“The federal government will introduce legislation this fall that will indefinitely extend the ban on access to a medically assisted death for people who are only suffering from a mental illness, Justice Minister Sean Fraser said on Wednesday. ‘Canada has made a decision not to move forward with the expansion that is scheduled in the Criminal Code of medical assistance in dying in circumstances where mental illness is the sole basis,’ he said in the foyer of the House of Commons. Fraser said the government’s decision reflects the position expressed by a special parliamentary committee report released in June along with his own department’s probing of the issue. … Fraser said the promised legislation will also “open the door” for people to give advance consent for their own medically assisted death in circumstances where the illness they are suffering from will eventually eliminate their capacity to make that decision.” (10/07/26)
“President Donald Trump will not reimburse the federal government for taxpayer-funded advertisements promoting him and his administration ahead of the November midterms — and even dropped a new ad on Tuesday. Following bipartisan backlash to the more than $10 million spent on what the White House dubbed ‘Patriotic Ads,’ Trump announced Monday on Truth Social that his super PAC would cover the cost of the ads. But White House officials clarified on Tuesday to POLITICO that the president’s post did not mean the PAC would pay for the spots that had already aired. … In all, Trump has spent about $11.6 million on more than a dozen ads, according to an estimate from AdImpact, an analytics firm which tracks advertising. The advertisements were reportedly paid for with funds from a $20 million contract awarded by the Department of Homeland Security.” (10/06/26)
“Amid global public health concerns surrounding the death of an Irkutsk Anti-Plague Research Institute of Siberia and the Far East worker, the World Health Organization noted in a statement issued Tuesday on the X account of Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus that it had requested more information from Russia regarding the matter, including on ‘media reports of a second employee with pneumonia of undetermined cause.’ ‘The individual died on 2 October 2026 after being hospitalized with severe pneumonia. Initial media reports suggested pneumonic plague following an alleged accidental laboratory exposure,’ the WHO statement noted. … The U.S. State Department has formally requested more information from the Russian government regarding the death of the woman who worked at the anti-plague research facility, issuing what is known as a démarche, defined as a request or intercession with a foreign official.” (10/07/26)
“France has temporarily banned police from using stun grenades at student-led protests, the interior minister said, amid growing accusations of police brutality following several days of student demonstrations nationwide. The announcement on Wednesday came a day after hundreds of thousands of students and supporters marched across France to demand more funding for education and better conditions in high schools, prompting President Emmanuel Macron to convene an emergency meeting with Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu and other key ministers to try to defuse the crisis.” (10/07/26)
“San Francisco on Tuesday became the first county in the Bay Area to enact a temporary moratorium on the construction of new data centers. The Board of Supervisors voted unanimously at its regular meeting to approve a 45-day urgency ordinance that took effect immediately. The moratorium calls for a halt to the approval of permit applications to expand an existing data center or build a new one, which house the computing hardware and infrastructure needed to power newly developed artificial intelligence tools.” (10/07/26)
“A former CIA officer has pleaded guilty in an Alexandria federal court to stealing nearly $194 million, including more than $40 million in gold bars. David J. Rush, 49, entered the plea on Tuesday as part of a plea agreement. Under the deal, Rush could face up to 20 years in prison when he is sentenced. ‘By his own admission, David Rush defrauded the government of hundreds of millions of dollars, and then misused those funds for extravagant purchases,’ said FBI Director Kash Patel in a statement.” [editor’s note: In other words, he did to them what they do to everyone else – TLK] (10/06/26)
Thanks to supporters ERW, ACS, WH, TP, and CS! Their contributions yesterday, totaling $55.50, bring our annual fundraiser total (as of 5am) to $170.50!
It’s a “little engine that could” thing — every contribution gets us closer to $2,751.50, and once we’re there supporter GL will “match funds” to get us to the goal of $5,503. So please think you can at …
“Ukraine’s air force said on Wednesday that Russia launched 130 drones, 48 cruise missiles, and an unspecified number of ballistic missiles in the overnight attack on Ukraine, saying air defence units downed 161 targets. … Kyiv and Poltava in central Ukraine, the southeastern region of Dnipropetrovsk, and Kharkiv in the northeast were the focus of the Russian attacks, authorities said. … In a separate post on X, Zelenskyy said Ukrainian forces hit four Russian targets over the last 24 hours, including two oil facilities and a training ground in the Perm, Samara, and Astrakhan regions, as well as carrying out a response in the Black Sea.” (10/07/26)
“[US president Donald] Trump has faced a chorus of condemnation from Democratic leaders in California after his comments at a rally in Nebraska on Monday night, which the White House has suggested were being taken out of context. At the president’s rally in Grand Island, Nebraska, Trump claimed that high prices due to the war with Iran are a ‘small price to pay for keeping the world safe – keeping our country safe’. He went on: ‘They can take out a city. Let them take out Los Angeles. Let them take out San Diego.’ The crowd applauded the line.” (10/06/26)
“Florida Governor Ron DeSantis declared a state of emergency for 25 counties that could be impacted by a tropical depression that’s quickly gaining strength in the Gulf. Tropical Depression Nine officially formed on Tuesday afternoon and is expected to start drifting toward the northeast later this week. It’s currently forecast to develop into a hurricane on Thursday and hit the northern Gulf Coast on Friday afternoon. Parts of the state are expected to experience heavy rainfall over the next few days, totaling up to nine inches in some areas. Strong winds, coastal flooding, and isolated tornadoes are also possible across North Florida.” (10/06/26)
