Here’s a little bit of music psychology. Studies on the power of opinion have found that you are more likely to say that you like a song if you know other people like it. Here’s a sample of one of those studies from Columbia University.
They found 14,000 individual people to sample downloads of 48 unknown songs, tracks no one in the study had ever heard before. And this is important: everyone could see what everyone else was downloading. When all the results were tallied up, there was broad agreement about which songs were best, and it seems that the quality of the music had nothing to do with it. It was all about what other people said they liked as they sought validation for their choices.
It’s a complete bandwagon effect, a herd mentality. Weird, huh? But somehow, deep down inside, you probably knew that.
If you’re of a certain age, you’ll remember the old-style non-digital jukebox. They used to be in bars and restaurants everywhere. It was usually a big metal-and-plastic-and-glass box more than half the size of a refrigerator, made by companies with names like Wurlitzer and Seeburg, that was essentially a coin-operated record player.
A typical jukebox could hold (at most) a couple hundred seven-inch singles. A single play of a song used to cost a nickel, then a dime and maybe three for a quarter. They were big, clunky, needed lots of servicing, and really didn’t sound all that good because the speakers tended to be terrible and could only reproduce music in mono. But in the era before personal music devices, they were tremendously popular, responsible for millions of dollars in revenue for operators, record labels and publishers. For example, the first music charts were largely based on the number of jukebox plays a record got.
Now these old machines are highly collectible and often sell for thousands upon thousands of dollars.
The history of consumer electronics is littered with devices that just didn’t make it. This is one of the most obscure ones I’ve ever heard of.
Back in 1964, while the world was just getting into 8-tracks and cassettes, Sanyo came out with something called the Micro-Pack. This was a portable tape machine that used a cartridge featuring a continuous loop of tape that was somewhere between an 8-track and a cassette. It was never meant for music. No pre-recorded music was ever released in this format. Instead, it was marketed as an “audio camera,” something that could be used to capture things like a baby’s first words, speeches and letters that were spoken instead of written.
Unfortunately, audio quality was horrible, and outside of a few units that were sold in Japan, the Sanyo Micro-Pack died a very quick and deserved death.
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Home after a summer on the run? We feel you. The weekday burrata charcuterie boards, the golden hour swims and your Summer 2026 Yacht Rock playlists will soon become iPhone memories. Now is the time to start thinking about tidying up, regaining order, and streamlining your home environment after the best summer ever. Whether it’s finding a gadget that makes life in the kitchen just a little less stressful (see our small-but-mighty funnel-scoop find, below) or lighting the way for easy viewing of your high-use closet or cupboard shelves–there’s something for everyone this week, folks.
No power, no refill and no fuss (and you can say goodbye to that gross ol’ box of baking soda in the fridge). Thanks to ozone synergy, this deodorizer by Miluvee traps and breaks down stale odors throughout your home and turns them into water molecules. Magic! [/product_listing]
My protein powder no longer spills all over the counter, the kitchen floor and my morning bathrobe thanks to this thing. Meet the mess-free scoop, level and funnel.[/product_listing]
No more gunky mess around the base of your kitchen faucet with this aesthetically arched sink mat, drying tray and splash guard. This is a Want, not a Need – but you will feel joy every time you look at it. [/product_listing]
A pull-out closet rod is fantastic for narrow cupboards that still can accommodate clip-style hangers for your skirts, blouses and trousers.[/product_listing]
I’m blaming both contractor and budget fatigue, but I neglected to install any lighting in one of my highest-use closets when I was buttoning up my own reno last year. After two summers of whining about it, I landed on these motion-sensor, chargeable magnetic LED lights. They have been the BEST no drill, no electrician brighten-up solution. [/product_listing]
Sorry but find me someone who doesn’t appreciate a pretty and functional hanging basket set for their kitchen, closet or laundry room. I’m getting peaceful and pretty Pamela Anderson-at-home vibes here.[/product_listing]
If you took my advice and slathered on SPF and lived under a giant English garden hat all summer, your mug can still look carefree and sun-kissed thanks to these Fazit Makeup Patches. Instant (faux) freckles![/product_listing]
To further support your trickery after a low-sun summer, I like that this long-wearing cream pocket bronzer by beauty behemoth Rhode is novice-friendly. So it’s just a little less pigmented than you might think, allowing you to blend it in for a subtle, sun-kissed hit. I’ve been wearing this exact (newly-dropped) shade called Pebble. [/product_listing]
I don’t use hair masks very often, so I prefer to buy a mini so it doesn’t sit for two years in my hair drawer, post-op. Bring your mane back to life after all that holiday damage with L’Oréal’s Molecular Leave-In Cream for Damaged Hair. [/product_listing]
For some Pierrefonds residents, the fear of flooding has returned once again. After a heavy rainfall Monday, some homes were hit again, just months after the last flood. Now, as Felicia Parrillo reports, residents say they're living with a constant eye on the forecast, wondering when the next storm will bring more water.
