By Olivia Bradbury/Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

A request for an extension of the water line on Old Cart Road had some South River councillors worrying about the precedent it would set if the Town agreed to cover the cost of a private land development.

The request was on the agenda of council’s February 5 meeting. The applicant plans to develop 300 feet of land on Old Cart Road into two building lots, but the water and sewer lines do not reach that area.

Extending the water and sewer lines to the Old Cart Road property would be costly for the individual who submitted the request.

“With the water sources up there, you’re better off digging a well,” said Councillor David Petten, noting the water in that area is both of good quality and in good supply. He expressed confusion as to why someone with that source at their disposal would want to hook their property up to the municipal water line.

Petten also worried that if council approved the extension it would be perceived as unfair by other residents.

“If we go ahead and extend water and sewer down there, we’re going to have other residents in town going for torches and axes,” he said.

“Don’t forget pitchforks,” quipped Councillor Steven Rowe.

Town clerk Marjorie Dawson explained that, before any extension can be made, the individual will need to apply to subdivide the land, and then apply for each building lot. Dawson said she believes the property owner is looking to sell one of the lots, which may be why he wants to connect the land to municipal lines. She added the individual may be willing to take on the engineering and extension of the lines at his own cost, meaning it would not cost the Town anything, and asked if council would be open to approving the extension under those circumstances.

“If it’s done to standards, absolutely,” said Petten. “We’re getting 300 feet of water for free.”

The post South River property owner will have to pay for water line extension appeared first on The Shoreline News.

By Craig Westcott

The Town of CBS is going to make subdivision builders start landscaping back lawns on properties in new developments before any occupancy permits will be issued.

“At one point in time we only required front lawns to be completed,” planning committee co-chairman Rex Hillier explained at the February 4 public council meeting. “Now we’re looking at rear yards because we’re finding ourselves in situations where you’ve got rear yards at a higher grade than the neighbours behind them. And when the landscaping is not completed, of course, you get erosion and all of that (water and soil) ends up down in the neighbour’s back yard. So, we’ll be passing that along to our builders in the town shortly.”

In other development news:

A public hearing will be held to discuss changes to the boundary between CBS and Paradise.

“The consultant that has been appointed to complete a feasibility study for the proposed boundary change is intending to hold a public meeting and formal public hearings regarding the matter in late February,” Hillier said. “I know there are people within the town who are looking to develop property as a result of these boundary changes and it’s nice to see that it’s moving forward.”

Residents of Windemere Place off Fowlers Road will soon have to face traffic disruptions, but there could be a pay off in the end.

Hillier said as a result of a 10-12 lot housing development on the lane, the asphalt in front of all the lots has to be removed. That section actually encompasses most of the street, he noted.

“Unfortunately, on either end Windemere is (already) in pretty rough shape, so we’re asking staff if they can reach out to the developer and ask that while the developer has two thirds of it torn up, perhaps we can work with them to complete the rest of it,” Hillier said.

Mayor Darrin Bent agreed the street is crumbling on one end. “It’s not very wide as it is,” he said. “Hopefully at the end of the day it will be better than when it started.”

And finally, the Town has agreed to entertain an application to rezone a section of Route 60 across the road from Villanova Junior High in Manuels from Residential Medium Density and Residential Mixed to Commercial General. As a result of the application, the Town intends to change the terms ‘Autobody Repair Shop’ to ‘Automotive Repair Shop’ in the Commercial General zone regulations.

The owner of the used automobile lot and garage across from the school has acquired an adjacent property and is looking to expand the operation and would also like the zoning to more accurately reflect the nature of the business being carried on at the site, said Hillier.

The applicant will have to pay the Town a non-refundable processing fee and a deposit for it to undertake the proposed rezoning and change to the development regulations. The Town will hold public consultations on the application, Hillier added.

“I think ‘Automotive Repair’ is more inclusive than ‘Autobody Repair’ in the designation so it makes more sense,” said Mayor Bent. 

The post CBS to enforce backyard landscaping on some builds appeared first on The Shoreline News.

NEW YORK (AP) — Joy Reid is leaving MSNBC, the network’s new president announced in a memo to staff on Monday, marking an end to the political analyst and anchor’s prime time news show.

Reid’s namesake show, “The ReidOut,” has been a fixture of MSNBC’s evening programming since 2020. In the hourlong newscast, held at 7 p.m. E.T., Reid conducts extensive interviews with politicians and other newsmakers.

“Joy Reid is leaving the network and we thank her for her countless contributions over the years,” MSNBC president Rebecca Kutler wrote Monday. ”Her work has been recognized with several esteemed honors, including most recently, the 2025 NAACP Image Award for Outstanding News Series.”

In the coming weeks, Kulter added, rotating anchors will host Reid’s hour.

Current hosts of MSNBC’s “The Weekend” — Symone Sanders Townsend, Michael Steele, and Alicia Menendez — will now move to weekdays at 7 p.m. to host a new ensemble news program, Kulter also noted in Monday’s memo.

News reports about MSNBC cancelling “The ReidOut” emerged online over the weekend. Prior to Kulter’s memo, Reid took to social media to thank those who she said had reached out to her with messages of support.

“I just want to say thank you to everyone who has reached out with kindness and encouragement, both personally and in these social media streets,” Reid wrote in a message posted to BlueSky and Instagram just after midnight. “So very proud of The Reidout @joy.msnbc.com team, who are truly family, and all of our supporters & friends. See you tomorrow night at 7, one more time.”

The Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — A group of Manhattan criminal defense attorneys was so concerned about prosecutor Emil Bove’s professionalism that they sent an email to his bosses.

One lawyer complained in the 2018 email that Bove was “completely reckless and out of control.” Another said he needed “adult supervision.” A third, a top federal public defender, said “he cannot be bothered to treat lesser mortals with respect.”

Bove, then a hard-charging prosecutor in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, was hardly chastened.

Instead, he printed the email and pinned it on a cork board in his office for others to see, according to a person who worked with Bove. The person, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss his former colleague, said the prosecutor considered the email to be a badge of honor.

Bove’s near decade as a prosecutor provides clues as to how he views his current role as President Donald Trump’s chief enforcer at the Justice Department. In just a month as the acting No. 2 official, the little-known Bove has plowed through norms and niceties, whether scolding FBI leadership for “insubordination” or pressuring former colleagues to drop charges against New York City’s mayor.

Former prosecutors worry that Bove, who represented Trump in federal and state criminal prosecutions, is settling scores for the president. Brushing aside such concerns, Bove has sought to aggressively implement Trump’s agenda in a way that is not at all surprising to many who knew him when he was litigating drug and terrorism cases.

“In my experience litigating against him, what he enjoyed most as a prosecutor was wielding power— the single worst possible trait for a public servant,” said Christine Chung, a former federal prosecutor who as a defense attorney has squared off against Bove.

The Justice Department declined to comment in response to an Associated Press request to interview Bove.

“He’s doing the job that Trump got elected to do,” said Christopher Kise, who worked with Bove on Trump’s defense team. “The process can sometimes get messy but if you’re going to bake a cake, you’ve got to break some eggs.”

Turmoil at the Justice Department

As acting deputy attorney general, Bove has been instrumental in reshaping the Justice Department.

Particularly startling was his order for the FBI to turn over a list of thousands of agents who participated in Jan. 6 investigations, a request seen by some in the bureau as a precursor to a purge.

Trump has spent the better part of four years downplaying the seriousness of the attack on the U.S. Capitol that left more than 100 police officers injured.

Bove has embraced that view. In a letter ousting several top FBI executives on Jan. 31, Bove wrote that the FBI had “actively participated in what the president appropriately described as a ‘grave national injustice.'”

His actions have left former colleagues befuddled.

“It’s so not like the Emil that I knew,” said Chris O’Leary, a retired FBI agent who worked with Bove on Jan. 6-related investigations. “It’s almost like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.”

Star Prosecutor

At the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Manhattan, Bove irked fellow prosecutors and defense attorneys while prosecuting high profile narcotics and terrorism cases.

The AP spoke with 11 defense attorneys who raised questions about Bove’s aggressive tactics. A former Justice Department colleague recalled Bove trying to bigfoot other districts to take over high-profile cases. And a defense attorney said he watched in shock as Bove yelled at his client, a drug trafficker from Latin America, even though he was cooperating with the U.S. government in a major narcotics investigation.

Most of the attorneys spoke on the condition of anonymity because they feared retaliation for speaking out.

The complaints culminated in March 2018. That’s when the head of the federal public defender’s office in Manhattan collected criticism about Bove from eight defense attorneys and forwarded the insights in an email to top officials in the U.S. Attorney’s Office, according to people familiar with the missive who weren’t authorized to discuss the matter and spoke on the condition of anonymity.

“He’s a real, recurrent problem, and he’s not representing the office in the way that I think you would want it represented,” David Patton, the public defender at the time, wrote in the email, which was reviewed by AP. Patton did not respond to a request for an interview.

About 18 months after the email was sent, Bove was promoted to be co-chief of the office’s national security and international narcotics unit. In that role, he oversaw the indictment of Venezuela’s President Nicolás Maduro on federal narco-terrorism charges.

Rebuked by judge

By 2020, a team of prosecutors Bove led was fending off allegations of prosecutorial misconduct. The actions came in the case of an Iranian banker accused of violating U.S. sanctions. At trial, attorneys for the banker alleged prosecutors failed to hand over evidence they considered beneficial to their client.

Bove, as a supervisor of the unit, was involved in trying to blunt the fallout, according to communications between prosecutors ordered released by the court in 2021 at the request of the AP.

In a Sunday night exchange with his co-chief after being admonished by a federal judge, Bove acknowledged his team had told a “flat lie” to the judge. He also vowed to “smash” the Iranian defendant, made a lewd comment about one of his attorneys and jokingly told a colleague that “we will get cocaine for you” so she could pull an all-nighter to repair the damage.

While U.S. District court Judge Alison Nathan did not find Bove’s team had intentionally withheld documents, she concluded that prosecutors had engaged in a “deliberate attempt to obscure” the truth.

The judge tossed the conviction and asked the Justice Department to launch an investigation of the prosecutors. That probe echoed Nathan’s conclusion, finding that prosecutors’ actions were “flawed” but not intentional or reckless, according to an anonymized summary of the investigation published on the Justice Department’s website. A person familiar with the probe confirmed the summary referred to the Sadr case.

___

Contact AP’s global investigative team at [email protected] or https://www.ap.org/tips/

Joshua Goodman, Jim Mustian And Eric Tucker, The Associated Press

FREDERICTON — An external review of police conduct around the wrongful murder convictions of two New Brunswick men has been completed, but the civilian board that oversees the Saint John, N.B., police force says privacy concerns need to be addressed before it can me made public.

Tamara Kelly, chairwoman of the city’s Board of Police Commissioners, acknowledged the report has taken time. Police Chief Robert Bruce ordered the “comprehensive review” in January 2024 after a court exonerated Robert Mailman and Walter Gillespie of a 1983 murder they did not commit. Mailman spent 18 years in prison for the crime and Gillespie served 21 years.

Kelly said in an interview last week that the review by retired RCMP officer Allen Farrah was complicated by the length of time since the murder investigation.

“A lot of people are not around from that time,” she said. “So, you know, to make sure that it was done well, they did what they had to do.”

Now, she said, Bruce is reviewing the report to ensure protected information is not divulged. “There could be things in there … whether it’s identifiable information or any of that sort of stuff,” she said.

