Comment on Pope's Christmas wish: Hope for a better world

I never really liked all those commercials on TV, and I see more of them than ever. About a month ago, I noticed that every time I switched channels, I had to watch a commercial first. If I switched again, I had to watch another one. Do TV ads make a product popular?

Q: We are buying our first home and are stretching our savings to pay for the down payment and closing costs, not to mention the moving expenses. Our lender sent us our closing cost estimate, which showed that “Owners Title Insurance” was optional, even though we were required to purchase “Lenders Title Insurance.”  What is the difference, and why do we even need it, let alone both types?

By BILL BARROW, Associated Press Jimmy Carter, who considered himself an outsider even as he sat in the Oval Office as the 39th U. S. president, will be honored Thursday with the pageantry of a funeral at Washington National Cathedral before a second service and burial in his tiny Georgia hometown. President Joe Biden, who was the first sitting senator to endorse Carter’s 1976 presidential campaign, will eulogize his fellow Democrat 11 days before he leaves office.

By MANUEL VALDES, HALLIE GOLDEN and JULIE WATSON LOS ANGELES (AP) — A fast-moving fire broke out in the Hollywood Hills on Wednesday night, threatening one of Los Angeles’ most iconic spots as firefighters battled to get under control three other major blazes that killed five people, put 130,000 people under evacuation orders and ravaged communities from the Pacific Coast to inland Pasadena. The Sunset Fire was burning near the Hollywood Bowl and about a mile from the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The streets around Grauman’s Chinese Theatre and Madame Tussauds were packed with stop-and-go traffic as sirens blared and low-flying helicopters soared by on their way to dump water on the flames.

By ALEX VEJAR SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Jesper Boqvist scored twice in the third period and the Florida Panthers beat the Utah Hockey Club 4-1 on Wednesday night. Sam Reinhart and Eetu Luostarinen each had a goal for the reigning Stanley Cup champions. Matthew Tkachuk finished with two assists, and Sergei Bobrovsky made 26 saves. Boqvist scored at 1:48 of the third to make it 2-0, then again at 17:59 from his own end into an empty net to make it 3-1.

General Daily Insight for January 09, 2025 New roads are forming. The sympathetic Moon joins innovative Uranus to provide us with a unique, if not erratic, emotional life, where feelings can change on a dime. When the Moon enters adaptable Gemini at 8:07 pm EST, it may be easier to think about our situations in an open-minded way rather than relying on past information.