Target

Wednesday July 19, 2023

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Wednesday July 19, 2023

Trump Uses Bad News to Energize His Base

June 14, 2023

Former U.S. President Donald Trump’s recent announcement that he is now a target of the Justice Department’s investigation into efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election is just the latest episode in a long series of legal challenges he faces. Rather than being subdued by the mounting allegations, Trump seems to be using the bad news as a means to rally his troops and strengthen his position within the Republican party.

In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump disclosed the existence of a target letter he received from prosecutors, indicating that he could soon be facing charges related to the 2020 election. While the purpose of such a letter is to inform individuals about their right to appear before a grand jury, Trump took the opportunity to emphasize the timeline, stating he has been given a mere four days to report. His claim that this usually leads to an arrest and indictment echoes a familiar pattern of presenting himself as a victim of persecution.

May 11, 2023

This revelation comes on top of the existing state and federal charges in New York and Florida, as well as the ongoing election-interference investigation in Georgia. The mounting legal problems do not seem to dampen Trump’s ambitions for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination. Instead, he appears to use these challenges to present himself as a defiant figure, further solidifying his image as a strong leader fighting against the odds.

Throughout his political career, Trump has been no stranger to controversy and legal battles. Just last month, he was indicted on 37 federal felony counts in relation to accusations of illegally retaining classified documents at his Florida estate, Mar-a-Lago. Despite these charges, he maintains his innocence, consistently pleading not guilty.

The pretrial conference for this case took place recently, where Trump’s lawyers pressed for an indefinite delay of the trial date. While the judge has not yet issued a decision on the matter, Trump’s legal team seems confident in leveraging the court system to their advantage, possibly in an attempt to buy time and sway public opinion.

January 8, 2021

Trump’s impeachment by the Democratic-led House for incitement of insurrection following the Capitol riot has only added fuel to the fire. Although he was acquitted in the Senate, Trump continues to exploit the events of January 6th, framing himself as a victim of political bias while downplaying his role in the escalation of tensions.

Special counsel Jack Smith’s investigation has honed in on Trump’s efforts and those of his allies to overturn the election results. This includes the role of lawyers pressuring for the overturning of results and the submission of false electoral certificates to Congress. Witnesses, including former Vice President Mike Pence and Trump’s lawyer Rudy Giuliani, have been questioned before a grand jury. Despite this scrutiny, Trump’s allies remain loyal, refusing to turn against him even in the face of legal repercussions.

News: Trump Faces Possible Indictment in Capitol Attack Investigation

As Trump navigates this legal quagmire, he continues to tap into his tried-and-tested strategy of rallying his supporters around him, portraying himself as a victim of a biased justice system and a target of political persecution. By framing himself as a warrior fighting against the establishment, Trump energizes his base, ensuring that his political ambitions remain alive and well, even amid the ongoing investigations.

It remains to be seen how these legal challenges will unfold and whether Trump’s fervent base of supporters will be enough to propel him to a potential presidential bid in 2024. However, one thing is clear: Trump’s ability to leverage bad news and turn it into a rallying cry is a testament to his enduring influence in American politics. (AI)

From sketch to finish, see the current way Graeme completes an editorial cartoon using an iPencil, the Procreate app, and a couple of cheats on an iPad Pro. If you’re creative, give illustration a try:

Tuesday November 23, 2021

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Tuesday November 23, 2021

Crossing The Canada-US Border For Shopping & Visiting Family Is About To Get So Much Cheaper

October 14, 2021

Crossing the Canada-U.S. border for short trips like shopping or visiting relatives is about to get a whole lot cheaper, thanks to an update to Canada’s travel restrictions.

On Friday, November 19, federal officials confirmed that COVID-19 testing requirements will be dropped for eligible travellers who are leaving Canada for 72 hours or less.

From Tuesday, November 30, fully vaccinated people with right of entry to Canada will be able to skip the pre-entry molecular test, meaning they’ll be able to return home without forking out hundreds for a PCR test.

This applies to people travelling via land or air, as long as they’re able to demonstrate that they’ve been out of the country for three days or under.

November 27, 2020

As the COVID-19 tests approved to enter the country can cost at least $100, this update means taking short trips just got much cheaper.

It also means those driving across the Canada-U.S. border will no longer be required to spend any money on COVID-19 testing, as the American land border does not require fully vaccinated travellers to take a COVID-19 test prior to entry.

It’s worth noting that people flying into the United States will still be required to take a test before arriving, although rapid antigen tests are accepted.

Unfortunately for people dreaming of lengthy vacations, the rules will not change for people leaving Canada for over 72 hours. In this case, passengers will still be expected to take a pre-entry molecular test before arriving. Rapid antigen tests are not accepted.

If you do still need to take a molecular test, Rexall Pharmacy sells a take-home test starting at $200, while Costco sells do-it-yourself PCR tests for $120. Air Canada has its own version priced from $149. 

Some U.S. pharmacies do offer free PCR testing, although there are some risks to be aware of. (Narcity) 

 

Friday October 11, 2019

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Friday October 11, 2019

Liberal climate plan offers the most hope

The critics who claim this federal election is devoid of big issues have got it wrong.

The challenge of fighting climate change stands out like a mountain that rises above a noisy, crowded plain.

On Election Day, the opportunity is here for this country to move up that mountain as never before, just when the calls for action around the world have reached a crescendo and as scientists warn time’s running out to avert an eventual catastrophe.

