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Source: Canadian Press

Hospitals in Colorado, Virginia and the nation’s capital said Thursday they have paused gender-affirming care for young people as they evaluate President Donald Trump’s executive order aimed at cutting federal support for such care.

Denver Health in Colorado has stopped providing gender-affirming surgeries for people under age 19, a spokesperson confirmed Thursday, in order to comply with the executive order and continue receiving federal funding. It is unclear whether the hospital will continue providing other gender-affirming care for youth, including hormone therapy and puberty blockers.

In Virginia, VCU Health and Children’s Hospital of Richmond said they have suspended gender-affirming medication and gender-affirming surgical procedures for those under 19 years old.

In Washington, D.C., Children’s National Hospital said the hospital had “paused prescriptions of puberty blockers and hormone therapy to comply with the directives while we assess the situation further.” The hospital already did not perform gender-affirming surgery on minors, a spokesperson said Thursday.

Trump’s order, signed Thursday, is part of a push to reverse Biden administration policies meant to protect transgender people and their care. It ordered agencies to take steps to makes sure that hospitals receiving federal research and education grants “end the chemical and surgical mutilation of children.”

Other hospitals told The Associated Press that their current practices would continue. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago said hospital officials are reviewing the order and “assessing any potential impact to the clinical services we offer to our patient families.”

“Our team will continue to advocate for access to medically necessary care, grounded in science and compassion for the patient-families we are so privileged to serve,” the statement said.

The language in Trump’s executive order — using words such as “maiming,” “sterilizing” and “mutilation” — contradicts what is typical for gender-affirming care in the United States. It also labels guidance from the World Professional Association for Transgender Health as “junk science.”

WPATH said in a statement that restrictions and bans on “access to necessary medical care for transgender youth are harmful to patients and their families.”

Gender-affirming medical care for transgender youth isn’t common. A new study shows that fewer than 1 in 1,000 U.S. adolescents with commercial insurance received puberty blockers or hormones during a recent five-year period, and the bulk of gender-affirming surgeries are not performed on youth.

The Denver hospital said Trump’s order would affect the mental health of its transgender patients, and that they would continue to receive primary and behavioral health care.

“Denver Health is committed to and deeply concerned for the health and safety of our gender diverse patients under the age of 19,” the hospital’s statement said.

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The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

Carla K. Johnson, Devna Bose And Laura Bargfeld, The Associated Press

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EDMONTON — Alberta’s government is replacing its child-care subsidy program with a $15-a-day flat rate for children kindergarten age or younger.

Jobs, Economy and Trade Minister Matt Jones says although the average daily cost hit $15 in January, fees vary depending on the provider and where in the province they operate.

“In Calgary, we have providers that are charging radically different fees for children the same age and that is confusing for parents, and providers have also expressed concerns about equitable funding,” Jones said Thursday.

Starting April 1, there are to be minimum and maximum fee ranges for providers based on region. The subsidy for children attending out-of-school care won’t change.

Jones said the flat fee would make the system more equitable and transparent and simplify it so providers spend less time and money doing paperwork.

It comes as part of the federal government’s $3.8-billion effort to bring average child-care fees in Canada down to $10 per day by 2026.

Jones said the Alberta government feels there should be some cost so child-care spaces are utilized appropriately.

“We’ve heard from parents and providers that people are onboarding on spaces that they do not need, because they are so inexpensive or free.

“There are thousands of children accessing a service that costs upwards of $18,000 for zero dollars today,” he said.

For children attending full time, the flat fee would be $326.25 per month, or roughly $15 per day, while parents needing part-time care would pay $230 per month.

About 85 per cent of providers are to see a funding increase of two per cent or more to help deal with inflating costs.

“The funding framework is very much set to support the viability and sustainability of the vast majority of child-care providers and more closely mirror the actual cost of delivering child care in that region,” Jones said.

Krystal Churcher, chair of the Alberta Association of Childcare Entrepreneurs, said she was disappointed operators weren’t given the details before Thursday’s announcement.

She said she’s frustrated for her colleagues on the front line.

“(They) are now facing all these questions and anxiety and panic from parents where they don’t have the ability to answer them, because they haven’t been included in the conversation with the ministry yet,” she said.

Churcher said without knowing much about the program, she couldn’t speak to whether it’s positive or not. Her association has been advocating for parents to receive funding directly.

