DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ Economic boost from Taylor Swift's Eras Tour could be overstated, Nomura warns
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-23 | by ( Alex Harring | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

The devil's in the details, but local economies have a friend in Taylor Swift. Her tour undoubtedly helped the local economies she visited, according to a new report out from Japanese investment bank Nomura. From that, the consumer price index for the Illinois city increased 0.5 percentage points from the singer's visit alone. Internationally, small economies such as Singapore and Sweden could see the biggest macro boosts from her tour, according to Toh. Swift's tour is set to conclude near the end of 2024.

Persons: Taylor Swift, Nomura, Si Ying Toh, Toh Organizations: Federal Reserve, Wall, Nomura, Disney, CNBC PRO Locations: American, Chicago, U.S, Illinois, Japan, Singapore, Sweden

☆ Gen Z and Millennials reinvent book clubs: Even Dua Lipa has one
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-23 | by ( Nathaniel Meyersohn | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

New York CNN —From Dua Lipa to “silent” book clubs, Millennials and Gen Z are joining book clubs as a way to socialize. Many of these book clubs are not the stodgy ones of old, however, featuring wine and crackers in a host’s living room. Themed book club events, such as queer book clubs, saw an 82% increase in attendance in 2023, according to Eventbrite, while attendance at silent book clubs increased 23%. Phelan M. Ebenhack via APEventbrite is also seeing growth in romance book clubs, dating event book clubs and evening book club running groups, such as Read & Run Chicago. Gen Z favorite Dua Lipa has a book club.

Persons: BookTok, ”, Teri Coan, Phelan M, Ebenhack, “, Ashley Petty, “ It’s, Khaled Hosseini, Sarah J, Maas, Leigh Bardugo, Colleen Hoover, Noble, Samir Hussein, ” Coan, Gen, ” Barnes Organizations: New, New York CNN, Millennials, AP Eventbrite, Chicago, Afghan, Barnes, American Booksellers Association, Amazon Locations: New York, Dua Lipa, United States, Decatur , Illinois, Lipa, American

☆ 3 signs you're in a mature relationship that is improving your physical health
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-19 | by ( Julia Pugachevsky | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Read previewWhen you’re in the wrong relationship, it can negatively impact your mental wellbeing and even your physical health. Unsurprisingly, when you’re in a healthy relationship with a secure, emotionally mature partner , your overall health improves, too. Degges-White shared a few telltale signs that your romantic relationship not only feels good, but is good for you. You adopt new healthy habitsAn interesting side-effect of a healthy relationship is that it can encourage you to prioritize your health in other areas, according to Degges-White. AdvertisementBecause a healthy relationship makes us more energetic and optimistic, it makes adopting incremental healthy habits a little easier.

Persons: —, ” Suzanne Degges, White, ”, “ Organizations: Service, Business, Northern Illinois University, telltale Locations: Degges

☆ Apple's freshest design might just be this puffy space-age carrying case
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-19 | by ( Aaron Mok | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Read previewApple products appear to be sporting a new aesthetic with its case for the Vision Pro. The Apple Vision Pro travel case is a white, bulbous pouch designed to protect the $3,500 mixed reality headset when carried on the go. Product reviewers say the $200 Apple Vision Pro travel case sports a different look than Apple's typical accessories. Despite the concerns, reviewers agree that the case fits their Vision Pro headsets and accessories well. "I just bought a $200 camping pillow to put my Vision Pro inside,"he said.

Persons: —, Derrick Gee, Gee, Faiz Aly, Matt Gray, Cliff Shin, Shin, Aly, TechWeWant, Gray Organizations: Service, Vision, Apple Vision, Apple, Business, NASA, YouTube, University of Illinois Locations: University of Illinois Urbana, Champaign

☆ Why Jake Tapper made a new series about pre-Trump political scandals
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-18 | by ( Zachary Wolf | Analysis Zachary B. Wolf | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —There’s a funny, interesting and very sad new series on CNN featuring Jake Tapper. If you are encountering them for the first time, it will be an education in what Tapper calls his “Jar Jar Binks” theory. TAPPER: The scandals involving Trump are so vast and complex and ongoing. You revisit sex scandals, corruptions scandals and a spy scandal. TAPPER: I have a theory called the “Jar Jar Binks” theory, which is that every great person rises to a level where they can remove from their circle anyone telling them when they’re making a mistake.

