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Companies face delicate decisions on weighing in on Israel-Hamas conflict

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:15:14 GMT

TORONTO — Corporations are under increasing scrutiny for where they stand on the Israel-Hamas conflict as protesters push for peace.Numerous international brands including McDonald’s, Starbucks and Disney have attracted boycotts, while in Canada, Scotiabank in particular has been targeted by protesters for investments in Israeli defence contractor Elbit Systems Ltd.With so much polarization around the conflict, experts say companies need to be especially careful with their actions, including how they respond to criticism.Consumers generally react more to negative perceptions they have of companies than positive ones, said Saeid Kermani, an assistant marketing professor at Trent University. “The negative impact is going to be a lot worse than any positive impact you’ll get from supporters.”Not only do the negative perceptions stick, but they get shared online faster and more widely, and get more people involved, he said.Criticizing companies can also work well to generate atten...

Texas CEO and his 2 children were among 4 killed in wreck before Thanksgiving

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:15:14 GMT

ROUND MOUNTAIN, Texas (AP) — The CEO of a construction company and his two young children were among four people killed the day before Thanksgiving in a three-vehicle crash that was still being investigated Monday.Zach Muckleroy, 44, head of Fort Worth-based Muckleroy & Falls, died in the Nov. 22 crash about 45 miles (72 kilometers) west of Austin along with his 12-year-old son Judson and 9-year-old daughter Lindsay, according to media reports.University Christian Church in Fort Worth said in a message to members that Muckleroy’s wife, Lauren, survived the accident and was airlifted to an Austin hospital, according to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.Hundreds of people attended a vigil at the church Friday night, according to WFAA-TV.A Facebook post from Muckleroy & Falls said Zach Muckleroy “treasured his family.” “Zach had a charisma about him and the uncanny ability to light up any room he walked into,” the company said in the post. The Texas Department of Public Safety...

If Liberals need more time on pharmacare , NDP says it will demand ‘more results’

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:15:14 GMT

OTTAWA — The NDP says there’s still enough time for the Liberals to meet their deadline for introducing pharmacare legislation, but if the government needs more time, their legislative dance partners are expecting more results. NDP spokesperson Alana Cahill says her party was “very clear” that the Liberals’ first draft of a pharmacare bill “missed the mark” and didn’t guarantee coverage for everyone.The parties’ supply-and-confidence agreement requires a Canada Pharmacare Act to be passed before the end of this year, though it doesn’t stipulate that an actual program be up and running any time soon.There are less than three weeks’ worth of sittings before the House of Commons rises for a winter break, making it next to impossible to introduce and pass a bill before that deadline. But Cahill says there could still be enough time to do it, and talks are ongoing.New Democrats passed an emergency resolution at a policy conventi...

1 student killed, 1 hospitalized in stabbing at North Carolina high school

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:15:14 GMT

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — A stabbing at a North Carolina high school on Monday left one student dead and another hospitalized, officials said.The stabbing happened during a morning fight in the gym at Southeast Raleigh High School, news outlets reported. A juvenile suspect was in custody, but it wasn’t clear if the youth attended the school, Raleigh Police Chief Estella Patterson said.Officials haven’t released the name of the student who died. Another student remained in the hospital with injuries that weren’t life-threatening, Patterson said.Schools should be a safe haven for students and staff, Wake County Superintendent Robert Taylor told news outlets during a during an afternoon news conference with Patterson.“In the aftermath of today’s tragedy, we will review all of our safety processes and protocols,” he said.The Associated Press

Diplomatic spat over the Parthenon Marbles scuttles meeting of British and Greek leaders

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:15:14 GMT

LONDON (AP) — A diplomatic spat erupted Monday between Greece and Britain after the U.K. canceled a planned meeting of their prime ministers, prompting the Greek premier to accuse his British counterpart of trying to avoid discussing the contested Parthenon Marbles.Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis is visiting London and had been expected to meet British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak at 10 Downing St. on Tuesday. He was due to raise Greece’s decades-old demand for the return of the ancient sculptures from the British Museum.Late Monday Mitsotakis issued a statement to “express my annoyance at the fact that the British prime minister has cancelled our planned meeting a few hours before it was due to take place.”“Greece and Britain are linked by traditional bonds of friendship, and the scope of our bilateral relations is very broad,” Mitsotakis said. “Greece’s positions on the matter of the Parthenon Sculptures are well known. I had hoped to have the opportunity to discuss them wi...

