Canada News Advisory for Wednesday, Jan. 11, 2023

Here are the latest Top News stories from The Canadian Press. All times are Eastern unless otherwise stated. Coverage plans are included when available. Entries are subject to change as news develops.

IF YOU NEED HELP, PLEASE SEND AN EMAIL TO mainslots@thecanadianpress.com and we’ll get back to you right away.

TOP HEADLINES:

Summit day 3: Trudeau meets with third Amigo AMLO

Air Canada says FAA problems affecting flights

‘Embers’ the new name for Girl Guides aged 7 and 8

Irregular crossings of Canada-US border rising

Skate Canada to allow gender diverse dance teams

Mattea Roach to feature on “Jeopardy” spinoff

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NEW TOP STORIES SINCE THE LAST ADVISORY:

Sri Lanka summons Canada envoy over sanctions

Cda-Sri-Lanka

Ottawa, , — Sri Lanka has summoned Canada’s envoy over Ottawa’s decision to sanction four high-ranking officials for alleged human-rights breaches. By Dylan Robertson. Wire: National. Photos: 1

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Canada delivers more tanks to Haiti

Cda-Haiti

Ottawa, , — The Canadian Armed Forces delivered more armoured vehicles to Haiti as police in Port-au-Prince struggle to contain gang crisis. Wire: National. Photos: 1

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Police search for victims of transit assaults

Ont-Girls-Assault

Toronto, Ontario, Canada — Toronto police say they are looking for victims after a group of up to 10 girls allegedly assaulted several people at public transit stations last month. Wire: Ontario/Quebec. Photos: 1

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‘I wish I could take it back,’ killer tells family

Inmate-Murder-Trial

Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada — An escaped inmate who violently killed a Vancouver Island man apologized to the family Wednesday, saying he wished he could give his life in return for his victim’s. By Terri Theodore. Wire: National.

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LCBO continues to be affected by cyber incident

Ont-LCBO-Cybersecurity

Toronto, Ontario, Canada — The Liquor Control Board of Ontario says it is continuing to investigate a “cybersecurity incident” that has knocked out its website and mobile app since Tuesday. Wire: Ontario/Quebec. Photos: 1

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Systems restored after outage: hospital network

Ont-UHN

Toronto, Ontario, Canada — A major Toronto hospital network says all of its systems are working normally again after an outage earlier this week. Wire: Ontario/Quebec. Photos: 1

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Inflation, pandemic driving property tax increases

Ont-Property-Tax

Toronto, Ontario, Canada — With a number of Ontario municipalities eyeing property tax increases, experts say homeowners across the province can expect to see higher tax bills this year because of inflation, pandemic costs and recent provincial changes to development charges. By Jordan Omstead. Wire: Ontario/Quebec. Photos: 1

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Smith, sovereignty act hamper energy progress: NDP

Alta-Just-Transition

Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, , — Alberta’s Opposition NDP leader wants to see more details of Ottawa’s proposed plan for green energy jobs but says Premier Danielle Smith’s knee-jerk criticism and her sovereignty act don’t help anyone. Wire: Prairies/BC. Photos: 1

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Ontario launches public budget consultations

Ont-Budget

Toronto, Ontario, Canada — Ontario is asking residents for their input on the upcoming budget, and questions in a public survey indicate major themes will be health-care staffing, transportation, jobs and the cost of living. By Allison Jones. Wire: Ontario/Quebec. Photos: 1

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Ontario willing to accept strings on health funds

Ont-Health-Care

Toronto, Ontario, Canada — Ontario is willing to accept some strings from the federal government if they give the province more health-care funding, Premier Doug Ford said Wednesday. By Liam Casey. Wire: Ontario/Quebec. Photos: 1

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B.C. launches hiring drive for Crown prosecutors

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Victoria, British Columbia, Canada — The British Columbia Prosecution Service has launched a recruitment drive for Crown lawyers and other staff, part of a series of recent measures to address repeat violent offending. Wire: Prairies/BC. Photos: 1

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Manitoba premier lays out pre-election plans

