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Simon Houpt

@simonhoupt.bsky.social
424 followers 124 following 164 posts

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Reposted by Simon Houpt
Isaac Callan @isaaccallan.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
What input did Therme or Live Nation have (if any) crafting the MZO that was eventually issued to bypass approvals for Ontario Place? We’ll never know. And somehow it took the government two years to decide those communications were privileged. #OnPoli
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Brad Wheeler @bradwheelerglobe.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
The aliens have assumed control: Quebec math-rock duo Angine de Poitrine has won the @polarismusicprize.bsky.social for their album “Vol II" and the song prize for “Fabienk.”
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Simon Houpt @simonhoupt.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
Gambling-related visits to the ER have almost doubled since Ontario opened its market to private operators in 2022, reports @jenniferyang.bsky.social www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/artic...
theglobeandmail.com
Gambling-related ER visits have almost doubled since Ontario opened market to private companies, study finds
Jump was most acute in the 10 to 29 age group, which saw a startling 154% increase in admissions
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Simon Houpt @simonhoupt.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
One of the thrills of working at The Globe is being able to boast that I have some of the most talented colleagues in Canadian journalism.
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Steve Faguy @fagstein.bsky.social · 12/09/2026
In the wake of Rogers making Sportsnet+ exclusive Monday NHL games free for Rogers TV customers subscribed to Sportsnet, Bell told customers today that Bell TV subscribers with TSN now get TSN Premium free.
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Simon Houpt @simonhoupt.bsky.social · 12/09/2026
So, I was a reporter based in NYC for The Globe and Mail on Sept. 11, and I thought some folks might appreciate a look at what now feels like a wild historical document. Three months after the attacks, McClelland & Stewart published a coffee table book about the friendship between Canada and the US.
Cover of coffee table book “A Diary Between Friends,” showing a US and a Canadian flag in front of a crowd of people.
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Reposted by Simon Houpt
Alex Bozikovic @alexbozikovic.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
They killed the building, and now they are killing the institution. Senseless. www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/artic...
theglobeandmail.com
Ontario Science Centre lays off entire science department as part of restructuring
Government is building a new $1-billion science centre at Ontario Place
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Toronto Star @thestar.com · 10/09/2026
The Ontario Science Centre has laid off 30 workers including the entire science department.
thestar.com
Ontario Science Centre laying off entire science department
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Simon Houpt @simonhoupt.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
Er, this conflicts directly with what he told Fox News’s Trey Gowdy on Sunday night: “I was building a building in New York and I had a lot of construction workers, and I went shortly after, the following day. You couldn’t go down the same day. But, like the following day.” (Which was also a lie.)
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Reposted by Simon Houpt
Anna Mehler Paperny @mehlerpaperny.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
Freedom of information? We filed an FOI for refused FOIs to find out what Ontario's government doesn't want you to know. ijb.utoronto.ca/news/freedom...
ijb.utoronto.ca
Freedom of information? Here’s what Ontario’s government doesn’t want you to know - Investigative Journalism Bureau
We filed an FOI for refused FOIs. Here’s what we found.
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Simon Houpt @simonhoupt.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
The next time someone says activism doesn’t belong in journalism, tell them about the legendary Gloria Steinem. www.nytimes.com/video/obitua...
nytimes.com
Video: In Her Words: Gloria Steinem
In a never-before-seen 2008 interview with The New York Times, Ms. Steinem reflected on her career as a writer, organizer and fund-raiser.
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Reposted by Simon Houpt
Ben Collins @bencollins.bsky.social · 02/09/2026
What Pablo Torre did was ridiculously impressive. Uncovered a conspiracy between rich guys, withstood a propaganda campaign by one of the richest guys in the world with a pretty good reputation, didn't buckle or panic, and just kept reporting. That's some Pulitzerin' right there.
