Spend some time in the comedy world and you will hear complaints about Netflix , which has established itself as the most important home for stand-up for nearly a decade, as per a report. Among them: The streaming service oversaturated the market with specials. Its algorithm favors the famous more than the funny. It platforms transphobia. It pays women less than men. Its promotion and marketing don't do enough. It refuses to share information about audiences with comedians. After tossing around big contracts to superstars, it's getting increasingly stingy with other artists. There's more. But the kvetching always ends with a simple question: What's the better alternative? Amazon dipped its toe into streaming stand-up specials, but not much more than that. Apple has sat it out. Peacock has a modest slate, as does the new streaming site Dropout, which released specials this year by Adam Conover and Courtney Pauroso. HBO Max has done the best job lately of positioning itself as the cool alternative with hours from Jerrod Carmichael, Alex Edelman and Ramy Youssef, NYT News Service reported. But no large competitor has mounted a serious challenge to Netflix. Until now. 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View Program Marketing Digital Marketing Masterclass by Neil Patel By - Neil Patel, Co-Founder and Author at Neil Patel Digital Digital Marketing Guru View Program The Walt Disney Co. now enters the stand-up game in a big way right after its streaming business reported making a profit for the first time. Along with considerable resources, Disney, under the Hulu banner, has ordered up more than a dozen specials -- some from comics who recently worked for Netflix, including major stars (Bill Burr, Sebastian Maniscalco) and rising ones (Ralph Barbosa). And most important, they have a coherent vision, a counterprogramming strategy. Hulu will roll out one special every month. The aim is to turn each one into an event, leaning on the considerable marketing resources of Disney. Jim Gaffigan kicked off the slate with his new hour called "The Skinny," a characteristically funny, family-friendly set of jokes griping about, among other subjects, religion and kids. Perhaps the biggest surprise of the hour is that Gaffigan, who has long specialized in jokes about overeating, has lost a significant amount of weight, thanks to an appetite suppressant. He says he's open to sharing viewership data with comedians, something that Netflix has hesitated to do. This frustrated some comics who were hoping to understand their audiences, for the purposes of where to tour or how to negotiate their next deal. He also promises to use old-fashioned marketing muscle. "We don't believe that it's just up to, you know, the algorithm to kind of get you at the right time in the right place," he said. The last time a major player tried to compete with Netflix was in 2019, when Amazon Prime rolled out a plan for specials. As it happens, it also started with Gaffigan. The comic says this effort feels different. "From a promotional standpoint, there's no comparison," he said over Zoom. "I was grateful for the opportunity, but it felt more like an experiment, whereas Hulu has a 12-month to two-year plan." The lineup at Hulu is heavy on popular club and theater acts like Zarna Garg, Andrew Santino, Atsuko Okatsuka and Matteo Lane. Asked for his dream get, Erwich points to the duo of Tina Fey and Amy Poehler, who had been touring a live comedy show. Hulu's challenge is getting consumers to develop new habits. But there is also skepticism about the marriage between the family-friendly brand of Disney and the sometimes controversial art of stand-up. When asked if he would program Dave Chappelle's "The Closer," in which transgender people were the primary focus, Erwich said: "It's probably not what we would want to do." More broadly, he added that he would approach controversial comedy this way: "What we would consider is, 'Does it feel gratuitous and purposefully hateful or provocative? Or purposely controversial?' No, we'd probably stay away from that." Netflix doesn't seem to mind controversy. And it has drawn huge audiences for live events like the comedy roast of Tom Brady and a Chris Rock special addressing being slapped by Will Smith. But as the platform has become more established, it often appears to be competing with the vast output of YouTube more than with any traditional producer. Several years ago, Netflix started licensing completed specials from comics. This kept costs down (comedians still paid for production and marketing) but allowed Netflix to keep its volume high. Comic Chris Distefano, who has gained a big following in recent years, did one of those deals with Netflix. But for his next hour, "It's Just Unfortunate," he signed with Hulu for a February release, as per a report on NYT News Service. FAQs Q1. Where can we watch new shows? A1. New shows can be watched on Netflix, Amazon, Peacock. Q2. Where can we watch comedy? A2. Comedy can be watched on Netflix. 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NoneOn Saturday afternoon the Ohio State Buckeyes entered their rivalry game against the Michigan Wolverines as a 21-point favorite. Ahead of kickoff head coach Ryan Day, though, made it clear today's game isn't about what the Wolverines, who are in the midst of a down season. It's all about Ohio State. "Our No. 1 goal every year is to win this game. We put absolutely everything we have into our process every single day toward this game," he said. "We don't wear blue. We don't say the "M" word. But this is not about them today. This is about us. This is about our team. This is about our fans. This is about our university. This is about our state. This is about our toughness. This is about our work ethic. This is about our integrity, our character, our resilience and who we are as Buckeyes." On the call for the game is the polarizing Gus Johnson. College football fans either seem to love him or hate him and it's clear from this afternoon's call that fans might already be tired of him. Adam Cairns-The Columbus Dispatch Ncaa Football Michigan Wolverines At Ohio State Buckeyes During a call in the first quarter while facing a third-and-four, Michigan quarterback Davis Warren hit tight end Marlin Klein on a pass which went for no gain. Despite the play going for no gain, Johnson inexplicably pondered if Klein had enough for a first down. Fans immediately flocked to social media to call out the longtime play-by-play man. "Play is easily 4 yards short of the first and Gus Johnson is wondering if it’s a first down," one person said. "Gus Johnson is so washed dude he thought marlin klein was close to a first down there," offered another. "*4 full yards short* 'We’ll see if that’s enough for a first down.' What is Gus Johnson thinking?" questioned another. "'We’ll see if that’s enough for a first down?' Is Gus Johnson okay?" asked another . As for the actual game, it's been a slugfest through much of the first quarter as Ohio State holds a 3-0 lead. Related: Michigan Player Carted off Field Before Game vs. Ohio StateArsenal, Man City and Bayern advance to Women's Champions League quarterfinalsNone
Carol Sheaves of Moncton, N.B., who has worked for five decades in Canada, says it's not fair that retirees like her won't get the government's newly proposed rebate cheques. Although she considers the $250 payments "a freaking joke" that won't help much with skyrocketing costs, she feels seniors who have worked for so many years deserve it too. "I've paid dues, taxes, whatever, since I was about 17 years old. That's a long time to pay taxes, to help out the economy in this country," Sheaves, 67, said in a video interview with CTVNews.ca on Monday. She worked administrative jobs and owned a couple small businesses with her 70-year-old husband Frank before they both retired. "We worked all our lives, and I think we're entitled to that and more." Sheaves says she and Frank have been receiving Canada Pension Plan (CPP) and Old Age Security (OAS) payments, a small work pension and returns on their investments. While she doesn't consider herself to be in serious financial trouble, she said rent has increased by about $300 to more than $1,600 since she and her husband sold their home and began renting an apartment in Moncton. They are watching their money carefully and always look out for discounts for groceries, she added. "When we retired, we figured we had sufficient funds to put aside to help with our retirement," Sheaves said. "But of course, the world has gone crazy. Like everything, the prices have gone up." The federal government announced last week a two-month GST/HST break on certain goods, as well as plans in April to give Canadians who made $150,000 per year or less in 2023 a "Working Canadians Rebate" of $250. Both measures are expected to cost a total of $6.3 billion. While the tax break on some goods applies to anyone, Sheaves was among the seniors who expressed their frustrations to CTVNews.ca about not being among the 18.7 million Canadians who are expected to qualify for the government's planned rebate. When asked why rebate cheques were not being given to seniors who are not working or those with disabilities, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said working Canadians were making their voices heard about needing financial support. In any case, Sheaves questions whether the cheques will be that helpful since many Canadians will struggle more over Christmas and won't get the rebate until spring. She especially worries for young people, the poor and homeless. "It's getting harder and harder for a person to survive," she said. "It's just not fair. I really, really feel bad for the young people. I feel bad for us too, but the young people, they have not got a chance." When asked whether the proposed measures could be focused on helping youth instead, given the high youth unemployment in the country, the government pointed to the spillover benefits of the cheques. Women and Gender Equality and Youth Minister Marci Ien told CTV Question Period host Vassy Kapelos in an interview that aired Sunday that entire families are saving money and benefiting from the tax break and rebate. Bill Cole of Toronto called the exclusion of retired seniors a "discriminatory insult," noting they live on fixed incomes. "Retired seniors represent a significant voting bloc and many are facing significant affordability issues as inflationary pressure eat away at our retirement income," Cole wrote in an email to CTVNews.ca on Nov. 22. Anita Reilander of Calgary wonders why people who earn more, including those making up to $150,000, will get the benefit. "If those people can't make ends meet on those earnings, they need financial training, not extra money," she wrote in an email to CTVNews.ca on Nov. 22. She said the $250 would be put to good use by seniors living on pensions of around $20,000. With files from CTV News Ottawa News Bureau's Stephanie Ha and CTVNews.ca Managing Producer Kendra Mangione CTVNews.ca Top Stories 'It's just not fair': Retirees speak out on being excluded from federal rebate cheques Carol Sheaves of Moncton, N.B., says it's not fair that retirees like her won't get the government's newly proposed rebate cheques. Sheaves was among the seniors who expressed their frustrations to CTVNews.ca about not being eligible for the $250 government benefit. Canada Post says progress 'limited' at negotiating table as strike continues Canada Post says they have made 'limited progress' with the union at the negotiating table 11 days after the strike began. Montreal mayor says Friday pro-Palestinian protests were taken over by 'professional vandals' Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante told journalists 'professional vandals' took over protests and smashed windows at the Palais des Congres. Justin Trudeau defends spending record on military amid fresh criticism Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is defending his government's record on supporting national defence, following fresh criticism that Canada is failing to live up to its NATO defence-spending commitments. CEOs demand changes to Liberals' military spending plan The federal government risks jeopardizing the economy unless it meets its NATO military alliance spending obligations within the next five years, says the Business Council of Canada. Warren Buffett gives away another US$1.1B and plans for distributing his US$147B fortune after his death Investor Warren Buffett renewed his Thanksgiving tradition of giving by announcing plans Monday to hand more than US$1.1 billion of Berkshire Hathaway stock to four of his family's foundations, and he offered new details about who will be handing out the rest of his fortune after his death. U.S. driver makes wrong turn to Canadian border, gets arrested for unlawfully possessing a gun A 62-year-old man from the U.S., who took a wrong turn to the Canadian border thanks to his GPS device, is now facing a firearms-related charge. Toronto mother now facing murder charge in death of four-month old baby Toronto police say they have charged a mother with second-degree murder following the death of her infant, who was found with critical injuries in midtown Toronto last week. 