Albert Wagner 
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – A Florida law pushed by Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis that limits diversity and race-based discussions in private workplaces is unconstitutional, a federal appeals court has ruled. A three-judge panel of the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Monday upheld a Florida federal judge’s August 2022 ruling that the … Read more
NEW YORK – Jeff Bezos has reclaimed the title of the richest person on Earth, surpassing Elon Musk, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index on Monday. The Amazon founder’s net worth was US$200 billion, while Musk followed at $198 billion. Musk has lost about $31 billion over the past year, while Bezos has … Read more
(The Hill) – The federal government’s free at-home COVID-19 test program will be suspended beginning Friday in response to a drop in respiratory diseases. The Biden administration brought back the free test program last year ahead of the respiratory viral season. By going to COVIDtests.gov, households could order a free pack of four at-home COVID-19 … Read more
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. – The Denver Broncos told Russell Wilson on Monday that they’re going to release him next week, just 18 months after signing the Super Bowl-winning quarterback to a five-year, US$242 million contract extension. The Broncos still owe Wilson his US$39 million salary for 2024 minus whatever he’d sign for with another … Read more
TORONTO – Consumers in Ontario and British Columbia increasingly missed payments on mortgages and credit cards in the fourth quarter of 2023, Equifax Canada said. The fourth quarter saw a continuation of what’s been happening for a while now as the impacts of higher interest rates and inflation continue to weigh on consumers, … Read more
(NEXSTAR) – In May, a tax credit created during the COVID-19 pandemic will expire. People who haven’t yet filed a tax return for 2020 may still be eligible for the Recovery Rebate Credit, according to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), but they’ll have to file a return by the May 17, 2024 deadline. The credit … Read more
The Toronto Raptors have signed centre Kelly Olynyk to a multi-year contract extension, the NBA club announced Monday. Details of the extension were not announced, but ESPN reported it was a two-year extension worth US$26.25 million. The six-foot-11, 240-pound Olynyk is averaging 8.3 points, 4.9 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 20.4 minutes in … Read more
TALLINN, Estonia – Thousands of Belarusians have been convicted on politically driven charges over the last three years as part of the authorities’ relentless crackdown on dissent, the country’s leading human rights group said Monday. The Viasna human rights center said that at least 4,690 people have been convicted on politically motivated charges … Read more
JERUSALEM – Israel ramped up its criticism of the embattled UN agency for Palestinian refugees Monday, saying 450 of its employees were members of militant groups in the Gaza Strip, though it provided no evidence to back up its accusation. Major international funders have withheld hundreds of millions of dollars from the agency, … Read more
SANTA FE, N.M. – An ammunition supplier testified at trial Monday that he only provided inert dummy rounds to the Western film “Rust” where actor Alex Baldwin fatally shot a cinematographer in 2021, though he also was handling live rounds from another production at that time. Albuquerque-based movie firearms and ammunition supplier Seth … Read more
