Canada&#8217;s only WNBA franchise, the Toronto Tempo, unveiled two new official mascots this week, including a DJing snapping turtle that uses she/they pronouns.
Dot the Arctic Hare and Dez the Snapping Turtle made their debut Tuesday night during halftime of the Tempo&#8217;s game against the Indiana Fever. The timing was particularly notable because Fever star Sophie Cunningham has emerged as one of the WNBA&#8217;s most outspoken critics of biological males competing in women&#8217;s sports.
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The Tempo have officially unveiled their mascots. Yes, two!
Welcome Dez, the turtle and Dot, the hare. <a href="https://t.co/WRbSdu5vxm">pic.twitter.com/WRbSdu5vxm</a>
— Zulfi Sheikh (@zulfi_sheikh) <a href="https://x.com/zulfi_sheikh/status/2089865052757127311?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 19, 2026</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;Dez and Dot have completely different personalities, but they&#8217;re better together,&#8221; said Whitney Bell, chief marketing officer for the Toronto Tempo. &#8220;One knows when to slow things down, the other knows when to turn the energy all the way up.&#8221;
According to the Tempo, Dez uses she/they pronouns and is a Borealis Blue Snapping Turtle from Muskoka, Ontario, who DJs in their spare time.
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“Leave the mascots alone!” 😭
Come behind the scenes of our Official Mascot Reveal on our YouTube channel: <a href="https://t.co/RrmRh3fg1j">https://t.co/RrmRh3fg1j</a> <a href="https://t.co/prKESxar58">pic.twitter.com/prKESxar58</a>
— Toronto Tempo (@TempoBasketball) <a href="https://x.com/TempoBasketball/status/2090848079742488675?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 21, 2026</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;Their name is inspired by decibel, a nod to their love of music and role as the more measured half of the duo,&#8221; the team <a href="https://tempo.wnba.com/news/meet-the-official-tempo-mascots-dez-and-dot">said</a>. &#8220;Dez is calm, clever and always thinking a few steps ahead. A Taurus who spins the 1s and 2s in their spare time, Dez&#8217;s secret talent is snapping &#8211; they also have a particular fondness for soft shell tacos.&#8221;
The Tempo&#8217;s other new mascot, Dot, goes by she/her pronouns, loves cotton candy, and the team describes her as &#8220;the undisputed hype woman of the pair.&#8221;
Many have speculated that Dez identifies as &#8220;nonbinary,&#8221; which could be true, but the Tempo has not referred to it that way.
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WNBA team Toronto Tempo unveils new non-binary mascot with She/They pronouns.
Dez the mascot, who uses She/They pronouns, identifies as a “borealis blue” snapping turtle from Muskoka. <a href="https://t.co/i1lFdfzWPO">pic.twitter.com/i1lFdfzWPO</a>
— Oli London (@OliLondonTV) <a href="https://x.com/OliLondonTV/status/2090773357751144856?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 21, 2026</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;The WNBA is virtue signaling so hard they&#8217;re going to break a wrist,&#8221; one social media user wrote.
LGBTQ-focused outlet Them also took notice, describing Dez as &#8220;butch&#8221; and saying the Tempo&#8217;s <a href="https://tempo.wnba.com/news/meet-the-official-tempo-mascots-dez-and-dot">press release</a> introducing the mascots &#8220;reads like a novella &#8211; a very queer novella.&#8221;
The outlet went a step further, speculating that Dez and Dot might be romantically involved. Them asked the Tempo to clarify both the mascots&#8217; relationship status and Dez&#8217;s gender identity.
A Tempo spokesperson told Them that Dez and Dot are &#8220;besties,&#8221; prompting the outlet to update its report.
Dez&#8217;s gender identity, however, remains a mystery.
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HQC1OQXWEAA6Z5w

WNBA Team’s New She/They Mascot Is A Taurus DJ Who Loves Tacos

Canada

Gender Pronouns

Indiana Fever

Mascots

nonbinary

Pronouns

Sophie Cunningham

Toronto

WNBA

Women's Basketball

The American consulate in Toronto was hit by gunfire in another &#8220;brazen&#8221; early-morning hit on Monday, the second time the U.S. post has been targeted this year.
Around 4:46 a.m., a gunman inside a speeding, license-plate-less white Honda sedan shot a bullet that cracked the facade of the downtown building, according to police, The New York Times <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/27/world/canada/toronto-us-consulate-shooting.html">reported</a>. A lone officer stationed right outside heard the shot, prompting a high-speed highway chase that hit nearly 90 mph before cops called it off due to safety concerns.
The latest targeted attack comes on the heels of an <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/shots-fired-at-u-s-consulate-in-toronto-leaders-condemn-act-of-intimidation">earlier strike</a> on the same diplomatic post in March, when a pair of suspects hopped out of an SUV and peppered the consulate’s front glass doors with shots.
Authorities are trying to determine if the two consulate shootings are connected.
Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow decried the &#8220;brazen attack,&#8221; adding, “To the person or persons responsible, we will get you. We have apprehended the previous shooters, all three of them, and we will bring you to justice.”
Meanwhile, the city has been plagued by a surge in antisemitic attacks across the metro area. After the initial attack on the consulate in March, Chow <a href="https://www.cp24.com/local/toronto/2026/03/10/no-injuries-after-shots-fired-at-us-consulate-in-toronto/#:~:text=early%20Tuesday%20morning.-,Road%20closures%20are%20in%20place%20in%20Toronto's%20downtown%20core%20after,at%20around%205%3A30%20a.m.">highlighted</a> a disturbing trend of local violence tied to international conflicts.
“This morning the U.S. consulate was shot at. This comes after shootings at synagogues over the past two weekends. This cannot stand,” Chow told reporters. She emphasized that the city’s Jewish community and international partners have the right to live without fear, noting that &#8220;antisemitic incidents spike when international tensions rise.&#8221;
The hate-fueled attacks have pushed Toronto&#8217;s Jewish community to the brink. Over the weekend, masked vandals <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/bagels-and-bullets-antisemitic-terror-wave-hits-jewish-bakery-chain">blasted bullet holes and shattered windows</a> at two outposts of the Jewish-owned bakery chain Kiva’s, marking just the latest outrage in a city where hate crimes against Jews have spiraled out of control.
Despite representing under 4% of Toronto’s population, Jewish residents were the victims in a jaw-dropping 40% of all hate crimes logged by police in 2024. An astonishing 81% of all faith-based hate attacks in the city have targeted the Jewish community. Institutions ranging from a Jewish girls&#8217; elementary school to local synagogues have endured multiple shootings, vandalism, and worshippers being ambushed with gel-blasters following Shabbat services.

