Here, kitty: Bidens welcome cat named Willow to White House
Willow, the Biden family's new pet cat, wanders around the White House on Wednesday, Jan. 27, 2022 in Washington. (Erin Scott/The White House via AP)
U.S. President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden have finally added the long-promised cat to their pet family.
Her name is Willow, and she's a 2-year-old, green-eyed, gray and white farm cat from Pennsylvania.
"Willow is settling into the White House with her favorite toys, treats, and plenty of room to smell and explore," said Michael LaRosa, the first lady's spokesperson.
Jill Biden had said after Joe Biden was elected in November 2020 that they would bring a kitty to the White House, but her arrival had been delayed. Last month, the White House said the cat would come in January.
The first lady named Willow after her hometown of Willow Grove, Pennsylvania.
The short-haired tabby made quite an impression on Jill Biden after jumping up on stage and interrupting her remarks during a 2020 campaign stop in Pennsylvania, LaRosa said.
"Seeing their immediate bond, the owner of the farm knew that Willow belonged with Dr. Biden," he said.
The White House hasn't had a feline resident since India, President George W. Bush's cat.
Willow joins Commander, a German shepherd puppy Joe Biden introduced in December as a birthday gift from the president's brother James Biden and his wife, Sara.
The Bidens had two other German shepherds, Champ and Major, at the White House before Commander.
But Major, a 3-year-old rescue dog, started behaving aggressively
after he arrived in January 2021, including a pair of biting incidents. The White House had said Major was still adjusting to his new home, and he was sent back to the Bidens' Delaware home for training.
The Bidens, after consulting with dog trainers, animal behaviorists and veterinarians, decided to follow the experts' collective recommendation and send Major to live in a quieter environment with family friends, LaRosa said last month.
Champ died in June at age 13.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Quebec ready to vaccinate against monkeypox as soon as Friday, with 25 confirmed cases
Quebec is ready to vaccinate people who have come into close contact with monkeypox as soon as Friday.
Tens of thousands in southern Ontario still without power after deadly storm
Tens of thousands of Ontario residents are facing another day without power as restoration efforts continue following last weekend's vicious storm.
'Horrifying' conspiracy theories swirl around Texas shooting
By now it's as predictable as the calls for thoughts and prayers: A mass shooting leaves many dead, and wild conspiracy theories and misinformation about the carnage soon follow. Within hours of Tuesday's school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, another rash began as internet users spread baseless claims about the man named as the gunman and his possible motives.
Texas shooting: What we know about the victims
Families are sharing photos and stories of their loved ones, who lost their lives in a mass shooting in Texas that killed at least 19 children and two adults on Tuesday afternoon.
U.K. prosecutor charges actor Kevin Spacey with sexual assault
Britain's Crown Prosecution Service said on Thursday it had authorized criminal charges against actor Kevin Spacey for four counts of sexual assault against three men.
UPDATED | Victims' families protest as shooting inquiry hears from senior Mountie via Zoom
The inquiry into the 2020 mass shooting in Nova Scotia is hearing Thursday from a retired senior Mountie who has been granted special accommodations to ensure he is not re-traumatized by having to relive the tragic, 13-hour event.
New mothers' hallucinations and paranoia: Postpartum psychosis signs, symptoms and treatment
Patricia Tomasi, the co-founder of the Canadian Perinatal Mental Health Collaborative, is raising awareness on postpartum psychosis and how new moms can find support.
Four notable moments from the French Conservative leadership debate
Conservative Party of Canada leadership hopefuls Scott Aitchison, Roman Baber, Patrick Brown, Jean Charest, Leslyn Lewis, and Pierre Poilievre squared off in the second official party debate on Wednesday night in Laval, Que.
Canada-Iran soccer friendly at Vancouver's BC Place cancelled
Canada Soccer has cancelled a planned friendly with Iran in the face of growing criticism.
Canada
-
Quebec ready to vaccinate against monkeypox as soon as Friday, with 25 confirmed cases
Quebec is ready to vaccinate people who have come into close contact with monkeypox as soon as Friday.
