General: Pentagon hesitated on sending Guard to Capitol riot

WASHINGTON — The Defence Department took more than three hours to dispatch the National Guard to the deadly riot at the U.S. Capitol despite a frantic request for reinforcement from police, according to testimony Wednesday that added to the finger-pointing about the government response. Maj. Gen. William Walker, commanding general of the District of Columbia National Guard, told senators that the then-chief of the Capitol Police requested military support in a 1:49 p.m. call, but the Defence Department's approval for that support was not relayed to him until after 5 p.m., according to prepared testimony. Guard troops who had been waiting on buses were then rushed to the Capitol. That delay stood in contrast to the immediate approval for National Guard support granted in response to the civil unrest that roiled American cities last spring as an outgrowth of racial justice protests, Walker said. As local officials pleaded for help, Army officials raised concerns about the optics of a substantial National Guard presence at the Capitol, he said. “The Army senior leadership” expressed to officials on the call “that it would not be their best military advice to have uniformed Guardsmen on the Capitol,” Walker said. The Senate hearing is the second about what went wrong on Jan. 6, with national security officials face questions about missed intelligence and botched efforts to quickly gather National Guard troops that day as a violent mob laid siege to the U.S. Capitol. Even as Walker detailed the National Guard delay, another military official noted that local officials in Washington had said days earlier that no such support was needed. Senators were eager to grill officials from the Pentagon, the National Guard and the Justice and Homeland Security departments about their preparations for that day. Supporters of then-President Donald Trump had talked online, in some cases openly, about gathering in Washington that day and interrupting the electoral count. At a hearing last week, officials who were in charge of security at the Capitol blamed one another as well as federal law enforcement for their own lack of preparation as hundreds of rioters descended on the building, easily breached the security perimeter and eventually broke into the Capitol. Five people died as a result of the rioting. So far, lawmakers conducting investigations have focused on failed efforts to gather and share intelligence about the insurrectionists’ planning before Jan. 6 and on the deliberations among officials about whether and when to call National Guard troops to protect Congress. The officials at the hearing last week, including ousted Capitol Police Chief Steven Sund, gave conflicting accounts of those negotiations. Robert Contee, the acting chief of police for the Metropolitan Police Department, told senators he was “stunned” over the delayed response and said Sund was pleading with Army officials to deploy National Guard troops as the rioting rapidly escalated. Senate Rules Committee Chair Amy Klobuchar, one of two Democratic senators who will preside over Wednesday's hearing, said in an interview Tuesday that she believes every moment counted as the National Guard decision was delayed and police officers outside the Capitol were beaten and injured by the rioters. “Any minute that we lost, I need to know why,” Klobuchar said. The hearing comes as thousands of National Guard troops are still patrolling the fenced-in Capitol and as multiple committees across Congress are launching investigations into mistakes made on Jan. 6. The probes are largely focused on security missteps and the origins of the extremism that led hundreds of Trump supporters to break through the doors and windows of the Capitol, hunt for lawmakers and temporarily stop the counting of electoral votes. Congress has, for now, abandoned any examination of Trump’s role in the attack after the Senate acquitted him last month of inciting the riot by telling the supporters that morning to “fight like hell” to overturn his defeat. As the Senate hears from the federal officials, acting Capitol Police Chief Yogananda Pittman will testify before a House panel that is also looking into how security failed. In a hearing last week before the same subcommittee, she conceded there were multiple levels of failures but denied that law enforcement failed to take seriously warnings of violence before the insurrection. In the Senate, Klobuchar said there is particular interest in hearing from Walker, the commanding general of the D.C. National Guard, who was on the phone with Sund and the Department of the Army as the rioters first broke into the building. Contee, the D.C. police chief, was also on the call and told senators that the Army was initially reluctant to send troops. “While I certainly understand the importance of both planning and public perception — the factors cited by the staff on the call — these issues become secondary when you are watching your employees, vastly outnumbered by a mob, being physically assaulted,” Contee said. He said he had quickly deployed his own officers and he was “shocked” that the National Guard “could not — or would not — do the same." Contee said that Army staff said they were not refusing to send troops, but “did not like the optics of boots on the ground” at the Capitol. Also testifying at the joint hearing of the Senate Rules Committee and the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committees are Robert Salesses of the Defence Department, Melissa Smislova of the Department of Homeland Security and Jill Sanborn of the FBI, all officials who oversee aspects of intelligence and security operations. Lawmakers have grilled law enforcement officials about missed intelligence ahead of the attack, including a report from an FBI field office in Virginia that warned of online posts foreshadowing a “war” in Washington. Capitol Police leaders have said they were unaware of the report at the time, even though the FBI had forwarded it to the department. Testifying before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday, FBI Director Christopher Wray said the report was disseminated though the FBI’s joint terrorism task force, discussed at a command post in Washington and posted on an internet portal available to other law enforcement agencies. Though the information was raw and unverified and appeared aspirational in nature, Wray said, it was specific and concerning enough that “the smartest thing to do, the most prudent thing to do, was just push it to the people who needed to get it.” Mary Clare Jalonick And Eric Tucker, The Associated Press

