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Global News
an hour ago
- Politics
- Global News
Ontario trustee has ignored requests to repay share of $145K Italy trip, government says
The government says an Ontario school board trustee has not acknowledged requests to repay more than $11,000 in expenses from a controversial trip to Italy, despite a threat from the Minister of Education to 'fire' him if he does not settle up. Last July, Brant Haldimand Norfolk Catholic District School Board trustee Mark Watson was one of four elected education officials who went on a trip to Italy to purchase artwork. The total cost of the trip was roughly $45,000, with a further $100,000 spent on artwork. The overseas mission sparked widespread outrage and led to an apology from the board. The government ordered an official investigation into the trip. It revealed several expenses, including a visit by the four trustees to an Italian Michelin star restaurant where they ordered four courses priced at €126.00 each, along with €216 on wine. Managing the fallout of the trip cost another $63,000 in legal fees. Story continues below advertisement In December, after the public furor, the four trustees agreed to repay around $12,000 each. Each signed up for payment plans of roughly $130 to $250, stretching their final repayment deadlines to between 2026 and 2028. Get daily National news Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy After he was appointed minister of education in March, however, Calandra said he wouldn't accept the long-term repayments. He ordered the trustees to repay the full amount by May 23, 2025. The minister's office confirmed to Global News on Monday afternoon three of the four trustees met that deadline. They said that Watson, however, has not completed his repayment or responded to any attempts from the government to contact him. Speaking at the end of June, Calandra said he had outlined a clear threat to Watson if the money was not repaid in full. 'We are still waiting on one trustee who has made the decision he is not going to be repaying the cost of his trip,' the education minister said on June 27. 'As I said last time to this trustee, you have an opportunity to pay back, but if he has not paid back, I will be bringing forward legislation, and I will vacate that seat. And I will fire that trustee. I will not allow parents and students to be shortchanged.' The ministry's report shows, as of March 6, Watson had repaid $1,216.71 of $12,370. It is not clear if he has made any payments since that date. Story continues below advertisement Watson did not respond to questions from Global News sent through his contact form on the school board's website and to his campaign email address. Calandra said he thought Watson should be removed from his post — to which he was elected in 2022. 'Teachers going to Dollarama to buy (supplies) while this guy refuses to pay back his $11,000. And a former educator at that!' Calandra said. 'I think he deserves to be fired if he doesn't do the right thing.' The Ontario legislature is not set to resume until Oct. 20, 2025, meaning Calandra will not be able to table legislation to potentially remove Watson before then.
Miami Herald
an hour ago
- Business
- Miami Herald
Greater Miami catches up with NYC in one more way: high income inequality
As New Yorkers have flocked to Miami in recent years, the Magic City has started to look more and more like the Big Apple: Michelin restaurants abound, financial firms fill downtown and Brickell. But now, greater Miami is closing in on one of New York City's less-flattering superlatives: It's tied with NYC for having the worst income inequality of the country's 10 most-populous metro areas. Think of the local income distribution as a bottom-heavy hourglass. Some people make lots, while lots of people make little. South Florida has long been a place where the rich park their money, but wealth poured in during and after the pandemic, increasing the number of high earners who live here. That inflow of money, piled onto already high nationwide inflation, caused a surge in local prices, especially for housing. At the same time, many workers in the region's economy — which is built disproportionately on industries that feature low-wage jobs, like service, hospitality and construction — haven't seen their incomes keep pace. Income inequality has crept up so much over the last decade and a half, since the Census Bureau started tracking greater Miami's score, that half of Miamians now struggle to live here. If young, skilled workers can no longer afford to live here — or feel like they can't save, buy homes and generally get ahead — they'll leave. They already have been, said Howard Frank, a professor of public policy at Florida International