Jason Markusoff
@markusoff.bsky.social
14K followers 570 following 640 posts
I write and yak for CBC in Calgary. DMs open, Signal, WhatsApp, and such [email protected]
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Reposted by Jason Markusoff
The crime rate fluctuates for a whole host of reasons, most unrelated to political machinations. But worth noting Canada's dropped last year. www.statcan.gc.ca/en/subjects-...
Crime Severity Index (2024) 
77.9
-4.1% [down arrow]

Police-reported crime rate per 100,000 population
5,672
-3.6% [down arrow]
Reposted by Jason Markusoff
A fine example of a story that would require the Pentagon’s approval under the new media policy that The Post and others refused to sign

Strong work from @alexhorton.bsky.social and @samueloakford.bsky.social
Exclusive: The U.S. military’s elite Special Operations aviation unit appears to have flown in Caribbean waters less than 90 miles from the coast of Venezuela in recent days, according to a visual analysis by The Post.
U.S. Special Operations helicopters near Venezuela expand Caribbean mission
U.S. Special Operations helicopters flew within 90 miles of Venezuelan territory, according to a Post analysis. Trump authorized CIA covert action inside the country.
www.washingtonpost.com
Need higher airport sushi improvement fees
Reposted by Jason Markusoff
Smith in 2014: The plan to change the motto on Alberta's licence plate is a politically motivated distraction.

Smith in 2025: Here's a plan to change the motto on Alberta's licence plate.
Smith Not Impressed With New Plates "Political Agenda"

Written by Brent Manke Monday, Jul 14 2014, 12:00 AM 

The three choices for Alberta's new license plate, plus what we have now. The Opposition Wildrose party is up in arms over the removal of the "Wild Rose Country" slogan from the bottom of the plates, calling it politically motivated.

Highwood MLA Danielle Smith is no fan of Alberta's proposed new license plates.

She supports the new reflective paint job, but not changing the slogan at the bottom from "Wild Rose Country."

She says it's more PC political nonsense.

"All of a sudden this comes out in the middle of the summer, in the middle of a leadership race, taking off the Wild Rose slogan. It's clearly political. People have seen through it. They are outraged and responding in massive numbers. We have a poll going with six thousand respondents so far, most of which, about 70-percent who say keep the Wild Rose slogan."

She says the province would have been better off asking us if we wanted to change the plates in the first place, as well as if we wanted to change the slogan, before moving ahead on their own.
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    HomeNewsLocal NewsNationalPoliticsOpinionColumnists

Bell: Danielle Smith set to roll out a new Strong and Free Alberta licence plate

Alberta to get a new licence plate. It reads Strong and Free
Author of the article:
By Rick Bell
Published Oct 14, 2025
Last updated 34 minutes ago

It’s coming. A new licence plate for Alberta vehicles.
Article content

It is a licence plate with attitude. It is long overdue. Psst … the current licence plate was designed more than 40 years ago.
Article content
Article content

The words on the plate have been decided.
Article content

Strong and Free. It is the motto of Alberta. They are words found in the national anthem.
Article content

A generation ago some Albertans fought for a Strong and Free licence plate, including this scribbler and legendary Edmonton Sun columnist Neil Waugh...
Reposted by Jason Markusoff
"The punches will be pulled, but the reading pleasure isn't sacrificed."
this is the dumbest shit i have ever read
Without Dildo to deal with, Butt pulled it out. An 18-vote win!
Argh I got the wrong riding for Dildo; it's in Placentia-St. Mary, where punny candidate names are less obvious.
Reposted by Jason Markusoff
Whether you currently have school-aged children is largely irrelevant. What matters most is partisanship.
New Angus Reid polling on Alberta teachers' strike, private school funding, etc.:
"Teachers make enough money as it is":
15% strongly agree
24% agree
31% disagree
25% strongly disagree
5% not sure / can't say Do you think private schools should...
10% receive more public funding than they do now
23% receive about the same
25% receive less public funding than they do now
35% receive no public funding at all
8% not sure / can't say "Do you think the provincial government under Danielle Smith has done a good job or a poor job handling public education?"
10% very good job
22% good job
14% poor job
48% very poor job
7% not sure / can't say (Among those aware of the teachers strike): In this dispute between the Alberta government and the teachers, would you say your sympathies are more with ...
58% the teachers
21% the government
18% neither
3% not sure / can't say
Reposted by Jason Markusoff
Excellent overview of the pro/anti sides on this - the map of increased development caught my eye. For those that argue the blanket approach isn't targeted or transit-oriented enough - a large majority of the impacted neighbourhoods are Red and Blue Line adjacent (and future Green Line North).
DEADLINE TODAY: Apply for a CAJ mentorship, the program i wish wish wish existed when I was getting my feet under me in journalism.
Fall mentors include:
💥Kristin Nelson (Boston Globe's Spotlight podcast)
💥Michelle Cyca (The Narwhal)
💥Nathan Vanderklippe (Globe and Mail)
caj.ca/programs/men...
Mentorship - Fall 2025 - Canadian Association of Journalists
Fall 2025 Mentor Bios Below you will find an alphabetic list of mentors for the Fall 2025 round of the mentorship program. Each mentor has their bio, who they are looking to mentor, the languages they...
caj.ca
Reposted by Jason Markusoff
A reporter asks Trump whether Sisi will be on the "Board of Peace" governing post-war Gaza.

"I'd like that," Trump replies, before adding "we'd need a translator, but that's ok."

So... Trump's vision had Gaza being governed by a "board" speaking only in English?
Reposted by Jason Markusoff
Bracing for bleak election turnout.
Is everyone distracted? Too busy? Are people turned off by the candidates? Or do all of the above contribute to Calgary voters' current none-of-the-above mindset? www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...
ANALYSIS | Calgary's 2025 meh-lection: how low can turnout go? | CBC News
With a mix of inattention and indecision tamping down excitement, advance voting has plunged. Will Calgarians' decision be to not bother?
www.cbc.ca
Reposted by Jason Markusoff
It's not good.
A year from now if someone complains about any city gripe, the first question they should be asked is did they vote.

If they didn't, end of conversation.
Bracing for bleak election turnout.
Is everyone distracted? Too busy? Are people turned off by the candidates? Or do all of the above contribute to Calgary voters' current none-of-the-above mindset? www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...
ANALYSIS | Calgary's 2025 meh-lection: how low can turnout go? | CBC News
With a mix of inattention and indecision tamping down excitement, advance voting has plunged. Will Calgarians' decision be to not bother?
www.cbc.ca
Reposted by Jason Markusoff
"Oh yeah? You like baseball? What if I make you smoke *an entire pack* of baseball?"
Reposted by Jason Markusoff
Great kicker. Marc Benioff’s PR team wanted him to do an interview about philanthropy. Instead he sounded off on a bunch of Trump policies he supports and called for the White House to send troops to SF.

Doesn’t seem like the comms team was pleased with how the interview went..
Reposted by Jason Markusoff
BREAKING: Masked Border Patrol agents aggressively arrested WGN video producer Debbie Brockman in Lincoln Square Friday morning, supposedly for "obstructing justice." (Video via Josh Thomas on Facebook)

Follow @heartlandsignal for more.
Reposted by Jason Markusoff
The @edmontonjournal.com teamed with students from
@macewanu.bsky.social's journalism program on a six-month investigation looking at issues with the food inspection system. #yeg #yegfood
Reposted by Jason Markusoff
Ortiz was absolutely loving this sitting between AROD and Jeter