Justin Amash exploring U.S. Senate run

Former U.S. Rep. Amash exploring GOP run for U.S. Senate in Michigan | Detroit News | Melissa Nann Burke:

January 18, 2024 - "Former U.S. Rep. Justin Amash of west Michigan said Thursday he's forming an exploratory committee as he mulls joining the Republican primary contest for the state's open U.S. Senate seat. Amash, 43, of Cascade Township is a fierce critic of former President Donald Trump who left the GOP in 2019 and later became the first Libertarian to serve in Congress. He chose not to run for reelection in 2020 after five terms....

"'I’ve been humbled in recent weeks by the many people who have urged me to run for Senate in Michigan and to do so by joining the Republican primary,' Amash wrote in a post on X, formerly Twitter. 'They see what I see: contenders for the seat who are uninspired, unserious, and unprepared to tackle the chief impediment to liberty and economic prosperity — an overgrown and abusive government that strives to centralize power and snuff out individualism. The people of Michigan and our country deserve better. Today I’m launching the Justin Amash for Senate Exploratory Committee as I consider entering the race'....

"Amash's joining the Senate GOP field would further crowd the race, which includes former U.S. Reps. Mike Rogers of Brighton and Peter Meijer of Grand Rapids Township — who succeeded Amash in Congress — former Detroit Police Chief James Craig and businessman Sandy Pensler of Grosse Pointe Park, among others. On the Democratic side, candidates include three-term U.S. Rep. Elissa Slotkin of Holly, the actor Hill Harper of Detroit and businessman Nasser Beydoun of Dearborn. Former state Rep. Leslie Love of Detroit said Thursday she was suspending her campaign.

"Amash represented the Grand Rapids area in Congress for 10 years and saw his national profile soar after he became the only Republican member of Congress to support Trump's first impeachment. He was a co-founder of the hard-line House Freedom Caucus in 2015.... He left the Republican Party on July 4, 2019, after years of clashes with GOP leadership and frustration with hyper-partisanship in Congress. The former state lawmaker first became an independent and later joined the Libertarian Party in 2020 after a lifetime as a 'small l' libertarian, saying he wanted to help the party grow and arguing it could be a "strong competitor" to the two major parties....

"If he joins the GOP primary for Senate, Amash could have a rocky go with pro-Trump voters given his record of unflattering remarks about the former president, including the rejection of Trump's stolen election claims. Trump famously labeled Amash a "loser" and GOP leaders to denounced him over his impeachment stance.... 

"Elected in the 2010 tea party wave, Amash ranked among the most conservative members of the U.S. House, opposing what he called runaway government spending and casting votes based on his libertarian principles and conscience, often explaining his votes on Facebook. He clashed with Rogers, who chaired the House Intelligence panel, over Amash's push for reforms to government surveillance methods and other national security issues when they served together. Rogers fundraised for Amash primary opponent Brian Ellis in 2014. Amash won the primary by 15 percentage points that year.

"Amash, who is Palestinian American, in October announced that several of his relatives were killed in a blast at St. Porphyrius Orthodox Church in Gaza, where they'd been sheltering from Israeli shelling. Amash's father immigrated with his family to the U.S. in 1956 as Palestinian Christian refugees."

Read more: https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/politics/2024/01/18/former-u-s-rep-amash-exploring-gop-run-for-u-s-senate-in-michigan/72268199007/

Former Rep. Justin Amash launches exploratory committee for MI Senate bid | WOOD TV8 | January 19, 2024:

Acquitted Freedom Convoy protester to be retried

Allen Remley, a 70-year-old former missionary charged with mischief and obstructing justice during the 2022 Freedom Convoy protest, will be retried after the Crown successfully appealed his 2023 acquittal.

Protester’s Overturned Acquittal Could Have Impact on Freedom Convoy Case: Expert | Epoch Times | Canadian Press:

January 30, 2024 - "An Ontario court’s order to retry a Freedom Convoy protester could have implications for the ongoing trial of the protest’s two key organizers. The Superior Court of Justice ordered a retrial last week for Allen Remley, a convoy participant who had been acquitted on a mischief charge. Mr. Remley was acquitted last year by Justice Heather Perkins-McVey, who is also presiding over the criminal trial for organizers Tamara Lich and Chris Barber.

"The court ordered a retrial after concluding Justice Perkins-McVey didn’t adequately take the context of the protest into account. University of Ottawa criminologist Michael Kempa says that means the judge will have to apply a broader standard when the time comes to rule on Ms. Lich and Mr. Barber."

Read more: https://www.theepochtimes.com/world/protesters-overturned-acquittal-could-have-impact-on-freedom-convoy-case-expert-5576997

Allen Remley (right), a 70-year-old grandfather from Ontario, pictured in Africa performing missionary work, was acquitted on mischief charges in relation to the Freedom Convoy. The Crown launched an appeal of his acquittal in April 2023. 
(Photo courtesy Jim Karahalios.) Epoch Times. 

Police case against man accused of refilling jerry cans at convoy protest fizzles in court | Ottawa Citizen} Gary Dimmock:

April 17, 2023 - "Remley was accused by police of mischief for aiding and abetting the convoy protest by refilling jerry cans in what they called a 'mobile gas station' at Kent and Nepean streets. The little kids’ wagon investigation began on Feb. 12, 2022.... Const. Jonathan Kenney was dispatched to investigate the little red wagon around 11 a.m.... On Feb. 12, 2022, there were still no orders for protesters to leave as the Emergencies Act wasn’t triggered until days later.

"When Kenney testified at trial, he initially said he saw jerry cans on a kid’s wagon near Remley’s truck, but couldn’t say exactly where.... The constable said there were no horns blasting, but he could hear the sound of generators and truck engines. He never actually saw the grandfather refilling any jerry cans and described Remley as cordial, polite and pleasantly defiant.

"The police investigation about the little red wagon was deemed so dangerous that Ottawa police officers retreated because they were outnumbered and surrounded, with bystanders telling Kenney to leave the grandfather alone.... Kenney also told court that Remley never incited the crowd or interacted with them in any way.... He told court he had to abandon his investigation because they were outnumbered by people who he said didn’t appear to be leaving any time soon. 'The investigation was not worth it,' the officer testified....

"The officer told court that he never gave Remley the right to counsel and never ordered him to leave, but rather asked him to consider leaving.... He also admitted in the circumstantial case adopted by the Crown that he didn’t know what liquid was, if any, in any jerry cans and certainly didn’t see Remley  filling any of them up.

"Speaking about the acquittal on obstruction of police, Perkins-McVey said there was no evidence whatsoever that Remley made it more difficult for the officer to do his job. The judge also noted that Remley didn’t incite the crowd.... The judge summed the case up by saying, 'Based on the evidence before me, the best we have is jerry cans in a wagon 10 feet away with dozens of people milling about."

Read more: https://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-news/police-case-against-man-accused-of-refilling-jerry-cans-at-convoy-protest-fizzles-in-court

Eight countries defund UN's Palestine aid agency

The U.S. Germany, the UK, Finland, Australia, Canada, Italy, the Netherlands, and Switzerland have paused funding to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Paletsinian Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), following reports that UNRWA staff were involved in October's terrorist attack on Israel. 

Eight countries join U.S. in pausing funding to UN aid agency in Gaza | Axios | Barak Ravid:

January 27, 2024 - "Germany, Canada, the U.K., and six other Western nations have joined the U.S. in pausing funding for UN Palestinian refugee agency after Israel alleged 12 UNRWA employees were involved in the Oct. 7 Hamas terrorist attack..... UNRWA has fired the accused staffers and launched an investigation. The head of UNRWA warned on Saturday that 'lifesaving assistance is about to end' due to nine countries' decision to suspend funding....

"A senior Israeli official said the Shin Bet and Israeli military intelligence provided information that pointed to the active participation of UNRWA staffers and the use of the agency's vehicles and facilities during the Oct. 7 Hamas attack. 'This was strong and corroborated intelligence,' the official said. 'A lot of the intelligence is a result of interrogations of militants who were arrested during the Oct. 7 attack.'

"The U.S. on Friday became the first country to pause its funding to UNRWA over the allegations. It was the first step by the Biden administration against UNRWA since renewing U.S. funding to the agency after the Trump administration completely cut it off. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said the ... the administration has 'temporarily paused additional funding for UNRWA while we review these allegations and the steps the United Nations is taking to address them.'

"Germany, UNRWA's second-largest donor, joined the U.S. in pausing funding on Saturday. The U.K., Finland, Australia, Canada, Italy, the Netherlands, and Switzerland also temporarily suspended their funding....

