Speaking of Washington’s miscalculations, The New York Times had one of the pieces I found most revealing this week. And it still holds up days after it was first published:
How Trump and His Advisers Miscalculated Iran’s Response to War
This piece is pretty good too, along the lines.
It’s from Mike Crowley of the CBC’s Washington bureau. Mike made his name covering Queen’s Park in Toronto. Now he’s quickly become a must-read for his stories out of the American capital. Like this one:
How Trump's timeline for the war on Iran keeps shifting, and why that matters
SPONSORED
Opinion | What Canada Owes Its Veterans: Getting Medical Cannabis Reimbursement Right
Veterans who rely on medical cannabis for chronic pain, PTSD, and other service-related conditions deserve policies that prioritize their health. Proposed changes to Canada’s reimbursement system could tie medical cannabis coverage to recreational market prices, overlooking the differences between medical and non-medical products. Canada owes its veterans thoughtful policy that protects access to the treatments they depend on.
Learn More
Well, here at home, another new month and another new MP crossover to join Mark Carney’s Liberals.
That’s four in four months. So, what will that actually mean for the future? Aaron Wherry focused on that for the CBC:
What happens if — or when — Mark Carney and the Liberals get to a majority?
The other day, early in the predawn, someone fired shots into the walls of the U.S. Consulate building in downtown Toronto.
No one was hurt, and no major damage occurred. But a serious incident for sure, and one that was mentioned in news reports around the world.
Here’s something else that did not get global coverage. Same city. Same month. At least three shooting incidents at Toronto-area synagogues. And many, many other incidents at Jewish-owned businesses across the country. Stories have been published, but are stories enough? The government decided this week that it needed to do more – so it gave extra money and more support for the Jewish community.
Globe and Mail columnist Robyn Urback wrote this piece before the government acted, where she had another suggestion. She feels concern should be shown from the very top, and in a very public fashion:
🔒 Prime Minister: It’s time to address all Canadians on antisemitism
Following the money this week in Canada sees billions of it heading north, far north, to start bolstering our northern sovereignty claims.
It's part of the way Canada will meet its NORAD commitment regarding defence spending. David Baxter of Canadian Press had some of the details:
Carney announces $32B for northern defence and infrastructure projects
Time to give you the YouTube links to our podcasts this week.
Yesterday’s Good Talk with Chantal Hebert and Bruce Anderson can be found here.
And Tuesday’s Reporter’s Notebook with Althia Raj and Rob Russo is available here.
Current recruitment levels are an issue for armed forces worldwide.
That includes Canada, but recent increases in salaries and incentives here seem to be at least sparking interest among young people in considering such a life. In Britain, they’re considering something else, which is going to sound like a shocker to many, especially if you’re at retirement age. Sixty-five may be considered retirement age, but maybe in the UK, it may soon be recruitment age too:
NATO country slammed as Armed Forces Bill raises military reserve age to 65
There are lots of reasons you might rethink plans to take a winter vacation in Cuba.
With ominous signs from the Trump people that Cuba may be next on their list of countries to invade, perhaps you don’t want to imagine running down to the beach if there’s a chance US marines, rifles drawn, will be running up in the opposite direction. And then there’s the oil embargo and the chaos that’s meant. The New York Times Canadian correspondent Vjosa Isai helped put this piece together:
With Fuel Running Out and Canadian Flights Suspended, Cuba's Tourism Is Collapsing
Does a week go by where you don’t see something somewhere claiming to be “the secret to weight loss”?
And in spite of being suspicious, how many of those “secrets” do you still try? Well, here’s the item for you:
This scientist has the secret to lasting weight loss (and it’s not counting calories)
Remember that awful Air India crash a few months ago?
Hundreds were killed, and miraculously, one person survived. Do you know which seat the survivor was sitting in? 11A. Lucky? Or does that particular seat mean something? You can be sure many people have booked 11A because of what happened that day.
But 11A is known for something else in the airline business. Got a guess? Well, here’s the answer:
Seat 11A: The Windowless Inside Joke at 30,000 Feet
I’m so old I remember when Bob Hope used to host the Oscars.
Funny in the corny old Hope way. It's different now, but millions will still be sitting in their living rooms watching tomorrow night. Me too, after all, I’m in one of the nominated films, if only for a few seconds of my voice. I’m Peter Moosebridge in Zootopia 2. Still, it’s the Oscars. Love this piece in the Seattle Times about one of the film’s directors:
