Here are the latest Top News stories from The Canadian Press. All times are Eastern unless otherwise stated. Coverage plans are included when available. Entries are subject to change as news develops.
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TOP HEADLINES:
NDP's Singh supports drug decriminalization bill
COVID-19 hospitalizations highest ever in B.C.
Ottawa protesters say they are staying put as discontent grows
Protests in Canada get attention south of border
Quebec retreats on no-vax tax for 'social peace'
Easing restrictions will increase cases: experts
Erin O'Toole facing leadership vote by his MPs
StatCan: Economy ended 2021 above pre-COVID mark
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NEW TOP STORIES SINCE THE LAST ADVISORY:
NDP's Singh supports drug decriminalization bill
Drug-Decriminalization
Ottawa, , -- The federal NDP hopes to push the government to take stronger action on the opioid crisis with a new private member's bill decriminalizing the possession of drugs for personal use. By Marie Woolf. Wire: National. Photos: 1
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COVID-19 hospitalizations highest ever in B.C.
COVID-BC
Victoria, British Columbia, Canada -- British Columbia's top doctor says COVID-19 hospitalizations are at their highest level and over 60 per cent of patients since December have tested positive for the virus after being admitted for other reasons. Wire: Prairies/BC. Photos: 1
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Wilson-Raybould outlines 'true reconciliation'
Wilson-Raybould-Reconciliation
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada -- Canada's former justice minister outlined her vision for "true reconciliation" during a mining industry conference in British Columbia Tuesday, saying the country needs to enact legislation that allows Indigenous nations to govern themselves. By Brenna Owen. Wire: National. Photos: 1
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Yukon premier apologizes for 'breakdown in system'
Yukon-School-Assault
Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada -- Yukon Premier Sandy Silver apologized Tuesday for a "break down in the system" over the handling of a sexual interference allegation at a school in Whitehorse. Wire: National. Photos: 1
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UPDATED CONVOY PROTESTS:
Ottawa protest racks up costs to city, businesses
Trucker-Protest
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada -- Ottawa residents are starting to wonder who will be left holding the bag when the anti-vaccine mandate protest that has seized the capital, shuttered businesses and racked up policing costs finally rolls out. By Laura Osman and Erika Ibrahim. Wire: National. Photos: 1
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RCMP taking 'further action' on border blockade
Trucker-Protest-Border
Coutts, Alberta, Canada -- Mounties moved in Tuesday to break up a trucker protest that has blocked traffic in southern Alberta at the United States border, announcing that negotiations had proven futile and it was time to enforce the law. By Alanna Smith. Wire: Prairies/BC. Photos: 1
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Protests in Canada get attention south of border
US-Cda-Protest
Washington D. C., Washington, D.C., United States -- Ongoing protests in Canada over COVID-19 restrictions have been garnering attention south of the border. By James McCarten. Wire: National.
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UPDATED COVID-19 AND OMICRON:
Ontario, Quebec continuing to relax COVID-19 rules
COVID-Cda
Canada's two largest provinces are continuing with plans to relax COVID-19 restrictions, as Quebec announced Tuesday that gyms will reopen and Ontario Premier Doug Ford said a warning of increased hospitalizations will not alter his province's reopening plan. By Jacob Serebrin. Wire: National.
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Quebec retreats on no-vax tax for 'social peace'
COVID-Que
Montreal, , -- Quebec Premier François Legault said Tuesday he is abandoning his threat to tax the unvaccinated because he is worried about how much the idea has divided Quebecers. Wire: Ontario/Quebec, National. Photos: 1
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Easing restrictions will increase cases: experts
COVID-Ont
Toronto, Ontario, Canada -- COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and ICU admissions will likely increase again following this week's reopening, Ontario's expert science advisers said Tuesday in new modelling that shows "prolonged" pressure on the health system. By Allison Jones. Wire: Ontario/Quebec. Photos: 1
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Hospitals largely supported vaccine mandate: documents
COVID-Ont-Hospitals
Hospitals and other stakeholders overwhelmingly supported the idea of a provincial COVID-19 vaccine mandate for hospital workers when Premier Doug Ford asked for input last fall, according to documents obtained by The Canadian Press. Ford ultimately decided not to mandate vaccines for the sector.
