Garth Brooks names his rape accuser, says she’s blackmailing him for millions – National
In a new court filing, the country singer Garth Brooks…
Garth Brooks names his rape accuser, says she’s blackmailing him for millions – National
In a new court filing, the country singer Garth Brooks publicly named a former employee who last week sued the musician for rape in a civil suit.
Brooks, 62, told the U.S. District Court in Mississippi on Tuesday that the woman’s allegations were part of an “ongoing extortion attempt” intended to defame him and inflict emotional distress on him. He said he was a “victim of a shakedown”.
The woman, identified as “Jane Roe” in court documents prior to Tuesday, the singer said. I raped her in a hotel room in Los Angeles in 2019. The woman’s lawyers told the Los Angeles Times that Brooks revealed her identity “with no legal justification because he thinks the laws don’t apply to him.
“Garth Brooks has just revealed his true self,” said attorneys Douglas H. Wigdor, Jeanne M. Christensen and Hayley Baker.
Jane Roe told the court she was employed as a makeup artist and hairstylist for Brooks and his wife, Trisha Yearwood, from 1999 to 2021.
During her two years of employment, the woman claims Brooks repeatedly exposed his genitals to her, groped her body and sent her sexually explicit text messages. Roe said she continued to work for Brooks because of personal financial difficulties, of which he was aware.
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Global News generally does not name sexual assault accusers unless they first come forward.
Before the woman’s civil lawsuit against Brooks, filed in a California superior court, the Friends in low places The singer sued her for alleged extortion. The lawsuit was filed anonymously in Mississippi and called Brooks “John Doe,” as well as “a celebrity and public figure residing in Tennessee.”
Brooks told the court he was falsely accused of sexual assault by Jane Roe, who threatened legal action unless he provided him with “a multi-million dollar payment”.
He asked that the trial remain anonymous to avoid tarnishing his “well-deserved good reputation”.
The woman’s lawyers responded to Brooks’ filing and told the court they would file suit in California.
“MS. Roe respectfully requests that she may bring her action in California as she intended to do, and use Mr. Doe’s name, absent objection from this honorable Court,” the response states. legal.
The California lawsuit names Brooks, but not Jane Roe.
The woman’s lawyers said they would “seek maximum sanctions” against Brooks for disclosing her name.
Brooks sought compensatory and punitive damages, as well as a court injunction to prevent his accuser from “further publicizing her false allegations.” He requested a jury trial.
The singer’s lawyers substantiated the woman’s name in the amended complaint. They said his own legal representation “ripped the decision” to appoint Brooks from the court when they informed CNN of the trialdespite Brooks’ motion to continue under pseudonyms still pending.
In a statement last week, amid widespread media coverage of the allegations against Brooks, he released a statement saying he didn’t want to give anyone “hush money.”
“Hid money, no matter how small or small, is still hush money. In my mind, this means I am admitting to behavior that I am incapable of – horrible acts that no human should ever do to another,” he wrote. “I trust the system, I’m not afraid of the truth and I’m not the man they portrayed me to be.”
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If you or someone you know is experiencing violence or is involved in a violent situation, please visit Canadian Resource Center for Victims of Crime for help. They can also be reached toll-free at 1-877-232-2610.
© 2024 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
Pharmacare Bill Covering Diabetes, Birth Control Drugs Passes Senate – National
THE drug insurance This bill, which was at the heart of a political pact between the Liberals and the NDP, is now on the verge of becoming law after the Senate passed it without making any changes.
The law will inform the creation of any future national and universal pharmacare plan.
This will also allow the government to sign agreements with the provinces and territories to cover diabetes and contraceptive medications within the public health system.
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The wording and content of the bill were carefully negotiated under the now-defunct Appropriations and Confidence Agreement between the NDP and Liberals.
British Columbia has already signed a memorandum of understanding with Ottawa to launch the program in that province.
Health Minister Mark Holland hopes to have all provinces and territories sign on to the bill by next spring, but the bill will need to receive royal assent before these agreements can be officially signed.
© 2024 The Canadian Press
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Federal government waives $15 million in rental fees for businesses and Town of Jasper
The Canadian government will waive up to $15.2 million in rent fees billed to the municipality of Jasperas well as its residents and business owners, over the coming years.
A devastating wildfire destroyed a third of the Rocky Mountain resort town in July, including 800 homes, displacing about 2,000 of the town’s 5,000 residents.
Because Jasper is located in a national park, residents, business owners and the town itself lease their homes and buildings from Parks Canada.
