Good evening, let’s start with today’s top stories:
Trudeau cleared in WE Charity controversy, but Morneau broke rules, ethics commissioner says
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau did not breach the Conflict of Interest Act over failing to recuse himself from cabinet discussions to have WE Charity operate a federal student-volunteer program, the federal ethics watchdog has found.
But in a separate report today, Commissioner Mario Dion said that former finance minister Bill Morneau did violate the rules and should have recused himself.
The two reports come almost a year after the scandal erupted, leading to multiple probes, Morneau’s resignation and the downfall of one of Canada’s most prominent charities.
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The latest COVID-19 developments: Ontario extends stay-at-home order, Quebec pauses AstraZeneca shots and more
Ontario is extending its stay-at-home order until at least June 2, with schools and outdoor recreational facilities to remain closed, Premier Doug Ford announced on Thursday. The order had been set to expire May 20.
Meanwhile, Quebec says it will no longer administer the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine as a first dose, following new advice from the province’s immunization committee. That decision decision follows similar moves in Ontario, Nova Scotia and other provinces. Read more about this story and other COVID-19 news today here.
Internationally, India has recorded more than 4,000 COVID-19 deaths for a second straight day. Amid mounting concern about the transmissibility of the variant that is driving infections, experts remain unsure when numbers will peak.
Read more:
- How Montreal has so far dodged a third COVID-19 wave and what other cities can learn from its success
- Nurses upset, frustrated by higher pay rate for doctors performing same tasks at COVID-19 vaccination clinics
Israeli troops mass at Gaza’s border as escalating violence shows no sign of abating
Palestinian militants fired more rockets into Israel’s commercial heartland today as Israel kept up a punishing bombing campaign in Gaza and massed tanks and troops on the enclave’s border.
The four days of cross-border fighting showed no sign of abating and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the campaign “will take more time.”
Violence has also spread to mixed communities of Jews and Arabs in Israel, a new front in the long conflict. Synagogues were attacked and fighting broke out on the streets of some towns, prompting Israel’s president to warn of civil war.
Read more: Behind the Israeli-Palestinian violence, the ghost of a peace process – Doug Saunders
Opinion: “We know how to endure war, siege, boycotts and terror atrocities. But we don’t know how to cope with Jewish mobs and Arab mobs roaming our streets, attacking synagogues and mosques and lynching their fellow citizens.” - Yossi Klein Halevi, senior fellow at the Shalom Hartman Institute in Jerusalem
ALSO ON OUR RADAR
Biden picks ambassador to Canada: U.S. President Joe Biden has selected Pennsylvania powerbroker and Washington lobbyist David Cohen as the next ambassador to Canada, sources say. The posting requires U.S. Senate approval.
Greyhound Canada shuts down: The motor coach company said its remaining routes in Ontario and Quebec will are ceasing permanently on Thursday. Its American affiliate will continue to operate cross-border routes to Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver once the border reopens.
Alberta MLA calls for Kenney resignation: Senior backbench member Todd Loewen has stepped down as UCP caucus chair and called on Jason Kenney to resign, in a letter posted on Facebook early today, saying he no longer has confidence in the premier.
Quebec aims to revamp French-language rules: The Quebec government reasserted the right of Quebeckers to live and work in French, as it tabled a major reform of the province’s signature language legislation, known as Bill 101.
Musk’s bitcoin U-turn: After tweeting yesterday that Tesla would no longer accept bitcoin for the purchase its vehicles, CEO Elon Musk doubled down on his reversal on the cryptocurrency, denouncing the “insane” amount of energy used to produce it. But how big is bitcoin’s carbon footprint? Here’s a look.
Shapovalov narrowly loses to Nadal: Canada’s Denis Shapovalov fell just short of a major upset against nine-time champion Rafael Nadal at the Italian Open today, losing a marathon three-and-a-half-hour match 3-6, 6-4, 7-6 (3) in the third round.
MARKET WATCH
Wall Street ended sharply higher at the close of a broad rally today, bouncing back from three straight days of selling on upbeat labor market data. Canada’s main index saw a more muted advance, but still closed higher.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 433.79 points or 1.29 per cent to 34,021.48, the S&P 500 gained 49.46 points or 1.22 per cent to 4,112.50 and the Nasdaq Composite added 93.31 points or 0.72 per cent to end at 13,124.99.
The S&P/TSX Composite Index advanced 28.04 point or 0.15 per cent to 19,135.81.
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TALKING POINTS
Liz Cheney is right: The big lie is part of a dangerous game
“Courage, as we know, is sorely lacking in the Republican Party, which has transformed into a parade of tiny clowns following their lead Bozo down an increasingly ludicrous (and dangerous) path.” - Elizabeth Renzetti
The pandemic political peace accord is officially over – and partisan vitriol is back
“While life hasn’t returned to normal for most of us, it has for our political leaders. The bitterness and contempt that has become a hallmark of our modern politics is back.” - Gary Mason
Boris Johnson’s Tory makeover is leaving wokeish Labour in the dust
“Despite his aura of dishevelment, Mr. Johnson knows how to read the political winds.” - Konrad Yakabuski
LIVING BETTER
Heirloom seeds are one of the pandemic’s biggest gardening trends. It’s not too late to plant some
They’re the seeds of prized vegetables – the juiciest tomatoes, the highest-yielding peas, the hardiest spinaches. And they’ve been jumping off the shelves since last year. The Globe looks at the trend and also offers options that home gardeners should try this year.
TODAY’S LONG READ
Nine-year-old activist uses social media clout to save lives in India
Licypriya Kangujam used her life savings – most of it award money from environmental organizations for her work raising awareness about climate change – to buy 100 oxygen concentrators, which she sent to hospitals in need in India.Licypriya Kangujam/Handout
In the midst of another grim day in India, one that would see the country set yet another record for COVID-19 deaths and new cases, a nine-year-old girl in New Delhi was delivering small but potentially life-saving doses of good news.
“My team will contact you soon to save your mom’s life! And your Oxygen Concentrator will reach in Bihar shortly. Don’t worry now!” Licypriya Kangujam tweeted to one of her 138,000 followers just before the start of another day of online school in her pandemic-battered city. Two hours later, she promised to send another oxygen concentrator – an US$850 device that can mean the difference between life and death to a COVID-19 patient struggling to breathe – to a follower whose father was hospitalized in Goa. “You will get in few hours. Plz care him. Don’t worry now!”
Wednesday was just another day in the schoolgirl’s campaign to use her growing fame and social media clout to save as many people in her country as possible. Last month, Licypriya used her life savings – most of it award money from environmental organizations for her work raising awareness about climate change – to buy 100 oxygen concentrators, which she sent to hospitals in need. Read Mark MacKinnon’s full story here.
Evening Update is written by S.R. Slobodian and Andrew Saikali. 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.