Good evening, let’s start with today’s top stories:
Ottawa to ban vaping ads in bid to curb youth e-cigarette use
The federal government announced Thursday it will ban all promotions of vaping products in spaces where young people could see them, including social media, health reporter Carly Weeks reports. The move is in response to rapidly rising rates of teen e-cigarette use. However, the government will not place any new restrictions on the sale of flavoured e-cigarette products, but will likely be coming out with new regulations in the coming months. The announcement, from Health Minister Patty Hajdu’s office, also said the regulations will require e-cigarettes to carry mandatory health warnings, products will have to be child-resistant and nicotine concentration will be limited to reduce the risks to children who accidentally ingest e-liquid.
Investigation: How the vaping industry is targeting teens – and getting away with it
Explainer: What’s known about the lung disease racking the U.S., risks to you and what Health Canada is saying
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Trudeau asks U.S. not to sign trade deal with China until detained Canadians are released
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told French-language TVA that Canada has asked the United States not to sign any final trade agreement with China until Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor have been released. Kovrig and Spavor have been detained for more than a year in apparent retaliation for Canada’s arrest of Meng Wanzhou, a top Huawei executive. Spavor and Kovrig are charged with national security offences in what is widely believed to be an attempt to pressure Canada to release Meng. Trudeau told the TVA host: “We’ve said that the United States should not sign a final and complete agreement with China that does not settle the question of Meng Wanzhou and the two Canadians."
U.S. House passes USMCA trade deal
The U.S. House of Representatives has approved a new trade deal to replace NAFTA, with the Democratic majority voting overwhelmingly to pass one of President Donald Trump’s signature policies less than 24 hours after impeaching him. As Washington correspondent Adrian Morrow reports, the rare moment of overwhelming bipartisanship was a sign of the unusual political dynamics of Trump’s presidency. Left-wing Democrats are more aligned with the President’s protectionist trade agenda than his own party, while right-wing Republicans are so loyal to Trump it was inconceivable for them to vote against one of his priorities. Moderate members of both parties wanted to get the deal through to provide certainty for businesses after three years of trade drama.
Sons of Russian spies born in Canada are citizens, Supreme Court rules
The Supreme Court of Canada has granted citizenship to the sons of two Russian spies in a ruling that rewrites a vast area of law affecting government’s accountability to the courts. Canadian-born Alexander Vavilov had been denied citizenship by a government official known as the Registrar of Citizenship. The court upheld a Federal Court of Appeal decision that effectively affirmed the citizenship of not only Alexander but also his brother Timothy, as well. The decision also aimed to bring clarity to the nature and scope of judicial review of decisions by administrative officials. Administrative law sets out the terms by which Canadians may go to court to challenge the rulings of decision-making authorities, from cabinet ministers to professional bodies to refugee boards.
And in a separate decision, the Supreme Court handed Bell Media a victory when it comes to substituting Canadian ads for U.S. ads during the Super Bowl. In 2016 the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission decided that in the case of the Super Bowl, the usual practice of simultaneous substitution was not in the public interest. The court found the CRTC strayed beyond the scope of its authority under the Broadcasting Act, so this February, Canadians will once again have to turn to YouTube (or over-the-air broadcasts) to see American commercials during the big game.
Britain’s Johnson outlines ‘radical’ Brexit agenda in face of Scottish independence calls
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson offered a long list of plans in a Queen’s Speech delivered on Thursday at the official opening of Britain’s Parliament, which included proposals to increase spending, overhaul the legal system and hire 20,000 police officers. But as Paul Waldie reports, much of the speech focused on Brexit and the Prime Minister’s determination to win parliamentary approval for a withdrawal agreement. Legislation implementing the deal will be introduced on Friday and once it has been passed, Britain will leave the EU on Jan. 31. There will be a transition period until the end of 2020, during which Britain and the EU are supposed to negotiate a trade deal. The transition can be extended by up to two years, but Mr. Johnson said this week that the legislation will include a provision that prevents such an extension.
ALSO ON OUR RADAR
Three former St. Michael’s students sentenced to two years probation in sexual assault case: The teens pleaded guilty in October to sexual assault with a weapon and assault with a weapon. One of them, who recorded one of the sex assaults on his cellphone, also pleaded guilty to making child pornography.
