Physical Education/Health Education

Please review each article prior to use: grade-level applicability and curricular alignment might not be obvious from the headline alone.

Pragmatic — not political — Dynacare decision benefits Manitobans

Tom Brodbeck 5 minute read Preview

Pragmatic — not political — Dynacare decision benefits Manitobans

Tom Brodbeck 5 minute read Friday, May. 30, 2025

The Manitoba NDP government did something this week that will surprise a few people — and probably frustrate some of its more ideological supporters.

It renewed a contract with Dynacare — a private, for-profit company — to provide lab services in the province.

This is the same Dynacare the NDP vocally criticized when it was in opposition. The same private provider it said would erode public health care when the former Progressive Conservative government outsourced community lab services.

But here we are in 2025, with the NDP now in charge, and instead of ripping up the contract or scrambling to repatriate services into the public system, the government has chosen to renew the deal.

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Friday, May. 30, 2025

This week the provincial government signed a new, five-year contact with Dynacare to provide lab services in Manitoba. (Winnipeg Free Press files)

This week the provincial government signed a new, five-year contact with Dynacare to provide lab services in Manitoba. (Winnipeg Free Press files)

Every Floridian should have a plan for this year’s hurricane season, DeSantis says

Mike Schneider, The Associated Press 3 minute read Preview

Every Floridian should have a plan for this year’s hurricane season, DeSantis says

Mike Schneider, The Associated Press 3 minute read Saturday, Sep. 20, 2025

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Two days away from the start of hurricane season, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and the state’s top emergency manager joked Friday that they didn't want to encounter each other again until the storm season ends in late November. Forecasts suggest that’s unlikely.

While the upcoming season, which starts Sunday, isn't expected to be as topsy-turvy as last season, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says there's a 60% chance it will be above normal, a 30% chance near normal and just a 10% chance it will be quieter than average. Relentless storms, including Debby, Helene and Milton, which landed in Florida last year, made for the third-costliest hurricane season on record last year.

“You just have to prepare and plan that we are going to have impacts,” DeSantis said at a news conference in front of shelves of generators at a Home Depot store in Jupiter, Florida. “If you plan and it doesn't happen, you're never going to have regrets. If you don't plan and it happens, you're going to immediately be saying, ‘Why didn’t I do this?'”

Ahead of any hurricanes headed toward the peninsula, Floridians should be prepared to have seven days of food, water and supplies for their households, including pets. If they need to evacuate, they don't have to travel hundreds of miles when traveling just a few miles inland to a hotel or shelter works, officials said.

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Saturday, Sep. 20, 2025

FILE - Debris from destroyed homes and structures floats in a canal in Horseshoe Beach, Fla., Aug. 31, 2023, one day after the passage of Hurricane Idalia. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell, File)

FILE - Debris from destroyed homes and structures floats in a canal in Horseshoe Beach, Fla., Aug. 31, 2023, one day after the passage of Hurricane Idalia. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell, File)

Shiffrin says in essay she feels ‘like myself again’ after recovering from ski racing crash, PTSD

Pat Graham, The Associated Press 4 minute read Preview

Shiffrin says in essay she feels ‘like myself again’ after recovering from ski racing crash, PTSD

Pat Graham, The Associated Press 4 minute read Sunday, Sep. 21, 2025

Two-time Olympic champion Mikaela Shiffrin finally feels “like myself again” after recovering from a ski racing crash last season and lingering post-traumatic stress disorder.

Shiffrin described in an essay for The Players’ Tribune released Friday the physical and mental hurdles she needed to clear after her serious spill during a giant slalom race in Killington, Vermont, on Nov. 30. In the crash, something punctured Shiffrin’s side and caused severe damage to her oblique muscles.

“Everyone knows what it feels like to have a bad cough. But PTSD … it’s not like that,” the 30-year-old from Edwards, Colorado, wrote. “It comes in all shapes and sizes. Everyone experiences it in their own way, and no two cases are exactly alike.”

Shiffrin was leading after the first run of the GS that day in Killington. With the finish line in sight on her final run, she lost an edge and slid into a gate, flipping over her skis. The all-time winningest Alpine World Cup ski racer then slammed into another gate before coming to a stop in the protective fencing. To this day, she doesn’t know what led to the puncture wound, only that it was "a millimeter from pretty catastrophic,” she told The Associated Press.

