July 9, 2019
Canada’s National Observer – Fatima Syed
EXCLUSIVE: Doug Ford didn’t tell you Ontario cancelled 227 clean energy projects
This article is the first of series intended to expose cutbacks to environmental projects already underway in Ontario, now stifled for want of adequate and prior approved funding, some over a four year life. The cap-and-trade agreement to reduce carbon emissions between California, Ontario and Quebec brought $2.9 billion, the basis of the funding, and by March 2018 the government had authorized $2.3 billion in funding supports; the Ford government has already closed down Environmental Commissioner of Ontario (ECO). What is equally perverse is the secrecy around the government decisions and their implementation, especially in the face of growing priority for environmental concerns in the next federal election by the voters. https://www.nationalobserver.com/2019/07/09/news/exclusive-doug-ford-didnt-tell-you-ontario-cancelled-227-clean-energy-projects Related article: Toronto Star – Tanya Talaga Holding Back the River http://projects.thestar.com/climate-change-canada/ontario-eco-anxiety/ (The beginning of a series of Indigenous environmental articles)
National Newswatch – Canadian Press
Half of Indigenous children live in poverty, study says
A report authored by the Assembly of First Nations and the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives shows approximately one of every two Indigenous children living in low income homes – 47% off reserves and 53% on reserves. The on-reserve rate is approximately three times the national Canadian poverty rate (17.6%) as reported in the 2016 census of 120,000 children. Both the poverty rate and the size of the population has been stable since 2006 suggesting that the poverty itself is static. The study confirms the root cause for on-going Indigenous discontent and anger – care and concern for their children – at the federal government. https://www.nationalnewswatch.com/2019/07/09/half-of-indigenous-children-live-in-poverty-study-says-3/#.XSSvII97k2x Related article: Toronto Star – Nicholas Keung Almost half of Status First Nations children live in poverty, study finds https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2019/07/09/almost-half-of-status-first-nations-children-live-in-poverty-study-finds.html Related article: CBC News – Jorge Barrera Attawapiskat declares state of emergency over water quality https://www.cbc.ca/news/indigenous/attawapiskat-water-quality-emergency-1.5204652 Related article: CBC News – Rhiannon Johnson Three-quarters of Indigenous youth optimistic reconciliation will happen in their lifetime, according to poll https://www.cbc.ca/news/indigenous/reconciliation-youth-poll-1.5200429
The Appeal.com – Kyle C. Barry
San Francisco Is Paying for Jamal Trulove’s Wrongful Conviction. Will Kamala Harris?
Jamal Trulove, then 25, was convicted of first degree murder in February 2010. The link provides the story of a deliberate frame of Trulove and a failure by police and prosecutor to reveal exculpatory evidence. Trulove’s conviction was set aside after four years of a 50 year sentence by the Court of Appeal and led to a $10 million award from San Francisco for the deliberate lies. Presidential hopeful Kamala Harris was running for the Attorney General of California at the time and appears complicit in the charade of prosecutorial misconduct. https://theappeal.org/san-francisco-is-paying-for-jamal-truloves-wrongful-conviction-will-kamala-harris/ Related article: National Public Radio (US) – Yuki Noguchi Under Siege And Largely Secret: Businesses That Serve Immigration Detention https://www.npr.org/2019/06/30/736940431/under-siege-and-largely-secret-businesses-that-serve-immigration-detention?utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=news&mc_cid=ae8fb838b7&mc_eid=20ac4a0aa6&fbclid=IwAR34qlwRBZtuGMaZud-dpv6-c45XQemoK7HpSZJHu5ZG-zB9ub1ylV6RbzE
CBC News – Hannah Thibedaux
Ottawa looking at Criminal Code reforms to deter ‘shameful’ conversion therapy
Municipal governments are reacting to a resurgence of “conversion therapy’ for gay and lesbian people. The notion is that gay impulses are learned and not natural and one can expunge the impulse with therapy. Reputable scientists, psychologists, therapists and agencies have for the most part already long rejected the thesis but the law has not yet definitively spoken. Conversion therapy may be based on counselling, medication or religious practices. Cities and even provinces apparently have no route to exclude the practice without recourse to the criminal code. https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/conversion-therapy-criminal-code-1.5204919
Associated Press (US)
ACLU sues over law that punishes inmates with ‘civil death’
The potential for perversity of law reaches a highlight in this little known fact: Rhode Island and a number of other states actually have a law that declares inmates under a life sentence as civilly “dead” with respect to property rights, marriage and other civil rights, as if their natural death took place when they were convicted. As to be expected the state’s attorney general says he cannot comment on matters under litigation. https://apnews.com/ac39cfdeffa04584bb911b41940c2bc0
CBC News (Edmonton) – Charles Rusnell, Jennie Russell
Criminal investigation launched into violent Edmonton police arrest captured on video
The link testifies to the power of video as the most powerful supervisor in questions of police misconduct. Additionally, it raises questions about who or which agency is best suited to investigate allegations. In this case, the Edmonton Police Services is investigating the Edmonton Police Services, a principle long discarded in every arena except perhaps the policing. The accompanying video strongly suggests excessive force and denial of medical attention. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/edmonton-police-violent-arrest-1.5204196
BC Tyee – Hina Imam
CPP Sells Shares in US Prison Companies after Pressure Campaign – Pension plan had invested in two firms that operated migrant detention camps.
The disparaging news around the treatment of refugee children on the southern US border and the use of private prison companies to hold them in detention does not leave Canada free of accountability. According to this report, the Canada Pension Fund had invested in two of these private companies and only recently decided to withdraw Investment funds for about 20 million Canadians. Geo Group and CoreCivic were subject to no further criteria than the rate of return, without asking the sort of misery that generated satisfactory profit. The reversal was prompted by advocacy from two social media groups – Leadnow and the Sum of Us. https://thetyee.ca/News/2019/07/08/CPP-Sells-Shares-US-Prison-Companies/
The Canadian Lawyer’s Daily – John Chunn
Canadian Human Trafficking Hotline launched
The number for the hotline is 1-833-900-1010. If you want to learn more information on the Canadian Human Trafficking Hotline, you can visit their website at: https://www.canadianhumantraffickinghotline.ca/
FOX 40 Live (US) – Sonseeahray Tonsall
Restorative Justice Pilot Program Would Pair Victims with Prisoners
Adnan Khan got more than he expected from a plan to rob $1000 worth of marijuana from a young man whom he and several companions confronted. One of the companions pulled a knife against the plan and stabbed the young man to death. Khan got a 25-life sentence but 16 years into prison led Khan to adopt and promote a RJ model for meeting between offenders and victims, now endorsed by justice and prison officials and given $5 million to explore in the pilot project. https://fox40.com/2019/07/08/restorative-justice-pilot-program-would-pair-victims-with-prisoners/