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Markets down Wednesday on inflation concerns as Bank of Canada holds rates steady

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:55:30 GMT

TORONTO — Canada’s main stock index lost almost 200 points Wednesday amid a broad-based decline,while U.S. markets also posted losses, as investors fretted over stubbornly high inflation. The theme Wednesday was the persistent risk of sticky inflation on both sides of the border, said Ryan Crowther, vice-president and portfolio manager at Franklin Templeton Canada.The Bank of Canada left its key interest rate unchanged as expected, but highlighted that it’s still open to hiking rates if the economic data warrants such a move.“I think they’re clearly keeping the door open for a further increase if it’s needed,” said Crowther. Gas prices helped inflation tick higher in July, and will likely keep the Consumer Price Index elevated in the short term, the central bank said.But higher rates are rippling through the economy, Crowther said, and the bank’s press release highlighted a “sharp slowdown” in the Canadian economy in the second quarter. “Higher rates (are) clearly having an in...

MLB places Dodgers pitcher Julio Urías on administrative leave after arrest

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:55:30 GMT

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Julio Urías was placed on administrative leave indefinitely by Major League Baseball on Wednesday, three days after the Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher was arrested on suspicion of corporal injury on a spouse or cohabitant.The leave was imposed under baseball’s joint domestic violence, sexual assault and child abuse policy adopted by MLB and the players’ union in 2015 and can be the first step toward a suspension. Players are paid but cannot play while on leave.Urías was arrested late Sunday night by Department of Public Safety officers in Exposition Park, south of downtown Los Angeles. The park is home to BMO Stadium, where Lionel Messi was playing in a Major League Soccer game with numerous celebrities in attendance.DPS offered no details Wednesday on the circumstances of the arrest, but asked for any witnesses with information regarding the incident to contact them.Urías posted $50,000 bail and was released early Monday. He is due in court on Sept. 27.Urías, a 27-y...

TIFF is almost here. That means a ton of road closures in Toronto

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:55:30 GMT

Road closures begin early Thursday morning to accommodate the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF).TIFF runs from September 7 to 17.As of 2 a.m. on Thursday until September 11, vehicles will be banned on the following routes.King Street West, from University Avenue to Spadina AvenueDuncan Street, from King Street West to Pearl StreetJohn Street, from Wellington Street West to Pearl StreetWindmer Street, from King Street West to Adelaide Street WestEmily Street, from Wellington Street West to King Street WestAdditionally, Simcoe Street, from Wellington Street West to Pearl Street, will be closed to vehicles and bicycles from 5 a.m. on Thursday until 5 a.m. on September 12.Front Street West from Bay Street to University Avenue will be closed to westbound traffic from 4 a.m. to 8 p.m. on September 10.The City of Toronto says it will adjust traffic signals in the area and, if needed, bring in traffic agents.Notable changes on TTC routesThe TTC is making some adjustments to some of...

The Bulls are hitting the road for training camp

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:55:30 GMT

CHICAGO — While there are a lot of things that are the same about the Bulls this season, there is one thing that's going to be different.That's where the team is going to hold a portion of their training camp, as the team's staff has elected to hit the road to get ready for the 2023-2024 campaign.In what is a departure from their recent routine the Bulls, the team will hold a portion of their preseason workouts in a different city, electing to to go Nashville for five days of practice.Following their Advocate Center media day on Monday, October 2, the Bulls will travel to Belmont University where they'll hold practices starting on October 3. See the Bulls 2023-2024 regular season schedule They're scheduled to workout every day through Saturday, October 7 at the Crockett Center on campus before heading to Milwaukee for their preseason opener the next day. Head coach Billy Donovan will then hold the remainder of the practices during the preseason in Chicago. After the contest again...

CPD: 4 migrants arrested for threatening, assaulting 12th district officers

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:55:30 GMT

CHICAGO -- The Chicago Police Department alleges that several officers were threatened, assaulted, and battered by migrants living at the 12th district emergency shelter.According to the CPD, as many as four individuals face criminal charges surrounding the violent incidents. ‘Absolutely unacceptable:’ FOP President Catanzara slams migrant conditions at police stations One incident involving two individuals, identified as migrants by police sources, occurred just after 6:15 a.m. Wednesday.The first allegedly took property from the district and attempted to flee. While a second allegedly battered a responding officer who sustained minor injuries transported to an area hospital in good condition.Two other violent or threatening incidents reported around 9:45 a.m. Tuesday morning involved 12th district migrants.20-year-old Juan Marquez Vienna was arrested, charged, and now faces one misdemeanor count of criminal trespass to property and one misdemeanor count of assault, according to ...

