New evidence, including DNA and matching fingerprints, has linked suspected killer Luigi Mangione to UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson's death in New York City. The ghost gun and shell casings found at the crime scene also connect back to Mangione. The case continues to highlight public discontent toward the healthcare industry. (UPI)

The online gambling industry in the U.S. is expected to soon surpass $1 trillion in losses, prompting concerns about the impact on consumers. Estimates say 16% of adults and 26% of adolescents who use an online gambling platform have a gambling disorder. Illicit betting markets are estimated to already result in up to $1.7 trillion in losses annually. (UPI)

FBI Director Christopher Wray announced his resignation, effective at the end of the current administration before Donald Trump's inauguration. Wray, who was appointed by Trump, stated his decision at a town hall with FBI employees. President-elect Trump welcomed the announcement, aiming to replace Wray with loyalist Kash Patel. (CBS News)

Drug overdose deaths in the U.S. decreased by 17% between July 2023 and July 2024, according to new data released by the CDC. Over 100,000 yearly overdose deaths have been recorded since 2021, with a record-high of over 108,000 in 2022. The White House attributes the decline to the Biden administration's anti-drug efforts. (CBS News)

Saudi Arabia has been confirmed as the host of the 2034 Men's World Cup in soccer by FIFA, with the bid being the only candidate. The decision was made during an online meeting, with approval also given for Spain, Portugal, and Morocco to co-host the 2030 World Cup. Human rights groups raised concerns about the impact on migrant workers. (AP)

Elon Musk became the first person ever to be worth $400 billion on Wednesday after Tesla continued its recent Wall Street surge and SpaceX saw its valuation explode following a new deal. Musk was already the world’s richest person. (The Wrap)

Scientist have documented what they say is the longest recorded migration of a humpback whale — from the Pacific Coast of Columbia to the Indian Ocean near Zanzibar.

Collision Clinic has gifted a fully rebuilt car to a family in need for the last 21 years. This year's recipient is Marsha Murley, a mother of three who juggles two jobs without a vehicle.

A St. John’s senior will be allowed to keep the pro-Palestine mural on her retaining wall, after two complaints prompted the city to threaten her with up to $5,000 in fines.

Parts of Newfoundland and Labrador are in for a warmer than typical day on Thursday. Some areas on the island should have highs between 10 and 13 degrees, but the biggest changes will be felt in Labrador.

A St. John’s woman was presented with a life-changing gift today from the Collision Clinic.

The annual Enriching Lives Car Giveaway took place this morning at Collision Clinic on Topsail Road.

For the initiative, Collision Clinic employees donate their time to restore a damaged vehicle, and give it to someone ahead of the holidays.

Marsha McEvoy is this year’s recipient, and has been gifted a Nissan SUV.

She says she’s been working two jobs to try to make ends meet, and the new car is “life changing.”

McEvoy has four kids, and when seven-year-old Natalie was asked where she wanted to go first, she told VOCM News, “ice cream.”

Collision Clinic says that in its 21st year, demand has tripled this year for the car giveaway compared to last year.

You’ll forgiven if you wake up tomorrow morning wondering if you’ve suddenly arrived down south.

Temperatures are on the rise right across the province, with double-digit temperatures in the offering for most areas.

St. John’s and Happy Valley-Goose Bay will be the same temperature as New Orleans Louisiana tomorrow, with a forecast high of 13 degrees.

The balmy temperatures won’t last however, the mercury will dip back down to more seasonable values on Friday.

A single parents' support organization based in St. John's received a huge boost in funding this week, just when the countdown to Christmas made the need more pointed than ever.  

RCMP in Grand Falls-Windsor have arrested two people as the result of a police operation in the town this morning.

Residents reported seeing officers canvassing in the area of Pineview Drive, Mulrooney Street and Park Street.

Police say the matter has been resolved. VOCM News will have more information as it becomes available.

An investigation is underway after Sheshatshiu RCMP conducted a check on a driver who was unresponsive in an idling vehicle on the side of the road.

Police say the driver showed signs of drug impairment when roused, and was allegedly in possession of drugs and drug paraphernalia.

