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Wednesday, May 7, 2025

Provincial leaders shut doors on Ottawa’s plan to relocate asylum seekers

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Some provinces the Liberals want to force to receive the lion’s share of asylum claimants being relocated from Ontario and Quebec have outright rejected Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s proposal.

The first premier to strike down the idea was New Brunswick Premier Blaine Higgs.

“Yesterday, provincial officials were invited to a conference call in which it was shared by federal officials in Ottawa that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s Liberal government is considering a plan to send 4,600 asylum seekers to New Brunswick without providing any financial assistance,” said Higgs. “We are calling on the Liberal government to drop this plan and, instead, deal with the backlog of asylum claims that their failed policies have created.”

He added that the 4,600 asylum seekers would represent a more than tenfold increase in the province’s number of asylum seekers.

According to Federal Immigration Minister Marc Miller, Quebec and Ontario have taken in disproportionate numbers of asylum seekers. Therefore, he said other provinces must take on more to ease the pressure on Canada’s two biggest provinces. 

“Notably, the allegations by Premier Higgs are largely fictitious. We at no times have said that we would impose asylum seekers on provinces without financial compensation,” said Miller.

Miller added that he wasn’t sure why Higgs was “floating that number.” 

According to a Liberal government briefing document obtained by True North, there are 235,825 asylum claimants where a decision has yet to be rendered. If each claim was accepted under the proposed redistribution, asylum claimants in New Brunswick would rise from 384 to 4,568, an increase of nearly 12-fold.

An even bigger increase would be seen in Nova Scotia, whose asylum claimants would increase from 397 to 5,734, a more than 14-fold increase.

Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston followed by saying that the province does not have the capacity to absorb thousands of asylum seekers. 

“Nova Scotians are caring, compassionate people, but we will not be taken advantage of by the federal government,” said Houston. “We cannot let the failure of federal policies derail our plan, and we have communicated to Trudeau’s cabinet that any attempt to ship asylum seekers to Nova Scotia will be challenged.” 

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith did not mince words in her own statement on the matter.

“Section 95 of the constitution is clear – immigration is an area of shared authority between the federal government and the provinces. Yet, the Trudeau Government’s unrestrained open border policies permitting well over a million newcomers each year into Canada is causing significant challenges, and it’s simply not sustainable,” said Smith.

She added that while Alberta represents 11.8% of Canada’s population, it currently supports around 22% of Ukrainian evacuees. According to Smith, excessive immigration has increased the cost of living and strained public services. 

“We are informing the Government of Canada that until further notice, Alberta is not open to having these additional asylum seekers settled in our province. We simply cannot afford it,” said Smith.

“Clearly, there’s a responsibility of provinces to take on asylum seekers to ease the pressure on their colleague provinces in Ontario and Quebec. And we expect provinces to follow suit. But in no circumstances will we be doing this without compensation or without consent from the provinces,” said Miller.

While not currently a provincial premier, Conservative Party of BC Leader John Rustad chimed in and expressed his dismay with Trudeau’s proposal.

“We are a welcoming province, but Trudeau’s failure to provide the necessary resources is a betrayal of both the newcomers and the communities already struggling to make ends meet,” said Rustad. “The federal government needs to step up, provide the support necessary, and address the backlog of asylum claims that their failed policies have created.”

Off the Record | Are they actually eating cats and dogs?

Source: Facebook

Donald Trump and Kamala Harris faced off for the first and possibly last Presidential Debate this week and the most-talked about moment was when Trump accused Haitian migrants of eating cats and dogs. Many users online insist that this is true despite fact checks from various media outlets claiming otherwise. What is happening in Springfield, Ohio? Is this a consequence of leftist mass immigration experiments?

Plus, has online gambling taken over the NHL? It certainly seems that way as gambling ads have dominated broadcasts and now, to make matters worse, the Edmonton Oilers announced that player jerseys and helmets would be emblazoned with gambling ads.

And after acting tough and pulling out of the coalition agreement with the Liberals, Jagmeet Singh has rejected Pierre Poilievre’s challenge to support a non-confidence vote and trigger an election.

These stories and more on Off the Record with Harrison Faulkner, Isaac Lamoureux and Noah Jarvis!

