Manitobans need mature, fiscally sound government, not political gimmickry
Rico Carty, who won the 1970 NL batting title when he hit a major league-best .366 for the Atlanta Braves, has died. He was 85. Major League Baseball , the players' association and the Braves paid tribute to Carty on social media on Sunday. No further details on Carty's death were provided. “Carty was one of the first groundbreaking Latino stars in the major leagues, and he established himself as a hero to millions in his native Dominican Republic, his hometown of San Pedro de Macoris, and the city of Atlanta, where he was a beloved fan favorite,” the players' association said in its statement . The Braves said Carty left an indelible mark on the organization. People are also reading... “While his on-field accomplishments will never be forgotten, his unforgettable smile and generous nature will be sorely missed,” the team said in its statement. Carty made his big league debut with the Braves in September 1963. He batted .330 with 22 homers and 88 RBIs in his first full season in 1964, finishing second to Dick Allen in voting for NL Rookie of the Year. The Braves moved from Milwaukee to Atlanta after the 1965 season, and Carty got the franchise's first hit in its new home on April 12, 1966, against Pittsburgh. Carty had his best year in 1970, batting .366 with 25 homers and a career-best 101 RBIs. He started the All-Star Game after he was elected as a write-in candidate, joining Willie Mays and Hank Aaron in the NL outfield. Carty batted .299 with 204 homers and 890 RBIs over 15 years in the majors, also playing for Cleveland, Toronto, Oakland, Texas and the Chicago Cubs. He retired after the 1979 season. AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox!
Regal to Allow Moviegoers to Pay With USDC StablecoinIt was always one of the many problems inherent in the provincial NDP’s so-called gas tax holiday: eventually the tax has to be reinstated. Read this article for free: Already have an account? To continue reading, please subscribe: * It was always one of the many problems inherent in the provincial NDP’s so-called gas tax holiday: eventually the tax has to be reinstated. Read unlimited articles for free today: Already have an account? Opinion It was always one of the many problems inherent in the provincial NDP’s so-called gas tax holiday: eventually the tax has to be reinstated. That’s what the government did this week by announcing the tax will be charged again at the pumps, effective Jan. 1. In an attempt to find a compromise, or to try to save face, Premier Wab Kinew decided to knock 1.5 cents off the tax, bringing it down to 12.5-cents-per-litre from the 14 cents it was prior to the temporary cut. Manitobans will again be paying a gas tax when they fuel their cars. (Mikaela MacKenzie / Free Press files) Manitobans likely won’t notice the 1.5-cent “savings,” but they will notice gas prices going up by 12.5 cents a litre next week. The Kinew government said it brought in the tax holiday to reduce inflation growth and to help Manitobans with “affordability.” In reality, it did very little to reduce inflation. The consumer price index was already coming down across Canada, owing to high interest rates set by the Bank of Canada and the easing of global supply chain disruptions that began during the COVID-19 pandemic. Whatever small inflationary benefits were gained during the gas tax holiday throughout 2024 will only be reversed come Jan. 1 when the 12.5-cent fuel price spike will put upward pressure on Manitoba’s consumer price index. Meanwhile, most of those in need of financial support when inflation was high did not benefit from the gas tax holiday, since most low-income people don’t own vehicles. The people who benefited the most were those who drive gas-guzzlers. The biggest downside to the gas tax holiday was the hit to the public treasury. It was grossly irresponsible to cut taxes when the government is posting massive deficits and struggling to find resources to fund front-line services in health care, education, justice, child welfare and other areas. The Kinew government had to borrow the estimated $340 million it lost in revenue from the gas tax cut in 2024. That liability will be added to government’s ballooning provincial debt. The province will continue to borrow to pay for the 1.5-cent-per-litre gas tax cut, which represents a loss of about $28 million a year. That will also be tacked on to the province’s net debt, which future generations will have to repay. The Kinew government revealed it is on track to post one of the province’s largest-ever deficits in 2024-25 at $1.3 billion, $513 million higher than projected in the 2024 budget. Worse, the NDP has provided no specifics on how it plans to balance the budget. It continues