[UNRWA chief Philippe] Lazzarini said on Friday he terminated the contracts of the accused staff members and launched an investigation .... 'Any UNRWA employee who was involved in acts of terror will be held accountable, including through criminal prosecution," Lazzarini said.... The UN will conduct an 'urgent and comprehensive independent review of UNRWA,' Stéphane Dujarric, the spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General António Guterres, said on Friday. Guterres ... has also asked Lazzarini to 'investigate this matter swiftly and to ensure that any UNRWA employee shown to have participated or abetted what transpired on 7 October, or in any other criminal activity, be terminated immediately and referred for potential criminal prosecution,' he added.

"Miller said Secretary of State Tony Blinken spoke to Guterres on Thursday.... Miller welcomed the UN's announcement of a comprehensive and independent review of UNRWA.... 'UNRWA plays a critical role in providing lifesaving assistance to Palestinians, including essential food, medicine, shelter, and other vital humanitarian support,' Miller added. 'Their work has saved lives, and it is important that UNRWA address these allegations and take any appropriate corrective measures, including reviewing its existing policies and procedures.'

"Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on Friday thanked the Biden administration for 'taking an important step in holding UNRWA accountable.... Terrorism under the guise of humanitarian work is a disgrace to the UN and the principles it claims to represent," he added."

Read more: https://www.axios.com/2024/01/26/unrwa-gaza-hamas-israel-attack

Why are some countries suspending funding from the UNRWA? | Analyst explains | CTV News | January 29, 2024: 

BBC misrepresented Covid risk, UK inquiry told

Epidemiologist Mark Woolhouse has told that UK Covid Inquiry that the BBC spread "misinformation" about the risk of Covid, which he suspects was done as "a justification for locking down the entire population." 

 

BBC ‘misrepresented’ Covid risk to boost lockdown support, inquiry told | The Telegraph | Simon Johnson: 

January 25, 2024 - "The BBC was allowed to 'misrepresent' the risk posed by Covid to most people to boost public support for lockdown, the UK Covid Inquiry has heard. Prof Mark Woolhouse, an eminent epidemiologist and government adviser, lambasted the corporation for having 'repeatedly reported rare deaths or illnesses among healthy adults as if they were the norm'. He said this created the 'misleading impression' among BBC News viewers at the start of the pandemic that 'we are all at risk'.... 

"In reality, he said it was known at the time that the risk of dying from Covid was 10,000 times higher in the over-75s than the under-15s. But Prof Woolhouse told the inquiry the BBC did not correct its reporting, saying: 'I suspect this misinformation was allowed to stand throughout 2020 because it provided a justification for locking down the entire population.'

"Prof Mark Woolhouse, a member of the Scottish Government COVID-19 Advisory Group, also claimed hundreds of people may have died after being told not to 'bother' the NHS. He told the inquiry people were misled about how the crisis would unfold. And he said orders to stay at home and cease outdoor activity were not needed.

"He said further evidence of this was provided by a briefing dated March 22, 2020, by a sub-group of the UK Government’s Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE) that focused on the public’s behaviour. This stated that 'a substantial number of people still do not feel sufficiently personally threatened; it could be that they are reassured by the low death rate in their demographic group... the perceived level of personal threat needs to be increased among those who are complacent, using hard-hitting emotional messaging'.

"Prof Woolhouse said the 'misperception' created by the BBC’s coverage that everyone was at risk was a 'barrier to targeting interventions at the vulnerable minority who truly were at high risk from Covid'. In his written submission to the inquiry about the impact north of the Border, he said: 'I fear that the Scottish Government’s pandemic response was compromised as a result.' He also concluded that lockdown had been 'least effective at protecting the most vulnerable precisely because of their need to have contacts with health care and social care workers - self-isolation was not an option.' The expert added: “This should have been recognised from the outset.”

"Prof Woolhouse, professor of infectious disease epidemiology at the University of Edinburgh, was an adviser to the Scottish Government during the pandemic, although his submission said his advice was often not heeded by Nicola Sturgeon. He also sat on the Scientific Pandemic Influenza Group on Modelling, which was another sub-group of SAGE.... [He is also the author of a book on the pandemic, The Year the World Went Mad. - gd.] 

"Last year, The Telegraph spoke to current and former BBC journalists who described a 'climate of fear' existing in the corporation during the pandemic, with experienced reporters 'openly mocked' if they questioned the wisdom of lockdowns.... Some complained to senior managers about the BBC’s blinkered stance but were ignored. Others communicated via secretive WhatsApp groups to share their frustrations, like members of a resistance movement.

"Prof Woolhouse said the public was 'not given accurate information' about Covid in the early stages of the pandemic. 'Some media sources - notably the BBC television news - did repeatedly misrepresent the risk posed by Covid,' he said. 'One example is that they gave the impression that hospitals were being overwhelmed during the first wave. Some (mainly in London) were, but overall hospital bed occupancy was at an all-time low during that period. A second example is that they routinely reported deaths of healthy young adults, thereby giving the impression that these were common. In reality, such deaths were extremely rare; the great majority of Covid deaths occurred in the elderly, frail and infirm.' He concluded: 'Possibly, this kind of coverage was an attempt to back up government public health messaging; for example, the hugely misleading claim that "we are all at risk".'

"A BBC spokesperson said: 'We reported on the pandemic in line with the BBC’s rigorous editorial standards – using a range of official and scientific sources. We reported on events in the UK and across the world as they happened - featuring ongoing analysis from a range of medical and scientific experts, as well as a range of voices and opinions, including those sceptical of lockdowns.'" 

Read more: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2024/01/25/covid-inquiry-bbc-misrepresented-risk-pandemic/

BBC INFLATED risk to Brits to IMPOSE lockdown measures | GB News | January 26, 2024: 

Liberal MPs accuse AB premier of inciting violence

Four Liberal cabinet ministers have attacked Alberta premier Danielle Smith for giving an interview to American journalist Tucker Carlson, claiming she is attempting to "summon evil forces from the United States" to incite political violence against them.   

Liberal ministers blast Alberta Premier Danielle Smith for hosting Tucker Carlson | CBC News | John Paul Tasker:

January 25, 2024 - "Four of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's cabinet ministers appeared before reporters Thursday to condemn Alberta Premier Danielle Smith's decision to meet with former Fox News personality Tucker Carlson. They also took issue with some of the rhetoric Carlson used while speaking to a large crowd that gathered Wednesday to see the conservative commentator in conversation with Smith at Calgary's Telus Convention Centre.

"Employment Minister Randy Boissonnault said he was disturbed by Smith's call for Carlson to put Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault in his 'crosshairs'.... During a conversation about the pitfalls of solar panels, Smith said to Carlson, 'I wish you would put Steven Guilbeault in your crosshairs.... He happens to be our environmental minister federally. He believes he has the expertise and knowledge to tell us in Alberta how to run our power grid,' Smith added. Tucker replied that he didn't want to know Guilbeault based on Smith's description.... Smith's comment was interpreted by Boissonnault as a call for violence, an attempt to 'summon evil forces from the United States to try and take on one of our colleagues'....

"Guilbeault said he felt 'targeted' by Wednesday's Smith-Carlson fireside chat, which was focused on energy and recent power usage alerts in Alberta, when the electrical grid was severely strained by frigid temperatures. 'This increases political violence against everyone who runs for office in this country,' he said.

"Boissonnault also accused Carlson of 'spewing hate speech'.... 'For Danielle Smith to bring the mouthpiece of the MAGA conservative far-right to Edmonton Centre to spew hate about LGBTQ2 people is beyond the pale,' Boissonault, who is gay, said of Carlson's second Alberta event in the provincial capital. 'It's deplorable and we won't stand for it'....

"Transport Minister Pablo Rodriguez attempted to link Pierre Poilievre with the event, which the Conservative leader did not attend.'I'm asking Pierre Poilievre to condemn those hateful and violent statements by Tucker Carlson," Rodriguez said. 'The extreme-right politics — don't ask the question if it's coming to Canada. It's already here.'

"Heritage Minister Pascale St-Onge said it's 'deplorable' for conservative Canadian politicians to rub shoulders with 'the American extreme right.'

"Asked for a response to Liberal calls to condemn Smith and Tucker, a spokesperson for Poilievre said Trudeau and his ministers are 'yet again twisting themselves in knots to distract from the hurt and suffering they are inflicting on Canadians'.... 'Trudeau's desperate Liberal ministers will say anything in an attempt to distract Canadians and hope they forget about the misery caused by Liberal policies,' said Sebastian Skamski....

"Carlson is a highly controversial figure in American media and politics. For years, he hosted one of the most-watched shows on U.S. television, rallying a deeply conservative audience to the Republican cause.... Since his ouster from Fox, Carlson has hosted a program on X, the social media service formerly known as Twitter, where he's ignited criticism with his anti-Ukraine messaging about Russia's invasion."

