
Mark Carney chooses former UN ambassador Marc-André Blanchard as his chief of staff
"Marc-André has a long and distinguished career as one of Canada's most accomplished builders, legal experts, executives, public servants, and diplomats including serving as Canada's Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the United Nations," Carney said in a social media post.
Blanchard served as Canada's ambassador to the UN from 2016 to 2020. He currently works as executive vice-president of Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec, which manages public pension plans and insurance programs in the province.
He'll replace former cabinet minister Marco Mendicino, who took on the role after Carney won the Liberal leadership race in March. Sources told CBC News at the time that the former Liberal MP would be in his new role only temporarily.
Opposition parties heavily scrutinized Carney's choice to hire Mendicino at the time, both for his time in cabinet and his stance on the Middle East.
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CTV News
24 minutes ago
- CTV News
U.S. Federal judges detail rise in threats, ‘pizza doxings,' as Trump ramps up criticism
News media is set up in front of the home of U.S. District Judge Esther Salas, July 20, 2020, in North Brunswick, N.J. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan) In 2020, a disgruntled litigant posing as a deliveryman opened fire at the New Jersey home of U.S. District Judge Esther Salas, killing her 20-year-old son Daniel Anderl. Five years later, as U.S. President Donald Trump steps up his criticism of federal judges who have blocked some of his agenda, dozens of judges have had unsolicited pizzas delivered to their homes, often in Daniel Anderl's name. U.S. District Judge John J. McConnell, Jr. of Rhode Island, who stalled Trump's initial round of across-the-board spending cuts, is among those who received pizzas in Anderl's name. His courtroom also has been flooded by threatening calls, including one profanity-laced one that called for his assassination. McConnell, Jr. played a recording of the call during an unusual discussion Thursday where multiple federal judges discussed threats they have received — a notable conversation because judges usually only speak publicly from the bench and through their rulings, and rarely if ever, about personal threats and attacks. Salas and others said the number of attacks has escalated in recent months. Without using his name, Salas called on Trump and his allies to tone down the rhetoric and stop demonizing the judiciary, for fear of what more could happen. 'We're used to being appealed. But keep it on the merits, stop demonizing us,' Salas said. 'They're inviting people to do us harm.' Thursday's event was sponsored by Speak up for Justice, a nonpartisan group supporting an independent judiciary. U.S. District Judge John C. Coughenour of Washington recalled having a police SWAT team called to his home to respond to a false report of an attack after Coughenour in January halted Trump's executive order ending birthright citizenship for children of people in the country illegally. U.S. District Judge Robert S. Lasnik of Washington also had pizzas delivered in Anderl's name to both his home and those of his two adult children, each in different cities, after an article in which he was quoted as being critical of attacks on judges was picked up by a television station in the Pacific Northwest, where he hears cases. 'The message to me was 'we know where you live, we know where your kids live, and they could end up dead like Daniel Anderl did,'' Lasnik said in an interview. Salas says U.S. Marshals have told her of more than 100 cases of so-called 'pizza doxxings,' unwanted deliveries to the homes of federal judges and their families, since 2024, with most occurring this year. Salas added that she's heard of additional cases targeting state judges in states ranging from Colorado to Florida, incidents that wouldn't be tracked by Marshals, who protect federal judges. 'This is not some random, silly act, this is a targeted, concentrated, coordinated attack on judges,' Salas said in an interview, 'and yet we don't hear any condemnation from Washington.' Salas, nominated by Democratic President Barack Obama, in 2022 was critical of protests at the homes of Republican-nominated Supreme Court justices who revoked women's right to have an abortion, which were followed by the arrest of a man at the home of U.S. Justice Brett Kavanaugh who said he was there to assassinate the justice. Salas said both sides of the political aisle have used worrying rhetoric about judges, but it's reached a new peak since Trump took office. 