This is your Access and Privacy News Summary for Saturday, November 1st.   We’ll lead with troubling implications for Canadians and who the nation’s intelligence agencies is working for. Reporting informed from access to information reveals that lobbying by the company formerly known as Trans Canada Pipelines has succeeded and gives them ongoing access to CSIS.  We’ll […]

JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — The Alaska Supreme Court is weighing a case that is expected to determine who can provide abortion care in the state. The court heard arguments Wednesday in a 2019 case challenging the constitutionality of a law that states only a doctor licensed by the State Medical Board can perform an abortion […]

The province has gone back to partnering with East Coast Forensic Hospital (ECF) in conducting forensic psychiatric assessments on court orders. In 2019 the province’s contract with ECF wasn’t renewed, which caused delays in the assessment process. At that time virtual assessments were done with out of province psychiatrists. Stephanie Kelly, a spokesperson for Health […]

U.S. lawmakers have tried four times since September last year to close what they called a glaring loophole: China is getting around export bans on the sale of powerful American AI chips by renting them through U.S. cloud services instead. But the proposals prompted a flurry of activity from more than 100 lobbyists from tech […]

The federal notification system that alerts Canadians about life-threatening emergency situations is facing an uncertain future. The funding agreement for the National Public Alerting System (NPAS), which sends out alerts for extreme weather, air quality, wildfires, Amber Alerts and other threats, expires on Aug. 31, 2026, and it is unclear what will happen next. “Urgent […]

The Town of Gibsons’ Corporate Administration and Legislative Services Department navigated a busy third quarter, with staffing transitions, legal reviews, and emergency preparedness training topping the agenda.  Chief administrative officer Emanuel Machado presented the report to council members at the Oct. 21 committee of the whole. Machado supported the reorganization of the Infrastructure Services Department […]

Police in Michigan are not commenting on the case involving former NHL forward Ryan Kesler, who’s been charged with two counts of fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct. Court records show Kesler, 41, was arraigned via Zoom on Monday in Bloomfield Hills District Court, where he pleaded not guilty to two misdemeanour charges stemming from alleged offences […]

One Brampton councillor says the city is “one step closer” to relocating Regeneration Outreach from Grace United Church on Main Street North. But the church and the outreach group say there has been little to no direct contact from the city and no clear relocation plan offered. Regeneration Outreach is a daytime drop-in program at Grace […]

Oak Valley Health is advising patients of possible hospital delays as it prepares to launch a major digital system upgrade tomorrow. The organization, which operates Markham Stouffville Hospital and Uxbridge Hospital, is joining Southlake Health and Stevenson Memorial Hospital in transitioning to an enhanced electronic medical records platform. Undertaken through a partnership known as the […]

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security is amending its policies to require that all non-citizens — including Canadians — be photographed when entering or leaving the United States. The new security regulations, posted in the federal register Monday, are set to come into force on Dec. 26, although it could take years to fully implement […]

Nova Scotia’s largest electric utility says it has fallen months behind in paying contractors and suppliers because of a cyberattack in March that saw hackers trying to steal personal information from more than 200,000 ratepayers. Nova Scotia Power spokeswoman Jacqueline Foster apologized on behalf of the utility on Monday, saying invoices are being paid, but […]

It was July 2023 when Brant County residents say Cleaver Road bridge was “abruptly” closed without any prior warning or input from the community. The century-old, single-lane bridge is one of 15 the county is looking at permanently closing in the coming years, much to the frustration of some residents.  “For two and a half […]