A man described as the leader of a plot to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer asked "when's the lynching?" after the state Supreme Court in 2020 struck down a law that she repeatedly used to impose restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to evidence introduced Monday.
The disclosure came near the end of the first phase of testimony by a key government witness in the trial of four men. Cross examination of Dan Chappel followed.
Chappel, an Army veteran, was an FBI informant who secretly recorded hours of conversations, participated in chat groups and trained to abduct Whitmer, along with Adam Fox, Barry Croft Jr., Daniel Harris and Brandon Caserta.
Prosecutors say the four were antigovernment extremists who wanted to grab the Democratic governor at her vacation home in northern Michigan in retaliation for a series of sweeping orders during the pandemic.
With Chappel in the witness chair, Assistant U.S. Attorney Nils Kessler introduced messages written after Whitmer lost a Michigan Supreme Court decision about her powers.
"When's the lynching?" Fox wrote. "She should be arrested now, immediately. Who wants to roll out?"
The exchange occurred just a few days before the FBI arrested the men before they could obtain an explosive to use in a kidnapping.
Fox, Croft, Harris and Caserta are charged with conspiracy. Chappel last week told jurors how two trips were made to northern Michigan to see Whitmer's property as well as a nearby bridge that could be blown up to distract police.
Defence lawyers claim informants and agents improperly influenced the four men. Two other men, Ty Garbin and Kaleb Franks, pleaded guilty to the scheme and will eventually testify for the government.
Whitmer rarely talks publicly about the case, though she referred to "surprises" over the last few years that seem "something out of fiction" when she filed for reelection last week.
She has blamed former U.S. President Donald Trump for fomenting anger over coronavirus restrictions and refusing to condemn right-wing extremists like those charged in the case. Whitmer has said Trump was complicit in the Jan. 6 Capitol riot.
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White reported from Detroit
An Israeli airstrike triggered a massive blaze killing 45 people in a tent camp in the Gaza city of Rafah, officials said on Monday, prompting an outcry from global leaders who urged the implementation of a World Court ruling to halt Israel's assault.
By Labour Day weekend, Ontarians of legal drinking age could snag a six-pack at their local convenience store on the way to the cottage. But what are alcohol sales like across the country? Here's what we know.
Former 'General Hospital' actor Johnny Wactor was fatally shot in downtown Los Angeles while interrupting thieves Saturday, according to his agent and CNN affiliate KABC.
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Japan says North Korea has launched a missile into the sea and has alerted residents on Okinawa island to seek shelter.
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A 60-year-old woman saw her dreams of becoming the oldest Miss Universe contestant in history melt away in a haze of sequins and selfies Saturday at Argentina’s annual beauty pageant.
Pro-Palestinian protesters who have been camped out at the University of Toronto for weeks say they have no plans to honour the terms of a trespass notice issued by the school and clear the demonstration site by 8 a.m. today.
Residents in Fort Nelson are able to go home Monday after being evacuated for more than two weeks due to wildfires.
An unknown Newfoundland soldier, who fought and died on the battlefields in northeastern France during the First World War, is back home this weekend for the first time in more than a hundred years.
Joel Felder and Misti Pitcher have been living in their apartment in Kingston, Ont. for over two years, but the past 12 months have been miserable.
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In mid-March 2022, a young Indigenous woman stood outside Winnipeg's Salvation Army and spoke with a man who invited her back to his home.
Japan says North Korea has launched a missile into the sea and has alerted residents on Okinawa island to seek shelter.
After 22 witnesses, including a porn actor, tabloid publisher and White House insiders, testimony is over at Donald Trump’s criminal trial in New York.
Powerful storms killed at least 15 people and left a wide trail of destruction Sunday across Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas during the latest deadly weather to strike the central U.S.
North Korea announced plans to launch a rocket apparently carrying its second military spy satellite during an eight-day period starting Monday, drawing quick, strong rebukes from neighbours South Korea and Japan.
Twelve people were injured when a Qatar Airways plane flying from Doha to Dublin on Sunday hit turbulence, airport authorities said. Eight of the injured were hospitalized.
An Israeli airstrike triggered a massive blaze killing 45 people in a tent camp in the Gaza city of Rafah, officials said on Monday, prompting an outcry from global leaders who urged the implementation of a World Court ruling to halt Israel's assault.
Canada is looking at the massive new U.S. import tariffs on Chinese-made electric vehicles imposed by U.S. President Joe Biden earlier this month, but is not making any commitment to following suit north of the border.
