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Ticker: Lawmakers push to expand support for fisherman; Bull sees S&P 500 climbing next year

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:53:56 GMT

A federal program that protects the health and wellbeing of commercial fishermen should be expanded to include substance use disorder and worker fatigue, a group of lawmakers from New England and Alaska said.The lawmakers want to expand a federal commercial fishing occupational safety program that funds research and training. The program is designed to help the nation’s fishermen with the often hazardous conditions they face at sea.Republican Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, who along with Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass., is among the lawmakers pushing for the change, said expanding the program would help fishermen access more safety training and mental health resources.Markey added the expansion would “provide much needed funding to ensure that fishermen are getting the information and resources they need to stay safe and healthy on the job.”Proposed changes would increase the program’s annual funding from $6 million to $12 million, a Collins spokesperson said.Bull sees...

NH chipmaker lands $35M grant for fighter jet tech

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:53:56 GMT

WASHINGTON — The Biden administration announced the first of many coming federal investments in computer chip production, saying Monday that it would provide $35 million for BAE Systems to increase production at a New Hampshire factory making chips for military aircraft, including F-15 and F-35 jets.This would be the initial allocation of incentives from last year’s bipartisan CHIPS and Science Act, which provides more than $52 billion to boost the development and manufacturing of semiconductors in the United States.The Commerce Department’s choice of a military contractor instead of a conventional chip manufacturer reveals the national security focus of the law, as more and more weapons systems depend on advanced chips that could be decisive in both preventing and fighting wars.“We can’t gamble with our national security by depending solely on one part of the world or even one country for crucial advanced technologies,” said Commerce Secretary Gina Rai...

Suspect made anti-Palestinian comments, assaulted school bus driver: Toronto police

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:53:56 GMT

Toronto Police believe a suspected assault on a school bus driver last week was hate-motivated, alleging the suspect made anti-Palestinian comments during the violent confrontation.It happened on Monday, December 4, at around 2:45 p.m. in the Drewry and Hilda avenues area.Investigators say the school bus driver was on the way to pick up students when the accused blocked the entrance to the school, preventing the driver from entering.That led to a confrontation, during which police allege the suspect made anti-Palestinian comments before assaulting the driver.On Sunday, police made an arrest, charging Laurence Goldstein, 64, of Toronto, with uttering threats and assault.“This investigation is being treated as a suspected hate-motivated offence,” a police release states.

Ontario man charged in GTA lottery scratch ticket fraud

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:53:56 GMT

An Ontario man is facing charges for his alleged involvement in lottery scratch ticket frauds spanning the GTA.Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) said an investigation commenced in October 2023 after multiple GTA residents claimed their lottery scratch tickets had already been scratched.An OPP spokesperson said authorities determined that lottery tickets at several locations were tampered with and placed back into ticket displays without the store clerk’s knowledge.Police said 44-year-old Stephen Michael Dea of Pickering was arrested on Dec. 6. He’s been charged with four counts of fraud under $5,000 and four counts of theft under $5,000.The accused was not an employee at any retail outlet selling lottery scratch tickets.The man was released from police custody and is expected to appear in court on Feb. 15, 2024. The OPP has charged a Pickering resident in connection with lottery scratch ticket fraud. In October, people across the GTA reported their scratch tickets had alre...

3 Chilean nationals accused of burglarizing high-end Michigan homes

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:53:56 GMT

Three Chilean nationals have been arrested in connection with a series of burglaries of mansions and other high-end homes in suburban Detroit and across Michigan.The charges were announced Monday by Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel who said the three are suspected in eight break-ins after they arrived in the Detroit area on a Feb. 1 flight from Los Angeles.Nessel called them part of “an international crime ring” that “targeted lavish homes of affluent Michigan residents.”They “employ technology to thwart alarm systems and take extensive precautions to avoid being identified on home security systems and to avoid leaving forensic evidence at the crime scenes,” Nessel told reporters.Several law enforcement agencies believe the crimes are conducted by “non-citizen, temporary residents from countries in South America who travel to the United States and the state of Michigan specifically in order to conduct these burglaries,” Nessel added. “There are more out there.”Each of the...

