magic mixies genie lamp DTE Energy (NYSE:DTE) Shares Purchased by Caprock Group LLCA British businessman caught on camera confessing he was illegally selling luxury perfume to Russia is not facing criminal charges, the BBC has learned. David Crisp admitted to an undercover investigator that he had “ignored government edicts” on sanctions by selling £1,000-a-bottle “Boadicea the Victorious” perfume in Russia. The BBC can now exclusively show the undercover video, which has previously only been shared in court. Mr Crisp was arrested in 2023 by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) - the UK government agency responsible for sanctions enforcement - but the investigation was dropped earlier this year. This is despite the discovery of evidence that he tried to conceal more than £1.7m of illegal sales. Mr Crisp, from Surrey, denies knowingly breaching sanctions or concealing trades with Russia. There has not been a single UK criminal conviction for violating trade sanctions on Russia, the BBC understands, since Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine almost three years ago. Failing to punish violators is “a bad signal to send” and makes the UK look like a “soft touch,” says senior Conservative MP Sir Iain Duncan Smith, who has been calling for tougher action against Russia. Mr Crisp travelled the world selling high-end perfume, regularly rubbing shoulders with celebrities and VIPs, who were unaware of his activities in Russia. But when he started chatting to a friendly American in the lift of a luxury hotel in Dallas in July last year, he had no idea he was actually speaking to a private investigator. Posing as a Las Vegas businessman, the agent said he was interested in stocking Mr Crisp’s perfumes. They later met in Crisp’s hotel room to smell the fragrances - where the investigator secretly filmed the conversation. “How’s your Russian market?” the investigator asked. “Don’t tell anyone.” Mr Crisp replied, “We’re doing really well... we ignore government edicts.” After Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the UK government introduced sanctions banning trade with Russia in several areas - perfumes are specifically named. Breaching these regulations is a serious offence, with a maximum prison sentence of up to 10 years. Following the introduction of sanctions, Mr Crisp had agreed with his then-business partner, David Garofalo, to cease trading with Russia. But Mr Garofalo later became suspicious after a whistleblower claimed that Crisp continued to sell perfume in Moscow. Mr Garofalo then hired the private investigators. The undercover footage is “sickening” David Garofalo told me as we watch the footage together, adding “he knows that he’s violating the sanctions”. Without Mr Crisp’s knowledge, the company also compiled a dossier of evidence that he had knowingly violated sanctions. Staff also found pallets of goods in the company’s UK facility with paperwork showing recipients in Russia, and international shipping data confirming deliveries. Products were discovered on sale in Moscow that the company had only launched after the imposition of sanctions. “He had actually gone out of his way to disguise the fact that he’d continued selling to Russia,” Mr Garofalo told us. “He had deceived our in-house lawyer and misled our auditors.” Mr Garofalo reported Mr Crisp to HMRC and it opened a criminal investigation. At the same time, Mr Garofalo pursued a civil case against his partner to remove him from the company. In July this year, a High Court judge granted a rare provisional injunction, meaning Mr Crisp would be removed immediately pending the full civil trial. In his ruling, the judge said the undercover video was “compelling evidence” that Mr Crisp knew he was breaching sanctions and the company accounts showed he “concealed the Russian trading”. After taking full control of the company, Mr Garofalo immediately halted all sales to Russia. In a statement, David Crisp told the BBC: “I strongly refute the allegations made against me by Mr Garofalo, at no point did I knowingly trade in breach of Russian sanctions... at no point did I attempt to conceal those trades... the companies' trades with Russia were well known to those within the business... I look forward to being fully exonerated.” HMRC officers arrested Mr Crisp upon arrival at Gatwick Airport in October 2023 and seized his passport. But, by July this year, HMRC had dropped its investigation and told Mr Crisp that it would take no further action against him, returning his passport. Mr Garofalo told us he was shocked HMRC had showed no interest in the evidence he had collected. “It was an open and shut case. The evidence was just irrefutable.” HMRC does not comment on individual cases, but it told the BBC that failure to comply with sanctions is a serious offence, and those who breach them could face enforcement actions including financial penalties or referral for criminal prosecution. Its statement added: “HMRC has fined five companies for breaches of the Russia sanctions regulations in the last two years, including a £1m fine issued in August 2023.” But the BBC understands there haven’t been any criminal prosecutions for violating trade sanctions on Russia since February 2022. Sir Iain Duncan Smith MP, the chair of a committee of MPs working on sanctions against Russia, told the BBC the Crisp case isn’t a “one-off”. “In terms of prosecution and seriously pursuing people over sanctions, the UK is very poor indeed,” said Sir Iain. “If we don't prosecute, who the hell is deterred from breaching sanctions? He said other countries including the US, were “light years” ahead of the UK in terms of prosecuting violators. “There needs to be arrest, prosecution and incarceration. And if we don't do that, then there's no such thing as sanctions.” The former Conservative Party leader said that HMRC often