Author: bcbegley

Business

Wendy’s will continue closing hundreds of stores through mid-2026

Wendy’s plans to close 5% to 6% of its U.S. restaurants in the first half of 2026 as part of a previously announced turnaround plan. The closures follow 28 stores shut during the fourth quarter, targeting consistently underperforming locations while allowing franchisees to focus on more profitable outlets. The chain’s U.S. same-store sales fell 11.3% in the last quarter of 2025 and 5.6% for the … Continue reading Wendy’s will continue closing hundreds of stores through mid-2026

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Business

Inflation measure falls to nearly five-year low as gas prices fall and housing costs cool

Inflation in the U.S. eased to a near five-year low in January, with consumer prices rising 2.4% year-over-year and core prices, excluding food and energy, up 2.5%, driven by slower rent growth and falling gas prices. Monthly increases were modest, with used car prices dropping 1.8% and gas falling 3.2%, while some items like airline fares, furniture, and appliances saw sharper rises. Housing costs, which … Continue reading Inflation measure falls to nearly five-year low as gas prices fall and housing costs cool

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Business

Japan’s economy avoids technical recession

Japan’s economy narrowly avoided a technical recession in Q4 2025, growing just 0.1% compared with the previous quarter, following a 0.7% contraction in Q3. Annualized GDP rose 0.2%, below economists’ expectations of 1.6%, with private consumption supporting modest growth while exports and public spending weakened. The Nikkei 225 edged higher after the data, though the yen weakened against the dollar, and the Bank of Japan … Continue reading Japan’s economy avoids technical recession

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Politics

Zelenskyy says questions remain for allies over security guarantees for Ukraine

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked international allies for their support, particularly air defense systems, but raised concerns about the country’s future security guarantees. Speaking at the Munich Security Conference, he questioned proposals like a free trade zone in the Donbas, warning that Russian opposition and potential provocations could make such arrangements risky. Zelenskyy criticized Moscow’s insistence that Ukraine cede territory in the east and highlighted … Continue reading Zelenskyy says questions remain for allies over security guarantees for Ukraine

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Politics

Von der Leyen rebukes NATO chief, calls for European mutual defence

Ursula von der Leyen pushed back on NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte’s claim that Europe cannot guarantee its own security without the United States, calling the situation more nuanced and urging EU nations to activate their mutual defence obligations under Article 42.7. Speaking at the Munich Security Conference, she highlighted that European defence spending has risen nearly 80% since Russia invaded Ukraine, but stressed that … Continue reading Von der Leyen rebukes NATO chief, calls for European mutual defence

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Politics

Macron calls for ‘restraint’ after death of young man attacked in Lyon

Quentin D, 23, died in hospital from a traumatic brain injury sustained during an attack on the sidelines of a conference by LFI MEP Rima Hassan in Lyon. Quentin, part of the security team for right-wing protesters from Collectif Némésis, was violently assaulted while the group staged a demonstration against Hassan’s visit. The Lyon prosecutor’s office has opened an investigation for aggravated manslaughter, but no … Continue reading Macron calls for ‘restraint’ after death of young man attacked in Lyon

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Politics

Rubio visits Slovakia and Hungary to bolster ties with pro-Trump leaders

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio began a trip to Slovakia and Hungary, pledging closer cooperation with Central European nations that have strong ties to President Donald Trump. In Slovakia, Rubio met Prime Minister Robert Fico and President Peter Pellegrini to discuss energy and defense, including Slovakia’s plans for a new nuclear plant and additional F-16 fighter jets. Rubio emphasized partnership rather than dominance, calling … Continue reading Rubio visits Slovakia and Hungary to bolster ties with pro-Trump leaders

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Politics

Carney strategy for defence industry pledges 125,000 jobs, sweeping policy changes

The Liberal government is set to unveil a $6.6-billion strategy to strengthen Canada’s domestic defence industry and reduce reliance on U.S. military suppliers. The plan aims to prioritize Canadian-made equipment, support small and medium-sized businesses, and increase defence-procurement contracts awarded to Canadian firms from roughly 50% to 70%. Officials say the strategy could create 125,000 jobs over a decade and boost defence exports and industry … Continue reading Carney strategy for defence industry pledges 125,000 jobs, sweeping policy changes

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U.S. News

4 indicted after Minneapolis clashes, woman accused of biting off officer’s fingertip

