Jan 3, 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
Canada urged to defend trade interests ahead of U.S. election, CUSMA review
The Canadian Chamber of Commerce says now is the time for a co-ordinated outreach campaign by the federal, provincial and municipal governments to protect cross-border trade. [Global]
For more than a year, Canada has been mulling the creation of a foreign agent registry to fight interference in the country's democratic processes. [Global]
Air Canada ended the year 2023 at the bottom of the list for its punctuality among large North American carriers, a new report says. [Global]
From the provinces

As Saskatchewan stops collecting the federal carbon price for home heating, the minister responsible for SaskEnergy says he doesn't believe the move should affect rebates. [Global]

Most gas stations in Winnipeg are hovering around $1.15 a litre. Some welcome this discount at the pumps, but climate activists say the money could be put to better use. [Global]
Elsewhere
China targets friendly media, diplomats to ‘tell story of Xinjiang’
Beijing organises visits to region where it is accused of potential crimes against humanity, but not all are convinced. An Albanian-Canadian journalist is among those who took the tour. Interesting read... [Al Jazeera]
The head of mainland China’s Taiwan Affairs Song Tao Office repeats Beijing’s warnings against independence and says voters should follow the right path. [South China Morning Post]
Israeli forces stormed the site in November, drawing intense international scrutiny and criticism. [NYT]
She’s surging in the polls, and Trump’s operation is officially going negative against “High Tax Haley.” [Daily Beast]
A new website has made available a database of anyone serving in a top-ranking position in the [United States] federal government, offering new insight that advocates said will boost transparency and better prepare new administrations to transition into power. [Government Executive]
Media
Headlines are now appearing over images on X posts that link to articles, which makes it a lot easier to know what you’re clicking on. X removed the headlines in 2023. [The Verge]
A new set of guidelines was developed by a coalition of 17 organizations, including ICIJ. [Intl Consortium of Investigative Journalists]
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Sci/Tech
 The Internet Is About to Get Weird Again
The internet seems ripe for change, and millions of people seem poised to connect in new ways, as they reconsider their relationship to technology. [Rolling Stone]
Boom, a firm based in Colorado, is preparing to test fly a small prototype soon. If successful, the firm will build an 80-seater aircraft called Overture, capable of Mach 1.7. Boom claims it will be able to do this more economically and quietly than Concorde using conventional jets with specially designed intakes and exhaust nozzles, which avoid the need for afterburners. [The Economist]
Issued this day ...
Issued this day in 2002: Scott #1933: Lunar New Year — 6: Year of the Horse. Design: Gilbert Li, Carey George, Ian Rapsey, Amy Chan, and Dean Martin.