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Health care continues to be a top priority for Manitobans. The shadow of the COVID-19 pandemic and cuts from previous governments still hang over the sector, and many Manitobans have long been waiting for improvements. CityNews reporter Joanne Roberts sat down with Manitoba Minister of Health, Seniors and Long-term Care Uzoma Asagwara to find out how the NDP government is working to turn the system around. Joanne Roberts (JR) : You made it very clear that a main priority for your government was health care, and the care of all Manitobans, not just here in the city, but also rural Manitobans as well. Reflecting on the past year, how do you feel your government has held up to this promise? Minister Uzoma Asagwara (UA) : I feel our government has done a really good job of listening to Manitobans from every corner of the province in terms of what they want to see their health care look like. We know in order to make the changes that Manitobans want to see, we have to understand what they want to see. So, the premier and I have had the opportunity to undertake a listening tour. We’ve been all across the province. We’ve been in Winnipeg, rural Manitoba, we’ve been in the north listening to frontline health-care workers and Manitobans, sharing with us their hopes, their ideas, concerns and experiences of the health-care system. And through that listening tour and through the work we’ve been doing with our partners, I think we’ve been able to take some really important steps in making health care better and fixing the previous damage that was done to the health-care system that was done over seven-and-a-half years. JR : Can you talk about what you’ve learned this last year being on the front lines, being all over the province, and hearing from both patients and staff? UA : What I’ve learned and what’s been reinforced is health care is Manitobans’ No. 1 priority. It doesn’t matter where you go in our province, people are talking about their experiences in emergency rooms, or trying to see a specialist or a doctor. And they’ve been sharing a lot about what health care means to them. Being able to access essential health care no matter where they live. So, what we know as a government and what we’ve heard resoundingly is that we need more people on the front lines of our health-care system. We need more nurses, doctors, allied health-care professionals and staff and it’s been wonderful to hear directly from those folks about how we do the real work of actually retaining those folks on the front lines and also recruiting and training more health-care professionals. Through that listening, through that learning, and through taking real action, we’ve been able to take some big steps; like hiring a net, new 873 health-care workers on the front lines of our health-care system across Manitoba. JR : Is there a particular moment over the last year, is there somebody that you’ve met, given your experience in this industry, is there something you’ve learned, that you were surprised to learn and it’s now guiding you through the next year. UA : I would say we’ve had the incredible opportunity to meet folks from all aspects of health care. We’ve heard from folks who always haven’t had the opportunity to have their voices and expertise heard directly by the government. What I’ve really taken away is that every single perspective matters. Every single person who helps keep our health-care system, from the environmental staff workers, housekeeping, frontline folks, there’s administrators who understand the inner workings of the front line. We need to listen to those folks and invite them into the conversation as to how we fix health care – together. I would say one of the biggest pieces in doing this work and learning from folks who have been generous in sharing their knowledge with us, has been the way that people want to do the work together. There were a lot of years before our government, where people weren’t engaged. They weren’t listened to. They weren’t heard. Their expertise wasn’t valued and people are really eager to share what they know with us, and be a part of the solution. So, we know that doing things together is the way we accomplish hard things. Here in Manitoba, we’ve got the best communities who do that work, and the best health-care workers who do that work. We’re committed to working together, working in collaboration and partnership and continuing the work of moving our health-care system in a better direction. JR : You’ve also been honest in the last year, that all of these strides that you are making, there’s still a long way to go. We’ve also heard from nurses who are saying morale is at an all-time low. We’ve heard from patients who are still feeling like they are left behind, or they are falling through the cracks, because of the existing health-care system and how long it takes to make these changes. What would you say to people who feel they are still not seeing an impact, despite all you’ve accomplished over the last year? UA : Like every other Manitoban, I want and I wish to see these changes, big changes, tomorrow. But we know these things take time. We didn’t get to where we are in health care overnight. It took seven-and-a-half years of cuts, of closures, of chaos for us to see the level of damage done to our health-care system that has created a lot of the tough challenges we’re facing right now, but there’s hope. There’s hope when we can talk about a net, new 873 health-care workers that have joined the front lines. There’s hope when we see that we have more access to primary care with the extended hours primary care clinics we’ve opened. And there’s hope when we see we’ve hired a net new – a record number – 116 doctors to our health-care system. I know that it’s frustrating. Folks are carrying frustration that they’ve experienced for years into their experiences today. But we are seeing things get better and we are going to continue to take steps — even if they are just little steps — we’re going to keep taking those steps in the right direction. I want to reassure Manitobans that their No. 1 priority is going to continue to be our No. 1 priority. JR : Can you talk about the new year? A fresh start for many people. What is your government planning to do