Good evening, let’s start with today’s top stories:
Supreme Court of Canada Justice Russell Brown resigns before start of inquiry into harassment
After more than three months of paid leave pending a public inquiry into allegations he harassed women at an Arizona hotel, Supreme Court of Canada Justice Russell Brown has resigned.
His resignation means the Canadian Judicial Council can no longer rule on the complaint made against him on Jan. 29, 2023, by a 31-year-old former United States marine, Jonathan Crump.
Crump alleged Brown, while drunk, followed two women to their room at the Omni Scottsdale Resort & Spa at Montelucia in Scottsdale, Ariz. Crump and Brown had a violent altercation that night, which local police investigated at the time. No charges were laid.
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Ukraine claims two more villages as counteroffensive against Russia gathers pace
The Ukrainian counteroffensive continued Monday with troops appearing to have liberated two southeastern villages – Storozheve in the Donetsk region and Novodarivka, which borders the Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia regions – from Russian occupation. On Sunday, Ukraine also claimed to have liberated Neskuchny, Blahodatne and Makarivka, also in the Donetsk region.
Russia, however, declared Monday that it had repelled the Ukrainian assault in the Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia regions. Independent confirmation of the situation on the front line is almost impossible.
While Oleksandr Musiienko, a Kyiv-based military analyst, said Ukraine appears to be targeting the so-called “land bridge” of occupied territory connecting Russia to the Crimean Peninsula, he added it’s too soon to say whether Mariupol is the main target of Ukraine’s counteroffensive.
Read more:
- Analysis: By supporting press freedom, Trudeau reaffirms Canada’s historic role in Ukraine
- Dam explosion causes waters to rise in Mykolaiv, Ukraine, 200 km away from initial disaster
- Andrew Coyne: The David Johnston mess is Justin Trudeau’s responsibility
Glencore’s proposal for Teck’s coal business is worth US$8.2-billion
This morning, Glencore and Teck confirmed they are in discussions regarding a possible sale of Teck’s coal business. Glencore, which for months has been attempting to purchase the entire mining business, would also pay the balance in shares for the metals mines. Including shares, the transaction would be worth US$22.5-billion in total.
While discussions between the companies have moved forward, federal players continue to express their reluctance for Teck’s ownership to pass into foreign hands.
Federal industry minister François-Philippe Champagne, who today made comments about Teck being better-liked as a Canadian company at a mining event, has the authority to block the sale if he finds it would not be of net benefit to Canada.
Alberta’s refusal to share FOI data highlights gaps in access to information
Romain Lasser/The Globe and Mail
After The Globe requested FOI tracking data from every government department and ministry in Canada, all 22 ministries in Alberta denied the request because they claimed “no records” existed, even though they’re legally required to keep a record of FOI data by provincial legislation.
This request was made as part of The Globe’s Secret Canada investigation, highlighting the country’s broken freedom of information processes. Of the requests with government agencies made by The Globe, 24 per cent generated a “no records” response.
Jill Clayton, who served as Alberta’s information and privacy commissioner for 10 years, until 2022, said Alberta should improve its processes and seek to help people making requests.
ALSO ON OUR RADAR
Trump to appear in federal court in Miami on Tuesday, entering uncharted political territory
Trump will officially become the first former U.S. president to face a federal criminal indictment tomorrow when he appears at a Miami courthouse and is formally charged with 37 counts for taking classified documents from the White House and keeping them at his Florida estate. Trump is expected to voluntarily surrender at 3 p.m. ET.
Silvio Berlusconi, the flamboyant Italian media and soccer mogul who inspired Trump, Orban and other populist leaders, dies at 86
Berlusconi died this morning in the San Raffaele Hospital in Milan after spending recent months with severe pneumonia and myelomonocytic leukemia. A state funeral will be held Wednesday at Milan’s main cathedral, the Duomo.
European firefighters joining fight in Quebec, high winds hamper efforts in B.C.’s northeast
As provinces across Canada including Quebec, Alberta and British Columbia continue to fight wildfires, a battalion of nearly 350 European Union firefighters is on its way to Quebec, where fires have forced almost 14,000 people to flee their homes.
Monday’s national snapshot from the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre showed 450 active fires across the country, nearly half of them still out of control.
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Giller Foundation announces new scholarships for Black, Indigenous and racialized high-school students
The foundation, which namely oversees the Scotiabank Giller Prize for Canadian fiction authors, is partnering with Universities Canada and philanthropist Sylvia Mantella to administer the scholarships. The three annual $10,000 scholarships will benefit students planning to study creative writing and literature who are also Black, Indigenous and racialized.
MARKET WATCH
The S&P 500 and the Nasdaq rallied on Monday to their highest closing levels since April 2022, while Oracle hit a record high ahead of quarterly results as investors awaited inflation data and the Federal Reserve’s interest rate decision this week.
The S&P 500 index was up 40.07 points or 0.93 per cent at 4,338.93, while the Nasdaq composite was up 202.78 points or 1.53 per cent at 13,461.92. The Dow Jones industrial average was up 189.55 points or 0.56 per cent at 34,066.33.
The S&P/TSX composite index closed up 29.25 points or 0.15 per cent at 19,921.31.
The Canadian dollar traded for 74.82 cents U.S. compared with 74.96 cents U.S. on Friday.
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TALKING POINTS
In our politics and our health care, the price of dithering in Canada is structural decay
Andre Picard: “There are eerily disturbing parallels between the slow, steady desuetude of 24 Sussex and the destruction-by-neglect of Canada’s medicare system.”
The stark reality of life in a high interest rate world, as told in four snapshots
Rob Carrick: “Last week’s rate increase by the Bank of Canada has brought us to a point where borrowing costs are quoted as high as 7 and 8 per cent.”
As Boris Johnson storms out, Britain gets stuck with the tab
Tom Rachman: “Ever since university, Mr. Johnson has pleased himself with similar acts of self-indulgence, gorging his vanity with politics, inebriating himself on dishonesty and finally trashing the place: Britain.”
LIVING BETTER
Could this turmeric compound improve your health?
In addition to being a staple ingredient in curries, dahls, tagines and other Indian, South Asian and Middle Eastern dishes, turmeric is also known for its wide-reaching health benefits.
The plant compound curcumin, which gives turmeric its distinct colour, also accounts for the spice’s anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. If you’re struggling with joint pain, arthritis or depression symptoms, studies show incorporating curcumin supplements might improve your symptoms.
TODAY’S LONG READ
Annual spring melt brings brave paddlers and surfers to Ottawa rivers
U.S. freestyle kayaker David Silk rides the Big Bus wave in the Ottawa River near Foresters Falls, Ontario on May 15, 2023.Blair Gable/Blair Gable Photography
For only a few weeks every year, a small number of rivers near Ottawa and in Quebec become the perfect destination for surfers, kayakers and stand-up paddleboarders. Melting snow and spring rain cause water levels to swell and churn and, in turn, create the perfect environment for riding waves.
Starting in April, wave-seekers follow the swells as far north as Lac Saint-Jean near Saguenay, Que., and as far south as the Ottawa River. Professional athletes say these river waves are some of the best in the world and act as training grounds for many of those representing Canada at the 2023 ICF Canoe Freestyle World Championships in Georgia this October.
Read the feature by Blair Gable.
Evening Update is written by Tegwyn Hughes. 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.