Good evening, let’s start with today’s top stories:
Good news for uninsured Canadians: Ottawa has specified a timeline for expanding an income-based dental care program, which starts this month with seniors aged 87 and over allowed to apply. The full implementation of the program will not take effect until 2025.
In addition to age thresholds, the program is also limited to people with family net incomes below $90,000 and who have no access to dental insurance through work. The Canada Dental Benefit (CDB) was first launched a year ago for children under 12, and under the timeline announced today, the program will be expanded to seniors aged 77 to 86 in January, seniors aged 72 to 76 in February and seniors aged 70 to 71 in March.
The national dental care program is part of the minority Liberal government’s supply-and-confidence deal with the NDP. NDP health critic Don Davies compared the program to the adoption of national publicly funded health care in the 1960s by a minority Liberal government that was also pressured by the NDP.
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Why Winnipeg is the most livable city in Canada for raising kids
Among the communities ranked by The Globe, Winnipeg had one of the highest numbers of days each year when temperatures dropped below -15 degrees. But locals don’t always see the cold as a negative.Shannon VanRaes/The Globe and Mail
The Globe ranked 439 communities across the country, using categories such as transportation, housing, climate and amenities, and focusing on affordable housing, quality education and proximity to child care when ranking those best for raising kids. With its relative isolation, abundant amenities and possibilities for home ownership as well as a relaxed lifestyle focused on family time, Winnipeg came out on top as the most livable city in Canada for raising children.
Donald Tusk’s appointment as Poland’s PM was a must-see event at a Warsaw cinema
People in Poland have been transfixed by politics for months. A recent hotly contested election saw a coalition led by Donald Tusk defeat the ruling party in a stunning upset. Turnout was 74 per cent, the highest since the collapse of communism in the 1990s.
The big attraction for many now is watching the formal transfer of power to the centrist coalition under Mr. Tusk, who will serve his second stint as Prime Minister. The political drama is playing out this week in the Sejm, the country’s legislature. The biggest Christmas blockbuster at one of Warsaw’s largest movie theaters recently, in fact, was the proceedings of the Polish parliament, writes Paul Waldie.
- Related: Donald Tusk becomes Poland’s Prime Minister with the mission of improving EU ties
ALSO ON OUR RADAR
Israel-Hamas: Israel’s Defence Minister today pushed back against international calls to wrap up the offensive in Gaza, saying the current phase of the operation against Hamas will “take time.” Two months of air strikes have resulted in over 17,000 Palestinians killed, according to health officials in the Hamas-run territory. Israel launched the campaign after Hamas militants attacked on Oct. 7, killing around 1,200 people and kidnapping about 240 others.
- Related: Zara pulls advertising campaign from website front page after Gaza boycott calls
Mississauga man faces murder charges: Police and prosecutors have charged Kenneth Law with 14 counts of second-degree murder. The Mississauga man was first arrested this spring on allegations that he shipped lethal substances to people seeking suicide around the world.
Probing abuse in sport: Faced with calls from athletes to confront cases of abuse and maltreatment in sport, the government said today it will create a federal commission to examine the problem.
Boys found dead in Toronto: Police are investigating after two young boys, aged four and five, were discovered last night without vital signs in an apartment. Their mother, 25, had fallen from a balcony and suffered serious injuries.
Groceries: Profits in Canada’s grocery sector will likely exceed $6-billion this year, setting a new record, according to the Centre for Future Work. New research has found that food retailers are now earning more than twice as much profit as they did before COVID-19.
Wet’suwet’en blockades: Amnesty International says police in B.C. made arbitrary arrests and “aggressive surveillance, harassment and intimidation” of First Nations protesters blocking a pipeline project in recent years.
Guyana-Venezuela territorial dispute: Leaders of the two countries are meeting this week to address an escalating dispute over Essequibo, a region that covers two-thirds of Guyana and is rich in oil and minerals. Venezuela held a referendum earlier this month on whether to claim sovereignty over the region.
Golden Globes: It’s a Barbie world, as Greta Gerwig’s movie earned nine Golden Globe nominations, while meme companion Oppenheimer scored eight. The awards show will air in January.
MARKET WATCH
Canada’s main stock index closed slightly lower today while U.S. stock markets rose.
The S&P/TSX composite index closed down 13.18 points at 20,318.36. The Dow Jones industrial average ended up 157.06 points at 36,404.93. The S&P 500 index was up 18.07 points at 4,622.44, while the Nasdaq composite was up 28.52 points at 14,432.49.
The Canadian dollar traded for 73.69 cents US.
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TALKING POINTS
The humanitarian horror in Gaza must end
“Israel has vowed not only to continue its campaign, but to deliver the “mother of all thumpings” and to do so “with intensity” for at least two more months. Does this mean that Israel will continue to inflict a humanitarian horror that openly flouts the laws of war? Apparently so.” - James Orbinski
Canada must ensure it doesn’t let Putin off the hook
“How can we establish a tribunal for a ‘leadership crime’ in which the leaders will be immune? G7 states are well aware of this deficiency.” - Allan Rock and Jennifer Trahan
Ex-BoC boss David Dodge: We need economic strategy focused on investment, not consumption
“The overall economy has managed to eke out growth, but that’s only because the population and labour supply have increased, thanks largely to the highest immigration rates in more than 60 years. On a per-person basis, the economy has been shrinking.” - David Parkinson
Travel rewards are great, but paying with debit is cleaner money than credit cards in these tough times
“There are worse financial survival tactics than putting expenses you can’t afford on your credit card, specifically payday loans. But the interest penalty for carrying a card balance for an extended period is horrendous.” - Rob Carrick
LIVING BETTER
The power of personal trainers
An early morning fitness group exercises in Bryant Park in New York on June 15, 2016.ALEX WROBLEWSKI/The New York Times News Service
When it comes to strength training, beginners will hire personal trainers to supervise, and so will serious bodybuilders and powerlifters. But puzzlingly enough, people in between those categories don’t seem to. Exercise scientist James Fisher of Solent University in Britain and his colleagues have been studying why people hire trainers, what they get out of it, and most crucially, whether they end up bigger and stronger as a result.
TODAY’S LONG READ
The top 10 films of 2023, and how to watch them in Canada
Cillian Murphy in a scene from "Oppenheimer."Melinda Sue Gordon/The Associated Press
From bubblegum optimism to apocalyptic doom, movies in 2023 delivered a landmark year onscreen, writes Barry Hertz. Here’s a list of the top 10 films from this past year and how to watch (most of) them in Canada.
Evening Update is written by Maryam Shah. 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.