Life expectancy for Canadians fell in 2022 for third year in a row, says StatCan

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:15:14 GMT

OTTAWA — A new report from Statistics Canada says life expectancy for the average Canadian at birth has fallen for three straight years, from 82.3 years in 2019 to 81.3 in 2022.The report on deaths shows New Brunswick saw the biggest decline in life expectancy in 2022, dropping to 79.8 years from 80.9 in 2021.Saskatchewan’s life expectancy has fallen the most over the past three years combined, dropping a full two years to 78.5 in 2022 from 80.5 in 2019.Cancer and heart disease were the leading causes of death, accounting for 41.8 per cent of all deaths in 2022, while COVID-19 caused about six per cent of deaths.More than 19,700 Canadians died of COVID-19 last year, the highest number since the pandemic began in 2020.The report shows the rate of COVID-19 deaths in Atlantic Canada was more than seven times higher last year compared with the year before.This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 27, 2023.The Canadian Press

Suspect with crossbow arrested after police pursuit ends in Antioch

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:15:14 GMT

ANTIOCH, Ill. — A Waukegan police officer shot at a 25-year-old accused of leading police on a high-speed chase that ended after they pointed a crossbow at officers several times Sunday night.The Antioch Police Department reported that officers were notified of a high-speed pursuit with an armed subject starting in Waukegan that was heading towards the village around 10:45 p.m. on Sunday.The pursuit ended at the Antioch Manor apartments in the 400 block of Donin Drive. Upon arrival, the driver allegedly exited his vehicle with a high-powered crossbow. 2 men accused of stealing over $750 worth of merchandise from Oak Brook Macy’s While both Antioch and Waukegan police attempted to de-escalate the situation, the driver allegedly pointed the crossbow at officers several times before fleeing into a nearby apartment building. Officers followed the driver where he again pointed the crossbow towards police.A Waukegan officer fired a single shot at the suspect but did not strike...

Home badly damaged in fire in Belmont Cragin

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:15:14 GMT

CHICAGO — A home on the city's Northwest Side was badly damaged in a fire that broke out on Monday afternoon.According to the Chicago Fire Department, the blaze started at a home in the 5100 block of West Schubert Avenue in the Belmont Cragin neighborhood.Fire officials were able to put out the flames shortly after arriving on the scene. 2 men accused of stealing over $750 worth of merchandise from Oak Brook Macy’s Initial reports by CFD indicated that someone may have been trapped inside the burning home, however, crews later determined that nobody was inside at the time.According to fire crews, the home was badly damaged and it is currently unclear what started the blaze.Fire officials have not provided details on if the home was habitable or if the residents were displaced.

Palestinian students recovering after being shot in Vermont

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:15:14 GMT

WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) - Three Palestinian students are recovering in the hospital, after being shot in Burlington, Vermont Saturday night."This horrific unprovoked attack was a tragic violation of the values and character of this welcoming inclusive community," Burlington Mayor Miro Weinberger said.Jason Eaton, 48, pleaded not guilty Monday to three counts of attempted murder. He is accused of shooting Tahseen Ahmad, Kenan Abdulhamid and Hisham Awartani."They had no knowledge of this individual, had not encountered him before. He stepped off a porch and produced a firearm and began discharging that firearm," Burlington Police Chief Jon Murad said.This shooting comes amid concerns of increasing hate crimes since the start of the Israel-Hamas war.In a statement, Sen. Peter Welch (D-Vt.) said "this cycle of fear, intimidation, and violence must end. It is unacceptable."Attorney General Merrick Garland says the ATF and the FBI are helping with this case."That investigation, including whe...

MSP Customs seizes syringes of unapproved ‘vaginal tightening gel’

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:15:14 GMT

U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials say a shipment of packages marked as “vaginal tightening gel” was seized last week at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport.The shipment, which arrived Nov. 20 from Hong Kong and was bound for a Woodbury residence, contained 2,536 syringes filled with a gel. The pink packets appeared ready for resale, the agency said in a Monday statement.The items were seized for violating the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act. Had these items been sold, the total domestic value would have been more than $19,000, according to the agency.“This dangerous shipment is another example of someone using unregulated gels to prey on unknowing consumers with false promises,” LaFonda Sutton-Burke, director of operations for CBP’s Chicago field office, said in the statement. “Not knowing what you are inserting in your body can be deadly, and consumers believe they are getting a discount, when in fact they are purchasing an inferior product with unapprov...