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Home design trends spurred by pandemic still booming, architects say

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:49 GMT

Home design trends that started during the pandemic are still booming, according to a survey released by the American Institute of Architects this week.D.C.-area homebuyers continue to ask architects for massive windows, multifunctional backyards and grand kitchens that double as workspaces and entertainment places, said David Shove-Brown, AIA member and founding partner at 3877 Design in Washington, D.C.Large windows and cross-functional kitchens are among the “must haves” in home design among buyers and owners, according to the American Institute of Architects survey. (Courtesy 3877 Design)“The home became school, office, recreation center, restaurant and bar all at once,” Shove-Brown said. “Then it became, how do you maximize the use of spaces while maintaining some sense of sanity?”The AIA surveyed more than 300 residential architect firms to gather the data.It discovered that trends like cross-functional outdoor spaces are among key features owners and buyers want and purchase,...

DC area anticipates heavy rain, fog ahead of windy, chilly workweek

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:49 GMT

After a cloudy, dry Saturday with temperatures right around 50 degrees, D.C., Maryland and Virginia are bracing for a foggy and stormy Sunday, a windy Monday and a chilly Tuesday. Here’s what you need to know.Sunday’s wet weather is expected to enter the region mainly after 10 a.m., according to the National Weather Service report Saturday.“Moderate to locally heavy rain, tidal flooding and gusty winds are likely on Sunday,” the agency said.The 7News First Alert team is already on Flood Alert in advance of Sunday rains, which are expected to become moderate by this afternoon.A high impact coastal low will move into the area by this afternoon. Moderate to heavy rain is likely this evening into the overnight. Winds become increasingly gusty tonight into Mon. Out west, the Alleghenies can expect snow, heavy at times, Mon afternoon through Tue morning. pic.twitter.com/QZFZiz5u8Z— NWS Baltimore-Washington (@NWS_BaltWash) December 17, 2023“Rain will become he...

Automaker Nissan expands research ties in China as part of bid to regain market share

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:49 GMT

BEIJING (AP) — Nissan Motor Co. is expanding its research ties with a leading Chinese university as it and other foreign car companies try to claw back market share in the important Chinese market.The Japanese automaker announced Sunday that it would launch joint research next year with Tsinghua University on reaching Generation Z — defined for this project as those born between 1995 and 2009 — and on the social responsibility of automakers in battery recycling, charging stations and other electric vehicle-related issues.The major auto companies were caught flat-footed by a boom in electric vehicles in China that has given rise to new Chinese competitors that have gobbled up market share at home and are now moving into Southeast Asia, Europe and other overseas markets. Nissan’s sales in China plunged 34% in the six months from April to September compared with a year earlier.“Market conditions in China have become extremely tough,” Masashi Matsuyama, the head of Nissan’s Chines...

Sunday Storms to Sunday Sunshine

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:49 GMT

We are finally starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel following a wet and windy stretch of weather. That light will be seen by this afternoon following a cold front trekking across South Florida this morning.Ahead of this front will be a line of showers and thunderstorms progressing to the east before moving offshore by 10AM.Then beyond this time frame, it will turn dry with rain chances down to a 10% chance paired with a mix of sun and clouds, high temperatures seasonable into the upper 70s and a gusty breeze.The breeze will gradually decrease over the next few days. Until then, a Wind Advisory remains in effect through midday today for much of the area for wind gusts up to 40-50 mph, especially near the coast.Now for the new week, our attention shifts to a quiet, sunny and cool weather stretch. It’s looking fantastic with low rain chances and quiet weather leading up to the holidays.Temperatures will turn rather cold by Tuesday with widespread lows in the 50s and...

WMVP-AM weekday afternoon co-host and former Chicago Bears player Tom Waddle buys Long Grove mansion for $1.5M

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:49 GMT

WMVP-AM weekday afternoon co-host and former Chicago Bears wide receiver Tom Waddle and his wife, Cara, on Nov. 1 paid $1.5 million for a five-bedroom, 6,818-square-foot mansion in Long Grove.The purchase came more than five months after Cara Waddle and her husband, who played for the Bears from 1989 until 1994 before going into broadcasting, sold their five-bedroom, 8,000-square-foot mansion in Lake Forest for $3.1 million.Built in 2006, the couple’s new home in Long Grove has been renovated and has 5-1/2 bathrooms, two fireplaces, high ceilings, hardwood floors, intricate moldings and millwork, designer lighting, arches and columns and a renovated kitchen with custom cabinetry, Wolf and Sub-Zero appliances, marble countertops and an island with seating. Other features include a great room with a floor-to-ceiling stone fireplace, a sunroom, a private office with built-ins and a turret area, and a primary bedroom suite with heated floors, a sitting area with an antechamber and...