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Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada — Manitobans may see some tax relief, financial help with inflation and money for addiction treatment before the provincial election slated for Oct. 3. By Steve Lambert. Wire: Prairies/BC. Photos: 1

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Nova Scotia announces 600 new long-term care beds

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Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada — Long-term care facilities across Nova Scotia are to get another 600 single occupancy rooms as the provincial government strives to meet current and future demand. By Keith Doucette. Wire: Atlantic. Photos: 1

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Text messages led police to Halifax murder suspect

NS-Sandeson-Trial

Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada — This first time police interviewed William Sandeson about the disappearance of a fellow Dalhousie University student, they didn’t learn much. By Michael MacDonald. Wire: Atlantic. Photos: 1

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Physiotherapist charged with sexual assault

Toronto-Physiotherapist-Charged

Toronto, Ontario, Canada — A Toronto physiotherapist is facing charges after two youths were allegedly sexually assaulted during treatment sessions at centres in the city. Wire: Ontario/Quebec.

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Mattea Roach to feature on “Jeopardy” spinoff

TV-Jeopardy-Masters

Toronto, Ontario, Canada — Canadian “Jeopardy” champion Mattea Roach will face off against other elite players in a new spinoff picked up by ABC. Wire: Entertainment. Photos: 1

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Canada to push ISU on gender policies in skating

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Canadian ice dancer Kaitlyn Weaver says, as an LGBTQ person, her sport has never fully reflected her lived experience. By Lori Ewing. Wire: Sports. Photos: 1

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Safe sport complaint intake under microscope

OLY-Canada-Safe-Sport

The low intake of complaints by Canada’s new office of the sport integrity commissioner has grabbed the attention of former athletes and a Canadian MP. By Donna Spencer and Lori Ewing. Wire: Sports. Photos: 1

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TOP NEWS STORIES:

In Mexico, Trudeau sings free trade’s praises

US-Cda-Three-Amigos

Mexico City, Mexico City, Mexico — Prime Minister Justin Trudeau extolled the virtues of North American free trade to a Mexican audience of business leaders Tuesday — and took a few jabs at the former U.S. president who tried to do away with it. By James McCarten. Wire: National. Photos: 1

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FAA problems affecting Air Canada, WestJet flights

Cda-FAA-Outage

Toronto, Ontario, Canada — Air Canada and WestJet are encouraging travellers headed to or from the U.S. to check their flights before heading to the airport after a key computer outage at the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration caused delays Wire: Business, National. Photos: 1

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‘Embers’ the new name for Girl Guides aged 7 and 8

Girl-Guides-Name-Change

Toronto, Ontario, Canada — The Girl Guides of Canada has renamed its Brownies branch the “Embers.”  Wire: Lifestyle. Photos: 1

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Irregular crossings of Canada-US border rising

Que-Border-Death

Montreal, ,  — The recent death of a Montreal man from probable hypothermia as he tried to cross into the United States has exposed the dangers of irregular border crossings, which appear to be rising on both sides of the Canada-U.S. border. By Morgan Lowrie.  Wire: National.

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Skate Canada to allow gender diverse dance teams

FIG-Gender-Expansive-Teams

UNDATED — Skate Canada will remove the male/female requirements for pairs and ice dance as of next season, right up to the national level, and will make a case for a change internationally at the ISU Congress in 2024. Canada is the first country to make this change, with Olympic ice dance champion Scott Moir and Olympic pairs skater Kaitlyn Weaver two of its biggest advocates.

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Provinces awash with excess hand sanitizer

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Provinces are awash with expired hand sanitizer that Ottawa sent them during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.  Wire: Prairies/BC. Photos: 1

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Air-defence purchase for Ukraine raises questions

Army-Air-Defence

Ottawa, ,  — The federal Liberal government’s announcement that it is buying an air-defence system for Ukraine is prompting questions about why such equipment isn’t being bought for the Canadian Army.  Wire: National.

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Officer killed in B.C. avalanche was mentor: chief

Avalanche-Police-Death

Nelson, British Columbia, Canada — A Nelson, B.C., police officer who died in an avalanche earlier this week is being remembered as a gentle man who looked out for those who were new to the force.  Wire: National. Photos: 1

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What to know about the Nexus application update

Nexus-Q&A

Ottawa, Ontario, Canada — Canadian and U.S. border agencies say they have a plan to reduce the backlog for the Nexus trusted-traveller program. Here’s what you need to know:  Wire: Business. Photos: 1

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Moncton, Halifax Canada’s fastest-growing cities

Atlantic-Cities-Growth

Montreal, ,  — Statistics Canada says that Moncton, N.B. and Halifax, N.S. were the fastest growing urban regions in Canada in the past year. By Morgan Lowrie.  Wire: Atlantic, National. Photos: 1

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N.S. ER deaths rose by 10 per cent last year

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Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada — Newly released data shows that deaths in Nova Scotia emergency departments were up 10 per cent in 2022 from the previous year.  Wire: Atlantic. Photos: 1

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U.S. Embassy concerned about online streaming bill

Online-Streaming

Ottawa, Ontario, Canada — The United States Embassy in Ottawa says it has concerns that the federal Liberals’ controversial online streaming act could discriminate against American companies. By Mickey Djuric.  Wire: National. Photos: 1

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Emails detail Regina response to James Smith

Sask-Stabbings-Regina-Police

A report of a suspect vehicle in Saskatchewan’s capital hours after a stabbing rampage on a First Nation some 300 kilometres away suddenly pulled city officers into the investigation and kept residents on edge for days. By Kelly Geraldine Malone.  Wire: National. Photos: 1

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Hopes high in B.C. as China lifts tourism rules

China-Travel-BC

Vancouver, ,  — Zhengwen Hao says the phone for his Richmond, B.C., restaurant hasn’t stopped buzzing in recent days as relatives and friends in China make reservations as part of their plans to visit the province. By Nono Shen.  Wire: Lifestyle, Travel. Photos: 1

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New home renovation tax credit now available

Housing-Tax-Credit

Ottawa, Ontario, Canada — The federal government is offering a new tax credit to help make it easier for Canadians to care for adult relatives in their own homes.  Wire: National. Photos: 1

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Inmate charged in death at Kingston-area jail

Ont-Millhaven-Death

Millhaven, Ontario, Canada — Ontario Provincial Police have charged an inmate at a maximum-security prison near Kingston, Ont., in the death of another.  Wire: Ontario/Quebec. Photos: 1

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Leafs star Matthews out against Preds

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Toronto, Ontario, Canada — Maple Leafs star Auston Matthews was ruled out of Toronto’s game against the Nashville Predators hours before Wednesday night’s opening faceoff.  Wire: Sports. Photos: 1

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Alberta NDP wants public input on well cleanup

Alta-Well-Cleanup

Edmonton, Alberta, Canada — Alberta’s New Democrat Opposition wants public consultations on a government plan that would subsidize oil and gas companies to fulfil legal commitments to clean up old wells, a major proponent of which has been working directly in Premier Danielle Smith’s office for months. By Bob Weber.  Wire: National. Photos: 1

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Connor Bedard not focusing on NHL draft

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Connor Bedard didn’t want to talk about his record-breaking performance. By Joshua Clipperton.  Wire: Sports. Photos: 1

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Monica Heisey’s divorce at 28 inspired debut novel

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Toronto, Ontario, Canada — Writer Monica Heisey says her own divorce at the age of 28 inspired her novel “Really Good, Actually,” because she didn’t see her experience reflected in pop culture and wanted to change that. By Christian Collington.  Wire: Entertainment. Photos: 1

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LOCAL JOURNALISM INITIATIVE STORIES:

The LJI is a federally funded program to add coverage in under-covered areas or on under-covered issues. This content is delivered on the CP wire in the “Y” or spare news category, or you can register to access it at https://lji-ijl.ca. This content is created and submitted by participating publishers and is not edited by The Canadian Press. Please credit stories to the reporter, their media outlet and the Local Journalism Initiative. Questions should be directed to LJI supervising editor Amy Logan at amy.logan@thecanadianpress.com. Below is a sample of the dozens of stories moved daily:

