Charges dropped against Utah doctor accused of throwing away $28,000 in COVID vaccine doses
U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a post on the social media platform X that charges against Dr. Michael Kirk Moore, of Midvale, Utah, were dismissed at her direction.
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Global News
6 hours ago
- Global News
VISP aimed to curb vaccine injury lawsuits. Now, people are suing in 3 provinces
Carrie Sakamoto left her family's beloved dogs outside in the freezing cold. She started fires in her kitchen, and she fell down the stairs of her Alberta home — several times. These incidents all occurred since 2021, when Sakamoto was injured and rushed to hospital after a rare adverse reaction from a COVID-19 vaccine. Sakamoto was hospitalized for 17 days. For a time, she could not walk, talk, chew or focus. The federal government announced a program in 2020 to help people like Sakamoto, pledging timely and fair support to the unfortunate like her who were seriously hurt after immunizations. The program was supposed to spare the injured and fragile the cost and stress associated with litigation. In Sakamoto's case, the program, called the Vaccine Injury Support Program, or VISP, did neither. Instead of providing Sakamoto, of Lethbridge, Alta., with timely and fair financial support, she says that VISP and the outside consultants who were selected to administer it for the federal government — Oxaro Inc. — have only exacerbated her physical and psychological suffering. 'Extremely frustrating. Dehumanizing. Incredibly dismissive. Even abusive,' is how Sakamoto describes her experiences and dealings with Canada's VISP. Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "Extremely frustrating. Dehumanizing. Incredibly dismissive. Even abusive," is how Sakamoto describes her experiences and dealings with Canada's VISP. Sakamoto made those comments in a sworn statement she filed in a class action lawsuit launched in the Alberta Court of King's Bench in 2024. She is a lead plaintiff against the federal and provincial governments in this Alberta court case. View image in full screen Excerpts from Carrie Sakamoto's 2024 sworn affidavit, which was filed in an Alberta class action lawsuit. She harshly criticized Ottawa's Vaccine Injury Support Program. 1 Both Oxaro and the Public Health Agency of Canada, which hired Oxaro to run VISP in 2021, declined to comment on Sakamoto's case, allegations or criticisms of the federal program. Advertisement In response to a 15-page list of questions from Global News about its VISP administration, Oxaro Inc. sent a series of written statements. 'The VISP is a new and demand-based program with an unknown and fluctuating number of applications and appeals submitted by claimants,' the company said. View image in full screen Ottawa consulting firm Oxaro Inc. was hired in 2021 to administer the federal government's Vaccine Injury Support Program. 1 'The program processes, procedures and staffing were adapted to face the challenges linked to receiving substantially more applications than originally planned,' Oxaro added. 'Oxaro and PHAC have been collaborating closely to evaluate how the program can remain agile to handle the workload on hand while respecting budget constraints.' 'We aim at providing a process that ensures that all cases are treated fairly and with the same care, respect, and due diligence,' the company added. 2:48 Whistleblowers allege 'high school' workplace inside federal program Read Oxaro's statement here. In an interview with Global News, Sakamoto said she does not think Oxaro should have been hired to administer VISP. 'I don't think they realized how many injured people were going to apply. And I think they're overwhelmed,' she added. Lawyers representing Sakamoto and a group of plaintiffs alleged that the two governments provided the public with false, misleading and/or incomplete information about the safety and efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines, preventing the public from making an informed decision regarding vaccination. The case and allegations against VISP highlight the depth of despair and frustration thousands of Canadians feel after being promised they would be taken care of if their immunizations triggered rare adverse reactions and they were injured. Injured applicants like Sakamoto say they also face a revolving door of unreachable VISP case managers and arbitrary and unfair decisions. The Alberta class action case remains before the courts. A hearing to determine if the class will be certified has been scheduled for mid-2026. Both the federal and provincial governments have tried unsuccessfully to have the case dismissed. The Attorney General of Canada called the lawsuit 'frivolous, irrelevant, and improper.' 4:04 'Chaos' inside Federal Vaccine Injury Support Program A Global News investigation into VISP published earlier this month revealed that Oxaro Inc. has received $50.6 million in taxpayer money, including $33.7 million spent on administrative costs, while injured Canadians received only $16.9 million. (Payouts to the injured have since increased to $18.1 million in the latest reporting period, ending June 1, 2025. But Health Canada was unable to say yesterday how much more money Oxaro was paid above the $50.6 million tallied during the last reporting period.) Global also found that PHAC and Oxaro underestimated the number of injury claims VISP would get, initially predicting 40 per year and then up to 400 valid claims annually. More than 3,317 applications have now been filed to June 1 — of those, 1,738 people are still waiting for their claim to be decided. 