'Embarrassing:' NHL team ditches bus and walks to Scotiabank Arena amid gridlock The Utah Hockey Club got the full Toronto experience Sunday night ahead of their first-ever matchup against the Maple Leafs—bumper-to-bumper traffic that forced the team to walk to the game. Vancouver Canadian border agents seize 246 kilos of cocaine in B.C. Canadian border officials in British Columbia have seized nearly a quarter-tonne of cocaine that was coming into the province in three separate smuggling incidents in recent weeks, according to the agency. Vancouver Whitecaps drop head coach Vanni Sartini Two weeks after the Vancouver Whitecaps’ playoff run ended in the first round, the team has fired head coach Vanni Sartini. Orcas surprise ferry passengers in Vancouver's False Creek The people aboard a ferry in Vancouver were treated to a rare sight Sunday. Toronto Toronto mother now facing murder charge in death of four-month old baby Toronto police say they have charged a mother with second-degree murder following the death of her infant, who was found with critical injuries in midtown Toronto last week. 'Embarrassing:' NHL team ditches bus and walks to Scotiabank Arena amid gridlock The Utah Hockey Club got the full Toronto experience Sunday night ahead of their first-ever matchup against the Maple Leafs—bumper-to-bumper traffic that forced the team to walk to the game. 'That was freaking awesome': Toronto Blue Origin crew member describes out-of-this world experience A Toronto man who flew into space last week as part of Blue Origin’s latest rocket launch says the experience 'defies description.' 'I’m still processing,' Henry Wolfond told CTV News Toronto in an interview Monday morning. 'Tears were sort of continuously behind my eyes (this weekend). And I don't know if it was from experiencing that breathtaking view and the feeling of weightlessness or that it was over.' Calgary Calgary's Green Line discussions focus on alignment Premier Danielle Smith says she is continuing to meet with Mayor Jyoti Gondek about Calgary's Green Line project and her government remains committed to bringing the line all the way to Seton. Court hearing legal arguments in sex assault case of five hockey players A London, Ont., judge is set to hear legal arguments today in the sexual assault case of five members of Canada's 2018 world junior hockey team. $3.69M Calgary mansion with basketball court for sale in Aspen Woods If you've ever dreamed of having a home with a basketball court, now's your chance. Ottawa FREEZING RAIN WARNING | 1 to 3 mm of freezing rain possible in Ottawa-Gatineau tonight Environment Canada has issued a freezing rain warning for Ottawa as a low-pressure system moves across eastern Ontario on Monday. OC Transpo well below punctuality targets on 'less frequent' routes OC Transpo is well below its punctuality targets for less frequent bus routes, data presented to the city's Transit Commission show. OC Transpo hands out 1,900 fines to riders not paying fares in 2 months OC Transpo says nearly 1,900 fines were issued to riders who didn't pay their fares on Ottawa buses and trains this fall. Montreal Teen girls engage in more risky behaviour than boys: Quebec study Fewer young people in Quebec secondary schools are drinking alcohol, consuming sugary drinks and eating junk food, but not all their habits are improving. More of them are also inactive, taking action to change their weight and not eating breakfast before going to school, according to a recent study. 'Mixed bag' of wet weather headed to Montreal this week A 'mixed bag' of precipitation is in store for the Greater Montreal area, according to Environment and Climate Change Canada. Last chance at the Port of Montreal as parties enter mediation A final attempt to reach a consensual settlement is taking shape at the Port of Montreal, as the union of 1,200 longshoremen and the Maritime Employers Association have decided to enter into consensual mediation. Edmonton Death of worker in Edmonton smokehouse leads to 26 charges against food processing company An Ontario-based food processing company is facing 26 charges under Alberta Occupational Health and Safety legislation in connection with the death of a worker at an Edmonton facility in 2023. Women in trades building 'sisterhood' by sharing knowledge, experience A group meant to connect Edmonton women working in trades has amassed about 800 members in a matter of weeks. The Beach Boys are bringing a taste of summer to Edmonton March is usually a cold month in Edmonton, but The Beach Boys will bring a taste of summer with them when they perform here. Atlantic NEW | Man charged with unsafe storage of a firearm in Tyson MacDonald homicide: RCMP A 61-year-old man is facing unsafe storage charges in connection with the homicide of 17-year-old Tyson MacDonald on P.E.I., last December. From cellphones to dentures: Inside Halifax Transit’s lost and found Every single item misplaced on a bus or ferry in the Halifax Regional Municipality ends up in a small office at the Halifax Transit Bridge Terminal in Dartmouth, N.S. Man wanted on provincewide arrest warrant arrested: N.S. RCMP RCMP in Nova Scotia say a man who was wanted on a provincewide arrest warrant has been found and arrested. Winnipeg Winnipeg police shoot, kill suspect after officer stabbed in the throat Manitoba’s police watchdog is investigating a deadly police shooting at Winnipeg's Unicity Shopping Centre Sunday evening. Mounties looking for missing car in connection with suspicious death Manitoba RCMP are looking for a missing car connected to an investigation into human remains discovered north of Winnipeg. $4.2M from feds to create Indigenous-led family care centre in Winnipeg A new Indigenous-led family care centre will be coming to Winnipeg, with more than $4.2 million for the project coming from the federal government. Regina WATCH LIVE | Sask. Party prioritizes affordability, civility with opposition in Throne Speech The Saskatchewan Party government said it will prioritize affordability in the coming months during its Throne Speech on Monday, that officially kicked off a short two-week sitting inside the legislature. Regina commits to clearing all 'priority roads' of snow by Tuesday morning Following a second significant dump of snow in less than a week, the City of Regina says it plans to have all high priority roadways cleared by 7:00 a.m. Tuesday. Canada Post says progress 'limited' at negotiating table as strike continues Canada Post says they have made 'limited progress' with the union at the negotiating table 11 days after the strike began. Kitchener Waterloo reviews most collision-prone areas to improve safety The City of Waterloo is trying to make its roads safer by putting together a report on some of the locations with the most crashes in the past five years. Guelph man pleads guilty to manslaughter A Guelph man has pleaded guilty to manslaughter, admitting he struck another man in the head repeatedly with a baseball bat. Court hearing legal arguments in sex assault case of five hockey players A London, Ont., judge is set to hear legal arguments today in the sexual assault case of five members of Canada's 2018 world junior hockey team. Saskatoon WATCH LIVE | Sask. Party prioritizes affordability, civility with opposition in Throne Speech The Saskatchewan Party government said it will prioritize affordability in the coming months during its Throne Speech on Monday, that officially kicked off a short two-week sitting inside the legislature. Saskatoon's second big snowfall in a week won't trigger emergency response: City City crews and contractors are at it again — clearing roadways after another major snowfall. Two dead after crash on Saskatchewan Highway 4 Two people are dead following a two-vehicle crash on Highway 4 Friday evening. Northern Ontario Elliot Lake, Ont., woman charged with choking neighbour's dog An intoxicated woman in Elliot Lake has been charged with breaking into her neighbour's apartment and choking their dog. Winter weather advisory in effect for most of northeastern Ont. Environment Canada has issued a winter weather advisory for areas in and around Greater Sudbury, North Bay, Sault Ste. Marie and Timmins. Drug bust after a suspect pointed handgun at victim at northern Ont. gas station Three people have been charged with numerous drug and weapons offences following an incident at a gas station in Bruce Mines, Ont., on Nov. 21. London Three of five former junior hockey players in attendance for court proceedings Three of the five players from Canada's 2018 world junior hockey team, charged as part of a 2018 sexual assault investigation, appeared in a London court room on Monday. Stabbing and robbery being investigated by London police, 3 suspects wanted Around 1:15 a.m. on Sunday, police said three men on an ATV approached a man on his cell phone in the area of Hilton Avenue and Whiteny Street. Fatal crash reported in Huron County Around 6:20 a.m. on Saturday, emergency services responded to Harriston Road in Morris-Turnberry. When crews arrived, they saw a damaged SUV with one person inside. Barrie 'James deceived us,' Slain Collingwood, Ont. woman's family speak ahead of husband's sentencing James Schwalm sat in the prisoner’s box Monday morning weeping as friends and family members told the court about the devastation he caused when he murdered his wife, Ashley Milne, two years ago inside their Collingwood, Ont. home. Novice driver charged with speeding 95km/h over limit on Hwy 11 accused of being impaired A Thornhill resident accused of driving at a high rate of speed along Highway 11 in Muskoka while impaired faces charges. 