Canada
Trudeau, Trump talk Ukraine as allies fear U.S. withdrawal from war effort
A brief readout from Trudeau's office Saturday said the two leaders spoke about the Ukraine war, now entering its fourth year, ahead of a virtual G7 meeting scheduled for Monday.
Is the NDP in trouble? Party faces an uphill battle if snap election is called
Polling shows voters want change. The Liberal Party is leaderless. Plus, those vying to replace Prime Minister Justin Trudeau have promised policies that would move the party back to the political centre, leaving the NDP to pursue progressive policies like taxing the wealthy. But at this point, at least, many things don't seem to be working in their favour.
Liberal leadership candidates split on whether to shrink public service
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre has vowed to reduce the size of the public service if he becomes prime minister, and at least one Liberal leadership candidate agrees.
Stalking allegation ends Greater Victoria Liberal’s candidacy
The former View Royal mayor has said the allegations are 'complete nonsense' and 'malicious'. This riding has no incumbent with the retirement of New Democrat Randall Garrison. But the NDP have picked an excellent nominee: Maja Tait, a three-term mayor of Sooke. And, while the NDP will be under pressure to hold other seats on Vancouver Island, my model has Tait the likely successor as the riding's MP.
The Provinces
Ford highlights promise to speed up Ring of Fire approvals at stop in Thunder Bay
Ford pointed to the critical minerals mined in the Ring of Fire region as Ontario's "ace in the hole" in the face of possible tariffs from the U.S.
Both Sudbury and Nickel Belt now have Ontario PC candidates
Sudbury Progressive Conservative candidate Max Massimiliano spoke to Sudbury.com, but Nickel Belt Progressive Conservative candidate Randy Hazlett declined comment, as he did throughout his 2022 campaign Bravo to candidate Massimiliano for speaking to local media. Brickbats to candidate Hazlett who, for the second election in a row, continues to refuse to speak to reporters in his region.
Elsewhere
Germany election contenders make final pitches ahead of critical vote
Germans are electing a new parliament Sunday after a campaign focused on the state of Europe’s biggest economy and calls to curb migration.
Trump administration fires top US general and Navy chief in unprecedented purge of military leadership
In an unprecedented purge of the military’s senior leadership Friday night, President Donald Trump fired the top US general just moments before his defense secretary fired the chief of the US Navy and the vice chief of the Air Force.
Musk team laying off workers at auto safety agency overseeing Tesla
Elon Musk’s team is eliminating jobs at the vehicle safety agency that launched investigations into deadly crashes involving his Tesla company’s cars.
Media
No Thanks, Musk. We’ll Direct Our Readers Elsewhere
Dear Elon, we’re out. The Tyee will no longer be posting to X (formerly Twitter) and we’ve removed the X sharing buttons from our stories.
Poilievre calls Parliamentary Press Gallery ‘undemocratic’
Opposition Leader Pierre Poilievre has criticized the Parliamentary Press Gallery as "highly undemocratic," claiming it is dominated by media outlets that receive federal subsidies. For the record, I am a member of the Parliamentary Press Gallery, an organization that has been in existence longer than Canada has, and I have served on its board of directors. That board is elected annually by its members. Who can become a member? See Item 3 in the Gallery's constitution. You can review the members by organization. A reminder that private sector broadcasters, like Global, CTV, TVA, and CITY are prohibited by law from receiving the federal subsidies available to newspapers.
Help Wanted: Election reporter
Paul Wells: If you have a strong interest in politics but no interest in telling readers how they should vote; if you generate story ideas like it's going out of style; if you have proof that you can write quickly but with a voice; if you're sad about the prospect of sitting an important election campaign out because the Canadian journalism job market sucks, and would much rather be in the game; then let's talk.
Reader Notes
A reminder that: 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. The stamp stuff at the bottom are scans from my collection and, if there’s a stamp blurb, I’ve written that bit. -DA
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Science and tech
calculator-app
A calculator should show you the result of the mathematical expression you entered. That's much, much harder than it sounds. What I'm about to tell you is the greatest calculator app development story ever told.
Issued this day ...
… in 2009: Sc 2317. First Flight in Canada. Design: Crystal Oicle, Dennis Page.
Canada Post press release: “The Silver Dart was the brainchild of the Aerial Experiment Association (AEA), a group of flight enthusiasts recruited by Alexander Graham Bell. By the time the AEA had constructed the aircraft in 1908, it was the group’s fourth “aerodrome,” as Bell called them.
The Silver Dart’s maiden flight in Canada took place on February 23, 1909, and the aircraft was piloted by John Alexander Douglas (J.A.D.) McCurdy, a young engineering graduate and AEA member. On that chilly winter day, runners on skates held onto the aircraft’s wing tips to keep it stable as it taxied for take-off. Then, with the buzz of the engine, the Silver Dart began gliding across the ice and rose 20 to 30 feet in the air, traveling for about a kilometre. The experiment marked the first controlled powered flight in Canada and the British Empire—not to mention a new chapter in the nation’s history.”