The presumptive Democratic nominee Kamala Harris picked Minnesota governor Tim Walz as her running mate, Canada’s unemployment rate for July held at 6.4 per cent, and the U.K. saw mass unrest.
Here is your look at some of the biggest stories this week.
Who is Tim Walz? What to know about Kamala Harris’s running mate
American voters and the rest of the world are about to get to know Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz a lot better.
The two-term Democratic governor was tapped by U.S. Vice-President Kamala Harris to be her presidential campaign running mate on Tuesday, ending an accelerated search for a vice-presidential candidate as the race to the White House heats up.
So, who is he?
Doug Ford ‘happy as punch’ Tim Walz is Kamala Harris’ running mate
Ontario Premier Doug Ford said Wednesday he’s “happy as punch” that Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz was chosen to be U.S. Vice-President Kamala Harris’ running mate for her presidential campaign.
Ford said he and Walz had a productive meeting at Queen’s Park just two months before the governor was asked to join the Democratic ticket, a choice that was made official on Tuesday.
Here’s more on how Ford reacted.
What is the Sahm rule, and why are U.S. market watchers ‘freaking out?’
Economic chatter in the United States and beyond has started to coalesce around the “Sahm rule,” a historically prescient indicator of whether the economy is tipping towards a recession.
“Folks in the U.S. are, quite frankly, freaking out right now over the economy. And it’s been quite the change just over the last week,” says Alicia Planincic, director of policy and economics at the Business Council of Alberta.
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Unemployment rate holds at 6.4% in July as jobs market ‘little changed’
Canada’s unemployment rate held firm at 6.4 per cent in July amid a relatively steady month in the labour market.
Statistics Canada said Friday that total employment was “little changed” last month. Some 2,800 jobs were lost in July, the agency said.
That marks the second consecutive month of job losses for Canada after net 1,400 positions were lost in June. But overall, employment is still higher by around 346,000 positions year-over-year.
WestJet lawsuit alleges airline is ‘misleading’ passengers on compensation
WestJet is facing court action after an advocacy group for air passengers filed a lawsuit in B.C. against the airline over the compensation offered to travellers left with bills for food and hotel stays due to a flight delay or cancellation.
According to a civil claim filed in B.C. Supreme Court on Tuesday, Air Passenger Rights claims the “guidelines” stated by the airline on its reimbursement page may “mislead” travellers about their legal rights.
Here’s why one expert says the group might have a shot.
Rent growth across Canada slowest in 2 years, report says
Rents are up nationally, but there is some good news for renters — the rate of growth is the slowest it’s been in 31 months.
Average asking rents for all residential property types in July were up by 5.9 per cent compared with this time last year, the National Rent Report from the website Rentals.ca said on Wednesday. While average rents reached $2,201 a month, this represented the slowest annual rate of growth over the past 31 months.
New renters’ bill of rights should void ‘no pet’ clauses, petition says
As pet abandonment surges in Canada, an animal rights group is pushing to end pet restrictions in rental housing, saying that it is “discriminating” against pet owners in the country.
A recent parliamentary petition started by Humane Canada is asking the House of Commons to include a specific provision for tenants with pets in the new Canadian Renters’ Bill of Rights that was proposed in the 2024 federal budget.
Any “no pet” clauses in tenancy agreements should be voided, the petition says, “so that tenants with pets are no longer excluded from rental housing.”
Could it actually happen?
Travelling to the U.K. amid unrest? Canada urges caution in advisory
Canadians travelling to the United Kingdom amid violent demonstrations and unrest should “exercise a high degree of caution,” the federal government said in updated travel advice.
The government is cautioning Canadians to avoid areas where demonstrations, protests and large gatherings are taking place. Canadians are also being asked to expect an increased security force presence in areas where demonstrations are taking place.
Canada pulls diplomats’ families out of Israel as fears of a spiral grow
The Canadian government is pulling the children of diplomats out of Tel Aviv as fears rise that escalating tensions between Israel and Hezbollah could spiral into an all-out war.
“Due to the increased risk of escalating conflict in the Middle East, Global Affairs Canada approved the temporary relocation of dependent children and their legal guardians from Tel Aviv to a safe third country,” said Global Affairs Canada in a statement late Wednesday.
Ottawa says the Canadian embassies in Israel, Lebanon, and the Representative Office of Canada to the Palestinian Authority in Ramallah remain open.
Pain medication finally recommended in U.S. for IUD use. What about Canada?
Newly released guidance in the United States is now recommending pain management for the insertion of an intrauterine device or IUD, which can be an unpleasant experience for some women.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) updated its guidance on Thursday for contraceptive use, saying that lidocaine, which is a local anesthetic agent, “might be useful” in reducing patient pain for IUD placement.
The previous CDC guidance from 2016 did not specifically address pain management for IUD insertions.
Choose your friends wisely: Their genes may affect your health, study finds
Turns out your parent’s advice about choosing high school friends wisely was spot on.
A new study has found that your friends’ genetic traits can impact your own risk of developing mental health issues and substance use disorders. Here’s how.