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Director demands 'record transfer' for FSG 'target' as Andy Robertson explains Liverpool issue
Media Digest: Liverpool would have to break a transfer record to land one FSG 'target'. Andy Robertson has explained what is going wrong at Anfield this season.
James MartinLiverpool Writer
Konaté into World Cup final
Ibrahima Konaté has advanced to the World Cup final with France. Perhaps more surprisingly, he has played a pivotal role in the journey.
Expected to be one of the peripheral figures, he has now made three starts for Didier Deschamps, with the latest coming in last night's semi-final against Morocco. He has been hugely impressive in all three games — something which will not surprise Liverpool fans, who are used to these consistently solid performances.
After all, he was Liverpool's best player in the Champions League final. There was no reason to think a World Cup semi would faze him. Now the big question is whether he can retain his place in the side for the sport's biggest match.
READ MORE: LeBron James and the NBA offer FSG a Liverpool sale solution as John Henry should accept reality
READ MORE: Liverpool can sign both Jude Bellingham and Enzo Fernández as firm FSG transfer stance outlined
Speaking on ITV's coverage of the World Cup, Ian Wright gushed over Konaté, going as far as to say that he would be 'very disappointed' if the Liverpool man was not now picked for the final. That would be a massive accomplishment for a player who was not even really in the national team picture a year ago.
What Liverpool have worked on in Dubai
As the World Cup continues towards its climax, Liverpool have been busy in Dubai. Darwin Núñez was the latest to join up with the squad, leaving Jürgen Klopp with the vast majority of his first-team group.
Speaking exclusively to the ECHO from the club's Dubai camp, Andy Robertson has lifted the lid on what Liverpool have been working on. Having narrowly missed out on World Cup qualification with Scotland, he has been present for the duration of this mid-season break, and has explained some of Klopp's priorities.
"We've been working a lot on pressing, counter-pressing and choosing our moments because in games we've not done that enough at times and in some games, we've sort of half-pressed.
"That is the worst thing you can do because if you go into it and you're not 100 per cent, that's when teams can pick you off. We've done that in a few games this season."
From the outside looking in, this has been a common theory on Liverpool's struggles this season. So it's interesting to have it confirmed that Klopp and Pep Lijnders are also of the belief that it is a faltering press at the heart of the problems.
But Robertson also rightly flagged impressive wins against Manchester City, Ajax and Spurs, and pointed out that the press looked notably improved in the first half of the recent friendly against Lyon. Liverpool still have top performances in their locker, and hopefully the break in Dubai will serve to bring them out on a more consistent basis.
'Record transfer' claim made
Liverpool look destined to shop in some rarefied air over the next few months. Whether that is January or summer remains to be seen, but the likes of Jude Bellingham and Enzo Fernández would not come cheap.
Unfortunately for FSG, things don't get any less expensive away from the midfield. That's been underlined by Marcel Brands, Director of Football at PSV.
Along with numerous other clubs, Liverpool have been mentioned in connection with Cody Gakpo. Voetbal International claimed last month that FSG were set to open talks with the winger's representatives.
But speaking to PSV supporter show Eeuwig Trouw, Brands has clarified that only '10-12 clubs' could even afford Gakpo. Liverpool are presumably among that cohort, but it does not exactly bode well for a bargain.
Sure enough, Brands went on to claim that the PSV transfer record would need to be broken — and that 'then you know in which direction it should go' (presumably, up). The Dutch side's record sale is currently Hirving Lozano, sold to Napoli for £39m (€45m/$48m).
All in all, it would be no surprise to see Liverpool sit this one out. With plenty of other interested parties, FSG may well pick a different fight.
Liverpool have Enzo Fernández transfer alternative hiding in plain sight with one key advantage
Lionel Messi 'tells Jürgen Klopp transfer target to join Liverpool' as FSG enter £34m 'auction'
Cody Gakpo can lead Liverpool to prolific 'wonderkid' who could kickstart genius transfer trend
Liverpool has already been scouting a wonderkid similar to Cody Gakpo, and could follow in the footsteps of Premier League recruitment masters by doing a deal.
Jürgen Klopp is walking Ibrahima Konaté tightrope again as Liverpool repeats risky transfer plan
Liverpool didn't sign a new midfielder in the transfer window. It's risky to say the least, but Ibrahima Konaté offers a hint that Jürgen Klopp has a plan.


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Learn about exchange-traded products' portfolio composition in the Learning Center.
Performance & Risk: AQWA
GLOBAL X CLEAN WATER ETF
16.25 -0.33 (-1.99035%)
View Risks of this Security
Premium / Discount to NAV as of 12/31/2021
Chart|Values
12/2021 0.29%
10/2021 -0.09%
1 Year Average 0.20%
Growth of Hypothetical $10,000 * as of 12/31/2021
12/31/2021 $11,415.15
Month-End Average Annual Total Returns And Risks As of 12/31/2021
Volatility (vs. Market Benchmark)
NAV Return
Market Return
(S&P North American Natural Resources TR)
Market Benchmark
(MSCI ACWI NR USD)
1 Year -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
10 Year -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
Life +17.72 +18.05 +16.16 +10.16 -- -- -- -- --
All Life of Fund returns are as of 04/08/2021. Market returns are based on the closing price on the listed exchange at 4 p.m. ET and do not represent the returns an investor would receive if shares were traded at other times.
Quarter-End Average Annual Total Returns As of 12/31/2021
Return Before Taxes (pre-tax)
Return After Taxes On Distribution (post tax)
Return After Taxes On Distribution
& Sale of Fund Shares (liquidation)
1 Year -- -- -- -- -- --
10 Year -- -- -- -- -- --
Life +17.72 +18.05 +17.14 +17.47% +10.48 +10.68%
Gross Expense Ratio: 0.5%
Tax-adjusted returns and tax cost ratio are estimates of the impact taxes have had on a fund. Assumes the highest tax rate in calculating and follow the SEC guidelines for calculating returns before sale of shares. Click here to learn more.
Exchange traded products (ETPs) are subject to market volatility and the risks of their underlying securities which may include the risks associated with investing in smaller companies, foreign securities, commodities and fixed income investments. Foreign securities are subject to interest-rate, currency-exchange-rate, economic, and political risks, all of which are magnified in emerging markets. ETPs that target a small universe of securities, such as a specific region or market sector are generally subject to greater market volatility as well as the specific risks associated with that sector, region or other focus. ETPs which use derivatives, leverage, or complex investment strategies are subject to additional risks. The return of an index ETP is usually different from that of the index it tracks because of fees, expenses and tracking error. An ETP may trade at a premium or discount to its Net Asset Value (NAV) (or Indicative Value in the case of ETNs). Each ETP has a unique risk profile which is detailed in its prospectus, offering circular or similar material, which should be considered carefully when making investment decisions.
Performance data shown represents past performance and is no guarantee of future results. Investment return and principal value will fluctuate, so you may have a gain or loss when shares are sold. Current performance may be higher or lower than that quoted.
Quarter-End returns include all applicable recurring and non-recurring fees (including short-term trading or redemption fees) and charges, if any.
*The chart illustrates the NAV performance of a hypothetical $10,000 investment made in the fund on 12/31/1999 or on commencement of operations (whichever is later). Figures include reinvestment of capital gains and dividends, but do not reflect the effect of any applicable sales charges or redemption fees, which would lower these figures. This chart is not intended to imply any future performance of the fund.
Average annual total returns are historical and include change in share value and reinvestment of dividends and capital gains, if any. Cumulative total returns are reported as of the period indicated. Life of fund figures are reported as of the commencement date to the period indicated. Since ETFs are bought and sold at prices set by the market - which can result in a premium or discount to NAV- the returns calculated using market price (market return) can differ from those calculated using NAV (NAV return).
655205.8.0

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


• Prince of Petworth snapped a photo of a corner space at Potomac and Pennsylvania avenues, Southeast, that's set to become Annie and Teddy's restaurant. A sign in the window mentions "delicious, inventive sandwiches with roasted meats, carefully picked produce and artisanal breads." The "Teddy" in the name is Teddy Folkman of Granville Moore's, and we hear Annie is Ann Cashion, the James Beard Award winner behind Johnny's Half Shell.
• Also from Prince of Petworth comes news that Iron Gate Restaurant will shut its doors October 31. The Dupont Circle spot was best known for its romantic outdoor patio.
• Come November, the DC-food-truck scene will expand to include one more: Sabor'a Street (twitter.com/saborastreet). The bio on the truck's Twitter account calls the concept "Latin-inspired street food." The WeLoveDC blog reports that chef Jorge Pimentel—who's worked at the late Mark & Orlando's, Masa 14, and CommonWealth—is behind the menu, which includes tacos and arepas.
• Khoa and Denise Nguyen, the pair of cousins who were on NBC's short-lived Chopping Block show, are opening a Vietnamese restaurant called Ba Bay on Capitol Hill, and Tim Carman has the scoop on who they've tapped as executive chef: Nick Sharpe, most recently of the nearby Sonoma. It's an unusual hire, given Sharpe's background at Sonoma (a wine bar), Vidalia (high-end Southern), and Maestro (fancy Italian), among other very non-Asian kitchens. At the Nguyen family home, Sharpe got a crash course in Vietnamese cooking. The cousins also hired Sara Siegel as sous chef and pastry chef. Her background? Babbo, a Mario Batali restaurant in Manhattan, as well as Vidalia, where she made desserts.
• Following a months-long legal battle with the law firm Steptoe & Johnson, Rogue States, a Dupont Circle burger shop, was ordered to close Tuesday by DC Superior Court judge John Mott. Steptoe had been complaining that its offices were infused with overwhelming grease fumes. When we talked to owner Raynold Mendizabal, he was frustrated that the building's landlord wouldn't consider venting through the roof—a probable fix—but he vowed he was going to find a way to reopen.
• In the last couple of years, New York City restaurateurs have set flocked to Washington (Carmine's, Shake Shack, Kellari Taverna), but Grub Street reports that there's one instance of a reverse commute set to open next spring. The BLT Group—which owns BLT Steak in downtown DC, itself a New York import—is bringing its Italian concept, Casa Nonna, to the Big Apple. The Washington location, in DC's Dupont Circle, just opened last month.
