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Feb 7 2024

Ukraine support. Houston sorry. Hacked toothbrush: The Roundup

Feb 7, 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
Poll finds a growing divide in Canadian support for Ukraine tied to political affiliation
A new poll from Ipsos says nearly two-thirds of Canadians believe Canada is already doing enough to support Ukraine in its fight against Russia and about half say Canada cannot afford to give Ukraine more financial aid; In fact 40 per cent of Canadians think Ukraine should negotiate a peace settlement with Russia. But a deeper dive into those numbers shows a partisan split with those who identify themselves as Conservative voters muich more likely to have softer support for Ukraine than those who identify as Liberals, New Democrat or BQ voters. That partisan divide came to a head in the House of Commons Tuesday with a vote on a Canada-Ukraine trade deal. [Global National]
That 👆 was Ipsos. Here, 👇 Angus Reid Institute finds the same trend -- and tracks declining support for Ukraine across all groups but a much steeper decline among Conservatives.

The number of 2021 CPC voters who say Canada has done too much for Ukraine has more than doubled from 19 to 43 per cent between May 2022 and now. And while there has been an increase in both past Liberal and New Democrat voters holding this view as well, their proportion respectively has risen closer to one-in-ten. [Angus Reid Institute]
I think I've posted this 👇here before but here it is again: I mapped the Ukrainian Canadian population to electoral districts. you can see the disbursement of Ukrainian Canadians is concentrated in band from Winnipeg, through central and northern Saskatchewan and up to Edmonton. I've also prepared a table here which you can sort and search on each individual riding. - DA

In its current state, both Loblaw and Walmart Canada have so far refused to sign on to the grocer code of code that has been in development since fall 2021. [Global]
The proportion of private sector establishments expecting difficulties in recruiting employees who can work in both English and French (5.5%) was relatively stable in the third quarter of 2023 compared with the previous year (5.8%). Slightly more than one in six private sector business establishments (18.2%) that required bilingualism for some of their positions also expected difficulties in recruiting bilingual staff.  [Statistics Canada]
The new-for-2025 riding or Richmond Centre-Marpole in B.C.'s Lower Mainland is a Liberal incumbent riding but, given current polling, my model has this seat as a 10-point CPC victory. A good enough reason to think this nomination race  👆 will be hotly contested. Win the CPC nomination and you stand a good chance of taking your place in the House of Commons after 2025.

Note: I'm very keen to track nomination races  but candidates and parties don't always want to tell the national media about these races. If you spot something in your feeds about a nomination race, would greatly appreciate if you flag it for me. E-mail to news@davidakin.com or find me on Threads, Mastodon, BlueSky and Insta.  Thanks! - DA
From the provinces
N.S. storm: Premier under fire for asking if state of emergency was a ‘PR issue’
Nova Scotia's opposition leaders are criticizing Premier Tim Houston for comments he made about Cape Breton Regional Municipality's state of emergency following a massive snowfall. [Global]

Premier Tim Houston has apologized for remarks made at a media briefing Monday suggesting Cape Breton’s local state of emergency was a “PR issue" as well as other scathing words. [SaltWire]
B.C. Premier David Eby has criticized what he's calling the "hateful" vandalism of the constituency office of former minister Selina Robinson that came hours after she resigned from his cabinet over remarks that angered pro-Palestinian groups and others. [CP]

Sioux Lookout, Ont., is home to fewer than 6,000 people but, as the hub of the north, it serves tens of First Nations communities. Local leaders say there isn't enough support. [Global]
Four veteran Saskatchewan Party government cabinet ministers -- including deputy premier Donna Harpauer -- will not be seeking re-election this year. [CP]
Avec 32 % des intentions de vote, le Parti québécois (PQ) conforte son avance sur la Coalition avenir Québec (CAQ), selon un nouveau sondage de la firme Léger. [La Presse]
An Arctic cold snap in January caused what is believed to be the worst damage to the grape crop that the industry has seen in more than three decades. [Global]
Elsewhere
Pakistan twin bombings: 26 killed the day before elections
No one immediately claimed responsibility for the attacks, which came a day before Pakistan holds parliamentary elections. [AP]

