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Emails at centre of court martial for Lt.-Gen. Whelan are under publication ban

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:31:51 GMT

OTTAWA — The military judge presiding over a court martial for Lt.-Gen. Steve Whelan has decided the emails at the centre of the case will not be made public during the trial unless they are allowed as evidence.Cmdr. Martin Pelletier said his ruling is an imperfect one, but noted he found himself in a challenging situation. “There come times in the judiciary when you have to fly by the seat of your pants, and this is one of the cases,” Pelletier said as he read his decision Thursday afternoon. Military prosecutors want to enter into evidence 10 packages of email correspondence between Whelan and the complainant in the case, who has been testifying this week. The defence is planning to argue that the emails are not relevant to the charge.Whelan has pleaded not guilty to one charge of conduct to the prejudice of good order and discipline for improperly changing a performance review, while a second charge relating to sexual misconduct has been dropped.The second charge stem...

Quebecer shot after allegedly threatening Trudeau, Legault facing weapons charge

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:31:51 GMT

SCOTSTOWN, Que. — A Quebec man who was shot by police Wednesday as they investigated threats against Premier François Legault and Prime Minster Justin Trudeau is facing a weapons charge.The provincial prosecution service said Thursday that Germain Lemay made a court appearance to face a charge of possession of a weapon for dangerous purpose.Quebec’s police watchdog is investigating the shooting, which left the suspect in hospital in stable condition.The agency, known as the Bureau des enquêtes indépendantes, says the shooting by a provincial police tactical team occurred during an attempted arrest early Wednesday at a home in Scotstown, Que., about 180 kilometres east of Montreal.According to the BEI, an officer who was looking through a window shot the suspect when he saw him point a gun toward the door where officers were entering.Montreal police confirmed late Wednesday that the suspect had allegedly made threats against Legault and Trudeau.Legault’s office said in a ...

Senior Toronto officer admits to helping mentees cheat in promotion interviews

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:31:51 GMT

A high-ranking Toronto police officer pleaded guilty before a disciplinary tribunal after admitting she helped her mentees cheat in a promotional interview process she helped oversee.Supt. Stacy Clarke, the first Black woman to hold the rank in the service’s history, pleaded guilty to seven counts under the Police Services Act, including three counts each of breach of confidence and discreditable conduct.An agreed statement of facts indicates Clarke, while a member of promotional interview panels in 2021, took pictures of questions and answer rubrics and sent them to six of her mentees who were seeking promotions to sergeant.It says she also met with one of her mentees, a close family friend, over three days at her home where she held a mock interview and posed questions sometimes stripped word-for-word from those asked during panels the previous week.She then sat on that officer’s promotional interview panel and did not disclose their friendship or mentor-mentee relatio...

TikTok videos promoting steroid use have millions of views, says report criticized by the company

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:31:51 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — TikTok has become a key marketing channel for vendors promoting steroids and other bodybuilding drugs to millions of the app’s users, according to a report released Thursday that the social media company disputes.In the study, the nonprofit Center for Countering Digital Hate says popular videos encouraging use of the products for aesthetic or athletic gain are being posted by influencers who often downplay the risks associated with them. It follows a warning issued by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in April about performance-enhancing drugs being marketed to teenagers and young adults on social media platforms.“They’re being marketed to young men by influencers who are deliberately saying, ‘If you want to be like Captain America, you’ve got to take these drugs’,” CCDH founder and CEO Imran Ahmed said. The findings from the study show TikTok videos — under certain hashtags — promoting what researchers called “steroid-like drugs” have racked up more than 5...

Group monitoring RCMP response to mass shooting inquiry needs public’s help: chair

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:31:51 GMT

HALIFAX — The head of the committee overseeing how governments and the RCMP are responding to the Nova Scotia mass shooting inquiry says the public will play a key role in ensuring the inquiry’s recommendations do not gather dust.Linda Lee Oland, chair of the independent Progress Monitoring Committee, told a news conference today that the 16-member group does not have a “stick” to force the Mounties and government officials to do the right thing.Instead, the retired Nova Scotia judge says the committee’s annual reports will provide a yardstick for the public to measure how much progress has been made.Oland says the committee, appointed by the federal and Nova Scotia governments, recently met for the first time, holding two days of discussions that were sometimes emotional.In all, the federal-provincial public inquiry issued 130 recommendations, mostly aimed at improving public safety, reforming the national police force and addressing the root causes of gende...

