'The Oligarchy Is the Enemy': Maine Oyster Farmer Launches Senate Bid to Oust Susan Collins


"I will be a senator," said Graham Platner, "for all those who can't buy senators."


Oyster farmer Graham Platner is seen on a fishing boat off the coast of Maine, where he is running for U.S. Senate, in an ad he released on August 19, 2025.
(Photo by Graham for Maine)

Julia Conley
Aug 19, 2025
COMMON DREAMS


Launching a US Senate run to unseat five-term Maine Republican Sen. Susan Collins, oyster farmer Graham Platner on Tuesday made clear in his inaugural ad that beating the "fake" moderate also means taking on the power-hungry billionaire class that has helped keep her in power all these years.

The enemy that the vast majority of Americans and Mainers have in common, said Platner, "is the oligarchy."

"It's the billionaires who pay for it," he added. "The politicians who sell us out. And yeah, that means politicians like Susan Collins."

Platner, who told The New York Times political organizers recruited him to enter the race, spoke in the ad about how Maine has "become unlivable for working people."

"Nobody I know around here can afford a house," said Platner. "Healthcare is a disaster, hospitals are closing. We have watched all of that get ripped away from us, and everyone's just trying to keep it all together."

Maine has the 11th-highest cost of living in the country, and according to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Living Wage Calculator, the state's minimum wage of $14.65 doesn't qualify as a living wage for single adults, married couples, or parents—even if both parents work full time.

The fact that many Mainers have to "work two or three different jobs" to survive—as nearly 8% of workers do in the state—"makes me deeply angry," said Platner.

The oyster farmer and local planning board chair is a veteran of both the U.S. Army and Marine Corps, and his campaign platform includes calls for ending homelessness among veterans and fully funding job training and healthcare for those who have served in the armed forces.

But Platner's tone in his opening campaign video contrasted with that other veterans who have been recruited by Democrats to run for public office, like former Kentucky Senate candidate Amy McGrath and a number of former service members who the party is currently pushing to run in 2026 in the hopes that they'll be seen as "politically moderate."

"There is a very tired playbook that the Democrats have run for a while where DC chooses establishment candidates that they base upon their fundraising capacity, and in 2020... they just got battered, and Susan Collins held the seat," Platner told Zeteo, referring to Democrats' decision to run state House Speaker Sara Gideon, who lost by nearly nine points despite vastly outraising Collins. "So in my opinion, we need to be doing something else. I mean, clearly that is a failed strategy."

Platner explicitly called for far-reaching, progressive policies that would serve all Americans—those that are frequently lambasted as dangerous "socialist" ideas by conservatives and dismissed as "unrealistic" by centrist Democrats.

"Why can't we have universal healthcare like every other first-world country?" asked Platner. "Why are we funding endless wars and bombing children? Why are CEOs more powerful than unions? We've fought three different wars since the last time we raised the minimum wage."

On his campaign website, Platner added that he would "be a strong supporter of a Medicare for All system, moving away from the for-profit insurance system that has brought us nothing but grief," protect Social Security, push for a "billionaire minimum tax," "fight for urgent action on climate change," and strengthen legislation to ensure that "enforcement against massive polluters and repeat offenders does not depend upon the whims of whoever happens to be president."

In an interview with Politico, Platner said that if elected, he would not support Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) as the party's leader in the Senate, saying that "the next leader needs to be one of vision and also somebody who is willing to fight."

Along with House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.), Schumer has angered progressives and self-described moderate Democrats alike by voting with Republicans to advance the GOP's spending bill—claiming doing so was necessary to stop a government shutdown—and refusing to endorse New York City Democratic mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani, who like Platner has centered affordability in his campaign.

Platner has hired Morris Katz, a top strategist for Mamdani, and his campaign so far carries echoes of the mayoral candidate. In addition to unapologetically calling for policies to further economic justice, Platner told Zeteo that Israel's U.S.-backed assault on Gaza, which was a flashpoint in New York City's Democratic primary, is "the ultimate moral test of our time."

Since Mamdani's primary victory in June, Democrats including Jeffries and former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg have claimed the mayoral candidate has not yet proven that his progressive platform has broad appeal.

"I think a lot of people are focused on the leftism, the ideological leftism, that I think we shouldn't be so surprised that prevailed in a New York Democratic Party primary," Buttigieg told NPR last month. "But I think if my party wants to learn lessons from Mamdani's success that are portable to a place like Michigan, where I live, it's less about the ideology and more about the message discipline of focusing on what people care about and the tactical wisdom of getting out there and talking to everybody."

Platner, who is one of six declared Democratic primary candidates in a race that could also soon include Gov. Janet Mills, appears intent on proving that defeating the oligarchy and the billionaires who have outsized influence on US politics and fighting for policies aimed at improving all Americans' lives are winning ideas even in the largely rural state of Maine.

"While my platform spans many issues, I view most of my job as a US senator as to do two things," reads Platner's website. "One, to ban billionaires buying elections; two, to dismantle the 'billionaire economy' in favor of an economy that works for the American worker, for small business, for the vast majority of Americans."


"I will be a senator," the platform reads, "for all those who can't buy senators."

'Betrayal of Humanity': Nearly Half of 383 Aid Workers Killed Last Year Were in Gaza

"No state should be above the law," said Younis Alkhatib of the Palestine Red Crescent Society. "The international community is obliged to protect humanitarians and to stop impunity."


The bodies of eight civil defense and Palestinian Red Crescent members who were killed by the Israel Defense Forces in Rafah, Gaza were brought to Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis on March 30, 2025.
(Photo by Abdallah F.S. Alattar/Anadolu via Getty Images)

Julia Conley
Aug 19, 2025
COMMON DREAMS


The United Nations humanitarian affairs office said Tuesday that the new record of 383 aid workers killed last year while performing their lifesaving jobs was "shocking"—but considering Israel's relentless attacks on civilians, medical staff, journalists, and relief workers in Gaza, it was no surprise that the bombardment of the enclave was a major driver of the rise in aid worker deaths in 2024.

