12-Day War
Where news meets rational thinking
Good morning, it’s Tuesday, June 24th. In today’s news, Trump declares a cease-fire between Israel and Iran ending the ‘12-Day War,’ Canadian mother finds ‘How to Use Meth’ cards at school pride event, Justice Minister Fraser says he is 'open' to adding 'femicide' to the criminal code, Canada and the EU sign defence pact, and much more.
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Trump Declares a Cease-Fire Between Israel and Iran Ending the ‘12-Day War’
On June 23, President Donald Trump announced that Israel and Iran had agreed to a cease-fire, formally ending what he called “The 12-Day War.” The cease-fire agreement includes an initial 12-hour truce to wind down military operations, with Trump declaring the war officially over after 24 hours of calm. He praised both nations for their “stamina, courage, and intelligence” in choosing to de-escalate, noting the conflict “could have gone on for years and destroyed the entire Middle East.”
Following the US strikes, Iran retaliated with a limited missile attack on Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, the largest US military installation in the region. However, Iran provided advance warning of the strike, allowing the US to intercept 13 of the 14 missiles, with the remaining one posing no threat. Trump confirmed that there were no American casualties or significant damage. He characterized Iran’s response as "very weak," saying the regime had “gotten it all out of their system.”
Despite the cease-fire, tensions remain. Qatar’s foreign ministry condemned Iran’s missile attack as a violation of its sovereignty and warned that it reserves the right to respond proportionally, in line with international law.
Trump notified Congress of the June 21 strikes in a formal letter to House Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate President pro tempore Chuck Grassley, fulfilling his obligations under the War Powers Act. He justified the operation as an act of collective self-defense on behalf of Israel and as essential to US national security, stating the mission was narrowly targeted to destroy Iran’s nuclear capabilities while minimizing civilian casualties and avoiding broader escalation.
Although some in Congress criticized Trump for bypassing legislative authorization, he has defended the strikes as necessary and proportionate, arguing that preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons is vital to regional and global security.
Oil markets reacted sharply to the developments—initially spiking, then dropping by 7% after news of the cease-fire and de-escalation. The situation, while temporarily stabilized, leaves open questions about Iran’s nuclear ambitions and future US involvement in Middle Eastern conflicts.
Canadian Mother Finds ‘How to Use Meth’ Cards at School Pride Event
Earlier this week in Nanaimo, B.C., a mother named Ruth Taylor attended a school-sanctioned pride event at Departure Bay Park with her 10-year-old child. What she found there wasn’t just rainbow flags and inclusive messaging—it was a table stacked with brightly-coloured drug use information cards.
Among the materials: instructions on how to safely take GHB (the “date rape drug”), methamphetamine, cocaine, and ecstasy. One card read, “Always start on the lowest end and work your way up until you find your dose.”
Taylor told the three adults manning the table that the materials were not appropriate for school-aged children. “They were not receptive to what I was saying, and the cards stayed for the remainder of the event. They never took them down,” said Taylor.
Taylor then raised the issue with school officials. The district issued a public apology and acknowledged a failure in oversight. But the question remains: how did drug use materials, created for nightclub environments by a U.S. non-profit, end up at a public school event attended by elementary-aged children?
DanceSafe, the non-profit behind the cards, claims to promote safety and “honest education” around drugs and sexual health. But Ruth Taylor wasn’t convinced. “This is not harm reduction. This is the proliferation of harm,” she said. “It’s shocking.”
She’s right to be alarmed. The fact that any adult thought it appropriate to hand out these materials at a school event underscores how far the standards in Canadian public education have fallen.
We now live in a country where schools often bypass parents entirely, adopt activist agendas without transparency, and expose children to materials that would’ve once been considered fringe, if not outright dangerous.
When bureaucracies and nonprofits are granted open access to students without serious vetting or parental oversight, incidents like this are not the exception—they’re inevitable.
The public education system is no longer just failing to uphold academic standards; it’s beginning to erode moral ones too. And the people paying the price are children. Source.
'Femicide' Laws Won’t Stop Violence—But They Will Politicize Justice
The federal government is once again proposing symbolic legislation to address a deeply serious issue. This time, it’s the push to add “femicide” to the Criminal Code—a term referring to the killing of women by men, particularly in the context of intimate partner violence. Justice Minister Sean Fraser says he’s “open” to the change, a move long called for by certain advocacy groups. But the question isn’t whether violence against women is a real and tragic problem. The question is whether adding new identity-based language to the law actually improves justice—or simply makes for good politics.
