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Jan 13 2024

General retires. Alberta record. Taiwan election. The Roundup

Jan 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.
Canada
Gen. Wayne Eyre, Canada’s defence chief, will retire this summer
The announcement of Gen. Wayne Eyre's plan to retire this summer comes after he has raised concerns about the readiness of the Canadian military to meet current threats. [Global]
Veteran public servant Nathalie Drouin has been named national security and intelligence adviser to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau replacing the retiring Jody Thomas. [CP]
Robert Asselin and Theo Argitis: The federal government should resist any temptation to add to the fiscal framework at a time when debt has ballooned, interest rates have increased, and growth has slowed. [The Hub]
From the provinces
Alberta sets electricity record during polar vortex-induced cold snap
The near-record Arctic temperatures that have taken hold in Alberta also led to the province setting another record in all-time demand for electricity. [Global]
"On average, every emergency physician in this province is out thousands of dollars for free work," AMA's new president of emergency medicine said in an interview. [Global]
Newly appointed Ontario Liberal Leader Bonnie Crombie is set to depart her role as mayor of Mississauga. Her departure leaves a wide-open mayoral race in the GTA. [Global]
Elsewhere
DPP’s William Lai set to win Taiwan presidential election as KMT and TPP concede
Lai, of the incumbent Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), had been vice-president and was the least preferred choice of Beijing who had labelled him as a "separatist troublemaker". The race was a competitive three-way affair and kicks off what some are calling the "Year of Mega-Elections" -- the first of more than 60 national-level elections around the globe in 2024 - DA [South China Morning Post]
China used disinformation and propaganda to try to influence Taiwan’s election. A scrappy coalition of civil society organizations fought back. [Coda]
The U.S. has launched a new strike against a Houthi location in Yemen that was determined a threat. [AP]

Strikes against Houthi by the United States and the United Kingdom in Yemen are the 'consequences' of the militant group’s attacks in the Red Sea, Canada says. [Global]

The reshuffle followed the appointment on Tuesday of 34-year-old Gabriel Attal as prime minister. [Le Monde]
Amnesty International, in partnership with The Washington Post, has unearthed shocking new details about the continued use of NSO Group's highly invasive spyware Pegasus to target prominent journalists in India, including one who had previously been a victim of an attack using the same spyware. [Amnesty International]
Media

Over the last few years, much has been written about a so-called golden age of podcasting, which many date from the launch of the true crime show Serial (2014) and a subsequent wave of ‘deep dive’ news podcasts such as The Daily from the New York Times (2017). But outside a few top shows, we still know very little about which podcasts are being consumed across countries, who uses them, or even how engaging they are for consumers. [Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism]
Donald Trump was ordered to pay nearly $400,000 in legal fees to The New York Times and three reporters he sued over a story about his family’s wealth and tax practices. [AP]
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Sci/Tech
Hertz is selling 1/3 of its electric cars to buy gas cars instead
Hertz, which has made a big push into electric vehicles in recent years, has decided its time to cut back. The company will sell off 20,000 electric vehicles and use the money they bring to purchase more gasoline powered vehicles. [CNN]

Heat pumps could help address climate change and save you money. Here’s how they work. [MIT Technology Review]
The Calendar
  • 1000 ET: Kuujuaq, QC - Governor General Mary Simon marks the 25th anniversary of the Junior Canadian Ranger Program.
  • 1200 ET: Kuujuaq, QC - Governor General  Mary Simon participates in a community feast.
  • 2100 ET: Salt Spring Island, BC - GPC MP Elizabeth May hosts a community meeting.
  • North Bay, ON - Opposition Leader Pierre Poilievre will speak to reporters. 
Issued this day ...
...  in 2014: Scott # 2701i: Lunar New Year (Series 2) — 6 — Year of the Horse. Design: Paprika. 

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