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Feds looking to send more aid to vaccine alliance
COVID-Vaccines-Donations
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada -- Canada is considering sending more money or ancillary vaccine supplies to the COVAX global vaccine sharing alliance after a plea from the organizers that it was running out of cash. By Mia Rabson. Wire: National. Photos: 1
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N.S. rinks, pools feel pinch of COVID restrictions
COVID-NS
Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada -- The organization representing dozens of recreational facilities in Nova Scotia says more short-term government support will likely be needed when the latest wave of COVID-19 subsides. Wire: Atlantic. Photos: 1
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One more COVID-19 death in Prince Edward Island
COVID-PEI
Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Canada -- Prince Edward Island is reporting its 11th COVID-19-related death. Wire: Atlantic. Photos: 1
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Inside a Toronto hospital during Omicron
COVID-Hospital-Burnout
Toronto, Ontario, Canada -- Paula Abramcyzk sighs at the unknown her day will bring. Odds are, in the heart of the Omicron wave, someone will die in the intensive care unit at Humber River Hospital in Toronto. By Liam Casey. Wire: National, Ontario/Quebec. Photos: 1
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UPDATED OTHER TOP NEWS:
Erin O'Toole facing leadership vote by his MPs
Conservatives-OToole
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada -- Conservative MPs are picking their sides — and bracing for any consequences that may follow — while Erin O'Toole waits to learn his fate as party leader. By Stephanie Taylor. Wire: National. Photos: 1
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Bloc saw biggest post-election fundraising decline
Party-Finances
Ottawa, , -- Elections Canada figures show donations dried up for the Bloc Quebecois more than other federal parties after the election in September. Wire: National. Photos: 1
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Indigenous Vatican visit rescheduled for March
Cda-Indigenous-Pope
An Indigenous delegation is to meet with Pope Francis at the Vatican in early spring to discuss reconciliation and healing after a visit was postponed because of the COVID-19 pandemic. By Kelly Geraldine Malone. Wire: National. Photos: 1
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Police charge 7 suspects in high-end car thefts
Toronto-Car-Theft
Toronto, Ontario, Canada -- A group of suspected thieves carjacked 28 high-end vehicles in north Toronto over several months and tried to ship them to destinations overseas, police said Tuesday as they announced seven arrests in the case. By Maan Alhmidi. Wire: Ontario/Quebec.
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Tearful testimony at hit-and-run murder trial
Calgary-Cop-Killed
Calgary, Alberta, Canada -- A driver who accidentally ran over a Calgary police officer broke down in tears at a first-degree murder trial Tuesday. By Bill Graveland. Wire: National. Photos: 1
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Faculty on strike at Acadia University in N.S.
