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Gregg Phillips, Trump's Voting Fraud Expert, Was Registered To Vote In 3 States

January 30, 2017, 5:31 pm
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SAN FRANCISCO — A man who President Donald Trump has promoted as an authority on voter fraud was registered to vote in multiple states during the 2016 presidential election, the Associated Press has learned.

Gregg Phillips, whose unsubstantiated claim that the election was marred by 3 million illegal votes was tweeted by the president, was listed on the rolls in Alabama, Texas and Mississippi, according to voting records and election officials in those states. He voted only in Alabama in November, records show.

In a post earlier this month, Phillips described "an amazing effort'' by volunteers tied to True the Vote, an organization whose board he sits on, who he said found "thousands of duplicate records and registrations of dead people.''

Trump has made an issue of people who are registered to vote in more than one state, using it as one of the bedrocks of his overall contention that voter fraud is rampant in the U.S. and that voting by 3 to 5 million immigrants illegally in the country cost him the popular vote in November.

gregg phillips

In this undated file photo, Gregg Phillips is seen in Austin, Texas. (Photo: Erich Schlegel/The Dallas Morning News via AP)

The AP found that Phillips was registered in Alabama and Texas under the name Gregg Allen Phillips, with the identical Social Security number. Mississippi records list him under the name Gregg A. Phillips, and that record includes the final four digits of Phillips' Social Security number, his correct date of birth and a prior address matching one once attached to Gregg Allen Phillips. He has lived in all three states.

At the time of November's presidential election, Phillips' status was "inactive'' in Mississippi and suspended in Texas. Officials in both states told the AP that Phillips could have voted, however, by producing identification and updating his address at the polls.

Citing concerns about voters registered in several states, the president last week called for a major investigation into his claim of voter fraud, despite his campaign lawyer's conclusion that the 2016 election was "not tainted.''


"Why would I know or care?''
— Gregg Phillips


"When you look at the people that are registered, dead, illegal and two states, and some cases maybe three states, we have a lot to look into,'' Trump said in an ABC interview.

Reached by telephone Monday, Phillips said he was unaware of his multiple registrations but asked, "Why would I know or care?''

"Doesn't that just demonstrate how broken the system is?'' he asked. "That is not fraud — that is a broken system. We need a national ID that travels with people.''

donald trump
U.S. President Donald Trump listens during a news conference at the White House in Washington, D.C. on Friday.

Phillips has been in the national spotlight since Nov. 11, when he tweeted without evidence that his completed analysis of voter registrations concluded the "number of non-citizen votes exceeded 3 million.''

Thousands of people liked and retweeted the claim, which led to a viral article three days later on InfoWars.com, a site known to traffic in conspiracy theories.

Phillips also has previously tweeted about the dangers of "inactive voters'' being able to vote in U.S. elections. "There is already law that compels states to remove inactive voters. Many don't,'' Phillips tweeted Nov. 29.

Trump family, administration also registered in two states

According to media reports, five Trump family members or top administration officials also were registered to vote in two states during the 2016 election — chief White House strategist Stephen Bannon; Press Secretary Sean Spicer; Treasury Secretary nominee Steven Mnuchin; Tiffany Trump, the president's youngest daughter; and Jared Kushner, Trump's son-in-law and a senior White House adviser.

The Houston-based True the Vote has challenged the validity of voter rolls in numerous states. On Friday, Phillips tweeted that the conservative group "will lead the analysis'' of widespread voter fraud, and suggested in a CNN interview that it might release the underlying data in a few months.

Shortly after Phillips appeared on CNN on Friday, Trump tweeted: "Look forward to seeing the final results of VoteStand. Gregg Phillips and crew say at least 3,000,000 votes were illegal. We must do better!''

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AP reporters Emily Wagster Pettus in Jackson, Mississippi, and Kim Chandler in Montgomery, Alabama, contributed to this report

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Quebec Mosque Shooting: Vigils Across Canada Show Love, Solidarity

January 30, 2017, 6:08 pm
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People across the country came together Monday evening to mourn those who lost their lives in a shooting at a Quebec City mosque.

In Quebec City, thousands gathered outside the Islamic Cultural Centre to show support for the loved ones of six men who were killed and 19 who were injured while attending an evening prayer on Sunday.

quebec city vigil
A man places a candle during a vigil on Monday in Quebec City. (Photo: Paul Chiasson/CP)







Prime Minister Justin Trudeau spoke, telling the crowd Canada stands with the Muslim community and will protect their right to gather together and pray.

"We are with you. Thirty-six million hearts are breaking with yours," Trudeau said earlier on Monday, in a formal statement at the House of Commons.




Alexandre Bissonnette, 27, has been charged with six counts of first-degree murder and five counts of attempted murder.

The victims included Azzeddine Soufiane, a father of three and local grocer; Khaled Belkacemi, a food sciences professor at Universite Laval and a father; and Abdelkrim Hassane, a government IT worker and father. Two victims, Mamadou Tanou Barry and Ibrahima Barry, were close friends from Guinea.

In Ottawa, hundreds met around the Centennial Flame on Parliament Hill for a moment of silence.




And in Montreal, mourners held signs reading "all we need is humanity" and "paix," which means "peace" in French.

montreal vigil
People attend a vigil for the victims of a mosque shooting in Quebec City on Monday evening in Montreal. (Photo: Ryan Remiorz/CP)

Others gathered in solidarity in nearly every city across Canada. In Iqaluit, mourners met outside the city's only mosque.




"I don't understand hurting people in a place of worship, or anywhere else for that matter," Deirdre Lee told CBC News at a vigil at Dalhousie University in Halifax.

A Vancouver mosque held a vigil Monday night, and is also planning on holding an event for awareness of Islamophobia.

“If you slay a person, it’s as if you’ve slain all of humanity, but if you save somebody, it’s as if you’ve saved all of humanity,” said trustee Haroon Khan, in an interview with News 1130.







"As a community, we must stand together with the victims and one another against hatred," read the Calgary vigil's Facebook event.

Messages of love and support also poured in from around the globe.




The Quebec Islamic Cultural Centre has set up a donation page to support the victims' families.

With files from The Canadian Press

More stories on Quebec City mosque shooting
• 6 Killed In Deadly Attack On Quebec City Mosque
• Canadian, World Leaders Condemn Attack
• Only 1 Suspect In Quebec Mosque Shooting
• Canadian Muslims Mourn Victims Of Mosque Shooting
• Mosque Attack A Wake-Up Call For Canada: NDP MP
• U.S. White Supremacist Trolls Canada Over Mosque Attack

• BLOG: As A Muslim Woman From Quebec, I Will Continue To Speak Up Against Hate


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Elizabeth May: Trudeau's Tweet About Refugees Is Hollow Without Action

January 31, 2017, 4:32 am
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OTTAWA — Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's weekend tweet suggesting Canada is open to refugees is meaningless unless the Liberals do much more to accept those now barred from seeking asylum in the United States, Green Party Leader Elizabeth May said on Monday.

“To say we are open, we are an inclusive society, we welcome Muslims and refugees here, you have a home here, that needs to be backed up,” May told reporters.

Canada should ramp up the number of refugees it is prepared to accept, and federal Immigration Minister Ahmed Hussen should immediately suspend the Safe Third Country agreement, she said. The bilateral accord, which took effect in 2004, allows Canada to turn way most refugee claimants if they arrived via the United States.

