Social Media Lab
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SocialMediaLab.ca - News & analysis by @philipmai.com re: the politics of tech, social media, AI, immigration, democracy, mis/disinfo, & propaganda. Explore our suite of social media tools & dashboards for public interest research: socialmedialab.ca/apps/
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Russia Sanctions Social Media Lab Researchers for Tracking War Misinformation - Social Media Lab
The Social Media Lab at Toronto Metropolitan University is deeply concerned by Russia’s announcement of sanctions against 28 Canadian citizens, including our researchers Anatoliy Gruzd and Philip Mai,...
socialmedialab.ca
The Social Media Lab at Toronto Metropolitan Uni. is deeply concerned by Russia’s announcement of sanctions vs 28 Canadian citizens, incl. our rsrchrs Anatoliy Gruzd & Philip Mai, on the baseless claims that their rsrch promotes neo-Nazism & anti-Russian activism. socialmedialab.ca/2026/01/12/r...
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Around the world, governments continue to attack the humanities & social sciences. www.sltrib.com/opinion/comm...
The framing around STEM & science with a purpose shows how little they understand research. Apparently, they think that every discovery comes w/a sticky note stating, "My purpose is..."
The framing around STEM & science with a purpose shows how little they understand research. Apparently, they think that every discovery comes w/a sticky note stating, "My purpose is..."
Voices: Local humanities organizations, like the one I run in Utah, are a lifeline. We can’t afford to lose them.
“The humanities aren’t peripheral. They are central. They are what keeps a democracy alive — what keeps us alive,” writes Utah Humanities Executive Director Jodi Graham in an op-ed.
www.sltrib.com
April 22, 2025 at 4:43 PM
Around the world, governments continue to attack the humanities & social sciences. www.sltrib.com/opinion/comm...
The framing around STEM & science with a purpose shows how little they understand research. Apparently, they think that every discovery comes w/a sticky note stating, "My purpose is..."
The framing around STEM & science with a purpose shows how little they understand research. Apparently, they think that every discovery comes w/a sticky note stating, "My purpose is..."
Reposted by Social Media Lab
Yes, because actors are known for arriving on set in bathrobes.
January 21, 2026 at 3:17 AM
Yes, because actors are known for arriving on set in bathrobes.
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Trump: "I see people screaming 'Shame! Shame!' This is not people that are like, living in Minnesota. These are professional paid people. They are like actors."
January 21, 2026 at 3:04 AM
Trump: "I see people screaming 'Shame! Shame!' This is not people that are like, living in Minnesota. These are professional paid people. They are like actors."
"China’s ambitious K-type visa scheme for foreign STEM talent remains conspicuously absent from application portals more than three months after its official launch, raising questions about the policy’s readiness and implementation hurdles amid mounting domestic concerns."
Foreign talent visa remains stalled months after launch
China’s ambitious K-type visa scheme targeting foreign STEM talent remains conspicuously absent from official government application portals more th...
www.universityworldnews.com
January 21, 2026 at 2:59 AM
"China’s ambitious K-type visa scheme for foreign STEM talent remains conspicuously absent from application portals more than three months after its official launch, raising questions about the policy’s readiness and implementation hurdles amid mounting domestic concerns."
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The greatest contribution to nation-building that the current PM can offer future Canadians is not a single policy or deal, but a durable framework and clear roadmap for trade & security diversification, one that his successors, regardless of party, can build upon and advance over time. #cdnpoli
January 18, 2026 at 1:50 AM
The greatest contribution to nation-building that the current PM can offer future Canadians is not a single policy or deal, but a durable framework and clear roadmap for trade & security diversification, one that his successors, regardless of party, can build upon and advance over time. #cdnpoli
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Rebalancing that reality will not happen quickly or easily. Canada must now commit to diversifying its trade, not just for the next few years, but for decades to come. This will require a sustained, multigenerational effort that rises above partisanship and survives changes in government.
January 18, 2026 at 1:50 AM
Rebalancing that reality will not happen quickly or easily. Canada must now commit to diversifying its trade, not just for the next few years, but for decades to come. This will require a sustained, multigenerational effort that rises above partisanship and survives changes in government.
Reposted by Social Media Lab
It took more than 80 years for Canada to arrive at a point where roughly 75% of everything we produce, extract from the ground, or harvest from the sea is destined for the United States. #cdnpoli
January 18, 2026 at 1:50 AM
It took more than 80 years for Canada to arrive at a point where roughly 75% of everything we produce, extract from the ground, or harvest from the sea is destined for the United States. #cdnpoli
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2026-2026 RIP "Board of Peace"?
"Finance minister says Canada will not pay $1B US if it joins Trump's 'Board of Peace'. Carney earlier said he agreed in principle to join, but details have not been finalized." www.cbc.ca/news/politic...
