Past issues Subscribe

May 21 2024

Car thieves. COVID politics. WhatsApp campaigns: The Roundup

May 21, 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
Auto theft a serious issue for makers, RCMP says as feds unveil action plan
A national auto theft action plan announced Monday contains measures and funding announced in the weeks since a national summit on the issue was held in February. [Global]

The public inquiry into foreign election interference has highlighted 'troubling events,' but many Canadians doubt it will get to the bottom of what happened, a new poll suggests. [Global]

The Conservatives intend to raise their concerns about Mr. Fergus’s advertisement in the House of Commons on Tuesday. [Globe and Mail]
Why do people pretend to be Native? Hosts Robert Jago (Kwantlen First Nation and Nooksack Indian Tribe) Angel Ellis (Muscogee (Creek) Nation) begin their journey by asking someone who has been doing just that.  He’s not just your average imposter – "Grand Chief" Guillaume Carle is the king of the “pretendians", a French Canadian who made a small fortune creating his own fake First Nation and issuing phony Indian Status Cards to thousands of other identity thieves.  [Pretendians]
From the Provinces
Danielle Smith lays low as COVID politics return to Alberta
Alberta's Danielle Smith, arguably the country's most vaccine-skeptical premier, is trying to distance herself from a town hall questioning the safety of shots for children. [TorStar]
Manitoba's NDP has nominated Carla Compton, a registered nurse, as the party's candidate for the June 18 Tuxedo byelection. [Global]
Elsewhere
In India, the BJP’s WhatsApp strategy powers the political party
The Bharatiya Janata Party’s WhatsApp channel and other BJP-affiliated channels dominates the political narrative in India under Prime Minister Narendra Modi. [Rest of World]

Maryland is one of three states holding primaries tomorrow. It's also attracting outsized national attention because of the outsized amount of money being spent.Maryland's Senate race is the third most expensive nationwide behind California and Texas. That's thanks largely to the self-financed campaign of wealthy Democrat David Trone. He currently serves in the House.He's part of a wave of self-funded candidates nationwide. That rise coincides with the ever-surging cost of funding a campaign. Political ad spending in the 2024 election cycle is expected to exceed $16 billion.We discuss the cost of campaigns and how they're funded. [NPR]
Thomas Drechsel: I find that political pressure shocks (i) increase inflation strongly and persistently, (ii) lead to statistically weak negative effects on activity, (iii) contributed to inflationary episodes outside of the Nixon era, and (iv) transmit differently from standard expansionary monetary policy shocks, by having a stronger effect on inflation expectations. [National Bureau of Economic Research]
Can u spare $5 a month for this newsletter? Click now!
Media
As clicks dry up for news sites, could Apple News be a lifeline?
Executives at major magazine brands told Semafor that Apple News+ has come to represent a substantial stream of direct revenue. [Semafor]

Funding journalism with cash from big tech has become a fiasco. [The Economist]
Science and Tech
Project Astra: the future of AI at Google is fast, multi-modal assistants like Gemini Live
With the help of Gemini Pro and other language models, Google believes it can finally build truly universal digital assistants that succeed where Alexa and Siri never could. [The Verge]

Need to rename a bunch of files in Windows? File Explorer can help, but you’ll find more options with the PowerToys PowerRename tool or a third-party utility. [PCMag]
The Calendar
  • 0730 ET: Philadelphia - PM Trudeau attends the Artificial Intelligence Seoul Summit.
    0915 ET: Longeuil, QC - LPC MP Sameer Zuberi participates in the launch of the 2nd edition of the Artemis Accords Workshop
    1000 ET: St John's - Labour Min Seamus O'Regan makes a funding announcement.
    1100 ET: 315 Wellington - Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics (ETHI) | Meeting 119 - Impact of Disinformation and Misinformation on the Work of Parliamentarians
    1100 ET: 415 Wellington - Agriculture and Agri-Food (AGRI) | Meeting 104 - Briefing on the Current H5N1 Avian Flu Situation in the United States
    1100 ET: 035-B West Block - Science and Research (SRSR) | Meeting 87 - Science and Research in Canada's Arctic in Relation to Climate Change
    1100 ET: 225-A West Block - Transport, Infrastructure and Communities (TRAN) | Meeting 115 - FY25 Main Estimates. Housing and Infrastructure Min Sean Fraser to testify.
    1100 ET: 425 Wellington - the Status of Women (FEWO) | Meeting 109 - Drafting report
    1135 ET: Philadelphia - PM Trudeau meets with the President of Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Healthcare, Sharleen Stewart.
    1200 ET: National Press Theatre - Deputy PM and Fin Min Chrystia Freeland , Health Min Mark Holland and Employment Min Randy Boissonnault speak about Budget 2024.
    1400 ET: HoC Foyer - NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh and NDP MP Don Davies speak to reporters.
    1430 ET: Philadelphia - PM Trudeau speaks to the SEIU Quadrennial North American Convention
    1520 ET: Philadelphia - PM Trudeau speaks to reporters.
    1530 ET: 425 Wellington - Environment and Sustainable Development (ENVI) | Meeting 108 - Briefing SessionMinister of Environment and Climate Change Steven Guilbeault.
    1530 ET: 415 Wellington - International Trade (CIIT) | Meeting 106 - Effects of American and European seafood import policies on the fishing industry in Canada
    1530 ET: 225-A West Block - Public Accounts (PACP) | Meeting 123 - Committee Business
    1530 ET: 330 Wellington - Subcommittee on International Human Rights of the Foreign Affairs and International Development (SDIR) | Meeting 51 - Current Human Rights Situation in Iran
    1600 ET: 430 Wellington - Canadian Heritage (CHPC) | Meeting 120 - Bill C-316
    1715 ET: Philadelphia - PM Trudeau meets with Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro
    1730 ET: Philadelphia - PM Trudeau speaks at a reception hosted by Canadian diplomats.
Issued this day ...
… in 2008: Scott # 2270: Art Canada: Yousuf Karsh. Design: Hélène L’Heureux.
The the first of a three-stamps series issued this day to honour Armenian-Canadian photographer Yousuf Karsh (1908-1922). Widely acknowledged as one of the master portraitists of the 20th century, this stamp features Karsh turning the camera on himself, Self-Portrait with negative of Peggy Cummins created in 1946.

Previous Issues

Load More