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Sudden Shake-Up at the Justice Department

Attorney General Pam Bondi is sworn in ahead of testifying before a House Judiciary Committee hearing on oversight of the Justice Department, on Capitol Hill. In a surprising move that has sent shockwaves through Washington, former President Donald Trump has dismissed Pam Bondi from her role as U.S. Attorney General. The decision, announced abruptly, has sparked widespread speculation about the motivations behind the firing and its potential political implications. Bondi, who had been a loyal ally of Trump, was appointed amid promises to reinforce the administration’s law-and-order agenda. Her tenure, however, was marked by both staunch support from Trump’s base and criticism from opponents who questioned her independence. Sources close to the situation suggest that internal disagreements and strategic differences may have played a role in the decision. Others point to broader political calculations as Trump continues to reshape his inner circle. The sudden leadership change raises que...

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Small Businesses in Canada Face Bankruptcy Risk Amidst Pandemic-Era Support Withdrawal

 


According to a recent report, thousands of small businesses in Canada are at risk of bankruptcy after the government ended pandemic-era support last month with the economy slowing at a time of high interest rates. 

Small firms that employ fewer than 100 people are critical to the Canadian economy as they give jobs to almost two-thirds of the country’s 12 million private workers. A spike in bankruptcies, which jumped 38% in the first 11 months of 2023, would weigh on economic growth, lobby groups and economists warn. 

Last month, small businesses faced a deadline to repay interest-free loans of C$60,000 ($44,676) made available to each of them during the pandemic. Of the 900,000 who had taken the government support, a fifth have not yet repaid their loans, Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland said on Monday. Katherine Cuplinskas, a spokesperson for the Finance Minister said in an emailed response that the Department of Finance did not expect there will be a negative impact on the economy on account of repayment of the loans given as support during the pandemic. She said loan recipients have long had full information on timelines and have been able to plan accordingly.


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