Engagement tactics and effects

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

The casket containing the body of Charlie Kirk, the CEO and co-founder of Turning Point USA who was shot and killed on Wednesday is removed from Air Force Two at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, Thursday, Sept. 11, 2025, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
No Subscription Required

Blame game after acts of political violence can lead to further attacks, experts warn

Nicholas Riccardi, The Associated Press 7 minute read Preview
No Subscription Required

Blame game after acts of political violence can lead to further attacks, experts warn

Nicholas Riccardi, The Associated Press 7 minute read Friday, Oct. 10, 2025

DENVER (AP) — From the moment conservative activist and icon Charlie Kirk was felled by an assassin’s bullet, partisans began fighting over which side was to blame. President Donald Trump became the most prominent to do so, tying the attack to “the radical left” before a suspect was even identified.

It was part of a new, grim tradition in a polarized country — trying to pin immediate responsibility for an act of public violence on one of two political sides. As the nation reels from a wave of physical attacks against both Republicans and Democrats, experts warn that the rush to blame sometimes ambiguous and irrational acts on political movements could lead to more conflict.

“What you’re seeing now is exactly how the spiral of violence occurs,” said Robert Pape, a political scientist and director of the Chicago Project on Security and Threats at the University of Chicago.

On Friday, authorities announced they had arrested 22-year-old Tyler Robinson of Washington, Utah, in the shooting. While a registered voter, he was not affiliated with any party and had not voted in the last two general elections. Even so, officials said Robinson had recently grown more political and expressed negative views about Kirk.

Read
Friday, Oct. 10, 2025
Russell Wangersky/Free Press Sea urchin shell on moss, Bear Cove, Conception Bay North, N.L.

Stop the online world, I want to get off

Russell Wangersky 5 minute read Preview

Stop the online world, I want to get off

Russell Wangersky 5 minute read Saturday, Sep. 13, 2025

One day, I won’t need to keep up.

I look forward to that. When I won’t need to know what is happening with tariffs and governments, when I won’t have to fill my morning cup with a daily dose of man’s inhumanity to man, when I don’t have to dig through dross.

I’m just back at work after a few weeks out in a non-media world, realizing after several days I felt like I was coming up from underwater — and that, crucially, I was actually thinking about things beyond the regular churn of news. That I was having thoughts not directly connected to work purposes, that delightful meanderings of mind were still possibly in my weary head.

Thoughts about the domed shape of a sea urchin’s pale-green shell once all of its spines have fallen away; about the feel of small smooth beach rocks as you hold them in place against your index finger and rub them with you thumb. About the distance and weight of the horizon on a grey day, and the slap and lop of small waves on a beach protected by offshore rocks.

Read
Saturday, Sep. 13, 2025
Ship of Dreams
No Subscription Required

Brit BFFs on Titanic moored to each other

Reviewed by GC Cabana-Coldwell 3 minute read Preview
No Subscription Required

Brit BFFs on Titanic moored to each other

Reviewed by GC Cabana-Coldwell 3 minute read Saturday, Sep. 13, 2025

Donna Jones Alward could be a character in one of her novels: Maritimes-born farm girl leaves home, gets an education and then an office job, finds love, marries, has babies, returns to work, starts writing in her spare time and finally — after much angst — sells her first book in 2006. Fast forward to 2025, where our Nova Scotia-based heroine, now with countless romance novels under her pen, has segued into historical fiction writing. Talk about happy endings and homecomings.

Alward has described Ship of Dreams, released in late August, as “a story about the enduring bonds of friendship when they’re tested by adversity.” Set in 1912 aboard the RMS Titanic, dubbed “the ship of dreams,” her novel focuses on Hannah and Louisa, two longtime English chums who book passage to New York aboard the luxury liner. One is married, the other a single suffragette. But both young women have big secrets and need to repair affairs of the heart and head.

Little do the two besties know that the ship’s collision with an iceberg at sea will put their beliefs on love, loss, grit and grief to the ultimate test.

Like any decent historical fiction scribe, Alward doesn’t let her famous setting overshadow her fictional characters. While Ship’s storyline plods along for the first two-thirds of the novel, the narrative picks up steam once ship meets berg. Having the first-person chapters alternate between Hannah and Lou offers insight into how the pair view their locale, their dilemmas and demons; it also fosters reader engagement.