“The way this program is rolling out federally, it does not respect parental choice. It forces parents into a system where they get to pick from one option,” she said, adding the system has led to an accessibility crisis.

“We are dealing with a system that is full,” Jones added, and utilization is at 96 per cent.

The province has committed to the federal goal of creating 68,700 child-care spaces by March 2026, and 42,500 spaces must be public or non-profit.

Jones said so far Alberta has created 31,000 new spaces, and it’s tripling its yearly contribution to $720 million from $250 million.

Instead of a flat monthly parent fee, Alberta’s government is increasing reimbursement for preschools to $100 per month per child, up from $75.

Non-profit and public child-care providers can now also apply online for grants under a $53-million program to help build, expand or upgrade child-care spaces.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 30, 2025.

Lisa Johnson, The Canadian Press

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BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Sen. Bill Cassidy has emerged as a central figure in the confirmation of Robert F. Kennedy Jr., whose nomination to health and human services secretary poses an equally consequential moment for the second-term Republican facing an uncertain political future in Louisiana.

A physician-turned-politician, Cassidy has questions about Kennedy’s past claims linking common vaccines to autism, a position the gastroenterologist rejects and sought repeatedly to convince the nominee to renounce during a committee hearing Thursday.

Yet, Republicans and voters at home in the state President Donald Trump carried handily are pressing Cassidy, who is up for reelection in 2026, to vote yes.

Already at odds with a segment of his party for voting to convict Trump during his 2021 impeachment, Cassidy acknowledged his own desire Thursday to see Trump succeed in his second term as president. His questioning of Kennedy on Thursday demonstrated vividly the conflict between Cassidy’s medical views and his desire to be an ally to the president and his supporters.

Ultimately Cassidy stopped short of saying whether he will vote to approve Kennedy’s nomination, though the hearing did offer some clues.

“You may be hearing from me over the weekend,” Cassidy said.

Who is Cassidy hearing from?

There was no ambiguity from Louisiana Republicans in their advice to Cassidy.

Prominent party members, including the state GOP’s organizational leader, vocal conservatives and a potential primary challenger, made clear in their public signals to Cassidy that he would be flouting the will of the party were he to oppose the nominee of a candidate who carried Louisiana so handily.

State Surgeon General Ralph Abraham, state Republican Chair Derek Babcock and a conservative coalition in the Louisiana House of Representatives that adopted its congressional counterpart’s title, the Freedom Caucus, all wrote to Cassidy urging him to vote to confirm Kennedy.

Republican Gov. Jeff Landry’s letter sent perhaps the clearest signal to Cassidy. In a letter to Cassidy, his former House colleague and longtime Trump devotee recalled Kennedy’s appearance in Baton Rouge, and noting “Kennedy proved to be an asset to the state as we navigated the edicts of the federal government.”

Republican State Rep. Raymond Crews said Cassidy’s standing among Louisiana Republicans is riding on his vote on Kennedy.

A vote against Kennedy “wouldn’t match up with the country, and it particularly doesn’t match up with the state of Louisiana,” Crews said.

What’s Kennedy’s Standing among Louisiana’s Republican base?

Cassidy acknowledged in his opening to the committee Thursday what Louisiana statehouse Republicans have noticed: Kennedy has a following in Louisiana.

“My phone blows up with people who really follow you,” Cassidy said, noting the calls he gets urging him to vote to confirm. “And there are many who trust you more than they trust their own physician.”

That’s, in part, due to Kennedy’s appearance before a packed 2021 Louisiana legislative committee hearing in Baton Rouge, when he joined in opposition to then-Gov. John Bel Edwards’ proposal to add COVID-19 vaccinations to the list of shots required for Louisiana public school students.

At the invitation of then-Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry, Kennedy was hailed during the visit to Baton Rouge by opponents of the Democratic governor’s proposal, many of them part of organized parent groups.

The appearance endeared Kennedy to opponents of Edwards’ measure, which was defeated in the Republican-controlled legislature, said Louisiana Rep. Julie Emerson, a member of the House Health and Welfare Committee at the time.

“He’s a bit of a folk hero in Louisiana because of that,” Emerson said.

How does the hearing affect Cassidy’s political future?

Cassidy is already unpopular with a segment of Louisiana Republicans for voting in January 2021 to convict Trump after his second impeachment stemming from the Jan. 6, 2021, attack by Trump supporters on the U.S. Capitol. Cassidy’s vote came right after he was sworn in to his second term.

