News roundup, 11 June 2024

- Climate scientist Susan Solomon is somewhat optimistic that the worst of climate change can be prevented, though she acknowledges that the situation is still scary. Gwynne Dyer also has some optimism based on the potential technological solutions.

- Student editors at the Columbia Law Review were apparently pressured to halt publication of an article written by a Palestinian human rights lawyer. When they refused, the publication's website abruptly went offline with a notice that it was down for "maintenance", although it came back online after an uproar about potential censorship.

- The Public Service Alliance of Canada held a seminar yesterday evening on antisemitism and Islamophobia. One of the panelists is Avi Lewis of Independent Jewish Voices, and some Jewish members of the union are incensed that the wrong kind of Jew was selected for the panel.

- Ontario is cancelling their wastewater surveillance program that had made the province a world leader in tracking of infectious diseases, including but not limited to COVID-19. The province says this is to "avoid duplication" because the federal government has a program in place, however the move will drastically reduce the number of sites being monitored. It's almost as if the government wanted to avoid knowing in advance about future infections that might compel them to take action that might be unpopular with the masses.

- Charges against a man accused of uttering death threats against NDP MP Charlie Angus and his staff have been stayed... because the police "lost" the evidence. Not sure if the police are actually that incompetent or if they are actually complicit, but either way it's not a good look. For his part Angus says that the threats were not the reason for his decision not to run again in the next election, but it probably made the decision easier. 

- In Alberta, documents have come out suggesting that Alberta police chiefs actively campaigned for the UCP. 

- A neo-Nazi organization, Blood Tribe, waved Nazi flags at a demonstration at the South Dakota legislature. Apparently that was too extreme even for Gov. Kristi Noem.

- Ian Walker has won a convincing victory in the byelection to replace trustee Francine Champagne, who resigned after being suspended three times for hateful behaviour. Walker received 1,554 votes; the second place contender, far-right candidate Sandra Saint-Cyr, received only 430. Definitely good news, but the turnout in a school board byelection is usually pretty low, and there's no question that the hillbillies will be back for another try at the first opportunity.

- A City of Winnipeg bylaw allows the city to seize derelict vacant buildings under some circumstances, but it hasn't been used since 2016 and only sporadically before that. When Winnipeg Free Press reporter Tom Brodbeck inquired about this, city officials responded with the bland and unsatisfactory statement that "the landscape of vacant building enforcement has changed over that time". If anything, though, there's a lot more need for enforcement now than there was eight years ago.

- Three food truck operators that had been booked for the Pembina Valley Pride event in Altona, Manitoba have pulled out, citing threats to vandalize their vehicles. Organizers cite the local MLA's refusal to support a bill recognizing Two-Spirit and Transgender Day of Visibility as encouraging others who might have kept quiet to become more aggressive.

- A post on the satirical Facebook group "The City of Winnipeg Complaints Department" claimed that AI-equipped cameras would be used to enforce seatbelt use and ensure people weren't using their phones while driving. The masses being what they are, though, a lot of them thought it was real.

News roundup, 15 May 2024

- The gag order that's supposed to prevent Trump from attacking jurors, witnesses, and the judge's family does not apply to his supporters, who have been loudly shouting what their hero isn't allowed to say. The judge, however, plans to look into whether any of this behaviour was instigated by Trump himself, something which might well constitute a violation of the order. In other Trump news, following rumours that Trump has to wear adult diapers, some of his supporters have taken it upon themselves to declare that "real men wear diapers". No, you really can't make this shit up.

- Israeli settlers in the West Bank attacked an aid convoy bound for Gaza, destroying and scattering the food. The White House has condemned the attack, and even some Israelis say that this is "not in line with our movement", though the military seems to hit aid convoys and buildings far more than they have any excuse to do. Meanwhile, in Paris, some overly enthusiastic pro-Palestinian protesters thought it would be a good idea to vandalize a Holocaust memorial with red handprints, which cannot be reasonably called a legitimate target and only adds to the impression that antisemitism is part of their motivation.

- The Free Press and Brandon Sun columnist Deveryn Ross thinks that the NDP actually has a good chance of taking Tuxedo when the byelection to replace Heather Stefanson occurs. Given what I've seen of Ross' opinion pieces, I don't think this is wishful thinking either, though it could still be wrong.

- A patient who had been taken to Health Sciences Centre's mental health crisis response centre appears to have killed himself while awaiting treatment.

- United Food and Commercial Workers Local 832, which represents the workers at the No Frills store on Notre Dame Avenue, has filed a grievance following the stabbing of an employee, saying that the store has not provided a safe workplace as required in their collective agreement. A valid complaint, but it's an interesting question how to resolve this. Should the store do what the Liquor Marts do and require ID to enter? For the safety of the workers, maybe - but food is a necessity in a way that liquor isn't, and this will inevitably mean that some people who don't have ID won't be able to shop there. Of course, they can always go elsewhere, at least until other stores do the same thing - but I could see this becoming a human rights issue of its own.

- The cost to Canadian taxpayers for the protection of MPs has skyrocketed since the pandemic and convoy protest. At current rates, costs for the RCMP alone for protecting MPs could hit $3.4 million by the end of this fiscal year - and that doesn't include the protection of the prime minister, which has hit over $30 million a year.

- The head of personnel at Russia's defense ministry has been arrested on suspicion of taking bribes, following the discovery of over a million dollars' worth of cash and valuables in his home. Unfortunately stuff like this hasn't stopped Russia from making substantial gains in Ukraine; I'm not sure that the conquest of that unfortunate country can be prevented at this point. Perhaps the best hope is that any conquest will be incomplete and will lead to a drawn-out guerilla campaign that will wear away at Russia over the years, much like Afghanistan did in the 1980s; this will at least keep Russia from attacking anyone else. Certainly Ukraine deserves better than to serve as Europe's sacrificial anode, but that's the world we live in I guess.

- Georgia's much reviled "foreign agents" legislation has been passed, though not before one of their traditional parliament brawls occurred.

- Wastewater surveillance has been extremely useful in tracking the spread of several diseases, including COVID-19, mpox, and polio - yet the US Centers for Disease Control have apparently discouraged its use for tracking avian influenza, much to the consternation of many experts. One researcher says he was told not to use a virus assay he'd developed specifically for that purpose - ostensibly because it would "add to the confusion". One can't help but wonder if the real reason is that factory farming is a big factor in the spread of the disease, and that if the extent of the disease in livestock were known, it would force the government to take measures to control it. And as we know, such measures would infuriate the farmers who are so good at milking populist rage - and in an election year.

- A two-way video portal between public spaces in New York and Dublin has been temporarily shut down following reports of "inappropriate behaviour". This apparently included "flashing body parts" and "displaying images of 9/11 and swear words on phone screens" as well as one woman who was escorted away by Dublin police after being seen "grinding" against the portal.