Conservatives propose alternative legislation to Liberals’ Online Harms Act

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The Conservatives announced plans to present new legislation as an alternative to the Liberals’ Online Harms Act when Parliament returns, claiming it will protect Canadians without infringing upon their civil rights. 

“Canadians are paying the price for this failure. Online criminal behaviour is still rampant, yet the Liberals’ only response has been to table two censorship bills, forcing Canadians to choose between their safety and free expression,” said the Conservative MP Michelle Rempel Garner, the sponsor of the bill, in a statement on Thursday.

“Not only will this Liberal legislation censor Canadians, but it will also create costly bureaucracies, led by radical Trudeau appointees, who will take more money out of working Canadians’ paycheques while punishing people for posting content the Liberal Government doesn’t like.”

The Trudeau government introduced the Online Harms Act in February, pledging that it would “hold social media platforms accountable for addressing harmful content on their platforms and for creating a safer online space that protects all people in Canada, especially kids.”

However, the bill has been met with much criticism. 

Many legal scholars have also sounded the alarm about the bill, raising concerns of excessive criminal penalties and oversight issues.

University of Ottawa professor Michael Geist criticized the legislation as being too vague and granting expansive powers to the digital safety commission, a panel of three to five members that would have to be created under the bill. 

According to Bill C-63, “the Commission and Ombudsperson will be supported by the Digital Safety Office, with day-to-day operations and staffing decisions being managed by a Chief Executive Officer.”

Geist called this a position with “truly quite enormous powers” which depend on people placing their “trust in this legislation.” 

However, Geist’s largest concern is the Criminal Code provisions.

“I think the notion of life in prison, where any violation is motivated by hate, the idea that this could include life (in prison) has some pretty significant implications, and I find it really difficult to justify,” he said.

The Online Harms Act, C-63, is currently in second reading in the House of Commons.

Rempel Garner said her newly proposed bill will modernize existing criminal offences to protect Canadians from online harassment” without “creating a government-managed surveillance state or restricting Charter-protected speech.”

The legislation will provide mechanisms and provisions to protect minors as well as update existing laws around non-consensual distribution of intimate images. 

The bill also intends to tackle the issue of “highly realistic intimate images created by artificial intelligence” sometimes referred to as “deepnudes,” which would be criminalized under the proposed legislation. 

The Conservatives claim this issue can be dealt with in a way that still preserves the existing provisions regarding fair use. 

“To be clear, this update won’t criminalize something like two people disagreeing about policy online, or other types of expression of opinion that is protected under the Charter, which Liberal Bill C-63 will undermine,” said Rempel Garner

She said that the legislation will be based on the existing legal definition of criminal harassment, “that causes someone to reasonably fear for their safety or well-being.”

However, the legislation will not seek to reinstate Section 13 of the Canadian Human Rights Act, which the Liberals’ Online Harms Act would reimpose. 

Section 13 was intended to deal with hate speech communicated online or by telephone but was repealed after a series of scandalous prosecutions under the Harper government. 

While the Conservatives are calling upon the Liberals to scrap Bill C-63 in favour of their newly proposed version, the party wishes to maintain one aspect of the Online Harms Act regarding strengthening mandatory reporting requirements of Internet child pornography by internet operators.

“This component could be hived off and passed on unanimous consent while the measures of our new legislation are considered – or put into a new bill should an election be called,” said Rempel Garner. 

A poll conducted earlier this year found that the majority of Canadians don’t believe that the Online Harms Act will lead to a safer internet landscape.

While half of the respondents said that they would support the controversial Online Harms Act, in theory, introduced to protect children and others from harmful internet content, they were not convinced that the government would be able to do so while still protecting free speech.

The Daily Brief | Liberals force provinces to accept asylum seekers

Source: X

The Liberals want to redistribute tens of thousands of asylum seekers to provinces that have lower migrant populations whether they like it or not.

Plus, a True North exclusive reveals the Liberal government used taxpayer funds to pay for a research study that promoted exposing kids to “polyamory” as being healthy and positive for children’s development.

And a 58-year-old Ontario woman is distraught after the Ontario Provincial Police charged her with assault with a weapon for accidentally spraying a neighbour during a water gun fight.