He has drawn a primary challenger in state Treasurer John Fleming, and others are considering entering the race against him. Louisiana last year adopted a closed party primary election system, abandoning the “jungle primary,” which would have given Cassidy a smoother path.

Before, all candidates for Senate — Republicans, Democrats and third-party candidates — ran in the same open primary, where all registered voters could vote. If a candidate didn’t get 50 percent in that vote, the top two would face a runoff. That system favored better-known candidates with cross-party appeal. The new primary would draw registered Republicans and GOP-leaning independents.

Trump, who puts a premium on loyalty to him, has long been troubled by Cassidy for his impeachment vote, say Louisiana Republican insiders, few of whom see any scenario where Trump endorses him. The best possible outcome for Cassidy could be, even if he votes to confirm Kennedy, for Trump to endorse no one.

Still, a vote against Kennedy would be out of step for Cassidy within his state’s party, said state Sen. Blake Miquez, a potential Cassidy primary challenger.

“We shouldn’t be playing the old D.C. games intended to obstruct Trump’s agenda,” he told The Associated Press.

How did Cassidy Handle Kennedy’s hearing?

Cassidy approached the hearing with obvious nods to his competing allegiances, as a doctor and an elected official representing a state where Trump won 60 percent of the vote.

“I want President Trump to be successful,” he said in opening the hearing of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pension Committee he chairs.

Still, Cassidy sought to elicit from Kennedy — pointedly, if also politely — a commitment to recant statements linking vaccines for measles and Hepatitis B to autism, a connection that has been widely debunked by medical researchers.

Twice during the hearing, Cassidy recalled his 18-year-old patient suffering acute liver failure who needed emergency transplant surgery, which would burden her with medical bills for the rest of her life. “Fifty dollars worth of vaccine could have prevented this all,” the liver disease specialist said.

“Your past undermining confidence in vaccines with unfounded or misleading arguments concerns me,” he said.

Initially, Kennedy seemed conciliatory: “If you show me data, I will be the first person to assure the American people that they need to take those vaccines.”

Dissatisfied, Cassidy said he was concerned “that you’ve never acquainted yourself with anything that might contradict what you were previously saying.”

Then Cassidy took another crack, this time conceding to Kennedy’s terms to see the data first. “If the data is brought to you, and these studies have been out there for quite sometime,” he said, “will you say, ‘I see this. It’s stood the test of time.’?”

Offered that caveat, Kennedy was happy to oblige.

“Not only will I do that,” he said, “I will apologize for any statements that misled people otherwise.”

Did Cassidy tip his hand?

Asked by reporters in the days leading up to the hearings, Cassidy said: “I’m still working through it. I look forward to the hearings and I will allow that to guide my decision.”

By suggesting Thursday to Kennedy at the close of the hearing that he might reach Kennedy over the weekend, Cassidy seemed to suggest his concerns had not been allayed.

Repeating in his closing remarks his desire for Trump to succeed, Cassidy returned to Kennedy’s answer that he would promote vaccines he had criticized as long as someone demonstrated their safety.

Cassidy said he and Kennedy agreed that families wanted vaccines that were necessary, safe and effective.

“But we’ve approached it differently,” he said with an air of understatement.

“I think I can say that I’ve approached it using the preponderance of evidence,” he said. “And you’ve approached it using selective evidence to cast doubt.”

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Beaumont reported from Des Moines, Iowa.

Thomas Beaumont And Sara Cline, The Associated Press




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A report says Canadian scripted shows, children’s programs and documentaries are projected to see a nearly $200 million drop in financing from the country’s private broadcasters over the next five years.

Conducted by consulting firm Nordicity for the Directors Guild of Canada, the analysis warns that could result in Canadian production budgets getting slashed by more than a billion dollars.

The report examined how private broadcasters allocate funds to “programs of national interest” (PNI), which includes Canadian dramas, comedies and documentaries, under current CRTC policies. Under these rules, broadcasters must dedicate a percentage of their annual revenue to such programming.

However, if broadcast revenues continue to decline as market projections show, the report estimates expenditures will drop to $167 million by 2028, a 23 per cent decline from $216 million spent in 2023. The cumulative difference over those five years amounts to about $200 million.

