Here are the latest Top News stories from The Canadian Press. All times are Eastern unless otherwise stated. Coverage plans are included when available. Entries are subject to change as news develops.
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TOP HEADLINES:
Erin O'Toole loses leadership review vote
Illegal Alberta border blockade in its fifth day
Police under fire as Ottawa protest strains city
Omicron cases peak but path ahead uncertain
Simu Liu to host first outdoor Juno Awards
Hamelin, Poulin named Canada's flag-bearers
Canada's groundhogs disagree on weather forecast
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NEW TOP STORIES SINCE THE LAST ADVISORY:
Manitoba RCMP in Toronto to investigate deaths
Mba-Border-Deaths
Winnipeg, , -- Investigators with Manitoba RCMP are in Toronto tracking tips and information related to an Indian migrant family who froze to death last month near the Canada-U. S. border. By Brittany Hobson. Wire: National. Photos: 1
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Quebec high school's homework denounced as racist
Que-Textbook-Racist
Montreal, , -- A homework assignment distributed to high school students on Montreal's south shore is being called racist because it asks them to describe two "gangsters" who resemble racialized people. By Virginie Ann. Wire: National. Photos: 1
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3 coaches at Montreal school arrested in sex probe
CRIME-Mtl-Coaches-Arrested
Montreal, Quebec, Canada -- Montreal police say three men who coached sports at a high school in the city's St-Laurent borough have been arrested in connection with a sex crimes investigation involving minors. Wire: National. Photos: 1
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No parking for splitter at legislature: trial told
Legislature-BC-Trial
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada -- The former facilities manager at the British Columbia legislature told a trial Wednesday that a wood splitter was being stored at the clerk's home while a parking spot was sorted out for it in Victoria. By Brenna Owen. Wire: National. Photos: 1
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Alberta premier served with defamation lawsuit
Kenney-Defamation-Lawsuit
Five environmental organizations are following through on a threat to sue Alberta Premier Jason Kenney and the provincial government for defamation. Wire: National. Photos: 1
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B.C. Liberal asks court to delay leadership result
Liberal-Leadership-BC
Victoria, British Columbia, Canada -- A member of the B.C. Liberal party has filed a petition asking a judge to delay the results of Saturday's leadership vote for 15 days. Wire: Prairies/BC. Photos: 1
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Constables comforted Calgary police officer
Calgary-Cop-Killed
Calgary, Alberta, Canada -- A police constable became emotional Wednesday as he described to a murder trial how he knelt down and comforted a fellow officer lying on a road after a car hit him following a hit and run. By Bill Graveland. Wire: National. Photos: 1
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Online streaming act covers streaming giants, promotes Canadian content
Broadcast-Bill
OTTAWA _ The Liberal government is reviving proposed legislation that would subject streaming companies, such as Netflix, to the same rules as traditional broadcasters. Wire: National. Photos: 1.
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Kids in the Hall doc to delve into early years
TV-Kids-In-The-Hall-Doc
Toronto, Ontario, Canada -- A two-part documentary about Canadian comedy troupe The Kids in the Hall is headed to Prime Video after debuting next month at the South by Southwest festival. Wire: Entertainment. Photos: 1
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O'TOOLE OUT:
Erin O'Toole loses leadership review vote
Conservatives-O'Toole
Ottawa, , -- Erin O'Toole has lost a vote to remain leader of the Conservative Party of Canada. By Stephanie Taylor. Wire: National. Photos: 1
With:
A QuickList of early potential leadership contenders
A QuickQuotes with reaction
A sidebar on the Reform Act, which was the reason this review took place.
