Province intends to create registry of Manitoba-certified Red Seal tradespeople

The Manitoba government plans to create an online public registry of certified tradespeople.

Speed limits and safety — follow the science

The premier of Manitoba recently appeared hesitant about collaborating with Winnipeg City Council on a public works proposal to lower the city’s default residential speed limit from 50 km/h to 40 km/h. Without a provincial amendment to the Highway Traffic Act, the city says implementing the change would require installing signs on hundreds of streets, at a cost of up to $10 million to taxpayers.

Years of training keep Artemis II crew mission-ready, researcher says

MONTREAL - Despite the delays for NASA's Artemis II mission around the moon and back, a space medicine researcher says the crew, which includes Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen, are physically ready for when the time comes to launch.

"They've been preparing for years, so what is a few more months," said Dr. Farhan Asrar, a physician, space medicine researcher and associate dean at Toronto Metropolitan University's School of Medicine.

"One thing that I've always kind of appreciated and respected in the life of astronauts … is it's always expecting the unexpected and how do you best prepare for that?"

NASA has targeted an April 1 launch for Artemis II, with a six-day launch window running through April 6 announced last week.

NASA clears its Artemis moon rocket for an April launch with four astronauts following repairs

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — NASA cleared its moon rocket on Thursday for an April launch with four astronauts after completing the latest round of repairs.

The 322-foot (98-meter) rocket will roll out of the hangar and back to the pad next week at Florida's Kennedy Space Center, leading to a launch attempt as early as April 1. It will mark humanity's first trip to the moon in more than 50 years.

The Artemis II crew should have blasted off on a lunar flyaround earlier this year, but fuel leaks and other problems with the Space Launch System rocket interfered.

Although NASA managed to plug the hydrogen fuel leaks at the pad in February, a helium-flow issue forced the space agency to return the rocket to the Vehicle Assembly Building for repairs, bumping the mission to April.

How the Iran war and surging oil prices are affecting consumers at the gas pump and beyond

NEW YORK (AP) — As the war in Iran ratchets up, the price of crude oil has been swinging sharply. Consumers are already feeling the effects of the war and its destabilizing effect on worldwide energy production.

Gasoline prices are climbing, and many people will find some of the most immediate economic pain at the pump.

But you don't have to drive a car to be affected. Nearly all goods — including food — that are bought and sold must travel from where they’re produced. Those costs will climb with higher gasoline, diesel and jet fuel prices.

And the spike in oil prices — surpassing $110 a barrel, then retreating — will likely be a big factor for U.S. inflation. As the war continues, some experts say the price of, well, everything could be affected.

AI company Anthropic sues Trump administration seeking to undo ‘supply chain risk’ designation

Artificial intelligence company Anthropic is suing to stop the Trump administration from enforcing what it calls an “unlawful campaign of retaliation” over its refusal to allow unrestricted military use of its technology.

Anthropic asked federal courts on Monday to reverse the Pentagon’s decision last week to designate the artificial intelligence company a “ supply chain risk.” The company also seeks to undo President Donald Trump's order directing federal employees to stop using its AI chatbot Claude.

The legal challenge intensifies an unusually public dispute over how AI can be used in warfare and mass surveillance — one that has also dragged in Anthropic's tech industry rivals, particularly ChatGPT maker OpenAI, which made its own deal to work with the Pentagon just hours after the government punished Anthropic for its stance.

Anthropic filed two separate lawsuits Monday, one in California federal court and another in the federal appeals court in Washington, D.C., each challenging different aspects of the government's actions against the San Francisco-based company.

Volunteering at aviation museum sparks love of learning, sharing knowledge for former Air Force pilot

Gary Hook was a fighter pilot, commanding officer and senior flight instructor during his 43-year career in the Royal Canadian Air Force.

Hook, 72, piloted more than 15 types of aircraft across Canada and Europe.

These days, the aviation buff volunteers as a tour guide and gallery interpreter at the Royal Aviation Museum of Western Canada, at 2088 Wellington Ave.

“There’s no shortage of good stories to tell about the aircraft, the people and the eras of aviation they flew in,” Hook says.

Pentagon’s chief tech officer says he clashed with AI company Anthropic over autonomous warfare

A top Pentagon official said Anthropic's dispute with the government over the use of its artificial intelligence technology in fully autonomous weapons came after a debate over how AI could be used in President Donald Trump's future Golden Dome missile defense program, which aims to put U.S. weapons in space.

U.S. Defense Undersecretary Emil Michael, the Pentagon's chief technology officer, said he came to view the AI company's ethical restrictions on the use of its chatbot Claude as an irrational obstacle as the U.S. military pursues giving greater autonomy to swarms of armed drones, underwater vehicles and other machines to compete with rivals like China that could do the same.