reached settlements, instead of issuing large fines or criminal convictions. “The authorities may say the sanctions breaches are too small to prosecute, but the answer is you prosecute the small ones, because the big ones need to know that you're coming after them as well,” he added. The UK government had hoped sanctions would be a deterrent, without the need for robust enforcement, according to Tim Ash from the foreign affairs think tank Chatham House. “The reality is, the allure of doing business with Russia, the huge profits to be made, are too much for some people,” explained Mr Ash. “They’re more interested in their bottom line, as opposed to the bottomless pit of Ukrainians dying.” He said cases like Mr Crisp’s sent a clear message that there would be no consequences for continuing business with Russia. “We are almost three years into the [full-scale] invasion, and the fact that we haven't got our sanctions regime together is pretty extraordinary.”DAKAR, Senegal (AP) — Niger's ruling junta suspended the BBC for three months over the broadcaster's coverage of an extremist attack that allegedly killed dozens of Nigerien soldiers and civilians, authorities said Thursday. “BBC broadcasts false information aimed at destabilizing social calm and undermining the troops' morale,” communications minister Raliou Sidi Mohamed said in letters to radio stations that rebroadcast BBC content. Mohamed asked the stations to suspend BBC's programs “with immediate effect.” The BBC said it had no comment on the suspension. Popular BBC programs, including those in Hausa — the most-spoken language in Niger — are broadcast in the Central African country through local radio partners to reach a large audience across the region. The British broadcaster had reported on its website in Hausa on Wednesday that gunmen had killed more than 90 Nigerien soldiers and more than 40 civilians in two villages near the border with Burkina Faso. The French broadcaster Radio France International, also known as RFI, also reported on the attack, calling it a jihadi attack and citing the same death toll. Niger's authorities denied that an attack happened in the area in a statement read on state television and said it would file a complain against RFI for “incitement to genocide.” Niger, along with its neighbors Burkina Faso and Mali, has for over a decade battled an insurgency fought by jihadi groups, including some allied with al-Qaida and the Islamic State group. Following military coups in all three nations in recent years, the ruling juntas have expelled French forces and turned to Russia’s mercenary units for security assistance. But the security situation in the Sahel has worsened since the juntas took power, analysts say, with a record number of attacks and civilians killed both by Islamic militants and government forces. Meanwhile, the ruling juntas have cracked down on political dissent and journalists . Earlier this year, Malian authorities banned the media from reporting on the activities of political parties and associations. Burkina Faso suspended the BBC and Voice of America radio stations for their coverage of a mass killing of civilians carried out by the country’s armed forces. In August 2023, Niger banned French broadcasters France 24 and RFI, a month after its military rulers took power in a coup. “Generally speaking, the three juntas censor the media as soon as the security situation in the country is addressed in an unpleasant manner or when abuses are revealed,” Sadibou Marong, head of the sub-Saharan Africa office of Reporters Without Borders, told The Associated Press in September. “Finding reliable and neutral information on government activities has become extremely complex, as has covering security situation in these countries,” Marong added.

Taoiseach Simon Harris has insisted he is not aware that any member of his team tried to get RTE to take down a viral social media clip of a much-criticised encounter with a disability care worker. The Fine Gael leader was asked about the controversy in the first question posed during the second and final TV leaders’ debate of Ireland’s General Election campaign. Mr Harris apologised over the weekend for his handling of the discussion with Charlotte Fallon while canvassing in Kanturk in Co Cork on Friday evening. The Taoiseach was accused of dismissing concerns that Ms Fallon raised about Government support for the disability sector during the exchange filmed by RTE in a supermarket. Mr Harris rang Ms Fallon on Saturday and said he unreservedly apologised for the way he treated her, however focus has since shifted to Fine Gael’s interactions with the national broadcaster about the social media video. At the outset of Tuesday’s TV debate, co-host Miriam O’Callaghan directly asked the Fine Gael leader whether a member of his party contacted RTE to ask for the clip to be taken down. “I have no knowledge of that whatsoever, because this clip was entirely appropriate,” said Mr Harris. “It was a very important moment on the campaign. “And RTE and indeed many media outlets have been with me throughout the campaign, covering many interactions that I’ve had with many, many people right across this country.” The Taoiseach said the approach by his team member was part of the “normal contact that happens between party politics and broadcasters on a daily basis”. Mr Harris’s partner-in-government in the last coalition, Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin, said he was not aware of the approach to RTE by Fine Gael. “I didn’t realise this had happened,” he said. “I think Simon has given his explanation to it. I’m not sure it’s as normal or as usual. I just get on with it every day. But, again, I think, you know, I’m not au fait with the details behind all of this, or the background to it. “The video didn’t come down, and it was seen by many, many people. “And I think it illustrates that out there, there are a lot of people suffering in our society. “Notwithstanding the progress we’ve made as a country, a lot of people are facing a lot of individual challenges, and our job as public representatives and as leaders in travelling the country is to listen to people, hear their cases, to understand the challenges that they are going through in their lives. “And when we go about in election campaigns, we have to open up ourselves to criticism and to people calling us to account.” Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald had earlier in the day described reports of the Fine Gael approach to RTE as “chilling”. However, at the start of the debate, she was asked about a media-focused issue related to her own party, namely the controversial manifesto proposal for an independent expert review of RTE’s objectivity in its coverage of the war in Gaza and other international conflicts. Mr Harris previously branded the proposal a “dog whistle to conspiracy theorists” while Mr Martin said it was a “dangerous departure”. Ms McDonald defended the idea during the RTE Prime Time debate on Tuesday. “Politics and politicians should not try to influence editorial decisions or try and have clips taken down because they are inconvenient to them,” she said. “There has to be distance, there has to be objectivity. But I would say I am struck by the very defensive reaction from some to this (the review proposal). “The BBC, for example, a peer review looked at their coverage on migration. Politicians didn’t put their hands on it, and rightly so. “I think in a world where we have to rely on quality information, especially from the national broadcaster, which is in receipt of very substantial public funding, that has to be the gold standard of reliability. I think peer reviews like that are healthy.”LOS ANGELES (AP) — Defending national champion South Carolina women defeated by UCLA 77-62 for their first loss since the 2023 Final Four.Lions rush for 3 scores and use stingy defense to beat Colts 24-6 for 9th straight win

Agilent Technologies Inc. stock falls Tuesday, underperforms marketA Florida man was arrested Wednesday and charged with a plot to "reboot" the U.S. government by planting a bomb at the New York Stock Exchange this week and detonating it with a remote-controlled device, according to the FBI. Harun Abdul-Malik Yener, 30, of Coral Springs, Florida, was charged with an attempt to use an explosive device to damage or destroy a building used in interstate commerce. The FBI began investigating Yener in February based on a tip that he was storing "bombmaking schematics" in a storage unit. They found bomb-making sketches, many watches with timers, electronic circuit boards and other electronics that could be used for building explosive devices, according to the FBI. He had also searched online for things related to bomb-making since 2017, according to the FBI. RELATED STORY | Court overturns actor Jussie Smollett's 2019 conviction in hate crime hoax case Yener also told undercover FBI agents that he wanted to detonate the bomb the week before Thanksgiving and that the stock exchange in lower Manhattan would be a popular site to target. "The Stock Exchange, we want to hit that, because it will wake people up," he told undercover FBI agents, according to court documents. Yener, who was described as "unhoused," wanted to bomb the stock exchange in order to "reboot" the U.S. government, explaining that it would be "like a small nuke went off," killing everyone inside the building, according to court documents. In the last month, he had rewired two-way radios so that they could work as remote triggers for an explosive device and planned to wear a disguise when planting the explosives, according to court documents. Yener had his first court appearance Wednesday afternoon and will be detained while he awaits a trial. He was known to post videos on a YouTube channel about making explosives and fireworks from household items, and had a history of making threats, according to court documents. He was fired last year from a restaurant in Coconut Creek, Florida, after his former supervisor said he threatened to "go Parkland shooter in this place." He was also part of a small group that tried to join the far-right anti-government group the " Boogaloo Bois " and extremist group the Proud Boys but was denied membership because he said he wanted "to pursue martyrdom," according to court documents. The news was first reported by the website CourtWatch. Calls to telephone numbers listed for Harun Abdul-Malik Yener in public records rang unanswered and a lawyer was not listed in court records.The standard Lorem Ipsum passage, used since the 1500s "Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum." Section 1.10.32 of "de Finibus Bonorum et Malorum", written by Cicero in 45 BC "Sed ut perspiciatis unde omnis iste natus error sit voluptatem accusantium doloremque laudantium, totam rem aperiam, eaque ipsa quae ab illo inventore veritatis et quasi architecto beatae vitae dicta sunt explicabo. Nemo enim ipsam voluptatem quia voluptas sit aspernatur aut odit aut fugit, sed quia consequuntur magni dolores eos qui ratione voluptatem sequi nesciunt. Neque porro quisquam est, qui dolorem ipsum quia dolor sit amet, consectetur, adipisci velit, sed quia non numquam eius modi tempora incidunt ut labore et dolore magnam aliquam quaerat voluptatem. Ut enim ad minima veniam, quis nostrum exercitationem ullam corporis suscipit laboriosam, nisi ut aliquid ex ea commodi consequatur? Quis autem vel eum iure reprehenderit qui in ea voluptate velit esse quam nihil molestiae consequatur, vel illum qui dolorem eum fugiat quo voluptas nulla pariatur?" Thanks for your interest in Kalkine Media's content! To continue reading, please log in to your account or create your free account with us.

