NorthStar Bets has provided a detailed parlay betting pick list for Wednesday's Major League Baseball matchups. Among NorthStar's options is the 'Springer over 0.5 hits' category, where bettors could back Toronto Blue Jays player George Springer to obtain more than half of a hit in his team's game against the New York Yankees. This pick is based on Springer's five hits in 14 at-bats against Yankees ace Gerrit Cole, a pitcher that Springer has a history of scoring well against. Additionally, NorthStar predicts that Toronto's Bo Bichette will gain under 1.5 hits in his team's game against the Yankees. Bichette has a previous record of struggling immensely when up against Cole. Finally, the betting service suggests that St Louis Cardinals' hitter Paul Goldschmidt will also obtain over 0.5 hits in his team's game against the Milwaukee Brewers, since Goldschmidt is currently performing very well this season.
Lailey Winery, one of Canada’s leading winery producers was bought back by its original owners following a period producing icewine for export markets and the tourist trade. The 18-acre vineyard near to Old Town Niagara-on-the-Lake Ontario, produces around 17 different grape varieties including cabernet franc, malbec and zweigelt. Ann Sperling and Peter Gamble have been brought in to revitalise the vineyard with a view to producing larger blocks of vines with merlot, cabernet franc and cabernet sauvignon, with three different clonal selections of each to increase complexity in the finished wine. The business has been returned to its roots as a small-scale producer of fine wine with founder Faik Turkmen focusing on quality above quantity, producing low-yield high-quality grapes to have the necessary ingredients to produce concentrated and flavourful wines or finesse and fruitiness in the cooler location.
Extinction Rebellion Vancouver winds down, says new group will move away from public disruption
CBC
23-05-17 13:00
Extinction Rebellion Vancouver's founders are winding down their activities, with UniFi Regional Extinction Rebellion set to take a less disruptive approach, based on the tactics recently seen in Extinction Rebellion UK. Past actions taken by Extinction Rebellion Vancouver that aimed to "snap the public out of complacency" over climate change, including blocking intersections in the city, proved too divisive, with potential supporters being "alienated… who are busy doing their jobs," according to Tom Hetherington, Extinction Rebellion Vancouver's co-founder. The focus on "non-violent civil disobedience" was also seen as limiting, with Hetherington, noting a "tactic is one thing that you do among many." Extinction Rebellion was founded in the UK in 2018 and now has over 1,000 local groups in 86 countries. The decision by Extinction Rebellion in Vancouver was previously also made by XR in the UK, which recently organised what it called 'The Big One,' an event where four days worth of protests took place, involving several groups.
Researchers at Queen’s University revealed that people perceive those with deep, baritone voices as being more suitable for positions of leadership when compared to higher-pitched counterparts, regardless of gender or the audience present. Jillian O'Connor, an assistant professor of psychology at Queen's University, said this preference also stretches to stereotypically feminine leadership settings, including parent-teacher associations and school boards.
Prince Charles hosted a reception at Buckingham Palace for celebrity ambassadors and award winners of his youth charity, the Prince's Trust. Among the winners were Fiath Idowu, who won the Prince's Trust Global Achiever Award, and said that the invitation to the Palace was "a dream come true". The trust was set up in the 1970s when Prince Charles was still a prince and has since supported 80,000 people worldwide. The charity counts actor Idris Elba as one of its beneficiaries.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex were involved in a "near catastrophic car chase" involving paparazzi photographers. Kensington Palace has issued a statement condemning the "relentless pursuit”, which lasted over two hours and resulted in multiple near collisions involving other drivers on the road, pedestrians and two NYPD officers. The trio were forced to seek refuge in multiple police stations as they tried to lose the photographers. The couple had been attending an event in New York.
Police in Winnipeg have identified partial remains found last month as 40-year-old June Johnson. Homicide investigators are looking into her death, as she was last seen in early February in the downtown area, where she would frequently access services at homeless shelters. Police are asking for information about her whereabouts over the two months before her remains were found along the Red River. Johnson was known to be a devoted mother, and her family is requesting privacy. The killing has not been linked to any other recent deaths in the city.
Chinese authorities have requested that foreign embassies in the capital avoid displaying "politicized propaganda", prompting concerns over the right to free speech. While no specific instances were cited in connection with the request, diplomats have acknowledged the move is a response to displays of support for Ukraine. Russia's actions in Ukrainehave failed to garner international support and by stopping such displays, China is cause for concern. However, foreign governments have so far shown little inclination to abide by the request.
Indigenous talent in the music industry is creating a 'beautiful resistance'
CBC
23-05-17 16:47
The Canadian music industry is full of talented indigenous artists who are bringing their communities' stories to life through a range of genres, according to Aboriginal Peoples Television Network (APTN) News. For musicians such as Raven Kanatakta of Digging Roots, incorporating traditional elements such as the use of drums and indigenous language in contemporary sounds is a form of resistance. Others, such as rising Cree artist Aysanabee, are focused on highlighting transcendence and generational trauma within their culture. Jayli Wolf’s upcoming album, God is an Endless Mirror, explores spirituality with a mix of sound elements that inspire her daily.
Alberta NDP promises more money, resources for front-line emergency medical care
The Toronto Star
23-05-17 22:01
Alberta's NDP has promised to increase emergency medical services (EMS) funding by $50 million this year and $75 million over the following two years, should it win the May 29 election, according to NDP candidate David Shepherd. The funds would be directed to patient care and increasing paramedics' workloads. The NDP also aims to create 16 community paramedic units, including eight in Calgary and Edmonton and eight in smaller centers.
