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Cape Cod vacation rental sales are down, but prices are still up

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:38:36 GMT

If you’re looking to book a Cape rental this summer, you could be looking at a double-edged sword. There’s a lot of homes ready to be rented, but you may be paying a bit more for your summer vacation.The market has returned to a more normal state since the pandemic, but what is high in demand always becomes more expensive.Jim Reese, the chief operating officer of WeNeedaVacation.com, said this year feels closer to normal.“If you’re looking back through the couple of years in the pandemic, that is when the frenzy was so hectic that there was very little availability as you reached the summer months,” Reese said.Vacationers flocked to the Cape throughout the pandemic, increasing the demand for rental properties.Bookings are down 9% compared to last year and up 19% compared to the pre-pandemic year of 2019.Experts say what’s happening with vacation rentals in the Cape is mirroring what’s happening in the real estate market. Sales are down, but prices are high.“Occupancy leve...

Putin calls armed rebellion by mercenary chief a betrayal and vows to punish its leaders

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:38:36 GMT

By The Associated PressPresident Vladimir Putin vowed Saturday to punish the organizers of an armed rebellion in Russia after mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin led his troops out of Ukraine and into a key southern city.Putin denounced the uprising as “a stab in the back.” It was the biggest threat to his leadership in over two decades in power. The private army led by Prigozhin appeared to control the military headquarters in Rostov-on-Don, a city 660 miles (over 1,000 kilometers) south of Moscow that runs Russian offensive operations in Ukraine, Britain’s Ministry of Defense said.As the fast-moving events unfolded in Russia, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Moscow is suffering “full-scale weakness” and that Kyiv was protecting Europe from “the spread of Russian evil and chaos.”In his address, Putin called the actions by Prigozhin, whom he did not mention by name, a “betrayal” and “treason.”“All thos...

What was the timeline of the Titan submersible’s journey?

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:38:36 GMT

The wrecks of the Titanic and the Titan sit on the ocean floor, separated by 1,600 feet (490 meters) and 111 years of history. How they came together unfolded over an intense week that raised temporary hopes and left lingering questions.THE BUILDUPThe Polar Prince, a Canadian icebreaker ship, steamed out of Newfoundland on Friday, June 16, towing the experimental Titan submersible and carrying the five-man team headed to explore the iconic ocean liner’s watery gravesite. Three missions involving other teams had been scrapped due to bad weather in the previous four weeks, but the latest OceanGate Expeditions group was hopeful.“A weather window has just opened up and we are going to attempt a dive tomorrow,” renowned adventurer Hamish Harding said Saturday on Instagram. “More expedition updates to follow IF the weather holds!”THE DIVE DOWNMoving about the Polar Prince, mission participants were required to wear water-activated life vests, bright orange jackets, helmets and steel-toed ...

Suicide bomber in southwestern Pakistan kills 1 police and wounds 5 others

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:38:36 GMT

QUETTA, Pakistan (AP) — A suicide bomber struck in southwestern Pakistan on Saturday, killing at least one police and wounding five others in an attempt to target a paramilitary convoy, an official said.Authorities recovered the remains of a female bomber following the explosion in the southwestern city of Turbat, said Bashir Ahmed, a top administrative officer. Ahmed said the bomber had targeted a convoy of the paramilitary Frontier Corps but the main thrust of the blast hit a police vehicle. He said a Frontier Corps vehicle was slightly damaged and a female police officer was among the wounded. No one immediately claimed responsibility but similar attacks in the past were claimed by Baluch separatist groups.Southwestern Baluchistan province has been the scene of a low level insurgency by Baluch separatists under the umbrella group of the Baluchistan Nationalist Army. The Associated Press

One person in hospital after shooting in Mississauga

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:38:36 GMT

One person is in hospital after a shooting in the Creditview and Britannia Roads area in Mississauga on Saturday morning.SHOOTING -report of shots fired area of Creditview and Britannia #Mississauga -one victim taken to hospital by associates suffering gunshot wounds – victim going to trauma centre shortly with critical injuries -heavy police presence in areaC/R 0139 hrs-occ PR230204516— Peel Regional Police (@PeelPolice) June 24, 2023Police responded to reports of a shots fired in the area at approximately 1:39 a.m. and the victim was located.One victim was taken to hospital suffering gunshot wounds and later headed to a trauma centre with critical injuries.There is no suspect information available at this time.