“Another massive Russian air attack against our country,” President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said. “Six regions came under enemy fire.” [ABC News]

Nikki Haley has lost Nevada’s symbolic Republican presidential primary contest despite being the only major candidate on the ballot. [AP]
Trump does not have presidential immunity, U.S. court rules
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit has ruled that former president Donald Trump can be prosecuted for his alleged efforts to stay in power after losing the 2020 presidential election. Jackson Proskow looks at how this decision could bring Trump closer to a trial, how the former commander-in-chief is responding, and how another legal battle could keep him off the ballot in Republican primaries. [Global National]

The United States on Monday announced a new visa restriction policy for those it said were misusing commercial spyware. [Reuters]
Media
Bluesky Social Network Ditches Invite Codes, Opens Registrations to All
Bluesky, the decentralized social media platform conceptualized by former Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey, has now opened registration for everyone. You'll find me on that network  @davidakin.bsky.social . Tag me when/if you join so I can follow back. [MacRumors]

Canada's public broadcaster promises to increase Indigenous staffing and promote Indigenous languages in its content as part of a sweeping new strategy. [CBC]
Notorious former Fox News host Tucker Carlson has conducted an interview with Russian President Vladimir Putin - the reason for his visit to Moscow - and said he has requested an interview with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. [Yahoo News] You could also cite this source as: News about Yahoos.
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Sci/Tech
3 million smart toothbrushes were just used in a DDoS attack. Really
What's next, malware-infected dental floss? But seriously: It's a reminder that even the smallest smart home devices can be a threat. Here's how to protect yourself. [ZDNet]
Increasingly, security professionals are coming together with law enforcement to provide free decryption tools — freeing locked files and eliminating the temptation for victims to pony up. [Endgadget]
The Calendar
  • 0900 ET: Ottawa - Opposition Leader Pierre Poilevre speaks to reporters. 
  • 0930 ET: Wellington Building - The NDP national caucus will meet.
  • 0930 ET: 025B West Block - The CPC national caucus will meet.
  • 1000 ET: 225-A West Block - The LPC national caucus will meet
  • 1330 ET: Ottawa - Deputy PM and Fin Min Chrystia Freeland meets with Black community leaders to discuss support for businesses and entrepreneurs.
  • 1615 ET: W110 1 Wellington - Senate Commitee on Banking, Commerce and the Economy meets to study the Government response to the eighth report (interim) of the Standing Senate Committee on on Banking, Commerce and the Economy, entitled Needed: An Innovation Strategy for the Data-Driven Economy,
  • 1615 ET: B30 Senate Building - Senate Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs meets to study Bill S-230
  • 1615 ET: B45 Senate Building - Senate Committee on Social Affairs, Science and Technology meets to study Bill S-235. Senator Mobina Jaffer to testify.
  • 1630 ET: 425 Wellington  - Veterans Affairs (ACVA) | Meeting  81 - Experience of Women Veterans
  • 1630 ET: 410 Wellington  - Citizenship and Immigration (CIMM) | Meeting  90 - Briefing on Migrant Trafficking and Smuggling. Immigration Min Marc Miller to testify.
  • 1630 ET: 415 Wellington  - Indigenous and Northern Affairs (INAN) | Meeting  94 - Drafting report
  • 1630 ET: 330 Wellington  - Industry and Technology (INDU) | Meeting  109 - Bill C-27
  • 1630 ET: 125-B West Block  - National Defence (NDDN) | Meeting  91 - Transparency within the Department of National Defence. Defence Min Bill Blair testifies.
  • 1845 ET: C128 Senate Building - Senate Commitee on Indigenous Peoples meets for a briefing on Indigenous Affairs.
Issued this day ...

 in 1992: Scott # 1403b booklet pane of 10. Winter Olympics. Design: Peter Adam and Katalin Kovats.

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