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Man Booker Prize long list features 4 Irish writers, 4 debut novelists

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:28:52 GMT

LONDON (AP) — Author Sebastian Barry, who has received four previous nominations for the Man Booker Prize and twice been short-listed for it, was one of four Irish writers to make the long list Tuesday for the prestigious award.Barry is up this year for his novel “Old God’s Time,” about a retired police detective who gets dragged back into a cold case investigation of a murdered priest suspected of sexually abusing children.Twelve other writers, including four debut novelists and two prior Man Booker nominees, are up for the 50,000 pound ($64,000) prize. The authors are from seven different countries on four continents. “All 13 novels cast new light on what it means to exist in our time, and they do so in original and thrilling ways,” said Esi Edugyan, chair of the judges. “Their range is vast, both in subject and form: they shocked us, made us laugh, filled us with anguish, but above all they stayed with us.”The award recognizes the best in long fiction published in the...

The first generation of solar panels will wear out. A recycling industry is taking shape

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:28:52 GMT

Sunlight beats down on a graveyard for dead solar panels in Yuma, Arizona, hundreds stacked in neat piles, waiting for their next life. The great majority of worn and damaged panels are still dumped in landfills. But with more and more piling up, many people know that needs to change.In this desert city where Arizona, California, Sonora and Baja California meet, North America’s first utility-scale solar panel recycling plant has opened to address what founders of We Recycle Solar call a “tsunami” of solar waste. Plans to address climate change rely on massively scaling up clean, solar electricity.The panels, stacked and banded, come here from the company’s main collection warehouse in Hackettstown, New Jersey, plus six other locations across the country.Workers maneuver the stacks into the sprawling 75,000 square foot facility on forklifts, then gently lift each out by hand to begin separating by brand and model. Some only have a few cracks in their glass, sometimes from storm...

National Bank to buy the Canadian branch of SVB’s commercial loan portfolio

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:28:52 GMT

MONTREAL — National Bank of Canada says it will acquire the Canadian branch of Silicon Valley Bank’s commercial loan portfolio.The Montreal-based bank says the portfolio it will nab is made up of about $1 billion in loan commitments, of which $325 million are outstanding.Much of the portfolio is focused on the technology, life science and global fund banking sectors and will be integrated into National Bank’s technology and innovation banking group.The bank says the deal is subject to closing conditions and must be approved by the Ontario Superior Court, which is supervising the wind up of Silicon Valley Bank in Canada.National Bank says the deal will likely close in the coming weeks and is not expected to have a material impact on its results.Silicon Valley Bank, a U.S. financial firm favoured by startups, failed earlier this year, when its clients rushed to withdraw billions of dollars as they feared for the organization’s solvency.This report by The Canadian Press was...

Palestinian opens fire in Israeli settlement near Jerusalem, wounding 4 before being killed

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:28:52 GMT

MAALE ADUMIM, West Bank (AP) — A Palestinian gunman opened fire in an Israeli settlement east of Jerusalem on Tuesday, wounding at least four people before being shot and killed, Israeli police said. The shooting outside a shopping mall in the sprawling Jewish settlement of Maale Adumim, in the occupied West Bank, was the latest in the most violent stretch of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in the territory in nearly two decades. The Palestinian assailant, dressed as a security guard, was shot and killed by an off-duty Israeli police officer who had heard gunshots and rushed to the scene. The Israeli police said the attacker wounded four civilians, who were in light to moderate condition.Fighting between Israel and the Palestinians in the West Bank intensified early last year when Israel launched near-nightly raids into Palestinian areas in the West Bank in response to a spate of Palestinian attacks against Israelis.The violence has spiked this year, with more than 150 Palestinians...

Jury begins weighing death penalty or life in prison for Pittsburgh synagogue shooter

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:28:52 GMT

PITTSBURGH (AP) — A jury is deliberating whether the man who killed 11 people at a Pittsburgh synagogue should receive the death penalty or life in prison without parole. Robert Bowers perpetrated the deadliest antisemitic attack in U.S. history when he stormed the Tree of Life synagogue in 2018 and opened fire, killing members of three congregations who had gathered for Sabbath worship and study. The same jury that convicted Bowers in June on 63 criminal counts began deliberating his sentence Tuesday morning. In closing arguments Monday, prosecutors said the 50-year-old truck driver was clearly motivated by religious hatred, reminding jurors that Bowers had spread antisemitic content online before the attack and has since expressed pride in the killings. They urged jurors to impose a death sentence.Bowers’ lawyers asked jurors to spare his life, asserting that he acted out of a delusional belief that Jewish people were helping to bring about a genocide of white people. They said he...

