Officers speak to a neighbour at the Mallory Cres. residence where earlier Monday Toronto police announced they had found the remains of three bodies. Police announced Monday that Bruce McArthur, who was charged earlier this month with two counts of murder connected to two men missing from the city’s gay village, now faces three new murder charges.Jesse Winter
Good evening,
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Toronto serial killer suspect now faces five first-degree murder charges
Toronto police are now calling Bruce McArthur, 66, an alleged serial killer as investigators laid three additional first-degree murder charges. Police also warned they may find more victims saying, "We don't know how many more victims there are going to be." Last week, Mr. McArthur was charged in connection with the deaths of Andrew Kinsman and Selim Esen, both of whom went missing in 2017. On Monday, he was charged in the deaths of Majeed Kayhan, Soroush Marmudi and Dean Lisowick. Police also said Monday that human remains of three individuals were found in garden planters on properties connected to Mr. McArthur, but have yet to determine the identity of those dismembered skeletal remains.
The Globe and Mail has established personal or professional connections between Mr. McArthur and four of the five missing men through numerous interviews with friends and family. Court documents, online records and interviews with people who knew Mr. McArthur reveal the 66-year-old landscaper had a history of combining sex and violence.
Marcus Gee writes on why this case raises all sorts of questions: "Why did police say so definitely that there was no serial killer even after a string of unexplained disappearances of gay men? Do police really take the safety of the community as seriously as they insist? Do they, for that matter, take seriously the disappearance of marginalized people?" (for subscribers)
U.S. criticizes Canada's NAFTA compromises but will keep talking
The U.S.'s trade czar criticized Canada's proposal, which was meant to break the logjam on auto content requirements, on the final day of the sixth round of North American free-trade agreement talks in Montreal on Monday. Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland called the U.S.'s demands "unprecedented", but said Canada was "still interested in finding a compromise." The three sides will reconvene in late February in Mexico for the seventh round of negotiations. (for subscribers)
We take an visual look at what would happen if NAFTA dies. Bloomberg Intelligence and Moody's Analytics predict the termination of NAFTA would hit Mexico's economy the hardest, but no country would emerge unscathed.
Doug Ford to run for leadership of Ontario PC Party
Former Toronto councilor Doug Ford and brother of former mayor Rob Ford said Monday he is running for the leadership of the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario, which he said had fallen into "complete disarray." In doing so, Mr. Ford is apparently abandoning his bid to be mayor of Toronto. The announcement ends speculation that have been swirling since the sudden resignation last week of Ontario PC leader Patrick Brown amid allegations of sexual misconduct.
Adam Radwanski writes about how Patrick Brown went so quickly from Ontario PC Leader to yesterday's man: "He learned early on, by all accounts, that positions of power could be a great way to meet women; he got older, and they didn't, and when he was in Ottawa he found other MPs for whom the same rang true. A boys-will-be-boys attitude in the national capital let him get away with a lot. Maybe more than he would have, if women at the time had been more empowered to come forward."
As trial begins, Colten Boushie's mother wonders whether justice can be served
The trial of Gerald Stanley began in Battleford, Sask., Monday with jury selection. Mr. Stanley, a white farmer, is accused of second-degree murder in the death of Colten Boushie, a young Indigenous man who was shot on an isolated farm. The 2016 killing riveted Saskatchewan and laid bare its racial divide. The case evokes historical currents that lurk just beneath the surface, particularly the sometimes tense relationship between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people in the province. For Mr. Boushie's family, it's a test of faith. His mother has spent 18 months learning to cope with the loss and now focuses on a single question: can the courts deliver justice in her son's case?
Joe Friesen takes an in-depth look at the night Colten Boushie died, what family and police files say about his last day, and what came after.
Anti-piracy group urges CRTC to create website-blocking system
A coalition, including Canada's biggest communications and media companies, movie theatres and the CBC, is calling on the federal telecom regulator to create a website-blocking system to address online piracy. The coalition, which calls itself FairPlay Canada, proposes an independent agency to "identify websites blatantly engaged in content theft" and subsequently require internet service providers to block subscribers' access to those sites. Critics say it is an unnecessary threat to net neutrality.
