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Karl W. Smith: Biden’s revival of factory jobs isn’t all it’s cracked up to be

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:27:50 GMT

President Joe Biden has been traveling the U.S. touting a manufacturing revival that he no doubt hopes will help his chances for re-election. Unfortunately, there is much less substance to this “Biden Boom” than the White House would have Americans believe. Even under the rosiest of projections, the administration’s signature programs will do little to increase manufacturing employment — and even less to uplift the overall economy.Construction spending on manufacturing facilities more than doubled from an annualized rate of $81 billion this time last year to an all-time high of nearly $200 billion in August. Some of that increase can be attributed to the incentives provided by the Inflation Reduction Act and the CHIPS Act, both championed by the president.But there are more relevant factors. Shortages caused by COVID, backlogs at major ports in 2021 and a three-year-long (and continuing) surge in retail sales created a compelling case for reshoring production...

It is 'Hillbilly Mango' season in Missouri

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:27:50 GMT

ST. LOUIS – 'Tis the season for Hillbilly Mangos. The Midwest boasts its unique fruit, known as the "Paw Paw" or the Hillbilly mango. These fruits are in season from September to October. Pawpaws offer a blend of banana and mango flavors with a custard-like texture. They are typically found near rivers and streams, most commonly along the Mississippi River. Pawpaw plants resemble small shrubs or trees, belonging to the tropical plant family. Their large leaves cluster near the branch tips, giving them an umbrella-like appearance. These plants can reach a height of up to 30 feet. In deep shade, they form thickets and rarely flower or bear fruit unless the canopy opens. When their leaves are crushed, they emit a bell pepper-like odor.  Brittish Williams – From ‘Basketball Wives’ to guilty plea Native Americans have a long history of using these fruits. They often cultivated pawpaw trees to ensure a reliable food source in the fall. For instance, the Cherokee utilized the i...

Illinois lottery players check tickets for unclaimed $100,000 Powerball prize

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:27:50 GMT

CHICAGO, IL - A $100,000 Powerball ticket purchased last month remains unclaimed and is set to expire next month. The winning ticket was acquired during the drawing on November 7, 2022. The fortunate winner has just three weeks left to claim their prize.  The winning Powerball ticket was sold at the 7-Eleven located at 1680 Montgomery Rd. in Aurora. The winning numbers for the November 7, 2022, drawing were 2-11-22-35-60, with the Powerball number being 23. The unclaimed ticket successfully matched four winning numbers and the Powerball number, along with utilizing the game's 'Power Play' feature, resulting in a $100,000 win. Winners typically have one year from the original drawing date to claim their prize, and the expiration date is fast approaching on November 6, 2023. Illinois currently has six unclaimed lottery ticket winners: A $225,000 Lucky Day Lotto ticket was purchased on April 19, 2023, in Bellwood, IL, at the Mobile gas station located on 2418 S...

AI makes hiding your kids’ identity on the internet more important than ever. But It’s also harder to do.

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:27:50 GMT

There are two distinct factions of parents on TikTok: those who will crack eggs over their kids’ heads for laughs and those who are trying desperately to make sure the internet doesn’t know who their children are.For the TikTok star who posts under the name Kodye Elyse, an uncomfortable online experience made her stop including her three children on her social media. A video she posted in 2020 of her young daughter dancing attracted millions of views and creepy comments from strange men. (She requested that The New York Times not print her full name because she and her children have been doxxed in the past.)“It’s kind of like ‘The Truman Show’ on the internet,” said Kodye Elyse, 35, who has 4 million followers on TikTok and posts about her work as a cosmetic tattoo artist and her experiences as a single mother. “You never know who’s looking.”After that experience, she scrubbed her children’s images from the internet. She tracked down all of her online accounts, on sites such as Face...

Commerce City man who shot robbery suspect from his balcony sentenced to 28 years

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:27:50 GMT

A 23-year-old Commerce City man found guilty of shooting and killing a burglary suspect from his balcony in February 2021 was sentenced to 28 years in prison for second-degree murder on Friday.In the early hours of Feb. 8, 2021, William Paul Schuette awoke to sounds of people burglarizing Haraf Foods Market, located below his apartment in the 10700 block of Belle Creek Boulevard.Schuette took an AR-15 style rifle out onto his balcony and began yelling at the suspects. He then opened fire at their vehicle as it drove away, according to the 17th Judicial District Attorney’s Office.Related ArticlesCrime and Public Safety | Trial begins for Aurora police officer who put Elijah McClain in neck hold The driver, 24-year-old James Martinez, was struck twice and died at the scene.Schuette pleaded not guilty to the charge and was found guilty after a six-day jury trial on Aug. 7.In a statement, 17th Judicial District Attorney Brian Mason said while the case was tragic on multi...

