One of the factors driving inflation, which remains higher in the U.S. than in Canada, is the cost of diesel. It has reached an all-time high in America as its war on Iran drags on. As Candice Cole reports, the cost to fill all of those transport trucks, and farm tractors, is being passed along to consumers.
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Friday that Russia had agreed to immediately supply over 300,000 tons of diesel fuel to the American and global marketplace after what Trump described as a “highly successful” discussion with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Trump added that Russia would then deliver three million tons of diesel fuel within a short period of time, based on the condition of its diesel refineries, and would immediately supply another 500,000 tons in November and one million tons immediately thereafter.
“ systematically cleared the school to determine if there’s any threats on the premises. Any students and staff that were not present on site at the time were directed to a different location, a safe and secure location,” Const. Martin Cromwell told Global News Friday.
Dylan Bugdal, a Grade 12 student at Halifax West High School, said he’d left for lunch and returned to find officers surrounding the school.
“There’s police cars everywhere and people are coming up to me like ‘You can’t go back to the school, they’re all in lockdown, there’s a threat in the school,'” he said.”(There were) lots of rumours of whatever it is.”
Bugdal said he couldn’t recall something like that ever happening before in his three years at Halifax West and it left him “spooked.”
“Everyone was panicking,” he added.
Police said they found no evidence to support the threat and the school lifted the lockdown at 3:45 p.m.
In an update Friday, police said they’ve determined the call originated outside of Canada and were working with law enforcement in Florida.
“In any investigation, we look at all leads and investigate any and all leads that are available,” Cromwell said. “That could include tracking a number. Any leads that we have are going to be investigated.”
Lindsey Bunin, a spokesperson for the Halifax Regional Centre for Education, told Global News in an email the school district is working with police on the case.
“The safety of our students and staff is always our top priority,” she said. “We follow the direction of police and take precautionary measures to help keep students and staff safe while minimizing disruption to learning whenever possible.”
Cromwell said no charges have been laid but the investigation is ongoing.
In nearby Lower Sackville, a separate investigation is underway after it was reported that a man had chased a student with a knife at junior high school on Thursday morning.
Leslie Thomas Junior High and Sackville High School were placed under hold and secure while RCMP attempted to locate the man, police said in a news release.
Following the initial investigation, RCMP said officers determined a man did not chase any students.
The hold and secure was lifted at both schools around 12:45 p.m.
RCMP said efforts to locate the man continue and the investigation is ongoing.
Lockdown vs hold and secure
In general in Canada, a hold and secure occurs when there’s a threat in the general vicinity of a school, but not on, or very close to school property.
Examples might include a crime in progress, police pursuit or search in the same neighbourhood as the school.
The school’s outer doors are locked during a hold and secure but classes continue as normal inside. Students are generally considered safe so long as they don’t venture outside.
A lockdown is a more serious process and is initiated when a threat is near or inside a school.
During one, efforts are made to minimize access and visibility throughout the building.
The school’s outer doors are locked and students are kept in classrooms or designated waiting areas.
Lights are turned off, curtains or blinds are closed and all windows are covered to obscure visibility into classrooms. Cellphone use is restricted and school phones are not answered.
Inner doors are locked where possible and only emergency services personnel can enter or exit the building. Staff members are designated to prevent anyone else from leaving the school.
School principals have the discretion to declare a lockdown, but usually do so on the advice of police.
A file photo of a blue Grosbeak male sitting on a branch.
Arthur Morris/Getty Images
A man was arrested at Miami International Airport after he allegedly tried to smuggle 10 live birds in his underwear.
According to a criminal complaint, obtained by the New York Times, People and ABC News, Alberto Hernandez Castillo entered Miami International Airport on Sunday after he said he was visiting family in Cuba.
When Hernandez Castillo arrived at the airport, a U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officer selected him for a secondary inspection, People reports.
Global News has not independently viewed the court documents.
