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Google and Facebook are teaming up to fight fake news, but not in the US

The fake news epidemic on social media and the internet as a whole reached a climax late last year during the presidential election, and hot spots like Facebook have been battling the beast ever since. You might expect the US to be at the top of the list for US-based companies trying to fight the spread of false narratives, but a new partnership between Facebook and Google aimed at striking down fake news is instead aimed at France, where the upcoming presidential election is at risk of falling into the same quagmire that befell the United States.

Google announced the new initiative, which is called CrossCheck, at the News Impact Summit in Paris today. The company says it’s working in tandem with a total of 17 newsrooms to provide a platform for rapid fact checking, and it expects more partners to be on board soon.

Perhaps the biggest of CrossCheck’s responsibilities will be working with Facebook-owned CrowdTangle, which acts as something of a ranking tool to track and curate the most popular posts across the social network. Posts from news agencies and users alike that see lots of shares and interaction are highlighted in CrowdTangle and oftentimes get amplified with additional coverage or shares elsewhere, meaning that preventing a fake news story from gaining that kind of traction is crucial to Facebook’s goal of providing accurate information to its users.

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Kelly McParland: Liz Sandals should try taking the train. She might see her staff there

Kelly McParland | February 6, 2017 1:18 PM ET

Ontario premier Kathleen Wynne watches Liz Sandals

Ontario premier Kathleen Wynne watches Liz Sandals
Craig Glover/The London Free Press/Postmedia Network

When your government is engaged in a multi-billion-dollar effort to improve transit facilities as a way to get drivers off the road and into more environmentally-friendly means of travel, it’s generally not a good idea to suggest the people who make use of those facilities are a pack of dimwitted losers who lack the talent to rate a more prestigious form of transport.

This would be news to Liz Sandals, Treasury Board president in Premier Kathleen Wynne’s Ontario government, who let commuters on the province’s GO train system know just how low they rate in her estimation.

Asked how the average GO commuter might view proposals to hand generous pay hikes to executives at some of Ontario’s bigger corporations – including an extra $8 million for the already lavishly-compensated bosses at Ontario Power Generation – Sandals offered a brusque put-down.

“Most of the people sitting on the GO train probably don’t have high-level nuclear qualifications or the business qualifications to run a multi-billion-dollar corporation,” she remarked.

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The President Has Much Power Over Immigration, but How Much?

By ADAM LIPTAKFEB. 5, 2017

Senator Cory Booker of New Jersey spoke against President Trump’s immigration order last Monday at the Supreme Court. Credit Gabriella Demczuk for The New York Times


WASHINGTON — President Trump’s executive order on immigration has prompted a constitutional showdown that could leave a mark on the law for generations and seems likely to end in a landmark Supreme Court decision.

A ruling by the court on Mr. Trump’s travel ban on seven predominantly Muslim countries could help answer some crucial legal questions: How much independent constitutional authority does the president have over immigration, and how much power has Congress given him?

The likely answer to both questions: a lot. But other parts of the Constitution may temper or defeat that power. Among them are the due process and equal protection clauses and the First Amendment’s ban on government establishment of religion.

Here is a look at the leading arguments in the case.

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Reinstating travel ban would ‘unleash chaos,’ state lawyers warn

Government has until Monday evening to justify U.S. president’s executive order

The Associated Press Posted: Feb 06, 2017 3:17 AM ET Last Updated: Feb 06, 2017 7:03 AM ET

Demonstrators participate in a protest by the Yemeni community against U.S. President Donald Trump's travel ban in the Brooklyn borough of New York last week.

Lawyers for Washington state and Minnesota have told a federal appellate court that restoring U.S. President Donald Trump’s ban on refugees and travelers from seven predominantly Muslim countries would “unleash chaos again.”

The filing with the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco came early Monday after the White House said it expected the federal courts to reinstate the ban.

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Man who beheaded passenger on Greyhound bus expected to seek freedom

Will Baker, formerly known as Vince Li, was found not criminally responsible in the 2008 killing of Tim McLean on a Greyhound bus in Manitoba.