2 women hospitalized after being struck by vehicle, police seek witnesses Police are investigating a collision in Newmarket that sent two women to the hospital over the weekend. Windsor 'Active investigation' underway in Windsor Windsor police are on the scene of what's being called an, "active investigation." "Expect a sustained police presence in the area," read a post on social media. Alleged impaired mom found asleep at the wheel with two kids in the backseat Windsor police arrested two motorists for impaired driving in separate incidents over the weekend, including a mom with two small children in the backseat. Unknown man allegedly commits indecent act outside McKay Avenue home Windsor police are asking for the public’s help identifying a suspect who allegedly committed an indecent act outside a McKay Avenue home. Vancouver Island Canadian border agents seize 246 kilos of cocaine in B.C. Canadian border officials in British Columbia have seized nearly a quarter-tonne of cocaine that was coming into the province in three separate smuggling incidents in recent weeks, according to the agency. B.C. teen donates Taylor Swift tickets, raises $26K in charity raffle A dad and his 10-year-old daughter from Prince George, B.C., will be heading to the Eras Tour in Vancouver next month after winning highly coveted Taylor Swift tickets in a charity raffle. B.C. health minister promises revamped approach to overdose crisis after addictions portfolio scrapped British Columbia's new health minister says she's aiming for more treatment beds and fewer deaths in a revamped approach to the province's drug overdose crisis. Kelowna Man in hospital following targeted shooting in Kamloops Police are appealing for information on a targeted shooting that resulted in the hospitalization of a man in Kamloops. Police cleared of fault in fatal 2023 crash in B.C.'s Interior British Columbia's independent police watchdog has cleared officers of wrongdoing in a crash where three people were killed south of Kamloops in July of last year. B.C. woman sentenced for stealing $14K in funds raised for schoolkids A B.C. woman who stole more than $14,000 in volunteer-raised funds that were supposed to be spent on school supplies and programs – including hot meals for vulnerable kids – won't spend any time in jail. Lethbridge 'We need an industry': Crowsnest Pass residents voting on support for new coal mine It's been more than 40 years since coal was king in the scenic Crowsnest Pass of southwestern Alberta, but a referendum vote Monday could sway a contentious debate on bringing it back. Snow routes declared active for Lethbridge starting at 9 a.m. Monday Snow routes were declared active in Lethbridge, the city posted on its website. Starting at 9 a.m. Monday, parking restrictions will be in effect for streets declared to be snow routes. Hurricanes road misery continues with 6-3 loss to Winterhawks in Portland The Hurricanes dropped their third straight game on Friday night, losing 6-3 to the Winterhawks in Portland. Sault Ste. Marie Sault suspect charged with punching rideshare driver in the face twice A 24-year-old in Sault Ste. Marie has been charged with attacking a rideshare driver and a police officer. Drug bust after a suspect pointed handgun at victim at northern Ont. gas station Three people have been charged with numerous drug and weapons offences following an incident at a gas station in Bruce Mines, Ont., on Nov. 21. Elliot Lake, Ont., woman charged with choking neighbour's dog An intoxicated woman in Elliot Lake has been charged with breaking into her neighbour's apartment and choking their dog. N.L. As N.L. firm pivots, scientists say Canada's green hydrogen dreams are far-fetched A Newfoundland energy company's embrace of data centres is raising doubts about eastern Canadian hopes of harnessing the region's howling winds to supply Germany with power from green hydrogen. Canadian leads group pushing Vatican for zero-tolerance policy on abuse by clergy An international group led by a Canadian is in Rome this week to push the Catholic Church to adopt a zero-tolerance policy on abuse by clergy. Newfoundland wind-to-hydrogen company eyes data centre as international market lags A company hoping to build a multi-billion-dollar wind-to-hydrogen project in western Newfoundland is eyeing other options as Canada's plans to supply Europe with green energy have not yet materialized. Local Spotlight 'I had no idea that they even existed': Family reunites with 80-year-old letters hidden in Winnipeg home The family of a soldier who fought during the Second World War has been reunited with letters written to him 80 years ago. The Thriftmas Special: The benefits of second-hand holiday shopping The holidays may be a time for family, joy and togetherness, but they can also be hard on the wallet. Video shows octopus 'hanging on for dear life' during bomb cyclone off B.C. coast Humans weren’t the only ones who struggled through the bomb cyclone that formed off the B.C. coast this week, bringing intense winds and choppy seas. B.C. man reunites with Nova Scotia stranger, 56 years after being saved from drowning After driving near the water that winter day, Brian Lavery thought he saw a dog splashing in the waves – then realized it was way too cold for that. 'It's nice to just talk to people': Toronto podcaster prank calling Nova Scotians Toronto radio and podcast host Jax Irwin has recently gone viral for videos of her cute -- and at times confusing -- phone conversations. Lotto Max jackpot hits $80M for second time ever The Lotto Max jackpot has climbed to $80 million for just the second time in Canadian lottery history. 'I'm just tickled pink': Childhood friends from New Brunswick named Rhodes Scholars Two young women from New Brunswick have won one of the most prestigious and sought-after academic honours in the world. B.C. man to cycle length of New Zealand to raise funds for Movember Stretching 3,000 kilometres from the tip of New Zealand to its southernmost point, with just a bicycle for transport and a tent to call home, bikepacking event Tour Aotearoa is not for the faint of heart. 'She's a people person': Urban chicken inspires positivity in B.C. neighbourhood When he first moved to his urban neighbourhood, Barry Devonald was surprised to be welcomed by a whole flock of new neighbours. Politics CEOs demand changes to Liberals' military spending plan The federal government risks jeopardizing the economy unless it meets its NATO military alliance spending obligations within the next five years, says the Business Council of Canada. Justin Trudeau defends spending record on military amid fresh criticism Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is defending his government's record on supporting national defence, following fresh criticism that Canada is failing to live up to its NATO defence-spending commitments. Montreal police chief expects additional arrests following anti-NATO protest Montreal's police chief says he expects more arrests stemming from a Friday anti-NATO protest that turned violent, with smashed windows and burned cars in downtown Montreal. Health How menopause awareness among employers, patients is changing the workplace Canadians might have noticed menopause is increasingly a topic of conversation outside of health circles, gaining profile in entertainment and popular culture Dozens of people in Canada have scurvy, and it's because of food A disease often thought to only affect 18th century sailors is reemerging in Canada. Ontario missed interim target for providing hands-on care to long-term care residents Ontario failed to meet its own legislated target this past year for the average number of hands-on hours of care that long-term care residents receive, a newly updated document shows. Sci-Tech EU says Bluesky is violating information disclosure rules Bluesky, the rapidly growing social media platform, is violating EU regulations by failing to disclose important details, a European Commission spokesperson told reporters during a daily briefing on Monday. Social media sites call for Australia to delay its ban on children younger than 16 An advocate for major social media platforms told an Australian Senate committee Monday that laws to ban children younger than 16 from the sites should be delayed until next year at least instead of being rushed through the Parliament this week. Canadian neurosurgeons seek six patients for Musk's Neuralink brain study Canadian neurosurgeons in partnership with Elon Musk's Neuralink have regulatory approval to recruit six patients with paralysis willing to have a thousand electrode contacts in their brains. Entertainment Drake's Australian tour to begin same date as rival Kendrick Lamar's Super Bowl show Drake is taking his musical stylings Down Under with a short Australian tour set to kick off on the same date as rival Kendrick Lamar's Super Bowl halftime performance. Pop star Ed Sheeran apologizes to Man United boss Ruben Amorim for crashing interview British pop star Ed Sheeran has apologized to Ruben Amorim after inadvertently interrupting the new Manchester United head coach during a live television interview. Zayn Malik returns to the stage with tribute to Liam Payne Zayn Malik played his first concert since the death fellow One Direction member Liam Payne and it was emotional. Business Judge in Alex Jones' bankruptcy case to hear arguments on The Onion's bid for Infowars A bankruptcy judge is set to hear arguments Monday in conspiracy theorist Alex Jones' effort to stop the satirical news outlet The Onion from buying Infowars and turning it into a parody. Unifor's Canadian National Railway members vote for strike authorization Unifor said on Monday its members at Canadian National Railway have authorized a strike action at the railroad if the parties fail to reach an agreement by Jan. 1. Court docs show what sparked Competition Bureau probe into Leon's, The Brick Court documents are offering a window into the Competition Bureau's investigation into Leon's Furniture Ltd. and its subsidiary The Brick Warehouse LP. Lifestyle 'Like climbing Mount Everest:' Inside the gruelling world of the Chess World Championship The Chess World Championship begins in Singapore on Monday with China's Ding Liren seeking to defend his title against India's Gukesh Dommaraju, better known as Gukesh D, who is still just 18 years old and could become the youngest ever person to be crowned world champion. School bullies have moved online. But is banning all under-16s from social media really the answer? The Australian government introduced what it's called 'world-leading' legislation in parliament this week to wipe social media accounts – including Snapchat, TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, Reddit and X – from the devices of children under 16. Ants marching into spotlight as hobby of ant-keeping rises in popularity They are tiny insects that are often overlooked or stepped on, but ants are marching not only into people’s backyards, but also their homes, as the popularity of ant-keeping rises in Canada. Sports NBA legend Charles Barkley criticizes LA Lakers over handling of Bronny James NBA legend Charles Barkley has criticized the Los Angeles Lakers over their handling of Bronny James this season. 'Embarrassing:' NHL team ditches bus and walks to Scotiabank Arena amid gridlock The Utah Hockey Club got the full Toronto experience Sunday night ahead of their first-ever matchup against the Maple Leafs—bumper-to-bumper traffic that forced the team to walk to the game. Vancouver Whitecaps drop head coach Vanni Sartini Two weeks after the Vancouver Whitecaps’ playoff run ended in the first round, the team has fired head coach Vanni Sartini. Autos Nearly 46,000 electric vehicles recalled in Canada over power loss risk Nearly 46,000 electric vehicles from Kia, Hyundai and Genesis are being recalled in Canada over a potential power loss issue that can increase the risk of a crash. Northvolt says Quebec battery plant will proceed despite bankruptcy filing Northvolt AB has filed for bankruptcy protection in the United States, but said the move will not jeopardize the manufacturer's planned electric vehicle battery plant in Quebec — though hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars invested in the parent company could be lost. Canadian drivers own their poor road habits: survey Canadian drivers are regularly in a hurry to get to their destination and a majority are willing to take unnecessary risks on the road, according to the results of a new survey. Shopping Trends The Shopping Trends team is independent of the journalists at CTV News. We may earn a commission when you use our links to shop. Read about us. 