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5 tips to tackle a home remodel in an uncertain economy

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 12:11:47 GMT

Spring is kickoff season for many kitchen remodels, bathroom updates and deck repairs, but recent economic turmoil may have homeowners questioning their home improvement plans.Spending on home renovations is expected to slow this year because of factors such as declining home sales and values, rising interest rates , continuing inflation and rumblings of a coming recession, says Abbe Will, senior research associate with Harvard University’s Joint Center for Housing Studies.As economic growth slows, planning and prioritizing will be key to remodeling confidently. Here are five tips to help you remodel in an uncertain economy.1. START WITH AN EMERGENCY FUNDEven when the economy is doing well, it’s ideal to have an emergency fund before starting a remodel, says Eric Maldonado, a certified financial planner based in San Luis Obispo, California.“What you’re trying to avoid is starting with nothing saved, taking out debt to afford these things and not really providing yourself with a smar...

4 Buffalo Grove High School students killed in multi-vehicle crash in Wheeling

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 12:11:47 GMT

WHEELING, Ill. — Four students at Buffalo Grove High School were killed in a three-vehicle crash in Wheeling.According to police, the crash happened around 10:20 p.m. Tuesday at the intersection of Dundee and Schoenbeck roads.Four teens, between the ages of 16 and 18, were killed. High School District 214 has confirmed the teens were students at Buffalo Grove High School. Their identities have not yet been released.One student remains hospitalized, according to the school district.Police said speed and a disregard for traffic signals seem to be the primary factors of the crash. Police investigate after reported shooting on I-290; all lanes closed at Central The school district released the following statement:Our thoughts and prayers are with the families and friends of these students during this time of tragedy. We also offer condolences to all Buffalo Grove students, families and staff members. Names of the students have not been announced publicly out of respect for grieving fa...

University of Chicago issues alert after 2 robberies

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 12:11:47 GMT

CHICAGO — The University of Chicago issued an alert after two robberies Tuesday night.At around 10:50 p.m., the university said a person was walking to an off-campus residence when they were confronted by two unknown suspects.The victim's property was stolen before the pair fled into a black mini-van.Around 10 minutes later at around 11 p.m., two people were walking on Harper, between 58th and 59th Street, when two unknown suspects, both armed with handguns, exited a white newer model van. Woman shot in South Side apartment; critical The victims were robbed of property at gunpoint, police said.No one is in custody.

Google will delete your account if you haven't logged in for 2 years

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 12:11:47 GMT

Google has announced plans to begin deleting personal accounts and all of their content en masse to reduce risk for its more active users.In a Tuesday announcement the company stated they are updating their inactive account policies and plan to begin deleting accounts which have not been used or signed into for at least two years. They state inactive accounts are more likely to be compromised leading to identity theft and/or unwanted content like spam. Most expensive home for sale in the Midwest found in Indiana The mass deletion won't happen immediately. In the policy update they state, "We are going to roll this out slowly and carefully, with plenty of notice," going on to say the earliest accounts will be deleted is December 2023. They plan to take a phased approach by starting with accounts which were created and then never used again. The update also states multiple notifications will be sent over the months leading up to deletion.Don't want that inactive account cleared from...

After no lotto luck, the Bulls are on the outside looking in at NBA Draft

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 12:11:47 GMT

CHICAGO — Sitting in a ballroom at McCormick Place on Tuesday night, the front office of the Bulls was looking for a little bit of lottery luck.But it was not going to come for Arturas Karnisovas and Marc Eversley.The moment Marc Eversley & Artūras Karnišovas found out the #Bulls would not keep their first round pick at the #NBADraftLottery pic.twitter.com/LCf0u8iHUM— GNSportsTV (@GNSportsTV) May 17, 2023WGN cameras captured a little frustration from the Bulls' general manager when NBA deputy commissioner Mark Tatum pulled a card with a Magic logo on the envelope when the 11th pick came up. That meant that the Bulls didn't move up into the Top 4, which would have allowed them to keep the selection. But as part of the Nikola Vucevic trade in March 2021, that pick now goes to Orlando, leaving the team out of the first round.So how many picks do the Bulls now have for the 2023 NBA Draft on June 22? Well, that's another reason that the front office is a little frustrated - the...