3:02 Federal Vaccine Injury Support Program leaving some injured people waiting for years The government launched VISP as 'a no-fault system' in 2021, which was supposed to compensate injured and fragile Canadians without them having to pursue costly, stressful and time-consuming litigation against vaccine manufacturers and public health officials. Advertisement However, a Global News investigation has found that five Canadians have now launched lawsuits against governments and manufacturers for injuries they allege are the results of the vaccinations, amid allegations that VISP has failed to support them. They include Sakamoto and several of the injured and ill people featured in Part 1 of this investigation, including Ross Wightman of British Columbia and Ontario residents Kayla Pollock and Dan Hartman, whose 17-year-old son died suddenly in his room in the middle of the night after his vaccination. Read more about their stories here. View image in full screen British Columbia attorney Umar Sheikh. 1 Victoria lawyer Umar Sheikh represents several vaccine-injured people and others across Canada who claim they were injured by COVID-19 vaccines. Sheikh argues that pushing people to file lawsuits for damages is contrary to the rationale of VISP, which intended to keep sick and vulnerable people out of courtrooms. 'These cases will cost between $20,000 and $40,000 in fees and costs. You're dealing with clients who are injured, who have no money, and they're not working,' added Sheikh, who represents Pollock. View image in full screen Carrie Sakamoto as she appeared in a selfie in 2019, prior to her vaccine injury in 2021. 1 Carrie Sakamoto shares Pollock's plight. Once a healthy and vibrant mother, she, her husband, and their three boys lived on a dreamy seed farm in the foothills near Lethbridge, Alta. Now, she says her life is one in which the physical, psychological and emotional toll has been immense. Everything in Sakamoto's life and family situation changed after her second COVID-19 shot during the pandemic. Within a few hours of her vaccination on June 18, 2021, Sakamoto developed flu-like symptoms that worsened daily. Her health rapidly deteriorated. Her husband was sick, too. While her husband, Shawn, got better, Sakamoto never recovered and ended up in hospital. She suffered from Bell's palsy, with severe head pain that still requires medication. A Health Canada adverse reaction injury database shows Sakamoto is not alone: 216 people like her reportedly suffered Bell's palsy-like facial paralysis after vaccinations in the pandemic.
Global News
7 hours ago
- Global News
‘Middle-class safety is being eroded': Violent break-ins changing Ontario communities
Amar Pathak thought it was her daughter coming home late. But in fact, the sound of the garage door cracking open around 3 a.m. a few years ago wasn't her child — it was a stranger searching for valuables with a flashlight. 'I was so scared just thinking about what if that guy had come into the house? What if the door had been unlocked?' Pathak, an Oakville, Ont., resident, told Global News. 'Now I hear every day someone's home is broken into and gets hurt.' While overall robberies in Ontario are finally on a slight downward trend for the first time in years, violent break-ins and home invasions with weapons are rising — and with them, the call for more security is too. Story continues below advertisement Police forces across Toronto, Peel, Durham and Halton are reporting a spike in residential break-ins involving weapons, often carried out by young offenders. Police officials, security experts, and residents say the increased availability of illegal firearms, a lack of deterrence in the justice system and highly organized criminal groups are all fueling the crisis. According to Toronto police data, the number of residential robberies was up 49.7 per cent in 2024 when compared with the year prior — the highest jump in recent years. When combined, there were more than 900 armed robberies in both years — almost double the numbers seen in 2022 and prior. 'No consequences' Ron Chhinzer, a former Halton police officer and expert in public safety, told Global News violent break-ins, often armed and increasingly organized, are becoming more common. Story continues below advertisement 'There's really no consequence to a lot of these criminals,' Chhinzer said. 'They can break into a home one day, be out on bail, and then be doing the exact same crime that night.' He said the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated many of the root causes. Lockdowns, economic stress, and mental health and addiction crises led to a sharp rise in drug demand, which was met by street gangs, many tied to organized crime. During his time as an officer, he noticed how violent organized crime networks started to shift from auto theft to home invasions. 'The hardened guys who used to deal drugs started seeing their buddies stealing cars and making big money,' Chhinzer said. 'And they said, 'Forget this, I'll do what you do. I've already got a gun.'' 'But instead of learning the tech to steal cars, they just said, 'Why bother? I'll kick in a front door, hold everyone at gunpoint, steal the watches, the cash, and the keys.'' In Halton, break and enters rose to 1,061 in 2024 from 655 in 2020. Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy A spokesperson from the Toronto police hold-up squad, a team recently made to deal with armed robberies, confirmed that while car theft-linked invasions have declined slightly this year, total home invasions are up 105 per cent year-to-date. Story continues below advertisement 'We've seen these kinds of cycles before, from a rise in bank robberies to spikes in carjackings and home invasions,' they said. 'Offenders often shift focus to what they see as an easier target.' 