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Passport renewals on pause during federal public service workers’ strike

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:53:24 GMT

Senjuti Sarker needed to renew her passport for an upcoming trip to Europe but her attempt at doing so failed Wednesday after federal public service workers went on strike.Sarker, who was hoping to travel next week to attend an artistic program, said the labour disruption could completely upend her plans.“I cannot travel if I don’t have my passport renewed,” she said outside a passport office in downtown Toronto.  “I’m a little scared right now.”Sarker was among many Canadians feeling the effects of the strike by more than 155,000 public servants that began after the country’s biggest federal public-sector union and the government failed to reach a deal by a Tuesday evening deadline.Employment and Social Development Canada has said essential services such as employment insurance and social insurance numbers will be maintained, but passport services are not deemed essential.That means passport applications and renewals are on hold and limited...

California boy dies when stabbing suspect’s car hits teens

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:53:24 GMT

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. (AP) — The driver of a car that crashed into a group of Southern California high school students, killing one and injuring three, was arrested for investigation of murder and other crimes, including an earlier stabbing, authorities said Wednesday.The students were struck while on a sidewalk Tuesday afternoon near Westlake High School in the city of Thousand Oaks, west of Los Angeles. The car overturned. “Eyewitnesses said that they actually saw the suspect make an intentional move to drive his vehicle up onto the sidewalk,” said Deputy Wendell Campbell, public information officer for the Thousand Oaks Police Department. Campbell said he did not know if investigators had determined a motive.Austin Eis, 24, was booked into jail on suspicion of murder, attempted murder, attempted robbery, burglary, brandishing a firearm, resisting arrest, kidnapping, felony use of tear gas and assault with a deadly weapon, the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office said in a statem...

Canadians Susan Musgrave, Iman Mersal make revamped Griffin Poetry Prize short list

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:53:24 GMT

TORONTO — Canadians Susan Musgrave and Iman Mersal were both nominated Wednesday for the Griffin Poetry Prize, the first short list since the award combined its categories for homegrown and international poets into a single global purse. Musgrave was nominated for “Exculpatory Lilies,” her first book of poetry in more than a decade. It’s one of five books that made the short list; most were written by Americans.Musgrave said being recognized for this work, a deeply personal exploration of grief, is particularly gratifying. “I’m so happy for the book, because the book was largely about the deaths of my daughter Sophie in 2021 and my husband before that, and also about life on Haida Gwaii, where the natural world is a kind of great antidote to grief,”Musgrave said by phone from the rocky archipelago off British Columbia.“You’re surrounded here by beauty. Sometimes that makes sorrow more intense, and other times it’s helpful.”...

Supreme Court delays decision on abortion drug stalemate, extending stay to Friday

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:53:24 GMT

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Supreme Court is buying itself two more days before it resolves a legal stalemate over the abortion drug mifepristone. The court has extended until Friday a stay on a controversial ruling in Texas that invalidated federal approvals for the drug. That means the deadlock over two conflicting federal rulings — and the uncertainty about the availability of mifepristone — will persist a little longer. The White House is vowing to continue to defend abortion rights in the United States, regardless of what the court ultimately decides. It’s the second time in less than a year that the conservative-dominated court has wrestled with a major ruling on abortion rights. Last June, the court overturned Roe v. Wade, the landmark 1973 decision that effectively codified a woman’s right to an abortion anywhere in the U.S.This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 19, 2023.The Canadian Press

B.C. limits supply of Ozempic for its diabetes patients, not weight loss in U.S.

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:53:24 GMT

VICTORIA — British Columbia is bringing in a new regulation immediately to ensure diabetes patients don’t face a shortage of the drug Ozempic, touted by celebrities for its weight loss side-effects. Health Minister Adrian Dix said Wednesday the change will ensure patients in B.C. and Canada needing Ozempic to treat their Type 2 diabetes will continue to have access to that medication and other drugs that may require protection in the future. Dix said the regulation will help prevent online or mail-order sales of Ozempic to people who don’t live in Canada and who are not in B.C. to make a purchase.“We do not bring drugs to B.C. for them to be re-exported to the United States,” Dix said at a news conference. “Here in Canada, we have to protect the interests of B.C. patients. This is a legislated regulation response to a real problem. This action will address this problem.”The changes come after the discovery that about 15 per cent of Ozempic prescriptions were ...