Malaysia police investigating spouse of ex-central bank boss over 1MDB funds

Malaysian police said on Wednesday it was investigating the husband of the country's former central bank head for allegedly receiving funds linked to 1MDB, a state fund at the centre of a massive corruption scandal. Malaysian and U.S authorities have said around $4.5 billion was stolen from 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB), in a globe-spanning scandal that has implicated the country's former prime minister, U.S. investment firm Goldman Sachs, and others. Tawfiq Ayman, the husband of former Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) governor Zeti Akhtar Aziz, is facing a money laundering investigation over the alleged transfer of 1MDB-linked funds into a bank account he owns in Singapore, Malaysian police said on Wednesday.

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  Deloitte to Pay Malaysia $80 Million in 1MDB-Related Settlement

  Bloomberg
• UPDATE 1-Deloitte to pay Malaysia $80 mln to settle claims linked to 1MDB

  Reuters

Thirty years on, Eddie Murphy, Arsenio Hall are 'Coming 2 America'

More than 30 years after Prince Akeem Joffer and his sidekick Semmi first travelled to the United States to find a royal bride, Eddie Murphy and Arsenio Hall reprise their roles in comedy sequel "Coming 2 America". Murphy, creator and star of the 1988 film - which proved more popular with audiences than critics when it came out - returns to the fictional nation of Zamunda, this time as Akeem prepares to become king. A father to three daughters in a country where only a male heir can sit on the throne, Akeem finds out he has a son in America and returns to Queens, the New York borough he first visited decades ago, to meet him.

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  Arsenio Hall treads on beloved comedy ground in 'Coming 2 America' with Eddie Murphy

  USA TODAY Entertainment
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  Why Eddie Murphy returned to Zamunda for 'Coming 2 America'

  LA Times

5 charged with 1st-degree murder in shooting death of Brampton man

Peel police say they've charged five people with first-degree murder in the shooting death of a man in Brampton late last year. The shooting happened in the basement of a home in the area of Scott and Church streets on the night of Dec. 17, 2020. In a statement Tuesday, police identified the victim as 23-year-old Uchenna Achioso. The five people charged range in age from 17 to 33 years old and include two men, two women and a boy. All five were arrested at different points between January and March this year and have already appeared in court, police said. The victim and all of the accused are from Brampton, police said.

