Maybe this side by side format would help the City feel better about switching to a normalized operating budget format. Note that the City's non-normalized total is $18.9Bm(way over-stated)

Jeffrey Epstein’s death was most likely caused by 'strangulation rather than hanging' a doctor present at the convicted paedophile’s post-mortem examination has said, adding it should be reinvestigated

AOC: "Extreme level of wealth inequality leads to social instability and drives authoritarianism, right-wing populism, and really dangerous domestic internal politics. That is a direct outcome of the failure of democracies over decades to deliver."

CARNEY: "When you wake up tomorrow, and the world feels impossible, know that millions of Canadians are with you ... Because Canada is a community that relies on each other's grace. And may that grace bless us all. "

Wow 👀

Exclusive: The U.S. military is preparing for the possibility of sustained, weeks-long operations against Iran if President Trump orders an attack, two U.S. officials told Reuters, in what could become a far more serious conflict than previously seen between the countries reut.rs/4kErI3k

The UK Home Office’s decision to ban Palestine Action as a terrorist group last year was unlawful, the High Court ruled today. Non-violent direct action is NOT terrorism. Learn more in our ongoing series 'How to stop the arms trade' at newint.org

In terms of what cures are being lost: - Epstein-Barr virus is perhaps the major trigger for multiple sclerosis - herpes simplex virus causes cold sores, genital herpes, infections in babies, deadly meningitis - shingles virus causes an intensely painful disease

I swear I'm coming to rely on these folks to drag me back to earth every Friday. youtu.be/q5LESOwjTL0?...

🆕 A New Era for City Governments Across the world, cities are where the future happens first. IIPP Senior Research Fellow Ruth Puttick reflects on the launch of the Public Sector Capabilities Index (PSCI) in October 2025, recapping key discussion points. 🔗 Read more here: buff.ly/dAooIBQ

And here's a venn diagram of the municipal innovation model.

This looks like something worth investigating. youtu.be/aJKTZ_Wc8ZM?...

Once again, for the hundredth time: Alberta could solve this with a simple PST. You'd be able to balance the budget *and* save non-renewable resource royalties for the future. But, of course, the self-appointed "fiscal conservatives" won't entertain the idea. #abpoli www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...

As anyone who has read much about the authoritarian personality knows, the core of it is fear, or more precisely, "heightened threat sensitivity." That yields a desire for order and clarity, which translates it to deep respect for -- *yearning* for -- hierarchy. Authoritarians love hierarchy.

Want to know what the "endangerment finding" is and what it's repeal means? Here I try to answer the main FAQs around that: 🧪

Breaking News: The Trump administration repealed the bedrock scientific finding that greenhouse gases threaten human life and well being, meaning that the EPA can no longer regulate them. nyti.ms/4rSszQu

Growing evidence points to link between autism and wildfire smoke

Alberta's new two-tier legislation encourages a private health insurance market for services covered under the Canada Health Act. It's a decisive shift towards U.S. health care based on greed+ profit-taking, not “European” health care @alonghurst.bsky.social www.policyalternatives.ca/news-researc...

Carnaval is where identity, belonging, dignity and collective futures are made visible—mobilising labour systems, skills pipelines and supply chains year-round. We must learn to value the immense creative work and knowledge that goes into it.

It looks like one of the ways Toronto reduced its operating budget for 2026 was to eliminate capital costs from the operating budget. If true would be a good thing. Used to be ~$200M as "Transfers from Capital". See eg engineering.

Realized some info is missing from the excel graph to this format, so posting again. Care (health & educ) was the biggest source of job growth since the pandemic hit. It was the biggest driver of job growth in the past year. Over the course of 2025, health increasingly outpaced all other job growth.

"This industry group comprises establishments primarily engaged in providing nonresidential social assistance to children and youth, the elderly, persons with disabilities, and all other individuals and families." (The other group is the rest of us.)

If you've got three minutes, I've got everything you need to know about the jobs report. What happened, what it means, how it'll shape your life, and what to look for going forward. Plus some wonky bits.

Tons of stories in these data. The most striking: utter silence about the one sector that just keeps growing...and remains in crisis. Yes, we are amidst a polycrisis. Yes, boy jobs are in big trouble. But ignoring how to strengthen what we totally control, in economic and human terms, is nuts to me.

Cool. Google overview summarizes my articles about normalizing Toronto budgets when searched for "capital allocation method". www.google.com/search?q=%22...