CANADA-TORONTO-U.S. CONSULATE-SHOOTING

U.S. Consulate In Toronto Targeted In ‘Brazen Attack’ For Second Time This Year

antisemitism

Police

Shooting

US Consulate

Violence

In yet another series of antisemitic attacks in Toronto, masked vandals <a href="https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/window-broken-gunshot-fired-at-kivas-jewish-owned-bakery-in-toronto-police-say/article_6f3bfe35-832f-4f3b-9a85-056393b6e869.html?utm_medium=social&amp;utm_source=twitter&amp;utm_campaign=user-share">shot up and smashed</a> the windows of two Jewish-owned bakeries on Saturday, the latest gut-punch in a relentless run of anti-Jewish violence terrorizing Canada&#8217;s largest city.
Cops confirmed evidence of gunfire at the beloved bakery Kiva’s Yonge and St. Clair outpost, while a second location near Bathurst and Steeles also had its window busted out — though without shots fired there. Miraculously, nobody was hurt in either attack.
The kosher-style bagel shop, a Jewish community fixture since 1979, has three GTA locations and is currently run by brothers Ben, Elan and Steve Rafael. Police say they&#8217;re probing whether the two hits are connected.
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Window broken, gunshot fired at Kiva&#39;s Jewish-owned bakery in Toronto, police say <a href="https://t.co/VFOEjwAQ6t">https://t.co/VFOEjwAQ6t</a> via <a href="https://x.com/TorontoStar?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@torontostar</a> Kiva’s bakery is kosher-style and known for its popular bagels and baked goods. It has long been a hub for the Jewish community.  The original bakery opened…
&mdash; Israel Heritage Foundation (@IHF_Heritage) <a href="https://x.com/IHF_Heritage/status/2081429686408630491?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 26, 2026</a></blockquote>
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Mayor Olivia Chow stated,  “We in Toronto will double our efforts. Toronto police through Project Resolute have been guarding synagogues and Jewish community centers and places 24/7, and we’ll see what else we could do.”
The bakery attack is only the newest scar in a years-long surge that&#8217;s turned Toronto into ground zero for antisemitic hate crime in Canada. Despite making up under 4% of the population, Jews have been the top target of hate crimes citywide since well before the pandemic — and things have only gotten uglier.
The real inflection point came after Hamas&#8217;s October 7, 2023 massacre in Israel, when antisemitic incidents in Toronto <a href="https://www.cija.ca/antisemitism_in_toronto_is_escalating_and_the_numbers_prove_it#:~:text=According%20to%20the%20report%2C%20hate%20crime%20has,7%20terrorist%20attack%20by%20Hamas%20on%20Israel.%E2%80%9D">exploded 80%</a> almost overnight. By 2024, police logged a record 443 hate crimes citywide, with Jews the victims in a jaw-dropping 40% of them and 81% of all religiously-motivated attacks.
That violence has since escalated into a terrifying pattern of gunfire at Jewish institutions. A Jewish girls elementary school in North York was <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/bais-chaya-mushka-gunshots-toronto-1.7416067">shot at three times</a> in 2024. n March 2025, a suspect was charged for targeting five Toronto synagogues. Vandalism hit Kehillat Shaarei Torah in November. March 2026 brought shootings at three synagogues, prompting a $10M security fund. In May, congregants were literally being shot at with gel-blaster guns leaving Shabbat services, with watchdog group B&#8217;nai Brith warning 2026 is shaping up to be the bloodiest year for Canadian Jews in memory.
With no arrests made in most of the recent attacks, Jewish leaders say fear is becoming the defining feature of daily life in Toronto.

