What will it take to solve the military’s sexual misconduct problem?

03/04/21 • 26 min

Two of this country’s former top military leaders are facing accusations of sexual misconduct. Last week, recently appointed chief of defence staff Admiral Art McDonald stepped aside after it was discovered he was under investigation by the military's National Investigation Service; his predecessor, Gen. Jonathan Vance is also under investigation for inappropriate behaviour. All of this has had many people wondering: what did Canada’s minister of defence know, and when did he know it? Opposition parties hoped to find answers this week as former military ombudsman Gary Walbourne testified before a House of Commons committee — and that testimony did not look good for Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan. Rosie and Elamin break down what came out of the committee, what it says about the state of Canada’s military and what kind of change might be necessary after years of efforts to root out sexual misconduct among their ranks. The two also check in on the COVID-19 vaccine rollout, as the feds expect about 945,000 doses to arrive this week alone. As more jurisdictions are able to start vaccinating more people, are governments prioritizing those who need it most?

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Party in the U.S.A: The nuances of Neera Tanden

DC is in the midst of confirmation hearings for President Joe Biden’s new cabinet — and some of his picks are generating controversy. Today, a deep dive into just one of the nominees, Neera Tanden. While she may not be a household name, Tanden is a useful lens through which to examine the layers of DC culture. With strikes against her on both the left and right, it’s worth examining why the Biden administration is going to bat for such a polarizing figure. But first, a quick debrief on the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), which marked Donald Trump’s first public appearance since he left the presidency and clearly signalled that cult of personality continues. For insight, Elamin calls up Katelyn Burns, a freelance journalist and contributing writer to Vox and Medium, as well as Sabrina Siddiqui of the Wall Street Journal.

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Party in the U.S.A: The fight for voting rights

South of the border, there’s a battle brewing for the most basic expression of democracy — voting. And there’s never been more at stake. Former President Donald Trump has repeated false allegations that the 2020 election results are fraudulent due to massive, widespread voter tampering. This has inspired a wave of voter restriction measures at the state level — 43 states in all — and if passed, could represent some of the most restrictive voting laws since the Jim Crow era. At the same time, the U.S. Senate is about to debate one of the most important civil rights bill in a generation, one that could bring substantial protections to voters and help stop the barrage of restrictions. But passing it will be extremely difficult. Elamin is joined by Michael Mark Cohen, a professor in American Studies at the University of California Berkeley, and Michael Barajas, a reporter for the Texas Observer.