Past issues Subscribe

Aug 14 2025

The Roundup: Byelection turnout. Emergency loans. Legault's future.

THU AUG 14 2025
David Akin's Roundup
Byelection turnout. Emergency loans. Legault's future.
Canada
Carney, other world leaders meet ahead of Trump-Putin summit on Ukraine war
"It is vital to secure credible guarantees to enable Ukraine to defend its territorial integrity and sovereignty," Carney said in a statement issued after the meeting. He also emphasized that "decisions on the future of Ukraine must be made by Ukrainians." [CP]
The money was for costs incurred when eight women who had traveled to the Middle East to join the Islamic State returned to Canada with their children in 2022 and 2023. Newly-released documents show Global Affairs Canada paid for business class flights, stays at the Montreal Airport Marriott, room service, chips, chocolate bars and Timbits. [Global]
Turnout is very strong so far in this crazy by-election race where Pierre Poilievre is trying to best 200+ other candidates. In the April general election, 14,434 voted in advance polls. Well, Elections Canada, here says 14,454 voted in the by-election's advance polls. Can't say I've seen that before. - DA [Elections Canada]
Michelle Rempel Garner accused Ottawa of "inaction" on wildfires. She also blamed that lack of action for new measures restricting activities in the forests of two provinces — even though those bans were imposed by the provinces themselves. [CP]
Canada imported more vehicles from Mexico than the U.S. in June for the first time in three decades. [Financial Post]
This is big news on Bay Street but also notable for political news junkies. Mark Mulroney -- the son, of course, of Brian -- was, for a time a few years ago, an occasional presence at Parliament Hill events. One had the sense he was looking to broaden his political network possibly as a prelude to a run for the leadership of the Conservative Party. But if there were any such feelers they ended with Pierre Poilievre came along. Mulroney, close associates have told me, has been supporter, financially and otherwise, of Poilievre. The Conservatives will hold a leadership review in the coming months and Poilievre may well triumph. But if he does not, it would seem that with this move to CIBC,  Mulroney, who is 46, is ruling out a move to politics at least for the time being. - DA [Globe and Mail](🎁 link)
The Provinces
$1.2B ferry deal with China should be cancelled over canola tariffs, BC Opposition demands
The leader of B.C.’s official opposition is calling for the province to cancel BC Ferries’ multi-billion-dollar contract with a Chinese shipyard in the wake of China’s latest tariffs on Canada. 
BC Ferries has faced criticism from all sides since announcing this spring it would purchase its next four vessels from China Merchants Industry Weihai Shipyards (CMI Weihai) after a lengthy open bid process. [Global]
“This new program will provide companies in the steel, aluminum and auto sectors – some of the hardest hit by U.S. tariffs — with up to $1 billion in funding support,” Bethlenfalvy explained. “And will provide some much-needed relief for Ontario businesses who are facing working capital challenges as a result of tariffs, including payroll, lease and utility payments.” [Global]
After the CAQ’s byelection loss in Arthabaska, Quebec Premier François Legault is looking for a way to reboot his party. He recognized that Quebecers are disappointed with his government and its handling of several files, including Northvolt and the SAAQclic fiasco. [CBC]

