1 FOLK FESTIVAL DAY! They’re wrapping up the setting-up in the park as I type this. The fun starts tonight. Pick up prairie dog, enjoy the guide and laugh/groan at the fact we misspelled Buffy Sainte-Marie’s name on the cover. Oh, or you could just read stuff on our website here and here and here and here.
2 HARPER’S NEW HOUSE LEADER DOESN’T PLAY WELL WITH OTHERS The prime minister has shuffled his cabinet and picked a bullying bigmouth for House leader. A very, very effective bullying bigmouth. We’re gonna have an election this fall aren’t we? Sigh. (Globe and Mail)
3 WE CAN’T AFFORD AN ELECTION, WAH WAH WAH The economy is too screwed up right now says the prime minister, who’s either going to force an election and blame the other parties for it or get his way on everything this fall. Sigh. (CBC)
4 LAYING LOW ON GAY MARRIAGE There’s major elections in the States this year but candidates are shying away from talking about gay marriage. (L.A. Times)
5 BIG JOB LOSSES IN AMERICA Now this is not good for the world being stable, safe and nice at all. (Guardian)
6 MUCH FUSS ABOUT LIBERATION The premiers meeting has been dominated by the Saskatchewan government’s announcement (that I, cautiously, strongly approve of) that Saskatchewan will launch a pilot program for a weird yet somewhat anecdotally promising surgical MS treatment. (Winnipeg Free Press.)