Canada
During P.E.I. visit, Poilievre calls out carbon tax, waffles on climate targets
Poilievre has noted that other countries, such as the US, have adopted climate plans with no carbon tax. But he has so far produced few clues as to his own plans are tackling climate change. In an interview with SaltWire, Poilievre did not provide a clear answer as to whether a government he leads would maintain the current Canadian target of reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
Conservative Leader Poilievre brings his message to Nova Scotia
As he’s been doing across the country, Poilievre eschewed the normal meet-and-greets to focus on blue-collar workers as the Conservatives gain more support from what were once Liberal and NDP strongholds.
Poilievre is truly great — at pandering
Richard Harley: "Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre delivered a plethora of lies during his visit to NOTL, forcing The Lake Report to respond with the longest editorial it has ever published." Editorials are, by definition, opinion pieces. You may or may not agree with this editorialist. But in my social feeds, this piece is getting quite a bit of traction well beyond Ontario's Niagara region. For that reason, passing this along for review by this newsletter's readers.
The Provinces
B.C. election frontrunners accused of dodging debates
But the leaders of BC United and the BC Greens say Premier David Eby and BC Conservative Leader John Rustad are avoiding the traditional pre-election sparring matches.
Ford Fest: Inside Premier Doug Ford’s summer bash
The upbeat premier at times sounded like he was giving a campaign address. He was backed by a wall of smiling Cabinet ministers as he spoke. But some in attendance Friday night seemed less interested in political talk than in the freebies and socializing.
Elsewhere
Harris implies Trump a 'coward' during Pennsylvania campaign appearance
"Over the last several years there's been this kind of perversion that has taken place, I think, which is to suggest that the measure of the strength of a leader is based on who you beat down. When what we know is the real and true measure of the strength of a leader is based on who you lift up," Harris told a crowd of supporters. "Anybody who's about beating down other people is a coward." She did not directly name Trump, who in a campaign appearance Saturday in eastern Pennsylvania referred to Harris as a "radical" and a "lunatic."
Palantir’s Alex Karp Talks About War, AI and America’s Future
In a rare in-depth interview, this billionaire man of mystery, the head of Palantir Technologies, talks about war, A.I. and America’s future. Palantir is, last time I checked, providing software & services to Canada's Department of National Defence. And he writes big cheques -- I mean, big -- to Democrats.
Peter Thiel, eccentric billionaire patron of JD Vance, says he is thinking about leaving the US
Thiel compared California liberalism to Saudi Arabian Wahabbism — but it was sort of a compliment. Thiel, Musk, Andreesen -- the right-wing 'tech bros' -- are worth paying attention to just as the Democratic leaning 'tech bros' like Palantir's Alex Karp or Amazon's Jeff Bezos. They've got lots of money which means, in American politics, they have an outsize influence.
Belarusian Leader Says One-Third Of Army Deployed To Ukraine Border
Belarus has deployed nearly one-third of its troops to the border with Ukraine, the country’s authoritarian leader Alyaksandr Lukashenka told Russia’s state-run Rossia-1 television channel on August 18.
Media
How to reform the CBC
I'm a big fan of the work of the playwright Michael Healey (The Drawer Boy, Proud etc) and, if you click through, he's got a thread on X here about this suggestions for reform of the CBC. -DA
Star Tribune to Change Name and Expand Minnesota News Coverage
The paper will now be called The Minnesota Star Tribune, its chief executive announced on Sunday, and it will use an injection of money from its billionaire owner to expand its coverage beyond the Twin Cities into other parts of the state.
Social media influencers descend on the White House, where Biden calls them the new 'source of news'
Social media influencers got the royal treatment at the White House on Wednesday as President Joe Biden gave a nod to their ability to hold sway with millions of loyal followers. The White House played host to a group of more than 100 influencers, also known as content creators, across a range of media platforms — from chefs and makeup artists to fitness gurus and medical students — to talk about issues including mental health, pay equity and the abuse of artificial intelligence. Biden stopped b
Harris-sponsored Google ads suggest publishers are on her side
It's a common practice in the commercial advertising world that doesn't violate Google's policies, but the ads mimic real news results from Search closely enough that they have news outlets caught off guard.
Science and tech
Is Your Government AI-Ready? An Interactive Tracker of AI Action
Government Technology dug deep into artificial intelligence policies, legislation and lawmaker-mandated projects across the U.S. to uncover what local governments are doing about the booming technology.
A Googler’s guide to getting things done
Laura Mae Martin, Google’s executive productivity advisor, tells us how productivity culture is changing — and how she helps people get more done.
The Calendar
- 1100 ET: Iqaluit - Fisheries Min Diane Lebouthillier announces the names of new Coast Guard ships.
- 1100 ET: Sarnia, ON - LPC MP Peter Fragiskatos makes a funding announcement.
- 1115 ET: Halifax - NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh campaigns in the riding of Halifax.
- 1200 ET: 315 Wellington - Environment and Sustainable Development (ENVI) | Meeting 116 - Meeting Requested Pursuant to Standing Order 106(4) to Discuss a Request to Undertake a Study on the Emergency Order for Boreal Caribou Protection under the Species at Risk Act
- 1315 ET: Peace Country, AB - Deputy PM and Fin Min Chrystia Freeland tours an energy production facility
- 1800 ET: Halifax - NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh holds a town hall meeting.
- 1815 ET: Saint John, NB - LPC MP Wayne Long makes a funding announcement.
Yesterday
- Markham, ON - Opposition Leader Pierre Poilievre campaigns at a real estate office
- Toronto - - Opposition Leader Pierre Poilievre attended the Taste of Manila festival.
- Toronto - - Opposition Leader Pierre Poilievre attended the 2024 Chinatown Festival.
