James L Turk
@jameslturk.bsky.social
Director of the Centre for Free Expression at Toronto Metropolitan University University. Board Member of the International Civil Liberties Monitoring Group. Writer, Speaker, Policy Analyst.
C-9 is a terrible bill that infringes on fundamental Charter rights. It should be withdrawn not made even more unconstitutional. If it is not withdrawn, I guess we will have to sort it out in court.
UPDATE: Instead of addressing the ample criticism against C-9, some MPs want to add a new offence as an amendment during the clause-by-clause analysis, which would further infringe on our rights & freedoms!
Read more & take action again if you have already: iclmg.ca/withdraw-bil... Thanks! #StopC9
Read more & take action again if you have already: iclmg.ca/withdraw-bil... Thanks! #StopC9
December 4, 2025 at 3:07 AM
C-9 is a terrible bill that infringes on fundamental Charter rights. It should be withdrawn not made even more unconstitutional. If it is not withdrawn, I guess we will have to sort it out in court.
Reposted by James L Turk
🚨 URGENT: Bill C-12 could be voted on THIS WEEK (as early as Dec 4)
Your call can stop this anti-immigrant bill.
MPs are counting constituent calls RIGHT NOW before the vote.
Takes 2 minutes. Make it count.
migrantrights.ca/actionslist/...
#cdnpoli #cdnimm #cdnref #refugeeswelcome #stopc12
Your call can stop this anti-immigrant bill.
MPs are counting constituent calls RIGHT NOW before the vote.
Takes 2 minutes. Make it count.
migrantrights.ca/actionslist/...
#cdnpoli #cdnimm #cdnref #refugeeswelcome #stopc12
STOP Bill C-12: Call Your MP Now! - Migrant Rights Network
Bill C-12 returns for third reading THIS WEEK—December 3rd—and could be voted on any day. This dangerous legislation threatens the rights of refugees, migrants, and everyone in Canada. Once passed, t...
migrantrights.ca
December 2, 2025 at 7:11 PM
🚨 URGENT: Bill C-12 could be voted on THIS WEEK (as early as Dec 4)
Your call can stop this anti-immigrant bill.
MPs are counting constituent calls RIGHT NOW before the vote.
Takes 2 minutes. Make it count.
migrantrights.ca/actionslist/...
#cdnpoli #cdnimm #cdnref #refugeeswelcome #stopc12
Your call can stop this anti-immigrant bill.
MPs are counting constituent calls RIGHT NOW before the vote.
Takes 2 minutes. Make it count.
migrantrights.ca/actionslist/...
#cdnpoli #cdnimm #cdnref #refugeeswelcome #stopc12
Will Canada abandon environmental assessment in the Ring of Fire?: Unfortunately, there has been no answer to this vital question. Odds not good that Carney will preserve environmental protections. ricochet.media/indigenous/w...
Will Canada abandon environmental assessment in the Ring of Fire?
Doug Ford wants Ottawa to ignore First Nations’ warnings that drinking water, treaty rights, and the land itself are on the line
ricochet.media
November 6, 2025 at 1:32 PM
Will Canada abandon environmental assessment in the Ring of Fire?: Unfortunately, there has been no answer to this vital question. Odds not good that Carney will preserve environmental protections. ricochet.media/indigenous/w...
‘Elbows Up’ — Yesterday’s Slogan -- Judy Haiven is right that our apologetic (to Trump) Prime Minister uses the rhetoric of Canada charting its own course while pursuing policies that bring us evermore into the U.S. orbit. That leads no where good. open.substack.com/pub/judyhaiv...
‘Elbows Up’ — Yesterday’s Slogan
Home About
open.substack.com
November 1, 2025 at 11:51 PM
‘Elbows Up’ — Yesterday’s Slogan -- Judy Haiven is right that our apologetic (to Trump) Prime Minister uses the rhetoric of Canada charting its own course while pursuing policies that bring us evermore into the U.S. orbit. That leads no where good. open.substack.com/pub/judyhaiv...
Leading AI assistants misrepresent news content nearly half the time according to a European and British study of 3,000 responses to questions about the news from leading artificial intelligence assistants. www.cbc.ca/news/world/a...
Top AI assistants misrepresent news content, study finds | CBC News
Leading AI assistants misrepresent news content in nearly half their responses, according to new research published on Wednesday by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) and the BBC. The study also fo...
www.cbc.ca
October 22, 2025 at 2:06 PM
Leading AI assistants misrepresent news content nearly half the time according to a European and British study of 3,000 responses to questions about the news from leading artificial intelligence assistants. www.cbc.ca/news/world/a...