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England wicketkeeper Jordan Cox has been ruled out of the three-test series against New Zealand after fracturing his thumb in a net session during a tour match in Queenstown. Cox was set to make his test debut in the series opener in Christchurch, which starts on Thursday, as cover for regular gloveman Jamie Smith, who is skipping the tour for the birth of his first child. "I'm gutted for Jordan. He has been shaping up nicely, both with the bat and gloves, since we got to New Zealand," coach Brendon McCullum said in a team statement on Monday. "That's sport, and unfortunately, these things happen. We will get around him and look after him. He is resilient, and his time will come at some point in the future." Ollie Pope took the gloves for Sunday's second and final day of the tour match against the New Zealand Prime Minister's XI and a replacement for Cox will be announced "in due course", the team said.CARACAS (AP) — Six Venezuelan government opponents who have sheltered for months at the decried Sunday that local police and intelligence agents were stationed outside of it for hours. The move prompted the U.S. government to call it a serious violation of international law and Argentina’s Foreign Ministry to describe it as an act of harassment. Most of the opponents belong to the Vente Venezuela party led by . It denounced what it called “a new siege by hooded officials” that began Saturday night and extended into Sunday. The incident occurred hours after Machado called for a massive mobilization on Dec. 1, prompting Venezuela’s minister of the interior to accuse the political leader of being part of a new conspiracy attempt against the government of President Nicolás Maduro. Vente Venezuela said in a statement that the diplomatic headquarters remains without electricity and is surrounded by “regime vehicles” that are preventing traffic from circulating in the area. It said communication signals also were scrambled. Argentina’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement late Saturday that the deployment of armed troops and the closing of streets in the vicinity “constitute a disturbance of security.”. It also called on the international community to condemn the incident, which the U.S. did. On Sunday, the U.S. Embassy in Venezuela posted on X that the U.S. “strongly condemns the acts of harassment against asylum seekers.” “The deployment of armed forces and blockades seriously violate international law,” it said. “We demand that the Venezuelan regime respect its international obligations, cease these intimidating actions and guarantee safe passage for asylum seekers.” Diplomatic relations between the two countries have been broken since 2019. The opposition members entered the embassy in March after the Venezuelan Attorney General’s Office issued arrest warrants and accused them of promoting alleged acts of violence to destabilize the government. In August, Argentina’s request to guard its embassy after the Venezuelan government ordered the expulsion of Argentine diplomatic personnel following statements by its president, Javier Milei, that he would not recognize “another fraud” in Venezuela after the y. A month later, Venezuela revoked Brazil’s authorization to guard the embassy, alleging it had evidence of the use of the facilities “for the planning of terrorist activities and assassination attempts.” Brazil and Argentina have rejected those accusations. The Associated PressLANDOVER, Md. (AP) — Austin Seibert choked back tears taking responsibility for missing the extra point that would have tied the score in the final minute. Jeremy Reaves choked back tears blaming himself for a missed assignment that led to a kickoff return touchdown. And John Bates choked back tears talking about moving forward from his costly fumble. All of those late mistakes contributed to the Washington Commanders' third consecutive loss , 34-26 to the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday in a game that was wholly unremarkable until fourth quarter chaos. The teams combined to score 31 points in the final four minutes, the most in an NFL game in more than a decade, and the Commanders (7-5) came out on the wrong end of it in a defeat that further endangers their playoff chances. “Any time you lose a game or you lose a game in that type of fashion, it’s very difficult and it’s tough, but it never comes down to one play,” rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels said. “There’s plays throughout the game where little things add up to big things.” There were a lot of little things. After Bates fumbled, the Cowboys (4-7) took an 11-point lead and the Commanders made a 2-point conversion to cut the deficit to three, Dallas' KaVonte Turpin returned the ensuing kickoff 99 yards for a touchdown. “I didn’t make the play when it was there to make, and it cost us,” said Reaves, one of the league’s top special teams players and the All-Pro pick for that two seasons ago. “No excuse, man. I’ve made that play 100 times, and I didn’t make it today and it cost us the game. It’s unacceptable. It’s solely on me. It’s going to sting for a while. It’s going to hurt.” After Seibert made a 51-yard field goal, Daniels connected with Terry McLaurin on an 86-yard TD that made it 27-26 with 21 seconds left. Coach Dan Quinn said no thought was given to going for 2 in that situation. Seibert, who missed the past two games with a right hip injury, was wide left on the point-after attempt. “I just wasn’t striking it well,” said Seibert, who added he felt fine and did not blame a low snap for his miss. "It didn’t make a difference at all. It was on me.” Juanyeh Thomas returned the onside kick immediately after 43 yards for a touchdown to put Dallas up eight with 14 seconds left. The 31 combined points are the second most in a game since at least 2000, behind only Minnesota and Baltimore's 36 in their game Dec. 8, 2013. Cowboys-Commanders was the first game in the Super Bowl era to have two missed extra points, two kickoff return touchdowns and a blocked punt. “We got down to the end there and it was a game-situational extravaganza,” Dallas coach Mike McCarthy said. “It was like Yahtzee. Everything was in there." While Washington's skid continued, the Cowboys ended their losing streak at five thanks to strong play from QB Cooper Rush, a defense that forced two turnovers and, of course, special teams success. Rush was 24 of 32 for 247 yards and TD passes to Jalen Tolbert and Luke Schoonmaker. “Lot of games left,” Rush said. “We’re sitting at 4-7. This is why you play them.” The Commanders have some soul-searching to do after losing as a 10 1/2-point favorite in the meeting of NFC East rivals and doing so in a way that left players so emotional. “The crazy games, I know they feel a little bit better whenever you win them,” punter and holder Tress Way said. “But that’s a tough pill to swallow.” Cowboys: LG Tyler Smith was inactive with ankle and knee injuries. ... RG Zack Martin (ankle), CB Trevon Diggs (groin/knee) and TE Jake Ferguson (concussion) were ruled out prior to game day and did not travel for the game. Commanders: RB Austin Ekeler was concussed on a kickoff return in the final seconds and taken to a hospital for further evaluation. ... RB Brian Robinson Jr. left with an ankle injury in the first half, returned and then left again. ... RT Andrew Wylie was concussed in the third quarter and did not return. ... C Tyler Biadasz was evaluated for a concussion in the fourth. ... CB Marshon Lattimore (hamstring) missed a third consecutive game since being acquired at the trade deadline from New Orleans. Cowboys: Host the New York Giants on Thursday in the traditional Thanksgiving Day game in Dallas. Commanders: Host the Tennessee Titans next Sunday in Washington’s final game before its late bye week. AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl
In a warm and festive atmosphere, the Hellenic Heritage Foundation (HHF) held its annual Christmas Dinner on November 23, 2024, at the Palais Royale in Toronto. The event brought together distinguished members of the Greek community, academics, politicians, and friends of the Foundation to celebrate the organization’s initiatives and achievements over the past year. Set against the elegant backdrop of the Palais Royale, HHF President Anastasios (Andy) Seretis delivered a reflection on the year’s milestones, underscoring the importance of collective efforts to preserve Greek identity in Canada. In his address, he emphasized that “the HHF remains a beacon of unity and cultural continuity.” Highlighting the significance of collaboration, Seretis referenced the historic visit of Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis to Canada – the first by a Greek prime minister in 40 years after Andreas Papandreou’s visit in 1983. “This marked the first time in four decades that a Greek prime minister visited the Greek diaspora in Canada,” he noted, “an event realized through collaboration with the Greek Community of Toronto and the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Canada.” Among the year’s many accomplishments, Seretis pointed to the Greek International Film Festival, which promoted Greek cinematography in 11 cities across Canada, and the Heritage Greece Program, which provided 22 Canadian students with the opportunity to explore Greek heritage through an educational trip to Greece. The evening celebrated not only the success of the HHF’s initiatives but also its enduring role in fostering connections and preserving the vibrant legacy of Hellenism within the Canadian cultural mosaic. The event provided an opportunity to recognize individuals who have made significant contributions to preserving and promoting Greek heritage. Irene Keroglidis became the first woman to receive the title of Honorary Lifetime Member of the HHF, an acknowledgment of her dedication and service to the Foundation and the broader Greek-Canadian community. Eight distinguished students were honored with scholarships for their academic excellence. The president of HHF highlighted the progress of the Hellenic Heritage Foundation Greek Canadian Archives, a program dedicated to preserving and researching the history of Greeks in Canada. By collecting materials from organizations such as the American Hellenic Educational Progressive Association (AHEPA) and the Hellenic Canadian Lawyers’ Association (HCLA), the initiative ensures that the rich history of the Greek diaspora will remain accessible to scholars and the wider community for generations to come. The recognition of outstanding contributors and the advancement of archival efforts underline the HHF’s commitment to fostering a deeper understanding and appreciation of Greek heritage in Canada. The night came to a vibrant close with a musical performance by Stavros Kanichis and his orchestra, offering attendees the chance to enjoy traditional Greek melodies and dancing. Seretis extended heartfelt thanks to supporters and volunteers, emphasizing that the Foundation’s initiatives would not be possible without their invaluable contributions.
