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Trae Young with a deep 3 vs the Oklahoma City Thunder

Trae Young (Atlanta Hawks) with a deep 3 vs the Oklahoma City Thunder, 02/26/2021

Latest Stories

  • LEADING OFF: Mets eye clear weather at last, Cubs HBP woes

    A look at what's happening around the majors Saturday: ___ WELL RESTED Jacob deGrom and the Mets hope to finally play some baseball. New York has had four games in six days either postponed or suspended due to weather, including a snow out Friday night for the opener of their series at Colorado. The club has had seven postponements this season, including all three games of its opening series against Washington, which was called off due to the Nationals’ COVID-19 outbreak. Saturday’s forecast in Denver looks chilly but clear, making it likely deGrom (0-1, 0.64) will finally get back on the mound two days after he was initially supposed to take his turn. New York’s ace will start the opener of a doubleheader against Chi Chi Gonzalez (1-0, 3.60), and Mets lefty Joe Lucchesi (0-0, 0.00) will face Germán Márquez (0-1, 4.02) in the late game. BEAT-UP BEARS Willson Contreras and the Cubs are feeling understandably unsettled in the box. Chicago batters were plunked four times by Braves starter Kyle Wright on Friday and have been hit a major league-leading 13 times this season — the Cubs also led the bigs last year with 52 hit-by-pitches. Contreras was hit Friday for the third time in four games and fifth time overall this season. The Cubs are frustrated by all the bruises, especially after reliever Ryan Tepera was suspended three games Thursday for throwing behind Brewers pitcher Brandon Woodruff. Manager David Ross and game-planning coach Mike Borzello were also suspended one game each, bans they served in Friday’s 5-2 loss to Atlanta. ACES UP The Dodgers and Padres continue their first series of the season with aces Clayton Kershaw (2-1, 2.89) and Yu Darvish (1-0, 3.06) on the mound. Kershaw has shaken off a difficult opening day start with consecutive gems, allowing one run over 13 innings in starts against Oakland and Washington. Darvish is having a similar season, struggling against Arizona on opening day before limiting San Francisco and Pittsburgh to a run each in his past two starts. EAST BEAST Tyler Glasnow (1-0, 0.46) takes the mound as the Rays continue a series at Yankee Stadium. The 6-foot-8 right-hander has 29 strikeouts and just three walks in 19 2/3 innings this season, and he’s been outstanding in the Bronx in his career, going 1-0 with a 1.54 ERA in two outings. Left-hander Jordan Montgomery (1-0, 3.27) is up for New York after allowing four runs in five innings against the Rays on Sunday. ___ More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB The Associated Press

  • Justice Department Sues Trump Crony Roger Stone For Alleged $2 Million In Unpaid Taxes

    Prosecutors say Stone and his wife shielded their income in a commercial entity and used funds they owed the IRS on a "lavish lifestyle" instead.

  • KWESST Updates SEDAR Filings

    Ottawa, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - April 16, 2021) - KWESST Micro Systems Inc. (TSXV: KWE) (OTCQB: KWEMF) ("KWESST" or "the Company") today announced that it has filed on SEDAR an amended Annual Information Form for the fiscal period ended September 30, 2020 and Amended and Restated Condensed Consolidated Interim Financial Statements and MD&A for the three-month period ended December 31, 2020 (the "Q1 Filings"). The primary change to the Q1 Filings is the reversal of ...

