Along the shores of the St. Lawrence the ice was pinging and humming. Perfect conditions for throwing rocks!
Two former Obama administration officials have emerged as front-runners for the top antitrust job at the U.S. Department of Justice under the incoming administration of President-elect Joe Biden, according to two sources with knowledge of the matter. One of the picks is Renata Hesse, who has had several stints at the Justice Department since 2002 and most recently served as the Acting Assistant Attorney General from mid-2016 to Jan. 2017.
A worker at Agnico Eagle's Meliadine gold mine, located about 25 kilometres north of Rankin Inlet, Nunavut, has tested positive for COVID-19, the company said in a news release Friday. The worker tested positive on Jan. 8, but the positive test result was confirmed on Jan. 13, the release says. Prior to arriving at the mine, the person was tested on Dec. 24 and the result came back negative. They were tested again twice — once after being on site for three days, then on Day 5 — about results were also negative, the release says. But on Jan. 8, the person "developed mild COVID-19 symptoms and was immediately placed in isolation," the release says. "The employee presumptively tested positive on the same day." Agnico Eagle says the person was isolated on site until they could be flown out on a special charter flight later that day. There have been nine confirmed cases of COVID-19 at the mine since the start of the pandemic, an Agnico Eagle spokesperson told CBC News Saturday via email. 11 contacts identified Contact tracing identified 11 employees who may have had contact with the positive case, says the release. The impacted workers were flown out of the mine on a special charter on Jan. 8, and were tested on Jan. 9. The results were all negative, says the release. The infected worker and the 11 close contacts are now self-isolating at home for 14 days, said the Agnico Eagle spokesperson. Contamination risk is "deemed low," the company says, but common areas at the mine, such as the gym, smoke shacks and recreational room, have been closed for cleaning and disinfection. The public health risk to Rankin Inlet is also "very low," as the mine isolated itself from the community in March, and sent all Nunavummiut employees home with 75 per cent of their base salary to reduce the risk of potential transmission to Nunavut communities. Agnico Eagle is working closely with Nunavut's office of the chief public health officer and following its recommendations, the company says.
Justin Kripps of Summerland, B.C., and Cam Stones of Whitby, Ont., earned their seventh World Cup medal together in finishing third at their second two-man bobsled race of the season on Saturday in St. Moritz, Switzerland. The Canadians had a two-run time of two minutes 12.84 seconds on a fast track that is quickly becoming one of their favourites. "The track was much faster than in training and we had a lot of fun on our way to our first ever two-man medal on this track," said Kripps, the reigning Olympic two-man champion with 17 World Cup two-man medals who was fifth at last week's season-opener in Germany. The 34-year-old had never reached the podium in St. Moritz until last year when Kripps teamed with Ben Coakwell, Ryan Sommer and Stones to win the four-man title. WATCH | Kripps and Stones hang on to 3rd spot on podium: "It was another great day in St. Moritz for Team Kripps. It is easily becoming one of our favourite tracks, and is especially fun to win medals on," added Stones. "Justin's driving was great, and we are really looking forward to trying to defend our four-man title from last year tomorrow." The Canadians, who joined forces after the 2018 Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea, turned in the third-fastest time in their opening run down the only non-refrigerated track in the world. Friedrich leads 1-2 German finish They held the final spot on the podium despite posting the fifth-fastest final run time on the 1,700-metre chute of natural ice that winds its way to the finish line in the town of Celerina. "It is the birthplace of bobsleigh," said Kripps of St. Moritz. "It is like Monaco for the Grand Prix. There is so much history and always such a treat to slide here." It was a 1-2 German finish Saturday as Francesco Friedrich won the 47th World Cup gold medal of his career (2:11.92) while piloting Alexander Schueller to break a tie with fellow German Sandra Kiriasis for the most by any bobsled pilot. Johannes Lochner and Florian Bauer placed second in 2:12.37. WATCH | Francesco Friedrich records 47th gold of World Cup career: Calgary's Chris Spring, who picked up three medals on the Europe Cup circuit a week ago, was competing on the World Cup for the first time in more than a year on Saturday. Pushed by Ottawa's Mike Evelyn, the newly formed team finished 11th spot at 2:13.79 in the latter's World Cup debut. The World Cup continues Sunday with the women's and four-man bobsleigh races.
