Freedom on Trial
Where news meets rational thinking
Good morning, it’s Thursday, July 31st. In today’s news, Mark Carney says Canada will formally recognize a Palestinian state at the UN, the Liberals plan to shut down a $2 billion housing program for asylum seekers, a major court battle is set to begin over frozen bank accounts tied to the Freedom Convoy, Ottawa pulls the plug on $126 million in ‘safer supply’ drug funding, and much more.
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Mark Carney Announces Canada Will Recognize Palestinian State at UN
In a move that marks a dramatic departure from longstanding Canadian foreign policy, Prime Minister Mark Carney announced Wednesday that Canada will formally recognize a Palestinian state at the United Nations this September. The decision, Carney said, comes in response to the worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza and the failure of the Israeli government to stop what he described as “rapidly deteriorating” conditions for civilians.
Carney declared that the two-state solution could no longer wait for bilateral negotiations that had stalled for decades, particularly in the wake of the 2023 Hamas attacks and Israel’s ongoing military response. “The level of human suffering in Gaza is intolerable,” Carney said. He emphasized that Canada’s recognition would go solely to the Palestinian Authority, not to Hamas, which remains a designated terrorist organization in Canada.
The announcement triggered immediate condemnation from the Israeli embassy, which called the move a “reward” for Hamas' October 7th terrorist attack and a blow to Israeli and Palestinian victims alike. Ambassador Iddo Moed warned that recognizing a Palestinian state now “vindicates Hamas’ Western sympathizers” and risks entrenching its influence.
To counter this narrative, Carney stated that he had spoken directly with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, who pledged governance reform, the demilitarization of any future Palestinian state, and general elections in 2026 that would exclude Hamas. Whether this promise holds weight remains uncertain.
Canada now joins France and the U.K.—two other G7 nations—who recently made similar declarations of support for Palestinian statehood if Israel does not implement a ceasefire by the fall. These moves are largely symbolic but politically potent, signaling a significant shift in the West’s posture amid growing global condemnation of the humanitarian situation in Gaza.
Adding fuel to the fire, a group of 173 former Canadian diplomats published a letter supporting the decision and urging even tougher measures, including an arms embargo and trade restrictions on goods from Israeli settlements. However, a smaller group of former officials pushed back, calling the recommendations “naive and dangerous” and warning that such steps could embolden extremists.
This shift in Canadian foreign policy is likely to have far-reaching implications—domestically, diplomatically, and globally. Whether it creates momentum for peace or exacerbates divisions remains to be seen, but one thing is certain: Canada is no longer content to sit on the sidelines. Source.
Liberal Government to Finally End $2 Billion, 8-Year Hotel Program for Asylum Seekers
After spending over $2 billion of taxpayer money housing asylum seekers in hotel rooms across Canada, the federal government is finally shutting down a program that never should have existed in the first place. What began as a so-called “temporary measure” in 2017 ballooned into a bloated, unsustainable scheme that saw hotel rooms rented for an average of $205 per night, often with no time limits on stays. Ottawa used this setup to cover for its failure to plan for growing asylum numbers, dumping the burden on overwhelmed cities like Toronto, Montreal, and Quebec City—then patting itself on the back for tossing them a few million here and there.
The numbers are staggering: 46 hotel sites in use at the program’s 2023 peak, more than 170,000 asylum claims in a single year, and hundreds still living in hotels today. While Canadians sleep in tents and veterans are told there’s no room, the government handed Toronto $455 million and Quebec $440 million for hotel bills—plus $100 million just for Niagara Falls hotels just last year.
Meanwhile, the feds kept claiming this was a “cost-effective solution,” instead of investing in scalable, long-term infrastructure or enforcing any form of efficiency or accountability.
Now, nearly eight years and $2 billion later, the IRCC is finally transitioning to so-called “reception centres” and relocating people to provinces with cheaper housing. But for Canadians who footed the bill all this time, it’s hard to see this as anything other than a massive policy failure—a costly band-aid on a self-inflicted wound that should never have been allowed to fester this long.
Freedom on Trial: The Legal Battle Over Frozen Accounts and Government Overreach
On August 14, a retrial begins that could have massive implications for the future of financial freedom in Canada.
At the heart of it is a question that should concern every Canadian: Can the government freeze your bank account—without a charge, a hearing, or even an explanation—simply because it doesn’t like your political views?
That’s what happened to Evan Blackman.
In February 2022, Evan—a father and self-employed Ontarian—was arrested during the federal government’s crackdown on the Freedom Convoy protest in Ottawa. Police detained him on February 18, just four days after Prime Minister Trudeau invoked the Emergencies Act for the first time in Canadian history.
He was released the same day without conditions. But when Evan tried to access his bank account, he was locked out. No ATM withdrawals. No online banking. No pre-authorized payments. His personal and business finances were suddenly frozen—with zero warning.
“It was an absolute shock,” Evan said. “As a self-employed worker, it not only affected my family, but my employees as well.”
The Crown charged him with mischief and obstruction, relying on a 14-minute drone video and the testimony of one police officer. But when his case went to trial in October 2023, the judge dismissed all charges. The video showed Evan de-escalating tensions, holding people back, and kneeling in front of police singing O Canada. The judge described him not as a threat—but a “peacemaker.”
Still, the Crown appealed. And now, Evan is back in court.
But this time, the stakes are even higher. His legal team—provided by the Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms—will argue that freezing his bank accounts without due process violated Section 7 of the Charter, which guarantees life, liberty, and security of the person.
On July 4, a judge ordered the RCMP and TD Bank to hand over internal records explaining how and why Evan’s accounts were frozen. These documents may finally reveal the full extent of the government's overreach.
