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Dear Abby: After this awkward encounter, my neighbor posted notes about me in the building

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:12:58 GMT

DEAR ABBY: For the last seven years, I have lived in an apartment with a strange next-door neighbor.Related ArticlesAdvice | Dear Abby: I believed my dad’s version of why he got fired. Then I was blindsided by the truth. Advice | Dear Abby: My friend was upset by this playdate incident involving his son. Was I wrong? Advice | Dear Abby: My snappy response about my invalid wife apparently offends people Advice | Dear Abby: My husband’s young crush is back in town, and I’m not supposed to say anything Advice | Dear Abby: She caused me so much pain, and now she wants back in my life I don’t speak to her because, years ago, she got angry with me when someone left packages for her with me. The bags arrived open, and I assumed keeping them for her was OK. She was furious and accused me of looking inside. She added that “people don’t usually give you all the things they were ...

Jill On Money: Student loan repayment begins anew

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:12:58 GMT

After more than three years of COVID-related reprieves, Sunday ushered in the resumption of federal student loan epayments. (Cue the groans from the millions who are impacted…)Related ArticlesBusiness | What happens when your 0% intro APR period ends? Business | How a government shutdown could affect travel Business | Mortgage rates climb to 7.31%, highest since 2000 Business | The best free robo-advisers Business | The home and auto insurance crisis and how to keep your coverage For those who have paid off student loans a long time ago, it may be hard to conjure up empathy, but please try to hold back on your judgment, so we can encourage tens of millions of borrowers to get back on track.Where should I start?Although most borrowers have been preparing for this moment, there are still those who need to act right now. If you haven’t heard from your loan servicer, get in touch with them immedi...

Six-bedroom home sells for $2.8 million in Pleasanton

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:12:58 GMT

2436 Via de Los Milagros – Google Street ViewA 3,837-square-foot house built in 1983 has changed hands. The spacious property located in the 2400 block of Via de Los Milagros in Pleasanton was sold on Aug. 3, 2023, for $2,775,000, or $723 per square foot. This single-story house offers a spacious layout with six bedrooms and four bathrooms. Inside, a fireplace adds character to the home. In addition, the house includes a three-car garage. The property’s backyard is further enhanced by a pool.Additional houses have recently been purchased nearby:In June 2022, a 2,853-square-foot home on Corte Mente in Pleasanton sold for $2,700,000, a price per square foot of $946. The home has 4 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms.A 2,280-square-foot home on the 5700 block of Corte Libre in Pleasanton sold in June 2022, for $2,645,000, a price per square foot of $1,160. The home has 4 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms.On Corte Facil, Pleasanton, in July 2022, a 2,274-square-foot home was sold for $2,570,000, a price pe...

Brooks Robinson public memorial service scheduled for Monday at Camden Yards

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:12:58 GMT

The Orioles will hold a public memorial on Monday for Hall of Fame third baseman Brooks Robinson, the team announced Thursday.Fans will have the opportunity to honor Robinson beginning at 10 a.m. at Camden Yards.Robinson died Tuesday at the age of 86. Through much of baseball’s Golden Age, Robinson was a poster boy for the national pastime, a symbol whose visage was even captured in a 1971 Norman Rockwell painting.For nearly a quarter of a century, Robinson was a face of the city. He went on to serve as a coach, broadcaster, special adviser and community liaison for the team after his playing days.Complimentary parking will be available in lots A, B and C, and fans can enter the ballpark through Gate E. The lots will open at 8:30 a.m., and entry to Camden Yards will begin at 9 a.m. The event is not ticketed.Instead of flowers, donations can be made to the Constance and Brooks Robinson Charitable Foundation at 2 Railroad Ave. in Glyndon.Gov. Wes Moore has ordered the Maryland ...

Rep. Matt Gaetz is threatening to oust Speaker Kevin McCarthy. It won’t be easy

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:12:58 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — “How would you be different as speaker, compared to Mr. Boehner?” a reporter asked then-House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy in September 2015 as the California Republican pursued, and eventually gave up, his first attempt at the speakership. McCarthy laughed while standing next to outgoing Speaker John Boehner — who had just stepped down after facing a threat of removal — and joked that he was from a different generation and wouldn’t be as tan.Eight years later, McCarthy is finding that there are fewer differences between them as he faces a conservative revolt against his speakership.“If somebody wants to remove (me) because I want to be the adult in the room, go ahead and try,” McCarthy told reporters Saturday. And his critics, namely Rep. Matt Gaetz, plan to do just that. On Sunday, the far-right Republican from Florida threatened to use a procedural tool — called a motion to vacate — to try and strip McCarthy of his office as soon as this week after...

