(0:00 - 0:21) I'm Will Dove and these are the top stories for Friday, April 18th. The outcome of last night's leadership debate, as always, depends upon who you ask. Posts on X in support of Poilievre often highlighted his ability to quote facts and statistics and to lay out specific plans for addressing Canada's challenges, while posts in support of Carney were more vague. (0:23 - 0:43) Poilievre supporter Robert Stevenson received 2,500 views for this comment. Debate Conclusion Carney was awful, did not land a single criticism on anyone, and could not tread water on issues related to tariffs, pipelines, the liberal record, and lastly, crime. Poilievre was calm, effective, and prime ministerial. (0:44 - 0:57) Specific responses from Mark Carney during the debate were so thin on the ground that one presumed supporter claimed, My take. Carney won, because he didn't lose. As the frontrunner, the others had to take him down a peg or two, and that didn't happen. (0:58 - 1:28) Debate Conclusion The debate started out with this exchange between Carney and Poilievre on tariffs. So the starting point has to be one of strength. It has to show that we have control of our own economic destiny, has to have a clear plan here at home to build this economy, to diversify our trading partners with like-minded countries, and also has to have a position of strength in terms of our reaction to the US unjustified tariffs. (1:28 - 1:45) And that's why we have put in place counter tariffs that have maximum impact in the United States and minimum impact here at home. Mr. Poilievre, would you do anything differently? Well, first of all, thank you, Steve. And thank you to our fellow contestants here today. (1:45 - 1:56) It's an honor to be here. What would I do different? Well, I'll start by what I would do the same. I think we do need to counter the American tariffs with our own to deter this economic aggression. (1:56 - 2:19) We must make clear that we will always be sovereign and independent. What would I be doing differently? Well, we need to be in a position of strength. The liberal government has weakened our economy with anti-energy laws, red tape, and high taxes that have driven $500 billion out of our country into the United States and made us incapable of shipping our resources overseas. (2:20 - 2:46) That weakness threatens our ability to stand up for ourselves. So what would I do? I would cut taxes, red tape, and approve our resource projects so that we can get our goods to market and bring home the jobs so we stand up to President Trump from a position of strength. In the Calgary bar where I watched the debate with supporters of our writings conservative candidate, Pierre Poilievre got deafening cheers for this comment on crime. (2:46 - 3:08) To be clear, I want to uphold the charter rights of Canadians under Section 7 to life, liberty, and security of the person. Right now, that right is violated by multiple murderers who are given discounts. The case in question was a gentleman who went into a mosque and shot dead six innocent worshippers. (3:08 - 3:31) He got, according to this ruling, only one 25-year sentence, meaning he can be out in his 50s. He only serves four years for every murder that he carried out. That is outrageous, and I will use the constitutional powers that are created for this purpose to ensure that mass murderers stay in maximum security penitentiary for life. (3:31 - 3:43) They will only come out in a box. A survey of people who attended the debate in person showed that many who were considering voting liberal going in had changed their minds. However, note that this survey was of less than 100 people. (3:44 - 4:10) Despite this, the same group felt that Carney would still win the election. Today, Candace Malcolm of True North revealed a drama which unfolded in the press room when a reporter for the Hill Times took offense when he overheard a question that Keean Bexte of the Countersignal was planning to ask Mark Carney. We don't know what the planned question was, but it clearly provoked this reporter's leftist ire as he attacked both Bexte and Ezra Levant of Rebel News. (4:11 - 4:16) Respect for the industry and the profession. Sure you do. Your little chattering class. (4:16 - 4:22) Sir, sorry. Party advertisers. Who are you? Who do you work for? Rebel News. (4:22 - 4:27) Who do you work for? Rebel News, owned by Ezra Levant. It's a different company. People reach out. (4:27 - 4:40) Why are you screaming? So they can stop spreading this information. Um, so. Why are you screaming, by the way? Well, I want to make sure the guys filming it over there get the good audio. (4:40 - 4:55) You hear me OK? Am I enunciating properly? I could. Do you want you have one set up? You got the levels ready for me? Because you're clearly not doing any actual journalism while you're here. You're supposed to maintain respectful discourse. (4:55 - 5:07) It's right here in black and white. Why? When you guys started gaming the rules and threatening to sue because