Vermont town to let 16- and 17-year-olds vote in local elections, after legislature overrode veto
The Canadian Press
Tue, June 27, 2023
Sixteen- and 17-year-olds in one prominent Vermont town will be able to vote in local elections and serve on the community's select board if elected, after the Democrat-controlled state Legislature overrode the Republican governor's veto of the Brattleboro charter change.
A half dozen cities and towns in California and Maryland have lowered the voting age to 16 for either all local elections or school board elections, according to the National Youth Rights Association.
Organizers of the push to lower the age in the southern Vermont town of Brattleboro say the community of 7,300 is the first one in the country where 16-year-olds can vote in municipal elections and hold the highest elected offices. Besides the selectboard, young voters may also serve as representatives to the town's annual town meeting, where local issues are decided.
“This may stem the tide of youth moving out of town,” said Kurt Daims, director of Brattleboro Common Sense, in a statement.
Gov. Phil Scott said he vetoed the bill on May 27 because it was nearly identical to a bill he rejected last year.
“As I said last year, I believe it is important to encourage young Vermonters to have an interest in issues affecting their schools, their communities, their state and their country,” he wrote in a letter to lawmakers. “However, I do not support lowering the voting age in Brattleboro, nor lowering the age to run for Town office and sign contracts on behalf of taxpayers.” He also said the proposal would only worsen the inconsistencies in Vermont law on the age of adulthood.
The Legislature overrode that veto and four others last week, in addition to another one earlier in the session.
Rep. Emilie Kornheiser, a Democrat from Brattleboro, said Tuesday that she thinks of the youth vote as an important way for young people to feel like they have a stake in what's happening and to keep coming back because of that connection.
“Vermont is an aging state and we're a state that really prides ourself on democracy and participation," she said pointing to the annual town meeting tradition. "I think the more we can do to bring youth into that process so that they learn the skills and practice the skills of participation and politics with sort of a lower case “p” the stronger our communities will be and the more I think folks will feel tied to their communities."
Rio Daims, who first starting working on the youth vote campaign in 2018 when she was 16, said while its passage “will bring a new wave of civically engaged youth up through their teenage years," the legislative process should not have taken so long.
Daims noted the proposal had overwhelming support in Brattleboro. But she also lamented that the original amendment approved by Brattleboro voters included the right to serve on the school board, a provision later removed in the legislative process.
“I see this aspect of the amendment as essential, given that one of the dominant parts of a teenager’s life is their schooling. High school students have little lift in decision making in school, and they deserve more power there,” she said by email.
______
Rathke reported from Marshfield, Vt.
Lisa Rathke, The Associated Pres
Wednesday, June 28, 2023
Alberta doctors call for investigation, apology over decision about Hinshaw
The Canadian Press
Mon, June 26, 2023
EDMONTON — More than 100 Alberta doctors have signed an open letter to express concern about a decision to revoke a job offer to the province's former chief medical officer of health.
Dr. Deena Hinshaw had reportedly been hired and then removed from a role with Indigenous Wellness Core, a program in Alberta Health Services focused on Indigenous health.
CBC News reported last week that it led to the resignation of the group's medical director, Dr. Esther Tailfeathers, who said she left out of frustration with the move.
The doctors sent the letter to Dr. John Cowell, the chief administrator of Alberta Health Services, and Premier Danielle Smith saying the situation has caused harm to the relationship between doctors and the province.
They say it also hurts Albertans, particularly those who are Indigenous.
The doctors are requesting an investigation into the ethics and integrity of Hinshaw's removal from the role and an apology to both Hinshaw and Tailfeathers.
Hinshaw, who was Alberta's chief medical officer of health during the COVID-19 pandemic, was removed by Smith soon after she became premier.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 26, 2023.
The Canadian Press
The Canadian Press
Mon, June 26, 2023
EDMONTON — More than 100 Alberta doctors have signed an open letter to express concern about a decision to revoke a job offer to the province's former chief medical officer of health.
Dr. Deena Hinshaw had reportedly been hired and then removed from a role with Indigenous Wellness Core, a program in Alberta Health Services focused on Indigenous health.
CBC News reported last week that it led to the resignation of the group's medical director, Dr. Esther Tailfeathers, who said she left out of frustration with the move.
The doctors sent the letter to Dr. John Cowell, the chief administrator of Alberta Health Services, and Premier Danielle Smith saying the situation has caused harm to the relationship between doctors and the province.
They say it also hurts Albertans, particularly those who are Indigenous.
The doctors are requesting an investigation into the ethics and integrity of Hinshaw's removal from the role and an apology to both Hinshaw and Tailfeathers.
Hinshaw, who was Alberta's chief medical officer of health during the COVID-19 pandemic, was removed by Smith soon after she became premier.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 26, 2023.
The Canadian Press
Rain helps firefighters' efforts in Quebec, but not enough of it to extinguish flames
The Canadian Press
Tue, June 27, 2023
MONTREAL — The rain that has been falling in northern Quebec since Monday likely won't be enough to extinguish the wildfires threatening several communities, but the wet weather could give firefighters a chance to get ahead of the flames, officials say.
Quebec's forest fire prevention agency — SOPFEU — was evaluating on Tuesday the effects of recent rainfall, Katia Petit, associate deputy minister for civil protection, told reporters.
"If enough rain falls, it will allow SOPFEU personnel to intensify their work directly in the field, to work on the fires and prevent them from starting up again once the dry weather returns," Petit said.
Environment Canada meteorologist Simon Legault said he expected rain to stop falling by Wednesday morning in the regions most affected by forest fires. He said warm, sunny weather could return thereafter with a chance of only isolated showers through the weekend.
More rain could come in the first week of July, but nothing like the "organized system" of showers that had been forecasted for this week, Legault said.
