Good evening, let’s start with today’s top stories:
A residential school in Manitoba known for harsh discipline and fatal runaway attempts has been the focus of a large-scale, years-long investigation into sexual-abuse allegations.
The RCMP said earlier today that officers with the major crime unit began looking into the Fort Alexander Residential School, northeast of Winnipeg, in 2010 and a criminal investigation began the following year.
RCMP provided few details on the allegations, but did say the investigation has involved reviewing archived records of the school, including student and employee lists. Officers have also interviewed more than 700 people across North America, collected 75 witness statements from alleged victims and are waiting on advice from the province’s Crown prosecutors regarding charges.
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Officers describe being ‘tortured,’ blame Trump and allies for Jan. 6 U.S. Capitol riot
Defending an entrance to the U.S. Capitol from an armed mob of Trump supporters on Jan. 6, police officer Michael Fanone was dragged into the crowd, beaten unconscious and repeatedly shocked with a taser at the base of his skull. One man tried to take his gun and shoot him with it. He suffered both a heart attack and a concussion.
As shocked as Fanone was by the violence of the attack, he was equally outraged by the subsequent efforts of members of Congress to minimize its severity or shift the blame away from former president Donald Trump.
Fanone was one of four police officers who testified on the first day of the House select committee investigating the Capitol riot. Each officer recounted in searing detail the hours-long battle, in which hundreds of police were beaten and gassed by rioters trying to stop Congress from certifying Joe Biden’s presidential election victory over Trump.
Decorated U.S. gymnast Simone Biles withdraws from team event, citing mental-health concerns
Simone Biles decided to pull out of the Tokyo 2020 team gymnastics finals today because things just did not feel right after her vault, saying mental health is more important than sports.
Biles, who wrote on her Instagram just a day before about feeling the weight of the world on her shoulders, decided that rather than risk injury – and a medal for the rest of the team – she needed to just stop.
By stepping back, and speaking up about it, Biles joins Japanese tennis star Naomi Osaka, who earlier this year dropped out of the French Open, citing the need to prioritize her mental health.
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ALSO ON OUR RADAR
Trucker sentenced to 12½ years in prison for hotel-room killing: A judge has sentenced an Ontario trucker driver to 12½ years in prison for killing a woman in his Edmonton hotel room a decade ago. A jury found Bradley Barton guilty in February of manslaughter in the death of Cindy Gladue, a 36-year-old Métis and Cree woman who bled to death at the Yellowhead Inn in June, 2011.
Canada now has enough COVID-19 vaccine doses to inoculate everyone: Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced today that there are now enough COVID-19 vaccine doses in Canada to fully inoculate everyone eligible. Canada now leads the world’s major economies in vaccinations, but hasn’t yet hit the vaccination coverage needed to avoid hospitals being overwhelmed in a potential fourth wave.
Ottawa withholds health care transfers to New Brunswick: The federal government is withholding health care transfers to New Brunswick because the province is failing to live up to its obligations under the Canada Health Act by making it difficult for women to access abortions, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said.
Canadian border workers vote to strike as soon as Aug. 6: Ottawa’s plan to reopen the border to fully vaccinated Americans could be in jeopardy after members of a union representing about 9,000 Canadian Border Service Agency employees voted to strike.
Investors contribute billions to energy transition fund: Major institutional investors have pledged US$7-billion to Brookfield Asset Management’s Global Transition Fund, making it the largest pool of private money aimed at speeding up the shift to a net-zero carbon economy.
MARKET WATCH
Canada’s main stock index ended the day virtually unchanged. The S&P/TSX Composite Index closed up 0.04 per cent to 20,173.35. On Wall Street, U.S. stocks ended lower as investors were cautious before results from Apple Inc., Google parent Alphabet Inc., and Microsoft Corp. Shares of the tech giants fell and weighed down the Nasdaq and S&P 500. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.29 per cent to 35,043.12, the S&P 500 lost 0.47 per cent to 4,401.7 and the Nasdaq Composite dropped 1.21 per cent to 14,660.58.
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TALKING POINTS
There’s more case for requiring bilingualism for the governor-general than on the Supreme Court
“Governors-general spend a lot of their time talking to the public. It makes sense that they should be able to do so in the languages that most of the public understand. So you could make a case that it should be an occupational requirement, even at the cost of narrowing the talent pool. At the least, it should be a consideration. The same sort of cost-benefit analysis, however, would suggest it should not apply in the case of another high office: Supreme Court justices.” – Andrew Coyne
Despite the struggles of the pandemic, Canada wisely remains committed to growing immigration levels
“The pandemic has focused our attention on the country’s long-term path to prosperity. We cannot lose sight of the critical role that immigrants must play in helping us get there.” – Iain Reeve and Lisa Lalande
LIVING BETTER
Five clues you’re in the wrong job
How do you know if “your job” is right for you? How can you tell if it’s time to start looking for something different? What are the warning signs that you should jump ship and find another schooner to sail with? These five clues should help.
TODAY’S LONG READ
At the Tokyo Olympics, veterinarian Jan Henriksen, equine therapist Usha Knabe and veterinarian Alan Manning are part of the support team for Canada's equestrian athletes.Melissa Tait/The Globe and Mail
Canada’s Neigh-Team: At Tokyo Olympics, vets go the extra mile to keep horses healthy and happy
As with any athlete at the Games, horses on Canada’s Olympic equestrian team need sports-medicine experts to ensure they are healthy, happy and peaking for optimal performance. That’s where veterinarian and equine therapist Usha Knabe comes in.
From massages to acupuncture, therapeutic lasers to an electromagnetic blanket, Dr. Knabe treats the horses for everything from stomach trouble to a foot problem.
Dr. Knabe is part of a multiskilled group, which includes veterinarians Alan Manning and Jan Henriksen, that cares for the horses on Canada’s Olympic equestrian team inside the state-of-the-art competition venue in Tokyo.
Evening Update is written by Omair Quadri. 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.