High wages, low housing costs keep homes affordable in Alberta

Economic factors and government policies, such as tightened controls around energy efficiency, are putting upward pressure on home prices.


Josh Skapin - Yesterday 
Edmonton Journal

The average cost of absorbed single-family homes in the Edmonton census metropolitan area (CMA) in February was $561,753, says Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp. During the same month in 2021, it was $538,587.

“Edmonton to Calgary, together, one of our secret super powers is the fact that we have high wages and low housing costs relative to the rest of the country,” says Kalen Anderson, Urban Development Institute (UDI-)Edmonton’s executive director.

“That’s a critical strategic advantage for us,” she added. “We want to make sure that we maintain that affordability and attainability of housing.

“It’s really hard to have a big Canadian city with attainable housing in it for all different prices points, and we currently have that, but it’s really easy for that to erode.”
Energy Efficiency

With expenses in mind, energy efficiency is a “significant” factor for the industry, says Fraser de Walle, chair of BILD (Building Industry and Land Development) Alberta.

“We understand and endorse the fact that better efficiency and lower greenhouse gas emissions will further shape the homes of our future,” he says. “However, decisions that are made without conciliation of appropriate industry can have unintended consequences on the price of the home for consumers.

“We are trying to be very pro-active on this topic, staying in front of it … we are very engaged in it.”

“The key thing is we need to maintain affordability in housing, which needs to stay central to those discussions and planning. We have seen climate policy acceleration by municipalities and often that acceleration by the municipalities, specifically Calgary and Edmonton, sometimes lack broader alignment.

“We are activity working on a broader strategy to attain greater alignment and clarity with the municipalities on that topic.”

The industry is also shouldering ongoing limitations related to supply chains and subsequent inflation.

Growth and Delays

The Edmonton census metropolitan area saw 12,546 starts on homes of all kinds in 2021, rising from 11,512 and 10,720 in 2020 and 2019, respectively, according to CMHC.

Alberta, in total, rose to 30,612 starts from 20,043, year over year.

“We are optimistic 2022 will be strong, as well,” says de Walle.

However, he adds, the flip-side of that positive momentum is ongoing delays.

“Still, just coming from the end of COVID, we are going to likely continue to see increased costs and delays in products and materials, which is an ongoing concern for us,” he added. “Things that will help with that are … reducing red tape and improved alignment between stakeholders and government officials. BILD Alberta works very hard on that.

“For approvals for land titles, just because of the sheer volume of activity — and you’d think that’s a positive, the volume of activity — but there has been an unintended consequence with that activity where Service Alberta can’t keep up with the deal flow,” he added.

“There were delays across our provincial land title offices, which created a lot of challenges.”

BILD Alberta worked with the government on addressing this bottleneck in land titles approvals and collaborated on an interim solution, he added.

“It caught us by surprise … the demand that occurred through the pandemic,” says Anderson. “What we quickly learned as we sat at home and zoomed our way into our offices was that a home was not just a place to lay your head at night or make dinner, it was your gym, your kindergarten, your everything.

“Time is money,” she adds. “The cost of lending and time holding development through approvals processes — the more we can tighten that up, the more affordability can be maintained because the price goes down.

“Edmonton relative to Canada is doing a really positive job in that, but we want to keep working on it.”

City Charters

City charters that have the ability to influence the cost of a home are another priority for the residential building industry.

“We are working very hard to address the issues related to levies and inclusionary housing to have those removed from the city charters,” says de Walle, adding there’s concern over potential implications in Edmonton and Calgary if this is not addressed.

“The current structure within the city charters will further increase the costs to development, erode affordability and impact business confidence in our two largest cities,” de Walle says. “We haven’t encountered another jurisdiction in Canada that provides cities with as much broad and considerable power over development costs as they do in Alberta.

“We are looking for engagement from the province to provide clear and consistent rules governing these significant costs to provide a level of certainty and predictability for our industry.”

Infrastructure

Timing around infrastructure planning is another key, says Anderson.

“We don’t want to overbuild infrastructure before it is needed,” she added. “Infrastructure enables growth to happen. We want to be able to have a good sense of where growth will occur so we can all be prepared well in advance.

“Building out new neighbourhoods, there’s a lot of momentum to continue to fill them out because a half-built neighbourhood is basically all the infrastructure with half the houses. So we want to work with the city to make sure we enable growth to happen continuously and as efficiently as possible.”

