LP_468x60
ontario news watch
on-the-record-468x60-white
and-another-thing-468x60

Source: Canadian Press

ATLANTA (AP) — President Donald Trump has taken executive action to impose new tariffs on imports from Canada, China and Mexico.

The move fulfills campaign promises but also sparked retaliatory moves that could signal an extended trade war with key trading partners and, in the case of Mexico and Canada, the closest U.S. neighbors and allies.

Unlike during the 2024 campaign, when Trump billed his economic agenda as a sure-fire way to reduce the cost of living for Americans, the president now is acknowledging what many economists have long forecasted: that the levies could yield higher prices and lower supplies across the market.

Here are some things to know about Trump’s actions, the counters from U.S. trading partners and what it means for American consumers:

The moves affect the three largest U.S. trading partners

Trump declared an economic emergency to place duties of 10% on all imports from China and 25% on imports from Mexico and Canada. Energy imported from Canada, including oil, natural gas and electricity, would be taxed at 10%. The tariffs on the United States’ three largest trading partners will go into effect on Tuesday.

The tariffs reach across the U.S. market. To name a few: oil and lumber from Canada; produce, clothing, liquor and auto parts from Mexico; plastics, textiles and computer chips from China.

Trump’s order contained no mechanism for granting exceptions to U.S. importers.

Underscoring the potential effects, Canada provides more than 4.3 million barrels of oil a day to the United States. The U.S. tends to consume about 20 million barrels a day, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. It has been producing domestically about 13.2 million barrels daily.

Trump says these levies are about immigration and drugs – downplaying economics

The president talked often as a candidate – and for decades before he entered politics – about U.S. trade deficits. He blasted international trade deals and bemoaned the steady flow of manufacturing jobs out of the U.S. to other countries. But he has framed his latest actions as leverage on immigration and drugs. Trump is blaming the three U.S. partners for not doing enough to stop the flow of fentanyl into U.S. markets. He blames Mexico and, to a lesser extent, Canada for an inflow of migrants across U.S. borders.

“It is my duty as president to ensure the safety of all,” Trump said on social media.

Canada, China and Mexico have responded

Trump’s order included a promise to escalate the tariffs if U.S. trading partners answered with their own. That threat did not prevent a swift response.

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum immediately ordered retaliatory tariffs and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he would put matching 25% tariffs on up to $155 billion in U.S. imports.

Trudeau urged Canadians to “choose Canadian products” when shopping, effectively urging a boycott of U.S. goods. Locally, multiple premiers of Canadian provinces said they would be removing American alcohol brands from government store shelves altogether.

As of Sunday afternoon, China had not imposed new tariffs on U.S. goods. But its Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the Beijing government will take “necessary countermeasures to defend its legitimate rights and interests.” The Ministry of Commerce said it would file a lawsuit with the World Trade Organization for the “wrongful practices of the U.S.”

Consumers will see the effects, even if businesses pay the actual tariffs

End-line consumers don’t pay tariffs directly. It’s usually whatever company – a foreign-based exporter or U.S-based importer – is transporting goods across the border. But that adds to the overall cost of getting goods to their final retail stop, and each player in that process is certain to increase their prices as a result.

Gregory Daco, chief economist at the tax and consulting firm EY, calculates the tariffs would increase inflation, which was running at a 2.9% annual rate in December, by 0.4 percentage points this year. Daco projects the U.S. economy, which grew 2.8% last year, would fall by 1.5% this year and 2.1% in 2026.

The Budget Lab at Yale University estimates Trump’s tariffs would cost the average American household $1,000 to $1,200 in annual purchasing power.

The effects reach even to companies and products billed as “made in the U.S.A.” Because sometimes that label means only that a product is assembled or otherwise finished in a U.S. facility but still includes raw materials, parts or packaging from elsewhere.

And as Trump himself said often during the campaign, energy costs – which become transportation costs in the supply chain – also drive consumer pricing. Given Canada’s share of the U.S. energy supply, gas prices could increase, especially in the Midwest, where so much Canadian crude oil is refined.

Trump has changed his tune on the consequences for consumers

Candidate Trump made sweeping, fantastical promises about the U.S. economy.

For example, he promised to lower grocery prices “immediately” and cut utility bills in half within a year of taking office. He repeatedly hammered the Biden administration as a failure because of inflation and invited the votes of Americans frustrated over a higher cost-of-living.

