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The path of We appears paved with Astroturf

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The path of We appears paved with Astroturf

Even with friends named Trudeau

Jul 30, 2020
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The path of We appears paved with Astroturf

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Twitter avatar for @JesseBrown
Jesse Brown @JesseBrown
I'm done with this game, done w the cowardly evasions. My colleagues & I are reporters who asked valid Qs about a charity which we now know had SERIOUS problems That charity hired a Republican dirty tricks firm specializing in attacking clients' enemies.
theglobeandmail.comWE Charity spent more than $600,000 on U.S. political consultants, IRS filings showThe U.S. arm of the Toronto-based charity paid three consultancies — including a firm co-founded by a trio of long-time Republican Party strategists — a total of US$605,853 in the fiscal year ended Aug. 31, 2019
10:48 PM ∙ Jul 29, 2020
1,721Likes597Retweets

The degree to which We Charity went after critical media coverage included payments to a firm of strategists who organized weird stories about Canadaland. Someone else paid at least 180 people to promote positive pieces on Google. And this was before the current scandal, which continues to unfold, now with stories involving Bill Morneau.


He’s just not that into outsiders

Twitter avatar for @AndrewLawton
Andrew Lawton @AndrewLawton
I guess we don’t need this anymore.
Image
1:17 AM ∙ Jul 30, 2020
321Likes67Retweets

Peter MacKay called for a last-minute rescheduling of a Conservative leadership debate after rival Leslyn Lewis dropped out due to an ear infection. As a result, the first big event for the Independent Press Gallery of Canada went ahead with half the candidate cast, although the latest polling shows MacKay as the likely next leader.


The next stage of reopening comes with extra measures in Toronto. City council imposed safety rules above and beyond Ontario standards for Stage 3 on the brink of letting indoor bars and restaurants return. There’s also a new bylaw that requires most people to wear face coverings in the shared spaces of Toronto’s residential buildings.


Fifty seats are saved for TIFF

Cineplex won over Queen’s Park with its argument that the 50-person capacity per venue should be for individual auditoriums rather than the entire building. While it may not inspire many excursions to movies with physical distancing, the decision comes in time for the Toronto International Film Festival to book its cinema screenings:

Twitter avatar for @IndieWire
IndieWire @IndieWire
TIFF 2020: Fewer Oscar Movies and Gala Premieres Means Docs and Discoveries Could Stand Out bit.ly/2Xb69h7
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2:32 PM ∙ Jul 30, 2020
20Likes4Retweets

Torstar’s overridden suitors haven’t given up yet. While a judge green-lit NordStar Capital’s purchase of newspapers, including the Toronto Star, rival bidders requested a stay in order to have the arguments of dissenting shareholders heard again. Concern still surrounds whether the Star’s Atkinson Principles will remain intact.


Finally, a persistence of Stans

Anne with an E was the subject of a petition that hit one million signatures urging its return from viewers who recognized that posting an alleged 13 million tweets about it in April wasn’t enough to get it back. Netflix and CBC repeatedly reinforced how the series simply ended its run, but this latest stunt also wasn’t ignored by its creator:

Twitter avatar for @YoWalleyB
Moira Walley-Beckett @YoWalleyB
ANNE NATION you are AMAZING!!! Your passion for Anne with an E has brought you together to achieve this unprecedented goal and you should feel so proud! ANNE ONE MILLION!!! 🧡 I feel the love you have for AWAE and so does the WORLD 🧡 #AnneWithAnE #awae #annenation #proud
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3:24 PM ∙ Jul 27, 2020
4,329Likes1,112Retweets

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