BeaverFever

America’s unprecedented gerontocracy is a concerning phenomenon. So many of the country’s prominent leaders and officials from the president to senators to Supreme Court justices are 80+ and still clinging to power when they should have retired and made way for the next generation long ago. There should be mandatory retirement from public office at age 70. Another symptom of America’s crumbling democracy and failing empire.

Crime Is Nonpartisan Cities and states run by Republicans do not actually have less crime. Aug. 31, 2023Updated 11:16 a.m. ET Republican politicians often treat it as an established fact: Where they are in power, crime is low. Where Democrats are in power, crime is high. “Republican-run cities are doing very nicely because they arrest people when you have crimes,” Donald Trump told Tucker Carlson last week. “The cities and these left-wing states allowing criminals to run wild on our streets, that doesn’t work,” Ron DeSantis, Florida’s governor, said in March, citing New York in particular But party rule does not drive crime. Consider DeSantis’s state, Florida. Its homicide rate was roughly 50 percent higher than New York’s in 2021. Florida’s two most populous cities, Jacksonville and Miami, each had a homicide rate more than double New York City’s last year, even though both had Republican mayors. This is not to say Republican leadership leads to more crime. You can find examples of blue states and cities doing worse than Florida, and of other red states and cities doing better. Looking at all the data, it is hard to make much of any connection between political partisanship and crime. To put it another way, prominent Republicans are misrepresenting the country’s crime problem. Comparing places The Republican claim is rooted in a real pattern. Big cities generally have higher crime rates than rural and suburban areas, thanks to their density and other factors. Democrats run most big cities because urban areas tend to contain more liberal voters. So when looking at the places with the most murders, you’ll often find Democratic-run cities. But that is not the whole story. Take the 20 largest U.S. cities. The 16 run by Democratic mayors had 12.3 murders for every 100,000 people. The three Republican-run cities — Jacksonville, Fort Worth and Oklahoma City — had a rate of 11.4. There is a difference, but it is small. (I’m focused on murders because the data for them is more reliable than for other crimes, which go underreported.) Those rates mask a lot of variation. In a ranked list of murders for all 20 cities, the three Republican-run cities fall around the middle. Some blue cities — such as New York, San Francisco and Seattle — have roughly half the murder rates as their red counterparts, while the rates in other blue cities, like Philadelphia, Indianapolis and Chicago, are two to three times as high. That variation is the point: Whether a big city is run by Democrats or Republicans has little influence on its murder rate. The same is true at the state level for homicides, as this map by my colleague Ashley Wu shows: Homicide rates by state A map shows homicide rates by state. Mississippi and Louisiana have the highest rates at 23.7 and 21.3 deaths per 100,000 people, respectively. Among the lowest rates are Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont and Wyoming. Deaths per 100,000 people (see article for legend) Note: Data is from 2021. Source: C.D.C. By The New York Times Once again, it’s hard to see a strong link between party rule and killings. The four deadliest states are Mississippi, Louisiana, Alabama and New Mexico. Two have Democratic governors, and two have Republican governors. Some red states look bad, and some look good. The same is true for blue states. Deeper causes So what drives higher crime rates? The state map offers a few answers. Rural areas tend to have lower crime and murder rates. (But when murders surged and then fell across the U.S. starting in 2020, rural places experienced a similar pattern.) Poverty and race play a role, both of which are historically linked to violence in cities. Access to guns is another major factor, particularly for murders. Guns make any conflict more likely to escalate into deadly violence, and they can embolden criminals. On this issue, there is a partisan divide — Democrats are more comfortable regulating firearms — and that could help explain higher levels of violence in Republican states, especially in the South. It can also explain violence in cities, which get a lot of guns from Southern states with laxer laws. There are many more variables. It is a point that this newsletter has madebefore: Crime is a complicated issue, touching on personal disputes, the economy, social services and, really, almost every other aspect of society. Only a few factors are significant enough to make a big difference by themselves — and partisanship is not one of them. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/08/31/briefing/crime.html

CAF Story | Get Out the Door Like many other members of the CAF, CWO Glen Slauenwhite didn’t join to sit at a desk: he joined to get out the door and make a difference.

