Also what a treat to be in my home town surrounded by brilliant Black scientists. This is an amazing space and platform for research in Canada.

Are you in Calgary!

Do you know you can still register? Registrations are available at the front desk.

Head over to the Science Theatres hall way at the University of Calgary and join of for an amazing experience #BESTEMM2025

Lucky to be at #BESTEMM2025 Alberta, taking in so much research excellence and learning A LOT: from new opportunities for precision medicine, to ethical and community-based AI integration for public health, and so much more. Thank you @canblacksci.bsky.social!

UN backed report alleges Israeli forces used sexual violence against Palestinians as ‘method of war’ - ABC listen United Nations-backed human rights experts have accused Israel of “the systematic use of sexual, reproductive and other gender-based violence” in its war with Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

Chris Sidoti on ABC radio this morning about the findings of the committee in the new report on the use of sexual, reproductive & gender-based violence by #Israel, incl findings of genocidal acts through destruction of fertility clinic. #intlaw #humanRights #genocide www.abc.net.au/listen/progr...

Manitoba confirms remains found at Prairie Green landfill belong to Morgan Harris - Winnipeg | Globalnews.ca Morgan Harris was one of the Indigenous women killed by Jeremy Skibicki in 2022 and it was believed her remains ended up in the landfill.

Disturbing that whether or not to fully investigate these murders—locating the women killed—was up for political debate.

globalnews.ca/news/1107261...

The Human Genome Project took ~13 years to complete.

Yesterday, Genome Canada announced that Cda will sequence over 100K human genomes over the next 4 years to give scientists, clinicians and public health authorities the data needed to provide more precise, predictive & preventative health care.

‘Designed to humiliate’: Israel’s torture of Gaza’s healthcare workers A PHRI report says healthcare workers are arbitrarily detained, humiliated, and sexually and psychologically abused.

My latest:
#Israel #Gaza
www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/2/...

Doug Ford wins third majority after gambling on winter election Doug Ford defied the odds in the Ontario election to become the first premier to win three consecutive majority governments since Leslie Frost in 1959.

Ontario's election by the numbers:
45.4% of registered voters bothered to vote
42.9% of those voters voted for Doug Ford's team
They won 80 of 124 seats.

📣19.5% of Ontario's eligible voters gave Doug Ford 65% of the voice of Ontario's people.📣

www.thestar.com/politics/pro...

Ontario reports 78 new measles cases, nearly doubling count in ongoing outbreak Ontario is reporting 78 new measles cases over the last two weeks, nearly doubling the province’s total count since an outbreak started in the autumn.

Measles outbreak in Ontario results in 18 kids hospitalized, including one who required intensive care.

This was preventable. We had all but eradicated measles with an incredibly effective vaccine.

Children are relying on the adults. When you choose not to vaccinate, you put their lives at risk

Cautiously excited.

“Inflicting harm and denying care” in the West Bank: MSF report on escalation of attacks and obstructions of healthcare | MSF A new report by MSF details how Israeli forces and settlers are obstructing healthcare in Palestine's West Bank.

#Palestine: Our latest report, “Inflicting harm and denying care”, contains testimony from medical personnel in the #WestBank who have been tied up, shot at, and harassed by Israeli forces while trying to perform their lifesaving duties.

www.msf.org/%E2%80%9Cinf...

AHS CEO and Board were fired after looking into the legality of private contracts YouTube video by Naheed Nenshi

Danielle Smith's government allegedly fired the AHS CEO and the Board after they started looking into the legality of contracts for private surgeries that could enrich companies with strong ties to the UCP government and staff.

They did all of this with YOUR tax dollars.

Scientists produce first complete genome of a banana slug Scientists at UC Santa Cruz have completed the first end-to-end genome of the iconic Pacific banana slug, a species synonymous with California's coastal redwood forests and the university's beloved ma...

Complete Genome of the iconic Pacific Banana Slug 🧬🧬

✅ A total of 2.3 Gb (Human Genome is 3.4 Gb)

✅ As part of California Conservation #Genomics Project (CCGP), this project will inform conservation policies

#genome #biodiversity #climatechange

A Capital Plan This short documentary features a portrait of Ottawa in the mid-20th century, as the nascent Canadian capital grew with force but without direction. Street congestion, air pollution, and …

Just finished a 1949 NFB doc on #OttCity (as one does).

Spotlights the Capital Planning Project, including a Green Belt to add "breathing space" + new infrastructure for children/cyclists among other initiatives aimed at cleaner air and more livable communities... 😔

www.nfb.ca/film/capital...

There’s plenty to criticize with this government but it’s hard to take the “F🇨🇦CK TRUDEAU” crowd seriously given that so many of them are foaming at the mouth bigots.

Man standing outside in the snow with a sign that says, “free Luigi Mangione”

Orillia, Ontario

Finally!

Ex-husband of Gisele Pelicot and all other defendants found guilty in French mass rape trial Dominique Pelicot, 72, had already admitted to drugging Gisele Pelicot for almost a decade so he and strangers he recruited online could rape her.

"When I started this trial on 2 September, I wanted to ensure that society could actually see what was happening... I have never regretted this decision."

Gisèle Pelicot speaks outside the court in Avignon after her ex-husband was found guilty on all charges and sentenced to 20 years in prison.

Always leave them wanting more: Fraser tops All Politics Poll as he looks to exit federal politics The results of The Hill Times’ 2024 year-end poll are in. Liberal MP Sean Fraser scores a hat trick and takes the ‘Most Valuable Politician’ title for the second year in a row, while Tory Leader…

Liberal MP Sean Fraser scores a hat trick and takes the ‘Most Valuable Politician’ title for the second year in a row, while Tory Leader Pierre Poilievre divides respondents.

Spotted in the wild: @sophall.bsky.social heading back to the Hill. 🗞️😱

Premier Danielle Smith willing to use the notwithstanding clause on Alberta’s trans health bill | Globalnews.ca The health bill is the first of a trio that's passed debate in the legislature that will affect transgender youth and adults in the province.

globalnews.ca/news/1092001...

The willingness to quash enshrined charter rights so nilly-willy should be troubling to everyone.

Also, if you know of any trans-positive organizing occurring, share below. I'd love positive news.

Rare day when it’s fun and exciting to live in Ottawa.

In case you didn’t know, fun and exciting looks like listening to CBC all day and texting your gov/GR/journo friends.

Chrystia Freeland resigns as Finance Minister, will leave Trudeau’s cabinet Freeland said she will continue to sit in the Liberal caucus as a backbench MP

Canada is unique among Westminster democracies in that it has not had a governing party’s caucus replace their prime minister while in office. That’s not for lack of current desire (or arguably need) to do so. They were unable, so instead the best are quitting
www.theglobeandmail.com/politics/art...

i think it is important to clarify that this — the exclusionary distribution of benefits on some sort of ethnic or national basis — isn’t socialism. it’s, you know, something else.

I once had a professor ask “Why is there a Business section in the newspaper but not a Labor section?” My classmates and I probably rolled our eyes, but damned if I haven’t remembered that question every few days for 30 years now.

Heads up: Anti-abortion dingdongs are outside of the Rideau Centre (Rideau and Sussex) with their graphic placards.

These same people have been ramping up their targeting of clinics in the city as well.

Bag of paints

This many oil paints were salvageable!

Testing.

(Toxic?) fun! Estate sale art supplies. Oil paint + odds and ends. When you could buy a big tube from Wallack’s for a few bucks.

Magical!