joker slot game JERUSALEM — Israel approved a United States-brokered ceasefire agreement with Lebanon's Hezbollah on Tuesday, setting the stage for an end to nearly 14 months of fighting linked to the ongoing war in the Gaza Strip. In the hours leading up to the Cabinet meeting, Israel carried out its most intense wave of strikes in Beirut and its southern suburbs and issued a record number of evacuation warnings. At least 24 people were killed in strikes across the country, according to local authorities, as Israel signaled it aims to keep pummeling Hezbollah in the final hours before any ceasefire takes hold. Israel's security Cabinet approved the ceasefire agreement late Tuesday after it was presented by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, his office said. U.S. President Joe Biden, speaking in Washington, called the agreement “good news” and said his administration would make a renewed push for a ceasefire in Gaza. An Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire would mark the first major step toward ending the regionwide unrest triggered by Hamas’ attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. But it does not address the devastating war in Gaza. U.S. President-elect Donald Trump has vowed to bring peace to the Middle East, but neither he nor Netanyahu have proposed a postwar solution for the Palestinian territory, where Hamas is still holding dozens of hostages and the conflict is more intractable. Still, any halt to the fighting in Lebanon is expected to reduce the likelihood of war between Israel and Iran, which backs both Hezbollah and Hamas and exchanged direct fire with Israel on two occasions earlier this year. Smoke rises following an Israeli airstrike on Dahiyeh, in Beirut, Lebanon, Tuesday, Nov. 26, 2024. Netanyahu presented the ceasefire proposal to Cabinet ministers after a televised address in which he listed a series of accomplishments against Israel’s enemies across the region. He said a ceasefire with Hezbollah would further isolate Hamas in Gaza and allow Israel to focus on its main enemy, Iran, which backs both groups. “If Hezbollah breaks the agreement and tries to rearm, we will attack,” he said. “For every violation, we will attack with might.” Netanyahu's office later said Israel appreciated the U.S. efforts in securing the deal but "reserves the right to act against every threat to its security.” It was not immediately clear when the ceasefire would go into effect, and the exact terms of the deal were not released. The deal calls for a two-month initial halt in fighting and would require Hezbollah to end its armed presence in a broad swath of southern Lebanon, while Israeli troops would return to their side of the border. Thousands of additional Lebanese troops and U.N. peacekeepers would deploy in the south, and an international panel headed by the United States would monitor all sides’ compliance. But implementation remains a major question mark. Israel has demanded the right to act should Hezbollah violate its obligations. Lebanese officials have rejected writing that into the proposal. Biden said Israel reserved the right to quickly resume operations in Lebanon if Hezbollah breaks the terms of the truce, but that the deal "was designed to be a permanent cessation of hostilities.” Hezbollah has said it accepts the proposal, but a senior official with the group said Tuesday that it had not seen the agreement in its final form. “After reviewing the agreement signed by the enemy government, we will see if there is a match between what we stated and what was agreed upon by the Lebanese officials,” Mahmoud Qamati, deputy chair of Hezbollah’s political council, told the Al Jazeera news network. “We want an end to the aggression, of course, but not at the expense of the sovereignty of the state” of Lebanon, he said. “Any violation of sovereignty is refused.” In this screen grab image from video provide by the Israeli Government Press Office, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu makes a televised statement Tuesday, Nov. 26, 2024, in Jerusalem, Israel. Even as Israeli, U.S, Lebanese and international officials have expressed growing optimism over a ceasefire, Israel has continued its campaign in Lebanon, which it says aims to cripple Hezbollah’s military capabilities. An Israeli strike on Tuesday leveled a residential building in the central Beirut district of Basta — the second time in recent days warplanes have hit the crowded area near the city’s downtown. At