Latest news with #TheSpectator
Spectator
4 hours ago
- Spectator
Inside London's transport time warp
The illustration shows a smiling couple on a yacht, the wind ruffling their hair and the coastline receding into the distance behind them. Above it are the words: 'Work out of London – get more out of life.' Something from the post-Covid work-from-home era, perhaps, or Boris Johnson's 2019 'levelling up' election campaign? No – this is the work of 'The Location of Offices Bureau', set up by the Tory government in 1963 and abolished by Margaret Thatcher. The advert appears on the wall of a decommissioned Tube carriage that's one of many frozen in time in a warehouse in west London. In the latest issue of The Spectator, Richard Morris writes that museums often have a 'wealth of treasures… hidden away in storage' and argues that more should open their vaults. The London Transport Museum Depot in Acton is an object lesson in how to do this. The 65,000 sq metre unit exists primarily to store, catalogue and preserve objects from the London Transport Museum's collection – and three times a year, it opens its doors to the public.
Hamilton Spectator
2 days ago
- Lifestyle
- Hamilton Spectator
Norma Bidwell's comfort foods: Cheers to burgers and salads
Editor's note: Norma Bidwell was The Spectator's beloved food columnist for more than half a century, signing off her popular Stoveline column in 2006 at the age of 91. With rising grocery costs and global turmoil, now seems a perfect time to revive her recipes for simple, comfort foods for you to enjoy. Home cooking has never been so top of mind. From easy salads and comfort food to share. We've got some of the best recipes, picked from The Spectator's Stoveline archives in hopes to help everyone with that time-honoured daily thrill of cooking. Get into the backyard with these easy burgers and salad ideas. Beer and cheese-stuffed burgers set up the grill with highlights of Zinfandel salad dressing polished off with spritzed up fruit salad. Makes 6 servings Preheat the barbecue. Mix together all ingredients except cheese and mustard. Divide the mixture evenly into six balls. Combine the cheese and mustard and divide the mixture into six equal portions. Press a portion of cheese into the centre of each ball of meat, then flatten the meat to seal in the cheese and form a thick patty. Place the patties on the grill three inches (7.5 cm) from the heat. Cook them about six minutes on each side until nicely browned and the cheese filling is just melted. Makes about 1 ¼ cups Combine all ingredients except mayonnaise in blender or food processor. Blend until onions and garlic are minced. Add mayonnaise and blend until smooth. Refrigerate, covered, and whisk dressing just before using. Using a variety of fruits, enlivened with a semi-sweet white wine, it makes a wonderful summer offering. Makes 6 servings Peel and section orange. Core and cut up apple and pear (leave skins on). Sliver the dates. Peel banana and cut into diagonal slices. Halve the grapes. Peel pomegranate and separate its seed pods. In a large bowl, combine the fruits, pomegranate seeds and wine. Mix well. Cover and refrigerate until serving time. Before serving, toss again to mix well. Spoon fruit and liquid into sherbet glasses and top each with a sprig of mint.
