Wednesday Night #2330

November 11 Remembrance Day. First thoughts are of World War I whose hostilities ended officially at 11:00 a.m. on November 11, 1918—the “eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month”. So many wars, declared and undeclared since then. Today, Putin’s War against Ukraine, The US-Iran War with wider ramifications throughout the Middle East and beyond; in Africa, the endless -and pointless war in Sudan …
Canadians remember veterans, fallen soldiers in shadow of Wainwright tragedy Seeing the pictures from Ottawa, we cannot help wondering what Secretary of War Hegseth would think of Gen. Jennie Carignan, Canada’s chief of the defence staff…

Putin’s War
It appears that the talks in Abu Dhabi were not influenced by the significant date. Not much has been accomplished (who thought there would be spectacular results?)
The Guardian reports that Witkoff and Kushner will travel to meet Russia’s Vladimir Putin in Moscow and Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Dublin on Thursday as they hope to progress some issues discussed during the trilateral peace talks.
The three sides have agreed on a large-scale prisoner swap and made some technical progress in their talks, but US envoys conceded there is “no trust between the sides.” The US also appears to be pushing for Europe to be formally included in the process, with Kushner saying he would seek Putin’s “blessing” for such a move tomorrow. Ukraine’s president Zelenskyy insisted that Europe “must be represented” at the talks, a point he also made in a speech to the Danish parliament earlier today.

Israel
Israel’s president taps opposition candidate Eisenkot to form a government, in setback for Netanyahu
Israeli President Isaac Herzog said Saturday night that he was giving opposition candidate Gadi Eisenkot the first opportunity to form a governing coalition following elections on Oct. 27.
Meanwhile, the attacks continue: Israeli strike on southern Gaza hospital kills five, Gaza civil defence says

The 2026 Midterms are over, just one Senate race (Alaska) left to call, as Scott Colom has been declared the winner of the Mississippi Senate seat in Historic Upset – the first Black senator to represent Mississippi in nearly 150 years.
On the topic of good news: in Colorado, things aren’t looking good for MAGA firebrand Lauren Boebert. While the AP still counts her race as undecided, CNN has called it for Boebert’s Democratic challenger, retired Navy Rear Adm. Eileen Laubacher.
There is a great cloud of schadenfreude – not to say delight- over the rebuke given to The Donald and his minions. We are now in the state of limbo before the new Congress assumes its seat(s). And while we are appalled by the confirmation of Stephen Miller’s role as wartime consigliere, we can be entertained by the farcical succession procession at the Press Secretary’s podium, and amused by the blame game played out by Pete Hegseth, Marco Rubio, et al, not to mention that Washington accuses Canada of meddling in midterms, some of us will revert to dismay over Trump’s remake of Washington. So we may take some consolation from the news that Joining lawsuit, Kennedy family members say Trump’s arch would be ‘denigration’ of JFK, RFK plots at Arlington — Legal filing comes with Trump administration eager to break ground on temporarily blocked project.

Salon, a Pioneer of Digital Journalism, Shuts Down
The progressive website, founded in 1995, said its business was “no longer sustainable.”
Salon, the left-leaning news and opinion website that was early to online publishing, said on Thursday that it would shut down after more than 30 years.
Salon was started in 1995 by the journalist David Talbot as a digital magazine covering books, culture and ideas at a time before blogging and online news had taken off. It was financially backed by Apple, Adobe and the now-defunct bookstore chain Borders.

New Zealand in political limbo after knife-edge election
New Zealand voters face weeks of political limbo after a knife-edge election left the country’s conservative coalition government at risk of losing its majority following just a single term in office.
Preliminary numbers show the right-wing coalition grouping has 67 seats in an expanded 131-seat parliament, but nearly 400,000 votes cast under special circumstances – including those of New Zealanders who live overseas – have yet to be counted. …the country would need to wait until the Electoral Commission delivered the final official results on November 27 for certainty. Coalition negotiations could then drag on for weeks before a government is formed.

Israel
Israel’s president taps opposition candidate Eisenkot to form a government, in setback for Netanyahu
Israeli President Isaac Herzog said Saturday night that he was giving opposition candidate Gadi Eisenkot the first opportunity to form a governing coalition following elections on Oct. 27.