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Simon Houpt @simonhoupt.bsky.social · 02/09/2026
Ontario fines SeatGeek $25,000, apparently the first such penalty under its new anti-scalping law. www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/artic...
theglobeandmail.com
Ontario fines SeatGeek $25,000 under new anti-scalping law
The law, passed last April, bars tickets from being resold for more than the price originally paid to the primary seller
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Reposted by Simon Houpt
Catelli @catelli.bsky.social · 28/08/2026
"Canadian sovereignty [itself] is an American trade irritant" canadianshieldinstitute.ca/updates/cana...
canadianshieldinstitute.ca
Canadian sovereignty is an American trade irritant | Canadian Shield Institute
U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer sat down with CBC’s Rosemary Barton on Wednesday for a long conversation about the state of...
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Simon Houpt @simonhoupt.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
“Woke art” is the new Degenerate Art. www.nytimes.com/2026/08/24/a...
nytimes.com
Trump Officials Propose Sale of ‘Woke’ Painting by Kehinde Wiley
The State Department recently removed the painting of Dominicans from a U.S. embassy, noting it was by the artist who made Barack Obama’s presidential portrait.
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Simon Houpt @simonhoupt.bsky.social · 21/08/2026
Big (and terrible) if true.
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Reposted by Simon Houpt
James McLeod @jamespmcleod.ca · 19/08/2026
"If Prime Minister Carney is trading away our ability to govern the digital realm, in the name of 'alignment' with American standards, then we are locking in a permanent state of subordination." From @vassb.bsky.social. canadianshieldinstitute.ca/updates/what...
canadianshieldinstitute.ca
What "Digital Trade Alignment" Would Cost | Canadian Shield Institute
So, we’ve got a last-minute reprieve on the 50 per cent tariffs that U.S. President Donald Trump was threatening. And Trump is boasting about some...
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Simon Houpt @simonhoupt.bsky.social · 19/08/2026
In this era of sports reporting dominated by fawning influencers, Cathal Kelly wonders whether he was denied a press pass to the WNBA’s Toronto-Indiana game last night for insufficiently positive coverage. www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/baske...
theglobeandmail.com
Will uncomplimentary coverage of the WNBA cost you your seat in the Toronto Tempo’s press box?
After writing a critical column on the WNBA, The Globe’s Cathal Kelly had his credential application to Tuesday’s Tempo-Fever game denied
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Reposted by Simon Houpt
Shannon Waters @sobittersosweet.bsky.social · 14/08/2026
We only report what we can prove. Information that has been credibly corroborated and we believe would stand up under legal scrutiny Even if the news you're reading is blowing your mind, there's probably much wilder information that wasn't reported because it couldn't be vetted to that standard
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Gregg Gonsalves @gregggonsalves.bsky.social · 29/07/2026
"If there is a question to ask, then, it is this: Why does Musk get a pass? Why do politicians, journalists and commentators treat his far-right racist radicalism as a sideshow rather than the core of his political, ideological and industrial project..." www.nytimes.com/2026/07/29/o...
nytimes.com
Opinion | Elon Musk Is a Menace to Society (Gift Article)
Why does the owner of X get a pass for what he says and does there?
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Simon Houpt @simonhoupt.bsky.social · 22/07/2026
Lol this corruption isn’t unprecedented - it’s got plenty of precedents in places the US president has denigrated as “shithole countries.” Which may be particularly apt, given the effects of cyclospora.
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Simon Houpt @simonhoupt.bsky.social · 22/07/2026
Does anyone ever actually prefer a beeped version?
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Reposted by Simon Houpt
Guardian US @us.theguardian.com · 21/07/2026
The price hikes and the product disappearances were not the blips of supply and demand – they were the results of behind-the-scenes pressure by Amazon, according to internal emails reviewed by the Guardian and court claims against the world’s largest company. From @georgejoseph94.bsky.social:
theguardian.com
‘We were at their mercy’: inside the Amazon tactics that hiked prices across the internet
Internal emails revealed in court and interviews with ex-employees describe how Amazon’s practices drove up prices for competitors like Walmart and Target. Amazon denies price-fixing claims and says i...
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Simon Houpt @simonhoupt.bsky.social · 20/07/2026
It’s because one of the Spanish players hugged Carney and not him, isn’t it?
