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Supreme Court rejects prosecutor’s push to fast-track ruling in Trump election subversion case

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 00:00:26 GMT

By MARK SHERMAN and ERIC TUCKER (Associated Press)WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court said Friday it will not immediately take up a plea by special counsel Jack Smith to rule on whether former President Donald Trump can be prosecuted for his actions to overturn the 2020 election results.The ruling is a scheduling win for Trump and his lawyers, who have sought repeatedly to delay the criminal cases against him as he campaigns to reclaim the White House in 2024. It averts a swift ruling from the nation’s highest court that could have definitively turned aside his claims of immunity and further throws into doubt the possibility of the landmark trial proceeding as scheduled on March 4.The issue will now be decided by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, which has signaled it will act quickly to decide the case. Special counsel Jack Smith had cautioned that even a rapid appellate decision might not get to the Supreme Court in time for review and fin...

Supreme Court rejects prosecutor's push to fast-track ruling in Trump election subversion case

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 00:00:26 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court said Friday it will not immediately take up a plea by special counsel Jack Smith to rule on whether former President Donald Trump can be prosecuted for his actions to overturn the 2020 election results.The ruling is a scheduling win for Trump and his lawyers, who have sought repeatedly to delay the criminal cases against him as he campaigns to reclaim the White House in 2024. It averts a swift ruling from the nation's highest court that could have definitively turned aside his claims of immunity and further throws into doubt the possibility of the landmark trial proceeding as scheduled on March 4.The issue will now be decided by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, which has signaled it will act quickly to decide the case. Special counsel Jack Smith had cautioned that even a rapid appellate decision might not get to the Supreme Court in time for review and final word before the court’s traditional summer break.Smith had ...

Moneris says ‘intermittent processing issues’ resolved, apologizes for inconvenience

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 00:00:26 GMT

TORONTO — Canadians getting in some last-minute Christmas shopping faced some troubles at the checkout counter.Payments processing company Moneris says it experienced intermittent issues that caused a “service degradation.” The Toronto-based technology company says the issue has been resolved but merchants will continue to experience some slowness as systems catchup.The company apologized for the disruption and added that things should return to normal shortly.Service disruption tracker Downdetector showed people started reporting problems with payments services like Interac, Visa and RBC around 2:30 p.m. EST.Moneris is a joint venture between Royal Bank of Canada and the Bank of Montreal. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 22, 2023.Companies in this story: (TSX:RY, TSX:BMO)The Canadian Press

NFL denies Eagles security chief DiSandro’s appeal of fine, sideline ban, AP source says

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 00:00:26 GMT

The NFL has denied Eagles security chief Dom DiSandro’s appeal of a $100,000 fine in addition to banning him from the sideline for the remainder of the regular season for his role in a scuffle with 49ers linebacker Dre Greenlaw, a person familiar with the league’s decision told The Associated Press on Friday.The team has paid DiSandro’s fine, said the person who spoke on condition of anonymity because the matter hasn’t been disclosed.DiSandro has still been permitted to travel and perform all other work duties. The AP previously reported the suspension on Dec. 16. DiSandro can return for the postseason.DiSandro pulled Greenlaw off Eagles wide receiver DeVonta Smith and shouted at him after a reception in the third quarter of Philadelphia’s 42-19 loss to San Francisco on Dec. 3. Greenlaw, who was penalized for unnecessary roughness on the play, popped up and reached over two officials to put his hand in DiSandro’s face.Greenlaw was ejected and later fined $10,927 by the league for th...

New agreement ratified for almost 26,000 workers at Loblaw-owned stores in Ontario

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 00:00:26 GMT

MISSISSAUGA, Ont. — The United Food & Commercial Workers union says workers have ratified a collective agreement with Loblaw Cos. Ltd. covering almost 26,000 grocery store workers across Ontario.The agreement with two UFCW locals covers workers at 121 stores under the Loblaw Great Food, Real Canadian Superstore and Zehrs Great Food banners. The union says the agreement is historic and industry-leading, with full-time workers receiving a $4.60 an hour raise over five years. The union says the deal also protects full-time and part-time members’ pay gains as the minimum wage increases. The agreement is the latest in a string of collective agreements that have seen grocery store workers achieve major gains at the bargaining table in the wake of the pandemic and inflation. UFCW 1006A president Wayne Hanley says negotiations were “intense and difficult,” but the deal is “the best in decades.” This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 22, ...