A Corus Entertainment spokesperson said all genres of Canadian television programming have seen drops in funding due to overall declines in revenue caused by “unregulated foreign competition.”

“The notion that certain categories, like PNI, should be treated as more important than all others, including local news, is self-serving and not reflective of the viewer tastes and Canadian cultural policy,” they said.

But Dave Forget, the guild’s national executive director, says cutting back on PNI can have far-reaching economic consequences. He says that each dollar broadcasters invest in production can generate up to six times its value through global licensing, tax credits and additional financial support. A $200-million reduction in domestic financing, he warns, could ultimately gut Canada’s TV and film industry by more than a billion dollars.

The report notes the CRTC is now weighing proposals to reduce or eliminate funding for PNI altogether. Last year, the federal regulator granted Corus’ request to reduce its required spending on scripted dramas, comedies and children’s programs to five per cent of revenues, trimming its contribution by about $35 million.

A Bell Media spokesperson said Canadian content is “paramount” to the broadcaster’s overall business, and that they propose maintaining current PNI obligations rather than increasing them.

“As audience habits continue to shift and the Canadian media sector navigates a period of transition, broadcasters need to be able to adjust accordingly and should be afforded maximum regulatory flexibility to do so,” they said.

“Our proposal looks to level the playing field so that we can effectively compete with giant foreign platforms that do not have the same requirements.”

In June, the CRTC mandated that foreign streaming platforms allocate 5 per cent of their Canadian revenues to a fund supporting Canadian content. Several streamers — including Netflix, Disney and Paramount — have challenged the order in the Federal Court of Appeal.

More regulatory changes could be on the horizon as the CRTC moves forward with its plan to modernize the framework and implement the Online Streaming Act, designed to “ensure the sustainability and growth of Canada’s broadcasting system.”

But some creators are worried. The guild points to a notice for a key CRTC hearing in March suggesting that the addition of global streamers to the Canadian marketplace means that the “current approach to PNI is no longer needed.”

The guild says that’s not the case. It’s urging the CRTC to set spending requirements on Canadian content at 8.5 per cent of the previous year’s revenue, with the requirement extending to include online streaming platforms.

If such changes are made, the report says total English-language private sector investment in PNI could reach an estimated $500 million by 2028.

“It will always be easier for broadcasters to buy American dramas, instead of taking the risk to tell original Canadian stories, but our stories are the most important projects to make and protect,” Forget said in a statement.

“The current commission has an opportunity to head off a disastrous blow to our industry and culture, and build a modern, robust system that guarantees audiences a vibrant, diverse range of original Canadian programming for decades to come.”

Several Canadian directors and actors have made statements in response to the Nordicity report, released Thursday, including filmmaker Atom Egoyan, who said the CRTC needs to take this opportunity “to safeguard and strengthen (the) legacy of Canadian storytelling, and not let it wither.”

Toronto actress Katie Boland said she’s worried about the future of Canadian film and TV workers.

“My friends and I need and want jobs. We are starting families and contributing to society in an uncertain time for our industry and we all want to believe in our futures,” she said.

“We need Canadian content to be made.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 30, 2025.

Alex Nino Gheciu, The Canadian Press

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OTTAWA — A federal lawyer denies government responsibility for Abousfian Abdelrazik’s detention in Sudan, saying the Montreal man’s lawsuit against Canada is based on “an elaborate theory” crafted from snippets of evidence.

In closing arguments Thursday in Federal Court, lawyer Andrew Gibbs said “speculation and innuendo” are not enough to establish federal liability for Abdelrazik’s imprisonment abroad.

The Sudanese-born Abdelrazik became a Canadian citizen in the 1990s and was arrested during a 2003 visit to his native country to see his ailing mother.

Canadian Security Intelligence Service officers travelled to Khartoum to interrogate him in October 2003 about suspected extremist links.

Abdelrazik, who denies involvement in terrorism, says he was tortured by Sudanese authorities during two periods of detention.

He is suing the Canadian government, claiming officials had a hand in his arbitrary imprisonment, encouraged his detention and actively obstructed his repatriation to Canada for several years.

His suit also names Lawrence Cannon, a former Conservative foreign affairs minister who denied Abdelrazik an emergency passport to return to Canada in 2009.

Abdelrazik is seeking $20 million from Ottawa and $1 million from Cannon.

Paul Champ, a lawyer for Abdelrazik, told Justice Patrick Gleeson that if the court finds in his client’s favour, it must award “significant and exceptional” damages for the violation of his fundamental human rights.

