16-year-old Thunberg turns tables on Trump and changes Twitter bio

Disturbing rise of the cult of hard-line anti-vaxxers

The serious long-term threat from this anti-vax cult is its ability to spread disinformation to their followers via social media and other outlets.

Province announces free daycare for low-income families

Eligible parents will have their child-care fees waived come Sept. 13.

The province announced Wednesday child care would be free for about 4,100 children from 3,000 families as part of a budget commitment to eliminate the $2-per-day fee for low-income families.

“This announcement that we’re making here today is going to be hugely, hugely impactful for the families that rely on this important, important service of child care,” Education and Early Childhood Learning Minister Tracy Schmidt said at a news conference at Panda Bear Day Care.

She said the program would save families between $520 and $2,600 per child per year.

Owners of beloved Shawarma Time return with new eatery

Notre Dame Avenue is becoming a bit of a hotbed of new restaurants and food outlets.

Starting with the easternmost offering, there’s Altanour Restaurant and Deli, which has been open for about four months. It’s owned and run by Talal Dalank and his wife, Dounia, the former owners of Shawarma Time on Ellice.

Dalank, who immigrated to Canada from Lebanon about 26 years ago, made headlines in 2017 when he donated two days’ worth of his restaurant’s profits to the refugee centre Welcome Place, after being inspired by seeing Prime Minister Justin Trudeau welcoming Syrian immigrants with winter jackets.

When the Dalanks had to return to Lebanon to deal with a family emergency, they reluctantly sold Shawarma Time. However, the family maintained their residence in Winnipeg; on trips back to the city, Talal would frequently run into former customers who missed his food. When he was able to return, he and Dounia opened a new place. The menu is slightly expanded and also offers catering options, thanks to a larger kitchen in the simply decorated two-room restaurant.

Bisons look to bounce back against Dinos at Murray Field

Nathan Udoh has been around long enough to know how quickly things can change in the Canada West conference.

The fifth-year Manitoba Bisons receiver is one of the oldest players in a youthful locker room that is experiencing the ebbs and flows of a U Sports season for the first time, and to say his experience if being leaned on would be an understatement.

“I try to lean on that and help guys who haven’t been in these situations just to keep their heads and how hard you have to play,” Udoh said Wednesday. “I think that’s the biggest thing that there is no snap that you take off, and playing with that intensity is really where it starts.”

The Bisons have already endured a roller-coaster two games into the season. After shocking the country by steamrolling the reigning conference champion Saskatchewan Huskies 40-22 in their season-opener, the Bisons fell back to earth in a 22-8 road loss to the Regina Rams last weekend.

Hellebuyck determined to turn numbers around

HELSINKI — Connor Hellebuyck is enjoying a visit to the Finnish capital city and has wandered some of the twisting cobblestone paths in search of its many sights — a well-timed distraction from the outcomes of his most recent NHL starts and the mediocre stats that accompany them.

By his own admission, the Winnipeg netminder — who emerged last season as one of the top goaltenders in the NHL — hasn't had a banner beginning to the 2018-19 campaign. In nine opportunities to guard the Jets net, Hellebuyck has posted a 4-4-1 record, a 3.00 goals-against average and .907 save percentage.

Those aren't numbers that warrant a 911 response, but they're not what Jets fans were accustomed to seeing from the 25 year old during a breakout 2017-18 season.

Most importantly, they don't resemble the body of work the Michigan-born goaltender, who dropped his last two starts, demands of himself.