Vice President JD Vance, in a Fox News interview ahead of the tariff announcement, maintained that Trump’s policies would mean “more take-home pay” for U.S. workers.

Trump is now backing off such claims.

“Will there be some pain? Yes, maybe (and maybe not),” Trump wrote Sunday morning on social media. “But we will make America great again, and it will all be worth the price that must be paid.”

___

Associated Press writers Josh Boak in Palm Beach, Florida, and Rob Gillies in Toronto contributed.

Bill Barrow, The Associated Press

Click here for more Canada

TORONTO (AP) — Fans at a Toronto Raptors game continued an emerging trend Sunday of booing the American national anthem at pro sporting events in Canada.

Fans of the NBA’s lone Canadian franchise booed the anthem after similar reactions broke out Saturday night at NHL games in Ottawa, Ontario, and Calgary, Alberta; hours after U.S. President Donald Trump made his threat of import tariffs on America’s northern neighbor a reality.

After initially cheering for the 15-year-old female singer, fans booed throughout “The Star-Spangled Banner” performance. At the end, mixed boos and cheers could be heard before the crowd erupted in applause for the Canadian anthem, “O Canada.”

Trump declared an economic emergency in order to place taxes of 25% on imports from Canada and Mexico and 10% on imports from China. Energy imported from Canada, including oil, natural gas and electricity, would be taxed at a 10% rate.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Mexico’s president ordered retaliatory tariffs on goods from America in response.

U.S. national anthem boos in Canada are rare, but not unheard of especially when tied to world events. In the early 2000s, fans at games in Canada booed to show their disapproval of the U.S.-led war against Iraq.

The NHL’s Canucks will host the Detroit Red Wings Saturday night in Vancouver, British Columbia.

___

AP Sports: https://apnews.com/sports

Ian Harrison, The Associated Press

Click here for more Alberta

ATLANTA (AP) — President Donald Trump has taken executive action to impose new tariffs on imports from Canada, China and Mexico.

The move fulfills campaign promises but also sparked retaliatory moves that could signal an extended trade war with key trading partners and, in the case of Mexico and Canada, the closest U.S. neighbors and allies.

Unlike during the 2024 campaign, when Trump billed his economic agenda as a sure-fire way to reduce the cost of living for Americans, the president now is acknowledging what many economists have long forecasted: that the levies could yield higher prices and lower supplies across the market.

Here are some things to know about Trump’s actions, the counters from U.S. trading partners and what it means for American consumers:

The moves affect the three largest U.S. trading partners

Trump declared an economic emergency to place duties of 10% on all imports from China and 25% on imports from Mexico and Canada. Energy imported from Canada, including oil, natural gas and electricity, would be taxed at 10%. The tariffs on the United States’ three largest trading partners will go into effect on Tuesday.

The tariffs reach across the U.S. market. To name a few: oil and lumber from Canada; produce, clothing, liquor and auto parts from Mexico; plastics, textiles and computer chips from China.

Trump’s order contained no mechanism for granting exceptions to U.S. importers.

Underscoring the potential effects, Canada provides more than 4.3 million barrels of oil a day to the United States. The U.S. tends to consume about 20 million barrels a day, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. It has been producing domestically about 13.2 million barrels daily.

Trump says these levies are about immigration and drugs – downplaying economics

The president talked often as a candidate – and for decades before he entered politics – about U.S. trade deficits. He blasted international trade deals and bemoaned the steady flow of manufacturing jobs out of the U.S. to other countries. But he has framed his latest actions as leverage on immigration and drugs. Trump is blaming the three U.S. partners for not doing enough to stop the flow of fentanyl into U.S. markets. He blames Mexico and, to a lesser extent, Canada for an inflow of migrants across U.S. borders.

“It is my duty as president to ensure the safety of all,” Trump said on social media.

Canada, China and Mexico have responded

Trump’s order included a promise to escalate the tariffs if U.S. trading partners answered with their own. That threat did not prevent a swift response.

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum immediately ordered retaliatory tariffs and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he would put matching 25% tariffs on up to $155 billion in U.S. imports.

Trudeau urged Canadians to “choose Canadian products” when shopping, effectively urging a boycott of U.S. goods. Locally, multiple premiers of Canadian provinces said they would be removing American alcohol brands from government store shelves altogether.

As of Sunday afternoon, China had not imposed new tariffs on U.S. goods. But its Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the Beijing government will take “necessary countermeasures to defend its legitimate rights and interests.” The Ministry of Commerce said it would file a lawsuit with the World Trade Organization for the “wrongful practices of the U.S.”

