Four stories in the news today, April 13

Four stories in the news today, April 13, from The Canadian Press:

ONTARIO AND QUEBEC ANNOUNCE CLIMATE CHANGE DEAL TODAY

The premiers of Ontario and Quebec will ink a cap-and-trade deal to try to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The deal between the two provinces comes in advance of a premier’s meeting in Quebec City this week on emission targets. The federal government is pushing the provinces to give updated details on their climate targets ahead of a major international climate change conference in December.

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SENTENCING ARGUMENTS SET TO START TODAY FOR FORMER EDUCATION MANDARIN WHO PLEADED GUILTY TO CHILD PORN CHARGES

It’s expected lawyers will begin arguments today on a sentence for a former Manitoba and Ontario deputy education minister on child pornography-related charges. Benjamin Levin pleaded guilty to three counts in a Toronto court last month. The 63-year-old issued a statement saying he is “deeply ashamed”of his actions.

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CARGO SECURITY PROJECT CONTINUED DESPITE DOUBTS, DOCUMENTS SUGGEST

A federal memo says a pilot project on cargo security run in Montreal was almost cancelled because a senior Canadian border services official saw little value in it. The project in Montreal involved American and Canadian customs agents working more closely to eliminate duplication in clearing cargo entering the U.S. A heavily censored memo obtained by The Canadian Press said while the project had some success, several challenges popped up. Despite the difficulties, the Canada Border Services Agency decided to continue the initiative and the agency says an assessment is being done to determine its value.

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DEFENCE DEPARTMENT SHUNS U.S.-TRAINED PSYCHIATRIST DESPITE SHORTAGE OF MENTAL HEALTH STAFF

A former U.S. Air Force psychiatrist says he and other foreign-trained professionals could ease the shortage of mental health professionals in Canada’s military, but their job applications keep getting rejected. Dr. Arthur Keith has lived in Canada for 25 years and is licensed to practise in Ontario. He filed a discrimination complaint against DND after a private company that handles some of the military’s medical care rejected his job application. His case goes to a Canadian Human Rights Commission tribunal in Toronto today.

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