Nearly half of the aid workers killed last year—181 of them—were killed in Israeli attacks in Gaza, while 60 died in Sudan amid the civil war there.

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) recorded a 31% increase in aid worker killings compared to 2023, the agency said as it marked World Humanitarian Day.

"Even one attack against a humanitarian colleague is an attack on all of us and on the people we serve," said Tom Fletcher, the UN under-secretary-general for humanitarian affairs. "Attacks on this scale, with zero accountability, are a shameful indictment of international inaction and apathy."

Israel and its top allies, including the United States, have persisted in claiming it is targeting Hamas in its attacks on Gaza, which have killed more than 62,000 people—likely a significant undercount by the Gaza Health Ministry. It has also repeatedly claimed that its attacks on aid workers and other people protected under international law were "accidental."

"Every attack is a grave betrayal of humanity, and the rules designed to protect them and the communities they serve. Each killing sends a dangerous message that their lives were expendable. They were not."

"As the humanitarian community, we demand—again—that those with power and influence act for humanity, protect civilians and aid workers, and hold perpetrators to account," said Fletcher.

The UN Security Council adopted a resolution in May 2024 reaffirming that humanitarian staff must be protected in conflict zones—a month after the Israel Defense Forces struck a convoy including seven workers from the US-based charity World Central Kitchen, killing all of them.

More than a year later, said OCHA, "the lack of accountability remains pervasive."

The UN-backed Aid Worker Security Database's provisional numbers for 2025 so far show that at least 265 aid workers have been killed this year, with one of the deadliest attacks perpetrated by the IDF against medics and emergency responders in clearly marked vehicles in Gaza. Eight of the workers were with the Palestine Red Crescent Society, which on Tuesday noted that "Palestinian humanitarian workers have been deliberately targeted more than anywhere else."

"No state should be above the law," said Younis Alkhatib, president of the humanitarian group. "The international community is obliged to protect humanitarians and to stop impunity."

UN Secretary-General António Guterres said Tuesday that humanitarian workers around the world "are the last lifeline for over 300 million people" living in conflict and disaster zones.

What is missing as advocates demand protection for aid workers and as "red lines are crossed with impunity," said Guterres, is "political will—and moral courage."

"Humanitarians must be respected and protected," he said. "They can never be targeted."

Olga Cherevko of OCHA emphasized that despite Israel's continued bombardment of Gaza's healthcare systemsystem and its attacks at aid hubs, humanitarian workers continue their efforts to save lives "day in and day out."

"I think as a humanitarian, I feel powerless sometimes in Gaza because I know what it is that we can do as humanitarians when we're enabled to do so, both here in Gaza and in any other humanitarian crisis," said Cherevko. "We continue to face massive impediments for delivering aid at scale, when our missions are delayed, when our missions lasted 12, 14, 18 hours; the routes that we're given are dangerous, impassible, or inaccessible."

Israel has blocked the United Nations and other established aid agencies that have worked for years in the occupied Palestinian territories from delivering lifesaving aid in recent months, pushing the entire enclave towards famine.

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) added in a statement that "our colleagues continue to show up not because they are fearless, but because the suffering is too urgent to ignore. Yet, courage is not protection, and dedication does not deflect bullets."

"The rules of war are clear: Humanitarian personnel must be respected and protected," said the ICRC. "Every attack is a grave betrayal of humanity, and the rules designed to protect them and the communities they serve. Each killing sends a dangerous message that their lives were expendable. They were not."

Along with the aid workers who were killed worldwide last year, 308 were injured, 125 were kidnapped, and 45 were detained for their work.

"Violence against aid workers is not inevitable," said Fletcher. "It must end."

The U.S. Navy is building a drone fleet to take on China. It’s not going well

By Reuters
 August 20, 2025 

A model of the Wing Loong II weaponized drone hangs above the stand for the China National Aero-Technology Import & Export Corp. at a military drone conference in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, on Feb. 25, 2018. (Jon Gambrell / AP)

During a U.S. naval test off the California coast last month, which was designed to showcase the Pentagon’s top autonomous drone boats, one vessel stalled unexpectedly.

As officials scrambled to fix a software glitch, another drone vessel smashed into the idling boat’s starboard side, vaulted over the deck, and crashed back into the water – an incident captured in videos obtained by Reuters.

The previously unreported episode, which involved two vessels built by U.S. defense tech rivals Saronic and BlackSea Technologies, is one of a series of recent setbacks in the Pentagon’s push to build a fleet of autonomous vessels, according to a dozen people familiar with the program.

Weeks earlier, during a separate Navy test, the captain of a support boat was thrown into the water after another autonomous BlackSea vessel it was towing suddenly accelerated, capsizing the support boat, according to four people familiar with the matter. The captain was rescued and declined medical attention. The incident was first reported by Defense Scoop.

Both incidents stemmed from a combination of software failures and human error, including breakdowns in communication between onboard systems and external autonomous software, according to a person with direct knowledge of the matter, who requested anonymity to share sensitive information.


The Navy, Saronic and BlackSea declined to comment on the incidents.

U.S. military leaders, seeing the outsized impact of maritime drones in the Ukraine war, have repeatedly said they need autonomous swarms of aerial and maritime drones to hinder a potential advance by China across the Taiwan Strait. Taiwan itself has begun acquiring its own maritime drones.

The drones being developed in Ukraine, which often look like speedboats without seats, and are capable of carrying weapons, explosives and surveillance equipment, are primarily remote-controlled and cost close to US$250,000 – making them optimal for kamikaze missions that have effectively neutralized Russia’s Black Sea Fleet.

The U.S., meanwhile, is aiming to build an autonomous naval fleet that can move in swarms and without human command – a more ambitious task at a higher price point; as much as a few million dollars per speedboat.

The recent test failures highlight the challenges facing the Navy’s effort to deploy the nascent technologies, said Bryan Clark, an autonomous warfare expert at the Hudson Institute. It will need to adapt its “tactics as it better understands what the systems can do and what they can’t do.”

But the Navy’s problems go beyond getting the boats to work: its autonomous maritime drone acquisition unit has also been rocked by the firing of its top admiral, and a top Pentagon official voiced concerns about the program in a candid meeting with Navy brass last month, Reuters found.

