The Vatican newspaper has started a new monthly edition dedicated to the poor and people on the margins, aimed at not only telling their stories but involving them in the paper's production and distribution, the Vatican said. The first edition of L’Osservatore di Strada (The Street Observer), a riff on the name of the official Vatican daily L’Osservatore Romano, came out June 29, a special Roman feast day dedicated to Saints Peter and Paul. Going forward, the Vatican plans to distribute the publication on the first Sunday of the month following Pope Francis’ noon blessing in and around St. Peter’s Square, handed out by guests of a nearby homeless shelter run by a Catholic charity. Donations of any amount would be welcome, the Vatican’s communications office said in a statement. The initiative is tangible evidence of Francis’ push to give voice and value to the experiences of often-discounted groups such as the poor, homeless people and migrants and of the volunteer organizations that help them. The aim is to involve them in writing and illustrating their own stories, with poetry, photographs or other talents, and to provide them with resources to do so if need be. “The Osservatore di Strada won’t be just a newspaper of the poor and for the poor, it wants to be, above all, a newspaper with the poor,” the Vatican statement said. The first edition features a design by the street artist Maupal, whose graffiti art of Francis as “Super Pope” and subsequent iterations has graced buildings around the Vatican for years. L’Osservatore Romano has another monthly edition dedicated to women, called Women, Church, World. This article was provided by The Associated Press.
Yelp is closing three of its U.S. offices after finding most of its employees prefer to work remotely. In a blog post, Yelp Co-Founder and CEO Jeremy Stoppelman said the company will close its offices in New York, Washington and Chicago on July 29. The online review and reservation company also plans to downsize its office in Phoenix. The offices the company is closing were its most “consistently underutilized," with only about 2% of workspaces in use each week, Stoppelman said. San Francisco-based Yelp announced a remote-first work model in February 2021. Stoppelman said Yelp has proven it can be successful with a remote workforce, noting that the company achieved record revenue of just over $1 billion in 2021. “Yelp continues to experience the benefits of a remote workplace and it’s the clear path forward for us," Stoppelman wrote in the blog post. Stoppelman said internal surveys show 86% of Yelp workers prefer to work remotely all or most of the time, while 87% said that working remotely makes them more effective. Since the company began reopening its offices about nine months ago, only 1% of the company’s global workforce is coming into an office every day. Stoppelman said the remote-first policy has also helped with recruiting. “Our workforce was previously concentrated in the areas where we have offices, and now we have employees spread across every state in the U.S. and four countries,” Stoppelman wrote. Yelp, which has 4,400 employees, said offices in San Francisco, London, Toronto and other locations will remain open for now. This article was provided by The Associated Press.
Emirati officials revealed plans to repurpose the Expo 2020 site in Dubai that received millions of visitors between October 2021 and March 2022. At a press conference at the site's exhibition center, officials announced the property would be transformed into Expo City Dubai, an environment-friendly city housing businesses and other tenants. “Expo City Dubai will offer everyone, families, youth, students, tourists ... opportunities to experience rich, diverse, educational, fun and cultural attractions,” said Marjan Faraidooni, chief experience officer at the Expo site. The pandemic-delayed world’s fair in the United Arab Emirates closed after eight years of anticipation, over $7 billion in investment, 240 million hours of labor and six months of festivities. The new city will be accessible only by pedestrians, buggies and bicycles, said Ahmed Al-Khatib, chief development and delivery officer. The pavilions of the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Morocco, Egypt, Pakistan, Brussels and others will be preserved. Al-Khatib said 80% of the existing assets of Expo 2020 will be “retained and repurposed.” The gigantic Al Wasl dome, known as the beating heart of Expo 2020 that attracted visitors including artists and heads of state, will also be preserved. The new development will play an integral role in the 2040 plan advocated by Dubai ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al-Maktoum to double the size of the city. In a series of tweets, Al-Maktoum said Expo City Dubai will be a hub for economic activity. This article was provided by The Associated Press.