NS-Acadia-Strike
Wolfville, Nova Scotia, Canada -- Classes at Acadia University in Nova Scotia were cancelled Tuesday after faculty members went on strike. Wire: Atlantic. Photos: 1
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Ottawa must do more to protect whales: report
Right-Whales-Report
Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada -- During the past two years, most ships travelling through a key migratory route for endangered North Atlantic right whales have not adhered to voluntary speed restrictions imposed by Transport Canada, data from an ocean conservation group shows. By Danielle Edwards. Wire: Atlantic. Photos: 1
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Jeffrey Hutchings, N.S. fisheries scientist, dies
OBIT-Jeffrey-Hutchings
Halifax, , -- A Canadian ecologist and fisheries scientist who criticized political interference in scientific advice on declining fish populations — particularly the northern cod — has died at the age of 63. By Michael Tutton. Wire: Atlantic. Photos: 1
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Canadian cities losing green space, StatCan says
Urban-Green-Decline
Joni Mitchell was right — they really are paving paradise and putting up parking lots. By Bob Weber. Wire: National. Photos: 1
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StatCan: Economy ended 2021 above pre-COVID mark
StatCan-GDP
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada -- Better-than-expected growth in November pushed the Canadian economy above pre-pandemic levels for the first time in nearly two years, but the Omicron surge in COVID-19 cases is expected to deal it yet another setback to start 2022. By Jordan Press. Wire: Business, National. Photos: 1
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What's new to stream this February in Canada
TV-What-To-Stream
Toronto, Ontario, Canada -- Elite social circles and the halls of a drab corporate office serve as two settings for the war between truth and lies in February on streaming platforms, while Black History Month offers a selection of great international stories. By David Friend. Wire: Entertainment. Photos: 1
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Canada men look to keep winning en route to Qatar
SOC-Canada-Men
The Canadian men flew south to El Salvador on Tuesday to take the next step on their remarkable World Cup qualifying journey. By Neil Davidson. Wire: Sports. Photos: 1
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LOCAL JOURNALISM INITIATIVE STORIES:
The LJI is a federally funded program to add coverage in under-covered areas or on under-covered issues. This content is delivered on the CP wire in the "Y" or spare news category, or you can register to access it at https://lji-ijl.ca. This content is created and submitted by participating publishers and is not edited by The Canadian Press. Please credit stories to the reporter, their media outlet and the Local Journalism Initiative. Questions should be directed to LJI supervising editor Amy Logan at amy.logan@thecanadianpress.com. Below is a sample of the dozens of stories moved daily:
Living conditions causing respiratory infections in Northern Ontario Indigenous children, study finds
LJI-ON-indigenous-children-disease
Young First Nations children in Northern Ontario are suffering respiratory tract infections because of poor housing conditions. Those are among the findings that were part of a study carried out in several Northern Ontario locations. The study evaluated 98 children aged three years or younger – 21 per cent of them had been admitted to hospital for respiratory infections before they were two years old. 500 words. Len Gillis/Sudbury.com
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Manitoba Chief calls on province to halt Crown land auctions, give First Nations first option
LJI-Man-Land-Auction
A First Nations Chief is calling for the province to put a stop to Crown land auctions that were set to begin this week, because he believes that First Nations communities should be given first option to buy the land that will be up for sale. 450 words. Dave Baxter/ Winnipeg Sun
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FROM AP:
The latest AP News Digest is unavailable. This is a previous version.
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ONLY ON AP
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ABORTION-RACIAL-DISPARITIES — If you are Black or Hispanic in a state that already limits access to abortions, you are far more likely than a white woman to have one. And according to statistics analyzed by The Associated Press, if the U.S. Supreme Court allows states to further restrict or even ban abortions, minority women will bear the brunt of it. Advocates say women of color in states with already restrictive abortion laws often have limited access to health care and a lack of choices for effective birth control. And if abortions are outlawed, those same women will likely have the hardest time traveling to terminate pregnancies or raising the children they would bear. By Emily Wagster Pettus and Leah Willingham. SENT: 1,525 words, photos.
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TOP STORIES
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UKRAINE-TENSIONS — Russian President Vladimir Putin said that the U.S. and its allies have ignored Russia’s top security demands but added that Moscow remains open to more talks with the West on easing soaring tensions over Ukraine. Putin argued that it’s possible to negotiate an end to the standoff if interests of all parties, including Russia’s security concerns, are taken into account. By Vladimir Isachenkov and Matthew Lee. SENT: 1,165 words, photos. WITH: UKRAINE-TENSIONS-THINGS-TO-KNOW —What to know about rising fear of war. SENT: 725 words, photos.
UKRAINE-THE-RESISTANCE — Some people in Ukraine’s second-largest city are preparing to fight back if Russia invades. Kharkiv is just 25 miles from some of the tens of thousands of Russian troops massed at the border. It is also one of the country’s industrial centers and includes two facilities that restore old Soviet-era tanks or build new ones. Some of the city’s 1 million-plus people say they are prepared to abandon their ordinary civilian lives and wage a guerrilla campaign against one of the world’s greatest military powers if Russia invades. By Mstyslav Chernov and Lori Hinnant. SENT: 1,260 words, photos.