He was arrested and taken to hospital in Happy Valley-Goose Bay, where blood samples were taken.

The investigation continues.

There have been multiple stories of people who have believed property is theirs only to wind up in costly court proceedings, in addition to a scathing auditor general’s report on the issue of Crown lands. The CBC’s Leila Beaudoin reports on a new system aimed at improving the process.

N.L. Premier Andrew Furey and Quebec Premier Francois Legault will make what they’re calling an “historic partnership announcement” in St. John’s on Thursday, expected to be about the Churchill Falls contract.

National media have been reporting that a deal is either close or complete. Newfoundland and Labrador and Quebec have been in talks to renew the Churchill Falls contract for a number of years. The controversial contract is scheduled to expire in 2041.

The two premiers first met about Churchill Falls in February 2023, when they agreed to put together a team to talk about the future of the contract. Legault acknowledged at the time that Churchill Falls was a “bad deal” for Newfoundland and Labrador. 

The announcement will take place at 2 p.m. Thursday and will be carried live on NTV and NTV+.

The premiers will be joined by N.L. Energy Minister Andrew Parsons, Quebec Energy Minister Christine Fréchette, and N.L. Hydro CEO Jennifer Williams.

Premiers from Quebec and Newfoundland and Labrador are meeting Thursday for what is being called a "historic partnership announcement."

A 34-year-old man was arrested on Dec. 6 for drug impaired operation.

Shortly after 1:00 a.m. on Friday, police were patrolling on Peenamin Drive and observed a vehicle that was pulled over on the shoulder of the road idling. Police stopped to check on the driver, who was initially unresponsive, and found that the man showed signs of drug impairment and was in possession of drugs and drug paraphernalia. The man was arrested and was transported to Labrador Health Centre where samples of his blood were collected.

The investigation is continuing. Officers are awaiting the results of the blood samples to determine if charges of drug impaired driving are appropriate.

The home of the Clarenville Caribous has a new name.

The ice facility is reverting back to the Clarenville Events Centre. It has also undergone a rebrand with a new logo and a redesigned website.

The town says the new logo incorporates elements of the town’s logo and colour scheme, and the facility will have what the town calls a new community-first focus.

The town is thanking Eastlink for its ten-year former sponsorship of the facility.

A man facing almost 80 charges in connection with a fatal crash on Peacekeepers Way two years ago has been committed to stand trial.

Sixty-one-year-old Cecil Walsh was charged in the aftermath of the collision which claimed the life of 56-year-old Duane Hutchings.

His Toyota Corolla was struck head-on by a tractor trailer on June 7th, 2022.

Subsequent inspections of the rig led to 78 charges against Walsh, most linked to falsifying documents related to its road-worthiness, specifically the brakes of the truck and the trailer it was hauling at the time.

Walsh was not the driver, but is accused of signing off on inspections that never took place — leading to the most serious charge of criminal negligence causing death.

Two other men were also charged: the driver of the rig, 29-year-old Sam Tessier, is also going to trial on the same serious charge, while a third man — 69-year-old Terry Barry, admitted to forging documents and got a suspended sentence with a year of probation for the lesser role he played.

Walsh was committed to stand trial this morning by Judge Lois Skanes following a preliminary inquiry.

He is scheduled to be formally arraigned in Supreme Court in January.

The Bank of Canada has dropped its key interest rate by .50 basis points to 3.25 per cent.

Interest rate increased were brought in by the federal bank to stem rising inflation, but those measures appear to be working with inflation around the targeted 2 per cent level.

The Bank of Canada is concerned about a slowing economy and threats of US tariffs on Canadian goods exported to the United States.

The cut means greater relief for mortgage holders and those carrying debt.

This is Salvation Army Week in the province, which was celebrated with a flag-raising at some city hall’s across the province this week.

It’s been a rollercoaster of a Christmas season for the Salvation Army.

Leaders gathered in Grand Falls-Windsor this week for a flag raising (photo via Facebook)

Word that they would no longer be welcome at the Avalon Mall saw the decision quickly reversed.

But the postal strike continues to hamper the organization’s critical mail-in campaign which raises money to help those in dire straits.

