Thousands defy military in Myanmar to continue protests against the coup

Thousands of protesters in Myanmar have defied a ban on gatherings by the military who ousted the elected government two weeks ago.

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  • Even more chaotic than usual, Globes still had their moments

    In the opening moments of a Golden Globes night even more chaotic and confounding than usual, co-host Tina Fey raised a theoretical question: “Could this whole night have been an email?” Only the next three hours would tell. Well, sure, it could have been an email. But then you wouldn't have had Chadwick Boseman’s eloquent widow, bringing many to tears as she explained how she could never be as eloquent as her late husband. Or Jane Fonda, sharply calling out Hollywood for its lack of diversity on a night when her very hosts were under fire for exactly that. Or Chloé Zhao, making history as the first woman of Asian descent to win best director (and the first woman since 1984.) Or 98-year-old Norman Lear, giving the simplest explanation for his longevity: never living or laughing alone. Or Jodie Foster kissing her wife joyfully, eight years after very tentatively coming out on the same telecast. Of course, there were the usual confounding results and baffling snubs, compounded here by some epic Zoom fails. But then we had the kids and the dogs. And they were adorable. Next year, can we still have the kids and the dogs, please? Some key moments of the first and hopefully last virtual Globes night: AN OVERDUE RECKONING The evening began under a cloud of embarrassing revelations about the Hollywood Foreign Press Association and its lack of inclusion, including the damaging fact that there are no Black members in the 87-person body. Fey and co-host Amy Poehler addressed it early: “Even with stupid things, inclusivity is important." Winners like Daniel Levy of “Schitt's Creek” and presenters like Sterling K. Brown referred to it. Jane Fonda made it a theme of her powerful speech accepting the Cecil B. DeMille award. And the HFPA made a hasty onstage pledge to change. “We recognize we have our own work to do,” said vice-president Helen Hoehne. “We must have Black journalists in our organization.” “I DON'T HAVE HIS WORDS” The best-actor award to Chadwick Boseman for “Ma Rainey's Black Bottom” had been expected. That did not dull the emotional impact of his victory. His widow, Taylor Simone Ledward, tearfully accepted in his honour, telling viewers that her husband, who died of colon cancer at 43 before the film was released, “would say something beautiful, something inspiring, something that would amplify that little voice inside of all of us that tells you you can. That tells you to keep going, that calls you back to what you are meant to be doing at this moment in history.” But, she said poignantly, “I don't have his words." Co-star Viola Davis could be seen weeping as Ledward spoke. She was not alone. PREDICTABLE ZOOM FAILS It was obvious there were going to be awkward Zoom fails. It started early, when the very first winner, Daniel Kaluuya for “Judas and the Black Messiah,” was on mute as he accepted his award, leaving presenter Laura Dern to apologize for technical difficulties. Thankfully, the problem was resolved in time for the actor to speak. Jason Sudeikis, whose charmingly rambling speech ("This is nuts!") and rumpled hoodie signalled he hadn't expected to win, finally realized he needed to “wrap this puppy up.” And winner Catherine O'Hara ("Schitt's Creek") had some perhaps unwelcome help from her husband, whose efforts to provide applause sounds and play-off music on his phone while she spoke lost something in translation, causing confusion on social media. Oh yes, and there were those conversations between nominees before commercials — did they know we heard them? KIDS AND PETS, STILL BRINGING JOY Still, the virtual acceptances from winners stuck at home had a huge silver lining: happy kids and cute pets. When Mark Ruffalo won for “I Know This Much is True,” two of his teens could not control their joy enough to stay out of the camera shot. Not to be outdone, the adorable young daughter of Lee Isaac Chung, writer-director of the Korean-American family drama “Minari,” sat in his lap and hugged him throughout his acceptance for best foreign language film. “She’s the reason I made this film,” said Chung. Winner Jodie Foster ("The Mauritanian") also had a family member in her lap: her dog. Also seen: Sarah Paulson's dog, and Emma Corrin's cat. LOVE FOR BORAT, SNUB FOR BAKALOVA ... AND EXPOSURE FOR GIULIANI Bulgarian actress Maria Bakalova, breakout star of Amazon’s “Borat Subsequent Moviefilm,” had been widely expected to win, but lost out to Rosamund Pike ("I Care a Lot") who saluted Bakalova's bravery. In her movie, Pike said, “I had to swim up from a sinking car. I think I still would rather do that than have been in a room with Rudy Giuliani.” The former New York mayor's infamous cameo was also the butt of jokes from “Borat” star Sacha Baron Cohen, who called Giuliani “a fresh new talent who came from nowhere and turned out to be a comedy genius ... I mean, who could get more laughs from one unzipping?” Baron Cohen, who won for best actor in a comedy, also joked that Donald Trump was “contesting the result” of his win. A FIERY FONDA Did you expect anything less from Fonda? In her memorable DeMille award speech, the multiple Globe winner extolled the virtues of cinematic storytelling — “stories can change our hearts and our minds” — then pivoted to admonishing Hollywood. “There's a story we’ve been afraid to see and hear about ourselves,” she said, “a story about which voices we respect and elevate and which we tune out: a story about who’s offered a seat at the table and who’s kept out of the rooms where decisions are made.” She said the arts should not merely keep step with society, but lead the way. “Let's be leaders,” she said. ZHAO MAKES HISTORY When Zhao won best director for her haunting and elegant “Nomadland,” she was the first Asian American woman ever to win that award. But that wasn't the only way she made history: it was the first directing Globe for a woman in nearly 40 years, since Barbra Streisand won for “Yentl." Her film, a look at itinerant Americans, “at its core for me is a pilgrimage through grief and healing,” Zhao said. “For everyone who has gone through this difficult and beautiful journey at some point in their lives, we don’t say goodbye, we say: See you down the road.” With Zhao's win, the road widens for other female directors. ___ This story has been corrected to show that Norman Lear is 98, not 99. Jocelyn Noveck, The Associated Press

  • Star Of ‘The Crown’ Thrilled By Prince Harry’s Reaction To The Show

    Emma Corrin just won a Golden Globe for her portrayal of Princess Diana.

