Jimmy Thomson
@jameswsthomson.com
Environment and climate journalist | Editor in Chief at @nationalobserver.com | Work in The Globe and Mail, The Narwhal, The Guardian | www.jameswsthomson.com
Reposted by Jimmy Thomson
🧵In my expert opinion as a researcher of vehicle ramming attacks, what has been publicly described in the video evidence does not support the claim that Renee Nicole Good was attempting a deliberate ramming attack when she was shot in Minneapolis on January 7, 2026. 1/7
January 8, 2026 at 9:13 PM
🧵In my expert opinion as a researcher of vehicle ramming attacks, what has been publicly described in the video evidence does not support the claim that Renee Nicole Good was attempting a deliberate ramming attack when she was shot in Minneapolis on January 7, 2026. 1/7
Reposted by Jimmy Thomson
Scotiabank isn't the only one poised to profit. Canadian banks have billions invested in the US oil companies set to takeover Venezuela's industry.
Scotiabank CEO says Trump doctrine to dominate hemisphere will be good for business
Financial data suggests Canadian banks are poised to profit if Donald Trump’s plan to takeover Venezuela’s oil industry comes to fruition.
www.nationalobserver.com
January 8, 2026 at 9:03 PM
Scotiabank isn't the only one poised to profit. Canadian banks have billions invested in the US oil companies set to takeover Venezuela's industry.
Reposted by Jimmy Thomson
Every day, thousands of women and children are victimized by people on X using the Grok chatbot to generate scantily clad and naked photos of them.
It’s time for governments to take action. Elon Musk’s X should have been banned long ago. They don’t have an excuse to delay any longer.
It’s time for governments to take action. Elon Musk’s X should have been banned long ago. They don’t have an excuse to delay any longer.
Elon Musk’s X must be banned
Regulators need to stop cowering before the richest man in the world
disconnect.blog
January 8, 2026 at 5:26 PM
Every day, thousands of women and children are victimized by people on X using the Grok chatbot to generate scantily clad and naked photos of them.
It’s time for governments to take action. Elon Musk’s X should have been banned long ago. They don’t have an excuse to delay any longer.
It’s time for governments to take action. Elon Musk’s X should have been banned long ago. They don’t have an excuse to delay any longer.
just had an affogato with my homemade espresso ice cream and I think (?) it's time to start a band or maybe run marathons
January 8, 2026 at 8:02 PM
just had an affogato with my homemade espresso ice cream and I think (?) it's time to start a band or maybe run marathons
Not seeing any CBC folks sharing this publicly, but I know they are talking about it internally. It's ok to be mad that your money went to the same people that are calling for your heads on spikes! Why is everyone so afraid all the time.
The same firm ran a campaign to save CBC — and Canada Proud's push to defund it
“It's like the Trump administration promoting Biden in an ad campaign,” said Ahmed Al-Rawi, Director of the Disinformation Project at Simon Fraser University. “This is unreal, like science fiction.”
www.nationalobserver.com
January 8, 2026 at 7:38 PM
Not seeing any CBC folks sharing this publicly, but I know they are talking about it internally. It's ok to be mad that your money went to the same people that are calling for your heads on spikes! Why is everyone so afraid all the time.
So we have government saying journalists are using X, and journalists saying governments are using X. Both of which are true, but neither of which *needs* to be true. Things can change! We can have better things!
More recently, I had the chance, in a committee hearing, to raise the issue of the CBC’s commitment to X. Here’s what CBC’s top executives told me about why the CBC isn’t on Bluesky or Mastodon. youtu.be/lJUeQZlvD-E?... #cdnpoli
CBC stays on X to reach audiences despite hate speech concerns - but isn't on Bluesky or Mastodon.
YouTube video by Senator Paula Simons
youtu.be
January 8, 2026 at 3:23 PM
So we have government saying journalists are using X, and journalists saying governments are using X. Both of which are true, but neither of which *needs* to be true. Things can change! We can have better things!
Reposted by Jimmy Thomson
I called number for the Local Matters campaign from the Canadian Media Guild on Facebook. The call was answered by an employee of the group behind Canada Proud, one of the loudest advocates for defunding the CBC.
www.nationalobserver.com/2026/01/08/i...
www.nationalobserver.com/2026/01/08/i...
