Amanda Roth
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Articles by Amanda Roth
An Interview with Literary Mama Poetry Editors
Poetry editors Libby Maxey and Amanda Roth recently created an interview where they answered some questions that poetry readers and writers might find interesting and (hopefully) useful if they are considering submitting to Literary Mama. Current publications or publishers we enjoy: AR: I’m a big fan of journals like West Trestle Review, MER, Whale Road Review, Okay Donkey, SWWIM, Diagram, Fairy Tale Review, HAD, Pithead Chapel, and Poetry Northwest.
Upcoming Webinar: How new technologies could impact the news media industry
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Bergens Tidende makes the most of bad weather with its habit-changing app
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The Logic’s mobile app adds value while increasing subscriber engagement
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The Flap of a Butterfly’s Wings in Brazil Sets Off a Tornado in Texas
and when it touches down, all the meteorologists call it unprecedented. I wonder when they stopped watching the news and only reported it. No one remembers how to cry. Is it true that a single generation of monarchs make the return trip north? That to step on one will change the future? How then, do I translate the capsized boats? The shadeless neighborhoods? The wooden boxes made to hold a child? Some days, I think about pockets lined with milkweed and hemlock.
Justice for women/gestators: superior personhood or plain old feminism?
Contributors AR is solely responsible for writing this commentary, Funding The authors have not declared a specific grant for this research from any funding agency in the public, commercial or not-for-profit sectors. Competing interests None declared. Provenance and peer review Not commissioned; internally peer reviewed. ↵I will employ ‘women/gestators’ to keep in view women, trans men/trans masculine people and non-binary individuals capable of gestation.
Ontario unveils digital and data strategy after two years of consultations
article-aa A Small A Medium A Large By Amanda Roth Last updated 15 hours ago The plan includes fellowships to improve government officials’ digital literacy, and leadership councils to advise government on “how to harness data more effectively to increase people’s participation in the digital economy.” The government also plans to launch a digital ID to let Ontarians access government services remotely; develop a portal to educate Ontarians on their data rights; create standards for how...
GM workers vote in favour of $1-billion EV deal
article-aa A Small A Medium A Large By Amanda Roth Last updated 5 hours ago Unifor said about 91 per cent of union members voted in favour of a tentative deal that will see the auto manufacturer transform its plant in Ingersoll, Ont. to build electric commercial delivery vans. (The Logic, The Canadian Press) Read this article for free By entering your e-mail you consent to receiving commercial electronic messages from The Logic Inc.
COVID-19 roundup: Bracing for record job losses
This article is a preview of The Logic’s Daily Briefing newsletter, sent every weekday. Get complimentary access to award-winning reporting to navigate these unprecedented times. Sign up now. It’s day 58 since Canada’s 100th coronavirus case. The number of cases is 64,816 as of publication time, up 1,320 since yesterday—a 16 per cent decrease from the seven-day prior average of new cases.
Breaking down Sidewalk Labs’ decision to abandon its Toronto smart-city project
In a stunning reversal, Sidewalk Labs has abandoned plans to develop a smart city in Toronto, citing uncertainty in the Toronto real estate market and the global economy. “It has become too difficult to make the 12-acre project financially viable without sacrificing core parts of the plan we had developed together with Waterfront Toronto to build a truly inclusive, sustainable community,” said Dan Doctoroff, CEO of the Google sister company, in an open letter published Thursday.
Waterfront Toronto board pushes back next Sidewalk Labs deadline due to COVID-19
article-aa A Small A Medium A Large By Amanda Roth Last updated 13 mins ago In a Thursday board decision, the agency postponed the date by which it must approve Sidewalk Labs’ controversial plan for Toronto’s Quayside neighbourhood from May 20 to June 25. The agency is also extending the deadline for its online public consultation survey from March 31 to April 9 and said Element AI’s human rights review, expected in March, will instead be delivered by April 30.
Sidewalk Labs’ digital proposals for Toronto’s waterfront still lacks ‘critical details,’ panel says
article-aa A Small A Medium A Large By Amanda Roth Last updated 2 mins ago Waterfront Toronto’s Digital Strategy and Advisory Panel also raised concerns around the lack of a clearly defined digital-governance framework for the smart-city proposal and questioned the “appropriateness and necessity” of some of the digital infrastructure proposals.
