nationalobserver--2020-07-17--Feds, provinces reach deal on funding for reopening

The federal , provincial and territorial governments have reached a deal on billions of dollars in transfers to continue reopening economies amid the COVID-19 pandemic , Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Thursday .
He said the federal government will contribute $ 19 billion under the `` Safe Restart Agreement '' to help provinces fund things like child care , contact tracing and personal protective equipment .
There is also money to bail out municipal governments that saw soaring expenses and plunging revenues during the pandemic .
Trudeau had promised $ 14 billion in early June , but several premiers said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some of the conditions the federal Liberals wanted to put on the deal .
Ontario Premier Doug Ford was one who did n't like a federal demand that some of it fund up to 10 days of paid sick leave to discourage workers with precarious employment from going into work ill. `` This funding will support us as we get the economy going over the next six to eight months , '' Ford said Thursday .
`` My friends ... it 's a great deal for Ontario . ''
The agreement includes sick @ @ @ @ @ @ @ government .
Manitoba 's Brian Pallister said he 's pleased with that provision .
`` I think it 's very important we have a national program , and the prime minister obviously agreed , '' he said in an interview with The Canadian Press .
`` I think the important thing is that , as opposed to some past discussions where premiers were drawn away from supporting other premiers , the premiers stuck together and they stood for what they wanted and largely got it . ''
British Columbia 's John Horgan said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in transfers and emphasized the sick-leave program as a key move to make sure nobody feels pressured to go work sick .
Quebec 's Francois Legault wanted the money to be transferred without conditions so provinces could use it on whatever they considered most important .
He also did n't want the cash distributed purely by population , noting that Quebec had been hit harder by COVID-19 than other provinces .
The federal , provincial and territorial governments have reached a deal on billions of dollars in transfers to continue reopening economies amid @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trudeau said on Thursday , July 16 , 2020 .
Thursday , he echoed Pallister in saying that the premiers ' sticking together got them a deal they like .
He credited Saskatchewan 's Scott Moe in convincing all the premiers to hold the line .
`` Yes , we wanted the federal government to invest and help get us through the pandemic , but we also wanted the federal government to respect provincial jurisdiction and also give us the flexibility to choose our priorities , '' Legault said .
For Quebec , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ suppliers is a key example , he said .
Trudeau said the agreement outlines seven priority areas , with some room for the provinces to apply the money to their particular needs over the next six to eight months .
`` The provinces agreed to invest in the targeted sectors , '' Trudeau said .
`` There are areas like support for vulnerable people where we will expect the provinces to declare publicly what they will do . ''
At his side , Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland added the agreement includes standards @ @ @ @ @ @ @ testing , in exchange for the federal money .
Trudeau said workers ca n't work if their children do n't have safe care , and many ca n't get to their jobs if they do n't have access to safe transit systems .
`` Until we find a vaccine , the daily threat of COVID-19 will not disappear , '' he said .
Municipal governments , which deliver many of those services , have been begging for aid for months , warning their finances are careening toward brick walls .
Many city revenue @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as recreational centres and programs closed , and transit riders stopped using buses and trains .
Toronto has reported that it 's facing a $ 1.35-billion deficit this year .
Mayor John Tory said the federal money will help , though how much depends on how the Ontario government allocates it .
Transit in Toronto and its suburbs is critical and the systems ' finances have been devastated by the pandemic , he said .
Montreal says it has a $ 500-million shortfall .
Halifax expects to be short $ 85.4 million .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ a safe restart , people will not be safe , '' Trudeau said .
The Federation of Canadian Municipalities said it 's encouraged but wants to see the fine print .
`` We 're optimistic this agreement will recognize the financial crisis municipalities face in this pandemic , '' said the federation 's president Bill Karsten , a Halifax councillor .
That means emergency funding that ’ s clearly identified and gets to municipal front lines fast — so we can keep vital services going strong and prepare to drive Canada ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Stephen McNeil said in a statement that he welcomes a deal that will bring his province more than $ 250 million .
`` Provinces have borne the full impact of COVID-19 and individuals and businesses across Nova Scotia will feel the impact for months to come , '' he said .
`` This funding will help to address those challenges . ''
He said the funding will help with : Missing from the list is public education , which is administered by the provinces .
Many provinces are struggling with how to reopen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ many parents wo n't be able to go back to work fully if children are n't physically in class .
This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 16 , 2020 .
—With files from Amy Smart in Vancouver , Steve Lambert in Winnipeg , Giuseppe Valiante in Montreal and Jordan Press in Ottawa

The federal, provincial and territorial governments have reached a deal on billions of dollars in transfers to continue reopening economies amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Thursday. He said the federal government will contribute $19 billion under the "Safe Restart Agreement" to help provinces fund things like child care, contact tracing and personal protective equipment. There is also money to bail out municipal governments that saw soaring expenses and plunging revenues during the pandemic. Trudeau had promised $14 billion in early June, but several premiers said they needed more money and also resisted some of the conditions the federal Liberals wanted to put on the deal. Ontario Premier Doug Ford was one who didn't like a federal demand that some of it fund up to 10 days of paid sick leave to discourage workers with precarious employment from going into work ill. "This funding will support us as we get the economy going over the next six to eight months," Ford said Thursday. "My friends ... it's a great deal for Ontario."
The agreement includes sick leave, fully funded by the federal government. Manitoba's Brian Pallister said he's pleased with that provision. Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions "I think it's very important we have a national program, and the prime minister obviously agreed," he said in an interview with The Canadian Press.
"I think the important thing is that, as opposed to some past discussions where premiers were drawn away from supporting other premiers, the premiers stuck together and they stood for what they wanted and largely got it." The federal, provincial and territorial governments have reached a deal on billions of dollars in transfers to continue reopening economies amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Thursday, July 16, 2020. British Columbia's John Horgan said his province expects nearly $2 billion in transfers and emphasized the sick-leave program as a key move to make sure nobody feels pressured to go work sick. Quebec's Francois Legault wanted the money to be transferred without conditions so provinces could use it on whatever they considered most important. He also didn't want the cash distributed purely by population, noting that Quebec had been hit harder by COVID-19 than other provinces. Thursday, he echoed Pallister in saying that the premiers' sticking together got them a deal they like. He credited Saskatchewan's Scott Moe in convincing all the premiers to hold the line. "Yes, we wanted the federal government to invest and help get us through the pandemic, but we also wanted the federal government to respect provincial jurisdiction and also give us the flexibility to choose our priorities," Legault said.
For Quebec, spending money on protective equipment from Quebec suppliers is a key example, he said. Trudeau said the agreement outlines seven priority areas, with some room for the provinces to apply the money to their particular needs over the next six to eight months. "The provinces agreed to invest in the targeted sectors," Trudeau said. "There are areas like support for vulnerable people where we will expect the provinces to declare publicly what they will do."


nationalobserver--2020-07-17--New pipelines and mines must show path to 'net zero' to get Federal approval

Proposals for new mines , power plants , pipelines or railways in Canada will have to include plans to hit `` net zero '' emissions by 2050 if they have any hope of getting approved .
But the new rules , contained in the government 's final strategic assessment on climate change released Thursday , are not the all-encompassing climate test environment groups had been hoping to see .
Environment Minister Jonathan Wilkinson said the plan will ensure Canada 's goal to exceed its Paris climate agreement targets by 2030 and then hit net zero by 2050 .
`` Net @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are absorbed by natural or mechanical means , rather than left to amass in the atmosphere where they contribute to global warming .
`` We made a commitment in 2015 , and implemented in the last mandate , of better rules for assessing large projects , '' Wilkinson said .
`` Today what we 're doing is providing clarity to project proponents . ''
The Impact Assessment Act was passed before the last election to overhaul how federal environmental assessments are done .
A long list of projects , from mines and power @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and pipelines , automatically require those assessments .
The environment minister can also insist a federal assessment be done even on some projects not on that list .
In addition to putting time constraints on the review periods , including Indigenous expertise and consultation in the process , and adding a pre-review consultation process , the Impact Assessment Act for the first time will include a project 's effect on climate change as one of the considerations .
The report released Thursday outlines how that will happen .
It requires project proposals to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from construction and operations and what efforts are being made to minimize emissions .
For any project that will still be operating in 2050 , a plan to get to net zero is also required .
`` It is important that the assessment of projects is consistent with Canada 's commitment to achieving a net-zero future by 2050 , '' said Wilkinson .
`` Which , as I say , reinforces the message that the government has been saying that climate change is real , it 's important , we need to address @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , power plants , pipelines or railways in Canada will have to include plans to hit `` net zero '' emissions by 2050 if they have any hope of getting approved .
A net-zero plan will be one of the enforceable conditions put on a project if it is approved , but there are no details about how such a plan would be measured or enforced .
Julia Levin , the climate and energy program manager at Environmental Defence , said she is disappointed with the rules .
Not only do they fail @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be in line with Canada 's 2030 climate goals , the new rules only require projects that will operate after 2050 to have those net-zero plans .
`` This is not a climate test , '' she said .
Levin said under these rules a coal mine that wants to operate for the next 25 years could contribute emissions to the atmosphere for a quarter-century and not have to show a plan for reducing emissions .
She also noted that there is nothing requiring an assessment of the emissions that will be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a new oilsands mine is refined and burned to drive cars , or when coal is burned to make electricity .
Wilkinson is in the midst of reconsidering whether to order a federal assessment of the proposed Vista coal mine expansion in Alberta , which is producing coal entirely for export .
He said Thursday there is some merit to considering the global impacts of exporting coal from Canada and an assessment of thermal coal as a whole is underway to determine if Canada should adjust how it assesses new coal projects .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the future of thermal coal in this country , '' said Wilkinson .
But he said the climate-change assessment is not requiring reports on what emissions Canadian-made products may create in other countries because those emissions are the responsibility of the nation where they are produced .

