SailGP: Foil case damage keeps Danes out of second SailGP event

SailGP: Foil case damage keeps Danes out of second SailGP event

The Rockwool Denmark Racing SailGP Team will not compete in San Francisco after damage sustained in Los Angeles was deemed too extensive to repair in time for the weekend.

The Danish team was forced to retire in the opening race of the Rolex Los Angeles Sail Grand Prix after hitting a race mark. The collision damaged the F50's foil and casing, and caused significant structural damage to the port hull.

With just five days between the two events, the damage was considered too extensive to repair in time. As a result, Rockwool Denmark Racing will be forced to miss racing in San Francisco this weekend on March 22-23.

Driver of the Rockwool Denmark Racing SailGP Team, Nicolai Sehested, described the news as 'devastating'.

"It’s a challenging situation, but it’s not because people haven’t tried. SailGP’s Tech Team and our Shore Team have been working super hard to make it happen under the timelines, but a lot of it comes down to a crucial part that’s not yet available on site – the board case."

Boxing legend George Foreman dead at 76

Boxing legend George Foreman dead at 76

In a memorial post, ESPN called Foreman, “one of the most influential and recognizable boxers of all-time.”

Foreman’s last post to Instagram was on Nov. 5, 2024, was a throwback photo from a fight at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas 30 years earlier. The champion captioned the post: “I started my day believing, “All things are possible if we only believe.”

Foreman is survived by wife Mary Joan Martelly, his 12 children and his grandchildren.

As Mark Carney is sworn in, America’s democratic decline has critical lessons for Canadian voters

As Mark Carney is sworn in, America’s democratic decline has critical lessons for Canadian voters

As Mark Carney is sworn in, America’s democratic decline has critical lessons for Canadian voters

• 3/14/2025
• 8:53 AM
• The Conversation – Articles (CA)
• Matthew Lebo, Professor, Department of Political Science, Western University
• Web site view

Prime Minister Mark Carney and his cabinet have been sworn in, ending Justin Trudeau’s time in office and paving the way for a spring election. Canadians are soon heading to the polls as they watch American democracy crumble.

United States President Donald Trump recently argued “he who saves his country does not violate any Law” as he ignores Congress and the courts, governs by executive order and threatens international laws and treaties.

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Read more: Is Donald Trump on a constitutional collision course over NATO?

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Once stable democratic institutions are failing to hold an authoritarian president in check.

What lessons are there to protect Canadian democracy as the federal election approaches?

Elites lead the way

First, it’s important to delve into how so many Americans have become tolerant of undemocratic actions and politics in the first place. It’s not that Republican voters first became more extreme and then chose a representative leader. Rather, public opinion and polarization are led by elites.

Republican leaders moved dramatically to the right, and the primary system allowed the choice of an extremist. Republican voters then aligned their opinions with his. Trump’s disdain for democratic fundamentals spread quickly. Partisans defending their team slid away from democratic values.

Canada’s more centrist ideological spectrum is not foolproof against this type of extremism. Public opinion can be moved when our leaders take us there.

Decline can start slowly and then accelerate. America’s democratic backsliding in the first weeks of Trump’s second presidency follows the erosion of democratic norms over decades. Republican attacks on institutions, the opposition, the media and higher education corrosively undermined public faith in the truth, including election results.

Trust in government is holding steady in Canada, however. That provides an important guardrail for Canadian democracy.

The dangers of courting the far right

There are also lessons for our political parties. To maximize their seats, Republicans accepted extremists like Marjorie Taylor Greene, but soon needed those types of politicians for key votes.

The so-called Freedom Caucus, made up of MAGA adherents, forced the choice of a new, more extreme, leader of the House of Representatives. This provides a clear lesson that history has shown many times: it is dangerous for the party on the political right to accommodate the far right, which can quickly take control.

Once established within the ruling party, extremists can hold their party hostage.

At a recent meeting of the Munich Security Conference, Vice-President JD Vance pushed European parties to include far-right parties, and Elon Musk outright endorsed the far-right Alternative for Germany party.

Austria recently avoided the inclusion of the far right in its new coalition, and now Germany is working to do the same. As Canada’s Conservatives look for every vote, courting far-right voters and candidates risks destabilizing the system.

Can it happen in Canada?