“What matters is actions,” May said. “Open up our doors. Let in more refugees. Get rid of the safe party agreement that makes it harder for people to get here from the United States. The U.S. is no longer a safe country for Muslims.”

elizabeth may justin trudeauElizabeth May said Justin Trudeau's tweet is meaningless without action. (Photo: CP)

May’s calls echoed comments from the Canadian Council for Refugees, the Canadian Association of Refugee Lawyers, the British Columbia Civil Liberties Association and Amnesty International.

Alex Neve, Amnesty’s Canadian secretary general, said it would be “unconscionable, immoral and unlawful for Canada to pretend that the United States remains a ‘safe’ partner for the purposes of refugee protection.”

Every time Canada sends somebody back to the United States, it signals that Ottawa believes the U.S. government will offer that refugee protection, Janet Dench, executive director the Canadian Council for Refugees, told The Huffington Post Canada. “With what’s going on in the U.S., it seems to us that it would be reckless for Canada to continue to have confidence that that is going to be the case,” she said.

“We shouldn’t wait until there are people who have been wronged and have been sent back” to the country they fled, she added.

donald trumpDonald Trump's executive order sowed confusion and chaos at airports around the globe. (Photo: Reuters)

Late Friday, U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order indefinitely barring Syrian refugees, deeming them “detrimental to the interests of the United States.” Trump also suspended the planned entry of 50,000 refugees, imposed a 120-day freeze on other refugees and barred citizens from seven predominantly Muslim countries — even those with valid visas — from travelling to the United States for 90 days while his administration develops tougher screening procedures for foreign nationals.

The executive order sowed confusion and chaos at airports around the globe. U.S. dual citizens were unsure whether they would be allowed back home. Foreign students reported being trapped abroad unable to return to school in the States. Canadians with a dual citizenship to Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Syria, Sudan, or Yemen were left to wonder whether they would be allowed to cross the border.

Tens of thousands of Americans took to the streets to protest against a measure that was judged by Democrats and many Republicans as un-American, unconstitutional and counterproductive to the U.S. fight against terrorism.

Former U.S. president Barack Obama along with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, British Prime Minister Theresa May and France’s President François Hollande all expressed their disapproval of Trump’s actions.

donald trumpDemonstrators shout slogans during anti-Donald Trump immigration ban protests outside Terminal 4 at San Francisco International Airport. (Photo: Kate Munsch/Reuters)

Hollande said Trump was encouraging “populism and even extremism.”

Merkel’s spokesperson said the chancellor believes the battle against terrorism “does not justify a general suspicion against people of a certain origin or a certain religion.”

Trudeau’s response was to tweet: “To those fleeing persecution, terror & war, Canadians will welcome you, regardless of your faith. Diversity is our strength #WelcomeToCanada”

The tweet made international headlines and was retweeted more than 420,000 times and liked more than 750,000 times.

But at a press conference Sunday, Trudeau’s immigration minister had little to say in terms of what new action Canada would take to welcome refugees. Hussen said Canada has no plans to increase the number of refugees beyond the current target of 25,000.

MPs divided on refugee action

NDP immigration critic Jenny Kwan called that insufficient and urged the Liberals to remove the cap on private sponsorships so that more refugees could be allowed into Canada in 2017.

“Those numbers that we have in place were prior to the Trump administration,” she told HuffPost. “In light of this new situation, with the ban and with the implication for those who are fleeing persecution, Canada needs to step up.”

Conservative immigration critic Michelle Rempel urged the government to move more quickly to bring Yazidi refugees to Canada.

“I find that tweet slightly rich given that there has been no movement on that,” she told reporters.

michelle rempelConservative immigration critic Michelle Rempel said the government should move more quickly. (Photo: CP)

Rempel said she too is concerned that the Liberals have limited the ability of Canadians to privately sponsor refugees to Canada. She also said she wants more transparency on the costs associated with resettling government-sponsored refugees.

Not all MPs think the Liberals should do more. Conservative leadership candidate Andrew Scheer tweeted over the weekend that “Justin Trudeau should not make radical changes to our refugee and immigration system in reaction to policy changes in other countries.

“Canada has been punching above our weight on the number of refugees we have been taking,” said Scheer, a Saskatchewan MP.

Hussen’s office ignored questions Monday on whether the government is considering increasing the number of refugees or withdrawing from the Safe Third Country agreement in light of the Trump ban.

thomas mulcairNDP Leader Thomas Mulcair asked the prime minister if he thought targeting people was an affront to Canadian values. (Photo: Adrian Wyld/CP)

In the House of Commons, NDP Leader Thomas Mulcair demanded that Trudeau speak more forcefully and denounce Trump’s actions.

“Does the prime minister agree that this targeting of people based on their religion or place of birth is an affront to our shared values as Canadians and supporters of human rights across the world?” Mulcair asked.

Trudeau responded that he will always stand up to defend Canadian values of openness and diversity.

“We have seen how much openness to the world and diversity not only makes us more prosperous, but more safe as a country and as communities,” he said.

Trudeau’s words and the debate about Trump’s ban came on the heels of a shooting at a Quebec City mosque on Sunday that left six dead. The lone suspect is a French-Canadian with an apparent admiration for Trump and other right-wing nationalists such as Marine Le Pen, the leader of France’s Front National.

sean spicerWhite House spokesman Sean Spicer used the Quebec City mosque attack to defend President Trump's so-called Muslim ban. (Photo: Getty Images)

Details about the suspect’s ethnicity seemed not to have reached the White House Monday afternoon as spokesman Sean Spicer used the Quebec City attack to defend Trump’s so-called Muslim ban against international and domestic backlash.

"It's a terrible reminder of why we must remain vigilant. And why the president is taking steps to be proactive, not reactive," Spicer told reporters.

The Quebec City shooting was targeted at Muslims, not perpetrated by them.

Toronto Liberal MP Nate Erskine-Smith tweeted in response: “It was demoralizing to see the US administration use the attack to support its racist and discriminatory travel ban.”

Emergency debate Tuesday

MPs will have a chance to have their say on Trump’s refugee and travel ban Tuesday evening after House of Commons Speaker Geoff Regan accepted the NDP’s request for an emergency debate.

On Monday, however, in Ottawa and in Quebec City, politicians of all stripes were united in their desire to stand shoulder to shoulder with the Muslim community.

“To the more than one million Canadians who profess the Muslim faith, I want to say directly: We are with you. 36 million Canadian hearts are breaking with yours,” Trudeau said in the Commons.

While the prime minister and the vast majority of his Liberal MPs were silent on the motives behind of the mosque attack, others said heated language south of the border had contributed to the tragic event.

“I do believe that what is going on, the anti-immigrant, anti-Muslim feeling has arrived in Canada,” Calgary MP and Conservative leadership candidate Deepak Obhrai said.


"I think Prime Minister Trudeau has a very delicate line to walk.”
— Green Party Leader Elizabeth May


Obhrai said he wants to believe Trump isn’t creating a security situation inside Canada, but the Quebec incident gives him pause.

“I think all of us have to be a little bit more careful in what we say and how we say it, and we don’t give fuel to community-based politics, don’t give fuel to that,” he said.