It was another round of heavy rain — and for some Pierrefonds residents, another flood.
Chad Watson has been through this three times now: first in August 2024, then again in June, after he’d finished rebuilding it, and Monday, he was back to dealing with water again.
He says the flooding has taken an emotional toll.
“I’ve been having anxiety — PTSD — every time it rains, I have to check my video to know, am I going to get flooded again, because the city isn’t doing anything to protect us or care about the situation that’s going on here,” Watson said.
For many of the residents on Monk Street, there’s also another issue: insurance coverage.
Watson’s neighbour, Kim, says after two water-related claims in the last three years, his insurer no longer wants to cover him for water damage.
“Now I’m scrambling to find insurance coverage on top of scrambling to find contractors for to do repairs on what is already there, but future flood-proofing my home according to what the city has sent me, how am I supposed to juggle these all at the same time?”
A street over, the cleanup from Monday’s downpour was already underway.
Flooring and drywall pulled from homes line the street.
Nearby, on Fleming, residents say they’re once again feeling left in the lurch after having to keep a close eye on infrastructure that’s supposed to help protect them.
“Yesterday we were stressed; mopping, pumping water out together. I was calling the city, I was on hold. When I got to them, I explained the situation and asked for someone to come start the pump,” said Natalie Zajda, Pierrefonds resident.
Residents claim they were told there is a problem with the pump’s battery and are worried it won’t work next time the rain falls.
Many in the area say they’re fed up with not getting answers from the borough.
At a council meeting on Aug. 3, residents filled the room with questions on flooding and infrastructure.
Borough Mayor Jim Beis said he couldn’t provide more information because of the class-action litigation.
“I’m not a lawyer but if people understand the law, when there’s litigation on a certain specific file, we cannot comment any further on any action further to that,” he said.
But residents say they shouldn’t have to potentially wait years for answers about how their homes will be protected.
Global News has also reached out to the mayor and a borough spokesperson for comment and has not heard back.
A bomb threat targeting the Edmonton Pride Festival parade prompted an increased police visibility during this past weekend’s festivities — a decision that sparked criticism from some members of the 2SLGBTQ+ community.
Speaking Tuesday, Edmonton Police Service deputy Chief Nicole Chapdelaine said EPS received information several weeks ago about a potential bomb threat directed at the city’s parade.
“Our hate crime unit investigated the threat and ultimately determined the threat was not credible,” Chapdelaine said.
“However, that does not minimize the impact or fear and concern it causes.”
Last week, organizers announced plans for additional security and police presence after attacks at Lapu Lapu Day events in Vancouver and at Pride celebrations in Berlin.
Chapdelaine said there was not an increase in the number of officers deployed but as a precaution, they adopted a more visible presence during the parade and festival in Churchill Square.
The enhanced visibility became a point of contention both before and after Pride weekend, with some community members feeling Pride had not given a specific enough explanation for the police presence.
In response, multiple groups said they would cut ties with the festival over the presence of police, among other issues.
Several groups such as the Fellowship of Alberta Bears (FAB), which advocates for body positivity within the gay/queer/bi men’s community, withdrew from the parade.
“I don’t think that is unreasonable for us to have also felt that we weren’t being given the right information to feel safe in that environment,” FAB president Blake Novak said.
Edmonton Pride Festival executive producer Trevor Watson expressed remorse Tuesday for the way the decision was communicated.
“From the bottom of our hearts, we apologize,” Watson said.
“The very people we were trying to protect should have never been left wondering whether we were protecting them.”
Watson said Pride stands by the decision to work with police, but added the organization was limited in what details it could publicly disclose at the time.
