Tag: Canada

Dangerous smoke from Canadian wildfires moves into the Great Lakes and Northeast

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mountainous countryside against cloudy morning sky

Massive plumes of Canadian wildfire smoke are set to pour over the border into the United States, bringing dangerous air quality to more than 100 million people in the Midwest and Northeast. Smoke has already been an issue this summer in parts of the West, Plains and Midwest as stateside fires have burned more than 3.6 million acres, mostly in the western half of the country. But the thicker smoke, forecast to move over New York, Washington, DC and other cities in the East, is from wildfires to the north. Check out the smoke forecast in the CNN Weather app In Canada, more than 3,000 fires have burned nearly 4.5 million acres this summer, with a dozen blazes flaring up in Ontario in recent weeks, filling the skies with smoke that is starting to drift south, like it did in an extreme way in 2023. Canadian wildfire activity this year is nowhere near the hyperactivity of 2023 but the combination of wildfires in Ontario and a heat dome in the central US spells smoky trouble for millions.

Planet-heating fossil fuel pollution is increasing the chance of prolonged smoke seasons as it tips the odds that extreme wildfire seasons like 2023’s — Canada’s worst season on record — won’t remain an outlier for long. Unhealthy smoke heads for Great Lakes and Northeast A first round of smoke is already floating over a large area from Chicago to Boston. This smoke has largely stayed higher up in the atmosphere, which means it hasn’t precipitously lowered air quality or posed a significant health risk. But a weather pattern change in coming days will cause lingering smoke and additional plumes to sink to the surface Wednesday and Thursday bringing unhealthy air quality from the Upper Midwest to New England. Wildfire smoke contains dangerous, tiny pollutants called PM2.5 that can travel deep into the lungs or enter the bloodstream when inhaled. The minuscule particles can lead to breathing problems like bronchitis and cause inflammation that aggravates diabetes, heart disease and other health conditions.

Much of Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin are under air quality alerts due to smoke over the next few days, and the National Weather Service has warned that smoke could become an air quality concern in Chicago later this week. People with lung or heart disease, children and older adults are especially at risk for smoke-related illness. The NWS advises people avoid smoke by limiting outdoor activities and keeping windows closed overnight. The only silver lining the smoke brings is that it could dampen some of the heat. Smoke blocks sunlight, which would be welcome news for many parts of the Northeast expected to see high temperatures in the coming days. The smoke is now streaming into the US thanks to a record-breaking heat dome parked over the central part of the country. So far there have been several heat domes — large, slow-moving high pressure systems — this year from the West Coast to the Northeast.

Air flows clockwise around these domes, but until now, none of them have been in quite the right spot to drag Canadian smoke south. The northern edge of this week’s heat dome is perfectly placed over northern Minnesota and southern Ontario, where wildfires rage. This placement means smoke will flow east and south, right into parts of the Midwest and Northeast. With several months left in wildfire season, the door will remain open for more Canadian smoke plumes to migrate south. How does this smoke compare to 2023? This time three years ago, records were being broken as 4,300 fires had already burned 25 million acres across Canada. In June 2023, smoke consumed the New York City skyline as northerly winds pushed a wall of wildfire smoke from Quebec into the Big Apple. The culprits were a dominant high pressure system in the Hudson Bay and a storm system over Atlantic Canada. Together, they funneled smoke into the Midwest and Northeast. Both systems were stagnant, keeping the smoke in place for about four days. 2023’s smoke event was so far-reaching, a study from last year estimates more than 350 million people were exposed to daily wildfire smoke-induced air pollution. Fortunately, wildfire activity in Canada started later compared to that record-setting year, making it unlikely this year’s smoke will be as pervasive.

Smoke seasons are getting worse In the US, the window for outbreaks of unhealthy wildfire smoke is getting bigger, as fire seasons in the West have become longer and more extreme. Climate change was found to be responsible for the majority of the increase of surface wildfire smoke. This smoke has eroded decades of air quality improvements in parts of the US, particularly in the West. Planet-warming pollution caused approximately 15,000 more deaths in the US from wildfire particulate matter from 2006 to 2020 than would have otherwise occurred in a cooler world, a study published last year found.

Source: Dangerous smoke from Canadian wildfires moves into the Great Lakes and Northeast | CNN

While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them; and suddenly a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear Him!”
Matthew 17:5

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Political dissident who fled China by boat arrives in Canada, his friend says

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Man rowing an inflatable boat at sunrise on calm water near rocky shore

A Chinese political dissident who fled to South Korea last month in a dinghy has arrived in Canada, his friend said on social media Saturday. Dong Guangping was aboard a 10.8-foot inflatable boat in the waters off a western South Korean island in May when he was detained by South Korea’s coast guard for allegedly violating the country’s immigration law. It was his fourth known attempt to flee China. Dong, a former police officer in China, had previously been detained several times for his activism.

He was imprisoned for three years in 2001 for “inciting subversion of state power” and spent more than eight months behind bars after being arrested in 2014 for participating in a memorial for victims of the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown, according to past statements from Amnesty International. He previously escaped to Thailand and Vietnam, but authorities there deported him back to China. Dong also unsuccessfully tried to swim to a Taiwanese island.