Fellow leadership contestant Michael Chong took to Twitter to say the mosque attack was no accident.

“It is the direct result of the demagogues and wannabe demagogues playing to fears and prejudices. Politicians talking division, not unity, help normalize hate. Not acceptable, enough is enough, stop,” he tweeted. “And yes, I am angry. This is Canada. This was an attack on real Canadian values enshrined in the Charter: religious freedom.”

The Conservative leadership race has been marked by allegations of anti-immigrant rhetoric, namely from contestant Kellie Leitch and her campaign to vet immigrants for what she calls “Canadian values.”

NDP MP Charlie Angus, a potential candidate for his party’s leadership, called on Canadians to be there for each other. “This means speaking up, standing up and defending our Muslim neighbours from the misinformation campaigns of the haters.”

May told reporters she knows that she, as an opposition leader, can denounce Trump and his discriminatory practices more loudly and clearly than the prime minister.

“We are in early days of trying to figure out how to deal with a reckless and dangerous president south of the border,” she said. While she can say that, May thinks Trudeau should keep his mouth shut and focus instead on establishing a good working relationship with Trump. Not only because of Canada’s trade-dependent relationship with the United States, but also because Trudeau may be the only leader who can persuade Trump to act on climate change, she said.

“[Trudeau’s] chances of influencing [Trump] will go directly down when he uses strong language,” May said. “Trump obviously has a thin skin. The man is obsessed with things that are irrelevant, like whether his inauguration crowd was big. I mean, these are disturbing utterances, and they disturb even the Republicans in the U.S. Congress. So I think – I think Prime Minister Trudeau has a very delicate line to walk.”

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Stephane Dion To Serve As Canada's Ambassador To European Union, Germany

January 31, 2017, 12:34 pm
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OTTAWA — Former Liberal leader and foreign affairs minister Stephane Dion ended weeks of speculation Tuesday when he said he has accepted Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's offer to be Canada's ambassador to the European Union and Germany.

Dion made the announcement while saying goodbye to his House of Commons colleagues, following a similar tribute from former immigration minister John McCallum, both of whom were shuffled out of the federal cabinet earlier this month.

Dion, who represents a Montreal riding, was shuffled out of cabinet earlier this month in favour of Chrystia Freeland, a move widely seen as part of the Liberal government's response to the ascendance of Donald Trump.

stephane dion
Stephane Dion speaks in the House of Commons on Oct. 19, 2016. (Photo: Adrian Wyld/CP)

McCallum had already agreed to be China's ambassador to China; Dion, weighing his options, finally ended the suspense after question period Tuesday, saying he would embrace the challenges associated with strengthening Canada's ties with the EU.

Both were casualties of a cabinet shuffle aimed at preparing for the ascendance of Donald Trump, who has also provoked China at a time when Canada seeks to deepen economic co-operation, including pursuing a free trade agreement.

If Dion was apprehensive about the role, McCallum clearly had no such misgivings: "This China assignment,'' he said, grinning, "is the perfect job for me.''

Dion takes up his new diplomatic post at a tumultuous and pivotal time as the 28-country EU bloc negotiates its historic Brexit divorce with Britain. He will also have a front row seat for the rise of anti-trade populism and far-right political clamouring as he tries to shepherd Canada's massive free trade deal with the EU to conclusion.

stephane dion
Dion is applauded by MPs in the House on Jan. 31, 2017. (Photo: Adrian Wyld/CP)

Dion was replaced as foreign affairs minister by Chrystia Freeland, who as Trudeau's trade minister and in a previous career as a journalist had forged strong connections in the U.S.

Dion did not initially accept the "senior position'' he was offered by Trudeau, a sign that he was not happy about the decision to relive him of his portfolio. That uncertainty continued well into his speech Tuesday, nothwithstanding the awkward moment when McCallum — who spoke first — appeared to spill the beans about Dion prematurely.

Dion said he considered taking a university job, but in the end of the pull and "adrenalin rush'' of public service proved too hard to resist.

"In its own way, the European continent is facing the same challenges as us, ensuring that openness and inclusion triumphs over exclusion and xenophobia, ensuing a path to inclusive growth and demonstrating that free trade be combined with workers' rights and respect for the environment,'' he said.

"At this critical time, I will do my part to strengthen Canada's relationship with Europe.''

Dion had to choose between 2 passions

In the end he said he had to choose between two of his passions — teaching and public service.

The University of Montreal offered him a guest professor job "under very attractive conditions. I almost said yes, because in my eyes there is no better profession than that of a teacher,'' he said.

"But I don't have to explain to anyone here how much of an adrenalin rush we all get from taking action or just how irresistible the call to public service is especially when that call comes from the prime minister.''

Trudeau paid tribute to man he described as a friend, mentor, skilled politician and a "defender of the Canadian project.''

But Trudeau also hinted at tension around the cabinet table and in his early days as an MP.

"Thankfully for everyone here, cabinet confidentiality — and, in my first years, leader-to-rookie-MP confidentiality — doesn't let me tell you all the stories of our time together,'' the prime minister said.

He said he learned a lot from the elder Liberal statesman, "often through a full dressing-down, and not just when I was a rookie.''

It's unusual for Canada to have one ambassador for the EU and Germany, suggesting Trudeau had to sweeten the offer, said Fen Hampson, an international affairs expert at the Centre for International Governance Innovation in Waterloo, Ont.

But sending a former party leader and foreign minister to Brussels and Berlin "sends a strong message Canada is deeply committed to both missions,'' Hampson said.

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Sleeping At Work And Nap Rooms Go Hand-In-Hand: Arianna Huffington

January 31, 2017, 12:37 pm
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Sleeping on the job still gets frowned upon but ask Arianna Huffington and it's empathy not outrage sleep-deprived workers need most.

That, and maybe a nap room.

"Walking around looking drained and exhausted is what should be looked down on," says Huffington in the video above.

The author of "The Revolution" is no closet fan of nap rooms, having installed two of them for employees during her time as Editor In Chief of the Huffington Post.

And while the move was met with skepticism at first, Huffington says the rooms' popularity tell a entirely different story. For more on why she continues to champion nap rooms, listen to her message in the video above.

"2 Minutes To Transform" is your guide to small but meaningful changes for a better you. Experts share their tips to transform your life at home, in the office or while you're on the go -- all in under two minutes.

Arianna Huffington is the former Editor In Chief of The Huffington Post, a website she co-founded in 2005.

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Alexander Wagar, Accused In 'Knees Together,' Trial Found Not Guilty Of Sexual Assault

January 31, 2017, 12:39 pm
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CALGARY — A man who was tried for a second time after a judge made controversial comments at the original trial has again been found not guilty of sexual assault.

Alexander Wagar, 29, smiled after the verdict Tuesday and yelled "yeah" as he left the Calgary courtroom.

Wager was acquitted in 2014 by Judge Robin Camp, who ruled Wagar was a more credible witness than the 19-year-old woman making the allegation. Camp called the woman "the accused" throughout that trial and asked her why she couldn't keep her knees together.

The Alberta Court of Appeal overturned the acquittal and ordered a new trial.

Judge: complainant has 'credibility issue'

The judge hearing the retrial, Justice Gerry LeGrandeur, said after considering the testimony of both the woman and the accused, he was left with reasonable doubt that a sexual assault happened.