University and an expert on South Florida's workforce. And losing that demographic, a pillar of the local workforce, could jeopardize Miami's efforts to reimagine itself as a world-class hub of industry — be it in financial services as 'Wall Street South,' in tech via crypto, or both. It's in the numbers The Census Bureau quantifies income inequality using something called the Gini index, a measurement of inequality where a 0 represents total equality — everyone earns the same amount — and 1 is complete inequality — one person earns everything. Greater Miami's Gini score is 0.51, higher than the nation's 0.48 average, meaning the region's income distribution skews toward the unequal. Within Miami-Dade County, Miami Beach had the highest score, 0.62, making it by far the most unequal, while the county's Everglades communities had the lowest, at 0.33. Miami, the region's largest city, scored a 0.54. The median household in greater Miami earns roughly $76,000 a year, according to the Census Bureau. To be considered 'middle class,' then, a household would have to earn somewhere between two-thirds and double that amount — $50,000 to $152,000. Pew Research estimates that 37% of adults in the Miami metro area earn less than that middle-class income floor. Compared to the U.S. more generally, where 28% of adult earners are in the lowest earning bracket, Miami has a relatively large low-income population. Meanwhile, across Florida, the highest-earning households account for a major portion of the state's earned income. Internal Revenue Service tax return data shows that the top 1% of Florida earners — the 105,000 tax filers that pulled at least $371,000 in 2022, the most recent year available — accounted for a third of the entire state's gross earnings. That's about how much the bottom 80% of Florida tax filers, who are roughly 8 million in number, collectively made. Except for Wyoming — home to fewer than 600,000 people — no American state saw its 1% earn a larger share of its population's income. Brain drain is a problem Miami's warm weather, relatively cheap real estate and favorable tax policies drew the wealthy in droves during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. They, in turn, drove up local prices, particularly for housing, faster than Miamians' wages rose. That's partially because many locals work in traditionally low-paying industries. 'Miami doesn't have a strong industrial base. It's a largely service-sector economy,' said Noah Williams, an economics professor at University of Miami's Herbert Business School. 'It's polarized between lower-wage jobs and some higher-income [jobs], particularly financial services.' And for some young workers, especially those with skills, looking to break into higher-paying industries, the cost can be unworkable. Or they find they get more bang for their buck elsewhere, said Mark Wilson, president of the Florida Chamber of Commerce. More than a half-million people left Florida between 2022 and 2023, Census Bureau data shows. The most powerful magnets for migrating Floridians? Georgia, Texas and North Carolina, in that order — all states with relatively lower costs of living than the Sunshine State. According to the Metropolitan Center, Miami-Dade County alone lost more than 130,000 residents to migration between 2020 and 2023, and its population of 20-year-olds has dropped by nearly 35,000 since 2019. The Florida Chamber of Commerce found that, in 2023, the average age of a Florida emigrant was 32. One of the major motivating factors: Florida's high cost of living. 'It's hard to morph into a higher-wage economy if you're losing a lot of your best and brightest,' said Frank, the FIU professor. It's a risky dynamic, notes Wilson of the Florida Chamber of Commerce. 'If we don't make living in Florida more affordable,' he said, 'the clear and present danger is that this workforce will leave Florida.' A race to solutions What can be done? Wilson sees three broad, interconnected solutions. First, connecting people with job training so they can up-skill into higher-paying careers. The second is providing targeted services, like access to affordable childcare, food and transportation — all needs that make taking a gamble on a new career possible. Lastly, said Wilson, costs need to be lowered. Home and auto insurance prices need to be brought down, childcare needs to be subsidized and affordable housing expanded. 'All of that stuff together is like a race,' Wilson remarked. But, he wondered, 'can we do it fast enough for it to matter?' This story was produced with financial support from supporters including The Green Family Foundation Trust and Ken O'Keefe, in partnership with Journalism Funding Partners. The Miami Herald maintains full editorial control of this work.