The UAE holds a major oil and gas conference just ahead of hosting UN COP28 climate talks in Dubai

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:12:58 GMT

ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The Emirati president-designate of the upcoming United Nations COP28 climate talks called on oil and gas companies on Monday to be “central to the solution” to fighting climate change, even as the industry boosts its production to enjoy rising global energy prices.The call by Sultan al-Jaber highlights the gap between climate activists suspicious of his industry ties and his calls to drastically slash the world’s emissions by nearly half in seven years to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) compared with pre-industrial times. “That is our North Star. It is in fact our only destination,” al-Jaber said. “It is simply acknowledging and respecting the science.”However, he added: “We must do this while also ensuring human prosperity by meeting the energy needs of the planet’s growing population.”Al-Jaber serves as the CEO of the state-run Abu Dhabi Oil Co., which has the capacity to pump 4 million barrels...

A big fire in a police headquarters in northeastern Egypt injures at least 38 people

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:12:58 GMT

CAIRO (AP) — A huge fire broke out early Monday in a police headquarters in northeastern Egypt, injuring at least 38 people, the Health Ministry said.The blaze ripped through the multistory police headquarters in the Suez Canal province of Ismailia, according to Hossam Abdel-Ghaffar, a spokesperson for the Health Ministry.He said 12 of the injured were treated at the site, while 26 others were taken to hospitals, all but two suffering from breathing difficulties. Seven of the injured were treated and discharged, he said.It was not immediately clear how many police were in the building at the time of the blaze, which severely damaged the building according to local media.Videos circulated on social media showed flames and black smoke pouring from the building.The cause of the blaze was not immediately known. The state-run MENA news agency said firefighters managed to put out the fire.Safety standards and fire regulations are poorly enforced in Egypt and have been linked to many death...

Europe’s anti-corruption group says Cyprus must hold politicians more accountable amid distrust

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:12:58 GMT

NICOSIA, Cyprus (AP) — The Council of Europe’s anti-corruption group said Monday that Cyprus needs to hold those at the highest echelons of executive power and law enforcement more accountable to counter an overwhelming public perception of widespread corruption.The Council of Europe’s Group of States against Corruption (GRECO) said in a report that Cypriot laws appear strong on paper but are undercut by institutional flaws including numerous anti-corruption bodies that lack coordination, resources and authority.According to GRECO, Cyprus needs a stronger system of accountability in government to prevent influence-peddling and to stymie the risk of politicians serving the interests of big business and the wealthy.Efforts to combat this relationship between government and private interests are “narrow in scope,” it said, adding that more transparency is needed regarding politicians’ assets and that people need better access to information.The group lauds Cyprus for passing new ...

Top European diplomats meet in Kyiv to support Ukraine as signs of strain show among allies

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:12:58 GMT

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Some of Europe’s top diplomats gathered Monday in Kyiv in a display of support for Ukraine’s fight against Russia’s invasion as signs emerge of political strain in Europe and the United States about the war.The foreign ministers from the European Union’s 27 member countries converged on the Ukrainian capital for an unannounced informal meeting that officials said would review the bloc’s support for Ukraine and discuss Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s proposed peace formula.EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said the foreign ministers’ first joint meeting outside EU borders sent a signal that EU support is “unwavering” and underscored the EU’s commitment to Ukraine.The United States, the EU and the United Kingdom have provided massive military and financial support to Ukraine, enabling it to stand up to the Kremlin’s attack. The assistance is crucial for Ukraine’s weakened economy and has so far been open-ended.But uncertainty has set in over how long...

In the news today: Manitoba politicians make final pitch before tomorrow’s election

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:12:58 GMT

Here is a roundup of stories from The Canadian Press designed to bring you up to speed on what you need to know today…Last push for politicians before Manitoba electionManitoba politicians are making their final pitches to voters today in advance of tomorrow’s provincial election.The Progressive Conservatives are expected to release full details of their platform, after having released weekly tallies of the costs of their promises.Opinion polls have suggested the NDP are in a lead over the incumbent Tories, although Leader Wab Kinew has urged his supporters to not take anything for granted.Voters head to polls in Quebec byelectionResidents of the hotly contested Quebec City riding of Jean-Talon are voting in a byelection today.Coalition Avenir Québec’s Joelle Boutin triggered the byelection when she quit politics this summer.Premier François Legault went door knocking in the riding one week ago with his candidate, Marie-Anik Shoiry.Shoiry is facing off against Pasc...