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Local Journalism Initiative
The Importance of the PAC in making decisions for Indigenous children
A unique Indigenous-specific Parent Advisory Committee (PAC) is making a difference at a Victoria-area school. At the French-language École Victor-Brodeur in Esquimalt, a group of five families work alongside the existing PAC to address the specific needs of their children and other Indigenous students. PACs are volunteer groups of parents that exist at every public school. They advise school officials on various matters and make school decisions, such as those around lunch and after school programs, or student events. Ruth Young, a parent on the Indigenous PAC at École Victor-Brodeur, says having Indigenous voices at the table is crucial — but at many schools, that representation is lacking. The result is that non-Indigenous parents often end up making decisions that feel like checking a box as Young explains “I don’t want to see dream catchers all over the school and people thinking that [because] they have dream catchers they have ticked the box, I think it helps prevent those kinds of patting yourself on the back approaches.” “Leadership can have very good intentions, but good intentions don’t always result in the best initiatives for Indigenous students or changing the experience of Indigenous students,” says Young. “Having the involvement of Indigenous parents in the advisory, particularly to direct how to use the funds that they get for Indigenous students, is really important.” Young, who is northern Quebec James Bay Cree on her mother’s side, is also the director of Indigenous initiatives at University of Victoria’s Faculty of Law and involved in student recruitment there. She was a high school teacher before moving to Victoria, now in graduate studies looking at the dual roles of Indigenous leadership in post-secondary institutions. Young says at her daughter Ella’s school, the Indigenous PAC provides direction, guidance and advice on how best to utilize the funds that come in for the Indigenous students. Young says oftentimes funds are put into lighter, less serious activities that don’t teach awareness and understanding of the historical and contemporary realities for Indigenous Peoples. Young explains that there is a set amount of money that comes into the school for engagement and relationship-building, based on the number of Indigenous students. It’s the Indigenous PAC’s job to find ways to use those funds in a strength-based capacity. She says the PAC has been working to allocate funds toward “meaningful school wide initiatives,” around subjects such as the history and ongoing impact of residential schools. “[École Victor-Brodeur] is really starting to engage in a lot more meaningful ways and I think it’s because of the involvement of the Indigenous parents in those divisions,” she says. There’s more authentic engagement she says, and the school environment has begun to shift with the types of materials that the library receives, and the types of professional development the teachers have access to — all thanks to the involvement of the Indigenous PAC. Young herself has gone into the school to speak to students about the impact of residential schools and the importance of participating in Orange Shirt Day to help students understand its significance. Before the COVID-19 pandemic necessitated new restrictions across the province, the Indigenous PAC was meeting at least four times a year. Young understands that not every district has an Indigenous-specific PAC and it’s something she says she doesn’t take for granted. She says she sees the difference between a general PAC and an Indigenous PAC, and where the school can bring their questions to the Indigenous PAC to help make important decisions. Young still attends regular PAC meetings, as well as Indigenous PAC meetings, but it’s the Indigenous PAC she sees as having the most long-lasting impact on the school and students by providing culturally-relevant support to Indigenous students and families. “When it is for the Indigenous PAC I almost feel like Ella’s not there with me, but I feel like it’s time with my daughter, because everything has to do with her and her learning, her experience,” she says. Catherine Lafferty, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Discourse
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CBC
Carbon monoxide emergency sends 7 to hospital in northwest Calgary
Seven people were sent to hospital on Thursday after fire crews found high levels of carbon monoxide at a commercial building in Calgary’s northwest. Fire officials said an alarm technician was called to a three-storey commercial complex on Kensington Road N.W. at approximately 1: 30 p.m. to investigate the cause of the alarm in the basement mechanical room. The worker discovered the alarm to be a carbon monoxide detector and called 911. Upon arrival, fire crews evacuated the building and began ventilating to bring carbon monoxide levels down. Gas detection devices recorded readings at the building as high as 440 parts per million in some areas — levels which can become life-threatening after approximately three hours. Seven adults were transported to hospital by EMS, three of which were considered to be in serious but not life-threatening condition. “The source of the carbon monoxide is believed to be due to a problem with the ventilation system and the furnace,” the fire department said in a release. “Building management will be making the appropriate repairs as soon as possible.” Fire officials said Calgarians should test their carbon monoxide alarms once a month, replacing batteries once per year.
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The Canadian Press
Man who wore horns in US Capitol riot moved to Virginia jail
WASHINGTON — A man who stormed the U.S. Capitol while sporting face paint, no shirt and a furry hat with horns was moved to a jail in Virginia on Thursday after a federal judge ordered authorities to provide him with organic food while he’s in custody. Jacob Chansley was transferred to the Alexandria Detention Center after his attorney argued that his client had gone nine days without eating because organic food wasn’t served at the jail in Washington. A judge ordered corrections officials to provide the special diet. Chansley lost 20 pounds since being transferred from Arizona to Washington last week, his attorney, Albert Watkins, told the judge. Chansley, who calls himself the “QAnon Shaman,” considers eating organic food to be part of his “shamanic belief system and way of life,” the lawyer said. On Thursday, U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth said the U.S. Marshals Service told the court that the District of Columbia Department of Corrections had asked for Chansley to be moved because they couldn’t honour the court’s order to feed him organic food. The judge said jail officials in nearby Alexandria could accommodate the special diet. Chansley was indicted on civil disorder, obstruction, disorderly conduct and other charges for his role in the riot at the Capitol on Jan. 6. He was among a group of hundreds of pro-Trump supporters who charged past outnumbered police officers and stormed the Capitol as Congress was meeting to vote to certify Joe Biden’s electoral win. Chansley told investigators he came to the Capitol “at the request of the president that all ‘patriots’ come to D.C. on January 6,” according to court records. The FBI identified Chansley from images taken during the riot that showed his distinctive tattoos. Chansley was inside the Capitol and on the Senate dais as he carried a U.S. flag on a pole topped with a spear. Authorities said he also wrote a threatening note to then-Vice-President Mike Pence. Michael Balsamo, The Associated Press
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Reuters
Libyan rivals vie for roles in new interim government
Potential leaders of a new Libyan interim government joined in competing blocs on Thursday to seek backing from participants in U.N.-backed talks after publicly auditioning for top roles. The process is part of a U.N plan that envisages national elections at the end of the year as a political solution to Libya’s decade of chaos. Late on Thursday masked fighters deployed in pickup trucks in central Tripoli, setting up checkpoints, a Reuters witness said, with participants in the U.N. process to vote for the rival slates of candidates on Friday.
