A symbolic visit by an American president to a disaster site can be constructive. Former President Joe Biden’s presence at areas in the United States affected by various disasters allowed him to both show leadership and offer comfort in moments of national tragedy. In contrast, a bombastic President Donald Trump used his first domestic trip […]
There has recently been a shift online from centralized platforms like X (formerly Twitter) to decentralized alternatives like Bluesky. In particular, many users unhappy with the politics and antics of X owner Elon Musk are moving to Bluesky. Users migrating from X have cited a rise in bots and hate speech as the reason for […]
In recent years, the proliferation of conspiracy theories amid escalating climate disasters and their aftermath has become an alarming trend. During the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season in the United States, misinformation and disinformation regarding Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton proliferated on social media, falsely claiming that they were “geo-engineered” and intentionally targeted at predominantly Republican […]
Ontario Premier Doug Ford has been dropping hints for some time about the possibility of a provincial election this spring, if not sooner. Those hints are being reinforced by the pending arrival of $200 “rebate” cheques to Ontario residents from the province at a cost of nearly $3 billion. Ford claims that he needs a […]
Several students are participating in SWAPIT, a large winter air quality study, run by Environment and Climate Change Canada Who would imagine a bright, sunny winter day could have higher concentrations of some air pollutants than a hazy summer day? Not only is it uncommon for people to consider air quality during the coldest months […]
Professor Mark Winfield of the Faculty of Environment and Urban Change writes about Doug Ford's response in an opinion piece in the Globe and Mail and on his blog. Read the piece in the Globe and Mail here: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/business/commentary/article-doug-ford-response-to-trumps-tariff-threat-lacks-credibility/ or in Winfield's blog: https://marksw.blog.yorku.ca/2025/01/14/doug-ford-donald-trump-and-energy/
Donald Trump is on the eve of becoming only the second United States president to begin a non-consecutive term. Grover Cleveland, more than a century ago, was the other. Non-consecutive terms have occurred in other countries, particularly in Western Europe and the Americas. Around the time that Cleveland entered American history books, William Gladstone kept […]
Issues surrounding students’ data and schools’ use of educational technology (EdTech) are in the spotlight as school boards in six provinces respond to a “significant cyberattack” on an administration software platform. According to CTV, the company PowerSchool informed school districts that “hackers infiltrated its systems using a compromised credential to gain access to one of […]
Meta’s announcement that it will abandon fact-checking in the United States — in what appears to be an appeasement to fact-averse Donald Trump — is just the latest illustration of the importance of billionaires in the president-elect’s second term. Some of the world’s wealthiest business leaders have lined up to support Trump, while his cabinet […]
Throughout 2024, international students, along with other immigrants, found themselves on the receiving end of blame for Canada’s economic challenges. Starting with the Jan. 22 announcement of a cap on international student numbers, Canada’s growing political theatre of scapegoating has cast international students as responsible for taking jobs, straining the asylum system, driving up housing […]