Andrew Wellington Cordier Essay
Andrew Wellington Cordier became the dean of the School of International Affairs (as it was known then) in 1962 following a distinguished career at the U.S. Department of State and the United Nations. From 1969−1970, he served as president of Columbia University. The Andrew Wellington Cordier Contest is open to all currently enrolled Columbia University students. Find out more about the contest here.
Sidewalk Labs and Plaza Ventures planning Toronto-based venture fund focused on smart-city technology
Fund would target companies that solve urban problems around mobility, affordability and sustainability Author of the article: The Logic Amanda Roth and Catherine McIntyre Plaza Ventures is the venture capital division of Plazacorp Investments, a real estate investment firm that leased Sidewalk Labs the land for its Toronto office at 307 Lakeshore Blvd. E. in March 2018. Photo by Peter J. Thompson/National Post files Reviews and recommendations are unbiased and products are independently selected.
Sidewalk Labs and Plaza Ventures planning Toronto-based venture fund focused on smart-city technology
Sidewalk Labs and Plaza Ventures plan to launch a venture capital fund focused on smart-city technology, The Logic has learned. Expected to be between $20 million and $30 million, it would focus on high-risk investments in early-stage companies with the goal of establishing Toronto as a “global center” for smart-city tech—but is contingent on Waterfront Toronto moving ahead with Sidewalk as a partner in a controversial development on the city’s lakeshore.
Sidewalk Labs CEO Dan Doctoroff on the future of Toronto’s smart city project
On October 17, 2017, Sidewalk Labs CEO Dan Doctoroff came to Toronto for the celebratory announcement of a plan to build a smart city on the lakeshore. A lot has changed since. The project has polarized Torontonians, and immediately after the Google sister company released its Master Innovation and Development Plan (MIDP) in June, Stephen Diamond, chair of the board of Waterfront Toronto—the organization overseeing the redevelopment of that part of the city—raised a number of concerns.
Breaking down the deal between Sidewalk Labs and Waterfront Toronto
On Thursday morning, Waterfront Toronto’s board voted unanimously to have Sidewalk Labs continue planning the development of its first smart city on a 12-acre plot of land on Toronto’s eastern lakeshore. The chair of Waterfront’s board, Stephen Diamond, said the Google sister company had agreed to make “significant changes” to the Master Innovation and Development Plan (MIDP) it released in June.
Sidewalk Labs and Waterfront Toronto reach tentative deal on smart-city development: sources
Waterfront Toronto and Sidewalk Labs have reached a tentative deal on a controversial smart-city project that will see the Google sister company develop a smaller amount of Toronto’s waterfront than it had proposed, and that will treat any data collected through the project as a public asset, The Logic has learned. According to several sources familiar with the negotiations, Sidewalk Labs has agreed to limit the development to the 12 acres of land known as Quayside.
Sidewalk Labs and Waterfront Toronto reach tentative deal on smart-city development: Sources
Waterfront Toronto and Sidewalk Labs have reached a tentative deal on a controversial smart-city project that will see the Google sister company develop a smaller amount of Toronto’s waterfront than it had proposed, and that will treat any data collected through the project as a public asset, The Logic has learned. According to several sources familiar with the negotiations, Sidewalk Labs has agreed to limit the development to the 12 acres of land known as Quayside.
Sidewalk Labs, Waterfront Toronto reach tentative deal on developing smart city: Sources
Waterfront Toronto and Sidewalk Labs have reached a tentative deal on a controversial smart-city project that will see the Google sister company develop a smaller amount of Toronto’s waterfront than it had proposed, and that will treat any data collected through the project as a public asset, The Logic has learned. According to several sources familiar with the negotiations, Sidewalk Labs has agreed to limit the development to the 12 acres of land known as Quayside.
Indigenous leaders raise concerns over ‘blatant insincerity’ of Sidewalk Labs consultation process
A group of Indigenous leaders has released a scathing open letter demanding Waterfront Toronto “reevaluate its relationship” with Google’s sister company Sidewalk Labs over what the letter calls a “manipulation of the public consultation process” and “blatant insincerity” in the company’s approach to Indigenous consultation on the planned smart-city development of Toronto’s eastern waterfront.