Screenshot of NYT headline which reads “Trump to Impose 50% Tariff on Many Canadian Goods.”
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Simon Houpt @simonhoupt.bsky.social · 16/07/2026
A Canadian helicopter pilot was killed fighting a wildfire in Colorado last weekend.
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Simon Houpt @simonhoupt.bsky.social · 16/07/2026
In which @bradwheelerglobe.bsky.social takes stock of Angine de Poitrine and finds “the thinking nerd’s Rush; disco for robots; Met Gala math rock…jazz from planet Remulak…microtonal guitar for tourists, danceable Cubism,” the ‘76 Leafs, and even Sam Shepard. www.theglobeandmail.com/culture/arti...
theglobeandmail.com
Angine de Poitrine played Toronto’s Mod Club – and it was some show
The Quebec band’s music is built to be heard live, with audiences excited by the newness and committed to the ritual
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Simon Houpt @simonhoupt.bsky.social · 15/07/2026
Tariff this.
Washington Post article headlined “Wildfire smoke from Canada will soon spread across the Midwest and East,” with a map of the U.S. showing the effects.An apocalyptic sky, made yellow from wildfire haze blowing in from northern Ontario, hangs over a collection of suburban Toronto backyards.
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Simon Houpt @simonhoupt.bsky.social · 14/07/2026
Please stop making up George Carlin quotes. He said a lot of wise and funny things! Post some of those! Don’t add to the slop. Sigh.
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the Mountain Goats @themountaingoats.bsky.social · 09/07/2026
God this is fucking shameful. No alleged cost savings could possibly be worth incurring this type of irreparable damage to your brand
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The Globe and Mail @theglobeandmail.com · 07/07/2026
theglobeandmail.com
America rigs the World Cup, then bows out as a laughingstock
Goodwill the U.S. earned in the tournament evaporates with the Balogun scandal and 4-1 loss to Belgium
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Simon Houpt @simonhoupt.bsky.social · 04/07/2026
“I just blue myself.”
Photograph of racist demonstrators in Washington, D.C. wearing face-hugging masks that look faintly blue.
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Simon Houpt @simonhoupt.bsky.social · 30/06/2026
Online gaming giants including DraftKings, FanDuel, Fanatics, and Bet365 are funding a web of U.S. super PACs that support candidates in favour of less industry regulation. The PACs don’t disclose their ties to the companies. www.sportico.com/business/spo...
sportico.com
Sportsbooks Hide Intent of Super PAC Election Ads Around U.S.
DraftKings, FanDuel, Fanatics and Bet365 are supporting local political ads that don’t disclose their ties to gambling.
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Simon Houpt @simonhoupt.bsky.social · 30/06/2026
dumb trade. sorry.
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Simon Houpt @simonhoupt.bsky.social · 29/06/2026
Google AI: Yesterday’s Canada v. South Africa match drew 19M viewers. Me: Interesting! Hey, Google, please tell me which news outlet reported yesterday’s match drew 19M viewers. Google AI: Idiot That number is from a completely different match. Ratings aren’t in yet! Me: [stifles scream]
Screenshot of a Google search showing that yesterday’s Canada v South Africa match drew 19M viewers across all platforms.Screenshot of Google search for follow-up query asking which outlet reported 19M viewers, indicating ratings aren’t actually in yet.
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Simon Houpt @simonhoupt.bsky.social · 27/06/2026
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The Globe and Mail @theglobeandmail.com · 27/06/2026
theglobeandmail.com
Canadian Museum for Human Rights curator defends Nakba exhibit ahead of opening
The mixed-media exhibit shares Palestinian-Canadian accounts of the Nakba, but critics say it does not appropriately cover the history of Israel’s creation
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Simon Houpt @simonhoupt.bsky.social · 25/06/2026
Google’s AI Overview has decided Vancouver’s BC Place is going to host “the highly anticipated Bronze Final” of the World Cup on July 18, instead of Miami. I guess there is something more powerful than FIFA, after all!
