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‘Massive’ gap between WestJet, pilots’ union as strike looms and bookings fall: CEO

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:02:00 GMT

MONTREAL — WestJet CEO Alexis von Hoensbroech says the company and its pilots’ union remain far apart on key sticking points — especially wages — as negotiations heat up and the clock ticks down on a strike deadline.“The gap is still massive,” von Hoensbroech said during a video call Tuesday night from the bargaining venue, a hotel north of Toronto.Around 1,800 pilots at WestJet and its Swoop subsidiary are poised to walk off the job as of 3 a.m. eastern daylight time Friday after the union issued a strike notice Monday night.The standoff leaves thousands of passengers with travel plans for the May long weekend and beyond hanging in limbo — and has already affected bookings.“We do see softening in bookings,” the CEO said. “It is painful.“Although we still get bookings, so the majority of our guests seem to assume that we are maintaining flying. And this is our intention.”The company hasn’t turned an annual profit since 2019 due t...

Smoky haze from active wildfires forecasted to worsen in B.C. Interior

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:02:00 GMT

Environment Canada says smoke from wildfires in the B.C. Interior is expected to worsen in the coming days, bringing poor air quality and associated health risks. In a special air quality statement, Environment Canada and the B.C. Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy say several Interior communities are likely to see worsening wildfire smoke conditions over the next 24 to 48 hours. The statement says smoke is already widespread in the province’s southeast toward the Rocky Mountains. Observed conditions in Prince George, Williams Lake, Fort St. John and Quesnel show high risk or very high risk readings on the Air Quality Health Index.The statement says wildfire smoke is hazardous to health even at low concentrations, and urges at-risk populations such as children, the elderly and people with lung conditions to avoid strenuous outdoor activities. The Metro Vancouver Regional District issued its own air quality advisory on May 15, but ended it Tuesday saying cooler...

‘We’re just hanging on:’ Rocky start to summer patio season puts restaurants on edge

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:02:00 GMT

HALIFAX — Restaurants in Canada are being slammed with a daunting mix of soaring costs, staffing issues and capacity problems, making a slow start to the critical summer patio season a near crisis for some eateries across the country, industry experts say. They say restaurants are struggling with the ballooning price of food, rent, utilities, labour and insurance, with many of the higher costs being absorbed for fear of losing customers if menu prices rise too quickly.Now a rocky start to summer across much of Canada — from cool weather in parts of Eastern Canada to wildfires out west — has eaten into a vital season for restaurants. “You’ve got to be busy in the summer,” said Bill Pratt, a veteran chef and CEO of Dartmouth, N.S.-based Chef Inspired Group of Restaurants. “When the sun shines, you better be making hay.”Restaurant-goers see busy patios or lineups outside eateries and “assume we must be making oodles of money,” Pratt said. ̶...

PEN America, Penguin Random House sue Florida school district over book bans

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:02:00 GMT

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Writers’ group PEN America and publisher Penguin Random House sued a Florida school district Wednesday over its removal of books about race and LGBTQ+ identities, the latest opposition to a policy central to Gov. Ron DeSantis’ agenda as he prepares to run for president.The federal lawsuit alleges the Escambia County School District and its School Board are violating the First Amendment through the removal of 10 books from library shelves.The case does not name DeSantis as a defendant though the Republican governor has championed policies that allow the censorship and challenging of books based on whether they are appropriate for children in schools, causing national uproar.DeSantis, who is expected to announce his presidential candidacy in the coming days, has leaned heavily into cultural divides on race, sexual orientation and gender as he moves to win support from conservative voters who decide Republican primary elections.“Books have the capacity to...

Buffalo Grove High School students killed in multi-vehicle crash in Wheeling

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:02:00 GMT

WHEELING, Ill. — Four students at Buffalo Grove High School were killed in a three-vehicle crash in Wheeling.Three of the victims have been identified, they are: 16-year-old Jesus Rodriguez, 17-year-old Kevin R. Hernandez-Teran and 18-year-old Richards De-lta. The teens were from Wheeling, according to authorities. High School District 214 has confirmed the teens were students at Buffalo Grove High School. According to police, the crash happened around 10:20 p.m. Tuesday at the intersection of Dundee and Schoenbeck roads.One student remains hospitalized, according to the school district.Police said speed and a disregard for traffic signals seem to be the primary factors of the crash. Police investigate after reported shooting on I-290; all lanes closed at Central The school district released the following statement:Our thoughts and prayers are with the families and friends of these students during this time of tragedy. We also offer condolences to all Buffalo Grove students, famil...