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Sunday, Sep. 21, 2025

Mikaela Shiffrin, U.S. World Cup alpine skier, is interviewed at a NBCUniversal and U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee press preview event to promote the upcoming Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, Wednesday, May 21, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

Mikaela Shiffrin, U.S. World Cup alpine skier, is interviewed at a NBCUniversal and U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee press preview event to promote the upcoming Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, Wednesday, May 21, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

Olympic boxing champ Imane Khelif must undergo genetic sex screening to fight for new governing body

Greg Beacham, The Associated Press 4 minute read Preview

Olympic boxing champ Imane Khelif must undergo genetic sex screening to fight for new governing body

Greg Beacham, The Associated Press 4 minute read Friday, Oct. 3, 2025

Olympic boxing champion Imane Khelif must undergo genetic sex screening to participate in upcoming events with the sport's new governing body.

World Boxing announced mandatory sex testing for all athletes Friday. The governing body specifically mentioned Khelif when announcing the policy, saying the Algerian gold medal winner must be screened before she will be approved to fight at any upcoming events, including the Eindhoven Box Cup next month in the Netherlands.

“The introduction of mandatory testing will be part of a new policy on ‘Sex, Age and Weight’ to ensure the safety of all participants and deliver a competitive level playing field for men and women,” World Boxing wrote in a statement. The fighters' national federations will be responsible for administering the tests and providing the results to World Boxing.

Khelif won a gold medal at the Paris Olympics last summer amid international scrutiny on her and Taiwan's Lin Yu-ting, another gold medal winner. The previous governing body for Olympic boxing, the Russian-dominated International Boxing Association, disqualified both fighters from its 2023 world championships after claiming they had failed an unspecified eligibility test.

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Friday, Oct. 3, 2025

Algeria's Imane Khelif poses after defeating China's Yang Liu to win gold in their women's 66 kg final boxing match at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Friday, Aug. 9, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos, File)

Algeria's Imane Khelif poses after defeating China's Yang Liu to win gold in their women's 66 kg final boxing match at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Friday, Aug. 9, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos, File)

Winds push smoke from Canadian wildfires south into US and worsen air quality

Corey Williams And Sarah Raza, The Associated Press 5 minute read Preview

Winds push smoke from Canadian wildfires south into US and worsen air quality

Corey Williams And Sarah Raza, The Associated Press 5 minute read Monday, Oct. 6, 2025

Air quality in some parts of the United States is worsening as smoke from dozens of wildfires in Canada travels south, pushed by winds high in the atmosphere.

Through parts of Minnesota and into Wisconsin, the air quality is deemed unhealthy for people and animals sensitive to pollution and other airborne particles, according to the Environmental Protection Agency's AirNow page.

As of Friday afternoon, the interactive air quality map showed a strip of orange moving northwest to southeast across Wisconsin. Most of the state showed moderate air quality as did all of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. Eastern Iowa and northwestern Illinois also showed moderate air quality on the AirNow map.

Over the next day or so, particulates from the burning trees, leaves and other vegetation could reach further south into Oklahoma, Tennessee and Arkansas, said Patrick Ayd, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Duluth, Minnesota.

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Monday, Oct. 6, 2025

This photo provided by the Manitoba government shows wildfires in Flin Flon, Man., on Tuesday, May 27, 2025. (Manitoba government via AP)

This photo provided by the Manitoba government shows wildfires in Flin Flon, Man., on Tuesday, May 27, 2025. (Manitoba government via AP)
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A show inside a cathedral featured raw chickens in diapers. The German president was in the audience

Stefanie Dazio, The Associated Press 3 minute read Preview
No Subscription Required

A show inside a cathedral featured raw chickens in diapers. The German president was in the audience

Stefanie Dazio, The Associated Press 3 minute read Saturday, Sep. 20, 2025

BERLIN (AP) — A performance inside a Catholic cathedral in Germany earlier this month that featured raw, plucked chickens wrapped in diapers onstage — and the country's president and the local archbishop in the audience — has prompted the church and municipal leaders to apologize that the show “hurt religious feelings."