least seven people were killed and 37 wounded, according to Lebanon's Health Ministry. Strikes on Beirut's southern suburbs killed at least one person and wounded 13, it said. Three people were killed in a separate strike in Beirut and three in a strike on a Palestinian refugee camp in southern Lebanon. Lebanese state media said another 10 people were killed in the eastern Baalbek province. Israel says it targets Hezbollah fighters and their infrastructure. Israel also struck a building in Beirut's bustling commercial district of Hamra for the first time, hitting a site that is around 400 meters (yards) from Lebanon’s Central Bank. There were no reports of casualties. The Israeli military said it struck targets in Beirut and other areas linked to Hezbollah's financial arm. The evacuation warnings covered many areas, including parts of Beirut that previously have not been targeted. The warnings, coupled with fear that Israel was ratcheting up attacks before a ceasefire, sent residents fleeing. Traffic was gridlocked, and some cars had mattresses tied to them. Dozens of people, some wearing their pajamas, gathered in a central square, huddling under blankets or standing around fires as Israeli drones buzzed loudly overhead. Hezbollah, meanwhile, kept up its rocket fire, triggering air raid sirens across northern Israel. Israeli military spokesman Avichay Adraee issued evacuation warnings for 20 buildings in Beirut's southern suburbs, where Hezbollah has a major presence, as well as a warning for the southern town of Naqoura where the U.N. peacekeeping mission, UNIFIL, is headquartered. UNIFIL spokesperson Andrea Tenenti told The Associated Press that peacekeepers will not evacuate. The Israeli military also said its ground troops clashed with Hezbollah forces and destroyed rocket launchers in the Slouqi area on the eastern end of the Litani River, a few kilometers (miles) from the Israeli border. Under the ceasefire deal, Hezbollah would be required to move its forces north of the Litani, which in some places is about 30 kilometers (20 miles) north of the border. Hezbollah began firing into northern Israel, saying it was showing support for the Palestinians, a day after Hamas carried out its Oct. 7, 2023, attack on southern Israel, triggering the Gaza war. Israel returned fire on Hezbollah, and the two sides have been exchanging barrages ever since. Israel escalated its campaign of bombardment in mid-September and later sent troops into Lebanon, vowing to put an end to Hezbollah fire so tens of thousands of evacuated Israelis could return to their homes. More than 3,760 people have been killed by Israeli fire in Lebanon the past 13 months, many of them civilians, according to Lebanese health officials. The bombardment has driven 1.2 million people from their homes. Israel says it has killed more than 2,000 Hezbollah members. Hezbollah fire has forced some 50,000 Israelis to evacuate in the country’s north, and its rockets have reached as far south in Israel as Tel Aviv. At least 75 people have been killed, more than half of them civilians. More than 50 Israeli soldiers have died in the ground offensive in Lebanon. Chehayeb and Mroue reported from Beirut. Associated Press reporters Lujain Jo and Sally Abou AlJoud in Beirut contributed. Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter.

Before billionaires Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy became co-chairs of Donald Trump’s bogus Department of Government Efficiency , Ramaswamy had all kinds of awful things to say about Musk, the Tesla CEO and world’s richest right-wing misinformation peddler . CNN’s KFile did a deep dive into Ramaswamy’s history of disparaging statements about his new co-chair. “I think Tesla is increasingly beholden to China,” Ramaswamy opined during a podcast in 2023 in response to the company’s announcement that it would be building a new battery plant in Shanghai. "I have no reason to think Elon won’t jump like a circus monkey when Xi Jinping calls in the hour of need." Musk's reliance on China has only increased over the years, and he has been trying very hard to maintain a favorable relationship with the country that provides a large share of his company's profits as well as so much of the raw materials used in Tesla's EV batteries. In May 2023, Ramaswamy wrote on X that while he appreciated Musk’s purchase of the social media platform, Musk and other “prominent business leaders” were “puppets” of the Chinese Communist Party. Ramaswamy further