MLB Notes: How is Red Sox pitching staff coming together?

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:49 GMT

On paper, the Red Sox pitching staff has loads of potential. It has young talent, proven bullpen arms, tons of depth and enough versatility to adapt to all kinds of unforeseen circumstances.The one thing missing is a sturdy foundation to hold it all together, and without that the staff is doomed to fall apart just like last year.More than two months into the offseason we still don’t have any clarity on what the Red Sox starting rotation could ultimately look like. The club has yet to make a meaningful addition, and while many starters have already signed, most of Boston’s top targets are still on the market.Will the Red Sox land Yoshinobu Yamamoto or Jordan Montgomery? Will they wind up with Shota Imanaga or Lucas Giolito, or swing a trade for Dylan Cease or some other young arm? Could we see a combination of the above, or will they come up empty-handed?The answer to those questions could make or break Boston’s 2024 season.While we await a resolution to the startin...

Toronto police charge man with mischief after “hate-motivated” graffiti found on bus

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:49 GMT

Toronto police have arrested and charged a man with mischief in an incident they allege was hate-motivated.Police say a man boarded a TTC bus in the city’s Jane and Bloor West area on December 2 and wrote hate-motivated graffiti on several windows.The bus was then taken out of service.A 51-year-old man has been charged with mischief – interfere with property, and he is scheduled to appear in court on February 2.Police say the investigation is being treated as a suspected hate-motivated offence.Officers did not give details on who was targeted in the graffiti messages. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 17, 2023.The Canadian Press

Russia and Ukraine launch numerous drone attacks targeting a Russian air base and Black Sea coast

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:49 GMT

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russia and Ukraine launched over a dozen drones at each other’s territory for a second straight day Sunday, one of which apparently targeted a Russian military airport while a Ukrainian civilian was killed after drone debris slammed into his house near the Black Sea. At least 35 Ukrainian drones were shot down overnight over three regions in southwestern Russia, the Russian Defense Ministry said in a post on the messaging app Telegram. A Russian air base hosting bomber aircraft used in Ukraine was among the targets, according to a Russian Telegram channel critical of the Kremlin. The channel posted short videos of drones flying over low-rise housing in what it claimed was the Russian town of Morozovsk, whose air base is home to Russia’s 559th Bomber Aviation Regiment.Vasily Golubev, the governor of Russia’s Rostov province, separately reported “mass drone strikes” near Morozovsk and another town farther west, but did not mention the air base. Golubev said most t...

One killed, three injured in officer-involved shooting on 6th Street

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:49 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Austin Police said one person is dead and three others are injured after an officer-involved shooting on 6th Street. It happened minutes before midnight in the 200 block of East 6th Street between Brazos and San Jacinto streets.Interim Police Chief Robin Henderson briefed reporters about the shooting at a news conference early Sunday morning outside police headquarters. Henderson said the incident started when officers responded to a report of an individual trying to carry a gun into a bar. Henderson said the suspect pointed a gun at officers. Three APD officers discharged their weapons, hitting the suspect multiple times. The suspect was pronounced dead at the hospital.Three bystanders also suffered gunshot wounds. Henderson said one person is in critical condition, while two others have non-life-threatening injuries. She added APD is investigating whether the bystanders were shot by police or by the suspect.Austin Police close off part of 6th Street after a...

The northern lights were scarce, but trip to Iceland was fantastic anyway

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:49 GMT

Last summer, I woke to the sounds of my family oohing and aahing as they watched the northern lights dance across a lake in Wisconsin. I had never seen this atmospheric phenomenon before, so I ran down to the dock and looked over the water. The sky was so vibrant green that I felt like Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz looking out at the Emerald City. It was magical. I was so excited that I shared my photos with everyone.My neighbor made a print of the picture on canvas so I could look at the lights all summer. My sister’s boyfriend gave me a coffee cup for Christmas that lights up with the northern lights when hot coffee gets poured into it. Needless to say, I was hooked, so traveling over the rainbow to Iceland to get a closer look was no surprise to anyone.Iceland BoundThe northern lights, as viewed from Iceland. (Lori Swanson / Pioneer Press)My travel group consisted of two girlfriends and my sister, all on the same quest to see the northern lights in all their vibrant glory. We were ...