Scarcity of water is expected to get worse in 80% of all croplands

Ryan Morrison For Dailymail.Com

Water scarcity is going to increase over the next few decades in more than 80 per cent of the world's croplands due to climate change, a new study has warned.

Researchers examined current and future water requirements for global agriculture, to determine whether the required water levels would be available by 2050.

The team from the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing looked at maximum levels of water possible from rainwater and irrigation in each cropland area.

They created an index to measure and predict water scarcity in major agriculture sources, including soil, rain, irrigation and rivers, finding that 80 per cent of all cropland areas around the world won't have enough water by 2050.

In the last 100 years, the demand for water worldwide has grown twice as fast as the human population, with water scarcity an increasing issue in drought struck areas such as the western US states, served by the Colorado River basin.

Earlier this week US officials announced what they called extraordinary steps on to keep hundreds of billions of gallons of water stored in the Lake Powell reservoir.

This was done to prevent it from shrinking more amid prolonged drought and climate change that has seen reservoirs in the region drop to record lows.

'Farming techniques that keep rainwater in agricultural soils could help mitigate shortages in arid regions,' the researchers suggest.


© Provided by Daily Mail

If greenhouse gas emissions continue to rise, agricultural water scarcity is predicted to intensify in 84 per cent of cropland from 2026 to 2050. In this figure, darker brown hues indicate greater water scarcity

Water scarcity is already an issue on every continent with agriculture, presenting a major threat to food security, the team warned.

Despite this, most water scarcity models have failed to take a comprehensive look at both blue and green water.

Soil water that comes from rain is called green water, and irrigation from rivers, lakes and groundwater is called blue water.

This is the first study to apply a comprehensive index of possible water worldwide and predict global blue and green water scarcity as a result of climate change.

It predicts whether the water levels available, either from rainwater or irrigation, will be sufficient to meet those needs under climate change.

'As the largest user of both blue and green water resources, agricultural production is faced with unprecedented challenges,' said Xingcai Liu, an associate professor at the Chinese Academy of Sciences and lead author of the new study.

'This index enables an assessment of agricultural water scarcity in both rainfed and irrigated croplands in a consistent manner.'

Water scarcity is going to increase over the next few decades in more than 80 per cent of the world's croplands due to climate change, a new study has warned. Stock image

A majority of rainfall ends up as green water, but it is often overlooked in water studies because it is invisible in the soil and can't be extracted for other uses.

The amount of green water available for crops depends on the how much rainfall an area receives and how much water is lost due to runoff and evaporation.

Farming practices, vegetation covering the area, the type of soil and the slope of the terrain can also have an effect.

US to hold back Lake Powell water to protect hydropower

U.S. officials announced what they called extraordinary steps on Tuesday to keep hundreds of billions of gallons of water stored in a reservoir on the Utah-Arizona line to prevent it from shrinking more amid prolonged drought and climate change.

The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation plans to hold back about 480,000 acre-feet of water in Lake Powell to maintain Glen Canyon Dam's ability to produce hydropower for millions of homes and businesses in the region.

That's roughly enough water to serve 1 million to 1.5 million average households annually.

Tanya Trujillo, the bureau's assistant secretary of water and science, said keeping the water stored in the reservoir would stave off hydropower concerns for at least 12 months, giving officials time to strategize for how to operate the dam at a lower water elevation.

The lake currently holds less than one-fourth of its full capacity and the dam produces electricity for about 5 million customers in seven U.S. states.

'We have never taken this step before in the Colorado River basin, but conditions we see today and the potential risks we see on the horizon demand that we take prompt action,' Trujillo said.

The shifting of temperatures and rainfall patterns due to climate change, as well as intensive farming practices, mean green water is unlikely to be enough to support the number of needed crops to support a growing population.

Mesfin Mekonnen, an assistant professor of Civil, Construction and Environmental Engineering at the University of Alabama who was not involved in the study, said the work is 'very timely in underlining the impact of climate on water availability.'

'What makes the paper interesting is developing a water scarcity indicator taking into account both blue water and green water,' he said.

'Most studies focus on blue water resources alone, giving little consideration to the green water.'

The researchers find that under climate change, global agricultural water scarcity will worsen in up to 84 per cent of croplands, with a loss of water supplies driving scarcity in about 60 per cent of those croplands.

Changes in available green water, due to shifting rainfall patterns and evaporation caused by higher temperatures, are now predicted to impact about 16 per cent of global croplands.