Despite the rain, the task of controlling the province's fires remains "colossal," said Julie Coupal, SOPFEU assistant director. The agency counted more than 100 wildfires across the province Tuesday, including 77 in the southern half, where more than two dozen fires were considered out of control.
Ongoing evacuation orders had displaced around 4,400 people as of Tuesday morning, including the residents of Lebel-sur-Quévillon, Mistissini and Waswanipi, as well as parts of the communities of Obedjiwan, Oujé-Bougoumou, Senneterre and Val-d'Or.
Elsewhere in Canada, wildfires have forced evacuations and road closures. In B.C., officials partially reopened Highway 99 near Vancouver after a fire in the hills north of the city led them to block access to the freeway on Monday. In Manitoba, residents of Leaf Rapids began evacuating Monday after the town in the north of the province declared a state of emergency due to an encroaching fire.
In the United States, smoke from Canadian fires have led to air quality alerts in Michigan and Minnesota. Officials in Chicago advised vulnerable residents to stay indoors to avoid adverse health effects.
Meanwhile, NASA has reported that smoke from wildfires in northern Quebec had reached Europe. The American space agency said satellite imagery from Monday showed smoke extending across the North Atlantic Ocean to the Iberian Peninsula, France and other parts of western Europe.
Air quality in Europe has not deteriorated to the extent seen in Canada, however, because of the height of the smoke in the atmosphere, NASA explained.
Smoky air led Environment Canada to issue smog warnings in much of southern Quebec over the weekend, and parts of the province's westernmost region were still subject on Tuesday to an air quality alert.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 27, 2023.
— With files from The Associated Press.
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This story was produced with the financial assistance of the Meta and Canadian Press News Fellowship.
The Canadian Press
The Canadian Press
Tue, June 27, 2023
MONTREAL — The rain that has been falling in northern Quebec since Monday likely won't be enough to extinguish the wildfires threatening several communities, but the wet weather could give firefighters a chance to get ahead of the flames, officials say.
Quebec's forest fire prevention agency — SOPFEU — was evaluating on Tuesday the effects of recent rainfall, Katia Petit, associate deputy minister for civil protection, told reporters.
"If enough rain falls, it will allow SOPFEU personnel to intensify their work directly in the field, to work on the fires and prevent them from starting up again once the dry weather returns," Petit said.
Environment Canada meteorologist Simon Legault said he expected rain to stop falling by Wednesday morning in the regions most affected by forest fires. He said warm, sunny weather could return thereafter with a chance of only isolated showers through the weekend.
More rain could come in the first week of July, but nothing like the "organized system" of showers that had been forecasted for this week, Legault said.
Despite the rain, the task of controlling the province's fires remains "colossal," said Julie Coupal, SOPFEU assistant director. The agency counted more than 100 wildfires across the province Tuesday, including 77 in the southern half, where more than two dozen fires were considered out of control.
Ongoing evacuation orders had displaced around 4,400 people as of Tuesday morning, including the residents of Lebel-sur-Quévillon, Mistissini and Waswanipi, as well as parts of the communities of Obedjiwan, Oujé-Bougoumou, Senneterre and Val-d'Or.
Elsewhere in Canada, wildfires have forced evacuations and road closures. In B.C., officials partially reopened Highway 99 near Vancouver after a fire in the hills north of the city led them to block access to the freeway on Monday. In Manitoba, residents of Leaf Rapids began evacuating Monday after the town in the north of the province declared a state of emergency due to an encroaching fire.
In the United States, smoke from Canadian fires have led to air quality alerts in Michigan and Minnesota. Officials in Chicago advised vulnerable residents to stay indoors to avoid adverse health effects.
Meanwhile, NASA has reported that smoke from wildfires in northern Quebec had reached Europe. The American space agency said satellite imagery from Monday showed smoke extending across the North Atlantic Ocean to the Iberian Peninsula, France and other parts of western Europe.
Air quality in Europe has not deteriorated to the extent seen in Canada, however, because of the height of the smoke in the atmosphere, NASA explained.
Smoky air led Environment Canada to issue smog warnings in much of southern Quebec over the weekend, and parts of the province's westernmost region were still subject on Tuesday to an air quality alert.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 27, 2023.
— With files from The Associated Press.
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This story was produced with the financial assistance of the Meta and Canadian Press News Fellowship.
The Canadian Press
Quebec movie theatre mogul Vincenzo Guzzo charged with criminal harassment
The Canadian Press
Tue, June 27, 2023 at 2:48 p.m. MDT·1 min rea
MONTREAL — Vincenzo Guzzo, CEO of a large independent movie theatre chain in Quebec and investor on CBC Television's "Dragon's Den," has been charged with criminal harassment.
The Quebec prosecutor's office says Guzzo is accused of criminally harassing someone between November 2022 and June 2023. He was also charged for allegedly failing to comply with a condition not to communicate, directly or indirectly, with that person.
In a statement issued Tuesday, Guzzo suggested that the matter involved himself, "my wife and our lawyers."
He said the charges "are contested and vigorously denied."
"I would like to stress that my arrest has been highly unsettling, not only for me but more importantly, for our three children who have been living with me since November 2022 and who were present, in my home, at the time of my arrest."
A spokesperson for police in the Montreal suburb of Terrebonne, Que., says Guzzo was arrested over the weekend and appeared in court on Sunday.
Guzzo is CEO of movie theatre chain Cinémas Guzzo, which has 10 locations in Quebec, and he was one of the investors on the latest season of the CBC television show "Dragon's Den."
This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 27, 2023.
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This story was produced with the financial assistance of the Meta and Canadian Press News Fellowship.
