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Man believed taken hostage with Canadian wife by Hamas confirmed dead: report

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:36:31 GMT

An American Israeli man who was taken hostage with his Canadian wife by Hamas during the Oct. 7 attacks on Israel has reportedly been confirmed dead. ABC News reports that the Israeli group Hostages and Missing Persons Families Forum has learned 73-year-old Gadi Hagi was taken from a kibbutz, killed and his body was taken by Hamas into Gaza.The dual citizen was married to 70-year-old Judih Weinstein Haggai, who holds U.S., Israeli and Canadian citizenships and is still believed to be among the remaining hostages.Her family has said she was born in New York state and moved to Toronto when she was three years old before she settled in Israel 20 years later to live with her husband.The family has said Haggai and her husband were out for a walk when the Oct. 7 attacks began, and she sent a text message to members of her community saying that a militant on a motorcycle had shot her husband and she was less severely wounded.ABC News says the hostages and missing persons forum states ...

Foreign interference inquiry requests postponement of first report to May

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:36:31 GMT

OTTAWA — A federal inquiry into foreign interference has asked to delay its first report by about two months in order to allow sufficient time for a public process and hearings on the issues.Commissioner Marie-Josée Hogue says in a press release today the requested postponement until May 3 is aimed at giving “meaning and purpose” to preliminary hearings, and to allow more time to maximize transparency.She adds that ensuring classified information is put into a form that can be released to the public is a long and complicated process.The commission will begin holding public hearings late next month, looking at attempted meddling by China, Russia and other foreign states, as well as non-state actors, in recent Canadian elections. Earlier today the inquiry also dismissed a request from the Conservative party to reverse an earlier decision to deny it full standing in the factual phase of the proceedings.That means the Conservative party won’t be able to cross-examine w...

How Travis County, Texas' GDP has changed since 2018

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:36:31 GMT

TRAVIS COUNTY, Texas (Stacker) — Travis County's GDP was $171 billion in 2022—the #3 highest out of 254 counties in the state. Texas' overall GDP was $2.4 trillion for the year, with Travis County's making up 7.1% of it.Travis County's GDP grew about 24% from 2018 to 2022, adjusted for inflation, while the state's GDP grew about 14%.Gross domestic product is the dollar amount that measures how many goods and services businesses created in a given time period. It's measured quarterly but also often talked about in annual terms.It's of particular importance to world leaders and economists because a declining measurement for two consecutive quarters can mean that the country is in a recession—a significant decline in overall economic activity that creates pain for workers.But it can be difficult to wrap our heads around how much our immediate communities contribute to that larger national picture and what kinds of work drive economic advancement for the places we live. That's why Stack...

Abbott: Texas leads nation in job growth, sets 3 new record highs

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:36:31 GMT

Editor’s note: The above video shows KXAN’s morning headlines for Friday, Dec. 22, 2023.AUSTIN (KXAN) — November employment data showed Texas continued to lead the nation in annual job growth, according to Texas Gov. Greg Abbott.A statement from the governor’s office said Texas added more jobs over the last 12 months than any state, as well as set three new record highs for:total jobs at 14,094,900the number of Texans working at 14,576,500the largest labor force in the state’s history at 15,192,900“I am proud that more Texans are working than ever before, thanks to employers who continue to invest and grow jobs here. Texas serves as a beacon of opportunity, proving that when given the freedom to aspire and the foundation to succeed, businesses flourish and people prosper,” said Abbott. “As we look to the new year, we will continue to work together and safeguard the promise of an even bigger, brighter Texas for generations to come.”According to the governor’s office, Texas has experi...

