Politics

Opinion polls in the U.S. presidential election are showing an extremely close race between U.S. Vice-President Kamala Harris and Donald Trump — but polling experts say those numbers don’t always tell the whole story. While pollsters do everything they can to present accurate pictures of how voters are feeling or intend to vote, new methodologies to adapt to modern technology and changing behaviour means the job has gotten more difficult in recent years.Plus, “polls were not designed to predict the future,” said Samara Klar, a political science professor at the University of Arizona who studies political opinion and polling.That makes it more important for people to pay less attention to individual polls, which can sometimes be outliers, and more on polling averages — and even to put less ...

Descrease article font size Increase article font size Canada’s industry minister is calling on the Competition Bureau to probe whether Canadian landlords are using AI software in alleged rent-fixing schemes. Francois-Philippe Champagne’s call comes a day after the CBC reported on the use of a software called YieldStar by some corporate landlords.In a letter to Competition Bureau Commissioner Matthew Boswell, Champagne urged him to use tools within the Competition Act to look into the “use of algorithmic rising in the rental market.”“I want to draw your attention to recent revelations of possible price fixing in the rental market by landlords who use technologies like YieldStar,” Champagne wrote. “These technologies set prices that can be high...

There are growing calls to overhaul a multi-billion dollar procurement program designed to boost Indigenous business that critics warn is open to widespread abuse by “front” companies claiming to be First Nations-, Inuit- or Métis-owned. The Procurement Strategy for Indigenous Business (PSIB) program sets aside billions of dollars annually in federal contracts for Indigenous-owned and controlled companies.But Shannin Metatawabin, the chief executive officer of the National Aboriginal Capital Corporations Association, warned MPs Thursday of multiple cases where Indigenous people were brought onto a project only for others to reap the benefits.“This is fraud. This is criminal behaviour, and (companies misrepresenting themselves) should be barred from doing any business with the government go...

As a potential strike of Canada Post workers looms, the Crown corporation says it its “operating as normal” while negotiations with the union continue. If a strike does go ahead, at least one opposition party has said it will not support back-to-work legislation.Postal workers will legally be in a strike position as of Sunday, but a 72-hour notice is required under the Canada Labour Code before employees can walk off the job.“Both parties remain at the table and we have not received a notice of strike from the union,” said Valérie Chartrand, a Canada Post spokesperson.“If we receive a strike notice, we will be notifying customers and the public of our plans regarding service,” she told Global News in a statement Friday.On Tuesday, Canada Post presented new offers to the Canadian Union of P...

Donald Trump, escalating the violent language he’s been using to target his political opponents, suggested guns be turned on former representative Liz Cheney, one of his more prominent intra-party critics. “She’s a radical war hawk. Let’s put her with a rifle standing there with nine barrels shooting at her, OK?” the former president said in a conversation with former Fox News host Tucker Carlson at a campaign event in Arizona Thursday night.“Let’s see how she feels about it, you know, when the guns are trained on her face.” Republican presidential nominee and former president Donald Trump sits down for a conversation with Tucker Carlson during his Live Tour at the Desert Diamond Arena on Oct. 31, 2024 in Phoenix. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images ...

A Nova Scotia woman fighting a chronic health condition that was caused by her cancer treatment says the next leader of the provincial government needs to help people who require specialized care. Jennifer Brady has lymphedema and has been locked in a battle with the province over her care.Brady, 46, received surgery to treat her cervical cancer in 2020. The surgery was successful, but it left her with the chronic condition that causes painful tissue swelling.The mother of two says her everyday life is impacted — from the time she can spend with her kids to the hobbies she once loved.“I used to be a runner. I would run every day religiously. I loved it. I can’t do that anymore,” she explained.“Walking my dogs, I really can’t do that anymore. And just everything else I love, including my jo...

Canadians engrossed in the drama of the U.S. presidential election expect to gather in bars and living rooms to watch the votes roll in Tuesday, but many say the usual fanfare of watch parties will be muted by anxiety over the especially combative race. Dustin Herberman of Vaughan, Ont., says he’ll follow the results with his parents, who lean more to the right of the political spectrum than he does. He’s steeling himself for a night of delicate chit-chat meant to avoid squabbles over polarizing candidates Kamala Harris for the Democrats and Republican candidate Donald Trump.“Pretty much it’s just kind of agreed upon by everyone — you don’t push too many buttons during the vote,” he says of the house rules.The 35-year-old Herberman plans to monitor CNN with occasional flips to Canadian net...

A co-chair of Donald Trump’s transition team said Trump supporter Robert F. Kennedy Jr. wants access to federal health data so he can show vaccines are unsafe and lead to them being pulled from the market in a second Trump administration. Howard Lutnick echoed a number of Kennedy’s debunked anti-vaccine talking points in a CNN interview Wednesday, including falsehoods about the vaccine schedule and the disproven theory that vaccines cause autism. Trump has talked often about how Kennedy, who suspended his own presidential bid and endorsed him in August, will have a big role to play if the former president returns to the White House.While Lutnick said Kennedy would not be chosen as secretary of health and human services, he was not specific about what Kennedy’s role might be. Lutnick made t...

The Alberta government has introduced sweeping legislation that advocates warn will greatly impact the lives of trans and gender-diverse people. Premier Danielle Smith said the measures will preserve choice for children and youth, however the legislation limits access to health care, education and sports for gender diverse people depending on their age.“I know this is a sensitive issue that is deeply personal to so many, and I’d like to reiterate what I’ve said many times before: we are here to support and uplift every child who identifies as transgender and who experiences gender dysphoria as well as their families, who wants what’s best for them,” Smith said Thursday in Edmonton.“Childhood is a time of self-discovery, and we want children and youth to have the time to gain experience and...

Descrease article font size Increase article font size A million Canadians have received care under the federal dental-care plan six months after the program began, Health Minister Mark Holland said Thursday. Starting on Friday, the program will also cover more complex procedures.That means people who have coverage under the federal program can request pre-authorization for things like crowns and the initial placement of partial dentures, as well as what the program deems high-need or complex conditions.Paper claims will also be accepted, something Holland said will mean that more dentists and oral care providers are eligible to work under the program. 1:57 ...