Although the fees included in rental contracts vary and in the case of residences and businesses in the city the fee is only $1, Employment Minister Randy Boissonnault said Thursday that this reduction rent will help the city recover from the damage.
On Wednesday, Boissonnault was named by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau as the federal government’s ministerial lead for the reconstruction of Jasper.
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“This rent relief will support tenants and licensees whose properties have been impacted and are experiencing financial hardship and new costs to rebuild or repair damaged properties,” Boissonnault said in a statement.
Parks Canada has nearly 1,300 leases in the city and 139 leases in the park.
The municipality will not pay rent for its facilities to Parks Canada until 2027, while a few dozen park businesses that pay market rent will benefit from partial or total rent forgiveness until 2026, depending on damage caused by the fire and their income.
Jasper Mayor Richard Ireland said in a statement Thursday that the city is grateful for the government’s decision.
“By continuing to work effectively together, we can ensure our local businesses and residents have the support they need to help us in our recovery process,” Ireland said.
Boissonnault also announced Thursday that some of the park’s off-trail campsites are now open for reservation for the fall and winter season.
He also said Maligne Road, which allows vehicles to access the famous Maligne Lake, would reopen on Friday.
Areas ravaged by a wildfire near Maligne Road in Jasper National Park on Thursday, October 10, 2024.
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‘The Office’ Star Jenna Fischer Reveals ‘Aggressive’ Breast Cancer Diagnosis – National
Actor Jenna Fischer announced that she had received a triple positive diagnosis breast cancer last December and is living “cancer-free” after treatment.
On Tuesday afternoon, Fischer wrote on Instagram that she underwent a lumpectomy to remove a tumor, as well as chemotherapy and radiation to treat her “aggressive” breast cancer.
Triple positive breast cancer is known as a hormone receptor-positive cancer. This means that tumor growth is promoted by hormones such as estrogen, progesterone and a protein called HER2, all of which occur naturally in the body.
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Fischer, 50, said she chose to disclose her diagnosis now to “implore” others to get their annual mammogram. She also hoped her revelation would be a “source of support” for anyone currently undergoing treatment for breast cancer.
In her social media post, the sitcom star included a photo of herself with a “patchy pixie” haircut, “looking happy and healthy.”
Fischer said she had a routine mammogram in October 2023 that yielded inconclusive results due to the density of the breast tissue.
Dense breasts put people at increased risk of breast cancer and make the disease more difficult to detect with a standard mammogram. Breasts are made up of fat, glands, and fibrous tissue, but if a person’s breast is made up of 50 percent or more glands and fibrous tissueit is considered dense. It’s not possible to tell if your breasts are dense just by how they look, feel, size or firmness.
At the time of her mammogram, Fischer shared a photo on Instagram reminding women to schedule their own exams.
“I need to take care of these bags of time, ladies,” she wrote, a nod to Michael Scott’s own advice in The office.
Fischer said her doctor ordered a breast ultrasound, during which her medical team discovered something abnormal in her left breast.
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She then underwent a biopsy. On December 1, 2023, Fischer said she learned of her diagnosis of stage 1 triple-positive breast cancer. After her lumpectomy, she said she completed 12 cycles of weekly chemotherapy and then three weeks of radiation therapy.
Fischer said she hid her diagnosis by wearing wigs and “hats with hair” so the public would not know about her hair loss. Giving advice to her followers, Fischer wrote: “You can also ask your doctor to calculate your breast cancer risk assessment score and perform any additional tests required. I’m serious, call your doctor now.
“My tumor was so small that it could not be palpated during a physical exam,” she continued. “If I had waited six more months, things could have been much worse. It could have spread.
Fischer said the cancer diagnosis immediately changed his life, an experience familiar to so many people who have had the disease.
“It all depends on doctor appointments, test results, treatments and recovery after treatments,” she wrote. “Suddenly, everything in your life revolves around one thing: fighting cancer. »
Fischer thanked his doctors, nurses, caregivers and loved ones for their support.
She said her children, aged 10 and 13, were “amazing” and her cancer diagnosis was a “journey” they had taken as a family.
The actor specifically shared his love for Angela Kinsey, who played Angela Martin in The Office, because she “protected me and defended my interests”.
Together, the former co-stars run a podcast called office ladieswhere they rewatch the hit mockumentary sitcom and go behind the scenes of filming.
“For a long time, she was the only person in my workspace who knew,” Fischer said of Kinsey. “When I lost my hair, she wore hats to our work meetings so I wouldn’t be the only one. When I needed a break, we took one.
Closing out her post, Fischer said her husband Lee asked her if she wanted to do something to celebrate after her final chemotherapy and radiation treatments.