Vancouver-based digital ID company Trulioo raises $70 million
article-aa A Small A Medium A Large By Amanda Roth Sep 17, 2019 The company announced the $60-million Series C—led by Goldman Sachs Growth Equity with backing from Citi Ventures and previous investor American Express Ventures—in a press release on Tuesday. It raised an additional $10 million from Blumberg Capital and the Business Development Bank of Canada, bringing Trulioo’s total capital investment since 2011 to $96.6 million, according to the company.
Waterfront Toronto board pushes final vote on Sidewalk Labs plan to May 20
article-aa A Small A Medium A Large By Amanda Roth Last updated 3 mins ago The extension will allow the public more time to offer feedback on Sidewalk Labs’ smart-city proposal for Toronto’s eastern waterfront, and for Waterfront Toronto to consider that feedback as part of its evaluation. (The Logic) Read this article for free By entering your e-mail you consent to receiving commercial electronic messages from The Logic Inc.
Social media giants among least-trusted companies, says Ryerson Leadership Lab research
article-aa A Small A Medium A Large By Amanda Roth Last updated 2 hours ago The think tank’s first project—Rebuilding the Public Square, released Friday—also found that Canadians trust companies like Facebook and Twitter to address disinformation and hate speech more than they trust government to do so. However, the research found Canadians are open to the imposition of regulatory measures that would change the way social media platforms operate.
Waterfront Toronto’s digital strategy panel calls Sidewalk Labs’ plan ‘frustratingly abstract’
By Amanda Roth Last updated 21 mins ago Sidewalk Labs’ Master Innovation and Development Plan, released in June, is “not sufficiently specific” about its digital innovation proposals and how individuals and businesses can participate in it, according to preliminary commentary released by the Digital Strategy Advisory Panel on Tuesday. The panel recommends that data governance mechanisms for the neighbourhood be developed by Waterfront Toronto along with all three levels of government.
Google bans ads promoting experimental medical treatments
article-aa A Small A Medium A Large By Amanda Roth Last updated 49 mins ago The tech giant will no longer permit the advertising of “unproven and experimental medical techniques” on its platform, it said Friday, such as stem-cell and gene therapy. The company said it has seen a “rise in bad actors attempting to take advantage of individuals by offering untested, deceptive treatments.” The new policy will take effect next month.
Alphabet, Sidewalk Labs and Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan launch infrastructure holding company
article-aa A Small A Medium A Large By Amanda Roth Last updated 20 mins ago Sidewalk Infrastructure Partners (SIP) was spun out of the Alphabet subsidiary and will focus its investments on technology-enabled infrastructure projects throughout North America. It will be investing in projects that require more than US$100 million of equity, as reported by The Wall Street Journal.
Waterfront Toronto and Sidewalk Labs’ agreement extended until March 2020
By Amanda Roth Last updated 26 mins ago The amendments to the July 2018 agreement also include a provision to terminate after three months if “certain threshold issues” outlined by Stephen Diamond, Waterfront Toronto’s board chair, are not addressed. Andrew Tumilty, media relations at Waterfront Toronto, told The Logic that certain areas of Sidewalk Labs’ Master Innovation and Development Plan (MIDP), released at the end of June, are “non-starters” for the corporation.
Twitter will allow Canadian users to hide replies to their tweets
article-aa A Small A Medium A Large By Amanda Roth Last updated 6 mins ago Other users will still be able to access the responses by clicking a button. Only users in Canada—where the feature is being piloted—will be able to hide replies, but the results apply in the feeds of followers around the world.
Bank of Canada holds interest rates, cuts global growth forecast amid trade-war concerns
article-aa A Small A Medium A Large By Amanda Roth Last updated 5 mins ago The bank raised its second-quarter growth estimate for Canada to 2.3 per cent, up from 1.3 per cent, citing some “temporary” factors, such as a surge in oil production. It cut its global growth forecast for 2019 to 3.0 per cent, down from 3.2 per cent due to escalating global trade conflicts.
Toronto Region Board of Trade releases open letter in support of Sidewalk Labs
article-aa A Small A Medium A Large By Amanda Roth Last updated 34 mins ago Signatories include Alan Broadbent, CEO of Avana Capital; Sara Diamond, president of OCAD University; Mohamed Lachemi, president of Ryerson University; and Medhat Mahdy, president and CEO of the YMCA of Greater Toronto. Two former Toronto mayors—Barbara Hall and Art Eggleton—also signed.