'Adding this important dimension to our understanding of water scarcity could have implications for agricultural water management,' the team said.

There will be areas that benefit, and those that suffer.

They gave the example of northeast China, predicted to receive more rain which could help alleviate agricultural water scarcity in the region.

However, reduced rainfall in the midwestern US and northwest India may lead to a need to increase irrigation to support intense farming.

The new index could help countries to assess the threat and causes of agricultural water scarcity and develop strategies to reduce the impact of future droughts.

The western US states are currently going through the worst drought in 1,200 years, causing a drop in run off and record low levels in reservoirs and rivers.

Multiple practices help conserve agricultural water, the team said, including mulching, which reduces evaporation from the soil.

No-till farming encourages water to infiltrate the ground and adjusting the timing of plantings can better align crop growth with changing rainfall patterns.

'Longer term, improving irrigation infrastructure, for example in Africa, and irrigation efficiency would be effective ways to mitigate the effects of future climate change in the context of growing food demand,' Liu said.

The findings have been published in the journal Earth s Future. Read more

A Russian motor just spontaneously exploded while orbiting Earth

Joshua Hawkins - Yesterday
BGR


Yet another cloud of space debris has appeared in orbit around Earth. This particular cloud was birthed by the explosion of an old Russian rocket motor. Currently, the U.S. Space Force’s 18th Space Squadron is tracking 16 pieces tied to the event.

An old Russian rocket motor exploded in space

The U.S. Space Force cataloged the object that blew up as Object #32398. The object itself was an old Russian rocket motor, journalist Anatoly Zak says. The ullage motor was part of a space tug that helped put three Russian GLONASS satellites into orbit back in 2007.

A Russian Proton rocket did most of the heavy lifting for the satellite launch in 2007. However, the upper stage of the rocket featured two small ullage motors. Russia used these ullage motors to help accelerate the parent rocket stages slightly, according to Jonathan McDowell.

McDowell is an astrophysicist and satellite tracker working at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics.

These small motors essentially help ensure the fuel is positioned correctly in the tanks. That’s important for any engine restarts needed once the rocket reaches orbit. However, these old Russian rocket motors don’t use up all of their propellant when they fire.

As such, they tend to explode some years, or even decades later. This creates a cloud of space debris in orbit.

Space debris and space junk aren’t a new factor. We’ve been dealing with them for a while. In the past, space debris has threatened the ISS. And, we’ve even looked for new ways to combat space junk.

Those efforts are still ongoing, though. This isn’t likely to be the last time we hear about old Russian rocket motors exploding in space, either.

McDowell says there are at least 64 ullage motors currently in orbit. Further, this isn’t the first one to explode.

Adding to the problem


© Provided by BGR

old russian rocket motor joins already outrageous amount of space debris around Earth

According to tweets from McDowell, at least 54 of the ullage motors have exploded over the years. Russia also refers to these old Russian rocket motors as SOZ motors. SOZ is short for “Sistema Obespecheniya Zapuska.” That translates roughly to “Launch Assurance System”.

The name makes sense. However, what doesn’t make sense is that we still have so many of these motors orbiting Earth, waiting to make new clouds of debris.

The old Russian Motor that just exploded was making its way around Earth in an elliptical orbit. At its closest point, it would get within 241 miles of Earth. At its furthest point, the Russian rocket motor would be 11,852 miles away from Earth. Because of this orbit, the debris field will take a while to reenter Earth’s atmosphere.

Ultimately, though, satellite tracks expected this debris event to happen at some point. “So – this debris event was predictable and is well understood; still very unfortunate,” McDowell wrote in a tweet. Experts are currently tracking over 173 debris objects from similar explosions of Russian rocket motors.

SOUNDS LIKE A JOB FOR:

IT'S A FEDERAL LIBERAL GOVT. TIME FOR;

Another big Maritime fishery quota cut looming

Paul Withers - Yesterday 

CBC

Another Maritime fishery is facing a big quota cut this year — the only question is how big.

This time it is the large herring fishery in southwestern Nova Scotia and the Bay of Fundy.

The stock is in the critical zone where serious harm is occurring, but the fishery employs hundreds of people in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick.

What happens next will again test how far Canada's fisheries minister is willing to go to rebuild a depleted stock.

63% cut looms

If DFO decides to use a new modelling process, the quota would likely be slashed to 13,050 tonnes from 35,000 tonnes — a 62.7 per cent cut.