For full coverage of Ukraine.
SUPREME COURT-VACANCY — President Joe Biden is meeting with the bipartisan leaders of the Senate Judiciary Committee as Democrats strive to gain GOP support for Justice Stephen Breyer’s replacement on the Supreme Court – a steep challenge after sharp and bitter division during the Trump era. The joint meeting at the White House is an early attempt at détente by the president, a veteran of a bygone era when Supreme Court justices were confirmed with overwhelming bipartisan support. By Mary Clare Jalonick. UPCOMING: 800 words, photos by 5 p.m. WITH: SUPREME COURT-IVY CLUB — Enough already with the Supreme Court justices with Harvard and Yale degrees. That’s the message from one of Congress’ top Democrats to Biden, and a prominent Republican senator agrees. SENT: 850 words, photos, video.
VIRUS-OUTBREAK-KID-VACCINES — U.S. regulators are urging drugmaker Pfizer to apply for emergency authorization for a two-dose regimen of its COVID-19 vaccine for children 6 months to 5 years old while awaiting data on a three-dose course, aiming to clear the way for the shots as soon as late February, a person familiar with the matter told The Associated Press. By Zeke Miller. SENT: 475 words, photos.
VIRUS-OUTBREAK-CANADA-PROTEST — In a scene at odds with Canadians’ reputation for niceness and rule-following, thousands of protesters railing against vaccine mandates and other COVID-19 restrictions descended on the capital over the weekend, deliberately blocking traffic around Parliament Hill. By Rob Gillies. SENT: 890 words, photos.
NYC-CRIME — A teenage fast-food cashier shot to death in Manhattan. A woman pushed to her death in front of a subway train in Times Square. An 11-month-old girl wounded by a stray bullet in the Bronx. Two police officers killed in Harlem. A string of headline-making violence in New York City has frayed nerves and become a rolling trauma for Mayor Eric Adams’ nascent administration. By Michael R. Sisak and Michelle L. Price. SENT: 990 words, photos.
FBN-TOM-BRADY — Tom Brady, the greatest quarterback in NFL history, has retired after winning seven Super Bowls and setting numerous passing records in an unprecedented 22-year-career. “This is difficult for me to write, but here it goes: I am not going to make that competitive commitment anymore,” Brady wrote in a lengthy post on Instagram. “I have loved my NFL career, and now it is time to focus my time and energy on other things that require my attention.” By Rob Maaddi. SENT: 980 words, photos.
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OLYMPICS
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OLY-SKI—EXPECTATIONS FROM EVERYWHERE — Two-time Alpine skiing gold medalist Mikaela Shiffrin has been thinking a lot about the stress and pressure that gymnast Simone Biles and swimmer Caeleb Dressel discussed during last year’s Tokyo Olympics. By National Writer Howard Fendrich. SENT: 1,060 words, photos.
OLY-SBD-WHITE’S FAREWELL — One last time, Shaun White will stand atop the Olympic halfpipe, slap his hands together, give a high-five to his coach and take his snowboard, and snowboarding, on the sort of ride that only he can dream up. By National Writer Eddie Pells. SENT: 1,120 words, photos.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-OLYMPICS — Athletes and team officials are testing positive for COVID-19 at much higher rates than other people arriving in China for the Beijing Olympics, organizers say. SENT: 355 words, photos.
OLY-HKW-CAPTAIN-CLUTCH — Marie-Philip Poulin grew up in modest surroundings in smalltown Quebec to become one of Canadian women’s hockey’s top players. She’s been nicknamed `Captain Clutch’ for an ability to score decisive goals on the world’s biggest stage. SENT: 935 words, photos.
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TRENDING NEWS
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TESLA-FULL-SELF-DRIVING-RECALL — Tesla is recalling nearly 54,000 vehicles because their “Full Self-Driving” software lets them roll through stop signs without coming to a complete halt. SENT: 640 words, photos.