In order for a personal support worker employed in a long-term-care home to make ends meet in Toronto, they’d have to clock at least 50 hours every week. Here’s how the numbers break down: PSWs in unionized long-term-care homes start at about $20.80 per hour, and can earn up to about $22 hourly. If they are paid for 37.5 hours of work per week, they will gross $40,560 in a year at the starting rate, but the take home after tax is closer to $32,000. But this is over $10,000 short of the 2020 cost of living in Toronto, estimated by lowestrates.ca. The insurance company found that for a single person renting a one-bedroom apartment, the cost of living is close to $42,500. Meanwhile, in 2015, $55,117 was the median income for single-adult households in Toronto, according to Statistics Canada, which is just below the amount needed to meet the cost of living today, after tax. Someone earning that amount would only have to put in about 20 extra hours over the course of a year to make ends meet — less than half an hour a week. Cost of living can be greater too if the person is supporting a family, and it would be even more challenging if the person is the sole breadwinner for their household. Long-term-care homes have been hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic, shedding light on a system that has been dysfunctional for years. With cases and deaths climbing in the sector, the need to address ongoing issues has been made all the more urgent. In Ottawa, a COVID-19 outbreak in a women’s shelter was linked to two long-term-care workers who were staying in the facility because they could no longer afford rent with their income. Where PSWs are concerned, there is no oversight body, like there is for nurses, which advocates say has caused issues with low pay, precarious work and high turnover. Matthew Cathmoir, the head of strategic research at the Service Employees International Union which represents health-care workers in Ontario, said PSWs wind up working as much overtime as possible to supplement their income. “They accept as much overtime as possible; they’ll work doubles. So, they’ll work a 16-hour shift, which is unsustainable ... it’s incredibly difficult work — hard on the body, hard on the mind (but) they have to do it,” he said. Many PSWs also had more than one job, which was restricted during the pandemic to reduce the spread of COVID-19. Pandemic pay has offered a $3 per hour wage bump for eligible long-term-care workers, but Cathmoir notes that there have been challenges with the rollout. All the while, in a recent survey the SEIU posed to its members working in long-term care, 92 per cent of the 700 or so respondents reported feeling overworked and understaffed during the pandemic. “It’s difficult work. It’s dangerous,” Cathmoir said. “It takes a special type of person to work, specifically, and that goes for all (health-care positions).” Angelyn Francis is a Toronto-based reporter for the Star covering equity and inequality. Her reporting is funded by the Canadian government through its Local Journalism Initiative. Reach her via email: afrancis@thestar.ca Angelyn Francis, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Toronto Star
WASHINGTON — Far-right media personality Tim Gionet, who calls himself “Baked Alaska,” has been arrested by the FBI for his involvement in the riot at the U.S. Capitol, a law enforcement official told The Associated Press. Gionet was arrested by federal agents in Houston on Saturday, according to the official, who was not authorized to discuss the matter before the public release of a criminal complaint and spoke on condition of anonymity. Thousands of supporters of President Donald Trump stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6 as Congress was meeting to vote to affirm President-elect Joe Biden’s electoral win. Five people died in the mayhem. Law enforcement officials across the country have been working to locate and arrest suspects who committed federal crimes and so far have brought nearly 100 cases in federal court and the District of Columbia Superior Court. Gionet posted video that showed Trump supporters in “Make America Great Again” and “God Bless Trump” hats milling around and taking selfies with officers in the Capitol who calmly asked them to leave the premises. The Trump supporters talked among themselves, laughed, and told the officers and each other: “This is only the beginning.” Michael Balsamo, The Associated Press
A group of fishermen found the body of missing canoeist Kenneth Surette on Saturday in coastal waters off Yarmouth County. A search for Surette, 69, began Tuesday after the body of an unnamed woman was discovered along the shoreline of Morris Island, N.S. RCMP have said the pair were paddling together. Search and rescue crews scoured the area for two days and found their canoe on the morning of Jan. 13, also near Morris Island. Surette's body was recovered from the water near where his boat was found. RCMP Sgt. Andrew Joyce said it was "very, very fortunate" to have located the body, given how much tides and currents can move things around in coastal waters. The formal search was called off mid-week and turned over to the RCMP as a missing persons case, but Joyce said some local fishermen never stopped searching. Joyce said the RCMP investigation will continue at least until the provincial medical examiner completes an autopsy. RCMP are not classifying Surette's death as suspicious. MORE TOP STORIES
