FILE - In this Sept. 6, 204 file photo, director Paul Haggis poses for a photo in Toronto during the 2014 Toronto International Film Festival. A December 2017 civil lawsuit charging the Oscar-winning filmmaker with rape has prompted three other women to come forward with their own accusations, including a publicist who says he forced her to perform oral sex, then raped her. Haggis has denied the allegations in the lawsuit, and when asked about the new accusations, his lawyer said, "He didn't rape anybody." The Canadian Press, Darren CalabreseThe Canadian Press
Good evening and happy Friday,
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Minimum-wage hike spurs Ontario businesses to cut benefits, hours
Shannon Leslie Stewart isn't hiring a student this summer to work in her store and has changed her salary structure to include commission, instead of paying above minimum wage as she has in the past. She is among thousands of Ontario business owners making changes to adjust to the higher minimum wage and says the rapid increase of 21 per cent has left her struggling to cover costs. However, some say business owners should welcome higher wages.
Employees at two Tim Hortons locations in Ontario, which are owned by the founders' heirs, learned in December they would no longer be entitled to paid breaks and other perks and would have to cover half the cost of their dental and health benefits. On Thursday, Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne said the owners, Ron Joyce Jr. and his wife Jeri Horton-Joyce, are bullying their employees.
Trump insisted on bringing Flynn to Trudeau meeting – then fired him, new book says
Just hours before firing him as national security adviser over his back-channel discussions with the Russian ambassador, U.S. President Donald Trump insisted on bringing Mike Flynn to a White House luncheon with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. The episode is recounted in a dishy book that is a behind-the-scenes account of Mr. Trump's chaotic administration. The book – excerpts from which have been rocking Washington this week – was rushed to early publication Friday.
The book is every bit as advertised, offering an avalanche of juicy anecdotes on this made-for-reality-TV presidency. Rupert Murdoch thinks Mr. Trump is an "idiot" and Melania Trump "was in tears – and not of joy" on election night when she realized her husband was going to win. On Thursday, Mr. Trump's lawyers sent a cease-and-desist letter to the author and publishers, which prompted the publishing company to move up the publication date. The Globe's Washington correspondent Adrian Morrow looks at seven revelations from the book, starting with Mr. Trump being so convinced he would lose the election that he didn't want to spend money on his campaign.
Four women accuse Canadian Oscar-winner Paul Haggis of rape, sexual assault
A civil lawsuit charging London, Ont., native Paul Haggis with raping a publicist has prompted three additional women to come forward with their own sexual misconduct accusations against the Oscar-winning filmmaker, including another publicist who says he forced her to perform oral sex, then raped her.
This comes on the heels of Canadian theatre icon Albert Schultz resigning from Soulpepper, the company he co-founded after four women launched civil lawsuits alleging decades of sexual harassment and assault both on stage and off.
Head of AFN says ethics committee should look at senator accused of disseminating racism
The head of Canada's largest Indigenous organization says the Senate ethics committee, which can recommend the expulsion of senators when they bring institution into disrepute, should take a look at the actions of Senator Lynn Beyak. On Thursday, Ms. Beyak was told by Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer that she is no longer welcome to sit in his caucus after she refused to take down what he called "racist" letters on her website that were among those supporting her defence of residential schools.
Former Ontario principal accused of tampering with EQAO tests
A principal with the Simcoe Muskoka Catholic District School Board, north of Toronto, is alleged to have called 21 students back after the test was over to complete parts they had missed and directed them to specific areas of the booklet. The acting vice-principal and a teacher face similar charges. All Ontario students in Grades 3, 6, 9 and 10 write a test, which measures proficiency in one or more of reading, writing and math depending on the grade. Standardized testing in Ontario has been the subject of debate, with teacher unions questioning the merits and one union calling for them to be eliminated.
Canada's jobless rate hits four-decade low as hiring surges
Canada's jobless rate sank to its lowest rate in four decades in December, hitting 5.7 per cent as 79,000 net new positions were added. It capped off a remarkable year of employment growth that defied expectations with 423,000 jobs created last year. The surge in job creation is increasing expectations that the Bank of Canada will hike the benchmark interest rate at its next rate setting meeting Jan. 17.