How to make the audio in your projects sound better

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:27:50 GMT

Tired of tinny sound, echoes, inaudible dialogue or just bad audio in your home recording efforts? The popularity of social media videos and podcasts has led to a variety of affordable microphones, software and other tools for creating better-quality audio for personal projects.Even if you don’t plan to start a podcast, understanding digital audio a bit more can make tasks like recording Grandma’s stories for a family history archive or adding a narration track to your vacation videos sound much cleaner.Here’s an overview. Hardware Just about every laptop includes a microphone for videoconferencing and audio calls, but the fidelity can be lacking. An external microphone that plugs into your computer’s USB port gives you much better sound quality. Logitech’s Yeti ($130) and the Shure MV5 ($99) are two models recommended by Wirecutter, the product review site owned by The New York Times. (Setup is usually simple, but if you plug in the mic and nothing happens, make sure the new hardwa...

Less home for more money: Home prices rise as buyers swallow higher interest rates

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:27:50 GMT

When Joseph Atkinson and his wife Cecilia began shopping for a home this year, they realized that anything they could afford would be smaller than the home they were renting. The culprit? High mortgage interest rates.“It’s kind of upsetting to see what you’re getting for your money,” he said.The Atkinsons are not alone. Across the Bay Area, home buyers are seeing their budgets shrink with each rate increase. They’re paying more to get less square feet than they might have a year earlier. Even just half a percentage point increase can raise monthly payments by hundreds of dollars.“I made sure we got locked into our interest rate as soon as possible,” Joseph Atkinson said. Turns out, he was right to — rates spiked a week later.Mortgage rates, at their highest level in 23 years, also have discouraged would-be sellers from trading up their homes, creating tight supply. The lack of inventory has pushed up prices for a second month in a row. The median home p...

Incredible! Livermore running back rushes for 534 yards against Dublin

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:27:50 GMT

Livermore’s Kamarri Robinson etched his name in the state record book on Friday night.The running back ran for 534 yards and five touchdowns in 29 carries to lead the Cowboys to a 45-35 victory at home over Dublin in an East Bay Athletic League Valley Division game.According to records kept by Cal-Hi Sports, Robinson’s rushing total ranks fifth all-time in state history, 13 yards behind the player who ranks fourth.Laguna Beach’s Nathan Lancaster ran for 547 yards in a game 10 years ago.The record is held by Ronney Jenkins of Hueneme-Oxnard, who rushed for 619 in 1995.The 5-foot-8, 175-pound Robinson had 13 carries for 179 yards and two scores in the first half, then ran the ball 16 times for 355 yards and three TDs over the final two periods.He had second-half runs of 41, 42, 55 and 73 yards, then capped it with a 90-yard race to the end zone that cemented the game for Livermore.The Cowboys (4-4, 1-1 EBAL Valley) were leading 38-34 when Dublin picked up a first-and...

What happens to the 49ers if the stars don’t come out Monday night?

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:27:50 GMT

SANTA CLARA — Let’s go ahead and assume the worst. Christian McCaffrey, Trent Williams and Deebo Samuel are all out for the 49ers’ Monday night road game against the Minnesota Vikings.That may not be the case. McCaffrey (oblique) was working diligently on the side Friday during practice and looking pretty nimble. Williams (shoulder) stayed hidden, while Samuel (shoulder) appeared to get some work on a side field.The best guess is that coach Kyle Shanahan proclaims all three “questionable” as the 49ers (5-1) face the Vikings (2-4), and those designations becoming official Saturday.The cold, hard fact about the NFL is it includes missing your best players from time to time, and the good news for the 49ers is none of the above injuries looks overly serious over the long haul.If any or all of the big three can’t play, the 49ers will have had a week to prepare. That was part of the problem in the Cleveland loss, with Shanahan saying the ripple effect o...

Playoff berth at stake for San Jose Earthquakes: Here are the clinching scenarios

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:27:50 GMT

SAN JOSE — It all comes down to this.Saturday evening at PayPal Park could mark the turnaround of a struggling franchise that hasn’t won a playoff game in 11 years. It could be the sign of a club that’s changed directions behind a new coach with a new vision.For the San Jose Earthquakes, a win in their regular-season finale against Austin FC would clinch a berth in the MLS Playoffs for the first time since 2020. A win combined with either a loss or tie from either FC Dallas or Portland, and the Earthquakes will host a playoff game at PayPal Park for the first time in the stadium’s eight-year history.“I think we’re all hungry,” said striker Jeremy Ebobisse, who has 10 goals in 33 matches. “I know it’s been a while since the Quakes have had a chance to play for a playoff position.”With MLS’ new expanded playoff format, the top seven teams in each conference earn a berth to the first round of the playoffs, which feature a best-of-three format in which the higher...