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Toronto adding more Traffic Agents to deal with nerve-wracking congestion

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 22:19:59 GMT

Long commutes and short tempers have become the norm in The Big Smoke, but in an attempt to alleviate the seemingly endless traffic snarls, the City of Toronto says it is deploying more Traffic Agents to some notably troubled intersections.In a release Tuesday, the City said the first wave of 30 new Traffic Agents have already been deployed to “critical intersections” across Toronto, with more on the way.What are Traffic Agents?The City began its Traffic Agent pilot program in 2016 and says it was hugely successful with “at least a 90 per cent reduction in blocked intersections during the pilot period and at least a 70 per cent reduction in blockage of intersections by pedestrians.”“Expanding the City’s Traffic Agents Program is an important step in our efforts to manage traffic congestion in Toronto with common sense solutions,” said Deputy Mayor, Jennifer McKelvie.“Increasing the number of Traffic Agents will help us provide better service to th...

New to volunteering? A How-To-Guide to find the right fit

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 22:19:59 GMT

Over the last 20 years, fewer and fewer people in the U.S. have donated their time through volunteering with nonprofits. While it’s not the only way to give back to your community, volunteering through nonprofit organizations is a powerful way to make a difference. Nonprofits support many of our society’s most vulnerable people. They nurture art, expression and sports. They can conduct scientific research and care for our natural spaces. The possibilities are many, though it may take some looking. Tim Delaney, president and CEO of the National Council of Nonprofits, calls nonprofits the “invisible sector,” one that is both everywhere and often never seen. Here are some things to expect as you look for a volunteer opportunity that is a good fit for you and some steps you can take to succeed: KNOW YOURSELFThe first step in finding an organization to support with your time is to assess your goals, your skills and your passions. Are you seeking to find new friends, learn som...

US reporter held by Russia on spying charges denied release

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 22:19:59 GMT

MOSCOW — A Russian judge ruled Tuesday that American journalist Evan Gershkovich must remain behind bars on espionage charges in a case that is part of a Kremlin crackdown on dissent and press freedom amid the war in Ukraine.Appearing in public for the first time in weeks, the 31-year-old Wall Street Journal reporter stood in a defendant’s glass cage in Moscow City Court, wearing blue jeans and a navy blue gingham checked shirt. He paced at times with his arms folded, talking through an opening with his lawyers and occasionally smiling as he acknowledged the other journalists crammed into the courtroom.Gershkovich is the first U.S. correspondent since the Cold War to be detained in Russia on spying charges, and his arrest rattled journalists in the country and drew outrage in the West. Gershkovich, his employer and the U.S. government deny he was involved in spying and have demanded his release.“Evan is a member of the free press who right up until he was arrested was engaged ...

Putin, Zelenskyy rally troops with war poised for new phase

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 22:19:59 GMT

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russian President Vladimir Putin has visited command posts of the Kremlin’s forces fighting in Ukraine for the second time in two months, officials said Tuesday, while Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy made his latest trip to positions near the front line.The visits sought to stiffen the resolve of soldiers as the war approaches its 14th month and as Kyiv readies a possible counteroffensive with Western-supplied weapons.A video released by the Kremlin and broadcast by Russian state television showed Putin arriving by helicopter at the command post of Russian forces in southern Ukraine’s Kherson province and then flying to the headquarters of the Russian National Guard in Luhansk province, which is in the east.Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the visits took place Monday. The trip represented an apparent attempt by the Russian leader to rally his troops and demonstrate his authority. Dressed in a dark suit, Putin appeared to chair meetings with hi...

U.S. crackdown on fentanyl trade underway as Canada vows ‘public health approach’

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 22:19:59 GMT

WASHINGTON — Senior members of President Joe Biden’s cabinet will be in Ottawa in the coming weeks to meet with their Canadian counterparts about cracking down on fentanyl. The timing of this year’s Cross-Border Crime Forum is still unconfirmed, but U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland and Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas are expected to attend. Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino says a continental strategy for dealing with fentanyl will be a key priority during the meetings. The U.S. has already embarked on an aggressive law-enforcement approach, seizing more than 2,200 kilograms of fentanyl in the last month — virtually all of it coming across the southern border. Mendicino says in addition to enforcement efforts, Canada will be advocating a “public health approach” to fentanyl to mitigate the trauma and social harm caused by the opioid crisis. Some Republican voices in the U.S. are pushing for what critics are calling a literal war on dr...