WHOOPI GOLDBERG-HOLOCAUST — Whoopi Goldberg has apologized for saying the Holocaust was not about race, and took to “The View” to explain how she was educated that her comments on the show the day before were wrong. SENT: 440 words, photos.
CHILD-FATALLY-SHOT-IN-CAR — Authorities say a 4-year-old boy in Louisiana fatally shot himself in the forehead with a gun he found in the car while his mother and another adult were smoking marijuana in the front seat. SENT: 265 words.
SUPER-BOWL-PERFORMERS — Country music star Mickey Guyton will hit this month’s Super Bowl stage to sing the national anthem, while R&B hitmaker Jhené Aiko will perform “America the Beautiful.” SENT: 270 words, photos.
MICHAEL-AVENATTI-STORMY-DANIELS — Michael Avenatti says he won’t testify at his trial on charges that he cheated porn actor Stormy Daniels out of nearly $300,000 in book proceeds. SENT: 305 words, photo.
ART-ITALY-ANCIENT-TEMPLE — Archaeologists in southern Italy say they have discovered the ruins of a painted brick wall and ancient warrior helmets at a site that might have been a forerunner of a temple dedicated to the goddess Athena. SENT: 285 words, photos.
ULCA-THREATS — University of California, Los Angeles, officials have ordered all classes to be held remotely due to threats. SENT: 240 words.
ECUADOR-LANDSLIDE — A rain-weakened hillside collapsed in Ecuador’s capital, sweeping over homes and a sports field and killing at least 22 people, rescue officials said. SENT: 330 words, photos.
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MORE ON THE VIRUS OUTBREAK
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VIRUS-OUTBREAK-WHO — The World Health Organization chief said that 90 million cases of coronavirus have been reported since the omicron variant was first identified 10 weeks ago — amounting to more than in all of 2020, the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. SENT: 555 words, photos.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-CHINA — Chinese people rang in the Lunar New Year despite pandemic restrictions, as small crowds gathered at temples to offer traditional prayers for the Year of the Tiger. SENT: 600 words, photos.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-DENMARK — Denmark became one of the first European Union countries to scrap most pandemic restrictions as the Scandinavian country no longer considers the COVID-19 outbreak “a socially critical disease.” SENT: 695 words, photos.
VIRUS OUTBREAK--WHO-EXCESS WASTE — The World Health Organization says overuse of gloves, “moon suits” and the use of billions of masks and vaccination syringes to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus have spurred a huge glut of health care waste worldwide. SENT: 375 words, photo.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-INDIA-MASKS-PHOTO GALLERY — It’s mandatory to wear a mask in India. And police are out on the streets, watching people to make sure they are in place. SENT: 210 words, photos.
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WASHINGTON/POLITICS
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CONGRESS-ELECTORAL-VOTES — Donald Trump’s persistent attacks and false claims over the 2020 presidential election outcome are sparking fresh urgency in Congress -- from both parties -- for changes to the Electoral Count Act. Lawmakers are working furiously to update the 200 year-old law to avoid a repeat of Jan. 6, 2021, when Trump pressured Vice President Mike Pence to reject the electoral college tally and urged followers to the Capitol to overturn the election results. UPCOMING: 800 words, photos by 5 p.m.
CONGRESS-BUDGET — Sen. Joe Manchin says that President Biden’s vast social and environment bill is “dead.” It’s the strongest language to date that the pivotal West Virginia Democrat has used to underscore that any revival of Democrats’ top domestic priorities would have to arise from fresh negotiations. SENT: 150 words,photos.
RACIAL-INJUSTICE-POLICE-KILLINGS — The Justice Department has said it will not reopen the federal investigation into the 2014 death of 12-year-old Tamir Rice, who was shot to death by Cleveland police, notifying Tamir’s mother after she had participated in a federal training event for state prosecutors on investigating police misconduct cases. SENT: 805 words, photos.