$50K reward offered after armed robbery of USPS carrier in River Grove

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:28:52 GMT

RIVER GROVE, Ill. — The United States Postal Service is offering a $50,000 reward after a letter carrier was robbed at gunpoint last month in River Grove.The armed robbery happened July 18 at around 9:30 a.m. in the 8700 block of West Richard.Authorities said a group of four attacked the carrier. The carrier was not injured.On Tuesday morning, USPS released a surveillance image of one of the four suspects.Authorities said the man is 5'6", has a thin build, wore a light grey hooded sweatshirt and a black facial covering.The suspects are considered armed and dangerous.Anyone with information can contact the U.S. Postal Inspection Service at 1-877-876-2455.

Helicopter crashes into cornfield in southern Illinois, killing pilot

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:28:52 GMT

OAKDALE, Ill. (AP) — A helicopter crashed Monday afternoon in southern Illinois, killing its pilot, authorities said.A Bell UH-1H “Huey” helicopter crashed in a field in Oakdale, Illinois, around 1:45 p.m., the Federal Aviation Administration said.Only the pilot was on board, the FAA said.The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board will investigate the crash, the FAA said.The pilot was declared dead at the scene of the crash, Illinois State Police said.Investigators believed the helicopter hit power lines, causing it to lose control and crash into a cornfield, police said.Oakdale is about 45 miles (72 kilometers) southeast of St. Louis, Missouri.

Shedd Aquarium transformation plans unveiled

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:28:52 GMT

CHICAGO — Shedd Aquarium leaders plan to unveil "never-before-seen renderings and new details about construction plans" for their Centennial Commitment.2030 will mark the Shedd's 100th anniversary. Last year the organization announced a $500 million investment to modernize the aquarium by that centennial anniversary. Is tonight your lucky night? Mega Millions $1.05 billion jackpot up for grabs again Shedd leaders will be joined by Gov. JB Pritzker and Mayor Brandon Johnson Tuesday to reveal plans for new exhibits, learning spaces, and amenities to be installed over the next few years, according to a press release.WGN plans to livestream the event in its entirety within this story beginning at approximately 10 a.m.According to the Shedd's Centennial Commitment website, the vision for the aquarium includes:Deeper community investments and partnerships that not only bring the aquarium further into Chicago neighborhoods, but also bring neighborhood-level environmental discussions and ...

St. Louis rappers honored in NPR's 50th anniversary of Hip-Hop

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:28:52 GMT

ST. LOUIS - Several artists from St. Louis were honored in celebration of Hip-Hop's 50th anniversary. To pay tribute to black creatives in the 'Gateway City,' an article from NPR went into detail about several rappers' contributions to the music genre and the legacies they've built sonically.They also shared a list of St. Louis rappers who've changed radio over the years:Chingy, 'Holidae Inn' (2003)Jibbs, 'King Kong' (2006)Lil Whit, 'Put Em In Check' (1994)Nelly, 'Ride with Me' (2000)Nelly, 'Dilemma' (2002)Raw Society, 'How Deep is Your Love' (1996)Smino, 'KLINK' (2018)Smino, 'No L's' (2022)St. Lunatics, 'Midwest Swing' (2001)Sylk Smoov, 'Something For Your System' (1991)Before being recognized globally, rapper Nelly shared that he was a microcosm of the music in the city - detailing the singularity of 'St. Louis Blues,' in its melodies and thoughtful sadness."I'm basically representing for everybody [in the] Midwest, South - everybody with that slur on their English," Nelly express...

Denver weather: Flash flood watch, heavy rain likely with booming lightning storms

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:28:52 GMT

The National Weather Service has issued a flash flood watch covering metro Denver and most of Colorado’s Front Range as thunderstorms develop over the mountains, and forecasters warned that storms hitting Tuesday afternoon and evening likely will drop heavy rain.Sunshine may appear Tuesday morning before clouds thicken and storms hit, mostly after 3 p.m., weather service forecasters said. The rainfall in spots could exceed 2 inches in 45 minutes, forecasters said, estimating the likelihood of precipitation at 70%.The high temperature in Denver will be 86 degrees, decreasing to 62 degrees at night, forecasters said. On Wednesday, the high temperature is expected to be 85 degrees. More storms are likely on Wednesday.Intense rain may lead to flooding along waterways, across low-lying areas, and in cities where landscapes cannot easily absorb water. Weather service officials warned drivers to avoid flooded streets, calculating that one foot of water is enough to sweep away a small...