45th birthday.“Partnering with Nike Basketball, Vanessa Bryant imagined and created the Halo shoe concept and launch as a way to honor Kobe’s birthday each year,” the company said in a press release. “The Halo concept will be an annual release that will honor and celebrate this special date.”First up is the Kobe 8 Proto Halo, the newest addition to the Protro lineup, which will be available through Nike’s SNKRS app and at select global retailers.In addition to its triple-white colorway, the sneaker features “new updates in design and performance innovation,” including a Nike React foam — for comfort, responsiveness, and durability — and an updated herringbone traction pattern for better grip.The design, meanwhile, features an e...

Residents of devastated Lahaina will be allowed back to check on their homes. Follow live updates

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:58:11 GMT

By REBECCA BOONE (Associated Press)Follow live updates about wildfires that have devastated parts of Maui in Hawaii, destroying a historic town and forcing evacuations. The National Weather Service said Hurricane Dora, which passed south of the island chain, was partly to blame for strong winds that initially drove the flames, knocking out power and grounding firefighting helicopters.Hawaii Gov. Josh Green said Lahaina residents will be allowed to return Friday to check on their property and that people will be able to get out, too, to get water and access other services.An official announcement will come later Friday from the office of Maui County Mayor Richard Bissen Jr., Green told Hawaii News Now, adding that people should expect an announcement of a curfew as well. “The recovery’s going to be extraordinarily complicated, but we do want people to get back to their homes and just do what they can to assess safely because it’s pretty dangerous,” he said.An ...

Consumer Health: Questions about breastfeeding

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:58:11 GMT

Laurel Kelly | (TNS) Mayo Clinic News NetworkThe American Academy of Pediatrics has affirmed its recommendation and advocacy for breastfeeding, stating, “Research has shown that breastfeeding is linked to decreased rates of lower respiratory tract infections, severe diarrhea, ear infections and obesity. Breastfeeding is associated with lower risk of sudden infant death syndrome, as well as other protective effects.”Specifically, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommendation is for:— Exclusive breastfeeding of infants for the first six months of life before introducing nutritious complementary foods.— Maternity care practices at birth hospitals or centers that improve breastfeeding initiation, duration and exclusivity.— Breastfeeding as long as mutually desired for two years or beyond.— Support of mothers who choose to breastfeed beyond the first year, including protections against workplace barriers.— Policies that protect breastfeeding ...

Does landscaping increase home value?

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:58:11 GMT

Cynthia Paez Bowman | Bankrate.com (TNS)Landscaping can have a big impact on the impression a home makes. The front lawn leading to your door is usually what a visitor notices first; the view out the back can enhance the ambiance of interior rooms. The question is, how vital is it to invest in curb appeal to improve your home’s value? Is it worth prioritizing part of your home maintenance budget on your outdoor areas?The American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) claims professional landscaping can increase a home’s price tag 15 percent to 20 percent more at the time of resale. “High-quality landscape designs usually have an ROI of 20 percent to 30 percent of the overall house value,” says Bryan McKenzie, a landscape designer and co-founder of gardening advice site bumpercroptimes.com.However, not all projects deliver on the promise, and some can potentially decrease property value. Where you see beauty, others may see a burden or even a hazard.Let’s dig more deeply into when l...

Teens with addiction are often left to detox without medication

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:58:11 GMT

Markian Hawryluk | (TNS) KFF Health NewsDENVER — When Denver Health wanted to open an inpatient opioid detox unit specifically for teens, doctors there searched high and low for a model to copy. They didn’t find one.Teens who land in emergency rooms with an opioid overdose generally receive naloxone to reverse the effects of dangerous drugs in their system and are sent home with a list of places they can go for follow-up care. But too often, those teens never seek additional help. They are left to suffer through the agony of withdrawal with no medications to ease their cravings. As a result, many, seeking relief, go back to opioids, often with tragic consequences.Christian Thurstone, the director of behavioral health services at the Denver hospital, said six of his teen patients have died of fentanyl overdoses in the past two years. Denver Health has now opened what he believes to be the nation’s first adolescent inpatient detox unit.“I’ve been doing adolescent substance treatment h...

Home Showcase: Nothing short of opulent in Hamilton

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:58:11 GMT

There’s a “wow” factor and there’s a “WHOA” factor and the palatial property at 441 Highland Street in Hamilton is the latter.Prepare to be awed by the sheer size and careful craftsmanship found throughout the 2002 custom home. You won’t just want to host a dinner party or two, you pretty much have to. The property and its 9.45 lush acres are primed for gatherings of Great Gatsby proportions.Guests will be impressed from the moment they set foot into the double-height foyer with its elegant curved staircase to the time they’re settled in the banquet-sized dining room, taking in the views from the sun-drenched solarium, or enjoying a cookout on the mahogany wraparound deck.The heart of the home, a gourmet kitchen, is adorned with custom cherry cabinets, granite countertops, a central island, and limestone flooring. Its dining area flows seamlessly into the family room, crowned with cathedral ceilings reaching 25″ and made extra cozy by an ornate fireplace and built-in cabinetry...

What caused the Maui wildfires?

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:58:11 GMT

(KHON/NEXSTAR) – A series of wildfires raging across Maui have devastated the island and its communities, wiping out homes and businesses and destroying the historic town of Lahaina in just a few days.The death toll, which had climbed to 55 as of Friday morning, is also expected to grow as rescue workers continue recovery efforts.“The closest thing I can compare it to is perhaps a war zone or maybe a bomb went off,” Maui County Mayor Richard Bissen Jr. said Friday during an interview with ABC’s “Good Morning America.”“It was cars in the street, doors open, you know, melted to the ground. Most structures no longer exist,” Bissen said. Newest photos show devastation from Maui fire The blazes first broke out Tuesday, though the exact causes are currently unknown. What officials do know, however, is that conditions in Maui were perfect for wildfires in the months leading up to this week’s events.Maui has experienced an especially dry summer, both in terms of humidity and vegetation, e...