Proposals for new mines, power plants, pipelines or railways in Canada will have to include plans to hit "net zero" emissions by 2050 if they have any hope of getting approved. But the new rules, contained in the government's final strategic assessment on climate change released Thursday, are not the all-encompassing climate test environment groups had been hoping to see. Environment Minister Jonathan Wilkinson said the plan will ensure Canada's goal to exceed its Paris climate agreement targets by 2030 and then hit net zero by 2050. "Net zero" means any greenhouse gases emitted are absorbed by natural or mechanical means, rather than left to amass in the atmosphere where they contribute to global warming. "We made a commitment in 2015, and implemented in the last mandate, of better rules for assessing large projects," Wilkinson said. "Today what we're doing is providing clarity to project proponents."
The Impact Assessment Act was passed before the last election to overhaul how federal environmental assessments are done. A long list of projects, from mines and power lines to wind farms, airports, and pipelines, automatically require those assessments. The environment minister can also insist a federal assessment be done even on some projects not on that list. In addition to putting time constraints on the review periods, including Indigenous expertise and consultation in the process, and adding a pre-review consultation process, the Impact Assessment Act for the first time will include a project's effect on climate change as one of the considerations. Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions The report released Thursday outlines how that will happen. It requires project proposals to include the greenhouse-gas emissions to be produced from construction and operations and what efforts are being made to minimize emissions.
For any project that will still be operating in 2050, a plan to get to net zero is also required. Proposals for new mines, power plants, pipelines or railways in Canada will have to include plans to hit "net zero" emissions by 2050 if they have any hope of getting approved. "It is important that the assessment of projects is consistent with Canada's commitment to achieving a net-zero future by 2050," said Wilkinson. "Which, as I say, reinforces the message that the government has been saying that climate change is real, it's important, we need to address it." A net-zero plan will be one of the enforceable conditions put on a project if it is approved, but there are no details about how such a plan would be measured or enforced. Julia Levin, the climate and energy program manager at Environmental Defence, said she is disappointed with the rules. Not only do they fail to put any specific requirements for projects to be in line with Canada's 2030 climate goals, the new rules only require projects that will operate after 2050 to have those net-zero plans.
"This is not a climate test," she said. Levin said under these rules a coal mine that wants to operate for the next 25 years could contribute emissions to the atmosphere for a quarter-century and not have to show a plan for reducing emissions. She also noted that there is nothing requiring an assessment of the emissions that will be produced downstream — like when oil in a new oilsands mine is refined and burned to drive cars, or when coal is burned to make electricity.


nationalobserver--2020-07-17--Chagger says PMO didn't direct her to choose WE for volunteer program

The federal minister responsible for a $ 912-million student volunteering program said Prime Minister Justin Trudeau 's office did n't order her to make the agreement with WE Charity that has become mired in ethical questions for the government .
Youth Minister Bardish Chagger told the House of Commons finance committee Thursday she did n't personally have conversations with Trudeau 's office , or that of Finance Minister Bill Morneau , or WE itself prior to cabinet approval of the deal .
Days after the prime minister announced WE Charity would run the program , the organization quit amid a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the charity .
During a long and at times testy committee meeting Thursday , MPs heard those family ties were raised during cabinet discussions .
MPs also got a timeline about how the agreement came to be , including that the charity first pitched the government on a youth service program in mid-April , days before Trudeau publicly announced plans for one .
Trudeau , and now his finance minister , are facing ethics probes for their roles in the affair and the fate of the Canada Student Service Grant is uncertain .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the finance committee began in mid-April when WE sent an unsolicited proposal for a youth service program to Chagger and Small Business Minister Mary Ng .
Officials had already been talking about ways to help students unable to work this summer due to the COVID-19 pandemic , intending to roll out something by mid-May .
It was in that context that Finance Department officials mentioned WE during conversations with counterparts at Employment and Social Development Canada , which oversees student-related programs .
Rachel Wernick , a senior ESDC official , said she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ options for a student service program because of the organization 's previous involvement with the department .
She told the committee she called WE co-founder Craig Kielburger on April 19 at which time she learned of the original proposal .
Three days later , on April 22 , Trudeau announced a $ 9-billion package of student aid , including the outline of a volunteer program paying students up to $ 5,000 toward education costs , based on the number of hours they volunteer .
The federal minister responsible for a $ 912-million student @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's office did n't order her to make the agreement with WE Charity that has become mired in ethical questions for the government .
Wernick said Kielburger emailed her an updated proposal based on the prime minister 's announcement .
In a June 12 video chat with youth leaders , a copy of which was obtained by The Canadian Press , brother and WE co-founder Marc Kielburger said he heard from Trudeau 's office on April 23 about the volunteer program .
In a statement last month , Marc Kielburger said the contact @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an ESDC official ( he cited Wernick 's title but not her name ) , and not the PMO .
Chagger 's deputy minister , Gina Wilson , told the committee that officials determined early on that going with a wide , or even limited , call for proposals to run the program would have taken two months or more , which was too long .
Chagger said the recommendation , made in writing by Wernick , was that WE was the only organization that could run and scale up the grant program @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as to why the public service could not offer this program , '' Chagger told the committee .
`` It was recommended that WE Charity be used because they had the capacity as well as the network to deliver this program . ''
In mid-May , negotiations on a funding agreement began , the committee heard .
The final deal had WE Charity eligible to receive up to $ 43.53 million to administer the program if it landed 40,000 placements .
Paula Speevak , chief executive of Volunteer Canada , a charity that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ well , said that WE suggested in meetings between May 25 and June 3 that the target for placements had gone from 20,000 to 100,000 .
Before that , her group raised concerns about paying hourly rates below minimum wage and calling it `` volunteering , '' telling Chagger that could undermine future engagement .
Chagger did n't say how many positions the program was supposed to create for students or who in her office spoke with the Prime Minister 's Office about the deal prior to its being finalized on June 23 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Chagger about whether Trudeau 's family links were raised when she brought the recommendation to cabinet .
`` We have tough conversations around the cabinet table , we have tough conversations around our team , '' Chagger said .
`` Yes , these questions were posed . ''
On July 3 , WE gave up the contract amid the controversy about its connections to Trudeau and speaking fees paid to his brother and mother .
Trudeau has admitted he should have recused himself from the decision to award the contract , as has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ WE organization .
The prime minister did n't say Thursday whether he would testify at committee as opposition MPs want .
`` I 'm looking forward to speaking next week at Parliament , '' Trudeau said , referring to a scheduled July sitting .
`` I know there will be a range of questions from opposition parties . ''
Ethics commissioner Mario Dion has already said he 'll investigate Trudeau 's role in the affair .
Dion 's office said Thursday that Morneau would be scrutinized as well to see if he violated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The average time to complete an ethics investigation is seven months .
This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 16 , 2020 .