The forensic pathologist who performed the autopsy on the body of a 13-year-old girl found dead in a Burnaby park in British Columbia nearly six years ago said he took swabs of the girl's neck to preserve any DNA that may have been left by her alleged attacker. Dr. Jason Morin said under cross-examination by Ibrahim Ali’s defence lawyer that he took the swabs because the girl appeared to have been strangled. Ali has pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder in the trial in the British Columbia Supreme Court.
The Quebec Court of Appeal has reduced the time a man convicted of a series of killings must serve before parole eligibility by a decade. Benjamin Hudon-Barbeau had been sentenced to life in prison with no chance of parole for 35 years after a jury convicted him of first-degree murder, second-degree murder and two counts of attempted murder in 2018. However, following a Supreme Court of Canada decision that restitution sentencing for multiple murders was unconstitutional, the Appeal court ruled Hudon-Barbeau would be able to apply for parole after 25 years instead of 35.
Actor and Wrexham club co-owner Ryan Reynolds has told BBC presenter Mark Chapman about his embarrassment when player Ollie Palmer habitually greets his wife, Blake Lively, shirtless. Palmer is “one of the best guys we know,” Reynolds said, reminding him that there is a time and a place for shirtlessness. Reynolds purchased Wrexham AFC in 2020 with actor Rob McElhenney.
Report on Business has used artificial intelligence to conduct fundamental price valuations for every Canadian large cap stock, sorting them to spot potentially underpriced winners. Large caps on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX) are valued at over CAD2bn ($1.5bn), and comprise just 8% of the market, however they are lower-risk and more liquid and are commonly owned by institutions. The results indicate some underpriced large cap stocks worthy of further research including Ceridian HCM Holding, Brookfield Infrastructure Partners, Fairfax Holdings and Franco-Nevada.
Toronto’s Johnson, Red Bulls’ Coronel shine in 0-0 draw
The Toronto Star
23-05-18 02:07
Toronto FC and the New York Red Bulls played out a goalless draw on Wednesday night, with both teams registering 12 shots apiece. The result saw Toronto bring an end to a four-match losing streak in all competitions, although their meagre goalscoring record showed little sign of improvement. New York, meanwhile, scored for 16 consecutive matches in the fixture before the stalemate. The Red Bulls' Carlos Coronel and Toronto goalkeeper Sean Johnson both made three saves in the match.
Telecommunications firm Telus is offering voluntary severance and retirement packages to 1,992 customer support employees who provide support for its wireless and residential (Internet and TV) services in Canada. The move, prompted by the firm's investment in new customer support technology and self-service options, could cost Telus more than 5% of its Canadian workforce. Employees who accept the offer will receive a lump-sum payment that includes one month of severance for every year of service, up to a cap of 18 months, as well as enhancements, including an additional $20,000 lump sum. The deadline for responses is 9 June.
Several Australian firms and a few hundred worldwide are trialling a four-day work week, following a suggestion by a Senate committee earlier this year for Australia to introduce the system. One Australian company to have shifted is the Our Community software firm, whose founder, Denis Moriarty, said the change had radically altered the company culture and improved motivation. Trials - usually involving companies with fewer than 25 employees - have resulted in benefits such as increased productivity and reduced stress. Critics have argued the costs associated with implementing a shorter working week are too high, while others have questioned whether increased pressure to be more productive could lead to more stress among employees.
Analysis: Proponents of the four-day week argue that improved levels of output per unit of time make the system economically viable. While critics of the approach cite concerns over the cost and viability of the system for some industries, as well as potential logistic challenges surrounding the increase in productivity required to complete a week’s work in four days. I believe these challenging economic times are what is pushing people and companies to examine the viability of this system.
Shooting in Coquitlam sends one to hospital, RCMP believe it to be targeted incident
The Toronto Star
23-05-18 06:02
Police in Coquitlam, British Columbia, say they believe a shooting that left one man with life-threatening injuries was a targeted incident. The attack happened in the low-rise suburb of Burke Mountain on Wednesday night. RCMP officers have said the number of people present when the shooting happened makes it a very concerning event. A car fire that happened around half an hour later nearby is believed to be connected to the incident.
The G7 will meet in Japan and there are increasing expectations that the group will tighten economic sanctions against Russia. Despite the reality that sanctions have affected Russia with a heavy toll, it is widely believed they have not succeeded in their geopolitical aims. The sanctions have instead driven Russia deeper into the embrace of emerging-market nations such as China, India and Turkey, providing leverage for Russian foreign policy and making a nonsense of western compliance efforts. There is even wider concern related to the potential that sanctions could collapse an already weak global economy. The EU has also recently announced that it was considering penalties for EU firms that help Russia evade western sanctions, such as providing financing, investing in sanctioned sectors, or sharing technologies that could aid the energy sector.
Competing in the Mare Nostrum Swim Tour in Barcelona, Hong Kong's Siobhan Haughey broke the fastest 100 metres freestyle time in the world this year, finishing in 52.50 seconds. The performance was faster than everywhere but her silver-medal victories over the same distance at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021. This result, paired with her win in Canet en Roussillon earlier this month, means Haughey is already preparing to qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympics in the 50m freestyle. The Mare Nostrum Tour occurs across three legs and is part of the worldwide qualifying process for both the World Championships and the next Olympics.