Trump says he would 'love to debate' Meghan Markle

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:55:30 GMT

(The Hill) – Former President Trump says he would "love to debate" Meghan, the duchess of Sussex.The hypothetical head-to-head between the actress formerly known as Meghan Markle and the 45th president was floated by radio host Hugh Hewitt on his eponymous show during an interview with Trump on Wednesday.Asked if he would sit down with Meghan and her husband Prince Harry “for the ratings” in what Hewitt speculated would be a widely viewed event, Trump replied, “If you want to set it up, let’s set it up.”“Let’s go do something,” Trump said. “I’d love to debate her. I would love it.”“I disagree so much with what they’re doing,” he added, pointing to what he described as the “great disrespect” the pair showed the late Queen Elizabeth II.“I said that I don’t think they are very appropriate what they’re saying, what they’re doing, and I didn’t like the way she dealt with the queen,” Trump told Hewitt.Harry and Meghan, who wed in 2018, stepped down as full-time working members of the...

Prosecutors will seek Hunter Biden indictment by end of September

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:55:30 GMT

Special counsel David Weiss will seek to indict Hunter Biden before the end of this month, the prosecutor said in a court filing updating a judge on his investigation into the president's son's failure to pay taxes.“The Speedy Trial Act requires that the Government obtain the return of an indictment by a grand jury by Friday, September 29, 2023, at the earliest,” Weiss wrote.“The Government intends to seek the return of an indictment in this case before that date.”The filing from Weiss comes as a plea deal with Biden fell apart before it could be approved by a judge. Biden was prepared to plead guilty to two counts of willful failure to pay taxes as well as enter a diversion program relating to a failure to acknowledge drug use when purchasing a gun.But the deal collapsed as it was reviewed by a judge, with prosecutors and attorneys for Biden left unclear of the extent the president’s son would be immune to prosecution on other matters.Weiss — the U.S. attorney for Delaware who...

One person seriously injured after rollover in West Lake Hills, ATCEMS says

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:55:30 GMT

WEST LAKE HILLS, Texas -- One person suffered "potentially serious" injuries after a rollover crash in West Lake Hills on Wednesday, according to Austin-Travis County EMS.At approximately 1:40 p.m., medics responded to the rollover at 2900-3115 Bee Cave Rd in West Lake Hills, the agency said on Twitter. Medics said one adult person was involved and was pinned in their vehicle. An extraction was in progress, and medics were able to extricate them from the vehicle.The person was taken to St. David's South Austin Medical Center with potentially serious injuries, medics said.No other information was available, and EMS was no longer on the scene, medics said.

Travis County's mental health authority could get money from Central Health to offset staff cuts

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:55:30 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- At a Central Health Board of Managers meeting Wednesday, members could vote to shuffle roughly $7 million in funding from its reserve fund to Integral Care -- Travis County's largest mental health provider -- in an attempt to offset recently announced staff cuts. The amendment to Central Health's budget, which is expected to be voted on Wednesday, comes from former Austin City Council Member Ann Kitchen who now sits on both the Integral Care and Central Health boards. "I anticipate that Central Health will give appropriate consideration to this immediate issue. I encourage the Board of Managers to support this need now," Mayor Kirk Watson posted in his latest newsletter. To remedy a roughly $22 million shortfall in federal and state funding next fiscal year, Integral Care is slashing nearly 10% of its staff positions, some of which are vacant, a board meeting Thursday revealed.The Integral Care board signed off on a budget Aug. 31, which includes eliminating 115 pos...

St. Paul City Council debates limits, penalties on public marijuana use

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:55:30 GMT

For decades, progressives have fought Big Tobacco at every turn, successfully curbing smoking in bars, restaurants and office buildings in Minnesota while citing the negative health impacts of secondhand smoke.And for almost as long, many progressives have fought to decriminalize the use of recreational marijuana, noting the disproportionate impact on renters, low-income residents and people of color incarcerated or denied jobs and housing because of minor drug offenses.The two seemingly contradictory campaigns — restricting smoking and allowing more of it — are squaring off in St. Paul, where city council members have been debating when and where to allow marijuana consumption and what penalties should follow rule-breakers.St. Paul and Ramsey County already prohibit tobacco use in parks, outside of public buildings and in other city- and county-run spaces.A proposal before the city council Wednesday would also ban the smoking of marijuana, cannabis and hemp in the city&...