Will Baker has been diagnosed with schizophrenia. An absolute discharge would mean there would be no more monitoring to ensure Baker continues to take his medication. (JOHN WOODS / THE CANADIAN PRESS)

WINNIPEG—A man who beheaded and cannibalized a fellow passenger on a Greyhound bus in Manitoba is expected to ask for his freedom today.

Will Baker, formerly known as Vince Li, was found not criminally responsible for the killing of Tim McLean in 2008.

Diagnosed with schizophrenia, Baker was initially kept inside a secure wing at the Selkirk Mental Health Centre.

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LaDainian Tomlinson headlines 2017 Pro Football Hall of Fame class

USA TODAY SportsPublished 8:07 p.m. ET Feb. 4, 2017 | Updated 8:29 p.m. ET Feb. 4, 2017

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell held a press conference — not for the media, but for the fans. USA TODAY Sports

In an era during which many running backs have been devalued and veiwed as expendable,LaDainian Tomlinson didn’t have to wait long to take his place in NFL history.

The former San Diego Chargers standout was selected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame on Saturday in his first year of eligibility. Joining him in the 2017 class are quarterback Kurt Warner, running back Terrell Davis, defensive end Jason Taylor and kicker Morten Andersen. Seattle Seahawks safety Kenny Easley was picked as a senior nominee, while Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones enters as a contributor.

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11 Secrets Of Irresistible People


Some people, regardless of what they lack—money, looks, or social connections—always radiate with energy and confidence. Even the most skeptical individuals find themselves enamored with these charming personalities. These people are the life of every party. They’re the ones you turn to for help, advice, and companionship. You just can’t get enough of them, and they leave you asking yourself, “What do they have that I don’t? What makes them so irresistible?”

The difference? Their sense of self-worth comes from within. Irresistible people aren’t constantly searching for validation, because they’re confident enough to find it in themselves. There are certain habits they pursue every day to maintain this healthy perspective. Since being irresistible isn’t the result of dumb luck, it’s time to study the habits of irresistible people so that you can use them to your benefit.

Get ready to say “hello” to a new, more irresistible you.

  1. They Treat Everyone With Respect

Whether interacting with their biggest client or a server taking their drink order, irresistible people are unfailingly polite and respectful. They understand that—no matter how nice they are to the person they’re having lunch with—it’s all for naught if that person witnesses them behaving badly toward someone else. Irresistible people treat everyone with respect because they believe they’re no better than anyone else.

 

  1. They Follow The Platinum Rule

The Golden Rule—treat others as you want to be treated—has a fatal flaw: it assumes that all people want to be treated the same way. It ignores that people are motivated by vastly different things. One person loves public recognition, while another loathes being the center of attention.

The Platinum Rule—treat others as they want to be treated—corrects that flaw. Irresistible people are great at reading other people, and they adjust their behavior and style to make others feel comfortable.

 

  1. They Ditch The Small Talk

There’s no surer way to prevent an emotional connection from forming during a conversation than by sticking to small talk. When you robotically approach people with small talk this puts their brains on autopilot and prevents them from having any real affinity for you. Irresistible people create connection and find depth even in short, every day conversations. Their genuine interest in other people makes it easy for them to ask good questions and relate what they’re told to other important facets of the speaker’s life.

 

  1. They Focus On People More Than Anything Else

Irresistible people possess an authentic interest in those around them. As a result, they don’t spend much time thinking about themselves. They don’t obsess over how well they’re liked, because they’re too busy focusing on the people they’re with. It’s what makes their irresistibility seem so effortless.

To put this habit to work for you, try putting down the smart phone and focusing on the people you’re with. Focus on what they’re saying, not what your response will be, or how what they’re saying will affect you. When people tell you something about themselves, follow up with open-ended questions to draw them out even more.

 

  1. They Don’t Try Too Hard

Irresistible people don’t dominate the conversation with stories about how smart and successful they are. It’s not that they’re resisting the urge to brag. The thought doesn’t even occur to them because they know how unlikeable people are who try too hard to get others to like them.

 

  1. They Recognize The Difference Between Fact And Opinion

Irresistible people handle controversial topics and touchy subjects with grace and poise. They don’t shrink from sharing their opinions, but they make it clear that they’re opinions, not facts. Whether discussing global warming, politics, vaccine schedules, or GMO foods, irresistible people recognize that many people who are just as intelligent as they are see things differently.

