A woman walks pass a Tim Hortons in Toronto.Doug Ives/The Canadian Press
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WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Phone-tapping, fear and threats: Why an ex-Venezuelan judge is seeking refuge in Canada
Former Venezuelan judge Ralenis Tovar said she was forced under threat to sign arrest warrants for President Nicolas Maduro's political opponents. In an exclusive interview with The Globe and Mail, Ms. Tovar said over the past three years she has been threatened, stalked and agents tried to kidnap her daughter. But her fear peaked in June when another judge was murdered. Running out of options, she, her husband and daughter fled to Canada. They claimed refugee status upon arriving at the airport in Toronto.
French author, philosopher and activist Bernard-Henri Lévy writes about why we have a duty to stop Venezuela's nightmare.
Quebec unveils 'zero-tolerance' marijuana plan: No home-grown cannabis allowed
The Liberal government introduced draft legislation Thursday that would let police immediately suspend the licence of anyone driving with a trace of cannabis or illicit drugs for 90 days. This measure goes a step further than Ontario's plan. Ottawa's draft legislation would allow people to grow small amounts at home, but Quebec's plan will continue to outlaw that.
On Wednesday, the Quebec National Assembly adopted a motion seeking an extra year beyond July 1, 2018, to set up an orderly transition to legal recreational marijuana. The province says the process is being rushed artificially and the groundwork for issues ranging from law enforcement to taxation and revenue sharing are not ironed out. (for subscribers)
Badger, bluster, threaten, charm: How Donald Trump will function as negotiator-in-chief
More than 30 years have passed since Donald Trump tangled with New York Mayor Ed Koch over a real estate project, but the dynamics could have been ripped from today's headlines. Now, the negotiating style that he honed over decades in business is being tested on the global stage. As a new round of NAFTA talks open Friday, Joanna Slater speaks to Mr. Trump's biographers about his style, strengths and weaknesses. And they have a word of caution: "He doesn't care about lifting all the boats. He's concerned about his boat."
Tim Hortons' franchisee spat hurting sales, activist investor Ackman says
Tim Hortons' battle with its franchisees has helped push down sales over recent quarters along with a cool response to its new espresso-based coffee and lunch offerings, says prominent shareholder activist and investor Bill Ackman. Mr. Ackman's hedge fund cut its stake in RBI, parent company of Tim Hortons', by 32.3 per cent to 26.5-million shares. Franchisees say RBI is squeezing them by pushing up their costs while the chain faces steeper minimum wages in Ontario and Alberta and possibly elsewhere.
Canada's 1 per cent gets another big income boost
The top 1 per cent of earners saw their slice of their income pie increase to 11.2 per cent in 2015 from 10.8 per cent the previous year. The number of Canadians in the top 1 per cent rose by 2,420 to 270,924 with the biggest gains in Ontario and British Columbia. The areas with the most growth included Vancouver, Kitchener-Cambridge-Waterloo, Hamilton and Toronto. The number of 1 per centers dropped in Alberta due to a drop in oil. The threshold for the 1 per centers was $234,700 in 2015, compared with $227,100 the previous year.
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MARKET WATCH
Canada's main stock index, the S&P/TSX composite, ended a six-day losing streak, finishing the day at 15,935,57, up .36 per cent. The index was buoyed by gains in the financial sector despite continued weakness among energy stocks. South of the border on Wall Street, the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 187.01 points, or 0.8 per cent, to 23,458.29, the S&P 500 gained 21.04 points, or 0.82 per cent, to 2,585.66 and the Nasdaq Composite added 87.08 points, or 1.3 per cent, to 6,793.29. The gains in the United States came as the U.S. House of Representatives voted to pass a comprehensive tax reform package that would cut taxes for corporations and high earners.
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WHAT'S TRENDING
Instructors at Ontario's 24 colleges have rejected an offer from the College Employer Council, leaving the fate of the semester for 500,000 students hanging in the balance.
U.S. Senator Al Franken, a Democrat from Minnesota and long-time comedian, has been accused of kissing and groping a Los Angeles radio anchor without her consent in 2006. Mr. Franken has apologized and his colleagues have called on the Senate Ethics Committee to investigate Mr. Franken. The allegations stem from before he was a senator.
Toronto is a big step closer to allowing transit passengers to hop on and off, doing errands along the way without having to pay an extra fare. Mayor John Tory and the chair of Toronto Transit Commission threw their support behind the idea publicly.
TALKING POINTS
We need to be taught consent in school
"We need to learn that consent can be affected by power dynamics, the influence of substances and perceived safety. In order for us to feel safe and empowered in our decisions, conversations must be constant and reflective of our experience. Education has to start young, acknowledging that consent is not only mandatory for sex but also for any kind of healthy relationship. It's one answer that may seem too simple, yet many still grasp to understand. So, we have to keep talking about it, a thousand times over, until things start to change." – Tessa Hill
Get ready for 'zombie' NAFTA and a long fight in Congress
"It is not certain that the NAFTA will fail, but what is clear is that the resolution of the issue lies in the hands of U.S. legislators. Faced with this reality, Canadian negotiators should continue to work on the issues where they can make a difference, recognizing that once they the leave the table, influence over final outcomes moves out of Canadian control." – Laura Dawson (for subscribers)
We all want to solve homelessness – just not in our backyard
"Everyone agrees we need to do something about homelessness – as long as we're not impacted or inconvenienced in the process. The fact is, many of us are hypocrites when it comes to this problem. We earnestly shake our heads in anger and despair when we read about the growing number of people sleeping in alleyways and under bridges, of a mother living in a tent in the woods. But how many of us are prepared to do something to help make a difference? Solve homelessness? Sure. Just somewhere where I don't have to see it." – Gary Mason
LIVING BETTER
Despite using lighter weights, Blood flow restriction (BFR) training is a growing workout trend with bodybuilders. It involves wrapping an elastic band around your limbs to partially block blood flow during a workout. Even though it involves using lighter weights, it can trigger bigger adaptations. And because lighter weights are used, research suggests it may have the potential to enhance endurance and assist in injury rehabilitation as there is less wear-and-tear on your muscles.
LONG READS FOR A LONG COMMUTE
Trudeau's Supreme Court pick tangled in race, gender politics
With Chief Justice Beverley McLachlin retiring next month, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will make his second appointment to the Supreme Court of Canada. Six weeks ago, an independent committee gave Mr. Trudeau a short list of candidates. For some legal observers, keeping a gender split with at least four women is vital. For some, the need for an Indigenous judge is more pressing. And then there are regional politics and a desire for someone who is bilingual. The Globe's justice reporter Sean Fine examines the contenders and the implications.
Seeking balance as a working dad
Starting next month, new parents will be eligible for a longer period of paid leave. Fathers who take parental leave usually gush about how rewarding it is to spend time with their newborns, but few dads outside Quebec actually do. Only 12 per cent claimed or intended to claim parental leave benefits in 2015 – a number that is basically unchanged in a decade. One aim of the new rules is to encourage more dads to take leave. But as Dave McGinn reports, from financial barriers to the stigma, there are a variety of reasons fathers are reluctant, and more time doesn't solve those problems.
Evening Update is written by Jordan Chittley and Mayaz Alam. 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.