The millions of baby boomers
ILLUSTRATION THE PRESS
The transfer of wealth between baby boomers and their descendants risks increasing inequality.
Baby boomers are getting older. And in a few years, they will bequeath a lot of money. According to a survey carried out in 2023, Canadian baby boomers who plan to leave all their assets to their children hope to pass on to them $940,000 on average, recalls journalist Louise Leduc. We understand why some experts are announcing the largest transfer of wealth in the country’s history. However, this transfer risks increasing inequalities. Furthermore, inheriting a large sum can change your life, but perhaps not if you have already celebrated 50 years of existence. This is why many baby boomers are now passing on part of their assets to their children during their lifetime.
Read the file “What will happen to the millions of baby boomers? »
Living with the homeless
PHOTO JOSIE DESMARAIS, LA PRESSE ARCHIVES
The video of a trader spraying a homeless person with water sparked a reaction.
A Chinatown merchant filmed himself dousing water on a homeless man sleeping outside his establishment. The video, which went viral, caused a huge reaction. Many denounced an inhumane gesture. “In my opinion, there is no justification for treating homeless people like trash thrown into the street,” wrote Maxime Bergeron, for example. Especially since no one is really safe from homelessness. The story of Vicky Harvey, which the chronicler told in another text, shows this well. The former Liberal candidate in Hochelaga, who had drinking problems, spent years living on the street. She was able to get back in control thanks to organizations that came to her aid. And who treated her with dignity, as every human being deserves, regardless of whether they have a place to sleep or not.
Read the column “Humans relegated to the rank of waste”
Read the column “Drugs and homelessness: “It can happen to anyone””
Fewer cars thanks to electric bikes
PHOTO SARAH MONGEAU-BIRKETT, LA PRESSE ARCHIVES
Massive adoption of electric bikes could reduce automobile travel by a quarter, according to a study.
What if electric bikes could help us reduce the number of cars on the streets? This is what a new study from the Mobility Chair of Polytechnique Montréal and Équiterre demonstrates, reported by Henri Ouellette-Vézina last Wednesday. Massive adoption of these bicycles could reduce car travel by a quarter, this vast experiment carried out with 1,000 participants over the last three years showed. How ? These devices make it possible to democratize the use of the bicycle in addition to extending its reach. To achieve this, however, it would be necessary to “build more infrastructure,” said Catherine Morency, holder of the Chair. Équiterre, for its part, suggests the allocation of a subsidy for the replacement of a combustion vehicle with an electric bicycle. This is what the municipality of Saanich, in British Columbia, did, and the first results are convincing.
Read the article “A quarter of car journeys could be made by electric bike”
A Cannes Festival under the sign of #metoo
PHOTO STÉPHANE MAHÉ, REUTERS ARCHIVES
French filmmaker Judith Godrèche, who presented her short film Me too in Cannes, posed with 100 women victims of sexual assault.
The shadow of #metoo hung over the opening ceremony of the Cannes Film Festival, told our special correspondent, Marc Cassivi. On Tuesday, certainly to coincide with the opening of the event, an article was published in The world, signed by 150 personalities and illustrated by photographs of 100 women victims of sexual assault, calling for the adoption of a “comprehensive law” against sexual and gender-based violence. At the same time, the French actress and filmmaker Judith Godrèche presented her short film Me too. The woman who accused Harvey Weinstein of sexual misconduct in 2017 filed a complaint against filmmakers Jacques Doillon and Benoît Jacquot in February. The president of the competition jury, actress and filmmaker Greta Gerwig, added her two cents. “There is only good in the fact that speech is freed; I saw it in the United States,” she declared at a press conference. According to the chronicler, we are clearly witnessing the end of omerta. Seven years behind the Americans, and after a few false starts, “finally, we are listening to them,” he writes.
Read the column “The shadow of #metoo hangs over Cannes”
Former Trump lawyer testifies
ILLUSTRATION JANE ROSENBERG, REUTERS ARCHIVES
The cross-examination of Michael Cohen by Donald Trump’s lawyer, Todd Blanche, last Tuesday
Michael Cohen’s highly anticipated testimony began Monday at Donald Trump’s trial in New York. Our collaborator and correspondent in the Big Apple, Richard Hétu, was on the front row all week reporting the developments. A former personal lawyer for the ex-president, Cohen said he himself arranged to pay money to pornographic actress Stormy Daniels in exchange for her silence, which would make him the only witness likely to testify. bridge the gap between accusations of document falsification brought against Donald Trump and those of a criminal conspiracy to corrupt the 2016 election. On the stand, he swore that his former boss knew everything. Donald Trump’s top lawyer then tried to portray Cohen as a vengeful, obsessive and greedy man.
Read the decryption “Michael Cohen: a “gangster” at the helm”
Read the article “Cohen implicates Trump and… Melania”
Read the article “Michael Cohen portrayed as vengeful by defense”