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CONVOY PROTEST:
Breakthrough in Alberta border blockade
Trucker-Protest-Border
Coutts, Alberta, Canada -- Protesters and police have made a breakthrough aimed at resolving a five-day standoff that clogged up cross-border traffic at the main United States border crossing in southern Alberta. By Alanna Smith. Wire: National. Photos: 1
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Police under fire as Ottawa protest strains city
Trucker-Protest
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada -- Ottawa police face mounting pressure to take stronger action against the protest of COVID-19 measures that has taken over the capital city, while organizers threaten to stay "as long as it takes" for governments across the country to end pandemic restrictions. By Laura Osman. Wire: National. Photos: 1
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OMICRON and COVID-19
More provinces to loosen COVID-19 restrictions
COVID-Cda
More provinces are loosening COVID-19 restrictions as hospitalizations in some parts of the country appear to plateau, but health officials caution that eased measures could lead to increased infections in the coming weeks. By Kelly Geraldine Malone. Wire: National. Photos: 1
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Omicron cases peak but path ahead uncertain
COVID-Omicron-End
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada -- The Omicron wave appears to be cresting across the country, but it's difficult to predict what's next for the pandemic, experts say. By Hina Alam. Wire: National. Photos: 1
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What it's like inside a Toronto ER amid Omicron
COVID-Hospital-ER
Toronto, Ontario, Canada -- Eight patients on gurneys line a hallway of a Toronto emergency department one Tuesday afternoon in January. Three more rest down another hall. By Liam Casey. Wire: National, Ontario/Quebec. Photos: 1
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CMA urges Canada to speed vaccine access globally
COVID-Vaccines-World
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada -- The Canadian Medical Association and a group of domestic and international activists are calling on the federal government to do more to boost COVID-19 vaccination efforts in less developed countries in order to end the pandemic. By Mike Blanchfield. Wire: National. Photos: 1
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Manitoba loosens COVID-19 restrictions
COVID-Mba
Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada -- The Manitoba government is relaxing some of its COVID-19 public health orders and signalling that all restrictions may be lifted within a few months. By Steve Lambert. Wire: Prairies/BC. Photos: 1
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Quebec COVID-19 hospitalizations drop by 122
COVID-Que
Montreal, , -- The Quebec government is reporting another big drop in the number of people hospitalized with COVID-19 today, as well as 50 new deaths linked to the pandemic. Wire: Ontario/Quebec.
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Ontario shifts pandemic testing strategy
COVID-Ont-Testing
Toronto, Ontario, Canada -- Ontario's official COVID-19 testing volumes have plummeted since PCR access was sharply restricted in the face of an Omicron surge, but rather than widely re-expanding eligibility in the future, the province appears to be forging a new pandemic testing path. By Allison Jones. Wire: Ontario/Quebec. Photos: 1
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Ontario long-term care restrictions being reviewed
COVID-Ont-LTC
A policy restricting social visits in Ontario long-term care homes could soon change, the minister responsible for the sector said on Wednesday after other pandemic rules loosened across the province. By Holly McKenzie-Sutter. Wire: Ontario/Quebec. Photos: 1
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Seven recent N.L. COVID deaths in long-term care
COVID-NL
St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada -- Newfoundland and Labrador health officials say seven people in the province died of COVID-19 in long-term care facilities or in personal care homes between Dec. 20 and Jan. 28. Wire: Atlantic. Photos: 1
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COVID-19 hospitalizations stable in P.E.I.
COVID-PEI
Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Canada -- Health officials in Prince Edward Island are reporting 238 new cases of COVID-19 today. Wire: Atlantic. Photos: 1
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Unvaccinated Quebec caregivers seeking injunction
Que-Caregivers-Challenge
Montreal, Quebec, Canada -- A Quebec judge will rule on whether a COVID-19 provincial health order that prevents unvaccinated caregivers from entering long-term care homes and private seniors homes to care for residents should be suspended. By Sidhartha Banerjee. Wire: National.
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OTHER TOP NEWS:
Canada in talks about adding forces to Europe
Cda-Russia
Ottawa, , -- Defence Minister Anita Anand says the government believes in the importance of bolstering NATO’s eastern flank in response to Russia’s military buildup, and that discussions are underway around increasing Canada's military presence in eastern Europe. Wire: National. Photos: 1
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Man faces murder charge in infant death
Ont-Infant-Homicide-Charge
Toronto, Ontario, Canada -- Police say they've charged a man with second-degree murder in the death of an infant in Norfolk County, Ont. Wire: Ontario/Quebec.