criticized Musk in a subsequent post . “Now the crusader for “free speech” (@elonmusk) kisses the ring of the world’s biggest censor: Xi Jinping,” he wrote. Musk and Ramaswamy have promised to use DOGE to target hundreds of billions of dollars in government spending cuts by focusing on slashing funding to entities such as the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which receives $535 million a year. It is an interesting tactic for Musk, whose entire business empire was buoyed by billions ( with a “B” ) of taxpayer dollars. “Both Tesla and SpaceX quite likely would not exist as successful businesses if it were not for the use of public funding,” Ramaswamy told a Fox News podcast in 2022 . “[E]ither through subsidies, through the electric car industry, or through actual government contracting in the case of SpaceX." “Elon Musk has, I think, demonstrated his willingness to change his political tunes based on the favors that he gets to be able to do business in China,” Ramaswamy said in the same Fox News interview. The increasingly tense trade battle over technology ramped up on Tuesday when China announced a ban on the exporting of rare minerals to the U.S. When you factor in Trump’s promises to add hefty trade tariffs to Chinese imports, Ramaswamy’s last claim is sure to be tested in the coming weeks and months. Predictably, Ramaswamy has changed his tune toward Musk and is now even promising to use DOGE to harass and possibly extinguish Musk’s domestic EV rivals. According to Ramaswamy, he now has heart eyes for Musk. “I love him and respect the hell out of him, and I’m proud to call him a friend,” a smarmy Ramaswamy told CNN. “The only country he puts first is the same one I do: the United States of America.” It’s easy to see how they’re now simpatico, since they both have the same obsessions: money and power. Are you sick and tired of Elon Musk? Click this link for instant access to Daily Kos and staff accounts on Bluesky. Follow along for the latest news to stay informed and engaged!ESPN is now available in the Disney+ appEvery day millions of people share more intimate information with their accessories than they do with their spouse. Wearable technology — smartwatches, smart rings, fitness trackers and the like — monitors body-centric data such as your heart rate, steps taken and calories burned, and may record where you go along the way. Like Santa Claus, it knows when you are sleeping (and how well), it knows when you’re awake, it knows when you’ve been idle or exercising, and it keeps track of all of it. People are also sharing sensitive health information on , including online mental health and counseling programs. Some women use period tracker apps to map out their monthly cycle. These devices and services have excited consumers hoping for better insight into their health and lifestyle choices. But the lack of oversight into how body-centric data are used and shared with third parties has prompted concerns from privacy experts, who warn that the data could be sold or lost through data breaches, then used to raise insurance premiums, discriminate surreptitiously against applicants for jobs or housing, and even perform surveillance. The use of wearable technology and medical apps surged in the years following the COVID-19 pandemic, but indicates that current laws offer little protection for consumers who are often unaware just how much of their health data are being collected and shared by companies. “I’ve been studying the intersections of emerging technologies, data-driven technologies, AI and human rights and social justice for the past 15 years, and since the pandemic I’ve noticed the industry has become hyper-focused on our bodies,” said Mozilla Foundation technology fellow Júlia Keserű, who conducted the research. “That permeates into all kinds of areas of our lives and all kinds of domains within the tech industry.” The report “From Skin to Screen: Bodily Integrity in the Digital Age” recommends that existing data protection laws be clarified to encompass all forms of bodily data. It also calls for expanding national health privacy laws to cover health-related information collected from health apps and fitness trackers and making it easier for users to opt out of body-centric data collections. Researchers have been raising alarms about health data privacy for years. Data collected by companies are often sold to data brokers or groups that buy, sell and trade data from the internet to create detailed consumer