  • BREAKING NEWS: ROSEN, A LEADING LAW FIRM, Encourages FibroGen, Inc. Investors with Losses Exceeding $100K to Secure Counsel Before Important Deadline – FGEN

    NEW YORK, April 16, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- WHY: Rosen Law Firm, a global investor rights law firm, announces the filing of a class action lawsuit on behalf of purchasers of the securities of FibroGen, Inc. (NASDAQ: FGEN) between November 8, 2019 and April 6, 2021, inclusive (the “Class Period”). A class action lawsuit has already been filed. If you wish to serve as lead plaintiff, you must move the Court no later than June 11, 2021. SO WHAT: If you purchased FibroGen securities during the Class Period you may be entitled to compensation without payment of any out of pocket fees or costs through a contingency fee arrangement. WHAT TO DO NEXT: To join the FibroGen class action, go to http://www.rosenlegal.com/cases-register-2076.html or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email pkim@rosenlegal.com or cases@rosenlegal.com for information on the class action. A class action lawsuit has already been filed. If you wish to serve as lead plaintiff, you must move the Court no later than June 11, 2021. A lead plaintiff is a representative party acting on behalf of other class members in directing the litigation. WHY ROSEN LAW: We encourage investors to select qualified counsel with a track record of success in leadership roles. Often, firms issuing notices do not have comparable experience or resources. The Rosen Law Firm represents investors throughout the globe, concentrating its practice in securities class actions and shareholder derivative litigation. Rosen Law Firm has achieved the largest ever securities class action settlement against a Chinese Company. Rosen Law Firm was Ranked No. 1 by ISS Securities Class Action Services for number of securities class action settlements in 2017. The firm has been ranked in the top 4 each year since 2013 and has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for investors. In 2019 alone the firm secured over $438 million for investors. In 2020 founding partner Laurence Rosen was named by law360 as a Titan of Plaintiffs’ Bar. Many of the firm’s attorneys have been recognized by Lawdragon and Super Lawyers. DETAILS OF THE CASE: According to the lawsuits, defendants throughout the Class Period made false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (1) the Company’s prior disclosures of U.S. primary cardiovascular safety analyses from the roxadustat Phase 3 program for the treatment of anemia certain safety analyses submitted in connection with chronic kidney disease (“CKD”) included post-hoc changes to the stratification factors; (2) FibroGen’s analyses with the pre-specified stratification factors result in higher hazard ratios (point estimates of relative risk) and 95% confidence intervals; (3) based on these analyses the Company could not conclude that roxadustat reduces the risk of (or is superior to) MACE+ in dialysis, and MACE and MACE+ in incident dialysis compared to epoetin-alfa; (4) as a result, the Company faced significant uncertainty that its New Drug Application (“NDA”) for roxadustat as a treatment for anemia of CKD would be approved by the FDA; and (5) as a result of the foregoing, defendants’ statements about the Company’s business, operations, and prospects were materially misleading and/or lacked a reasonable basis. When the true details entered the market, the lawsuit claims that investors suffered damages. To join the FibroGen class action, go to http://www.rosenlegal.com/cases-register-2076.html or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email pkim@rosenlegal.com or cases@rosenlegal.com for information on the class action. No Class Has Been Certified. Until a class is certified, you are not represented by counsel unless you retain one. You may select counsel of your choice. You may also remain an absent class member and do nothing at this point. An investor’s ability to share in any potential future recovery is not dependent upon serving as lead plaintiff. Follow us for updates on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-rosen-law-firm, on Twitter: https://twitter.com/rosen_firm or on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rosenlawfirm/. Attorney Advertising. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. ------------------------------- Contact Information: Laurence Rosen, Esq. Phillip Kim, Esq. The Rosen Law Firm, P.A. 275 Madison Avenue, 40th Floor New York, NY 10016 Tel: (212) 686-1060 Toll Free: (866) 767-3653 Fax: (212) 202-3827 lrosen@rosenlegal.com pkim@rosenlegal.com cases@rosenlegal.com www.rosenlegal.com

  • Nasa chooses SpaceX to build Moon lander

    SpaceX will build a lander that the US space agency will use to return humans to the Moon this decade.

  • One killed, one injured, another missed in three police shootings in Miami-Dade, Broward

    In an unusually violent day for law enforcement in South Florida, police in Miami-Dade and Broward counties fired their weapons at three people Thursday, killing one, injuring another and missing a third.

