The FFL crew expains which players could ball out in 2021.
There was no distribution plan for the coronavirus vaccine set up by the Trump administration as the virus raged in its last months in office, new President Joe Biden's chief of staff, Ron Klain, said on Sunday. "The process to distribute the vaccine, particularly outside of nursing homes and hospitals out into the community as a whole, did not really exist when we came into the White House," Klain said on NBC's "Meet the Press." Biden, a Democrat who took over from Republican President Donald Trump on Wednesday, has promised a fierce fight against the pandemic that killed 400,000 people in the United States under Trump’s watch.
Guyana said late on Saturday that a Venezuelan navy vessel detained two vessels that were fishing in Guyana's exclusive economic zone, the latest dispute in a long-running border conflict between the two South American nations. Caracas says much of eastern Guyana is its own territory, a claim that is rejected by Georgetown. The conflict has flared up in recent years as Guyana has started developing oil reserves near the disputed area.
CORNER BROOK, N.L. — A 24-year-old man from Fort McMurray, Alta., is facing numerous charges including failing to self-isolate, following a traffic stop early this morning in Corner Brook, N.L. The Royal Newfoundland Constabulary says they stopped a vehicle shortly before 4 a.m. and the driver fled on foot. In a release, they say the driver was quickly apprehended and now faces charges of impaired operation of a motor vehicle, refusal, and obstructing a peace officer. He is also charged with failing to self-isolate after arriving in the province on Jan. 22. He has been ordered to appear in court on on February 9. Police say the driver was also given a 90 day driving suspension and the vehicle was impounded. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 24, 2021. The Canadian Press
Intergovernmental Affairs Minister Dominic LeBlanc says the Privy Council Office plans to advise Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in the coming week on replacing the governor general.
Canada Post says 350 employees and contractors who work on the same shift at a Mississauga, Ont. facility were told to leave the workplace on Friday and go into isolation for 14 days. Phil Legault, spokesperson for the Crown corporation, said Peel Public Health recommended the "precautionary measure" late Friday to prevent further spread of the novel coronavirus. Employees who work on that shift but who were not at work on Friday have been told not to return to work for 14 days starting on the last day of work, he said. The facility is Gateway East, located at 4567 Dixie Rd. Workers affected by the move include union members, team leaders, managers, support teams and cleaners on contract. "We understand this situation has been hard on employees at the facility and we will continue to follow the guidance of Public Health and keep them informed," Legault said in a statement on Saturday. "Given the significance of the Gateway facility within our processing network, we are evaluating and adapting our existing contingency plans to manage the impact on customers." Canada Post is pledging to conduct rapid COVID-19 testing at the site next week of employees who have been working on another shift at Gateway East. The Crown corporation said employees who refuse to be tested will need to go into isolation for 14 days. Legault said Canada Post will enforce all safety protocols, with an increased focus on washrooms, lunchrooms and locker rooms. COVID-19 outbreak having an impact on mail delivery Canada Post has been offering voluntary testing to all other employees at the facility and that testing is set to resume on Sunday. It said employees who develop symptoms outside the workplace must get tested at an assessment centre and follow instructions. Rapid testing at the facility, done by the Crown corporation and Peel Public Health, has resulted in a total of 42 positive tests from Tuesday last week to Sunday, Canada Post says. Canada Post has had 190 positive cases at the facility since Jan. 1. Legault has said the corporation has been told by Peel Public Health that it can continue its operations at Gateway East despite the outbreak. In an interview last week, he said: "The Gateway facility is central to our entire national delivery and processing network, and the COVID safety measures we have implemented nationwide are having an impact on our delivery service." Union members sent home will be paid while in isolation The Canadian Union of Postal Workers says it has taken steps to ensure that management is respecting quarantine line provisions in its collective agreement. That means union members who are sent home will be paid while in isolation and away from work. Jan Simpson, national president of CUPW, said in a news release on Sunday that measures to curb the outbreak should not come at a cost to workers. "Workers should not be penalized for needing to isolate and protect themselves, their families, their coworkers and their communities," Simpson said in the release. "Unions have always fought for the health and safety of workers, and the pandemic has brought this issue to the forefront of society. In order for us to ensure safe workplaces, this must be a priority for everyone." Of the precautionary measure to send workers home, Simpson said: "We are pleased that public health authorities have finally made the right call, listened to the Union, and prioritized the health and safety of workers." "Postal workers are on the front lines, helping people stay home and flatten the curve, but it should not be at the expense of their health and well-being." CUPW said it continues to work with Canada Post and Peel Public health to make sure health and safety protocols are adequate and enforced to prevent future outbreaks. That means the union is helping to ensure that the highest level of cleaning is done in the facility, proper protective equipment is available to all workers, and physical distancing is respected. More than 4,500 people work at the facility.
