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Mar 6 2023

Climate threat. Birth control. Twitter speech.

Mar 6, 2023
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
Climate change poses ‘long-term’ threat to Canada’s security, spy agency warns
CSIS spells out several concerns presented by global warming, ranging from looming dangers to Arctic, coastal and border security to serious pressures on food and water supplies. [Global]
Former government and security officials say Ottawa should work to craft and pass legislation that strengthen foreign interference laws this year, before investigations conclude. [Global]
'That's something we absolutely have the ability to do,' NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh said about revisiting the confidence-and-supply agreement with the Liberal government. [Global]

Selon le ministre du Patrimoine, les trois quarts des Canadiens puisent leurs nouvelles en ligne. [Radio-Canada]
From the Provinces
Québec solidaire veut rendre les moyens de contraception gratuits
 Québec solidaire (QS) réitère dimanche sa proposition électorale de rendre gratuits les produits de contraception sous ordonnance. [La Presse]

When prescription contraception becomes free on April 1, it will be the culmination of an effort that began 7 years ago by AccessBC. [Vancouver Sun]
The Centre for Research Action on Race Relations (CRARR) will help a biracial teen and his mother file a formal complaint with the Human Rights and Youth Rights Commission. [Global]
Elsewhere
Two Ukrainian pilots are in the U.S. for training assessment on attack aircraft, including F-16s
Their arrival marks the first time Ukrainian pilots have traveled to the U.S. to have their skills evaluated by American military trainers. [NBC]

Bakhmut, Ukraine armed forces, military, Russia's war, Wagner, casualties, Kostiantynivka, mortars, infantry, artillery, vehicles. [Kyiv Independent]

Donald Trump basked in affection from activists at CPAC on Saturday. But his campaign is preparing for an ugly, protracted primary fight for the nomination — and pledging even an indictment would not stop him. [NYT]

After a decade in Chinese President Xi Jinping’s shadow, Li Keqiang is taking his final bow as the country's premier, marking a shift away from the skilled technocrats who have helped steer the world’s second-biggest economy in favor of officials known mainly for their unquestioned loyalty to China’s most powerful leader in recent history. [AP]
COVID and Vaccines
The body of evidence expands. [Eric Topol]
Media

“If we hadn’t called Arizona,” said Suzanne Scott, the network’s chief executive, according to a recording reviewed by The New York Times, “our ratings would have been bigger.” [NYT]
A tutorial on how to build datasets from the hidden feeds powering almost every website on the internet. [The Markup]
Twitter has unveiled a new policy on violent speech that expands restrictions on some types of threats uttered on its platform, including new prohibitions on using coded language to incite violence indirectly as well as a ban on wishing harm on others and on making direct threats against physical infrastructure. [CNN]
Tech
The retention problem: Women are going into tech but are also being driven out
Vandana Singh: Women are severely underrepresented in tech. Strength in numbers – communities for women and women mentoring women – can counter tech’s sexist culture and help retain women in the field. [The Conversation]
Issued this day ...
Issued this day in 1980: Sc #850a PB: Academy of Arts. Design: Jean Morin.
Scott
There were four stamps issued on this day in 1980 to mark the centenary of the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts. This is one pair of them.

The Academy was the forerunner to what would be come the National Gallery of Canada where you can find the painting by Robert Harris (1849-1919) titled A Meeting of the School Trustees (1885). It is one my favourites. Harris, the Gallery says, drew inspiration for this painting after meeting with Kate Anderson, a rural schoolteacher in Long Creek, PE.

The other image featured in this pair is a detail from the sculpture Inspiration (1904)  by Louis-Philippe Hébert (1815-1917). That piece is also part of the National Gallery’s collection.

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