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Short-term rentals have ‘significantly impacted’ housing affordability: Desjardins

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 15:51:02 GMT

TORONTO — A Desjardins report suggests short-term rentals likely contributed to the housing affordability crisis in Canada and around the world.The report says the proliferation of short-term rentals on platforms such as Airbnb and Vrbo has had a significant effect on the affordability and availability of homes by reducing the number of units available for long-term rentals and resale markets.The report, citing data from analytics firm AirDNA, says Canada has more than 235,800 unique active short-term rental listings on Airbnb and Vrbo, the two largest hosting platforms, amounting to about 1.4 per cent of the country’s housing stock.Real estate investors often earn more money on short-term rentals than long-term rentals, according to Desjardins.Municipalities across Canada and abroad have implemented a variety of policies to combat short-term rentals in the hopes of opening up more housing supply as affordability continues to erode.The report suggests governments partly restri...

Brookfield-led bid for Origin Energy fails to win required shareholder support

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 15:51:02 GMT

TORONTO — Brookfield Asset Management Ltd. says its deal for Australia’s Origin Energy Ltd. has failed to achieve the required shareholder support.The Canadian company says the offer it made with a consortium of investors and EIG garnered 69 per cent of the votes cast by Origin shareholders, falling short of the 75 per cent mark that was required.Brookfield says it will evaluate its next steps, if any, in light of the vote.The Brookfield-led consortium had made an offer valued at US$10.6 billion, excluding debt, that would have also allowed institutional shareholders to reinvest in the business. However, pension fund manager AustralianSuper, the utility’s largest shareholder, had voiced opposition to the proposal.It had called the bid a “lowball offer” that strengthens its view that it “remains substantially below” its estimate of Origin’s long-term value.This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 4, 2023.Companies in this st...

Attempted crash and grab at Neiman Marcus on Michigan Avenue

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 15:51:02 GMT

CHICAGO — Police are investigating after an attempted crash and grab at Neiman Marcus on Michigan Avenue.The incident happened around 4:30 a.m. Monday in the 700 block of North Michigan Avenue. Police said a group of people crashed a Nissan sedan into the Neiman Marcus, but were not able to make entry into the department store.No merchandise was taken, according to police.The offenders then got into three different vehicles and fled eastbound on Chicago Avenue. The Nissan sedan was left on scene. Arson investigation underway after fire at historic Swift Mansion in Chicago No one is in custody. Area Three detectives are investigating.

23-year-old man dies after Little Village shooting

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 15:51:02 GMT

CHICAGO — A 23-year-old man died early Monday morning following a shooting in Little Village.Just after 3:30 a.m., the man was walking on a sidewalk in the 2800 block of South Drake when CPD said he sustained two gunshot wounds to the abdomen and one to the left leg.Officers found him unresponsive and the 23-year-old was transported to Mt. Sinai in critical condition, where he later died. 1 dead after shooting at hotel in Oakbrook Terrace; person in custody No one is in custody. Anyone with information can leave an anonymous tip at cpdtip.com.

Albany gas prices fall 4 cents in the last week

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 15:51:02 GMT

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- Gas prices in the Albany area have fallen 4.4 cents over the past week, according to GasBuddy. The average price of gas in the Capital Region is now $3.46 per gallon. Get the latest news, weather, sports and entertainment delivered right to your inbox! Prices in the Albany area are 19.3 cents per gallon lower than a month ago and 27.4 cents per gallon lower than a year ago. According to GasBuddy, the cheapest station in Albany was priced at $3.10 per gallon while the most expensive was $3.77 per gallon. The lowest price in New York State on Sunday was $2.47 per gallon while the highest was $4.52 per gallon.The national price of gas has fallen 0.4 cents in the past week for an average of $3.21 per gallon. The national average is down 18.9 cents per gallon from a month ago and is 14.9 cents per gallon lower than a year ago. Cannabis industry reacts to CAURD block lifted Historical gasoline prices in Albany and the national averageDecember 4, 2022: $3.73/g ...

