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Paul St-Pierre Plamondon to become Quebec’s next premier after leading pro-separatism Parti Québécois to victory
Paul St-Pierre Plamondon will become the next premier of Quebec, completing the dramatic resurgence for the pro-independence Parti Québécois after more than a decade of decline and long years in the political shadows at the National Assembly. The PQ's election night victory in Quebec on Monday capped off what some believed was inevitable after three […]
Jim Bakker, famed televangelist brought down by scandal, dies at 86
Jim Bakker, who along with his first wife Tammy Faye built an evangelical empire around the hugely successful "The PTL Club" TV show, only to lose it all over a sex scandal and financial crimes, has died. He was 86.Bakker died Monday, his second wife, Lori Bakker, said in a statement. His cause of death was not immediately clear.The pair lived near the Missouri entertainment town of Branson and filmed their TV show "The Jim Bakker Show" there since it launched in 2003. Bakker suffered a stroke in 2020."He was a pioneer of Christian television, but to me, he was my husband, my best friend, and the man I was honored to walk beside through so many seasons of life and ministry," Lori Bakker said in a statement.But it was another evangelical program that made Jim and and his first wife Tammy Faye Bakker cultural icons — so much so that they were often skewered in the 1980s and 1990s by late-night comedians and parodied on "Saturday Night Live." A theatrical movie on their lives, "The Eyes of Tammy Faye," was released in September 2021.At its peak in the mid-1980s, the Bakkers' ministry included not only the TV show drawing up to 13 million nightly viewers but also the Christian-based Heritage USA theme park and hotel in Fort Mill, South Carolina.Bakker was born in Muskegon Michigan, and attended North Central Bible College in Minneapolis, where he met Tammy Faye. They married in 1961 and dropped out of college to start their own traveling ministry — he preached, she sang and played the accordion as they crossed the country visiting churches and tent revivals.They caught the attention of televangelist Pat Robertson, and in 1965 launched a children's show on Robertson's Christian Broadcasting Network. By 1966, he was hosting "The 700 Club," a Christian talk show. Sep 17, 2021 How Televangelist Tammy Faye Bakker Became an Unlikely Ally in the AIDS Crisis coronavirus Mar 9, 2020 FDA Warns Televangelist Jim Bakker and Others to Stop Selling Fraudulent Coronavirus Products Bakker left CBN in 1972 and two years later formed the PTL Satellite Network. "The PTL Club" — PTL stands for "Praise the Lord" — became its signature show.It hit its heyday in the 1980s, "The PTL Club" was drawing millions of viewers — and bringing in millions of dollars annually from followers.Sort of a Christian version of "The Tonight Show," it featured chats with guests and Christian entertainers. Bakker offered upbeat sermons and Tammy Faye — charismatic and always wearing her trademark heavy mascara — sang. Most episodes were taped at their sprawling complex just south of Charlotte, North Carolina.The couple was so famous that they were often parodied by TV comedians for their lavish lifestyle and Tammy Faye's abundant makeup.In March 1987, their empire began to crack when Bakker admitted to a sexual encounter with church clerk Jessica Hahn. Bakker was forced to resign from his own empire, turning over operations to pastor and broadcaster Jerry Falwell.Tammy Faye stuck by Bakker, often with tears running down her mascara, even as many saw his downfall as a fitting symbol of the greed and hypocrisy of the 1980s.Things only got worse.In 1988, Bakker was indicted for mail fraud, wire fraud and conspiracy after an investigation of PTL's finances. He was convicted and sentenced to 45 years in federal prison, though the sentence was later reduced to eight years.At a news conference after Bakker was found guilty, Tammy Faye stood in front of the microphones and sang the hymn, "On Christ the Solid Rock I Stand."Their marriage crumbled and Tammy Faye divorced Bakker in 1992, just short of their 31st anniversary, while he was still in prison. She later married Roe Messner, a building contractor whose projects included the Heritage USA theme park. Messner was convicted of bankruptcy fraud in 1995 and spent about two years in prison.Tammy Faye died of colon cancer in 2007.Bakker was released on parole in 1994. He married his second wife, Lori, in 1998. The couple launched "The Jim Bakker Show" on the PTL Satellite Network five years later.In June 2021, Bakker and his Morningside Church Productions Inc. settled a lawsuit accusing him of falsely claiming the health supplement Silver Solution could cure COVID-19. The settlement called for $156,000 in refunds to people who paid money or gave contributions to obtain the product in the early days of the pandemic.The lawsuit said Bakker and a guest made the cure claim during 11 episodes in February and March of 2020.Bakker and Tammy Faye had two children. He and his second wife adopted five children in 2002.