 

  1. They Are Authentic

Irresistible people are who they are. Nobody has to burn up energy or brainpower trying to guess their agenda or predict what they’ll do next. They do this because they know that no one likes a fake.

People gravitate toward authentic individuals because they know they can trust them. It’s easy to resist someone when you don’t know who they really are and how they really feel.

 

  1. They Have Integrity

People with high integrity are irresistible because they walk their talk, plain and simple. Integrity is a simple concept but a difficult thing to practice. To demonstrate integrity every day, irresistible people follow through, they avoid talking bad about other people, and they do the right thing, even when it hurts.

 

  1. They Smile

People naturally (and unconsciously) mirror the body language of the person they’re talking to. If you want people to find you irresistible, smile at them during conversations and they will unconsciously return the favor and feel good as a result.

 

  1. They Make An Effort To Look Their Best (Just Not Too Much Of An Effort)

There’s a massive difference between being presentable and being vain. Irresistible people understand that making an effort to look your best is comparable to cleaning your house before company comes—it’s a sign of respect for others. But once they’ve made themselves presentable, they stop thinking about it.

 

  1. They Find Reasons To Love Life

Irresistible people are positive and passionate. They’re never bored, because they see life as an amazing adventure and approach it with a joy that other people want to be a part of.

It’s not that irresistible people don’t have problems—even big ones—but they approach problems as temporary obstacles, not inescapable fate. When things go wrong, they remind themselves that a bad day is just one day, and they keep hope that tomorrow or next week or next month will be better.

 

Bringing It All Together

Irresistible people did not have fairy godmothers hovering over their cribs. They’ve simply perfected certain appealing qualities and habits that anyone can adopt as their own.

They think about other people more than they think about themselves, and they make other people feel liked, respected, understood, and seen. Just remember: the more you focus on others, the more irresistible you’ll be.
Source URL: http://www3.forbes.com/entrepreneurs/11-secrets-of-irresistible-people/?kwp_0=64148&utm_campaign=11-secrets-of-irresistible-people-CA

Opposition Leader Stephen Harper on Government Ethics

“The real issue is the systematic and systemic erosion of the public interest in favour of the narrow partisan interests of the [governing political party] and its friends. The ethical question is the mixing of the public interest with those narrow partisan interests and the use of the spending power of ministers and ultimately the prime minister…

“As I have said, on this and several other issues, the real scary part of the government is that it has lowered our expectations of what we should get from public officials. The difference between now and 1993 is that in 1993 people were outraged about what went on. Now people expect it. There is no difference. That is what we are really fighting against…

“When most people use the term corruption, they mean the abuse of power, as in power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. The system maintained by the government is one where power is centralized in Ottawa and the power in Ottawa is centralized in the cabinet and in the Prime Minister’s Office. It is a system that invites corruption….

“The (government) sees it as normal to flood their own constituencies with pork grants and contracts, not just as a matter of favourable legislation but even if such friends and such constituencies do not qualify under the government’s own rules, it will happen just the same…

“Most important, Canada needs a government that understands right from wrong, one that understands that the meaning of conflict of interest and corruption go beyond the letter of the criminal code and the written rules of conduct and into the spirit of good judgment, honesty, benevolence and integrity that all Canadians expect and deserve from their government.”

The author of those stirring words? Stephen Harper, circa 2002.

Don Braid: Harper cushions his campaign against Alberta-style surprise

Don Braid: Harper cushions his campaign against Alberta-style surprise

Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Alberta's NDP Premier Rachel Notley

THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntoshPrime Minister Stephen Harper and Alberta’s NDP Premier Rachel Notley

Prime Minister Stephen Harper has decreed an election period as long as Pinocchio’s nose. Besides handing the Conservatives a severe money advantage, this makes it easier for Harper to switch campaign tactics if Alberta politics start breaking out all over Canada.

Alberta has an NDP government partly because of timing. The four-week campaign that ended May 5 was just long enough for Albertans to work themselves into a fine fury at Premier Jim Prentice’s Progressive Conservatives.

