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Trump’s FTC chairman chides Apple boss Tim Cook for content of Apple news feed
NEW YORK (AP) — The chairman of the Federal Trade Commission has written to Apple chief Tim Cook to complain that the company “suppressed” content from conservative news outlets in the Apple News feed that it loads onto many of its devices. Chairman Andrew Ferguson said that while the FTC is not the “speech police,”…
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House GOP pushes strict proof-of-citizenship requirement for voters ahead of midterm elections
WASHINGTON (AP) — House Republicans rushed to approve legislation on Wednesday that would impose strict new proof-of-citizenship requirements ahead of the midterm elections, a long shot Trump administration priority that faces sharp blowback in the Senate. The bill, called the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility, or SAVE America Act, would require Americans to prove they are…
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Protesters in multiple states press Target to oppose the immigration crackdown in Minnesota
NEW YORK (AP) — Activists planned protests at more than two dozen Target stores around the United States on Wednesday to pressure the discount retailer into taking a public stand against the 5-week-old immigration crackdown in its home state of Minnesota. ICE Out Minnesota, a coalition of community groups, religious leaders, labor unions and other…
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Microsoft hopes Mico succeeds where Clippy failed as tech companies warily imbue AI with personality
Clippy, the animated paper clip that annoyed Microsoft Office users nearly three decades ago, might have just been ahead of its time. Microsoft introduced a new artificial intelligence character called Mico (pronounced MEE’koh) on Thursday, a floating cartoon face shaped like a blob or flame that will embody the software giant’s Copilot virtual assistant and…
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Can Legislation Solve Unpaid Airline Work?
On Tuesday morning, interim NDP leader Don Davies stood up in the House of Commons to deliver on a party promise — introducing legislation that would end unpaid work by flight attendants. According to the Canadian Union of Public Employees, or CUPE, North American flight attendants are usually paid only while in the air. The…
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Trump pick to lead federal watchdog agency withdraws after offensive text messages were revealed
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump ’s pick to lead a federal watchdog agency withdrew from consideration Tuesday evening, after his offensive text messages were made public and GOP senators revolted. Paul Ingrassia, who was nominated to lead the Office of Special Counsel, had been scheduled to have his confirmation hearing this week. On Monday,…
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Nova Scotia government gives Whale Sanctuary Project approval to build coastal refuge
Organizers behind a plan to establish North America’s first coastal refuge for captive whales say the Nova Scotia government has granted them approval to start construction on the province’s eastern shore. The U.S.-based Whale Sanctuary Project announced Tuesday that Premier Tim Houston’s cabinet had granted the organization a 20-year lease for 83 hectares of Crown…
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Trump’s nominee to lead a watchdog agency hits trouble over MLK and ‘Nazi streak’ text messages
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump’s pick to lead an office charged with protecting federal whistleblowers appeared to be in jeopardy on Tuesday after Senate Majority Leader John Thune said he hoped the White House would withdraw the nomination. The growing opposition to Paul Ingrassia comes after a Politico report of a text chat that…
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Canada’s scientific study of oceans may be vulnerable to foreign adversaries: report
Canadian ocean research is among the scientific fields that could be vulnerable to foreign espionage, theft or misuse because people overlook its value to adversaries, says a report commissioned by the federal government. The Council of Canadian Academies report says the risks associated with ocean studies have received far less attention in policies and guidelines…
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Auditor finds gaps in federal government’s cybersecurity shield as threats multiply
The federal auditor found “significant gaps” in the government’s cybersecurity services, monitoring efforts and responses to active attacks on information systems. In a report tabled in Parliament on Tuesday, Auditor General Karen Hogan said the federal government must continually bolster its defences as cyberattacks become more sophisticated, pervasive and harmful. In separate reports released Tuesday,…
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National chief calls for federal government to deem First Nations policing essential
The national chief of the Assembly of First Nations chided the federal government Monday for failing to deliver on its promise to introduce legislation to declare First Nations policing an essential service. Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak told MPs on the House of Commons Indigenous affairs committee that the failure of governments to equally fund First Nations…