Letters to the Editor: This Canadian isn't interested in annexing all of the U.S., but there are a few states of interest
To the editor: With our population being only one-ninth of the U.S., I doubt that we would have much influence in an amalgamated country ("Yes, America absolutely should annex Greenland and Canada. Here's why," Michael Hiltzik column, April 2). Instead, I propose that Canada should invite selected states to join us. We'll take California, Oregon, Washington, Alaska, Hawaii, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Maine, Vermont and New Hampshire. The NFL teams in those states must forfeit their franchises and join the Canadian Football League.
Charles King, Toronto
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To the editor: How about making each Canadian province and territory a separate state? Most are left-leaning and adding 26 senators and a handful of representatives to Congress could only be good for Democrats. We could even let Quebec stay independent since Trump has made English the official language. In line with renaming things (Gulf of America) we could call ourselves the United States of North America.
Ken Brock, Yucca Valley
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To the editor: Hiltzik is a beacon of light in the L.A. Times. His columns are thoughtful, clear and fact-based. Whenever I see his name, his column is the first thing I read.
Laura Noell, La Cañada Flintridge
This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
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Hamilton Spectator
2 hours ago
- Hamilton Spectator
Sikhs uneasy after Mark Carney meets with India's Narendra Modi at G7 summit
OTTAWA—Sikh groups say they remain 'uneasy' after Canada and India appeared to broker a détente on the sidelines of the G7 summit following nearly two years of strained relations. On Tuesday, Prime Minister Mark Carney and India's Narendra Modi took part in a bilateral meeting, where they agreed to name new high commissioners in their respective countries, reaffirmed the importance of Canada-India ties, and discussed how to deepen their trading relationship. But Balpreet Singh, a lawyer with the World Sikh Organization, told the Star any reset with India must be accompanied by public acknowledgments from the country about its role in an alleged campaign of violence on Canadian soil. 'Has anything really changed, practically speaking, on the ground? Have there been any commitments from India that they will co-operate with the ongoing investigations? Have there been any commitments with respect to, in the future, not targeting members of the Sikh community in Canada?' Singh said. Sikh leaders are accusing Prime Minister Mark Carney of putting economic interests ahead of According to the Canadian readout of the tête-à-tête, Carney raised in the meeting 'priorities on the G7 agenda, including transnational crime and repression, security, and the rules-based order.' Canadian officials say important progress was made, with the leaders agreeing their respective police agencies would begin co-operating. That means Canadian and Indian police agencies could exchange information related to the 2023 killing of a Sikh independence leader in Surrey, B.C., and potentially on a range of other cases Canada is investigating. The shooting of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Canadian citizen, outside a B.C. gurdwara led to a diplomatic row between Canada and India's Hindu nationalist government when, several months after the killing, then-prime minister Justin Trudeau revealed stunning allegations that there was credible evidence linking the incident to Indian government agents. Last fall, the RCMP also alleged that Indian diplomats and consular officials in Canada were connected to killings, violence and intimidation against Canadians, prompting both countries to expel top diplomats. At the time, Ottawa said its expulsions were related to the campaign of violence and said India failed to co-operate in the investigation. In news conferences following Tuesday's meeting, Carney did not directly answer questions about whether the Nijjar case had been raised with the Indian prime minister. On Thursday, he said he and Modi discussed 'law enforcement co-operation,' particularly as it related to transnational repression, which occurs when states target and intimidate critical voices outside their borders, but said he would 'never make it a policy to give a line-by-line transcript readout.' At the summit, Carney told reporters there was a 'judicial process' underway and that he could not speak openly about the matter. The prime minister has emphasized the rebuilding of the Canada-India relationship and the need to reinstate consular services to serve citizens and businesses with ties to both countries. As G7 host, we don't just invite who we like, we invite who matters, Martin Regg Cohn writes. Balpreet Singh said the prime minister should have also outlined how new consular staff will be vetted to ensure they don't have links to threatening activity. 