Stock market today: Wall Street steadies as calm continues

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:53:24 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Wall Street is staying steady Wednesday following another set of mixed earnings reports from big U.S. companies.The S&P 500 was 0.1% higher in late trading after coming back from a small loss in the morning. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 86 points, or 0.3%, at 33,889, as of 3:10 p.m. Eastern time, while the Nasdaq composite was 0.2% higher. Netflix weighed on the market after slumping 3.9%. It reported weaker revenue for the latest quarter than analysts expected, though its profit topped forecasts. Elevance Health dropped 3.6% despite reporting stronger profit and revenue than expected. The health insurer gave a forecast for earnings this year that fell short of some analysts’ expectations.So far, most companies have been beating profit forecasts to clear a bar that was set particularly low. Analysts came into this reporting season forecasting the sharpest drop S&P 500 earnings since the pandemic torpedoed the global economy in 2020. Profits...

Major leagues, broadcasters pledge responsible betting ads

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:53:24 GMT

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (AP) — Most of the nation’s major professional sports leagues, plus the media companies Fox and NBCUniversal are creating an alliance to ensure that sports betting advertising is done responsibly and does not target minors.The Coalition for Responsible Sports Betting Advertising was created Wednesday, consisting of the National Football League; Major League Baseball; the men’s and women’s leagues of the National Basketball Association; the National Hockey League; NASCAR, Major League Soccer, Fox and NBCUniversal.They described the group as a voluntary alliance to control how sports betting advertising, which is ever-present on the airwaves, in print and online, is presented to consumers.It includes a recommendation that “excessive” advertising be avoided.Formation of the group follows a move last month by the commercial casino industry through its national trade association, the American Gaming Association, to adopt a new responsible sports bett...

South Carolina gets closer to lethal injection secrecy

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:53:24 GMT

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — After an unintended 12-year moratorium on the death penalty in South Carolina, the state House gave key approval Wednesday to allow the name of any company that sells lethal injection drugs to remain secret, as well as members of the execution team.A shield law has already passed the Senate, and if the two bodies can work out their minor differences, the proposal will head to the desk of Gov. Henry McMaster, who has been adamant about restarting executions with several inmates having reached the end of their appeals.Supporters said the bill isn’t about a debate on whether the death penalty is moral.“The Department of Corrections has been unable to carry out lawfully imposed sentences. The families of the victims cannot get closure,” Republican Rep. Weston Newton said.Opponents said hiding any part of the state-sponsored death of an inmate is wrong. “We want to be able to throw the rock and hide our heads,” Democratic Rep. Jermaine Johnson said.Rep. Will W...

Biden to huddle with donors next week as 2024 launch nears

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:53:24 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden is summoning top Democratic donors to Washington next week as he prepares to launch his 2024 reelection bid, according to two people familiar with the matter.The event, which is being organized by the Democratic National Committee, is not a fundraiser, but is meant to energize the top party donors for Biden’s campaign, the people said. They spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the matter publicly. Biden is expected to meet with the assembled donors, who are also set to hear from some of his top political advisers.Biden has repeatedly said he intends to run for reelection, but aides say he feels little pressure to formally launch a campaign, especially since he’s warded off any serious challenge from within his party for the nomination.Biden in recent months has been focused on implementing the massive infrastructure, technology investment and climate laws passed during his first two years in...

Biden, McCarthy in different worlds on debt standoff

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:53:24 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — As Washington slow-walks toward a crisis over the national debt, President Joe Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy are talking to two very different Americas.The GOP congressional leader kicked off the week by heading to Wall Street to outline his conditions for raising the country’s borrowing limit. The Democratic president planned to offer his rebuttal on Wednesday at a union hall in Maryland, where he was set to lambaste Republicans for “holding hostage” the country’s ability to pay its debts.“While I’m here in this union hall with you, the Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy went to Wall Street two days ago to describe the MAGA economic vision,” Biden planned to say, according to speech excerpts released in advance. “Folks, it’s the same old trickle-down dressed up in MAGA clothing. Only worse.”The two men, who need to come together for the sake of the U.S. economy, are playing out diametrically opposite strategies to different audiences, e...