Category: Politics

Until two months ago, Leonard Leo was among the unambiguous winners of the Trump era. The bookish lawyer and architect of the conservative legal movement has spent the past three and a half years executing his decades-long vision of remaking the federal judiciary—he was instrumental in the Supreme Court appointments of Brett Kavanaugh and Neil […]

VICTORIA — Premier John Horgan went off message Monday as he fielded a question about Canadians who were being harassed for sporting American licence plates on their vehicles . “We don’t know the circumstances of individuals when we come upon them,” Horgan began, echoing the kind of thing that Dr. Bonnie Henry has been saying […]

VICTORIA — B.C. Ferries is struggling to stay afloat financially after the federal government failed to include the company in bailout funding for public transit agencies during the pandemic. The ferry corporation said it is racking up debt as it absorbs steep losses due to ridership and revenue declines caused by reduced travel in recent […]

Let’s stipulate right away that President Donald Trump is losing this race. Set aside the particulars—how suburban voters are migrating toward Joe Biden, and how seniors are rethinking their support too. Consider the basics. Presidents are supposed to keep Americans employed. The jobless rate now stands at 11 percent—more than 3 points higher than when […]

Federal Justice Minister David Lametti faces a twin contagion infecting the country’s legal system — the repercussions of COVID-19 and the toxic residue of colonialism. He has neither a cure nor a vaccine for either. The pandemic has curtailed access to justice across the country, closed courtrooms and registries and forced a hidebound system to […]

Donald Trump needs Arizona on his side in November. Losing the state and its 11 Electoral College votes would, at the very least, mean a drastically narrower path back to the White House. Keeping Arizona red shouldn’t be a challenge; the state has long been a Republican stronghold. But Arizona is changing rapidly, and right […]

Donna Shalala has a new dog named Fauci. He’s a rescue dog, maybe part Yorkie, she figures. The name seemed right: He was found running into an Italian restaurant in Miami, where she lives, so the animal-shelter staff suggested that she give him an Italian name. And like everyone else, she’s been thinking a lot […]

VICTORIA — Premier John Horgan and provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry rejected calls this week for a major crackdown on reckless behaviour during the novel coronavirus pandemic. Dr. Henry called the rising case count “a wake-up call” and announced “tweaks” in the rules governing restaurants, bars and vacation rentals. But she maintained her view […]

More than a month after New York’s June 23 primary elections, state election officials are still counting votes. In some legislative districts, they haven’t even started counting absentee votes. In the best-case scenario, election officials hope to declare winners by the first Tuesday in August—six weeks after Election Day. It might take a lot longer […]

VICTORIA — B.C. has already spent more than $100 million buying personal protective equipment for health care workers and others during the COVID-19 pandemic, Health Minister Adrian Dix reported this week. The province intends to spend tens of millions of dollars more during the next six to nine months to build up stockpiles in anticipation […]

VICTORIA — B.C.’s top doctor is looking at how to safely hold elections during the COVID-19 pandemic, in case the province’s minority government ends up going to the polls early. Dr. Bonnie Henry said Thursday that the current minority governments in B.C. and in Ottawa, as well as three delayed B.C. municipal byelections, have caused […]

VICTORIA — B.C.’s drive to clear the backlog of cancelled surgeries has already brought about unprecedented change in the system, Health Minister Adrian Dix reported this week. One accomplishment involves the summer slowdown in surgeries, brought on by staffing shortages and cancellations in the prime vacation months of July and August. Last year 14,505 operating […]

VICTORIA — B.C. intends to have primary and middle students back in school full-time this fall, says the province’s education minister. Rob Fleming said Wednesday he’s preparing for a formal announcement with the provincial health officer, Dr. Bonnie Henry, next week, but the goal is to fully return as many students to classrooms in September […]

VICTORIA – The B.C. government will spend an additional $1 billion for COVID-19 aid in order to match federal funds for public transit and municipal governments, driving the projected provincial deficit this year to $13.5 billion. Finance Minister Carole James tabled the additional spending plan in the legislature Wednesday, already adding to a provincial spending […]