'For us, that makes us feel very uneasy,' he said. Moninder Singh, a spokesperson for Sikh Federation Canada, said Carney's decision not to be unequivocal of what was conveyed in the meeting about certain cases is a problem. 'It doesn't help dispel the concerns that the Sikh community, or maybe Canadians, have in general. It just kind of adds to, 'Did they or didn't they?' and then we have to wait and see,' he said, adding that the 'wait-and-see game' puts more Sikhs at risk. The bilateral meeting took place a day before the two-year anniversary of Nijjar's death outside the Guru Nanak Sikh gurdwara, where Moninder Singh said several thousand people gathered Wednesday evening. He said discussions arose there about what exactly Carney and Modi agreed to behind closed doors. At the summit — in sharp contrast to Trudeau's tough talk last fall — Carney offered a warm welcome for Modi, greeting the Indian leader with a firm handshake at the gathering's official welcome. At the start of their meeting, Carney offered high praise for Modi in front of the cameras, saying that it is 'my great honour to have you here.' Carney told Modi his inclusion at every G7 summit since 2019 is 'a testament to the importance of your country, to your leadership and to the importance of the issues that we look to tackle together,' including on energy security, artificial intelligence and the fight against terrorism. On Wednesday, the Canadian Intelligence and Security Service released its 2024 public report, which said Canada 'must remain vigilant about continued foreign interference conducted by the government of India, not only within ethnic, religious and cultural communities but also in Canada's political system.' The report also noted that 'real and perceived Khalistani extremism,' which seeks to use violent means to form an independent Sikh state in India, was driving Indian foreign interference activities in Canada. It said Canada is also home to 'legitimate and peaceful campaigning' in support of that movement.
2 hours ago
Democrats in Virginia have a hefty fundraising advantage heading into November general election
RICHMOND, Va. -- Democrats in Virginia have built up a hefty fundraising advantage for their effort to reclaim the governor's mansion in a November election that is seen as a bellwether for the party in power in Washington ahead of the 2026 midterms. Democrat Abigail Spanberger, a former CIA spy turned congresswoman, has a more than 2-to-1 fundraising advantage over her GOP opponent for governor, Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears, who has struggled to draw support from her fellow Republicans. Both were unopposed for their party's nominations and were able to focus on the fall general election without having to overcome a challenge in this week's primaries. The match-up means Virginia is all but certain to elect the state's first female governor. Spanberger has amassed $6.5 million toward her campaign for governor over the last two months after raising $6.7 million between January and March, according to the nonpartisan Virginia Public Access Project. Combined with the money Spanberger raised in 2024, she has gathered $22.8 million and still has $14.3 million in her coffers. Earle-Sears, meanwhile, spent more than she earned between April and June, bringing in $3.5 million and spending $4.6 million. Between January and March, she also raised a little over $3.1 million. In total, she has raked in nearly $9.2 million since launching her campaign last September. Now, she has a little under $3 million in the bank, according to Virginia Public Access Project data. In a statement, Earle-Sears' campaign said the candidate is putting forward a message for Virginians that money can't buy. 'Clearly the Spanberger campaign needs a lot of help attempting to erase Abigail's bad voting record on issues that actually matter to Virginians," press secretary Peyton Vogel said in an email. 'This race isn't being bought — it's being built on a message that matters.' Virginia is one of two states, along with New Jersey, that host statewide elections this year. The contests will be closely watched as a measure of whether voters in the shadow of Washington will embrace President Donald Trump's aggressive effort to overhaul the federal government, or be repelled by it. Democrats' outsized fundraising lead ahead of the primaries may reflect local Democratic enthusiasm and the party's ability to push people to the polls in light of Trump being in office. Mark J. Rozell, dean of George Mason University's Schar School of Policy and Government, also referenced the noticeable frostiness among leading state Republicans. The party's statewide nominees have yet to campaign together, despite securing their nominations at the end of April. 