The Thursday news briefing: An at-a-glance survey of some top stories

By The Canadian Press

Highlights from the news file for Thursday, March 23

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KEYSTONE DECISION IMMINENT: It appears the Keystone XL pipeline project is about to be approved by the U.S., some eight-and-half years after TransCanada Corp. applied for a permit. The Trump administration confirmed that a response is imminent. U.S. President Trump signed an executive order shortly after he took office inviting TransCanada to reapply for a permit and has repeatedly suggested he’ll accept the application.

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TORONTO SCHOOL BOARD WARY OF TRUMP TRAVEL BAN: Toronto’s school board is joining some other districts in Canada in avoiding class trips to the U.S. in light of the Trump administration’s travel restrictions. The Toronto District School Board says it doesn’t believe any of its 245,000 students should be placed in the position of potentially being turned away at the border. Several school districts around the country have either cancelled school trips or debated whether to do so.

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MEREDITH LAWYER SAYS RACE CARD OFF TABLE: The new lawyer for Don Meredith says some people may feel there is a racial element to the backlash against his client, but Bill Trudell says it won’t factor into how he represents the embattled senator. Many in the upper chamber are calling for Meredith to resign because he had an affair with a teenaged girl. Meredith’s previous lawyer said the senator was being unfairly portrayed as a “sexual predator” because he’s an imposing black man. Trudell says he hopes to turn down the temperature and is calling for everyone to consider a proportionate response to Meredith’s conduct.

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NURSE FACING MURDER CHARGES PREVIOUSLY SUSPENDED SEVERAL TIMES: Court documents indicate an Ontario nurse alleged to have killed eight seniors was suspended from a long-term care home several times for medication-related errors. The documents say Elizabeth Wettlaufer was eventually dismissed from the Caressant Care nursing home in Woodstock, Ont., after allegations that she incorrectly and overly medicated a resident. Wettlaufer, 49, is charged with eight counts of first-degree murder, four counts of attempted murder, and two counts of aggravated assault. Police allege she used drugs to kill the seniors while she worked in nursing homes in Woodstock and London, although those allegations haven’t been tested in court.

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MCGILL PROF QUITS OVER ARTICLE: The author of an article in Maclean’s about Quebec that triggered an angry backlash has stepped down from his post at McGill University. Andrew Potter’s article described Quebec as a “pathologically alienated and low-trust society” with a glaring absence of solidarity. Quebec politicians of all stripes condemned the article as deplorable. Potter later wrote he regretted what he called errors and exaggerations in his article and posted on Facebook Thursday that he was stepping down as McGill’s director of the Institute for the Study of Canada.

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SUPREME COURT BAIL DECISION BREAKS NEW GROUND: The Supreme Court of Canada says New Brunswick businessman Dennis Oland was wrongly denied bail pending an appeal of his second-degree murder conviction. The conviction was subsequently quashed so Thursday’s ruling has no practical effect on Oland’s case as he awaits a new trial. However, the decision sets precedent on bail eligibility in appeal matters and will likely cause ripples beyond’s Oland’s case.

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UBER BLASTING BUDGET MEASURES: Uber is blasting the Trudeau government for new tax measures that would see ride-hailing services treated the same way as taxi companies. The Liberal government’s budget Wednesday included changing the definition of a taxi business to have ride-hailing services subject to the same GST and HST rules as taxis. Uber calls it a “tax on innovation” that would hurt drivers and travellers.

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FEDS SAY MILITARY GETTING ENOUGH MONEY: The Trudeau government says although it’s looking at whether the military needs more money in the long term, it currently has what it needs. Finance Minister Bill Morneau says the government believes the military is ‘appropriately provisioned.’ Morneau’s comments flies in the face of assessments from many analysts and Defence Department insiders who say the military is stretched too thin.

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CAPYBARAS HAVE ‘CAPYBABIES’: Toronto’s wandering capybaras are now the proud parents of three pups. The rodent couple, who made headlines last year when they escaped from a Toronto zoo, and their offspring are said to be doing well. The High Park Zoo staff dubbed the animals Bonnie and Clyde, and the daring escape led to dozens of sightings. One capybara was eventually caught June 12 and the other remained free until June 28.

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VIGIL HELD TO HONOUR THOSE KILLED IN LONDON ATTACKS: Several thousand people have gathered in London’s Trafalgar Square for a candlelit vigil to honour the victims and their families and to show London’s unity in the face of militant attacks. There was a strong sense of solidarity and camaraderie, with Muslims mingling with Jews and people stopping to thank the police for their work. Three people were killed and at least 30 injured in Wednesday’s attack on Westminster Bridge and Parliament. The attacker was shot and killed.

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