In St. John’s, Mayor Danny Breen took time out to sing the Salvation Army’s praises during yesterday’s final regular council meeting before Christmas.

“The work that they do through the community is phenomenal. They are here to help out in many different situations with different people and do their best to add something to our city that … you can’t exaggerate the impact that they have,” said Breen. “So they do need your support, so I encourage you to visit the kettle — the kettle is on, as they say — and give generously to the Salvation Army.”

The provincial government will not be stepping in to assist Memorial University with its current financial governance.

The university has placed a freeze on hiring, except in certain circumstances, and taken other belt-tightening measures as it deals with a $9.5 million deficit due to a drop in international enrolment.

The provincial government provides the university with $400 million in core funding, which is greater than the amount the province spends annually on road work and maintenance, according to Premier Andrew Furey.

Both MUN’s Faculty Association and its Students Union have called on the government to provide additional funding to the university, but the premier says as an autonomous institution, MUN needs to handle its own financial situation internally.

Furey told VOCM News that the minister plans to follow up with both the faculty and student associations.

For years, 10-year-old Leah Benoit of Wabush has been collecting food items for food banks as a reserve Advent calendar.

La Presse is reporting that Quebec and Newfoundland and Labrador are close to ending a decades-long standoff on the contentious Upper Churchill contract, a lop-sided affair that’s been the thorn in NL’s side for the last 50 years. There are strong indications that an update is imminent.

Newfoundland and Labrador sells most of the power produced by the Upper Churchill project to Quebec for a measly 0.2 cents a kilowatt hour in a deal reached in 1969 that did not include an escalation clause to account for inflation and rising costs over the length of the contract.

Numbers released by the provincial government in 2019 showed that Quebec had benefitted from the deal to the tune of $28 billion, while Newfoundland and Labrador had only reaped $2 billion.

The contract doesn’t come to an end until 2041.

Repeated efforts in the courts to right the inequities of the existing contract have failed, but there was renewed hope that this province might finally see a more equitable deal when Quebec Premier Francois Legault signaled a willingness to address the long-standing issue.

Proposed Gull Island project, courtesy Nalcor.

A new deal could help to pave the way for the eventual development of Gull Island. The complicating factor is a court case involving the Innu Nation who have vowed to block any development of the massive Gull Island project if outstanding issues related to Muskrat Falls are not addressed.

The Innu say the Impact Benefit Agreement reached with the federal government was changed to accommodate rate mitigation – that represents a $1 billion loss to the Innu over the next 50 years.

A 14-year-old female is facing several charges after the RNC was called to a residence in the center city area of St. John’s on Tuesday afternoon.

Responding officers spoke to the complainant, and as a result, the teen was arrested and charged with mischief, assault and uttering threats.

The youth was held to appear in court in the morning.

A decades-long radio staple on the province’s west coast is being recognized with a Confederation 75th Anniversary medal.

“Dynamite” Don Gibbon has been involved in radio on CFSX in Stephenville for the last 40 years.

He came to Stephenville in 1956 from Saint John, New Brunswick, and has been a hockey play-by-play for more than 30 years.

Now, well into his 80s, he is still doing part-time sales and is a dedicated volunteer in the community.

The  Human Rights Commission presented the 2024 Human Rights Award to Charlie Murphy during a ceremony at Government House in St. John’s yesterday.

The Human Rights Award is presented annually in celebration of International Human Rights Day. It recognizes an individual who has made and/or continues to make a meaningful contribution to advancing and furthering human rights in Newfoundland and Labrador. 

This year’s recipient received an original photograph by Grenfell Visual Arts student, Ernest Boateng.

Charlie Murphy is a community leader, advocate, and creative professional. He’s dedicated himself to building a more inclusive, supportive, and sustainable community through his work in the nonprofit and social impact sectors. 

He is currently serving as the provincial board rep for the Enchante Network and has been a part of PFLAG St. John’s for nearly 13 years as a peer support co-facilitator. He has worked with sexual health organizations like CBRC and served as the executive director of Quadrangle NL, the Newfoundland and Labrador provincial 2SLGBTQIA+ community centre.

An advocate for sexual health and the local 2SLGBTQIA+ community has received the Newfoundland and Labrador 2024 Human Rights Award.