Canadians think clean energy is more affordable and secure than fossil fuels, poll shows

LJI-ON-CANADIANS-THINK-CLEAN-ENERGY-IS

A majority of Canadians believe an energy system based on renewable sources is more affordable and reliable than one based on fossil fuels, according to a recent poll commissioned by Clean Energy Canada. A majority from each province agree with these two findings, except for Albertans, where 56 per cent of those surveyed believe a fossil fuel energy system is more affordable. 700 words. PHOTO. Natasha Bulowski/Canada’s National Observer

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N.S. volunteer fire departments at risk, official says

LJI-NS-STMARYS-FIREFIGHTING-WOES

James Fuller, Deputy Warden of the Municipality of the District of St. Mary’s, is raising the alarm about the future of volunteer fire departments in the area, noting that many are stretched to the limit of their resources. 550 words. Alec Bruce/Guysborough Journal

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N.S. emergency department accountability report highlights gaps in rural care

LJI-NS-hospital-ED-closure

If you live in the Guysborough or Sheet Harbour area and thought your hospital’s emergency department was closed more often this year than in the past, you’d be right. The most dramatic decline in service during the reporting period was in Sheet Harbour, where open hours decreased from 76 per cent to 30 per cent in 2021-2022. 400 words. Lois Ann Dort/Guysborough Journal

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FROM AP:

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ONLY ON AP

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WHO SEX ASSAULT — Internal documents obtained by The Associated Press show the World Health Organization knew of past sex assault charges against one of its staffers — who was also accused of assaulting a woman at a Berlin conference in October. By Medical Writer Maria Cheng. SENT: 2,050 words, photos. An abridged version of 1,010 words has also been sent.

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TOP STORIES

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FAA—OUTAGE — The world’s largest aircraft fleet was grounded for hours by a cascading outage in a government system that delayed or cancelled thousands of flights across the U.S. The White House initially said that there was no evidence of a cyberattack behind the outage that ruined travel plans for millions of passengers. President Biden said that he’s directed the Department of Transportation to investigate. Whatever the cause, the outage revealed how dependent the world’s largest economy is on air travel, and how dependent air travel is on an antiquated computer system called the Notice to Air Missions, or NOTAM. By Michelle Chapman. SENT: 915 words, photos. WITH: FAA OUTAGE-NOTAM EXPLAINER — A look at the half-century-old system that caused widespread travel misery this week. UPCOMING: 700 words, photos by 4 p.m.

DEBT LIMIT — The federal government is on track to max out on its $31.4 trillion borrowing authority as soon as this month, starting the clock on an expected standoff between President Joe Biden and the new House Republican majority that will test both parties’ ability to navigate a divided Washington, with the fragile global economy at stake. By Fatima Hussein and Josh Boak. SENT: 1,215 words, photo.

CONGRESS-HOUSE-ABORTION — House Republicans will take their first votes on abortion in the majority, a test of party unity on an issue that has been politically transformed by last summer’s ruling overturning Roe v. Wade . Voting expected at 4 p.m. By Mary Clare Jalonick. UPCOMING: 800 words, photos by 5 p.m.

RUSSIA-UKRAINE-WAR — The fate of a devastated salt-mining town in eastern Ukraine hung in the balance in one of the bloodiest ground battles of Russia’s invasion, while Ukraine’s unflagging resistance and other challenges prompted Moscow to shake up its military leadership again. Russian forces using jets, mortars and rockets bombarded Soledar in what a Ukrainian military officer said was an unrelenting assault. By Andrew Meldrum. SENT: 1,260 words, photos. WITH: RUSSIA-OIL-PRICE-CAP — A price cap and European Union embargo on most Russian oil have cut into Moscow’s revenue from fossil fuels, but the Kremlin is still earning substantial cash to fund its action in Ukraine. SENT: 730 words, photos.