Persons: CNN —, Jake Tapper, Rod, Carolina Sen, John Edwards, Tapper, Donald Trump, I’ve, they’d, –, Hunter Biden, Matt Gaetz, George Santos, TAPPER, Trump, Valerie Plame, Blagojevich, Scooter Libby, Libby, Trump –, Roger Stone, Mike Flynn, it’s Organizations: CNN, “, Trump, Illinois Gov, New, South, Senate, Democrats Locations: “ United States, Carolina, New Jersey, South Carolina, Northeast

“It isn't just sort of creepy,” said Washington state Rep. Vandana Slatter, the sponsor of a law her state adopted last year to rein in unauthorized use of health information. X-Mode was also found to have sold location data to the U.S. military. In Virginia, legislation that would prohibit the issuance of search warrants, subpoenas or court orders for electronic or digital menstrual health data recently cleared both chambers of the Democratic-controlled General Assembly. “The next step to enforcing an abortion ban could be accessing menstrual health data, which is why I’m trying to protect that data,” Favola said in a committee hearing. “The software supply chain is extremely polluted with location tracking of individuals,” he said.

Persons: Roe, ”, Vandana Slatter, “, Albert Fox Cahn, Sen, Ron Wyden, Wyden, He’s, It's, Washington's, Andrea Frey, Democratic Sen, Barbara Favola, Glenn Youngkin, ” Favola, Favola, “ It’s, Republican Sen, Mark Peake, Youngkin's, Sean O'Brien, he's, ___ Mulvihill, Frank Bajak, Sarah Rankin Organizations: Democratic, Supreme, Wade, Oregon Democrat, Intelligence, The Veritas Society, Wisconsin, Federal Trade Commission, Securities Exchange Commission, FTC, ., Democrat, Republicans, Connecticut, Assembly, Virginia Gov, Republican, Yale Privacy, Associated Press Locations: U.S, Washington, Oregon, Wisconsin, Massachusetts, Nevada, York, California, Maryland, ” Illinois, Hawaii , Illinois, Maine , Maryland , Massachusetts , Missouri, South Carolina, Vermont, In Virginia, Cherry Hill , New Jersey, Boston, Richmond , Virginia

☆ The short trips Taylor Swift's jet takes are getting mocked on social media. Some of the flights might not be what you think.
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-17 | by ( Taylor Rains | Grace Kay | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Read previewTaylor Swift is getting roasted for her private jet trips — and some of them might not even be hers. Jack Sweeney, the college student known for tracking Swift and other celebrities' aircraft on social media, posted on X via the account dedicated to tracking Swift's jet: "These short flights are likely maintenance or demo flights." AdvertisementA private jet linked to Taylor Swift took two short flights on January 30. Courtesy of JetSpySwift still owns another private jet, a Dassault 7X. AdvertisementSwift has tried to mask her private jet travelsIt's far from the first time Swift has faced criticism for her jet travel.

Persons: —, Taylor Swift, Stogna, Swift, Jack Sweeney, JetSpy Swift, Louis, Van, Bob Hope, Travis Kelce, Charles B, Swift's, She's, Sweeney Organizations: Service, Business, Dassault Falcon, Federal Aviation Administration, Google, Dassault, Nashville, Bob Hope Airport, BI, Chiefs, Wheeler, Airport, PIA Locations: Stogna Bologna, @1000waystoRy, Illinois, Missouri, St, Las Vegas, Burbank , California, Nashville, Los Angeles, Van Nuys, Kansas City, Kansas

Purdue claimed the top overall seed over reigning national champion Connecticut in the first look at the potential top 16 seeds for the NCAA Tournament. Those two teams have topped The Associated Press men's college basketball poll for five straight weeks, though with the Huskies at No. 1 regional seeds, with North Carolina sitting at fifth overall as the top No. 3 region seeds. 4 seeds to round out the list.