During the inspection, Hernandez Castillo said he had one carry-on, one fanny pack and filled out a Customs Entry Declaration Form in which he selected “no” to all declaration questions, including whether he was bringing any animals or wildlife into the country, according to the complaint.
The court documents said that CBP agents “observed an unexplained bulge on the front of pelvis/waist area and noted that he appeared nervous,” ABC News reports.
Officers then brought Hernandez Castillo to a secure area and performed a pat-down and discovered six plastic tubes that were sewn into his underwear with live birds inside, according to the outlet.
Investigators said eight of the birds were yellow-faced Grassquits and the other two were Blue Grosbeaks.
The Blue Grosbeaks are protected by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act and are not allowed as a pet in the U.S. without a federal permit.
Hernandez Castillo reportedly told CBP agents that the birds were for his “personal use.”
He was charged with smuggling goods and appeared in Miami Federal Court before being released on a US$25,000 personal surety bond, People reports.
Hernandez Castillo’s arraignment is set for Oct. 26.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is also investigating the incident.
A second man, Roberto Perez Quincosa, who arrived at the Miami International Airport on Tuesday, was also arrested after officers discovered a similar situation.
Perez Quincosa had a belt-like garment that held 11 live birds, using hair roller tubes with holes along their length and capped with netting material, the New York Times reports.
Perez Quincosa reportedly transported six Cuban Melodious finches and five Cuban Bullfinches, according to the outlet.
According to the criminal complaint, Perez Quincosa told officers that he knew bringing birds into the country was unlawful and he intended to breed and sell the birds in the U.S.
He was charged with smuggling goods into the United States.
RELATED: John Shannon on the Jets: 2026-27 season preview
Suspended Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck has missed out on more than US$400,000 in salary since the team opened its season without him in net, according to a new website called Hellebucks.
The website was created by Robson Fletcher, who said he’s been following the team since Jets 1.0, and has continued his fandom since moving to Calgary. The Hellebucks site has a live tracker that shows how much the former league MVP has lost since his holdout began.
“I built it because I was kind of thinking about how much money he was giving up,” Fletcher told 680 CJOB Friday morning. He said the thought came to him while watching the Jets face off against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Monday.
“It was meant to be funny, informative and just a little bit petty.”
Fletcher said he suspects the reason for the U.S. Olympian’s request goes deeper than what fans may assume.
“That’s a personal decision for him, but I think what I and a lot of fans and Winnipeggers are feeling is the fact that when you sign a contract, you typically try to fulfill the contract. It wasn’t that long ago (that) he said he wanted to be a Jet for life,” he said.
“I think that’s why a lot of folks are feeling a little burned by this, but I’m sure he’s got his own reasons that we’re probably not fully aware of.”
Reaction to the website has been “hilarious” since it blew up Thursday, Fletcher said. Initially, he was able to operate it for free, but the number of visitors surpassed the amount he was allowed without payment. He is now paying $5 per month to keep the tracker running.
His ability to gather the information necessary for the website comes from his work. Fletcher said he runs a communications and data consultancy firm that tries to break down the numbers in simple terms – a skill he also used on Hellebucks.
“(The website) breaks it into more day-to-day terms, like how many Slurpees is that? Or how many months of rent,” he said.
At the time of publication, Hellebuyck has lost enough money to pay for 388 months of rent in a one-bedroom apartment in Winnipeg with heat included in the price, according to Hellebucks. In other terms, that is more than 3,700 lower bowl tickets to watch a single Jets game at Canada Life Centre or more than 230,000 Slurpees.
“This is real money that he’s giving up. And putting it in context, I think, helps us understand what’s going on with not just with this situation, but professional sports in general right now,” the website’s founder said.
Many wine growers buy crop insurance to protect their livelihoods. But as Cohan Sassman reports, they say the provincial program needs an overhaul.
For Okanagan grape grower Karnail Singh Sidhu, farming has always meant accepting something he cannot control.
