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Clearwater Paper (NYSE:CLW) Trading Down 2.3% – Time to Sell?Opinion: B.C.’s business disadvantage about to get worse Investors eye America’s expedited approvals as B.C. grapples with red tape Jordan Bateman Dec 13, 2024 3:30 PM Share by Email Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Print Share via Text Message B.C. Premier David Eby File photo: Submitted Premier David Eby made his annual visit to the B.C. business community this week, but if you were looking for specifics and good news, you were left grasping at straws. Paper straws, which fall apart pretty much right away. As evidence that he’s turned a page with the business community, Eby cited fast-tracking nine wind energy projects. There will be more examples, he promised vaguely, with no hint of what industries or projects he may be favouring. Or why. Or how. Or when. So it’s fair to say Eby is not exactly throwing caution to the wind to attract more investment into B.C. – which is seeing the conclusion of a $100 billion burst in energy infrastructure construction , and virtually nothing in line to replace it. B.C. Chamber of Commerce president Fiona Famulak tried her best to coax a commitment to natural resources out of Eby, asking a question that cited the Mining Association of B.C.’s analysis that it takes 12-15 years to permit a mine in this province. Pushing back, Eby claimed his government had reduced the timeline for mining permits by 40 per cent, but offered no corroborating evidence. Even if we take the premier at his word, that means the 12-15-year review period has been cut to seven to nine years. That’s some thin gruel. And even thinner when one considers it came just minutes after U.S. president-elect Donald Trump put this out on his Truth Social: “Any person or company investing ONE BILLION DOLLARS, OR MORE, in the United States of America, will receive fully expedited approvals and permits, including, but in no way limited to, all Environmental approvals. GET READY TO ROCK!!!” Or, put another way: “Drill, baby, drill!” How does that affect Canada? It’s better understood that Trump’s proposed 25 per cent tariffs would be incredibly harmful. For example, the softwood lumber tariff has resulted in $9 billion paid by Canadian producers since 2017. That’s by one industry on one product, at a rate less than half of what Trump is threatening. And yet this policy of “fully expedited approvals” could be even more damaging to the B.C. economy. If you’re an investor in oil, natural gas, tech, automobile manufacturing, mining, battery plants, pipelines, large development projects or other big-ticket items, why would you ever come to B.C., when you could get to work in any American state far faster and cheaper? Where your jobs and investment would be welcomed with open arms and the removal of regulatory barriers? By contrast, the BC NDP government has slathered cost and red tape on to business since 2017: multiple tax hikes, anti-employer rhetoric, WorkSafe regulations skewed completely to labour. And their soft-on-crime and drug-friendly policies have ramped up petty crime, again harming business. “When you have a near-death experience as a politician, it focuses the mind,” Eby said at the end of his speech, turning the focus back to himself. That’s all well and good. But it’s our provincial economy and our businesses that are having a near-death experience right now, as the provincial deficit and debt rush out of control, government hiring and costs far outpace the corporate sector that has to pay for them, and both private sector payroll and hiring are falling . America’s arms are wide open. But despite his political near-death experience, B.C.’s premier seems as unfocused and as unhelpful as ever. Jordan Bateman is vice-president of communication at the Independent Contractors and Businesses Association. See a typo/mistake? Have a story/tip? This has been shared 0 times 0 Shares Share by Email Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Print Share via Text Message Get your daily Victoria news briefing Email Sign Up More Economy, Law & Politics B.C. NDP government, Greens forge confidence agreement with 'shared priorities' Dec 13, 2024 2:02 PM S&P/TSX down more than 100 points, U.S. markets mixed ahead of rate decision Dec 13, 2024 1:50 PM Ottawa to remove 30% investment cap for Canadian pension funds Dec 13, 2024 1:45 PM