  • Who have provinces pegged to receive COVID-19 vaccines in the coming weeks?

    As COVID-19 vaccine supplies ramp up across the country, most provinces and territories have released details of who can expect to receive a shot in the coming weeks. Here's a list of their plans to date: Newfoundland and Labrador The province says it is in Phase 1 of its vaccine rollout. Health-care workers on the front lines of the pandemic, staff at long-term care homes, people of "advanced age" and adults in remote or isolated Indigenous communities have priority. Chief medical health officer Dr. Janice Fitzgerald has said Phase 2 will begin in April if vaccine supply remains steady. The second phase prioritizes adults over 60 years old, beginning with those over 80, as well as Indigenous adults, first responders, rotational workers and adults in marginalized populations, such as those experiencing homelessness. Adults between 16 and 59 years old will be vaccinated in the third phase of the rollout, and Fitzgerald has said she expects that to begin this summer. --- Nova Scotia Health officials in Nova Scotia announced Tuesday that vaccination rollout plans for the month included the province's first pharmacy clinics. Prototype pharmacy clinics will launch in Halifax and Shelburne on March 9, Port Hawkesbury on March 16 and Springhill on March 23. Nova Scotia plans to have vaccine available to at least 75 per cent of the population by the end of September 2021. --- Prince Edward Island Health officials in Prince Edward Island say they will shift their focus to getting a first dose of COVID-19 vaccine to all adults by July 1, even if it means delaying the second shot for some. Chief medical officer Heather Morrison has said people over the age of 80 will get a second dose based on their existing appointments. Going forward, she said, other residents will get a longer interval between their first and second doses, but she didn’t specific how long that will be. --- New Brunswick The province is also focusing on vaccinating those living in long-term care homes, health-care workers with direct patient contact, adults in First Nations communities and older New Brunswickers in the first phase, which lasts until at least March. The next phase is scheduled to begin in the spring and includes residents and staff of communal settings, other health-care workers including pharmacists, first responders and critical infrastructure employees. The government website says once the vaccine supply is continuous and in large enough quantities, the entire population will be offered the shots. --- Quebec Quebec started vaccinating older seniors Monday, after a first phase that focused largely on health-care workers, remote communities and long-term care. In Montreal, mass vaccine sites including the Olympic Stadium opened their doors to the public as the province began inoculating seniors who live in the hard-hit city. The government announced last week it would begin booking appointments for those aged 85 and up across the province, but that age limit has since dropped to 70 in some regions, including Montreal. Quebec announced Tuesday it had reached a deal with pharmacies that will allow them to start administering COVID-19 vaccines by mid-March. Health Minister Christian Dube said about 350 pharmacies in the Montreal area will start taking appointments by March 15 for people as young as 70. The program will eventually expand to more than 1,400 pharmacies across the province that will administer about two million doses. The Montreal region is being prioritized in part because of the presence of more contagious variants, such as the one first identified in the United Kingdom, Dube has said. --- Ontario The province began vaccinating people with the highest priority, including those in long-term care, high-risk retirement home residents, certain classes of health-care workers and people who live in congregate care settings. Several regions in Ontario moved ahead Monday with their plans to vaccinate the general public, while others used their own systems to allow residents aged 80 and older to schedule appointments. Toronto also began vaccinating members of its police force Monday after the province identified front-line officers as a priority group. Constables and sergeants who respond to emergency calls where medical assistance may be required are now included in the ongoing first phase of Ontario's vaccine rollout, a spokeswoman for the force said. A day earlier, Toronto said the province expanded the first phase of its vaccination drive to include residents experiencing homelessness. The provincial government has said it aims to begin vaccinating Ontarians aged 80 and older starting the week of March 15, the same day it plans to launch its vaccine booking system, which will offer a service desk and online portal. It has said the vaccine rollout will look different in each of its 34 public health units. When asked about the lack of provincewide cohesion, Health Minister Christine Elliott said that public health units know their regions best and that's why they have been given responsibility to set the pace locally. She also says the province will soon share an updated vaccine plan that factors in expected shipments of the newly approved Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine. The province will do that after getting guidance from the federal government on potentially extending the time between first and second doses, like B.C. is doing, of the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines to four months, Elliott says She also says Ontario seniors won't receive the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine since there's limited data on its effectiveness in older populations. --- Manitoba Manitoba is starting to vaccinate people in the general population. Appointments are now available for most people aged 94 and up, or 74 and up for First Nations people. Until now, vaccines have been directed to certain groups such as health-care workers and people in personal care homes. Health officials plan to reduce the age minimum, bit by bit, over the coming months. Dr. Joss Reimer, medical lead of the province's vaccine task force, has said inoculations could be open to all adults in the province by August if supplies are steady. --- Saskatchewan The province is still in the first phase of its vaccination rollout, which reserves doses for long-term care residents and staff, health-care workers at elevated risk of COVID-19 exposure, seniors over the age of 70 and anyone 50 or older living in a remote area. In all, nearly 400,000 doses are required to finish this stage. The next phase will be focused on vaccinating the general population by age. It hopes to begin its mass vaccination campaign by April, but there if there isn’t enough supply that could be pushed back to June. Saskatchewan will begin immunizing the general population in 10-year increments, starting with those 60 to 69. Also included in this age group will be people living in emergency shelters, individuals with intellectual disabilities in care homes and people who are medically vulnerable. Police, corrections staff and teachers are among the front-line workers not prioritized for early access to shots. The government says supply is scarce. The province said this week that it may follow British Columbia's lead in delaying a second dose of COVID-19 vaccine to speed up immunizations. The government says it hopes a national committee that provides guidance on immunizations will support waiting up to four months to give people a second dose. If that happens, the province could speed up how soon residents get their first shot. --- Alberta Alberta is now offering vaccines to anyone born in 1946 or earlier, a group representing some 230,000 people. Appointments are being offered through an online portal and the 811 Health Link phone line. Shots are also being offered to this cohort at more than 100 pharmacies in Calgary, Red Deer and Edmonton starting in early March and the government has said there are also plans to include doctors’ offices. Health Minister Tyler Shandro has said all eligible seniors should have their first shots by the end of March. But he said Monday that the province will not give Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine to anyone over the age of 65 after the National Advisory Committee on Immunization expressed concerned there is limited data on how well it will work in older populations. The first phase of the vaccine rollout also included anyone over 65 who lives in a First Nations or Metis community, various front-line health care workers, paramedics and emergency medical responders. Phase 2 of the rollout, to begin in April, is to start with those 65 and up, Indigenous people older than 50 and staff and residents of licensed supportive living seniors’ facilities not previously included. --- British Columbia British Columbia will extend the time between the first and second doses of COVID-19 vaccines to four months so all adults could get their initial shot by the end of July. Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry says evidence from the province and around the world shows protection of at least 90 per cent from the first dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines. The province launched the second phase of its immunization campaign Monday and health authorities will begin contacting residents and staff of independent living centres, those living in seniors' supportive housing as well as homecare support clients and staff. Seniors aged 90 and up can call to make their appointment starting next Monday, followed a week later by those aged 85 and over, and a week after that by those 80 and up. Henry says the approval of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine means some people will get their first shot sooner than planned. She says B.C. will focus its rollout of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine among essential workers, first responders and younger people with more social interactions who would have to wait longer to receive their first doses of the Moderna or Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines. It's now possible that all adults could get their first shot by July, Henry says. --- Nunavut The territory says it expects enough vaccines for 75 per cent of its population over the age of 18. After a COVID-19 vaccine is administered, patients will be tracked to ensure they are properly notified to receive their second dose. Nunavut's priority populations are being vaccinated first. They include residents of shelters, people ages 60 years and up, staff and inmates and correctional facilities, first responders and front-line health-care staff. --- Northwest Territories The Northwest Territories its priority groups — such as people over 60, front-line health workers and those living in remote communities — are being vaccinated The territory says it expects to vaccine the rest of its adult population starting this month. --- Yukon Yukon says it will receive enough vaccine to immunize 75 per cent of its adult population by the end of March. Priority for vaccinations has been given to residents and staff in long-term care homes, group homes and shelters, as well as health-care workers and personal support workers. People over the age of 80 who are not living in long-term care, and those living in rural and remote communities, including Indigenous Peoples, are also on the priority list for shots. --- This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 3, 2021. The Canadian Press