Former Kenyan minister and 2 others charged with fraud over hospitality college project

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 00:00:26 GMT

NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — Kenya’s anti-corruption commission Friday charged the country’s former tourism minister and two others with economic crimes for the alleged fraud of tens of millions of dollars in inflated costs for the construction of a hospitality college.Najib Balala, former principal secretary Leah Addah Gwiyo, and the managing partner of West Consults, John Odero, appeared before Principal Magistrate James Mwaniki in the coastal town of Malindi, where they denied the charges.Balala is the first high profile person to be charged with corruption under President William Ruto’s administration. The three were released after posting bail.Thirteen other suspects are expected to be charged with corruption offenses and economic crimes for the alleged malfeasance that took place 16 years ago. Balala was then serving in the government of late President Mwai Kibaki.The original cost of the Ronald Ngala Utalii College on the East African coast approved by the minister of finance ...

‘Out of their lane’: Minister to overrule Ontario Energy Board

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 00:00:26 GMT

The Ontario Energy Board strayed “out of their lane” with a decision that would increase costs for new homes heated with natural gas, the province’s energy minister said Friday as he promised to overturn it.But environmental groups said the OEB’s decision was a huge win for the environment and Ontarians, as it would have encouraged the uptake of greener home heating and cooling, such as with heat pumps, and the reversal would be just a gift to Enbridge Gas.The OEB decision relates to a rate application from Enbridge, which serves the majority of natural gas customers in the province. The energy board said the utility’s long-term plan is unreasonable because it assumes that every new housing development will include gas servicing and that homebuyers will remain on gas for 40 years, despite an energy transition toward electrification.Despite this trend, Enbridge’s forecasts show continued growth in natural gas peak demand, with $14 billion in capita...

Toronto family finds multiple donor siblings through DNA kits

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 00:00:26 GMT

It was on Father’s Day weekend in 2018, when Andrew Fleming was 32 years old that he learned a shocking secret from his parents.“My dad, who I believed [was my dad], who raised me, was not actually my biological father,” shared Andrew.Andrew and his sister, Sarah, were conceived through an anonymous sperm donor. They were from the same donor, making them full siblings. Sarah found out only a couple of months before her brother“I was actually starting to look at my own fertility journey and building a family and it was the first time I started asking some questions about how I was conceived,” explained Sarah.“To be a full grown adult and to have that entirely turned upside down was very upsetting at first but … I said this that night that ‘You’re still my dad. I still love you’,” Andrew said.  The revelation began a new journey. They ordered DNA kits from several companies. First, to learn more about their own genetic backgr...

Moneris service outage affects card payments on busy shopping, travel day

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 00:00:26 GMT

If you were having trouble using your debit or credit card to make in-person payments, you’re not alone — one of Canada’s largest payment processors went down Friday.Moneris says the issue behind the “network outage affecting customers ability to process transactions” has been identified and resolved. However, it notes businesses may still “experience some slowness while systems catch-up.” “…Everything should return to normal shortly and teams are monitoring,” the financial tech company, which specializes in payment processing and terminals, said just after 1:30 p.m. PST.Moneris experienced a network outage affecting customers ability to process transactions. The issue has been identified and resolved. Merchants will continue to experience some slowness while systems catch-up but everything should return to normal shortly and teams are monitoring— Moneris (@Moneris) December 22, 2023The outage came on a busy day, with...

Naperville man sentenced to 10 years for attempted murder of wife

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 00:00:26 GMT

NAPERVILLE, Ill. — A Naperville man will spend nearly a decade in prison for the attempted murder of his wife in late 2019.Will County State’s Attorney James Glasgow announced Friday that 62-year-old Patrick O’Brien has been sentenced to 10 years in prison after he was found guilty of attempted first-degree murder and aggravated domestic battery on Aug. 29.The stabbing, which left O’Brien and his wife injured, happened on Dec. 21, 2019, in the 2200 block of Popple Court in Naperville and it was all caught on a neighbor's home surveillance camera. Ed Burke found guilty on 13 of 14 counts in federal corruption trial Glasgow said O’Brien, who was separated from his wife at the time of the stabbing, returned to their home to gather his things, but while they were in the kitchen of the home, he grabbed a large kitchen knife and said a statement to the effect of “If we’re done, then we’re done.”The victim fled from the home and ran to a neighbor's rear patio door where she began pleadin...