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Local Journalism Initiative
Second Indigenous sports body in Ontario seeks legitimacy
The battle of duelling Indigenous sports organizations in Ontario continues. In one corner is the long-running Indigenous Sport & Wellness Ontario (ISWO), the designated Provincial/Territorial Aboriginal Sports Body (PTASB) for the province. And in the other corner is the Indigenous Sports Body (ISB), a group launched a couple of years ago that is keen to become the sole association providing Indigenous sports programming throughout Ontario. ISWO is currently receiving both provincial and federal funding to operate its programs. As for the ISB, it has the backing of the Chiefs of Ontario, an organization representing 133 First Nations in the province. On the opening day of the Chiefs of Ontario Special Chiefs Assembly Feb. 3 it was revealed that ISB now also has some financial support. “I’m pleased to announce that we will be receiving up to $100,000 in funding to enable us to further advance the foundational work that we started two years ago,” said ISB co-chair Lance Copegog. “This is good news and will enable us to have the financial ability to conduct ourselves as a fully functional organization.” Last week the Ontario government, through the Ministry of Heritage, Sport, Tourism and Culture Industries, which also provides ISWO with the majority of its funding, approved $100,000 in funding for the ISB. Copegog said the ISB is currently the only Indigenous sports body in the province recognized by the Chiefs of Ontario, via a resolution in 2019. “It is my hope the next time we stand here it will be to bring the good news that the Indigenous Sports Body has received its rightful recognition as the PTASB for Ontario,” Copegog said. But Marc Laliberte, who has served as the ISWO president for 10 years, doubts that will happen. “We’re the recognized Indigenous sports body in Ontario by the North American Indigenous Games (NAIG) Council and by the national Aboriginal Sport Circle (ASC),” Laliberte said. That means only ISWO, formerly known as the Aboriginal Sport and Wellness Council of Ontario, is allowed to send Team Ontario representatives to the NAIG and the National Aboriginal Hockey Championships (NAHC), organized by the ASC. Copegog said ISB reps will continued to lobby both the NAIG Council and the ASC in order to grant them recognition as Ontario’s recognized Indigenous sports body. Laliberte said he’s not surprised that officials with the ISB continue to seek opportunities to provide programming and services already being supplied by ISWO. “We’ve been dealing with this for some time now and we’ll continue to deal with it,” Laliberte said. When he became ISWO’s president 10 years ago, Laliberte said his association was receiving about $200,000 annually from the provincial and federal governments. In recent years, however, the funding has been bumped up to as much as $2 million per year. “That’s what that group is after,” Laliberte said of the ISB. Copegog denied this. “Our focus is not about their funding,” he said. Copegog said the ISB was created as it was felt the ISWO was not providing adequate programming. The ISB, which is currently looking to fill some more seats on its board of directors, has a youthful board with members under the age of 29. “We’re young people and we know what the needs are in our communities,” said Copegog, who is 19. Besides its provincial funding, ISWO also receives some federal funding, via the Department of Canadian Heritage, which oversees sports, culture, media and the arts. With the funding it receives, ISWO runs multi-sport and high-performance camps, and also stages tournaments and events, including provincial volleyball and basketball championships for Indigenous squads. ISWO also organizes various sport clinics and sport development workshops and events with its funding. And it covers its expenses of hosting tryouts for Ontario teams that compete at both NAIG and the NAHC. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Laliberte said ISWO has been unable to stage any camps or competitions. But he said that, with the approval of both provincial and federal representatives, ISWO has taken portions of its allotted funding and diverted it to pandemic relief efforts. For example, Laliberte said about five tonnes of potatoes have been delivered to about 10 Indigenous communities in northern Ontario. These deliveries began last summer. A third batch of deliveries is in progress now. “We’ve also secured sponsors to deliver clothing shipments, mostly in northern Ontario,” Laliberte said. Laliberte said both provincial and federal representatives are well aware that ISWO is diverting funds it is receiving to assist with pandemic relief efforts since it is unable to utilize the government money for its originally intended purposes. While Laliberte is content for ISWO to continue receiving provincial and federal financial backing, he would have preferred to also have the blessing of the Chiefs of Ontario. “They are a powerful organization,” he said, adding ISWO officials have been attempting to form a working relationship in recent years. “They basically distance themselves from us.” Windspeaker.com By Sam Laskaris, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Windspeaker.com, Windspeaker.com
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Reuters
Samsung considers Austin for $17 billion chip plant, eyes tax breaks of at least $806 million: documents
Samsung Electronics Co Ltd is considering Austin, Texas, as one of the sites for a new $17 billion chip plant that the South Korean firm said could create 1,800 jobs, according to documents filed with Texas state officials. The tech giant is seeking combined tax abatements of $805.5 million over 20 years from Travis County and the city of Austin, among other tax breaks, according to the documents. Samsung said in its filings that if Austin is selected, the company would break ground on the site in the second quarter of this year and that the plant will become operational in the third quarter of 2023.
