SAINT JOHN - After more than seven months of construction work, the walkway that connects Market Square and City Hall has reopened after a $1.7 million renovation project. In April, the city closed the St. Patrick Street pedway to replace the existing escalator with a wider staircase and add an additional elevator. Work was expected to conclude by October, but in that month the city’s infrastructure commissioner Ian Fogan told Brunswick News that a materials issue would delay completion of the project by six to eight weeks. On Thursday, the city posted on its social media that the connection was now reopened, adding that plywood would be standing in for glass railings until the material arrived, and that one of the two elevators was out of service. Samir Yammine, the city’s director of asset management and environmental performance, said he was “so excited.” “To make it accessible to people, especially those with a disability, and provide better service to the people moving forward ... it’s been a long journey,” Yammine said. “I’m very happy to see the project come alive.” The pedway is part of the Inside Connection path which runs from the Saint John Trade and Convention Centre and Hilton hotel through Market Square, Rocky’s Sports Bar, City Hall and Brunswick Square to City Market, with a branch that runs past the Canada Games Aquatic Centre to TD Station. It provides an accessible path for those with mobility needs especially in winter months, when snow and ice can make Saint John’s hilly sidewalks tough to navigate with a wheelchair or walker. Yammine said the pedway was first built in 1982, and since the last renovation, much of the infrastructure, including the skylight, was “already past due.” One of the big additions is an elevator shaft added to the side of the building, which has a brand new Otis Gen3 elevator with a capacity of 20 people, which Yammine said was the second of its kind in Canada. The existing elevator, however, was from the original build and had “major issues,” and the city is working with a contractor to decide whether to repair or replace it over the next month or two. The renovation started in 2023 following engagement with local businesses, with Yammine saying the city was told they’d rather have the build take place over the summer rather than the winter, when the pedway protects from the elements. But the materials acquisition had “several issues,” including problems with the tempered glass planned for the stair railing and balcony. He said they made the choice to make it accessible and hope that the glass can be installed in mid-January. Moe Arsenault, owner of Rocky’s and Beer Bread Pizza, which is on the first floor of the Canada Permanent building, said he is “extremely happy” about the reopening. “We believe the pedway system is the artery of our city,” Arsenault said. “To have the upgrades that were done were necessary. It did take a little longer than expected, but it’s a great day to celebrate moving forward and having a new piece to showcase the abilities to host events and people visiting our city.” He said the impact of the closure would have resulted in 30 per cent drop in sales to Beer Bread, which can be accessed through a stairwell in the pedway, and a 15 per cent cut to Rocky’s. He said that having the pedway reopened will mean renewed access from guests at the Hilton, as well as residents who live in the buildings along Harbour Passage. “It means the pedway system is going to be able to operate as intended, allowing people to come, shop and visit our establishment,” he said. “It looks wonderful out there, and it’s opened up quite a bit of that artery.” On Thursday, lunch traffic flowed up and down the stairs, and some residents stopped to chat to a waiting security guard. Lynn and Junior Patterson, two seniors who live at the Rotary Admiral Beatty Complex in Kings Square, passed through the area just before noon. “It’s nice, the stairs are lovely, the tile and everything on them, and they’ve got both elevators ... I think it’s better than the escalator,” said Lynn Patterson, who said they walk it every day. Junior Patterson said it was “very helpful” to have the walkway, saying “it’s a breakthrough, just getting out and getting your exercise.” Lynn Patterson noted that it opens connections to the seniors who live on Smythe Street “that are used to being able to stay inside the whole way.” Yammine said Saint John residents were “very patient with us” and said that the pedway is an “important link.” “We can see this flow here, nice flow,” he said. “Many people are very excited to see this finally open.”