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N.S. halts electric utility's bid for solar charge
NS-Power-Solar
Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada -- The Nova Scotia government has scuttled a bid by the province's private electric utility to charge fees to customers who sell renewable power back to the electricity grid. By Michael MacDonald. Wire: Atlantic. Photos: 1
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N.B. must do more to boost bilingualism: report
NB-Bilingualism-Report
Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada -- A new report says New Brunswick needs to revamp its approach to promoting bilingualism in Canada's only officially bilingual province. Wire: Atlantic. Photos: 1
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Hundreds using special code to avoid no-fly snags
No-Fly-List
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada -- More than 850 people have been assigned a special number to help avoid being inadvertently ensnared by Canada's no-fly list. By Jim Bronskill. Wire: National. Photos: 1
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New Brunswick cop killer denied full parole
NB-Romeo-Parole
Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada -- An American who has spent nearly 35 years in prison for the murder of a New Brunswick police officer was denied full parole on Wednesday. By Kevin Bissett. Wire: Atlantic, National.
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Man who played N.L. Buddy the Puffin mascot dies
NL-Buddy-the-Puffin
St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada -- A St. John's man who turned a sports mascot gig into a heart-felt mission to bring joy and genuine friendship to special needs children has died. By Sarah Smellie. Wire: Atlantic.
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Twitter twins find humour in Canadian politics
Twitter-Twins
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada -- After the Winnipeg city council voted Monday to condemn racist imagery at a protest over the weekend, a Regina resident wanted his councillors to do the same. By Mia Rabson. Wire: National. Photos: 1
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Canada's groundhogs disagree on weather forecast
Groundhog-Day
Canada's three foremost weather-minded marmots are at loggerheads this Groundhog Day. By Nicole Thompson and Michael MacDonald. Wire: National. Photos: 1
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Simu Liu to host first outdoor Juno Awards
MUSIC-Juno-Awards-Host
Toronto, Ontario, Canada -- Actor Simu Liu is going from Marvel superhero to master of ceremonies at the 51st annual Juno Awards. By David Friend. Wire: Entertainment. Photos: 1
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Hamelin, Poulin named Canada's flag-bearers
OLY-Canada-flag-bearer
Beijing, Beijing, China -- Charles Hamelin's teammates were speculating recently about who might carry Canada's flag into the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics. By Lori Ewing. Wire: Sports, National. Photos: 1
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LOCAL JOURNALISM INITIATIVE STORIES:
The LJI is a federally funded program to add coverage in under-covered areas or on under-covered issues. This content is delivered on the CP wire in the "Y" or spare news category, or you can register to access it at https://lji-ijl.ca. This content is created and submitted by participating publishers and is not edited by The Canadian Press. Please credit stories to the reporter, their media outlet and the Local Journalism Initiative. Questions should be directed to LJI supervising editor Amy Logan at amy.logan@thecanadianpress.com. Below is a sample of the dozens of stories moved daily:
Project aims to capture and teach Kwak̓wala language using land, culture and technology
LJI-BC-Language-restoration-technology
Sara Child wants to “unlock” the power of the Kwak̓wala language and, if she and her team are successful, it could mean that other Indigenous peoples will have the keys to revitalize their endangered languages as well. The project not only involves developing voice-to-text technology that will work with verb-based Indigenous languages, but also developing an appropriate teaching approach that keeps the “soul” of the culture intact. 1,400 words. Odette Auger/Windspeaker.com
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Outrage grows over Sheet Harbour bank closure
LJI-NS-SHEETHRBR-SCOTIABNK-BRANCH
Facing intense public pressure over the closure of its only Sheet Harbour location, Scotiabank confirmed last week that it will retain an automated banking machine in the community. If the announcement was meant to mollify the bank’s already angry rural constituency, it missed its mark by a country mile. 1,200 words. Alec Bruce/Guysborough Journal
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Questions raised about man's COVID death while in custody in St. John
lji-nb-jail-death
Tobique First Nation Chief Ross Perley is calling for an investigation into the death of a community member who died from COVID-19 while serving a sentence at the Saint John Regional Correctional Centre. 700 words. Robin Grant/Telegraph-Journal
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FROM AP:
The latest AP Advisory is unavailable. This is a previous version.
