NYC TERROR ATTACK

As the public awaits more details from the NYPD, FDNY and FBI about today's Halloween terror attack, NBC reports that allegiance notes to ISIS written in Arabic were found at the scene of today's attack.
Authorities said the man, identified by sources as Sayfullo Habibullaevic Saipov, is thought to be a "lone actor" in the attack in the Hudson River Greenway on Tuesday afternoon. Authorities said he shouted "Allahu Akbar" at some point as he sped down the bike path and apparently deliberately rammed into a school bus for children with disabilities. The Uzbek national living in New Jersey got out of that truck afterward and was seen running through traffic on West Street with a BB gun and a paintball gun before being shot in the abdomen by police and taken into custody. He's being treated at Bellevue Hospital, where he remains in custody.

BUDGET? WHAT BUDGET?

In the interest of transparency, it says, Table A1.3 of last week’s fiscal update provides details of all “off-cycle” funding decisions — that is, all new spending Ottawa has committed to since this year’s budget, which came down March 22. That was 32 weeks ago. According to the table, there have been 43 tweaks to the spending plan. That’s one every five days if you include weekends; every 3.7 days if you don’t.
Nothing’s really gigantic. The biggest single expenditure is only $173 million. (Listen to me: “only $173 million.” What’s become of us?) It’s for renewal of Operation IMPACT, Canada’s contribution “to the Global Coalition against Daesh,” Daesh being Eurocrat-speak for ISIL.
But somehow that and the other 42 changes all add up to $1.833 billion this budget year, growing to $2.299 billion in 2022–23.

CANADA'S GROWTH SPURT IS OVER

The nation’s gross domestic product unexpectedly contracted in August, Statistics Canada reported Wednesday, after a flat reading in July. The latest disappointment adds to signs the process of cooling is well underway, from the blistering pace of growth in the 12 months through June.

LIBERAL KNICKERS IN A KNOT

The Trudeau Liberals are shocked, SHOCKED! that former prime minister Stephen Harper has dared to write a memo to his business clients accusing the Grits of “napping on NAFTA.”
To hear them tell it, Harper has betrayed Canada by writing, “I fear that the NAFTA re-negotiation is going very badly.”

A THREAT TO DEMOCRACY IN QUEBEC

The crisis enveloping Quebec’s anti-corruption police following last week’s arrest of a National Assembly member deepened Tuesday as the Speaker of the legislature warned of a threat to democracy.
Addressing the legislature concerning the arrest without charges of Guy Ouellette, Speaker Jacques Chagnon called the situation “intolerable” and said he has not seen anything like it in his 32 years in politics.

$5.41 PER INMATE PER DAY

Canada's prison watchdog says small portions and inferior quality food are driving heightened tensions and a black market economy behind bars.
In his annual report to Parliament, Correctional Investigator Ivan Zinger said spending cuts in 2014 resulted in a fixed daily food budget of $5.41 per inmate.

WE NEED JOBS. WE NEED WORK.

Northwest Territories Premier Robert McLeod says it is offensive and patronizing for southern Canadians to tell northerners they can't benefit from oil and gas development because it's time to save the planet.
McLeod is in Ottawa this week hoping to start a national debate about the future of the North, a year after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced at least a five-year ban on new oil and gas development in the Arctic because an oil spill in the region would be "cataclysmic."