AP Trending SummaryBrief at 1:56 p.m. ESTHow to take climate change out of the culture warsFormer Maryland governor and commissioner of the Social Security Administration Martin O’Malley has been called to testify before the House Oversight Committee next month about an agreement he signed to allow some Social Security employees to work remotely through 2029. O’Malley signed the agreement in late November, two days before leaving his Social Security Administration position. James Comer, a Republican representative from Kentucky who serves as the chairman of the Committee on Oversight and Accountability, wrote in a letter to O’Malley that his agreement with the American Federation of Government Employees to guarantee a minimum amount of telework for 42,000 Social Security employees through 2029 “will tie the hands of your successor at SSA for the duration of the next administration, and beyond.” O’Malley hasn’t commented publicly on the letter. Comer questioned O’Malley’s motives and how the move would serve the public. Comer’s letter implies the move was politically motivated, saying it was popular with AFGE members and other unions “that form a core constituency of the DNC that you are now running to chair.” O’Malley resigned from the Social Security Administration in November, around when he announced his run for chair of the Democratic National Committee. Comer claimed the administration’s nearly 60,000 employees have spent less than half their time in the office as disability claim processing times have increased since the pandemic. “We believe your testimony will shed light on why so much of the federal workforce is currently at home, and federal agency offices are largely vacant,” he wrote. “We also expect it will educate Members as to how federal collective bargaining law and practice has helped facilitate this situation.” The AFGE represents 800,000 federal and D.C. employees across 900 different local unions, according to its website. “We support telework where it delivers for both the taxpayers and the workers who serve them. Telework and remote work are tools that have helped the federal government increase productivity and efficiency, maintain continuity of operations, and increase disaster preparedness. These policies also assist agencies across the government, including the Social Security Administration, in recruiting and retaining top talent,” said AFGE president Everett Kelley in a statement Dec. 16. Kelley went on to dispel “rumors of widespread federal telework,” saying only 10% of federal employees are fully remote while hybrid employees spend over 60% of working hours in-office. However, the majority of federal employees, he said, were completely ineligible for remote work due to the nature of their jobs. The election for DNC chair amongst its 447 committee members will take place in early 2025, according to the New York Times . Have a news tip? Contact Racquel Bazos at rbazos@baltsun.com, 443-813-0770 or on X as @rzbworks.
South Carolina looks to steady ship against South Carolina UpstateHARTFORD, CT – The Connecticut Education Association (CEA) released its annual online survey Tuesday afternoon, and educators around the state revealed that they are suffering from burnout, low pay, and issues with student discipline. “If you know a teacher, you know somebody who bought school supplies for another person’s child,” said Kate Dias, president of the CEA. “If you know a teacher, you know somebody who paid out of pocket to ensure that their classroom was welcoming and kind to their students. If you know a teacher, you know somebody who bought snacks to make sure students didn’t go hungry. These are the little things that are really big in terms of making our schools the place our students need them to be. But that burden can’t solely sit on the shoulders of our teachers.” The , conducted by GBAO, ran from October 22 through October 28. 5,016 members of the approximately 43,000 strong CEA responded to the survey. The top five issues for the respondents were stress and burnout (63%), low salaries (56%), problems with student behavior (55%), not feeling respected professionally (36%) and politicians/non-educator making classroom decisions (35%). These conditions, said Rep. Chris Poulos, D-Southington, have helped to contribute to a difficult work conditions which drive people away from the education profession. Napoli also works as a high school teacher in Redding. “It’s not just in my hometown or the district where I teach or in the state of Connecticut, but it’s nationwide that we are facing teacher shortage crisis in our country, ”he said. “Everyone agrees that we need to work to find ways to attract and retain people into our profession. There’s no silver bullet that’s going to bring and populate our profession overnight but a good place to start is with young people.” Napoli suggested that the legislature look at ways to alleviate some of the financial burdens that are involved with earning teaching certification, such as the cost of licensure or the cost of some of the standardized tests that are involved in certifying a teacher. Elsa Batista, a teacher in Newington, spoke about the many ways that teachers go above and beyond for their students. “Teaching is such a rewarding profession,” she said. “We love what we do but with that said, if you’re not in the classroom, if you can’t spend a day in our shoes, please know that we wear many hats. Oftentimes I teach more than just Spanish. We teach students how to be compassionate with one another. We teach social skills, we teach empathy.” She said that teaching is a very emotional job, and the energy she and her colleagues expend on students often comes at the expense of what they can do for their own families when they get home. “We love what we do, but we’re getting tired,” she said. Jeff Morrissey, president of the Bridgeport Educators Association, said that there are critical shortages of teachers in special education, math, science, and English for speakers of other languages in his hometown, and that the shortages are negatively affecting both students and staff. “It is of the utmost importance to have a certified teacher in every classroom, but that’s nearly impossible when you consider, as it has been uttered here earlier, the expense, education, and effort that go into certification and the low salaries and high stress of this career,” he said. He called on the state legislature to accelerate its support of teachers, by passing a statewide minimum starting salary of $60,000 for new teachers and providing adequate funding for regular salary increases. Otherwise, he said, teachers faced the reality of working multiple jobs to make ends meet. “To provide for my own family, personally, I myself have worked on golf courses, bartended, tutored, and weighted tables on nights and weekends,” he said. Joslyn DeLancey, vice president of the CEA, noted that there have been changes to teacher evaluations and DCF reporting requirements to make the job less stressful, but said that wasn’t enough. “The one thing that those changes haven’t been is financial, and I think that that is the critical understanding that we need to invest in our public schools,” she said. “We’ve talked about class size, we’ve talked about salary, we’ve talked about funding for special education. We should be focusing on our para-educators too as well, we need those strong and supported in our schools. So what we need to be doing is making sure that this session, when we start talking about policy and legislation, that a priority is funding our public schools and directing those funds in the places that will impact our students so that they can be successful.”
