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The USMCA’s self-destruct button: review clause conjures fears of 2018 all over again

Published Mon, 16 Dec 2024 11:34:55 GMT

WASHINGTON — It’s been less than three years since the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement replaced NAFTA as the law of the land in continental trade, and there are already hints of the existential anxiety that preceded it.That’s because of the so-called “sunset provision,” a clause that reflects the lingering working-class distrust of globalization in the U.S. that helped Donald Trump get elected president back in 2016. Article 34.7 of the agreement, the “review and term extension” clause, establishes a 16-year life cycle that requires all three countries to sit down every six years to ensure everyone is still satisfied. That clock began ticking in the summer of 2020. If it runs out in 2026, it triggers a self-destruct mechanism of sorts, ensuring the agreement — known in Canada as CUSMA — would expire 10 years later without a three-way consensus.For Canada, the sunset provision “is a minefield,” said Lawrence Herman, an international trade ...

New Brunswick government to table budget today as province sees surge in population

Published Mon, 16 Dec 2024 11:34:55 GMT

FREDERICTON — New Brunswick’s finance minister is scheduled to table a provincial budget today as the government grapples with problems in health care and housing and the effects of a population surge.Last year, the budget featured $11.3 billion in spending, with $3.2 billion set aside for health care and a one-year cap of 3.8 per cent on allowable rent increases.Finance Minister Ernie Steeves said Monday this year’s version will be a “great budget” for the most vulnerable.But he concedes “it’s hard to plan in New Brunswick” because the province is unaccustomed to the population growth it has seen recently.A government news release from March 2022 says the province’s population topped 800,000, adding more than 40,000 people over the previous five years.Data from Statistics Canada showed New Brunswick’s retention rate dropped slightly from 48.7 per cent in 2010 to 48 per cent in 2015, which means that newcomers to the province don...

Statistics Canada set to release its latest inflation reading this morning

Published Mon, 16 Dec 2024 11:34:55 GMT

OTTAWA — Statistics Canada is set to release its latest report on how much the cost of living is rising this morning.  The federal agency will release its consumer price index for February.The overall annual inflation rate was 5.9 per cent in January, but the year-over-year increase for food prices was 10.4 per cent.The inflation report comes ahead of the federal budget on March 28.The Bank of Canada is working to bring the annual inflation rate back to its target of two per cent.The central bank left its key interest target unchanged at 4.5 per cent earlier this month, the first time it did not raise the rate since it began increasing it last year.This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 21, 2023.The Canadian Press

Nordstrom Canada liquidation sales expected to begin today as store prepares for exit

Published Mon, 16 Dec 2024 11:34:55 GMT

TORONTO — Nordstrom is expected to begin liquidating its stores across Canada today.The start of the department store chain’s closing sale comes a day after the U.S. retailer’s Canadian branch got permission from the Ontario Superior Court of Justice to start selling off merchandise.Nordstrom’s liquidation efforts are being led by Hilco Merchant Retail Solutions ULC and Gordon Brothers Canada and are expected to be complete by late June.Furniture, fixtures and equipment will be liquidated alongside most of Nordstrom’s merchandise, but goods from third parties aren’t part of the sale because they were removed from stores over the weekend.Nordstrom required court approval to liquidate because it is winding down its Canadian operations under the Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act, which helps insolvent businesses restructure or end operations in an orderly fashion.As part of the wind down, Nordstrom will close its six Canadian department store locations ...

Daily horoscope for March 21, 2023

Published Mon, 16 Dec 2024 11:34:55 GMT

Moon Alert: Avoid shopping or making important decisions from 11:45 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. EDT today (8:45 a.m. to 9:15 a.m. PDT). After that, the Moon moves from Pisces into Aries.Happy Birthday for Tuesday, March 21, 2023:You are adventurous, honest and direct. You have strong opinions, and you tell it like it is. Simplicity is the key to life this year. It’s time for you to create solid foundations, metaphorically and even physically. Martial arts and yoga will be wonderful tools for self-discipline.ARIES(March 21-April 19) ★★★★★This is an excellent day for new beginnings! (After the Moon Alert is over.) You are perfectly poised to initiate things, because the Sun, the New Moon, Mercury and lucky Jupiter are all in your sign. It doesn’t get better than this! Tonight: Communicate!TAURUS(April 20-May 20) ★★★★This is the perfect day for quiet contemplation. Very soon you will enter into a busy window of about six weeks, so use this time to think about what you want to achiev...

