Latest news with #removal
CTV News
21 hours ago
- Politics
- CTV News
‘Bring her back to us': List of public figures demanding answers over Rhonda Blackmore's removal grows larger
WATCH: Regina MP Michael Kram is the latest to demand answers on why Rhonda Blackmore was removed as Sask. RCMP head. Wayne Mantyka reports. The list of public officials demanding answers on why Rhonda Blackmore was removed as the head of the Saskatchewan RCMP is continuing to grow. Regina Wascana MP Michael Kram is arguing that the secrecy around her removal is unfair to both her and the public. Over a month has now passed since Blackmore was relieved of command of RCMP F Division without public explanation. 'Well, I just think it's totally unacceptable for Ms. Blackmore's reputation and career to be ruined as a result of anonymous complaints,' Kram told CTV News Monday. 'So, I feel it's time for the Minister of Public Safety to come clean to start providing some answers. Not only for Ms. Blackmore, but for the general public as well.' So far, there has been no response from the RCMP or the federal government. Earlier, the Government of Saskatchewan wrote to the federal Minister of Public Safety – raising concerns over the removal. 'The concern that was raised was quite simply that we lost our commanding officer of F Division and have very few details around that and it's been quite some time since that removal,' Saskatchewan's Minister of Corrections and Public Safety Tim McLeod told reporters on July 8. Blackmore has since been reassigned and is serving as the RCMP's Assistant Commissioner for Indigenous and Support Services. The FSIN has called for her reinstatement in Saskatchewan. 'We hope they reinstate her or bring her back to us where she can have that relationship,' FSIN Chief Bobby Cameron told CTV News on July 13. 'Maybe having her in these detachments, overseeing these investigations, to communicate with First Nations. Right now, there's mistrust. We don't trust, we don't trust the current system.' The provincial government is currently awaiting a response from Ottawa. Meanwhile, Kram says if he doesn't get an answer, he'll be raising the matter in the House of Commons.
Yahoo
21-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
This Illinois man paid $20K to have asbestos removed from his attic — but the crew refused to finish the job
When Michael Flores paid $20,000 to remove asbestos from his attic, he didn't expect to find the toxic material still there — or to learn that the crew had never obtained a license in the first place. Flores had bought the 100-year-old Ottawa, Illinois, home with plans to turn it into a vacation rental near Starved Rock State Park. Knowing the attic was filled with vermiculite insulation — a material often containing asbestos — he hired a local crew to remove it safely. Thanks to Jeff Bezos, you can now become a landlord for as little as $100 — and no, you don't have to deal with tenants or fix freezers. Here's how I'm 49 years old and have nothing saved for retirement — what should I do? Don't panic. Here are 6 of the easiest ways you can catch up (and fast) Nervous about the stock market in 2025? Find out how you can access this $1B private real estate fund (with as little as $10) But after the crew from Clean Air Asbestos and Mold Control LLC declared the job done, Flores went to check for himself — and was stunned. The dangerous insulation was still sitting in the attic. He sent photos of the leftover material to the company, expecting them to fix the issue. Instead, the owner insisted the work was complete. 'I was like, 'No, that's impossible.'' Flores told CBS Chicago. Flores called in another contractor for a second cleaning. That expert confirmed the attic was still hazardous and 'too dangerous for anyone to be here working.' Flores paid an additional $8,000 to finish what should have been done the first time. Whether you're a homeowner or a contractor, it's the kind of nightmare scenario that makes you ill — pay out the money to eliminate a serious health threat, only to discover the danger is still present. And Flores couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong. When Flores later reviewed security footage from his garage, he was disturbed to see workers without proper protective gear — a clear breach of safety protocol. The vacuum being used didn't appear to contain the asbestos at all — it seemed to be blowing dust, likely full of fibers, back into the air. Suspecting something was wrong, Flores contacted the vacuum's manufacturer, who confirmed it wasn't designed for asbestos removal — only standard insulation. Flores ultimately escalated the issue to the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH), submitting camera footage, videos of his attic, and the email from the vacuum manufacturer. More than 200,000 people die each year worldwide from asbestos-related diseases, according to the World Health Organization. Toxic asbestos fibers, when inhaled, can cause devastating illnesses like mesothelioma, lung disease, and even death. The United States account for between 12,000 and 15,000 deaths each year. Read more: Want an extra $1,300,000 when you retire? Dave Ramsey says — and that 'anyone' can do it Internal emails from the IDPH, obtained by CBS Chicago, revealed that employees knew Clean Air Asbestos and Mold Control LLC 'stretched the truth.' But Flores was out of luck. Under Illinois law, asbestos abatement licenses are only required for public buildings, commercial properties and multi-unit residences. That means companies like Clean Air Asbestos and Mold Control LLC can legally take on single-family home jobs — no license required. CBS Chicago contacted agencies across the country and found inconsistent rules. About 25 states responded, many with murky policies that don't regulate asbestos removal in private homes. Only seven states — Maine, Maryland, New York, Utah, Vermont, Virginia and West Virginia — require a license for any asbestos removal, including single-family in private homes. Dr. Arthur Frank, an environmental and occupational health professor at Drexel University, called it a dangerous loophole. "It doesn't matter if it's a household or a commercial entity, or anyplace else,' Frank told CBS Chicago. 'If there's asbestos, you need to remove it properly and safely, and somebody ought to be regulating it. As little as one day of exposure has given some people and some animals mesotheliomas.' Asbestos removal is serious work — and hiring a properly certified professional is critical. If your state requires a license, confirm the company holds one and ask for individual asbestos removal certifications. Make sure they're certified by both the Environmental Protection Agency and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Before the job starts, ask the contractor to walk you through the full abatement process. A reputable contractor should include an initial inspection, sealing off the area with HEPA filtration, minimizing airborne particles with a wetting agent, a final clearance test and proper disposal of all materials. As always, check reviews online with the Better Business Bureau and on contracting sites. For as large — and expensive — as asbestos removal, don't hesitate to ask for recent references. Rich, young Americans are ditching the stormy stock market — here are the alternative assets they're banking on instead Robert Kiyosaki warns of a 'Greater Depression' coming to the US — with millions of Americans going poor. But he says these 2 'easy-money' assets will bring in 'great wealth'. How to get in now This tiny hot Costco item has skyrocketed 74% in price in under 2 years — but now the retail giant is restricting purchases. Here's how to buy the coveted asset in bulk Here are 5 'must have' items that Americans (almost) always overpay for — and very quickly regret. How many are hurting you? Like what you read? Join 200,000+ readers and get the best of Moneywise straight to your inbox every week. This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.