profiles. Body-centric data can include information such as the fingerprints used to unlock phones, face scans from facial recognition technology, and data from fitness and fertility trackers, mental health apps and digital medical records. One of the key reasons health information has value to companies — even when the person’s name is not associated with it — is that advertisers can use the data to send targeted ads to groups of people based on certain details they share. The information contained in these consumer profiles is becoming so detailed, however, that when paired with other data sets that include location information, it could be possible to target specific individuals, Keserű said. Location data can “expose sophisticated insights about people’s health status, through their visits to places like hospitals or abortions clinics,” Mozilla’s report said, adding that “companies like Google have been reported to keep such data even after promising to delete it.” revealed that data brokers were selling sensitive data on individuals’ mental health conditions on the open market. While many brokers deleted personal identifiers, some provided names and addresses of individuals seeking mental health assistance, according to the report. In two public surveys conducted as part of the research, Keserű said, participants were outraged and felt exploited in scenarios where their health data were sold for a profit without their knowledge. “We need a new approach to our digital interactions that recognizes the fundamental rights of individuals to safeguard their bodily data, an issue that speaks directly to human autonomy and dignity,” Keserű said. “As technology continues to advance, it is critical that our laws and practices evolve to meet the unique challenges of this era.” Consumers often take part in these technologies without fully understanding the implications. Last month, that users submit X-rays, PET scans, MRIs and other medical images to Grok, the platform’s artificial intelligence chatbot, to seek diagnoses. The issue alarmed privacy experts, but many X users heeded Musk’s call and submitted health information to the chatbot. While X’s privacy policy says that the company will not sell user data to third parties, it does share some information with certain business partners. Gaps in existing laws have allowed the widespread sharing of biometric and other body-related data. Health information provided to hospitals, doctor’s offices and medical insurance companies is protected from disclosure under the , known as HIPAA, which established federal standards protecting such information from release without the patient’s consent. But health data collected by many wearable devices and health and wellness apps don’t fall under HIPAA’s umbrella, said Suzanne Bernstein, counsel at Electronic Privacy Information Center. “In the U.S. because we don’t have a comprehensive federal privacy law ... it falls to the state level,” she said. But not every state has weighed in on the issue. Washington, Nevada and Connecticut all recently passed laws to provide safeguards for consumer health data. that aimed to require tech companies to adhere to strengthened privacy provisions regarding the collection, sharing, use or sale of consumer health data. In California, the California Privacy Rights Act regulates how businesses can use certain types of sensitive information, including biometric information, and requires them to offer consumers the ability to opt out of disclosure of sensitive personal information. “This information being sold or shared with data brokers and other entities hypercharge the online profiling that we’re so used to at this point, and the more sensitive the data, the more sophisticated the profiling can be,” Bernstein said. “A lot of the sharing or selling with third parties is outside the scope of what a consumer would reasonably expect.” Health information has become a prime target for hackers seeking to extort healthcare agencies and individuals after accessing sensitive patient data. Health-related cybersecurity breaches and ransom attacks increased more than 4,000% between 2009 and 2023, targeting the booming market of body-centric data, which is expected to exceed $500 billion by 2030, according to the report. “Nonconsensual data sharing is a big issue,” Keserű said. “Even if it’s biometric data or health data, a lot of the companies are just sharing that data without you knowing, and that is causing a lot of anxiety and questions.”

