This has to be one of the best prank videos of all time. pic.twitter.com/g1GNfSRLCR
— Concerned Citizen (@BGatesIsaPyscho) June 17, 2025
h/t XC
Ayahuasca tourism’ is a blight on Indigenous peoples and our environment
In the world of the Ecuadorian Amazon, humans, plants and animals are relatives, and ancient stories reflect real ecological relationships and Indigenous knowledge rooted in profound connections to the land. But one of those connections – ceremonial medicine known as hayakwaska – is now marketed as a mystical shortcut to healing and enlightenment. Behind the scenes of these “healing retreats” lies a deeper story of cultural erasure, linguistic distortion and ongoing colonisation masked as wellness.
Chaos on a French beach as police try to stop migrants
A legal loophole stops officers intervening once a vessel is afloat. The Times visits a beach where police play cat and mouse with migrants trying to reach the UK
As dawn broke over the dunes at Gravelines, northeast of Calais, officers from the Compagnies Républicaines de Sécurité, a special mobile French police force, were already on the beach.
Overhead, a surveillance plane circled, monitoring movement along the 3km stretch of beach and on the dune system behind it, which offers cover to smugglers and to asylum seekers trying to get past police to board boats.
Wars in Ukraine and the Middle East reveal how unready Canada is
To watch the war between Ukraine and Russia, and the wars between Israel and Hamas/Hezbollah/the Houthis/Iran, is to be reminded of how unprepared Canada is. After decades of neglect, the Canadian Armed Forces are poorly armed, and in some important respects, they are not armed at all.
For example, when the Russian military invaded Ukraine in early 2022, two weapons were key to Ukraine’s ability to resist: anti-tank missiles and anti-aircraft missiles.
The Canadian Army used to have several different weapons systems to defend soldiers on the ground against air attack. These were all retired by 2012, and nothing replaced them. Ottawa purchased an advanced air-defence missile battery last year, known as a NASAMS, but only for the purpose of donating it to Ukraine. The Canadian Forces don’t have this kit.
Trump orders immigration crackdown on ‘third world’ liberal cities
Donald Trump has ordered an immigration crackdown on “third world” liberal cities as he ramps up his efforts to carry out the “largest mass deportation program in history”.
The US president said he would “expand efforts to detain and deport illegal aliens in America’s largest cities”, including Los Angeles, Chicago and New York.
Writing on Truth Social, the Republican leader, 79, called the blue cities a “Democrat power centre” and said he wanted ICE to focus on “places where sanctuary cities play such a big role”.
Jamie Sarkonak: He mildly questioned DEI. His law school calls that ‘misconduct’
The University of Saskatchewan’s law school allows some of its Indigenous students to take more time on exams for the purpose of “equity.” So, when this blew up into a faculty controversy in 2022, with proponents of the benefit aghast that anyone would ever question the idea as others quietly made their concerns known to student leaders, one member of the law school tried to make peace between the factions — only to be punished by the university for his efforts.
Rachel Maddow Tries to Mock Florida Sheriff, Beclowns Herself Instead
We regret to inform you that MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow had another normal one. During an interminable “No Kings” rant to open her eponymous show, she thought she was making fun of Brevard County, Florida Sheriff Wayne Ivey. Instead, she further embarrassed herself in front of her audience.
Drop in Canadian tourists hurting U.S., northeast governors tell premiers
New England governors say tariffs and anti-Canadian rhetoric by the United States government is taking a bite out of tourism, with some states seeing a drop of up to 60 per cent in visitors from north of the border.
Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey said Canadian tourism to her state and others such as Maine, New York, Rhode Island and Vermont is down between 20 and 60 per cent compared with last year.
I can understand the reluctance to travel based on current relations with the US but as big a cause is that Canadians have been impoverished by a horrid Liberal regime.