Tune into The Daily Brief with Cosmin Dzsurdzsa and William McBeath!

Police arrest anti-Israel protesters after clashes with police outside Jewish charity’s event

Source: Facebook

Two officers were injured and three anti-Israel protesters were arrested after protesters clashed with police outside of a speaking event held by the United Jewish Appeal, a Jewish community charity group.

According to a Toronto Police Services’ news release Thursday afternoon, police charged three individuals at a demonstration outside of Meridian Hall on Wednesday that left two police officers with minor injuries.

The report said police attended the event on Sept. 11, 2024, in the Yonge Street and Front Street East area, where a group of protesters were demonstrating outside of a fundraising event at Meridian Hall.

The UJA-hosted event, “Proudly Jewish: It’s Who We Are,” featured American journalist Bari Weiss, who protesters said shouldn’t have been allowed to speak due to her pro-Israel views. Other speakers included Shira Haas, an Israeli actress, and Rabbi and book author David Wolpe.

Activists from the Palestinian Youth Movement claimed they were protesting the event because it was hosted by the “zionist group UJA” and the “pro-genocide panel platformed zionist mouthpiece Bari Weiss and an IOF soldier.”

Genocide is a specific term used in international law. No international court has found that Israel is guilty of committing genocide in its war against Hamas following the deadly Oct. 7 attacks.

According to the police report, the group of anti-Israel protesters are alleged to have attempted to gain entry to the event before being removed by officers. This led to a combative exchange between police and protesters, with a woman allegedly assaulting an officer.

Police arrested 25-year-old Adham Diabis from Brampton, Ont., a known leader in the PYM. Alleging that the man threw a water bottle at police during the exchange, he was charged with assaulting a police officer and assault with a weapon.

The X user named “Leviathan” shared a video on X of Diabis’ arrest. In the video, it appears that protesters attempted to prevent the arrest, clashing with police.

A video posted to the PYM’s Instagram page Wednesday night shows Diabis on the shoulders of a protester leading the crowd in chants. The group said all of their “comrades” have been released from jail.

The PYM boasts it published the first English edition of avowed Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine member Wiam Rafeedie’s novel The Trinity of Fundamentals. The Marxist-Leninist PFLP is a listed terrorist entity in Canada.

Diabis is scheduled to appear in court at the Ontario Court of Justice on Monday, Oct. 21, 2024.

According to the police report, a 45-year-old woman from Toronto faces a charge of assaulting an officer too. Police allege that Kerry Gauer “became combative and assaulted an officer” as protestors attempted to rush the building hosting the UJA event.

Gauer’s court date is Oct. 17, 2024, at the Ontario Court of Justice.

Laura Favacho, 27, from Toronto, was charged with allegedly assaulting an officer as well after a protest group moved to the 51 TPS division at Parliament Street and Front Street East as part of “jail support” for the others who were arrested.

Favacho is set to have her court hearing at the same time as Diabis at the Ontario Court of Justice.

Groups such as PYM Toronto and Occupy UofT sent out an “urgent” rallying cry following the first slew of arrests for anti-Israel activists to protest outside the jail where their “comrades” were being held.

Occupy UofT organized two-month-long anti-Israel encampment protests at the University of Toronto campus at the beginning of the summer.

Videos shared by Leviathan on X taken from protesters’ live streams show activists taunting police, some with heavy accents telling the police,  “F&#k you all!” among other expletives.

Toronto Police are routinely equated to the “IOF,” a name to indicate that the Israeli Defence Forces should be the “Israeli Offence Forces” and the racist Ku Klux Klan at anti-Israel protests. 

Another video shows a protester cursing police’s entire families, saying they are all going to hell, the protester saying she has “half a mind to go to hell’ to meet them.

Anyone with information is encouraged to contact police at 416-808-3500, or contact Crime Stoppers anonymously at 416-222-TIPS (8477) or www.222tips.com

TPS did not provide True North with further comment.

Ratio’d | International student ARRESTED planning terror attack in New York

Another potential attack has been foiled from inside Canada with the help of U.S. law enforcement, this time allegedly by a 20-year-old Pakistani man who entered Canada on a student visa. According to a FBI report, Muhammed Khan was planning to attack a synagogue in New York on the anniversary of October 7th and was arrested in a rural Quebec town attempting to illegally cross the border last week.

