Billionaire Elon Musk said Wednesday that advertisers who have halted spending on his social media platform X in response to antisemitic and other hateful material are engaging in “blackmail” and, using a profanity, essentially told them to go away. “Don’t advertise,” Musk said. He […]
Category: Society
Developmentally Disabled People Are Being Pushed into Homelessness – The Tyee [2023-11-28]
Just before the summer started, Jon Harry was told he’d have to leave his room at a Duncan motel because the owner planned to renovate. ANNOUNCEMENTS, EVENTS & MORE FROM TYEE AND SELECT PARTNERSThe Tyee Is 20. So We’re Partying by Debating the Fate […]
After 151 years, Popular Science will no longer offer a magazine – The Verge [2023-11-27]
After 151 years, Popular Science will no longer be available to purchase as a magazine. In a statement to The Verge, Cathy Hebert, the communications director for PopSci owner Recurrent Ventures, says the outlet needs to “evolve” beyond its magazine product, which published its […]
Why several big-box stores have ditched their self-checkouts – CBC News [2023-11-22]
After Dwayne Ouelette took over the Canadian Tire in North Bay, Ont., last year, he decided to buck the trend and ditch the store’s four self-checkout machines — which had been there for a decade. “I’m not comfortable using them and I don’t think […]
Loneliness is as bad for you as smoking, research shows. But the stigma stops people getting help – CBC News [2023-11-21]
Top health officials say loneliness is as bad for your health as smoking, but one doctor warns that the stigma around feeling lonely still stops people from reaching out for support. “Just like thirst is a signal you need hydration, loneliness is a signal […]
IBM, EU, Disney and others pull ads from Elon Musk’s X as concerns about antisemitism fuel backlash – CTV News [2023-11-18]
Advertisers are fleeing social media platform X over concerns about their ads showing up next to pro-Nazi content and hate speech on the site in general, with billionaire owner Elon Musk inflaming tensions with his own posts endorsing an antisemitic conspiracy theory. IBM, NBCUniversal […]
Libraries and Homelessness: Libraries provide more than just books – Psychology Today [2023-11-11]
Yesterday, at a community homelessness resource and health fair where I was a faculty preceptor for a footcare clinic with some of our medical and nursing students, I was reminded of the powerful role of libraries in the lives of people experiencing homelessness. Among […]
People with permanent tattoos are more likely to be arrested, convicted, and incarcerated, study finds – PsyPost [2023-11-06]
A new study indicate that both men and women with permanent tattoos are at a significantly higher risk of arrest, conviction, and incarceration compared to those without tattoos, potentially due to stigmatization. This correlation persists even after adjusting for self-reported criminal behavior, levels of […]
Why AI Lies – For chatbots, the truth is elusive; it is for humans, too – Psychology Today [2023-10-27]
Attorney Steven Schwartz heard about large language models (LLMs) from his children. He read a few articles on the subject, one saying that the new artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots could make legal research obsolete. Schwartz asked OpenAI’s ChatGPT to help him with the research […]
Housing first: The case for social prescribing of housing in emergency departments – Healthy Debate [2023-10-03]
The past decade in Canada has seen a material escalation in visible homelessness. With a highly financialized housing market driving housing unaffordability and escalating inflation putting pressure on mortgages, rents and food, the crisis of homelessness has continued to worsen. This has resulted in […]
New apartments opening for homeless people with ‘complex health needs’ – CBC News [2023-10-11]
People who have nowhere to live and are dealing with complex health needs will now have 25 supportive housing units where they stay so they don’t end up on the street. The London Health Sciences Centre and London Cares have partnered to offer the […]
Ontarians on social supports ‘worse off’ than before pandemic, study suggests – Global News [2023-09-20]
Some Ontario researchers say residents in the province who were already among the poorest and most vulnerable prior to COVID-19 are now worse off than they were before. A new report McMaster University’s political science and labour studies department is highlighting how things are […]
Protests over school polices on gender identity met with counter-demonstrations in London, Ont. – Global News [2023-09-20]
More than 1,000 protesters gathered outside the Thames Valley District School Board (TVDSB) in London, Ont., on Wednesday over school policies on gender identity. The “1MillionMarch4Children” saw demonstrations held across the country on Sept. 20th, as organizer Our Duty Canada claimed they’re “advocating for […]