Since the most recent incident, the Pentagon’s Defense Innovation Unit (DIU), which had acquired technology for the tests, has indefinitely paused a contract – valued close to $20 million – with L3Harris, one of the companies providing autonomous software used to control some of the vessels, according to two people familiar with the matter.

The Pentagon did not respond to questions about the cause of the accidents or the L3Harris contract being paused, which has not been previously reported.

A Pentagon spokesperson said it conducted drone tests as part of a “competitive and iterative approach, between operators and industry.”

L3Harris declined to comment on the contract and directed questions to the DIU. The DIU declined to comment.

“L3Harris stands behind the safety, integrity and capability of our autonomy command-and-control product,” said Toby Magsig, who oversees L3Harris’ autonomous software products.

Rise of sea drones

To accelerate its drone effort, the Pentagon in 2023 launched the $1 billion Replicator program, through which branches like the U.S. Navy and the DIU planned to acquire thousands of aerial and maritime drones, along with the software to control them. The first systems from this program are due to be announced this month.

The Navy has committed at least $160 million to BlackSea, which is producing dozens of its Global Autonomous Reconnaissance Craft boats a month, according to procurement records.

Saronic, which was recently valued at $4 billion in a funding round backed by Andreessen Horowitz and 8VC, makes the competitive sea drone Corsair, but is yet to announce a major contract. Federal procurement records show the company has generated at least $20 million from prototype agreements.

“These systems will play a critical role in the future of naval warfare by extending fleet reach, improving situational awareness, and increasing combat effectiveness,” acting chief of naval operations Jim Kilby said during a visit to BlackSea’s facility in June.
Navy turmoil

Since returning to office, U.S. President Donald Trump has made fielding swarms of drones a top military priority. Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill” passed last month included almost $5 billion for maritime autonomous systems.

But, so far, the Navy’s approach has faced skepticism under the new administration.

In April, the Navy’s key drone boat procurement unit – known as Program Executive Office Unmanned and Small Combatants (PEO USC) – touted a successful demonstration of the software used to control BlackSea’s vessels in a post on LinkedIn, hailing it as “a major step forward in advancing #maritime autonomy.”

In response, Colin Carrol, then-chief of staff to Deputy Secretary of Defense Steven Feinberg, suggested the program was duplicating other efforts within the Pentagon. “I have a feeling that there are changes in this program’s future,” he replied to the LinkedIn post. Carrol, who is no longer with the Pentagon, declined to comment further.

The PEO USC was recently placed under review, according to four people familiar with the matter, due to a series of setbacks, and could be restructured or shut down.

This comes two months after the Navy said it had sacked the unit’s leader, Rear Admiral Kevin Smith, due to a loss of confidence in his leadership after the Naval Inspector General substantiated a complaint against him. Reuters was unable to contact Smith.

During a meeting last month, Feinberg grilled Navy officials about their autonomous vessel capabilities, including those being fielded by the PEO USC, according to three people briefed on the meeting. Feinberg was unimpressed by some of the capabilities being acquired by the Navy and questioned whether they were cost-effective, the people said.

A Pentagon spokesperson said, “we’re not going to comment on private internal meetings” and directed questions about PEO USC to the Navy.

The Navy declined to comment on the meeting or the acquisition unit being put under review. Spokesperson Timothy Hawkins said the PEO USC stands by its mission, including its role as acquisition authority for the maintenance and modernization of unmanned maritime systems.

The turmoil comes as shipbuilders and software providers are angling to secure even larger autonomous maritime projects, such as unmanned submarines and cargo-carrying ships.

Last week, the PEO USC started accepting proposals for the Modular Attack Surface Craft, to acquire medium and large vessels capable of carrying containers, surveillance equipment, and conducting strikes.

T.X. Hammes, an autonomous weapons expert and Atlantic Council fellow, said the Navy is in uncharted waters, trying to overhaul decades of tradition at high speed.

“You’ve got a system that’s used to building big things, taking years to make a decision, and now suddenly you’re asking them to move fast,” he said.

(Reporting by David Jeans; Editing by Joe Brock, Michael Learmonth and Anna Driver)

LA REVUE GAUCHE - Left Comment: Search results for PERMANENT ARMS ECONOMY

Could Bitcoin mining be used to heat Vancouver’s Kitsilano Pool?

By Isabella Zavarise
August 13, 2025 

A pitch to use the heat from bitcoin mining to warm the beleaguered Kits Pool is on the agenda at a crypto conference where the mayor will be speaking.

A Vancouver group believes it has a solution to address financial and structural issues with the city’s popular Kitsilano Pool – Bitcoin mining.

Jarret Vaughan, with Kits Pool Swimmers, said he wants the pool to stay open year-round, and to maintain its length during an upcoming rebuilding process, but recognizes it will be very expensive.

“In searching for a solution, what we discovered was that Bitcoin mining produces an enormous amount of heat,” he said.

There are organizations such as Burnaby-based MintGreen that make digital boilers that capture heat, Vaughn said, suggesting that extra heat from mining Bitcoin could be used to warm the pool.

“What’s really important to understand is that with Bitcoin mining, there is no additional energy needed to heat the pool,” he said.

‘Run the system 24/7’

Colin Sullivan, the CEO and founder of MintGreen, said depending on a number of factors, the system could generate two Bitcoin per month – and he believes the digital boilers could alter the pool’s future.

“The benefit to the city is you have an opportunity to run the system 24/7, 365 and not only not have that be a cost, but have that be a profit centre to heat it as well,” he said.

Vaughan, an adjunct professor at the University of British Columbia’s Sauder School of Business, said he’s had discussions with the park board and Mayor Ken Sim about the feasibility of the idea.

The city confirmed staff met with the group earlier this year as part of the preliminary feasibility study for the Kitsilano Pool replacement.

“If the city and park board decide to pursue alternative heating technologies in the future, potential providers would be considered through the city’s standard procurement process to ensure fairness, transparency and competitiveness,” the city said, in a statement.
Greenwashing

Werner Antweiler, an economics professor at the University of British Columbia, called the idea an exercise in Bitcoin greenwashing.