On Jan. 4, 2024, New Brunswick Court of King’s Bench Chief Justice Tracey DeWare ruled that Mailman and Gillespie had been victims of a miscarriage of justice. That came after federal Justice Minister Arif Virani ordered a new trial, citing evidence that called into question “the overall fairness” of their prosecution.

A submission to the court by Innocence Canada in January 2024 alleged the convictions had been the result of “police tunnel vision, non-disclosure of important evidence, recantations by the two key Crown witnesses,” as well as a disregard for the men’s strong alibis. Innocence Canada led the legal fight to exonerate the two men.

The document noted that Saint John police had given a total of $1,800 — in addition to hotel and relocation costs — to a 16-year-old who testified in 1984 that he had witnessed the murder of George Leeman in Saint John. The payments were not disclosed during the trial. The witness later recanted his story to his own lawyer, to a journalist, in two letters and to a federal Justice Department lawyer looking into Mailman and Gillespie’s case in 1998.

Gillespie, who died last year, alleged he was told to sign a “false confession” saying Mailman killed Leeman. If he refused to sign the confession, he said, the Saint John police told him he would be sent to jail for life.

Kim Pate, a Canadian senator and a longtime advocate for justice reform, said there are examples of former police officers who have done “incredible” investigations of police misconduct. But she said in terms of public perception, the idea of police investigating themselves raises questions of transparency and accountability.

She questioned what privacy concerns could delay the report’s release “Privacy of whom, I would want to know,” Pate said. “And why is there a protection in place …. I think the public and obviously the wrongfully convicted have a right to know.”

Patrick Watson, an assistant professor at University of Toronto’s centre for criminology and sociolegal studies, said Innocence Canada and Gillespie alleged “very, very serious offences” by the police, and it is crucial that the review either confirms or rejects them.

“I don’t know what else there is to be known about that, except who these officers were, are any of them still alive and should they be criminally charged?” he said. Names and ages of police officers are usually excluded from such reports, except in cases where officers are criminally charged, he added.

“I think that’s going to be an issue for the investigation, to decide whether or not there’s a public interest in charging any of these officers with an offence like obstruction, because there is this issue of time, and whether or not they are still alive.”

Watson hopes the review will acknowledge the police wrongdoing and that police will apologize to the families involved.

“It’s a real compounding tragedy,” he said. “I’ve always been very curious about why official organizations, like state organizations in our society, are so reluctant to apologize for what has now been recognized by a court as blatant misconduct.”

The fact that Leeman’s family has no closure and may never know who killed him is “atrocious,” Pate said.

“Wrongful convictions harm not just the people who are wrongfully accused and convicted and jailed, but also the families who are left behind with no answers (about) what happened to their loved one.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 24, 2025.

Hina Alam, The Canadian Press

AYIA NAPA, Cyprus (AP) — A first-of-its-kind project will use a swarm of small, independent submersibles to monitor, protect and provide data on offshore artificial reefs whose purpose is to attract new marine life in otherwise barren sections of sea, officials said Monday.

The small, autonomous underwater vehicles, or AUVs, hailed as the “future of underwater surveillance” will be equipped with sensors and high-definition cameras to give scientists at the Cyprus Marine and Maritime Institute a clear picture on the effectiveness of their intricate artificial reefs designed and built using 3D printing.

Made of an environmentally friendly cement mixture, the artificial reefs will be embedded with a docking station at which the AUVs can recharge and transmit collected data including video, said CMMI CEO Zakarias Siokouros.

The advantage of the AUVs lies in their ability to loiter underwater for as long as a month at a time and provide a continuous flow of data while “protecting” the reefs by alerting scientists to any disturbance in protected waters from illegal fishing and encroaching boats. Scientists would, in turn, notify local authorities.

A trial run of the project, dubbed EONIOS, is currently underway off Cyprus’ Ayia Napa marina. Scientists plan to place the artificial reefs in waters off Cyprus’ southern coastal town of Limassol at a depth of around 20 meters (66 feet) where sunlight can still reach the seabed.

“The reefs attract everything from vegetation to large fish and for waters off Cyprus where there isn’t enough food for fish, we aim to create the appropriate environment to bring such fish there,” Siokouros told The Associated Press following a demonstration of the AUVs’ capabilities at the Ayia Napa Marina.

EONIOS is a partnership between the CMMI, AUV makers Arkeocean of France, Cypriot tech company SignalGeneriX and French consultancy company Lanego.

Siokouros said the partnership aims to market EONIOS to other countries who would want to build up their fish stocks using artificial reefs.

A key selling point for the AUVs is that they can provide surveillance, 3D data collection and area protection at a significant discount compared to tethered submersibles, said Arkeocean official Tamara Brizard.

“Our goal is to make a system under which six of our mini-drones can do the same work for the price of one conventional drone,” Brizard said.

Arkeocean AUVs can currently pack a maximum 5 kilograms (11 pounds) of sensors and other gear and can operate to a depth of 300 meters (984 feet) although newer versions are being designed to reach 3,000 meters (9,842 feet). The AUVs receive commands through an attached acoustic antenna and can pinpoint their location.

Battery-powered thrusters make the AUVs very stealthy and nearly undetectable, Brizard said, making them extremely useful for defense purposes such as surveillance in restricted waters. The AUVs can operate anywhere in the world thanks to an Iridium satellite antenna.

The AUVs can also use undersea currents to roam, extending battery life. Another application is in the energy field where the submersibles can be used to detect seismic activity for offshore oil and gas exploration as well as finding suitable areas on which to build offshore wind and solar farms, said Brizard.

Menelaos Hadjicostis, The Associated Press

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — A dozen leaders from Europe and Canada are in Ukraine’s capital to mark the third anniversary of Russia’s invasion. The visitors, including European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, are attending events and discussing support with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

The anniversary is marked as U.S. policies on Russia and Ukraine shift dramatically under President Donald Trump. Questions about possible peace talks and Ukraine’s interest in European Union and NATO membership loom large.

Here’s the latest:

Ukraine could join the EU before 2030, von der Leyen says

KYIV, Ukraine — The head of the European Union’s executive branch, Ursula von der Leyen, has praised Ukraine’s progress toward membership of the bloc and has held out the possibility of entry before 2030.

She emphasized that the process of EU accession was “merit-based,” and that candidates must comply with conditions and enact reforms.

Still, she continued, “I would even say Ukraine’s merit-based process, if they continue at that speed and at that quality, perhaps they could be earlier than 2030.”

Russia adamantly opposes Ukraine joining either the EU or NATO.

Lithuania calls for debate over European peacekeeping force after any ceasefire

KYIV, Ukraine — Lithuanian Prime Minister Gitanas Nauseda said that even though neither a peace nor a ceasefire had yet been reached, his country and others in Europe would have to grapple with whether there would be popular support for European peacekeeping forces stationed in Ukraine to uphold any future peace agreement.

“We need clarity about the mandate of such forces on the soil of Ukraine,” he said.

In the event of an eventual ceasefire, Nauseda said enforcement was vital.

“The force must be real. The first time the peace is violated or a ceasefire is violated, the retaliation must be immediate and strong,” he said. “Otherwise we compromise and we discredit the very concept of the security guarantees.”

Zelenskyy appeals to Trump for continued US support

The G7 group of leading industrialized nations is holding a virtual summit Monday to discuss ways of bringing an end to the war in Ukraine. During his speech, Zelenskyy appealed to Trump for continued U.S. support.

“President Trump, we would really like to hear from you because all our people, all our families are very worried – will there be support from America? Will America be the leader of the free world? And I want to be very honest, very honest with you… For our people, for life in general, it is so important that American support, American assistance remains,” he said.

Tensions between Kyiv and Washington have risen recently. However, Zelenskyy said the two sides were “working productively on the economic agreement” on rights to Ukraine’s valuable rare earth minerals.

He argued for allowing Ukraine to join NATO, a move the Trump administration opposes, saying it was the “most cost-effective” path.

“If Ukraine remains outside NATO, it will be a much more expensive and complicated path for everyone because NATO provides the simplest and most cost-effective security guarantees. In that case, Ukraine will need more air defense systems, more financial support, and a strong military presence to keep Russia in check … Security guarantees are needed for peace to prevail,” he said.

Finland urges European countries to ‘wake up’

KYIV, Ukraine — Finnish President Alexander Stubb urged European countries to take a more muscular role in developing a strategy that they could bring to the table on negotiations over Ukraine, something he described as “having skin in the game.”

“In the past two weeks, when we’ve seen a shift in the trans-Atlantic partnership … we have to wake up to a new reality,” he said.

“I think we in Europe, we need to get our act together,” he said. ”You have to have a plan to (take to) the Americans, because if you don’t have a plan to (take to) the Americans, you’re not getting involved in negotiations, and right now the negotiations are happening above our heads without any kind of a planning strategy.”

Zelenskyy calls for deterrence to stop further Russian aggression

KYIV, Ukraine — “We hope that we can finish this war this year,” Zelenskyy said, reflecting on the toll the conflict has taken on his country and its soldiers on the front line.

Still, he said, preventing renewed aggression from the Russians after a cessation of fighting will require Ukraine and its allies to “put them to their place, to their territory,” and to create a security infrastructure that will act as a deterrent.

“If Ukraine will be in EU and NATO in closest years, of course it will help us very much, and I think that they will not come back,” he said.

“We will have a strong army and strong allies and strong unity, to my mind, because (Russia) will never forgive the world that they didn’t win.”

Estonia warns against an unjust peace

KYIV, Ukraine — Estonian Prime Minister Kristen Michal warned that an “unjust peace” in Ukraine would threaten Europe and the broader world by demonstrating to other actors around the globe that aggression such as Russia’s is tolerated.

“An unjust peace probably would hit everybody, also the United States, because Iran, North Korea, everybody would assess that they can do whatever they want,” said Michal, whose country borders Russia.

EU says Moscow must show willingness for peace in return for sanctions relief

KYIV, Ukraine — European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said any discussion of providing sanctions relief to Russia could only begin once Moscow has demonstrated that it is committed to working with Western countries on achieving a lasting peace.

“These sanctions are part of our approach that we want peace through strength,” she said at a conference in Kyiv with Western leaders. “It’s very clear that unless Russia demonstrates by facts the true willingness to achieve a lasting and just peace agreement, we will increase punitive sanctions against Russia.”

EU Council President Antonio Costa said that all the European leaders gathered “welcome the huge efforts from President Trump to push Putin and Russia to negotiation. And I wish that these bilateral talks open the door for a (real) peace negotiation.”

But, Costa added, “only Ukraine can decide when we have conditions to do this.”

UK imposes new sanctions on Russia and its ally North Korea

LONDON — Britain has imposed sanctions on 107 businesses and individuals in what it calls its biggest package targeting Russia’s war machine since the early days of the conflict.

The measures target Russia’s military supply chains, including companies in several countries — notably China — that Britain says are supplying machine tools, electronics and dual-use goods for Russia’s military.

Fourteen wealthy Russian businesspeople get asset freezes and travel bans, including billionaire Roman Trotsenko.

The U.K. is seeking to squeeze the Kremlin’s finances by sanctioning a bank in Kyrgyzstan and 40 ships in the “shadow fleet” of vessels carrying Russian oil around the world.

The sanctions also target North Korean Defense Minister No Kwang Chol and senior military officers in the country, which has sent thousands of troops to fight alongside Russia against Ukraine.