Four people have been federally indicted in connection with clashes and threats against federal officers in Minneapolis following protests after an immigration officer shot Alex Pretti. Claire Louise Feng, 27, of St. Paul, is accused of biting off the fingertip of a Homeland Security special agent during a January 24 protest and faces assault charges. Brenna Marie Doyle, 18, of Spokane, Washington, along with James … Continue reading 4 indicted after Minneapolis clashes, woman accused of biting off officer’s fingertip

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U.S. News

DNA recovered from glove found near Guthrie home that appears to match glove worn by suspect

The FBI reported that a glove containing DNA, found about two miles from Savannah Guthrie’s mother Nancy’s home in Tucson, may match gloves worn by a masked person recorded on her porch the night she disappeared. Nancy Guthrie, 84, went missing on January 31, and blood was found on her front porch; purported ransom notes were later sent but deadlines passed without resolution. Surveillance footage … Continue reading DNA recovered from glove found near Guthrie home that appears to match glove worn by suspect

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U.S. News

Walk for Peace Buddhist monks arrive in Fort Worth

After walking 2,300 miles over 110 days to promote peace, 19 Buddhist monks returned to their Fort Worth temple on Valentine’s Day to a jubilant homecoming with rose petals, lion dances, and hundreds of well-wishers. The journey, which began quietly from their Historic Stop Six temple, faced numerous hardships, including a monk’s leg amputation, injuries to their dog Aloka, and sub-freezing temperatures. The monks’ trek … Continue reading Walk for Peace Buddhist monks arrive in Fort Worth

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U.S. News

Department of War transports next-generation reactor in nuclear energy milestone

The Department of War transported a next-generation nuclear reactor from California to Utah aboard a C-17, advancing President Donald Trump’s executive orders to modernize U.S. nuclear energy and enhance national security. The reactor will undergo testing at the Utah San Rafael Energy Lab to evaluate how advanced nuclear systems could support military bases and remote defense operations. Officials highlighted the project as a step toward … Continue reading Department of War transports next-generation reactor in nuclear energy milestone

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World News

US forces board sanctioned oil tanker after vessel tried to evade Trump quarantine

U.S. forces boarded the oil tanker Veronica III in the Indian Ocean after it attempted to evade a quarantine order issued under Donald Trump’s administration. The vessel was tracked from the Caribbean and intercepted without incident in the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command area of responsibility. The Panama-flagged tanker is on the U.S. sanctions list and has been linked to transporting sanctioned oil from Venezuela and Iran. … Continue reading US forces board sanctioned oil tanker after vessel tried to evade Trump quarantine

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Archaeology

Searchers find missing ship in Lake Michigan, over 150 years after it sunk

Shipwreck hunter Paul Ehorn has discovered the long-lost Lac La Belle passenger steamer in Lake Michigan, nearly 150 years after it sank. Ehorn, who spent almost 60 years searching for the ship, found it about 20 miles offshore between Racine and Kenosha, Wisconsin, using side-scan sonar after a clue from fellow hunter Ross Richardson. The Lac La Belle sank in 1872 after taking on water … Continue reading Searchers find missing ship in Lake Michigan, over 150 years after it sunk

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U.S. News

‘It’s never too late,’ Savannah Guthrie says in new plea

Savannah Guthrie appealed on social media for information about her mother, Nancy Guthrie, urging anyone involved to “do the right thing.” New evidence includes a glove found two miles from her home that may match one seen on a man in doorbell camera footage from the morning she disappeared. Investigators are shifting focus away from several previously scrutinized individuals, including a man whose home was … Continue reading ‘It’s never too late,’ Savannah Guthrie says in new plea

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World News

Cyclone Gezani kills four in Mozambique as Madagascar assesses damage

Cyclone Gezani has struck Mozambique’s Inhambane province, killing at least four people and cutting power to over 13,000 residents, while also disrupting water supplies in the city of 100,000. The storm hit a day after devastating Madagascar, where it killed at least 41 people, injured hundreds, and displaced more than 16,000, leaving $142 million in damages. In Madagascar, the cyclone’s eye passed over Toamasina, the … Continue reading Cyclone Gezani kills four in Mozambique as Madagascar assesses damage

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World News

Israel approves proposal to register West Bank lands as ‘state property’