Abdelrazik filed his claim in 2009 but the matter took years to come to trial as officials scrutinized sensitive internal records relevant to the case.

Over the course of several weeks last fall, the court heard testimony from Abdelrazik, Cannon, current and former CSIS employees and people who played a role in the saga while working for Canada’s foreign ministry or other agencies.

Gibbs said Thursday that in the period following the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the United States, Abdelrazik was a legitimate national security target and a person of interest to intelligence agencies around the world.

“He chose to return to Sudan, a country with a poor human rights record. Sudan arrested him. Sudan granted CSIS access to him but denied all consular access,” Gibbs said.

“Canadian officials decided to use CSIS access to get Canadian eyes on him. CSIS access led to full consular access, and the file became a consular file complicated by numerous geographic and geopolitical issues.”

Canada did not cause Abdelrazik’s detention and did not torture or otherwise mistreat him, Gibbs said.

“He was a dual citizen detained in Sudan by Sudanese authorities,” he said. “Any mistreatment was at the hands of the Sudanese.”

Abdelrazik returned to Canada in late June 2009 after a judge ruled Ottawa violated his Charter right to enter Canada by denying him a temporary travel document.

Champ told the court Wednesday in his closing submissions that Canadian officials were instrumental in Abdelrazik’s ongoing detention in Sudan, adding their overriding concern was that he not return to Canada.

Canadian officials knew, or ought to have known, that Abdelrazik was at risk while in the custody of Sudanese intelligence, “a fearsome agency well known for brutality and systematic torture,” he said.

Champ argued that when Abdelrazik’s arbitrary detention was no longer tenable, Canada contributed to, or passively accepted, his placement on no-fly lists that further frustrated his right to return to Canada.

Concluding arguments in the case are expected to wrap up Friday. Gleeson is likely to take time to weigh the evidence and testimony before delivering a decision at a later date.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 30, 2025.

Jim Bronskill, The Canadian Press

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FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — President Donald Trump began his White House briefing Thursday with a moment of silence and a prayer for victims of Wednesday’s crash at Reagan National Airport. But his remarks quickly became a diatribe against diversity hiring and his allegation — so far without evidence — that lowered standards were to blame for the crash.

Trump on Thursday variously pointed the finger at the helicopter’s pilot, air traffic control, his predecessor, Joe Biden, and other Democrats including former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, whom he labeled a “disaster.” Buttigieg responded by calling Trump “despicable.”

The cause of the crash is still unknown. Authorities are investigating and have not publicly identified the cause or said who might have been responsible for the collision of an American Airlines plane and a U.S. Army helicopter.

Reporters on Thursday challenged Trump’s claims. Here’s a look at how Trump responded to some of their questions.

Placing blame on diversity hiring

Trump was asked repeatedly to explain why he was blaming federal diversity and inclusion promotion efforts for the crash, at one point alleging that previous leadership had determined that the Federal Aviation Administration workforce was “too white.” He did not back up those claims, while also declaring it was still not clear the FAA or air traffic controllers were responsible for the crash.

Q: “Are you saying this crash was somehow caused as the result of diversity hiring? And what evidence have you seen to support these claims?”

TRUMP: “It just could have been. We have a high standard. We’ve had a much higher standard than anybody else. And there are things where you have to go by brainpower. You have to go by psychological quality, and psychological quality is a very important element of it. These are various, very powerful tests that we put to use. And they were terminated by Biden. And Biden went by a standard that seeks the exact opposite. So we don’t know. But we do know that you had two planes at the same level. You had a helicopter and a plane. That shouldn’t have happened. And, we’ll see. We’re going to look into that, and we’re going to see. But certainly for an air traffic controller, we want the brightest, the smartest, the sharpest. We want somebody that’s psychologically superior. And that’s what we’re going to have.”

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Q: “You have today blamed the diversity elements but then told us that you weren’t sure that the controllers made any mistake. You then said perhaps the helicopter pilots were the ones who made the mistake.”

TRUMP: “It’s all under investigation.”

Q: “I understand that. That’s why I’m trying to figure out how you can come to the conclusion right now that diversity had something to do with this crash.”

TRUMP: “Because I have common sense. OK? And unfortunately, a lot of people don’t. We want brilliant people doing this. This is a major chess game at the highest level. When you have 60 planes coming in during a short period of time, and they’re all coming in different directions, and you’re dealing with very high-level computer, computer work and very complex computers.”