“I said I just wanted to ring a bell, with the kids, in our backyard, with everyone throwing confetti,” she wrote. “So, we did it.”
Jenna Fischer celebrated being cancer-free by ringing a bell at a backyard party with her husband, Lee, and their two children.
Instagram @msjennafischer
Fischer said she has since been retested for cancer and has no signs of illness.
“I will continue to be treated and monitored to help me stay that way,” she said.
According to the Canadian Cancer Society, women and trans, non-binary and gender diverse people aged 40 to 74 should have a mammogram every two years.
“Not all provinces or territories offer mammograms through their organized program or by self-referral for people in their 40s,” the organization wrote. “We are campaigning to ensure that women and trans, non-binary and gender diverse people at average risk have equitable and timely access to breast cancer screening, no matter where they live. »
So if you’re due for a mammogram and haven’t yet made an appointment with your doctor, Fischer asked you to consider her own announcement as “your kick in the butt to get there.”
“Take it from Pam and her Pam Pams. Michael was right,” Fischer joked in another reference to The Office. “Have them checked, ladies. And know that if you are diagnosed with breast cancer, there is a village waiting to care for you.
Breast cancer is the most common cancer among Canadian women, with the exception of non-melanoma skin cancer. In Canada, One in eight women are expected to develop breast cancer during their lifetime, and one in 34 people will die from it.
© 2024 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
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Former chief of staff of public security minister denies delaying approval of spy warrant – National
OTTAWA – A former chief of staff to a Liberal public safety minister has denied suggestions she worked to block approval of a spy service mandate in early 2021 because it directly affected operations of the Trudeau government.
Zita Astravas called the allegation “categorically false” during her testimony Wednesday evening in a federal investigation into foreign interference.
The inquiry heard it took 54 days for the Canadian Security Intelligence Service’s warrant request to be approved by then-Public Safety Minister Bill Blair.
The average processing time for these requests is four to ten days.
Michelle Tessier, CSIS’s deputy director of operations during this period, told the inquiry she was frustrated by the delay.
A schedule filed at the inquiry indicates Astravas attended a briefing on the warrant request 13 days after CSIS sent it to Public Safety.
Astravas told the commission in a closed session over the summer that the questions she asked during the briefing were typical of those she would ask regarding such a request.
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A recently leaked summary of that testimony indicates that she recalls a separate conversation about the Vanweenen list that accompanied it – a list of individuals who might be in contact with the target of the warrant and therefore could be affected.
Federal officials cited national security in refusing to publicly discuss who CSIS hoped to surveil through the warrant.
Gib van Ert, lawyer for Conservative MP Michael Chong, suggested to Astravas on Wednesday that after seeing “the extent to which this mandate would involve CSIS in the affairs of your party and your government, you did not want this to continue, and if we had to move forward, we had to slow it down.
Astravas responded that she could not mention the details of the mandate, “but I can tell you that your assumptions are categorically wrong.”
Blair, now defense minister, is expected to testify before the commission of inquiry on Friday.
He has already stated during the in camera investigation that he became aware of the warrant application on the date he remembers signing it.
“He was not aware that his office had received it before that date,” a summary of Blair’s testimony states. “He didn’t know what date his office received it and no one showed him the earlier dates on the documents.”
The summary states that on the date he signed the warrant, he learned that there had been discussions and questions raised by his office with the Director of CSIS and the Deputy Minister of Public Safety. “However, he did not know how long he had been in his office.”
Astravas testified Wednesday that CSIS Director David Vigneault would flag priority issues and that “we would work with the director and his team” to put an item on the minister’s agenda.
During this period, there were several contacts involving the director of CSIS, the minister and the deputy minister, she said.
“At no time was (the arrest warrant) issued urgently. »
The latest hearings of the commission of inquiry focus on the ability of federal agencies to identify and counter foreign interference. A final report is expected by the end of the year.
© 2024 The Canadian Press
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Regina STARS Air Ambulance medics head to Utah for international competition
They say practice makes perfect and two Regina doctors will test that theory. The duo was selected to represent STARS in an air ambulance medical competition in November.
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Sum 41’s Deryck Whibley says he was sexually assaulted by his former manager
The leader of Sum 41 Deryck Whibley alleges in new memoir that he was groomed and sexually abused by the band’s former manager Greig Nori, when he was a teenager and Nori was in his thirties.
The claims, first reported in an article in Los Angeles Timesappears in Whibley’s book Walking disaster: my life through heaven and hell. In it, Whibley writes that Nori kissed him without his consent and instigated sex during Sum 41’s formative years in Ajax, Ontario, and the early 2000s.
