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Starbucks’ Howard Schultz defends union stance before Senate

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:31:57 GMT

Longtime Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz faced sharp questioning Wednesday before the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee as he defended the company’s actions during an ongoing unionizing campaign.U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, a Vermont Independent who has been a vocal supporter of Starbucks labor organizers, accused the company of stalling efforts to reach a contract with workers who first voted to unionize in late 2021. He also said federal courts and administrative judges at the National Labor Relations Board have found Starbucks guilty of firing labor organizers and illegally closing unionized stores, among other tactics.“The fundamental issue we are confronting today is whether we have a system of justice that applies to all, or whether billionaires and large corporations can break the law with impunity,” Sanders said.Schultz denied the company has broken the law and said Starbucks is appealing those charges. Schultz said Starbucks respects workers’ righ...

Federal funding for flood insurance a ‘major step forward’: industry

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:31:57 GMT

OTTAWA — The federal government committed $31.7 million over three years in its latest budget toward a low-cost flood insurance program.The insurance industry has been calling for such a program to help households at increasingly high risk of damage from flooding due to extreme weather.The Insurance Bureau of Canada called the funding a “major step forward.”It says flooding is Canada’s greatest climate-related risk, with more than 1.5 million households considered highly exposed to flooding. Recently highlighting this risk was last year’s hurricane Fiona, which caused flooding for many Atlantic Canadian homeowners whose residential home insurance policies didn’t cover all the damages. The Insurance Bureau says the new flood insurance program would consider damage caused by storm surges as well as riverfront flooding. This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 29, 2023.The Canadian Press

Man wanted for alleged threats in Oshawa could be using Toronto transit: police

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:31:57 GMT

A man wanted by police in Durham Region for uttering threats could be in Toronto and using public transit.On Monday, Durham Regional Police issued a news release concerning 41-year-old Justin Bodnarchuk of no fixed address, who allegedly threatened another person in Oshawa on March 25.Durham police have been unable to locate Bodnarchuk, who is wanted on two counts of uttering threats.At the time of the news release, officers said they believed the wanted man to be in Oshawa, but in a tweet published on Wednesday, investigators in Toronto warned the public that Bodnarchuk might be in the city and using public transit.“Please be on the look out for this wanted man,” Toronto Police Operations tweeted.Officers are urging residents not to approach the man and to call 9-1-1.Please be on the look out for this wanted man.There is reason to believe he may be in Toronto and uses public transportation.^vk https://t.co/jUqXwdkrSm— Toronto Police Operations (@TPSOperations) Mar...

S&P/TSX composite up more than 100 points, U.S. stock markets also higher

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:31:57 GMT

TORONTO — Canada’s main stock index was up more than 100 points in late-morning trading, helped higher by gains led by the energy, technology and base metal sectors, while U.S. stock markets also climbed higher.The S&P/TSX composite index was up 134.94 points at 19,792.47.In New York, the Dow Jones industrial average was up 172.57 points at 32,566.82. The S&P 500 index was up 37.20 points at 4,008.47, while the Nasdaq composite was up 134.63 points at 11,850.71.The Canadian dollar traded for 73.68 cents US compared with 73.39 cents US on Tuesday.The May crude contract was up 71 cents at US$73.92 per barrel and the May natural gas contract was down less than a penny at US$2.15 per mmBTU.The June gold contract was down US$7.10 at US$1,983.30 an ounce and the May copper contract was up less than a penny at US$4.09 a pound.This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 29, 2023.Companies in this story: (TSX:GSPTSE, TSX:CADUSD=X)The Canadian Press

ACTRA calling for a boycott of six brands linked to ad agencies in labour dispute

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:31:57 GMT

TORONTO — Unionized commercial actors are calling for a boycott of six brands that work with ad agencies embroiled in a nearly yearlong labour dispute. The Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists has turned to shaming brands including Rogers and Walmart as it seeks higher pay, protections and benefits amid fractious talks to renew the National Commercial Agreement with the Institute of Canadian Agencies (ICA). The list of brands targeted also include Canadian Tire, McDonald’s, M&M Food Market, and H&R Block, who all work with agencies represented by the ICA, which disputes ACTRA’s account of the impasse. ACTRA international president Eleanor Noble said members will not work without an agreement and are effectively locked out while the ICA turns to non-unionized performers.“We gave them a courtesy, we sent them a letter to let them know in advance what we would be doing and we never heard back,” Noble said of the boycott campaign.“Our members would pre...