The show, "Westphalia Side Story,” was part of a May 15 celebration to mark the 1,250th anniversary of Westphalia, a region in northwestern Germany.

Video footage shows one woman and two shirtless men singing “Fleisch ist Fleisch” (“Meat is meat”) — apparently spoofing Austrian band Opus' 1984 pop song “Live is Life” — with scythes and dancing with the dead chickens on a stage in front of Paderborn Cathedral's altar.

Performance company bodytalk said in a statement Friday that the show featured work-in-progress excerpts from “Westphalia Side Story" — which references the American musical "West Side Story."

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Saturday, Sep. 20, 2025

This grab taken from video shows performers dancing as they hold raw, plucked chickens wrapped in diapers, inside Paderborn's cathedral, Germany, Friday May 16, 2025. (RTL via AP)

This grab taken from video shows performers dancing as they hold raw, plucked chickens wrapped in diapers, inside Paderborn's cathedral, Germany, Friday May 16, 2025. (RTL via AP)

Canada international Achini Perera takes to the street for Cricket to Conquer Cancer

Neil Davidson, The Canadian Press 5 minute read Preview

Canada international Achini Perera takes to the street for Cricket to Conquer Cancer

Neil Davidson, The Canadian Press 5 minute read Sunday, Sep. 21, 2025

TORONTO - Achini Perera gets to tick a few boxes Saturday, playing cricket and helping raise money for a good cause.

The Canadian international cricketer is taking part in the inaugural Cricket to Conquer Cancer, a street cricket fundraiser for the Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation.

More than 40 teams will be participating at Celebration Square in suburban Mississauga, Ont., with celebrities including singer Jully Black, former soccer star Dwayne De Rosario and former Raptor Jamaal Magloire and West Indies cricketer Carlos Brathwaite.

Like many taking part, Brathwaite has a personal connection to the cause. His mother is a cancer survivor.

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Sunday, Sep. 21, 2025

Canadian cricketer Achini Perera (26) is shown in action at the ICC Women's T20 World Cup Americas Region Qualifier, which ran March 10-17, 2025, in Buenos Aires, where the Canadian women finished runner-up to the U.S. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO — International Cricket Council (ICC) *MANDATORY CREDIT*

Canadian cricketer Achini Perera (26) is shown in action at the ICC Women's T20 World Cup Americas Region Qualifier, which ran March 10-17, 2025, in Buenos Aires, where the Canadian women finished runner-up to the U.S. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO — International Cricket Council (ICC) *MANDATORY CREDIT*

CFL, nine member clubs donate over $4.5 million to grassroots football programs

The Canadian Press 4 minute read Preview

CFL, nine member clubs donate over $4.5 million to grassroots football programs

The Canadian Press 4 minute read Friday, Sep. 19, 2025

TORONTO - The CFL and its nine member clubs invested over $4.5 million into amateur football last year.

The league announced Friday that it and the nine franchises combined to donate $4,518,900 to grassroots football initiatives, projects and programs throughout Canada in 2024.

"The community involvement of the CFL, its clubs and players is something that sets us apart from other leagues," said CFL commissioner Stewart Johnston. "To be able, among all of the clubs in the league, to donate over $4.5 million is encouraging participation and exposure to the game and ultimately having kids fall in love with the sport.

"That's wonderful for a number of reasons, one of which is the game of football teaches such great skills that can be applied to life."

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Friday, Sep. 19, 2025

Canadian Football League logo seen on a football during CFL training camp at Alumni Stadium in Guelph, Ont., Sunday, May 12, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nick Iwanyshyn

Canadian Football League logo seen on a football during CFL training camp at Alumni Stadium in Guelph, Ont., Sunday, May 12, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nick Iwanyshyn

Lance McCullers gets 24-hour security after online death threats, some aimed at 5-year-old daughter

Kristie Rieken, The Associated Press 8 minute read Preview

Lance McCullers gets 24-hour security after online death threats, some aimed at 5-year-old daughter

Kristie Rieken, The Associated Press 8 minute read Sunday, Sep. 21, 2025

HOUSTON (AP) — Soon after Lance McCullers Jr.’s family received online death threats following a tough start by the Houston Astros’ pitcher, his 5-year-old daughter, Ava, overheard wife Kara talking on the phone about it.