Toronto City Hall Sign

Bagels And Bullets: Antisemitic Terror Wave Hits Jewish Bakery Chain

Business

Jewish

Authorities are investigating a targeted shooting at the United States Consulate in downtown Toronto early Tuesday morning, an incident that local leaders are calling a dangerous escalation of political violence.
Toronto Police responded to reports of gunfire at the consulate, located at University Avenue and Queen Street West, at <a href="https://x.com/TPSOperations/status/2031314293090607183">approximately</a> 5:29 a.m. While officials initially confirmed only &#8220;evidence of a firearm discharge&#8221; at the scene, visual reports from CBC revealed multiple bullet holes piercing the glass of the building’s front doors.
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Breaking: Shots have been fired at the US Consulate, on University Avenue, in Toronto reportedly around 5:30 this morning.
&quot;there are bullet holes in the glass door, the front door of the building.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/OBlpNSgVyK">pic.twitter.com/OBlpNSgVyK</a>
&mdash; cbcwatcher (@cbcwatcher) <a href="https://twitter.com/cbcwatcher/status/2031336717970460965?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 10, 2026</a></blockquote>
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No injuries were reported, and it remains unclear how many staff members were inside the high-security facility at the time of the attack.
The shooting has triggered a swift and forceful response from Canadian officials, who linked the attack to a disturbing wave of antisemitic violence across the greater Toronto area. This incident follows a harrowing week in which three synagogues — two in North York and one in Vaughan — were struck by gunfire. Federal Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree described seeing bullet holes through &#8220;three layers&#8221; of one synagogue, saying the violence is &#8220;not the Canadian way.&#8221;
The shooting has triggered a swift and forceful response from Canadian officials. Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow <a href="https://www.cp24.com/local/toronto/2026/03/10/no-injuries-after-shots-fired-at-us-consulate-in-toronto/#:~:text=early%20Tuesday%20morning.-,Road%20closures%20are%20in%20place%20in%20Toronto's%20downtown%20core%20after,at%20around%205%3A30%20a.m.">linked the attack</a> to a disturbing trend of local violence tied to international conflicts.
“This morning the U.S. consulate was shot at. This comes after shootings at synagogues over the past two weekends. This cannot stand,” Chow told reporters. She emphasized that the city’s Jewish community and international partners have the right to live without fear, noting that &#8220;anti-Semitic incidents spike when international tensions rise.&#8221;
Ontario Premier Doug Ford <a href="https://x.com/fordnation/status/2031366316674691235?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E2031366316674691235%7Ctwgr%5E4f754d292c78b2bfd51f044f4a34f79aac326661%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ctvnews.ca%2Ftoronto%2Farticle%2Fno-injuries-after-shots-fired-at-us-consulate-in-toronto%2F">echoed</a> these sentiments, describing the shooting as an &#8220;absolutely unacceptable act of violence and intimidation aimed at our American friends and neighbors.&#8221; Ford called for a zero-tolerance approach, urging law enforcement at all levels to &#8220;bring every resource to bear&#8221; to prosecute those responsible to the fullest extent of the law.
The Toronto Police Service is currently working alongside the Royal Canadian Mounted Police to process the scene. A heavy police presence remains at both the U.S. and Israeli consulates as a precautionary measure.
Former OPP Commissioner Chris Lewis noted that while the consulate lacks the permanent, heavy-armed presence of the U.S. Embassy in Ottawa, it is heavily monitored by 24-hour surveillance.
“They are making an obvious statement here,” Lewis said, attributing the motive to &#8220;anti-U.S. sentiments&#8221; fueled by ongoing volatility in the Middle East.
Southbound University Avenue remained closed Tuesday morning as forensic teams scoured the area for evidence. Police are urging anyone with dashcam footage or information regarding the incident to contact investigators immediately.

Shots Fired At U.S. Consulate In Toronto; Leaders Condemn ‘Act of Intimidation’