Dartmouth College is removing all federal and institutional loans from its undergraduate financial aid awards and replacing them with expanded scholarship grants, beginning with the current summer term, the school's president said. Currently, Dartmouth undergraduates from families with an annual income of $125,000 or less who possess typical assets are offered need-based aid without a required loan component. Dartmouth is now removing the loan requirement for undergraduates from families with annual income of more than $125,000 who receive need-based financial aid. This will decrease the debt burden for hundreds of middle-income Dartmouth students and their families by an average of $22,000 over four years, the school said in a news release June 20. A fundraising effort that began in 2018 called The Call to Lead has deepened Dartmouth's commitment to make a college education accessible and affordable for the most promising and talented students from around the world and from all economic backgrounds, President Philip Hanlon said. More than 65 families supported the campaign goal to eliminate loan requirements from Dartmouth’s undergraduate financial aid awards, committing more than $80 million in gifts to the endowment. Dartmouth is joining Ivy League peers Brown University, Columbia University, Harvard University, the University of Pennsylvania and Yale University in adopting no-loan policies, The Dartmouth newspaper reported. This article was provided by The Associated Press.
The maiden voyage of a cruise ship starring a boatload of musical theater stars — like Tony Award-winners Laura Benanti, Kristin Chenoweth, Alan Cumming and Lena Hall — will set sail next spring. The Broadway Cruise — heading roundtrip from New York City to Bermuda, from March 31-April 5, 2023 — will also feature Tony nominees Joshua Henry, Taylor Louderman and Jeremy Jordan, as well as Broadway favorites Randy Rainbow and Sierra Boggess. Producers promise “intimate and grand scale shows and cabarets from Broadway’s coolest talent” as well as “tips and techniques from some of the best and brightest creative talent working today.” Tony-nominated scenic designer David Korins will discuss his creative process when designing settings for the stage and Tony-nominated choreographer Kelly Devine will discuss the art of the dance. Chris Jahnke will serve as music director. The cruise will borrow the Norwegian Gem, which accommodates 2,000 people. Cabin prices begin at $1,165 per person. The trip was delayed by the coronavirus pandemic. Cruise ships were an early source of outbreaks at the start of the pandemic. The CDC issued a no-sail order in March 2020, prompting a standstill that ended in June 2021 as cruise ships began to leave U.S. ports with new health and safety requirements. All guests 12 and over — and all artists and crew — aboard The Broadway Cruise are required to be fully vaccinated and present proof of vaccination to board. This article was provided by The Associated Press.
Pope Francis may have canceled his planned trip to Congo because of his bad knee, but he had a visit on June 21 from one of Congo’s brightest basketball stars who briefed him on his humanitarian efforts back home. The Phoenix Suns’ Bismack Biyombo had a private audience with Francis at the Vatican hotel where the pontiff lives. The 6-foot-9 Biyombo towered over the Argentine pope, even as he stood for photos. Francis, 85, has been using a wheelchair to get around after straining ligaments in his right knee. He had to postpone a planned July 2-7 visit to Congo and South Sudan because doctors said the trip would jeopardize his therapy. Biyombo said the Congolese people were patient and knew he would eventually come. “If he is not feeling good he can’t get on a plane,” Biyombo told The Associated Press in St. Peter’s Square after the audience. “I think if he wouldn’t go to Congo, I will bring the Congo to him,” he said, laughing. The center, who has played 11 NBA seasons with the Suns, Charlotte Hornets, Orlando Magic and Toronto Raptors, briefed Francis on his foundation, which began by teaching Congolese children basketball, then providing them scholarships, refurbishing schools and hospitals, and building a hospital in honor of his late father. “Just being able to be in the presence of the pope I think it’s a blessing,” he said. “I wish I could have brought my mum here, but she’s absolutely happy that I got to be able to do that and to get the pope’s blessing.” This article was provided by The Associated Press.
