Good evening, let’s start with today’s top coronavirus stories:
Other countries may get COVID-19 shots before Canada, Trudeau says
A lack of vaccine-production capabilities in Canada means the United States, Britain, Germany and other countries could have some of their citizens inoculated against COVID-19 before Canadians start to get shots, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said today during his press briefing.
But he played down any potential threat to Canadian access to vaccines, noting that Ottawa has signed orders for millions of doses from foreign pharmaceutical companies. It has also been in talks with other countries to ensure equal access to vaccines for all, Trudeau added, with the expectation that the first doses will start to arrive in Canada in the early months of 2021.
Related: When will a COVID-19 vaccine be available in Canada? How well do they work? Here’s what you need to know.
Meanwhile, Eli Lilly says it has signed an agreement with the Canadian government to supply 26,000 doses of its antibody drug to treat COVID-19 patients for $32.5-million. The treatment, bamlanivimab, was developed in partnership with Canadian biotech company AbCellera and will be supplied over a three month period starting in December.
Internationally, European bureau chief Eric Reguly is reporting that the COVID-19 crisis is overwhelming Italy’s hospitals again, and this time in the south, too.
Closer to home, the Alberta government is expected to announce new measures later today to respond to a recent surge in COVID-19 cases.
Read more:
- ‘This is actually terrifying’: Toronto-area small businesses fight for survival as new lockdown takes effect
- Snowbirds take to the air to cross closed Canada-U.S. land border, despite government warnings
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Biden taps several Obama-era figures for his national security team
Declaring “America is back,” president-elect Joe Biden introduced selections for his national security team today, relying on experts from the Democratic establishment to be some of his most important advisers.
In addition to the names we reported yesterday – Antony Blinken as secretary of state, Alejandro Mayorkas as Homeland Security secretary, Linda Thomas-Greenfield as ambassador to the United Nations and Jake Sullivan as of national security adviser – Avril Haines has been picked to serve as director of national intelligence, the first woman to hold that post.
Also today, Biden was certified as winner of the presidential election in Pennsylvania, culminating three weeks of vote counting and a string of failed legal challenges by President Donald Trump.
Opinion: Canada must embrace Biden’s China alliance, and suffer the consequences – Campbell Clark
Explainer: U.S. election: Joe Biden is the president-elect. Donald Trump is still fighting. How will the transition of power work?
Canada’s fossil fuel consumption may have peaked, with renewables growth ahead, regulator says
Canada’s energy regulator says the country’s domestic fossil fuel consumption will have peaked in 2019 if the world continues along its path of increased action on climate change.
The modelling in Canada Energy Regulator’s (CER) Energy Future 2020 report, released today, projects a 12-per-cent drop from 2019 oil-and-gas consumption levels by 2030 and a 35-per-cent fall by 2050. It expects renewables and nuclear energy use will grow by 31 per cent by 2050.
But if global action to reduce greenhouse emissions does not develop beyond current measures, it projects that fossil fuel consumption will remain relatively unchanged.
ALSO ON OUR RADAR
Grammy nominations and rookie host: Beyoncé leads the 2021 Grammy nominations with nine, and Justin Bieber has the most nods for a Canadian with four. Comedian Trevor Noah will host the awards show for the first time on Jan. 31.
Ken Jennings named first Jeopardy! interim host: Jeopardy! record-holder Ken Jennings will be the first in a series of interim hosts replacing Alex Trebek when the show resumes production next Monday on episodes to air in January.
NFL milestone: A historic group took the field during last night’s Monday Night Football broadcast, but it wasn’t either of the teams playing: An all-Black officiating crew led by referee Jerome Boger worked an NFL game for the first time in league history.
Miss Vickie’s recall extended: Miss Vickie’s Canada says some of its potato chips that were part of a recall in Eastern Canada earlier this month due to possible glass contamination were inadvertently shipped west.
Furry best pics: With the rise in pet adoptions during the pandemic, what better time to showcase the winners of the Comedy Pet Photo Awards 2020. The funds raised go to Blue Cross pet charity.
The overall winner for 2020 is "Guard dog on duty" of Noodles, a Spanish rescue mix in Hildesheim, Germany.Elke Vogelsang/Mars Petcare Comedy Pet Photo Awards 2020
MARKET WATCH
U.S. stocks rallied today and the Dow breached the 30,000 level for the first time, as investors anticipated a 2021 economic recovery, coronavirus vaccine progress and the formal clearance for President-elect Joe Biden’s transition to the White House. The TSX also ended higher, with energy stocks enjoying a major rally and cannabis shares continuing their post-U.S. election surge.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 454.97 points or 1.54 per cent to 30,046.24, the S&P 500 gained 57.82 points or 1.62 per cent to 3,635.41 and the Nasdaq Composite added 156.15 points or 1.31 per cent to end at 12,036.79. The S&P/TSX Composite Index closed up 179.71 points or 1.05 per cent at 17,274.25.
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TALKING POINTS
‘Land Back’ is more than a slogan for a resurgent Indigenous movement
“Land Back” means precisely what it sounds like: taking land back under Indigenous control and protection that was never legally ceded in the first place. Scholars at Ryerson University’s Indigenous-run Yellowhead Institute describe Land Back as a process of “reclaiming Indigenous jurisdiction: breathing life into rights and responsibilities.” - Kanahus Manuel and Naomi Klein
What’s the value of an education during the pandemic?
“When students say the cost of school is too high in 2020-21, we’re not asking for a handout. We rely on every dollar in the best of times, and now, facing a recession and bearing the additional costs of living through a pandemic, each dollar is that much more important.” - Will Baldwin
LIVING BETTER
How to get the most out of a conversation with your mentor
When you only have a few minutes of someone’s time, there’s a lot of pressure to steer the conversation in the right direction. Early-career job seekers can be better prepared to ask the right questions by following a few simple steps, including:
- Think about what you want: Identify your conversation goals and the specific areas of focus you want to use to guide the discussion.
- Come prepared: Doing some quick Google and LinkedIn research to gain an overview of the individual’s background is a critical step in preparing for any new meeting.
- Make a personal connection: Find areas of the individual’s education, career or work history that can spark a similar personal connection that can lead to a longer-lasting relationship.
TODAY’S LONG READ
Why some couples are going ahead with weddings during the pandemic’s second wave
The new wedding terrain can feel stilted and strange: Gone are the spontaneous hugs and dance-offs, replaced by public health regulations. With COVID-19 cases rising, super-spreader gatherings multiplying and health authorities asking Canadians to postpone their celebrations, the politics of having a “pandemic wedding” are fraught. Many couples have downsized festivities into micro-weddings, rescheduled or eloped. Those forging ahead with their weddings are being forced to think long and hard about marrying through the second wave – not just about how, but why they’d choose to push ahead right now.
For some, marrying means joining their families in a way that honours tradition. Others want to wed so they can have children. Some were engaged for years and had to delay their nuptials once already in the spring.
Speaking with clients, Vancouver planner Erin Bishop advocates for elopements over big bashes right now.
“You can have every safety plan and protocol but honestly, you cannot control people at a wedding,” said Bishop, founder of Filosophi Event Planning and Design. Read Zosia Bielski’s full story here.
Evening Update is written by Dianne Nice and S.R. Slobodian. If you’d like to receive this newsletter by e-mail every weekday evening, go here to sign up. If you have any feedback, send us a note.