Read more: https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/liberal-cabinet-ministers-danielle-smith-tucker-carlson-1.7094854

Liberal ministers react strongly to Alberta Premier Danielle Smith hosting Tucker Carlson | Rebel News | January 25,2024: 

Tucker Carlson invades Canada

What is Tucker Carlson doing in Canada? | Politico | Ann Lum:

January 24, 2024 - "A year ago, Tucker Carlson was calling on Americans to invade and 'liberate' Canada from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Now, he’s getting the red carpet treatment in Alberta.... The far-right darling’s liberation mission features two sold-out events in Alberta, with 4,000 people attending in Calgary and 8,000 in Edmonton. Entry tickets in Calgary cost C$200, plus hundreds more for a seat with catered lunch, organized by a small PR firm that has produced separate events in Canada for George W. Bush, Hillary Clinton and Michelle Obama....

"Carlson was poised last spring to release O Canada, a documentary he teased with a provocative trailer that included Trudeau in the likeness of Adolf Hitler. The project was permanently shelved after the anchor was suddenly sacked by Fox News. Now, Carlson has retrained his focus on Trudeau.... The hard-right provocateur’s focus on Canada took root during the so-called Freedom Convoy’s three-week occupation of Parliament Hill, a protest that immobilized downtown Ottawa with semi-trailer trucks, RVs and vehicles. Emergency laws were invoked for the first time ever to dislodge protestors.... 

"'Canada, under Justin Trudeau, has become, effectively, a dictatorship,; the then-Fox News host said on an episode that aired last February, a year after the convoy protest. 'Why don’t we liberate it? We’re spending all this money to liberate Ukraine from the Russians, why are we not sending an armed force to liberate Canada from Trudeau? And I mean it,' he said at the time.

"Carlson expressed outrage over the implementation of Canada’s medical assistance in dying (MAID) law, which he identified as an issue motivating his Canadian speaking tour. At least 44,958 medically assisted deaths have been recorded in Canada since the law was introduced in 2016, according to a government report published last year.... The Canadian government faces a March deadline to decide whether or not to expand the medically assisted death law to people who identify a mental disorder as their sole underlying condition for eligibility.... Carlson pointed to MAID as evidence that Canada is slipping into a totalitarian state.

"Unease over Carlson’s Alberta whistle stops will be fodder for political debate in Canada as Trudeau’s approvals struggle to recover from record lows with his Liberals trailing Conservatives. Trudeau’s inner circle has been gaming out how the specter of Trump’s comeback — and the intrusion of MAGA apologists like Carlson into Canadian commentary — could influence the Liberals’ odds in the next federal election. Under law, the next Canadian election must take place on or before Oct. 20, 2025....

"Trudeau spent the fall accusing rival Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre of leading a party that he says is importing a 'right-wing American, MAGA influence' in Canada.... Trudeau’s Liberals deployed similar gambits during the 2019 and 2021 federal election campaigns, scoring points by accusing Canadian Conservatives of being MAGA copycats. Conservatives have shrugged off the Liberals’ past attempts to link the party to Trump, stating they trust Canadians can pick up the differences between their cause and the MAGA movement."

Read more: https://www.politico.com/news/2024/01/24/tucker-carlson-canada-00137380

Tucker Carlson draws thousands in Calgary, speaks with Alberta Premier | CityNews | January 24, 2024:

Trudeau's use of Emergencies Act unjustified, federal court rules

Federal Court finds Emergencies Act invocation violated rights, was unreasonable } Canadian Constitution Foundation (press release):

January 23, 2024 - "The Canadian Constitution Foundation (the 'CCF') is thrilled that Justice Mosley of the Federal Court of Canada has accepted the CCF’s arguments that the invocation of the Emergencies Act in response to the Freedom Convoy protests was unreasonable and violated the Charter rights to expression and security against unreasonable searches and seizures. In a judicial review decision released Tuesday, Justice Mosley agreed with the CCF that Cabinet’s invocation of the Act in February 2022 was not reasonable for two reasons.

"First, Cabinet did not properly account for the requirement under section 3 of the Act that emergencies only be declared where a situation cannot be effectively dealt with under any other law of Canada. 'Due to its nature and to the broad powers it grants the Federal Executive, the Emergencies Act is a tool of last resort,' Justice Mosley wrote. 'The GIC cannot invoke the Emergencies Act because it is convenient, or because it may work better than other tools at their disposal or available to the provinces.'

"Second, the requirement of reasonable grounds to believe that Canada faced 'threats to the security of Canada' had not been met. Section 17 of the Act states that 'threats to the security of Canada' has the same meaning as it has under section 2(c) of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service Act (the 'CSIS Act'), which includes threats like terrorism, espionage and attempts to overthrow the government. Justice Mosley said that this does not include the 'economic disruption that resulted from the border crossing blockades, troubling as they were.'

"When cross-examined by CCF Counsel Sujit Choudhry, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said that Cabinet made the decision that the definition of threats to the security of Canada existed based on a novel legal opinion. The prime minister refused to make that legal opinion public.

"'My preliminary view of the reasonableness of the decision may have prevailed following the hearing due to excellent advocacy on the part of counsel for the Attorney General of Canada had I not taken the time to carefully deliberate about the evidence and submissions, particularly those of the CCLA and CCF,' Justice Mosley wrote. Justice Mosley found violations of Charter sections 2(b) and 8, and said that those violations were not minimally impairing and therefore not justified under section 1 of the Charter, the reasonable limits clause.

"CCF Executive Director Joanna Baron said the decision is good news for all Canadians. 'The invocation of the Emergencies Act is one of the worst examples of government overreach during the pandemic and we are very pleased to see Justice Mosley recognize that Charter rights were breached and that Cabinet must follow the law and only use the Act as a tool of last resort.'

"CCF Litigation Director Christine Van Geyn said she was thrilled with the decision. 'These were very detailed reasons and a complete vindication of the position of civil liberties organizations who viewed the invocation of the Emergencies Act as illegal, unjustified and unconstitutional,' she added. 'We know the government has said that they plan to appeal, and with these reasons they now have a mountain to climb. We look forward to the fight.'"

"The CCF would like to thank its excellent counsel, Sujit Choudhry of Hāki Chambers and Janani Shanmuganathan of Goddard & Shanmuganathan, for their excellent advocacy on this file."

Read more: https://theccf.ca/emergencies-act-use-unconstitutional/

Invoking Emergencies Act against convoy protests was unreasonable, court rules | CBC News | January 23, 2023: 

DeSantis drops out of U.S. POTUS race

Ron DeSantis has dropped out of the race for president, and the chances of an inquiry into the USA's Covid response have dropped along with him, writes Dr. Jay Bhattacharya. 

Ron DeSantis drops out of presidential race and backs Trump | BBC News | Bernd Debusmann Jr & Kayla Epstein:

January 21, 2024 - "Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has dropped out of the 2024 presidential race and endorsed Donald Trump. He quit ahead of the Republican primary election in New Hampshire, where he was polling in the single digits..... In a nearly five-minute long video on X, formerly Twitter, released on Sunday afternoon, Mr DeSantis said his campaign had 'left it all out on the field'. 'If there was anything I could do to produce a favourable outcome - more campaign stops, more interviews - I would do it," he added.... 

"The Florida governor said he was endorsing Mr Trump, who is the clear frontrunner after winning the first contest in Iowa with 51% of the vote. Mr DeSantis said it had become clear that a majority of Republican voters 'want to give Donald Trump another chance'. He acknowledged 'disagreements' with the former president, but said Mr Trump was 'superior' to Mr Biden, who is almost certain to be the Democratic nominee in November's general election. 'I signed a pledge to support the Republican nominee, and I will honour that pledge,'" Mr DeSantis said.... DeSantis also took a swipe at [Nikki] Haley, calling her a member of 'the old Republican guard of yesteryear - a repackaged form of warmed-over corporatism'.

Read more: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-68051757

Why did Ron DeSantis quit US presidential race? | BBC News | January 22, 2024:

Ron DeSantis was the last hope of a Covid reckoning | Unherd | Jay Bhattacharya:

January 22, 2024 - "I first spoke with Ron DeSantis, who yesterday dropped out of the US presidential race, when he cold-called me on a Sunday afternoon in September 2020.... We spoke for over two hours: on Covid-19 risk factors, on immunity, on the harms of lockdowns, and on the safety of opening schools.... The next day, the Governor invited me to a policy roundtable where he led a public discussion on Covid policy between me and fellow academics: the Nobel Prize-winning Stanford scientist Michael Levitt and the Harvard epidemiologist Martin Kulldorff. DeSantis then announced that he was lifting all remaining lockdown policies in Florida and would not institute them again....

"In autumn 2020, as California Governor Gavin Newsom kept pupils out of school, DeSantis ordered an in-person option for every child in Florida. Following the lack of high-quality randomised evidence suggesting community masking can effectively prevent Covid, DeSantis prohibited mask mandates in the state. In late 2020, when vaccines first became available, following evidence that older people were more than a thousand times more likely than teenagers to die from Covid infection and that the vaccine could reduce that risk, the Governor prioritised older people for vaccination ... at a time when public health authorities waffled on the topic.... In 2021, following evidence that vaccination did not prevent Covid transmission and so did not provide a public benefit to others besides the recipient, DeSantis rejected the coercive idea of vaccine mandates and passports. At a time when hospitals were preventing families from visiting with dying relatives, he enacted a humanitarian law guaranteeing visitation rights.

