Sowell’s journey is remarkable. Orphaned young and raised by a great aunt in Harlem, he pursued education against significant odds, earning a PhD in economics under Milton Friedman at the University of Chicago. Initially a Marxist, his views shifted dramatically during a stint with the U.S. Department of Labor, where he saw firsthand how government programs could exacerbate—rather than alleviate—poverty. This transformation launched him as a staunch advocate for free-market economics and an unflinching critic of expansive government.

Over a career spanning decades, Sowell’s writings tackled economics, social theory, and cultural criticism with piercing clarity. From “Basic Economics,“ a primer on economic principles, to ”Social Justice Fallacies,” a critique of modern identity politics, Sowell’s work underscores his belief in personal responsibility and the perils of government overreach. His observations hold profound relevance for Canada, a nation grappling with the consequences of unchecked bureaucracy and policies that often prioritize ideological aims over practical outcomes.

One of Sowell’s most enduring legacies is his critique of affirmative action. As a black professor in elite institutions during its rise, he saw how such policies, though well-intentioned, demeaned highly-qualified individuals by casting doubt on their achievements. His book “Affirmative Action Around the World“ argues that these programs often harm the very groups they aim to help. In Canada, where debates over equity and inclusion dominate policy discourse, Sowell’s insights offer a cautionary tale about the harm and injustice caused by identity-based policymaking.

Sowell’s writing smoulders with an underlying moral righteousness leavened by his good humour and human decency, the twinkle in his eye bouncing and sparkling even as he skewers leftist fallacies and the hypocrites who convey them. Perhaps most compelling is his ability to distill complex issues into pithy, unforgettable aphorisms. His work brims with clarity and moral conviction, offering a rare combination of intellectual rigour and accessibility. As Powerline blogger Scott Johnson aptly noted, Sowell elicits “profound feelings of gratitude” for his “expository gifts, depth, fairness, and ability to get to the heart of the matter.” Here are some of his most resonant thoughts: […]

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An indictment unsealed in New York charged the seven people with “operating a multi-state conspiracy in which they attempted to defraud the United States of more than $600 million by filing more than 8,000 false tax returns claiming COVID-19-related employment tax credits,” the agency said in a statement. The fraud targeted programs like employee retention credit (ERC) and paid sick and family leave credit (SFLC), which were passed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The ERC gave tax credits to businesses, incentivizing them to keep employees on their payroll, while SFLC was a reimbursement made to businesses for paying employees “on sick or family leave and could not work because of COVID-19.”

The charges were made against Keith Williams, Jamari Lewis, Morais Dicks, Janine Davis, Tiffany Williams, James Hames Jr., and Ewendra Mathurin; all of whom are either current or former residents of New York.

Between November 2021 and June 2023, the defendants “repeatedly exploited” ERC and SFLC programs, the DOJ said. “The scheme was allegedly headquartered at Credit Reset, a purported credit repair business Keith Williams owned and operated.” […]

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Trump has issued sweeping actions on illegal immigration, deploying the military to the southern border and ordering mass deportations nationwide.

He also moved to rename two large geographical landmarks; ended diversity, equity, and inclusion programs in federal agencies; proposed overhauling or eliminating the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA); and backed a plan to relocate thousands living in the Gaza Strip to “clean out” the territory.

These are some of Trump’s major actions in his first full week back in the White House:

Illegal Immigration

Trump had said on the 2024 campaign trail that he saw border security as a more pressing issue than inflation and the economy, and vowed to deploy the military to block illegal immigration. […]

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The snow-covered Judith Mountains rise majestically in the distance, while vast fields of dormant wheat, hay, and barley stretch beneath a gloomy gray sky blanketed in white.

Ed Butcher, 81, peered through the cracked windshield of his red Honda all-wheel drive, which had been struck by a bird a few days earlier.

At the end of an eight mile gravel road, two miles east of the family homestead in Winifred (population 174), he could see his destination.

The one-acre plot is secured by a chain-link fence, complete with surveillance cameras, motion sensors, and barbed wire. […]

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It came after President Donald Trump signed a memorandum during his first day in office directing federal agencies to examine U.S. trade deficits and unfair trade practices by America’s trade partners, review economic trade relations between China and the United States, and assess bills regarding China’s Permanent Normal Trade Relations (PNTR) status.

In the Senate, Sens. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), Jim Banks (R-Ind.), and Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) reintroduced the Restoring Trade Fairness Act, which aims to end PNTR with China. The status, conferred by Congress in 2000, allows China to enjoy trade benefits such as ultra-low tariffs.

Its companion bill was reintroduced in the House by Rep. John Moolenaar (R-Mich.), chairman of the Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party, and Rep. Tom Suozzi (D-N.Y.), a member of the Ways and Means Committee and co-founder and chair of the Bipartisan Uyghur Caucus.

Tariffs introduced by the previous Trump administration and the Biden administration have effectively ended China’s PNTR benefits. The bill, if enacted, will phase in mandatory higher tariffs over a five-year period. […]

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These actions are among many promises Trump made during his 2024 presidential campaign. He told an audience during a Latino Americans for Trump roundtable at his hotel and resort in Miami-Doral, Florida, on Oct. 22 that he believed illegal immigration was a more pressing issue for the nation than inflation and the economy.