The federal minister responsible for a $912-million student volunteering program said Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's office didn't order her to make the agreement with WE Charity that has become mired in ethical questions for the government. Youth Minister Bardish Chagger told the House of Commons finance committee Thursday she didn't personally have conversations with Trudeau's office, or that of Finance Minister Bill Morneau, or WE itself prior to cabinet approval of the deal. Days after the prime minister announced WE Charity would run the program, the organization quit amid a controversy about Trudeau's family links to the charity. During a long and at times testy committee meeting Thursday, MPs heard those family ties were raised during cabinet discussions. MPs also got a timeline about how the agreement came to be, including that the charity first pitched the government on a youth service program in mid-April, days before Trudeau publicly announced plans for one. Trudeau, and now his finance minister, are facing ethics probes for their roles in the affair and the fate of the Canada Student Service Grant is uncertain.
The timeline of events as laid out to the finance committee began in mid-April when WE sent an unsolicited proposal for a youth service program to Chagger and Small Business Minister Mary Ng. Officials had already been talking about ways to help students unable to work this summer due to the COVID-19 pandemic, intending to roll out something by mid-May. Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions It was in that context that Finance Department officials mentioned WE during conversations with counterparts at Employment and Social Development Canada, which oversees student-related programs.
Rachel Wernick, a senior ESDC official, said she offered to call WE and explore potential options for a student service program because of the organization's previous involvement with the department. The federal minister responsible for a $912-million student volunteering program said Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's office didn't order her to make the agreement with WE Charity that has become mired in ethical questions for the government. She told the committee she called WE co-founder Craig Kielburger on April 19 at which time she learned of the original proposal. Three days later, on April 22, Trudeau announced a $9-billion package of student aid, including the outline of a volunteer program paying students up to $5,000 toward education costs, based on the number of hours they volunteer. Wernick said Kielburger emailed her an updated proposal based on the prime minister's announcement. In a June 12 video chat with youth leaders, a copy of which was obtained by The Canadian Press, brother and WE co-founder Marc Kielburger said he heard from Trudeau's office on April 23 about the volunteer program.
In a statement last month, Marc Kielburger said the contact came the week of April 26 from an ESDC official (he cited Wernick's title but not her name), and not the PMO. Chagger's deputy minister, Gina Wilson, told the committee that officials determined early on that going with a wide, or even limited, call for proposals to run the program would have taken two months or more, which was too long. Chagger said the recommendation, made in writing by Wernick, was that WE was the only organization that could run and scale up the grant program.


nationalobserver--2020-07-17--Canada, U.S. confirm extension of border closures into late August

`` Close collaboration with our neighbours has allowed us to respond to COVID-19 in a North American approach and slow the travel-related spread of the virus . ''
`` Based on the success of the existing restrictions and close collaboration with Mexico and Canada , ( the Department of Homeland Security ) will continue to limit non-essential travel at our land ports of entry with Canada and Mexico until Aug. 20 , '' acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf tweeted Thursday .
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security says Canada and the United States have agreed to extend their mutual @ @ @ @ @ @ @ countries until Aug. 20 .
The Canada-U.S. border has been closed to so-called `` discretionary '' travel like vacations and shopping trips since the COVID-19 pandemic took hold of the continent in mid-March , an agreement that had been set to expire July 21 .
The extension comes with COVID-19 resurgent across the U.S. — cases are on the rise in all 50 states , and southern states like Florida , Arizona and California are facing a fresh crisis with overcrowded hospital wards , refrigerated truck trailers serving as makeshift morgues and another @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The escalating emergency has also exposed a deep divide between Canadians dead-set against reopening the border and U.S. lawmakers in northern border states who continue to press both countries for a blueprint for doing exactly that .
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has called the extent of the pandemic in the U.S. a `` constantly evolving '' situation , but wo n't say whether officials have considered extending the border restrictions beyond the standard 30-day window .
`` We 're going to keep working closely with our American neighbours to keep people safe on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he said Thursday .

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security says Canada and the United States have agreed to extend their mutual ban on non-essential travel between the two countries until Aug. 20.
"Based on the success of the existing restrictions and close collaboration with Mexico and Canada, (the Department of Homeland Security) will continue to limit non-essential travel at our land ports of entry with Canada and Mexico until Aug. 20," acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf tweeted Thursday.
"Close collaboration with our neighbours has allowed us to respond to COVID-19 in a North American approach and slow the travel-related spread of the virus."
The Canada-U.S. border has been closed to so-called "discretionary" travel like vacations and shopping trips since the COVID-19 pandemic took hold of the continent in mid-March, an agreement that had been set to expire July 21.
The extension comes with COVID-19 resurgent across the U.S. — cases are on the rise in all 50 states, and southern states like Florida, Arizona and California are facing a fresh crisis with overcrowded hospital wards, refrigerated truck trailers serving as makeshift morgues and another shortage of personal protective medical gear.


nationalobserver--2020-07-17--So many unanswered questions in Ontario's back-to-school plan

Ontario ’ s education minister has so far failed to present a comprehensive strategy for September ’ s return to school .
But experts and advocates say that could create “ tragic ” consequences for the province ’ s most vulnerable students .
Premier Doug Ford and Education Minister Stephen Lecce have in recent days indicated they would like to see students back in class full-time .
However they have not said they will provide the funding to pay for it .
The question of how to deal with education sits at the centre of the province ’ s reopening @ @ @ @ @ @ @ full return to classes makes it difficult for working parents who have for months been juggling jobs and parenting .
And it throws up all manner of questions , such as if a teacher tests positive for COVID-19 , are they required to quarantine for two or three weeks ?
Do they get paid for that sick leave ?
Do all their students need to be quarantined or tested ?
Where does that happen and how are parents notified ?
Does everyone in each student ’ s family need to get tested ?
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ boards to plan for three different models of instruction : full-time in-class teaching with COVID-19 prevention measures ; full-time remote learning ; and a hybrid model that would see only half the school population in class each day .
Each board will be responding to its specific public health realities and other considerations , but Charles Pascal , a former deputy education minister , said the government had squandered the time needed to properly prepare them and failed to collaborate constructively to deliver on those options .
“ This process should have started @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” said Pascal , who is now a professor at the University of Toronto ’ s Ontario Institute for Studies in Education ( OISE ) .
Charles Pascal , a former Ontario deputy education minister , says the Ford government has wasted time and failed to collaborate on how to re-open schools in September .
The government has said it is meeting frequently with a range of stakeholder groups ( more than 140 meetings since early March and counting , a spokesperson said in early July ) .
But Pascal says several directors @ @ @ @ @ @ @ conference call about the tenor of the conversation .
He added that experts at OISE who work on instructional design have not been invited to consultations .
Pascal also said competence varies across Ontario ’ s 72 boards and it would be up to the province to ensure all were accountable .
Education experts including @ CEPascal and @ KarenMundy4 warn that @ fordnation and @ sflecce have been slow to act and failed to collaborate with partners on how to safely re-open Ontario schools in September “ It ’ s a perfect @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and there is a lot of Russian roulette in making the wrong decisions , ” he said .
More funding needed , but is it coming ?
In a planning document released Wednesday , the Toronto District School Board says if elementary students are divided into cohorts of 15 , and one teacher delivers their entire curriculum without any shortening of the school day five days a week , they would need to hire nearly 2,500 more teachers at a cost of almost $ 250 million .
( The TDSB , Canada @ @ @ @ @ @ @ almost 11,300 teachers . )
An option where only kindergarten to Grade 3 have 15 students and higher grades have 20 would require 1,900 teachers at a cost of $ 190 million .
In response , the premier said the TDSB is getting $ 55 million more in funding than it received last year , and of that , $ 23 million is being allocated to more teachers .
A spokesperson for Lecce did not respond to questions posed by National Observer , including on whether the government would commit to hiring more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ run full-time .
Stephen Lecce and Doug Ford shake hands during Lecce 's swearing-in ceremony as education minister in July 2019 .
Photo by Cole Burston Karen Mundy , a colleague of Pascal ’ s at OISE , said the top priority of schools , boards and the ministry should be to get students from kindergarten to Grade 3 back in class since it is hard to catch them up on lost literacy development .
In particular , she said support should be directed at students most at risk of falling further behind @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bungled response to education in the wake of the pandemic risks creating a crisis for the province ’ s youngest students that wouldn ’ t show up economically until they are 18 , but that it would be tragic to reinforce inequalities rather than alleviate them .
Mundy pointed out that Toronto has provided a map of public health data showing more cases among racialized , immigrant and low-income populations , “ so we know which communities need to have full-time , face-to-face kindergarten to Grade 3 learning happening.
” Mike Schreiner , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ontario and its only MPP , said Ford is stalling and leaving it up to others to figure out what to do when he should be working on a plan to reopen schools full-time in September and then communicating that plan to others .
Both the official Opposition NDP and Liberals are also pushing for the government to ensure the safe provision of full-day school in September .
“ It is unacceptable that seven weeks out from the start of the school year , parents , students and educators remain in the dark @ @ @ @ @ @ @ should hire more teachers and support staff and develop plans to teach outdoors and in community centres and other local spaces .
“ I worry about all those vulnerable children whose literacy , mental health , and nutrition will only get worse without a plan for school to resume , ” he said .
The province has been wrestling with Ottawa over its share of $ 14 billion in federal funding for regional recovery , with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau upping that to $ 19 billion on Thursday .
He said the money @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , including enhanced COVID-19 testing and contact tracing , the purchase of personal protective equipment ( PPE ) for front-line workers and businesses , funding for municipalities , a national sick leave plan , and child care so that parents can get back to work .
Ford said Ontario would get around $ 7 billion of the total .

