A Canadian professor whose work focuses on gender studies and Indigenous literature has criticized Alberta Premier Danielle Smith online after the conservative leader unveiled plans to remove diversity considerations from public-sector hiring.

Smith said Tuesday that her government had introduced legislation “that would ensure hiring and promotion decisions in the public sector are based on merit, not DEI policies.”

“Mandatory workplace training will be relevant to the roles and responsibilities of the employee, instead of mandatory DEI sessions,” Smith wrote on X.

The Alberta premier, who heads Canada’s United Conservative Party, added: “Fairness means everyone competes on the same terms.”

Dr. June Scudeler, a professor at Simon Fraser University, shared Smith’s post and responded with a profane message.

“F*** off,” Scudeler wrote Tuesday evening.

Scudeler is an associate professor in Simon Fraser University’s department of Indigenous studies and holds a cross-appointment in the department of gender, sexuality and women’s studies, according to her university profile.

By Thursday, her post criticizing Smith had been viewed more than 123,000 times.

Scudeler has not posted on her X account since directing the remark at Smith, and the premier did not respond to the message.

The professor has also made no public comment about the exchange on other social media platforms.

Her academic research examines queer Indigenous studies, along with literature, film and art.

She earned both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees at Simon Fraser University.

Scudeler later completed a PhD in English at the University of British Columbia.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: Rebel Force Opposed to Putin Secures Second Village in Russia Within Two Days Following Declaration to Advance Towards Moscow – NewsFinale

The legislation targeting diversity, equity and inclusion practices in public-sector hiring and promotion was introduced Tuesday, the same day Smith announced it on X.

The proposed rules would apply to municipalities, public agencies, Crown corporations, post-secondary institutions and school boards. The bill has not yet become law.

Alberta Justice Minister Mickey Amery described the proposal as “the most equitable and fair way of engaging in hiring practices here in the province.”

Other local politicians and public figures, however, have spoken out against the conservative government’s plan.

Kathleen Ganley, who is part of the opposition New Democratic Party, said the bill was ‘a solution in want of a problem,’ according to Global News.

Ganley added that she had not heard of any concerns related to DEI hiring practices.

The president of the Alberta Union of Provincial Employees, Sandra Azocar, called the proposal ‘pure dog whistle politics.’

Azocar also accused Smith of trying to assuage the ‘extreme factions’ within her conservative party.

Albertans were the most likely Canadians to report hiring and workplace discrimination, according to a November 2024 poll from Pollara.

In the province, the University of Alberta approved a hiring policy that eliminated DEI this March.

If two candidates were equally qualified for a position, the university previously favored the one coming from a historically underrepresented group, per CBC.

‘We are a big and complex community, and it’s really important that we commit to being a community that is welcoming for all,’ University of Alberta president Bill Flanagan said.

The Daily Mail has reached out to Scudeler and Simon Fraser University for comment.

A 21-year-old college hockey captain who hoped to become a police officer was killed in a wrong-way crash involving a Mexican national who had allegedly reentered the United States multiple times after being removed, the Department of Homeland Security confirmed to News Media.

Ryan O’Shea, a senior at the University of New Haven, was driving south on Interstate 91 in North Haven late Oct. 16 when a Chevrolet Silverado traveling north in the wrong lanes collided head-on with his Honda Accord, according to Connecticut State Police.

The Silverado was driven by 31-year-old Guillermo Carmona-Lopez of Bridgeport, according to the State Police accident summary.

The force of the crash pushed O’Shea’s Honda into another lane, where a Jeep struck it. The vehicle then moved onto the right shoulder and was hit by a third vehicle.

O’Shea sustained fatal injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene. Carmona-Lopez was transported to Yale New Haven Hospital with serious, life-threatening injuries. Three other people involved in the crash suffered minor injuries.

DHS told News Media that Carmona-Lopez had entered the United States illegally several times despite an earlier removal and a final order requiring him to leave the country.

“In May 2013, Border Patrol arrested Guillermo Carmona-Lopez, a criminal illegal alien from Mexico, after he illegally entered the country,” a DHS spokesperson said. “Carmona-Lopez was issued an expedited removal and was removed from the country.”

DHS said Carmona-Lopez later crossed into the country illegally near the Rio Grande Valley and was arrested by Border Patrol again that same month.

“Carmona-Lopez was issued a final order of removal on May 30, 2013,” the spokesperson said. “He then reentered the country at an unknown time and place.”

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE: Cops: Medical Lawsuits Hint at Strategy Rift in Clancy Wiretap

O’Shea, who was from Stony Point, New York, studied criminal justice with a concentration in police science at the University of New Haven. He also served as senior captain of the men’s club hockey team.

During the summer, O’Shea interned with the New York City Police Department. After graduation, he planned to join the NYPD and eventually pursue a career with the Drug Enforcement Administration, the university said.