“The proponents want to make Bitcoin mining look ‘sustainable’ even though Bitcoin mining overall is a highly environmentally destructive activity because of its outsized electricity use worldwide,” he said.

Antweiler also questioned what the municipality would do if the digital boiler failed to make a profit and had to be shut down.

“Would the municipality be without heating for their pool?” he asked. “Would they have to replace it with another source? There are too many uncertainties here for a municipality to take on such a risk.”

Bitcoin conference

Both Vaughan and Sullivan will be discussing this proposal in a panel called “Heating Kitsilano Pool with Bitcoin Mining,” scheduled this weekend at the Learning Bitcoin conference.

Sim will also be speaking at the conference during a talk called “Bitcoin and the City of Vancouver.”

Green Coun. Pete Fry said there’s a number of important issues Sim should focus on, and that crypto is not one of them.

“Similar to dismissing the park board, these seem to be the priorities of the mayor that are disconnected from what I think the people of Vancouver are looking for in leadership,” he said. “That’s not crypto investments.”

The mayor’s office told CTV News: “Mayor Sim’s focus remains on the priorities that matter most to Vancouverites: making our city safer, building more housing, faster, and making life more affordable for all residents.”

In December, 2024 City Council passed Sim’s motion asking staff to make the city “bitcoin friendly.”

Staff are expected to present this report in the Fall.

Isabella Zavarise
CTV News Vancouver Journalist

Facing Trump tariffs, India’s shrimp farmers consider switching to other businesses

By Reuters
 August 19, 2025 

A worker stands near paddle wheel aerators at a shrimp hatchery in Nagulapally village, Uppada, Kakinada district, Andhra Pradesh, India, Saturday, Feb. 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Mahesh Kumar A.)

HYDERABAD, India/GUAYAQUIL, Ecuador — On India’s southern coast, V. Srinivas thrived for two decades by farming shrimp, as the country became the top supplier of the delicacy to the United States. Now, Donald Trump’s 50 per cent tariff threat is forcing many to consider other ways of making money.

Andhra Pradesh state sends the most shrimp from India to the U.S. and farmers there have spent millions of rupees (hundreds of thousands of U.S. dollars) over the years to cultivate high-quality shrimp in saline ponds.

Now they are being hit hard as Indian exporters have slashed rates they offer farmers by almost 20 per cent after the tariff shock, wiping out most of their profits.Trade War coverage on BNNBloomberg.ca

“I am contemplating if I should do fish farming,” said the 46-year-old from Veeravasaram village who has already mortgaged his family property and has US$45,800 in outstanding loans.

“These prices will not help me get any profits and I will not be able to pay off my loan.”

The United States is the biggest market for India’s shrimp farmers and exporters, with clients including U.S. supermarket chains such as Walmart and Kroger. Last year, total seafood exports from India globally stood at US$7.4 billion, with shrimp accounting for 40 per cent.

But the industry is now in troubled waters with President Trump’s 25 per cent tariff on imports from India already in place - the highest among major economies, and another 25 per cent levy to kick in from August 27 to penalize New Delhi for buying Russian oil.

By comparison, Ecuador, India’s main rival for shrimp exports to the U.S., faces a much lower 15 per cent tariff, heightening its competitive edge.

In Andhra, there are around 300,000 farmers engaged in shrimp farming, selling products to dozens of exporters who ship to America.

Pawan Kumar, head of the Seafood Exporters Association of India, said orders from U.S. clients have been paused in recent weeks as buyers aren’t willing to absorb the tariff, and neither can exporters, forcing the latter to cut prices they pay to farmers.

Although India also sells shrimp to other countries such as China, Japan and the UK, and likely will look to expand sales there and diversify into new markets, “that’s not going to happen overnight,” Kumar said.

The impact is yet another example of how Trump’s tariff threats are causing business disruptions across the world, especially in India, given it faces one of the steepest levies that have soured its relations with Washington.

In Andhra, six of 12 farmers Reuters interviewed said they were considering putting shrimp farming on hold and looking at fish farming, vegetable retailing or other local businesses to tide over the crisis. The other six are choosing to wait it out a bit. Each round of shrimp cultivation takes about 2 months or more.

While prices being offered for their shrimp are being slashed, the farmers said they still face loan payments and high operating costs for electricity, raw material and feed, as well as high land rentals.
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“There’s hardly a 20-25 per cent profit for us on good days, and if that’s getting eaten up, what else is left?,” said Gopinath Duggineni, the chief of a local union in Ongole city, adding the farmers plan to seek financial support from the state government.

Ecuador, meanwhile, is closely tracking tariffs on India to seize on business opportunities, but producers there will go slow on new investments amid uncertainty over whether India and the Trump administration could strike a tariff deal, said Jose Antonio Camposano, president of National Chamber of Aquaculture of Ecuador.

“India’s exports are highly concentrated in the United States ... just as China is for us. So that is where we could gain ground if India withdraws,” he said.

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Reporting by Rishika Sadam in Hyderabad and Yury Garcia in Guayaquil; Editing by Aditya Kalra and Kim Coghill

'Tired of winning yet?' Trump's 'struggling economy' blamed for new John Deere layoffs

Brad Reed, 

Common Dreams
August 19, 2025


FILE PHOTO: The leaping deer trademark logo is seen on a sign outside a John Deere dealership in Taylor, Texas, U.S., February 16, 2017. Picture taken February 16, 2017. REUTERS/Mohammad Khursheed/File Photo

US President Donald Trump has pitched his tariffs on foreign goods as a way to bring more manufacturing jobs back into the United States

However, it now appears as though the tariffs are hurting the manufacturing jobs that are already here.

As reported by the Des Moines Register, iconic American machinery company John Deere announced on Monday that it is laying off 71 workers in Waterloo, Iowa, as well as 115 people in East Moline, Illinois, and 52 workers in Moline, Illinois. The paper noted that John Deere has laid off more than 2,000 employees since April 2024.

