Central Planning in Disguise

Where news meets rational thinking

Good morning, It’s Thursday, June 5th. In today’s news, Carney’s infrastructure policies are just central planning in disguise, the US crackdown on illegal immigrants is sending a surge of refugees to Canada, 19 countries face travel restrictions under Trump’s latest national security move, Harvard is under fire for deep ties to the Chinese Communist Party, and much more.

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Carney’s Infrastructure Policies Are Just Central Planning in Disguise

Prime Minister Mark Carney’s plan to fast-track infrastructure development in Canada may sound ambitious, but the fine print reveals a framework designed for obstruction—not progress.

At the recent first ministers’ meeting in Saskatoon, Carney laid out the federal criteria for approving major infrastructure projects. To move forward, projects must now meet a laundry list of vague, politically charged requirements: they must “strengthen the Canadian economy,” “enhance autonomy and security,” show “undeniable benefits to Canada,” demonstrate a “high likelihood of successful execution,” be a “high priority for Indigenous leaders,” and “drive clean growth potential.”

This opens the door to rejecting virtually any project for virtually any reason.

By blending private-sector ventures—such as mines, pipelines, and refineries—with taxpayer-funded public works like roads and bridges, Carney’s government is erasing the crucial distinction between market-driven enterprise and state infrastructure. This is central planning disguised as collaboration. Businesses investing billions are now beholden to political interpretations of “national interest,” “Indigenous participation,” and “clean growth”—terms so elastic they mean whatever the federal government wants them to mean at any given moment.

Even Carney’s so-called support for pipelines is hedged: he speaks of “opportunities” for “an oil pipeline,” but only within the context of “decarbonized barrels.” Translation: traditional energy projects must conform to ideological climate benchmarks, or they’re dead on arrival.

Indigenous consent is also being elevated to an undefined national veto. While actual legal title to land is clear, Carney’s framework appears to empower any group claiming “ancestral” or “traditional” rights to block infrastructure. This is a legal minefield that encourages endless litigation and undermines certainty for investors.

These criteria do not unleash Canada’s economic potential—they cage it in red tape and endless bureaucratic review. Strategic public infrastructure should meet national needs. Private projects, however, should be evaluated on commercial viability, environmental compliance, and legal land rights—not on whether they tick every political box dreamed up in Ottawa.

Unless Carney strips this framework down to clear, objective standards—focused on economic growth, rule of law, and true environmental safeguards—Canada’s so-called “energy superpower” ambitions will stay trapped in the boardroom. With this current approach, the country isn’t building—it’s bargaining. And the only thing being fast-tracked is stagnation. Source.

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US Crackdown on Illegal Immigrants is Sending a Surge of Refugees to Canada

Fears of deportation in the US are driving a surge of asylum seekers toward Canada. Between January and April 2025, refugee claims processed by the Canadian Border Services Agency (CBSA) jumped 87%, with ineligible claimants turned back under the Safe Third Country Agreement also rising by 76%.

This spike follows the Trump administration's March 25 pause of legal protections (CHNV parole program) for refugees from Colombia, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela. Although a federal judge temporarily blocked the order in April, the US Supreme Court reversed it on May 30, placing over 500,000 migrants at risk of deportation and reigniting fears.

Canadian immigration lawyers report surging inquiries, with some seeing a 200% increase. In response, Canada is introducing new rules to manage unexpected spikes in asylum claims (Bill C-2, for example).

Despite the desperation, many migrants won’t qualify under Canada’s strict border rules, which require asylum seekers to claim refugee status in the first safe country they arrive in—usually the US. Unless they have close family in Canada, most will be turned back.

Experts warn that worsening humanitarian crises in countries like Haiti, Cuba, Nicaragua, and Venezuela will continue to push people north, regardless of border restrictions, so if they’re not here legally, expect many more to be here illegally.

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19 Countries Face U.S. Travel Limits Under Trump’s Latest National Security Move

President Donald Trump has reintroduced a sweeping travel ban targeting citizens from a dozen countries, a move that echoes one of the most controversial policies of his first term. The new restrictions, set to take effect Monday, are framed by Trump as a national security measure to curb potential threats from abroad.

The ban applies to travellers from Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, the Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen. These countries were chosen based on what Trump called their “security risk profiles,” particularly regarding visa overstays, weak governance, and potential terror threats. Additionally, heightened restrictions—not full bans—will be applied to visitors from Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela.

In a video released on social media, Trump referenced a recent attack in Boulder, Colorado, as part of the rationale for the move. The suspect, an Egyptian national living illegally in the U.S., injured multiple people during a protest related to the conflict in Gaza. Egypt, notably, is not included on the travel ban list. However, Trump argued the incident illustrates the risks posed by certain foreign nationals, especially those who overstay their visas or slip through background checks.

The decision marks a continuation of Trump’s national security doctrine, which prioritizes strong borders and immigration enforcement. His original 2017 travel ban targeted seven predominantly Muslim nations and triggered legal battles before a revised version was upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court in 2018. Legal analysts suggest this latest move has a stronger legal footing given the precedent set by that ruling.

Trump maintains that the list of banned countries is subject to change depending on evolving conditions and cooperation from foreign governments. “I must act to protect the national security and national interest of the United States and its people,” he stated in his official proclamation.

As the policy is set to take effect, debate continues over whether the travel ban enhances safety—or undermines America’s global image and diplomatic relations. Source.

Harvard Under Fire for Deep Ties to Chinese Communist Regime

Harvard University is under intense scrutiny over its deep ties to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), including controversial partnerships, donations, and the education of Chinese regime elites. Following actions by the Trump administration—including visa restrictions, funding cuts, and efforts to revoke Harvard’s certification to host international students—the university’s connections with Beijing are drawing criticism from lawmakers and national security experts.

