Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Charlie Smith @charliesmithvcr.bsky.social · 11h

VIFF 2025: “Tears Burn to Ash” depicts diaspora’s distance from ancestral homeland. Vancouver director Natalie Murao's film is at International Village at 3:30 pm on Wed. (Oct. 8) as part of @viffest.bsky.social Short Forum 5. More here in @pancouver.bsky.social: pancouver.ca/viff-2025-te...

VIFF 2025: "Tears Burn to Ash" depicts diaspora's distance from ancestral homeland - Pancouver

Veena Yamano plays a fourth-generation Japanese Canadian in her 20s who lands in Tokyo in "Tears Burn to Ash".

pancouver.ca

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Charlie Smith @charliesmithvcr.bsky.social · 15h

New @pancouver.bsky.social: @capilanou.bsky.social prof Hande Gürses reviews It Was Just an Accident, which won Palme d'Or at Cannes. Its final @viffest.bsky.social screening is at 2:45 pm Thurs. (Oct. 9) at Vancouver Playhouse. #VIFF2025 pancouver.ca/encounters-w...

Encounters with Evil: A review of It Was Just an Accident - Pancouver

Iranian auteur Jafar Panahi won the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival for It Was Just an Accident.

pancouver.ca

Charlie Smith @charliesmithvcr.bsky.social · 17h

Pam Bondi wasn't performing for an audience of one. There is a second person she was performing for—Stephen Miller—who seems to be de facto president of domestic affairs given all the time that Trump spends on golf courses and chatting up world leaders. www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...

The rise of Stephen Miller, the architect of Trump’s hardline immigration policy

With time, events in Los Angeles of the past week may come to be seen as the anti-immigrant zealot’s ultimate revenge

www.theguardian.com

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Charlie Smith @charliesmithvcr.bsky.social · 17h

If you think it's a disgrace what @washingtonpost.com did to @karenattiah.bsky.social—and it bugs you that media rushed to Kimmel's defence, saving his job, but not hers—one way to protest is to never order anything from Amazon again. Unlike ABC, Bezos fired her without a threat from Brendan Carr.

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Charlie Smith @charliesmithvcr.bsky.social · 17h

VIFF 2025: The Things You Kill director Alireza Khatami shares thoughts on Persian poetry, racism, and symbolism of the “father” in a @pancouver.bsky.social interview with @nuralsumbultepe.bsky.social. @viffest.bsky.social pancouver.ca/viff-2025-th...

VIFF 2025: The Things You Kill director Alireza Khatami shares thoughts on Persian poetry, racism, and symbolism of the "father" - Pancouver

In a wide-ranging interview with Nural Sümbültepe, Khatami also speaks about how he plays with versions of himself in the film.

pancouver.ca

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Charlie Smith @charliesmithvcr.bsky.social · 1d

VIFF 2025: Director Solara Thanh Bình Đặng highlights risks and rewards of arranged marriage in “chin (ripe)” pancouver.ca/viff-2025-di...

VIFF 2025: Director Solara Thanh Bình Đặng highlights risks and rewards of arranged marriage in "chin (ripe)" - Pancouver

Her new 19-minute short, “chin (ripe)” , revolves around a young, rural Vietnamese woman played by Hayley Ngọc Mai.

pancouver.ca

Charlie Smith @charliesmithvcr.bsky.social · 1d

VIFF 2025: Skillful filmmaker Mayumi Yoshida delves into deep emotional terrain in Akashi. Here's a review in @pancouver.bsky.social: pancouver.ca/viff-2025-sk...

VIFF 2025: Skillful filmmaker Mayumi Yoshida delves into deep emotional terrain in Akashi - Pancouver

If you’re planning to visit a theatre to watch Akashi, make sure you bring some hankies.

pancouver.ca

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Charlie Smith @charliesmithvcr.bsky.social · 2d

‪
Memo to self: Never post anything on social media when you're angry over someone denigrating your hard work for the sake of a misleading marketing message. Fortunately, I listened to this advice today.

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Reposted by Charlie Smith

Glen Korstrom @glenkorstrom.bsky.social · 6d

Looked into border data for September.
B.C. drivers visited the U.S. 40% less than they did in September 2024. It's the eighth straight month of y/y monthly declines.
#travel #tourism

B.C. drivers visit U.S. less for eighth straight month in September

B.C.-plated passenger-vehicle traffic to the U.S. via four border crossings dropped 40% last month versus September 2024

www.biv.com

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Charlie Smith @charliesmithvcr.bsky.social · 7d

David Eby was counsel for United Native Nations Society when Justice William H. Davies held an inquiry into Frank Paul's death. In the link below, you can read what the report says about Larry Campbell's decision not to order an inquest. iiobc.ca/app/uploads/...

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Reposted by Charlie Smith

Karen Attiah @karenattiah.bsky.social · 7d

My latest in my fight against the Washington Post.

I’ve filed a grievance against the Post through the WaPo Guild— and have sent a letter to Washington Post challenging my firing.

Proud to have @normeisen.bsky.social + @katiephang.bsky.social in my corner.

karenattiah.substack.com/p/the-washin...

The Washington Post Accused Me of “Gross Misconduct.” Here's My Response.