Edmonton Police Service members at the city's Pride parade and celebration in Churchill Square on Saturday, Aug. 22, 2026.
Courtesy: Alberto Garcia
Chapdelaine said police were responding to organizers’ requests to help ensure the event could proceed safely.
“What they needed us to do is provide their safety, to ensure protection of the streets of Edmonton and make sure they could march proudly, and so that’s what we did,” she said.
The issue reflects a broader — and often complicated — relationship between law enforcement and 2SLGBTQ+ communities.
While some Pride organizations across Canada and the United States work closely with law enforcement, others have limited police participation because of a history of raids, surveillance, discrimination and harassment directed at LGBTQ people.
Pride itself traces some of its roots to resistance against police action, including the 1969 Stonewall uprising in New York.
Researchers and advocacy groups say that history continues to shape levels of trust in police amongst many Queer people today.
The slogan ACAB, an acronym for “All Cops Are Bad/Bastards,” has been adopted by some activists as an expression of opposition to policing institutions rather than individual officers.
Within parts of the LGBTQ community, its use is tied to decades of police raids on gay bars, bathhouses and other Queer gathering spaces, as well as concerns about discrimination that continues today.
Not all LGBTQ people support the slogan, but it has become one way some activists express frustration with the historical treatment of sexual and gender minorities by law enforcement.
In Edmonton, that history includes the Pisces Bathhouse Raid. On May 30, 1981, more than 50 men were arrested after Edmonton police and RCMP raided the Pisces Health Spa bathhouse frequented by Queer men.
The men were charged with being found in a common bawdy house — a term referring to a place where prostitution or indecent acts occur. There was never any evidence of prostitution taking place in the spa.
The raid became front-page news and the men who were arrested were demonized during their trials. The Crown prosecutor told court the spa allowed gay men “to rut like animals.”
The raid is widely regarded as a defining moment in the city’s LGBTQ history and helped galvanize local activism, contributing to the creation of Edmonton’s first Pride events the following year.
Watson said Edmonton Pride Festival is planning a mediation forum this fall involving local Queer organizations, Edmonton police and elected officials to discuss lessons learned from this year’s controversy and how similar situations can be handled in the future.
A cat nick-named "Lucky" is recovering after being rescued from the Bradley Creek wildfire. Cohan Sassaman has the story of the rescue and how her rescuer is hoping to make their connection permanent.
When Andrew Erickson spotted a little grey cat sitting alone on a burned dock, he knew something was wrong.
The Bradley Creek wildfire had ripped through the area, and Erickson had been helping his neighbours survey the damage from a boat when he saw her.
“We spotted a little grey cat sitting on a dock. Part of the dock was burned,” Erickson said.
Lucky the cat recovering on Andy’s knee after surviving the Bradley Creek wildfire.
Andy Erickson
He says the cat, who he later named Lucky, appeared to have been alone for days.
“It’s been two and a half days without help,” he said.
Lucky was badly burned. Her fur was so singed that Erickson says he couldn’t even tell whether she was long-haired or short-haired.
Her paws and ears were burned, and she had a bald patch above her eye.
But when Erickson picked her up, the frightened cat seemed to know she was safe.
“I picked her up. First thing she did was snuggle with me and stayed with me all the way home,” he said.
Erickson put Lucky inside a hoodie and brought her inside. A veterinarian later told him she needed to leave the area for medical treatment.
Lucky is now recovering in foster care while efforts continue to find her owner. At the time Erickson’s interview was recorded, no one had claimed her.
Andy Erickson and Lucky the cat during Luckys first night out of the fire
Andy Erickson
If no owner comes forward, Erickson says she will have a home with him.
“If she hasn’t got people, she is more than welcome here,” he said.
Lucky is not the only animal caught in the devastation.
The Animal Lifeline Emergency Response Team (ALERT), a volunteer group that helps animals during wildfires and other emergencies, says four cats from the Bradley Creek fire are currently looking for homes while the organization works to reunite animals with their owners.
The fire destroyed about 230 homes, according to Okanagan Indian Band Chief Dan Wilson, leaving a trail of devastation across the community.
For Erickson, Lucky is a small bright spot after an enormous loss.
“She makes me smile every time I think of her,” he said.
A 60-year-old Vancouver woman is talking to Global News after being the victim of a random attack. Kristen Robinson reports.