Ontario’s education minister has so far failed to present a comprehensive strategy for September’s return to school. But experts and advocates say that could create “tragic” consequences for the province’s most vulnerable students. Premier Doug Ford and Education Minister Stephen Lecce have in recent days indicated they would like to see students back in class full-time. However they have not said they will provide the funding to pay for it. The question of how to deal with education sits at the centre of the province’s reopening dilemma, since anything less than a full return to classes makes it difficult for working parents who have for months been juggling jobs and parenting. And it throws up all manner of questions, such as if a teacher tests positive for COVID-19, are they required to quarantine for two or three weeks? Do they get paid for that sick leave? Do all their students need to be quarantined or tested? Where does that happen and how are parents notified? Does everyone in each student’s family need to get tested? In mid-June, the province asked school boards to plan for three different models of instruction: full-time in-class teaching with COVID-19 prevention measures; full-time remote learning; and a hybrid model that would see only half the school population in class each day.
Each board will be responding to its specific public health realities and other considerations, but Charles Pascal, a former deputy education minister, said the government had squandered the time needed to properly prepare them and failed to collaborate constructively to deliver on those options. “This process should have started months ago, not weeks ago,” said Pascal, who is now a professor at the University of Toronto’s Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE). Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions Charles Pascal, a former Ontario deputy education minister, says the Ford government has wasted time and failed to collaborate on how to re-open schools in September.
The government has said it is meeting frequently with a range of stakeholder groups (more than 140 meetings since early March and counting, a spokesperson said in early July). But Pascal says several directors of education complain to him after each conference call about the tenor of the conversation. Education experts including @CEPascal and @KarenMundy4 warn that @fordnation and @sflecce have been slow to act and failed to collaborate with partners on how to safely re-open Ontario schools in September He added that experts at OISE who work on instructional design have not been invited to consultations. Pascal also said competence varies across Ontario’s 72 boards and it would be up to the province to ensure all were accountable. “It’s a perfect storm for the wrong things to happen, and there is a lot of Russian roulette in making the wrong decisions,” he said.
More funding needed, but is it coming? In a planning document released Wednesday, the Toronto District School Board says if elementary students are divided into cohorts of 15, and one teacher delivers their entire curriculum without any shortening of the school day five days a week, they would need to hire nearly 2,500 more teachers at a cost of almost $250 million. (The TDSB, Canada's largest school board, currently employs almost 11,300 teachers.) An option where only kindergarten to Grade 3 have 15 students and higher grades have 20 would require 1,900 teachers at a cost of $190 million.


nationalobserver--2020-07-17--Here's what reform of the Toronto police force should look like

Late last month , Michael Theriault , a Toronto police officer , was acquitted of aggravated assault and attempting to obstruct justice .
But the off-duty officer was convicted of the lesser charge of assaulting Dafonte Miller .
Theriault 's brother , Christian , was acquitted of all three charges .
The charges arose from an attack on 19-year-old Miller in 2016 , when Miller and friends were allegedly caught “ car hopping ” and stealing from vehicles .
Coming in the wake of global protests around police killings and excessive use of force against Black people , Indigenous people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ many are upset at the decision .
Police in Canada have not escaped scrutiny , after videos of police shootings and what appears to be excessive use of force with minorities .
Due to the racial undertones of the attack and the horrific nature of the injuries sustained by Miller , Ontario Superior Court Justice Joseph Di Luca noted that the case , and others like it , `` raise significant issues involving race and policing that should be further examined . ''
Indeed , what we should be upset about is the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the same benefits and due process to BIPOC , people with mental health issues .
Unfortunately , the colour of one ’ s skin , status and wealth go a long a way when appearing in front of Lady Justice , whose blindfold slips off too often .
Justice Di Luca clarified that his mandate was not to conduct a public inquiry on race and policing , or to appease the public — it was to decide the case based on the evidence presented .
So , who should we be turning to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ council voted against a 10 per cent decrease in police funding and voted in favour of a number of cosmetic changes : introducing body cameras and a commitment to implement recommendations from previous inquiries into police overreach .
Outgoing Toronto police Chief Mark Saunders and other police brass also spoke out , promising to help rebuild public trust in the police .
If city councils and law enforcement officials genuinely wish to change the status quo , then let them consider the following and work to push these along : They should be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ misconduct , discrimination and abuse of power .
`` If defunding the police sounds extreme , then at least de-task officers and offload some of the work we impose on the police to better-qualified and resourced outfits . ''
If defunding the police sounds extreme , then at least de-task officers and offload some of the work we impose on the police to better-qualified and resourced outfits .
Let us divert some of the funding to enhance response to mental health calls and provide better training .
Let us redirect some funds from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in de-escalation .
Let the police earn the trust and respect of the communities they serve by demonstrating that they genuinely want to serve and protect , not profile , assault and maim .
Secure forts and armoured vehicles will then not be necessary .
All police forces must ensure that all officers and vehicles are equipped with cameras .
Toronto city council ’ s promise to introduce body cameras is a good move .
Though as critics have pointed out , this is just a first step .
We need to implement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ does not disappear when convenient and is available for public scrutiny .
Comprehensive rules must be enacted to make sure that cameras are turned on .
If it was not turned on or it was shut off by the officer and there is an allegation of abuse , then the onus must be shifted to the accused officer to disprove the allegation .
When will we get true independent oversight ?
No more cops or ex-cops and toothless bodies investigating police misconduct .
Truly independent outfits must do this work and must be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , for instance , most complaints go to the Ontario Independent Police Review Director ( OIPRD ) .
Most matters end up being found unsubstantiated , and even if allegations are substantiated , the OIPRD does not have any real power of sanction .
More serious situations where there is a death , serious injury or allegations of sexual assault involving police officers are investigated by the Special Investigations Unit ( SIU ) .
There is no official nationwide tracking of what happens to police complaints , but according to a 2010 Toronto @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of SIU investigations , there were at least 3,400 investigations conducted , and criminal charges were only laid in 95 of these .
This means that less than three per cent of the complaints end up going anywhere .
Remember that the majority of police abuse cases of power do not even make it to the SIU .
When will we see more serious punishment when a law enforcement officer is found guilty of misconduct or a criminal offence ?
The standard practice of giving charged police officers a paid holiday must change @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more carefully and if the public is to regain trust .
Accusations and complaints should not trigger serious employment consequences , but charges and findings of misconduct must come with serious consequences .
Moreover , if convicted , officers must receive more serious punishment than others .
We must expect better from our law enforcers .
When will we break up the mafia-like police unions and introduce significant changes to police culture ?
In Canada , there have been unflattering media reports about police unions .
In the U.S. , some activists and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ investigations against police unions .
Here in Canada , it ’ s also time to take unions to task .
It is well past the time to be more selective in screening our police officers like we do with others tasked with important roles in our society .
Someone authorized to kill on our behalf ought to be as educated , and more accountable , than those authorized to teach , interpret the law and save lives .
Making police officers feel the financial pinch will also impact their conduct .
Why not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ insurance plans with premiums tied to claims and payouts ?
As officers pay for their own legal fees and settlements through their premiums , I am sure more of the “ good ” officers will speak out against the “ bad ” apples .
Without major changes to policing , the rebuilding of trust talk is just hot air , and the elephant in the room that Justice Di Luca highlighted will just get fatter .
In the interest of full disclosure , I am representing an elderly Black couple in a complaint @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Police for use of excessive force .

