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Once again, we start this morning in Haiti, where the situation in Port Au Prince is growing more dire by the hour.  Airport traffic is backed up, roads are still blocked with rubble from the earthquake, people are still dying on the streets and the strong odour of death is pretty much everywhere.  An estimated 3 to 4 hundred thousand people are living outdoors.  But the actual death toll is still not clear. 

Meantime…U.S. military officials say violence in Haiti is hindering efforts to deliver aid to the quake victims.  9 thousand U.N. peacekeepers and international police are struggling to maintain law and order.  Canada will also send another one thousand soldiers this week to help out on that front.

A U.N. official is holding out hope this morning that more survivor’s of last Tuesday’s earthquake will be found today.  She says there are still people living in collapsed buildings.  Among the survivors found yesterday were a 16 year old Dominican girl, and 2 people were pulled alive from a collapsed supermarket.  The pair apparently survived by eating food that was buried with them.

The Canadian military will have more resources in Haiti today.  The warships HMCS Athabaskan and HMCS Halifax are expected to arrive this morning, loaded with relief supplies.  And another one thousand Canadian soldiers will leave for Haiti this week to help with relief and security.

Also a reminder, if you would like to help by making a donation, there are lots of ways to do that, including both the Salvation Army and Red Cross…both have websites where you can donate.  And, if you’re a Rogers or Fido customer, you can simply text the word help to short code 1291 to make a donation.

The Golden Globes were on last night……and the sci-fi blockbuster, “Avatar,” took home best drama honors, while Canadian James Cameron picked up the directing honor for the film.  T.V. winners included, “Mad Men,” and “Glee,” with best acting honors going to Julianna Margulies of “The Good Wife,” and Michael C. Hall from “Dexter.”

He just “walked through the wrong door.”  That from the lawyer for a man who set off an alarm at New York’s JFK airport this weekend, after a flight from Haiti.  The man’s security breach caused hundreds of flights to be once again delayed, as officials searched for him.  The man was released without bail after a court appearance in New York.

On as the late night wars turn……settlement talks are said to have continued over the weekend, aimed at letting Conan O’Brien leave NBC and the “Tonight Show,” and putting Jay Leno back in that time slot which he pretty much ruled for 17 years.  Meantime, members of Leno’s staff are speaking up for him saying, he’s being wrongly portrayed as the bad guy.

With the sun rising later and setting earlier, the extra darkness can cause some people to experience the “winter blues.”  Canadian experts say that along with the colder weather, and Xmas bills coming due….well..some people may really struggle.  But doctors say one way to keep your spirits up is to open your life to a lot of daylight and sunshine….as well…keep in contact with friends.

For the 2^nd time in a year, Transport Canada officials have raided the offices of Winnipeg based, Fast Air.  Last year, the company was fined more than 200 thousand dollars and had its president charged for allegedly not following maintenance regulations.  Apparently officials in this latest raid were looking at the same concerns. 

The province is apologizing for the emotional abuse suffered by young foster boys at a military style group home 30 years ago.  An investigation was done by the ombudsman, which concluded, discipline at the Cathedral Valley Home for Boys, was at times, excessive.  As well, some boys were emotionally scarred while living there.  The province says healing plans will now be set up for those men who want them.

It’s turning out to be the biggest relief effort in the world’s history.  Plane after plane after plane arrived Haiti yesterday…..from all over the world…with various relief supplies.  In fact, the outpouring was so great that at times, some planes had to be turned away…there just wasn’t any room.  Workers will begin today to start handing out things like food and water…the only problem is, most roads are blocked by debris from the quake, so moving around is an issue. 

By the way, if you do want to help out, there are plenty of ways to make that happen, including those who are Rogers and Fido cell phone customers.  You can now text the message, HELP, to shortcode to 1291 to make a donation.

The Red Cross estimates the death toll from the Haitian earthquake is between 45 and 50 thousand.  4 Canadians are known to have died, and others are still missing.  Canada is among the many countries sending both money and equipment to the country to help with the relief efforts.

George Clooney is putting together a telethon in the U.S. to raise money for earthquake relief.  Although details are still being worked out, a spokesperson says the telethon will likely air on all 3 major networks.  The likely date for the telethon is one week from today.

