A Sharon Begley byline, almost 5 years after her death. Upon hearing the news James Watson had died, a STAT reporter said in our Slack, "I wish I could read what Sharon would have written." Incredible news: Sharon in fact did pre-write a Watson obit. And it is masterful and excoriating. 🧪🧬🧫

Screaming for all to hear: The Bechdel test is a joke! I don't mean that derisively, it is literally a joke from Alison Bechdel's comic strip Dykes To Watch Out For.

wait until you see what happens after the 3rd vote

go folksy go brokesy

"The NBA is highlights league." *NBA then insists several games every year are played on courts that make television viewing painful.* (This one looked so much better in theory than on TV.)

It's a small graphic design detail, but the loitering guy on TTC signage is actually in front of the red slash, casually leaning against it, making him look *unbelievably* cool.

Will you look at how many polls in Matt Jeneroux's Edmonton riding went Liberal in the last election. Closest Conservative win in the city; 5%. (narrower than Griesbach flipping from NDP, and South East, where mayor/ex-MP Sohi ran for Libs) map via X's @RealAlbanianPat

20 seasons ago

nostAIgie

mmmm my favorite mcdonald’s food, Dore, Caprer, and a side of Cchinges

And this, friends, is why you read Paul Wells' Substack. paulwells.substack.com/p/the-2025-b...

dawg they’re live laugh loving the white house. president homegoods

“If we felt we were being meaningfully consulted with, you wouldn’t see members of our bar giving donations to a party trying to put the hundreds of Albertans we employ out of a job.” - injury lawyer on why so many made corp donations to UCP. www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...

Corporate and union donations are back in Alberta politics. And as @markusoff.bsky.social found out, one party benefited from that change much more in the last quarter. #AbLeg

“If we felt we were being meaningfully consulted with, you wouldn’t see members of our bar giving donations to a party trying to put the hundreds of Albertans we employ out of a job.” - injury lawyer on why so many made corp donations to UCP. www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...

July: corporate donations become legal again for Alberta parties July-Sept: at least $471K in corp donations to UCP, which made the change. Injury lawyers and car dealers are so far biggest givers to Danielle Smith's party: www.cbc.ca/news/canada/... by me

The Alberta auditor general is in the middle of major probe into health contracting and ex-CEO's whistleblowing, and asked for time to finish work. Smith's United Conservatives just voted to seek AG's replacement. www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...

thank you for all the support; the statement from our union is now live here with some more reporting. now that this is public I can confirm that the majority of today’s layoffs were women of color. there are no longer any Black women working at Teen Vogue.

Montreal has managed to go 12 years without a mayor resigning in disgrace. Thank you Valerie Plante and may new mayor Martinez Ferrada extend the streak to 16. (It’s a low bar I know but you should have seen the place before.)

Was one of the guests on West of Centre this week - the CBC’s Alberta Politics podcast - with @jaredwesley.ca and @colinaitchison.bsky.social Check it out on Apple or Spotify…and subscribe. The gang at CBC Calgary are doing good work over there. podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/w...

Lasting image from tonight is Ernie Clement at his locker, eyeblack and uniform still on except cleats, dirt on the pants with hole in the knee, long after most had showered and changed.

New from me. On the "sacrifice" discourse and the real choices that might be ahead. www.cbc.ca/news/politic...

Perhaps the Jays should have considered this

SkyDome Fan Club '89 #toronto #skydome

If Ottawa advised the Alberta premier about when she should quash legal rulings or Charter rights, we might hear something about lanes and staying in them.

Days after she became first Alberta premier to invoke notwithstanding clause, Danielle Smith wants it used again. By the feds.

Calgary's new mayor is one of the more intriguing political animals I've ever covered. He lost with one persona and won with a different one. Is the real Jeromy Farkas now standing up? My feature profile: www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...

My column today, on how police departments' car-first attitude makes them say the darnedest things. Like "leave your e-bike at home."

"This is a milestone which should have never been crossed, and today we fight so that it won't be crossed again.” A dispatch from me and @reportrix.bsky.social on Alberta’s student walkout in response to the government’s back to work order for teachers and the use of the notwithstanding clause.

October 30, 2025: Canada-US trade talks halted, Ontario's tariff ad angers Trump, parties clash over budget election threat, Alberta uses notwithstanding clause on teachers www.youtube.com/watch?v=uWsh... @rosiebarton.bsky.social @chebert18.bsky.social @markusoff.bsky.social @althiaraj.bsky.social🍁

Vague but distressing news from Valleyview, Alta.: RCMP and animal welfare groups "have taken in hundreds of surrendered animals, including cats, dogs, horses and other livestock, in varying states of distress. Charges are currently pending approval."

Happy 50th to the GOAT of #tabloidheds

Blue Jays in Los Angeles: 2 wins, 1 loss, 1 tie game

This is tomorrow night and tickets are free!

At 2 a.m., the Alberta legislature passed a bill that will force 51,000 teachers back to work, impose a four-year contract and use the notwithstanding clause to stave off a legal challenge and suspend teacher bargaining at the local level. It includes fines for Ts and the ATA if they defy it. #AbLeg

Doug Ford: "My champion Wab Kinew, he's 100% behind it. Another champion, Premier Eby, as well ... total different political stripes than I am but we're all sticking together." Reporter:"Danielle Smith doesn't like the ads, though..." Ford: "Of course Danielle Smith doesn't like the ads..."

Mr. Trump claims he’s not 'a king,' but on tariffs he is acting like one, and without a proper delegation from Congress as the Constitution requires."... www.wsj.com/opinion/reag...

Addison Barger was the 1,642nd pinch hitter in World Series history. He did something none of the other 1,641 had ever done - and inspired this Game 1 edition of the World Series Weird and Wild column! www.nytimes.com/athletic/674...

To save you all the ear pain, I checked out the original Queen song that Jays' #WANTITALL comes from. Some latter-day Freddie Mercury dross that goes straight downhill from the classically Queeny a capella bit. Avoid. Watch the Blow at High Dough hype video 1,993 times instead.

If you have 12 minutes today, this interview with B.C. MLA Amelia Boultbee on why she left the BC Conservatives is worth a watch #bcpoli One line that stood out to me: “John gets distracted by every culture war issue that crosses his desk” #bcpoli youtu.be/odUn7jdEVFg?...

It would be neat if the Blue Jays win the World Series, especially in this political moment. If they do, we're probably going to have some national anguish when the team (or parts of it) goes for the traditional congratulations from the president at what's left of the White House.

Terry Rozier? That's bad. Damon Jones? Worse. Chauncey Billups? Nightmare. The NBA, like every other league, chased easy sports gambling money. But this is the water pro sports swims in now, and it comes at a cost of trust, certainty, and the integrity of the game. www.thestar.com/sports/nba/t...

Streisand effect time for Ronald Reagan’s 1987 radio address on the awfulness of tariffs (save in some exceptional circumstances) youtu.be/5t5QK03KXPc?...

I kid you not, this is currently what the White House's "Major Events Timeline" shows for the East Wing expansion. www.whitehouse.gov/about-the-wh...

New Alberta throne speech title: Moving Alberta forward with results www.youtube.com/watch?v=9bmq...

Perfect. No notes.

Post-election update: UCP President Rob Smith was defeated in Mountain View County’s Division 6. NDP President Bill Tonita was re-elected in Strathcona County’s Ward 4. daveberta.substack.com/p/andrew-kna...

Parmar was behind 6 votes before recount, and now wins by 600. And fifth-place Kotch lost more than 600 votes. Imma guess a poll clerk at one poll put Parmar’s votes in the wrong column.

Take a bow, @teelingkat.bsky.social