• One of those New York imports debuts today in downtown DC (1600 K St., NW): P.J. Clarke's, a saloon whose first location opened 126 years ago in Manhattan. The menu, which can be likened to Old Ebbitt Grill's, includes a raw bar, steaks, burgers, and appetizers such as deviled eggs with house-made pickles and tomato soup with cheddar toast.


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Home · Relationships
I'll Take Your Man
By · May 29, 2009 October 29, 2020
NBA star Dwayne Wade has been in the headlines for more than his skills on the court. His estranged wife alluded to a relationship with Gabrielle Union in her divorce proceedings. Rumors have continued to swirl of the two being a hot item, though nothing has ever been confirmed.
Standing Strong
Gabrielle Union isn't taking the man-stealing accusations lightly. After an anonymous letter from an alleged wife detailed Union's attempts pursue her husband hit blog sites, the actress took legal action to fight back against the unfounded gossip.
R&B singer Mashonda saw her marriage with super-producer Swizz Beatz unravel after ten years and having a son together. She reportedly accused Swizz of having an affair with Alicia Keys.
Getty/Corbis
Fuel to Fire
After keeping quiet on his divorce, Swizz Beatz decided to air his dirty laundry in the remix to Drake's "Best I Ever Had." Swizz's verse in the record had tongues wagging and confirmed the rumors.
"People get divorced every day. My divorce, it ain't nothing bad. It's just us moving on. Me and Shonda are super good," Swizz Beatz told MTV.
The Infidelity Debate
Men stepping out on their wives (and women stepping out on their husbands) is nothing new. We've even read references of this in the Bible. Keep clicking for insight from a top relationship expert, real women and more on the age-old issue of infidelity.
Embracing Sisterhood
Lauren Lake, relationship and life coach who penned the book, "Girl! Let Me Tell You…" (Lovelake Books), thinks that ultimately the issue of men cheating on their wives is bigger than "the other woman."
"Why is it that we always look to the other woman? I encourage women to be less critical of one another. Women need to start to recognize and make this less about the single woman versus the married woman," advises Lake, who happens to be a newlywed.
"Married and single women have to be more cognizant of what they're tolerating," she adds.
Keeping Tabs
Lake has choice advice for women who feel the need to constantly keep tabs on their significant others.
"Some women are just so insecure without just reason. If you constantly feel the need to check, you need to check yourself. You don't feel like you're worthy enough. If you have to track him down, put a radar on him, then you already know. You're just creating activities to prolong the drama. As long as you prolong the drama, you're still with him. If you were really ready to go, you would just leave," explains Lake.
A Man's Point of View
Steve Harvey's relationship book "Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man" quickly skyrocketed to the top of the New York Times best-sellers lists. He says one of the biggest questions he got from women was: 'Why do men cheat?' His response was simple: Because there is always a woman who will cheat with them.
The Other Woman
"Yes, I have dated a married man before and I am dating one right now. I am not a fool and I know he is another woman's man and that I am wrong. I do feel bad, but at times we single women get lonely, and if a man shows some form of attention we accept it until the pain actually sets in about the whole situation."
—Carla F., 34, Detroit*
*Names have been changed
The beloved film "Soul Food" uncovers a cheating husband and and a questionable cousin. Is all really fair in love and family?
The Lover and the Secretary
As showcased in the box-office hit "Obsessed," starring Beyoncé and Idris Elba, sometimes it really is important to keep your friends close and your enemies closer.
However, it's more important to always remember that a man cannot be "taken" unless he wants to be.
Low Down Dirty Shame
"I have had two women take my man. We had been together for two years, lived together, shared a car, dogs, everything, and the whole time he was stepping out with two females. One who was supposed to be a high school friend. And to top it off, both females are pregnant by him and due in November and December. One put holes in the condom."
—Dawn G., 27, Houston
Lake advises attached ladies to remain the woman your husband married. Strive to be the woman he wants to come home to rather than the woman he has to come home to.
"Women often lose themselves in marriage. Keep yourself together for yourself. Not just to keep a man. Strive for excellence on your own. Confidence is not about makeup and stilettos. We focus too much on how to keep a man. If he's gonna cheat, he's gonna cheat. Focus on you. That is what makes you more attractive. As soon as you appear needy, it's a wrap."
Art Imitates Life
Who can forget the indignant throwback Salt-N-Pepa cut "I'll Take Your Man"? Or the redemptive Shirley Murdock track "As We Lay"? Women have been using the art of music to help deal with the issue of infidelity for years.
Loving You Is Wrong
In the 1996 hit film "Waiting to Exhale" Whitney Houston's character Savannah Jackson falls for a married man (Dennis Haysbert). She holds on to the dream he will one day leave his wife and daughter, and her own mother tells her to stick by him. Finally, the reality sinks in he probably won't ever leave, and if he did, she would one day be in his wife's shoes.
Strive to be Number One
Lake's advice for women who are involved with married men:
"Girl, let me tell you, a married man is married until he's divorced. Just repeat that until your light bulb goes off. If you're not okay with being number two, three, four, then he is not the man for you."
Don't Hate Me Because I'm Beautiful
"I have been accused of being a man thief, but I have never sought after another woman's man. I have no control if your man is attracted to me. I've dated men who had affairs, and I feel if he did it to me what makes her think he is not going to do it to her. There are too many fish in the sea. If I have to take another woman's man that says very little about me."
—Ariel K., 29, Atlanta
"I am the other woman and I've watched this guy for the last 10 years. He had this mysterious roughness to him and I was attracted immediately. I did not think I was on his level so I never made a move. He and I both got married to other people. I recently divorced and I found out he and his wife were on the rocks and reached out. We went out and he could probably feel the heat coming off of me and we clicked immediately. He has sped up the divorce from his wife. He is sexy and it might work!"
—Sandra O., 30, Los Angeles
Let Him Go
"While my husband and I were separated he dated a woman much younger. We are now back together rebuilding our home and she will not let go. She calls his family members to check on him. She called my cell phone number and left a voice mail of a conversation with my husband. Women should learn how NOT to deal with a married man!"
—Jackie L., 39, Boston
Duty Calls
"I hear men say all the time that 'My wife turned into a mommy.' A marriage is an exchange. I agree to honor, support and love and you agree to do the same for me. Couples that have children need to regularly revisit that contract," explains Lake.
"Wife and mother are two separate titles for a reason. They have two different sets of duties. If you can't take on both, then don't do it," warns Lake.
Share your own story of infidelity with us.


You've stocked your baby's shelves with all kinds of toys, from baby dolls to tractors and everything in between (read: gender neutral). So why is it that your little princess always reaches for the dressed-up dollies, or your young firefighter pulls out the fire truck without fail?
Even in infancy, boys and girls are different, thanks to the hormones they are exposed to in utero. For example, right from birth, girls show more interest in people and faces than boys do, which may explain why little girls are more likely to play with dolls while boys gravitate toward trains and trucks. Girls also tend to talk earlier and be more verbal than boys, which is why they may prefer pretend play and make-believe games. Another difference: Girls typically enjoy spending one-on-one time with other kids, while boys like to be part of a bigger group.
Boys, on the other hand, are born with more muscle mass, which might be why they're typically more physically active than girls. They are also better at — and so tend to enjoy — tasks that take advantage of their mechanical and spatial skills, such as playing with blocks or operating the switches on an activity board.
This isn't to say that your little one is locked from birth into gender stereotypes. Filling your baby's toy box with non-gender-specific (and opposite-gender) playthings is a good idea. You can encourage physical activity in your girl by setting a good example (exercising yourself) and cheering her on when she tries something new. You can help your boy learn to nurture by offering him babies or stuffed animals to cuddle and care for and by pointing out the caring men in his life — like Daddy.
What to Expect the First Year, 3rd edition, Heidi Murkoff and Sharon Mazel.??
American Academy of Pediatrics, Gender Identity Development in Children, September 2018.
American Academy of Pediatrics, Physical Development: What's Normal? What's Not?, May 2015.
Physical and Occupational Therapy in Pediatrics, Gender Differences in the Attainment of Motor Skills on the Movement Assessment Battery for Children, 2006.
Current Opinion in Behavioral Science, How Early Hormones Shape Gender Development, February 2016.


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Alma Llanera
Jovan Stosic December 31, 2017
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alma_Llanera
Alma Llanera was last modified: December 31st, 2017 by Jovan Stosic
Carlos Sanchez-Gutierrez
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlos_Sanchez-Gutierrez
Carlos Sanchez-Gutierrez was last modified: December 31st, 2017 by Jovan Stosic
■ noun informal nonsense.
C15 (meaning 'kitchen swill for pigs'): from hog + wash.
Concise Oxford Thesaurus
▶ noun (informal). See nonsense sense 1.
Merriam-Webster Collegiate® Dictionary
hog·wash
Pronunciation: -ˌwȯsh, -ˌwäsh
Function: noun
Date: 15th century
1 : SWILL 2A, SLOP
2 : NONSENSE, BALDERDASH
hogwash was last modified: December 31st, 2017 by Jovan Stosic
Yeruham Scharovsky
http://www.yeruhamscharovsky.com/biography.html
Yeruham Scharovsky was last modified: December 30th, 2017 by Jovan Stosic
Circle of fifths
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Circle_of_fifths
Circle of fifths was last modified: December 31st, 2017 by Jovan Stosic
The cor anglais (UK: /ˌkɔːr ˈɒŋɡleɪ/, US: /ˌkɔːr ɑːŋˈɡleɪ/[1][2] or original French: [kɔʁ ɑ̃ɡlɛ];[3] plural: cors anglais) or English horn in North America, is a double-reed woodwind instrument in the oboe family. It is approximately one and a half times the length of an oboe.
