Monday, December 18, 2023

News roundup, 18 Dec 2023

- The US, along with several other countries including Canada, are sending a naval force to protect ships passing through the Red Sea, in response to attacks with drones and missiles, which are being attributed to Houthi-controlled parts of Yemen.

- Manitoba's Shared Health is not renewing the lease on at least one of the office spaces it rents in downtown Winnipeg when it expires at the end of the year. The office, as well as another one whose lease expires in February, has been essentially vacant since the start of the pandemic as workers transitioned to working from home. This is expected to save $787,000 a year, and if the second one isn't renewed it will save another $446,000. Bad news for the commercial real estate business no doubt, but good for the workers as well as for the province's bottom line.

- While New Brunswick had among the lowest COVID-19 death rates in Canada during the first 18 months of the pandemic, in 2022 their death rate jumped to the worst in the country and the fourth worst in North America after Oklahoma, Kentucky, and West Virginia. Their government doesn't want to talk about it, though.

- Although China still burns disturbing amounts of coal, their embrace of green energy is expected to dramatically change that. Global consumption of the fuel is expected to start falling in 2024.

- Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo has proposed tripling parking rates for SUVs, charging €18 an hour in the city centre and €12 an hour for the rest of the city. A start, but what is really needed is a progressive tax at the EU level, based on vehicle weight.

- The EU is going to investigate X (the former Twitter) for violations of laws regarding hate speech and false news.

- The chair of the Florida Republican Party (and husband of a Moms for Liberty co-founder) has been suspended following a rape accusation.

- Former Winnipeg mayor Brian Bowman has been appointed as a judge for the Court of King's Bench in Manitoba.

- A teenager in Ottawa has been charged with possession of explosives as well as directing another person to commit a terrorist act or acts against the Jewish community. The substance in question is acetone, which is commonly available as nail polish remover, however it can be used to synthesize the highly unstable explosive acetone peroxide.

- The original Star Wars film is being translated into Ojibwe and voice actors are being auditioned for the dubbed version. I guess they knew better than to start with the prequels.

- Apparently it's possible to use an AI chatbot to find workarounds for the protections on other chatbots that are designed to prevent people from learning how to do illegal things.

No comments: