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WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Horgan defends pipeline fight as Alberta refuses to endorse official statement from western premiers meeting
The meeting of Western Canadian premiers has hit a road bump, with Alberta refusing to endorse the final communiqué because it doesn’t include support for Kinder Morgan’s Trans Mountain pipeline expansion project. The official statement addresses pharmacare and the legalization of marijuana. Sarah Hoffman, Alberta’s deputy premier, said that without the projected wealth that would occur from the project all other discussions are moot. Ms. Hoffman was attending the meeting in place of Premier Rachel Notley, who declined to go. Ms. Notley said she is too busy trying to strike a deal to ensure the project goes forward. The meeting brings together B.C., Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and all three territories. Alberta and B.C., which both have NDP governments, have been engaged in an ongoing spat over the pipeline, with B.C. coming out against it. At the meeting, B.C. Premier John Horgan said he is fighting to both retain and restrict Alberta's oil imports. The federal government has also waded into the dispute in support of Alberta and has given its seal of approval. Kinder Morgan has stopped all non-essential spending on the project due to political opposition by B.C.
Ukraine paid Trump lawyer Cohen to arrange talks
Michael Cohen, U.S. President Donald Trump’s long-time personal lawyer, received a payment of at least $400,000 to arrange talks between Mr. Trump and Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko in 2017, according to the BBC. Mr. Cohen was not registered as a representative of Ukraine and was brought in because official lobbyists and the Ukrainian embassy in Washington were unable to secure little more than a photo opportunity between the two presidents. Mr. Poroshenko at the time said he came away pleased with the “full, detailed meeting” on June 20 but the White House only officially called it a “drop-by” visit. Mr. Cohen is being investigated for possible violations of campaign law as well as bank and tax fraud.
Editor’s note: The BBC has apologized and agreed to pay damages to Ukraine’s President Petro Poroshenko relating to a report the BBC now admits was untrue. The report, published last May but since removed from the BBC website, falsely alleged $400,000 was paid to U.S. President Donald Trump’s former lawyer, Michael Cohen, to extend a meeting between Mr. Poroshenko and Mr. Trump.
Canadian doctor shot in Gaza has doubts about Israeli probe, but will co-operate
Tarek Loubani, a Canadian-Palestinian doctor who was shot in the legs by an Israeli sniper while dressed in a green surgeon’s outfit, says that he will “fully co-operate” with an investigation by Israel’s military into the shooting. Dr. Loubani was in Gaza during the protests that occurred earlier this month providing urgent medical care and field-testing 3-D printed tourniquets. He told The Globe earlier today that he has doubts about the impartiality of Israel’s military investigating actions taken by the Israeli Defence Forces. Nimrod Barkan, Israel’s ambassador to Canada, says that his country has given Canada its word that the inquiry will be conducted in an unbiased manner. Canada has pushed for an independent, international probe into the violence in Gaza from earlier this mont. Sixty people were killed by the Israeli military and more than 2,700 were injured. Hamas said 50 of the 60 killed were members of the militant group.
Plasma medications from paid donors are safe: federal panel
A federal panel of experts says that there is no good evidence that plasma medications that come from paid donors are unsafe. They also said that providing compensation to donors does not undermine the voluntary blood-collection system. The panel was tasked by Health Canada with examining the country’s approach to drug procurement from plasma, which is a component of blood. Canada uses more immune globulin (IG), a medication derived from plasma, per capita than any other country except the U.S. However, donations within Canada only make up under 20 per cent of the raw plasma required to meet demand, which is growing.
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MARKET WATCH
Canada’s main stock index, the S&P/TSX composite, closed the day down 0.07 per cent, finishing at 16,133.80. The dip into red was led by the energy sector, which was dragged down by the price of oil. U.S. stocks ended with small gains after minutes from the Federal Reserve’s latest meeting suggested higher inflation may not result in faster interest rate hikes. The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 0.21 per cent to 24,886.81, the S&P 500 rose 0.32 per cent, to 2,733.29 and the Nasdaq Composite added 47.50 points to 7,425.96.
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WHAT’S TRENDING ON SOCIAL
@realDonaldTrump cannot block you on Twitter, according to a federal judge in New York. The ruling says the U.S. president may not legally block Twitter users because doing so violates their right to free speech under the First Amendment of the Constitution.
TALKING POINTS
Trump’s just-winging-it foreign policy and Iran: An accident waiting to happen
"The Trump administration is rolling the dice by pulling out of the JCPOA. What comes next if Iran balks, as it will? Strategies can be overrated, but by having no strategy at all, Mr. Trump’s Iranian policy is an accident waiting to happen. All we can hope for is that it’s a happy one. What are the odds of that?" – Konrad Yakabuski (for subscribers)
Pleading guilty when innocent: A truth for too many Indigenous people
“Every day innocent people – a disproportionate number of them First Nations, Inuit and Métis people – plead guilty to crimes they did not commit (and sometimes crimes that did not happen). A lucky few receive a remedy, but typically only after hundreds of hours of pro bono work and court time are spent fixing the problem. This is compounded by the money spent incarcerating the innocent and the harm that may be caused by the truly guilty party who has gone free.” – Amanda Carling
In NAFTA talks, Canada and Mexico need to stick together
“As part of our trade diversification strategy, Canada is reaching into the Americas. We want associate membership in the Pacific Alliance (Mexico, Chile, Peru, Colombia) and Mercosur (Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay). Do we think that leaving Mexico in the lurch would help us in these negotiations? The 33 nations south of the Rio Grande also represent a quarter of the votes we need in our campaign for a United Nations Security Council seat. The Trump approach is to divide and conquer. Ending our alignment with Mexico would play right into U.S. hands. There is still much more that unites Canada and Mexico and much more to be gained by working together. Let us recall Ben Franklin’s advice to those framing the U.S. Declaration of Independence: “We must, indeed, all hang together, or most assuredly we shall all hang separately.” – Colin Robertson
LIVING BETTER
A diet that is high in fibre is important for digestion and is believed to promote a healthy diversity of microbes within your body. So how do you get enough of it? One dietitian suggests choosing whole grains over refined grains, eating the skins of fruits and vegetables where possible and eating more beans, lentils, nuts and seeds.
LONG READS FOR A LONG COMMUTE
Ontario divided: Anger, economics and the fault lines that could decide the election
Outside the booming city-centres of Canada’s most populous province, many are feeling left behind. With an election looming, increasingly discouraged voters across Ontario are asking: who will bring back the jobs? (for subscribers)
How Bombardier Recreational is making a killing selling off-road vehicles to Americans
Fifteen years ago, Bombardier spun off its classic business of making Ski-Doos and Sea-Doos into a new company called Bombardier Recreational Products (BRP). After a rocky start, the offspring is now roaring ahead and winning over lucrative new markets for its burgeoning line of off-road vehicles. (for subscribers)
Evening Update is written by Mayaz Alam. 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.