Persons: Charles McClelland, ___ Organizations: Purdue, Connecticut, NCAA, Boilermakers, Press, Huskies, North Carolina, CBS, Marquette and Kansas, UNC, Iowa State, Duke, Dayton, Creighton, Clemson Locations: Houston, Arizona, North, Tennessee, Marquette and, Alabama, Baylor, Auburn, San Diego State , Illinois, Wisconsin, Glendale , Arizona

(AP) — Before Gary Williams led Maryland to the 2002 NCAA championship, Lefty Driesell made the Terrapins relevant. “Coach Driesell is Maryland,” said Jeff Baxter, who played at Maryland from 1982-86. “When you think of Maryland Terrapins, you think of coach Driesell, and of course coach Williams winning the national championship that came about, but it never would have been written if it weren’t for coach Driesell. Those are things I don’t think coach got a lot of credit for. ___AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball

Persons: Gary Williams, Lefty Driesell, ” Williams, Lefty, He’s, ’, Driesell, Len Bias, James Madison, ”, Jeff Baxter, Williams, ” Baxter, Guard Keith Gatlin, ” Gatlin, “ I’d, “ Lefty, “, ” ___ Organizations: Terrapins, Illinois, Atlantic Coast Conference, Duke, North Carolina State, Georgia State, Terps, NCAA, ACC, Basketball Hall of Fame, Maryland, Maryland Terrapins, Guard, UCLA, AP Locations: Md, Maryland, North Carolina, North, ” Maryland, Davidson, —, ”

Either way, Washington paid little attention to his birthday according to Mountvernon.org, the website of the organization that manages his estate. The official designation is as Washington’s Birthday, although it has come to be known informally as Presidents Day. A small number of states, including Illinois, observe Lincoln’s birthday as a public holiday, according to the Library of Congress. And some commemorate both Lincoln and Washington on Presidents Day. The Uniform Monday Holiday Act took effect in 1971, moving Presidents Day to the third Monday in February.

Persons: George Washington, Alexis Coe, George of Washington, ”, “ It's, “ Jefferson, Lincoln, Washington, ” Coe, Marquis de Lafayette, —, Coe, Thomas Jefferson, comte de Rochambeau, Seth Bruggeman, Bruggeman, Arbelbide, “, ” Bruggeman Organizations: Washington, Temple University, Congressional Research Service, District of Columbia, Library of Congress, National Archives, The Locations: NORFOLK, Va, Washington, Virginia, Mount Vernon, Philadelphia, District, Illinois, Lincoln, The Republic, America

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden said Friday that the apparent death of Russian anti-corruption activist Alexei Navalny brings new urgency to the need for Congress to approve tens of billions of dollars for Ukraine to stave off Moscow's invasion. Speaking at the White House, Biden said that no matter the cause, he holds Russian President Vladimir Putin responsible for Navalny's death. He added, “I hope to God it helps” push U.S. lawmakers to send more aid to Ukraine. Photos You Should See View All 33 ImagesThe president sharply criticized House Republicans for letting the chamber enter a two-week recess without moving on the Ukraine funding. “President Biden pledged ‘devastating’ consequences should Navalny die in prison; now he must follow through.

Persons: Joe Biden, Alexei Navalny, Biden, Vladimir Putin, hasn't, ” Biden, ”, Mike Johnson, “, Putin, ” Johnson, Donald Trump, Johnson, Hakeem Jeffries, ” Jeffries, Vladimir Putin’s, Republican Sen, Tom Cotton of, Trump’s Putin, Illinois Sen, Dick Durbin, Carolina Sen, Thom Tillis, Navalny, ” Tillis, eyeing, Harry Truman Organizations: WASHINGTON, White, Republicans, Ukraine, GOP House, Democratic, Senate, Republican, America, ” Lawmakers, Trump, NATO Locations: Russian, Ukraine, U.S, United States, Baltic, Russia, Israel, Taiwan, Vladimir Putin’s Russia, Tom Cotton of Arkansas, Illinois, ., Carolina, America

☆ 6 common reasons parents regret having kids, even if they really wanted them
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-16 | by ( Julia Pugachevsky | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

About one in 12 parents say they regret having children, according to a 2021 YouGov UK study . Advertisement“You talk to new parents, and then you talk to parents of kids who have almost grown,” she said. She outlined some of the common reasons parents can regret having children, all of which are important to consider and prepare for before starting a family of your own. Fear of the futureDegges-White said some parents might regret having children purely out of fear for their kids’ future. AdvertisementEven still, there are plenty of parents who feel worried about the future but still see having kids as a worthwhile experience .

