Emmanuella Lambropoulos, centre, celebrates with supportes after winning the Liberal party nomination for the riding of Saint-Laurent in Montreal, Wednesday, March 8, 2017.Graham Hughes/The Canadian Press
CANADIAN NEWS YOU SHOULD KNOW
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has repeatedly touted an open nomination process that lets local party members choose who will represent the Liberal Party. The Globe has learned, however, that Mr. Trudeau personally approved the blocking of well-known local politician Alan DeSousa's nomination in the riding of St-Laurent, a Liberal stronghold. The rejection of Mr. DeSousa opened the way for former Quebec immigration minister and insider favourite Yolande James. Ultimately, Emmanuella Lambropoulos, a political unknown, won the nomination.
Canadian veterans who say they consumed tainted medicinal marijuana and are sick as a result are urging Health Minister Jane Philpott to launch a formal investigation into the problem.
NDP leadership candidates faced off in their first debate and had the Trudeau Liberals squarely in their sights, opting to take jabs at the government more often than at each other. All four candidates affirmed the need to remain true to the NDP's values in preparation for the 2019 election.
In a crowded Conservative leadership race, Kevin O'Leary has gained traction despite minimal roots to the party and a lack of conservative bona fides. The Globe's Adam Radwanski spoke to those working for candidates in the race to better understand why party members are drawn to him.
Canada's military police will launch a review into sexual assault cases that the service considered unfounded. The group will conduct the audit in a way that mirrors a model that was praised last week by Justice Minister Jody Wilson-Raybould. More than 50 forces across Canada have pledged to do the same in the wake of a Globe and Mail investigation that found 1 in 5 sexual assault claims were dismissed as baseless.
U.S. NEWS YOU SHOULD KNOW
An official estimate of the budgetary impact of Trumpcare, Republicans' efforts to repeal and replace Obamacare, is expected as early as today. White House aides have already begun attacking the credibility of the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, which does the analysis. Trump voters across the U.S. may stand to be the most adversely affected by the bill, which Democrats are hoping to turn into a driving force during the 2018 midterm elections.
From Eastern Europe to Africa, the 'America First' era promises to have a profound impact. While the U.S. helped to establish and promote an international liberal order after the Second World War, expected cuts to foreign aid spending may end up helping autocrats and harming human rights.
U.S. Senator John McCain is calling on U.S. President Donald Trump to either provide evidence for or retract his claim that former president Barack Obama ordered a wiretap during the election campaign. Politicians on both sides of the aisle say that they haven't seen any evidence to support Mr. Trump's assertion but expect the truth to come to light soon.
And while the U.S. had its own 'Brexit' more than 200 years ago, one charity is pushing for the United States to join the Commonwealth.
LUNCHTIME LONG READ
As a young boy, Canada's new immigration minister fled war-torn Somalia to forge a new life in Toronto. Now, with U.S. anti-Muslim rhetoric on the rise and Canada facing an influx of desperate refugees, Ahmed Hussen must balance his hard-won empathy for outsiders with a mandate to ensure the integrity of our borders. The Globe's Erin Anderssen and Michelle Zilio profile Canada's man on the border.
WHAT EVERYONE'S TALKING ABOUT
Campbell Clark (The Globe and Mail): "No wonder Liberals decided it was the right time to take old, defunct abortion laws off the books, and see how Tories respond. But the problem with worthy initiatives with ulterior motives is that it helps to grind down the Liberals' earnest promises of a new kind of politics. Wedging the opposition in the midst of a leadership race isn't a new tactic. It works best when it employs some kind of serious initiative – something a government might do anyway, but which splits opponents apart at the seams."
Konrad Yakabuski (The Globe and Mail): "Even if it passes, Trumpcare will face many of the same fundamental design flaws facing Obamacare while covering fewer Americans. And Republicans risk feeling sick on midterm election day in 2018."
Elizabeth Renzetti (The Globe and Mail): "It's an odd place in which we find ourselves, actively scorning people not for their ignorance but for their specialized knowledge."
Susan Delacourt (Toronto Star): "In the old days before the Internet, when we were all still told it wasn't polite to talk about sex, politics and religion in social company, extreme statements and opinions were simply filtered out of the general debate. Now, though, it's a lot easier to detour around those filters and air harsh, even wrong information — which gets amplified on Twitter or Facebook or other social networks. In media newsrooms, in political backrooms, that forces a nearly daily discussion — speak up or shut up?"
Robert Jervis (Foreign Policy): "Normally the most important position in the cabinet, the secretary of state has had little impact on the Trump administration so far. And, if anything, his role appears headed for further decline."
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Written by Mayaz Alam.