Life & Style – Winnipeg Free Press

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Adam Duguay, owner of JDM Rush Imports, which imports vehicles from Japan, is photographed with a right-hand drive 2008 Subaru Forester XT he recently brought to Winnipeg.

JDM Rush Imports owner logs increased inquiries as Canadians seek to dodge pricing pressures

Aaron Epp 5 minute read Yesterday at 7:25 PM CDT

“Definitely frustrating” and “nearly impossible” are how Brady Jonasson and Savannah Blandford describe the first six months they spent shopping for a used vehicle last year.

The Gimli-based newlyweds searched for something reliable with low mileage and no rust selling for under $20,000, but nothing met those requirements.

In July, the couple contacted JDM Rush Imports Inc. in Winnipeg, which specializes in importing vehicles from the Japanese domestic market. Less than four months later, they were the proud owners of a 2008 Honda CR-V that had just 2,500 kilometres on the odometer.

The total price, including shipping and the company’s fee, was just over $16,000.

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Most immigrants at risk of deportation from US are Christian, report finds

Peter Smith, The Associated Press 5 minute read Preview

Most immigrants at risk of deportation from US are Christian, report finds

Peter Smith, The Associated Press 5 minute read Yesterday at 4:49 PM CDT

As many as four in five immigrants at risk of deportation from the United States are Christian, according to a new report that calls on their fellow believers to consider the impact of the Trump administration's aggressive deportation policies.

The report says about 10 million Christians are vulnerable to deportation and 7 million U.S. citizens who are Christian live in households where someone is at risk of deportation.

The report, under the auspices of major Catholic and evangelical organizations, draws on a range of data, including percentages of religious affiliation in various migrant and national populations and on an advocacy group's analysis of U.S. census data on migrants.

“Though we’re deeply concerned about fellow Christians, we’re not exclusively concerned with immigrants who happen to share our faith,” said Matthew Soerens, vice president of advocacy and policy at World Relief, an evangelical humanitarian organization that cosponsored the report.

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Yesterday at 4:49 PM CDT

FILE - The Rev. W. J. Mark Knutson, right, walks with an El Salvadoran immigrant at the Augustana Lutheran Church on Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025, in Portland, Oregon. (AP Photo/Jenny Kane, File)

Man sues The Pas archdiocese, alleges sexual abuse

Erik Pindera 3 minute read Preview

Man sues The Pas archdiocese, alleges sexual abuse

Erik Pindera 3 minute read Yesterday at 6:00 AM CDT

A man who alleges he was sexually abused in The Pas by an unknown Catholic priest in the mid-1980s is suing the archdiocese.

British Columbia lawyer Tyler Dennis filed the lawsuit in the Manitoba Court of King’s Bench last month on behalf of the man, now about 50, who resides in Vancouver. The claim names the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Keewatin-Le Pas as defendant.

The unknown priest is referred to as John Doe in the court filings. He was at one time the priest at Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Cathedral in The Pas, the lawsuit claims.

When the man was around nine years old, he alleges the priest “used his position of power granted by the (archdiocese) to prey upon the plaintiff, and sexually assault the plaintiff,” the claim said.

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Yesterday at 6:00 AM CDT

The Law Courts in Winnipeg (John Woods / The Canadian Press files)

Forecasters warn of deadly floods and strong tornadoes in parts of the Midwest and South

Jeff Martin, The Associated Press 4 minute read Preview

Forecasters warn of deadly floods and strong tornadoes in parts of the Midwest and South

Jeff Martin, The Associated Press 4 minute read Updated: 4:55 AM CDT

As severe thunderstorms threatened to hit parts of the Midwest and South on Wednesday, forecasters warned of potentially deadly flash flooding, strong tornadoes and baseball-sized hail.

At least one tornado was observed Tuesday night around Salina, Kansas, about 90 miles (145 kilometers) north of Wichita, according to the National Weather Service.

The potent storm system was expected to bring the threat of “significant, life-threatening flash flooding” starting Wednesday, according to the Weather Prediction Center, a part of the weather service.

The new flood threat came as residents in parts of Michigan continued to dig out from a weekend ice storm.

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Updated: 4:55 AM CDT

A tree lies on top of a damaged home where authorities say a man was killed during a weekend storm in Stockbridge Township, Mich., seen on Tuesday, April 1, 2025. (Jacob Hamilton/Ann Arbor News via AP)

Liberal Leader Mark Carney makes no Indigenous announcement in Winnipeg

Alessia Passafiume, The Canadian Press 6 minute read Preview

Liberal Leader Mark Carney makes no Indigenous announcement in Winnipeg

Alessia Passafiume, The Canadian Press 6 minute read Yesterday at 11:38 PM CDT

WINNIPEG - Liberal Leader Mark Carney said Tuesday that while he didn't meet with Indigenous people or announce new policies while visiting the city with the largest urban Indigenous population in Canada, reconciliation is still fundamental for his party.