Persons: —, ” Suzanne Degges, they’re, ”, “, White, “ You've Organizations: Service, Northern Illinois University, Business Locations: Germany, Poland, Degges

☆ What Navalny Can Teach Americans About Bravery - The New York Times
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-16 | by ( Nicholas Kristof | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

Vladimir Putin’s Russia has just become even more bleak and soulless with the reported death in an Arctic prison of Aleksei Navalny, the 47-year-old dissident who showed immense bravery and humor as he tried to bring democracy to his homeland. Navalny’s strength, resilience and courage contrast with the fecklessness of so many Americans dealing with Putin. From Donald Trump to Tucker Carlson, a remarkable number of American leaders and their mouthpieces roll over before the Russian president. “Why do Trump and his congressional enablers want to further appease this Russian tyrant?” Senator Dick Durbin, Democrat of Illinois, asked after the news broke of Navalny’s death. I hope Navalny’s example will fortify Americans and Europeans alike, for despite all our resources we have not shown a sliver of the strength that he did.

Persons: Vladimir Putin’s, Aleksei Navalny, Putin, Donald Trump, Tucker Carlson, Trump, Dick Durbin Locations: Vladimir Putin’s Russia, Russian, Illinois

Opinion What Sourdough Taught Me, in the Pandemic and BeyondInside one tablespoon of active sourdough starter, the fermented culture made of flour and water used for thousands of years to leaven bread, there are billions of microorganisms. How to create a sourdough starter Repeat until bubbling with life. Add flour, water and salt. Add flour, water and salt. To avoid this exponential growth, a portion of sourdough starter is traditionally discarded at every feeding, which means there’s plenty to go around.

Persons: ”, —, Seamus Blackley, . Kan, they’ve, “, Caesar, cura, Jesus, John, we’ve, Thomas White, Gazans, Alice Spearman, Germany Chiara G, Netherlands Anna Celda Czechia Veronika Moravcikova, Allie Wist, we’re Organizations: U.S, International New York, Penn, Ala . Iowa Miss, Okla . Texas Colo, Okla . Texas Colo . Puerto Rico Wyo, Utah Idaho Mexico Ariz, Great, Netherlands France Belgium Denmark, Poland Latvia Slovenia, Poland Latvia Slovenia Italy Croatia, . Connecticut Massachusetts Rhode Island New Jersey New Hampshire Vermont Pennsylvania, . Connecticut Massachusetts Rhode Island New Jersey New Hampshire Vermont Pennsylvania Maryland Delaware D.C, Maine Virginia, Maine Virginia West Virginia Ohio, Maine Virginia West Virginia Ohio North Carolina Michigan Indiana South, Maine Virginia West Virginia Ohio North Carolina Michigan Indiana South Carolina Kentucky Tennessee Wisconsin Illinois, Alabama Iowa Mississippi Minnesota Florida Arkansas, Canada Louisiana Nebraska Kansas Oklahoma, Canada Louisiana Nebraska Kansas Oklahoma Texas Colorado, Canada Louisiana Nebraska Kansas Oklahoma Texas Colorado Puerto Rico Wyoming, Portugal Spain, Supermarkets, United Nations, BBC, Alice Spearman Canada Locations: Barthelme, Conn, R.I . N.J, N.H . Vt, Md, Del, D.C, Maine Va, W.Va . Ohio N.C, Mich, Ind, S.C . Ky, Tenn, Wis, Ill, Ala . Iowa, Minn, Fla, Canada, Okla . Texas, Okla . Texas Colo . Puerto Rico, Mont, N.M, Utah Idaho Mexico, Ore, Calif, Iceland, Portugal Spain, Netherlands France Belgium, Netherlands France Belgium Denmark Luxembourg Sweden Germany Brazil Switzerland, Poland Latvia, Poland Latvia Slovenia Italy, Poland Latvia Slovenia Italy Croatia Hungary Bulgaria Greece Hawaii, Argentina, China Bhutan India South Africa, Malaysia Singapore, Australia, . Connecticut Massachusetts Rhode Island New Jersey New Hampshire Vermont, . Connecticut Massachusetts Rhode Island New Jersey New Hampshire Vermont Pennsylvania Maryland Delaware, Maine, Maine Virginia West Virginia, Maine Virginia West Virginia Ohio North Carolina, Maine Virginia West Virginia Ohio North Carolina Michigan Indiana South Carolina Kentucky Tennessee Wisconsin, Maine Virginia West Virginia Ohio North Carolina Michigan Indiana South Carolina Kentucky Tennessee Wisconsin Illinois Georgia, Alabama Iowa Mississippi Minnesota, Canada Louisiana Nebraska Kansas Oklahoma Texas, Canada Louisiana Nebraska Kansas Oklahoma Texas Colorado Puerto Rico, Canada Louisiana Nebraska Kansas Oklahoma Texas Colorado Puerto Rico Wyoming Montana New Mexico, Utah Idaho Mexico Arizona Nevada Washington Oregon California Iceland, Portugal, Portugal Spain France The Netherlands Belgium Denmark Luxembourg Sweden Germany Brazil Switzerland, China Bhutan India, Africa, Uruk, France, Tunisia, Egypt, Syria, Ukraine, Gaza, Germany, Netherlands

