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Apr 7 2024

Blue v Orange. Houston’s problem. Hurricane blockbusters: The Roundup

Apr 7, 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.
Canada
A battle for hope: the brewing campaign clash between the Conservatives and the NDP
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre's path to power may be by prosecuting Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's past eight years in government, but his road to victory is painted NDP orange. [CP]

“I’m very concerned about our city,” [a city councillor] told the city’s finance and corporate services committee. “I’m very concerned about what’s happening downtown. I’m concerned, if a new government comes in, knowing their philosophy about Ottawa and their need to spread service across all across Canada, but also to reduce the public service. [Ottawa Citizen]

The Liberal government stands in a political crosswind, and it’s the finance minister's job to weather the storm. [TorStar]

Intelligence reports documenting suspected Chinese-state interference in a Liberal nomination contest were twice recalled by the Canadian Security Intelligence Service, once following a meeting that included Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. [TorStar]
Don Martin: There shouldn’t be any standing ovations for a prime minister who caused a problem, delayed action until raw politics demanded a diversion and introduced long-overdue programs on a timeline which won’t deliver results until long after he becomes electoral road kill. [CTV]
From the Provinces

Nova Scotia's Progressive Conservative premier has joined a call from leaders across the country asking for a meeting with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to discuss carbon pricing. [CP]
BC NDP nominates cabinet minister and twice re-elected MLA Anne Kang in Burnaby Centre [BC NDP]
Elsewhere
Israeli military reduces troops in southern Gaza, spokesperson says
It was unclear whether the withdrawal would delay a long-threatened incursion into the southern Gaza city of Rafah, which Israeli leaders have said is needed to eliminate Hamas. 
The withdrawal comes as Egypt prepares to host a new round of talks aimed at reaching a ceasefire and hostage release deal. [Reuters]
Parliament Speaker Peter Pellegrini wins second round of presidential election, cementing grip of the pro-Russian PM. [Al Jazeera]
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Media
As the presidential election nears, the spread of bogus information gets a huge boost from social media accounts that have been created anonymously. [LA Times]
Science and Tech
It could well be a blockbuster hurricane season, and that’s not a good thing
On Thursday, the most influential of these forecasts was issued by Phil Klotzbach, a hurricane scientist at Colorado State University. To put a fine point on it, Klotzbach and his team foresee an exceptionally busy season in the Atlantic basin, which encompasses the Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea, and Gulf of Mexico. [Ars Technica]
OpenAI, Google and Meta ignored corporate policies, altered their own rules and discussed skirting copyright law as they sought online information to train their newest artificial intelligence systems. [NYT]
The free tier of ChatGPT is good, but GPT-4, at $20 per month via ChatGPT Plus, can be a good deal smarter and more accurate. [ZDNet]
Issued this day ...
… in 2006: Scott #2147: Art Canada: Dorothy Knowles. Design: Hélène L’Heureux.
The 2006 Art in Canada series from Canada Post features the work of Saskatchewan artist Dorothy Knowles (1927-2023) and her 1971 work The Field of Rapeseed. 
Born in Unity, SK Knowles was a farm girl who grew up to study biology and lab technology. After graduation, she attended summer art classes at Emma Lake, SK, studied art in night classes at the University of Saskatchewan, and in 1952 enrolled in an art class at Banff. She was encouraged to further her training in England, and attended Goldsmith's College School of Art in London. Soon, painting became her life's work. In the late 1950s and early 1960s, Knowles experimented with abstraction, but in a 1962 workshop, Clement Greenburg encouraged her to return to painting from nature and her love of painting the vast landscapes for which she is renowned was born. Knowles was the widow of William Perehudoff, a fellow artist who is closely associated with the Color Field movement. She died last May in Saskatoon. 

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