Condé Nast Traveler
2 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Condé Nast Traveler
How to Eat Your Way Through Penang, Malaysia—Asia's Most Exciting Food Destination
Tendrils of steam curl out of the bread basket, spreading a warm, yeasty scent as my server unfurls the linen cover to reveal a plump kind of sourdough with a golden-brown crust. The slices fall apart, airy, with a honeycomb-like crumb. Nearby sits a saucer holding what looks like a peak-summer tomato. With a deft move I don't anticipate, the server cleaves it in two; it's actually butter. 'Go on,' she says. 'Try it.' I spread it onto a slice—a Rorschach blot of red and yellow—but when I take my first bite, the flavor is nothing like bread and butter. Instead I taste a South Indian dosa and a ground tomato chutney flavored with curry leaf and coconut oil, like the kind my Indian mother makes. It feels like sorcery. When Au Jardin opened in 2018, in a former bus depot in Penang, a small state up the coast from Kuala Lumpur, it was a pioneer in presenting local flavors with sharp European technique. In 2022 it was one of four establishments in Malaysia to receive the country's first Michelin stars, and remains one of Penang's leading fine-dining restaurants. From my perch at the chef's counter, I watch Kim Hock Su, Au Jardin's bun-wearing chef-owner, silently coax ingredients into works of art. Dishes come out beautifully plated on local ceramic dishware: a Penang river prawn served with a chile crab caviar; a beet from the nearby Cameron Highlands, salt-baked and finished with a horseradish emulsion. Su's technique is unmistakably French—as his perfectly executed Pithivier makes clear—but he's a proud Penangite. The thosai (dosa in Tamil) bread I began my meal with is more than a sleight of hand: It is a love letter to Su's multicultural hometown. A mural behind the street vendor Penang Road Famous Teochew Chendul depicts a customer enjoying the stall's famous dessert. Lauryn Ishak The entrance of the hotel Cheong Fatt Tze, or The Blue Mansion, a historic hotel loved for its distinctive indigo blue exterior Lauryn Ishak Visitors come to George Town, the state's capital, on the island of Penang, to seek out the iconic murals secreted in its warren of narrow streets; to duck in and out of the pastel-hued shophouses with their European and Chinese influences; and to stay at the lavish boutique hotels in restored buildings. But food is the biggest draw. On nearly every street corner, there is a great meal that reflects Penang's mosaic of ethnic influences—the result of waves of immigration that peaked in the 18th and 19th centuries. Penang was a prominent British trading post, and its position in the Straits of Malacca drew merchants and laborers of all descents: Chinese, Indian, Burmese, Arab, European. Cultures mingled, and so did dishes and cooking methods, forming a complex cuisine called Peranakan, or Nyonya, which still fills the air with the scents of tamarind and nutmeg and the clanging sounds of utensils against steaming woks. But among its old warehouses and fraying shophouses, a modern culinary movement is afoot. For years Penang's brightest talents left for foodie cities like Singapore or Hong Kong. Now, encouraged by a new generation of curious, well-traveled Penangites, many of whom chose to return home during the pandemic years, chefs like Su are also moving back after successful stints abroad. The result is a restaurant scene that, as Su puts it, 'contributes to the identity of Penang as a serious food destination.' Street fare still rules, but now thoughtful, refined dining is close behind. Pickled fruits at Chowrasta Market, a historic one-stop shop for home cooks and chefs alike Lauryn Ishak Ino wine bar owners Shean Tan and Joachim Leong outside Ome by Spacebar Coffee, the café they also run Lauryn Ishak The sights and smells of George Town hit me as soon as I arrive: photogenic architecture marked by carved inlays and louvered windows; street hawkers peddling platefuls of char kway teow and curry rice; the trilling bells and kitschy decorations of the trishaws. Penang is especially animated in this week of early February between Chinese New Year and the Hindu festival of Thaipusam. Toward Chew Jetty, a historic waterfront settlement of stilt houses built by Chinese immigrants in the 19th century, the sea air is warm and salty. I pass an old man taking his songbird for a walk in a pagoda-style birdcage and stop to listen to what sounds like a game of mah-jongg through an open doorway. This is the Penang that has sustained the dreams of travelers for decades, with its homey flavors and fading architecture. But alongside these timeless scenes, there are signs everywhere of a younger Penang: coffee shops with Instagrammable interiors and perfect flat whites; artisanal ice cream shops scooping flavors like Blue Tahitian vanilla; boutiques selling stylish linen clothing.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Michelin: Scope Ratings and Moody's both affirm Michelin's strong credit ratings
