Texas Democrats flee state to block vote on redrawn House map backed by Trump
Texas Democrats left their home state to prevent the redrawn House map that favour Republicans in the 2026 midterm elections. Joy Malbon reports.
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CTV News
27 minutes ago
- CTV News
Trump will visit the Kennedy Center on the day honorees are announced
WASHINGTON — U.S. President Donald Trump is set to make an announcement Wednesday at the Kennedy Center, where this year's honorees for its annual award are being revealed. Trump avoided the Kennedy Center Honors during his first term after artists said they would not attend out of protest. This year, the Republican president has taken over as the Kennedy Center's new chairman and fired the board of trustees, which he replaced with loyalists. In a Truth Social post on Tuesday, Trump teased a name change for the centre, formally the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, and said it would be restored to its past glory. 'GREAT Nominees for the TRUMP/KENNEDY CENTER, whoops, I mean, KENNEDY CENTER, AWARDS,' Trump wrote. He said work was being done on the site that would be 'bringing it back to the absolute TOP LEVEL of luxury, glamour, and entertainment.' 'It had fallen on hard times, physically, BUT WILL SOON BE MAKING A MAJOR COMEBACK!!!' he wrote. In a statement on its social media feed, the Kennedy Center said it is 'honored' to host Trump, who will be visiting for the third time since January, and hinted that he would announce a construction project. 'Thanks to his advocacy, our beautiful building will undergo renovations to restore its prestige and grandeur,' the venue said. 'We are also excited to be announcing this year's INCREDIBLE slate of Kennedy Center Honorees.' It is unclear how this year's honorees were chosen, though Trump had indicated he wanted a more active role. Historically, a bipartisan advisory committee selects the recipients, who over the years have ranged from George Balanchine and Tom Hanks to Aretha Franklin and Stephen Sondheim. A message sent to the Kennedy Center press office asking how this year's honorees were selected wasn't returned Tuesday. The Kennedy Center did post this on social media, however: 'Coming Soon ... A country music icon, an Englishman, a New York City Rock band, a dance Queen and a multi-billion dollar Actor walk into the Kennedy Center Opera House ...' In the past, Trump has floated the idea of granting Kennedy Center Honors status to singer-songwriter Paul Anka and Sylvester Stallone, one of three actors Trump named as Hollywood ambassadors earlier this year. Anka was supposed to perform 'My Way' at Trump's first inaugural and backed out at the last moment. The Kennedy Center Honors were established in 1978 and have been given to a broad range of artists. Until Trump's first term, presidents of both major political parties traditionally attended the annual ceremony, even when they disagreed politically with a given recipient. Prominent liberals such as Barbra Streisand and Warren Beatty were honoured during the administration of Republican George W. Bush, and a leading conservative, Charlton Heston, was feted during the administration of Democrat Bill Clinton. In 2017, after honoree Norman Lear declared that he would not attend a White House celebration in protest of Trump's proposed cuts to federal arts funding, Trump and first lady Melania Trump decided to skip the Kennedy Center event and remained away throughout his first term. Honorees during that time included such Trump critics as Cher, Lin-Manuel Miranda and Sally Field. Since taking office for a second time, Trump has taken a much more forceful stance on the Kennedy Center and inserted himself into its governance. Besides naming himself chairman and remaking the board, he also has indicated he would take over decisions regarding programming at the centre and vowed to end events featuring performers in drag. The steps have drawn further criticism from some artists. In March, the producers of 'Hamilton' pulled out of staging the Broadway hit musical in 2026, citing Trump's aggressive takeover of the institution's leadership. Other artists who cancelled events include actor Issa Rae, singer Rhiannon Giddens and author Louise Penny. House Republicans added an amendment to a spending bill that Trump signed into law in July to rename the Kennedy Center's Opera House after Melania Trump, but that venue has yet to be renamed. Maria Shriver, a niece of the late president Kennedy, a Democrat, has criticized as 'insane' a separate House proposal to rename the centre after Trump. Recipients of the Kennedy Center Honors are given a medallion on a rainbow ribbon, a nod to the range of skills that fall under the performing arts. In April, the centre changed the lights on the exterior from the long-standing rainbow to a permanent red, white and blue display. ___ Italie reported from New York. Annie Ma And Hillel Italie, The Associated Press
CTV News
an hour ago
- CTV News
Prime Minister condemns assault on Muslim woman aboard Ottawa bus
An OC Transpo bus is seen in this undated file photo. (CTV News Ottawa) Prime Minister Mark Carney is condemning what he called a 'reprehensible' attack on a Muslim woman in Ottawa this week. OC Transpo says special constables and Ottawa police officers were called to a bus on March Road and Teron Road shortly before 5 p.m. Monday following a reported incident on a bus in which a man assaulted a woman wearing a hijab. 'Yesterday, a young Muslim woman in Ottawa suffered an unprovoked assault on public transit, including with reprehensible Islamophobic threats and slurs, Carney said in a post on X on Tuesday. 'Hate and violence have no place in our city, or our country. The perpetrator must be held accountable, and my thoughts today are with the victim. No one should be unsafe as they head to work or school in our communities." Ottawa Mayor Mark Sutcliffe also condemned the assault. Sutcliffe alerted the public to the incident in a post on his social media accounts, saying the assault included 'Islamophobic slurs and threats.' 'I strongly condemn this act of violence and hatred; it has no place in our community. Everyone should feel safe while travelling on public transit or anywhere else in Ottawa,' he said. The Kanata Muslim Association posted a safety alert to its members on Facebook. 