BC Freedom of Information and Privacy Association
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Mullin presents a different vision for FEMA, sparking cautious hope
President Donald Trump’s nominee to head the Department of Homeland Security presented a softer approach on federal emergency management in his Senate confirmation hearing, rejecting the idea of eliminating the Federal Emergency Management Agency and pledging to undo some of his predecessor’s unpopular policies. The remarks by Markwayne Mullin on Wednesday raised hopes among disaster…
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West Virginia voters will lose access to donor employer data under new campaign finance law
At the beginning of next year, voters will no longer be able to see if groups of people who work for the same company are contributing to a politician’s campaign. West Virginia lawmakers passed legislation this year redacting employer information from registered political donations more than $250. Previously, if a dozen employees of “Rick’s Pork”…
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Ontario looks to create connected primary care medical record system
Ontario is planning to create a provincewide electronic medical record system for primary care, more than two decades after the government first embarked on what became a scandal-plagued eHealth project. Health Minister Sylvia Jones announced Thursday that the province is starting by talking to potential vendors about what is possible. “(It’s asking) do you have…
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Council moves ahead on former hospital site amid pushback over pace
Niagara-on-the-Lake council is moving ahead with the recommended next steps for the former hospital on Wellington Street, but not without some debate over whether the town is moving either carefully or too slowly on deciding what to do with the old building — particularly, some say, with an election coming down the pike later this…
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Eby touts mining, energy projects on India tour, dismisses Bishnoi gang report
British Columbia Premier David Eby said Indian companies and the delegation he is leading in the subcontinent have been holding “extensive discussions” about accessing the province’s mining and energy sectors. Eby, whose six-day trip to India wraps up Saturday, said in a news briefing by video from Mumbai Thursday that the Indian firms they’ve been…
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Updated testing finds no PCBs in stormwater pond on former St. Catharines GM site, but it might not be a ‘risk-free facility’
Amid intense public scrutiny of the contaminated former General Motors site in St. Catharines, including concerns about an offline filtration system meant to eliminate toxic chemicals from stormwater runoff, the property owner has ordered further lab testing on the northern portion of the 55-acre property, the City has shared. In a post on the City…
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Federal privacy commissioner looking into sexualized deepfakes on X platform
The federal privacy commissioner will investigate the proliferation of sexualized deepfakes created by artificial intelligence chatbot Grok and shared on X. “The use of personal information without consent to create deepfakes, including intimate images, is a growing phenomenon that poses serious risks to individuals’ fundamental right to privacy,” Philippe Dufresne said in a news release…
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FTC seeks info from 20 universities with Division I sports into whether agents are following law
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Federal Trade Commission is asking 20 universities with Division I sports programs whether agents working with their athletes are following a federal law tied to sports-agent conduct. The FTC’s inquiry, announced Monday, began with sending letters to schools seeking responses by March 23 tied to compliance with the Sports Agent Responsibility…
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Colorado appeals panel skeptical of sentencing for former county clerk who breached election systems
DENVER (AP) — A Colorado appeals panel on Wednesday seemed skeptical that a judge could use former county clerk Tina Peters’ insistence on spreading election conspiracy theories as part of the reason to sentence her to nine years in prison for orchestrating a data breach of election equipment. The three-judge panel was dismissive of many…
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Free-to-use Calgary startup Foqos aims to build healthy phone habits
If creating boundaries between you and your smartphone is on the list of New Year’s resolutions, a Calgary software developer might be able to offer support. In late 2024, Ali Waseem felt stuck with the endless options and distractions social media presents. Now, one year later, his idea has helped more than 50,000 people kick…
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‘Regrettable’: Winnipeg officer apologizes for taking photo of body, selling drugs
A former Winnipeg police officer who sold drugs to friends and colleagues and took a photo of a dead woman while on duty apologized for “tarnishing” the reputation of the service at his sentencing hearing Tuesday. Elston Bostock, 49, earlier pleaded guilty to charges including breach of trust, attempting to obstruct justice, drug trafficking and…