‘We The People’ concert is one in a series of events planned for Inauguration Week
‘If there’s one thing on Earth that would possibly make us get the band together, if only for a day, it is the hope that our song could be even the tiniest beacon of light in such a dark time,’ frontman Gregg Alexander said in a statement
WASHINGTON — One of Joe Biden's first actions once he becomes U.S. president Wednesday will be to slam the door yet again on Canada's politically fraught Keystone XL pipeline expansion, transition documents suggest. The documents, seen by The Canadian Press, feature a to-do list for inauguration day that includes signing an executive order to rescind the Keystone XL construction permit granted in 2019 by predecessor Donald Trump.They also suggest that despite its best efforts, Canada has failed to convince the incoming administration of the virtues of importing fossil-fuel energy from a friendly ally and trading partner with similar climate change goals. "Roll back Trump enviro actions via EO (including rescind Keystone XL pipeline permit)," the document reads. Other entries under the "Climate" heading include, "Rejoin the Paris Agreement" and "Announce date for U.S.-hosted Leaders' Climate Summit." Campaign officials promised in May that if elected, Biden would cancel the $8-billion US cross-border project, but neither the timeline nor the extent of Biden's own commitment to the promise was clear until now.The controversial, on-again, off-again pipeline expansion, owned by Calgary-based TC Energy, would ferry up to 830,000 additional barrels a day of diluted bitumen from Alberta's oilsands to refineries along the U.S. Gulf Coast. Government officials quietly refused to rule out the possibility that there might still be time to change the Biden administration's mind. Kirsten Hillman, Canada's ambassador to the U.S., has argued for months that the project is not the same one President Barack Obama rejected in 2015 — an argument she reiterated in a statement Sunday. "Not only has the project itself changed significantly since it was first proposed, but Canada’s oilsands production has also changed significantly," Hillman said. "Per-barrel oilsands (greenhouse gas) emissions have dropped 31 per cent since 2000, and innovation will continue to drive progress."The federal Liberal government has also beefed up its climate plan in an effort to exceed the current target for cutting greenhouse gases by 2030, and to reach net-zero emissions by 2050, she added.Ever since May, Canadian officials have been advocating for a cross-border discussion on climate and energy that would make room for both building the project and reducing emissions at the same time. "Keystone XL fits within Canada’s climate plan," Hillman said, adding that it promises good union jobs in both countries "at a time when our economic recovery is a top priority.""Underpinned by a crucial and long-standing trade and security partnership, there is no better partner for the U.S. on climate action than Canada as we work together for green transition."Where Ottawa was clinging to hope, however, Alberta appeared to be girding for a fight. "We renew our call on the incoming administration to show respect for Canada as the United States' most important trading partner and strategic ally," Premier Jason Kenney said in a statement. Cancelling the project would "kill jobs" in both countries, "weaken" cross-border ties and "undermine U.S. national security" by making the country more dependent than ever on oil imports from OPEC countries, he said. "Should the incoming U.S. administration abrogate the Keystone XL permit, Alberta will work with TC Energy to use all legal avenues available to protect its interest in the project."Biden campaign officials did not immediately respond to media queries Sunday. TC Energy, however, confirmed an ambitious plan to spend $1.7 billion US on a solar, wind and battery-powered operating system for the pipeline to ensure it is zero-emission by 2030, and to rely exclusively on union labour — all of it clearly aimed at winning Biden's favour."Since it was initially proposed more than 10 years ago, the Keystone XL project has evolved with the needs of North America, our communities and the environment," project president Richard Prior said in a release. "We are confident that Keystone XL is not only the safest and most reliable method to transport oil to markets, but the initiatives announced today also ensure it will have the lowest environmental impact of an oil pipeline in terms of greenhouse gas emissions."Federal Conservative Leader Erin O'Toole echoed Kenney's concerns, describing the U.S. decision as counter to economic recovery efforts and urging Biden and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to sit down at the earliest opportunity. "I call on the prime minister to immediately reach out to the incoming U.S. administration to stop this from happening and stand up for working Canadians