US-Apple-TV-app-Top-Books

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 22:19:59 GMT

Top Paid Books (US Bestseller List): 1. Dark Angel by John Sandford (Penguin Publishing Group)2. The Last Thing He Told Me by Laura Dave (S&S Marysue Rucci Books)3. Lassiter by J.R. Ward (Gallery Books)4. Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus (Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group)5. It Ends with Us by Colleen Hoover (Atria Books)6. Hello Beautiful (Oprah’s Book Club) by Ann Napolitano (Random House Publishing Group)7. Yours Truly by Abby Jimenez (Grand Central Publishing)8. Hang the Moon by Jeannette Walls (Scribner)9. It Starts with Us by Colleen Hoover (Atria Books)10. I Will Find You by Harlan Coben (Grand Central Publishing)Top Paid Audiobooks (US Bestseller List): 1. Greenlights (Unabridged) by Matthew McConaughey (Random House Audio)2. Rock Paper Scissors by Alice Feeney (Macmillan Audio)3. Outlive: The Science and Art of Longevity (Unabridged) by MD & Peter Attia (Random House Audio)4. Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones (Una...

Bank regulator sees growing concerns in real estate even as credit quality holds

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 22:19:59 GMT

TORONTO — Canada’s bank regulator says it is preparing for weakness in the housing market to potentially last throughout 2023 as it flags the sector as a growing concern.The Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions says in its latest annual risk outlook that, while not making any forecasts, the housing market is its top source of worry as high rates mean higher default probabilities.Superintendent Peter Routledge however says that so far credit quality still looks quite strong, and residential real estate remains sound, as the overall economy shows resilience and unemployment stays low.Routledge says the effects of high interest rates on credit quality have so far been far more benign than what observers might have predicted, but that risks are still out there.He says that to better prepare for future risks the regulator is working through its review of the B-20 mortgage underwriting rules, as well as taking a closer look at how banks are handling variable rate f...

S&P/TSX composite up in late-morning trading, U.S. stock markets lower

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 22:19:59 GMT

TORONTO — Canada’s main stock index was up in late-morning trading, helped by gains in the base metal, financial and industrial sectors, while U.S. stock markets were lower.The S&P/TSX composite index was up 38.49 points at 20,680.46.In New York, the Dow Jones industrial average was down 112.81 points at 33,874.37. The S&P 500 index was down 7.58 points at 4,143.74, while the Nasdaq composite was down 17.03 points at 12,140.69.The Canadian dollar traded for 74.70 cents US compared with 74.64 cents US on Monday.The June crude contract was up 29 cents at US$81.12 per barrel and the May natural gas contract was up four cents at US$2.32 per mmBTU.The June gold contract was up US$14.40 at US$2,021.40 an ounce and the May copper contract was up three cents at US$4.10 a pound.This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 18, 2023.Companies in this story: (TSX:GSPTSE, TSX:CADUSD=X)The Canadian Press

Apple TV app – Top Movies

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 22:19:59 GMT

Top Movie Purchases and Rentals (US): 1. Avatar: The Way of Water2. 653. Shazam! Fury of Gods4. Creed III5. Plane6. A Man Called Otto7. Jesus Revolution8. The Whale9. Missing (2023)10. Puss In Boots: The Last Wish The Associated Press

What to know about the Gillum corruption trial in Florida

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 22:19:59 GMT

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Former Florida Democratic gubernatorial candidate Andrew Gillum is on trial in federal court on charges of corruption and lying to the FBI, facing a potentially long prison sentence if convicted of multiple wire fraud counts and conspiracy.Gillum, the former mayor of Tallahassee, came within less than a percentage point of being elected the first Black governor of Florida, losing by fewer than 34,000 votes to Republican Ron DeSantis in 2018. WHAT IS THE CASE ABOUT?Gillum, 43, is accused of accepting about $57,000 in political contributions that were secretly funneled through a co-defendant’s company to his personal accounts. The co-defendant is Sharon Lettman-Hicks, a longtime political adviser to Gillum and former executive with the People for the American Way Foundation, a progressive group. She ran unsuccessfully in 2022 for the state House.Prosecutors also say Gillum lied about his interactions with undercover FBI agents posing as developers who pa...