This isn’t just about Evan anymore. It’s about whether the state can weaponize financial institutions against peaceful dissent. The outcome of this case could set a legal precedent that affects every Canadian’s right to protest without fear of financial punishment. Source.
A Failed Plan: Federal Government Ends $126 Million in ‘Safer Supply’ Funding
The federal government says it will not renew funding for “safer supply” drug programs after providing $126 million to 31 initiatives since 2017. These programs, which gave addicts access to government-prescribed opioids and stimulants, have sparked controversy—supporters claim they reduce toxic overdoses, while critics blame them for rising hospitalizations and street trafficking. A 2025 study found a 58% increase in opioid-related hospitalizations in BC after decriminalization and safer supply rollouts. The province has since walked back parts of its drug decriminalization plan, and calls for public inquiries continue amid 52,000 overdose deaths in Canada since 2016. More
Man Who Threatened to Bomb ‘Kill as Many Jews as Possible’ Sentenced to 60 Days House Arrest
A man who threatened to bomb every synagogue in Toronto and “kill as many Jews as possible” has been sentenced to just 60 days of house arrest.
Despite openly expressing genocidal hatred and promising to carry out terror attacks, Waisuddin Akbari will serve his sentence from home, after a judge ruled the community is not in danger. Jewish organizations are outraged, calling the sentence a dangerous message of leniency amid a surge in antisemitism across Canada.
This isn’t justice—it’s ideological punishment disguised as law. Canada is now a country where who you are and what you believe determines your sentence. If you're on the "wrong" political side, you’re made an example of. If you're spouting genocidal hate, you get “rehabilitation.”
This is two-tiered justice, plain and simple—and it should horrify anyone who cares about real equality under the law. More
Arab States Call on Hamas to Disarm and Relinquish Power in Unprecedented Move - More
Trump Imposes 25 Percent Tariff on India Plus Unspecified Penalty - The move comes after months of talks, with Trump citing steep Indian tariffs and the country’s close ties to Russia amid the Ukraine war. More
Dozens of Aftershocks Reported After 8.8 Magnitude Earthquake Hits Russian Coast - More
At Least Seventeen Killed as Gunmen Attack Bar in Ecuador - More
Australia's Labor Government Expands Under-16 Social Media Ban to YouTube - The move follows recommendations from the eSafety commissioner. More
Reuters Poll: Trump Approval Rating Sinks to 40%, the Lowest of His Term - More
CNE Receives Record-Breaking 54K Job Applications Amid High Youth Unemployment
With youth unemployment in Ontario nearing 25% for teens aged 14–19, the CNE's 2024 job fair is drawing desperate levels of interest. Over 54,000 online applications have been submitted for just 5,000+ seasonal positions—a record high that underscores just how bleak the job market has become for young people. The national youth unemployment rate (ages 14–24) sits at 14%, the highest in decades. The CNE, one of Toronto’s largest seasonal employers, generates $112 million in annual economic activity for the GTA and drew 1.5 million visitors in 2024. More
Bank of Canada Holds Policy Rate at 2.75 Percent, Cites ‘Resilience’ of Economy - More
US Economy Surges 3 Percent in 2nd Quarter, Tops Market Estimates - More
Cadence Design Systems to Pay $140 Million for Selling Chip Design Tech to Blacklisted Chinese University - More
Scientists Are Studying Ways to Make Your Blood Deadly to Mosquitos
Scientists are exploring a groundbreaking way to fight malaria by turning your own blood into a mosquito killer. A new study shows that the antiparasitic drug ivermectin makes blood toxic to mosquitoes, slashing malaria infections by 26% when taken monthly. Tested in Kenya, the treatment not only wiped out malaria cases but also cut lice, scabies, and bedbugs—with zero safety issues.
But ivermectin isn’t the only “blood weapon” in development. Researchers are also testing nitisinone, a drug that disrupts an enzyme mosquitoes need to digest blood. When mosquitoes feed on blood containing nitisinone, even insecticide-resistant ones die, making it a potent new tool against these pests.
As mosquitoes grow resistant to traditional insecticides, this innovative approach—using the blood meal itself to kill mosquitoes from the inside—is shaping up to be a game-changer in the fight against malaria and other mosquito-borne diseases. More
McGill Researchers Develop AI That Predicts Respiratory Illness Before Symptoms Show - More
Female Athletes Must Take Gene Tests for Track and Field Worlds
World Athletics has set a September 1 deadline for female athletes to pass a gene test proving they lack the Y chromosome to compete at the upcoming World Championships in Tokyo. The "once-in-a-lifetime" test aims to exclude biological men from women’s sports and to enforce rules requiring athletes with differences in sex development (DSDs), like Caster Semenya, to suppress natural testosterone levels to be eligible for women’s events. While Semenya recently won a procedural ruling at the European Court of Human Rights, the new regulations remain in place. World Athletics covers part of the testing cost and says the test is highly accurate, marking a key moment in the ongoing, controversial debate over male eligibility in female sports. More
World Aquatic Championships:
Katie Ledecky Extends Dominance in 1500-Meter Freestyle at World Championships - More
Léon Marchand Sets World Record in 200 IM, Shatters Previous Mark Held by Ryan Lochte - More
Two-Time Olympic Gold Medalist Laura Dahlmeier Dead at 31 After Climbing Accident - More
Grizzlies and Magic to Play Regular-Season Games in Berlin and London During 2025-26 Season - More
It’s Illegal to Die in Lanjarón, Spain, Due to Overcrowded Cemetery—and Residents Are Apparently Complying
A Painting Bought at an Estate Sale for $180 Turns Out to Be a Salvador Dalí Valued at $25,000
On This Day in 1917, World War I’s Battle of Passchendaele (Third Battle of Ypres) began, lasting until November 6 and resulting in around 500,000 casualties.