  • Comic-Con to remain virtual in 2021, cites financial strain

    San Diego Comic-Con will remain virtual for the July event, but organizers are planning for a smaller-scale gathering later this year. Comic-Con announced Monday that the annual confab will return to virtual for a second-straight year between July 23-25. The in-person experience was cancelled again due to coronavirus-related cautions around large gatherings. Organizers said postponements and other challenges caused by the pandemic left them with “limited financial resources.” As a result, the virtual convention in July was reduced from four to three days. However, organizers said they are planning a smaller in-person November event in San Diego. The details have not yet been released. Comic-Con attracts more than 135,000 people — often elaborately costumed — to the Gaslamp District every year for the comic book convention. It is not uncommon for thousands of people to gather in a single room for a panel discussion, and the exhibit hall is usually jam-packed with people perusing merchandise. Last year, Comic-Con organizers postponed its smaller Anaheim, California-based event WonderCon, which had been set to take place in mid-April. A version of the event took place online instead. Comic-Con organizers were slow to make any official decisions regarding their largest event, a huge money-maker for the restaurants and hotels of San Diego, and an important promotional stop for Hollywood television and films. The event is estimated to generate over $147 million for the local economy each year. The Associated Press

  • Caldwell First Nation launches online system for project consultations

    The Caldwell First Nation has set up an online system to help manage the many consultation requests it gets every week. Companies and organizations are required to consult with First Nations when they're planning projects on their territory — anything from power lines to building bridges. Nikki van Oirschot, director of operations with the Caldwell First Nation, said the duty to consult is an important part of being a self-determining First Nation. "Especially now that we have reserve status and we're going to be planting our roots back down in our home, it's even more important for us to ensure that what's happening that can affect our area is a priority, and not sort of something happening in the background without our input," she said. The online portal will help the First Nation more easily determine which projects need the most attention, such as activities that could affect water and traditional food sources, she said. The system requires organizations that are making proposals to answer questions, some of them regarding their awareness of the Caldwell First Nation and its history. "It takes them through this process to make sure we're being engaged in the ways that we want to be engaged, and not in the ways they choose to engage," she said. More from CBC Windsor

  • Body found inside burning home near Peterborough, Ont.: police

    Police say a person has died in a house fire near Peterborough, Ont. Provincial police say flames broke out at a home in Otonabee-South Monaghan Township around 6 p.m., Monday. They say the building was fully engulfed by the time officers and firefighters arrived. Investigators say two occupants managed to get out of the home, but another person was found dead inside. They say the office of the fire marshal is investigating. The cause of the fire has not yet been determined and no details about the victim have been released. This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 2, 2021. The Canadian Press

  • Canopy Growth launches first CBD drinks in U.S. as legalization talk intensifies