  • 'High probability' Biden's decision to pull U.S. troops from Afghanistan will cause its government to fall, expert says

    Former White House adviser Richard Clarke said that there is a “high probability” that President Biden’s decision to withdraw all U.S. troops from Afghanistan by Sept. 11 will result in the collapse of the Afghan government and a takeover of that country by the Taliban.

  • New conservative group would save 'Anglo-Saxon' traditions

    WASHINGTON — Hard-right House Republicans on Friday were discussing forming an America First Caucus, which one document described as championing “Anglo-Saxon political traditions” and warning that mass immigration was putting the “unique identity” of the U.S. at risk. The Associated Press obtained a copy of the paper, which was first reported by Punchbowl News, a news outlet covering Capitol Hill. The AP could not independently confirm the organization’s origins or current status, but Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., said he was joining and indicated that fellow conservative Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., was behind it. The document was being circulated as the GOP is struggling to determine a clear direction as it prepares to try winning back control of the House and Senate in the 2022 elections. Among the party's divisions are how closely to tack behind Donald Trump, and the caucus' seven-page policy platform clearly embraces the former president's world view. “The America First Caucus (AFC) exists to promote Congressional policies that are to the long-term benefit of the American nation,” it begins. It says the group aims to “follow in President Trump’s footsteps, and potentially step on some toes and sacrifice sacred cows for the good of the American nation." The group calls for limiting legal immigration “to those that can contribute not only economically, but have demonstrated respect for this nation’s culture and rule of law." It voices support for infrastructure “that reflects the architectural, engineering and esthetic value that befits the progeny of European architecture." House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., issued a critical tweet that an aide confirmed was aimed at the group. “America is built on the idea that we are all created equal and success is earned through honest, hard work. It isn’t built on identity, race, or religion," McCarthy wrote. “The Republican Party is the party of Lincoln & the party of more opportunity for all Americans—not nativist dog whistles." Punchbowl said the group was linked to Greene and Rep. Paul Gosar, R-Ariz. Over GOP objections, the House voted to remove Greene from her committee assignments early this year for her recycling of violent, conspiratorial ideas on social media. Asked to provide a copy of the caucus document, Greene spokesman Nick Dyer said in an email: “We aren’t circulating anything, Alan. This was a typical DC gossip leak.” Rep. Louie Gohmert, R-Texas, told reporters he was considering joining the caucus and said, “Yes,” when asked if Greene and Gosar were involved with it. Gaetz tweeted: “I’m proud to join @mtgreenee in the #AmericaFirst Caucus. We will end wars, stop illegal immigration & promote trade that is fair to American workers.” Gaetz is facing a federal investigation for sex trafficking accusations, according to people who have described the probe on condition of anonymity. The document aims some of its toughest language at immigration. President Joe Biden's administration has struggled to handle large numbers of migrants at the Southwest border and has had little success winning legislation in Congress. “America is a nation with a border, and a culture, strengthened by a common respect for uniquely Anglo-Saxon political traditions,” the paper says. “History has shown that societal trust and political unity are threatened when foreign citizens are imported en-masse into a country." It adds that “the long-term existential future of America as a unique country with a unique culture and a unique identity being put at unnecessary risk is something our leaders" cannot ignore. The document espouses Trump's false claims that “recent election results demonstrate a compromised integrity of our elections." It proposes curbing high technology firms that are “weaponized and deployed against conservatives” and lambasts steps against the pandemic like mandates for masks, social distancing and lockdowns for “conditioning the culture and behaviour of Americans” and destroying the economy. It says “better waste management” would be more helpful for the environment than Paris Climate Accord efforts to cut greenhouse gas emissions. Alan Fram, The Associated Press