2 teens from South Korea have been crowned the world’s fastest texters.  The 2 will split the 100 thousand dollar first prize after going thumb to thumb in New York against challengers from Canada and 11 other countries.  The contestants were judged on how fast and accurate they could actually text.

A new poll suggests Prime Minister Harper is paying a price for his decision late last month to suspend Parliament until March.  A new survey shows 44 per cent of Canadians have a favourable impression of Harper, down 7 points from November.  At the same time, those who were no longer a fan of the P.M. , jumped to 48 per cent.

Former NHL star Theo Fleury says he’s filed a criminal complaint against his former junior hockey coach.  Fleury has alleged that Graham James sexually abused him several times when he was a teenaged player.  James did get 3 and a half years in jail, after he was convicted in 1997 of sexually abusing Sheldon Kennedy and another unnamed player, while they too were in junior hockey.

A no fail policy in Manitoba schools is nothing more than an urban myth.  According to a new poll, many parents and even some teachers say they believe there’s a policy that promotes children to keep them with their age group, moving up to the next level despite not having the grades to do so.  But Education Minister Nancy Allan insists that’s not the case.

Interesting cab rides out in Brandon these days.  Some Wheat City cabs have been fitted with custom made condom holders that offer them for free as part of a program aimed at preventing sexual transmitted diseases.  The stay safe strategy is part of the “Take Care Down There,” campaign…an initiative developed by the Brandon Regional Health Authority.

We first told you about this story yesterday.  Winnipeg’s Police Chief says city cops will have to work out on their own time.  Keith McCaskill is rejecting a union suggestion that cops be paid to pump iron so they stay in shape.  He says paying officers to spend time in the gym would mean up to one quarter fewer units out in the city, which of course has one of the highest crime rates in the country.

A massive aid effort is underway in the wake of Haiti’s earthquake.  The U.N. is releasing 10 million dollars in emergency funds, and Canada has committed an immediate 5 million.  As well, a Canadian military transport plane arrive in Port au Prince yesterday with an assessment team.  2 Canadian naval ships will also head for the country today, with chainsaws, generators and more relief supplies.

Meantime, we’ve had confirmation now that at least 3 Canadians were killed in Tuesday’s quake.  As well, 2 Mounties are still missing.

Celebrities and entertainers are using their star power to urge support for survivors of the quake in Haiti.  Stars joining the cause include Oprah Winfrey, Ben Stiller, Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie. 

New research out this morning shows chronic sleep loss can’t be easily cured.  Scientists down in the States have found that chronically sleep deprived adults may function normally soon after waking up, but experience steadily slower reaction times as the day wears on. 

Quite the scene yesterday on highway number one.  A small plane had to make an emergency landing on the Trans Canada near Regina.  The plane touched down yesterday afternoon after experiencing engine problems 10 minutes after take off.  The pilot said he started losing power and couldn’t make it back to the airport, so he had to put the plane down on he highway.

There’s an amazing medical story from Belgium today, where a woman lived in constant pain after a car accident that smashed her windpipe.  Surgeons decided to implant a dead man’s windpipe into her arm, where it grew new tissue before transplanting it into her throat.  Doctors say the woman is now doing amazingly well.

About 1500 nurses at St. Boniface Hospital have got a planned strike vote on February 1^st.  A union spokesperson says workers are concerned mainly over standby and overtime issues, as well as recognition of seniority.  The nurses last contract ran out at the end of September, and talks on a new one began last month. 

Things looking quite good for MPI these days.  The crown owned insurer is reporting a profit of just over 32 million for the 3^rd quarter.  While claims rose during the period, MPI says revenue jumped thanks to investment income.

It was a quake of catastrophic proportions.  Early reports are tricking in from Haiti this morning on the casualties and extent of damage from yesterday’s powerful earthquake.  The Red Cross has just released a statement saying up to 3 million people have been affected by the magnitude 7 quake.  Among the heavily damaged buildings in the capital, is the U.N. Headquarters…where many personnel are still unaccounted for.

It’s a controversial issue.  The head of the city’s police union says officers should be given paid time to work out, so they can keep up with the offenders who target them.  The Police Association says they would like to see officers spend 30 mins. per shift working out at the headquarters gym…so long as the city pays them for it.  But, one city official says the idea is likely not gonna fly…..especially because it’ll open the flood gates to a host of other workers wanting the same thing.

