Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Andrew Kurjata @akurjata.ca · 15h

Someone had to do it

Tyler Olsen @tyolsen.bsky.social · 17h

NEW: I teamed up with @castanetkamloops.net to write this long in-depth account of Reid Hamer-Jackson's three years as mayor of Kamloops. I also talked to the unrepentant mayor for two hours.

thetyee.ca/News/2025/10...

Mayor of Chaos: How Kamloops Politics Became Infamous | The Tyee

Car dealer Reid Hamer-Jackson won office with charisma and ideas. Then the wheels came off.

thetyee.ca

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Andrew Kurjata @akurjata.ca · 15h

Going from the Dave Jorgenson run TikTok page to this human LLM in six months is a historic fall off

Joshua J. Friedman @joshuajfriedman.com · 19h

What will the new Adam O'Neal–hosted WaPo opinions podcast sound like for the next few decades? Maybe a little something like this x.com/WashPostComm...

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Andrew Kurjata @akurjata.ca · 15h

thank you for posting this (and @ivacheung.com for making it)! I was questioning my knowledge of active/passive voice coming up with sentences like those demonstrated in the comic

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Reposted by Andrew Kurjata

Jesse Hawken @jessehawken.bsky.social · 21h

El Rey

Vlad Guerrero Jr quote: I like to play in New York I like to kill the Yankees I would never sign with the Yankees not even dead.

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Reposted by Andrew Kurjata

Robby Kalland @rkalland.bsky.social · 21h

WEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

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Andrew Kurjata @akurjata.ca · 21h

No direct 51st state mentions but talk of a "merger"

After Carney listed some ways Trump has been a transformative president, Trump added: "The merger of Canada and the United States" before quickly adding, "I'm only kidding."

"That wasn't where I was going, no," Carney said with a laugh. The exchange provoked laughter in the room and both men were smiling.

Later, Trump was asked what he would say to Canadians who no longer want to travel to the U.S.

"I understand that.... We want Canada to do great, but there's a point at which we also want the same business. We're competing for the same business. That's the problem.

“That's why I keep mentioning one way to solve that problem is a very easy way."

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Andrew Kurjata @akurjata.ca · 21h

No concrete concessions but some positive signs (for however little his words are worth)

Trump’s tone seems much more positive today.

Consider these comments from the president:

On the auto sector: “We want to make our cars here. At the same time, we want Canada to do well, making cars. So, we're working on formulas and I think we'll get there.”
On a deal today with Canada: “We have a lot of things that we're working on … I think they're going to walk away very happy.”
On fentanyl: “Canada's worked hard and they've done a much better job than in the past.”
While it is premature to draw any big conclusions, this is far less antagonistic than Trump has been previously when talking about trade with Canada.

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Andrew Kurjata @akurjata.ca · 21h

"Trump spends a few moments praising Carney: 'He is a world-class leader. He’s a man that knows what he wants... he’s a tough negotiator'

"A reporter chimes in: If Carney is a great man, then what’s holding a deal up?

'Because I want to be a great man too.'"

#canada

www.cbc.ca/news/politic...

White House talks 'successful, positive, substantive,' but no relief on steel just yet, says LeBlanc | CBC

www.cbc.ca

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Andrew Kurjata @akurjata.ca · 1d

That stupid $1.50 extra you have to pay for booking online

Tara Deschamps @taradeschamps.bsky.social · 1d

"We're watching, and you could get caught, and we will take you to court."

Cineplex is headed to court to fight a decision — and record $38.9-million penalty — that experts say should serve as a warning for other companies.

www.thecanadianpressnews.ca/business/cin...

Cineplex drip pricing case headed for appeal could serve as warning

TORONTO - Cineplex Inc. is headed to court Wednesday to fight a decision — and record $38.9-million penalty — that experts say should serve as a warning for other companies.

www.thecanadianpressnews.ca

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Andrew Kurjata @akurjata.ca · 1d

Oh, and the people who are owed money say agreements were in place that the birds would be slaughtered (for product)

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Andrew Kurjata @akurjata.ca · 1d

So this is a very interesting wrinkle in the case of the ostrich farm fighting a cull order: they owe creditors thousands and, aside from the birds, appear to have no assets www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...

Creditors circle as cull controversy shines light on B.C. ostrich farmers' unpaid bills | CBC News

After years of chasing debts through the courts, creditors of a high-profile ostrich farm in southeastern B.C. have filed paperwork against the Canada Food Inspection Agency in the hopes of recouping ...

www.cbc.ca

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Andrew Kurjata @akurjata.ca · 1d

I work for a pretty large media org and it would be so wild if someone who ran a substack that published 4-5 articles a day was in charge

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Reposted by Andrew Kurjata

Rafferty Baker @rafferty.bsky.social · 1d

47 VPD officers were paid more than $100K in OT last year, including 7 constables who more than doubled their possible $140K salaries. One sergeant raked in $239K in OT on top of possible $158K salary.