Canadian Army surveillance vehicle project costing $533 million years behind schedule and facing 'multiple deficiencies' The LRSS project is replacing the army’s existing fleet of 141 Coyote surveillance vehicles. Published Aug 31, 2023 • Last updated 7 hours ago • 3 minute read Canadian Armed Forces soldiers manoeuvre a LAV 6 Infantry Fighting Vehicle in Latvia in 2021. The contract for the Light Armoured Vehicle Reconnaissance Surveillance System project to provide 66 upgraded LAV with a new reconnaissance and surveillance system was awarded in 2014 and delivery of the vehicles was supposed to begin two years later. Photo by BG Juan Garnacho /Handout A $533-million project to provide a high-tech surveillance and reconnaissance armoured vehicle to the Canadian Army is years behind schedule and plagued with multiple deficiencies, according to documents obtained by this newspaper. The first of the new vehicles was supposed to be delivered by December 2016. On Wednesday, though, National Defence announced that the first five ordered under the Light Armoured Vehicle Reconnaissance Surveillance System (LRSS) project were just now being transported to a Quebec military base in Quebec. They are expected to be delivered to the Canadian Army for testing sometime this fall. Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. It will take until the summer of 2025 before all of the new vehicles are operational, National Defence noted in a statement to this newspaper. But more problems could be on the horizon for the project. Canadian Army officers briefed industry officials at an April 3 meeting in Ottawa that the LRSS project was facing “high technical risk.” “Multiple deficiencies remain unaddressed and unquantified,” noted the presentation obtained by this newspaper. The Conservative government originally announced in November 2014 that it had awarded a contract to General Dynamics Land Systems Canada in London, Ont., to provide the 66 upgraded Light Armoured Vehicles with a new reconnaissance and surveillance system. Delivery of the vehicles was supposed to begin two years later, the federal government said at the time. The LRSS project is replacing the army’s existing fleet of 141 Coyote surveillance vehicles. National Defence says the new equipment is composed of “state-of-the-art surveillance systems integrated onto the Light Armoured Vehicle 6.0 platform.” That will provide a “digital surveillance system that pushes the technology envelope in terms of detection, recognition, and identification.” Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. In a statement to this newspaper, National Defence spokesperson Jessica Lamirande noted, “As with any project, timelines can change as things evolve.” Delays in the project are mainly attributable to software design and qualification testing issues, she added. “Technical challenges in software design and emergent issues during qualification testing needed to be worked and resolved.” In addition, National Defence blamed COVID-19 pandemic-related supply-chain issues for some of the delays. The LRSS project was a sole source contract to General Dynamics Land Systems Canada. The company declined to comment, referring questions to National Defence. In the April briefing to industry officials, army officers pointed out other ongoing issues with the LRSS project including that the contract was scheduled to end in 2025 despite the technical problems with the new vehicles. In addition, army officers noted that the existing Coyote fleet can’t be technically supported beyond 2025. The need for the LRSS was identified by the military in 2009, according to Canadian Army records obtained by this newspaper. The original plan was to have the vehicles operating by 2012, but that never happened and the delays have piled up. Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. In 2019, before the pandemic, Canadian Army officers were warning that the first vehicles wouldn’t be operational until 2020. That date also came and went. Under the latest schedule, the first five of the new vehicles earmarked for testing are being transported by semi-trailer flatbed from London to Valcartier in Quebec. They will undergo testing until the winter of 2024, National Defence said. Over the next 18 months, the remaining vehicles will be delivered in a similar manner to Canadian Forces Bases in Gagetown, N.B., Petawawa, Ont., Valcartier and Montréal. The LRSS vehicles are outfitted with sensor suites consisting of digital, high definition electro-optic sensors, lasers and inertial navigation, as well as a new ground surveillance radar. This will permit the collection and sharing of real-time imagery on the battlefield, according to National Defence. The system is also supposed to provide long-range day and night surveillance capability under all-weather conditions. https://ottawacitizen.com/news/national/defence-watch/canadian-army-surveillance-vehicle-project-costing-533-million-years-behind-schedule-and-facing-multiple-deficiencies

Nope nowhere did anyone say there was a process in place. The opposite in fact. What’s happening now is all panicked reaction to to a media breaking story while they’ were already been taking an ass-pounding on this issue. If there had been any sort of process in place they would have known who the owner was and what their intentions were before awarding them with this land grab. And if you saw the add the owner had put up, it said the lot was ideal for residential OR COMMERCIAL use, and suggested buyers could “plan Ajax’s next business park”. So not just flipping it, flipping for potentially non-residential use.