What followed was a painful conversation between McCullers and his little girl.

“She asked me when I came home: ‘Daddy like what is threats? Who wants to hurt us? Who wants to hurt me?’” McCullers told The Associated Press on Wednesday. “So, those conversations are tough to deal with.”

McCullers is one of two MLB pitchers whose families have received online death threats this month as internet abuse of players and their families is on the rise. Boston reliever Liam Hendriks took to social media soon after the incident with McCullers to call out people who were threatening his wife’s life and directing “vile” comments at him.

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Sunday, Sep. 21, 2025

Houston Astros starting pitcher Lance McCullers Jr. reacts after a throw during the first inning of a baseball game against the Texas Rangers, Friday, May 16, 2025, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/LM Otero)

Houston Astros starting pitcher Lance McCullers Jr. reacts after a throw during the first inning of a baseball game against the Texas Rangers, Friday, May 16, 2025, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/LM Otero)

Tony Hawk, Mark McMorris help open skateboard park expansion in Smithers, B.C.

Donna Spencer, The Canadian Press 4 minute read Preview

Tony Hawk, Mark McMorris help open skateboard park expansion in Smithers, B.C.

Donna Spencer, The Canadian Press 4 minute read Monday, Oct. 6, 2025

Tony Hawk and Mark McMorris wanted their presence at the Smithers Skate Park expansion unveiling to amplify skateboarding's importance in the remote, northern B.C. community.

Skateboarding icon Hawk and Canadian snowboarding star McMorris travelled to the town of 5,000 people for Thursday's opening. They lauded the community's pluck in raising $1.8 million to increase the size of the street park and build a bowl for skateboarders next to the Yellowhead Highway that runs from Winnipeg to the West Coast.

"I don't go to many grand openings, to be honest, but this seemed like a really unique situation," Hawk said. "I don't want to say it's the most remote area, but in remote areas, skateboarding is still a valid option for kids to choose, and they want to do it. We need to provide facilities for them."

McMorris, a three-time Olympic slopestyle bronze medallist whose 24 X Games medals is the most among snowboarders, has a special place in his heart for skateboarding.

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Monday, Oct. 6, 2025

Skateboarding legend Tony Hawk high-fives young fans during the grand opening of the expanded Smithers Skate Park in Smithers, B.C., in this Thursday, May 29, 2025 handout photo. Hawk and Canadian snowboarder Mark McMorris visited the northern B.C. town of 5,000 to celebrate the community’s $1.8-million effort to grow the park. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO, Erica Chan *MANDATORY CREDIT*

Skateboarding legend Tony Hawk high-fives young fans during the grand opening of the expanded Smithers Skate Park in Smithers, B.C., in this Thursday, May 29, 2025 handout photo. Hawk and Canadian snowboarder Mark McMorris visited the northern B.C. town of 5,000 to celebrate the community’s $1.8-million effort to grow the park. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO, Erica Chan *MANDATORY CREDIT*

Crown questions one of five hockey players accused of sexual assault about consent

Paola Loriggio, The Canadian Press 8 minute read Preview

Crown questions one of five hockey players accused of sexual assault about consent

Paola Loriggio, The Canadian Press 8 minute read Sunday, Sep. 21, 2025

LONDON - A hockey player believed a woman's offer to have sex with him and his teammates in a London, Ont., hotel room meant she consented to any sexual act with any of the men, prosecutors suggested Friday at a sexual-assault trial for him and four other players.

Carter Hart faced a series of questions from prosecutors on whether he took any steps to confirm that a "mystery woman" who was in a hotel room with him and several other members of Canada's world junior hockey team consented to sexual activity.

Hart agreed earlier in his cross-examination that he came to the hotel room hoping for and expecting a sexual encounter after teammate Michael McLeod texted a team group chat asking if anyone wanted a "three-way."

That message was followed up by a phone call in which McLeod indicated he was with a woman who "wanted to have sex with some of the boys" – the boys being their teammates, he previously testified.