Ontario says it's slightly slowing the pace for some COVID-19 vaccinations in response to a shipping delay from drugmaker Pfizer BioNTech. Chief Medical Officer of Health David Williams says the company's decision to temporarily delay international vaccine shipments will likely have an effect on the province, though the full impact of the move is not yet known. Williams says long-term care residents, caregivers and staff who already received their first dose of Pfizer's vaccine will receive their second dose between 21 and 27 days later, no more than a week longer than originally planned. He says the timetable will be longer for anyone else receiving the Pfizer vaccine, with second doses being delivered anywhere from 21 to 42 days after the initial shot. The adjustments come as Ontario reported 3,056 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, along with 51 new deaths related to the virus. Hospitalizations related to COVID-19 stand at 1,632, with 397 patients in intensive care. Health Minister Christine Elliott said Toronto and the neighbouring regions of Peel and York continue to post the highest infection rates in the province. She said 903 of the most recent diagnoses were found in Toronto, with 639 in Peel and 283 in York. Some of those regions are among those targeted by a government blitz of big box stores which got underway on Saturday. The province said earlier this week it would send 50 inspectors to stores in five regions -- Toronto, Hamilton, Peel, York and Durham. They'll be looking to ensure the retailers are complying with the province's tightened public health rules, which went into effect on Thursday along with a provincewide stay-at-home order meant to curb the spread of the virus. Labour Minister Monte McNaughton has said inspectors will focus on compliance with masking and physical distancing rules, as well as other health guidelines. He said they'll have the authority to temporarily shut down facilities found to be breaching the rules, and to disperse groups of more than five people. The minister said inspectors will also be able to issue tickets of up to $750 to management, workers or customers if they're not abiding by the measures. Premier Doug Ford, who has faced criticism for allowing big-box stores to remain open for on-site shopping while smaller businesses are restricted to curbside pickup or online sales, vowed this week to crack down on big lineups and other infractions at large retailers. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 16, 2021. The Canadian Press
TORONTO — Ontario Provincial Police say they've charged three of their own veteran officers and suspended four others over allegations of corruption related to the province's tow truck industry. The force alleges the accused officers provided preferential treatment to towing companies within the Greater Toronto Area.The charges and suspensions stemmed from an investigation first launched in October 2019. The officers facing charges all have at least 20 years of service with the OPP and served with either its Highway Safety Division or the Toronto detachment. Const. Simon Bridle and Const. Mohammed Ali Hussain were both arrested this past week, while a warrant is out for the arrest of Const. Bindo Showan who is believed to be out of the province. All three are charged with secret commissions and breach of trust, while Bridle faces an additional charge of obtaining sexual services for consideration. OPP says the four other officers remain under investigation, but are not currently facing any criminal charges. The Canadian Press
For 12-year-old Ava Tran, watching herself on the Heartland season premiere last Sunday was "cool." For her mom Melissa Tran, it was surreal. "It was one thing to see her on set [when] we were filming, but then to actually see her on the screen after all the hard work she's put into this was pretty awesome to see," Melissa told The Homestretch. Tran plays the character of Parker on the new season of the show in her first professional acting role. "It's amazing, all the actors, they're so nice and it's just so awesome to be on a show this big," she said. Heartland, the popular family drama filmed in and around Calgary, is now in its 14th season. The new character of Parker brought the drama right in the first episode, with a surprise plot twist. "Well, it was very interesting and it was really hard for me to not tell my friends, any of my friends the plot," Tran said of the spoiler. "It was a big secret to keep." Before getting the role, most of Tran's acting was done in school plays and small gigs. But acting is in the family blood — Tran has two sisters and an aunt who are also in the business. Still, landing the role of Parker was a big deal, and it was months in the making, she said. "So first I had to audition in March, right before COVID hit, and that was really good," she said. "I felt like I did a really good job because they looked at me, they smiled, and they really [had] much feedback for me." From there, Tran got on the short list. "My callback was closer to the end of August, right after my birthday, so that was really fun and really exciting. And then I found out I got the role just shortly after school started," she said. Now, it's down to work. Tran said she looks forward to playing a strong-willed character and bringing more drama. "She's a very independent girl, and she's not afraid to share her opinions, because she has very strong opinions," she said. "She's a very environmentally-friendly girl." Tran said she feels her own personality is quite similar to the character she will play, with one exception — her character is afraid of horses. "I just love animals so much," Tran said. "We are very much alike because I care about the environment, I have strong opinions about things. And she's 12 and I'm 12. And yeah, it's just really cool to just put my own ideas into my character." Season 14 of Heartland airs Sundays on CBC and CBC Gem. With files from The Homestretch.
