Category: CNN Regional

By Judy Trinh

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    OTTAWA (CTV Network) — Faced with rising threats from competing states and climate change, the top military minds in the Canadian Armed Forces are drafting a plan to bolster the nation’s defences by creating a civil force made up of 300,000 volunteers.

The unclassified document was distributed by the Strategic Joint Staff, the internal group that provides military advice and analysis to Chief of Defence Staff Gen. Jennie Carignan.

The details are outlined in a document with the title CDS/DM PLANNING DIRECTION – DEFENCE MOBILIZATION PLAN. The nine-page defence mobilization plan (DMP) document was dated May 30.

An ominous warning is embedded in the opening lines: “Rising threats fueled by accelerating technologies present urgent simultaneous and unparalleled challenges to Canada’s ability to defend itself. Global security has been dramatically affected by the rise of strategic competition among states combined with the growing frequency and intensity of natural disasters linked to climate change.”

The existence of the internal document was first reported by the Ottawa Citizen.

The plan calls for a “whole of society” approach, “in order to assure the defence of Canada against domestic threats ranging from low-intensity natural disaster response to high-intensity large scale combat operations.” The document states that the plan has to be “timely and scalable.”

It sets a target of boosting the number of reservists from 30,000 to 100,000 and recruiting 300,000 volunteers to join a supplementary force.

“It’s part of transformation and modernization efforts, which includes increasing our primary reserve and our supplementary reserve. We have to be prepared in times of crisis, whether it’s here or anywhere else,” said Carignan in an interview with CTV National News Chief News Anchor Omar Sachedina on Remembrance Day. “All Canadians will be invited to voluntarily serve.”

The document states that the supplementary force “should initially prioritize volunteer public servants at the federal and provincial/territorial level.”

Those who join the civil defence corps would face less restrictive age limits and meet lower physical and fitness requirements. Their training would be limited to five days per year to ensure accessibility.

In that short period, volunteers would learn skills such as shooting, moving, communicating, driving a truck and flying a drone, according to the mobilization plan. Canada’s civilian force would get medical coverage during training, but not pensionable benefits.

The mobilization plan was sent to 20 top Canadian commanders and admirals, including leaders at Norad and NATO, special forces and cybercom. The plan has not been approved by the government in its current form. However, Defence Minister David McGuinty says he supports the idea of a volunteer defence corps.

“The notion of having a civil force of Canadians ready and willing and able to serve their country is something that has been talked about for years in Canada. It’s something our allies are doing and pursuing very actively,” McGuinty said, pointing to both Finland and Sweden as examples for Canada to follow.

The two Nordic countries have hundreds of thousands of citizens who are trained to respond to both manmade and natural disasters. The volunteers help operate public and private bomb shelters and co-ordinate emergency responses at the community level.

CTV National News’ Genevieve Beauchemin recently reported on Sweden’s “total defence” strategy, which involves enlisting all citizens to prepare for war.

In response to a question from CTV News about the composition of a civilian force, McGuinty said he wants to see public servants join, but also “bankers and mechanics on the shop floor.”

But creating a civil force will be another challenge on top of the military’s current recruitment struggles.

The Canadian Armed Forces does not yet have enough soldiers to reach its “authorized strength” of 71,500 soldiers and 30,000 reservists. It still needs to recruit approximately 15,000 more people.

McGuinty says he’s optimistic the military will reach that target soon given the government’s new investments in defence.

“We just put $82 billion in the budget to strengthen our Canadian Armed Forces…there’s positive take up and recruitment is up 55 per cent from last year,” McGuinty said.

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By Ivan Taylor

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    Miami-Dade (WFOR) — A man caught on surveillance video stealing merchandise from a jewelry kiosk inside a Miami-Dade shopping center is now the subject of a police search, and investigators are asking for the public’s help to identify him.

According to the manager of Glamour, the kiosk targeted in the theft, the crime was carried out by a man and a woman working together. While the woman distracted the salesperson, the suspect reached across the counter and grabbed a box of jewelry — valued at $8,000 – before slipping it into a bag and walking away.

