B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, is urging Congressional Democratic leadership to pass federal paid family and medical leave and "ensure this consequential moment is not lost" as Democrats continue to negotiate a deal to pass the Biden administration's social safety net and infrastructure package.
"Paid leave should be a national right, rather than a patchwork option limited to those whose employers have policies in place, or those who live in one of the few states where a leave program exists," she wrote in a letter to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, published Wednesday by the Paid Leave for All organization.
"If we're going to create a new era of family first policies, let's make sure that includes a strong paid leave program for every American that's guaranteed, accessible, and encouraged without stigma or penalty," she argued.
Meghan drew on her own experiences as a parent, but recognized her privilege in being able to care for her newborn without having to make "impossible choices about childcare, work, and medical care that so many have to make every single day." She and Prince Harry welcomed their second child, Lilibet, in June.
"Like any parents, we were overjoyed. Like many parents, we were overwhelmed. Like fewer parents, we weren't confronted with the harsh reality of either spending those first few critical months with our baby or going back to work," she wrote.
"No family should have to choose between earning a living and having the freedom to take care of their child," she added.
Democrats are in the midst of negotiating a sweeping spending package that would meet President Joe Biden's priorities, including expanding health care and child care, among other things.
Biden had initially called for 12 weeks of paid family and medical leave, but CNN reported that the President recently proposed a plan reducing the duration to four weeks and limits benefits to those who earn less than $100,000.
In her letter to Schumer and Pelosi, Meghan wrote that the "families you represent need your strong leadership. With paid leave on the cusp of becoming a national reality, I trust you will meet this moment."
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
An orca whale calf that has been stranded in a B.C. lagoon for weeks after her pregnant mother died swam out on her own early Friday morning.
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.
Donald Trump's defence team attacked the credibility Friday of the prosecution's first witness in his hush money case, seeking to discredit testimony detailing a scheme between Trump and a tabloid to bury negative stories to protect the Republican's 2016 presidential campaign.
An American Airlines flight attendant was indicted Thursday after authorities said he tried to secretly record video of a 14-year-old girl using an airplane bathroom last September.
Devastating tornadoes tore across parts of eastern Nebraska and northeast Texas Friday as a multi-day severe thunderstorm event ramped up in the central United States.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
A property tax bill is perplexing a small townhouse community in Fergus, Ont.
When identical twin sisters Kim and Michelle Krezonoski were invited to compete against some of the world’s most elite female runners at last week’s Boston Marathon, they were in disbelief.
The giant stone statues guarding the Lions Gate Bridge have been dressed in custom Vancouver Canucks jerseys as the NHL playoffs get underway.
A local Oilers fan is hoping to see his team cut through the postseason, so he can cut his hair.
A family from Laval, Que. is looking for answers... and their father's body. He died on vacation in Cuba and authorities sent someone else's body back to Canada.
A former educational assistant is calling attention to the rising violence in Alberta's classrooms.
The federal government says its plan to increase taxes on capital gains is aimed at wealthy Canadians to achieve “tax fairness.”
At 6'8" and 350 pounds, there is nothing typical about UBC offensive lineman Giovanni Manu, who was born in Tonga and went to high school in Pitt Meadows.