Trump’s Next Act … And America’s

Trump’s Next Act … And America’s

I wrote last week that rather than living in “late capitalism,” we were actually living in “late democracy.” Late capitalism is a communist fantasy created over a century ago. Late democracy is very real.

Democracy — even in a democratic republic like ours, rather than pure democracy — is contingent. When you try it in the less developed parts of the world, you typically get “one man, one vote, one time.” And by less developed I don’t mean less economically developed — though that generally applies too — as less morally and civically developed. But now that kind of “less developed” describes us too. . . .

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Jamie Sarkonak: Galloway’s accuser got an A+ but never actually finished her degree

Jamie Sarkonak: Galloway’s accuser got an A+ but never actually finished her degree

As the writing and academic career of Steven Galloway entered a freefall from which it wouldn’t recover, his accuser was ushered to the finish line of her Master’s of Fine Arts (MFA) in creative writing with an incomplete thesis — and an A+ in the program.

In the B.C. Supreme Court in Vancouver on Wednesday, UBC Prof. Annabel Lyon revealed during cross-examination that Galloway’s accuser, identifiable only as A.B., graduated with the highest possible grade a student could earn — despite having never completed the keystone requirement of her degree.

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The Republican missteps that laid the groundwork for a historic midterm rebuke

The Republican missteps that laid the groundwork for a historic midterm rebuke

Earlier this year, as President Donald Trump and his top advisers stared down increasingly grim polling for Republicans, they devised a strategy for staving off losses in the midterm elections: Put Trump front and center.

The president appeared in taxpayer-funded campaign ads that showed him and U.S. forces in the Iran war, created a new midterm convention to star in, and crisscrossed 20 states to appear in 30 rallies in the campaign’s final weeks.

Democrats would make the elections about him anyway, his advisers reasoned, and at least this way the president could motivate his core supporters to get to the polls in a way no other Republican could.

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Unless they are made to fear homeowners or the courts, home invaders will keep home invading

Unless they are made to fear homeowners or the courts, home invaders will keep home invading

It was just 18 months ago that the Fraser Institute found that between 2019 and 2022, both Toronto and Vancouver had a higher rate of property crime than either Detroit or New York City’s equivalent area. As Canada prides itself on having a reputation for safe, livable cities, this was totally off-brand.

With our good education system, robust social safety net and relatively low rates of unemployment, one is left to speculate why Toronto and Vancouver made this surprising showing.

They never do breakdowns by ethnicity or immigration status.

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Under new law, I’d have been arrested for protecting my daughter from trans propaganda

Under new law, I’d have been arrested for protecting my daughter from trans propaganda

My daughter was 13 years old when she first told me she wasn’t sure whether she was a girl. I didn’t know it at the time, but it was the start of five years of challenges I never knew existed.

During these years, my daughter froze me out of her life. Her friends’ parents thought I was evil and I was flagged to social services on two occasions after her school accused me of abuse.

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Mark Carney’s big-spending budget certain to impoverish Canadians as he opens immigration floodgates

Mark Carney’s big-spending budget certain to impoverish Canadians as he opens immigration floodgates

OTTAWA — Prime Minister Mark Carney’s 2026 budget aims to show an economy-obsessed government has put Canada’s long-standing social gaps near the top of the priority list with an $11.2-billion fund to “end” homelessness, billions in new funding for Indigenous infrastructure and supports, and a boost in tax benefits for low-income workers and families.

But the spectre of the trade war with the U.S. that has stalked Carney’s time in office still looms large in the new fiscal blueprint.

Booking $151.5 billion in new spending over the next five years, the government is pressing forth with massive business tax breaks designed to reduce Canada’s dependence on its largest commercial partner and increase profits for private investment inside this country.

The Star Cheerleader Feed.

CBC Feed – Budget 2026: Poilievre, May express disappointment in Liberal government’s plan for Canada’s economy

Bastards!

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South Korea tests Arctic shipping route amid Russia-West row

South Korea tests Arctic shipping route amid Russia-West row

A South Korean container ship completed a voyage to Western Europe through the Arctic Ocean off the northern coast of Russia in October, fueling Seoul’s hopes of exploiting the route as a shortcut for trade.