NEW YORK — All federal prisons in the United States have been placed on lockdown, with officials aiming to quell any potential violence that could arise behind bars as law enforcement prepares for potentially violent protests across the country in the run-up to President-elect Joe Biden's inauguration on Wednesday. The lockdown at more than 120 federal Bureau of Prisons facilities took effect at 12 a.m. Saturday, according to an email to employees from the president of the union representing federal correctional officers. “In light of current events occurring around the country, and out of an abundance of caution, the decision has been made to secure all institutions,” the Bureau of Prisons said in a statement. The lockdown decision is precautionary, no specific information led to it and it is not in response to any significant events occurring inside facilities, the bureau said. To avoid backlash from inmates, the lockdown was not announced until after they were locked in their cells Friday evening. Shane Fausey, the president of the Council of Prison Locals, wrote in his email to staff that inmates should still be given access in small groups to showers, phones and email and can still be involved in preparing food and performing basic maintenance. Messages seeking comment were left with Fausey on Saturday. The agency last put in place a nationwide lockdown in April to combat the spread of the coronavirus. During a lockdown, inmates are kept in their cells most of the day and visiting is cancelled. Because of coronavirus, social visits only resumed in October, but many facilities have cancelled them again as infections spiked. One reason for the new nationwide lockdown is that the bureau is moving some of its Special Operations Response Teams from prison facilities to Washington, D.C., to bolster security after President Donald Trump’s supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6. Authorities are concerned there could be more violence, not only in the nation’s capital, but also at state capitals, before Trump leaves office Jan. 20. A Bureau of Prisons spokesman said the agency was co-ordinating with officials at the Justice Department to be ready to deploy as needed. Earlier this month, about 100 officers were sent to the Justice Department's headquarters to supplement security staff and were deputized by the U.S. Marshals Service and given special legal powers to “enforce federal criminal statutes and protect federal property and personnel,” said the spokesman, Justin Long. The specialized units typically respond to disturbances and other emergencies at prisons, such as riots, assaults, escapes and escape attempts, and hostage situations. Their absence can leave gaps in a prison’s emergency response and put remaining staff at risk. “The things that happen outside the walls could affect those working behind the walls,” Aaron McGlothin, a local union president at a federal prison in California. As the pandemic continues to menace federal inmates and staff, a federal lockup in Mendota, California, is also dealing with a possible case of tuberculosis. According to an email to staff Friday, an inmate at the medium-security facility has been placed in a negative pressure room after returning a positive skin test and an X-ray that indicated an active case of tuberculosis. The inmate was not showing symptoms of the lung disease and is undergoing further testing to confirm a diagnosis, the email said. As a precaution, all other inmates on the affected inmate’s unit were placed on quarantine status and given skin tests for tuberculosis. The bacterial disease is spread similarly to COVID-19, through droplets that an infected person expels by coughing, sneezing or through other activities such as singing and talking. Mendota also has 10 current inmate cases and six current staff cases of COVID-19. As of Wednesday, the last day for which data was available, there were 4,718 federal inmates and 2,049 Bureau of Prisons staff members with current positive tests for COVID-19. Since the first case was reported in March, 38,535 inmates and 3,553 staff have recovered from the virus. So far, 190 federal inmates and 3 staff members have died. __ Balsamo reported from Washington. __ On Twitter, follow Sisak at twitter.com/mikesisak and Balsamo at twitter.com/mikebalsamo1 Michael R. Sisak And Michael Balsamo, The Associated Press