Once again myself for truth. Already one property owner caught trying to flip the greenbelt land that Doug gifted them. And the owner is a company based in ….wait for it…CHINA Can I call these things or what? Of course it was the mainstream media, not the Ford government which discovered the attempted sale and Doug had to scramble to get ahead of the story and put a stop to it. Even tha Auditor’s report couldn’t figure out who the real owner of the land was and wrongly name a consultant hired by the owner to do the paperwork. Just goes to show the total lack of due diligence by the Ford government in these dirty dealings Ontario begins process of returning 2 Ajax properties to Greenbelt Housing ministry says move comes after owner listed them for sale without informing province https://www.cbc.ca/amp/1.6952509 And in related news, the Ontario Integrity Commissioner has determined that the Housing Minister violently the Integrity Act and recommended that he face a formal reprimand. But of course the fact that Ford won’t redo the deals or punish his own minister dor what is AT LEAST gross negli of kot actual malfeasance only shows that he’s in on the scam Reprimand housing minister over Greenbelt land swap: Ontario integrity watchdog https://www.cbc.ca/amp/1.6952133

100%! But how funny would it be if Trudeau defends his next policy move by saying “But I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night!”

We can blame Harper as much as JT or anyone else, Harper refused the much needed repairs as well. When he moved out the place was already in an uninhabitable condition due to DECADES OF NEGLECT from Harper and from his predecessors. Every PM who neglected the property only left the next PM with aN even bigger repair bill as costs always go up with time and as the building continues to deteriorate And now PP is perpetuating the problem by trying to keep the topic politicized and frame it as ‘Trudeau’s mansion’ which will only ensure the the issue remains politically untouchable for another generation.

RCAF to participate for the first time in multinational exercise in U.K. Department of National Defence Press Release | August 29, 2023 Estimated reading time 4 minutes, 42 seconds. The RCAF’s participation in Ex COBRA WARRIOR 23-2 includes seven CF-188 Hornets from 433 Tactical Fighter Squadron. Pvt Eric Chaput Photo Aircraft and personnel from the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) will participate for the first time in Exercise COBRA WARRIOR 23-2, a Royal Air Force (RAF) hosted multinational live-fly exercise held at RAF station Waddington in the United Kingdom, from Sept. 4 to 22, 2023. The RCAF’s participation in Ex COBRA WARRIOR 23-2 includes seven CF-188 Hornets from 433 Tactical Fighter Squadron, one CC-150T Polaris from 437 Transport Squadron and more than 140 RCAF personnel. Exercise COBRA WARRIOR provides an invaluable opportunity for international allies and partners to train together in developing operational tactics in the air. Australia, as well as Canada’s NATO allies the United Kingdom, the United States, and Italy, will be participating in this multinational exercise. The exercise will further develop the RCAF’s abilities to operate in high intensity, large force, tactical air war-fighting operations, while enhancing its proven capability to operate in European airspace. “Ensuring the readiness of the Royal Canadian Air Force to counter air threats is one of our most important responsibilities,” said Lieutenant-General Eric Kenny, commander of the Royal Canadian Air Force. “Exercises like COBRA WARRIOR provide highly valuable training not only for our members, but also those of our allies and partners, to practice working together in a wide variety of tactical combat scenarios that they could face on real world operations.” “Recognizing the current world security environment, this training is of particular importance for the Royal Canadian Air Force as we strive to safeguard North American airspace,” said Major-General Iain Huddleston, commander of 1 Canadian Air Division. “Exercise COBRA WARRIOR will strengthen the interoperability between the participants and build on strong relationships with participating allied and partner-nation Air Forces.” Quick Facts The RCAF will be taking part in developing interoperability with allies and partners by exercising composite air operations in a contested, degraded and operationally limited environment. The Royal Canadian Air Force aircraft will be operating from Royal Air Force Station Waddington and Royal Air Force Station Lossiemouth. Four RCAF air battle managers will be taking part in the exercise from RAF Boulmer. RCAF Air battle managers will provide command and control capabilities to enable simulated air combat. Exercise COBRA WARRIOR is the largest exercise organized by the Royal Air Force and is a biannual training exercise to provide participants with high intensity large force tactical training. Exercise COBRA WARRIOR brings different partner nation platforms together, providing crews an opportunity to learn how to integrate and enhance interoperability. Participating nations also fulfill leadership roles and are involved in mission planning. This press release was prepared and distributed by Canada’s Department of National Defence. https://skiesmag.com/press-releases/rcaf-to-participate-for-the-first-time-in-multinational-exercise-in-uk/?utm_source=skies-daily-news-todays-news&utm_campaign=skies-daily-news&utm_medium=email&utm_term=todays-news&utm_content=V1

Lol a link to a known conspiracy and fake news outlet run by a sleazy right wing couple that fled the US to dodge a deluge of lawsuits over their shady real estate Ponzi schemes. Well done. Why not just link directly to the Kremlin’s official Website? So if what you say is true - that a massive and unstoppable Russian offensive will suddenly materialize any day now - you’ll soon be proven correct. But how long do we have to wait before you admit you’re wrong and have been fooled again. How many months and years will we have to endure you saying “Any day now our glorious Russian liberators will destroy the infidels!”

