Trudeau Takes Canada, Amazon Sues Reviewers

Oh, Canada: Canada’s Liberal Party led by Justin Trudeau, son of the late former Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau, swept into power after elections yesterday, ending the nine-year rule of the Conservative Party’s Stephen Harper. Trudeau campaigned partly on a promise to end Harper’s fiscal conservatism and run a $10 billion annual deficit for three years to rebuild infrastructure and spur the economy.

Trudeau’s father was prime minister for 11 years, starting in 1968, and for another four, beginning in 1980.

Trudeau said, “More than a hundred years ago a great prime minister, Wilfrid Laurier, talked about sunny ways, he knew that politics can be a positive force and that is the message Canadians sent today. Sunny ways, my friends, sunny ways, this is what positive politics can do.”

You May Also Like: Amazon is suing more than 1,000 people for writing fake product reviews on its website for $5 payments. The Amazon complaint says, “Defendants are misleading Amazon’s customers and tarnishing Amazon’s brand for their own profit and the profit of a handful of dishonest sellers and manufacturers.” Ironically, most of the fake reviews are enthusiastic.

In a contentious mood, it seems, Amazon is also fighting back against the New York Times, which published a damning story saying Amazon is a grueling machine that grinds up employees. Amazon spokesman Jay Carney, formerly the White House flack, wrote about one of the Times’ most-read stories of the year saying that, “Had the reporters checked their facts, the story they published would have been a lot less sensational, a lot more balanced, and, let’s be honest, a lot more boring.”

Bladerunner: Former Olympic athlete Oscar Pistorius has been released from prison after just one year served on his manslaughter conviction for killing his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp. The 28 year old double amputee who ran on metal spring blades is now supposed to spend four years under house arrest at his uncle’s gated home. He can leave during the day.

Nation: Ohio has delayed all executions until 2017 because it has run out of lethal drugs and can’t get more.

>Presidential candidates Ben Carson and Donald Trump have asked for Secret Service protection.

>The 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals has upheld most of the stringent gun control laws passed in New York and Connecticut after the Sandy Hook school massacre in 2012. Connecticut Gov. Dannel Malloy said, “Connecticut would be better off if every state and the federal government enacted similar, sensible gun safety rules.”

>Texas is cutting off Medicaid payments to Planned Parenthood, citing violations portrayed in sting videos that have been proven to have been false.

Dewey Defeats Truman: The Washington Post yesterday accidentally pushed the button and electronically published the advance draft of a story announcing Vice President Joe Biden has entered the presidential race. It was quickly replaced with a disclaimer saying, “This file was inadvertently published.” The Post also has an advance story saying Biden is not running. They also have an advance obituary. That’s what newspapers do. They just don’t publish before the event happens.

Anchorman: Well, David, the policy at ABC News for the past year has been that when reporters appear live with anchorman David Muir they have to mention his name twice in their closing standup. Last night we counted the name David or David Muir only nine times during the broadcast. Just one correspondent appeared to follow the rule, squeezing in a “David” early in his live standup so it sounded like “David Trump,” missing the verbal comma. The real operative word at ABC News is not “David,” it’s “tonight.” In the false-immediacy of ABC News, everything is happening “tonight” whether it’s happening tonight or not. The word “tonight” was used 43 times in last night’s news and we are certain it will be used many times again … tonight. David?

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Wednesday, April 24, 2024

Page Two

The Most Corrupt Justice

Monday, October 2, 2023

Democracy and Video in the Dark

Sunday, February 26, 2023

Page Two: Do the Right Thing

Tuesday, February 1, 2022

Page Two: Sound Recall

Monday, September 13, 2021

Page Two: Cuomo Must Go

Friday, August 13, 2021

Trump and the Truth

Tuesday, November 3, 2020

The “Great” President

Monday, March 30, 2020

The Wright Stuff

Saturday, February 29, 2020

It's Been Said

"In my mind, I’ve never crossed the line with anyone, but I didn’t realize the extent to which the line has been redrawn. There are generational and cultural shifts that I just didn’t fully appreciate, and I should have, no excuses."

-Andrew Cuomo, resigning as governor of New York after accusations of sexual harassment

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