Gabriel mimics Gyokeres in cheeky goal celebration in Arsenal win over Sporting in Champions LeaguePrince William has joked about not being impressed with his youngest son , Prince Louis' latest hobby , as the young royal developed his musical streak. During an appearance at the Tusk Awards on Wednesday, the Prince of Wales revealed that his young son had started learning the drums . Speaking to Rolling Stones star Ronnie Wood and Dire Straits guitarist Mark Knopfler, William revealed: " My youngest is learning the drums that's why I spend my entire life with my fingers in my ears ." The father-of-three was at the Tusk Awards as their patron, and the royal helped to launch the event in 2013. The awards aim to recognise the hard work and dedication of individuals who are conservation leaders and wildlife ranges across Africa. During his appearance, William said: "Tonight is a reminder that our planet continues to face terrifying environmental concerns from climate change and habitat destruction to the exploitation of natural resources and an alarming downward trend in global biodiversity. "Rainforests the size of countries are disappearing and one million species are at risk of extinction mostly due to human activity. "Now is the time to support those globally that work to prevent future generations from becoming disconnected from nature, we must invest in the natural world around us and understand the value it has for us all, both now and in the future." The royal has previously noted the musical ear of his youngest son, telling OneRepublic at an Earthshot event last year that Louis "loved" their music. It's not just music that Louis, six, takes an interest in, as his father has previously spoken of his sporting ability. Back in April, William revealed that Louis "loves" playing cricket , while his mother, the Princess of Wales has spoken of her son's love of rugby . Kate joked that the youngster's style was "kamikaze" back when she accepted new rugby patronages. Louis isn't the only one of William and Kate's children with an interest in music, as Kate revealed back in 2020 that Prince George was playing the guitar . Speaking to a group of children in Galway, the mum-of-three commented: "I wish we could have brought George and Charlotte along, they would have loved it. And George is starting to learn the guitar."
OTTAWA — The national chief of the Assembly of First Nations is calling on all members of Parliament to send a First Nations water bill to the Senate before the holiday break, saying the water crisis demands urgent action. “This legislation reflects years of advocacy by First Nations and marks a milestone in a decades-long fight for adequate water and wastewater in First Nations across Canada,” Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak wrote in an open letter to MPs. “We cannot afford further delays to this legislation or missed opportunities while First Nations continue to live without access to safe and clean water. Bill C-61 must advance now, not next year. We urge all members of Parliament, across all party lines, to act.” The government legislation known as Bill C-61 recognizes that First Nations have an inherent right to clean drinking water and commits the government to provide adequate and sustainable funding for water services in First Nations. The House of Commons has been gridlocked since late September because of an ongoing privilege debate that centres on a request for the Liberals to hand over to Parliament and the RCMP unredacted documents about misspending at a now-defunct green tech fund. That has taken precedence over nearly all other government business, and the water bill is awaiting a final vote in the House of Commons. Last week, Liberal MP Jaime Battiste, who is Mi’kmaq from Eskasoni First Nation, asked for unanimous consent from MPs to adopt the bill and send it to Senate. But several Conservative MPs said no. The Conservatives then introduced a unanimous consent motion of their own that also asked MPs to condemn the Liberals for their inaction on the file. That, too, was voted down. Chiefs who gathered with Battiste and Indigenous Services Minister Patty Hajdu last week expressed their disappointment with the bill not moving forward, and accused Conservative House leader Andrew Scheer of using the bill as a political tactic. “I’m very disappointed that he used clean drinking water as a tactic in this House in order to say, ‘If you do this, then we will do this,’ where there’s real lives that are being affected,” Cowessess First Nation Chief Erica Beaudin told reporters at a news conference. “We’re not talking about toys, we’re not talking about items that are not essential, but water is essential and you either believe in clean drinking water for everybody or you don’t. And if you do, you do everything you possibly can to work toward that happening.” There are 31 long-term boil water advisories on First Nations across the country, and 36 short-term advisories, government data shows. In a statement last week, Scheer said the Liberals shut down his motion because they would like to avoid “proper debate” on the legislation. “Liberal MPs should be outraged with themselves. They could properly debate this legislation today if they stopped their cover up of their $400 million green slush fund scandal by providing the documents to the RCMP as ordered by Parliament,” Scheer said. Since Bill C-61 was introduced nearly a year ago it has been subject to debate in the House of Commons, studied at committee and had amendments tacked on. At the Assembly of First Nations gathering last week, the AFN executive passed a resolution to continue advocating for the bill’s approval. Hajdu and Woodhouse Nepinak stood together in October making a similar push for the bill to move forward, with Hajdu blaming the Conservatives for delays. Scheer, in response, pointed back to that privilege debate and said the House can resume its work once the Liberals hand over the documents. It’s unclear whether the Liberals will attempt a unanimous consent motion again before the holidays. They are expected to introduce the fall economic statement on Monday, and the House of Commons is set to rise on Tuesday for a break that last until Jan. 27. In her letter to MPs, Woodhouse Nepinak said advancing the bill before then will demonstrate Canada’s commitment to upholding its responsibilities. “Support and prioritize the advancement of Bill C-61, refer it to the Senate, and take this necessary step toward ensuring every First Nation has access to the clean and safe drinking water, as it is their basic human right,” she said. