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Flair CEO says bigger rivals ‘want us out’ as airline scrambles after plane seizures

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:00 GMT

MONTREAL — The head of Flair Airlines is accusing one of Canada’s two major airlines of attempting to kneecap the discount carrier’s operations by trying to lease four planes that were recently seized from it due to overdue payments.“We’ve come in and upset the cozy duopoly, and as a consequence people want us out of business. And we do believe that there were negotiations going on behind the scenes between one of the majors and the lessor to hurt Flair by them offering probably above-market rates for the aircraft we’ve been leasing,” said CEO Stephen Jones at a news conference Monday.“While I’m not going to name names or cite evidence, I believe that there is much more to this picture than the surface that you see.”The Boeing 737 Maxes were grounded Saturday after a “commercial dispute” with New York-based Airborne Capital Inc., Flair said.The four planes were “only a few days in arrears” with about $1 million owing, “which is a...

Tribe to reopen Lac du Flambeau roads in temporary deal

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:00 GMT

LAC DU FLAMBEAU, Wis. (AP) — A Native American tribe and a northern Wisconsin town have reached an agreement under which the tribe will temporarily reopen four barricaded roads that are the subject of a decadelong dispute and a recent lawsuit.Officials with the town of Lac du Flambeau on Saturday accepted the Lac du Flambeau tribe’s offer to remove barricades blocking the roads for 90 days in exchange for $60,000 as negotiations continue for a more permanent solution, the Green Bay Press-Gazette reported.On Jan. 31, tribal officials barricaded the roads, which traverse tribal land, cutting off non-tribal residents who live on about 65 properties from the only access for vehicle traffic to their homes.Tribal officials said the easement agreements for the roads expired more than 10 years ago. They argue that the federal Bureau of Indian Affairs and the title insurance companies that handle the properties had not negotiated in good faith to extend the agreements.Tribal Chairman John Jo...

Illinois enacts mandatory paid leave ‘for any reason’

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:00 GMT

CHICAGO (AP) — Illinois will become one of three states to require employers to offer paid time off for any reason after Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed a law on Monday that will take effect next year.Starting Jan. 1, Illinois employers must offer workers paid time off based on hours worked, with no need to explain the reason for their absence as long as they provide notice in accordance with reasonable employer standards.Just Maine and Nevada mandate earned paid time time off and allot employees the freedom to decide how to use it, but Illinois’ law is further reaching, unencumbered by limits based on business size. Similarly structured regulations that require employers to offer paid sick leave exist in 14 states and Washington, D.C., but workers can only use that for health-related reasons.Illinois employees will accrue one hour of paid leave for every 40 hours worked up to 40 hours total, although the employer may offer more. Employees can start using the time once they have worked fo...

Wheel separated from commercial truck strikes vehicle, injures driver

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:00 GMT

Provincial police are investigating an incident where a wheel from a commercial truck on Highway 400/88 struck a southbound vehicle and injured the driver.Wheel separation from a commercial vehicle traveling #Hwy400/88 northbound. One of the wheels bounced into the southbound lanes and struck a southbound vehicle. The male driver was transported to hospital with non critical injuries. #AuroraOPP investigating. pic.twitter.com/rUV3LiHIxm— OPP Highway Safety Division (@OPP_HSD) March 13, 2023Ontario Provincial Police say the crash happened around 6:30 a.m. Monday, where a commercial truck travelling northbound had a tire separate from the vehicle and bounced into the southbound lanes.The wheel landed on the driver’s side of the southbound vehicle, and the driver was transported to hospital with non-critical injuries.OPP Sgt. Kerry Schmidt tells CityNews that the investigation is ongoing, and charges are pending though there is no word on what charges or if they’ve be...

Pritzker signs bill mandating paid leave for Illinois workers

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:00 GMT

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — Gov. JB Pritzker is expected to sign a bill Monday which will mandate paid leave for nearly all Illinois workers.It's called the Paid Leave for All Workers Act. It's a bill that was passed by the Illinois General Assembly earlier this year and is now making its way to the governor's desk.It will require employers in the state to give their employees time off based on the hours they've worked, and unlike before, they can be used for any reason.Most employees will get a minimum of 40 hours, or what's equivalent to five days, of paid leave per year and employers will have the option to offer more if they'd like.The time will be available for use on the worker's 90th day of employment. While the time can be used for any reason, an employer can still require prior notice before taking the time off.Up to 40 hours of unused paid leave can be carried over annually, but employers are not required to pay out the balance if a person leaves the workspace. Employers that viol...

