Local
Following cannabis legalization on Oct. 17, the City of Ottawa has established a “swat team” of eight bylaw officers to stake out smokers from city parks.
Ottawa wants to prevent its population from bypassing the city’s smoke-free bylaw, therefore the “swat team” will be able to fine pot smokers up to $500 on the same basis as cigarette smokers.
While bylaw officers usually respond to complaints from the public and don’t patrol parks, this enforcement adds confusion to the marijuana regulations.
National
Former Ontario PC leader Patrick Brown blew 90 per cent of his annual office budget within two months.
Documents obtained by CBC News show that the former MPP spent $292,451 between April and June 2018, while MPP’s annual office budget is about $300,000.
Brown spent most of his budget on office staff and expenses in the final weeks before the June provincial election.
International
The US Department of Justice opened a Catholic church sex abuse investigation in Pennsylvania.
The investigation follows a state grand jury report filled last August that found over 300 “predator priests” had abused at least 1,000 children and teenagers over the course of the last 70 years.
As a result, only two priests were charged because most of the cases were too old for prosecution, but the US Attorney in Philadelphia reportedly has begun issuing subpoenas.