In The News for April 20 : Federal public servant strike continues as both sides meet

In one of the largest strikes in Canada history, federal workers walked off the job as of 12:01 a.m. ET Wednesday, hitting the picket lines at some 250-plus locations across the country.

The bargaining groups involve some 155,000 federal public servants, including 35,000 Canada Revenue Agency staffers and about 46,000 essential workers who are not part of the strike action.

The union is asking for a 13.5 per cent raise over the next three years, saying the increases are necessary to keep pace with inflation and the cost of living.

The Treasury Board and the CRA both say they have offered the union a nine per cent raise over three years, on the recommendation of the third-party Public Interest Commission.

PSAC’s national president Chris Aylward told reporters Wednesday that members are willing to strike for “as long as it takes.”

“Workers are fed up, workers are frustrated and workers are saying, ‘Enough is enough. We’re not going to take the garbage anymore.'”

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Also this …

UNICEF says public perception of the importance of routine childhood vaccinations has declined by eight per cent in Canada since before the pandemic.

A report issued by the agency says that confidence in vaccination against diseases such as measles, polio and tetanus fell in 52 out of 55 countries surveyed.

It says the proportion of Canadians who believe childhood immunizations are important decreased from 90 per cent to 82 per cent over the last three years.

Pediatric infectious diseases specialist Dr. Cora Constantinescu says UNICEF’s findings are significant.

She says vaccine hesitancy and disrupted access to routine vaccinations have both been problems in Canada during the pandemic.

Although more than 80 per cent of Canadians still believe vaccines are important, Constantinescu says that’s not enough to achieve a comfortable level of herd immunity against preventable childhood illnesses.

She says there have been recent cases of measles, whooping cough, and meningococcal disease in various parts of Canada.

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What we are watching in the U.S. …

COLE, Okla. _ Strong storms including tornadoes, winds and hail moved through parts of the Central U.S. on Wednesday, killing at least two people, causing injuries, destroying homes and leaving thousands without power.

The U.S. National Weather Service began issuing tornado and severe thunderstorm warnings Wednesday evening in Oklahoma, Kansas and Iowa with forecasters warning people to find shelter.

Central Oklahoma saw multiple tornadoes, including one that raced through the communities of Shawnee and Cole Wednesday night.

Authorities said at least two people were killed in the small town of Cole in McClain County and there also were injuries ranging from cuts and bruises to some requiring hospitalization, although the numbers weren’t immediately clear as hundreds of people fanned out in search operations.

Power lines also were torn down, trees toppled and homes and other buildings badly damaged or destroyed. Oklahoma Baptist University in Shawnee and an airport received damage before the tornado moved off and weakened.

At the peak of the severe weather, more than 23,000 customers were without electricity throughout Oklahoma, according to poweroutage.us.

KFOR-TV reported that residents south of Oklahoma City reported being trapped in their shelters underground, mailboxes were blown away and emergency crews used GPS to find addresses, according to the McClain County sheriff.

Two people in the town of Cole rode out the storm in a manhole and were not hurt, the television station reported.

Storms this spring have spawned tornadoes in the South, Midwest and Northeast, killing dozens of people.

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What we are watching in the rest of the world …

NEW DELHI _ An Indian court has dismissed opposition leader Rahul Gandhi’s plea to stay his conviction in a criminal defamation case that resulted in his expulsion from Parliament, the Press Trust of India reported Thursday.

Gandhi, a fierce critic of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his main challenger in 2024 polls, was ousted after a court last month sentenced him to two years in prison for defamation for mocking Modi’s surname in a 2019 election speech.

A court in Modi’s home state of Gujarat suspended the prison sentence earlier in April for the duration of the appeal process.

A man who shares the prime minister’s surname, which is common in Gujarat, accused Gandhi of defamation over the speech in which he asked, “Why do all thieves have Modi as their surname?” Gandhi then referred to three well-known and unrelated Modis in the speech: a fugitive Indian diamond tycoon, a cricket executive banned from the Indian Premier League, and the prime minister.

The petitioner who filed the case is a member of Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party in Gujarat but is not related to the prime minister or the other two Modis mentioned by Gandhi.

A stay of Gandhi’s conviction would have opened up a path to reinstate his parliamentary seat. But the Congress Party leader can still seek to stay the conviction in a higher court.

“We will continue to avail all options still available to us under the law,” Jairam Ramesh, the party’s general secretary, tweeted.

Under Indian law, a criminal conviction and prison sentence of two years or more are grounds for expulsion from Parliament. Gandhi was immediately disqualified after the ruling in March, dealing a huge blow to the Congress party ahead of general elections next year.

