The Toronto Star ran a six-part series this week on the Secret Capital -- a look at how the Conservative government of Prime Minister Stephen Harper manages information. I've excerpted the media-related parts.

"Elite" and "elitism" used to have different definitions, but in the faux populism of U.S. politics today, either word is used to denigrate opponents. This must stop, because the slur is also being directed at knowledge itself, even though ignorance is a big problem facing the U.S., argues an author.

From the NY Sun:

A leading (U.S.) reporter on the national security beat, William Gertz of the Washington Times, has been ordered to appear before a federal judge next month to identify the sources for a news article about the prosecution of a Chinese spy ring based in southern California.