The Canadian Press
The Canadian Press
Tue, June 27, 2023 at 2:48 p.m. MDT·1 min rea
MONTREAL — Vincenzo Guzzo, CEO of a large independent movie theatre chain in Quebec and investor on CBC Television's "Dragon's Den," has been charged with criminal harassment.
The Quebec prosecutor's office says Guzzo is accused of criminally harassing someone between November 2022 and June 2023. He was also charged for allegedly failing to comply with a condition not to communicate, directly or indirectly, with that person.
In a statement issued Tuesday, Guzzo suggested that the matter involved himself, "my wife and our lawyers."
He said the charges "are contested and vigorously denied."
"I would like to stress that my arrest has been highly unsettling, not only for me but more importantly, for our three children who have been living with me since November 2022 and who were present, in my home, at the time of my arrest."
A spokesperson for police in the Montreal suburb of Terrebonne, Que., says Guzzo was arrested over the weekend and appeared in court on Sunday.
Guzzo is CEO of movie theatre chain Cinémas Guzzo, which has 10 locations in Quebec, and he was one of the investors on the latest season of the CBC television show "Dragon's Den."
This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 27, 2023.
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This story was produced with the financial assistance of the Meta and Canadian Press News Fellowship.
The Canadian Press
N.W.T. power corporation says it has improved safety systems after worker's death
The Canadian Press
Tue, June 27, 2023 a
YELLOWKNIFE — The Northwest Territories Power Corporation says it has improved its safety systems and processes since a worker died in 2021.
Michael Chinna was struck in the head and neck by a column of ice outside an entrance at the Jackfish Lake diesel plant in Yellowknife on March 5 that year.
He was taken to hospital in Yellowknife then sent to Edmonton, where he died in hospital on March 14.
In a statement, the power corporation says it plans to share what is has learned with other organizations in the territory.
An investigation by the territorial Workers Safety and Compensation Commission found the power corporation lacked reporting and followup on overhead snow and ice and lacked safe work practices for overhead doors.
The investigation also found the corporation did not follow up on past hazards, as it recorded a similar case in 2014 when a worker was nearly struck by a falling block of ice.
It added the corporation failed to identify and address unsafe snow and ice hazards during its inspection process and did not have experienced workers on site who might have warned about safety hazards posed by the block of ice.
The commission filed 11 charges under the territory's Safety Act against the power corporation in February 2022.
The corporation pleaded guilty to one charge on Friday and was fined $200,000. The remaining 10 charges were stayed.
Chinna, 39, was in the fourth year of his apprenticeship as a power systems electrician. Court documents indicate he was wearing required personal protective equipment, including a hard hat and safety goggles, at the time of his fatal injury.
"We offer our condolences to the family, friends and colleagues of Michael Chinna," the power corporation said in a statement.
"NTPC was deeply saddened by the loss of Michael Chinna. He was an important person in our organization and was committed to working safely.
"We remain committed to protecting all of our workers from all of the hazards at all of our work sites, including falling ice and snow."
This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 27, 2023.
Emily Blake, The Canadian Press
The Canadian Press
Tue, June 27, 2023 a
YELLOWKNIFE — The Northwest Territories Power Corporation says it has improved its safety systems and processes since a worker died in 2021.
Michael Chinna was struck in the head and neck by a column of ice outside an entrance at the Jackfish Lake diesel plant in Yellowknife on March 5 that year.
He was taken to hospital in Yellowknife then sent to Edmonton, where he died in hospital on March 14.
In a statement, the power corporation says it plans to share what is has learned with other organizations in the territory.
An investigation by the territorial Workers Safety and Compensation Commission found the power corporation lacked reporting and followup on overhead snow and ice and lacked safe work practices for overhead doors.
The investigation also found the corporation did not follow up on past hazards, as it recorded a similar case in 2014 when a worker was nearly struck by a falling block of ice.
It added the corporation failed to identify and address unsafe snow and ice hazards during its inspection process and did not have experienced workers on site who might have warned about safety hazards posed by the block of ice.
The commission filed 11 charges under the territory's Safety Act against the power corporation in February 2022.
The corporation pleaded guilty to one charge on Friday and was fined $200,000. The remaining 10 charges were stayed.
Chinna, 39, was in the fourth year of his apprenticeship as a power systems electrician. Court documents indicate he was wearing required personal protective equipment, including a hard hat and safety goggles, at the time of his fatal injury.
"We offer our condolences to the family, friends and colleagues of Michael Chinna," the power corporation said in a statement.
"NTPC was deeply saddened by the loss of Michael Chinna. He was an important person in our organization and was committed to working safely.
"We remain committed to protecting all of our workers from all of the hazards at all of our work sites, including falling ice and snow."
This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 27, 2023.
Emily Blake, The Canadian Press
WOW, ABOUT TIME
Canada bans testing of cosmetics on animals, in line with dozens of other countries
The Canadian Press
Tue, June 27, 2023
TORONTO — Canada has banned testing cosmetic products on animals, a largely symbolic move that brings the policy in line with dozens of other countries.
The amendments to the Food and Drug Act were included in this year's budget, and will come into effect in December, Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos said at a press conference in Toronto on Tuesday celebrating the change.
"Today, Canada joins 43 other countries who have taken measures to ban cosmetic animal testing. Indeed our government has now passed legislation banning the testing of cosmetic products on animals."
In addition to barring companies from testing their cosmetic products on animals in Canada, the regulations prevent new products that rely on animal testing data to establish product safety from being sold in this country.
"Rarely do we see policy changes where everyone is on board, where activists, industry, politicians and Canadians all agree. Today is one of those rare days and it is worth celebrating," Duclos said, referencing a poll that found 90 per cent of Canadians were in favour of the measure.
Animal testing has fallen out of vogue in the cosmetics industry in recent years, as a result of similar legislation in the European Union that was introduced two decades ago.