    SMITHS FALLS, Ont. — Canopy Growth Corp. will deepen its U.S. presence by launching four sparkling cannabidiol waters there before possible federal legalization. The Smiths Falls, Ont.-based cannabis company says four drinks from its Quatreau brand will be available to U.S. customers today. They will contain 20 milligrams of CBD, come in ginger and lime, cucumber and mint, blueberry and açaí, and passion fruit and guava flavours and be Canopy’s first CBD drinks to cross the border. The 355-millilitre beverages have been available in Canada since last fall, but will join Martha Stewart, BioSteel and This Works CBD products Canopy has already made available in the U.S. as part of an expansion strategy. The Quatreau sparkling waters will be sold through e-commerce — a model that can be built on if the U.S. cannabis market flourishes. Industry observers believe U.S. opportunities for Canadian pot companies will multiply this year because U.S. President Joe Biden and his Democratic party have favoured legislation that will relax cannabis laws. This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 2, 2021. Companies in this story: (TSX: WEED) The Canadian Press

  • P.E.I. has 4 new COVID-19 cases; 2 past cases involved variant

    P.E.I.'s chief public health officer announced four new cases of COVID-19 on Tuesday, as her office continues efforts to control two outbreaks that started in the last week of February. Dr. Heather Morrison announced the new cases in her regular weekly briefing. The new cases were: A man in his 20s, a close contact of a person in the Charlottetown cluster of cases. He had been in self-isolation already. Morrison noted that he tested negative at first, but continued to isolate and a second swab tested positive after he developed symptoms. A man and woman in their 20s. These could be related to both Charlottetown and Summerside clusters, and contact tracing is continuing. A man in his 20s, likely related to travel. Later on Tuesday, the province added another restaurant to the list of public exposure sites on P.E.I.: Bombay Cuisine at 339 University Ave. in Charlottetown, on Saturday, Feb. 20 between 6 p.m. and 7 p.m. The Island added 12 cases over the weekend, and the number of active cases rose to 18, the most since the spring. In response, the province implemented a three-day lockdown starting Monday, and ramped-up testing. With the new cases, P.E.I. has 22 active cases, its most ever, out of 136 diagnosed since the pandemic began nearly a year ago. Excluding cases linked to travel, the current outbreaks include at least 11 in Summerside and up to nine in Charlottetown. Results seen as good news While Morrison was not yet able to say if the red phase of restrictions could be lifted on Thursday as scheduled, she characterized the results of the testing so far as relatively good news. "It looks like we will be able to connect a lot of these cases to each other," said Morrison. Chief of Nursing Marion Dowling gave more details about testing and vaccination at Tuesday's briefing. (CBC) "We've tested a significant number of people, and despite all those additional tests, we're not getting a whole bunch of unlinked cases. And that's really key and important for us to know as we move forward and try to determine if there is any more widespread community transmission." Morrison said 10,000 tests had been gathered in a mass testing campaign since Saturday, 2100 rapid tests among them. Only 2,000 tests from that batch are still awaiting analysis. Also at Tuesday's briefing, Chief of Nursing Marion Dowling confirmed that staff had been pulled from a Charlottetown Airport testing pilot project in order to reinforce efforts at the Summerside clinics and testing sites elsewhere on the Island. UK variant in past cases Two cases announced last Wednesday — including one woman charged with public health violations for visiting Toys R Us in Charlottetown when she was supposed to be self-isolating — have been confirmed to involve the B117 variant, first detected in the UK. Morrison said analysis of the other recent cases is continuing, and she is expecting more news by this weekend. Confirmation of two new cases involving the variant is a concern, said Morrison, because it appears to be more contagious. Morrison said until definitive results are in new cases will be treated as if they were the variant strain. COVID-19 and testing on P.E.I. The province's COVID-19 data page shows that males make up 60% of those diagnosed with COVID-19 on the Island, and females 40%. All but 10 cases have been detected in people aged under 60. As of Sunday, Feb. 28, a total of 100,507 COVID-19 tests had ended up with negative results after being analyzed. Testing was being slowed on Tuesday by bad weather, with storm-related closures announced for testing clinics at Slemon Park and Three Oaks High School in Summerside as well as at Bordon-Carleton. More from CBC P.E.I.

