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Feb 11 2024

Parking problem. Hamas tunnel. Enemy Flipper: The Roundup

Feb 11, 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
Could the way Canadians park vehicles be part of the housing crisis?
Experts say Canada's regulations around parking, which in many cases is free, contributes to Canada’s housing crisis. What can be done about it? [Global]
Most of the specific changes — and how much they cost — remain secret, but the National Capital Commission said that it paid $15,817 to build a new fence. [TorStar]
Leader of the Conservative Party of Canada, Pierre Poilievre, made a stop in Squamish last week.  Poilievre, the federal leader of the opposition, posted on X, "Sat down to listen to Squamish Nation Elders earlier today," on Thursday, Feb. 8.  [Squamish Chief]

Si des élections fédérales ont lieu après avril prochain, la ministre se représentera dans une nouvelle circonscription appelée Gaspésie–Les Îles-de-la-Madeleine–Listuguj, qui englobera la circonscription actuelle d’Avignon–La Mitis–Matane–Matapédia, représentée par la bloquiste Kristina Michaud. [La Presse]
Information supplied to the Deputy Minister of Employment and Social Development, Paul Thompson as of September 18, 2023. Just posted to the federal government's Open Data Portal. [Government of Canada]
From the provinces
The NDP perform best in the cities while the Saskatchewan Party has strongholds across the north and south in rural communities. First time I've ever come across this particularly pollster: Insightrix. [Regina Leader-Post]

B.C. United has been dogged by poor polling number since the name change from the B.C. Liberals but insiders say star candidates will inject new blood into the party. [Vancouver Sun]
The UCP claims the NDP is breaking rules around membership sales and tax credits, while the party describes the complaint as "spurious." [Edmonton Journal]

This reversal to advertise with Facebook is problematic for a government advocating economic nationalism to control the nation’s economy and culture. [TorStar]
Elsewhere
Hamas had command tunnel under U.N. Gaza headquarters, Israeli military says
Israeli Army engineers took reporters for foreign news outlets through the passages at a time of crisis for UNRWA, which has launched an internal probe and seen a string of donor countries freeze funding over allegations last month by Israel that some of its staff doubled as Hamas operatives. [Reuters]
The United Arab Emirates and Jordan join the countries sounding the alarm over Israel’s planned military operation in the southern Gaza city of Rafah, where over one million Palestinians are sheltering amid the ongoing military campaign that has been progressing in the direction of the Egypt border. [The Times of Israel]
Trump issued this unhinged threat while telling one of his “sir” stories, a rhetorical device in which some unnamed interlocutor shows Trump great deference while humbly seeking his advice. He described a meeting, ostensibly when he was in office, in which he responded to an ally about NATO funding. [The Atlantic]
European allies worry a second Trump presidential term could jeopardize the US commitment to NATO. [Reuters]
Col. Gen. Oleksandr Syrskyi's remarks appeared to align with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s stated aim of bringing “renewal” to the armed forces with Thursday’s shake-up. [Global]
Media
How Silicon Valley Tech Bros Ruined Media
In 30 years as a tech reporter, Kara Swisher had a front-row seat to Silicon Valley’s obliteration of the media. In ‘Burn Book,’ she shares what she learned from covering Mark Zuckerberg, Elon Musk, Larry Page, and the other tech titans. [New York Magazine]
Noah Shachtman, the magazine’s editor in chief since 2021, is resigning because of editorial differences with the chief executive, Gus Wenner. [NYT]
Pleased to congratulate the just-elected executive of Canada's Parliamentary Press Gallery, an organization which, you may not know, is older than the country itself, and which elects its executives from its 330+ members. 
  • President: Mia Rabson ,  The Canadian Press
  • Vice-President: Boris Proulx,  Le Devoir
  • Treasurer: Elizabeth Thompson, CBC News
  • Secretary: John Paul Tasker, CBC News
DIRECTORS:
  • Valérie Gamache, Radio-Canada
  • Rachel Hanes, CTV
  • Stephanie Levitz, Toronto Star
  • David Richard, Radio-Canada
  • Noah Richardson, CPAC
  • Guillaume St-Pierre,  Le Journal de Québec
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Sci/Tech
Why "Shot On iPhone" Commercials Look So Good! Ft. Claudio Miranda
Really interesting feature here for anyone creating video -- particularly those working with Apple's high-end iPhones. - DA [YouTube]
How do you ban a device built with open source hardware and software anyway? [Ars Technica]
In most countries surveyed, around nine-in-ten or more adults are online. In South Korea, 99% of adults use the internet. Canada not far behind ... [Pew Research Center]
"FortiGuard Labs has not observed Mirai or other IoT botnets target toothbrushes or similar embedded devices." This 'hacked toothbrush' story was one of the most popular of the last week among readers of this newsletter. May be worth re-visiting! [404 Media]
Known for doing business with far-right extremist websites, Epik has been acquired by a company that specializes in helping businesses keep their operations secret. [Wired]

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