LONDON — Tammy Abraham scored three times as Chelsea beat Luton 3-1 while Leicester had to rally against another second-tier club before ousting Brentford by the same score to reach the fifth round of the FA Cup on Sunday. Abraham scored twice in a seven-minute span in the first half. Jordan Clark profited from the struggling Kepa Arrizabalaga’s latest goalkeeping error to reduce the deficit to 2-1 on the half-hour before Abraham struck again in the 74th minute, his 11th of the season. Timo Werner missed a late penalty in a frustrating end to his afternoon. Chelsea will play another lower-league club, Barnsley, in the round of 16. This victory was crucial for under-pressure manager Frank Lampard after five losses in the past eight Premier League games. LEICESTER COMEBACK Brentford, which beat four Premier League teams on its way to this season’s League Cup semifinals, threatened another shock when it took the lead through Mads Bech Sorensen’s sixth-minute goal against Leicester. But Leicester turned it around within six minutes at the start of the second half. James Maddison weaved through the Brentford defence to the edge of the area before teeing up Cengiz Under, who powerfully fired in the equalizer. Youri Tielemans was tripped in the area by Tariqe Fosu and the Belgium midfielder netted from the penalty spot. Maddison killed it off in the 71st minute when he tapped in the rebound after Harvey Barnes’ shot was saved. BURNLEY ADVANCES Jay Rodriguez struck twice for Burnley in a 3-0 win at Fulham — the 31-year-old striker's first goals since July. With just under 10 minutes left on the clock, Rodriguez turned provider for Kevin Long for the third. A week after they drew in the Premier League, Manchester United and Liverpool meet again in the FA Cup with Jürgen Klopp’s side struggling in its Premier League title defence. ___ More AP soccer: https://apnews.com/Soccer and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports The Associated Press
For two Virginia police officers who posed for a photo during the deadly U.S. Capitol insurrection, the reckoning has been swift and public: They were identified, charged with crimes and arrested. But for five Seattle officers the outcome is less clear. Their identities still secret, two are on leave and three continue to work while a police watchdog investigates whether their actions in the nation's capital on Jan. 6 crossed the line from protected political speech to lawbreaking. The contrasting cases highlight the dilemma faced by police departments nationwide as they review the behaviour of dozens of officers who were in Washington the day of the riot by supporters of President Donald Trump. Officials and experts agree that officers who were involved in the melee should be fired and charged for their role. But what about those officers who attended only the Trump rally before the riot? How does a department balance an officer's free speech rights with the blow to public trust that comes from the attendance of law enforcement at an event with far-right militants and white nationalists who went on to assault the seat of American democracy? An Associated Press survey of law enforcement agencies nationwide found that at least 31 officers in 12 states are being scrutinized by their supervisors for their behaviour in the District of Columbia or face criminal charges for participating in the riot. Officials are looking into whether the officers violated any laws or policies or participated in the violence while in Washington. A Capitol Police officer died after he was hit in the head with a fire extinguisher as rioters descended on the building and many other officers were injured. A woman was shot to death by Capitol Police and three other people died after medical emergencies during the chaos. Most of the officers have not been publicly identified; only a few have been charged. Some were identified by online sleuths. Others were reported by their colleagues or turned themselves in. They come from some of the country’s largest cities — three Los Angeles officers and a sheriff’s deputy, for instance — as well as state agencies and a Pennsylvania police department with nine officers. Among them are an Oklahoma sheriff and New Hampshire police chief who have acknowledged being at the rally, but denied entering the Capitol or breaking the law. “If they were off-duty, it’s totally free speech,” said Will Aitchison, a lawyer in Portland, Oregon, who represents law enforcement officers. “People have the right to express their political views regardless of who’s standing next to them. You just don’t get guilt by association.” But Ayesha Bell Hardaway, a professor at Case Western Reserve University law school, said an officer’s presence at the rally creates a credibility issue as law enforcement agencies work to repair community trust, especially after last summer's of protests against police brutality sparked by the police killings of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor. Communities will question the integrity of officers who attended the rally along with “individuals who proudly profess racist and divisive viewpoints,” she said. “It calls into question whether those officers are interested in engaging in policing in a way that builds trust and legitimacy in all communities, including communities of colour.” In Rocky Mount, a Virginia town of about 1,000, Sgt. Thomas Robertson and Officer Jacob Fracker were suspended without pay and face criminal charges after posting a photo of themselves inside the Capitol during the riot. According to court records, Robertson wrote on social media that the “Left are just mad because we actually attacked the government who is the problem … The right IN ONE DAY took the f(asterisk)(asterisk)(asterisk)(asterisk) U.S. Capitol. Keep poking us.” Attempts to contact the pair were unsuccessful and court records do not list lawyers. Leaders in Rocky Mount declined to be interviewed. In a statement, they said the events at the Capitol were tragic. “We stand with and add our support to those who have denounced the violence and illegal activity that took place that day,” said Police Chief Ken Criner, Capt. Mark Lovern and Town Manager James Ervin. “Our town and our police department absolutely does not condone illegal or unethical behaviour