Canadian fund drops bid for Spanish pharma firm GrifolsIREN Reports Q1 FY25 ResultsRegardless of whether the San Francisco 49ers' 2024 campaign extends into the postseason, it's become increasingly clear they need to boost their defensive line this offseason. The 49ers could certainly use some more depth at edge rusher, but they at least have two productive starters at that spot in Nick Bosa and Leonard Floyd, and a semblance of a rotation with Yetur Gross-Matos, Sam Okuyainonu and Robert Beal Jr. It is the interior that has been continually exposed in 2024, especially since Javon Hargrave went down with a torn biceps muscle in Week 3. Hargrave looms as a potential cap casualty for the Niners this offseason, when they could well make Brock Purdy one of the highest-paid quarterbacks in the NFL, so the defensive interior figures to be an area of focus for San Francisco in free agency and the draft. And A to Z Sports' AJ Schulte has the 49ers addressing it in the first round of the 2025 draft by taking a defensive tackle from a school that has provided them with two long-term starters at the position. In Schulte's latest mock , the 49ers use the 17th overall pick on Derrick Harmon from Oregon. He writes of Harmon: " Derrick Harmon has skyrocketed up boards this season as the leader for the Ducks' defense. He plays a little too tall, but he's a violent and physical run defender who flashes an effective swim move while getting after the quarterback. Harmon would add a real physical presence to the 49ers' defensive line that they have missed since trading away former Oregon Duck DeForest Buckner." Having transferred from Michigan State, Harmon has seven tackles for loss and three sacks this season. On top of that, he has four pass breakups and a pair of forced fumbles. It is his play against the run that may appeal the most, with San Francisco's interior defensive line consistently struggling to hold its own in run defense in 2024. Were the 49ers to select Harmon, he would not be the first Oregon Duck defensive tackle taken with the 17th overall pick by San Francisco. The Niners used the same pick on Arik Armstead in 2015. Armstead was the 49ers' longest-tenured player prior to being released this past offseason after failing to agree to a restructured contract. San Francisco struck gold with Buckner when they selected him with the seventh overall pick in 2016. He was a two-time Pro Bowler with the 49ers and, alongside former Oregon teammate Armstead, played a key role in San Francisco's surge to Super Bowl 54 in the 2019 season. Buckner was traded to the Indianapolis Colts in 2020. More recently, the 49ers found success taking another Duck to bolster a different area of the defense, with cornerback Deommodore Lenoir blossoming into a top-tier corner having been picked in the fifth round in 2021. Lenoir signed a five-year extension this month. As such, the 49ers have plenty of reason to be confident in looking to Oregon to bolster to their defense. Given their struggles up front this season, the selection of Harmon is one that would make a lot of sense. This article first appeared on A to Z Sports and was syndicated with permission.
While the term "tourist tax" has been used to describe everything from the flat-out entry fees charged at the airport to taxes tacked onto hotel bills in a given city, the tax has become commonplace. Most recently, the Italian canal city of Venice decided to bring back its day visitor fee for the upcoming 2025 season. The fee, paid by visitors coming to Venice for the day on certain peak spring and summer dates, will also double from five to 10 euros, or roughly $10.60 USD, as of current exchange rates. 🚨 Don’t Miss this amazing Black Friday Move! Get 60% off TheStreet Pro. Act now before it’s gone 😲 A tourist tax but make it linguistic: here's the proposal The more common way to implement a tourist tax is to tack it onto the bill for hotel or holiday rental property accommodations; such taxes exist in most European like Amsterdam and Valencia, as well as U.S. capitals like New York and Los Angeles (although it may be called by slightly different names, including "transient occupancy"). The more common way to implement a tourist tax is to tack it onto the bill for hotel or holiday rental property accommodations; such taxes exist in most European cities popular with tourists like Amsterdam and Valencia as well as U.S. capitals like New York and Los Angeles (although it may be called by slightly different names, including "transient occupancy"). Over in the United Kingdom, hotels do not have any additional taxes beyond what is levied on goods and services — something that Wales, a Celtic country to the southwest of England, is looking to change with a new tax of £1.25 ($1.58 USD) for each night visitors spend in a hotel or £0.75 ($0.95 USD) for hostels and campsites. But while such taxes typically go toward preserving local historic sites and mitigating the impact of mass tourism, what has currently been proposed to Welsh lawmakers would, among other things, be used for the preservation of the Welsh language. While not officially listed as endangered (with over 880,000 residents able to speak it fluently, it is the most commonly spoken out of all Celtic languages), the number of speakers has seen a steep decline with younger generations. Shutterstock Mass tourism can erode the sustainability of communities and language "Tourism in its