Scandinavian countries increase military aid

STOCKHOLM, Sweden — The governments in Sweden and Denmark have pledged more military and humanitarian support for Ukraine as the Trump administration calls for Europe’s greater investment in its own defense.

The Swedish government said it will spend the equivalent of some $11.2 million on Robot 70 and Tridon Mk2 air defense systems to be donated to Ukraine. Sweden will contribute to a donation by some countries of portable air defense missiles.

Denmark has pledged an equivalent of $280 million in ammunition for Ukraine.

Estonia will not recognize borders ‘moved by tanks and missiles’

TALLINN, Estonia — Estonia will never recognize borders that have been shifted by force, Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur said.

Pevkur was also speaking to mark Estonia’s independence day.

“Let it be reaffirmed that Estonia will never recognize borders moved by tanks and missiles, and Estonia will help Ukrainians fight for their land and people, because the values ​​that Ukraine is currently fighting for are directly related to our values ​​and freedoms,” Pevkur said in Tallinn’s Freedom Square.

Spain pledges aid to Ukraine as Denmark calls for more defense spending

KYIV, Ukraine — Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said his country would provide a 1 billion-euro ($1.05 billion) military systems package to Ukraine this year. He said Ukraine’s accession into the EU would be “the most important victory for the Ukrainian people.”

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said NATO defense spending goals of 3% of gross domestic product were “simply not enough.” She said that European leaders have “a couple of months to take all necessary decisions, otherwise it will be too late.”

Starmer reaffirms willingness to send troops to Ukraine

LONDON — British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Trump’s intervention had “changed the global conversation” and “created an opportunity.”

Starmer said Ukraine must have a seat at the table and strong security guarantees in any settlement, and reaffirmed that Britain is prepared to put troops on the ground as part of that process. He repeated his call for a U.S. backstop that “will be vital to deter Russia from launching another invasion in just a few years’ time.” However, President Trump has so far shown little interest in the idea.

The U.K. is imposing its biggest package of sanctions since the early days of the war, targeting Russia’s shadow fleet and companies in China and elsewhere that send military components to Russia.

Russia stands firm on opposition to Ukraine joining NATO

ANKARA, Turkey — Lavrov insists that Ukraine must be barred from NATO membership as part of the talks to end the war in Ukraine.

“Ukraine’s absolute non-accession to NATO is also a must. There must be a clear, iron-solid agreement on this,” Lavrov said. “At the meeting in Riyadh with our American colleagues, we welcomed the fact that President Trump has publicly and repeatedly called the line on pulling Ukraine into NATO a mistake.”

In July, a NATO summit declaration said Ukraine was on an “irreversible” path to membership in the alliance. But in Brussels earlier this month, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said NATO membership for Ukraine was unrealistic and suggested Kyiv should abandon hopes of winning all its territory back from Russia.

Von der Leyen says securing Ukraine’s sovereignty will prevent future wars

KYIV, Ukraine — The destinies of Ukraine and the European Union are at stake in discussions over how the war can end, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said.

“The autocrats around the world are watching very carefully whether there’s any impunity if you violate international borders or invade your neighbor, or if there is true deterrence,” she said.

Von der Leyen said securing Ukraine’s sovereignty would prevent future wars, and its “highly innovative and thriving defense industry” should be integrated into EU defense, with Ukraine as a member of the bloc.

Von der Leyen said she would present a “comprehensive” investment plan that would ramp up arms production and defense capabilities for the EU and Ukraine at an emergency meeting of EU leaders on March 6.

Turkey offers to mediate in talks to end the war

ANKARA, Turkey — Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan has voiced support for U.S. efforts to end the war in Ukraine and renewed a long-standing Turkish offer to mediate in negotiations.

“We attach great importance to the new initiative of the United States, as a result-oriented approach,” Fidan said at a joint news conference with Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov.

Lavrov, who met with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Riyadh last week, said Russian and U.S. officials would soon hold comprehensive consultations toward the “normalization of embassy operations” in Moscow and Washington.

Turkey has balanced its close ties to both Ukraine and Russia and positioned itself as one of the few countries that can hold talks with both sides. It hosted peace talks in 2022. No agreement was reached.

Russia is willing to negotiate with Ukraine and Europe, Lavrov says

ANKARA, Turkey — Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov says Putin has made clear that Russia is “ready to negotiate with both Ukraine and Europe” but will stop military hostilities only when negotiations yield a “firm, sustainable result” which suits Russia.

Lavrov suggested the position of Ukraine and European countries is changing frequently and that “against this background, the position of the United States stands out.”

Canadian leader pledges support for Ukraine

KYIV, Ukraine — Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has praised President Zelenskyy’s “remarkable personal bravery, resilience and resolve.”

Trudeau also pushed back on Russia’s narrative, echoed in recent days by U.S. President Donald Trump, that Ukraine bore responsibility for igniting the conflict.

“This is a war started for one reason and one reason only: Russia’s desire to erase Ukrainian history and expand their empire,” Trudeau said.

‘We will see a European Ukraine,’ Finnish president says

KYIV, Ukraine — Finnish President Alexander Stubb says that “we will see a European Ukraine. We will see eventually Ukraine in NATO.”

He also said Europe needs “to make clear to the Russians and everyone else that there are a few things that are completely off the table in these negotiations” to end the war in Ukraine. They include EU membership and NATO membership.

Stubb said the “European security order” already in place should remain steadfast.

Russia decries new EU sanctions and praises US approach

MOSCOW — Putin’s spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Russia does not see any way to resume “dialogue with Europe” after the EU adopted its 16th round of sanctions against Moscow.

Peskov said that contrasts with searching for ways to resolve “the conflict around Ukraine, which is what we are currently doing with the Americans.” He welcomed “attempts by Washington to really understand what was the root cause of this conflict.”

Incendiary device targets Russian Consulate in France

PARIS — French authorities say an incendiary device has exploded outside the Russian Consulate in the southern city of Marseille. No injuries were reported.

A second device was thrown against the consulate’s outer wall but did not explode. Authorities did not provide details on the suspect or a motive.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said the incident has “all the hallmarks of a terrorist attack.”

EU brings new sanctions against Russia

BRUSSELS — European Union foreign ministers have approved new sanctions against Russia which enter force on the third anniversary of its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

They include measures targeting Russia’s so-called “ shadow fleet ” of ships that it exploits to skirt restrictions on transporting oil and gas, or to carry stolen Ukrainian grain. The EU said 74 vessels were added to its list.

Asset freezes and travel bans were imposed on 83 officials and entities. More than 2,300 officials and entities have been hit since the invasion began, including Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The Associated Press

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Missy Vraney and Kristin Westphal didn’t go to Marquette. Neither did any of their relatives. Yet their family tradition of attending Golden Eagles basketball games spans generations.

“Whenever our uncle couldn’t go, our dad would take one of us and just kind of alternate,” Vraney recalls.

They’re still supporting the school regularly — just in beer money rather than tuition fees. It happens every time they buy a Marquette Golden Ale before heading to the Fiserv Forum stands.

This marks the first season since Marquette entered a partnership with Milwaukee-based Third Space Brewing to sell Marquette Golden Ale — the school’s officially licensed and co-branded craft beer — at Golden Eagles sporting events as well as in Third Space outlets and area groceries. As part of the deal, 15% of the revenues go back to Marquette.

“People are extremely excited about it,” said Andy Gehl, the co-founder and president of Third Space Brewing. “People love drinking beer with their favorite school, their favorite sports team’s logo on it. That’s No. 1. Also, they want to support businesses that support their university, and vice versa.”

This has become the latest fund-raising trend for college athletics.

Learfield, which manages sports sponsorships for over 160 universities and licensing agreements for nearly 800 colleges, says that 93 of its schools had licensing deals for alcoholic beverages for the first six months of the current fiscal year. That’s a 57.6% rise from fiscal year 2023, when 59 schools had deals for their own signature alcoholic beverage.

The number of Learfield schools with licensing deals specifically with craft beers has more than doubled in that time – from 16 in 2023 to 36 this year.

Cory Moss, Learfield’s president of brand management and marketing, acknowledges he would have been surprised by this kind of growth four or five years ago. Then he started noticing more interest from the schools themselves and from various local craft breweries wanting to establish partnerships.

“When schools got really behind it and the craft industry really started to take it seriously, that’s when it really started to grow,” Moss said. “And that growth hasn’t been surprising.”

It represents a major change in the college sports landscape, considering how many schools weren’t even selling alcoholic beverages at their athletic events not so long ago. The Southeastern Conference didn’t permit the sales of beer and wine at sporting events until 2019.

That policy change spurred Tennessee and other SEC programs to start getting local breweries to launch signature beers that could be sold at their games as well as in stores or tap rooms off campus. Tennessee partnered with Knoxville-based Yee-Haw Brewing Company last summer to make Vol Lager the exclusive craft beer of the Tennessee Volunteers.

“I think for the distributors and even the companies to get a return on their investment in terms of the sponsorship, being able to sell it within the venues is a big deal because when our fans can see it — 100,000 people walking into Neyland Stadium — they might grow fan affinity to buy it at the grocery store also,” said Alicia Longworth, Tennessee’s deputy athletics director/chief marketing officer. “With the timing, it was good for the business and it was good for us.”

Longworth said Tennessee sold 16 different types of beer throughout Neyland Stadium last fall and Vol Lager always ranked in the top four.

Gehl said over 3,000 “case equivalents” (including cases of the canned beer or the equivalent of a case in draft beer) of Third Space Brewing were sold in the first three months since its partnership with Marquette began. Third Space is now selling sweatshirts with both the Third Space and Marquette logos as well as glasses that resemble the Marquette Golden Ale can.

Other schools have enjoyed similar success with their signature beers. Learfield said college-licensed alcoholic beverages had $7.5 million in total sales during the 2024 fiscal year.

Some universities with signature beers have proceeds go directly to the schools. Others have it go through collectives. For instance, Cincy Reigns — a collective benefiting Cincinnati athletics, established a partnership with Cincinnati brewery Rhinegeist to sell Cincy Light at Bearcats games and around the area.

“Some of the early feedback I received was there were bars and restaurants that said fans were showing up in gear just to drink Cincy Light at the bar,” said Brian Fox, who chairs the Cincy Reigns board of directors. “I think there was a TGI Friday’s in one of the suburban areas, that said people were showing up — they weren’t getting a table for dinner, they just knew they had Cincy Light on tap, so they showed up in fan gear, University of Cincinnati athletics gear just to try Cincy Light.”

Moss noted that these type of partnerships require plenty of input from both the school and the brewery, noting that you can’t make a successful product just by slapping a school logo on a beer can.

These schools generally try to find breweries with local ties. Yee-Haw, the company that partnered with Tennessee, was founded by Tennessee law school graduate Joe Baker. Third Space, which makes Marquette Golden Ale, has its brewery less than 1 1/2 miles from Marquette’s campus.

But the most important factor in the success of these beers is obvious.

Joe Dobrogowski of Germantown, Wisconsin, made that point clear as he enjoyed a Marquette Golden Ale before a recent game.

“If it didn’t taste good, I wouldn’t force myself to drink,” the Marquette season-ticket holder said. “That’s first and foremost. I think it’s just a bonus that some of it goes back to the school.”

___

AP college sports: https://apnews.com/hub/college-sports

Steve Megargee, The Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court refused Monday to hear a pair of cases from abortion opponents who say laws limiting anti-abortion demonstrations near clinics violate their First Amendment rights.