over the next year? What can you share with us today? UA : In year one, our government was able to do some really big things. Universal free birth control for all Manitobans was a really big step. We were able to do a lot around health-care recruitment and retention. We were able to do a lot in terms of bringing MRI, mobile MRI technology, to the north. The first time ever the north has ever had this diagnostic capacity. But looking into the future, looking into the new year, we just want to keep that momentum going. We have a target of hiring a net new 1,000 health-care workers. We are well on our way to achieving that very, very ambitious target. READ MORE: Manitoba announces mobile primary health-care clinic pilot So for 2025, we’re going to continue to set really ambitious goals. Manitobans deserve to have an ambitious government. They deserve to have a team that’s committed to making health care better and really doing the work, the heavy lifting and the hard work, of changing the culture in health care. That’s a really big part of how we improve the morale of nurses and front-line folks. It’s a big part of how we make the health-care system a place where we can attract people and keep people working happily and with a good balance. 2025, for me, is going to be a continuation of 2024. Where we continue to build on the good things we’ve done. We continue to do the work of changing the culture in health care, continue to build and repair relationships with front-line health-care workers and making sure, at the bedside, Manitobans feel the improvements right there. JR : Speaking about changing the culture in health care, your recent announcement of the request for proposals to move from agency nurses, back to nurses funded by the province. Nurses that are working for us, for the good of Manitobans. Many people called that a big and bold move and I know when you had announced that, you signalled to Manitobans that their health care comes first and profit does not come first. With that announcement as well, what did you want to signal to all of the health-care workers? UA : We know that health-care workers care deeply making sure that all Manitobans receive the best quality of care. I can’t thank nurses enough for what they do for Manitobans everyday in our health-care system. I’m a nurse myself. I was a nurse for a number of years before going into politics, so I know firsthand what it means to provide care at the bedside and it’s a calling. It’s something that is a really sacred responsibility and role. What we want is for more folks to be working in the public system, as part of a team — a structure — that we know results in the best outcomes for Manitobans who need care. RELATED: Manitoba vowing to crack down on overuse, lack of scrutiny by private health agencies The RFP is making sure that we put clear controls in place. That we can manage the costs around agencies, which are completely out of control and there were no controls in place for many years. We know that when you have these controls in place, that you can also improve the quality of care, and you can hold agencies accountable to making sure that they’re taking an approach that supports a strong public health-care system. It is a bold step, but again, Manitobans deserve a bold government. They deserve a government that’s going to take important steps to make health care better and this is just one part of that. It’s a way for us to also make sure we’re moving in the right direction of strengthening health care in the system for nurses and the health-care workers alike. JR : We all know that everyone struggles, Manitobans are not exempt from that, and I imagine being a provincial leader and also just the person that you are, that you are not exempt from criticism from every corner that you are in. I’m wondering if you could reflect on a difficult day you’ve had as our deputy premier this year, and how you made it through this day? UA : That’s a really big question. I’m a human. I’m a Manitoban just like everyone else. I love this province, I love our province. I’m so proud to be a Manitoban and I’m so fortunate to have been given the opportunity to serve Manitobans and our province in this way. It’s something I don’t take for granted; it’s the highest honour of my life. So, for all of the tough days and tough moments, I reflect on what this opportunity really means and it means that I get to be a part of making Manitoba better for all families. We’ve got great leadership in our Premier Wab Kinew; he’s somebody who is really guiding our province in a much brighter direction than where it was being led previously and it’s something I take really seriously. So for the tough days that do come up, and they absolutely do come up, for the challenges that maybe I have in my own personal life, we all have families, we have relationships we navigate and I want the same things for my family that Manitobans want for their families. I want my family to be healthy and safe. And doing the work of making health care better not only supports my family, but it supports all Manitoban families, and so I do this work with the province that I love at the heart of it, with my own family, my own community at the heart of it, and I’m just grateful to be able to continue to serve in this role and be there for Manitobans.Letter: Time to support the libraryAs you all already know, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is coming to the PS5 next spring, which means many of you will have to wait a little longer to get your hands on the movie series spin-off. But obviously, with the Xbox Series X|S and PC release imminent, Bethesda has released a launch trailer to give you a flavour for the game. There are few real surprises here: the video features a mixture of first-person combat, puzzle solving, and cutscenes. We do get a little hint of the late Tony Todd’s performance , who sadly passed away recently, and won’t get to see the game launch. We’re still not overly convinced by the first-person perspective, but there’s no doubt the game is winning us over in these brief gameplay snippets. Will you be holding tight until the aforementioned Spring 2025 launch, or is this a game you simply have to play as soon as possible? Solve the puzzle in the comments section below.