What you need to know about COVID-19 in B.C. for March 3

THE LATEST: Health officials announced 542 new cases and seven more deaths on Wednesday. To date, 1,372 people in B.C. have lost their lives to COVID-19 since the pandemic began. There are now 246 people in hospital with COVID-19, including 64 in intensive care. There are currently 4,652 active cases of coronavirus in the province. 200 cases of variants of concern have been identified. So far, 289,809 doses of a COVID-19 vaccine have been administered in B.C., with 86,616 of those being second doses. Another 542 cases of COVID-19 and seven more deaths from the disease have been confirmed in B.C., health officials announced Wednesday. The latest numbers show a steady rise in the rolling seven-day average of new cases and the number of patients in hospital over the last two weeks. Right now, 246 people are in hospital with COVID-19 including 64 in intensive care. To date, 1,372 people in B.C. have lost their lives to COVID-19 out of 81,909 confirmed cases. There are now 4,652 active cases of the novel coronavirus in B.C. Since the province's vaccination program began late in 2020, 289,809 doses of a COVID-19 vaccine have been administered, including 86,616 second doses. The numbers come as Canada's National Advisory Committee on Immunization has endorsed B.C.'s plan to space out first and second doses of COVID-19 vaccines by 16 weeks in order to reach more people. In Wednesday's written statement, Health Minister Adrian Dix and Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry said they were pleased with the endorsement. "Our goal is to protect as many people as possible, as quickly as possible, through the available COVID-19 vaccines. With a single primer dose, these vaccines are helping to stop outbreaks and reduce serious illness and death," they said. B.C. now expects every eligible adult who wants a vaccine will receive their first dose by the end of July. The plan is to space out doses by four months. Wednesday's update also included another 18 confirmed cases of variants of concern, bringing B.C.'s total to date to 200. READ MORE: What's happening elsewhere in Canada As of 7:30 p.m. PT Tuesday, Canada had reported 872,747 cases of COVID-19, with 30,252 cases considered active. A total of 22,045 people have died. What are the symptoms of COVID-19? Common symptoms include: Fever. Cough. Tiredness. Shortness of breath. Loss of taste or smell. Headache. But more serious symptoms can develop, including difficulty breathing and pneumonia. What should I do if I feel sick? Use the B.C. Centre for Disease Control's COVID-19 self-assessment tool. Testing is recommended for anyone with symptoms of cold or flu, even if they're mild. People with severe difficulty breathing, severe chest pain, difficulty waking up or other extreme symptoms should call 911. What can I do to protect myself? Wash your hands frequently and thoroughly. Keep them clean. Keep at least two metres away from people outside your bubble. Keep your distance from people who are sick. Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth. Wear a mask in indoor public spaces. More detailed information on the outbreak is available on the federal government's website.

As U.S. interview nears, Meghan and Harry won't tango with UK tabloids

Britain's Prince Harry and American wife Meghan decided long ago they would not play the traditional royal media "game", and on Sunday they depart from the norms of engagement again with an in-depth interview with U.S. chat show host Oprah Winfrey. Smarting from sometimes critical tabloid headlines and press intrusion in Britain, they have already announced they will step down from official duties, move to California with young son Archie and cut off contact with Britain's biggest tabloids. Last month, Meghan successfully sued the Mail on Sunday for breaching her privacy by publishing parts of a letter she wrote to her father.

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  Piers Morgan Needs to Drop His Meghan Markle Bashing Over Earrings She Wore in 2018

  SheKnows
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  Buckingham Palace launches probe into Meghan Markle ‘bullying’ allegations

  The Independent

Emerging Europe.com bolsters defences as Amazon enters Poland

As Amazon sets its sights on central and eastern Europe, the e-commerce giant will need to convince long-time Allegro shoppers like Elzbieta Modrakowska to click away from the region's leading online marketplace. While prioritising its expansion to other, bigger markets, Amazon has given companies such as Allegro the time to lay deep roots and prepare for its arrival - something the Polish firm has done with loyalty programmes, free delivery and other perks. "I don't think we will switch ... Allegro has set the bar very high," said Modrakowska, whose weekly shop spans everything from organic food to batteries.

WATCH: 72 artists play together virtually in Calgary Chinese Orchestra collaboration

Music's ability to connect us, even if only virtually, is on display in the latest film project by Vicki Van Chau in collaboration with the Calgary Chinese Orchestra. Van Chau is co-director and editor for a new documentary and music video called Off to the Races. The film features interviews and a music collaboration of 72 musicians playing a classic Chinese erhu song, Horse Race. The erhu is a Chinese violin. The idea to produce the 12-minute doc came from Jiajia Li, the artistic director of the Calgary Chinese Orchestra and a flutist. Vicki Van Chau is the co-director and editor of the film.(Kai Sunderland) Li wanted to do something to honour the Lunar New Year despite restrictions on the ability to gather. Van Chau and Li connected in November and opened up the call for submissions from artists playing the song on their instruments. Li chose the song, which was composed in the 1960s, for its upbeat and hopeful theme. And because it's less than three minutes long, it would be easy for submitting musicians to learn and record in time. There were so many submissions that the music producer, Warren Tse, wrote an intro and interlude so that more musicians could be included in the final performance. Erhus, pipas, fiddles, pianos and other instruments are played alongside each other in the video featuring 72 submission from Calgary, Vancouver, Toronto, Singapore, the United States and China. The video was released via YouTube on Feb. 14. With files from Huyana Cyprien and the Calgary Eyeopener.