A 60-year-old Vancouver woman says she was the victim of a random assault in the Downtown Eastside.
Bethan Jones told Global News that at 1:30 p.m. on Thursday, she had just picked up groceries at No Frills to make sandwiches for the homeless when she crossed East Hastings Street and Clark Drive.
She said a man walking east confronted her.
“I was talking to somebody on my phone; he turned around and he used profanity,” Jones said, “and then … he turned around and he just went smash.
“Then he’s like right up in my face and then he just slammed right into me.”
Jones said the suspect took off, screaming self-defence.
Luke Gaskin, who owns Good Old Wood, witnessed the incident and said it was definitely not a case of self-defence.
He followed the suspect until police arrested him a few blocks away.
“He was trying to say that she said something to him,” Gaskin said.
“She was just trying to explain that she was on her phone and then, yeah, he just clocked her with the right hand.”
Jones went to the hospital and ended up with a badly bruised cheekbone.
Kurtis Hummer, 36, was charged with assault causing bodily harm and was released hours later on conditions, including that he stay away from East Hastings Street between Vernon and McLean Drives and have no contact with Jones and Gaskin.
“I’m fearful the second time he sees me. It won’t be just one punch; it’ll be more than that,” Jones said.
She added that she is disappointed with the legal system for letting him out.
Police said Hummer, who has convictions for theft, break and enter and breaching conditions on Vancouver Island, has come to their attention on several occasions, mainly in Vancouver.
“I’m just afraid he’s going to hurt somebody else,” Jones said.
A B.C. mother who had her son taken away from her after she called the Children and Families Ministry for help is demanding accountability. As Angela Jung reports, she says just as she was preparing to fight for her child, he was returned to her with no explanation.
Now her son is back home, but the mother told Global News that many questions remain.
Global News is not identifying the family due to their involvement with the ministry.
The mother says she was the one who reached out to the ministry for help. At the time, she was 29 weeks pregnant and her son was acting out in violent ways.
She negotiated a Voluntary Care Agreement with the ministry.
But she said the arrangement was not honoured and her child was seized from her custody.
One month later, her file went to a different agency and efforts were successfully made to reunite the family in time for the son’s birthday.
“I feel validated, but it doesn’t take away from the utter disgust I feel towards what they’ve done to my son because that trauma is going to last him a lifetime,” the mother said.
MLA Misty Van Popta said this family’s dilemma highlights a systemic issue in B.C.
“I think that the government has gotten into the position of removing children first instead of offering resources first,” she said.
“Absolutely, this is government overreach. Again, this was just a mother who reached out for resources. This was not the case of needing to have a child removed against the mother’s wishes.”
Minister Jodie Wickens did not make herself available for an interview and the ministry, citing privacy, would not answer questions about why the boy was removed in the first place.
“There needs to be better oversight to the decisions being made when it comes to young children and families facing hardship,” the boy’s mother said.
She added that since her son has been home, she is now receiving some support she had asked for.
According to court documents, Lang produced images of a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Lang allegedly produced the images between September 2024 and December 2024 aboard his 52-foot sailboat, the Ishi.
U.S. Department of Justice
A dual U.S. and Canadian citizen was arrested in Ucluelet, B.C., on Saturday following his earlier indictment in Hawaii for sexual exploitation of a child.
Ucluelet RCMP were made aware of 62-year-old Donald Steven Lang on Saturday.
According to court documents, Lang produced images of a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Lang allegedly produced the images between September 2024 and December 2024 aboard his 52-foot sailboat, the Ishi.
Lang is an amateur sailor who is known to sail around the world and frequently harboured in Hawaii, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
Through a shared investigation, police found Lang’s boat and arrested him without incident.
“Protecting children from sexual predators is a priority of the highest order,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division said in a statement.
“We will continue to pursue this alleged offender and work with our law enforcement partners to return him to the United States to face trial for the crimes he is charged with committing.”
Lang was previously indicted on separate charges of child sexual abuse in Idaho related to his involvement in the sexual assault of a minor between 2003 and 2007.
If convicted, Lang faces a minimum penalty of 15 years in prison and a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison.
He also faces a penalty of between five years of supervised release and lifetime supervised release, along with a fine of up to $250,000, according to information released by the U.S. Department of Justice.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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