How gas prices have changed in Texas in the last week

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:36:31 GMT

TEXAS (Stacker) — Gas prices have rebounded slightly after more than 10 consecutive weeks of drops, bringing the national average to about where it was this same time last year.Record U.S. oil production and slipping demand have kept prices at the pump lower and contributed to a welcome decline in overall inflation this year. If pre-pandemic seasonal trends still hold weight, that run of lower prices could be coming to an end, analysts noted this week."Daily gas prices will likely move back and forth for the next month or so," AAA spokesperson Andrew Gross said in a statement this week.Florida, Texas, Delaware, and South Carolina have seen roughly 10-cent-per-gallon increases in their gas prices over the last week while prices have fallen the most in Idaho, Illinois, Nevada, and California.Stacker compiled statistics on gas prices in Texas. Gas prices are as of Dec. 22.Texas by the numbers- Gas current price: $2.69- Week change: +$0.14 (+5.5%)- Year change: +$0.08 (+3.0%)- Historica...

Most common domestic destinations from Austin-Bergstrom International Airport

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:36:31 GMT

AUSTIN (Stacker) — Air travel looks very different now than it did just a few years ago when the coronavirus pandemic grounded folks around the world, putting a halt to travel for both leisure and business.In 2020, passenger traffic on U.S. airlines was at its lowest since the mid-1980s, with just 369 million passengers. In 2021, the U.S. started to get back to more normal air travel levels, and by 2022, the country was up to 853 million airline passengers. By the looks of it, 2023 is likely to outpace those numbers and return to pre-pandemic levels—nearly 3 million people flew in and out of U.S. airports daily as of April 2023, according to data from the Federal Aviation Administration's Air Traffic Organization.When you're at the airport, shuffling around with your roller bag, backpack, neck pillow, and water bottle among the thousands of other passengers doing the same, you're probably not too concerned with more than your flight. Is it on time? Who will be sitting next to you? D...

Star Tribune to pay subscribers $2.9M for sharing video data with Facebook

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:36:31 GMT

The Star Tribune has agreed to pay $2.9 million to settle a lawsuit alleging it illegally shared subscriber data with Facebook.The class-action lawsuit filed last year in U.S. District Court in Minnesota is one of dozens brought against various sports, entertainment and media companies under the Video Privacy Protection Act, a 1988 federal law that sought to keep customers’ video store rental histories private.Plaintiff Kyle Feldman, a Star Tribune subscriber, accused the newspaper of violating that law every time he watched a video on startribune.com. Pixel, a piece of code that Facebook and its business clients use to target ads to consumers, would automatically share the video’s title and Feldman’s Facebook ID with the social media giant.Feldman’s complaint called the practice “an outrageous invasion of privacy.”In response, the newspaper told the court that no person ever saw Feldman’s viewing history, that the data sharing didn’t hurt him and that he consented to the disclosure...

County Rt 10 in Whitehall restricted to one lane

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:36:31 GMT

WHITEHALL, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- County Route 10 between Wade Road and the Vermont State line is restricted to one lane until further notice. Washington County officials say the roadway is under reparation from recent runoff from the heavy rain earlier this week. Get the latest news, weather, sports and more delivered right to your inbox! The Department of Public Works is on site. Motorists are urged to travel slowly and safely.

Police: Knife attack reported in South Glens Falls

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:36:31 GMT

SOUTH GLENS FALLS, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- Police are investigating a report of a knife attack on the Betar Byway. Police say the incident occurred sometime between 7 and 8 p.m. Get the latest news, weather, sports and more delivered right to your inbox! The victim reportedly fought off the attacker and sustained minor injuries. Investigations are ongoing. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Village of South Glens Falls Police Department at (518) 792-6336.The Village of South Glens Falls reminds residents to exercise caution and to avoid walking on the Betar Trail alone until further notice. Betar Trail is closed from dusk till dawn.

Amsterdam man arrested on child pornography charges

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:36:31 GMT

AMSTERDAM, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- John A. Duggan, 45, was arrested for promoting a sexual performance by a child and possessing a sexual performance by a child. State Police took Duggan into custody after executing a search warrant at his residence on Wednesday. Get the latest news, weather, sports and more delivered right to your inbox! Police launched an investigation following a cyber tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Duggan was arraigned at the Amsterdam Town Court and remanded to the Montgomery Correctional Facility in lieu of $30,000 cash, $50,000 bond, or a $100,000 partially secured bond.