By Bruce Arthur Sports Columnist Mon., Feb. 19, 2018 PYEONGCHANG, SOUTH KOREA—It took Natalie Spooner time before she believed it, before it felt real. A few months, she thinks. She would hear people tell her they were in a hospital oncology ward and they turned the gold-medal game on; that they were on a Caribbean island, watching the game in a thatch-roofed bar. But she couldn’t wrap her mind about it. Canada 3, USA 2, Sochi, 2014. It was real-life legend. “It’s pretty cool to know that literally all of Canada tuned in to watch that game, and their lives stopped, because of hockey,” says Spooner, a longtime member of Canada’s women’s hockey team. Four years later, and everything has built back up to another pinnacle. The sport is improving. More countries are better. But it is the United States and Canada, again, forever locked at the peak. “I mean, it’s the biggest stage,” said Canadian forward … [Read more...] about It’s Canada and the United States for women’s hockey gold
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Jon Bon Jovi dishes on wining, dining and his favourite hotel in the United States
Jon Bon Jovi, 55, has been a rocker for more than three decades, but that doesn’t mean he is slowing down.On March 14, his band Bon Jovi kicks off a two-month tour in the United States and Canada, and on April 14, the band will be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, in Cleveland. But first, in mid-February, Bon Jovi and his son, Jesse Bongiovi, 22, will release a rosé wine, Diving into Hampton Water (the name is an homage to their Hamptons home). They collaborated with French winemaker Gérard Bertrand; the wine is produced in France’s Languedoc-Roussillon region.“It’s a favourite in our household because you can drink it starting with lunch and into the evening, and we enjoy lots of it whenever we travel,” Bon Jovi said.Over lunch at Wild, a gluten-free restaurant in Manhattan’s West Village, he spoke about how he discovered a new part of France through the process of producing the wine and about his travels in general; Jesse … [Read more...] about Jon Bon Jovi dishes on wining, dining and his favourite hotel in the United States
13 ways other countries are leaving the United States in the dust
Technological and social innovations mean things are changing quickly around the world. The United States is slipping behind other countries in key measures of progress. The US trails other nations in areas such as press freedom, passport strength, internet speed, and cost of education. American politicians often boast that their country is the greatest in the world. But in a lot of ways, the United States is slipping in the world rankings. From the price Americans pay for education to the strength of their passports, there are plenty of ways people from other countries have it better. Read on to see 13 areas where America has some catching up to do:Healthcare While every country does healthcare a little differently, the fact remains that the United States is the only wealthy country in the world without universal healthcare coverage. The US spends about three times more per capita on healthcare expenditures than other … [Read more...] about 13 ways other countries are leaving the United States in the dust
China says United States is real threat to global trade, not itself
BEIJING: The United States, not China, threatens the global trade system, China's foreign ministry said on Monday, after US President Donald Trump's administration called US support for Beijing's joining the World Trade Organization in 2001 a mistake. WTO rules have proved ineffective in making China embrace a market-oriented trade regime, and the United States "erred" in backing China's entry to the trade body on such terms, the office of the US Trade Representative said last week.Its report came as Trump weighs a series of trade actions against Beijing, including a decision in a "Section 301" investigation into China's alleged theft of intellectual property, expected in the next few weeks.Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said that since China joined the WTO, it had strictly followed the body's rules, carried out its obligations and contributed to the development of the multilateral system.Other countries have benefited from trade with China, which has stuck by the route of … [Read more...] about China says United States is real threat to global trade, not itself
In the United States, legal marijuana startups take aim at social drinkers
LOS ANGELES—Alcohol companies beware: Cannabis is coming for your customers.Now that recreational marijuana is legal in California and seven other U.S. states, startups are vying with traditional beverage companies for the attention of consumers planning to ingest a social intoxicant. Instead of meeting after work for a drink, for example, they suggest other ways to catch a buzz with friends or co-workers. Perhaps some cannabis wine will do, or maybe pot-infused seltzer or even an old-fashioned joint — prerolled, of course.Toast, an Aspen, Colo.-based startup co-founded by the former chief marketing officer of Budweiser, is one of the companies taking its cues from Big Alcohol. It offers two types of cannabis cigarettes: its namesake product, which the company says is akin to a cocktail, and Toast Gold, which it compares to glass of champagne. Another line extension called Toast Reserve, due in the first quarter of this year, is billed as the marijuana … [Read more...] about In the United States, legal marijuana startups take aim at social drinkers