How safe is Canada’s Westminster-style parliamentary democracy?

The fusion of legislative and executive power in parliamentary systems like Canada’s seems prone to tyranny. America’s Constitutional framers thought so when they designed a system with separate legislative, executive and judicial branches that could check each other’s power.

They clearly did not imagine party loyalty negating the safeguards that protect democracy from an authoritarian-minded president. The Constitution gives Congress the power to legislate and impeach, limits the executive’s power to spend and make appointments, gives the judiciary power to hold an executive accountable and contains the 25th amendment allowing cabinet to remove a president.

But when one party controls the legislative and executive branches during a time of hyper-partisanship, these mechanisms may not constrain an authoritarian. Today, Republican loyalty has eroded these checks and balances and American courts are struggling to step up to their heightened role.

Although counter-intuitive, parliamentary systems like Canada’s are usually less susceptible to authoritarianism than presidential ones because the cabinet or the House of Commons can turn against a lawless leader.

Still, if popular, authoritarian leaders can still retain their party’s support — and then things can slide quickly. The rightward pull of extremists seen in the U.S. House would be more dangerous here since the Canadian House of Commons includes our executive.

Guarding against xenophobia

Lastly, Canada should be wary of xenophobic rhetoric.

“America First” is not simply shopping advice. It began as an isolationist slogan during the First World War but was soon adopted by pro-fascists, American Nazis and the Ku Klux Klan. These entities questioned who is really American and wanted not only isolationism, but racist policies, immigration restrictions and eugenics.

Trump did not revive the phrase accidentally. It’s a call to America’s fringes. Alienating domestic groups is a sure sign of democratic decline.

“Canada First” mimics that century-long dark theme in America. In combination with contempt for the opposition, it questions the right of other parties to legitimately hold power if used as a message by one party.

Also, asserting that “Canada is broken” — as Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre often does — mimics Trump’s talk of American carnage, language and imagery he uses to justify extraordinary presidential authority.

Such language erodes citizens’ trust in democratic institutions and primes voters to support undemocratic practices in the name of patriotism. Canadian parties and politicians should exit that road.

Ultimately, institutions alone do not protect a country from the rise of authoritarianism. Democracy can be fragile. As a federal election approaches in Canada, it’s important to know the warning signs of extremism and anti-democratic practices that are creeping into our politics.

Matthew Lebo does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

 