Read
Saturday, Sep. 13, 2025
FILE - Charlie Kirk speaks at Texas A&M University as part of Turning Point USA's American Comeback Tour on Tuesday, April 22, 2025, in College Station, Texas. (Meredith Seaver/College Station Eagle via AP, File)

Widespread availability of graphic Charlie Kirk shooting video shows content moderation challenges

Barbara Ortutay And Kelvin Chan, The Associated Press 6 minute read Preview

Widespread availability of graphic Charlie Kirk shooting video shows content moderation challenges

Barbara Ortutay And Kelvin Chan, The Associated Press 6 minute read Thursday, Dec. 4, 2025

Immediately after Charlie Kirk was shot during a college event in Utah, graphic video of what happened was available almost instantly online, from several angles, in slow-motion and real-time speed. Millions of people watched — sometimes whether they wanted to or not — as the videos autoplayed on social media platforms.

Video was easy to find on X, on Facebook, on TikTok, on Instagram, on YouTube — even on President Donald Trump's Truth Social. The platforms, generally, said they were removing at least some of the videos if they violated their policies, for instance if the person was glorifying the killing in any way. In other cases, warning screens were applied to caution people they were about to see graphic content.

Two days after Kirk's death, videos were still easily found on social media, despite calls to remove them.

“It was not immediately obvious whether Instagram for example was just failing to remove some of the graphic videos of Charlie Kirk being shot or whether they had made a conscious choice to leave them up. And the reason that it that was so hard to tell is that, obviously, those videos were circulating really widely,” said Laura Edelson, an assistant professor of computer science at Northeastern University.

Read
Thursday, Dec. 4, 2025
Bell Canada is launching Bell Cyber, a new brand under its growing tech services umbrella which it says will offer AI-powered cybersecurity solutions. Bell Canada signage is pictured on a building in Ottawa on Monday, Aug. 14, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick

Bell launches Bell Cyber, building on AI and tech services umbrella

Sammy Hudes, The Canadian Press 4 minute read Preview

Bell launches Bell Cyber, building on AI and tech services umbrella

Sammy Hudes, The Canadian Press 4 minute read Thursday, Dec. 4, 2025

TORONTO - Bell Canada is launching Bell Cyber, a new brand under its growing tech services umbrella which will offer AI-powered cybersecurity solutions.

The company made the announcement Tuesday at its inaugural Bell Cybersecurity Summit in Toronto, which heard from Bell Cyber's leadership, government and law enforcement officials, as well as other industry stakeholders.

It said Bell Cyber unifies all of the company's cybersecurity capabilities under a single brand. It also complements Bell's other recent tech announcements, such as the launch of Bell AI Fabric and tech services brand Ateko.

Bell Cyber is the branding successor to Stratejm, a Mississauga, Ont.-based security services provider acquired by Bell in July 2024. The company has specialized in providing end-to-end security solutions with the use of artificial intelligence, including real-time threat detection and response.

Read
Thursday, Dec. 4, 2025
Nurses clocked about 36,547 overtime hours per month in 2022, an increase of about 50 per cent compared to 2020. (Winnipeg Free Press files)

Number of private agency nurses rises

Carol Sanders 5 minute read Preview

Number of private agency nurses rises

Carol Sanders 5 minute read Monday, Sep. 8, 2025

As the province tries to move away from its reliance on private agency nurses, data show the practice continues to increase in Manitoba.

A report Thursday from the College of Registered Nurses of Manitoba shows there were 1,611 nurses working for private agencies in 2024, up from 1,418 in 2023.

“Our fundamental mandate as the professional regulator is to ensure public protection and provide the conditions that work towards supporting and ensuring patient safety,” said college spokesman Martin Lussier.

“When there is a significant shift in the practice of (nurses) that we regulate, part of our work is to assess: does that create new challenges or risks.”

Read
Monday, Sep. 8, 2025
Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott (4) throws a pass under pressure from Philadelphia Eagles linebacker Nolan Smith Jr. (3) in the second half of an NFL football game Friday, Sept. 5, 2025, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)
No Subscription Required

Onslaught of sports betting ads make gambling seem enticing to youth, doctors say

Nicole Ireland, The Canadian Press 4 minute read Preview
No Subscription Required

Onslaught of sports betting ads make gambling seem enticing to youth, doctors say

Nicole Ireland, The Canadian Press 4 minute read Thursday, Dec. 4, 2025

TORONTO - Doctors are calling for restrictions on sports betting ads, saying they are setting youth up for a future of problem gambling.

