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

ONT. TORIES SCRAMBLING IN WAKE OF ALLEGATIONS: Ontario’s Progressive Conservatives are scrambling to get back on track after their leader stepped down amid allegations of sexual misconduct. Experts say the next few weeks will likely determine whether the party can bounce back in time for a provincial election this spring. The Tory caucus will meet Friday to select an interim leader to replace Patrick Brown.

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TRUDEAU COMMENDS WOMEN FOR SPEAKING OUT: Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is commending the women who have come forward with allegations of sexual misconduct against Patrick Brown, the now-former leader of Ontario’s Progressive Conservatives. Trudeau says such allegations are taken “extremely seriously whenever they come up.” He says he hopes the women can retain support among their friends, families and communities.

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CHIEF MILITARY JUDGE ACCUSED OF IMPROPER RELATIONSHIP: Canada’s chief military judge is accused of having an inappropriate relationship with a subordinate. Col. Mario Dutil is facing three charges after a military police investigation launched in November 2015. A spokesman for the military police says the alleged relationship was consensual, but such interactions aren’t permitted in the armed forces.

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FREELAND, LIGHTHIZER TALK NAFTA IN DAVOS: The Canadian Press has learned that Canada’s counter-proposals on controversial American demands for a renewed NAFTA have not been rejected out of hand. Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland met Thursday in Davos, Switzerland with her American counterpart in the NAFTA talks. A well-placed source says U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer “didn’t shoot anything down.”

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RELIGIOUS LEADERS CRITICIZE SUMMER JOB RULES: Religious leaders are calling on the prime minister to reverse a policy requiring organizations to pledge their respect for abortion rights before receiving federal money to create summer jobs for youth. Representatives of nearly 90 Christian, Muslim and Jewish groups have issued a letter to Justin Trudeau, urging him to accommodate a “diversity of values and beliefs.”

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PHILPOTT PROMISES MONEY FOR INDIGENOUS KIDS: Indigenous Services Minister Jane Philpott says Canada’s Indigenous child welfare system is a “humanitarian crisis” under the guise of child protection. At an emergency meeting on the issue in Ottawa, Philpott repeatedly pledged money for the system in the next federal budget. She said better data collection is one goal, along with more culturally appropriate care.

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CANADA’S BILLION-DOLLAR POT EXPORTS: A new report by Statistics Canada suggests Canadians illegally exported $1.2 billion worth of cannabis last year — or about a fifth of the country’s total weed production. The federal agency’s provisional estimate was tucked into an economic report that’s part of a broader effort to track Canada’s transition to a legalized market for recreational pot.

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SPARROWS CHANGE THEIR SONG AROUND OILPATCH: Research from the University of Manitoba concludes that noisy oilpatch equipment is causing songbirds to change their tune. Scientists looked at savannah sparrows, whose complex songs have up to nine “syllables” that convey a range of information. But at sites around Brooks, Alta., researchers found the birds were adjusting parts of their songs, depending on the background noise.

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The Canadian Press

by Canadian Press