UK: Muslim rape gang convicted of exploiting two young girls as sex slaves
Why does this keep happening? Yes, sexual molestation happens all over. But we see Muslim migrants involved in this kind of story is seen on a not infrequent basis. Why? One reason may be because such treatment of infidel women is sanctioned in the Qur’an.
H/T kiki9
CHARLEBOIS: When supply management becomes a supply crisis
The system is failing to meet demand, depending on foreign product, and driving up costs at the grocery store
Canada’s supply management system — once heralded as a pillar of food security and agricultural self-sufficiency — is failing at its most basic function: Ensuring reliable domestic supply.
According to the latest figures from the Canadian Association of Regulated Importers (CARI), Canada imported more than 66.9 million kilograms of chicken as of June 14 — a 54.6% increase from the same period last year. To put that in perspective, this volume could feed 3.4 million Canadians for an entire year, based on per capita poultry consumption. That’s roughly 446 million individual meals — meals that, under a tightly managed quota system, were meant to be produced domestically.
Carney’s Bill C-5 is a naked power grab that tramples our democracy
Perhaps Mark Carney has no desire to be re-elected as prime minister and doesn’t care if the federal Liberals fail to win another mandate.
Why else would he bring in legislation that runs roughshod over democratic norms in this country, sidelines experts testimony, opens the door to corruption and to lawsuits that could stymie projects, never mind hand the Grits’ political opponents an issue with which to hit them over the head, and upon which they can fundraise?
Why else would he send his cabinet ministers out to misrepresent controversial legislation to the public that could easily affect their rights to their land, to a clean and healthy environment?
How likely is regime change in Iran now?
The Israeli hope is for ordinary Iranians to rise up against a regime in disarray and free the Iranian people once and for all
The clue is in the name of Israel’s operation. “Operation Rising Lion” is a direct reference to the Pahlavi flag which shows a lion standing proud against the backdrop of a glowing orb, the sun. In Persian this is called the “Shir-e Khorshid.” For many years now, Netanyahu has sought to speak directly to Iranians, attempting to transcend the Islamic Republic, and to present himself as the savior of the Iranian people. These ongoing strikes are simply a continuation of this policy, and Israel’s determination to avoid civilian casualties (something we’ve not seen in Gaza) feeds into its desire for an anti-regime uprising caused by elite splits and popular rage.
Wishful thinking? Iranians are likely gun-shy. Obama turned a blind eye to previous anti-regime efforts.
JUST IN: The streets of Tehran, Iran are absolutely DESERTED after President Trump sent a warning to “EVACUATE IMMEDIATELY”
Holy crap.
They’re taking Trump VERY seriously. pic.twitter.com/jR1YKT0qNH
— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) June 17, 2025
Why more Canadians are landing in emergency departments with cannabis-induced vomiting
The commercialization of cannabis and higher potency of THC is driving increases in cannabis hyperemesis syndrome, research suggests
Emergency departments are seeing a spike in visits owing to a once unusual, highly unpleasant and, in rare cases, potentially life-threatening side effect of chronic cannabis use: severe bouts of vomiting lasting hours, even days.
As pot becomes more potent and more convenient to purchase, emergency doctors are reporting more cases of cannabis hyperemesis syndrome, or CHS, a gastrointestinal condition that can affect people who use cannabis frequently (several times a week, if not daily) over months or years.
Vance Warns Trump May ‘Take Further Action To End Iranian Enrichment’
The Trump administration has begun sending warning flares to Iran that might equal some in Tehran’s skyline these days about their future if they do not give up their nuclear ambitions. First, Donald Trump himself took a cease-fire off the table while Iran refuses to concede. Now J.D. Vance has followed that up with a stark warning of American intervention.
JUST IN: President Trump calls for “UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER” from Iran, tells the Supreme Leader “we know exactly where you’re hiding.”
The threats are ramping up.
GET TO THE NEGOTIATING TABLE NOW, IRAN! pic.twitter.com/tF6pAXpiCT
— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) June 17, 2025