Sorry but America is on a one-way trip. The Republicans to come will make Trump look like a harmless clown at a children’s birthday party in comparison It cannot be solved because government in the USA is diffused between so many different groups and levels that are designed to oppose each other. And even of they could, they wouldn’t: in the USA, political fundraising is basically a system of legalized bribery and extortion that would never be allowed in most other developed countries. This means US politicians are mostly interested in appeasing their paymasters, not the US people.

But why do you leave out the years of neglect under Harper? Harper left it in in an uninhabitable state when Harper moved out.

The moment young Ramaswamy was shut down by Sharpton — a supervillain's origin story MARK FRAUENFELDER 9:28 AM TUE AUG 29, 2023 This exchange between an 18-year-old Vivek Ramaswamy and Democratic Presidential candidate Al Sharpton, captured at an MSNBC town hall in 2004, is like a scene from a Marvel movie depicting a supervillain's origin story. In the clip, young Ramaswamy, overflowing with the obnoxious self-confidence he exhibited during last week's GOP debate, is shown standing in the audience, speaking into a microphone. With his attention directed at Rev. Al Sharpton, sitting on a stage, he asks, "Of all the Democratic candidates out there, why should I vote for the one with the least political experience?" Without missing a beat, Sharpton says, "Well, you shouldn't, because I have the most political experience." Sharpton's comeback earns raucous laughter and applause from the audience. When the camera returns to Ramaswamy, we see his face contorted into a fixed grimace of repressed anger and humiliation. Ramaswamy was only pretending that he was going to vote that year. He's voted twice in his life, once in 2008, and again in 2012. Now he is running as the GOP candidate with the least political experience. After he loses the primary in 2024, will he vote for Trump, or sit it out, as usual? https://boingboing.net/2023/08/29/the-moment-young-ramaswamy-was-shut-down-by-sharpton-a-supervillains-origin-story.html My only correction would be that VR is not yet a supervillain just a minor henchman who isn’t even certain to appear in future episodes

How about we just dust off the old Diefenbunker then?? No matter how “modest” they make it , by its very nature it’ will still cost millions of dollars and it will not be outfitted with Walmart finishes so it will always be a political target for opportunistic faux-populist politicians I get why PP or any politician with near-term election hopes wouldn’t want to discuss this publicly as a topic like this can only turn off voters, especially during a he current housing crisis. But his opportunistic attempt to frame this topic as “a mansion for Justin Trudeau” is terribly dishonest and only perpetuates the poisoned environment that caused this mess in the first place. Will it ever end? These people should all be ashamed of themselves

