Cars from an Amtrak train lay spilled onto Interstate 5 below on Monday, Dec. 18, 2017, in DuPont, Wash. The Amtrak train making the first-ever run along a faster new route hurtled off the overpass Monday near Tacoma and spilled some of its cars onto the highway below, killing an unknown number of people, authorities said. Seventy-eight passengers and five crew members were aboard when the train moving at more than 130 kilometres an hour derailed about kilometres south of Seattle before 8 a.m., Amtrak said.Elaine Thompson/The Globe and Mail
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WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Several killed as Amtrak train derails on bridge over Washington state highway
An Amtrak passenger train derailed Monday during its inaugural run along a faster route in Washington state, sending part of the train crashing down onto a major highway and killing an unknown number of passengers, authorities said. The train struck several cars causing injuries, but no additional deaths. Seventy-seven people were transported to hospital with four of them considered to have severe injuries.
Canada's solitary-confinement laws are unconstitutional, judge rules
In a 39-page ruling, a judge declared the country's prisoner-isolation statutes violate individual liberty and security provisions guaranteed by section 7 of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Implementation of the ruling will be delayed for 12 months to give Parliament time to amend the Corrections and Conditional Release Act. The process makes the warden both investigator and adjudicator, ruled the judge, opening the entire review system to a level of bias that doesn't adequately protect an inmate's liberty and security rights.
Big Three wireless carriers take aim at Freedom with discounted plans
Canada's Big Three wireless carriers created a customer frenzy as they rolled out deeply discounted plans with large data caps in what experts say is a direct response to the threat posed by Freedom Mobile. Rogers, Bell and Telus are offering a limited-time promotion of 10 gigabytes of data for $60 a month ahead of the Christmas holiday in three of the country's biggest provinces, which happen to be where Freedom Mobile operates. (for subscribers)
How much should marijuana cost? Statscan looks to customers for answers
Statistics plans to experiment with online crowdsourcing to help figure out how much cannabis costs on Canada's street corners. It will help aid Ottawa in reaching one of its goals – crushing the drug's black market. But public-health experts say these methods don't provide a complete picture of the illicit trade. Supporters of legalization agree cannabis must be prized low enough to undercut retailers on the wrong side of the law. The federal government will end nearly a century of prohibition next summer. (for subscribers)
Statistics Canada also showed Monday that Canadians consumed an estimated $5-billion to $6.2-billion worth of cannabis in 2015. The study estimated there were 4.9-million medical and recreational users of cannabis who used 697.5 tonnes of it in 2015 with a price range of $7.14 to $8.84.
What happened to Barry and Honey Sherman? What we know so far about the Apotex founder's death
A pharmaceutical magnate and his wife are dead in a mysterious tragedy that has shocked their family and friends, and which police are investigating as "suspicious." Police confirmed the cause of death as "ligature neck compression" and homicide detectives have taken the lead in the investigation even though the deaths haven't been classified as homicide. Here's a look at the family and the company.
As friends and business associates wrestle with the sudden deaths of billionaire Barry Sherman and his wife Honey, his company is forced to find its way without the man who guided the firm for its entire 43-year history. (for subscribers)
Globe in South Africa: Ramaphosa wins South Africa's ANC leadership
More than two decades after Nelson Mandela first chose him as his preferred successor, former union leader and business tycoon Cyril Rampahosa has finally ascended to the top post in South Africa's ruling party. The 65-year-old won a narrow victory over Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma. Mr. Ramaphosa has pledged to clean up corruption, but as Geoffrey York reports from Soweto, he faces a tough job. (for subscribers)
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MARKET WATCH
Canada's main stock index rose on Monday in a broad rally led by big banks and energy stocks, touching a record intra-day high before paring gains. The Toronto Stock Exchange's S&P/TSX composite index unofficially closed up 89.66 points, or 0.56 per cent, at 16,131.64. Wall Street closed at record highs amid sustained optimism about the likelihood of lower corporate tax rates as the Republican tax bill moved closer to passage.