  • Pyrex and Pink Daisies: Midcentury cookware is fab again

    If you want to freshen up your kitchen, look no further than Grandma’s old casserole dishes. Vintage kitchenware is back in style -– pieces from the mid-20th century painted with flowers, bright colours, and specific functions, such as bracketed chip and dip bowls or four-piece refrigerator storage sets. “I’ve always been an old soul and loved anything old,” said Megan Telfer, a collector of vintage dishes, salt and pepper shakers, cookie jars and “a little bit of everything.” The 26-year-old parole officer from the Dallas area said this hobby started with family. Her grandmother gave her mother a green and white Pyrex “Spring Blossom” mixing bowl. “That’s when my interest was piqued,” Telfer said. Three years later, she has more than 300 pieces of vintage Pyrex, displayed on three large bookcases. Her 5-year-old daughter has some vintage Pyrex, too. “We don’t use 90 per cent of it,” Telfer said. “I display it.” Some collectors buy vintage dishware to try to resell it at a profit, while others are in it for nostalgia. "It reminds them of their mothers, aunts, grandmothers,” said Hope Chudy, owner of Downstairs at Felton Antiques in Waltham, Massachusetts. A year of pandemic lockdowns has led to a surge in home cooking and time spent hanging out in the kitchen. Vintage cookware fits right into that homey, old-fashioned vibe. There are lustrous chili bowls with handles, and casserole dishes set on top of brass candle warmers. These are durable dishes, often smaller than modern serving pieces, that can go from freezer to oven to table. But collectors usually acquire them for enjoyment, not utility. “It really sets your kitchen apart from others,” said Victoria Aude, an interior designer in Canton, Massachusetts. “It’s not an item you can just buy off the shelf at Bloomingdale's.” The old dishes are also nice accents when decorating a room, said Atlanta-based interior designer Beth Halpern Brown. “They can add that quick pop of colour," she said. "You can decorate a wall with them, or put one on display and change the space.” Corning first released a Pyrex dish in 1915. By the 1930s, Anchor Hocking Glass Corp. released its competitor brand Fire-King. But it’s the kitchenware made between 1950 and 1980 that seem to be most popular right now. Jo Adinolfi, a 62-year-old nurse from Shelton, Connecticut, collects Pyrex mixing bowls and stackable refrigerator sets, what collectors affectionately call “fridgies.” She started collecting and selling about 10 years ago and owns more than 2,000 pieces. The mid-20th-century glass bowls and casserole dishes from brands like Fire-King and Pyrex haven’t changed, but their prices have. “The more people that collect, the higher the demand is, the more people are trying to source the right goods to be able to feed that request,” said Stan Savellis, 42, of Sydney, Australia, who has collected vintage kitchenware since his teenage years and runs the online store That Retro Piece. Television and social media have also generated interest. Series like “WandaVision,” “Firefly Lane,” “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” and “Mad Men" all highlight midcentury kitchens and kitchenware. And then there's social media too, said Vicki Matranga, the design programs co-ordinator for the International Housewares Association and author of the book “America at Home: A Celebration of Twentieth-Century Housewares.” “With everyone at home now, you can look at collections on Facebook or Instagram,” she said. In pre-pandemic days, vintage collectors would meet up at swaps. Now, people are buying and selling on eBay, Etsy, Facebook and other websites. The rarest pieces have sold for thousands of dollars, such as the 1959 “Lucky in Love” covered casserole dish that Goodwill sold for $5,994 in 2017. Still, some enthusiasts simply like the vintage look and sentimentality. “It goes with my house,” said Ashley Linder, 37, of Lake Jackson, Texas. Linder’s vintage collection includes can openers from the 1950s, and they still work. “Fortunately, I have the space to display most of it, though some are seasonal-use,” she said. One of her most treasured finds was a Pyrex “Pink Daisy 045” casserole dish on eBay. It was in great condition, still in the box. “You don’t come across a lot of pink pieces in the box,” she said. She paid $300 for it and messaged the seller in hopes of finding out how it was so well preserved. “The lady had bought an old farmhouse in Nebraska, and it was left there,” she said. “It’s an investment.” Tracee M. Herbaugh, The Associated Press

  • 'Buttergate' debunked: No evidence butter is harder due to palm supplements for cows

    A recent controversy over the consistency of butter reflects the need for evidence rather than anecdotal data.

  • Reliance Jio splashes out $8 billion in Indian airwaves auction

    Reliance Jio Infocomm, the telecoms company backed by Indian billionaire Mukesh Ambani and tech giants Facebook and Google, won airwaves worth about $8 billion in a $10.6 billion spectrum auction that closed on Tuesday. Jio picked up a total of 488.35 megahertz (Mhz) in frequency bands of 800 Mhz, 1800 Mhz and 2300 Mhz, India's telecoms secretary Anshu Prakash told reporters.

  • Aging out of child welfare is lonely, isolating, say young adults

    Children who are moving out of the child welfare system and their advocates say the experience is intensely lonely and the young adults don't always have the skills they need to succeed on their own.

  • Québec Solidaire propose une prime région pour les stagiaires

    Québec Solidaire propose de nouvelles mesures afin d’inciter davantage d’étudiants à effectuer des stages en régions en haussant de 30 % les montants des bourses de soutien offertes dans les secteurs de la santé, des services sociaux et de l’éducation . La députée de Rouyn-Noranda-Témiscamingue, Émilise Lessard-Therrien, a proposé d’apporter des modifications au Programme de soutien à la persévérance et réussite qui permet à des étudiants des niveaux collégial et universitaire inscrits dans 16 formations différentes de toucher des bourses variant entre 900 $ et 4000 $ en fonction des programmes et niveaux. Il s’agit de secteurs où subsistent des pénuries importantes de main-d’oeuvre. En entrevue, Mme Lessard-Therrien a indiqué que le nombre potentiel d’étudiants admissibles s’établit à 17 000. Ces étudiants qui auraient l’opportunité d’effectuer des stages dans des régions comme le Bas-Saint-Laurent, l’Abitibi, la Côte-Nord, les Iles-de-la-Madelaine, etc. pourraient bénéficier d’une somme supplémentaire de 750 $ dans le cas d’étudiants en soins infirmiers, montant qui s’ajouterait aux 2500 $ déjà disponibles. De plus, des montants compensatoires sont exigés pour les frais de transport et de logement liés au stage. « Dans certaines régions, il y a des enjeux de pénurie très importants parce qu’il n’est pas possible de combler des besoins de main-d’oeuvre avec des gens de ces régions. Il y a parfois des difficultés à ramener les jeunes qui sont partis étudier à l’extérieur. » Elle croit que la bonification pourrait inciter d’autres étudiants à découvrir de nouvelles régions avec leurs grands espaces, leur qualité de vie et les liens tissés serrés de leurs communautés et s’y installer à long terme. La députée de Québec Solidaire a mentionné que les propositions élaborées font la suite de consultations qui ont été menées auprès d’associations étudiantes. Dès la semaine prochaine, à la reprise des travaux parlementaires, la formation politique souhaite interroger le gouvernement sur les solutions qu’il entend proposer pour faire face à la pénurie de main-d’oeuvre dans les régions et des solutions qui tardent à être dévoilées. « Tout le monde est conscient du défi qu’il faut relever. Il faut résorber cette situation, sinon on va frapper un mur », conclut la députée. En cette période de pandémie, Mme Lessard-Therrien constate que les régions n’ont rien à envier aux grandes villes, mais il y a lieu de mettre en place des efforts pour y attirer les jeunes. Denis Villeneuve, Initiative de journalisme local, Le Quotidien