Screenshot of Google Search AI Overview result incorrectly shows Vancouver’s BC Place stadium is going to host the World Cup bronze medal match on July 18. (It is, in fact, being held in Miami.)
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Simon Houpt @simonhoupt.bsky.social · 25/06/2026
Or, you know, you could just not buy from Amazon at all.
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Anna Mehler Paperny @mehlerpaperny.bsky.social · 24/06/2026
"Misogyny is at the heart of the worst mass violence in recent Canadian history ... Yet it’s still somehow controversial to note that misogyny is the common denominator in so much violence" www.thestar.com/opinion/cont... via @lizrenzetti.bsky.social
thestar.com
Elizabeth Renzetti: When will these horrible attacks like the one in Montreal end? When we admit that misogyny is an ideology
Violent attacks can be stopped if government, tech giants, take action against tide of hatred
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Lauren Dobson-Hughes @ldobsonhughes.bsky.social · 24/06/2026
Musk says not a single person has died due to him axing USAID. Sadly, part of my job involves tracking aid spending. So here’s a thread with just some of the people who lost their lives because of USAID cuts
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Doug Saunders @dougsaunders.bsky.social · 23/06/2026
The wealthiest man in the world posts utter fictions at a machine-gun pace to his no-choice audience of tens of millions. These fictions cause deadly race riots in UK, terrible crises in many countries, and here justify his destruction of the org that solves these very problems
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Anna Mehler Paperny @mehlerpaperny.bsky.social · 22/06/2026
Some of what the Ontario government doesn't want you to know: www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...
cbc.ca
Doug Ford’s daily calendar kept secret after changes to Ontario’s FOI law | CBC News
Premier Doug Ford’s daily calendar will now be kept secret from the public following recent changes to Ontario’s freedom of information law — which no longer includes access to records held by ministe...
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Timothy Snyder @timothysnyder.bsky.social · 19/06/2026
Thoughts on Capitulation Day. This level of defeat in Iran is only possible at the hands of a super loser like Trump. To win a war means changing the politics of the enemy such that they must surrender. That is what Iran just did to the United States. Read more: snyder.substack.com/p/capitulati...
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The Globe and Mail @theglobeandmail.com · 17/06/2026
theglobeandmail.com
CBC to no longer air NHL hockey, ending 74-year run on public network
Saturday night games set to run exclusively on Rogers’ Sportsnet
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The Local Magazine @thelocal.to · 15/06/2026
Local soccer officials expect the World Cup to bring a surge of interest in the sport. But that growth can’t happen without training, and retaining, a new generation of refs—the perpetually ignored, often abused officials who make the games work. thelocal.to/soccer-refer...
thelocal.to
The Grand Ambitions and Grubby Indignities of the Aspiring Soccer Referee | The Local
Making it pro as a referee in Canada is in many ways harder than making it pro as a player. That doesn’t stop this corps of exacting, self-serious officials from trying.
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Simon Houpt @simonhoupt.bsky.social · 15/06/2026
Lost access to Anthropic’s AI models highlights risk of relying on U.S. tech, Canadian experts say (along with anyone else who’s been paying attention for the past year and a half). www.theglobeandmail.com/business/art...
theglobeandmail.com
Lost access to Anthropic’s AI models highlights risk of relying on U.S. tech, Canadian experts say
U.S. government ordered AI giant to restrict foreign nationals from Fable 5 and Mythos 5 models
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Michael Hobbes @michaelhobbes.bsky.social · 14/06/2026
Lauren Southern's story of being raped by Andrew Tate is sad on so many levels. www.newyorker.com/magazine/202...
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Simon Houpt @simonhoupt.bsky.social · 12/06/2026
yay…?
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Anna Mehler Paperny @mehlerpaperny.bsky.social · 12/06/2026
"wealth inequality is growing in dimensions that we’ve never seen before." www.nytimes.com/2026/06/12/t...
nytimes.com
Elon Musk Becomes the World’s First Trillionaire
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Simon Houpt @simonhoupt.bsky.social · 12/06/2026
Kind of classy! TTC welcomes fans of Côte d’Ivoire and Senegal (and all other Francophones).
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