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☆ Factbox: Key moves in Justin Trudeau's cabinet shuffle
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

OTTAWA, July 26 (Reuters) - Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau shuffled his cabinet on Wednesday, appointing new heads at 30 of the 38 ministries, adding seven new faces. Bill Blair took over as defense minister, his fourth cabinet post under Trudeau since 2018, where he will oversee military efforts to help Ukraine and reinforce NATO. The former Toronto police chief, 69, had previously been in charge of border security, public safety and then emergency preparedness. Marc Miller, 50, was promoted to immigration minister from crown indigenous relations. Fraser, 39, had been immigration minister since October 2021.

Persons: Justin Trudeau, Anita Anand, Anand, Bill Blair, Trudeau, Dominic LeBlanc, Marco Mendicino, Marc Miller, Sean Fraser, Mark Holland, Jean, Yves Duclos, Pablo Rodriguez, Arif Virani, David Lametti, Mona Fortier, Mendicino, David Ljunggren, Steve Scherer, Deepa Babington Organizations: OTTAWA, Canadian, WHO, Treasury Board, NATO, Toronto police, Liberal, Canadian Heritage, Treasury, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, Fraser, Ontario

[1/5] Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau poses for a family photo with cabinet ministers, following a cabinet shuffle, at Rideau Hall, in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, July 26, 2023. Dominic LeBlanc becomes public safety minister, taking over for Marco Mendicino, and Arif Virani moves from the back benches to become justice minister. "The shuffle does send a clear message that the government is aware that their current standing with the electorate is not healthy." An Abacus Data poll out on Wednesday shows his party opening up a big lead on the Liberals with 38% to 28% in public support. Poilievre pounced on the shuffle, calling it evidence of the prime minister's failures.

Persons: Justin Trudeau, Blair Gable OTTAWA, Trudeau, Chrystia Freeland, Francois, Philippe Champagne, Melanie Joly, Sean Fraser, Dominic LeBlanc, Marco Mendicino, Arif Virani, Bill Blair, Anita Anand, Frank Graves, Pierre Poilievre, Poilievre pounced, Shachi Kurl, Angus Reid, David Ljunggren, Steve Scherer, Paul Simao, Mark Heinrich, Deepa Babington Organizations: Canada's, Rideau Hall, REUTERS, Canadian, Finance, Innovation, Infrastructure, Defense, Conservative, Abacus, Twitter, New Democrats, Angus, Angus Reid Institute, Conservatives, Liberals, Thomson Locations: Ottawa , Ontario, Canada

☆ Opinion: After living for so long in Israel, this is the story I had to write
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-13 | by ( Opinion Ruth Marks Eglash | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Editor’s Note: Ruth Marks Eglash (@reglash) is a journalist based in Israel. She is the author of the novel “Parallel Lines.” The views expressed here are her own. CNN —When I first thought of writing a novel about the toll of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict on young people, a literary agent tried to talk me out of it. Very often, our words or reports only end up serving as tools and cynical proof for one side to lord over the other. It seems that the only lasting impact our stories have is to foster more anger, hate and division.

Persons: Ruth Marks Eglash, Ruth Marks Eglash Ariel Jerozolimski, Dashka Slater, Suzanne Collins, Collins, ”, Anthony Doerr’s Pulitzer, Laure Leblanc, Werner Pfennig, Nour, Richard Powers ’, Powers Organizations: CNN, New York Times, The Washington Post, The New York Times, Palestinian, Israel Defense Forces, Jewish, Twitter, Facebook Locations: Israel, Oakland , California, United States, Panem, Jerusalem, Marie, Paris, Saint, Palestinian

☆ A Tragic Act of Gun Violence Repeats Itself in a Small Southern Town
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-07 | by ( Lauren Leblanc | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

Threaded through her consciousness is a steady reference to nursery rhymes and folklore, the vehicles by which she carries her shame. Ghost stories and folksy tales, as well as novels, embody a history worth exploring. If the truth is subject to debate, perhaps we’re only left with stories to set us free. “Inside the Wolf” is a vital Southern novel that speaks to a violent American legacy. Lauren LeBlanc is a book critic whose writing has appeared in The Times, The Boston Globe and The Atlantic, among other publications.

Persons: Rachel reconnects, ” Rowland, Palmer, Rachel, Rowland, Lauren LeBlanc Organizations: The Times, Boston Globe Locations: Southern, American

☆ America's largest office tenant is embracing remote work, creating more pain for a market already in distress
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-03 | by ( Daniel Geiger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

The federal government is embracing remote work and cutting back its office footprint nationally. President Joe Biden and Donald Trump might not appear to agree on much, but when it comes to cutting back on office space, they're aligned. Now federal tenants are in for a new phase of belt-tightening as more accept remote and hybrid work, real estate experts say. "The majority of federal offices are still largely vacant on most days," said Darian LeBlanc, the director of government services at Cushman & Wakefield. So far, only the Department of Veterans Affairs has publicly said how it plans to use remote and hybrid work.