Charlie Murphy, who came to the province from Nova Scotia, has called St. John’s home for the last 15 years.

In that time, he dedicated his life to building an inclusive, supportive, and sustainable community through this work in a number of ways.

A co-founder of Quadrangle, he is currently the province’s board rep for the Enchante Network and has been a peer support co-facilitator with PFLAG for close to 13 years.

Murphy says human rights advocacy has never been more important than it is now.

“In this age of rapidly changing technology, we continue to witness how fear-mongering, misinformation, and hate can isolate so many from their basic human rights,” Murphy said in his speech at Government House yesterday. “Human rights is not an abstract principle, or moral ideals. It is the foundation of a just society. These rights ensure that everyone, regardless of background, identity or circumstances, has the opportunity to live a life of dignity, freedom and opportunity. They’re not bargaining chips to be used for political gain, but are inherent to our shared humanity.”

The Royal Newfoundland Constabulary say they arrested a woman in the west end of St. John’s on Tuesday after a woman left a residence with her seven-year-old daughter, despite a child custody order restricting contact between them.

The postal strike is dragging on and that’s creating yet another challenge for small business across the country.

Small business owners have had to adjust to a wide range of challenges in recent years, and the postal strike is yet another cause for concern.

Just this week, owner Kim Paddon announced that she is closing two well-established businesses on Water Street in St. John’s due to mounting difficulties, not the least of which is changing consumer habits.

Beverlee Rasmussen of Langley, British Columbia is an author and the owner of a company that provides business coaching services to small business.

She says the mental health of small business owners is suffering, and the postal strike has just added to the stress.

“They’re exasperated, they’re stressed-out, there’s just no hope in sight. This is the time of year when they should be making money and greeting customers, ” says Rasmussen, “but instead, there’s just this overall sense of dread.”

With many people travelling over the holidays, the RNC is providing steps residents can take to secure their homes this season.

Homeowners should ensure all windows and doors are locked and your alarm system is on, homes should also be well-lit inside and outside. Use curtains and blinds to keep all gifts and valuables out of sight.

Do not store spare keys in your vehicle or within arm’s reach of a window or door. Outside, store items such as ladders and garbage bins so they cannot be used to gain access to a second storey.

If you are away from home for an extended period, use light timers or motion-activated sensors. Ask a trusted neighbour or friend to check on your property while you’re away.

Trim trees and shrubs to remove potential hiding places.

Stay vigilant and report any suspicious activity to police.

The City of St. John’s is holding the line on property taxes for the next 12 months.

But beyond that, council warns there’s no guarantees without changes at the federal and provincial levels.

The city released its 2025 budget yesterday, maintaining the status quo with services amid no property tax increases.

But with those taxes accounting for 70 per cent of the city’s revenue, the writing may be on the wall.

Mayor Danny Breen says a new funding model is needed to address the new-age demands on municipalities.

“We seem to be in a place where we have antiquated legislation and an antiquated fiscal framework to deal with modern-day problems,” he said. “We’re looking to the federal government to see if there’s another way that we can fund and take some of the pressure off property tax payers, the residents, in that manner.”

Breen says while that’s mostly in the feds’ court, he said the province could help by paying a portion of the HST increase to municipalities, based on population.

Roads across the Island are bare and mostly dry with good visibility. On the Great Northern Peninsula, there are icy and slushy patches.

In Labrador, roads are snow-packed with icy and slushy patches with good visibility.

Marine Atlantic anticipates impacts on crossings for tonight and Thursday. The first trip for the Flanders will be 11:00 a.m. The MV Kamutik W is in service but off schedule.

At the St. John’s International Airport, PAL Airlines Flight 928 is delayed. In Deer Lake, PAL Flight 928 is delayed and PAL flights 923 and 924 are cancelled. Flights in Deer Lake are on time.

Premier Andrew Furey called his Atlantic counterparts together this week to discuss the impact of potential US tariffs on the region, among other things.

Canadian premiers and territorial leaders called an emergency meeting with the Prime Minister late last month vowing a Team Canada approach to any potential American tariff on Canadian goods into the US.