"What was the result of these policies? Since the beginning of the pandemic, Florida has had lower all-cause excess deaths, after adjusting for its older population, than California. DeSantis’s state protected human life better than locked-down California did, and it had better economic outcomes, including far lower unemployment and better educational outcomes for its school kids.

"One reason for the Republican reluctance to revisit the Covid era might be that many voters feel conflicted over their early support for lockdowns. They are thus loath to give DeSantis sufficient credit for his pandemic accomplishments. In this reading Trump, savvy operator that he is, has not proposed any honest evaluation of his Covid policies to avoid picking a scab that might make him — and much of the Republican electorate — look bad....

"There are two distinct and contradictory visions of the future now that DeSantis is gone from the presidential race. According to the pessimistic one, the lesson of DeSantis losing the Republican primary race is that Americans will never have an honest inquiry over the Covid policy fiasco. The more optimistic reading is that there may be one, but only if we can muster the grace to have it focus on providing lessons for future policy and not on political point-scoring. I’ll keep working towards the latter vision. But if it is the former, then lockdowns are a permanent fixture in the public health toolbox, and the population should plan accordingly for them to inevitably return."

Read more: https://unherd.com/thepost/ron-desantis-was-the-last-hope-of-a-covid-reckoning/

Quebec man started 14 forest fires in 2023

A Quebec man has pleaded guilty to starting 14 forest fires in the province during last year's wildfire season.

Quebec man pleads guilty to 14 counts of arson during wildfire season | True North | Isaac Lamoureux:

January 17, 2024 - "A Quebec man has pleaded guilty to starting 14 fires during Canada’s wildfire season this past summer. 38-year-old Brian Paré has pleaded guilty to 13 counts of arson and one count of arson with disregard for human life. The fires took place between May 29 and September 5, 2023. 

"Prosecutor Marie-Philippe Charron informed the court that out of the 14 fires ignited by Paré, two led to the evacuation of approximately 500 homes in Chapais, Quebec, a small community situated about 425 kilometres northwest of Quebec City, according to the Canadian Press. Chibougamau ... a small town ... was also affected.... The fires caused all 7,500 residents to be displaced from their homes....

"Paré posted videos of fires on his Facebook page, which still remain up. The Quebec man claimed that the fires were intentionally started by the Canadian government and other 'elites' to progress their 2030 agenda.... 

"According to CBC, 700 forest fires burned over 4.5 million hectares of Quebec forest over the summer, 99.9% of which were sparked by lightning. However, recent data from the National Forestry Database shows that in 2020, roughly 10% of fires were sparked by lightning. Further, more recent data from the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre shows that in 2022, among Quebec’s 449 fires, 39 were natural (8.7%), while 410 were human-caused. 

"According to a spokesperson for the Société de protection des forêts contre le feu, responsible for forest fires in the province, human activity was to blame for roughly 80% of fires in Quebec

"According to the National Forestry Database, the number of fires and total area (in millions of hectares) burned in Canada are lower than in 1980 – the furthest the data goes back.

"During the wildfire season, politicians and the media blamed the fires on climate change, including Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Minister of Energy Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Environment Steven Guilbeault, NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh, Green Party Leader Elizabeth May, and Senator Chuck Schumer, each blaming Canadian fires on climate change. CTV and the Washington Post both published articles attributing fires to climate change despite their cause not being known at the time."

Read more: https://tnc.news/2024/01/17/quebec-man-pleads-guilty-14-counts-arson/

Arsonists set Canada on fire. NOT Climate Change | True North | January 22, 2024:

Deaths from unknown causes up 475% in 3 years

Statistics Canada figures indicate that deaths from unknown causes rose 475% in Canada from 2019 to 2022. 

Deaths, 2022 | Statistics Canada:

November 27, 2023 - "There were 334,623 deaths in Canada in 2022, an increase of 7.3% from 2021. This increase was noted across all provinces and territories except Nunavut. The age-standardized mortality rate, which removes the effects of differences in the age structure of a population over time, also increased, from 907.2 deaths per 100,000 population in 2021 to 972.5 deaths in 2022. In 2019, prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the age-standardized mortality rate was 830.5 deaths....

"For the third year in a row, life expectancy at birth of Canadians fell, from 81.6 years in 2021 to 81.3 years in 2022. The decline in 2022 (-0.3 years) was greater than in 2021 (-0.1 years) and was half that observed from 2019 to 2020 (-0.6 years).... Changes in life expectancy at birth in Canada are due to a number of factors. Life expectancy increases when there are fewer deaths in general, or when deaths tend to occur at older ages, or a combination of both. Life expectancy declines when there are more deaths, when deaths occur at younger ages, or a combination of both."

Read more: https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/daily-quotidien/231127/dq231127b-eng.htm

Canadian pathologists stumped by explosive growth in deaths from unknown causes | Western Standard | Joseph Fournier: 

January 5, 2024 - "Statistics Canada has a talent for reporting deaths with numbing precision, but in such a way that makes it hard to know what’s really going on. Perhaps it’s just me but for example, if 16,043 people out of 334,623 are recorded as having died of unspecified ‘unknown causes,’ I’m sure they’re right. 

"But take a look at the chart below. That’s almost five times as many as in 2019. Yet in their list, StatsCan doesn’t even rank order it: That right hand column is my addition....

"Now, maybe there’s a perfectly rational explanation. But there’s none to be found in StatsCan’s breezy press release.... This is the elephant in the room.... 

"[D]oes this not demand closer scrutiny?... Here are things to look at.

• First, something is seriously dysfunctional with the Canadian Association of Pathologists (CAP) and their provincial counterparts. Death certificate protocols are of course a joint responsibility of CAP and provincial health services. But who is ultimately accountable for what goes on a death certificate? Our legislatures should be working on this.
• Second, relative to 2019, ‘Unknown Cause’ of death in 2022 grew by more than 475%, which stands out starkly among all categories in the data shown.
• The third matter is who it is, who’s doing the dying. This too merits some discussion.... 

"Here are Alberta statistics on the annual rate of occurrence of deaths defined as being caused by an unknown factor by Albertan Pathologists. The nearly 5,000% increase in the annual rate by which Albertan Pathologists were unable or unwilling to define a cause of death over the short period 2018 to 2021 is astounding.

"Likewise concerning is the fact this trend is seen to be occurring predominately in younger Albertans (0 to 64 years old.)  The bulk of the COVID deaths are among older people, 70+, so what is killing the younger ones? Unknown causes....

"The concentration of these Unknown Cause fatalities among younger Albertans is reminiscent of the health statistics shown in my Western Standard article titled "The 2020 lockdown and the rise of fatalities among young Canadians." That article highlighted the clear step-change from no trend to an increasing All Cause Mortality trend among healthy younger Canadians starting in 2020....

"Canadians must demand an answer as to why Canadian pathologists and our provincial health services have not acknowledged this explosion in Unknown Cause of death since 2020 — and why it is hurting people under 64 so badly."

Read more: https://www.westernstandard.news/opinion/fournier-canadian-pathologists-stumped-by-explosive-growth-in-deaths-from-unknown-causes/51468 

Germany's farmers bring protest to capital

Germany's capital was gridlocked on Monday as the country's farmers brought their ongoing national protests to Berlin, with an estimated 30,000 rallying at the Brandenburg Gate.  

Germany’s farmers are revolting | Academy of Ideas, Substack | Sabine Beppler-Spahl:

January 18, 2024 - "Thousands of tractors rolled through Berlin on Monday. The city was clogged for hours as the approximately 6,000 machines made their way to the city centre. Their destination was Brandenburg Gate where a protest rally, attended by many thousands (the organisers claimed 30,000) took place. It was the climax of a week-long protest organised by German farmers all over the country. And it was a massive show of discontentment with the government and its green agenda.

"'The traffic light coalition must go', was the main demand, displayed on banners fixed to the tractors. (The traffic light stands for the party colours of the three coalition partners - SPD, Green Party and Liberals.) It was a message echoed by the participants at the demonstration in front of the Brandenburg Gate too. When asked why they were taking part in the rally, people replied ‘because this policy is not only destroying the farmers, but the whole country’, or ‘because we are fed up with the restrictions imposed on us’.

"The protests were triggered in December when the government announced that it would abolish tax reliefs on agricultural diesel and farm vehicles [as] part of a general budget cut which became necessary after a court ruling exposed a €17 billion gap in the original 2024 budget. The additional burden on farmers was justified with the argument that the government wanted to cancel ‘climate-damaging subsidies’. Farmers, who depend on agricultural diesel vehicles  - understandably - saw this as an outrageous disregard for their work. ‘Why should we pay for the government’s incompetence?’ asked one farmer said at the rally.