Gandhi risks losing his eligibility to run in elections for the next eight years if a court doesn’t overturn his conviction and two-year sentence.

The prosecution of Gandhi, the great-grandson of India’s first prime minister and scion of the dynastic Congress party, was widely condemned by opponents of Modi as the latest assault against democracy and free speech by a government seeking to crush dissent. The speed of his removal from Parliament shocked Indian politics.

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On this day in 1989 …

The last Canadian $1 bill was printed by the Canadian Bank Note Company.

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In entertainment …

NEW YORK _ After Ben Affleck and Matt Damon test screened their Nike drama “Air,” the film executives at Amazon Studios threw them a curveball.

‘They said, `What do you guys think about a theatrical release?”’ Damon says. “It wasn’t what we expected when we firstmade the deal.”

“Air,” about Nike’s pursuit of a shoe deal with Michael Jordan, went over so well with early audiences that Amazon, despite acquiring the film for its Prime Video streaming service, wanted to launch it in theatres. And in its first two weeks, “Air” has been a hit.

After a strong five-day debut of $20.2 million _ especially good for an adult-skewing drama _ “Air” dipped only 47 per cent in its second weekend. Reviews have been stellar. When “Air” does arrive on Prime Video, the studio and its filmmakers expect an even better showing than if they hadn’t launched in theatres.

“It should function as free advertising to create this halo effect which in turn creates more viewers on the service,” says Affleck, who directed and co-stars in “Air.” “If that’s the case, I think the business will really expand and go back to a broader theatrical model.”

Not long ago, some were predicting more and more films would be diverted from theatres and sent straight into homes. Moviegoing was destined to die, they said. Not only has that forecast fallen flat, the opposite is happening in some cases. Companies like Amazon and Apple are sprinting into multiplexes, taking a distinctly different approach to the staunchly streaming-focused Netflix. Launched on 3,507 screens, “Air” was the biggest release ever by a streamer _ and it’s just the start. Amazon Studios, led by Jennifer Salke, is planning to release 12-15 movies theatrically every year. Apple is set to spend $1 billion a year on movies that will land in cinemas before streaming.

That “halo effect” isn’t quite free. It takes a robust marketing blitz to raise awareness for a film. But whether a movie is headed to a streaming platform or video on demand, the splash of a theatrical run can cascade through every subsequent window. A film dropped straight into a vast digital expanse might go viral or quickly fade into one of a million things you can click on.

Moviegoing still hasn’t yet reached pre-pandemic levels, but it’s getting close. Movie after movie has overperformed at the box office lately, including “Creed III” (released by MGM, which Amazon owns) and Lionsgate’s “John Wick: Chapter 4.” With more than $600 million in two weeks, Universal Pictures’ “Super Mario Bros.” is breaking records for animated films. After a dismal 2020, a trying 2021 and a fitful comeback last year led by “Top Gun: Maverick” and “Avatar: The Way of Water,” optimism abounds that movie theatres have weathered the storm.

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Did you see this?

People with celiac disease are asking for help with the rising cost of groceries, with Celiac Canada saying gluten-free products cost between 150 and 500 per cent more than the regular gluten-containing equivalents.

The disease causes gluten to damage the small intestine, and there is no cure or treatment except to eat only gluten-free food.

The association says one per cent of the Canadian population has the autoimmune disorder triggered by gluten, a protein found in wheat, rye and barley grains.

Dr. Ines Pinto-Sanchez, director of the Adult Celiac Clinic at McMaster University says for someone with celiac disease, eating even a small quantity of gluten leads to inflammation of the gut lining and various symptoms such as diarrhea, constipation, vomiting, bloating, tiredness, and headaches.

Pinto-Sanchez, who is also an investigator with the Farncombe Family Digestive Health Research Institute at the university, says they can also suffer long-term complications such as nutrient deficiencies, a higher risk of viral infections and pneumonia, increased risk of broken bones and a higher risk of bowel cancer.

Samantha Mackey has celiac disease and says her family has to spend more on groceries than on their mortgage for their home in Conception Bay, Newfoundland.

The federal government’s recently tabled budget includes a one-time grocery rebate for “low- and modest-income Canadians” that it says is meant to provide relief for Canadians as prices soar.

That rebate would be up to $153 per adult and $81 per child. Someone who is single could also receive an additional $81. Eligible seniors could receive $225.

But because gluten-free food costs so much more, Celiac Canada is calling for an increased rebate specifically for people with celiac disease in that income bracket.

The association is asking the federal government for a celiac rebate of up to $230 per adult and $122.50 per child, with an extra $122.50 for people who are single.

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This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 20, 2023.

The Canadian Press

by Canadian Press

In The News for April 20 : Federal public servant strike continues as both sides meet

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