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Long way home: Blamed for affordability crisis, Liberals look to pivot on housing

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:31:11 GMT

OTTAWA — Chris Burke and his fiancée have been less than a year away from buying their first home for the past three years.Saving for a down payment was the first challenge. Now, rising interest rates have kicked home ownership down the road again, stalling the couple’s plans to get married and have children. “Any gains we make towards purchasing a house, we’re watching the goalposts move further and further away,” the 31-year-old Ottawa resident said.Feeling “stuck,” as Burke put it, is a sentiment shared by many young Canadians who are increasingly pessimistic about their home ownership prospects. For the federal Liberals, the growing discontent with the state of the housing market is becoming a political threat.“I’m a former Liberal voter,” Burke said. “I certainly wouldn’t be voting for them this time around.”Experts say the housing crisis poses a great risk to the incumbent government in the next election i...

Daily horoscope for August 14, 2023

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:31:11 GMT

Moon Alert: Avoid shopping or making important decisions from 3:30 a.m. to 7 a.m. EDT today (12:30 a.m. to 4 a.m. PDT). After that, the Moon moves from Cancer into Leo.Happy Birthday for Monday, Aug. 14, 2023:You’re very aware of whatever is going on because you’re perceptive and an excellent judge of character. You are also quick to see the subtext of things. This is a slower paced year that will focus on your closest relationships. Seek out people who are supportive of you.ARIES(March 21-April 19) ★★★★Today begins a preparation for Wednesday’s New Moon. (It’s the big event of the week.) It’s time for you to value your creative talents. You love your hobbies. You approach so many areas of life with enthusiasm and imagination. Appreciate what you do! Tonight: Work.TAURUS(April 20-May 20) ★★★Today, until the New Moon on Wednesday, your focus is on home, family and perhaps a parent. You want to put down roots. You want to make your home attractive, which ...

Miss Manners: She’s so rich, but she never gives us anything

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:31:11 GMT

DEAR MISS MANNERS: My son graduated from high school back in May. We sent a number of announcements to close friends and relatives. We also invited those in our city, and those traveling here for the graduation, to a get-together to celebrate.Related ArticlesAdvice | Miss Manners: She wants to turn our music festival into a get-drunk weekend Advice | Miss Manners: My rule is no gift for a second wedding, no attendance for a third Advice | Miss Manners: She became irate when I corrected her statement about the moon Advice | Miss Manners: I complimented this celebrity, and his reply was insulting Advice | Miss Manners: My summer dresses make my boyfriend uncomfortable Most people who received the announcement and/or the invitation bestowed gifts or money on my son. However, one such person did not, and although I’ve never said anything to her, it bothers me.This same person has attended at least four...

Dear Abby: My financial adviser won’t listen to me, but he insists he’s not sexist

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:31:11 GMT

DEAR ABBY: My husband and I have some money in a mutual fund. Our new, very young financial adviser, “Alec,” seems sexist.Related ArticlesAdvice | Dear Abby: Our teen’s messy breakup has had awkward repercussions for us Advice | Dear Abby: I was annoyed to discover why our friends picked this restaurant Advice | Dear Abby: I had to get rid of my beautiful furnishings because of guests’ stupid comments Advice | Dear Abby: She’s trying to one-up me by being the fun aunt Advice | Dear Abby: I’m 20, he’s 46 and married, and my family isn’t being supportive He has phoned us four times asking to speak with my husband, and each time my husband refuses to speak to him. Since my name is also on our account, my husband said that I should speak to him.I have told Alec twice that my husband has hearing aids and it’s difficult for him to hear people on the phone, ...

Boomers move game as co-host Australia reaches fever pitch for Matildas at the Women’s World Cup

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:31:11 GMT

SYDNEY (AP) — Patty Mills and his Boomers teammates knew who deserved prime time billing, so they rescheduled their game and will keep watching Australia’s historic run at the Women’s World Cup.It’s fair to say Matildas fervor has reached fever-pitch across Australia, which is co-hosting the tournament with New Zealand.The Boomers, Australia’s men’s basketball team, are preparing for their World Cup later this month and had a warmup game against Brazil planned for Wednesday night. As soon as they realized it would clash with the Matildas’ semifinal against England, they moved their game forward by more than two hours so they could watch the women’s soccer.“The Matildas have really captured the nation this World Cup,” Mills, the Boomers captain and Atlanta Hawks guard, said Monday. “The way the ladies play with so much heart and passion has been so inspiring to witness.“Just like the rest of the country, our Boomers team have been locked in for each game, watching it as a team.”...