to claim it will eliminate the deficit during its first term in office, yet has shown no evidence of how it hopes to achieve that. Cutting taxes by any amount under those fiscal circumstances is bad governance. There continue to be long wait lists and staff shortages in health care and pressures in other front-line services that will require additional resources to solve. Where will the money come from to fund the demand for those services? To make matters worse, the NDP is also freezing Manitoba Hydro rates effective Jan. 1, robbing the Crown utility of much-needed revenues to reduce crushing debt loads and to pay for expensive upgrades. The rate freeze will also have a negative impact on the deficit, since the finances of Crown corporations are included in the province’s bottom line. Finance Minister Adrien Sala says the combined gas tax cut and Hydro rate freeze will make life more affordable for Manitobans. Perhaps. But it will also result in a deterioration of public services, a weakening of Hydro’s financial position and a larger provincial deficit and debt. The same Manitobans who will enjoy more “affordability” will be paying more in servicing charges on the provincial debt, will be waiting longer in emergency rooms to see a doctor and will spend more time on wait lists to get surgery or access diagnostic tests. It doesn’t seem like a reasonable or smart trade-off. Winnipeg Jets Game Days On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop. The province could hire a lot of doctors and nurses for $28 million a year. The gas tax holiday was a political gimmick from the moment it was announced by the NDP during the 2023 provincial election campaign. The party didn’t need to adopt such careless promises to win the election. The former Progressive Conservative government imploded long before the election and was headed to the opposition benches whether or not the NDP promised to cut taxes. What Manitobans want more than anything right now is for government to fix the province’s broken health-care system so patients can access medical services in a timely manner and have access to a family doctor. Cutting taxes and freezing Hydro rates does nothing to contribute to that priority. tom.brodbeck@freepress.mb.ca Tom Brodbeck is a columnist with the and has over 30 years experience in print media. He joined the in 2019. Born and raised in Montreal, Tom graduated from the University of Manitoba in 1993 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics and commerce. . Tom provides commentary and analysis on political and related issues at the municipal, provincial and federal level. His columns are built on research and coverage of local events. The ’s editing team reviews Tom’s columns before they are posted online or published in print – part of the ’s tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about , and . Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider . Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support. Tom Brodbeck is a columnist with the and has over 30 years experience in print media. He joined the in 2019. Born and raised in Montreal, Tom graduated from the University of Manitoba in 1993 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics and commerce. . Tom provides commentary and analysis on political and related issues at the municipal, provincial and federal level. His columns are built on research and coverage of local events. The ’s editing team reviews Tom’s columns before they are posted online or published in print – part of the ’s tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about , and . Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider . Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support. Advertisement Advertisement
Share Tweet Share Share Email The lawsuit that Arm Holdings filed against Qualcomm resulted in a mistrial on Friday. TakeAway Points: Arm Holdings’ lawsuit against Qualcomm ended in a mistrial on Friday, with a jury delivering a mixed verdict that found for Qualcomm on a crucial issue, saying Qualcomm had properly licensed its central processor chips. Arm’s shares were down 1.8% in extended trading after the news, and Qualcomm’s shares were up 1.8%. Democratic Senator Ed Markey and Republican Senator Rand Paul urged President Joe Biden to extend by 90 days a Jan. 19 deadline for China-based ByteDance to sell the U.S. assets of its short-video app TikTok or face a ban. Arm lawsuit ends in mistrial with Qualcomm securing key win The jury returned a mixed decision in favour of Qualcomm on a key point, finding that the company had legally licenced its central processor chips. Arm’s shares were down 1.8% in extended trading after the news, and Qualcomm’s shares were up 1.8%. The outcome means the case could be tried again