Sovereigntist Parti Québécois to form minority government, Paul St-Pierre Plamondon to become Quebec’s next premier
Paul St-Pierre Plamondon will become the next premier of Quebec, completing the dramatic resurgence for the Parti Québécois after more than a decade of decline and long years in the political shadows at the National Assembly. The pro-independence party will form a minority government; its projected 59 seats — with votes still being counted — […]
FBI whistleblower says White House pushed unconstitutional probe of protesters
The Trump administration pushed the FBI to investigate Los Angeles protesters in violation of their constitutional rights and the bureau's policies, a former FBI supervisor alleges in a new whistleblower complaint.Jill Fields, a former supervisory intelligence analyst in the FBI's Los Angeles Field Office, made a formal whistleblower complaint to Senate Judiciary Committee leaders over the federal response to anti-ICE protest activity around federal buildings, as well as in a residential area, early last year. Fields asked Congress and the Justice Department’s watchdog to investigate the allegations, her attorneys said in a letter to lawmakers. She says they violated the First Amendment right to free speech and to peaceably assemble.Fields says Emil Bove, then the acting deputy attorney general, told the head of the field office to open an investigation into activities outside the federal building even though, she says, the activities were protected free speech. Separately, she says the White House gave a directive to FBI Director Kash Patel to investigate a group of protesters using megaphones during immigration enforcement operations after FBI agents had conducted a check into the conduct and declined to open an investigation.President Donald Trump had viewed a video of people using megaphones to alert residents about immigration activities, advise them of their legal rights and encourage them not to open their doors unless immigration enforcement agents had signed judicial warrants, according to the letter.A person whose name is redacted in the complaint told Fields that an investigation would be opened because "the President wants this investigation," Fields' whistleblower complaint says.The protests were staged across Los Angeles after the Trump administration launched an immigration enforcement operation. Fields said the FBI's Los Angeles office had pulled agents off active cartel cases to satisfy what a supervisor described as "optics" designed to "make a show for the president." The area would be the scene of major protests later in the year during an immigration surge in cities nationwide. The FBI and the Justice Department didn't immediately respond to a request for comment. Justice Department officials have previously said government workers need to follow the Trump administration's priorities. Last week, Justice Department leaders filed an administrative complaint about federal judges who made remarks to the media about the impact the surge in immigration enforcement had on their courtrooms.Fields says supervisors were told not to put things in writing, so many of the directives came in face-to-face meetings. She says she didn't know whether any formal investigation was opened because she was excluded once she refused to participate. Fields consulted with a senior FBI official in charge of privacy and civil liberties matters, who expressed dismay about the investigation and subsequently told Fields she planned to resign, according to the complaint.Fields, too, resigned from the bureau, after she was informed that she would be removed from heading three programs, a decision she believes constituted retaliation for making protected internal disclosures. The FBI's actions, according to the letter, "created a chilling effect within the workforce" and "signaled to other employees that raising constitutional or legal concerns could carry professional consequences."The conduct "had significant consequences for constitutional rights, and the integrity and effective operation of the FBI," according to the complaint. Hundreds of FBI agents and Justice Department attorneys have resigned or been fired since Trump returned to office, particularly those who were involved in investigating him, and former Justice Department employees have expressed concerns that the nation's top law enforcement agency is doing the bidding of the president. Sen. Alex Padilla, D-Calif., told NBC News that Fields' disclosure is another instance of Trump's weaponizing the Justice Department to go after his perceived political enemies. Padilla, who himself was forcibly removed from a news conference featuring then-Homeland Security Kristi Noem in June 2025, is the ranking member of the Judiciary subcommittee on immigration, citizenship and border safety."How many more of these investigations have been opened up because of political pressure coming from the White House, despite the questions and concerns about legality and constitutionality?" Padilla said.He acknowledged that the Trump administration's attacks on civil service protections through unilateral firings, as well as the mass firings of internal government watchdogs, had an impact on the legislative branch's ability to conduct oversight."That's going to be a significant challenge, but it begins with good, honorable professionals being willing to come forward and tell us what's going on and what's wrong with what's going on," Padilla said. "We're hoping others may be inspired, as well."Fields was represented by the nonprofit Government Accountability Project and David Laufman, a former top official in the Justice Department's National Security Section.