In its announcement of the layoffs, the company said that "the struggling [agriculture] economy continues to impact orders" for its equipment.

"This is a challenging time for many farmers, growers, and producers, and directly impacts our business in the near term," the company emphasized.

According to The New Republic, Cory Reed, president of John Deere's Worldwide Agriculture and Turf Division, said during the company's most recent earnings call that the uncertainty surrounding Trump's tariffs has led to many farmers putting off investments in farm equipment.

"If you have customers that are concerned about what their end markets are going to look like in a tariff environment, they're waiting to see the outcomes of what these trade deals look like," he explained.

Josh Beal, John Deere's director of investor relations, similarly said that "the primary drivers" for the company's negative outlook from the prior quarter "are increased tariff rates on Europe, India, and steel and aluminum."

The news of the layoffs drew a scathing rebuke from Nathan Sage, an Iowa Democrat running for the US Senate to unseat Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), who has praised the president's tariff policies.

"John Deere is once again laying off Iowans—a clear sign economic uncertainty hits the working class hardest, not the CEOs at the top," he wrote in a post on X. "Cheered on by Joni Ernst, Republicans in Washington want to play games with tariffs and give tax cuts to billionaires while Iowa families continue to struggle. It's time to stop protecting the top 1% and fight for the working people who keep our economy strong."

Rep. Jim McGovern (D-Mass.) also ripped Trump's trade policies for hurting blue-collar jobs.

"Because of Trump's tariffs, farmers can't afford to buy what they need to make a living," he said. "Equipment manufacturers like John Deere have lost millions, but let's remember that working people are hit hardest by the president's disastrous economic policies. Tired of 'winning' yet?"

John Deere is not the only big-name American manufacturer to be harmed by the Trump tariffs, as all three of the country's major auto manufacturers in recent months have announced they expect to take significant financial hits from them.

Ford last month said that its profit could plunge by up to 36% this year as it expects to take a $2 billion hit from the president's tariffs on key inputs such as steel and aluminum, as well as taxes on car components manufactured in Canada and Mexico.

General Motors last month also cited the Trump tariffs as a major reason why its profits fell by $3 billion the previous quarter. Making matters worse, GM said that the impact of the tariffs would be even more significant in the coming quarter when its profits could tumble by as much as $5 billion.

GM's warning came shortly after Jeep manufacturer Stellantis projected that the Trump tariffs would directly lead to $350 million in losses in the first half of 2025.

Declining imports of Florida orange juice highlights changing tastes for Canadian consumers

By Dorcas Marfo
August 20, 2025 

A juice cooler at a grocery store shows the orange juice almost fully-stocked. (CTV/Jonathan MacInnis)

Shipments of U.S. orange juice to Canada fell in June to their lowest in more than 20 years, according to newly released U.S. Census Bureau data, as a combination of agricultural setbacks, shifting consumer habits and trade tensions squeeze supply.

“There’s no question U.S. orange juice to Canada has slumped ... and it’s at multi-year lows,” Michael Graydon, CEO of Food, Health and Consumer Products of Canada, said in an interview with CTVNews.ca. “It hasn’t been just one single cause. It’s kind of a collision of tight global supply, changing consumer preferences, and more recently, the tariff overhang in North America.”

Florida, traditionally a major supplier of fresh orange juice, has seen its crop shrink dramatically over the last two decades, due to citrus greening disease, blight and repeated storm damage, according to Graydon.

Output this year alone is down more than a third compared to last year, Graydon noted, with little sign of a quick recovery.

Graydon said Canada has looked to Brazil as the next major source but weather and disease hav reduced production there as well, limiting export availability.

With supply constrained, prices have climbed — and it’s affecting how Canadians shop. Graydon said per capita orange juice consumption in North America has dropped significantly over the past 20 years, as breakfast habits have shifted and health-conscious consumers have grown more cautious about sugar intake.

Adding to the pressure is the ongoing trade dispute between Canada and the U.S. Ottawa’s retaliatory tariffs on certain American products, including a 25 per cent duty on unfrozen Florida orange juice, have pushed prices higher.

While the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA) exempts many cross-border goods, some key grocery staples — including orange juice — remain subject to duties, raising costs for retailers and consumers alike.

Industry analysts like Graydon warn that the impact of these tariffs is being felt more in Canada than in the U.S. Graydon said the measures have had minimal impacts on the U.S. economy, but are contributing to food inflation here.

“You can’t take an economy that’s 10 per cent of the U.S. economy and expect our retaliatory tariffs to have any impact.”

Only a few sectors, including Kentucky bourbon, have had “damaging impact” in the U.S., Graydon said.

Packaging materials and imported ingredients that don’t have Canadian-made alternatives are also caught by the counter-tariffs, increasing manufacturing costs, Graydon said.

Some suppliers who initially absorbed the expense in hopes of a quick resolution are now passing those costs along to the shoppers, he added. Metro’s latest earnings report noted an uptick in pricing requests tied to tariff impacts.

The result on store shelves is a combination of higher prices and fewer deals.

“In the short term, expect continued instability at retail - fewer promotions, less volume and higher prices,” Graydon said.

Importing from other potential countries is possible, but the cost of transportation makes it less feasible, Graydon explained, using Spain as an example. He said both Florida and Brazil are prioritizing domestic customers over exports, further tightening supply for Canada.


Consumers are responding by shifting to alternatives such as shelf-stable juice blends that are often cheaper than fresh, refrigerated varieties, Graydon observed. He warned that the trend is also reducing choice.

“Supply isn’t just constrained. It’s complex and prices are heading further upward, unless the trade environment stabilizes,” he said.
Canadian shoppers ‘vote with their wallets’

Eric Wickham, who worked on the Hoser Grocery Tracker project, which helped customers find the most affordable groceries in the Greater Toronto Area, notes shopping behaviours are shifting.

“Unless you survey all of Canada, you can’t really get a sentiment of whether or not they like orange juice anymore,” he said to CTVNews.ca. “But I can say Canadians definitely have had a tendency to vote with their wallet in the past.”

Wickham referenced the 2024 nationwide boycott of Loblaw, sparked by soaring grocery prices.