"It was stupid of the government to believe it could get away with its new tax hikes at a time of growing discontentment. Like other entrepreneurs, farmers are suffering from the high energy prices in Germany. And because parts of the chemical industry have ceased production, fertiliser prices have also rocketed. In January, before the protests hit the streets, the government tried to appease the angry farmers by taking back the tax on vehicle fuel. It also said that the diesel tax would be phased out over a period of two years, rather than all at once. But the farmers who had geared up for the fight were not willing to be put off by such half-hearted compromises....

"For years, discontentment at ever harsher environmental regulations and time-consuming bureaucracy has been building up amongst farmers. In 2019, farmers blocked Berlin’s streets after the Merkel government demanded a 20 per cent reduction in the use of fertilisers, as part of its agricultural reform package. Since then, matters have become even worse. Keen to meet the EU’s strict nitrate laws, the current government announced further directives on nitrates, pesticides and animal-husbandry last summer. As part of the EU’s green new deal, farmland is now being identified for ‘renaturalisation’. Many farmers have already had to reduce their animal stock as a result.... 

"The determination of the farmers and the size of the protests have caught the government unprepared. On Monday, many protesters said they were fighting for nothing less than the survival of their industry. Without the freedom to make informed decisions, farming would have no future in Germany, they said. But what has made these latest protests special is that they have found such widespread support. Hauliers, craftsmen, restaurant owners and hunters were amongst those standing in front of Brandenburg Gate. Lorry drivers have announced that they will continue the protests this week. And as the tractors rolled through Berlin, countless people could be seen waving at them, and showing the thumbs up sign. A survey carried out by one of Berlin’s leading newspapers found that 65 per cent of those questioned said they stood on the side of the farmers....

"Regrettably, the government has reacted very helplessly. It has said that it would hold on to the cuts, but would reduce bureaucracy for farmers. When Scholz finally commented on the protests last week, he accused the farmers of being too radical: ‘If legitimate protests turn into anger or disregard for democratic processes and institutions, then we all lose’, he said. Such warnings say more about the chancellor and his fear than about the actual protests. The participants on Monday reacted with derision when asked about reports of far-right groups infiltrating the protests. ‘Do you see any right-wingers here?’ asked one. ‘Such talk is all about unsettling people’, said another.

"There were some flags showing the colours of the right-populist AfD, but very few, and only on the periphery. Indeed, the AfD has not been particularly popular with farmers so far. In the last general election in 2021, only eight per cent of farmers voted for the party.... It won't help the government to lump the farmers and their supporters into the corner of right-wing extremists. It will only make people think that for this government, anyone who opposes its green agenda is right-wing. The great solidarity with the farmers shows how exposed this agenda stands."

Read more: https://clairefox.substack.com/p/germanys-farmers-are-revolting

FARMERS REVOLT: Protests sweep across Germany against 'unfair' tax changes | Sky News Australia | January 18, 2022:

Milei makes case for capitalism at Davos

Javier Milei Tells World Leaders: 'The State Is Not the Solution' | Reason | Katarina Hall: 

January 18, 2024 - "Argentina's libertarian President Javier Milei praised the virtues of free markets and warned political leaders about the dangers of collectivism in a speech at the World Economic Forum on Wednesday. 'The West is in danger, it is in danger because those who are supposed to defend Western values find themselves co-opted by a worldview that — inexorably — leads to socialism, consequently to poverty," Milei said in the opening of his keynote speech in Davos, Switzerland, during his first overseas trip as president.

"Milei explained that no other country is a better example of this trend than Argentina. Once a global economic powerhouse, Argentina has spiraled into poverty as a consequence of extensive state intervention in the economy. Two out of every five Argentines live in poverty and the inflation rate is over 200 percent.

"In his 23-minute address, Milei argued that the key to eradicating poverty worldwide lies in adopting free market ideals and capitalism. 'Far from being the cause of our problems, free enterprise capitalism, as an economic system, is the only tool we have to end hunger, poverty, and indigence,' he continued. 'The empirical evidence is unquestionable'....

"The libertarian president emphasized that market failure can only happen if there is coercion by the state, 'which has a monopoly on violence.' He criticized the collectivist approach of dismissing freedom and opting for more regulation to fix a country, which generates 'a downward spiral of regulations until we are all poorer'.... 

"Since his inauguration on December 10, the anarcho-capitalist president has implemented measures to counteract Argentina's history of collectivist policies, including a substantial devaluation of the peso and a reduction of government ministries. In December, Milei presented several other reform bills to Argentina's Congress, which aim to drastically cut state spending and deregulate several economic sectors. Milei's proposals are currently being discussed by Congress, but his party lacks the majority in both houses of Congress. The proposals also face staunch opposition from labor unions and other protesters.... 

"'We come here today to invite the other countries of the West to return to the path of prosperity,' Milei told his audience. 'Economic freedom, limited government, and unrestricted respect for private property are essential elements for economic growth. This phenomenon of impoverishment produced by collectivism is not a fantasy. Nor fatalism. It is a reality that we Argentines know very well.'|

"'"Do not give in to the advance of the state. The state is not the solution. The state is the problem itself," Milei declared."

Read more: https://reason.com/2024/01/18/javier-milei-tells-world-leaders-the-state-is-not-the-solution/

Special address by Javier Milei, President of Argentina | Davos 2024 | World Economic Forum | January 17, 2024 (Event begins at 4:00; Milei's speech begins at 6:00)

Peterson's appeal of retraining order dismissed

Ontario's Court of Appeals has dismissed psychologist Jordan Peterson's appeal of a lower court decision that the provincial regulatory body can subject him to mandatory social media re-education. 

Peterson warns Canada not a free country after appeal dismissed | Western Standard | Jen Hodgson:

January 17, 2024 - "Psychologist and best-selling author Jordan Peterson declared Canada is not a free country after losing his appeal of a mandatory re-education case in the Ontario Court of Appeal.... The court denied Jordan Peterson’s motion to have the College of Psychologists of Ontario’s mandatory re-education ruling overturned on Tuesday. A panel of three judges made the decision, with no reasons given.

"None of the complaints against Peterson, who was a professor at the University of Toronto until 2017, were filed by a former patient or student, but from those who took offence to comments he made online.... Based on allegedly offensive comments Peterson made on social media and Joe Rogan’s podcast, the college said he would have to undergo a mandatory social media retraining program for an undetermined amount of time, paid for out of his pocket and by a trainer appointed by them in order to maintain his licence. 

"The  Ontario Divisional Court said in August the college was allowed to uphold the decision. Peterson appealed, which led to the ruling announced Tuesday. Peterson’s lawyer Howard Levitt told the National Post this was the last chance for appeal — he lamented the loss of free speech in Canada and said he thinks the case will set a precedent “licensing regulatory bodies to be more aggressive.” 

“'Is there free speech in Canada?' Levitt said. 'To what extent are the limits on free speech in Canada, to free speech which is not criminal or not tortious, not a violation of any law? To what extent are regulated professionals and regulated trades impacted in terms of what they can say in the public forum? These are important issues and Canada has been castigated broadly for the decision of the divisional court,' the attorney said. 

"The 18-page court decision included an explanation and more details on the training than were previously given, including a set time frame. Peterson is required to begin the training within three months and it will last up to 12 months. 'Requiring coaching following apparently unheeded advice seems a reasonable next step, proportionately balancing statutory objectives against Charter rights which are minimally impaired, if they are impaired at all, by the (college’s decision to require coaching),' the document states. 

"Peterson’s comments in question include tweets made about Sports Illustrated's plus-size model campaign being 'not beautiful,' and about the surgeon that removed the breasts of transgender actor Elliot Page, formerly known as Ellen Page. Peterson, who has sounded the alarm on transgender surgeries in the past, said Page 'had her breasts removed by a criminal physician'....  Peterson was [also] accused of not taking climate change or COVID-19 mandates seriously and posting 'aggressive' comments about Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, and specifically, Trudeau's long-time friend and former principal secretary Gerald Butts, who was entrenched with Trudeau in the SNC Lavalin scandal in 2018. 

"When the mandatory training was issued, Peterson refused to participate, and asked the courts to review his case. He said his speech on public platforms was outside the purview of the college’s authority.... The Ontario Divisional Court ruled in August [that] though Peterson didn’t break any laws, he was outside the rules in place for the regulated profession of practicing psychologists.... [T]he court documents state ... 'The order is not disciplinary and does not prevent Dr. Peterson from expressing himself on controversial topics.'"

