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Justine Proulx at Black Thistle Tattoo is dealing with clients bringing in AI-generated tattoo proposals, some of which are made by feeding her own style into a generative model.

Tattoo artists beset by requests for unworkable AI pieces

Ben Waldman 5 minute read 2:00 AM CDT

As a professional tattooist with eight years of ink on her fingers, Justine Proulx is used to getting all sorts of requests from clients looking to decorate their bodies with memories, tributes and reminders.

But over the past six months, the Winnipeg artist, who works out of Black Thistle Tattoo, has noticed some troublesome trends.

Most — about 90 per cent — of clients are bringing in AI-generated images that “aren’t doable” to Proulx’s Henderson Highway studio.

Not only do these prompts undermine the artist’s hard-won style, but such images don’t account for the technical expertise of experienced tattooists, who have worked for years to understand the intricacies, the possibilities and the limitations of a dermal canvas.

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Health

When a rip current sucks you out to sea, try not to panic

Javier Arciga, The Associated Press 4 minute read Preview

When a rip current sucks you out to sea, try not to panic

Javier Arciga, The Associated Press 4 minute read 6:03 AM CDT

SAN DIEGO (AP) — To someone who is getting sucked out to sea by a rip current, “Don’t panic!” may be difficult to heed, even if that’s exactly what you should do. But lifeguards say to not only relax but flip over and float out of the danger.

Rip currents are one of the coast’s greatest dangers and account for the most beach rescues every year. About 100 people drown from rip currents along U.S. beaches each year, according to the United States Lifesaving Association. And more than 80% of beach rescues annually involve rip currents.

Already this year, there have been at least 21 people killed from rip currents in U.S. waters, according to the National Weather Service.

Here are some things to know about rip currents:

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6:03 AM CDT

Faith

MIKAELA MACKENZIE / FREE PRESS
John McNairnay, congregation member and vice-chair of the South Osborne Commons, guides media through the space at the announcement for plans to turn Churchill Park United Church into South Osborne Commons.

Daycare, community hub answer to church’s prayers

Josiah Neufeld 4 minute read Preview

Daycare, community hub answer to church’s prayers

Josiah Neufeld 4 minute read Yesterday at 5:52 PM CDT

A dwindling congregation that owns a red brick church building in South Osborne has found a creative way to keep its doors open while meeting a vital need in the neighbourhood.

If all goes according to plan, the sanctuary of Churchill Park United Church will be echoing with the cries and laughter of children by next fall.

The $4.4-million construction project will transform the main floor of the church, at the corner of Beresford Avenue and Nassau Street, into a 112-space daycare centre, while the second floor will become a community hub with meeting space for congregants and other community groups.

A few years ago, the aging congregation — which averaged 30 or 40 people on a Sunday — came to the painful conclusion that they wouldn’t be able to keep managing their building much longer.

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Yesterday at 5:52 PM CDT

Environment

National Guard members look at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, Monday, June 22, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

Troubled Reflecting Pool faces fresh scrutiny over vandalism claims and duck deaths

Matthew Daly, The Associated Press 6 minute read Preview

Troubled Reflecting Pool faces fresh scrutiny over vandalism claims and duck deaths

Matthew Daly, The Associated Press 6 minute read Updated: 6:44 AM CDT

WASHINGTON (AP) — The saga over the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool took a turn as President Donald Trump said Tuesday that six people have been arrested over recent damage. The president’s troubled $14-million-plus rehabilitation project has become a visceral flashpoint over law enforcement, aesthetics and environmental concerns ahead of the country's 250th anniversary celebrations.

In a social media post, Trump claimed without supporting evidence that there had been a “350-foot gash” in the paint as the administration faces a self-imposed deadline to fix the botched renovation before the nation's 250th anniversary celebration next week. He has also said, including again on Tuesday, that the federal government would release images to substantiate his claim.

Trump pledged to beautify the century-old Reflecting Pool ahead of the anniversary celebrations, draining its water and having the bottom painted a color he dubbed “American flag blue.” But since the site was restored, its water has been plagued with algae bloom and pieces of the new coating appeared to be peeling off the bottom.

Trump, without evidence, has repeatedly blamed the peeling paint on vandalism.

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Updated: 6:44 AM CDT

Health

FILE - The Department of Justice seal is seen during a news conference at the DOJ office in Washington, May 16, 2023. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana, File)

Montreal man sentenced to three years for weight-loss product scam in U.S.

The Canadian Press 2 minute read Preview

Montreal man sentenced to three years for weight-loss product scam in U.S.