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Trump was challenged on his claim that the FAA under Democratic presidents had promoted the hiring of people with disabilities. The page Trump referenced has existed on the FAA’s website for a decade, including his first term.

Q: “The implication that this policy is new or that it stems from efforts that began under President Biden or the transportation secretary, Pete Buttigieg, is demonstrably false. It’s been on the FAA’s website —”

TRUMP: “Who said that, you?”

Q: “No, it’s on the website, the FAA’s website. It was there from 2013 … it was there for the entirety, it was there for the entirety of your administration, too. So my question is, why didn’t you change the policy during your first administration?”

TRUMP: “I did change it. I changed the Obama policy, and we had a very good policy. And then Biden came in and he changed it. And then when I came in two days, three days ago, I signed a new order, bringing it to the highest level of intelligence.”

Calling for fast confirmations

Trump agreed it was helpful to have Sean Duffy, his new transportation secretary, sworn and ready to respond when the major crisis hit.

Q: “Is it helpful to have your secretary of transportation confirmed and does this intensify your interest in getting other nominees confirmed quickly as well?”

TRUMP: “For sure, we want fast confirmations. And the Democrats, as you know, are doing everything they can to delay. They’ve taken too long. We’re struggling to get very good people that everybody knows are going to be confirmed. But we’re struggling to get them out faster. We want them out faster.”

Reassuring people it is safe to fly

Trump was asked if Americans should feel safe to fly after the crash.

According to the FAA, Trump is expected to fly to Palm Beach, Florida, where his Mar-a-Lago club is located, for the weekend on Friday.

Trump took another opportunity to criticize diversity hiring efforts for the crash as he wrapped up the news briefing.

Q: “Should people be hesitant to fly right now?”

TRUMP: “No. Not at all. I would not hesitate to fly. This is something that it’s been many years that something like this has happened, and the collision is just something that, we don’t expect ever to happen again. We are going to have the highest-level people. We’ve already hired some of the people that you already hired for that position long before we knew about this. I mean, long before, from the time I came in, we started going out and getting the best people because I said ‘It’s not appropriate what they’re doing.’ I think it’s a tremendous mistake. You know? They like to do things, and they like to take them too far. And this is sometimes what ends up happening.

“Now with that, I’m not blaming the controller. I’m saying there are things that you could question, like the height of the helicopter, the height of the plane being at the same level and going the opposite direction. That’s not a positive. But, no, we’re already hiring people.

“Flying is very safe. We have the safest flying anywhere in the world, and we’ll keep it that way.”

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Associated Press writer Jill Colvin in New York contributed to this report.

Adriana Gomez Licon, The Associated Press





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CALGARY — The Alberta government has named Assisted Living Alberta as the last of four new public agencies taking over provincial health care from Alberta Health Services.

Community and Social Services Minister Jason Nixon says the new agency is to be officially operational in April.

Nixon says it will be responsible for a number of services, including continuing and assisted care and home care.

He says there are over 800,000 seniors in the province and the need for assisted living and other care programs is expected to increase significantly over the next few years.

The announcement comes after the province named Recovery Alberta, Primary Care Alberta and Acute Care Alberta as the other agencies taking over from Alberta Health Services.

Alberta Health Services is to still be responsible for a majority of hospitals but will report to Acute Care Alberta.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 30, 2025.

The Canadian Press

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NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Tennessee lawmakers on Thursday approved legislation drastically expanding the number of families who can use taxpayer money on private schools regardless of income, a long-sought victory for Republican Gov. Bill Lee with some help from President Donald Trump to win over GOP holdouts.

The bill heads to Lee for his almost-certain signature. Tennessee would join a dozen other states that have eliminated traditional strict income requirements for families seeking to access public dollars to fund alternatives to public education for their children.

Under Tennessee’s proposal, 20,000 education vouchers of around $7,000 each would become available next year. Half of those would go to students who are lower income, disabled or otherwise able to participate in the new voucher program, but any student entitled to attend a public school could access the remaining 10,000.

Thursday’s House and Senate approval occurred within a session specially called by Lee, allowing him to narrowly focus lawmakers’ attention instead of waiting for action during the ongoing, monthslong regular session covering all kinds of topics. The special session began Monday.