across Canada," O'Toole said. "I also call upon the incoming U.S. administration to meet with our prime minister and affected workers prior to making this decision."Some 200 kilometres of pipe have already been installed for the expansion, including across the Canada-U. S. border, and construction has begun on pump stations in Alberta and several U.S. states.Biden was vice-president in 2015 when Obama initially rejected Keystone XL for fear it would worsen climate change. Trump approved it again in 2019. The Biden campaign team appeared to slam the door on the expansion in May with an unequivocal statement committing the president-elect to "proudly" sign an order that would "stop it for good." But observers and experts alike continued to hold out hope, even after Biden named John Kerry — the climate hawk who as secretary of state recommended that Obama reject the permit — as a special presidential envoy on climate change. The news drew praise, however, from Biden's former rival, Sen. Bernie Sanders. "The Keystone pipeline is & always has been a disaster," he said on Twitter. "With all of the major crises facing America, we must never lose sight of the most existential threat facing our planet: climate change." Environmental groups also cheered Biden's decision and encouraged federal leaders in Canada to follow suit. "It’s time for Canadian politicians to stop beating this dead horse and get on with building a clean energy future," said Keith Stewart, Greenpeace Canada's senior energy strategist. "The Biden administration offers us a fresh start on addressing the climate crisis with a willing partner, so let’s not blow it by pushing pipelines."This report from The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 17, 2021. James McCarten, The Canadian Press
Lawyers for the former opposition leader are applying for the disclosure of documents ahead of a possible legal challenge over his suspension.
This Sunday’s episode of NCIS: Los Angeles by and large wrapped up the “superbills” counterfeiting case, but in retrospect saved its very biggest moments — and there were several — for the final minutes. Let’s start on the brighter side of things: Deeks, while concealing a possibly broken rib, called Kensi to share his fare […]
A nurse receives the first jab, after months of delay and political discord over the programme.
Anil Kapoor, an actor who has reinvented himself and has always managed to stay relevant without a lull in his career, says he is 'more fearless' about the roles he selects.
It took the Florida Panthers some time to get the offense going on Sunday night against the Chicago Blackhawks. That’s to be expected when nearly half of the 20 players on the active roster for the first game of the season are new to the team and there were all of 11 practices and no preseason games to get acclimated with each others.
China's economy grew at 2.3% for the year, making it the only major economy to see growth last year.
WASHINGTON — U.S. defence officials say they are worried about an insider attack or other threat from service members involved in securing President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration, prompting the FBI to vet all of the 25,000 National Guard troops coming into Washington for the event. The massive undertaking reflects the extraordinary security concerns that have gripped Washington following the deadly Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol by pro-Trump rioters. And it underscores fears that some of the very people assigned to protect the city over the next several days could present a threat to the incoming president and other VIPs in attendance. Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy told The Associated Press on Sunday that officials are conscious of the potential threat, and he warned commanders to be on the lookout for any problems within their ranks as the inauguration approaches. So far, however, he and other leaders say they have seen no evidence of any threats, and officials said the vetting hadn't flagged any issues. ”We’re continually going through the process, and taking second, third looks at every one of the individuals assigned to this operation,” McCarthy said in an interview after he and other military leaders went through an exhaustive, three-hour security drill in preparation for Wednesday’s inauguration. He said Guard members are also getting training on how to identify potential insider threats. About 25,000 members of the National Guard are streaming into Washington from across the country — at least two and a half times the number for previous inaugurals. And while the military routinely reviews service members for extremist connections, the FBI screening is in addition to any previous monitoring. Multiple officials said the process began as the first Guard troops began deploying to D.C. more than a week ago. And they said it is slated to be complete by Wednesday. “The question is, is that all of