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Liberals’ political will on pharmacare questioned as minister promises progress

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:57:00 GMT

OTTAWA — Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos says the government’s plans for pharmacare are moving forward, but experts who study government drug plans suggest the Liberals may have lost the political will to take bold steps toward a national program.People like Marc-André Gagnon were still holding out hope that spending would be set aside in Tuesday’s federal budget to create a national, single-payer drug plan. But though the Carleton University health policy professor said he was optimistic, he also admitted he wasn’t surprised when there was no mention of pharmacare in the document. “We don’t see the political willingness anymore,” Gagnon said in an interview Friday.Progress on pharmacare is one of the conditions of the confidence-and-supply agreement the NDP entered with the Liberals last year, in which the NDP throws its support behind the government on key confidence votes in exchange for progress on the party’s priorities.Under the agree...

Amanda Marshall reflects on her first three albums as she readies a fourth

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:57:00 GMT

TORONTO — Amanda Marshall released three studio albums between 1995 and 2001 before effectively vanishing from the music scene.As she releases her new single “I Hope She Cheats,” and prepares to unleash her fourth record “Heavy Lifting” in June, Marshall shared a few memories.“Amanda Marshall” (1995)Songs include: “Let It Rain,” “Birmingham” and “Dark Horse”Taken under the wing of legendary Canadian blues and rock musician Jeff Healey as a teenager, Marshall cut her teeth in Toronto bars before her self-titled debut hit stores when she was 23 years old. Produced by David Tyson, co-writer of Alannah Myles’ No. 1 hit “Black Velvet,” the album ushered in a vocally confident and soulful young artist — and it hit huge. “Amanda Marshall” scored seven Top 10 singles and is one of only 24 albums by Canadian artists with Diamond certification status in Canada with more than a million copies sold.Marshall says recording the album involved a substantial learning curve t...

Ottawa is going all in on ‘friendshoring.’ Here’s what that could mean.

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:57:00 GMT

OTTAWA — This year’s budget reveals the federal Liberals envision Canada relying more on its allies for trade in the future, economists and geopolitical experts say — even if that could result in higher prices or missed opportunities.“It’s a reframing,” University of British Columbia professor Vina Nadjibulla said after the budget’s release this week. “It’s essentially saying what we’ve been doing for the last 30 years of engagement is over.”U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen coined the term “friendshoring” a year ago, saying allies should rely on each other to make supply chains more resilient, and defang hostile actors from taxing or withholding goods.The Liberals have sent mixed messages in the past year on the extent to which they agree with that approach. Last October, Industry Minister François-Philippe Champagne said Canada was “decoupling” from China, but days later Foreign Affairs Minister Mélan...

As economy slows, Liberals push off EI reform over worries it could drive up premiums

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:57:00 GMT

OTTAWA — The Liberal government left employment insurance reform out of the federal budget this week over concern that reforming the program amid a slowing economy could drive up premiums for workers and employers.That’s according to a spokesperson for Employment Minister Carla Qualtrough, who said the federal government “remains committed to modernizing the EI system.”“However, the current and near-term economic context caution against measures that could put pressure on EI premiums and we needed to be careful about any decision that could make it harder for workers and employers to make ends meet,” the spokesperson said in an email.After the last federal election, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau handed out a mandate letter that tasked Qualtrough with bringing forward and implementing a plan to “modernize the EI system for the 21st century” by summer 2022. As the summer was ending, the minister promised reform was coming soon. “By the e...

David Brooks: The necessity of patriotism (even in times like these)

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:57:00 GMT

Dear Zoomers,Because you’re online so much, you probably saw The Wall Street Journal/NORC poll that came out this past week. It found that the share of Americans who say patriotism is very important to them has dropped to 38% from 70% since 1998.The share who say religion is very important has dropped to 39% from 62%.The share who say community involvement is very important has dropped to 27% from 47%.The share who say having children is very important has dropped to 30% from 59%.These trends are partly driven by you, adults younger than 30. Only 23% of you said that patriotism is very important or that having children is very important.You’re disillusioned, and I get it. You’ve grown up in a crappy time — Iraq, the financial crisis, Donald Trump, George Floyd, the pandemic, a widespread sense that you won’t be as well-off as your parents.But I grew up in a crappy time, too. I’m old enough to remember the assassinations of 1968. Over the next few years, Americans experienced defeat ...