The U.S. ambassador to NATO says she has seen no indication that Canada has a plan to reach the NATO spending target of two per cent of GDP on defence.
Social media platforms like TikTok, Instagram and Snapchat are nothing less than 'virtual pushers,' according to Premier François Legault.
The head of the World Health Organization on Monday voiced confidence that countries would one day reach a deal on a pandemic accord after failing to produce an agreement last week, although health officials warned it could take years.
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Last month, the Canadian Medical Association warned that Canada's health-care facilities are among the oldest public infrastructure in use. Half were built more than 50 years ago, making them especially vulnerable to extreme climate events.
Real quick — what did you have for lunch yesterday? Were you with anyone? Where were you? Can you picture the scene? The ability to remember things that happened to you in the past, especially to go back and recall little incidental details, is a hallmark of what psychologists call episodic memory — and new research indicates that it’s an ability humans may share with birds called Eurasian jays.
The Toronto-based research arm of life sciences technology firm Klick Health has found a way to analyze voices in a manner that’s so granular, it can tell whether it's a person or an artificial intelligence-powered machine.
NASA has launched the first of two research satellites to measure how much heat is lost to space from the Arctic and Antarctica.
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Former 'General Hospital' actor Johnny Wactor was fatally shot in downtown Los Angeles while interrupting thieves Saturday, according to his agent and CNN affiliate KABC.
Movie theaters are looking more and more like a wasteland this summer. Neither "Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga" nor "The Garfield Movie" could save Memorial Day weekend, which is cruising towards a two-decade low.
A&W Food Services of Canada Inc. has signed a long-term development agreement with sandwich chain Pret A Manger (Europe) Ltd.
Indigo Books & Music Inc. shareholders are expected to vote this morning on whether the retailer should accept a sweetened offer from a holding company that plans to take the bookstore chain private.
The Beer Store says it is looking forward to the next stage in its “evolution” as the province rolls out an accelerated timeline for expanding retail alcohol sales in Ontario.
Dairy-loving daredevils threw caution to the wind Monday for one of Britain’s most extreme annual events: Cheese rolling.
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Hundreds of clowns gathered in the streets of Peru’s capital to mark Clown Day. They have sought for years to gain official recognition of the day.
Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc won the restarted Monaco Grand Prix from pole position on Sunday for his first Formula 1 victory in nearly two years.
They travelled from all over -- from Europe and Oceania, from North America and South America -- to be at Roland Garros on Monday, intent on watching Rafael Nadal play what might be his last French Open match this year. Or ever.
Josef Newgarden put his cheating scandal behind him to become the first back-to-back winner of the Indianapolis 500 in 22 years.
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In the early morning of May 14, Vicki Hill was startled awake by the sound of explosions outside her home in Bethesda, Md. The loud bangs, she learned later, had come from the airbags of the family’s SUV, a 2015 Nissan Murano that was parked in the driveway. It was on fire.
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IAMGOLD’s Cote Gold open pit mine, located off Highway 144 between Timmins and Sudbury, had its official ribbon-cutting ceremony this week as production ramps up.
When one is extended an invitation to the Royal Garden Party in London, England, there's undoubtedly no shortage of pomp and circumstance. Barrie, Ont. natives Megan Kirk Chang and her husband Brandon experienced just that as they entered the prestigious event hosted at Buckingham Palace on Tuesday.
An unlikely celebrity emerged from social media to cheer on the Edmonton Oilers as they face the Dallas Stars tonight in Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals.
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A Montreal photographer captured the moment a Canada goose defended itself from a fox at the Botanical Garden.
Residents in Fort Nelson are able to go home Monday after being evacuated for more than two weeks due to wildfires.
Two people died after a plane went down in a remote area near Squamish, B.C. on Friday, authorities have confirmed.
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A youth has died of his injuries after being shot overnight in the Oakridge area of Scarborough.
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Pro-Palestinian protesters who have been camped out at the University of Toronto for weeks say they have no plans to honour the terms of a trespass notice issued by the school and clear the demonstration site by 8 a.m. today.
Calgary police say a driver, who was believed to have been impaired, was arrested Sunday evening.
A new pilot project, which harnesses the power of magnets, is said to drastically improve breast cancer surgery in the province.
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Alstom is hitting the brakes on redesigning the wheel hub assembly on Ottawa's LRT vehicles, which was once billed as a "final fix" to a problem that has caused at least three shutdowns on the Confederation Line over the past three years.
The sole survivor of the Barrhaven mass killing is thanking the city of Ottawa for their support, only two months after losing his wife, four children and a family friend.