The Canadian Press 2 minute read 6:39 AM CDT

MADISON - A Montreal man convicted earlier this year of a fraudulent weight loss product scam in the United States has been sentenced to three years in prison.

The U.S. Attorney's Office says Michel Poirier pleaded guilty in March for his role in a mass marketing fraud scheme from 2011 to 2016.

It says Poirier would use American printing companies to handle mass mailings of brochures promoting bogus weight-loss products.

The attorney's office says companies that printed and mailed the brochures would receive bad cheques, and Poirier would stop answering calls and emails.

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6:39 AM CDT

This photo provided by Jeep shows the 2026 Cherokee. Jeep's small SUV is all-new and comes with a standard hybrid powertrain that gets an EPA-estimated 37 mpg combined. (Courtesy of Stellantis via AP)

Jeep Cherokee vs Subaru Forester: Edmunds sizes up hybrid SUVs

James Riswick Of Edmunds, The Associated Press 5 minute read Preview

Jeep Cherokee vs Subaru Forester: Edmunds sizes up hybrid SUVs

James Riswick Of Edmunds, The Associated Press 5 minute read 5:25 AM CDT

Two new hybrid SUVs have hit the market in the last two years from brands known for their outdoorsy images: the Jeep Cherokee and the Subaru Forester. The Jeep Cherokee has been redesigned for 2026 after a three-year hiatus. Notably, every new Cherokee has a hybrid powertrain that gets more than 30 mpg.

The Subaru Forester, meanwhile, gained its hybrid powertrain option for 2025 and is better for it, improving this SUV’s fuel economy, performance and refinement. Both SUVs could be appealing if you’re interested in a high-mpg SUV that can help you get out into nature on the weekends. Edmunds’ auto experts tested both to find which one is a better fit for your needs.

Fuel economy and performance

The Cherokee gets an EPA-estimated 37 mpg in combined city/highway driving. The Forester Hybrid gets a bit less at 35 mpg combined. This is a nice boost from gas-only SUVs — the regular Forester gets up to 29 mpg, for example. Other rival hybrid SUVs are capable of even better mpg, though those are often front-wheel-drive versions that get slightly better fuel economy. The Cherokee and Forester Hybrid both come standard with all-wheel drive, with no option for front-wheel drive. On the upside, however, you’ll appreciate the extra traction if you do a lot of driving on slippery roads in the wintertime.

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5:25 AM CDT

Health

French health ministry confirms Ebola virus in patient who worked in Congo

The Associated Press 2 minute read Preview

French health ministry confirms Ebola virus in patient who worked in Congo

The Associated Press 2 minute read 6:03 AM CDT

PARIS (AP) — A positive case of Ebola virus has been identified in France in a patient traveling back from Congo, the French Ministry of Health said Wednesday.

The individual, who has not been identified, returned from a humanitarian mission in one of the virus transmission zones in Congo and was taken into care at a specialized facility in France. The person is in stable condition, the ministry said.

The Congolese health ministry said Wednesday there are 1,094 confirmed cases of Ebola, including 277 confirmed deaths. The Ebola outbreak caused by the rare Bundibugyo virus does not yet have any vaccines or treatment.

Officials admit there could be far more cases they don’t know about and the peak of the outbreak, which was declared May 15, could still lie ahead.

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6:03 AM CDT

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Faith

Trainee priest Jeremy-Marie Joly poses in the Chapel of the Grand Seminary of Montreal in Montreal, on Tuesday, June 16, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graham Hughes

Chaste and obedient: Quebecer goes to priesthood as hopes of religious revival stir

Morgan Lowrie, The Canadian Press 5 minute read Preview

Chaste and obedient: Quebecer goes to priesthood as hopes of religious revival stir

Morgan Lowrie, The Canadian Press 5 minute read 3:00 AM CDT

MONTREAL - Jeremy-Marie Joly says his family and friends were shocked when he told them he was abandoning engineering studies to become a priest.

Sports was more important than religion in his family when he was growing up in Gatineau, Que. He played hockey and college soccer, had a girlfriend, and worked a manual labour job in Alberta for a while before deciding to study electrical engineering.

His family, which includes six brothers, didn't understand when he decided to head to Montreal to study at the seminary, he said. "They saw it as, I won't have my brother beside me to live this life that we imagine, where you have your own kids," said Joly, 40.

Joly's choice to become a priest remains a highly unusual one in 2026. However, he's completing his studies at a time when some churches say they're seeing rising attendance and a renewed interest in Catholicism from an increasingly younger crowd, after many decades of decline.