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ONLY ON AP
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SCI-DOOMSDAY-GLACIER-TROUBLES — Dozens of scientists who sailed to Antarctica’s Thwaites Glacier — nicknamed the Doomsday Glacier because its predicted slow-motion collapse will be a big global problem — are stuck unable to get there because icebergs from the shrinking ice shelf are blocking the way. In an exclusive video interview from a neighboring ice shelf — during which an injured researcher is taken to safety by helicopter for a sprained ankle — a scientist talks of how they’re making do with what they can and what life is like on the lonely ice with 24-hour 7-days a week of subzero sun. By Seth Borenstein. UPCOMING: 1,325 words, photos by 4 p.m.
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TOP STORIES
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UKRAINE-TENSIONS — President Joe Biden is sending about 2,000 U.S.-based troops to Poland and Germany and shifting 1,000 soldiers from Germany to Romania as demonstrations of America’s commitments to allies on NATO’s eastern flank amid fears of a Russian invasion of Ukraine. Moscow says the deployments are unfounded and “destructive.” By Lolita C. Baldor, Lorne Cook and Dasha Litvinova. SENT: 1,250 words, photos. Will be updated with developments. WITH: UKRAINE-TENSIONS-THINGS-TO-KNOW — What to know about rising fear of war. SENT: 745 words, photos.
For full coverage of Ukraine.
SENATE-LUJAN — The Democrats’ fragile hold on the Senate majority became even more tenuous with the sudden illness of New Mexico Sen. Ben Ray Luján, which sent shock waves through the party and threatens President Biden’s Supreme Court pick and already lagging legislative agenda. The senator’s office announced that the 49-year-old remained hospitalized after suffering a stroke and is expected to make a full recovery. By Lisa Mascaro and Farnoush Amiri. SENT: 800 words, photos.
VIRUS OUTBREAK — Many countries that have been especially hard-hit by the coronavirus are easing their tough and often unpopular restrictive measures to fight COVID-19. There is a resumption of late-night disco partying, elbow-to-elbow seating in movie theaters and people not wearing masks in public. The early moves to relax such restrictions evoke a new turning point in a two-year pandemic that has been full of them. But the U.N. health agency has warned about underestimating the omicron variant. By Jamey Keaten. SENT: 920 words, photos.
VIRUS-OUTBREAK-SCHOOLS — Parents may be wondering who’s teaching the kids as teacher absences mount and substitutes remain in short supply. The answer around the U.S. could be nearly anyone willing to help keep school doors open through the omicron-driven staffing crunch. It could be a local police officer, National Guard soldier, state budget analyst, parent or even a recent high school graduate. By Carolyn Thompson. SENT: 935 words, photos.
STATE-BUDGETS-TAX-CUTS — Soaring tax revenue and billions in pandemic aid from the federal government have left many states with the unusual problem of having too much money. The result is one of the most broad-based movements in recent memory toward giving consumers and taxpayers a break. In states red and blue, lawmakers and governors are proposing to cut taxes and fees, expand tax credits, or delay tax and fee hikes that had been planned before the COVID-19 pandemic struck. By Brian Witte and Geoff Mulvihill. SENT: 1,250 words, photos.
CNN-ZUCKER — CNN President Jeff Zucker abruptly resigned after acknowledging a consensual relationship with another network executive, ending a nine-year tenure at the helm of the one of the nation’s largest media companies. Zucker said he acknowledged the relationship when asked about it as part of an investigation into Chris Cuomo, the former CNN anchor who was fired after it was discovered that he aided his brother, then-New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, as he navigated a sexual harassment investigation. By David Bauder. SENT: 525 words, photos.
