Devon Black
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devonblack.bsky.social
Devon Black
@devonblack.bsky.social
120 followers 220 following 32 posts
I love free contraception and darning socks.
🏳️‍🌈 she/they
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Reposted by Devon Black
senatorpaulasimons.bsky.social
On this Trans Day of Remembrance, I hope Albertans will remember that trans kids and teens are living breathing humans who just want to be themselves, without fear of hate and discrimination. Demonizing kids merely to score political points in some weird culture war is craven and cruel.
November 20, 2025 at 8:21 PM
Reposted by Devon Black
lukelebrun.ca
If CBSA refuses to explain why it thought a *95 YEAR OLD* retired Princeton law professor and UN special rapporteur might be a threat to national security, Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree should
Prominent legal scholar detained at Canadian border while on his way to a conference on Palestine | CBC News
A well-known academic and former UN special rapporteur says he was detained by customs agents in Toronto while on his way to speak at a conference on human rights violations against Palestinians.
www.cbc.ca
November 16, 2025 at 3:21 AM
Reposted by Devon Black
arieltroster.com
One year, 4,464 calls, 92% required no police intervention. The Alternative Neighbourhood Crisis Response (ANCHOR) in Centretown is sending the right people to help in cases of mental health or substance use crises. It represents the de-tasking of police and it works.

www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...
Centretown crisis response team handled thousands of calls in its 1st year, report shows | CBC News
Launched in August 2024, the Alternative Neighbourhood Crisis Response (ANCHOR) team responded to 4,464 calls in its first year, according to numbers in a new city report. The pilot program aims to pr...
www.cbc.ca
November 16, 2025 at 1:43 PM
Reposted by Devon Black
johncke.bsky.social
'A Bloomberg investigation found two-thirds of global #AI data centers are built or planned in water-stressed areas.'
ricochet.media/climate/cana...
Canada's next extractive industry: How AI is following the fossil fuel playbook
Ottawa is betting nearly a billion on artificial intelligence, ignoring warnings of its environmental risks. Just like Big Oil, Big Tech is building infrastructure that will be nearly impossible to di...
ricochet.media
November 15, 2025 at 1:13 PM
Reposted by Devon Black
picardonhealth.bsky.social
Health Canada ignored expert advice to expand access to safer drugs for opioid users, internal documents show. There are no plans to renew funding for safer supply programs, says Health Canada.
www.cbc.ca/news/canada/... via @cbcnews.ca
They’re at risk of dying from opioid overdose. The government cut funding that could help them | CBC News
As deadly drug overdoses climbed across Canada, decision-makers faced political backlash for funding programs that gave drug users prescribed opioids and, against their own experts’ advice, scaled bac...
www.cbc.ca
November 16, 2025 at 5:02 PM
Reposted by Devon Black
theathletic.com
The Athletic polled hundreds of players from across the NBA, NFL, MLB and NHL about their opinions surrounding how sports betting impacts players — the responses were haunting.
November 15, 2025 at 2:12 AM
Reposted by Devon Black
citizenlab.ca
Researchers at the Citizen Lab and director @rondeibert.bsky.social sign open letter to the Canadian Minister of AI and Minister of Industry rejecting the “National Sprint” on AI strategy.

Read it here: bccla.org/policy-submi...
OPEN LETTER to the Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Innovation from civil society organizations and individuals opposing "National Sprint" consultation on AI strategy - BC Civil Liberti...
The Honourable Mélanie JolyMinister of IndustryHouse of CommonsOttawa, OntarioK1A 0A6 The Honourable Evan SolomonMinister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital InnovationHouse of CommonsOttawa, Ontar...
bccla.org
November 5, 2025 at 9:48 PM
devonblack.bsky.social
This has been keeping me up at night for months. I still can't believe this is the current reality and yet Carney's budget is cutting Canada's foreign aid commitment below already-dismal levels.
newyorker.com The New Yorker @newyorker.com · 19d
One analytical model shows that, as of November 5th, the dismantling of U.S.A.I.D. has already caused the deaths of 600,000 people, two-thirds of them children. https://newyorkermag.visitlink.me/jUzNSc
The Shutdown of U.S.A.I.D. Has Already Killed Hundreds of Thousands
The short documentary “Rovina’s Choice” tells the story of what goes when aid goes.
newyorkermag.visitlink.me
November 7, 2025 at 6:08 AM
Reposted by Devon Black
kwardvancouver.bsky.social
the police are defunding us

