The Buzz June 1st 2024: Trump found guilty, buzz about Mark Carney, harassment towards Canadian politicians, and more in The Buzz.
Welcome to the Buzz and another Saturday morning where I hope things look bright for you and yours. Let’s get to it.
So, what happens now?
He’s guilty. Thirty-four times he’s guilty. And really, it didn’t take that long.
Twelve jurors, “everyday New Yorkers” they were called, sat for six weeks and then spent less than two days in deliberations before deciding “he’s a felon, let’s convict.”
So, I ask again, what happens now?
We’re in that strange space now where what the next move is really not that clear.
Matt Peterson of Barron’s gets us started:
Trump Convicted of 34 Felony Counts. A New Era of Uncertainty Will Follow.
It seems that whatever illegal, outrageous, misogynistic, or just downright stupid thing that Donald Trump does, nothing seems to change his poll numbers.
In most surveys, he keeps beating Joe Biden. It will be a few days before we see if Thursday’s verdict changes anything but don’t hold your breath. It has Democrats verging on panic… here’s how Politico reports it:
Buzz is buzz and these days, in Ottawa at least, the buzz is all about Mark Carney.
Some see him as a saviour for the Liberal Party, while others see him as someone with no political experience who could flame out faster than the Leafs at playoff time. The truth is probably somewhere in the middle, but that doesn’t stop the buzz.
Neither does the fact that there’s no top job open anyway, and the current occupant is adamant he’s not going anywhere.
The Conservatives are all about the buzz too, evidenced by Michelle Rempel Garner’s Substack this week:
Always more on the national political scene by linking to Good Talk with Chantal Hebert, Bruce Anderson and me. This week it actually starts with the Trump story. Our YouTube version is available at nationalnewswatch.com
Some absolutely staggering numbers released this week about the degree of harassment that is directed toward Canadian politicians.
It seems politicians of all political stripes are targeted, with the most common “villain” being social media. Peter Zimonjic of CBC breaks it down for us:
Harassment of MPs spiked almost 800% in 5 years, says House sergeant-at-arms
It was only six months ago that Vladimir Putin looked like he was on the ropes.
A puffed-up former chef turned rebel army commander was coming to get him. Yevgeny Prigozhin led a convoy heading for Moscow and the world watched, not knowing exactly whether this was a good thing or a bad thing.
In the end, the one-time chef gave up halfway and, within a few months, was hurtling towards his death in a mysterious plane crash. Putin still looked rocked though and most analysts felt he was finished. But he wasn’t. Far from it.
To the point where today he seems in control of the war in Ukraine while NATO countries surrounding Russia are scrambling to prepare for the possibility of a much wider conflict. The Telegraph’s Aliona Hilvco brings us up to date:
Putin’s plot to destroy NATO is reaching its devastating climax
If you have a home, how sure are you of its current value?
More, or less than a year ago? Two years ago? Do you still get mail-drop pitches from real estate agents about how they could flip your house in a matter of days?
And speaking of agents, remember when they seemed a dime a dozen? There were lots of them getting their real estate licences, even to the point where some part-time agents were happy to sell just one house a year.
Why? Because sale prices were so high, the commission for that one sale represented more than many people earned in a year. Not so anymore. Aaron Gregg has been looking into the situation in the U.S. for the Washington Post.
Real estate agents are fleeing the field. Is that good for homebuyers?
We’re not talking about the colour of a certain person’s hair, we’re talking about juice. Orange juice. Bad crops lead to shortages that lead to price increases, which lead to talk of alternatives. Just listen to The Guardian:
Orange juice makers consider using other fruits after prices go ‘bananas