Consumers will see the effects, even if businesses pay the actual tariffs

End-line consumers don’t pay tariffs directly. It’s usually whatever company – a foreign-based exporter or U.S-based importer – is transporting goods across the border. But that adds to the overall cost of getting goods to their final retail stop, and each player in that process is certain to increase their prices as a result.

Gregory Daco, chief economist at the tax and consulting firm EY, calculates the tariffs would increase inflation, which was running at a 2.9% annual rate in December, by 0.4 percentage points this year. Daco projects the U.S. economy, which grew 2.8% last year, would fall by 1.5% this year and 2.1% in 2026.

The Budget Lab at Yale University estimates Trump’s tariffs would cost the average American household $1,000 to $1,200 in annual purchasing power.

The effects reach even to companies and products billed as “made in the U.S.A.” Because sometimes that label means only that a product is assembled or otherwise finished in a U.S. facility but still includes raw materials, parts or packaging from elsewhere.

And as Trump himself said often during the campaign, energy costs – which become transportation costs in the supply chain – also drive consumer pricing. Given Canada’s share of the U.S. energy supply, gas prices could increase, especially in the Midwest, where so much Canadian crude oil is refined.

Trump has changed his tune on the consequences for consumers

Candidate Trump made sweeping, fantastical promises about the U.S. economy.

For example, he promised to lower grocery prices “immediately” and cut utility bills in half within a year of taking office. He repeatedly hammered the Biden administration as a failure because of inflation and invited the votes of Americans frustrated over a higher cost-of-living.

Vice President JD Vance, in a Fox News interview ahead of the tariff announcement, maintained that Trump’s policies would mean “more take-home pay” for U.S. workers.

Trump is now backing off such claims.

“Will there be some pain? Yes, maybe (and maybe not),” Trump wrote Sunday morning on social media. “But we will make America great again, and it will all be worth the price that must be paid.”

___

Associated Press writers Josh Boak in Palm Beach, Florida, and Rob Gillies in Toronto contributed.

Bill Barrow, The Associated Press

Click here for more Canada

OTTAWA — Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced last night Canada will retaliate after U.S. President Donald Trump confirmed 25 per cent tariffs against Canadian goods would go into effect Tuesday.

Trudeau said Saturday that Canada will respond with 25 per cent tariffs against $155 billion worth of American goods, including alcohol, furniture and natural resources.

Here’s the latest (all times Eastern):

—

11:30 a.m.

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre is urging the Liberal government to recall Parliament to put in place a “Canada first” plan to handle the economic repercussions from the tariffs.

The plan he’s proposing includes retaliating “dollar for dollar” by targeting industries that will have a maximum impact on the United States while harming Canadian consumers as little as possible.

He’s also proposing an emergency tax cut for Canadians, greenlighting job-creating projects including pipelines and mines, knocking down interprovincial trade barriers, rebuilding Canada’s military and securing borders.

___

11 a.m.

Justin Trudeau’s office says the prime minister is remaining in “close contact” with his Mexican counterpart amid the imposition of U.S. tariffs on both countries.

Trudeau and Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum spoke Saturday to discuss trade and investment as well as their respective efforts to enhance border security and combat illegal drugs.

A summary of the conversation states that the leaders have agreed to continue working together in areas of common interest and to enhance the bilateral relationship between Canada and Mexico.

———

8:56 a.m.

The Canadian Federation of Agriculture says it’s “extremely disappointed” in the tariffs coming Tuesday.

“These tariffs are going to have negative consequences for farmers and consumers on both sides of the border. There’s no question,” says Keith Currie, CFA president, in a statement.

———

8:30 a.m.

Ontario premier Doug Ford says American products will be removed from LCBO shelves on Tuesday.

He says this means the LCBO, which is the province’s alcohol wholesaler, will also remove American products from its catalogue so that Ontario-based restaurants and sellers can’t order or restock them.

“There’s never been a better time to choose an amazing Ontario-made or Canadian-made product,” Ford says in a statement.

———

8:26 a.m.

U.S. President Donald Trump repeated his trade claims about the U.S. subsidizing Canada in a post on his social media site Truth Social.

“We don’t need anything they have,” says Trump, calling out energy, cars and lumber in particular.

Trump also repeated his comments about Canada becoming the “51st state.”

———

8:03 a.m.

Federal Liberal party candidate Chrystia Freeland is urging people to buy Canadian in a campaign email.