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The Canadian Press
Former B.C. Lottery Corp. board chair says government ‘ill-suited’ to run gaming
VANCOUVER — A former chairman of the board at the British Columbia Lottery Corp. says the government is not suited to run gaming operations and should get out of the high-stakes business where bet limits reach $100,000. Bud Smith told the public inquiry into money laundering on Thursday that he advised cabinet ministers in two different governments about potential pitfalls with high-end gaming, but former Liberal finance minister Mike de Jong and New Democrat Attorney General David Eby ignored his “brilliant idea.” Smith, a former B.C. attorney general, said he expressed his views about getting the Crown-owned lottery corporation out of high-limit gaming to de Jong in 2015 and to Eby in 2017, shortly after the NDP formed government. “It’s my belief that government is ill-suited to be operating this high-level gaming business for a whole host of reasons,” he said. The potential for suspicious activities at gaming outlets has historically been present in B.C. for decades and the government would be better suited as a regulator, while allowing other entities to run high-limit gaming, said Smith. The Crown-owned B.C. Lottery Corp., formed in 1985 to conduct and manage gaming in the province, has provided more than $23 billion in net revenues to communities. Smith, who served as board chairman from 2013 to 2018, said when he was appointed to the post, casino bet limits were already at $100,000. “My opinion, whether they were good, bad or indifferent, when I came on wasn’t sought. Those were the limits,” said Smith, when asked by commission lawyer Patrick McGowan about the appropriateness of increasing bet limits at casinos to that amount. McGowan asked Smith if he was aware of reports that in one month in 2015, B.C. casinos recorded $20 million in cash buy-ins in mostly $20 bills. “Lots of questions were being asked about that sort of thing,” said Smith. “It wouldn’t surprise me at all that when you’ve got that much cash floating around, some of it is going to be sourced inappropriately, some of it is going to be used inappropriately and so on, and you can attach whatever names you want to that.” Smith said the board’s mandate included continuing its anti-money laundering strategy based on risk assessments of players, their sources of cash and moving toward implementing alternatives to cash at casinos. But he said the government never told him to drop the risk assessment program and focus primarily on cash limitations. Smith described a meeting with de Jong at the legislature in Victoria where the former finance minister expressed concern about the large amounts of suspicious cash at casinos, and he called for more methods to control it, but a complete change in strategy was not ordered. “I never found him to be shy about expressing specifically what he wanted done,” said Smith. “He said, ‘I do not want you to go to the dollar-specific approach. I want you to continue with your risk-based approach, but I want there to be more action to try to get a better handle on what’s going on.'” In 2018, the lottery corporation implemented a source of funds policy requiring a receipt for cash buy-ins of $10,000 or more at casinos. The NDP government appointed B.C. Supreme Court Justice Austin Cullen in 2019 to lead a public inquiry into money laundering after three reports outlined how hundreds of millions of dollars in illegal cash affected the province’s real estate, luxury vehicle and gaming sectors. — By Dirk Meissner in Victoria This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 4, 2021. The Canadian Press
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The Canadian Press
Penthouse bust: police cite delivery of 100 cheeseburgers in warrant application
VANCOUVER — An application for search warrants to enter a Vancouver penthouse that police have described as a makeshift nightclub amid COVID-19 restrictions says bartenders were seen inside before officers noticed a delivery of 100 cheeseburgers to the suite where a man was arrested. The application to provincial court says complaints about repeated parties allegedly with dozens of people attending on some nights began on Jan. 2, when a man reported hearing loud music and partying that had gone on for a number of days. “The complainant tried to knock on the door to get them to quiet down but had no luck,” it says. Police did not respond that day due to a large volume of calls and the warrants cite “lack of resources” for officers not responding on another night when a complainant reported seeing about 100 people inside. None of the allegations in the warrants have been proven in court. Police arrested Mohammad Movassaghi on Sunday for allegedly running a club inside his home and issued more than $17,000 in fines against him and his suspected guests. Court records show Movassaghi has been charged with two counts of failing to comply with the orders of a health officer. A previous statement reportedly released by Movassaghi’s lawyer to media outlets said: “He simply asks that you keep in mind that at this point in time these are unproven allegations, and like anyone else charged with an offence in Canada, he enjoys the presumption of innocence.” The lawyer could not be reached for comment on Thursday. The warrants suggest the police investigation escalated on Jan. 23 when a woman was invited to a party where a doorman allegedly wearing a protective vest had a guest list and a patron-counting device. The woman told police that people were asked to remove their shoes to prevent noise, the documents say. “She observed a stripper pole from the second floor of the suite down to the first floor and there were exotic dancers dancing on the pole,” the warrants allege, adding that there was a DJ booth on the second floor. “The suite had spot lights and mood lighting as if it were a nightclub,” the documents say the complainant told police. “The complainant left the gathering as she was appalled and called the police to report the incident.” Police tried entering the apartment that night but the apparent owner would not open the door, saying, “I refuse any charge you have against me,” the application alleges. On Jan. 26, police returned to serve a violation ticket and spoke again through the door to a man who identified himself as “Mo” but he refused to open the door, the documents allege. Four days later, the concierge called police to report a large party, prompting several officers to respond, the documents say. “Once in the lobby they observed a delivery driver holding a McDonald’s bag which contained 100 cheeseburgers which were ordered for (the suite),” the documents say. “Police went up to (the apartment) and could hear cheering, yelling, loud music and lots of voices coming from inside the suite.” This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 4, 2021. Camille Bains, The Canadian Press
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The Canadian Press
Prominent Lebanese Hezbollah critic found killed in his car
ADDOUSSIEH, Lebanon — A prominent Lebanese publisher and vocal critic of the Shiite militant Hezbollah group was found shot dead in his car on Thursday morning, a brazen killing that sparked fears of a return to political violence in this country gripped by social and economic upheaval. The body of 58-year-old Lokman Slim, a longtime Shiite political activist and researcher, was slumped over on the passenger seat with multiple wounds from gunshots fired at close range, security and forensic officials said. He had been missing for hours since late Wednesday and his family posted social media messages looking for him. To his friends, Slim was a fearless critic of Lebanon’s powerful politicians, Hezbollah and its allies Iran and Syria, and a major resource on the history of Lebanon’s civil war. His killing raised fears that Lebanon’s political tensions could turn into a new wave of assassinations. Critics, however, accused Slim of sowing sedition, undermining national unity and being a Zionist because of his criticisms of Hezbollah. “He was carrying the weight of this country on his shoulder,” his sister Rasha al-Ameer told reporters at their home after the news of the killing broke. She said she has no faith in local investigations and that the family would carry out its own private forensic probe. “Up until today in the history of Lebanon, all investigations have led to a dead end,” she told reporters. His wife, Monika Borgmann, standing next to al-Ameer, called for an international probe. “This killer has to be punished,” Borgmann said. Security forces found Slim’s car on a rural road near the southern village of Addoussieh, in Sidon province. He was visiting friends in a southern village and was heading back to Beirut in the evening. Afif Khafajeh, a coroner who inspected Slim’s body, said there were six bullets in Slim’s body — three in the head, one in the chest and one in the back. Blood was splattered over the passenger car seat. A security official at the scene said Slim’s ID, phone and gun were missing. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity in line with regulations. His phone was later found. Lebanon has a history of political crimes and violence. With rising tension amid deepening political dispute and economic crisis, officials have warned of a return of violence and assassinations. Earlier, Slim’s wife and sister had posted on social media that he had not answered his phone for hours. Al-Ameer said he left this friends’ house after 8 pm. The family began to worry when two hours later he still wasn’t back home. Al-Ameer hinted that Hezbollah was behind the killing, without naming the group, adding that it is known who controls the area where her brother was found dead. “Killing for them is a habit,” she said. Hezbollah and its allies dominate the area in southern Lebanon. Hezbollah condemned Slim’s killing, calling for a swift investigation. It also urged security agencies to combat crimes it said have spread around Lebanon and which have been “exploited politically and by the media at the expense of security and domestic stability” — a jab at their critics. Interior Minister Mohammad Fahmi, speaking to local TV station MTV, called it a “horrific crime.” Caretaker Prime Minister Hassan Diab deplored the “heinous crime” and vowed a speedy investigation. But in Lebanon, perpetrators of political violence or corruption are almost never identified or prosecuted. An investigation into the massive explosion in the Beirut port that killed 211 people and disfigured the capital last August still has not uncovered what caused it and who is responsible. In Washington, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken condemned the killing, calling it “cowardly and unacceptable to resort to violence, threats, and intimidation as a means of subverting the rule of law or suppressing freedom of expression and civic activism.” He urged Lebanese officials to act quickly to bring those response to justice. U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon Dorothy Shea said Slim spoke publicly and privately about threats made against his life but continued his work, pushing for justice, accountability and rule of law in Lebanon. She called the killing an attack on Lebanon itself and urged a speedy inquiry. “In a country that so desperately needs to recover from the multiple crises it faces, political assassinations send exactly the wrong signal to the world about what Lebanon stands for,” she said. The U.N. Special Coordinator for Lebanon Jan Kubis also called for a quick investigation. “This investigation must not follow the pattern of the Beirut port blast investigation that 6 months on remains inconclusive and without accountability. People must know the truth,” Kubis tweeted. Amnesty International’s deputy director in the region, Lynn Maalouf, said Slim was the “victim of this decades-old pattern of impunity which has ensured that past and present targeted killings of activists, journalists and intellectuals remain unpunished, and for which the Lebanese state is ultimately responsible.” She also called on Lebanon to ensure a transparent investigation into the killing. Slim was born in Beirut’s southern suburbs, a Hezbollah stronghold, where he lived all his life. He returned from abroad to the house, when most people were leaving, during the 2006 war with Israel, when the suburbs were being bombed. He founded Umam, a research and film production house with a library documenting Lebanon’s and Shiite history. His family owns a publishing house and Slim hosted public debates and political forums and art shows, including exhibitions documenting the civil war’s missing. He and his wife worked on a film documenting the atrocities of Syria’s notorious Tadmor prison. In 2009, he and his wife organized a private viewing at their centre for an Oscar-nominated anti-war Israeli cartoon about Israel’s 1982 invasion of Lebanon and the rise of the then-President Bachir Gemayel, in defiance of Hezbollah and Lebanese authorities, which banned it. Slim also set up Haya Bina, or “Let’s go,” a group that encouraged participation in 2005 parliamentary elections, called for changes to Lebanon’s sectarian-based system, and taught women English. “It is a big tragedy,” said Makram Rabah, a close friend and history lecturer. “Anyone who knows Lokman they know who his enemies are.” Rabah said he and Slim were strong opponents of Hezbollah’s grip on power and called for sovereignty and diversity in Lebanon. They were both attacked by a group of young men during a public debate at the height of anti-government protests in 2019. Slim at the time accused Hezbollah supporters of being behind the attack. Slim also accused Hezbollah supporters days before that attack of threatening him at his home, holding rallies and hanging posters on its walls accusing him of treason. Alex Rowell, editor of the English language al-Jumhuriya website, said Slim always believed he was safe from physical harm. His killing would leave many unable to sleep easily in Lebanon, Rowell said. “In the memory of Lokman’s fearless grin, however, they may find courage — and in the silhouettes of his cowardly murderers they may know their enemy,” he said. ___ El Deeb reported from Beirut. Ahmad Mantash And Sarah El Deeb, The Associated Press
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The Canadian Press
Alberta variant cases now at 68; province says strict testing and tracking in place
EDMONTON — Alberta reported Thursday it has 68 variant cases of COVID-19, up 11 from the day before, seven of them with no known link to travel. Dr. Deena Hinshaw, the chief medical officer of health, said two of the new cases have potentially exposed two Calgary zone schools. Earlier possible exposures were reported in two other Calgary schools, but Hinshaw said so far there has been no spread detected in any of those classes despite enhanced testing. Hinshaw said that higher numbers are concerning but noted, “We are currently able to test almost every single positive COVID case for variant strain, so that does help us detect more that are out there so we can contain them.” Alberta can screen for 300 positive COVID-19 samples per day and has tested thousands of international travellers under its Border Testing Pilot Program. “The variant cases still represent a very, very small proportion of our cases and, by finding out about them, we have the means to do something to prevent any kind of onward spread,” Hinshaw said. The variant strains, first reported in the United Kingdom and South Africa, are exponentially more contagious than the original strain, threatening to quickly get out of control and swamp a health-care system. Overall, Hinshaw reported 13 new deaths Thursday and 582 new cases. There are 517 people in hospital due to COVID-19, including 93 in intensive care. The province reported 6,588 active cases. The higher variant numbers come just days before Alberta begins a new round of loosened economic restrictions. Starting Monday, restaurants, which have been limited to takeout and delivery, can reopen to in-person dining. One-on-one fitness appointments can also resume. Retails stores are at 15 per cent customer capacity and entertainment venues, such as casinos and bingo halls and movie theatres, remain closed. Indoor gatherings are banned and outdoor gatherings are capped at 10 people. Monday’s opening is the first of a new four-stage reopening plan tied primarily to hospitalization numbers. Premier Jason Kenney has said more of the economy will open up as the numbers fall but stressed other factors, such as case rates and spread of the new COVID variants, could cause delays. The Edmonton Zone Medical Staff Association said in an open letter that the staged reopening plan must be shelved with the variants now in Alberta. “The proposed changes in stages 2-4 are alarming,” wrote Dr. James Talbot and Dr. Noel Gibney, the co-chairs of the Edmonton zone pandemic committee. “The inclusion of activities that are almost certain to cause super-spreader events such as attending conferences, casinos, and sporting events is impossible to reconcile with a careful and cautious approach meant to protect Albertans.” Hinshaw, asked about the letter, said comparable provinces like British Columbia and Saskatchewan have similar per capita COVID rates with comparable economic rules but reiterated that each reopening stage will be followed by a three-week follow-up to ensure safety. “If yes (cases rise dangerously), then, unfortunately, we may need to pause or take a step backward,” she said. Meanwhile, a representative for Alberta’s gyms and fitness centres said they need increased financial help or a plan to at least partially reopen soon or half of them could see their doors close for good by April. Emily Slaneff, chair of the Alberta coalition of the Fitness Industry Council of Canada, said provincial aid for small and medium businesses is providing only a small fraction of what is needed. She said business owners are using leading-edge sterilization tools and protocols, with infinitesimal COVID-transmission case rates. “Something’s got to change or there’s just going to be complete devastation of the industry,” Slaneff said. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 4, 2020. Dean Bennett, The Canadian Press
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Local Journalism Initiative
Area producer reviving Kemptville College maple stand