Opinion editor’s note: Strib Voices publishes a mix of commentary online and in print each day. To contribute, click here . ••• Just when the Minnesota Legislature really needs practitioners of bipartisan cooperation and mutual respect — not to mention a good Bob Dylan impression — Frank Hornstein is retiring. This is not my customary farewell to an able and long-serving legislator, though Hornstein surely fills that bill. That’s what I might have offered, had not Minnesota voters (abetted by some long-ago judges, whom I’ll blast shortly) opted to send 67 DFLers and 67 Republicans to the 2025 Minnesota House. Come January — unless one pending court challenge in a Shakopee district results in an outcome reversal — the House will be tied, as it has not been since 1979. Suddenly the relationship-building skills that DFLer Hornstein from southwest Minneapolis exhibited through 22 years in office aren’t just pleasantries. They are vital governing tools. The ability of the 2025 Legislature to perform its minimal duty — that is, to balance the state budget in 2026-27 and beyond — may depend on the prevalence of those qualities among rank-and-file legislators. Hornstein gets that. He is a 65-year-old former community organizer, husband of a rabbi and son of two Holocaust survivors. All four of his grandparents died at the hands of the Nazis. His family’s story can be seen as a cautionary tale about what can happen when governments abandon tolerance in favor of ideological purity, scapegoating and violence. He came to the Legislature in 2003 as more than a nice guy with a knack for funny impersonations. He wanted to make government work, and he knew that required collaboration, compromise and patience. He worked for at least 15 years on the major transportation funding bill he shepherded into law in 2023, all the while making friends throughout the chamber. That’s why I asked Hornstein recently to do more than reminisce. I wanted to hear his tips for working effectively across the partisan aisle while simultaneously upholding his own policy priorities — in his case, on transportation, climate and the environment. “It’s really important to make the extra effort to connect with people on a human basis,” Hornstein told me. “A lot of legislators engage now and then with the other side of the aisle. But doing that on an ongoing basis is the critical thing. It’s really important to not just start a relationship, but keep the relationship going.” Get to know not just each other’s names, but the names of spouses and children, Hornstein advises. Acquire private phone numbers. (Hornstein memorizes them.) Visit each other’s districts. Don’t blindside the opposition with “gotcha” surprises. Go to funerals. That’s what Hornstein did when Republican Rep. John Petersburg of Waseca lost his wife in 2022. Though Hornstein does not drive, he arranged a ride to attend the funeral. “I’ll always remember,” Petersburg told Governing magazine . Petersburg also retired this year. He was one of two House Republicans who showed up at Hornstein’s Nov. 10 retirement party in Linden Hills. Hornstein’s advice would have sounded self-evident to legislators a few decades ago. The fact that his friendship regimen made him stand out among his 133 fellow House members in recent years attests to how much the partisanship of the last several decades has damaged the institution’s social norms. It’s likely no coincidence that as civility eroded, so did legislative productivity when government is divided. And the Legislature can’t get more divided than it will be in 2025: 67-67 in the House, and 34 DFLers to 33 Republicans in the Senate. Who would design a legislative branch of government that allowed for such a nasty split, you might ask? That would be a panel of federal appellate judges with Minnesota pedigrees in 1972 — all of whom I admired for their work on cases other than this one. Gerald Heaney of Duluth, Earl Larson of Minneapolis and Edward Devitt of St. Paul handled Minnesota’s decennial redistricting lawsuit that year. They first tried to shrink the Senate to 35 members and the House to 105 — an arithmetically elegant but politically toxic idea that was struck down by the U.S. Supreme Court. Then they decreed that Minnesota must end its practice of allowing one state Senate district to be served by three House members rather than the customary two. That took the House from 135 members to 134, creating the potential for an evenly divided body. The judges said they considered an even split highly unlikely. Just six years later, it happened. Now it has happened again. A systemic fix is possible. Minnesota could look again at what the three jurists tried, creating a 3:1 ratio of House to Senate members. The consequent political pain could be eased by enlarging the Legislature. That’s been done before. The Minnesota Legislature had 147 members in 1880, 183 in 1910, and 198 for a 40-year span in the mid-20th century . I expect ideas like those to simmer until 2031, when redistricting will again be on the Legislature’s front burner. For now, House members need to find a way to function with neither side clearly in charge. To do that, they’re going to need to shed some of the hyperpartisan bad habits of the last few decades. Hornstein’s advice: “People need to understand that they were elected to govern together. They can’t do their jobs alone.” Instead of working hard to make the other side look bad, they should aim together to make Minnesota look good. Lori Sturdevant is a retired Star Tribune editorial writer. She is at lsturdevant@startribune.com .A landmark defence pact between North Korea and Russia, signed by its leaders in June, has gone into effect after the two sides