U.S. Consulate

A Canadian man who threatened to bomb every synagogue in Toronto “to kill as many Jews as possible” was only sentenced to house arrest for 60 days.
In addition to house arrest, Waisuddin Akbari, 41, was given three years of probation, a 10-year weapons prohibition, and was ordered to provide a sample of his DNA, The National Post<a href="https://nationalpost.com/news/canada/bomb-toronto-synagogues-house-arrest?utm_source=twitter&amp;utm_medium=organic&amp;utm_campaign=NP_social&amp;utm_content=news" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> reported</a>.
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Waisuddin Akbari, convicted for plotting to blow up synagogues across Toronto and “kill as many Jews as possible,” was sentenced today. 60 days of house arrest and no jail time.
This is an outrage. Canada’s justice system is failing to protect communities from rising hate crime. <a href="https://t.co/A4dfmjSwOL">https://t.co/A4dfmjSwOL</a>
— Jaime Kirzner-Roberts (@jaimekr) <a href="https://twitter.com/jaimekr/status/1949979900623953969?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 28, 2025</a></blockquote>
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“I’m going to plant a bomb in every synagogue in Toronto and blow them up to kiII as many Jews as possible.&#8221;
Waisuddin Akbari, the owner of a shawarma shop near Toronto, planned a Jew-hate suicide mission.
He&#8217;s been sentenced to 60 days of house arrest.
A staycation!🍹🕺 <a href="https://t.co/pbn8Y2ua0E">pic.twitter.com/pbn8Y2ua0E</a>
— dahlia kurtz ✡︎ דליה קורץ (@DahliaKurtz) <a href="https://twitter.com/DahliaKurtz/status/1949925646672548059?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 28, 2025</a></blockquote>
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In March 2024, Akbari conversed with a salesman at a BMW dealership, claiming he wouldn’t lease or finance a new car; he claimed Israel and the Jews controlled world events and made money from interest payments on every car loan. He said Israel would kill anyone who was not Jewish and deserved to be killed themselves.
Evidence in court stated that Akbari continued, “Before I go, I want you to remember my name and remember my face because the next time you see it, I’ll be on the news. I know when I’m going to die because I’m going to plant a bomb in every synagogue in Toronto and blow them up to kill as many Jews as possible.”
When the salesman queried whether he was serious, Akbari answered, “Yes, I’m serious. I’ll make sure those attacks are filmed and posted online so the world can see what I’ve done.” The salesman later reported to the court, “Based on the seriousness in his tone, I didn’t think for a second he was joking.”
Judge Edward Prutsch, who issued the sentence, stated, “Jewish Canadians did not and do not feel safe in their own communities. The constant threat of attack has left members of the community in perpetual fear for their wellbeing and has led to members of the community questioning their future as Canadians.”
He added his reasons for the leniency of the sentence: “It is important to be clear about what Mr. Akbari is — and is not — being sentenced for. He is not being sentenced for taking any material steps to act on the threats he made. There is no evidence before me of the collection of weapons, explosives, maps, planning or coordination. Indeed, following his arrest, police conducted extensive checks and searches on Mr. Akbari to ensure the safety of the community was not still at risk. Mr. Akbari’s guilt is based on empty threats he communicated to a stranger, mistakenly assuming (he) would be sympathetic to Akbari’s own warped and hateful worldview. There was no effort to publicize his threats beyond the conversation.”
“That is not to say that the threats were harmless,” he acknowledged. “Mr. Akbari’s threats were clearly motivated by bias, prejudice and hate towards Israelis and Jews. … Hate-based threats are not just words, they are the gasoline upon which even more serious offences burn. Where hate is normalized, harm follows.”
“At a time of rampant antisemitism in Canada and elsewhere, it sends an alarming message that threats to slaughter Jews and bomb synagogues may be met with leniency. That is extremely disappointing and profoundly unsettling for our community,” Jaime Kirzner-Roberts, a director with the Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center for Holocaust Studies, responded to the sentence.
A Canadian government report released in July found that more than 10% of the Canadian province of Ontario’s 30,000 Jewish school-aged children have experienced antisemitism in school. “Perhaps most troubling is the revelation that approximately 17% of incidents were either initiated by a teacher or took place during school-sponsored programming. In nearly half of all reported cases, school authorities failed to investigate the incident,” Combat Antisemitism <a href="https://combatantisemitism.org/cam-news/report-reveals-one-in-six-antisemitic-incidents-in-toronto-schools-linked-to-educators-or-school-sanctioned-activities/">reported</a>.
In May, the Toronto Police Service 2024 Annual Hate Crimes Statistical Report <a href="https://www.cija.ca/antisemitism_in_toronto_is_escalating_and_the_numbers_prove_it">stated</a> that although Jews comprise less than 4% of Toronto&#8217;s population, 40% of all hate crimes and 81% of religiously motivated hate crimes in the city were targeted against Jews.
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The <a href="https://twitter.com/TPSOperations?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TPSOperations</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/TorontoPolice?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TorontoPolice</a> have failed the Jewish community once again by allowing terrorist loyalist to yell alongside Jews during the <a href="https://twitter.com/cityoftoronto?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@cityoftoronto</a> permitted Walk With Israel.<a href="https://twitter.com/UJAFederation?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@UJAFederation</a> should ask for any money spent on this event back from the city. <a href="https://t.co/P3tjkO68Ci">pic.twitter.com/P3tjkO68Ci</a>
— Leviathan (@l3v1at4an) <a href="https://twitter.com/l3v1at4an/status/1926650226934186167?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 25, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Poster Against Anti-Semitism In Toronto, Canada

No Jail Time For Man Who Vowed To ‘Kill As Many Jews As Possible’ In Toronto

Delta Airlines is offering $30,000 payments to all passengers from Flight 4819 that crash-landed and flipped upside down at Toronto Pearson International Airport on Monday.
This one-time payment &#8220;has no strings attached and does not affect rights,&#8221; a Delta spokesperson said, per <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/delta-offering-30000-passengers-plane-crash-landed-toronto-rcna192918">NBC News</a>. If all 76 passengers opted to take the offer, the airline would be forking over close to $2.3 million.
The flight had departed from Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport. There were no fatalities, but 21 passengers were hospitalized with injuries. As of Thursday morning, all of the injured passengers had been released from medical care, Delta shared on its <a href="https://news.delta.com/">website</a>. 
“The Delta and Endeavor families are grateful that all those injured Monday have been released from the hospital, and we extend our thanks to everyone who provided care to them over the past few days,” Delta CEO Ed Bastian said in a statement. “We will continue to connect one-on-one with customers, employees and loved ones as we move forward to make sure their needs are met with care.”
The cause of the crash has yet to be determined. Videos show snow present on the runway and there were wind gusts up to 40 mph. Several outlets noted that it appears the pilot did not perform a common “flare” maneuver, which involves pulling up the nose of the plane before touchdown to slow the aircraft and ensure a smoother landing.
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The Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) is leading the crash investigation with assistance from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
In an interview with “CBS Mornings” on Wednesday, Bastian said the plane’s crew “performed heroically.”
“The fact that they were able to evacuate that plane as expeditiously as they did under extreme conditions coupled with the fact that all 80 people walked off the plane with limited physical injuries was really a testament to the safety that’s embedded in the systems,” the airline exec noted.
The flight was operated by Endeavor Air, a regional carrier that <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/airline-operating-delta-flight-that-flipped-bragged-about-man-free-flight-crews">promoted</a> its female-led crews and “unmanned” (or male-free) flights.