SoftBank aims to double PayPay users in cashless payments fight

SoftBank aims to double user numbers at its PayPay QR code payment app in the next three to four years, an executive at its domestic internet subsidiary Z Holdings told Reuters on Wednesday, as it seeks to extend its lead in cashless payments. PayPay has used SoftBank's sales network and aggressive rebates to attract 36 million users in the three years since launch, driving a shift to push Japanese consumers to digital payments away from their traditional preference for cash. "We want to double the user base during the investment phase," Z Holdings co-CEO Kentaro Kawabe said in a joint interview with fellow co-CEO Takeshi Idezawa.

Interim UK study finds one dose of COVID shots reduces hospitalisation

One dose of either Pfizer-BioNTech's or AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine helps to prevent disease severe enough to require hospitalisation of people in their 80s with other illnesses, interim data from a UK study showed on Wednesday. The findings, from an ongoing surveillance project funded by Pfizer and known as AvonCAP, found that one dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech shot, which began to be used in Britain on Dec. 8, 2020, was 71.4% effective from 14 days at preventing symptomatic illness severe enough to result in hospitalisation among patients with a median age of 87 years. For the AstraZeneca vaccine, which began to be rolled out in Britain on Jan. 4, the results showed it was 80.4% effective by the same measures among patients with an average age of 88.

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  Hungary to extend AstraZeneca jabs to people over 60, official says

  Reuters
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  COVID-19 vaccine deliveries to African nations pick up speed

  Associated Press

Rocket short sellers regroup as stock tumbles over 30% after surge

A wild rally in shares of Rocket Companies that saw the stock rise 70% in an apparent short squeeze has attracted fresh bets that the stock price will decline. Shares of Rocket, the parent of mortgage lender Quicken Loans, were down 31.7% to $28.43 in afternoon trading on Wednesday. The heavily-shorted stock had surged more than 70% on Tuesday in a move that analysts said was likely sparked by bearish investors unwinding bets against the stock as its share price surged.

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  Implied Volatility Surging for Rocket Companies (RKT) Stock Options

  Zacks
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  Why Rocket Companies stock surged on Tuesday

  Yahoo Finance Video

Britain raises contactless limit as COVID accelerates electronic payments

Britain is more than doubling to 100 pounds ($139.75) the limit on contactless payments made with debit or credit cards, the finance ministry said on Wednesday, as COVID-19 accelerates a shift to electronic payments from cash. The finance ministry said that while legally in force from Wednesday, the changes to limits from the current ceiling of 45 pounds will not happen in practice immediately, as firms will need to make the necessary systems changes. The banking industry is due to implement the new 100 pound limit later this year, it said.

Moose Jaw police charge 2 people with attempted murder, robbery

Police in Moose Jaw have arrested two people and are searching for a third in connection with an attempted murder. Last Friday, police were told about an assault on Stadacona Street West, but could not find a victim or any suspects. Some time later, police located a man with serious head injuries who was taken to hospital. The man has since been released and sent home. Police returned to the scene on Stadacona Street with a search warrant and found some evidence. Now, two people have been charged with attempted murder in the crime, as well as robbery and possession of crystal meth. The accused made their first court appearance in Moose Jaw provincial court Tuesday morning. Police are searching for a third suspect, also wanted for attempted murder and robbery.