The regulations shouldn't result in any additional costs to the brands that sell the affected products, such as creams, lotions and makeup, said Darren Praznik, president and CEO of Cosmetics Alliance Canada.
"The reality is that animal testing is by and large no longer used by our industry and that has been the case for some time," he said in an interview this spring when the legislation was tabled.
When the E.U. introduced its ban in 2004, it invested millions of euros into research to develop alternatives to animal testing.
Even so, Praznik said, there were hurdles to getting Canada's legislation passed. In 2015, for example, there was a private member's bill to the same effect, but the cosmetics industry opposed it because of overly broad language.
"It was so badly crafted that if you made a pet shampoo for a dog or a cat, you wouldn't have been able to actually try it on a dog or a cat to see if they liked it," Praznik said.
But once the industry group began collaborating with animal rights' groups, he said, they were able to come up with a list of principles that worked for them both. From there, he said, Health Canada drafted the bill.
"The lesson is that if you can get stakeholders from different sides of an issue together and you have some good will, you can usually work out a way to move it forward," he said.
Still, there are some areas where animal advocates see room for improvement.
For example, the rules are not retroactive; products already on the market that originally used animal testing to establish their safety won't be pulled from shelves.
Hilary Jones, ethical director at Lush Cosmetics, said the company would rather regulators throw out that old data and start anew, retesting existing products using cruelty-free methods. The company has been a vocal opponent of animal testing since its founding.
"We believe it's unscientific to test on animals. It's a very blunt, old-fashioned tool. So we'd like to see all cosmetics pass through new methods." she said. "But are we happy with this legislation? Absolutely."
This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 27, 2023.
Nicole Thompson, The Canadian Press
Canada bans testing of cosmetics on animals, in line with dozens of other countries
The Canadian Press
Tue, June 27, 2023
TORONTO — Canada has banned testing cosmetic products on animals, a largely symbolic move that brings the policy in line with dozens of other countries.
The amendments to the Food and Drug Act were included in this year's budget, and will come into effect in December, Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos said at a press conference in Toronto on Tuesday celebrating the change.
"Today, Canada joins 43 other countries who have taken measures to ban cosmetic animal testing. Indeed our government has now passed legislation banning the testing of cosmetic products on animals."
In addition to barring companies from testing their cosmetic products on animals in Canada, the regulations prevent new products that rely on animal testing data to establish product safety from being sold in this country.
"Rarely do we see policy changes where everyone is on board, where activists, industry, politicians and Canadians all agree. Today is one of those rare days and it is worth celebrating," Duclos said, referencing a poll that found 90 per cent of Canadians were in favour of the measure.
Animal testing has fallen out of vogue in the cosmetics industry in recent years, as a result of similar legislation in the European Union that was introduced two decades ago.
The regulations shouldn't result in any additional costs to the brands that sell the affected products, such as creams, lotions and makeup, said Darren Praznik, president and CEO of Cosmetics Alliance Canada.
"The reality is that animal testing is by and large no longer used by our industry and that has been the case for some time," he said in an interview this spring when the legislation was tabled.
When the E.U. introduced its ban in 2004, it invested millions of euros into research to develop alternatives to animal testing.
Even so, Praznik said, there were hurdles to getting Canada's legislation passed. In 2015, for example, there was a private member's bill to the same effect, but the cosmetics industry opposed it because of overly broad language.
"It was so badly crafted that if you made a pet shampoo for a dog or a cat, you wouldn't have been able to actually try it on a dog or a cat to see if they liked it," Praznik said.
But once the industry group began collaborating with animal rights' groups, he said, they were able to come up with a list of principles that worked for them both. From there, he said, Health Canada drafted the bill.
"The lesson is that if you can get stakeholders from different sides of an issue together and you have some good will, you can usually work out a way to move it forward," he said.
Still, there are some areas where animal advocates see room for improvement.
For example, the rules are not retroactive; products already on the market that originally used animal testing to establish their safety won't be pulled from shelves.
Hilary Jones, ethical director at Lush Cosmetics, said the company would rather regulators throw out that old data and start anew, retesting existing products using cruelty-free methods. The company has been a vocal opponent of animal testing since its founding.
"We believe it's unscientific to test on animals. It's a very blunt, old-fashioned tool. So we'd like to see all cosmetics pass through new methods." she said. "But are we happy with this legislation? Absolutely."
This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 27, 2023.
Nicole Thompson, The Canadian Press
Klimt portrait 'Lady with a Fan' headed to auction with $80 million price tag
By Farouq Suleiman
Tue, June 27, 2023
LONDON (Reuters) - A portrait of an unnamed woman by Austrian artist Gustav Klimt sold for 85.3 million pounds ($108.4 million) on Tuesday, setting a new record price for any work of art sold at an auction in Europe, London-based auction house Sotheby's said.
The painting, which had been given a guide price of 65 million pounds ($82.9 million), was sold after a tense 10-minute bidding war as auctioneer Helena Newman, Sotheby's head of impressionist and modern art, eked out the final bids in half-million pound increments.
Described by Newman as a "technical tour de force, full of boundary-pushing experimentation, as well as a heartfelt ode to absolute beauty," the painting titled "Dame mit Fächer" ("Lady with a Fan") was still on an easel in Klimt's studio when he died in February 1918.
"It was created when he was still in his artistic prime and brings together all the technical prowess and creative exuberance that define his greatest work," she said.
The fall of the hammer at 74 million pounds broke the tension, triggering a collective exhalation in the room and a round of applause. The total price includes fees.
The painting sold to a Hong Kong-based art advisory firm, bidding on behalf of a collector based there.