Well, most knew he didn’t like the idea.  But now, it appears that Conan O’Brien will indeed be leaving the peacock network.  O’Brien issued a statement yesterday saying he’ll not host a bumped back Tonight Show.  He went further by saying he can’t participate in what he believes is the destruction of the show.  Rumors that Conan will end up on FOX continue to swirl….but so far, the red headed wonder, has said he’s got no deal in place with any other network.

For the 4^th year running, ABC leads nominees for awards from the Gay and Lesbian Alliance.  The network has earned 8 nominations for the annual GLAAD media awards with shows like, “Grey’s Anatomy,” and “Modern Family.”

And yet another plan to revitalize downtown.  Yesterday, downtown Winnipeg Biz officials announced their idea…which consists of hiring a recruiter of sorts, who would try to drum up business for the area, as well as fill vacant spots.  But opponents of the plan say…..this is a been there done that kind of scenario.  Fact is, there are currently several groups already like Center Venture, and Destination Wpg., doing the same thing.  City officials hope to have the new downtown Czar in place in a couple of months.

Well, don’t know if you’ve heard….but, there are a bunch of parking pro’s in town these days.  Experts from right across North America are in the city to try and figure out better parking for downtown.  Officials say the long term plan is to use parking as an economic tool to entice more people and businesses to move to the core.  The panel of experts will release their ideas to the public today at the Globe theatre in Portage Place.

Fashion designer, Peter Nygard is gearin up for a fight.  He’s gone to court to try and stop CBC television from airing an investigation about him.  Nygard says the program, “The Fifth Estate,” plans to air what he calls a negative and critical story on him…based on info from two former employees.  Nygard says such a story would injure his reputation and cause loss of profit.

A Winnipeg man accused of stabbing a woman more than 50 times has lost his bid to plead guilty to a lesser charge.  21 year old Daniel Johnson tried to plead guilty to manslaughter at his 1^st degree murder trial yesterday, but the Crown refused to accept his plea, saying it’s seeking a conviction on a more serious charge.  19 year old Jaylene Crane was stabbed and killed behind an apartment block in September of 2006.

Animal welfare activists say fatal maulings like the one near London, Ontario this past weekend, will happen again and again, unless that province brings in new rules for dangerous exotic animals.  As we told you yesterday, Norman Buwalda was killed on Sunday after he entered a cage to feed his 300 kilogram Siberian Tiger.  Ontario is the only province in the entire country which doesn’t require a license to own exotic animals.

Hey, just 30 days to go until the start of the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver.  Olympic officials are hard at work, putting the final touches on everything from transportation plans to venue arrangements.  Games head, John Furlong says he thinks Canadians will be proud of the final result.

His hair’s too long !  So, instead of being in class, 4 year old Taylor Pugh of Texas spends his days inside his school library with a teacher’s aide.  Taylor if you can believe it, is currently suspended because his hair is well below his ears.  His mom is still refusing to cut it according to school guidelines…and as a result Taylor is getting a lot of one on one time with his teacher’s aide.

No huge shocker here….but, Simon Cowell says this’ll be his last season on “American Idol.”  The judge says “The X Factor,” a show he created and is a huge hit in Britain, will join Fox’s schedule next year.  Cowell will be on the show, and there are rumors that perhaps one Paula Abdul might be joining him.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper is further explaining his controversial decision to prorogue Parliament until March.  Harper said yesterday, the government can do more important work without MP’s sitting in the Commons.  He says his minority government can now prepare its economic agenda and its March budget.  Meantime, Finance Minister Jim Flaherty was in the city yesterday.  He was meeting and consulting with business leaders about the upcoming budget.

Manitoba’s new one piece driver’s license is ready for pick up.  Starting this week, everyone who renews their license or applies for a new one, will get the new one card license.  All Manitobans should have them in their wallets by February of 2011.  If you want to get one earlier though…you can…it’s just gonna cost ya an extra 10 bucks.