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A researcher at Montreal's Concordia University and her team have developed an innovative technique for accurately identifying counterfeit coins using artificial intelligence (AI).
Linda Morais is proving it's never too late to follow your dreams — the Montreal wrestler has stamped her ticket to Paris to compete in the Olympic games this summer in what may be her final time representing Team Canada.
At least four businesses were damaged in a fire in Knotwood Monday morning.
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A Sunday night fire has destroyed a home in Kentville, N.S.
The head of a Quebec-based sexual and reproductive health organization says she's disappointed New Brunswick Premier Blaine Higgs has deemed presentations she did in the province last week inappropriate.
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An annual fixture in the Queen City, organizers for the Cathedral Village Arts Festival are saying the 2024 iteration of the week long event exceeded expectations – and then some.
Large portions of southern and central Saskatchewan were subject to weather advisories Sunday – warning of potential funnel clouds.
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Two Purolator truck drivers being hailed as heroes, misconduct in a Kitchener strip club, and population growth for the Region of Waterloo round out the most-read stories of the week.
As pro-Palestinian protestors at University of Toronto plan to meet with administration, protestors at University of Waterloo joined together to voice their concerns.
The city of Brantford is remembering two fallen soldiers by unveiling new street signs in honour of their sacrifice.
A walking party of 200 people gathered at River Landing Amphitheatre on Saturday to prepare for either a one or four-kilometer walk to advocate awareness for Alzheimer's, dementia, and other neuro-degenerative diseases.
A Saskatchewan man made it to the summit of Mount Everest earlier this month.
A swimmer from Saskatoon has qualified for the 2024 Olympic Summer Games in Paris.
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Former 'General Hospital' actor Johnny Wactor was fatally shot in downtown Los Angeles while interrupting thieves Saturday, according to his agent and CNN affiliate KABC.
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The City of London is offering pick up of free 'Our London Family' signs to help commemorate and honour the Afzaal family.
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A two-vehicle crash claims the life of a Kinmount man.
Muskoka's Trek for Tourettes Syndrome was a walk in the woods as well as downtown Gravenhurst.
OPP is investigating a multi-vehicle collision in Orangeville on Sunday.
OPP have recovered the body of a swimmer who was reported missing on Lake St. Clair. Around 8 p.m. on Sunday, police found the remains of the 28-year-old man from St. Clair, Michigan.
Art in the Park is celebrating its 45th annual event next month. On June 1 and 2, 300 exhibitors will be on site at Willistead Park for what organizers are describing as the "biggest event ever."
The blaze broke out Sunday around 12:30 p.m., according to multiple witnesses on scene who said the fire started in the garage.
Residents in Fort Nelson are able to go home Monday after being evacuated for more than two weeks due to wildfires.
Two people died after a plane went down in a remote area near Squamish, B.C. on Friday, authorities have confirmed.
An Israeli airstrike triggered a massive blaze killing 45 people in a tent camp in the Gaza city of Rafah, officials said on Monday, prompting an outcry from global leaders who urged the implementation of a World Court ruling to halt Israel's assault.
Firefighters in Kelowna were busy on Sunday morning, knocking down two “major” structure fires.
One person is dead after a fight in Penticton early Sunday morning, according to authorities.
A suspect is at large after robbing a convenience store at gunpoint in Merritt, B.C., Friday, according to local police.
The entertainment and collector expo in Lethbridge got underway Friday afternoon.
A friendly competition between Lethbridge police officers and fire responders will take place Saturday, all for a good cause.
People trying to access a variety of online services offered by The City of Lethbridge may run into a digital roadblock this weekend.
Elliot Lake’s plans to grow the city will be presented at a city council meeting on Monday evening.
There was a strong show of support in Greater Sudbury for an NDP-led bill calling on the province to officially recognize June 1 as Injured Workers Day in Ontario.
Last week marked a quarter century of gambling and gaming in Sault Ste. Marie.
An unknown Newfoundland soldier, who fought and died on the battlefields in northeastern France during the First World War, is back home this weekend for the first time in more than a hundred years.
Canadian soldiers and government officials arrived in northeastern France this week for a historic mission: returning an unknown Newfoundland soldier back home.
79-year-old Madonna Wilkinson has been playing the accordion since she was 15, when she picked one up that had been left behind at one of her parents' rollicking parties in the oceanside town about 25 kilometres north of St. John's, N.L. She has played Sunday masses and St. Patrick's Day parties, and community events of all kinds.
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