Toronto Uber drivers are seeking to unionize
article-aa A Small A Medium A Large By Amanda Roth Last updated 27 mins ago At a Wednesday press conference, United Food and Commercial Workers Canada (UFCW) announced that hundreds of Uber drivers in Toronto have expressed interest in joining their union. The drivers are asking for an end to the app’s user-based ratings system, which they say causes drivers to disregard road safety. They are also asking to be paid minimum-wage, as well as sick and vacation days.
Key takeaways from Sidewalk Labs long-awaited innovation plan
The government body that brought Sidewalk Labs into a partnership to develop a neighbourhood on Toronto’s eastern waterfront has concerns about key aspects of the company’s plan. In an interview with The Logic, Stephen Diamond, chair of Waterfront Toronto’s board of directors, said the agency has “preliminary concerns” that it feels need to be addressed as it goes through its evaluation of Sidewalk Labs’ Master Innovation and Development Plan (MIDP).
George Zegarac named new CEO of Waterfront Toronto
article-aa A Small A Medium A Large By Amanda Roth Last updated 60 mins ago Zegarac will replace acting CEO Michael Nobrega. The latter had been in the role since the departure of former CEO Will Fleissig—who was present during the announcement of the agency’s partnership with Sidewalk Labs—in July 2018. Zegarac will start on August 19. (The Logic) Read this article for free By entering your e-mail you consent to receiving commercial electronic messages from The Logic Inc.
Montreal gets $50 million to improve transportation using bike-sharing and self-driving cars
Montreal is getting $50 million from the federal government as part of the first-ever Smart Cities Challenge. The city won the top prize in the federal government’s Smart Cities Challenge, Infrastructure Minister François-Philippe Champagne announced at an event in Ottawa on Tuesday afternoon. Montreal intends to use the funding to improve public transportation by integrating shared autonomous vehicles, bikes and cars into a new platform where all these services can be accessed simultaneously.
Toronto Mayor John Tory courts film industry leaders during L.A. trip
By Amanda Roth Last updated 1 hour ago The meetings, during which Tory highlighted Toronto’s expected increase in studio space capacity over the next two years, included officials from Netflix, Apple, Entertainment One, HBO, Warner, NBC Universal, Disney and Fox.
Canadian Civil Liberties Association (CCLA) files legal challenge against Waterfront Toronto
By Amanda Roth Last updated 28 mins ago The official filing follows through with comments the CCLA made in a three-page open letter on March 5, which called for a “reset” of Waterfront Toronto’s Quayside project. The announcement came after Sidewalk Labs CEO Dan Doctoroff took the stage at a Canadian Club luncheon, where he was interviewed by BNN Bloomberg’s Amanda Lang.
Waterfront Toronto chair expects Sidewalk Labs final plan to be a few months late
The chair of Waterfront Toronto is expecting Sidewalk Labs’ final plan for its contentious smart city development to be a few months late. Stephen Diamond said he was “somewhat disappointed” that he hadn’t yet received material from Sidewalk Labs. “We thought we might even get some material before, but now, I believe that—in terms of their view—they have to dot the i’s and cross the t’s,” he said.
Instagram adds new feature to let U.S. users shop via app
article-aa A Small A Medium A Large By Amanda Roth Last updated 2 hours ago On Tuesday, Instagram announced the launch of its new checkout feature, which is currently in closed beta for businesses and only available to U.S. users. The social media giant has partnered with over 20 brands, including Nike, Adidas, Burberry and Michael Kors. Once the feature is expanded, some e-commerce partners will be able to use their stores on Instagram, including Shopify.
Former board member disputes Waterfront Toronto’s testimony to federal ethics committee
article-aa A Small A Medium A Large By Amanda Roth Last updated 17 hours ago In Thursday’s testimony to the committee, Waterfront Toronto’s chief development officer Meg Davis said the investment and real estate committee (IREC) “had reviewed all of the document and had given guidance to the negotiation team.” Julie Di Lorenzo, who was on the agency’s board and chaired the IREC committee, disputed Davis’ testimony, writing in a statement to The Logic: “I can confirm that there were many...