Double update: Alas, politics prevail: 24 Sussex: Poilievre says Trudeau doesn't need new home | CTV News As the government develops plans for the future of 24 Sussex Drive, Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre says fixing or replacing the dilapidated and unoccupied official residence would be the last item on his agenda if he was prime minister. Poilievre, who currently resides in the taxpayer-funded official residence Stornoway, told reporters Tuesday that plans for the place that right now only rodents call home, would be near, if not at the bottom of his priority list. "We don't need a new home for the prime minister, we need a new home for working class Canadians," he said, accusing Trudeau of being too focused on "building mansions for himself," citing past renovations done to the secondary prime ministerial property Harrington Lake. What to do with 24 Sussex Drive is back in the news following a report from Radio-Canada citing unnamed sources that the federal government was considering abandoning the building as the prime minister's official residence and building something bigger and more secure on another plot of land in the nation's capital. Public Services and Procurement Minister Jean-Yves Duclos' office would not confirm to CTV News that this is a plan being considered, but in a statement, said they " continue to work closely with the National Capital Commission to develop a plan for the future of 24 Sussex Drive." The information you need to know, sent directly to you: Download the CTV News App This spring, Duclos' predecessor in the portfolio told a committee of MPs that the federal government would unveil its plans for the future of the 155-year-old residence by the fall. The 34-room, 10,000-square-foot mansion has sat empty since former prime minister Stephen Harper and his family moved out of what then was already a house in need of major repairs, following his 2015 election defeat. Trudeau and his family opted to move into what he has called the "smaller but better" Rideau Cottage given the state of disrepair 24 Sussex was in after past occupants continually deferred the multi-million dollar fixes needed. Now in "critical condition," without intervention to address the rodent infestation, mould, asbestos, and the hazardous electrical system, it remains "uninhabitable" for humans, according to the National Capital Commission. Capital Dispatch: Sign up for in-depth political coverage of Parliament Hill When asked what he thinks the appropriate accommodations for a prime minister should be, Poilievre said they "should be reasonable and practical to provide for the ability to receive dignitaries… and most important of all, have security." The Conservative leader suggested many of the buildings currently in the parliamentary precinct could be used for bigger events and that where the prime minister calls home should be "a very basic, secure place where a prime minister can live safely, at a reasonable cost to taxpayers." Former prime minister Jean Chretien said earlier this year that he'd like to see the house he once resided in repaired rather than demolished, but acknowledged the perceived political hot potato that the issue has been for successive prime ministers. Chretien has previously said the refusal to repair the crumbling official residence makes Canada look like "a bunch of cheap guys." https://www.ctvnews.ca/politics/as-plans-for-future-of-24-sussex-being-developed-poilievre-says-new-pm-residence-last-on-his-priority-list-1.6539591