“The next time you go grocery shopping, or pick something up for the kids, check where what you are buying is made. If you can, Buy Canadian. And, try your best not to buy products made in the United States,” says Freeland.

———

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 2, 2025.

The Canadian Press

Click here for more Canada

OTTAWA — The federal government is set to provide details of its own retaliatory tariffs Sunday, one day after United States President Donald Trump forcibly dragged Canada into an unprecedented trade war.

Trump signed executive orders Saturday evening to slap America’s closest neighbours with damaging duties amounting to 10 per cent on energy and 25 per cent on everything else.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Canada will retaliate with an immediate $30-billion tariff package, which will be followed by $125 billion in duties on American products in 21 days to give companies and supply chains time to find alternatives.

The targets will include alcohol, furniture and natural resources. Officials will lay out the specifics Sunday afternoon.

But many Canadians aren’t waiting for the government to retaliate, taking to social media to announce they have cancelled subscriptions to U.S. streaming services, pledging not to travel to the U.S. and sharing videos and lists of Canadian-made groceries to help each other avoid buying American brands.

Provincial premiers and other politicians are pushing the buy-Canadian plan as well. Liberal leadership candidate and former finance minister Chrystia Freeland issued a statement early Sunday urging Canadians to “try your best not to buy products made in the United States.”

Trudeau did not answer Saturday whether Canada would consider cutting energy supplies to the U.S. in light of tariffs, saying instead any measures that involve one region of the country more than others will be done “carefully” and with the full partnership of regional leaders.

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith has been staunchly against any retaliation that touches her province’s oil and gas industry.

The prime minister said the better option for both countries is to avoid tariffs altogether.

“If President Trump wants to usher in a new golden age for the United States, the better path is to partner with Canada, not to punish us,” Trudeau said.

Trump took to social media Sunday morning before travelling to a golf course near his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida to reiterate his false claim that America subsidizes Canada. He pushed his plan for Canada to become “our cherished 51st state” to avoid tariffs.

“We don’t need anything they have,” Trump posted. “We have unlimited energy, should make our own cars, and have more lumber than we can ever use. Without this massive subsidy, Canada ceases to exist as a viable country.”

The president linked the levies to fentanyl crossing the border and included a retaliation clause that says if Canada responds with duties on American products, the levies could be increased.

U.S Customs and Border Protection statistics show less than one per cent of all fentanyl seized comes from the northern border.

Provincial leaders appeared in line with Trudeau’s message about protecting the Canadian economy and its relationship with it’s southern neighbour Saturday, while acknowledging the momentous challenge ahead for the country.

The new trade penalties could upend the Canadian economy and cause American inflation after the U.S. president campaigned on making life more affordable.

Trump has played down the impact of import taxes on American citizens. He acknowledged Friday that “there could be some temporary short-term disruption” but said “people will understand that.”

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce said Saturday the tariffs will “only raise prices for American families and upend supply chains.”

— With files from Kelly Geraldine Malone in Washington, D.C. and The Associated Press

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 2, 2025.

The Canadian Press

Click here for more

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump’s second week in office seemed to deliver a daily dose of deliberate jolts for the country.

There were chaotic reminders of his first term. The White House found itself backtracking on its directive to freeze federal spending on grants and loans. And the Republican president indulged unsupported accusations after a deadly plane crash near Washington.

Trump also escalated his moves against the institutions that he was elected to lead. His administration ousted prosecutors who worked on Capitol riot cases and laid the groundwork for purging FBI agents. Elon Musk, Trump’s billionaire ally, began efforts to dramatically downsize the federal workforce.

Some takeaways from week No. 2:

New administration, old problems

Trump and his team had impressed even some of their critics with a steady stream of executive orders in their first week. The administration seemed better organized and more effective than the last time Trump was president.

But in his second week, Trump’s White House stumbled over itself with a confusing memo that was intended to freeze federal funding, causing disruptions and leading to lawsuits. A judge temporarily blocked the directive, and the memo was quickly rescinded. Then, Trump responded to the deadliest American aviation disaster in decades by baselessly blaming diversity initiatives, demonstrating his willingness to shoehorn tragedy into his personal political crusades.

The cascade of controversy and outrage recalled some of the more infamous moments of Trump’s first term, such as the chaos of his initial travel ban on people from Muslim countries and his freewheeling briefings during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Trump tries remaking Washington

Throughout the 2024 campaign, Trump made it clear that he would not settle for making small tweaks in Washington. He wanted dramatic change, particularly in institutions such as the Justice Department that he felt had wronged him over the years.

