Author name: Jeannette Mercer

Jeannette Mercer writes about politics, health, business, parenting, and finance for local news sites. She's also a proud mom to two kids who keep her on her toes and an avid runner who loves racing in marathons.

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At least 8 people are killed when a passenger train slams into a minibus in Egypt

Business / By

CAIRO — A train slammed into a minibus that was crossing the tracks in an unauthorized location in norther Egypt on Thursday, killing at least eight people and leaving 12 injured, the government said. The deadly crash took place in the Suez Canal province of Ismailia, the health ministry said. More than a dozen ambulances […]

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Donatella Versace out as creative director of the Milan fashion house

Business / By

ROME — ROME (AP) — Donatella Versace has been replaced as creative director of the fashion house founded by her late brother Gianni Versace, assuming the new role of chief brand ambassador, Versace’s U.S. owner Capri Holdings announced on Thursday. Versace will be replaced by Dario Vitale, who most recently was design director at the

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Fewer Americans file for jobless claims, signaling a still-healthy US labor market

Business / By

The number of Americans filing for unemployment benefits fell slightly last week, indicating a still-healthy U.S. labor market. U.S. jobless claims filings fell by 2,000 to 220,000 for the week ending March 8, the Labor Department said Thursday. That’s fewer than the 226,000 new applications analysts forecast. It’s not clear when job cuts ordered by

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Meta to start testing crowd-sourced fact-checking, based on X example, next week

Business / By

Facebook and Instagram parent company Meta Platforms Inc. said Thursday it will begin testing its crowd-sourced fact-checking program, Community Notes, on March 18. It will initially based on a ratings system used by Elon Musk’s X. Meta ended its fact-checking program in January. CEO Mark Zuckerberg said at the time that fact-checkers had become “politically

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Finland announces 200 million euros more in aid to Ukraine and closer defense cooperation

Business / By

WARSAW, Poland — Finland on Thursday announced a new arms package for Ukraine amounting to around 200 million euros ($217 million) and pledged more defense cooperation with Kyiv. The aid package for Ukraine involves artillery ammunition, “which is in great need right now,” said Finland’s Defense Minister Antti Häkkänen as he signed a memorandum of

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When ‘good’ weather means ‘bad’ weather: Meet the storm-watchers of Vancouver Island

Travel / By

During my days at the Wick, I find I like a balance of both: Rest and adventure. I fall asleep to the soporific sound of waves. I spend hours on my balcony, watching clouds slink by, waves unfurl, and surfers bob about like otters. In between beach walks and weather-watching, we strike out into town.

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Canada's Couche-Tard's chief stresses 'friendly' interest in Japan's 7-Eleven chain

Business / By

TOKYO — Canada’s Alimentation Couche-Tard reaffirmed Thursday that it is determined to acquire Seven & i Holdings, although the operator of Japan’s top convenience store chain has rejected its offer. “We are continuing to pursue a friendly, mutually agreeable transaction,” the chairman and founder of Alimentation Couche-Tard, Alain Bouchard, told reporters in Tokyo. Bouchard stressed

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China is taking issue with Trump's move to link tariffs to fentanyl

Business / By

BEIJING — U.S. President Donald Trump threw a curve ball at China by linking the fentanyl issue to his tariffs on imports. The Chinese government is swinging back. First it issued a report detailing its efforts to control the illegal trade in fentanyl, specifically the ingredients for the opioid that are made in China. Then,

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South Africa plans to spend more on health and defense after the US cuts aid

Business / By

JOHANNESBURG — Lawmakers in South Africa laid out plans to shore up the budgets for health and defense but also put up value added tax by 0.5%, a move that will raise the cost of living as consumers pay more for goods, including food, and services. An additional 28.9 billion rand ($1.5 billion) was earmarked

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