The opponent of foreign interference in U.S. elections is doing his best to interfere in Argentina’s
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...
Trump threatens to cut US aid to Argentina if Milei loses election
US president says ‘we will not be generous’ if leader fails to win key midterms after promising $20bn to prop up struggling economy
www.theguardian.com
October 15, 2025 at 4:53 AM
The opponent of foreign interference in U.S. elections is doing his best to interfere in Argentina’s
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...
The Trump Administration’s attack on freedom of expression is being particularly felt by editorial cartoonists. Some sad stories and great cartoons can be found in this article
fair.org/home/us-cart...
fair.org/home/us-cart...
US Cartooning Tradition in Peril in Trump’s First Year
In the era of Trump, publishers are, for a variety of reasons, encouraging cartoonists to approach the president on bended knee.
fair.org
October 1, 2025 at 12:07 AM
The Trump Administration’s attack on freedom of expression is being particularly felt by editorial cartoonists. Some sad stories and great cartoons can be found in this article
fair.org/home/us-cart...
fair.org/home/us-cart...
Alberta Education Minister's ban of all books with any sexually explicit content from all school libraries will only hurt kids. We all learn about sex. Too bad there won't be access to the best books available -- which are sexually explicit in age appropriate ways. cfe.torontomu.ca/blog/2025/07...
Alberta Returns to 17th Century Puritanism for Its School Libraries | Centre for Free Expression
17th Century puritanism has come back to life in the Alberta Government. Last week, its Minister of Education, Demetrios Nicolaides signed a Ministerial Order that is jaw-dropping. Concerned that some...
cfe.torontomu.ca
July 14, 2025 at 5:59 PM
Alberta Education Minister's ban of all books with any sexually explicit content from all school libraries will only hurt kids. We all learn about sex. Too bad there won't be access to the best books available -- which are sexually explicit in age appropriate ways. cfe.torontomu.ca/blog/2025/07...
Former Canadian MP Charlie Angus reflects on where MAGA's celebration of a camp built for the express purpose of dehumanizing and brutalizing migrants could lead. Unfortunately, his fears should be all our fears.
American Dachau open.substack.com/pub/charliea...
American Dachau open.substack.com/pub/charliea...
American Dachau
Trump Takes the Next Step
open.substack.com
July 6, 2025 at 7:36 PM
Former Canadian MP Charlie Angus reflects on where MAGA's celebration of a camp built for the express purpose of dehumanizing and brutalizing migrants could lead. Unfortunately, his fears should be all our fears.
American Dachau open.substack.com/pub/charliea...
American Dachau open.substack.com/pub/charliea...
Congress just passed the biggest transfer of wealth from the poor to the rich in American history. All those well-intentioned poor and modest-income Americans who voted for Trump will pay a huge price. So will the United States.
www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
See How Trump’s Big Bill Could Affect Your Taxes, Health Care and Other Finances
The wide-ranging domestic policy legislation could impact your taxes, clean energy choices, health care access and more.
www.nytimes.com
July 3, 2025 at 7:53 PM
Congress just passed the biggest transfer of wealth from the poor to the rich in American history. All those well-intentioned poor and modest-income Americans who voted for Trump will pay a huge price. So will the United States.
www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
Canadian legal & human rights scholars call on York Region to reinstate paramedic fired for Facebook comment critical of Israel; not altogether different from former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmer's Haaretz op-ed “Enough Is Enough. Israel Is Committing War Crimes.” tinyurl.com/3yz3vjud
June 30, 2025 at 5:52 PM
Canadian legal & human rights scholars call on York Region to reinstate paramedic fired for Facebook comment critical of Israel; not altogether different from former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmer's Haaretz op-ed “Enough Is Enough. Israel Is Committing War Crimes.” tinyurl.com/3yz3vjud
Instead of the “elbows up” Priime Minister Mark Carney promised to be, he has shown only cowardice and capitulation to Trump’s threats. Last night’s cancellation of Canada’s Digital Services Tax, as Trump demanded, is a disgrace to Canada and Canadians.
www.reuters.com/world/americ...
www.reuters.com/world/americ...
Canada rescinds digital services tax in a bid to advance trade talks with US
Canada has rescinded its digital services tax in a bid to advance trade negotiations with the U.S., Canada's finance ministry said in a statement on Sunday.
www.reuters.com
June 30, 2025 at 4:52 AM
Instead of the “elbows up” Priime Minister Mark Carney promised to be, he has shown only cowardice and capitulation to Trump’s threats. Last night’s cancellation of Canada’s Digital Services Tax, as Trump demanded, is a disgrace to Canada and Canadians.
www.reuters.com/world/americ...
www.reuters.com/world/americ...