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3:00 AM CDT

Arts & Entertainment

A model wears a creation as part of the Louis Vuitton men's Spring Summer 2027 collection presented in Paris, France, Tuesday, June 23, 2026. (AP Photo/Aurelien Morissard)

Pharrell sends Vuitton surfing as Jeremy Allen White, Missy Elliott and Victor Wembanyama look on

Thomas Adamson, The Associated Press 3 minute read Preview

Pharrell sends Vuitton surfing as Jeremy Allen White, Missy Elliott and Victor Wembanyama look on

Thomas Adamson, The Associated Press 3 minute read Updated: 5:34 AM CDT

PARIS (AP) — Pharrell Williams sent Louis Vuitton’s dandy surfer at star-filled Paris Fashion Week over a giant curling wave Tuesday, closing the opening day of menswear shows with a glass-walled camper, a moonlit set and a collection that put clothes ahead of spectacle.

A moon rose overhead, stars were visible above the runway, and beneath them came the wave: a barrel built tall enough to swallow the show.

It rose from a sandy outdoor set, spraying mist into the heat and giving the evening’s surf fantasy a practical appeal.

The front row had its own stars. Jeremy Allen White, Charles Melton, Future, Missy Elliott, Lola Young, Coco Jones, Quavo, Victor Wembanyama, Jackson Wang, BamBam and Finn Bennett were among the guests.

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Updated: 5:34 AM CDT

Environment

Green Party Leader Elizabeth May looks on as Sen. Rosa Galvez speaks during a news conference on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Wednesday, June 17, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld

Looser federal rules on pesticides will erode Canada’s trade access: senator

Catherine Morrison, The Canadian Press 4 minute read Preview

Looser federal rules on pesticides will erode Canada’s trade access: senator

Catherine Morrison, The Canadian Press 4 minute read 3:00 AM CDT

OTTAWA - Canada's goal of boosting trade with countries outside the United States could be thwarted by its new pesticide rules, a senator warns.

Bill C-30, an omnibus bill implementing the spring economic update, passed both the House of Commons and the Senate last week.

The legislation includes a change to Canada's Pest Control Products Act that allows cabinet to override Health Canada and authorize the use of banned pesticides in the interest of economic or national food security, or in response to "seriously detrimental infestation." Ban exemptions can last for up to six years.

Sen. Rosa Galvez, an expert in pollution and its effects on human health, said the change works against the government's goal of diversifying trade.

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3:00 AM CDT

Health

Freshly harvested spearmint leaves, dried chamomile flowers, and a cup of herbal tea are displayed on Long Island, N.Y. on June 15, 2026. (Jessica Damiano via AP)

A soothing cup of herbal tea can begin in your garden

Jessica Damiano, The Associated Press 5 minute read Preview

A soothing cup of herbal tea can begin in your garden

Jessica Damiano, The Associated Press 5 minute read Updated: Yesterday at 11:09 AM CDT

Drink a fragrant cup of herbal tea, and the intoxicating scent of steeped herbs might calm your mind before you even take a sip. Even better is when they come from your own backyard herb garden.

Mine includes several ingredients for my daily cup, and they’re all easy to grow and prepare.

Herbal teas are distinct from true teas — such as black or green — which comes from the leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant. (You can grow that in your garden, too.) Brew herbal teas with either freshly harvested or dried herbs.

Either way, settling in with a cup of homegrown herbal tea — hot or iced — can be a relaxing ritual.

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Updated: Yesterday at 11:09 AM CDT

Environment

A woman visits the historical Spanish steps in Rome, Tuesday, June 23, 2026. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)

How a heat dome is formed and why experts blame one for Europe’s baking temperatures

Alexa St. John, The Associated Press 4 minute read Preview

How a heat dome is formed and why experts blame one for Europe’s baking temperatures

Alexa St. John, The Associated Press 4 minute read Updated: 7:07 AM CDT

Europe is sizzling under an early heat wave this week, with millions of people experiencing extremely high temperatures, and experts say a phenomenon known as a heat dome is to blame.

Here's what to know.

What is a heat dome?

Heat domes are essentially high-pressure systems that remain stationary for a few days, trapping dangerous heat and humidity, said Mireia Ginesta, a research associate at the Climate Litigation Lab at the Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment.

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Updated: 7:07 AM CDT

Science & Technology

Options trader Joseph D'Arrigo works on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, Tuesday, June 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)

AI stock slump raises the question if investors are just taking profits or getting very nervous

Alex Veiga, The Associated Press 5 minute read Preview

AI stock slump raises the question if investors are just taking profits or getting very nervous

Alex Veiga, The Associated Press 5 minute read Updated: 6:30 AM CDT

Technology companies are spending big to incorporate artificial intelligence into their businesses and to build huge data centers. Investors who had jumped on the bandwagon appear to be having second thoughts.