Meanwhile, the force went $6.5M over its $400M+ budget.

www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...

47 VPD officers made over $100K in OT last year — and one banked $239K, FOI data shows | CBC News

A single Vancouver police sergeant was paid $239,258 in overtime alone last year, on top of the rank's base pay of up to $158,000. The figure comes from a freedom of information request filed with the...

www.cbc.ca

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Reposted by Andrew Kurjata

Joanne Hammond @joannehammond.bsky.social · 1d

Enjoy a few moments of the wind and the birds in the cottonwoods on the South Thompson River at T’kemlups. Volume up🧡 #waterislife

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Reposted by Andrew Kurjata

Chibdm @chibdm.bsky.social · 2d

Robin Williams' daughter has some quality thoughts on AI slop

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Andrew Kurjata @akurjata.ca · 1d

“It's hard to start a revolution. Even harder to continue it. And hardest of all to win it. But, it's only afterwards, when we have won, that the true difficulties begin.”

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Pwnallthethings @pwnallthethings.bsky.social · 1d

Tragic news from Canada where the Canadian Supreme Court has gone from the official dress on the left to the one on the right

Canadian Supreme court. Everyone is dressed in bright red wooly gowns, with a beige trim. It looks sort of like a Santa robe

The Canadian Supreme court. Everyone is dressed in black gowns with a bright white kravat, and two thin red vertical lines on the side of the robe

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Andrew Kurjata @akurjata.ca · 1d

So in Canada, at least, the Battle of Algiers — the movie DiCaprio is watching in One Battle After Another — is free to stream on the Plex service rn. And a great chaser/companion watch.plex.tv/en-GB/watch/...

A movie poster for the 1966 film the Battle of Algiers

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Andrew Kurjata @akurjata.ca · 1d

I really try to moderate my consumption of U.S. news but I just checked in for FIVE MINUTES

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Andrew Kurjata @akurjata.ca · 1d

So I see the New York bar association is accusing the president of ordering the illegal execution of civilians, California and Illinois may pull out of the Governor’s Ass’n because of the national guard thing, and an ICE agent is accused of opening fire on a US citizen. How’s the economy?

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Andrew Kurjata @akurjata.ca · 2d

The FIRST poll, last year, was largely people saying he’s going to use the judiciary to go after his political enemies and the new poll is largely people who predicted that saying “actually it’s worse than I thought”

Why Legal Experts Are Worried About a Second Trump Presidency
In a survey of 50 members of the D.C. legal establishment, many warn that Trump could follow through on his threats to prosecute his political adversaries.

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Andrew Kurjata @akurjata.ca · 2d

A lot of people are going to dunk on this like “you weren’t paying attention” but this poll is checking with legal scholars who went into *thinking things would be bad* but say it’s even worse than their already pessimistic expectations

Mary Dudziak @marydudziak.bsky.social · 2d

Has Trump’s second term posed a greater or lesser threat to the rule of law than you expected? @nytimes.com
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/06/m...

Has Trump’s second term posed a greater or lesser threat to the rule of law than you expected?
Circular graph showing over half answered: much more than I expected, about a quarter: more than I expected, about an eighth: similar threat to what I expected, small sliver: much less threat than I expected.

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Andrew Kurjata @akurjata.ca · 2d

Helping Indigenous communities digitize old recordings to preserve culture www.cbc.ca/player/play/...

Helping Indigenous communities digitize old recordings to preserve culture

A project that began in British Columbia is helping Indigenous communities preserve their stories — by converting old cassette tapes into digital archives for future generations.

www.cbc.ca

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Andrew Kurjata @akurjata.ca · 2d

Worse, this is based on a follow-up survey of legal experts who went into this term expecting bad things www.nytimes.com/2024/10/03/m...

Why Legal Experts Are Worried About a Second Trump Presidency (Published 2024)

www.nytimes.com

Andrew Kurjata @akurjata.ca · 2d

I’m not saying this is how civil war begins. But this also isn’t NOT how civil war begins…

Greg Abbott & @GregAbbott_TX
X.com
I fully authorized the President to call up 400 members of the Texas National Guard to ensure safety for federal officials.
You can either fully enforce protection for federal employees or get out of the way and let Texas Guard do it.
No Guard can match the training, skill, and expertise of the Texas National Guard.
They defend our country with pride.
America must also know that Texas still has thousands of National Guard assisting with the Border security.
Governor JB Pritzker v
@GovPritzker • 8h
This evening, President Trump is ordering 400 members of the Texas National Guard for deployments to Illinois, Oregon, and other locations within the United States. No officials from the federal government called me directly to discuss or coordin...

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