"Finance minister says Canada will not pay $1B US if it joins Trump's 'Board of Peace'. Carney earlier said he agreed in principle to join, but details have not been finalized." www.cbc.ca/news/politic...
Finance minister says Canada will not pay $1B US if it joins Trump's 'Board of Peace' | CBC News
Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne said on Tuesday that Ottawa does not plan to pay the $1-billion US price tag for a permanent seat on U.S. President Donald Trump's "Board of Peace," that w...
www.cbc.ca
January 20, 2026 at 2:35 PM
2026-2026 RIP "Board of Peace"?
"Finance minister says Canada will not pay $1B US if it joins Trump's 'Board of Peace'. Carney earlier said he agreed in principle to join, but details have not been finalized." www.cbc.ca/news/politic...
"Finance minister says Canada will not pay $1B US if it joins Trump's 'Board of Peace'. Carney earlier said he agreed in principle to join, but details have not been finalized." www.cbc.ca/news/politic...
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"Mark Carney in China positions Canada for ‘the world as it is, not as we wish it’. PM’s visit to Beijing seen as a welcome reset to relations in a ‘new world order’ but critics worry what trade deal could mean for Canadian workers" www.theguardian.com/world/2026/j...
January 17, 2026 at 11:35 AM
"Mark Carney in China positions Canada for ‘the world as it is, not as we wish it’. PM’s visit to Beijing seen as a welcome reset to relations in a ‘new world order’ but critics worry what trade deal could mean for Canadian workers" www.theguardian.com/world/2026/j...
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China is probably right now praying to the ancestors that Trump pulls the trigger on Greenland. The good news is that the Danes & Americans are still meeting privately. If the Danes walk away from those private talks, all bets are off. Those talks are one of the few off-ramps for the US and the EU.
January 20, 2026 at 2:51 PM
China is probably right now praying to the ancestors that Trump pulls the trigger on Greenland. The good news is that the Danes & Americans are still meeting privately. If the Danes walk away from those private talks, all bets are off. Those talks are one of the few off-ramps for the US and the EU.
Reposted by Social Media Lab
Decades can happen in weeks. This is one of them. The EU has had a year to prepare for a Trump escalation. These options were already debated during the US-EU trade talks. Now is the moment to act boldly. As China has shown, bending the knee and sending the manager a letter isn’t always the answer.
January 18, 2026 at 2:05 PM
Decades can happen in weeks. This is one of them. The EU has had a year to prepare for a Trump escalation. These options were already debated during the US-EU trade talks. Now is the moment to act boldly. As China has shown, bending the knee and sending the manager a letter isn’t always the answer.
Reposted by Social Media Lab
There's a lesson for the EU in here somewhere ... "China Purchased No U.S. Soybeans For An Unprecedented Fifth Straight Month" www.forbes.com/sites/kenrob...
China Purchased No U.S. Soybeans For An Unprecedented Fifth Straight Month
U.S. soybean famers look for markets other than China as the trade war with the United States continues: countries like Mexico, Egypt, Germany and Pakistan.
www.forbes.com
January 18, 2026 at 9:54 PM
There's a lesson for the EU in here somewhere ... "China Purchased No U.S. Soybeans For An Unprecedented Fifth Straight Month" www.forbes.com/sites/kenrob...
Reposted by Social Media Lab
A year after Trump, US science is a shadow of itself. To understand the devastation and vandalism, check out this new set of visualizations of the cuts for a bird's-eye view of the utter destruction. www.nature.com/immersive/d4...
US science after a year of Trump: what has been lost and what remains
A series of graphics reveals how the Trump administration has sought historic cuts to science and the research workforce.
www.nature.com
January 21, 2026 at 1:41 AM
A year after Trump, US science is a shadow of itself. To understand the devastation and vandalism, check out this new set of visualizations of the cuts for a bird's-eye view of the utter destruction. www.nature.com/immersive/d4...
Hotel California: "Trump has growing stranglehold over EU and UK energy supply, study shows. European countries now reliant on US liquified natural gas shipments, creating risk of higher bills amid recent tensions" www.theguardian.com/world/2026/j...
Trump has growing stranglehold over EU and UK energy supply, study shows
European countries now reliant on US liquified natural gas shipments, creating risk of higher bills amid recent tensions
www.theguardian.com
January 21, 2026 at 2:37 AM
Hotel California: "Trump has growing stranglehold over EU and UK energy supply, study shows. European countries now reliant on US liquified natural gas shipments, creating risk of higher bills amid recent tensions" www.theguardian.com/world/2026/j...
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The EU is nearly there. European leaders have dramatically altered their rhetoric over the last 48 hours. Greenland is the red line. The question is whether anyone in the White House is actually paying attention.