exchanged ratification documents, North Korea's official KCNA news agency said Thursday. The formalization of the treaty comes as the United States and South Korea have accused the nuclear-armed North of sending more than 10,000 soldiers to help Russia fight Ukraine. Experts say North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is keen to acquire advanced technology from Moscow and battle experience for his troops in return. Kim and Russian President Vladimir Putin signed the strategic partnership deal during the Kremlin chief's visit to Pyongyang. It obligates both states to provide military assistance "without delay" in the case of an attack on the other, and to jointly oppose Western sanctions. It came into effect from Wednesday, when the ratification documents were exchanged in Moscow by the countries' vice foreign ministers Kim Jong Gyu and Andrei Rudenko, KCNA reported. Lawmakers in Moscow last month voted unanimously for the deal and it was later signed by Putin. Pyongyang said it was ratified by a decree from Kim. The treaty will serve "as a strong driving force accelerating the establishment of an independent and just multi-polarized world order without domination, subjugation and hegemony," KCNA said. Analysts have suggested Pyongyang could be using Ukraine as a means of realigning its foreign policy. By sending soldiers, North Korea is positioning itself within the Russian war economy as a supplier of weapons, military support and labour — potentially even bypassing traditional ally, neighbour and main trading partner China, they say. North Korea and Russia have strengthened their military ties since Moscow's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Both countries are under rafts of UN sanctions -- the former for its nuclear weapons programme and the latter for the Ukraine conflict. Kim said last week during a visit to Pyongyang by Russian Defence Minister Andrei Belousov that his government, army and people would "invariably support the policy of the Russian Federation to defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity". Putin hailed the deal in June as a "breakthrough document". bur-sst/bjtAP Sports SummaryBrief at 6:28 p.m. EST
Daily Post Nigeria Plane Crash: Putin apologises to Azerbaijan without claiming responsibility Home News Politics Metro Entertainment Sport News Plane Crash: Putin apologises to Azerbaijan without claiming responsibility Published on December 28, 2024 By Matthew Atungwu Russian President, Vladimir Putin, on Saturday, admitted that his country’s air defence was working when an Azerbaijani Airlines plane tried to land in Grozny before crashing, breaking the Kremlin’s silence as speculation mount that Russia may have accidentally shot the plane. Putin called his Azerbaijani counterpart, Ilham Aliyev, apologising that the incident took place in Russian airspace while stopping short of saying Russian air defence shot the plane. Aliyev had emphasised to Putin that the plane was hit by outside interference from Russia, saying it wanted those responsible held accountable. The phone call between the allies came three days after the Embraer 190 plane flying from Baku to Grozny crashed in Kazakhstan. DAILY POST recalls that the crash killed 38 people of the 67 onboard. Scores killed in Kazakhstan plane crash Meanwhile, western experts have pointed fingers at Russia, while the US said it had early indications the plane was shot. Putin told Aliyev that the plane had tried to land in Grozny several times. “During this time, Grozny, (the town of) Mozdok and Vladikavkaz were being attacked by Ukrainian combat drones and Russian air defence was repelling these attacks,” Putin said. However, Aliyev appeared in no doubt that the plane was shot at over Russia. Baku’s presidency in a statement said President Ilham Aliyev emphasised that the Azerbaijan Airlines passenger plane encountered external physical and technical interference while in Russian airspace, resulting in a complete loss of control. According to the statement, Aliyev highlighted that the multiple holes in the aircraft’s fuselage, injuries sustained by passengers and crew due to foreign particles penetrating the cabin mid-flight, and testimonies from surviving flight attendants and passengers confirm evidence of external physical and technical interference. Meanwhile, Russian officials had earlier said that Ukrainian drones were attacking Grozny that day. But Ukrainian leader, Volodymyr Zelensky, said he also spoke to Aliyev on Saturday, stressing that the footage of the plane makes it look very much like an air defence missile strike. “The key priority now is a thorough investigation that will answer all questions about what really happened. Russia must provide clear explanations and stop spreading disinformation,” Zelensky said. Related Topics: Azerbaijan plane crash Putin Don't Miss Fubara prevented Wike from making Rivers his private estate – Former Gov, Odili You may like Many feared dead as passenger plane carrying 67 people crashes on Christmas Day No need to scare anyone – Putin