Friday, January 19, 2024

News roundup, 19 Jan 2024

- The Canadian Security Intelligence Service is said to be investigating the Conservative Party's nomination in Oxford County, Ontario, in which Arpan Khanna was selected as the party's candidate last year. Khanna was subsequently elected in a byelection; he has ties to Pierre Poilievre's leadership campaign.

- The US Congress has kicked the can down the road to prevent a government shutdown, but this measure only lasts till March. The Republicans' real goal seems to be to tie any long term solution to cuts to Medicare and Social Security. They're also trying to tie any aid to Ukraine to immigration reform, which does not bode well for Ukraine.

- Electoral reform advocates are appealing the decision of the Ontario Superior Court of Justice which dismissed their attempt to have single member plurality (first past the post) elections declared unconstitutional.

- The Winnipeg Police Association has filed a grievance over the city's new Community Safety Team which is set to be deployed on Winnipeg Transit buses. I guess the cops are worried that they might look bad if unarmed security people are able to deescalate or detain people as effectively as a cop with a sidearm.

- Liberal MPs from Toronto are furious that Olivia Chow is calling the federal government out on its inadequate support for the city. Chow is asking for $250 million to cover the costs associated with housing immigrants and refugees who end up in the city; I guess the Liberals are sensitive about that topic given the overheated rhetoric that we've been seeing about immigration in recent months.

- US Secretary of State Antony Blinken says that a Palestinian state is essential for Israel's long-term security. He's probably not wrong, but Benjamin Netanyahu certainly does not agree, and I doubt the US will go beyond strong words in pushing for such a state.

- The Committee to Protect Journalists has ranked Israel the sixth worst country for imprisoning journalists, after China, Myanmar, Belarus, Russia and Vietnam, and just ahead of Iran.

- A midwife from Long Island has been accused of falsifying the vaccination records of about 1,500 kids in the state to enable them to attend school. Meanwhile there are outbreaks of measles happening in various parts of the US.

- The northern parts of Western Australia are facing a severe heatwave, with forecast temperatures being as high as 50°C in some places.

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