Smart Home Market to expand by USD 188.3 Billion (2024-2028), driven by rising interest in home automation, with a report on AI-driven transformation - TechnavioOTTAWA - The federal government is hoping a temporary break on GST will address a “vibecession” that has gripped Canadians, Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland said Monday. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced last week that starting Dec. 14 the goods and services tax will be taken off a slew of items for two months to help with the affordability crunch. In a news conference on Monday, Freeland said there’s a disconnect between recent good news on inflation and interest rates and how Canadians are feeling about the economy, something she said is being referred to as a “vibecession.” The tax cut is meant to help bridge that gap and stimulate consumer spending, she said. “One of the positive impacts of this measure is to help Canadians get past that vibecession because how Canadians feel really does have a real economic impact,” Freeland said. The tax break will apply to a number of items including children’s clothing and shoes, toys, diapers, restaurant meals and beer and wine. It also applies to Christmas trees — both natural and artificial — along with a variety of snack foods and beverages, and video game consoles. The federal government also plans to send $250 cheques in the spring to Canadians who were working in 2023 and earned up to $150,000. Those who weren’t working last year, including retirees and Canadians on social assistance, will not receive cheques, fuelling criticism from opposition parties. Bloc Québécois Leader Yves-François Blanchet said on Monday that his party would only support the rebate cheques if the draft legislation is expanded to include seniors. NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh also wants the rebate cheques to be expanded to include retirees, people receiving disability assistance and students. Trudeau acknowledged last week that even though inflation is down and interest rates are falling, Canadians are still feeling the bite from higher prices. And while the government can’t help with prices at the checkout counter, it said it can put more money in people’s pockets. The GST break and cash gifts are estimated to cost the federal government $6.3 billion. Many economists have been critical of the measures, arguing there are better ways to use that money to help stimulate economic growth and productivity. Procurement Minister Jean-Yves Duclos, who was an economics professor at Laval University before running for federal office, addressed those critiques on Monday by pointing out that the measures are only temporary. “We need to distinguish between structural and temporary measures. This is a temporary measure which acknowledges that despite all of the wonderful economic news that my colleagues, economists are correct to spread, the average Canadian, doesn’t yet feel that good news,” Duclos said. BMO, which upgrades its economic growth forecast due to these measures, estimates the stimulus amounts to 0.3 per cent of GDP. “That is hefty. But, it will do little to change economic behaviour, or even touch the aforementioned issues of productivity and affordability in comparison to, say, something like permanent income tax reductions,” wrote BMO senior economist Robert Kavcic in a report. “In fact, when set against an incoming U.S. administration that is gearing up for a significant pro-growth policy push, it seems like energy would be better spent on measures with a more lasting impact.” This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 25, 2024. - With files from David Baxter.
Reniya Kelly scores 18 and No. 16 North Carolina women beat 14th-ranked Kentucky 72-53A Glen Burnie man was charged with a felony Sunday after authorities reviewed a TikTok video “clearly” showing him burning the words “TRUMP” and “USA” onto the road outside his home, according to the Maryland Judiciary. An investigator with the Anne Arundel County Fire Marshal Division wrote in charging documents that Craig Philip McQuin used an illegal flamethrower to spell out the two words. Maryland law considers flamethrowers “destructive devices,” akin to a bomb, and bans their possession and use in the state. A summons for McQuin, 35, to appear before a judge was issued Sunday, though a date was not specified in the court record. As of Monday morning, it had not yet been served. Attempts to contact McQuin using a phone number listed in public records were unsuccessful. Fire investigators responded Nov. 15 to a vandalism complaint in the Creekside Village community. According to charging documents, the burn marks were in the middle of the road, making the affected area “noticeably darker.” Authorities described the marks as between 15 and 20 feet in length and approximately 5 feet in width, according to charging documents. A police officer at the scene learned the incident had been captured on video and uploaded the online video after speaking with the community’s homeowner association, investigators said. After identifying McQuin as the property owner, fire officials watched the TikTok published on his wife’s account. Unlike her other social media pages, McQuin’s wife’s TikTok account does not focus on politics, but is largely dedicated to two pigs she cares for. One photo carousel, however, shows a wooden structure being built outside the White House. “Things are about to get spooky...Hang them all!” she posted on Halloween. As of Monday, the flamethrower video could no longer be seen on the wife’s TikTok page. It also did not appear on a Truth Social account with the same username. Truth Social was launched in 2022 by President Donald Trump after Facebook and Twitter banned him in the wake of the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. When Twitter, which now operates as X, was bought by Elon Musk, Trump’s account was