speaks about third world war War in Ukraine has made Russia stronger – Putin boasts Kremlin denies phone call between Putin, Trump on Ukraine conflict War: All goals set for Ukraine will be achieved – Putin vows US election: Putin backs Kamala Harris Advertise About Us Contact Us Privacy-Policy Terms Copyright © Daily Post Media LtdOTTAWA - Parents of children who died because of online sexual extortion are urging MPs to act on online harms legislation. The bill and other legislation have been blocked from moving forward for months due to a parliamentary privilege debate raging between the Liberals and Conservatives. Justice Minister Arif Virani split the bill into two parts this week heeding calls from critics to separate the more controversial hate speech provisions from the child exploitation components. But the bill still can’t move forward until the privilege filibuster is over. Barbie Lavers, whose teenage son died by suicide after being extorted online over intimate images, told House of Commons committee today that she supports the act and asked politicians to come to a temporary alliance and stop using children as political pawns to show “one party is more correct than the other.” Carole Todd, whose daughter Amanda died by suicide due to online sextortion, told MPs it is hurtful to watch political arguments after waiting 12 years for legislation. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 5, 2024.None
There was a time when experts were truly the best in their fields, and we could both trust and listen to their advice. But they have self-immolated in the last few years, and now their reputations and respective fields are largely piles of ash. People don't trust the 'experts' because they have lied to us about things like global warming and COVID an Hunter Biden's laptop. Neil deGrasse Tyson is not only one of those 'experts' who ruined his career for his political ideology, but he's an insufferable wet blanket. Yet he thinks if he tries sounding scary on CNN, we'll start listening to experts again. Watch: JUST IN: Neil deGrasse Tyson warns CNN viewers that refusing to trust the so-called “experts” could put your life at risk. Doing your own research, he says, “could have ultimately lethal consequences if you’re making decisions that affect your health and well-being.” “This is a... pic.twitter.com/Y2iGvVq9hk Go away, Neil. The irony of this guy saying that trust the experts right after admitting people don’t trust them is crazy. Why do you think people lost trust - because the experts were universally wrong or lying. Why should we trust people that are wrong in everything or liars? Also, if they... All of this. It's actually the opposite. Trusting the so-called experts will put your life at risk. This writer thinks of the people on Maui; those who ignored authorities and went around the 'road closed' signs were the ones who survived the wildfires. One way to immediately discredit yourself these days is to tell everyone to “trust the experts.” We’ve all seen where that has led us. Yes, we have. Neil deGrasse Tyson is a perfect example of why people don't trust experts. He gets treated like an expert. He sounds like the kind of guy a movie would hire to play an expert. Meanwhile, his "expert opinion" is men don't have an advantage over women in sports. Bingo. Look in the mirror, Neil. Dear Astrophysicist @neiltyson , I know that you are super smart because physics, and I'm just a lowly behavioral scientist. But do you think that your positions on gender theory might contribute to the loss of trust in scientists? Until 15 minutes ago, the 117 billion people... https://t.co/EaulEF4TcL he has no idea the role he played in the loss of trust. Is it a trust problem or a bad expert problem? https://t.co/RQY3xhQtrR It's a bad expert problem. Our “experts” mandated 6-foot social distancing during COVID, only to admit years later that there was no scientific basis for it. Zip. Zero. Nada. And then they took no responsibility for the disastrous policy that resulted. https://t.co/ukgeEt6tq2 And that's why no one trusts them anymore. This is like blaming your marriage problems on your wife because she doesn't trust you, but leaving out the part where you cheated on her and gave her HIV. https://t.co/wCMobcUVZU Harsh, but accurate.WASHINGTON , Nov. 22, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- NASA Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy and Nicola Fox , associate administrator for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, will travel to Mexico City on Sunday, Nov. 24 , for a multi-day trip to build on previous engagements and advance scientific and technological collaboration between the United States and Mexico . This visit will focus on fostering partnerships in astronomy and astrophysics research, as well as highlighting opportunities for economic, educational, and science, technology, engineering, and math collaborations between the two nations. Melroy's trip will include high-level meetings with senior Mexican government officials, including the secretariat-designate for Science, Technology, Humanities, and Innovation. Melroy and Fox also will meet with leaders from academia, industry, and scientific institutions. These discussions will emphasize expanding cooperation in space science, with particular focus on Mexico's growing astronomy programs. This visit builds on Melroy's trip to Mexico City earlier this year and reflects NASA's commitment to advancing international cooperation in space and science for the benefit of all. For more information about NASA's international partnerships, visit: https://www.nasa.gov/oiir View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/nasa-leadership-to-visit-strengthen-cooperation-with-mexico-302314627.html SOURCE NASA