Cor anglais or English horn
Woodwind instrument
Aerophone
Hornbostel–Sachs classification
422.112-71
(Double reed aerophone withkeys)
about 1720 from the oboe da caccia
Playing range
Written pitch, notated in F, sounds a perfect fifth lower
Sounding pitch
Piccolo oboe
Oboe d'amore
Oboe da caccia
Heckelphone
Contrabass oboe
The cor anglais is a transposing instrument pitched in F, a perfect fifth lower than theoboe (a C instrument). This means that music for the cor anglais is written a perfect fifth higher than the instrument actually sounds. The fingering and playing technique used for the cor anglais are essentially the same as those of the oboe and oboists typically double on the cor anglais when required. The cor anglais normally lacks the lowest B♭ key found on most oboes and so its sounding range stretches from E3 (written B♮) belowmiddle C to C6 two octaves above middle C.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cor_anglais
Cor anglais was last modified: December 31st, 2017 by Jovan Stosic
Watch "HUAPANGO DE MONCAYO CON DIRECCIÓN DE ALONDRA DE LA PARRA" on YouTube
Watch "HUAPANGO DE MONCAYO CON DIRECCIÓN DE ALONDRA DE LA PARRA" on YouTube was last modified: December 30th, 2017 by Jovan Stosic
Arturo Márquez
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arturo_M%C3%A1rquez
Arturo Márquez was last modified: December 31st, 2017 by Jovan Stosic
Watch "Danzón No. 2 – Alondra de la Parra dirigiendo la POA, de Arturo Márquez HD (True sync)" on YouTube
Watch "Danzón No. 2 – Alondra de la Parra dirigiendo la POA, de Arturo Márquez HD (True sync)" on YouTube was last modified: December 30th, 2017 by Jovan Stosic
José Pablo Moncayo – Wikipedia
José Pablo Moncayo García (June 29, 1912 – June 16, 1958) was a Mexican pianist, percussionist, music teacher, composer andconductor. "As composer, José Pablo Moncayo represents one of the most important legacies of the Mexican nationalism in art music, after Silvestre Revueltas and Carlos Chávez." He produced some of the masterworks that best symbolize the essence of the national aspirations and contradictions of Mexico in the 20th century.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jos%C3%A9_Pablo_Moncayo
José Pablo Moncayo – Wikipedia was last modified: December 30th, 2017 by Jovan Stosic
Gold (2016) – IMDb
Movies seen
Gold (2016) – IMDb was last modified: December 29th, 2017 by Jovan Stosic
Alfredo Kraus
Alfredo Kraus Trujillo (Spanish pronunciation: [alˈfɾeðo kɾaus tɾuˈxiʎo]; 24 November 1927 – 10 September 1999) was a distinguished Spanish tenor from the Canary islands(known professionally as Alfredo Kraus), particularly known for the artistry he brought toopera's bel canto roles. He was also considered an outstanding interpreter of the title role in Massenet's opera Werther, and especially of its famous aria, "Pourquoi me réveiller?"
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfredo_Kraus
Alfredo Kraus was last modified: December 31st, 2017 by Jovan Stosic


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Record field goal attempt falls 1 yard short as Panthers fall to Saints
Jay Busbee
October 25, 2020, 4:00 p.m. ·2 min read
One yard short. That's the difference between an all-time NFL record and a painful division loss.
New Orleans knocked off Carolina 27-24, but not before a bit of kicking drama. Joey Slye, a second-year kicker for Carolina out of Virginia Tech, set up from 65 yards out for a kick that would have tied the Panthers' game against the Saints at 27 apiece.
In the Superdome, in the middle of the field, everything was perfectly primed for Slye to set an NFL record. The longest field goal in NFL history belongs to Matt Prater, who drilled a 64-yarder in Denver while a member of the Broncos in 2013. Tom Dempsey, the legendary Saint, hit a 63-yarder while playing in Tulane Stadium in 1970; that record stood unmatched for 28 years.
Panthers kicker Joey Slye (4) missed what would have been an NFL-record 65-yard field goal to tie the game, which the Saints ultimately won. (AP Photo/Brett Duke)
With three of its four teams bunched up at the top, every NFC South battle is a potential season-changer, and the game between Carolina and New Orleans was no exception. The contest seesawed back and forth, with New Orleans unable to shake off the Panthers. The game was tied midway through the fourth quarter, when New Orleans' Will Lutz hit a go-ahead field goal with 7:55 remaining.
The Panthers, led by former Saint Teddy Bridgewater, then crawled downfield for most of the next six minutes of game clock, but a crucial sack just before the two-minute warning left Carolina with fourth down and 19 to go at the New Orleans 47. With no option to punt, Carolina opted for the kick ... and didn't quite make it.
New Orleans now matches Tampa Bay's division-leading 4-2 record, pending the outcome of the Bucs' late game against Las Vegas. Carolina, meanwhile, falls to 3-4, still impressive considering how low their preseason expectations were.
Jay Busbee is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Follow him on Twitter at @jaybusbee or contact him with tips and story ideas at jay.busbee@yahoo.com.
Keyser: Rays' Phillips plays hero in Game 4's fortune-flipping chaos
Brown: Dodgers didn't see latest World Series disaster until too late
Thamel takeaways: Franklin botches it as No. 8 Penn State gets upset
Titans reportedly fined $350K for coronavirus protocol violations
Ontario calls second state of emergency to fight COVID
A look at COVID-19 vaccinations in Canada on Tuesday, Jan. 19, 2021
The latest numbers on COVID-19 vaccinations in Canada as of 4 a.m. ET on Tuesday, Jan. 19, 2021. In Canada, the provinces are reporting 42,543 new vaccinations administered for a total of 613,285 doses given. The provinces have administered doses at a rate of 1,618.197 per 100,000. There were 31,065 new vaccines delivered to the provinces and territories for a total of 848,565 doses delivered so far. The provinces and territories have used 72.27 per cent of their available vaccine supply. Please note that Newfoundland, P.E.I., Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and the territories typically do not report on a daily basis. Newfoundland is reporting 1,531 new vaccinations administered over the past seven days for a total of 5,291 doses given. The province has administered doses at a rate of 10.104 per 1,000. There were zero new vaccines delivered to Newfoundland for a total of 11,175 doses delivered so far. The province has received enough of the vaccine to give 2.1 per cent of its population a single dose. The province has used 47.35 per cent of its available vaccine supply. P.E.I. is reporting 1,502 new vaccinations administered over the past seven days for a total of 5,102 doses given. The province has administered doses at a rate of 32.163 per 1,000. There were zero new vaccines delivered to P.E.I. for a total of 8,250 doses delivered so far. The province has received enough of the vaccine to give 5.2 per cent of its population a single dose. The province has used 61.84 per cent of its available vaccine supply. Nova Scotia is reporting 3,769 new vaccinations administered over the past seven days for a total of 7,600 doses given. The province has administered doses at a rate of 7.788 per 1,000. There were zero new vaccines delivered to Nova Scotia for a total of 23,000 doses delivered so far. The province has received enough of the vaccine to give 2.4 per cent of its population a single dose. The province has used 33.04 per cent of its available vaccine supply. New Brunswick is reporting 2,704 new vaccinations administered over the past seven days for a total of 10,436 doses given. The province has administered doses at a rate of 13.379 per 1,000. There were zero new vaccines delivered to New Brunswick for a total of 17,775 doses delivered so far. The province has received enough of the vaccine to give 2.3 per cent of its population a single dose. The province has used 58.71 per cent of its available vaccine supply. Quebec is reporting 6,845 new vaccinations administered for a total of 153,539 doses given. The province has administered doses at a rate of 17.944 per 1,000. There were zero new vaccines delivered to Quebec for a total of 196,175 doses delivered so far. The province has received enough of the vaccine to give 2.3 per cent of its population a single dose. The province has used 78.27 per cent of its available vaccine supply. Ontario is reporting 9,691 new vaccinations administered for a total of 209,788 doses given. The province has administered doses at a rate of 14.282 per 1,000. There were zero new vaccines delivered to Ontario for a total of 277,050 doses delivered so far. The province has received enough of the vaccine to give 1.9 per cent of its population a single dose. The province has used 75.72 per cent of its available vaccine supply. Manitoba is reporting 4,212 new vaccinations administered for a total of 17,751 doses given. The province has administered doses at a rate of 12.891 per 1,000. There were 12,665 new vaccines delivered to Manitoba for a total of 46,290 doses delivered so far. The province has received enough of the vaccine to give 3.4 per cent of its population a single dose. The province has used 38.35 per cent of its available vaccine supply. Saskatchewan is reporting 2,459 new vaccinations administered for a total of 22,618 doses given. The province has administered doses at a rate of 19.182 per 1,000. There were zero new vaccines delivered to Saskatchewan for a total of 29,300 doses delivered so far. The province has received enough of the vaccine to give 2.5 per cent of its population a single dose. The province has used 77.19 per cent of its available vaccine supply. Alberta is reporting 3,879 new vaccinations administered for a total of 89,814 doses given. The province has administered doses at a rate of 20.403 per 1,000. There were zero new vaccines delivered to Alberta for a total of 101,275 doses delivered so far. The province has received enough of the vaccine to give 2.3 per cent of its population a single dose. The province has used 88.68 per cent of its available vaccine supply. British Columbia is reporting 11,432 new vaccinations administered for a total of 87,346 doses given. The province has administered doses at a rate of 17.021 per 1,000. There were 18,400 new vaccines delivered to British Columbia for a total of 117,875 doses delivered so far. The province has received enough of the vaccine to give 2.3 per cent of its population a single dose. The province has used 74.1 per cent of its available vaccine supply. Yukon is reporting 163 new vaccinations administered for a total of 1,347 doses given. The territory has administered doses at a rate of 32.278 per 1,000. There were zero new vaccines delivered to Yukon