Good evening, let’s start with today’s top stories:
Rescue efforts under way in B.C. after mudslides trap people in vehicles
An atmospheric river causing heavy rainfall, mudslides and flash flooding has effectively cut off B.C.’s Lower Mainland from the rest of the province, with major highways severed by rain and debris.
This morning, a Canadian Forces helicopter arrived at a stretch of a southern B.C. highway where a pair of mudslides triggered by heavy rain has trapped hundreds of people since the previous night, many without access to food or water.
The mudslides occurred just after 8 p.m. last night along Highway 7 between Agassiz and Hope, appearing to push some vehicles over an embankment and trap a number in between. It’s believed there remain about 140 vehicles containing about 275 people, including 50 children, and 20 dogs.
The entire City of Merritt is being evacuated, and Abbotsford has declared a local state of emergency. Meanwhile, new mudslides have forced the closing of another section of Highway 7.
In photos: Major flooding across southern B.C. prompts rescues and evacuations
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Conservative senator says O’Toole perceived as ‘untrustworthy,’ calls for leadership review within six months
Conservative Senator Denise Batters is launching a petition calling for party members to support a review of Erin O’Toole’s leadership, saying he is perceived as untrustworthy and criticizing the leader for causing rifts in the party.
Batters said that when the Conservative Party is divided, “the Liberals win,” and pointed to the past federal campaign. Under O’Toole’s leadership, the party lost half a million votes, claimed fewer seats and a lower popular vote than in the 2019 election.
She added O’Toole has said that MPs must agree with his new direction or else they must leave caucus, but that the direction is constantly changing.
Alberta inks $10-a-day child-care deal with Ottawa
Alberta has become the latest province to sign on to a $10-a-day federal universal child-care program.
The deal, announced today by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Alberta Premier Jason Kenney, is for $3.8-billion in federal funding over the next five years. Child-care fees are to be halved by next year and reduced to an average of $10 a day by 2026.
Separately, Ontario’s Education Minister Stephen Lecce said today the province does want a child-care deal with Ottawa, but it is negotiating for more money.
ALSO ON OUR RADAR
Closing arguments at Rittenhouse trial: The prosecution at the murder trial of Kyle Rittenhouse today accused him of provoking the “entire incident” that led to him shooting three men during volatile protests over race and policing in Wisconsin last year.
Bannon in custody: Steve Bannon, a longtime ally of former U.S. president Donald Trump, surrendered to authorities to face contempt charges after defying a subpoena from a congressional committee investigating January’s insurrection at the Capitol.
Hortons parent buys U.S. sub chain: Tim Hortons parent company Restaurant Brands International is adding another fast-food brand to its roster, with a US$1-billion all-cash deal to buy Florida-based sandwich chain Firehouse Subs.
Jones loses Sandy Hool lawsuit: Conspiracy theorist Alex Jones has been found liable for damages in lawsuits brought by parents of children killed in the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting over Jones’s claims that the 2012 massacre was a hoax.
Housing rebounds in October: After a brief lull over the summer, Canada’s housing market soared this past month, according to CREA data. Sales jumped nearly 9 per cent and price increases accelerating at a pace not seen since the pandemic’s real estate boom hit a peak in the spring.
MARKET WATCH
Canada’s main stock index fell today as investors took measure of recent gains ahead of domestic data this week that could provide clues on the persistence of inflation. Wall Street indexes closed out the session nearly unchanged as rising Treasury yields dented the appetite for technology stocks.
The Toronto Stock Exchange’s S&P/TSX composite index ended down 85.45 points or 0.39 per cent at 21,683.08.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average slid 12.86 points or 0.04 per cent to 36,087.45, the S&P 500 lost 0.05 point or flat to end at 4,682.80 and the Nasdaq Composite dropped 7.11 points or 0.04 per cent to 15,853.85.
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TALKING POINTS
Childhood vaccination is a pathway out of the pandemic and parents should embrace it
“The pandemic will never end unless we get the near totality of the population immunized, including young people. And the best path to immunity is vaccination, not illness.” - André Picard
Why I have chosen to forgive F.W. de Klerk
“Forgiveness ... is not something you do for somebody else. It is something you choose for yourself. It sets you free. [Nelson] Mandela taught me that.” - Riedwaan Ahmed, former South African diplomat
LIVING BETTER
While lesser known than some nutrients, vitamin K plays an important role in healthy aging. Not only does it help our blood clot normally, studies have tied a higher intake and higher blood levels of the vitamin to a lower risk of cardiovascular disease. Our main dietary source comes from a compound called phylloquinone, or vitamin K1, that is plentiful in green leafy vegetables, such as spinach and kale, and some vegetable oils.
TODAY’S LONG READ
The scars of emotional abuse are invisible but they’re still raw
A man can abuse a woman from the inside out, instead of on the outside where it can be seen. I was with a man for 30 years and he destroyed me, bit by bit. How do you live your life, take on new challenges, grow as a person, when you know that you are always wrong, that everything is your fault? I know these things are true because he told me, over and over again.
People often look down on women like me, wondering why we stay in such an awful relationship. I am university educated and worked in a professional field until he decided he didn’t want me to work outside of the home. Unlike many abused women, I wasn’t afraid he would kill me or severely injure me if I left.
Here is the thing, though. We don’t leave because we have learned the lesson that we are less than dirt, unable to survive without this man to control every aspect of our lives. It’s insidious; it grows so slowly you don’t notice it. Everything this man tells you about how deficient you are becomes your truth. Read Judy Berlyne McCrosky’s full essay here.
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