The manager, who asked not to show her face, said the pair approached the kiosk on Tuesday morning.

Surveillance video captures repeated attempts A surveillance camera positioned above the booth captured the man looking around repeatedly before making multiple attempts to reach over the counter. After several tries, he managed to take the merchandise and leave. The woman he appeared to be working with stayed on the opposite side of the kiosk, engaging the employee.

“It should not happen — that’s terrible,” said shopper Nina Hudson, who also noted how surprising it was that no one noticed the theft. “It’s such an open mall, and no one saw it? It’s very sad.”

Nearby stores unaware of theft Employees at nearby stores said they were unaware that anything had happened until they learned the kiosk had closed on Wednesday.

Dorian Zarza, who owns a store just a few feet away from the kiosk, said the theft is troubling.

“You can see the man’s face clearly,” he noted. “It’s concerning, really. We believed these things wouldn’t happen here, much less so early.”

Kiosk targeted twice in one week The manager of Glamour said this is the second time in less than a week that the kiosk has been targeted, although the earlier incident was not nearly as costly.

She emphasized that the suspect did not act alone.

“The value of everything they stole was $8,000,” she said. “This affects not only the owner but the employees, too.”

Security officials decline to comment Security officials for the shopping center did not respond to requests for surveillance footage from other cameras in the mall.

The Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office has been notified about the case but declined to comment.

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By Meghan Mosley

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    Oklahoma (KOCO) — It has been exactly four years since Julius Jones was set to be executed by the state of Oklahoma.

His case made national headlines, and it is one many Oklahomans remember. But for his family, this case has defined their lives for more than 20 years.

“You’ve kept faith this whole time. Talk to me about that,” KOCO’s Meghan Mosley said to Julius’ mother, Madeline Davis-Jones.

“That’s all I have. All you need is a little bit of faith,” Davis-Jones said.

Faith is what has gotten the mother through the last two decades.

“Three days after he had just turned 19, all of this happened,” Davis-Jones said.

It was July 1999, when businessman Paul Howell was shot and killed in front of his family in Edmond.

“It happened so fast, and you’re just in this situation where you’re just thinking… run,” Rachel Howell, Paul Howell’s daughter, said in 2021.

Julius was charged for the crime and was later sentenced to death for Paul Howell’s murder.

“Julius Jones murdered Paul Howell in cold blood in front of his sister and daughter,” former Oklahoma Attorney General Mike Hunter said in 2020.

Julius’ life, and his mother’s life, changed in that moment.

“It could just take a few minutes, and your life can be turned upside down,” Davis-Jones said.

While her life changed, the case took off. It drew national attention due to another person admitting to the murder and various claims of racial bias.

A-list celebrities even took up the case.

Meanwhile, a mother was still doing everything she could to keep her son alive.

“My faith and the people I’m surrounded by keeps me a lot. It gives me strength,” Davis-Jones said.

Nov. 18, 2021, was the day he would have been put to death.

“Walk me through Nov. 18. That day,” Meghan Mosley said.

“Oh gosh, you would do that to me. Nov. 18, well the night before, can I go back a little bit?” Davis-Jones said. “When we made it home that evening, I just had to give it to the Lord. I said You gave me this child, and I’m going to have to give him back to You. I said because I did all I could do. I know he’s innocent, and I don’t believe that You would give me something and take it away like that, and I just had to trust Him.”

But in the hours before Julius was set to die, Gov. Kevin Stitt spared his life, commuting his sentence to life without the possibility of parole.

“Next thing I know, when they told me that the governor had stopped the execution, I don’t know how to tell you how I felt. You know, how you feel a sigh of relief, and it’s like something has been taken from you but given back to you,” Davis-Jones said. “I was happy but then sad because he’s still not coming home.”

The Jones family said their fight is still not over.

“You were hesitant when you said justice for Julius. Do you think he got justice?” Meghan Mosley asked.

“I don’t feel he got justice. It’s I song a listen to. It’s good to be alive, but it’s best to live. And I don’t feel like that he’s gotten justice. He’s gotten a chance to someday have true justice,” Davis-Jones said.

His attorneys are still pushing to get him out.