  • « Tannants » mais écolos

    C’est par souci de réduire leur empreinte écologique et pour encourager les autres à suivre leur exemple que huit élèves de l’école Le Tremplin, à Chambly, confectionnent et vendent leurs propres produits zéro déchet. C’est grâce à leur enseignante et à leur éducatrice, Mylène Duchesne et Nathalie Gauthier, qui les ont initiés au tri des déchets et sensibilisés à leurs répercussions sur les fonds marins et les animaux, que les huit garçons de niveau primaire ont commencé à nourrir un intérêt particulier pour la réduction de leur empreinte écologique. Une école pas comme les autres L’école Le Tremplin, située à l’intérieur du Centre jeunesse de la Montérégie sur la rue Salaberry, accueille des jeunes âgés de 10 à 21 ans, placés tantôt sous la Protection de la jeunesse, tantôt sous la Loi des jeunes contrevenants. « En partant, ce sont des élèves qui ont vécu des choses difficiles, apporte Nathalie, et pour qui le papier et le crayon fonctionnent très peu. De là l’intérêt d’enseigner au travers de projets », complète Mylène. « Nous avons un groupe de huit élèves de niveau primaire et ce sont tous des garçons. Ils habitent ici, de trente jours à un certain nombre d’années. Certains peuvent voir leur famille la fin de semaine, contrairement à d’autres. Ils ont vécu toutes sortes d’épreuves, mais ça leur apporte une profondeur et une maturité. » Une idée qui a germé Déjà avant de leur inculquer ses valeurs, Nathalie ne jurait que par les produits zéro déchet, faisant ses propres shampoing, savon à linge, produits de beauté et ménagers artisanaux à la maison. « Avec la COVID, les enfants se désinfectent régulièrement les mains avec des produits chimiques qui les rendent sèches. J’ai donc amené à l’école l’une de mes crèmes et j’ai vu que ça a piqué la curiosité des élèves », raconte l’éducatrice. « On s’est mis à parler beaucoup d’environnement avec eux. Puis un jour, une autre classe de l’école a lancé son propre service de café. Les élèves de cette classe recevaient des commandes des professeurs de l’école le matin et leur apportaient leurs cafés avant la première période », entame Mylène. « En voyant cela, les élèves de notre classe ont réclamé d’avoir leur propre compagnie. Nathalie et moi leur avons demandé quel genre de projet on pourrait faire. À l’unisson, ils ont répondu qu’ils voulaient réaliser ‘’des projets pour sauver la planète’’! » Il a fallu se trouver un nom, des logos, choisir des produits que l’on pouvait fabriquer, calculer combien ça nous coûterait à produire et comment faire du profit. Ils ont même appris à faire des recettes, on a pu leur faire confiance pour se mettre aux fourneaux et ils se sont bien appliqués à la tâche. Lorsqu’ils utilisaient les huiles essentielles, les gens passaient dans le corridor en commentant leur appréciation des effluves et c’était gratifiant pour eux. » C’est ainsi qu’ils ont créé toute une gamme de sept produits distincts. La Maison du zéro déchet Nathalie étant une habituée de la Maison zéro déchet de Chambly, elle et Mylène leur en ont expliqué le concept. « On a dû obtenir la permission des parents, ce qui n’est pas chose facile, pour les amener avec nous afin qu’ils visitent la maison. Là-bas, on leur a expliqué comment ça fonctionnait, la pesée des pots des clients pour éviter d’utiliser des sacs en plastique, etc. Les propriétaires ont été très gentils, nous ont super bien accueillis, ont pris le temps de parler aux garçons et même de leur donner des bonbons végétaliens. Éventuellement, sans que l’on s’y attende, ils nous ont dit que si l’on en venait à créer notre marque ainsi qu’un produit vraiment fini, ils seraient ‘‘honorés’’ de vendre nos produits sans même toucher de commission. Les garçons, Nathalie et moi n’en revenions pas. » Les jeunes artisans et entrepreneurs verts vendent présentement plusieurs de leurs produits à la Maison du zéro déchet, sous la bannière Tannants mais... écolos, une marque qu’ils ont créée à leur image. Leurs cakes à vaisselle, baumes corporels et pains nourrissants, disposés sur un présentoir, ont commencé à se vendre comme des petits pains il y a deux semaines. Les deux pédagogues s’avouent fières de l’accomplissement de leur classe, qu’elles voient comme la génération des citoyens écoresponsables de demain. Chloé-Anne Touma, Initiative de journalisme local, Le Journal de Chambly

  • Highway 400 reopen after closure due to whiteout conditions, multi-vehicle crash

    BARRIE, Ont. — Highway 400 has reopened in both directions after bring closed for hours due to whiteout conditions and a series of collisions.Ontario Provincial Police announced the lanes had reopened around 9 p.m. Monday.Police shut down the major artery Monday afternoon from Highway 88 outside of Bradford, Ont., to Mapleview Drive in Barrie, Ont.They said at the time that snow squalls caused whiteout conditions on the highway north of Toronto, leading to limited visibility and dangerous driving conditions.Police later said more than 11 vehicles were involved in a crash.They said "numerous" people were injured but did not provide details of their condition.This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 2, 2021. The Canadian Press