A woman in the city says her family has been targeted by thieves.  Tabitha Robinson says the men forced their way inside her home with a gun and pushed her and her 3 young sons…aged 2, 4 and 5, into a bathroom.  Robinson says the attack may be due to the fact she’s engaged to a man currently serving time in Stony Mtn. on drug charges.  So far, no arrests in the case have been made.

City police are still investigating a deadly car crash that happened on Friday night.  2 men, Adam Gattinger and Tyler Musey, were killed when Adam’s car went out of control and hit a hydro pole on Bishop Grandin, about 11:30 on Friday night.  So far, police think speed may have played a role.

An Ontario man who spent 5 years battling neighbors over the exotic animals he kept on his property, has been killed by his pet tiger.  66 year old Norman Buwalda was mauled to death by his 300 kilogram Siberian tiger yesterday after he went into its cage to feed it.  Back in 2004, a boy was also attacked by Buwalda’s tiger, but fortunately, survived his very serious injuries.

The country’s first amputee soldier says he’s thrilled to return to active duty in Afghanistan.  2 years ago, platoon commander Captain Simon Mailloux was riding in an armored vehicle that was hit by a roadside bomb.  The explosion cost him his leg.  Well now Mailloux says by returning to Afghanistan, he’s showing the insurgents that terror can be overcome.

No more flying free for the father of the so called Balloon Boy.  Richard Heene will begin a 30 day jail sentence today in Colorado.  A judge has also ordered him to pay restitution for the October search and rescue, which apparently will be around 50 grand.  Meantime, despite his guilty plea and emotional apology at his sentencing, Heene is again claiming the incident was no hoax….that he truly thought his son was onboard that balloon.

Starting today, Canadians will have to shell out a few more pennies to mail a first class letter.  The post office says the cost of sending a letter within the country will rise from 54 to 57 cents, while letters to the U.S. will rise 2 cents to one dollar even. 

Canadian director James Cameron’s science fiction epic, “Avatar,” was tops at the North American box office for the 4^th straight weekend, raking in another 48 million dollars.  Worldwide, “Avatar,” has now taken in about 1.3 billion dollars, second only to Cameron’s “Titanic,” which took in 1.8 billion.

Not warming up much down south.  A hard freeze warning is posted for South Florida this morning, and a freeze watch will continue for the next couple of days.  Snow flurries actually fell in Orlando over the weekend, as the Sunshine State shivered in record breaking cold that’s threatening it’s lucrative citrus crops.

More changes for those who fly….but this time it doesn’t involve security.  The Canadian Transportation Agency says Air Canada passengers who are allergic to nuts should be considered disabled.  In fact, the agency is now giving the airline 30 days to come up with a policy to accommodate those people.  It’s suggesting a nut free zone in each plane.  Although the ruling applies only to Air Canada, other carriers are expected to follow suit.

A court appearance is set for today for that Nigerian man charged with trying to blow up a jetliner bound for Detroit.  23 year old Umar Ahb-dool-tah-lahb, is facing 6 charges, including attempted use of a weapon of mass destruction.

Heee’sss baccckkk !  Some big news out of Hollywood last night.  Reports say NBC is about to pull the plug on Jay Leno’s prime time show because of poor ratings.  But, what’s more….reports also say the network is going to move him back to his old time slot…..which would mean Conan O’Brien would and Jimmy Fallon would also move back to their old time slots later in the night.

An arrest has been made in last weekend’s deadly house fire on the Shamattawa reserve in Northern Manitoba.  Police have arrested a 16 year old boy, although no charged have been laid in what police call an arson-homicide investigation.  The blaze claimed the life of an 11 year old boy who was in foster care. 

Some say it’s getting awfully close to big brother.  The feds are apparently developing a system that would allow security agencies to analyze the personal information of every single airline passenger.  It’s in response to U.S. efforts to boost security with a similar system using advanced computers.

Well one thing the Brits don’t do very well is……..cold and snow.  It’s been another night of well below normal temperatures in England, which has been hit by a Canadian-style winter storm.  Early this morning, Liverpool had a temp of -7, and Manchester sank to -12.  The snow and the cold have led to the closure of thousands of schools across Britain.

We’ve all heard about stolen car stories, but, howbout a stolen ambulance?  Well it happened yesterday.  While paramedics were assessing a patient on McGregor street, someone hopped in and drove it away.  It was found a short distance later with only a pair of winter gloves missing.  Apparently the ambulance’s anti theft system wasn’t engaged when this happened.