The previous highest price for a painting sold at auction in Europe was Claude Monet's "Le Bassin Aux Nympheas" in 2008 at $80.4 million, while the record for any work of art sold at auction in Europe was set by Alberto Giacometti's bronze "Walking Man I," which went for $104.3 million in 2010.
Sotheby's said the painting was one of a small number of Klimt's portraits in private collections. It is now the most expensive Klimt artwork sold at auction anywhere in the world.
It was last offered for sale nearly 30 years ago, when it was acquired by the family of the present owner for $11.6 million, according to the auction house.
($1 = 0.7847 pounds)
(Reporting by Farouq Suleiman, additional reporting by Marie-Louise Gumuchian; Editing by Rosalba O'Brien)
LONDON (Reuters) - A portrait of an unnamed woman by Austrian artist Gustav Klimt sold for 85.3 million pounds ($108.4 million) on Tuesday, setting a new record price for any work of art sold at an auction in Europe, London-based auction house Sotheby's said.
The painting, which had been given a guide price of 65 million pounds ($82.9 million), was sold after a tense 10-minute bidding war as auctioneer Helena Newman, Sotheby's head of impressionist and modern art, eked out the final bids in half-million pound increments.
Described by Newman as a "technical tour de force, full of boundary-pushing experimentation, as well as a heartfelt ode to absolute beauty," the painting titled "Dame mit Fächer" ("Lady with a Fan") was still on an easel in Klimt's studio when he died in February 1918.
"It was created when he was still in his artistic prime and brings together all the technical prowess and creative exuberance that define his greatest work," she said.
The fall of the hammer at 74 million pounds broke the tension, triggering a collective exhalation in the room and a round of applause. The total price includes fees.
The painting sold to a Hong Kong-based art advisory firm, bidding on behalf of a collector based there.
The previous highest price for a painting sold at auction in Europe was Claude Monet's "Le Bassin Aux Nympheas" in 2008 at $80.4 million, while the record for any work of art sold at auction in Europe was set by Alberto Giacometti's bronze "Walking Man I," which went for $104.3 million in 2010.
Sotheby's said the painting was one of a small number of Klimt's portraits in private collections. It is now the most expensive Klimt artwork sold at auction anywhere in the world.
It was last offered for sale nearly 30 years ago, when it was acquired by the family of the present owner for $11.6 million, according to the auction house.
($1 = 0.7847 pounds)
(Reporting by Farouq Suleiman, additional reporting by Marie-Louise Gumuchian; Editing by Rosalba O'Brien)
THE BUYER FROM HONG KONG OBVIOUSLY APPRECIATES THE ORIENTALISM KLIMT USED IN THE PAINTING
Chatbots can be used to create manipulative content — understanding how this works can help address it
Robert W. Gehl, Ontario Research Chair of Digital Governance for Social Justice,
Tue, June 27, 2023
Artificial intelligence can be used to produce persuasive texts that influence behaviour. (Shutterstock)
Manipulative communication includes disinformation, propaganda, con artistry and fraud. With the increasing use of artificial intelligence (AI), manipulative communication is not only being aided by AI, automation and machine learning, but will likely be dominated by such practices in the near future.
‘Social Engineering’ looks at how the internet affected manipulative communication.
As communication scholars, we were interested in the applications of AI in supporting manipulative communication efforts. Our recent book, Social Engineering: How Crowdmasters, Phreaks, Hackers, and Trolls Created a New Form of Manipulative Communication looks at how the internet affected manipulative communication.
AI chatbots
ChatGPT, one of the most popular and widely used chatbots, is an artificial intelligence chatbot, capable of parsing text input and quickly providing text responses.
While it has been critiqued for being misleading, when we asked it about the possibilities for manipulative communication, its response was remarkably prescient:
AI can be used for manipulative communication in a few ways:
• Social media bots: AI-powered bots can be programmed to mimic human behavior and spread false or misleading information to manipulate public opinion.
• Deepfake technology: AI algorithms can be used to generate fake audio or video content that appears to be real, making it easier to spread false information or manipulate individuals.
• Personalized advertising: AI algorithms can analyze data about a person’s behavior, preferences, and relationships to create targeted advertisements that manipulate their emotions and influence their purchasing decisions.
As we argue in Social Engineering, manipulative communication can be understood as a form of “masspersonal social engineering.” It’s “masspersonal” in that it can oscillate between targeted messages or societal-scale manipulation. It’s “social engineering” in that it combines the respective tools and techniques of hackers and propagandists in an attempt to shape the perceptions and actions of audiences.
Read more: ChatGPT's greatest achievement might just be its ability to trick us into thinking that it's honest
Masspersonal social engineering typically involves three stages: trashing, pretexting and bullshitting.
Each of these stages can be automated, with new AI tools increasing the pace and intensity.
Trashing
Trashing is the stage where the masspersonal social engineer gathers information on potential targets. We use the term “trashing” because it hearkens back to a mid-20th century hacker process of literally going through corporate trash to find passwords and restricted information.
While social engineers still go through physical trash, these days trashing takes place in digital environments.
For example, trashing was key to the Russian hack of former White House Chief of Staff John Podesta’s emails in 2016. Podesta, who was in charge of Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign, fell victim to a phishing attack.
Podesta wasn’t the first target — the Russian hackers worked their way through several email addresses used by Clinton staffers, including staffers who were no longer part of her campaign and who had abandoned their email accounts years before.
In other words, they had to work their way through the digital detritus of old and abandoned emails until they were able to find active ones – including Podesta’s – and then they could send a phishing email.
Digital trashing has already been automated. Facebook/Meta, Twitter and especially LinkedIn have been ripe targets for the automated gathering of data on potential targets.
Beyond social media, websites — particularly those that have organizational structures, names of employees and email addresses — are targets.