  • Chronique : Dans mon temps…

    Je lui avais téléphoné au départ pour prendre de ses nouvelles et lui apporter un moment de bonheur dans sa journée d’aînée confinée. Toujours intéressée par mes projets, mes ambitions, mon quotidien, elle s’est informée sur ce dont je travaillais en ce moment. « On crée un journal qui soulignera la Journée des droits des femmes », lui ai-je répondu. Il n’en fallait pas plus pour que l’on converse sur le sujet pendant plusieurs minutes, faisant remonter ses souvenirs, elle qui a vu le jour en juillet 1946, dans une maison du rang Paul-Baie à Forestville. La fameuse expression « dans mon temps » prenait tout son sens. « Dans mon temps, les femmes avaient le devoir de rester à la maison pour s’occuper des enfants pendant que les hommes devaient faire vivre la famille monétairement », commence-t-elle. Après avoir arrêté ses études en septième année, elle devait aider sa grande sœur à se « relever » de ses grossesses d’une année à l’autre. À l’âge de 18 ans, elle commence à travailler à la boutique Chaussures Idéales à Forestville. « Quand je suis tombée enceinte, j’ai dû arrêter de travailler parce que ce n’était pas bien vu qu’une femme travaille alors qu’elle a des enfants », raconte Mimi, comme je la surnomme. De 21 ans à 34 ans, elle abandonne donc sa carrière pour se donner complètement à ses trois enfants. «Quand ma plus jeune a eu 5 ans, j’ai repris mon travail chez Chaussures Idéales. Ce n’était pas encore bien vu, mais j’y étais obligée pour mettre du pain sur la table. » Pas de service de garde en milieu familial ni scolaire, Rosella doit embaucher une « gardienne à la maison ». «S’il y avait des allocations ou congés de maternité, je n’étais pas au courant. Le gouvernement ne s’en vantait pas. Il n’avait rien pour aider les femmes à concilier travail et famille », m’avoue ma grand-maman. Ce n’est qu’en 1979* que les Québécoises peuvent prendre un congé de maternité de 18 semaines sans risquer de perdre leur emploi. Quatre* ans après l’adoption de la Charte des droits et libertés de la personne, qui prévoit notamment que la discrimination basée sur le sexe est interdite au Québec. Mais, dis-je à ma grand-mère, si une femme ne voulait pas d’enfant, pouvait-elle prendre de la contraception? « La contracepquoi? Les pilules anticonceptionnelles, c’était considéré comme immoral. On nous disait qu’on tuait un être humain en prenant ça. Donc, ça existait un peu dans mon temps, mais personne n’en prenait », m’a-t-elle admis. Concernant l’avortement, ce mot était autant interdit que Voldemort dans Harry Potter. « L’avortement était impossible, il ne fallait même pas y penser. La seule autre option de la femme enceinte était de remettre son bébé à la crèche. On les envoyait à Québec et elles en revenaient pas d’enfant. Dans plusieurs cas, on ne savait même pas qu’elles avaient été enceintes ni qu’elles avaient accouché. » Que faisait-on alors si l’on tombait enceinte et que l’on n’était pas mariée? « On se mariait au plus vite, ma petite fille. Les parents organisaient un mariage en un rien de temps. Il ne fallait surtout pas que l’on sache que leur fille était enceinte avant le mariage. C’était une honte », s’exclame-t-elle. Âgée de 30 ans, j’avais déjà entendu parler et imaginé grâce aux films et livres historiques la situation des femmes au 20e siècle. Mais racontée par ma grand-mère, cette histoire m’a chamboulée. Elle n’a peut-être pas participé aux manifestations auxquelles les brassières étaient lancées, mais elle m’a donné un modèle de femme forte, qui ne se laisse pas marcher sur les pieds, qui a fait sa place dans le monde du travail malgré tous les préjugés et qui a veillé au bien-être de sa famille. Mimi, je te remercie d’avoir contribué, à ta façon, à l’amélioration des droits des femmes au fil des années, comme je remercie toutes celles qui ont provoqué cette évolution et qui continuent à mener la bataille. Ce n’est pas terminé, encore aujourd’hui, nous sommes témoins d’abus de pouvoir, de violence sexuelle, d’inégalités salariales… La notion de la charge mentale a fait son apparition tout comme le mouvement #moiaussi. Les droits des femmes sont toujours en évolution et, en tant que femme, je vous dis ne baissons pas les bras. Il reste du pain sur la planche! Évolution des droits des femmes 1918 : Les femmes obtiennent le droit de vote aux élections fédérales, à l’exception de certains groupes ethniques exclus par la loi, dont les autochtones. 1940 : Le Québec devient la dernière province à accorder aux femmes le droit de vote aux élections provinciales. 1964 : L’obligation d’obéissance des femmes à leur mari est abolie. 1969 : Le gouvernement de Pierre Elliott Trudeau introduit une loi qui décriminalise la contraception. 1983 : Une agression sexuelle commise par un conjoint est désormais reconnue comme un crime. 1988 : L’avortement n’est plus un crime au Canada. 1996 : La Loi sur l’équité salariale est adoptée. 2017-2018 – Le mouvement #MoiAussi devient viral. *Source : www.educaloi.qc.ca/actualites-juridiques/levolution-des-droits-des-femmes-au-quebec-en-10-dates/ Johannie Gaudreault, Initiative de journalisme local, Journal Haute-Côte-Nord

  • Army starts recruiting campaign to bring soldiers to Alaska

    ANCHORAGE, Alaska — The U.S. Army has launched a new recruiting campaign that targets prospective soldiers who want to live and work in Alaska. Previously, soldiers could only request assignment to Alaska after completing basic training, KTUU-TV reported Sunday. Now, they can ask recruiters to be sent to the state. Alaska provides some of the harshest winter U.S. military training regimens, the television station reported. “That’s good for us because we’re trying to build soldiers that have some of these skills,” said Major General Peter Andrysiak. “That’s a key component of what we’re doing. They’re more apt to thrive.” The Army is researching other ways to provide incentives for prospective soldiers who would move to Alaska, Andrysiak said. “If we’re going to ask soldiers and families to live here and endure some of the challenging winters, we’re looking at opportunities for how to improve that,” Andrysiak said. The Associated Press

  • 2021 budget has no new money to prepare Alberta teachers for change in curriculum

