Dispatch from the Front Lines: We knew someone would get killed
We just didn't think it would be a police officer. Also: Doug Ford's Captain Canada routine hits a wall, plus, a fascinating meeting about our new AI overlords. And more!
We hope you’re all having a wonderful weekend. We’ve got two fantastic podcasts for you, if you need a little help.
First up, the latest episode of The Line Podcast. In it, your hosts take on some of the biggest stories from last week. Matt explains why the Liberal response to Pierre Poilievre’s pro-Canada speech annoyed him (you can be a patriot without being a Liberal, Liberals). They lament the death of a Toronto police officer (more on that below) in tragically foreseeable circumstances. Jen spins a wildly entertaining, and somewhat disturbing, new theory on U.S.-Canadian relations. Ahem, relations. And they wrap up with a chat about the proposed social media ban for children. It’s a great episode. Check it out below.
(One note: a bunch of our friends in the army have written in to clarify that the army uniform redesign was begun several years ago, before the current PM was in office. Noted with thanks!).
If you’re eager for more, also check out last week’s On The Line. In it, Matt interviews two of his favourite go-to guests. P.J. Fournier of 338Canada.com and 338Canada.ca joins him first. They talk federal politics, including Mark Carney’s popularity surge, and also, bad news for Pierre Poilievre across the board. But they mainly set up the upcoming Quebec election, which is looking like it could be a wild one — P.J. can’t think of a comparable race, and he’d be the guy who’d know. After that, cybersecurity expert David Shipley pops on for a typically cheerful chat about the danger of AI, how it’s already killed Canadians, and how the big social media platforms are absolutely rife with fraud that is hurting people.
Two great chats, one episode. Check it out.
And now, on with the dispatch.
The Line has no desire to politicize the death of a police officer. Late last week, Toronto Police Officer Marco Pinizzotto was killed in the line of duty when he was shot during a raid to execute a search warrant. The warrant was related to a series of shootings across Toronto, including the shooting of the U.S. consulate building several months ago. News reporting has suggested that the perpetrators were involved in a “gun-for-hire” scheme, where attacks would be farmed out to criminal freelancers.
None of this has yet been proven in court, and not all suspects sought by police have been arrested. The man believed responsible for shooting Pinizzotto has not yet been charged; he remains in a Toronto hospital after being hit multiple times by police gunfire during the incident. His injuries are reportedly very serious.
Pinizzotto leaves behind a wife and two young children. Our hearts go out to them. His loss is tragic. We just wish this hadn’t been so goddamned inevitable.