The Logoff is a daily newsletter that helps you stay informed about the Trump administration without letting political news take over your life. Subscribe here. Welcome to The Logoff. Today I’m focusing on new Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who’ll now run some of the government’s largest agencies — and whose […]
The Logoff is a daily newsletter that helps you stay informed about the Trump administration without letting political news take over your life. Subscribe here.
Welcome to The Logoff. Today I’m focusing on new Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who’ll now run some of the government’s largest agencies — and whose policy decisions will affect the health of every American. (Special thanks to Dylan Scott, who helped me wrap my head around this unconventional nominee.)
What’s the latest? The Senate voted 52-48 to confirm Kennedy. All Democrats and both independents voted no, as did Republican Mitch McConnell. The other 52 Republicans voted yes.
What will he be in charge of? Kennedy will oversee basically any place where the federal government touches health care or public health, including Medicare and Medicaid, the Food and Drug Administration, and the federal hubs for disease research and prevention (the CDC and NIH). The FDA also oversees the approval of new vaccines.
What is Kennedy’s stance on vaccines now? Kennedy has long vociferously spread the lie that vaccines cause autism. He was also publicly skeptical of the Covid vaccines. Since his nomination, Kennedy has downplayed that opposition, instead emphasizing that he wants people to have a choice about vaccinations.
What else should I know about RFK Jr.? On some issues, such as food safety and nutrition, Kennedy’s criticisms of the status quo echo what many experts are saying: that our food system is prone to disease outbreaks and leaves us in poor health. But medical experts have been sounding the alarm about his embrace of conspiracy theories — both on vaccines and elsewhere.
What don’t we know yet? Will Kennedy go after vaccine development and approval, or stick to pushing back on vaccine mandates? Will he have the sway within the administration, which includes many pro-business voices, to go after the food system in the way he has promised? We’ll get some clues soon, as Trump appoints Kennedy’s top deputies, but as of today, we’re headed into the great unknown.
And with that, it’s time to log off …
More than 50 years after his death, the world has a new Picasso painting. An infrared scan of a 1901 painting — “Portrait of Mateu Fernández de Soto” — revealed a hidden portrait underneath, one of a mysterious woman whose identity remains unknown. I really enjoyed this story, both because it’s fun, and because it’s a reminder that the world, troubled though it is, remains full of good surprises.
<img src="https://www.mtlblog.com/media-library/row-of-houses-in-montreal.jpg?id=55506085&width=1200&height=800&coordinates=2%2C0%2C2%2C0"/><br/><br/><p>The Montreal housing market is poised for steady growth in 2025, with home prices expected to rise faster than the national average, a new report shows. </p><p>For anyone hoping to buy a home here, the real question is: <a href="https://www.mtlblog.com/housing-market-montreal-average-rent-november-2024" target="_blank">How much income will you need</a> to make it happen?</p><p>According to a <a href="https://www.royallepage.ca/en/realestate/news/canadian-property-price-appreciation-set-for-a-return-to-long-term-norms-in-2025/" target="_blank">recent report from Royal LePage</a>, the aggregate price of a home in Greater Montreal is forecast to increase by 6.5% this year, reaching $655,082 by the fourth quarter of 2025. </p><p>Detached houses are set to climb even higher, with a 7.5% increase pushing their median price to $750,780. Condos, meanwhile, are expected to rise by 6%, bringing their median price to $507,210.</p><p>That puts Montreal slightly ahead of national growth projections, where the aggregate home price is expected to rise by 6% this year — although the average home in Canada is still projected to be about 30% more expensive than in Montreal, rising to $856,692 by the end of the year. </p><p>Montreal is also set to outpace Canada's other big cities this year, with Toronto projected to grow by 5% and Vancouver by only 4% in the same period.</p><p>"The Greater Montreal real estate market recorded healthy growth in activity and prices in 2024 after 2023 was characterized by below-average transactions," explains Marc Lefrançois, a Royal LePage real estate broker.</p><p>So, how much income do you need to afford a home in Montreal in 2025? Let's crunch the numbers.</p><p> As a general rule, the <a href="https://assets.cmhc-schl.gc.ca/sites/cmhc/consumers/buying-a-home/homebuying-step-by-step-guide/homebuying-step-by-step-guide-en.pdf?rev=37af6dbf-580a-4de8-aba9-353eba4c022f" target="_blank">Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation</a> (CMHC) recommends keeping your major housing costs — mortgage payments, property taxes, heating costs and condo fees — to no more than 32% of your before-tax income. We've made some calculations based on current mortgage conditions in Canada, including the <a href="https://www.bankofcanada.ca/rates/banking-and-financial-statistics/posted-interest-rates-offered-by-chartered-banks/" target="_blank">Bank of Canada</a>'s current five-year conventional interest rate of 6.45%, to figure out what household income you need to afford an average home in Montreal.</p><p><strong>For a single-family detached house priced at $750,780:</strong></p><ul><li>You'll need a minimum down payment of <strong>$50,078</strong> (5% on the first $500,000 and 10% on the rest).</li><li>Including the obligatory 4% CMHC insurance on a down payment of that size, your total mortgage would be <strong>$728,730.08</strong>. That means monthly payments of <strong>$4,859.14</strong>, assuming a 6.45% interest rate over 25 years.</li><li>Factor in around <strong>$5,332.94</strong> in annual property taxes and <strong>$1,597.92</strong> in heating costs, and your total yearly expenses come to <strong>$65,240.54</strong>.</li><li>To stay within CMHC's guidelines, you'll need a gross household income of <strong>$203,877 </strong><strong>per year</strong>.</li></ul><p><strong>For a condo priced at $507,210:</strong></p><ul><li>A down payment of <strong>$25,721</strong> is the minimum.</li><li>With 4% CMHC insurance added, your total mortgage would be <strong>$500,748.56</strong>, which comes out to monthly payments of <strong>$3,338.97</strong>.</li><li>We've estimated around <strong>$2,040</strong> a year in condo fees (based on 850 sq. ft. at $0.20/sq. ft.), while property taxes add about another <strong>$3,602.81</strong>, bringing total yearly expenses to <strong>$45,710.45</strong>.</li><li>In order to keep that capped at 32% of your income, your household will need to make around <strong>$142,845</strong> to comfortably afford this.</li></ul><p>Montreal's affordability is still relatively strong compared to other Canadian cities, but rising demand could push prices even higher. </p><p>The city is experiencing renewed interest from buyers, many of whom had previously moved to more remote areas during the pandemic, according to Lefrançois. At the same time, <a href="https://www.mtlblog.com/canada-new-mortgage-rules-december-2024" target="_blank">government programs aimed at helping first-time buyers</a> are increasing demand without necessarily boosting supply, which adds upward pressure to prices.</p><p>With fewer new construction projects in the pipeline and more families looking to settle in or around the city, Royal LePage expects steady competition in the housing market throughout the year.</p>
Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young committed a bizarre turnover in the first quarter of his game against the Miami Dolphins on Sunday afternoon. The Panthers…
The sweet, odorless gas technically called nitrous oxide has many names: laughing gas, galaxy gas, hippy crack, whippets, even “the atmosphere of heaven.” Nitrous itself has just as many common uses as it does names. Doctors use it as a mild anesthetic, sending patients off into brief and largely pain-free dissociative euphorias before having a […]