  • Monument Announces RSU Grants

    VANCOUVER, British Columbia, April 16, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Monument Mining Limited (TSX-V: MMY and FSE: D7Q1) (“Monument” or the “Company”) announces it has granted an aggregate of 3.9 million restricted share units (the “RSUs”) to its directors, officers and employees pursuant to the RSU plan. The Company’s RSU and stock based option plans are aimed to compensate and reward its directors, officers and employees for working towards the Company’s long term objectives and in alignment with the shareholders’ best interest. Out of 3.9 million newly granted RSUs, 1.1 million is granted as a part of the director’s fee restructure where the cash component has been significantly reduced; 1.7 million are performance RSUs rewarding their milestone achievement upon closing of the Mengapur transaction; and 1.1 million are granted to incentivize management to achieve the milestone target completing Selinsing processing plant upgrade. The new RSU grants have brought the total outstanding RSUs to 14.5 million to date, leaving 7.6 million shares reserved available for grant under the plan. About Monument Monument Mining Limited (TSX-V:MMY, FSE:D7Q1) is an established Canadian gold producer that owns and operates the Selinsing Gold Mine in Malaysia. Its experienced management team is committed to growth and is also advancing the Murchison Gold Projects comprising Burnakura, Gabanintha and Tuckanarra (20% interest) in the Murchison area of Western Australia. The Company employs approximately 200 people in both regions and is committed to the highest standards of environmental management, social responsibility, and health and safety for its employees and neighboring communities. Cathy Zhai, President and CEOMonument Mining LimitedSuite 1580 -1100 Melville StreetVancouver, BC V6E 4A6 FOR FURTHER INFORMATION visit the company web site at www.monumentmining.com or contact:Richard Cushing, MMY Vancouver T: +1-604-638-1661 x102 rcushing@monumentmining.com "Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release." Forward-Looking Statement This news release includes statements containing forward-looking information about Monument, its business and future plans (“forward-looking statements”). Forward-looking statements are statements that involve expectations, plans, objectives or future events that are not historical facts and include the Company’s plans with respect to its mineral projects and the timing and results of proposed programs and events referred to in this news release. Generally, forward-looking information can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "plans", "expects" or "does not expect", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", or "believes", or variations of such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will be taken", "occur" or "be achieved". The forward-looking statements in this news release are subject to various risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results or achievements to differ materially from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. These risks and certain other factors include, without limitation: risks related to general business, economic, competitive, geopolitical and social uncertainties; uncertainties regarding the results of current exploration activities; uncertainties in the progress and timing of development activities; foreign operations risks; other risks inherent in the mining industry and other risks described in the management discussion and analysis of the Company and the technical reports on the Company’s projects, all of which are available under the profile of the Company on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Material factors and assumptions used to develop forward-looking statements in this news release include: expectations regarding the estimated cash cost per ounce of gold production and the estimated cash flows which may be generated from the operations, general economic factors and other factors that may be beyond the control of Monument; assumptions and expectations regarding the results of exploration on the Company’s projects; assumptions regarding the future price of gold of other minerals; the timing and amount of estimated future production; the expected timing and results of development and exploration activities; costs of future activities; capital and operating expenditures; success of exploration activities; mining or processing issues; exchange rates; and all of the factors and assumptions described in the management discussion and analysis of the Company and the technical reports on the Company’s projects, all of which are available under the profile of the Company on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking statements, except in accordance with applicable securities laws.

  • U.S. investigators probing breach at San Francisco code testing company: firm

    U.S. federal investigators are probing an intrusion at San Francisco-based software auditing company Codecov that affected an unknown number of its 29,000 customers, the firm said, raising the specter of knock-on breaches at companies elsewhere. Although the ramifications of the incident remain unclear, the breach drew comparisons to the recent compromise of Texas software firm SolarWinds by alleged Russian hackers, both because the breach could have follow-on effects at many of the organizations that use Codecov and because of the length of time that the doctored software remained in circulation. The company says on its website that it has 29,000 customers including consumer goods conglomerate Procter & Gamble Co, web hosting firm GoDaddy Inc, The Washington Post, and Australian software firm Atlassian Corporation PLC.

