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New home sales fell last month as mortgage rates hit 2023 high

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 21:42:32 GMT

Washington, DC (CNN) — New home sales in the United States fell in October as typical mortgage rates reached their highest levels this year.Sales of newly constructed homes fell 5.6% in October to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 679,000, from a revised rate of 719,000 in September, according to a joint report from the US Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Census Bureau. Sales were up 17.7% from a year ago.This was below analysts’ expectations of an annualized sales pace of 723,000.While sales of existing homes have been trending down since February and are on pace to be the worst in 30 years, new construction homes have been a welcome alternative for buyers.An ongoing inventory and affordability crunch has meant homeowners with ultra-low mortgage rates of 3% or 4% are reluctant to sell and buy another home at a much higher rate. In August, rates topped 7% and rose as high as 7.79% at the end of October as the Federal Reserve continues to address inflation, acco...

1 injured after shooting at Miramar apartment complex; suspect at large

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 21:42:32 GMT

A shooting at an apartment complex in Miramar has left one man injured, with the shooter still on the loose, according to officials. Miramar Police responded to the Avalon apartment complex located at 4351 SW 113th Avenue, Monday morning. Officials said one man was shot and was transported to the trauma center at Memorial Regional Hospital. Please check back on WSVN.com and 7News for more details on this developing story.

US customs officers seized a fake Richard Mille watch headed to a home in South Florida. If real, it would have been worth $3.7 million

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 21:42:32 GMT

(CNN) — US customs officers seized a shipment from India that contained a counterfeit version of an extremely rare watch.Had it been a real Richard Mille time piece, it would have been worth over $3.78 million, U.S. Customs and Border Patrol said.Watches and jewelry are the most commonly counterfeited items that are seized by customs officers, CBP Chicago, which oversees operations throughout most of the Midwest, wrote on X (formerly known as Twitter), so it came as no surprise to agents when they found the watch.The item’s estimated price tag and its rarity are perhaps the most shocking aspects of the November 16 seizure by CPB officers in Cincinnati.The shipment originated in India and was headed to a home in Palm Beach, Florida, the agency said.The seized watch was a RM 88 Automatic Winding Tourbillon Smiley replica, CBP said. This particular style is a limited edition and there are only 50 watches like it in the world, hence the hefty price tag.“Black market selle...

Southwest Florida eagle cam captures 1st egg of the season

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 21:42:32 GMT

SOUTHWEST FLORIDA (WSVN) — In a feathered spectacle captured by the Southwest Florida Eagle Cam, a momentous event unfolded Friday night in North Fort Myers as eagle F23 laid her first egg of the season. The live eagle cam, renowned for documenting the comings and goings of several eagles over the years, now provides viewers with a front-row seat to witness the hatching journey.The expectant parents, newly-mated eagles M15 and F23, face an average wait of 35 days until the anticipated hatching. Officials said the odds were against them, but nature and instinct have prevailed.While the first egg brings joy to the Southwest Florida Bald Eagle Nest, it remains uncertain whether F23 will lay another. For now, viewers can tune into the live eagle cam for a captivating glimpse into the world of these majestic birds as they embark on the journey of parenthood.

Ireland: Israel is overreacting on Varadkar

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 21:42:32 GMT

Israel’s decision to summon the Irish ambassador over comments by Prime Minister Leo Varadkar is “an overreaction,” Ireland’s Education Minister Simon Harris said on Monday.Over the weekend, Varadkar triggered Israeli outrage when he quoted a verse from the Bible’s Parable of the Prodigal Son — “was dead, and is alive … was lost, and is found” — to commemorate the release of Emily Hand, an Irish-Israeli girl, aged 9, who had been kidnapped by Palestinian militant group Hamas.The post and the prime minister’s choice of words were criticized by Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen, who accused Varadkar of trying to “legitimize and normalize terror,” remarks which were echoed by Israeli government spokesman Eylon Levy.“This is how you describe a little girl who went missing during a stroll in a forest, then gets discovered by a friendly hiker. Not a girl brutally abducted by death squads that brutally massacred her neighbors. But this explains the extent of Ireland’s contribut...