That advice is the result of a management strategy evaluation, which is being used to produce a total allowable catch for this herring fishery for the first time.

The simulation-based process determines the quota or total allowable catch to achieve a desired outcome. The objective in this case is to get the herring stock out of the critical zone.

DFO has refused to say if it has decided to use advice from the management strategy evaluation.

A department spokesperson told CBC News in an email that a decision on the quota would be announced in the coming weeks.

The Bay of Fundy season opens in June.

Industry proposes smaller cut

One industry group has offered to cut the quota by 30 per cent.

In a news release, Bay of Fundy Herring Industry said it would be prepared to reduce the total allowable catch to 25,000 tonnes from 35,000 tonnes for the 2022 season.

"Our fishery recognizes the need for caution and to promote stock revitalization," said Noël Després, president of Saulnierville-based Comeau Seafoods, in the release.


© Robert F. Bukaty/The Associated Press

A file photo shows herring in a bucket. A decision on the total allowable catch for the herring fishery in southwestern Nova Scotia and the Bay of Fundy is expected to be announced in the coming weeks.

Most of the quota is caught by seiners — boats that use big nets to circle a school of herring as it comes to the surface.

The industry said it has undertaken voluntary conservation measures, citing major spawning ground closures, seasonal and weekend closures, and protections for juvenile fish.

"Our rebuilding efforts are showing signs of success, although it's going a little slower than what we were anticipating," said Tony Hooper of Connors Bros., based in Blacks Harbour, N.B.

Seeking to pause process

Industry leaders are also calling on DFO to pause the management strategy evaluation process, claiming the modelling is flawed.

"More work needs to be done before it can be implemented," said Tim Kaiser of Scotia Garden Seafood Inc., based in Yarmouth, N.S.

"We're seeing inconsistencies in the model, and the best thing we can do now is to take a brief pause, get back to the table and resolve these issues before making long-term decisions for the fishery."


© Paul Withers/CBC

Sebastian Pardo is sustainable fisheries co-ordinator at the Ecology Action Centre in Halifax. Pardo says previous quota cuts have not resulted in population rebuilding of the stock.

Environmentalist Sebastian Pardo said the management strategy evaluation has been in development since 2019. The model was finalized after a review by DFO and external scientists.

"For the most part, the conclusion was that the science is robust," said Pardo, sustainable fisheries co-ordinator at the Ecology Action Centre in Halifax.

The proposed cut is far bigger in tonnage than the total shutdowns imposed on the Atlantic mackerel and Gulf of St. Lawrence spring herring fisheries earlier this year.

"This is a much more difficult decision in terms of economic consequences. Any TAC [total allowable catch] reduction that big would be very painful for industry and it would have major consequences," said Pardo.

"From a conservation perspective, this stock has been in the critical zone for a while and the sequential TAC reductions that have happened in the past have not resulted in population rebuilding.

"I think this is a major test."


© Paul Withers/CBC

West Nova MP Chris d'Entremont says changes are needed, but there are factors besides biomass that have to be considered.

West Nova MP Chris d'Entremont represents a Nova Scotia riding that is home to large herring processing plants and seiner ports.

"We understand there has to be changes. The biomass may not be there as we need it, but there's also other considerations that need to be brought forward," d'Entremont told CBC News.

Nova Scotia Fisheries and Aquaculture Minister Steve Craig plans to meet with industry representatives next week to talk about the quota.

Meanwhile, the herring industry is warning DFO that sudden and significant changes could be disastrous for business.

"Here at Connors we can deal with a certain level of change in the TAC from year to year, but we can't change our inputs and products overnight," said Hooper.

"It's difficult to keep the plant viable if we see drastic cuts in the TAC on short notice."

When it comes to food prices, the Canadian government's hands are tied

Michael von Massow, Associate Professor, Food Economics, University of Guelph

 - Sunday
The Conversation

The rhetoric around inflation and increasing food prices has become a point of emphasis for politicians, particularly for those in opposition to the incumbent government.

Even pundits and non-profit organizations are pressuring the government into taking specific actions on food prices. This begs the question: Should governments take steps to reduce food prices? And more importantly — can they?

This is not to say that food inflation doesn’t matter. It has clear impacts on food security in North America and across the world. While some argue there is little that can be done, there are some steps the government can take.