Connected in Catalonia: How Barcelona built a smart city
Barcelona’s La Sagrada Familia is a towering Roman Catholic cathedral that has been under construction for as long as Canada has existed. It’s a symbol of a city with a focus on the long term. But, unbeknownst to the three million-plus tourists flocking to the Gaudí shrine every year, a vast network of cables and sensors snakes underneath, part of a 42-kilometre tunnel system that makes its way through the city, melding the Internet of Things with the city’s medieval roots.
Mattamy Homes developing proposal for Sidewalk-led Quayside land
Mattamy Homes, the leading real-estate developer, is quietly shopping around a development proposal for the 12 acres of Toronto’s waterfront known as the Quayside, with a meeting planned with the Ontario government this week, The Logic has learned. This is Mattamy’s second proposal for the waterfront. The company was part of a consortium—which included OMERS and Manulife Financial—that responded to a Request for Proposals (RFP) for Waterfront Toronto’s Quayside development that Sidewalk Labs won.
Ontario’s highest court rules against Uber’s arbitration clause
article-aa A Small A Medium A Large By Amanda Roth and Catherine McIntyre Last updated 5 mins ago The Court of Appeal for Ontario has ruled that Uber’s arbitration clause amounts to “illegal contracting out of an employment standard (if drivers are found to be employees) and unconscionable, therefore invalid.” As such, the court is allowing an Uber Eats driver to proceed with a $400-million class action lawsuit brought against Uber, which an Ontario judge stayed in January 2018 in favour of...
Michael Nobrega, the acting CEO fired from Waterfront Toronto board, calls report’s criticisms ‘constructive’
Nobrega was fired from his position on the board of directors by the Ontario government last week, following the province’s auditor general’s report. Responding to calls from critics to scrap the project and start a new Request-For-Proposals (RFP) process, Nobrega said that would be difficult. “You would be looking at a lot of lawsuits,” he said. He also noted that Waterfront Toronto still had “a number of off-ramps or exit strategies” in its agreement with Sidewalk Labs.
Waterfront Toronto considered contributing Quayside lands as equity to fund Sidewalk Toronto project
Waterfront Toronto considered offering Quayside land as equity to fund its development with Sidewalk Labs, Google’s sister company, but did not disclose those discussions to its board, nor did it include the option in its initial Request for Proposals (RFP), The Logic has learned. Land value estimates suggest that the equity could be used to secure a loan worth upwards of $2 billion.
Ontario AG report to be tabled next week
The Office of the Auditor General of Ontario is set to table its annual report next Wednesday, which is expected to include the results of its value-for-money audit of Waterfront Toronto. (The Logic) Talking point: As I reported in early October, Ontario’s AG has been looking into the use of public funds by the tri-governmental organization tasked with revitalizing Toronto’s waterfront, including operations related to its partnership with Sidewalk Labs.
Waterfront Toronto convenes its first Civic Labs, discusses data and privacy on Quayside
Representatives from all three levels of government, Sidewalk Labs, Waterfront Toronto and its Digital Strategy Advisory Panel, along with other relevant stakeholders and interested parties, gathered Friday, by invite only, for the first Civic Labs to discuss approaches to data governance and privacy concerns on Quayside’s prospective smart city development.
Privacy expert Ann Cavoukian resigns as adviser to Sidewalk Labs
Ann Cavoukian, a world-leading privacy expert, has resigned as an adviser to Sidewalk Labs on its proposed Toronto smart city development. Cavoukian sent a letter advising the company of her resignation Friday. In the letter, she expressed concerns regarding Sidewalk Labs recent digital governance proposals, specifically, the possibility that not all personal data would be de-identified at the source—a concern she said she raised with Sidewalk Labs early last month.
Sidewalk Labs CEO addresses criticism, claims development will create tens of thousands of jobs, in remarks prepared for VIP advisory council
Sidewalk Labs CEO Dan Doctoroff addressed a group of some of Canada’s “leading thinkers” from the business, non-profit and academic sectors Wednesday, in the first meeting of the Sidewalk Labs Advisory Council. Doctoroff sent an invitation out last month for the luncheon and presentation, asking those influencers to help advise the company on its plans to build Toronto’s first smart city neighbourhood on the waterfront.
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