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Mosquito-borne diseases are on the rise. Here’s how collecting mozzies in your backyard can help scienceOTTAWA — A lawyer for terrorism suspect Mohamed Harkat told a Federal Court judge Tuesday the Algerian-born refugee has been linked to extremists through speculation, not hard evidence. Harkat, 56, was arrested in Ottawa in December 2002 on suspicion of being an al-Qaida sleeper agent. Harkat says he fled strife-ridden Algeria and worked with an aid agency in Pakistan before he arrived in Canada in 1995 using a false Saudi passport. He denies any involvement in terrorism. The federal government has long been trying to deport the former gas-station attendant using a security certificate — a legal tool for removing non-citizens suspected of ties to extremism or espionage. A Federal Court judge who reviewed the certificate ruled in 2010 there were grounds to believe Harkat is a security threat who maintained ties to Osama bin Laden's terror network after coming to Canada. The judge found Harkat operated a guesthouse for Ibn Khattab and his organization for at least 15 months in Pakistan, demonstrating active membership in an organization involved in terrorist activities. Harkat is back in Federal Court challenging a 2018 decision by a federal delegate that he should not be allowed to remain in Canada. He argues he faces a risk of torture if returned to Algeria. In a written submission to the court, federal lawyers note the delegate found that Harkat’s role as the operator of Khattab's guesthouse made the recruitment, vetting, preparation and training of jihadists and terrorists possible. This allowed the Khattab organization, and the broader bin Laden network with which it was linked, to commit various terrorist acts, the submission adds. In their own submission, counsel for Harkat question the evidence that Khattab was indeed a terrorist. Lawyer Barbara Jackman, representing Harkat, told the hearing Tuesday the federal conclusions were not only unreasonable, but "also it's taking facts and speculating to fill in the blanks." Jackman said operating a guesthouse is not a crime. "Doesn't it depend on the knowledge and intent of the person who's operating the guesthouse?" asked Justice John Norris. The judge suggested the government would need to establish that Harkat knew the purpose of the place. Jackman said Harkat denies even working at the guesthouse. Even so, she took issue with the evidentiary reasoning. "You have to show a connection to the crime or the criminal organization in some kind of real way," she said. "He's a passive actor running a hotel that people come in and out of." At the end of the hearing, Norris said he would make a ruling on Harkat's challenge at a later date. Civil libertarians have criticized the security certificate process as fundamentally unjust because the detainee sees only a summary of the accusations, making them difficult to challenge. In a 2014 ruling, the Supreme Court of Canada said the security certificate regime does not violate the person's right to know and contest the allegations they face. The Supreme Court also concluded Harkat "benefited from a fair process" when Noel reviewed his case. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 3, 2024. Jim Bronskill, The Canadian Press

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While The Denver Nuggets are no longer considered world beaters, they clearly have enough talent to remain in the mix in the Western Conference. However, swapping a former MVP for a dynamic Utah Jazz bench scorer could do wonders for the Nuggets’ second unit. “In this scenario, the Jazz would look to Denver as a trade partner,” The J Notes’ Travis Hughes wrote Sunday. “The Jazz would send Jordan Clarkson to the Nuggets in return for Zeke Nnaji, Russell Westbrook, Vlatko Cancar, and a 2026 first-round pick swap, in which the Jazz retain the rights to the higher pick.” “The Nuggets have been on a decline since their NBA title because their depth has taken more hits every year, and their complements to Nikola Jokic seem to be regressing as well.” “There have also been some rumblings that this may be the last season the Nuggets' core will be together, with all their contracts bringing them close to the 200 million mark against the cap. The Nuggets may be due for a down year.” “The Nuggets would like this trade because of their need for backcourt depth. While Westbrook is their current backcourt depth piece, he has been very streaky as has been the nature of Westbrook over the last few seasons." “As ironic as it sounds, Clarkson could provide much more consistency and can play both the one and two positions.” "Clarkson could be the Bruce Brown replacement the Nuggets have been searching for since their championship run." "He's also younger and could also save them money. In this hypothetical, the Nuggets' salary would actually drop $187k.” Clarkson is making valuable contributions for the Jazz off the bench as a confident isolation operator with perhaps the greenest light in the league. The 6-foot-3 guard isn’t known for scoring efficiently, but it’s worth noting that Clarkson is averaging 15 points while playing 26 minutes per game this season. Westbrook, on the other hand, struggled to adjust to life as a Nugget early on, but he’s slowly transformed into a dependable bench contributor for Mike Malone and company. Despite being unpredictable as a straight-line driver, Westbrook is netting 11.7 points and handing out 6.0 assists per contest this year. Clarkson and Westbrook have massive flaws in their respective games, but Clarkson’s instant scoring ability and higher ceiling should make the Nuggets consider an in-season swap. More NBA: Lakers could reunite with cherished $48 million NBA champion via trade with Bucks