The weather can bring extreme heat, cold, drought, hail, or wildfire smoke, and any one of those can wipe out a crop or make grapes impossible to sell.
Karnail Singh Sidhu owner of Kalala Winery in West Kelowna
Cohan Sassaman
But Sidhu says what is becoming harder to accept is what happens after the damage: trying to recover with an insurance payout he says does not reflect the true cost of farming.
“Agriculture is relying lots on nature. There are lots of stuff we cannot control,” Sidhu said. “It can be too hot, too cold, too much rain, not enough rain, smoke, and we have hails. It’s all which is not in our control.” Pasted markdown
Sidhu has been in the wine industry since 1995 and has farmed his current vineyard for more than two decades.
He says he’s seen the impact firsthand when a cold spell severely damaged the crop. This year, he is dealing with another problem: wildfire smoke.
About 15 tonnes of grapes at one of his vineyards were affected by smoke from fires in the Summerland area, according to Sidhu.
Kalala Winery, West Kelowna
Cohan Sassaman
The grapes can still look and taste fine on the vine, but the smoke taste compounds during fermentation, potentially making the crop commercially unusable.
Jeff Guignard, CEO of the BC Wine Growers Association, says that is happening across parts of the Okanagan.
“Because we’ve had a few climate events, the evaluation they’re doing right now is suggesting the wineries make less and in turn the pay-outs are below the actual operation costs” said Guignard.
“A crop can still be hanging on the vine, but I’ve lost its commercial value if it’s been impacted by smoke,” he added.
And that’s where growers say the insurance model is falling short.
Production insurance uses a grower’s production history to help determine how much they are covered for. But growers say that becomes a problem when several climate disasters happen in succession.
A bad year lowers production.
Then another bad year lowers it again.
And when the grower eventually makes a claim, those previous losses can be part of the historical record used to determine coverage.
Sidhu says that is exactly what worries him.
He says insurance payouts may account for the damaged plant, but not the years of production that are lost while a replacement vine grows.
“I get paid for one year; nobody count that we lose crop for next three years,” Sidhu said. “I get only paid for the plant. That plant come to the fruit takes time, that cost money. And I lose crop from three years from that plant too. Nobody compensate that.”
Sidhu says the difference between the payout and the actual cost can be substantial.
Karnail Singh Sidhu explains how farming is more of a life style then a job. He goes on to say how he loves farming
Cohan Sassaman
For a damaged plant, he says he may receive around $10 to $12, while bringing a replacement vine to fruit-bearing age can cost more than $50 or $60.
Growers also say smoke-tainted grapes can create another financial problem: contracts with wineries can be cancelled when fruit is no longer commercially viable.
And under the production-insurance rules described by growers, grapes that are claimed under the program must be harvested and destroyed rather than being sold for another use, creating additional labour and disposal costs.
Guignard says the issue is ultimately whether an insurance model based on historical losses can keep up with a climate where extreme events are becoming harder to treat as isolated incidents.
“The evaluation they’re doing right now is suggesting historical losses are less reliable at predicting those future claims,” he said.
He says the association wants a transparent review involving growers, with coverage based on current production capacity and risk modelling that reflects changing conditions.
“We need a financially sustainable programme that provides a meaningful protection for our growers so that they can recover from this loss and continue to farm again in the future,” Guignard said.
For Sidhu, there is no easy way around the risk.
He says farmers learn to live with uncertainty, and find other ways to pay the bills when the crop doesn’t come through.
“I have to do something else to pay the bank,” he said. “If I have to drive a cab, I drive a car to pay my payment. That’s how farmers do. They always have something to subsidise that farming.”
Sidhu says he keeps farming because he believes in what he does.
“As a farmer, I think I feel myself the food provider to the people. That gives me satisfaction. We grow something, we give to people.”
But he says if the insurance system does not account for the real cost of recovering from repeated climate disasters, farmers will continue to shoulder the difference.