“The biggest thing is the border,” Trump said, criticizing the Biden administration’s policies.

On Monday, Trump began signing a barrage of executive orders and actions focused on border security and immigration, calling for a national emergency to mobilize a military response, ending birthright citizenship, and eliminating the CBP One app that many migrants had used to seek asylum in the United States.

These efforts are already spurring legal challenges and will create serious ramifications for the military and thousands seeking pathways to immigration in the United States. […]

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At least eight relate directly to energy policy with four eliminating more than 200 rules, regulations, and executive orders issued under the Biden administration. This includes any regulations or rules adopted within the last 60 days and any allocations authorized under two “New Green Deal” bills adopted in 2021 and 2022.

Two of the seven are dedicated to specific issues in Alaska and California, and one implements a temporary pause in offshore wind development leasing. Tucked inside another one are directives calling for dramatic expansions of offshore oil and gas leasing.

One of Trump’s signature campaign slogans was “Drill, baby, drill.”

As expected, perhaps the least complicated of the eight energy and environment-related actions is Trump’s order withdrawing the United States from 2015’s Paris Climate Accords, which Trump did in 2017 and vowed to do again during his 2024 campaign.

Not only does Trump’s executive order withdraw the United States from the pact, it also includes “withdrawal from any agreement, pact, accord, or similar commitment made under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change” and immediately rescinds the U.S. International Climate Finance Plan which, over the years, earmarks billions in U.S. taxpayer commitments.

In the “Unleashing Alaska’s Extraordinary Resource Potential” executive order, Trump calls on federal agency officials to “expedite the permitting and leasing of energy and natural resource projects,” prioritize “development of Alaska’s liquefied natural gas (LNG) potential,” and expand fossil fuel development in the 23-million-acre National Petroleum Reserve and 19.6-million-acre Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.

The sweeping action rescinds “all regulations, orders, guidance documents, policies, and any other similar agency actions … promulgated, issued, or adopted between Jan. 20, 2021, and Jan. 20, 2025,” essentially erasing dozens of Biden-era actions related to Alaska.

During Trump’s first term, Congress directed the Department of Interior (DOI) to open the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil and gas drilling for the first time. Under the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, the DOI was required to conduct two annual lease auctions within Section 1002, a 1.5-million acre coastal plain expanse that the U.S. Geological Survey estimates could hold up to 11.8 billion barrels of oil. […]

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Canada and the United States share one of the world’s most extensive and intertwined trading relationships. In 2022, bilateral trade in goods and services exceeded $900 billion annually. Canada exported 75 percent of its goods to the United States. Beyond trade, bilateral investment is immense, with over $1 trillion in two-way direct investment (All amounts in Canadian dollars).

A trade war would jeopardize trade and these capital flows, which are critical for businesses and public finances. Retaliatory tariffs or export restrictions would destabilize relationships and harm key industries across Canada. During the 2018 NAFTA renegotiations, even the spectre of a trade breakdown cost Canadian industries millions in lost revenue and opportunities. A full-blown trade war would magnify these damages exponentially.

Alberta’s oil and gas sector is the backbone of its economy and a vital contributor to Canada’s prosperity. In 2023, Alberta exported $127 billion worth of oil and gas to the United States, representing 82 percent of its energy exports. This sector accounts for 27 percent of Alberta’s GDP and contributes approximately $28,863 per capita to the provincial economy.

Halting these exports would be harmful to a weakened economy. Alberta’s energy industry supports tens of thousands of jobs and generates substantial government revenues that fund social programs and infrastructure. Alberta is also a net contributor to federal equalization payments, providing billions annually to support less prosperous provinces, including Quebec. […]

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Terence Sutton Jr. was sentenced to 66 months in prison, while Andrew Zabavsky was sentenced to 48 months in September 2024, over “an unauthorized police pursuit that ended in a collision on Oct. 23, 2020, that caused the death of Karon Hylton-Brown, 20, in Northwest Washington D.C.,” the Department of Justice (DOJ) said last year.

The officers remained free pending the outcomes of their appeals.

In a statement, the Metropolitan Police Department said that Sutton, in his early 40s, and Zabavsky, in his mid-50s, were on “indefinite suspension without pay, pending our administration process.”

Sutton was found guilty by a unanimous federal jury in late 2022, after a nine-week trial, of second-degree murder, conspiracy to obstruct, and obstruction of justice. The same jury found Zabavsky guilty of conspiracy to obstruct and obstruction of justice. […]

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The arrests were made last Thursday, and many suspects are accused of being involved in a variety of crimes, including murders, attempted murders, robberies, arson, extortion, drug and weapons trafficking, and violent assaults.

Prosecutors allege these defendants acted on the orders of the largest prison gang, the Mexican Mafia, also known as La Eme.

“These criminals took orders from cartel bosses operating in state prison and preyed on business owners by forcing mafia-style taxes,” San Diego County District Attorney Summer Stephan said at a press conference.

They also “dealt illegal drugs, including pounds of deadly fentanyl, committed widespread violence, and trafficked weapons such as ghost guns and AR-15s,” she said. […]

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