Pretexting
A pretext is the role a masspersonal social engineer plays when trying to get information or manipulate a target. For example, in a phishing email, the phisher is playing a role as a bank or government representative. The most effective pretexts are developed based on the information gathered in trashing — the more information a social engineer has on their target, the more likely the social engineer can construct a compelling role to play.
When phishing for information, a social engineer may play a deceptive role.
Bullshitting
The third and final stage, bullshitting, is the actual engagement with the target. All the trashing and development of a pretext leads to this point: trashing gives the social engineer background information, and the pretext provides a role-playing framework, but in any back-and-forth engagement with the target, the social engineer engages in improvisation.
As moral philosopher Harry Frankfurt famously defines it, “bullshit” is not lying — it’s the indifference to truth. A bullshitter may or may not speak truth. The truth is beside the point; it’s the effect of the communication that matters.
AI could produce bullshit content — including deepfakes — that floods a media system at a much larger scale than a person, or group of people, working together. The primary concern here is the production of seemingly real content that is meant to deceive or muddy debate.
And we are already seeing interest among content marketers, who are using AI to help them crank out more content for their blogs.
Even if no one piece is particularly effective, the flood of such content online will further add to the “firehose of falsehood.” This could have the effect of further muddying the waters of online discourse, and eroding our sense of what is true, false and authentic online.
Increased intensity
Manipulative communication isn’t new. But automated manipulative communication is a new development, increasing the pace and intensity of disinformation and misinformation.
We hope that this framework, which breaks down the manipulative communication process into stages, helps future researchers and policymakers come to grips with this development.
Reducing trashing behaviours involves better privacy regulations and cybersecurity to prevent data breaches, and enhanced penalties for organizations that do leak private data.
Addressing pretexting can involve more transparency in the funding for advertising campaigns, particularly in the case of political advertising on social media.
And to combat bullshitting, we should support projects that teach digital media literacy.
This article is republished from The Conversation, an independent nonprofit news site dedicated to sharing ideas from academic experts.
It was written by: Robert W. Gehl, York University, Canada and Sean Lawson, University of Utah.
Read more:
AI tools are generating convincing misinformation. Engaging with them means being on high alert
The rise of ChatGPT shows why we need a clearer approach to technology in schools
Robert W. Gehl received funding from the Fulbright Commission.
Robert W. Gehl, Ontario Research Chair of Digital Governance for Social Justice,
York University, Canada
Sean Lawson, Professor, Communication, University of Utah
Tue, June 27, 2023
THE CONVERSATION
Artificial intelligence can be used to produce persuasive texts that influence behaviour. (Shutterstock)
Manipulative communication includes disinformation, propaganda, con artistry and fraud. With the increasing use of artificial intelligence (AI), manipulative communication is not only being aided by AI, automation and machine learning, but will likely be dominated by such practices in the near future.
‘Social Engineering’ looks at how the internet affected manipulative communication.
As communication scholars, we were interested in the applications of AI in supporting manipulative communication efforts. Our recent book, Social Engineering: How Crowdmasters, Phreaks, Hackers, and Trolls Created a New Form of Manipulative Communication looks at how the internet affected manipulative communication.
AI chatbots
ChatGPT, one of the most popular and widely used chatbots, is an artificial intelligence chatbot, capable of parsing text input and quickly providing text responses.
While it has been critiqued for being misleading, when we asked it about the possibilities for manipulative communication, its response was remarkably prescient:
AI can be used for manipulative communication in a few ways:
• Social media bots: AI-powered bots can be programmed to mimic human behavior and spread false or misleading information to manipulate public opinion.
• Deepfake technology: AI algorithms can be used to generate fake audio or video content that appears to be real, making it easier to spread false information or manipulate individuals.
• Personalized advertising: AI algorithms can analyze data about a person’s behavior, preferences, and relationships to create targeted advertisements that manipulate their emotions and influence their purchasing decisions.
As we argue in Social Engineering, manipulative communication can be understood as a form of “masspersonal social engineering.” It’s “masspersonal” in that it can oscillate between targeted messages or societal-scale manipulation. It’s “social engineering” in that it combines the respective tools and techniques of hackers and propagandists in an attempt to shape the perceptions and actions of audiences.
Read more: ChatGPT's greatest achievement might just be its ability to trick us into thinking that it's honest
Masspersonal social engineering typically involves three stages: trashing, pretexting and bullshitting.
Each of these stages can be automated, with new AI tools increasing the pace and intensity.
Trashing
Trashing is the stage where the masspersonal social engineer gathers information on potential targets. We use the term “trashing” because it hearkens back to a mid-20th century hacker process of literally going through corporate trash to find passwords and restricted information.
While social engineers still go through physical trash, these days trashing takes place in digital environments.
For example, trashing was key to the Russian hack of former White House Chief of Staff John Podesta’s emails in 2016. Podesta, who was in charge of Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign, fell victim to a phishing attack.
Podesta wasn’t the first target — the Russian hackers worked their way through several email addresses used by Clinton staffers, including staffers who were no longer part of her campaign and who had abandoned their email accounts years before.
In other words, they had to work their way through the digital detritus of old and abandoned emails until they were able to find active ones – including Podesta’s – and then they could send a phishing email.
Digital trashing has already been automated. Facebook/Meta, Twitter and especially LinkedIn have been ripe targets for the automated gathering of data on potential targets.
Beyond social media, websites — particularly those that have organizational structures, names of employees and email addresses — are targets.
Pretexting
A pretext is the role a masspersonal social engineer plays when trying to get information or manipulate a target. For example, in a phishing email, the phisher is playing a role as a bank or government representative. The most effective pretexts are developed based on the information gathered in trashing — the more information a social engineer has on their target, the more likely the social engineer can construct a compelling role to play.