LeGrandeur said the case has drawn a lot of public interest and sympathy, but the Crown had not proven the charge.

He said the complainant continually said she didn't remember events and that "raises a serious credibility issue."

LeGrandeur said Wagar, on the other hand, was candid and the judge did not consider his testimony to be "incredible or implausible."

Camp is now a Federal Court judge and the Canadian Judicial Council is deciding whether to recommend he be removed from the bench.


"To be honest with the court, this is almost a buyer's remorse type of situation."


Wagar's lawyer said in his closing arguments that there was evasiveness in the complainant's testimony. Pat Flynn called it a "consensual sex act between two young adults'' and it was only afterward that the woman changed her mind.

"To be honest with the court, this is almost a buyer's remorse type of situation."

Crown prosecutor Janice Walsh said the defence brought forward an outdated version of a "woman scorned."

"That rape myth and stereotype — a woman who has engaged in sexual conduct would then become a vengeful or vindictive liar," she said in her closing arguments.

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Kal Penn Was Told He 'Doesn't Belong' In U.S. And His Response Was Perfection

January 31, 2017, 12:41 pm
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Kal Penn may be well-known for his comedic role in "Harold and Kumar," but when it comes to politics, the actor isn't joking around.

On Saturday, Penn tweeted out a screenshot of a hateful comment he received on his Instagram page, in which a user insinuated he didn't "belong" in the U.S.

But rather than taking the nasty comment to heart, Penn instead flipped the script and started a fund for Syrian refugees.






"We are better than the hateful people who tell us we don't belong in our own country, that America can't be a beacon of freedom and hope for refugees from around the world," the Crowdrise page description reads. "We will turn their bigotry, along with the President's, into love."

So far, the 39-year-old has raised more than US$780,000, but surely this number will continue to grow.

There has been an overwhelming amount of support for Penn's initiative, with many of his followers on both Instagram and Twitter praising the political activist for his proactive work.

"My family and I are immigrants (Gujus like you)," one 'gram user shared. "Thank you for standing up for what is right."

"Now this is how you respond. Well done my fellow humans!!" said another.

As the son of Indian-born parents who later moved to the U.S., the New Jersey native is no stranger to the immigration conversation. And this isn't his first time putting his money where his mouth is for the cause.





Earlier this month, Penn donated US$25,000 to a Palestinian refugee camp after winning "Celebrity Masterchef."

You're the best, Kal!


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Australian Kindergarten Bans Birthday Cake Celebrations For Health Reasons

January 31, 2017, 1:11 pm
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Kindergarten students in Sydney, Australia, can no longer have their (birthday) cake and eat it too.

Birthday cake will no longer be served on a child's special day in class because they cause "unnecessary sugar consumption."



No more blowing out the candles.

Dee Why Kindergarten in Australia said that it implemented the ban after 85 per cent of parents at the kindergarten said they were against cake in a survey, citing they wanted healthier options for celebrating "important milestones."

"We regularly canvas our parents about policies. We asked the question [whether birthday cakes should be allowed] last year and got eight times the normal response," a spokesperson from Dee Why told Honey Nine. "It surprised us that so many had strong feelings and were against birthday cakes as a celebration."

Along with health and nutrition, the kindergarten also took into consideration family culture and preferences.

birthday cake kids

So, if there is no birthday cake, what alternatives do these kindergarten kids have?

Trumpets.

Yup, one example of what the school is encouraging is a birthday trumpet, "which students can blow." Another is "cake-free birthday" where children can make a birthday cake for their classmates out of playdough.

"Whilst not everyone will agree with this change, please be assured we have undertaken this process as best we can to represent the needs of all families at the service," the school told Honey Nine.



So does carrot cake fall under this ban? We're asking for a friend.

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Moose Ends Up In Idaho Family's Basement, Requires Several Officers To Get It Out

January 31, 2017, 1:37 pm
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You may be tempted to dub this a Canadian story, but it actually happened in the United States.

A family in Hailey, Idaho found a moose in their basement Sunday morning, the Hailey Police Department told EastIdahoNews.com.

The female moose had fallen into a three-foot-deep window well and pushed her way through the window into the home. She wasn’t hurt.



“They put some furniture and mattresses around the room to kind of keep the moose enclosed in one area of the basement,” Hailey Lt. Steve England told the website.

Authorities, including police, county deputies and conservation officers, attempted to herd the cow up the stairs. But she wasn’t interested, according to Idaho Fish and Game Magic Valley, and charged them multiple times.



An Idaho Fish and Game worker sedated the giant creature, who calmed down next to a giant Bob Marley wall hanging, The Washington Post noted.

Heavy snow has brought the animals closer to humans in search of food, according to the Blaine County Sheriff.

She was carried outside and woken up, according to EastIdahoNews.com

But this isn't the first time this has happened in the city. Last winter, a female elk fell in a home's window well and broke the window, greeting its owner in the basement around 2 a.m.

"Sr. Conservation officer Alex Head was hoping that was a once-in-career event that he would have to respond to," Idaho Fish and Game officials wrote.

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Mulcair Pushes Trudeau To Stand Up Against Trump's 'Racism And Hatred'

January 31, 2017, 1:53 pm
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NDP Leader Thomas Mulcair is pushing the prime minister to publicly denounce, on behalf of all Canadians, what he has called U.S. President Donald Trump’s “Muslim ban.”

Mulcair rose during question period Tuesday to condemn Trump’s controversial executive order to temporarily halt immigration for people from seven Muslim-majority nations and indefinitely block Syrian refugees from the United States.

And the NDP leader suggested Trudeau was not backing up his rhetoric with action.

thomas mulcair justin trudaeu
NDP Leader Thomas Mulcair and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau speak in the House of Commons on Jan. 31, 2017. (Photo: Adrian Wyld/CP)

“A Canadian ally is blocking access to their country to individuals based on their religion and place of birth,” Mulcair said. “The prime minister talks about the importance of standing up to intolerance and racism.

“So, why is he refusing to denounce this policy that breaches fundamental human rights and that will inevitably have consequences for Canada?”

Trudeau spoke of the “double-role” with which his government must grapple — to protect the economy by working with Canada’s biggest trade partner while still upholding this country’s principles.

The prime minister said his government has “stood loudly and clearly” for the principles of openness and compassion.


"It is always the role of a Canadian prime minister to stand up to racism and hatred."
— NDP Leader Thomas Mulcair


“I’m sorry, Mr. Speaker, but it is always the role of a Canadian prime minister to stand up to racism and hatred,” Mulcair shot back.

Mulcair then noted reports suggesting Trudeau will soon meet with his U.S. counterpart.

“Will the prime minister denounce on behalf of all Canadians the Muslim ban when he meets with the president of the United States? Yes or no?” Mulcair asked.

Again, Trudeau said Canadians expect him to stand up for their values and advocate for compassion.

“And I will do so loudly and clearly,” Trudeau responded.

"Enough with the fine words. That’s too easy," Mulcair said. "Now it’s time for action, Mr. Speaker.”

NDP leader has called Trump a 'fascist'

Mulcair, who has called Trump a "fascist," also raised the topic in question period Monday, the first since MPs returned from the holiday break. He asked if Trudeau agreed that Trump’s policy was “an affront to our shared values as Canadians” and all those who believe in human rights.