Rogers selling all its Cogeco shares to Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:53:56 GMT

TORONTO — Rogers Communications Inc. says it is selling all of its shares in Cogeco Inc. to Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec for $829 million in a move to reduce its debt leverage ratio.The Toronto-based telecommunications company says it is now six months ahead of its deleveraging plans and expects to achieve a debt leverage ratio of 4.7x by year end, down from 4.9x at the end of the third quarter.Cogeco says the Caisse will become an anchor investor in its cable and internet subsidiary Cogeco Communications Inc.President and CEO Philippe Jetté says the transaction is “a unique opportunity … to realize multiple benefits while ensuring we have the ability to deliver our strategic plan.”Caisse executive vice-president Kim Thomassin calls the share purchase “key for the company and its plan to develop the North American market,” adding the fund “is supporting the growth projects of this leading telecommunications company as connectivity needs ...

Lawyers for New Hampshire casino owner fight fraud allegations at hearing

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:53:56 GMT

CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — A former state senator and casino owner accused of buying luxury cars with a fraudulently obtained COVID-19 relief loan kept financial records that were “sloppy at best” and nefarious at worst, an auditor testified Monday. But his attorney argued that the state is trying to destroy his business based on a sloppy investigation.Andy Sanborn, a Republican from Bedford, did not attend the hearing he requested to appeal the state Lottery Commission’s August decision to permanently revoke his gaming operator’s license. His attorney said Sanborn was at a Boston hospital, accompanied by his wife, Laurie, a leader in the New Hampshire House.Sanborn owns the Concord Casino within The Draft Sports Bar and Grill in Concord and is seeking to open another, much larger, charitable gaming venue a few miles (kilometers) away. But the commission argues that his license should be revoked for four reasons, though it only needs one. It said he improperly obtained federal funds, misr...

Firefighters search for anyone trapped after corner of six-story Bronx apartment building collapses

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:53:56 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — A six-story corner of a Bronx apartment building collapsed Monday afternoon, leaving apartments exposed like a stack of shelves, according to authorities and bystander and news video. There were no reports of injuries by early evening, but firefighters were continuing to search. A worker at a nearby deli, Julian Rodriguez, said he was behind the counter when he heard people screaming about a building collapse. “When I went outside, all you could see is the debris and a smoke cloud in the street,” said Rodriguez, 22. “And you could see inside the structure: people’s beds, their doors, closets, lights, everything. It was really scary.”Fire Commissioner Laura Kavanagh said on X, formerly Twitter, that there were no reports of injuries as of about 5 p.m. She said firefighters and search dogs were looking for any people trapped in the building, which is near the University Heights neighborhood.A corner of the six-story building stood with its walls sheared off and floors ...

Missing Carpentersville teen's car pulled from pond in Vernon Hills

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:53:56 GMT

CARPENTERSVILLE, Ill. — Authorities offered new details in the search for a missing teenager from Carpentersville, one week after her disappearance.Suburban authorities held a press conference on Monday to provide an update on the search for 17-year-old Brissa Romero, who disappeared while traveling to a bowling alley in Vernon Hills for a holiday party. ‘A Call from Gaza’: Chicagoland businesses, schools strike to call attention to thousands of Palestinian deaths Authorities say a review of Romero's cellphone data brought investigators to a retention pond in Vernon Hills and while on the scene, a resident in the area notified officers about a backpack that appeared to have floated to the edge of the pond near Lakeview Parkway & Executive Way.Police say they believed the items belonged to Romero and crews were brought in to conduct a search. Authorities later pulled Romero's badly damaged Nissan Rogue from the pond.Authorities say that based on the condition of the vehicle, it...

CDC says vaccinate before holidays — and more

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:53:56 GMT

Medical Watch for Dec 11Vaccines before holidaysHealth officials say now is the time to prepare, if you plan to spend the holidays with your loved ones.The director of the CDC says get vaccinated, if you haven't already.She points to the rise in respiratory viruses across the country, including the flu, Covid and RSV.Dr Mandy Cohen says it takes about two weeks for vaccines to provide optimal protection, so getting the shot now would lead right into Christmas.But, the shots offer some additional protection before that.STDs Surging Vaccination rates are low so far this season, but respiratory virus transmission is high.The CDC continues to sound the alarm on surging infections of sexually transmitted diseases.The agency is stressing protected sex and testing.Chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis saw significant increases between 2020 and 2021.Some strains of gonorrhea have become resistant to antibiotics.The CDC urges sexually active individuals to get tested in order to avoid advanced d...