An editorial published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal on Monday says the ads are everywhere during sports broadcasts and that the legalization of online gambling has made every smartphone a potential betting platform.

Editor Dr. Shannon Charlebois says even though betting sites say they're only for people 19 years of age and older, youth are being inundated with advertising that equates enjoying sports with betting.

She says child and teen brains are still developing and the constant exposure to gambling messages normalizes harmful behaviour that they can carry into adulthood

Read
Thursday, Dec. 4, 2025
Prime Minister Mark Carney takes part in the 26-kilometre event in the Haliburton Forest Trail Race in southern Ontario as shown on Saturday Sept. 6, 2025 in this handout photo. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Handout - Haliburton Forest-David Sweeney (Mandatory Credit)
No Subscription Required

Carney surprises many with appearance at long-distance trail race

Rob Drinkwater, The Canadian Press 3 minute read Preview
No Subscription Required

Carney surprises many with appearance at long-distance trail race

Rob Drinkwater, The Canadian Press 3 minute read Friday, Oct. 10, 2025

Politicians typically do most of their running on campaign trails, but Prime Minister Mark Carney surprised many people when he competed in a long-distance trail run in southern Ontario on the weekend.

Carney was entered in the 26-kilometre event in the Haliburton Forest Trail Race, an annual event held about 160 kilometres north of Toronto, which also has longer distance categories, with the longest being 100 miles (160 kilometres).

"It has a reputation as one of the harder trail runs in Canada," organizer Tegan Legge said in a phone interview, noting the course features steep hills and an occasional rock face that competitors must scramble up.

"A 'crushing course' is what we hear, but we take that as a compliment."

Read
Friday, Oct. 10, 2025
BROOK JONES / FREE PRESS Former Winnipeg Blue Bombers running back Willard Reaves, 66, (left) announces his intention to become the leader of the Manitoba Liberal Party while former party leader and former Legislative Assembly Member for River Heights Jon Gerrard joins him on the steps of the main entrance to Manitoba Legislative Building in Winnipeg, Man., Sunday, Sept. 7, 2025.

Former Blue Bomber Reaves launches Liberal leadership bid

Erik Pindera 3 minute read Preview

Former Blue Bomber Reaves launches Liberal leadership bid

Erik Pindera 3 minute read Sunday, Sep. 7, 2025

Willard Reaves aims to become the leader of the Manitoba Liberal Party.

Reaves, a star Winnipeg Blue Bomber in the 1980s who also played a stint in the National Football League, announced his intention to run for leader of the longtime third-place party outside the Manitoba Legislature on Sunday afternoon.

“It’s time to get to work,” said Reaves, 66.

“I will be the best leader that this province can ever have, because my passion is about the people, not the parties.”

Read
Sunday, Sep. 7, 2025
Norwich Police School Resource Officer Bob McKinney hands an ice cream to Alby Little as his mother Sylvia Little, right, looks on in Norwich, Conn., on Thursday, Aug. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill)

Freeze! Police ice cream trucks seek to portray officers in a positive light

Dave Collins, The Associated Press 6 minute read Preview

Freeze! Police ice cream trucks seek to portray officers in a positive light

Dave Collins, The Associated Press 6 minute read Tuesday, Sep. 16, 2025

NORWICH, Conn. (AP) — The puns are plentiful as police departments around the country buy their own ice cream trucks and roll into neighborhoods to hand out frozen treats for free.

“Copsicle Patrol” is written on the one in Danbury, Connecticut. “Freeze! You have the right to remain frozen,” says another in Pittsfield, Massachusetts. “Let’s Chill Together,” Cleveland’s proclaims. “Frosty Five-O. Get the inside scoop” declares one in Palm Bay, Florida. “To Protect and Soft Serve,” says yet another in Toldedo, Ohio.

Whimsical slogans aside, a growing number of local law enforcement outfits are using the trucks for a serious mission: to have positive interactions with their communities at a time when headlines often feature police brutality and misconduct.

“There is no better way to draw the community to approach the police and let them know that we are approachable, we’re humans as well, than by handing out free ice cream to the kids,” said Lt. Kyle Besse of the Norwich, Connecticut, police department. “The smiles on the kids’ faces are really what make you realize that this is a great community outreach service.”

Read
Tuesday, Sep. 16, 2025