'Enthusiasm drives fundraising and in Virginia right now the Democrats' voting base has much greater enthusiasm' than Republicans, Rozell said. 'It is reminiscent of Trump's first term in office when Democratic fundraising and ultimately voting overwhelmed the Republicans in Virginia.' Money does not guarantee success, however. In the last Virginia governor's race, former Gov. Terry McAuliffe outspent Republican Glenn Youngkin, who had invested $20 million of his own money in the race. Youngkin still clinched the election by nearly two points. Youngkin, who is term-limited from seeking reelection, has offered more than $21,000 in support to Earle-Sears through his political action committee. When asked whether he would donate more, his PAC responded, 'Governor Youngkin is working to elect the entire GOP ticket and is urging all Virginians to support the commonsense team this November to keep Virginia winning.' The Democrats' fundraising advantage isn't confined to the governor's race. State Sen. Ghazala Hashmi, who eked out a primary win in a close three-way contest for lieutenant governor, raised nearly $1.8 million in her primary race and has $462,000 remaining. The Republican nominee, conservative talk-radio host John Reid, raised nearly $312,000 since launching his campaign and has $116,000 remaining. The only statewide GOP candidate with a fundraising lead, incumbent Attorney General Jason Miyares, has $2.3 million in the bank after raising a total of $4.6 million. His Democratic opponent, Jay Jones, has raised $2.7 million. He had about $493,000 left at the beginning of June, reports show. This year, all three Democratic statewide candidates are backed by Clean Virginia, a political group that pushes for clean energy and often takes on legislative challenges against Dominion Energy, Virginia's largest utility. The two groups are some of the most influential entities lobbying on state politics and policy. With energy demand likely to be a key issue in November, their influence could be significant. According to the nonpartisan public-access group, Spanberger has taken in $465,000 from the environmental organization. On Tuesday, Clean Virginia endorsed Hashmi's candidacy for lieutenant governor, following its previous donations to her state Senate campaign committee. During his campaign, Jones also received $1.5 million from Clean Virginia, while his primary opponent, Democrat Shannon Taylor, accepted $800,000 from Dominion Energy between 2024 and 2025. Clean Virginia released attack ads targeting Taylor for accepting Dominion money. The energy utility has become entangled in other statewide battles. On the Republican ticket, Earle-Sears accepted $50,000 from Dominion in March. Miyares also gained $450,000 from the utility so far this year. Clean Virginia has donated to both Democrats and Republicans, including to candidates running for the House of Delegates, where all 100 members are up for reelection in November. Democrats who control the legislature are hoping to keep or expand their thin majority and amend the state's Constitution to protect rights to voting, marriage equality and abortion. Democratic candidates have raised about $16.9 million in those races, with $3.2 million stemming from House Speaker Don Scott. Meanwhile, Republicans have raised $8.8 million, with former Minority Leader Todd Gilbert earning over $643,000, and newly tapped Minority Leader Terry Kilgore raising nearly $470,000. ———
San Francisco Chronicle
2 hours ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
Democrats in Virginia have a hefty fundraising advantage heading into November general election
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Democrats in Virginia have built up a hefty fundraising advantage for their effort to reclaim the governor's mansion in a November election that is seen as a bellwether for the party in power in Washington ahead of the 2026 midterms. Democrat Abigail Spanberger, a former CIA spy turned congresswoman, has a more than 2-to-1 fundraising advantage over her GOP opponent for governor, Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears, who has struggled to draw support from her fellow Republicans. Both were unopposed for their party's nominations and were able to focus on the fall general election without having to overcome a challenge in this week's primaries. The match-up means Virginia is all but certain to elect the state's first female governor. Spanberger has amassed $6.5 million toward her campaign for governor over the last two months after raising $6.7 million between January and March, according to the nonpartisan Virginia Public Access Project. Combined with the money Spanberger raised in 2024, she has gathered $22.8 million and still has $14.3 million in her coffers. Earle-Sears, meanwhile, spent more than she earned between April and June, bringing in $3.5 million and spending $4.6 million. Between January and March, she also raised a little over $3.1 million. In total, she has raked in nearly $9.2 million since launching her campaign last September. Now, she has a little under $3 million in the bank, according to Virginia Public Access Project data. In a statement, Earle-Sears' campaign said the candidate is putting forward a message for Virginians that money can't buy. 