“I need a reliable, steady partner that gives me something, that’ll work with me on autonomous, because someday it’ll be real and we’re starting to see earlier versions of that," Michael said in a podcast aired Friday. "I need someone who’s not going to wig out in the middle.”

The comments came after the Pentagon formally designated San Francisco-based Anthropic a supply chain risk, cutting off its defense work using a rule designed to prevent foreign adversaries from harming national security systems.

Airport land development expected to draw massive investment, create jobs in aerospace, aviation

Government and industry leaders are banking on a $32-million airport land development to cement Winnipeg as a national leader in economic growth and trade.

In a joint announcement Friday, the federal and provincial governments, alongside the Winnipeg Airports Authority and the City of Winnipeg, outlined a plan to develop 127 acres of land west of the airport into direct-access runways.

“You can think of this as beachfront property. This is very valuable for businesses in key sectors such as aerospace, aviation, trade enabling and logistics that need that direct proximity to air side operations,” said Nick Hays, the WAA’s president and CEO.

“It is very unusual to have an airport… with that scale of land right next to the runway that has not been developed. Today’s announcement is about putting in the investment that services that land to unlock that opportunity.”

Eight of 10 people using bus to get downtown unhappy after system overhaul, BIZ survey reveals

“The level of dissatisfaction — that is dire,” said Coun. Sherri Rollins. “Winnipeggers are… voting with their feet. They’re not taking transit anymore. We’re losing revenue.”

Waymo’s robotaxis now being dispatched in 10 major U.S. markets with expansion in Texas and Florida

Waymo will begin dispatching its robotaxis in four more cities in Texas and Florida, expanding the territory covered by its fleet of self-driving cars to 10 major U.S. metropolitan markets.

The move into Dallas, Houston, San Antonio and Orlando, Florida, announced Tuesday, widens Waymo's early lead in autonomous driving while rival services from Tesla and the Amazon-owned Zoox are still testing their vehicles in only a few U.S. cities.

In contrast, Waymo's robotaxis already provide more than 400,000 weekly trips in the six metropolitan areas where they have been transporting passengers: Phoenix, the San Francisco Bay Area, Los Angeles, Miami, Atlanta, and Austin, Texas.

Waymo operates its ride-hailing service through its own app in all the U.S. cities except Atlanta and Austin, where its robotaxis can only be summoned through Uber's ride-hailing service.

‘Electric vehicles work really well’

STEINBACH — The temperature hovered around -18 C on Sunday, but that was all right with organizers of an electric vehicle protest outside Provencher MP Ted Falk’s office.

Political rivals in the last election campaign, Liberal Trevor Kirczenow and Green Blair Mahaffy waited for a cold day to respond to a pamphlet sent out by Falk’s office six months ago.

There was one sentence in it that they said got the EV community concerned.

“Colder regions like Manitoba and long distances make an EV option impractical,” the mailer stated.

U.S. International Trade Commission launches CUSMA rules-of-origin auto investigation

WASHINGTON - The U.S. International Trade Commission has launched an investigation into rules-of-origin regulations for automobiles under the Canada-U.S.-Mexico agreement on trade.

A news release on the commission's website says the investigation will analyze the regulations' "impact on the U.S. economy, effect on U.S. competitiveness, and relevancy considering recent technology changes."

It's the third investigation of the rules since the trilateral trade pact, widely known as CUSMA, was adopted during the first administration of U.S. President Donald Trump. The commission is required to conduct an investigation every two years until 2031.

The report on automobiles must be delivered to Trump and the U.S. Senate by July of next year.

Cuban drivers face monthslong wait for gasoline in a government app designed to reduce lines

HAVANA, Cuba (AP) — Drivers in Cuba are facing the prospects of waiting several months to refuel their cars, as fuel shortages caused by a U.S. oil siege intensify.

To avoid chaos outside gas stations, Cuba’s government last week made it obligatory for drivers to use an app known as Ticket to get refueling appointments.

But drivers in Havana told The Associated Press on Monday that the app is only awarding them appointments several weeks or months from now.

“I have (appointment) number seven thousand and something,” said Jorge Reyes, a 65-year-old who downloaded the app on Monday.

Ottawa to relaunch EV rebates program in 2 weeks with new auto strategy

OTTAWA - The federal government announced a suite of new electric vehicle policies Thursday, including the reintroduction of the popular rebate program and the elimination of the EV sales mandate in favour of stricter emissions standards for the auto sector.

The move is the latest rollback of climate policies enacted by former prime minister Justin Trudeau. The government of Prime Minister Mark Carney cancelled the consumer carbon price and halted the implementation of an emissions cap on the oil and gas sector.

Speaking at an auto parts manufacturer in Woodbridge, Ont., Carney said Thursday Ottawa pitched the new plan as a transformation of Canada's auto sector, which has been battered for months by U.S. tariffs.