BRAZIL-CAPITAL-UPRISING — Brazil’s capital is bracing for the possibility of more violent demonstrations by people seeking to overturn the presidential election. Local security officials are blocking access to buildings trashed on Sunday by rioters. A flyer promoting a “mega-protest to retake power” circulated on social media platforms urging protesters to turn out Wednesday in two dozen cities, including the capital. It is unclear how large or violent such demonstrations might shape up to be, but skittish authorities are taking no chances. The federal appointee who has assumed control of the capital’s security says police are shutting down the main avenue to traffic and limiting pedestrian access with barricades. By Carla Bridi and Natália Scarabotto. SENT: 890 words, photos.

BRITAIN-A-CHANGING-MONARCHY? — In public, they present a united front — always. But Prince Harry has a very different story to tell about the British royals and the way they operate. Harry’s explosive memoir outlines a toxic relationship between the monarchy and the press. And it’s likely to accelerate the pace of change already under way following the death of Queen Elizabeth II. Harry’s description of royals leaking unflattering information about other members of the family in exchange for positive coverage of themselves is one of the more tawdry allegations in his book, “Spare.” It’s one of several things that have watchers of the royal family saying there needs to be what one calls “some kind of reset.” By Brian Melley and Christopher Weber. SENT: 1,175 words, photos.

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TRENDING

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PEARL HARBOR-VETERAN’S BIRTHDAY — Joseph Eskenazi, the oldest living survivor of the Japanese Attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941, celebrated his upcoming 105th birthday at the National World War II Museum in New Orleans. SENT: 355 words, photos.

AUTOS-OF-THE-YEAR — Electric vehicles took two of three categories for the first time in this year’s North American Car, Truck and Utility of the Year awards. SENT: 215 words, photos.

MEGA-MILLIONS JACKPOT — New Mega Millions jackpot of $1.35 billion is game’s second highest. SENT: 240 words, photos.

BOOGALOO-BOYS-ARREST — An Ohio man who federal officials say is a member of the far-right anti-government group the boogaloo boys has pleaded not guilty to charges that he threatened law enforcement and unlawfully possessed a machine gun. SENT: 175 words.

XXXTENTACION SLAIN-TRIAL — Suspects in rapper XXXTentacion’s death about to face trial. SENT: 670 words, photos.

MUSIC-IHEARTRADIO NOMINATIONS — Lizzo, Taylor Swift and Harry Styles lead the 2023 iHeartRadio Music Awards nominations with seven nods each. Jack Harlow and Drake are close behind with six each. SENT: 345 words, photos.

ROMANIA-TATE-COURT — Divisive influencer Andrew Tate loses appeal against asset seizures. SENT: 370 words, photo.

TEN-OSAKA-PREGNANT — Naomi Osaka says she’s pregnant, plans tennis return in 2024. SENT: 120 words, photo.

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WASHINGTON/POLITICS

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CONGRESS-OVERSIGHT-BIDEN — House Republicans have opened their long-promised investigation into President Joe Biden and his family. They are wielding the power of their majority to demand information from the Treasury Department and former Twitter executives as they lay the groundwork for public hearings. The Republican-led Oversight Committee requested financial information from the Treasury Department surrounding financial transactions members of the Biden family made, as well as testimony from multiple former Twitter executives, who were involved in the company’s handling of an October 2020 story from the New York Post about the president’s son. SENT: 535 words, photos.

DEMOCRATS-UNITY — Not so long ago, Democratic in-fighting doomed a sweeping social spending package despite the party controlling Congress. President Biden, meanwhile, faced increasingly sharp questions about whether he’d face a primary challenge if he even opted to seek reelection. Things look very different, at least for now. Democrats are basking in having displayed remarkable unity, with every one of their members backing party leader Hakeem Jeffries for the House speakership again and again and again. SENT: 1,100 words, photo.

SUPREME COURT-NEW YORK GUN LAW — The Supreme Court is allowing New York to continue to enforce a sweeping new gun law banning guns from “sensitive places” for now while a court challenge plays out. The justices on Wednesday turned away a plea by the law’s challengers. The gun owners wanted the high court to lift a federal appeals court order that temporarily put on hold a lower court decision blocking portions of the law. The appeals court hasn’t finished its review of the case, and justices are often reluctant to weigh in under those circumstances. SENT: 345 words, photo.