'Clearly the Spanberger campaign needs a lot of help attempting to erase Abigail's bad voting record on issues that actually matter to Virginians," press secretary Peyton Vogel said in an email. 'This race isn't being bought — it's being built on a message that matters.' Virginia is one of two states, along with New Jersey, that host statewide elections this year. The contests will be closely watched as a measure of whether voters in the shadow of Washington will embrace President Donald Trump's aggressive effort to overhaul the federal government, or be repelled by it. Democrats' outsized fundraising lead ahead of the primaries may reflect local Democratic enthusiasm and the party's ability to push people to the polls in light of Trump being in office. Mark J. Rozell, dean of George Mason University's Schar School of Policy and Government, also referenced the noticeable frostiness among leading state Republicans. The party's statewide nominees have yet to campaign together, despite securing their nominations at the end of April. 'Enthusiasm drives fundraising and in Virginia right now the Democrats' voting base has much greater enthusiasm' than Republicans, Rozell said. 'It is reminiscent of Trump's first term in office when Democratic fundraising and ultimately voting overwhelmed the Republicans in Virginia.' Money does not guarantee success, however. In the last Virginia governor's race, former Gov. Terry McAuliffe outspent Republican Glenn Youngkin, who had invested $20 million of his own money in the race. Youngkin still clinched the election by nearly two points. Youngkin, who is term-limited from seeking reelection, has offered more than $21,000 in support to Earle-Sears through his political action committee. When asked whether he would donate more, his PAC responded, 'Governor Youngkin is working to elect the entire GOP ticket and is urging all Virginians to support the commonsense team this November to keep Virginia winning.' The Democrats' fundraising advantage isn't confined to the governor's race. State Sen. Ghazala Hashmi, who eked out a primary win in a close three-way contest for lieutenant governor, raised nearly $1.8 million in her primary race and has $462,000 remaining. The Republican nominee, conservative talk-radio host John Reid, raised nearly $312,000 since launching his campaign and has $116,000 remaining. The only statewide GOP candidate with a fundraising lead, incumbent Attorney General Jason Miyares, has $2.3 million in the bank after raising a total of $4.6 million. His Democratic opponent, Jay Jones, has raised $2.7 million. He had about $493,000 left at the beginning of June, reports show. This year, all three Democratic statewide candidates are backed by Clean Virginia, a political group that pushes for clean energy and often takes on legislative challenges against Dominion Energy, Virginia's largest utility. The two groups are some of the most influential entities lobbying on state politics and policy. With energy demand likely to be a key issue in November, their influence could be significant. According to the nonpartisan public-access group, Spanberger has taken in $465,000 from the environmental organization. On Tuesday, Clean Virginia endorsed Hashmi's candidacy for lieutenant governor, following its previous donations to her state Senate campaign committee. During his campaign, Jones also received $1.5 million from Clean Virginia, while his primary opponent, Democrat Shannon Taylor, accepted $800,000 from Dominion Energy between 2024 and 2025. Clean Virginia released attack ads targeting Taylor for accepting Dominion money. The energy utility has become entangled in other statewide battles. On the Republican ticket, Earle-Sears accepted $50,000 from Dominion in March. Miyares also gained $450,000 from the utility so far this year. Clean Virginia has donated to both Democrats and Republicans, including to candidates running for the House of Delegates, where all 100 members are up for reelection in November. Democrats who control the legislature are hoping to keep or expand their thin majority and amend the state's Constitution to protect rights to voting, marriage equality and abortion. Democratic candidates have raised about $16.9 million in those races, with $3.2 million stemming from House Speaker Don Scott. ———