"We have everything we need to take the lead in the vehicles of tomorrow, and we're positioning Canadian workers and businesses to seize that opportunity," he said.

Carney reaches ‘landmark’ tariff quota deal with China on EVs, canola

BEIJING - Prime Minister Mark Carney touted a renewed relationship with China and "enormous progress" on trade irritants as he announced a new deal with Beijing on electric vehicles and canola at the end of a high-profile trip to China on Friday.

But the agreement has received mixed reviews at home. Ontario and the auto sector warned of the dangers of giving China new access to Canada's auto market, while Prairie premiers and farm groups welcomed the drop in tariffs on some agricultural products.

The deal, made public shortly after Carney met with President Xi Jinping in Beijing, marks a de-escalation in tensions with a country the Liberal government branded as a disruptive power just three years ago.

Carney distanced himself from that description on Friday, noting he was not part of the government that used the term in Canada's 2022 Indo-Pacific strategy.

Humanoid robots take center stage at Silicon Valley summit, but skepticism remains

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. (AP) — Robots have long been seen as a bad bet for Silicon Valley investors — too complicated, capital-intensive and “boring, honestly,” says venture capitalist Modar Alaoui.

But the commercial boom in artificial intelligence has lit a spark under long-simmering visions to build humanoid robots that can move their mechanical bodies like humans and do things that people do.

Alaoui, founder of the Humanoids Summit, gathered more than 2,000 people this week, including top robotics engineers from Disney, Google and dozens of startups, to showcase their technology and debate what it will take to accelerate a nascent industry.

Alaoui says many researchers now believe humanoids or some other kind of physical embodiment of AI are “going to become the norm."

U of M over the moon about satellite’s lunar launch

A milk-carton sized satellite built by Manitoba researchers will go where no Canadian spacecraft has gone before — the moon’s orbit.

Ottawa invests in Manitoba firm’s ambulance van

A made-in-Manitoba ambulance van is nearly ready for market, but Manitobans are unlikely to be the first patients to use them.

That’s owing to provincial regulations that MoveMobility founder Richard Jones hopes will be lifted.

“Not to say that we won’t build one for Manitoba, we just have a few challenges,” he said Friday after a news conference in which the federal government announced a $1.1-million investment in his company.

“My message is, please, come on the ride with us in Manitoba. Come on the journey with us and support this type of product. It will save more lives, it’s easier to run, it’s cheaper for the taxpayer.”

Employees aim for the stars at Magellan Aerospace

When making a major career course correction, Julie Robichaud did the math. She calculated that a job at Magellan Aerospace, Winnipeg would give her wings to soar to new and higher professional goals.

“I had just come out of 10 years in hospitality and decided to switch gears, so I started at Magellan at three days a week and they quickly moved me to five days,” says Robichaud.

“It’s been great. The company is very good about giving me the educational and other supports I need to succeed and to grow.”

Magellan Aerospace is a global company that designs, engineers and manufactures aeroengine and aerostructure components for the aerospace and space markets. Located in Winnipeg, the company’s employees build everything from complex aircraft assemblies to satellite buses.

Province invests $17M in Magellan Aerospace to create additional jobs, training

The NDP government is continuing its aggressive support of Manitoba’s aerospace industry, announcing Thursday a significant investment in Magellan Aerospace.

The province is providing Magellan with an $8 million grant and a $9 million loan (to be repaid over 12 years). The investment expects to lead to the creation of more than 60 positions at Magellan. (Its current workforce is about 650.)

The financial assistance will leverage additional capital investment from the company. It is a global player in the aerospace industry, with head offices in the Greater Toronto Area. In addition to its Winnipeg plant, Magellan has three manufacturing operations in Ontario, six in the U.S, six in Europe and two in India.

The Winnipeg plant has been around for close to 100 years. In addition to being a centre of excellence for the company when it comes to machining aero-engine parts, it is also Magellan’s space centre, having manufactured five satellites currently orbiting the Earth.

Manitoba auto repair shops in high gear amid lengthy MPI strike

Despite bumps in the road, Manitoba auto repair shops are chugging along as strike action at Manitoba Public Insurance drags into its seventh week.

“There are some delays, but we are hoping the (MPI) people can get back to work. We miss them. We miss the adjusters, but there is not much we can do about it,” said John Vernaus, owner of Vernaus Autobody in Winnipeg.

“Can you ask for more when (MPI is) operating with maybe one-10th of the staff?”

Around 1,700 walked off the job Aug. 28, after the Manitoba Government General Employees’ Union and the Crown auto insurer failed to reach a contract agreement. Many services have been halted, delayed or limited in the weeks since, as MPI works to maintain operations with reduced staff.