The same firm ran a campaign to save CBC — and Canada Proud's push to defund it
“It's like the Trump administration promoting Biden in an ad campaign,” said Ahmed Al-Rawi, Director of the Disinformation Project at Simon Fraser University. “This is unreal, like science fiction.”
www.nationalobserver.com
January 8, 2026 at 1:12 PM
I called number for the Local Matters campaign from the Canadian Media Guild on Facebook. The call was answered by an employee of the group behind Canada Proud, one of the loudest advocates for defunding the CBC.
www.nationalobserver.com/2026/01/08/i...
www.nationalobserver.com/2026/01/08/i...
Reposted by Jimmy Thomson
CBC employees’ union dues indirectly funded the same firm calling for their jobs to be eliminated. Likewise, the firm behind Canada Proud — one of Canada’s leading critics of public broadcasting — ran a campaign on behalf of CBC workers. Stunning finding from @rorywh.bsky.social
The same firm ran a campaign to save CBC — and Canada Proud's push to defund it
“It's like the Trump administration promoting Biden in an ad campaign,” said Ahmed Al-Rawi, Director of the Disinformation Project at Simon Fraser University. “This is unreal, like science fiction.”
www.nationalobserver.com
January 8, 2026 at 1:19 PM
CBC employees’ union dues indirectly funded the same firm calling for their jobs to be eliminated. Likewise, the firm behind Canada Proud — one of Canada’s leading critics of public broadcasting — ran a campaign on behalf of CBC workers. Stunning finding from @rorywh.bsky.social
Reposted by Jimmy Thomson
A PR firm hired to produce ads in support of the CBC is the same firm that has, for years, been calling for the public broadcaster to be defunded through its right-wing Canada Proud Facebook pages, a @rorywh.bsky.social investigation finds.
The same firm ran a campaign to save CBC — and Canada Proud's push to defund it
“It's like the Trump administration promoting Biden in an ad campaign,” said Ahmed Al-Rawi, Director of the Disinformation Project at Simon Fraser University. “This is unreal, like science fiction.”
www.nationalobserver.com
January 8, 2026 at 2:50 PM
A PR firm hired to produce ads in support of the CBC is the same firm that has, for years, been calling for the public broadcaster to be defunded through its right-wing Canada Proud Facebook pages, a @rorywh.bsky.social investigation finds.
One side of this story — that of Noem, ICE and the government — was already out before anyone had seen the video. Now they're trapped trying to warp what everyone can see with their own eyes to match that narrative.
"Was the officer struck by the vehicle, as President Trump insists, or did the car pass by or around him?"
If we only had some trusted institution that could adjudicate between competing claims by relying on facts.
If we only had some trusted institution that could adjudicate between competing claims by relying on facts.
January 8, 2026 at 3:01 AM
One side of this story — that of Noem, ICE and the government — was already out before anyone had seen the video. Now they're trapped trying to warp what everyone can see with their own eyes to match that narrative.
Re-upping this column because the idea seems to be gaining traction. But I think I didn't go far enough in this: the government should obviously be deleting its accounts so as to not have their tweets appear next to CSAM. But it should also be pursuing charges against X and banning it in Canada.
It's well past time for Canadian government officials to get off of X, @jameswsthomson.com writes. This latest — disgusting — incident is just one more reason.
Canadian government officials, what are you still doing on X in 2026?
The platform's own chatbot started posting sexualized material of children and other people who couldn't consent. With no moral bottom in sight, it's well past time our officials found other ways to c...
www.nationalobserver.com
January 8, 2026 at 1:10 AM
Re-upping this column because the idea seems to be gaining traction. But I think I didn't go far enough in this: the government should obviously be deleting its accounts so as to not have their tweets appear next to CSAM. But it should also be pursuing charges against X and banning it in Canada.
Reposted by Jimmy Thomson
In Canada, call or email Evan Solomon and demand he do his job as “Minister of AI and Digital innovation” to stop the CSAM and non-consensual porn. X should be banned in this country.
📞 416-972-2030
📧 [email protected]
📞 416-972-2030
📧 [email protected]
Here is a template letter, with alt text for copy-pasting, to send to your state AG, or tweak to send to your reps, etc. It will take two minutes. Find their contact here: www.naag.org/find-my-ag/
![Dear [AG],
I'm curious what [State] is doing to combat this pervasive sexual harassment and abuse of primarily women and children:
https://defector.com/whos-responsible-for-elon-musks-idiot-chatbot-producing-on-demand-child-sexual-abuse-material
https://futurism.com/future-society/grok-violence-women
The industrial-scale generation and distribution of revenge porn and CSAM on Twitter/X is blatantly criminal by all involved, and in violation of both state and federal law.