Read more: https://www.westernstandard.news/news/peterson-warns-canada-not-a-free-country-after-appeal-dismissed/51713

Jordan Peterson Discusses His Court-Ordered Social Media Training | Theo Von Clips | August 30, 2023: 

Chase Oliver wins Libertarian POTUS vote in Iowa

Chase Oliver Emerges as Top Choice for Libertarians in Iowa Caucuses | Independent Political Report | Jordan Willow Evans:

January 16, 2023 - "The Libertarian Party of Iowa held caucuses across the state on Monday, aligning with those also held by the other two major parties in the state.... According to state Libertarians, the only requirement to participate was to be a registered Iowa Libertarian on the day of the caucuses. The party also produced a list on their official website of Libertarian Party presidential candidates who registered with the FCC ... totaling 30 Libertarian candidates plus the option to write in those who weren’t listed. In the days leading up to the caucuses, four candidates — Mike ter Maat, Chase Oliver, Lars Mapstead, and Joshua Smith — traveled to Iowa to take part in a final presidential debate in the state to boost participation....

"[T]he Libertarian Party of Iowa has provided preliminary results in 96 out of 99 voting precincts on its official X account. According to these figures, Chase Oliver emerged as the winner of the night with 40.7% of total votes cast. Oliver was followed by Michael Rectenwald, who secured 17.44% of the vote, and Mike ter Maat with 13.95%. Former LNC Vice Chair Joshua Smith also garnered 13.95% of caucus votes. All other candidates received less than 10%.... 

"Although the caucuses were organized due to Iowa Libertarians achieving major party status in the state, it’s worth noting that the results will not have any binding impact on the upcoming 2024 Libertarian National Convention in Washington, D.C., later this year....

"Both State Republicans and Democrats also held elections yesterday evening, though only the Republicans had results available.... Donald Trump secured a decisive victory in the Republican caucuses, surpassing his closest rival, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, by a significant margin and taking the lion’s share of delegates. Nikki Haley followed in a close third, while Vivek Ramaswamy finished fourth. Ramaswamy ... dropped out and endorsed Trump.... Meanwhile, the Iowa Democratic Party began voting on January 12 and will collect results until February 19, 2024. Democrats won’t have their final results until Super Tuesday."

Read more: https://independentpoliticalreport.com/2024/01/chase-oliver-emerges-as-top-choice-for-libertarians-in-iowa-caucuses/

Libertarian presidential candidate Chase Oliver speaks at the Des Moines Register's Soapbox | DMRegister | August 18, 2023: 

Chase Oliver | From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia:

January 16, 2024 - "Chase Russell Oliver (born August 16, 1985) ... was the Libertarian Party nominee for the 2022 United States Senate election in Georgia and the 2020 Georgia's 5th congressional district special election.... Oliver was previously a Democrat and had supported Barack Obama in the 2008 U.S. presidential election but later left the Democratic Party due to his own anti-war views.... Oliver joined the Libertarian Party in 2010.... 

"Oliver first ran for public office in 2020, as the Libertarian nominee for the 2020 Georgia's 5th congressional district special election to replace John Lewis.... He won 2% of the vote.... After becoming the Libertarian nominee for the 2022 U.S. Senate election in Georgia, Oliver ... received over 2% of the popular vote, possibly acting as a spoiler candidate and forcing the Georgia senate race into a run-off. In the runoff election, he declined to endorse either Warnock or Walker.... Rolling Stone called him the most influential Libertarian of the year....

"On December 2, 2022, Oliver announced his formation of an exploratory committee to inquire into a possible run for the Libertarian presidential nomination.... He formally declared his candidacy on April 4, 2023.... Oliver campaigned extensively in Iowa during the summer of 2023. The Gazette described him as a 'pro-gun, pro-police reform, pro-choice Libertarian' who is 'armed and gay'.... The Christian Science Monitor described Oliver as a potential 'opening in the middle' that may deliver a reprieve to 'voters unhappy with both major-party front-runners' looking for representation from a younger generation.... 

• Oliver self-identifies as pro-choice, although he is opposed to taxpayer funding of abortions. He believes that abortion should be legal nationwide, and he has said he would support legislation to make it so.
• Oliver supports a free market solution to climate change. He contends that if businesses are left alone, they will be incentivized to develop technologies that will eventually replace current carbon-based fuels.
• "Oliver is a strong supporter of ranked-choice voting in the United States... He has ... stated that ranked-choice voting would save millions of taxpayer dollars by allowing run-offs to be instant, while ensuring that winning candidates always get above 50% of the vote.
• During a 2022 debate with Warnock, Oliver expressed his support for gun rights, stating: 'Armed gays are harder to oppress, and they're harder to bash.'
• Oliver advocates for ending the war on drugs, and supports the legalization of marijuana.
• Oliver supports ending qualified immunity for law enforcement at the federal level.
• Oliver supports an 'Ellis Island-style immigration' system, stating: 'If you're coming here to work and be peaceful, it's not my business.'
• Oliver supports abolishing the United States Department of Education, and advocates 'for more choice in the education marketplace on a state-by-state basis'.
• Oliver supports removing regulatory barriers that prevent people and organizations from feeding people experiencing homelessness....

"Oliver is single and openly gay. He resides in the suburbs of Atlanta. He said he has a 'deep faith in the gospel.'"

Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 4.0; additional terms may apply.

Read more: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chase_Oliver

Bail denied for Coutts 4 defendant Chris Carbert

Bail denied for Chris Carbert, member of Coutts Four | Western Standard | Lee Harding: 

Chris Carbert. Courtesy Facebook.

January 15, 2024 - "Bail has been denied for Chris Carbert, one of four men held in remand for 702 days for charges connected with a demonstration at the US border crossing at Coutts, AB in February 2022. 

"Carbert is accused of plotting to kill RCMP officers. He is charged with conspiracy to murder, possession of a weapon and mischief. A publication ban remains in place.... 

"However, the verdict was reported on social media. Independent journalist Mocha Bezirgan reported on Twitter ("X") that temperatures of -50C with wind chill left the courtroom only half full of attendees. He said two rows normally reserved for media no longer were there due to lack of interest at previous meetings. By 10:58 a.m. he could report that bail had been denied.

"'This isn’t justice!' a protester yelled at the end of the sentencing. Sheriffs removed him [from] the court room.

"In a post to Twitter ("X"), Independent journalist Jason Lavine said he was not surprised.

"'I did speak with Chris last week on why I thought this would be the outcome. After his bail hearing, I didn't think the Judge would take the risk to the public safety with release when the trial was a few months away' ... tweeted Lavine. 'Unfortunately, Chris and the other men are charged with some of the worst charges in Alberta's history. I couldn't see the Judge ruling against this initiative. I am heartbroken for Chris and his family. This does expose significant problems with the "justice" system.'"

Read more: https://www.westernstandard.news/alberta/bail-denied-for-chris-carbert-member-of-coutts-four/51673

Canadian courts defer to gov'ts in Covid cases

COVID Cases: For Some Judges, Government Can Neither Deceive Nor Be Deceived | Epoch Times | John Carpay:

Decembr 27, 2024 - "The years 2022 and 2023 have seen numerous court rulings in which some Canadian judges upheld government violations of our charter freedoms of association, expression, religion, conscience, mobility, peaceful assembly, and bodily autonomy. These outcomes are disturbing, but worse yet was the failure of some judges to require governments to show 'demonstrably' (with persuasive evidence) that their violations of charter rights or freedoms were doing more good than harm. 

"The 1986 Supreme Court of Canada ruling in R. v. Oakes requires judges to place the onus on government to show that its freedom-violating law, policy, regulation, or decision is rational, violates the charter right or freedom as little as possible, and actually brings benefits that exceed the costs and harms. When governments claim that their freedom-violating health orders and mandatory vaccination policies are based on science, both the Oakes test and the charter itself require judges to take a hard look at the government’s 'science' claim, to determine its veracity....

"Judges have signed-up for a job that requires listening to competing experts, analyzing their reports, weighing the evidence, [and] arriving at a conclusion.... Judges have no qualms about assessing the scientific strength of clashing claims and competing expert reports when dealing with criminal law, family law, and all kinds of civil claims. Oddly, some judges suddenly lose their willingness to apply the same thinking, reasoning, and analytical faculties when confronted by a government chanting 'science' as a mantra or slogan.... Judges then simply rule in favour of the government, without seriously analyzing the actual evidence that was put before them by both sides.

"For example, in the case of Ontario v. Trinity Bible Chapel, paragraph six of the judge’s ruling says:

 Various affidavits were filed on this hearing, including evidence from medical experts. These experts disagree on several points, including the extent to which Covid-19 posed an unprecedented threat to public health, the extent to which the virus can be transmitted outdoors, and the extent to which religious gatherings pose a greater risk of transmission than retail settings. My role is not that of an armchair epidemiologist. I am neither equipped nor inclined to resolve scientific debates and controversy surrounding Covid-19. The question before me is not whether certain experts are right or wrong. The question is whether it was open to Ontario to act as it did, and whether there was scientific support for the precautionary measures that were taken.

