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Book Review: Tom Rachman’s new novel ‘The Imposters,’ a global journey of disparate stories

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:01:52 GMT

“The Imposters,” by Tom Rachman (Little, Brown and Company) Dutch novelist Dora Frenhofer, now in her 70s, is living alone in her London apartment during the coronavirus pandemic, determined to write her last novel while she still can.As the lead character in Tom Rachman’s new book “The Imposters,” Dora proceeds to take us on a romp around the world, from New Delhi to New York, Copenhagen to California, Paris to Australia to the Middle East. Many of the characters we meet along the way are assorted types of writers, and characters taken directly from Dora’s life. Her estranged daughter is a stand-up comedy writer in Los Angeles. A deliveryman she befriended ends up writing fake news in England. There’s also Dora’s brother, who was lost in India decades ago, a former lover and her last remaining friend. Each chapter in Rachman’s book is a complete story that connects to the others, even if it isn’t always immediately clear how the stories tie toget...

From ‘unmitigated disaster’ to ‘common ground,’ Ford changes tune on Chow

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:01:52 GMT

TORONTO — Ontario Premier Doug Ford may have previously predicted Olivia Chow would be an “unmitigated disaster” as Toronto’s next mayor, but he said Tuesday that he will find common ground and work with her. Chow eked out a win in the mayoral byelection against 101 other candidates vying to replace scandal-departed John Tory, with former deputy mayor Ana Bailão coming in a close second. Ford had stumped for former police chief Mark Saunders, who placed a distant third, and had warned that under a Chow mayoralty taxes would go up 25 to 30 per cent and businesses would flee the city.But a day after the election he softened his tune, congratulating Chow and vowing to work together.“I had a great talk with her last night and, you know, she’s been in politics long enough and during the election you throw some mud back and forth but I’ll tell you one thing, people expect us to work together and that’s exactly what we’re going to do,” ...

Misconduct by federal jail guards led to Jeffrey Epstein’s suicide, Justice Department watchdog says

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:01:52 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — Jeffrey Epstein, despite his high profile and a jail suicide attempt two weeks earlier, was left alone in his cell with a surplus of bed linens. Nearly all the surveillance cameras on his unit didn’t record. One worker was on duty for 24 hours straight.The Justice Department’s watchdog said Tuesday that negligence, misconduct and poor job performance by the federal Bureau of Prisons and workers at the New York City jail enabled Epstein to take his own life in August 2019.Inspector General Michael Horowitz, saying he found no evidence of foul play, blamed numerous factors for Epstein’s death, including the jail’s failure to assign him a cellmate and overworked guards who lied on logs after failing to make regular checks. Had the guards done so, Horowitz said, they would’ve found Epstein had excess linens, which he used in his suicide.“The combination of negligence, misconduct and outright job performance failures documented in the report all contributed to an ...

S&P/TSX composite up in late-morning trading, U.S. stock markets also higher

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:01:52 GMT

TORONTO — Strength in the industrial, financial and base metal sectors helped lift Canada’s main stock index higher in late-morning trading, while U.S. stock markets also rose.The S&P/TSX composite index was up 69.37 points at 19,656.69.In New York, the Dow Jones industrial average was up 121.62 points at 33,836.33. The S&P 500 index was up 21.43 points at 4,350.25, while the Nasdaq composite was up 87.76 points at 13,423.54.The Canadian dollar traded for 75.88 cents US compared with 76.04 cents US on Monday.The August crude oil contract was down 45 cents at US$68.92 per barrel and the August natural gas contract was down a penny at US$2.88 per mmBTU.The August gold contract was down US$7.60 at US$1,926.20 an ounce and the September copper contract was down a penny at US$3.80 a pound.This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 27, 2023.Companies in this story: (TSX:GSPTSE, TSX:CADUSD=X)The Canadian Press

Here’s a look at mayor-elect Olivia Chow’s campaign promises

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:01:52 GMT

Olivia Chow has been elected as Toronto’s 66th mayor following Monday night’s byelection.The former city councillor and NDP MP captured 37 per cent of the popular vote and is set to become the first Toronto mayor who is a person of colour — and the first woman mayor since amalgamation.Her win as a progressive candidate ends more than a decade of conservative rule at city hall.Chow will have be faced with a nearly $1 billion budget shortfall, a housing affordability crisis and aging public infrastructure, among other issues. Her campaign focused on building “an affordable, safe and caring city, where everyone belongs.”Here’s a look at some of her campaign promises.HousingBuilding more affordable housing, with the city as the developer, along with helping better-protect renters from eviction quickly became key promises in Chow’s campaign.Here are more pledges she made in regards to housing:Create the Secure Affordable Homes Fund with a $100 million annual inves...