Update: looks like all signs are pointing to a new location for the PMs residence. But will any PM have the gonads to actually spend the tens of millions without fear of being attacked? Or more accurately will any any opposition leaders have the gonads to do what’s right and NOT use this for political attacks? Ottawa looking to drop 24 Sussex and build new home for PM elsewhere: sources 24 Sussex Drive in Ottawa. The federal government is looking at other sites in the city for a new official residence for the prime minister. (Michel Aspirot/Radio-Canada) The federal government is looking at dropping the dilapidated mansion at 24 Sussex in Ottawa as the prime minister's official residence and is considering several other sites in the city for a replacement, sources say. The various federal agencies in charge of the PM's official residence have identified other plots of land where they could build an official residence that is larger, safer and more accessible than the one that served prime ministers from 1951 to 2015. The residence at 24 Sussex is in a state of disrepair after decades of neglect, and the grounds are simply too small to meet modern security standards, several sources and experts have told Radio-Canada. One of the lots under consideration is in Rockcliffe Park, an idyllic spot along the Ottawa River that regularly hosts picnics and weddings, sources said. The park has a secondary parking lot, surrounded by woods, in a less frequented area. It's also farther from the road and from the Ottawa River than 24 Sussex — factors which make it a preferred option among security experts, sources said. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police Musical Ride troop practices in Ottawa on Wednesday, May 17, 2023. (Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press) The government also has evaluated a site near the RCMP Musical Ride training centre to the east of Rockcliffe Park. Sources said the flat terrain there is more visible from the road and the site would require fencing that would make it look more like a fortress. Other plots of land owned by the federal government are also being studied. The leader of the Official Opposition's residence at Stornoway was even considered at one time, said a source. Another option being examined is to move the PM's residence permanently to Rideau Cottage on the grounds of Rideau Hall. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has been living there in a "temporary" arrangement since 2016. The government insists no final choice has been made. "There is no option that has unanimous support, and every option has its pros and cons," said a federal government source. 'It's embarrassing' In the midst of a housing and cost-of-living crisis, the construction of a new official residence costing tens of millions of dollars would be a political headache for the federal government, which has been dithering over 24 Sussex's fate for years. "I think it's embarrassing that a G7 country can't provide a safe, secure residence for the head of government and their family," said former clerk of the Privy Council Michael Wernick, who was the head of the federal public service from 2016 to 2019. Plans to renovate 24 Sussex were made during Trudeau's first mandate but the government decided the price tag was too high and the potential for political controversy too great. "My understanding is there's no way to make [24 Sussex] safe at a reasonable cost," said Wernick. Built in 1868, 24 Sussex later served as the official residence of a succession of Liberal and Conservative prime ministers, from Louis St-Laurent's arrival in 1951 until Stephen Harper's departure in 2015. Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Philip and Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau pose for photographers at 24 Sussex on April 16, 1982. (Ron Poling/Canadian Press) Prime ministers have welcomed many international luminaries to 24 Sussex, from U.S. presidents like John F. Kennedy to pop stars like Bono and royalty like Queen Elizabeth II, King Charles (when he was Prince Charles) and Princess Diana. After he was elected in 2015, Trudeau refused to move into 24 Sussex because the residence was in need of extensive renovations after years of neglect. Among other things, the building's faulty electrical systems posed a fire hazard at the time. "The initial preference was to renovate 24 Sussex, but no one realized the extent of the necessary renovations that were needed," said a source who was involved in the deliberations at the time. In a report published in 2021, the NCC estimated that the "deferred maintenance deficit" at 24 Sussex stood at $37 million — a figure which does not include the need to spend tens of millions of dollars on better security. Security shortcomings A major problem for 24 Sussex is the residence's proximity to a busy street — which could make a truck bomb attack on the prime minister more lethal. The short distance between the road and the residence also would make it harder for police to respond to a surprise attack. To prevent drone attacks, steel plates need to be installed on 24 Sussex's roof. That would require installing a metal skeleton around the frame that one source warned could turn 24 Sussex into a "bunker." "In 1951, it was a good choice to install our prime minister here but now the building is no longer up to standard," said Pierre-Yves Bourduas, a former RCMP deputy commissioner who was once responsible for the security of official residences in the Ottawa area. "Security has changed enormously over the past 10 years and in this context, we need to rethink the location of the prime minister's residence." Faced with 24 Sussex's deterioration, the National Capital Commission announced it was "closing" the residence earlier this year. Work to remove the heating and electrical systems is set to begin in September. The house suffers from a long list of problems, including mould in the pool and sauna area, rodent infestations and asbestos. A hot potato Several government officials said there are many arguments in favour of relocating the official residence. These sources were granted confidentiality to speak about a file that is still open within the government. "Everyone knows that renovating everything can cost more than building something new," said a source involved in decisions about 24 Sussex. Beyond its structural and security problems, the site at 24 Sussex isn't large enough to include a reception area. "Most G7 and Commonwealth leaders receive official visitors in a space dedicated for these purposes. Canada currently lacks such dedicated spaces," the NCC said in a 2022 report. The main residence at 24 Sussex amounts to roughly 12,000 square feet. The NCC says the prime minister's official residence needs about 16,000 square feet, including space for official functions, security and staff. The NCC suggests the residence should have 4,700 square feet for private family quarters, including a primary bedroom, four bedrooms for children and three bedrooms to accommodate relatives, friends or other guests. The NCC said it thinks the official residence should be able to accommodate groups of at least 15 to 30 people for professional meetings. U.S. President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden are greeted by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his wife Sophie Gregoire Trudeau at Rideau Cottage on March 23, 2023, in Ottawa. (Andrew Harnik/The Associated Press) Trudeau's current residence at Rideau Cottage is less than ideal from a security standpoint, said sources — it has clear sight lines from nearby buildings and also lacks metal roof plating to repel drone attacks. One former adviser to Trudeau said having the elected prime minister living on the grounds next to the King's representative in Canada also sends the wrong message. "It doesn't make sense for the Prime Minister to live in the Governor General's backyard," the former adviser said. Ottawa has said it could make a decision about 24 Sussex by the fall. July's cabinet shuffle may slow down that process — Jean-Yves Duclos, Trudeau's seventh minister of public services and procurement, only recently took over the file. Building a new official residence in Rockcliffe Park would meet many security requirements but would run the risk of encountering opposition from the park's users. Russell Gibson, president of the Rockcliffe Park Residents Association in Ottawa, said he hopes the government comes up with plans for an official residence "that we can all be proud of." To get there, he said, it will be important for the NCC to proactively consult members of the community before making final choices. University of Montreal professor emeritus Christina Cameron, an expert on Canada's built heritage, said the government should keep 24 Sussex as the PM's official residence. She said the building, which has been visited by major figures in world history over the decades, is part of Canada's story. "I think we should keep it, save it," said Cameron, a former chair of the NCC's Official Residences Advisory Committee. "No one will make a decision because they don't want to be criticized that they're doing something for themselves. So I find that very frustrating and short-term thinking and I think it's not appropriate for Canada." It's almost certain that Justin Trudeau won't be prime minister once (or if) a new residence is built — which could make the decision easier for him. "At this stage, it will be for someone else," said a Liberal source. Wernick said many projects of this kind have run up against a strong NIMBY reaction from Ottawa residents opposed to major developments. He added that prime ministers are very skittish about the appearance of buying a big house for themselves at taxpayers' expense. "I think there's a chill created by adverse media coverage and political backlash. There's no upside for the prime minister — for any prime minister — to make this call," he said. Wernick said he hopes the government will proceed with a plan for the official residence, although he remains "skeptical" that the matter will be resolved before the next federal election. https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/24-sussex-prime-minister-trudeau-ottawa-1.6949710

You have nothing but baseless insults as usual I see. And the only one “sacrificing Ukrainian people for their temper tantrum” is Putin. The more you try to blame this war on everyone but Russia when in reality it’s NOBODY but Russia the more you look like a fool. The Ukrainians are not being forced to resist the Russian invasion against their will and are not warmongers for choosing to exercise their legal right to resist foreign invasion.