This fight isn’t just about my job — it’s about who gets punished for telling the truth, and who gets protected for spreading hate and violence.

karenattiah.substack.com

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Charlie Smith @charliesmithvcr.bsky.social · 9d

More on the Frank Paul death and lack of an inquest here: www.straight.com/article-1193...

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Charlie Smith @charliesmithvcr.bsky.social · 9d

Here is something I wrote in 2009. @kwardvancouver.bsky.social www.straight.com/article-2060...

Commissioner explains how former chief coroner Larry Campbell thwarted inquest for Frank Paul

An inquiry commissioner has shed some light into why Senator Larry Campbell—in his former role as B.C.’s chief coroner—did not order an inquest into the death of Frank Paul after he was dumped in an a...

www.straight.com

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Charlie Smith @charliesmithvcr.bsky.social · 9d

This paranoid message is reminiscent of the so-called Doctors' Plot in final years of Stalin's life. After the old man died, other Soviet leaders ended Doctors' Plot conspiracy. Stalin's wicked henchman, Lavrentiy Beria, freed surviving imprisoned doctors. Soon after, he was executed for treason.

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Charlie Smith @charliesmithvcr.bsky.social · 12d

@lawrenceodonnell.msnbc.com @nicollewallace.bsky.social @charlieangus104.bsky.social U.S. ambassador to Canada Pete Hoekstra takes “great offence at Canadians saying our president is uninformed, our president is untrustworthy, and those types of things.” nationalpost.com/news/canada/...

U.S. ambassador says he takes 'great offense at Canadians saying Trump is uninformed'

The U.S. ambassador also said numbers "were down" for Canadians using preclearance at airports to travel to the U.S.

nationalpost.com

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Reposted by Charlie Smith

Timothy Snyder @timothysnyder.bsky.social · 12d

Hegseth is putting all of the American generals and admirals from around the world into a single room. Why might Hegseth do such an extraordinary thing? Here I discuss four possible reasons.
snyder.substack.com/p/hegseth-pu...

Hegseth puts us all at risk

Why put all the American commanders in one room?

snyder.substack.com

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Charlie Smith @charliesmithvcr.bsky.social · 15d

Did Tom Homan declare the $50K as income? If not, is he guilty of tax evasion? @lawrenceodonnell.msnbc.com @nicollewallace.bsky.social

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Charlie Smith @charliesmithvcr.bsky.social · 15d

Why would any Canadian want to visit the United States after reading an article like this? www.miamiherald.com/news/local/i...

Hundreds of Alligator Alcatraz detainees drop off the grid after leaving site

As of the end of August, the whereabouts of two-thirds of more than 1,800 men detained at Alligator Alcatraz during the month of July could not be determined by the Miami Herald.

www.miamiherald.com

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Charlie Smith @charliesmithvcr.bsky.social · 15d

Sinclair owns KOMO in Seattle, which means Vancouver TV viewers won't be able to watch Jimmy Kimmel Live tonight on Channel 2 on cable. I'm guessing many folks here will stay up to turn on the station, only to see local news. Meanwhile, the Washington Post still hasn't reinstated Karen Attiah.

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Charlie Smith @charliesmithvcr.bsky.social · 18d

BC Review published this review of George Abbott's new book. #bcpoli thebcreview.ca/2025/09/18/2...

Ron Verzuh reviews Unceded: Understanding British Columbia’s Colonial P

Ron Verzuh reviews Unceded: Understanding British Columbia’s Colonial Past and Why It Matters Now, by George M. Abbott (Vancouver: UBC Press [Purich Books], 2025) $29.95 / 9780774881159

thebcreview.ca

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Charlie Smith @charliesmithvcr.bsky.social · 18d

It's so much easier for the U.S. media to focus on the fate of a multi-millionaire comedian than what Trump and Musk did to the poorest people in the world.

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Charlie Smith @charliesmithvcr.bsky.social · 18d

Judging from Mark Carney's actions, it makes me think that he might have already read Upheaval by Jared Diamond. It includes a lengthy section on how Finland managed to retain its autonomy beside the old Soviet Union...The Finns were the ultimate "Elbows Up" nation in the Winter War of 1939-40.

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Reposted by Charlie Smith

Karen Attiah @karenattiah.bsky.social · 18d

New from me:

There's a lot of misinformation around the reasons I was fired from WaPo.

Here's the official termination letter I got sent by Washington Post.

Read and judge for yourself.

open.substack.com/pub/karenatt...

Why Washington Post fired me

Read the official termination letter for yourself.

open.substack.com

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Reposted by Charlie Smith

Eric Topol @erictopol.bsky.social · 19d

How sugary drinks loaded with fructose and glucose may promote colon cancer metastatic potential
www.nature.com/articles/s42...

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Reposted by Charlie Smith

Charlie Angus @charlieangus104.bsky.social · 19d

My piece on how the Jimmy Kimmel firing is indicative of the growing authoritarian nature of the American regime.
The American century is over and it collapsed so quickly.

charlieangus.substack.com/p/jimmy-kimm...

Jimmy Kimmel, Charlie Kirk and the Fall of America

How easily they crumbled.

charlieangus.substack.com

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