Conflicting federal policies may force thousands of residents in flood-prone areas to pay more for flood insurance or be left unaware of danger posed by dams built upstream from their homes and worksites, according to an Associated Press review of federal records and data. The problem stems from a complex set of flood policies and […]

Citing free speech rights, a federal judge has temporarily blocked New York’s attorney general from taking enforcement action against certain pregnancy counseling centers for promoting what critics say is an unproven method to reverse medication abortions. U.S. District Judge John Sinatra Jr. in Buffalo issued a preliminary injunction against state Attorney General Letitia James and […]

Thousands of people live downstream from dams yet may not always realize the risks. As the climate changes, heavy rains from intense storms have put communities at greater jeopardy from flooding and placed the nation’s aging dams at greater risk of failing. That’s been evident recently as floodwaters from storms damaged or breached dams in […]

Since becoming available in 2017, Mifegymiso, commonly called the abortion pill, has transformed reproductive health care in Canada. Before the drug’s legalization, medical abortion was a relatively rare procedure, and surgical abortion services were often only available through hospitals and specialized clinics in major urban centres. Because any physician or nurse practitioner in Alberta can […]

The County of Stettler council agreed to send its concerns about a rural physician shortage across Alberta to a lobby group. The decision was made at the Aug. 14 regular meeting of council. On the “council’s request for information” part of the agenda Coun. Justin Stevens asked his peers to consider approving a formal resolution […]

An injured black bear in Coquitlam was killed by BC Conservation officers last week, after Burke Mountain residents had been feeding it for several days. Coquitlam RCMP and BC Conservation Services (BC COS) sent out a press release on Aug. 16, reminding the public to not feed bears and to keep their distance in the […]

The demands of protecting parliamentarians and other public figures are placing “significant strain” on RCMP personnel and taking resources from other federal policing priorities, warns an internal briefing note.  The national police force is “forced to walk a delicate balance” in providing protective services in response to threats flagged by parliamentarians, says the newly released […]

The federal government says Canada’s appeal as an international tourist destination has been damaged by the 2023 forest fire season, which was the country’s most destructive on record. Foreign spending in Canada dropped in 2023 over pre-pandemic levels, according to documents obtained by Canada’s National Observer through the Access to Information and Privacy Act. In […]

Ontario municipalities are asking the province to appoint a minister to tackle homelessness as leaders sound the alarm on the growing housing, mental health and addictions needs of their communities. Leaders from the Association of Municipalities of Ontario kicked off the organization’s annual conference in Ottawa on Sunday with a news conference to lay out […]

MULTAN, Pakistan (AP) — Most of the suspects in a rampage last year against minority Christians in eastern Pakistan over alleged blasphemy are not in custody and authorities have failed to deliver justice to the victims, a human rights group said Friday. “More than 90% of the suspects of the attack in Jaranwala, in Punjab’s […]

___ Associated Press writer Babar Dogar in Lahore, Pakistan, contributed to this report. — COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Republican vice presidential nominee U.S. Sen. JD Vance is preparing to dissolve the vestiges of a charitable effort he launched in Ohio after publication of his best-selling memoir “Hillbilly Elegy,” the Trump-Vance campaign said. Vance formed two […]

British Columbia’s Forests Ministry says it is doing everything possible to keep those who fight wildfires in the province safe, while the government workers’ union wants more protections following two condemning reports into deaths of firefighters. Two separate reports from B.C.’s workers safety agency were released this week into the deaths of firefighters Devyn Gale […]