Wednesday Night #2303

News and Social Media
Three days after Press Freedom Day – will we ever see the likes of The Mouth of the South again?
Breaking news: CNN founder Ted Turner, a brash and outspoken television pioneer, has died at age 87
Turner’s signature achievement was creating CNN, the first 24-hour, all-news television network in 1980. At a time when news is instantly available, it’s hard to recall that the idea of letting consumers decide when they choose to learn what’s going on in the world was once revolutionary.
But his interests expanded far beyond media — owning professional sports teams in Atlanta and huge chunks of the American West, fueling conservation efforts through habitat restoration and endangered species work. He donated a stunning $1 billion to United Nations charities….
CNN founder Ted Turner, a brash and outspoken television pioneer, has died at age 87
…Turner was harshly critical of broadcast TV and establishment news judgments. “Part of the reason America had so many problems, he believed, was because his fellow Americans were so ill-informed,” former CNN journalist Lisa Napoli wrote in “Up All Night,” a book about the creation of CNN. Turner recognized “there was no better place to promote a variety of opinions than on all-night television. With a news channel, he could quite possibly help save the world.” …
How Ted Turner Changed the World  … if you want the richest biography, [see] the six-part documentary on MAX about Ted Turner. Call Me Ted delves deeply into both his personal history and business ventures, including the founding of CNN. But for me, the most intriguing part of the documentary is its exploration of Ted Turner’s deep commitment to philanthropy.
Final notes:
Hard to believe that Donald Trump’s reaction was to call him “one of the Greats of All Time” and go on to say “Whenever I needed him, he was there, always willing to fight for a good cause!”. What causes could they possibly have had in common?

What a contrast with The Met Gala’s Embrace of Jeff Bezos Causes a Backlash

US-Iran war/ceasefire/blockade(s), etc.
It is ever more difficult to discern what is the latest development and/or its implications.
First we read that
Trump says Hormuz operation paused amid US, Tehran talks
US President Donald Trump has paused the US military’s “Project Freedom” operation to open the Strait of Hormuz, due to “great progress” being made towards a “complete and final agreement with the representatives of Iran”. Trump said the operation will be paused for “a short period” to see if an agreement with Tehran can be finalised.
US-China relations
And shortly afterward: China’s top envoy meets with Iran’s in Beijing as Trump pauses US effort in the Strait
Presumably the fact that Trump is headed for China (scheduled for May 14-15) has considerable bearing on events of the next few days.

Let us not overlook Israel’s war on Lebanon which continues relentlessly while the world looks the other way.

Canada: International relations and foreign policy
The peripatetic PM traveled to Yerevan, Armenia to attend a European Political Community Summit. Will Canada join the EU? Not likely, but strong bonds are being forged.  – or, as Jeremy commented, “Europe reaches out. We’re dating.”
Jeremy Kinsman: Canada’s Changing Relationship Status with Europe
(Policy) In Yerevan, Armenia, on Monday, Prime Minister Mark Carney — the first non-European leader invited to attend a European Political Community Summit — articulated the role Europe might play in a post-American liberal order.
“It is my strong personal view that the international order will be rebuilt,” Carney told the gathering, “but it will be rebuilt out of Europe.”
In the face of America’s alienation from the rules-based international order that Washington helped build and led for eight decades, Canada — what might now be known fondly across the Atlantic as “the other North America” — is shifting more closely into the EU’s orbit.
Or, as New York Times Canada Bureau Chief Matina Stevis-Gridneff wrote in her May 4th piece from Yerevan: “Canada and the European Union are turning commiseration and anxiety over their turbulent relationships with the United States under President Trump into a deepening bond.”
Carney Pulls Canada Closer to Europe as Both Struggle With Trump
At a summit of European leaders, the Canadian prime minister was a special guest offering deals and friendship to jittery allies.

Despite Chris Roper‘s conviction that a former law school friend would be the nominee, Mark Carney has selected Louise Arbour as the next Governor General. Her bilingualism, impeccable record as a jurist, and high profile in international juridical circles make her an excellent choice. Chris will have more to say about it tonight.
See Long reads for the insightful piece Louise Arbour ticks every box for the job of governor-general by John Fraser, author of The Governors General: An Intimate History of Canada’s Highest Office.
…The truth of the matter, as far as governors-general go, is that wretched old cliché: only time will tell. Even the sovereign whom Ms. Arbour will represent, King Charles, was openly dismissed as someone who would not understand or abide by the constitutional restraints of his hereditary office and was furthermore tainted by his bizarre causes and the lows of his private life, all before he even got to ascend to the throne. And now, in the wake of his brilliant four-day state visit to the United States, he has shown the world how someone with integrity, generosity and wit can shed some wonderful light in a dark world. It is no small irony that it took the great-great-great-great-great-grandson of King George III to enlighten Americans of the importance of their democratic institutions. …

Excellent news – however, will Quebec ease up on language laws, etc. in order to accommodate skilled workers?
Airbus secures 150-plane order with AirAsia in multi-billion dollar boon for Quebec aviation
This is the single biggest order of A220 jets in the manufacturer’s history
Montreal picks up two more stars in Michelin’s new Quebec guide
Hoogan et Beaufort and Sushi Nishinokaze were added to list of one-star restaurants in Montreal.

Some not so cheery Canadian news items:
Alberta separatist group says it has enough signatures to trigger referendum on leaving Canada

while U.S., Russia interfering in Alberta separatist debate, study says
Quebec Premier Fréchette to renew notwithstanding clause on province’s language law
Quebec opposition leaders criticize Fréchette’s first order of business as premier

Sad news: one of the early pillars of Wednesday Night, Chilion “Chil” Heward has joined Wednesday Night in the Cloud(s). Founder of Heward Investment Management, Chil’s contributions to Wednesday Night included the valuable views of clients from Dubai, to Bermuda, to Brockville (Ont).