$201 cardboard box among Silicon Valley Bank-branded items for sale on eBay

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:00 GMT

(NEXSTAR) – From coffee mugs to a cardboard box, swag from the now-failed financial institution Silicon Valley Bank is attracting bids on eBay.Along with those who appear to be manufacturing items with the SVB logo and tongue-in-cheek "Bank Run 2023 FDIC 250K" OR "Risk Management Department" messages, there are number of other singular items for sale.A branded "corporate swag" tumbler and bottle set surpassed $75 Monday with nearly seven days before the auction's close. Bidding for a hat and 12-ounce tumbler set reached $100. Tom Brady’s ‘retirement sand’ auctioning off for $99,990 on eBay The seller of a $50 used, blue SVB coffee mug claims to have been an employee at the failed bank:I worked for Silicon Valley Bank in the Enterprise Business Analytics team as a data scientist," the alleged former employee wrote. I am utterly shocked by what has happened and am extremely concerned about the future. Buying this mug helps me out but also gets you a piece of history to one of the fa...

Iowa man pretended to ATF agent, police allege

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:00 GMT

A 56-year-old Davenport man faces multiple charges - including impersonating a public official - after police allege he wore law-enforcement attire and pulled over a driver for a traffic stop.Craig Weber fares a felony charge of having a short-barreled rifle or short-barreled shotgun, three aggravated misdemeanor charges of impersonating a public official, and a serious misdemeanor charge of false imprisonment, court records show. Chicago man files class action suit against Buffalo Wild Wings, says boneless wings are just nuggets Craig Weber (photo: Scott County Jail) Driver claimed to be ATF agent, police allegeAbout 12:50 a.m. Feb. 8, Iowa State Patrol conducted a traffic stop on a red Ford Escape SE police allege was speeding 75 mph in a posted 55 mph zone at Interstate 74 westbound at the Lincoln overpass, arrest affidavits say.According to affidavits, Weber, the driver, said he knew he was speeding, and said he was an ATF agent out of the Quad Cities office. He said he has be...

'We've got a lot to prove': 9th-seed Illinois grateful yet motivated for NCAA Tournament

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:00 GMT

CHAMPAIGN - For the first time in over a decade, it's a "three-peat" for the program when it comes to "March Madness.'Yet it's a bit different than the past few years when Illinois was coming into the NCAA Tournament off conference championships of some sort. The Illini got a No. 1 seed after winning the Big Ten Tournament in 2021 then got a fourth seed after winning the conference regular season championship in 2022.This year, Brad Underwood's team has a No. 9 seed as they get ready to take part in the West Region of the Division I men's basketball tournament. They'll face eighth-seeded Arkansas on Thursday at 3:30 p.m. central time in Des Moines, facing a tremendous challenge just to get out of the opening round.Should they do so, top-seeded Kansas is likely waiting for them in the second round, making for a difficult road for the Illini to snap an 18-year Sweet 16 drought.It's put Illinois in the underdog role heading into another NCAA Tournament, but it's not like Underwood is t...

What Role Did Trump Play In The Collapse Of The Silicon Valley Bank

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:00 GMT

Spring arrives weeks earlier for much of the country

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:00 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — As our temperatures continue to climb and our pollen continues to spike, you may be noticing more and more trees, plants and flowers budding and blooming noticeably earlier than years passed.The USA-NPN or National Phenology Network monitors the rise in temperatures and the impacts our changing climate has on our plants across the United States. It even has a page solely dedicated to the status of spring across the nation. La Niña has ended — Here’s what’s next and when El Niño could begin Being able to track seasonal and year-to-year changes with our growing seasons can help farmers and the food industries that rely on them. This type of information can also be valuable to local gardeners planting or harvesting at the most appropriate time. The National Phenology Network's research has led to the creation of 'The First Leaf Index' and 'The First Bloom Index.' Data of lilacs and honeysuckles were chosen as the plants/shrubs it tracked to help create these maps. The...