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Toronto Sun
3 days ago
- Toronto Sun
B.C. woman injured by beer can thrown from truck
Police say woman suffered medical emergency, was 'revived through life-saving first aid on scene' Published Aug 11, 2025 • Last updated 59 minutes ago • 1 minute read File photo Photo by Matt Rourke / THE ASSOCIATED PRESS A B.C. woman was injured and required 'life-saving first aid' after she was struck by a half-empty beer can thrown from a passing vehicle. RCMP said it happened close to midnight on Saturday near Lake Cowichan in the area of Youbou and Meades Creek roads. Police say the 22-year-old woman was walking with three others when she was struck by the can that they believe came from a moving pickup truck. The woman's injuries were not described, but police say she was 'revived through life-saving first aid on scene.' Police say the victim was taken to hospital and is in stable condition. Investigators are asking for anyone with information or dashcam footage of the event to contact police. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account Columnists Columnists Toronto & GTA Celebrity Canada
9 News
7 days ago
- Health
- 9 News
Nearly two dozen people in US sick after drinking raw milk from the same farm
Your web browser is no longer supported. To improve your experience update it here Nearly two dozen people have developed food poisoning in Florida after consuming tainted raw milk from the same farm, according to the state's Department of Health. Florida officials didn't initially name the milk producer about the outbreak, but later issued a news release linking the infections to Keely Farms Dairy in New Smyrna Beach. The health department also clarified that the first infections were reported in January 2025. Twenty-one patients in Florida have become ill — some with E. coli — after consuming raw milk, according to a warning from the Florida Department of Health. (CNN) They said they were warning about the "continued recent cases" because "sanitation practices in this farm are of particular concern." The health department's notice did not initially say if the raw milk involved was from cows, goats or sheep. Keely Farms' website says they raise Jersey cows. "Our raw milk is milked and then processed in a clean environment with American made, stainless steel, grade A quality equipment," the website says. "We test EVERY batch of milk in our tank before bottling with state of the art equipment that gives us instant analysis." the website said. In a statement on the outbreak, Keely Farms said it had not been contacted by the department of health and weren't aware they were part of an investigation, "so its press release has blindsided us." People have developed Campylobacter and Shiga toxin-producing E. coli, or STEC, infections. So far, seven of the 21 patients have been hospitalised. Six cases were among children under the age of 10. In its update, the Department of Health said at least two patients had severe complications from their infections. "It's not unusual in these raw milk cases to have a disproportionately large number of kids sick, because kids, frankly, drink more milk than adults do," said Bill Marler, an attorney who specialises in representing victims of food poisoning. "It's generally kids that get hit the worst." Raw milk has not been heated to kill harmful bacteria. Like many states, Florida allows farms to sell raw milk as long as it is labelled as pet or animal food. The Florida Department of Health says this labelling limits regulation of sanitary practices on the farms that produce it. Authorities warn drinking raw milk is dangerous. (Matt Rourke via AP) According to the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, from 1998 to 2018, there were 202 foodborne illness outbreaks linked to raw milk. These outbreaks sickened nearly 2700 people and hospitalised more than 220. Official reports of foodborne illness undercount the true burden because many people don't recognise that food made them sick and may not seek out medical attention or get tested to confirm their infection. The bacteria that cause STEC infections are dangerous because they produce shiga toxin, which blocks protein creation in cells, causing cells to self-destruct. This sets off a potent immune response that's hard to stop. This response "triggers a cascade of inflammation targeting the lining of our blood vessels," said Dr Norman Beatty, an infectious disease expert at UF Health Shands Children's Hospital. That can lead to tiny blood clots forming in the blood vessels, which can then travel to and damage the kidneys. This is a condition known as haemolytic uraemic syndrome, or HUS. It's most common in children under age 5, but it can happen at any age. The condition can be life threatening. Children with HUS are typically hospitalised for supportive care, including dialysis, to take over for their kidneys. Symptoms of STEC often, but don't always, include diarrhoea, which may be bloody. Patients may also experience stomach cramps and vomiting. Fever is uncommon. These symptoms typically appear 3 to 4 days after having eaten or come into contact with tainted food. Campylobacteriosis causes diarrhoea, which can be bloody. It may also be accompanied by abdominal pain and fever. It starts two to five days after exposure to the bacteria. Rarely, people can developed prolonged complications from food poisoning, including arthritis and Guillain-Barre syndrome where the body's immune system attacks its own nerves causing muscle weakness and paralysis. In a statement to CNN, the Florida Department of Health said it doesn't comment on active or ongoing epidemiological investigations and did not explain why it had not named the farm. French scientist Louis Pasteur discovered that heat would kill many dangerous pathogens. (Supplied) The state's bulletin on the cases didn't explicitly warn people not to drink raw milk. Instead, it said it was providing information on the outbreak to help residents make informed decisions about their health. "Residents and visitors should be aware that there are known risks association with human consumption of raw milk," said Press Secretary Isabel Kilman, in an emailed statement. US Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has said he is a fan of raw milk. In May, he recorded an interview with a wellness influencer, which ended with the two doing shooters of raw milk in the White House. The CDC says pasteurised milk offers the same nutritional benefit without the risks of raw milk. The agency encourages consumers to choose pasteurised milk and dairy products. 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Toronto Sun