Prentice would surely have loved another two weeks to yank his wildly misguided campaign back into reality.

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The Guardian view on Canada’s elections: is the Stephen Harper era over?

 – The October elections offer Canada a chance to return to the country’s best traditions
Tuesday 4 August 2015

Canadian Liberal leader Justin Trudeau on the campaign trail

Justin Trudeau, the Canadian Liberal leader, campaigning in Mississauga on Tuesday. ‘Mean-spirited negative campaigning’ on behalf of Stephen Harper ‘is zeroing in on the youth and good looks of Trudeau.’ Photograph: Mark Blinch/Reuters

It is the second biggest country in the world, yet sometimes it seems almost invisible. Often ignored by its powerful neighbour, regarded with only distant affection by the two European countries from which its settlers came, and taken for granted by many nations who should be more grateful than they are for its help and mediation in the past, Canada ploughs a lonely furrow. Now it is heading toward an election that will determine whether it will continue along the predictable rightward course set by Stephen Harper as prime minister over the past decade or whether it can recover some of the verve and originality that once marked its politics, not least under Pierre Trudeau, whose son Justin is one of the contenders.

Under Mr Harper, Canada has not only moved to the right in almost every area of policy but has entered an era of highly calibrated, money-driven negative campaigning at odds with the courtesy that is one of the most attractive of Canadian qualities. So the result matters, obviously for Canada itself, but also for a world that has long been missing the special role it used to play on the international scene.

Money, its uses and its abuses, runs like a thread through Mr Harper’s time in power. At the very beginning, a scandal over the diversion of government funds under the then Liberal government helped him into office in 2006. Ironically, it then turned out that his Conservative party had itself been breaking electoral laws on spending during that campaign. Forming another minority government after the 2008 election, he began dismantling Canada’s system of political party subsidies, a policy that benefits the Conservatives, who have the largest base of wealthy donors, and puts other parties, particularly the Liberals, at a financial disadvantage.
Canada election 2015: a guide to the parties, polls and electoral system
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A strategy aimed at spending his opponents into the ground seems to be once again behind his launching of the campaign for the next general election well ahead of it being formally called this week. Much of the money goes on mean-spirited negative campaigning of the kind that saw off the Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff in the 2011 election with gibes about his years away from Canada. Now it is zeroing in on the youth and good looks of Justin Trudeau, the new Liberal leader, suggesting he is too wet behind the ears to be prime minister.

Money came to Mr Harper’s rescue in a different way during the international fiscal crisis, because Canada’s prudent and well-regulated banking system and its stable housing market insulated it from the worst effects. None of this was Mr Harper’s doing – his own instincts are antiregulatory – but he got some of the credit. Money, in the shape of profits from tar sands, also influenced the notorious decision to withdraw from the Kyoto protocol, and Canada’s pledges ahead of the next international environmental conference in Paris are the weakest of any major industrial country. In spite of what Thomas Mulcair, leader of the New Democratic party, calls this “rip it and ship it” philosophy, Canada’s economy has faltered in recent years, and Canada is near, or perhaps already in, recession. The fall in oil prices is partly to blame, but his critics say that Mr Harper’s emphasis on a balanced budget at a time when the economy needs stimulus, not constraint, as well as giving tax breaks to the better-off, has made things worse.

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Domestically Mr Harper has tried to move Canada away from its social democratic tradition, reducing government spending and services, privatising government agencies, cutting public health. He has gagged government scientists and civil servants, is bringing in new internal security laws, and made Canada a less open society. Internationally he has made the Canada that begged to differ (with Britain on Suez, on Vietnam with America, for example) and the Canada that was a pillar of peacekeeping and the United Nations a distant memory. And his particularly passionate identification with Israel has lost Canada the “honest broker” status that it arguably enjoyed in the Middle East in the past.

The political contest in Canada this time is particularly difficult to predict since the three big parties each have about 30% in popular support. Any of the three could end up in government, alone or in coalition. But we may be permitted to hope there is now a chance that something of the old Canada, committed to moderation and multiculturalism at home and to multilateralism and cooperation abroad, will re-emerge from the fray.

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