Wednesday Night #2273

Attenborough and Prince William lead tributes to Dr Jane Goodall
Dr Goodall died of natural causes while in California on a speaking tour of the US, according to a statement from the Jane Goodall Institute.
It said her discoveries “revolutionised science” and that she advocated “for the protection and restoration of our natural world”.
In a statement issued to the PA news agency, BBC presenter and renowned environmentalist Sir David said: “Jane Goodall was the first to prove that an investigating scientist and a great ape living in the wild could become true friends and in doing so she came to transform our understanding of chimpanzees.”
Prince William said “the world has lost an extraordinary voice” in a post on X, adding: “she challenged us all to make a difference and inspired me and countless others to work to protect our planet. Jane Goodall made a difference.”
Many other public figures as well as global organisations have praised Dr Goodall’s legacy.

Longtime CBC radio host, Montreal news anchor Dennis Trudeau dies at 77
Trudeau remembered for his deep knowledge of Quebec history and culture
(CBC) Dennis Trudeau, a prominent and beloved Montreal presence in radio and television who also made his mark on national airwaves, has died.
The former CBC reporter, radio host, and news anchor was 77.
Julian Sher, a former senior producer with The Fifth Estate and a longtime colleague of Trudeau’s, describes him as someone who loved the city of Montreal and ”knew its English and its French culture.”
Obituary: Former CBC Montreal newscaster Dennis Trudeau was ‘a wonderful storyteller’
“He was someone who always strove for accuracy and fairness … a wonderful storyteller who continued to tell stories after he retired from the CBC.”
(Montreal Gazette) Dennis Trudeau, familiar to generations of Montrealers as a longtime CBC Television news anchor and across Canada as the voice of the nationally broadcast As it Happens radio show, has died.
John Curtin writes: “I’m in Lyon visiting Sean who’s at university here this year. I heard a couple of hours ago that Dennis had died. It’s a shock because I spent a lovely two hours with him at his house just last Monday, the day before leaving. He was in high spirits and seemed full of energy. We even went for a short walk. He asked me to send photos and we planned to get together when I return in November.”

Donald Trump Wars & Peace
It is Nobel season again and Donald Trump is campaigning like mad for the Peace Prize while declaring war on American cities. Presumably he is aware that the Peace Prize laureate will be announced on Friday? So is this the start of next year’s campaign when he may finally have settled Israel-Gaza and/or Putin’s War with Ukraine?
Robert Reich examines how Trump gets and processes information before making potentially lethal decisions in The Mad King’s Television

Meanwhile, the Nobel Committee had a couple of problems reaching the Prize for Medicine laureates.
His Off-the-Grid Vacation Was Interrupted by Winning a Nobel Prize Fred Ramsdell found out about his Nobel Prize nearly 12 hours after it was announced because he was on vacation in the Rockies.
Fred Ramsdell shared Monday’s prestigious prize with Mary Brunkow of Seattle, Washington and Shimon Sakaguchi of Osaka University in Japan for their discoveries related to the functioning of the immune system.
Photos show Mary E. Brunkow waking up to the news after an AP reporter woke up the dog (a Terrier -Airedale- of course).
Ali is very happy with Tuesday’s announcement that the Nobel Prize in Physics Is Awarded for Work in Quantum Mechanics
John Clarke, Michel H. Devoret and John M. Martinis were recognized for work that made behaviors of the subatomic realm observable at a larger scale.
Nobel Prize in chemistry goes to discovery that could trap C02 and bring water to deserts‘
The committee said Susumu Kitagawa, Richard Robson and Omar M. Yaghi were honored for “groundbreaking discoveries” that “may contribute to solving some of humankind’s greatest challenges,” from pollution to water scarcity.
Robson, 88, is affiliated with the University of Melbourne in Australia. Kitagawa, 74, is with Japan’s Kyoto University, and Yaghi, 60, is with the University of California, Berkeley.
The three scientists won…for their development of new molecular structures that can trap vast quantities of gas inside, laying the groundwork to potentially suck greenhouse gases out of the atmosphere or harvest moisture from desert environments.
The chairperson of the committee that made the award compared the structures called metal-organic frameworks to the seemingly bottomless magical handbag carried by Hermione Granger in the “Harry Potter” series. Another example might be Mary Poppins’ enchanted carpet bag. These containers look small from the outside but are able to hold surprisingly large quantities within.

Israel/Gaza/Hamas
Breaking news: Trump says Israel and Hamas sign off on first phase of Gaza ceasefire plan
Mediator Qatar said that more details of the agreement would be announced at a later date.

Two years after Hamas’ attack ignited the war in the Gaza Strip, the militant group is weakened but not defeated, Israel has clobbered its enemies across the region but failed to achieve its main goals, and no one knows how it all will end. (See Long reads below)
In Montreal, Several protests and counter-protests took place downtown, culminating in cancelled classes, lines of riot police, and the burning of an Israeli flag.
On Wednesday, a hopeful note: Arab Mediators Believe Hamas Could Be Open to Partially Disarming
People familiar with the mediators’ thinking say the militant group could compromise on a long-held red line, as long as President Trump can guarantee that Israel would not resume fighting (See Long reads) and [Trump] Says Gaza Talks Are Going Well and He ‘May Go’ to the Middle East.

Liberté, Égalité, Fragilité
Ian Bremmer analyses The unraveling of Macron’s France

Trump calls Canadian PM Carney a ‘world class leader,’ but also ‘very nasty’ (video)
President Donald Trump hailed his Canadian counterpart, Prime Minister Mark Carney, as a “world-class leader” on Tuesday and joked trade talks with Canada remain unsettled because: “I want to be great, too.”