in several ways

#vanpoli
In a statement to CTV News, the City of Vancouver said "council has not approved funding for Task Force Barrage at this time.” The statement added, "to date, the city has not received a formal funding request from the VPD. Until VPD submits this request and council has had the opportunity to consider it, this remains an unfunded pressure in the city's 2025 operating budget. Any future funding would be subject to council review and approval." Net Budget Including all priority items $434,166,680 Fleet, Equipment, Uniform $24,200,635 5.5% Criminal - Investigation Fund $3,496,203 0.9% Facilities and Maintenance $3,379,004 0.9% Supplies and Material $5,378,642 1.2% Travel and Training $3,251,411 0.8% E-Comm Levy and shared services $45,022,969 8.7% Community Policing Centres $2,423,126 0.5% Other $9,755,192 2.1% Salary and Employer portion statutory withholdings $337,259,498 79.3% solutions? no solutions ONLY POLICE
September 9, 2025 at 4:17 AM
Reposted by Devon Black
ratnegative.bsky.social
I have been trying to raise awareness about the recent cuts to pandemic preparedness by provincial institutions in BC for the past 1½ months. Most of the cuts were not announced to the public beforehand and media coverage has been scant. 1/?
[Text on an yellow octagon meant to look like the output of an overhead projector.] The silent erosion of COVID-19 awareness & management in B.C.: A TIMELINE [A timeline of the year 2025 and the January of 2026. Numbered diamonds are placed on the timeline to mark the events below.] 1. April 16: Amount & timeliness of SARS-CoV-2 sample data uploaded to GISAID, an online repository, deteriorate. 2. May: The end of RAT Kit Distribution Program is announced in a professional newsletter. This provided free RAT kits to pharmacies. 3. May 31: RAT kits orders from this day onwards would not be reimbursed. 4. June: The BCCDC page dedicated to how COVID-19 spreads is removed. 5. September 1: Under the BC medical services plan, less than 20 people will be allowed in an online group medical visit. An unknown number of bed- & house-bound people will lose telehealth access to the BC-CLMF, a long COVID & ME/CFS clinic. Implementation delayed until January. 6. September 15: Vancouver Sun publishes a sponsored article, suggesting the program responsible for generating SARS-CoV-2 data from wastewater samples would be expanded & describes the then-current state of the program. 7. September 18: The wastewater surveillance program is cut: 8 of 12 wastewater treatment plants will no longer be monitored, and 1 sample will be taken per week instead of 3. 8. October 14: The year's vaccination campaign begins to widespread shortages.
November 7, 2025 at 3:14 AM
Reposted by Devon Black
bntly.ca
... It's sad to see us at risk, again, of losing solid well loved programs to austerity budgeting and the apparent black hole that is the Vic PD Budget.. *sigh* #yyjpoli #yyj - I wish we'd be FAR more creative with this then 'cutCutCut'.
Mom, Can we stop and get some "Progressive Budget" ? Mom: We have "a budget" at home "The Budget" at home. Committee of the Whole Report For the Meeting of November 7, 2025 To: Committee of the Whole Date: October 24, 2025 From: Susanne Thompson, Deputy City Manager and Chief Financial Officer Subject: 2026-2030 Draft Financial Plan
November 5, 2025 at 8:03 PM
Reposted by Devon Black
maxtani.bsky.social
New: Conde Nast fired four employees who were among a group that confronted the company's head of human resources on Wednesday over the decision to fold Teen Vogue into Vogue/recent cuts. Employees who were fired included journalists from the New Yorker, Wired, and Bon Appétit.
November 6, 2025 at 5:49 PM
Reposted by Devon Black
ali-alkhatib.com
caliper-wielding eugenicist freaks are gonna keep saying this, keep circling the toilet bowl talking about predicting someone's sexuality or personality or ethnicity or whatever else w/AI

