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UBC bans Chinese AI DeepSeek from its devices and networks, citing privacy, security
The University of British Columbia has banned Chinese AI tool DeepSeek from being used or installed on university-owned devices and networks, citing “a high degree of privacy and security risk.” The university says it reached the decision after a review of public information and third-party assessments of DeepSeek’s artificial intelligence applications. It says there are…
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Alberta proposes oil-site trespass bill to keep federal workers from grabbing data
Alberta’s government is proposing a law it says would ban federal employees from going on any oil-related sites — from wellheads to corporate head offices – but the NDP says it’s an illegal and performative distraction. Premier Danielle Smith says the goal is to keep federal staffers away from any place where oil and gas…
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Trump administration threatens to pull New York transit funds as it questions anti-crime efforts
The Trump administration is threatening to pull federal funding from New York City’s transit system if it doesn’t provide a plan to address crime. While New York transit officials point to publicly available statistics showing major crime on the subway system is trending down this year, U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy noted “a number of…
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Government officials estimate Ontario could be short 8,500 early childhood educators
TORONTO — Ontario could be short 8,500 registered early childhood educators as the province adds tens of thousands more child-care spaces under the national $10-a-day program, the government estimates. The province is set to hold consultation sessions with people in the child-care sector starting next week. In slide decks obtained by The Canadian Press, officials say about…
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Emergency departments are in a state of crisis, Halifax ER chief says
HALIFAX — The head of emergency medicine for Halifax and the surrounding area says ERs are under the most extreme pressure that he’s seen in his 23-year career, and he says it’s taking a toll on patients and health-care workers. Emergency medicine is in a state of “crisis” amid a shortage of nurses, physicians and…
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High court takes 8 new cases, 1 about a religious mailman
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court on Friday agreed to consider what employers must do to accommodate religious employees, among eight new cases it added. The cases are expected to be argued in April. In one involving a former postal employee, the justices will consider what accommodations employers must make for religious employees. The case…
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Sweden: Erdogan effigy ‘act of sabotage’ against NATO bid
ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson on Friday denounced a protest by Kurds in central Stockholm, where an effigy of Turkey’s president was hung from a lamppost, as an act of “sabotage” against Sweden’s bid to join NATO. The protest outside City Hall on Wednesday drew an angry backlash from Turkey, a…
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Prince Rupert port set to ban cruise ships from dumping contaminated wastewater
A second port on Canada’s West Coast is proposing a ban on cruise ships dumping contaminated and acidic wastewater while docked to protect the marine environment. The Port of Prince Rupert on B.C.’s north coast is taking public feedback until Feb. 5 on changes slated for 2023, including forbidding the open-loop scrubber systems that cruise…
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‘Malicious code’ embedded on LCBO site, customer data may be compromised
TORONTO — An unauthorized party embedded “malicious code” on the Liquor Control Board of Ontario’s website to gather customer information, the provincial agency said Thursday, noting that personal data may have been compromised as a result. The Crown corporation had said earlier this week that it was investigating a “cybersecurity incident” that affected online sales…
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School lawsuits over social media harm face tough legal road
SEATTLE (AP) — Like the tobacco, oil, gun, opioid and vaping industries before them, the big U.S. social media companies are now facing lawsuits brought by public entities that seek to hold them accountable for a huge societal problem — in their case, the mental health crisis among youth. But the new lawsuits — one…
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‘Unexpected storm’: Emails detail Regina police response to James Smith rampage
A report of a suspect vehicle in Saskatchewan’s capital hours after a stabbing rampage on a First Nation some 300 kilometres away suddenly pulled city officers into the investigation and kept residents on edge for days. The sighting “swiftly brought us into the unexpected storm,” Regina police Chief Evan Bray would later say in an…