MED-GENE-THERAPY-CANCER — In 2010, doctors treated Doug Olson’s leukemia with an experimental gene therapy that transformed some of his blood cells into cancer killers. More than a decade later, there’s no sign of cancer in his body. The treatment cured Olson and a second patient, according to the University of Pennsylvania doctors, who said it was the first time the therapy had been studied for so long. By Laura Ungar. SENT: 815 words, photos.
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MORE ON THE OLYMPICS
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OLY-BEIJING-TORCH-RELAY — The three-day torch relay for the Beijing Olympics, shortened considerably because of concerns about the coronavirus, started with an 80-year-old former speedskater carrying the flame. SENT: 575 words, photos.
OLY-SKI-UNKNOWN HILL — None of the Alpine ski racers who’ll be zooming down the Beijing Olympics mountain ever has tried the slope that’ll be used with medals at stake. Not yet, anyway. By National Writer Howard Fendrich. SENT: 800 words, photos.
OLY-BEIJING-TAIWAN-IDENTITY — For Taiwan, every appearance on the global stage can be fraught with politics. The island’s four athletes going to the Winter Olympics in Beijing must compete under the name “Chinese Taipei” because of opposition from China, which says Taiwan is part of its territory. SENT: 820 words, photos.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-OLYMPICS — With more than 30 new COVID-19 cases being detected daily ahead of the Beijing Olympics, organizers say they aren’t worried and expect numbers to drop within days. SENT: 370 words, photos.
OLYMPIC BUBBLE-PHOTO GALLERY — From the moment participants at the Beijing Olympics step off the plane, they enter the “bubble” — a system of strict containment measures that aims to keep the coronavirus at bay for the duration of the Games. SENT: 170 words, photos.
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TRENDING NEWS
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ODD-WANDERING-CHICKEN-PENTAGON — An animal welfare organization says a wandering chicken was caught sneaking around a security area at the Pentagon. SENT: 165 words.
GROUNDHOG DAY — Punxsutawney Phil predicts there will be six more weeks of winter. SENT: 300 words, photos.
PEACOCKS-MIAMI — Peacocks could soon be on the outs in some Miami-Dade neighborhoods after the county commission agreed to loosen a law protecting the birds. SENT: 370 words, photos.
FERTILIZER-PLANT-FIRE — An uncontrolled fire at a fertilizer plant in North Carolina continued to burn, forcing firefighters and thousands of evacuated residents to remain at least a mile away because there could be a large explosion. SENT: 370 words, photos.
SIBLINGS-DEATHS-TEEN-CHARGED — An Indiana teenager has been sentenced to 100 years in prison for the suffocation deaths of his two young siblings months apart in 2017, when he was 13 years old. SENT: 205 words.
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MORE ON THE VIRUS OUTBREAK
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VIRUS-OUTBREAK-KIDS-VACCINES-EXPLAINER — COVID-19 vaccines for kids under 5 may be available in the U.S. as early as March, but there are several hurdles still to clear. Pfizer asked the Food and Drug Administration to authorize extra-low doses of its COVID-19 vaccine for children ages 6 months through 4 years. The FDA will review the application and convene a panel of outside advisers in mid-February to debate the data. SENT: 470 words, photos.
VIRUS-OUTBREAK-RUSSIA — Russian President Vladimir Putin said that “life goes on” despite a “difficult” COVID-19 situation in the country that has seen infection records for two weeks straight. SENT: 315 words, photos.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-CHINA — Beijing reported three new COVID-19 cases as officials say the virus situation is under control with the Olympic Games set to open later in the week. SENT: 230 words, photos.
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WASHINGTON/POLITICS
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SUPREME-COURT-VACANCY — Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer heads to the White House to talk through the Supreme Court vacancy as President Joe Biden begins weighing his options for the high court pick. UPCOMING: 300 words, photos by 4 p.m.
BIDEN-CRIME — Illegal guns are flooding the streets. Teenagers are murdered. And police officers have been shot dead. Gun violence that has been rising since the pandemic is spiking anew, and beleaguered cities are struggling with how to manage it. President Joe Biden is heading to one of them, New York, this week as he tries to dispel criticism from the right that he hasn’t been tough enough on crime. SENT: 1,175 words, photos.