Trump weighed in on social media Tuesday. He praised Tennessee lawmakers for “working hard to pass School Choice this week, which I totally support.” Additionally, the Trump administration told the U.S. Education Department to use discretionary money to prioritize school choice programs and give states new guidance on how they can use federal money to support K-12 voucher programs.

The head of the conservative Club for Growth, which is running TV ads lauding the voucher plan, also warned Republican lawmakers that they would fund primary election challengers to try to defeat anyone who opposes the bill.

Supporters have repeatedly argued expanding school choice is critical to supporting parental rights and giving families the best options for their children. At the Republican National Convention, Lee even called school choice the “civil rights issue of our time.”

Yet Democrats, who hold only a sliver of power in Tennessee but led the charge on publicly questioning the governor’s voucher plan, repeatedly pointed out this week the unexpected costs that have popped up in other states and stressed that the legislation would largely benefit wealthy families who don’t need the financial assistance. Legislative analysts assume about two-thirds of the vouchers will go to students already attending private schools.

“Make no mistake, this is welfare for the wealthy,” said Democratic Rep. John Ray Clemmons during Thursday’s floor debate.

Republicans have defended the lax income limits, arguing parents need more choices, regardless of wealth.

“As the sponsor of this legislation, I’ve never once said that this was a program designed for disadvantaged families,” GOP Sen. Jack Johnson said.

The push to expand school vouchers comes as Republicans across the country have increased their criticisms of public schools in recent years. They have said some public schools were too slow to reopen in the COVID-19 pandemic, sought to limit what public schools can teach about race and sexuality, and adopted laws and rules banning transgender athletes in school sports.

Yet when presented directly to voters, school choice expansion efforts have faltered. Last election, Kentucky voters rejected a measure to enable public funding for private school attendance, and Nebraska voters partially repealed a law that uses taxpayer money to subsidize private education. A proposed constitutional amendment in Colorado that would have established schoolchildren’s “right to school choice” also was defeated.

In Tennessee, multiple local school boards passed resolutions stating their opposition to Lee’s voucher plan. Teachers and students flocked to the Capitol this week, holding signs and yelling out as lawmakers walked into floor sessions pleading with them not to gut public education dollars. On Thursday, some protesters handed out fake money labeled “voucher scam bribe.”

Another sticking point was the large amount of testimony from families of students who have learning disabilities pointing out that private schools can and do reject students with certain impairments. A last-minute amendment that would have prohibited private schools from discriminating against students with disabilities was rejected from the House.

Since taking office in 2019, Lee has narrowly won efforts to create a school voucher program for low-income families in three counties. But last year, Lee failed to win enough support to launch a statewide school voucher program no longer based on income.

For the upcoming budget year, more than $400 million would be set aside for the voucher plan that folds in other education initiatives. One of those add-ons is $172 million for one-time bonuses of $2,000 for teachers.

In order to receive it, however, a local school board would have to pass a resolution opting in to the bonus section of the voucher bill. The requirement was added after a number of school boards passed resolutions broadly opposing vouchers.

Legislative budget analysts project the legislation will cost $190.8 million annually in future years.

While Republicans touted their focus on adding billions of dollars to K-12 education in recent years, Democrats noted that Tennessee ranks near the bottom of all states in per-pupil funding for K-12 education.

Jonathan Mattise And Kimberlee Kruesi, The Associated Press




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EDMONTON — Alberta’s government has ended a funding contract for a non-profit organization that provides education and resources for gambling addiction.

Ray Reshke, executive director of the Edmonton-based Problem Gambling Resources Network, says without the funding the organization will likely have to shut its doors.

He said the network has had a government funding agreement of some sort since 1993. Earlier this month, he said he was told the government was ending its three-year contract and pulling the nearly $130,000 it provided annually.

“It was a real shock,” said Reshke.

“We had our rug pulled out from under us a year early.”

As one of the few organizations focused on gambling addiction in Alberta, Reshke said the network provides support through its drop-in centre and phone line.

“We’re not counsellors, but we do direct people to resources for help like gamblers anonymous or Alberta Health Services,” he said, adding the drop-in centre is also used as a meeting place for gamblers anonymous.

He said the network also helps people enrol in the Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis voluntary self-exclusion program, which bans them from casinos.

Reshke said the network’s biggest accomplishment is its education program, through which paid volunteers with a history of gambling addiction give presentations in schools and workplaces.