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A Connecticut couple has been charged in Minnesota with being part of a shoplifting ring suspected of stealing around $1 million in goods across the country from the upscale athletic wear retailer Lululemon. Jadion Anthony Richards, 44, and Akwele Nickeisha Lawes-Richards, 45, both of Danbury, Connecticut, were charged this month with one felony count of organized retail theft. Both went free last week after posting bail bonds of $100,000 for him and $30,000 for her, court records show. They're due back in Ramsey County District Court in St. Paul on Dec. 16. According to the criminal complaints, a Lululemon investigator had been tracking the pair even before police first confronted them on Nov. 14 at a store in suburban Roseville. The investigator told police the couple were responsible for hundreds of thousands of dollars in losses across the country, the complaints said. They would steal items and make fraudulent returns, it said. Police found suitcases containing more than $50,000 worth of Lululemon clothing when they searched the couple's hotel room in Bloomington, the complaint said. According to the investigator, they were also suspected in thefts from Lululemon stores in Colorado, Utah, New York and Connecticut, the complaint said. Within Minnesota, they were also accused of thefts at stores in Minneapolis and the suburbs of Woodbury, Edina and Minnetonka. The investigator said the two were part of a group that would usually travel to a city and hit Lululemon stores there for two days, return to the East Coast to exchange the items without receipts for new items, take back the new items with the return receipts for credit card refunds, then head back out to commit more thefts, the complaint said. In at least some of the thefts, it said, Richards would enter the store first and buy one or two cheap items. He'd then return to the sales floor where, with help from Lawes-Richards, they would remove a security sensor from another item and put it on one of the items he had just purchased. Lawes-Richards and another woman would then conceal leggings under their clothing. They would then leave together. When the security sensors at the door went off, he would offer staff the bag with the items he had bought, while the women would keep walking out, fooling the staff into thinking it was his sensor that had set off the alarm, the complaint said. Richards' attorney declined comment. Lawes-Richards' public defender did not immediately return a call seeking comment Monday. “This outcome continues to underscore our ongoing collaboration with law enforcement and our investments in advanced technology, team training and investigative capabilities to combat retail crime and hold offenders accountable,” Tristen Shields, Lululemon's vice president of asset protection, said in a statement. "We remain dedicated to continuing these efforts to address and prevent this industrywide issue.” The two are being prosecuted under a state law enacted last year that seeks to crack down on organized retail theft. One of its chief authors, Sen. Ron Latz, of St. Louis Park, said 34 states already had organized retail crime laws on their books. “I am glad to see it is working as intended to bring down criminal operations," Latz said in a statement. "This type of theft harms retailers in myriad ways, including lost economic activity, job loss, and threats to worker safety when crime goes unaddressed. It also harms consumers through rising costs and compromised products being resold online.” Two Minnesota women were also charged under the new law in August. They were accused of targeting a Lululemon store in Minneapolis.John Force Racing Congratulates Brittany Force As She Ties The Knot After NHRA Season
OKLAHOMA CITY — The Oklahoma Opioid Abatement Board awarded $2.5 million in grant awards to 14 counties, two cities and two school districts on Wednesday to help curb the state’s opioid crisis. Comanche and Osage counties received the largest grant awards at $300,000 each. Grants will fund treatment and recovery programs, opioid abuse education and strategies to decrease the supply of narcotics across the state. Attorney General Gentner Drummond, who chairs the board, said the grants are designed to help communities address Oklahoma’s opioid crisis. “I’m pleased we are able to provide resources for communities across our state to fight the crippling effects of fentanyl and other deadly opioids,” he said. “These funds will help remove opioids from our streets and provide help for Oklahomans struggling with addiction.” Comanche County plans to fund an opioid task force, provide housing for individuals recovering from opioid addiction and provide transportation for drug court participants. Osage County will partner with the Osage Nation Health System to offer treatment, prevention and counseling support services to residents. Grants were awarded to applicants who submitted corrected applications following the first round of grant awards in June when $11 million was awarded to 71 Oklahoma political subdivisions. Any entity that initially submitted an incomplete application or requested funds for an unapproved purpose was invited to resubmit their grant applications.
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SPRINGFIELD — In the days after former President Donald Trump was reelected, Illinois Democrats raised alarms about the ramifications of his second term and said they would consider whether the state needs to strengthen any of its progressive laws on reproductive rights and other issues that might be threatened by an unfriendly White House. But the Democratic-led Illinois General Assembly adjourned its final session of the year without taking any meaningful steps in that direction, with some lawmakers saying more time is needed to consider what might be done. Republicans countered by accusing Democrats of considering legislation based only on assumptions about potential actions by the Trump administration. During their five-day fall veto session — legislators left town a day early in the first week — lawmakers did pass a measure to phase out a subminimum wage for people with disabilities, and moved forward on another aimed at making it easier for the state’s child welfare system to have a child’s family member serve as their legal guardian. Some bigger issues were pushed into next year, among them legislation adjusting the state’s pension system and a proposal to consolidate the Chicago area’s transit agencies. Following a lame duck session scheduled for Jan. 2-7, a new General Assembly will be seated on Jan. 8, and after that Gov. JB Pritzker and lawmakers will also need to confront a projected budget shortfall of nearly $3.2 billion for next year’s state budget. Pritzker last week announced he was part of an initiative called Governors Safeguarding Democracy with Colorado Gov. Jared Polis to leverage states’ rights against threats following Trump’s reelection. But Pritzker didn’t go the route of California Gov. Gavin Newsom, who directly asked his state’s general assembly to address Trump’s election in a special legislative session next month. Illinois’ Democratic lawmakers said figuring out exactly what to do will take some time, and that the just-completed session simply provided an opportunity to get discussions started. “So many people that we legislators represent, including ourselves, have so much anxiety about changes to come due to the incoming administration and we don’t know immediately what we can do in the state legislative arena, but we are already listening, talking about it and planning for it,” said Rep. Lindsey LaPointe, a Democrat from Chicago’s Northwest Side. “Those are complicated issues and once we start putting stuff on paper and talking about it publicly, we have to get it right.” Some of the issues being explored are in the areas of environmental protections, immigration and health care access, along with abortion, LGBTQ+ and workers’ rights. State Rep. Bob Morgan, a Democrat from Deerfield, believes he and his colleagues will be working on issues that address “preemptive, proactive protections” for Illinoisans. Morgan, who has a special interest in gun safety issues following a deadly mass shooting in his district at the 2022 Fourth of July parade in Highland Park, questioned whether President Joe Biden’s Office of Gun Violence Prevention would be on the chopping block and how that would affect Illinois. “When we start talking about policy to keep people safe, it really puts the pressure on states like Illinois to really figure out what can we do to reduce gun violence, and the opportunity to rely on the federal government will no longer be there,” Morgan said. Morgan was a main sponsor of Illinois’ sweeping gun ban that took effect in January 2023, but earlier this month was ruled unconstitutional by a federal judge who was appointed to the bench during Trump’s first term. House Republican leader Tony McCombie, who has been critical of the Democratic call for a