them? Are there others?” said McCarthy. “We need to be conscious of it and we need to put all of the mechanisms in place to thoroughly vet these men and women who would support any operations like this.” In a situation like this one, FBI vetting would involve running peoples’ names through databases and watchlists maintained by the bureau to see if anything alarming comes up. That could include involvement in prior investigations or terrorism-related concerns, said David Gomez, a former FBI national security supervisor in Seattle. Insider threats have been a persistent law enforcement priority in the years after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. But in most cases, the threats are from homegrown insurgents radicalized by al-Qaida, the Islamic State group or similar groups. In contrast, the threats against Biden’s inauguration have been fueled by supporters of President Donald Trump, far-right militants, white supremacists and other radical groups. Many believe Trump’s baseless accusations that the election was stolen from him, a claim that has been refuted by many courts, the Justice Department and Republican officials in key battleground states. Lolita C. Baldor, The Associated Press
WASHINGTON — Veterans of President Donald Trump’s failed reelection campaign had key roles in orchestrating the Washington rally that spawned a deadly assault on the U.S. Capitol, according to an Associated Press review of records, undercutting the grassroots image pushed by groups involved in the event. A pro-Trump non-profit organization called Women for America First hosted the “Save America Rally” on Jan. 6 at the Ellipse, a federally owned patch of land near the White House. But an attachment to the permit, granted by the National Park Service, lists more than half a dozen people in staff positions who just weeks earlier had been paid thousands of dollars by Trump’s 2020 reelection campaign. Other staff scheduled to be “on site” during the protest have close ties to the White House. Since the siege, several of them have scrambled to distance themselves from the rally. The riot at the Capitol, incited by Trump’s comments before and during his speech at the Ellipse, has led to a reckoning unprecedented in American history. A week later, Trump was impeached by the House of Representatives, becoming the first U.S. president to be impeached twice. But the political and legal fallout may stretch well beyond Trump, who will exit the White House before Democrat Joe Biden takes the oath of office on Wednesday. Trump had refused for nearly two months to accept his loss in the 2020 election. Women for America First did not respond to messages seeking comment about how the event was financed and about the Trump campaign’s involvement. The rally drew tens of thousands of people. In a statement, the Trump reelection campaign said it “did not organize, operate or finance the event.” No campaign staff members were involved in the organization or operation of the rally, according to the statement. It said that if any former employees or independent contractors for the campaign took part, “they did not do so at the direction of the Trump campaign.” At least one was working for the Trump campaign this month. Megan Powers was listed as one of two operations managers for the Jan. 6 event. Her LinkedIn profile says she was the Trump campaign’s director of operations into January 2021. She did not respond to a message seeking comment. AP’s review found at least three of the Trump campaign aides named on the permit rushed to obscure their connections to the demonstration. They deactivated or locked down their social media profiles, removed tweets that referenced the rally and blocked a reporter who asked questions. Caroline Wren, a veteran GOP fundraiser, is named as a “VIP Advisor” on an attachment to the permit that Women for America First provided to the Park Service. Between mid-March and mid-November, Donald J. Trump for President Inc. paid Wren $20,000 a month, according to Federal Election Commission records. During the campaign, she was a national finance consultant for Trump Victory, a joint fundraising committee. Wren did not return messages seeking comment and locked her Twitter account after the AP reached out to her last Monday to ask her about her involvement in the rally and the tweets she had removed. Several days later, she blocked the AP reporter. Maggie Mulvaney, a niece of former top Trump aide Mick Mulvaney, is listed on the permit attachment as the “VIP Lead.” She worked as director of finance operations for the Trump campaign, according to her LinkedIn profile. FEC records show Maggie Mulvaney was earning $5,000 every two weeks from Trump’s reelection campaign, with the most recent payment reported on November 13. Maggie Mulvaney had taken down her Twitter account as of last Monday, although it reappeared after an AP reporter asked her about the account’s removal. On Sunday, the same day the