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Canada’s envoy to Ukraine says Canadian support will outlast Russian invasion

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 16:56:16 GMT

OTTAWA — Canada’s new ambassador to Ukraine had an eerie sense of déjà vu when she reached Kyiv last month.Natalka Cmok saw so many locals with missing limbs that it reminded her of working in Ukraine in the 1990s, when the newly independent country had thousands of soldiers returning from the Soviet Union’s war in Afghanistan.“Ukraine is really close to my heart, and I want Ukraine to succeed,” Cmok said in a Friday interview from Canada’s embassy in Kyiv.She arrived in the city Aug. 15, starting a one-year term in a country she has lived in multiple times since its 1991 independence.In just two weeks, she’s already familiar with the rhythm of air-raid sirens, warning in a videoconference call that she might need to suddenly hunker down. “The last few nights, it’s been more like 4 or 5 in the morning.”Her assignment is two-pronged, with a short-term focus on supporting Ukraine’s immediate defence and security needs while c...

CSIS disinformation campaign leans on Soviet imagery, as Ottawa tracks ‘grey media’

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 16:56:16 GMT

OTTAWA — Canada’s spy agency is leaning on Soviet imagery to help prime the public against disinformation but experts say Moscow is more likely to use images that make readers think the messaging is coming from North American sources.Last month, the Canadian Security Intelligence Service started posting on social media about its efforts to counteract deliberately misleading information online.The posts feature a font that resembles the Cyrillic alphabet, featuring stars instead of dots and the letter N appearing backwards. One posting features a Russian nesting doll, known as a matryoshka, with the words “Do you know who is behind it? Disinformation is here and hides well.”Another advises Canadians to “be aware of what you share” on social media, citing the risk of trolls.Aaron Erlich, a McGill University political science professor, said it’s important to make people aware of misleading information online. But he said the wording in the CSIS camp...

ThreeSixty Journalism: DHS prioritizes teen mental health 

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 16:56:16 GMT

Depression, anxiety, fear: these emotional issues have become commonplace among today’s high school students.   Mental health problems among students have steadily climbed  over the past few years. According to a 2022 statewide survey conducted by the Minnesota Department of Education, almost one third of Minnesota high schoolers are battling mental health issues, an increase of nearly 10 percentage points since 2016. Although many factors play into this mental health crisis – such as lack of family support and the stigma surrounding mental illness – one of the most significant is the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic caused intense social isolation because of widespread school shutdowns and the many challenges of remote learning. Depression, anxiety, fear of getting sick, loss of family members and disconnection from the community weighed heavily on young people.   Because they had never experienced a situation like that before, many students did not recognize the signs of mental hea...

ThreeSixty Journalism: Esperanza United engages metro youth through domestic violence education

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 16:56:16 GMT

Many nonprofit organizations are facing a critical question — in an era of desensitized teens in a complex world, how do you make kids care about the issues that matter, like domestic violence?  St. Paul’s Esperanza United, a Latinx-led organization that focuses on ending gender-based violence, fostering community and empowering Latinx leadership, has found a way to get teens to care about gender-based violence.   “We talked about identity and self-esteem, and then we kind of started getting deeper into relationships,” said Beverly Martinez, a youth coordinator for Esperanza United.  Gender-based violence is an epidemic that continues to affect Minnesotans. On average, nearly 35% of law enforcement calls are related to domestic disputes, with 1 in 3 Minnesota women and 1 in 4 men facing some form of abuse from their partner, according to the Safe Haven Shelter and Resource Center.  For Nallely Castro Montoya, a prevention and social change manager at the organization, Esperanza Unit...

ThreeSixty Journalism: Reducing mental health stigma in rural Minnesota

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 16:56:16 GMT

Minnesota’s rural communities face increased rates of suicide compared to their urban counterparts. Mental health professionals don’t know why but say the startling statistic shows the need for mental health care services in the state’s rural reaches.  “There is very little empirical evidence to suggest why there is a disparity,” said Thad Shunkwiler, founding director of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota Center for Rural Behavioral Health. A primary problem is the shortage of mental health care resources for rural Minnesotans. Even though the state’s rural and urban residents experience similar life stressors, Shunkwiler said, there are more resources in urban areas.  The state’s urban centers contain 54% of the state’s population but have 80% of all the practicing mental health providers, Shunkwiler said. That means nearly half of Minnesotans share about one-fifth of the state’s mental health providers.   There also aren’t many clinics near rural communities. A men...

