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Holiday travel is mostly nice, but with some naughty disruptions again on Southwest Airlines

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:00:04 GMT

Conditions were mostly nice this year for travelers flying ahead of and on Christmas, but some naughty disruptions again plagued those flying with Southwest Airlines.For millions of people traveling over the holiday, this year was much better than last. Christmas morning put a bow on a relatively smooth weekend.By midday Monday, only 138 flights within, into or out of the U.S. had been canceled and 1,366 were delayed, according to the tracking website FlightAware.For this holiday season, U.S. airlines prepared for massive waves of travelers by hiring thousands of pilots, flight attendants and other workers — in an effort to avoid the delays and cancellations that marred travel in 2022, culminating with the Southwest Airlines debacle that stranded more than 2 million people.Still, Southwest experienced hiccups again over the weekend that the airline was looking to clear by Monday. Just 2% of the airline’s flights were canceled Monday, though 12% were delayed, which is 524 flights tot...

Armenian leader travels to Russia despite tensions and promises economic bloc cooperation

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:00:04 GMT

TALLINN, Estonia (AP) — Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, whose country’s relations with Russia grew tense this year, said Monday that when Armenia takes the rotating chairmanship of a Moscow-dominated economic alliance he will try to suppress politics obstructing regional integration.Armenia is to become the chairman country of the Eurasian Economic Union in 2024. The bloc, established in 2014, includes Belarus, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan along with Russia and Armenia and encourages the free movement of goods and services.Pashinyan in the past year has offended Russia by refusing to allow a Moscow-led security alliance to hold exercises in Armenia and by declining to attend an alliance summit.Russia also was angered when Armenia joined the Treaty of Rome, which established the International Criminal Court that has issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin on charges of war crimes for deportation of children during the war with Ukraine.However, Pashin...

Celebrity birthdays for the week of Dec. 31-Jan. 6

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:00:04 GMT

Celebrity birthdays for the week of Dec. 31-Jan. 6:Dec. 31: Actor Anthony Hopkins is 86. Actor Sarah Miles (“The Big Sleep”) is 82. Actor Barbara Carrera (“Never Say Never Again”) is 82. Guitarist Andy Summers of The Police is 81. Actor Ben Kingsley is 80. Singer Burton Cummings of The Guess Who is 76. Actor Tim Matheson is 76. Actor Joe Dallesandro (“The Limey”) is 75. Bassist Tom Hamilton of Aerosmith is 72. Actor James Remar (“Dexter”) is 70. Actor Bebe Neuwirth (“Madam Secretary,” “Cheers”) is 65. Singer Paul Westerberg is 64. Actor Val Kilmer is 64. Guitarist Ric Ivanisevich of Oleander is 61. Guitarist Scott Ian of Anthrax is 60. Actor Gong Li (2020’s “Mulan,” “Memories of a Geisha”) is 58. Singer-actor Joe McIntyre of New Kids on the Block is 51. Cellist Mikko Siren of Apocalyptica is 48. Singer Psy is 46. Drummer Bob Bryar (My Chemical Romance) is 44. Drummer Jason Sechrist of Portugal. The Man is 44. Actor Ricky Whittle (“American Gods”) is 44. Actor Erich Bergen (“Madam Se...

Progress being made with massive GTA transit expansion plan amid calls for improvement

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:00:04 GMT

As many people in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area travel for the holidays, one thing is clear: How we get around today on transit in southcentral Ontario will be vastly different a decade from now.For commuters like Shelagh Pizey-Allen, that change can’t come soon enough. “If you’re riding transit right now in Toronto, if you hear the sound of a subway you’re going to be racing through the station because when the next one comes, it’s not always reliable,” she said.Pizey-Allen is a key organizer with TTCriders, an advocacy group that pushes for better transit service in Toronto. “It’s really frustrating because all that time adds up like we’re talking about hours every month because of service reductions … people are not just taking one mode of transit, they’re often transferring from bus to streetcar to subway,” she said.Many local transit routes have had longer wait times in recent years, meaning packed ...

Warmer than usual Christmas Day for much of Canada, low-visibility fog across Ontario

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:00:04 GMT

Christmas across much of Canada has been warmer than normal, with above zero-temperatures from Ontario to the Maritimes while the West Coast braces for heavy rains.Environment Canada has issued fog advisories for much of Ontario, starting from Windsor in the southwest, through Niagara to Belleville.That has meant near-zero visibility on Christmas morning, and fog expected to remain into the afternoon for some areas, followed by dense fog developing again this evening.In Montreal and Ottawa, children awoke to cloudy skies and small clumps of dirt-covered ice on the ground.Charlottetown is forecast to reach a seemingly balmy 5 C, with the Prince Edward Island capital used to an average high of -1.5 C.Environment Canada says it’s a sunny day in Alberta with temperatures cracking above freezing, while the Vancouver area faces a wind warning and possible flash floods near Tofino.