Canada’s open borders immigration system is creating havoc inside Canada – and now it’s effecting our neighbours to the south. With over 680,000 student visas issued last year, how many other people like Muhammed Khan did our country let in?

Watch the latest episode of Ratio’d with Harrison Faulkner!

Liberal gov. threatens uncooperative provinces with forced asylum seeker relocation plan

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Immigration Minister Marc Miller threatened to use any available “levers” against provinces that don’t comply with a proposed plan to relocate asylum seekers originally destined for Quebec and Ontario to provinces with a lower ratio of refugee claimants to its population.

According to a Liberal government briefing document obtained by True North, the proposed plan would have provinces take in a “proportionate share” of the asylum claimant population. It outlines a quota for each province to accept based on a proportion of each province’s current population.

The document shows that Quebec and Ontario are currently the most popular destinations for asylum seekers to Canada, taking in most refugee applicants.

According to the document using Statistics Canada reports from June 30, 2024, 453,302 individuals are seeking or have been granted asylum in Canada. The briefing said 235,825 asylum claims are currently open where a decision has not been rendered.

If each were accepted, the plan would have Ontario take in 91,972 asylum seekers, 39% of the claimant share. This is down from the 105,926 they would take in otherwise. Around 6,200 claimants have not been assigned to a province or territory, which slightly skews the percentage of total refugee claimants taken by each province.

The briefing shows Quebec would take in around 34.1% of the “humanitarian volume,” defined as the number of current refugees and applying asylum seekers, accepting 51,882 new potential asylum seekers, down from 99,726.

Quebec would see a reduction of 47,671 new asylum seekers, taking in 22% of the potential new asylum seekers. At the same time, Ontario would have 13,956 fewer asylum- claimants than before the plan, totalling 39% of the new asylum seekers.

This week, the Bloc Quebecois positioned itself to form a coalition with the Liberal government keeping them in power. One of its demands is that the government reduce immigration to Quebec.

British Columbia could take in 32,544 new asylum seekers if their claims were accepted. Before the plan, B.C. was positioned to take 11,421 new refugee claimants to the province. In a statement posted to X, the B.C. Conservatives fought back, claiming the government was forcing this upon British Columbians without a plan for increased financial support.

“Justin Trudeau and his Liberal government are dumping thousands of asylum seekers on BC without a plan or funding, all while our province grapples with an unprecedented housing crisis,” John Rustad, the leader of the B.C. Conservatives said in the statement. “Trudeau’s failure to provide the necessary resources is a betrayal of both the newcomers and the communities already struggling to make ends meet.” 

Miller did not respond to True North’s requests to comment.

Rustad said the province’s healthcare, education and social services were already “stretched thin,” and the influx of immigrants without appropriate financial support would only exacerbate the challenges.

Similarly, Premier Blaine Higgs of New Brunswick fought back against the government’s plan, which outlined an increase of more than ten times the number of claims the province currently has. Instead of 384 refugee claims, the province would take in 4,568 new asylum seekers if their claims were accepted.

“This would stretch our healthcare and education systems far beyond what they can handle,” Higgs said in a statement on X. “We do not have enough housing to ensure both newcomers and people currently living in NB have a roof over their heads.”

Miller responded on X by saying Higgs’s statements were “highly irresponsible,” saying “nobody said we’d force new Brunswick to take 4,600 asylum seekers.”

As reported by the National Post, Miller told reporters on Wednesday that the government would use its levers against uncooperative provinces.

“There’s only so far the federal government can actually be nice and say ‘please, please,” Miller said. “We also have levers that we need to pull and push.”

Miller also claimed that Higg’s statements were “largely fictitious,” according to a CBC article posted Thursday and reshared to Miller’s social media saying he never said they would impose asylum seekers on provinces without without financial compensation.

Higgs told True North in an email that he denies Miller’s claims that the information he shared was “mostly fictitious,” as the federal government gave him the document.

“The federal government created this issue, and they should resolve it by addressing the massive backlog on asylum claims – not by putting people on buses and shipping them around the country,” Higgs said in the email. “This is not a workable plan for many provinces, and the Liberals know this. That’s why they’re scrambling to distance themselves from this document.”