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MARKET WATCH
Canada's main stock index ended lower on Friday, with pressure from losses among natural resource stocks as prices for oil, gold, copper and other metals fell. The Toronto Stock Exchange's S&P/TSX composite index unofficially closed down 63.50 points, or 0.39 per cent, at 16,349.44. It added 0.9 per cent over the holiday-shortened week. The S&P 500 and Nasdaq notched their best weekly gains in more than a year on Friday as technology stocks helped lift major indexes to record highs. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 220.74 points, or 0.88 per cent, to 25,295.87, the S&P 500 gained 19.08 points, or 0.70 per cent, to 2,743.07 and the Nasdaq Composite added 58.64 points, or 0.83 per cent, to 7,136.56.
WHAT'S TRENDING
With the temperatures in Toronto dropping to around -20 C for several nights, thousands of residents signed a petition to open a downtown armoury as a temporary homeless shelter. On Friday, Canada's Public Safety Minister said the armoury would be opened as a 24/7 warming centre for two weeks.
The National Council of Canadian Muslims is asking Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to designate Jan. 29, the anniversary of the 2017 Quebec City mosque shooting, as a national day of remembrance and action on Islamophobia.
TALKING POINTS
Fingers off the buttons, boys: Women can help prevent nuclear war
"The treaty goes on to emphasize that women must play an equal role in disarmament strategy. Perhaps this is one reason why the treaty has been overlooked and derided. Disarmament and peace-seeking have long been scorned as idealistic and simple-minded, as opposed to the tough world of realpolitik, with its focus on the primacy of weapons, not the destruction of lives. The world of defence and security is still a largely white and male one." — Elizabeth Renzetti
Trump slams Bannon – and Canada should cheer
"With the President being more under the wing of GOP traditionalists, the chances of NAFTA's survival are enhanced. Mr. Trump would face intense opposition on Capitol Hill were he to jettison the accord with the midterm elections around the corner. The fact that the economy and the stock market are performing well decreases any appetite for such a jolting change to the status quo." — Lawrence Martin
Why don't professional football players reveal their concussion symptoms?
"Common reasons for deciding not to seek medical attention included fear of letting the team down by being removed from the game and not feeling the concussion was serious enough to be a danger to their health. Some players stated they normally would have sought medical attention, but the concussion occurred during an important game, so they did not seek care at the time. This type of risky behaviour is not unique to professional football players. " — Jeffrey Scott Delaney, research director at the department of emergency medicine at McGill University Health Centre
LIVING BETTER
Drinking alcohol produces a harmful chemical in the body which can lead to permanent genetic damage in the DNA of stem cells, increasing the risk of cancer developing, according to new research. The study, which used mice in a lab, offers more detail about how alcohol increases the risk of developing seven types of cancer and shows how the body seeks to defend against the damage of alcohol.
LONG READS FOR THE WEEKEND
What did we learn from 2017's floods in Quebec and Ontario? Inside the politics of water
Last year's record deluges along Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River pitted nations, communities and people apart over water management. Much of that revolved around how much water should flow through a dam near Cornwall, Ont. The current debate also revolves around whether governments should take a hard line when letting people rebuild in flood zones. Nine months after the flood, the total damage still hasn't been tallied, but disaster relief and insurance claims are expected to cost more than half-a-billion dollars in Quebec alone. This winter, with water levels persistently higher than average, Les Perreaux reports shoreline residents are looking warily to spring and the uncertainty that comes with every spring melt and rain season.
A guide to 2018's biggest superhero movies and franchise films
Exactly one year ago, everything seemed fine in the Hollywood ledger. The months ahead promised enough sequels, reboots and blockbusters to blow past the box-office high set in 2016. But then audiences saw what 2017 had to offer – Baywatch, The Mummy – and spent their money elsewhere leading to the worst summer movie earnings in 11 years. Now, the industry is betting 2018 will be a turnaround year with a ludicrous number of sequels, reboots and remakes. To prepare for the big-budget onslaught, The Globe and Mail presents its guide to the 10 potential blockbusters that will likely dominate the next 12 months.
Evening Update is written by Jordan Chittley and David Read. 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.