Putting a limit on food prices

The most obvious step the government could take is regulating food prices using price ceilings. This is virtually unheard of in North America, but has happened elsewhere, most recently in Malaysia where the government has announced price control measures for key staples.

While this might initially seem like a good idea, price ceilings actually end up taking money out of the system. If that money isn’t replaced (i.e. through government subsidies), products either stop being produced or make their way to other, more profitable markets. Currently, the Canadian government can’t afford these kinds of subsidies because of the debt accumulated from COVID-19 relief.

There are some products, like dairy and poultry, that have domestic production controls. Farm prices are set based on a cost-of-production model, meaning farmers earn back the amount of money it costs to produce their products. If grocery prices were capped, retailers and processors would make less money and less dairy products would make it to store shelves.

Price ceilings are impractical for food. They are unlikely to achieve much and end up hitting farmers, processors and retailers the hardest. In the long run, they end up reducing access to products and stifling innovation and research investment.
Limiting food exports

In some countries, governments have chosen to limit exports — meaning goods must be sold domestically — as a way of reducing food prices. Argentina did this recently after wheat prices increased following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. While this is good for domestic consumers, it puts the burden on farmers who could stop production in favour of selling unregulated products.

Export taxes can also be used in place of export controls. While these stabilize domestic prices, they end up hurting domestic producers, who get lower prices, and importing countries, who face higher prices.

Canada, as a significant exporter of food products, cannot afford to let its reputation as a trusted exporter be compromised. In addition, limiting or taxing exports would only have small impacts on domestic prices, but would negatively impact Canadian producers and export customers.

For countries that import food, like India, the reduction of import duties can also help to reduce domestic prices. Import duties are often used to protect domestic producers. For the most part, Canada does not have high tariffs on food products, with the exception of supply-managed products, so this approach is not broadly applicable.

Some U.S. states are considering waiving food taxes. In Canada, most retail food items are not taxed, so this is not an option, although a similar tax is being used in Alberta to reduce the cost of transportation. One critique of this approach is that it benefits those that spend the most, rather than those that need it most.

What can governments actually do?

Another option could be to deal with the root causes of the inflation. However, many of these factors — like drought and extreme weather events, the war in Ukraine and supply chain disruptions — are beyond the control of the Canadian government.

There has been discussions from CEOs and political parties about implementing a grocery code of conduct for regulating how large grocery companies interact with their suppliers. While a code might benefit grocers and their suppliers, it is unclear if it would actually lower food prices for consumers.

While there is not a lot that governments can do about food prices, policy makers can still provide broader economic relief. Those with the lowest incomes are feeling the pinch of inflation more than others — they are being squeezed not only by food price increases, but by rising rent and fuel prices.

Income support for those with lowest incomes would hep reduce the burden of rising costs of living. Broader tax relief could also take the pressure off for the middle class, but tax relief is less effective for low income earners that pay little tax. Targeted programs, like the school food programs announced in the 2022 federal budget, could also increase food access for vulnerable populations.

Politicians who criticize incumbent government for rising food prices should be challenged to provide real proposals that would differentiate them. This is not an easy fix and we shouldn’t be pretending it is.

This article is republished from The Conversation, a nonprofit news site dedicated to sharing ideas from academic experts.

Read more:

Why we can’t just ‘stop printing money’ to get inflation down

The delicate balance between grocery store profit and food security

Michael von Massow receives funding from a variety of organizations including the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food, Genome Canada, and Protein Industries Canada.

PANDEMIC PETS ARE NOT DISPOSABLE LIKE PPE

Lethbridge Animal Shelter seeing more surrenders, fewer adoptions
Erik Bay - Thursday
© Erik Bay / Global News


Taylor has been staying at the Lethbridge Animal Shelter since December.

"She's an amazing cat," shelter animal care team lead Abby Oriold said. "She's super affectionate, not a lot of work."

And she's not alone. Some dogs and cats -- like Taylor -- have been shelter residents for months.

Read more:
Lethbridge animal shelters ‘100 per cent full’ going into winter

Beginning late last year, officials say animals started coming in at a higher rate. Since February, the shelter has been operating at overcapacity.

"I see first-hand the kennel stress they go through on a day-to-day basis and how it changes their personality," Oriold said.


"There's a high demand to intake animals and there seems to be less demand to adopt," Skylar Plourde said.

The director of services for Community Animal Services sees more and more pets surrendered to the shelter and he said another factor is boosting numbers.