and it being bullshit won't matter; it being a pretext for state/admin/other violence will be all that matters
November 6, 2025 at 8:03 PM
Reposted by Devon Black
maxkriegervg.bsky.social
Here is where the bubble dynamics get complicated. Tech firms don’t want to formally take on debt—that is, directly ask investors for loans—because debt looks bad on their balance sheets and could reduce shareholder returns. To get around this, some are partnering with private-equity titans to do some sophisticated financial engineering, Paul Kedrosky, an investor and a financial consultant, told us. These private-equity firms put up or raise the money to build a data center, which a tech company will repay through rent. Data-center leases from, say, Meta can then be repackaged into a financial instrument that people can buy and sell—a bond, in essence. Meta recently did just this: Blue Owl Capital raised money for a massive Meta data center in Louisiana by, in essence, issuing bonds backed by Meta’s rent. And multiple data-center leases can be combined into a security and sorted into what are called “tranches” based on their risk of default. Data centers represent an $800 billion market for private-equity firms through 2028 alone. (Meta has said of its arrangement with Blue Owl that the “innovative partnership was designed to support the speed and flexibility required for Meta’s data center projects.”) a smiling harry kim at the precise moment of being wasted by a phaser
October 31, 2025 at 3:49 AM
Reposted by Devon Black
floralashes.bsky.social
I keep seeing people say that with the upcoming Alberta law, it’ll be the first invocation of the notwithstanding clause against striking workers.

That’s not true. Ontario did just that back in 2022. And crucially, workers continued the strike and forced the government to repeal the law.
October 28, 2025 at 2:46 AM
Reposted by Devon Black
nlamontagne.bsky.social
Growing up in Alberta, the world was full of possibilities because we had the best public education system. Our kids won’t have that benefit. And to take away constitutional rights in place of good faith negotiations sets us back even more. It’s a sad day.
October 28, 2025 at 2:49 AM
devonblack.bsky.social
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pea.org PEA @pea.org · Oct 25
PEA Strike Action Escalation: Pattullo Bridge

The PEA filed an application to the BC Labour Relations Board to begin picketing at the Pattullo Bridge Replacement Project construction site. We will use every tool at our disposal to keep the pressure on the Employer to get a fair deal for members.
October 25, 2025 at 7:28 PM
Reposted by Devon Black
jmcelroy.bsky.social
travelled the world and got through basic interactions with ease through the INTERNET WE ALREADY HAVE WITHOUT SHOVING THINGS IN OUR EARS OR OVER OUR FACES BECAUSE INCREMENTAL EFFICIENCIES FOR TURNING OUR BRAINS OFF ISN’T WORTH THE TRADEOFF

uh I mean let’s go blue jays!!!
theatlantic.com The Atlantic @theatlantic.com · Oct 25
Apple markets its new AirPods as being able to translate other languages directly in your ears. When @matteowong.bsky.social tested out the tool, it was barely able to help him buy flowers or tamales:
Lost in AirPod Translation
Apple promises to put an AI interpreter in everyone’s ears. It couldn’t even help me order tamales.
bit.ly
October 25, 2025 at 7:31 AM
Reposted by Devon Black
bloomfilters.bsky.social
someone finally did it. a game about rote bureaucracy and policing that is much more dystopian than papers please
grumble.social king ned ludd 🇨🇦 @grumble.social · Oct 24
still thinking about this article today. so many societal ills are caused by people white-washing what actually happens. it's awful to see games do it too.