Trudeau pledged to always stand up for the diversity Canadians recognize as essential for both success and safety.

“I will continue to stand for Canadian values any chance I get, in this House and elsewhere,” Trudeau said at the time.

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With a file from The Canadian Press

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Marc Miller, Liberal MP, Holds Bible And Qur'an At Swearing-In Ceremony

January 31, 2017, 2:03 pm
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A Liberal MP says he held both a Bible and a Qur'an at a swearing-in ceremony to express his solidarity with Quebec Muslims.

Marc Miller took the oath on Monday when he was sworn in as parliamentary secretary to Infrastructure Minister Amarjeet Sohi.

The ceremony took place one day after a gunman killed six men at the Centre Culturel Islamique de Quebec and injured 19 others.

A 27-year-old university student, Alexandre Bissonnette, has been charged with first-degree murder and attempted murder in connection with the shooting. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called the killings "a terrorist act."





Miller, the MP for the Montreal riding of Ville-Marie — Le Sud-Ouest — Île-des-Soeurs, said the event was a "deeply personal" moment for him, and his decision to use both holy books was a symbolic gesture.

"I chose to use the Qur'an in solidarity with my Muslim brothers and sisters," he told The Huffington Post Canada.

Miller, who is Protestant, brought his personal Bible and borrowed an annotated Qur'an from the Library of Parliament. He used one book when delivering the English oath and the other for the French version.

"It was quite convenient. The clerk was very accommodating," he said.

Miller said he talked to a number of spiritual leaders in his riding, where he says the Muslim community has been deeply affected by the Quebec City shooting.

quebec city mosque
Quebecers gather to pay respect to the victims of terror attack at a mosque in Quebec City which left 6 people killed Jan. 30. (Photo: Amru Salahuddien/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images)

He noted the concerns his Muslim constituents have expressed are not just a result the mosque attack — the debate over the niqab during the last federal election and current U.S. politics have affected them as well.

Miller shared photos of the event on his Facebook and Twitter pages.

And while he said the reception to his gesture has been "99 per cent positive," he added there were some "quite hateful" reactions.

"It's there and it exists in our society and we need to face it," Miller said. "We need to confront it face on."

'We need to reach out'

It's a sentiment that echoes the message Quebec Premier Philippe Couillard delivered Tuesday when he called the province generally an open and accepting society, but admitted it had its "demons."

"Xenophobia, racism and exclusion are present here," Couillard said. "We have to acknowledge that and work together.'




For Miller, the priority moving forward is guaranteeing the safety of worshippers at all religious institutions, he said, adding that there was a lot of healing and work to be done.

"We need to understand each other better, we need to reach out and be open," he said.

"My own religion focuses heavily on love, and it's something that we've lost somewhere. I believe if we reach out to our friends of other faiths and try to understand them, we'll do a great job of clearing out the ignorance that exists."

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With files from The Canadian Press

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What Makes An Attacker A Terrorist In Canada?

January 31, 2017, 2:04 pm
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Alexandre Bissonnette, 27, has been charged with six counts of murder for a mass shooting at a Quebec City mosque — but so far, not any terrorism-related offences.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau did call it a "despicable act of terror." Quebec provincial police are "treating the attack as a terrorist act," CBC News reports, but RCMP have only said that the suspect could "later face terrorism-related charges, depending on the outcome of the ongoing investigation."

Meanwhile, Twitter users are pushing back against Bissonnette being called anything but.

alexandre bissonnetteAlexandre Bissonnette is escorted by authorities after appearing in court in connection with the Quebec City mosque shooting. (Photo: Canadian Press)

So who is actually considered a terrorist in Canada?

You might answer the Front de libération du Québec (FLQ), the separatist group that carried out dozens of attacks from 1963 to 1970, resulting in eight deaths, including Quebec deputy premier and cabinet minister Pierre Laporte. While politically motivated, FLQ members were charged with kidnapping and murder — not terrorism.

That's because prior to 9/11, it wasn't in Canada's Criminal Code — not until Dec 18, 2001 when the Anti-Terrorism Act went into effect.

According to a RCMP terrorism guide, terrorism is considered:

Activities within or relating to Canada directed toward or in support of the threat or use of acts of serious violence against persons or property for the purpose of achieving a political, or religious or ideological objective within Canada or a foreign state.


"The key differentiation between other aspects of the Criminal Code and an act of terrorism is the focus on intention," explained Lorne Dawson, director of the Canadian Network for Research on Terrorism, Security, and Society. "So a murder is a murder. What degree of murder it is will focus on issues of intention but for terrorism the very definition of the act that makes it a terrorist act, as opposed to just a murder, is that it is done for an ideological reason."



"The key differentiation between other aspects of the Criminal Code and an act of terrorism is the focus on intention."


According to the Globe and Mail, Bissonnette wrote social media postings in support of U.S. President Donald Trump and far-right French politican Marine Le Pen, as well as against immigration to Quebec.

Dawson said police need to have enough evidence to prove in court that the crime was motivated by ideology.

"A high percentage of 'lone wolf' terrorists make some kind of public statement of their points of view and their intention. It's usually posted online or is published in some way. Nobody's found anything [from Bissonnette] but that doesn't mean it doesn't exist. I suspect what's going on right now is a massive search of anything in the world connected to his name."

ecole polytechniqueFourteen women died in a shooting at the École Polytechnique in 1989. (Photo: Canadian Press)

Many people have objected to the mosque killings being labelled the largest terrorist attack on Canadian soil, citing the 1989 Montreal massacre in which Marc Lépine killed 14 women. His suicide note included rants against feminism.

He wasn't charged with terrorism at the time because that offence didn't exist, but would Lépine fit under the current definition?

"It's the answer you don't want but it is the answer — it's all a matter of interpretation," Dawson told The Huffington Post Canada. It would also depend on authorities deciding whether or not anti-feminism is a movement, and even what the definition of a movement is, as far leadership, organization or goals.

There's also a distinction between a hate crime and a terrorist act: "The difference between them is the degree to which you can demonstrate that some kind of ideological orientation played a significant role in the motivations for the act, and it's all a judgment call on the degree."

justin bourqueThe RCMP released this image of Justin Bourque armed with two guns in June 2014.

The current discussion is also about race and religion. Dawson noted that Moncton shooter Justin Bourque, who killed three RCMP officers and was known for far-right views, was never called a terrorist, while Parliament Hill attacker Michael Zehaf-Bibeau was immediately labelled as one.

"The primary difference between the two cases is a Muslim and a non-Muslim," he said "There is a bit of 'othering' going on here. That it is the tendency of all human beings to take people that are different from themselves and be more readily willing to assume the worst about them."

Bourque, who pleaded guilty to first-degree murder and attempted murder, is serving life in prison with three consecutive 25-year parole ineligibility terms. Zehaf-Bibeau died in a shootout with authorities after he stormed Parliament.




Dawson warned that we need to recognize terror threats from wherever they emerge. Norway's focus on Islamic terrorism, he said, led police to miss the warning signs of Anders Breivik, an anti-Muslim, anti-multiculturalism extremist who killed 77 people in 2011.