Proponents of artificial intelligence see it as the next great revolution for the global economy. The revolution won't come cheap. Just four companies — Alphabet, Amazon, Meta Platforms and Microsoft — plan to spend up to $720 billion this year, primarily on AI data centers.

This week, investors are looking at the huge sums being spent and questioning whether AI can produce the profits and productivity necessary to make all the investment worth it. Critics have been talking about the possibility of a bubble in AI investment. On Monday, Amazon and Alphabet fell about 5%.

On Tuesday, several companies that make the chips needed for the data center buildup — Nvidia, Micron Technology, Broadcom and Lam Research — led the market lower.

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Updated: 6:30 AM CDT

Health

A CPAP machine for managing sleep apnea is shown in Toronto, on Tuesday, June 23, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Alex Nino Gheciu

Health Canada approves weight-loss drug for sleep apnea in patients with obesity

Nicole Ireland, The Canadian Press 4 minute read Preview

Health Canada approves weight-loss drug for sleep apnea in patients with obesity

Nicole Ireland, The Canadian Press 4 minute read 7:16 AM CDT

TORONTO - Health Canada has approved weight-loss drug Zepbound for treating obstructive sleep apnea in adults with obesity.

The department confirmed that the authorization granted on June 11 makes Zepbound the only GLP-1 drug in Canada approved for the sleep disorder that causes people to stop breathing temporarily because their upper airway is blocked.

That blockage can happen when throat muscles relax or when there is too much fatty tissue around the upper airway.

Sleep apnea causes daytime sleepiness and other potential risks including high blood pressure, heart attacks and strokes, said Dr. Mandeep Singh, a clinician investigator in sleep science at University Health Network in Toronto.

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7:16 AM CDT

Faith

Pope Leo XIV greets people as he leaves his residence in Castel Gandolfo, on the outskirts of Rome, to return to the Vatican, Tuesday, June 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

These traditionalist Catholics are defying Pope Leo XIV, and embracing their outsider status

Nicole Winfield, The Associated Press 7 minute read Preview

These traditionalist Catholics are defying Pope Leo XIV, and embracing their outsider status

Nicole Winfield, The Associated Press 7 minute read 1:52 AM CDT

VATICAN CITY (AP) — A breakaway group of traditionalist Catholics will challenge Pope Leo XIV’s authority next week by consecrating four bishops without his consent. Rather than shying away from the confrontation, the Society of St. Pius X seems intent on embracing its notoriety.

The group, which celebrates the traditional Latin Mass and rejects the modernizing reforms of the Catholic Church, is planning a highly organized, four-day, livestreamed extravaganza for the consecrations at its Swiss seminary — complete with a souvenir wine set offered to those attending.

The July 1 event, nearly four decades after the group first became a thorn in the Vatican's side, suggests it is leaning in even more ardently to its schismatic status for a new generation of Catholics who prefer their Masses in Latin and don’t mind that their bishops are out of communion with Rome.

“To me, they look really like Traditionalism 2.0,” said Massimo Faggioli, professor of theology at Villanova University, Leo’s alma mater. The group, known as the SSPX, has embraced technology and digital branding of its religious identity, despite its antimodern, integralist agenda.

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1:52 AM CDT

Life & Style

An aerial shot shows an archaeological site in Soften near Aarhus, Denmark, on June 22, 2026. (AP Photo/James Brooks)

Archaeologists find huge Viking textile production site in Denmark

James Brooks, The Associated Press 3 minute read Preview

Archaeologists find huge Viking textile production site in Denmark

James Brooks, The Associated Press 3 minute read Updated: 3:22 AM CDT

SØFTEN, Denmark (AP) — Archaeologists have discovered a huge Viking Age textile production site in Denmark that dates back more than 1,000 years and underlines the sophistication of Viking society.

Experts from the Moesgaard Museum said this week that the sprawling 100,000-square-meter (more than 1 million-square-foot) site features an area for processing flax as well as more than 80 pit houses — semi-buried huts that were used as workshops and dwellings in Viking times.

It's located in Søften, 10 kilometers (6 miles) north of Denmark’s second-largest city, Aarhus, on the Jutland peninsula. The site dates back to the late Iron Age and early Viking Age, sometime between A.D. 600 and 950.

Archaeologist Liv Stidsing Reher-Langberg, who led the 10-month dig, said that “we have a clear focus on textile production, which makes this settlement different from other kinds of settlements of this period.”

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Updated: 3:22 AM CDT

June 24, 2026

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