Good evening, let’s start with today’s top stories:
The latest developments in war in Ukraine: Russian-installed governor tells residents to flee Kherson, plus more
Russian missiles have pounded dozens of Ukrainian cities and towns over the past 24 hours, while the head of Kherson, one of the regions annexed by Russia, told residents to leave amid fighting between Russian and advancing Ukrainian forces.
In Brussels, NATO allies unveiled plans to also jointly beef up Europe’s air defences with Patriot and other missile systems. The alliance also said it will monitor an expected Russian nuclear exercise very closely, in particular in light of Moscow’s latest nuclear threats related to its conflict in Ukraine.
Moscow renewed warnings that more military aid for Kyiv made members of the U.S.-led military alliance “a direct party to the conflict,” and said admitting Ukraine to the alliance would trigger a global conflict.
“Kyiv is well aware that such a step would mean a guaranteed escalation to a World War Three,” deputy secretary of Russia’s Security Council, Alexander Venediktov, told the state TASS news agency.
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Ottawa police describe convoy protesters’ impact on residents at Emergencies Act hearings
Convoy protesters in Canada’s capital inflicted an unexpected level of “community violence and social trauma” on the city’s residents, the Ottawa police told an inquiry studying the February invocation of the federal Emergencies Act.
The sweeping law was triggered by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau with the aim of ending the protests opposing government vaccine mandates and other public-health measures aimed at stopping the spread of COVID-19. The protests clogged border crossings across Canada and for three weeks brought Ottawa’s downtown to a standstill.
The commission is tasked with assessing whether the blockades and protests met the crisis threshold required to trigger the act.
Explainer: What to know about the Emergencies Act, the commission and speakers being called.
U.S. inflation higher than forecast, another big Fed rate hike seen
U.S. consumer prices increased more than expected in September as rents surged by the most since 1990 and the cost of food also rose, reinforcing expectations the U.S. Federal Reserve will deliver a fourth straight 75-basis-point interest rate hike next month.
The report from the Labor Department also showed a measure of underlying inflation posting its biggest annual increase in 40 years as U.S. consumers also paid more for health care.
The consumer price index rose 0.4 per cent last month after gaining 0.1 per cent in August. Economists had forecast the CPI would climb 0.2 per cent.
Hockey Canada’s governance review finds flaws in National Equity Fund
A governance review commissioned by Hockey Canada has found the organization’s handling of the National Equity Fund (NEF) was flawed, that the organization didn’t properly disclose it to parents and players or its membership, and didn’t have proper procedures in place to govern how it was used.
The review by retired Supreme Court justice Thomas Cromwell found that while having a fund to cover uninsured liabilities was not in itself incorrect, the way Hockey Canada administered and deployed the NEF – with minimal disclosure and control over the money – was wrong.
The governance review confirms the details of a Globe and Mail investigation that revealed the lack of transparency surrounding Hockey Canada’s use of funds for sexual-assault claims, including its use to settle a $3.55-million sexual-assault lawsuit this year, which Hockey Canada had not disclosed.
ALSO ON OUR RADAR
Ottawa halves deficit, PBO says: Parliamentary Budget Officer Yves Giroux says in a new report that this year’s federal budget deficit is on pace to come in at $25.8-billion, which would be a significant improvement from the $52.8-billion estimate in the Liberal government’s April budget.
Capitol riot panel to subpoena Trump: The U.S. House Jan. 6 Committee voted unanimously today to subpoena former president Donald Trump to testify before the panel over the 2021 attack at the Capitol.
Sentencing in Amanda Todd case wrapping up: Developing story: A defence lawyer for the man convicted of luring and sexually exploiting British Columbia teen Amanda Todd, who died by suicide, said that a six-year sentence he originally asked for should be reduced to two years.
Parkland shooter gets life: A jury spared a Florida school shooter from the death penalty for killing 17 people at a Parkland high school in 2018, sending him to prison for the remainder of his life in a decision that left many families of the victims angered, baffled and in tears.
Air Canada expands routes: Air Canada has announced new European routes and plans to resume select routes to Japan this summer.
MARKET WATCH
U.S. and Canadian stocks ended sharply higher today as investors pulled back from bearish bets after a disappointing U.S. consumer prices report and as technical support helped drive a rebound.
On Wall Street, the Dow Jones Industrial Average jumped 827.87 points or 2.83 per cent to 30,038.72, the S&P 500 gained 92.88 points or 2.6 per cent to end at 3,669.91, and the Nasdaq Composite rose 232.05 points or 2.23 per cent to 10,649.15.
The S&P/TSX Composite index advanced 407.35 points or 2.24 per cent to 18,613.63. The loonie traded at 72.72 U.S. cents.
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TALKING POINTS
Why was the government silent on Laith Marouf’s antisemitic tweets for an entire month?
“Perhaps the government was fooled into believing that [Laith] Marouf’s deranged rants were mere commentary on Israeli politics – not antisemitic ravings by someone using the thin veil of anti-Zionism to demean and bemoan a particular group of people.” - Robyn Urback
Chrystia Freeland has laid out a bold vision for a new global economic path, but it won’t be easy
“This was not wallflower stuff. This was a call to action. ... As far as speeches from the second-in-command at a middling economic power go, this is one we might be talking about for a while.” - David Parkinson
Trump and Kushner reap their rewards for sucking up to the Saudis
“The eye-popping gall of it all hasn’t attracted the attention it might. Given the deluge of non-stop Trumpian controversies, the country is weighed down with outrage fatigue.” - Lawrence Martin
LIVING BETTER
Netflix is launching an ad-supported tier next month in Canada, as well as 11 other countries, as it fights for fresh eyeballs in the crowded streaming market. The service will cost $5.99 a month and show viewers four to five minutes worth of ads each hour, compared with its basic $9.99 plan, HD-enabled $16.49 plan and Ultra-HD $20.99 plan.
TODAY’S LONG READ
Meet the pickleball champion who knew the sport was cool before LeBron James and Tom Brady did
Catherine ParenteauSaul Martinez/The Globe and Mail
It might seem odd to those who don’t follow the sport that there are actually pro pickleball players. And that they now are bona fide celebrities. But Catherine Parenteau gets attention a lot nowadays. She’d never heard of pickleball when, at 16, she left Montreal for Arkansas on a tennis scholarship.
The game of pickleball is relatively new, improvised by three Seattle-area men in Washington State in 1965, from a badminton court and ping-pong paddles. Though historically a hit with retirees, pickleball has risen in popularity more recently with younger people.
Now, Parenteau, 28, is among the most decorated players in the short history of the sport. She has 13 career titles and finished last year ranked No. 1 in singles. She’s travelling almost weekly to pickleball tournaments, juggling endorsement deals and figuring out a fundamental question she never thought she’d have to answer: How do you suddenly become a celebrity? Read the full story.
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