for a total of 7,200 doses delivered so far. The territory has received enough of the vaccine to give 17 per cent of its population a single dose. The territory has used 18.71 per cent of its available vaccine supply. The Northwest Territories are reporting zero new vaccinations administered for a total of 512 doses given. The territory has administered doses at a rate of 11.348 per 1,000. There were zero new vaccines delivered to the Northwest Territories for a total of 7,200 doses delivered so far. The territory has received enough of the vaccine to give 16 per cent of its population a single dose. The territory has used 7.111 per cent of its available vaccine supply. Nunavut is reporting 1,158 new vaccinations administered for a total of 2,141 doses given. The territory has administered doses at a rate of 55.286 per 1,000. There were zero new vaccines delivered to Nunavut for a total of 6,000 doses delivered so far. The territory has received enough of the vaccine to give 15 per cent of its population a single dose. The territory has used 35.68 per cent of its available vaccine supply. *Notes on data: The figures are compiled by the COVID-19 Open Data Working Group based on the latest publicly available data and are subject to change. Note that some provinces report weekly, while others report same-day or figures from the previous day. Vaccine doses administered is not equivalent to the number of people inoculated as the approved vaccines require two doses per person. The vaccines are currently not being administered to children under 18 and those with certain health conditions. This report was automatically generated by The Canadian Press Digital Data Desk and was first published Jan. 19, 2021. The Canadian Press
The latest numbers on COVID-19 in Canada for Tuesday, Jan. 19, 2021
The latest numbers of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Canada as of 4 a.m. ET on Tuesday, Jan. 19, 2021. There are 715,072 confirmed cases in Canada. _ Canada: 715,072 confirmed cases (73,919 active, 623,033 resolved, 18,120 deaths).*The total case count includes 13 confirmed cases among repatriated travellers. There were 5,225 new cases Monday from 55,172 completed tests, for a positivity rate of 9.5 per cent. The rate of active cases is 196.65 per 100,000 people. Over the past seven days, there have been a total of 46,889 new cases. The seven-day rolling average of new cases is 6,698. There were 80 new reported deaths Monday. Over the past seven days there have been a total of 990 new reported deaths. The seven-day rolling average of new reported deaths is 141. The seven-day rolling average of the death rate is 0.38 per 100,000 people. The overall death rate is 48.21 per 100,000 people. There have been 16,612,155 tests completed. _ Newfoundland and Labrador: 396 confirmed cases (nine active, 383 resolved, four deaths). There were zero new cases Monday from 122 completed tests, for a positivity rate of 0.0 per cent. The rate of active cases is 1.73 per 100,000 people. Over the past seven days, there have been a total of three new cases. The seven-day rolling average of new cases is zero. There have been no deaths reported over the past week. The overall death rate is 0.77 per 100,000 people. There have been 76,491 tests completed. _ Prince Edward Island: 108 confirmed cases (10 active, 98 resolved, zero deaths). There were four new cases Monday from 251 completed tests, for a positivity rate of 1.6 per cent. The rate of active cases is 6.37 per 100,000 people. Over the past seven days, there have been a total of six new cases. The seven-day rolling average of new cases is one. There have been no deaths reported over the past week. The overall death rate is zero per 100,000 people. There have been 86,471 tests completed. _ Nova Scotia: 1,557 confirmed cases (25 active, 1,467 resolved, 65 deaths). There were zero new cases Monday from 909 completed tests, for a positivity rate of 0.0 per cent. The rate of active cases is 2.57 per 100,000 people. Over the past seven days, there have been a total of 24 new cases. The seven-day rolling average of new cases is three. There have been no deaths reported over the past week. The overall death rate is 6.69 per 100,000 people. There have been 196,719 tests completed. _ New Brunswick: 973 confirmed cases (305 active, 656 resolved, 12 deaths). There were 26 new cases Monday from 719 completed tests, for a positivity rate of 3.6 per cent. The rate of active cases is 39.26 per 100,000 people. Over the past seven days, there have been a total of 173 new cases. The seven-day rolling average of new cases is 25. There were zero new reported deaths Monday. Over the past seven days there have been a total of three new reported deaths. The seven-day rolling average of new reported deaths is zero. The seven-day rolling average of the death rate is 0.06 per 100,000 people. The overall death rate is 1.54 per 100,000 people. There have been 128,996 tests completed. _ Quebec: 244,348 confirmed cases (19,936 active, 215,325 resolved, 9,087 deaths). There were 1,434 new cases Monday from 7,600 completed tests, for a positivity rate of 19 per cent. The rate of active cases is 234.96 per 100,000 people. Over the past seven days, there have been a total of 13,658 new cases. The seven-day rolling average of new cases is 1,951. There were 32 new reported deaths Monday. Over the past seven days there have been a total of 352 new reported deaths. The seven-day rolling average of new reported deaths is 50. The seven-day rolling average of the death rate is 0.59 per 100,000 people. The overall death rate is 107.1 per 100,000 people. There have been 2,664,134 tests completed. _ Ontario: 240,364 confirmed cases (28,621 active, 206,310 resolved, 5,433 deaths). There were 2,578 new cases Monday from 38,983 completed tests, for a positivity rate of 6.6 per cent. The rate of active cases is 196.48 per 100,000 people. Over the past seven days, there have been a total of 21,244 new cases. The seven-day rolling average of new cases is 3,035. There were 24 new reported deaths Monday. Over the past seven days there have been a total of 375 new reported deaths. The seven-day rolling average of new reported deaths is 54. The seven-day rolling average of the death rate is 0.37 per 100,000 people. The overall death rate is 37.3 per 100,000 people. There have been 8,672,567 tests completed. _ Manitoba: 27,629 confirmed cases (3,108 active, 23,748 resolved, 773 deaths). There were 118 new cases Monday from 5,188 completed tests, for a positivity rate of 2.3 per cent. The rate of active cases is 226.95 per 100,000 people. Over the past seven days, there have been a total of 1,181 new cases. The seven-day rolling average of new cases is 169. There were four new reported deaths Monday. Over the past seven days there have been a total of 32 new reported deaths. The seven-day rolling average of new reported deaths is five. The seven-day rolling average of the death rate is 0.33 per 100,000 people. The overall death rate is 56.45 per 100,000 people. There have been 441,424 tests completed. _ Saskatchewan: 20,562 confirmed cases (4,265 active, 16,078 resolved, 219 deaths). There were 290 new cases Monday from 1,165 completed tests, for a positivity rate of 25 per cent. The rate of active cases is 363.14 per 100,000 people. Over the past seven days, there have been a total of 2,036 new cases. The seven-day rolling average of new cases is 291. There were four new reported deaths Monday. Over the past seven days there have been a total of 20 new reported deaths. The seven-day rolling average of new reported deaths is three. The seven-day rolling average of the death rate is 0.24 per 100,000 people. The overall death rate is 18.65 per 100,000 people. There have been 322,431 tests completed. _ Alberta: 117,311 confirmed cases (11,923 active, 103,941 resolved, 1,447 deaths). There were 474 new cases Monday. The rate of active cases is 272.76 per 100,000 people. Over the past seven days, there have been a total of 5,220 new cases. The seven-day rolling average of new cases is 746. There were 11 new reported deaths Monday. Over the past seven days there have been a total of 140 new reported deaths. The seven-day rolling average of new reported deaths is 20. The seven-day rolling average of the death rate is 0.46 per 100,000 people. The overall death rate is 33.1 per 100,000 people. There have been 2,979,663 tests completed. _ British Columbia: 61,447 confirmed cases (5,713 active, 54,656 resolved, 1,078 deaths). There were 301 new cases Monday. The rate of active cases is 112.65 per 100,000 people. Over the past seven days, there have been a total of 3,340 new cases. The seven-day rolling average of new cases is 477. There were five new reported deaths Monday. Over the past seven days there have been a total of 68 new reported deaths. The seven-day rolling average of new reported deaths is 10. The seven-day rolling average of the death rate is 0.19 per 100,000 people. The overall death rate is 21.26 per 100,000 people. There have been 1,021,911 tests completed. _ Yukon: 70 confirmed cases (zero active, 69 resolved, one deaths). There were zero new cases Monday from 19 completed tests, for a positivity rate of 0.0 per cent. Over the past seven days, there have been a total of zero new cases. The seven-day rolling average of new cases is zero. There have been no deaths reported over the past week. The overall death rate is 2.45 per 100,000 people. There have been 6,175 tests completed. _ Northwest Territories: 28 confirmed cases (four active, 24 resolved, zero deaths). There were zero new cases Monday. The rate of active cases is 8.92 per 100,000 people. Over the past seven days, there have been a total of four new cases. The seven-day rolling average of new cases is one. There have been no deaths reported over the past week. The overall death rate is zero per 100,000 people. There have been 8,323 tests completed. _ Nunavut: 266 confirmed cases (zero active, 265 resolved, one deaths). There were zero new cases Monday from 216 completed tests, for a positivity rate of 0.0 per cent. Over the past seven days, there have been a total of zero new cases. The seven-day rolling average of new cases is zero. There have been no deaths reported over the past week. The overall death rate is 2.58 per 100,000 people. There have been 6,774 tests completed. This report was automatically generated by The Canadian Press Digital Data Desk and was first published Jan. 19, 2021. The Canadian Press
NHL honours Willie O'Ree while struggling to tackle its diversity issues
Sixty-three years after Willie O'Ree became the first black player in an NHL game, the league paid tribute to him on Martin Luther King Jr. Day even though many say the league is still struggling with diversity issues.