Israel’s High Court hears challenge to a law that makes it harder to remove Netanyahu from office

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:31:51 GMT

JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel’s Supreme Court on Thursday heard a challenge to a law that makes it harder to remove a sitting prime minister, which critics say is designed to protect Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has been working to reshape the justice system while he’s on trial for alleged corruption.The hearing, which lasted eight hours, was part of several pivotal court challenges against a proposed package of legislation and government steps meant to alter the country’s justice system. It comes after months of turmoil in Israel over the plan and deepens a rift between Netanyahu’s government and the judiciary, which it wants to weaken despite unprecedented opposition. Thursday’s hearing on the law, the second by the High Court, took place in front of an expanded 11-judge panel, underscoring the importance of the deliberations.Netanyahu’s governing coalition — Israel’s most religious and nationalist ever — passed an amendment in March known as the “incapacitation law,” wh...

First Nation wants reasons for Trans Mountain ruling; says it’s entitled to appeal

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:31:51 GMT

CALGARY — A B.C. First Nation is asking the Canada Energy Regulator to release its reasons as soon as possible for allowing a modification of the Trans Mountain pipeline’s route.In a letter to the regulator dated Wednesday, a lawyer representing the Stk’emlúpsemc te Secwépemc Nation (SSN) said the decision to grant the route deviation Monday without providing its reasons has left the First Nation without the ability to decide its next steps.The letter said the First Nation has the right to request a reconsideration of the decision, or to appeal it through the Federal Court of Appeal.“This has, in fact, created significant uncertainty for SSN and left SSN without the procedural options that would otherwise be afforded to it with the potential for irreparable harm to its rights and title as a result,” the letter states.The Canada Energy Regulator ruled Monday to allow Trans Mountain Corp. to alter the route slightly for a 1.3-kilometre stretch of pipeline in the Jack...

Chicago's iconic Signature Room closes abruptly

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:31:51 GMT

CHICAGO — One of Chicago's most iconic scenic restaurants has abruptly closed. Crain's Chicago Business first reported that The Signature Room at 95th, located at 875 North Michigan Avenue in Streeterville, is closing due to persisting "economic issues" related to the post-COVID-19 pandemic. ‘It’s amazing’: Chicago day care focuses on teaching sign language A letter posted on the business window posted by The Signature Room owners read:It is with a heavy heart that we announce the permanent closing of our beloved Signature Room at 95th effective Thursday, September 28, 2023.For over 30 years, we have had the privilege and honor of serving Chicagoans and visitors from all over the world. Unfortunately, after the closure of our city and restaurant due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we have been faced with severe economic hardship and the challenges have been greater than anticipated. From the bottom of our hearts, we want to thank you for your support over the years. Photo courtesy of WG...

'Violations have continued': Illinois AG alleges Trump Tower underreporting water discharges into Chicago River

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:31:51 GMT

CHICAGO — Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul filed an amended lawsuit Thursday against Trump Tower — alleging the property is continuing to break environmental laws by "significantly underreporting" the average daily volume of water it discharges into the Chicago River.His office initially filed a lawsuit against Trump Tower in 2018 following violations of Illinois environmental laws. At the time, Raoul stated the property was using water from the Chicago River to cool its air-conditioning systems without a valid permit. Trump Tower still uses the system that is capable of pulling in more than 20 million gallons of river water a day before returning the water at a warmer temperature, according to Raoul. In Feb. 2021, an Illinois judge ruled that Trump International Hotel and Tower was liable for violating state environmental laws.Raoul's office then later entered into an agreed interim order that required Trump Tower to follow the terms of its expired National Pollutant Discharge...

Another painful ending takes Cubs' playoff fate out of their hands

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:31:51 GMT

ATLANTA — There has been nothing but pain for the Cubs the last two days in Atlanta thanks to a pair of late heartbreaking losses.Because of that, the team no longer controls their playoff destiny.After dropping a lead in the bottom of the ninth, the Cubs lost to the Braves 6-5 in 10 innings on an RBI single by Ozzie Albies of Daniel Palencia that drove in Ronald Acuna Jr.It's the second straight game that David Ross' team lost a lead in the final innings, dropping their overall record to 82-76 with just four games to go in the season.What made Wednesday night more painful was the fact that the Cubs no longer control their own destiny thanks to what happened in New York.(AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)After losing Game 1 of their doubleheader to the Mets at Citi Field, the Marlins scored two runs in the top of the ninth to win Game 2 4-2. Thanks to that, they've moved into a tie with the Cubs for the third Wild Card spot, but in reality have the lead thanks to winning the first tiebreak...