Websites suggest conspiracies fed accused Montreal gunman’s ‘buffet extremism’

Online activity suggests accused Montreal shooter Seth Hatfield watched videos about weapons, the outdoors and a tangle of conspiracy theories and grievances.

However, experts warn against drawing conclusions about the gunman. They also urge people to stop sharing online images of Monday's shooting outside a Montreal hotel.

Police said two officers were shot — Mohamed Lamine Benredouane, 34, was killed along with a bystander, Michel Mizrahi, 68, and the shooter died in the crossfire.

The coroner identified the dead suspect as 25-year-old Seth Hatfield from Lethbridge, Alta.

FACT FOCUS: Norway brought its own food to the World Cup. But not because it distrusts US products

As Norway excels in its first World Cup appearance since 1998, false claims about what the team is eating are also grabbing attention online.

The allegations focus on the quality of American food — more specifically, that the Norwegians distrust it so much that they brought food from home to avoid eating it. Norway's team is based in Greensboro, North Carolina, for the duration of the 2026 tournament, which is being co-hosted by the U.S., Canada and Mexico.

It's true that the team shipped certain products from Norway for the World Cup, but the reason has nothing to do with concerns about quality.

Here's a closer look at the facts.

Charlie Brown’s longtime pen pal is finally revealed in new Apple TV ‘Peanuts’ movie

Charlie Brown began writing to a pen pal not long after the comic strip “Peanuts” debuted in newspapers back in 1950. No one has gotten a look at whoever was on the other end of his letters — until now.

BU tuition hikes ‘major increase’ for struggling students

Brandon University’s board of governors has approved increases in tuition fees for both domestic and international students for the upcoming academic year.

Hockey Night in Canada: A cultural tradition forever changed

When the puck drops this fall on the National Hockey League’s 2026-27 season, for the first time in nearly three-quarters of a century there will be no games available on CBC. Hockey Night in Canada, as Canadian sports fans have known it for generations, has ceased to be.

In a visit to Capitol, Jessie Diggins and other Olympians push for climate change solutions

Olympian Jessie Diggins visited Capitol Hill with her four medals in hand Wednesday to advocate for clean air, clean water and a healthy planet.

America’s most decorated cross-country skier is part of “Protect Our Winters,” an athlete-driven environmental group that sent a coalition to Washington to meet with lawmakers Tuesday and Wednesday. The group is most concerned with how the Environmental Protection Agency has weakened key climate, water and pollution regulations since President Donald Trump returned to office.

“I don’t want to stick my head in the sand and ignore the world burning,” Diggins said in an interview. “I feel like I have a responsibility to use my voice to advocate for change. And so that’s why it’s so important to me, because I want my great-grandkids to be able to build a snowman and try cross-country skiing someday, and be able go hiking and fishing and camping in the summer, and breathe clean air. I want that for them very badly.”

Diggins retired from professional ski racing this year after earning bronze in the women’s 10‑kilometer interval start at the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics. Many skiers expressed concern during these Olympic Games about climate change and the accelerating melt of the world’s glaciers. A warming world jeopardizes the future of their sport.

What is the 2026 song of the summer? AP offers some predictions

NEW YORK (AP) — What is 2026's song of the summer?

There's no easy answer. Algorithmic division is certainly a factor in why there isn't an obvious pick this year. Where have the songs like “Despacito” in 2017 or “Old Town Road” in 2019 gone? Last year, some even wondered if Alex Warren’s “Ordinary” — a ballad, not a banger — qualified, a departure from the usual up-tempo, feel-good hits.

Whatever your summer mood or flavor, The Associated Press has found a song to soundtrack the season, collected in a Spotify playlist.

Biggest song of the year and therefore the default song of the summer: “Choosin’ Texas,” Ella Langley

Mother of five, 44, loses home to pests, finds new life with high school graduation

Aside from her designated laundry day at an inner-city shelter, Jolene Sumner’s schedule was wide open for self-loathing in the winter.

“I felt like a loser — a big loser,” Sumner said as she described what life was like in the leadup to her fifth and final attempt to finish high school.