by anyone, including our officers and staff.” On the other side of the county, five Seattle officers are under investigation by the city’s Office of Police Accountability. Two officers posted photos of themselves on social media while in the district and officials are investigating to determine where they were and what they were doing. Three others told supervisors that they went to Washington for the events and are being investigated for what they did while there. Seattle Police Chief Adrian Diaz said his department supports officers’ freedom of speech and that those who were in the nation's capital will be fired if they “were directly involved in the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol.” But police leaders need to evaluate more than just clear criminal behaviour, according to Chuck Wexler, executive director of the Police Executive Research Forum, a policing research and policy group. They must also consider how their actions affect the department credibility, he said. Officers' First Amendment rights “don’t extend to expressing words that may be violent or maybe express some prejudice,” Wexler said, “because that’s going to reflect on what they do when they’re working, when they’re testifying in court.” Through the summer and fall, Seattle police — along with officers elsewhere — came under criticism for their handling of mass protests against police brutality following the death of George Floyd. The city received more than 19,000 complaints against officers, most for excessive use of force and improper use of pepper spray. Andrew Myerberg, director of the Seattle Office of Police Accountability, said none of the officers now under investigation were involved in those cases. But Sakara Remmu, cofounder of Black Lives Matter Seattle/King County, said the officers should be fired regardless. Their public declarations of solidarity with Trump fosters not just community distrust, but terror of the entire department, she said. “It absolutely does matter when the decorum of racial peace cracks and racial hatred comes through, because we already have a documented history and legacy of what that means in this country,” Remmu said. In Houston, the police chief decried an officer who resigned and was later charged in the riot. A lawyer for Officer Tam Pham said the 18-year veteran of the force "very much regrets” being at the rally and was “deeply remorseful.” But many chiefs have said their officers committed no crimes. “The Arkansas State Police respects the rights and freedom of an employee to use their leave time as the employee may choose,” department spokesman Bill Sadler said of two officers who attended the Trump rally. Malik Aziz, the former chair and executive director of the National Black Police Association, compared condemning all officers who were in Washington to tarring all the protesters who took to streets after the killing of George Floyd with the violent and destructive acts of some. A major with the Dallas Police Department, Aziz said police acting privately have the same rights as other Americans, but that knowingly going to a bigoted event should be disqualifying for an officer. “There’s no place in law enforcement for that individual,” Aziz said. Martha Bellisle And Jake Bleiberg, The Associated Press
Saskatchewan's premier says the fight over the Keystone XL pipeline isn't over yet. In a recent interview with CBC's Rosemary Barton, Premier Scott Moe says conversations around the TC Energy project are ongoing, despite U.S. President Joe Biden's recent cancellation of the pipeline's permit by executive order. "I wouldn't say this project is over by any stretch. There is a lot of conversation to have on KXL," Moe said in an interview on Rosemary Barton Live. The 1,897-kilometre pipeline would have carried 830,000 barrels of crude oil daily from oilsands in Hardisty, Alta., to Nebraska, connecting to the original Keystone pipeline running to the U.S. Gulf Coast refineries. A portion of the project would have crossed into southern Saskatchewan. Moe, along with Alberta Premier Jason Kenney and Ontario Premier Doug Ford, has pushed Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and the federal government to take action against the pipeline's halt. That could include economic sanctions, Moe suggested — a possibility also raised by Kenney. "I haven't said that we should go to sanctions and sanctions should be utilized first," Moe said in his interview with Barton. "But sanctions are always on the table in any conversation or any challenge that we may have with our trading relationship with our largest partner." The project, originally blocked by U.S. President Barack Obama, was then approved by President Donald Trump, who wanted to negotiate the terms of the project, before ultimately being blocked again by Biden in the first days of his presidency. Federal Opposition leader Erin O'Toole has also expressed frustration over the cancellation of the project, saying in a statement it "will devastate thousands of Canadian families who have already been badly hurt by the economic crisis." Trudeau's government has repeatedly said that it supports the project and has made that clear to the new U.S. administration, but both the prime minister and Canada's ambassador to the U.S. have said it is time to respect the decision and move on. Speaking on Friday morning, Trudeau reiterated his disappointment with the cancellation and said he would raise the issue during his phone call with Biden scheduled for later in the day. "Obviously the decision on Keystone XL is a very difficult one for workers in Alberta and Saskatchewan who've had many difficult hits," he said. "Over the past years we have been there for them and we will continue to be there for them and I will express my concern for jobs and livelihoods in Canada, particularly in the West, directly in my conversation with President Biden." Trudeau stressed he and the new president are on the same wavelength on fighting climate change and middle-class job creation, as well as the "values of Canadians." Moe called the cancellation a "devastating blow to North American energy security," and said in the interview with Barton he'll continue to advocate for the pipeline, which he says has both economic and environmental benefits for Canada.
