Wednesday Night #2210

Excitement is building up as the 26 July Opening of the Paris Olympics approaches
What a wonderful comeback!
It is reported that Céline Dion will be performing at the opening ceremony

WHAT A WEEK- AND NOT OVER YET!

On Thursday, 18 July, Donald Trump, bedecked with a very large, white bandage over his ear, ‘accepted’ the nomination of the Republican Party as Reuters (among many others) fretted that the Republican Party is Trump’s now. Critics wary his quest for power will go unchecked
Meanwhile, a more cheerful note (despite their worries about the Trump ticket) was sounded at the fourth meeting of the European Political Community where leaders from across the continent gathered at the UK’s Blenheim Palace. (Good vibes only: Can Starmer make the European Political Community work?)

On Friday (19 July) morning, nobody was talking about Trump’s acceptance speech or the Trump-Vance ticket, as a massive global tech outage grounded flights and disrupted banks.
It all began with CrowdStrike, a widely-used cybersecurity firm that bungled an update.
Crucial systems across the world collapsed, triggered by one mistake in a single company. The CrowdStrike outage hit banks, airlines, and health-care systems, creating global chaos. It may end up being the worst information-technology disaster in history. The Atlantic reminds us that “This was not, however, an unforeseeable freak accident, nor will it be the last of its kind. Instead, the devastation was the inevitable outcome of modern social systems that have been designed for hyperconnected optimization, not decentralized resilience.”

As Senior Democrats called more and more loudly for President Biden to step aside, the election campaign scenario was bleak. Diagnosed with Covid, he was isolated at his house in Delaware and stubbornly refusing to step down (Biden pushes party unity as he resists calls to step aside, says he’ll return to campaign next week).

And then, with President Biden’s message on Sunday, suddenly, it’s a whole new race. Ever since, we have been flooded with analyses, commentary and punditry from every possible perspective, all focused on Kamala Harris, her strengths, weaknesses, virtues, flaws and above all, her choice of a running mate.
7 options for Harris’s VP pick, broken down – Who each of them are, and what they would — and wouldn’t — bring to the ticket.
At least, she is bringing money in; Ian Bremmer reports “Harris campaign passes $100 mil raised since Sunday – and more than 58,000 volunteers signed up as well”

NB President Biden is set to deliver a speech Wednesday (24 July) night from the White House about his decision to end his reelection campaign.
UPDATE Full Transcript of Biden’s Speech on Ending His Run for Re-election
“The best way forward is to pass the torch to a new generation,” the president said in a rare Oval Office address. And he told voters, “History is in your hands.”

Although much of the world is actively observing the US political developments, there are events of international import.
While the violent conflict continues in Israel, Gaza, the West Bank, an unapologetic Netanyahu is in Washington to speak to Congress. From his point of view, the timing is unfortunate.
Hill Dems predict Harris’ rise will overshadow Netanyahu speech
Couldn’t happen to a nicer guy!
Netanyahu upstaged by Biden and Harris on highly anticipated US visit
Netanyahu Offers Full-Throated Defense of Gaza War
The Israeli prime minister portrayed the war in Gaza as a “clash between barbarism and civilization” and declared “we will win.” He called antiwar protesters outside the Capitol “Iran’s useful idiots.”
Dozens of Democrats, including Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, left the chamber before the prime minister had even left the rostrum.
The Russia/Ukraine war drags on with no solution in sight, but Col Gen Oleksandr Syrskyi, Ukraine’s top general sounds an optimistic note ‘I know we will win – and how’: on turning the tables against Russia
Meanwhile Russia continues its war on journalists (More than 100 journalists victims of Russian crimes during two years of covering war in Ukraine)
Russia sentences U.S. dual national journalist Alsu Kurmasheva to prison for reporting amid Ukraine war
Exiled Russian journalist Mikhail Zygar convicted in absentia for criticizing Russian army
Russia jails US journalist Evan Gershkovich for 16 years on spying charges

