Evening Update: Three Amigos meet in Mexico for North American Leaders’ Summit

Good evening, let’s start with today’s top stories:

U.S. President Joe Biden has landed in Mexico City to attend what is informally known as the Three Amigos summit. He will be seeking help stemming a tide of asylum seekers at his country’s southern border and in the wake of a bloody cartel shootout over an accused drug lord wanted by American authorities.

This week’s North American Leaders’ Summit between Biden, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is also taking place amid mounting accusations of autocracy against the Mexican President. However, the priority is securing Mexico’s continued co-operation with U.S. attempts to stop migrants making refugee claims at the border. How Trudeau will handle Lopez Obrador on green energy, meanwhile, remains an open question. Read more from our correspondent Adrian Morrow who is reporting from Mexico.

• Business: Canadian investment in Mexico has grown in recent years, a new dynamic for the two countries. It’s why Business leaders urge leaders to move past trade disputes, embrace ‘Team North America’ approach.
• Opinion: Canada’s relationship with Mexico must go beyond trade

World news today:

• In Brazil, authorities regain control and seek to punish pro-Bolsonaro rioters. The protesters swarmed into Congress, the Supreme Court and presidential palace on Sunday. Many have said they want the Brazilian army to restore the far-right Bolsonaro to power and oust the newly inaugurated leftist Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.
• Russia has stepped up a “powerful assault” on Soledar in eastern Ukraine, Kyiv said on Monday, describing a difficult situation for forces repelling waves of attacks around the salt mining town and nearby fronts. Lead by the Wagner contract militia, it has drawn some recruits from Russia’s prisons and is known for uncompromising violence, it is active in conflicts in Africa and has taken a prominent role in Russia’s war effort in Ukraine.
• Iran’s judiciary has sentenced three more anti-government protesters to death on charges of “waging war on God”, its Mizan news agency reported on Monday, defying growing international criticism over its fierce crackdown on demonstrators.

Sweden looks to Canada as it launches truth commission into treatment of Indigenous people

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Geraldine Shingoose has spoken to school groups, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada and even Montreal Canadiens goaltender Carey Price about the abuses she suffered in Canada’s state-funded residential school system. Now her presence is being requested in, of all places, Stockholm.

It’s just the latest example of how Nordic countries are leaning on Canadian expertise to investigate modern and historical offences against the Sami, whose traditional territory spans Sweden, Norway, Finland and Russia. For years, Sami leaders lobbied for a truth and reconciliation process similar to the commission held in Canada between 2008 and 2015. The Sami were uprooted from their traditional lands, sent to inferior schools, forced to attend church and barred from speaking their own language or practising their own religion.

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ALSO ON OUR RADAR

For family caregivers, cost of unpaid care work is both personal and professional: Canadians spend 5.7 billion unpaid hours each year on caregiving, with many of them struggling to balance the demands of care and paid work, according to the Canadian Centre for Caregiving Excellence.

Canada finalizes $19-billion purchase of F-35 fighter jets: The first F-35s will be delivered in 2026, and the CF-18s are to be phased out entirely by the end of 2032, Defence Minister Anita Anand told a news conference Monday.

Pierre Poilievre must do more to win over women voters: The federal Conservative Party Leader is trailing Justin Trudeau when it comes to support from women, with a recent Nanos poll for The Globe and Mail showing that only 22 per cent think the Tories should hang onto Mr. Poilievre until the next election.

Competition Bureau expands its appeal of decision to approve Rogers-Shaw deal: In its updated appeal, the bureau claimed the tribunal did not adequately explain why its decision would be the same, and therefore made a legal error. It also claimed the tribunal improperly applied the legal test for mergers.

Gonez Media acquires Toronto’s Now Magazine: GMI says it plans to relaunch the publication under the Now banner in a digital-only format on Jan. 17. It says the publication will have a major reporting focus on arts, music and entertainment, harking back to the publication’s roots as an alt newspaper.

Kindergarteners learn the fundamentals of coding: In her classroom in LaSalle, Ont., Deanna Pecaski McLennan is not only introducing coding to the youngest learners but also showcasing how children can be taught these skills without a screen.

MARKET WATCH

The S&P 500 index closed barely changed on Monday as expectations that the Federal Reserve will become less aggressive with its interest rate hikes were offset by lingering worries about inflation. The Dow edged lower, and the Nasdaq Composite ended off the day’s highs.

Canada’s main stock index rose on Monday to its highest closing level in nearly four weeks as investors snapped up stocks in some of the most depressed sectors of the market amid hopes that central banks would ease the pace of interest rate hikes. The Toronto Stock Exchange’s S&P/TSX composite index ended up 42.56 points at 19,857.07, its highest closing level since Dec. 14.

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TALKING POINTS

Laundromats are dying in Canada. We can’t just call that a wash

“Access to a service that helps people maintain a healthy standard of living also increases equality and fairness. When a laundromat closes – temporarily or permanently – hardship and social inequities often result.” - Nancy Pearson

China’s brutal COVID winter is just beginning

“The COVID-19 pandemic began in China during the 2020 Lunar New Year holidays. Now, for the first time in three years, the Chinese people can see a small light at the end of the tunnel. But the last mile will be gruelling.” - Nancy Qian

What 2023 might bring for the postwar rules-based trading system

“In short, world trade in the next 12 months will be deeply affected by continued setbacks at the multilateral level, further proliferation of unilateral governmental trade measures, expanded trade regionalism, and increases in wide-ranging but non-legislated global business rules and standards. It will be interesting to assess the impact of these forces in a year’s time, as Western governments and international business adjust to these profound changes in the global trading order.” - Lawrence Herman

LIVING BETTER

Think you might be low on iron? Here’s what to do about it

Without adequate iron, your body can’t produce enough oxygen-carrying hemoglobin, which can leave you feeling tired and short of breath. Iron is also needed to maintain skin, hair and nails, make hormones and connective tissue and support proper muscle and nerve function. And the mineral plays a role in brain function and a healthy immune system. Because iron is needed for many different functions in the body, deficiency symptoms can vary among individuals.

Here’s what to know about iron deficiency anemia – how to identify and treat it, plus diet strategies to maintain healthy iron stores.

TODAY’S LONG READ

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See Jane Run: A B.C. startup ignored the tech bubble hype – and is thriving through the crash

At a time when each week another Canadian startup became a “unicorn” valued at US$1-billion, Alison Taylor was unimpressed by the mania. She had another way of describing her North Vancouver, B.C., company, Jane Software Inc., whose online platform is used by health professionals such as massage therapists and psychologists to run their practices. The co-chief executive called Jane a camel – “a company that can sustain itself through the market’s ups and downs.”

Today, as others cut, Jane hired 100 people in 2022 (it now has about 350) and gave out raises. Now after a hellish 2022 in technology, investors are asking tech companies a different question: Can you be more like Jane?

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.