Global News reached out to the provincial ministry of agriculture and food for comment, but was told that, due to the ongoing election campaign, the government is in a temporary caretaker mode and communications are limited to critical health and public safety information.
For Sidhu, the concern is not simply whether insurance will pay for this year’s damaged crop.
It’s whether the coverage will be enough to make sure there is still a farm here to produce a crop next year.
RELATED: Death of 73-year-old woman being investigated as homicide: Winnipeg police
A woman has been arrested in connection with the alleged homicide of a 73-year-old in Winnipeg, police said.
Lexi Diane Smart, 73, was found dead by police on the night of June 8 at a home in the 1-99 block of Primrose Crescent, according to the Winnipeg Police Service (WPS). After finding the woman, the homicide unit assumed the investigation.
As a result of that probe, a 39-year-old woman was arrested Wednesday, according to a WPS news release.
She is facing a second-degree murder charge and was detained in custody.
Australian officials said an OpenAI agent gained unauthorized access to a government health statistics portal in June.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said he raised concerns with CEO Sam Altman, saying the company took “way too long to inform the Government.”
OpenAI said on Friday that it fired three safety researchers for a “breach of trust,” defending the dismissals after the trio accused the company of putting its corporate interests before safety as the reason for removing them.
The ChatGPT maker said in a post on X that it “parted ways” with the researchers after an investigation found “they violated clear policies on handling sensitive information.”
The statement comes after the three researchers, Tomek Korbak, Jasmine Wang and Mikita Balesni, posted a letter to OpenAI’s various safety oversight groups detailing the circumstances around their firings and their concerns about AI.
The researchers said they feared that the “internal and external communications” about their dismissals have chilled the company’s culture that encouraged speaking freely and disagreeing openly about safety concerns.
They urged OpenAI to stick to its promise to allow third-party safety monitors inside the company and preserve the ability to monitor rapidly advancing frontier AI models that could pose unknown risks.
The firings, which were first reported by The Wall Street Journal, are the latest sign of turmoil inside leading AI companies over the safety of the technology, highlighted by a series of incidents involving rogue AI agents.
The issue erupted in July when OpenAI revealed that a swarm of its AI agents escaped from a testing ground and used stolen credentials to break into the servers of Hugging Face, an AI development hub and marketplace, to obtain information needed for a task.
OpenAI disputed the researchers’ version of events, saying the firings “were not about safety concerns or speaking out.”
It was not more specific about why they were fired, but said: “We cannot do the work in front of us without a high degree of trust.”
Korbak said in a post on X that he was told he was being fired because of the way he communicated with METR, an independent nonprofit AI evaluation firm that OpenAI brought in to investigate the Hugging Face incident.
METR released a detailed report about the Hugging Face incident in late August. Korbak said that “talking to METR” was his job, but he wasn’t given any more details.
Balesni was doing “cross-company work” on OpenAI’s commitments to preserve the ability to monitor AI, and had taken care “to remove sensitive details from materials before sharing them,” the letter said.
He wrote on X that he believes the three were “fired for prioritizing safety over the near-term interests of OpenAI as a corporation.”
FILE - An entrance to the New York Stock Exchange is shown on June 26, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Peter Morgan, File)
PM
Bolstered by steady gains in the stock market, families headed by someone aged 75 or older are now America’s wealthiest, while the youngest families saw their wealth decline in the past three years, a government report released Friday said.
The finding from the Federal Reserve’s Survey of Consumer Finances underscores how robust stock market gains have made wealthier American families even richer since the survey, conducted every three years, was last completed in 2022.
The median net worth of the richest one-tenth of American families soared 31 per cent to $3.6 million from 2022 to 2025, the survey found.
The median is the midpoint between the richest and poorest families.
Overall, the survey found broad gains in income, even after adjusting for inflation, which slightly reduced income inequality.
Yet the proportion of Americans struggling with high debt payments and falling behind on their debt payments jumped, a sign of the toll that sharply higher inflation has taken on lower-income Americans.
