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Jan 5 2024

Liberal Tory. Trudeau’s vacay. Extreme weather. The Roundup

Jan 5, 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
‘We’re just getting gouged’: Rogers, Bell to raise prices on some phone plans
Rogers and Bell will both soon raise the prices of some of their wireless phone plans, adding more pressure on top of the rising cost of living. Mackenzie Gray explains how a lack of competition among major cellphone carriers in Canada is contributing to the problem, and looks at the reaction of some frustrated Canadians over the imminent increases. [Global National]

A man who initially sought the Conservative nomination for a Greater Toronto Area riding has instead become the Liberal candidate in an upcoming byelection. [CP]
The PM stayed in a private compound at a luxury beach resort in Jamaica that rents for over $9,300 per night, provided to him at no cost. [National Post]
Stiffer new bail measures are now in effect that require more accused violent offenders to show why they should be granted release. [Global]
A federal tribunal has ordered the Senate to restore an executive who said he was fired on the basis of racial discrimination. [CP]
A trailblazing lawyer, constitutional expert and legal wordsmith, she held the pen on the final draft of the Constitution Act. During her time as ethics commissioner, Dawson ruled that PM J Trudeau broke the Conflict of Interest Act, the first time in history a Canadian prime minister was judged to have broken a federal law. Dawson began that investigation after Chris Selley and I first reported in the National Post that Trudeau had vacationed on the Aga Khan's private island in the Bahamas. [Ottawa Citizen]
From the provinces
Alberta facing water restrictions, ‘agricultural disaster’ if drought conditions persist
"We're seeing climate change now. This is what it looks like,” Canada Research Chair in Water Resources and Climate Change John Pomeroy said. [Global]
The western chorus frog is about as small as your thumb, but it could prove to be a large obstacle to Premier Doug Ford’s plans for building Highway 413.  [CBC]

The Saskatchewan government has earmarked the General Revenue Fund and/or existing SaskEnergy funds for potential carbon tax remittance. [Regina Leader Post]
Elsewhere
Extreme weather is coming to most of the U.S. Here are 7 key events
U.S. weather is about to go crazy. From tornadoes to blizzards to massive waves, here are seven things to watch. [WaPo]
Colorado and Maine, which blocked former President Donald J. Trump from the ballot, have grappled with the harassment of officials. [NYT]
Numerous scenarios could leave the outcome of the 2024 presidential election in the hands of a small group of people. [Brookings]

Cai Qi, president’s chief of staff, calls for ‘positive publicity and public opinion guidance’. Beijing is trying to revive confidence in the economy as the country grapples with a downturn. [South China Morning Post]
Media
Is Optimism Wired or Tired?
Om Malik: When I think about optimism, I wonder what is the role of media, particularly the technology media. Wired is a perfect example. It was a magazine that often gave us context for the future and all the technologies that were coming our way. It presented a scenario that inspired and gave us hope. Today, when you look through the magazine, it feels like just another run-of-the-mill magazine, that is focused on highlighting the dark side of technology and all the havoc it’s going to wreak on the world. [Om Blog]
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Sci/Tech

The Model Y Long Range and Performance trims each lost about 20 miles of range, with no change in pricing. RWD Model Y is unchanged. [Electrek]
Today, we’re diving into the realm of time series, where data dances along the temporal dimension. To join this rhythmic analysis, we’ll first learn how to convert our trusty data frames into time series objects—the heart of time-based exploration in R. [Steve's Data Tips and Tricks]
The Calendar
  • 1230 ET: Dieppe, NB - Public Safety Minister Dominic LeBlanc and Veterans Affairs Min Ginette Petitpas Taylor make an infrastructure funding announcement.
Issued this day ...
Issued this day in 2000: Sc 1836: Lunar New Year — 4 - Year of the Dragon — Dragon and Chinese Symbol. Design: Ken Fung and Ken Koo. Illustration by Samuel Tseng.

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