Licence plate fights and the value of a new garage door; In-The-News for Oct. 25

Thousands of students have a scheduled day off from school today as Thunberg highlights a Sustainabiliteens-organized post-election youth climate strike outside the Vancouver Art Gallery.

The youth-led group has been staging Fridays for Future rallies inspired by Thunberg.

In an earlier tweet to her followers, the Swedish teenager thanked scientist John Pomeroy of the University of Saskatchewan and Parks Canada ecologist Brenda Shepherd for educating her “on the effects of the climate and ecological crisis on stunning Jasper National Park.”

She met with Shepherd on Monday to visit a whitebark pine forest and talk about the battle with mountain pine beetle and blister rust, said Parks Canada spokesman Steve Young.

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Also this …

A lawsuit that’s expected to be filed today claiming young people disproportionately suffer the effects of climate change is potentially precedent setting but also a tough case to argue, legal experts say.

The David Suzuki Foundation, which is acting as a partner in the case, outlined in a news release the general arguments in the case being filed by 15 youths who allege they have suffered “specific” injuries due to climate change.

It calls on Ottawa to stop conduct that violates their charter rights and to implement a plan that reduces Canada’s greenhouse gas emissions “in a manner consistent with what best available science indicates is needed for the federal government to protect young Canadians, do its fair share to stabilize the climate system, and avert the catastrophic consequences of climate change.”

The news release does not explain the injuries and no one involved in the lawsuit would comment before it is filed with the Federal Court.

None of the claims made by those arguing a violation of their charter rights have been tested in court.

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ICYMI (In case you missed it) …

An avid “Star Trek” fan has lost his bid to have his personalized ASIMIL8 licence plate returned.

Nick Troller had filed a legal challenge against Manitoba Public Insurance over its decision to revoke the plate after receiving a complaint that it was offensive to Indigenous people.

A judge this week ruled that it was reasonable for the insurer to take back the plate because the word is connected to the Indigenous experience in Manitoba.

Troller got the plate, which features the well-known saying by the alien race the Borg, in 2015.

A different Manitoba man has had his “NDN (Indian) CAR” licence plate returned after an out-of-court settlement with the insurer.

Bruce Spence, who is Cree, got the personalized plate as a reference to a popular folk-rock song by an Indigenous musician.

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What we are watching in the U.S. …

President Donald Trump is confronting the limits of his main impeachment defence.

As the probe hits the one-month mark, Trump and his aides have largely ignored the details of the Ukraine allegations against him. Instead, they’re loudly objecting to the House Democrats’ investigation process, using that as justification for ordering administration officials not to co-operate and complaining about what they deem prejudicial, even unconstitutional, secrecy.

But as a near-daily drip of derogatory evidence emerges from closed-door testimony on Capitol Hill, the White House assertion that the proceedings are unfair is proving to be a less-than-compelling counter to the mounting threat to Trump’s presidency. Some senior officials have complied with congressional subpoenas to assist House Democratic investigators, defying White House orders.

Asked about criticism that the White House lacks a co-ordinated pushback effort and could do a better job delivering its message, spokeswoman Stephanie Grisham said, “It’s hard to message anything that’s going on behind closed doors and in secret.”

“It’s like you’re fighting a ghost, you’re fighting against the air. So we’re doing the best we can,” she said on Fox News.

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What we are watching in the rest of the world …

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has finally abandoned his promise of an October Brexit and pinned his hopes on a December election.

Two days after lawmakers stymied Johnson’s latest attempt to pass his European Union divorce deal, he said Thursday that the only way to break Britain’s Brexit impasse was a general election. Johnson said he would ask lawmakers to vote Monday on a motion calling a national poll for Dec. 12.

To hold an election Johnson must win a vote — by a two-thirds majority — among lawmakers. That looked like a tough task, with the main opposition Labour Party saying it would only back an election once the risk of Britain crashing out of the EU on Oct. 31 — its scheduled departure date — had been removed.

Parliament has already dealt Johnson a series of setbacks and derailed his promise to take Britain out of the EU by the end of the month, “come what may.”

The most recent blow came Tuesday, when lawmakers blocked Johnson’s attempt to fast-track an EU divorce bill through Parliament in a matter of days, saying they needed more time to scrutinize the legislation.

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Weird and wild …

A sheriff has presented the Johnny Cash Museum proof that the late musician who famously cultivated an image as an outlaw was in fact granted law enforcement authority decades ago.

This week, Nashville Sheriff Daron Hall gave the museum a blown-up image of Cash’s September 1979 deputy sheriff commission card. It was issued by then-Davidson County Sheriff Fate Thomas and features Cash’s headshot, fingerprint and signature.

Hall says his photographer found a photo of the card, which has been talked about for years. It’s unclear where the original card is.

The card authorized Cash to “… Arrest any and all persons violating the Criminal laws of the State of Tennessee.”

Hall says he doesn’t have evidence of what the deputy work entailed, but Cash believed in prison reform and criminal justice reform.

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On this day in 1923 …

Dr. Frederick Banting and Dr. J.J.R. Macleod of the University of Toronto were awarded the Nobel Prize in medicine for their discovery of the hormone insulin, and became the first Canadians to win a Nobel.

Macleod supervised the research, but Banting was considered the principal discoverer because his idea launched the research, involving Charles Best and J.B. Collip.

Insulin injections have saved and improved the lives of millions of diabetics.

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Money monitor …

Dream kitchens and luxurious bathrooms are often the go-to renovations for homeowners looking for the best return on investment, but experts suggest the biggest bang for their buck might be as simple as replacing a garage door.

Renovations in Canada are big business, with Canadians spending about $6.3 billion on residential renovations in August 2019 alone, up from roughly $5.8 billion in the same month the previous year, according to Statistic Canada.

People often choose to spend tens of thousands — if not more — on renovating a basement to give themselves additional living space, a better play area for kids or a space for extended family to stay when visiting, said Dan Brewer, a senior appraiser and former national AIC president.

But it also offers “a double-edge benefit,” he said, as buyers tend to pay a little more for homes with finished basements than those without.

Exterior renovations tend to have the highest rate of return each year, said Clayton DeKorne, chief editor of construction focused JLC Group. One of its magazines publishes an annual report estimating the cost versus value of more than 20 common renovation projects. Their data relies on project estimating software and an online survey of more than 4,600 real estate professionals.

The 2019 report indicates an upscale garage door topped the jobs with the best return on investment, with an average price tag of US$3,611 and a return of $3,520, recouping 97.5 per cent of the cost.

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The games we play …

Dozens of Twitter users are echoing a hand-written message that hails teen tennis phenom Bianca Andreescu as an inspiration to Canadian kids.

The athlete tweeted a photo of a note that she says a man handed her on an airplane, saying she has “deeply” inspired his two young daughters.

The note — scrawled on a napkin and signed “A Canadian” — says his daughters aren’t tennis players, but Andreescu’s achievements have shown them that they can accomplish whatever they set their minds to.

Andreescu, who is from Mississauga, Ont., wrote that inspiring young people is the reason she does what she does.

The 19-year-old became the first Canadian to win the U.S. Open earlier this year, beating Serena Williams.

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This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 25, 2019.

The Canadian Press

by Canadian Press

Licence plate fights and the value of a new garage door; In-The-News for Oct. 25

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