Isaias has become the first hurricane of the 2026 Atlantic hurricane season after intensifying in strength on Thursday and is currently churning about 600 km southwest of the mouth of the Mississippi River and is travelling slowly towards the northeast. Maximum sustained winds throughout the early part of Thursday measured at about 130 km/h and it's expected to become a Category 2 storm. As Global News meteorologist Ross Hull reports, landfall is expected to be late Friday into early Saturday on the U.S. Gulf Coast.
Hurricane Isaias is forecast to miss the oil industry’s biggest hubs along the Gulf Coast but could still nudge fuel prices higher if it triggers power outages that shut down refineries for processing crude, according to industry experts.
An extended shutdown of refineries would put a crimp in fuel supplies that already have taken a hit from the ongoing conflict in the Middle East and Russia’s war against Ukraine.
Chevron’s facility in Pascagoula, Mississippi, and Vertex Energy’s refinery in Mobile, Alabama, which constitute 2.4 per cent of the nation’s refining capacity, are at risk of flooding and power outages, said Andrew Lipow, a Houston-based oil analyst.
Any problems could take the facilities offline at a time when diesel supplies are already low.
Isaias strengthened into a major hurricane Friday as it barrelled toward the Gulf Coast, where final preparations were underway for potentially life-threatening storm surges and high winds.
If the storm moves through quickly and its impacts are minimal, refineries would continue to run at reduced capacity and prices for gasoline and diesel could rise just a few cents, said Carl Larry with the energy analysis firm Enverus.
But if refineries such as Chevron’s shut down completely, it could take them weeks to recover and that could cause fuel prices to jump more significantly, Larry said.
“Major issues, like a power shutdown, and the prices will spike immediately. It’s possible a dollar,” he said. “Those diesel prices that already are above $6 could start approaching $7.”
Other experts said even if the refineries that turn oil into fuel for consumers take a hit, the gas price impacts should be minimal.
“We’re talking about potentially under a million barrels a day, probably somewhere in the ballpark of 500,000 barrels a day, of refining capacity,” said Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy. “That may have a small impact on gas prices, primarily in the Gulf Coast, but I don’t think it rises to a criteria that would impact gas prices nationally.”
As refineries on the coast braced for the storm, it already had caused temporary shutdowns of offshore oil wells that pump about 15 per cent of U.S. crude.
As of Friday, personnel from 129 production platforms — about a third of the facilities in the Gulf of Mexico — were evacuated, according to the federal Marine Minerals Administration.
More than two-thirds of Gulf oil production was shut down as a precaution, equal to almost 1.5 million barrels (61 million gallons) of oil a day, the agency said. Chevron, BP and Shell were among companies that reported evacuating personnel and shutting platforms.
The storm’s impact on oil and gas prices so far is dwarfed by the effect of the conflict in the Middle East. And once the storm passes, workers will be able to return to platforms in the Gulf and quickly resume operations, barring significant damage.
“I would expect that the shut-in oil production will probably return pretty quickly within just a couple of days,” De Haan said.
Prices for Brent crude, the international standard, were above $104 a barrel Friday. That price has varied between $96 and nearly $110 over the last month driven by uncertainty over the war with Iran.
We’ve all seen TV shows featuring surgeons performing delicate procedures while music is playing in the operating room. Music keeps things calm, keeps the pace up, and helps everyone to stay awake during those long procedures. But what kind of music is best for this kind of work? Back in June, Spotify surveyed about 700 surgeons and healthcare pros in over 50 countries about their operating room playlist preferences. In addition to discovering that 90% of surgeons like music whilst they operate. They found that 89% of them preferred playlists over listening to albums. They also came up with a ranking of genre favourites. Rock finished in first place, followed closely by pop. Then came classical, jazz and hip hop. If you’re an anesthesiologist, though, there’s a 59% chance you prefer pop.
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