"Less animals are being claimed by their owner," Plourde said. "Some animals even come in with identification or they're wearing a collar and dragging a leash down the sidewalk."


"We pick them up and nobody ever comes forward."

He can't be certain, but Plourde said he believes people are giving up their "pandemic pets" now that many public health restrictions have lifted.

Read more:
Lethbridge sees surge in abandoned, surrendered pets as adoption numbers rise

"People rushing out getting adoptable pets were only thinking in the moment, 'Great, now the kids have something to do, teach them some responsibility. We can go out and walk dogs in the park.' No one was thinking the long-term part of that, the long-term costs of veterinary care," Plourde said.

But while the number of available pets is up, the wish to adopt has not risen along with it.

"(It) used to be, people would be banging down the doors to get to these puppies and we aren't getting any interest in them at all," Plourde said.

He is imploring anyone looking for a new pet to adopt, adding many shelters are facing the same problems happening in Lethbridge.

"Our staff will facilitate to make sure pets are going to a home they won't be returned from, obviously, and that it's the best home for that animal's particular needs," Plourde said.

Anyone interested in adopting is encouraged to look at available animals on Community Animal Services' website or to contact the shelter.

Orangeville resident helps investigative journalist uncover alleged coverup by RCMP in 2020 Nova Scotia mass shooting

Thursday
The Canadian Press

When a gunman in Nova Scotia went on a two-day killing spree in April of 2020, murdering 22 people in cold blood, there were many unknowns left in the wake. What was also unknown is how an Orangeville resident months later would help an investigative journalist uncover an alleged coverup by the RCMP.

Paul Palango had been retired from journalism for 30-years when the events of April 18 and April 19 unfolded in Portapique, N.S. Having worked for the Globe and Mail for 13 years and in the years since his retirement written three books on the RCMP, Palango said he knew there was something wrong with the initial reports.

Originally looking to help other journalists look deeper into what was being reported to the public, Palango eventually began covering the Portapique killings himself. His articles would be published in several publications including Maclean’s magazine, the Halifax Examiner, and Frank magazine.

“I felt that no one else was going to do it,” said Palango. “I know how it works so I have to do it.”

In his most recent novel, “22 Murders: Investigating the Massacre, Cover-up, and Obstacles to Justice in Nova Scotia”, Palango breaks down the intricate details leading up to and after the massacre, and his reporting following the event.

He also tells how a Facebook message from an Orangeville resident became a turning point in his investigation.

After months of writing articles on the Portapique massacre and the RCMP, Palango received a message on Facebook on Dec. 30, 2020. The message was from an Orangeville resident who had heard him speaking on Nighttime, a podcast created by Jordan Bonaparte. In the message the Orangeville resident asked Palango if anyone had contacted him regarding what had been heard through police scanner the night of the massacre.




In back and forward messages, the Orangeville resident described what they heard broadcasted over the Pictou County Public Safety channel on April 18, and noted how the timeline from the RCMP didn’t match what they’d heard over the police scanner.

Palango began work on corroborating the tip, and eventually found the archived audiotapes through a U.S based website.

“I tracked it down and there were the tapes of what was going on. Exactly, a perfect replica of what [they] remembered nine months before.”

Palango told the Citizen the find was a significant turning point.

“What it did was allow me to write stories now challenging the RCMP narrative, and once I started doing that with conclusive proof, then the whole story opened up,” said Palango “All kinds of people started cooperating because now I was onto a real story and it’s wasn’t just speculation anymore.”

While there are more than 1,700 kilometres between Orangeville and Portapique, N.S., the distance between the two communities shortened across the airwaves the night of April 18.

“There was a lot of activity on the channel at the time and that’s what caught my attention. Once I realized it was something really horrific happening, I was freaked out. I listened for about two hours and I was surprised how much information I was hearing,” the Orangeville resident told the Citizen.

Sitting on the what they’d heard months before, the Orangeville resident said they were compelled to share the information with Paul because of the lack of updates and information being shared with the public and the victims’ families.

“I felt compelled at the time that Paul should have this information. I was just filtering a piece of information over to him that would shed light on his investigation, I didn’t think it would have an impact it has,” said the resident. “There was still so much information that the victims’ families were not aware of, it was justice for them.”

Palango’s book “22 Murders: Investigating the Massacre, Cover-up, and Obstacles to Justice in Nova Scotia”, was published on April 12.