SUPREME-COURT-CHILDS — The fact that Michelle Childs is under consideration to fill a Supreme Court vacancy comes as no surprise to some of her legal colleagues in South Carolina. The federal judge has emerged as a possible nominee to replace retiring Justice Stephen Breyer as President Joe Biden seeks to fulfill his pledge to put a Black woman on the nation’s highest court. SENT: 1,140 words, photos.
TRANSPORTATION-ROAD-SAFETY — Drivers, beware: Speed cameras could be on their way to a location near you thanks to President Biden’s infrastructure law. Under new federal guidance, states can now tap billions of federal highway dollars for roadway safety programs such as automated traffic enforcement. They are being told that cameras that photograph speeding vehicles are an established way to help bring down rising traffic deaths. SENT: 495 words, photos.
UNITED STATES-YEMEN — A clan-based militia government in the Arab world’s poorest country is presenting the Biden administration with another foreign policy setback, as Yemen’s Houthis launch cross-border drone and ballistic-missile strikes rattling wealthy oil and banking hubs. SENT: 1,010 words, photos.
TRUMP-ALTERNATIVES — At Donald Trump’s rally in Texas over the weekend, some of his supporters said they would happily embrace a successor if Trump offered his blessing — and repeatedly named Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis as their top second choice. By Jill Colvin. SENT: 1,290 words, photos.
TRUMP-IMPEACHMENT-LAWSUIT — A retired Army lieutenant colonel who was a pivotal witness in the first impeachment case against Donald Trump has sued the former president’s oldest son and other Trump allies, accusing them of part of a “concerted campaign of unlawful intimidation and harassment” over his decision to testify in the 2019 impeachment proceedings. SENT: 370 words, photos.
REPUBLICAN MEETING — A deep red state that’s home to some of Trump’s most vocal conservative critics welcomes members of the Republican National Committee for a meeting in which party officials are expected to solidify the former president’s status as the GOP standard-bearer. SENT: 830 words, photo.
GHOST-ARMY-MEDALS — Members of two top-secret World War II military units referred to as the “Ghost Army” will be awarded the Congressional Gold Medal more than 75 years after their service, under legislation signed into law by President Biden. SENT: 265 words.
TENNESSEE-LAWMAKER-EXPULSION — The Republican-led Tennessee Senate voted to remove Democratic Sen. Katrina Robinson from office because of her recent wire fraud conviction, the first time the chamber has removed a senator since at least the Civil War. SENT: 535 words, photos.
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NATIONAL
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WINTER-WEATHER — A major winter storm with millions of Americans in its path brought a mix of rain, freezing rain and snow to the middle section of the United States as airlines canceled hundreds of flights, governors urged residents to stay off roads and schools closed campuses. SENT: 835 words, photos.
GEORGE FLOYD-OFFICERS-CIVIL RIGHTS — The trial of three former Minneapolis police officers charged with violating George Floyd’s rights was abruptly recessed on Wednesday after one of the defendants tested positive for COVID-19. SENT: 715 words, photos.
CHICAGO-POLICE-LAQUAN-MCDONALD - The imminent release from prison of the former Chicago police officer who shot Laquan McDonald 16 times in 2014, killing the Black teenager, is a reminder for some of what they say is an unfair criminal justice system. The arrest and 2018 conviction of Jason Van Dyke was hailed as a landmark moment for the city, which hadn’t had an officer found guilty of murder for an on-duty killing in roughly half a century. SENT: 945 words, photos.
ARIZONA-HOUSING — Arizona’s housing crisis is the focus of new bipartisan legislation announced Wednesday that aims to increase supply of low income units and set aside $89 million to combat homelessness. State Representatives Steve Kaiser, a Republican, and César Chávez, a Democrat, said the proposed law they are sponsoring would improve housing availability and affordability in every part of Arizona. UPCOMING: 800 words, photos by 4 p.m.
ROY-MOORE-DEFAMATION-LAWSUIT — A jury has resumed deliberations on competing defamation lawsuits filed by former U.S. Senate candidate Roy Moore and a woman who accused him of molesting her decades ago when she was 14. Jurors asked for a definition of defamation under state law. SENT: 285 words, photos.