Clermont-Ferrand, July 15, 2025 COMPAGNIE GÉNÉRALE DES ÉTABLISSEMENTS MICHELIN Scope Ratings and Moody's both affirm Michelin's strong credit ratings On July 11, 2025, Scope affirmed Michelin's (Compagnie Générale des Etablissements Michelin and its main financial subsidiaries) solicited Long-Term Issuer Default Rating (IDR) of 'A', with a Stable outlook. According to the agency, this 'reflects a solid business risk profile coupled with very strong and further improving credit metrics'. On July 9, 2025, Moody's (unsolicited rating) also published its Long-Term rating affirmation of 'A2' with a Stable outlook. The agency underlined that 'Michelin's attractive margins further reflect its unique position, (…) helped by its strong brand recognition and innovation capabilities'. Contact details Investor Relationsinvestor-relations@ Media Relations+33 (0) 1 45 66 22 Shareholders+33 (0) 4 73 32 23 05Muriel Elisabete Attachment 20250715_PR_Michelin Credit Rating Scope & Moodys
The Guardian
2 hours ago
- The Guardian
‘Don't ever assume there's anything to eat!' 29 tips for perfect vegan holidays, from where to go to how to order
This spring, I spent five weeks travelling around Mexico – my longest time away from home since becoming a vegan two and a half years ago. It was a learning experience: lots of incredible vegan food, gallons of fall-back guacamole and the odd cheese-related disaster. This is what I found out about being a vegan on holiday, and the advice I received from more seasoned vegan travellers. 'I have been completely blown away by the difference in attitude and progressiveness of places,' says Alexis Gauthier, a Michelin-starred vegan chef. 'I've found the cuisines of Mexico, India and the eastern Mediterranean/Levant all vegan-forward. Their use of beans and pulses as a fundamental ingredient and minimal reliance on dairy means they make excellent choices for a vegan holiday.' I second Mexico: pretty much everywhere serves beans, rice and guacamole, and most restaurants will knock up some veggie tacos. 'I'm sorry to say my beloved homeland of France has not yet caught up with the world with vegan food, but there are ways to be smart,' says Gauthier. 'In the north it is more difficult, as everything is still mostly based on heavy cream, butter and red meat. Paris is changing – there are now lots of really exciting places opening, especially bakeries.' That wasn't my experience. I was in Paris last autumn, and it was still difficult to find vegan options. 'In the south it's better, as menus naturally rotate around seasonal vegetables,' continues Gauthier. 'Falafel is popular, as is socca [chickpea flatbread], panisse [chickpea fries] and tapenade. I swear you can live on really good tomatoes, aubergines, basil, chickpeas, olive oil and olives for ever! And there is always France's greatest dish: ratatouille, my favourite dish in the world.' 'Don't assume that all of the UK is vegan-friendly,' says Holly Johnson, editor of Vegan Food & Living magazine. 'What's normal in a cafe in Bristol is weird and wacky, and even offensive, to those in more remote farming communities. I once got laughed out of a corner shop in Devon for asking for oat milk.' 'Berlin is an amazing city for vegans, with a real forward-thinking scene, as are Brighton and Vienna,' says Gauthier. I would add London, where eating out is effortless (although expensive), and Mexico City, where I ate exclusively at vegan restaurants. Peta, the animal rights organisation, has free vegan city guides to Berlin, New York, Rio de Janeiro and Sydney, plus one for the Indian state of Goa. 'I've learned never to assume that there won't be vegan options,' says Elisa Allen from Peta. 'I was recently in a small village in rural Ireland. An online search hadn't turned up any options, so I was pleasantly surprised when the local cafe had two home-baked vegan cakes and a vegan lasagne. The owner's daughter had recently gone vegan, so they were inspired to expand their menu.' In El Cuyo, a laid-back fishing village at the northern tip of Mexico's Yucatán peninsula, practically every restaurant had hummus and tofu on the menu. Every expert I spoke to recommended the Happy Cow app and website, and I relied heavily on it in Mexico. 'Happy Cow is your best friend for seeking vegan options while travelling. You can use it to research local restaurants beforehand or while you're strolling around a city,' says Chelsea Harrop from Veganuary. 