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Union says WestJet pilots issue 72-hour strike notice, and plan job action Friday

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:58:15 GMT

CALGARY — WestJet pilots have issued a 72-hour strike notice to the company and the government, according to the union that represents them, and they warn the airline could be shut down right before the May long weekend.The Air Line Pilots Association says in a news release that pilots plan to begin lawful job action early Friday morning, which the release says “could include grounding all aircraft and effectively shutting down operations.”Bernard Lewall, who heads the union’s WestJet contingent, said last week that the workers’ issues revolve around job protection, pay and scheduling, with some 340 pilots leaving the carrier over the past year and a half — mostly to other airlines.The union represents some 1,600 flight crew at WestJet and subsidiary Swoop, and had warned Friday that a walkout could come as early as this week as talks dragged on.In a statement last week, the Calgary-based airline said its pilots are among the best paid in Canada, but th...

Pacific Island leaders say rich countries are not doing enough to control climate change

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:58:15 GMT

BANGKOK (AP) — Pacific Island leaders are criticizing rich countries for not doing enough to control climate change despite being responsible for much of the problem, and for profiting from loans provided to vulnerable nations to mitigate the effects.Leaders and representatives from Pacific Island nations demanded at a U.N. climate change conference Monday in Bangkok that the world make more effort to put aside differences in combating the environmental impact, especially as their countries emerge from the economic devastation of the COVID-19 pandemic.Prime Minister Mark Brown of the Cook Islands said the finance model for combatting climate change — giving out loans to reduce the impact — is “not the way to go” for countries in his region with such small populations that produce “inconsequential amounts of carbon emissions” but suffer the most from the effects.He encouraged a shift toward grants or interest-free loans to help ease the financial burden on poorer countries.“All we’re...

Sudan military chief freezes bank accounts of rival armed group in battle for control of the nation

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:58:15 GMT

CAIRO (AP) — Sudan’s military chief ordered the freezing of all bank accounts belonging to a rival paramilitary force, the latest step in a fight for control of the resource-rich nation. The two sides have battled for weeks across Sudan, pushing the troubled country to the brink of all-out war. The decree, issued on Sunday by Gen. Abdel Fattah Burhan, will target the official accounts of the Rapid Support Forces in Sudanese banks, as well as the accounts of all companies belonging to the group, the state news agency SUNA reported.It remains unclear what immediate effect the freezing would have on the RSF and how Burhan’s orders are to be enforced. Over the past decade, the paramilitary force has amassed great wealth through the gradual acquisition of Sudanese financial institutions and gold reserves.Burhan on Sunday replaced Sudan’s Central Bank governor. On Monday, he removed the country’s police chief and sacked two ambassadors at the Foreign Ministry. Burhan did not elabora...

WestJet pilots issue 72 hour strike notice

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:58:15 GMT

The union representing WestJet pilots says its roughly 1,600 members could walk off the job Friday morning if a new deal isn’t reached by their deadline.The WestJet Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) says its negotiating committee is available 24-7 to reach a deal.In April, the ALPA said 93 per cent of its roughly members voted in favour of a strike, citing the need for better pay and job protection.Over the past week, it provided steady bargaining updates on Twitter, with Monday’s update eventually announcing strike notice.More to come.

Twins’ Royce Lewis takes next step forward in rehab assignment

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:58:15 GMT

LOS ANGELES — Royce Lewis’s stay with the Double-A Wichita Wind Surge was brief, but there was plenty for the Twins to like over the weekend.The top prospect finished his two games with a pair of hits, including a double, played a game at both short and third and even stole a couple of bases, a sign that his twice-repaired right knee is feeling good.“When we send him on a rehab assignment, we send him with the understanding that he needs to play baseball and be who he is,” head athletic trainer Nick Paparesta said. “I’m not a big fan of sending guys on rehab assignments with restrictions and holding them back. I want them to be able to play baseball the way they want.”And Lewis, who will now move from Double-A Wichita to Triple-A St. Paul, did just that. Lewis will now remain with the Saints for an extended period of time as he continues to get at-bats. The 23-year-old, who is rehabbing from his second anterior cruciate ligament surgery, is not eligible to come off of the inju...