Once he was back in office, the first step was pardoning nearly everyone charged in the Jan. 6, 2021, riot. In the past week his administration went even further. Prosecutors were pushed out, and top FBI officials were ordered to retire or be fired. A senior Justice Department official who previously worked on Trump’s legal defense team asked for the names of every FBI agent who worked on Jan. 6 cases.

Other shakeups were reported across the nation’s capital. A top Treasury official quit and federal websites were scrubbed of “gender ideology.” There appeared to be few, if any, limits to how far Trump and his allies would go to remake Washington.

When in doubt, blame DEI

As Trump deals with various challenges facing the country, he has repeatedly pointed to efforts to promote diversity, equity and inclusion in society, or DEI, as the root cause of a multitude of problems.

One of Trump’s earliest moves upon retaking the Oval Office was to issue orders to undo the federal government’s DEI efforts. Trump and his supporters suggested such initiatives are discriminatory and lead to incompetence.

His administration is so intent on eradicating it from government that it is requiring federal workers to report any surreptitious DEI programs that continue. But he hasn’t stopped there.

While investigators were just getting started on investigating the cause of a midair collision near Reagan National Airport between an Army helicopter and a jetliner, Trump began speculating that federal diversity and inclusion efforts were somehow to blame. The president could not back up those claims when repeatedly pressed on it by reporters in the White House briefing room.

When asked why he thought diversity had something to do with the crash, he said, “Because I have common sense. OK?”

A day earlier, Trump reprimanded Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell over inflation and again pointed to DEI, saying on his social media network that “if the Fed had spent less time on DEI” and other liberal issues, “inflation would never have been a problem.”

Trump had his first big flop

Punctuating the week was the Trump administration’s first big policy setback: the abrupt freeze, and then unfreezing, of federal grant funds amid a public revolt.

Communities across the nation depend on federal grants and loans to run a vast array of programs and services, from housing and veterans services to community health care centers. The sudden spending “pause” announced in an Office of Management and Budget memo sent shockwaves coast to coast.

“Every corner of the country is feeling the wrath of Donald Trump’s cruel plan,” said Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer of New York at a news conference at the Capitol.

The memo was rescinded, although the underlying Trump executive orders to clamp down on spending that does not align with his policies on climate, DEI and more do remain. The White House about-face showed the limits of the administration’s broader effort to reduce the size and scope of government.

Rolling back government in the abstract is one thing. But cutting programs that deliver services to veterans, parents, children, older adults and others is a totally different political equation.

‘A fork in the road’ for federal workers

Trump campaigned on “dismantling the deep state,” and the federal workforce got a large dose this past week of just how disruptive that effort will be.

The new administration had already imposed a federal hiring freeze. Then, millions of federal employees got a “fork in the road” email shortly after business hours ended on Monday offering them eight months of paid leave if they agreed to resign.

Those who quit were promised they would be paid through Sept. 30. They would not necessarily be required to work and could seek new employment in the meantime. But there were broad concerns about the legality of the offer and whether Trump was trying to create a toxic work environment.

Employees have to decide whether to take the deal by Thursday. Those who opt to stay will be required to work from the office full time and face “enhanced standards of suitability and conduct.” The email also warned that future downsizing of the governmental workforce was likely.

That’s on top of the administration ordering federal officials overseeing DEI efforts to be placed on leave.

Asked Friday if he was worried too many experienced federal workers would leave, Trump replied, “Everybody’s replaceable. We’ll get good people to replace them if it turns out to be more. … But we’d love to have them leave.”

Is America stuck in a trade war?

Trump once famously posted on social media that “trade wars are good, and easy to win” — a claim that he’s now putting to the test against Canada and Mexico after imposing tariffs that within hours led to retaliatory measures by those two countries.

Trump said the tariffs are about stopping the illicit smuggling of fentanyl, as well as preventing illegal immigration on the U.S. borders with Mexico and Canada. The president on Saturday put 25% tariffs on imports from Mexico and Canada, with a lesser 10% rate on Canadian oil, natural gas and electricity. China faces a 10% tariff.

Those moves almost immediately angered Mexico and Canada, America’s two largest trading partners who had previously negotiated a deal with Trump during his first term. Both levied retaliatory tariffs. Hockey fans at the Ottawa Senators game in Canada booed the U.S. national anthem. The Canadian prime minister, Justin Trudeau, encouraged his citizens to buy Canadian.

