Good evening, let’s start with today’s top stories:
Ontario Auditor-General condemns province’s ‘disorganized’ COVID-19 response
Ontario’s COVID-19 response has been “disorganized and inconsistent” as the government left key public health officials sidelined, Auditor-General Bonnie Lysyk reveals in a scathing new report.
The report says the structure Ontario put in place – referring to its “command table” made up largely of bureaucrats the government refused to name publicly – created confusion and was “overly cumbersome.” It was also “not dominated by public health expertise.”
It ballooned from 21 to eventually to 500 members, the report says, and did not meet via videoconference until July – months into the pandemic. It also criticized chief medical officer of health David Williams for not exercising his full legal powers to get the virus under control.
Meanwhile, the country’s chief public health officer, Theresa Tam, is urging Canadians to avoid non-essential outings, as cases continued to rise across the country. Ontario became the latest province to announce scaled-back holiday plans, as residents were told they should celebrate only with the people they live with, regardless of the COVID-19 situation in their region.
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Soccer world mourns as Argentina great Diego Maradona dies at 60
Diego Maradona, widely regarded as one of the greatest soccer players of all time before drug and alcohol addiction marred his career, has died at his home in Argentina after suffering a heart attack, his lawyer said. He was 60.
Beloved in his homeland after leading Argentina to World Cup glory in 1986 and adored in Italy for taking Napoli to two Serie A titles, Maradona was a uniquely gifted player who rose from the tough streets of Buenos Aires to reach the pinnacle of his sport.
Maradona had recently battled health issues and underwent emergency surgery for a subdural hematoma several weeks ago.
ALSO ON OUR RADAR
Trump pardons Flynn: U.S. President Donald Trump has pardoned former national security adviser Michael Flynn, taking direct aim in the final days of his administration at a Russia investigation that he has long insisted was motivated by political bias.
Police identify person of interest in Shermans’ murder: Toronto police said today they had identified a person of interest in the high-profile murders three years ago of Canadian pharmaceutical billionaire Barry Sherman and his wife Honey, but had not made an arrest.
Pension funds demand better socially conscious data: Environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors have become increasingly important for institutional money managers in recent years, but the way in which companies report them is akin to the Wild West, leading to a rare joint request for corporations to report the data in a standardized fashion.
Meghan writes of miscarriage: Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, has revealed that she had a miscarriage in July, an extraordinarily personal disclosure coming from a high-profile British royal. The wife of Prince Harry and former actress wrote about the experience in detail in an opinion article published in the New York Times today.
MARKET WATCH
The S&P 500 index closed lower today as mounting U.S. layoffs in the wake of new mandated lockdowns to contain surging COVID-19 infections dampened investor risk appetite. But pandemic-resilient tech and tech-adjacent market leaders helped keep the Nasdaq as well as the TSX afloat.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 173.77 points or 0.58 per cent to 29,872.47, the S&P 500 lost 5.76 points or 0.16 per cent to close at 3,629.65 and the Nasdaq Composite added 57.61 points or 0.47 per cent, at 12,094.40. The S&P/TSX Composite Index closed up 38.82 points or 0.22 per cent at 17,313.07.
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TALKING POINT
Jason Kenney’s ‘balanced approach’ is a fast-track to failure
“Mr. Kenney said the ‘balanced approach’ he has chosen will ensure that the spread of the coronavirus is interrupted while allowing businesses to remain open. But you can’t have it both ways. The evidence from around the world is crystal clear.” -André Picard
Join The Globe and Mail and Mr. Hadfield in a conversation about climate and sustainability on Thursday Nov. 26 at 7:30 p.m. EST via Facebook live. Send in your questions for Canada’s favourite astronaut.
LIVING BETTER
‘Buy Nothing’ and zero waste groups offer more than just free stuff during COVID-19 pandemic
Thousands of Canadians have joined giving communities on social media in recent years. These ‘freecycling’ groups, which mostly exist on Facebook, create a sense of community for some members, while others are looking to save a little money or declutter their homes. During the COVID-19 pandemic, as many people suffer financial hardship and find themselves disconnected from friends and loved ones, these groups have taken on added importance.
TODAY’S LONG READ
Fred Sasakamoose, one of the NHL’s first Indigenous players and a residential school survivor, dies at 86
DARRYL DYCK/The Globe and Mail
Fred Sasakamoose was barely out his teens when he took face-offs against Maurice Richard and played against Gordie Howe as a centre for the Chicago Blackhawks in 1954.
His path to becoming one of the first Indigenous players in the National Hockey League was all the more remarkable for having survived the trauma and abuse of a residential school.
While his career in the NHL lasted only 11 games, he blazed a trail for future generations of Indigenous players. He would later go on to become chief of his First Nation and served his community for decades.
Sasakamoose died Tuesday afternoon in a Saskatchewan hospital from complications of COVID-19. He was 86. Read Marty Klinkenberg’s full story here.
Evening Update is written by Dianne Nice and S.R. Slobodian. 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.