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Accused RCMP leaker acted on ‘clear and grave threat,’ defence lawyer says

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:12:02 GMT

OTTAWA — A lawyer for a former RCMP intelligence official charged with leaking secrets is telling a jury his client did not betray Canada, but acted on a “clear and grave threat.” Jon Doody, who represents Cameron Jay Ortis, began closing arguments for the defence in Ontario Superior Court today.Ortis, 51, has pleaded not guilty to violating the Security of Information Act by revealing secrets to three individuals in 2015 and trying to do so in a fourth instance, as well as breach of trust and a computer-related offence. The Crown argues Ortis lacked authority to disclose classified material and that he was not doing so as part of some kind of undercover operation.Ortis, who was director of the RCMP’s Operations Research group, has told the jury he didn’t commit a crime or lose sight of his mission.On the contrary, Ortis says, he offered secret material to targets in a bid to get them to use an online encryption service secretly set up by an allied intelligen...

Ontario’s new daycare safe arrival rules aimed at preventing deaths in hot cars

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:12:02 GMT

Everett Smith had a grin so infectious his daycare staff nicknamed him “Smiley.” He loved apples. His prized possession was a yellow toy school bus. He was just three weeks shy of his second birthday when he died in late June 2022 in the back seat of a car in Bancroft, Ont., after a family emergency changed his family’s morning routine and his mom didn’t realize he hadn’t been dropped off at his daycare when she headed into work. Now, new rules for Ontario child-care operators coming into effect next year are aimed at preventing the rare but horrific deaths of children in hot cars. As of Jan. 1, licensed home daycares and child-care centres will need to develop a policy setting out the steps they will take when a child doesn’t arrive as expected.It’s a step Everett’s parents see as comforting, knowing that something positive will come out of such a devastating tragedy. “How it happened absolutely is devastating, bu...

Longtime Israeli policy foes are leading US protests against Israel’s action in Gaza. Who are they?

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:12:02 GMT

As the Israel-Hamas war rages in Gaza, there’s a bitter battle for public opinion flaring in the United States, with angry rallies on many college campuses and disruptive protests at prominent venues in several major cities.Among the catalysts are Palestinian and Jewish-led groups that have been active for years in opposing Israeli policies toward the Palestinians and who now demand a cease-fire in Gaza. They have clashed with pro-Israel groups in the past, and are again now.The groups have roots in a movement known as BDS, which calls for the boycott, divestment and sanction of Israel. That campaign generated heated rhetoric long before Hamas militants attacked Israel on Oct. 7 and Israel launched its counteroffensive. Advocates wrote op-eds for campus newspapers with appeals to protect Palestinian human rights, often accusing Israel of colonialism and racism. Now groups involved in those earlier efforts are playing a key role protesting the latest fighting, with actions on campuse...

Climate change is hastening the demise of Pacific Northwest forests

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:12:02 GMT

SHERWOOD, Ore. (AP) — Deep inside a forest in Oregon’s Willamette Valley stands a dead “Tree of Life.”Its foliage, normally soft and green, is tough and brown or missing altogether. Nonetheless, the tree’s reddish bark, swooping branches and thick, conical base identify it as the Pacific Northwest’s iconic western red cedar.Christine Buhl, a forest health specialist for the Oregon Department of Forestry, plunges a tool called an increment borer into the dead tree’s trunk. Twisting the handle of the corkscrew-like borer, Buhl extracts a long, thin sample of the tree’s inner growth rings.The rings become thinner over time, indicating the tree’s growth slowed before the tree finally died, a sign that this red cedar, like thousands of others in Oregon and Washington, died from drought.“That’s why it’s the canary,” says Buhl. “Any tree that’s less drought tolerant is going to be the canary in the coal mine. They’re going to start bailing (out).”For thousands of years, people have used re...

Man accused of abducting, beating woman over 4-day period pleads not guilty

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:12:02 GMT

AKRON, Ohio (AP) — An Ohio man accused of abducting and beating a woman while she was confined for four days in a residential garage last month pleaded not guilty during a court hearing Thursday.William Mozingo, 33, was arraigned on charges of kidnapping, felonious assault, abduction and unlawful restraint. He has been held without bond since his Oct. 16 arrest due to a parole violation.The 23-year-old Chardon woman was found after a resident called Akron police and said a friend had a woman in their outdoor garage without their knowledge and that the woman appeared to be injured. Relatives have said she suffered facial fractures, brain bleed, a broken arm and finger injuries.Authorities have said the woman knew Mozingo but not very well. The alleged abduction and attacks occurred after he offered to drive her home but instead took her to the garage.Bodycam video of the arrest was released this week by police. It shows officers using a ladder to help the woman climb down from a part...

