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Orioles scratch Jack Flaherty from Wednesday’s start vs. Blue Jays, move up Dean Kremer

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:25:27 GMT

Orioles right-hander Jack Flaherty will not start Wednesday night’s game against the Toronto Blue Jays as expected, with right-hander Dean Kremer moving up a day and Baltimore yet to announce a starter for Thursday’s series finale.The Orioles did not immediately give a reason for the change. Manager Brandon Hyde is expected to address it during his pregame media session Wednesday evening.Baltimore acquired Flaherty from the St. Louis Cardinals on the cusp of the MLB trade deadline for three top 20 prospects. In three starts with the Orioles, the 27-year-old pending free agent has a 7.07 ERA, though that’s bloated by a three-inning, seven-run outing against the San Diego Padres on Aug. 15, his most recent start.The Orioles have of late used a six-man rotation, giving young starters such as Kremer, Kyle Bradish and Grayson Rodriguez extra rest between outings. Thanks to recent days off, they could briefly return to a five-man operation and have veteran Kyle Gibson st...

1 in 5 moms belittled, abused or ignored during pregnancy or birth, CDC reports

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:25:27 GMT

By Marin Wolf, The Dallas Morning NewsOne in five U.S. mothers reported mistreatment while receiving maternity care with their most recent pregnancy, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported in a new study Tuesday.Mothers said health care providers shouted at or scolded them, ignored requests for help or threatened that their treatment would be withheld, the Vital Signs report showed. They also said their physical privacy wasn’t protected.Experts say it’s a staggering yet unsurprising statistic in a country that has one of the highest maternal mortality rates among its high-income peers. Maternal deaths jumped significantly during the first year of the pandemic, rising from 23.8 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2020 to 32.9 deaths in 2021. In Texas, for one, deaths among new mothers increased at least 40% between 1999 and 2019, the most recent year of available state-level data.“What seems particularly shocking is that, in the pregnancy and postpartum period, it real...

The expensive place to live in — for dogs? See the priciest state to own a pooch

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:25:27 GMT

By Hanh Truong, The Sacramento BeeA new study by MarketWatch Guides ranks the most expensive states to own a dog, and California topped the list.It calculates the average cost of owning a Labrador retriever, the most popular dog breed in the country as stated by the American Kennel Club, assuming that it lives up to 11 years. These expenses include upfront costs, such as vaccines, supplies, spay and neuter procedures, medicine, and annual fees, such as insurance, grooming, food, checkups, toys, boarding and emergency vet visits.It’s noted that the ranking does not have data to include Alaska, North Dakota, South Dakota or Hawaii — which is considered the most expensive place to live for people, according to the 2023 CNBC study. California made second on this list.The study also didn’t include certain cost factors due to a lack of necessity or wide-ranging data. This includes adoption costs, apartment fees for having a pet, dog training and specialty medical treatment.Which are the m...

Voting delays mark Zimbabwe’s election as the president known as ‘the crocodile’ seeks a second term

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:25:27 GMT

HARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) — Delays of up to 10 hours in mostly opposition strongholds marked voting in Zimbabwe on Wednesday as President Emmerson Mnangagwa seeks a second and final term in a country with a history of violent and disputed elections.Long lines continued after sunset at some polling stations following the late distribution of ballot papers. The electoral commission said voting would continue until everyone who was waiting in line at 7 p.m., when polls were scheduled to close, got a chance to vote.“I am not going anywhere. I waited five years to vote, and these hours won’t kill me,” said Cathrine Nyakudanga, who carried her six-month-old baby on her back. She arrived before polls opened at 7 a.m. but ballot papers arrived only after 4 p.m.“It pained me to see the elderly and women spending such long hours without food or water. That’s not safe,” said Stanley Gwanzura, a popular local gospel singer. Others waiting in line lit fires to grill meat for dinner.This is the...

As conservative premiers talk gender and kids, Poilievre’s grassroots ask same of him

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:25:27 GMT

OTTAWA — As conservative premiers change the rules around pronoun use in schools, members of the federal Conservative grassroots want Pierre Poilievre to wade further into the debate around gender. A submission advancing to a policy convention next month proposes discussion of a Conservative government prohibiting “life altering medicinal or surgical interventions” for those 18 and younger who are looking to transition. The pitch is similar to ones found across the United States, including in Florida where Governor Ron DeSantis signed a bill in May banning gender-affirming care for transgender youth. As federal Conservative leader, Poilievre has largely focused on the cost-of-living crisis gripping millions, high interest rates and a lack of affordable housing.But parts of his base are hoping Poilievre will broaden his Opposition agenda to include more of a focus on social issues. Poilievre has said that when it comes to New Brunswick’s decision to no longer make i...