current form is an extractive, uncertain and seasonal industry, which can erode the sustainability of our communities and our language," Jeff Smith who chairs the Cymdeithas yr Iaith Communities Group representing the rights of the Welsh people and language, said in a statement. "These communities — often some of the poorest in Europe — face serious challenges from unsustainable tourism, such as housing unaffordability, lack of access to public services and short-term, low-paid employment." More on travel: Many questions around the bill remain before it will be put to a vote; there is also significant criticism from local hotel and tourist associations that believe it will discourage visitors to a part of the United Kingdom that already sees significantly lower tourist numbers than England and Scotland. The tax would also not be mandated across the country but be left to individual municipalities to choose whether or not to introduce. One option that has been heard by the Welsh Parliament would have it in destinations that see more tourism, such as Cardiff and the seaside resort town of Tenby, but not in more remote and rural areas. If passed, the bill would start coming into effect in 2027. Related: Veteran fund manager sees world of pain coming for stocks
Canada is examining retaliatory tariffs on certain items from the US should Donald Trump follow through on his threat to impose tariffs on Canadian products Toronto: Canada is already examining possible retaliatory tariffs on certain items from the United States should President-elect Donald Trump follow through on his threat to impose sweeping tariffs on Canadian products, a senior official has said. Trump has threatened to impose tariffs on products from Canada and Mexico if the countries don't stop what he called the flow of drugs and migrants across southern and northern borders. He said he would impose a 25 per cent tax on all products entering the US from Canada and Mexico as one of his first executive orders. A Canadian government official said on Wednesday that Canada is preparing for every eventuality and has started thinking about what items to target with tariffs in retaliation. The official stressed no decision has been made. The person spoke on condition of anonymity as they were not authorized to speak publicly. When Trump imposed higher tariffs during his first term in office, other countries responded with retaliatory tariffs of their own. Canada, for instance, announced billions of new duties in 2018 against the US in a tit-for-tat response to new taxes on Canadian steel and aluminium. Many of the US products were chosen for their political rather than economic impact. For example, Canada imports USD 3 million worth of yoghurt from the US annually and most comes from one plant in Wisconsin, the home state of then-House Speaker Paul Ryan. That product was hit with a 10 per cent duty. Another product on the list was whiskey, which comes from Tennessee and Kentucky, the latter of which is the home state of then-Republican Senate leader Mitch McConnell. Trump made the threat Monday while railing against an influx of illegal migrants, even though the numbers at the Canadian border pale in comparison to the southern border. The US Border Patrol made 56,530 arrests at the Mexican border in October alone — and 23,721 arrests at the Canadian one between October 2023 and September 2024. Canadian officials say lumping Canada in with Mexico is unfair but say they are happy to work with the Trump administration to lower the numbers from Canada. The Canadians are also worried about the influx north of migrants if Trump follows through with his plan for mass deportations. Trump also railed about fentanyl from Mexico and Canada, even though seizures from the Canadian border pale in comparison to the Mexican border. US customs agents seized 43 pounds of fentanyl at the Canadian border last fiscal year, compared with 21,100 pounds at the Mexican border. Canadian officials argue their country is not the problem and that tariffs will have severe implications for both countries. Canada is the top export destination for 36 US states. Nearly USD 3.6 billion Canadian (USD 2.7 billion) worth of goods and services cross the border each day. About 60 per cent of US crude oil imports are from Canada, and 85 per cent of US electricity imports are from Canada. Canada is also the largest foreign supplier of steel, aluminium and uranium to the US and has 34 critical minerals and metals that the Pentagon is eager to invest in for national security. "Canada is essential to the United States' domestic energy supply," Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland said. Trump has pledged to cut American energy bills in half within 18 months, something that could be made harder if a 25 per cent premium is added to Canadian oil imports. In 2023, Canadian oil accounted for almost two-thirds of total US oil imports and about one-fifth of the US oil supply. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is holding an emergency virtual meeting on Wednesday with the leaders of Canada's provinces, who want Trudeau to negotiate a bilateral trade deal with the United States that excludes Mexico. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said Wednesday that her administration is already working up a list of possible retaliatory tariffs "if the situation comes to that". Published 07:25 IST, November 28th 2024