Non-binary person's U.S. deportation paused due to risks faced by LGBTQ+ people
Angel Jenkel was scheduled for removal on July 3, but received a stay of removal on July 2 until a judicial review of the decision can be completed.
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2 hours ago
'Active clubs' are all over Canada. What are they?
The members of these groups, known in white nationalist communities as active clubs, are hiding in plain sight. They obscure their faces and locations in social media posts, but a months-long investigation (new window) , in collaboration with The Fifth Estate , has uncovered exactly where they are operating. What are 'active clubs'? Active clubs tend to be male-focused groups that promote white supremacist ideals. Their activities range from public protests to vandalism campaigns to social media posts. They expect the current political order will be swept aside, potentially by force, for a new white-focused society. Antisemitic and anti-immigrant themes are common, and some groups use Nazi iconography. Names of the specific groups include Second Sons and Nationalist-13. Second Sons was founded by Jeremy MacKenzie, creator of the controversial right-wing network Dialagon, which the RCMP has labelled (new window) an extremist, militia-like organization. However, these groups are not a singular movement. They are part of a decentralized white supremacist and neo-Nazi network. Where did they come from? The idea was started by two neo-Nazis, according to the Global Project Against Hate and Extremism. One is a Russian. The other is American Robert Rundo, who is responsible for spreading the concept of setting up racist fight clubs. The U.S. Attorney's Office in California says Rundo has been doing it since 2017. He called it the Rise Above Movement, and spent the next few years setting up an international network of such groups in the U.S., Canada, Europe, Australia and elsewhere. These are what became active clubs. Last December, Rundo was sentenced to two years in prison for planning and engaging in riots across California. This defendant sought to further his white supremacist ideology by plotting riots and engaging in violence at political rallies, said U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada. Not just boxing clubs They appear to be groups of men interested in fitness and martial arts, and they recruit others to join them. But that hides a dark reality, says Mack Lamoureux at the Institute for Strategic Dialogue, a London-based think-tank that studies authoritarianism, hate and extremism. The minute you peel back even the slightest layer of this onion, it becomes far more insidious, he said. These are virulent white supremacists. Enlarge image (new window) NS13 members have trained at this undisclosed location on multiple occasions. Comparing it to pictures from public parks in southern Ontario revealed it was the John Wright Soccer Complex in Brantford, west of Hamilton, Ont. Details that gave it away included the gazebo ceiling and the piece missing from it, combined with the soccer goalposts in the background. Photo: CBC In Nationalist-13 videos, their faces are hidden with the Totenkopf , the grinning death mask used by the Nazi SS. In one video, a member shows off a lighter emblazoned with a Nazi swastika. The black, grey and white banner of the Second Sons is a deliberate echo of the Red Ensign, Canada's original colonial flag, which was replaced by the maple leaf in 1965. White nationalists call the Red Ensign Canada's true flag, representing the country before they say it was spoiled by immigrants. These guys hide their faces and locations. How do we know where they are? Covered faces and blurred parts of videos were not enough to fully conceal the identities and locations of Nationalist-13 and Second Sons members. The CBC visual investigations team was able to uncover the location of their training sessions by matching up distinctive features of the inside of boxing clubs, such as padded walls, as well as the specific shape and position of windows. Enlarge image (new window) The location of the NS13 video on the left was unknown, until CBC's visual investigations team compared the distinctive windows above the boxing ring to those in the Amazing Fitness gym, on the right, in Hamilton, Ont. Photo: CBC Some prominent group members also have clearly visible tattoos that can be compared with other photos of them, which allowed the CBC team to confirm their identities even though their faces were obscured. What's been the reaction? Owners of gyms who CBC News approached said they were unaware some of the people using their facilities were actually fascist fight clubs. John Moran, the manager at Amazing Fitness, said we have no affiliation whatsoever with these individuals or their ideology, and we categorically reject any form of hate or discrimination. Rob Barham, the owner of Hammer BJJ, said I don't affiliate myself with … any sort of white supremacy groups. Kevin Mans, owner of Niagara BJJ in Welland, said that as soon as he saw the photos CBC shared, he called his staff and told them these individuals couldn't come back. Hamilton City councillor Nrinder Nann is alarmed. I think it's a serious public safety concern. The rise of extremist organizing is a national security threat and it isn't an issue to take lightly. Lyndon George, executive director of the Hamilton Anti-Racism Resource Centre, said given the violent nature of this ideology, these groups shouldn't be able to operate with impunity in public places. We shouldn't have to wait for that violence to happen for there to be a response, said George. Enlarge image (new window) CBC's visual investigations team matched up distinctive clothing and tattoos to confirm the identity of white supremacist and Nationalist-13 member Brandon Lapointe. Photo: CBC Is this just happening in the Hamilton area? No. Active clubs can be found in various locations across Canada and in dozens of places throughout the U.S. One in Tennessee has been widely reported (new window) on. There are 187 active clubs in 27 countries (new window) , according to the Global Project Against Hate and Extremism. They are seen as the next generation of white nationalist organizations in Canada, and they are in touch with similar groups elsewhere. [Canadian active clubs] have very, very deep connections with other far-right and extremist organizations, said Lamoureux. This includes America Patriot Front, which is probably the largest and most active white supremacist organization.