The majority did not explain their reasoning for turning down the appeals, as is typical, but two conservative justices, Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas, disagreed.

The cities said the laws were passed to address disturbing behavior from protesters outside of health care clinics. But anti-abortion activists said the measures violate free-speech rights and should be on their “deathbed” after the justices overturned Roe v. Wade and the nationwide right to abortion.

One case comes from Carbondale, Illinois, which is located near the state’s southern border and passed an ordinance after becoming a destination for patients from nearby states with abortion bans. The measure was quickly challenged in court, and has never been enforced. The city argued the appeal should be tossed because the ordinance was repealed shortly before abortion opponents went to the Supreme Court.

The other case is from New Jersey, where activist Jeryl Turco says she has approached women in Englewood for years to try to convince them not to have abortions. She says an 8-foot demonstration-free zone the city passed in 2014 in response to an aggressive group of protesters also wrongly kept her from approaching women.

Englewood argues that Turco has still been able to share her message outside of the immediate area near clinic entrances. Lower courts have ultimately upheld the ordinance, finding it isn’t a major First Amendment burden.

Both challengers pointed out that the high court struck down a Massachusetts law creating 35-foot demonstration free “buffer zones” around clinic doors in 2014. They say the Illinois and New Jersey laws should meet the same fate.

But cities say their rules are in line with a different Supreme Court decision from 2000, when the high court allowed a Colorado law to stand. It barred people from getting within 8 feet of others without permission in a 100-foot “bubble zone” around clinics.

Thomas said that case, known as Hill v. Colorado, was wrongly decided. In a dissent from the decision to decline the Illinois case, he said that the court wrongly treated it differently than other First Amendment cases because abortion was involved. “Hill has been seriously undermined, if not completely eroded, and our refusal to provide clarity is an abdication of our judicial duty,” he wrote.

Lindsay Whitehurst, The Associated Press

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Suspected Somali pirates have fled a Yemeni fishing boat they seized off the Horn of Africa and operated for five days, authorites said Monday.

In a statement, a European naval force known as EUNAVFOR Atalanta said the pirates’ initial Feb. 17 attack targeted a dhow, a traditional ship that plies the waters of the Mideast, off the town of Eyl in Somalia.

The vessel, called the Saytuun-2, was under their control until Saturday, EUNAVFOR said. The pirates had ladders and weapons, suggesting they possibly sought to hijack other vessels while using the fishing boat as a so-called mothership.

“The fishing vessel was vacated by the alleged pirates after they stole some of the crew’s belongings,” the naval force said. It added that the Saytuun-2’s crew now were safe and free.

The Feb. 17 attack came just days after another pirate attack on another Yemeni fishing boat which ultimately ended with the pirates fleeing and the mariners on board being recovered unhurt.

Piracy off the Somali coast peaked in 2011 when 237 attacks were reported. Somali piracy in the region at the time cost the world’s economy some $7 billion — with $160 million paid out in ransoms, according to the Oceans Beyond Piracy monitoring group.

The threat was diminished by increased international naval patrols, a strengthening central government in Mogadishu, Somalia’s capital, and other efforts.

However, Somali pirate attacks have resumed at a greater pace over the last year, in part due to the insecurity caused by Yemen’s Houthi rebels launching their attacks in the Red Sea corridor over the Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip.

In 2024, there were seven reported incidents off Somalia, according to the International Maritime Bureau.

The Associated Press

The Canadian Medical Association is calling on governments and policymakers to “seize the moment” and facilitate nationwide licensing for doctors, allowing them to practice in any province or territory at any time.

“As Canadian governments seek to break down internal trade barriers between provinces and territories, the Canadian Medical Association (CMA) urges policymakers to use this opportunity to make it easier for Canadians to access the health care they need when they need it,” the organization’s president Dr. Joss Reimer said on Monday.

Reimer explains that as the national Committee on International Trade works to break down inter-provincial barriers, it “is especially critical when it comes to our country’s doctors.”

“When so many Canadians just can’t access medically-necessary care, we must use all tools at our disposal to strengthen the health system. Today, physicians must hold separate licences for each province or territory they choose to practise in,” the president said.

“With few exceptions, practising in a different province or territory involves a burdensome application process and thousands of dollars in fees. This fragmented approach contrasts with the spirit of the Canadian Free Trade Agreement to support mobility rights of workers – and patients pay the price.

“While important steps have been taken to expedite pan-Canadian mobility of physicians, now is the time to knock down the barriers that still stand in the way. The CMA has been calling on governments to implement pan-Canadian licensure as one important step to help strengthen our struggling health system.”

Reimer explains that currently, provinces and territories have differing rules that make it hard for international medical graduates to become licensed to practise in Canada.

“Expediting tailored processes to ensure all qualified physicians can safely practice in Canada requires investment in our provincial colleges. But the return on investment, expanding the number of physicians practicing in Canada, benefits all Canadians. This urgent issue must be addressed as part of modernizing physician licensing models in Canada,” Reimer said.

“Increasing the mobility of doctors will lead to improved patient outcomes and help hospitals meet clinical demands and staffing needs at a time when many are critically under-resourced.”

NEW YORK (AP) — Roberta Flack, the Grammy-winning singer and pianist whose intimate vocal and musical style on “Killing Me Softly with His Song,” “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face” and other hits made her one of the top recordings artists of the 1970s and an influential performer long after, died Monday. She was 88.

She died at home surrounded by her family, publicist Elaine Schock said in a statement. Flack announced in 2022 she had ALS, commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, and could no longer sing,

Little known before her early 30s, Flack became an overnight star after Clint Eastwood used “The First Time I Ever Saw Your Face” as the soundtrack for one of cinema’s more memorable and explicit love scenes, between the actor and Donna Mills in his 1971 film “Play Misty for Me.” The hushed, hymn-like ballad, with Flack’s graceful soprano afloat on a bed of soft strings and piano, topped the Billboard pop chart in 1972 and received a Grammy for record of the year. In 1973, she matched both achievements with “Killing Me Softly,” becoming the first artist to win consecutive Grammys for best record.

Hillel Italie, The Associated Press

Linda King from Lawrencetown was one of 35 Nova Scotians who made appointments to get their art pieces evaluated on Sunday afternoon. She brought three paintings inherited from her grandmother, who purchased artwork directly from Maud Lewis.

Cumberland County District RCMP is investigating a fatal snowmobile crash that occurred on Wyvern Rd. in Collingwood Corner.

On February 21, at approximately 10:20 p.m., RCMP, fire services, and EHS responded to a report of a crash.

Police determined that a man operating a snowmobile left the roadway and struck a snowbank before coming to rest.

While being attended to in the roadway, the 28-year-old Springhill man was struck by a fire truck. He was pronounced dead a short time later.

The Nova Scotia RCMP Collision and Reconstruction Service team is assisting with the ongoing investigation. Both the snowmobile and fire truck have been seized.

Taking the approach that this is business as usual makes it much easier to eventually accept full-blown authoritarianism as inevitable

The post Dismantling democracy: this is not business as usual appeared first on Halifax Examiner.

FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — Germany’s businesses have been frustrated by government inaction on the stagnating economy.

Sunday’s national election raises hopes of a stable two-party coalition of conservatives and center-left Social Democrats, with center-right leader Friedrich Merz as chancellor. But will it take the swift action business leaders are calling for?

Here’s what leading economists and business figures in Germany are saying:

Christian Klein, CEO of business software maker SAP SE

“Tackling key issues, such as too much regulation, a lack of digitalization, and a slow economy, requires bold action.

“Germany needs a government that is open to more innovation, a competitive mindset, and removing excessive regulation that stifles progress and growth – and it needs it now.”

Luxury automaker BMW AG

“We expect from the future federal government that it quickly, comprehensively and sustainable improves the business environment for German industry facing global competition. That includes a competitive tax policy, the pragmatic reduction of bureaucracy and regulation as well as a competitive and business oriented shift in policy at the level of the EU.”

Peter Adrian, CEO of real estate firm Triwo AG and president of German Chamber of Industry and Commerce

“The high voter turnout (82.5%) shows that it’s not just the business community that senses the enormous importance of the decisions that lie ahead. A change of direction is overdue.”

Carsten Brzeski, chief of global macro at ING bank.

The new government must “focus on getting the economy out of its structural stagnation…if the main motivation of such a coalition is to prevent the (far-right) AfD from winning the next election – a likely scenario if the next government doesn’t succeed.”

Thorsten Groeger, head of the IG Metall industrial union in Lower Saxony and Saxony Anhalt regions

“Time is pressing, because more and more companies are cutting jobs and deciding against investing in our location here at home. Billions have to flow into energy security, modern streets and rail lines, high speed networks, innovative technologies, strong education, affordable housing and a welfare state that leaves no one behind.”

Peter Leibinger, head of the Federation of German Industries

“The parties must now prove that they have understood the seriousness of the situation and are prepared to act courageously, quickly and together: the dangerous downward spiral of missing investment and weak growth must be stopped.”

Holger Schmieding, chief economist Berenberg Bank

“Now for the bad news. Populist parties from the political fringes (AfD and the left-wing The Left) have garnered more than one third of seats together. The populists can thus veto any loosening of the debt brake enshrined in the constitution. At a time when it is crucial to raise spending for the military and Ukraine and ease the tax burden for workers and firms, Germany may struggle to find the fiscal space to do so.”

David Mchugh, The Associated Press

TORONTO — Brookfield Asset Management and its institutional partners have signed a deal to buy National Grid Renewables.

The deal values the U.S. onshore renewable power business of National Grid plc. at US$1.74 billion.

National Grid says the deal is an important step in its plan to focus on networks and streamline its business.

National Grid Renewables  builds, owns, and operates utility-scale, solar, onshore wind and battery storage projects in the United States.

It has 1.8 gigawatts in operation and 1.3 gigawatts under construction.

National Grid expects the deal will close in the first half of the financial year ending March 31, 2026.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 24, 2025.

Companies in this story: (TSX:BAM)

The Canadian Press

Holly Brickley’s debut “Deep Cuts” is a book for music lovers. Not just any type of music lovers — diehard music fans who enjoy analyzing every element of a song’s composition as well as its origin story.

Taking place in the early 2000s, this novel follows music writer Percy and her love interest Joe, an aspiring musician, as they progress from college students to working professionals. Brickley explores the push-pull dynamic between a critic and her criticized as the characters walk the line between intimate connection and superficial renown, as well as the greed that comes with both. The novel is a coming-of-age in its own right, delving into the pain points of becoming a young adult.

With each chapter title the name of a different song, “Deep Cuts” becomes a series of music essays breaking down both form and the evolution of popular music genres as they relate to Percy’s fictional life. The title is a reference to the concept of “deep cuts,” or songs by popular musicians unfamiliar to the public but revered by critics.

Percy is a self-described “sidekick,” and she stays that way throughout the novel, taking a backseat to the intricacies of other characters’ lives. Joe, on the other hand, has a compelling backstory and complicated emotional wounds. The reasons they can’t be together get increasingly frustrating as Percy inserts unnecessary conflict.

“Deep Cuts” contains a similar music composition subplot as “Daisy Jones & The Six” by Taylor Jenkins Reid, as well as the cultural and technological setting of “My Year of Rest and Relaxation” by Ottessa Moshfegh. Brickley’s lived experience is apparent as she references people, places and things with realistic detail.