Police lay 55 charges and recover 12 cars in cross-province auto theft bust

Source: X

Ontario police disrupted an auto theft ring responsible for at least 40 stolen vehicles in the Greater Toronto Area worth over $3 million, following an investigation launched earlier this spring. 

Halton Regional Police said that while the vehicles were stolen in the GTA, they were destined to be shipped overseas via the Port of Montreal.

The investigation, called Project Ninja, was launched in May after a Toyota Tundra was stolen in Hamilton and recovered in Burlington.

“Through an extensive canvas following the recovery of this Tundra, a suspect vehicle was subsequently identified,” Det. Phil Vandenbeukel told reporters on Wednesday.

Police tailed the suspect vehicle to a rented home in the GTA and initiated several months of surveillance and further investigation.

“Through surveillance and various investigative avenues, individuals were identified along with additional suspect vehicles,” said Vandenbeukel. “These individuals would frequently travel back and forth from Quebec to the GTA and often change locations of their short term rentals.”

According to police, the group targeted high-end newer model vehicles in Ontario, predominantly Toyota Tundras and Lexus RX 350 SUVs, stealing them while parked in private driveways overnight. 

Vandenbeukel said the thieves would smash rear passenger windows and then reprogram blank key fobs allowing them to start the vehicles.

“Through surveillance, the group was observed transporting the stolen vehicles to the Port of Montreal a number of different ways,” he said. “These methods included loading them onto sea containers, and on several occasions, loading them into the toy hauler RV.”

HRP seized the “toy hauler RV” and displayed it outside their headquarters on Wednesday. 

The suspects had gutted the inside of the RV to allow for a car to be driven inside and concealed for transport to Montreal. 

“All of these stolen vehicles were destined to be shipped overseas,” Vandenbeukel said.

Police first noticed a stolen vehicle being loaded into the RV at a Scarborough industrial complex on July 24, prompting officers to execute a traffic stop with the assistance of the Ontario Provincial Police. 

The driver was charged with trafficking stolen property over $5,000 as well as other auto-related offences.

Over the next several months, Project Ninja led police to more suspects in Toronto and Oshawa, resulting in 55 charges against eight individuals thus far.

Four of the suspects have already been taken into custody while the other four remain wanted on Canada-wide warrants.

Police confirmed that the suspects are Algerian nationals who are lawful residents of Quebec.

“We’re currently working with CBSA to determine more about their status. They are lawfully in Canada, residing in Quebec, and we do believe that they came to Ontario for the sole purpose of committing vehicle thefts,” said Detective Constable Autumn Mills.

While the investigation has led to 12 stolen vehicles now being recovered, police anticipate more as Project Ninja evolves.

“We believe this group is responsible for additional vehicles, vehicle thefts not yet linked to them, and as such, our investigation is ongoing,” said Vandenbeukel, who urged that anyone with information to contact investigators or call Crime Stoppers anonymously.

Water gun fight leads to assault with a weapon charge for Ontario woman

Source: Facebook

An Ontario woman has been charged by police with assault with a weapon after accidentally spraying her neighbour with a water gun during a backyard get-together. 

Wendy Washik, a 58-year-old educational assistant from Simcoe, Ont. was playing with some children at a backyard barbecue over the Labour Day weekend when the “incident” occurred. 

“I’ve cried myself to sleep many nights,” Washik told CTV News on Tuesday. “Because I love kids and work with kids, I asked [one] if he had any water guns and he said: ‘Yeah.’”

While playing with the water guns, Washik chased a child from the backyard to the front of the home when she accidentally sprayed a neighbour. 

“I was trying to figure out how the water gun was working. It’s not like I play with water guns at my age,” she said. “I was going through the gate and it accidentally hit the neighbour that was maybe three feet away, [who was] cutting his grass.”

Once Washik saw what had happened, she tried to apologize.

However, the neighbour called a Norfolk County officer who arrived on the “scene” at Woodway Trail, according to Ontario Provincial Police.

Washik said the officer refused to hear her side of the story. 

“They told my husband to ‘bring your wife out of the backyard,’ and that I’m being charged with assault with a weapon,” she said. “They didn’t ask me one single question.”