reinstated. Facebook similarly ended its ban last year. Authorities wrote in charging documents that the flamethrower McQuin used can be purchased in every state except for Maryland. According to the manufacturer’s website, though the device used in Glen Burnie was a “long range torch,” capable of pushing fire 25 feet, flamethrowers are “outright prohibited” in Maryland. McQuin was charged with a felony for possession of a destructive device, court records show, and also two misdemeanors: second-degree malicious burning, and malicious destruction of property valued at $1,000 or higher. According to charging documents, road repairs ost $5,500. The maximum penalty for the felony is 25 years in prison, according to state sentencing guidelines . The alleged vandalism was investigated 10 days after the 2024 election, in which Trump became the second politician in American history to be elected to two nonconsecutive presidential terms. Though 63% of Maryland voters supported Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic candidate in the November election, approximately 55% of Anne Arundel County voters backed her, according to the state Board of Elections. More than 41% of county voters voted for Trump, a nearly identical figure to 2020, when Trump, then the incumbent, lost to Joe Biden. Have a news tip? Contact Luke Parker at lparker@baltsun.com , 410-725-6214, or on X @lparkernews .South Korea’s acting President Choi Sang-mok on Monday ordered the transport ministry to carry out an emergency safety inspection of the country’s airline operation system. Jeju Air CEO Kim E-bae neither confirmed nor denied reports that a bird strike was the cause of the crash. Song Kyung-hoon, Jeju Air’s head of the management support office, dismissed accusations that mechanical faults or inadequate safety preparations contributed to accident. South Korea's acting President Choi Sang-mok has ordered the transport ministry to carry out an emergency safety inspection of the country's airline operation system, local news agency Yonhap reported Monday. Choi was speaking at a disaster control meeting in Seoul, after a Jeju Air flight crashed at the country's Muan International Airport on Sunday, leading to 179 fatalities with just two survivors, making it the deadliest air accident in South Korea. "The pilot declared mayday after issuing the bird strike alert," said Joo Jong-wan, director of aviation policy division at the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport. Choi pledged that the government would "spare no effort" in supporting the bereaved families, and declared a seven-day mourning period for the country. At a press briefing on Sunday, Jeju Air's head of the management support office Song Kyung-hoon said the airline would support the victims and their families, and that the aircraft was covered by a $1 billion insurance, reported Yonhap. Addressing reports that a bird strike was the cause of the crash, Jeju Air CEO Kim E-bae neither confirmed nor denied it. "Currently, the exact cause of the accident has yet to be determined, and we must wait for the official investigation by government agencies," Kim said in a Sunday statement . Song dismissed accusations that mechanical faults or inadequate safety preparations played a role in the crash. "This crash is not about any maintenance issues. There can be absolutely no compromise when it comes to maintaining aircraft," Song said. On Monday, a Jeju Air flight reportedly returned to Gimpo International Airport shortly after taking off because a similar issue with the plane's landing gear was detected. The accident comes at a politically fraught time for South Korea. Choi is the country's second acting president in a month. He assumed the role after acting President Han Duck-soon was impeached on Friday by lawmakers over his reluctance to appoint three justices to the Constitutional Court looking into the impeachment of former President Yoon Suk Yeol. Yoon was impeached a mere just weeks back , after imposing martial law for six hours at the start of the month for the first time since the military coup of 1979. Shares of Jeju Air hit an all-time low Monday, according to FactSet data, and were last down 8.53%. Other Korean airlines' stocks were volatile.
WASHINGTON — The House shut down Democrats' efforts Thursday to release the long-awaited ethics report into former Rep. Matt Gaetz , pushing the fate of any resolution to the yearslong investigation of sexual misconduct allegations into further uncertainty. The nearly party-line votes came after Democrats had been pressing for the findings to be published even though the Florida Republican left Congress and withdrew as President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for attorney general. Rep. Tom McClintock, R-Calif., was the sole Republican to support the effort. Most Republicans have argued that any congressional probe into Gaetz ended when he resigned from the House. Speaker Mike Johnson also requested that the committee not publish its report, saying it would be a terrible precedent to set. While ethics reports have previously been released after a member’s resignation, it is extremely rare. Shortly before the votes took place, Rep. Sean Casten, D-Ill., who introduced one of the bills to force the release, said that if Republicans reject the release, they will have “succeeded in sweeping credible allegations of sexual misconduct under the rug.” Gaetz has repeatedly denied the claims. Earlier Thursday, the Ethics panel met to discuss the Gaetz report but made no decision, saying in a short statement that the matter is still being discussed. It's unclear now whether the document will ever see the light of day as lawmakers only have a few weeks left before a new session of Congress begins. It's the culmination of weeks of pressure on the Ethics committee's five Republicans and five Democrats who mostly work in secret as they investigate allegations of