The book uses mixed media, like Instant Messages, blog posts, notebook entries, and even an external music playlist to immerse readers. Using songs as chapter titles is a charming way to bring audiences into the story, though hard to keep up with at times. Brickley does a good job breaking down each song for those less familiar with the book’s discography or music theory in general.

Ultimately, music wins out over love in “Deep Cuts” as Percy and Joe discover their place in the music industry — and each other’s lives.

___

AP book reviews: https://apnews.com/hub/book-reviews

Rachel S. Hunt, The Associated Press

Halifax Regional Police say a 19-year-old woman is facing charges including attempted murder after a six-year-old child was stabbed multiple times.

TERRY, Miss. (AP) — A Mississippi sheriff’s deputy was shot and killed while responding to a call outside the state’s capital city of Jackson, authorities said.

Deputy Martin Shields, 37, of the Hinds County Sheriff’s Office died after the Sunday night shooting, the sheriff’s office said in a statement.

Shields was responding to a domestic call at a home on Midway Road in Terry, Mississippi, southwest of Jackson, authorities said. Few other details on the circumstances were immediately released.

A man was found dead inside the residence, the sheriff’s office said. His identity and details of how he died were not released.

Shields had been employed by the sheriff’s office for about 9 months, but also had other law enforcement experience, authorities said.

The Mississippi Bureau of Investigation is investigating.

Associated Press, The Associated Press

NEW YORK (AP) — The first thing viewers of “Beyond the Gates” see is a black Mercedes gliding past manicured lawns and stately estates. The sedan pulls up at an elegant country club and the valets come out. The Emotions’ funky tune “Best of My Love” is playing.

That car and the glamorous woman behind the wheel are driving into TV history on Monday as CBS begins airing the first Black-led daytime soap opera — and the first new network soap since “Passions” premiered in 1999.

“I think that not only will it change daytime, but it’ll also change the landscape of TV,” said Sheila Ducksworth, president of CBS Studios/NAACP Venture and an executive producer. “I think it really will be something that will have far-reaching effects, and I look forward to it.”

Set in an affluent, gated Maryland community, “Beyond the Gates” has drama, joy and heartbreak played by very attractive people with a strong pocket-square vibe. But even the rich can lose it: The first episode ends with a roundhouse punch. A later episode has a golf club raised in anger.

“We want people to be entertained. We want people to have fun with it,” said Ducksworth. “There’s a lot of unpredictable stuff that’s going to be happening, a lot of juicy storylines. We have a lot of scandal and secrets and lies embedded in this world of power and prestige.”

Four generations represented

Actor Daphnée Duplaix, a veteran of “Passions” and “One Life to Live,” is the driver of the Mercedes and therefore won the distinction of being the audience’s first glimpse of life in upscale Fairmont Crest.

“It was pretty awesome when I realized that I am the opening scene into this new world that we’re creating. I was like, ‘Oh, that is fun and exciting,’” she said. “That meant a lot. It really did.”

The premiere episode airs after “The Young and the Restless” and “The Bold and the Beautiful,” capping a three-hour block of CBS soaps. NAACP has partnered with the network, and Procter & Gamble, connected with soaps for decades, is a sponsor. It will stream on Paramount+, giving it a global reach.

The show is centered around four generations of the Dupree family, from a grandfather who is a civil rights icon to grandchildren who are social influencers.

“We just wanted something that felt fresh, new, different, really glossy, fun and really epic,” said Ducksworth.

Characters born on index cards

Michele Val Jean, an Emmy-winning veteran daytime writer, is the creator, executive producer and showrunner. She created the characters in her mind on morning walks, jotting down ideas on index cards.

“By the time I was ready to start writing, I had this big stack of index cards. And once I sorted everything out, the characters were there,” she said. “It’s hard to describe. It’s almost like I’m a stenographer and the stuff just sort of came through me.”

Val Jean wanted to create soap characters viewers hadn’t seen before and describes one pairing — played by Tamara Tunie and Clifton Davis — as if Diana Ross married the late Rep. John Lewis. One of their daughters — played by Karla Cheatham Mosley — has no filter and holds a fearsome grudge against her ex-husband.

“I love the characters that come into your house five days a week and sort of get inside you,” she said. “That’s what I want this show to do. I can think of many times I would have loved to have taken a golf club to somebody’s desk.”

Another thing that differentiates “Beyond the Gates” is the music. Tunie, who has a degree in musical theater from Carnegie Mellon, is one of a few cast members who will sing.

“The writers told me, ‘We’re going to have you singing on the show,’” she said. “And I was like, ‘Oh, OK. Didn’t know that, but OK. Let me let me dust off my cords.’”

Black excellence on screen

“Beyond the Gates” is the long-gestating dream of Ducksworth, who has been watching soap operas since she was 10 but yearned for more representation: “I have to say, for many years it’s been very few and far between having real diversity on soaps.”

The show is grounded in real Black excellence. Ducksworth points out there are pockets of affluent Black families in Maryland, Virginia and Washington, D.C.

“It’s something right here in our backyard that many people may not be aware of,” she said.

Duplaix said Black wealth is often only portrayed as enjoyed by athletes or entertainers, so to be able to show Black doctors, psychologists and lawyers is important.

“This is normal. It’s not a fluke. It’s not a one-off. Black excellence is everywhere. So I’m so excited for that to be normalized Monday through Friday on television,” she said.

The series is filmed in Georgia on 27 sets over 35,000 square feet with a cast and crew of some 200 people. They’ve been working long hours since the end of October.

Val Jean recalls watching the first episode and gasping at the moment it all became real: A scene when all the Duprees gather as their grandfather tells a story. “My God, there they are — my babies,” she recalled with a laugh.

Inclusivity with intention

Ducksworth points out there’s something for everyone — from people who have money inside the gates to those with less outside, lawyers and entrepreneurs as well as nurses and firemen. All races and sexual orientations are depicted.

“While it is primarily a Black cast, we intentionally wanted to include everybody,” she said. “What was important to me was what I felt was missing in so many of these soaps, which is real inclusivity.”

The cast and crew will be working to create more episodes on Monday, so they won’t be able to tune in and see TV history being made. But there’s a screening party planned at the end of the day for the first two episodes.

“Then we’ll pop some Champagne and have some food and fellowship together and celebrate our accomplishment,” said Tunie. “We need a moment to mark the moment and celebrate what we’re doing.”

Mark Kennedy, The Associated Press

Celebrity birthdays for the week of March 2-8:

March 2: Actor Charlie Brill is 88. Actor Billy Gray (“Father Knows Best”) is 88. Guitarist Trevor Rabin of Yes is 72. Actor Kevin Anderson (“Nothing Sacred,” “Sleeping with the Enemy”) is 66. Actor Julia Louis-Dreyfus is 65. Singer Graham “Suggs” McPherson of Madness is 65. Country singer Trace Adkins is 64. Actor Penelope Ann Miller is 62. Actor Patrick Dempsey is 60. Actor Suzanne Cryer (“Silicon Valley,” ″Two Guys and a Girl”) is 59. Actor Traci Bingham (“Baywatch”) is 58. Actor Keith Coogan (“Adventures in Babysitting”) is 56. Writer-producer Shonda Rhimes (“Scandal,” ″Grey’s Anatomy”) is 56. Actor Nicole Eggert (“Baywatch,” ″Charles in Charge”) is 54. Actor Ross McCall (“White Collar,” “Band of Brothers”) is 50. Actor Michael Pena (“Jack Ryan,” “American Hustle”) is 50. Actor Orlando Bloom is 49. “Good Morning America” meteorologist Ginger Zee is 45. Actor Beau Mirchoff (“Good Trouble,” “Desperate Housewives”) is 37. Actor Liam Hemsworth (“The Hunger Games”) is 36.

March 3: Singer-guitarist Mike Pender of The Searchers is 84. Movie producer-director George Miller (“Mad Max,” “Babe”) is 80. Actor Hattie Winston (“Becker,” “Rugrats”) is 80. Singer Jennifer Warnes is 78. Actor-director Tim Kazurinsky (“Police Academy” films) is 75. Musician Robyn Hitchcock is 72. Actor Robert Gossett (“Major Crimes,” “The Closer”) is 71. Guitarist John Lilley of The Hooters is 71. Actor Miranda Richardson is 67. Actor Mary Page Keller (“Ryan’s Hope,” “Another World”) is 64. Actor Laura Harring (“Mulholland Drive,” ″Gossip Girl”) is 61. Drummer Duncan Phillips of Newsboys is 61. Rapper-actor Tone Loc is 59. Actor Julie Bowen (“Modern Family”) is 55. Singer Brett Warren of The Warren Brothers is 54. Actor David Faustino (“Married… With Children”) is 51. Gospel singer Jason Crabb is 48. Singer Ronan Keating of Boyzone is 48. Rapper Lil’ Flip is 44. Actor Jessica Biel is 43. Guitarist Joe “Blower” Garvey of Hinder is 41. Singer Camila Cabello (Fifth Harmony) is 28. Actor Thomas Barbusca (“The Mick”) is 22. Actor Reylynn Caster (TV’s “Me, Myself and I”) is 22.

March 4: Actor Paula Prentiss (1975′s “The Stepford Wives”) is 87. Movie director Adrian Lyne (“Fatal Attraction”) is 84. Singer Chris Rea is 74. Actor-singer Ronn Moss of Player (“The Bold and the Beautiful”) is 73. Musician Emilio Estefan of the Miami Sound Machine is 72. Actor Kay Lenz is 72. Actor Catherine O’Hara (“Home Alone,” ″A Mighty Wind”) is 71. Actor Mykelti Williamson (“Forrest Gump”) is 68. Actor Patricia Heaton (“The Middle,” ″Everybody Loves Raymond”) is 67. Actor Steven Weber (“NCIS: New Orleans,” ″Wings”) is 64. Former Metallica bassist Jason Newsted is 62. Actor Stacy Edwards (“Chicago Hope”) is 60. Singer Evan Dando of The Lemonheads is 58. Actor Patsy Kensit is 57. Actor Andrea Bendewald (“Suddenly Susan”) is 55. Drummer Fergal Lawler of The Cranberries is 54. Country singer Jason Sellers is 54. Jazz drummer Jason Marsalis is 48. Actor Jessica Heap (“The Young and the Restless”) is 42. Actor Scott Michael Foster (“Crazy Ex-Girlfriend,” “Greek”) is 40. TV personality Whitney Port (“The Hills”) is 40. Actor Audrey Esparza (“Blindspot”) is 39. Actor Margo Harshman (“NCIS,” ″The Big Bang Theory”) is 39. Actor Josh Bowman (“Revenge”) is 37. Actor Andrea Bowen (“Desperate Housewives”) is 35. Actor Jenna Boyd (“The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants,” “Atypical”) is 32.