Speaking in Winnipeg, Carney spoke about a series of affordability measures his government would take, one day before U.S. President Donald Trump is expected to impose wide-ranging tariffs on multiple countries, including Canada.

But the issue of reconciliation was missing from the agenda altogether, despite the presence of a large group of Indigenous people at the event.

"In my opening remarks as prime minister, on the day that I was sworn in, I acknowledged the fundamental role of First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples to the founding of our country," Carney replied when asked what message his party is sending to a demographic that helped the Liberals form government in 2015.

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Yesterday at 11:38 PM CDT

Liberal Leader Mark Carney responds to a question during a campaign stop on Tuesday, Apr. 1, 2025 in Winnipeg. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld

Trump administration pauses some family planning grants as it investigates compliance with laws

Geoff Mulvihill, The Associated Press 3 minute read Preview

Trump administration pauses some family planning grants as it investigates compliance with laws

Geoff Mulvihill, The Associated Press 3 minute read Yesterday at 4:43 PM CDT

The federal government has paused $27.5 million for organizations that provide family planning, contraception, cancer screenings and sexually transmitted infection services as it investigates whether they're complying with the law.

The National Family Planning and Reproductive Health Association says 16 organizations received notice Monday that funding is on hold. At least 11 Planned Parenthood Federation of America regional affiliates and all recipients of federal family planning, or Title X, grants in seven states, had funding withheld.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services declined to say which laws or executive orders the groups are being investigated for violating, though NFPFHA said some of the letters cited civil rights laws. Trump has issued executive orders targeting programs that consider race in any way, some of which have been put on hold by judges.

Health and Human Services, which is in the midst of deep layoffs, also said that “no final decisions on any spending changes for Planned Parenthood have been made.”

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Yesterday at 4:43 PM CDT

FILE - A Missouri and American flag fly outside Planned Parenthood in St. Louis, June 24, 2022. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson, File)

Middle East latest: Israeli defense minister says military is expanding its operation in Gaza

The Associated Press 5 minute read Preview

Middle East latest: Israeli defense minister says military is expanding its operation in Gaza

The Associated Press 5 minute read Updated: 4:00 AM CDT

Israel’s military operation in the Gaza Strip is expanding to seize “large areas,” the defense minister said Wednesday, as airstrikes on the southern city of Khan Younis killed 17 people overnight, according to hospital officials.

Israel’s offensive in the Palestinian territory was “expanding to crush and clean the area of terrorists and terrorist infrastructure and seizing large areas that will be added to the security zones of the State of Israel,” Defense Minister Israel Katz said in a written statement.

Israel’s security perimeter, which runs along the border with Israel in northern and eastern Gaza, has been a crucial part of the country’s defense for decades, used as a way to protect its citizens living near the territory.

Katz called on Gaza residents to “expel Hamas and return all hostages.” The militant group still holds 59 captives, of whom 24 are believed to still be alive, after most of the rest were released in ceasefire agreements or other deals.

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Updated: 4:00 AM CDT

FILE - Displaced Palestinians carry their belongings on the outskirts of Gaza City, Friday March 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana, File)

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Israel’s military operation in Gaza Strip expanding to seize ‘large areas,’ defense minister says

The Associated Press 4 minute read Preview

Israel’s military operation in Gaza Strip expanding to seize ‘large areas,’ defense minister says

The Associated Press 4 minute read Updated: 4:14 AM CDT

JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel’s military operation in the Gaza Strip is expanding to seize “large areas,” the defense minister said Wednesday.

Israel’s offensive in the Palestinian territory was “expanding to crush and clean the area" of militants and "seizing large areas that will be added to the security zones of the State of Israel,” Defense Minister Israel Katz said in a written statement.

The Israeli government has long maintained a buffer zone just inside Gaza along its security fence and has greatly expanded since the war began in 2023. Israel says the buffer zone is needed for its security, while Palestinians view it as a land grab that further shrinks the narrow coastal territory, home to around 2 million people.

Katz didn't specify which areas of Gaza would be seized in the expanded operation, which he said includes the “extensive evacuation” of the population from fighting areas. His statement came after Israel ordered the full evacuation of the southern city of Rafah and nearby areas.