Great source of recommended readings
June 26, 2025 at 6:46 PM
Great source of recommended readings
Decisions about what books should be in school libraries should be made by professional educators and librarians, not by politicians using children in their culture wars as is happening in Alberta. cfe.torontomu.ca/blog/2025/06...
Librarians and Educators Should Decide Books for School Libraries, Not Politicians | Centre for Free Expression
On Monday, May 26th, 2025, Alberta Minister of Education Demetrios Nicolaides announced that the government was bringing in new rules to ensure only "age-appropriate" books are available in school lib...
cfe.torontomu.ca
June 16, 2025 at 3:06 PM
Decisions about what books should be in school libraries should be made by professional educators and librarians, not by politicians using children in their culture wars as is happening in Alberta. cfe.torontomu.ca/blog/2025/06...
Reposted by James L Turk
Studies consistently show a LARGE portion of vaccine related adverse events are caused by the nocebo effects.
Eg: Republicans & the hesitant experience more adverse events.
My take: Vaccine safety, politics and the nocebo effect healthydebate.ca/2025/04/topi... via @healthydebate.bsky.social
Eg: Republicans & the hesitant experience more adverse events.
My take: Vaccine safety, politics and the nocebo effect healthydebate.ca/2025/04/topi... via @healthydebate.bsky.social
Vaccine safety, politics and the nocebo effect - Healthy Debate
We must vigorously counter the misinformation and political spin that helps to fuel the accelerating vaccine concern vortex.
healthydebate.ca
May 20, 2025 at 2:12 PM
Studies consistently show a LARGE portion of vaccine related adverse events are caused by the nocebo effects.
Eg: Republicans & the hesitant experience more adverse events.
My take: Vaccine safety, politics and the nocebo effect healthydebate.ca/2025/04/topi... via @healthydebate.bsky.social
Eg: Republicans & the hesitant experience more adverse events.
My take: Vaccine safety, politics and the nocebo effect healthydebate.ca/2025/04/topi... via @healthydebate.bsky.social
Premier Danielle Smith has found a way to bring Alberta's Treaty First Nations & the Calgary Chamber of Commerce together in common cause-denunciation of her coy flirtation/encouragement of Alberta separatism. tinyurl.com/5n7xur4d
First Nations unity displayed at rally against Alberta separatism
First Nations unity displayed at rally against Alberta separatism
First Nations unity displayed at rally against Alberta separatism
“Our Treaties are not relics. They are not documents to be shelved and forgotten.”
www.readtheorchard.org
May 20, 2025 at 2:33 PM
Premier Danielle Smith has found a way to bring Alberta's Treaty First Nations & the Calgary Chamber of Commerce together in common cause-denunciation of her coy flirtation/encouragement of Alberta separatism. tinyurl.com/5n7xur4d
First Nations unity displayed at rally against Alberta separatism
First Nations unity displayed at rally against Alberta separatism
A fine statement of leading U.S. civil liberties' organizations. The surest protection against authoritarianism is active resistance by civil society - despair, apathy, cynicism, hopelessness are the authoritarian forces' best friends.
Read the full letter: knightcolumbia.org/documents/dm...
May 19, 2025 at 10:31 PM
A fine statement of leading U.S. civil liberties' organizations. The surest protection against authoritarianism is active resistance by civil society - despair, apathy, cynicism, hopelessness are the authoritarian forces' best friends.
Reposted by James L Turk
Breaking news: The U.S. economy shrank in the first three months of 2025, contracting by an annualized rate of 0.3 percent, a stark reversal after nearly three years of solid growth, as tariff-related uncertainty upended spending patterns and raised fears of an impending recession.
U.S. economy shrank in early 2025, as tariffs sapped growth
GDP shrank in the first quarter, a new report shows, offering a look at how tariffs are reshaping spending patterns and changing the economy.
www.washingtonpost.com
April 30, 2025 at 12:52 PM
Breaking news: The U.S. economy shrank in the first three months of 2025, contracting by an annualized rate of 0.3 percent, a stark reversal after nearly three years of solid growth, as tariff-related uncertainty upended spending patterns and raised fears of an impending recession.