Anti-trans rallies met with counter-protests across Ontario – Global News [2023-09-20]
Anti-trans rallies across Canada were met by crowds affirming their support for transgender youth facing a climate of increasing hate, as rhetoric and debate over sex education curriculums grows louder. Across Ontario, participants in rallies organized by the group “1MillionMarch4Children” — which claims participants […]
Oxford County commits to eliminating homelessness – CTV News [2023-09-18]
While communities across the province deal with homelessness, Oxford County has formally committed to making sure all of its population has a roof over their heads. County council has approved a new three-year strategic plan which includes a goal of 100 per cent housed, […]
Agencies urge city for continued security at outreach spaces facing escalating violence – CBC News [2023-09-14]
A number of agencies offering services to those experiencing homelessness in London, Ont., are urging city council to continue funding security at two key downtown outreach and resting spaces. In July, council approved $200,000 out of a request for $374,000 to go toward security […]
Some Ontario church leaders say Christians discriminating against people who are LGBTQ get the Bible wrong – CBC News [2023-09-14]
It was a summer day in June when Father Jarek Pachocki was at Bishop Ryan Catholic Secondary School in Hamilton, watching a Pride flag raised into the sky. The city’s Catholic school board trustees voted to start flying the flag in 2022 in support […]
As Yellowknife reopens, work is being done to bring back the city’s homeless population – CBC News [2023-09-11]
As the re-entry to Yellowknife continues, work has been underway to track down and arrange for the return of the city’s homeless population. The last homelessness count in the city found there were approximately 300 people who identified as homeless, of which roughly 100 […]
Canada ranks as second-best country in the world in 2023: U.S. News – CTV News [2023-09-08]
Canada has been ranked as the second-best country in the world in 2023, according to a new ranking conducted by U.S. News., communications company WPP and the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School. In its “2023 Best Countries rankings”, U.S. News analyzed various factors, ranging […]
How more homeless encampments in Ontario signal a housing crisis out of control – Global News [2023-09-09]
Homeless encampments have been multiplying across Ontario since the pandemic, but experts say this visible symptom of the national housing crisis has been a long time coming. With limited shelter space, a lack of social housing, increasing cost of home ownership and ballooning rents, […]
Loneliness is harmful to your health, but solitude is beneficial, expert says – CTV News [2023-09-08]
In a virtually constantly connected world, the notion of solitude seems elusive, even daunting, and being alone is often thought of in a negative context. But solitude is not the same as loneliness, and when people choose to spend time by themselves, it can […]
Greenpeace opposes nuclear energy. Young climate activists say that’s ‘old-fashioned’ – CBC News [2023-09-07]
Young climate activists in Europe are calling on Greenpeace to drop its “old-fashioned” stance against nuclear energy. Activists from five EU countries have launched the Dear Greenpeace campaign, asking the well-established environmental organization to get on board with what they see as a necessary […]
Dictionary.com embraces ‘they,’ adds hundreds of new words – Mashable [2023-09-06]
The lexicographers and editors at Dictionary.com know a long-lasting trend when they see one. For its latest update, the digital dictionary will now use the gender-neutral “they” or “their” instead of “he or she” or “his or her” in entries where there’s no reason […]
Elon Musk ‘likes’ trending #BanTheADL posts as white supremacist ad runs on platform – Mashable [2023-09-01]
Over the past 24 hours, the hashtag #BanTheADL has been trending on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter. The trending hashtag refers to the Anti-Defamation League, the Jewish anti-extremism civil rights organization. Even more concerning is that X owner Elon Musk has signaled […]
Saskatchewan, New Brunswick naming changes means ‘life or death’ for trans kids: Ien – CTV News [2023-08-31]
Canada’s minister for women, gender equality and youth says policies in Saskatchewan and New Brunswick that require parental consent before students under 16 can have schools use their preferred pronouns and names puts transgender and nonbinary kids in a “life-or-death situation.” And while Marci […]
