Canada
Canada wanted to ‘cooperate’ on illegal immigration. Trump chose tariffs
Newly released documents show Canada favoured 'cooperation' with the second Trump administration on 'common challenges' related to illegal immigration, before the U.S. tariffs.
Poilievre defends candidate accused of denying residential schools history
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre called accusations a party candidate in B.C. has denied the history of residential schools "misleading," and said he stands by his nominee. While the CPC has been quick to drop other candidates who might have said something out of the mainstream, all the candidates they've dropped so far are "no-hopers", running in ridings the CPC was unlikely to win. But Gunn? The CPC is heavily favoured to win the north Island.
Inside the NDP’s struggling campaign as party faces possible collapse
Global News travelled with Singh the first week of the federal campaign and witnessed a leader struggling to attract large crowds and facing repeated questions about his future.
Canadians could face detention if denied U.S. entry, Ottawa warns
In a travel advisory updated Friday, the federal government says Canadians should “expect scrutiny” when crossing ports of entry and to expect questioning and potential search of their electronic devices. “Comply and be forthcoming in all interactions with border authorities,” the advisory reads. “If you are denied entry, you could be detained while awaiting deportation.”
‘It’s a golden ticket’: U.S. doctors explain the urge to come to Canada
U.S. doctors, frustrated by the political and health-care climate, are now eyeing Canada as a promising alternative for their careers.
Older you get, the more likely you'll vote -- and why that matters
This is why time spent by a candidate in a seniors home or a boomers club is WAAAY better spent time than time spent at a university campus club. If there's 100 people at your campus club meeting -- you'll be lucky if 50 actually vote. If you to a Legion Hall euchre tournament, odds are good that there are 65-70 actual voters there. And FWIW: Latest Leger poll (pick your pollster - they're all the same) has 55+ choosing LPC over CPC by 52% to 34%. -DA
Liberals could pick up five to six seats in Alberta, but NDP's bleed in votes could also help Conservatives, say strategists
Stephen Carter’s list of potential Liberal wins include Calgary McKnight, Calgary Confederation, Calgary Centre, Edmonton Centre and Edmonton Southeast. Incumbent Liberal MP George Chahal is seeking re-election in Calgary McKnight, while political insider and pundit Corey Hogan is running in Calgary Confederation. Former cabinet minister Amarjeet Sohi is contesting the seat in Edmonton Southeast. My model is more bullish than Carter's: I have the LPC eking out up to 10 seats! Now some of those wins are by less than 50 votes in my model -- but the point remains: Liberals, at this point in the campaign, are poised to defeat to some Conservatives in Alberta.
‘You’re the star candidate’—Conservative hopeful says he was courted for donations, then dumped without explanation
Deeply reported #LongRead piece here for anyone interested in some of the murky backroom activities of Conservative politicking around nominations.
After handing over tens of thousands of dollars, while being promised he was the Conservative's "star candidate" in the riding, Keshav Mandadi says he was told in November that an upfront payment of $50,000 for an appearance by Poilievre at Mandadi's Mississauga home would help secure the nomination, with another $50,000 to be paid after the event which was targeted for December.
Mandadi had already grown concerned after rumours swirled that another, preferred, candidate was being parachuted in. "I was told by the people the party had told me to work with, not to worry, it was a great idea to bring Poilievre to my house, and that there was nothing to be concerned about." He did not provide the money, sensing, a year after coming forward as a hopeful candidate, that things were not right, as his nomination application still had not been approved despite repeated attempts by Mandadi to find out what the problem was.
Liberals say 'no' to Chris Beach as Cariboo-Prince George candidate
"I regret to let everyone know that I just received an email from the Liberal Party telling me I've been rejected as a candidate … without any explanation, after having been told repeatedly I was the one and only candidate for the Liberal Party in Cariboo-Prince George," Beach stated Friday, April 4 in a Facebook post. "The only plausible explanation that I can come up with at this point is that I was too critical of former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, and current Premier David Eby, in my past history as an active BC Liberal Party member and TV and radio political analyst."
Should Hugh Stevenson wear a Chief of Police jacket while campaigning?
'In general, however, it is probably very bad form for a candidate . . . to canvas in anything that identifies them as an officer,' warns an academic after the Conservative candidate and former chief wore police-branded clothing on the campaign trail.
Vernon White is a former Ottawa police chief but he was also appointed to the Senate by Stephen Harper and sat, for a time, sat as a Harper Conservative in the Senate though in 2019, he left the CPC to sit with the Canadian Senators Group. An interesting endorsement for the LPC incumbent fighting off a challenge in this riding from the NDP. -DA
The Provinces
MHAs align with their preferred candidate as N.L. Liberal leadership contest enters home stretch
Most Liberal MHAs have now declared their support for either John Abbott or John Hogan as the Newfoundland and Labrador Liberal leadership contest enters the home stretch. And if such a metric can be considered an indicator of a campaign's momentum, Hogan has the advantage.
Elsewhere
Kentucky bourbon industry caught in middle of global tariff war
The Kentucky bourbon industry says it is reeling from retaliatory actions taken by Canada and the EU in response to the US trade war.
Zelenskyy meets European military leaders to plan for a peacekeeping force
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met British Adm. Antony Radakin and French Gen. Thierry Burkhard in Kyiv on Saturday to discuss the potential deployment of a multinational peacekeeping force to Ukraine.
Pro-Ukraine Republicans finding ways to push back on GOP isolationists
The shift in the party away from former GOP President Ronald Reagan’s “peace through strength” has created a tightrope of sorts for many Republicans looking to balance their support for Ukraine with the more isolationist view embraced by President Donald Trump. While Republicans in Congress have been split on continuing aid to Ukraine amid its three-year war with Russia, a number in the party continue to publicly advocate for the war-torn country.
Waltz’s team set up at least 20 Signal group chats for crises across the world
It’s a more extensive use of the app than previously reported and sheds new light on how commonly the Trump administration’s national security team relies on Signal, a publicly available messaging app, to conduct its work.
The White House Frames the Past by Erasing Parts of It
As the Trump administration pulls government websites and data offline, it is selectively stripping away the public record, letting the president declare his own version of history, archivists and historians said. (🎁 link)
Media
Foreign journalists at US-backed media fear being sent to repressive homelands after Trump's cuts
“I am very regretful that our listeners cannot receive the accurate news,” Hour said, also through a translator. Both men said they're worried about providing for their families and being allowed to stay in the U.S. They say it's impossible to return to Cambodia, a single-party state hostile to independent media where they fear being persecuted for their journalistic work.
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
The 7 writing apps I used to start and finish my book
Kevin Nguyen In addition to my work at The Verge, I write novels — my second one is out today — and while I admire Murakami’s commitment to an immovable schedule, I’ve found that I produce my best work when I’m constantly rethinking routines, processes, and, mostly, how I’m writing. In the modern age, that means what software I’m using.
Issued this day ...
… in 1981: Sc 884 Candian Endangered Wildlife: Wood Bison. Design: Michael Dumas. Illustration: Robert Bateman.
Fun fact: The Wood Bison is the largest land animal in Canada. This 2020 resource says the Wood Bison is listed as “Threatened” right now.