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Dec 17 2023

Terror arrests. Chopping culture. Shameless Musk. The Roundup

Dec 17, 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
Two national security sources said the alleged plot was believed to be religiously motivated and targeted against the Jewish community.  [Global]
Canada's strategy to fight radicalization focuses on helping youths build “resilience” against extremist narratives. Is it working? [Global]
“As we step back from CN, we are earnest in our belief that CN has missed the mark on reconciliation,” said a joint statement from Roberta Jamieson and Murray Sinclair, the former commissioner of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. Sinclair said a confidentiality agreement prevented him from providing information about the advisory council or its activities. [APTN]
From the provinces
Relance du Parti libéral du Québec | « Je suis fier de porter le nom Charest »
Antoine Dionne Charest est né dans les coulisses du pouvoir. Lors du dernier référendum sur la souveraineté du Québec, en 1995, il n’avait que 7 ans. Ça ne l’a pas empêché d’organiser dans sa chambre d’enfance, à Gatineau, son propre petit comité du camp du Non. Une sorte de baptême de la politique, qui ne l’a plus jamais quitté. [La Presse]

Speaker Randy Weekes is the second incumbent Saskatchewan Party MLA to be beaten by a challenger during the nomination process. [Leader Post]

Kevin Goudreau spewed a homophobic, racist and anti-Jewish hate speech towards his neighbours in March 2022.
Elsewhere
Trump reiterates anti-immigrant rhetoric at New Hampshire rally
Former President Donald Trump doubled down on language condemned for its ties to White supremacist rhetoric, saying at a campaign event in New Hampshire on Saturday that immigrants are “poisoning the blood of our country.” [CNN]
Also on the chopping block ... was the Ministry of Women, Gender and Diversity. Several other ministries were downsized and recombined into new entities. The Ministry of Social Development, Ministry of Education and Ministry of Labour, Employment and Social Security will be pared down into a newly formed Ministry of Human Capital [The Art Newspaper]

The plans show how, as a North American architect tries to add bedrooms, the size – and therefore cost – of the apartment balloons faster than it would in a point access block design in Europe or Asia. [Center for Building in North America, Inc.]
Joe Biden’s 2024 reelection campaign is coming into focus, and it doesn’t look so much like Obama’s. Is that a bad thing? Some Democratic organizers and campaigners think so. [Campaigns and Elections]
There are a myriad of ways you can kick off your campaign, but there are more things to consider this year with redistricting on the horizon. [Campaigns and Elections]
Media
'Shameless': Reporters Without Borders rebukes X for claiming to support it
X recently claimed to support the press advocacy group Reporters Without Borders — which in response called X "a haven for disinformation." [NPR]
Are you feeling permanently stressed and overworked? It could be due to your social media consumption. Reducing it by as little as 30 minutes a day makes a difference. [Ruhr-Universität Bochum]

The Canadian Press is looking for a strong writer, an aggressive and versatile reporter and an energetic self-starter to fill one the most important jobs in Canadian journalism: covering the United States for Canadians from Washington, D.C. [The Canadian Press]
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Sci/Tech
Proton finally has a desktop app. The Swiss company, known for its privacy-focused alternatives to the Google Workspace apps, revealed a Windows and macOS application on Thursday that includes Proton Mail and Proton Calendar. [Endgadget]
These AI-generated news anchors are freaking me out
Channel 1's eerily real newscasters suggest a tumultuous future for online video. [Ars Technica]

In previous versions of iOS 17, you could only disable inline predictive text by turning off predictive text wholesale – which meant you would also lose the predicted words that appear above the keyboard as you type. Fortunately, in iOS 17.2 you can now toggle off inline predictive text separately without disabling the predictive suggestions. [MacRumors]
An aerial viewpoint takes your photography and videography to the next level. Tested and reviewed by CNET, these drones can help you up your game. [CNET]
Issued this day ...
... in 1999: Sc 1820 - pane of 4: Millennium Collection — Extraordinary Entertainers. Design: (clockwise from top left): Fraser Ross, Avi Dunkelman, Yvon Laroche, Russ Wilms.
This was the third quartet of stamps to be issued during 1999-2000 of the 17 (!) quartets marking the millennium. Each quartet featured Canadian accomplishments in particular areas. This group contains four notable Canadian entertainers, clockwise from top left, singer Portia White, pianist Glenn Gould, singer and guitarist Félix Leclerc, and band leader Guy Lombardo. 

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