Late last month, Michael Theriault, a Toronto police officer, was acquitted of aggravated assault and attempting to obstruct justice. But the off-duty officer was convicted of the lesser charge of assaulting Dafonte Miller. Theriault's brother, Christian, was acquitted of all three charges. The charges arose from an attack on 19-year-old Miller in 2016, when Miller and friends were allegedly caught “car hopping” and stealing from vehicles. Coming in the wake of global protests around police killings and excessive use of force against Black people, Indigenous people and people with mental health issues, many are upset at the decision. Police in Canada have not escaped scrutiny, after videos of police shootings and what appears to be excessive use of force with minorities. Due to the racial undertones of the attack and the horrific nature of the injuries sustained by Miller, Ontario Superior Court Justice Joseph Di Luca noted that the case, and others like it, "raise significant issues involving race and policing that should be further examined." Indeed, what we should be upset about is the system itself, which does not extend the same benefits and due process to BIPOC, people with mental health issues. Unfortunately, the colour of one’s skin, status and wealth go a long a way when appearing in front of Lady Justice, whose blindfold slips off too often.
Justice Di Luca clarified that his mandate was not to conduct a public inquiry on race and policing, or to appease the public — it was to decide the case based on the evidence presented. So, who should we be turning to address these serious concerns? Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions Toronto city council voted against a 10 per cent decrease in police funding and voted in favour of a number of cosmetic changes: introducing body cameras and a commitment to implement recommendations from previous inquiries into police overreach.
Outgoing Toronto police Chief Mark Saunders and other police brass also spoke out, promising to help rebuild public trust in the police. "If defunding the police sounds extreme, then at least de-task officers and offload some of the work we impose on the police to better-qualified and resourced outfits." If city councils and law enforcement officials genuinely wish to change the status quo, then let them consider the following and work to push these along: They should be calling for a public inquiry into police misconduct, discrimination and abuse of power. If defunding the police sounds extreme, then at least de-task officers and offload some of the work we impose on the police to better-qualified and resourced outfits. Let us divert some of the funding to enhance response to mental health calls and provide better training. Let us redirect some funds from weapons and military gadgets to train police in de-escalation. Let the police earn the trust and respect of the communities they serve by demonstrating that they genuinely want to serve and protect, not profile, assault and maim. Secure forts and armoured vehicles will then not be necessary.
All police forces must ensure that all officers and vehicles are equipped with cameras. Toronto city council’s promise to introduce body cameras is a good move. Though as critics have pointed out, this is just a first step. We need to implement protocols to ensure that the video evidence does not disappear when convenient and is available for public scrutiny. Comprehensive rules must be enacted to make sure that cameras are turned on. If it was not turned on or it was shut off by the officer and there is an allegation of abuse, then the onus must be shifted to the accused officer to disprove the allegation. When will we get true independent oversight? No more cops or ex-cops and toothless bodies investigating police misconduct. Truly independent outfits must do this work and must be accountable to the public. In Ontario, for instance, most complaints go to the Ontario Independent Police Review Director (OIPRD).


nationalobserver--2020-07-17--Delta city council to discuss report recommending Trudeau reject container terminal project

Delta city council is set to discuss a report Monday that recommends asking Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to block the approval of a new large marine container terminal at Roberts Bank .
A report from the city ’ s corporate services department concerning the Roberts Bank Terminal 2 project , a new three-berth terminal that would be built next to the current Deltaport and Westshore terminal , has been placed on Delta ’ s council agenda for Monday as a discussion item .
The July 15 report , endorsed by the city manager , recommends that a letter be sent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ requesting that the project be rejected based on the findings of a federal review panel .
“ Staff is recommending that Delta take a stronger stance at this time and request that the project not be approved , ” reads the report , sent to Mayor George Harvie and council members and signed by corporate services director Mel Cheesman .
The report said Delta had previously asked for a decision to be postponed on the terminal in order to address lingering concerns , but with the release of the review panel ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of those issues have not been resolved.
” After a five-year environmental assessment process , the review panel ’ s findings , delivered in March , were that the project would result in “ significant adverse and cumulative effects on wetlands ” in the area and affect numerous wildlife species .
These include the Dungeness crab , southern resident killer whales , a type of Chinook salmon from the Lower Fraser and South Thompson rivers , and potentially the western sandpiper shorebird and the barn owl , which are classified as threatened .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the use of land and resources by Tsawwassen First Nation and Musqueam Indian Band , and on cultural heritage for Tsleil-Waututh Nation , as well as cumulative effects on land and resources use by Pacheedaht First Nation and Ditidaht First Nation , the panel found .
Finally , it said building the container terminal could also impact human health through exposure to “ respiratory irritants , ” as well as noise , dust and light pollution that are present in the area , but could be exacerbated .
The panel , however @ @ @ @ @ @ @ consistent with Canada ’ s role as a trading nation ” as it would increase container terminal capacity and boost competitiveness for markets tied to the marine shipping supply chain .
The Vancouver Fraser Port Authority says the new terminal would help Canada deliver on trade commitments and provide economic benefits and jobs for B.C.
, Metro Vancouver and the country , as well as to Indigenous and local communities .
Delta city council is set to discuss a report on Monday that recommends asking Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to block the approval @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at Roberts Bank .
Critics have raised concerns about the potential threat to wildlife , as well as other issues .
The Raincoast Conservation Foundation , for example , has put forward recommendations to address the “ crisis ” facing Fraser River salmon and the habitat loss it says is a key factor .
Roger Emsley of Against Port Expansion submitted a letter Friday afternoon to Harvie and council offering his “ strong support ” for the recommendations in the corporate services report , and urging city council to pass a motion to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ immediately respond to a request for comment Friday from National Observer .
The city council agenda is subject to change , and this story reflects the council ’ s agenda as of Friday afternoon .
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic , Wilkinson approved a 90-day extension , giving the minister until Nov. 22 to issue a decision statement , including conditions related to the project , if it is authorized to proceed .
Delta 's report said federal and provincial government staff are now “ in the process of preparing conditions which would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , should they be issued .
”

Delta city council is set to discuss a report Monday that recommends asking Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to block the approval of a new large marine container terminal at Roberts Bank. A report from the city’s corporate services department concerning the Roberts Bank Terminal 2 project, a new three-berth terminal that would be built next to the current Deltaport and Westshore terminal, has been placed on Delta’s council agenda for Monday as a discussion item. The July 15 report, endorsed by the city manager, recommends that a letter be sent to Trudeau and Environment Minister Jonathan Wilkinson requesting that the project be rejected based on the findings of a federal review panel. “Staff is recommending that Delta take a stronger stance at this time and request that the project not be approved,” reads the report, sent to Mayor George Harvie and council members and signed by corporate services director Mel Cheesman. The report said Delta had previously asked for a decision to be postponed on the terminal in order to address lingering concerns, but with the release of the review panel’s findings “it is apparent that many of those issues have not been resolved.”
After a five-year environmental assessment process, the review panel’s findings, delivered in March, were that the project would result in “significant adverse and cumulative effects on wetlands” in the area and affect numerous wildlife species. These include the Dungeness crab, southern resident killer whales, a type of Chinook salmon from the Lower Fraser and South Thompson rivers, and potentially the western sandpiper shorebird and the barn owl, which are classified as threatened. Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions There would also likely be adverse effects on the use of land and resources by Tsawwassen First Nation and Musqueam Indian Band, and on cultural heritage for Tsleil-Waututh Nation, as well as cumulative effects on land and resources use by Pacheedaht First Nation and Ditidaht First Nation, the panel found.
Finally, it said building the container terminal could also impact human health through exposure to “respiratory irritants,” as well as noise, dust and light pollution that are present in the area, but could be exacerbated. Delta city council is set to discuss a report on Monday that recommends asking Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to block the approval of a new large marine container terminal at Roberts Bank. The panel, however, also said the project was “consistent with Canada’s role as a trading nation” as it would increase container terminal capacity and boost competitiveness for markets tied to the marine shipping supply chain. The Vancouver Fraser Port Authority says the new terminal would help Canada deliver on trade commitments and provide economic benefits and jobs for B.C., Metro Vancouver and the country, as well as to Indigenous and local communities. Critics have raised concerns about the potential threat to wildlife, as well as other issues. The Raincoast Conservation Foundation, for example, has put forward recommendations to address the “crisis” facing Fraser River salmon and the habitat loss it says is a key factor. Roger Emsley of Against Port Expansion submitted a letter Friday afternoon to Harvie and council offering his “strong support” for the recommendations in the corporate services report, and urging city council to pass a motion to approve it.
The mayor did not immediately respond to a request for comment Friday from National Observer. The city council agenda is subject to change, and this story reflects the council’s agenda as of Friday afternoon. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Wilkinson approved a 90-day extension, giving the minister until Nov. 22 to issue a decision statement, including conditions related to the project, if it is authorized to proceed. Delta's report said federal and provincial government staff are now “in the process of preparing conditions which would form the basis of the approval certificates, should they be issued.”


nationalobserver--2020-07-17--Ryerson promising changes after racism review finds it has a problem

