Good evening, let’s start with today’s top stories:
Finance Minister Bill Morneau says the Liberals want to ease eligibility rules for the emergency wage subsidy. He also said that the rules would be changed so the new amounts paid out will be proportional to revenue declines due to the pandemic.
Morneau says the program would end Dec. 19, in hopes that the extension will give companies confidence to rehire workers, knowing what the rules are and that the program will be around for longer.
The changes are part of a bill that will be debated next week when the House of Commons sits.
Ottawa had been under pressure to make the subsidy more accessible, specifically by loosening the requirement of a 30-per-cent drop in revenues, so more companies under that cut-off can qualify.
Read more
- Analysis: The nuances of CERB are becoming clearer with time
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Huawei in Western markets: analysis
Shutting Huawei out of big Western markets will spur, not hinder, innovation among European and U.S. rivals, writes Eric Reguly in his latest column.
“Huawei and ZTE had it too good for too long, for many of the wrong reasons. Mr. Trump’s Sinophobia could backfire in ways that we can’t predict today,” Reguly writes. “But sending the message to China that its efforts to manipulate the crucial telecom market will no longer be tolerated in the West has promising prospects.”
- Opinion: Why is it even a question whether to let Huawei into our 5G networks? (Andrew Coyne)
- Opinion: Canadian gothic: A bleak world has left our foreign policy out of step with the times (John Ibbitson)
- Data Dive with Nik Nanos: For Canada’s relationship with China, it’s damned if you do, damned if you don’t (Nik Nanos)
Pandemic news today
About vaccines:
The varying nature of the COVID-19 pandemic and uncertainties about immunity levels in different populations could complicate efforts to determine which vaccine candidates currently being tested will be successful, a group of Canadian experts has warned.
While groups around the world are developing and testing vaccines at a blinding pace, those efforts must still take into account additional factors that are unique to the virus.
A small bottle labeled with a "Vaccine" sticker is held near a medical syringe in front of displayed "Coronavirus COVID-19" words in this illustration taken April 10, 2020.Dado Ruvic/Reuters
About Transmission:
Emanuel Goldman, a professor of microbiology, biochemistry and molecular genetics at Rutgers University, dug into scientific literature on the transmission of human coronaviruses. He found that the risk of catching COVID-19 from touching contaminated surfaces and objects – or what scientists call fomites – is “negligible.”
“You’ve [still] got to protect yourself,” Dr. Goldman said, emphasizing people should not ignore the seriousness of COVID-19. “But you’ve got to protect yourself correctly – not by worrying about surfaces, but by worrying about what you breathe.”
In other COVID-related news
- In Quebec, Premier Francois Legault said today that public-health officials have analyzed the data and concluded that bars and nightclubs are not the main drivers behind recent outbreaks, but private gatherings.
- Two new COVID-19 outbreaks in British Columbia have been confirmed at a hospital neo-natal intensive care unit and at the work site for a massive hydroelectric project.
- As much of Ontario moves into stage 3 of the recovery plan, the numbers of people in hospital and on ventilators declined, while the number of people in intensive care increased slightly.
- Opinion: A culture of rugged individualism is great, except when you’re fighting a pandemic (Robyn Urback)
Lylian, an employee at the Sports Experts store, wears a face shield as he disinfects a box of shoes at the shop on Sainte-Catherine Street, in Montreal, Canada, on May 25, 2020.SEBASTIEN ST-JEAN/AFP/Getty Images
ALSO ON OUR RADAR
SIU looking to speak to another witness as part of investigation into Regis Korchinski-Paquet’s death: The family’s legal team said in a statement this week that a second, out-of-province autopsy was being conducted on Korchinski-Paquet’s body, and the SIU says it is awaiting those results.
Edmonton’s CFL team won’t confirm reports of pending name change: Pressure has mounted in recent weeks for sports teams to eliminate racist or stereotypical names, but a spokeswoman for the Edmonton club said the team had no update Friday morning.
Three suspects in killing of Ahmaud Arbery plead not guilty: The three white men charged with the murder of a Black jogger in the state of Georgia pleaded not guilty in a case that led to a national outcry after a cellphone video of the shooting surfaced on the Internet.
Hong Kong police arrest pro-democracy politician set to run for legislature: Tam Tak-chi, the vice-president of the People Power party, won an unofficial primary poll organized by the opposition to select candidates for the Legislative Council vote. He was arrested on charges including incitement to participate in unlawful assembly.
MARKET WATCH
TSX, S&P 500 rise but worries persist over growing COVID-19 cases
The S&P 500 ended higher on Friday as investors weighed the prospect of more fiscal stimulus against fears of further business disruptions due to a record rise in COVID-19 cases.
The TSX also closed higher, although the energy sector suffered modest gains. A 1.5% drop in Goldman Sachs kept the Dow in negative territory.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.23% to end at 26,672.36 points, while the S&P 500 gained 0.29% to 3,224.75. The Nasdaq Composite climbed 0.28% to 10,503.19.
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TALKING POINTS
The alarm about climate change is blinding us to sensible solutions
Bjorn Lomborg: “When false climate alarm makes us insist on invoking climate at every turn, we end up helping the world only a little at a very high cost. We can – and must – do more, better and faster.” Lomborg is president of the Copenhagen Consensus and visiting fellow at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University
We can’t let community radio become a casualty of COVID-19
Alex Freedman: “Connecting people is what community radio does best, and it’s something we need more than ever during this time of unprecedented separation.” Freedman is the executive director of the Community Radio Fund of Canada.
LIVING BETTER
How to find Comet NEOWISE this weekend
Members of the Hamilton Amateur Astronomers club gather at Binbrook Conservation Area to look at comet Neowise and other celestial bodies on July 13, 2020. Carlos Osorio for The Globe and MailCarlos Osorio/The Globe and Mail
Fortunately for backyard stargazers, Comet NEOWISE, a giant ball of ice and gas that is currently hurtling through our planetary neighbourhood, seems to want to put on a show.
It is not as easy to spot as some of the great comets of the past. However, it is one of the best in years and makes an easy target for observers with clear, dark skies or even under city lights when helped out with a good pair of binoculars.
TODAY’S LONG READ
The new look of travel this summer – nature getaways, with reliable wifi
Man relaxing on porch with coffee and laptop computer.<137>Hemera Technologies<137><137><252><137>/Getty Images
With the difficultly of getting around this summer due to COVID-19, last year’s trend of micro-vacations isn’t easily possible.
Instead, say travel experts, Canadians looking to get away this summer will be taking longer breaks and staying put in a single destination, which could be a boon for the local travel industry.
Misty Belles, managing director of global PR for Virtuoso, a luxury and experiential travel network says she’s seen travelers seek out and book extended stays, bringing their work with them in pursuit of a more even work/life balance.
- Also: Scroll down here for new list of travel essentials.
- Related: 10 summery perfumes that offer a whiff of much-needed escape
- Opinion: Flight risk - Taking to the skies in the midst of a pandemic. (Elizabeth Renzetti)
Evening Update is written by Sierra Bein. 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.