Canadian diplomat in Cuba also suffered hearing loss

Canadian diplomat in Cuba also suffered hearing loss

WASHINGTON

The Canadian government said Thursday that at least one Canadian diplomat in Cuba also has been treated for hearing loss after disclosures that a group of American diplomats in Havana suffered severe hearing loss that U.S. officials believe was caused by an advanced sonic device.

Global Affairs Canada spokeswoman Brianne Maxwell said Canadian officials “are aware of unusual symptoms affecting Canadian and US diplomatic personnel and their families in Havana. The government is actively working – including with US and Cuban authorities – to ascertain the cause.”

In the fall of 2016, a series of U.S. diplomats began suffering unexplained losses of hearing, according to officials with knowledge of the investigation into the case.

Politicians blocking people on social media ignites debate

SALT LAKE CITY

An emerging debate about whether elected officials violate people’s free speech rights by blocking them on social media is spreading across the U.S. as groups sue or warn politicians to stop the practice.

The American Civil Liberties Union this week sued Maine Gov. Paul LePage and sent warning letters to Utah’s congressional delegation. It followed recent lawsuits against the governors of Maryland and Kentucky and President Donald Trump.

Trump’s frequent and often unorthodox use of Twitter and allegations he blocks people with dissenting views has raised questions about what elected officials can and cannot do on their official social media pages.

Politicians at all levels increasingly embrace social media to discuss government business, sometimes at the expense of traditional town halls or in-person meetings.

2016 weather report: Extreme and anything but normal

WASHINGTON

Last year’s global weather was far more extreme or record breaking than anything approaching normal, according to a new report.

The U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on Thursday released its annual checkup of the Earth, highlighting numerous records including hottest year, highest sea level and lowest sea ice in the Arctic and Antarctica.

The 299-page report, written by scientists around the world and published in the Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society, shows that 2016 was “very extreme and it is a cause for concern,” said co-editor Jessica Blunden, a NOAA climate scientist.

Navy secretary says ‘any patriot’ should be able to serve

NORFOLK, Va.

The nation’s new Navy secretary says he’ll take direction from the Pentagon regarding President Donald Trump’s call for a ban on transgender service members, but he adds that “any patriot that wants to serve and meets all the requirements should be able to serve in our military.”

Richard V. Spencer made the comments Thursday in response to reporters’ questions as he visited a naval base in Norfolk, Va.

The former businessman was sworn in Aug. 3, a little more than a week after Trump declared the ban via Twitter.

Transgender people have been allowed to serve openly since June 2016. The White House and the Pentagon are working out the details of a new transgender policy under President Trump.

Associated Press