Annamie Paul charts new course for Green party — through crowded waters
OTTAWA — Annamie Paul has spent most of the past 10 months holed up in her apartment, just like you. But the Green leader's stationary status belies the quick pivot her team is making as they seek to shed the straitjacket of a single-issue party and reposition it at the vanguard of social justice. Paul, who beat out seven contenders in October to lead the Green Party of Canada, is carving a middle path among members who come in all shades of green. Their environmentalism ranges from market-based mechanisms for cutting pollution to eco-socialism that rejects capitalism as inherently destructive to the environment. But on the broader political spectrum, Paul's calls for a guaranteed livable income, universal pharmacare and child care, and free post-secondary education aim to attract voters who sit squarely to the left of Greens of decades past. Until recently, fiscal conservatism marked a "point of pride" for the party, she said, a way to "neutralize that argument that these green needs are all well and fine but they're not really fiscally responsible." No longer. "There is no plan for a balanced budget from us," Paul said in an interview, citing a "global consensus" among G20 countries that massive spending is needed to prop up sagging economies. While that view fits neatly into Liberal justifications for ballooning deficit forecasts, her criticism of how elected officials have handled long-term care is not so compatible. Perhaps more than any other leader, Paul has zeroed in on the crisis in seniors' homes, where in Ontario the COVID-19 death toll in the second wave threatens to surpass that of the first. She has hosted a half-dozen virtual town halls and roundtables over the past few weeks, speaking with epidemiologists, scientists and researchers to root out the best response to the lethal contagion. Paul, whose father died during the first wave at the care home harbouring Ontario's worst coronavirus infection rate, is demanding Prime Minister Justin Trudeau create a "rapid-response task force" to curb COVID-19 by improving co-ordination between levels of government. She also wants to see Ottawa, in partnership with provinces and territories, move to eradicate private care homes, on top of hiring more and better-paid staff and rethinking shared rooms. "For-profit long-term care absolutely needs to go," she said. Private homes in Ontario were more likely to see extensive COVID-19 outbreaks and a higher number of deaths, indicated a study published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal in August. But 108 days after taking the reins, Paul still struggles to be heard above the din of daily politics. The Greens' rollcall of three MPs, including former party leader Elizabeth May but not Paul herself, means the party does not have official status in Parliament, leaving them little time on the floor. Their polling numbers have barely budged beyond six or seven per cent since the last federal election in October 2019, said Abacus Data CEO David Coletto. Though nearly one in three Canadians say they would consider voting Green, a major hurdle remains the fierce competition for left-leaning voters. "You've got, obviously, the New Democrats who are trying to occupy that kind of space that includes both an environmental agenda and one that's built around social justice and achieving equality," Coletto said in an interview. "The Liberal party, while not as aggressive on some of that rhetoric ... is also in that space." A smaller slice of potential Green voters tilt toward the Bloc Québécois or the Conservatives, he said. "How do you differentiate the Greens, make them a credible alternative for people who might otherwise vote NDP or Liberal or Bloc in Quebec and, on top of that, make a vote for them not feel like a waste in our first-past-the-post system?" While the Greens earned nearly as many votes as the Bloc in 2019 — 6.55 per cent of ballots cast versus 7.53 per cent respectively — the separatist party's concentrated support earned it 32 seats compared to just three for the Greens, whose backing is more diffuse. "I think it often comes down to being a protest vote," Coletto said. "But there still doesn't appear to be in the broader public-opinion landscape a genuine desire to do politics differently, or to feel that the three or four main parties are fundamentally broken. ... And in the midst of a pandemic, it's going to be even harder to convince people to vote for an untested, new kind of party." Paul, a non-practising lawyer who is bilingual and has spent much of her career at intergovernmental institutions such as the International Criminal Court, hopes to gain visibility by participating in the leaders' debates leading up to a potential federal election this year. Critical to that longer-term end — screen time — is first finding a riding where Paul can marshal ballots from students, young people and progressive voters to vault her onto the parliamentary stage. She lost a byelection to replace former finance minister Bill Morneau in the Liberal stronghold of Toronto Centre in October. Now the Princeton-educated activist is eyeing ridings including Toronto—Danforth, Davenport and Guelph, where Ontario Green Leader Mike Schreiner has the party's sole provincial seat. "Strategically, winning in Toronto would send a message that the Greens can compete and win in a different type of riding, one that is more urban and diverse than any they've historically done well in," said Amara Possian, a professor in the government-relations graduate program at Seneca College in Toronto. Paul's team is hoping for breakthroughs that build on last year's successes in the Maritimes and that draw on a more diverse slate of candidates. "Canada's only becoming more diverse. And that still isn't sufficiently reflected in our in our political culture," said Paul, the 48-year-old daughter of immigrants and the first Black Canadian and first Jewish woman to serve as permanent head of a federal party. "Those kinds of things are threats to democracy because it causes people to disengage from the system when they don't see themselves reflected in the institutions." Whether Paul herself can go from her apartment to the House of Commons — and take a few more Green MPs with her — will play out after the writ drops, likely in 2021. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 19, 2021. Christopher Reynolds, The Canadian Press
Sustainable investing experts say TC Energy Corp.'s plan to decarbonize the Keystone XL pipeline is unlikely to save its fortunes, as a growing movement to divest from fossil fuels gains political clout. U.S. President-elect Joe Biden intends to sign an executive order on inauguration day to rescind the presidential permit for the Keystone XL pipeline issued by his predecessor Donald Trump, according to transition documents. The company in turn announced that its plan for the Keystone XL project would achieve net zero emissions when it is placed into service. Biden's move to rescind the permit for the project, which has faced controversy over its effects on landowners, Indigenous groups and the environment, may not be a surprise for investors who followed the project during Barack Obama's administration, said Olaf Weber, research chair in sustainable finance at the University of Waterloo. But, Weber said Biden has sent a strong signal — that more projects could be cancelled — to the group of investors that were already questioning the future of Canada's oilsands. Weber said coal and oilsands are considered particularly risky under increasingly popular standards of environmental, social, and corporate governance investing. "Generally ESG considerations do not automatically exclude certain industries," said Weber. "But there is definitely a high risk for the oilsands, in particular, that they will have less investment in the future." Weber said it could be possible for Canadian companies like TC Energy to fit into the ESG framework for some institutional investors. Royal Dutch Shell, for example, has told investors it won't add greenhouse gases to the atmosphere starting in 2050. But Weber said that globally, financial investment is moving away from fossil fuels, particularly those that are most carbon intensive, in countries that have signed onto the Paris Agreement. He pointed to Kommunal Landspensjonskasse or KLP, Norway's largest pension fund, which in 2019 cut four Canadian energy names from its investment list, aiming to divest from companies that derive more than five per cent of their revenue from the oilsands. Other international financial firms, like BlackRock, have made broader calls on corporations to consider climate-change risks. While the energy sector represented 23 per cent of foreign direct investment in Canada as of 2018, that was down one per cent from the prior year, according to Natural Resources Canada. "From an international perspective, we have already seen investors go out of the oilsands, " Weber said. "Canadian investors, they hesitate doing that, because it's a very strong industry in the country." In the past few years though, some sentiment has shifted. In June, 15 Canadian universities said they would regularly begin measuring the "carbon intensity" of their portfolios and would reduce it over time. In November, eight Canadian institutional investors, including the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board, Caisse de Depot et Placement du Quebec and Alberta Investment Management Corp., called on corporations to standardize their ESG disclosures. Former Bank of Canada and Bank of England governor Mark Carney now works on ESG issues for Brookfield Asset Management. Leanne Keddie, an assistant professor at Carleton University who studies sustainability accounting, said that these types of institutional investors have plenty of sway on companies' actions. Whether TC Energy's plan will impress ESG-focused banks and investors is the "magic question," she said. "I would think it would be difficult for them — not impossible, but difficult — to try to convince investors that this is a good financial risk," Keddie said. "You're seeing banks, finance institutions shifting away from these types of investments, too. So. I would say if Biden does cancel it ... it's just another endorsement for shifting away from these types of energy sources." While TC Energy's carbon-neutral pledge for Keystone might reassure investors, it also might be coming too late, said Ryan Riordan, director of research at the Institute for Sustainable Finance at Queen's Smith School of Business. Riordan noted that the average investor has already become much more interested in ESG. "There are investors that were perhaps, up until now, on the fence, who now throw their hands up and say... 'It's not going back to the old, Exxon, Shell, BP world. It's a new world, and so I'm going to get out of these types of investments,'" said Riordan. "But there are probably very few non-ESG-sensitive investors left." Riordan added that even those who aren't interested in the ESG framework may be skeptical of TC Energy's path forward. "Decarbonizing projects isn't free ... so while the reputational or environmental risk around carbon might be dealt with, it's really just making a project more expensive," said Riordan. "Investors generally don't like risk, and this is just adding another layer of risk to to a project." This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 19, 2021. Companies in this story: (TSX:TRP) — With a file from Brett Bundale, Dan Healing and James McCarten Anita Balakrishnan, The Canadian Press
How all-Canadian division coaches, players plan to guard against predictability this season
A degree of contempt is expected to grow between the seven teams in the NHL's all-Canadian North Division, but the number of times the clubs play each will also breed some familiarity. The shortened NHL season has each team playing a 56-game schedule within its division. Some of the Canadian clubs will see each other nine or 10 times. During a 14-day stretch within the first month, the Vancouver Canucks will face the Montreal Canadiens five times, with a three-game series against Ottawa squeezed into the same period. The Winnipeg Jets will face the Calgary Flames four times in the first nine days of February. WATCH | CBC Sports' Rob Pizzo ranks the all-Canadian division: Most players and coaches agree the games will have a playoff feel about them, but teams will also have to guard against becoming predictable. "For all the teams you are going to have to come up with different sort of strategies and ways to mix things up, especially when you are seeing a team three times in a row," said Flames captain Mark Giordano. "Little things like the way you kill penalties or the way you are on the power play, the way your faceoffs are drawn up. Teams are going to be able to scout that. "You are going to have to change things up and have a lot of different plays in your book. It's going to be exciting." Winnipeg Jets coach Paul Maurice said having a Canadian division is "going to be fantastic. The message boards are going to be awesome, funny as hell." It also means coaches will be tested on their ability to make subtle changes without completely deviating from their schemes. "You have to be real careful about how many times you are going to change your grip on your golf club because you are going to get a different trajectory every time," Maurice said. "You have to play well, play hard, but I do agree you are going to have to be fairly creative in how you approach the game." Vancouver Canucks coach Travis Green said teams are constantly adjusting for opponents. "There are wrinkles that you throw into your team for a game, but there are certain things, certain staples that every team has that [indicates] how they play," he said. "You don't want to go change your whole system from game to game. "I think it's perfecting a system that works for your team. There are different things [you can do], faceoff plays, on special teams, certain things you can change." 