Clint Eastwood set to direct ‘Juror No. 2’ for Warner Bros.

Bibi, the ‘anti-Bibi’ and the ‘wanna-Bibis’

According to the 1970s anarchist slogan, “No matter who you vote for, the government always gets in.”

That’s certainly true for the election in Israel on Tuesday, even if the winner is not Prime Minister Benjamin (Bibi) Netanyahu himself. All the other party leaders, says Israeli journalist Anshel Pfeffer, are just “wanna-Bibis.”

Or rather, all the rest except one. Former general Gadi Eisenkot, the main opposition candidate, is the “anti-Bibi,” Pfeffer says. He’s a working-class hero who joined the army as a private and worked his way up to chief of staff of the Israel Defence Forces (IDF). He retired and went into politics only four years ago, he’s modest and honest, what’s not to love?

Eisenkot certainly stands out among the party leaders in terms of style, but not so much in terms of actual policies. He was realistic enough to know that “total victory’ over Hamas was not likely, but his “Dahiya” strategy of causing “immense damage and destruction” (in Lebanon in the 2006 war) foreshadowed the cataclysm that the IDF has inflicted on Gaza since 2023.

Klein, Gillingham trade jabs over megaproject

Two of Winnipeg’s mayoral candidates wasted no time trading barbs over who bears responsibility for the skyrocketing cost of overhauling the North End sewage treatment plant, during a televised debate Wednesday.

Scott Gillingham and Kevin Klein pointed the finger at each other for the rising cost of the massive project, which had a cost estimate of $795 million in 2015 and had ballooned to $3.2 billion as of the latest estimate.

“We need to be able to understand how that amount tripled in that short a time,” Klein said at the event held at CBC’s downtown Winnipeg headquarters. He pointed out the first estimate was given when Gillingham was chairman of the city’s finance committee. He questioned what the incumbent did to garner funding for the project.

Gillingham shot back by noting Klein was Manitoba’s environment minister in 2023. He accused his opponent of failing to make a dent on the cost.

Hutterite colonies embrace the manufacturing business – while staying faithful to their way of life

Tucked away at Oak Bluff Hutterite Colony, past rows of communal housing and farm buildings, Aaron Maendel tinkers in a laboratory.

Black-and-white sheets smeared with grey-test formulas cover a counter. A Thermotron — a refrigerator-looking machine — is powered off but standing by to simulate any desired temperature.

Maendel moves to a worktop littered with partly full mixing cups. He pulls out a small, rectangular sample — a sheet showing the drying time of his new fixation, floor coatings.

“Very simple, actually. Very simple machine. Drags a stick through the mud,” Maendel says.

Today’s horoscope

MOON ALERT: Avoid shopping (except food and gas) and important decisions until after 3:30 p.m. today. After that, the moon moves from Pisces into Aries.

ARIES (March 21-April 19)

This is a passionate, powerful day. Romance is blessed. It’s a great day to socialize with romantic interests. In fact, it’s the best date day of the week! It’s also an excellent day for financial discussions about shared property, inheritances, taxes and debt.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20)

Frustration on menu as construction drags on

Nearly four months of construction outside the front door of a longtime Portage Avenue restaurant has driven away customers and left its owner struggling to cover operating expenses.

Clint Eastwood set to direct ‘Juror No. 2’ for Warner Bros.

NEW YORK (AP) — Clint Eastwood is getting back in the director's chair.

The “Unforgiven” and “Gran Torino” filmmaker is set to direct the legal drama “Juror No. 2" for his longtime studio, Warner Bros., a person close to the production who requested anonymity because she wasn't authorized to comment publicly confirmed Friday.

The film will be Eastwood's first since 2021's neo-Western “Cry Macho,” which also marked his return to the screen as an actor. With production on “Juror No. 2” to begin in June, Eastwood will be 93 when he steps on set.

Nicholas Hoult and Toni Collette are in early talks to potentially star in the film, written by Jonathan Abrams, about a murder trial wherein a juror discovers he may have played a role in the victim's death.