News roundup, 5 May 2025

- Lawrence Martin of the Globe and Mail argues that the Conservatives would be well-advised to ditch Pierre Poilievre based solely on his lack of likeability, but that they are unlikely to do so. I agree with Martin on both counts, but he pulls his punches somewhat on the second part - the only reason he gives for the party not being willing to select a new leader is that there's no obvious successor waiting in the wings. That may well be true, but I think there's a deeper reason, even if it's impolite to say so - the very things that make Poilievre unlikable to the likes of you, me, or Lawrence Martin make him more likable to the folks of the rural "heartland" who make up the Conservative base. Those people don't want someone polite and civil, they want someone mean, driven by what Hunter S. Thompson would call an "ethic of total retaliation". And Poilievre delivers that in spades. Another sign that Poilievre is unlikely to be dropped is the fact that Damien Kurek, the MP for Battle River—Crowfoot, has already resigned his seat to make way for the leader after the Prime Minister said that he would quickly call a byelection in the event of such a resignation.

- Anthony Albanese's Labor Party has won a second term with a majority in Australia's parliamentary election. Much as was the case here, the incumbents were trailing the opposition in the polls until people started noticing how much their leader, Peter Dutton, looked like a Trump wannabe. And like Pierre Poilievre, Dutton ended up losing his own seat.

- The US House of Representatives has voted to revoke California's ability to regulate vehicle emissions, including the state's planned phaseout the sale of gasoline-powered cars. There is some question whether the rules the House is using to do this actually give them the authority to stop California's measures; in a country where rule of law still applied that might be a factor.

- McDonald's has reported their worst 3 month decline in sales since 2020; this is largely a result of a decline in domestic consumption among middle-income customers due to economic uncertainty, though they have also noticed signs of a shift away from American companies in the international market (especially in Canada and Europe).

- Autonomous semis are now driving their first regular long-haul routes, between Dallas and Houston.

- A Toronto man has been arrested after launching a shopping cart into the path of an e-bike in a bike lane, injuring the rider. The suspect faces charges of assault with a weapon, assault causing bodily harm, and mischief endangering life.

- A Vancouver teen who lost his father, sister, and stepmother in the vehicle attack on the Lapu Lapu festival last week is offering half of what was raised in a GoFundMe campaign for him to other victims, saying he recognizes that he isn't the only one suffering. Meanwhile, it has come out that the suspect in the attack was on leave from a psychiatric facility at the time of the attack, but that there had been no previous indication that he was a public safety risk. It should be pointed out that most patients in such a situation really aren't a danger; whether this unfortunate exception will make it more difficult for other patients to be released remains to be seen.

Knock Out: CNBC Confirms Lehman CEO Punched at Gym

Expect more of this sort of thing in the near future:

It seems anxiety from the financial crisis is reaching new highs, but the tipping point for one individual came at the Lehman Brothers gym in the midst of the company’s collapse.

While former Lehman CEO Richard Fuld was testifying before the House Oversight Committee Oct. 6, CNBC reported he had been punched in the face at the Lehman Brothers gym after it was announced the firm was going bankrupt. CNBC and Vanity Fair contributor Vicki Ward said Fuld was attacked at the gym on a Sunday following the bankruptcy.

“Frankly, I sat there and listened and I’m with the guy who apparently, the day before Barclays announced they were coming in and Lehman had already filed for bankruptcy, went over to him in the gym and punched him because that’s how I feel when I, you know, when I watched that,” Ward said on the Oct. 6 “Power Lunch.” “I didn’t think he was contrite at all, I thought he was arrogant.”

From here, via Doug in this babble thread.

The alleged assualt on his wife by the coward Robert Ford

Toronto city Coun. Rob Ford was arrested Wednesday and charged with assaulting his wife and uttering death threats, his lawyer has confirmed.

Lawyer Dennis Morris told CBCNews.ca that his client was arrested in his Etobicoke home mid-morning after being accused of committing an assault earlier that day. Morris said Ford denies the assault ever took place and will plead not guilty.

From the Ceeb. Well, he's innocent until proven guilty, of course, as the National Post is quick to point out in their wonderfully selective fashion. Nevertheless, I think that most readers of this blog will tend to agree that regardless of the outcome of this, Mr Ford is a jerk. A few examples of his past behaviour can be found here:

In past incidents, Councillor Rob Ford:

• Lied about his drunkenness and profanity while watching a Maple Leafs game at the Air Canada Centre in the spring of 2006. He was making remarks such as, "Green Party f---ing rules" and, "Do you want your little wife to go over to Iran and get raped and shot?"

• Initially, he denied to reporters he was even at the game, claiming he was being "slandered."

• Called Councillor Gloria Lindsay Luby a "low-life" and "waste of skin" and Councillor Giorgio Mammoliti "Gino-boy," an ethnic slur. He later apologized.

• Incensed city money was being used for AIDS prevention programs such as giving prostitutes condoms, said AIDS is "very preventable. If you're not doing needles and you're not gay, you won't get AIDS, probably."

• Opposed bike lanes last year, saying: "Roads are built for buses, cars and trucks. My heart bleeds when someone gets killed, but it's their own fault."

Quite remarkable that someone like this continues to get elected. Perhaps the folks of his ward respond well to his grandstanding about fiscal responsibility, or maybe he just stands for good suburban values like racism, homophobia, poor bashing, drunken idiocy, and (maybe) domestic violence. Doesn't reflect very positively on Etobicoke, that's for sure.

Edited to add: It seems that the charge has been withdrawn. I guess he's not a wifebeater, so my apologies to Mr. Ford (but I stand by all the other mean things I said about him).