'I've often referred to it as a bonfire that I believe the current administration is throwing accelerants on,' Salas said. Trump himself has led the charge against judges, often going after them by name on social media. He's said judges who've ruled against his administration are 'sick,' 'very dangerous' and 'lunatic.' Trump's allies have amplified his rhetoric and called for impeaching judges who rule against the president or simply disobeying their rulings. Earlier this year, several judges at the panel noted, U.S. Rep. Andy Ogles of Tennessee had a 'wanted' poster of judges who'd crossed the president hanging outside his congressional office. Lasnik said many judges appointed by presidents of both parties have told him of concerns but are nervous about discussing the issue openly. 'A lot of them don't know how to speak up and are afraid of crossing a line somewhere where they would get a judicial complaint like judge Boasberg did,' Lasnik said, referring to U.S. District Judge James E. Boasberg of D.C., who infuriated the Trump administration by finding they likely committed criminal contempt by disobeying his order to turn around a deportation flight to El Salvador. Though Chief Justice John Roberts has come to Boasberg's defense, Trump's Department of Justice this week filed a complaint against Boasberg over comments he made at a judicial conference that other judges worry the Trump administration won't obey their orders. Last month, Trump's Justice Department took the extraordinary step of suing every federal judge in Maryland over rules governing how they handle immigration cases. More than five dozen judges who've ruled against Trump are receiving enhanced online protection, including scrubbing their identifying information from websites, according to two Trump-appointed judges who wrote Congress urging more funding for judicial security. In 2022, Congress passed a law named after Daniel Anderl allowing judges to sue internet sites to take down identifying information. Nicholas Riccardi, The Associated Press


CTV News
24 minutes ago
- CTV News
Bird flu: Tensions build in B.C. village as court decision on ostrich cull nears
Hundreds of ostriches in B.C. that are staring down a government death sentence now have a powerful ally. Judy Trinh explains. Hundreds of ostriches in B.C. that are staring down a government death sentence now have a powerful ally. Judy Trinh explains. The frustration inside the Royal Canadian Legion hung as heavy as the suffocating summer heat. Dozens had come to give their side of a global controversy on whether to cull a flock of ostriches that survived a life-threatening virus. More than two dozen people, representing a tenth of the population of the village of Edgewood, B.C., had gathered after word spread that CTV News was visiting. For several weeks, a handful of residents had emailed to voice frustration about the 'unfair' coverage of Universal Ostrich Farm's (UOF) legal battle against a culling order issued by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency after avian flu was detected in its flock last December. The residents said their health and safety concerns have been ignored in the months since the outbreak, while media across the globe from the New York Times to the BBC had turned UOF's ostriches into a cause-célèbre. Yet the residents were unwilling to go on the record, citing fears of harassment and intimidation. UOF had gained high powered support from the Trump administration, an American billionaire and closer to home - the former leaders of the Freedom Convoy such as Pat King and Tamara Lich. Earlier in July, Lich helped organize a fundraising concert for UOF and even took to the stage in Edgewood to sing 'Keep on Rockin' in the Free World.' Canada bird flu news A flock of ostriches in B.C. is on death row after members of the heard contracted avian flu. (Jeff McDonald, CTV News) Testing vs. termination Universal Ostrich spokesperson Katie Pasitney says they're not just trying to get about 400 birds off death row but also standing up for other farmers by challenging a government policy that is inflexible and inhumane. While the CFIA argues the mass euthanization is the most effective way to control the outbreak and prevent the spread of a pathogenic virus that has killed birds, spread to animals and even humans. Pasitney wants to stave off the death sentences by getting the right to test and monitor the ostriches to show they are now healthy. As the legal challenge reached the Federal Court of Appeal in Ottawa, CTV News decided to visit Edgewood to get a better sense of the rising tensions in the village of 235 people. One resident suggested meeting at the legion but insisted she didn't want to be filmed. When CTV News arrived at the blue and white shingled building on Tuesday, 26 people were waiting inside. They were beef producers and retired plumbers, paramedics, bus drivers and barbers. Some were neighbors who lived next to the ostrich farm. The group decided they