Christmas music's effect on the brain spreads beyond joy

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:00:04 GMT

LUBBOCK, Texas -- When you begin humming your favorite Christmas tune, its impact on your brain might surprise you. Many of us turn to Christmas music when wrapping gifts, decorating a tree or having a celebration. Ann Mastergeorge in the Department of Human Development and Family Sciences at Texas Tech University told EverythingLubbock the effect is linked to your memories. Mastergeorge explained that the Hippocampus, a major component of the human brain, is the center of emotion, memory and the autonomic nervous system.How does listening to Christmas music affect our mood and thinking?"There have been studies that have investigated the effects of music on the brain, some that look specifically on Christmas music," Mastergeorge said. "Songs actually do invoke a very deep emotional effect on the brain."Carolers perform at Jetblack Holiday Market on November 20, 2019 in New York City. (Photo from KSN, KSN.com and the Nexstar Media Wire; Source: Photo by Noam Galai/Getty Images f...

These are the safest small towns and cities in every state: report

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:00:04 GMT

(NEXSTAR) – Small towns have a reputation for tight-knit communities, charm and safety. At least one in every state lives up to the last part of the stereotype, an updated analysis finds. MoneyGeek, a personal finance site, had researchers analyze last year's FBI crime data of smaller towns and cities where the population is between 30,000 and 100,000. They used the crime data to calculate the cost of crime in each area.The cost of crime includes impacts to victims, like the loss of stolen property and medical bills, MoneyGeek explained, as well as the cost to the justice system. Violent crimes typically result in a higher cost than nonviolent crimes, MoneyGeek said.Many of the safest small communities, according to last year's crime data, are found in the Northeast. Monroe Township, a New Jersey community about 50 miles from Manhattan, ranked No. 1 thanks to its low property crime and even lower violent crime rate. In the No. 2 spot was another New Jersey community not too far away...

Timberwolves have an excellent 3-point defense. Is that luck? Or length?

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:00:04 GMT

A debate continuously rages on in the basketball realm. Is 3-point defense luck?The argument for it being essentially roulette is the fact that every team shoots similar percentages. As CraftedNBA.com points out, over the past four seasons, 92 percent of NBA teams shot between 34 and 38 percent from distance.So what CraftedNBA does is adjusts a team’s defensive rating — how many points it gives up per 100 possessions — and adjusts it to show what the number would be if the defense allowed opponents to shoot an average of 36 percent from 3-point range.The number, updated a week ago, showed Minnesota’s defensive rating to be 106.9, and its 3-point adjusted rating to be 107.8. The nearly full-point differential was one of the biggest in the NBA. That makes sense, considering Timberwolves opponents have shot just 33.2 percent from beyond the arc this season. (Note, even if opponents shot 36 percent from three against Minnesota, it would still be an elite defense).The questio...

Gophers football getting outspent as coordinators head elsewhere

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:00:04 GMT

DETROIT — For the second straight year, the Gophers football program must replace a coordinator who left for a bigger payday at a fellow Big Ten program.It’s not all about the Benjamins, but salary has played a significant role in the key departures on both sides of the ball.Last year, offensive coordinator Kirk Ciarrocca went from earning $1 million at Minnesota to $1.4 million at Rutgers.Earlier this month, defensive coordinator Joe Rossi went from a $1.1 million salary at Minnesota to Michigan State for a payday believed to be in the ballpark of $1.5 million to $1.7 million per year, the Pioneer Press understands.Gophers head coach P.J. Fleck said he plans to hire a new DC in early January. He is relying on current defensive assistants to lead the unit against Bowling Green in Tuesday’s Quick Lane Bowl.The Gophers have increased the salary pool for assistant football coaches in recent years — including a total of $1 million in 2021-22 — but more is needed as they have lost staffe...

Llama runs loose on California freeway

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:00:04 GMT

The California Highway Patrol says its officers are prepared for anything they may encounter on the state's roadways, but this case stood out from the norm.Last Wednesday, officers responded to a call of an animal on Interstate 80 in the Truckee area. It wasn't the usual dog or cow or horse...but rather a llama that had gotten loose, CHP shared on social media.CHP officers apprehended a llama that was loose on Interstate 80 on Dec. 21, 2023. Thankfully, there would be almost no llama drama with the rescue.Officers were able to locate the animal, safely apprehend it, and even gave him the name of "Challenger." After a quick picture on the side of the roadway, the llama was returned to its owners. ‘Killer whale madness’ continues off Southern California coast Commenters praised the officers, saying that the situation could have ended tragically, and several joked that the llama may have been looking to join Santa's herd of reindeer.CHP officers apprehended a llama that was loose on...