Kwaku Agyemang sees a “ glimmer of hope ” in Ryerson University ’ s latest effort to address systemic anti-Black racism .
He ’ s just not sure if it will end up being another performance that goes nowhere .
The former Ryerson student union executive said he had experienced first-hand both the mundane challenges many Black students at the downtown university encounter and the delays and difficulties faced by those seeking individual remedy or advocating for structural change .
The results of the Ryerson review comes out amid a broad discussion about how institutions of power and individuals can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ discussion was sparked by the extensive protests that followed a particularly egregious death of a Black man , George Floyd , at the knee of a U.S. police officer .
The head of the university ’ s journalism program also said in June the department would include an optional course about reporting on race and Black communities to senior students starting in September after students whose views Janice Neal had sought demanded it .
Agyemang said the university had cancelled meetings on the special constable issue with the union , the Black Liberation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the Continuing Education Students ' Association of Ryerson ( CESAR ) and instead requested the students provide written answers to questions and their own requests for information .
“ Students were going through so much to try to push the university to see how wrong this was , and all it took was for the protest and the uprising and the Black Lives Matter movement for optics to put a pin in it.
” Former student union exec @ KwakuOnAir says he holds out a `` glimmer of hope '' that Ryerson @ @ @ @ @ @ @ concerns of Black students in the wake of massive protests can be sustained Kwaku Agyemang says the university has sidelined Black voices opposing a police-linked project on campus .
Photo supplied The Ryerson report says Black students told them they experience and witness campus security staff as an intimidating force that treats Black students and white students differently , often lingering in the corridors at events they frequent or just outside the building where such events are held .
The Ryerson report acknowledged its own timeliness , saying that “ current events are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ racism , which has disproportionately disadvantaged the Black community.
” It said the Black students interviewed painted a complex picture in their experiences of anti-Black racism on campus , from not having a sense of belonging , to gaps in curriculum , a lack of faculty representation and mentorship , and difficulties dealing with front-facing university services .
The report said Black staff were “ adamant that anti-Black racism is a defining feature of their work life at the university ” that means they earn less and struggle to win promotions while often @ @ @ @ @ @ @ many were concerned about the confidential nature of this report given the precarious nature of their positions .
The report recommends a comprehensive review of compensation disparities and the creation of programs designed to advance Black staff .
In response , Ryerson president Mohamed Lachemi said he was creating the Presidential Implementation Committee to Confront Anti-Black Racism .
The committee will be co-chaired by the university ’ s equity head Denise O ’ Neil Green , vice-president for operations Deborah Brown , and Anver Saloojee , assistant vice-president for international .
The university @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who else would be on that committee , how they would be chosen , and how often it would meet .
Noting that the virtual launch came on a day honouring Nelson Mandela , Lachemi recalled his words during a visit to Ryerson 19 years ago .
“ He said : 'The most difficult thing in life is to change yourself .
You can not influence and change others if you yourself are not prepared to change , ' ” Lachemi said .
“ That is true for individuals and for organizations.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ interrupted by good policy , clear lines of reporting and focused interventions , which is what is hoped will come out of Lachemi ’ s committee .
But Agyemang , who is also the network lead at the Students Commission of Canada , said the talk of solidarity and plans for consultations wouldn ’ t be the first efforts to disappoint .
“ How many times do we have to say this is going on at campus , for us to be invited to several consultations , for us to be talked down @ @ @ @ @ @ @ voices are heard , for you to say at least we had that , check , and then keep doing that every year ?
”

Kwaku Agyemang sees a “glimmer of hope” in Ryerson University’s latest effort to address systemic anti-Black racism. He’s just not sure if it will end up being another performance that goes nowhere. The former Ryerson student union executive said he had experienced first-hand both the mundane challenges many Black students at the downtown university encounter and the delays and difficulties faced by those seeking individual remedy or advocating for structural change. The results of the Ryerson review comes out amid a broad discussion about how institutions of power and individuals can challenge and dismantle systemic racism. That discussion was sparked by the extensive protests that followed a particularly egregious death of a Black man, George Floyd, at the knee of a U.S. police officer. When the university kicked off the review that resulted in Friday’s release of the Anti-Black Racism Campus Climate Review Report (PDF), it was also consulting with students, faculty and staff about safety on the campus, which is near to a supervised injection site in downtown Toronto. Over the objections of the student union and others, the university had until very recently been developing a security plan designed in partnership with the Toronto Police Service to give Ryerson staff “special constable” status on campus, which Agyemang said meant they would be armed with handcuffs, batons and mace.
The Ryerson report says Black students told them they experience and witness campus security staff as an intimidating force that treats Black students and white students differently, often lingering in the corridors at events they frequent or just outside the building where such events are held. The plan was current as of May, when Toronto police’s board approved it, but by June, it was gone. Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions “All it took was George Floyd, Regis Korchinski-Paquet, all those situations and all the protests for Ryerson to say we're going to stop it for now and then continue consultations,” Agyemang said.
The school last month said it would not proceed with the program, and would instead consult with students, faculty, and staff to “develop a safety and security model that works for the Ryerson community.” Former student union exec @KwakuOnAir says he holds out a "glimmer of hope" that Ryerson's suddenly faster response to the longstanding concerns of Black students in the wake of massive protests can be sustained The head of the university’s journalism program also said in June the department would include an optional course about reporting on race and Black communities to senior students starting in September after students whose views Janice Neal had sought demanded it. Agyemang said the university had cancelled meetings on the special constable issue with the union, the Black Liberation Collective, the Racialized Students Collective, and the Continuing Education Students' Association of Ryerson (CESAR) and instead requested the students provide written answers to questions and their own requests for information. “Students were going through so much to try to push the university to see how wrong this was, and all it took was for the protest and the uprising and the Black Lives Matter movement for optics to put a pin in it.” Kwaku Agyemang says the university has sidelined Black voices opposing a police-linked project on campus. Photo supplied
The Ryerson report acknowledged its own timeliness, saying that “current events are unfolding globally against centuries of historically systemic racism, which has disproportionately disadvantaged the Black community.” It said the Black students interviewed painted a complex picture in their experiences of anti-Black racism on campus, from not having a sense of belonging, to gaps in curriculum, a lack of faculty representation and mentorship, and difficulties dealing with front-facing university services. The report said Black staff were “adamant that anti-Black racism is a defining feature of their work life at the university” that means they earn less and struggle to win promotions while often stuck on less-secure contracts.


