Philip Mai

Faith leaders gathered in the Oval Office to pray over President Trump — captured in a video released by a Trump adviser.

'No sign' of Middle East refugee surge but EU ready - Swedish minister Sweden's Minister for Migration Johan Forssell tells Europe Today that the EU "cannot have another refugee crisis", after the bloc's home affairs ministers gathered to discuss the spiralling conflict in the Middle East.

"Sweden's Minister for Migration Johan Forssell tells Europe Today that the EU "cannot have another refugee crisis", after the bloc's home affairs ministers gathered to discuss the spiralling conflict in the Middle East." www.euronews.com/2026/03/06/n...

Public discourse is carefully stage-managed, silencing dissent while amplifying propaganda that masquerades as debate.

In this theater of the absurd, democracy exists only in name, reduced to a shadow of its true self, while authoritarianism thrives behind the scenes.

Listen in as our @philipmai.com. speaks to Amanda Pfeffer at noon today on CBC' call in show, Ontario Today, about how to spot deepfakes online. www.cbc.ca/lite/radio/l...

Security in a Turbulent World: Canada, Eurasia, and the Arctic - Eastern European and Transatlantic Network Security and defence issues are increasingly central in an era of heightened geopolitical uncertainty. Eurasia—from Greenland to China—has emerged as a critical pivot of global security dynamics. This...

Join our @philipmai.com and @gruzd.ca tomorrow at Carleton University in Ottawa for a panel on "Disinformation and Strategic Narratives in Russia’s War on Ukraine" as part of the conference on "Security in a Turbulent World: Canada, Eurasia, and the Arctic". carleton.ca/eetn/event/s...

‘We never imagined this’: the Cypriot village on edge after RAF Akrotiri drone strike Evacuations near RAF base have reignited debate as Cypriots question the risks of hosting western military sites

The Iran war comes to Europe. "‘We never imagined this’: the Cypriot village on edge after RAF Akrotiri drone strike" www.theguardian.com/world/2026/m...

Deepfake Spotter – Deepfakes Tracker Deepfake Spotter: A Guide to Spotting Deepfakes in the Wild Practical Human Judgment – Your First Line of Defence Technical and Visual Signs of Deepfakes – Your Second Line of Defence Big Picture Rule...

Journalists have been asking us again and again about how to spot deepfakes.

Here’s our best advice for now, though it may evolve quickly, as AI advancements are happening in weeks and months rather than years. deepfakestracker.org/deepfake-spo...

"Believing that a population will “rise up” with no weapons or structures against a bloodthirsty regime that killed tens of thousands of them only a few weeks ago takes a special kind of stupidity." arthursnell.substack.com/p/moron-risk...

U.S. Troops Were Told Iran War Is for “Armageddon,” Return of Jesus Advocacy group reports commanders giving similar messages at more than 30 installations in every branch of the military

"U.S. Troops Were Told Iran War Is for “Armageddon,” Return of Jesus" jonathanlarsen.substack.com/p/us-troops-...

U.S. Troops Were Told Iran War Is for “Armageddon,” Return of Jesus Advocacy group reports commanders giving similar messages at more than 30 installations in every branch of the military

"U.S. Troops Were Told Iran War Is for “Armageddon,” Return of Jesus" jonathanlarsen.substack.com/p/us-troops-...

That looks painful, but "Shingles Doesn't Care" who you are. youtu.be/T_nesIs9rjI?...

If you are over 50, get vaccinated. www.cdc.gov/shingles/hcp...

a hand is holding a cell phone with the statue of liberty on it ALT: a hand is holding a cell phone with the statue of liberty on it

With the US-Israel war against Iran underway, be especially cautious about what you post and share in moments like this. #checkyoursources

Middle East visitors could face legal consequences for strike footage Authorities have restrictions around sharing such images for security purposes and to prevent the spread of fake news.

A Double-edged sword: "Why you could face legal consequences for posting strike footage in the Middle East. Authorities have restrictions around sharing such images for security purposes and to prevent the spread of fake news." www.euronews.com/travel/2026/...

Funny how our choices are always limited to either imperialism or dictatorship, or in some cases, both.