"It's not as pronounced. There's no two ways about it, the data does show that. But there is a real threat, always has been, and it may be rising from the so-called far right."

Last year, a federal report found that the terrorist threat level was "medium," meaning that a "violent act of terrorism could occur in Canada."

More stories on Quebec City mosque shooting
• 6 Killed In Deadly Attack On Quebec City Mosque
• Canadian, World Leaders Condemn Attack
• Suspect Arraigned On 6 Murder Charges
• Canadian Muslims Mourn Victims Of Mosque Shooting
• Mosque Attack A Wake-Up Call For Canada: NDP MP
• U.S. White Supremacist Trolls Canada Over Mosque Attack

• BLOG: As A Muslim Woman From Quebec, I Will Continue To Speak Up Against Hate

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Douglas Garland Trial: Disturbing Internet Searches Found On Accused's Hard Drive

January 31, 2017, 2:06 pm
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CALGARY — A police forensic investigator testified Tuesday he found disturbing web searches on a hard drive found on the farm of a man suspected in the deaths of a Calgary couple and their five-year-old grandson.

Douglas Garland, 57, faces three counts of first-degree murder in the disappearance of Alvin and Kathy Liknes and Nathan O'Brien.

Const. Doug Kraan said he went through the web browser history on the hard drive that had been hidden on the Garland farm.

He showed the jury hundreds of web searches that he discovered on the computer from search engines as well as ads from eBay and Kijiji.

Google searches included "most painful torture"

Kraan said there were searches for a post mortem surgical autopsy set, amputation knives, veterinary instruments, a Percy amputation retractor and pages and pages of different kinds of scalpels.

He also found a Google search on the hard drive for "best gore'' and "most painful torture'' as well as the "25 most brutal torture techniques ever devised.''

The investigator said many of the searches occurred in April 2014, months before the three victims disappeared. Another search looked for information on lack of oxygen, brain damage, and "what happens to the brain without oxygen.''

Another document was an analysis of DNA degradation in a dead body.

douglas garland
Douglas Garland is escorted into a Calgary police station in connection with the disappearance of Nathan O'Brien and his grandparents in Calgary, Alta., July 14, 2014. (Photo: Jeff McIntosh/The Canadian Press)

Kraan also said there were a number of searches about items for sale at the Liknes home and a map on how to get there as well a several inquiries on both Kathy and Alvin Liknes, including on social media.

The Likneses held an estate sale in June 2014 and were moving to the Edmonton area, although they planned to spend their winters at a condo in Mexico.

Kraan testified earlier that there were photos and videos found on the hard drive. Some involved photos of men and women restrained while wearing diapers, others showed dead and dismembered bodies.

Photos of Kathy Liknes and one of her and her husband were recovered from the recycling bin.

Under cross examination Kraan said he did not find any purchase order in the search history or proof that any of the items search on eBay and Kijiji were actually purchased.

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PMO Calls Out Fox News For False Reporting On Quebec Mosque Attack

January 31, 2017, 2:51 pm
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OTTAWA — One of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's senior officials is taking Fox News to task for describing the alleged gunman in the Quebec City shooting as Moroccan.

Kate Purchase, director of communications in the Prime Minister's Office, pointed out the "false and misleading language" in a letter to Fox News Channel co-president Bill Shine that was released to the media Tuesday.

"Canada is an open, welcoming country that stands by its citizens," Purchase wrote in the letter, which goes well beyond simply asking for a correction.

"We are a nation of millions of immigrants and refugees, of hundreds of cultures, languages and religions bound by one, unwavering, unshakable belief: we are stronger not in spite of our differences, but because of them.

fox news tweet
A tweet by Fox News that incorrectly identified the Quebec mosque shooting suspect has been deleted. (Screengrab: Fox News/Twitter)

"These tweets by Fox News dishonour the memory of the six victims and their families by spreading misinformation, playing identity politics, and perpetuating fear and division within our communities."

Refet Kaplan, the managing director for FoxNews.com, issued an apology.

"FoxNews.com initially corrected the misreported information with a tweet and an update to the story on Monday," Kaplan wrote a statement sent by email Tuesday evening.

"The earlier tweets have now been deleted. We regret the error."

The tweet had appeared to be a consequence of early police reports in the wake of the shooting that said two suspects had been taken into custody. Later reports said one of those people was not a suspect, but a witness.


"These tweets by Fox News dishonour the memory of the six victims and their families by spreading misinformation."


Purchase noted the tweet appeared early Monday afternoon, but has yet to be deleted despite the fact police have confirmed that the sole suspect, Alexandre Bissonnette, is a 27-year-old man of French-Canadian origin.

By early Tuesday evening, the tweet had been retweeted more than 900 times, and liked about 1,600 times. It also had about 7,200 replies, many of them pointing out the inaccuracy and calling for a correction.

A subsequent tweet posted Monday evening noting the second person in custody had been cleared was retweeted only 72 times and had 162 likes.

The PMO's interest in the earlier, incorrect tweet may have a lot to do with the fact that it also includes an image of Trudeau and his quote from the night of the shooting: "We condemn this terrorist attack on Muslims in a centre of worship and refuge."

Letter not sent to other news outlets

It also links to a story published on the Fox News website that includes the updated information and notes that the earlier detail about a second suspect came from other media reports.

The PMO would not comment further on the letter, but confirmed it did not send any similar letters to other media outlets that had reported — and since corrected or otherwise updated — similar earlier misinformation.

As of Tuesday evening, a tweet from Montreal newspaper La Presse that also described one of the suspects as Moroccan had also not been deleted. That one had been retweeted more than 500 times and liked nearly 300 times.

Fox News asked to delete or retract tweet

Purchase ended her letter by asking Fox News to either retract or update the tweet, but not before delivering a broader message that was likely intended for an audience much bigger than its named recipient.

"We need to remain focused on keeping our communities safe and united instead of trying to build walls and scapegoat communities," she wrote.

Nor was the phrase about building walls the only veiled reference to U.S. President Donald Trump and his controversial comments and policies on immigration.

"Ramping up fear and closing our borders is not a solution," Purchase wrote. "It distracts from the real issues that affect people's day-to-day life."

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Kyle Lowry Thinks Donald Trump's Travel Ban Is 'Bulls**t,' And He Wants You To Know

January 31, 2017, 3:11 pm
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Basketball player Kyle Lowry’s feelings about Donald Trump’s travel ban may not be exactly controversial, but his colourful language still made headlines.

The Toronto Raptors point guard was asked Monday for his feelings about the ban, which bars people from seven Muslim-majority countries from the United States. Lowry didn’t hold back.

"I think it’s bullshit," he told reporters. "I think it’s absolute bullshit."




Lowry, who was born and raised in Philadelphia, Pa., said the ban didn’t square with his view of his country as the "home of the free."

He then said "bullshit" twice more. When a reporter asked him if he wanted to repeat his comments again without cursing, he said no and told them to bleep the word out if they wanted.

Even though he said he's not a political expert, he thought he should speak out.

"With the NBA players, I think a lot of us go out there and—people don’t know that we do pay attention to everything,” he said, according to Deadspin.

kyle lowry
Toronto Raptors point guard Kyle Lowry spoke out Monday against Donald Trump's travel ban for people from seven Muslim-majority countries. (Photo: Tom Szczerbowski-USA TODAY Sports via Getty)

Raptors president Masai Ujiri and head coach Dwayne Casey shared Lowry's feelings, just not his wording.

