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Winnipeg Free Press
18-07-2025
- Politics
- Winnipeg Free Press
Ottawa advised to set up office to track UFOs
The truth is out there — and the Sky Canada Project say the federal government should create an office to get to the bottom of UFOs. Chief science adviser Mona Nemer said 37-page report titled 'Management of Public Reporting of Unidentified Aerial Phenomena in Canada,' has attracted 'more public anticipation than any project in the history of this office. 'Numerous individuals and organizations have stepped forward to offer their assistance,' Nemer said. ALEX BRANDON / THE ASSOCIATED PRESS FILES A video of a UAP is paused for display during a hearing of the House Intelligence, Counterterrorism, Counterintelligence, and Counterproliferation Subcommittee hearing on 'Unidentified Aerial Phenomena,' on Capitol Hill in the U.S. in May 2022. 'Rarely does anyone mistake a flock of geese flying in V formation for a fighter squadron flying at high altitudes, but sometimes what is being observed in the sky is not immediately clear and a person may wonder if what they are seeing is a natural phenomenon, a new type of aircraft or something else altogether.' The report by the Sky Canada Project, which is led by the chief science adviser's office, found in a survey it commissioned, that one in four respondents 'personally witnessed a UAP in their lifetime. However, only 10 per cent reported their sightings and 40 per cent of respondents would not know whom to contact for reporting.' One of the report's 14 recommendations is that a federal department or agency must manage unidentified aerial phenomena data from the public. 'This service would collect testimonies, investigate cases and post its analyses publicly,' the report says. 'It would proactively inform Canadians about UAPs.' The report says Transport Canada should encourage pilots, cabin crew and air traffic controllers to report sightings of UAPs 'without fear of stigmatization' as well as analyze the reports to give pilots explanations to 'reduce distractions during flights.' Nemer could not be reached for comment. Winnipegger Chris Rutkowski, an expert on UFOs who publishes the annual Canadian UFO Survey, said he was one of the consultants on the report and went to Ottawa to share his expertise and statistics with Sky Canada Project scientists. 'I'm relatively optimistic they will designate an office,' Rutkowski said. 'They did have such an office until 1995 in the National Research Council. 'They had a contingent of investigators and the RCMP and all of their detectives assisted. But it finished in 1995 when the NRC stepped from an interest in meteors to the CanadArm and Canadians in space. So for 30 years there hasn't been any organized collection of any cases whatsoever.' Rutkowski said that left just his volunteer-based organization and it continues to receive reports. He said Manitobans reported 30 UFOs last year while nationally 1,008 reports were made. 'There have been 25,000 cases since we've been doing the survey since 1989,' he said. Rutkowski said a federal office would be beneficial in other ways, and not just to counter disinformation. 'There is a need to keep track of cases,' he said. 'And, with our now challenging political state, there is a push for greater defence and security. One could argue this may fall under defence.' Sundays Kevin Rollason's Sunday newsletter honouring and remembering lives well-lived in Manitoba. Philip Ferguson, founding director of the University of Manitoba's Space Technology and Advanced Research Laboratory (STARlab) and an associate professor in the department of mechanical engineering, said setting up a federal office to track UAP's 'is a great idea.' 'We live in a time today when people are able to make their own UFOs,' he said. 'Drones are more ubiquitous today than they were even five years ago.' Ferguson, who is also president of the Canadian Aeronautics and Space Institute, said it doesn't mean the office would only receive reports from people who believe they have seen aliens from another plant. 'UFO or UAP does not mean an alien,' he said. 'It means they have seen something that they don't know what it is. With where our technology is, I do think it is important to have a uniform location for where Canadians can report these things.' Kevin RollasonReporter Kevin Rollason is a general assignment reporter at the Free Press. He graduated from Western University with a Masters of Journalism in 1985 and worked at the Winnipeg Sun until 1988, when he joined the Free Press. He has served as the Free Press's city hall and law courts reporter and has won several awards, including a National Newspaper Award. Read more about Kevin. Every piece of reporting Kevin produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press's tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press's history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates. Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber. Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
USA Today
11-02-2025
- Politics
- USA Today
University of Akron president says he supports 'right to retool' Rethinking Race series
