josh o'kane

The rise of AI tools that write about you when you die Families and funeral directors are using AI obituary generators to more efficiently memorialize the dead. What happens when they get it wrong?

New: A few weeks ago, when my father-in-law died, the funeral home asked if we wanted to use AI to write his obituary. So I dug into it and found that it's the biggest new trend in "death care." Tens of thousands of AI obits have been made already. Often the families don't even know wapo.st/4okuxIg

Weather apps put more data than ever at our fingertips – and create the perfect storm for misinformation and anxiety As wildfires and storms fuel climate worries, the rise of weather content on social media shows there’s a fine line between preparation and obsession

Being obsessed with the weather isn’t new, but this fixation has been modernized with hyper-localized streams of information, push notifications and influencers who feed on its addictive nature – all against the backdrop of extreme weather events. My latest: www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/artic...

Google Canada claims pregnancy is not a protected ground under Ontario's human rights code in defence of lawsuit In a statement of defence as part of a lawsuit involving a pregnant employee, Google denies discrimination and wrongful dismissal.

"In defending a lawsuit by a former employee claiming Google Canada fired her within days of telling her bosses she was pregnant, the tech giant claims that pregnancy is not a protected ground under the Ontario Human Rights Code."

Uhhhh nationalpost.com/news/google-...

How the information ecosystem works on X today: A random account aggregates my reporting, recounting scoops from our Media Matters story, and uses it to drive subscriptions to their Substack. Elon Musk sees it and endorses it, with apparently no idea he's reading the NYT, a publication he hates.

Analysis | The entire coal industry employs fewer people than Arby’s Coal helps significantly fewer U.S. workers get jobs than Donald Trump would have you believe.

every time coal comes up I remember that the entire industry employs fewer people than Arby’s and have a good little chuckle

www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp...

man remember when we were all mad that horse_ebooks *wasnt* AI

Ottawa's National Arts Centre cuts ties with controversial Chinese dance group | CBC News Emails reviewed by CBC News show the NAC was considering the move for months — during which time the centre heard from at least two MPs wondering about whether there would be a Shen Yun show in 2026.

Extremely interesting freedom-of-information story at CBC, unpacking the National Arts Centre's decision to cut ties with Shen Yun www.cbc.ca/news/politic...

At 1,000 episodes, Vish Khanna’s Kreative Kontrol culture podcast keeps guests talking Since the show launched in 2013, the Canadian host has earned a reputation for being an engaged interviewer

Wrote about @vishkhanna.bsky.social's KREATIVE KONTROL reaching 1000 episodes, & how he's built+sustained a podcast that treats both guests and listeners with care

With insights from @katebeaton.bsky.social, @youvechanged.bsky.social & Fugazi's Brendan Canty www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/article...

First France, now Britain. Will Canada follow suit?

well shucks!

it's an honour!

Book Sean — SEAN FEUCHT Fill out this information to invite Sean Feucht to speak/lead worship at your next event.

Looks like Sean Feucht has new events after permits from his whole eastern Canadian tour were dropped – including a new one in Montreal, an "open field corner" in (misspelled) Ottawa, and a "playground and splash pad" show in Vaughan I reported days ago wouldn't happen www.seanfeucht.com/events

Ozzy Osbourne, Rock God Despite Himself (1948–2025) The Prince of Darkness, who gave us heavy metal as we know it, has been laid to rest.

I wrote about John “Ozzy” Osbourne—a working class lad made good, who rose from a slaughterhouse killing floor to the highest echelons of rock stardom in spite of himself, who gave us heavy metal and left a more complex legacy than many realize—for @thenation.com www.thenation.com/article/cult...

Joint statement on Gaza from Reuters, AFP, The AP and BBC News Joint statement on Gaza from Reuters, AFP, AP and BBC News

“Journalists endure many deprivations and hardships in warzones. We are deeply alarmed that the threat of starvation is now one of them." reutersagency.com/media-centre...