  • Tenbound Announces New Book: The Sales Development Framework

    Tenbound Announces New Book: The Sales Development Framework

  • Mullen Group Ltd. Announces Accretive Acquisition

    (TSX: MTL) Mullen Group Ltd. ("Mullen Group", "We", "Our" and/or the "Corporation") is pleased to announce that it has acquired the Bandstra Group of Companies ("Bandstra Group"), including Bandstra Transportation Systems Ltd. ("Bandstra Transportation") and Babine Truck & Equipment Ltd. ("Babine"). A definitive share purchase agreement was signed, and the acquisition closed on April 16, 2021.

  • Diego Calva Talks Damian Chazelle’s ‘Babylon,’ Netflix’s ‘Narcos’

    Hailed as a fast-rising new talent from Mexico, actor Diego Calva has surfaced from small but notable Mexican and Argentine films to landing pivotal roles in Damien Chazelle’s “Babylon,” the Oscar-winning director’s follow-up to “La La Land,” and the third iteration of Netflix’s wildly popular “Narcos: Mexico.” He has studied directing and has shot a […]

  • Amazon is having a massive sale this weekend — here are the highlights, starting at $7

    Save big on Sony, Samsung, Bose, XBox, Shark — even Purell!

  • Xcel Brands Ups Its Buying Power

    The new backing furthers Xcel's growth and ability to grow its brand portfolio.

  • Northern Graphite Announces Grant of Stock Options

    Ottawa, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - April 16, 2021) - Northern Graphite Corporation (TSXV: NGC) (OTCQB: NGPHF) (the "Company" or "Northern") announces that the Board of Directors has approved a grant of stock options to directors and officers to purchase a total of 2,800,000 shares of the Company at a price of $0.50 per share for a period of five years. The option grant is essentially to replace 2,200,000 stock options exercisable at a price ...

  • LFMD CLASS ACTION NOTICE: Glancy Prongay & Murray LLP Files Securities Fraud Lawsuit Against LifeMD, Inc.

    Glancy Prongay & Murray LLP ("GPM"), announces that it has filed a class action lawsuit in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York captioned Owens v. LifeMD, Inc., et al., (Case No. 1:21-cv-03384) on behalf of persons and entities that purchased or otherwise acquired LifeMD, Inc. ("LifeMD" or the "Company") (NASDAQ: LFMD) securities between January 19, 2021 and April 13, 2021, inclusive (the "Class Period"). Plaintiff pursues claims under Sections 10(b) and 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the "Exchange Act").