Deryck Whibley of Sum 41 performs on stage at the Brixton Academy, London, 2001.
Martyn Goodacre/Getty Images
Whibley never told his bandmates about the alleged abuse and only confided in then-partner Avril Lavigne and his current wife, Ariana Cooper, who helped him understand that the relationship between him and Nori was abusive. After years of thinking and learning about the MeToo movement, Whibley told the LA Times he realized he had been groomed.
“As excited as I am to share this open and honest memoir of my life story, I am equally terrified,” said a post on the Sum 41 Instagram page bed.
Nori, a musician from Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, denies the allegations in the book and calls them “false allegations.” He said the Globe and Mail that he retained the services of a lawyer specializing in defamation.
Greig Nori (right) pictured with Ludacris (left) backstage at “Saturday Night Live” on January 21, 2005.
Stephen Lovekin/FilmMagic
The allegations
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In Walking disasterWhibley describes his first meeting with Nori when he snuck backstage at a Treble Charger concert when he was 16. At the time, Whibley was in high school trying to follow his musical dreams, and Treble Charger frontman Nori was his hero.
Whibley invited Nori to one of Sum 41’s next performances, sparking a mentorship that would eventually lead to Nori leading the group.
Greig Nori, lead singer of the rock band Treble Charger, cheers on the crowd as the band plays to more than 50,000 people celebrating Toronto’s new Dundas Square on its grand opening night, Friday, May 30, 2003.
Tannis Toohey/Toronto Star via Getty Images
One night, when Whibley was 18, he and Nori were at a rave when the older musician asked Whibley to come to the bathroom to have ecstasy with him. Inside the toilet, Whibley writes that Nori grabbed him and kissed him “passionately.”
Nori reportedly told the Sum 41 frontman that the couple shared a “special” connection and that the relationship was worth exploring. Nori would then be around 36 years old.
At the time, Whibley tried to ignore the encounter because Nori was a trusted figure in his life.
“It seemed like a cool experience when I was high, but when I was sober it seemed wrong,” Whibley writes. “Greig continued to push for things to happen when we were together. I started to feel like I was being forced to do something against my will. It was a strange feeling because for the most part I trusted Greig completely and still thought he was a great human being, which made it all so confusing.
Whibley writes that he repeatedly attempted to end the sexual aspect of their relationship, only to be accused of homophobia by Nori. The Treble Charger frontman reportedly told Whibley that he “owed” him for helping get Sum 41 off the ground.
A photo of Sum 41 during a photo shoot in San Francisco on January 26, 2002.
Steve Jennings/WireImage
In 2004, Whibley began dating Lavigne, another Canadian pop-punk star, and he shared what happened between him and Nori.
“It’s abuse!” He sexually assaulted you,” Lavigne told Whibley, according to the memoir. Lavigne and Whibley separated in 2009 after three years of marriage. Whibley’s current wife, Ariana Cooper, had a similar reaction when he told her about it, he said.
Eventually, Whibley says Nori stopped trying to pressure him into sex after a mutual friend learned of the relationship and declared it abusive. In 2005, Sum 41 fired Nori as manager.
Avril Lavigne and Deryck Whibley in the audience at the 2007 American Music Awards, held on November 18, 2007 in Los Angeles.
Kevin Winter/AMA/Getty Images
As Whibley grew older, eventually reaching Nori’s age when they first met, the Sum 41 frontman began to better understand the power imbalance in their relationship.
“Everything became very clear,” Whibley told the LA Times. “Then about a year later the Me Too thing started happening. I started hearing grooming stories and it all started to make sense.
In an interview with the Toronto StarWhibley said he is not worried about potential legal fallout from the memoir.
“You can’t sue (someone) for telling the truth,” Whibley said. “If he wants to challenge it, I’m happy to do so. Let’s go to court. Let’s go under oath. That would be really awesome! I’m looking forward to this part… Finally, let’s record it! »
The sum 41 is currently on tour its very last series of shows and have booked Toronto’s Scotiabank Arena on January 30, 2025 as their final stop.
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House of Commons remains ‘paralyzed’ as Tories push privilege debate – National
Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre deplored House of Commons remains “paralyzed” Tuesday as his party prolongs the debate on the handing over of government documents to the RCMP.
Poilievre was referring to the government’s delay in producing seven years of documents related to the Sustainable Development Technology Canada (SDTC) organization within 30 days.
The now-defunct organization, which was federally funded but independent from the government, was found earlier this year to have violated conflict of interest rules and made “significant errors” in the management of funds public by the Auditor General of Canada. The Conservatives have taken to calling this a “green slush fund”.