Since then, Premier Furey has led what he calls a ‘Team NL’ approach and is now spearheading a similar Atlantic Canadian approach to ensure that the region and the province aren’t out-negotiated.

“You can imagine a world where there’s incredible pressure on the manufacturing industries in southern Ontario for example. We would never accept a position that Newfoundland and Labrador’s fishery, for example, would be traded-off against automobile manufacturing.” He says they want to make sure that “at the Team Canada level, that Newfoundland and Labrador’s voice is heard loudly and is heard clearly…and I’ve been given reassurances by the Prime Minister that that will be the case.”

Meanwhile, Canada’s premiers will meet virtually with Trudeau again this afternoon.

The chief executive of the North West Co. Inc. is rejecting accusations that its stores in remote Indigenous communities hiked food prices as funding flowed in this year from federal programs aimed at making necessities more affordable.

2024 was the Year of the Arts in Newfoundland and Labrador; 2025 will be the Year of Sport.

Government made the announcement yesterday to coincide with the 2025 Canada Summer Games in St. John’s.

To mark the initiative, the province will be offering activities such as community skates and swims at no cost throughout 2025.

While it’s unclear exactly how much the new initiative will cost, Premier Andrew Furey says that with the summer games just months away, celebrating sports in 2025 felt like the right thing to do.

“In celebrating the year of the sport, in an attempt to continue our well-being initiative and become one of the healthiest places in Canada, the year of the sport funding will allow for some of those facilities to be free. So free lane swims, free gym access, free skates, those kind of events for people who live in the community,” he said.

The City of Mount Pearl presented its 2025 budget on Tuesday.

This year’s budget is $58,858,583. There will be no changes to the residential or commercial mil rates. Both residential and commercial property fees will remain the same. All other rates and fees remain steady.

Money was allocated for business incentive programs, infrastructure, and community development.

Mount Pearl will also invest $735,000 in Municipal Enforcement.

A strengthening area of low pressure has started its journey toward Atlantic Canada and will start to exert influence over the weather in Newfoundland and Labrador this morning. In fact, in some area, it already has. As of this writing, just after 6 AM, radar in picking up returns of snow, ice and rain across much of the Island, but it’s most concentrated on and near the West Coast.

via GIPHY

The rain will become more widespread on the Island as the day goes along, arriving in eastern areas this afternoon. Speaking of the rain, ALL areas of the Island will see any mixed precipitation this morning, change to rain later this morning or this afternoon. The last place to see this happen will be on the Northern Peninsula, where snow and ice will fly for a few hours this morning into the afternoon before the change.

A Wreckhouse Wind Warning is in effect for two separate time frames for gusts up to 110 km/h. The first time frame is this morning into this afternoon and the second is Thursday morning until Thursday afternoon. This alert comes from the ECCC NL Weateher Office in Gander.

A Special Weather Statement remains in effect for Labrador from today through Thursday. Snow will fly in the Big Land today and this evening, followed by a change to freezing rain and rain overnight. A Freezing Rain Warning has also been issued for Labrador. In the east and south the freezing rain will occur this evening before the change to rain, farther north it will occur overnight, before the change to rain tomorrow morning. The surge of warm air will change the freezing rain to rain from south to north overnight… and Thursday, many areas may get as warm as 10º for a daytime max!

Now, all that being said, it’s still Wednesday, and travel may be challenging at times until the change to rain tomorrow. Snow is flying this morning in the West, and the webcams show that nicely. These images will update so if you’re looking to keep an eye on them, simply check back to this page.

Today, daytime highs in the Big Land will be several degrees below freezing, and travel will be wintry. The warmth will not arrive until later tonight and Thursday, along with some gusty winds. Here is what to expect today.

We are looking at some record highs Thursday across the region and I’ll have more details on that later today, starting at 5:30 on NTV’s First Edition and then at 6 PM on the NTV Evening News Hour.

One of the most startling stats to come out of the Seniors’ Advocate’s latest is an increase in crime rates against seniors.

The report, which was released yesterday, indicates that the numbers have gone up from three violations per 1,000 seniors in 2019 to 4.4 per 1,000 seniors in 2023.