FREDERICTON — New Brunswick's COVID-19 case count continues to rise with 27 new cases identified Saturday.The province now has 267 active cases, a figure much higher than in the rest of Atlantic Canada.Public health says there are seven new cases in both the Moncton and Edmundston regions, four in both the Saint John and Fredericton areas, three in the Campbellton region and two in the Bathurst area.All of the most recently identified patients are self-isolating while public health officials investigate the source of their infections, while three patients are currently in hospital.New Brunswick has had a total of 911 confirmed cases of COVID-19, with 631 recoveries and 12 deaths since the beginning of the pandemic. Dr. Jennifer Russell, chief medical officer of health, says the province is at a critical point in the outbreak of the virus.“We need the co-operation of all New Brunswickers to help us reduce the spread of the virus," Russell said in a news release. "We need to come together now, to get through this together.”Meanwhile, health officials advised that a positive case had been identified involving a traveller who may have been infectious on an Air Canada flight on Dec. 31. They said Flight 8910 departed Toronto for Moncton, N.B., at 11:23 a.m.This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 16, 2021. The Canadian Press
Ottawa is reporting 136 new cases of COVID-19 on Saturday. Western Quebec has confirmed 43 new infections today. Today's Ottawa update Ottawa Public Health (OPH) recorded 136 new cases of COVID-19 on Saturday. OPH also declared 111 more cases resolved and reported no new deaths. The infection rate in Ottawa has risen to record levels since around Christmas, prompting OPH to declare the city is once again in a COVID-19 crisis. The current lockdown in eastern Ontario went into effect Dec. 26, and is now scheduled to last until Feb. 11. A provincial stay-at-home order is also in effect. Numbers to watch 88.9: The number of new COVID-19 cases per 100,000 Ottawa residents, down from Friday. 1.01: The average number of people infected by a single COVID-19 case, or R(t), has been in gradual decline this month but remains unchanged since Friday. OPH aims to keep the number below one. 4.1%: Ottawa's average test positivity percentage, down from 4.5 per cent. Across the region Health authorities in western Quebec are reporting 43 new cases of COVID-19 but no more deaths. Quebec's lockdown lasts until Feb. 8. It includes an 8 p.m. curfew that went into effect last weekend.
Here’s a collection curated by The Associated Press’ entertainment journalists of what’s arriving on TV, streaming services and music platforms this week. MOVIES — Regina King’s directorial debut “One Night in Miami” brings Muhammad Ali (Eli Goree), Malcolm X (Kingsley Ben-Adir), Jim Brown (Aldis Hodge), and Sam Cooke (Leslie Odom Jr.) gather into a Miami hotel in February 1964, celebrating Ali’s knockout of Sonny Liston. The set-up, from the play by Kemp Powers (co-director of Pixar’s “Soul”), is fictional, but the dialogue — about power, freedom and Black identity — rings bracingly true. The film, which played at the top festivals in the fall, premieres Friday on Amazon Prime. —Shot during the early days of the pandemic, Doug Liman’s “Locked Down” is one of the most notable projects to emerge from quarantine yet. Starring Anne Hathaway and Chiwetel Ejiofor, “Locked Down” centres on a couple put into lockdown just as they’re deciding to separate. Directed by the “Bourne Identity” filmmaker and written by Steven Knight (“Dirty Pretty Things,” “Eastern Promises”), the film debuts Thursday on HBO Max. — Another acclaimed film from the virtual festival circuit, Sam Pollard’s “MLK/FBI,” debuts on-demand and in theatres Friday. Pollard, a frequent editor for Spike Lee, examines J. Edgar Hoover and the FBI’s surveillance and harassment of Martin Luther King, Jr. — widely considered one the darkest chapters in FBI history. It’s a murky story dealing with the extramarital affairs of King but, more importantly, about the federal government’s racist attempts to control and thwart the civil rights leader. — AP Film Writer Jake Coyle MUSIC — Three years after releasing their full-length debut album, boy band Why Don’t We are back with their sophomore release “The Good Times and the Bad Ones.” The 10-track album includes the single “Fallin’ (Adrenaline),” which samples Kanye West’s “Black Skinhead” and is the group’s first song to chart on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Another track, “Slow Down,” borrows from the Smashing Pumpkins’ mid-90s hit "1979,” while Skrillex, Timbaland and Travis Barker contribute to the album’s production. — A year after their last live gig, Jimmy Eat World will perform their entire 10th studio album, 2019’s “Surviving,” on Friday. It’s one of three performances that’s part of the band’s Phoenix Sessions. On Jan. 29 they will perform their fifth effort, 2004’s “Futures,” and on Feb. 12 they will perform “Clarity,” their third album released in 1999. Tickets start at $14.99. — Bob Dylan’s grandson is releasing a new EP created during the early days of the pandemic while the world was on lockdown. Pablo Dylan, the son of film director Jesse Dylan who has collaborated with Erykah Badu and A$AP Rocky, is putting out the five-song set called “Solitude” on Friday. The acoustic-flavoured EP is the first in a series of three EPs that reflecting on current events in America. — AP Music Editor Mesfin Fekadu TELEVISION — Catherine Zeta-Jones is joining Fox’s “Prodigal Son,” about a skilled criminal profiler (Tom Payne) and his