Potential for funnel clouds in Toronto, GTA; heavy rain, thunderstorms in store

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:01:52 GMT

Environment Canada has issued a weather advisory for Toronto and the GTA, saying “conditions will be favourable for the development of funnel clouds” on Tuesday.“These types of funnel clouds are generated by weak rotation under rapidly growing clouds or weak thunderstorms. This weak rotation is normally not a danger near the ground,” the advisory states.However, the national agency says there is a chance it could intensify and become a weak landspout tornado.“Landspout tornadoes do not usually cause significant damage but can still be dangerous. They can be strong enough to topple trees, damage roofs or toss debris short distances.”The region is also a special weather statement that calls for the possibility of heavy rain.“Slow-moving showers or thunderstorms are expected today across the region and some areas may receive significant rainfall amounts,” the statement reads.Some areas could get between 30-50 millimetres of rain.There is ...

City reminds candidates, citizens to remove byelection signs by Thursday

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:01:52 GMT

A victorious Olivia Chow isn’t the only person with their work cut out for them in the aftermath of Monday night’s mayoral byelection.Fringe candidate Xiao Hua Gong also has a colossal task at hand — removing the omnipresent signs his team plastered throughout the city in a failed bid to improve his chances at the polls.Despite the prodigious efforts to boost his name recognition, Gong finished with just 0.41 per cent of the vote on Monday.Gong may not sit in the mayor’s chair, but he still has a chance to clean up Toronto, and he’ll have to do so in a hurry.The City is reminding all property owners, residents and candidates that they’re responsible for removing and disposing of all byelection signs displayed on private and public property by Thursday, June 29.“Candidates will be notified if signs are removed by the City and provided information on when and where the signs can be retrieved from,” Toronto’s website states. “...

Travis County data shows drug overdose deaths higher among people leaving jail

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:01:52 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — On Tuesday, Travis County leaders will present data from the 2022 Medical Examiner's report that shows more than 20% of accidental overdose deaths were people who had been in jail less than a year prior. According to the county, the data showed 89 of the 417 people who died of an accidental drug overdose in 2022 had been in jail at least once within 12 months of their death. According to staff, 24 of those people had been flagged for needing mental health treatment in the jail during their last jail stay. The county noted that means someone in our county is more than eight times more likely to die of an accidental drug overdose after being directly released from jail compared to those who had not. Staff also said overall, people with shorter stays at the jail were actually more likely to later die of an accidental overdose death. They attributed that to someone not getting available resources in the jail. "We are continuing to analyze many risk factors that are assoc...

Another MN air quality alert in effect in record-breaking season

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:01:52 GMT

An air quality alert is in effect until midnight Thursday, according to the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency.Smoke from wildfires in Ontario and Quebec continues to hang over southern, east central, and northeast Minnesota. Counties south of St. Cloud and East of Bemidji are expected to have air quality unhealthy for sensitive groups Tuesday and Wednesday. A cold front forecasted for Wednesday afternoon should bring cleaner air from the west and improve air quality across the state by midnight on Thursday.(Courtesy of the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency)Today’s air quality alert is the 23rd of the season, breaking the record set in 2021, according to an MPCA Tweet on Tuesday. MPCA typically issues 2-3 alerts per season.Air quality alerts are issued when forecasted air quality conditions could be harmful for sensitive groups. MPCA recommends individuals monitor the Air Quality Index, and avoid prolonged outdoor exertion on days when air quality is poor.Related ArticlesLoca...

Man sentenced to workhouse in Ramsey County child sexual exploitation sting

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:01:52 GMT

A 44-year-old was sentenced to 90 days in the Ramsey County workhouse, with a 15-month prison sentence hanging over his head, after he was caught in a police sting aimed at people who would solicit and sexually exploit children online.In September 2021, the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension’s predatory crimes section and Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office conducted a joint operation targeting the solicitation of children for sex via online chat rooms.Working from a St. Paul location, an undercover agent posted a profile on the website “Plenty of Fish” using a photograph of a young-looking female. The agent did not initiate contact, but waited to see who would contact her. A man, later identified as Jeferson Roger Montenegro Gutierrez, responded with a message. The agent said she was 14.Jeferson Roger Montenegro GutierrezMontenegro Gutierrez talked explicitly about sex acts he wanted to engage in with the girl and directed her “to delete their text string after every commun...