Alberta Premier Danielle Smith and a hand-picked panel are set to hold the first in a series of town halls to address public concerns with the federal government.Some 650 people are expected at today's event in Red Deer as Smith and the 15 other members of the Alberta Next panel hear about grievances inspiring separatist sentiment in the province. The government is dedicating time at the event to several strategies it's pitching to wrest more control from the federal government, including pulling out of the Canada Pension Plan and withholding social services from some immigrants.There will a

Alberta has surpassed the United States in confirmed measles cases, after 30 new cases were diagnosed over the weekend. The province has now seen 1,314 cases since the beginning of March. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has reported 1,288 cases so far this year across 39 states. The outbreak of the highly contagious disease hasn't led to any deaths so far in Alberta. Three people, including two children, have died in the United States. The U.S. has also seen more hospitalizations, with the CDC reporting 162 people have been hospitalized compared to just over 100 Albertans.

Alberta is rolling out new regulations in September banning transgender athletes from playing women's sports, but officials say they will still welcome out-of-province transgender competitors. Tourism and Sport Minister Andrew Boitchenko says the province doesn't have the authority to regulate athletes from different jurisdictions because they can't overstep the rules outside groups abide by. Premier Danielle Smith says the ban is about fairness on the playing field so that girls are not battling opponents with biological advantages. But detractors say it's about stigmatizing and punish

Alberta and Ottawa have signed off on $203 million for new affordable housing projects across the province. Provincial Social Services Minister Jason Nixon says the joint funding will go toward 25 projects and see more than 2,300 units built. Nixon says the projects range from housing for young adults and students in downtown Edmonton to units in Calgary for those facing homelessness. He says this round of funding keeps the province on track to meet its goal of creating 82,000 units by 2031. Federal Prairies Economic Development Minister Eleanor Olszewski says the funding is an

Two Edmonton men have been charged with human trafficking after police say several foreign workers were forced to clock up to 90 hours a week without proper pay. R-C-M-P say they started investigating last summer after receiving a complaint about exploitative working conditions at a gas station and motel owned by the men. The motel is in the northwestern town of Fox Creek, while the gas station is in Calmar, southwest of Edmonton. A 55-year-old man and his 26-year-old son face a total of five charges, and police say they're also looking into allegations of money laundering.

Alberta's education minister says school libraries must pull explicit, sexual content from their shelves starting Oct. 1. Demetrios Nicolaides says the province's new standards aren't about banning books but ensuring kids aren't exposed to the wrong material for their age. The government has issued a list of specific sex acts that cannot be explicitly described in library books. It considers mentions of kissing, hugging or handholding as not sexual in nature and not part of the ban. Religious texts, such as the Bible, are also exempt. School boards must review library materials

Two youths have been charged with manslaughter and arson after a man died in a house fire in central Alberta. RCMP say they responded to the fire in Wetaskiwin, a city south of Edmonton, in December. The body of 67-year-old Donald Robert was found inside the home and officers deemed his death suspicious. They say a witness reported seeing someone running away from the home with their clothing on fire. RCMP say a girl and a boy were arrested Wednesday. They can't be named under the Youth Criminal Justice Act.

The Alberta government says a longtime lawyer and recent provincial policy advisor has been tapped to head its new involuntary drug treatment system. Earlier this year, Premier Danielle Smith's government passed legislation to create the new system, which allows people to be forced into addiction treatment facilities without their consent. The legislation allows family members, health-care professionals, police or peace officers to apply for a treatment order from a provincial commission led by Jonathan Carlzon. The province says Carlzon has more than 20 years of experience as a lawy

Alberta's education minister is set to provide an update today on the development of new provincial rules for school library books. Demetrios Nicolaides announced in May that Alberta would be setting new standards for the books. He said the review came after his ministry became aware of four coming-of-age graphic novels in school libraries in Edmonton and Calgary. Nicolaides said each of the books contained inappropriate content, including graphic sexual material as well as depictions of molestation, drug and alcohol use. A government survey on the topic launched after Nicolaides' anno