Frank Heerkens is a maple syrup producer based in Chesterville. He’s also, as of this year, the president of the Ontario Maple Producers’ Association, so he knows a thing or two about maple syrup. “My partner and I were looking for more taps. I already knew about the Kemptville College maple stand, and saw an opportunity, so I came up here and did a tour, and realized we could probably get this thing back up and running again with relatively little work,” said Heerkens. A retired power line man with a big heart and a big personality Heerkens approached the college not long after the campus had shifted from the University of Guelph to the municipality of North Grenville. “Frank Heerkens actually came to us with a compelling business case and we partnered with him and shared the investment to upgrade the facility so it can reach its optimal production,” said Pat Rémillard, project manager with the Kemptville Campus Education and Community Hub. It wasn’t a new idea; the college did at one time have a robust maple syrup productions facility. “I would say in the 70s that maple stand would have been part of the educational component of the agro-forestry program and making maple syrup was part of that educational component,” said Jim Hendry, the college’s forest manager, who has been collecting the forest’s history. While it’s believed the maple syrup production was abandoned in the 1990s when the campus was still under the auspices of the University of Guelph, the infrastructure was still in place. By 2016 the late Peter Wensink was in charge of its care. “So Peter and I got in there and in two or three days got all the lines back up – they were under snow, under the ice, and trees had fallen on them – that was in 2016,” recalls Heerkens. A maple syrup production facility needs constant care, according to Heerkens. “A system like this has to be maintained every year – every winter storm you have to come back and look at it,” he said. It’s not only the lines that have to be inspected and maintained; the trees have to be thinned and the understory cleared. This forest was actively managed by the Agricultural College as far back as 1917. Back then the college offered forest management educational opportunities to students, private woodlot owners and forestry professionals. “This forest is critically important, because of its heritage and it’s been part of the college history for so long,” said Mayor Nancy Peckford, chairwoman of the Kemptville College board. “Piloting a maple syrup production is foremost on our minds to help future generations understand maple syrup,” added Peckford. Already the college has reached out to partner with other organizations to revive forestry education at the campus. “We’re talking to South Nation Conservation to partner in educational programs on the site,” said Rémillard. As part of that educational thrust Kemptville College’s forest achieved certification under the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) through the Eastern Ontario Model Forest certification program in 2019. “That means it’s audited to ensure that it’s properly managed,” said Hendry, explaining that forest management is a lot more than just taking down excess trees and clearing the understory. “I’m a certified tree marker, and will go round every year marking trees that need to come down, but I’ll also leave strategic cavity trees in place – those are trees that have a hollow centre or hollowed out area; they’re not good for maple production, but they make good habitat for squirrels and other forest dwellers,” said Hendry. Managing a forest like this one, says Hendry, is about a lot more than just maximizing the tree growth; it’s about balance – creating a harmony of tree species, animal and plant habitat and trails. This forest boasts approximately four kilometres of trails, and an impressive range of diversity within a small area, according to Hendry. Last year, said Heerkens, he produced 250 gallons of maple syrup, off an estimated 900 to 1000 taps within the Kemptville College sugar bush. “We’ve just installed 720 taps in phase one of the new system, and we estimate there’s another 400 to 500 taps left on the other side of the forest, so we figure there’s going to be 1,100 to 1,200 taps next year,” said Heerkens. In its first year of production the facility produced syrup that took sixth place at the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair in Toronto. Heerkens is convinced this is just the beginning. Armed with a five-year contract, with 2021 being year two, Heerkens will continue to manage and produce the maple syrup on campus for another three years at least. “When I get done here, the campus shouldn’t have to touch this for the next 20 years,” said Heerkens. Meanwhile, the college now has a forest management plan that provides detailed descriptions of the forest including history, physical characteristics, average age, tree species wildlife habitat, and planned activities. “Over the first 10 years starting in 2020, activities will be focused on four core areas: FSC certified maple syrup production; improvements to the recreational trails; development of educational outreach activities; and harvest of forest products – largely thinning of over-crowded forest areas to maintain forest health and increase growth potential of the remaining trees,” said Hendry. This year the municipality has also committed to maintaining the community trails that meander through the 315 acres of woodland. Heddy Sorour, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Brockville Recorder and Times
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The Canadian Press
Saskatchewan has 3rd case of COVID variant; nurses union calls for more transparency
REGINA — The head of Saskatchewan’s main nurses’ union is urging provincial leaders to explain how they plan to deal with a more infectious strain of COVID-19 following a report of a third variant case. The Ministry of Health announced Thursday that a person in the Saskatoon area had tested positive for the United Kingdom variant, which is believed to spread more easily. The province said the individual had self-isolated after returning from Southeast Asia and there was no evidence the variant had made its way into the community. The first two variant infections, also believed to be contained, were reported Tuesday in the Regina area. “We need to be … much more vigilant and much more transparent on … figuring out if we have the variants, where they are, and how people should protect themselves,” said Tracy Zambory, president of the Saskatchewan Union of Nurses. She pointed to Alberta where the chief medical health officer has said close contacts of anyone testing positive for a variant could have to isolate for up to 24 days. Zambory noted there are conversations happening in Canada and beyond about whether people need to wear two masks to protect against spreading the new strains. “We need to know these things. We need to understand them and it seems like right now we’re not getting any understanding on how that’s going.” The Ministry of Health said earlier this week that officials are watching the activity of variants and will consider that when deciding what to do about public health orders set to expire on Feb. 19. “What we’re doing right now is not showing any measurable decline in both the number of positive cases and the number of hospitalizations,” said Barb Cape, president of the Service Employees International Union-West, which represents licensed practical nurses and special care aides. “Those aren’t just numbers to us; those are people.” Another 250 COVID-19 infections were reported Thursday along with seven more deaths. January marked the province’s deadliest month of the pandemic — more than 150 people died, many of them 80 and older. The Opposition raised a flag about the number of people hospitalized with the infection. The number dropped to 185 Wednesday from at least 200. NDP Leader Ryan Meili said he has heard concerns from some front-line staff that the province may be under-reporting the number of COVID-19 patients in hospital by only including those deemed to be infectious. That’s how the number was calculated until last December. A government spokesman confirmed the number of patients in hospital was under-reported on Tuesday and Wednesday because of “ongoing hospitalization data validation.” The Health Ministry said the correct numbers were 238 on Tuesday and 229 on Wednesday — the highest to date since the pandemic began last March. It said infectious and non-infectious patients were included in the counts. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 4, 2020 Stephanie Taylor, The Canadian Press
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CBC
Potential gunshots force lockdown of 2 Calgary Board of Education schools
Police are investigating reports of gunshots fired outside Forest Lawn High School that caused minor property damage Thursday, forcing two Calgary Board of Education schools into lockdown. The incident occurred around 1: 45 p.m. Thursday. According to police, three unknown perpetrators fled the area prior to officers arriving on scene. No injuries were reported. Police are on now speaking to witnesses and working to determine potential suspect descriptions. As a result of this incident, Forest Lawn High School and Ernest Morrow Junior High entered lockdown. Afternoon dismissal was delayed. CBE initially said Jack James High School also entered lockdown, but later clarified that was not the case. In a written statement, the CBE said all students and staff were safe and the lockdown had been lifted. Anyone with information about this incident is asked to contact the Calgary Police Service at 403-266-1234 or Crime Stoppers, which takes tips anonymously.