UA president says the university opted to not fund the Rethinking Race series in 2025 following low attendance at November's event. RJ Nemer says he supports "the program's panel themes, the thought-provoking discussions and the dynamic keynote speakers." University of Akron President R.J. Nemer issued a statement Tuesday about the decision to discontinue the Rethinking Race series, adding context to the news that it would not be held this year due to state and federal guidance on diversity, equity and inclusion efforts at public universities. Nemer said he was writing to "address widespread speculation and the resulting concerns" over the ending of the program, noting it was not budgeted for this year after the last event was held in November. Attendance at that event was low, he said, leading to a decision not to move forward with it this year and to reallocate the funds. Nemer said while he wasn't aware of the decision at that time, "I nevertheless support the office's right to retool." As a past co-chair of the event, he said: "I offer my voice of support for the importance of the program's panel themes, the thought-provoking discussions and the dynamic keynote speakers. Simultaneously, I trust the UA leadership team to make programming decisions that best reflect the strongest programs and the best use of resources." Rumors began swirling two weeks ago that the series had been canceled. The university issued a statement confirming it would no longer be held as a result of recent executive orders on DEI from the Trump administration. "While the University offers a variety of events for students and the community, we must do so in the context of a state institution that is required to abide by law, regulations and guidance at both the federal and state levels, from which we receive funding," a university statement said. "As a result of that guidance, the University has decided not to budget for Rethinking Race this year." In a Beacon Journal op-ed this week, UA Board Chairman Lewis W. Adkins Jr., the sole Black member of the Board of Trustees, said there were more reasons than just DEI pushback behind the decision not to continue with the series. "Rethinking Race was a program that involved students, faculty, staff and community members alike to discuss issues of race relations, equity and other salient topics," Adkins wrote. "Its history traces back to the Clinton administration. Last year, however, there was a significant decline in attendance. "This fact, coupled with the desire to connect more people, prompted the university office charged with this type of programming to retool and revitalize its offerings. As such, in looking toward the 2025-2026 academic year, the Office of Community Engagement, Opportunity & Belonging did not budget for Rethinking Race in its present form." Nemer said in his letter to campus that events for Black History Month are "carrying on as planned." "While there are no plans to offer Rethinking Race in its past form in the years to come, there is certainly room for similar programs — ones that bring together panels of experts and provide forums for tough conversations," he said. "Most importantly, I can assure our close-knit community that The University of Akron remains committed to ensuring discussions that promote a safe campus environment and a universal sense of belonging." Contact education reporter Jennifer Pignolet at jpignolet@ at 330-996-3216 or on Twitter @JenPignolet.
Euronews
07-02-2025
- Politics
- Euronews
Arab Americans despair as Trump says US will 'take over' Gaza
When Euronews spoke to Faye Nemar and Albert Abbas soon after Donald Trump clinched a second term in the White House back in November, they were upbeat. The Lebanese American founders of the MENA American Chamber of Commerce (MENACOC) had just hosted an 'iconic' meeting with Trump at Abbas' restaurant in Michigan, where Trump signed a 'peace plaque'. 'We saw the sincerity in his platform,' Nemer told Euronews at the time. 'He was a very genuine individual, very committed to ensuring peace in the region' — by which she meant the Middle East. Three months later, things look very different. During a press conference on Tuesday at the White House with a smiling Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Trump announced his intention to 'take over the Gaza Strip,' forcibly displacing Gaza's 2 million residents. In a letter addressed to the president and shared with Euronews, Nemer reminded Trump of his visit to Michigan, contrasting it with his latest comments. '(Your) vision of peace requires a commitment to a sovereign Palestinian state and must not be confused with policies that are tantamount to the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians—a notion alarmingly reflected in your recent statements,' she wrote. Another Palestinian American activist and co-founder of the Arab American Democratic Caucus in North Carolina (ACNCDP), Dr Burhan Ghanayem, was more blunt. 'Our community is in disarray,' he told Euronews. Warning signs? Not everyone is surprised by Trump's ideas about Gaza, given his long history of outlandish statements and policies towards Muslims in general. In 2016 Trump vowed 'a total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States,' and as president signed an executive order suspending migration from several Muslim-majority countries. He also relocated the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, recognising the contested city as the Israeli capital, and formally recognised the Israeli annexation of the Golan Heights — an area viewed by international law as occupied Syrian territory. More recently, in March 2024, Trump's influential son-in-law, Jared Kushner — who served as Trump's de-facto Middle East envoy during his first term — posited an eerily similar idea to the president's current plan, suggesting that Israel displace Gazan residents from the territory while they 'clean it up'. 