Hamilton Spectator
2 days ago
- Politics
- Hamilton Spectator
Hamilton police board refuses to debate motion on Charter breach policy
It was more than a year ago when retired Crown attorney Andrew Bell, delegating before Hamilton's police board, panned the service after a court ruling found officers violated Charter rights when they unnecessarily broke down a door during a raid and failed to provide an accused their right to counsel. 'No criminal case should ever be lost or comprised due to a Charter breach by the Hamilton Police Service,' Bell told the board in February 2024, calling the tossed drug case and no-knock raid a 'monstrous failure.' Bell, who has decades of experience in Charter litigation and compliance, proposed the board implement a new policy that ensured Hamilton's police chief would notify the board whenever an officer committed a Charter breach. 'I want this board to take action. Be a pioneer.' On Thursday, that opportunity to act was placed squarely in front of the board, with citizen member Anjali Menezes moving a motion that proposed heightened monitoring and accountability of police-involved Charter violations. They opted against it. Motions at board meetings require a mover and a seconder before it can be discussed and voted on. Menezes, the author of the motion, understandably moved it. But when it came time for a seconder, no other board member raised their hand, leaving the motion to not be discussed — much less voted on. 'I am disappointed and upset, absolutely,' Menesez told The Spectator after the meeting. 'I very much suspected this outcome could be a possibility, but I am hopeful there may be a way to try again … I'm not going to give up.' Aside from Menezes, board members present at Thursday's meeting were chair Don Robertson, vice-chair Esther Pauls and provincial appointee Shaun Padulo. Mayor Andrea Horwath (injured) and Coun. Cameron Kroetsch (suspended) were absent. Menezes told the board her two-page motion was inspired by Bell's delegation last year, which led her 'on a year-long journey to learn about this topic' and how the board can help police safeguard the Charter rights of all Hamilton residents. The Spectator has reported on several court rulings in recent years which found Hamilton officers violated people's Charter rights while making arrests. That includes a scathing decision last March, when a man was acquitted on all charges after a judge found two officers racially profiled him during a traffic stop and illegally searched his car. Among the proposals in the motion were that: Its purpose wasn't to make the service look bad, Menezes stressed to board members. Instead, she described it as another part of the board's responsibilities to ensure adequate and effective policing in Hamilton. 'Just like how we get annual reports from the professional standards branch,' she said, adding Charter breaches aren't something that should be reported to the board as a courtesy, but rather a requirement. Earlier in Thursday's meeting, four people delegated before the board about the motion. All implored members to pass it. 'There has been no motion put before the board which is more important than the one before the board today,' Bell, who started working for the local Crown in 1979, said during an impassioned delegation. 'Charter compliance is an essential and indispensable part of providing adequate and effective policing. Passing this motion will show this board is serious about requiring the Hamilton Police Service to safeguard the Charter rights of everyone in this city.' Bell said the onus is on the board to impress upon the service the importance of reducing its number of Charter breaches to zero. He added Charter violations should be reflected in the chief's annual performance review. 'If the chief doesn't treat Charter compliance seriously — unless HPS members, from deputy chiefs to cadets, know that Charter breaches on his watch are not trivial slips but career-limiting failures — the essential cultural change that HPS must make will not occur.' In March, after a court found two local officers violated a person's Charter rights during a 2022 traffic stop, police said they had implemented enhanced training on Charter rights and unconscious bias. 'We are committed to a comprehensive approach that includes reviewing policies, practices and decision-making processes to ensure they uphold human rights. We recognize the impact of these decisions on our community and remain committed to ensuring fair and impartial policing in Hamilton.' Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
New York Post
3 days ago
- Politics
- New York Post
Trump v. California on women's sports, a risky mortgage retread, and other commentary
Olympics beat: Trump v. Cali on Women's Sports The 2028 Los Angeles Olympics will become 'a slow-motion car crash' over the issue of transgender athletes in women's sports, Jennifer Sey warns at The Spectator, with President Trump facing off against California and the US Olympic Committee. 'For the first time in history,' the LA Games will see 'more women's events than men's' — but if biological men can fight for those medals, 'it's women who will lose. And some will get hurt.' Gavin Newsom doesn't toe the line on his executive order 'aimed at protecting women's sports' — yet 'taxpayer dollars earmarked for Los Angeles 2028' are already flowing. 