The ship made the round trip from Busan to Rotterdam in just 50 days, saving at least 10 days compared to the fastest travel times along the more commonly used Suez Canal route. The Northern Sea Route (NSR) is not only around 7,000 kilometers (4,350 miles) shorter, it also avoids the geopolitical flashpoint of the Middle East.

But the faster delivery times might not exactly trigger celebrations across western European capitals.

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Bomb threats disrupt at least 22 flights across Europe, raising hybrid war fears

Bomb threats disrupt at least 22 flights across Europe, raising hybrid war fears

Bomb threats have caused diversions and emergency landings for at least 22 flights across Europe, renewing questions about a possibly coordinated effort to disrupt travel.

The series of warnings on Thursday affected flights between Italy, Ireland, the UK, Spain, Bulgaria, Romania, Poland, Finland, Austria, Denmark, Belgium, Portugal, France, Greece, Serbia and Czechia.

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Today’s politicians ignore affordability at their peril

Today’s politicians ignore affordability at their peril

Officially, Mark Carney’s government is saying that the Republicans’ stunning losses in the U.S. midterm elections are the Americans’ own business.

But this government also knows that there’s a clear line connecting the midterms to the budget being unveiled in Canada on Thursday — and that’s the affordability crisis.

Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne acknowledged it when he spoke to reporters at a Montreal shoe factory on Wednesday. Asked to comment on what had happened in the U.S., Champagne kept coming back to affordability.

Carney looks after his corporate crony’s and if we’re lucky we get whatever falls off their plates onto the floor.

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Russell Brand found guilty of rape and sexual assault

Russell Brand found guilty of rape and sexual assault

Russell Brand has been found guilty of raping a woman and sexually assaulting three others over the course of five years of his showbusiness career.

Brand, 51, was described during his trial as a ruthless, calculated and manipulative sexual predator. He was accused of raping women in a hotel room, in a bar toilet and at his luxury London townhouse. He sexually assaulted women in front of his entourage at their workplaces, at a radio station and TV studio.

The Hollywood actor turned online influencer was accused of gaslighting his victims after the attacks, and treating women as a “disposable commodity” and a “means to an end” to satisfy his voracious sexual appetite.

H/T Mauser and Patti Jo

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Carney government officials don’t expect big change to trade talks after dramatic U.S. elections

Carney government officials don’t expect big change to trade talks after dramatic U.S. elections

OTTAWA — American states where the automotive and manufacturing sectors are major employers flipped to, or stayed with, the Democrats in a rebuke of President Donald Trump’s tariffs but Canadian government officials are downplaying expectations that will bring about big change at the trade negotiating table.

“We’ll see over the course of the next weeks” how, or if, it will change the dynamic of Canada’s conversations with lead U.S. negotiators or the administration’s approach to those conversations, said Canada-U.S. Trade Minister Dominic LeBlanc on Wednesday after a wave of electoral losses by the Republican team under Trump.

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Top Spy: France Violence Will Accelerate With Demographic Change

Top Spy: France Violence Will Accelerate With Demographic Change

France is entering a new threat era as two groups with relatively little in common — middle-class European leftists on one hand and unassimilated migrants on the other — have successfully coordinated in recent rioting, which will only become more frequent and violent in coming years, warns a top spy.

Only those blinded by incompetence or ideology could have been surprised by recent violence in France, yet even so the new ability of disparate leftist and disaffected groups to coordinate to cause chaos has been impressive, the former head of French CIA or MI6 homologue Pierre Brochand has said.

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Younger Canadians will pay for Carney’s massive spending and borrowing

Younger Canadians will pay for Carney’s massive spending and borrowing

On Thursday, Prime Minister Mark Carney’s government will table its second federal budget since taking office in March 2025, and based on its record so far, we can expect more new spending and large deficits. Ottawa’s fiscal situation may rank low on the list of priorities for most young people in Canada. But make no mistake – more than any other group of Canadians, they’ll pay the price for this approach.

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