National Enquirer publisher testifies he used tabloid to suppress unfavourable Trump stories
The first witness in Donald Trump’s criminal hush money trial, former National Enquirer publisher David Pecker, testified on Tuesday that he used his supermarket tabloid to suppress stories that might have hurt Trump’s 2016 presidential bid. Pecker, 72, testified in a New York court that the Enquirer paid two people who were peddling stories of Trump’s sexual misbehaviour but never published them — a practice known as “catch and kill.” “When someone’s running for public office like this, it is very common for these women to call up a magazineRead more
U.S. prepares to rush $1B US in military aid to Ukraine, as Congress approves bills
A sweeping foreign aid package easily passed the U.S. Congress late Tuesday after months of delay, clearing the way for fresh Ukraine funding amid advances from Russia’s invasion force and Kyiv’s shortages of military supplies. The U.S. Senate voted 79 to 18 to approve four bills passed by the House of Representatives on Saturday, after House Republican leaders abruptly switched course last week and allowed a vote on the $95 billion US in mostly military aid for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, and U.S. partners in the Indo-Pacific. The four bills were combinedRead more
Freeland’s new federal budget hikes taxes on the rich to cover billions in new spending
Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland’s fourth budget delivers a big-ticket housing program for millennials and Generation Z voters — a multi-billion dollar commitment to be paid for in part with a tax hike on the rich and corporate Canada. Freeland’s document calls for about $52.9 billion in new spending over the next five years — a significant jump over what Ottawa had said it would spend in the fall economic statement released just a few months ago. To offset some of that new spending, Freeland is pitching policy changes the governmentRead more
Firefighters battle out-of-control wildfire near Edson, Alta., after natural gas line rupture
A natural gas pipeline rupture Tuesday morning in west-central Alberta has sparked an out-of-control wildfire. TC Energy activated its emergency response procedures after it was notified about the incident, involving its Nova Gas Transmission Line, located 40 kilometres northwest of Edson, Alta., at about 11 a.m., the company said in a statement. Edson is about 200 kilometres west of Edmonton and about 160 km northeast of the B.C.-Alberta border. “The pipeline incident did create a wildfire and so Alberta Wildfire, Yellowhead County and TC Energy are currently responding to the wildfire,” said CarolineRead more
Speed of Trump jury selection surprises after predictions of drawn-out slugfest
Seven jurors were empanelled by the second day of Donald Trump’s trial Tuesday, leaving only five slots plus several backups unfilled. It was faster than most had predicted for the historic and unusual criminal trial. Analysts had predicted it might take two weeks or more to select a jury for the highest-ranking U.S. politician ever to face a criminal trial. Regular citizens were grilled over old social media posts and political opinions. Some cracked under questioning, but a handful survived. Empanelling a jury has been challenge No. 1 in theRead more
Toronto police suspensions have cost public $1.3M so far in 2024
Toronto taxpayers have spent roughly $1.3 million dollars so far in 2024 to pay the salaries of 31 suspended Toronto police officers, according to an exclusive database compiled by CBC News that surveyed reports about hundreds of Ontario police officers who were sent home with pay after being accused of misconduct or breaking the law. The investigation collected publicly available information about officers across 44 police departments, including the Toronto Police Service. The Toronto police suspensions are related to a wide variety of allegations including gender-based violence, impaired driving, fraud,Read more
‘I’m not so passionate about it’: Winner of multimillion-dollar Gretzky card case says he’s changed his mind
The man who bought a highly sought-after, multimillion-dollar case of hockey cards now says he doesn’t want them anymore. CBC confirmed that Ontario-based real estate agent Jack Arshawsky won the auction for a case containing thousands of unopened 1979-1980 O-Pee-Chee brand hockey cards — the set that contains Wayne Gretzky’s rookie card — for $3.72 million US. However, Arshawsky says he has not paid the full amount for the cards yet, so they remain in the auction house’s “vault.” The box of unopened hockey cards was found in a Saskatchewan family’sRead more
The Biden administration wants to tackle the ‘gun show loophole.’ Here’s how
A rule requiring gun dealers to obtain federal licences and conduct background checks regardless of where they sell guns has been finalized and will soon go into effect, the U.S. Justice Department announced on Thursday. The rule makes clear that anyone who sells firearms predominantly to earn a profit must be federally licensed and conduct background checks. “This is going to keep guns out of the hands of domestic abusers and felons,” President Joe Biden said in a statement. “My administration is going to continue to do everything we possiblyRead more
Trump to face 1st criminal trial on April 15, sees bond requirement lowered in civil case
A New York judge has scheduled an April 15 trial date for Donald Trump in what will be the first criminal case involving an ex-president, involving allegations that he falsified business records during the 2016 presidential campaign. Judge Juan M. Merchan made the ruling Monday, but not before scolding the former president’s lawyers as he weighed when to reschedule the trial, after a last-minute document dump caused a postponement of the original date. Merchan had bristled at what he suggested were baseless defence claims of “prosecutorial misconduct.” Trump’s defence team, which subpoenaedRead more
UN Security Council votes to demand immediate ceasefire in Gaza, as U.S. abstains
The United Nations Security Council on Monday issued its first demand to halt the fighting in Gaza, calling for a ceasefire during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan in a vote that drew an immediate protest from the Israeli prime minister. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu cancelled a high-level delegation’s planned visit to Washington and accused the U.S. of “retreating” from a “principled position” by allowing the vote to pass without conditioning the ceasefire on the release of hostages held by Hamas. WATCH | War can’t stop until hostages returned, Israeli minister says: War inRead more