Canada already defines murder in degrees, and imposes mandatory life sentences for the most severe crimes. Judges and juries weigh evidence, determine intent, and sentencing reflects aggravating factors. What this proposal does is not expand justice—it reframes it through a sociopolitical lens, redefining motive not on what happened, but who it happened to. That’s a dangerous precedent.
The danger of politicizing murder law is that it muddies the waters between objective justice and ideological narrative. If a woman is killed by her partner, and that murder is proven to be premeditated, it's already classified as first-degree murder. What purpose is served by layering the term “femicide” on top, other than to suggest some lives are more grievable than others?
Advocates argue that labeling something “femicide” helps collect better data or raise awareness—but these are not criminal justice objectives. Laws should exist to prosecute crimes and protect rights—not to serve as public awareness campaigns. When laws are written to appeal to targeted voter blocs rather than to protect universal principles, the whole system begins to deliver activism instead of justice.
The most pressing issue isn’t a lack of language—it’s a lack of accountability. Repeat violent offenders are routinely released. Parole boards make lenient decisions. And judges face no consequences for wrist-slap sentencing. These are systemic failures, not semantic ones.
Justice must be blind. Once you start writing laws that distinguish between victims based on sex, identity, or ideology, you open the door to unequal protection under the law. And once that door is open, it rarely swings shut again. Source.
Canada and the EU Sign Defence Pact
Prime Minister Mark Carney signed a new defence pact with the European Union during a visit to Brussels, marking a push for deeper military cooperation. The agreement sets the stage for Canada to begin talks to join the EU’s €150 billion SAFE rearmament program under the ReArm Europe policy. While no firm commitments were announced, the deal signals a shift toward tighter strategic alignment between Canada and Europe as global threats rise.
Carney called for building a new international order through partnership, warning that the old system is under threat. The announcement came amid rising tensions in the Middle East and ongoing war in Ukraine, with Canada also unveiling new sanctions against Russia.
Alongside defence, Carney and EU leaders discussed trade and climate policy. Talks are still underway to finalize the long-stalled Canada–EU free trade deal (CETA), which has been partially in effect since 2017 but still awaits full ratification. More
Liberals Fail to Address Canada’s Access to Information Failures as Country Sinks to 53rd
Canada’s Access to Information system remains a national embarrassment, ranking a dismal 53rd out of 140 countries—trailing not only expected peers but also lagging behind nations like Mexico and Angola—while countries such as Finland, Estonia, and Slovenia set the global standard. The Liberal government’s latest “review” is widely dismissed by transparency advocates as a sham, controlled by the very Treasury Board Secretariat that oversees access to information and has zero incentive to fix its failings. Despite overwhelming calls for meaningful reform—like closing loopholes, enforcing strict deadlines, and expanding transparency—the Liberals keep stalling with superficial administrative tweaks, leaving Canadians stuck with decades-old secrecy. This government clearly prioritizes hiding information over accountability. More
Carney Lowers Expectations for US Trade Deal as 30-Day Deadline Nears - It was reportat that the Trump administration has “a lot of fish to fry” given all the trade deals his administration is trying to strike with other countries, and Canada is not a priority. More
145 People Attacked with Syringes at a Street Festival in France—12 Suspects Arrested - It was not revealed by authorities what the contents of the syringes were; however, the interior ministry said some victims were taken to the hospital for toxicology tests. More
Pakistan Condemns Trump's Bombing of Iran Just Days After Backing Him for Nobel Peace Prize - More
NATO Says US Air Strikes on Iran Did Not Break International Law - More
New Texas Law to Prevent Land Sales to CCP Members - Texas is the state with the largest Chinese holdings, totaling 123,708 acres, according to Department of Agriculture. More
Report: GTA Homebuilding Slowdown Could Cost 41,000 Jobs, $10 Billion in Investment
A new report from Altus Group paints a dire picture for the Greater Toronto Area’s housing market, warning of a 60% collapse in housing starts by 2027 if current policy and regulatory obstacles aren’t addressed. That would mean just 4,000 single-family homes and 10,000 apartment units built in 2029—down from today’s levels of roughly 11,000 and 28,000, respectively (levels we’re told are going to double to resolve the housing crisis, not be cut by 60%). The resulting construction slowdown would shrink investment from $6.7 billion to $1.9 billion for single-family homes and from $7.5 billion to $2.6 billion for apartments.
