Laura Slade explains why she handed out leaflets at the opening of the anti-abortion movie Unplanned, and debunks the many lies and inaccuracies contained in the movie. “It’s important that all people who have had an abortion or are considering one know that they’re not alone, that this film that’s designed to make them look like and feel like terrible people is full of deception.”

Judy Haiven on the federal NDP decision that Rana Zaman can no longer run for the party in Dartmouth. “Israel’s actual slaughter and wounding of thousands of Palestinians in Gaza are considered less blameworthy than the words of those, like Zaman, who condemn it.”

Lots of people got angry when the provincial government announced it set aside $80 million in support of a new building for the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia. Healthcare is in crisis, they say, and spending money on something as unnecessary and luxurious as art at this time is a very bad idea. To further explore why art matters from a societal point of view, and indeed functions as a major economic engine all on its own, I met with writer and St. Mary’s University Art Gallery director Robin Metcalfe, who has thought deeply about these matters.

Here is a bit of a news brief on this year’s May Day rally in Halifax, including a transcribed speech by Stacey Gomez of the Migrant Rights Network. Gomez addresses the case of Daniella, a migrant worker at the Fox Hill Market and Deli on Robie Street in Halifax, who was allegedly subjected to extortion by her employers.

Kendall reports on meeting Lori and Dave (not their real names), a couple struggling to get by on income assistance and faced with isolation.