Delta

Delta Airlines Offers $30K Payments To Passengers On Plane That Crash-Landed

Delta Airlines Offers $30K Payments To Passengers On Plane That Crash Landed In Toronto

Air and Space

Air Travel

Delta Airlines

Plane Crash

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt blasted Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) on Tuesday after he blamed President Donald Trump&#8217;s government cuts for the Delta Air Lines crash-landing in Toronto earlier this week.
Schumer <a href="https://x.com/SenSchumer/status/1891646582082167166?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1891646582082167166%7Ctwgr%5E67fe56231bf46cf6d604ca71a05331f7b2a6d811%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.foxnews.com%2Fmedia%2Fkaroline-leavitt-gives-fact-check-sen-schumer-blames-trump-upside-down-delta-plane-crash-toronto" target="_blank" rel="noopener">posted</a> on X on Monday shortly after the crash, writing, &#8220;Trump’s doing massive layoffs at the FAA—including safety specialists—and making our skies less and less safe.&#8221; In a follow-up post, Schumer added, &#8220;To those asking whether it matters that the plane’s destination was in Canada: The flight took off from Minneapolis. The FAA was still responsible for inspecting the aviation equipment, and Trump just let go of FAA safety specialists.&#8221;
Leavitt responded to Schumer&#8217;s criticism of the Trump administration, telling <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/media/karoline-leavitt-gives-fact-check-sen-schumer-blames-trump-upside-down-delta-plane-crash-toronto?intcmp=tw_fnc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Fox News</a>, &#8220;It’s incredibly irresponsible for Chuck Schumer to say such a thing when the investigation is still underway.&#8221; She then pointed out that the &#8220;crash unfortunately took place in Canadian airspace with Canadian air traffic controllers overseeing it.&#8221; According to Leavitt, no air traffic controllers have been fired during Trump&#8217;s purge of the FAA. She added that the Trump administration &#8220;has put great emphasis on hiring the best and the brightest air-traffic controllers who want to be part of the FAA.&#8221;
The response from the White House Press Secretary prompted another social media <a href="https://x.com/SenSchumer/status/1892214482887152100" target="_blank" rel="noopener">post</a> from Schumer, who wrote, &#8220;Here are the facts: This flight took off from Minneapolis. The FAA was still responsible for inspecting the aviation equipment, and Trump just fired FAA safety specialists.&#8221; He added, &#8220;The Trump administration turns away from the facts, and it’s hurting Americans. Democrats are fighting to protect the flying public.&#8221;
The Professional Aviation Safety Specialists union, which represents FAA and Department of Defense employees, said earlier this week that the Trump administration fired hundreds of FAA probationary workers, including systems specialists, safety inspectors, and maintenance mechanics. The reported firings came after Trump <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-initiates-review-of-all-faa-workers-in-critical-safety-positions" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ordered</a> a review of all FAA “critical safety positions” to &#8220;ensure top-notch air safety and efficiency.&#8221;
Authorities have not determined the cause of the crash-landing in Toronto as Canadian and U.S. officials team up on the investigation. Video footage showed the regional jet hit the runway at an odd angle before its right main landing gear snapped off. The plane&#8217;s right wing smashed into the ground and the aircraft turned upside down and burst into flames. All 80 people on board, including 76 passengers and four crew members, survived, with 21 requiring medical attention.
Authorities will look into factors that could have led to the crash, including the weather and the pilots&#8217; experience and training. A retired Delta captain told <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/bad-weather-or-human-error-retired-airline-captain-breaks-down-delta-crash" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Daily Wire</a> on Tuesday that he does &#8220;not believe that weather was a factor.&#8221;
&#8220;Most likely from what I gathered yesterday at the time of the incident, the wind was approximately 40 degrees from center, so the crosswind component was around 20 knots and the headwind was around 23,&#8221; he said, adding, &#8220;Any pilot should be able to handle that. It’s no big deal.&#8221;
Delta Air Lines CEO Ed Bastian <a href="https://ca.finance.yahoo.com/news/delta-ceo-says-flight-crew-125242104.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> &#8220;CBS Mornings&#8221; on Wednesday that the crew on Delta&#8217;s Endeavor Air CRJ-900 was experienced, adding, &#8220;All these pilots train for these conditions.&#8221; Bastian also praised the crew for quickly evacuating everyone on the plane.

Chuck Schumer/Karoline Leavitt

Leavitt, Schumer Trade Barbs After Dem Leader Blames Trump For Delta Crash-Landing

Airplane crash

Chuck Schumer

Donald Trump

Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)