Varia
REALLY? Terry Mosher/Aislin posted this message alongside his brilliant cartoon
During these difficult times for newspapers our over-worked editors need a break So there won’t be an editorial page in the Gazette for the next two weeks
Will the Fed Libs never learn?
Decision to parachute Trudeau’s choice into Montreal byelection shocks would-be candidates
“People can still vote, just not for the people they thought they were going to vote for,” would-be candidate Christopher Baenninger says.
Any bets on NDP candidate Craig Sauvé?
Classic French pastries and the Olympic sports to pair with them
An entirely subjective and silly guide to the sports that remind us of macarons, croissants and more.
…to honor this heritage and these Olympic Games, we decided to pair 10 of the featured sports with the pastries that best represent them. Yes, it’s silly and subjective. Yes, we’re okay with that. So if baking and eating are your spectator sports of choice, join us on this culinary tour through France.
Cream puff and Basketball 3×3 …

Thousands flee Jasper National Park as wildfire threatens township, prompts highway closures
Municipality of Jasper declares state of emergency
Storm and wind warnings as more than 300 wildfires burn in B.C.
Sunday was world’s hottest ever recorded day, data suggests
Preliminary data from Copernicus suggests temperature records were shattered, taking world into ‘uncharted territory’

We offer our most sincere and affectionate condolences to Sylvia Martin-Laforge on the sudden death of her husband, André.
We were also deeply saddened to learn of the recent death of our dear friend, former neighbour on Rosemount Avenue and Knowlton’s most genial host, André Audet

Andrew Caddell was present at the creation of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) and writes “Forty years on, CSIS Deserves more Respect”. He elaborates:
…the government’s treatment of the agency has not been exemplary.
Writing in The Hub, former CSIS agent Andrew Kirsch suggested the prime minister and senior officials “don’t often read CSIS briefs … they take our intelligence with a huge grain of salt … [and] don’t think our findings are worth following up on.”
In response to a CSIS brief saying China had “clandestinely and deceptively interfered” in the 2019 and 2021 general elections, Trudeau told the Hogue inquiry, “There is a certain degree of—I would not say skepticism—but of critical thought that must be applied to any information collected by our security and intelligence services.”

Long reads
What to know about the massive global tech outage grounding flights, disrupting banks and more
CrowdStrike, a widely-used cybersecurity firm, bungled a software update — plunging airports and businesses into chaos

The remarkable contrast between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump
On nearly every measure, the likely presidential opponents diverge.
The overall dynamics of the contest are likely to remain the same — the election will be a referendum on the former president — but the distinctions between Trump and Harris may be what tilts a close race in one direction or the other.

Ian Bremmer: Why Biden’s exit gives Democrats a fighting chance
… Harris may not have been the best possible candidate Democrats could’ve put forward a year (or four) ago, but she was the most viable candidate to replace Biden, unite the party, and avoid a down-ballot bloodbath at this late stage.

[FBI Director Christopher] Wray shares new details about Trump shooter
(Politico) …while questions still swirl about how gunman THOMAS MATTHEW CROOKS was able to take shots at Trump and kill a rallygoer, Wray did disclose some new details from the agency’s investigation.
While the oversight hearing was scheduled prior to the July 13 shooting in Butler, Pennsylvania, the event dominated Wray’s testimony as lawmakers on both sides of the aisle repeatedly asked how a gunman could have gotten so close to killing a presidential candidate.

From Honor Student to the Gunman Who Tried to Kill Donald Trump
Thomas Crooks was a brainy and quiet young man who built computers and won honors at school, impressing his teachers. Then he became a would-be assassin.
In dozens of interviews, former classmates, teachers and neighbors said they still could not square their memories of Mr. Crooks — an awkward, intelligent teenager who liked to tinker with computers and spent his weekends playing video games — with the image of the stringy-haired gunman at the rally, armed with his father’s AR-15-style rifle as he clambered onto a rooftop and took aim at the former president.

Cities around the world share many challenges. To address them, they need to develop science diplomacy
Rémi Quirion, Scientifique en chef du Québec et professeur au Département de psychiatrie de McGill
States should be more aware of how cities and local governments can help them carry out their diplomatic and scientific strategies.