WHITEHORSE — Yukon Premier Ranj Pillai says he is stepping down as the leader of the governing Liberal party and will not be running for re-election.
Pillai says he’s asked the party to immediately begin the process of holding a convention to select a new leader.
More coming.
The Canadian Press
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — A federal judge has tossed out a lawsuit aimed at making Arkansas’ GOP primary open only to registered Republicans.
U.S. District Judge Brian Miller on Monday granted the motion to dismiss the lawsuit that had been filed by about two dozen of the delegates from the state Republican Party’s convention last year.
The lawsuit stemmed from delegates at the state Republican Party convention voting to allow only registered GOP voters to participate in the party’s primary. The party’s executive committee in July nullified that proposal and several other actions by the convention, saying proper steps weren’t taken to consider them.
“Although plaintiffs’ positions are understandable, their claims must be dismissed because federal court is not the appropriate forum to resolve their dispute,” Miller wrote in the seven-page order.
Voters in Arkansas aren’t required to choose a party when they register, and the majority of voters don’t pick Republican or Democratic.
Attorney General Tim Griffin, whose office represented the state in the case, said he appreciated the judge dismissing the case.
“This dispute was settled within the Republican Party of Arkansas months ago,” Griffin said in a statement. “It never made sense for the state to be sued over it.”
The lawsuit had named the Arkansas Republican Party chairman, the secretary of state and members of the state board of election commissioners as defendants.
Jennifer Lancaster, the lead plaintiff in the case, said she and the other delegates were “prayerfully and strategically” considering their next steps.
“We stood up to protect the Republican Party from being hijacked by Democrats voting in our primaries,” Lancaster said in a statement. “We believe that Republican nominees should be chosen by Republican voters. That’s not radical — it’s foundational.”
Andrew Demillo, The Associated Press
The Trump administration is promising to fix the nationwide shortage of air traffic controllers after recent control tower mishaps and a string of crashes earlier this year.
The need for more controllers who direct planes across increasingly crowded skies, though, isn’t a new issue or one that will be resolved quickly.
How big is the shortage of controllers?
The Federal Aviation Administration has about 14,000 air traffic controllers. More than 1,800 were hired last year, the largest number in nearly a decade, and the government is on track to hire even more this year. Still, there’s a need for about 3,000 more to fully staff the system.
What are the impacts?
Understaffing has meant controllers often are forced to work mandatory overtime, sometimes six days a week. That has led to concerns about fatigue after highly publicized close calls between planes that were following orders from controllers. The FAA agreed last summer to increase the minimum rest time between shifts. In some high-traffic areas, including New York and Florida, the FAA has limited the number of flights because of the lack of controllers.
Why is there a shortage if thousands are being hired?
It’s a demanding and stressful job with unpredictable hours and a high turnover rate. Many don’t make it though the first few years. And experienced controllers face a mandatory retirement age of 56.
Is this just a recent concern?
The National Air Traffic Controllers Association has been raising concerns for more than decade, telling Congress in 2015 that the shortage was at a crisis level. It said then that the FAA had missed its hiring targets for five years in a row. The union again said last spring that the number of fully certified controllers was down 10% from where it was 10 years ago.
What’
s the Trump administration’s plan?
The administration wants to “supercharge” the controller workforce and announced a program last week to speed up hiring and give existing controllers more money not to retire early. But because it takes years to train and certify new hires, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said it still will take at least three or four years to meet the current needs.
How do you become a controller?
Most go through several months training at the FAA Academy in Oklahoma, although about one-third of the candidates don’t make it to the end. Others are taught the job in the military, and a handful of colleges offer the same training found at the academy. Trainees then go on to work as developmental controllers in airport towers or radar centers until they’re ready to be certified. That final step typically takes two to three years.
What are the requirements?
The FAA says trainees must be willing to go anywhere across the U.S. while working nights and weekends. Applicants must be a U.S. citizen, younger than 31 and able to pass a medical exam, background check and a skills assessment. The FAA says less than 10% of applicants are accepted into the training program.
John Seewer, The Associated Press
The British Columbia government has appointed a former chief justice of the B.C. Supreme Court to report on safety measures for event organizers and police after 11 people were killed in a vehicle attack in Vancouver.
Premier David Eby says Christopher Hinkson has agreed to serve as commissioner to conduct the review “in a very short period of time.”
Eby says Hinkson is expected to report back by June 30 to help guide event organizers across B.C. to “maximize safety,” while not retreating from the fact that people want to get together and celebrate.
The premier says he knows there is a lot of anxiety from organizers and those planning to attend events this summer and that they have questions about security, so he’s glad that Hinkson is willing to take on the job.
Event planner Laura Ballance, who has organized thousands events in B.C., says the Lapu Lapu festival attack is an unimaginable tragedy, but it’s also important to understand that such “lone wolf” attacks are difficult to prevent.
She says security and safety have always been the top priority of event organizers, and safety measures also occupy a very large portion of their budgets.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published May, 7, 2025.