Persons: Joe Biden, Donald Trump, Barack Obama, Biden —, Darian LeBlanc, LeBlanc, Rachel Davis, Davis, — Davis, Bob Hunt, Martin Selig, Jesse Lawder, Selig, Shalanda Young, Denis McDonough, Cushman, JBG Smith, Christi, who's Organizations: —, Trump, Cushman &, Washington DC, General Services Administration, Department of Labor, Management, FBI, Securities and Exchange Commission, Environmental Protection Agency, Minerals Management Service, Department of Veterans Affairs, National Transportation Safety, L'Enfant Plaza, state's Department of General Services, National Association of State Locations: Cushman & Wakefield, United States, JLL, Seattle, Washington, L'Enfant, . Tennessee, Nashville, Knoxville, Memphis, Chattanooga, Branscom, California , Illinois, North Carolina, Florida

CNNHouse Judiciary Chair Jim Jordan on Sunday fiercely defended Donald Trump against his federal indictment, repeatedly claiming that the former president had the ability to declassify documents at any time. But Jordan repeatedly countered that saying he “could have” declassified material as president was not the same as saying he “didn’t” already declassify the material. “He has said time and time again, he's declassified all this material,” Jordan said. Trump is facing his first federal indictment for retention of classified documents and conspiracy with a top aide to hide them from the government and his own attorneys — a total of 37 counts. According to the indictment, classified documents were allegedly kept at various places in Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort, including a public ballroom, bathroom and bedroom.

Persons: Jim Jordan, Donald Trump, “, CNN's Dana Bash, ” Jordan, Jordan, Trump, didn’t, he's, —, CNN's Daniel Dale Organizations: CNN, Sunday, Ohio Republican, Union, Justice Department Locations: Trump's Mar, Lago

[1/2] David Johnston, special rapporteur on foreign interference, holds a press conference about his findings and recommendations, in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada May 23, 2023. REUTERS/Blair GableOTTAWA, June 9 (Reuters) - A special investigator named by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to probe alleged election interference by China on Friday said he would quit, citing widespread opposition to his appointment and work. Last month he said Trudeau's government had not ignored evidence of Chinese meddling and recommended against an official public inquest. Following Johnston's appointment, three opposition legislators said Canada's spy agency told them they had been the target of Chinese interference. Last month Trudeau's government expelled a Chinese official after it emerged that he had sought information about the family of one of the legislators.

Persons: David Johnston, Blair Gable OTTAWA, Justin Trudeau, Trudeau's, Johnston, Trudeau, Dominic LeBlanc, LeBlanc, David Ljunggren, Leslie Adler Organizations: REUTERS, Canadian, Thomson Locations: Ottawa , Ontario, Canada, China, Beijing

☆ BA, BBC and Boots caught up in file transfer hack
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BA, the BBC and Boots said the breach occurred at their payroll provider, Zellis. The provincial government of Nova Scotia, in Canada, was also hit by the breach. The data from Zellis and the Nova Scotia government was exposed through their use of the MOVEit file transfer software, both organizations said in separate statements. The Nova Scotia government did not immediate return a request for comment. Boots, part of Walgreens Boots Alliance (WBA.O), said the attack had included some of its employees' personal details.

Persons: Boots, Zellis, Nova, Colton LeBlanc, MOVEit, extortionists, Raphael Satter, Sarah Young, Muvija, Eva Mathews, Paul Sandle, Bill Berkrot Organizations: British Airways, BBC, Nova, Security, Digital Solutions, IAG, Walgreens Boots Alliance, Progress Software, Microsoft, Reuters, Britain . British Airways, Thomson Locations: Nova Scotia, Canada, Zellis, Britain, Washington, London, Bengaluru

☆ The collapse of the 'unremarkable middle' might be the best way to describe what's going wrong for retailers right now
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-30 | by ( Alex Bitter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Stores like Bed Bath & Beyond are an "unremarkable middle," Dennis said on the Remarkable Retail podcast. Fewer middle-income consumers mean a shrinking shopper base for retailers that historically catered to the middle class, Retail Dive reported in 2019. "The apocalyptic part is really about the collapse of the unremarkable middle," Dennis said on the podcast. That's putting new pressure on the "unremarkable middle," Dennis said. "Economic pressure is going to reveal more fragility on the part of many retailers," Dennis added.