January 20, 2026 at 1:09 PM
The EU is nearly there. European leaders have dramatically altered their rhetoric over the last 48 hours. Greenland is the red line. The question is whether anyone in the White House is actually paying attention.
Reposted by Social Media Lab
A dysfunctional relationship is one in which only one party has a duty to be reasonable and to do all the emotional labour. Eventually, the reasonable party is going to walk off with half of everything or burn it all down. Those are the rules.
January 20, 2026 at 1:09 PM
A dysfunctional relationship is one in which only one party has a duty to be reasonable and to do all the emotional labour. Eventually, the reasonable party is going to walk off with half of everything or burn it all down. Those are the rules.
A year after Trump, US science is a shadow of itself. To understand the devastation and vandalism, check out this new set of visualizations of the cuts for a bird's-eye view of the utter destruction. www.nature.com/immersive/d4...
US science after a year of Trump: what has been lost and what remains
A series of graphics reveals how the Trump administration has sought historic cuts to science and the research workforce.
www.nature.com
January 21, 2026 at 1:41 AM
A year after Trump, US science is a shadow of itself. To understand the devastation and vandalism, check out this new set of visualizations of the cuts for a bird's-eye view of the utter destruction. www.nature.com/immersive/d4...
Reposted by Social Media Lab
Let's hope for a 🌮. If not, this will escalate into a hot war in the near future. European leaders are increasingly using emotional language that suggests a sense of personal betrayal, implying that actions are being taken not only against the states they represent, but against them personally.
January 20, 2026 at 3:45 PM
Let's hope for a 🌮. If not, this will escalate into a hot war in the near future. European leaders are increasingly using emotional language that suggests a sense of personal betrayal, implying that actions are being taken not only against the states they represent, but against them personally.
Reposted by Social Media Lab
The beginning of something very bad for everyone from Wall street to Main street ... "Bloomberg reports that the Danish pension fund AkademikerPension will unload its $100 million position in US Treasuries by the end of the month." investinglive.com/news/danish-...
Danish pension fund AkademikerPension to dump US Treasuries - report | investingLive
The fund has a relatively small position in Treasuries but it signifies the risk
investinglive.com
January 20, 2026 at 3:34 PM
The beginning of something very bad for everyone from Wall street to Main street ... "Bloomberg reports that the Danish pension fund AkademikerPension will unload its $100 million position in US Treasuries by the end of the month." investinglive.com/news/danish-...
Reposted by Social Media Lab
Moriarty: "A police officer of color who was off duty was boxed in by ICE - she's a citizen - they demanded to know who she was & see her papers. She was going to try to record it & they ripped the phone out of her hand. That happened to a cop. That's what's happening here on the streets of MN."
January 21, 2026 at 12:48 AM
Moriarty: "A police officer of color who was off duty was boxed in by ICE - she's a citizen - they demanded to know who she was & see her papers. She was going to try to record it & they ripped the phone out of her hand. That happened to a cop. That's what's happening here on the streets of MN."
Reposted by Social Media Lab
Here's Mark Carney's full speech on middle powers navigating a rapidly changing world www.cbc.ca/news/politic...
January 20, 2026 at 11:40 PM
Here's Mark Carney's full speech on middle powers navigating a rapidly changing world www.cbc.ca/news/politic...
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For a comparable situation, take a look at Australia and it's relationship with Norfolk Island. Australia has an arrangement where it handles international relations and defence for Norfolk Island, even though the island has a degree of local self-government.
January 14, 2026 at 2:37 PM
For a comparable situation, take a look at Australia and it's relationship with Norfolk Island. Australia has an arrangement where it handles international relations and defence for Norfolk Island, even though the island has a degree of local self-government.
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A possible off-ramp for the US & EU bsky.app/profile/soci...
Translation: the US will likely get dominion over Greenland and will get control over foreign affairs and defence. Best case scenario, Greenland keeps some semblance of local self-government and control over economic development activities such as mining, oil and fishing.
January 20, 2026 at 2:56 PM
A possible off-ramp for the US & EU bsky.app/profile/soci...
Reposted by Social Media Lab
The US is trying to harden Japan in the event of a potential war over Taiwan, and the Russians are not pleased.
www.newsweek.com/russia-japan...
www.newsweek.com/russia-japan...
Russia alarmed by US Typhon missile system in Japan
The land-based Typhon weapon is capable of firing the Standard Missile-6 and Tomahawk cruise missiles.
www.newsweek.com
January 20, 2026 at 2:14 PM
The US is trying to harden Japan in the event of a potential war over Taiwan, and the Russians are not pleased.
www.newsweek.com/russia-japan...
www.newsweek.com/russia-japan...