TORONTO — The Canadian military is set to help with COVID-19 vaccine distribution in Indigenous communities in northern Ontario.Federal Public Safety Minister Bill Blair says on Twitter the Canadian Armed Forces will support vaccine efforts in 32 communities of the Nishnawbe Aski Nation.The move comes after a request from the province for assistance in getting vaccines to First Nation communities.The Canadian military has already helped with vaccines in the community of Nain in Newfoundland and Labrador.Ontario is reporting 2,417 new cases of COVID-19 today and 50 more deaths related to the virus.Health Minister Christine Elliott says there are 785 new cases in Toronto, 404 in Peel Region, 215 in York Region and 121 in Niagara.Over 48,900 tests have been completed in Ontario over the past 24 hours.The province is reporting that 4,427 doses of a COVID-19 vaccine were administered since the province's last report, and 1,436 are hospitalized with the virus.A total of 280,573 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine have been administered in Ontario so far.Since the pandemic began, there have been 255,002 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Ontario. Of those, 225,046 have recovered and 5,803 people have died.The numbers are slightly up from Saturday's 2,359 cases, though deaths declined by two from previous figures. Officials say a male teen who worked in a long-term care home is among the three deaths reported on the Middlesex-London region's COVID-19 case site in southwestern Ontario on Saturday. A spokesman for the Middlesex-London Health Unit says they can't provide the exact age or any other details about him, but added he is the youngest person with COVID-19 in the county to have died from the virus.This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 24, 2021. The Canadian Press Note to readers: This is a corrected story. A previous version said there had been 102 deaths in Ontario over the past 24 hours. There were, in fact, 50 deaths.
This year, Canada’s correctional investigator announced his office is launching a series of in-depth investigations looking at Indigenous programming in Canada’s prisons — specifically around access to culture and community support. “We want to hear from Indigenous inmates to learn from their experiences,” Dr. Ivan Zinger writes in his 2019-2020 annual report. “We intend to look at program participation criteria and compare results and outcomes for those who are enrolled in Indigenous-specific interventions.” An earlier investigation from Zinger revealed that the number of Indigenous inmates in Canadian prisons has reached historic highs, surpassing 30 per cent in recent years and on a trajectory to keep growing. In B.C.’s Fraser Valley, Correctional Service Canada (CSC) operates an Indigenous-focused minimum security institution — one of four “healing lodges” that exist across the country. At Kwìkwèxwelhp in Harrison Mills, about 50 inmates work with Elders, tend to a healing garden, and have access to a longhouse. Boyd Peters Xoyet-thet of the neighbouring Sts’ailes Nation was involved in the transition when Kwìkwèxwelhp was turned into a healing lodge in 2001. “Here in Sts’ailes, we have the benefit of having the cultural history and teachings and knowing how much the land is healing for us,” says Peters, who is also a director with the BC First Nations Justice Council. “In our culture, we know that we need to take care of ourselves in a good way, in a balanced way, so we take care of the physical, the mental, the spiritual and the emotional. The mental is the education part.” Sts’ailes Nation signed a memorandum of understanding with CSC around Kwìkwèxwelhp, which means “a place to gather medicine.” It was previously called Elbow Lake Institution. Inmates — referred to as Kwikw te Alex (meaning “Elbow Lake brothers”) — are given opportunities to upgrade their education on a high school, university or vocational level. One program through Kwantlen Polytechnic University called ‘Inside-Out’ involves pairing up to 13 Kwikw te Alex with the same number of criminology students. Another initiative involves inmates being part of archeological work at Sts’ailes ancient village sites — a skill they can take to their home communities after being released. “We have the guys come down and they clear out the sites for us and they make it really beautiful,” Peters says. “So you can see how beneficial that is and it gives them the incentive to further their education.” Though Kwìkwèxwelhp offers several educational programs, current statistics show that more needs to be done on a national level. Aside from addressing the massive overrepresentation of Indigenous peoples in prisons, the current offerings of education in most institutions is falling short, Zinger says. In fact, three-quarters of federally sentenced individuals have some need for education or employment, according to Zinger’s 2019-2020 annual report. “The need for learning opportunities behind bars is considerable,” he writes. “A high percentage of inmates have had negative experiences in formal educational systems; many have dropped out, and most have had difficulty finding legitimate employment or have never held a steady job.” Zinger has asked Canada’s public safety minister to form an independent working group to implement current and past recommendations on education and job training. His office has been asking for improvements in this area for at least a decade, saying inmates’ access to information and technology is “backwards and obsolete,” often still reliant on technology from the early 2000s. Though CSC statistics say that 68 per cent of inmates upgraded their education and 60.8 per cent completed vocational training before release in 2018-2019 — Zinger says that might not mean much. “These indicators do not necessarily mean that they earned a high school diploma or hours toward an apprenticeship,” he writes. “It may only indicate the completion of a single education course