Government of Ontario wins national award for outstanding achievement in government secrecy - for using private cell phones and personal emails for government business - undercutting public access to information under Ontario law.https://tinyurl.com/4ye4xwhd
April 30, 2025 at 2:16 PM
Government of Ontario wins national award for outstanding achievement in government secrecy - for using private cell phones and personal emails for government business - undercutting public access to information under Ontario law.https://tinyurl.com/4ye4xwhd
There is hope in this dark time when the higher education sector is standing up to the bullying tactics of the Trump Administration - quite unlike their cowardice during the period of McCarthyism in the 1940s and 50s.
Over 100 university, college and scholarly society presidents published a joint statement opposing the Trump administration's treatment of higher education institutions reut.rs/42Vhp3x
US academic leaders unite against Trump's higher education policies
Over 100 university, college and scholarly society presidents published a joint statement on Tuesday opposing the Trump administration's treatment of higher education institutions, coming together to speak out after Harvard University said the administration was threatening its independence.
reut.rs
April 22, 2025 at 5:02 PM
There is hope in this dark time when the higher education sector is standing up to the bullying tactics of the Trump Administration - quite unlike their cowardice during the period of McCarthyism in the 1940s and 50s.
There is hope in this dark time when the higher education sector is standing up to the bullying tactics of the Trump Administration - quite unlike their cowardice during the period of McCarthyism in the 1940s and 50s.
Over 100 university, college and scholarly society presidents published a joint statement opposing the Trump administration's treatment of higher education institutions reut.rs/42Vhp3x
US academic leaders unite against Trump's higher education policies
Over 100 university, college and scholarly society presidents published a joint statement on Tuesday opposing the Trump administration's treatment of higher education institutions, coming together to speak out after Harvard University said the administration was threatening its independence.
reut.rs
April 22, 2025 at 5:02 PM
There is hope in this dark time when the higher education sector is standing up to the bullying tactics of the Trump Administration - quite unlike their cowardice during the period of McCarthyism in the 1940s and 50s.
The cruelty, short sightedness, and incompetence of the Trump administration is staggering.
NEW: NOAA scientists are cleaning office bathrooms and reconsidering critical experiments after the Commerce Department failed to renew contracts for hazardous waste disposal, janitorial services, IT and building maintenance.
By @lisalsong.bsky.social
By @lisalsong.bsky.social
NOAA Scientists Are Cleaning Bathrooms and Reconsidering Lab Experiments After Contracts for Basic Services Expire
A Seattle lab has lost janitorial services, hazardous waste support, IT and building maintenance as it waits for the Commerce Department secretary to personally approve all contracts over $100,000.
propub.li
April 11, 2025 at 8:30 PM
The cruelty, short sightedness, and incompetence of the Trump administration is staggering.
Reposted by James L Turk
NEW: Climate experts expressed shock at the Trump administration's plan to stop collecting American polluters’ greenhouse gas emissions.
“Not tracking the data doesn’t make the climate crisis any less real,” one said. “This is just putting our heads in the sand.”
By @fastlerner.bsky.social
“Not tracking the data doesn’t make the climate crisis any less real,” one said. “This is just putting our heads in the sand.”
By @fastlerner.bsky.social
Trump’s EPA Plans to Stop Collecting Greenhouse Gas Emissions Data From Most Polluters
Climate experts expressed shock and dismay at the move. “It would be a bit like unplugging the equipment that monitors the vital signs of a patient that is critically ill,” one said.
propub.li
April 10, 2025 at 5:19 PM
NEW: Climate experts expressed shock at the Trump administration's plan to stop collecting American polluters’ greenhouse gas emissions.
“Not tracking the data doesn’t make the climate crisis any less real,” one said. “This is just putting our heads in the sand.”
By @fastlerner.bsky.social
“Not tracking the data doesn’t make the climate crisis any less real,” one said. “This is just putting our heads in the sand.”
By @fastlerner.bsky.social
Now the Trump Administration is trying to bully Princeton - withholding $210-million in research grants. Princeton's president Christopher Eisgruber's response is not the same as Columbia, thank goodness! edition.cnn.com/2025/04/01/u...
Trump administration suspends dozens of research grants to Princeton | CNN
The Trump administration has suspended research grants totaling $210 million to Princeton University as part of an ongoing investigation into antisemitism on campus, according to the White House and t...
edition.cnn.com
April 10, 2025 at 9:33 PM
Now the Trump Administration is trying to bully Princeton - withholding $210-million in research grants. Princeton's president Christopher Eisgruber's response is not the same as Columbia, thank goodness! edition.cnn.com/2025/04/01/u...