☆ 4 signs you're outgrowing a friendship, even if you've been through it all together
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-16 | by ( Julia Pugachevsky | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

A licensed counselor shared some common signs you've outgrown a friendship. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . A common reason is feeling like you’ve grown while your friend hasn’t — or at least not in a way that complements you. AdvertisementShe explained some common signs you’ve outgrown a friendship dynamic, whether you want to cut ties, open up to your friend, or just take a breather from hanging out. You might as well be honest if you’re convinced you’re on the outs.

Persons: —, hasn’t —, ” Suzanne Degges, White, You’re, “, ”, you’re, you’ve, You’ve Organizations: Service, Northern Illinois University Locations: Degges

☆ Don’t look now but gas prices are rising fast
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-16 | by ( Matt Egan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Gas prices always rise as winter winds down because demand increases and gas stations must switch over to more expensive summer fuel. No matter the cause, rising gas prices are bad news for consumers already frustrated by the cost of living. And they undercut the election year message of a White House that previously pointed to cheap gas prices as evidence that Bidenomics is working. First, oil prices — the main driver of retail gas prices — tend to increase during this time of the year. For instance, without the usual backstop, last summer’s historic heatwave that knocked some refineries offline unexpectedly lifted gas prices across the country.

Persons: New York CNN —, ”, Patrick De Haan, doesn’t, De Haan, That’s, Andy Lipow, It’s, BP’s Whiting, Whiting, Lipow, ” Lipow Organizations: New, New York CNN, AAA, ’, Lipow Oil Associates, ”, BP, heatwave Locations: New York, Washington, Southern California, Indiana, Midwest, Ohio, Illinois, Colorado , Utah, Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, That’s, Israel, Iran, Saudi Arabia

☆ Biden Faces More Pressure From Environmentalists to Block Steel Merger
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-15 | by ( Jim Tankersley | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

President Biden is facing new pressure to block Nippon Steel’s acquisition of the iconic manufacturer U.S. Steel, this time from environmental groups that say the tie-up would set back America’s efforts to curb climate change. In interviews, environmental activists working to reduce greenhouse gas emissions say the merger would bring together two steel giants that are laggards on transitioning away from fossil fuels. Researchers at Industrious Labs, a nonprofit pushing to decarbonize steel and other heavy industries, drew on both companies’ public disclosures to calculate that Nippon and U.S. Steel are relatively high emitters of heat-trapping gases from steel production. Three U.S. Steel facilities — in Pennsylvania, Indiana and Illinois — combine to emit more greenhouse gases in a year than a comparable number of coal-fired power plants, the researchers estimate. Officials from Nippon and U.S. Steel say they are pursuing multiple strategies to decarbonize by 2050, including high-grade steel production in more efficient electric-powered furnaces and using hydrogen-injecting technology in blast furnaces, and that their merger will advance those efforts.