Ethan Taylor scores 21 as Air Force takes down Mercyhurst 82-48

This question is particularly significant given the deep historical, cultural, and political ties between New Zealand and the Cook Islands. While we share citizenship and a rich history of collaboration, the absence of many Cook Islanders in the NZDF remains a missed opportunity to further strengthen this bond. During the world wars, Cook Islanders answered the call to support New Zealand, contributing to a shared history of service and sacrifice. Their involvement was not only a demonstration of loyalty but also a testament to the enduring partnership between our nations. So, why not build on this legacy now? Allowing Cook Islanders to join the NZDF would honour this history and deepen the connection between the Cook Islands and New Zealand. If New Zealand were to face a conflict, would Cook Islanders be expected to contribute as New Zealand citizens? The question raises an important point: we are already citizens of New Zealand. It’s reasonable to expect that, in times of crisis, we would be called upon to support our shared nation. However, without formal integration into the NZDF, this expectation remains ambiguous. It’s also worth clarifying that the NZDF is not primarily a combat-focused organisation. Its core mission revolves around peacekeeping, humanitarian aid, and international cooperation. Only a small percentage of its personnel are actively involved in combat roles. The perception of “going to war” is often more nuanced than it seems - as if it were that easy. Allowing Cook Islanders to easily join the NZDF would not only clarify their role but also serve as a powerful gesture of unity. The Cook Islands already rely on New Zealand for defence, and this integration would symbolise a deeper commitment to a shared future. By enabling Cook Islanders to join easily, New Zealand would not only acknowledge this partnership but also pave the way for greater collaboration in peacekeeping and humanitarian missions. It’s time to revisit this discussion and take steps toward integrating Cook Islanders into the NZDF. I've written to Ministers and Parliamentary Offices of both governments since 2022, and now 2025 is just around the corner. An important question remains: what steps will either take to make this integration a reality? Or will they even bother to address it? Both New Zealand and the Cook Islands have a responsibility to foster this partnership. New Zealand can lead by creating clear pathways for Cook Islanders to join the NZDF, while the Cook Islands government can advocate for its people and support initiatives that enable such opportunities. I believe this collaboration would demonstrate a mutual commitment to honouring the shared legacy and ensuring both nations benefit from closer ties. “To be prepared for war is one of the most effectual means of preserving peace” - George Washington Meitaki atupaka Tom Harrison Jr .

An unlicenced marijuana dispensary in Kingston, Ont. was shut down by police for the second time in a week. Kingston police say they were notified that an illegal dispensary at 185 Division Street had reopened only days after officers executed a search warrant and seized various cannabis products on Nov. 13. A second search warrant was executed on Nov. 19 under the Cannabis Act. Police say they found a number of point-of-sale devices, advertising signage, unstamped tobacco products and Canadian currency on-site. Police seized 10,061 grams of loose marijuana, 765 grams of pre-rolled marijuana joints, 736 grams of hash and 7,967 grams of edible gummies and chocolates. The drugs came with a street value of $195,290, police say. Police had previously seized $170,000 worth of cannabis and unstamped tobacco products during last week's bust. The sign for an illegal cannabis dispensary in Kingston, Ont. (Kingston Police) "The public is reminded that cannabis-related businesses must operate in compliance with Ontario regulations. Illegal operations undermine licensed businesses, public health, and safety," Kingston police said in a news release. A 23-year-old woman from Kingston was charged and released on an undertaking with two counts under the Cannabis Control Act and one count of unstamped tobacco under the Criminal Code of Canada. Ottawa Top Stories uOttawa to reconsider participation in U-Pass if city increases student fares, student union says 2 arrested during Greenpeace protest outside Stornoway residence in Ottawa McDonald's Canada CEO not ruling out a return to the ByWard Market From essential goods to common stocking stuffers, Trudeau offering Canadians temporary tax relief Illegal marijuana dispensary in Kingston, Ont. busted for 2nd time in a week She thought her children just had a cough or fever. A mother shares sons' experience with walking pneumonia OPP launches 'Project Atlas' to fight cryptocurrency fraud Police looking to identify Little Italy assault suspect CTVNews.ca Top Stories From essential goods to common stocking stuffers, Trudeau offering Canadians temporary tax relief Canadians will soon receive a temporary tax break on several items, along with a one-time $250 rebate, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Thursday. She thought her children just had a cough or fever. A mother shares sons' experience with walking pneumonia A mother shares with CTVNews.ca her family's health scare as medical experts say cases of the disease and other respiratory illnesses have surged, filling