'On August 11, a young hijabi woman was physically assaulted on a bus to Kanata (Morgan's Grant area). A man entered the bus, whispered an Islamophobic slur, and slapped her loudly and without provocation. He then threatened her further, saying he would slam her face against the window and kill her. He got off at Penfield Drive in Kanata,' the post said. The post says another passenger reported the man had previously targeted hijabi women. The association says it has contacted police. 'Visible minorities, especially women wearing hijab, please stay alert on public transit in the Kanata area. If you experience or witness harassment or assault, report it to police immediately,' the association says. The Ottawa Police Service confirmed it was investigating an assault directed at a Muslim woman in her late teens and is seeking a suspect. 'The OPS Hate and Bias Crime Unit has taken carriage of the investigation, and we are working closely with the victim and leaders in the Muslim community to provide support and information while preserving the integrity of this ongoing investigation,' Ottawa police said in a statement. 'These types of events have a profound impact on many in our diverse communities, and everyone in Ottawa should feel safe—whether on public transit, in public spaces, or in their neighbourhoods." Police say the suspect is described as an English-speaking White man, appearing to be in his 20s to 30s, approximately 5-feet-8-inches, with a thin build and beard. The suspect is not known to the victim, police say. 'We at the OPS have zero tolerance for hate or bias, and we will hold those responsible accountable. The members of the Ottawa Police Service are committed to your safety, security, and well-being,' police say. The mayor says he has spoken with the victim's family and to leaders of the Muslim community. 'We must all stand together against Islamophobia and hatred in all its forms and continue to do everything possible to make our city safe for everyone,' Sutcliffe said. OC Transpo says anyone who feels unsafe or uncomfortable while taking public transit should approach a special constable or employee, call 613-741-2478 or 911 in an emergency. Yellow emergency phones are located throughout the system. Police are encouraging anyone who witnessed this incident, has photos or videos of the offence, or related information, to contact them at 613-236-1222, ext. 5015 or email hatebiascrime@
CBC
an hour ago
- CBC
Mexico has now transferred over 50 drug cartel suspects to U.S. this year
Social Sharing Mexico sent more than two dozen suspected cartel members to the U.S. on Tuesday, amid rising pressure from President Donald Trump to dismantle the country's powerful drug organizations. Authorities shipped 26 prisoners wanted in the U.S. for ties to drug-trafficking groups, Mexico's attorney general's office and Security Ministry said in a joint statement, in at least the second such major transfer this year. Mexico said the U.S. Department of Justice had requested their extradition and that it would not seek the death penalty for the accused cartel members. That Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum permitted yet another large-scale extradition of Mexican nationals underscores the balancing act she faces as she seeks to appease Trump while also avoiding unilateral U.S. military action in Mexico. In a statement, the U.S. Embassy said among those extradited were key figures in the Jalisco New Generation Cartel and the Sinaloa Cartel, which are Mexico's two dominant organized crime groups. "This transfer is yet another example of what is possible when two governments unite against violence and impunity," U.S. Ambassador to Mexico Ronald Johnson said in a statement. "These fugitives will now face justice in American courts, and the citizens of both our nations will be safer." Pressure on Mexico to co-operate Trump has tied tariffs on Mexico to the deadly fentanyl trade, claiming the country hasn't tackled drug cartels aggressively enough. Last week, he directed the Pentagon to prepare operations against Mexican drug gangs that have been designated global terrorist organizations. Sheinbaum has said the U.S. and Mexico are nearing a security agreement to expand co-operation in the fight against cartels. But she has flatly rejected suggestions by the Trump administration that it could carry out unilateral military operations in Mexico. Canada, Mexico promote border, fentanyl efforts ahead of tariff deadline 6 months ago Those handed over to U.S. custody include Abigael Gonzalez Valencia, a leader of "Los Cuinis," a group closely aligned with notorious cartel Jalisco New Generation, or CJNG. Another defendant, Roberto Salazar, is wanted in connection to the 2008 killing of Los Angeles County sheriff's deputy Juan Escalante. Other prominent figures have ties to the Sinaloa Cartel and other violent drug trafficking groups, as well as a Sierra Leone national the U.S. Justice Department alleges helped smuggle thousands of migrants hailing from several countries illegally from Mexico into the U.S. "These 26 men have all played a role in bringing violence and drugs to American shores — under this Department of Justice, they will face severe consequences for their crimes against this country," U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a statement. Mexican authorities sent 29 alleged cartel leaders to the U.S., including Caro Quintero, in February. Quintero had walked free in 2013 after 28 years in prison when a court overturned his 40-year sentence for the 1985 kidnapping and killing of U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration agent Enrique (Kiki) Camarena. The brutal murder marked a low point in U.S.-Mexico relations, and has been documented in film and television adaptations, including the Netflix series Narcos. The U.S. has been plagued by tens of thousands of opioid-deaths annually this century, with fentanyl fuelling the crisis in recent years. The White House also used the flow of fentanyl into the country from Canada as leverage in trade negotiations, although the statistical evidence indicates the drug and its precursors are more likely to flow into Canada from the U.S. While the U.S. has put heavy pressure on its main trading partners in North America, it appears the Trump administration has also made some concessions on occasion. Mexican Security Secretary Omar García Harfuch in May confirmed a report by a Mexican journalist that 17 family members of Ovidio Guzmán Lopez, who was extradited to the United States in 2023, had been granted entry into the U.S. as part of a deal with the Trump administration.