We also extend our condolences to Kent Hovey-Smith and his family on the untimely death of his brother Dean

Public service watchdog calls for $14M budget increase amid ‘steep’ climb in complaints
Harriet Solloway says funding boost essential to keep whistleblowing and integrity system running
– an interview with our good friend and former Wednesday Nighter about the little known Ottawa whistle blower protection

Katia Opalka has joined Éducaloi –Your Starting Point for Legal Information– as vulgarisatrice juridique. We know that vulgarisatrice is the correct terminology, but it would be good to find a more attractive term! In any event, we are pleased to have discovered Éducaloi which looks like a good source of information, i.e. The Law by Topic – Consult our articles to learn more about the law, your rights and your responsibilities.

U.S. politics
Byron must be pleased
Democrats Keep Michigan Senate Majority With Special Election Win
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, a Democrat, allowed the swing district seat to sit vacant for more than a year as her party clung to a slim majority.

Varia
The Final Duck Update from Mount Everest
We sit down with Tenzing the Duck and mountaineering legend Ang Lama of Ang’s Himalayan Adventures, who rescued the wigeon and nursed it back to health.
Tenzing will be getting on a helicopter this morning to warmer climates before being released back into the wild.

Out of Eden Walk: The music of animal husbandry
National Geographic Explorer Paul Salopek explains and demonstrates some of the language of animal husbandry he has encountered among the shepherds and nomads he has encountered along his global walking project .

International jazz musician Fabiola Méndez and her cuatro
April 30th is International Jazz Day, declared by the United Nations in 2011, “to highlight jazz and its diplomatic role of uniting people in all corners of the globe.” On this annual celebration of the smooth form of music, Puerto Rican folk musician Fabiola Méndez came into The World’s studio to talk with Host Carolyn Beeler about her music and the traditional stringed instrument she plays, the cuatro – associated with the island’s countryside, older generations, and family gatherings.

Pope Leo picks formerly undocumented immigrant to lead West Virginia Catholics
Bishop Evelio Menjivar-Ayala was one of two clergy elevated who have vocally opposed Trump administration polices.

China EVs
Peter Frise sends along I drove the first made-in-China EV coming under the new quota. It’s not what you think
“The 2026 Lotus Eletre SUV is the first new Chinese-made electric vehicle to arrive in Canada under a new lower-tariff trade framework, but it’s not the cheap alternative many drivers were hoping for. It costs at least $119,900 before all fees and taxes, and there’s a higher-performance Carbon edition that costs $179,000. Only 24 Carbons will be sold in Canada. That’s the one I drove recently on the streets of Toronto.”
Big cars take center stage at Beijing Auto Show (audio)
Historically, the cars made in China have been small. But at this year’s Beijing Auto Show, it was all about SUVs. Unlike their American competitors, however, these big Chinese cars aren’t gas guzzlers. The World’s Transportation Correspondent Jeremy Siegel has highlights from the world’s biggest car show.
And a long read from Peter Frise: (See link below)
The Horse at Our Gates
Canada and Chinese EVs
Trade, like water, seeks its own level. So it is not surprising that once the Canadian government decided to flag its willingness to let Chinese electric vehicles into the country, thoughts immediately turned to how to maximize a company’s allocation under the newly established quota (49,000 rising to 70,000 units per annum over 5 years). Nor was it surprising that Tesla would be quick out of the blocks, shifting sourcing of imports of the Model 3 to China and setting a sub-$40,000 price point to ensure that the vehicles would sell in volume and chew up quota. But why work with the quota when you can simply end run it?

MUST READ
Heather Cox Richardson’s Letter of May 3 is an uncharacteristic listing of Trump’s outrageous actions of the previous days (including the proposal to paint the Reflecting Pool blue) without assigning any historical context -because there is none. Her summation is “As Trump’s popularity has sunk to new lows, he has renewed his efforts to remake Washington, D.C., into a monument to himself, almost as if he is trying to anticipate history by making future Americans think that he must have been great because of all the tributes to him in the capital”.

Lisa Napoli‘s book Up All Night: Ted Turner, CNN, and the Birth of 24-Hour News
“Lisa Napoli’s Up All Night is an entertaining inside look at the founding of the upstart network that set out to change the way news was delivered and consumed. Mixing media history, a business adventure story, and great characters, Up All Night tells the story of a network that succeeded beyond even the wildest imaginings of its charismatic and uncontrollable founder, and paved the way for the world we live in today.”

The current issue of Foreign Affairs offers a range of excellent articles.

Long reads/views
Louise Arbour ticks every box for the job of governor-general

King Charles’ Congress Speech Trump Reaction 2026 | Bill Clinton’s Political Analysis & Democratic Perspective (YouTube)
Former President Bill Clinton shares his personal, thoughtful political perspective on King Charles III’s historic address to a joint meeting of the U.S. Congress on April 28, 2026 — and what it reveals about the state of American democracy. From Charles’s defense of NATO and Ukraine to his subtle critiques on climate change, checks and balances, and diversity, Clinton breaks down every key moment through his moderate Democratic lens. He evaluates Trump’s reaction, the “TWO KINGS” controversy, the Iran nuclear claim that forced Buckingham Palace to respond, and why the entire Congress gave Charles a standing ovation when they couldn’t do the same for their own president. This isn’t partisan warfare — it’s a calm, experienced, deeply American reflection on leadership, alliances, and whether we still believe in our own principles.

The Horse at Our Gates
Canada and Chinese EVs
The Beatty Blog – where automotive business strategy and politics collide