Neither inflation nor the war in Ukraine is threatening to take a bite out of the luxury fashion market, according to a study published June 21. While much of the world is fretting over higher fuel and energy prices, the study by Bain & Company consultancy indicated that the global luxury market remains set for growth, largely due to the continued resiliency of the world’s wealthiest people. The global luxury market grew by nearly one-third to 288 billion euros ($198 billion) last year, rebounding from its worst recorded dip due to the 2020 pandemic lockdowns, according to the study commissioned by Italy’s Altagamma association of high-end producers. Sales of personal luxury goods including apparel, accessories and footwear posted high double-digit growth in the first quarter of this year, despite the first signs of economic uncertainty tied to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Bain said. In its most pessimistic outlook, assuming global inflationary pressure, Bain forecasts growth in the sales of high-end personal goods this year to grow by 5% to around 305 billion euros. But the consultancy also sees a case for up to 15% growth if the current trends continue, pushing the market to 330 billion euros next year. The United States and Europe have boosted growth so far this year, while sales are expected to hit a hard stop in China due to COVID-19 restrictions in key cities. This article was provided by The Associated Press.
Residents of the West Texas city of Odessa who have been without safe tap water amid scorching temperatures may be able to drink safely straight from the faucet, city officials said June 17. Samples from the Odessa area water utility pipes were sent off for testing, said Odessa Public Works Director Thomas Kerr. If the test results come back clean, the city’s weeklong boil-water notice could be lifted by 1:30 p.m. June 18, he said. Temperatures approached 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 degrees Celsius) in Odessa daily this week as Texas and much of the United States faced extremely hot and humid conditions. And while the city typically sees hot weather in June, the timing of the break made dealing with the heat more difficult. The city said taps in 165,000 homes and businesses lost pressure or went completely dry after a 24-inch (61-centimeter) main broke June 13 afternoon. Odessa’s water treatment plant was back online by about 8 a.m. June 15, but workers have conducted a “recharging” process since then, slowly adding water volume to the system to ensure there are no more leaks. In the meantime, customers have relied on bottled water to consume and cook with, and boiling to disinfect whatever water came from their faucets. This article was provided by The Associated Press.
The Austrian government presented a package of measures aimed at cushioning the impact of high inflation that includes 500-euro ($523) payments for all residents and a three-month delay to a new levy on carbon dioxide emissions. The government, a coalition of Chancellor Karl Nehammer's conservatives and the environmentalist Greens, put the price of immediate measures at about 5 billion euros and said the package will cost a total of 28 billion euros through 2026. It says it aims to bring relief first to people on low incomes; the unemployed and people on low pensions are slated to get a payment of 300 euros each. That's in addition to 500 euros each for everyone — half of that for children, and half of it described as a “climate bonus.” The government decided to delay from July until October the introduction of a CO2 pricing plan that envisions an initial levy of 30 euros per ton of carbon dioxide, rising to 55 euros in 2025. Other measures include “electricity price compensation” for business and a grant for energy-intensive companies and, in the longer term, a move to address wage increases being eaten up when they move recipients into a higher tax bracket. Austria's annual inflation rate hit 8% in May, in line with similar rates in other European countries fueled by the Russian invasion of Ukraine. This article was provided by The Associated Press.
Italian luxury sports car maker Ferrari outlined an electrification strategy that calls for 40% full-electric vehicles and 40% hybrid models by 2030. CEO Benedetto Vigna confirmed that the first electric car will be presented in 2025, with the first deliveries the following year. Now, just four Ferrari models, or 20% of the range, are hybrid cars. Its first hybrid model was the limited-edition La Ferrari launched in 2013, capitalizing on Formula 1 technology. Vigna, a former technology entrepreneur who joined Ferrari as CEO nine months ago, said the electrification strategy is “highly relevant.” “Not only it is required by emissions regulations, but most importantly, we believe we can use the electric engine to enhance the performance of our cars, as we did already with our hybrid Ferrari,’’ he said at an analyst presentation. As Ferrari expands its model range, the car company based in the northern Italian city of Maranello said it would unveil the long-awaited Purosangue utility vehicle in September. Bearing the Italian name for thoroughbred, the Purosangue will represent no more than 20% of vehicles produced during its cycle. In all, Ferrari plans to launch 15 new models from 2023 to 2026, including a new high-performance supercar. This article was provided by The Associated Press.