City leaders take on short-term rental in effort to fight downtown crime

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:58:15 GMT

ST. LOUIS - A St. Louis crime summit is set for Wednesday after another weekend of street fights, gunfire, and reckless driving downtown. Several issues seem to be making St. Louis a magnet for mayhem. A week ago, the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department announced an unmistakable show of force to bring downtown under control. Then, over the past few days, the same issues erupted in almost the same place as they have for nearly a year, near 9th and Locust. Rampant gunfire, reckless driving, and fighting happened on that street on New Year’s Eve. There were similar issues in the same spot the past two weekends. “We’ve had the same thing time and time again,” said St. Louis Alderwoman Cara Spencer, whose 8th Ward includes part of downtown. “We’ve got some problematic landlords. We’ve got some ‘Airbnb’ property owners that have got to be reigned in.”  Missouri AG: Gardner was at nursing school during contempt of court hearing Authorities said people book short-...

How a dozen scheduled city trials took drastically different courses

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:58:15 GMT

ST. LOUIS – Cases were dismissed and a plea deal blown up in St. Louis Circuit Court on Monday as prosecutors scrambled to cover trials.FOX 2 monitored a dozen cases that were scheduled for trial to see how the office is handling the case load. Three of the cases did head for trial, making them the first trials the city has seen since the first week of May.In one case, a defendant walked out on a domestic assault plea deal, despite a warning from the judge that the man will likely be wanted soon by the feds because of it, due to a possible federal charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm. We’re not identifying the defendant because criminal charges against him were dropped as prosecutors planned on that plea deal, rather than a trial that had been scheduled for Monday. The defendant told the court, “Let the FBI come,” as he walked out. The judge told the man the charges would be refiled.Out of the 12 scheduled St. Louis trials Monday, we found three of the cases dismissed....

Central Visual Performing Arts High School honors killed teacher and student through dance

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:58:15 GMT

ST. LOUIS - Dancers from Central Visual and Performing Arts High School return to the stage for the first time since the shooting that killed two of their own in a performance called "In our hearts."Seven months ago, the stage went dark after tragedy struck the school. However, now the dancers are back doing what they do best."It's emotional,” said Jayden Brown, a CVPA dance student. “That honestly, nobody is going to forget, so we have to use that and turn it into our arts here."Through jazz, tap, hip-hop, and a variety of dance routines, students continue the healing process."We're still going, we're still strong, and nothing can stop us,” said Mars Sander, a CVPA sophomore dance student. Missouri AG: Gardner was at nursing school during contempt of court hearing It’s an act of perseverance."The hurt is very real; the trauma is very real, but it feels good to be on the side of hard work, and we call it heart work," said Dr. Kacy Shahid, principal at CVPA. "The title of this perf...

You Paid For It - Weekend downpour flooded roads and highways

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:58:15 GMT

ST. LOUIS - Over the weekend, flooding slammed interstate highways and other major roads in the St. Louis area."When it comes in a lot fewer days and a lot smaller storms, you have these massive storms that hit, and there is just nothing that’s going to take that away," said Brian Hoelscher, executive director and CEO of the Metropolitan Sewer District (MSD). "That immediate area is going to flood. Everything is going to go underwater."Hoelscher explained the possible solutions to the flooding problem. Missouri AG: Gardner was at nursing school during contempt of court hearing "So there‘s two options, and they're different from each one. You either move the facilities out of or raise them above those problems or else, if possible, you can engineer or try to put larger capacity structures in," he said. "It’s going to cost a lot of money, whatever the solution happens to be. We’d put design storms in and say, that’s how much we’re willing to pay for a certain level of protection; cl...

Fauci talks pandemic, controversies prior to Washington University commencement speech

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:58:15 GMT

ST. LOUIS – Before Dr. Anthony Fauci delivered the commencement address for Washington University’s School of Medicine, he delivered answers to wide-ranging questions from reporters.Fauci discussed the current state of the COVID crisis.“Bottom line, short answer is, it’s not over in the sense of totally behind us, but the emergency nature of it certainly is behind us,” he said.And he shared his advice for med school grads.“That they should not sit back and accept the normalization of untruths,” he said. “It’s their responsibility to push back on the normalizations of untruths.”The recently retired director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and chief medical advisor to the president spoke candidly about the pandemic and what made him public enemy number one in the minds of many Americans. Missouri AG: Gardner was at nursing school during contempt of court hearing “When I was in the White House and Trump was saying the virus was going to go away like magic...