ThreeSixty Journalism: Indian Health Board offers valuable support

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 16:56:16 GMT

Families torn apart. People losing their will to live. These are crushing feelings many people are conscious of, but one thing people may not know are the obstacles that stand in the way of Native American communities getting access to health care.   There are several root causes that lead to instability in mental health for members of the Native American community, including assault, domestic violence and generational trauma.   Many health care services that try to support Native American communities are often underfunded. According to the American Public Health Association, “between 1993 and 1998, IHS (Indian Health Services) appropriations increased by 8%, while medical inflation increased by 20.6%.” The current funding situation seems to be better, based on the Indian Health Services receiving north of $5 billion in advance appropriations.   When thinking of reservations, the health care services tend to be scarce, forcing people to drive for hours to reach a nearby hospital or ...

ThreeSixty Journalism: Extending gender care services is a mission for two Minnesota advocates

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 16:56:16 GMT

“There was a need, and I followed the need,” said Dr. Angela Kade Goepferd, the chief education officer and medical director of the Gender Health Program at Children’s Minnesota.   Goepferd identifies as nonbinary and dedicates their career to providing health care for transgender youth. The lack of resources for the community was obvious to Goepferd while growing up and going through college. And so, they became what they had needed in their youth.  “The need was very tied to my identity and community,” they said.  In college, Goepferd realized there were no LGBTQ+ teachings in the curriculum. They wanted change. Going into pediatrics, they knew there were other youth that needed resources, the same as they did growing up, and Goepferd wanted to be the person to provide that care.   “It feels really important to represent my community,” they said.  Like Goepferd, Ani Koch is a nonbinary health care professional, but is working more behind the scenes. Their focus is insurance and re...

ThreeSixty Journalism: Hennepin County helps teens

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 16:56:16 GMT

In the wake of the pandemic, many adolescents have shown heightened signs of anxiety and depression.  According to the National Institute of Mental Health, teenagers’ brains exhibited older “brain ages” compared to teens’ brains that were scanned before the pandemic. This means that their brains exhibited features that are usually found in older people and those who have experienced chronic stress or adversity.  Kayla Richards“I think most people are walking around with a lot of unhealed stuff,” said Kayla Richards, program manager of the Juvenile Justice Behavioral Health Initiative. “Trauma, grief and loss; grief related to what the pandemic did to folks in terms of the ways that we connect with others.”   Because so many youths missed out on formative experiences — such as in-person graduations, first days of college,  after-school programs — there is a feeling of loss in the adolescent population. Coupled with communitywide civil unrest after the murder of George Floyd, young pe...

St. Cloud lawmaker to plead guilty in July DWI case in Kanabec County

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 16:56:16 GMT

Rep. Dan Wolgamott, DFL-St. Cloud, plans to plead guilty next week to a misdemeanor drunk driving charge, according to a petition filed with a court.Wolgamott filed the petition Wednesday in Kanabec County District Court to admit guilt in a July DWI traffic stop. Wolgamott was charged with driving above the legal blood-alcohol concentration limit of 0.08%.Minnesota state Rep. Dan Wolgamott, DFL-St. Cloud (Minnesota House of Representatives)“I am pleading guilty because on July 7, 2023, in the County of Kanabec, State of Minnesota, drove my automobile with an alcohol concentration in excess of 0.08 (0.09) within two hours of my driving,” the petition reads.A hearing in his case is set for Tuesday.As part of the plea, Wolgamott is asking that a related count be dismissed. He said he would agree to a 45-day stayed sentence, a $400 fine plus surcharges and a pledge to avoid similar driving conduct. He noted that he has already completed chemical assessment and participated in a Mothers ...

Orioles who could win MLB awards this season, from Gunnar Henderson to Adley Rutschman to Kyle Bradish

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 16:56:16 GMT

The only player more likely to win a Rookie of the Year Award this year than Gunnar Henderson is playing against him this weekend.Arizona Diamondbacks rookie Corbin Carroll is a shoo-in to win the award in the National League as perhaps one of the sport’s best outfielders. Henderson is also heavily favored to win the American League’s, and Friday night’s contest between the two wunderkinds put their talents on display.“Carroll’s a good player,” manager Brandon Hyde said. “I’ve seen him play quite a bit this year [on television]. What an exciting, dynamic [player]. He’s going to be a really good outfielder in this league for a long time.“How he runs and throws and the power he has, it’s pretty impressive — a little like our guy, too.”Henderson went 2-for-4 and flashed the leather at shortstop with two double plays, while Carroll went 2-for-4 and displayed his blazing speed in Arizona’s 4-2 win over Ba...