in the future. Judge Maryellen Noreika, who presided over the case in U.S. federal court in Delaware, encouraged Arm and Qualcomm to mediate their dispute. “I don’t think either side had a clear victory or would have had a clear victory if this case is tried again,” Noreika told the parties. After more than nine hours of deliberations over two days, the eight-person jury in U.S. federal court could not reach a unanimous verdict on the question of whether Nuvia, a startup that Qualcomm purchased for $1.4 billion in 2021, breached the terms of its license with Arm. But the jury found that Qualcomm did not breach Nuvia’s license with Arm. The jury also found that Qualcomm’s chips created using Nuvia technology, which have been central to Qualcomm’s push into the personal computer market, are properly licensed under its own agreement with Arm, clearing the way for Qualcomm to continue selling them. “The jury has vindicated Qualcomm’s right to innovate and affirmed that all the Qualcomm products at issue in the case are protected by Qualcomm’s contract with Arm,” Qualcomm said in a statement. “My biggest worry was what happens to the future roadmap if they no longer have access to Nuvia (computing) cores,” Bernstein analyst Stacy Rasgon said. “At this point, that risk is a lot closer to being off the table.” Senators urge Biden to grant ByteDance 90-day reprieve from law requiring sale Democratic Senator Ed Markey and Republican Senator Rand Paul on Thursday urged President Joe Biden to extend by 90 days a Jan. 19 deadline for China-based ByteDance to sell the U.S. assets of its short-video app TikTok or face a ban. The Supreme Court said on Wednesday it will consider the legal challenge of TikTok and ByteDance, seeking an injunction to halt the looming ban or sale and will hold arguments on the matter on Jan. 10. “Given the law’s uncertain future and its consequences for free expression, we urge you to trigger the 90-day extension before January 19,” the senators wrote Biden. The contention The challengers are appealing a lower court’s ruling that upheld the law. TikTok is used by about 170 million Americans. Congress passed the measure in April and Biden, a Democrat, signed it into law. The Justice Department had said that as a Chinese company, TikTok poses “a national-security threat of immense depth and scale” because of its access to vast amounts of data on American users, from locations to private messages, and its ability to secretly manipulate content that Americans view on the app. TikTok has said it poses no imminent threat to U.S. security. TikTok and ByteDance say the law violates free speech protections under the U.S. Constitution’s First Amendment. Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell on Wednesday, in a brief filed with the Supreme Court, urged the court to reject any delay, comparing TikTok to a hardened criminal. Other senators like Republican Josh Hawley and Democrat Richard Blumenthal say ByteDance must follow the law. Republican President-elect Donald Trump, who unsuccessfully tried to ban TikTok during his first term in the White House in 2020, has reversed his stance and promised during the presidential race this year that he would try to save TikTok. Trump said this week he has “a warm spot in my heart for TikTok” and that he would “take a look” at the matter. Trump takes office on Jan. 20, the day after the TikTok deadline under the law. Related Items: Arm Holdings , ByteDance , Qualcomm Share Tweet Share Share Email Recommended for you Apple Intends To Launch Its Modems In Three Years To Rival Qualcomm Qualcomm Anticipates $4 billion In PC Chip Sales By 2029 ByteDance Hits $300 billion Valuation CommentsNow that he’s stepped back into the role of being a starter, Dalton Risner is working tirelessly to make sure he’s at his best for the Vikings. ADVERTISEMENT That could be easier said than done in the short term. After starting exclusively at left guard since entering the NFL, Risner got the start at right guard for the first time last weekend with the Vikings playing the Tennessee Titans. Though he said he was extremely grateful for the opportunity, Risner also admitted there’s a learning curve now playing a new position. Not that he’s complaining about his place on the offensive line. “It was awesome,” Risner said. “I’m really happy with how I played. A few things to clean up. I think I’ll only continue to get better.” ADVERTISEMENT After rewatching the game, head coach Kevin O’Connell praised Risner for the way he competed in the trenches. “He showed some of that veteran moxie to win some downs that were some hard downs,” O’Connell said. “There are some things he’ll continue to improve with the speed and physicality of it as he finds his groove.” The biggest hurdle for Risner is