It’s Wednesday, October 14.
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It → ’ → ?
Here are the top stories we’re following today.
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we → follow → ?
Alberta’s separatists make their case for independence
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separatists → make → independence
The 100 or so like-minded separatists gathered in a small conference space to discuss the future of Alberta are a collection of various anti-establishment or libertarian-leaning pundits, politicians and activists.
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separatists → gather → pundits
Advocates for free speech on campuses network with American gun rights lobbyists.
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Advocates → network → lobbyists
Anti-vaccine activists share tables with small-government libertarians and “anarcho capitalists.”
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activists → share → libertarians
While each has his or her own specific issues of interest, their fundamental values are mostly in agreement.
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values → have → agreement
They are united under one common belief: that the Canada of today has fallen into a state of serious disrepair.
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Canada → unite → disrepair
AI is an ‘alien being’ and humanity is running out of time to adapt, says British-Canadian Nobel laureate
“Now we’re creating alien beings — meaning we’re not the only intelligent beings around,” Geoffrey Hinton, often revered as the “Godfather of AI,” said in an interview with The Guardian.
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Hinton → run → Guardian
“And the reality is, we only have a couple of years to adapt to that.”
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we → have → that
People who believe AI will be incapable of “consciousness” or “subjective experience” are wrong, Hinton says.
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Hinton → believe → consciousness
“It’s obvious that these AI models understand what they’re saying.
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they → ’ → what
You couldn’t possibly answer all the questions without understanding the question.
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You → answer → question
It’s ridiculous to say they don’t understand,” he tells The Guardian.
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he → ’ → Guardian
Who blinks first?
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Who → blink → ?
‘It probably has to be Carney’ to restart U.S. talks, trade analysts say
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analysts → have → talks
With Canada-U.S. trade talks having collapsed in August and the White House showing no urgency to return to the negotiating table, what is Canada’s best move now?
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move → collapse → table
Since Canada has an economy one-twelfth the size of America’s, it has more to lose and less leverage, making this a risky waiting game.
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this → have → more
But whether the U.S. comes back to the table soon or not, could depend on the results of the U.S. midterm elections.
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comes → come → elections
“If Trump cools it after the election … then there’s less incentive for anybody to care.
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anybody → cool → election
But if he ratchets it up again, everybody’s … (going to) come to the table and try to think through how to end the trade war,” says one trade watcher.
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watcher → ratchet → war
FIRST READING: The shockingly small number of men causing all the crime
This past weekend, B.C. Conservative leader Lorne Doerkson denounced the latest release of an individual he called “Nanaimo’s most prolific offender,” calling it emblematic of a system where “repeat violent offenders (are) released again and again, only to create more victims.”
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offenders → cause → victims
A 2022 report from the BC Urban Mayors Caucus found that just 204 offenders were responsible for 11,600 police interactions over the course of a single year.
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offenders → find → year
In its response to the report, the B.C. government recommended against using the term “prolific offenders,” as it “not only perpetuates harm and stigma but also fails to address that these individuals lack security and safety.
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individuals → recommend → security
Both sides, now: After 62 years, Canada’s Joni Mitchell becomes an American, too
“A journey that began 62 years ago,” the Fort Macleod, Alberta-born Mitchell captioned a social media post on Tuesday, that showed her standing in front of a U.S. flag following her naturalization ceremony.
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her → become → ceremony
Just before the 2024 U.S. presidential election, the singer-songwriter reportedly told an audience, “This is an important one.
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This → tell → audience
I wish I could vote — I’m Canadian.
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I → wish → ?
I’m one of those lousy immigrants.”
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I → ’m → immigrants
The Aporia