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Updated: 4:14 AM CDT

FILE - Displaced Palestinians carry water in Jabaliya, Gaza Strip on Monday, March 31, 2025. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi, File)

Worried families and search dogs bond during the long days of rescue effort at Bangkok collapse

Sahatthaya Kraikhunthot And Jintamas Saksornchai, The Associated Press 3 minute read Preview

Worried families and search dogs bond during the long days of rescue effort at Bangkok collapse

Sahatthaya Kraikhunthot And Jintamas Saksornchai, The Associated Press 3 minute read Updated: 3:56 AM CDT

BANGKOK (AP) — For most of the day, somberness clouded over a makeshift shelter set up for grief-stricken relatives of dozens of workers who remain missing at the building collapse in Bangkok. They huddled together, a short distance from the rubble, awaiting news for their loved ones to be found.

But for a few minutes, their faces broke out in smiles, as a group of fluffy, playful golden retrievers approached the waiting relatives on a break from the dogs' rescue mission.

Bangkok is more than 800 miles (1,287 kilometers) from the epicenter of the magnitude 7.7 earthquake that struck Myanmar on Friday. Fifteen of the 22 deaths reported in Bangkok were people found at the site of the collapsed high-rise, according to the Bangkok city authorities. Around 70 workers remain missing.

Pornchai Chaodongbang has been waiting for her missing brother at the site since Sunday. She said she was crying every day since the news broke, and when she saw the site of the ruins, she collapsed.

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Updated: 3:56 AM CDT

K9 named Safari works as an emotional support with relatives of workers of a high-rise building under construction that collapsed in Bangkok, Thailand, Monday, March 31, 2025. (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit)

High waves cause damage on Sydney waterfront

The Associated Press 2 minute read Preview

High waves cause damage on Sydney waterfront

The Associated Press 2 minute read Updated: 2:00 AM CDT

SYDNEY (AP) — Sydney beachfront properties were flooded and coastal infrastructure damaged after a large swell combined with a king tide to batter the Australian shore, officials said Thursday.

Several homes were evacuated at Botany Bay in Sydney’s south around midnight as waves surged across the coast, according to New South Wales State Emergency Service spokesman Andrew Edmunds.

Further north at Sydney’s premier Bondi Beach, the coast was lashed by a 5.5-meter (18-foot) swell, officials said.

Windows were shattered at Bondi Icebergs Swimming Club, a waterfront pool, gymnasium and restaurant complex. CCTV footage showed waves bursting through glass doors after 11 p.m. on Tuesday.

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Updated: 2:00 AM CDT

A man takes a photo as large swells hit Sydney's Bondi Beach Wednesday, April 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Mark Baker)

Tanya Talaga, Jane Philpott among finalists for Shaughnessy Cohen Prize

The Canadian Press 2 minute read Preview

Tanya Talaga, Jane Philpott among finalists for Shaughnessy Cohen Prize

The Canadian Press 2 minute read Yesterday at 11:11 PM CDT

Journalist Tanya Talaga and former health minister Jane Philpott are among the authors shortlisted for this year's Shaughnessy Cohen Prize for Political Writing.

The Writers' Trust of Canada announced the finalists on Wednesday, while the winner will be named at the annual Politics and the Pen gala in Ottawa in September.

Talaga, who previously won the prize in 2018, made the list for "The Knowing," which jurors describe as "a searing new perspective on how this country’s most fundamental institutions are weaponized against Indigenous communities."

Philpott, meanwhile, is shortlisted for "Health for All: A Doctor’s Prescription for a Healthier Canada," which the jury praises for its helpful description of the "overwhelmingly complex health-care issues at stake."

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Yesterday at 11:11 PM CDT

Writer Tanya Talaga poses for a portrait during promotional day for Audible Podcasts in Toronto, Friday, Sept. 4, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chris Young

Nevada can enforce dormant 1985 law requiring parental notification of abortion, judge rules

Rio Yamat, The Associated Press 3 minute read Preview

Nevada can enforce dormant 1985 law requiring parental notification of abortion, judge rules

Rio Yamat, The Associated Press 3 minute read Yesterday at 7:19 PM CDT

LAS VEGAS (AP) — A long-dormant 1985 state law in Nevada — requiring parents or guardians to be notified before a minor undergoes an abortion — can be enforced, a federal judge ruled Monday.

U.S. District Court Judge Anne Traum in Nevada said in a written decision that the 40-year-old law can take effect on April 30, but the judge also left open the possibility for abortion rights advocates to seek a court order blocking its reinstatement while they challenge the law's constitutionality.

