Good evening, let’s start with today’s top stories:
Former president and newly convicted felon Donald Trump attacked the judge in his criminal trial in a rambling and disjointed news conference a day after a jury found him guilty on 34 counts of falsifying business records. Trump initially started attacking President Joe Biden on immigration and tax policies before pivoting to his conviction, calling Judge Juan Merchan a devil and a tyrant and declaring the trial unfair – making false statements as he did so.
While the guilty verdict and his vow to fight it appeared to motivate his base of supporters, including those who began pouring donations into his campaign, it’s unclear if any of this will help him with independent voters, who will prove decisive in the November election.
This morning, the Trump campaign announced it had raised US$34.8-million after the verdict – more than US$1-million for each felony charge and more than his political operation raised in January and February combined.
For more on the trial and the fallout, we have lots to read:
- What happens next now that Trump has been found guilty on all counts in hush-money trial
- David Shribman: How Trump’s guilty verdict will play out is among the deepest mysteries of the election year
- Stephen Marche: Donald Trump is a criminal – and his conviction is a catastrophe for America
Former President Donald Trump speaks during a news conference at Trump Tower, Friday, May 31, 2024, in New York. A day after a New York jury found Donald Trump guilty of 34 felony charges, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee addressed the conviction and tried to cast his campaign in a new light.Julia Nikhinson/The Associated Press
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Economy slows, prompting expectations of a rate cut
Canadian economic growth was slower during the first three months of 2024, falling short of expectations after an extended period of stagnation, as the country deals with higher interest rates. Real gross domestic product rose at an annualized rate of 1.7 per cent in the first quarter, Statistics Canada said Friday in a report, undershooting analysts’ expectations of 2.2 per cent and Bank of Canada estimates of 2.8 per cent. The biggest drag on GDP growth came from a slowdown in inventory accumulation by businesses.
Today’s GDP report was the last major economic release before the Bank of Canada’s policy announcement on June 5, one of the most anticipated decisions in recent memory. Investors are anticipating an interest rate cut, which would mark the start of a monetary policy easing cycle.
The household savings rate rose to 6.9 per cent from 6.2 per cent in the fourth quarter in seasonally adjusted terms. This was the highest savings rate since the start of 2022.
Israel continues Rafah incursion while Biden pitches new ceasefire plan
The Israeli military confirmed today that its forces are operating in central parts of Rafah. Israel launched its ground assault into the city on May 6, triggering an exodus of some one million Palestinians and throwing UN humanitarian operations into turmoil. Today’s statement suggested Israeli forces have been operating in most parts of the city. The military said its troops in central Rafah had uncovered Hamas rocket launchers and tunnels and dismantled a weapons storage facility. So far during the nearly month-long operation, Israeli troops say they have recovered the bodies of seven of the 250 hostages that Hamas-led militants abducted when they stormed over the border into Israel on Oct. 7 last year and killed about 1,200 people, according to Israeli tallies. Since then, at least 36,284 Palestinians have been killed in Israel’s air and land war in Gaza, the territory’s Health Ministry said in an update Friday.
Also today, U.S. President Joe Biden called on Hamas to agree to a new offer from Israel on releasing hostages in exchange for a ceasefire. Biden said Israel has offered Hamas a deal that would unfold over three phases. He said the first phase would last six weeks and would involve a “full and complete ceasefire,” including a withdrawal of Israeli forces from all populated areas of Gaza. In return, Palestinian militants would release a number of hostages, including women, the elderly and the wounded. Israel would free hundreds of Palestinian prisoners.
More today on the Israel-Hamas war and global reaction
- Marsha Lederman: All eyes are on Rafah this week. The ramifications will last generations
- Police say 187 alleged hate crimes reported in Toronto so far in 2024, almost half antisemitic
- Incendiary device thrown at Vancouver synagogue, says Jewish federation
Robert Pickton is dead
Robert Pickton, the 74-year-old B.C. pig farmer known as Canada’s most notorious and prolific killer, died today from medical complications arising from a prison beating. Pickton had been in prison for almost two decades after being sentenced in 2007 to life for six counts of second-degree murder. Murder charges involving 20 other women were stayed. Pickton was attacked by another inmate earlier this month at a maximum-security Port-Cartier Institution in northeastern Quebec.
The Pickton case, and two subsequent public inquiries, highlighted the indifference with which missing women -- most of them Indigenous and involved in the sex trade -- were routinely treated by police agencies in the Lower Mainland. Exposure of those failings led to lasting changes for police forces across the country, though the success in implementing the new protocols has been mixed, advocates for Indigenous women say.