This summer at Orchestra Hall: Jon Kimura Parker, dance and guided meditation, Dessa

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:57:00 GMT

The Minnesota Orchestra’s summer programming lineup aims to put “Music in Motion.”The Summer at Orchestra Hall series runs from July 14 to Aug. 5 in downtown Minneapolis and is curated by piano virtuoso Jon Kimura Parker. The Twin Cities collective BRKFST Dance Company will serve as the orchestra’s artist-in-residence to highlight the “Music in Motion” theme, and local musicians Chastity Brown and Dessa are on the docket, too.Before each concert, the orchestra is hosting Sounds + Bites on Peavey Plaza, a free outdoor entertainment showcase downtown. Dining options will be available, the orchestra said.Tickets to summer shows go on sale starting April 4 at minnesotaorchestra.org or by calling 612-371-5656.In total, last year’s Summer at Orchestra Hall events were attended by 25,000 people, the orchestra said. And 2022 was an eventful year overall for the Minnesota Orchestra — its finances improved from pandemic disruptions, and Danish conductor Thomas Søndergård was appointed to take...

Ask Amy: A widow can’t quite face FaceTime

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:57:00 GMT

Dear Amy: I am a widow. I’ve been in a relationship with “Bernie,” a widower, for nine years. We live quite a distance apart and trade off spending weekends together.A few years ago, when Bernie established a FaceTime account, he included his late wife “Bernice’s” name on it so that when he FaceTimes with me, the notification comes in as from “BernieandBernice.”I have asked him to change it, and his reply is that he cannot change it and that he still “cares about her.” Obviously, he does not want to change it.I take issue with this. It’s as though he is including her in our personal and sometimes intimate conversations.Bernie says I am too sensitive; I say he is IN-sensitive.I feel it is disrespectful to me, and also to his late wife.It hurts me terribly every time I receive a Facetime call from him. I have shed many tears because of this.And, if he were to email or contact friends of mine through Facetime and the two names appeared this way, I would find it humiliating.I have...

Horoscopes April 1, 2023: Taran Killam, offer a lifeline

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:57:00 GMT

CELEBRITIES BORN ON THIS DAY: Asa Butterfield, 26; Hillary Scott, 37; Taran Killam, 41; Susan Boyle, 62.Hillary Scott (Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images) Happy Birthday: Hang in there. Set your sights on your destination and let your intelligence and passion lead to success. Engage in something that brings you joy, surrounds you with people who make you proud, and feeds your energy and heart to the brim. Refuse to falter because someone else loses their way. Offer a lifeline, but don’t give away your soul. Your numbers are 6, 13, 19, 25, 32, 44, 49.ARIES (March 21-April 19): Keep an open mind, listen respectfully to what others contribute and offer positive solutions to existing problems. Getting along and maintaining peace will encourage positive results and deter you from making unnecessary and unaffordable purchases. 5 starsTAURUS (April 20-May 20): Emotions will interfere with your plans. Turn a negative into a positive. Lay down some ground rules that motivate an...

Bridge: April 1, 2023

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:57:00 GMT

Mark Dahl of Richmond, Virginia, was declarer in today’s deal from a crucial match in the Mixed Swiss Teams at the Fall NABC. (West’s two clubs showed length in both majors; North’s two spades showed club length plus a spade stopper. Dahl’s 3NT was bold.)West led a low heart, and East took the king and returned the jack. When Dahl’s queen covered, West played low to keep communication.Declarer next led a club to dummy’s ace, getting the bad news; West threw a spade, so Dahl couldn’t profit by setting up the clubs. Instead, he led a club to his king, cashed four spade tricks and exited with his last heart. West took three hearts but then had to lead a diamond from his king. Making three!OTHER TABLEAt the other table, West led a spade against 3NT, and declarer got home with less difficulty. At Dahl’s table, the contract could have been defeated: East needed to play his jack of hearts at Trick One.Dahl’s good play helped his team to...

Word Game: April 1, 2023

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:57:00 GMT

TODAY’S WORD — CANTLES (CANTLES: KAN-t’ls: Parts; portions.)Average mark 42 wordsTime limit 60 minutesCan you find 55 or more words in CANTLES? The list will be published Monday.YESTERDAY’S WORD — THREATS tare tart taste taster tear teat test that theta threat trash treat tsar hare haste hate hater hatter hear heart heat hers rash rate rest earth east aster sate sear seat share shatter shear star stare start stat state stetTo purchase the Word Game book, visit WordGameBooks.com. Order it now for just $5 while supplies last!RULES OF THE GAME:1. Words must be of four or more letters.2. Words that acquire four letters by the addition of “s,” such as “bats” or “dies,” are not allowed.3. Additional words made by adding a “d” or an “s” may not be used. For example, if “bake” is used, “baked” or “bakes” are not allowed, but “bake” and “baking” are admissible.4. Proper nouns, slang words, or vulgar or sexually explicit words are not allowed.Contact Word Game cr...