Winnipeg Free Press
4 hours ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
China pledges to crack down on illicit exports of rare earths, urges US to lift more trade controls
BANGKOK (AP) — China's state security agency says it is cracking down on alleged smuggling of rare earths minerals that it says threaten national security, just weeks after Beijing and Washington agreed to make it easier for American firms to obtain from China those materials, which are critical for manufacturing and computer chip production. In a report published Friday in the state-run newspaper Global Times, the Ministry of State Security said foreign 'espionage and intelligence agencies' were colluding to steal rare earths-related goods by repackaging and relabeling rare metals to hide their Chinese origin. In some cases the minerals were falsely declared as non-controlled items, mislabeled as such things as 'solder paste,' mixed into other materials like ceramic tiles, or hidden in plastic mannequins or bottled water, it said. It referred only to an unnamed 'certain country' that it said lacked the capacity to make and refine its own rare earths. Investigations had found Chinese criminals were involved, exploiting shipping and delivery channels to evade controls on exports of the materials used in many high-tech applications including electric vehicle batteries, it said. The crackdown followed a report by Reuters earlier this month detailing how rare earths were being transshipped to the U.S. via Thailand and Mexico. China is the main source for many strategically vital rare earths and it has moved to slow exports of such minerals in retaliation for steep import duties President Donald Trump has imposed on Chinese goods since he returned to the White House and launched his crusade to overturn a global trading system he says is unfair to the United States and its workers. That followed an earlier series of restrictions by Beijing on exports of such materials as gallium, germanium, antimony and tungsten in response to trade friction with the administration of then-President Joe Biden. In April, Beijing imposed permitting requirements on seven rare earth elements, under a Chinese law that applies to all exports, not just those bound for the U.S. market. With the permitting process taking 45 days, the new requirement caused a pause in shipments, threatening to disrupt production of cars, robots, wind turbines and other high-tech products in the U.S. and around the world. The U.S., meanwhile, added to restrictions on exports of advanced technologies to China. Rare earths have remained at the center of China-U.S. talks aimed at staving off huge tariff increases that were postponed in May to allow time for negotiations on a broader trade agreement. The deadline for reaching a deal is Aug. 12. An agreement announced in late June did not remove China's permitting requirement on rare earths, but Beijing agreed to flexibility in dialing up or down the approval process as needed. Computer chips are another key bone of contention. Wednesdays Columnist Jen Zoratti looks at what's next in arts, life and pop culture. The Chinese Commerce Ministry said Friday that it had taken note of a decision by the Trump administration to lift restrictions on exports of key semiconductors used in artificial intelligence made by Nvidia and its rival Advanced Micro Devices. In April, the Trump administration announced it would restrict sales of Nvidia's H20 chips to China — as well as MI308 chips from AMD. But Commerce Ministry spokesman Wang Wentao said restoring healthy trade ties will require more action by Washington. U.S. export controls on Ascend chips made by Chinese tech giant Huawei Technologies have hurt the interests of Chinese companies, Wang told reporters in Beijing. 'We hope that the United States and China will meet each other halfway and correct their wrong practices through equal consultation, create a good environment for mutually beneficial cooperation between enterprises of both sides, and jointly maintain the stability of the global semiconductor production and supply chain,' he said.
National Observer
7 hours ago
- National Observer
Will Trump kill Canada's PFAS rules?
