US Secret Service shoots armed man near White House

US Secret Service agents shot an armed man near the White House during the night, an agency spokesman said early Sunday, while President Donald Trump was spending the weekend at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida.

The man had been hospitalized and his condition was “unknown,” the spokesman said in a statement that did not specify whether the White House or Trump may have been the intended target.

No injuries to Secret Service agents were reported, according to the statement posted by spokesman Anthony Guglielmi on social media platform X.

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The agents had been warned by local police of a “suicidal” man travelling to Washington from Indiana and around midnight found his parked vehicle near 17th and F Streets, the statement said — very near the White House.

They then spotted an individual nearby who matched the description they had been given, the statement said.

“As officers approached, the individual brandished a firearm and an armed confrontation ensued, during which shots were fired by our personnel,” the statement said.

“The suspect was transported to an area hospital and his condition is unknown,” it said, adding that Washington police were investigating.

US Secret Service shoots armed man near White House

Canada opens door to family reunion, to accept 10,000 parents visa applications

Canada has announced its plan to accept up to 10,000 complete visa applications for sponsorship under the Parents and Grandparents Program (PGP) in 2025.

This program allows Canadian citizens and permanent residents to sponsor their parents and grandparents for permanent residency.

To be eligible, sponsors must be at least 18 years old, meet the required income threshold, and sign an undertaking to support their parents or grandparents financially.

The Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) oversees the program, which provides an opportunity for family reunification.

Super Visa: an alternative for extended family visits

For those who want to reunite with their parents and grandparents for extended stays without permanent residency, the Super Visa remains an option.

The Super Visa allows multiple entries to Canada over a 10-year period, with each visit lasting up to five years. IRCC has recently made the Super Visa more accessible by revising health insurance requirements.

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Super Visa applicants must apply from outside Canada and meet temporary residence requirements. They also need to provide proof of valid health insurance from an approved provider. If coverage expires before departure, visa holders may need to renew their insurance to maintain eligibility.

Canada Parents Visa: Processing Times and Provincial Variations

As of February 5, 2025, processing times for PGP applications are approximately 24 months for applicants outside Quebec. Due to Quebec’s family class admission targets, processing times for those settling in the province are estimated at 48 months.

Super Visa applicants must have private health coverage, as they are not eligible for provincial or territorial health care plans. Previously, proof of health insurance was only accepted from Canadian providers, but IRCC now permits applicants to purchase policies from international insurance companies.

For those planning shorter stays of six months or less, a visitor visa remains an alternative option.

Canada opens door to family reunion, to accept 10,000 parents visa applications

Pilot wanted on child sex charge commits suicide

A JetBlue pilot who was arrested on his own plane and then freed on bail last month over a child s£x charge k!lled himself Friday March 7, as police closed in for a second arrest.

Jeremy Gudorf, 33, shot himself inside his car at a train station in Revere as troopers with Massachusetts State Police approached him Friday morning, according to NBC10 Boston.

He was pronounced de@d at a local hospital.

The encounter took place at the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority’s Wonderland station after the state police’s Violent Fugitive Apprehension Section, Revere police and US Marshals had been searching for the commercial pilot from Xenia, Ohio.

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As authorities closed in, Gudorf “revealed a firearm and abruptly shot himself,” MSP spokesperson Tim McGuirk said, according to WCVB.

Gudorf was initially handcuffed at Boston’s Logan International Airport on Feb. 20 after US Customs and Border Protection discovered a warrant for his arrest out of North Carolina on a child s£x charge.

The pilot had been moments away from taking off for Paris when he was hauled off the aircraft.

He is charged in Huntersville, North Carolina, on second-degree s£xual exploitation of a minor. He also had a charge in the Bay State as a fugitive of justice.

A federal judge in Boston set his bail at $10,000 on the condition he turn himself over to law enforcement in the Tar Heel State. It was unclear if he ever did so.

Pilot wanted on child sex charge commits suicide