nationalobserver--2020-07-17--Inside Trump's deadly war with Covid-19 science

This story was originally published by HuffPost and appears here as part of the Climate Desk collaboration At a roundtable at Louisiana State University on Tuesday , Vice President Mike Pence paused to make what he clearly felt was a vital point .
“ To be very clear , ” he said , “ we don ’ t want CDC guidance to be a reason why people don ’ t reopen their schools.
” In other words , schools and universities , which the Trump administration is pushing to rapidly reopen despite surging coronavirus infections in many states , need @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , the nation ’ s premier public health agency , as they reopen amid an ongoing pandemic that has killed more than 136,000 people in the U.S .
Suggesting that schools ignore expert advice meant to keep kids , parents and school staff safe would , in a different administration , be shocking .
But in recent weeks , President Donald Trump and his team have led a brazen attack on COVID-19 science and scientists in a desperate effort to deny away a deadly pandemic that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ far worse .
That effort has included downplaying the ongoing threat , diverting crucial hospital data from the CDC , smearing infectious disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci , and casting blame on China , the World Health Organization and Americans from Northern states .
The COVID response is part of the Trump administration ’ s long war on all forms of science and expertise .
The administration has cast out or discredited science that does not align with Trump ’ s fossil fuel-centric “ energy dominance ” agenda , his reelection campaign or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what the president said on Twitter .
The president himself has repeatedly denied climate change , questioned the science of vaccinations and invented weather forecasts for a hurricane .
When hundreds of researchers from more than a dozen federal agencies warned in a November 2018 report that the world is barreling toward catastrophic climate change , Trump simply said of the findings : “ I don ’ t believe it.
” His anti-science beliefs have been made into policy by the ex-industry lobbyists appointed to run environmental and scientific agencies across his administration @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Atlanta ― a current hotspot of the virus ― to speak unmasked at a UPS facility , where he announced a major rollback of one of the nation ’ s most important environmental laws , the National Environmental Policy Act .
Among other things , the rollback fast-tracks oil pipelines , power plants and other major infrastructure projects by limiting the number that require in-depth environmental reviews , as well as allowing federal agencies to ignore how developments impact climate change .
At the event , Trump thanked UPS drivers for continuing to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ battle against the China virus , ” one of several racist terms he continues to use to describe coronavirus .
While much of Trump ’ s opposition to climate and environmental science is common among Republican presidents and lawmakers , the ongoing coronavirus pandemic shows how deadly this rejection of science can be .
And his strategy heading into the 2020 election appears to be to convince Americans that the death and suffering happening around them isn ’ t really that bad , and certainly isn ’ t his fault .
While denial @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coronavirus response from the start , the assault on reality has escalated in recent weeks .
Most alarming is the administration ’ s new effort to undermine Fauci , the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and the person a majority of Americans have come to trust during the pandemic .
The ongoing pandemic shows just how dangerous , and deadly , his continued rejection of science and expertise can be .
The White House ’ s most direct effort began on Sunday , when it distributed what looked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Fauci ’ s perceived misjudgments about the pandemic before the virus spread was recognized .
Stories appeared noting that the Trump administration was preparing an attack on Fauci , but these attacks were all attributed to unnamed administration officials .
Dr. Anthony Fauci has a good bedside manner with the public , but he has been wrong about everything I have interacted with him on.Peter Navarro , United States trade representative By then , it had been more than a month since Fauci had spoken with the president , The Washington Post reported @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out for major media interviews as they were displeased that he did not endorse reopening the economy nor did he take part in Trump ’ s happy talk that the virus will “ just disappear.
” “ Dr .
Fauci is a nice man , but he ’ s made a lot of mistakes , ” Trump told Fox News ’ Sean Hannity in a July 9 interview .
Fauci has continued to appear on podcasts and do interviews with online publications .
“ [ A ] s a country , when you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ don ’ t think you can say we ’ re doing great , ” Fauci said on a FiveThiryEight.com podcast that aired on July 9 .
“ I mean , we ’ re just not.
” The White House clearly decided that the nation ’ s leading infectious disease expert was out over his skis to speak plainly about the worst pandemic in a century .
His concern about controlling a public health crisis had become a distraction from Trump ’ s effort to restart the economy , a central task of his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t necessarily … have the whole national interest in mind , ” Adm. Brett P. Giroir , assistant secretary for the Department of Health and Human Services , said on NBC ’ s “ Meet the Press ” on Sunday .
“ He looks at it from a very narrow public health point of view.
” Dr. Anthony S. Fauci , director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and a member of the White House Coronavirus Taskforce , addresses his remarks at a coronavirus update briefing on Mar .
16 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Brady Press Briefing Room of the White House .
( Official White House Photo by D. Myles Cullen ) The attacks on Fauci escalated when USA Today published an op-ed from White House trade adviser Peter Navarro on Tuesday in which he aired his grievances about the public health official .
“ Dr .
Anthony Fauci has a good bedside manner with the public , but he has been wrong about everything I have interacted with him on , ” Navarro wrote .
The White House attempted to downplay Navarro ’ s falsehood-ridden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ op-ed on his own without official approval .
In prior administrations , this act would be a fireable offense .
In this one , there ’ s little indication that Navarro will be punished at all .
Fauci told The Atlantic in an interview published Wednesday that he has no plans to step down and called the White House ’ s attack against him “ bizarre , ” “ nonsense ” and “ completely wrong.
” “ Ultimately , it hurts the president to do that , ” he said .
Trump has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ negligence or errors in his administration ’ s response to the pandemic .
“ I don ’ t take responsibility at all , ” he said at a now-infamous Rose Garden press conference on March 13 , the day the nation began to go into lockdown .
It was instead former President Barack Obama ’ s fault , Trump claimed .
Trump ’ s attempt to pass the buck to the previous administration came despite his disbanding of a pandemic response team at the National Security Council and his refusal to follow the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ successfully respond to both the H1N1 and Ebola viruses .
More recently , Trump has claimed that former vice president Joe “ Biden and Obama stopped their testing , ” despite the coronavirus not existing until three years after they left office .
Trump has stuck to that narrative , claiming that his own excellent work prevented potentially millions of additional deaths .
At an event Tuesday that was billed as a White House press conference but quickly devolved into a rambling campaign rally-style speech , Trump railed against China , for “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coronavirus “ upon the world , ” and the World Health Organization ― a go-to move to distract from his own botched pandemic response .
He dismissed the WHO as “ a puppet of China ” and a “ terrible deal , ” and bragged about cutting ties with the world body and redirecting the approximately $ 450 million the U.S. contributes to it each year .
“ We ’ ve been I guess as tough as you can get on World Health , ” Trump said Tuesday .
“ We withdrew our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ re getting out .
Doesn ’ t mean that someday we won ’ t go back in , maybe we will when it ’ s correctly run .
But they made a lot of bad predictions and they said a lot of bad things about what to do and how to do it , and they turned out to be wrong .
It ’ s truly baffling stuff from the leader of a country that is among the most ravaged by the coronavirus , with 3.45 million infections to date .
Trump ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the only counterproductive policy change that he has pursued due to his need to control his image rather than abide by decisions informed by public health science .
The president ’ s rejection of expertise , histrionic defensiveness and bizarre false statements are not simply utterances of an uninformed man .
They inform the administration ’ s policies that are undermining efforts to control the virus ’ s spread , which means more Americans will die .
His administration was slow to fund testing across the country , failed to properly promote mask-wearing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ slow the virus ’ s spread , purchased tens of millions of reserves of Trump ’ s favorite unproven coronavirus remedy hydroxychloroquine and is now rerouting hospital data away from the CDC , in a seeming effort to keep the public in the dark .
“ I said to my people , ‘ Slow the testing down , please , ’ ” Trump told the crowd at an indoor campaign rally he hosted on June 20 that was likely the source of a surge in virus cases in Tulsa , Oklahoma .
On @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would close 13 federally funded COVID testing sites .
Trump has repeatedly claimed , falsely , that the only reason the country is seeing an increase in cases is because more tests are being conducted .
Public health officials have countered this falsehood , pointing to the data on COVID-19 hospitalizations reported to the CDC .
But the administration announced on Tuesday that hospitals should cease reporting such data to the CDC and instead direct it to a private data collector that the Department of Health and Human Services has contracted .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ control of more partisan officials close to the Trump White House where it is not currently publicly reported .
Already , COVID tracking sites report that the digital CDC data stream they relied on to provide public updates on the virus has stopped .
In much the same way that denying and undermining climate science allows Trump to justify scrapping and weakening environmental rules to the benefit of polluting industries that helped bankroll his campaign , covering up and dismissing COVID-19 data is about protecting himself .
But like climate science , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump ’ s side .
It shows that his team ’ s lethargic initial response and subsequent push to quickly reopen the economy has had devastating impacts .
And that ’ s exactly why the president will spend the next four months spinning a revisionist history .

This story was originally published by HuffPost and appears here as part of the Climate Desk collaboration At a roundtable at Louisiana State University on Tuesday, Vice President Mike Pence paused to make what he clearly felt was a vital point. “To be very clear,” he said, “we don’t want CDC guidance to be a reason why people don’t reopen their schools.” In other words, schools and universities, which the Trump administration is pushing to rapidly reopen despite surging coronavirus infections in many states, need not heed the advice of scientists at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the nation’s premier public health agency, as they reopen amid an ongoing pandemic that has killed more than 136,000 people in the U.S. Suggesting that schools ignore expert advice meant to keep kids, parents and school staff safe would, in a different administration, be shocking. But in recent weeks, President Donald Trump and his team have led a brazen attack on COVID-19 science and scientists in a desperate effort to deny away a deadly pandemic that the administration’s incompetence has made far worse. That effort has included downplaying the ongoing threat, diverting crucial hospital data from the CDC, smearing infectious disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci, and casting blame on China, the World Health Organization and Americans from Northern states.
The COVID response is part of the Trump administration’s long war on all forms of science and expertise. The administration has cast out or discredited science that does not align with Trump’s fossil fuel-centric “energy dominance” agenda, his reelection campaign or, in some cases, that contradicts what the president said on Twitter. The president himself has repeatedly denied climate change, questioned the science of vaccinations and invented weather forecasts for a hurricane. When hundreds of researchers from more than a dozen federal agencies warned in a November 2018 report that the world is barreling toward catastrophic climate change, Trump simply said of the findings: “I don’t believe it.” His anti-science beliefs have been made into policy by the ex-industry lobbyists appointed to run environmental and scientific agencies across his administration. Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions The president on Wednesday traveled to Atlanta ― a current hotspot of the virus ― to speak unmasked at a UPS facility, where he announced a major rollback of one of the nation’s most important environmental laws, the National Environmental Policy Act. Among other things, the rollback fast-tracks oil pipelines, power plants and other major infrastructure projects by limiting the number that require in-depth environmental reviews, as well as allowing federal agencies to ignore how developments impact climate change. At the event, Trump thanked UPS drivers for continuing to deliver packages during America’s “battle against the China virus,” one of several racist terms he continues to use to describe coronavirus.
While much of Trump’s opposition to climate and environmental science is common among Republican presidents and lawmakers, the ongoing coronavirus pandemic shows how deadly this rejection of science can be. And his strategy heading into the 2020 election appears to be to convince Americans that the death and suffering happening around them isn’t really that bad, and certainly isn’t his fault. The ongoing pandemic shows just how dangerous, and deadly, his continued rejection of science and expertise can be. Attacking The Messenger While denial and finger-pointing have dominated Trump’s coronavirus response from the start, the assault on reality has escalated in recent weeks. Most alarming is the administration’s new effort to undermine Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and the person a majority of Americans have come to trust during the pandemic. The White House’s most direct effort began on Sunday, when it distributed what looked like campaign opposition research to reporters listing Fauci’s perceived misjudgments about the pandemic before the virus spread was recognized. Stories appeared noting that the Trump administration was preparing an attack on Fauci, but these attacks were all attributed to unnamed administration officials. Dr. Anthony Fauci has a good bedside manner with the public, but he has been wrong about everything I have interacted with him on.Peter Navarro, United States trade representative
By then, it had been more than a month since Fauci had spoken with the president, The Washington Post reported. The administration had stopped sending Fauci out for major media interviews as they were displeased that he did not endorse reopening the economy nor did he take part in Trump’s happy talk that the virus will “just disappear.” “Dr. Fauci is a nice man, but he’s made a lot of mistakes,” Trump told Fox News’ Sean Hannity in a July 9 interview. Fauci has continued to appear on podcasts and do interviews with online publications.