The rubber boat that a Chinese national was in when he was detained in the waters off South Korea’s west coast, at a port in Taean, South Korea. The Taean Maritime Police via AP

At a court hearing in South Korea after his arrest, he told reporters that he hopes to go to Canada to reunite with his wife and daughters, who have already been resettled there, according to South Korean media. In a post Saturday on X, his friend Sheng Xue, a Chinese Canadian activist, said Dong had landed in Toronto following an Air Canada flight on Friday. “He just had a big bowl of noodles with eggs, tomatoes and shrimps,” she wrote in the post, adding that she has spent more than 10 years trying to get him out of China.

She attached a photo of Dong in a car with her and another photo of Dong holding a bowl. Xue wrote Saturday in a follow-up post, “In the process of fleeing for his life more than ten times over a decade, risking his life and facing constant failures, he has never uttered a single word of complaint or discouragement.” She added, “Souls that love freedom are full of strength.” Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada has not immediately commented.

Source: Political dissident who fled China by boat arrives in Canada, his friend says – CBS News

Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.
John 15:13

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Air France flight bound for Detroit diverted to Canada over passenger from Congo, officials say

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an airplane parked on a tarmac

An Air France flight from Paris to Detroit was forced to divert to Montreal on Wednesday due to U.S. flight restrictions linked to the Ebola outbreak after it was determined that one of the passengers was from the Democratic Republic of Congo, federal officials and the airline said. Air France boarded the passenger “in error on a flight to the United States,” a U.S. Customs and Border Protection spokesperson told CBS News in a statement. “Due to entry restrictions put in place to reduce the risk of the Ebola virus, the passenger should not have boarded the plane,” the CBP spokesperson said. “CBP took decisive action and prohibited the flight carrying that traveler from landing at Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport, and instead, diverted to Montreal, Canada.” CBP did not say when the person had last been in the Congo or whether they were showing symptoms of the virus.

When reached about the incident, the Federal Aviation Administration directed CBS News to CBP. CBS News has also reached out to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for comment. Air France said in a statement to CBS News that it “confirms that, at the request of U.S. authorities, (the flight) was diverted to Montreal Airport after a Congolese passenger on board was denied entry into the United States. In fact, under new regulations, passengers arriving from certain countries, including the Democratic Republic of the Congo, may only enter U.S. territory via Washington (IAD) Airport. There was no medical emergency on board, and like all airlines, Air France is required to comply with the entry requirements of the countries it serves.”

According to the flight tracking website FlightAware, Air France Flight 378 from Paris-Charles de Gaulle International Airport landed at Montreal Trudeau International Airport at 5:15 p.m. ET. The status of the passenger from the Congo was unknown.  Deborah Mistor, a business class passenger aboard the flight, told CBS News in an interview Thursday night that the rest of the passengers were then flown from Montreal to Detroit aboard the same aircraft. Mistor revealed that the passengers were notified by the captain about four hours before they were initially due to arrive in Detroit that U.S. authorities were not allowing the plane to land in the U.S. and the flight was being diverted. The captain did not provide a reason, however. “I think enough people must have been questioning what was going on because 30 minutes later, he came back on and said that he wanted to confirm that there was nothing wrong with the plane, there were no technical difficulties, that it was strictly because of U.S. authorities not allowing us to land in the U.S.,” Mistor told CBS News.

Source: Air France flight bound for Detroit diverted to Canada over passenger from Congo, officials say – CBS News

Whoever hides hatred has lying lips, And whoever spreads slander is a fool.
Proverbs 10:18

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Gunman at Mexico’s Teotihuacán pyramids kills Canadian tourist, injures at least 13 people

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pyramid of the sun in teotihuacan under clear sky

A Canadian tourist was shot and killed Monday while visiting the Teotihuacán pyramids in Mexico, according to local authorities. Mexico’s security officials said a gunman opened fire at the popular tourist spot, killing a Canadian woman and injuring at least 13 people, including seven Americans. The shooter is believe to have taken his own life, the Security Cabinet said. Local prosecutors identified the gunman as Julio Cesar Jasso Ramirez, a Mexican national.

His cause of death has not yet been officially determined, Mexico’s attorney general’s office said. Mexico’s Security Cabinet said a firearm, a bladed weapon and ammunition were found at the scene. The gunman also had notes that appear to reference the 1999 Columbine High School massacre, local officials said. In a video posted on X, verified by CBS News, a man with a gun is seen pacing near the top of the Pyramid of the Moon. In another video, gunshots can be heard as visitors of the archeological site are seen walking at the bottom of the pyramid. “I have hostages and if you try to climb up I’ll kill them,” the gunman can be heard telling responding officers in another video taken by a witness.