	Forwarded this email? Subscribe here for more Trump's Economic Trainwreck Foreign leaders get it, even as Trump remains clueless Jennifer Rubin Mar 6   READ IN APP   After two days of watching the markets tank, President in Name Only Donald Trump’s lackeys began to talk about a “compromise” on his wrongheaded, disastrous rollout of steep across-the-board tariffs on goods from Mexico, Canada, and China. This is a common Trump stunt: Make a boneheaded move, watch the fierce blowback, make a meaningless deal, and declare victory. In this case, the “compromise” appears to include a one-month reprieve from tariffs for automakers. However, after the one-month pause, those tariffs apparently will go into effect. No such relief was offered for other goods. Whatever wiggle room Trump provides, the damage is done. Markets, businesses, and consumers are rattled. (Even Trump acknowledged during his congressional rant that tariffs would require a “little adjustment.” I trust that may be code for “inflation plus job losses.”) In sum, Trump’s economic imbecility and on-again-off-again tariff scheme risks job losses and higher inflation. And he may have irreparably harmed relations with our closest neighbors. It is not hard to see why Trump should look for an out. On Tuesday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau reiterated that “there is absolutely no justification or need whatsoever for these tariffs.” The excuse that Canada has not stopped the flow of illegal fentanyl is “totally false.” He stressed that this was all Trump’s doing. He even taunted him. “Now, it’s not in my habit to agree with the Wall Street Journal,” he said. “But Donald, they point out that even though you’re a very smart guy, this is a very dumb thing to do.” (One can seriously question the former; the latter is objectively true.) In fact, the Wall Street Journal’s editorial board citing the tariffs the “dumbest in history” may have been an understatement. The board went on: “Mr. Trump is whacking friends, not adversaries. His taxes will hit every cross-border transaction, and the North American vehicle market is so interconnected that some cars cross a border as many as eight times as they’re assembled.” Upgrade to paid In addition to Trudeau, Ontario Premier Doug Ford (in multiple TV appearances) went right over his head to the American people, American businesses, and Americans who possess any degree of economic literacy. “Canadians love Americans. We love the U.S. It’s one person that’s causing these problems… It’s not you, it’s your president that’s causing this problem,” he explained on Tuesday. In direct, respectful language he explained how dumb the tariffs truly are—for both countries. “The market is going to go downhill faster than the American bobsled team. And we’re going to continue seeing in the U.S. plants closing, assembly lines shut down,” he said. All of this is “unnecessary,” he said. All Canada can do is “retaliate.” (Almost comically, he then apologized to the American people.) Ford also made clear how utterly isolated Trump is on the issue. “I’ve talked to Senators and Congresspeople and governors, Republicans and Democrats, not one of them agree with him,” he said. He added, “President Trump ran on a mandate to lower costs, to create more jobs. This is going to do exactly the opposite.” Meanwhile, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum at her Tuesday press conference blasted Trump. “We don’t want to enter into a trade war,” she said. “That only affects the people.” She also made crystal-clear that any border issues are a pretext for Trump’s tariff war. After pointing out that the United States needs to take responsibility for the “demand” side of illegal drug smuggling, she declared, “There is no reason, justification, or excuse that supports this decision that will affect our people and nations. We have said it in various ways: cooperation and coordination, yes; subordination and interventionism, no. Mexico deserves respect.” Why does he needlessly make such objectively self-destructive moves? His tariffs certainly cannot be justified economically, and the predictable results are so severe, they make even less political sense. We know that Trump—who reads nothing, lacks the least bit of curiosity, and surrounds himself with thick-headed sycophants—often gets fixated on a wrongheaded idea (e.g., NATO is ripping us off). When challenged by numerous informed people, he digs deeper into his ignorant stances. Agreement with him (or at the very least silent acquiescence) becomes a sign of MAGA loyalty. Trump delights in playing the schoolyard bully. He is entirely uninterested in whether Americans get hurt or not. Similarly, he seems thrilled with his ability to threaten loyal allies (e.g. Denmark), as he did in his speech to Congress, simply because he can. In private, and increasingly in public, Republicans confess that the tariffs are disastrous, but they shy away from blaming or offending Trump. Some Republicans will whisper off the record that they are afraid for their physical safety. Which is all the more reason to expose publicly the bully and his fascist shock troops. If these craven politicians are simply worried about losing their seats, they might consider that if we hit a recession they will get trounced in 2026. Either way, politicians who cannot muster the courage to represent their constituents’ needs and uphold their own oaths should find another line of work. Maybe those free-marketers now yelping over the very policies Trump promised to enact would have done better to speak up before the election in support of the candidate who decried destructive, job-killing, growth-nixing, inflation-boosting tariffs—namely, former vice president, Kamala Harris. Should Trump go through with this, the damage will be severe. “All told, for example, the prices of computers and electronic goods are estimated to rise by more than 10%, clothes by 7.5% and cars by 6.1%,” former car czar Steven Rattner explained. “The CEO of Target has said that produce prices (we get a lot from Mexico) could rise in the next several days. The CEO of Ford has said that tariffs would ‘blow a hole’ in the auto industry.” Thanks to Trump’s thick-headedness and ignorance, American consumers, businesses, and workers will all face unnecessary pain. Sadly, Canadian and Mexican leaders have a far better grip on what benefits the American people than does Trump or his sniveling MAGA allies. Democratic leaders have an opportunity to defend our workers, consumers, and investors. They must seize it. The Contrarian is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support our work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

77% of Albertans Oppose Coal Mining - Lifts Moratorium

77% of Albertans Oppose Coal Mining - Lifts Moratorium

 Following aggressive lobbying by an Australian coal mining tycoon, the Danielle Smith government is moving to pursue metallurgical coal extraction in the eastern reaches of the Rocky Mountains, even though nearly 80% of Albertans say they oppose all coal mining in the region.

Commissioned by ranchers and other landowners in the region, the survey found that only 23% of Albertans support coal exploration for mining the iconic mountains, and 27% believe the economic impacts outweigh the environmental risks, reports Global News. Conducted last month, the survey of some 1,000 Albertans also found that 77% of respondents were worried about local watersheds being contaminated by selenium, a highly toxic pollutant associated with coal mining.

