We unpack the latest on rising tensions in the Middle East, novelist Richard Powers reflects on finding possibility in the threats we face, Sixties Scoop survivor Andrea Currie shares her story and efforts to help other Indigenous people heal, and Eli Burnstein talks about the value of parsing fine distinctions in everyday language.

CBC foreign correspondent Chris Brown brings us the latest from the Middle East, NHL star Nazem Kadri shares his journey in hockey, Derek Guy explains how clothes transcend fashion on the campaign trail, and we take stock of one year since the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas attack on Israel and ensuing war.

We explore our future living with superstorms, Adrian Ma traces how Vince Carter shaped Canada on and off the basketball court, Connie Chung reflects on her trailblazing career in broadcasting, and we play another round of our monthly challenge That's Puzzling!

Marieke Walsh, Matt Gurney and Stephen Maher break down the week in Canadian politics, Michael Coren reflects on the transitions that have defined his life, our U.S. Election Panel explores what to expect in the final weeks of the campaign, and Oliver Stuenkel explains the rise of the BRICS group of nations.

Our Sunday Politics Panel breaks down the Liberal caucus revolt, Dr. Chika Stacy Oriuwa shares her journey to becoming a doctor, Dave Karpf explores how Big Tech is shaping the U.S. election campaign, Jaya Saxena charts how review culture took root in modern life, and John Thorn explains the historic rivalry taking place at this year's World Series.

Our U.S. Election Panel breaks down the final stretch in the race for the White House, Timothy Caulfield unravels the myths of the "manosphere" while investigating the male wellness industry, and author Malcolm Gladwell explores the darker sides of social epidemics.

Our U.S. Election Panel breaks down the final stretch in the race for the White House, Timothy Caulfield unravels the myths of the "manosphere" while investigating the male wellness industry, and author Malcolm Gladwell explores the darker sides of social epidemics.

Our U.S. Election Panel explores what Donald Trump's victory means for the country's future, Rob Sheffield breaks down how Taylor Swift has transformed culture, Gregg Carlstrom and Michael Bociurkiw weigh in on what Trump's return to power may mean for wars in the Middle East and Ukraine, and we play another round of our monthly challenge That's Puzzling!

Some of the island’s top amateur boxers will face a team of Canadian fighters in FightFest – Bermuda v Canada – at Bermuda College on August 10 at 6 pm. Among the local pugilists involved will be Adrian Roach, the island’s top amateur, Jaidyn Wilson, Jordan Peterkin, Musa Abdul-Jabbar, Mustafa Abdul-Jabbar, Qeir, Yparraguire and Zane […]

An extraordinary record from a singer previously overlooked.

Hockey Canada's CEO and board resigned this week after a secret fund to deal with sexual assault allegations came to light. The news came as political and corporate pressure ramped up over the organization's handling of the situation.

Canada intends to significantly boost immigration over the next three years to secure its economic prosperity as industries stare down a large labour shortage. The plan also calls for more immigrants to be accepted based on their works skills.

The 2022 FIFA World Cup is well underway, with Canada’s men’s team making its first appearance in the tournament since 1986. The host country Qatar continues to face global scrutiny for its criminalization of homosexuality and treatment of migrant workers.

We're into the home stretch ahead of the holiday season, and many Canadians are preparing to carry out their annual traditions or start new ones. What's a new custom you've adopted, or a tired tradition you want to get rid of?

Tuesday, Aug. 16, 2022

Wednesday, Aug. 17, 2022

Thursday, Aug. 18, 2022

Friday, Aug. 19, 2022

Aug. 22, 2022

As It Happens for Thursday, August 25, 2022.

Aug. 24, 2022

Aug. 23, 2022

Aug. 26, 2022

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Sept. 1, 2022

Monday, Nov. 13, 2017

Monday, Oct. 8, 2018

Per vandaag herintroduceert KPN 'dubbele data' voor Combivoordeel klanten die internet voor thuis combineren met mobiel. Bovenop de bestaande voordelen betekent dat twee keer zoveel gigabytes om onderweg te videobellen of je favoriete series te kijken.

An important, enlightening document of Miles in a state of stylistic transition.

Electro trio travels further from the dancefloor, picking up new tricks as they go.

Boards of Canada’s breakthrough is a piece of vital electronica history.

A second solo set that’s bold of ambition, but flawed of execution.

Deliciously mellow instrumentals from the Californian producer and DJ.

A quality, box-checking soundtrack featuring some of the pair’s best work to date.

Thought-provoking fare from the Punjabi music legend.

An audacious crowd pleaser full of masala hits.