would all speak out together. Showing their strength in numbers as news cameras rolled. Canada bird flu: Ostrich cull This photo shows 26 Edgewood, B.C. residents who spoke out against the Universal Ostrich Farm's challenge of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency's cull order. (Judy Trinh, CTV News) Speaking out in solidarity Lois Wood who baked cookies and squares for the group, raised her hand to speak. She's retired, owns horses and lives alone next to UOF. To get home, Wood has to drive down Langille road, the same rocky lane that goes by the ostrich farm and a cluster of tents and trailers that have popped up across from it. It's a camp of strangers, gathered to protest CFIA's cull order. Some have been in Edgewood for months. Wood says the strangers had previously set up a checkpoint at the turnoff to the road. Other residents said the protesters asked for names and took photos of license plates. 'Edgewood is not about violence,' said Wood, who added he's worried confrontation with protesters will lead to clashes. 'If CFIA comes – they want to do everything they can to stop them.' A few weeks ago, Wood watched as the protesters blocked access to the farm by parking their vehicles horizontally across the lane and cutting off tree branches to lay across the road when a rumour spread that inspectors were moving in. 'They've got nothing to do with this,' said Jim McFarlane. He and his wife Millie are beef farmers and angry that, despite being ordered to quarantine their property, UOF has allowed dozens of protesters on to their property. The couple are worried their cattle could be impacted as the legal fight drags beyond seven months. In Canada, h5N1 has been detected in wild animals like foxes, skunks and raccoons. Pet dogs and cats have also caught the virus. In the U.S., dairy cows have been infected. Even if their cattle are healthy, the McFarlanes say the perception of a lingering disease could impact their income. 'Our (cattle) prices could be knocked down because of the potential of avian flu in cattle, because it can happen,' said Millie. The couple live a ten-minute drive across the village from Universal Ostrich Farm, but worry about fallout. 'It's like living next to Chernobyl,' Millie said referring to the Ukrainian nuclear reactor explosion that released radioactive material into the air. CFIA support Across the room from the McFarlanes, retiree Crystal Michaud chimed in about supporting the government inspectors. 'CFIA is protecting Canadians and Canadian agriculture,' said Michaud. 'UOF is putting us on a slippery slope. They're setting up precedents by overturning Canada's regulations for local, national and international trade. They are putting other people at risk.' Chicken farms in the region have been ordered to tighten their biosecurity measures to guard against the spread of H5N1 virus. Some countries such as Mexico, Japan and Taiwan have banned poultry products from B.C. because of the presence of avian flu. On its website, CFIA states that as long 'as the ostrich farm remains a confirmed infected premises, the entire British Columbia poultry sector is not able to access certain export markets.' B.C. bird flu cases An ostrich looks on at a farm slated for a cull after members of the flock contracted avian flu. Ostrich research According to court documents, UOF stopped selling ostrich meat in 2020. During the COVID-19 pandemic, it entered into an agreement with a Japanese scientist from Kyoto to research antibodies. The work involved injecting the ostriches with COVID-19 antigens to create antibodies in the birds, then extracting the proteins from the eggs. The ostriches are kept in open air pens. There are a few wooden structures on the property and a metal corral shelter with heavy plastic sheeting that was torn and coming off the frame. The Edgewood residents are skeptical UOF facilities are conducive to scientific research. More than a dozen people told CTV News they saw worrisome practices at UOF in the weeks before and shortly after an avian flu outbreak was declared. They described seeing eagles and ravens picking at ostrich carcasses. They shared video of purported ostrich bones littered in the fields. And one neighbor said the farm's owners buried dead ostriches on his property near the creek that runs across the village. 'Hearsay and false' claims After the meeting, CTV visited Universal Ostrich Farm to get a response to the concerns of Edgewood residents. A two-metre-high sign emblazoned with the words 'Stop the Murder of 399 Ostriches' leans against a rusted dump truck marked the entrance of the farm. Protesters playing the role of volunteer security guards led us to the brown house on the property to interview farm spokesperson Katie Pasitney. When confronted with the neighbours' accounts of rotting ostrich carcasses, Pasitney said it was 'hearsay and false,' and insisted the farm was well managed. 