'Compelled participation against biological men isn't inclusion,' but 'institutionalized abuse.' Eye on Wall St.: A Risky Mortgage Retread 'The American public doesn't need a sequel to 'The Big Short,' ' Veronique de Rugy snarks at Reason. The 2008 financial crisis traced in that film, was sparked by Washington, 'specifically through Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac,' government-sponsored lenders that (under pressure from Congress) backed 'risky home loans by effectively making taxpayers cosign the mortgages.' Those 'significantly loosened lending standards' wound up 'inflating the housing bubble.' Now, President Trump is floating plans to 're-privatize' Fannie and Freddie without taking taxpayers off the hook for bad loans. Aargh! 'Financial entities — particularly those shielded by government guarantees — inevitably revert to risky behavior when market pressures and profit incentives align.' The only safe way to privatize Fannie and Freddie is 'without any implicit government guarantees.' From the right: A Win Over Climate Hysteria 'The right to express an opinion contrary to the 'settled science' was vindicated last week in the District of Columbia Superior Court,' cheers The Washington Times' editorial board. Penn State University researcher Michael Mann's 'hockey stick' chart 'stoked climate panic around the world, then he sued critics who implied his 'findings were erroneous.' A DC jury last year awarded Mann '$1 million in punitive damages,' but that 'victory was based in part on a chart containing numbers that couldn't be replicated' — so it seems he 'will now end up paying the individuals he sued a total of around $1.4 million.' Conservative: Mamdani's Hateful Lies Progressive mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani, already 'a post-Oct. 7 vessel for the de-stigmatized tidal wave of anti-Semitism in the West,' this week 'crossed a line that was staggeringly militant even in our current age of say-anything shock-jock politics,' thunders Commentary's Seth Mandel. In a campaign stop at a mosque, he denounced 'Israel's pager operation, likely the most carefully targeted such operation in the history of warfare, in which the pagers only of Hezbollah exploded, maiming thousands of terrorists after the group had waged months of war on Israeli civilians.' He claimed it killed 'scores of Lebanese civilians,' marvels Mandel, when 'not even Lebanese authorities claimed as much. The only way that number is accurate is if Mamdani considers Hezbollah terrorists to be civilians, which is possible, because he does not mention Hezbollah at all in his remarks.' Civil-rights watch: Whistleblowers vs. DEI The Justice Department's 'Civil Rights Fraud Initiative, which will use the False Claims Act, encourages whistleblowers to come forward with evidence of illegal' discrimination, applauding Edward Blum & Adam Mortara at The Wall Street Journal. 'Universities, corporations, and nonprofit organizations have established 'diversity, equity and inclusion' policies that violate the plain language of civil-rights laws,' yet 'receive billions in federal funding by falsely certifying that they are in compliance with those laws.' For instance, 'a university can't accept taxpayer dollars while condoning antisemitism on campus or treating applicants differently based on race.' The Justice initiative gives whistleblowers 'an incentive to come forward and expose unlawful discrimination' by letting them collect a share of potential multimillion-dollar damages. — Compiled by The Post Editorial Board
Hamilton Spectator
3 days ago
- Politics
- Hamilton Spectator
Education minister vows to fire Brant Catholic trustee
A Brant Catholic trustee who disobeyed orders to repay Italy trip funds could lose his seat. In April, Education Minister Paul Calandra demanded four Brant Haldimand Norfolk Catholic District School Board trustees who took a now-infamous trip to Europe to buy art for schools (flying business class and eating at a Michelin star restaurant) repay the nearly $50,000 they expensed. Three trustees confirmed they repaid their shares of $12,666 ahead of the May 23 deadline. 'I, along with Rick Petrella and Dan Dignard, have repaid in full,' trustee Bill Chopp told The Spectator in an email last Thursday. On the same day, Petrella corroborated, telling The Spec 'I have, along with Dan Dignard, and Bill Chopp, fully repaid all amounts related to travel expenses to the board, in full compliance with the minister's directive.' On Thursday, Calandra told Newstalk 1010 host Deb Hutton he will 'fire' the fourth, who only paid '$2,000' of his share, CTV reported. Trustee Mark Watson owed $12,370. When asked last week, neither he nor the school board would confirm if he repaid the full amount. As it stands, Calandra can't remove a trustee — who is elected by the public — from their seat. However, he told Hutton he plans to bring forward legislation that would enable him to 'vacate that trustee's seat,' CTV reported. The Spectator was unable to reach Watson by phone on Thursday for comment. When asked, the school board said it doesn't have anything to share at this time. After news of the trip broke, Haldimand-Norfolk MPP Bobbi Ann Brady asked then-minister Jill Dunlop to call the four trustees and demand they resign. 'So, yes, I agree that this rogue trustee should be fired if he refuses to repay taxpayers the full amount of the Italian junket,' she told The Spectator Thursday. In a news conference earlier in the day, Calandra announced a Supporting Children and Students Act, which, if passed, would 'expand my authority as the minister of education for oversight and control of school board affairs,' he said. It would allow the ministry to intervene and put a school board under supervision without waiting for a recommendation from a third-party investigation, he said.