“Ryan wanted to go into public service in order to help others,” his academic advisor, Lorenzo Boyd, said in a university tribute. “He was engaging in the classroom and will be missed greatly.”

Devin Bertrand, general manager of the men’s ice hockey club, described O’Shea as a person whose “infectious personality lit up our locker room the moment he walked in.”

O’Shea was also president of his Kappa Sigma fraternity chapter. The fraternity said he was returning from a hockey game when the fatal crash occurred.

“Ryan was not only a great leader, but he was a caring friend to anyone around him,” the fraternity said in a social media tribute. “He always knew how to light up a room and make people laugh, no matter the time.”

The State Police Collision Analysis and Reconstruction Squad responded to the scene and continues to assist with the investigation, which remains underway.

“Under President Trump and Secretary Mullin, if you break the law, you will face the consequences,” the DHS spokesperson said. “Criminal illegal aliens are not welcome in the U.S.”

Boston officials are weighing whether to keep confidential a long-awaited report documenting discrimination experienced by Black residents in the city since 1940.

The report was prepared by experts at Northeastern University and was intended to accompany a separate Tufts University study examining slavery and its legacy in Boston from the 17th through the 20th centuries. 

The Tufts report was pulled from publication after concerns emerged about the accuracy of researcher Kerri Greenidge’s 2022 book, The Grimkes. The criticism intensified in July, when The New York Times reported that scholars had identified alleged factual errors in the work. 

The reparations task force is now considering withholding the Northeastern report until a replacement study for the Tufts research can be completed, The Boston Globe reported. There is no indication that the Northeastern report itself contains inaccuracies. 

‘Why put the cart before the horse? Why release part two when you haven’t seen one yet,’ task force member Antonia Edwards said, according to the outlet. ‘Originally we were going to combine the reports… so why don’t we just give a complete package to the community?’ 

The timeline for producing a new report remains uncertain. Both original studies were initially expected to be completed and released publicly by 2023. 

The prolonged delays have drawn growing criticism, particularly after $500,000 was paid for the research. 

‘Certainly it was our hope that we would have something to present for discussion [by now],’ chairman Joseph D Feaster said on Thursday. ‘But unfortunately something happened that is beyond our control. Hopefully we will be able to get back on track.’ 

The task force has not formally voted to withhold the report, although a majority of its members have indicated they would support the step, The Globe reported. It is also unclear whether the task force can delay publication itself or whether the mayor’s office will make the final decision. 

In a joint statement, Tufts and the City of Boston said: ‘The City and the University have reluctantly come to a decision to cancel the contract for the first volume of the report.

MUST READ: Today Show Hosts Unveil Their Eye-Catching Halloween 2026 Costumes

‘The faculty member who had been leading the project is no longer employed by the University. The University has been unable to identify a replacement researcher with the subject-matter expertise necessary to deliver a report meeting the standard that the City and the University both expect.  

‘Tufts has returned the full contract value to the City. The funds will be redeployed to support other Task Force priorities.’ 

The Daily Mail has contacted the mayor’s office, the task force, Greenidge and Northeastern for comment. 

In 2024, the Boston People’s Reparations Commission called for the city to provide $15 billion in reparations. 

The commission said the money should be invested ‘monetarily and through public policy that will be in effect for black Bostonians for generations.’ 

Reverend Kevin Peterson, the commission’s head, told WCVB in 2024 that while the group was seeking $15 billion, the amount was ‘not enough’ because ‘every life is incalculable.’

Alongside its $15 billion request from the city, the commission also held discussions with white churches in Boston about a possible $50 million contribution.

According to the Commission, the enslavement of Africans in Boston began in 1638 and started a ‘legacy of social, political, economic and cultural injustice.’

‘At one point during the city’s history, one in 10 Boston residents were enslaved people who were linked to the trans-Atlantic slave trade,’ according to their website.

Now some members of the Black community in Boston are claiming reparations for the legacy of prejudice and disadvantage they have endured.

They say they are seeking to ‘effectively address the harm inflicted through the enslavement of Blacks in Boston and generations of systemic oppression.’

Bigfoot may have more New Jersey connections than its legend suggests.

A team of investigators is examining reports of Sasquatch activity across the Garden State, where the towering, humanlike creature has allegedly been spotted or heard nearly 80 times.

Although Bigfoot is most commonly associated with the forests of the Pacific Northwest, the Bigfoot Field Researchers Organization has documented 79 reports from New Jersey on its website.

During a recent investigation at High Point State Park in northwestern New Jersey, researcher Mike Familant and his team focused on a strange, animal-like noise that emerged after they imitated an owl, Familant told NJ.com.

The team captured the sound in 2022, but the recording only raised more questions after an expert concluded that it did not match any recognized animal in the area, according to Familant. He chronicles alleged Bigfoot encounters through his online series, “In the Shadow of Big Red Eye.”