'You can filter by vegan and vegetarian eateries, as well as restaurants with plant-based options if the rest of your travel party isn't eating vegan. I've visited many small towns in Ireland and the Scottish islands where I didn't expect to find anything vegan at all, and Happy Cow has always served me well.' Not everyone is familiar with the word vegan. Sascha Camilli from Peta says: 'A friend of mine tried saying 'vegan' in Bali and they all thought she meant 'pagan'. In Portugal, I've been offered gluten-free food because they didn't know what vegan meant.' A simple explanation, such as 'No meat, dairy or eggs, please', will help. Harrop says: 'Learn the words for ingredients such as egg, milk and fish so you can spot them on menus. Phrases such as 'I don't eat fish' or 'Does it contain egg?' are also useful.' 'In Egypt, I had an infographic in Arabic that said exactly what I didn't eat,' says Camilli. Peta's Sadie Buckles says: 'When I visited China, my professor helped me make a little card that said: 'I am a strict vegetarian. No meat, dairy, eggs, fish, milk or cheese. Onions and garlic are OK.' In China, they will ask if you are Buddhist vegetarian, which means no pungent foods such as garlic, onion, leeks, chives and shallots.' Jennifer White from Peta contacts restaurants and hotels in advance to explain she's vegan. 'Be super nice about it, and chances are they will make you a lovely meal even if they don't have anything on the menu,' she says. Johnson says: 'I find that most chefs are happy to accommodate, and actually excited to cook something a bit different. I always make sure I show my gratitude – they might just add more plant-based options to the menu in future.' I phoned ahead on a city break to Genoa, and chefs prepared delicious dishes around seasonal ingredients such as artichokes. The Vegan Welcome website lists 35 hotels around the world that are 100% vegan in the cuisine they offer. It also has a directory of vegan-friendly hotels. Retreat-style holidays almost always cater well for vegans, too. 'If you've researched your destination and it doesn't seem vegan-friendly, choose self-catering,' says Harrop. 'This way, you can explore the shops and markets, which is a great way to connect with the local culture.' Emma Robinson from Veganuary says: 'One of my favourite activities as a traveller is visiting traditional markets. I enjoy looking at the unfamiliar produce and trying to figure out what it is and how to prepare it.' In Mexico, I tried chaya, a spinach-like plant; nopales, the fleshy fronds of the prickly pear; and huitlacoche, offputtingly described as corn fungus, but tasty in a taco. Buy the basics at supermarkets, says White: 'They are surprisingly well stocked in many countries, and you can find oat milk, tofu etc.' 'Make the most of online vegan communities when planning your trip, especially Facebook groups and influencers on Instagram and TikTok,' says Harrop. 'Most large cities are likely to have a vegan community and there are vegan travel groups on Facebook that are full of invaluable tips.' 'When travelling, I treat vegan cafes and restaurants as tourist destinations in their own right so I can work them into my itinerary,' says Harrop. 'Don't be afraid to go off the beaten path to uncover local vegan treasures – it's a rewarding way to connect with a city's culture.' Sophie-Anne Nabhan-Sandison from Veganuary did just that in Dubrovnik. 'We found an amazing little vegan restaurant hidden away and it was one of the best meals I have ever had,' she says. Last summer, I sought out a vegan restaurant in Lindos, Rhodes, and even my gyros-addicted boyfriend had to admit it was worth the trip. Harrop has a word of warning. 'If you have your eye on a certain place, always double-check it's open on the days you're travelling. I once spent over an hour walking to a vegan cafe in Paris only to find it was closed when I got there.' It's really frustrating for your non-vegan travel companions to trail round after you for hours, looking for somewhere you can eat. If you find somewhere that ticks everyone else's boxes – full of local people, on a beautiful piazza – will it kill you to eat bread and salad for a night? 'All my friends and family are so supportive – they wouldn't want to take me anywhere that's meat-heavy,' says Johnson. 'However, I'd never stop them going, and if necessary I'd just eat before or afterwards and join in the fun.' 'I recently went to Cyprus and a lot of the country's traditional dishes were vegan-friendly,' says Johnson. 'Hummus, falafel, olive bread and certain meze dishes are all packed with flavour, so you don't feel you're missing out.' Ed Winters, author of This Is Vegan Propaganda and How to Argue with a Meat Eater, found the same on holiday in southern Italy. 