can't wait for cozy domestic violence simulator or cozy kkk simulator
a wholesome plane has hit the second cozy tower
more like no thoughts to declare
blog.giovanh.com
October 24, 2025 at 3:04 PM
Reposted by Devon Black
robinjames.bsky.social
This is actually the thing that worries me most about AI. It's "there is no such thing as society" implemented as software solution. Needing to ask people for help, advice, or information is part of how we build and maintain social and professional bonds.
wolvendamien.bsky.social Dr. Damien P. Williams! Look over here! … It's All For You! @wolvendamien.bsky.social · Oct 5
Preliminary results show that the current framework of "AI" makes ppl less likely to help or seek help from other humans, or to seek to soothe conflict, and that people actively prefer that framework to any others, literally serving to make them more dependent on it.
Sycophantic AI Decreases Prosocial Intentions and Promotes Dependence
Both the general public and academic communities have raised concerns about sycophancy, the phenomenon of artificial intelligence (AI) excessively agreeing with or flattering users. Yet, beyond isolat...
arxiv.org
October 24, 2025 at 4:23 PM
Reposted by Devon Black
journodale.bsky.social
New from me at @cba-nationalmag.bsky.social: Supreme Court of Canada clarifies Good Samaritan law #SCC #cdnlaw
Supreme Court of Canada clarifies Good Samaritan law
In drug overdoses, it provides immunity from charges for simple possession and extends to subsequent searches and arrests
www.nationalmagazine.ca
October 24, 2025 at 10:10 PM
devonblack.bsky.social
AI is absolutely going to be our generation's asbestos. Every consumer-facing use I've seen has enormous and completely unregulated dangers, and nothing that even comes close to being able to balance it out in terms of potential social benefit.
parismarx.com Paris Marx @parismarx.com · Oct 24
The AI industry wants us to believe AI superintelligence is the real threat from generative AI.

But that narrative was crafted to distract from the many ways genAI is being used to tear our societies apart, as we saw this week when a deepfake video rocked the Irish election. It must be reined in.
Generative AI is a societal disaster
Governments are deluding themselves into believing investment justifies allowing AI to upend society
disconnect.blog
October 25, 2025 at 12:43 AM
Reposted by Devon Black
journodale.bsky.social
For the late/west coast crowd, my latest for @cba-nationalmag.bsky.social on why the legal community is panning the bail reform bill, pointing to the loss of the presumption of innocence amidst the rhetoric #cdnlaw #cdnpoli
Proposed bail reforms will imprison innocent people
Lawyers say presumption of innocence has been lost in the political debate; insist increasing reverse onuses or ladder provisions won’t have the intended deterrent effect and may violate Charter
www.nationalmagazine.ca
October 24, 2025 at 3:32 AM
Reposted by Devon Black
cafiffle.bsky.social
I think one of the saddest things about being a millennial is remembering a time when technology was advancing in a way that made life better and easier and more exciting instead of actively, intentionally worse
July 9, 2025 at 7:18 PM
Reposted by Devon Black
fightforthefuture.org
Age verification could potentially "create a whole archive of closeted trans users whose identities are at risk of exposure"

@fightforthefuture.org Director, @evangreer.bsky.social shares how online ID checks actually pose a safety risk for the entire internet.
news article clip from the Verge that reads: Age verification could create a whole archive of closeted trans users whose identities are at risk of exposure through a security breach — and we know how high the risk is, because elsewhere on the internet, it’s already happened. Evan Greer, director of the digital human rights organization Fight for the Future, points to the ill-fated Tea app, created for women to share information about men who were abusive or “really shitty on a date.” The app verified users’ gender through methods like government IDs and face scans. But in July, the database of women’s faces — including IDs — was hacked and posted to 4chan, thus outing Tea users both to their own personal abusers and to any guy on the Internet who had an ax to grind with #MeToo. “We now have misogynists that are stalking and harassing all the women that uploaded these reports,” Greer says. “And this is exactly what we’re talking about doing to the entire internet.”
October 16, 2025 at 8:58 PM