Ujiri, who moved to the U.S. from Nigeria, called it “mind-boggling.”

"I'm a prime example of what opportunity is,” he said, as quoted by CBC News.

"Canada has given me opportunity. America gave me opportunity. America is giving my kids opportunity."

Casey called the order a "slippery slope."

"Again, I'm a U.S. citizen, a proud U.S. citizen, but we have to be careful how we're handling our business in the States."

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Will Liberals Tax Health, Dental Benefits? Trudeau Doesn't Rule It Out

January 31, 2017, 3:17 pm
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OTTAWA — Prime Minister Justin Trudeau refused to rule out the possibility Tuesday that the Liberals will increase government revenues by taxing private health and dental plans in the upcoming federal budget.

Interim Conservative Leader Rona Ambrose said in question period that there were only two ways the Liberals could achieve balance: increase taxes or curb their spending.

After a series of stories in The National Post suggested the Finance department is targeting benefits, Ambrose demanded to know whether Trudeau was seriously considering a new tax on drug, vision, and dental plans that would affect millions of Canadians.

justin trudeau bill morneau
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Finance Minister Bill Morneau make their way to deliver the federal budget on March 22, 2016. (Photo: Sean Kilpatrick/CP)

“That proposed new health tax means that most families will pay an additional $1,000 in taxes, many will lose their benefits entirely, and they will be left vulnerable,” she said in the House of Commons.

Trudeau responded with his usual chorus, saying that the government is focused on helping the middle class and those working hard to join it.

“We are looking at how we are going to help Canadian families get through the challenges that they are facing and create opportunities for their children and their grandchildren to thrive and succeed,” the prime minister said.

Ambrose tried again. “People rely on these for prescriptions and much-needed health programs,” she said.


"That proposed new health tax means that most families will pay an additional $1,000 in taxes, many will lose their benefits entirely, and they will be left vulnerable."
— Interim Tory Leader Rona Ambrose


“Could the prime minister focus on the economy and answer the question? Is he seriously going to put a tax on the health and dental plans of millions of Canadians?”

Trudeau sidestepped again, saying: “Budget 2017 is coming up and we are looking at ways within that budget to help Canadians invest in their future, to lower the costs of everyday goods and pharmaceuticals they need.”

If the Liberals push forward with a tax on health and dental benefits, the government will likely argue that well-paid employees need to pay their fair share. Currently, employees without benefits — often lower-wage workers — are subsidizing those who receive them, a senior Liberal recently told HuffPost.

Quebec already taxes such benefits.

Professional associations urge Canadians to fight back

Several professional associations, from dentists to chiropractors to optometrists, have joined forces to urge Canadians to fight back against the proposed tax hike.

The DontTaxMyHealthBenefits.ca campaign suggests many Canadians might find themselves without health benefits if employers can't afford to keep them insured.

When Quebec introduced a health tax in 1997, 20 per cent of employers stopped offering health and dental benefits, the coalition states on its website.

“Without proper health care benefits, more Canadians will enter the public system with greater health needs, driving up the costs,” they wrote. “Taking needed care away from millions of Canadians is not the way to address fairness and equity."

Study shines light on potential costs

Two years ago, the Advisory Panel on Healthcare Innovation struck by the Conservative government suggested employer-paid premiums on employer-sponsored health and dental benefits should be made a taxable benefit to the employee. The panel recommended employees be allowed to claim the expense as part of a refundable health tax credit.

That’s not to say employees with benefits won’t feel any pain. The Post cited a soon-to-be-released study by the Conference Board suggesting someone in Ontario making $45,000 a year with family coverage would pay an extra $1,167 in taxes. Those earning $90,000 would pay $1,277 more. Families with dual incomes would pay twice that amount.

Last fall, the Grits announced that the size of the deficit is projected to be $25.1 billion for this year. The Liberals offered no timeline for when the federal government’s books might return to balance.

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Climate Scientists Turn To Canadian Organizations To Save Vulnerable Data From Trump

January 31, 2017, 3:34 pm
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Scientists, and others who fear Donald Trump's administration could spur the loss of crucial data, are turning to Canadian companies and academics to store their findings.

Trump has called global warming a hoax, and one of his top advisors says he plans to withdraw from the Paris climate agreement, according to Reuters.

On Jan. 20, the day Trump became president of the U.S., the White House website's page on climate change suddenly read "Page Not Found."

Now, a search on the site turns up no mentions of the phrase "climate change" at all.

climate change white house website
A look at the White House climate change page before and after Trump's inauguration. (Screengrabs: WhiteHouse.gov)

David Doniger, director of the climate program at the Natural Resources Defense Council, is worried by the disappearing U.S. government pages.

“They are all saying, ‘The climate is changing, we just don’t know whether it is human influence or how much.' That still amounts to climate denial," Doniger told National Geographic.

DataRefuge is a public project that is working to safeguard, manage and distribute copies of climate and environmental data for researchers.

In December, the collective began hosting urgent DataRescue events, where volunteers rush to download pages off of government websites (mostly pages on climate change and environmental science) before the information might disappear.

DataRefuge explains the current plight of climate data on its website:

"Any data produced by the government, it turns out, belongs to the public — but access and survival are different issues. There's data that's available, even now, if you follow due process, but the quiet disappearance of data, either because of financial plug-pulling, or because of interference, is the worry now at the threshold between institutional science and the public."


A Vancouver archiving company offered its services to help DataRefuge with its mission, to make sure there would be a copy of the company's vulnerable data outside of the U.S.

"I reached out to them and told them we have this complete web crawling archive infrastructure in place, and I believe what you are doing is important, and I want to provide our platform," Page Freezer CEO Michael Riedijk told CBC Radio's "Spark."


"On November 9th in America, we woke up to a new administration ... it means preparing for a Web that may face greater restrictions."


DataRefuge isn't alone in hoping Canada will provide a safe digital space.

Archive.org, a library that indexes old versions of websites, is creating a backup copy of its entire collection that will be hosted on Canadian servers.

“On November 9th in America, we woke up to a new administration promising radical change. … For us, it means keeping our cultural materials safe, private and perpetually accessible. It means preparing for a Web that may face greater restrictions," the company wrote in a blog post.

In December, students at the University of Toronto met for a "Guerrilla Archiving" project, where they spent hours capturing data from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and saving it to San Francisco-based company The Internet Archive. The event was able to save 3,142 pages to the archive, including 192 programs and datasets that were identified as vulnerable.

climate data backups
Volunteers hurry to back up U.S. climate data at the University of Toronto on Dec. 17, 2016, one month before Donald Trump was inaugurated. (Photo: Technoscience Salon and Research Unit‎/Facebook)

The University of Toronto is also one of the groups behind Climate Mirror, an online volunteer effort that allows anyone to help back up climate data.

The issue of disappearing data isn't a foreign one to Canadian researchers. DataRefuge writes in a blog post that its members "met with a group of researchers in Canada who witnessed first-hand how having a climate denier in office impacted accessibility to climate and environmental data."

In 2014, Canadian researchers watched in shock as environmental science libraries, forced to shut down by budget cuts from former prime minister Stephen Harper's government, filled dumpsters with books and periodicals, The Toronto Star reported.