And, according to NASA, it’s just a matter of time before we find another planet Earth.  The agency says they are on the verge of finding planets like ours orbiting other stars…and, within 4 to 5 years….they expect to find the first one.

It’s the return of the Eagle !  British ski jumper, Eddie, the Eagle, Edwards, who placed dead last in the 1988 Calgary Olympics, is scheduled to run 300 meters with the Olympic torch this morning to usher it out of Winnipeg.  Edwards determination in the 88 games, gained a cult following.  He says he doesn’t ski jump anymore, and is now focused on staying upright while running with the Olympic flame.

The province’s home care workers have launched a t.v. ad campaign to air their grievances.  They say the majority of the 5 thousand workers only get part time hours, leading to a high turnover rate.  And they say this results in a lack of continuity for clients, who must continually get used to new caregivers.

Lord Selkirk School Division says it won’t consider letting 2-14 year old girls facing serious criminal charges, back into school, until they both undergo psych assessments.  The 2 are charged with uttering threats for allegedly plotting attacks on other students on some web networking sites.  Presently, both are in custody.

The lawyer for Canadian born actor, Keanu Reeves will be in a Barrie, Ontario courtroom today.  He’ll be looking to get a paternity suit thrown out.  Karan Sala launched the suit last May seeking millions in retroactive spousal and child support from the Hollywood star, claiming they’d had a sexual relationship, and that Reeves may have fathered one or more of her 4 grown children.  Reeves by the way says he’s never known Sala, and DNA tests have since shown he’s not the father to any of her kids.

That jailed Nigerian man accused of trying to detonate a bomb aboard that plane to Detroit on Xmas Day, will be in court tomorrow.  Umar Ahb-Dool-Moo-Tah-lahb, was indicted yesterday.  He’s charged with attempted murder and trying to use a weapon of mass destruction to kill almost 300 people.  He’s facing life in prison if convicted.

The people still like Ellen DeGeneres…and vampires, too.  The comedian picked up her 11^th trophy at the annual People’s Choice Awards last night, winning for favorite talk show.  Other t.v. winner’s including, “True Blood,” “The Vampire Diaries,” and “Glee.”  Johnny Depp was also named favorite movie actor of the decade.

It’s a big ole shot in the wallet for Gilbert Arenas.  The Washington Wizards point guard has been suspended indefinitely without pay by the NBA.  Arenas admits that he brought guns into the Wizards locker room.  He’ll now lose about 147 thousand dollars for each game he misses.

A freeze in Florida is putting upward pressure on orange juice prices.  The price of frozen orange juice concentrate is now at a 2 year high, after jumping 10 per cent so far this week.  Forecasters in Florida, predict the overnight low in Orlando will be hovering around -2 C. for the next several night’s.

It appears Nicolas Cage’s financial woes are going from bad to worse.  Records show the Oscar winning actor owes almost 130 thousand U.S. in unpaid property taxes on a mansion in Rhode Island.  That’s in addition to the 6.3 million in unpaid taxes Cage owes to the IRS.

It’ll be awhile before Saskatchewan Roughriders G.M. Eric Tillman finds out if he still has a gig.  Team directors met yesterday but didn’t reach a decision on Tillman.  There are big questions about his future with the CFL club since he pleaded guilty earlier this week, to sexually assaulting his children’s teenaged babysitter.

Thousands of Winnipeggers braved the cold yesterday for a glimpse of the Olympic torch.  The torch relay ended with an outdoor concert and fireworks at the Forks.  The torch will now travel to Gimli and other communities north of Winnipeg today.

The Mounties have uncovered a plot by two, 14 year old girls to launch a violent attack on a junior high school in Selkirk.  Police say on New Year’s Eve, messages posted on Facebook and MSN, talked about bringing guns and bombs to Ecole Selkirk Junior High, and killing at least 5 students.  The postings got teens buzzing and some then told their parents about them.  Police now have 2, grade 9 girls in custody.