The Climate Summit aka COP31 is on
UN chief urges Cop31 hosts Turkey and Australia to turn fossil fuel promises into action
António Guterres calls for ‘clear next steps’ as countries face pressure to agree concrete measures
Turkey and Australia, the co-hosts of crucial climate talks, must urgently move from discussing the end of fossil fuels to delivering it, the UN chief has said.
“It is long past time to stop treating the transition away from fossil fuels as taboo or intractable,” António Guterres said, in a dramatic intervention on the second day of the conference on Tuesday.

Bank of Canada Governor Tiff Macklem will reach the end of his seven-year term in June.
BlackRock, Scotiabank Economists Are Seen as Contenders to Run Bank of Canada
The next governor will inherit one of the most uncertain economic environments in decades. More frequent supply shocks, trade disruption, elevated sovereign debt and the buildout of artificial intelligence may all put upward pressure on inflation and borrowing costs. [Some] suggested Carney will want to make history by overseeing the government that appoints the Bank of Canada’s first-ever francophone governor. Jean Boivin, head of the BlackRock Investment Institute, is a favored candidate with the resume and the connections for the job, economists say. He was a deputy governor of the Bank of Canada from 2010 to 2012, when Carney was governor. So far the candidates identified appear to be highly qualified.
As Christine Lagarde leaves the ECB, possibly to launch a political campaign, the hunt is on for a replacement. Politico Eu points to
Pablo Hernández de Cos and Klaas Knot [who] bring long records in monetary policy — and sharply different memories of the Draghi years. the Economist frets that Europe has been living beyond its means. Now the bills are due -It accounts for half the world’s social spending, but its fractured politics make cuts difficult

It cannot have escaped your attention that Justin Trudeau is stepping into new role at Oxford. The Blavatnik school, founded in 2010, says it is focused on public policy education and inspiring students to improve the “quality of government and public policy-making worldwide.” Trudeau says in the news release that he is looking forward to “contributing his experience” and working with other leaders to “consider how governments can respond to change and build a more hopeful, inclusive and prosperous future for everyone

The Federal Budget
Should we cut seniors’ benefits?
(CBC Radio Cost of Living) Ottawa is spending more than ever on seniors’ benefits — more than $80 billion annually — and that’s only going to climb. So, is it time to look at OAS reform (again)? … And, Paul Haavardsrud speaks to economist Chris Ragan about why the federal government needs to get a handle on the deficit now, before a crisis hits.
Margaret Duthie notes that “Celiac Canada had great news in the November 5th budget. There will now be a $1000 flat rate tax for anyone diagnosed with celiac disease and $600 for children.” She adds: “Many thanks to all the Wednesday Nighters who signed the petition asking Ottawa to do this.”

AI
Who can resist a news item filled with international intrigue, national security, scandal and secrets?
The NYT gives the story full treatment of meticulous research
The Woman in the Middle of Nvidia’s Spy Scandal (See Long reads)
… In December 2023, a Chinese executive who goes by Alice Huang met with Nvidia’s chief executive, Jensen Huang, and a small group of colleagues at an Italian restaurant in Singapore. …
For Ms. Huang, there was reason to celebrate. Backed by wealthy investors in Shanghai, she had just restructured a company that would soon buy billions of dollars in Nvidia artificial intelligence chips. The U.S. government had barred Chinese companies from buying the advanced chips, but Ms. Huang had sidestepped this prohibition by creating a firm, Megaspeed, through a Singaporean shell company.
Her close relationship with Nvidia’s leader also appeared to smooth the way. Four days after the ownership change Megaspeed was named a Nvidia cloud partner, giving it access to the coveted components. …
Worst Rout Since 2020 Leaves Virtually Nowhere to Hide in Stocks

