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Jan 16 2024

Trump fears. Iowa votes. Media bankruptcy: The Roundup

Jan 16, 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
Tying immigration to homes a ‘good’ idea but not a fix-all: Housing minister
Housing Minister Sean Fraser says he supports tying the number of immigrants to Canada with the number of homes built; an idea Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre is proposing. [Global]
Federal officials were wary of creating a chill within ethnic communities and rattling Canada's bilateral relations as they fleshed out next steps to secure vital scientific research, internal documents show. [CP]
Public servants’ names appear on contract documents related to ArriveCan app outsourcing work, but both say the move is intended to silence criticism. [Globe and Mail]
The Public Service Alliance of Canada and the Union of National Defence Employees say members hit the picket lines as of 6:30 a.m. Eastern time Monday morning. [Global]
The security screening the federal government has brought in for people applying to flee the Gaza Strip is facing criticism from both lawyers who feel its questions are too invasive and others who think it should dig even deeper. [CP]

Half say United States may be on its way to becoming an authoritarian state. [Angus Reid Institute]
Majority of Canadians have negative feelings towards Trump, but Biden not beloved in Canada. [Pollara]
Anne McGrath, the Party’s National Director, is moving into the role of Principal Secretary to Jagmeet Singh. Lucy Watson, former Provincial Director of the Ontario NDP, is taking on the role of National Director for the federal party. [Canada's NDP]
A "new-to-me" dashboard I discovered yesterday. Measures high-speed connectivity across the country. As of Sept 2023, Quebec is the only jurisdiction where 100% of households have access to an Internet service with minimum bandwidth of 50 Mbps downstream and 10 Mbps upstream. - DA  [Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada]
From the provinces
Quebec man pleads guilty to setting 14 forest fires he claimed were set by the government
Brian Paré ... claims the fires had been deliberately set by the government to trick people into believing in climate change.
Paré’s ideology and behaviour ... matched a profile of the suspect developed by provincial police specialists. [Global]
The province has been under pressure after reports emerged that it was planning to close some ServiceOntario locations and open kiosks in Staples stores instead. [Global]
Mitzi Dean was served a demotion in her new role as minister of state for child care and Grace Lore will take on the child welfare portfolio. [Vancouver Sun]
Voters across the province can now register once for local and provincial elections, all in one place. By visiting ReqisterToVoteON.ca, voters can confirm, update or add their information to the Register. [Elections Ontario]
Elsewhere
Protesters in Israel demand accountability for Oct. 7 Hamas attack
It's been more than 100 days since Hamas devastated Israel with a surprise attack, taking hostages and triggering Israel's siege of the Gaza Strip. Daniele Hamamdjian speaks with Maoz Inon and Gil Dickmman, two men with family members being held captive. Find out why Inon believes peace is possible; and why Dickmann believes Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is needed right now, despite not being a fan of him. [Global National]
[Trump] spurned some of the most prominent conservative leaders in the state, attacking Gov. Kim Reynolds for remaining neutral early in the race and then endorsing DeSantis, soon followed by Family Leader CEO Bob Vander Plaats. Trump dismissed the endorsements as inconsequential, even as he attacked Reynolds for disloyalty. [Des Moines Register]
Gov. Ron DeSantis is running low on campaign cash and faces tough tests ahead in New Hampshire and South Carolina, but vowed to stay in the race. [NYT]
California tech company Internet Brands, WebMD's parent, films a bizarre video pushing a return-to-office plan. [SFGate.com]
Media
The ownership group would include Canadian institutional investors Canso Investment Counsel, Deans Knight Capital Management and Carpenter Media Group. As part of the restructuring, the company filed for creditor protection in the B.C. Supreme Court and intends to seek recognition of such proceeding in the United States, in Delaware. The company said it intends to continue operating its publications during the restructuring process. [Campbell River Mirro]
News Outlets Make an Early Call in Iowa, and a Backlash Ensues
No votes had been cast at some locations when The Associated Press and TV networks projected Donald Trump as the winner, half an hour after the caucuses began. [NYT]

As our review of 2023 shows, a burgeoning concern in the area of press freedoms is the growth of online threats and harassment. This is a category we started tracking in 2022, and the startling rise in the number this year should be an area of serious concern given the studied impact of it on journalists at the individual level and more broadly on the freedom of the press. As research shows, there is concern about the chilling impact of online threats and harassment on the kinds of stories and/or topics pursued by journalists and newsrooms. [Canada Press Freedom Project]
Athletes will be allowed to post photos and audio and video recordings of up to two minutes in length on their personal social media accounts, but will never be allowed to use live or artificial intelligence (AI) generated content. All posts must respect Olympic values and the privacy of others. They must not be "discriminatory or obscene." [Inside the Games]
After losing its biggest advertisers thanks to Elon Musk's mismanagement, Twitter is left with scammy advertisers fact-checked by Community Notes. [Rolling Stone]
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Sci/Tech
Metadata is essential whether you want to keep your photos organized or add copyright information. [MakeUseOf]
The Calendar
  • 0830 ET: St John's - Fisheries Min Diane Lebouthillier , Rural Economic Development Min Gudie Hutchings and LPC MP Ken McDonald make a funding announcement. 
  • 0845 ET: Montreal - PM Trudeau speaks to the Chamber of Commerce.
  • 0930 ET: Markham, ON - FEDDEV Min Filomena Tassi and International Trade Min Mary Ng make a funding announcement. 
  • 1030 ET: Caraquet, NB - Immigration Min Marc Miller speaks about Francophone immigration to Canada.
  • 1100 ET: Halifax - LPC MP Julie Dabrusin and LPC MPs Darren Fisher and Lena Metlege Diab make a funding announcement. 
  • 1230 ET: Unionville, ON - FEDDEV Min Filomena Tassi and LPC MPs Paul Chiang and Majid Jowhari make a funding announcement. 
  • 1300 ET: Burnaby, BC - NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh meets with Mayor Mike Hurley.
  • 1400 ET: Saint John, NB - LPC MP Wayne Long makes a funding announcement. 
  • 1500 ET: Longueil, QC - CEDQR Min Soraya Martinez Ferrada and LPC MP Sherry Romanado make a funding announcement. 
  • 1600 ET: Surrey, BC - LPC MP Sukh Dhaliwal , Randeep Sarai, and John Aldag make a funding announcement. 
  • 1700 ET: Winnipeg - Employment Min Randy Boissonnault speaks to reporters after meeting with provincial/territorial counterparts.
  • 1730 ET: Montreal - Opposition Leader Pierre Poilievre speaks at a CPC fundraising event.
  • 1830 ET: North Vancouver, BC - Diversity and Inclusion Min Kamal Khera, International Development Min Harjit Sajjan and LPC MPs Hedy Fry, Michael Coteau and Arielle Kayabaga make a funding announcement. 
Issued this day ...
...  in 2012: Scott #2498 Permanent Rate Canadian Pride souvenir sheet of 5 stamps. Design: Gottschalk + Ash International.

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