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WHAT'S TRENDING
British Columbia is ending grizzly bear hunting, saying public consultations have made it clear that killing the animals is no longer socially acceptable. First Nations will still be allowed to hunt grizzlies for food, social and ceremonial reasons, or for treaty rights.
Prince William and Kate Middleton shared their family holiday card Monday. In the photo, Kate is pregnant with the couple's third child due in April. The Prince also announced Princess Charlotte will start nursery school early next year near the family home in west London.
TALKING POINTS
Why people don't drink: It's none of your business
"'Are you an alcoholic?' is not an appropriate question for someone you've just met. If people want to tell you about their 12-step success, they will. But don't pry; it's obnoxious and rude. When young women don't drink, it's often assumed they are pregnant or trying to conceive. Here's some advice you can take to the bank: Don't question a woman about her reproductive status, ever." – André Picard
Next in the Trump saga, laughter will turn to tears
"What will Donald Trump's presidency turn out to be? If you believe the prophets of American tyranny, it is already a tragedy – a ghastly combination of Coriolanus, Macbeth and Richard III. I'll take the other side. This, my friends, is a comedy. It may even be a full-blown farce. Last week's special election in Alabama verged on slapstick." (for subscribers) – Niall Ferguson
Temptation, Catholics learn, is the devil's domain
"Now, (Pope) Francis has pronounced himself on a matter that has confused millions of Catholics for almost 2,000 years. It all relates to a single line in the Lord's Prayer. "Lead us not into temptation," has befuddled Catholics since the prayer (also known as the Our Father) was translated from the earliest Greek and Latin texts. Even if He (leaving the gender debate for another day) does work in mysterious ways, this line of the Our Father has always been highly contentious with some religious scholars, saying it borders on the blasphemous. After all, what kind of twisted logic would lead God to tempt his own people into sin, rather than guide them into virtue?" (for subscribers) – Konrad Yakabuski
LIVING BETTER
A fitness training regimen for Santa Claus
If personal trainer and health educator Paul Landini were asked if he could take anyone, historical or fictional, as a client, he knows who he'd choose. Santa Claus. Why? Because Santa is an active senior with a high-stress, seasonal job that requires travel and has a legendary penchant for cookies. He recommends two to four short total-body training sessions a week, hitting all the major muscle groups and movement patterns every time. As for diet, Landini suggests supplementing with a protein-and-greens drink. Here are all the details of the training plan.
LONG READS FOR A LONG COMMUTE
Easy money: How fraudsters can make millions off Canadian investors, get barely punished and do it again
If you want to get at the heart of Canada's white-collar crime problem, look no further than the number of repeat offenders taking advantage of lax securities enforcement in the capital markets. Their cases, examined for the first time in a year-long data investigation by The Globe and Mail, show just how easy it is to commit securities offences, make millions and escape with only minimal punishment. It is a system stacked in favour of the criminals, with little recourse for the victims.
From low-level swindlers who bilk investors out of a few million dollars to some of the biggest financial scandals in Canadian history – such as Bre-X Minerals and others – the inability of regulators to mete out serious punishment in cases of securities fraud has raised questions about how much deterrence is actually taking place. (for subscribers)
On a frozen mountain lake in B.C., a skating rink that goes on forever
Right now, skaters near Lake Windermere's shores in British Columbia can see the bottom as if they were looking through a window. Fish swimming. Clamshells resting in sandy ripples. Makeshift boat anchors connected to rusty chains waiting for next summer. Farther from shore, where the water is deeper, the ice looks like it is dyed black. The ice is nearly flawless and smooth. People aren't just coming to the lake to skate, they are coming to see a scientific rarity: black ice. Perfect conditions of no wind, no snow, now moving water and a slow freeze are all required to make it, but as Carrie Tait reports from Invermere, the cosmetic characteristics of black ice are fleeting.
Evening Update is written by Jordan Chittley and S.R. 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.