They are up against a U.S. president who really loves tariffs. He is already promising more import taxes on computer chips, steel, copper, pharmaceutical drugs and the European Union. His administration has yet to explain why these taxes will not worsen the inflation he was elected to fix. The Budget Lab at Yale University estimates Trump’s tariffs would cost the average American household $1,000 to $1,200 in annual purchasing power.

___

Price reported from New York. Associated Press writer Josh Boak in Palm Beach, Florida, and AP Congressional Correspondent Lisa Mascaro contributed to this report.

Michelle L. Price, Chris Megerian And Will Weissert, The Associated Press





Click here for more

TUSKEGEE, Ala. (AP) — The tails of the Alabama Air National Guard’s F-35 Lightnings are painted red, like those of the Guard’s F-16s before them. It’s an homage to the famed Alabama-based unit of the Tuskegee Airmen, who flew red-tailed P-51 Mustangs during World War II.

The squadron, which trained in the state, was the nation’s first to be comprised of Black military pilots, shattering racial barriers and racist beliefs about the capabilities of Black pilots. Their success in combat paved the way for the desegregation of the U.S. military, a story that is interwoven in state and U.S. history. Yet for a moment after President Donald Trump took office, that history was almost scrubbed by the Air Force.

The service removed training videos of the Tuskegee Airmen along with ones showing the World War II contributions of the Women’s Airforce Service Pilots, or WASPs, at its basic training base in San Antonio, where airmen have passed through for generations.

Although the move was swiftly rescinded after a bipartisan outcry, the fact that it happened even momentarily is evidence of the confusion resulting from the avalanche of executive orders and other actions from Trump since he began his second term in the White House. The administration has been forced to walk back some actions that have caused widespread chaos, such as a memorandum freezing federal grants and loans.

The specific one that led to the Air Force decision also was met with with a mix of alarm and confusion over its meaning. The order calls for an end to diversity, equity and inclusion programs within the federal government, including with any contractors or organizations that receive any federal money.

In addition to the Air Force’s action, the Army pulled its sexual assault regulations off websites before restoring them. A notice from the Defense Intelligence Agency said it was pausing “until further notice” special observances that included Black History Month, Women’s History Month, Holocaust Days of Remembrance, Women’s Equality Day and National American Indian Heritage Month.

There were reports that employees at the CIA were notified there would be no Black History Month acknowledgements. A CIA spokesman said in a statement that the the agency was complying with the order and “OPM Implementing Guidance,” referring to the Office of Personnel Management. “The Office of Diversity and Inclusion has been dissolved, along with component DEI programs,” the CIA statement said.

The wide sweep of reactions to Trump’s DEI order alarmed those who have fought for inclusion and recognition for decades and who fear that more than efforts to diversify the federal workforce are at stake. In some cases, the actions taken to comply with the directive risk whitewashing parts of the nation’s history and culture.

Adia Harvey Wingfield, a professor of sociology at Washington University in St. Louis, said a 2023 Supreme Court decision striking down affirmative action in college admissions was clear on restricting opportunities to specific groups. But she said it’s “a far cry from that to not including information about groups that are basic parts of history like the Tuskegee Airmen.”

She said many places are “unclear about exactly where the legal landscape stands, but very aware about the political landscape and wanting to make sure that they are not doing things that will attract attention, negative press or negative responses” from the Trump administration.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said some agencies may have gone too far in reacting to the DEI executive order.

“As far as I know, this White House certainly still intends to celebrate, and we will continue to celebrate American history and the contributions that all Americans, regardless of race, religion, or creed, have made to our great country,” she said during a media briefing.

Yet confusion continued. On Friday, Trump issued a proclamation recognizing Black History Month, while on the same day the Defense Department issued a news release proclaiming “Identity Months Dead at DOD.”

The Air Force’s initial action was one of the most publicized when it took down DEI courses that included videos about the Tuskegee Airmen and the WASPs. In later announcing the reversal, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David Allvin said in a statement that the initial removal was because the service, like other agencies, had to move swiftly to comply with Trump’s executive order with “no equivocation, no slow-rolling, no foot-dragging.”

Speaking Friday on Fox & Friends, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the Tuskegee Airmen were an example of “courageous merit” and that cutting their video was “something I like to call malicious implementation.”