Keswick couple suing province's archeologist, claiming abuse of office

A Keswick couple is suing provincial archeologist Brent Suttie and the province, claiming he used the alleged discovery of an arrowhead years prior to thwart their plans to build a retirement home next door to his house in Douglas. Rocky and Cassie Brawn allege Suttie threatened to have their land locked down as an Indigenous archeological site with one call to the minister of tourism, heritage and culture, who oversees the archeology and heritage branch. They say the province subsequently agreed to buy their property for $154,200, but backed out of the deal at the last minute, according to the statement of claim, filed with the Court of Queen's Bench in Fredericton. None of the allegations have been proven in court. Suttie could not immediately be reached for comment. Asked for a comment about the lawsuit and Suttie's employment status, given the allegations, Tourism, Heritage and Culture spokesperson Jeremy Trevors said the department had no comment on the matter. But the department "reiterates its confidence in its staff and its commitment towards the conservation of archeological sites throughout the province," he said in an emailed statement. Fredericton lawyer Gordon Shepard, who is representing the Brawns, declined to comment. Case dates back to 2012 The Brawns acquired the property at 1315 Route 105, on the shore of the St. John River, on March 22, 2012, and began site work soon after. They claim Suttie, who lives at 1311, was aware of their development activities, which included excavating, cutting down trees and removing stumps, hauling in truckloads of fill, levelling and compacting, and digging a test pit for a septic system, all with the help of heavy equipment over six years. He even gave them two rolls of road-building fabric he had leftover from a project, according to the court document. Rocky and Cassie Brawn listed the house on their property at 1315 Route 105 in Douglas for sale in 2015 and planned to build a retirement home on a subdivided eastern section of their lot, adjacent to Brent Suttie's property.(Ed Hunter/CBC) Suttie "took no action whatsoever" to stop them — even when they removed soil about 50 metres from where an arrowhead was allegedly discovered by someone picking fiddleheads in 2012. Nor did he notify the Brawns of the existence of "the archeological find and its implications" for their plans. The couple had also applied for various development permits from the province during this period, which were approved with no mention of any arrowhead, according to the court document. Offers to buy lot rejected It was only in June 2018, after they subdivided their property and Rocky Brawn told Suttie's wife he would be cutting trees on his side of the dividing property line to build a new home that problems started. Suttie told Brawn he "would not tolerate" him cutting any trees near the boundary, expressing concerns about drainage as well as a reduction in privacy. He asked if Brawn was interested in selling him the vacant lot. When Brawn said no, he offered to buy a 10-foot wide strip. Again, Brawn declined. The Brawns contend Brent Suttie, who lives at 1311 Route 105, pictured here, never mentioned an arrowhead until they planned to cut some trees along the dividing property line.(Ed Hunter/CBC) Suttie responded by informing Brawn that he was the provincial archeologist and he would "stop any further cutting on the property by calling 'the minister' and having the plaintiffs' property designated as a 'no future development area,'" the lawsuit claims. "It was at this point for the first time, that Suttie revealed that an 'arrowhead' had been found on their property." Costly to report Suttie told Brawn he had registered the artifact but never reported it to the minister because "it puts my land at risk," according to the court document. He explained test holes would have to be dug at a cost of $300 each and if any artifacts were found, the area would need to be excavated at a cost of $7,500 per square metre at the owner's expense. "Suttie made it clear to Mr. Brawn that the Brawns were not going to be able to build on their lot if Suttie reported the arrowhead to the minister, and repeated his offer to buy the plaintiffs' lot." Brawn said he'd think about it. The notice of action and statement of claim were filed with the Court of Queen's Bench in Fredericton on Feb. 19.(Edwin Hunter/CBC) On June 20, Brawn visited the provincial archeological services office in Fredericton and was told no artifacts had been registered in connection with the properties. He was advised he was "free to break ground and commence building." So the couple proceeded to cut trees and hauled in 200 truckloads of fill, which was levelled and compacted. But in early September, the Brawns decided they would sell their lot rather than build, "out of concerns over Suttie's threats to interfere." Never inputted in computer system About a week later, Suttie told Brawn the property search done by Karen Narvey at the archeological services office was incorrect and they would be hearing from the office about the artifact. He asked again if they would be willing to sell him their lot. Around Oct. 3, they were advised an artifact had been found on the property but hadn't been inputted into the department's computer system. According to a Maritime Archeological Resource Inventory form, dated May 16, 2012, an alleged artifact was found on an unknown date and submitted to archeological services on April 18, 2012. Suttie alleges in the form that the artifact was found on the shore near the southern boundary of the Brawns' property. Suttie's subsequent report to the minister of tourism, heritage and culture has led to their property being designated as within the 200-metre site protection buffer of a registered pre-contact Indigenous archeological site. 'Wilfully withheld properly reporting' The Brawns contend they exercised due diligence by asking the archeological services office about the existence of any registered sites and relied on the advice of the branch in their decision to continue development of the lot. Suttie, meanwhile, "wilfully withheld properly reporting and registering" the discovery of the artifact to the minister, "contrary to his statutory duty" under the Heritage Conservation Act, according to the statement of claim. This prejudiced their ability to ascertain the existence of the archeological site as an impediment to their development plans for the lot and they had to abandon their plan to build their retirement home, the Brawns contend. They further allege Suttie used the threat of revealing the 2012 archeological discovery to the minister with malice, to pressure them to sell to him. He used the power of his office "in bad faith" and the province is liable for the actions of its employee, they claim. Intimidation and misfeasance In addition, they claim once they learned Suttie followed through with his alleged threat to have their property designated an Indigenous archeological site, "they pursued resolution of the situation involving Suttie with the province" through the office of the minister. They say the province had agreed to purchase the lot for $150,000 and to cover legal fees of $4,200. They were assured the funds had been allocated, but the COVID-19 pandemic and Sept. 14, 2020 provincial election had delayed closing the deal, according to the court document. They were asked to remain patient, it states. Then, on Dec. 10, they were advised the province "does not have the authority" to purchase the property. Against Suttie and the province, the Brawns are seeking damages in an amount to be determined by the court, based on the torts of intimidation and misfeasance of public office. Against the province, the Brawns are seeking a declaration that they're entitled to be paid $154,200, or damages for breach of contract or damages for breach of duty to act in good faith in its contractual dealings, as well as special damages for money "wasted" developing the property. They are also seeking legal costs and any other relief the court deems fit. No statements of defence have been filed yet and a hearing date has not yet been set.