The Israeli government approved a plan to claim large parts of the West Bank as “state property” if Palestinians cannot prove ownership, sparking accusations of “de-facto annexation.” The proposal, advanced by far-right ministers Bezalel Smotrich, Yariv Levin, and Israel Katz, would resume land registration processes frozen since 1967, making it extremely difficult for Palestinians to prove ownership. The Palestinian presidency and Hamas condemned the decision, … Continue reading Israel approves proposal to register West Bank lands as ‘state property’

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World News

Online activity of Canada school shooter shows a fascination with mass violence & violent content

An expert analysis found that 18-year-old Jesse Van Rootselaar, who carried out a deadly shooting at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School in Canada before killing herself, had a long online history involving firearms, mass violence and graphic “gore” content. Analysts from the Institute for Strategic Dialogue said she was active on WatchPeopleDie, a website known for hosting violent material and previously linked to other attackers. Her … Continue reading Online activity of Canada school shooter shows a fascination with mass violence & violent content

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World News

At least 6,000 killed over 3 days during RSF attack on Sudan’s el-Fasher

The United Nations said more than 6,000 people were killed over three days in late October when Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) launched a brutal offensive to seize el-Fasher in the Darfur region. A report by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights detailed mass killings, executions, sexual violence and other abuses that may constitute war crimes and crimes against … Continue reading At least 6,000 killed over 3 days during RSF attack on Sudan’s el-Fasher

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World News

Navalny Was Poisoned With Frog Toxin, European Governments Say

Five European countries — United Kingdom, France, Germany, Sweden and Netherlands — said tests showed that Aleksei A. Navalny was poisoned with epibatidine, a toxin found in South American poison dart frogs, directly challenging Russia’s claim that he died of natural causes in an Arctic prison in 2024. The governments stated that only Russia had the means, motive and opportunity to deploy the toxin and … Continue reading Navalny Was Poisoned With Frog Toxin, European Governments Say

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Archaeology

Archaeologists discover Ice Age garment that could be the oldest piece of clothing in history

Archaeologists have uncovered 12,000-year-old elk hide scraps in Oregon that may represent the oldest known sewn clothing, dating to the Late Pleistocene. The hides were bound with animal-hide cord and may have been stitched using bone needles found at the site, though they could also have been part of a bag or shelter. If confirmed as clothing, the find shows that early North Americans had … Continue reading Archaeologists discover Ice Age garment that could be the oldest piece of clothing in history

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Space

Scientists have found a weird ‘inside out’ planetary system

Astronomers have discovered a planetary system around the red dwarf LHS 1903 with an unusual “inside-out” architecture, challenging conventional planet formation models. The system has four planets: three innermost planets follow the expected pattern of rocky then gas giants, but the outermost planet, far from the star, is small and rocky—similar to Venus. Researchers ruled out planetary migration or collisions and propose the planets formed … Continue reading Scientists have found a weird ‘inside out’ planetary system

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Space

Astronomers witness vanishing star collapse into a black hole in Andromeda galaxy

Astronomers may have observed the birth of a black hole in the Andromeda Galaxy, as a 13-solar-mass star, M31-2014-DS1, mysteriously brightened, dimmed, and then vanished without a supernova explosion. The discovery, led by Columbia University’s Kishalay De using NASA’s NEOWISE data, suggests that relatively lightweight stars can quietly collapse into black holes, challenging previous assumptions about black hole formation. Follow-up observations from Hubble and the … Continue reading Astronomers witness vanishing star collapse into a black hole in Andromeda galaxy

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Space

ULA’s Vulcan launches Space Force mission

A United Launch Alliance Vulcan Centaur rocket launched on February 12 from Cape Canaveral on a U.S. Space Force mission, sending payloads directly to geosynchronous orbit over 22,000 miles above Earth. The rocket flew with four solid rocket boosters, which separated about 90 seconds after liftoff, and the Centaur upper stage took roughly 10 hours to deliver all payloads. Observers noted an irregular plume from … Continue reading ULA’s Vulcan launches Space Force mission

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Technology

China Launches World’s First Humanoid Robot Combat League

China has launched the world’s first commercial humanoid robot combat league, the Ultimate Robot Knock-out Legend (URKL), in Shenzhen, featuring high-intensity fights, spinning kicks, and a 10-kilogram gold championship belt worth $1.44 million. The league, running from February through December, uses T800 humanoid robots supplied free by EngineAI, providing both entertainment and a real-world testing ground for embodied AI. Experts say robot combat pushes machines … Continue reading China Launches World’s First Humanoid Robot Combat League

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