5 takeaways from Quebec election as Parti Québécois forms minority government
Quebec voters elected a Parti Québécois minority government Monday, completing a dramatic political comeback and paving the way for an eventual third sovereignty referendum.

Phillies need a new identity, and Japan offers a path forward
Look around the MLB postseason. Philadelphia fans may not want to at this point.The Phillies' season ended short of a championship for the fifth consecutive October, but watching the rest of the playoffs offers another reminder of where their organization continues to lag behind other successful teams around the game. It is not necessarily a domestic shortcoming. It is the Phillies' lack of a presence internationally, specifically in Japan.A record eight Japanese-born players made active postseason rosters this year.Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Roki Sasaki are attempting to help the Dodgers win a third consecutive World Series. The Cubs were eliminated, but Shota Imanaga and Seiya Suzuki will both reach free agency this winter. Munetaka Murakami and Tatsuya Imai helped the White Sox and Astros reach the postseason during their first years in the United States. Padres reliever Yuki Matsui rounded out the record-setting group.Meanwhile, the Phillies have never signed a player directly from NPB to a major-league contract.They have employed Japanese-born players before. Tadahito Iguchi arrived in a trade during the 2007 season, and So Taguchi signed with the Phillies after spending six years with the Cardinals. Neither represented the Phillies successfully recruiting an established player out of Japan and bringing him directly into their organization.They have tried to change that more recently.The Phillies aggressively pursued Yamamoto before the 2024 season and were willing to make a significant financial commitment to the star right-hander. Yamamoto chose the Dodgers. The following winter, the Phillies expressed interest in Sasaki, but they were not among the teams granted an in-person meeting before he also chose Los Angeles.Those pursuits showed the Phillies understood the value of entering the Japanese market. They also illustrated how difficult it is to break into it without any history there.Los Angeles has become a destination for Japanese players because of its sizable Japanese community, its location and travel access to their home country, and the growing alumni network the Dodgers have created. Ohtani helped make Los Angeles more attractive to Yamamoto, and the presence of both players offered Sasaki something no other interested organization could replicate.Philadelphia does not have those built-in advantages. There are no direct flights between Philadelphia International Airport and Japan. The Phillies cannot point to a Japanese star who succeeded here and can explain the organization and city to the next player considering the move.Their most recent attempt to establish a connection was Koyo Aoyagi, whom the Phillies signed to a minor-league contract before the 2025 season. Aoyagi posted a 7.22 ERA between Double A and Triple A and never reached Philadelphia.That does not mean the Phillies should sign a Japanese player simply to say they have done it. It does mean they need to recognize how one successful signing could make the next pursuit considerably easier.The Phillies had an opportunity last offseason to begin changing their history in this market while addressing a clear need in their lineup.Japanese corner infielders Kazuma Okamoto and Murakami were both available. The Phillies did not seriously pursue either player, even though their aggressive pursuit of Bo Bichette later in the winter showed they were willing to change the look of their infield and potentially move on from Alec Bohm at third base.Hindsight is always easier, especially with players making the transition from NPB. There were legitimate questions about how Murakami's swing-and-miss tendencies would translate against major-league pitching and how Okamoto's offensive production would hold up outside Japan.Both answered enough of those questions in their first seasons.Okamoto hit 33 home runs and drove in 92 runs for Toronto. Murakami hit 35 home runs in 127 games for the White Sox despite missing time with a hamstring injury. Those became the two highest single-season home run totals by Japanese-born players during their first years in the majors.The Phillies did not need to know with certainty that either player would immediately produce at that level. They needed to recognize the opportunity to add a talented player who could help them on the field while also giving them credibility in a market that continues to shape the championship picture.That opportunity exists again this offseason.The Phillies' core is not exactly finished, but it is becoming older, more expensive and increasingly familiar to the teams trying to beat it. After five consecutive postseason appearances without a championship, there needs to be a different feel around the club entering 2027.That does not require the Phillies to dismantle everything. It requires them to find a new source of talent that could extend their window and prevent the organization from falling into another prolonged transition once its current stars decline.The uncertainty surrounding the next collective bargaining agreement could complicate an already expensive offseason. It also gives the Phillies another chance to establish themselves in Japan before the competition for Japanese players becomes even greater.It might only take one successful signing. One player could lead to the next.This winter, there are two Japanese players who fit the Phillies' roster beyond the significance of where they were born.Suzuki, who turned 32 in August, is one of them.The