Renewable diesel boom highlights challenges in clean-energy transition

For 17 years, trucker Colin Birch has been hitting the highways to collect used cooking oil from restaurants. He works for Vancouver-based renderer West Coast Reduction Ltd, which processes the grease into a material to make renewable diesel, a clean-burning road fuel. Birch is caught between soaring demand for the fuel - driven by U.S. and Canadian government incentives - and scarce cooking oil supplies, because fewer people are eating out during the coronavirus pandemic.

Hungary pulls its ruling party out of EU's conservatives

BUDAPEST, Hungary — Hungary’s governing party pulled out of its conservative group in the European Union’s legislature on Wednesday following years of conflict over the rule of law and European values. The right-wing Fidesz party has held a two-thirds majority in Hungary’s parliament almost uninterrupted since 2010. It left the European People’s Party over the latter’s adoption on Wednesday of new procedures allowing for entire parties to be excluded from the group rather than just individual lawmakers. Fidesz officials, including Hungary’s prime minister and head of the party, Viktor Orban, had argued that the rule changes were “tailor-made” to sanction Fidesz, and threatened over the weekend to pull out of the EPP if the rules passed. The EPP backed the rule changes with an overwhelming majority: 148 in favour, 28 against and four abstentions. In a letter Wednesday to Manfred Weber, chairman of the EPP Group in the European Parliament, Orban announced Fidesz’s decision to leave the group. “The amendments to the rules of the EPP Group are clearly a hostile move against Fidesz and our voters ... This is anti-democratic, unjust and unacceptable. Therefore, the governing body of Fidesz has decided to leave the EPP Group immediately,” Orban wrote. Orban said the rule changes deprived Hungarian voters of their democratic rights and that Fidesz lawmakers would continue to represent Hungary in the European Parliament. A spokesman for the EPP Group, Pedro Lopez de Pablo, told The Associated Press that Orban pulling his party out of the EPP was “his own personal decision,” and that the group would not comment. Fidesz’s decision to leave the group could be the final note in a series of longstanding clashes with the EPP, the largest political family in Europe. The group suspended Fidesz’s membership in 2019 over concerns that it was eroding the rule of law in Hungary, engaging in anti-Brussels rhetoric and attacking the EPP leadership. In a tweet, Hungary’s minister for family affairs and a Fidesz vice-president, Katalin Novak, confirmed Fidesz’s decision to leave the EPP Group. “We will not let our MEPs be silenced or limited in their capacity to represent our voters. Tackling the pandemic and saving lives remains our number one priority,” Novak wrote. Justin Spike, The Associated Press