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 13, 2024. — With files from David Baxter Alessia Passafiume, The Canadian PressGame-changing holiday gifts for building fires, printing photos, watching birds and more
For travelers, Puerto Rico is a floating island of desirabilityInvestor excitement for artificial intelligence (AI) might be overhyped today. The stock market can at times seem like a manic-depressive being, exaggerating any positive or negative developments with rapid share price swings. With AI stocks like Nvidia soaring tenfold in just a few years, it is possible these stocks will head into a correction, given that they are priced for perfection at the moment. This doesn't change the fact that the generative AI sector is still in the early innings of growth. Some analysts estimate that spending on generative AI alone will reach $356 billion in 2030, growing at a 46% annual rate over the next six years, making it one of the fastest-growing sectors in the world. That would be up from an estimated $36 billion this year. With its premium valuation, a company such as Nvidia already has a lot of this growth priced into its stock. However, there is one reasonably priced AI stock hiding in plain sight: Alphabet ( GOOGL -1.71% ) ( GOOG -1.58% ) . Here's why the technology giant will benefit from surging demand for generative AI through 2030. Alphabet's AI comeback OpenAI struck fear into Alphabet investors back in late 2022. With the rapid growth of ChatGPT and its advanced conversational AI tools, investors worried that Alphabet -- parent company of Google Search -- had fallen behind in AI. This led its stock to fall to a price-to-earnings ratio (P/E) of close to 15 in early 2023, its cheapest earnings ratio in a decade. In the last two years, Alphabet has proven these doubters wrong. The stock has posted a 90% total return since these 2023 lows. Through its various subsidiaries and research labs, Alphabet has copied or bested every single one of OpenAI's innovations and has come up with some new AI products of its own. There is NotebookLM, a document summary tool that can speak audibly or provide written summaries on complex topics. There are also the new Google Search AI summaries, which are helping improve the customer value proposition of the most-used product on the planet. Let's not forget the new Google Lens feature, which allows people to search by taking a picture instead of the traditional text query. The list could go on. Alphabet is winning outside of generative AI, too. Its self-driving start-up, Waymo, has expanded to multiple cities across the United States and now does 100,000 weekly rides, growing tenfold year over year. This is an underrated part of Alphabet's business that is only enabled by its leadership in AI. Betting on cloud revenue growth Alphabet has proven in the last few years that it is not a lagging tech company in AI. In fact, you might be able to argue that the company is the definitive winner so far in this new generative AI space. But how will the company monetize all these new tools? One way is through Google Cloud, Alphabet's most promising subsidiary at the moment. The cloud computing giant takes all of Alphabet's innovations in AI, computer chips, and data centers and sells these tools to third parties. Last quarter, Google Cloud revenue grew 35% year over year to $11.4 billion. Over the long term, investors should expect this fantastic growth to continue if the analysts are correct about booming generative AI spending through 2030. At $100 billion in annual revenue and 25% profit margins -- a milestone Google Cloud should reach within a few years -- the segment will be generating $25 billion in operating earnings for the parent company. That is a sizable and growing chunk of its $105 billion in trailing consolidated operating earnings. GOOG PE Ratio data by YCharts Investors are still underrating the stock Even though Alphabet is proving its might in AI both with product innovation and its financial performance, the stock is still not performing in line with other technology peers. With a P/E of just 23, Alphabet has one of the cheapest earnings ratios across the AI and broader technology landscape. Nvidia has a P/E of 66. Apple -- which is growing much slower than Alphabet and has shown little ability to succeed with AI products -- is trading at a P/E of 37. Generative AI revenue is going to soar through the rest of this decade. The one company set to take the largest slice of this revenue is Alphabet because of its plethora of AI products and monetization tactics. You can buy the stock today at a P/E of 23, well below the S&P 500 index average of 30. That is a recipe for producing fantastic long-term returns for your portfolio.
Exclusive-US consumer finance watchdog moves on new rules ahead of Trump takeoverExclusive-US consumer finance watchdog moves on new rules ahead of Trump takeover