Fully aware of this, the main four national parties are all offering an action plan. But while each has its merits, after weighing the pros and cons of each party’s proposals, this newspaper believes the Liberals’ strategy is the most substantial, balanced and workable.

April 11, 2018

Despite what some well-meaning ideologues insist, Canada cannot meet its carbon emission targets — far less the utopian dream of no net emissions — overnight or in a few years. Not unless it wants to shut down its fossil-fuel-dependent economy, which no government would ever do.

The Liberals realize this and are trying to marry environmental necessity and economic reality. The policies they’ve enacted over the past four years are on track to taking Canada more than halfway toward meeting its Paris Agreement commitment. That would see this country reduce its carbon emissions in 2030 by a full third from what they were in 2005.

So far, the Liberals have imposed a carbon tax on provinces, such as Ontario, which have not put a price on carbon emissions. Implemented in April at $20 a tonne — about 4.3 cents a litre of gas at the pump — the tax will rise to $50 a tonne by 2022 and possibly more after that. If re-elected, the Liberals would also regulate the carbon content in fuels.

May 14, 2019

In sharp contrast, the Conservatives would axe the carbon tax, ignoring the fact that because most Canadians receive more in a carbon-tax rebate than they pay out, their pockets are not being picked even as they’re being encouraged to change their energy-consumption habits. The Conservatives’ approach also flies in the face of what most economists have long agreed: pricing carbon works from every perspective.

The Conservative plan to invest more in green technology and force large companies to spend more on such solutions if they fail to meet new emission standards would take Canada into unknown territory. It’s impossible to say how much emissions would fall under these initiatives or if they’d fall at all.

September 18, 2019

For their part, the New Democrats would keep the carbon tax while cancelling the rebates to millionaires. The party would also aim for a more ambitious emissions reduction — 38 per cent below 2005 levels — by 2030. Persuasive details for how this would happen, unfortunately, seem lacking.

As for the Green party’s commitment to even higher carbon taxes, more aggressive reductions in emissions and an end to the expansion of all pipelines including the Trans Mountain project, it ignores the serious economic fallout it would surely create.

The Liberals’ plan is far from perfect and, indeed, is still a work in progress. But while they’ve been criticized for buying the Trans Mountain pipeline and trying to expand it, the Liberals realize the race to stop climate change will be more like an ultra marathon than a 100-metre dash.

Canada needs to be in this for the long haul. And it must be economically healthy enough to keep running. Better than their rivals, the Liberals realize these truths and, on this issue at least, have the best plan. (Source: Hamilton Spectator Editorial) 

 

Friday January 16, 2015

Friday January 16, 2015Target closures leave big gap in local retail

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Friday January 16, 2015

Target’s decision to pull out of Canada will leave seven large spaces to fill in the local retail landscape and as many as 1,000 employees scrambling to find work.

Target has five stores in Hamilton and two in Burlington. The retailer wouldn’t say how many will lose their jobs between the seven locations but noted there are between 100 and 150 employees at each store.

Hamilton Target employee Madison Lip said news of the pending closure took her surprise Thursday morning.

“It was sad. I wasn’t expecting it,” said Lip, an 18-year-old cashier at the Upper James store.

Lip, a high school student, said she’s one of the lucky ones because she lives with her parents and has secured other part-time work.

But some of her colleagues have families to support, she said.

“They have bills to pay. They have kids.”

TrioVest Realty, which leases space to retailers at the Centre on Barton where Target has a 100,000 square-foot store, said finding another tenant won’t be easy.

“It’s going to be difficult. Finding a tenant for a large space like that is never easy, especially when you’ve already got the typical large users of space on site already,” said Tom Falls, senior vice-president of retail for TrioVest.

Falls said the good news is the east-Hamilton power centre still has plenty to offer consumers, including Wal-Mart, Canadian Tire, Marshalls, Beer Store, LCBO, fashion retailers and banks.

“The consumer speaks with their wallet and I think the consumer spoke in Canada and unfortunately it wasn’t good news for Target,” he added. (Source: Hamilton Spectator)

Canada, economy, Target, labour, business, USA, commerce

Wednesday, March 13, 2013

Wednesday, March 13, 2013By Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Wednesday, March 13, 2013

The war of words between Mayor Rob Ford and the former mayoral candidate who accused him of groping her escalated on Sunday.

Ford said on his Sunday afternoon radio show that he questions whether Sarah Thomson is “playing with a full deck.” Thomson fired back later in the day with a statement that she wouldn’t be silenced. “Decades ago powerful men who sexually assaulted women would call them ‘hysterical,’ or ‘crazy’ to debase their credibility,” the statement read in part. “It pushed many assaulted women into silence . . . He will not push me into silence and I hope his accusations do not reignite the old fears that once silenced women.”

While Thomson has not yet gone to the police, she told the Star she would “wait and see” before making that decision.

Thomson, transit advocate and publisher of the Women’s Post, first posted on Facebook in the early hours of Friday morning that Ford “grabbed my ass” as they posed for a picture at a party held by a Jewish political group just hours before.

Thomson also said that Ford made a suggestive comment that she should have joined him on a recent trip to Florida because his wife was not there.

The post and accompanying picture, Ford with his eyes closed and a grin on Thomson’s face, ignited a firestorm of controversy. Ford immediately called the groping allegations “absolutely, completely false.” (Source: Metro News Toronto)

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