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Dec 27 2023

Nuclear choice. Lawbreaking Moe. Election trust. The Roundup

Dec 27, 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
Can Poilievre, federal Conservatives sustain rising popularity?
Federal Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre and his party are ending the year with a major lead in the polls over Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and the Liberals. David Akin looks at how Poilievre has built support, and what he needs to do to keep the momentum going. [Global National]
More Canadians are spending more of their income on housing, with the federal government responding by unveiling a variety of new programs and spending announcements. But as Mackenzie Gray explains, the factors causing rising costs are not easy to fix. [Global National]
A critical milestone is on the horizon for Canada's 175-year-long plan to bury its nuclear waste underground, with two pairs of Ontario communities set to decide if they would be willing hosts. [Global]
From the provinces
Premier Moe says it's 'unfortunate' for Saskatchewan to break federal emissions law
Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe once said a fundamental pillar of Canadian democracy is the rule of law. His province is now prepared to break it. [CP]

The directive, which aims to reduce distractions in class, enters into force Dec. 31 and applies to public elementary and secondary schools, but it offers teachers flexibility to let students use phones for specific pedagogical purposes. [CP]
The Newfoundland and Labrador Liberal Party has shed its red for new branding ahead of the upcoming byelection in Conception Bay East-Bell Island — showing off largely white signs that feature candidate Fred Hutton's name but no party logo. [Yahoo News]
Elsewhere
How Russian and Chinese Interference Could Affect the 2024 Election
The stakes for Russia in the presidential vote are large. Other adversaries also might try to deepen divisions among American voters. [NYT]
With the Republican primaries nearing, a new poll finds that party members aren't sure votes in the presidential nominating contest will be counted accurately. Democrats, by contrast, are much more confident in the voting process. [AP]
Instead of just stealing trade secrets, the FBI and other agencies believe China could use AI to gather and stockpile data on Americans at a scale that was never before possible. China has been linked to a number of significant thefts of personal data over the years, and artificial intelligence could be used as an “amplifier” to support further hacking operations, FBI Director Christopher Wray said, speaking at a press conference in Silicon Valley earlier this year. [WSJ]

The spread of clandestine fentanyl labs in Canada could undermine U.S. enforcement efforts. [WaPo]
Mr. Navalny’s new penal colony, officially known as IK-3 Polar Wolf, is in the settlement of Kharp and is among the harshest and remotest prisons in Russia. Inmates endure long, dark, cold winters as well as clouds of mosquitoes in the summer. The penal colony is a successor to a Gulag labor camp, established there for prison workers building a railway across the Russian Arctic, ordered by Stalin, but never finished in full. [NYT]
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Sci/Tech

The quantum computer revolution may be further off and more limited than many have been led to believe. That’s the message coming from a small but vocal set of prominent skeptics in and around the emerging quantum computing industry. [IEEE Spectrum]
Issued this day ...
... in 1991: Scott #1357 Domestic First-Class Rate. Design: Yousuf Karsh, Tom Yakobina. 

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