President-elect Donald Trump will return to the White House on Jan. 20, as President Joe Biden moves out, with the White House set to revert to how it was four years ago in more ways than one. Trump's famous Diet Coke button will be one of the things returning, according to a report from the Daily Mail. The red button, which was on the Resolute Desk in the Oval Office, summoned a butler to bring Trump his favorite drink when pressed. Trump's Diet Coke button was removed by Biden shortly after taking office in 2021. Other previous arrangements of furniture and portraits will also return to how they were under Trump's first administration, the outlet reported. The quick transition will mark a tradition of the peaceful transfer of power, which holds less fanfare than the inauguration ceremony on the west front of the Capitol Building. Trump and incoming first lady Melania Trump made their mark on the White House in 2020 with various renovations, including to the Rose Garden. Once the turnover happens on Jan. 20, 2025, the White House will look similar to how it previously appeared and will be staffed with many of the same people as his first term. Non-political White House staff largely remains the same throughout the different presidents. During the transition from Trump to Biden four years ago, the Trump White House team prepared to leave the executive mansion even as the then-president continued to contest his election loss. In the weeks before Trump's Jan. 20, 2021, exit, White House staff moved things out of the office buildings and residential parts of the mansion. By the time Biden arrived at the White House after being sworn in, much of his stuff was being moved into the executive mansion. The move-out process for the outgoing president concludes when he is out of office, and the move-in process begins for the newly sworn-in president at 12:01 p.m. when his items are unpacked from moving vehicles and put in their place. A 2021 report from the New York Times says the process of moving out one president, deep cleaning the residence, and moving in another president takes roughly five hours. The White House staff of roughly 90 people packed and unpacked the president's belongings and stock and rearranged the White House to the incoming president's liking. Previous transitions between administrations at the White House have had oddities. When President Bill Clinton moved out of the White House in January 2001, newly inaugurated President George W. Bush and his staff were greeted with an executive mansion with roughly $15,000 in damage , according to a General Accounting Office report. The incoming Bush administration accused the outgoing Clinton administration of vandalizing offices in the White House, among other damage to the executive mansion. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER The transitions from Bush to President Barack Obama and from Obama to Trump were less controversial than the Clinton to Bush changeover. Biden's exit from the White House will also likely come with additional scrutiny after the outgoing president and the incoming president's records with the handling of classified documents after leaving office came under scrutiny in recent years.UT wine contractors urge tax parity with Punjab in excise policy
By PATRICK WHITTLE, Associated Press PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — The FBI said Monday it is offering a reward of up to $15,000 for information leading to the return of a northern Maine teenager whose disappearance earlier in the fall has attracted international attention. Stefanie Damron, 14, of New Sweden, Maine, was reported missing by her family on Sept. 24, when she was last seen walking out of her house and into the nearby woods. Stefanie, who is homeschooled and has limited access to social media, has not been found despite extensive searches and interviews, authorities said. The FBI is collaborating with Maine State Police and is hopeful the reward will incentivize anyone with information regarding Stefanie’s disappearance, said Jodi Cohen, special agent in charge of the FBI’s Boston division. The reward is available to anyone with information leading to Stefanie’s safe return or the arrest and prosecution of anyone involved in her disappearance, the FBI said in a statement. “Stefanie’s family desperately wants to know where she is, and we are fully committed to helping our law enforcement partners exhaust every investigative resource to find her and bring her home,” Cohen said. New Sweden is a rural community of about 575 people located 310 miles (498.90 kilometers) north of Portland. Stefanie did not have electronic devices with her when she was last seen, and was known to sometimes leave home for the woods behind her house, though not for this long, Maine State Police Major Scott Gosselin said Monday. “We are looking for help from the public in order to maintain a vigilance for Stefanie and to report any tips or leads that might be helpful to our