nationalobserver--2020-07-17--Biden's 2 trillion dollar plan

Biden's 2 trillion dollar plan

This story was originally published by The Guardian and appears here as part of the Climate Desk collaboration Joe Biden has unveiled a new , more aggressive climate and jobs plan which advisers say he would take to Congress “ immediately ” , if elected president .
The new proposal outlines $ 2tn for clean energy infrastructure and other climate solutions , to be spent as quickly as possible in the next four years , what would be the Democrat ’ s first term in office .
Last year , he proposed $ 1.7tn in spending over 10 years .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be priority one for a President Biden , ” a senior campaign official told reporters .
“ This will be the legislation he goes up to [ Capitol Hill ] immediately to get done .
The reality is we will be facing a country that will be in dire need of these types of investments that are going to be made here.
” Two crises are converging : a devastated economy and high unemployment that could drag on for years as the nation struggles to gain control of the coronavirus pandemic , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cut heat-trapping emissions and lead on global climate action .
Biden unveiled the climate plan , the second part of his “ Build Back Better ” proposal , in remarks from Delaware on Tuesday afternoon .
“ When Donald Trump thinks about climate change , the only word he can muster is ‘ hoax ’ , ” Biden said , referring to Trump ’ s previous claims that the crisis is fake .
“ When I think about climate change , the word I think of is ‘ jobs ’ .
” In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said his proposal would create a million jobs in electric vehicle manufacturing , a million in upgrading buildings and a quarter-million cleaning up after extractive industries .
Biden said he would give Americans money back for switching to cleaner cars and making their homes more efficient .
He said he was focusing on his first four years as president because “ science tells us we have nine years before the damage is irreversible ” .
The new goals align Biden more closely with three primary opponents , the Vermont senator Bernie Sanders , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Inslee .
the Washington governor .
They follow the recommendations of a unity taskforce of Sanders and Biden supporters that was co-chaired by the New York congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez , who co-sponsored the Green New Deal .
Biden staffers painted a picture of a modernized America with the “ cleanest , safest , fastest rail system in the world ” , the biggest electric vehicle manufacturing sector , 4m upgraded buildings and 1.5m new sustainable homes and public housing units .
They pitched the spending as a jobs plan as much as a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a clean electricity system including renewable power and nuclear energy by 2035 .
Biden would not ban fracking for natural gas , which would require an act of Congress .
But he would prohibit new fracking on public lands .
Gina McCarthy , the former Environmental Protection Agency administrator who is now president of the Natural Resources Defense Council Action Fund , said the plan was “ by a long shot – the most ambitious we have ever seen from any president in our nation ’ s history ” .
Proposal outlines $ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ solutions , to be spent as quickly as possible in next four years .
Labor unions and environmental justice communities would be central to climate efforts , campaign staffers said .
Climate change hits low-income and communities of color hardest , a background document noted .
Biden would create a national crisis strategy to ensure that government responses to disasters are equitable , start a taskforce to decrease climate risks for the most vulnerable , and establish an office of climate change and health equity .
The faster timeline is meant to ensure @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gains , in the way Donald Trump ’ s administration has boosted fossil fuels .
Trump plans to exit the Paris climate agreement but Biden has vowed to re-enter it and double down on US contributions .
Much of Biden ’ s plan would require agreement from Congress .
Gaining control of the Senate is critical .
“ He is confident he will be able to work with Congress to get something constructive done , ” the senior campaign official said .
“ He is of course at the same time making sure @ @ @ @ @ @ @ needed to make sure that we win every Senate seat we possibly can to further that goal.
” Another Biden official said the program would be funded by tax increases for corporations and “ asking the wealthiest Americans to pay their fair share ” .
The updated climate plan follows Biden ’ s announcement last week of a $ 700bn “ buy American ” proposal to revive US manufacturing .
Varshini Prakash , co-founder of the youth-led Sunrise Movement , said Biden ’ s revised plan responds to many of the group ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the scale and urgency of investments , filling in details on how he ’ d achieve environmental justice and create good union jobs , and promising immediate action — on day 1 , in his first 100 days , in his first term , in the next decade — not just some far off goals ” .
Trump campaign spokesman Hogan Gidley claimed Biden ’ s plan would kill 10m American energy industry jobs and called it a “ socialist manifesto ” .

This story was originally published by The Guardian and appears here as part of the Climate Desk collaboration Joe Biden has unveiled a new, more aggressive climate and jobs plan which advisers say he would take to Congress “immediately”, if elected president. The new proposal outlines $2tn for clean energy infrastructure and other climate solutions, to be spent as quickly as possible in the next four years, what would be the Democrat’s first term in office. Last year, he proposed $1.7tn in spending over 10 years. “Addressing the economic crisis is going to be priority one for a President Biden,” a senior campaign official told reporters. “This will be the legislation he goes up to [Capitol Hill] immediately to get done. The reality is we will be facing a country that will be in dire need of these types of investments that are going to be made here.” Two crises are converging: a devastated economy and high unemployment that could drag on for years as the nation struggles to gain control of the coronavirus pandemic, and a rapidly closing window to significantly cut heat-trapping emissions and lead on global climate action.
Biden unveiled the climate plan, the second part of his “Build Back Better” proposal, in remarks from Delaware on Tuesday afternoon. “When Donald Trump thinks about climate change, the only word he can muster is ‘hoax’,” Biden said, referring to Trump’s previous claims that the crisis is fake. “When I think about climate change, the word I think of is ‘jobs’.” In a detailed climate policy speech, Biden said his proposal would create a million jobs in electric vehicle manufacturing, a million in upgrading buildings and a quarter-million cleaning up after extractive industries. Biden said he would give Americans money back for switching to cleaner cars and making their homes more efficient. Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions He said he was focusing on his first four years as president because “science tells us we have nine years before the damage is irreversible”.
The new goals align Biden more closely with three primary opponents, the Vermont senator Bernie Sanders, the Massachusetts senator Elizabeth Warren and Jay Inslee. the Washington governor. They follow the recommendations of a unity taskforce of Sanders and Biden supporters that was co-chaired by the New York congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who co-sponsored the Green New Deal.
Biden staffers painted a picture of a modernized America with the “cleanest, safest, fastest rail system in the world”, the biggest electric vehicle manufacturing sector, 4m upgraded buildings and 1.5m new sustainable homes and public housing units. They pitched the spending as a jobs plan as much as a climate program. Proposal outlines $2tn for clean energy infrastructure and climate solutions, to be spent as quickly as possible in next four years. The blueprint aims for a clean electricity system including renewable power and nuclear energy by 2035. Biden would not ban fracking for natural gas, which would require an act of Congress. But he would prohibit new fracking on public lands. Gina McCarthy, the former Environmental Protection Agency administrator who is now president of the Natural Resources Defense Council Action Fund, said the plan was “by a long shot – the most ambitious we have ever seen from any president in our nation’s history”. Labor unions and environmental justice communities would be central to climate efforts, campaign staffers said. Climate change hits low-income and communities of color hardest, a background document noted. Biden would create a national crisis strategy to ensure that government responses to disasters are equitable, start a taskforce to decrease climate risks for the most vulnerable, and establish an office of climate change and health equity.
The faster timeline is meant to ensure that no future president can reverse climate gains, in the way Donald Trump’s administration has boosted fossil fuels. Trump plans to exit the Paris climate agreement but Biden has vowed to re-enter it and double down on US contributions. Much of Biden’s plan would require agreement from Congress. Gaining control of the Senate is critical. “He is confident he will be able to work with Congress to get something constructive done,” the senior campaign official said. “He is of course at the same time making sure that he is campaigning in every state needed to make sure that we win every Senate seat we possibly can to further that goal.”