AP published this report, she blocked that AP reporter on Twitter. She did not respond to messages seeking comment. In a statement issued the same day rioters attacked the Capitol, Amy Kremer, president of Women for America First, denounced the assault and said it was instigated after the rally by a “handful of bad actors,” while seeming to blame Democrats and news organizations for the riot. The AP reviewed social media posts, voter registrations, court files and other public records for more than 120 people either facing criminal charges related to the Jan. 6 unrest or identified through photographs and videos taken during the melee. The review found the crowd was overwhelmingly made up of longtime Trump supporters, including Republican Party officials, GOP political donors, far-right militants, white supremacists, off-duty police, members of the military and adherents of the QAnon myth that the government is secretly controlled by a cabal of Satan-worshiping pedophile cannibals. Trump’s incendiary remarks at the Jan. 6 rally culminated a two-day series of events in Washington, organized by a coalition of the president’s supporters who echoed his baseless accusations that the election had been stolen from him. A website, MarchtoSaveAmerica.com, sprung up to promote the pro-Trump events and alerted followers, “At 1 PM, we protest at US Capitol.” The website has been deactivated. Kimberly Fletcher, the Moms for America president, said she wasn’t aware the Trump campaign had a role in the rally at the Ellipse until around New Year’s Day. While she didn’t work directly with the campaign, Fletcher did notice a shift in who was involved in the rally and who would be speaking. “When I got there and I saw the size of the stage and everything, I’m like, ‘Wow, we couldn’t possibly have afforded that,’” she said. “It was a big stage. It was a very professional stage. I don’t know who was in the background or who put it together or anything.” In addition to the large stage, the rally on the Ellipse featured a sophisticated sound system and at least three Jumbotron-style screens projecting the president’s image to the crowd. Videos posted online show Trump and his family in a nearby private tent watching the rally on monitors as music blared in the background. Tim Unes, the founder and president of Event Strategies, was the “stage manager” for the Jan. 6 rally, according to the permit paperwork. Unes has longstanding ties to Trump, a connection he highlights on his company’s website. Trump’s presidential campaign paid Event Strategies $1.3 million in 2020 for “audio visual services,” according to the campaign finance records. The company declined to comment for this story. ___ Smith reported from Providence, Rhode Island. ___ Associated Press researcher Rhonda Shafner in New York and Associated Press writer Zeke Miller contributed to this report. Richard Lardner And Michelle R. Smith, The Associated Press
Dr. Dre is back in the studio just a day after getting home from the hospital. He was reportedly taken to the ICU on Jan. 4, following a brain aneurysm.
Six weeks after he skated his only competitive free program of a figure season wiped out by COVID-19, Roman Sadovsky watched the event play out alone in his basement apartment of his parents' house.The suspense was agonizing, like throwing up a buzzer-beater with the game on the line, and having to wait six weeks to see if it drops through the hoop."I sort of just cooped up down in my basement, my parents watched it upstairs," Sadovsky said. "I felt like I needed to watch it alone. I didn't need all these people watching beside me and hearing their opinions too. So I just kept to myself . . . and watching it was honestly excruciating."The 21-year-old from Vaughan, Ont., the leader after the short program, landed a pair of quad jumps in his free skate to Snow Patrol's "Chasing Cars" -- a pre-recorded program from early December -- to win the Challenge with 262.01 points."Usually when we skate, we have maybe two minutes that we kind of absorb what we did, and then we get a score, and we have a result," said Sadovsky, the reigning Canadian champion. "But with a month-and-half, you have so much time to overthink, and then you start forgetting the details of what you did. "Because as you skate, it blurs out, you go into autopilot. You don't consolidate any of that memory. It's all gone."Nam Nguyen of Toronto was second with 256.43, while Toronto's Corey Circelli won the bronze (235.50).Among sports, the global pandemic has been particularly unkind to figure skating. The world championships last March in Montreal were among the first major international event erased by COVID-19, and it's been a snowball of cancelled events ever since.Next month's Canadian championships were recently cancelled, leaving the Challenge as the only event this season for Canadians. And it was a makeshift competition, originally slated to be held live in Edmonton.Instead, it was virtual