Nono Shen, The Canadian Press
VICTORIA — British Columbia Premier David Eby says resolving the softwood lumber dispute could create “momentum” for a larger trade agreement between Canada and the United States.
Eby says he and several other premiers pressed that point when they met virtually with Prime Minister Mark Carney for the first time following his meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump this week.
Canada and the United States have been without a softwood lumber deal since 2015 and B.C. softwood lumber exporters pay duties of 14.4 per cent with those expected to jump to 34.5 per cent in the fall.
The United States has collected $10 billion in duties so far, but that money remains legally locked up as Canada is challenging the tariffs as unjustified under the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement.
Previous softwood agreements have divided up the money collected, and Eby says both the American government and Canadian producers could benefit from those funds.
Eby says premiers also discussed the film industry and bail reform during their first meeting with Carney following his election.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published May, 7, 2025.
Wolfgang Depner, The Canadian Press
OTTAWA — Over 800 special ballots cast during the recent federal election were mistakenly kept at the office of a returning officer in B.C., Elections Canada says.
The agency says all registered political parties have been informed that 822 special ballots cast by electors in 74 electoral districts across the country were left with the returning officer in the riding of Coquitlam—Port Coquitlam.
Elections Canada says the ballots should have been returned to its headquarters by April 28 at 6 p.m. to allow them to be counted.
Over 500 of the ballots mistakenly left in Coquitlam—Port Coquitlam were for the electoral district of Port Moody—Coquitlam.
Others were for ridings across the country, including Halifax, Nepean and Vancouver Centre.
Elections Canada says an initial analysis shows that the outcomes in those 74 districts were not affected by the mislaid ballots.
The agency says its initial analysis showed that the problem was caused by “human error” and “a failure to comply with the written procedures.”
Chief Electoral Officer Stéphane Perrault has asked for a complete review of the controls in place to ensure that a similar situation does not happen again, Elections Canada says.
“My commitment to candidates, political parties and Canadians is that when issues related to the delivery of an election arise, we take all necessary steps to resolve them,” Perrault said in a news release.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 7, 2025.
Catherine Morrison, The Canadian Press
EDMONTON — The Speaker of the Alberta legislature is resigning his seat in the assembly to become the province’s representative to the United States.
“Serving this assembly has been one of the greatest honours of my lifetime,” Nathan Cooper said Wednesday in a speech to the house announcing his resignation.
“Working as the assembly’s chief diplomat has equipped me in, and to be ready for, my next role serving Albertans in a new and meaningful way.”
Cooper said he will officially resign as Speaker on Monday, and an election of legislature members for a new Speaker will take place Tuesday.
The Speaker’s role is to preside over debates and proceedings in the house in a non-partisan manner.
Cooper said he was the eighth-longest serving Speaker in the province’s history, presiding over 340 question periods, “or 12 full days of question periods,” as well as more than 2,000 hours of debate.
Cooper was first elected in Olds-Didsbury-Three Hills as a member of the Wildrose Party in 2015.
When the party merged with the Progressive Conservatives two years later, Cooper became the United Conservative Party’s first leader on an interim basis before it held a formal leadership race.
Cooper was elected Speaker by fellow MLAs following the 2019 provincial election and was re-elected to the role in 2023.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 7, 2025.
Jack Farrell, The Canadian Press
WASHINGTON (AP) — The president of Haverford College was berated by Republican lawmakers in a congressional hearing on campus antisemitism Wednesday, with some suggesting the school should lose federal funding because of her refusal to discuss student discipline in the wake of pro-Palestinian protests.
Wendy Raymond appeared alongside two other college presidents on Capitol Hill but was singled out as the only one who would not detail punishments for students and faculty accused of anti-Jewish bias. Asked repeatedly, Raymond said her institution does not publicize the outcomes of disciplinary processes.
“I suppose it’s your First Amendment right to be evasive, but it’s also our right to decide that such institutions are not deserving of taxpayer money,” said Republican Rep. Bob Onder of Missouri.
Also appearing before the House Committee on Education and the Workforce were Jeffrey Armstrong of California Polytechnic State University and Robert Manuel of DePaul University. It was the latest in a series of hearings scrutinizing university presidents over their responses to allegations of anti-Jewish bias in the wake of Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attacks on Israel and a wave of protests that swept the nation’s campuses.
Unlike others that featured leaders of Harvard, Columbia and other elite institutions — with stumbles that later contributed to their resignations — this one intentionally focused on lesser-known schools. Republicans sought to look beyond the Ivy League to underscore the pervasiveness of antisemitism on U.S. campuses.
The committee’s leaders aimed to choose a diverse mix of colleges. Haverford is a small liberal arts school outside Philadelphia, founded by Quakers. DePaul is a Catholic university with an urban campus in Chicago. Cal Poly is a campus of 22,000 students in San Luis Obispo.
For more than three hours, Republicans grilled the presidents over reports of anti-Jewish harassment on their campuses, ranging from social media posts to the physical attack of two Jewish students at DePaul. Democrats denounced the hearing, calling it political theater that does little to fight discrimination.
The trio of presidents mostly struck a deferential tone, acknowledging some missteps while highlighting work to make students feel safer. Raymond and Manuel apologized for shortcomings, while Armstrong said “we have to do better” holding people accountable for prejudice.
But while the presidents of Cal Poly and DePaul shared information on disciplinary action against antisemitism, Raymond refused.
“We do not talk about those numbers publicly,” she said when pressed on the question. She acknowledged some action had taken but declined to go further.
It drew a searing rebuke from Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., known for orchestrating fiery exchanges with former presidents of Harvard and the University of Pennsylvania that contributed to their resignations last year.
“Respectfully, president of Haverford, many people have sat in this position who are no longer in their positions as presidents of universities for their failure to answer straightforward questions,” Stefanik said.
Stefanik questioned Raymond over a professor’s social media post describing the Hamas attacks as “imprisoned people breaking free from their chains.” Raymond called it repugnant but refused to discuss individual cases.
DePaul’s president faced scrutiny over his handling of a pro-Palestinian encampment. Protesters took over a campus quad at the Chicago university for 17 days, causing $180,000 in property damage, according to the school. Police cleared the encampment and said they found knives, a pellet gun and other weapons.
“My question is, if there is another encampment, are you taking it down that next day?” asked Rep. Mary Miller, R-Ill.
“Yes,” Manuel said.
Other Republicans endorsed the idea of funding cuts for schools that refuse to disclose punishments, saying Congress should explore the issue. Rep. Ryan Mackenzie of Pennsylvania said it should be a baseline for receiving funding.
Republicans began the series of hearings in late 2023 and have routinely called education leaders to Capitol Hill to testify. Those called include chiefs of Harvard, Columbia, Penn, Northwestern University and the University of California, Los Angeles.
The Trump administration has separately frozen billions of dollars in grants to colleges targeted by a federal antisemitism task force. Those targeted include Columbia, Penn and Harvard, which is suing to restore $2.2 billion in grants. The Education Department doubled down last week, saying Harvard is no longer eligible for new grants.
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The Associated Press’ education coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP’s standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.
Collin Binkley, The Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal judge on Wednesday found the Trump administration can’t deport migrants to Libya unless they have a meaningful chance to challenge their removal in court.
The order from U.S. District Judge Brian E. Murphy in Massachusetts comes after attorneys said immigration authorities informed migrants of plans to deport them to Libya, a country with a history of human rights violations.
Murphy previously found that any migrants deported to countries other than their homelands must first be allowed to argue that it would jeopardize their safety.
He said that any “allegedly imminent” removals would “clearly violate this Court’s Order.”
The Associated Press
NEW YORK (AP) — The Trump administration, which has fought to dismantle or hollow out government-run outlets that provide news to other countries, has agreed to use the conservative media network OAN’s feed on Voice of America and other services.
Voice of America hasn’t operated since mid-March because of funding cuts ordered by President Donald Trump, who has criticized it and similar services like Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty as promoting a news agenda with a liberal bias.
That has triggered court fights that are still unresolved. But Kari Lake, Trump’s representative at the U.S. Agency for Global Media, the funding arm for these services, said she had reached out to OAN, which has offered to provide its news and video free of charge.
In an announcement, Lake called it “an enormous benefit to the American taxpayer.” She said she initially reached out to OAN at the suggestion of the Office of Cuba Broadcasting. It was unclear on Wednesday how or when the OAN material will be used.
The One America News Network is pro-Trump in its outlook. Recently, the network promoted an “investigation” of Trump’s early days in office, titled “100 Golden Days.” Its White House correspondent, Daniel Baldwin, said that “President Trump has ushered in a new era of American prosperity in just 100 days — the closed border, inflation eradicated, women protected, investments galore.”
Baldwin has also endeared himself to the president through questions asked at press availabilities. In one Oval Office meeting, Baldwin said that previous American leaders lacked the conviction to begin talks with Russia. “What gave you the moral courage and conviction to step forward and lead that?” he asked Trump.
“Oh, I love this guy!” Trump said.
How OAN is used on Voice of America is in VOA’s hands, Charles Herring, OAN’s president, told The Associated Press. “We simply wished to help when asked,” he said.
Shortly before stopping operations in mid-March, Voice of America canceled contracts with news services like the AP, Reuters and AFP. By law, VOA is obligated to provide a balanced news diet to countries where it operates, said Steve Herman, former long-time correspondent there. Lake’s Agency for Global Media is also not supposed to dictate its content, he said.
“VOA is not to be the voice of left America nor the voice of right America,” Herman said.
In a message on social media, Lake acknowledged that she doesn’t have editorial control over what is aired on Voice of America. “But,” she said, “I can ensure our outlets have reliable and credible options as they work to craft their reporting and news programs.”
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Associated Press writer Ali Swenson contributed to this report. David Bauder writes about media for the AP. Follow him at http://x.com/dbauder and https://bsky.app/profile/dbauder.bsky.social
David Bauder, The Associated Press