serial-killer dad (Michael Sheen). The Oscar- and Tony-winning actor appears in the season’s second half as a doctor and foil to Sheen’s Martin Whitly, whose intimate knowledge of murder comes in handy for the NYPD’s toughest cases. Will Dr. Vivian Capshaw (Zeta-Jones) get too close to Martin? Will Martin strengthen his relationship with son Malcolm? The sophomore season of “Prodigal Son” starts at 9 p.m. EST on a new night, Tuesday. — A real-life killer who terrorized Californians in the mid-1980s is the subject of Netflix’s limited, four-part documentary series, “Night Stalker: The Hunt for a Serial Killer,” debuting Wednesday. The brutal crime wave began in the Los Angeles area during a long, hot summer in 1985, with men, women and children among the victims of after-dark killings and assaults. First-person interviews, archival footage and original photography help recount the crimes and the hunt for the man responsible. — Even an Emmy-winning dramatic actor like Kyra Sedgwick (“The Closer”) can’t resist comedy. Sedgwick, who’s had a recurring role as police Deputy Chief Madeline Wuntch on “Brooklyn Nine Nine,” stars in the new ABC sitcom “Call Your Mother” as a parent who flees her empty nest to get back into her children’s lives — whether they like it or not. The cast of “Call Your Mother,” debuting 9:30 p.m. EST Wednesday, includes Rachel Sennott, Joey Bragg and Emma Caymares. — AP Television Writer Lynn Elber ___ This story was first published on Jan. 11, 2021. It was updated on Jan. 16, 2021, to correct the name of an actor who stars in the television series “Prodigal Son.” It is Michael Sheen, not Martin Sheen. ___ Catch up on AP’s entertainment coverage here: https://apnews.com/apf-entertainment. The Associated Press
ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates — Brazil's Vanessa Melo won a unanimous decision over Canadian bantamweight Sarah (Cheesecake) Moras on a UFC card Saturday. The judges scored it 30-27, 29-28, 29-28 for Melo, who came into the bout as a betting underdog. Moras's mouth fell open in surprise when the decision went against her. Former featherweight champion Max (Blessed) Holloway, ranked No. 1 among 145-pound contenders, faced No. 6 Calvin (The Boston Finisher) Kattar in Saturday's main event at Etihad Arena. Moras and Melo were originally slated to meet in November but the fight was pushed back to January. The five-foot-seven Moras, who held a two-inch height and reach advantage, looked to connect from distance in the first round. Moras kept circling, trying to avoid Melo's power, while attacking the Brazilian with low kicks and jabs. Moras (6-8-0) lost her mouthpiece early in the second round after absorbing a blow to the face and was soon bleeding from the nose and mouth. Melo kept coming forward with Moras dancing away. Melo fought off a late Moras takedown attempt in the round. It was more of the same in the third with Moras throwing jabs on the move and Melo unsuccessfully trying to chase her down. Both fighters were in need of a win. Moras, a native of Kelowna, B.C, who fights our of Las Vegas, has now lost five of her previous six fights. The 32-year-old was coming off a decision loss last May to Sijara (Sarj) Eubanks, currently ranked 14th among 135-pound contenders. It was the first outing for the Canadian since September 2019 when she defeated Georgia's Liana (She Wolf) Jojua by third-round TKO at UFC 242 in Abu Dhabi. Melo (11-8-0) had lost all three of her previous UFC fights, all by decision. Moras, whose UFC career has been interrupted by injuries, is 3-6-0 in the promotion. Her Cheesecake nickname came after a friend dared her to come out to her first pro fight to the song "Cheesecake'" by the Muppets. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 16, 2021 The Canadian Press
The organisers of the march called for a total review of legislation.View on euronews
WILMINGTON, Del. — In a dig at the outgoing Trump administration, President-elect Joe Biden said the team of scientific advisers he introduced Saturday will lead with "science and truth. We believe in both.” Biden is elevating the position of science adviser to Cabinet level, a White House first, and said that Eric Lander, a pioneer in mapping the human genome who is in line to be director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy, is “one of the most brilliant guys I know.” Lander said Biden has tasked his advisers and “the whole scientific community and the American public” to “rise to this moment." Vice-President-elect Kamala Harris used the rollout of the science team to recall her late mother, a cancer researcher whom she credited with teaching her to think critically. “The science behind climate change is not a hoax. The science behind the virus is not partisan,” Harris said. “The same laws apply, the same evidence holds true regardless of whether or not you accept them.” Both Biden and Harris veered from their prepared texts to hold up the scientists as examples to children across the country. “Superheroes