Premier Danielle Smith and 15 other members of her Alberta Next panel are scheduled to be in Edmonton to brainstorm with people about possible future referendum questions. The premier has said one of the reasons for the panel is to address concerns that are inspiring separatist sentiment in the province. [CP]
The territory says it will unite efforts and enhance communication to improve safety and better respond to gender-based violence in northern communities. [CP]
Alberta has an estimated population in 2025 of 5 million people. Here is a new dataset, published by the Government of Alberta, distributed through the federal government's Open Data portal, and based on estimates from Statistics Canada and Alberta's Treasury Board  that suggests Alberta will have anwyhere from 6 million to 7.9 million people by 2051. The "medium" estimate is that Alberta will have ab out 6.85 million people by 2051. Get all the spreadsheets at this link. - DA [Government of Canada]
Aurora
Elsewhere
'Take Back Alaska': How Pro-Kremlin Media See The Trump-Putin Summit
The upcoming meeting between US President Donald Trump and Russian leader Vladimir Putin has pro-Kremlin media and bloggers talking not just about the expected outcome, but also the chosen location. Current Time correspondent Andrey Cherkasov explains why. [Radio Free Europe]
Moscow has clashed with foreign tech platforms for several years over content and data storage in a simmering dispute that intensified after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Critics say Russia is trying to expand its control over the country’s internet space. [The Guardian]
Goldman Sachs economist David Mericle on Wednesday stood by a controversial forecast that tariffs will begin to hit consumer wallets. [CNBC]
The Department of Energy said it will close FOIA requests from last year unless the requester emails the agency to say they are still interested. Experts say it's an "attempt to close out as many FOIA requests as possible." Canadian government departments, FYI, have been doing something similar for years though not on this scale. The Canadian way is to have an ATIP analyst review requests that are long overdue -- say, 1-2 years past the time the government should have provided the records -- then e-mail the requester to ask if they still want the records. That e-mail closes with the line: If we don't hear from you in 30 days, we'll consider your request abandoned. It's a great way for government departments to ignore our toothless Access to Information Act. [404 Media]

A record number of congressional lawmakers have announced they don't plan to run for their current seats in 2026, including three sitting senators leaving Washington to run for governor. [NPR]
[Political ad] Josh Turek
I'm a fan and collector of solid political ads. During the 2014 mid-terms, this ad from Republican Joni Ernst stood out -- "let's make Washington squeal" -- and she won. This year, Democrat Josh Turek is a long-shot to beat Ernst but this political ad is a strong one that might make a difference. It's called, appropriately, "Underdog". - DA
Media

There is a new home page that has a streamlined, modern design, and Netflix designed it to put content front and center. The redesigned interface loses the left-hand sidebar navigation that Netflix has used since 2018 and replaces it with a top menu bar that relocates Search, Home, Shows, Movies, Games, and My Netflix. [MacRumors]
Science and Technology
Sam Altman challenges Elon Musk with plans for Neuralink rival
OpenAI and its co-founder Sam Altman are preparing to back a company that will compete with Elon Musk’s Neuralink by connecting human brains with computers, heightening the rivalry between the two billionaire entrepreneurs. The new venture, called Merge Labs, is raising new funds at a $850mn valuation, with much of the new capital expected to come from OpenAI’s ventures team, according to three people with direct knowledge of the plans. [FT]
Sam Altman: A post from the founder of OpenAI that he wrote in 2017, 8 years ago:  Unless we destroy ourselves first, superhuman AI is going to happen, genetic enhancement is going to happen, and brain-machine interfaces are going to happen. It is a failure of human imagination and human arrogance to assume that we will never build things smarter than ourselves. The merge can take a lot of forms: We could plug electrodes into our brains, or we could all just become really close friends with a chatbot. But I think a merge is probably our best-case scenario. If two different species both want the same thing and only one can have it—in this case, to be the dominant species on the planet and beyond—they are going to have conflict. We should all want one team where all members care about the well-being of everyone else. . [Sam Altman Blog]
The Calendar
  • 0930 ET : Gatineau, QC - Public Works and Procurement Min Joel Lightbound announces the site for a new cultural heritage science facility.
  • 1000 ET : Toronto - Women and Gender Equality Min Rechie Valdez makes a funding announcement
  • 1100 ET : Moncton, NB - LPC MP David Myles visits a cultural organization.
  • 1100 ET : Winnipeg - LPC MPs Ginette Lavack and Kevin Lamoureux participate in a plaque unveiling.
Issued this day ...
… in 1981. Sc 898. Acadians. Design: Nérée DeGrâce. 
Issued to mark the centenary of the First Acadian Congress.  The key decision taken at the First Acadian Congress, held in Memramcook, NB, was to set Aug 15 as National Acadian Day. There were 10 such conventionsd between 1881 and 1937. A different kind of event, the Acadian World Congress, was established in 1994 and is held every five years, the last one in 2024 was in southwestern Nova Scotia. 

Previous Issues

Load More