When phishing for information, a social engineer may play a deceptive role.
(Jefferson Santos/Unsplash), CC BY
And pretexts can be automated. We’ve already seen the effects of socialbots on discourse in social media. And for several years people have sounded alarms about deepfake videos and audio of political figures.
Read more: How to combat the unethical and costly use of deepfakes
But evidence from security professionals show that automated imitations of everyday people are happening, too. A case of fraud involving an AI-based imitation of a CEO’s voice has already occurred, and there are reports of fraudsters using AI-generated voices of relatives to scam their loved ones.
And pretexts can be automated. We’ve already seen the effects of socialbots on discourse in social media. And for several years people have sounded alarms about deepfake videos and audio of political figures.
Read more: How to combat the unethical and costly use of deepfakes
But evidence from security professionals show that automated imitations of everyday people are happening, too. A case of fraud involving an AI-based imitation of a CEO’s voice has already occurred, and there are reports of fraudsters using AI-generated voices of relatives to scam their loved ones.
Bullshitting
The third and final stage, bullshitting, is the actual engagement with the target. All the trashing and development of a pretext leads to this point: trashing gives the social engineer background information, and the pretext provides a role-playing framework, but in any back-and-forth engagement with the target, the social engineer engages in improvisation.
As moral philosopher Harry Frankfurt famously defines it, “bullshit” is not lying — it’s the indifference to truth. A bullshitter may or may not speak truth. The truth is beside the point; it’s the effect of the communication that matters.
AI could produce bullshit content — including deepfakes — that floods a media system at a much larger scale than a person, or group of people, working together. The primary concern here is the production of seemingly real content that is meant to deceive or muddy debate.
And we are already seeing interest among content marketers, who are using AI to help them crank out more content for their blogs.
Even if no one piece is particularly effective, the flood of such content online will further add to the “firehose of falsehood.” This could have the effect of further muddying the waters of online discourse, and eroding our sense of what is true, false and authentic online.
Increased intensity
Manipulative communication isn’t new. But automated manipulative communication is a new development, increasing the pace and intensity of disinformation and misinformation.
We hope that this framework, which breaks down the manipulative communication process into stages, helps future researchers and policymakers come to grips with this development.
Reducing trashing behaviours involves better privacy regulations and cybersecurity to prevent data breaches, and enhanced penalties for organizations that do leak private data.
Addressing pretexting can involve more transparency in the funding for advertising campaigns, particularly in the case of political advertising on social media.
And to combat bullshitting, we should support projects that teach digital media literacy.
This article is republished from The Conversation, an independent nonprofit news site dedicated to sharing ideas from academic experts.
It was written by: Robert W. Gehl, York University, Canada and Sean Lawson, University of Utah.
Read more:
AI tools are generating convincing misinformation. Engaging with them means being on high alert
The rise of ChatGPT shows why we need a clearer approach to technology in schools
Robert W. Gehl received funding from the Fulbright Commission.
One of America's first elected lesbian governors addresses Irish Senate on LBGTQ rights anniversary
Tue, June 27, 2023
Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey — one of the country's first two openly lesbian elected governors and a descendant of Irish immigrants — addressed the Irish Senate on Tuesday to help commemorate the 30th anniversary of the decriminalization of homosexuality in Ireland.
“It was not so long ago, when the story of Irish-American unity, and the story of gay liberation would never have been told together,” Healey said in her speech to the Senate. “I’m here to say they are stories of the same people, threads in the same fabric that binds us across time and strengthens us to face the future.”
Ireland passed a law decriminalizing homosexual acts in 1993. Nearly two decades later, the predominantly Catholic nation legalized same-sex marriage, by popular vote, in 2015. The U.S. Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriage nationwide the same year.
“It’s been 19 years since we secured marriage equality in Massachusetts — eight years since both the citizens of Ireland and the Supreme Court of the United States, just one month apart, declared that 'love is love' once and for all,” Healey said.
Healey's trip also coincides with the 60th anniversary of a state visit to Ireland by another Massachusetts Democrat — President John F. Kennedy — that helped usher in an economic and cultural partnership between the two countries.
Healey's agenda during the weeklong trip, which begins and ends in Dublin, also includes business development meetings with Irish business leaders in technology and clean energy. Her visit doubles as a trade mission, her first since taking office in January.
Healey's pitch is that Massachusetts offers a lot that Irish businesses will find attractive, from the state's “world-class education and research institutions to our cutting-edge biotechnology and clean energy sectors to our commitment to protecting civil rights and freedom.”
Healey traces her Irish ancestry on her mother’s side to Ballinasloe, County Galway. Her maternal great-grandmother Katherine Tracy emigrated to America at age 16 in 1912. On the paternal side, Healey’s grandfather came from Kilgarvan, County Kerry, and her grandmother came from Macroom, County Cork.
Healey said her story is just one of millions of emigrant stories that helped build Massachusetts and the United States.
“Our Irish ancestors left behind everything they knew and worked hard to give us all we would need,” Healey said. “I was raised with the values they passed on — taking care of your family, taking responsibility for the welfare of your community, and looking out for those who need a helping hand.”
Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll will serve as Massachusetts acting governor during Healey's trip.
Steve Leblanc, The Associated Press
Tue, June 27, 2023
Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey — one of the country's first two openly lesbian elected governors and a descendant of Irish immigrants — addressed the Irish Senate on Tuesday to help commemorate the 30th anniversary of the decriminalization of homosexuality in Ireland.
“It was not so long ago, when the story of Irish-American unity, and the story of gay liberation would never have been told together,” Healey said in her speech to the Senate. “I’m here to say they are stories of the same people, threads in the same fabric that binds us across time and strengthens us to face the future.”