CONGRESS-SANTOS — Local Republican leaders in New York are calling for the immediate resignation of their new GOP congressman George Santos. Santos is facing multiple investigations by prosecutors over his personal and campaign finances and lies about his resume and family heritage. Santos was swarmed by reporters at the Capitol and flatly rejected the call for him to resign, saying, “I will not.” SENT: 620 words, photos.

IRS-TAYPAYER-REPORT — The IRS is beginning to see “a light at the end of the tunnel” of its customer service struggles, thanks to tens of billions of new money from the Democrats’ climate and health law and the authority to hire more people. That word comes from an independent watchdog within the agency. But that upbeat assessment from the National Taxpayer Advocate is tempered by an early move by the new House Republican majority to rescind nearly $71 billion that Congress had provided the IRS. SENT: 470 words, photos.

UNITED STATES-JAPAN – The United States and Japan are boosting military and security cooperation as their top national security officials hold talks in Washington. The U.S. and Japanese foreign and defense ministers are set to agree Wednesday to revisions in their joint defense posture that will adjust the American troop presence on the island of Okinawa. As they prepared to meet, Japan’s defense ministry announced it was ready to start runway construction on an uninhabited island where the two militaries will conduct joint military exercises. SENT: 985 words, photos.

JILL BIDEN — Jill Biden will undergo surgery to remove a potentially cancerous lesion above her right eye. SENT: 285 words, photos.

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NATIONAL

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SCHOOL-SHOOTING-NEWPORT-NEWS — The shooting of a Virginia elementary school teacher serves as a glaring reminder that educators are often the first line of defense when a school shooting occurs. It also represents an escalation in concerns about stricter safety measures for the nation’s youngest school-age children after the police chief said the student intentionally shot the teacher after pulling out the gun with no warning during a lesson. UPCOMING: 800 words, photos by 3 p.m.

CALIFORNIA STORMS — Storm-ravaged California scrambled to clean up and repair widespread damage on Wednesday as the lashing rain eased in many areas, although thunderstorms led a new atmospheric river into the northern half of the state. The plume of moisture lurking off the coast stretched all the way over the Pacific to Hawaii, making it “a true Pineapple Express,” the National Weather Service said. SENT: 860 words, photos.

POLICE DEATHS — The number of police officers who died in the U.S. decreased last year as fewer succumbed to COVID-19, though the number of officers killed by gunfire remained at a two-year high, according to a report released Wednesday. UPCOMING: 500 words, photos by 4 p.m.

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INTERNATIONAL

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OBIT-CARDINAL PELL — Pope Francis paid tribute to Cardinal George Pell, who spent 404 days in solitary confinement in his native Australia before his child sex convictions were overturned, praising his diligence in reforming the Vatican’s finances and his faith “even in the hour of trial.” SENT: 1,710 words, photos, video.

FRANCE-STATION STABBINGS — A man wounded six people in an unprovoked blade attack in Paris’ busy Gare du Nord train station before being shot and wounded by police, France’s interior minister said, praising the swift intervention of police for helping prevent any fatalities. SENT: 380 words, photos.

AFGHANISTAN — An explosion near the Foreign Ministry in the Afghan capital on killed five people and wounded several others, a Taliban police spokesman said, the second prominent attack in Kabul so far in 2023. SENT: 320 words, photo.

BREXIT-NORTHERN IRELAND — Britain’s foreign minister is meeting politicians and businesspeople in Belfast, bearing good news: The U.K. and the European Union are inching closer to settling a post-Brexit trade dispute that has brought economic headaches and political turmoil to Northern Ireland. SENT: 530 words, photo.

GREECE-FORMER KING — Constantine, the former and last king of Greece, will be buried as a private citizen in Tatoi, the former summer residence of Greece’s royals and where his parents and ancestors are buried, the government said. SENT: 750 words, photos.