aren’t just about our imagination,” Harris said. “They are walking among us. They are teachers and doctors and scientists, they are vaccine researchers ... and you can grow up to be like them, too.” Lander is the founding director of the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard and was the lead author of the first paper announcing the details of the human genome. He would be the first life scientist to have that White House job. His predecessor is a meteorologist. The president-elect is retaining the director of the National Institutes of Health, Dr. Francis Collins, who worked with Lander on the human genome project. Biden also named two prominent female scientists to co-chair the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology. Frances Arnold, a California Institute of Technology chemical engineer who won the 2018 Nobel Prize in chemistry, and MIT vice-president for research and geophysics professor Maria Zuber will lead the outside science advisory council. Lander held that position during Obama administration. Collins, in an email statement, called Lander “brilliant, visionary, exceptionally creative and highly effective in aspiring others.” “I predict he will have a profound transformational effect on American science,” Collins said. The job as director of science and technology policy requires Senate confirmation. Science organizations were also quick to praise Lander and the promotion of the science post to Cabinet level. Elevating the position "clearly signals the administration's intent to involve scientific expertise in every policy discussion,” said Sudip Parikh, chief executive officer of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the world's largest general scientific society. Biden picked Princeton's Alondra Nelson, a social scientist who studies science, technology and social inequality, as deputy science policy chief. Lander, also a mathematician, is a professor of biology at both Harvard and MIT and his work has been cited nearly half a million times in scientific literature, one of the most among scientists. He has won numerous science prizes, including a MacArthur “genius” fellowship and a Breakthrough Prize, and is one of Pope Francis' scientific advisers. Lander has said in talks that an opportunity to explain science is his “Achilles' heel": “I love teaching and more than that, I firmly believe that no matter what I do in my own scientific career, the most important impact that I could ever have on the world is going to be through my students.” ___ Borenstein reported from Kensington, Maryland. Bioll Barrow And Seth Borenstein, The Associated Press
MONTREAL — Quebec is reporting 2,225 new COVID-19 cases and 67 further deaths attributed to the novel coronavirus. The number of hospitalizations dropped for a second day, this time by 22 for a total of 1,474 patients, with four fewer patients in intensive care for a total of 227. Health Minister Christian Dube tweeted that all Quebecers need to continue to follow public health rules to ensure cases and hospitalizations go down. The province's Health Department reported 2,430 more recoveries, for a total of 210,364. Quebec currently has 21,640 active cases. The province has now reported 240,970 confirmed infections and 9,005 deaths since the beginning of the pandemic. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 16, 2021. The Canadian Press
TORONTO — A tentative deal that could see General Motors Canada pour a billion dollars into Ontario's beleaguered automotive sector could bring the province one step closer to modernizing its economy and keeping local production afloat, according to a prominent Canadian manufacturing association. GM and national union Unifor announced the deal on Friday night, saying the two sides had reached a preliminary agreement to transform the CAMI plant in Ingersoll, Ont. into a hub for commercial electric vehicle manufacturing. The deal, valued at $1 billion, is still subject to ratification by union members later this weekend. Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters hailed the announcement as a breath of fresh air for a sector that has struggled to retain jobs and fend off other North American competitors for years. "It is good news for Ontario, for those employees in the auto sector, and for the businesses and employees in the supply chain that supports auto assembly in Ontario," association President Dennis Darby said in an email to The Canadian Press. GM dealt Ontario a blow when the last pickup trucks rolled down the line at its Oshawa assembly plant just before Christmas in 2019. The shutdown led to layoffs for the roughly 2,600 people employed at the plant, which had been in operation since 1953 and had nearly ten times as many workers on its assembly lines during its 1980's hay day. Unifor, politicians and even U.K. singer Sting fought the decision to close the plant. GM eventually relented and saved 300 jobs with a $170 million investment to turn a portion of the