  • State's expert told grand jury police didn't kill Prude

    Prosecutors overseeing a grand jury investigation into the death of Daniel Prude last year in Rochester, New York, undercut the case for criminal charges with testimony from a medical expert who said three police officers who held Prude to the ground until he stopped breathing didn’t do anything wrong. Dr. Gary Vilke told the grand jury that Prude, a 41-year-old Black man, died of a heart attack caused by the medical phenomenon known as excited delirium. He said the officers' actions, which included placing a hood over Prude's head, had no impact on his breathing, according to transcripts of the proceedings made public Friday. A medical examiner ruled Prude’s death a homicide due to asphyxiation from a physical restraint, with use of the drug PCP as a factor. There is no universally accepted definition of excited delirium and researchers have said it's not well understood. Vilke, a University of California, San Diego professor who routinely testifies on behalf of police, said that restraining Prude during the encounter in the early hours of March 23, 2020 may have been best for his safety given his condition. Asked by a grand juror if anything could have been done better, Vilke responded: “I wouldn’t do anything differently.” The grand jury ultimately rejected criminally negligent homicide charges against the three officers by a 15-5 vote, the transcripts show. Prosecutors from the state attorney general’s office sought no other charges. They told grand jurors that they could choose not to indict if they believed the use of force was justified. Five jurors indicated they would have voted to indict at least one of the officers. “You are not an arm of the prosecution and you are to draw no conclusions about, quote, unquote, we think, feel or anything else," Jennifer Sommers, the deputy chief of Special Investigations, instructed the grand jury, according to the transcripts. "You are an independent body.” The grand jury’s decision not to indict the officers was announced at the time it was made in February, but the transcripts of nine days of testimony from witnesses — including Prude’s brother, police officers and experts — offer a rare window into a process of accountability normally kept under wraps. New York Attorney General Letitia James had said, in announcing the grand jury's decision, that the state had put on the best case it could that the officers should be prosecuted. Her office defended its use of Vilke as an expert Friday, saying it promised an independent investigation into Prude’s death without a predetermined outcome. The release of grand jury materials comes at a sensitive time for the issue of race in policing. Testimony is ending in the trial of former Minneapolis officer Derek Chauvin in the killing of George Floyd. And on Thursday, body camera video was released that showed a Chicago police officer fatally shoot 13-year-old Adam Toledo last month after he appeared to drop a handgun and begin raising his hands. Prude encountered police hours after he was released from a hospital following a mental health arrest. He ran naked from his brother’s home and was seen bashing store windows. Prude’s brother, Joe, testified that he warned an officer responding to his home, “Don't kill my brother.” Prude’s death went largely unnoticed until September, when his family released body camera video of the encounter obtained through a public records request. Emails later made public by the city showed police commanders urged city officials to hold off on releasing the footage. The video showed Prude handcuffed and naked with a spit hood over his head as one officer pushed his face against the ground and another officer pressed a knee to his back. The officers held Prude down for about two minutes until he stopped breathing. He was taken off life support a week later. Vilke told the grand jury that drug use and mental illness contribute to excited delirium, which can make people vulnerable to cardiac arrest. He said he didn't think the spit hood was a factor or that the officers obstructed Prude's breathing. “So, all those things allow me to be able to be comfortable saying my opinion is that none of the officers, their impact, individually or collectively, would have caused or contributed to that cardiac arrest," Vilke said. "And, to go even one step further, if he had been allowed to get up and run around ... that would actually be more detrimental than being held down.” An officer testified that police used the hood because Prude was spitting and they were wary of being sickened in the early days of the pandemic. “I don’t know if you guys remember exactly about the coronavirus, how we felt, but it was almost hysteria in the country," the unidentified officer told the grand jury. At one point, prosecutor Michael Smith drew grand jurors’ attention to a 2015 training bulletin that explained to officers that “positional asphyxia may occur when the position of the person’s body interferes with respiration, resulting in serious injury or death” and that the risk of such asphyxia “can increase when the person is restrained in a prone position.” The footage of Prude's arrest and restraint sparked nightly protests in Rochester, a rust-belt city on the shore of Lake Ontario which was roiled recently by body camera footage of white officers using pepper spray on a 9-year-old Black girl handcuffed in the back of a squad car. James, whose office investigates police shootings, secured a judge’s permission to make the usually secret material public, citing a desire for transparency in Prude's case. The transcripts were released after a review that involving blacking out the names of witnesses. Seven officers, including the three involved in Prude’s restraint, remain suspended pending the outcome of an internal investigation. Matthew Rich, a lawyer for four officers who responded but weren’t involved in Prude’s restraint, questioned the closed-door process that paved the way for the transcripts being released. Despite that, he wrote in a letter to the judge last month that he and his clients “have nothing to hide.” Lawyers representing Prude’s brother said they were still reading the documents and not ready to comment. One Prude grand juror praised the prosecution team's “amazing work.” “If it wasn’t for everything that you presented to us, I don’t think anybody would have come up with a decision. You worked very hard and I’m sure nobody took it lightly," the juror said. "It was a very serious case. It’s horrible what happened to him.” ___ Associated Press reporters Larry Neumeister, Thalia Beaty, Jennifer Peltz and Jim Mustian in New York; Carolyn Thompson in Buffalo and Michael Hill in Albany contributed to this report. ___ Follow Michael Sisak on Twitter at twitter.com/mikesisak Michael R. Sisak, The Associated Press

  • Ontario tightens restrictions, gives police new powers amid dire COVID predictions

