Canada
Looking past Trudeau: How will Liberals replace him and who would they pick?
Assuming Justin Trudeau decides this holiday season to pass the torch to a new leader, there are arguments as to how the party should proceed. The former chief of staff to Jean Chretien, Eddie Goldenberg, argues the national executive should empower the caucus to pick a leader to take them into the next election and beyond. And Goldenberg believes that leader should be Chrystia Freeland. On Global National, David Akin reports that some Liberal MPs agree with Goldenberg. While others say that however it happens, replacing Trudeau can't happen soon enough.
Ontario MPs meet, majority agree it’s time for Trudeau to go
Althia Raj The call was tense at times, sources said. Indigenous Services Minister Patty Hajdu accused Freeland, who was on the call, of pulling a “Jody Wilson-Raybould,” a reference to the former justice minister who resigned in a spectacular fashion in 2019 after she was demoted from her cabinet portfolio.
We asked 152 Liberal MPs whether Justin Trudeau should resign. Here's what we heard back
A majority of caucus members have remained silent on Trudeau's leadership As of 6 p.m. Friday, 50 caucus members responded to the Star or answered the question, "Do you believe Trudeau should resign?" publicly this week, according to the tally.
After consulting with his EDA, Don Valley West MP Rob Oliphant adds his name to the list of Liberals saying, "with profound thankfulness and great respect, I joined the Don Valley West Federal liberal Association in requesting the Prime Minister take appropriate steps to relinquish the Leadership of The Liberal Party of Canada to a new leader, elected through a robust, open leadership contest." -DA
How a Poilievre Government Would Handle Canada & US Relations
The Prime Minister shuffles his cabinet amid growing calls for him to step down. Conservative party leader Pierre Poilievre joins us for more on how his government would handle Trump’s tariff threats and U.S. relations. A rare-as-hen's-teeth appearance by the Opposition Leader on a mainstream media national news and information program...
The Call With Chrystia Freeland That Threw Justin Trudeau Government Into Crisis
Justin Trudeau’s political future has been shaky for months. But the events that threaten to finish him as Canada’s prime minister snowballed into a crisis in a matter of days. A good roundup from Bloomberg's Brian Platt of the behind-the-scenes confusion.
Chrystia Freeland’s resignation points to final breakdown of cabinet government
Kathryn May asks: When the federal cabinet is not consulted for a multibillion-dollar spending plan, what is the point of having ministers?
The Provinces
Alberta NDP Leader Naheed Nenshi reflects on his first six months
Nenshi called it an “interesting” experience to sit in the gallery during the five weeks of the fall session instead of on the floor. Key amendments he would’ve liked to see pass were those regarding transgender legislation. One of the amendments would have attempted to bring parental consent back and the second would’ve prevented students from being outed in schools.
Elsewhere
Orban Says Higher NATO Defense Targets Would Cripple The Hungarian Economy
Hungary's right-wing Prime Minister Viktor Orban has said that U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's recent reported proposal for NATO members states to increase their defense spending would cripple the Hungarian economy.
Syria's new rulers name foreign minister in push for international relations
The ruling General Command named Asaad Hassan al-Shibani as foreign minister, SANA said. A source in the new administration told Reuters that this step "comes in response to the aspirations of the Syrian people to establish international relations that bring peace and stability."
Reader Notes
One last Christmas item ...
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The headlines, excerpts, and photos here are generated by the publishers of the clipping. The publisher is at the bottom left of the clipping. If I've got a comment, you''ll see that in italics. But if I've generated the headline and the excerpt, you'll see me taking attribution by finishing with -DA in bold. -DA
Science and tech
We’re about to fly a spacecraft into the Sun for the first time
the smallish probe—it masses less than a metric ton, and its scientific payload is only about 110 pounds (50 kg)—is about to make its star turn. Quite literally. On Christmas Eve, the Parker Solar Probe will make its closest approach yet to the Sun. It will come within just 3.8 million miles (6.1 million km) of the solar surface, flying into the solar atmosphere for the first time.
The hidden physics in Van Gogh’s turbulent ‘Starry Night’ skies, explained
Vincent van Gogh’s painting “The Starry Night” has long been admired for its art, but physicists are also intrigued by the science beneath the strokes and swirls. (🎁 link)