Ford recalls 310,000 trucks to fix problem with driver's air bag

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 12:11:47 GMT

DETROIT (AP) — Ford is recalling more than 310,000 trucks in the U.S. because the driver’s front air bag may not inflate in a crash.The recall covers certain F-250, F-350, F-450, and F-550 Super Duty trucks from the 2016 model year.The company says dust can accumulate in a cable inside the steering wheel, interrupting the electrical connection. Ford says it's not aware of any crashes or injuries caused by the problem.Dealers will replace the steering wheel wiring assembly at no cost to owners, who will be notified starting July 5.Owners may hear popping or clicking noises inside the steering wheel, or steering wheel switches and the horn might not work. They may also see an air bag warning light notifying them of the problem.

Willie Nelson's 90th birthday concerts getting theatrical release

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 12:11:47 GMT

NASHVILLE, Tennessee (AP) — If you missed out on Willie Nelson's 90th birthday concerts last month in Los Angeles, you can see all the special performances honoring the 12-time Grammy winner in a limited theatrical run.“Long Story Short: Willie Nelson 90” will be shown in theaters on June 11, with an encore presentation on June 13 and 14. Recorded at the Hollywood Bowl over two nights in April, the concert film will include performances by Nelson, Keith Richards, Neil Young, George Strait, Miranda Lambert, Snoop Dogg and many more. Why Willie Nelson celebrates his birthday twice Nelson, who was also inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame this year, is having a banner year as a nonagenarian. He was honored with an educational endowment at the University of Texas’ LBJ School of Public Affairs and will have a new book about his songwriting called “Energy Follows Thought: The Stories Behind My Songs,” coming out on Oct. 31 through William Morrow.T...

Johnny Depp at Cannes Film Festival: 'I have no further need for Hollywood'

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 12:11:47 GMT

CANNES, France (AP) — Appearing at the Cannes Film Festival the day after premiering his first film in three years, Johnny Depp said Wednesday that he has “no further need” for Hollywood.Depp made a rare public appearance to face questions from the press following the opening-night premiere of “Jeanne du Barry,” in which Depp plays King Louis XV. The French film, directed by and starring Maïwenn and featuring a French-speaking Depp, is the actor's first film since a jury last year largely sided with him in his legal battle with his ex-wife, Amber Heard.Part of Depp's argument in that 2022 defamation trial was that he had lost work due to Heard's allegations. Heard was ordered to pay Depp $10 million in damages, vindicating his allegations that Heard lied about Depp abusing her before and during their brief marriage. Heard was also awarded $2 million.“Did I feel boycotted by Hollywood? You’d have to not have a pulse to feel like, ‘No. None of this is happening. It’s a weird joke,’” D...

Texas passes bill stripping authority from cities

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 12:11:47 GMT

(The Hill) -- A sweeping Texas bill stripping authority from cities passed the state Senate on Tuesday and is now headed to the governor’s desk.House Bill 2127 takes large domains of municipal governing — from payday lending laws to regulations on rest breaks for construction workers to laws determining whether women can be discriminated against based on their hair — out of the hands of the state's largely Democratic-run cities and shifts them to its Republican-controlled Legislature. According to the Austin American Statesman, Gov. Greg Abbott (R) has been a vocal supporter of the bill.Progressive critics argue the legislation — which one lawyer for Texas cities called "the Death Star" for local control — represents a new phase in the campaign by conservative state legislatures to curtail the power of blue-leaning cities. Opponents of the bill include civil society groups like the AFL-CIO — and representatives of every major urban area i...

Why does thunder have different sounds?

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 12:11:47 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) - Have you ever wondered why thunder can have different sounds? A crack versus a rumble? Startlingly loud versus calmingly low? Let's dive in ...The basics: what is thunder?Electrical charges that build up in a storm release in the form of lightning. Extreme heat is generated by this electrical discharge with air surrounding the lightning channel superheating to around 54,000 degrees Fahrenheit (that's about five times the surface temperature of the sun!) All gases expand when the temperature increases, so when lightning superheats the air at just a fraction of a second, the air expands so rapidly that it compresses the air in front of it. Thunder is the acoustic soundwave generated by this quick expansion and contraction of air.IN-DEPTH: A lightning bolt's flash will always be seen before its thunder is heard because light travels faster than sound.Lightning is an electrical discharge. Thunder is the resulting soundwave from the rapid expansion & contraction of th...