If you already feel lost, don’t worry. This is a natural reaction to the political posturing that typically occurs in the final days of a minority parliament.
The debate on the publication of the documents paralyzed the work of the House of Commons for a week.
When asked why his party wouldn’t refer the issue to a Commons committee for study – miraculously curing Parliament of its paralysis – Poilievre responded that he wouldn’t let “corruption” pass so that “Justin Trudeau can go on with your day.”
A House of Commons committee investigation doesn’t exactly sweep an issue “under the rug,” as Poilievre charged, and is the most likely outcome of the debate. In the meantime, however, conservatives can use this issue to level accusations of corruption against the Liberal government.
Poilievre was absent during question period Tuesday, after being reprimanded by Speaker Greg Fergus for accusing Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly of pandering to “Hamas supporters” and refusing to retract his comments.
But his deputy chief, Melissa Lantsman, insisted on the contents of the documents and why they did not turn them over.
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“How bad are these documents, that they would blockade this place for seven days, defying your order and hiding the $400 million they gave to their friends? asked Lantsman.
“They are trying to get out of their own obstruction because they don’t want this issue to go to committee,” retorted Liberal House Leader Karina Gould.
“Because they will hear from expert after expert about the blatant abuse of power that the Conservatives are trying to commit here to override the rights of Canadians. We are ready to move forward…only conservatives are afraid of the vote.”
SDTC and Conservative Privilege
Earlier this year, Auditor General Karen Hogan’s office found that SDTC had awarded funding totaling $51 million to eight start-up projects that did not meet eligibility criteria. A subsequent investigation by the federal Ethics Commissioner found that SDTC President Annette Verschuren did not recuse herself from the funding decisions of organizations with which she had ties – including her own company, NRStor Inc. .
In June, a Conservative motion demanded that the government turn over all SDTC-related documents to the House of Commons law clerk within 30 days. The clerk then handed them over to the RCMP.
This means that all federal departments and agencies, as well as the Office of the Auditor General, would have to submit any documents relating to the foundation dating back to 2017 within one month.
Although the House of Commons law clerk confirmed providing documents to the RCMP throughout the summer, not all files were turned over before the deadline.
This paved the way for Conservative House Leader Andrew Scheer to claim that the privileges of the House had been violated – a claim that Speaker Fergus found to be true. And this is what has brought the House of Commons to its current state of dysfunction.
To further complicate matters, the RCMP has already confirmed that an investigation is underway into SDTC and has already received tranches of documents from the government, as first reported by the National Post.
“Playground Tactics” and the Liberal Agenda
Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland, speaking to reporters in Ottawa on Tuesday, said the government’s work continues despite being “frustrated and dismayed by the spectacle the Conservatives are putting on the Parliament.”
She said the government is in discussions with the New Democrats and the opposition Bloc Québécois about the fall economic statement – an economic update that would be a matter of confidence and, in the event of Failure would plunge Canada into a general election.
“We’re doing a lot, and we’re being thoughtful and creative about things, looking for areas where we can move forward and not be blocked by, you know, playground tactics,” Freeland said.
When asked if the Liberal government was considering proroguing Parliament – a potential way of resetting parliamentary business and the government agenda – Freeland responded with a resounding “no”.
© 2024 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
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Elections Saskatchewan introduces 6-day voting week
In the next election, voters will have six days to go to the polls instead of just one, as Elections Saskatchewan hopes to increase voter turnout.
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Ticketmaster Changes Taylor Swift Ticket Transfer Rules Amid Recent Cyberthefts
Ticketmaster implements new rules on how fans are transferred Taylor Swift tickets amid a rise in reported scams.
The ticket giant recently updated its website to indicate that ticket transfers for Swift concerts can only begin 72 hours before the event.
Previously, Swifties could transfer tickets between Ticketmaster accounts at any time.
Ticketmaster representatives confirmed the rule but did not respond to questions about the reason for the change.
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This follows an increase in the number of reported hacks on Ticketmaster accounts that have affected Swift’s Canadian fans, as well as ticket holders for other events hosted by the company.
Some customers posted on social media that concert tickets they purchased months ago were suddenly transferred from their Ticketmaster accounts without their permission.
The company said in a statement that it was working to “restore fans’ tickets.”
“The best way for fans to protect themselves is to set a unique, strong password for all accounts, especially for their personal email, which is where we often find security issues originate,” he writes .
“Fraudsters are looking for new cheaters across all industries, and tickets will always be a target because they have value, which is why Ticketmaster is constantly investing in new security enhancements to protect fans.”
© 2024 The Canadian Press