Few Americans support U.S. military action against Iran, but a majority think it's likely About half of Americans disapprove of President Donald Trump's handling of the situation in Iran. A majority of Americans are unsure what the outcome of protests in the country will be

As democracies hollow out from within, leaders become increasingly insulated from voters. Accountability fades first, then transparency, until even the performance of listening is abandoned and power no longer bothers to disguise itself. Congressional approval for war is now but a fiction.

It’s never just rhetoric or an empty threat ... Venezuela, Iran, Cuba, Greenland, Canada.

Don't mistake a pause for anything more than a pause. It’s always a question of timing and opportunity. #cdnpoli

User Chris: What was the core difference why you think the DoW accepted OpenAI but not Anthropic Sam Altman: I can't speak for them, but to speculate with the best understanding of the situation. *First, I saw reporting that they were extremely close on a deal, and for much of the time both sides really wanted to reach one. I have seen what happens in tense negotiations when things get stressed and deteriorate super fast, and I could believe that was a large part of what happened here. *We believe in a layered approach to safety--building a safety stack, deploying FDEs and having our safety and alignment researcher involved, deploying via cloud, working directly with the DoW. Anthropic seemed more focused on specific prohibitions in the contract, rather than citing applicable laws, which we felt comfortable with. We feel that it it's very important to build safe system, and although documents are also important, I'd clearly rather rely on technical safeguards if I only had to pick one. *We and the DoW got comfortable with the contractual language, but I can understand other people would have a different opinion here. *I think Anthropic may have wanted more operational control than we did

I saw some folks asking what the difference was between what OpenAI signed with the DoD and what Anthropic said they wanted, and Sam more or less admits here the key point: OpenAI's deal requires them to trust the NSA. Anthropic's contract had real safeguards.

If the Iraq War taught us anything, it’s how quickly we forget: no plan, no foresight, no accountability. #Iran

Euronews journalists in Dubai report explosions and apparent missile strike on residential area.

The US military has thousands of personnel stationed at air and naval bases across the Gulf region and these are believed to be the targets of Iranian missiles.

Sky News (via Reuters) is reporting that Iran's Supreme Leader, Khamenei, is set to speak shortly.

Unless he is holding up a copy of today's newspaper, hostage-style, this will set off a new wave of misinfo. (Will post link when available.)

There are currently lots of rumours floating around online asserting that Ali Khamenei has been killed. Many of the sources for this unconfirmed claim are linked or associated with Israel.

Russia may interfere in Danish election, exploiting chaos sown by US, spies warn US threats to seize Greenland have created ‘new international fault lines’ that can be used to spread disinformation, Danish intelligence agencies say

"Russia may interfere in Danish election, exploiting chaos sown by US, spies warn.

US threats to seize Greenland have created ‘new international fault lines’ that can be used to spread disinformation, Danish intelligence agencies say" www.theguardian.com/world/2026/f...

Once again, in actual democracies, people do not need to engage in permanent litigation & political mobilization to retain the basic right to vote, because none of the major political parties make restricting suffrage the central pillar of their policy platform. We also don't have to live like this.

Canadian passports are about to get more expensive | CBC News The cost of a Canadian passport is about to rise and plans by Prime Minister Mark Carney's government to overhaul the way it sets prices could result in them being even more expensive in the future.

Canadian passports are about to get more expensive. www.cbc.ca/news/politic...

Look over there, don't look over here: "Trump’s approval rating with independents hits a new low..." www.cnn.com/2026/02/23/p...

VidGrid – Live news multiviewer A free news focused multiviewer for editors and journalists

If you are following the news on Iran, here's a live video grid with coverage from BBC News, NBC, AJE and Sky News. vidgrid.tk.gg?layout=N4IgN...

This will be more than a regional war. If your country is an ally of the US or has a US base, it's a potential target. US authorities are already preparing the public for American casualties. Avoid going near military installations, government facilities, or large public gatherings, & stay informed.

Now mergers are not just business decisions but also political decisions. It harkens back to a time when kings could reshape entire economies with a single decree, deciding which houses would rise, which would fall, and which alliances would define the balance of power. 👑

Pentagon declares Anthropic a threat to national security Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth declared Anthropic a “supply-chain risk,” blocking all federal agencies and contractors from doing business with the company.

The TikTok ban was the government camel's nose under the tent. It set a precedent for the era of government meddling in private companies' affairs. www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2...