Phillies have struggled to find any sustained success in right field since Bryce Harper became their full-time first baseman. Suzuki would give them a steady right fielder and the type of right-handed hitter their lineup could lose if Bohm departs in free agency.After 2022, the year he debuted for the Cubs, Suzuki has averaged 28 home runs and 97 RBIs per 162 games, posting an OPS above .800 in four consecutive seasons.Suzuki hit .270 with a .368 on-base percentage, 26 home runs and 86 RBIs this season. His 81 walks and 5.1 wins above replacement were both career highs.His patience would carry particular value for a Phillies lineup that has repeatedly allowed its chase problems to become magnified during the postseason. Suzuki is capable of driving the baseball without expanding the strike zone as frequently as many of the hitters who have surrounded Harper and Kyle Schwarber.He also showed considerable improvement defensively this season. His range numbers took a significant step forward, and he combined those improvements with the strong throwing arm he has carried throughout his career.Suzuki is not likely to command the type of contract that would prevent the Phillies from making other additions. A deal of approximately four years would give them an established middle-of-the-order hitter without creating another commitment that stretches deep into a player's late 30s.He would address right field, replace the right-handed run production the Phillies could lose with Bohm and bring a stronger approach into a lineup that needs one.Signing Suzuki could also help the Phillies pursue the most talented Japanese player expected to be posted this winter.Teruaki Sato has been on their radar for some time. In May, Preston Mattingly and several other members of the organization traveled to Japan to scout the left-handed-hitting third baseman.It is easy to understand their interest.Sato, a member of the Hanshin Tigers, has been the most dangerous power hitter in NPB over the last two seasons. He hit 40 home runs and drove in 102 runs in 2025, then followed that performance by hitting .311 with 39 home runs, 105 RBIs and a 1.009 OPS this season.There is swing and miss in his game, which will create questions about how quickly he can adjust to major-league velocity. His increased willingness to walk, however, has made him a more complete hitter. Sato carries exceptional bat speed and generates considerable power from a relatively quiet setup at the plate.He also grew up admiring Harper, according to a report from Sports Nippon. That might not carry much weight once negotiations begin, but it is at least one connection to an organization still searching for every advantage it can find in Japan.Citizens Bank Park would offer an inviting environment for Sato's left-handed power. Harper and Schwarber have already demonstrated how much damage elite left-handed hitters can produce there, particularly when they are willing to use the opposite field instead of trying to pull every pitch.Suzuki and Sato also have familiarity with one another through Samurai Japan. Signing Suzuki would not guarantee that Sato follows him to Philadelphia, but it would allow the Phillies to present something they have never been able to offer a Japanese free agent: an established player from his home country who already understands the organization, the clubhouse and the adjustment to living in Philadelphia.This cannot become a marketing exercise. The Phillies, who have money coming off the books, should pursue both players because they fit the baseball team they are trying to build.Suzuki would stabilize right field and provide a disciplined right-handed presence. Sato could become their long-term answer at third base if Bohm leaves, while giving the Phillies another hitter capable of changing a game with one swing.Adding both could also create opportunities for the Phillies to move the rest of their roster around the diamond.If top prospect Aidan Miller proves he is ready for the major leagues, the Phillies could consider moving Trea Turner to the outfield and installing Miller at shortstop. That could make Brandon Marsh available in a trade for bullpen help or another area of need.One aggressive version of the lineup could look like this: C: J.T. Realmuto (R)1B: Bryce Harper (L)2B: Bryson Stott (L)SS: Aidan Miller (R)3B: Teruaki Sato (L)LF: Trea Turner (R)CF: Justin Crawford (L) & Derek Hill (R)RF: Seiya Suzuki (R)DH: Kyle Schwarber (L)That alignment is speculative and would require several significant decisions to fall into place. The point is not that those exact nine players need to be standing together on Opening Day.The point is that pursuing Suzuki and Sato would address real weaknesses while beginning the identity change the Phillies need. It could make the lineup more patient, improve right field, add another source of power and build infrastructure in a market the organization has struggled to enter for decades.There is no guarantee that signing one Japanese player will convince another to follow him. The Dodgers' success was not built through one transaction, either. They established relationships, demonstrated commitment and allowed each successful addition to make the next one easier.The Phillies have spent the last five years reaching October without finding the final combination necessary to win a championship. As the current core ages, the front office will need to give ownership another reason to believe that an expensive push can still end differently.Japanese-born players have been at the center of the postseason for several years. The Phillies have continued to fall short without them.If they are serious about changing the identity of the organization and keeping their championship window open, Japan is where that change should begin.