Karoline Leavitt

Politics

The Delta flight which flipped upside down while attempting to land on Monday was operated by Endeavor Air, a regional carrier that has been promoting female employees and “unmanned” (or male-free) flights. 
No information about the pilots of Delta Connection Flight 4819, operated by Endeavor Air, has been released, so there is no way to know if the employees being promoted in multiple TikTok videos were involved, or if the flight was one of the company’s “unmanned” crews. But it has led to questions from people on social media sounding off about the airline’s hiring practices and apparent focus on DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion).
The crash occurred at Toronto Pearson International Airport. Video footage captured a Bombardier CRJ-900 regional jet flipping upside down during its landing attempt, which led to 21 people being injured with no fatalities. Several injured parties remained hospitalized as of Tuesday.
Videos featuring female Endeavor Air crew members have been circulating on social media since the crash. One video is set to lines from the Disney movie “The Incredibles” (2004) and features a voiceover saying, “Girls, come on? Leave the saving of the world to the men? I don’t think so. I don’t think so,” as a female pilot mouths the words and wags her finger.
Another video features female employees getting ready for an “unmanned” flight, while other clips show instances of women working for Endeavor flying planes and attending what appears to be a trade show, all set to upbeat music with girl-power-themed lyrics.
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The plane that crashed in Toronto was a Delta flight operated by Endeavor Air, a small airline obsessed with all-female &quot;unmanned&quot; flights <a href="https://t.co/pYMS3kdpQy">pic.twitter.com/pYMS3kdpQy</a>
&mdash; End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) <a href="https://twitter.com/EndWokeness/status/1892081329312813478?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 19, 2025</a></blockquote>
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The Endeavor Air flight that departed from Minneapolis-St. Paul had 80 people on board, including crew members. The video also showed windy and snowy conditions on the runway. 
Multiple outlets <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/bad-weather-or-human-error-retired-airline-captain-breaks-down-delta-crash">noted</a> that in the videos, it appears the pilot did not perform the usual “flare” maneuver, which involves pulling up the nose of the plane before touchdown to slow the aircraft and ensure a smoother landing.
The Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) is leading the crash investigation with assistance from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
Delta Air Lines CEO Ed Bastian said on Wednesday during an interview with CBS Mornings that the flight crew was experienced.
&#8220;There is one level of safety at Delta,&#8221; Bastian <a href="https://ca.finance.yahoo.com/news/delta-ceo-says-flight-crew-125242104.html?guccounter=1">said</a>. &#8220;All these pilots train for these conditions.&#8221;
The CEO also called the video of the incident &#8220;horrifying&#8221; but praised the flight crew for quickly and efficiently evacuating passengers after the crash. &#8220;This is what we train for,&#8221; Bastian told the outlet. &#8220;We train for this continuously.&#8221;
A note on the Endeavor Air website <a href="https://www.endeavorair.com/content/endeavor-air/en_us/home.html">says</a>, “We are aware of an incident involving Endeavor Air Flight 4819. We are focused on gathering more information and taking care of our employees and customers at this time. We will share additional details as they become available.”

Delta flight

Airline Operating Delta Flight That Flipped Bragged About Man-Free Flight Crews

Airline Crash

airplanes

World

Authorities will look into numerous potential causes after a Delta Air Lines plane rolled upside down and burst into flames when it landed in Toronto on Monday.
As Canadian and American investigators begin to look into the cause of the crash, video footage of the crash-landing has given some aviation experts a good idea of what likely led to the frightening incident. The CRJ900, operated by Endeavor Air — a subsidiary of Delta Air Lines — departed from Minneapolis with 76 passengers and four crew members on board. A video posted on social media showed the plane approaching Toronto Pearson International Airport before hitting the runway at an odd angle and smashing its right wing into the ground.
The plane then turned upside down as it skidded across the runway before coming to a stop. Other videos showed Delta crew members helping passengers evacuate onto the runway as first responders extinguished the flames. Everyone on the plane survived, with 21 people requiring medical attention. Two people remain hospitalized as of Tuesday afternoon.
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A clear visual of the the Delta CRJ900, operated by Endeavor Air as Flight DL4819 from Minneapolis St. Paul, crash-landed at Toronto Pearson International Airport on Monday, flipping onto its side on the snow-covered Runway 24R, but miraculously, all the occupants survived.
📹… <a href="https://t.co/5iFPTe2M2O">pic.twitter.com/5iFPTe2M2O</a>
&mdash; FL360aero (@fl360aero) <a href="https://twitter.com/fl360aero/status/1891805600838766911?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 18, 2025</a></blockquote>
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<h3>Did snow or wind play a role?</h3>
During a Tuesday <a href="https://x.com/i/broadcasts/1mnxegMVwLnGX" target="_blank" rel="noopener">press conference</a>, Canadian authorities discussed the major snowfall the area has experienced in recent days. Since last Thursday, Toronto Pearson International Airport has been hit by two snowstorms that dumped around 20 inches of snow on the area, and the video of the landing showed snow drifting across the runway.
Crosswinds at the time of the CRJ900&#8217;s landing were between 29 and 38 mph. But Toronto Pearson Fire Chief Todd Aitken said that the runway was dry, and that there were no crosswind conditions when the plane landed around 2:15 p.m., according to the <a href="https://apnews.com/article/delta-plane-flip-toronto-canada-airport-minneapolis-6d064bbc7a3bb8595183d6765d61a0ee" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Associated Press</a>. When asked on Tuesday about the condition of the runway and the cross-wind possibly causing the crash, the fire chief said he didn&#8217;t want to speculate and directed any questions about the cause of the crash to the Transportation Safety Board of Canada.
The board will lead the investigation into the crash, with the National Transportation Safety Board from the United States assisting in the investigation.
A retired Delta captain, who asked to remain anonymous, told The Daily Wire that the crosswind was not strong enough to be a major factor in the crash-landing.
&#8220;Keep in mind &#8217;40 mph&#8217; winds doesn&#8217;t mean the wind was a direct crosswind or a direct headwind,&#8221; he added. &#8220;Most likely from what I gathered yesterday at the time of the incident, the wind was approximately 40 degrees from center, so the crosswind component was around 20 knots and the headwind was around 23.&#8221;
&#8220;I do not believe that weather was a factor,&#8221; the retired aviation expert said, adding, &#8220;Any pilot should be able to handle that. It&#8217;s no big deal.&#8221;
<h3>Are the pilots at fault?</h3>
The investigation will also seek to determine if the crash was the result of human error. The retired Delta captain said that the airplane appeared to be &#8220;coming down at a pretty good clip,&#8221; meaning the pilot possibly did not &#8220;flare,&#8221; the technique pilots use to achieve a proper rate of descent before touching down.
&#8220;Normally, it would be coming down, prior to landing, somewhere in the order of 600-700 feet per minute,&#8221; the captain added. &#8220;However, as you get closer to the runway, you must reduce that rate of descent such that when you touch down, you are not going 700 feet per minute in the down direction. You&#8217;re touching down very gently.&#8221;
The pilot landing the CRJ900 in Toronto on Monday &#8220;hit the right main landing gear with such force that it snapped the gear off.&#8221;
&#8220;I hate to say it,&#8221; the captain said. &#8220;This is pilot error.&#8221;