'If we really believed that these animals were going to put our whole community at risk, we would have done something about it. She said that complaint could be coming from a 'neighbour who was disgruntled.' To prevent the spread of disease, poultry producers are supposed to report dead birds. CFIA detected H5N1 at the farm last December after receiving an anonymous tip about dead ostriches. And in May, CFIA fined UOF co-owners Dave Bilinski and Karen Esperson $20,000 for failing to cooperate with anti-avian flu bio security measures and not adhering to quarantine orders. Pasitney also dismissed concerns about harassment and intimidation. 'Everybody who has come here to support this farm has been nothing but kind.' She said they've picked people up for rides, helped residents do yard work and supported the local store. Pasitney said UOF's legal challenge is about more than just saving the birds. It's also about countering government overreach 'It's for food security, for better ways … changing policy and fixing fractured and flawed systems and coming together.' But other Edgewater residents like retired bus driver, Jim McKee says he wants the government to protect him from what UOF is doing. 'Government overreach is such a overused cliché. If it isn't the government to regulate and protect – whose job is it?' Meanwhile the CIFA says its continuing with its plan to enforce the cull order. The Federal Court of Appeal is expected to release its decision any day now. Edgewood residents hope the matter will be resolved quickly and peacefully but are also bracing for a possible confrontation if there is a surge in protesters.


Globe and Mail
24 minutes ago
- Globe and Mail
Why Bloom Energy Stock Is Powering Higher This Week
Key Points Bloom Energy reported a new deal with Oracle last week. An analyst upwardly revised the price target on Bloom Energy stock. The company continues to report growing revenue and earnings before interest, taxes, depreciaiton, and amortization. 10 stocks we like better than Bloom Energy › Soaring 43.6% from the start of July through the end of trading last week, the stock of Bloom Energy (NYSE: BE) has been red hot this month. And the trend seems to be continuing through the remainder of the month. Although the company didn't have any news to report that explains the fuel cell maker's rise this week, it's clear that the market's appetite for Bloom Energy remains strong. Where to invest $1,000 right now? Our analyst team just revealed what they believe are the 10 best stocks to buy right now. Continue » According to data provided by S&P Global Market Intelligence, shares have risen 9.2% from the end of last Friday's session through 2:05 p.m. ET today. Bloom is blossoming in investors' eyes thanks to this opportunity Investors leaped at the opportunity to power their portfolios with the stock last week after the company announced a deal with Oracle for the deployment of fuel cells to power data centers, and the enthusiasm is continuing into this week as well. Nuclear energy stocks have emerged as one of the most appealing alternative energy options for companies operating data centers, but the deal with Oracle suggests that Bloom Energy might have a robust new opportunity considering the massive amounts of capital that artificial intelligence (AI) companies are investing in data centers. Another source of the market's ebullience is an analyst's auspicious outlook. Last Friday, UBS analyst Manav Gupta boosted the price target on Bloom to $51 from $29 due to the company's deal with Oracle. Is Bloom ready to wilt, or is there still room to run? While the Oracle deal and the analyst's revised price target are understandable reasons for shares to rise, it's important to acknowledge that there are more tangible reasons for buying the stock. BE Revenue (Annual) data by YCharts. Bloom Energy is growing both revenue and earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA) -- a hopeful sign that the company will succeed in a way that its peers have not. This makes Bloom Energy worth further investigation for fuel cell exposure. Should you invest $1,000 in Bloom Energy right now? Before you buy stock in Bloom Energy, consider this: The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy now… and Bloom Energy wasn't one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years. Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $638,629!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $1,098,838!* Now, it's worth noting Stock Advisor's total average return is 1,049% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 182% for the S&P 500. Don't miss out on the latest top 10 list, available when you join Stock Advisor. See the 10 stocks » *Stock Advisor returns as of July 29, 2025