The Wednesday news briefing: An at-a-glance survey of some top stories

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TORY MPs ADMONISH TRUDEAU OVER LGBTQ APOLOGY: Two Conservative MPs say Prime Minister Justin Trudeau went too far in his apology for past state-sanctioned discrimination against LGBTQ. Conservative MP Harold Albrecht said Trudeau went beyond apologizing for historical wrongs when he expressed his support for children discovering their sexual orientation or gender identity as young as the age of six. Tory MP Ted Falk says he supported an apology but the fact that some of the statements went beyond that kept him from responding with as much enthusiasm as others in the Commons.

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PRODUCER FIRED OVER SEXUAL HARASSMENT ALLEGATIONS:  An executive producer for several Vancouver-shot superhero shows has been fired following a “thorough investigation” into allegations of sexual harassment against him. Warner Bros. Television Group says it has terminated Andrew Kreisberg’s employment. Kreisberg had been suspended from his work on “Arrow,” “Supergirl,” “The Flash” and “Legends of Tomorrow” amid accusations of sexual harassment and inappropriate touching made by 19 former and current employees. Kreisberg had responded by saying he made comments of women’s appearance or clothes in a non sexualized manner.

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GOVERNMENT PROMISES TREATMENT CENTRE FOR ONTARIO FIRST NATION: The federal government has promised to pay for a treatment centre for an Ontario reserve plagued by mercury contamination. Indigenous Services Minister Jane Philpott delivered the news to community leaders during a meeting Wednesday in Toronto that included Ontario Indigenous Relations Minister David Zimmer. Mercury contamination has plagued the English-Wabigoon River system in northwestern Ontario for half a century, since a paper mill dumped 9,000 kilograms of the substance into the river systems in the 1960s.

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TORIES WANT MORNEAU TO RESIGN: Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer is calling for Bill Morneau’s resignation and says if he fails to do so, then Prime Minister Justin Trudeau should just fire him. Morneau has been under fire for weeks when he proposed tax-system changes that enraged small business owners. Since then, Morneau has faced intense political pressure for not fully disclosing his personal financial arrangements. 

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BLOGGERS WHO DENY CLIMATE CHANGE EFFECTS ON POLAR BEARS IGNORE SCIENCE: An analysis of dozens of blogs that question the threat climate change poses to polar bears has found the writers ignore virtually all the science on bears and sea ice. The study looked at 90 blogs that regularly discuss climate change. Half supported the consensus view that changes are happening and are the result of human activity. The other half didn’t.

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ARGUMENTS OPEN IN RCMP SEX ASSAULT CASE: The Crown says a retired RCMP inspector mistakenly thought that a civilian employee consented to sexual activity in a washroom at the force’s British Columbia headquarters. Michelle Booker says Tim Shields did not take any steps to see if the woman agreed to allow him to allegedly kiss and grope her in 2009. Shields was charged with one count of sexual and has pleaded not guilty.

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U.S. RATTLES ECONOMIC SABRE AGAINST NORTH KOREA: U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson says the U.S. may target additional financial institutions with sanctions following North Korea’s latest intercontinental missile launch. Tillerson didn’t specify which institutions could be targeted. His comments came after U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Twitter that more sanctions were coming. North Korea said the missile it launched Wednesday can carry a large nuclear warhead and has “significantly more” power than missiles it’s tested earlier.

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SHOCK EXPRESSED OVER LAURER FIRING: Natalie Morales says she was shocked when she woke up Wednesday to learn that her former “Today” show co-anchor Matt Lauer had been fired. She says the “Today” show has been her family for 16 years and learning about the allegations against Lauer is very difficult. She has also praised the unnamed woman whose accusations led to Lauer’s dismissal by NBC.

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The Canadian Press