“I felt so embarrassed. I never wanted this for my life, for my kids.”

The 44-year-old, along with her three youngest children, found themselves homeless on New Year’s Eve.

Goalllll! Messi mania overtakes Argentina as legend breaks scoring record

BUENOS AIRES (AP) — Argentina’s passion for Lionel Messi has taken monumental form during the 2026 World Cup: A statue stands 26 meters tall in a remote town in Patagonia, and a mural signed by over 1,300 fans celebrates the captain who continues to inspire devotion across the country.

A giant tribute to Messi

A 26-meter-tall (85-foot) figure of Messi made of 70 tons of steel and iron towers over the outskirts of Cutral Co, a remote southern town in Patagonia. The player is kneeling, with the World Cup trophy he won in 2022 between his legs and one arm raised, as if greeting motorists traveling along Route 22.

Even the strong Patagonian wind cannot topple this tribute, inaugurated on June 16 during Argentina’s World Cup debut, when the team once again dazzled under Messi, who sealed the victory over Algeria after scoring three goals.

Lin-Manuel Miranda and Eisa Davis set ‘Warriors’ musical for Broadway in 2027

NEW YORK (AP) — Lin-Manuel Miranda and Eisa Davis are turning their concept album “Warriors” into a full-length Broadway show.

The story — originally a 1965 novel that was made into a cult, dystopian 1979 film — follows a street gang called the Warriors as they make their way from the Bronx to their home turf of Coney Island in Brooklyn while being hunted by rivals gangs and cops. It will be the first full musical from Miranda since “Hamilton.”

The musical of “Warriors” is expected to begin previews next March and open next April at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre. “Warriors” will be directed by Jenny Koons with a book by Miranda and Davis. No casting was announced.

“Musicalizing such a vibrant world for the concept album has been a thrill, and now we’re coming out to play on Broadway at the Lunt-Fontanne. We can’t wait,” Miranda and Davis said in a statement Tuesday.

One Extraordinary Photo: What it takes for inclement weather to become the news of the match

PHILDELPHIA (AP) — Derik Hamilton is a freelance photographer for The Associated Press. He has worked with AP for 15 years covering sports events in the Philadelphia area.

Why this photo?

I shot this to photo to highlight the extent of extremely heavy downpours that dellayed Monday's France-Iraq match. Weather delays are rare in World Cup play and this photo shows the intensity of the rain and a different side to the world's “beautiful game.”

How I made this photo

Armani’s heirs carry the vision forward as the house faces its next chapter

MILAN (AP) — Giorgio Armani’s legacy lived on during a runway show at his historic headquarters and home in the heart of Milan, followed by a casual dinner in the garden attended by celebrity friends and business associates alike.

As the Giorgio Armani Foundation continues its search for a buyer for a 15% stake in Armani’s fashion group as stipulated in the late designer’s will, every runway show carries the extra weight of demonstrating that his creative vision is not only enduring but evolving.

“We tried to continue the message that he wanted to convey,’’ Silvana Armani, Armani’s niece and the head of womenswear design, told reporters after the co-ed show closing Milan Fashion Week on Monday evening.

Real clothes, for real people

The world of extreme pogo is an eye-popping blend of artistry, courage and ‘mystical zest’

The greatest day of Michael Mena's life as a professional athlete ended with a pair of world championships that the 33-year-old had spent the better part of two decades chasing.

Philippines temporarily blocks gaming app used by suspect in deadly school shooting

MANILA, Philippines (AP) — Philippine authorities said Tuesday they will temporarily block an online gaming app that one of two students blamed for a deadly school shooting has avidly used, to assess whether it played a role in fostering such violence.

Three students were killed and 20 others were wounded when the two suspects, aged 14 and 15 and armed with a handgun each, opened fire Monday at the San Jose National High School in central Tacloban city.

The Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center said its decision to block Gorebox was prompted by an ongoing police investigation which showed that one suspect was an avid user of the app, adding that this will allow authorities to determine “whether the platform played any role in the actions of the suspects.”