'Different for everybody' Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid said players will have to adapt. "You're going to have to learn on the fly," he said. "It's going to be different for everybody." Vancouver forward Brock Boeser said the schedule reminds him of his college days playing for the University of North Dakota. "You have to learn from game to game," Boeser said. "You watch film, you have to adjust to what you didn't do right in the game before and make sure you don't make those mistakes again." WATCH | NHL season begins amid rising COVID-19 cases: Toronto Maple Leafs coach Sheldon Keefe said reducing the number of opponents will make coaches focus. "It allows you to just zero in on a very small number of opponents, you get to know them very well," he said. "It frees up so much more time just to focus on our own team." Edmonton's Dave Tippett said the compressed schedule will keep coaches concentrating. "Sometimes you get into the regular season, games flow into each other," he said. "Every game [now] is going to be so important. The competition is going to be stiff. "I think it's going to be a playoff mindset coaches are really going to dig into. It's going to push coaches to be better. WATCH | CBC Sports' Rob Pizzo breaks down 9 NHL talking points: Vancouver forward Antoine Roussel, one of the Canucks who plays the game with an edge, said scores will be quickly settled. "It's going to be more edgy every night," he said. "You see the same guys all the time. "If something happens in game one . . . in game two you may have to answer the bell. The emotion and the fire in the games are going to step up, maybe linger longer." Playing more games against teams from the East will also give more exposure to young Canuck stars like Elias Pettersson and Quin Hughes. "I don't think our guys sometimes get the attention they deserve," Roussel said. "They could be in better position to market themselves as the best players in the league." Vancouver forward Tanner Pearson said the shortened season means teams must always keep an eye on the standings. "It's going to be different for a points race," he said. "You always talk about a four-point game when you play a division team. Now it's more crucial than ever." WATCH | NHL world honours Willie O'Ree on MLK Day:
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Capitol complex temporarily locked down during a rehearsal for President-elect Joe Biden's inauguration after a fire in a homeless encampment roughly a mile away sent a plume of smoke into the air and caused security concerns in an already jittery city. The false alarm briefly interrupted Monday's rehearsal for Wednesday's inauguration ceremony, a quadrennial exercise in which stand-ins take the roles of Biden and other VIPs and the U.S. Marine Band goes through its paces, including practicing "The Star-Spangled Banner" for Wednesday's performance by Lady Gaga. Rehearsal resumed not long afterward, accompanied by frequent passes by a helicopter patrolling the skies over the Capitol. Law enforcement officials said there was no threat to the public and the fire was not believed to be a threat to the inauguration. Local firefighters put out the blaze quickly. The evacuation of some participants and the lockdown were ordered by the acting chief of Capitol Police in an abundance of caution, officials said. But the fast decision to lock down underscores the fear that has gripped Washington since the deadly Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol by pro-Trump rioters and prompted extraordinary measures ahead of the inauguration. Armed protests planned for this past weekend around the country were mostly a bust, but anxiety is still skyrocketing. U.S. Secret Service tightened security in and around the Capitol a week early in preparation, and the city centre is essentially on lockdown with streets blocked, high fencing installed and tens of thousands of National Guard and other law enforcement officers stationed around the area. But U.S. defence officials, worried about a potential insider attack or other threat from service members involved in securing the event, pushed the FBI to vet all of the 25,000 National Guard troops coming into the area. Acting Defence Secretary Christopher Miller said in a statement Monday that vetting of National Guard troops continues and that the Pentagon has found no intelligence so far that would indicate an insider threat. Still, the Secret Service issued a bulletin over the weekend about what it sees as an "uptick" in National Guard troops posting pictures and details of their operations online. The Associated Press obtained the "all concerned" message sent to all the National Guard troops coming to Washington. Without getting into specific postings, the bulletin said, "No service members should be posting locations, pictures or descriptions online regarding current operations or the sensitive sites they are protecting" and urged them to stop immediately. Asked about the bulletin, a spokesperson for the Secret Service issued a statement saying it "does not comment on matters of protective intelligence." President Donald Trump has refused to attend the inauguration, the first time a sitting president has not attended since Andrew Johnson, though Vice-President Mike Pence will be there as well as other former presidents. Capitol police spokeswoman Eva Malecki said there were currently no fires on or within the campus. "Members and staff were advised to shelter in place while the incident is being investigated," she said in a statement. Firefighters were called to the homeless encampment shortly before 10:15 a.m., where a woman who lived there had a portable heater with a flammable gas tank, fire department spokesman Vito Maggiolo said. The woman, who was injured but declined medical treatment, told firefighters that the flames spread quickly and her possessions were burned. The fire was extinguished almost immediately after firefighters arrived. Participants were ushered from the West Front of the Capitol. Those who had gathered for a walk-through, including a military band, were directed to head indoors and moved in the direction of a secure location inside the Capitol complex. People involved in the rehearsal said security officials yelled "this is not a drill." The lockdown was lifted about an hour later. Five people died in the Jan. 6 riot, including a police officer. ___ Associated Press writers Zeke Miller and Michael Balsamo in Washington and James LaPorta in Delray Beach, Florida, contributed to this report. Andrew Taylor, Colleen Long And Eric Tucker, The Associated Press
Some Ontario nurses no longer paid during self-isolation if they test negative after COVID-19 exposure
Nurses in some Ontario hospitals are not being paid when they are told to go home to isolate because of COVID-19 exposure. If the nurses test positive, they do get paid. But if they test negative, they must still stay home for 14 days without receiving their paycheque, hospital administrators in Hamilton and Niagara said. Rafal Fratczak, a nurse at Greater Niagara General Hospital in Niagara Falls, was sent home for a 14-day isolation period in December, after an outbreak was declared on a unit where he was working. He was told by hospital staff he wouldn't be paid. "'Well, if it's a work-related exposure,' I said, 'Why would I not be paid?' " he said. "I inquired with the management. They didn't agree with it." But Fratczak, who tested negative and had to remain at home for the isolation period, said he was told the provincial government's temporary funding for paying those in isolation had expired after the first wave. "I was kind of enraged," he said. "I can't just go on without getting paid for two weeks. I mean, we all have bills. We have mortgages, we have people that we are supporting, so it just doesn't seem fair to me. So I was very upset." He ended up tapping into his vacation time to make sure he'd be paid for the time he was home. Fratczak, who is chief steward for registered practical nurses who belong to the SEIU Healthcare chapter at Greater Niagara General, is pushing for the pay issue to be resolved. 'They feel very disrespected' Earlier in the pandemic, between April and June, the province gave temporary funding and recommendations to pay asymptomatic, self-isolating hospital employees, said officials from Hamilton Health Sciences, St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton and Niagara Health. Any employees sent to self-isolate between April and June could be paid for the time they were off. After June, that temporary benefit expired. The provincial government says pandemic pay is the federal government's job, with some benefits available, such as $500 per week for up to two weeks of self-isolation. Ontario passed a law to make sure anyone self-isolating because of COVID-19 exposure won't lose their job, said Harry Godfrey, press secretary for Monte McNaughton, Ontario's labour minister. "This legislation ensures those who stay home to self-isolate or care for loved ones will not be fired," Godfrey said in a statement to CBC News. Fratczak doesn't blame his hospital managers. But an assurance he won't be fired doesn't go far enough. "I'm just saying that the government, you just kind of forgot us after the first wave of COVID," he said. Seeking a consistent approach A majority of nurses reported feeling burnt out before the pandemic, and now, experts warn it's even worse. Nurses know every day they're going in to work in a high-risk environment, and if they're exposed, they may have to go home and isolate, unpaid. "They feel very disrespected in this — they feel like the government believes that they're disposable," said Vicki McKenna, president of the Ontario Nurses Association. "Call us heroes, all of that stuff that goes on every day, we all hear it, yet they are not feeling it." That organization and the Ontario Hospital Association are asking the province to pitch in to ensure there's a consistent approach to pay for health-care workers in self-isolation. "The last thing that [nurses] need is this pressure, right?" McKenna said. Niagara Health, the system overseeing Fratczak's hospital, confirmed the provincial funding and recommendation to pay those in self-isolation expired this summer. "We have been actively advocating to advance discussions regarding government compensation for staff and physicians who are required to self-isolate due to a potential workplace exposure," said Flo Paladino, Niagara Health vice-president. 'The morale in our department was just dreadful' Gaurav Gupta, a doctor who works in the emergency department at Hamilton General and Juravinski hospitals, was on shift in December when some nurses he was working with got a call from hospital management advising them of a high-risk exposure and telling them they had to isolate for 14 days. "That day the morale in our department was just dreadful," Gupta said. "They were shocked by the fact that they weren't going to be paid." So was he. He thinks the province should fund hospitals to pay nurses sent home as a result of exposure, like they were in the first wave. There's already a long list of reasons to be stressed if you're a nurse, he said. There are the extra protocols and infection control precautions, heavy workloads and the fear of contracting COVID-19 and taking it home to their families. "They feel really aggrieved because they've made these sacrifices, and even the basic need for them to be paid is being overlooked," he said. Weeks later, two nurses working with Gupta that day were told they'll be compensated for their time off. But Gupta said the policy of not paying for self-isolation could have the effect of discouraging nurses and others from being upfront about possible exposures, he said. "It's almost a counterproductive measure not to support honesty," he said. "It's going to lead to a lot more problems." 'At their breaking point' Wendy Stewart, spokesperson for Hamilton Health Sciences, confirmed that workers with a high-risk exposure who are required to self-isolate are not paid by HHS. "In some cases, people are able to work from home and/or use other paid leave that might be available to them," Stewart said. "They are not, however, eligible for sick pay." She said those nurses or others required to isolate can apply for a federal program called the Canada recovery sickness benefit. That benefit provides $500 for eligible people per week of isolation, for up to two weeks. For other periods of isolation, nurses may also be eligible for other federal recovery benefits. But Doris Grinspun, CEO of the Registered Nurses Association of Ontario, said it's unfair to expect nurses to figure out those benefit options. "Nurses do not have the energy or the time nor should they start to do that," Grinspun said. "If hospitals have a shortfall of funding, go to the ministry. Don't put that on the back of nurses or any health-care workers for that matter." Nurses working at St. Joseph's also were paid in the first wave if they had to self-isolate, said Agnes Bongers, St. Joe's public affairs director. "The guidance by the Ministry of Health expired on June 30, 2020, and at that time St. Joe's resumed normal pay practices," she said. "Anyone that is directed through contact tracing by St. Joe's to self-isolate and is asymptomatic is not on paid sick leave and therefore could use vacation time or an unpaid leave." When the office of Niagara Centre MPP Jeff Burch started hearing from nurses, he raised the issue in question period in the provincial legislature in November. Ontario Health Minister Christine Elliott responded that "that's a situation that we need to look into." Burch sent another letter to the minister to follow up in December. He has not heard back. "They were told they could apply for federal support, but that program provided less than a third of their wage," Burch wrote. "Front-line health-care workers are at their breaking point, and for some inexplicable reason, this government is creating repercussions for these heroes when they are exposed to COVID-19."
