Canada
Canada’s Joly visiting China after years-long rift
Joly says she wants to take a pragmatic approach in finding common ground, and her visit follows Canadian officials calling Chinese interference Canada's greatest strategic threat.
Seamus O’Regan, MP for St. John’s South-Mount Pearl, announces he's resigning from cabinet, not seeking reelection
O'Regan has served as the member of Parliament for St. John's South-Mount Pearl since 2015, and has been with Trudeau's cabinet since 2017.
Vandals target Montreal constituency office of Canada's immigration minister
An investigation is underway after federal Immigration Minister Marc Miller’s Montreal office was vandalized overnight. Windows were smashed and the walls were covered in pink paint and graffiti. Police says tensions have risen in the past weeks with pro-Palestinian encampments being torn down. There’s been vandalism at Marc Miller’s office before, but not like this. Mike Armstrong has the details.
Jennie Carignan takes command of Canadian Armed Forces in historic ceremony
Lt.-Gen. Jennie Carignan is set to officially take over command of the Armed Forces this morning in a ceremony at the Canadian War Museum in Ottawa.
Blanchet has not submitted foreign interference security clearance
Bloc Québécois Leader Yves-François Blanchet said he still has not submitted the necessary paperwork to read the full version of a stunning foreign interference report. Still!!
The Provinces
With election campaign on horizon, N.B. Tories promise 2-point HST cut if re-elected
The provincial election campaign hasn't officially been called in New Brunswick, but voters must head to the polls no later than Oct. 21.
B.C. Conservatives pitch health-care changes, more private clinics
John Rustad acknowledged Thursday that if his party were to form government in October the plan would cause the provincial budget to "spike," but said in the long-term it will bring down per-capita health-care spending.
This is Shellbrook
This is a new ad from the Saskatchewan Party. What does it say? It says Scott Moe is from small-town Saskatchewan and shouldn't you want to protect that? That's fine as messaging goes. It's clear. It's straightforward. But the Sask Party is already the overwhelming choice of small-town Saskatchewan, insn't it? It's about to lose most of its seats in Saskatoon and the government is going to be won or lost, IMO, in battles over Moose Jaw and Prince Alberta. So if the Sask Party feels they need to shore up support in rural Saskatchewan with ads like this -- what does that tell us about the state of play there ... -DA
Elsewhere
Democrats brace for the possibility Biden drops out of 2024 race: 'We're close to the end'
President Joe Biden’s political world is collapsing. Top allies have either publicly or privately called on him to step aside. Major donations have fallen off a cliff. Grassroots fundraising is not keeping up with the demands of a campaign that needs to aggressively scale up three months before the presidential election. Members of his own re-election effort have already declared he has no path to victory.
Trump tramples on Republican Party effort to give him image makeover
That new version of Trump lasted barely half an hour. Then the Trump more familiar to Americans - the bombastic thrower of insults who revels in demonizing his opponents - re-emerged, trampling over the message of unity so painstakingly choreographed by the Republican National Committee this week.
Bangladesh is experiencing a ‘near-total’ internet shutdown amid student protests
The unrest is centered around the country’s quota system that requires a third of government jobs to be reserved for relatives of veterans who had fought for Bangladesh’s independence from Pakistan in 1971.
Media
Netflix Gains 8 Million Global Subscribers Amid Price Hikes and Push to Ad-Supported Streaming
Netflix has gained more than 8 million global paid subscribers since April, according to new subscriber information included in the company's...
Reader Notes
We've got 1,800+ subscribers to this thing and there are some costs associated with sending out 70,000 or so e-mails a month. The costs of doing so are offset with contributions from sponsors like our friends at Aurora Strategy Global and from many generous readers who are also chipping in. But we could use a few more contributors. You can help keep this newsletter going with a monthly pledge -- Just $5 would do it -- via Patreon or, if you want to make a one-time donation, send an e-transfer to jda@davidakin.com. Thanks for all your help!
Science and tech
Faulty cybersecurity update takes out banks, airlines and other major companies worldwide
A massive Microsoft Windows BSOD (blue screen of death) outage has impacted multiple companies worldwide including airlines, broadcasters and others.
Ford’s EV plans are in flux once again as it invests $3B into its biggest trucks
Ford is still pushing forward on electrification, notably by increasing hybrid options. The U.S. automaker said it will start producing F-Series Super Duty pickups at its Oakville Assembly plant in Ontario, Canada, beginning in 2026 — a move that will add capacity of about 100,000 units annually.
The Calendar
- 0900 ET: Rideau Hall - PM Trudeau participates in a cabinet swearing-in ceremony.
- 0900 ET: Moncton, NB - Veterans Affairs Min Ginette Petitpas Taylor makes a funding announcement.
- 0930 ET: Mississauga, ON - Families and Social Development Min Jenna Sudds and Diversity Min Kamal Khera speak about the Canada Child Benefit.
- 1000 ET: Sherrington, QC - Environment Min Steven Guilbeault speaks about the Canada Child Benefit
- 1130 ET: Toronto - Deputy PM and Fin Min Chrystia Freeland meets with auto industry representatives.
- 1300 ET: Edmonton - NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh speaks about housing costs.
- 1330 ET: Vancouver - LPC MP Hedy Fry makes a funding announcement.
- 1400 ET: Toronto - Immigration Min Marc Miller attends a citizenship ceremony.
- 1400 ET: Whitehorse - Agriculture Min Lawrence MacAulay speaks to reporters at the conclusion of a meeting with provincial and territorial counterparts.
- 1415 ET: Edmonton - NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh attends the IBEW Local 424 Annual Retiree BBQ.