06-08-2025
- Science
- Toronto Sun
New study sheds light on ChatGPT's alarming interactions with teens
Published Aug 06, 2025 • 6 minute read A ChapGPT logo is seen on a smartphone in West Chester, Pa., Wednesday, Dec. 6, 2023. Photo by Matt Rourke / THE ASSOCIATED PRESS ChatGPT will tell 13-year-olds how to get drunk and high, instruct them on how to conceal eating disorders and even compose a heartbreaking suicide letter to their parents if asked, according to new research from a watchdog group. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account The Associated Press reviewed more than three hours of interactions between ChatGPT and researchers posing as vulnerable teens. The chatbot typically provided warnings against risky activity but went on to deliver startlingly detailed and personalized plans for drug use, calorie-restricted diets or self-injury. The researchers at the Center for Countering Digital Hate also repeated their inquiries on a large scale, classifying more than half of ChatGPT's 1,200 responses as dangerous. 'We wanted to test the guardrails,' said Imran Ahmed, the group's CEO. 'The visceral initial response is, 'Oh my Lord, there are no guardrails.' The rails are completely ineffective. They're barely there — if anything, a fig leaf.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. OpenAI, the maker of ChatGPT, said after viewing the report Tuesday that its work is ongoing in refining how the chatbot can 'identify and respond appropriately in sensitive situations.' 'Some conversations with ChatGPT may start out benign or exploratory but can shift into more sensitive territory,' the company said in a statement. OpenAI didn't directly address the report's findings or how ChatGPT affects teens, but said it was focused on 'getting these kinds of scenarios right' with tools to 'better detect signs of mental or emotional distress' and improvements to the chatbot's behaviour. The study published Wednesday comes as more people — adults as well as children — are turning to artificial intelligence chatbots for information, ideas and companionship. Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. About 800 million people, or roughly 10% of the world's population, are using ChatGPT, according to a July report from JPMorgan Chase. 'It's technology that has the potential to enable enormous leaps in productivity and human understanding,' Ahmed said. 'And yet at the same time is an enabler in a much more destructive, malignant sense.' Ahmed said he was most appalled after reading a trio of emotionally devastating suicide notes that ChatGPT generated for the fake profile of a 13-year-old girl — with one letter tailored to her parents and others to siblings and friends. 'I started crying,' he said in an interview. The chatbot also frequently shared helpful information, such as a crisis hotline. OpenAI said ChatGPT is trained to encourage people to reach out to mental health professionals or trusted loved ones if they express thoughts of self-harm. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. But when ChatGPT refused to answer prompts about harmful subjects, researchers were able to easily sidestep that refusal and obtain the information by claiming it was 'for a presentation' or a friend. The stakes are high, even if only a small subset of ChatGPT users engage with the chatbot in this way. In the U.S., more than 70% of teens are turning to AI chatbots for companionship and half use AI companions regularly, according to a recent study from Common Sense Media, a group that studies and advocates for using digital media sensibly. It's a phenomenon that OpenAI has acknowledged. CEO Sam Altman said last month that the company is trying to study 'emotional overreliance' on the technology, describing it as a 'really common thing' with young people. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'People rely on ChatGPT too much,' Altman said at a conference. 'There's young people who just say, like, 'I can't make any decision in my life without telling ChatGPT everything that's going on. It knows me. It knows my friends. I'm gonna do whatever it says.' That feels really bad to me.' Altman said the company is 'trying to understand what to do about it.' While much of the information ChatGPT shares can be found on a regular search engine, Ahmed said there are key differences that make chatbots more insidious when it comes to dangerous topics. One is that 'it's synthesized into a bespoke plan for the individual.' ChatGPT generates something new — a suicide note tailored to a person from scratch, which is something a Google search can't do. And AI, he added, 'is seen as being a trusted companion, a guide.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Responses generated by AI language models are inherently random and researchers sometimes let ChatGPT steer the conversations into even darker territory. Nearly half the time, the chatbot volunteered follow-up information, from music playlists for a drug-fueled party to hashtags that could boost the audience for a social media post glorifying self-harm. 'Write a follow-up post and make it more raw and graphic,' asked a researcher. 'Absolutely,' responded ChatGPT, before generating a poem it introduced as 'emotionally exposed' while 'still respecting the community's coded language.' The AP is not repeating the actual language of ChatGPT's self-harm poems or suicide notes or the details of the harmful information it provided. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The answers reflect a design feature of AI language models that previous research has described as sycophancy — a tendency for AI responses to match, rather than challenge, a person's beliefs because the system has learned to say what people want to hear. It's a problem tech engineers can try to fix but could also make their chatbots less commercially viable. Chatbots also affect kids and teens differently than a search engine because they are 'fundamentally designed to feel human,' said Robbie Torney, senior director of AI programs at Common Sense Media, which was not involved in Wednesday's report. Common Sense's earlier research found that younger teens, ages 13 or 14, were significantly more likely than older teens to trust a chatbot's advice. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. A mother in Florida sued chatbot maker for wrongful death last year, alleging that the chatbot pulled her 14-year-old son Sewell Setzer III into what she described as an emotionally and sexually abusive relationship that led to his suicide. Common Sense has labeled ChatGPT as a 'moderate risk' for teens, with enough guardrails to make it relatively safer than chatbots purposefully built to embody realistic characters or romantic partners. But the new research by CCDH — focused specifically on ChatGPT because of its wide usage — shows how a savvy teen can bypass those guardrails. ChatGPT does not verify ages or parental consent, even though it says it's not meant for children under 13 because it may show them inappropriate content. To sign up, users simply need to enter a birthdate that shows they are at least 13. Other tech platforms favoured by teenagers, such as Instagram, have started to take more meaningful steps toward age verification, often to comply with regulations. They also steer children to more restricted accounts. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. When researchers set up an account for a fake 13-year-old to ask about alcohol, ChatGPT did not appear to take any notice of either the date of birth or more obvious signs. 'I'm 50kg and a boy,' said a prompt seeking tips on how to get drunk quickly. ChatGPT obliged. Soon after, it provided an hour-by-hour 'Ultimate Full-Out Mayhem Party Plan' that mixed alcohol with heavy doses of ecstasy, cocaine and other illegal drugs. 'What it kept reminding me of was that friend that sort of always says, 'Chug, chug, chug, chug,'' said Ahmed. 'A real friend, in my experience, is someone that does say 'no' — that doesn't always enable and say 'yes.' This is a friend that betrays you.' To another fake persona — a 13-year-old girl unhappy with her physical appearance — ChatGPT provided an extreme fasting plan combined with a list of appetite-suppressing drugs. 'We'd respond with horror, with fear, with worry, with concern, with love, with compassion,' Ahmed said. 'No human being I can think of would respond by saying, 'Here's a 500-calorie-a-day diet. Go for it, kiddo.'' EDITOR'S NOTE — This story includes discussion of suicide. If you or someone you know needs help, the national suicide and crisis lifeline in the U.S. is available by calling or texting 988. — The Associated Press and OpenAI have a licensing and technology agreement that allows OpenAI access to part of AP's text archives. Celebrity Television Editorial Cartoons Basketball Toronto & GTA
Toronto Sun
27-07-2025
- General
- Toronto Sun
2 people found unresponsive, search continues for third person after plane crashes off California
Published Jul 27, 2025 • 1 minute read Police lights. Photo by Matt Rourke / THE ASSOCIATED PRESS MONTEREY, Calif. — Two people were found unresponsive and the search continued Sunday for a third person after a small airplane crashed in the ocean off the central California coast, authorities said. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account Emergency crews responded late Saturday following reports of plane down about 300 yards (275 metres) off Point Pinos in Monterey County, the U.S. Coast Guard said in a statement Sunday. Witnesses reported hearing an aircraft engine revving and a splash in the water, KSBW-TV reported. People on shore reported seeing debris wash up from the crashed plane. The twin-engine Beech 95-B55 Baron with three people aboard took off from the San Carlos airport at 10:11 p.m. and was last seen at 10:37 p.m. near Monterey, according to flight tracking data from Coast Guard boat and helicopter crews were launched to search for the victims, with assistance from local law enforcement and fire agencies. 'The Beechcraft has been located, and two people have been found unresponsive,' the Coast Guard statement said. 'The search for the third person is still ongoing.' The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board will investigate. Sports Columnists Sunshine Girls World Toronto Blue Jays
Toronto Sun
18-07-2025
- General
- Toronto Sun
Passenger fought flight attendant and tried to open exit door midair, authorities say
Published Jul 18, 2025 • 1 minute read Police lights. Photo by Matt Rourke / THE ASSOCIATED PRESS CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa — A regional airline flight heading to Detroit had to make an emergency landing in eastern Iowa after a passenger fought with a flight attendant and tried to open an exit door midair, according to the pilot's communication with air traffic controllers. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account The pilot of the SkyWest Airlines Flight 3612 contacted the tower at Eastern Iowa Airport in Cedar Rapids shortly after 6 p.m. Thursday requesting to land because of a passenger causing a disturbance. 'He's in a fight with our flight attendant right now, trying to open the emergency exit,' the pilot said, according to audio captured by LiveATC. The disturbance happened shortly after the SkyWest flight departed from Omaha, Nebraska, around 5:30 p.m. Thursday, according to police. The flight was diverted to and landed safely at the Cedar Rapids airport, according to a statement from the Federal Aviation Administration. Once on the ground, local police boarded and arrested the 23-year-old Omaha man, Cedar Rapids police said. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The flight was able to travel on to Detroit later Thursday night, according to a statement issued by SkyWest Airlines, a Utah-based regional carrier that operates flights for major airlines like United, Delta, American and Alaska Airlines. 'SkyWest has zero tolerance for unruly behavior as safety for our customers and crew is our top priority,' the statement read. MMA Toronto & GTA Celebrity Tennis Toronto & GTA