up emergency departments nationwide. Putin says Russia attacked Ukraine with a new missile that he claims the West can't stop Russian President Vladimir Putin announced Thursday that Moscow has tested a new intermediate-range missile in a strike on Ukraine, and he warned that it could use the weapon against countries that have allowed Kyiv to use their missiles to strike Russia. Service Canada holding back 85K passports amid Canada Post mail strike Approximately 85,000 new passports are being held back by Service Canada, which stopped mailing them out a week before the nationwide Canada Post strike. Taylor Swift's motorcade spotted along Toronto's Gardiner Expressway Taylor Swift is officially back in Toronto for round two. The popstar princess's motorcade was seen driving along the Gardiner Expressway on Tuesday afternoon, making its way to the downtown core ahead of night four of ‘The Eras Tour’ at the Rogers Centre. Manitoba RCMP issue Canada-wide warrant for Ontario semi-driver charged in deadly crash Manitoba RCMP have issued a Canada-wide arrest warrant for the semi-driver involved in a crash that killed an eight-year-old girl and her mother. Here's a list of items that will be GST/HST-free over the holidays Canadians won’t have to pay GST on a selection of items this holiday season, the prime minister vowed on Thursday. Mother charged after infant dies in midtown Toronto: police The mother of an infant who died after being found at an apartment building in midtown Toronto on Wednesday has been charged with failing to provide the necessaries of life. B.C. man who sold Porsche to scammers shares cautionary tale A man from B.C.’s Lower Mainland who was scammed while selling his Porsche Cayenne online is sharing his cautionary tale – while calling for increased protections from the government. Shopping Trends The Shopping Trends team is independent of the journalists at CTV News. We may earn a commission when you use our links to shop. Read about us. 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'This is cold': P.E.I. mother upset over decision to remove late daughter's photos from school memorial wall A high school on Prince Edward Island is removing pictures of its late students from a memorial wall – a decision that has upset one mother whose daughter attended the school. Fredericton man facing several charges after five people taken hostage A 36-year-old Fredericton man is facing several charges, including forcible confinement, after police say five people were taken hostage in the city. Toronto Taylor Swift's motorcade spotted along Toronto's Gardiner Expressway Taylor Swift is officially back in Toronto for round two. The popstar princess's motorcade was seen driving along the Gardiner Expressway on Tuesday afternoon, making its way to the downtown core ahead of night four of ‘The Eras Tour’ at the Rogers Centre. 2 people arrested, 3rd suspect still at large in connection with fatal Brampton shooting Two people have been arrested and another suspect remains at large in connection with a fatal shooting in Brampton earlier this month. Mother charged after infant dies in midtown Toronto: police The mother of an infant who died after being found at an apartment building in midtown Toronto on Wednesday has been charged with failing to provide the necessaries of life. Montreal Pro-Palestinian protesters gathered outside Concordia University amid Quebec-wide boycotts The lobby of Concordia University’s Hall Building was flooded with pro-Palestinian protesters Thursday as others gathered and chanted outside the campus as part of Quebec-wide solidarity strikes. Quebec fiscal update: $2.1B in new spending, axes tax credit for older workers Quebec Finance Minister Eric Girard tabled an economic update on Thursday with $2.1 billion in new spending over five years amid what he described as a stronger-than-expected recovery from last year's economic slowdown. Northvolt says Quebec battery plant will proceed despite bankruptcy filing Northvolt AB has filed for bankruptcy protection in the United States, but said the move will not jeopardize the manufacturer's planned electric vehicle battery plant in Quebec — though hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars invested in the parent company could be lost. Northern Ontario Province pulls funding for North Bay addiction treatment centre After years of delays, the province has pulled the plug on an addiction treatment centre in North Bay. A news release from Canadore College on Thursday confirmed the centre won’t be moving forward. 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Kitchener FunGuyz says it's closing all 30 of its magic mushroom stores in Ontario FunGuyz, which calls itself the biggest magic mushroom dispensary in Canada, says it's shutting down all 30 of its Ontario locations. Grand River Transit LRT involved in Kitchener crash A busy Kitchener street could be closed for several hours after a crash involving a Grand River Transit vehicle. From essential goods to common stocking stuffers, Trudeau offering Canadians temporary tax relief Canadians will soon receive a temporary tax break on several items, along with a one-time $250 rebate, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Thursday. Barrie How to avoid the number one cause of lung cancer in non-smokers, according to health experts Radon is the number one cause of lung cancer in non-smokers in Canada, according to Grey Bruce Public Health Unit. OPP launch 'Project Atlas' to curb crypto scams With the rise of cryptocurrency investment scams, the OPP have launched ‘Project Atlas’ this week, an initiative to clamp down on investment fraud. Residents questioning just how safe the City of Barrie is An armed stand-off ... 