legislative response to Trump’s approaching presidency, said Thursday she was against having a lame duck session if the Democrats don’t intend to pass any meaningful measures. “We do not need more time for out-of-touch Democrats to dream up harmful legislation,” said McCombie, of Savanna. “We need bipartisan legislation that focuses on the issues Illinois families care about most.” Republican Rep. Charlie Meier said Democrats shouldn’t be changing laws or passing laws “just because America’s doing what America does” by electing a new president. “They’re going to try to think what he might do before he even does it to create another law on the Illinois citizens that we may not need,” said Meier, of Okawville. “We are a state that has written so many laws, so many rules, that we are about the worst in unemployment in the country.” Among the measures lawmakers did move to Pritzker’s desk during the brief session was a heavily debated bill to phase out subminimum wage for disabled workers over the next five years. Federal law allows some employers to pay disabled workers less than minimum wage. In Illinois, some disabled workers are paid less than a dollar an hour, according to the bill’s advocates. Erin Compton, a student who identified as having an intellectual disability, testified in favor of the bill in committee, saying she has held several jobs including in research and as a ticket scanner for the Cubs. “Some people say that having a job isn’t for me, because I’m not smart enough or good enough to work, but I was given opportunities to work in the community and have to have a fair wage,” Compton said. Pritzker praised the legislation, calling it an “unprecedented, crucial leap forward” for disabled people to earn a fair wage. “Far too often, people with disabilities still endure barriers to employment and discrimination in the workplace,” he said in a statement. “Many are paid subminimum wages that devalue their contributions and diminish their likelihood to secure meaningful work and participate in other life-enhancing activities.” While the bill passed with bipartisan support, opponents including Republican Sen. Chapin Rose of Mahomet warned it could lead to a loss of opportunities for some disabled people. Another measure that has bipartisan support provides additional incentives for relatives of children in the care of the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services to maintain a home for the youths as an alternative to the children being placed in foster care with nonfamily members. It passed with no opposition in the Senate on Thursday after passing 113-0 in the House last spring. But because of an amendment that was attached to the bill by the Senate, it has to go back to the House for what will likely be the bill’s final vote. The legislation requires DCFS to seek federal funding to start a “kinship navigator program” to assist relatives who are caregivers with the agency and increase financial support to those relatives. According to the American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois, which pushed for the measure, more than 10,000 children in DCFS care live with relatives, but over 60% of these caregivers are denied the foster care benefits necessary to care for a youth being placed in their household because state law requires them to meet complex standards that were put in place decades ago. “Current licensing procedures create unnecessary roadblocks to financial assistance for relatives serving as caregivers,” Sen. Mattie Hunter, a Chicago Democrat who was a chief sponsor of the measure, said in a statement. “Research shows children are better off when they can maintain connections to their families and traditions. We need to provide these families with the support they need to make this possible.” The veto session was also an opportunity for lobbyists, unions and other advocates to make last-minute pushes to get their bill proposals on lawmakers’ agendas. On the second day of the veto session, thousands descended on the state Capitol for a rally highlighting their concerns over changes made to Illinois’ beleaguered pension system 13 years ago. Workers hired after Jan. 1, 2011, were placed into a “Tier 2” system that offered reduced benefits compared with other employees hired before that date. The overall goal of creating the Tier 2 plan was to shrink a pension debt that now runs to about $141 billion. But benefits paid out under the Tier 2 system at some point won’t equal to what Social Security would provide to those employees, a violation of a federal “safe harbor” law. This would require Illinois to pay large sums in Social Security taxes instead of operating its own pension system which, while still costly, allows the state more flexibility. At the rally, proponents cheered and bellowed chants calling for equality in the state’s pension system. “We are union people. We believe people doing the same job, a fair day’s work, deserve a fair day’s pay, whether that’s in your paycheck, your benefits or your retirement security in a pension,” Pat Devaney, secretary-treasurer of the Illinois AFL-CIO, said to the crowd. “So what happened over the years? Politicians, state governments, local governments came up with schemes to underfund the pensions, take pension holidays, use other gimmicks to cause stress in the system.” The state’s perennial pension problems are among several budgetary matters that will likely be taken up in the coming months by the legislature, along with how to deal with a $730 million fiscal cliff for Chicago-area public transit once federal pandemic aid dries up in early 2026 and whether to set aside more state funding for Chicago’s public school system. Other unresolved issues include gun safety measures that Democrats haven’t been able to bring over the finish line. Legislation often referred to as “Karina’s Bill,” named after Chicago resident Karina Gonzalez, who, along with her 15-year-old daughter, was shot and killed by her husband last year, would require police to remove guns from people who have orders of protection against them, clarifying when and how authorities can confiscate such firearms. As it stands, firearms aren’t always taken from people in those situations even if the firearm owner’s identification card is revoked. Illinois lawmakers could weigh a proposal to create a statewide office to help under-resourced public defenders. One of the proposal’s goals is to address the lack of public defense resources in rural areas, many of which don’t even have a public defender’s office. The measure also seeks to address disparities in the resources allotted to county prosecutors and public defenders. For example, Cook County’s 2024 budget provided about $102 million for its public defender’s office, and about $205 million for its state’s attorney’s office. Other unresolved issues range from whether to allow all dispensaries to sell medical cannabis to legalizing medical aid in dying, often referred to as physician-assisted suicide or medically assisted death. This proposal would give mentally competent, terminally ill adults the right to choose to end their lives by allowing these patients the right to access life-ending prescription medication. Gov. JB Pritzker, Sen. Dick Durbin and others speak about U.S. EPA grants on Nov. 15. Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter.
Sabien Technology Group Plc ( LON:SNT – Get Free Report ) shares traded up 10% during trading on Thursday after an insider bought additional shares in the company. The stock traded as high as GBX 11 ($0.14) and last traded at GBX 11 ($0.14). 217,631 shares traded hands during trading, an increase of 207% from the average session volume of 70,864 shares. The stock had previously closed at GBX 10 ($0.13). Specifically, insider Richard Parris bought 200,000 shares of Sabien Technology Group stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, November 27th. The stock was bought at an average cost of GBX 10 ($0.13) per share, for a total transaction of £20,000 ($25,474.46). Sabien Technology Group Stock Performance The company has a market cap of £2.78 million, a P/E ratio of -391.67 and a beta of 0.50. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of GBX 10.99 and a two-hundred day moving average price of GBX 10.49. The company has a quick ratio of 1.54, a current ratio of 0.56 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 40.44. Sabien Technology Group Company Profile Sabien Technology Group Plc, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the provision of energy reduction and cloud-connected carbon management technologies serving the commercial heating sector in the United Kingdom and internationally. It offers M2G intelligent boiler load control solution and cloud-connected carbon management service optimize boilers' energy use. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Sabien Technology Group Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Sabien Technology Group and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .
Analysis: Gophers indeed had their chance vs. Penn State, but they just couldn’t deliverDEAR DEIDRE: I CANNOT see eye to eye with my son and the constant rowing is really getting me down. My wife says we are both as bad as each other and very similar. I’m 47 and my son is 13. Recently, he’s started getting really cheeky and answering me back on every issue. I have to ask him several times to do one thing, which drives me mad. I would admit that we are pretty similar, we’re both stubborn, hot-headed and short-tempered. I’d love to be calmer and more zen but no matter how well intentioned I am by the end of the day we have normally had at least one horrible shouting match where neither of us listens and both of us shouts. My wife got really upset today. She says the atmosphere in the house is really getting her down. She’s told me I’ve got to get a grip of my temper or she’s going to leave me. She told me I’m setting a bad example and she doesn’t want our son brought up in an unhappy environment. We recently had a horrible fight after my son barged past me and I shoved him up against the wall, all because he refused to come off his phone and do some homework. He is so unreasonable but in truth I lose my temper too quickly. How can I become more measured? MORE FROM DEAR DEIDRE DEIDRE SAYS: It takes a lot of courage to admit that you haven’t got it right, and even more to ask for help so that is a great step. This is encouraging and the fact you want to make changes is important. I can feel the frustration building in your letter and do understand how annoyed you get when your son doesn’t listen. If the phone is a major issue in your home, introduce phone-free times and zones to give everyone a break from the all-consuming mobiles. We know phones and social media lure kids in and they can find it really hard to regulate their usage without clear rules and boundaries. Your son is at an age where he’s really going to start pushing back and trying the boundaries so it’s important to be really clear and consistent as a couple. Before things escalate out of control, tell your son that you will speak to him when he is calm and when he has stopped shouting. By firmly and calmly putting your foot down you’ll take the volatility out of the situation and will certainly find a resolution far quicker. Every problem gets a personal reply from one of our trained counsellors. Fill out and submit our easy-to-use and confidential form and the Dear Deidre team will get back to you. You can also send a private message on the DearDeidreOfficial Facebook page or email us at: deardeidre@the-sun.co.uk
The following takes place between March 1980 and June 1981. Part One: a seventh-floor hotel room in Knightsbridge. Tom Petty is sitting at a table drinking Coke and wishing it was Jack Daniel’s. He’s wearing an American Confederate jacket with one white star on the epaulette. He’s got a bone structure, straw-blond hair and a smile like a Gainesville gator. He looks androgynous and he can be ruthless. Like he was on March 7 and 8 at the Hammersmith Odeon when he berated the audience after an hour of polite British reserve with the taunt: “Are you all on fucking Mandrax?” And then slays them with . It’s a riot now. His most recent album, is at No.2 in the US chart but he can’t shift Pink Floyd off that pesky Wall. He also has two singles in the Top 30: , written for J Geils Band – producer Jimmy Iovine would nix that – and , possibly his greatest song to that date. A third, , is in waiting, buoyed by the line So, damn the torpedoes and full steam ahead, as Rear Admiral David Glasgow Farragut ordered at the battle of Mobile Bay before scuppering the CSS Tennessee. In showbiz parlance, Tom Petty has arrived, with all that entails: the cover of , features in and what is euphemistically termed ‘heavy’ management. It wasn’t always like this. Petty and his boys languished at Shelter Records from 1974 to 1977 when they were critical darlings, especially in the UK. The label, co-owned by Leon Russell and Denny Cordell, incorrigible rogues both, had a funky backwoods image, a small roster of idiosyncratic artists and homely promotional values that suited but sank Dwight Twilley without trace. Petty liked the ambience but not the lack of ambition. He didn’t want shelter. He wanted the great wide open. The Heartbreakers tour their debut album in Britain during the height of the new wave and find themselves labelled in a similar category, with Elvis Costello, Nick Lowe singing their praises. It’s a backhanded compliment that recognises Petty’s talents for offering something new by bracketing him with the punks like he’s spent his formative years in a mythical American garage, when his tastes are for classic LA rock, , Neil Young, Atlantic soul and Stax R&B. But hey, anything that’s rock’n’roll’s fine. The second album, , isn’t understood by the critics. More of the same, they moan. Sign up below to get the latest from Classic Rock, plus exclusive special offers, direct to your inbox! Throughout 1979, Petty is involved in a career-threatening lawsuit when Shelter sell their distribution to ABC, who promptly leap into MCA’s bed. Petty goes on strike. “I wasn’t consulted: no one asked me.” There are no tours and – an album recorded at a cost of $500,000 with Jimmy Iovine, ’s favourite engineer – is put on ice by the American High Courts when the singer declares himself bankrupt. Prior to its release, Petty’s artistic life was shrouded in compromise. “Our first album didn’t break for a year. We’d renegotiated a contract that said if Shelter was sold, we’d the right to leave. That happened. ABC sold Shelter to MCA in one of those huge mergers that happen every day. We assumed we were free. MCA said, ‘You ain’t.’ [This overlooks the fact that MCA already owned Shelter; they were simply in re-acquisition.] “Well, being kinda stubborn, I agreed to deliver an album but wouldn’t take any money from them. I spent my own money making it and it was a very expensive record to make. Partly because of the lawsuits, it took ten months. Then in the middle of recording, MCA sued me, Shelter sued me, my publishing company sued me and so did a few other smaller people. MCA’s a big dog for an individual to fight. I had nine lawyers contesting each case. While that’s happening, I’ve got constant offers from other record companies that would make me blush to tell you here. [Columbia apparently offered to shred his MCA contract and give him a multimillion-dollar sweetener.] “It reached the stage where it was almost funny. If I sing a song, do I own it? Me, the band and Jimmy Iovine were midway through and US Marshals were coming to the studio to steal the tapes, confiscate everything. We had to hide all the boxes, smuggle things in and out. I had to go on the stand and evade issues like, ‘What songs have you written? Recite the lyrics. Where are the tapes?’ [Petty’s guitar tech Bugs took them home every night, allowing Tom to plead ignorance in court as to their whereabouts without perjury.] All they could do was beat me up mentally until I did it their way. “Eventually I convinced the judge to let me go on a Californian tour so I could make some money. MCA’s lawyers were telling him I couldn’t do it as I’d incur debts and I couldn’t show any security. So I said to the judge, ‘But judge, there is no security in rock’n’roll,’ and he laughed and let me do it.” The resulting dates – the ‘Lawsuit Tour’ (also known to posterity as the ‘Why MCA? Tour’) – culminated in two sold-out shows in the Universal Amphitheatre, a large hall owned by, whom else, MCA. The executive director was one Danny Bramson, who intervened between artist and company and persuaded them to create the offshoot Backstreet Records (named after Bruce Springsteen’s song ) for Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers. “They didn’t realise how serious I was. I sold everything I had to get what was rightfully ours. It saved the group morale-wise because I never believed that record would make it.” But hits the target and goes double platinum. And after all, Tom is under the wing of the canniest Svengalis on the West Coast. He’s managed by Elliot Roberts (Joni Mitchell and Neil Young’s mentor since 1969) and his English partner, Tony Dimitriades, a former business manager/lawyer of The Kinks with ties to Claire Hamill. Such big hitters; MCA couldn’t be happier. Petty is their boy now (even if he is signed to a subsidiary label). He’s a 27-year-old whose first album has sold over one-and-a-half-million copies, and which will leave The Cars and The Knack in its wake. Any advance warnings regarding Petty’s tempestuous personality seem far-fetched now, alone together in a room. He’s on the wagon for the duration, having had his tonsils removed three weeks earlier, a nasty goodbye to useless nodules when you’re 28. In the US he’d thrown an almighty strop when shown his media schedule. “I fucked up a gig because I was out doing interviews,” he’d said. “All that talking cost me my fucking voice. That’s never going to happen again,” he told Dimitriades. “I should be all right for singing as long as I don’t have to do any fucking interviews in the next few days.” In London, he feels more secure. “I came here a bit before doc’s orders,” Petty drawls pleasantly. “Hospitals are dreadful places. I had three months of a really painful throat. I couldn’t smoke cigarettes, have a joint, nothing. I haven’t been that clear-headed for years. Some of my closest friends say it improved my character a great deal.” He chuckles and reaches for a Benson. “I can’t live like a boy scout. As Mark Twain said when they told him to give up cigarettes or die, ‘Life ain’t worth living without ’em.’” Close, but no cigar. I ask Petty if he has taken stock from the aftermath of the new bands. He professes a liking for Devo “in doses” and The Clash’s in its entirety. His tastes are orthodox but his reasoning is honest. “I’m out of touch, really. One of the bad things about this so-called success is if you go to see somebody, you can get bothered to the point where you don’t enjoy it... it’s an ordeal. I didn’t expect it to be quite as manic; people running after your car and crawling through your windows. It isn’t so bad; it’s what I always wanted, I guess. They don’t want to hurt you. “But if I go to a club, there’s so many music company types, so many LA scene makers, they can spoil your private life. If I see a new band, I find it hard to be objectively involved: it’s impossible to go somewhere and make up your own mind.” Generally he admits there is something in the air. “America’s come a long way. I’m proud. If I’m gonna wave the ole US banner, I admire Cheap Trick and for being loonier than anyone else. The main thing is you can go to towns which were dead three years ago, places like St Louis, and there’re hundreds of new bands all writing their own songs and all finding some kind of audience.” Petty shares Bruce Springsteen’s love for the romantic image and working-class sass. He’s smart enough to stay close to the street but not dumb enough to get stuck on it. “Well, we were the first American band who weren’t punk who were doing that stuff, three-minute songs that weren’t mush. Now the first album doesn’t sound weird at all. I said a lot of things then that I regret – I was always shooting my mouth off. I was a big fan of a lot of that though, I’ve always supported the lunatic fringe because that’s where it’s all gonna come from. When we were here, people always approached us as punk and we’d say, ‘No, we’re a rock’n’roll band’. We didn’t fit that category. Then all we heard was punk this, punk that and we said, ‘Fuck punk!’ “We decided to let our hair grow till it’s down to here and they’re starting to call us punks in America. It was absurd, these stupid labels. That’s the time when they don’t even know what a punk is in America, and one day I just said to a guy, as a joke, ‘If you call me a punk again, I’m gonna cut ya.’ So now I get kids comin’ up and asking me why I’m so down on new wave and I have to tell ’em: ‘Fuck, I invented that new wave here for all you know.’ I’ve always wanted that cleared up ’cos of the animosity it caused. The truth is that I’m glad we were here in ’77. I used to laugh myself sick at the Sex Pistols’ antics. Every day you could buy a paper and there was something outrageous going on.” Watching the gig in Hammersmith, it’s clear this is Petty’s show. “The others all have cliques of fans who come but I’d stand out if I was the bassist, being blond and all. I think they’re happy just to get the money. Benmont [Tench, keyboards] gets a much better shot on this album. “We’ve always been cast in the twelve-string sound; those comparisons. I know we sound like them at times, and God knows I’ve tried not to, but I get a bit tired of hearing them now. I don’t think Roger McGuinn can do all the things people say he can. We’re entirely different musicians really. Of course, I’d be interested to see how he did But he phoned me last year to ask if I had any songs for him and I couldn’t come up with one that was suitable.” One of the smartest things Petty ever did was to appear on the ‘No Nukes’ benefit on the same night as Springsteen. It was good for his credibility and it increased his drawing power on the East Coast. “While we were in limbo with the lawsuits, I’d read in the s about radiation creeping in. I’m not a very political guy but I’m getting worried. At least let the Russians bomb us – it would be so embarrassing to blow ourselves up. “Mike [Campbell, guitarist] and I discussed playing one of those benefits because we thought we’d draw a completely different crowd to the people Jackson Browne and Graham Nash get, the Woodstock types. When Bruce phoned me to play with him – and he doesn’t usually have other groups on his bill – we decided to do it. We don’t preach or send out leaflets. I haven’t heard the album anyway – it doesn’t look very interesting. I saw the show and that was enough. “I’ve changed my mind about a lot of things. I used to say, ‘Fuck the whales,’ but now I think we ought to save them too. Why not?” It’s possible to view this softening process with some cynicism, as part of the homogenised image that tends to accompany stardom, but Petty had no guarantee that would catch fire. “If those people had kept on suing me, I was going to be on a soup line. I’ve never got onto that channel about ‘what is life?’. This time I had a few sleepless nights. I wanted to write anthems for underdogs, songs like and . The theme of the album wasn’t self-conscious but when I put it together afterwards I could see it was about standing up for your rights, the ones that everyone has which can’t be fucked with or taken away. Rather than get really graphic – ‘They took me down to the court today and grilled me for eight hours’ – I wanted to keep the common denominator of them as love songs with other connotations. “They aren’t necessarily boy-girl songs, but I don’t think the kids want to hear a record about the evils of the music business. That’d be boring as hell. Meanwhile, he’s adept at accepting the plaudits while keeping one step ahead of the pundits. He takes his job seriously. He calls his songs ‘disposable’ yet he risked bankruptcy for them. He says of songwriting: “I refuse to think of it as work” – but his game plan looks like very hard work indeed. As for his philosophy, his attitude to the demands of the current lifestyle springs from an expression of naivety based on solid self-assurance. “I’ve proved everything to myself. One of my favourite Dylan lines is, and that’s what I feel. I don’t have to prove it to anyone else.” Part Two. July 1981. Los Angeles. Tom Petty is back in his adopted home and trying to adjust to two weeks off the treadmill. His new album is No.1 on the newly minted airwave-driven Rock Tracks chart but won’t eclipse . Yet again, he’s fallen out with MCA who want to charge record buyers $9.98 rather than the usual $8.98. Steely Dan don’t mind the extra dollar but Petty thinks they’re ripping the fans off and airs his disgust publicly. MCA back down after Petty threatens to call the album – although the working title of is , a reference to keyboard player Benmont Tench’s mild accusation that he wasn’t given enough to do. These are strange times for Petty. Success and fame are uneasy bedfellows and the Heartbreakers have fallen into the usual drugs and booze mess that goes with living in too many hotel rooms with too much money and nothing to spend it on. Bassist Ron Blair hated touring and was replaced on certain sessions by the veteran Donald ‘Duck’ Dunn (Blair would leave thereafter), while Petty had personal and professional problems. His mother Kitty had passed away the day after his 30th birthday the previous October. Devastated as he was, Petty chose not to attend her funeral in his home town of Gainesville, Florida because he reasoned his presence would turn a sombre affair into a three-ring media circus. But he also had issues with his father Earl, who he would later admit had physically and mentally abused him as a child. When I spoke to him the day after the band had played three SRO concerts at th e 18,000-seater LA Forum, he mentioned this distressing episode but glossed over it. “Mum and dad had a car wreck [after which Kitty became epileptic]. She was dying of cancer anyway. My dad’s disabled so he does nothing except play High Life all day. That’s a gambling game, big in Florida. “I’d like my dad to see us play. He never has and we’ve never been back to Gainesville. But he has the fans come round and he chats to ’em and feeds ’em and stuff. He loves that.” And the Heartbreakers will return to their Gatorland stomping ground that October, at the O’Connell Centre with Stevie Nicks as special guest. The arrival of Nicks in Tom’s life proved fortunate. “She started hanging out at the sessions and asked me to write her a song. Me and Mike [Campbell] wrote for her but I decided to keep that so we gave her instead and she sang on my album and I’m producing her.” In fact, Nicks’s disc will outstrip , largely thanks to the heavy rotation of on the then brand new MTV playlist. Petty didn’t know that then. “I’m glad because finally the girl appears on the album and she’s happy because it’s a snaky thing and it ain’t a ballad. She told me, ‘Don’t give me another ballad. I write those all the time!’ So we’re doin’ a kind of Gram Parsons and Emmylou Harris thing. is in my all-time top five albums. Always wanted to meet Gram, but when I got to LA he’d been dead for four months. People always say, ‘Oh ,you’re like Roger McGuinn,’ but I prefer the Parsons’ Byrds. It’s hard to introduce country rock into what we do. People think it’s corny parents’ music but we’re southern country like Gram [who was from Georgia] and I still feel dislocated in LA.” In San Francisco a week earlier, Petty, Nicks and her choir of girlfriends, including new bosom buddy Sharon Celani, Tench and Campbell persuaded the hotel piano bar to let them play a few songs. They knocked out , , and the old Penguins doo-wop number . One of the businessmen at the bar gives them 10 bucks, which Petty pockets until Stevie grabs it off him after one of the businessman in the joint says, ‘That’s for the lady’. “I said, ‘Hey, where’s my share?’ So Stevie rips the bill in half, sticks her half down her cleavage and gives me mine.” Nicks will soon become a regular on Petty tours and is often heard admitting that she’d rather join the Heartbreakers than carry on with Fleetwood Mac. A glimpse into her superstar life proves salutary. There’s the feeling that Tom Petty is one step away from that rarefied world. His rival Bruce Springsteen is just of reach and Tom is forever playing catch-up. Springsteen is a year older and seemingly always one album ahead. goes platinum in 1981 but goes five times platinum. As I’d somewhat tactlessly pointed out in London, Springsteen can do no wrong with British critics. The sun shines from his fundament. Maybe there was an element of a fit of pique when Petty pulled the band’s live performance off the movie, and it must have galled him to support The Boss and Peter Tosh at Madison Square Garden. Six years later he’d sit down and write a song lampooning Springsteen called with fellow Traveling Wilbury Bob Dylan, who was equally irked at hearing Springsteen referred to as his replacement: ‘The new Bob Dylan.’ They’d laughed as they wrote: while George Harrison and Jeff Lynne looked on. Back in real time, Petty had enough on his plate. The stream of fans camped outside his house forced him to hire security and he wrote about his gate man. “Mike thinks it’s funny that I have a security guard ’cos we’re just as scummy as ever. Now I’ve got this guy directing traffic: ‘Just move on please.’ He [the nightwatchman] came to see us play last night and says, ‘Oh, so that’s what you do. Now I get why I have this job.’ But don’t make out I’m complaining. There aren’t so many kids any more. Maybe they got the message. Or maybe I’m fading out,” he laughs. Petty admits, “I was in a strange state of mind when I wrote this album. It’s been like an exorcism. Why ? Well, anything that’s worth working for is a hard promise to me. I put a lyric sheet in for the first time because it’s the first time the words were good enough to be printed. Funny thing is no one ever mentioned the lyrics until I did that, probably couldn’t understand a word I sang. Personally, I don’t have much time for lyric sheets. I don’t want to be reading when I’m listening.” The night before, there’d been a riot and a stage invasion at the Forum that infuriated Petty. He stomped off afterwards and refused to attend the obligatory après-gig party. “I was in a bad mood anyway ’cos I know how much the people at the front paid the scalpers and I wouldn’t want to be pushed out my seat. We played in New York recently and a lot of kids got seriously mashed and taken to hospital, but that was at a festival.” His biggest problem, he says, is, “I can’t unwind. I haven’t been to bed for three days. I don’t take sleeping pills any more – they put me in such a lousy mood – and other drugs don’t work. I’m so charged up by playing a big room, by the energy – sorry to be Californian – but it’s like you get zapped. I’m on an insane schedule.” On the plus side, his six-year-old daughter Adria gets to see him perform for the first time at the Forum, holding Stevie Nicks’s hand tight in the wings. “On the way home she says to me, ‘Why didn’t you call me out?’ I’m like, ‘To do what exactly?’ She wasn’t fazed one bit,” Petty sighs. “I haven’t spent enough time with her.” Nor will he, as the Heartbreakers gang rolls across America. “Thing is, if we ain’t playing, we all get bored so easy. I can’t switch off. I’m getting a little tired of recording in Los Angeles, tell you the truth. I want to record the next album in Memphis.” A solo album? “Nah, why the hell would I do that? I’d end up using the Heartbreakers anyway. It’s just time for us to go back to our roots. We’ve exhausted this place.” Tape recorder turned off, Petty pours a cup of tea and gets up to go. “Me and Mike have a song we’re working out called . It’s a B-side but I want to play it live when we hit the road.” You can take the man out of the south, but you can’t take the south out of the man. “The world had gone mad. The PMRC were trying to use all these great songs for their own agenda, which in the long run counted for nothing”: The story of Judas Priest’s Defenders Of The Faith, the album that Tipper Gore couldn’t silence “As a term, ‘prog’ only evolved in the 1990s. And I loathe it. As soon as someone sticks a label on to you, they stop listening”: How Robert Fripp brought King Crimson back for their final resurrection “Within my lifetime there could be some natural disaster or a third World War that could destroy everything. I sincerely believe that we live in the beginning of the end”: How Satyricon faced the darkness with The Age Of Nero Max Bell worked for the during the golden 70s era before running up and down London’s Fleet Street for and all the other hot-metal dailies. 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