Persons: Biden Organizations: Nippon, U.S . Steel, U.S, Steel Locations: Pennsylvania , Indiana, Illinois

☆ Over 500,000 workers went on strike in 2023 — double from last year
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-15 | by ( Juliana Kaplan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The report finds that, in 2023, there were 470 work stoppages — 466 of which were strikes. In total, around 539,000 workers were involved in work stoppages last year. And while most work stoppages involved workers in unions, around a fifth were actually helmed by nonunion workers — meaning they had less protection than their unionized counterparts. A common misperception around strike activity, he said, is that union leaders are pushing workers to go on strike when they don’t want to. “Unions are more willing to use the strike weapon after it being pretty quiet for quite a while,” Colvin said.

Persons: uptick, ” Alex Colvin, —, Colvin chalks, ”, Colvin, Shawn Fain, that's, ” Colvin, they're, Uber, “ Organizations: Service, UAW, Labor, School of Industrial and Labor Relations, Cornell University, Employment Relations School, University of Illinois, Business, Kaiser Permanente, Los Angeles, Cornell, SAG, of Labor Statistics, — Locations: Hollywood

The number of U.S. workers on strike more than doubled last year. But about half of 2023's total striking workers were on the picket line for more than a month, Thursday's report notes. And the amount of strikes and lockouts with a first contract demand more than doubled compared to 2022, the Labor Action Tracker found. According to Thursday's report, accommodation and food services saw more work stoppages than any other industry last year, accounting for 33.4% of the total strikes and lockouts. But the information industry had the highest number of striking workers and strike days — making up for 34.5% of all workers on strike and 83.8% of strike days.

Persons: Johnnie Kallas, “, ” Kallas, Alexander Colvin Organizations: — Auto, Labor, Cornell University, University of Illinois, Cornell University’s School of Industrial and Labor Relations, U.S . Bureau of Labor Statistics

The trial is expected to last for roughly six weeks, with court in session every weekday but Wednesdays, severely limiting Trump’s ability to campaign for president during that time. The New York criminal trial also presents another problem for Trump’s ability to create a media circus – cameras are not allowed in the courtroom. It’s a criminal trial, we expect it will be mandatory,” a senior Trump adviser told CNN. The judge responded saying Trump would not be required to sit for two criminal trials at the same time. Those findings underscore the importance of Trump’s strategy of delaying the criminal cases he is facing for as long as possible.

Persons: Donald Trump’s, –, Trump, ”, District Attorney Alvin Bragg, Fani Willis, Joe Biden –, Biden, Todd Blanche, “, Bragg, it’s, I’ll, ” Trump, ‘, It’s, Judge Juan Merchan, Blanche, he’d, ” Merchan, “ That’s, – he’d, Trump’s, “ He’s, Merchan, Willis, CNN’s Terence Burlij Organizations: York, York City CNN, Republican, District Attorney, Trump, GOP, Biden, Democrats, CNN, New, “, Democrat, Granite State Locations: York City, New York, New, York, Georgia, Fulton County, Manhattan, Arizona , Florida , Illinois , Kansas, Ohio, Iowa, New Hampshire, Granite, South Carolina

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) — Former Illinois lawmaker and gubernatorial candidate William “Sam” McCann abruptly pleaded guilty on Thursday to nine felony counts of wire fraud, money laundering and tax evasion, halting his federal corruption trial over misusing up to $550,000 in campaign contributions. The seven counts of wire fraud and single count of money laundering each carry a sentence of up to 20 years in federal prison. But a complex set of advisory guidelines before Lawless, who set sentencing for June 20, will likely yield a far shorter term. “Are you pleading guilty because you are in fact guilty?” Lawless asked. McCann's trial was repeatedly delayed.