Hearing Day on this sort of form is an undeniable thrill.

A well-researched soundtrack piece full of memorable melodies.

Data-driven insights can help optimise the performance, maintenance and sustainability of warehouse automation. Dan Migliozzi, Sales & Marketing Director, at independent systems integrator, Invar Group, sets out how to achieve the best results.

As retailers accelerate into the ‘golden quarter’ new YouGov research finds nearly half of consumers (48%) that buy Christmas gifts say they are not influenced by Black Friday, Cyber Monday or any other last-minute deals.

NTT DATA Business Solutions has announced that Guernsey Ports has embarked on a strategic partnership to implement Hexagon's Enterprise Asset Management (EAM) solution.

The document by the Justice Department helped provide an after-the-fact rationale for harsh procedures used by C.I.A. on high-level leaders of Al Qaeda.

The Green Party of the United States rebuffed efforts by Ralph Nader to win its endorsement for president by voting Saturday to make David Cobb its 2004 presidential candidate.

On December 1st, 2020, Nasdaq filed a proposal with the Securities and Exchange Commission to adopt additional listing rules requiring enhanced board diversity and disclosure of firm diversity efforts.  The new listing rules require Nasdaq-listed companies to have on their board of directors, at least two diverse directors, including one who self-identifies as female and one who self-identifies as an underrepresented minority or LGBTQ+.  If the firm does not meet this listing requirement, it must explain why they do not have at least two diverse directors sitting on their board.  Additionally, the new listing rules require Nasdaq-listed companies to publicly disclose consistent, transparent diversity statistics regarding its board of directors.  Nasdaq defines underrepresented minorities to include Black or African America, Hispanic or Latinx, Asian, Native American or Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, two or more races or ethnicities.  Smaller reporting companies and foreign companies have additional flexibility in satisfying these new listing requirements by seating at least two female directors.  These new listing rules require approval from the SEC.

NASDAQ's stated goal for requiring diversity among its listed companies board makeups is to provide the investing public with a "better understanding of the company's current board composition and enhance investor confidence that all listed companies are considering diversity in the context of selecting directors, either by including at least two diverse directors on their boards or explaining their rationale for not meeting that objective." To support this new listing requirement, Nasdaq pointed to over 24 studies that found a link between diverse board and more robust financial performance with better corporate governance.  Under this proposal, Nasdaq-listed companies are required to publicly disclose board-level diversity statistics within one year of the SEC's approval of the rule.

CNN reports that Nasdaq CEO Adena Friedman stated, "Nasdaq's purpose is to champion inclusive growth and prosperity to power stronger economies." Non compliance by Nasdaq-listed companies could lead to delisting.  

Nasdaq's move is part of a growing momentum to see that corporate board diversity is taken seriously across the United States.  California has for two years been requiring gender diversity on corporate boards and has recently begun requiring racial and ethnic diversity on California boards as well.  Goldman Sachs has recently announced that it will require any company that it assists in taking public must include at least one diverse board member. 

The Corporate Justice Blog has long advocated for board diversity as a priority for expanding human capital and realizing greater financial benefits for the firms and its shareholders. We argue that a commitment to diversifying the board, both in gender and racial diversity as well as worldview diversity enhances the performance of the corporations that so commit.  See here, here, here and here.

hat tip:  Deepali Lal, 3L, Arkansas at Little Rock William H. Bowen School of Law 

photo: courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

 On August 27, 2024, Special Prosecutor Jack Smith announced a Superseding Indictment Against Donald Trump arising from Trump's misconduct on January 6, 2021. The January 6 Insurrection already led to over 1400 indictments, 950 convictions, and landed over 600 protestors in jail. The Superseding Indictment seeks to restate the crimes alleged against former President Trump in light of the Supreme Court's novel and unprecedented decision in United States v. Trump granting Presidents a new-fangled immunity for official acts. In sum, according to the outstanding website January 6: And Why  it Matters:

While the core of the case remains unchanged with the four original charges intact, the revised indictment refines the scope of the accusations. Notably, it excludes certain claims, such as those involving attempts to use the Justice Department to support Trump’s false election fraud allegations.

This case will not go away absent an order to Jack Smith that he desist from prosecution. That will not happen unless Donald Trump assumes the Presidency. On the other hand, Trump will likely move to dismiss the Superseding Indictment and the trial judge could well partially grant that motion. Whatever remains of this case will very likely go to trial well after election day on November 5, 2024, and even if a jury convicts Trump litigation will continue about the scope of Presidential immunity leading to further Supreme Court review.

But what about the other criminal cases against Donald Trump?