you didn't get your way, I assumed the rules were out the window. He has the advertising truck waving around. (5:08 - 5:14) That's not a Rebel News ad on there. You're lying. Why are you lying? Rebel, it's owned by you. (5:14 - 5:24) Oh, sorry, sorry. The truck is for Canada, which is owned by you, which is separate for Rebel, which is also owned by you. You're crazy. (5:25 - 5:43) You got to control your emotions. It also appears that at least some Liberal Party staffers didn't feel the debate went well. Exiting the event, a Liberal Party staffer was caught on camera by Rebel News knocking the boom out of the hand of Rebel reporter David Menzies, then seconds later, knocking his phone to the ground. (5:44 - 5:55) Oh, Terry Gillen. You, you touched me with that. I did not touch you. (5:55 - 5:58) You're a liar. You're a goddamn liar. You're a liar. (5:58 - 6:21) Nice try. The media scrum, which was to follow last night's debate, was unexpectedly cancelled. The reason given was a supposed disruption caused by Ezra Levant of Rebel News following Wednesday's French debate, although there is no video evidence of the claimed disruption, and the only sources corroborating the story are all legacy media. (6:22 - 6:59) Accusations on social media are that the scrum was cancelled to prevent independent media reporters from asking questions that Mark Carney didn't want to answer. In the weeks since Carney assumed the Prime Minister's office, there have been several accounts of him barring independent media from attending liberal events and press conferences, or of Carney refusing to answer questions from independent media. Nova Scotia's Supreme Court delivered a landmark free speech ruling yesterday, dismissing a human rights complaint against St. Mary's University, and affirming that being upset or offended is not the same as discrimination. (7:00 - 7:29) The case stemmed from a 2019 article by economics professor John MacKinnon questioning academic standards during university indigenization efforts. His rhetorical query about pseudo-subjects concocted led a student, identified only as Q, to file a discrimination complaint 13 months later. Justice Denise Boudreau found no evidence that MacKinnon's comments imposed unique burdens on noting Canada's Charter protects expression on issues of public importance. (7:30 - 8:08) The decision blocks the Nova Scotia Human Rights Commission from pursuing formal hearings, with Justice Boudreau emphasizing that human rights laws target discriminatory actions, not offensive speech. Constitutional lawyer Chris Fleury called the ruling a significant victory for Canadians who seek to express controversial opinions, while free speech advocates hailed it as crucial protection for academic discourse. A controversial U.S. Department of Defense project creating digital replicas of global populations has sparked ethical debates about mass surveillance and predictive behavioral modeling. (8:08 - 8:46) The Sentient World Simulation, or SWS, developed at Purdue University under Dr. Alok Chaturvedi, assigns digital avatars to every person on Earth using data from online activities, financial transactions, and government databases. This synthetic mirror of reality aims to predict human responses to crises, economic shifts, and military strategies by applying psychological and economic theories to simulated scenarios. Funded by the U.S. Joint Forces Command, SWS replicates institutions ranging from media outlets to utility providers. (8:47 - 9:19) While developers claim avatars are depersonalized, critics argue the system creates identifiable profiles through cumulative data points from search histories, purchases, and social media interactions. Government agencies like the Department of Homeland Security and corporations, such as Lockheed Martin, use SWS to test psychological operations, PSYOPs, and market strategies. The program reportedly influenced COVID-19 response planning, including simulations of airborne virus spread in confined spaces. (9:20 - 9:44) Privacy advocates warn the project enables unprecedented manipulation. Cryptocurrency expert Alireza Beikverdi stated, Knowing authorities can predict your actions through a digital twin erodes trust in institutions and alters natural human behavior. A 2015 Cointelegraph article revealed one researcher abandoned the project over concerns about unaccountable military use. (9:45 - 10:10) Despite claims of inevitability by some technologists, Purdue researchers maintain the simulation focuses on group dynamics rather than individual targeting. The system updates in near-real-time using news events, census data, and economic indicators, creating what developer Dr. Chaturvedi calls a continuously calibrated mirror of reality. That is all for this evening's news. (10:11 - 10:21) Enjoy your Easter weekend. My team and I will be taking some time off as well, so there will be no news on Monday. However, we'll be releasing two new shows next week, and Reggie will be back with another rant.