Father who killed daughters must serve at least 22 years before he’s eligible for parole: B.C. Supreme Court Justice Miriam Gropper told Andrew Berry that he committed heinous crimes against his daughters, four-year-old Aubrey and six-year-old Chloe. A jury convicted Berry of second-degree murder in September.
Judge dismisses assault charges against former Afghanistan hostage Joshua Boyle: Ontario Court Judge Peter Doody says the Crown failed to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Boyle, 36, committed multiple offences against his wife Caitlan Coleman, including assault, sexual assault and unlawful confinement.
Mitch McConnell calls on U.S. Senate to correct “toxic” impeachment of Trump: The top Republican in the Senate accused the Democratic-dominated House of Representatives of succumbing to “transient passions and factionalism” when it voted to impeach Trump on charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress.
Canadian securities regulators to ban deferred sales charges on mutual funds - except Ontario: The move comes after the Canadian Securities Administrators proposed a prohibition on what are known as deferred sales charges, which are fees investors must pay when they pull money out of a mutual fund before a set date.
MARKET WATCH
The close: North American stock markets up on positive signals about trade deal with China
Investors shrugged off the third presidential impeachment in U.S. history to push North American stock markets to record territory Thursday on positive signals about the trade deal with China. In New York, the Dow Jones industrial average was up 137.68 points at 28,376.96. The S&P 500 index was up 14.23 points at 3,205.37, while the Nasdaq composite was up 59.49 points at 8,887.22.
While political machinations in Washington, D.C., didn’t push up markets, Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin’s comments that a partial trade deal with China is completed and will be signed in January did. The S&P/TSX composite index closed up 32.06 points at 17,064.00, short of the record 64 points higher.
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TALKING POINTS
Donald Trump’s impeachment is monumental - and meaningless
“To have an impeached President run for re-election exposes the paradox that is that impeachment process: It is one of the ultimate safeguards of American democracy, but absent a conviction, it is essentially just a symbol – a censure – and one that, with Mr. Trump in particular, could end up meaning practically nothing.” – Robyn Urback
Ontario’s Environment Minister is playing batty politics with wind-turbine decision
“The Dec. 4 decision by Ontario’s Environment Minister Jeff Yurek to cancel a 29-turbine wind farm that was under construction in Eastern Ontario is unwarranted and sets back bat conservation.” – Erin Baerwald is a conservation biologist and assistant professor at the University of Northern British Columbia
SNC-Lavalin got what it wanted. It’s still a win for the rule of law
“The question for Canadians is, did SNC-Lavalin get a sweetheart deal from federal prosecutors, or does the settlement serve the public interest? Thanks to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, the issue is muddied.” – Globe editorial
LIVING BETTER
Holiday countdown: How to get your house ready for entertaining
The clock is ticking and the dinner table isn’t going to set itself. Beth Hitchcock has a strategic guide to prepping the house for a happy, and stress-free, Christmas. T’was three days before Christmas, there’s a mess in the house, there’s shopping to do and where is the spouse! For the organized mind, following her plan will leave you brilliantly organized.
Your guide to stress-free holidays, whether you’re hosting, socializing or travelling
And if you don’t follow Beth’s advice by working ahead, here’s The Globe’s tips and tricks for getting through the holidays unscathed – everything from what to serve to handling awkward party conversations to getting away from it all. We’ve got recipe options from Lucy Waverman, drinks ideas from our new wine and spirits columnist Christopher Waters and suggestions from David Eddie on how to make conversation at holiday parties.
LONG READ FOR A LONG COMMUTE
Kent Monkman's Acrylic on Canvas 'Resurgence of the People,'Joseph Hartman/Metropolitan Museum of Art/Metropolitan Museum of Art
Cree artist Kent Monkman asks visitors to confront North America’s colonial past
Cree artist Kent Monkman decoded his latest painting for the assembled media at the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Great Hall this week. As Kate Taylor reported from New York, Monkman is one of a trio of international artists given an unusual assignment by The Met: to address its encyclopedic collection by creating new art for its most prominent spaces. Monkman, who is a member of Manitoba’s Fisher River Band, unveiled a pair of canvases that cleverly appropriate Western history painting to expose romantic myths about Indigenous people.
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