VW faces inquiry call over diesel fume tests on monkeys
Volkswagen's supervisory board called for an immediate inquiry into who commissioned tests in which monkeys were exposed to toxic diesel fumes, while the German government said such studies were unjustifiable. "Whoever is responsible for this must of course be held accountable," supervisory board chairman Hans Dieter Poetsch said in response to a New York Times report that German carmakers had used an organization called European Research Group on Environment and Health in the Transport Sector (EUGT) to commission the tests. In a related development, German daily Stuttgarter Zeitung reported on Sunday that EUGT also sponsored scientific studies testing nitrogen dioxide, a gas found in exhaust fumes, on people. (for subscribers)
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MARKET WATCH
Canada's main stock index slumped, touching a six-week low as energy and other resource shares tumbled alongside commodity prices. The Toronto Stock Exchange's S&P/TSX composite index closed down 144.5 points at 16,094.72. The Canadian dollar was trading 0.18 per cent lower at 81.04 U.S. cents. Wall Street pulled back from record highs with the S&P 500 marking its biggest one-day percentage decline in about five months, weighed down by a slide in Apple shares. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 177.23 points to 26,439.48, the S&P 500 lost 19.34 points to 2,853.53 and the Nasdaq Composite dropped 39.27 points to 7,466.51.
WHAT'S TRENDING
The Chief Wahoo logo is being removed from the Cleveland Indians' uniform next year. The polarizing mascot, which has been used in expressions by the team since 1947, will be removed after discussions between the team and MLB. It will remain on the sleeves and caps this year. The fight over Wahoo has spanned decades with Native Americans and their supporters protesting outside the stadium hoping to get the team to change its name, which they feel is an offensive depiction of their race.
The national Liberal caucus is calling on the government to eliminate criminal penalties for simple possession and consumption of all illicit drugs. Conservatives, who have opposed many elements of the plan to legalize pot by July, are signaling they would object to decriminalizing the use of other, harder drugs even more strenuously.
TALKING POINTS
The feminization of medicine: does it matter?
"We do know from research that many female doctors work differently than men. They tend to spend more time with patients and place more emphasis on communication and team work. The way we pay physicians – largely on a fee-for-service basis – means that they are punished financially for this patient-friendly approach." — André Picard
Here's how to make sure Toronto's King Street is king again
"The city should consider waiving patio licence fees for businesses within the pilot boundaries for the first year. For a relatively small cost, this gesture would demonstrate support for businesses that are struggling with change along the street, and reaffirm the city's long-term commitment to the pilot project's success. We also need increased communication to counter the social-media-stoked fear that King is "closed to cars." — Claire Nelischer and Cherise Burda
Unions should be focused on upgrading skills of workers, not resisting automation
"The constant is that companies are producing a lot more, but with many fewer workers. Trying to roll back the clock is futile. There will always be bank tellers, airline agents, warehouse workers and truck drivers. But there will be fewer of them, and the ones who remain will need to be more skilled and productive than ever. Labour unions, such as the Teamsters, would be better off securing commitments from companies to train workers for the jobs of the future, rather than trying to save jobs destined for elimination. As technology changes the nature of work, UPS may need thousands of drone pilots and driverless vehicle technicians." (for subscribers) — Barrie McKenna
LIVING BETTER
Five smart food combinations that boost nutrition
Food synergy is the idea that the naturally occurring compounds in a whole food work together to create greater health benefits than can be achieved by any of its individual components. This orchestrated web of beneficial compounds isn't found in highly processed foods or supplements. An example is nuts, which contain antioxidants that protect healthy fats from oxidation. Food synergy can also occur when eating two different foods together such as eggs and spinach or quinoa and red pepper. Dietitian Leslie Beck explains how these combinations and three others can make nutritious foods even better for you.
LONG READS FOR A LONG COMMUTE
Mean dogs and bear spray: Rural Alberta communities on guard during 'epidemic' of crime
In some pockets of rural Alberta, the days of unlocked front doors and keys left in trucks are over. Farmers and business owners who've been hit multiple times say they are surprised by the brazenness of recent property crimes. Some attribute the spike (break-and-enters were up 35 per cent across the province between 2014 and 2015) to the province's economic downturn. But while police and politicians are promising action, Kelly Cryderman reports on how landowners and farmers are pulling together with binoculars, shotguns and social media. They have set up patrols, are posting sightings of strange vehicles and visitors online and at times, farmers are jumping into their trucks to chase down suspects.
Why is loneliness so toxic? Scientists are exploring what it does to the human body
Loneliness is a source of stress and stress is known to have a wide range of negative health consequences, including high blood pressure, sleeplessness, indigestion, poor dietary habits. Studies show loneliness also generally makes people sicker. Loneliness is distinct from the number of friends one has or how much time he or she spends alone, but is rather defined by a longing for greater social interaction. So what makes it so toxic? By concentrating on understanding the genetics and biological mechanisms involved, Wency Leung reports researchers are on the path to blunting the harmful effects.
Evening Update is written by Jordan Chittley and SR Slobodian. 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.