-
UPDATED
UPDATED | Victims' families protest as shooting inquiry hears from senior Mountie via Zoom
The inquiry into the 2020 mass shooting in Nova Scotia is hearing Thursday from a retired senior Mountie who has been granted special accommodations to ensure he is not re-traumatized by having to relive the tragic, 13-hour event.
-
Calgary man who admitted to participating in terrorism activity to be sentenced
A man who admitted to terrorism-related acts with the militant group Islamic State is to be sentenced today in a Calgary courtroom.
-
Father pleads guilty to stabbing death of 3-year-old girl in Winnipeg
A man has pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in the death of his three-year-old daughter.
-
Canada commits $1M to probe sexual violence by Russian troops in Ukraine
Canada is committing an extra $1 million to help the international community investigate sex crimes by Russian troops in Ukraine. Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly said Canada would give the extra funds to the International Criminal Court to help it investigate sexual violence toward women, and also crimes against children.
-
Noisy fowl flap comes home to roost on B.C.'s Salt Spring Island
A battle is shaping up on B.C.'s Salt Spring Island, where some residents are very upset over the noise from hobby farmers' fowl.
World
-
11 newborns die in fire at Senegal hospital
Eleven newborn babies have died after a fire that broke out in the neonatal department at the Mame Abdou Aziz Sy Dabakh Hospital in the western Senegalese city of Tivaouane, said the country's president Macky Sall on Thursday.
-
Nearly 6 years later, U.S. man indicted in mother's death at sea
The circumstantial evidence against Nathan Carman had been lying in plain sight for years before his surprising indictment and arrest this month on allegations he killed his mother at sea off New England in a plot to inherit millions of dollars.
-
U.K. government touts financial aid as it aims to banish 'partygate'
The British government was unveiling a package of help on Thursday to ease a severe cost-of-living squeeze, a day after British Prime Minister Boris Johnson vowed to "move on" from months of scandal over parties in government buildings during COVID-19 lockdowns.
-
Marcos Jr. proclaimed next Philippine president with huge win
Ferdinand Marcos Jr. was proclaimed the next president of the Philippines by a joint session of Congress on Wednesday following a landslide election triumph 36 years after his dictator father was ousted in a pro-democracy uprising.
-
Police face questions over delays in storming Texas school
Law enforcement authorities faced questions and criticism Thursday over how much time elapsed before they stormed an Uvalde elementary school classroom and put a stop to the rampage by a gunman who killed 19 children and two teachers.
-
U.S. states divided on gun control, even as mass shootings rise
Gun control measures are likely going nowhere in U.S. Congress, and they also have become increasingly scarce in most states. Aside from several Democratic-controlled states, the majority have taken no action on gun control in recent years or have moved aggressively to expand gun rights.
Politics
-
Four notable moments from the French Conservative leadership debate
Conservative Party of Canada leadership hopefuls Scott Aitchison, Roman Baber, Patrick Brown, Jean Charest, Leslyn Lewis, and Pierre Poilievre squared off in the second official party debate on Wednesday night in Laval, Que.
-
As it happened: The 2022 French-language Conservative leadership debate
The Conservative Party of Canada leadership hopefuls debated face-to-face in French, in Laval, Que. on May 25. Recap CTV News reporters' real-time updates as the debate unfolded.
-
Trudeau cancelled B.C. appearance after RCMP warned protest could escalate: CP source
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau cancelled plans to appear in person at a Liberal fundraiser in British Columbia Tuesday after RCMP warned an aggressive protest outside the event could escalate if he arrived, said a source close to the decision. The source spoke to The Canadian Press on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the situation publicly.
Health
-
Quebec ready to vaccinate against monkeypox as soon as Friday, with 25 confirmed cases
Quebec is ready to vaccinate people who have come into close contact with monkeypox as soon as Friday.
-
Oklahoma governor signs the nation's strictest abortion ban
Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt on Wednesday signed into law the nation's strictest abortion ban, making the state the first in the nation to effectively end availability of the procedure.
-
Monkeypox in Canada: PHAC now confirms 16 cases nationwide
The Public Health Agency of Canada says it has now confirmed a total of 16 cases of monkeypox in the country, all in Quebec.