    TORONTO — Ontario is extending a stay-at-home order, limiting interprovincial travel and shutting outdoor recreational facilities while giving police new powers to enforce the restrictions amid an onslaught of COVID-19. The Opposition decried the measures as too weak to flatten the curve while the Canadian Civil Liberties Association called the announcement the "Black Friday of rights slashing." The new restrictions do not include mandated paid sick days, which labour groups and public health experts have said would protect vulnerable essential workers and help stop the spread of the virus in workplaces and the community at large. Under the new measures, distribution centres, warehouses and manufacturing plants will remain open while outdoor gatherings will be restricted to members of the same household — people who live alone can join another household — and all recreational facilities such as sports fields, playgrounds and golf courses will be closed. In addition, essential retailers will have to further lower capacity limits to 25 per cent, indoor religious services will be limited to 10 people, and non-essential construction will have to shut down. Premier Doug Ford said the province was on its heels and tougher measures were needed. "We're losing the battle between the variants and vaccines," Ford said. "The reality is there are few options left." To enforce the measures, police and bylaw officers will now be able to stop motorists and pedestrians to ask them where they live and why they're not at home. The new police measures drew immediate condemnation from civil liberties activists. The Canadian Civil Liberties Association said granting police the authority to stop and question anyone at random risks a "rash of racial profiling." "Random police stops during COVID are unconstitutional, presuming those outdoors or driving to be guilty," said Michael Bryant, head of the CCLA. The group also said limiting interprovincial travel will hurt lower-income individuals, prioritizing first-class flyers over drivers. The Toronto Police Service said it was reviewing the new orders. "The provincial government announced stricter measures today to stop the spread of COVID-19 which includes new, temporary powers for police officers in all services across Ontario," a service spokesperson said in an email. "Prior to any change in our enforcement strategy, we will notify the public on how we plan to implement the new provincial orders." NDP Leader Andrea Horwath said the measures appeared too weak to flatten the curve. She also expressed concern about the impact the restrictions, and the new enforcement powers, could have on "front-line essential heroes." Starting Monday, checkpoints will be set up at the border with Quebec and Manitoba to prohibit non-essential entry. People crossing for work or transporting goods, among others, will be allowed in. The new measures came just hours after Ontario's science advisers warned that the province's COVID-19 infections could soar past 15,000 cases per day by June without tougher restrictions. The dire predictions came after the government pleaded with other provinces to send in nurses and health workers as its hospital system was pushed to the brink. "Our progress is both frustrating and frightening," Dr. Adalsteinn Brown, co-chair of Ontario's science advisory panel, said in presenting the latest projections. Ontario reported 4,812 new cases — another record — on Friday, up from Thursday's record of 4,736. It also reported 25 more deaths related to the virus. The latest data from Critical Care Services Ontario showed 684 COVID-19 patients in adult intensive care units. That number had reached 701 by Friday. Hospitals were "bursting at the seams" and care was already being compromised, Brown said as his group urged Ford to order everyone to stay home for six weeks, and ramp up vaccinations as the only way to gain some control of the pandemic. Vaccines were not reaching high-risk people fast enough to stem the surge in hospital and ICU admissions, Brown said. People at lowest risk were still receiving more vaccines than those at highest risk, he said. "That is a difference that needs to be closed," Brown said, noting the province would see "a very, very big return" in prevented cases if shots were allocated to high-risk communities. According to the advisory group, 60 shots of a COVID-19 vaccine would prevent a single case under an age-based approach. By comparison, just 35 vaccines would prevent a single case if high-risk communities were targeted. Ensuring workplaces were safe, supporting workers with sick leave and limiting mobility would make a provincial shutdown more effective, Brown said. In a letter to all provinces and territories sent Friday morning, Ontario's Deputy Health Minister Helen Angus said the province was short thousands of nurses and asked whether they had any to spare. The pandemic, Angus said, had strained hospital capacity in southern Ontario, particularly intensive care. Ontario was expected to be short 4,145 nurses in the hospital sector alone over the next four months, Angus said, while asking her counterparts for 620 health professionals, including nurses and respiratory therapists. "We are projecting a need for this critical support for four months following the anticipated peak of the third wave," Angus wrote. Alberta, however, declined, saying it was strapped itself, while the premiers of Newfoundland and Labrador and Nova Scotia indicated they were unwilling to share vaccines but were open to giving medical assistance if they could. In Ottawa, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau pledged federal help as he acknowledged the dire COVID-19 situation in Ontario, particularly in Toronto. The Canadian Red Cross was on standby for deployment of mobile vaccination teams in areas with highest need in Ontario, the prime minister said, but Ford's office said the offer was appreciated but ultimately of little use given the shortage of vaccines. Ford took shots at the federal government over the vaccine supply and what he said were lax international border controls for the surge in coronavirus variants now plaguing Canada. He urged limiting air travel, tightening the U.S. border and doing more on testing and quarantining new arrivals. This report by The Canadian Press was first published on April 16, 2021. Colin Perkel and Holly McKenzie-Sutter, The Canadian Press

