News roundup, 18 June 2026

- The White House says that the memorandum of understanding signed between the US and Iran is now in effect. Under the deal, Iran agrees never to develop a nuclear weapon, and a $300 billion fund is to be created for the "reconstruction and economic development" of Iran - though the US is not obligated to contribute to the fund. Iran also agrees to allow traffic through the Strait of Hormuz at no charge. It's also supposed to eventually end the sanctions against Iran, but no timeline is provided for this.

- The NAACP has filed a lawsuit to shut down natural gas-fired turbines that power Elon Musk's Grok AI, on the grounds that they not only lack the required permits under the Clean Air Act but will disproportionately harm residents of black communities. The Trump regime's Department of Justice is arguing that the move threatens national security and must be dismissed for that reason.

- The Bank of England is considering the introduction of a state-backed cryptocurrency called Britcoin. Nigel Farage, who until now has never seen a cryptocurrency that he didn't like, is vehemently opposed, and in fact has told a crowd of supporters that he's "prepared to go to prison" to stop it. Probably the fact that he's received donations from a huge crypto baron who stands to lose money if a state-backed cryptocurrency takes off has something to do with this.

- Liberal MP Ruby Sahota, who serves as the government's Secretary of State for Combatting Crime, claims that the people who fired shots at synagogues as well as the US consulate in Toronto were hired by a foreign entity. Toronto police have not confirmed the connection.

- A Conservative MP, Corey Tochor, has introduced a private member's bill to legalize psilocybin for the treatment of some psychiatric conditions. Tochor, who represents the riding of Saskatoon-University, says he was motivated to introduce the bill after one of his constituents was dropped from a pilot study allowing the drug to be prescribed on a limited basis. I have to say I can't fault Tochor on this, even if it is a case of a stopped clock being right twice a day.

- A new poll from Probe Research finds that nearly 50% of respondents do not want Winnipeg mayor Scott Gillingham to win another term. Confusingly, more than 90% also believe that electing someone else won't make a difference, and Dan Lett cites other polling that suggests that people actually understand that a lot of the problems the city is experiencing need to be solved by other levels of government - yet they want to reflexively vote out incumbents anyway. It all seems to suggest that people increasingly see voting as an act of spite rather than one of hope.

- Police in Senatobia, Mississippi killed a toddler when they opened fire on his mother's car, allegedly after someone in the vehicle was suspected of shoplifting. Notably, the boy's mother has not been charged with a crime, which you'd expect the cops to be quick to do if they had a leg to stand on.

 

News roundup, 26 Jan 2026

- A US Border Patrol officer fatally shot a protester in Minneapolis on Saturday. The DHS claimed that he was undocumented and armed, and that he'd "violently resisted" when they attempted to disarm him. Minneapolis police chief Brian O'Hara says that, contrary to the claim that he was "undocumented", the victim was in fact a US citizen and lawful gun owner with a permit to carry. Other sources identify him as Alex Pretti, an intensive care nurse with no criminal record. More info, including video, may be found here and here, and few find the DHS' account credible. Multiple witnesses say that he did not brandish his weapon, and the video evidence appears to corroborate that. A bipartisan group of senators are calling for an investigation into Pretti's death.

- An elementary school in Minneapolis is sending out an urgent warning about offers of food support being used as bait by ICE. 

- The European Commission is opening an investigation into Elon Musk's X over allegations that the platform's AI tool, Grok, can be used to create fake sexual images of real people. This follows a €120 million fine issued to X over the fraudulent use of the blue checkmarks used by X to denote a "verified" account; the regulator concluded that the company did not meaningfully verify who was behind the accounts. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio responded by accusing Europe of "attacking and censoring" American companies; for my part I'd be happy to see X banned in Europe as it's become little more than an agent of far-right propaganda.

- Doug Ford is urging Ontarians to visit Michigan this summer. He dropped that suggestion in the midst of a press conference railing against the Carney government's decision to allow the import of Chinese cars without prohibitive tariffs; so much for "elbows up" I guess.

- A former police officer has been sentenced to seven years in prison after being convicted of numerous crimes including voiding tickets in return for bribes, drug trafficking, and sharing photos of a dead woman. That means the federal penitentiary; I'm guessing that he very much hopes that he gets sent out of province to serve his sentence.

News roundup, 23 May 2025

- A new study suggests that even if the increase in global temperatures is limited to 1.5°C (which seems increasingly unlikely), it's not going to be enough to prevent sea levels from rising by a centimetre per year by the end of the century. If the present course is maintained, it will be far worse - an eventual rise of up to 12 metres. For perspective, about 230 million people live no more than a metre above the current sea level, and a billion are within 10 metres. This would lead to a lot of migration, and the brutal truth of the matter is that if this migration can't be prevented by cutting emissions, it will be stopped with guns. That said, every fraction of a degree still matters, not least because it will mean fewer people getting shot at borders than there otherwise would be.

- On a somewhat more positive note, the deforestation rate in Brazil dropped by over 30% in 2024 compared to the previous year. Note, however, this only factors in intentional deforestation; losses due to wildfires reached record levels last year.

- The Trump regime is prohibiting international students from enrolling at Harvard University because the institution refuses to hand over information about some current students to the Department of Homeland Security.

- The US Senate's parliamentarian, a nonpartisan staffer tasked with the interpretation of Senate rules, has been overruled after advising that the revocation of California's waiver that gives it the power to regulate vehicle emissions was probably illegal. The last time the parliamentarian has been overruled was in 1975. Now I must admit to be a bit torn here, because the specific decision had to do with the body's filibuster rules, which I've generally thought should be scrapped as they often stop progressive initiatives. And seeing that these rules don't seem to be stopping reactionary initiatives, they should probably still be scrapped (or rather not re-adopted if and when the US becomes a functioning democracy again).

- TD's chief economist, Beata Caranci, is predicting that Canada will go into recession this year, and that some 100,000 jobs could be lost as a result.

- The Canadian Union of Postal Workers has opted for a work-to-rule campaign rather than a strike, for the time being. Significant service disruptions are expected to result simply as a result of workers refusing overtime.

- The Rural Municipality of Prairie Lakes in southern Manitoba has introduced a "one lake, one boat" policy, which will require visitors bringing boats to Pelican Lake to have the boats inspected for zebra mussels for a $40 fee. Naturally businesses are complaining, but such measures are sometimes necessary.

- Elon Musk's AI chatbot, Grok, has started injecting its answers with propaganda about "white genocide" in South Africa - even when the question had nothing to do with South Africa or race. This certainly underscores the need for regulation of AI; unfortunately in the US the prospects for that have dimmed as legislation to prevent the regulation of AI for at least 10 years has cleared the House and moved on to the Senate.

- Recycling collection in Winnipeg was disrupted yesterday due to an unexpected closure of the material recovery facility where recyclables are taken. The plant was closed for a police investigation after plant staff found a dead guy on the premises.