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Digital services tax still part of the plan, says Freeland, but timing unclear

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 11:19:59 GMT

OTTAWA — Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland is pushing back against the idea that the federal government is wavering on its Jan. 1 timeline for implementing a new digital services tax. Language in last week’s fiscal update suggested the government wanted some flexibility in the timeline for when the tax would go into effect. Freeland insists the government’s position on the controversial measure remains unchanged, although she did not explicitly say if the tax would take effect early next year, as originally planned. The three per cent levy, aimed at foreign digital services companies that profit off Canadian audiences, is deeply unpopular in the United States, where critics say it unfairly targets the U.S. tech sector. Freeland says Canada’s preference has always been to be part of an international tax framework that is still under development, but also that it would not wait until any later than 2023.The tax is just one of a suite of measures from the fall econom...

Toronto ER doctor says winter surge of respiratory illnesses has begun

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 11:19:59 GMT

Toronto emergency room doctors say the winter surge of COVID-19, flu and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infections is underway, with hospitals seeing a wave of visits across the GTA.In the last week, nearly 250 Ontarians have been admitted to hospital, and Public Health Ontario (PHO) reports the COVID-19 wastewater signal is at its highest level in more than a year.Toronto ER physician Dr. Kashif Pirzada took to social media this week to share he and his colleagues are doing far more resuscitations, crash intubations and seeing far more patients in cramped and packed emergency rooms.“We are admitting adults again on the ward even younger people in their 30s and 40s,’ said Dr. Pirzada. “It means we have to do life-saving maneuvers so we have to put people on ventilators and we have to put people on machines to help them breathe …that’s very serious. That’s when [the] mortality rate is very high as well.”Colleagues and I are doing far more resuscitation...

Springsteen drummer Max Weinberg says vintage car restorer stole $125,000 from him

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 11:19:59 GMT

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — Bruce Springsteen’s drummer, Max Weinberg, is suing the owners of a Florida car restoration company, saying they stole $125,000 by falsely promising him a like-new 1957 Mercedes-Benz and then using his money for personal expenses. Weinberg is seeking $375,000 from Arthur Siegle, members of his family and their Investment Automotive Group Inc. in a lawsuit filed Sunday in Palm Beach County. The Mercedes-Benz 190SL roadster they claimed they could deliver had significant damage and rust, and they knew it could not be restored to like-new condition when they took Weinberg’s $125,000 deposit almost three years ago, according to the lawsuit. A subsequent law enforcement investigation concluded that the Siegles used little or no money from Weinberg’s deposit on restoring the car, but instead paid off credit cards and made deposits to personal accounts. No criminal charges have been filed. “I guess they figured he’s Max Weinberg, million...

Blackhawks terminate Corey Perry due to 'unacceptable' conduct

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 11:19:59 GMT

CHICAGO — Just a few months into his Chicago Blackhawks tenure, Corey Perry's contract has been terminated following an internal investigation by the team, according to General Manager Kyle Davidson at a press conference Tuesday.Davidson read the following statement to open the press conference:“First and foremost, I want to start off by re-iterating the organization is committed to a culture of accountability and upholding our values across our employees and players, both on and off the ice. Last week, management was notified of possible misconduct by Corey Perry. We immediately pulled him from the game and conducted an internal investigation. Upon learning the findings of the investigation, we made the decision to terminate his contract. As this is an individual personnel matter, I will not be able to disclose any details related to the initial reporting, investigation, or the findings. However, I do want to be very clear on this one point. This does not involve any players or the...

15-year-old charged in connection with August armed robbery spree across Chicago

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 11:19:59 GMT

CHICAGO — A 15-year-old boy is charged with nearly a dozen felony counts of armed robbery, Chicago police said Tuesday.Authorities identified the juvenile as one of the offenders who is suspected of participating in multiple armed robberies across the city's South and West sides in the early morning hours of Aug. 20:12:30 a.m.: 600 block of W. 63rd St. (7th District); 29-year-old female victim - Englewood12:33 a.m.: 3600 block of W. Lake (11th District); 43-year-old male victim - East Garfield Park1:30 a.m.: 1400 block of N. Central (25th District); 54-year-old male victim - Austin2:45 a.m.: 1900 block of W. 79th St. (6th District); 38-year-old male victim - Auburn Gresham3 a.m.: 7900 block S. Racine (6th District); 39-year-old male victim - Auburn Gresham 3:50 a.m.: 600 block of E. 79th St. (6th District); 26-year-old male victim - Grand Crossing4 a.m.: 500 block of E. 79th St. (6th District); two 28-year-old female victims - Grand Crossing  5:30 a.m.: 3400 block of S. Ashland (9t...

