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Book Review: ‘Astor’ is a primer on the rise and fall one of America’s richest families

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:58:20 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — It’s hard to escape the name Astor when you are in New York: from Astor Place downtown to the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel and even the neighborhood of Astoria, Queens, the family’s legacy is everywhere.In “Astor: The Rise and Fall of an American Fortune,” CNN journalist Anderson Cooper and his co-writer Katherine Howe trace the famous family’s legacy from its beginning, when John Jacob Astor immigrated from Germany and established himself in the beaver fur trade, a bloody and highly competitive business. He invested his fortune in buying up land in the rapidly developing island of Manhattan and became one of the richest men in the U.S.Cooper and Howe wrote the book as a follow-up to “Vanderbilt,” a chronicle of Cooper’s own famous family that came out in 2021. “Astor” sketches how subsequent generations either built on or frittered away the family’s initial fortune. It ends with the elder abuse case of Brooke Astor in the 2000s. At times, the narrative drifts away fr...

Several security forces killed in an ambush by gunmen in Nigeria’s southeast

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:58:20 GMT

ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — Gunmen opened fire and killed several members of a patrol of security forces in Nigeria’s southeastern region Tuesday, police said, in the latest in a spate of violent attacks that typically are blamed on separatist militants.A team of various Nigerian security agencies were patrolling a remote community in Imo state’s Ehime Mbano district when they were ambushed by the gunmen, police said.Authorities said they were still investigating the attack and that they could not immediately confirm the number of dead, but Lagos-based newspapers reported eight of the security personnel were killed, citing local sources. Videos that appeared to have been shot at the scene showed bodies of the security forces lying beside burning vehicles.The police in Imo said security forces have been deployed to restore calm to an area that has become concerned over the trend of such attacks in areas with inadequate security presence. “The commissioner of police has ordered an inv...

What is the Sikh separatist movement at centre of the Canada-India dispute?

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:58:20 GMT

The shooting death of Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Surrey, B.C., in June has touched off a foreign affairs crisis between Canada and India over the Sikh leader’s role in the Khalistan separatism movement. Here is what you need to know about the movement.What is Khalistan? Khalistan is the term used for the quest of an independent Sikh homeland centred around the Indian state of Punjab where Sikhs make up a majority of the population. The group comprises about 1.7 per cent of India’s overall population.How long has the Khalistan movement been around? The idea for a separate Sikh state has been around for at least 300 years, according to the Encyclopedia Britannica. The idea featured prominently during the talks before the partition of India and Pakistan in 1947.Where is the movement now? A report by the Canadian Network for Research on Terrorism, Security and Society at the University of Waterloo says the movement in Punjab peaked in the 1980s and early 1990s with a number of ...

Hyundai rushing to open Georgia plant because of law rewarding domestic electric vehicle production

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:58:20 GMT

ATLANTA (AP) — A top Hyundai executive said Tuesday that the company is rushing to start electric vehicle and battery production as soon as possible at a $7.6 billion complex in coastal Georgia, spurred by federal electric vehicle incentives that reward domestic production.Hyundai President and Global Chief Operating Officer Jose Munoz made the remarks to reporters in Atlanta after signing a partnership with Georgia Tech aimed at strengthening research into hydrogen-fueled vehicles and producing workers for the Korean company. Among attendees was Euisun Chung, executive chairman of parent Hyundai Motor Group.The group, which also makes Kia and Genesis vehicles, has complained that the Inflation Reduction Act is unfair to companies importing electric batteries or vehicles from outside North America. The massive federal law, one of President Joe Biden’s signature accomplishments, is aimed in part at combating climate change. The law provides a tax credit that saves EV buyers up ...

NASA predicts large asteroid impact could be in Earth's future

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:58:20 GMT

Related video above is an interview with a NASA astronaut about his extended stay in space.(WTAJ) -- NASA scientists are predicting a chance that asteroid Bennu will strike Earth in the future, potentially affecting an area the size of Texas.Bennu is a Near-Earth Object (NEO) that passes by the planet roughly every six years, and experts have been watching it since it was discovered in September 1999. According to scientists, Bennu has a chance to pass through what they call a "gravity keyhole," which would send it on a collision course with Earth in the year 2182. What are the bright lights over Central Pennsylvania? A new paper from the OSIRIS-REx science team predicts Bennu has a 0.037% chance (1 in 2,700) of hitting Earth; this will largely depend on another flyby. In 2135, Bennu will zoom past Earth just close enough that our planet's gravitational pull could affect it in just the right way to put it on a path to hit us on Sept. 24, 2182 -- almost 159 years to the day from t...