getting his mind to think in reverse. He has spent so much time at left guard throughout his career that switching over to right guard has forced him out of his comfort zone. “All of it is flip-flopped,” Risner said. “It’s not an easy process.” ADVERTISEMENT It was made even more difficult last weekend with Risner going up against the combination of star defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons and rookie defensive tackle T’Vondre Sweat. “That’s about as good of a pair as we’re going to find in the NFL,” offensive coordinator Wes Phillips said. “We knew it was going to be a challenge up front with those guys. There are some things we could’ve done better from a technique perspective. We expect these guys to respond.” That includes Risner as the Vikings prepare for the Chicago Bears on Sunday afternoon at Soldier Field. As he gains more experience at his new position, his hope is that it becomes second nature to him at some point soon. ADVERTISEMENT “I don’t know how many reps it’ll be or how many games it’ll be,” Risner said. I know I’ll consistently get more and more comfortable there.” The only player listed as a non-participant on the injury report was tight end Josh Oliver (wrist/ankle). He hasn’t practiced at all this week, so his availability for this weekend is very much up in the air. ______________________________________________________ This story was written by one of our partner news agencies. Forum Communications Company uses content from agencies such as Reuters, Kaiser Health News, Tribune News Service and others to provide a wider range of news to our readers. Learn more about the news services FCC uses here .
Kobe Sanders, Nevada beat Oklahoma St. for fifth place in CharlestonIsrael and Lebanon's Hezbollah agree to a ceasefire to end nearly 14 months of fighting
Patterson scores 33, Northwestern State takes down Southern University at New Orleans 89-79
The View's Whoopi Goldberg reveals who she thinks is Donald Trump's 'actual vice president'NORMAL, Ill. (AP) — Wenkers Wright ran for 118 yards and two touchdowns and No. 13 Illinois State knocked off North Dakota for the first time, 35-13 in the regular season finale for both teams Saturday. The Redbirds are 9-2 (6-2 Missouri Valley Conference) and are looking to reach the FCS playoffs for the first time since 2019 and sixth time in Brock Spack's 16 seasons as head coach. Illinois State opened the game with some trickery. Eddie Kasper pulled up on a fleaflicker and launched a 30-yard touchdown pass to Xavier Loyd to cap a seven-play, 70-yard opening drive. Simon Romfo tied it on North Dakota's only touchdown of the day, throwing 20 yards to Nate DeMontagnac. Wright scored from the 10 to make it 14-7 after a quarter, and after C.J. Elrichs kicked a 20-yard field goal midway through the second to make it 14-10 at intermission, Wright powered in from the 18 and Mitch Bartol caught a five-yard touchdown pass from Tommy Rittenhouse to make it 28-10 after three. Seth Glatz added a 13-yard touchdown run to make it 35-10 before Elrichs added a 37-yard field goal to get the Fighting Hawks on the board to set the final margin. Rittenhouse finished 21 of 33 passing for 187 yards for Illinois State. Loyd caught eight passes for 121 yards. Romfo completed 11 of 26 passes for 135 yards and a touchdown with an interception for North Dakota (5-7, 2-6). Illinois State faced North Dakota for just the fourth time and third time as Missouri Valley Conference opponents. The Redbirds lost the previous three meetings. Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here . AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football
HALIFAX - An investigation into how the Canadian Coast Guard responded to a Nova Scotia vessel in distress two years ago raises questions about why one fisherman died after a towing operation went awry. Read this article for free: Already have an account? To continue reading, please subscribe: * HALIFAX - An investigation into how the Canadian Coast Guard responded to a Nova Scotia vessel in distress two years ago raises questions about why one fisherman died after a towing operation went awry. Read unlimited articles for free today: Already have an account? HALIFAX – An investigation into how the Canadian Coast Guard responded to a Nova Scotia vessel in distress two years ago raises questions about why one fisherman died after a towing operation went awry. In an investigation report released Thursday, the Transportation Safety Board says the fishing boat Mucktown Girl was returning to Canso, N.S., with five crew aboard on March 11, 2022, when it was disabled by electrical problems. The captain called for a tow from the coast guard as a storm was closing in. After a seven-hour voyage, the Canadian Coast Guard Ship Jean Goodwill