Delta crash

Bad Weather Or Human Error? Retired Airline Captain Breaks Down Delta Crash

New video footage surfaced on Tuesday morning showing the moment a Delta Air Lines flight crashed on the tarmac of Toronto Pearson International Airport.
On Monday, the inbound CRJ-900 flight from Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP) flipped over after the right rear landing gear on the passenger plane appeared to give out as the aircraft touched down.
With the landing gear snapped off, the plane&#8217;s right wing hit the ground and was torn off, causing the plane to roll and turn upside down.
WATCH:
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Clearist footage showing the crash moment of Delta &#8211; Endevoir Air CRJ-900 Flight DL4819 from Minneapolis (MSP) to Toronto (YYZ) with registration N932XJ. 
We will share the reports as soon as available. <a href="https://t.co/4XRAdJt3c0">pic.twitter.com/4XRAdJt3c0</a>
— aircraftmaintenancengineer (@airmainengineer) <a href="https://twitter.com/airmainengineer/status/1891800990317191428?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 18, 2025</a></blockquote>
Twenty-one of the 80 people on board the regional jet — 76 passengers and four crew members — were transported to hospitals after the accident, nineteen of whom have since been released. The flight was operated by Delta subsidiary Endeavor Air.
“Our most pressing priority remains taking care of all customers and Endeavor crew members who were involved,” <a href="https://x.com/DeltaNewsHub/status/1891860188094742559">said</a> Delta CEO Ed Bastian. “We’ll do everything we can to support them and their families in the days ahead, and I know the hearts, thoughts and prayers of the entire Delta community are with them. We are grateful for all the first responders and medical teams who have been caring for them.”
Passenger Pete Koukov <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/17/world/canada/toronto-plane-crash-delta.html">told</a> The New York Times that nothing seemed off during the flight and that all the problems occurred the moment &#8220;the wheels hit the ground.&#8221;
“The next thing I know, we’re sideways,” he said. “I unbuckled pretty fast and kind of lowered myself to the floor, which was the ceiling. People were panicking.”
The plane had to contend with wind gusts of up to 40 miles per hour and drifting snow upon landing, although there is no indication that weather factors were the cause of the accident.
The Federal Aviation Administration said that the Transportation Safety Board of Canada will be in charge of the investigation and will provide any updates.

Delta Air Lines plane crashes at Toronto Pearson Airport

WATCH: Shocking New Footage Shows Delta Crash Up Close

A 116-year-old Anglican church, along with artifacts and artworks, in Canada was &#8220;completely destroyed&#8221; in a massive blaze early Sunday morning, according to Toronto&#8217;s fire chief.
Crews responded to a four-alarm fire at St. Anne&#8217;s Anglican Church around 8 a.m., just a little more than two hours before the church&#8217;s Sunday morning service was scheduled to take place, City News <a href="https://toronto.citynews.ca/2024/06/09/toronto-st-annes-anglican-church-fire/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>. Firefighters worked to stop the blaze as surrounding properties evacuated as a precaution in case the building collapsed.
“The fire was deep-seated at the beginning … but as you can see the building is completely destroyed right now and as [are] all the artifacts inside,” Toronto Fire Services Deputy Chief Jim Jessop told reporters at the scene.
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Absolutely heartbreaking to see these drone shots of Toronto’s St. Anne’s church. It’s completely gutted. So much beauty, so much history, destroyed within hours.
📷: <a href="https://twitter.com/PatMorrell_CBC?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PatMorrell_CBC</a> <a href="https://t.co/dRIf3UHiiW">pic.twitter.com/dRIf3UHiiW</a>
— Lauren Pelley (@LaurenPelley) <a href="https://twitter.com/LaurenPelley/status/1799937752370495847?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 9, 2024</a></blockquote>
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No one was injured in the fire, and authorities said they have not yet deemed it &#8220;criminal in nature.&#8221; The Ontario Fire Marshal and Toronto police returned to the scene on Monday to investigate the cause.
&#8220;Nobody was here, the church was locked, secure, all the lights were off,&#8221; said Rev. Don Beyers, the parish priest at the church. &#8220;It&#8217;s a real mystery to us how this even happened.&#8221;
Construction on the historic St. Anne&#8217;s building began in 1907 and was completed in 1908. It housed early paintings from the Group of Seven artists that were installed in the building in the 1920s, CBC <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/toronto-fire-church-dufferin-dundas-street-west-1.7229569" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>. Some murals were displayed on the church&#8217;s dome, which collapsed in the fire.
&#8220;The artwork was priceless,&#8221; Beyers said. &#8220;It was murals, beautiful murals. They were stunning. This was the only church that featured artwork by members of the Group of Seven. And I&#8217;m sorry to say that&#8217;s been lost, from what I can see.&#8221;
Beyers also wrote a letter to St. Anne&#8217;s congregants, saying, &#8220;Yesterday&#8217;s fire was not the end of the story, but rather the beginning of a new chapter. We will rise from the ashes stronger and even more committed to our mission to be a church for all people.&#8221;
<a href="https://onelink.to/dwapp" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" aria-describedby="sk-tooltip-9096" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://onelink.to/dwapp&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1716990157394000&amp;usg=AOvVaw33qQydjIo8bet419amChif">CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILYWIRE+ APP</a>
Around <a href="https://tnc.news/2024/02/12/a-map-of-every-church-burnt-or-vandalized-since-the-residential-school-announcements4/#:~:text=100%20Christian%20churches%20in%20Canada,located%20near%20former%20residential%20schools." target="_blank" rel="noopener">100 Christian churches</a> in Canada have been targeted by arsonists and vandals since 2021 — after researchers claimed to have found the remains of hundreds of Indigenous children buried near a residential school in British Columbia. Recent <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/canadas-mass-graves-narrative-that-sparked-church-burnings-crumbles-amid-dearth-of-evidence" target="_blank" rel="noopener">findings</a>, however, appear to show that the anomalies found on radar were not graves but a septic field.
Meanwhile, further research at two other locations in Canada that were once thought to be mass graves found that there were no graves of Indigenous children.

