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California storms hit beekeepers, but honey outlook’s sweet

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:15:13 GMT

By AMY TAXIN (Associated Press)During California’s prolonged, wet winter, beekeeper Gene Brandi said he had to spend twice as much money on a sugary syrup to feed his honeybees and keep them alive.That’s because the bees sent to pollinate blooming almond orchards took longer than usual to emerge from their hives due to chilly temperatures, wind and rain. Since the bees weren’t out gathering nectar and pollen for nourishment, the 71-year-old beekeeper provided sustenance for them.“We probably fed twice as much than we’ve fed in a normal year,” said Brandi, of the Central Valley community of Los Banos. “It’s expensive to feed, but it’s more expensive if the hive dies.”The challenge is one of many faced by America’s beekeepers following the unusually wet winter that ravaged California’s farm country, which feeds much of the nation. Most commercial beekeepers send their bees to California early in the year to help p...

NBA postseason play-in primer: How it works and what comes next for Heat

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:15:13 GMT

This is, of course, all new for a team that rarely plays from the bottom of the playoff pack.But here stand the Miami Heat in the NBA play-in tournament for the first time, a playoff preamble to the best-of-seven opening round that begins Saturday.For the Heat, after finishing in seventh place in the Eastern Conference, it comes down to this: two tries to win one game and advance. Lose both, and the season is over by the time the clock strikes midnight Friday.“I think this is going to be fun,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. “I think you have to embrace this new experience. To the old heads in our locker room, we’ve experienced a long career and not have had this opportunity.”So on to the play-in it is.“I think this is a really good game to compete and go after it,” Spoelstra said. “We’re looking forward to it. Our guys love competition and this has high stakes to it, and that’s ultimately where you find out about yourself,...

What does the leak of alleged classified US document contain and who posted them?

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:15:13 GMT

One of the largest leaks of alleged classified U.S. military documents in a decade has sparked an official investigation by the Department of Defense and could complicate American support for Ukraine shortly before a major offensive by Kyiv.Multiple tranches of documents have appeared on social media sites over recent weeks, some of them reportedly intended only for those with the highest levels of U.S. security clearance. The information covers a wide range of topics, from U.S. assessments of the war in Ukraine to intelligence gathered on diplomatic allies.Here’s what we know about the leaks so far:Q. What is in the documents?A. According to the New York Times and other outlets, the initial document leaks focused on U.S. assessments of the war in Ukraine originally written in February and March, including estimated casualties on both sides and what equipment and ammunition would be required by Kyiv in the future. However, they reported that at least one document appears to have bee...

Bomb targeting Pakistani police in SW kills 4, wounds 18

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:15:13 GMT

QUETTA, Pakistan (AP) — A roadside bomb targeting a police vehicle in volatile southwestern Pakistan on Monday killed at least four people and wounded 18 others, mostly civilian pedestrians, a government spokesperson said.The attack happened in Quetta, the capital of Baluchistan province, said Babar Yousafzai, a spokesman for the provincial government. He said the dead included two police and two civilians.In a statement, the outlawed Baluchistan Liberation Army claimed responsibility for the attack. The BLA, which was designated a terrorist group by the United States in 2019, said its fighters targeted the vehicle of a police officer who was behind the arrest of members of the group. Although such attacks are common, the Pakistani Taliban have also stepped up assaults on troops and police across Pakistan since November, when they ended a monthslong cease-fire with the government.Pakistan has also been battling an insurgency in Baluchistan for more than a decade, with separatists in...

Scotiabank picks new head of international banking from outside ranks

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:15:13 GMT

TORONTO — The top ranks of Scotiabank will have another new face as the bank said Monday that Francisco Aristeguieta will lead the bank’s international division. The appointment of Aristeguieta, to take effect May 1, comes less than three months after Scott Thomson stepped into the role of chief executive after being chosen from outside the bank’s executive team. Since taking the helm, Thomson has repeatedly talked about the need to improve the bank’s performance as it undergoes a strategic review, and at Scotiabank’s shareholder meeting last week he noted its international operations are a key differentiator for the bank.Thomson said in a statement that Aristeguieta is a “seasoned transformational leader” who will help drive the bank’s turnaround.“As we look to refresh our strategy this year, Francisco will be a strong complement to our leadership team and will play a central role in helping us deliver long-term profitable and sustain...