US retreat from UN may create ‘tremendous opportunity’ for nations like China
Global body is at a crossroads, and observers say a ‘leaderless’ era could emerge during second Trump administration
… As the United States retreats from its traditional leadership role at the UN, countries including China – the world’s No 2 economy and the biggest provider of peacekeepers among the UN Security Council’s permanent members – appear to be racing to fill the void.
In New York last week, Premier Li Qiang pitched China as “a staunch defender of world peace and security” and touted its new Global Governance Initiative to reshape the international order.
China also announced that it would not seek special benefits as a developing nation in current and future WTO negotiations, a move seen as Beijing trading off economic privileges for greater global political standing.
China’s Premier Li Qiang to visit North Korea in highest-level visit since 2019

Costa Rica nominates Rebeca Grynspan for UN secretary-general – Time for a woman to clean house?

Peter Frise posted
It was interesting being on The Current – the CBC morning radio program [Tuesday].
https://www.cbc.ca/listen/live-radio/1-63-the-current/clip/16174026-mark-carney-heads-washington-tariff-talks-canadian-car   (starts at 22:04)
The topic was the notion of a Canadian car company dedicated to building a vehicle in Canada for the Canadian consumer market. As I said, as a Canadian, I would love to see this work – but it’s vital that we make these decisions with care – because the amount of money required would be huge (certainly several billion dollars) for a relatively small market.
Anyhow, I brought forward some of these questions in The Current along with Flavio Volpe, President of the Auto Parts Manufacturers Association and Jun Won Kim – a Carleton University Industrial Design student who was part of the team who developed the visual concept for the Project Arrow concept car.
So, listen-in and see what you think about the prospects for a Canadian car company.
BTW – I coined the name “Maple Motors” for a Canadian car company – what do you think?

Congratulations to Marina Boulos Winton on her new position as Executive Director Designate of the Sun Youth Organization, effective September 29. Following a transition period of three months, she will formally take the helm of the organization in January 2026. We are delighted for her and for Sun Youth. Great fit!

As the shutdown continues, the G.O.P. is Singing Government’s Praises
As Republicans try to pin blame for shutdown damage on Democrats, they are hailing a federal bureaucracy they normally bash as wasteful and overreaching.
“You’re talking about women, infants and children who rely upon these supplemental nutrition programs that are now not being funded and being shut down,” Speaker Mike Johnson lamented on the Fox Business Network. “They are affecting FEMA services in the middle of the hurricane season.”
Never mind that Mr. Johnson led Republicans this year in pushing through legislation to slash nutrition assistance programs as part of the party’s marquee tax cut law, or that President Trump has taken an ax to FEMA grants during his first months in office.
Robert Reich predicts that the shutdown ends when air traffic controllers have had enough. “The shutdown will end soon because Americans need to fly, not just the ultra-rich (private jets also need air traffic controllers) and not just business fliers, but most of us who plan to see loved ones over the holidays.”

Varia
From Doug Sweet
Relax, America, There Is Life After Nonstick Pans
America doesn’t need nonstick pans, and Governor Newsom has the chance to accelerate the shift away from them. A California ban won’t just protect citizens from toxic chemicals; it will also remind us that better cooking doesn’t come from better coatings. It comes from better choices.
After Centuries, a Woman Will Lead the Church of England
Dame Sarah Mullally, former chief nursing officer for England, has been appointed the first female archbishop of Canterbury to lead the Church of England. The church did not allow women to become bishops until 2014.
She has been a vocal supporter of the rights of women in the church.
The American Experiment
At 250, the Revolution’s goals remain noble and indispensable.
By Jeffrey Goldberg
The Atlantic is preparing a mega project -in anticipation of next year’s 250th anniversary of American Independence. If you are interested at all in “the American experiment” and do not have a subscription, we highly recommend that you subscribe.

Government & Governance (U.S.)
Letters from an American October 7, 2025
Heather Cox Richardson examines the power wielded by unelected officials in the Trump administration, citing the power of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), (headed by Russ Vogt, Russ Vought, formerly of Project 2025).
“If Trump were not going to use the power of the government for the good of the American people, Republicans in Congress could have picked up the power that he let fall. But they have chosen not to exercise their Constitutional duties, instead going along with what White House officials want. With their abdication, power appears to have flowed to unelected officials, first to billionaire Elon Musk and now to OMB director Russell Vought, White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller, and Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr.”

Long reads/videos/audios
Federal government shutdown grinds into a week two as tempers flare at the Capitol
No negotiations, at least publicly, are underway, but behind the scenes quiet talks are emerging. Clusters of lawmakers, Republicans and Democrats, are meeting privately, searching for ways out of the impasse, which hinges on striking a deal for preserving health care subsidies.
Trump Is Not Afraid of Civil War. Neither Is Stephen Miller.
Over the past four weeks, he has initiated what amounts to a unique form of partisan civil war designed to amass power in a nominal democracy and defang, decimate and defund the opposition.
How Oct. 7 has transformed Israel, Palestine, and the world
The Oct. 7, 2023 attacks fundamentally transformed Israel, Palestine, and the world in ways that will persist for years — regardless of whether Donald Trump’s current peace negotiations succeed. Here’s what has changed and what lies ahead.
Analysis: 2 years into the war in Gaza, there is still no clear way out
Two years after Hamas’ attack ignited the war in the Gaza Strip, the militant group is weakened but not defeated, Israel has clobbered its enemies across the region but failed to achieve its main goals, and no one knows how it all will end.
Arab Mediators Believe Hamas Could Be Open to Partially Disarming
Some Arab mediators negotiating an end to the war in Gaza believe that they can persuade Hamas to partially disarm, a step that has long been a red line for the militant group, according to three people familiar with the mediators’ thinking.