'No meeting request received from any party': EC officials as Rahul, Priyanka refuse to leave 'protest site'
Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra staged a protest near the Election Commission's office, even as the EC said it had received no request from any political party seeking a meeting. Cong said they demanded a meeting to discuss alleged electoral irregularities and questioned Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. The police intervened and detained several opposition leaders as the protest escalated.
Francis Halzen Wins Physics Nobel For Astrophysical Neutrinos' Discovery
Last year, three scientists won the Nobel Prize in physics for research on the strange behavior of subatomic particles called quantum tunneling that enabled the ultra-sensitive measurements achieved by MRI machines and laid the groundwork for better cellphones and faster computers.
Quebec Conservative Leader Éric Duhaime to win seat in Bellechasse, CBC News projects
Éric Duhaime will win the National Assembly seat in the Bellechasse riding, CBC News projects, and the Conservative Party of Quebec leader will now become an MNA for the first time in his political career.
From climbing barricades to Akashvani Bhawan twist: High drama at Rahul-led CEC protest - how it unfolded
Lok Sabha leader of opposition and Congress MP Rahul Gandhi climbed atop barricades during the INDIA bloc MPs’ march from Parliament towards the Election Commission headquarters in New Delhi on Tuesday, demanding Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation over irregularities in the Spec...
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Useless Fact

The official beverage of Ohio is tomato juice.

The loonie
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Today In History
891 — Formosus Elected Pope, Posthumous Trial Follows
Formosus was elected pope; his posthumous trial in 897 is one of the most bizarre incidents in papal history
2000 — Powerful 7.3 Magnitude Earthquake near Sakaiminato, Japan
Near Sakaiminato, Japan, an earthquake of magnitude 7.3 struck, the most powerful earthquake since the devastating Kōbe earthquake of 1995, but damage and casualties were relatively low because the epicentre was in a sparsely inhabited area
1993 — Michael Jordan's Retirement and Return to Basketball
Michael Jordan retired from professional basketball, saying "I don't have anything else to prove," only to return in March 1995. How much do you know about basketball?
1981 — Assassination of Egyptian President Anwar Sadat
Egyptian President Anwar Sadatwas assassinated by members of the radical fringe of the Muslim opposition
1976 — Arrest of China's Gang of Four After Mao's Death
In China the Gang of Four, having lost their influence with the death of Mao Zedong, were arrested
1973 — Yom Kippur War
On this day in 1973, on the Jewish holy day of Yom Kippur, Egypt and Syria attacked Israel, which suffered heavy casualties, but Israeli forces successfully fought back, and the war eventually ended inconclusively
1960 — Premiere of Kubrick's "Spartacus"
The American adventure film Spartacus, directed by Stanley Kubrick and starring Kirk Douglas, had its world premiere; it won several Academy Awards, including best supporting actor for Peter Ustinov. Stanley Kubrick quiz
1927 — Al Jolson's The Jazz Singer premieres in New York City
The Jazz Singer, starring Al Jolson, premiered in New York City, introducing the sound era of motion pictures. film buff quiz
1892 — Alfred, Lord Tennyson, Victorian Poet, Dies
The English poet widely regarded as the chief representative of the Victorian Age in poetry, Alfred, Lord Tennyson, died at age 83
1849 — Execution of 13 Hungarian Generals in Arad
Thirteen Hungarian generals, known as "the martyrs of Arad," were executed in 1849 for their role in the Hungarian Revolution of 1848-49 against the Austrian Empire.
-105 — Roman Defeat at Battle of Arausio
The Roman army was defeated by Germanic tribes in the Battle of Arausio in 105 BCE.

This is today, boiled down to the essentials. The full stash lives at logicalchaos.ca. Go get lost in it.