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Sunday, Sep. 21, 2025

Carter Hart is shown in this courtroom sketch in London, Ont., on Thursday, May 29, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Alexandra Newbould

Carter Hart is shown in this courtroom sketch in London, Ont., on Thursday, May 29, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Alexandra Newbould

French Open tennis players say nasal strips aren’t just for snoring

Tom Nouvian, The Associated Press 4 minute read Preview

French Open tennis players say nasal strips aren’t just for snoring

Tom Nouvian, The Associated Press 4 minute read Sunday, Sep. 21, 2025

PARIS (AP) — If more tennis players find themselves breathing easier, it might just be thanks to Carlos Alcaraz.

The four-time Grand Slam champion, whose bid for a second consecutive French Open title was scheduled to continue with a third-round match Friday night, has often worn a nasal strip in matches since last season — although not during his first two contests at Roland-Garros this week — and the sport's other athletes took note.

After all, if Alcaraz finds something useful on the court, their thinking goes, maybe it makes sense to give the adhesive bands a shot.

“I saw Carlos playing in it,” said 18-year-old Mirra Andreeva, a semifinalist in Paris last year and the No. 6 women's seed this time. “I’d be pretty interested to try and see if there is really a difference. If he plays matches in it, then probably there is.”

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Sunday, Sep. 21, 2025

FILE - Spain's Carlos Alcaraz, wearing a nasal strip, reacts after scoring a point against Italy's Jannik Sinner in the final of the Italian Open tennis tournament at the Foro Italico in Rome, May 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino, File)

FILE - Spain's Carlos Alcaraz, wearing a nasal strip, reacts after scoring a point against Italy's Jannik Sinner in the final of the Italian Open tennis tournament at the Foro Italico in Rome, May 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino, File)

Oilers defenceman Stecher understands Scheifele’s pain: ‘Still affects me day to day’

Donna Spencer, The Canadian Press 6 minute read Preview

Oilers defenceman Stecher understands Scheifele’s pain: ‘Still affects me day to day’

Donna Spencer, The Canadian Press 6 minute read Sunday, Sep. 21, 2025

DALLAS - Edmonton Oilers defenceman Troy Stecher felt for bereaved Mark Scheifele when the Winnipeg Jets centre suited up for an NHL playoff game with the knowledge his father had just died.

Stecher's father Peter died of diabetes complications at age 65 in 2020, shortly before the defenceman entered the NHL's summer playoff bubble with the Vancouver Canucks.

Scheifele scored Winnipeg's lone goal in Saturday's Game 6 loss to the Dallas Stars — Edmonton's opponent in the Western Conference final — after learning his father, Brad, had just died at age 68.

"A lot of respect for him," Stecher said Friday before Game 2 of the conference final.

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Sunday, Sep. 21, 2025

Vegas Golden Knights' Brett Howden (21) is checked by Edmonton Oilers' Troy Stecher (51) during third period round 2, game 4 NHL Stanley Cup playoff action in Edmonton, Monday, May 12, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jason Franson

Vegas Golden Knights' Brett Howden (21) is checked by Edmonton Oilers' Troy Stecher (51) during third period round 2, game 4 NHL Stanley Cup playoff action in Edmonton, Monday, May 12, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jason Franson

Guardians’ right-hander Ben Lively will have Tommy John surgery and miss rest of the season

The Associated Press 2 minute read Preview

Guardians’ right-hander Ben Lively will have Tommy John surgery and miss rest of the season

The Associated Press 2 minute read Friday, Oct. 3, 2025

DETROIT (AP) — Guardians pitcher Ben Lively will undergo Tommy John reconstruction surgery on his right elbow and will be sidelined for the rest of the season.

The Guardians said before Friday night's game at Detroit that Lively's surgical date has not been set, but it will be performed by Dr. Keith Meister in Arlington, Texas. The right-hander is expected to miss 12-16 months.

Lively — on the injured list since May 13 due to a strained right flexor tendon — sought a second opinion on his right elbow with Meister earlier this week. Meister confirmed the presence of a flexor tendon injury while also noting medial elbow joint laxity due to an insufficient ulnar collateral ligament.