    Alberta's proposed budget contains no new money for implementing a new kindergarten-to-Grade 12 school curriculum, even as the start of classroom testing looms later this year. Alberta Teachers' Association president Jason Schilling says a lot of preparation work is required after the ink is dry on any new curriculum documents. He said it's extremely important the provincial government set aside new money for professional development to prepare the province's 46,000 teachers to deliver the new material in every subject and grade. "They need to ensure that this is funded properly, and it can't be on the backs of school boards and teachers," he said in an interview on Monday. The government and teachers will also need to develop or find resources to teach the new material. This includes textbooks, videos and the myriad sources teachers use to bring their lessons to life. The education ministry will also have to develop new provincial exams. The ministry's business plan says it intends to both reform provincial exams to better identify student strengths and deficits and modernize the exams by bringing more of them online. The budget documents say the government will "invest the necessary resources to support teacher learning and build English and French resources aligned to the new curriculum." It does not provide an amount, and the minister's office did not provide an amount when asked. But provincial education funding is frozen at $8.25 billion a year until 2023 — all while enrolment is predicted to rise and inflation drives up costs. Education department budget rising In an interview last week, Education Minister Adriana LaGrange said any funding for curriculum resource development and implementation will come out of Alberta Education's budget. "I am not taking any money away from school divisions for that," she said. The department's budget is slated to rise by $26 million over three years to $114 million by 2023, which is a 30 per cent increase. The amount of provincial money being transferred to school boards, charter schools and independent schools is also dropping by $26 million over that same time period. And, the money allotted for instruction of students from pre-kindergarten to Grade 12 is slated to drop by $117 million, or 1.7 per cent, by 2023, according to education budget documents. LaGrange's press secretary, Justin Marshall, says the drop in public classroom funding can be attributed to school divisions pulling less money out of their savings accounts, decreased insurance costs, and money diverted to growing private schools, among other things. He did not answer a question about why the education department's budget is rising by 30 per cent or how much of the increase is related to curriculum. He says the cost of curriculum field testing will be borne by Alberta Education, not school boards. All elementary schools are expected to begin teaching the new K-6 curriculum in 2022, with junior high and high school transitioning in the following years. Source of curriculum funding unknown Schilling says he can't get clarity from the government on where the curriculum implementation money is coming from. Drafts of the social studies and fine arts curriculum that leaked late last year were also prescriptive about which books students should read, architectural landmarks they should study, songs they should sing and artwork they should interpret. If recommendations that prescriptive stand, the province is going to need to provide that material to schools across the province, Schilling said. An absence of additional funding for curriculum shows the government is more interested in checking the accomplishment off their to-do list than ensuring the new material is going to work for teachers and students, said Sarah Hoffman, NDP education critic and deputy Opposition leader. "Money shouldn't be coming out of classrooms to pay for that," she said. "We want students to be able to learn the best material today and tomorrow, and we want them to be able to have the best educational supports." NDP Education critic Sarah Hoffman says further eroding school budgets while enrolment and inflation rise is a disservice to Alberta students. The risk of diverting money from school budgets to curriculum implementation could include larger class sizes, fewer support staff to help students who are struggling or have disabilities, more school buildings falling into disrepair, longer school bus rides and fewer enriching and hands-on learning opportunities for students, she said. A comparison of the 2020 and 2021 budget documents also shows that 1,907 fewer educational support workers and 310 fewer certified teachers worked in Alberta's public sector this year compared to last year. LaGrange said those staffing decisions lie with school boards. In an interview last week, Canadian Union of Public Employees Alberta president Rory Gill said some of the support workers who were supposed to be laid off temporarily last year during the pandemic were never recalled to work. The union represents about 8,000 school support workers. Gill said he's "disgusted" by the staff reductions. The lack of access to educational assistants will hit kids especially hard when many are already struggling during the pandemic, he said. "It's stretching an already-stretched system to the limit," he said. Increased private school enrolment diverts funding One proposed increase in the education budget is the funding for private schools and early childhood learning centres. If the budget is approved as written, private schools will receive $10 million more next year, and private pre-kindergartens and kindergartens will also receive a $10-million boost. Marshall said the funding increase reflects growing enrolment in private schools, and that funding rates remain the same. Independent schools receive 70 per cent of the funding a public school board would receive for a student, which is the highest rate in Canada. As schools re-opened last September during the COVID-19 pandemic, a decade-long trend of significant growth in Alberta schools had a jolt when an estimated 9,300 fewer pupils enrolled in school. Most of the reduction was in kindergarten and pre-kindergarten. Although the government expects enrolment to rise next year, Marshall said it is "impossible" to predict enrolment given the complications of the pandemic. Edmonton Public Schools is projecting a 2.3 per cent increase in enrolment next year.

  • Self-driving startup Aeva hires Waymo, Apple veteran to oversee supply chain

    Self-driving sensor startup Aeva Inc, founded by two Apple Inc alumni, has hired another former Apple executive to oversee manufacturing and supply chain operations ahead of an expected deal to become a public company later this month. Aeva, founded by former Apple engineers Soroush Salehian and Mina Rezk, makes a lidar sensor that helps cars gain a three-dimensional view of the road and detect how quickly distant objects are moving. The company said Tuesday it hired Tim Willis as vice president of global supply chain, manufacturing and strategy.

  • Unifor reaches tentative deal with 2nd 'feeder four' plant

    Unifor Local 444 has reached a tentative deal with one of the local factories that supply parts for the Stellantis Windsor Assembly Plant. The union said on social media Monday that workers with Avancez will vote virtually on the new collective agreement Saturday. Avancez is a Michigan-based company, which has a plant at 599 Sprucewood Ave., on the west side of Windsor. Union members at another one of the "feeder four" plants, ZF/TRW, voted 78.1 per cent in support of accepting a new deal struck late last month. The union is pattern bargaining with the four Stellantis suppliers, which also include Dakkota and HBPO. Workers at each of the plants have previously indicated they support going on strike if necessary. More from CBC Windsor