Historic St. Anne’s Anglican Church devastated by a 4 alarm fire.

Historic Anglican Church, ‘Invaluable’ Artworks ‘Completely Destroyed’ In Fire

Historic Anglican Church, 'Invaluable' Artworks 'Completely Destroyed' In Fire

Church

Fire

General

LGBT Pride festivities across the U.S. and Canada over the weekend featured rampant nudity, including a Pride parade in Seattle in which men on bikes rode naked in front of children (<a href="https://twitter.com/TPostMillennial/status/1673057359911075840">video here</a>; warning full frontal nudity).
The Seattle Pride parade, which declared on its website, “Parade is all about inclusiveness – so all ages gather along the route to watch the festivities,” also featured Boy Scouts marching in the event:
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Happening now: Seattle Pride kicks off being led Boys &amp; Girls Scouts of America.
Video by TPM’s: <a href="https://twitter.com/KatieDaviscourt?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@KatieDaviscourt</a> <a href="https://t.co/dw693yP37N">pic.twitter.com/dw693yP37N</a>
&mdash; The Post Millennial (@TPostMillennial) <a href="https://twitter.com/TPostMillennial/status/1673034216366555136?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 25, 2023</a></blockquote>
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Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell tweeted, “It was great to feel the love, energy, and sunshine at today’s #Pride parade with @CityofSeattle employees! Our diversity makes us stronger, which is why we must send a clear message to our LGBTQIA+ community today and every day: we see you, we support you, and you belong here.”
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It was great to feel the love, energy, and sunshine at today’s <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Pride?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Pride</a> parade with <a href="https://twitter.com/CityofSeattle?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CityofSeattle</a> employees! Our diversity makes us stronger, which is why we must send a clear message to our LGBTQIA+ community today and every day: we see you, we support you, and you belong here. <a href="https://t.co/O1Ab3RHi2A">pic.twitter.com/O1Ab3RHi2A</a>
&mdash; Mayor Bruce Harrell (@MayorofSeattle) <a href="https://twitter.com/MayorofSeattle/status/1673098119867932672?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 25, 2023</a></blockquote>
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Producer Dennis Michael Lynch snapped, “If you&#8217;re going to paint yourself, walk around naked, and play in a public fountain, I question your level of sanity. But when you do it in front of kids, without pause, I think you should be placed on a watch list.”
https://twitter.com/realDennisLynch/status/1673107212124971012
The nudity in front of children was not confined to the U.S.; in Toronto, naked men stood nonchalantly on the street as children passed them.
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Nudists at Toronto Pride in areas where children are present. <a href="https://t.co/wP6VfrHBCT">pic.twitter.com/wP6VfrHBCT</a>
&mdash; The Post Millennial (@TPostMillennial) <a href="https://twitter.com/TPostMillennial/status/1672799980849905664?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 25, 2023</a></blockquote>
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The Toronto Pride festivities, which were partially sponsored by Bud Light, also offered attendees the chance to vote on whether sex education should be taught to kindergartners:
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Spotted at Toronto’s Pride festivities <a href="https://t.co/zmMccc8l2Z">pic.twitter.com/zmMccc8l2Z</a>
&mdash; The Post Millennial (@TPostMillennial) <a href="https://twitter.com/TPostMillennial/status/1672700295653072900?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 24, 2023</a></blockquote>
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“Bud Light Canada has been a proud partner of Pride Toronto for the last 10 years. This year, we&#8217;re commemorating this milestone with Pride Toronto by featuring them on our can design, as well as continuing as the official beer sponsor of the festival,” Bud Light states on its website, adding, “In 2023, Bud Light Canada is also providing a total of $100,000 to various organizations supporting the LGBTQIA2S+ community across Canada.”
Bud Light has been battling a public relations nightmare prompted by its endorsement deal with Dylan Mulvaney, a flamboyant trans influencer who claims to be a woman. Customers have abandoned Bud Light in droves; Bud Light&#8217;s sales plummeted 17% and 21% in volume in the week ending April 15 after Mulvaney, a male who identifies as a woman, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/CqgTftujqZc/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;ig_rid=be47ac0a-7017-4d6d-a424-8dcf6d27a837" target="_blank" rel="noopener">posted</a> a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CVGDPlG42bU" target="_blank" rel="noopener">video</a> to his 1.8 million followers on Instagram promoting his partnership with Bud Light on April 1.
“This month I celebrated my day 365 of womanhood, and Bud Light sent me possibly the best gift ever, a can with my face on it,” Mulvaney said.

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