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Feb 13 2024

ArriveCAN crash. Putin’s myth. Extinct Media: The Roundup

Feb 13, 2024
David Akin's Roundup
Clippings of #cdnpoli, #media, and #tech content aimed at those with an interest in Canadian politics and policy. And sometimes Canadian postage stamps.
Reminder to all, but especially newer subscribers (Welcome!) -- that the headlines and excerpts are written by the publishers themselves. If I chip in with a quick comment in the excerpt that will be in italics. If I've written the entire excerpt you will see - DA at the end of it. Thanks for reading! 
Canada
Auditor general slams feds’ poor management of ArriveCAN app
Auditor General Karen Hogan is slamming the federal government's development and oversight of the ArriveCAN app, which was meant to keep track of and screen travellers for COVID-19. Mackenzie Gray reports on the feds' glaring disregard for record-keeping, and why it's impossible to know how much the app cost taxpayers. [Global National]
ArriveCAN: Glaring disregard for basic management and contracting practices surrounds the government’s ArriveCAN application. [Auditor General of Canada]

In a joint statement issued Monday, Alberta and Saskatchewan NDP energy critics said they do not support the bill introduced by Timmins-James Bay MP Charlie Angus. [Global]

The numbers are an increase from a previous report on workplace harassment in 2018, with 47 per cent of women and 31 per cent of men reporting experiencing such an incident. [Global]
This riding is "open" and is definitely setting up to a CPC pickup in the 45th general election. The incumbent is Anthony Rota who, after resigning as Speaker in the wake of the disastrous Zelenskyy visit, opted to not to run for re-election. While this riding tends to vote Liberal, it did elect a Conservative (Jay Aspin) when Stephen Harper won his majority in 2011. Except for the time out caused by Aspin's 2011 win, Rota has represented the riding since 2004. Candidate Villeneuve, according to her LinkedIn profile, has been a political staffer on Parliament Hill since she graduated from the University of Ottawa in 2016. She currently works as the chief of staff to MP Raquel Dancho. In my model, right now, this riding would swing CPC by 10+ points. - DA [North Bay Nugget]
Dhillon will go up against at least two other already-declared candidates for the riding nomination: Marcus Wong, a former West Vancouver councillor, and Keith Roy, a Whistler-based real estate agent. Not surprised to see multiple interest in the CPC nomination here. Riding has a strong base of small-c conservative support. Incumbent Liberal Patrick Weiler will be hard-pressed to defend. My model has him currently losing to the CPC by about 6 points. [Squamish Chief]
Angela Haer and Marie Rogers hoping to represent the surging federal Conservatives in the Vancouver Granville riding. A riding worth fighting for if you're a Conservative though, even with the falling fortunes of the LIberals in BC, my model has a enough Liberal votes left that incumbent Taleeb Noormohamed might squeak through. But this could be a toss-up. [Vancouver Sun]
Elsewhere
China displays FC-31 fighter at Saudi defence show in bid to increase exports as Middle East nations explore options
The threat of a wider conflict could encourage nations in the region to expand their fighter jet forces but China has challenges in eroding US dominance. [South China Morning Post]
The Democratic-led U.S. Senate on Tuesday passed a $95.34 billion aid package for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, amid growing doubts about the legislation's fate in the Republican-controlled House of Representatives. [Reuters]
Timothy Snyder: In a talk with Tucker Carlson, Putin uttered sentences about the past.  I will explain how Putin is wrong about everything, but first I have to make a point about why he is wrong about everything.  By how I mean his errors about past events.  By why I mean the horror inherent in the kind of story he is telling.  It brings war, genocide, and fascism. The author is the Yale historian who has written several books about the history of Ukraine, including the much-recommended-by-me Bloodlands. [Substack]

A growing number of Western officials have warned of a military threat from Russia to countries along the eastern flank of NATO, calling for Europe to get prepared by rearming. [Reuters]
Media
Is the Media Prepared for an Extinction-Level Event?
Ads are scarce, search and social traffic is dying, and readers are burned out. The future will require fundamentally rethinking the press’s relationship to its audience. [New Yorker]
Canada's actors, directors and musicians are sounding the alarm over artificial intelligence, saying it threatens their livelihood and reputations. [CP]
After acknowledging last week that Meta's X competitor Threads would not actively recommend political content, the company today announced a test of a new trends feature, "Topics", where such content could surface anyway. [TechCrunch]