The requirement has never before been enforced in Nevada because of a 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruling that found it was unconstitutional based on Roe v. Wade. But after the Supreme Court reversed the landmark decision in 2022, stripping away constitutional protections for abortion, a group of district attorneys mostly in rural Nevada sued to restore the 1985 law.

Planned Parenthood argued that the 1985 law, despite the reversal of Roe, remains “unconstitutionally vague” and that it violates minors’ rights to due process and equal protection.

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Yesterday at 7:19 PM CDT

FILE - People rally in support of abortion rights, May 21, 2019, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher, File)

Dog of captain who lost boats in Lahaina wildfire barks with delight during whale encounter

Jennifer Sinco Kelleher, The Associated Press 3 minute read Preview

Dog of captain who lost boats in Lahaina wildfire barks with delight during whale encounter

Jennifer Sinco Kelleher, The Associated Press 3 minute read Updated: Yesterday at 6:08 PM CDT

HONOLULU (AP) — A Hawaii boat captain who rebuilt her whale-watching tour business after losing three boats in the deadly 2023 Lahaina wildfire captured iPhone footage of her dog barking excitedly when a humpback swam near them over the weekend and poked its head out to greet Macy, a golden retriever.

Chrissy Lovitt and Macy, 11, were in a fishing boat about 2 miles (roughly 3 kilometers) off Lahaina on Saturday when they spotted a humpback whale in the waters.

“And he heard her barking and he just swam over to meet her,” Lovitt recalled Tuesday. “And it was the best day of her life.”

In the video, Macy is seen barking frantically as the whale nears the boat. The whale's head emerges and it appears to turn and look at the excited dog.

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Updated: Yesterday at 6:08 PM CDT

This photo provided by Chrissy Lovitt shows Macy, a golden retriever dog, whale-watching off Lahaina, Hawaii on Saturday, March 29, 2025. (Chrissy Lovitt via AP)

Pettersson out with upper-body injury as Vancovuer Canucks prep for final push

Gemma Karstens-Smith, The Canadian Press 4 minute read Preview

Pettersson out with upper-body injury as Vancovuer Canucks prep for final push

Gemma Karstens-Smith, The Canadian Press 4 minute read Yesterday at 4:48 PM CDT

VANCOUVER - The Vancouver Canucks could be without Elias Pettersson as they make a final, desperate push for a playoff spot.

Pettersson was not on the ice Tuesday when the Canucks practised at Rogers Arena, and hasn’t played since suffering an upper-body injury midway through Vancouver’s 5-3 road loss to the New York Rangers on March 22.

Instead of remaining with the team for the final four games of the road trip, Pettersson returned to Vancouver.

His status for the final the team’s final eight games of the regular season remains to be seen.

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Yesterday at 4:48 PM CDT

Vancouver Canucks center Elias Pettersson (40) looks on during the third period of an NHL hockey game against the Seattle Kraken, Saturday, March 1, 2025, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Rio Giancarlo)

Escaped otter is home safe but zoo says her pal is still on the loose

Associated Press, The Associated Press 2 minute read Yesterday at 4:37 PM CDT

Ophelia the escaped zoo otter is back home but Louie remains elusive — perhaps in search of a mate.

The two North American river otters escaped two weeks ago from the NEW Zoo & Adventure Park in Green Bay, Wisconsin. Ophelia was captured Friday night, the zoo said in a Facebook post.

Her return was kept under wraps until Tuesday while she was held for observation. A veterinarian’s examination Monday cleared her for return to her enclosure.

However, she “may not always be visible to guests,” the zoo said. “Ophelia has always been a bit shy and enjoys tucking into things to take naps throughout the day.”

Meta’s head of AI research stepping down

The Associated Press 2 minute read Preview

Meta’s head of AI research stepping down

The Associated Press 2 minute read Updated: Yesterday at 4:26 PM CDT

MENLO PARK, Calif. (AP) — The head of Meta's artificial intelligence research division said she plans to step down, vacating a high-profile position at a time of intense competition in the development of AI technology.

Joelle Pineau, Meta's vice president for AI research, said Tuesday she is leaving at the end of May after eight years with the company.

"Today, as the world undergoes significant change, as the race for AI accelerates, and as Meta prepares for its next chapter, it is time to create space for others to pursue the work," she wrote in a social media post.

Meta — the parent company of Facebook and Instagram — didn't immediately respond to an emailed request for comment about the move. Pineau didn't announce a replacement.

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Updated: Yesterday at 4:26 PM CDT

April 2, 2025

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