The decision would be enforced starting Tuesday, undersecretary Aboy Paraiso of the cybercrime center said in a statement.

AI chatbots hit the dating scene, becoming the lovelorn’s modern-day Cyrano

Marie Lansley recently started a new job in a new city while searching for a new partner. In her dating pursuits, the freshly minted San Franciscan said she’s been “trying everything”— including some help from artificial intelligence.

AI chatbots have become — for her and many others — de facto dating coaches and relationship experts.

Lansley, 36, consults AI chatbots for help in starting conversations, something she said she finds difficult on dating apps despite being comfortable doing so in person. Although she’s optimistic about the possibilities, she acknowledges the incongruency between the art of romance and the precision of technology.

“I am open to AI finding me the love of my life, but I’m also not fully convinced that it can,” Lansley said. “AI is great at making dating more efficient. But the chemistry — that’s always going to be analog.”

As school year ends, thank an educator

As the long days of summer approach, many Manitobans are preparing to hit the out-of-office button. But before the school year fades into memory, I’d like you to take a moment to thank the more than 17,000 Manitoba public school educators who have gone above and beyond to support kindergarten to Grade 12 students across our province.

AI safety advocates say bill a good ‘first step’ on regulation, but more needed

The federal government’s proposed online safety legislation is a good start on regulating artificial intelligence chatbots — but more work will be needed to protect Canadians from their potential harms, a pair of advocates say.

Bill C-34, introduced earlier this month in the House of Commons, would regulate the companies behind AI chatbots by imposing on them a duty to act “responsibly.”

It includes measures to lower the risk of chatbots communicating harmful content and would put in place crisis intervention protocols for cases involving self-harm, suicide or violence.

Wyatt Tessari L’Allié, founder of Artificial Intelligence Governance and Safety Canada, said the bill’s effectiveness depends on how the details are worked out.

Pink boots are everywhere at the World Cup as the color becomes a soccer star

Gio Reyna scored an iconic goal. Kylian Mbappé scored twice to become France's career goals leader. Harry Kane got two of his own goals. What do they all have in common? Pink, of course.

Close encounters of the amphibian kind

Frogs, snakes and horses, oh my!

Liam Peterson, an 11-year-old outdoor enthusiast, encountered all of those during summer camp last year at Circle Square Ranch.

“There were always frogs hopping around our cabin, and I let one in because I wanted it to have company because it was bored — it was just sitting there,” recalled Liam.

“And then my friend freaked out because it was on top of (his foot) in the morning. Everyone in the cabin woke up and he woke up with a red bump on his head after hitting his head on his bunk.”

Greed outshines ‘the Beautiful Game’

Utter greed is at the heart of this World Cup, and it has shown up as utter stupidity on the part of FIFA to think that it could treat the 104 matches of this tournament as “104 Super Bowls.”

Booth University College continues program for emergency shelter residents

Shelter U has found a permanent home in inner-city Winnipeg.

Following a pilot that produced 50 certificates and inspired multiple recipients to pursue further studies, Booth University College will continue an alternative program that makes higher education more accessible in Manitoba.

“It is the best of what education can be,” said Rev. Rob Fringer, president of the Christian post-secondary institute.

In January 2025, Booth’s Aaron Klassen launched the first of a series of humanities courses — a project he dubbed Shelter U — out of the Salvation Army’s Winnipeg Centre of Hope.

Ottawa adding $5.4B for child care; provinces, advocates had warned progress at risk

The federal government is giving provinces and territories an additional $5.4 billion over two years for the national $10-a-day child-care program, money the minister is framing as stabilizing the program.

The program that started rolling out across the country in 2021 set ambitious targets for reducing the fees parents pay and creating hundreds of thousands of new spaces by this year, but those targets have not yet been met in many jurisdictions.

Jobs and Families Minister Patty Hajdu said Friday in an interview that she has heard the provinces' calls for more federal money, as many struggle to reduce fees, add spaces and recruit and retain enough early childhood educators in the face of rising costs and demand.

"Certainly, money has been part of the challenge," Hajdu said ahead of a meeting with provincial and territorial ministers.