Each week, BIV staff will share with you some of the interesting stories we have found from around the web.
Mark Falkenberg, deputy managing editor:
Succinct review of the weird and often nakedly racist questioning of U.S. Supreme Court nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson by Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee. – rabble.ca
https://rabble.ca/columnists/judge-jackson-overcomes-republican-senators-grasping-at-straws/
This helpful explainer of the Liberal-NDP pact draws parallels between the 21st-century Trudeau government and the Lester Pearson administration of the 1960s, which struck a deal with the New Democrats that helped establish universal health care, among other progressive policies. – The Monitor
https://monitormag.ca/articles/does-the-liberal-ndp-pact-signal-a-new-pearsonian-phase
Timothy Renshaw, managing editor:
In the interests of promoting self-improvement and optimism in a world obsessed with gloom, doom and bad news by the hay bale, consider adopting one or more of the habits compiled on this list by Hive.
https://hive.com/blog/productive-daily-habits/
While you're considering self-improvement, take a moment to reflect on data pointing to overall global improvement on a host of fronts, including education and politics. As noted in this Upworthy article, back in 1820 only 12 people out of 100 could read and only one out of 100 lived in a democracy; today closer to 86 people out of 100 can read and 56 out of 100 live in a democracy. It's increasingly debatable how genuinely democratic many democracies today are or have become, but there is little doubt that overall the political landscape is much improved over what it was 200 years ago. https://www.upworthy.com/the-world-as-100-people-gives-us-6-great-reasons-to-believe-humanity-is-on-the-right-track
Glen Korstrom, reporter:
For those newly excited about the World Cup in Qatar in November, now that Canada is going, it’s time to start following how the eight groups of four teams are determined. This piece sets out how the draws are done, and then gives short assessments of the teams that have qualified. – The Athletic
Another story in the Athletic looks at the controversial nature of holding the World Cup in Qatar – a country in which the penalty for homosexual acts is several years in prison. Many LGBTQ+ fans who might have otherwise gone to Qatar to cheer their teams are deciding to stay home. Another human rights issue related to the World Cup is that of a high number of worker deaths that took place while building the many new stadia. – The Athletic
https://theathletic.com/3219102/2022/03/31/why-world-cup-2022-qatar-controversial/