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HEALTH & SCIENCE

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VIRUS-OUTBREAK-CHINA — Japan and South Korea defended public health restrictions on travelers from China on a day after China stopped issuing new visas in both countries in apparent retaliation. Chinese embassies stopped issuing new visas for South Koreans and Japanese on Tuesday. It wasn’t clear whether China would expand the visa suspensions to other countries that have imposed stricter virus testing on passengers from China following its COVID-19 surge. SENT: 1,140 words, photos.

UGANDA-EBOLA — Uganda’s latest outbreak of the Ebola virus is over, the government and the World Health Organization said. SENT: 300 words, photos.

DYING-MANATEES-FLORIDA — Manatee deaths dropped in 2022 from a record high the year before, but Florida wildlife officials said that chronic starvation caused by water pollution remains a major concern. Preliminary statistics show 800 recorded manatee deaths last year in Florida, according to the state Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. That compares with more than 1,100 in 2021. SENT: 455 words, photos.

RUSSIA-SPACE STATION — Russia will send up a new capsule next month to bring back three space station crew members whose original ride home was damaged, officials said. The two Russians and one American will stay several extra months at the International Space Station as a result of the capsule switch, possibly pushing their mission to close to a year, NASA and Russian space officials told reporters. SENT: 530 words, photos.

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BUSINESS/ECONOMY

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ECONOMY-SOFT-LANDING? — For months, the outlook for the U.S. economy has been a mostly bleak one: Inflation hitting a four-decade high, consumer spending weakening, interest rates surging. Most economists penciled in a recession for 2023. An economic downturn is still possible. Yet in recent weeks, with inflation showing widespread signs of easing, a more cheerful view has gained traction: Maybe a recession isn’t inevitable after all. One reason for the tentative optimism is evidence that an acceleration in U.S. wages, which has benefited workers but also heightened inflation, is slowing. SENT: 1,280 words, photos.

FINANCIAL MARKETS — Stocks rose on Wall Street and added to gains for major indexes ahead of a highly anticipated inflation update and several big corporate earnings reports later this week. SENT: 430 words, photos.

CES 2023-TOP TECH INNOVATIONS — From electric cars and boats to wireless TVs to the latest phones and tablets, there was a wide range of innovation on display at the CES tech show in Last Vegas last week. SENT: 1,400 words, photos.

PHILANTHROPY-Q&A-FRED SMITH — The founder of FedEx believes that if you’ve done well, you should give back to the public interest. SENT: 990 words, photos.

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ENTERTAINMENT

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GOLDEN-GLOBES-MOMENTS — Memorable moments at the Golden Globe Awards, back on TV after a year off, included a wrongly accused pianist. Host Jerrod Carmichael made it clear during the show that live piano player Chloe Flower was not the one to blame for the music telling winners to wrap it up. Michelle Yeoh, the star of many kung fu movies, said “I can beat you up” when the piano played during her acceptance speech for best actress in a musical or comedy film for “Everything Everywhere All at Once.” That and similar moments brought some on social media to single out Flower, who tweeted she would never play during anyone’s speech. SENT: 980 words, photos.

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SPORTS

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FBN-BILLS-HAMLIN — Bills safety Damar Hamlin was released from a Buffalo hospital, more than a week after he went into cardiac arrest and had to be resuscitated during a game at Cincinnati, after his doctors said they completed a series of tests. SENT: 525 words, photos.

FBN-PRO-PICKS-WILD-CARDS — Wild-card weekend is all about familiarity. All six games feature teams that faced off this season, including three matchups between division rivals going head-to-head for the third time and two clubs playing each other back-to-back weeks. By Pro Football Writer Rob Maaddi. UPCOMING: 875 words, photos by 3 p.m.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS — Coaching changes paid off in a big way for several NFL teams this season. By Pro Football Writer Josh Dubow. SENT: 960 words, photos.

BBO-CORREA-DEAL-EXPLAINER — Carlos Correa has returned to the Minnesota Twins on a $200 million, six-year deal after $300-plus million agreements he made with the San Francisco Giants and New York Mets collapsed due to concerns with his medicals. A closer look at the most convoluted free agency in the sport’s history. By Baseball Writer Ronald Blum. UPCOMING: 800 words, photos by 4 p.m.

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