Persons: William “ Sam ” McCann, McCann, Colleen Lawless, Jason Vincent, Lawless, ” Lawless, he’s, “, Timothy Bass, McCann's, “ God's, McCann didn't, Vincent, Instagram, Michael Madigan, ’ ” McCann, I’m, ’ Organizations: Ill, Former Illinois, U.S, Conservative Party of Illinois, International Union of Operating Engineers, FBI, IRS Locations: SPRINGFIELD, Springfield, ”, St, Louis

The case heads to court separately from another federal lawsuit filed in October by LGBTQ+ and civil rights advocates over the aggravated prostitution law. The Republican-carried legislation would only remove the requirement that those convicted of aggravated prostitution must register as a violent sex offender. Court documents in the other federal lawsuit say that more than 80 people are registered for aggravated prostitution in Tennessee. Because she had to register as a sex offender, the woman has experienced periods of homelessness while struggling to find safe housing compliant with sex-registry requirements. Tennessee law also bars her from changing her legal name to match her gender identity, the lawsuit states.

Persons: ”, Kristen Clarke, general's Organizations: U.S . Justice, Justice Department, Republican, Justice Department’s Civil Rights, for Disease Control, The Justice Department Locations: Tenn, Tennessee, United States, Illinois, New Jersey, Virginia, Shelby County, Memphis

☆ Getting into the right mindset for Valentine’s Day
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-14 | by ( Ian Kerner | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

No matter your view on the topic, Valentine’s Day is a great opportunity to put sex on the calendar, but don’t just focus on the act itself at the end of the evening. I’m not telling you to rearrange your entire day for sex, but to make small intentional choices that are pro-sex. That’s why my Valentine’s Day advice for you is not to just have sex. It’s Valentine’s Day, so come up with a sexy prize for each win and a naughty consequence for each loss. Don’t forget your kidsMany teens also feel pressure around Valentine’s Day — to be in a couple, find a date or have sex (whether or not they’re feeling ready).

Persons: Ian Kerner, ”, we’ve, Heck, I’m, Sara Nasserzadeh, It’s, ” Nasserzadeh, Leah Abucayan, Signe Simon, Simone Humphrey, you’ve, Alexandra Solomon, “, you’re, ” Solomon, Don’t, Debby Herbenick, it’s, they’re, ” Herbenick, Emily Nagoski Organizations: CNN, ” CNN, Northwestern University, Indiana University School of Public Health Locations: California, New York City, Illinois, Bloomington, Massachusetts

☆ Valentine's Day chocolate prices highest in years amid cocoa shortage
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-14 | by ( Lee Ying Shan | In Ying-Shan-Lee | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

But lovers may experience sticker shock this year due to higher cocoa and sugar prices. "Chocolate prices are the highest we've seen in years," said a representative of NielsenIQ. He noted that in spite of higher prices, the chocolate market is robust in mature markets like Europe and North America. Now, chocolate and Valentine's Day are synonymous, even if critics say the affiliation is perpetuated by marketing gimmicks. That being said, chocolates are not the only Valentines' Day treats that will dent the wallet this year.

Persons: Scott Olson, Sergey Chetvertakov, David Branch, there's, Kim, Mintec, It's, Andrew Francis Wallace Organizations: Valentine's, Getty, P, El Nino, Food Institute, Branch, CNBC, Bloomberg, National Confectioners Association, Toronto Star Locations: Chicago , Illinois, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Wells, Asia, India, Africa, Azaguie, Europe, North America, Western Europe, Singapore, Toronto

☆ 6 tips for maintaining a strong bond with your partner through tough times, from a couple together for 41 years
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-14 | by ( Julia Pugachevsky | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

“That's been a joy in our lives, and it's been a joy participating in getting that privilege of marriage,” Morton said. Now married, the couple shared their tips for making a marriage or partnership entirely your own. “I think part of the reason for our long-lasting relationship is that Bert and I are in different fields,” Korty said. “It's been a good life because of that, and I've been lucky to share it with Lee,” he said. But once they were officially married, Morton and Korty had different views on the term “husband” and what it meant to them.

Persons: —, Lee Korty, Bert Morton, ” Morton, Morton, That's, it's, “, Korty, ” Korty, Bert, “ Bert, you've, Jess T, Dugan, “ It's, I've, Lee, ”, ‘, ’ ”, they’re Organizations: Service, Business, ACLU, Lambda, Science, IBM, Coalition, Korty, Invest Locations: Illinois, Chicago, Iowa

Search resuls for: "Illinois"

25 mentions found