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IRS head announces a shake-up on the eve of the 2026 tax season
WASHINGTON (AP) — Days before the 2026 tax filing season begins, the head of the IRS announced a shake-up Tuesday, saying the personnel and operational changes are intended to improve taxpayer service and modernize the agency. The timing of the announcement coincides with a critical moment for the agency, as the IRS prepares to process…
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Town lays out updated policy for bylaw enforcement
The Town of Niagara-on-the-Lake has laid out how bylaw complaints and inquiries will be reviewed, investigated and enforced under an updated enforcement policy. Council unanimously received the information report last Tuesday. Before the report, the town already enforced bylaws using an “engage, educate, then enforce” approach and accepted complaints through a public process outlined on…
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Internet shutdown squeezes Iran’s ailing businesses already hurt by crashing currency
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Iranians have been struggling for nearly two weeks with the longest, most comprehensive internet shutdown in the history of the Islamic Republic — one that has not only restricted their access to information and the outside world, but is also throttling many businesses that rely on online advertising. Authorities…
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Roblox rolls out open-source AI system to protect kids from predators in chats
Roblox, the online gaming platform wildly popular with children and teenagers, is rolling out an open-source version of an artificial intelligence system it says can help preemptively detect predatory language in game chats. The move comes as the company faces lawsuits and criticism accusing it of not doing enough to protect children from predators. For…
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Afghanistan’s Taliban have ‘weaponized’ the judicial system to oppress women, UN expert says
UNITED NATIONS (AP) — Afghanistan’s Taliban rulers have “weaponized” the legal and judicial system to oppress women and girls in what amounts to “crimes against humanity,” the independent U.N. investigator on human rights in the country said. Richard Bennett said in a report to the U.N. General Assembly circulated Wednesday that after seizing power in…
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Social media goes mainstream for political messaging — warts and all
Editor’s Note: Following is the second in a series of stories on social media roles, effects and strategies in politics and public life, especially at the provincial level in Alberta. Albertans who vibe with Janis Irwin see her regularly on mainstream TV, the perfect place to learn all about her everyday life, her thoughts on…
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Ford envisions three-level tunnel under Highway 401, feasibility study not started
Ontario Premier Doug Ford revealed more details Wednesday about his planned tunnel under Highway 401, even as a feasibility study he’s commissioning has yet to get underway. Speaking at an unrelated transit announcement in Thornhill, Ont., north of Toronto, Ford said his plan is to have a 19.5-metre-wide, three-level tunnel, with one level going eastbound,…
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Holocaust educators respond to rising antisemitism amid Ontario’s school board takeover
In response to Ontario’s unprecedented takeover of several school boards, Jewish educators and community leaders are cautiously optimistic about renewed government efforts to address rising antisemitism and Holocaust distortion in schools. “We all know this is a problem,” said Dara Solomon, executive director of the Toronto Holocaust Museum. “We hear it every day. We have…
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NYC gunman who blamed NFL for hiding brain injury dangers suffered from sports concussion, mom said
LOS ANGELES (AP) — The mother of the man who killed four people at a Manhattan office tower home to the NFL told 911 dispatchers during a 2022 incident when he threatened to kill himself that he suffered from a sports-related concussion and other issues, new information released by Las Vegas police Tuesday revealed. Shane…
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Technology lift for businesses backed by grants
The Northwestern Innovation Centre is providing small and medium-sized Northern Ontario enterprises with a funding opportunity aimed at expanding technology to enhance business operations. The Northern Technology Accelerator Program (NTAP) is a non-repayable grant program that will cover up to 50 per cent of eligible technology costs to a maximum of $10,000. Administered by Blue…
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Fisheries Department offered support to firm behind doomed Titan submersible
Two years before the Titan submersible imploded south of Newfoundland, killing five people, Canada’s Fisheries Department sent a letter of support to the sub’s American owner, the U.S. Coast Guard says in a report released Tuesday. The 300-page investigation report says the sinking was preventable. It says the company responsible for organizing the trip, OceanGate,…