Fox News
07-06-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
JONATHAN TURLEY: Not the homecoming Dems and Abrego Garcia hoped for
Kilmar Abrego Garcia is back in the United States, but he can hardly be thrilled about it. He has been returned not for a removal hearing, but for a trial that could result in a lengthy prison sentence, followed by immediate removal back to El Salvador. After the issuance of the federal grand jury, the United States is likely the last place on Earth that Abrego Garcia wanted to visit. Abrego Garcia had been fighting to return after he was mistakenly removed to El Salvador. That immediately drew irate orders from a federal judge, and many of us argued that the Trump administration should have simply brought him back for what seemed an easy case for removal after a hearing. Instead, the case dragged on for months after the Trump administration challenged the court orders as judicial overreach and unconstitutional. The indictment issued by a federal grand jury allows the administration to end the controversy on its terms. Rather than yielding to the challenged orders, it simply brought Abrego Garcia back to stand trial. It is an example of the old adage "one day on the cover of "Time," next day doing time." Sometimes notoriety can be your undoing. If Abrego Garcia had been removed, little attention would likely have been drawn to his prior conduct. Indeed, as all the Democratic politicians, such as Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., arrived in El Salvador with an army of reporters, one has to wonder if Abrego Garcia was having second thoughts about his challenge. While news organizations like NPR described Abrego Garcia as a family man "living quietly" in Maryland, the facts proved far more damning. He was repeatedly accused of beating his wife. The court record also included allegations of his involvement in a notorious gang: "Per the Prince George's County Police Gang Unit, ABREGO-Garcia was validated as a member of the Mara Salvatrucha (MS13) Gang. Subject was identified as a member of the Mara Salvatrucha MS-13, "Chequeo" from the Western Clique a transnational criminal street gang. This information was provided by tested source who has provided truthful accurate information in the past. See Prince Georges County Police Department (Gang Sheet)." MS-13 is designated as a terrorist organization. Abrego Garcia was also suspected of human trafficking. Indeed, the description of the stop leaves one astonished that he was allowed to drive away. According to DHS: "On Dec. 1, 2022, Abrego Garcia was stopped by the Tennessee Highway Patrol for speeding. Upon approach to the vehicle, the encountering officer noted eight other individuals in the vehicle. There was no luggage in the vehicle, leading the encountering officer to suspect this was a human trafficking incident. Additionally, all the passengers gave the same home address as the subject's home address. During the interview, Abrego Garcia pretended to speak less English than he was capable of and attempted to put the encountering officer off-track by responding to questions with questions. When asked what relationship he had with the registered owner of the vehicle, Abrego Garcia replied that the owner of the vehicle is his boss, and that he worked in construction… The encountering officer decided not to cite the subject for driving infractions but gave him a warning citation for driving with an expired driver's license. Abrego Garcia's driver's license was a MD "Limited Term Temporary" license. The encountering officer gathered names of other occupants in the vehicle but could not read their handwriting. The officer did not pursue further information due to no citation being issued." The videotape mystified many with how Abrego Garcia was allowed to go along his way. Here was an undocumented immigrant stopped with an expired license in a car with eight others traveling from Texas to Maryland. He gave a false statement, and the officer suspected human trafficking but let him go. It is alleged that the person whom Abrego Garcia described as his "boss" at a construction job was Jose Ramon Hernandez Reyes, an illegal migrant previously convicted of human smuggling. The black 2001 Chevrolet Suburban belonged to Hernandez Reyez. Now, the indictment details a broader array of evidence. The grand jury found evidence of extensive human trafficking violations over nine years. The indictment speaks of cooperating witnesses prepared to implicate Abrego Garcia in an international smuggling operation involving guns, narcotics, and humans that included over a one hundred such transports. "Over the course of the conspiracy the coconspirators knowingly and unlawfully transported thousands of undocumented aliens who had no authorization to be present in the United States and many of whom were MS 13 members and associates The co conspirators also worked with transnational criminal organizations in Mexico to transport undocumented aliens through Mexico and into the United States." Ironically, in light of this indictment, any criminal defense attorney worth his salt would have opposed deportation to the United States from El Salvador. Instead, Abrego Garcia will face a much longer possible criminal sentence. He will eventually then be deported to El Salvador regardless of the outcome of the criminal prosecution. Abrego Garcia never had a compelling basis for remaining in the United States. He gamed the system for years, a system that seems utterly incapable of dealing with this national emergency. He will get due process, but make no mistake about it. Abrego Garcia back in the U.S., but it's no homecoming.