BEAVERTON, Ore. — A car thief who found a toddler in the backseat of a stolen vehicle drove back and chastised the mother for leaving the child unattended before taking off again, police in Oregon said. The woman went into a grocery store about 15 feet (5 yards) from the car Saturday, leaving her 4-year-old child inside with the engine running and the vehicle unlocked, said Beaverton police spokesman Officer Matt Henderson. A store employee told authorities the woman was in the market for a few minutes before someone began driving away with the SUV. Once the thief realized the toddler was in the backseat, he drove back, berated the woman for leaving her child unattended, told the woman to take the child and drove away in the stolen vehicle. "He actually lectured the mother for leaving the child in the car and threatened to call the police on her," Henderson said. Henderson said the woman did nothing wrong and was within sight and sound of the child. He said the incident served as a "good reminder to take extra precaution" with children. "Obviously, we're thankful he brought the little one back and had the decency to do that," Henderson said. The vehicle was found a few hours later in Portland but police are still searching for the thief. The suspect was said to be in his 20s or 30s with dark brown or black braided hair and a multi-colored face mask. Police said anyone with information on the theft should contact the department. The Associated Press
Canadian snowbirds getting the COVID-19 vaccine in Florida face backlash from some residents
The story has made national headlines in the United States: Foreigners aged 65 and older in Florida, including Canadian snowbirds, are being offered the COVID-19 vaccine. Some snowbirds who made the journey to Florida this winter — despite Canada's advisory not to travel abroad during the pandemic — are counting their lucky stars, as they could wait months to get the shot in Canada. But they also face a backlash from some locals who argue non-Floridians shouldn't get early access to vaccines that are currently in short supply. "We're first. Get to the end of the line if they want to come," Florida resident Judy Allen told a local NBC TV station on Friday at a vaccine clinic in Sanford, Fla., north of Orlando. A week earlier, Canadian snowbirds Andrew Paton, 75, and his wife, Jill, 74, each got their first vaccine dose at a clinic in a gated community in Palm City, Fla., where they own a home. They're set to get their followup shot on Feb. 4. "I'm just glad I got it," said Andrew Paton, who is from Toronto. "Our American friends are thrilled. We're part of this community. Let's get everybody vaccinated if we can." But not everyone is on side. A few days after getting the shot, Paton said someone sent a letter to the board of his gated community, complaining that Canadian residents were offered the vaccine. "It's ridiculous," he said. "We're not taking it from anybody. Everybody in this community who wanted one could get one." Unlike Canada, Florida is offering COVID-19 vaccinations to everyone aged 65 and older during the first phase of its vaccine rollout. While the state discourages visitors from coming specifically to get the shot, seasonal residents are welcome to sign up. That policy has especially angered some Floridians who have yet to secure a vaccination appointment due to a slower-than-planned rollout. "They're taking it from people that are ahead of them … It's not their stockpile," said Clare Archer, 67, of Englewood Isles, Fla., south of Tampa. Archer is a dual Canadian-American citizen who grew up in northern Ontario and has lived in Florida for the past 25 years. She said due to the short supply of vaccines in her region, both she and her husband have yet to snag an appointment. And even though she has Canadian roots, Archer said she objects to snowbirds both travelling to Florida during a pandemic and getting the vaccine before some Floridians. "They absolutely should not be here," she said. "It's beyond infuriating." WATCH | Why Canada's vaccine rollout is so slow: Several Florida politicians are also angry. Last week, Miami Mayor Francis Suarez announced he's trying to revise the rules so that non-permanent residents in Miami are last in line to receive the vaccine. And on Jan. 10, Rick Scott, one of the state's U.S. senators, declared on Twitter: "Vaccines must go first to Floridians." It's up to each U.S. state to decide who gets priority during the vaccine rollout. In a news conference earlier this month, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis explained why he's not turning away seasonal residents who meet the current age requirement. "We're a transient state," he said. "People who are here, four or five months a year, they have relationships with doctors, they get medical care in Florida." Canadian snowbirds on Good Morning America Visitors in Florida getting the vaccine has become such a hot topic, the popular TV show Good Morning America covered the issue in a news segment on Friday. "Residents across America — even Canada and Argentina — flocking to Florida … leading to what some are calling vaccine tourism," the segment said. The story featured Canadian snowbirds Shelton and Karen Papple of Brantford, Ont. The couple travelled to their home in Fort Myers before Florida announced its vaccine plans, and are both scheduled to get their first dose on Monday. Papple, 66, told CBC Newshe has no qualms about getting vaccinated in Florida. "We live here, we pay taxes," he said. "We're all in this together. It's a world problem and everybody should be banding together." He said he also believes that reports of Canadians flocking to the state to get the vaccine are overblown, because there are plenty of hurdles. On top of securing a vaccine appointment, you must test negative for COVID-19 before travelling to Florida (effective Jan. 26); stay in Florida for up to a month to get the second dose; receive another negative COVID-19 test before returning to Canada; and quarantine for 14 days upon your return. But some Canadians are still willing to make the trip. Travel insurance broker Martin Firestone of Toronto's Travel Secure said about 100 of his snowbird clients who originally decided not to head to Florida this winter due to the pandemic are now planning to travel to the state to get vaccinated. But these aren't cases of "vaccine tourism," he said, because his clients plan to stay for the rest of the winter. "They all own property and are really just exercising their right, I guess, to head down to a state that is offering vaccines," said Firestone. Papple suggests that as Florida secures and doles out more doses, the backlash against foreigners like him getting the shot will calm down. "As things go along, the more and more people get vaccinated, I think that becomes a duller story." To help speed up the rollout, the state is now offering vaccine shots at a major pharmacy chain in the state. And more than a dozen federal lawmakers representing Florida, including Sen. Marco Rubio, have asked federal officials to beef up Florida's vaccine supply to accommodate its large number of seasonal residents.
CALGARY — A first-period rescue by Jacob Markstrom and offensive wizardry from Johnny Gaudreau propelled the Calgary Flames to Monday's 5-2 win over the Vancouver Canucks. Gaudreau scored Calgary's first goal of the game and assisted on another in the second period after Markstrom turned away 15-of-16 shots in the first. Mikael Backlund, Elias Lindholm, Mark Giordano and Rasmus Andersson with an empty-net goal also scored for the Flames (2-0-1). Markstrom earned a second straight win over his former team with 25 saves. "He did everything that you want a goalie to do," Flames head coach Geoff Ward said. "He kept us in and gave us a chance to win. In the big moments when we needed a big save, he made it." Jake Virtanen and Tyler Myers replied for the Canucks (1-3-0), who played their fourth road game in six days. Thatcher Demko stopped 27 shots in the loss. Markstrom, a Canuck for seven seasons before signing a six-year, US$36-million contract with Calgary in October, had posted a 32-save shutout in Calgary's 3-0 win over Vancouver on Saturday. "Right now, he deserves the contract," Lindholm said. Demko was pulled for an extra attacker with four minutes to play, and Vancouver went to work on a two-man advantage when Calgary's Andrew Mangiapane took a tripping minor at 16:56. The visitors didn't produce another goal, however, and Andersson scored into an empty net with 55 seconds remaining. Vancouver's Myers scored shorthanded at 13:15 of the third period. Giordano teed up a blast from the top of the face-off circle that Demko couldn't get his glove on for a power-play goal at 6:40 of the third period. Outplayed in the first period, Calgary's 20-3 margin in shots in the second was bolstered by four power-play chances and winning more draws in the face-off circle. Lindholm stretched Calgary's lead to 3-1 just two seconds before the second-period buzzer. He one-timed Gaudreau's cross-ice feed past Demko during a Calgary two-man advantage. The hosts led 2-1 by 13:30 when Backlund scored his first goal of the season. The Swedish centre rifled a rebound over Demko. Gaudreau pulled the Flames even at 12:05 on a give-and-go with Sean Monahan and Dominik Simon providing a screen. "You can see when he's feeling it a little bit and those are the nights when he can take a team on his back and carry us," Ward said of Gaudreau. "Tonight he was feeling it and you could see it just building. He's such a tremendous player. He's got a special skill set." Canucks winger J.T. Miller returned from COVID-19 protocol that kept him out of Vancouver's lineup the first three games of the regular season, but defenceman Jordie Benn has yet to play. The visitors outshot Calgary 16-4 and dominated the face-off circle in the first period, but led just 1-0 due to Markstrom's work. The Flames goaltender turned away five shots on a Vancouver power play starting two and a half minutes after the opening faceoff. "Our first period was maybe our best period of the year so far and we responded in the second not very well," Myers said. "We need to get more dialed in and a little more focused on the way we have to play to win. "We can turn things around very quickly here. It's a mindset. We've got to buy in as a group for a full 60 and not just for 20 minutes." Virtanen's long shot from the high boards deflected off Flames defenceman Juuso Valimaki and over Markstrom's shoulder at 10:17. The Canucks head home after three straight road losses. Vancouver hosts the Montreal Canadiens in back-to-back games starting Wednesday. The Canucks play 11 games in their first 18 days of an NHL regular season shortened and condensed because of the COVID-19 pandemic. "Time to get going," Demko said. "Losing three in a row is not good enough for this team. Our expectations are higher than that." Calgary, by contrast, has a five-day break before hosting the Toronto Maple Leafs on Sunday afternoon. Notes: The Flames signed 30-year-old defenceman Mike Stone to a one-year, two-way contract Monday . . . Canucks defenceman Nate Schmidt played his 400th career NHL game Monday. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 18, 2021. Donna Spencer, The Canadian Press
Biden has set sky-high expectations. Can he meet them?