Suspect sought after woman, 21, sexually assaulted in Mississauga

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:31:57 GMT

Police are searching for a suspect after a young woman was sexually assaulted in Mississauga earlier this month.A 21-year-old woman was walking near Lake Ontario on March 7 in the area of Lakeshore and Stavebank roads. Investigators allege she was approached by a suspect and sexually assaulted.The suspect is described as a light-skinned male, five-feet-seven inches tall, with a full beard and a shaved head on the sides. He was last seen wearing a red jacket, dark colour pants, a blue fanny pack, and black and white running shoes.Police believe the suspect was driving a grey 2012 to 2014 Toyota Yaris around the time of the incident. Photos of the suspect and suspect vehicle have been released.Anyone with information is being asked to contact police.Peel police have released a photo of a suspect vehicle after a woman was sexually assaulted in Mississauga on March 7, 2023.

Russia puts Pussy Riot member on wanted list for criminals

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:31:57 GMT

MOSCOW (AP) — Russian authorities have put a member of the Pussy Riot punk group on a wanted list for criminal suspects as the Kremlin works to stifle political dissent. Russian news outlet Mediazona discovered an entry for Nadezhda Tolokonnikova in the Russian Interior Ministry’s database of wanted individuals on Wednesday. The entry, also reviewed by The Associated Press, said Tolokonnikova faces criminal charges, but it didn’t specify what the charges are. Tolokonnikova became widely known for taking part in a 2012 Pussy Riot protest inside Moscow’s Christ the Savior Cathedral. She spent nearly two years in prison.Earlier this month Russia’s top human rights lawyer, Pavel Chikov, said a criminal case had been launched against Tolokonnikova on the charge of offending religious believers’ feelings, which became a criminal offense in Russia after the 2012 Pussy Riot protest. Tolokonnikova left Russia and reportedly lives in the U.S. In 2021, the Russian gover...

WATCH LIVE | $3.8 billion, 100-acre 'megadevelopment' breaks ground in Bronzeville

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:31:57 GMT

CHICAGO — The "largest mixed-use project ever undertaken in Chicago" breaks ground Wednesday thanks to $60 million in city funding.According to a press release from public relations firm Purpose Brand, LLC, the 100-acre megadevelopment dubbed Bronzeville Lakefront will be constructed on the site of the former Michael Reese Medical Campus and is "the nation’s first megadevelopment to have a 50% Black development team," with "a 98% diverse or minority supplier team for the infrastructure portion of the project." See the day-by-day lineup for Lollapalooza 2023 The project is expected to create 45,000 construction jobs, 31,000 long-term, full-time jobs, and have an overall economic impact of $8.2 billion, according to the project's website.The groundbreaking ceremony is scheduled to begin at 10:30 a.m and include Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot.WGN plans to livestream the event within this story beginning at approximately 10:25 a.m.

Report: Austin rent prices slowly decreasing

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:31:57 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- A new report shows rent prices are slowly starting to drop in Austin.Zumper's latest report shows that the median-rent for one-bedrooms in Austin is down for the third month in a row. This month, it dropped by 4.2% to $1,600.The city's one-bedroom median price peaked at $1,720 in September 2022, according to the report. Report: You’d need five minimum wage jobs to afford a typical apartment in Austin Zumper credits the slight decrease to the effects of a post-COVID society. "Since then, the realities of an undersupplied market and return-to-office policies have set in," the report said. "Demand from new transplants is ebbing as many tech workers are called back to the office, either full-time or on a hybrid schedule," the report continued. Zumper said that trend is also reflected in Austin's for-sale market. KXAN reported earlier this month that houses for sale are spending a longer average amount of time on the market, according to the Austin Board of Realtors.

Mary deLaittre to step down as founding executive director of Great River Passage Conservancy

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:31:57 GMT

Mary deLaittre, the founding executive director of the Great River Passage Conservancy, plans to step down next week from the St. Paul-based river planning and advocacy organization she helped establish. Communications and development manager Laura Bray will act as interim director until her successor is chosen.“The organization has launched a search for a new executive director, which is currently underway, and that new E.D. will focus on fundraising and advocacy,” said deLaittre, who said board members began general succession planning seven months ago. “We’ve been very planful.”deLaittre, whose professional background is in architecture and urban design, joined the city of St. Paul in 2016 as the manager of its “Great River Passage” initiative, an effort to better connect the Mississippi River’s 17 miles of riverfront corridor in St. Paul to residents and visitors. Three years later, she left City Hall to become the inaugural direct...