Beef is a way of life in Texas, but it’s hard on the planet. This rancher thinks she can change that

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:12:02 GMT

ROSSTON, Texas (AP) — The cattle part as Meredith Ellis edges her small four-wheeler through the herd, silently counting the cows and calves. It’s the way she starts most days on her 3,000-acre Texas ranch: ensuring all the cattle are safe, deciding when they should move to another pasture, and ensuring the grass is as healthy as her animals.“We’re looking for the sweet spot where the land and cattle help each other,” Ellis says as she rumbles down a dirt road to check on another herd. “You want to find that balance.”Much of Ellis’ work evolved from the ranching her father practiced for decades. Her parents built this ranch, and it’s where Ellis was raised. Now it’s her turn to make the decisions. She’s implemented changes her father couldn’t dream of — because for her and other ranchers, their livelihoods and the future of the planet are on the line.For generations, beef has been a way of life in Texas, the most quintessential of American main courses, and a premium protein around ...

Rep. George Santos won't seek reelection after scathing ethics report cites evidence of lawbreaking

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:12:02 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — The House Ethics committee in a scathing report Thursday said it has amassed “overwhelming evidence” of lawbreaking by Republican Rep. George Santos of New York that has been sent to the Justice Department, concluding flatly that he “cannot be trusted” after a monthslong investigation into his conduct.Shortly after the panel's report was released, Santos blasted it in a tweet on X as a “politicized smear” but said he would not be seeking reelection to a second term. He gave no indication he would step aside before his term ends next year, vowing to pursue his “conservative values in my remaining time in Congress.”But a renewed effort to expel him from the House was quickly launched. The House could vote on his expulsion as soon as it returns from the Thanksgiving holiday later this month.The panel said that Santos knowingly caused his campaign committee to file false or incomplete reports with the Federal Election Commission; used campaign funds...

Ed Burke trial resumes, opening statements expected

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:12:02 GMT

CHICAGO — After a week-long interruption because of Covid, the Ed Burke trial is set to resume Thursday.The judge in the high-profile case wants jury selection wrapped up by noon and opening statements to take place in the afternoon.One week ago, Judge Virginia Kendall announced this trial would be delayed after a defense attorney tested positive for Covid. On Thursday, she addressed all parties saying she hoped everyone was feeling well. The career of Ed Burke: Power personified One potential juror was excused after testing positive for Covid.Former Chicago Alderman Ed Burke and his wife Anne arrived at the Dirksen Federal Building around 8 a.m.This is the second week of his high-profile corruption trial.He is charged with 14 counts of racketeering, bribery, and extortion. Prosecutors say he abused his public office for private gain, but withholding permits unless business owners used his private law firm for tax appeals – among other alleged schemes.Burke has pleaded not guilty...

Beware $2,500 offer to release cockroaches in your home: Officials

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:12:02 GMT

RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) — It's an offer generating a lot of buzz around the country: A pest-control website, that says it's based in Raleigh, North Carolina, offering $2,500 to a household willing to have about 100 live cockroaches released in their home. The offer, posted on the Pest Informer website, caught the attention of media outlets and websites across the world. But before you consider it, the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services has a word of advice."Buyer beware," cautioned Victor Lennon, deputy director of the department's Structural Pest Control section.This isn't the first time Pest Informer has advertised a similar offer with a stated goal of testing pest control techniques. The website says the idea was first contemplated in 2022 — which is when the N.C. Department of Agriculture first looked into the website and its owner, who is listed as David Floyd. "We could not find any record of Mr. David Floyd or Pest Informer," said Lennon. "And we have...

Water line break in Pflugerville repaired, outages restored

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:12:02 GMT

PFLUGERVILLE, Texas (KXAN) — A water line break in southeast Pflugerville that caused outages for some residents was repaired.According to the city's social media, the following areas were affected: Gatlinburg, Cambridge Estates, Bohls Place, Impact Way and surrounding areas. Repairs started around 9:15 a.m. and were finished by 10:24 a.m., according to the city. Residents can get updates sent to their phones by subscribing to the Pflugerville Alerts general information group by texting PfGeneral to 38276.This is a developing story. Check back for updates.