The “I would simply ...” candidate Vivek Ramaswamy says he would simply just solve America’s tough problems. … While not endorsing Trump’s specific claim that the 2020 election was stolen — a claim that Ramaswamy, before launching his campaign, wrote was “weak” and not “grounded in fact” — he nevertheless said that Pence should have somehow forced Democrats to agree to a sweeping national overhaul of election rules as a prerequisite for letting Biden’s win go forward. On the website formerly known as Twitter, there’s long been a running joke where the tweeter claims “I would simply” do something that is actually extremely difficult. (“If i ever fell in some quicksand i would simply thrash around until i was out. it’s that simple,” was the first version.) Vivek Ramaswamy is the “I would simply ...” candidate in the 2024 race. Our nation’s most challenging issues? Well, he’d simply solve them, unlike those other louts…. …. But if we take Ramaswamy seriously (a questionable choice, but let’s go with it), he’s claiming he would have tried to strong-arm Congress into submitting and passing his preferred election proposal, saying he’d reject Biden’s victory unless they complied. The idea that such a move would have “united” the country rather than throwing it into a deeper crisis seems obviously false. Throughout his campaign, Ramaswamy has made proposals of dubious legality and practicality. For instance, he’s said he’ll simply fire “at least half” of federal employees in violation of the law and that he’ll just make broad claims of presidential power and hope the Supreme Courtdeclines to stop him. On foreign policy, he’s said he would simply turn Russia against China (despite the two nations’ claims of a “no limits” partnership). To deal with Chinese designs on Taiwan, he’s said he’ll guarantee a US military response only until America is no longer reliant on Taiwan to manufacture semiconductors — which he says he’ll accomplish by 2028. Simple! In response, experts pull their hair out, established politicians (like his debate stage rivals) complain it’s not so simple, and journalists write tut-tutting fact-checks. But so long as all this sounds enough like “common sense” to GOP primary voters, Ramaswamy won’t be hurt in the polls and may even be helped, since many of those voters wouldn’t trust experts or journalists anyway. All of that surely sounds familiar, since Trump has long followed a similar playbook of promising big with little regard to what was plausible or made sense. But where Trump’s talk often came off as half-serious showman bluster, Ramaswamy is more the high-achieving millennial who’s crammed for the test and come up with a superficially smart-sounding but ultimately vapid answer. Both have the same goal: to try to get one over on you. https://www.vox.com/politics/2023/8/29/23843885/vivek-ramaswamy-pence-january-6-taiwan-china

Lol you’re for freedom except when you determine “responsibility” is more important. Did it ever occur to you when you’re crying about liberals’ supposed infringement on “freedoms” that they are are also doing so out of “responsibility”? When it come to addressing climate change, pollution, worker’s rights, its “freedom at all costs and damn the consequences ” but if comes to someone’s pronouns, the government has a “responsibility” to impose its values and damn the freedoms. As for the rest your post, my only question related to why it must be a HEAVY HANDED LAW from the PROVINCIAL CAPITAL and not something decided upon locally. Obviously it’s a matter of OPINION and OPINIONS vary from person to person and from one school community another so why not let them figure out the issue for themselves? The pronouns used by some random student is really not something that a premier needs to concern themselves with.

As you say conservatives supposedly are the ones who believe in maximum freedom….maybe just maybe some in Smith’s camp feel that laws from the provincial capital imposed on local schools whether they like it not isn’t freedom. The original “freedom” conservatives used to claim to believe that government had no business wading in to these types of matters and instead preferred letting local communities, school boards, schools and parents figure these things out for themselves. The new “Nationalist “ conservatives believe that conservative governments have an urgent moral duty to use government power wherever and whenever possible to impose a conservative society on the public whether they want it or not, hence letting local stakeholders decide is unacceptable to them. People like Smith are caught in the crossroads between these 2 rival factions of conservatism battling for control of the right wing parties so we’ll probably see more waffling and half measures on these types of issues in the short term.

