Democratic U.S. Senator elect Doug Jones greets supporters during his election night gathering the Sheraton Hotel on December 12, 2017 in Birmingham, Alabama. Doug Jones defeated his republican challenger Roy Moore to claim Alabama's U.S. Senate seat that was vacated by attorney general Jeff Sessions.Justin Sullivan/The Globe and Mail
Good morning,
These are the top stories:
Ontario probes alleged money laundering in B.C. casino
The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario says that it is probing allegations of money laundering at the River Rock Casino in Richmond, B.C. AGCO officials, alongside officers in the Ontario Provincial Police, launched the review as a result of reports done by British Columbia's provincial government into the casino, which is operated by Great Canadian Gaming Corp. The company was awarded a contract to run casinos in the Greater Toronto Area and has previously expressed ambitions to further expand in Canada's largest province. Last week, B.C. Attorney-General David Eby announced new rules that would require casinos to track high-roller spending in a bid to crack down on money laundering.
Democrat Doug Jones ekes out narrow victory over Republican Roy Moore in Alabama Senate race
In an upset, Doug Jones defeated Roy Moore in the race to become Alabama's next senator. With 100 per cent of polls reporting, the Democrat won 49.9 per cent of the vote while the Republican won 48.4 per cent of the vote. The remainder of the votes went to write-in candidates. The triumph by Mr. Jones comes in a state that Republicans usually dominate. He defeated Mr. Moore, who had been endorsed by U.S. President Donald Trump and the Republican National Committee and faced allegations of molesting minors. "I have always believed that the people of Alabama have more in common than divides us," Mr. Jones told supporters at his campaign victory rally. "We have shown the country the way that we can be." Mr. Moore refused to concede when he addressed his supporters. "When the vote is this close, it's not over," he said to cheers from his supporters. "We also know that God is always in control."
Liberals urged to compensate alleged 'forgotten survivors' of thalidomide
More than 20 Canadians say they are thalidomide survivors but were denied compensation because they can't prove their birth mothers took the drug. Conservatives are urging the Liberal government to compensate those survivors. In the middle of the 20th century, thalidomide was touted as a treatment for morning sickness and insomnia and the federal government approved the drug for prescription use. Thalidomide has been linked to a wide range of birth defects. A few years ago, under a historic compensation package, Health Canada agreed to pay $25,000 to $100,000 in annual compensation. In order to receive compensation from the government, prospective applications must be able to show that they received a settlement from a drug company, proof that their birth mother used the drug during the first three months of their pregnancy or already be on an existing government registry for thalidomide survivors.
The Globe's Ingrid Peritz's special report in 2014 helped to spur the government to action after thalidomide survivors had been neglected for years.
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Unfounded: These Canadians are working on the front lines of a changing system
A vast network of people, many of whom have pushed for reforms for a long time, have brought change to the way police approach investigations of sexual assault, and helped people understand why that matters. They include senior police officers, government lawyers, police oversight advocates and a trauma expert. The changes that have happened as a result — 37,272 sexual-assault cases are being reviewed across the country and 402 unfounded cases have been reopened so far — come after a Globe and Mail investigation that found that one in five sexual assault claims are dismissed as baseless.
If you want to know what your police service is doing about sexual assault since The Globe's investigation, you can explore our interactive.
Morneau to release small-business tax details as MPs break for holidays
Finance Minister Bill Morneau will release details about the government's small-business tax changes today.The new tax rules are set to go in effect on Jan. 1 and details regarding the changes have been long-awaited. The Liberals have been criticized by the other political parties and business groups throughout the tax-reform process and were met with heated opposition from doctors, small-business owners and farmers. Specifically, details are expected to show how the Canada Revenue Agency will decide when "income sprinkling" is allowed. The House of Commons will rise as early as today for a six-week recess, meaning that Mr. Morneau won't be questioned by opposition MPs until lawmakers return in late January.
