Ontario provincial police have laid criminal charges against two former Dalton McGuinty aides, David Livingston and Laura Miller, in connection with the deletion of documents related to two cancelled gas plants.
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WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Judge disqualifies Crown witness in Ontario gas-plant trial
A retired police officer can't serve as an expert witness for the prosecution in the criminal trial into the destruction of government records related to the cancellation of gas plants. Robert Gagnon was hired in 2014 to complete a forensic analysis of computer hard drives seized from former Ontario premier Dalton McGuinty's office. The judge said Gagnon's role became more proactive and he is unable to provide independent and unbiased evidence.
Scotiabank customers confused by 'zombie' credit cards after glitch
An undisclosed number of deactivated Bank of Nova Scotia credit cards are reappearing as "zombie" accounts on customers' online statements because of a technical glitch. Since late August some defunct accounts belonging to current Scotiabank customers have been appearing online with a zero-dollar balance. The bank hasn't reached out to all affected customers, leaving some confused and concerned. (for subscribers)
Canadian doctors' average billings growing more slowly, report says
The average amount Canadian doctors bill annually is up 1 per cent despite a drop in billings in Ontario. Physicians, on average, billed nearly $339,000 in 2015-2016 with those in Alberta billing the most ($380,000) and those in Nova Scotia billing the least ($262,000). The report from the Canadian Institute of Health comes at a moment when many doctors are up in arms about a government plan to change tax rules.
The bullies are back in Toronto's housing market
After a torpid summer, bidding contests and bully offers are making a resurgence in Toronto's real estate market. Confidence in the market appears to have reached bottom in August following new policy measures introduced by the Ontario government, one economist said. Now, the market has adjusted to the changes. (for subscribers)
MARKET WATCH
The TSX, Canada's main stock exchange, closed marginally higher on Thursday on the strength of BlackBerry's strong earnings results. The Toronto Stock Exchange's S&P/TSX composite index closed 0.06 per cent higher and ended the day at 15,618.25. South of the border on Wall Street, the Nasdaq Composite Index ended up just 0.19 points, the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 40.49 points and 0.18 per cent and the S&P 500 finished 0.12 per cent higher.
WHAT'S TRENDING
Toronto Mayor John Tory is recommending the stadium at Centennial Park, in the city's west end, be renamed Rob Ford Memorial Stadium. Tory says it would be fitting given Ford's many years of work on football programs including establishing a foundation that helps fund high-school football teams across the city.
Julia Louis-Dreyfus, star of Veep and Seinfeld, says she's been diagnosed with breast cancer. She tweeted Thursday that she has a great support network and "fantastic insurance through my union," but not all women are as lucky, "so let's fight all cancers and make universal health care a reality."
TALKING POINTS
The Netflix deal is a very sweet deal for Netflix, not Canada
"What it all means is Canadian taxpayers, through direct government support, tax breaks or fees accrued from their cable or satellite-service bills, will continue to fund Canadian TV content and Netflix, kicking in some money, gets to stream that content around the world." - John Doyle
Saudi women have a long road ahead
"The granting to women of the long-deserved right to drive must not be used to gain unearned goodwill, especially by Canada, which is already on the hook for selling the regime armoured vehicles that seem to have been used against its own citizens." - Denise Balkissoon
A NAFTA overhaul would offer Trump a tiny ray of hope – but don't bet on it
"Like Obamacare, NAFTAcare will be saved because a majority in Congress will stand up for it. If negotiators reach a new agreement and it somehow makes it to the floor of Congress, a long shot to begin with, chances for passage are dim." - Lawrence Martin
You can't solve Ontario's opioid crisis by throwing money at it
"It also requires dynamic leadership that can rally government agencies and others around a shared strategy to combat opioid abuse on multiple fronts. Declaring a provincial emergency or a comparable gesture would signal that the Ontario government is taking meaningful responsibility to solve the problem of opioid abuse." - Jamil Jivani
LIVING BETTER
Talking to your children about drugs has never been easy. Now, with the upcoming legalization of cannabis and the proliferation of fentanyl, it's probably never been more important. The Globe's Dave McGinn speaks to Danielle Sutherland, the curriculum director at Skylark, a Toronto-based charity that runs drug education programs for youth and parents. Her first piece of advice, don't simply condemn drugs, talk about the benefits and harms.
LONG READ FOR A LONG COMMUTE
Three years after Mounties' murder, Moncton looks to verdict for closure on guns and safety debate
In June, 2014, Justin Bourque killed three RCMP officers and severely wounded two others and set off a manhunt that lasted around 30 hours. In the wake of the deadly attack, several mounties testified that they were under-equipped to handle the situation. Tomorrow, a New Brunswick judge will determine whether the RCMP failed its police officers. The Globe's new Atlantic correspondent Jessica Leeder looks at how the people of Moncton are grappling with a trial that has gripped a city.
Evening Update is written by Jordan Chittley and 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.