“An outfit like the Tuskegee Airmen, we will salute and we will elevate,” Hegseth said. “And we want every service member to understand what they did. That’s very different than the DEI programs.”

Amy McGrath, a retired Marine Corps lieutenant colonel who was the first woman to fly an F-18 fighter plane in combat, said the move by the Air Force was understandable because military leaders are trying to avoid missteps with the new administration.

“They’re afraid that if they do basic leadership, which is embracing everyone no matter what race, no matter what religion, no matter what gender, that’s going to be labeled as ‘woke’ or ‘Marxist’,’” said McGrath, who was the Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate in Kentucky in 2020 against Republican incumbent Mitch McConnell.

Including the historical achievements of the Tuskegee Airmen or WASPs never should have been in question, said McGrath, a Naval Academy graduate, adding that she venerated the WASPs.

“They provided an extraordinary service to our country because there were not enough pilots, men or women, to do the jobs that we needed done,” she said, noting that the women did not receive veterans benefits.

Lisa Taylor, executive director of the National WASP WWII Museum in Sweetwater, Texas, said she was incredulous when she heard the content might be removed from the training base.

“The stories are historical and also uplifting and inspiring for all men and women who have found themselves wondering if they were good enough socially, mentally and technologically,” she said. “They are the anecdotes that might provide someone with the final push to take the next step in becoming who she or he longs to be.”

She said she was relieved when the training material was restored.

All around Tuskegee, the accomplishments of the Black fighter squadron are celebrated amid the state’s complex history.

The National Park Service has a museum at the site where the airmen trained that tells of the pilots’ combat success and their struggles in a segregated nation. Tuskegee’s town square has a historic marker that describes the airmen as part of the city’s rich history.

The decision to remove the videos was met with disbelief from some of the descendants of those who were part of the squadron

“I was angry,” said Alysyn Harvey-Greene. Her 101-year-old father, retired Air Force Lt. Col. James Harvey III, was one of the original Tuskegee Airmen. “It’s been very disturbing. We fought for so long to get this history out.”

Harvey finished his pilot training as the war in Europe was winding down, but flew combat missions in Korea. In 1949, he and other Tuskegee Airmen won the Air Force’s inaugural Fighter Gunnery “Top Gun Meet” — where the best Air Force pilot teams competed — but were not recognized as the winner for 73 years.

“For so long, we were not able to tell the story,” Harvey-Greene said.

Janet Harrison, a retired state worker who lives in Tuskegee and was at the town square on a recent day, said she wishes more were taught about Black history, especially the contributions during World War II. She described her spirit being lifted when the training center in Texas reversed its decision and restored the videos.

But the weariness was palpable as she spoke about her initial thoughts when hearing they had been removed: “When is this going to stop?”

———-

Fields reported from Washington.

___

Associated Press writers Tara Copp and Aamer Madhani, in Washington, Jocelyn Gecker, in San Francisco, and Isabella Volmert in Lansing, Michigan, contributed to this report.

Kim Chandler And Gary Fields, The Associated Press




Click here for more

Ontario’s party leaders are set to continue campaigning across the province today as Canada gears up for a trade war with the United States.

Progressive Conservative Leader Doug Ford, who spent Saturday speaking out against U.S. President Donald Trump’s 25 per cent tariffs on Canadian goods, does not have any public events scheduled today.

Liberal Party Leader Bonnie Crombie is set to make a stop at an Ottawa health-care facility before attending the re-election campaign kickoff for Kanata-Carleton MPP Karen McCrimmon.

Meanwhile, Green Party Leader Mike Schreiner will hold an event at a restaurant in Orangeville Ont., to support local candidate and former Orangeville mayor Sandy Brown before knocking on doors in the community.

NDP Leader Marit Stiles also doesn’t have any public events scheduled for today, but is expected to campaign in the Greater Toronto Area.

The snap election is set for Feb. 27.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 2, 2025.

The Canadian Press

Click here for more

ST. JOHN’S, N.L. — Concerns over a lack of parking that led councillors in St. John’s, N.L., to axe a proposal for affordable housing last week are part of a larger trend that is halting much-needed development across the country, experts say.

Whether they’re about issues like parking, traffic, sunlight or neighbourhood character, “not in my backyard” — or NIMBY — excuses mask the reality that people don’t want change in their communities, said Ray Sullivan, executive director of the Canadian Housing and Renewal Association.

But change is necessary to solve the housing and homelessness problems gripping cities, including Canada’s easternmost capital, and people need to accept that, Sullivan said in a recent interview.