Pricing data suggests the cost of orange juice hasn’t increased dramatically. Statistics Canada reports that the average retail price for two litres of orange juice in June 2025 is only about 30 cents higher than in June 2024.

Wickham explained that disruptions in the supply chain – especially for products imported from, or processed in, the U.S – do eventually ripple down to consumers. Whether offset in price, incurred by retailers to protect margins or shifted onto shoppers directly, he said supply chain costs inevitably influence retail pricing.

For Wickham, the driving force behind Canadians shunning U.S. orange juice reflects broader discontent.

“I really do think this is brought about by all this ‘Buy Canadian’ and avoiding American products,” he said, suggesting shoppers still remember the geopolitical tension, threats to sovereignty and trade disputes since U.S. President Donald Trump took office in January.
Tariffs and inflation squeeze grocery budgets

The squeeze on Canada’s orange juice supply comes at a time when grocery prices are already climbing faster than overall inflation.

According to Loblaw’s July Food Inflation Report, Canada saw a 2.8 per cent year-over-year increase in food prices in June 2025 - slower than May’s 3.3 per cent rise, but still outpacing overall inflation.

Lower prices for fresh vegetables, which dropped 3.1 per cent, brought some relief for consumers during the summer months.

However, tariffs remain a major driver of rising food costs. Loblaw notes that about one-third of all inflation-related cost increases submitted by suppliers are tied directly to tariffs.

The report suggests the impact is twofold: Canadian counter-tariffs on U.S. food imports raise grocery prices directly, while U.S. tariffs on packaging and ingredients like spices and proteins - used by manufacturers selling in Canada - further inflate costs.

For now, the once-common glass of Florida orange juice at the Canadian breakfast table may be a rarer sight - not because it’s unavailable, but because it’s become an increasingly costly choice.

Dorcas Marfo
CTVNews.ca Journalist

Canadian universities are adopting AI tools, but concerns about the technology remain

By The Canadian Press
 August 19, 2025 

People walk through McGill University's campus in Montreal on Wednesday, August 6, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Christopher Katsarov

Canadian universities are embracing generative artificial intelligence in their teaching plans as more students and instructors opt to use the rapidly evolving technology.

Several large institutions, including McGill University, University of Toronto and York University, said they are adopting certain AI tools because they can enhance learning. Those include tested tools that help students summarize academic research or assist professors in course planning.

The shift comes as post-secondary students’ AI use continues to grow. A survey conducted in late 2024 by the online learning platform Studiosity found that 78 per cent of Canadian students used AI to study or complete their school work.

The Pan-Canadian Report on Digital Learning also found that the number of educators who reported generative AI use in student learning activities was 41 per cent last year, up from 12 per cent in 2023.

McGill University’s associate provost, Christopher Buddle, said the school has integrated digital AI assistant Microsoft Copilot into its systems to help staff, students and faculty with their work. The tool can be used to make a first draft of a letter, summarize online content or to organize day-to-day tasks.


“People use it for all kind of things and from what I understand it’s being used effectively and used quite a lot by our university community,” he said.

Buddle said offering generative AI tools through the school’s IT infrastructure ensures they are vetted properly to address privacy risks and ensure data protection.

“We’ve not approached it through the idea of banning (AI) or saying ‘no.’ In fact, what we’d rather see and what we support instructors doing and students doing is effective use of generative AI in teaching and learning,” he said.

Buddle said the university has left it up to instructors to decide how much AI use they want to allow in their classes.

“We don’t tell instructors what to do or not to do. We provide them tools and give them the principles and let them make the best decisions for their course because it’s so discipline specific,” he said.

Some professors, for example, have their students use generative AI to create a first draft of a written assignment and then the students evaluate the outcome, Buddle said.

The school is launching an online module for students and instructors this fall to help them navigate and understand the benefits and risks of AI in education, he added.

“Generative AI is pervasive. It’s everywhere and it will remain that way going forward,” Buddle said.

University of Toronto professor Susan McCahan, who led the school’s task force on AI, said the institution is integrating AI tools but it’s also taking a balanced approached that allows instructors to explore the technology while critically thinking about its value in education.

“We have a wide range of opinions on AI and the use of AI in classrooms and in teaching and in learning,” she said. “And we want to support faculty who are interested in innovating and using it in their classes. We want to support faculty who find that it is not useful for them or for their students.”

McCahan said the university has used AI systems for years, including for auditing financial reports and helping students find mental health resources. More recently, the school also made Microsoft Copilot available to all faculty, students and staff.


“They can use in any way they wish. And because it’s within our system, you can do things like open a library article in the library, and ask Copilot to summarize it,” she said. “It doesn’t share that data back with Microsoft ... so you can put in more sensitive information into that.”

McCahan said the university has also made ChatGPT Edu licences available to students and staff who would like to use the tool with added security protection. The school has been experimenting with AI tutors and will expand that in the coming school year with Cogniti, an open-source system developed at the University of Sydney in Australia, she added.

At York University, the goal is “to take a thoughtful and principled approach to this modern technology,” deputy spokesperson Yanni Dagonas said.

“Transparency works to demystify AI, helping our community better understand its impact and potential,” Dagonas said.

The university has created an online AI hub with a dedicated section for instructors, who are discouraged from using AI detection tools when evaluating students’ work because many such tools are considered unreliable and raise concerns about data security and confidentiality.

Despite the “huge uptake” in students’ generative AI use, many professors are still worried about bias in AI models, ethical and privacy issues, as well as the technology’s environmental impact, said Mohammed Estaiteyeh, an assistant professor of education at Brock University.

“Students are kind of using (AI) to save time. They think it is more efficient for various reasons,” he said.

But when it comes to instructors, “it depends on your domain. It depends your technological expertise. It depends on your stance towards those technologies,” he said.

“Many instructors have concerns.”

Estaiteyeh said most Canadian universities are providing guidance to instructors on the use of AI in their classes but leaving much of it to their discretion.

“For example, (at) Brock, we don’t have very strict guidelines in terms of students can do this or that. It’s up to the instructor to decide in relation to the course, in relation to the materials, if they want to allow it or not,” he said.