Sci-Tech
-
Hubble identifies unusual wrinkle in expansion rate of the universe
Measuring the expansion rate of the universe was one of the Hubble Space Telescope's main goals when it was launched in 1990. Over the past 30 years, the space observatory has helped scientists discover and refine that accelerating rate -- as well as uncover a mysterious wrinkle that only brand-new physics may solve.
-
Here's what happened during Boeing's 'nail-biting' spacecraft docking
Boeing managed to dock a spacecraft at the International Space Station late last week, but it was not without several minor hangups.
-
Boeing capsule lands back on Earth after space shakedown
Boeing's crew taxi returned to Earth from the International Space Station on Wednesday, completing a repeat test flight before NASA astronauts climb aboard.
Entertainment
-
Matthew McConaughey says 'we must do better' after massacre in his hometown of Uvalde
Matthew McConaughey, who was born in Uvalde where at least 21 people were killed Tuesday, described gun violence as an "epidemic we can control."
-
Alanis Morissette to be inducted into Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame
Organizers have named the Ottawa-raised 'Jagged Little Pill' singer-songwriter as the newest inductee, saying she will appear at Toronto's Massey Hall on Sept. 24.
-
Prosecutors suggest Hedley frontman lied about having consensual sex with teen, woman
The sex assault trial of Canadian musician Jacob Hoggard is hearing from a limo driver who drove one of the complainants to and from the Hedley frontman's hotel in 2016.
Business
-
Statistics Canada says retail sales virtually unchanged in March
Retail sales in Canada were virtually unchanged in March at $60.1 billion as sales at new car dealers fell, offsetting gains elsewhere as consumers showed a willingness to keep spending, Statistics Canada reported Thursday.
-
Stocks rise broadly on gains from retailers including Macy's
Stocks rose broadly in morning trading on Wall Street Thursday as investors cheered a strong set of quarterly results from Macy's and other retailers.
-
As Ukraine war grinds, world pushes for way to get grain out
Russia pressed Thursday for the West to lift sanctions imposed because of its war in Ukraine, claiming without proof that the punitive measures are preventing millions of tons of grain and other agricultural products from leaving Ukrainian ports, exacerbating a global food crisis.
Lifestyle
-
'Not parent expected': When a DNA test brings distressing results
While genealogical DNA tests may be marketed as harmless and exciting way for people to learn more about their ancestral heritage, CTVNews.ca speaks with a Canadian researcher who says more support is needed for those who get unexpected results that have potential to disrupt family relations.
-
'They're hilarious': B.C. hobby farm home to endless animal antics
A B.C. family has trouble getting their chores done on their farm each morning because of the antics of a pair of unlikely best friends – an elderly miniature horse and a rambunctious young golden retriever.
-
The science behind why smoke seems to follow you around a campfire
Why does smoke seem to follow you around a campfire? B.C. research scientist Kerry Anderson told CTVNews.ca the answer actually boils down to physics.
Sports
-
Canada-Iran soccer friendly at Vancouver's BC Place cancelled
Canada Soccer has cancelled a planned friendly with Iran in the face of growing criticism.
-
Canadians Auger-Aliassime, Fernandez advance to third round at French Open
Canadians Felix Auger-Aliassime and Leylah Fernandez have both advanced to the third round of the French Open following straight-set victories on Wednesday.
-
Sale of Chelsea by sanctioned Abramovich approved by U.K. gov't
Roman Abramovich's 19-year ownership of Chelsea is ending after the British government approved the sale of the Premier League club by the sanctioned Russian oligarch to a consortium fronted by Los Angeles Dodgers part-owner Todd Boehly.
Autos
-
'Hurts like hell': What goes into the price of gas in Canada
With the price of gas rising above $2 per litre and setting new records in Canada this year, CTVNews.ca looks at what goes into the price per litre of gasoline and where the situation could go from here.
-
Lawsuit accuses 3 automakers and parts maker in air bag case
A class action lawsuit is accusing three automakers and a parts manufacturer of knowingly selling vehicles containing air bag inflators that are at risk of exploding. Two deaths and at least four injuries have been linked to such explosions.
-
B.C.'s rejected licence plate list includes GAS LOL, BONDVLN, WE VAPE
Some of British Columbia's more creative vehicle owners received bad news over the last two years: you can't put everything on a licence plate.