“Why are you guys still fighting for him to get out?” Meghan Mosley asked.

“We’re fighting for him, because we know that he’s innocent,” Davis-Jones said.

But in the meantime, Julius remains optimistic about life.

“I think it’s amazing how he’s incarcerated, but he still has this vision, this gift, and God has brought out a lot of gifts in him,” Davis-Jones said. “The last time I was able to see him, he was beginning to get gray, but I told him he’s joining in the club now. It’s just a lot of things, but I try to look at the positive things.”

His mother also remains hopeful for the future.

“I have a good feeling, if they really do the right thing and put all the pieces together, I know he’s coming on home,” Davis-Jones said.

KOCO reached out to the family of Paul Howell. His daughter, Rachel, said that their family continues to live every day with the reality that her father was murdered, and their lives were permanently changed.

While others mark the date as an anniversary of clemency, for the Howell family, it’s a reminder of the life that was taken and the pain they still carry.

This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting.

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By Kilee Thomas

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    SHAWNEE, Oklahoma (KOCO) — An 18-year-old girl in Pottawatomie County is in critical condition after law enforcement said she was stabbed 14 times by an obsessed co-worker outside her home.

According to a 911 call, the attacker approached the girl wearing a ski mask while she was eating a burger on her porch near Hillcrest Drive in Shawnee.

“Someone with a ski mask came up to my daughter on the porch. She was eating a burger and what did he do? He started stabbing her, and he said he was so sorry. He said, ‘I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I’m sorry,’ and he started stabbing her,” the 911 caller said.

Authorities said the attacker hid and waited for the teen before launching the assault.

“He was just obsessed with this female. She had no interest whatsoever, and it just drove him to the brink of committing this crime. He went as far as sending unsolicited DoorDash orders, different gifts that were not wanted,” said Capt. Jared Strand, Pottawatomie County Sheriff’s Office public information officer.

The teenager and the 24-year-old suspect worked together, which is when the stalking began, deputies said.

The teenager’s older brother intervened during the attack, sustaining minor injuries.

“He saved his sister’s life,” Strand said.

The girl suffered wounds to her neck, wrist, face and lungs.

Through interviews and matching the suspect’s vehicle, deputies identified the co-worker and arrested him in Newalla, where they found evidence linking him to the attack.

“Anything like this, please report it to us immediately. Even though it may appear not to be a big deal and it’s someone who may have a crush on you or whatever it is, call us so we can take an information report, so we have all this information documented,” he said.

This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting.

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By Beau Bowman

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    DES MOINES, Iowa (KCCI) — A rifle was found on the roof of a Des Moines police squad car around 2 p.m. Sunday after someone driving behind the car noticed it and alerted an officer.

“I thought maybe it was a bike rack at first or something but I kind of seen it hanging over the edge and I was like no … is that … ? I think that’s an assault rifle just sitting on top of their vehicle,” said Andrea Jones, who first saw the weapon on the roof near the Des Moines Public Schools Central Campus on the west side of downtown.

Jones said she caught up with the officer at a red light, got out of her car and waved him down.

“I approached him with caution and just told him and he was completely stunned, and I could just tell on his face like he was a little confused, and I keep telling him, and I’m like pointing, ‘There’s something up there that you might want to get,’” she said.

Des Moines Police Chief Michael McTaggart called the incident a “serious mistake,” and said the officer seen in the video was not at fault; the rifle had been left on the vehicle by the officer who used the car earlier.

“At shift change, an officer was offloading his equipment, set his rifle on top of the car, and then left and left that rifle there. Next officer came in, checked that car out, and didn’t see the rifle on the roof and drove away,” said Sgt. Paul Parizek, the department’s public information officer. “I think we’ve all had a situation in our lives when we’ve misplaced something, we’re looking for it. We walk by it two or three different times. That might help explain it. But it definitely does not excuse what happened.”

Jones said she was grateful the rifle was removed before anyone was hurt.

“Well then (my niece) said what if it falls off, and I was like, ‘Don’t say that, we’re behind him, what if it fires off or something?’”

DMPD says the incident is under internal review.

This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting.

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