Veteran who killed family, himself, became resistant to medication, therapy, N.S. inquiry hears

The combined testimony of the mental health clinicians who saw Lionel Desmond reveals the fluctuating nature of mental illness — how the veteran who killed his family and himself changed over the years from a patient reportedly willing to take medication and engage in processing the trauma he witnessed in Afghanistan. Dr. Isabelle Gagnon, a psychologist at Ste. Anne's Hospital in Quebec, first saw Desmond at an in-patient program for veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in May 2016. She described him as a patient with borderline personality traits, including paranoia and a poor ability to trust others, who made only minor progress in his therapy. She agreed with Desmond's previous clinicians, however, in saying that she saw no warning signs of the violence to come. Gagnon testified that even after learning that Desmond had killed his wife, Shanna, his daughter, Aaliyah, his mother, Brenda, and then himself at a home in Guysborough County, N.S., on Jan. 3, 2017, it didn't change the way she does safety assessments. Instead, she testified Wednesday that Desmond seemed focused on the stress in his everyday life: having to sell his home, finding a job after leaving the military and becoming a "good husband and father." The CBC's Laura Fraser liveblogged the inquiry: She noted that while he kept repeating these goals, he would sometimes struggle to explain what they would look like in practical terms. He was rarely willing to discuss the traumatic events that had affected him, she said, nor was he willing to consider how they might be affecting his reaction to every day stress. "He would say that he had to focus on the future, not on the past," Gagnon said. Framed photos of Desmond's wife, Shanna, and daughter, Aaliyah, are displayed in the home of Shanna's parents. (Eric Woolliscroft/CBC) Resistance to medication Testimony on Tuesday from Dr. Robert Ouellette, a psychiatrist at Ste. Anne's Hospital, also revealed Desmond's resistance to taking or changing medication. Ouellette testified that he felt the veteran's progress might stagnate without the right doses. Gagnon and Ouellette's testimony sounded very different than that of Dr. Vinod Joshi and Dr. Wendy Rogers, both of whom worked with Desmond from 2011 to 2015 at Canadian Forces Base Gagetown in New Brunswick. It was there that Desmond first sought treatment for symptoms that Joshi would diagnose as complex PTSD and major depression, roughly four years after he returned from Afghanistan in 2007. Both Joshi and Rogers testified that their patient was someone who complied with the goals of treatment; he successfully completely prolonged exposure therapy with Rogers, retelling the trauma he'd witnessed until he could manage the distress it provoked, she testified. Desmond is seen in this family photo with his mother, Brenda, and daughter, Aaliyah. (Submitted by Cassandra Desmond) Desmond struggled to trust It's unclear what changed in terms of compliance with medication or Desmond's willingness to retell that trauma, though Gagnon noted it can also take time to develop a therapeutic relationship. She said that Desmond struggled to trust people, often believing that if others were laughing, it was directed at him. Desmond chose to leave Ste. Anne's in-patient program early, on Aug. 15, 2016. He reportedly left because he wanted to spend time with his 10-year-old daughter, Aaliyah, before she began school in Nova Scotia. Desmond was deployed to Afghanistan for seven months in 2007. (Facebook/The Canadian Press) In his release report, the clinicians at Ste. Anne's noted Desmond had made only "minor progress" during his time there, and that he needed ongoing therapy within the community. They also recommended that he undergo neurological testing to see if he had a brain injury from the head injuries he'd reportedly sustained during his military service. Instead, he went months without seeing a therapist. It wasn't until he was in crisis and went to the emergency room in Antigonish, N.S., that he would meet with a psychiatrist in late October 2016. In late November, his Veterans Affairs case manager connected him with a community therapist, according to evidence already presented at the inquiry. The inquiry is charged with making recommendations to prevent future deaths. It is also charged with examining whether Desmond had access to the necessary mental health care, and whether his family had access to domestic violence intervention.