I hope to see serious charges announced against Elon, Twitter/X management, Grok developers, and any individual users publicly sharing images of [State] residents. Anything less is tacit approval to continue this monstrous, illegal spree.](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:qnjqnno3fftf2wj4xfkxpt32/bafkreiefbqpox4q2s4vgdigpitfmoh73yxeljh6cogy3x2mmnesqeeqzri@jpeg)
January 8, 2026 at 12:49 AM
In Canada, call or email Evan Solomon and demand he do his job as “Minister of AI and Digital innovation” to stop the CSAM and non-consensual porn. X should be banned in this country.
📞 416-972-2030
📧 [email protected]
📞 416-972-2030
📧 [email protected]
The reference to sick people as "consumers" is a uniquely American affliction and it's jarring every time.
When asked who holds him to account, Phoebe CEO Scott Steiner said, “I hope that our consumers do, right? ... They can do that by electing to get care elsewhere.”
Except in Albany, they don’t have anywhere else to go.
Except in Albany, they don’t have anywhere else to go.
Sick in a Hospital Town, Part 5: Too Big to Fight
When a well-off, widely respected pillar of the community and member of the hospital’s board can’t get the care he needed at Phoebe, it raises the question: Who can?
projects.propublica.org
January 7, 2026 at 8:02 PM
The reference to sick people as "consumers" is a uniquely American affliction and it's jarring every time.
Reposted by Jimmy Thomson
I reported the X app on Google's Play Store last night, based on the reports of Grok posting photos stripping women and girls, in the hope that they remove the app. You can too, link in the next post.
January 7, 2026 at 9:01 AM
I reported the X app on Google's Play Store last night, based on the reports of Grok posting photos stripping women and girls, in the hope that they remove the app. You can too, link in the next post.
Reposted by Jimmy Thomson
losing my mind at the "she should have followed directions" people
really? really? you're cool with "if you don't follow directions, they get to kill you"? that seems like a good state of affairs to you? that seems like how law enforcement ought to work: instant obeisance or death?
really? really? you're cool with "if you don't follow directions, they get to kill you"? that seems like a good state of affairs to you? that seems like how law enforcement ought to work: instant obeisance or death?
January 7, 2026 at 6:25 PM
losing my mind at the "she should have followed directions" people
really? really? you're cool with "if you don't follow directions, they get to kill you"? that seems like a good state of affairs to you? that seems like how law enforcement ought to work: instant obeisance or death?
really? really? you're cool with "if you don't follow directions, they get to kill you"? that seems like a good state of affairs to you? that seems like how law enforcement ought to work: instant obeisance or death?
The difference between that illegal war and this illegal war is that the first illegal war didn't go hard enough on the war crimes. This time we're going all in on the war crimes.
Scarborough on what Trump told him during a phone call yesterday: "Joe, the the difference between Iraq and this is that Bush didn't keep the oil. We're going to keep the oil. To underline his point, Trump said his comments were no long on background."
January 6, 2026 at 5:25 PM
The difference between that illegal war and this illegal war is that the first illegal war didn't go hard enough on the war crimes. This time we're going all in on the war crimes.
Heated Rivalry fans are going to be so stoked when they find out there already is a real hockey league that's brimming with gay romances, called @thepwhl.com
January 6, 2026 at 4:54 PM
Heated Rivalry fans are going to be so stoked when they find out there already is a real hockey league that's brimming with gay romances, called @thepwhl.com
Reposted by Jimmy Thomson
If Maduro were to escape captivity & return to Venezuela, you know that all the pipeline boosters out there would be saying "The return of Maduro to Venezuela makes a West Coast pipeline especially useful and urgent. We must capitalize now."
Whatever the question, the answer will always be the same
Whatever the question, the answer will always be the same
Alberta’s Danielle Smith says Maduro capture outlines urgency of West Coast pipeline
Alberta’s Danielle Smith says Maduro capture outlines urgency of West Coast pipeline
Shares in Canada's biggest oilsands producers came under pressure on Monday, with the TSX energy subindex down more than three per cent.
www.thestar.com
January 5, 2026 at 11:20 PM
If Maduro were to escape captivity & return to Venezuela, you know that all the pipeline boosters out there would be saying "The return of Maduro to Venezuela makes a West Coast pipeline especially useful and urgent. We must capitalize now."