Rockies look to break slide in game against the Diamondbacks

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:31:11 GMT

Arizona Diamondbacks (59-59, third in the NL West) vs. Colorado Rockies (45-73, fifth in the NL West)Denver; Monday, 8:40 p.m. EDTPITCHING PROBABLES: Diamondbacks: Merrill Kelly (9-5, 3.20 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, 120 strikeouts); Rockies: Chris Flexen (1-5, 7.92 ERA, 1.94 WHIP, 39 strikeouts)FANDUEL SPORTSBOOK MLB LINE: Diamondbacks -250, Rockies +200; over/under is 12 runsBOTTOM LINE: The Colorado Rockies look to end a five-game slide when they take on the Arizona Diamondbacks.Colorado has a 45-73 record overall and a 25-30 record at home. The Rockies are 30-15 in games when they have more hits than their opponents.Arizona is 59-59 overall and 29-28 in road games. The Diamondbacks are 43-14 in games when they have more hits than their opponents.The teams play Monday for the eighth time this season. The Diamondbacks lead the season series 6-1.TOP PERFORMERS: Ryan McMahon leads Colorado with 19 home runs while slugging .462. Ezequiel Tovar is 10-for-38 with two home runs and five RBI over th...

Mets host the Pirates to begin 3-game series

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:31:11 GMT

Pittsburgh Pirates (53-65, fourth in the NL Central) vs. New York Mets (53-65, fourth in the NL East)New York; Monday, 7:10 p.m. EDTPITCHING PROBABLES: Pirates: Quinn Priester (2-1, 8.75 ERA, 1.90 WHIP, 20 strikeouts); Mets: Carlos Carrasco (3-6, 6.42 ERA, 1.60 WHIP, 57 strikeouts)BOTTOM LINE: The New York Mets host the Pittsburgh Pirates on Monday to open a three-game series.New York has a 53-65 record overall and a 29-27 record at home. The Mets have gone 30-56 in games when they have allowed at least one home run.Pittsburgh is 53-65 overall and 24-33 in road games. The Pirates have gone 37-17 in games when they record at least eight hits.Monday’s game is the fourth time these teams meet this season.TOP PERFORMERS: Jeff McNeil leads the Mets with a .259 batting average, and has 17 doubles, two triples, five home runs, 33 walks and 39 RBI. Francisco Lindor is 11-for-37 with a home run and five RBI over the past 10 games.Bryan Reynolds has 23 doubles, three triples, 17 home ru...

DC Black Film Fest brings interactive, choose-your-own adventure experience

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:31:11 GMT

toggle audio on and off change volume download audio WTOP's Jason Fraley previews the D.C. Black Film Festival (Part 1) $(function () { $('.wtop-audio-container .fa-play').on('click', function(){ var audio_filename = $('div.wtop-audio-file').data("mp3-url"); ga('send', 'event', 'Audio', 'play', audio_filename); }); }); The seventh annual D.C. Black Film Festival is returning to the Miracle Theatre on Barracks Row in Southeast.Movies will screen in person on Friday, Aug. 18, and Saturday, Aug. 19, and then stream virtually through Aug. 30.Founder and Festival Director Kevin Sampson told WTOP he’s excited because he fe...

Dry & Comfy Start to the Week

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:31:11 GMT

It’s hard to believe that it’s the middle of August and summer is winding down, but we’ll have a great day today to soak up these fleeting summer days! We’ll have some clouds in the mix today but I wouldn’t go so far as to call it a cloudy day. Along with the few clouds we’ll have mild temperatures, comfortable humidity, and a westerly breeze.That westerly breeze should be just strong enough to hold off the sea breeze. It won’t be an overly windy day, more of a “Goldilocks” wind. Not too strong, not too light, juuuust right. If the wind is too light, the sea breeze will set up on the coast line. That means we’ll push mild air right out to the beaches. Your beach forecast looks good with temperatures in the upper 70s to lower 80s and water temperatures in the upper 60s and lower 70s. UV index is high, so don’t forget the sunscreen, and high tide in the middle part of the day with low tide holding off until almost 5pm t...

Recalling the 2003 blackout: 20 years since North America’s largest power outage

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:31:11 GMT

It was a Thursday in August like so many others – stiflingly hot, incredibly busy, and completely ordinary.But it all changed at exactly 4:09 p.m. on August 14, 2003, when time literally stopped for 50 million people across Ontario and parts of the U.S.It began with a tree hitting a transmission line in Ohio. It ended with a large part of the Eastern Seaboard in darkness.In Toronto, the effects of the blackout were immediate and stunning. Traffic lights blinked out at the height of rush hour, as brakes screeched cars to a sudden and unexpected stop. Good Samaritans jumped into the middle of it all, trying to direct traffic.The subway came to a grinding halt in the tunnels, leaving thousands sweating and stranded.And everyone was literally in the dark about what happened.How long would it last? And why did the hydro go out? It would be many months before experts could reassemble the failures both human and machine-related that led to the largest power failure in North American histor...