Now, these organizations aren't just storing the data to protect it from budget cuts — they also want to look at what changes.

Page Freezer will be crawling government pages on a weekly bases, and volunteers at the University of Pennsylvania will be doing the same to compare any differences — changes made by Trump's administration — with the pre-Trump archived versions.

“We’ll be letting people know what the changes exactly are. We hope to produce a weekly report on changes,” said Bethany Wiggin, one of the data-rescuing organizers, to Quartz.

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Trump Immigration Ban Could Send Foreign-Born Tech Workers To Canada

January 31, 2017, 6:13 pm
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The U.S. tech sector relies heavily on foreign-born talent, and after President Donald Trump signed an executive order that threatened the future of tech employees in that country, some companies are looking to Canada.

Trump's order bars refugees, as well as immigrants from Iraq, Iran, Syria, Somalia, Sudan, Libya, and Yemen — all Muslim-majority countries, from entering the U.S.

A Vancouver immigration lawyer told The Globe and Mail that on the weekend Trump signed the order, he met with a dozen clients, including engineers and PhD students, who were interested in moving to Canada.

And it's not just refugees or workers from those seven countries who might want to pack up shop.

Immigration rules up in the air

Currently, the U.S. allows 85,000 workers to cross its borders every year through H-1B visas, a lottery-based temporary foreign workers permit for employees with specialized skills.

Immigrants are a big part of the tech industry — companies including Tesla, Microsoft, Google, eBay, Yahoo and Apple were either founded by or are currently run by newcomers to the U.S.

This week, a draft of a proposed executive order to revamp the visa program was leaked from the White House. If approved, the order could revoke the right of current workers to remain in the U.S. or prevent more workers from entering the country.




All the unknowns are making Canada look like an attractive alternative.

Silicon Valley consultant and entrepreneur Scott Rafer launched a startup to help workers and companies struggling with that uncertainty.

Truth North offers a US$6,000 package to fly employees to Vancouver, where they can meet with immigration experts and hear about how to set up their current jobs under a Canadian subsidiary.

true north

Rafer told Tech Crunch that they "aren’t saying to move on spec but to have a ripcord."

He explained that British Columbia has the infrastructure to be a major tech hub, and that is plan won't disadvantage Canadian-born workers.

“It’s not highly educated immigrants coming in and taking anything that’s even remotely considered a Canadian job,” Rafer told The Globe and Mail.

“It’s high-income foreigners coming in and bringing their job with them.”

It looks like the Canadian tech community is ready to welcome employees with open arms.

Since Sunday, over 3,000 members of Canada's tech community have signed an open letter calling on Ottawa to give temporary residence to anyone displaced by the ban (something Canada has since announced it will do).

"Canadian tech companies understand the power of inclusion and diversity of thought, and that talent and skill know no borders," the letter reads.


"It’s high-income foreigners coming in and bringing their job with them."


Canada recently introduced new visa measures that make it even easier for tech companies to recruit foreign talent.

"This utterly foolish action by the U.S. government is an opportunity 100 times greater to build Canada," startup co-founder Daniel Debow told Business Insider.

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This Tweet Just Nailed What Beyoncé Should Name Her Twins

February 1, 2017, 11:49 am
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On Wednesday, Beyoncé surprised fans by announcing she was expecting not one, but two babies.

Naturally, Twitter was quick to post their reactions. But one tweet from Buzzfeed writer Keely Flaherty pretty much won the Bey babies name game:




Nailed it!

The arrival of the Carter twins means that Beyoncé and Jay Z’s five-year-old daughter Blue Ivy will become a big sister this year.

beyonce jay z blue
Jay Z and Beyonce with daughter Blue Ivy Carter onstage during the 2014 MTV Video Music Awards.

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New Brunswick Ice Storm Downed Power Poles Like Dominoes

February 1, 2017, 12:05 pm
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LAMEQUE, N.B. — NB Power needs to rebuild its shattered network with tougher gear to help it withstand violent ice storms like the one that toppled power poles like dominoes last week, New Brunswick's Green leader says.

"The poles can't stand up to these kinds of storms,'' David Coon said as thousands of customers awaited the return of electricity in northern New Brunswick on Wednesday, more than a week after the devastating storm.

Coon recalled the 1998 ice storm that required army assistance in New Brunswick, Quebec, eastern Ontario and the northeastern United States, adding there has been a steady stream of violent storms that he said demands tougher standards for NB Power's distribution system.

new brunswick ice
Downed power poles and ice-covered signs are seen in Escuminac, N.B., on Jan. 27. (Photo: Diane Doiron/CP)

"This is getting you to steel poles and burying lines in some areas,'' said Coon, the sole Green member of the legislature.

Higher standards for the utility must be "built right into'' the Liberal government's promised climate change legislation, Coon said.

Premier Brian Gallant, who has been providing daily storm briefings from northern New Brunswick, hasn't committed to an independent review of the utility's response or any legislated changes in standards. He was not immediately available for comment on Wednesday.

Gaetan Thomas, the president of NB Power, said Tuesday the utility's infrastructure is in good condition, and said his engineers will be reviewing the storm response.

He said line crews patrol the lines and regularly replace power poles that are aging.




"There are a few poles here and there that may have been due, but the large majority were in excess of the design. We are talking about green, new poles that broke ... and when one pole breaks it creates a domino effect,'' he said.

"In our view the entire infrastructure, thousands of poles, withstood the weight of ice that was three to four times what they were designed for.''

The NB Power website shows many of the current outages are on the Acadian Peninsula, on Miscou and Lameque islands, and some residents in Kent County and the Miramichi area also await power.


"The poles can't stand up to these kinds of storms."


People were continuing to use warming centres as close to 400 power crews and about 200 troops continued work on the cleanup and restoration efforts.

"I'm currently stopped at the side of the road and there are two poles right in front of me, just snapped,'' said Major Turmel Chiasson, who is overseeing troops aiding in the cleanup near his hometown of Pidgeon Hill, where his mother awaited a return of power.

2 dead, over 34 people hospitalized

The officer said his soldiers are still seeing residents using barbecues and generators to keep their houses warm, after two carbon monoxide deaths and over 34 hospitalizations in the days since the storm.

"They (barbecues) are right in the house,'' he said.

Dave Young, a spokesman for the New Brunswick Energy and Utilities Board, said under existing regulations the board can consider whether the utility is spending its funds in a "prudent'' way on maintenance and storm preparation.

new brunswick ice
A Chickadee sits on ice-covered branches in Pointe Sapin, N.B. (Photo: Diane Doiron/CP)

The company will be coming before the board to seek its 2017-18 rate increase in three weeks, and is facing public pressure to keep its costs down.

"It (storm readiness) could come up as part of that discussion,'' said Young, adding it's unclear how climate change might factor into the board's mandate to set rates.



Lawyer Peter Hyslop, who has represented energy users in rate hearings, said NB Power should show how much new funding it requires for its distribution system — as well as what it could save in storm repairs.

"For NB Power to set out their standards (in a board hearing) and have them subject to cross examination would not be a bad thing,'' he said.

Heather Black, the province's public intervenor for the energy sector, declined to comment on the issue, noting it was outside of her mandate.

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