Swiftsure International Yacht Race - Notice of Race

Notice of Race: 

The Royal Victoria Yacht Club is pleased to announce details for the 80th running of the Swiftsure International Yacht Race and extends a cordial invitation to monohull boats with a PHRF or ORC handicap and multihulls with a PHRF handicap which meet the eligibility requirements. All boats with a PHRF or ORC handicap and multihulls with a PHRF handicap which meet the eligibility requirements.

Whoa, Canada - Martyn Wendell Jones

 

Whoa, Canada

by Martyn Wendell Jones

Donald Trump’s massive tariffs on goods from Canada dropped into place last night at midnight, and the initial monthlong delay that he apparently thought would soften up the neighbors to the north has instead radicalized them. His repeated remarks about Canada being absorbed into the United States have heightened their rage.

One minute after midnight, Trump’s 25 percent tariffs on goods from Canada and 10 percent on energy products triggered retaliatory tariffs on the Canadian side: an initial 25 percent levy on $30 billion (CAD) of American imports, to be followed in three weeks by a further 25 percent on another $125 billion (CAD). (The delay between stages is intended to give Canadian businesses a chance to unlink their supply chains from American producers.)

But the dollar-for-dollar tariffs everyone is focusing on, much as they will hurt, are only a starting point for Canada’s response to Trump’s trade war. As Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said last night, “should U.S. tariffs not cease, we are in active and ongoing discussions with provinces and territories to pursue several non-tariff measures.”

It’s those non-tariff responses that Americans would do well to think about. Trump’s moronic gibes about annexation have incensed the most-educated country in the world, and much brainpower has been channeled into creative methods for causing Americans economic pain.

For starters, there is the possibility, endorsed by a progressive Canadian think tank, of placing punishing export taxes on Canadian goods for which American demand is both high and inelastic—including crude oil, unalloyed aluminum, and potash, a key fertilizer ingredient.

The consequences of tariffs on minerals imported into the United States from Canada will be “particularly profound for the [U.S.] defense industry, nuclear energy, and heavy manufacturing,” according to an analysis from the Center for Strategic and International Studies. Canada supplies a quarter of the United States’ uranium imports and half its nickel; the two countries’ aluminum industries are deeply integrated. Both Canada and the United States could see their energy and security positions against China weakened.

Not to be outdone, the Canadian Labour Congress published its call to action last month under a forthright headline: “Cut Off U.S. Energy and Resources Now: No Electricity, No Critical Minerals, No Oil and Gas.”

“You need our uranium. You need our potash. You need our high-grade nickel,” Ontario Premier Doug Ford told NBC News on Monday. “Your aluminum. The steel. The lumber. It will be an absolute disaster.”

But Ford wasn’t talking about placing export taxes on these goods. He was describing plans for retaliatory export bans. And those aren’t the only stoppages Ford has said he’ll enact: “I’m going after absolutely everything.”

Imagining Ford’s forceful response to be unreflective of the constituents’ feelings—don’t they say “Sorry” at everything up there?—would be a mistake. Many Canadians want their leaders to go after absolutely everything. Even energy.

“We keep the lights on for 1.5 million homes and manufacturing in New York, in Michigan, and in Minnesota,” Ford told NBC News. “If [Trump] wants to destroy our economy and our families, I will shut down the electricity going down to the U.S. And I’m telling you, we will do it.”

“With a smile on my face,” he added in a speech on Monday: “They need to feel pain.”

One other possible mode of retaliation, unimaginable just a few weeks ago: intellectual property. A think tank based in Waterloo has advocated suspending U.S. patent rights. An Albertan pundit argued on Monday that by instigating a tariff war, Trump broke “the free trade agreement he signed during his first term, and we should move forward as if the agreement does not exist.” Among other things, she writes, this “frees up a lot of space in intellectual and technological property rights.” Further, “We can also disregard registered trademarks.”

In the minds of many Canadians, extreme measures like this are legitimate because, as one commentator puts it, “this isn’t really a trade war—it’s a shakedown.”

Coincidentally, the same day Trump said tariffs on Canadian and Mexican goods would go ahead, a story broke that his administration is seeking to ease sanctions on Russia. After appeasing the bear, he has decided to drive his car into the moose. All of us are about to find out what happens next.

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