☆ Europe’s Economy Barely Avoids Recession
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-28 | by ( Paul Hannon | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Europe’s return to modest growth coincides with a pickup in China and a slowdown in the U.S. Photo: Nicolas Leblanc/Bloomberg NewsEurope’s economy skirted a recession at the start of the year, underlining the continent’s surprising resilience despite Russia’s war on Ukraine, signs of banking strains, and repeated interest-rate increases to combat stubbornly high inflation. The bloc’s return to modest growth coincides with a first-quarter pickup in China and a slowdown in the U.S. Taken together, these numbers suggest the global economy likely bounced back from a trough late last year, although headwinds from a restrictive monetary policy could put a lid on the revival.

☆ Europe’s Economy Avoids Recession—Just About
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-28 | by ( Paul Hannon | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Brian Kemp has a message for his fellow Republicans looking to win back the White House: “We cannot get distracted.”“We have to tell people, No. “It does not give us a path for Republicans to win.”Asked by Tapper if Trump was unelectable nationwide, Kemp demurred. Tension between Trump and Kemp has been simmering for years. When Kemp refused to overturn Biden’s 2020 win in Georgia, Trump made the governor his No. 1 enemy, publicly railing against him throughout 2021 and recruiting former US Sen. David Perdue to challenge Kemp in a GOP primary.

☆ Premarket stocks: What the OPEC cuts mean for Putin and Russia
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-04 | by ( Nicole Goodkind | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

OPEC+ was formed in 2016 to coordinate and regulate oil production and stabilize global oil prices. What it means for Putin: OPEC+’s decision to cut oil production could have big implications for Russia. After Russia invaded Ukraine last year, the United States and United Kingdom immediately stopped purchasing oil from the country. Higher-priced oil could help Russia pay for its war on Ukraine and also boosts revenue in Saudi Arabia. Current regulations, Dimon argued, could actually lull banks into complacency without actually addressing real system-wide banking issues.

CNN —Special counsel Jack Smith has subpoenaed Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger as part of the Justice Department’s investigation into efforts to overturn the 2020 election and the US Capitol attack on January 6, 2021. Mike Hassinger, public information officer with the Georgia secretary of state’s office, confirmed that Raffensperger’s office has received a subpoena from Smith. “At the request of the Justice Department, we have no further comment,” Hassinger said in an email to CNN. Smith has also issued a flurry of subpoenas, including to election officials in battleground states where Trump tried to overturn his loss in 2020. And there’s nothing wrong with saying that, you know, um, that you’ve recalculated,” Trump said in one part of the call.

Washington CNN —Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont said Sunday that “political aspirations” drove Sen. Kyrsten Sinema’s exit from the Democratic Party, as he vowed to take a “hard look” at supporting a potential Democratic challenge to her in Arizona. I happen to suspect that it’s probably a lot to do with politics back in Arizona. Sinema announced last week she was leaving the Democratic Party and registering as a political independent, a move that is unlikely to change the power balance in the next Senate. Democrats will have a narrow 51-49 majority that includes two independents who caucus with them: Sanders and Angus King of Maine. She also brushed aside criticism she may face for the decision to leave the Democratic Party.

Washington CNN —The House select committee investigating the January 6, 2021, insurrection concluded its meeting on Sunday where members discussed criminal referrals, multiple sources told CNN. The subcommittee tasked with investigating criminal referrals presented its recommendations to the full panel at a 1 p.m. ET virtual meeting, but it is unclear if those recommendations were officially adopted. Committee Chair Bennie Thompson, a Mississippi Democrat, told reporters Friday he expected to reach a decision on criminal referrals at Sunday’s virtual meeting. But Schiff reiterated on Sunday that the committee will wait to announce its decision until December 21, when it plans to present the rest of its report.

☆ The Fleurty Girl of New Orleans
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-05 | by ( Sponsor Post | Sponsored State Farm | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

LLauren LeBlanc Haydel founded Fleurty Girl in 2009 with a $2,000 tax refund and a vision for a different life. "I realized I'm going to start a t-shirt line about New Orleans and feminine cut t-shirts, and it's going to be called Fleurty Girl," Haydel said. Fleurty Girl / GettyBut it isn't just that leap of faith to which she attributes her early success. GettyThe exposure from the cease-and-desist letter gave Fleurty Girl the buzz it needed because locals ate up her merchandise, and wanted more. Fleurty Girl / GettyToday, Fleurty Girl has nine stores, including one online, that sells carefully curated products like socks, jewelry, shoes – and yes, t-shirts – from local and internationally loved brands.

The United States and European Union established the council in June last year as a forum for discussing new technology and trade. “With the Inflation Reduction Act being informally discussed only over a 45-minute lunch, the commissioner has decided not to participate,” the aide added. The Inflation Reduction Act has become an acute source of tension between the allies. The European Union and United States share the biggest “bilateral trade and investment relationship” in the world, according to the European Commission’s website. Transatlantic trade hit a record €1.2 trillion ($1.26 trillion) in 2021, the Commission said.