"One can see the contradictions in this statement. While declaring that she is 'neither equipped nor inclined to resolve scientific debates and controversy surrounding Covid-19,' the judge nonetheless ... effectively resolves the scientific debates and controversy in favour of the government.... If the judge is not equipped to resolve scientific debates and controversy, how can she possibly assess whether the government has any 'scientific support' (let alone enough “scientific support') to justify violating the fundamental charter freedoms of citizens? While upholding the government’s violations of Ontarians’ freedoms, the judge makes no effort to explain why or how the government’s evidence is better or more persuasive than the evidence presented to her by citizens who depend on her to defend their charter rights....

"In other words, what the judge really says is: The government need only show me a little bit of scientific 'support' (not proof and not compelling evidence) and I will then readily approve and endorse the government’s violations of Charter rights and freedoms. I will not hold the government accountable to the full weight of the charter; I will not require the government to justify demonstrably with persuasive evidence that its freedom-violating laws are rational and are actually doing more good than harm. I refuse to weigh the evidence that is put before me by competing experts, even though I do this all the time in other legal disputes....

"Sadly, this is not the only case where the charter’s standard that governments must 'demonstrably justify' any violation of a charter right or freedom was overlooked. The new standard adopted by judges seems to be that the federal and provincial governments can violate our human rights and constitutional freedoms with impunity, provided the government claims that some emergency exists and that there is some unknown quantity of 'scientific support' for charter-violating laws and policies. These same judges are likely to approve new laws to confine us to the '15-minute city' where we live, and uphold the government’s violation of our charter-protected mobility rights. The government would simply need to claim that a 'climate emergency' exists and trot out a vague amount of 'scientific support'....

"As the judge in the Ontario v. Trinity Bible Chapel case said, “I am neither equipped nor inclined to resolve scientific debates and controversy” … although she does consider herself to be sufficiently equipped to rule in favour of the government violating our charter rights and freedoms.

Read more: https://www.theepochtimes.com/opinion/covid-cases-for-some-judges-government-can-neither-deceive-nor-be-deceived-555259

Trudeau gov't mandates tampons in men's rooms

Canada's Trudeau gov't has mandated that free menstrual products be provided in the men's rooms of all federally-regulated buildings.

Trudeau Government puts tampons in men’s bathrooms | The Counter Signal | Mike Campbell: 

December 13, 2023 - "The Trudeau Liberals have placed tampons in men’s bathrooms in all federally regulated buildings. Conservative MP Michelle Ferreri showcased the latest development in a video she posted on social media.... Ferreri focused on how out of touch the issue is based on the cost of living crisis, as opposed to the painfully obvious fact that men don’t need period products.

"'So for people who have an average income of $70,000, they are going to have access to period products — shouldn’t that be going to people who can’t afford them?' She added, 'I might just take some of these myself and walk them down to the Ottawa food bank where they can be best used — not here'.... 

"[T]he Trudeau Government made a regulatory proposal in 2022 that said a 'lack of access to menstrual products in men’s toilet room has raised concerns regarding washroom equity.' The proposal stipulated that employers must provide menstrual products in each toilet room. One product dispenser is needed for each washroom, 'regardless of gender,' across all work sites under the control of large business employers in the federal jurisdiction.... 

"[T]he government estimated the total cost of the regulations would be $116.6 million from 2024 to 2033. That includes estimates for how much it would cost employers to purchase the products and provide and install containers for their disposal.

As an aside, ... a petition calling for a no confidence vote in the Trudeau government has reached over 287,000 signatures, surpassing the most signed e-petition in parliamentary history."

Read more: https://thecountersignal.com/trudeau-government-puts-tampons-in-mens-bathrooms/

Tampons in Federal Mens Washrooms | Canadian Freedom, Right? | December 13, 2023: 

Canadian Air Force members rip down tampon dispenser in men’s bathroom | The Counter Signal: 

January 10, 2024 -"A picture has surfaced on social media showing a ripped down tampon dispenser in a Canadian Air Force men’s bathroom. Social media account Veterans 4 Freedom (@Vets4FreeCanada) posted a picture showing the development....

"'Sent to us from [Canadian Forces Base] Trenton.  This is a picture of a men’s washroom, think maybe the Troops are tired of being humiliated by the woke nonsense?' the account posted, attaching a picture that showed a number of holes in the wall where the dispenser used to stand. 

"The incident comes ... after the Trudeau Liberals mandated that tampons be placed in men’s bathrooms in all federally regulated buildings, a move that earned international headlines and mockery. The federal Liberals 2022 budget for Canadian Armed Forces had funding for such, given that they included $100.5 million for 'gender identity' culture change and training in the Canadian Armed Forces."

Read more: https://thecountersignal.com/canadian-air-force-members-rip-down-tampon-dispenser-in-mens-bathroom/

Manitoba premier renews call for carbon tax relief

Manitoba's NDP premier Wab Kinew, who has previously called for a carbon tax exemption on all forms of home heating, has again called on the Canadian government to provide his province with carbon tax relief. 

Manitoba wants carbon tax carve out as it suspends gasoline taxes | Western Standard | Shaun Polczer:

January 10, 2024 - "The newly-elected NDP premier of Manitoba is calling on Ottawa to provide his province with carbon tax relief even as his government moves to suspend provincial fuel taxes. In an interview with Global News on the weekend, Wab Kinew said Manitoba deserves a break owing to its 'credible path' to net-zero. 

“'I think that there’s an argument that Manitoba is maybe one of the strongest cases you could make, that the price on carbon should be revisited in our jurisdiction,” Kinew told The West Block host Mercedes Stephenson in an interview that aired on January 7. Although 97% of the province’s electricity comes from hydroelectricity, about 60% of its home heating is with natural gas.... 

"It comes after the federal government in October suspended the carbon tax on home heating oil, which mainly benefits Atlantic Canada. Since then, others including Alberta, Saskatchewan and even Ontario and the Northwest Territories have called for the tax to be eliminated from heating bills even though Ottawa has declined to allow more exemptions. 

[In November all Canadian provincial premiers, including Kinew, unanimoursly called on the federal government to remove the carbon tax on all forms of home heating (see video).]

"Saskatchewan has even gone as far as to stop collecting the tax via its SaskEnergy subsidiary even at the the treat of being criminally charged.

"Manitoba is only one of three jurisdictions in Canada where the federal carbon tax applies to both consumers and industry, along with the Yukon and Nunavut. Manitoba is also the latest to implement a six-month fuel tax holiday which came into effect January 1 that is expected to save drivers about 14 cents per litre at the pumps. Ironically, it comes as the Alberta government reinstated its own fuel tax.

“'I think our province has a really strong case to make that during this time where we’re dealing with inflation, we’re dealing with the cost of living, that we should get some consideration, we should get a little bit of help,' Kinew told Stephenson."

Read more: https://www.westernstandard.news/business/manitoba-wants-carbon-tax-carve-out-as-it-suspends-gasoline-taxes/51559

Kinew makes it explicit, asks Ottawa to remove carbon tax from natural gas home heating | CBC Manitoba | November 7, 2023:

 

Milei attending World Economic Forum in Davos

Argentinian president Javier Milei to attend World Economic Forum in Davos | True North | Andrew Lawton:

January 9, 2024 - "Argentina’s economist Javier Milei has been to Davos before, but this year he’s returning for the first time as president. Milei was announced Tuesday as one of more than 300 public figures to be attending the World Economic Forum’s flagship event in the Swiss alps.... His name does not yet appear on the published agenda, but not all panels were complete when True North reviewed the public programme.

"Milei, a libertarian, became the president of Argentina on December 10 and quickly brought about a sweeping set of reforms that included slashing the size of cabinet and banning government officials from describing anything paid for by taxpayers as “free.” Milei campaigned on reining in inflation and righting Argentina’s economic course, but he was candid that this won’t be easy. 'There is no alternative to a shock adjustment,' Milei said after taking office....

"Milei spoke in Davos previously as an economist, before getting into politics two years ago.

"Other public figures attending this year’s annual meeting include Chinese premier Li Qiang, French president Emmanuel Macron, and Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

"The theme for the conference, which kicks off Monday, is 'Rebuilding Trust.' Sessions on the official programme include discussions about where 'freedom of expression is going,' 'protecting the vulnerable online,' and '“preparing for disease X,” a reference to ... [hypothetical] diseases the World Health Organization claims could be more dangerous than COVID-19."

Read more: https://tnc.news/2024/01/09/argentinian-milei-attend-world-economic-forum-davos/

Davos 2024: Global elite gather against WEF's most complex backdrop so far | Astro AWANI | January 9, 2024:

Reporter trying to question Deputy PM arrested

Rebel News reporter David Menzies was arrested, but not charged, yesterday in Richmond Hill while trying to question Canadian Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland on a public sidewalk. 

