Canada
CSIS to brief Conservative Leader Poilievre on national security threats despite his lack of special clearance
The move comes more than a month after Trudeau said he would ask security services to find another way to brief Poilievre on foreign interference targeting the Conservatives. Poilievre is to speak to reporters Sunday morning in Ottawa. Presumably, this will come up.
'Grassroots campaign' in support of Canada's oil and gas industry is spending big bucks on anti-carbon tax ads
The three biggest spenders on carbon tax-related ads on Meta's platforms in the past year were Pierre Poilievre's Facebook page, which spent between $287,600 and $379,539, followed by the Ontario PC Party ($191,000 to $240,560) and the Conservative Party of Canada ($152,600 to $201,825).
Harms caused by illegal sexually explicit material online
The 14th Report of the House of Commons Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage.
Canada's Postal Service: A Lifeline for Rural and Remote Communities
The 22nd report of the House of Commons Standing Committee on Government Operations and Estimates.
Canada’s Arctic Foreign Policy
We had the news story about this in yesterday's edition. Here's the link to the actual policy for those that wanted to review it. -DA
The Provinces
Review of 'broken' freedom-of-information system to finally get underway in P.E.I.
MacDonald has reached a conclusion after her years-long quest for answers. Calling freedom of information on P.E.I. "our last line of defence for transparency and accountability" in a private message to CBC News, she described the system in one word: "Broken."
Éric Duhaime victime d’un malaise cardiaque
Dans une déclaration publiée samedi matin sur le réseau social X, le politicien a assuré qu’il allait bien, et que son conjoint l’a rapidement amené à l’hôpital dès l’apparition des premiers symptômes. Get well soon, Éric!
Elsewhere
Trump welcomed by Macron to Paris, joined by Zelensky in their meeting
France's Emmanuel Macron welcomed President-elect Donald Trump to Paris with lots of presidential pomp. Ukraine's president joins them in meeting.
The American Who Waged a Tech War on China
China is racing to unseat the United States as the world’s technological superpower. Not if Jake Sullivan can help it. Really interesting long read but you'll need a subscription or a library subscription -- like I have to the Ottawa Public Library -- that gives you access to Wired via the Libby app
Media
L.A. Times Owner Plans ‘Bias Meter’ Next to Coverage
Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong said that he planned to introduce the tool, which he said would appear next to the paper’s news articles and opinion pieces, in January. (🎁 Link)
Sale of Observer newspaper to Tortoise Media approved by board
Speaking after the sale was announced, [new Observer boss] Harding said he was "honoured and excited at the prospect of working together to renew the Observer". He added that he promises its readers "we will do all we can to live up to its history as a defender of human dignity and to give it a new lease of life as a powerful, progressive voice in the world".
26 Best Podcasts of 2024
Our picks this year run the gamut from insightful stories to some good old-fashioned absurdity.
Oversight of Social Media Platforms: Ensuring Privacy and Safety Online
The 16th Report of the House of Commons Standing Committee on Access to Information, Privacy, and Ethics.
Science and tech
The AI We Deserve
Evgeny Morozov Critiques of artificial intelligence abound. Where’s the utopian vision for what it could be? Here's your Sunday long read(s). Morozov gets it started then there are responses from Terry Winograd, Bruce Schneier, Brian Eno and other smart people. Highly recommend for anyone with any interest in AI policy, history of science, history of technology. Some excerpts:
- “It’s one thing to let Big Tech manage cloud computing, word processing, or even search; in those areas, the potential for mischief seems smaller. But generative AI raises the stakes, reigniting debates about the broader relationship between technology and democracy”
- "Shouldn’t science have been directed toward exploring how computers could serve citizens, civil society, and the public sphere writ large—not just by automating processes, but by simulating possibilities, by modeling alternate futures? And who, if anyone, was speaking up for these broader interests?”
- "As long as AI remains largely under corporate control, placing our trust in this technology to solve big societal problems might as well mean placing our trust in the market."
The Calendar
- 1030 ET: Dieppe, NB - Environment Min Steven Guilbeault and Public Safety Min Dominic LeBlanc make a funding announcement.
- 1100 ET: Ottawa - Opposition Leader Pierre Poilievre speaks to reporters.
- 1300 ET: Whitehorse - Women and Gender Equality Min Marci Ien makes a funding announcement.
- 1930 ET: Sidney, BC - GPC MP Elizabeth May attends a holiday parade.