‘We’ve never seen a cat quite like this’ MSPCA-Angell looks to find home for special kitten dubbed ‘Gumby’

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 21:42:32 GMT

Staff at the MSPCA-Angell are hoping to find a loving home soon for a special kitten living with a unique leg deformity.Dubbed “Gumby” by officials, the MSPCA-Angell said the 11-week-old kitten arrived in their care from the SPCA of Texas earlier in November.According to the org’s Lead Clinician of Community and Shelter Medicine, Dr. Rebecca Fellman, the kitten has severe deformities in both of his rear legs, but is still able to get around.Image provided by the MSPCA-Angell“We’ve never seen a cat quite like this,” Fellman said in a statement. “Both of Gumby’s back legs are severely deformed with muscle contracture that limits his joint mobility, but he still manages to get around—often on all fours.”The animal shelter added that Gumby is not only able to walk, but also use a litterbox with his special condition.“At this point, he isn’t developing any sores, and it looks like surgery may not significantly improve his mobility, so it doesn’t make sense to put him th...

Missiles fired from Yemen toward US warship that responded to attack on commercial tanker

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 21:42:32 GMT

(CNN) — Two ballistic missiles were fired from Houthi rebel-controlled Yemen toward a US warship in the Gulf of Aden, after the US Navy responded to a distress call from a commercial tanker that had been seized by armed individuals, the US military said Sunday.The tanker, identified as the Central Park, had been carrying a cargo of phosphoric acid when its crew called for help that “they were under attack from an unknown entity,” the US Central Command said in a statement.The incident comes after Iran-backed Houthi forces launched numerous attacks against US interests in the region, and Israel, since the October 7 Hamas attacks, as fears continue to ripple across the region that the Israel-Hamas war could widen.The Houthis are a Shia political and military organization in Yemen that have been fighting a civil war in the country against a coalition backed by Saudi Arabia. They have voiced support for the Palestinians and organized protests in Yemen against Israel’...

Panthers fire Frank Reich in his first season with team off to NFL-worst 1-10 record

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 21:42:32 GMT

By STEVE REED (AP Sports Writer)CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — The Carolina Panthers fired Frank Reich on Monday following the team’s NFL-worst 1-10 start in his first year at the helm.Panthers owner David Tepper announced the move hours after several news outlets reported that he used a profanity as he was leaving the locker room following a 17-10 loss to the Tennessee Titans on Sunday.Tepper hired Reich to fix one of the league’s worst offenses over the past few seasons and develop Bryce Young, the No. 1 overall pick whom he gave up four draft picks and top wide receiver D.J. Moore to acquire this past offseason in the hopes of winning multiple Super Bowls.Instead, the Panthers are assured of a sixth straight losing season since Tepper bought the team in 2018 for $2.275 billion.Special teams coordinator Chris Tabor will take over as interim head coach.Offensive coordinator Thomas Brown will take over as the team’s play caller, with senior Jim Caldwell serving as hi...

President Joe Biden plans to skip U.N. climate talks beginning this week in Dubai

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 21:42:32 GMT

By COLLEEN LONG (Associated Press)WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden plans to skip the annual climate talks in Dubai this week, an event that is expected to draw heads of state and diplomats from roughly 200 nations and the Vatican. He has attended twice before.The White House said it was sending a climate team, including Special Envoy John Kerry, climate adviser Ali Zaidi and clean energy adviser John Podesta.“Although we don’t have any travel updates to share for the president at this time, the administration looks forward to a robust and productive COP28,” said White House spokesman Angelo Fernández Hernández, adding that Biden’s team would continue to build on the administration actions “to tackle the climate crisis.” Biden had also pledged to visit Africa before the end of the year, but that trip doesn’t appear to be happening, either. The White House offered no reasons, but the president has been deeply engaged in bo...

Boston man charged in alleged rampage through sacred, historic sites

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 21:42:32 GMT

A Boston man has been arrested after leaving an alleged trail of destruction overnight Saturday at historic and religious sites across the city, including the Holocaust Memorial and even Paul Revere’s grave.Police arrested Lawrence Hawkins, 46, at the Southampton Street shelter and charged him in multiple incidents of vandalism after reviewing video surveillance that traced his alleged spree of destruction along sites closely aligned with the Freedom Trail.An initial call came in to police just before midnight on Saturday when they received a report of a breaking and entering at Charles Street South. Upon arrival, police found the front door smashed and a brick inside the business.There was video surveillance from that incident and police broadcast the clip of the suspect.Shortly after midnight, an officer reporting for duty arrived at his cruiser and found his front windshield smashed. Again, there was video of the suspect and police broadcast a description.Another report came in f...