A military linguist “came back with a report that said it was outside of human vocal range and wasn’t any known animal from northwestern New Jersey,” Familant said.

EXPLORE MORE: Video Shows Bronx Teen Fleeing Moments Before Fatal Shooting

Familant also identifies the Delaware Water Gap and Stokes State Forest as possible New Jersey Bigfoot hotspots.

Jacob Korbel, an investigator with the organization, said he once doubted the creature’s existence. His perspective shifted after joining the team on a 2021 expedition into the Pine Barrens.

“About 100 yards away in front of us, there’s this whoop response,” Korbel told NJ.com. “And right away, I’m like, that’s nothing that I’ve ever heard before. That’s not an owl, that’s not a coyote, fox.”

“And you could hear it slowly getting closer to our position, like it was coming in to check us out. Like we were almost getting flanked,” he recalled.

The reports are spread across the state, with 18 sightings recorded in Sussex County, 16 in Burlington County and 11 in Ocean County.

Still, no conclusive scientific evidence has established whether Bigfoot is a hidden species, an exceptionally elusive animal or simply a long-running myth.

Believers cite alleged footprints, blurry images and even hair samples said to contain unusual DNA as signs that the legendary creature has been roaming North American forests for generations.

A true crime creator has been charged with felony wiretapping after authorities alleged that she shared a secretly recorded phone call involving Patrick Clancy’s father, who said he had answered the call by mistake.

Shawna Gramkow, who runs multiple true crime social media accounts with more than 50,000 followers, was charged with unlawful wiretapping on Oct. 20. The charge stems from a Sept. 4 incident involving Christopher Clancy, Patrick Clancy’s father, according to a police report obtained by News Media.

Police said Gramkow uploaded an Instagram video on Aug. 30 showing an unidentified person calling a number she said belonged to Patrick Clancy. The number had reportedly been read aloud in court by Lindsay Clancy’s attorney, Kevin Reddington, during the murder trial.

“So, you guys voted and Patrick said yes. So, at the trial Kevin Reddington released Patrick’s phone number and one of y’all decided to give him a call. Now on this particular call, Patrick’s dad was still on the line, he was kind of mumbling still on the phone, I guess he didn’t know that the phone was still going,” Gramkow said, according to the detective’s account in the report.

The detective reported that the video contains the voice of an adult man, although the speaker’s words could not be clearly understood. When Christopher Clancy contacted police on Sept. 4, he said he believed the voice was his and connected it to a phone call he received Aug. 6.

Clancy told investigators that he had accidentally answered a call from an unfamiliar number rather than rejecting it. Police allege the caller then recorded him without his knowledge or permission as he discussed his oldest son, Brian. The recording was later posted on Gramkow’s Instagram account, the report said.

“Mr. Clancy recalls while driving in the Town of Scituate sometime around August 6th, 2026 he received a phone call from a telephone number he did not recognize. Instead of declining the incoming call; he believes he accidently answered, creating an open line of communication for the unknown calling party who proceeded to record Mr. Clancy’s comments without his knowledge or consent. Mr. Clancy recognized some of his comments as being in regard to his eldest son Brian,” police wrote.

Although Massachusetts authorities have filed the wiretapping charge, Florida officials said Gramkow had not been taken into custody.

News Media sought comment from Gramkow. In a Facebook video that did not directly mention the case, she said the “allegations are false. And easy to prove.”

“And yes I got all the ‘Dirty Deets,’” she added in a written post.

Gramkow’s case comes as the legal positions of Patrick and Lindsay Clancy appear to diverge in separate civil lawsuits involving Lindsay’s medical providers.

At a Wednesday hearing in Norfolk County Superior Court, attorney Howard Cooper said he expects Lindsay Clancy to testify in a lawsuit Patrick Clancy brought against her healthcare providers.

“We believe that Lindsay Clancy, once her Fifth Amendment issues are resolved one way or the other, will testify that she told these defendants explicitly that she had homicidal ideation, that she was worried about something awful happening to her kids,” Cooper told the court.

In a statement provided to News Media, Reddington disputed that account. He said Lindsay Clancy has never indicated that she would testify and denied that she told healthcare providers she had homicidal thoughts about her children.

“It has come to my attention that counsel for Patrick Clancy represented to the court in his civil case that my client, Lindsay Clancy, will testify about statements she made to her healthcare providers,” Reddington said. “Lindsay Clancy never told any of her healthcare providers that she harbored homicidal ideation toward her children. She never indicated that she intended to testify in Mr. Clancy’s lawsuit, and no one acting for her ever represented that she would.”

“Mr. Clancy’s counsel does not speak for Lindsay Clancy,” Reddington added.

Lindsay Clancy faced three counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of her children, who were found strangled at the family’s home in January 2023.

Judge William Sullivan declared a mistrial on Friday, Sept. 4, after jurors were unable to reach a unanimous verdict, ending in an 11-1 divide.