Judge rules against required coverage of HIV prevention drug

Mayoral candidates’ promises worthless without price tags, payment plans

Winnipeg’s mayoral candidates have plenty to say about what they want to do for the city. But there’s one question they haven’t answered very clearly: how much are they prepared to raise property taxes to pay for it?

It’s an important question, because almost everything candidates are promising — more police officers, better transit, safer buses, improved roads, expanded library hours and better-maintained infrastructure — costs money. And in a city with limited revenue sources and growing expenses, that money has to come from somewhere.

City hall can’t even pay for what it does now with existing revenues — it has been drawing down reserve accounts in recent years just to balance the books.

So far voters haven’t heard much — if anything — from candidates about what they would do with property taxes. Would they raise them every year? By how much? Would they freeze them? Cut them?

Judge rules against required coverage of HIV prevention drug

FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — A federal judge ruled Wednesday that required coverage of an HIV prevention drug under the Affordable Care Act violates a Texas employer's religious beliefs and undercut the broader system that determines which preventive drugs are covered in the U.S.

The ruling was handed down by Fort Worth-based U.S. District Judge Reed O'Connor, who ruled in 2018 that the entire ACA is invalid. The U.S. Supreme Court ultimately overturned that decision.

O'Connor's latest ruling targets a mandate under the law that requires employers to cover the HIV prevention treatment known as PrEP, which is a pill taken daily to prevent infection.

The challenge was brought by a company owned by Steven Hotze, a conservative activist in Texas who is described in the lawsuit as operating Braidwood Management "according to Christian principles and teaching.” It was filed by an architect of the Texas abortion law that was the nation's strictest before the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade earlier in June.

‘We know we’re not going to beat Mother Nature’: Ice prep begins at Princess Auto Stadium for Heritage Classic

Derek King typically has ice in his veins.

But the Manitoban admits there may be a few more butterflies than usual as he prepares for the ultimate home game — the 2026 Heritage Classic between the Winnipeg Jets and Montreal Canadiens.

“This is so exciting to be back,” King, the NHL’s vice-president of hockey operations and facilities operations, said Tuesday afternoon.

“It’s definitely going to be a fun event to be part of.”

Jets salvage point in Chicago

CHICAGO — Ever have one of those days where you should have just stayed in bed? That pretty much sums up how Thursday went for the Winnipeg Jets here in the Windy City.

It began with the bad news that top defenceman Josh Morrissey’s wrist issue is more serious than feared, and he likely won’t be back in the lineup any time soon. Then, veteran forward Vlad Namestnikov, coming off his best game of the young season, crashed into the boards at the end of morning skate, suffering an upper-body injury that sent him to the sidelines.

Off to the game itself, which began with Dylan DeMelo hitting the post on the first shift, a parade of Winnipeg penalties helping the home team build a healthy early lead and, last and certainly least, an eventual 4-3 overtime loss at United Center.

It actually could have been worse.

MPI still lacking brain injury expert

Manitoba Public Insurance has failed to hire an independent brain injury expert to probe how personal injury claims are handled, nearly two years after it was recommended.

Manitoba Hydro to replace dozens of electrical substations over 20 years

Manitoba Hydro is promising fewer power outages in Winnipeg once it replaces or converts 41 electrical substations in a project the utility says will last up to 20 years and cost as much as $1.2 billion.