S&P/TSX composite up in mid-morning trading on health care, energy stocks

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:15:13 GMT

TORONTO — Canada’s main stock index rose in late-morning trading, as health care and energy stocks trended upward.The S&P/TSX composite index was up 46.15 points at 20,242.84.In New York, the Dow Jones industrial average was up 9.97 points at 33,495.26. The S&P 500 index was down 17.54 points at 4,087.48, while the Nasdaq composite was down 82.20 points at 4,087.48.The Canadian dollar traded for 73.93 cents US compared with 74.19 cents US on Thursday.The May crude contract was down 28 cents at US$80.42 per barrel and the May natural gas contract was up 15 cents at US$2.15 per mmBTU.The June gold contract was down US$22.80 at US$2,003.60 an ounce and the May copper contract was down four cents at US$3.97 a pound.This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 10, 2023.Companies in this story: (TSX:GSPTSE, TSX:CADUSD=X)The Canadian Press

Dinosaur fossil unearthed at Mildred Lake

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:15:13 GMT

An eagle-eyed Suncor worker is being applauded for a discovery some 115 million years in the making.Officials with the Royal Tyrrell Museum have confirmed the fossilized remains of a plesiosaur were found at Syncrude’s Mildred Lake site on March 12.Employee Jenna Plamondon, who started her first dayshift at the mine, said she noticed a contrast in the oilsand.“I kept staring at this little chunk of dirt. As a shovel operator, we’re trained to see things that are out of the ordinary. We take a lot of pride in our pit and keeping the area clean.”Plamondon notified the site Geology team and decided to move the shovel in case it was an actual fossil.A rare findPlesiosaurs are marine reptiles known to have lived in Alberta 115 million years ago, when the area was just a large, shallow sea.Dr. Donald Henderson, Curator of Dinosaurs at the Royal Tyrrell Museum, said the find is unique as cases are usually found higher up in the McMurray Formation layer.“This one may have been buried ...

Michael Lerner, ‘Barton Fink’ Oscar nominee, dies at 81

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:15:13 GMT

Michael Lerner, the Brooklyn-born character actor who played a myriad of imposing figures in his 60 years in the business, including monologuing movie mogul Jack Lipnick in “Barton Fink,” the crooked club owner Bugsy Calhoun in “Harlem Nights” and an angry publishing executive in “Elf” has died. He was 81. His nephew, actor Sam Lerner, announced his death in an Instagram post Sunday. Sam Lerner wrote that his uncle died Saturday but did not provide further details. Neither his nor Michael Lerner’s representatives immediately responded to requests for further comment. “He was the coolest, most confident, talented guy,” Sam Lerner wrote. “Everyone that knows him knows how insane he was — in the best way…we’re all lucky we can continue to watch his work for the rest of time. RIP Michael, enjoy your unlimited Cuban cigars, comfy chairs, and endless movie marathon.”Born in 1941 to Romanian-Jewish parents and raised in Brooklyn’s Red Hook neighborhood, Michael Lerner began act...

Liberals expand loans and grants in budget, but students hoping for more next year

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:15:13 GMT

OTTAWA — This year’s federal budget sets aside more than $800 million to expand loans and grants for the upcoming school year, but students are looking forward to permanent changes to financial assistance.For the 2023-24 school year, the Liberals are planning to increase the maximum grants available to $4,200, up from $3,000. The loan limit is also increasing $300 per week of study from $210.Those changes are part of a set of affordability measures in the budget.The government also promised to “work with students in the year ahead to develop a long-term approach to student financial assistance.”Mackenzy Metcalfe, executive director of the Canadian Alliance of Student Associations, says students need more support to keep up with the rising cost of living.This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 10, 2023.The Canadian Press

Alberta premier says she’s under ethics investigation related to COVID-19 prosecution

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:15:13 GMT

EDMONTON — Alberta Premier Danielle Smith says she’s under investigation by the provincial ethics commissioner into whether she interfered in the administration of justice in relation to a COVID-19 prosecution.The premier’s office says in a statement that Smith welcomes the investigation, will co-operate and is confident the probe will determine she has done nothing wrong.Smith has faced renewed accusations of interference in the justice system after a leaked phone call was released almost two weeks ago in which she is heard discussing an active criminal case with the accused.On the call, Smith is heard sharing details of an internal disagreement over Crown case strategy with Calgary street pastor Artur Pawlowski as they discuss his case.Smith is heard promising to make inquiries on Pawlowski’s behalf and report back to him while also telling him the charges against him are politically motivated.Smith has defended the call, saying while politicians are not free to contac...