  • Judge Shoots Down Ghislaine Maxwell’s Last-Ditch Bid to Avoid Charges

    ReutersA Manhattan federal judge has refused to dismiss charges against Ghislaine Maxwell, who is accused of grooming underage girls for sex-trafficker Jeffrey Epstein.On Friday, Judge Alison Nathan denied the British socialite’s various motions to toss the original indictment against her. Nathan also ruled that Epstein’s 2008 non-prosecution agreement with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Miami—which shielded him and his alleged co-conspirators from federal charges—does not apply to Maxwell.“No evidence suggests anyone promised Epstein that the NPA would bar the prosecution of his co-conspirators in other districts. Absent such a promise, it does not matter who did or did not approve it,” Alison wrote in her order.Nathan did, however, grant Maxwell’s request for a separate trial for the perjury charges she faces in connection to the sex-trafficking investigation.New Underage Victim Accuses Ghislaine Maxwell of AbuseThe feds arrested Maxwell in July 2020 after a grand jury indicted her on multiple counts, including enticing a minor to travel to engage in illegal sex acts and conspiracy to transport a minor with the intent to engage in criminal sexual activity.According to the indictment, Maxwell recruited and groomed three minor girls for Epstein between 1994 and 1997 and enticed them to travel to his mansions in New York, New Mexico and Florida, as well as her London townhouse.Maxwell, 59, also faces two counts of perjury in connection to a 2016 deposition in a defamation suit filed by Virginia Roberts Giuffre, who claims Maxwell and Epstein kept her as their “sex slave” and sent her to their powerful friends to be abused.Trying the perjury and sex-trafficking related charges together “would risk an unfair trial on each set of counts,” Nathan ruled, adding that the jury could be exposed to “unrelated allegations of sexual abuse” which “might otherwise not be admissable.”“In particular, a joint trial would potentially expose the jury to a wider swath of information regarding civil litigation against Epstein that is remote from Maxwell’s charged conduct. This presents a significant risk that the jury will cumulate the evidence of the various crimes charged and find guilt when, if considered separately, it would not do so,” she added.Meanwhile, Nathan dismissed other arguments from Maxwell’s lawyers, who claimed the government delayed charging her and damaged her ability to defend herself, and that the media attention had compromised her right to a fair trial. “Maxwell contends that lengthy public interest in this case has transformed her reputation from that of Epstein’s friend to a co-conspirator. And she also alleges—without evidence—that her accusers fabricated their stories based on media allegations,” Nathan wrote. “The Court will not dismiss the indictment on Maxwell’s bare assertion that numerous witnesses are engaged in a perjurious conspiracy against her.”Last month, federal prosecutors added a fourth minor victim to their case and two new sex-trafficking charges against the heiress. Now faced with a second superseding indictment, Maxwell’s lawyers have requested her July trial be rescheduled for next year.Read more at The Daily Beast.Get our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now!Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more.