ALSO ON OUR RADAR
Mexican election: Mexicans are set to head to polls this Sunday after an election campaign marred by a rise in political violence. Voters will elect nearly 20,000 state and local officials and likely produce the country’s first female president in Claudia Sheinbaum.
Northern lights: Parts of Canada might get another look at the northern lights this weekend thanks to a sunspot that earlier this month unleashed a series of solar flares and is now turning back toward Earth and is about to let loose again.
Google search: Google said today it has made technical improvements to its AI systems after its retooled search engine was found spitting out erroneous information. The tech company’s mid-May trial featured AI-generated summaries on top of search results, and sometimes those summaries consisted of outlandish answers.
Ukraine war: Ukraine and Russia exchanged prisoners of war, each sending back 75 POWs in the first such swap in the past three months, officials said. A few hours earlier and at the same location, the two sides also handed over bodies of their fallen soldiers.
Sail away: An international sailing race is being held this weekend in Halifax Harbour, where some of the fastest vessels in the world will compete. The Globe speaks with a member of the Canadian team racing in the first-ever Sail Grand Prix race in Canadian waters.
MARKET WATCH
Canada’s main stock index gained almost 200 points Friday, while U.S. markets were mixed.
The S&P/TSX composite index closed up 197.41 points at 22,269.12.
In New York, the Dow Jones industrial average was up 574.84 points at 38,686.32. The S&P 500 index was up 42.03 points at 5,277.51, while the Nasdaq composite was down 2.06 points at 16,735.02.
The Canadian dollar traded for 73.33 cents UScompared with 73.11 cents US on Thursday.
The July crude contract was down 92 cents at US$76.99 per barrel and the July natural gas contract was up two cents at US$2.59 per 1,000 cubic feet.
The August gold contract was down US$20.70 at US$2,345.80 an ounce and the July copper contract was down six cents at US$4.60 a pound.
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TALKING POINTS
Missing cheers for a pipeline that’s delivering on the bargain
“When a tanker called the Dubai Angel steamed away from Burnaby, B.C., with the first shipment of crude pumped through the expanded Trans Mountain pipeline, it marked a milestone. Alberta’s oil is now less landlocked. The discount on each barrel is shrinking. There will be a noticeable bump in Canada’s GDP. You’d think there’d be some cheering.” -Campbell Clark
It’s time for the Liberal Party to force Justin Trudeau’s hand
“Trudeau has done well electorally and, especially for progressives, has made strong advances in the social policy area. But as with so many leaders at the helm for extended periods, he has worn out his welcome. The people want change, and the Liberal Party needs to make that change – pronto.” -Lawrence Martin
Blaine Higgs is livid about teens learning about sex. Does he know they listen to rock, too?
“A moment, please, for the pure souls in New Brunswick high schools whose innocence has been siphoned away by the apparent smut-peddlers operating under the guise of sexual-education instructors.” -Robyn Urback
LIVING BETTER
How important is your gut bacteria to your overall health? More than you might think, writes Thomas R. Verny. Scientists have begun studying the influence of micro-organisms on human health and disease in earnest and have made some fascinating discoveries. For instance, researchers have found that the children of mothers with a disrupted gut microbiome had many biological markers associated with increased risk of developing autism spectrum disorder, ADHD, communication disorder, speech disorder or intellectual disability, as well as early emerging mood and gastrointestinal problems. Writes Verny: “Our gut bacteria deserve more respect. They are not your enemy. If you treat them right and provide them with a diverse diet, they will work hard to keep your mind and body in tip-top condition.” Read more.
TODAY’S LONG READ
Haiti’s gangs ramp up violence
A gang member, carrying a semi-automatic rifle, wears a mask to protect his identity in the event that law-and-order is restored and the gangs are prosecuted.Goran Tomasevic/The Globe and Mail
Globe photographer Goran Tomasevic captures scenes of chaos from Port-au-Prince, where gangs that control much of Haiti have been escalating their campaign of violence against the national police. The brazen attacks on state institutions, including four police stations and two prisons, are at least partly designed for foreign eyes, as a UN-sponsored policing mission prepares to deploy. Observers say the spate of violence is meant to demonstrate a show of force, though some believe the gangs will be no match for a military-style intervention. Read more from reporter Eric Andrew-Gee and Tomasevic.
Evening Update was written by Michael Snider and Lara Pingue. 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.