Packages from China are surging into the U.S. Lawmakers wonder if an $800 exemption was a mistake

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:38:36 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — Conservatives anxious to counter America’s leading economic adversary have set their sights on a top trade priority for labor unions and progressives: cracking down on the deluge of duty-free packages coming in from China. The changing political dynamic could have major ramifications for e-commerce businesses and consumers importing products from China valued at less than $800. It also could add to the growing tensions between the countries.Under current U.S. law, most imports valued at less than $800 enter duty-free into the United States as long as they are packaged and addressed to individual buyers. It’s referred to as the de minimis rule. Efforts to lower the threshold amount or exclude certain countries altogether from duty-free treatment are set to become a major trade fight in this Congress.“De minimis has become a proxy for all sorts of anxieties as it relates to China and other trade-related challenges,” said John Drake, a vice president at th...

Mother ship of doomed Titan submersible returns to port in Newfoundland

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:38:36 GMT

ST. JOHN’S, N.L. — The Canadian ship that launched the doomed Titan submersible into the depths of the North Atlantic on Sunday has returned to port in Newfoundland.The Polar Prince pulled up alongside the Canadian Coast Guard building this morning in St. John’s after a journey of about 700 kilometres from the site of a massive international search for the Titan.The Titan lost contact with the Polar Prince about an hour and 45 minutes into its descent to the wreck of the Titanic, almost four kilometres below the surface of the sea.All five passengers and crew were presumed dead Thursday, soon after a team guiding a remotely operated vehicle spotted the Titan’s wreckage about 500 metres from the sunken luxury liner’s bow.The Titan was owned by the Washington-based company OceanGate Expeditions, and its chief executive officer Stockton Rush was among those who perished when the craft imploded and burst apart.The Transportation Safety Board of Canada has said it...

Russian mercenary chief says his forces are rebelling, entering Russia and ready to 'destroy anyone who stands in our way'

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:38:36 GMT

The owner of the Wagner private military contractor made his most direct challenge to the Kremlin yet, calling for an armed rebellion aimed at ousting Russia’s defense minister. The security services reacted immediately by calling for the arrest of Yevgeny Prigozhin.In a sign of how seriously the Kremlin was taking the threat, security was heightened in Moscow and in Rostov-on-Don, which is home to the Russian military headquarters for the southern region and also oversees the fighting in Ukraine.While the outcome of the confrontation was still unclear, it appeared likely to further hinder Moscow's war effort as Kyiv's forces were probing Russian defenses in the initial stages of a counteroffensive. The dispute, especially if Prigozhin were to succeed, also could have repercussions for President Vladimir Putin and his ability to maintain a united front.Prigozhin claimed early Saturday that his forces had crossed into Russia from Ukraine and had reached Rostov, saying they ...

Seven days of triple-digit heat

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:38:36 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Overnight showers fell over parts of the Hill Country. A couple of rain gauges in San Saba County had totals between .40" and .50".Most high temperatures Friday reached the upper half of the 90s. This afternoon's maximums return to 100° and higher for many locations.Today's normal high is 94°A Heat Advisory is in effect today for the entire area. Maximum heat index readings this afternoon will likely rise to between 108° to 115° at many locations. Friday's highest heat indices were 114° at La Grange and 111° at San Marcos. Most heat index readings will top 105°A Heat Advisory will be needed tomorrow and Monday. Excessive Heat Warnings could return by Tuesday and Wednesday.High pressure over Mexico continues to be our main weather feature. The high will drift to the northeast, parking over Central Texas Tuesday and Wednesday.The heat dome is over Central Texas Tuesday and WednesdayIt's those two days that are forecast to be our hottest days of the week with the ther...

Number of abortions in Texas dropped 99.5% in the months after Roe v. Wade was overturned

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:38:36 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — The number of abortions performed in Texas dropped by 99.5% in the wake of the Supreme Court's overruling of Roe v. Wade one year ago.In the first half of 2022, a total of 17,126 abortions were performed in the state, according to official data from the Texas Health and Human Services Commission.That figure dropped to just 85 between July and December, a 99.5% decrease from the first six months of the year.The Supreme Court struck down Roe v. Wade in a 6-3 decision on June 24, 2022, eliminating the nearly 50-year-old constitutional right to abortion. The ruling gave states the authority to limit or ban the procedure.Despite the state’s trigger law banning most abortions not going into effect until Aug. 22, Texas saw an immediate and dramatic decrease in the number of abortions after the Supreme Court ruling.Just 68 abortions were performed on Texas residents in the state in July, a 97% decrease from June. Only 17 abortions were reported in the las...