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The Canadian Press
GOP eyes path to power by making peace with the far right
NEW YORK — Over the course of 24 hours this week, House Republicans voted to defend a freshman conspiracy theorist with a history of violent rhetoric and a mainstream party leader who backed Donald Trump’s impeachment. The seemingly conflicting moves signal that Republican leaders, particularly in the House, are betting they can return to political power by cobbling together a coalition featuring both pro-Trump extremists and those who abhor them. The votes also suggest that Washington Republicans are unable, or unwilling, to purge far-right radicals from their party, despite some GOP leaders’ best wishes. “I do think as a party, we have to figure out what we stand for,” said Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., warning Republicans to “get away from members dabbling in conspiracy theories.” House Democrats voted Thursday to do what their Republican counterparts would not the night before, stripping first-term Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., of her committee assignments and leaving her effectively powerless to influence policymaking. The move follows outrage over Greene’s use of social media to promote bigotry, anti-Semitism and violence against Democrats linked to the pro-Trump conspiracy theory group known as QAnon. The Georgia congresswoman delivered a speech on the House floor before Thursday’s vote indicating that she stopped believing in QAnon in 2018. She declined to apologize for her specific claims, which included suggesting that a wealthy Jewish family may have used space lasers to ignite California forest fires for financial gain. “I never said any of these things since I have been elected for Congress. These were words of the past, and these things do not represent me,” Greene said, concluding her remarks by likening U.S. media reports to QAnon conspiracy theories. QAnon’s core theory embraces the lie that Democrats are tied to a global sex-trafficking ring that also involves Satanism and cannibalism. The GOP’s high-stakes reckoning comes as the party struggles to move past Trump’s norm-shattering presidency and the deadly attack on the Capitol he inspired in its final days. With Democrats now controlling the White House and both chambers of Congress, the Republican Party’s political success — and maybe its survival — depends on its ability to unify its warring factions. And whether Washington Republicans like it or not, those who think like Greene make up a significant portion of the party’s base. Giddy Democrats celebrated the obvious perils of their rivals’ political dilemma, particularly after all but 11 House Republicans voted to defend Greene’s committee assignments on Thursday. But as they cling to a thin majority in the House and Senate, Democrats face structural challenges of their own ahead of next year’s midterm elections. Rep. Tom Emmer, R-Minn., who leads the House Republican campaign arm, accused Democrats of focusing on Greene simply to draw attention away from President Joe Biden’s left-leaning early policy moves, including those designed to fight climate change that threaten jobs in the fossil fuel industry. “This is the same QAnon playbook they tried in 2020, and they lost 15 seats,” Emmer said. “I promise this cycle will be even worse for them.” In a nod to the party’s anxious establishment wing, House Republicans also voted by secret ballot Wednesday night to preserve Wyoming Rep. Liz Cheney’s place in party leadership. Trump loyalists had called for her removal after she blamed Trump for inciting last month’s attack on the Capitol and voted to impeach him. But it was the House Republicans’ refusal to distance themselves from Greene that threatened to haunt the party for the foreseeable future. “Marjorie Taylor Greene will be the face of the party, the face of the midterms, the face of the extremists,” said Steve Schmidt, a Republican strategist who co-founded the anti-Trump Lincoln Project, which expects to be a major player in the 2022 midterms. At the same time, the pro-Democrat group House Majority Forward released a new television ad accusing House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy of empowering extremists. “The QAnon conspiracies sound wild. But the danger is real,” the narrator says in the ad, ticking down Greene’s list of false claims, which include denying the authenticity of school shootings in Florida and Connecticut and the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. The new ad will run in McCarthy’s California district and on Washington, D.C., cable beginning Friday. Republicans gave Greene a standing ovation in their closed-door caucus after she explained herself Wednesday night. McCarthy condemned her past statements but defended her right to serve on House committees. Despite their challenges, many Republican leaders were optimistic about their political future as they see a real opportunity to seize control of at least one chamber of Congress, if not both. History is on the GOP’s side. Democrats are clinging to a 10-seat House majority. And since 1994, the party that occupies the White House has lost no fewer than 40 seats in the first midterm election of a new presidency. The one exception is the 2002 midterms, held in the wake of the Sept. 11 attacks. Republican strategist and former White House aide Ari Fleischer was among the optimists. “As noisy and as messy as this has been, Republicans are in a much better position now than the last time the White House went from Republican to Democrat,” he said, reflecting on the 2008 transition from President George W. Bush to President Barack Obama. That year, Democrats had much larger congressional majorities, and in the subsequent midterms, Republicans seized 63 House seats and the House majority. Fleischer described the votes on Cheney and Greene as “a key pivot point” for Republicans plagued by infighting in recent weeks. “They pounded each other and got it off their chest. And Kevin McCarthy successfully walked the tight rope to get them there,” Fleischer said. “It gave them the unity they need to now concentrate on taking Nancy Pelosi’s job.” With their party largely unified behind Biden, at least for now, Democratic leaders indicated that they would not let voters forget the Republicans’ unwillingness to confront pro-Trump extremists anytime soon. “Kevin McCarthy and his Washington Republican caucus just showed they’re too weak to stand up to the violent QAnon mob that is consuming their party,” said Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney, D-N.Y., who leads the House Democrats’ campaign arm. “If they’re too weak to do that,” he added, “they can’t be trusted to get the job done for the American people.” Steve Peoples, The Associated Press
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Reuters
Amazon bucks UK’s grim labour market with 1,000 apprenticeships
Amazon brought a little cheer to Britain’s pandemic- battered labour market on Friday, saying it will recruit more than 1,000 apprentices in 2021. Britain’s unemployment rate hit 5% in November, its highest since mid-2016, according to official data. The retail sector has been particularly badly hit by the coronavirus crisis.