investigation,” Gosselin said. Stefanie’s disappearance has attracted media attention from as far away as Europe. Tips have come in regarding the case from other states and Canada, and authorities are following up on those, police said. However, police have yet to receive any concrete leads, they said. The Maine Department of Health and Human Services has been notified, which is standard procedure whenever a minor goes missing or there could be an issue in the home, police said. Boston.com Today Sign up to receive the latest headlines in your inbox each morning. Be civil. Be kind.Stocks drifted higher on Wall Street in midday trading Thursday, as gains in tech companies and retailers helped boost the market. The S&P 500 rose less than 0.1%. The benchmark index is coming off a three-day winning streak. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 19 points, or 0.1%, as of 12:32 p.m. Eastern time. The Nasdaq composite was up less than 0.1%. Trading volume was lighter than usual as U.S. markets reopened after the Christmas holiday. Chip company Broadcom rose 2.9%, Intel was up 0.7% and Apple gained 0.4%. While tech stocks overall were in the green, some heavyweights were a drag on the market. Semiconductor giant Nvidia, whose enormous valuation gives it an outsize influence on indexes, slipped 0.2%. Meta Platforms fell 0.9%, Amazon was down 0.5%, and Netflix gave up 1.4%. Health care stocks also helped lift the market. CVS Health rose 1.9% and Walgreens Boots Alliance rose 3.3% for the biggest gain among S&P 500 stocks. Several retailers also gained ground. Target rose 2.9%, Best Buy was up 2.1% and Dollar Tree gained 2.2%. U.S.-listed shares in Honda and Nissan rose 4.1% and 15.8%, respectively. The Japanese automakers announced earlier this week that the two companies are in talks to combine. Traders got a labor market update. U.S. applications for unemployment benefits held steady last week , though continuing claims rose to the highest level in three years, the Labor Department reported. Treasury yields rose in the bond market. The yield on the 10-year Treasury rose to 4.61% from 4.59% late Tuesday. Major European markets were closed, as well as Hong Kong, Australia, New Zealand and Indonesia. Trading was expected to be subdued this week with a thin slate of economic data on the calendar. Still, U.S. markets have historically gotten a boost at year’s end despite lower trading volumes. The last five trading days of each year, plus the first two in the new year, have brought an average gain of 1.3% since 1950. So far this month, the U.S. stock market has lost some of its gains since President-elect Donald Trump’s win on Election Day, which raised hopes for faster economic growth and more lax regulations that would boost corporate profits. Worries have risen that Trump’s preference for tariffs and other policies could lead to higher inflation , a bigger U.S. government debt and difficulties for global trade. Even so, the U.S. market remains on pace to deliver strong returns for 2024. The benchmark S&P 500 is up roughly 26% so far this year and remains near its most recent all-time high it set earlier this month — its latest of 57 record highs this year. Wall Street has several economic reports to look forward to next week, including updates on pending home sales and home prices, a report on U.S. construction spending and snapshots of manufacturing activity. AP Business Writers Elaine Kurtenbach and Matt Ott contributed.Amazon Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition 2024 review: faster, brighter, and still the best Kindle
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Stock market today: Stocks drift higher as US markets reopen after a holiday pause
Stocks wavered on Wall Street in afternoon trading Thursday, as gains in tech companies and retailers helped temper losses elsewhere in the market. The S&P 500 was down less than 0.1% after drifting between small gains and losses. The benchmark index is coming off a three-day winning streak. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 6 points, or less than 0.1%, as of 1:52 p.m. Eastern time. The Nasdaq composite was down less than 0.1%. Trading volume was lighter than usual as U.S. markets reopened after the Christmas holiday. Chip company Broadcom rose 2.9%, Micron Technology was up 1% and Adobe gained 0.8%. While tech stocks overall were in the green, some heavyweights were a drag on the market. Semiconductor giant Nvidia, whose enormous valuation gives it an outsize influence on indexes, slipped 0.1%. Meta Platforms fell 0.7%, Amazon was down 0.6%, and Netflix gave up 1.1%. Tesla was among the biggest decliners in the S&P 500, down 1.9%. Health care stocks helped lift the market. CVS Health rose 1.7% and Walgreens Boots Alliance rose 3% for the biggest gain among S&P 500 stocks. Several retailers also gained ground. Target rose 2.8%, Best Buy was up 2.2% and Dollar Tree gained 2.7%. Retailers are hoping for a solid sales this holiday season, and the day after Christmas traditionally ranks among the top 10 biggest shopping days of the year, as consumers go online or rush to stores to cash in gift cards and raid bargain bins. U.S.