Get ready for some big security changes at the airport.  Yesterday the feds announced they were going to purchase 44 of those body scanners to put in airports around the country, including right here in Winnipeg.  So now travelers will have the option…..a full body pat down, or a couple of seconds in the scanner.  Officials say they expect Winnipeg’s scanner to be in place and working by spring.  Scanners will first be installed in Toronto and Vancouver next month.

Prime Minister Harper is trying to squelch rumors the country may be in store for a spring election.  In an interview yesterday, Harper said there was no reason for calling one.  Election speculation has been rampant since Harper prorogued Parliament last week, until March 3^rd.

The troubled son of actors Ryan O’Neal and Farrah Fawcett is back in an L.A. jail after a judge found he committed a drug related probation violation.  24 year old Redmond O’Neal was jailed on December 29^th and had a brief court hearing yesterday. 

Get ready for a jump in the price of O.J…….that is if Florida farmers can’t save their crops.  That state’s governor has signed an emergency order to deal with a threatening cold snap.  Farmers in the meantime have been frantically trying to cover their crops in plastic to save them.

Well some home owners are not gonna like this news.  School boards in Manitoba are free to raise taxes as much as they want this year.  Education Minister Nancy Allan has ruled out a tax freeze or caps on budget hikes this year.

The G.M. of the Saskatchewan Roughriders who got an absolute discharge yesterday for sexually assaulting his kid’s teenaged babysitter, hopes he’ll still have a job.  The Rider board has called for a special meeting today to decide Eric Tillman’s fate.

Former t.v. game show host Bob Barker has donated 5 million dollars U.S. to the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society.  As a result, the group has named it’s new 11 thousand tonne anti whaling ship The Bob Barker.  The society says the high speed former whaling ship will be used to harass Japanese whaling operations.

And if you have a high def t.v. set, it’s about to take a step closer to being obsolete.  2 major American cable networks, ESPN and Discovery, plan to soon begin carrying 3 dimensional programming.  ESPN says it’ll have a 3-D channel for live sports events in time for the World Cup soccer tournament, which starts June 11^th.

Security is being beefed up at city hall.  Starting today, a uniformed security guard will be patrolling the building during regular business hours.  Video surveillance has also been enhanced with additional cameras.  Although a review of security began last August, several improvements were implemented quickly after someone carrying a bottle of kerosene entered the council chamber last month.

Dental records will be needed to identify a body found in a home destroyed by fire in Grand Marais yesterday.  Friends say Larry Brennagh lived at the home and hasn’t been seen since the blaze.  Mounties say cause of the fire is under investigation but is not considered suspicious.  The home was apparently poorly insulated and warmed by portable heaters.

In an effort to combat springtime flooding, ice fishers may be asked to keep their vehicles off the Red River.  Steve Strang, mayor St. Clements says it’s well documented that river ice is thicker and stronger in areas where fishers travel with their vehicles.

Sentencing today for the general manager of the Saskatchewan Roughriders, who pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting his kid’s babysitter.  Eric Tillman plead guilty to the encounter yesterday, which happened in the summer of 2008 when the girl was only 16.  Tillman by the way blames his actions on the misuse of a sleep aid and pain medication taken for a sore back.

Little bit of health news this morning.  It appears some women are having more ultrasounds than recommended.  A new Canadian study says nearly one in 5 women have 4 or more ultrasound exams during the 2^nd and 3^rd trimesters.  Guidelines recommend 2 ultrasounds only be done for uncomplicated pregnancies.

The Beverly Hills fertility doctor who treated Octo-Mom and delivered her babies last year, could now face possible sanctions.  The California Medical Board is accusing Dr. Michael Kamrava of repeatedly acting beyond reasonable judgment. 

Fresh back from his Hawaiian vacation, U.S. President Barack Obama will today meet with security and intelligence officials and then outline steps to try and stop further terror attacks.  Among the measures expected to be announced are changes to terror watchlists.  The U.S. government has apparently added dozens of people to the lists of suspected terrorists since that failed Xmas plane attack in Detroit.

Okay…seriously….can you imagine this?  The surging tides that washed across New Brunswick coastlines over the weekend, transformed at least one small village into an all you can eat lobster buffet.  Chaleur Bay overflowed on the weekend, and as the water receded, there were lobsters everywhere.  People filled pots with them and then held a huge lobster dinner.