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CBC
Durham board considering name change for Julie Payette Public School
The Durham District School Board (DDSB) says it’s looking at renaming a public school named after former governor general Julie Payette after a blistering report found she presided over a toxic work environment. In a statement to CBC Toronto on Thursday, the board said it will be considering a new name for Julie Payette Public School, located in Whitby, Ont., in the coming months. “We will be discussing the recent news with the School Community Council to gather further input,” the statement reads. Julie Payette resigned as Governor General on Jan.21 following an independent workplace review that found serious issues at Rideau Hall that required immediate action, such as yelling, screaming and aggressive conduct. Payette apologized for what she called the “tensions” at Rideau Hall in recent months, saying that everyone has “a right to a healthy and safe work environment.” The DDSB said it will also be considering updates to its school naming policy.
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The Canadian Press
J&J asks US regulators to OK its one-shot COVID-19 vaccine
Johnson & Johnson asked U.S. regulators Thursday to clear the world’s first single-dose COVID-19 vaccine, an easier-to-use option that could boost scarce supplies. J&J’s vaccine was safe and offered strong protection against moderate to severe COVID-19, according to preliminary results from a massive international study. It didn’t appear quite as strong as two-dose competitors made by Pfizer and Moderna — a finding that may be more perception than reality, given differences in how each was tested. But the Food and Drug Administration is asking its independent advisers to publicly debate all the data behind the single-dose shot — just like its competitors were put under the microscope — before it decides whether to green light a third vaccine option in the U.S. The panel will meet Feb. 26. Dr. Peter Marks, FDA’s vaccine chief, has cautioned against making comparisons before the evidence is all in. “With so much need to get this pandemic under control, I think we can’t ignore any tool in the tool chest,” he told the American Medical Association last week. “We will have to do our best to try to make sure that we find the populations that benefit the most from each of these vaccines and deploy them in a very thoughtful manner.” WHAT THE NUMBERS SHOW Overall, the single-dose vaccine was 66% effective at preventing moderate to severe COVID-19, according to early findings from a study of 44,000 people in the U.S., Latin America and South Africa. But it was 85% protective against the most serious symptoms — and starting 28 days after their shot, researchers found no one who got the vaccine needed hospitalization or died. WEAKER BUT STILL FIGHTS MUTATING VIRUS The one-dose option worked better in the U.S. — 72% effective against moderate to severe COVID-19 — compared with 66% in Latin America and 57% in South Africa, where a more contagious mutant virus is spreading. Scientists have been looking for real-world evidence about how vaccines work as the world races to stay ahead of the rapidly mutating virus, and welcomed the news that the J&J option — while weaker — did still offer protection. OTHER OPTIONS In large U.S. studies, two doses of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines proved 95% protective against any symptomatic COVID-19. But those studies were finished before the record virus surges of recent months and the appearance of the worrisome mutants, meaning such testing might not turn out the same if repeated today. J&J also is studying a two-dose version of its vaccine, but results won’t be available for several more months. THE SUPPLY J&J said it would have some vaccine ready to ship if the FDA allows emergency use of the shot, but it didn’t reveal how much. The pharmaceutical giant said it expects to supply 100 million doses to the U.S. by the end of June. It expects to file a similar application with European regulators soon. ___ The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education. The AP is solely responsible for all content. Lauran Neergaard, The Associated Press
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The Canadian Press
OpenText losses US$65.5 million in Q2 as it settles IRS case, revenues rise
A month after OpenText Corp. settled an 11-year U.S. tax saga in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic, its chief executive is relieved to be rid of the matter and able to pour his attention into booming parts of the business. “A year ago we were focused on pre-emptive actions and no one knew how the year was going to work out, so I’m just delighted to be able to focus now on growth, on cloud additions and migration, and to have the IRS settled and behind us,” Mark Barrenechea said. That IRS matter he was referring to resulted in the company incurring a US$65.5 million net loss in its latest quarter, which it reported Thursday. The IRS matter hung over the Waterloo, Ont-based company since 2010, when it decided to move ownership of its intellectual property to Luxembourg from the U.S. It’s customary for companies to pay taxes when IP is moved, but OpenText disagreed with the at least US$280 million tax the U.S. Internal Revenue Service wanted to apply to the situation. The two sides only settled the US$830-million claim last year, when OpenText agreed on a settlement that resulted in it taking a $299-million charge in its latest quarter. “I have always maintained and I will continue to maintain we are in the right,” Barrenechea said Thursday. “But at the end of the day, I felt that settling… was in the best interest of all stakeholders.” The IP that was at the heart of the conflict has since been shifted back to Canada. As part of the deal, OpenText will eliminate about US$90 million in future withholding taxes that the company had expected to pay over the next 10 years. The resolution came at the right time because the company is “humble and hungry” right now, Barrenechea said. “There is a lot to be optimistic about,” he said. Economists are projecting a recovery in GDP and companies and governments are warming up to technology and remote offerings — both which OpenText specialize in. “This acceleration of digital, collaboration, teams, Zoom, electronic signature workflow is right in the wheelhouse of what OpenText is and yeah, we’re benefiting from the acceleration,” Barrenechea said. On Thursday, he released BrightCloud, a service that can be used to enforce data-centric security policies and prevent unwanted interactions with cloud services. The interest in other OpenText cloud products helped the company land clients like McCain Foods, Nestle, SaskPower and the City of San Diego in the second quarter, which ended Dec. 31. Reporting in U.S. dollars, Open Text’s revenue for the period reached $855.6 million, up from $771.6 million in the year prior. That revenue was largely attributable to OpenText’s cloud services and subscriptions revenues growing to $350.5 million, up 41 per cent year-over-year. The company lost 24 cents per share, down from a profit of 40 cents per share or $107.5 million a year ago. Excluding the one-time settlement, its adjusted profit was 95 cents per share, up 13.1 per cent from 84 cents per share a year earlier. Analysts on average had expected OpenText to report adjusted earnings per share of 85 cents per share and $814.5 million in revenue, according to financial data firm Refinitiv. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 4, 2021. Companies in this story: (TSX:OTEX) Tara Deschamps, The Canadian Press Note to readers: This is a corrected story. An earlier version failed to say earnings were in U.S. dollars and omitted adjusted profits.