16 hours in length... requiring dozens of officers and reinforcements. Heavily armed tactical officers and crisis negotiators responding to a mental health call in the heart of the city... and limited communication from police during the ordeal. Winnipeg Manitoba RCMP issue Canada-wide warrant for Ontario semi-driver charged in deadly crash Manitoba RCMP have issued a Canada-wide arrest warrant for the semi-driver involved in a crash that killed an eight-year-old girl and her mother. 1991-2024 | Winnipeg Sea Bears player Chad Posthumus dies at 33 Sea Bears centre Chad Posthumus has died at age 33. From essential goods to common stocking stuffers, Trudeau offering Canadians temporary tax relief Canadians will soon receive a temporary tax break on several items, along with a one-time $250 rebate, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Thursday. Calgary Police probe possible connection between Calgary house fire and Bitcoin threats Calgary police are seeking information in relation to a Tuesday fire in Hillhurst that they believe was deliberately set and allegations it could be connected to a frightening Bitcoin scam. Six shots fired after Calgary road rage incident, police seek dash-cam footage Calgary police are looking for dash-cam footage as they investigate a shooting in the community of Cityscape believed to be the result of road rage. Flashback documentary explores the Edmonton dance club that changed Alberta Everybody who lived in Edmonton in the 1980s knew it was famous for two things: the mall and the Oilers. 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Vancouver Island Major crime investigators reviewing death of Victoria teen, which coroner reclassified as homicide Vancouver Island’s major crime unit is investigating the case of a Victoria teenager whose death was initially ruled an accidental overdose, but has since been reclassified by coroners as a homicide. 1 dead after Nanaimo house fire, RCMP say One person is dead after a fire that destroyed a home in Nanaimo's south end Wednesday morning. Another windstorm headed to B.C.’s South Coast Friday, Environment Canada says Another fall storm is forecast to bring high winds to B.C.’s South Coast on Friday, Environment Canada says. Kelowna Man in hospital following targeted shooting in Kamloops Police are appealing for information on a targeted shooting that resulted in the hospitalization of a man in Kamloops. Police cleared of fault in fatal 2023 crash in B.C.'s Interior British Columbia's independent police watchdog has cleared officers of wrongdoing in a crash where three people were killed south of Kamloops in July of last year. B.C. woman sentenced for stealing $14K in funds raised for schoolkids A B.C. woman who stole more than $14,000 in volunteer-raised funds that were supposed to be spent on school supplies and programs – including hot meals for vulnerable kids – won't spend any time in jail. Stay Connected

NEW YORK (AP) — Walmart's sweeping rollback of its diversity policies is the strongest indication yet of a profound shift taking hold at U.S. companies that are revaluating the legal and political risks associated with bold programs to bolster historically underrepresented groups in business. The changes announced by the world's biggest retailer followed a string of legal victories by conservative groups that have filed an onslaught of lawsuits challenging corporate and federal programs aimed at elevating minority and women-owned businesses and employees. The risk associated with some of programs crystalized with the election of former President Donald Trump, whose administration is certain to make dismantling diversity, equity and inclusion programs a priority. Trump's incoming deputy chief of policy will be his former adviser Stephen Miller , who leads a group called America First Legal that has aggressively challenged corporate DEI policies. “There has been a lot of reassessment of risk looking at programs that could be deemed to constitute reverse discrimination,” said Allan Schweyer, principal researcher the Human Capital Center at the Conference Board. “This is another domino to fall and it is a rather large domino,” he added. Among other changes, Walmart said it will no longer give priority treatment to suppliers owned by women or minorities. The company also will not renew a five-year commitment for a racial equity center set up in 2020 after the police killing of George Floyd. And it pulled out of a prominent gay rights index . Schweyer said the biggest trigger for companies making such changes is simply a reassessment of their legal risk exposure, which began after U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in June 2023 that ended affirmative action in college admissions. Since then, conservative groups using similar arguments have secured court victories against various diversity programs, especially those that steer contracts to minority or women-owned businesses. Most recently, the conservative Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty won a victory in a case against the U.S. Department of Transportation over its use of a program that gives priority to minority-owned businesses when it awards contracts. Companies