- Wab Kinew and his new cabinet have been sworn in. Notable cabinet posts include Uzoma Asagwara as Minister of Health (and deputy premier), Adrien Sala in Finance, Matt Wiebe in Justice, Ron Kostyshyn in Agriculture, Nahanni Fontaine in Families, and Bernadette Smith in Housing, Addictions and Homelessness. A full list can be found here. Meanwhile, Cindy Lamoureux has become Liberal leader by default. The Cons couldn't leave office without making one final blunder, though, by allowing funding to lapse for a program from the height of the pandemic that had been helping to boost the availability of paramedics.
- There is still some dispute over who was actually responsible for the bombing of that hospital in Gaza. Hamas says the Israelis did it; the Israelis insist that it was actually a misfired rocket from another militant group, Palestinian Islamic Jihad. Since we can't trust either Hamas or Likud to tell the truth about this (even if Biden thinks otherwise), we'll have to wait to see if some independent evidence becomes available. Meanwhile, Israel is furious that some Spanish politicians used the G-word to describe what they're doing to the Palestinians. And as everyone feared, there are attacks on synagogues and mosques happening the world over. Meanwhile, in a recent poll more than 50% of Canadians gave the gloomy (but probably accurate) assessment that a lasting peace in the region is not currently possible.
- 21 species of animals and plants have been removed from the US endangered species list; they are no longer in need of protection due to their being already gone. These include the Bachman's Warbler, several species of Hawaiian honeycreepers and other Hawaiian birds, a couple of fish, several species of mussel, and a fruit bat from Guam.
- On the other hand, Florida is now home to vast numbers
of exotic species. Besides the well known case of the Burmese Python,
these include such things as the Nile Monitor, the Vervet Monkey, the
Cane Toad, and all manner of other creatures. The fact that many Floridians like exotic pets and don't like rules is a big part of the problem. Some of these animals are more of a problem
than others; like it or not, though, many of them are there to stay.
- The BC government is actually taking action against illegal Airbnb and similar listings, something that appears to be sorely needed. Predictably, rightwing columnists are upset about the plight of the poor downtrodden "hosts" (who in their impact on society are much closer to parasites than actual hosts). Housing Minister Ravi Kahlon, upon hearing a caller to a phone-in show whine that Airbnb hosts "will become reluctant residential tenancy landlords", replied "Good. That's the point. Homes are for living in - they're not commodities for speculation and profit". Hear hear; we need more politicians like him.
- The US House of Representatives still has to choose a speaker; Jim Jordan has been voted down amid continued Republican infighting. It's all fun and games until there's another government shutdown, of course.
- The price of cultivated meat is expected to drop dramatically as economies of scale kick in, to the point where it is expected to be on par with actual dead animal by 2030.
- New Zealand is being asked to make it easier for environmentally displaced people to settle there, at least from the Pacific where several island countries are only a few metres above sea level and are pretty much doomed at this point. Somehow I doubt the new government will be keen on the idea, though.
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