The Guardians physicians and Meister recommended UCL reconstruction along with flexor tendon repair.

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Friday, Oct. 3, 2025

Cleveland Guardians' Ben Lively pitches in the first inning of a baseball game against the Milwaukee Brewers in Cleveland, Monday, May 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

Cleveland Guardians' Ben Lively pitches in the first inning of a baseball game against the Milwaukee Brewers in Cleveland, Monday, May 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

PWHL’s Vancouver expansion team names Cara Gardner Morey first general manager

The Canadian Press 3 minute read Preview

PWHL’s Vancouver expansion team names Cara Gardner Morey first general manager

The Canadian Press 3 minute read Sunday, Sep. 21, 2025

VANCOUVER - Vancouver's new Professional Women's Hockey League team has named Cara Gardner Morey its first general manager.

The league made the announcement Friday.

"Cara brings exceptional experience at all levels of the game, a deep understanding of player development, and an unwavering passion for advancing women’s sports,” Jayna Hefford, the PWHL's executive vice president of hockey operations, said in a release.

"Cara becoming general manager of PWHL Vancouver is a powerful addition to our league.”

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Sunday, Sep. 21, 2025

The Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL) logo is seen on a player's training camp jersey at TD Place in Ottawa, Friday, Nov. 17, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Spencer Colby

The Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL) logo is seen on a player's training camp jersey at TD Place in Ottawa, Friday, Nov. 17, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Spencer Colby

French Open 2025: Jannik Sinner returns to Grand Slam tennis after his doping ban

Howard Fendrich, The Associated Press 4 minute read Preview

French Open 2025: Jannik Sinner returns to Grand Slam tennis after his doping ban

Howard Fendrich, The Associated Press 4 minute read Sunday, Sep. 21, 2025

PARIS (AP) — Jannik Sinner passed his first test back on tour after a doping ban — a run to last weekend's final at the Italian Open, where his tennis felt good and looked good, and the statistics he studied afterward backed that up.

Now comes a whole new set of challenges for the 23-year-old Italian at the French Open, which begins Sunday: a crowd that could be pulling for his local opponents instead of for him; the extra rigors of best-of-five-set matches instead of best-of-three; the added pressure and importance of a major tournament.

“We have seen a couple of things where I can improve, and Grand Slams are just different. You have to be mentally ready. Physically, too, trying to use the right energy. It’s all about being consistent and solid,” Sinner said at a news conference at Roland-Garros on Friday.

“Yeah,” he added. “Let's see if I can do that.”

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Sunday, Sep. 21, 2025

Jannik Sinner of Italy, serves against Carlos Alcaraz of Spain during their final tennis match in the Italian Open at the Foro Italico in Rome, Sunday, May 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

Jannik Sinner of Italy, serves against Carlos Alcaraz of Spain during their final tennis match in the Italian Open at the Foro Italico in Rome, Sunday, May 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

Increase in sextortion cases prompts call for legislation to combat predators

Chris Kitching 6 minute read Preview

Increase in sextortion cases prompts call for legislation to combat predators

Chris Kitching 6 minute read Thursday, May. 8, 2025

The spike in online sextortion cases in Winnipeg has alarmed police and augmented advocates’ calls for Canada to begin regulating social media platforms to help protect children from predators.

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Thursday, May. 8, 2025

MIKAELA MACKENZIE / FREE PRESS

Jacques Marcoux, with the Canadian Centre for Child Protection, says the Winnipeg Police Service’s online exploitation stats are not surprising, as this type of crime is rampant.

MIKAELA MACKENZIE / FREE PRESS
                                Jacques Marcoux, with the Canadian Centre for Child Protection, says the Winnipeg Police Service’s online exploitation stats are not surprising, as this type of crime is rampant.

Little pictures, big ears, and bad examples

Jordan Laidlaw 5 minute read Preview

Little pictures, big ears, and bad examples

Jordan Laidlaw 5 minute read Monday, Apr. 28, 2025

One of the pillars of a thriving democratic society is exemplified through the civil conduct of our elected political leaders. The ethos of honesty, humility, and empathy are becoming increasingly relinquished in lieu of posturing public vitriol and moral indifference.