MedWatch Digest: One of the world's leading causes of death, disability identified — and more

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:58:20 GMT

For Tuesday, Sept. 19, WGN’s Dina Bair has new medical information, including: More Coverage: WGN's Medical Watch WHO releases report on hypertension The World Health Organization has identified high blood pressure as one of the world's leading causes of death and disability. The conclusion comes from the agency's first report on the global impact of high blood pressure, also known as hypertension. According to the report, it affects one in three adults worldwide. The study recommends strategies to combat the condition, including diet, medicine access, and exercise.  The report says an increase in the number of people effectively treated for hypertension could prevent 76 million deaths between 2023 and 2050. Study: Kids with increased screen time seen lower developmental scores in toddlers Screen time — it can have a significant impact on brain performance. Looking at nearly 60,000 children over several years, researchers from Japan found that increased television and video time i...

Bears' set an NFL record during their losing streak

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:58:20 GMT

LAKE FOREST, Ill. — Once again, the Bears are dealing with a record streak after another defeat this past weekend. This time it has something to do with what they're surrendering on a game-by-game basis to their opponents, which has been a struggle for almost a year.On Sunday, the Bucs scored 27 points on the Bears - 20 on offense and seven on defense - to beat the visitors by ten at Raymond James Stadium. It's the 12th straight loss for the team dating back to Week 7 of the 2022 NFL season, which continues the Bears' franchise record for futility.But because of the amount of points they've allowed during that streak, they've managed to set an NFL record, and it's not a good one. The Bears are the first team in league history to lose 12 consecutive games and allow at least 25 points in every one of those contests. Sunday's loss to Tampa Bay was the second-lowest point total the team has given up in that stretch as they also allowed 27 to the Falcons in a Week 11 loss in Atlanta last...

Man exposes himself to child at city rec center, mother concerned about cooling centers shared space

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:58:20 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — A mother is speaking out after she says a man exposed himself to her 6-year-old daughter at an Austin Recreation Center."My daughter was like 'Dad I saw his thing,'" said the mother who wished to keep her identity anonymous.KXAN reached out to the City of Austin's Homeland Security and Emergency Management Department, as well as Parks and Recreation Department and APD for more information.The incident took place on Sept. 5 at 5:20 p.m., according to the Austin Police Department."Parks and Recreation Department staff observed a man enter Hancock Recreation Center. Staff noticed the man's shorts were lowered and his genitalia was exposed. Staff immediately escorted all program participants from the facility and called 9-1-1. Law enforcement arrived and removed the individual from the facility," said a city of Austin spokesperson.Austin Police Department officers arrested Drew Rhodes and booked him into the Travis County Jail. He is charged with Disorderly Conduct, Expo...

Wild sign defenseman Calen Addison to one-year deal

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:58:20 GMT

Calen Addison, a defenseman who set a Wild single-season franchise record for assists by a rookie last season, has signed a one-year, $825,000 contract with the team.A restricted free agent, Addison, 23, received $37,500 more than the Wild’s qualifying offer of $787,500. Training camp begins Thursday at TRIA Rink in downtown St. Paul.Addison had a breakthrough season in 2022-23, recording three goals and 26 assists in 62 games with the NHL club, putting him second all time in franchise points by a rookie defenseman behind Filip Kuba’s 30 in 2000-01.Addison played the point on Minnesota’s top power-play unit and scored 18 points.A second-round pick by Pittsburgh in the 2018 entry draft, Addison was acquired as part of the trade that sent Jason Zucker to the Penguins. He has five goals among 33 NHL points in 80 regular-season games in parts of three seasons with Minnesota (2020-23).Related ArticlesMinnesota Wild | Minnesota prep hockey legend Henry Boucha dies at 72 Mi...

Capital Region alt radio station goes country

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:58:20 GMT

ALTAMONT, N.Y. (NEWS10) — The new local "Big Country" station signed onto 104.9 at 5 pm on September 18. The first song broadcast on WINU after the genre shift was "The Thunder Rolls" by Garth Brooks, followed by other classic country artists like Alan Jackson, Willie Nelson, and Trisha Yearwood. Get the latest news, weather, sports and entertainment delivered right to your inbox! Pamal Broadcasting's Albany and Adirondack clusters began to simulcast its classic country station from the North Country to the Capital Region market. Known as "Big Country" on 97.9, it's been on the air since summer 2020.The radio channel boasts exclusive interviews, live performances, and behind-the-scenes stories. On-air talents include local personalities familiar with this form of country music, including Sean McMaster, Jake Thomas, and Kevin Richards. Richards and McMaster can also be heard on Pamal's sister station The Cat, playing country music on 100.9 and 107.1. Howard Stern says being calle...