☆ Inside a $2.5 million Michigan castle that harkens back to medieval Europe with its secret passageways, wooden drawbridge, and wine cellar
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-24 | by ( Robert Davis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The LeBlanc Castle is a custom 10,000-square-foot property about 30 minutes north of Detroit. The castle, set on more than 6 acres, has been on the market for three months asking $2.5 million. To this day, he has not spent a single night at the five-bedroom, seven-bathroom mansion a 30-minute drive north of Detroit known to locals as The LeBlanc Castle. It harkens back to the 15th-century Scottish medieval era with its secret passageways, wooden drawbridge, and other classical features like a moat. Since taking possession of the castle, Gatecliff said he has updated several pieces of the home's infrastructure.

CNN —Former US President Donald Trump’s Twitter account has been reinstated on the platform. The account, which Twitter banned following the January 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol, was restored after Twitter CEO and new owner Elon Musk posted a poll on Twitter on Friday night asking the platform’s users if Trump should be reinstated. Asked on Saturday what he thought of Musk purchasing Twitter and his own future on the platform, Trump praised Musk but questioned whether the site would survive its current crises. It may make it, it may not make it.”Still, Trump said he liked Musk and “liked that he bought (Twitter. Soon after Trump’s Twitter ban, he was also restricted from Meta’s Facebook and Instagram, which could also restore his accounts as soon as January 2023.

☆ Trump won’t return to Twitter right away: Musk enlists panel to review suspended accounts
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-28 | by ( Oliver Darcy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

New York CNN Business —Newly minted Twitter owner Elon Musk said Friday afternoon that the social media company “will be forming a content moderation council with widely diverse viewpoints.” That means suspended accounts like the one held by former President Donald Trump won’t immediately return to Twitter. “No major content decisions or account reinstatements will happen before that council convenes,” Musk added. Musk has repeatedly stressed his intention to rethink Twitter (TWTR)’s content moderation policies, as well. Musk had previously indicated that he was not a supporter of permanently banishing people from Twitter and that Trump would be permitted to return under his ownership. Musk’s commitment to a moderation council should pause some of those concerns for now.

☆ The newest investor at Toyota's mobility VC arm shares her plans to use an $800 million fund to power startups making cities more sustainable
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-20 | by ( Alexa St. John | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

She's looking for startups and founders racing to build sustainable cities. What LeBlanc is looking forCompanies working on multimodal transportation, software, and more fit into LeBlanc's idea of a sustainable city. How do we need mobility to be sorted in order to build sustainable cities? "There's lots of solutions out there that can really make our cities more sustainable. "Being able to crack that nut is really what's inhibiting us from having global sustainable cities."

The world should mourn the loss of Angela Lansbury, a gifted actress who died this week at 96 after a career of more than seven decades. Angela Lansbury stars as mystery writer and crime solver Jessica Fletcher on the CBS television series "Murder, She Wrote" in 1990. “Murder, She Wrote,” however, featured not only a woman, but an older one at that. I remember well Lansbury’s character, with her constant bike riding and quick mind. While I’m sorry that Lansbury is no longer with us, I’m glad that the era of “Murder, She Wrote” has passed.

☆ Gov. Greg Abbott said Texas' strict abortion law would 'eliminate all rapists.' But clinics say the number of rape cases has been 'consistently high': report
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-25 | by ( Taylor Ardrey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Greg Abbott pledged to "eliminate all rapists" as a result of the state's strict abortion law. Greg Abbott's assurance that the state's strict abortion law would "eliminate all rapists," according to The Associated Press. 1 in the state of Texas is to eliminate rape so that no woman, no person, will be a victim of it." As The Texas Tribune reported last month the state's abortion trigger law was set in motion after SCOTUS overturned Roe. Democrats recently slammed Abbott for his comments that insinuated rape victims should take a Plan B to avoid getting pregnant.

☆ Canada girds for long haul after historic storm Fiona ravages east coast
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-25 | by ( John Morris | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Waves roll in near a damaged house built close to the shore as Hurricane Fiona, later downgraded to a post-tropical cyclone, passes the Atlantic settlement of Port aux Basques, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada September 24, 2022. The historic storm slammed into eastern Canada with hurricane-force winds, forcing evacuations, uprooting trees and powerlines, and reducing many homes to "just a pile of rubble." read moreThe Canadian Hurricane Centre estimated that Fiona was the lowest pressured land falling storm on record in Canada. Several university students lined up for food outside convenience stores powered by generators due to the power outage caused by Fiona. "So this is exactly the kind of work that will accompany provincial authorities in the coming weeks and months," he added.

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