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Mar 3 2023

Spy chief alarm. Blogger registry. News apps.

Mar 3, 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
Canada's spy chief sounds alarm about foreign election interference
As we did on Wednesday night's Global National, so Mackenzie Gray and I did again on Thursday's edition: Mac has the play-by-play from the Commons committee probing foreign election interference and I follow with some thoughts about a PM who appears to have concluded "an inquiry if necessary, but not necessarily an inquiry." Click on the image above or click here to watch .[Global National via YouTube]

Conservatives amended the motion to call for the inquiry to investigate the abuse of diaspora groups by hostile foreign governments. [National Post]

The Conservative national campaign director for the 2021 federal election says a national inquiry is not the right way to get answers on foreign election interference. [CBC]
From the Provinces
Judge issues arrest warrant to get defendant into courtroom as 'Freedom Rally' organizer's trial begins
The assault trial for one of the leaders of the Okanagan's "Freedom Rally" protest movement began Wednesday amid unusual scenes at provincial court in Kelowna, B.C., where dozens of his supporters were denied entry after refusing to have their bags searched. [CBC]
‘It’s time to get that work done’ says NDP leader Rachel Notley. On the pre-campaign trail ...

As more than 1,500 Ontario Liberals gather in Hamilton for the party’s largest convention in a generation, there’s a growing sense the Grits are on the comeback trail after consecutive disastrous elections. [TorStar]
Elsewhere
Florida bill would require bloggers who write about governor, legislators to register with the state
The bill proposed by Republican state Sen. Jason Brodeur would also require bloggers who write about state officials to disclose who is paying them and how much. [NBC]
Donald Trump is planning to visit Iowa in mid-March, a first foray to the leadoff caucus state since announcing his 2024 White House campaign. [AP]
COVID and Vaccines
Based on excess mortality calculations there’s mounting evidence that the Covid-19 pandemic has taken a massive toll on global life expectancy. Not since the famine in China in 1959, have we seen such a sharp decline in life expectancy worldwide.  [Forbes]
Media
Apple News too corporate for you? Try this app
OptOut aims to be a daily news app "100% free from corporate media narratives." [Nieman Lab]
Tech
Where Twitter asks "What's happening?," Bluesky asks "What's up?" [TechCrunch]
Issued this day ...
... in 2003. Sc #1984: Canadian Rangers. Design Charles Olivier Hill and Dennis George Page.
The Canadian Rangers were initially formed up on this day -- March 3 -- in 1942 in response to the threat of Japanese attack on the Pacific Coast.
Today, Rangers are a sub-component of the Canadian Army Reserve who live and work in remote, isolated, and coastal regions of Canada," DND says on its website. "They provide light-equipped, self-sufficient mobile forces to support Canadian Armed Forces national security and public safety operations within Canada. Canadian Rangers receive up to 12 days annual pay in addition to compensation for any official CAF taskings."

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