Susan Walsh calls that date “significant.”

She says there has been a 50 per cent increase in the number of seniors as victims, which is “alarming, but not surprising.” She says from the community visitation she has done, she has heard many concerns from seniors.

During this year’s annual Purple Ribbon Campaign and flag-raising ceremony, 11 families shared personal details of their loved ones who lost their lives due to gender-based violence.

The Purple Ribbon ceremony included memorial banners of women and girls connected to this province whose lives were tragically taken as the result of gender-based violence.

The memorial banners are of no cost to families and will become part of the Provincial Government’s annual Purple Ribbon ceremony going forward.

Two people were arrested following a series of thefts in Corner Brook earlier this week.

RNC were called around 10:00 Monday night about a theft at a business on Mill Road. The man and woman involved left the scene in a vehicle after taking a quantity of merchandise.

A short time later, another theft was reported at a business in Murphy Square. Officers determined that the same man and woman were involved and fled the area in a vehicle.

Around 10:30 Monday night, the suspects were located in a vehicle in the area of Bannister’s Road. The 35-year-old woman and 26-year-old man are each facing two counts of theft. They are in jail.

This year, 800 families registered for the Christmas program, in which a parent can request gifts, gift cards or even winter clothes. But with just two weeks until Christmas, the Single Parent Association is issuing an urgent holiday help plea. The CBC’s Heather Gillis reports.

With the Canada Post strike in its fourth week, Inuit communities are 'effectively cut off,' says Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami President Natan Obed. 

Luigi Mangione, suspected of killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, resisted police and shouted at the media before an extradition hearing in Pennsylvania. "It's completely out of touch and is an insult to the intelligence of the American people and their lived experience!" he yelled. The judge denied his bail request, and gave New York prosecutors 30 days to produce an extradition warrant. (UPI)

A judge blocked the proposed $24.6 billion merger between Kroger and Albertsons, citing potential harm to consumers. The FTC argued that the merger would stifle competition, raise grocery prices, and worsen working conditions for employees. Arizona AG Kris Mayes supported the injunction, asserting that the decision protects residents from reduced choices, higher prices, and job losses. (UPI)

The Franklin Fire in Malibu erupted, scorching over 2,700 acres and prompting evacuations. Some homes were destroyed, but firefighters' efforts minimized further damage. Approximately 18,000 individuals and 8,100 structures were impacted, with many under evacuation orders or warnings. Officials attributed the fire's rapid spread to Santa Ana winds. It remains uncontained. (CBS News)

A bankruptcy judge rejected The Onion's parent company's bid to buy Infowars, ruling that the auction process was unfair. The judge stated that the winning bid was not the best one available and criticized the lack of transparency. The decision on a new auction is pending, postponing The Onion's plans to alter Infowars' content. (NBC News)

State Sen. Jon Bramnick called for a "limited" state of emergency in New Jersey due to unexplained drone sightings across several counties. The drones, larger than hobbyist models, have triggered security concerns near military installations and President-elect Donald Trump's golf course. Multiple state and federal agencies are investigating, with the FAA imposing flight restrictions. (UPI)

After decades of disputes and years of negotiations, an agreement between Newfoundland and Labrador and Quebec to renew the contract for the Churchill Falls hydroelectric project could be within reach, according to Radio-Canada.

A drunk driver who caused a fatal accident in 2019 has been sentenced to six years behind bars.

With about 20 centimetres of snow falling on parts of the west coast last weekend, snowmobilers were getting their first runs of the season. But the Snowmobile Federation says more snow is still needed before winter operations get fully into gear. NTV’s Don Bradshaw reports.

It was an emotional day in a Gander courtroom as Nicholas Villeneuve was sentenced to six years in prison for impaired driving causing death and bodily harm for a crash in 2019. NTV’s Colleen Lewis reports.

Two murder cases were called in provincial court this morning, both involving crimes that happened last summer in the same area of St. John’s.

NTV’s Rosie Mullaley has the story.

From a rise in crime, to the inappropriate use of restraints in long term care homes in the province; these are just some of the issues facing seniors, as highlighted in a recent report by the Seniors’ Advocate. NTV’s Beth Penney reports.