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Oct 10 2023

Complete siege. GM strike. Internet freedom. The Roundup

Oct 10, 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.
Elsewhere
Israel orders "complete siege" of Gaza as crisis escalates
Israel has ordered a "complete siege" of Gaza, cutting off power, food and water to one of the most densely populated and impoverished strips of land in the world. Jeff Semple reports from Jerusalem, looking at the fears of Gaza’s civilians over Israel’s retaliation. He also speaks with the son of humanitarian Vivian Silver, one of the Canadians kidnapped by Hamas during their initial attack.
Israel says more than 100 hostages are now being held by Hamas militants. Redmond Shannon explains why such an operation could prove to be extremely difficult and dangerous.
Hundreds of people were killed in the attacks on Israel by Hamas, including 33-year-old Montreal man Alexandre Look, while several other Canadians are among those missing or captured. Touria Izri reports on what's known about Look's death.
With Israel and Hamas locked into a violent conflict with no end in sight, people in the neighbouring country of Lebanon are worried that they will be drawn into the crisis as well. Crystal Goomansingh reports from Beirut.
And Jackson Proskow looks at how the violence may have triggered a global chain reaction. [Global National]
Canadian-Israeli Vivian Silver is believed to be among the dozens of civilian hostages held by Hamas, following the militant group's coordinated weekend attack on Israeli soil. [Global]
Today, we — President Macron of France, Chancellor Scholz of Germany, Prime Minister Meloni of Italy, Prime Minister Sunak of the United Kingdom, and President Biden of the United States — express our steadfast and united support to the State of Israel, and our unequivocal condemnation of Hamas and its appalling acts of terrorism. That's the G7 -- except for Canada and Japan.  [The White House]
The Israeli army says it has recovered the bodies of 1,500 Hamas militants near the border. Gaza is being completely blockaded, and heavily bombed. [BBC]

So far as Yale historian Timothy Snyder can figure out, his is the only university undergrand course in the U.S. on the history of Ukraine. And here it is -- free for you to audit -- on Coursera. I went through the 20+ lectures via podcasts earlier this year. Excellent background and context for today's events in Ukraine. - DA. [Coursera]
Canada
Palestinians gather for rallies in Canada, Trudeau speaks at Jewish community centre
 Pro-Palestinian demonstrators spilled onto streets in several Canadian cities on Thanksgiving Day while the prime minister and Opposition leader spoke at a vigil at a Jewish community centre. [CP]
In the wake of Saturday's attack, multiple major airlines including Air Canada have suspended flights out of Israel due to the conflict. [Global]
Unifor workers have kicked off strike action at General Motors. [Global]
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From the provinces
Dan Lett: Manitoba Progressive Conservative campaign architect ‘stands firm’ on party’s far-right turn on the way to opposition benches. [Wpg Free Press]

See the Twitter thread 👇 from one of the key architects of Brian Pallister's back-to-back majorities who takes issue with Larkin's conclusions ...
Saskatchewan politicians are heading back to legislature, preparing for a pronoun fight that some political observers say could alter the province's electoral landscape. [Global]

... Saskatchewan's laws put government agencies themselves in charge of what they ultimately disclose. [Commissioner] Kruzeniski's office can review requests and make recommendations, but he has no power to force agencies to release information and they face no penalty for refusing to do so. [CBC]
Media
Brewster Kahle: In addition to political censorship and budget cuts, libraries are being undermined by rapacious digital licensing agreements. [The Guardian]

This study analyzes 4189 newspaper articles and over 1.23 million tweets about the 2020 Black Lives Matter movement from the perspective of network intermedia agenda-setting (IAS). The findings show that both platforms attach significance to the substantive attributes of policing, violence, and systemic racism. Notably, while the newspapers’ overall agenda had a supportive tone, Twitter used a condemning tone. Moreover, the newspapers were more influential in terms of IAS, particularly in setting political and cultural attribute agendas. No IAS effects were found on the affective attributes. Furthermore, the IAS effects on the combined substantive and affective attributes have shrunk significantly. The newspapers were more influential in terms of the bundled substantive attribute agendas as well. This study advances agenda-setting research by examining multiple network agenda dimensions and introducing an affective attribute scale. These are intended to help understand which media could exert a stronger influence on what attribute agendas and how. [Journalism]
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Sci/Tech

You may not be shocked to hear that governments are using generative AI to manipulate conversations and automatically censor what’s online. But now we have a better sense of how this is happening, when, and where: a new report shows that political actors in 16 countries, including Pakistan, Nigeria, and the United States, have used generative AI over the past year to exert increased control over the internet. [MIT Technology Review]
A new solar desalination system takes in saltwater and heats it with natural sunlight. The system flushes out accumulated salt, so replacement parts aren’t needed often, meaning the system could potentially produce drinking water that is cheaper than tap water. [MIT Technology Review]
The Calendar
  • 0915 ET: Toronto - International Trade Min Mary Ng attends an Canada-Africa Chamber of Business event.
  • 1000 ET: Montreal - Transport Min Pablo Rodriguez makes a funding announcement. 
  • 1000 ET: Edmundston, NB - LPC MP René Arseneault makes a funding announcement. 
  • 1000 ET: Thunder Bay, ON - Indigenous Services Min Patty Hajdu makes a funding announcement. 
  • 1015 ET: Centre Burlington, NS - ACOA Min Gudie Hutchings tours Sustainable Blue facilities.
  • 1100 ET: Centre Burlington, NS - ACOA Min Gudie Hutchings meets with technology company representatives
  • 1100 ET: Halifax - LPC MP Lena Metlege Diab and LPC MP Andy Fillmore make a funding announcement. 
  • 1130 ET: Crapaud, PE - Labour Min Seamus O'Regan makes a funding announcement. 
  • 1130 ET: Vancouver - Health Min Mark Holland and Emergency Preparedness Minister Harjit Sajjan makes a funding announcement. 
  • 1200 ET: St Peter's, NS - LPC MP Mike  Kelloway  makes an infrastructure funding announcement.
  • 1245 ET: Glooscap First Nation, NS - ACOA Min Gudie Hutchings meets with Chief Peters.
  • 1430 ET: Coldbrook, NS - ACOA Min Gudie Hutchings makes a funding announcement. 
  • 1500 ET: Winnipeg - LPC MP Ben Carr and LPC MP Terry Duguid make an infrastructure funding announcement.
  • 1500 ET: Saint-Basile, QC - LPC MP René Arseneault makes a funding announcement. 
  • 1545 ET: Coldbrook, NS - ACOA Min Gudie Hutchings speaks to economic development groups.
  • PM Trudeau will start his day in Ottawa with private meetings before travelling to Yellowknife.
Issued this day ...
... in 1996: Sc 1626a se-tenant horizontal strip of 5: Canadian Authors. Design: Alain Leduc.
A rather interesting group Canada Post selected for their philatelic honour:  from left, Sc 1622 Margaret Laurence, Sc 1623 Donald Creighton, Sc 1624 Gabrielle Roy, Sc 1625 Felix-Antoine Savard, and Sc 1626 Thomas Chandler Haliburton.

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