Paula Brown, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Shelburne Free Press

OOPS

Virus found in pig heart used in human transplant

Thursday  The Canadian Press

Researchers trying to learn what killed the first person to receive a heart transplant from a pig have discovered the organ harbored an animal virus but cannot yet say if it played any role in the man’s death.

A Maryland man, 57-year-old David Bennett Sr., died in March, two months after the groundbreaking experimental transplant. University of Maryland doctors said Thursday they found an unwelcome surprise — viral DNA inside the pig heart. They did not find signs that this bug, called porcine cytomegalovirus, was causing an active infection.

But a major worry about animal-to-human transplants is the risk that it could introduce new kinds of infections to people.

Because some viruses are “latent,” meaning they lurk without causing disease, “it could be a hitchhiker,” Dr. Bartley Griffith, the surgeon who performed Bennett’s transplant, told The Associated Press.

Still, development is under way of more sophisticated tests to “make sure that we don’t miss these kinds of viruses,” added Dr. Muhammad Mohiuddin, scientific director of the university’s xenotransplant program.

The animal virus was first reported by MIT Technology Review, citing a scientific presentation Griffith gave to the American Society of Transplantation last month.

For decades, doctors have tried using animal organs to save human lives without success. Bennett, who was dying and ineligible for a human heart transplant, underwent the last-ditch operation using a heart from a pig genetically modified to lower the risk that his immune system would rapidly reject such a foreign organ.

The Maryland team said the donor pig was healthy, had passed testing required by the Food and Drug Administration to check for infections, and was raised in a facility designed to prevent animals from spreading infections. Revivicor, the company that provided the animal, declined to comment.

Griffith said his patient, while very ill, had been recovering fairly well from the transplant when one morning he woke up worse, with symptoms similar to an infection. Doctors ran numerous tests to try to understand the cause, and gave Bennett a variety of antibiotics, antiviral medication and an immune-boosting treatment. But the pig heart became swollen, filled with fluid and eventually quit functioning.

“What was the virus doing, if anything, that might have caused the swelling in his heart?” Griffith asked. “Honestly we don’t know."

The reaction also didn't appear to be a typical organ rejection, he said, noting the investigation still is underway.

Meanwhile doctors at other medical centers around the country have been experimenting with animal organs in donated human bodies and are anxious to attempt formal studies in living patients soon. It’s not clear how the pig virus will affect those plans.

___

The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

Lauran Neergaard, The Associated Press

GOP VALUES; FEMICIDE & MISOGYNY
Man accused of killing wife among winners in Indiana primary race

Sarah Nelson, Indianapolis Star - Yesterday 
USA TODAY

An Indiana man accused of killing his wife in March and dumping her body in a creek won his township board primary elections.

Andrew Wilhoite, from Lebanon, a city about 30 miles northwest of Indianapolis, has been charged with murder in the death of his wife, Nikki Wilhoite, 41.

On Tuesday, he secured a spot as one of three Republican candidates in the race for a seat on the Clinton Township Board.

Wilhoite, 40, has been held at the Boone County Jail since March after police said he told investigators he threw a concrete flower pot at his wife and dropped her body over the side of a bridge.

Nikki Wilhoite was reported missing March 25 after her friend noticed she didn’t show up for work. On March 26, police found her body partially submerged in about 3 feet of water.

Investigators said Andrew Wilhoite initially told police he last saw his wife sleeping on the couch after the couple had an argument, according to court records. When police spoke further with him, he asked for an attorney.

Police said Andrew Wilhoite called again and said he’d take them to his wife’s body.

Nikki Wilhoite filed for divorce on March 17 after 12 years of marriage, court records show.

ELECTION RESULTS: Here's what happened during and results of the 2022 Indiana primary election

How can a candidate run for office while facing felony charges?

State election officials said it’s legal for people facing felony charges, such as Andrew Wilhoite, to run for local office. A person is only ineligible if they are convicted.

“Under our legal system, every person is innocent until proven guilty,” said Brad King, co-director of the Indiana Election Division.


© Sample ballot by Boone County  Andrew Wilhoite, who's accused of killing his wife in March, has advanced in a local township board race after Tuesday's elections in Indiana.

If Wilhoite is convicted of a felony before the Nov. 8 general election, he would be automatically removed from the ballot.

The Boone County Clerk’s office said election filings occurred at the beginning of January through the first week of February, before Wilhoite was taken into custody on his murder charge.