Deputy PM Freeland caught speeding on Alberta highway

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:25:27 GMT

Canada’s deputy prime minister apparently felt the need for speed while driving in Alberta last week.CityNews can confirm Chrystia Freeland was pulled over for driving 132 km/hr on a highway between the northern Alberta municipalities of Grande Prairie and Peace River. The maximum speed limit on Alberta highways is 110 km/hr.The federal finance minister was given a ticket for $273, which she has paid in full.Her schedule shows she was touring an energy production facility in Peace River on Aug. 15.Related:Freeland touts home savings account, notes limits to addressing housing crisisTrudeau names new cabinet, shifting focus to economy, housingFreeland represents the Toronto riding of University-Rosedale and mentioned she did not own a car while speaking to reporters earlier this year.“A fact that still shocks my dad is I don’t actually own a car because I live in downtown Toronto,” said Freeland in July.Freeland was born in Peace River and was first elected as...

Mobile debit payments in stores jump 53 per cent over past year: Interac

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:25:27 GMT

TORONTO — Interac says mobile debit payments in stores jumped 53 per cent over the past 12 months, while e-commerce purchases rose 17 per cent.The survey shows the trends were driven by Gen Z, who also influenced their Gen X parents in adopting contactless payments via mobile phone.The survey shows eight in 10 (78 per cent) Gen Z adults pay using their smartphones while only 42 per cent of their parents’ generation relied on contactless payments, citing concerns about security. The national debit network says more than a billion debit mobile contactless and in-app transactions happened between Aug. 2022 and July 2023.William Keliehor, chief commercial officer at Interac, says debit remains central to the way Canadians choose to pay, even as it takes new forms.The survey also shows 63 per cent of Canadians expect it will soon be normal to not carry a physical wallet, knowing you can pay with a smartphone or smartwatch.The survey by Hill+Knowlton Strategies polled 1,502 Canadian...

NFL cornerback Caleb Farley leans on faith after dad’s death in explosion at North Carolina home

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:25:27 GMT

MOORESVILLE, N.C. (AP) — Tennessee Titans cornerback Caleb Farley said he took the first flight home Tuesday after learning of an explosion that destroyed the NFL player’s North Carolina home, killing his father and injuring a family friend. Farley said in an interview with WCNC-TV that he was in Nashville when a neighbor called and explained the situation.“It didn’t sound good from the start,” he said, and then officials found his father’s body.“I was really emotional earlier. I’ve kind of leveled off a little bit,” he said. “It’s just been a hectic roller coaster of a ride. Not only today, just for me the past five years, period. So I’ve been leaning on my faith and staying with the principles my mother and my father raised me with and that’s what’s been keeping me going.”Robert M. Farley, 61, was found dead in the debris of the Mooresville house, said Kent Greene, director of Iredell County Fire Services and Emergency Management. First responders arrived to find family friend Chr...

Ottawa looked at changes to land claims process, acknowledged issues: documents

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:25:27 GMT

OTTAWA — Newly released internal documents show Canada has been pondering a new way to settle First Nation land claims.In briefing materials prepared for the deputy minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada, the federal government also acknowledged issues with the current specific claims process.Specific claims deal with past wrongs against First Nations by Canada, including the administration of land or other assets.The July 2022 documents say Canada was mulling over changes to language about land surrenders, noting some First Nations are unwilling to settle land claims if they have to relinquish their title.Instead, federal officials suggested the use of a “promissory estoppel,” which is essentially a promise that First Nations won’t reignite their cases after they’ve been settled.The records were released to The Canadian Press under the Access to Information Act.This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 23, 2023.Th...

Metro workers picket two GTA distribution warehouses in fourth week of strike

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:25:27 GMT

TORONTO — Striking Metro workers in the Greater Toronto Area are now picketing two of the grocers’ distribution warehouses, a move the company says is preventing deliveries of fresh products to stores across the province. Local 414 president Gord Currie and national president Lana Payne met workers engaging in a secondary picket at warehouse in Toronto’s west end. More than 3,700 workers at 27 Metro stores across the GTA have been on strike since July 29 after rejecting a tentative agreement recommended by their bargaining committee. Metro spokeswoman Marie-Claude Bacon called on the workers to come back to the table, saying the warehouses supply all Metro and Food Basics stores in Ontario and the pickets are preventing deliveries of fresh produce to all its stores.Unifor has said that the workers are asking for a fair share of the company’s rising profits, with many workers demanding their pandemic “hero pay” of $2 an hour be reinstated. Metro says the...