are seeing a big legal risk in continuing with DEI efforts, said Dan Lennington, a deputy counsel at the institute. His organization says it has identified more than 60 programs in the federal government that it considers discriminatory, he said. “We have a legal landscape within the entire federal government, all three branches -- the U.S. Supreme Court, the Congress and the President -- are all now firmly pointed in the direction towards equality of individuals and individualized treatment of all Americans, instead of diversity, equity and inclusion treating people as members of racial groups,” Lennington said. The Trump administration is also likely to take direct aim at DEI initiatives through executive orders and other policies that affect private companies, especially federal contractors. “The impact of the election on DEI policies is huge. It can’t be overstated,” said Jason Schwartz, co-chair of the Labor & Employment Practice Group at law firm Gibson Dunn. With Miller returning to the White House, rolling back DEI initiatives is likely to be a priority, Schwartz said. “Companies are trying to strike the right balance to make clear they’ve got an inclusive workplace where everyone is welcome, and they want to get the best talent, while at the same time trying not to alienate various parts of their employees and customer base who might feel one way or the other. It’s a virtually impossible dilemma,” Schwartz said. A recent survey by Pew Research Center showed that workers are divided on the merits of DEI policies. While still broadly popular, the share of workers who said focusing on workplace diversity was mostly a good thing fell to 52% in the November survey, compared to 56% in a similar survey in February 2023. Rachel Minkin, a research associated at Pew called it a small but significant shift in short amount of time. There will be more companies pulling back from their DEI policies, but it likely won’t be a retreat across the board, said David Glasgow, executive director of the Meltzer Center for Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging at New York University. “There are vastly more companies that are sticking with DEI," Glasgow said. "The only reason you don’t hear about it is most of them are doing it by stealth. They’re putting their heads down and doing DEI work and hoping not to attract attention.” Glasgow advises organizations to stick to their own core values, because attitudes toward the topic can change quickly in the span of four years. “It’s going to leave them looking a little bit weak if there’s a kind of flip-flopping, depending on whichever direction the political winds are blowing,” he said. One reason DEI programs exist is because without those programs, companies may be vulnerable to lawsuits for traditional discrimination. “Really think carefully about the risks in all directions on this topic,” Glasgow said. Walmart confirmed will no longer consider race and gender as a litmus test to improve diversity when it offers supplier contracts. Last fiscal year, Walmart said it spent more than $13 billion on minority, women or veteran-owned good and service suppliers. It was unclear how its relationships with such business would change going forward. Organizations that that have partnered with Walmart on its diversity initiatives offered a cautious response. The Women’s Business Enterprise National Council, a non-profit that last year named Walmart one of America's top corporation for women-owned enterprises, said it was still evaluating the impact of Walmart's announcement. Pamela Prince-Eason, the president and CEO of the organization, said she hoped Walmart's need to cater to its diverse customer base will continue to drive contracts to women-owned suppliers even if the company no longer has explicit dollar goals. “I suspect Walmart will continue to have one of the most inclusive supply chains in the World,” Prince-Eason wrote. “Any retailer's ability to serve the communities they operate in will continue to value understanding their customers, (many of which are women), in order to better provide products and services desired and no one understands customers better than Walmart." Walmart's announcement came after the company spoke directly with conservative political commentator and activist Robby Starbuck, who has been going after corporate DEI policies, calling out individual companies on the social media platform X. Several of those companies have subsequently announced that they are pulling back their initiatives, including Ford , Harley-Davidson, Lowe’s and Tractor Supply . Walmart confirmed to The Associated Press that it will better monitor its third-party marketplace items to make sure they don’t feature sexual and transgender products aimed at minors. The company also will stop participating in the Human Rights Campaign’s annual benchmark index that measures workplace inclusion for LGBTQ+ employees. A Walmart spokesperson added that some of the changes were already in progress and not as a result of conversations that it had with Starbuck. RaShawn “Shawnie” Hawkins, senior director of the HRC Foundation’s Workplace Equality Program, said companies that “abandon” their commitments workplace inclusion policies “are shirking their responsibility to their employees, consumers, and shareholders.” She said the buying power of LGBTQ customers is powerful and noted that the index will have record participation of more than 1,400 companies in 2025.