operation into a auto parts plant. Experts have since predicted a pivot towards electric and self-driving cars and trucks would help Canada contend with competition from the southern U.S. and Mexico. While both regions' auto sectors flourished, Unifor estimated Canada dropped to the No. 10 auto manufacturing country in the world in 2017, down from No. 4 in 1999. "Over the past few years the province has lost production to other jurisdictions, and this (new GM) announcement like some previous ones in the past year by other manufacturers helps provide some much needed stability and hope for the future continued viability of this sub-sector of manufacturing," said Darby. GM said it intends to use the Ingersoll plant for the production of delivery vans dubbed BrightDrop EV 600s, a new venture the company touted at the Consumer Electronics Show this week. The GM deal, if approved, would mark the latest in a string of negotiation triumphs for Unifor as it seeks to bolster Canada's automotive industry. The union struck deals with General Motors, Ford and Fiat Chrysler last year that included support from the federal and Ontario governments. A Ford deal reached in September included $1.95 billion to bring battery electric vehicle production to Oakville, Ont., and a new engine derivative to the southwestern Ontario city of Windsor. The Fiat Chrysler agreement included more than $1.5 billion to build plug-in hybrid vehicles and battery electric vehicles. General Motors agreed in November to a $1.3 billion dollar investment to bring 1,700 jobs to Oshawa plus more than $109 million to in-source new transmission work for the Corvette and support continued V8 engine production in St. Catharines, Ont. If the latest GM deal is ratified, Unifor said recent negotiations would have helped pump $6 billion into the provincial auto sector. Ontario Premier Doug Ford and Economic Development Minister Vic Fedeli issued the statement celebrating the most recent announcement. "This announcement is an important signal that Ontario’s economy remains competitive even in these difficult times," they said. — `with files from Anita Balakrishnan in Toronto This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 16, 2021. Tara Deschamps, The Canadian Press
WASHINGTON — A Missouri woman has been charged with taking a splintered name plate belonging to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi during the riot at the U.S. Capitol. Emily Hernandez, of Sullivan, was charged Friday with with five counts, including disorderly conduct that impedes the conduct of government business and the stealing or disposing of government property. She had not been arrested as of early Saturday afternoon, according to court documents. Her home phone number rang unanswered. The FBI received online tips from at least three people saying Hernandez was the person seen in TV news footage holding up a broken engraved piece of wood bearing the words “House” and “Nancy” during the storming of the Capitol by supporters of President Donald Trump, an agent wrote in an affidavit. The riot happened Jan. 6 as Congress was meeting to vote to affirm President-elect Joe Biden’s electoral win. Five people died in the mayhem. Law enforcement officials across the country have been working to locate and arrest suspects who committed federal crimes and have brought dozens of cases in federal court and the District of Columbia Superior Court. Sullivan is located about 60 miles (97 kilometres) southwest of St. Louis. The Associated Press
Moose Jaw Pride has opened a temporary warming space for anyone trying to get out of the cold in the southern Saskatchewan city's downtown, the non-profit organization says. "We know there are a lot of folks who spend their days outside with few options to warm up. With COVID, there are even less places and more rules to follow, so we decided to help out where we can," said Elliece Ramsey, a Moose Jaw Pride peer navigator, in a news release. The warming space, located at 345 Main St. N., will be open Monday to Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. from Monday to Friday. The warming space shares a building with the Moose Jaw Pride offices and Rainbow Retro Thrift Shop, the release says. The warming centre is open to everyone and offers free hot coffee, snacks, free winter clothing, personal hygiene kits, books, and phone and internet access, the release says. People stopping by can also connect with a Pride peer navigator, who can provide companionship and help people access various community resources that offer services such as health care, shelter and food. Masks will be mandatory, and all visitors must adhere to physical distancing, per Saskatchewan's public health restrictions, the release said. Moose Jaw Pride already has a couple of partners who have offered food or financial support for the warming space. But the organization is looking for more groups to help, in order to extend the operational hours of the warming centre, the release says.