“We are still navigating the consequences, we’re still not 100 per cent sure about the benefits and the risks. A blanket, a one-size-fits-all approach may not suit well.”

Estaiteyeh said instructors and students need AI training and resources on top of guidance to reduce the risk of relying too much on the technology.

“If you offload all the skills to the AI tools then you’re not really acquiring significant skills throughout your three- or four-year degree at the university,” he said.

“Those tools have been in place for around two years only. And it’s too early for us to claim that students have already grasped or acquired the skills on how to use them.”

The Canadian Alliance of Student Associations said AI technologies must complement the learning experience and universities should discourage the use of AI for evaluations and screening of student work.

The alliance said in a report released earlier this year that research has shown untested AI systems can introduce “bias and discriminatory practices” against certain student groups.

“For instance, AI-powered plagiarism detection tools have been found to disproportionately misclassify the work of non-native English speakers as AI-generated or plagiarized,” the report said.

The alliance has been calling for “clear ethical and regulatory guidelines” governing the use of generative AI in post-secondary education.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 19, 2025.

Maan Alhmidi, The Canadian Press

AI company revolutionizes energy consumption and management

By Joshua Santos

 August 14, 2025 

Emerging developments in artificial intelligence (AI) have prompted a technology company to launch a subsidiary focused on optimizing energy operations for commercial and residential buildings to become more sustainable.

Trane Technologies launched Montreal-based BrainBox AI Lab to find solutions to reduce energy consumption by analyzing data from heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems to understand and then predict how a building will operate throughout the day.

“It’s a bit like the movie Back to the Future‚” Jean-Simon Venne, BrainBox AI’s president and founder, told BNN Bloomberg in a Wednesday interview. “We have the capability to go in the future and see what’s not working, and then we’re coming back in the present, and we’re changing the present to build a better future. So that’s how we use AI.”

The AI predicts building temperatures and energy usage, enabling real-time optimization to reduce energy consumption. The AI system acts as a virtual engineer, enhancing productivity by predicting and solving equipment issues before they arise.Latest updates on company news here

“What we’re doing is we’re taking that data and we’re using the capability of AI to give us the prediction of what will be happening in your building over the next few hours,” said Venne. “Having this prediction we then know exactly (when) it’s going to be a bit too hot, a bit too cold, and how much energy you’re going to be spending to maintain the desired temperature in your building. That prediction is then used to optimize the building in real time. We could move from reactive control to a preemptive control and shave up to 25 per cent of energy saving and generate a lot of emission reduction.”

A multidisciplinary team of technical experts, including software engineers, data scientists, AI researchers, machine learning developers and AI engineers will continue to advance autonomous control systems, predictive models, and algorithms aimed at reducing emissions through smarter energy use.

A room or studio for example can heat up from either the heat from sun rays beaming through windows or equipment, like cameras or laundry machines left on for an extended period during peak times. The AI will be able to gather data from routine scenarios for when a room was too hot before to find efficiencies to keep the room at a cool temperature in the future by lowering energy consumption. That can help reduce greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) produced from buildings.Latest updates on investing here

“When you’re trying to save emissions, you want to basically, of course, save that kilowatt or the quantity of cubic or metre of gas that you’re consuming in any given time,” said Venne. “You also want to know how is the kilowatt manufactured? Is the kilowatt that you’re consuming right now in your building, coming from windmill or a coal power generation plant? That information is computed in the AI, and we basically know when we should save that kilowatt.”

“Of course, the AI is making sure that we’re saving it at a time where the electron and the kilowatt are not so green. To say like dirty instead of being green. We optimize the money that that kilowatt is costing you by shaving some and we’re also making sure to do it at the time of day where the kilowatt is dirty instead of green. So, we’re having that double effect. So we’re winning on both fronts.”

Canada has over 15 million residential buildings and over 480,000 commercial and institutional buildings, including offices, retail and warehouses, according to a report from Environment and Natural Resources Canada. Canada’s homes and buildings account for 13 per cent of GHG emissions, due to the combustion of fossil fuels for space and water heating.

Electricity use for cooling, lighting and appliances brings the total to 18 per cent. The buildings sector includes varied businesses, many of which are small and medium sized enterprises including home and building construction, high-efficiency equipment and appliance manufacturing, sales and installation, and management of energy use.


Joshua Santos
Journalist, BNNBloomberg.ca

Lawyer apologizes for AI-generated errors in murder case

By The Associated Press
 August 15, 2025 

People leave the Supreme Court of Victoria in Melbourne, on Friday, Aug. 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Rod McGuirk)

MELBOURNE, Australia — A senior lawyer in Australia has apologized to a judge for filing submissions in a murder case that included fake quotes and nonexistent case judgments generated by artificial intelligence.

The blunder in the Supreme Court of Victoria state is another in a litany of mishaps AI has caused in justice systems around the world.

Defence lawyer Rishi Nathwani, who holds the prestigious legal title of King’s Counsel, took “full responsibility” for filing incorrect information in submissions in the case of a teenager charged with murder, according to court documents seen by The Associated Press on Friday.

“We are deeply sorry and embarrassed for what occurred,” Nathwani told Justice James Elliott on Wednesday, on behalf of the defense team.

The AI-generated errors caused a 24-hour delay in resolving a case that Elliott had hoped to conclude on Wednesday. Elliott ruled on Thursday that Nathwani’s client, who cannot be identified because he is a minor, was not guilty of murder because of mental impairment.

“At the risk of understatement, the manner in which these events have unfolded is unsatisfactory,” Elliott told lawyers on Thursday.

“The ability of the court to rely upon the accuracy of submissions made by counsel is fundamental to the due administration of justice,” Elliott added.

The fake submissions included fabricated quotes from a speech to the state legislature and nonexistent case citations purportedly from the Supreme Court.

The errors were discovered by Elliott’s associates, who couldn’t find the cases and requested that defence lawyers provide copies.

The lawyers admitted the citations “do not exist” and that the submission contained “fictitious quotes,” court documents say.

