Canada
What should be in a plain-speaking Conservative climate plan
David McLaughlin: Move past “axe the tax” and start with an audit of what is working and not working. Set realistic, honest targets, and co-operate with the provinces.
‘This is fraud’: Indigenous leaders sound off on federal procurement program
A Global News investigation found significant loopholes in a multi-billion dollar procurement program aimed at helping develop First Nations, Inuit and Métis companies.
Flanking manoeuvres
Ian Brodie: The PBO report gives us some estimates of how much that is going to cost. Meeting the 2% target in 2032 means finding an extra $40 billion that year (1). As CGAI’s Dave Perry told Global News, PBO “basically says it’s going to take even more money over and above the huge amount of money already committed to get to that level.” That extra $40 billion a year is now in the hands of the Liberal election team. Conservatives should assume it will be targeted at what’s left of the Liberal target seat list.
Tory MPs backed communities seeking Liberal housing fund Poilievre vows to cut
Five Conservative MPs have written letters to the Liberal housing minister asking him to grant their communities funding from a program that Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre this week called disastrous and promised to cancel.
Clark expresses concern over Poilievre plans to cancel federal HAF
Saskatoon Mayor Charlie Clark raised concerns about proposed removal of the Housing Accelerator Fund, noting plans are already in place.
Is Barrie's federal housing money in jeopardy after Poilievre's comments?
'Cities like Barrie can’t do this alone,' says mayor (and former CPC MP Alex Nuttal); Barrie MPs who are both Conservative say Liberal housing minister is using 'scare tactics' after Conservative leader attacked housing accelerator fund.
Minister Fraser Warns Kingston Mayor of Housing Fund Cuts Under Poilievre Government
Fraser highlighted that this funding, granted through a federal agreement, was based on commitments made by Kingston to streamline home-building processes. The Housing Accelerator Fund targets key reforms, including zoning updates, waiving development costs for affordable housing projects, enabling backyard suite programs, and adopting digital permitting processes to expedite housing approvals. According to Fraser, home builders have stressed that such reforms reduce approval times, accelerating the pace of construction.
Paradise mayor Dan Bobbett running for Conservative nomination in Cape Spear
Paradise mayor Dan Bobbett is seeking the Conservative nomination in the district of Cape Spear, the new name for St. John's South-Mount Pearl. This is Seamus O'Regan's old riding. It's been CPC before. Loyola Hearn held it during Harper's early days. And while the LPC is in a world of hurt right now everywhere else in NL, this is still the LPC's best hope in my model. The one question no model can solve: Was this an O'Regan riding or a Liberal riding? If the answer is a), then a Conservative here has a good chance of winning.
The Provinces
B.C. Sikh temple granted buffer zone with protests of consular officials expected
A B.C. Supreme Court judge has granted an order to establish a buffer zone around one of the province's largest Sikh temples this Saturday in advance of expected protests.
Elections Nova Scotia warns of phishing scam trying to collect personal information
Elections Nova Scotia communications director Naomi Shelton says the deceptive email is made to look like an official message from the elections agency.
Executive Council announced ahead of swearing-in
New Brunswick Premier Susan Holt announces her cabinet: René Legacy is Deputy Premier and Finance Minister; John Dornan is at health. Two former MPs -- Pat Finnigan and Jean-Claude d'Amours also have cabinet roles. Click through for the full list -DA
Ontario mayors ask Ford to use notwithstanding clause to clear homeless encampments
The letter is signed by Barrie Mayor Alex Nuttall, Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown, Brantford Mayor Ken Davis, Cambridge Mayor Jan Liggett, Chatham-Kent Mayor Darrin Canniff, Clarington Mayor Adrian Foster, Guelph Mayor Cam Guthrie, Oakville Mayor Rob Burton, Oshawa Mayor Dan Carter, Pickering Mayor Kevin Ashe, St. Catharines Mayor Mat Siscoe, Sudbury Mayor Paul Lefebvre and Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens. Don't know the political leanings of all of these mayors but Alex Nuttall and Patrick brown are former CPC MPs and Paul Lefebvre is a former Trudeau Liberal. These communities are represented by federally by LPC, CPC, and NDP MPs.
Elsewhere
Erdogan sues opposition chief, Istanbul mayor for slander
Erdogan "pretends to have been insulted without any insult being made, and tries to make himself the victim ... as if it was not he who insulted and victimized Esenyurt" by arresting its mayor, he told reporters. Imamoglu, who was elected as Istanbul mayor in 2019, is often portrayed as Erdogan's biggest political rival and is widely expected to run in the 2028 presidential race. He is seen as one of Turkey's most popular politicians.
Hindus seek protection from attacks in Muslim-majority Bangladesh
About 30,000 Hindus demonstrate in Chattogram, demanding their rights while police and soldiers guard area.
Seismic change in Botswana as party that ruled for 58 years loses power
The party of Botswana’s opposition candidate Duma Boko has been declared the election winner over incumbent President Mokgweetsi Masisi in a seismic change that ended the ruling party’s 58 years in power since independence from Britain.
Media
The Final Flight of the Airline Magazine
United’s in-flight publication goes digital—and marks the end of an era.
A Venerable and Time-Tested Guide
Peter B. Kaufman reviews the 18th edition of The Chicago Manual of Style: " there are critically important new passages born of a deepening social responsibility in line with the times: how best to render text accessible to consumers with disabilities, a brand new section on inclusive language, guidance on Indigenous languages and sources (and rules advising that we capitalize Black, White, and Indigenous), and an endorsement of the singular “they” as a pronoun for an individual—“as needed,” the editors write, “to refer not only to someone who is nonbinary but also to anyone whose gender is unknown or irrelevant (or concealed for reasons of privacy).”
Reader Notes
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Science and tech
'Infinite monkey theorem' challenged by Australian mathematicians
Australian researchers have poked holes in an old thought-experiment known as the "infinite monkey theorem". *Well, that's an interesting use of one's time... *
Steve Albini Left Behind a Towering Music Legacy—and a Struggling Business
The vast majority of America’s recording studios, record mastering facilities, and vinyl pressing plants are small businesses that rely on one another as much as tailors rely on sheepshearers and cloth wholesalers. In a sense, every rock band is its own kind of small business, with bottom lines that are increasingly difficult to satisfy without hitting the road and selling records directly to fans. Each album is both an artistic statement and a business venture, neither of which is possible without a network of small businesses operating on razor-thin margins and an excess of civic pride. Really interesting piece
The Calendar
- 0930 ET: Halifax, - NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh and NS NDP leader Claudia Chender campaign in the federal riding of Halifax.
- 1000 ET: Newmarket, ON - CPC MPs Jasran Singh Hallan and Tim Uppal campaign in the riding of Newmarket--Aurora
- 1300 ET: Toronto, - LPC MP Julie Dzerowicz hosts a job fair.
- 1400 ET: Guelph, ON - GPC MP Mike Morrice attends the GPC nomination meeting in the riding of Guelph.