She was then taken into custody and was later put on leave as an educational assistant by her school board. 

“It just blows my mind that this has happened to me,” she added. “The mental and financial stress that has been put on my family, my children and my husband, is not right and is not fair.”

The man who called the police has a history of reporting very minor disputes, neighbours told CTV News.

“He’s had numerous issues on the street, [with] lots of neighbours,” explained Kirk Stewart. “Police called on them and they’re constantly here.”

“It’s been a recurring issue on the street, police being at his house for very, very minor issues,” added neighbour Michael MacConnachie. “We all get along fine, we’re not calling the police on our other neighbours. It’s always the one individual who’s calling the police.”

The locals on Woodway Trail said they feel the police are being weaponized against them at the hands of the neighbour, who currently remains anonymous.  

Norfolk County OPP responded to this criticism by saying the department is “committed to maintaining high standards in our investigative work.” 

However, it would not comment on the water gun altercation as the investigation remains ongoing

“Regarding the charge that was laid, details about the weapon involved are considered part of the investigation and are not generally shared with the public,” said Norfolk County OPP in a statement. 

“We want to assure the community that every case is thoroughly investigated to ensure it is handled appropriately and brought to resolution,” the statement continued. “We are committed to maintaining high standards in our investigative work, regardless of how the public may perceive the allocation of resources. Our focus remains on doing our job effectively, ensuring that each case receives the attention it deserves, regardless of public perception.”

Washik has retained a lawyer and her daughter launched a GoFundMe to help cover the family’s legal expenses. 

The family said it hopes the situation will be resolved before ending up in court.

Taxpayers paid $70K for study promoting “polyamory” as healthy for kids

Source: Wikimedia Commons

The Liberal government used taxpayer funds to pay for a research study that promoted exposing kids to “polyamory” as being healthy and positive for children’s development. 

On Aug. 7, Quebec researchers published an article on “Children’s views on the romantic partners of their polyamorous parents” in the Journal of Social and Personal Relationships. 

The research was funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada, a federal grant-giving body that distributes taxpayer funds to academic projects. 

SSHRC communications advisor Nicole Swiaterk confirmed to True North taxpayers paid $70,662 between 2019 and 2021 for the study. Funds were awarded via the Insight Development Grants competition.  

Researchers interviewed 18 children between the ages of 5 and 16 years old. Three of the children in the cohort lived in households with their parents’ multiple sexual partners. Nine of the ten households interviewed included adults who identified as LGBTQ+.

“We found that the participating children generally appreciate their parents’ romantic partners,” researchers concluded.

According to the study, polyamory or “consensual non-monogamy” is described as sexual relationships involving more than one partner at a time.

“According to (polyamory)-practicing parents, exposing their children to (polyamory) teaches them to develop healthy, positive and respectful interpersonal relationships based on honest communication and transparency,” the study reads. 

“As previously mentioned, most participating children mentioned more than one romantic partners in their lives.”

According to researchers, children with polyamorous parents believe their parents’ multiple partners were adults “to have fun with,” “who contributed to their material well-being,” “took care of them” or “expanded their circle of friends.” 

“For example, 9-year-old Ayden said he was able to create a special bond with one of his mother’s romantic partners, because he introduced him to a new hobby, which he now enjoyed doing with him: ‘One of the things that’s cool about him is that he’s the one who showed me how to do magic.’,” wrote researchers. 

One of the reasons cited as a benefit included that polyamorous partners gave kids “access to various material resources” like access to pools and gifts. 

“Romantic partners were described by the children as contributing to their material comfort, by buying them things or sharing their possessions with them,” wrote researchers. 

“For instance, 12-year-old Margo felt closer to her mother’s girlfriend than to her mother’s boyfriend. According to her, the fact that her mother’s girlfriend was younger than her mother’s boyfriend, and the fact that she was of the same gender as her meant that the two of them quickly found things in common,” the study reads. 

In conclusion, the researchers claimed that children “benefit from their (parent’s) multi-partner relationship model” because every partner brings “skills, qualities and knowledge” to the table. 

“Ultimately, the presence of several loving and caring adults in the lives of their children is perceived by polyamorous parents as beneficial for the emotional, social and intellectual development of their children,” wrote researchers. 

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