President-elect Donald Trump’s Border Czar, Thomas Homan, met with New York City Mayor Eric Adams (D) on Thursday, discussing how the sanctuary city can work with the incoming administration to help deport criminal illegal aliens from the United States. Adams, who recently expressed openness to working with Trump on deportations, told the New York Times that he requested the meeting with Homan. In a statement to CBS News New York, Adams said he discussed with Homan how the mayor’s office could use its powers to aid the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in deporting criminal illegal aliens. “We’re looking at ways that I can use my executive power to go after those dangerous, violent people,” Adams told CBS News. “... I made it clear that I’m not going to be warring with his administration, I’m going to be working with his administration.” This week, Homan told a crowd in the sanctuary city of Chicago, Illinois, that local Democrats must not impede the incoming Trump administration from carrying out federal immigration law which requires that illegal aliens be detained while awaiting deportation. “We’re going to start right here in Chicago, Illinois. If your Chicago mayor doesn’t want to help, he can step aside,” Homan said. “But if he impedes us — if he knowingly harbors or conceals an illegal alien — I will prosecute him.” New York City Councilman Robert Holden (D-Queens), an opponent of the city’s sanctuary law, praised Adams for meeting with Homan: I commend the mayor for his strong stance in declaring that New York City will not be a safe haven for criminal migrants and for directing his legal team to explore ways to ensure public safety. This is a critical step in the right direction, and as mayor, he must fully leverage his legal authority to protect New Yorkers. [Emphasis added] Holden recently led a group of Republicans and Democrats on the New York City Council in asking Adams and Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) to end all sanctuary policies in the state. “To truly show commitment to public safety, Mayor Adams should reopen the ICE office at Rikers Island and give the NYPD, Department of Corrections, and Department of Probation the ability to communicate with ICE and honor detainers for criminal migrants,” Holden wrote to Adams. Since the start of the Biden-Harris administration, New York City has been inundated with hundreds of thousands of migrants — most of whom were released directly into the U.S. interior by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Following Vice President Kamala Harris’s loss in the presidential election last month, Adams blasted Harris and President Joe Biden for their border policies. “We all should be angry about what happened to this city under this administration,” Adams said in regards to the waves of illegal immigration that New York City has faced in the last four years. John Binder is a reporter for Breitbart News. Email him at jbinder@breitbart.com. Follow him on Twitter here .Pizza delivery drivers check house numbers. Bank tellers, pharmacists and airline workers check IDs. Far too often, however, the police act first and worry about accuracy later. They don’t have to worry about consequences because the court system shields them from accountability. Jennifer Heath Box is trying to change this. After a family cruise, sheriff’s deputies were waiting for her at Port Everglades in Broward County, Florida. The deputies insisted they had a warrant for her arrest on suspicion of child endangerment in Texas, and they ignored Box when she explained they had the wrong woman. Red flags were obvious. The suspect was 23 years younger than Box, lived at a different address, had a different Social Security number and was 5 inches shorter with different color eyes, hair and skin tone. “How could police think I am 26 when I have a 30-year-old child?” Box asked in an interview. The names did not match. The suspect was Jennifer Delcarmen Heath. This was close enough for the Broward County Sheriff’s Office. The deputies took Box to jail on Christmas Eve 2022 and kept her locked up for three days. She did not just miss the holidays with her family; she was strip-searched and forced to endure horrible conditions. Officers blasted death metal over the speakers, and they purposely pumped freezing air into her cell, making it so cold she had to sleep back-to-back with another inmate to keep warm. “You just felt like you weren’t a human anymore,” Box says. She is now suing to hold her abusers accountable. Our public interest law firm, the Institute for Justice, represents her in a case filed in September. If the pattern of similar lawsuits continues, Box will have to fight to get her case in front of a jury. Courts have created a web of different, sometimes overlapping, legal doctrines to prevent victims of government abuse from receiving compensation. In many cases, the police are untouchable. It often takes years — sometimes more than a decade — to navigate these doctrines, only to find no relief. Michigan college student James King discovered this in 2014 after two plainclothes officers beat him unconscious on his way to work. King was innocent and looked nothing like the suspect in the case. However, the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals decided that a particular rule against bringing multiple lawsuits prevented King from bringing numerous claims in a single suit. Ten years later, his fight for justice is still in the courts. Florida resident David Sosa has been arrested twice since 2014 because of an out-of-state warrant for a different David Sosa with a different age, height, weight and Social Security number — even different tattoos. When the innocent Sosa sued, the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals held in 2023 that officers do not violate the Constitution when they put the wrong person in jail as long as they hold the victim for only three days. Trina Martin and her family faced a different nightmare in Atlanta. The FBI raided their home by mistake in 2017 and held them at gunpoint after breaking open their front door and launching flashbang grenades through the windows in the middle of the night. So far, a lawsuit against the FBI has gone nowhere. The 11th Circuit ruled in April 2024 that agents have discretion to decide how to prepare for a SWAT raid — including by not preparing. In Texas, meanwhile, Waxahachie police went to the wrong address — twice — before raiding the home of Karen Jimerson and her family in March 2019. The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals decided this was OK because the lieutenant in charge did some preparation for the raid before leaving his office. King, Sosa, Martin and Jimerson all ran into different judge-made barriers. Our firm represents Martin and Jimerson as they ask the U.S. Supreme Court to intervene. And Box’s case will challenge the rule that denied Sosa relief. It should not be this difficult for people to get their day in court. At some point, judges must step up and hold police officers responsible for their mistakes. Just because the police have a warrant to arrest someone or raid a house does not mean they can terrorize anyone who has a similar name or lives nearby. People make mistakes. Throwing someone in jail or storming their home is far more serious than a botched pizza delivery. Jared McClain is an attorney at the Institute for Justice in Arlington, Va., and Daryl James is a writer at the institute. They wrote this for InsideSources.com .