Good evening, let’s start with today’s top stories:
The search of the wildfire wreckage on the Hawaiian island of Maui revealed a wasteland of burned out homes and obliterated communities as firefighters battled the stubborn blaze.
Maui County said late Wednesday that at least 36 people had died, making it the deadliest U.S. wildfire since the 2018 Camp Fire in California, which killed at least 85 people and laid waste to the town of Paradise.
The Maui fire started Tuesday, and was fuelled by a dry summer and strong winds from a passing hurricane, engulfing a tourist destination that dates to the 1700s and is the biggest community on the island’s west side. The flames left some people with mere minutes to act and led some to flee into the ocean.
Ottawa announces details of proposed Clean Electricity Regulations, outlining flexible compliance options
Ottawa is playing down the demands that its new rules to restrict the use of fossil fuels in electricity generation will place on power utilities, as it attempts to quell mounting backlash from Western provinces that produce and rely on natural gas.
Announcing the long-awaited details of the proposed Clean Electricity Regulations, Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault emphasized that the government intends to provide flexible compliance options – including by allowing continued use of fossil fuels at times of peak energy demand, and by grandfathering existing gas-fueled power plants.
The new regulations will impose a cap starting in 2035 on greenhouse gas emissions for each large generating facility, which is being proposed at a level that would allow gas plants with carbon capture technology to keep operating, but those that lack it to wind down operations.
Manitoba can’t walk away ‘scot-free’ from landfill victims: former Crown-Indigenous Relations Minister
In an interview with The Globe and Mail that focused on his previous portfolio, Marc Miller, who was moved from Crown-Indigenous relations to immigration in a recent federal cabinet shuffle, said the situation in Manitoba has been “frustrating as hell.”
There is no scenario in which a province gets to walk away “scot-free” when two women are believed to be lying dead in a dump, he said.
In recent weeks, rallies have been held to demand a search of the Prairie Green Landfill, north of Winnipeg, for the remains of 39-year-old Morgan Harris and 26-year-old Marcedes Myran. The women were both members of Long Plain First Nation, an Ojibway and Dakota community located in the Central Plains Region of Manitoba.
In this long exposure photo, a streak appears in the sky during the annual Perseid meteor shower at the Guadarrama mountains, near Madrid, in the early hours of Aug. 12, 2016.Francisco Seco/The Associated Press
How to watch the meteor shower this weekend
The Perseid meteor shower, one of summer’s most pleasing celestial rituals, reaches its annual peak on Saturday night. Data show that we may we able to see between 50 and 60 meteors an hour visible to an observer under ideal conditions.
If the weather co-operates, those who can escape the glare of streetlights have an excellent chance of spotting meteors as they dart across the night sky. In addition to falling on a weekend, this year’s shower coincides with a new moon, which ensures there will be an especially dark sky to help the meteors shine.
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ALSO ON OUR RADAR
China-U.S. relations: Washington added to China’s deflation woes when President Joe Biden signed an executive order limiting U.S. high-tech investments in China. Most analysts see this as just a preview of far more aggressive U.S. policy to come, particularly if Republicans win control of the government next year.
Airlines: Almost half of Air Canada‘s flights arrived late in July, the poorest showing of the 10 largest airlines in North America.
International relations: Canada is joining U.S. and Britain in leveraging sanctions on a trio of people tied to an alleged embezzlement scandal at Lebanon’s central bank.
Transportation: Transit riders in Toronto will be able to use their credit or debit card, including cards on smartphones or smartwatches, to pay for fares starting next week.
Africa: Niger’s junta told a top U.S. diplomat that they would kill deposed President Mohamed Bazoum if neighbouring countries attempted any military intervention to restore his rule, two Western officials told the Associated Press.
Ukraine-Russia: Ukrainian authorities ordered a mandatory evacuation of nearly 12,000 civilians from 37 towns and villages in the eastern Kharkiv region, where Russian forces reportedly are making a concerted effort to punch through the front line.
Music legacy: Two things about Robbie Robertson: One, he was not self-effacing about his musical legacy; two, he had nothing at all to be modest about. Read the full Robertson appreciation today.
Obituary: Former Tory senator and long-time Progressive-Conservative political staffer Hugh Segal died Wednesday at the age of 72.
MARKET WATCH
Wall Street flat after pop from July inflation data fizzles
Wall Street’s main indexes finished flat on Thursday, giving up most early gains on milder-than-feared inflation data as investors worried about the U.S. economy’s longer-term prospects and whether stocks had further room to run. The Canadian benchmark index closed higher, but also was well off its highs from earlier in the day.
The Toronto Stock Exchange’s S&P/TSX composite index closed up 67.61 points at 20,342.88. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 52.79 points to 35,176.15, the S&P 500 gained 1.12 points to 4,468.83 and the Nasdaq Composite added 15.97 points to 13,737.99.
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TALKING POINTS
Meta is not the biggest threat to Canadian newspapers
“The Trudeau government has managed to unite Canada’s media industry behind C-18. But the new law, even if Meta and Google eventually comply with it, cannot ensure the survival of what’s left of the Canadian newspaper industry.” - Konrad Yakabuski
A damning Greenbelt report exposes Ford government favouritism
“Voters, too, will have their say. From where they sit – many of them suffering through a housing shortage – what they must see now is a government appearing to exploit their pain to help out its wealthy friends first and foremost.” - The Editorial board
The painful demise of Canadian non-fiction is a problem for everyone
“Canadian citizens who enjoy learning about the past can find few original treatments of ancient or recent historical events or vigorous investigations into the historical and political controversies that have consumed this country in the past or the present.” - Charlotte Gray
LIVING BETTER
What to know about the new COVID-19 variant EG.5
The new COVID-19 variant EG.5 has become the dominant strain in the U.S. and is making its way to Canada. On Aug. 9, the World Health Organization classified EG.5 as a “variant of interest.” First detected in February, it has been behind upticks in the coronavirus across North America, as well as Asia.
The National Advisory Committee on Immunization is recommending Canadians who have gone more than six months without a COVID-19 shot or infection should get a booster with a new formulation of the vaccine this fall.
If you want to know more, The Globe explains more about EG.5 and the state of COVID in Canada.
TODAY’S LONG READ
Betty Parr, left, and Amanda Gotmy stand under a De Winton sign along highway 2 on Thursday, Aug. 3, 2023.Jude Brocke/The Globe and Mail
People can’t quite agree on the spelling of this Alberta hamlet’s name
Maps, road signs and historical documents agree the hamlet just south of Calgary has eight letters in its name. But which letters should be capitalized, and whether the hamlet’s name is one word, two or hyphenated, is up for debate in Alberta’s De Winton/Dewinton/DeWinton/De-Winton.
Variations of the hamlet’s name litter highway signs, with options changing in just a few clicks of the odometer. Consistency was not a priority in the community’s 587-page history book, dubbed Sodbusting to Subdivision.
Named after Major-General Sir Francis Walter de Winton (or De Winton, depending on the authority), a British army officer, courtier and global colonizer, there are no plans to pick a winner when it comes to the spelling of this hamlet.
Evening Update is written by Sierra Bein. 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.