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Vancouver Budget Balances Books Without Tax Hike

Vancouver city council approved a 2026 budget, which includes a freeze on municipal property taxes. Vancouver City Council has approved a new budget that pledges no increase in property taxes, a move welcomed by many residents facing rising living costs. However, the financial plan comes with significant trade-offs: millions of dollars will be cut from arts programs, park services, and other community initiatives. City officials argue the budget reflects a commitment to fiscal responsibility while easing pressure on households. Critics, however, warn that reductions in cultural and recreational funding could erode the city’s vibrancy and limit access to public spaces. The decision highlights the ongoing challenge of balancing affordability with investment in community life. As Vancouver grows, the debate over how to fund essential services without raising taxes is likely to intensify.

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Blowout on Boeing 737 Max 9 Jet Prompts Grounding of Most Planes


An emergency landing by an Alaska Airlines jetliner last Friday prompted U.S. authorities to ground most of Boeing’s 737 Max 9 aircraft, another black mark in the troubled history of the company’s Max jets. The incident involved a blowout of a paneled-over exit door, called a door plug, which is exceedingly rare in air travel. The emergency grounding order affected about 171 planes with installed door plugs, comprising the vast majority of the roughly 218 Max 9s in service around the world.

While the investigation is still ongoing, preliminary inspections have identified “loose hardware” or “bolts that needed additional tightening” in the door plugs of grounded aircraft. The incident has renewed questions about the safety of Boeing’s Max 8 and Max 9 aircraft, the latest versions of the company’s storied 737.

The blowout is another setback for Boeing, which has been struggling to regain its footing after two fatal crashes involving its 737 Max planes in 2018 and 2019. The company has since made significant changes to the aircraft’s software and safety systems, but the latest incident has raised concerns about the plane’s safety once again .

The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has begun an investigation into the incident, which is focused on the door plug that blew off the passenger jet shortly after takeoff  The FAA has ordered airlines to inspect the door plugs of all 737 Max planes with installed door plugs.

The incident has also prompted Indonesia to temporarily ground three Boeing 737-9 Max jetliners .

In summary, the blowout on a Boeing 737 Max 9 jet has led to the grounding of most planes with installed door plugs, and has raised concerns about the safety of the company’s Max jets once again. The FAA has ordered airlines to inspect the door plugs of all 737 Max planes with installed door plugs, and the investigation is still ongoing.

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