NASA Leadership to Visit, Strengthen Cooperation with Mexico
Colby Rogers made 6 of 9 3-pointers and scored 28 points as host Memphis defeated No. 16 Ole Miss 87-70 on Saturday afternoon. Rogers fouled out and finished one 3-pointer and one point short of his career-highs in both categories and Memphis never trailed. PJ Haggerty added 17 points, Dain Dainja had 16 and Moussa Cisse, an Ole Miss transfer who's in his second stint with the Tigers (10-3), had 13 points and 11 rebounds. Sean Pedulla scored 13, Jaylen Murray had 12 and Malik Dia added 11 to lead the Rebels (11-2), who had won their last five games. Memphis scored the first five points of the second half to increase its lead to 43-36. Pedulla made a layup for Ole Miss' first points, but Nicholas Jourdain made consecutive field goals to push the lead to nine. Mikeal Brown-Jones made two free throws for the Rebels before Haggerty made a 3-pointer and Cisse added a tip-in for a 52-40 lead. Pedulla made a jumper before Brown-Jones was ejected for committing a Flagrant 2 foul. Haggerty made both of the technical free throws and Rogers added two 3-pointers to push the lead to 16. Ole Miss got within 11 points four times, but couldn't get any closer until Matthew Murrell's dunk trimmed the lead to 76-67 with five minutes remaining. Rogers answered with a 3-pointer and Dainja added two field goals to increase the lead to 16. Murray made a free throw, but the Rebels didn't make a field goal during the final 5:32. The Tigers scored the first four points of the game and Haggerty had four as they opened a 9-2 lead. The Rebels made consecutive field goals before Memphis scored eight straight points for a 17-6 lead. Eduardo Klafke made a 3-pointer to end the run, but Rogers' 3-pointer helped the Tigers increase the lead to 27-14. Ole Miss scored the next seven points before Cisse's basket ended the run. The Rebels closed within four points four times Brown-Jones made two free throws to trim the lead to 38-36 at halftime. --Field Level Media
New Orleans Pelicans star Zion Williamson , who has been sidelined since Nov. 6 with a strained left hamstring,"is progressing well through rehabilitation and will be re-examined in approximately two weeks," the team announced Wednesday. This is the first official update to Williamson's status since he was ruled out "indefinitely" on Nov. 9. At practice on Wednesday, New Orleans coach Willie Green did not offer much detail about Williamson's return-to-play protocol. "Getting better and better," Green told reporters . "He's progressing." Williamson has appeared in six games this season, averaging 22.7 points, 8.0 rebounds and 5.3 assists in 31.1 minutes. The Pelicans went 2-4 in those games, and they've gone 2-14 without him. The absence of their franchise player, though, is not the only reason they are all the way at the bottom of the West. In addition to Williamson, every other member of New Orleans' core has missed a significant stretch due to injury. In this respect, the Pelicans got some good news on Wednesday. Brandon Ingram , who missed their last five games while dealing with right plantaris tendonitis, and Herb Jones, who has been sidelined since straining his right shoulder on Oct. 29, have both been upgraded to questionable for Thursday's game against the Phoenix Suns . Green told reporters that he's "hopeful" that Ingram and Jones will be in the lineup against Phoenix. "They had a good practice today," Green said. "They went through a full practice, full contact." New Orleans also announced that Jose Alvarado , who has been out since Nov. 11 with a strained left hamstring, will be reevaluated in about two weeks. Jordan Hawkins , who missed the Pelicans' last three games with lower back soreness, has been diagnosed with a lumbar spine annular fissure and will be reevaluated in about a week, according to the team. Could New Orleans be close to fully healthy in two to three weeks? This announcement suggests it's possible, provided that no one else goes down in between now and then. If the Pelicans don't start stringing wins together soon, though, then Williamson will return to a team that has dug itself such a deep hole that even competing for a play-in spot would require a minor miracle. They're 7.5 games behind the 10th-place San Antonio Spurs right now, and are a league-worst 1-11 on the road.