Britain ready to fill Warsaw's air defence gaps after MiG-29 delivery

Published Mon, 16 Dec 2024 11:34:55 GMT

Britain is ready to help Poland fill its air defence gaps caused by Warsaw sending some of its MiG-29 fighter jets to Ukraine but Poland has not yet made such requests, British Armed Forces Minister James Heappey (pictured) was quoted as saying on Monday (20 March).Poland last week said it would send Ukraine four MiG-29 fighter jets in coming days, making it the first of Kyiv's allies to provide such aircraft and possibly creating a need to ramp up Poland's air defence equipment.Britain would be able to help fill such gaps, as it previously did when Poland sent T-72 main battle tanks to Ukraine, providing Warsaw with Challenger 2 tanks, Heappey told German newspaper Welt."We will look very positively at a Polish request to fill in the gaps that have arisen," Heappey said.

Harriette Cole: Is this a bad way to deal with a co-worker who doesn’t like me?

Published Mon, 16 Dec 2024 11:34:55 GMT

DEAR HARRIETTE: One of my male friends is close to a woman who is part of a project I just joined. I have seen them out together twice, and it’s really awkward.He and I are cool. I have considered him a friend for many years. His companion, however, has a negative attitude toward me. We don’t really know each other, but her business partners and I are friends from years back, and they don’t get along.I’m wondering if I should confide in my friend that I don’t know how to break the ice with my new colleague — or even if that’s a good idea. I can tell they are close. I don’t want to make things worse.Should I reach out to him or just keep my mouth shut?Forging a LiaisonRelated ArticlesAdvice | Harriette Cole: When I got home, I saw he had read my journals and he was mad Advice | Harriette Cole: How can I stand up to my stony co-worker? Advice | Harriette Cole: Is this too much to ask of my ex-ad...

Miss Manners: I’m troubled that strangers assume I don’t work

Published Mon, 16 Dec 2024 11:34:55 GMT

DEAR MISS MANNERS: At a social event given by an organization in which my spouse is active, a member asked me, “Do you still work?”I was somewhat taken aback by this question. I am in my late 50s, and am told that my appearance and dress match my age.This is not the first time a newly met person in a social situation has asked me this question, with emphasis on the “still.” Each time, I have tried to come up with an appropriate response, but have been somewhat tripped up.I have an advanced degree and work in a career that has taken years to build. I have no intention of retiring in the near future, and it feels quite rude when people imply that I am too old to “still” be working.Am I being too sensitive? Is there a good response to this question? I don’t wish to return rudeness for rudeness. However, I would like to have an appropriate answer that feels authentic.Related ArticlesAdvice | Miss Manners: What can I do about these rud...

Dear Abby: When I have kids, I plan to push them hard. Is there anything wrong with that?

Published Mon, 16 Dec 2024 11:34:55 GMT

DEAR ABBY: I’m a medical student. I don’t have kids or a family of my own yet, but I’d like it to happen one day.When I have kids of my own, I intend to push them to be the very best in whatever they want to do. I will ingrain in them “tough love” and demand excellence from them.My classmates, friends and I grew up similarly. We did well enough in high school to get into good colleges and have successful lives after that.My friends and I did all the same things in college we did in high school. We joined clubs, volunteered, took leadership roles, earned good grades and got good recommendation letters in order to outcompete our peers and get where we wanted to go.When I have kids, I want them to emulate what I did, achieve the same way academically, and succeed.Related ArticlesAdvice | Dear Abby: My daughter doesn’t know this ‘treasured heirloom’ has a painful story Advice | Dear Abby: Florida depresses me, bu...

Czech power company CEZ reports eightfold profits increase

Published Mon, 16 Dec 2024 11:34:55 GMT

PRAGUE (AP) — The Czech power utility CEZ said on Tuesday its 2022 net profit reached 80.7 billion Czech crowns ($3.6 billion), eight times as much as the previous year, resulting in record dividends.The country’s main electricity producer said it attributed the massive increase to an “enormous rise in prices” caused by the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and to higher profit from commodity trading on foreign markets and also high operational reliability in its power plants.Net profit in 2021 was 9.9 billion crowns.The Czech state, which has an almost 70% stake in the company, will receive in 2023 more than 100 billion Czech crowns from CEZ in dividends, income taxes and levies on production sales, including a windfall tax on profits introduced as prices for energy soared.Source