Canada is expected to finalize rules on toxic PFAS chemicals — but the government's recent silence has left environmental advocates spooked that the groundbreaking effort could be derailed by Trump's trade war. "I assume US chemical industry lobbyists are looking to see how they can capitalize on the trade war with Canada," said Elaine MacDonald, program director for healthy communities at Ecojustice. 'We are concerned.' PFAS are a class of around 15,000 water- and grease-repellant chemicals that are used in everything from cars to cosmetics to cookware. Nicknamed "forever chemicals" because they don't break down in nature, the chemicals are linked to cancer and can harm the kidneys and liver, cause reproductive harm and hurt the endocrine and immune systems. In March, the federal government reached the penultimate step in the process of listing most PFAS as toxic under Canada's Environmental Protection Act — a move that, once finalized, will let officials widely regulate the chemicals. Consultation ended in early May, paving the way for the final step of regulations that, months later, the government has yet to finalize. In a statement, Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) said the government plans to restrict PFAS in firefighting foams and restrict use of the chemicals for non-medical purposes by 2027. It expects to finalize the listing in 2026. However, timelines are "subject to change." In comparison, it took federal officials about two years, from 2020 to 2022, to list plastics as toxic under Canada's environmental laws and start regulating the material by banning six single-use plastic items. Canada isn't alone in its push to regulate PFAS. Several European countries and the EU have proposed or implemented sweeping measures to restrict use of the chemicals in recent years, as have several US states. The American federal government was also taking measures to tackle the chemicals — until Trump took office. Canada is expected to finalize rules on toxic PFAS chemicals — but the government's recent silence has left environmental advocates spooked that the groundbreaking effort could be derailed by Trump's trade war. Since then, the Trump administration has repealed proposed limits on how much PFAS industry can release into the environment; rolled back drinking water standards for the chemicals; tweaked federal rules to weaken state-level efforts to restrict the chemicals and defunded research on harm they cause. "Canada is not a country that typically leads the way," said MacDonald. "If other countries start weakening their commitments to regulate PFAS, as the US has already, Canada will likely try to do the same. I expect that it will look more like dragging their feet on regulations rather than an outright retreat." Tariffs and lobbyists The US has already used PFAS to justify some of its tariff battles. In February, the US Trade Representative singled out European measures meant to largely eliminate the production and use of PFAS as a "trade barrier," a designation that observers say aims to force the bloc to ditch the rules or suffer even higher tariffs on trade with the US. Rémy Alexandre, toxics project lead at Ecojustice, said PFAS has not yet come up publicly in Canada's trade negotiations with the US. But she said the fact they've played into US-EU trade negotiations — combined with Trump's aggressive rollback of American regulations — suggests chemical producers are rallying the Trump administration in their worldwide fight against PFAS regulations. American chemical producers and their lobby groups have been involved in Canada's years-long push to regulate the chemicals — it started in 2021 — submitting comments in an effort to "chip away" at the proposed rules, she said. Canada's National Observer asked the American Chemistry Council, America's largest chemical industry lobby group, and its Canadian equivalent, the Chemistry Industry Association of Canada, for comment about their position on Canada's planned PFAS rules in the context of ongoing trade negotiations. The groups gave nearly identical statements that claim regulating PFAS as a class "is neither scientifically accurate nor appropriate," and they "remain committed to working with Canadian policymakers on targeted, science-based measures that protect health and the environment while maintaining access to essential technologies and products." The impact of industry lobbying efforts are real, said Sydney Jordan, a Minnesota state legislator who played a key role in pushing through her state's stringent PFAS rules. For instance, her state backed down on some parts of its PFAS ban recently due to industry pressure, despite Democrats holding considerable power at the state level. "[The] Republican Party just isn't interested in regulating PFAS, and sides with industry on this issue," she said. Despite the American reversal on PFAS, Canada stands to benefit if it sticks to its planned PFAS rules as it tries to develop stronger trade links with the EU. The bloc and several member countries, such as France and Denmark, are moving fast on restrictions. If Canada wants to keep up, it needs to be quick, Alexandre said. Moreover, an April poll by Abacus Data and Environmental Defense found about 86 per cent of Canadians support federal measures to phase PFAS out of consumer products. That support cuts across regions and political affiliation, the data show.