“This is a rebalancing that’s happening across the country right now,” he said. “The idea that your right to live in a neighbourhood that’s frozen in time is more important than someone else’s rights to have a home? This needs to shift.”

On Tuesday, St. John’s council voted 7-2 against a 96-unit apartment complex in the Rabbittown area; city staff had recommended the development be accepted.

The plan for the building included 40 “micro” units without parking spaces, aimed at people who don’t have cars, said Coun. Maggie Burton, who voted in favour of the project. The smaller “affordable rate” units would rent for lower than the larger apartments with parking.

About 150 nearby residents signed a petition against the building, saying parking had to be included for all the units and listing traffic and congestion among their concerns. The petition convinced several councillors, who cited it before voting against the project.

“We do allow micro units with no parking, but there was a sense that there couldn’t possibly be people who would choose to live without a car,” Burton said in an interview.

“We have to accept that people can and should choose to live without a personal vehicle, and that we have to invest in alternative transportation modes that aren’t just single-use vehicles,” she added. “Car-brain has got to go.”

She agreed that the objections were examples of NIMBYism. “People don’t want any apartments in their neighbourhoods,” Burton said.

Scott Hamilton, a city councillor in Cambridge, Ont., said he wished people would consider what new neighbours could bring to their communities.

“When people see a housing proposal, they just see the negative of the built form without understanding the incredible positives that can come from new residents that are excited to build a community because they finally have a roof over their head,” he said in an interview.

He had proposed the City of Cambridge rent some of its parking lot space to developers for affordable housing, but the plan was shot down in late 2023. The city owns plenty of lots, and his proposal would have permitted housing to sit above the parking — only a few spaces would be lost, he said. But some colleagues worried the parking lost would be too much.

City staff recently recommended four affordable housing proposals and designs on municipal land, Hamilton said. Two were rejected completely, and one was made much smaller. The opposition included concerns about parking and change in the neighbourhood, and sometimes it included unfounded stereotypes about affordable housing itself — for example, that it would attract people involved in crime, he said.

“I understand completely that the change is very difficult, especially for someone that’s lived on a property for decades and decades, and all of a sudden there’s a housing proposal that’s going to change the look and feel of the property,” Hamilton said.

But solving a housing crisis will require new and different thinking, he said.

NIMBYism has long caused costly delays in approving new, denser developments in cities such as Toronto and Vancouver, ultimately making projects more expensive, said Aled ab Iorwerth, deputy chief economist with the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation.

“So if it’s happening in St. John’s, the concern is that it’s quite widespread (around the country),” he said in an interview.

Residents should consider that all types of people need housing right now, and the people who will live in new apartments in their neighbourhoods will be teachers, hair stylists, baristas, students or firefighters — people who will bring new life and economic activity to the area, the economist said.

“We need more social and affordable housing, we need more regular rental and apartment structures, so that everybody can contribute to the local economy,” he said.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 2, 2025.

Sarah Smellie, The Canadian Press

Click here for more

Ontario’s snap election is set for Feb. 27. Here’s what you need to know about casting a ballot.

WHO IS ELIGIBLE TO VOTE?

Residents of Ontario who are Canadian citizens and 18 or older can vote.

WHAT DO I NEED TO VOTE?

Those who are not already registered must add or update their information at registertovoteon.ca to receive a voter information card before election day. Elections Ontario says the cards with information about your riding and assigned voting locations will be in the mail from Feb. 17 to 22.

You must bring your voter card and one piece of identification that shows your name when you go to vote.

If you don’t receive a voter card, you can still cast a ballot by bringing a piece of ID that shows both your name and home address to the polling station. Elections Ontario says photo ID is not required.

HOW DO I VOTE IN ADVANCE OR BY MAIL?

If you need to vote by mail, you must apply online before 6 p.m. ET on Feb. 21 to receive a voting kit. For your mail-in vote to be counted, Elections Ontario must receive a completed kit by 6 p.m. ET on Feb. 27.

You can vote in person at your local election office up until 6 p.m. on Feb. 26.

Voters can also head to advance polls in their electoral districts from Feb. 20 to 22. Locations will be listed on the Elections Ontario website. The website also has information for those who may be eligible to vote from home or a hospital under certain circumstances.

HOW DO I VOTE ON ELECTION DAY?

You can cast a ballot at your assigned polling station from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Feb. 27.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 2, 2025.

The Canadian Press

Click here for more