News roundup, 17 July 2025

- The possibility of Donald Trump firing Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell is still looming. Powell has refused to cut interest rates as Trump wants; he needs some sort of a pretext to do this, though, and the alleged mismanagement of the renovations on two Federal Reserve buildings just might be it. Trump has already been polling Republican legislators on the issue. He's denying, however, that he actually plans to do so, perhaps leery of what such an unprecedented move might do to the markets. Interfering with their central banks didn't do Hungary and Turkey any favours, after all.

- The Trump regime is doing its utmost to stop the expansion of renewable energy, even as China races ahead. China already has five times the amount of renewable energy in its grid as the US - and they have greatly expanded electricity supply without increasing their fossil fuel consumption as a result. Their crackdown on offshore wind now has Massachusetts and New York looking to buy power from an offshore project in Nova Scotia.

- The matter of the Epstein files continues to cause problems for Donald Trump. Some think that this could be thing that finally makes the MAGA crowd question their previously unquestioning loyalty to the orange monster. Then again, it might just as easily make them question their previously unquestioned belief that sexual abuse of minors is a bad thing.

- A plastic surgeon in Utah who allegedly destroyed more than $28,000 worth of government provided COVID-19 vaccines and gave kids saline shots so they would answer yes when asked if they had been vaccinated has had all charges against him dropped by the Department of Justice under Pam Bondi. Dr. Michael Kirk Moore Jr. had allegedly accepted cash bribes to distribute fraudulent vaccination cards as well.

- Two people have been arrested after allegedly using a tow truck to steal several vehicles in Transcona.  

News roundup, 15 April 2025

- The Manitoba government has announced that it will be expropriating the Lemay Forest in Winnipeg's St. Norbert district, to stop a developer from pushing ahead to clear it. The forest will be turned into a provincial park.

- Two contracts for Manitoba Hydro to sell a total of 500 megawatts to American utilities are about to expire; the Kinew government is ordering Hydro not to renew them in yet another move in the ongoing trade war with the US. The fact that this power is likely to be urgently needed at home in the near future is probably another reason for the move.

- Winnipeg police opened fire on a stolen truck in the West End on Friday night. Shortly thereafter the vehicle collided with a house and a tank of gasoline in the back of the truck ignited, destroying the house and killing a cat inside. Amazingly nobody other than the cat was hurt, and the two people in the truck were captured. The police naturally claim that the vehicle was being driven towards them and that they believed their lives to be in danger; those who wish to assess the accuracy of their claim can watch video of the shooting here.

- As the federal government considers whether to continue pursuing the controversial F-35 beyond the first 16 aircraft ordered, one option that looks attractive is the KF-21, from Korean Aerospace Industries Ltd. in South Korea. The aircraft differs from the American product in several ways; it is a twin-engined jet, which might make it more suitable for use in isolated areas like the north. It's also considerably cheaper.

- Two Liberal staffers attended the Conservative-dominated Canada Strong and Free Networking Conference (formerly known as the Manning Conference) and left a bunch of buttons with MAGA-like slogans lying about the venue. Presumably they hoped that people would wear them and get caught on camera, or that they'd wear the one that alludes to former Harper advisor Kory Teneycke's criticism of the Poilievre campaign and spark some uncomfortable conversations. I definitely understand the temptation, but it's not a good idea, especially if you're going to have a few drinks with a journalist afterward, which these guys did.

- A Winnipeg man has been charged with assault causing bodily harm following a racially charged attack on a cab driver in Canmore, Alberta. The suspect has not been named, but based on the video, someone in this Reddit thread believes that one of the passengers was one Rod Sweeney, a member of the Hells Angels with a history of violence.