The [U.S] Department of Justice collects hate crime data from law enforcement agencies. DOJ also uses a national household survey to estimate hate crimes—but it doesn't ask about hate-related cybercrimes. To better understand and address hate crimes, we recommended exploring ways to get this data. [US General Accountability Office]
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Sci/Tech
Many migratory species at risk, UN report warns - YouTube
There is a new warning from United Nations (UN) researchers about protecting migrating species at risk.According to a first-of-its-kind UN report, 520 migratory species are undergoing population declines, while 260 are threatened with extinction.  The study also calls on policy makers to do more to protect migration corridors. Heather Yourex-West looks at what species are at risk in Canada and whether they can be saved. [Global National]
Researchers used brain-monitoring technology to show that a 40-minute walk in nature helped people recover from a demanding mental task, and restored the ability to focus. [CBC]
YouTubeLabs provides open source scripts for editing, analyzing, content democratization and internationalization, and more. [Google]
The Calendar
  • 0345 ET: Paris - Energy and Natural Resources Min Jonathan Wilkinson speaks at an Innovation Forum Panel at the International Energy Agency Ministerial Meeting 2024
  • 0815 ET: Paris - Energy and Natural Resources Min Jonathan Wilkinson speaks at a ministerial dialogue  at the International Energy Agency Ministerial Meeting 2024
  • 0900 ET: W110 1 Wellington - Senate Committee on National Finance - Bill C-59
  • 0900 ET: C128 Senate Building - Senate Committee on Indigenous Peoples - Canadian Human Rights Framework
  • 0900 ET: B45 Senate Building - Senate Committee on Transport and Communications - impacts of climate change on critical infrastructure in the transportation and communications sectors and the consequential impacts on their interdependencies
  • 0900 ET: National Press Theatre - Deputy PM and Fin Min Chrystia Freeland , Housing and Infrastructure Min Sean Fraser,  Employment and Workforce Development Min Randy Boissonnault, and Rural Economic Development Min Gudie Hutchings speak to reporters.
  • 1000 ET: West Block - PM Trudeau will meet with his cabinet.
  • 1045 ET: 135B West Block - NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh speaks about pharmacare.
  • 1100 ET: 315 Wellington - Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics (ETHI) | Meeting  103 - Federal Government's Use of Technological Tools Capable of Extracting Personal Data from Mobile Devices and Computers
  • 1100 ET: 330 Wellington - Agriculture and Agri-Food (AGRI) | Meeting  91 - Efforts to Stabilize Food Prices; Bill C-355. LPC MP Tim Louis to testify.
  • 1100 ET: 035-B West Block - Finance (FINA) | Meeting  127 - Policy Decisions and Market Forces that have led to Increases in the Cost of Buying or Renting a Home in Canada. Infrastructure and Housing Min Sean Fraser to testify.
  • 1100 ET: 025-B West Block - Procedure and House Affairs (PROC) | Meeting  106 - Parliamentary Protocol Related to an Incident in the Speaker's Gallery on September 22, 2023.  Govt House Leader Steven MacKinnon to testify.
  • 1100 ET: 410 Wellington - Science and Research (SRSR) | Meeting  73 - Integration of Indigenous Traditional Knowledge and Science in Government Policy Development
  • 1100 ET: 125-B West Block - Transport, Infrastructure and Communities (TRAN) | Meeting  100 - Projects of High Frequency Rail Between Quebec City and Toronto, Between Calgary and Banff, and Between Calgary and Edmonton
  • 1100 ET: 425 Wellington - the Status of Women (FEWO) | Meeting  96 - Committee Business
  • 1215 ET: Parliament Hill - NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh speaks to a healthcare rally.
  • 1530 ET: 225-A West Block - Public Accounts (PACP) | Meeting  99 - Report 1, ArriveCAN, of the 2024 Report 1 of the Auditor General of Canada
  • 1530 ET: 330 Wellington - Subcommittee on International Human Rights of the Foreign Affairs and International Development (SDIR) | Meeting  45 - Detention of Jimmy Lai in Hong Kong; International Disability-Inclusive Education
  • 1600 ET: 415 Wellington - Canadian Heritage (CHPC) | Meeting  110 - National Forum on the Media
  • 1645 ET: Yellowknife - Health Min Mark Holland makes a funding announcement. 
  • 1830 ET: B45 Senate Building - Senate Committee on Agriculture and Forestry - Soil health
  • 1830 ET: B30 Senate Building - Senate Committee on Energy, Environment and Natural Resources - Climate Change: Canadian Oil & Gas Industry
  • 1830 ET: W110 1 Wellington - Senate Committee on Fisheries - Drafting report
Issued this day ...
… in 1986: Sc # 1077: 1988 Olympic Winter Games: Design: PIerre-Yves Pelletier.

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