or credit or the completion of a vocational program.” Vocational programs include short courses such as Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System (WHMIS), the Basics of Fall Protection, Work Safely with Power Tools, Food Safety or Occupational Health and Safety. Further, less than three per cent of CSC’s overall budget — $64 million — is allocated towards learning. “For a population with such need, these financial resources appear insufficient,” Zinger’s report says. According to CSC, their Indigenous Continuum of Care model, soon to be under review, is Elder-driven and based on the teachings of the Medicine Wheel spoken about by Peters — caring for the physical, spiritual, emotional and mental. Despite the many cracks in the system, Peters says involving Elders as teachers can make a difference for Indigenous inmates. His mother is an Elder at Kwìkwèxwelhp, and worked with a man who was looking to be transferred to the healing lodge from another institution. “He had strong mental health issues because he was in segregation for years so he had no trust in people and he had huge anxiety,” he explains. “The Elders helped him to see the sacredness of the things that we have. So he went to the water, he went to the longhouse, he talked to the Elders and he learned that he has gifts that he never did utilize.” Today, that man is a professional seamstress, Peters says. “He can make anything out of cloth, just these beautiful things,” he says. “That’s what can happen when some of the guys get to learn some of the teachings and they open themselves up and they learn to trust. That’s what the medicines of the land will do.” Catherine Lafferty, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Discourse
TORONTO — The federal government has approved an Ottawa company's made-in-Canada rapid COVID-19 test, Health Canada confirmed Saturday as the nation's top doctor warned the virus's impact on the health-care system showed no signs of abating. The test developed by Spartan Bioscience is performed by a health-care professional and provides on-site results within an hour, a spokeswoman for the federal agency said. Spartan bills the test as the first "truly mobile, rapid PCR test for COVID-19 for the Canadian market.""The Spartan system will be able to provide quality results to remote communities, industries and settings with limited lab access, helping relieve the burden on overwhelmed healthcare facilities," the company said in a news release Saturday. The company originally unveiled a rapid test for COVID-19 last spring but had to voluntarily recall it and perform additional studies after Health Canada expressed some reservations.At the time, Spartan said Health Canada was concerned about the "efficacy of the proprietary swab" for the testing product.The new version uses "any nasopharyngeal swab" rather than one of the company's own design, Health Canada said, and meets the agency's requirements for both safety and effectiveness. The Spartan COVID-19 System was developed through clinical evaluation completed in Canada and the U.S., with the University of Ottawa Heart Institute as one of the testing locations. The company said it has already started production on the rapid tests. The news comes as Dr. Theresa Tam, Canada's chief public health officer, warned that COVID-19 continues to strain the health-care system even as daily case counts decline in several long-standing hot spots. "As severe outcomes lag behind increased disease activity, we can expect to see ongoing heavy impacts on our healthcare system and health workforce for weeks to come," she said in a written statement. Surging new infection rates continued to show signs of easing in multiple provinces, though one jurisdiction was poised to impose new restrictions in a bid to stem the ongoing spread.Public health officials in New Brunswick reported 17 new cases across the province, 10 of which were in the Edmundston region, which was set to go into a lockdown first thing Sunday morning.Starting at midnight, non-essential travel is prohibited in and out of the area, which borders northern Maine and Quebec's Bas-St-Laurent region. The health order forces the closure of all non-essential businesses as well as schools and public spaces, including outdoor ice rinks and ski hills. All indoor and outdoor gatherings among people of different households are prohibited.Saskatchewan, meanwhile, logged 274 new cases of the virus and three new deaths, while Manitoba counted three more deaths and 216 new diagnoses. Alberta logged 573 new cases and 13 virus-related deaths in the past 24 hours, while both Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and Labrador reported no new infections on Saturday. Both Quebec and Ontario reported fewer cases Saturday — 1,685 and 2,359 respectively.But officials in Ontario expressed concern about a highly contagious U.K. variant of the virus that was detected at a long-term care facility north of Toronto.Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit confirmed the variant was behind the outbreak at Roberta Place Retirement Lodge in Barrie, Ont., where 32 residents have died of COVID-19 and dozens of others have tested positive."Stringent and consistent efforts are needed to sustain a downward trend in case counts and strongly suppress COVID-19 activity across Canada," Tam said. "This will not only prevent more tragic outcomes, but will help to ensure that new virus variants of concern do not have the opportunity to spread."Fears of variants that can circulate quickly come as the federal government considers a mandatory quarantine in hotels for travellers returning to Canada. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 23, 2021. Victoria Ahearn and Nicole Thompson, The Canadian Press Note to readers: This is a corrected story. An earlier version erroneously quoted Health Canada as saying the test needs to be administered by a doctor. In fact, the swab must be performed by a health-care professional.