March 5: Actor Paul Sand (“St. Elsewhere”) is 93. Football player-turned-actor Fred Williamson is 87. Actor Samantha Eggar (“The Molly Maguires,” ″Dr. Dolittle”) is 86. Actor Michael Warren (“Soul Food,” ″Hill Street Blues”) is 79. Actor Eddie Hodges is 78. Singer Eddy Grant is 77. Keyboardist Alan Clark of Dire Straits is 73. Actor-comedian Marsha Warfield (“Night Court”) is 71. Magician Penn Jillette of Penn and Teller is 70. Actor Adriana Barraza is 69. Actor Talia Balsam (“Divorce,” ″Mad Men”) is 66. Musicians Charlie and Craig Reid of The Proclaimers are 63. Actor Paul Blackthorne (“Arrow,” ″24″) is 56. Guitarist John Frusciante (Red Hot Chili Peppers) is 55. Singer Rome is 55. Actor Kevin Connolly (“Entourage”) is 51. Actor Eva Mendes is 51. Actor Jolene Blalock (“Star Trek: Enterprise”) is 50. Model Niki Taylor is 50. Actor Kimberly McCullough (“General Hospital”) is 47. Actor Karolina Wydra (“Wicked City,” “House”) is 44. Musician Amanda Shires (The Highwomen, Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit) is 43. Actor Sterling Knight (“Sonny With a Chance”) is 36. Actor Jake Lloyd (“Star Wars” films) is 36. Actor Micah Fowler (“Speechless”) is 27.

March 6: Dancer Carmen de Lavallade is 94. Actor-writer Joanna Miles is 85. Actor Ben Murphy is 83. Drummer Hugh Grundy of The Zombies is 80. Guitarist David Gilmour of Pink Floyd is 79. Singer Kiki Dee is 78. Actor Anna Maria Horsford (“Amen,” “The Bold and the Beautiful”) is 78. Actor-director Rob Reiner is 78. TV personality John Stossel is 78. Sports correspondent Armen Keteyian is 72. Actor Tom Arnold is 66. Actor D.L. Hughley (“The Hughleys”) is 62. Country songwriter Skip Ewing is 61. Actor Connie Britton (“Nashville”) is 58. Actor Shuler Hensley is 58. Actor Moira Kelly (“One Tree Hill”) is 57. Actor Amy Pietz (“Aliens in America,” ″Caroline in the City”) is 56. Guitarist Chris Broderick of Megadeth is 55. Country singer Trent Willmon is 52. Guitarist Shane Farmer (Ricochet) is 51. Rapper Beanie Sigel is 51. Rapper Bubba Sparxxx is 48. Actor Shaun Evans (“Endeavour”) is 45. Drummer Chris Tomson of Vampire Weekend is 41. Actor Eli Marienthal is 39. Rapper-producer Tyler, the Creator is 34. Actor Millicent Simmonds (“A Quiet Place,” “Wonderstruck”) is 22.

March 7: Actor Daniel J. Travanti (“Hill Street Blues”) is 85. Bassist Chris White of The Zombies is 82. Keyboardist Matthew Fisher of Procol Harum is 79. Singer Peter Wolf of The J. Geils Band is 79. Guitarist Ernie Isley of The Isley Brothers is 73. Actor Bryan Cranston (“Breaking Bad”) is 69. Actor Donna Murphy (“Mercy Street,” ″Murder One”) is 66. Actor Nick Searcy (“Justified”) is 66. Actor Mary Beth Evans (“Days of Our Lives”) is 64. Singer Taylor Dayne is 63. Actor Bill Brochtrup (“Major Crimes,” ″NYPD Blue”) is 62. Opera singer Denyce Graves is 61. Comedian Wanda Sykes is 61. Actor Jonathan Del Arco (“Major Crimes”) is 59. Drummer Randy Guss of Toad The Wet Sprocket is 58. Actor Rachel Weisz is 54. Actor Peter Sarsgaard (“Kinsey,” ″Garden State”) is 54. Actor Jay Duplass (“The Mindy Project”) is 52. Singer Sebastien Izambard of Il Divo is 52. Singer Hugo Ferreira of Tantric is 51. Actor Jenna Fischer (“The Office”) is 51. Actor Tobias Menzies (“The Crown,” ″Game of Thrones”) is 51. Actor Audrey Marie Anderson (“The Unit”) is 50. Actor TJ Thyne (“Bones”) is 50. Actor Laura Prepon (“Orange Is the New Black,” ″That ’70s Show”) is 45. Actor Bel Powley (Film: “Diary of a Teenage Girl”) is 33. Actor Giselle Eisenberg (“Life in Pieces”) is 28.

March 8: Jazz saxophonist George Coleman is 90. Actor Sue Ane Langdon is 89. Songwriter Carole Bayer Sager is 81. Actor-director Micky Dolenz of The Monkees is 80. Singer Peggy March is 77. Jazz pianist Billy Childs is 68. Singer Gary Numan is 67. NBC News anchor Lester Holt is 66. Actor Aidan Quinn is 66. Guitarist Jimmy Dormire (Confederate Railroad) is 65. Actor Leon (“Cool Runnings”) is 64. Actor Camryn Manheim (“The Practice”) is 64. Singer Shawn Mullins is 57. Actor Andrea Parker (“Less Than Perfect”) is 55. Actor Boris Kodjoe (“Code Black,” ″Madea’s Family Reunion”) is 52. Actor Freddie Prinze Jr. is 49. Actor Laura Main (“Call the Midwife”) is 48. Actor James Van Der Beek (“CSI: Cyber,” ″Dawson’s Creek”) is 48. Singer Kameelah Williams of 702 is 47. Actor Nick Zano (“Minority Report,” ″2 Broke Girls”) is 47. Singer Tom Chaplin of Keane is 46. Guitarist Andy Ross of OK Go is 46. Singer Kristinia DeBarge is 35.

The Associated Press

KINSHASA, Congo (AP) — More than 7,000 people have died this year as Rwanda-backed M23 rebels have captured unprecedented amounts of territory in mineral-rich eastern Congo, Congo’s prime minister said Monday.

Judith Suminwa Tuluka told the U.N. Human Rights Council that the security and humanitarian situation in the region “has reached alarming levels.”

The conflict has accelerated in recent weeks, with the rebels taking the key city of Goma in January and Bukavu, another provincial capital, a few weeks later. M23 is the most potent of about 100 armed groups vying for a foothold in Congo’s east, which contains trillions of dollars of mostly untapped mineral wealth crucial to the world’s technology.

The U.N. has warned of a wider threat to the region, which has seen decades of simmering conflict that has displaced millions.

The M23 has spoken of unseating the government of Congolese President Félix Tshisekedi in distant Kinshasa, which has long had a tenuous grip on the east. The rebels are attempting to gain more ground despite calls for a ceasefire, bolstered by about 4,000 troops from neighboring Rwanda, a short drive from Goma.

M23 leaders have vowed to “cleanse” cities of alleged bad governance and insecurity. They now threaten the city of Uriva, where gunfire was reported over the weekend.

M23 says it’s fighting to protect ethnic Tutsis and Congolese of Rwandan origin from discrimination and wants to transform Congo from a failed state to a modern one.

Analysts have called those pretexts for Rwanda’s involvement.

Witnesses in Goma have asserted that the M23’s intelligence branch is searching for former Congolese soldiers and criminals but some people are misidentified. They asserted that 11 young people were killed Sunday while waiting for a weightlifting class in the city after being misidentified as thieves.

___

McMakin reported from Dakar, Senegal.

Jean-yves Kamale And Wilson Mcmakin, The Associated Press

Confusion and chaos loom as hundreds of thousands of federal employees begin their workweek Monday facing a deadline from President Donald Trump ’s cost-cutting chief, Elon Musk, to explain their recent accomplishments or risk losing their jobs.

Musk’s unusual demand has faced resistance from several key U.S. agencies led by the president’s loyalists — including the FBI, State Department, Homeland Security and the Pentagon — which instructed their employees over the weekend not to comply. Lawmakers in both parties said Musk’s mandate may be illegal, while unions are threatening to sue.

Here’s the latest:

Democratic governors balance whether to fight or pacify after Trump threatens one of their own

Trump’s real-time confrontation with Maine’s governor over transgender athletes captured the conundrum many Democratic governors are facing in the Republican’s second term.

Gov. Janet Mills’ vow that she would see Trump in court over his threat to withhold money from the state if it didn’t comply with his executive order delighted Democrats who want more strident pushback. But the dust-up that played out in the open Friday as Trump hosted governors at the White House ticked off a president known to retaliate against people he considers enemies.

Hours after the spat, the federal Department of Education announced it was initiating an investigation into the Maine Department of Education over the inclusion of trans athletes. Trump doesn’t want them playing in girls and women’s sports; Maine law bars discrimination based on gender identity.

Read more about how Democratic governors are reacting to the spat

‘Dark MAGA’ on display at CPAC as conservatives embrace Musk’s influence on Trump

At an annual gathering of conservative activists, the signature red “ Make America Great Again ” hats popularized by Trump were interspersed with a noticeable number of the black “Dark MAGA” hats made popular by Musk.

It was just one sign of Musk’s emerging influence and how the world’s wealthiest man — who once backed Democrats Barack Obama and Joe Biden — has become a conservative power center in his own right due to his connections to Trump.

Speakers at CPAC frequently brought up DOGE, playfully named after a meme coin with the face of a Shiba Inu dog popularized by Musk in 2021. They variously referred to him as a “white knight,” a “hero of free speech,” and according to one of his harshest critics, Steve Bannon, “Superman.”

Read more about Musk’s influence on display at CPAC

Ex-Secret Service agent and conservative media personality picked as FBI deputy director

Dan Bongino, a former U.S. Secret Service agent who has penned best-selling books, ran unsuccessfully for office and gained fame as a conservative pundit with TV shows and a popular podcast, has been chosen to serve as FBI deputy director.

Trump announced the appointment Sunday night in a post on his Truth Social platform, praising Bongino as “a man of incredible love and passion for our Country.” He called the announcement “great news for Law Enforcement and American Justice.”

The selection places two staunch Trump allies atop the nation’s premier federal law enforcement agency at a time when Democrats are concerned that the president could seek to target his adversaries. Bongino would serve under Kash Patel, who was sworn in as FBI director at the White House on Friday.

Read more about Dan Bongino

Key federal agencies refuse to comply with Musk’s latest demand in his cost-cutting crusade

Confusion and chaos loom as hundreds of thousands of federal employees begin their workweek Monday facing a deadline from President Donald Trump’s cost-cutting chief, Elon Musk, to explain their recent accomplishments or risk losing their jobs.

Musk’s team sent an email to hundreds of thousands of federal employees Saturday giving them roughly 48 hours to report five specific things they had accomplished last week. In a separate message on X, Musk said any employee who failed to respond by the deadline — set in the email as 11:59 p.m. EST Monday — would lose their job.

Musk’s unusual demand has faced resistance from several key U.S. agencies led by the president’s loyalists — including the FBI, State Department, Homeland Security and the Pentagon — which instructed their employees over the weekend not to comply. Lawmakers in both parties said that Musk’s mandate may be illegal, while unions are threatening to sue.

Read more about Musk’s deadline for federal workers

The Associated Press

The first part of responding to a crisis is to properly name it.

The post The Halifax Examiner is responding to Tim Houston’s bid to Dismantle Democracy appeared first on Halifax Examiner.

Canada is the only G7 nation without a high-speed rail line, but that might be about to change.

The federal government has unveiled plans for an ambitious project, which would link Toronto and Quebec City.

But will it happen?

Host Kris McCusker speaks to Lavagnon Ika, professor of project management at the Telfer School of Management at the University of Ottawa, about the potential challenges and the likelihood the project gets done.

Councillor wants an "update regarding the Municipality’s buy back rights to the property in light of the recent fire."

The post Coun. Virginia Hinch wants staff report on how Halifax can buy back Bloomfield appeared first on Halifax Examiner.

Among many other things it will do to harm democracy in the province, Bill No. 1 will also reduce Nova Scotians’ access to crucial information about what their government is doing and how it is spending their money.