UPDATE: the operators of every single park that Sean Feucht was scheduled to play in eastern Canada this week are either withholding or cancelling his event permits, effectively ending his tour as planned

(He has booked an alternate NS venue north of Halifax; guessing other alternates may pop up)

MAGA-affiliated American musician faces wave of cancellations on eastern Canadian tour American musician Sean Feucht’s permit was revoked this week by Parks Canada and by Charlottetown officials due to ‘evolving public safety and security concerns’

In the past few hours, after Parks Canada revoked its permit for a Halifax-area concert by MAGA-affiliated musician Sean Feucht, other cities on his tour this week - including Charlottetown, Moncton and Quebec - have cancelled his permit to play local parks www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/music/a...

YouTube video by Stoic Rockstar Ozzy's Orange Juice Moment from Decline of Western Civilization

RIP Ozzy. Massive legacy: co-founded metal and poured the most famous glass of orange juice in history www.youtube.com/shorts/HKw18...

“The Israeli government’s aid delivery model is dangerous, fuels instability and deprives Gazans of human dignity. We condemn the drip-feeding of aid and the inhumane killing of civilians, including children, seeking to meet their most basic needs of water and food.”

Striking how thin the line is between this clear, gross effort to chill reporting, and behaviour considered acceptable by companies/parties in the name of “oppo research”

It’s quite common for orgs to compile dossiers on reporters, eerily tracing their every available move online. I’ve seen some!

Globe and Mail reporter targeted by online campaign, photographed surreptitiously in public settings An anonymous X account posted photos of Alberta reporter Carrie Tait and described her movements as she reported on a health authority controversy

Hi, yes, g'morning. This is awkward.

But targeting a reporter - hi! - with
surreptitiously obtained photos and details of her tooling around town is an attack on the public's right to know.

www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/artic...

A Globe and Mail reporter investigating allegations of political interference in Alberta healthcare has been targeted by an anonymous X account, which posted surreptitiously obtained photographs of her in public settings and described her private movements.
www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/artic...

Finally got to get back to Saint John for the annual Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask Festival

After 18 years of work, Toronto’s Port Lands opens to the public Now known as Biidaasige Park, the project is part of $1.5-billion effort to renew the area’s ecological and Indigenous past

We made a river. My long read on Toronto’s visionary port lands project: www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/artic...

The story of Honey Jam, a beacon for women in music for 30 years and counting As the concert series celebrates a milestone, notable alumna including Jully Black, Nelly Furtado, Haviah Mighty and more share an oral history of its legacy

Here’s the oral history of Honey Jam, a beacon for women in Canadian music for the past 30 years.

With stories from serious heavy hitters: Jully Black, Nelly Furtado, Haviah Mighty, Michie Mee, Jordan Alexander, Kardinal Offishall, Director X, and many more

www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/music/a...

The story of Honey Jam, a beacon for women in music for 30 years and counting As the concert series celebrates a milestone, notable alumna including Jully Black, Nelly Furtado, Haviah Mighty and more share an oral history of its legacy

Here’s the oral history of Honey Jam, a beacon for women in Canadian music for the past 30 years.

With stories from serious heavy hitters: Jully Black, Nelly Furtado, Haviah Mighty, Michie Mee, Jordan Alexander, Kardinal Offishall, Director X, and many more

www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/music/a...

Time to log on from my New Brunswick road trip and see if any news has bro—

A Canadian man died in ICE custody. Now, his family is searching for answers With the Trump administration ramping up its immigration crackdown, the concerns Johnny Noviello’s case raises about due process and detention conditions have become more pressing

A Canadian man died in ICE custody. Now, his family is searching for answers. Our story on what happened to Johnny Noviello:
www.theglobeandmail.com/world/articl...

I have been so curious about this story since I first heard about it and @joshokane.bsky.social lays it out brilliantly here.