Olympic athletes test positive in Tokyo days before Games

Wab Kinew as ‘communicator in chief’

Premier Wab Kinew and his party have been riding high in the polls longer than normal for a government one year or less away from its first re-election contest. One reason is his ubiquitous, dominating communications presence as NDP leader and premier.

The argument here is that Kinew has supplemented his prerogatives as premier and party leader (such as appointing cabinet ministers and approving party nominations) with the skilful use of communications to advance his policy agenda, boost his personal popularity and maintain the competitive advantage of his party over the opposition Progressive Conservatives.

Communications has always been a significant part of politics and policy making. However, in the contemporary political and media environments, communications considerations have moved from the background to the foreground of decision-making by political parties, including when they are performing in the role of government. Campaigning and governing now overlap in what has been described as a permanent election campaign.

Political parties use communications strategies for several purposes: to establish an image of the leader which makes a positive emotional connection with voters; to promote a coherent message and to keep party members on message; and to gain favourable media coverage for its policies and other actions on almost a daily basis.

Discrediting independent media is the game plan

United States President Donald Trump’s decision to bar several news organizations from White House briefings is, thanks to a court decision, teetering on the edge of collapse.

Will this defeat send the president into a rage? There is actually evidence that Trump knew this was going to be the outcome when he ordered the ban.

A federal court judge in Washington (and a Trump appointee, for the record) issued an injunction on Thursday arguing the swift decision to bar CNN, MS Now and Politico from the White House was likely unconstitutional. The judge ordered the White House to restore credentials to the three news organizations immediately.

Was this just the latest in a string of judicial defeats suffered by the Trump administration as it seeks to undermine, unravel and otherwise work around long-standing legal and administrative canons of the American government? No, not really.

Ledohowski among new entrants to Manitoba Business Hall of Fame

The late Canad Inns founder will join the ranks of Manitoba Business Hall of Fame members next year.

Leo Ledohowski is one of three honourees to receive the prestigious title. Mark Evans, the executive chair of Conquest Planning, and Michael Pyle, Exchange Income Corporation’s chief executive, are also slated to be inducted next year.

“Each of their stories is very unique,” said Greg Leipsic, president of JA Manitoba.

The non-profit oversees the hall of fame; its board chooses new faces annually. The incoming businessmen will be honoured at an April 6 gala at the Victoria Inn Hotel.

Olympic athletes test positive in Tokyo days before Games

No capacity limits on classes or physical distancing necessary, says memo obtained by the Star.

Oka crisis informs powerful coming-of-age story

The title of the movie, Beans, is a cute nickname for a cute 12-year-old Mohawk girl with a considerably more dignified traditional name: Tekehentahkhwa.

As with the movie, the name is disarming. By these stealthy means, it allows some tough material — both personal and historical — and very strong emotions into the movie experience.

It’s a first dramatic feature for director/co-writer Tracey Deer, whose past work has been in the field of TV comedy (the APTN series Mohawk Girls). For this film, Deer excavated some of her own experiences, coming of age during the so-called Oka crisis of 1990, a 78-day armed standoff between Mohawk protesters and an escalating opposing force including the Quebec police, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and ultimately the Canadian Army.

The crux of the conflict was a few acres of land desired by the Oka community to transform its nine-hole golf course to 18 holes. For that purpose, they needed to level an ancient forest, known on the adjacent Kanesatake Mohawk reserve as “the Pines.”