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  1. mentalfloss

    South Portland moves to block Alberta bitumen from reaching its port

    South Portland moves to block Alberta bitumen from reaching its port Moratorium blocking port development to ship crude could be made permanent South Portland, Maine, could be the first U.S. city to pass a law to block Alberta oilsands crude from getting anywhere near its waterfront. The city...
  2. mentalfloss

    The Top 10 Atrocities of All Time

    The Worst Atrocities Are you surprised there's a researcher who considers himself an "atrocitologist"? His name is Matthew White, and he's made a list of the 21 worst things people have done to each other. (There are 21 because of a tie for 20th place. I don't mean to be flip about it.) White...
  3. mentalfloss

    Housing The Homeless Not Only Saves Lives -- It's Actually Cheaper Than Doing Nothing

    Housing The Homeless Not Only Saves Lives -- It's Actually Cheaper Than Doing Nothing It's cheaper to give homeless men and women a permanent place to live than to leave them on the streets. That’s according to a study of an apartment complex for formerly homeless people in Charlotte, N.C...
  4. mentalfloss

    UN: 2013 extreme weather due to human-induced climate change warming the Earth

    UN: 2013 extreme weather due to human-induced climate change warming the Earth GENEVA - The head of the U.N. weather agency said Monday that recent extreme weather patterns are "consistent" with human-induced climate change, citing key events that wreaked havoc in Asia, Europe, the U.S. and...
  5. mentalfloss

    Atlantic Canada expecting up to 50 centimetres snow

    What the fukkkk Atlantic Canada expecting up to 50 centimetres snow HALIFAX — Schools and government offices were closed and flights cancelled Wednesday in parts of Atlantic Canada as a powerful spring blizzard began its push through the region. Significant snow was forecast for all four...
  6. mentalfloss

    Killer Dust: Why Asbestos is still killing people

    Killer dust Why is asbestos still killing people? Nic Fleming finds out in a twisting tale of industry cover-ups and misinformation that spans decades. A long vertical pipe sits against white-painted brickwork in the corner of a cramped storeroom. Two men wearing orange boiler suits and gloves...
  7. mentalfloss

    Canada softens tone on Keystone

    Canada softens tone in fevered Keystone debate After years of visiting Canadian ministers talking of little else – at least inside the Beltway – Transport Minister Lisa Raitt barely mentioned the controversial and long-delayed Keystone XL pipeline on Tuesday. Rail or pipeline, it doesn’t...
  8. mentalfloss

    The Atheists' Case for Fighting Poverty

    The Atheists' Case for Fighting Poverty A new study by Pew Research analyzes data from more than 40,000 people in 40 countries who were asked this provocative question: “Do you need God to be moral?” It is of course a staple of religious thought that without religion, the world would be morally...
  9. mentalfloss

    Budget watchdog finds little evidence of labour, skills shortages

    Budget watchdog finds little evidence of labour, skills shortages Canada's budget watchdog says there is little evidence of serious labour shortages or a skills mismatch problem in the country. The finding by the parliamentary budget office could once again put it on a collision course with...
  10. mentalfloss

    Sarah Thomson runs for mayor in horse-drawn carriage

    Sarah Thomson enters Toronto mayoral race Sarah Thomson has formally entered the race to become Toronto’s next mayor. She registered at city hall on Thursday morning. This will be the second time Thomson has taken a shot at the city’s top job. She ran in the 2010 municipal election before...
  11. mentalfloss

    Supreme Court decides Harper appointment is unconstitutional

    Marc Nadon appointment denied by Supreme Court Prime Minister Stephen Harper's appointment of semi-retired Federal Court judge is not constitutional Marc Nadon cannot take his seat on the Supreme Court of Canada, the court's justices said Friday. In a six to one decision, a majority of...
  12. mentalfloss

    The Long Peace: 1945 - Present

    Pinker explains ‘The Long Peace’ Trade, literacy, governments all have helped to reduce world violence Violence may seem to be all around us. Soldiers are fighting in Afghanistan. Drug-related shootings and senseless murders splash across the nightly news, and even the schools are no haven...
  13. mentalfloss

    Video shows Rob Ford inhaling from glass pipe

    Video shows Rob Ford inhaling from glass pipe, new documents reveal The infamous video shows Toronto Mayor Rob Ford appearing to inhale from a glass pipe, according to new police documents released on Wednesday. “After several seconds, Mayor Ford appears to inhale the vapour which is produced...
  14. mentalfloss

    U.S. Climate change education agenda gaining traction

    Obama unleashing power of data on climate change WASHINGTON (AP) - The Obama administration hopes to fight global warming with the geeky power of numbers, maps and even gaming-type simulations. The White House on Wednesday announced an initiative to provide private companies and local...
  15. mentalfloss

    Winter sent economy into deep freeze

    Winter sent economy into deep freeze It’s not just the weather that’s been frosty. Canada’s economic growth has been in the deep freeze this winter amid repeated lashings of ice and snow. The Greater Toronto Area suffered through the worst winter in two decades, according to Environment...
  16. mentalfloss

    Liberals solidifying their lead over Conservatives

    Canadian Federal Polling Averages The following is a weighted average of the latest federal polls. A full description of the methodology used to weigh the polls can be found here. The federal polling average was last updated on March 17, 2014 with the addition of a new poll by Abacus Data. The...
  17. mentalfloss

    Energy East pipeline not a boon for refineries: Report

    Energy East pipeline boon for refineries an ‘empty promise’ because most oil will go overseas: Report CALGARY — The proposed Energy East pipeline won’t be the boon to Eastern Canadian refineries that supporters claim because the vast majority of the oil in it would be bound for export markets...
  18. mentalfloss

    Greenland's ice loss nearly tripled in a decade

    I'm sure the Nature approved study would help define the scope of riding sea levels. Maybe you should check it out?
  19. mentalfloss

    Greenland's ice loss nearly tripled in a decade

    Doomed? Or DOOOOOOMED?