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The Canada-U.S. border is expected to stay closed to non-essential travel until June 21 to protect citizens in both countries from the spread of COVID-19, sources with knowledge of the bilateral talks tell The Globe and Mail.

Non-essential travel across the border was first restricted on March 21 for 30 days and the restriction was extended until May 21. Sources say U.S. and Canadian officials are in talks that will see the border closure extended for another month.

This is the daily Politics Briefing newsletter, usually written by Chris Hannay. Michelle Carbert is taking over today. The newsletter is available exclusively to our digital subscribers. If you’re reading this on the web, subscribers can sign up for the Politics newsletter and more than 20 others on our newsletter signup page. Have any feedback? Let us know what you think.

TODAY’S HEADLINES

Canada’s ambassador to Beijing, Dominic Barton, says China is alienating foreign countries and injuring its goodwill abroad at a time when its diplomats have adopted a heavy-handed approach around the world. Mr. Barton is also backing a “rigorous review” of the World Health Organization and the spread of the COVID-19. Mr. Barton made the comments in a private session of the Canadian International Council, recounted to The Globe by three people who attended the session.

Chinese government officials and supporters of the Communist Party of China are increasingly resorting to “threats, bullying and harassment” to intimidate and silence activists in Canada, according to a new report by a coalition of human-rights groups led by Amnesty International Canada. The report also raises concerns about threats made toward democracy and civil rights in Hong Kong and Beijing’s mistreatment of Uyghurs, Tibetans and Falun Gong practitioners.

A Statistics Canada report says the first three months of 2020 did not register an unusual spike in deaths even as COVID-19 began to take hold in Canada. The figures provide a first look at the phenomenon of “excess deaths” in Canada – additional deaths that go beyond what could be expected given trends from past years and the deaths already attributed to the coronavirus.

Statistics Canada says it will no longer provide details about its labour force survey to government officials ahead of time, after key information was leaked before the official release last week. The Finance Minister’s office said leaks of this nature are “unacceptable,” and Statscan said it is investigating the matter.

Advocates say COVID-19 has put vulnerable First Nations, Inuit and Métis women and girls at a greater risk of violence and are calling on the federal government to boost immediate supports for them.

Organizations across Canada that work to help sexually exploited women and girls say the Liberal government has decided not to renew federal funding they rely on, forcing them to close programs.

John Ibbitson (The Globe and Mail) on how Canada’s recovery is tied to the U.S. economy: “Any hope of economic recovery in Canada from the novel coronavirus pandemic hinges on the American economy recovering first. This is the worst possible news. For the United States is self-immolating."

Andrew Coyne (The Globe and Mail) on the government dictating terms for the rescue of firms: “Yet rather than accept responsibility for a situation it created, helping firms cope with costs it imposed on them, the government proposes to use the crisis to intrude itself into all manner of corporate decision-making. The companies’ futures, and their workers’ jobs, are to be held hostage to a political agenda that has nothing to do with either."

Gary Mason (The Globe and Mail) on the setbacks that come as economies begin to reopen: “These setbacks aren’t unexpected; managing a pandemic is not an exact science. Finding that sweet spot – between a level of restriction that keeps the rate of the virus’s growth relatively flat, and opening up the economy to help people get back to work – is exceedingly difficult. It’s not as simple as turning the dial on a thermostat to find the right temperature, although that’s close to what public health officials and politicians are trying to do.”

Aaron Wherry (CBC News) on Canada’s climate crisis during the pandemic: “Though COVID-19 clearly has become a historic crisis, the Liberals are still faced with a political and moral imperative to deal with climate change. Justin Trudeau’s government might be defined by how it handles this virus and its effects, but it’s unlikely to be excused, either by its supporters or by historians, if the threat to the planet is forgotten in the process.”

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