Whatever the question, the answer will always be the same
Whatever the question, the answer will always be the same
Reposted by Jimmy Thomson
The fact she's also moving to England in July to work for the Rhodes Trust doesn't give the impression she's all that committed to focusing on her constituents in University—Rosedale for much longer
January 5, 2026 at 5:17 PM
The fact she's also moving to England in July to work for the Rhodes Trust doesn't give the impression she's all that committed to focusing on her constituents in University—Rosedale for much longer
[Russia attacks Poland] Globe editorial: Putin's aggression must be countered with a new pipeline to the West Coast
[Trump dies] Globe: Canada must seize the moment by building a pipeline to the West Coast
[Canada builds a pipeline to the West Coast] Globe: It's time for a third p
[Trump dies] Globe: Canada must seize the moment by building a pipeline to the West Coast
[Canada builds a pipeline to the West Coast] Globe: It's time for a third p
January 5, 2026 at 5:13 PM
[Russia attacks Poland] Globe editorial: Putin's aggression must be countered with a new pipeline to the West Coast
[Trump dies] Globe: Canada must seize the moment by building a pipeline to the West Coast
[Canada builds a pipeline to the West Coast] Globe: It's time for a third p
[Trump dies] Globe: Canada must seize the moment by building a pipeline to the West Coast
[Canada builds a pipeline to the West Coast] Globe: It's time for a third p
The second editorial the Globe has written in the two days since the Venezuela invasion, both using the invasion to push the case for a new pipeline — as if a change in international politics changes anything about oil's long-term future or the Canadian Constitution.
Globe editorial: In a national emergency, Canada does not have a moment to lose
The measures needed to safeguard this country’s sovereignty will take years. We must start without any further delay
www.theglobeandmail.com
January 5, 2026 at 4:00 PM
The second editorial the Globe has written in the two days since the Venezuela invasion, both using the invasion to push the case for a new pipeline — as if a change in international politics changes anything about oil's long-term future or the Canadian Constitution.
Reposted by Jimmy Thomson
A panel of three judges has thrown out an attempt by the province to stop the release of government calls on Premier Doug Ford’s personal cellphone.
globalnews.ca/news/1159745...
globalnews.ca/news/1159745...
Ontario court rules Doug Ford must turn over personal phone records | Globalnews.ca
An Ontario court says it is reasonable to conclude Premier Doug Ford uses his personal cellphone to communicate and that he should make those records public.
globalnews.ca
January 5, 2026 at 3:23 PM
A panel of three judges has thrown out an attempt by the province to stop the release of government calls on Premier Doug Ford’s personal cellphone.
globalnews.ca/news/1159745...
globalnews.ca/news/1159745...
This case is an important one to watch if you care about your own right to know. If the police are free to arrest, detain and block journalists while acting on industry's behalf, our whole information ecosystem gets eroded.
We're suing the RCMP and it's finally going to trial this month. Here's a great video explaining why we're doing it. #cdnpoli www.youtube.com/watch?v=stDm...
The Narwhal’s court case against the RCMP, explained
YouTube video by The Narwhal
www.youtube.com
January 5, 2026 at 3:53 PM
This case is an important one to watch if you care about your own right to know. If the police are free to arrest, detain and block journalists while acting on industry's behalf, our whole information ecosystem gets eroded.
Yesterday I was downtown and I saw the former "business" that exclusively catered to Airbnb owners (check-ins, bag storage etc) has been replaced by an actual business that makes an actual product. A great start!
B.C. Appeal Court dismisses appeal by short-term rental owners over restrictions
Victoria short-term rental owners had sought to be exempt from a new law that limits home rentals — or be compensated for their losses.
vancouversun.com
January 4, 2026 at 7:03 PM
Yesterday I was downtown and I saw the former "business" that exclusively catered to Airbnb owners (check-ins, bag storage etc) has been replaced by an actual business that makes an actual product. A great start!
A company that's been locked out of major markets like the US and Canada has ridden its habit of "making good cars" to the pinnacle of the EV business, while Tesla, with full access and subsides everywhere, is declining due to its "an asshole company that makes bad cars for assholes" strategy.
Tesla Loses Its EV Crown to BYD as Sales Keep Dropping
Full-year electric vehicle sales figures have dropped for 2025, revealing China’s BYD is now officially global top dog.
www.wired.com
January 4, 2026 at 4:17 PM
A company that's been locked out of major markets like the US and Canada has ridden its habit of "making good cars" to the pinnacle of the EV business, while Tesla, with full access and subsides everywhere, is declining due to its "an asshole company that makes bad cars for assholes" strategy.