If a person facing felony charges is elected in a township race and they are convicted after being sworn in, King said the vacancy will be filled by someone affiliated with the political party of the last person to have the seat.

Township boards consist of three members, state officials said. The local Republican primary race has only drawn the three candidates. No one filed on the Democratic primary ticket.

Boone County election results show Andrew Wilhoite earned 60 votes, just over 21%, to his competitors’ 110 and 106 votes. Clinton Township has a population of 906, according to data from STATS Indiana.

A FLOWER POT, BLOOD IN THE BEDROOM: Details into Nikki Wilhoite's death revealed

King further noted that there's no law prohibiting a person who's incarcerated before trial from "exercising the duties of their office," should they get elected.

"How that practically gets executed will depend on the facts," King said.

Wilhoite's next court hearing is scheduled for May 27. The Indianapolis Star, part of the USA TODAY Network, has reached out to Andrew Wilhoite's attorney for comment.

Contributing: The Associated Press

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Man accused of killing wife among winners in Indiana primary race

CHEMICAL WEAPONS USED ON CIVILIANS 

Ex-Trump Adviser Brags About Creating Products Used to Deter Protesters



Xander Landen - Yesterday 
Newsweek
© David Ryder

Cory Mills, a Republican candidate for U.S. Congress in Florida, released an ad Thursday speaking about a riot control munitions company he founded, and said that if the media "wants to shed some real tears," he can "help them out."

Mills, who previously served as a Department of Defense adviser under former President Donald Trump, is the co-founder of PACEM Solutions, a company whose tear gas was used against Black Lives Matter protesters in 2020, according to a Politico report from April.

In the ad, Mills noted that after serving in the U.S. Army in Iraq and Afghanistan, he "came home" and "started a company making riot control munitions for law enforcement."

"You may know some of our work," he added.

The video then cuts to footage of tear gas being deployed against "Hillary Clinton protesters" in Charlotte, North Carolina, "Left wing protesters" in Phoenix, "Antifa rioters" in Washington, D.C., and "radical left protesters" in Philadelphia.

"And now the liberal media is crying about it," Mills continues. "I'm Cory Mills and I approve this message, because if the media wants to shed some real tears, I can help them out with that.

Newsweek has reached out to the Mills campaign for comment.

In his response to Politico last month, Mills said his company was "proud" to sell tear gas to law enforcement in 2020.

"Products like tear gas are sanctioned and utilized by the Department of Defense and state and federal health departments," Mills stated. "I for one, am thankful that our officers have less lethal options available to ensure order and preserve lives."

Politico also noted that PACEM purchased a company that sold rubber bullets that were photographed after being used against protesters in Hong Kong. The Hong Kong Free Press reported on the bullets made by the company, ALS, in 2020.

Mills told Politico that PACEM "has never supplied the Chinese government."

"ALS sold less-lethal munitions to the independent government of Hong Kong under the 'one country, two systems' process before PACEM acquired it. We have discontinued any and all sales to Hong Kong since China eradicated 'one country, two systems,'" he added.

Mills is running to fill the seat that will be vacated by retiring Democratic Rep. Stephanie Murphy in Florida's 7th Congressional District, and will face off against other members of the GOP in a primary this August.

An analysis from poll tracker FiveThirtyEight in late April found that Republicans' lead over Democrats in the generic congressional ballot has continued to increase ahead of the midterms in November.

Fact check: It's true tear gas is a chemical weapon banned in war 

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/factcheck/2020/06/06/fact-check-its-true-tear-gas-chemical-weapon-banned-war/3156448001

Jun 6, 2020 ... Chemical Weapons Convention and 1925 Geneva Protocol, ban use of tear gas in warfare ... The 1925 Geneva Protocol categorized tear gas as a ...

Practice Relating to Rule 75. Riot Control Agents - Customary IHL 

https://ihl-databases.icrc.org/customary-ihl/eng/docs/v2_rul_rule75

The use of riot control agents, including tear gas and other gases which have debilitating but non-permanent effects as a means of warfare is prohibited under ...

Tear gas is banned in war, but police can use it on crowds at ... - CNN 

https://www.cnn.com/2020/06/08/us/military-tear-gas-protesters-trnd/index.html

Jun 8, 2020 ... In 1993, the United Nations General Assembly finalized the Chemical Weapons Convention, which banned the development, production, stockpiling ...