'Gaza's waterfront property could be very valuable,' he said. All of this led Egyptian-American human rights activist Nancy Okail to conclude that 'Trump sees the region as one giant real estate deal.' Speaking after the election in November last year, she pointed to Trump's appointment of property mogul Steve Witkoff as Middle East envoy, suggesting he would 'further legitimise Israeli annexation efforts'. A Palestinian peace activist in the West Bank was equally unsurprised, telling Euronews that 'Trump works like a bulldozer: nothing stands in his way and he will go on with his plans'. Even Nemer and Abbas have started to express 'concern' with some of the president's actions in the transition period and the first days of his presidency. Abbas cited an executive order allowing the deportation of students Trump accuses of being 'Hamas sympathisers', including 'aliens who joined in the protests'. Nemer, meanwhile, was unhappy with comments made by Trump's pick for Israeli ambassador, Mike Huckabee, who refers to the occupied West Bank by its biblical name 'Judea and Samaria' — a rallying cry also used by the Israeli far-right. Then there was Trump's inauguration. 'One issue that I had with the inauguration was the lack of representation of Muslim and Arab Americans,' Nemer said. 'They were front and centre during the campaign trail, on stage with President Trump … But those same iconic individuals were nowhere to be seen during the inauguration.' A Trump-supporting imam from the same town as Nemer was slated to speak at the event, but was 'inexplicably' removed at the last minute. 'Representation is critical, not just during the campaign process, but also as you implement your administration,' Nemar added, admitting that the Trump campaign hadn't reached out in recent months despite promising 'monthly meetings'. Blame on all sides Although Arab American voters from all sides of the political spectrum have expressed 'concern and criticism' about Trump's announcement, many still remember feeling they had no choice but to vote for him. After over a year of Israeli bombardment of Gaza and Lebanon with US military and diplomatic support under President Joe Biden, many voters were infuriated to see the party they had traditionally voted for declining to withdraw military support from Netanyahu's government. Support for Democrats among Muslim and Arab American voters halved between the 2020 and 2024 elections. Reflecting on the Democrats' poor performance within the community, Ghanayam said, 'the party failed. The party failed the constituents. The party lost.' The co-founder of ACNCDP lost close friends in Gaza. He also has family in Tulkarm in the West Bank, which is currently the focus of intense Israeli bombardment, causing what Ghanayam describes as the 'destruction and ethnic cleansing of my hometown' — actions which he sees the previous Democratic leadership as 'completely complicit in'. Echoing Ghanayem's rhetoric, Congresswoman Tlaib suggested Trump was able to break with established foreign policy convention 'because of bipartisan support in Congress for funding genocide and ethnic cleansing'. Ghanayem said that his party desperately needed to change, but when asked how likely change was, he was downbeat. 'If I wanted to put it from one to 10, I would say the chances are three, four,' he told Euronews. Despite their increasing reservations, the MENACOC founders certainly aren't ready to abandon Trump yet. 'It's just a matter of now giving the new administration time to become more acclimated and to engage communities,' Nemer concluded. Both she and Abbas also still credit Trump with the fragile ceasefires negotiated in Gaza and Lebanon and Nemer is hoping to establish local Republican outreach in the community. In North Carolina, Ghanayem also won't be changing sides anytime soon, concluding the call with a lacklustre endorsement of the Democrats. 'We really do not see an alternative.'
CBS News
07-02-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
Michigan organization sends letter to Trump after comments on Gaza Strip
(CBS DETROIT) - One local organization that represents Middle Eastern Americans has written a letter to the Trump administration after it said it was troubled by the president's comments on Gaza earlier this week. The letter comes after Mr. Trump said on Tuesday that the U.S. would "take over the Gaza Strip" and "own it," and suggested that the Palestinian people should live elsewhere. The comments troubled many Arab Americans in Metro Detroit, including Faye Nemer, the CEO of the Middle East and North Africa American (MENA) Chamber of Commerce. Nemer told CBS News Detroit that Mr. Trump's press conference inspired her to draft the letter to his administration. "That was the inflection point for us, hearing the commentary and the rhetoric during that press conference. It was very problematic and concerning from a community standpoint to hear such statements being made," Nemer said. In the open letter to the president, MENA notes that just before getting elected, Mr. Trump visited Dearborn and promised the Arab American community he would bring peace to the Middle East. Now, the organization is urging his administration to stick to that commitment. Nemer says, though, that she's optimistic because she says while Mr. Trump says a lot, he doesn't always mean what he says and that the US taking over Gaza is unrealistic. "We feel like it's too far-fetched of a proposal. It is unrealistic," she said. Nemer says that many in her community are still supporting the president after voting for him in November, especially after this recent ceasefire in Israel and Gaza. But she says if that plan in Gaza were to ever come to fruition, she could say many people would regret their decision to vote for him.