"The wealthiest 0.01% of Canadian families (1,685 families) hold an average of $448.5 million, 4,041x the average wealth of a family in the bottom 50%." Check out this new report from @bcpolicy.bsky.social & @c4tf.bsky.social 👇

“The climate scientists we surveyed were unambiguous: current economic models can’t capture what matters most – the cascading failures and compounding shocks that define climate risk in a warmer world – and could undermine the very foundations of economic growth.” This should be THE story everyday.

The flu and pneumonia kill over 45,000 people a year. Moderna developed a new mRNA flu vaccine for people 50 and older--who are most at risk. Prasad, unilaterally, against the recommendation of experts within the agency, denied Moderna's appplication. www.statnews.com/2026/02/11/m...

The plan: they don’t want women to vote.👇

“[…] Thermobaric weapons do not just kill; they obliterate […] these weapons disperse […] fuel that ignites to create an enormous fireball and vacuum effect.” “To prolong burning time, powders of aluminium, magnesium and titanium are added to the chemical mixture.” www.aljazeera.com/features/202...

I would pitch a subway along this red line. Connects the densest residential corridor of the city without rapid transit to 3.5 subways, a GO line, almost every streetcar line, ~a dozen buses, 5 hospitals, 2 universities, major employers, Kensington/Chinatown, and the Eaton Centre. Would be a monster

TONIGHT! Come and see me talk about the benefits of normalized operating budgets for the City of Toronto, or join online. The talk is about 15 minutes, then some q&a and I'll be sticking around for the breakout groups, so we can chat! bsky.app/profile/civi...

@graphicmatt.com Re: my presentation at Civic Tech tonight -- it's a little technical, so you might like it. 😉 Come for an explanation of Toronto's "modified cash basis" budget accounting; stay for a Toronto "normalized" budget (revenue - expenses = surplus) bsky.app/profile/civi...

At this point it seems no one understands reserve funds. They are majority unspent capital budget from previous years, not rainy day funds. Spending down the reserves is good.

NEW: Special Report | Russia’s FPV drone campaign in Ukraine institutionalizes intentional civilian harm as a tool of war (1/5)  Read more: isw.pub/RussiaFPV Key Takeaways ⬇️

I presume these motions are scripted with the Mayor's office, and anticipated. The idea is to convey collaboration with the public, while keeping budget impacts minimal. Don't get me wrong, I think these are good, but I'd like to see greater partnership with civil society, earlier in the process.

Harbord yesterday. Anyone with a mobility device will have difficulty & now-plowed bike lanes unusable. Tory-council contract but somebody is making cash w/out doing the job right. It’s confounding that the mayor isn’t yelling about this. Instead we get city ads/PR that snow clearing is good.

NEWS: Republican Cash Edge Threatens to Swamp Democrats in the Midterms www.nytimes.com/2026/02/10/u...

TONIGHT! Come and see me talk about the benefits of normalized operating budgets for the City of Toronto, or join online. The talk is about 15 minutes, then some q&a and I'll be sticking around for the breakout groups, so we can chat! bsky.app/profile/civi...

A major basic income supporter has been nominated in an upcoming byelection to replace Chrystia Freeland Dr. Danielle Martin, Chair of University of Toronto Family Medicine Hear what she has to say about basic income:

Toronto's new Eglinton rail line shows the awakening of a new consciousness of what kind of city Toronto is. New from me: humantransit.org/2026/02/toro...

Here's me

Okay, @hausfath.bsky.social and Climate Brink have created the one climate graphic to rule them all with this Joy Division-inspired temperature anomaly chart It's part of their extremely useful new dashboard dashboard.theclimatebrink.com

TOMORROW! Come and see me talk about the benefits of normalized operating budgets for the City of Toronto, or join online. The talk is about 15 minutes, then some q&a and I'll be sticking around for the breakout groups, so we can chat! bsky.app/profile/civi...

It’s taken years for the city to close a tiny gap in this 65-km public trail. The trouble? A 110-year-old private golf course lies in the way

When I get my dream of Toronto municipal parties, the requirement should be no provincial or federal affiliation. Municipal has its own ideologies. We need Projet Toronto not Toronto Liberal or Toronto NDP.

This chart. Wow. reportearth.substack.com/p/the-washin... via @chriscmooney.bsky.social

BREAKING: on this Super Bowl Sunday, Epstein Survivors have just released this PSA: “Stand with us.  Tell Attorney General Pam Bondi IT’S TIME FOR THE TRUTH” Please share everywhere!

Overshoot: The world is hitting point of no return on climate #Climate

This is very very bad.