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By KIM CHANDLER, CLAIRE RUSH and ELLIOT SPAGAT Mandonna “Donna” Kashanian lived in the United States for 47 years, married a U.S. citizen and raised their daughter. She was gardening in the yard of her New Orleans home when U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers handcuffed and took her away, her family said. Kashanian arrived in 1978 on a student visa and applied for asylum, fearing retaliation for her father’s support of the U.S.-backed shah. She lost her bid, but she was allowied to remain with her husband and child if she checked in regularly with immigration officials, her husband…
By Andrew Dehan, Bankrate.com In times of economic uncertainty — like where we seem to find ourselves today, for example — buying a house can come with heightened anxiety. The good news is that there are more tools than ever to help homebuyers make the right choice more efficiently. From AI image-matching to high-tech home inspections, new advancements can make the process easier and faster. Here are some of the top homebuying technologies being used today. AI image searching identifies homes you’ll like AI seems to have infused itself into many parts of modern life, and homebuying is no exception.…
Christopher Colwell of Valparaiso, Indiana, teared up a bit as his grandmother sang with her church choir during Northwest Indiana Pridefest earlier this month, calling the moment a haven of acceptance in a state and nation that’s become increasingly hostile to queer men like him. The grandson and grandma briefly embraced after her performance on a stage adorned with rainbow-colored balloons and a giant Pride flag. “I can’t stand the current climate in this state. It don’t represent its people anymore,” said Colwell, 25, at the June 8 event at Riverview Park in Lake Station. “I have a really poor…
ATLANTA — The Angels are just past the halfway point of the season, and they’re very much in contention to end their 10-year playoff drought. The Angels are 41-42, and two games out of the third American League wild card spot, behind the Seattle Mariners. Given that position, it’s natural that many fans focused their questions on what the Angels will do before the July 31 trade deadline. Q: Are we buyers or sellers?? — @GameDayGlitch A: The only honest answer I can give here is that it’s too soon to know. If you’re somewhere in the middle of the…
By MICHELLE CHAPMAN, AP Business Writer Home Depot is buying specialty building products distributor GMS for $4.3 billion, the second notable acquisition in a little over a year that emphasizes a deliberate push by the home improvement chain into building and materials supply. The acquisitions arrive as booming sales from the pandemic fade and Home Depot intensifies its focus on professional builders. GMS Inc. of Tucker, Georgia, is a distributor of specialty building products like drywall, steel framing and other supplies used in both residential and commercial projects. A subsidiary of Home Depot’s SRS Distribution Inc., the supply company it…
By DAVID A. LIEB JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — President Donald Trump’s big bill to cut taxes and reduce federal spending on some social safety net programs could have large implications for states, but for many it’s too late to do much about it this year. Tuesday marks the start of a new budget year in 46 states. Though some legislatures are still working, most already have adjourned and finalized their spending plans without knowing whether federal funding will be cut and, if so, by how much. “The ebb and flow of rumors and reality have created great uncertainty and…
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — On May 25, 2008, a 20-year-old Clayton Kershaw (wearing uniform No. 54) made his major-league debut and struck out the first batter he faced, Skip Schumaker. The players who would be his teammates 2,996 strikeouts later were busy with other things. “I would have been 6 or 7 years old. Early grade school for me,” Dodgers rookie catcher Dalton Rushing said. “Well, I was 9 years old. Third grade, fourth grade – I might have visited D.C. with my class (that year),” said rookie left-hander Jack Dreyer (39 career strikeouts). “That was a long time ago.”…
It has been nearly 17 years since voters approved California Proposition 1A, which allocated $10 billion to the California High-Speed Rail Authority to build a new high-speed rail line between Los Angeles and San Francisco. The state says “approximately $13 billion” has been invested in the rail system, but taxpayers have nothing to show for it. The high-speed rail project has been defined by mismanagement, exorbitant costs, and it’s time to pull the plug. Current estimates say the high-speed rail system’s first segment in the Central Valley, connecting Merced and Fresno, may open in 2033, eight years from now and a quarter of…
Does your car’s air conditioning need a fresh blast of cold? The year-old Cool Air Rebate (CAR) Program offers financial assistance to qualifying, low-income Californians who need a particular coolant leak fixed in cars made between 1993 and 2019. “Low-income families are often the most impacted by extreme heat, and this program makes it possible for them to fix their car A/C and avoid the heat-related risks that come with driving in extreme heat,” said Nathan Perrine, the executive director of the Car Care Council, which manages CAR. The program offers a discount that amounts to 90% of the overall…
By MARK SHERMAN WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court on Monday threw out appellate rulings in favor of transgender people in four states following the justices’ recent decision upholding a Tennessee ban on certain medical treatment for transgender youths. But the justices took no action in cases from Arizona, Idaho and West Virginia involving the participation of transgender students on school sports teams. The court could say as soon as Thursday whether it will take up the issue in its next term. The high court ordered appellate judges to reexamine cases from Idaho, North Carolina, Oklahoma and West Virginia involving…