For four years, The Associated Press' global climate and environment news director, Peter Prengaman, has lived in Phoenix

A genre, a culture and a lifestyle all at once: hip hop has traveled from the block party to the billionaire's club, soundtracked protest and celebration, and asserted seismic...

Traders have ratcheted up bets on Chinese monetary easing to the most since November on signs the economy’s

Mitchell Taebel sent Taylor Swift’s management company messages, threatening to 'destroy' them

NEW YORK (Reuters) -A former U.S. Marine is expected to be charged with manslaugter on Friday after putting a homeless

Andrew Tate's manager, who goes by the alias The Sartorial Shooter, called Adin Ross a 'nothing person' and chastised him for his alleged involvement in drug usage and gambling

Sign up for the New Economy Daily newsletter, follow us @economics and subscribe to our podcast. China’s economy

A quiet community just outside of Chicago was turned upside down when a couple, their two young sons and three dogs were found shot dead inside their home. Police were called in for a welfare check at the home in Romeoville, Illinois, on Sunday morning. Officers arrived to find the bodies of Alberto Rolon, 38, Zoraida Bartolomei, 32, their two boys, aged 7 and 10, and their dogs. Investigators determined that the victims died by homicide - with the killer still at large days later. “I want to know what happened to my nephews, my sister, her husband and WHY?” Bartolomei’s sister Bryana wrote in a heartbreaking Facebook post. Here is everything we know about the Rolon-Bartolomei family case: ‘Not a murder suicide’ Romeoville police were dispatched on Sunday (17 September) to check on the Rolon-Bartolomei family after relatives shared concern that one of the parents didn’t turn up for work that day. In a press conference on Monday, police said family members called several times throughout the day to check on the adult, but there was no response. Just before 9pm Sunday, officers carried out a welfare check at the family’s home on the residential 500 block of Concord Avenue. The family of four were found dead of gunshot wounds – along with their three dogs. Authorities believe the murders took place between 9pm Saturday and 5am Sunday. “We do not believe the offender is among the victims. It is not a murder-suicide,” Deputy Chief Burne said during the press conference. The killer is not yet known, but police have said they do not feel the need to lock down the area. Deputy Chief Burne added: “Due to the timeframe that has gone by – more than 18 hours from the time we were contacted – we are not asking anybody to shelter in place, we are not actively looking for anybody in the area.” However, authorities have advised residents to “have a good sense of self-awareness” and have asked them to report anything they might see as suspicious. Deputy Chief Burne said that the investigation is in the early stages, so further details will not yet be released due to the sensitivity of the case. ‘Their kids were the sweetest most innocent angels’ The loss of the Rolon-Bartolomei family has shocked many friends and family members – with Bartolomei’s sister Bryana stepping forward and sharing her heartache with the community. In the description of a GoFundMe, Bryana wrote: “This fundraiser has been created with the aim of helping the Rolon-Bartolomei family with funeral expenses, as well as to create awareness of this ongoing case. Zoraida Bartolomei, Alberto Rolon, their kids Adriel & Diego (ages 10 & 7) were involved in a horrific crime that took their lives and shattered countless others.” Bryana said her sister and brother-in-law had just brought their first home together and described the children as “the sweetest most innocent angels who could hug your worries away.” “The world is going to be a much dimmer place without them,” she added. She also pleaded for anyone with information on the killings to contact police. The post was met with comments from the community sharing their condolences. “We know her and your parents from church, we are so saddened by this horrible news. Prayers for you all,” one user said. Another wrote: “My thoughts and prayers are with you and your family.” Neighbours were also grappling with the death of the family. Lynn Phillips, who lives one door down from the home, told The Chicago Sun Times on Monday: “I’ve been crying on and off all day.” Although she said she didn’t know the family well, Ms Phillips said they still had a good relationship. “It was a mom and dad and a couple of kids. The parents would be outside working the yard, and we’d wave hi and bye, that kind of thing,” Ms Phillips said. “Nothing unusual. We all keep to ourselves.” Read More Murder of family of four with their three dogs was not murder-suicide but was not ‘random’, police say Ex-NFL star Sergio Brown and his mother went missing. Police say she was murdered and he has yet to be found Delphi murders suspect makes bombshell claim that victims were ‘sacrificed’ by white nationalist cult

Girls miss more school or college days due to periods than any other reason – including colds, mental health or truancy, according to a new report. Periods cause girls to be absent from school or college for three days a term on average, compared with colds and flu (2.6 days), mental health (1.9 days) and truancy (1.2 days), the data released by washroom provider phs Group has revealed. This equates to 54 lost education days over the course of their teen years, the equivalent of 11 academic weeks. The findings form part of phs Group’s Period Equality: Breaking the Cycle report, now in its third year, for which Censuswide polled 1,262 girls aged 13-18 years across the UK. The majority (82%) cited cramps as the main reason for this, while almost one in five (19%) said they stay away from lessons because they’re embarrassed about being on their period, and one in 12 (8%) said it’s because no period products were available to them. This is despite the introduction of period equality measures in recent years, designed to improve access to free period products in education settings. “It’s important to recognise that huge advances have been made in giving girls access to free period products in schools across the UK. What we must do now is close the gap between providing schools with all the products they need and getting them into the hands of any girls that need them, for whatever reason,” said Kelly Greenaway, period equality lead at phs Group. “We know from our own data providing schools with products, that they have more than enough for their girls, so we need to tackle the misconceptions around free access to products in washrooms, and the stigma and shame that goes hand-in-hand with failing to have open conversations about menstruation.” Since the launch of the Government’s Period Product Scheme in January 2020, which provides free period products to education settings in England, via phs Group, 99% of secondary schools and 94% of post-16 organisations have ordered products through the scheme. However, the report published today highlights how periods remain a barrier to education for many girls – with the number of girls missing school due to their periods almost the same for the 2023 findings (54%) as the findings in 2019 (52%), before free sanitary product schemes were introduced. Despite the roll-out of such schemes, over half (52%) of the students surveyed said they did not find period products freely available in their school and college settings, while one in seven (14%) said they did not know if they were available. To help tackle the issue and raise awareness, phs Group is launching a new period equality podcast – called The Blobcast: Free The Period – hosted by menstrual wellbeing and confidence educator Kasey Robinson. Robinson said: “I know too well about the barriers facing so many of us when it comes to our menstrual health. It’s simply not enough to blame absenteeism figures on access to products alone. “On the ground, the story is clear: we aren’t being educated, supported and informed enough about periods. Menstruation is still a taboo subject, and our experience is a secret to keep to ourselves and something we feel forced to hide. In education settings, this is leading to more and more girls staying away from school. “Without workshops, learning resources and the support for and from teachers and caregivers, this issue will stay the same, or get worse,” Robinson added. “It should not be a revolutionary act to teach people about periods, it’s a right. We need to break the cycle of shame and encourage open and honest conversations about periods – exactly what The Blobcast is seeking to do.” The Blobcast: Free The Period launches on all free streaming platforms on October 18. More information can be found at www.phs.co.uk/TheBlobcast.

Taylor Swift's wavy blonde bob created a stir on social media, sparking extensive discussions

The attention at the Cannes Film Festival turns Thursday to the glitzy amfAR gala to raise money for AIDS research

The United States, Japan and South Korea are expected to announce plans for expanded military cooperation on ballistic missile defenses and technology development when their leaders meet at Camp David for a summit Friday