BUTTIGIEG-ROAD-SAFETY — The government has reported that U.S. traffic deaths surged in the first nine months of 2021 to 31,720, keeping up a record pace of increased dangerous driving during the pandemic. SENT: 380 words, photos.
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NATIONAL
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LOUISIANA-POLICE-DEATH-FEDERAL-PROBE — Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards holds a news conference to respond to AP investigation that found he was informed within hours of Ronald Greene’s deadly 2019 arrest that troopers engaged in a “violent, lengthy struggle,” yet he stayed silent for two years as state police pushed a much different account that the Black motorist died in a crash at the end of a high-speed chase. UPCOMING 600 words, photos by 6 p.m. Developing from 5:30 p.m. news conference.
OPIOID-CRISIS-TRIBES — Native American tribes in the U.S. have reached settlements worth $590 million over opioids. A court filing in Cleveland lays out the details of the settlements with drugmaker Johnson & Johnson and distribution companies AmerisoruceBergen, Cardinal Health and McKesson. SENT: 115 words, developing.
REL--SOUTHERN BAPTISTS-BLACK LEADER — The Southern Baptist Convention’s powerful Executive Committee -- roiled by divisions over clergy sex-abuse and other issues -- names Tennessee pastor Willie McLaurin as its interim president. He’s the first African American to head any of the SBC’s ministry entities. UPCOMING: 800 words, photos by 3 p.m.
FERTILIZER PLANT FIRE — The North Carolina city of Winston-Salem is asking people within one mile of a raging blaze at a fertilizer plant to evacuate due to the possibility of a large explosion. SENT: 550 words, photos, video.
GEORGE FLOYD-OFFICERS-CIVIL RIGHTS — The chief medical examiner who deemed George Floyd’s death a homicide returned to the stand at the trial of three former Minneapolis police officers charged with violating Floyd’s civil rights, as defense attorneys questioned him about how Floyd died. SENT: 665 words, photos.
BREONNA TAYLOR-EX-OFFICER’S TRIAL — The questioning of potential jurors has been delayed for the trial of a former Kentucky police officer involved in a botched raid that killed Breonna Taylor. Brett Hankison has pleaded not guilty to three counts of wanton endangerment for allegedly firing wildly into the apartments of Taylor’s neighbors. SENT: 440 words, photos.
WINTER-WEATHER — A major winter storm was expected to affect a huge swath of the United States, with heavy snow starting in the Rockies and freezing rain as far south as Texas before it drops snow and ice on the Midwest. SENT: 280 words.
CHICAGO-POLICE-LAQUAN-MCDONALD — The NAACP, the nation’s oldest civil rights organization, on Tuesday urged Attorney General Merrick Garland to bring federal civil rights charges against the white Chicago police officer who fatally shot Black teenager Laquan McDonald. SENT: 535 words, photo.
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INTERNATIONAL
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BRITAIN-POLITICS — Caught partying during a pandemic, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson bought himself some breathing space with an apology and a promise to change. But his troubles are far from over. SENT: 590 words, photos.
MYANMAR — A nationwide strike in Myanmar marked the one-year anniversary of the army’s seizure of power, as sporadic protests and violence across the country raised further international concern over the ongoing struggle for power. SENT: 930 words, photos.
AFGHANISTAN-HEAVY HANDED TALIBAN — The Taliban are trying to keep discipline over thousands of young fighters who bring heavy-handed methods of war into their new roles as security forces in Afghanistan. Those young men have known only war, most have no schooling and cannot read or write. In Kabul, many are afraid of them. On a recent night, a Taliban security guard at a checkpoint in the capital opened fire on a car carrying a family home from a wedding, killing 25-year-old Zainab Abdullahi. The Taliban say it was a mix-up between guards. But the shooting highlights a dilemma facing Afghanistan’s new rulers. SENT: 1,200 words, photos.
