News roundup, 20 Feb 2024

- Canadian senators have been issued panic buttons following an increase in security incidents involving aggressive protesters. The issues motivating the protesters in question are various, but whatever the cause, it seems more of them are crossing the line into intimidation.

- The fuss over Steven Guilbeaut's remarks about not wanting to invest in more roads continues, as well as a related fuss over his desire to phase out pure fossil fuel vehicles (not hybrids, despite what you might think from the unhinged rants from Danielle Smith). Columnist Deveryn Ross spins the infrastructure ideas as "coercive", which is ridiculous - they're not going to put you in jail for driving to work, at most they'll make it more convenient to get to work by some other means. Unfortunately, such rhetoric works very well on Joe and Jane Sixpack, and the Conservatives are salivating at the opportunity.

- The US has submitted a resolution to the UN calling for a temporary ceasefire in Gaza, even as they vow to veto an existing resolution set to be heard by the Security Council today. Meanwhile the UK Labour Party is now calling for an immediate end to fighting, and even the Prince of Wales is expressing concern that "too many" have been killed (though he hasn't made any actual calls for a ceasefire).

- Chinese diaspora organizations in Canada say they are boycotting the public inquiry into foreign interference, due to the standing granted by the inquiry's commissioner to three politicians that they consider excessively close to the Chinese state. The organizations appear to fear that the ability granted to the politicians to cross-examine witnesses could expose the identities of activists in China.

- The US Supreme Court is set to hear a case to determine whether municipalities can fine homeless people for camping on public property when there is no proper shelter available. In Canada, courts have ruled against cities more than once on this issue, but things may be different down there.

- Over 21,000 households used Harvest Manitoba's food bank in January, an increase of over 3,000 from the same month last year.

- Louis Riel was honoured with an update to the portrait of him at the legislature, naming him as the honourary first premier of Manitoba.

News roundup, 16 Feb 2024

- The federal Environment Minister, Steven Guilbeault, said earlier this week that the federal government would stop investing in new road infrastructure, then revised this statement to say that the government would not invest in "large" road projects. This has led to a backlash from many politicians. Winnipeg councillor Janice Lukes, who represents the suburban Waverley West ward, nattered on about how we "need to move goods" (not that Guilbeault or anyone else is saying we don't, but whatever), while Mayor Scott Gillingham said Guilbeaut is "out of touch" with the reality of what Winnipeg and other cities need. In fact he isn't, though perhaps he is out of touch with the reality of what suburbanites want. Or maybe he no longer cares; given the dismal situation of his party in the polls, perhaps he figures the best that he can do is kick the can down the road a bit. Unfortunately, the present political culture combined with first past the post voting means that it's suburbanites who determine the results of most elections.

- The Manitoba government has rejected Sio Silica's application to mine sand in Springfield (the one the Tories tried to push through during the transition period). They have, however, approved Canadian Premium Sand's application to mine sand near Hollow Water First Nation; a notable difference is that the First Nation itself has agreements with the company (though not all of its residents agree with the decision). This project is also linked with plans to create a solar panel manufacturing facility in Selkirk; if nothing else solar panels are a far better use for sand than fracking is.

- The cyclotron at Health Sciences Centre, which is critical for the production of isotopes needed for PET scans, has failed a safety audit by Health Canada for the fourth time in a decade. This could theoretically lead to it being shut down, which would not be good news for cancer patients in this province.

- Several mayors in BC are complaining about the provincial government's abolition of exclusive single-family zoning. Tellingly, most of the cities in question are suburbs; the exceptions are Nanaimo and Nelson.

- Alexey Navalny has died at the gulag where he was imprisoned; official Russian reports make no mention of radioisotopes or defenestration.

- Some people involved with the "Freedom Convoy" plan to be back in Ottawa to mark the second anniversary of their protest/occupation, despite the fact that the mandates that they were protesting are long gone. It's as if this has become their entire identity and they don't know what else to do with themselves other than to make lots of noise and disruption to stick it to the big city libtard ay-leets.

- The credit union that sponsored Tucker Carlson's recent visit to Alberta is reaping significant rewards, as Carlson fans move their money to the institution, though other members are repelled by this.

- A New York City resident apparently bought three young Burmese Pythons in Montreal, then tried to smuggle them home in his pants. Unfortunately for him US customs officers noticed something amiss and he was fined $5,000 US as well as getting a year of probation.