misconduct against lawmakers. The status of the Gaetz investigation became an open question last month when he abruptly resigned from Congress after Trump's announcement that he wanted his ally in the Cabinet. It is standard practice for the committee to end investigations when members of Congress depart, but the circumstances surrounding Gaetz were unusual, given his potential role in the new administration. Rep. Michael Guest, R-Miss., the committee chairman, said Wednesday that there is no longer the same urgency to release the report given that Gaetz has left Congress and stepped aside as Trump's choice to head the Justice Department. “I’ve been steadfast about that. He’s no longer a member. He is no longer going to be confirmed by the Senate because he withdrew his nomination to be the attorney general,” Guest said. The Gaetz report has also caused tensions between lawmakers on the bipartisan committee. Pennsylvania Rep. Susan Wild, the top Democrat on the panel, publicly admonished Guest last month for mischaracterizing a previous meeting to the press. Gaetz has denied any wrongdoing and said last year that the Justice Department’s separate investigation against him into sex trafficking allegations involving underage girls ended without federal charges. His onetime political ally Joel Greenberg , a fellow Republican who served as the tax collector in Florida’s Seminole County, admitted as part of a plea deal with prosecutors in 2021 that he paid women and an underage girl to have sex with him and other men. The men were not identified in court documents when he pleaded guilty. Greenberg was sentenced in late 2022 to 11 years in prison.House rejects Democratic efforts to force release of Matt Gaetz ethics report
Knight stops 20 shots, Florida rolls past Carolina 6-0 for 2nd win over 'Canes in as many days
Josh Allen is winning on and off the field. The Buffalo Bills quarterback had a heartwarming response to a reporter asking how he felt taking home a victory against the San Francisco 49ers on Dec. 1 while newly engaged to Hailee Steinfeld . "Felt good," Josh said of his experience playing as a fiancé during the post-game conference alongside wide receiver Amari Cooper Dec. 1. "Felt free." It's been an eventful few days for the football player— who was on the field for the first time since his proposal —as he also became the first quarterback in NFL history during the 49ers face-off to pass for, rush for and catch a touchdown in a single game, Sunday Night Football on NBC confirmed. And just a week before, the 28-year-old—who also broke the record for the most touchdowns in the Bills' franchise history during the match— got down on one knee and proposed to the Hawkeye star by a flower-adorned arch overlooking the glimmering waves. Despite the recent update on their relationship status, Josh and Hailee, 27, have kept their romance close to their chests . In fact, after announcing their sweet milestone, the NFL player danced around the news while reflecting on his bye week. "It was fantastic," he said of the time off during a Nov. 27 press conference. "It was great. I got some sun, hung out with family. It was fantastic." But Josh's decision to keep his and Hailee's relationship private wasn't made lightly. He previously shared how surprised he was at people's interest in their relationship and the lengths that some paparazzi had gone to for photos. "The fact anybody cares about that still blows my mind," he admitted on the Pardon My Take podcast last August. "They were on a boat. I saw it and I just felt this gross feeling. The insecurity, no privacy. I was like, 'What's wrong with you?'" That doesn't mean he and the Edge of Seventeen star don't share any details about their personal life, however. With Christmas around the corner, Hailee recently revealed that they both got each other the same gift last year and the adorable story behind their exchange. "I got this knife for Josh last year for Christmas because cooking is something we love to do together," she shared in her newsletter Beau Society in October, per Sports Illustrated . "For Christmas he got me...the same one in a different colorway!" "After we exchanged our knives lol ," she continued, "he told me there's an old wive's tale that if you gift your significant other a knife you have to pay for it, otherwise it signifies the severing of a relationship. So we exchanged quarters so we didn't have that bad omen." Keep reading for more of Hailee and Josh's winning romance. May 2023: Romance Rumors Following Josh Allen 's breakup with longtime girlfriend Brittany Williams , the Buffalo Bills quarterback stepped out for dinner in NYC with Hailee Steinfeld . Two months later, the duo confirmed their relationship while kissing on vacation in Mexico. March 2024: Surprise Appearance Nearly a year after the duo first sparked romance rumors, the athlete and the actress made a rare social media appearance while helping his sister, Nicala Madden , reveal the sex of her baby in an adorable Tiktok video . March 2024: Très Romantique The Edge of Seventeen star and the NFL player went on a romantic outing in matching khaki outfits during Paris Fashion Week. July 2024: The City of Love The NFL star made the couple's romance Instagram official, posting a photo of the couple posing in front of the Eiffel Tower in his July 23 photo dump . July 2024: Part Of the Family Posted in that same photo dump, the "Starving" singer squeezed in for a photo with Josh's family. August 2024: Mr. Hard Launch "Mr. Hard Launch," as reporter Kay Adams called him on her Up & Adams show, bashfully admitted "we love love" when asked about his and Hailee's relationship. November 2024: Engagement Hailee and Josh confirmed they were engaged in a November 29 Instagram post showing the athlete getting down on one knee as the Oscar nominee leaned in to give him a kiss. They captioned the post with the date of their major milestone: 11-22-24.