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Apr 14 2023

Russian attacks. Calgary crucial. Mean Tweets.

Apr 14, 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
Trudeau urges anti-abortion PPC supporter to ‘do a little more thinking’ 
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, on a tour of the University of Manitoba, engaged in a debate about abortion with a young PPC supporter. [Global]

During an appearance in Regina, the Prime Minister said the government will not touch the 1930 act dictating natural resource jurisdiction. [Leader Post]

Pro-Russian groups have claimed responsibility for recent cyberattacks, including on Justin Trudeau's website and those for critical infrastructure providers. [Global]

Both sides are at the bargaining table and want to reach a deal, but the union has threatened 'one of the largest strikes in Canadian history' if one is not reached. [Global]
The latest report from the Parliamentary Budget Office, reviewing some of the parameters of the federal budget. -DA
From the provinces
"Albertans deserve to know whether they are on the verge of selecting a premier whose views are deeply extreme and offside with the opinions of the vast majority of Albertans." [Global]
Jason Markusoff: Calgarians largely see themselves in the ideological centre, and the NDP's Rachel Notley is viewed as left of centre. The UCP leader, though, strays farther from the voters in the middle. [CBC]
Philippe Fournier: With seven weeks to go until voting day, it’s Danielle Smith’s race to lose. [Politico]
'Even if you received some support from the government, even if you have some savings, you are still afraid. What will happen in one month if I will not find a job?'
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Elsewhere
Norway’s government says it's expelling 15 Russian diplomats from the country because they were suspected of spying while working at the Russian Embassy in Oslo. Foreign Minister Anniken Huitfeldt said the move was “an important measure to counter and reduce the scope of Russian intelligence activities in Norway, and thereby secure our national interests.” [AP]
The entire Russian Pacific Fleet has been put on high alert for snap drills that will involve practice missile launches. The massive show of force comes amid the tensions with the West over the fighting in Ukraine. Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said the goal of the war games launched Friday was to test the Russian military's capability to mount a response to aggression.  [AP]
China's foreign minister says the country won’t sell weapons to either side in the war in Ukraine.  China has maintained that it is neutral in the conflict, while backing Russia politically, rhetorically and economically at a time when Western nations have imposed punishing sanctions and sought to isolate Moscow for its invasion of its neighbor.  [AP]

The Netherlands’ most notorious conspiracy theorist was sentenced to prison, after spreading lies about satanic pedophiles in the town of Bodegraven. [Wired]
Media
Government Departments Pressure Social Media Sites to Censor News Links, Mean Tweets
Michael Geist: The risks associated with the government’s online harms (or online safety) plans is not limited to Canadian Heritage’s credibility gap, which as I've recounted has included omitting key information in its public reports on consultations and shocking efforts to exclude contrary voices altogether. A new report, based on the government's response to a Parliamentary Written Question from Conservative MP Dean Allison (Sessional Paper No. 8555-441-1219) raises new concerns about efforts to censor social media [Blog]
"I spoke to several journalists, experts, and fact-checkers to assess the dangers posed by visual generative AI. When seeing is no longer believing, what are the implications this technology has on misinformation? How will this impact journalists and fact-checkers who debunk hoaxes? Will our information channels be flooded with “propaganda and untruth”?" [Reuters Institute]

Microsoft and Clear will collaborate with LinkedIn to verify your workplace. [ZDNet]
Tech
Regular expressions are built into many programming languages and used to match, search, and transform patterns of text in your programs. Get started with Regex. Not just for programmers. Reporters, researchers will find Regex a handy tool to sort, process, search and wrangle large amounts of text. [InfoWorld]
Issued this day ...
... in 1971: Scott # 535: Maple Leaves in Four Seasons: Spring. Design: Alma Duncan.
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