Chicago woman accused fraudulently obtaining $75,000 in SBA loans, unemployment benefits

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 11:19:59 GMT

CHICAGO — Charges have been filed against a Chicago woman accused of fraudulently obtaining around $75,000 in federal Small Business Administration (SBA) loans and unemployment benefits, Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul announced Tuesday.25-year-old Briana Jackson has been charged with one count of theft (Class 1 felony), five counts of theft (Class 2 felonies), one count of loan fraud (Class 2 felony), three counts of wire fraud (Class 3 felonies), eight counts of forgery (Class 3 felonies), and one count of state benefits fraud (Class 3 felony). Johnson unveils plan to move migrants into churches as tent camp construction to begin According to Raoul, Jackson allegedly obtained around $40,000 in Paycheck Protection Program loans after fraudulently filing applications for the program. Jackson is also accused of having collected around $35,000 in unemployment benefits from the state, money Raoulalleges she was not entitled to.“Millions of Americans across the country were forc...

Woman who threw Chipotle order at worker can work off jail time at fast food restaurant

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 11:19:59 GMT

PARMA, Ohio (WJW) – A woman found guilty of throwing her Chipotle order at an employee was sentenced to jail. She was also given the chance to work off part of the sentence by working at a fast food restaurant.Parma Municipal Court Judge Timothy Gilligan sentenced 39-year-old Rosemary Hayne on Tuesday. She had been found guilty by the judge of one count of assault.“You didn't get your burrito bowl the way you like it and this is how you respond?” Judge Gilligan said during sentencing. “This is not real housewives of Parma. This behavior is not acceptable.” 2 teens charged in relation to Public Square shooting Hayne told the court and the victim, Emily Russell, that she was sorry for her actions and there was no excuse for her behavior. However, she then went on to say that she was not happy with the way her food was prepared.“If I showed you how my food looked and how my food looked a week later from that same restaurant, it's disgusting looking,” Hayne said.Cell ph...

Lawmakers debate aid for Israel

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 11:19:59 GMT

WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) -- Congress is back on Capitol Hill after the Thanksgiving holiday, and funding to Israel is one of the top priorities for lawmakers and officials."We have a lot to get done before the end of this year," Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said.Lawmakers say they are ready to tackle their new challenge: finding agreement between the House and Senate on how to help U.S. allies overseas. House lawmakers question FEMA in New Orleans "Deliver aid to Israel, aid to Ukraine, humanitarian assistance to help innocent victims in Gaza, and military capabilities in the Indo-pacific," Schumer said.Schumer says funding to Israel is a top item that Democrats are discussing, however, there is no full agreement on how to proceed."There are different views on that and we're going to have to have a discussion with the caucus and the administration," Schumer said.Republicans are criticizing Democrats for wanting to attach conditions to any funding sent to Israel...

House lawmakers question FEMA in New Orleans

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 11:19:59 GMT

(NEXSTAR) — House lawmakers traveled to a coastal hotspot Tuesday to question FEMA and other emergency response officials about better ways to prepare for disasters.The field hearing in New Orleans comes as President Joe Biden's latest request for disaster aid is stalled in Congress."There's a lot of cooks in the kitchen. What can we do better?" asked U.S. Rep. Anthony D'Esposito, R-NY, who chairs the Homeland Security subcommittee.When disaster strikes, federal agencies like FEMA and the Small Business Administration (SBA) spring into action, but in the aftermath, lawmakers said the help is often not equal."The lack of equitable resources during a disaster is appalling," said U.S. Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-MS.Thompson and D'Esposito traveled to the district of U.S. Rep. Troy Carter, D-LA, to try to change that. Carter said small businesses in coastal cities like New Orleans need help."They continue to be strangled with loan after loan after loan," he said.Carter wants to create a loa...

Bank of America fined $12M over misleading mortgage data: CFPB

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 11:19:59 GMT

(NEXSTAR) – Bank of America will pay a $12 million fine to settle charges that it submitted false mortgage data to the federal government, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) announced Tuesday.The second-largest U.S. bank did not admit or deny wrongdoing in the case, which alleges that hundreds of loan officers, over at least a three-month period between 2016 and 2020, failed to ask 100 percent of applicants legally-required questions about their race, ethnicity and sex, then reported that the applicants chose not to give that information. Where it will cost most to heat your home this winter “Bank of America violated a federal law that thousands of mortgage lenders have routinely followed for decades,” said CFPB Director Rohit Chopra in a statement. “It is illegal to report false information to federal regulators, and we will be taking additional steps to ensure that Bank of America stops breaking the law.”The Home Mortgage Disclosure Act, enacted in 1975, requires le...