WASHINGTON — As the House prepares to bring the impeachment charge against Donald Trump to the Senate for trial, a growing number of Republican senators say they are opposed to the proceeding, dimming the chances that former president will be convicted on the charge that he incited a siege of the U.S. Capitol. House Democrats will carry the sole impeachment charge of “incitement of insurrection” across the Capitol late Monday evening, a rare and ceremonial walk to the Senate by the prosecutors who will argue their case. They are hoping that strong Republican denunciations of Trump after the Jan. 6 riot will translate into a conviction and a separate vote to bar Trump from holding office again. But instead, GOP passions appear to have cooled since the insurrection. Now that Trump's presidency is over, Republican senators who will serve as jurors in the trial are rallying to his legal defence, as they did during his first impeachment trial last year. “I think the trial is stupid, I think it’s counterproductive,” said Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla.. He said that "the first chance I get to vote to end this trial, I’ll do it” because he believes it would be bad for the country and further inflame partisan divisions. Trump is the first former president to face impeachment trial, and it will test his grip on the Republican Party as well as the legacy of his tenure, which came to a close as a mob of loyal supporters heeded his rally cry by storming the Capitol and trying to overturn Joe Biden's election. The proceedings will also force Democrats, who have a full sweep of party control of the White House and Congress, to balance their promise to hold the former president accountable while also rushing to deliver on Biden's priorities. Arguments in the Senate trial will begin the week of Feb. 8. Leaders in both parties agreed to the short delay to give Trump's team and House prosecutors time to prepare and the Senate the chance to confirm some of Biden’s Cabinet nominees. Democrats say the extra days will allow for more evidence to come out about the rioting by Trump supporters, while Republicans hope to craft a unified defence for Trump. Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del., said in an interview with The Associated Press on Sunday that he hopes that evolving clarity on the details of what happened Jan. 6 “will make it clearer to my colleagues and the American people that we need some accountability.” Coons questioned how his colleagues who were in the Capitol that day could see the insurrection as anything other than a “stunning violation” of tradition of peaceful transfers of power. “It is a critical moment in American history and we have to look at it and look at it hard,” Coons said. An early vote to dismiss the trial probably would not succeed, given that Democrats now control the Senate. Still, the mounting Republican opposition indicates that many GOP senators would eventually vote to acquit Trump. Democrats would need the support of 17 Republicans — a high bar — to convict him. When the House impeached Trump on Jan. 13, exactly one week after the siege, Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., said he didn’t believe the Senate had the constitutional authority to convict Trump after he had left office. On Sunday, Cotton said “the more I talk to other Republican senators, the more they’re beginning to line up” behind that argument. “I think a lot of Americans are going to think it’s strange that the Senate is spending its time trying to convict and remove from office a man who left office a week ago,” Cotton said. Democrats reject that argument, pointing to a 1876 impeachment of a secretary of war who had already resigned and to opinions by many legal scholars. Democrats also say that a reckoning of the first invasion of the Capitol since the War of 1812, perpetrated by rioters egged on by a president who told them to “fight like hell” against election results that were being counted at the time, is necessary so the country can move forward and ensure such a siege never happens again. A few GOP senators have agreed with Democrats, though not close to the number that will be needed to convict Trump. Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, said he believes there is a “preponderance of opinion” that an impeachment trial is appropriate after someone leaves office. “I believe that what is being alleged and what we saw, which is incitement to insurrection, is an impeachable offence,” Romney said. “If not, what is?” But Romney, the lone Republican to vote to convict Trump when the Senate acquitted the then-president in last year’s trial, appears to be an outlier. Sen. Mike Rounds, R-South Dakota, said he believes a trial is a “moot point” after a president's term is over, “and I think it’s one that they would have a very difficult time in trying to get done within the Senate.” On Friday, GOP Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, a close Trump ally who has been helping him build a legal team, urged the Senate to reject the idea of a post-presidency trial — potentially with a vote to dismiss the charge — and suggested Republicans will scrutinize whether Trump’s words on Jan. 6 were legally “incitement.” Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell, who said last week that Trump “provoked” his supporters before the riot, has not said how he will vote or argued any legal strategies. The Kentucky senator has told his GOP colleagues that it will be a vote of conscience. One of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s nine impeachment managers said Trump’s encouragement of his loyalists before the riot was "an extraordinarily heinous presidential crime." Rep. Madeleine Dean, D-Pennsylvania., said "I mean, think back. It was just two-and-a-half weeks ago that the president assembled a mob on the Ellipse of the White House. He incited them with his words. And then he lit the match.” Trump’s supporters invaded the Capitol and interrupted the electoral count as he falsely claimed there was massive fraud in the election and that it was stolen by Biden. Trump’s claims were roundly rejected in the courts, including by judges appointed by Trump, and by state election officials. Rubio and Romney were on “Fox News Sunday,” Cotton appeared on Fox News Channel's “Sunday Morning Futures” and Romney also was on CNN's “State of the Union,” as was Dean. Rounds was interviewed on NBC's “Meet the Press.” ___ Associated Press writer Hope Yen contributed to this report. Mary Clare Jalonick And Lisa Mascaro, The Associated Press