WASHINGTON — Back when the election was tightening and just a week away, Joe Biden went big. He flew to Warm Springs, the Georgia town whose thermal waters once brought Franklin Delano Roosevelt comfort from polio, and pledged a restitching of America's economic and policy fabric unseen since FDR's New Deal. Evoking some of the nation's loftiest reforms helped Biden unseat President Donald Trump but left him with towering promises to keep. And he'll be trying to deliver against the backdrop of searing national division and a pandemic that has killed nearly 400,000 Americans and upended the economy. Such change would be hard to imagine under any circumstances, much less now. He's setting out with Democrats clinging to razor-thin House and Senate control and after having won an election in which 74 million people voted for his opponent. And even if his administration accomplishes most of its top goals in legislation or executive action, those actions are subject to being struck down by a Supreme Court now controlled by a 6-3 conservative majority. Even so, the effort is soon underway. Washington is bracing for dozens of consequential executive actions starting Wednesday and stretched over the first 10 days of Biden's administration, as well as legislation that will begin working its way through Congress on pandemic relief, immigration and much more. Has Biden promised more than he can deliver? Not in his estimation. He suggests he can accomplish even more than he promised. He says he and his team will "do our best to beat all the expectations you have for the country and expectations we have for it." Some Democrats say Biden is right to set great expectations while realizing he'll have to compromise, rather than starting with smaller goals and having to scale them back further. "You can't say to a nation that is hungry, uncertain, in some places afraid, whose economy has stalled out ... that you had to slim down the request of their government because you have a narrow governing margin," said former Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick, Biden's onetime Democratic presidential primary rival. New presidents generally enjoy a honeymoon period that helps them in Congress, and Biden's prospects for getting one were improved by Democratic victories this month in two Georgia special Senate elections. He may have been helped, too, by a public backlash against the deadly, armed insurrection at the U.S. Capitol by Trump supporters. Biden's advisers have acknowledged they'll have bitter fights ahead. One approach they have in mind is a familiar one in Washington — consolidating some big ideas into what is known as omnibus legislation, so that lawmakers who want popular measures passed have to swallow more controversial measures as well. Another approach is to pursue goals through executive orders. Doing so skirts Congress altogether but leaves the measures more easily challenged in court. Trump made hefty use of executive orders for some of his most contentious actions, on border enforcement, the environment and more, but federal courts often got in the way. Biden's top priority is congressional approval of a $1.9 trillion coronavirus plan to administer 100 million vaccines by his 100th day in office while also providing $1,400 direct payments to Americans to stimulate the virus-hammered economy. That's no slam dunk, even though everyone likes to get money from the government. Any such payment is likely to be paired with measures many in Congress oppose, perhaps his proposed mandate for a $15 national minimum wage, for example. And Biden's relief package will have to clear a Senate consumed with approving his top Cabinet choices and with conducting Trump's potential impeachment trial. Nevertheless, the deluge is coming. On Day One alone, Biden has promised to extend the pause on federal student loan payments, move to have the U.S. rejoin the World Health Organization and Paris climate accord and ask Americans to commit to 100 days of mask-wearing. He plans to use executive actions to overturn the Trump administration's ban on immigrants from several majority-Muslim countries and wipe out corporate tax cuts where possible, while doubling the levies U.S. firms pay on foreign profits. That same day, Biden has pledged to create task forces on homelessness and reuniting immigrant parents with children separated at the U.S.-Mexico border. He'll plan to send bills to Congress seeking to mandate stricter background checks for gun buyers, scrap firearm manufacturers' liability protections and provide a pathway to citizenship for 11 million immigrants who came to the U.S. illegally as children. The new president further wants to relax limits immediately on federal workers unionizing, reverse Trump's rollback of about 100 public health and environmental rules that the Obama administration instituted and create rules to limit corporate influence on his administration and ensure the Justice Department's independence. He also pledged to have 100 vaccination centres supported by federal emergency management personnel up and running during his first month in the White House. Biden says he'll use the Defence Production Act to increase vaccine supplies and ensure the pandemic is under enough control after his first 100 days in office for most public schools to reopen nationwide. He's also pledged to have created a police oversight commission to combat institutional racism by then. Among other major initiatives to be tackled quickly: rejoining the U.S.-Iran nuclear deal, a $2 trillion climate package to get the U.S. to net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, a plan to spend $700 billion boosting manufacturing and research and development and building on the Obama administration's health care law to include a "public option." Perhaps obscured in that parade of promises, though, is the fact that some of the 80 million-plus voters who backed Biden may have done so to oppose Trump, not because they're thrilled with an ambitious Democratic agenda. The president-elect's victory may not have been a mandate to pull a country that emerged from the last election essentially centrist so far to the left. Republican strategist Matt Mackowiak predicted early Republican support for Biden's coronavirus relief and economic stimulus spending plans, but said that may evaporate quickly if "they issue a bunch of first-day, left-wing executive orders." "You can't be bipartisan with one hand and left-wing with the other," Mackowiak said, "and hope that Republicans don't notice." Biden had a front-row seat as vice-president in 2009, when Barack Obama took office, with crowds jamming the National Mall, and promised to transcend partisan politics. His administration used larger congressional majorities to oversee slow economic growth after the 2008 financial crisis, and it passed the health law Biden now seeks to expand. But Obama failed to get major legislation passed on climate change, ethics or immigration. He failed, too, to close the U.S. detention camp at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, which remains open to this day. Falling short on promises then hasn't made Biden more chastened today. He acknowledges that doing even a small portion of what he wants will require running up huge deficits, but he argues the U.S. has an "economic imperative" and "moral obligation" to do so. Kelly Dietrich, founder of the National Democratic Training Committee and former party fundraiser, said the divisions fomented by Trump could give Biden a unique opportunity to push ahead immediately and ignore conservative critics who "are going to complain and cry and make stuff up" and argue that socialists are "coming to kick your puppy." Biden and his team would do well to brush off anyone who doesn't think he can aim high, he said. "They should not be distracted by people who think it's disappointing or it can't happen," Dietrich said. "Overwhelm people with action. No administration, after it's over, says, 'We accomplished too much in the first hundred days.'" Will Weissert, The Associated Press
Exhausted hospital chaplains bring solace to lonely, dying
LOS ANGELES — Inside hospital rooms across America, where the sick are alone without family to comfort them, the grim task of offering solace falls to overworked and emotionally drained hospital chaplains who are dealing with more death than they've ever seen. Last week nearly a dozen died on a single day at the 377-bed Providence Holy Cross Medical Center, a gleaming, modern medical facility that is tucked into the northwest corner of Los Angeles' San Fernando Valley. Three more passed — within a span of 45 minutes — the next day. As he has each day for the past 11 months, Chaplain Kevin Deegan sits with the sick and dying, clad in a facemask, face shield, gloves and full body cover. He prays with them, holds their hands, gently brushes their foreheads and reassures them there is nothing to fear. Grieving families, unable to enter the hospital because of the deadly virus, watch through the iPad he's carried into the room with him. "All right, Miss Leticia, it's Chaplain Kevin. We're going to say some prayers now. Ok, my dear?" "She can hear you," he tells her son, Jayson Lim, urging him to talk to her. "Yo, Ma," Lim manages to say before breaking down in tears and burying his head in his hands. Later he'll pray with her. Deegan, who ministered to people undergoing hospice and palliative care before joining Holy Cross two years ago, is no stranger to death. But still, he says, he and his fellow chaplains had seen nothing like this before COVID-19 struck last year and began to kill people by the hundreds of thousands. Close to 400,000 people have died in the U.S. alone. Holy Cross is filled with so many COVID-19 patients that it has had to double up some people in intensive care rooms and put others in areas normally reserved for outpatient care and patient recovery. A makeshift area at the end of a hallway has even been turned into a hospital room. Deegan and about a dozen other chaplains cover shifts that extend to 24 hours a day, seven days a week. As Chaplain Anne Dauchy prays for a woman during her last moments, the patient's loved ones watching through Dauchy's iPad can be heard sobbing in the background and saying words like, "I love you so much, Mamma" and "Thank you for everything.'" "We try to kind of reframe what a miracle is," an exhausted Dauchy says afterward. "Sometimes it's living another day, sometimes it's a patient opening their eyes. "Perhaps that's the miracle, that she's at rest and at peace and not suffering anymore," she says of the woman who died. When asked how he, Dauchy and the others manage to survive the turmoil emotionally, Deegan replies, "That's a good question. I have to be honest. I don't know." What he does know is when he saw doctors, nurses and other hospital staff risking their own lives to do everything they could to save others he felt he had to be there, right in the room with them, to offer comfort and be a surrogate for their loved ones who couldn't be there. He was sure he'd eventually be infected as COVID-19 patients began pouring into the hospital every day. So far he has not, and just last week he had his second dose of the vaccine. "Who knew PPE really works," he said with a chuckle during a rare lighthearted moment as he discussed the personal protective equipment he dons each day before work. On that Monday when 11 people died, including three he personally ministered to, Deegan went home and, after he tried to fall asleep, saw the faces and again heard the voices of the people who had sobbed and screamed at him, "Why? Why? Why?" Some families lash out at the chaplains, looking for someone to blame, said Monica Pantoja, a clerk at the hospital's intensive care unit who has been isolating at home after becoming infected herself. "They take a lot of heat and people don't understand that they're doing the best they can. I think their prayers mean more than anything to families," Pantoja said, speaking from first-hand experience. When her 72-year-old mother was hospitalized for three months with COVID-19, including several weeks on a ventilator, a chaplain called every day to put her on the iPad with her. Her mother is now recovering at a rehabilitation centre. There are other occasional victories as well. As Deegan prayed with another patient last week he encouraged her loved ones to talk to her through the iPad, and when one shouted, "Hi Mom," the woman, on oxygen, opened her eyes wider, raised her head slightly and tried to reply, although the words wouldn't come. "Who is that?", Deegan asked her. "Is that Marvin?" She nodded. Later, when he stepped out of the hospital, he found Leticia Lim's son Jayson waiting by the door to thank him as his mother continued her fight to live. "It was painful and at the same time it was heartwarming because I had the chance to pray with my mom, with the pastor," he said before turning to Deegan to tell him, 'Thank you, God bless you.'" "You're bringing tears to my eyes, " Deegan said as he removed his glasses to wipe the tears away before pausing to remember once again why he shows up every day. ___ Associated Press photographer Jae Hong and Associated Press videographer Eugene Garcia contributed to this story. John Rogers, The Associated Press
WINNIPEG — Canadian fashion mogul Peter Nygard plans to seek bail in a Winnipeg courtroom today following his arrest last month on charges in the United States of sex trafficking and racketeering. Nygard, who is 79, was arrested in December under the Extradition Act and faces nine counts in the southern District of New York. Authorities there accuse Nygard of using his influence in the fashion industry to lure women and girls with the promise of modelling and other financial opportunities. Nygard's lawyer, Jay Prober, has said his client denies the allegations. Prober has told court his client should be released on bail because his health is deteriorating behind bars and he is not a flight risk. Lawyers for the Attorney General of Canada say Nygard has a history of not showing up to court and has the means to flee. The two-day bail hearing is expected to find out more about affidavits filed in court that detail Nygard's unconventional health routines, which include having a diet free of sugar, carbs and preservatives. Nygard's team has also filed several affidavits from associates and friends who are standing by the businessman. Two people who were employed by Nygard have offered to put up their homes to act as sureties if Nygard is released before the extradition hearing. The U.S. Attorney's Office alleges that for 25 years Nygard targeted women and underage girls from disadvantaged economic backgrounds and forcibly sexually assaulted them. He is also the subject of a class-action lawsuit in the U.S. involving 57 women with similar allegations. Nygard stepped down as chairman of his company after the FBI and police raided his offices in New York City last February. Two of Nygard's sons have filed a separate lawsuit against him in which they claim they were statutorily raped at his direction when they were teens. Nygard, through his lawyer, has also denied the allegations in the lawsuits. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 19, 2021. Kelly Geraldine Malone, The Canadian Press