1 killed, 3 hospitalized in fatal Aurora crash Sunday night

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 15:51:02 GMT

One person died and three others were hospitalized after a fatal crash in southeast Aurora Sunday night.Aurora officers responded to reports of a crash at East Pinewood Drive and South Wheatlands Parkway just after 9 p.m. Sunday, according to a post from the police department on X, the social media platform previously known as Twitter.The intersection is located in Aurora’s Wheatlands neighborhood, across from the Wheatlands Community Park.When officers arrived on scene, they found four victims. One person died from their injuries at the scene, and paramedics transported three others to the hospital, police stated on social media.The Aurora Police Department did not release the number or details of cars involved in the crash.The intersection was closed for nearly 5 hours during the crash investigation. East Pinewood Drive and South Wheatlands Parkway reopened around 2 a.m. Monday, police said.Related ArticlesCrime and Public Safety | Motorcyclist killed in overnight...

Motorcyclist killed in overnight crash in west Aurora Sunday, police investigating

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 15:51:02 GMT

A motorcyclist was killed in a late-night crash in Aurora Sunday, police said.Officers responded to reports a crash at South Havana Avenue and East Iliff Street in west Aurora just after 10 p.m. Sunday, the Aurora Police Department said in a post on social media.According to the preliminary investigation, the crash happened after a motorcycle collided with a car, police stated in the post.The motorcyclist died at the scene. The victim will be identified by the Arapahoe County Coroner’s Office.No other injuries were reported.Eastbound Iliff Street was closed for more than 5 hours during the overnight police investigation, eventually reopening around 3:30 a.m., Aurora police stated online.Related ArticlesCrashes and Disasters | Pedestrian hit by RTD train in Thornton, temporarily halting N Line service Crashes and Disasters | 4-year-old boy killed in Weld County train crash Crashes and Disasters | Pedestrian killed in Federal Boulevard ...

Suspected serial killer linked to 4 Los Angeles-area deaths due in court

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 15:51:02 GMT

A man suspected in four killings across Los Angeles County is due to make his first court appearance Monday.Convicted felon Jerrid Joseph Powell, 33, of Los Angeles was taken into custody last week in connection with the shooting deaths of three homeless victims and the follow-home killing of a man in San Dimas. The three homeless victims were killed in different L.A.-area neighborhoods between Nov. 26 and Nov. 29 while they were either sleeping or about to lie down, officials said. Jerrid Joseph Powell, 33, of Los Angeles, was arrested in connection with the murders of three homeless men and believed to be linked to another homicide in San Dimas. (Los Angeles Police Department)Los Angeles Police Department Chief Michel Moore described a video he saw of one of the killings as "chilling."There was no apparent motive and the shooter did not even interact with the victims before shooting them, Moore said. On Tuesday of last week, Powell allegedly followed 42-year-old Nicholas Simbolon ...

Is CBD Just A Placebo Pill? — Science Is Shedding Light On CBD’s True Potential

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 15:51:02 GMT

New customers often don’t believe CBD oil has all the positive effects many fans claim it has. Some people have even claimed CBD is no better than a placebo. In other words, just because people believe CBD will work, it may have an effect. These CBD critics believe CBD’s “benefits” are psychological rather than physiological.Since CBD has become increasingly prevalent in the health food market, more researchers have begun looking into CBD’s placebo potential. According to preliminary trials, CBD doesn’t seem to be the same as a sugar pill.Does CBD Work Better Than A Placebo?Of the many tests examining CBD versus placebos, a test out of Syracuse University took the most direct approach. In this trial, researchers applied heat to a group of young adults and gave them either CBD or a placebo. To control these findings, researchers lied to a few patients and told them they were taking a placebo or CBD when they were getting the other substance. Scient...

Connie Lovatt on Hitchhiker

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 15:51:02 GMT

Neil YoungHitchhiker (Reprise)Connie Lovatt on Hitchhiker: New York-based singer, songwriter, and musician Connie Lovatt told us about her love for a Neil Young classic.Connie Lovatt: OK, I’m going to fully gush about an album. It’s impossible to pick a favorite album of all time and wouldn’t trust myself if I did. But this record came out at just the right time and each song was a professor and a friend: Neil Young’s Hitchhiker. I was working hard for a couple years writing songs, doing my best at being a-girl-with-guitar song writer. Then this nonpareil of a-boy-with-guitar album came out. I love the versions of these songs that are on other recordings but this first recorded pass at them all had me like a mouse, tucked into a quilted walnut, listening to a lion. Dreaming of what it must be like to be a lion. It’s such a wonderful dream.(Reprise)These songs are referred to as stripped down. They are anything but that. The pine tree is not stripped down without the foil angels and ...