The post Premier Tim Houston should win the ‘Bald-faced Frontal Assault on Press Freedom’ prize appeared first on Halifax Examiner.

The province has been increasing funding for men’s intervention programs over the last few years, and in its recent budget detailed plans for spending on various existing initiatives related to intimate partner violence. But an anti-violence program in Pictou County says more is required for men's counselling needs.

After promising in recent years to give Nova Scotia’s Information and Privacy Commissioner the power to enforce decisions, the Houston government has blindsided the office and its supporters by announcing major changes under a new omnibus bill.

Ontario’s main political party leaders are keeping things hot on the campaign trail to start the final week of the provincial election campaign.

Progressive Conservative Leader Doug Ford is expected to release his party’s official platform today — just three days before voters head to the polls.

NDP Leader Marit Stiles and Liberal Leader Bonnie Crombie released their full platforms Friday and Green Party Leader Mike Schreiner released his platform on Feb. 12.

The leaders will fan across the province today, with both Ford and Crombie in the Toronto area and Stiles campaigning in western Ontario.

Schreiner, meanwhile, will campaign in cottage country with a local candidate.

The snap election is this Thursday.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 24, 2025.

The Canadian Press

<!– Photo: 79dbb727787fa983496997764e4974cf41eb5c87478094aaf1d72b666af499ef.jpg, Caption:

A composite image made from four file photographs show, from left to right, Ontario Liberal Leader Bonnie Crombie in Toronto, Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2025; Ontario Progressive Conservative Party Leader Doug Ford in Washington, Wednesday, Feb. 12, 2025; Ontario NDP Leader Marit Stiles in Sudbury, Ont., Thursday, Feb. 13, 2025; and Ontario Green Leader Mike Schreiner in Toronto, Wednesday, Feb. 12, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chris Young, AP-Ben Curtis, Gino Donato

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TORONTO — Canada’s film community gathers tonight to learn which critical favourites have won two $50,000 prizes — one for best film and another for best documentary.

The Toronto Film Critics Association is set to hand out the awards at a gala downtown.

Political black comedy “Rumours,” absurdist dramedy “Universal Language” and sheep-herding drama “Shepherds” are competing for the Rogers Best Canadian Film Award.

Meanwhile, music biography “Any Other Way: The Jackie Shane Story,” Ontario Place investigation “Your Tomorrow” and Indigenous rights film “Yintah” are up for the Rogers Best Canadian Documentary Award.

The two runners-up in each category will receive $5,000.

The majority of TFCA’s 2024 awards were announced in December. RaMell Ross’ Jim Crow-era historical drama “Nickel Boys” won three of the top prizes, including best picture, best director and best adapted screenplay.

The TFCA is an organization that represents Toronto-based broadcasters and journalists who critique and provide commentary on films.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 24, 2025.

Alex Nino Gheciu, The Canadian Press

OTTAWA — The candidates in the race to be the next leader of the Liberal Party of Canada will square off tonight in the first of two live debates.

With just two weeks left until the winner is announced and two days until voting begins, the two events are the only chance Liberal supporters will have to see the candidates together.

Former central banker Mark Carney, former finance minister Chrystia Freeland, former House leader Karina Gould and former MP Frank Baylis are the only candidates still in the contest.

The party disqualified former Ontario MP Ruby Dhalla on Friday afternoon alleging she broke the rules, though she announced yesterday she had filed an appeal for reinstatement.

Former TVA-Québec anchor Pierre Jobin is expected to moderate the French language debate tonight.

The winner of the race will replace Justin Trudeau not only as Liberal leader but as prime minister, though an election is expected widely soon after.

Carney posted a video on social media yesterday pushing his promise to balance the government’s operational budget within three years.

Carney however has said he would increase the government’s spending on investments that grow the economy and create good jobs including on housing, clean energy and new trade routes to reduce Canada’s reliance on the United States.

In her own video yesterday, Freeland visited the farm shew grew up on in Peace River, Alta., touting her connection and understanding of people who “work with their hands” and contribute greatly to Canada’s economy.

Gould posted a series of policies aimed at bringing the party back to its grassroots for the next generation. That includes more frequent policy conventions.

Baylis also shared a video yesterday, giving a brief tour of his medical technology company and touting his experience growing businesses.

Based on polls and fundraising to date Carney is the clear front-runner, and he has injected new life into the party as polls have the Liberals closing the gap to the Conservatives.

The former Bank of Canada and Bank of England governor has been the target of Conservative attack ads in recent weeks, with the opposition party issuing a statement ahead of tonight’s debate, exclusively aimed at Carney.

“Canadians will be watching to see what Mark Carney is actually proposing,” said Conservative house leader Andrew Scheer.

“One thing will be clear: Carney is not offering real change from the last 10 years of Liberal Government.”

The party’s English-language debate is scheduled for Tuesday, also in Montreal. Former CBC host Hannah Thibedeau is expected to be the moderator.

On Wednesday, immediately following the debates, advance voting opens for party members. The winner will be named March 9.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 24, 2025.

Nick Murray, The Canadian Press

<!– Photo: 97d2910b4385bbfcc345034eb2e95648596d54dec3366363826f3c50da77cb6e.jpg, Caption:

Liberal Party of Canada leadership candidates are shown in a composite image made from a combination of file photos. From left to right, Karina Gould in Toronto, Thursday, Feb. 6, 2025; Mark Carney in Hamilton, Ont., Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2025; Chrystia Freeland in Ottawa, Thursday, Jan. 23, 2025; Frank Baylis in Ottawa, Thursday, Feb. 20, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Frank Gunn, Ron Poling, Justin Tang

–>

Ramee Mossa was months into fundraising for his power hardware company FTEX when U.S. President Donald Trump started looming over the negotiations.

As soon as Trump took office, potential financiers in the U.S. began feeling “uneasy” and started asking questions about what a succession of tariffs would mean for Mossa’s Montreal-based company.

“For hardware startups, it’s going to make it more difficult for us to raise (money) and it’s going to make it more difficult for companies that make hardware to survive,” Mossa said.

He imagines the tariffs will be more of a “minor inconvenience” than a catastrophe for FTEX because it makes its systems that power e-bikes, e-scooters and other micro-mobility vehicles in Malaysia with components from Taiwan.

Its clients are mostly Canadian, American and European brands manufacturing their products in China or Vietnam, which allows FTEX to circumvent the forthcoming 25 per cent duty on Canadian goods and the U.S.’s present 10 per cent tariff on Chinese goods.

Yet Mossa and other leaders of Canadian hardware firms are not without their worries. They say tariffs could challenge their suppliers and manufacturers and ripple through the supply chain, eventually hitting the bottom lines of companies relying on their goods or labour.

Addressing the threats by routing products around tariff-prone countries can be time-consuming and isn’t an option for everyone. Canada would be better off fending off the impact of possible tariffs and setting its tech companies up for the long-term by looking inward, they say.

“The best thing for Canada would be to buy Canadian stuff,” said Hamid Arabzadeh, CEO of Ranovus.

The Kanata, Ont.-based company makes advanced silicon chips meant to help power AI systems efficiently. The design originates in Canada, but Ranovus manufactures silicon wafers containing hundreds of chips in the U.S.

The wafers are then sent to Canada, where Ranovus separates, tests and packages them with lasers and other components into advanced photonics products.

While some may look at the tariff situation and see the construction of Canadian chip factories as the answer, others feel the lengthy timelines required for that are too unrealistic to make an impact, with the duties expected to be only weeks away.

“Taiwan, for example, is responsible for 60 per cent of the world’s semiconductor fabrication and they didn’t do that within the space of five years. This was started in the late ’70s,” said Avinash Persaud, vice-president of Markham, Ont.-based tech hub VentureLab’s Hardware Catalyst Initiative.

Most global companies rely on Taiwan as well as South Korea, China and Japan for manufacturing because chip factories, their machinery and the production process can cost billions of dollars and the work they do isn’t speedy.

It can take several months to engrave and transform silicon wafers into chips and the process can be upended by as little as a speck of dust. Packaging them into even more advanced products takes even longer.

Plus, any facility outside of the U.S. might wind up in Trump’s crosshairs. He’s mused about imposing tariffs on chips made anywhere else in hopes of returning manufacturing to the U.S.

If Ranovus wound up impacted by U.S. tariffs or Canada’s retaliatory duties, Arabzadeh said customers likely wouldn’t accept higher prices and would demand the company get all its production work done somewhere more free of fees, such as Taiwan.

“But it’s better to keep that know-how and intellectual property here in Canada,” Arabzadeh said.

“If we were to ask a foreign company … to package this together, they would have to learn everything about our business, about our product, and so forth, and then that knowledge will start to go into their other customers, which will be our competitors like Broadcom and Intel, and those guys then would benefit from that.”

Another option Arabzadeh finds just as unpalatable is overhauling the business to give manufacturing rights to customers in exchange for a royalty paid to Ranovus.

“That’s another devastating blow,” he said.

Arabzadeh would rather the government help companies like his with countermeasures to stop artificial intelligence hardware from entering the country if it uses foreign components when there is a Canadian equivalent available.

He said China makes such moves all the time and it wouldn’t be too hard for Canada to replicate because Ranovus and its Canadian competitors already make components that can be incorporated into products from global giants Nvidia and AMD.

“This will be amazing for us because it would sort of force those people to design our product into their product if they want to sell to Canada,” Arabzadeh said.

But Canada doesn’t appear ready to make the move. Persaud pointed out it doesn’t even have a national semiconductor strategy.

If the country did, he said stakeholders staring down tariffs would be more galvanized, the government would likely make commitments to support the industry and the world would know where Canada’s hardware sector is headed.

“When you have clarity around that, it makes investment, foreign direct investment partnerships, long-term strategies much more likely,” said Persaud. “It’s very difficult to do that when somebody’s not sure what the policy is going to be.”

Uncertainty, however, is becoming a hallmark of running a business in the time of Trump.

Mossa, for example, watched many of FTEX’s clients move production to Vietnam and away from China amid geopolitical tensions.

They may not be unscathed in Vietnam either, Mossa reasons, because the country has a large trade imbalance with the U.S.

Adding to the uncertainty his company faces is the possibility of its suppliers being hit with tariffs themselves, which would increase production costs and be passed along to clients like FTEX.

If that happened, Mossa said FTEX would have to consider raising prices, a move its Chinese competitors would likely not have to make because they source supplies and manufacture bikes all in Asia.

“We’re seeing their prices kind of stay steady and we’re seeing our prices go up, and at the end of the day, it gives us less room to maneuver,” Mossa said.

Canada’s government would need to impose “insane” tariffs to make it more competitive for FTEX’s clients to make products here rather than Asia.

“And it’s just the consumer that’s going to suffer in the end,” he said, noting the simplest e-bikes cost $1,500 and more high-end ones go for $10,000.

“If we start making these in North America because we have 200 or 300 per cent tariffs on them in Asia, they’re going to cost as much as a used car and people are just going to go back to driving cars. We’ll lose obviously as a company from this, but we’ll lose as a society as well.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 24, 2025.

Tara Deschamps, The Canadian Press

TORONTO — The Canadian Paediatric Society is calling for better regulation and safety measures to protect kids riding off-road vehicles, including all-terrain vehicles and side-by-sides.

The society says children and adolescents make up about a third of off-road vehicle deaths.

In a statement released today, it says federal, provincial and territorial governments should regulate the use of off-road vehicles the same way they do cars.

