Economy

Imagine a baseball season without the iconic crack of an ash bat. That could be a reality thanks to the ash beetle, a small beetle that is causing massive destruction of ash trees across North America. For decades, ash has reigned supreme in baseball bats. From legendary players like Babe Ruth to modern hitters like Mark McGwire, ash has been the material of choice for its feel and performance. Companies like Hillerich & Bradsby, makers of Louisville Slugger, churned out hundreds of thousands of ash bats each year. However, the ash beetle has changed the game. This invasive insect, about…

Russian motorcycle soldiers have introduced a new element of chaos to the fighting in eastern Ukraine, often using motorcycles, dirt bikes, quad bikes and dune buggies to quickly traverse open and exposed spaces. Lieutenant Mykhailo Hubitsky described these assaults: "They moved quickly, scattered and swerved." These unconventional vehicles are now so common that Ukrainian trenches often overlook scrapyards of abandoned and exploded off-road vehicles. Moscow's forces aim to make small tactical gains, often just a few hundred meters. Despite the high risk, these motorcycle assaults help Russian forces traverse minefields while being observed by drones and under artillery fire. The…

Ann Lurie, a former pediatric nurse turned prominent Chicago philanthropist, died Monday at her home. She was 79. Northwestern University, where Lurie was a trustee and major donor, announced her death without giving a cause. Raised in Miami by a single mother, Lurie was an only child and protested the Vietnam War during her college years. She initially planned to join the Peace Corps, but instead married Robert H. Lurie. Robert Lurie built a large real estate and investment business with Sam Zell, which included holdings such as The Chicago Tribune and the Chicago Cubs. He also invested in sports…

At a recent meeting with the Workers' Party in Pyongyang, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un announced a promising harvest and a new defense treaty with Russia. However, what attracted the most attention was the introduction of a new accessory: breast pins with the image of Kim Jong-un, as shown in photos by state media. The Kim family, in power in North Korea since 1948, has long been revered as a godlike figure. Portraits of Kim Jong Un's grandfather, Kim Il Sung, and his father, Kim Jong Il, adorn every home and office, and citizens are required to wear pins depicting…

Orlando Cepeda, the second Puerto Rican-born player to be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame, died Friday at the age of 86. The San Francisco Giants announced his death but did not disclose a location. Cepeda played 17 MLB seasons, mostly as a first baseman, hitting 379 home runs, hitting 2,351 hits and driving in 1,365 runs with a .297 batting average. He was the National League Rookie of the Year in 1958 and the MVP in 1967, helping the St. Louis Cardinals win the World Series that year. He batted over .300 in nine seasons and appeared in…

The narrow alleys of West Bank refugee camps are covered with black tarps to hide Palestinian fighters from Israeli drones. Green Hamas flags and “martyrs” banners adorn buildings damaged by Israeli raids and airstrikes aimed at curbing the growing militancy fueled by the Gaza conflict. This scene, however, does not take place in Gaza or a traditional Hamas stronghold, but in a refugee camp in Tulkarem, a city in the Israeli-occupied West Bank where the moderate Palestinian faction Fatah has long held sway. Recently, I met Muhammad Jaber, a local commander, in one of these dusty, war-torn alleys. At 25,…

The journey to becoming a mother can often be filled with emotions and challenges, particularly as the years pass and our situations evolve. The people around us may start to scrutinize our choices, leading to an insistent pressure on something that is meant to be wonderful.Today, with egg donation, hope and new possibilities are offered to those who wish to become mothers at this stage of life. Egg donation not only opens the door to motherhood for women, but also fosters a deep connection to life and generational continuity for many people in the world.At the Babynova Clinic they understand…

Early projections indicate that the Rassemblement National party has won a landslide victory in the first round of elections for the French National Assembly, bringing the nationalist, anti-immigration party to power for the first time. Polling projections suggest the party won about 34% of the vote, far ahead of President Emmanuel Macron’s centrist Renaissance party and its allies, who won about 21%. The scores do not reliably predict how many parliamentary seats each party will win, but National Rally is likely to be the largest force in the lower house, though not necessarily with an overall majority. A coalition of…

When I was little, my father, who rarely traveled, would tell stories about a trip to Europe he took with his parents at age 14, in 1966. He remembered how Nonie loved the pristine Swiss roads and flowerbeds; the cozy fireplace in the hillside house near Lugano, where her father was born, with its clever alcoves for drying clothes or warming bread; and the palpable poverty in the house in Pozzuoli, near Naples, where Nonie’s aunt lined the walls with newspaper for insulation. Occasionally, my father would show me his Kodachrome slides on a projector. As an adult, I often…

DETROIT – Miles Russell’s pants didn’t quite fit during the first round of the Rocket Mortgage Classic on Thursday. A recent growth spurt has left the 15-year-old, now 5 feet 7 inches, in pants designed for someone shorter. Russell, who weighs 120 pounds and has a 28-inch waist, showed off his ankles as he strolled around Detroit Golf Club. Russell made his PGA Tour debut, shooting a 2-over 74. Born in 2009, he signed autographs for kids and adults while being followed by a PGA Tour Live camera. He teed off for 7,370 yards and played alongside the top-ranked players.…