OMG What a Kremlin/written spin job. You make it sound like Russia has shocked Ukraine amd the world with its power and is on the cusp of victory when really the opposite is true. The world has been shocked by Russias utter military failed as they were initially expected to win decisively within weeks of their Feb 2022 invasion. Now their eventual defeat is all bit inevitable, the best-case scenario they can hope for is a long war of attrition, paid for with more human waves of cannon fodder provided by convicts and conscripts, and a US Republican victory in 2024 that causes the US to switch sides. Remember, Russia’s original goal in 2022 was to conquer all of Ukraine and the Eastern territory is all they have left, which they’re barely holding onto after suffering a quarter million dead and literally pulling military vehicles out of museums to fight. It is Russia who has learned the hard lesson, which is that decades of corruption and cronyism have left their military so incompetent and incapable that supposedly “mighty Russia” can’t even win a war against a neighbouring country that is a fraction of their size They have no tactics except bombing civilians, bussing in more cannon fodder to try and hold the trenches just a little longer, and praying for Trump 2024

But even before finding the graves, what happened in those schools is already a known a lmd documented fact. It was documented in school records, public media at the time, Truth and Reconciliation Commission documented it as well. When they started finding the graves much of the public commentary was “this is not news, it is just a reminder”. A reminder of how the well known abuses and horrors were swept away from public view so that people would put it out of their minds. For example In one case of school graves in Sask it was once a publicly marked and locally known graveyard. Then eventually after the school was closed “they” (school and or government) just removed the grave markers and eventually after a few decades people forgot. At least the white ones did. So while lots of clueless Canadians heard about Residential schools for the very first time I recall learning about them and watching a movie about it in grade school 35 years ago. The sexual abuse, the government nutritional experiments, the disappearances are all known fact, as are schools own records of children who died at the school. All of those fact remain regardless of how many graves are found. Thousands of kids never returned home after being sent to those schools, this is a known fact. The number of those whose bodies are buried on school grounds is irrelevant. So Convict Black’s whole argument is false and irrelevant. Let’s put it another way: Imagine if a school in your community had a long track record of students going missing. Would you there’s no cause for blame as long as the kid’s bodies aren’t found on school’s property?

An editorial by Convict Black, LOL This “truth teller” has been a national punchline for a couple of decades already

I should be the one who is sighing. Where did I say anything like“somehow - if they keep just doing what they were doing that didn't produce enough homes... it'll produce enough homes.” To recap, the deals to develop these greenbelt parcels were done PRIVATELY AND OUTSIDE OF THEIR HOUING STRATEGY, NOT AS PART OF IT. Stop pretending that a dog is a cat just because everything would super conveniently explained if only it was a cat.

Seriously? You MAGAs honestly can’t understand you how yourspreading Kremlin’s ridiculous lies and misinformation about the war in Ukraine is supporting the Kremlin and therefore makes you a Kremlin Kollider even if you’re too stupid to realize it? You’re too stupid to understand what you’re reading and your link is AN OPINION BLOG written by another propagandist with ZERO credibility. So first off yes Putin and his MAGA puppets did say US and Zelensky were developing weapons and no the US did not say it was workout on “cures”. that was claimed as a justification for invasion Why would there be any problem with a “cure” that would justify invasion? As for the alleged research itself, this lie is derived from two massive distortions put together: the first FACT is that universities and research institutions around the world conduct their own research into public health issues and outbreaks of contagious diseases - not biological weapons- and some/many of those receive international funding Like Canada and any number of countries, Ukraine has universities and health institutions doing such research, where some of the funding is internationally sourced and a public health partnership was formed with the US in particular. The second distortion is derived from the fact that since the 1990s the US has lead a “biological threat reduction program” in Ukraine, to support the safe disposal and/or ling term storage of old expired/inert Soviet stockpiles which are still HAZMAT despite being expired and non-functional as a weapon. This program has been in place even when Ukraine was rule by Kremlin puppets But you’re too mych of a mindless sheep to understand any of that you just believe what you’re told to believe Yep they sure did. That was a point n time which Democrats have since renounced and that came back to haunt Hillary in 2016. Meanwhile Republicans always have and always will support mass incarceration and ultra-aggressive policing. I don’t have to dig up a 30-year old article to find Republicans’ mass-incarceration rhetoric and fear-mongering over criminals, it’s part of their daily rhetoric