While the world was put on hold for the COVID pandemic, not everything shut down. The Shades of Hope Wildlife Refuge, in Pefferlaw, saw a very busy year in 2020. “We usually have just under 5,000 animals come through our doors, and in 2020 we had well over 6,000,” said Shades of Hope founder and wildlife concierge, Gail Lenters. And while they do have some full time staff, who have been bubbling together to continue working through the pandemic, Lenters says the centre usually takes on volunteers as well, which was very hard to do this year. “So we had less help and more animals.” As the spring season approaches, so does the busiest season for the wildlife refuge. Lenters says she is currently in the process of ordering all of the refuge centre’s supplies, including products like special feeds coming from as far away as Australia. “If people want to help, the best thing they can do is to help support financially. We ask people to consider a monthly donation, even $10 a month, that we can budget with.” While it’s not a lot of money, Lenters says it goes a long way to help the refuge plan and purchase the required essentials for proper animal care. Alternatively, dropping off donations of bird seed or cleaning products like paper towel, bleach and laundry detergent, is also greatly appreciated. Lenters wants to encourage everyone to keep an eye out as the warmer weather approaches. “All those creatures are there, nestled in trees, in wood piles and in sheds. Come spring, when you go to clean up, you risk disturbing those little guys.” If any member of the public does find an animal that is believed to be in need of assistance, Lenters suggests using the “Find Out What To Do” button on the Shades of Hope website, or give the refuge a call. Shades of Hope is open seven days a week, “COVID or no COVID,” says Lenters. Visit https://www.shadesofhope.ca to learn more. Justyne Edgell, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Uxbridge Cosmos
A 20-year-old woman was killed in a two-vehicle collision near Lacombe, Alta. on Saturday evening. At about 5 p.m., Blackfalds RCMP were called to the collision at Highway 815 at the intersection of Township Road 412, northeast of Lacombe. An early investigation showed a southbound pickup truck collided with an eastbound car, according to a police news release. The woman driving the car was pronounced dead at the scene. The driver and a passenger in the truck suffered minor injuries. Local RCMP and a collision analyst are continuing to investigate. Lacombe is about 30 kilometres north of Red Deer.
Nova Scotia had a single new case of COVID-19 to report Sunday along with two recoveries, bringing the total of known active cases to 19. The new case is in the central health zone and is a student at Dalhousie University. According to a provincial news release, the student lives off campus, is from Nova Scotia and is self-isolating. Public health is investigating. In the news release, Premier Stephen McNeil is quoted saying the low number of cases is encouraging, "but we are seeing that some of the recent cases are more complex than others." "It's another reminder that we need to stay vigilant to contain the virus — limit our social contacts, keep a social distance, wear a mask, stay home if feeling unwell and follow all the other public health measures," McNeil said. Restrictions easing Monday Starting Monday, sports teams will be able to play games, but with limits on travel and spectators, and there can be no games or tournaments involving teams that would not regularly play against each other. Art and theatre performances can take place without an audience. The province will also allow residents of adult service centres and regional rehabilitation centres to start volunteering and working in the community again. Also starting Monday, mental health and addictions support groups can meet in groups of 25, up from 10, with physical distancing. Drop-in testing in Wolfville Late Friday, Nova Scotia's health authority said it would hold a pop-up testing clinic in Wolfville this weekend after an Acadia University student tested positive for COVID-19. The student tested positive after completing their 14-day self-isolation. They are self-isolating again, but did attend class Jan. 18-20. Drop-in testing will be available at the Acadia Festival Theatre on Sunday until 5 p.m. Individuals may visit the clinic if they have no symptoms of COVID-19, are not a close contact of a person with the virus and are not isolating because of travel outside of Nova Scotia, P.E.I. or Newfoundland and Labrador. Atlantic Canada case numbers MORE TOP STORIES
BUENOS AIRES, Argentina — Argentina’s groundbreaking abortion law went into force Sunday under the watchful eyes of women’s groups and government officials, who hope to ensure its full implementation despite opposition from some conservative and church groups. Argentina became the largest nation in Latin America to legalize elective abortion after its Senate on Dec. 30 passed a law guaranteeing the procedure up to the 14th week of pregnancy and beyond that in cases of rape or when a woman’s health is at risk. The vote was hailed as a triumph for the South American country’s feminist movement that could pave the way for similar actions across the socially conservative, heavily Roman Catholic region. But Pope Francis had issued a last-minute appeal before the vote and church leaders have criticized the decision. Supporters of the law say they expect lawsuits from anti-abortion groups in Argentina’s conservative provinces and some private health clinics might refuse to carry out the procedure. “Another huge task lies ahead of us,” said Argentina’s minister of women, gender and diversity, Elizabeth Gómez Alcorta, who has acknowledged there will be obstacles to the law’s full implementation across the country. Gómez Alcorta said a telephone line will be set up “for those who cannot access abortion to communicate.” The Argentine Catholic Church has repudiated the law and conservative doctors' and lawyers' groups have urged resistance. Doctors and health professionals can claim conscientious