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Reposted by Jimmy Thomson

Alex Cosh @alexcosh.bsky.social · 15h

Today I received an Access to Information request package from Global Affairs Canada.

I filed the request 2 years and 10 months ago. The package consisted of four pages, two of which were redacted 👍

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Jimmy Thomson @jameswsthomson.com · 54m

????

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Reposted by Jimmy Thomson

Cloe Logan @cloelogan.bsky.social · 3h

Exciting news! Yesterday, a new tool developed by @nationalobserver.com's @rorywh.bsky.social
launched. It allows you to search through the transcripts of 550 municipalities’ public meetings. We've been using it internally for a few months and it's been so helpful for our reporting.

Canada’s National Observer unveils a powerful tool for fighting disinformation

Civic Searchlight brings together municipal meeting transcripts from across Canada into a searchable database for the first time. It has already been used to fight disinformation, report on impact, di...

www.nationalobserver.com

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Reposted by Jimmy Thomson

Rory White @rorywh.bsky.social · 1d

Today we launch Civic Searchlight, a tool for searching local government meeting transcripts across 550 municipalities in Canada.

Access is open for researchers and journalists:

civicsearchlight.nationalobserver.com

CivicSearchlight - by Canada's National Observer

Search transcripts of municipal meetings across Canada. Find discussions about topics that matter to your community with Canada's National Observer's search tool.

civicsearchlight.nationalobserver.com

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Jimmy Thomson @jameswsthomson.com · 21h

wasn't being sarcastic!

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Jimmy Thomson @jameswsthomson.com · 22h

Yes I can see the sizeable pro-Klan gamer demographic being very upset about this

Stephen Totilo @stephentotilo.bsky.social · 22h

SCOOP: Last year, Ubisoft cancelled an Assassin's Creed game set during Reconstruction. Was to feature a Black Assassin who, among other things, fought the rise of the Klan

Sources: Leadership nixed it over concerns re: U.S. political climate, backlash to Yasuke

www.gamefile.news/p/scoop-ubis...

Scoop: Ubisoft cancelled a post-Civil War Assassin’s Creed last year

Company leadership deemed the project too controversial for the moment, sources tell Game File

www.gamefile.news

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Jimmy Thomson @jameswsthomson.com · 22h

seems reasonable

Billionaire Chip Wilson gets $600 fine for breaking election rules

A letter to Wilson from Elections BC says three signs the Lululemon founder put up in front of his home during the provincial election period a year ago constituted third-party advertising that requir...

www.nationalobserver.com

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Jimmy Thomson @jameswsthomson.com · 23h

I went to StFX first :)

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Jimmy Thomson @jameswsthomson.com · 23h

No that's very true! We definitely had about a two-block buffer from the waterfront. I think the Split Crow was the closest I ever got — and only during power hour.

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Jimmy Thomson @jameswsthomson.com · 23h

I noticed the same but I think it's more likely an effect of remote workers — the median income for Halifax jobs is still suuuper low. But Toronto money that's flooded in since 2020 has made everything very fancy, very beige and very expensive.

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Jimmy Thomson @jameswsthomson.com · 23h

Glitter Bean??

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Jimmy Thomson @jameswsthomson.com · 1d

The picture that spawned the most Atlantic headline there ever was www.theatlantic.com/national/arc...

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Jimmy Thomson @jameswsthomson.com · 1d

Sure, I can probably get that for you. Want to DM me your email?

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Jimmy Thomson @jameswsthomson.com · 1d

I actually shouldn't say "unprecedented." @bellingcat.com beat us to the punch in a global sense, releasing their version (which focuses on the UK) about a month ago.

Bellingcat Council Meeting Transcript Search

Find verbatim quotes from council meetings in the UK and Ireland using this free open source research tool by Bellingcat.

council-search.bellingcat.com

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Jimmy Thomson @jameswsthomson.com · 1d

As climate disinformation groups move into the shadows, @nationalobserver.com has developed an unprecedented new tool: Civic Searchlight. To build it, we assembled a database of council meetings in more than 550 municipalities.

How Canada's National Observer tracked a climate misinfo group going 'under the radar'

As KICLEI's campaign moves into the shadows, Canada’s National Observer has developed an unprecedented new tool: Civic Searchlight. To build it, we assembled a database of council meetings in more tha...

www.nationalobserver.com

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Jimmy Thomson @jameswsthomson.com · 1d

Can't wait to hear what you think!

Jimmy Thomson @jameswsthomson.com · 1d

Trump, Defying Norms, Permanently Dissolves Congress and the Judiciary. Here's What 10 Undecided Voters Think.

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Reposted by Jimmy Thomson

Patrick Cosmos @veryimportant.lawyer · Sep 8

“I’m strong and I want to have like fifty kids and a farm” of course you do. You’re twelve. “I don’t want to eat vegetables I think steak and French fries is the only meal” hell yeah homie you’re twelve. “Maybe if there’s crime we should just send the army” bless your heart my twelve year old buddy

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Reposted by Jimmy Thomson

Dave Thompson 🇨🇦 @davethompsonvic.bsky.social · 1d

Disinformation about municipal policy and politics is increasing sharply. I see it literally every day.

It's misdirecting people, and making them unhappy, angry, and disconnected from reality.
#yyj #disinformation #misinformation

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Reposted by Jimmy Thomson

Canada's National Observer @nationalobserver.com · 1d

You can sign up directly at civicsearchlight.nationalobserver.com

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Reposted by Jimmy Thomson

Canada's National Observer @nationalobserver.com · 1d

We're going public today with a powerful new tool for researching, following and reporting on local governments across Canada.

It’s dragging cities and towns into the 21st century by making 550 municipalities’ public meetings easy to search, all in one place, for the first time.

Canada’s National Observer unveils a powerful tool for fighting disinformation

Civic Searchlight brings together municipal meeting transcripts from across Canada into a searchable database for the first time. It has already been used to fight disinformation, report on impact, di...

www.nationalobserver.com

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Reposted by Jimmy Thomson

John Woodside @woodsideful.bsky.social · 1d

Today we're launching a new, powerful tool for public accountability created by @rorywh.bsky.social.

Civic Searchlight compiles hundreds of municipalities' public meetings and makes them searchable for the first time. It's free to use and we hope you journalists and researchers put it to work.

Canada’s National Observer unveils a powerful tool for fighting disinformation

Civic Searchlight brings together municipal meeting transcripts from across Canada into a searchable database for the first time. It has already been used to fight disinformation, report on impact, di...

www.nationalobserver.com

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Jimmy Thomson @jameswsthomson.com · 1d

Absolutely. There has been a serious effort over the last decade or so on the right to target municipalities, school boards etc. More in the US than Canada

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Jimmy Thomson @jameswsthomson.com · 1d

This whole initiative is thanks to our technology and democracy reporter, @rorywh.bsky.social, who built Civic Searchlight, and our managing editor @davidmckie.bsky.social, who built Rory.

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Jimmy Thomson @jameswsthomson.com · 1d

Today, @nationalobserver.com is launching a tool to search municipal meeting transcripts across Canada. The tool has already helped us unearth a climate denial network targeting towns and cities, report on AI data centers, measure our impact and more.

Journalists and researchers, sign up for free!

Canada’s National Observer unveils a powerful tool for fighting disinformation

Civic Searchlight brings together municipal meeting transcripts from across Canada into a searchable database for the first time. It has already been used to fight disinformation, report on impact, di...

www.nationalobserver.com

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