“We’ve probably done around 10,000 gambling education presentations over the time that we’ve been in business, and we’ve reached probably 250,000 people.”

Reshke said he was told the funding was cut because the organization doesn’t provide direct services.

The same reasoning was given to four disability advocacy organizations that also had their government funding contracts ended this month. Those cuts totalled at least $920,000.

Andree Busenius, a volunteer with the gambling network who gives presentations, disagrees with the government’s assessment. He said the demand and need for presentations, particularly for school-age children, has never been greater.

“One of the things I often hear back from students is that they can list off 10 or 15 online gambling sites,” said Busenius. “But if I ask them (to name) three places to get support for addiction in Alberta, they struggle.”

She said her school presentations include identifying elements of gambling, such as mystery boxes for purchase in video games, in an effort to build awareness.

Feedback from teachers and parents has been overwhelmingly positive, she said.

“My true hope for anyone that hears our presentation, whether it’s me or Ray, is do not ride the dump truck all the way to the dumpster like I did.”

Questions sent to the office of Mental Health and Addictions Minister Dan Williams were forwarded to Recovery Alberta, one of the four new public health agencies the province created to replace Alberta Health Services.

Recovery Alberta spokesperson Jessica Conlin said it was ending its funding contract with the gambling network early because it was determined the network doesn’t provide direct services.

“These funds are being reallocated to focus on front-line delivery of services to directly support Albertans in their pursuit of recovery,” she said in an email.

“At any time, Albertans can call the Addiction and Mental Health Helpline to connect with trained professionals for access to services.”

She didn’t answer questions about whether other organizations in the addictions sector were also having their funding cut.

Opposition NDP mental health and addictions critic Janet Eremenko said cutting funding to the gambling network is irresponsible, especially since the United Conservative Party government generates over $2 billion in revenue from gambling.

“They have a fundamental responsibility to step in and create a tangible way for people to point to a specific line item in the budget that says this is what they’re doing to address and prevent problematic gambling and gambling addiction when they’re making that kind of revenue from the gambling itself.”

She also said it’s concerning because Alberta is eyeing legislation that would allow private companies to set up online gambling operations in the province, similar to Ontario.

Online gambling “is a big tidal wave on the horizon, and these kinds of cuts are going to mean that the consequences of that are going to be bigger than ever,” Eremenko said.

Government-owned Play Alberta is currently the only licensed online gambling site in the province, although sites like Bet365 that have offshore licences can also be accessed.

Service Alberta Minister Dale Nally, who’s responsible for regulating the gambling industry in the province, said Tuesday that Alberta’s online gambling market is like the “Wild West,” but no firm decisions have been made.

He said following Ontario’s model would make online gambling safer in Alberta.

“Online gambling will never be a safe activity, but there are ways to make it safer,” he said. “We have a fiduciary responsibility to put Albertans’ safety first, and we take that very seriously.”

Reshke said the government funding, which represents 95 per cent of the network’s annual budget, runs out at the end of February.

“We do some fundraising, (but) we have a hard time with that,” he said.

“People don’t like to provide money to gamblers.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 30, 2025.

Jack Farrell, The Canadian Press

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TORONTO — A running list of election promises announced by the Progressive Conservatives, NDP, Liberals and Greens in Ontario since the official start of the province’s snap election campaign. The vote is set for Feb. 27.

Progressive Conservatives

Jan. 30 on electric vehicles: Commit to deals with Stellantis and Volkswagen for their battery plants regardless of what happens with U.S. President Donald Trump’s threats to impose tariffs and rip up electric vehicle tax credits.

Jan. 30 on response to tariff threats: Invest $1 billion in a skills development fund for autoworkers to transition to a different trade and another $100 million for an employment fund to help workers who are vulnerable to trade disputes transition to “in-demand” jobs.

NDP

Jan. 27 on affordability: Get rid of tolls for all drivers on Highway 407, on both the government-owned portion and the privately owned part, named the 407 ETR. The party also pledged to buy that part back.

Liberals

Jan. 30 on electric vehicles: Bring back consumer rebates for electric-vehicle purchases in an effort to help slumping sales.

Jan. 29 on health care: Give all Ontarians access to a family doctor within four years by significantly expanding the health team network and recruiting thousands of new domestically and internationally trained family doctors.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 30, 2025.

The Canadian Press

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