Admins
Watchdog faults Trump-era Justice Department for subpoenas to Congress, media during Russia probe
The department’s Office of Inspector General found that records were subpoenaed from two Democratic members of Congress and 43 staffers, roughly evenly split between Democrats and Republicans, as prosecutors investigated leaks of classified information to media outlets in 2017 and 2018. (Sarah Meyssonnier/Reuters) The U.S. Justice Department’s internal watchdog said on Tuesday that prosecutors’ decision to subpoena phone and email records from members of Congress and their staff during president-elect Donald Trump’s first term risked a chilling effect on congressional oversight. The department’s Office of Inspector General found that recordsRead more
South Korean police reportedly raid president’s office over martial law declaration
A large crowd gathers in Seoul on Tuesday ahead of a rally aimed at demanding the impeachment of South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol in the wake of his recent — and ultimately failed — bid to impose martial law. (Lee Jin-man/The Associated Press) South Korean police searched President Yoon Suk Yeol’s office Wednesday over his imposition of martial law last week, reports said, as some of his top officials were arrested, detained and questioned about their actions in enforcing his orders. The developments come hours before the main liberalRead more
No global treaty reached on cutting plastic production, talks to resume next year
Climate activists march on a street to demand stronger global commitments to curb plastic pollution on Nov. 23 in Busan, South Korea, two days before the start of what was supposed to be the fifth and final round of talks to develop an international, legally binding treaty to end plastic waste by 2040. (Minwoo Park/Reuters) Negotiators working on a treaty to address the global crisis of plastic pollution for a week in South Korea won’t reach an agreement and plan to resume the talks next year. They are at anRead more
The takeaway from Trudeau’s trip to Mar-a-Lago: For Trump, fentanyl is priority No. 1
Donald Trump left his Canadian guests at Mar-a-Lago with a clear impression that fentanyl is his top priority for now in the Canada-U.S. relationship, according to Canadian officials familiar with the details of Friday’s surprise dinner with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. The incoming U.S. president gave the sense he wants to declare he’s already saved American lives even before taking office on Jan. 20, 2025, said two sources whom CBC News agreed not to identify. The intensity of the focus on fentanyl caught some of the Canadians at the dinnerRead more
What should the Royals talk about?
Catherine, Princess of Wales, speaks during a visit to Southport Community Centre in Southport, England, on Oct. 10 to meet families of those caught up in the Southport knife attack earlier this year. (Danny Lawson/Reuters) As Catherine, Princess of Wales, continues her gradual return to the public side of her role after chemotherapy for cancer, she offered words of support for those who have addictions. “Everyone suffering from addiction is another human being, with a story of their own, which many of us don’t understand or see,” she said inRead more
Joe Biden pardons son Hunter of gun, tax convictions, despite promise he wouldn’t do so
U.S. President Joe Biden, left, walks with his son Hunter on the South Lawn of the White House on July 26. (Susan Walsh/The Associated Press) U.S. President Joe Biden on Sunday night pardoned his son, Hunter, sparing the younger Biden a possible prison sentence for federal felony gun and tax convictions and reversing his past promises not to use the extraordinary powers of the presidency for the benefit of his family. The Democratic president had previously said he would not pardon his son or commute his sentence after his convictions inRead more
Lucky Taylor Swift fan nabs 2 tickets in Vancouver for $16.50 each – but there’s a catch
A few lucky Taylor Swift fans in Vancouver managed to grab seats for the hottest ticket in town on Monday — the pop star’s last three shows of her Eras Tour— for $16.50 each. Given that tickets to the record-breaking tour are being resold for tens of thousands of dollars, one fan who scooped two cheap tickets — one for herself and one for her grandmother — just a week before the concerts called it a “crazy adrenaline rush.” The catch? They’re all behind the stage with next to no view. But for EmeRead more
Judge dismisses election interference case against Donald Trump at prosecutors’ request
Special counsel Jack Smith moved to abandon two criminal cases against U.S. president-elect Donald Trump on Monday, acknowledging that Trump’s return to the White House will preclude attempts to federally prosecute him for retaining classified documents or trying to overturn his 2020 election defeat. The decision was inevitable, since longstanding U.S. Justice Department policy says sitting presidents cannot face criminal prosecution. Yet it was still a momentous finale to an unprecedented chapter in political and law enforcement history, as federal officials attempted to hold accountable a former president while he wasRead more
Trump’s tariffs would crush Canada’s economy. Why some industry leaders are calling his bluff
Donald Trump’s threat of a 25 per cent tariff on imported goods would have a devastating impact on Canada’s economy. But some Canadian workers, industry leaders and economists aren’t convinced they’ll actually be implemented. In a social media post Trump made Monday evening, the proposed tariffs were framed as a warning to the U.S.’s primary trading partners that “they will pay a very big price,” unless both Canada and Mexico take aggressive action to tighten border security. But analysts and those working in impacted industries say the mutually beneficial nature of the Canada-U.S. trade relationship, worthRead more
Jamieson Greer is Donald Trump’s pick for U.S. trade rep in coming administration
U.S. president-elect Donald Trump on Tuesday chose trade lawyer Jamieson Greer as his new U.S. trade representative, elevating a key veteran of his first-term trade war against China to execute a sweeping tariff agenda that promises to upend global trade. “Jamieson will focus the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative on reining in the Country’s massive Trade Deficit, defending American Manufacturing, Agriculture, and Services, and opening up Export Markets everywhere,” Trump said in a statement. Greer, 44, served as chief of staff to Trump’s former U.S. trade representative Robert Lighthizer, the architect of Trump’sRead more