and pre-recorded. Skaters performed their programs for a video crew in their home rinks over the last few weeks, and those programs were broadcast — and judged — over the past two weekends. "It's so bizarre. Everything was bizarre this year," Sadovsky said. Sadovsky said the cancellation of the national championships in Vancouver wasn't surprising as Canada struggles with COVID-19's second wave. The news was still heartbreaking. "I watched this performance, and there's a lot left to be desired, and a lot that I wish I would have done. So that's the biggest part for me," Sadovsky said. "It's very disappointing, especially on a national stage for that program, that I couldn't have that one more opportunity to skate this year."Sadovsky was happy his mom Olha and dad Mykola got to see him skate at least once this season, albeit on TV."Usually they come and watch me practise occasionally because I live pretty close to my training facility, but they actually haven't seen me skate even in person since the lockdown," Sadovsky said. "It's just impossible for them. So for them, (Saturday) was a pretty special moment."Sadovsky has almost 20,000 followers of his YouTube channel "Romsky," and nearly a million views. He produces pieces in his mini basement studio. Sadovsky was philosophical about the crazy year that was 2020 and the uncertain future in his short film called "The Next Episode.""At this point we're living in a movie, with a director that has a very interesting vision with a series of plot twists that you would never expect, nor did you ever ask for. And it's been getting a little bit messy," Sadovsky says in the three-minute piece."Lately it just seems we make these big strides forward only to get pushed back again, and it feels irritatingly stagnant. . . Regardless of the movie that we live in, what kind of a movie would it be without a solution? In the end, we are the protagonists that need to find that solution."The biggest question for me is how long with this episode be? Perhaps scariest part of any movie is the unknown of where it's going. The path is completely unclear." The Canadian championships in this pre-Olympic season would have also determined the team for the world championships in March in Stockholm. The worlds are still scheduled to go ahead, but plenty of questions have been raised about them as well. Keegan Messing is the only Canadian to have competed internationally this season, finishing third in men's singles at Skate America. He didn't compete in the Challenge.Madeline Schizas won the women's single title on Saturday, while Kirsten Moore-Towers and Michael Marinaro won the pairs title awarded last weekend.On Sunday, reigning Canadian champions Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier had the best score in the senior dance event at 223.33. Laurence Fournier Beaudry and Nikolaj Sorensen finished second with 206.91 while Marjorie Lajoie and Zachary Lagha finished third with 200.42. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 17, 2021. Lori Ewing, The Canadian Press
"He's awesome and so cute," Justin Timberlake said.
'My skin was bright red': 'compromised' facial mask recalled after users report burnsConsumers urged to self-test skincare and beauty products in Australia’s largely unregulated market after users react to Summer Fridays Jet Lag Mask
Asian share markets pared early losses on Monday as data confirmed China's economy had bounced back last quarter as factory output jumped, helping offset recent disappointing news on U.S. consumer spending. Industrial production for December also beat estimates, though retail sales missed the mark. The pick-up in China was a marked contrast to the U.S. and Europe, where the spread of coronavirus has scarred consumer spending, underlined by dismal U.S. retail sales reported on Friday.
China's economy grew at a faster-than-expected pace in the fourth quarter of last year, ending a rough coronavirus-striken 2020 in remarkably good shape and remained solidly poised to expand further this year. The gross domestic product (GDP) expanded 6.5%, data from the National Bureau of Statistics showed on Monday, faster than the 6.1% forecast by economists in a Reuters poll, and followed 4.9% growth in the third quarter. GDP grew 2.3% in 2020, the data showed, making China the only major economy in the world to avoid a contraction last year as many nations struggled to contain the COVID-19 pandemic.
Dozens of top players are confined to hotel rooms, as people on three flights to the event test positive.
"It feels weird actually not having pain."
ACC Limited and Ambuja Cements Ltd., the two Indian units of LafargeHolcim, announced that they have chosen Blue Yonder®, the world’s leading, end-to-end, digital supply chain platform provider, for their supply chain transformation and digitalization. Both ACC and Ambuja Cement have implemented Blue Yonder Luminate Planning.
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