reached the drifting boat and attached a 300-metre tow line to the smaller vessel’s bollard. But as the weather turned rough, the bollard broke off six hours into the recovery mission. At that point, the decision was made to let the fishing crew ride out the storm aboard the Mucktown Girl rather than attach another tow line that could damage the boat. By 6 a.m. on March 13, wind speeds had reached 70 to 90 kilometres per hour. The waves were as high as 10 metres — twice the height of the fishing boat, which was then taking on water. Crew aboard Jean Goodwill relayed the mayday distress call from the fishing boat, which was 44 kilometres from shore. Minutes later, amid heavy rain and dense fog, the five fishermen donned immersion suits and jumped into a life raft. In response, the coast guard crew lowered a scramble net — a type of rope ladder — over the side of the 77-metre medium icebreaker. But the water was so rough, the net was washed back onto the ship several times. And as the ship rolled in the big swells, two coast guard crew members were injured and a number of others were almost swept overboard. “As a result of the environmental conditions, communications broke down and affected the co-ordination of the (rescue effort),” the report says. At the time, the air temperature was about 12 C, but the water temperature was only 4 C. Four of the fishermen, including the captain, jumped from the life raft into the frothing water and managed to climb the ladder to safety. But the fifth crewman, 35-year-old Jeremy Hart of Windsor Junction, N.S., drifted to the stern of the coast guard ship and disappeared. The father of two boys was pulled from the water five hours later by the crew aboard a Cormorant search and rescue helicopter, but he was later declared dead at a Cape Breton hospital. The report from the independent safety board says there are no Canadian regulations for the towing points on fishing vessels. But the report does not call for any changes, aside from updating the coast guard’s towing waiver, which explains the responsibilities of those involved and the risks. It also calls on the coast guard to provide better guidance for assessing towing operations. “Without specific guidance for assessing the risks to the towed vessel and its crew, the (coast guard) may underestimate risks and tow vessels with crew on board in hazardous conditions, resulting in an increased likelihood of injuries and loss of life,” the report says. More importantly, the report highlights the fact that once the bollard broke, it became clear there were no plans in place to remove the crew from the fishing boat. “Without comprehensive contingency planning for towing disabled vessels, risks to rescuers as well as crews of vessels under tow may be increased,” the report says. The safety board’s investigation found that the coast guard’s search and rescue (SAR) training typically involves the use of small, fast-rescue craft rather than larger vessels like the Jean Goodwill. “There is limited vessel-specific SAR training such as the use of scramble nets,” the report says. “(This) training does not reflect the realistic conditions and equipment in a rescue operation, where factors can change unpredictably. For example, training is carried out in good weather only, and in ... overboard exercises, only one person at a time needs rescue.” As for the scramble net, the report says it was not suitable for the deplorable conditions that faced the coast guard crew in 2022. “Although scramble nets do not have specified restrictions for use, they are difficult to climb in rough conditions,” the board says. “They are also difficult to climb in an immersion suit, even in calm weather, and are not usable if a person is injured or incapacitated.” Winnipeg Jets Game Days On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop. That’s why the coast guard has already installed a so-called rescue scoop on the Jean Goodwill. The hydraulic device uses an extendable arm to dip a scramble net into the water on its side, allowing the operator to scoop up victims. The device has been used on other coast guard vessels in the past, and the federal agency is looking at acquiring more. “Without emergency drills using realistic scenarios, and their subsequent evaluation, vessel crews may not have the most effective equipment and may not be well prepared to use it in the safest and most effective manner,” the report says. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 21, 2024. Note to readers: This is a corrected story. An earlier version suggested no changes were recommended in the TSB report on how the coast guard assesses towing risk. In fact, changes were called for in the report. Advertisement Advertisement
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