-listed shares in Honda and Nissan rose 4% and 16%, respectively. The Japanese automakers announced earlier this week that the two companies are in talks to combine. Traders got a labor market update. U.S. applications for unemployment benefits held steady last week , though continuing claims rose to the highest level in three years, the Labor Department reported. Treasury yields turned mostly lower in the bond market. The yield on the 10-year Treasury fell to 4.57% from 4.59% late Tuesday. Major European markets were closed, as well as Hong Kong, Australia, New Zealand and Indonesia. Trading was expected to be subdued this week with a thin slate of economic data on the calendar. Still, U.S. markets have historically gotten a boost at year’s end despite lower trading volumes. The last five trading days of each year, plus the first two in the new year, have brought an average gain of 1.3% since 1950. So far this month, the U.S. stock market has lost some of its gains since President-elect Donald Trump’s win on Election Day, which raised hopes for faster economic growth and more lax regulations that would boost corporate profits. Worries have risen that Trump’s preference for tariffs and other policies could lead to higher inflation , a bigger U.S. government debt and difficulties for global trade. Even so, the U.S. market remains on pace to deliver strong returns for 2024. The benchmark S&P 500 is up roughly 26% so far this year and remains near its most recent all-time high it set earlier this month — its latest of 57 record highs this year. Wall Street has several economic reports to look forward to next week, including updates on pending home sales and home prices, a report on U.S. construction spending and snapshots of manufacturing activity. AP Business Writers Elaine Kurtenbach and Matt Ott contributed.NFL warns of burglary groups targeting players
Stocks drifted higher on Wall Street in midday trading Thursday, as gains in tech companies and retailers helped boost the market. The S&P 500 rose less than 0.1%. The benchmark index is coming off a three-day winning streak. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 19 points, or 0.1%, as of 12:32 p.m. Eastern time. The Nasdaq composite was up less than 0.1%. Trading volume was lighter than usual as U.S. markets reopened after the Christmas holiday. Chip company Broadcom rose 2.9%, Intel was up 0.7% and Apple gained 0.4%. While tech stocks overall were in the green, some heavyweights were a drag on the market. Semiconductor giant Nvidia, whose enormous valuation gives it an outsize influence on indexes, slipped 0.2%. Meta Platforms fell 0.9%, Amazon was down 0.5%, and Netflix gave up 1.4%. Health care stocks also helped lift the market. CVS Health rose 1.9% and Walgreens Boots Alliance rose 3.3% for the biggest gain among S&P 500 stocks. Several retailers also gained ground. Target rose 2.9%, Best Buy was up 2.1% and Dollar Tree gained 2.2%. U.S.-listed shares in Honda and Nissan rose 4.1% and 15.8%, respectively. The Japanese automakers announced earlier this week that the two companies are in talks to combine. Traders got a labor market update. U.S. applications for unemployment benefits held steady last week , though continuing claims rose to the highest level in three years, the Labor Department reported. Treasury yields rose in the bond market. The yield on the 10-year Treasury rose to 4.61% from 4.59% late Tuesday. Major European markets were closed, as well as Hong Kong, Australia, New Zealand and Indonesia. Trading was expected to be subdued this week with a thin slate of economic data on the calendar. Still, U.S. markets have historically gotten a boost at year’s end despite lower trading volumes. The last five trading days of each year, plus the first two in the new year, have brought an average gain of 1.3% since 1950. So far this month, the U.S. stock market has lost some of its gains since President-elect Donald Trump’s win on Election Day, which raised hopes for faster economic growth and more lax regulations that would boost corporate profits. Worries have risen that Trump’s preference for tariffs and other policies could lead to higher inflation , a bigger U.S. government debt and difficulties for global trade. Even so, the U.S. market remains on pace to deliver strong returns for 2024. The benchmark S&P 500 is up roughly 26% so far this year and remains near its most recent all-time high it set earlier this month — its latest of 57 record highs this year. Wall Street has several economic reports to look forward to next week, including updates on pending home sales and home prices, a report on U.S. construction spending and snapshots of manufacturing activity. ___ AP Business Writers Elaine Kurtenbach and Matt Ott contributed. Alex Veiga, The Associated Press