Although some form of democratic participation in government has always been at the heart of the American experiment, when the United States was founded, only one half of one branch of government was conceived as a purely majoritarian institution. With presidents being chosen via the Electoral College, the Supreme Court being determined by presidential appointments and senatorial confirmations, and senators originally being selected by state legislators (before the ratification of the 17th Amendment in 1913), only the House of Representatives was meant to represent the unadulterated will of a simple majority of voters. Even constitutional amendments require supermajority approval, which appears to be an impossible hurdle to clear in today’s polarized political reality. Indeed, many of the Founders understood the need to protect the rights of the minority by tempering the fleeting passions of the majority – an ideal famously expressed by James Madison, the father of the Constitution, in the Federalist Papers. Alexander Hamilton, in a 1788 congressional address, was much more blunt than Mr. Madison: “It has been observed by an honorable gentleman, that a pure democracy, if it were practicable, would be the most perfect government. Experience has proved that no position in politics is more false than this.” But despite years of complaining that Donald Trump did not “win” the popular vote in 2016, Democrats are conspicuously silent over the fact that the House of Representatives, the Founders’ one vehicle for pure democratic governance, is no longer operating according to that principle. As The Wall Street Journal pointed out in a Nov. 23 editorial, “Democrats won far more House seats than they did votes in many progressive states” thanks to aggressive gerrymandering. “GOP House candidates in New York won 44% of the votes – roughly the same as Donald Trump – but only 27% of the state’s 26 districts. ... The disparity in Illinois is even larger. The state’s Democratic Legislature packed Republicans into three of 17 districts while sprinkling Democrats out across the others. As a result, two Republican incumbents in safe districts ran uncontested. But Republicans won only 18% of Illinois districts even though Mr. Trump carried about 44% of votes statewide.” The Journal, which documented similar disparities in California and Washington, concluded, “Democrats ought to be thankful that liberal states don’t have to draw maps that result in proportional representation. If they did, Republicans would have picked up at least 10 additional seats in California, four each in New York and Illinois, two in Washington and one in Oregon.” (For some reason, we doubt the press will demand answers from the judges who approved the redrawn congressional districts.) Gerrymandering, of course, is a bipartisan game, and Republicans are just as eager as Democrats when it comes to exploiting the rules. But over the next two years, the Republicans’ slim House majority, which does not in fact reflect the party’s share of the vote on Nov. 5, should serve as a reminder that the political left’s complaints about “undemocratic” presidential elections are not principled objections, but the cries of sore losers.

NEW YORK (AP) — Brian Thompson led one of the biggest health insurers in the U.S. but was unknown to millions of people his decisions affected. Then Wednesday's targeted fatal shooting of the UnitedHealthcare CEO on a midtown Manhattan sidewalk thrust the executive and his business into the national spotlight. Thompson, who was 50, had worked at the giant UnitedHealth Group Inc for 20 years and run the insurance arm since 2021 after running its Medicare and retirement business. As CEO, Thompson led a firm that provides health coverage to more than 49 million Americans — more than the population of Spain. United is the largest provider of Medicare Advantage plans, the privately run versions of the U.S. government’s Medicare program for people age 65 and older. The company also sells individual insurance and administers health-insurance coverage for thousands of employers and state-and federally funded Medicaid programs. People are also reading... The business run by Thompson brought in $281 billion in revenue last year, making it the largest subsidiary of the Minnetonka, Minnesota-based UnitedHealth Group. His $10.2 million annual pay package, including salary, bonus and stock options awards, made him one of the company's highest-paid executives. The University of Iowa graduate began his career as a certified public accountant at PwC and had little name recognition beyond the health care industry. Even to investors who own its stock, the parent company's face belonged to CEO Andrew Witty, a knighted British triathlete who