'I was pleasantly surprised by how much local cuisine was plant-based or could easily be made suitable for vegans. For example, one of the most famous foods from Puglia is focaccia barese with tomatoes and olives.' Every country will have a vegan staple such as rice, wheat, oats, maize, lentils, beans, potatoes, taro or yam. In France, says Gauthier, you could request chickpeas on your salad instead of goat's cheese or tuna. In Mexico, I asked for my enfrijoladas 'sin huevos': soft tortillas smothered in refried beans, greens, tomato sauce and ground pumpkin seeds, minus the fried eggs on top. Many restaurants are happy to accommodate simple requests like this. On the other hand, sometimes you have to take no for an answer. At one cafe, I asked for hummus on my toast instead of butter and jam (hummus was on the menu). They said no. I offered to pay extra. Still no. No vegan goes to Spain to eat Thai green curry – we want tapas and paella like everyone else. On a trip to Germany last year, I found restaurants were particularly good at offering plant-based versions of traditional dishes such as schnitzel (breaded meat) and maultaschen (filled dumplings). Oaxaca in Mexico had several places serving vegan takes on pozole (soup made from hominy – a type of dried corn – with soya chunks instead of meat), chilaquiles (stewed tortilla chips, minus the usual dairy) and tortas (a kind of hearty sandwich), including a hangover-busting barbecue mushroom version. On longer holidays, you might find yourself craving a change from the local cuisine. Chinese, Indian, Thai, Korean and Japanese restaurants usually cater well to vegans – in Mexico City, I found an incredible vegan ramen place. Vegan travellers tend to be a helpful bunch, highlighting plant-based dishes in restaurant reviews on Tripadvisor, Google and so on. Make sure you return the favour, says Harrop: 'Always remember to leave your own reviews to help other travellers seeking vegan options. Share photos of the dishes and menus if you can.' It sounds ridiculous, but when I fancied a change from Mexican food, I searched for 'tofu' on my phone's map. It led me to a fantastic Japanese smokehouse and sake bar, which served agedashi tofu and vegan sushi. White says: 'Some countries have navigation apps that are more widely used than Google Maps. For example, South Korea has Naver. Download and use those apps instead.' Much like at home, it's always wise to carry snacks. Johnson says: 'Don't ever assume there will be anything to eat, especially at an airport. Once you're on the flight, most airlines do offer a vegan option if you've ordered it – but don't forget that said vegan option might just be a banana and a pair of chopsticks.' Harrop suggests snack bars and nuts; I carted a packet of fancy granola around Mexico. 'Always take oat milk,' says Johnson. 'There's nothing worse than waking up in a hotel room, excited for your morning cup of tea, and seeing those sad little pots of UHT cow's milk.' I like travel-sized Oatly sachets if I'm on the move. I once did a cookery class in Thailand and learned about ingredients such as banana blossom, which I now use regularly in curries. Lots of cities have vegan food tours, and companies such as Naturetrek offer wildlife holidays staying at vegan hotels. I visited the Sian Ka'an biosphere reserve in Yucatán – the entry fee helps protect the habitat of manatees, sea turtles, jaguars, pumas and more. But choose carefully. 'Fifteen years ago, I went to Thailand and was so excited to see a baby elephant in a restaurant. Now, I'd avoid places like that,' says Johnson. 'Research shows that wild animals being used for human entertainment have most certainly suffered some kind of abuse and are kept in unnatural and often cruel conditions. I would love to try authentic experiences such as safaris or visiting an animal sanctuary, but it's important to check the provenance of the company or organisation first.' In one restaurant, I ordered what I thought was a vegan dip, only to be presented with a bowl of melted cheese. And at a tiny campsite in the middle of the jungle, miles from anywhere, I was given scrambled eggs for breakfast. 'This has happened to me a few times over the years,' says Johnson. 'I don't let it worry me – we all slip up sometimes and I just carry on as normal. Obviously that's different if you have an allergy, but I'm vegan for different reasons.' At home, I take a vegan supplement. On holiday, life's too short. I just drink the odd green juice and try to eat a varied diet. Johnson does take a multivitamin on holiday, but says: 'It's not something I worry too much about – no one is going to die of a deficiency during a week or two away.' Vegans aren't condemned to a life of sorbet. In particular, dark chocolate ice-cream is often dairy-free. 'I would suggest always ordering a side of fries with every salad or curry,' says Gauthier. 'It keeps the holiday vibe high!' Do you have an opinion on the issues raised in this article? If you would like to submit a response of up to 300 words by email to be considered for publication in our letters section, please click here.