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The Canadian Press
Dem-led House, drawing a line, kicks Greene off committees
WASHINGTON — A fiercely divided House tossed Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene off both her committees Thursday, an unprecedented punishment that Democrats said she’d earned by spreading hateful and violent conspiracy theories. Underscoring the political vise her inflammatory commentary has clamped her party into, nearly all Republicans voted against the Democratic move but none defended her lengthy history of outrageous social media posts. Yet in a riveting moment, the freshman Republican from a deep-red corner of Georgia took to the House floor on her own behalf. She offered a mixture of backpedaling and finger-pointing as she wore a dark mask emblazoned with the words “FREE SPEECH.” The chamber’s near party-line 230-199 vote was the latest instance of conspiracy theories becoming pitched political battlefields, an increasingly familiar occurrence during Donald Trump’s presidency. He faces Senate trial next week for his House impeachment for inciting insurrection after a mob he fueled with his false narrative of a stolen election attacked the Capitol. Thursday’s fight also underscored the uproar and political complexities that Greene — a master of provoking Democrats, promoting herself and raising campaign money — has prompted since becoming a House candidate last year. Addressing her colleagues, Greene tried to dissociate herself from her “words of the past.” Contradicting past social media posts, she said she believes the 9-11 attacks and mass school shootings were real and no longer believes QAnon conspiracy theories, which include lies about Democratic-run pedophile rings. But she didn’t explicitly apologize for supportive online remarks she’s made on other subjects, as when she mulled about House Speaker Nancy Pelosi being assassinated or the possibility of Jewish-controlled space rays causing wildfires. And she portrayed herself as the victim of unscrupulous “big media companies.” News organizations “can take teeny, tiny pieces of words that I’ve said, that you have said, any of us, and can portray us as someone that we’re not,” she said. She added that “we’re in a real big problem” if the House punished her but tolerated “members that condone riots that have hurt American people” — a clear reference to last summer’s social justice protests that in some instances became violent. Greene was on the Education and Labor, and Budget, committees. Democrats were especially aghast about her assignment to the education panel, considering the past doubt she cast on school shootings in Florida and Connecticut. The political imperative for Democrats was clear: Greene’s support for violence and fictions were dangerous and merited punishment. Democrats and researchers said there was no apparent precedent for the full House removing a lawmaker from a committee, a step usually taken by their party leaders. The calculation was more complicated for Republicans. Though Trump left the White House two week ago, his devoted followers are numerous among the party’s voters, and he and Greene are allies. Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., hopes GOP victories in the 2022 elections will make him speaker. Republicans could undermine that scenario by alienating Trump’s and Greene’s passionate supporters, and McCarthy took no action to punish her. “If any of our members threatened the safety of other members, we’d be the first ones to take them off a committee,” Pelosi angrily told reporters. She said she was “profoundly concerned” about GOP leaders’ acceptance of an “extreme conspiracy theorist.” “The party of Lincoln is becoming the party of violent conspiracy theories, and apparently the leaders of the Republican Party in the House today are not going to do a damned thing about it,” said Rep. James McGovern, D-Mass. Republicans tread carefully but found rallying points. McCarthy said Greene’s past opinions “do not represent the views of my party.” But without naming the offenders, he said Pelosi hadn’t stripped committee memberships from Democrats who became embroiled in controversy. Among those he implicated was Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., who made anti-Israel insults for which she later apologized. “If that’s the new standard,” he said of Democrats’ move against Greene, “we have a long list.” Rep. Tom Cole, R-Okla., said Democrats were setting a precedent by punishing lawmakers for statements made before they were even candidates for Congress. Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, warned, “You engage in wrong-speak, you’re in the Thunder Dome,” a term for an enclosed wrestling arena. Committee assignments are crucial for lawmakers for shaping legislation affecting their districts, creating a national reputation and raising campaign contributions. Even social media stars like Greene could find it harder to define themselves without the spotlights that committees provide. Not all Republicans were in forgiving moods, especially in the Senate. There, fringe GOP candidates have lost winnable races in recent years and leaders worry a continued linkage with Trump and conspiracists will inflict more damage. That chamber’s minority leader, Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., this week called Greene’s words a “cancer” on the GOP and country. On Thursday, No. 2 Senate GOP leader John Thune of South Dakota amplified that thinking. Thune said House Republicans needed to issue a “really strong” rebuke of Greene’s conspiratorial formulations. Republicans must “get away from members dabbling in conspiracy theories,” Thune said. “I don’t think that’s a productive course of action or one that’s going to lead to much prosperity politically in the future.” The fight came a day after Republicans resolved another battle and voted to keep Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., in their leadership. Pro-Trump conservatives tried removing her because she supported Trump’s impeachment. The House resolution punishing Greene was barely over a page. It said House rules require lawmakers’ behaviour to “reflect credibly” on the chamber and said Greene should be removed “in light of conduct she has exhibited.” News organizations have unearthed countless social media videos and “likes” in which Greene embraced absurd theories like suspicions that Hillary Clinton was behind the 1999 death of John F. Kennedy Jr. Greene responded, “Stage is being set,” when someone posted a question about hanging Clinton and former President Barack Obama. Alan Fram And Brian Slodysko, The Associated Press
On a final note, after all of that geoFence helps stop foreign state actors (FSA’s) from accessing your information and I believe your family would say the same!