Biden declares 'America will not default,' says he's confident of budget deal with GOP lawmakers

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:02:00 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — An optimistic President Joe Biden declared Wednesday that he is confident the U.S. will avoid an unprecedented and potentially catastrophic debt default, saying talks with congressional Republicans have been productive as he prepared to leave for a global summit in Japan. Biden's upbeat remarks came as a select group of negotiators began meeting to try and hammer out the final contours of a budget spending agreement to unlock a path forward for raising the debt limit by June 1. That is when the Treasury Department says the U.S. could begin defaulting on its obligations and trigger financial chaos. “I’m confident that we’ll get the agreement on the budget and America will not default,” the president said from the Roosevelt Room of the White House. He said a meeting late Tuesday with Vice President Kamala Harris, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., and other congressional leaders was “productive” and that “everyone came to the meeting, I think, in good faith.” Bi...

Ohio high school senior wins state team track title all by herself

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:02:00 GMT

MARENGO, Ohio (WCMH) -- "I have seven pairs of shoes in my track bag,” said Ohio high school athlete Juliette Laracuente-Huebner.Counting them off on her fingers, she said, “So I have two flats, high jump spikes, long jump spikes, triple jump spikes, and then practice sprint spikes and then competition sprint spikes."It may not be your normal kind of shoe collection, but it helped the Highland High School senior secure a state indoor track and field championship -- by herself."It was crazy being like, going up against teams that have 15 girls there and I was the only one who was representing Highland, and it was like, ‘Oh well, I just beat them out all by myself,’” she said with a shrug.In March, at the Ohio Indoor State Championships held by the Ohio Association of Track and Cross Country Coaches, Laracuente-Huebner won four individual titles, which ended up giving her enough points to single-handedly win the Division 2/3 team state title."Oh, I was so excited, but I tried to keep ...

Sunken 55-gallon drum comes up empty in search for missing Oklahoma woman

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:02:00 GMT

GROVE, Okla. (KSNF) – Authorities thought the disintegrating and rusted-out remains of a 55-gallon drum found at the bottom of a northeast Oklahoma lake last month might hold clues to the disappearance of a woman missing since 1998. But after an examination of the barrel and the area surrounding it, Delaware County Sheriff James Beck confirmed they have not discovered any remains or artifacts that indicate a crime.Peggy A. Sweeten was last seen on Jan. 13, 1998. The 52-year-old former special education teacher and grandmother disappeared from her Grand Lake residence without a trace, leaving her car, clothing, photos and personal mementos behind.  Peggy's husband, James "Jim" Sweeten, is considered a “person of interest” in her disappearance and presumed death, according to Delaware County authorities. Illinois girl abducted at 9 found safe 6 years later in North Carolina; mom charged In April, state and local authorities located a 55-gallon drum in a cove near Sweeten’s form...

WATCH: Distressed dolphin calf rescued by off-duty deputy

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:02:00 GMT

PASCO COUNTY, Fla. (WFLA) — A newborn dolphin was given a second chance at life thanks to the quick thinking of an off-duty deputy in Florida.The Pasco County Sheriff’s Office’s said the mission of its Maritime Operations Unit "is to make sure all are safe on the water. On May 10, MarOps corporals were called to assist a different resident: A dolphin calf."Officials said an off-duty deputy was fishing off the coast of Hudson, Florida, when he discovered the hours-old dolphin alone and in distress. The deputy called PSO’s MarOps unit, which rushed the dolphin 30 minutes south to meet with members of the Clearwater Marine Aquarium. Pause on student loan payments about to end for millions The young dolphin was ultimately transferred to SeaWorld Rescue, which said the male dolphin was in critical condition. Since its rescue, the dolphin has been showing signs of improvement and swimming on his own."We’re proud of the swift actions of our deputies, both on and off duty," the sheriff's ...

City of Austin audit reveals Animal Services employee misused family medical leave

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:02:00 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- The City of Austin revealed Monday that an employee of the Animal Services Office misused family medical leave. According to a report, the employee applied for a job with a Texas county in late 2021 and started working for that county in December.At the same time, the employee went on family medical leave, or FMLA, from the Austin Animal Services Office. The leave ran through February 2022. There were 13 city work days in which the employee worked for the county while taking leave, according to the report. The employee was paid about $2,315 for those days. The city's FMLA procedure prohibits working another job while taking sick leave from the city. Additionally, according to the report, the employee did not disclose their secondary job with the county to Animal Services when they started the secondary employment, which was required under city policy. The city said the employee has since resigned from their position.