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Monday, Apr. 28, 2025

Alex Brandon / The Associated Press

U.S. President Donald Trump speaks as he signs executive orders in the Oval Office of the White House on April 17, as Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick listens.

Alex Brandon / The Associated Press
                                U.S. President Donald Trump speaks as he signs executive orders in the Oval Office of the White House on April 17, as Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick listens.

Global extremism, as close as your keyboard

Editorial 4 minute read Preview

Global extremism, as close as your keyboard

Editorial 4 minute read Monday, Mar. 31, 2025

An arrest in Winnipeg has provided yet another reminder of just how much extremist attitudes have spread across the world.

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Monday, Mar. 31, 2025

File

The internet is bringing hate into homes.

File
                                The internet is bringing hate into homes.

Canadian judokas Gauthier-Drapeau, Reyes win bronze at Tokyo Grand Slam

The Canadian Press 3 minute read Preview

Canadian judokas Gauthier-Drapeau, Reyes win bronze at Tokyo Grand Slam

The Canadian Press 3 minute read Sunday, Oct. 12, 2025

TOKYO - Canadian judokas François Gauthier-Drapeau and Kyle Reyes earned bronze medals Sunday at the Tokyo Grand Slam judo event.

Gauthier-Drapeau, form Alma, Que., finished with a bronze in the men's under-81 kg category when opponent David Karapetyan failed to show up for the medal bout.

“My opponent hurt his shoulder in the match before ours. To be honest, I’m very glad to accept the medal, but I would have liked to fight for it," Gauthier-Drapeau said.

"It always feels a bit weird when you take your bows and then it’s suddenly all over. There’s something missing."

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Sunday, Oct. 12, 2025

Canada's Francois Gauthier Drapeau, top, competes against Matthias Casse of Belgium in the repechage men's -81 kg judo match at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, France on Tuesday, July 30, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Christinne Muschi

Canada's Francois Gauthier Drapeau, top, competes against Matthias Casse of Belgium in the repechage men's -81 kg judo match at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, France on Tuesday, July 30, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Christinne Muschi

U of M expands clinical psychology program to address Manitoba shortage

Erik Pindera 4 minute read Preview

U of M expands clinical psychology program to address Manitoba shortage

Erik Pindera 4 minute read Thursday, Aug. 15, 2024

The University of Manitoba is expanding its clinical psychology program this fall in an effort to boost the number practising in the province, where the per capita rate is among the lowest in Canada.

The number of seats in the U of M’s masters and doctoral clinical psychology program has been increased to 12 for September, up from eight in previous years, with a plan to expand to 16 seats next fall.

“It’s going to mean better access to psychological care for Manitobans. It doesn’t seem like a big number … but really, we’re doubling our program,” said Kristin Reynolds, associate professor and clinical training director in the U of M’s psychology department.

“Where we now have 50 students in the program, from the first year of the masters to more senior years in doctoral studies, in the years to come, we’ll have more like 100.”

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Thursday, Aug. 15, 2024

PHIL HOSSACK / FREE PRESS FILES

The number of seats in the U of M’s masters and doctoral clinical psychology program has been increased to 12 for September, up from eight in previous years, with a plan to expand to 16 seats next fall.

PHIL HOSSACK / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS FILES
                                A University of Manitoba nursing student was suspended for the rest of the school year after making a series of social media posts condemning Israel’s actions in its conflict with Palestine.

Four-week program injects staff into city’s home-care ranks

Tyler Searle 4 minute read Preview

Four-week program injects staff into city’s home-care ranks

Tyler Searle 4 minute read Tuesday, Jun. 25, 2024

Efforts to bolster the roster of professionals who work in the city’s home-care sector are paying off as the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority celebrates the addition of hundreds of new employees.

Health Minister Uzoma Asagwara said Monday that 256 health-care aides have been hired by WRHA since February, when the city had a 24 per cent vacancy rate among home care workers.

“Home care is about providing dignified, compassionate services to the folks who need it most,” Asagwara said in a news release.

“The WRHA has put in a huge effort to recruit home-care workers and it’s paying off. It’s all good news: fewer vacancies, more visits and less frustrating cancellations for people.”