Harvard has received tens of millions from Chinese-linked donors, collaborated with sanctioned entities like the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps (implicated in Uyghur abuses), and trained top CCP officials and their children. Critics argue these ties serve as CCP “united front” operations aimed at influencing US academia, spreading propaganda, and stealing intellectual property.

The Trump administration justifies the crackdown as a necessary defence against infiltration and ideological warfare. Harvard denies wrongdoing, accusing the government of political retaliation and defending its academic independence. More

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RFK Jr: Moderna Will Conduct ‘True Placebo-Controlled Trial’ of New COVID Vaccine

Moderna will conduct a placebo-controlled trial of its new mRNA COVID-19 vaccine, mNEXSPIKE, following limited FDA approval for high-risk groups. US Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. confirmed the trial will begin in November 2025, with results due in 2027. The vaccine is approved for adults 65+ and high-risk individuals aged 12–64. Moderna claims mNEXSPIKE is at least as effective as its earlier vaccine, Spikevax. Kennedy emphasized the FDA will closely monitor the trial and collect data on all adverse events. More

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Trump Says He Spoke to Putin, Predicts No ‘Immediate Peace' With Ukraine - Putin said ‘he will have to respond’ to Ukraine’s drone attack on Russia’s airfields, Trump said. More

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Israeli Arms Sales Break Record for 4th Year in Row, Reaching $14.8 Billion in 2024 Despite Ongoing War - Massive exports come despite pressure by foreign governments to cancel deals over the Gaza war; air defence systems account for nearly half of sales. More

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German City Evacuates 20,000 After Unexploded World War II Bombs Are Found - More

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EU Launches 13 Strategic Mineral Projects to Break China’s Rare Earth Monopoly - More

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At Least 11 Dead, Dozens Injured After Stampede During Celebration Outside Cricket Stadium in India - More

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Vietnam Ends Two-Child Policy After Birth Rate Hits Record Low - More

Reddit Sues Anthropic Over Alleged Unauthorized Use of User Data for AI Training

Reddit has filed a lawsuit against AI startup Anthropic, accusing it of unlawfully scraping Reddit content to train its AI models without a licensing agreement. The complaint, filed in Northern California, alleges that Anthropic ignored Reddit’s user terms, violated its privacy protections, and used automated bots to bypass site restrictions—scraping the platform over 100,000 times even after being told to stop.

This marks the first time a major tech company has sued an AI firm over data usage, joining lawsuits from The New York Times, authors like Sarah Silverman, and music publishers targeting similar practices. Reddit, which has signed data licensing deals with OpenAI and Google, claims those agreements include terms to protect users—unlike Anthropic’s alleged conduct. More

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Bank of Canada Keeps Interest Rates Steady at 2.75 Percent - More

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Amazon to Invest $10 Billion in North Carolina to Expand Cloud Computing Infrastructure and Advance AI Innovation - More

Is This Where We Find Aliens? Kepler-725c: A New Hope in the Search for Habitable Worlds

A new discovery by Chinese astronomers using data from NASA’s Kepler space telescope has revealed a super-Earth exoplanet, Kepler-725c, located roughly 2,400 light-years from Earth. This distant world, with a mass about ten times that of Earth, orbits its sun-like star within the ‘habitable zone’—a region where conditions may allow liquid water to exist, raising hopes for the possibility of extraterrestrial life.

Kepler-725c completes an orbit every 207.5 days and receives about 1.4 times the solar radiation Earth does, yet it remains within a temperature range considered suitable for life. The planet’s rocky composition, combined with the potential presence of oceans and exposed land, makes it a promising candidate for hosting carbon-based life forms.

The discovery marks a milestone as it is the first time a super-Earth has been detected using the Transit Timing Variation (TTV) method. This technique identifies subtle irregularities in the orbit of a neighbouring gas giant planet, Kepler-725b, caused by the gravitational pull of Kepler-725c. The host star, Kepler-725, is significantly younger than our Sun at 1.6 billion years, providing an intriguing environment for studying planetary evolution. More

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Facing Steep Funding Cuts, Scientists Propose Using Black Holes as Particle Colliders Instead of Building New Ones on Earth - More

Olympic Committee Responds Cautiously to Leaked Medical Reports Claiming Imane Khelif is Biologically Male

Olympic boxing champion Imane Khelif and the International Olympic Committee have responded cautiously to a growing controversy over a leaked medical report allegedly showing Khelif has a male karyotype. While Khelif avoided addressing the issue directly, instead posting a tribute to her parents on Instagram for UNICEF’s Global Day of Parents, World Boxing has ruled she must undergo genetic sex screening before competing in female categories. The IOC has distanced itself, stating that eligibility rules fall under each sport’s federation. The leaked document, reportedly from a New Delhi lab, surfaced shortly after World Boxing introduced new testing requirements to detect Y chromosomes in athletes. More

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2025 US Nationals: 16-Year-Old Swimmer Luka Mijatovic Breaks 200M Freestyle Record Held by Michael Phelps - More

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Ryan Reynolds and Colin Hanks’ Documentary ‘John Candy: I Like Me’ to Open Toronto Film Festival’s 50th Edition - More

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Diddy Trial Update: Diddy Allegedly Paid $100,000 for the Security Footage of Himself Assaulting Cassie in a Hotel Corridor - More

A Wild Elephant Looking for Snacks Causes Havoc in a Grocery Store in Thailand - I’m honestly surprised this doesn’t happen more often

Australian Cockatoos Start Sipping From Drinking Fountains After Mastering a Series of Complex Moves

On This Day in 1968, Palestinian Sirhan Sirhan assassinates Robert F. Kennedy, shooting him 3 times and wounding 5 others at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles, California. Kennedy died the next day.

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