The pediatric society says those regulations should require kids to be at least 16 years old to drive the vehicles and 12 years old to be a passenger.

They should also make wearing government-certified helmets mandatory, as kids and teens not wearing one are five times more likely to suffer severe head or neck injuries.

The society says off-road vehicles are specifically designed to be used on dirt trails and in forested areas and should never be driven on hard-surface roads.

Research suggests that being younger than 16 is a risk factor for losing control of an off-road vehicle because the necessary developmental and cognitive skills may not be fully formed, the statement said.

“Staying alert and responding appropriately to sudden changes in terrain involves ‘active riding’, which requires precise hand-eye coordination, physical strength, balance, spatial awareness, and constant attention,” it said.

“These developmental skills and the cognitive maturity to link actions to consequences — specifically, the implications of unsafe behaviours for self and others and the relationships between distance, speed, and braking — tend to develop in most adolescents between 14 and 16 years of age.”

The pediatric society called on industry to stop marketing and selling off-road vehicles to adolescents under 16 “until safety modifications have been implemented, tested, standardized, and proven to be effective in all Canadian settings.”

Provinces and territories should implement training courses and a graduated driver’s licensing system for off-road vehicles, it said.

Pediatricians and primary-care providers also have a role to play, it said, by educating families about the “significant risks for severe injury and death,” even if the off-road vehicle is a “youth model.”

The pediatric society acknowledged that off-road vehicles are widely used in remote areas, on farms and for Indigenous hunting and fishing. In those cases, pediatric care providers should help families reduce the risk to youth by emphasizing the need to avoid paved roads, wear a helmet at all times and only ride as a passenger on vehicles that are designed to carry more than one person.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 24, 2025.

Canadian Press health coverage receives support through a partnership with the Canadian Medical Association. CP is solely responsible for this content.

Nicole Ireland, The Canadian Press

This is a collection of photos chosen by AP photo editors.

The Associated Press

MANILA, Philippines (AP) — Japan and the Philippines agreed Monday to further deepen their defense collaboration and talk about protecting shared military information in the face of mutual alarm over China’s increasing aggressive actions in the region.

Japanese Defense Minister Gen Nakatani and his Philippine counterpart, Gilberto Teodoro, forged the agreements in a meeting in Manila where their concern over China’s actions in the disputed South China Sea and East China Sea was high in the agenda.

Japan and the Philippines are treaty allies of the United States, and the three have been among the most vocal critics of China’s assertive actions in the region, including in the contested waters.

At the opening of his meeting with Nakatani, Teodoro said the Philippines was looking forward to boosting defense relations with Japan “against unilateral attempts by China and other countries to change the international order and the narrative.”

Nakatani said after the meeting that he agreed with Teodoro “to strengthen operational cooperation,” including joint and multinational defense trainings, port calls and information-sharing.

“We also agreed to commence discussion between defense authorities on military information protection mechanism,” Nakatani said.

The Philippines signed an agreement with the United States, its longtime treaty ally, last year to better secure the exchange of highly confidential military intelligence and technology in key weapons to allow the sale of such weaponry by the U.S. to the Philippines.

Then-Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Teodoro signed the legally binding General Security of Military Information Agreement in Manila at a time when the U.S. and the Philippines were boosting their defense and military engagements, including large-scale joint combat drills, largely in response to China’s increasingly aggressive actions in Asia.

Nakatani said that he and Teodoro “firmly concurred that the security environment surrounding us is becoming increasingly severe and that it is necessary for the two countries as strategic partners to further enhance defense cooperation and collaboration in order to maintain peace and stability in Indo-Pacific.”

Japan has had a longstanding territorial dispute with China over islands in the East China Sea. Chinese and Philippine coast guard and navy ships, meanwhile, have been involved in a series of increasingly hostile confrontations in the South China Sea in the last two years.

Also high in the agenda of Nakatani and Teodoro, a copy of which was seen by The Associated Press, was the “expansion of bilateral cooperation, especially in the context of the Reciprocal Access Agreement.”

Last year, Japan and the Philippines signed the agreement allowing the deployment of Japanese and Philippine forces for joint military and combat drills in each other’s territory. The Philippine Senate has ratified the agreement, and its expected ratification by Japan’s legislature would allow the agreement to take effect.

The agreement with the Philippines, which includes live-fire drills, is the first to be forged by Japan in Asia. Japan signed similar accords with Australia in 2022 and with Britain in 2023.

Japan has taken steps to boost its security and defensive firepower, including a counterstrike capability that breaks from the country’s postwar principle of focusing only on self-defense. It’s doubling defense spending in a five-year period to 2027 to bolster its military power.

Many of Japan’s Asian neighbors, including the Philippines, came under Japanese aggression until its defeat in World War II, and Tokyo’s efforts to strengthen its military role and spending could be a sensitive issue.

Japan and the Philippines, however, have steadily deepened defense and security ties largely due to concerns over Chinese aggression in the region.

___

Associated Press journalists Joeal Calupitan and Aaron Favila contributed to this report.

Jim Gomez, The Associated Press

This is a collection of photos chosen by AP photo editors.

The Associated Press

This is a collection of photos chosen by AP photo editors.

The Associated Press

This is a collection of photos chosen by AP photo editors.

The Associated Press

This is a collection of photos chosen by AP photo editors.

The Associated Press

This is a collection of photos chosen by AP photo editors.

The Associated Press

MONCTON, N.B. — Caleb Desnoyers scored three goals and added an assist as the Moncton Wildcats whipped the visiting Victoriaville Tigres 10-1 in Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League action on Sunday at the Avenir Centre.

Etienne Morin, Pier-Etienne Cloutier, Adam Fortier-Gendron, Dyllan Gill, Markus Vidicek, Maxime Côté and Julius Sumpf also scored for the Maritimes Division-leading Wildcats (43-9-2-0), who outshot the visitors 39-15. Juraj Pekarcik and Sumpf also chipped in with four assists each.

Olivier Laverdière scored for the Tigres (15-36-1-3), who trailed 2-0 after the first period and 7-1 heading into the third.

The Wildcats went 2-for-4 on the power play, while the Tigres were 0-for-2.

Elsewhere in the QMJHL on Sunday:

—

OLYMPIQUES 3 PHOENIX 2

SHERBROOKE, Que. — Lukas Landry scored with nine seconds left in the third period to lift the visiting Gatineau Olympiques to a 3-2 win over the Sherbrooke Phoenix.

Julien Paille and Justin Boisselle also scored for the Olympiques (14-27-7-5), who were outshot 29-28.

Olivier Lampron and Jayden Plouffe scored for the Phoenix (29-19-2-4), who went 1-for-4 on the power play. The Olympiques were 0-for-4.

—

OCEANIC 5 DRAKKAR 1

RIMOUSKI, Que. — Alexandre Blais and Dominic Pilote each had a goal and assist as the Rimouski Océanic beat the visiting Baie-Comeau Drakkar 5-1.

Jacob Mathieu, Mael Lavigne and Maxime Coursol also scored for the East Division-leading Oceanic (39-12-2-2), who outshot the visitors 44-24.

Matyas Melovsky scored for the Drakkar (31-20-3-1), who led 1-0 after the first period but trailed 3-1 heading into the third.

—

EAGLES 3 ISLANDERS 1

SYDNEY, N.S. — Cole Burbidge scored twice and added an assist as the Cape Breton Eagles beat the visiting Charlottetown Islanders 3-1.

Andrew Brown also scored for the Eagles (28-19-4-3), who were outshot 28-20. Eagles netminder Alexis Cournoyer stopped 27 of 28 shots.

Kyle Powers scored for the Islanders (27-24-2-1), who were tied 1-1 heading into the third period.

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CATARACTES 4 SEA DOGS 1

SHAWINIGAN, Que. — Jiri Klima scored twice and Kody Dupuis had a goal and an assist as the Shawinigan Cataractes defeated the visiting Saint John Sea Dogs 4-1.

Felix Lacerte also scored for the Cataractes (31-18-1-4), who outshot the visitors 36-25.

Dylan Rozzi scored for the Sea Dogs (19-36-0-0), who trailed 2-1 after the first period and 3-1 heading into the third.

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HUSKIES 7 REMPARTS 2

ROUYN-NORANDA, Que. — Antonin Verreault scored twice and added an assist as the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies beat the visiting Quebec Remparts 7-2.

Samuel Beauchemin, Eliot Ogonowski, Lars Steiner, Harijs Cjunskis and Samuel Rousseau also scored for the Huskies (29-17-3-5), who outshot the visitors 41-21.

Benjamin Vigneault and Maddox Dagenais scored for the Remparts (20-29-2-4).

* This roundup was generated automatically with a CP-developed application.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 23, 2025.

The Canadian Press

ANGOLA, La. (AP) — A terminally ill man who spent over 30 years on death row in Louisiana for the killing of his stepson died days after a March date was scheduled for his execution by nitrogen gas.

Christopher Sepulvado, 81, died Saturday at the Louisiana State Penitentiary in Angola, Louisiana, “from natural causes as a result of complications arising from his pre-existing medical conditions,” according to the Louisiana Department of Public Safety and Corrections.

Sepulvado was charged with the 1992 killing of his 6-year-old stepson after the boy came home from school with soiled underwear. Sepulvado was accused of hitting him on the head with a screwdriver and immersing him in scalding water. He was convicted of murder and sentenced to death in 1993.

His attorney, federal public defender Shawn Nolan, said in a statement Sunday that doctors recently determined Sepulvado was terminally ill and recommended hospice care. Nolan described his client’s “significant” physical and cognitive decline in recent years.

“Christopher Sepulvado’s death overnight in the prison infirmary is a sad comment on the state of the death penalty in Louisiana,” Nolan said. “The idea that the state was planning to strap this tiny, frail, dying old man to a chair and force him to breathe toxic gas into his failing lungs is simply barbaric.”

According to Nolan, Sepulvado had been sent to New Orleans for surgery earlier in the week but was returned to the prison Friday night.

Louisiana officials decided to resume carrying out death sentences earlier this month after a 15 year pause driven by a lack of political interest and the inability to secure legal injection drugs. Republican Gov. Jeff Landry pushed to proceed with a new nitrogen gas execution protocol after the state’s GOP-dominated Legislature last year expanded death row execution methods to include electrocution and nitrogen gas.

Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill said in a statement that “justice should have been delivered long ago” and Louisiana “failed to deliver it in his lifetime.”

Sepulvado’s execution was scheduled for March 17. Another man, Jessie Hoffman, was convicted of first-degree murder in 1996 and slated for execution on March 18. Hoffman initially challenged Louisiana’s lethal injection protocol in 2012 on the grounds that the method was cruel and unusual punishment. A federal judge on Friday reopened that lawsuit after it was dismissed in 2022 because the state had no executions planned.

The country’s first execution using nitrogen gas was carried out last year in Alabama, which has now executed four people using the method.

The Associated Press

Halifax Regional Police say a six-year-old is in the hospital with life-threatening injuries after being stabbed multiple times in downtown Halifax.

Hundreds of people gathered at Halifax’s Grand Parade on Sunday to mark the three year anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. 

Kerri Einarson's curling team from Manitoba advanced to the final of the Scotties Tournament of Hearts with a 9-8 semifinal win over Nova Scotia's Christina Black on Sunday in Thunder Bay. Ont. Einarson will face Rachel Homan at 7 p.m. ET.