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INTERNATIONAL
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UNITED STATES-UKRAINE-JAILED FARMER — An American farmer is jailed in Ukraine on charges he attempted to assassinate a former business partner who is now a government minister. The family of Kurt Groszhans says the charges are bogus and designed to stifle his claims of corruption. The State Department says it’s closely following the case. SENT: 1,000 words, photos.
NIGERIA-HUNGER CRISIS — Violence in northwestern Nigeria between farmers and herders over access to water and land has put food production at risk in Africa’s most populous nation. SENT: 730 words, photos.
ISRAEL-MEDICAL MARIJUANA — Ehud Olmert is among a group of former Israeli leaders and security chiefs who have found new careers in the country’s tightly controlled medical cannabis industry. SENT: 980 words, photos.
RUSSIA-OPPOSITION-CRACKDOWN — The prison sentence imposed a year ago on leading Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny was a severe blow to Russia’s opposition — and then the situation got worse. SENT: 1,150 words, photos.
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HEALTH/SCIENCE
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BIDEN-CANCER INITIATIVE — President Biden is committing to reduce the cancer death rate by 50% — a new goal for the “moonshot” initiative against the disease that was announced in 2016 when he was vice president. SENT: 840 words, photo.
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BUSINESS/ECONOMY
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SMALL BUSINESS-PANDEMIC ENTREPRENEURS — The number of Americans looking to start their own business is on the rise, as the coronavirus pandemic creates opportunities for some would-be entrepreneurs. People are starting businesses for a variety of reasons: some lost their job during the pandemic and decided to make their “side hustle” their main occupation. Others reevaluated their priorities and decided to leave the corporate world. Some took advantage of the flexibility of working remotely and lower commercial rents. By Mae Anderson. SENT: 960 words, photos.
OPEC-OIL-PRICES — Major oil-producing countries are adding just a bit more oil to the global economy. The decision is likely to support prices that are near their highest level in seven years. The 23-member OPEC+ alliance is sticking with its road map and is adding 400,000 barrels per day in March. The oil producers are gradually restoring cuts they made when the pandemic was at its worst. SENT: 455 words, photo.
FINANCIAL MARKETS — Stocks edged higher in afternoon trading on Wall Street, putting major indexes on track to extend their weekly gains. SENT: 355 words, photo.
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ENTERTAINMENT
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MUSIC-ROCK HALL-NOMINEES — Dolly Parton, Eminem, Lionel Richie, Duran Duran and A Tribe Called Quest are among this year’s first-time nominees for induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. The Cleveland-based institution announced 17 artists and groups being considered for Rock Hall induction, including Rage Against the Machine, Pat Benatar, Dionne Warwick, Carly Simon, Judas Priest and Beck. SENT: 250 words, photos.
ITALY-OBIT-VITTI — Versatile Italian movie star Monica Vitti has died at age 90. She starred in Michelangelo Antonioni’s “L’Avventura” and other Italian alienation films of the 1960s and was later a leading comic actress. Her death was announced Wednesday on Twitter by a former culture minister who said he had been asked to communicate her death by her husband. SENT: 640 words, photos.
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SPORTS
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FBN--WASHINGTON-NEW NAME -- Washington’s NFL team is now known as the Commanders. The new name unveiled comes 18 months after the once-storied franchise dropped its old moniker following decades of criticism that it was offensive to Native Americans and under fresh pressure from sponsors. The organization committed to avoiding Native American imagery in its rebrand after being called the Washington Football Team the past two seasons. SENT: 745 words, photos.
FBN-BRIAN-FLORES-LAWSUIT — Brian Flores says his lawsuit against the NFL over alleged racist hiring practices will continue even if he becomes a head coach again this offseason because the league needs change. Flores has interviewed with the Houston Texans and New Orleans Saints for their coaching vacancies. If they call, Flores said he will listen, but the suit will go on. SENT: 440 words, photos.
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The Canadian Press
