Jock gets wrong kind of action on date

Big spike in catalytic converter thefts

Harvey Tschetter didn’t know someone was under his SUV when he was roused by the sounds of a power saw cutting metal and took a look around the vehicle outside his North Kildonan condo.

After finding nothing untoward and going back inside, he heard repeated hammer strikes and saw a vehicle idling next to his Mitsubishi RVR, which he’d purchased two days earlier. Someone was trying to steal the SUV’s catalytic converter.

“I ran out there and I screamed at them, ‘What the F do you think you’re doing?’ They crawled out from under my car, held the hammer up like, don’t come near me, and drove off,” Tschetter said of the June 8 incident. “It was 5 a.m. and completely light out. I can’t believe how brazen they were. They showed no fear.”

The incident happened amid a sharp year-over-year increase in reports of catalytic converter thefts or attempted thefts to Manitoba Public Insurance, after record highs in 2021 and 2022 led to increased enforcement, provincial anti-theft legislation and a period of significant decline.

Trump and the threshold of pain

It would be so easy for Donald Trump to escape from the trap he has built for himself in the Persian Gulf. Just declare a victory and leave.

So what if the Iranians also declare a victory (with a lot more accuracy)? The “nuclear weapons” that gave Trump (and Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu) a pretext for attacking Iran never really existed. This would be as close to cost-free for the United States as a lost war ever gets — only a dozen American dead.

The only audience that really matters for Trump is the MAGA supporters back home, and they would be so glad to see him drop this nonsense that they wouldn’t say a word against him. The oil price would drop and Republicans might even manage to hold onto both houses of Congress in the November mid-term elections.

But Trump just can’t accept defeat, either in politics or in war. That’s why he’s still re-litigating the presidential election he lost in 2020, long after everybody else has moved on. It’s why he is escalating a lost war in the Persian Gulf, even though the consequences may be catastrophic for the region.

TV lineup promises pugilism, pickleball and partying

Soccer seems to be here to stay. There’s been barely a minute to recover from the 2026 World Cup final. Big smiles are still lingering after last week’s news that Winnipeg has been awarded the Northern Super League’s seventh franchise, starting in 2027. And because it’s not real if it’s not adapted for TV, there are but two weeks to go before the much anticipated return of Ted Lasso, with Jason Sudeikis’s title character now coaching a women’s soccer team in Season 4 (Aug. 5 on Apple TV). Rolling with that sports theme but venturing to other (occasionally murdery) arenas, here are a few suggestions for some brand new non-soccer programming.

● They Fight (movie streaming now on Disney+/Hulu)

This drama, set in Washington, D.C., concerns an ex-con who is drowning in doubt, from within and without, but trying to find his fight. The boxing gym beckons and it’s no spoiler to say he finally responds and learns that the best way to help yourself is to help others first. As they say in the trailer, “lock in!” Andre Holland (Selma) plays our hero alongside fellow acting heavyweights Samira Wiley (The Walking Dead) and Wendell Pierce (Elsbeth).

● The Dink (movie premières Friday, July 24 on Apple TV)

U.S. hits Canada with steep tariffs on range of products, including hockey sticks

WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump signed orders Monday to hammer certain Canadian products with 50 per cent tariffs, escalating trade tensions with the United States' northern neighbour.

"President Trump took decisive action to hold Canada accountable for its retaliation and discrimination," United States Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said in a statement.

The new tariffs are set to come into force in 30 days on a wide array of goods, ranging from hockey sticks to wine to cement.

Greer said the measure is a response to provincial bans on U.S. liquor, Canada's supply managed dairy system and quotas on certain U.S. vehicles.

Woman pleads guilty to beating teens, injecting them with drugs

Two teens who thought they found temporary harbour in a stranger’s apartment after they missed their late-night bus home were instead terrorized, beaten and injected with methamphetamine against their will, a court has heard.

Simone Thomas, 22, pleaded guilty Thursday to one count each of forcible confinement, aggravated assault and administering a noxious substance with intent to endanger or cause bodily harm to a person.

Details of the bizarre, Feb. 17, 2025, incident were included in an agreed statement of facts read out in court.

Court heard a male and female victim, both 15, had been drinking cans of beer outside the New West Hotel around 1 a.m. when they realized they had missed their bus home. Thomas approached the teens and offered them a place to “hang out” while they waited for the next bus.

Jets’ Perfetti motivated to prove his worth following ‘life-changing’ contract

Adam Lowry’s wedding was the main event, of course. But the Winnipeg Jets had even more reason to celebrate this past weekend as they returned from their off-season homes for a spirited summertime gathering.