Small drug seizures in Vancouver dropped at a “dramatic” rate after decriminalization came into effect in British Columbia, the city’s police department says.  Insp. Phil Heard, who oversees the department’s drug unit, told a news conference Tuesday that reports that claimed otherwise are “patently false.” Researchers Tyson Singh and Liam Michaud wrote an article about […]

The Ontario government tabled a budget Tuesday that forecast a ballooning deficit, investments in the home and community care sector, and support for a first-of-its-kind medical school. Here are the highlights:  BALLOONING DEFICIT Ontario is projecting a deficit of $9.8 billion in the coming fiscal year, almost double what was projected in its fall economic […]

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas is poised to require pornography websites to verify visitors are adults, a move that would follow Texas and a handful of other states despite concerns about privacy and how broadly the law could be applied. The Republican-controlled Kansas Legislature passed the proposal Tuesday, sending it to Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly. […]

Two more beluga whales have died at Marineland, bringing the total number of whale deaths since 2019 to 17.  Ontario’s Animal Welfare Services has been investigating the Niagara Falls tourist attraction since 2020. “The ministry has been made aware that two beluga whales at Marineland have passed away this March,” said Brent Ross, a spokesman […]

Lives could be put at risk if the Nova Scotia government doesn’t maintain limits on who can access sensitive medical information about patients, a sexual assault survivor told a legislature committee on Monday. Carrie Smith, of Digby, N.S., spoke out against a change in legislation she believes is too broad in giving the province access […]

The British Columbia government is warning people about a scam involving its PayBC website, where an “identical fake website” is collecting personal and credit card information.  The PayBC site gives residents a secure place to pay their bills or for services from the provincial government, but it says it has become aware of phishing attempts […]

Hospitals and long-term care homes spent nearly $1 billion last year to fill shifts with nurses and personal support workers from private staffing agencies, a Ministry of Health document estimates. A November 2023 staffing agency update obtained by The Canadian Press through a freedom-of-information request shows that agency use increased from 2021-22 to 2022-23 by […]

Threats against politicians have become “increasingly normalized” due to extremist narratives prompted by personal grievances and fuelled by misinformation or deliberate lies, warns a newly released intelligence report. The report, prepared by a federal task force that aims to safeguard elections, says the Canadian violent extremist landscape has seen the proliferation of conspiracy theories, a […]

PHOENIX (AP) — The room sits behind a chain-link fence, then black iron gates. Guards block the entrance, which requires a security badge to access. The glass surrounding it is shatterproof. What merits all these layers of protection is somewhat surprising: tabulating machines that count the votes during elections in Arizona’s Maricopa County. The security […]

WASHINGTON (AP) — Bipartisan legislation introduced in the House Thursday would require the identification and labeling of online images, videos and audio generated using artificial intelligence, the latest effort to rein in rapidly developing technologies that, if misused, could easily deceive and mislead. So-called deepfakes created by artificial intelligence can be hard or even impossible […]

The Liberal government has tabled legislation that updates the federal Elections Act as part of its political pact with the NDP. The minister responsible for democratic institutions, Dominic LeBlanc, said the changes “will enhance Canadians’ ability to exercise their vote while strengthening protections against foreign interference in our elections.” The bill, if passed, would add […]

It’s “extremely appropriate” that two scientists who lost their jobs due to dealings with China remain under investigation, Health Minister Mark Holland said Wednesday. The National Microbiology Laboratory researchers were fired in early 2021 after their security clearances were revoked over questions about their loyalty and the potential for coercion by China. Records tabled in […]