The lawyers explained they checked that the initial citations were accurate and wrongly assumed the others would also be correct.

The submissions were also sent to prosecutor Daniel Porceddu, who didn’t check their accuracy.

The judge noted that the Supreme Court released guidelines last year for how lawyers use AI.

“It is not acceptable for artificial intelligence to be used unless the product of that use is independently and thoroughly verified,” Elliott said.

The court documents do not identify the generative artificial intelligence system used by the lawyers.

In a comparable case in the United States in 2023, a federal judge imposed US$5,000 fines on two lawyers and a law firm after ChatGPT was blamed for their submission of fictitious legal research in an aviation injury claim.


Judge P. Kevin Castel said they acted in bad faith. But he credited their apologies and remedial steps taken in explaining why harsher sanctions were not necessary to ensure they or others won’t again let artificial intelligence tools prompt them to produce fake legal history in their arguments.

Later that year, more fictitious court rulings invented by AI were cited in legal papers filed by lawyers for Michael Cohen, a former personal lawyer for U.S. President Donald Trump. Cohen took the blame, saying he didn’t realize that the Google tool he was using for legal research was also capable of so-called AI hallucinations.

British High Court Justice Victoria Sharp warned in June that providing false material as if it were genuine could be considered contempt of court or, in the “most egregious cases,” perverting the course of justice, which carries a maximum sentence of life in prison.

Rod Mcguirk, The Associated Press

Group files greenwashing complaint with Alberta securities watchdog against Enbridge, Cenovus

By The Canadian Press
 August 20, 2025 

Construction workers sit outside the offices of the Alberta Energy Regulator and the Alberta Securities Commission in Calgary, Thursday, March 20, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh

CALGARY — A shareholder advocacy group has filed a greenwashing complaint with Alberta’s securities watchdog alleging Cenovus Inc., one of Canada’s biggest oilsands producers, and Enbridge Inc., the country’s biggest crude pipeline operator, have misled investors in their environmental disclosures.

Investors for Paris Compliance, which seeks to hold publicly traded companies accountable for their climate commitments, argues the companies have breached the Alberta Securities Act “with long-standing and widespread inaccurate and incomplete disclosure” related to net-zero commitments.

“By extensively using net-zero terminology in their communications, Cenovus and Enbridge have led reasonable investors and the public to believe that their business models are aligned with the net-zero energy transition, which in fact threatens both their existing business and fossil fuel expansion plans,” the group said in its submissions to the Alberta Securities Commission.

It said it opted to take its complaint to the ASC instead of the federal Competition Tribunal under new anti-greenwashing rules because “investors have a strong interest in the credible and timely enforcement of securities law.”

It adds that nothing in the amendments to the Competition Act, which became law last year, supersedes the obligations of securities regulators to also crack down on greenwashing. It cites guidance from Canadian Securities Administrators, a national umbrella group, that says environmental disclosures should be subject to the same standards as financial reporting.

Under the Competition Act changes, private parties, including environmental groups, can now launch a complaint directly.

But Michael Sambasivam, senior analyst with Investors for Paris Compliance, said that shouldn’t be necessary.

“We don’t believe the burden for enforcement for these kinds of complaints should be on private citizens and private groups.”

He said his group zeroed in on the two companies to capture two separate segments of the energy business — Cenovus produces the raw product, while Enbridge transports it. Sambasivam said they also both “offered some of most consistently flagrant violations of Canadian security principles” of the company disclosures it looked at.

After the Competition Bureau’s anti-greenwashing provisions took effect, Cenovus was among the oilsands companies to pull its net-zero statements from its website. Uncertainty over whether the company has abandoned those commitments is a “form of incomplete disclosure disallowed by the Alberta Securities Act,” the complaint said.

The complaint also makes note of public lobbying that it says contradicts climate commitments.

Top executives of both companies were among the signatories to an open letter from oil and gas industry leaders to newly elected Prime Minister Mark Carney this spring that, among other things, urged Ottawa to scrap its cap on greenhouse gas emissions and industrial carbon levy.

Enbridge remains committed to achieving net zero emissions from its operations by 2050 while at the same time delivering energy people rely on, spokesman Jesse Semko said in an emailed statement.

The company has reduced emissions from its operations by 22 per cent compared to its 2018 baseline through improved efficiency, purchasing less carbon-intensive electricity and investing in renewables, he added.

“We also remain committed to accuracy and transparency — and we stand behind the information we share in our reports and communications.”

Investors for Paris Compliance argues emissions from the end use of the fossil fuels produced and shipped should be taken into account in net zero reporting, not just emissions from operations.

Cenovus did not respond to a request for comment.

The group is asking the ASC to investigate existing and past climate disclosures from Cenovus and Enbridge to assess their accuracy and adequacy. The investigation should consider evidence from peers and competitors, it said.

It also wants the ASC to work with other provincial securities regulators on guidance for net zero claims for Canadian publicly listed companies.

A spokeswoman for the commission says it and its counterparts have helped companies prepare disclosures of material climate-related risks, as well as avoiding language that could be considered greenwashing. She said it does not comment on reviews it does of complaints it receives.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 20, 2025.

Lauren Krugel, The Canadian Press

Canada Post heads back into bargaining with union after delay

By The Canadian Press
August 20, 2025 

A Canada Post truck is seen at a distribution centre in Montreal 

 THE CANADIAN PRESS/Christinne Muschi

OTTAWA — Canada Post and the union representing postal workers are set to return to the bargaining table today.

Plans to rekindle talks late last week were delayed due to a lack of federal government mediators.

The Canadian Union of Postal Workers claimed labour unrest at Air Canada was pulling attention from the postal service’s dispute, which has stretched on for more than a year and a half.

A few weeks ago, unionized postal workers rejected the Crown corporation’s latest offer that would have included wage hikes of around 13 per cent over four years and added part-timers to the workforce.

Canada Post is seeking a formal response from the union on those proposals and has warned the postal service is bleeding millions of dollars in business daily tied to uncertainty around collective bargaining.

The union says it has prepared offers that meet members’ demands and is upholding a ban on overtime work in the meantime.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 20, 2025.