U,S. Government and Governance — aftermath of Midterms
How Elon Musk Frittered Away Nearly $500 Million on the Midterms
Behind the scenes, the world’s richest person spent a record amount over two years to bend the country’s politics to his will. He couldn’t.
(NYT) … Now the onetime trillionaire is all but certain to face investigatory scrutiny and financial pressure with newly empowered Democrats in control of Congress and top state offices in Texas, where he lives and operates many of his businesses. Mr. Musk, who moved there from California in part to escape the regulatory environment, will soon be represented by a senator who has said he wants to “tax trillionaires out of existence.”
Trump Moves to Make Oval Office a National Monument
The president’s announcement reinforced his post-midterm elections preoccupation on White House renovation projects.
Trump Was ‘Only Kidding’ in Asking Dana White to Be His Press Secretary
The president said on Sunday that the U.F.C. chief executive “loves the idea” of being the White House spokesman but that his public offer of the job was “just a little fun.”

One more reason to loathe Elon Musk
We have been deliberately avoiding the Russell Brand story, but could not resist pointing out that …Elon Musk and Others Defend Russell Brand After Rape Conviction.
The former star, whom a British judge sentenced to 10 and a half years in prison on Monday, became an anti-establishment flag-bearer through conspiracy-minded commentary.

Varia
Such nostalgia! I sailed on her several times and loved every minute. Met some really interesting people.
SS United States will be sunk, becoming the world’s largest artificial reef
The storied ocean liner that set speed records and carried celebrities is set to take on its final role this week off Florida’s Gulf coast.
The SS United States — a huge ocean liner that once ferried celebrities — is slated to be sunk to the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico this week, to become the world’s largest artificial reef. The ship will be joining the hundreds of other artificial reefs in the northern waters of the Gulf, including former ships and concrete structures.
It’s good for aquatic life and helps replace lost natural habitat…along with attracting divers. The county hopes to generate tourism and diving revenue from the ship turned reef.
The perfect gift?
Adopt an olive tree in Italy. A real olive tree in the traditional family groves of Italy. ; Get its grove’s harvest, with your name on it. Pressed within hours, bottled under your own label, sent to your door.
Michael Bloomberg Marries Diana Taylor, a Merger 25 Years in the Making
Ms. Taylor was known as the unofficial first lady of New York City while Mr. Bloomberg was mayor.
The remarkable story behind the secret Canadian guerrilla force you’ve never heard of
Canada Post’s new Remembrance Day stamp spotlights the soldiers who fought for a country that ostracized them

The American Brain Drain Claims Another Scientist (See Long reads)
… She took a tram, then a train, then a bus until she arrived at a glass-walled building in the Netherlands. There was a Dutch flag near the entryway and a replica of a spaceship in the lobby. She rode the elevator to her new office, a small room with whitewashed walls, empty drawers and a handwritten note taped to the desk. “We are thrilled to welcome one of America’s great scientists,” it read

All Politics is local
As Westmount marked the first anniversary of the election of Michael Stern as Mayor (4 November), citizens cannot be happy to read that Westmount mayor’s ethics hearing postponed as he fights release of recorded conversation. His first year in office has been tarnished by numerous inefficiencies, planning (or lack thereof) errors and, above all, his Trumpian efforts to control Council and the City Administration.

Long reads
The Woman in the Middle of Nvidia’s Spy Scandal
Alice Huang, who U.S. intelligence determined is a Chinese asset, emerged from the high-flying world of Shanghai finance to work with tech titans and obtain essential A.I. chips.
The American Brain Drain Claims Another Scientist
Kelly Holley-Bockelmann was one of the top astrophysicists in the country until President Trump’s policies affected every part of her work.
Economies are improving, but rule of law is slipping. The buck now stops with Africa’s leaders
The west has spent decades judging Africa’s governance and colonialism is much to blame. But Mo Ibrahim’s latest index offers a different perspective – and some uncomfortable truths.
Be afraid – very afraid
Stephen Miller Is No Loser
Trump…has unleashed a man who sees Democrats and liberals as “devoted exclusively” to the protection of criminals, gangs and terrorists, an ideologue who feels called upon “to save this civilization, to save the West, to save this republic.”
No one is safe when Stephen Miller — a man bent on destroying the opposition, a man who would treat half of the nation as mortal enemies — is the guiding hand behind the president’s agenda.