'A brutal awakening' Mario Zelaya, the founder of Dura Film, a growing home fortification company, says the demand for protective window film is being driven by fear and real violence. Zelaya said he launched the business eight months ago after noticing just how many people were being harmed in their own homes. 'This business shouldn't even exist, but here we are. I've installed film for people who have been hurt and have had to go to the hospital,' he said. 'I've heard of 65- to 70-year-olds being woken up from their sleep and pistol-whipped, demanded to give their valuables over. They sometimes have to get stitches or have a fractured orbital bone. I can't even imagine how brutal of an awakening that would be.' Story continues below advertisement 1:01 Video shows moment Ontario homeowner scared off four armed home invaders Dura Film applies a thick, laminated film on the inside of windows, designed to keep them intact even after blunt force. The goal isn't to prevent break-ins entirely, but to slow them down long enough for help to arrive. 'Police officers have literally said to just buy them four minutes,' Zelaya said. 'If we can delay robbers, that might save a life.' Police in Halton recently released a stat showing 48 per cent of break-ins occur through back patio doors, typically large glass panels that are easy to shatter. The surge in violent crimes has also been reflected in security patrols in many neighbourhoods. 'Oakville, Etobicoke, York Region … there is private security everywhere now,' Chhinzer said. Story continues below advertisement 'This is where we're headed. People hiring private patrols. Gated communities. Reinforced doors. Middle-class safety is being eroded.' 'They want 18 and under' A major driver in the surge is how organized criminal groups are intentionally recruiting younger offenders, according to Chhinzer. 'Organized crime networks want 18 and under,' he said. 'If you look at some of the data, a lot of these offenders are 15 to 16 years old because they sit under the Youth Criminal Justice Act … minimal repercussions.' The former officer also linked the issue to high youth unemployment and a shrinking legal job market. 'Why work a minimum wage job if someone can make $50,000 in one night?' he said. 'The economic opportunity on the black market is massive and there's no real cost to getting caught.' Story continues below advertisement 2:12 Project Ghost: Nearly 200 charges laid, and 13 members of 'violent criminal network' arrested Peel police announced Tuesday morning that they had completed a recent takedown of a large criminal network that was exploiting youth and targeting residents. Deputy Chief Nick Milinovich said the targeting of youth into gangs has played a big role in the violent crime uptick across the region. 'These networks prey on at-risk youth, pulling them into violent criminal activity,' he said. Mississauga Coun. Alvin Tedjo added that 'this was an unusually violent, organized criminal network that terrorized families and drafted vulnerable youth into its activities.' 'I was so scared' Pathak still thinks about what could've happened the night her home was broken into. Story continues below advertisement Looking out the front window, she saw their garage wide open, and a young man inside, using the flashlight from his phone to search for valuables. When she tapped on the glass, the man startled and fled with two other men. 'We didn't realize there is another car and two people inside the car, and they were holding up an object that looked like a weapon,' she said. 'I can only imagine if they got in.' Pathak later discovered the man had accessed the garage using a remote he found inside her vehicle. She called 911 immediately but no arrests were made. 3:10 Ontario couple terrified after violent break- in at their home As home invasions spike, Zelaya warns that the violence is leaving behind long-term consequences for residents. 'Some of these people are permanently traumatized,' he said. 'They don't feel safe in their own home.'
Ottawa Citizen
7 hours ago
- Ottawa Citizen
Today's letters: Why can't the city clean up violent crime downtown?
Article content Article content My uncle, 80 years old, in good shape, just sometimes confused about days of the week, went downtown to celebrate Canada Day on July 3. He ended up in the hospital with bruises, a broken hip and a smashed-up face because he was violently attacked, beaten and kicked. He was also robbed. Article content Article content I am wondering how in this day and age we can welcome visitors to the downtown core and trust that such violent acts won't happen to them. This government promised to look at crime but obviously it has seeped through the cracks again. Article content The City of Ottawa encourages people to visit the ByWard Market area to help businesses. No way would I do such a thing. I knew it was unsafe but not to this extent. How about possibly cleaning up the downtown core like you used to prior to COVID? This area has obviously turned into a crime show, between the drug addicts, the homeless and whatever else. Article content It seems that additional police services have been provided to the Market, but I wonder how much security is needed to make it safe for us and our visitors. It seems to be out of control. Article content When will the Doug Ford government think beyond quick base appeasement and actually study the possible outcomes of its populist decisions? Its ideologically driven choices have: favoured privatization of our health care, resulting in a battle for limited resources to the detriment of public medicine; a rush to sell alcohol on every corner, resulting in the loss hundreds of millions of dollars, and the loss of facilities to return recyclable empties; and now, the closing of safe injection sites that had been housed in well-resourced community health centres. Article content Article content Article content