This isn’t just a housing problem—it’s an economic one. Nearly 41,000 jobs could vanish, including 22,500 so-called “spinoff jobs” in industries tied to construction, like suppliers, service workers, and local businesses. New home sales are already crashing: 2025 is on track to be the worst year for sales since Altus began tracking the data in 2000, with single-family home and condo sales down 50% and 65%, respectively, compared to 2024.
At the root is collapsing demand, driven by high prices, interest rates, and taxes. While the federal government has introduced a limited GST rebate for first-time buyers, critics say it’s not enough. While a broader rebate would cost $2 billion annually, experts argue that’s a small price to pay to protect 41,000 jobs, 23,000 annual housing starts, and more than $10 billion in economic activity. More
With its Stock in Sharp Decline, Trump's Media Company Will Buy $400 Million of its Own Shares - More
Survey: Canadian Renters Struggle With Affordability Despite Declining Prices - 40 percent of those polled said they have reduced spending on groceries and food due to rent costs, while 30 percent have reduced contributions to savings or retirement, and 21 percent are accumulating credit card debt just to get by. More
Scientists Just Proved That All Life on Earth Follows One Simple Rule
A groundbreaking global study has confirmed that life on Earth follows a surprisingly simple pattern: biodiversity radiates outward from “core” regions. These biologically rich zones—covering just 30% of the planet—act as hubs where most species originate and thrive before gradually expanding into less hospitable transition areas. This “core-to-transition” rule was observed across all major life forms, from mammals and birds to trees and marine species. The study offers new insight into how ecosystems evolved after past catastrophes and how they might respond to today’s environmental pressures. More
A Giant Asteroid Could Crash into the Moon in 2032, Firing Debris Towards Earth - The odds of the space rock hitting the moon have since risen to 4.3%, according to data from the James Webb Space Telescope. More
UFC Great Jon Jones Retires While Facing New Legal Trouble
UFC legend Jon Jones has announced his retirement from mixed martial arts, but the news comes as he faces yet another legal issue—this time a misdemeanor charge for allegedly fleeing the scene of a car crash in Albuquerque. The incident involved a woman found intoxicated and partially undressed at the crash site, who claimed Jones was the driver before he fled on foot. Jones, who has a long history of legal troubles, is due in court July 24 for arraignment. More
The New Hollywood: Texas Boosts Film Incentive to $150 Million a Year in Bid to Lure Production From Regional Rivals - More
Pacers Star Tyrese Haliburton Reportedly Suffered Torn Right Achilles in Game 7 Loss to OKC - More
Vladimir Guerrero Jr Takes the Lead at 1B in AL All-Star Voting - More
Feathered Foulmouth: Animal Rescue Seeks Forever Home for Parrot With an ‘R-Rated’ Vocabulary
A New York Graduating Class Features a Record 15 Sets of Twins—’Something in the Water’
On This Day in 2010, American John Isner defeated France’s Nicolas Mahut at Wimbledon in the longest match in tennis history, lasting 11 hours and 5 minutes over three days.
The "pride" event at the Nanaimo, BC school is unacceptable. And yet, its not an isolated occurance. This is why many people have been home-schooling their children. But many others simply cant do that and the gross indoctrination of many children continues. This must be stopped but uninformed and/or radical airheads voted the worst government in Canadian history BACK IN. And the rest of us remain helpless to do anything about it!! God, help us all.
We need to get rid of all the school districts in BC. Why are there so many. There should be one school district with a representative from each community. This would save millions of dollars. Every teacher needs to be vetted. This Drag show shit with 10 years old is disgusting. Parents need to pull their children out of the school system. It is beyond me that parents allow this, but living across from the school, and how rude, disrespectful these parents are to the people living in the area, parking in the bike lane in front of fire hydrants putting children and everyone at risk tells me these parents are no better than the teachers. When you have a principal of a Nanaimo school who does not know the shortest distance on a triangle should not be teaching. When I went to complain about kids cutting thru the dog park leaving the gates wide open. The principal asked me how do I know??? Like I saw them doing it asshole. The woman in the office were rude and would not look at me or say hello. The must forget we all pay they salaries.