In one criminal action brought in  Florida federal court, Special Counsel Jack Smith filed an appeal with the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals of the dismissal of all charges relating to Trump's alleged pilfering and mishandling of government documents including classified documents. Judge Aileen Cannon ruled that Smith's appointment as Special Prosecutor did not comply with law.  Special Counsel Smith just filed an appellate brief and Trump will file a response; but, this appeal will not conclude before the election and any decision will then face Supreme Court review. Consequently, the election could well decide this matter instead of a jury.

In another criminal action in New York state court, a jury Trump helped pick from his native state, unanimously found Trump guilty of all 34 felony counts alleged against him. Trump's guilt rested on evidence beyond a reasonable doubt. According to Politico:

On May 30, 2024, Trump became the first U.S. president to become a convicted felon. After a six-week trial . . . he was found guilty of falsifying business records in connection with a payoff to Stormy Daniels, a porn star who claimed she had a sexual encounter with him. By buying Daniels’ silence, the payoff avoided a possible sex scandal in the final weeks of the 2016 presidential campaign. Michael Cohen, Trump’s personal attorney and “fixer” at the time, sent the $130,000 hush-money payment to Daniels in October 2016, and then, while Trump was president, he reimbursed Cohen in a series of installments processed by Trump’s company. A unamimous 12-person jury found that Trump fraudulently disguised those installments as corporate legal expenses in violation of New York law.

In short, Trump defrauded voters in election 2016 by covering up his adulterous affair with a porn star. 

Currently, Judge Juan Merchan will rule on the impact of the Supreme Court's new-fangled immunity defense on September 16, 2024, and will sentence Trump for these felony convictions for these 34 felony convictions on September 18, 2024. Experts disagree on the likelihood of prison for these felonies.

Trump also faces felony charges in Georgia for alleged criminal efforts to change the outcome of election 2020 in Georgia. As stated at Politico:

Trump’s efforts to overturn his loss in the 2020 election were perhaps most aggressive in the state of Georgia. Multiple recounts confirmed that Joe Biden narrowly prevailed in the race for the state’s 16 electoral votes. But Trump and his allies spread lies about voter fraud, urged Georgia officials and state lawmakers to reverse Biden’s win and plotted to send fake electors to Washington. On Jan. 2, 2021, Trump called Georgia’s secretary of state, Brad Raffensperger, and urged him to “find” 11,780 votes — the number needed to overcome Biden’s victory. Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis charged Trump and 18 of his allies for these efforts, alleging a wide-ranging criminal enterprise.

Essentially Trump refused to accept the reality of his defeat in Georgia and allegedly resorted to criminal measures to change the outcome. Trump filed an appeal arguing that District Attorney Fani Willis should be removed due to a a romantic relationship with a special prosecutor. Willis' team filed an appeal of a dismissal order of six counts of the indictment. Trump also filed a motion asserting Presidential Immunity. Consequently, this criminal action is hopelessly stalled and will not be resolved for years.

The above summary of the criminal actions pending against Trump suggests the following:

1)    Somewhere American law went wrong. The people no long hold sufficient confidence in the fairness and impartiality of our system of justice. Otherwise, Trump supporters would not so readily fall prey to the Big Lie that all these criminal proceedings arise from a vast Democratic and deep state conspiracy to get Trump. No evidence supports this Big Lie. We need to rebuild confidence in the American criminal justice system.

2)    The rule of law in America failed to hold President Trump accountable for the wrongdoing in connection with contesting the election of 2020, and especially the Insurrection of January 6, 2020. Many others sit in jail. Still more pleaded guilty. There is little doubt Trump led those efforts. He did so openly on television, and in recorded phone calls. Yet, Trump suffered no adverse legal consequences for his role. This failure of the rule of law must lead to reform. Citizens must view criminal justice as fair and non-partisan. It also needs to apply swiftly, even to the rich and powerful.

3)    We need enhanced legal education in primary and secondary schools as well as at the college level. The judicial power in the US is highly fragmented. The split starts with 51 differing sovereigns each with a largely independent judicial power. Yet, many apparently believe that Joe Biden or the Democratic Party holds the ability to influence the independent judicial branch across jurisdictions. This, despite a complete lack of evidence of any improper influence. We should certainly reinforce the independence of the judicial power while simultaneously increasing transparency and accountability. At the same time citizens require more education regarding the structure and protections already in place to maintain a fair and non-partisan criminal justice system.

4)    A Trump victory at the polls will destroy the quest for a fair and non-partisan criminal justice for decades to come, as he has promised to eliminate independence in criminal enforcement at the federal level and to use the system to exact retribution and revenge upon his political opponents.