"Poor" Prime Minister Keir Starmer is "sick" of being asked about HS2 funding for Wales every time First Minister Eluned Morgan sees him, she has said. Despite getting an extra £1.7bn from the UK government budget , Morgan admitted there were areas where she has asked Starmer for more. High Speed Rail is designated as an England and Wales project despite not running through Wales, meaning no extra money comes to Cardiff Bay to compensate for spending in England. While the UK government has ruled out extra funding, Starmer previously said he wanted to improve rail infrastructure in Wales. Speaking to BBC Politics Wales , Morgan said: "I will make sure that he knows that I'm not backing off. "Every time I see him, the poor prime minister is sick of me asking him about money for HS2. "But let's not complain that we've just had an extra billion pounds after we've been waiting through years of austerity." Welsh Labour not only wants £350m of funding to come to Wales for HS2, it also supports calls to transfer responsibility for the Crown Estate to Wales and reform the formula used to fund Wales. In the UK Labour government's budget in October , none of these issues were addressed. "People are sick of the doom and gloom," said Morgan, adding that people want a bit of hope, and she is certain the budget is going to give them that. In the Welsh government's draft budget it was announced there would be an extra £437m for day-to-day spending on the NHS and £175m for one-off spending such as maintaining buildings and new equipment. Morgan said her "ruthless focus" was on bringing down waiting lists and repeated her target of reducing the number of people waiting more than two years from 23,000 to 8,000 by April. She would not be drawn on when that number would be eradicated entirely.Robotics company RobotLAB recently opened up a new warehouse and showroom in Las Vegas, offering up their four-foot-tall synthetic creations to the city’s casinos, resorts, and restaurants. According to the Dallas-based company, the robots can clean hotel rooms, serve up cocktails, provide security services, and give information and directions. Not only that, the ‘bots can also sing, dance, and give fist bumps. “Robots bring automation to repetitive tasks — such as serving food, cleaning, and more,” RobotLAB Las Vegas partner Ketan Vaidya tells Mashable. “Instead of employees doing low value, back-breaking work, robots can do it, so that employees can focus their attention on providing excellent service to their customers.” While some Vegas visitors may blanch at the idea of robot housekeepers and synthetic concierges, the novelty and potential trickle-down cost savings may lessen the impersonal sting — and robots in Vegas are not exactly new, as synthetic bartenders have operated in the city for years . More difficult for RobotLAB, and similar companies hoping to make moves in the service industry, is how human workers already doing said “low value” work will greet their potential robot replacements. In Las Vegas, the powerful UNITE HERE Culinary Workers Union Local 226 has been anticipating companies like RobotLAB setting up shop and demanded “innovative technology language” in their contracts with the Strip’s big resort casinos. Celebrating at RobotLAB's new Las Vegas location. “The Culinary Union negotiated a strong contract in 2018 to win innovative technology language that protects workers when the company brings in new technology and has been utilized to bargain over software, use of devices, and automation,” Bethany Khan, spokesperson and director of communications & digital strategy for UNITE HERE, tells Mashable. “In 2023, those rights were protected and expanded.” The most recent contract guarantees advanced notification when new technology is introduced that may impact jobs and an increase in service recognition pay, extended health care, and pension fund contributions for workers laid off due to technology changes, according to Khan. RobotLAB has not publicly inked a deal with a notable Strip property, but Vaidya says they are having “conversations with several casinos.” As Khan points out, all the big resorts on the Strip — like Caesars Palace, MGM Grand, and the Bellagio — are unionized, meaning RobotLAB must meet with UNITE HERE representatives for demos and conversations before automatons are taking your luggage or making your bed. For now, RobotLAB is finding success in Vegas with restaurant chains like Kura Revolving Sushi Bar and Sourdough & Co., which are utilizing the company’s delivery and serving robots. Smaller businesses may gravitate to RobotLAB's robots through their leasing options, which Vaidya says go for between $20-40 a day. As far as purchase price, Vaidya says "costs vary depending on solution" but KLAS reported the robots can cost "as much as a new car." RobotLAB Las Vegas General Manager Jacob Fisher believes the products will create human jobs along with replacing them, telling KLAS, “There’s always going to be a person needed to maintain and service the robots. So we are just going to have robot conductors.” Fisher's response is probably cold comfort to most UNITE HERE members, but the union did obtain language in their 2018 contract that ensures unionized casino-resorts provide "mandatory free re-training to use new technology for current jobs" and "access and mandatory free job training if there are new jobs that are created due to automation and technology," according to Khan.
Van Drew says drones seen hovering near the Salem County nuclear plantsTrump encounters Senate GOP limits with failed Gaetz AG pushTORONTO — Canada's main stock index edged higher in trading on Wednesday, helped by strength in the technology sector, while U.S. stock markets also rose. The S&P/TSX composite index was up 5.45 points at 25,641.18. The index took a “breather” Wednesday ahead of key labour market indicators set to be released both in Canada and the U.S. this week, said Angelo Kourkafas, senior investment strategist at Edward Jones. Statistics Canada will report the latest data from the national labour force survey on Friday, the same day the November jobs report is due in the U.S. “That's the last important data point for the Bank of Canada before they meet next week,” said Kourkafas. November was a strong month for equities, he said, so it isn't surprising that investors are digesting the gains while they await new data. He said it’s expected that Statistics Canada will report an acceleration of job gains after last month brought a “relatively weak reading,” with job gains at about half of what analysts were expecting. While Canada’s central bank is expected to cut its key interest rate a fifth straight time on Dec. 11, the size of the cut could depend on that jobs data, he said. “We're now looking at a rebound, but as the Bank of Canada deliberates between a quarter point cut versus half a percentage point cut, I think what we are going to see in terms of unemployment rate and the base of job gains is going to have a say into that,” said Kourkafas, adding that wage growth is another important metric to watch. “If we see steady job growth and slowing wages, that can potentially tilt the Bank of Canada towards a larger cut.” In New York, the Dow Jones industrial average was up 308.51 points at 45,014.04. The S&P 500 index was up 36.61 points at 6,086.49, while the Nasdaq composite was up 254.21 points at 19,735.12. U.S. markets were propelled by strength in the technology sector, said Kourkafas, highlighting strong results in quarterly earnings released this week by Salesforce Inc. and Marvell Technology Inc. “I think today's results highlight that there is still a long runway and still enthusiasm, excitement about artificial intelligence and kind of that multi-year adoption cycle,” he said. The Canadian dollar traded for 71.09 cents US compared with 71.14 cents US on Tuesday. The January crude oil contract was down US$1.40 at US$68.54 per barrel and the January natural gas contract was up less than a penny at US$3.04 per mmBTU. The February gold contract was up US$8.30 at US$2,676.20 an ounce and the March copper contract was down less than a penny at US$4.20 a pound. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 4, 2024. Companies in this story: (TSX:GSPTSE, TSX:CADUSD) Sammy Hudes, The Canadian Press