CHINA-XINJIANG-TEXTBOOKS — As the Chinese government tightened its grip over its ethnic Uyghur population, it sentenced one man to death and three others to life in prison last year for textbooks drawn in part from historical resistance movements that had once been sanctioned by the ruling Communist Party. An AP review of images and stories presented as problematic in a state media documentary, and interviews with people involved in editing the textbooks, found they were rooted in previously accepted narratives. SENT: 1,320 words, photos.
ISRAEL-PALESTINIANS-APARTHEID DEBATE — Amnesty International says that Israel has maintained “a system of oppression and domination” over the Palestinians going all the way back to its establishment in 1948, one that meets the international definition of apartheid. SENT: 1,080 words, photos.
NORWAY-BREIVIK-PAROLE HEARING — A Norwegian court has rejected the parole request made by mass killer Anders Behring Breivik a far-right extremist who killed 77 people in 2011, saying he must remain in prison. Last month, Breivik faced a parole hearing where he professed white supremacist views and flashed Nazi salutes on the hearing’s opening day, while claiming to have renounced violence. SENT: 395 words, photos.
HORN OF AFRICA-DROUGHT — The children walk among carcasses of animals dead from hunger and exhaustion, a stark image of the drought threatening millions of people in the Horn of Africa. SENT: 385 words, photos.
GUINEA BISSAU-CRISIS — Heavy gunfire erupted near the Government Palace in Guinea-Bissau’s capital, witnesses said, raising fears of a coup attempt in this West African country with a long history of military takeovers. SENT: 290 words, photos.
LUNAR NEW YEAR-PHOTO GALLERY — People around Asia ushered in the Year of the Tiger, celebrating the Lunar New Year with colorful decorations, wild dances, tributes to their ancestors and prayers for good fortune in the year to come. SENT: 220 words, photos.
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BUSINESS/ECONOMY
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FEDERAL-RESERVE-CLIMATE-CHANGE — How far the Federal Reserve can go to compel banks to consider the impact of climate change in their lending policies could take center stage at a Senate hearing Thursday on the nominations of Sarah Bloom Raskin and two economists to the Fed’s Board of Governors. The Fed is already moving toward assessing the risks that banks face from rising global temperatures. But many energy companies fear something more dramatic: That the Fed will eventually move to discourage banks from lending to their industry. UPCOMING: 900 words, photos by 3 p.m.
FINANCIAL MARKETS — Stocks wobbled on Wall Street as the market comes off its worst month since early in the pandemic nearly two years ago. SENT: 445 words, photo.
JOB OPENINGS — U.S. employers stepped up their search for workers in December despite the looming impact of the omicron wave of coronavirus infections. The Labor Department said that the number of posted jobs rose 1.4% to 10.9 million on the last day of December, compared with the previous month. SENT: 300 words, photo.
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ENTERTAINMENT
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RIVERDANCE-MORGAN-BULLOCK — When the Irish dance troupe Riverdance kicks off its 25th anniversary North American tour later this year, someone special will be in its high-stepping cast: the troupe’s first Black female dancer. Virginia-born Morgan Bullock, who says she’s been mesmerized by the dance style since she first saw it at age 10, will be making her professional U.S. stage debut in the production. SENT: 785 words, photos.
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SPORTS
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BBO-LOCKOUT — Talks to end the Major League Baseball lockout resume after a one-week break as the scheduled start of spring training in mid-February nears, By Baseball Writer Ronald Blum UPCOMNG: 600 words, photos, by 6 p.m.
FBN-SUPER BOWLS-1973 — It can be argued — and has been for decades — that a perfect record including winning a championship makes that team the best in its sport. Maybe. And maybe the 1972 Miami Dolphins wouldn’t have matched up with, say, the great Steelers dynasty of the later 1970s. Or the dominant 49ers of the 1980s. Or the Cowboys Triplets of the 1990s. And, naturally, the 2007 Patriots who won all 16 regular-season games and two in the playoffs before falling to the New York Giants in the Super Bowl. No matter: Miami owns the only unblemished record in the Super Bowl era. By Pro Football Writer Barry Wilner. UPCOMING: 700 words, photos, by 3 p.m.
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The Canadian Press