RCMP arrest Rebel News journalist after questioning Chrystia Freeland | True North | Cosmin Dzsurdzsa:

January 8, 2024 - "Rebel News journalist David Menzies was arrested on Monday ... in Richmond Hill ... for attempting to question Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland on a public street. The police officer who arrested Menzies said it was for assaulting a police officer, which he accused Menzies of doing while walking alongside Freeland....

"Menzies was physically obstructed by an unidentified plainclothes police officer who appears to be with the RCMP. Video footage captures the moment when the situation escalates, with Menzies surrounded by officers and eventually escorted away in a police car. Menzies asks the police officer on two occasions for his name and badge number, but the officer does not provide it. Menzies told True North he was released later without charges."

Read more: https://tnc.news/2024/01/08/arrest-rebel-menzies-freeland/

BREAKING: Rebel News’ David Menzies brutally arrested for scrumming Freeland | Rebel News | January 8, 2024:

Truly frightening and deeply wrong... | Western Standard | Brian Giesbrecht:

January 8, 2028: "Ezra Levant’s Rebel News is familiar to Canadians. Some never watch it.... Others watch it every day.... But whatever your view, what is now happening to Rebel News reporters is just wrong.... [O]n Monday, January 8, 2024, Rebel News reporter David Menzies was thuggishly assaulted, handcuffed and shoved into a police cruiser by police officers, in a scene that is usually reserved for the worst autocracies on this planet.

"Menzies was questioning Minister Chrystia Freeland as she walked down the street. He is entitled to do that. It is called 'scrumming'. A cabinet minister is expected to respond to questions from Canadian reporters — even ones she doesn’t like. It is part of the job. 

A burly officer approaches, and very deliberately bumps into Menzies. The police then accuse Menzies of assaulting Freeland, or unspecified others — something Menzies clearly didn’t do. From that point on they treat Menzies as they would a dangerous criminal, or terrorist. He is handcuffed and stuffed into a police cruiser.

"What we see on this video clip is something that would have been inconceivable in Stephen Harper’s Canada. But it would have been equally inconceivable in Jean Chretien’s Canada. Or Paul Martin’s, Brian Mulroney’s, and on down the line.... A scene like this in downtown Moscow or Tehran would probably not be uncommon. But to see it playing out in plain sight in Canada is truly frightening. And deeply wrong."

Brian Giesbrecht is a retired Manitoba Provincial Court Judge.

Read more: https://www.westernstandard.news/opinion/giesbrecht-truly-frightening-and-deeply-wrong/51517

Canada's Privy Council called for reports of Covid-vax harms to be downplayed

In May 2021, Canada's Privy Council issued a secret memo calling for news reports of injuries or death from Covid vaccines be "carefully managed" so as not to "shake public confidence" in the products.  

Privy Council advocated downplaying COVID vaccine injuries or deaths | Toronto Sun | Postmedia News:

June 6, 2023 - "A secret Privy Council office memo recommended that any COVID vaccine-related injuries or deaths be carefully managed with 'winning communication strategies' as to not 'shake public confidence,' according to Blacklock’s Reporter. 

"The May 2021 memo released through access-to-Information legislation came five months after the Department of Health licensed the first Pfizer-BioNTech pandemic vaccine. 

"'Events related to a COVID-19 vaccine may be minor or severe,' said the memo called 'Testing Behaviourally-Informed Messaging In Response To Severe Adverse Events Following Immunization.' 'News reports of adverse events following immunization and the government’s response to them have strong potential to influence public confidence in vaccines and their safety.' The memo also suggested skewing stats to minimize the impact of vaccine-related deaths or injuries.... 

"The Public Health Agency said of the 97.6 million vaccine doses administered at the time of the report, there were 20,428 'serious adverse event reports.' The reports included laboured breathing and heart attacks (55 reports), kidney damage (78), spontaneous abortions (87), facial paralysis (187), strokes (281), deaths (427), blood clots (848) and incidents of heart inflammation (1,153). A federal compensation fund to date has paid out millions on injury and death claims.

"'Of the 427 death reports, it was not possible to assess causality for 112 reports due to missing information,' said the agency in a statement. A separate $75 million Vaccine Injury Support Program received 1,299 claims due to vaccine-related deaths and injuries with a total 50 claims paid to date, totalling nearly $2.8 million."

Read more: https://torontosun.com/news/national/privy-council-advocated-downplaying-covid-vaccine-injuries-or-deaths

Canadian Govt Memo Directs How to Obfuscate, Hide COVID-19 Vax Injuries | TrialSite News | June 12, 2023:

The managerial elite is now the credentialed elite

Introduction: Managerial state | Wikipedia: 

November 24, 2023 - "The 'managerial state' is a concept used in critiquing modern procedural democracy. The concept is used largely, though not exclusively, in paleolibertarian, paleoconservative, and anarcho-capitalist critiques of late modern state power in Western democracies. Theorists Samuel T. Francis and Paul Gottfried, developing ideas inspired by the analytical framework of James Burnham, say this is an ongoing regime that remains in power, regardless of what political party holds a majority.... Variations on the concept include the therapeutic managerial state, welfare–warfare state, administrative state, and polite or soft totalitarianism. There is significant overlap between the concepts of the managerial state and the deep state.... 

"Theorists of the managerial state claim this constellation of factors tends towards the efflux of totalitarianism.... Francis, following James Burnham, said that under this historical process, 'law is replaced by administrative decree, federalism is replaced by executive autocracy, and a limited government replaced by an unlimited state.' It acts in the name of abstract goals, such as freedom, equality or positive rights, and uses its claim of moral superiority, power of taxation and wealth redistribution to keep itself in power.

Read more: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Managerial_state

The Managerial Class has been replaced by a Credentialist Class | X | Nikolaos:

November 26, 2023: "Burnham & Francis’s theory of the Managerial Revolution needs [to be] updated. The Managerial Class has been replaced by a Credentialist Class.

"Managerial Elites derive their power from technical ability to manage systems; our current elites clearly posses no such ability. At some point, technical managerial skill ceased to be the dominant trait selected for in the jungle of high power, and instead résumé-building, favor-brokering, and ideological-signaling skills gained favor. Notice job-hoppers and fail-uppers collecting badges and climbing higher up in the canopy everywhere you look? Snakes with poisoned fangs overtook the Foxes, who long ago displaced the Lions. 

"Just as Lions sought to augment their power by leveraging Foxes but only ended up ceding power to Foxes, so too have Foxes given way to Snakes: leveraging their power with assets the new elites provided, the old elites were nevertheless usurped by the new until remnants of their authority began to dissolve in their hands like a crumbling sand castle.

"The Cathedral learned that it could launder credentials in much the same way the State learned it could launder currency: the Dollar and Diploma were once backed by something, but the elites entrusted to control these resources removed the gold which underpinned them and have instead been printing and giving them to friends in a patronage scheme, devaluing the assets to the price of paper and ink. But the illusion of value remains: they rule because they control the dollars and diplomas and if you disagree then they won’t give you any dollars or diplomas.

"One could argue that Credentialism is just a part or conclusion of Managerialism but I see two fundamental differences: 1) Managerial Elites offered a bold, aspirational vision for humanity. Scientific Utopianism was always fake, but at least it was gilded. The Credentialist Elites, on the other hand, have since the turn of the century offered no positive vision or ideal... 2) A veneer of competence and legitimacy covered Managerialism. When a Managerial Elite said 'The vaccine is safe and effective and will stop the spread,' you believed them and they were probably even right because they had to be competent to rise to power. Credentialist Elites offer no evidence of competence — in fact they have offered the opposite at every turn. They acknowledge things are changing for the worse, tell their clients to 'just suck it up', and shame or even criminalize those who won’t; Economic, social, and spiritual pillars now lie in ruin, and the new elites dance atop them in a way that the old wouldn’t dare; Order is spinning into chaos; The emperor has no clothes; The Narrative has been exposed as a lie — they know it, we know it, and they know that we know it. 

"Maybe this is the logical conclusion of Managerialism, and the Managers have merely mutated. One thing is certain, anyways: these are not your grandfather’s elites. Kamala Harris doesn’t have technical managerial skills. Joe Biden doesn’t have technical managerial skills. Claudine Gay doesn’t have technical managerial skills. These elites were selected for their credentials: i.e. the titles they’ve held, the boxes they check, the favors they owe. You could argue they are mere puppets for the actual managerial elite. There are some competent managers in the machines behind them, yes, but their numbers dwindle. A new Type emerges, like a weed, everywhere....

"Like the Managerial Elite, the Credentialed are ten thousand tyrants protected behind an Ephel Duath of procedure and legal papers. But their power and legitimacy is oil drawn of a different well, and you can see very clearly how Leviathan’s engine runs differently for it. We ought to update our mental models accordingly."

Read more: https://twitter.com/Nikolaoz/status/1728922994859184535