On a Roll

Vance weighs in on Jivani trade advocacy and how Carney tried to ‘out-tough’ Trump

WASHINGTON - U.S. Vice-President JD Vance weighed in on the latest trade deal with Canada at a fundraising event Wednesday, saying Prime Minister Mark Carney tried to "out-tough" President Donald Trump while crediting his longtime friend Conservative MP Jamil Jivani as a helpful advocate for Canada.

In audio from the fundraiser in Southampton, N.Y., which was provided to The Canadian Press by a source who attended the private function, Vance said Carney is a "very sweet guy" and he gets along with him quite well.

But, Vance said, Carney "comes in and puffs his chest out and says, 'I'm going to, like, out-tough Donald Trump.'"

"It's hilarious because Carney presents this as some victory for Canada when fundamentally, like, they climb down on a lot of issues," Vance told the room.

Judge decries ‘senseless acts’ during sentencing for killers in Berens River manslaughter

Two men have admitted their guilt in the beating death of a 45-year-old father in Berens River First Nation last winter.

Michael Oliver Franklin, 32, and Thomas Bryton Goosehead, 24, pleaded guilty to manslaughter Thursday in the Feb. 13, 2025 killing of Leslie Neil Mason.

“These types of senseless acts happen far too often in Berens River and every other small community in Manitoba, including here in Winnipeg,” Court of King’s Bench Justice Kenneth Champagne said.

The men had been charged with second-degree murder, but admitted to the lesser offence as part of a plea bargain struck between their defence lawyers and Crown prosecutor Thomas Boult, largely due to concerns with the strength of the case Boult developed after meeting with witnesses in Berens River.

Don’t buy U.S. booze if, when it’s back on Liquor Mart shelves: Kinew

Manitoba hasn’t agreed to put American liquor back on shelves despite Prime Minister Mark Carney’s request while his government finalizes a trade deal with the U.S. to avoid new tariffs.

City inundated with thousands of complaints after launch of new transit system

Despite complaints from thousands of dissatisfied users, Winnipeg hasn't hit the brakes on the rollout of its new primary transit network. And it appears that ignoring the public response cost Winnipeg Transit millions of dollars in lost revenue and ridership.

‘Frustrated’ Selkirk nurses plead for help

The province must take immediate action to increase low staffing levels that are putting Selkirk emergency room nurses at risk, a letter sent to the premier and health minister says.

The letter, sent by the Manitoba Nurses Union and signed by 35 ER nurses, detailed multiple recent incidents at the Selkirk Regional Health Centre. In one case, a nurse was stabbed with a pen by a patient who had been waiting 24 hours for care. In another case, a nurse was bitten by a patient.

“Nurses in that emergency department are extremely frustrated,” said Manitoba Nurses Union president Darlene Jackson. “This is not something that happened in the last month — or overnight — these are problems that have been growing.”

The five-page letter was sent Tuesday to Premier Wab Kinew, Health Minister Uzoma Asagwara and leaders of the Interlake-Eastern Regional Health Authority. It contained 10 requests to improve safety inside the emergency department, including establishing safer nurse-to-patient staffing levels, eliminating the practice of “single physician coverage” in the emergency department and implementing an institutional safety officer around the clock.

Low-income residents of 114-year-old downtown block staggered by proposed rent hikes

Marcel Blanchette’s life has not travelled down a smooth road.

In 2014, he was violently assaulted in his home, an unprovoked attack that left him with severe injuries, including permanent brain damage. He underwent months of hospitalization and rehabilitation. During that time, he learned his possessions had been sold off when the Office of The Public Guardian and Trustee took over his affairs.

Twelve years later, he finds himself in another fight. This time, it comes in the form of a proposal from the new owners of the Conway Court apartment block that would nearly double his monthly rent. While he’s been able to live in the Kennedy Street unit with the support of disability income assistance for nearly five years, the sudden spike, he said, could leave him homeless.

“To go through that, and now I’m going through this, it’s another obstacle,” Blanchette told the Free Press. “I fought the Public Guardian and Trustee, and I’ll fight this too, with whatever I have.”