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Tuesday, Jun. 25, 2024

NIC ADAM / FREE PRESS

Winnipeg Regional Health Authority Community Area Director Luba Bereza at the uncertified health care aide, or UHCA, ceremony held at the Masonic Memorial Centre on Monday afternoon.

NIC ADAM / FREE PRESS
                                Winnipeg Regional Health Authority Community Area Director Luba Bereza at the uncertified health care aide, or UHCA, ceremony held at the Masonic Memorial Centre on Monday afternoon.

Classrooms don’t have to be smartphone-free zones, tech-fluent educators tell province

Maggie Macintosh 5 minute read Preview

Classrooms don’t have to be smartphone-free zones, tech-fluent educators tell province

Maggie Macintosh 5 minute read Friday, Feb. 9, 2024

A group of tech-savvy teachers is calling on the province to create guidelines on cellphone use in schools and offering to help get it done.

The Manitoba Association of Education Technology Leaders has taken a firm stance against introducing a sweeping ban of personal wireless devices in kindergarten-to-Grade 12 buildings.

Manitoba Education has no policy in place. School divisions create their own appropriate use policies, while most buildings allow teachers to make rules for their own classrooms.

Tuxedo’s Laidlaw School, Collège Béliveau in Windsor Park and West Kildonan Collegiate are among Winnipeg facilities that have imposed stricter measures this year.

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Friday, Feb. 9, 2024

BROOK JONES / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS

Grade 12 student Amy Klos puts her cell phone in a cell phone storage pouch fastened to the wall while in her pre-calculus classroom at West Kildonan Collegiate in Winnipeg, Man., Thursday, Feb. 8, 2024. West Kildonan Collegiate is one example among a number of schools across school divisions in Winnipeg that are implementing strict cell phone guidelines for the second semester.

BROOK JONES / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS
                                Grade 12 student Amy Klos puts her cell phone in a cell phone storage pouch fastened to the wall while in her pre-calculus classroom at West Kildonan Collegiate in Winnipeg, Man., Thursday, Feb. 8, 2024. West Kildonan Collegiate is one example among a number of schools across school divisions in Winnipeg that are implementing strict cell phone guidelines for the second semester.

Even if games go on, MLB lockout could alienate Gen Z

Jake Seiner, The Associated Press 7 minute read Preview

Even if games go on, MLB lockout could alienate Gen Z

Jake Seiner, The Associated Press 7 minute read Thursday, Dec. 4, 2025

NEW YORK (AP) — Max Scherzer stars in the last video posted to Major League Baseball’s TikTok account before the league locked out the players Thursday morning.

The clip, viewed over 400,000 times, shows the final out from Scherzer's first no-hitter in 2015 with Washington, followed by teammates dousing the three-time Cy Young Award winner with chocolate syrup. Hip-hop duo Rae Sremmurd's “Swang” plays in the background.

“Max Scherzer is ... officially a New York Met!!!” the caption reads, celebrating Scherzer's $130 million deal to pitch in Queens.

It could be the last post featuring a big league player sent to the account’s 4.8 million followers for months, a curveball with real consequences for a sport already concerned about courting young fans.

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Thursday, Dec. 4, 2025

FILE - Los Angeles Dodgers' Max Scherzer pitches against the San Francisco Giants during the ninth inning of Game 5 of a baseball National League Division Series Thursday, Oct. 14, 2021, in San Francisco. Eight-time All-Star Max Scherzer is nearing a $130 million, three-year contract with the New York Mets, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press. The person spoke on condition of anonymity Monday, Nov. 29, because the agreement was still being worked on and would be subject to a successful physical.(AP Photo/John Hefti, File)

FILE - Los Angeles Dodgers' Max Scherzer pitches against the San Francisco Giants during the ninth inning of Game 5 of a baseball National League Division Series Thursday, Oct. 14, 2021, in San Francisco. Eight-time All-Star Max Scherzer is nearing a $130 million, three-year contract with the New York Mets, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press. The person spoke on condition of anonymity Monday, Nov. 29, because the agreement was still being worked on and would be subject to a successful physical.(AP Photo/John Hefti, File)