Richard Wagner named new Supreme Court Chief Justice
The appointment of Justice Wagner maintains a tradition of alternating between anglophone and francophone chief justices on the country's top court. The 60-year-old from Quebec replaces Chief Justice Beverley McLachlin, the country's longest-serving Supreme Court chief justice. He was the most senior member of the Supreme Court's three-justice contingent from Quebec. He was appointed by former prime minister Stephen Harper and formerly served on the Quebec Superior Court and the Quebec Court of Appeal. He is considered by some to be a "small-c" conservative but tends to fall into the Supreme Court's broad centre.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
The Globe Investor Roundtable: Six top experts on where to put your money right now
Bulls, bears, bitcoin. All three are on investors' minds right now as they make decisions. In both Canada and the U.S., the job market and overall economy are doing fairly well and central banks are tightening monetary policy after years of flooding markets through historically low interest rates. The Globe's David Berman spoke with a roundtable of six experts to help you find your way through the uncertainty ahead. (for subscribers)
MORNING MARKETS
Global shares were within a whisker of another record high on Wednesday as markets traded on expectations of a third U.S. interest rate hike of the year, and waited to hear from the Federal Reserve how many more are likely in 2018. The results of the Alabama Senate race weighed on the U.S. dollar. Tokyo's Nikkei lost 0.5 per cent, though Hong Kong's Hang Seng gained 1.5 per cent, and the Shanghai composite rose 0.7 per cent. In Europe, London's FTSE 100 was down marginally by about 5:45 a.m. ET, with Germany's DAX and the Paris CAC 40 each down by more than 0.1 per cent. New York futures were little changed, and the Canadian dollar was hovering below 78 cents. Crude futures clawed back towards a 2-1/2-year high.
FYI: The Globe now provides all users access to real-time stock quotes for both Canadian and U.S. markets. Go here to find out about the major changes to our Globe Investor site.
WHAT EVERYONE'S TALKING ABOUT
Trump and Jerusalem: a deeply destabilizing move for no real gain
"That decision – with not even the slightest companion proposal to bring the two sides to resume real negotiations – will only have negative impacts, starting with the inevitable bloodshed from fruitless, yet understandable, Palestinian demonstrations against it. The gift to his base will have no impact on the President's abysmally low popularity, nor will it entice Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to change his stance on the negotiations, or lack thereof." – Ferry de Kerckhove
Prince Harry and the 'marrying up' trend signals a sea change in education gaps
"If there is reason for concern in any of this, it is that young men are putting themselves at a disadvantage by not acquiring education at the same rates as young women. That is a problem that is going to become a more pressing issue as technology increasingly makes it difficult for those with lower levels of education to maintain their incomes. Harry is in a fairly unique situation in that, barring revolution, he more or less has a job and income for life for both himself and his bride: For everyone else, there is a strong correlation between education and earnings. Marrying up is a solution that can work for some, but it might be better for both men and women to keep their options open." – Linda Nazareth
Scheer should learn a lesson from the South Surrey-White Rock by-election
"The Liberals win in South Surrey-White Rock, on top of another Liberal by-election triumph over the Conservatives in October in Lac Saint-Jean, Que. – a riding they hadn't won in 37 years – should be telling Mr. Scheer something. Mr. Trudeau may have lost points in polls since his post-election honeymoon, but his Liberals aren't falling apart. There isn't a national sentiment to throw them out. If Mr. Scheer is to win, Mr. Scheer will have to beat them. And so far, he hasn't done much to tell voters why they should vote for him." – Campbell Clark
HEALTH PRIMER
Loneliness takes a toll on your health, especially if you're an older adult. But how does it do that? Researchers found that loneliness and social isolation don't necessarily go hand-in-hand. It depends on the quality of your relationships and preference for a more hermetic existence.
MOMENT IN TIME
Saint Lucia celebrated
Dec. 13, 1952: Christmastime in Sweden involves pepparkakor (ginger cookies), saffransbullar (sweet buns), smorgasbord, pickled herring and – on Dec. 13 – a procession of girls or young women with candles in their hair. Part of the centuries-old Christian celebration of Saint Lucia's Day, the parade commemorates Saint Lucy, a young girl who was martyred when she was killed for her faith in 304. The feast day is celebrated by Swedes across the Canada and is seen here in Toronto in 1952. On the morning of Dec. 13, a young girl elected by the Swedish community dresses up like Lucy in a white gown and a red sash with a crown of lit candles on her head – symbolizing the great "light saint" she was on the darkest day of the year. The festival is one of three main holidays for the Scandinavian people, with over 330,000 Swedish Canadians celebrating each year. – Shelby Blackley
Morning Update was written by Mayaz Alam.
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