Good evening, let’s start with today’s top stories:
The collapse of Afghanistan’s always wobbly democracy meant more than just the return of the Taliban, which in the past have seen summary executions, women deprived of basic rights and the banning of most forms of entertainment.
The American withdrawal had been announced in April, and warnings about a swift Taliban takeover were plentiful. But Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) had only a vague plan in place, and it buckled swiftly under the sheer volume of Afghan allies in need of evacuation.
After the Taliban’s fall in 2001, intrepid Afghans spent years helping The Globe and Mail’s correspondents get the story out of dangerous places. Globe senior international correspondent Mark MacKinnon knows most of them personally.
When the chaotic U.S. withdrawal began in August, suddenly it was our turn to get them out of danger. Here’s how it was done.
Samiullah Sharaf examines a sweatshirt donated by a staff member of the Canadian Embassy in Kyiv, Sept. 2, 2021.ANTON SKYBA/The Globe and Mail
Also:
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Third COVID-19 mRNA dose should be given to immunocompromised: immunization committee
A national advisory panel has recommended that people who are immunocompromised receive a third dose of vaccine against COVID-19.
The National Advisory Committee on Immunization released the guidance on Friday, saying people who are moderately to severely immunocompromised are shown to have a weaker response to vaccinations. It recommends those who are not yet vaccinated to receive three doses of an mRNA vaccine.
It says an additional dose of an mRNA vaccine should be provided to those who are fully vaccinated, including those who received mixed doses.
Read more:
- BioNTech/Pfizer to seek approval for COVID-19 vaccine in children 5 to 11
- Toronto high-schoolers shut out of sports, clubs for September: ‘I feel lost’
- Analysis: Reaction to Biden’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate highlights U.S. division on public health versus personal freedom
Trudeau says no regrets for election call during the pandemic; O’Toole pitches a ‘changed’ Conservative party
Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau said Friday he “absolutely” does not regret calling the federal election during the COVID-19 pandemic , while Erin O’Toole pitched a “changed” Conservative party ready to earn voters’ trust.
The leaders pivoted to their final bids to voters on Friday, a day after the last leaders’ debate and with just 10 days to go in the campaign.
Mr. Trudeau highlighted the much higher spending on health care promised by the Liberals, compared to the cash the Conservatives say they would dedicate to the issue. Mr. O’Toole meantime accused the Liberal Leader of “arrogance and entitlement” and said “Mr. Trudeau called an election for himself, the parties agreed months ago not to have an election.”
Read more:
- Raising flags to mark residential schools legacy commits Canada to be better, says O’Toole
- Trudeau defends making health transfers conditional, saying results must be delivered
ALSO ON OUR RADAR
Hurricane Larry heads for eastern Newfoundland, winds could reach 140 km/h: Residents of the Avalon Peninsula are being warned to brace for hurricane-force winds gusting at 140 kilometres an hour some time Friday evening. Hurricane warnings are in effect for the entire peninsula, which includes St. John’s. The Canadian Hurricane Centre in Halifax says the powerful winds are expected to topple trees, pull down power lines and damage property. Residents are being urged to prepare for power outages and local flooding from heavy rainfall.
Canada adds 90,000 jobs in August on bump from summer reopenings: The country recorded its third consecutive month of job growth, and topped analyst expectations of a 66,800 gain, Statistics Canada said Friday. The unemployment rate fell to 7.1 per cent from July’s 7.5 per cent. Canada has recovered about 95 per cent of its pandemic employment losses, leaving a deficit of roughly 156,000 positions.
MARKET WATCH
North American stock markets fell to end a losing week as mounting concerns over the global economy gave investors pause.
The S&P/TSX composite index was down 72.21 points at 20,663.06.
In New York, the Dow Jones industrial average was down 271.66 points at 34,607.72. The S&P 500 index was down 34.70 points at 4,458.58, while the Nasdaq composite was down 132.76 points at 15,115.49.
The Canadian dollar traded for 79.17 cents US compared with 79.03 cents US on Thursday.
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TALKING POINTS
The Canadian government seems to have missed the entire point of the MMIWG inquiry
“Canada’s federal election campaign has ignored Indigenous issues. And that is a shame, because all Canadians should be outraged over the interim appointment of a non-Indigenous man as the executive director of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG) Secretariat.” - Tanya Talaga
Our phony election debate over the oil sands won’t stop their expansion
“Instead of asking how Canada can contribute to a safer, fairer and greener planet, politicians try to out-virtue-signal each other by vowing to get tough on the oil industry. What the politicians will not admit is that, whichever party wins the Sept. 20 election, production in the oil sands is likely to continue to increase for at least a decade or more.” - Konrad Yakabuski
In Afghanistan, Biden was caught in the same colonial trap that has ensnared so many imperial powers
“Mr. Biden can’t be blamed for the rise of the Taliban, or the fragile state of a country that has seen far too many wars and invasions. The U.S. should not have been there in the first place, but that is a lesson that great powers never seem to learn.” - Ian Buruma
LIVING BETTER
Leisure brand Athleta launches in Canada
Spandex and moisture-wicking fabrics once ruled the exercise space, but over the past 18 months we’ve all started wearing athleisure for everyday pursuits. That involves swapping non-stretch jeans and restrictive underwire bras for flexible waistbands and loose silhouettes.
Between June, 2020, and June, 2021, athleisure sales increased by 23 per cent, while overall women’s apparel sales dropped by 12 per cent.
For Athleta, founded in California in 1998 and now owned by Gap Inc., the key is designing pieces that are equally appropriate for a morning jog and a lunch meeting. The brand recently launched its Canadian online store, with a physical location opening later this month in West Vancouver’s Park Royal Shopping Centre and one coming to Toronto’s Yorkdale Mall in November. The Globe spoke with Athleta’s top designer about how athleisure has evolved in the pandemic, the rise of “workleisure” and whether sporting yoga pants on the regular will continue.
TODAY’S LONG READ
The TV women I love, and love to hate
Jean Smart stars as Joan Rivers-esque Vegas comedian Deborah Vance in Hacks.HBOMax/HBOMax / Crave
Globe and Mail assistant national editor Lara Pingue watches a lot of TV – not something she would have once admitted. But, with a pandemic still raging, and with streaming services pumping out a steady variety of binge-worthy programming, she says television has never been better.
For her, it’s morphed into a cultural touchstone, a way to interpret the world from the confines of the couch. It’s also become a sort of social shorthand. “What you tell me about your most beloved TV show tells me what you value, what you think is funny and outrageous and unjust,” she writes.
In this week’s Amplify newsletter, Pingue discusses a few of her recent favourites.
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