objection to performing abortions, but cannot invoke the right if a pregnant woman’s life or health is in danger. A statement signed by the Consortium of Catholic Doctors, the Catholic Lawyers Corporation and other groups called on doctors and lawyers to “resist with nobility, firmness and courage the norm that legalizes the abominable crime of abortion." The anti-abortion group Unidad Provida also urged doctors, nurses and technicians to fight for their “freedom of conscience” and promised to "accompany them in all the trials that are necessary.” Under the law, private health centres that do not have doctors willing to carry out abortions must refer women seeking abortions to clinics that will. Any public official or health authority who unjustifiably delays an abortion will be punished with imprisonment from three months to one year. The National Campaign for the Right to Legal, Safe and Free Abortion, an umbrella group for organizations that for years fought for legal abortion, often wearing green scarves at protests, vowed to “continue monitoring compliance with the law.” “We trust the feminist networks that we have built over decades,” said Laura Salomé, one of the movement’s members. A previous abortion bill was voted down by Argentine lawmakers in 2018 by a narrow margin. But in the December vote it was backed by the centre-left government, boosted by the so-called “piba” revolution, from the Argentine slang for “girls,” and opinion polls showing opposition had softened. The law’s supporters expect backlash in Argentina’s conservative provinces. In the northern province of Salta, a federal judge this week rejected a measure filed by a former legislator calling for the law to be suspended because the legislative branch had exceeded its powers. Opponents of abortion cite international treaties signed by Argentina pledging to protect life from conception. Gómez Alcorta said criminal charges currently pending against more than 1,500 women and doctors who performed abortions should be lifted. She said the number of women and doctors detained “was not that many,” but didn’t provide a number. “The Ministry of Women is going to carry out its leadership” to end these cases, she said. Tamara Grinberg, 32, who had a clandestine abortion in 2012, celebrated that from now on “a girl can go to a hospital to say ‘I want to have an abortion.'” She said when she had her abortion, very few people helped her. “Today there are many more support networks ... and the decision is respected. When I did it, no one respected my decision." While abortion is already allowed in some other parts of Latin America — such as in Uruguay, Cuba and Mexico City — its legalization in Argentina is expected to reverberate across the region, where dangerous clandestine procedures remain the norm a half century after a woman’s right to choose was guaranteed in the U.S. ___ AP journalists Víctor Caivano and Yésica Brumec contributed to this report. Almudena Calatrava, The Associated Press
Officials in President Joe Biden's administration tried to head off Republican concerns that his $1.9 trillion pandemic relief proposal was too expensive on a Sunday call with Republican and Democratic lawmakers, some of whom pushed for a smaller plan targeting vaccine distribution. "It seems premature to be considering a package of this size and scope," said Republican Senator Susan Collins, who was on the call with Brian Deese, director of the White House's National Economic Council, and other top Biden aides.
Parks Canada is warning skaters who take to frozen lakes to monitor lake thickness very carefully after four skaters fell through the ice at Lake Minnewanka in Banff National Park over a two-day period. According to the government agency, three of the skaters were able to self-rescue, while one required a rescue response. Russ Geyer, deputy chief of the Banff Fire Department, said the department responded on Saturday to a report of two people who had fallen through the ice at Lake Minnewanka. Geyer said a female in her 20s fell through the ice while skating. "She was trapped out on the thin ice, was probably there for 30 minutes in the water, or partially in the water," he said. "Then, a male that was with her in his 20s tried to rescue her, and he ended up breaking through thin ice." People have been skating on areas near shore on Lake Minnewanka for a month, Geyer said. "Unfortunately, further out in the lake, some of that water is open," Geyer said. "People are venturing further and further out and that ice is definitely not safe enough further out. And that's unfortunately what the consequence was when they skated out there." The female was taken to Banff Mineral Springs Hospital with hypothermia and the male was examined and released on scene. No information on the other skaters was immediately available. Parks Canada said skaters should understand that ice thickness varies considerably over short distances. The recommended minimum thickness for ice skating is 15 centimetres, or six inches of solid ice. Skaters should have equipment like ropes, PFDs or ice picks available for self-rescue, the agency said.
Sarnia Police Service, Sarnia Fire and Lambton Paramedics responded to a call related to a deceased woman on Saturday evening, according to a Sunday media release. Emergency responders arrived at a residence in the 200 block of Essex Street at around 6:20 p.m. where they found a dead woman — now identified as Sue Elin Lumsden, a 66-year-old Sarnia resident. "Members of the Sarnia Police Service Criminal Investigations Branch have since taken over the investigation and are treating it as a homicide," the statement reads, making it the third death treated as a homicide in the city this month. The investigation is still preliminary and the residence is currently being held as a crime scene. Police urge residents to keep their windows and doors locked and secured. Residents in the area who have video surveillance are asked to contact Sarnia Police Service. Anyone with information is asked to call the Criminal Investigations Branch Information Line at 519-344-8861, ext. 5300, or Sarnia Lambton Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.
Au-delà des questions d’égalité, les auditrices associées identifieraient davantage de points clés et communiqueraient de façon plus précise que leurs collègues masculins.
