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In the news today, Feb. 14

Feb 14, 2018 | 2:30 AM

Seven stories in the news for Wednesday, Feb. 14

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MURDER SUSPECT MCARTHUR DUE IN COURT

Alleged killer Bruce McArthur will appear in a Toronto court today via video. He faces five first-degree murder charges linked to the disappearances of men believed to have had ties to the LGBTQ community. Investigators have said they expect to lay more charges against the 66-year-old in the coming days.

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SENTENCING TODAY IN ALBERTA TRIPLE MURDER

An Alberta judge is expected to decide today whether two men who murdered three family members and burned their bodies should spend at least 75 years in prison. Jason Klaus, 42, and Joshua Frank, 32, were found guilty last month on three charges of first-degree murder. The bodies of Klaus’s father and sister were found in a burned-out farmhouse in 2013 — his mother’s body was never found.

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BYELECTION TODAY FOR EX-PREMIER’S B.C. SEAT

Voters head to the polls in Kelowna, B.C., today to replace former premier Christy Clark. She left politics last summer, quitting as Liberal leader and resigning her seat in Kelowna West. Five people are vying for the job, including B.C. Liberal Ben Stewart, who won the riding in the 2013 election, but bowed out to allow Clark to run after she lost the Vancouver-Point Grey riding to the New Democrats.

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FEDERAL BUDGET COMING FEB. 27

Finance Minister Bill Morneau will table his next budget on Feb. 27 as the country faces persistent uncertainty on trade. Economists generally agree that he should proceed with caution given the still-unknown impacts of the drawn-out renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement and the U.S. move to slash corporate taxes.

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VERHEUL: TRUMP HAMSTRINGS U.S. SIDE IN NAFTA TALKS

The effort to rescue NAFTA has made limited progress because U.S. bargainers find themselves hamstrung by the Trump White House and the fact talks are taking place too quickly, Canada’s chief negotiator says. Steve Verheul also says the U.S. strategy is to strengthen its position by weakening Canada and Mexico — a tactic that could end up having dire consequences for all three countries.

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MISSING ONTARIO FIREFIGHTER FOUND IN CALIFORNIA

A Toronto firefighter who was the subject of a six-day search at a New York ski centre has been found safe in California, leaving officials mystified as to how the 49-year-old managed to get across the country. Constantinos (Danny) Filippidis was reported missing Feb. 7 at Whiteface Mountain near Lake Placid during a ski trip. The search ended Tuesday when Filippidis was found near Sacramento.

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FEDS TO STUDY POT HABITS BY TESTING SEWAGE

The federal government is taking a somewhat noxious approach to studying just how much pot Canadians are consuming: researching our sewage. Statistics Canada will spend up to $600,000 a year for a contractor to regularly test waste water from 15 to 20 municipalities across the country for traces of THC, the active ingredient in marijuana, and other drugs.

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ALSO IN THE NEWS TODAY:

— The family of Colten Boushie will make a statement in Ottawa accompanied by Sen. Kim Pate.

— The Senate human rights committee will hold a special meeting focusing on Black people in federal prisons.

— The Alberta government will hold a session to hear from survivors of the ’60s Scoop.

— The Canadian Taxpayers Federation releases its annual Teddy Waste Awards.

 

 

The Canadian Press