Ireland passed a law decriminalizing homosexual acts in 1993. Nearly two decades later, the predominantly Catholic nation legalized same-sex marriage, by popular vote, in 2015. The U.S. Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriage nationwide the same year.
“It’s been 19 years since we secured marriage equality in Massachusetts — eight years since both the citizens of Ireland and the Supreme Court of the United States, just one month apart, declared that 'love is love' once and for all,” Healey said.
Healey's trip also coincides with the 60th anniversary of a state visit to Ireland by another Massachusetts Democrat — President John F. Kennedy — that helped usher in an economic and cultural partnership between the two countries.
Healey's agenda during the weeklong trip, which begins and ends in Dublin, also includes business development meetings with Irish business leaders in technology and clean energy. Her visit doubles as a trade mission, her first since taking office in January.
Healey's pitch is that Massachusetts offers a lot that Irish businesses will find attractive, from the state's “world-class education and research institutions to our cutting-edge biotechnology and clean energy sectors to our commitment to protecting civil rights and freedom.”
Healey traces her Irish ancestry on her mother’s side to Ballinasloe, County Galway. Her maternal great-grandmother Katherine Tracy emigrated to America at age 16 in 1912. On the paternal side, Healey’s grandfather came from Kilgarvan, County Kerry, and her grandmother came from Macroom, County Cork.
Healey said her story is just one of millions of emigrant stories that helped build Massachusetts and the United States.
“Our Irish ancestors left behind everything they knew and worked hard to give us all we would need,” Healey said. “I was raised with the values they passed on — taking care of your family, taking responsibility for the welfare of your community, and looking out for those who need a helping hand.”
Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll will serve as Massachusetts acting governor during Healey's trip.
Steve Leblanc, The Associated Press
Apparent new orca calf spotted in endangered pod near British Columbia
Tue, June 27, 2023
SEATTLE (AP) — A baby orca has apparently been born to an endangered killer whale population in the Pacific Northwest, scientists reported.
The Center for Whale Research announced the baby orca Friday on Facebook, saying the organization received photos showing what appears to be a new calf in L pod, part of the population known as the southern resident orcas, near Tofino, British Columbia.
The baby looks to be more than three weeks old and would be the first new calf in the pod since L125 was born in 2021.
Researchers with the center will need to conduct on-the-water encounters with the group to determine the calf’s mother, assess the baby’s health and assign it an alphanumeric designation.
“We hope to see this calf in our study area very soon!” the group said.
“We’re always kind of cautiously optimistic with these new babies, because the mortality rate in the first year is quite high,” Michael Weiss, research director for the Center for Whale Research, told The Seattle Times. “But we’re hopeful — it’s good to have another L pod kid.”
The southern residents are struggling to survive multiple threats including a lack of adequate Chinook salmon in their foraging range, pollution and underwater noise that makes it harder for them to hunt.
If confirmed, the new calf would bring the total number of southern residents to 74.
That’s one of the lowest population counts since 1974, when 71 orcas were counted following a live-capture fishery in the 1960s, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
The population peaked at 98 in 1995, but declined to 80 whales in 2001.
The southern residents live in matriarchal families split into three pods, designated J, K and L. They typically stay along the western coastal islands of Canada and Washington in the Salish Sea, and along the Oregon coast.
As apex predators, they occupy an important role in the ecosystem at the top of the food chain.
The southern residents were listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act in 2005, and a recovery plan was finished in 2008.
In 2015 they were one of NOAA’s “Species in the Spotlight,” an effort to raise awareness and save “the most highly at-risk marine species.”
The National Marine Fisheries Service in 2021 expanded the southern resident's critical habitat from the Canadian border down to Point Sur, California, adding about 16,000 square miles (41,000 square kilometers) of foraging areas, river mouths and migratory pathways.
The Associated Press
Tue, June 27, 2023
SEATTLE (AP) — A baby orca has apparently been born to an endangered killer whale population in the Pacific Northwest, scientists reported.
The Center for Whale Research announced the baby orca Friday on Facebook, saying the organization received photos showing what appears to be a new calf in L pod, part of the population known as the southern resident orcas, near Tofino, British Columbia.
The baby looks to be more than three weeks old and would be the first new calf in the pod since L125 was born in 2021.
Researchers with the center will need to conduct on-the-water encounters with the group to determine the calf’s mother, assess the baby’s health and assign it an alphanumeric designation.
“We hope to see this calf in our study area very soon!” the group said.
“We’re always kind of cautiously optimistic with these new babies, because the mortality rate in the first year is quite high,” Michael Weiss, research director for the Center for Whale Research, told The Seattle Times. “But we’re hopeful — it’s good to have another L pod kid.”
The southern residents are struggling to survive multiple threats including a lack of adequate Chinook salmon in their foraging range, pollution and underwater noise that makes it harder for them to hunt.
If confirmed, the new calf would bring the total number of southern residents to 74.
That’s one of the lowest population counts since 1974, when 71 orcas were counted following a live-capture fishery in the 1960s, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
The population peaked at 98 in 1995, but declined to 80 whales in 2001.
The southern residents live in matriarchal families split into three pods, designated J, K and L. They typically stay along the western coastal islands of Canada and Washington in the Salish Sea, and along the Oregon coast.
As apex predators, they occupy an important role in the ecosystem at the top of the food chain.
The southern residents were listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act in 2005, and a recovery plan was finished in 2008.
In 2015 they were one of NOAA’s “Species in the Spotlight,” an effort to raise awareness and save “the most highly at-risk marine species.”
The National Marine Fisheries Service in 2021 expanded the southern resident's critical habitat from the Canadian border down to Point Sur, California, adding about 16,000 square miles (41,000 square kilometers) of foraging areas, river mouths and migratory pathways.
The Associated Press
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