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AUSTIN, TEXAS -- Texas' power grid manager was fired Wednesday amid growing calls for his ouster following February's deadly blackouts that left millions of people without electricity and heat for days in subfreezing temperatures. Bill Magness, CEO of the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, becomes the second senior official to depart in the wake of the one of the worst blackouts in U.S. Source

HONG KONG -- A marathon court hearing for 47 democracy activists charged under Hong Kong's national security law entered its fourth day on Thursday, as the court deliberates whether the defendants will be granted bail. The mass case is the most sweeping action taken against the city's pro-democracy camp since the security law was implemented last June. Source

TORONTO -- A school in Vaughan, Ont., will soon be renamed after late Somali-Canadian journalist Hodan Nalayeh, known for her courageous storytelling and passion for education. Trustees with the York Region District School Board voted on Tuesday night to change the name of Vaughan Secondary School, which originally honoured Benjamin Vaughan, a slaveholder in the 18th century. Source

The mother of two girls who were murdered by their father on Christmas Day in 2017 in Oak Bay, B.C., says she is relieved to hear about new changes to Canada's Divorce Act recognizing the impact of family violence. "It was a huge relief for me," Sarah Cotton-Elliott said to CBC's Gregor Craigie during one of her first interviews since her daughters' deaths. Source

WASHINGTON -- Cheered on by President Joe Biden, House Democrats hustled Wednesday to pass the most ambitious effort in decades to overhaul policing nationwide, able to avoid clashing with moderates in their own party who are wary of reigniting a debate they say hurt them during last fall's election. Source

Air Canada has agreed to offer refunds to passengers who had their travel plans cancelled because of the pandemic as part of a potential bailout package from the federal government, says a source with knowledge of the negotiations. Source

A lawyer for Meng Wanzhou accused former U.S. president Donald Trump Wednesday of leaving a "stain" on the Canadian justice system by threatening to intervene in extradition proceedings against the Huawei executive in pursuit of a trade deal. Source

TORONTO -- A year of the COVID-19 pandemic has rendered many sectors unrecognizable, including charities, as entire countries have ground to a halt with lockdowns and border closures to fight the coronavirus. Rainbow Railroad is an international LGBTQ2S+ organization based in Canada that provides pathways to safety for persecuted members of the queer community all over the world. Source

SEATTLE -- A federal judge on Wednesday ordered the release of suburban Seattle man and prominent member of the Proud Boys far-right group, pending trial on charges filed in connection with the January insurrection at the U.S. Source

SASKATOON -- Shemar Barnett’s post-secondary life of mentoring youth from underserved communities in Toronto was nearly railroaded by one false accusation in high school. Three years ago, hallway security cameras captured him shaking hands with a group of students, who went on to bully another student off-campus. Source