Month: January 2023

Spotify Shares Jump on Bullish Outlook as More Users Tune In

STOCKHOLM/LOS ANGELES—Spotify Technology SA told investors Tuesday it would tighten spending and work to become efficient after a year of investments in technology and content. Chief Executive Daniel Ek said the “macro environment” changed dramatically over the course of last year, setting the stage for belt-tightening. “In hindsight, I probably got a little carried away…


Feds Paid $6.7M for Hotel Quarantine Rooms Used by 15 People: Document

The federal government paid over $6.7 million last year for COVID-19 quarantine rooms in a Calgary-area hotel used by only 15 travellers, according to an Inquiry of Ministry recently tabled in the House of Commons. The Westin Calgary Airport hotel—which the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) designated as a quarantine facility under Section 7 of the Quarantine Act…


UK Plan to Clamp Down on ‘Disruptive Protests’ Suffers Defeats in House of Lords

The House of Lords has inflicted a number of defeats on the UK government over its plans to clamp down on “disruptive protests.” The UK government on Jan. 16 announced plans to give police more powers to tackle “disruptive protests” such as those organised by climate activists, allowing officers to intervene before protests become highly…


FDA Reveals ‘Impact’ After White House Announces End to COVID Emergency

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Tuesday said that a recent announcement from the Biden administration will not impact the agency’s ability to issue emergency use authorizations for certain COVID-19 treatments and vaccines. “Importantly, the ending of the public health emergency declared by HHS under the Public Health Service Act will not impact…


Low Alcohol

The world’s most-consumed liquid is water, and the drawbacks involved with it are so limited as to be utterly obscure. By contrast, there has been an overwhelming controversy for the last several eons about the risks and potential benefits of consumption of all other drinks, from cola to coffee to kombucha. And beverages that contain…


Addicted Renters, Inflation, and Mortgage Costs Trouble Landlords

Rising inflation and mortgage rates as well as a proliferation of addiction issues have compounded challenges for Canadian landlords. Many tenants, meanwhile, are struggling to come up with the rent each month in a time of economic hardship. In Regina, Saskatchewan, Kim Besler said it’s so hard to find decent tenants, she accepts a small…


The Emergency Is Not Really Ending

Commentary The Biden administration has announced that it will end the public-health emergency on May 11, 2023. Why not earlier? Why not now? Because that “would create wide-ranging chaos and uncertainty throughout the health care system.” What the heck? Yep, they are concerned that it will take time to “retrain [hospital] staff and establish new…


Sen. Tim Scott’s Upcoming Iowa Visit Could Hint at 2024 Presidential Ambitions

Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) is slated to appear at a county GOP Lincoln Day event on Feb. 22 in West Des Moines, Iowa, adding to speculation about his potential efforts to seek the presidency in 2024. Fox News reported that Scott will be at the Polk County Republican Party’s Lincoln Dinner. The Epoch Times reached…


UK Expected to Be Only Major Economy to Contract in 2023: IMF

The UK will be the only major economy to shrink this year, performing worse even than sanction-hit Russia, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has warned. In its latest World Economic Outlook update, the IMF upped its growth outlook for the global economy, but downgraded its UK GDP forecast once again, predicting a contraction of 0.6…


Recent Extremist Attacks Kill 32 People in Burkina Faso

OUAGADOUGOU, Burkina Faso—Multiple terrorist attacks across Burkina Faso over several days have resulted in the death of at least 32 people, including soldiers and civilians, government authorities said Tuesday. Burkina Faso’s State Information Agency posted on its Facebook page that a dozen soldiers and a civilian were killed Monday in Falagountou in Burkina Faso’s Sahel region…