Source: Gunman at Mexico’s Teotihuacán pyramids kills Canadian tourist, injures at least 13 people – CBS News

Knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.
1 Peter 1:18-19

Ford recalls 144,000 F-150s in Canada due to gearshift issue

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powerful black pickup truck on a sunny day

Ford is issuing a safety recall for some 144,oo0 F-150s in Canada, the company said Friday, due to an issue with the vehicles’ gearshift that can impact the drivers’ control of the vehicle. The safety issue impacts some vehicles with six-speed automatic transmissions made between 2015 and 2017. In the U.S., almost 1.4 million vehicles are affected, including some 2014 model years as well. In some of the trucks, deteriorated electrical connections in the internal transmission lead frame can cause a signal issue from a transmission sensor, according to the company. “This may lead to an unexpected downshift into a lower gear while the vehicle is in motion,” a Ford spokesperson told CBC News in an emailed statement.

The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s safety recall report said the issue may cause an abrupt reduction in wheel speed for a short period of time, which in some situations could cause the rear tires to slide until the vehicle speed slows. The automaker is aware of two injuries and one accident possibly related to the issue, according to The Associated Press. Ford says dealers can update the vehicles’ Powertrain Control Module (PCM) software, which should fix the issue. Alternatively, if an affected vehicle previously displayed “specific diagnostic trouble codes” related to that sensor, Ford says it will replace the transmission lead frame for free. F-150 drivers can determine if their vehicle is impacted by entering their Vehicle Identification Number online on Ford’s recall webpage.

Source: Ford recalls 144,000 F-150s in Canada due to gearshift issue | CBC News

Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out!
Romans 11:33

Hyundai recalls some Canadian vehicles due to seatbelt issue

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close up on hyundai steering wheel

Hyundai is issuing a warning related to the seatbelt system in some of its 2026 Palisade models. In some cars, wiring in the seatbelt for the third-row, left-hand side seat can become damaged when pulled, according to a notice on Transport Canada’s Motor Vehicle Safety Recalls Database. The wiring issue can then cause the seatbelt indicator to show that the seatbelt is buckled when it is not. “A seatbelt status indicator that doesn’t work correctly could create confusion. Not wearing a seatbelt increases the risk of injury in a crash,” the notice said.

Some 4,203 vehicles in Canada may be affected by the seatbelt issue. Hyundai says it will notify affected drivers of the issue in writing and advise them to visit a dealership to have the seatbelt wiring fixed. Alternatively, drivers can input their vehicle identification number in Hyundai’s online recall lookup website to see if their car is impacted, or call 1-888-216-2626. Earlier this year, Hyundai recalled thousands of vehicles in the U.S. and Canada and stopped sales of some of its new Palisades due to a different issue that caused some second and third-row power seats not to stop moving when they detected contact with a passenger or an object.

Source: Hyundai recalls some Canadian vehicles due to seatbelt issue | CBC News

A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another.
John 13:34

Canada’s House of Commons passes ‘anti-Christian’ bill that would criminalize quoting Bible

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close up shot of maple leaves cutouts

The majority of Canadian MPs have voted to pass a Liberal bill that will allow the criminalization of religious expression and belief when quoting parts of the Bible, including about homosexuality and gender. Early Wednesday evening, MPs from the Liberal Party and the Bloc Québécois, in a 186–137 vote, passed Bill C-9, known as the “Combatting Hate Act.” Conservatives, NDP, and Green Party MPs voted against the bill in a rare form of unity among the usually opposing parties.

Source: Canada’s House of Commons passes ‘anti-Christian’ bill that would criminalize quoting Bible – LifeSite

Walk in wisdom toward those who are outside, redeeming the time. Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one.
Colossians 4:5-6

The stabbing. Canada has a serious knife problem

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silver and gold switchblade on gray and white surface

Driving a blade into another person’s body is a savage, intimate act of violence. Why are we paying so little attention to these attacks?

Source: The stabbing. Canada has a serious knife problem | National Post

That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.
Romans 10:9

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Some 1,000 additional heat deaths recorded in France

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Judge in Charlie Kirk murder case finds prosecutor in contempt for public comments, but won’t take death penalty off the table

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Supreme Court Backs Trump on Asylum Policy, TPS Deportations

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Trump’s religious liberty report calls for building ‘bridges’ between church and state

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Shots fired at U.S. consulate in Toronto, Canada, with no suspects or motive identified

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elegant architectural detail of greek consulate in istanbul

Someone fired shots at the U.S. consulate in Toronto early Tuesday morning, authorities said, though there were no reports of injuries or damage

Source: Shots fired at U.S. consulate in Toronto, Canada, with no suspects or motive identified CBS News

Yes, in the way of Your judgments, O LORD, we have waited for You; The desire of our soul is for Your name And for the remembrance of You.
Isaiah 26:8

Update: Rare light aircraft crash in Beijing kills pilot, injures 13 people

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San Jose brush fire burns near homes before progress stopped

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Utah declares emergency, limits fireworks ahead of July Fourth as crews battle largest U.S. wildfire

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Extreme heat expected to cover Southeast Michigan next week. What to know.

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Drone nearly hits United plane landing in Newark, pilot says

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Minnesota man accused in a $250M fraud scheme taken into custody in Somalia

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Volkswagen reportedly planning to axe 100,000 jobs

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