has testified before Congress. When Thompson did occasionally draw attention, it was because of his role in shaping the way Americans get health care. At an investor meeting last year, he outlined his company's shift to “value-based care,” paying doctors and other caregivers to keep patients healthy rather than focusing on treating them once sick. Listen now and subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | RSS Feed | SoundStack | All Of Our Podcasts “Health care should be easier for people,” Thompson said at the time. “We are cognizant of the challenges. But navigating a future through value-based care unlocks a situation where the ... family doesn’t have to make the decisions on their own.” Thompson also drew attention in 2021 when the insurer, like its competitors, was widely criticized for a plan to start denying payment for what it deemed non-critical visits to hospital emergency rooms. “Patients are not medical experts and should not be expected to self-diagnose during what they believe is a medical emergency,” the chief executive of the American Hospital Association wrote in an open letter addressed to Thompson. “Threatening patients with a financial penalty for making the wrong decision could have a chilling effect on seeking emergency care.” United Healthcare responded by delaying rollout of the change. Thompson, who lived in a Minneapolis suburb and was the married father of two sons in high school, was set to speak at an investor meeting in a midtown New York hotel. He was on his own and about to enter the building when he was shot in the back by a masked assailant who fled on foot before pedaling an e-bike into Central Park a few blocks away, the New York Police Department said. Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny said investigators were looking at Thompson's social media accounts and interviewing employees and family members. “Didn’t seem like he had any issues at all,” Kenny said. "He did not have a security detail.” AP reporters Michael R. Sisak and Steve Karnowski contributed to this report. Murphy reported from Indianapolis. Be the first to know

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There are lots of heartfelt stories to tell about Doug Koch, a longtime downtown Victoria bookseller who passed away suddenly while commuting home. “He’s one you would remember,” said an emotional Jessica Paul, manager at Munro’s Books , where Koch worked for several decades. “He was here for 35 years. He was the most incredible man, he was so kind to everyone,” Paul told CHEK News in an interview Wednesday. “He had so many interests – music, books or politics. Locals or visitors coming through, he had that innate ability to connect with people,” she added. Earlier this week, Munro’s staff “with heavy hearts” announced Koch’s passing, saying their “beloved colleague and friend ... died suddenly” on Saturday. He had left work early that day because he wasn’t feeling well, according to Paul. On his way home, it’s believed he suffered a heart attack and died while riding a BC Transit bus in Esquimalt. The incident happened around 10:30 a.m. “We’re all feeling his loss greatly,” reads a post on Munro’s Facebook. “Always quick with a kind word and a music recommendation, Doug embodied the spirit of bookselling at Munro’s, and it’s hard to imagine the store without him.” The independent store at 1108 Government St. prides itself on having “passionate” staff and being “a destination for book lovers” for more than 60 years. Staff at the store in the post say Koch was often found “manning the front desk, giving out dog biscuits, and curating many sections in the store...” ‘We need more Dougies’ Now, tributes are pouring in, both online and in person. Wes Koch thanked people in the comments for their support and described his late sibling as “the best big brother anyone could ever ask for,” saying he “forged many great relationships over the years” and will be deeply missed. “And ‘you betcha’ (as he would often say), we need more Dougies in this world.” Kyeren Regehr wrote she “can’t imagine Munro’s, or Victoria, without Doug,” while Gillian Jones, who previously worked with Koch, said he was “a warm and thoughtful person who kept a written list of everyone’s birthdays...” “He never missed calling a co-worker to sing happy birthday, most often leaving you a voicemail. Years after I worked at Munro’s, he still called to sing.” Koch, born in 1958, didn’t always call Vancouver Island home. “If you worked by his side long enough, you would have heard his stories about working the railroads, hitchhiking across Canada and how much his rent was when he lived in Montreal,” wrote Marianne Kelly in her own Facebook post. Sister Lori Koch said it was “comforting to read these heartfelt messages. They truly shine a light on the authentic, incomparable gentle man he was.” Former BC NDP leader Carole James also commented that visiting Munro’s wasn’t complete “without a hug and conversation” with Koch. “Such sad news ... Thinking of his family and large circle of friends and book readers.” Munro’s staff are inviting people to leave a remembrance of Koch in the post comment section or stop by the store and share their memories in person.Biden’s pardon is bolstering Eric Adams’ legal defense - POLITICO