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Written by Chris Bilton Copy Editor, Digital News
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Good morning. While many Canadians were off for the holiday Monday, the Trump administration announced it was pulling out of a long-standing board that works on Canada-U.S. defence. We'll have more on that below, plus a look at a new report on the world's pandemic preparedness, and a preview of the latest Republican midterm primary to be targeted by the U.S. president.
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FEATURED STORIES
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(Carolyn Kaster/The Associated Press)
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The Pentagon walks away from a Canada-U.S. defence board
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The Trump administration is walking away from a long-running body that works on Canada-U.S. defence initiatives, claiming Canada has failed to meet its commitments on defence spending.
What happened: U.S. Undersecretary of War Elbridge Colby announced yesterday the Pentagon is "pausing" participation in the Permanent Joint Board on Defence, an advisory body on North American continental defence that was established in 1940 and is composed of senior Canadian and U.S. defence and diplomatic officials.
Why it matters: The Trump administration has often said Canada is not paying its fair share of continental defence, though Canada last year finally hit the NATO spending benchmark of two per cent GDP. John McKay, the former MP who served as the Canadian co-chair the last time the board met, said the decision casts doubt over such things as the renegotiation of the NORAD joint command agreement, military co-operation in the Arctic and Canada's future purchases of U.S. F-35 fighter jets. Imran Bayoumi, a former U.S. defence adviser, told CBC News the move was a "needless provocation."
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At a 'crucial' moment for pandemic preparedness, experts say the world isn't ready
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Government funding cutbacks and a distrust in public health authorities mean the world is not ready for the next pandemic, according to a report released yesterday by the Global Preparedness Monitoring Board (GPMB).
What's happening: The recent hantavirus outbreak — which includes three deaths and 11 confirmed or probable cases, but spreads in such a way experts are not worried about a pandemic — should serve as "a wake-up call," said Peter Hotez, a professor of pediatrics and molecular virology in Texas. Humanity faces a triple-headed monster — pandemics, climate change and disinformation — which blocks our ability to respond, he said in a widely shared social media commentary.
Why it matters: More frequent infectious disease outbreaks have growing health, economic, political and social impacts, according to the report, which says investment has not kept pace with rising pandemic risks, meaning there is less capacity to recover from them. On key measures — equitable access to diagnostics, vaccines and therapeutics — the GPMB report says the world is moving backward.
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Trump gunning for yet another Republican who defied him
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U.S. President Donald Trump is yet again aiming to show he has an iron grip on the Republican Party amid plunging approval ratings, pushing to oust a Republican congressman who stood up to him on the Epstein files.
What's happening: Trump has backed a challenger to Thomas Massie, the seven-term representative from Kentucky, in today's primary to be the Republican candidate during this fall's midterm election. Trump has frequently and publicly aired his contempt for Massie, who led the push in Congress for a bill that forced the release of the Epstein files, which passed overwhelmingly despite Trump's vehement opposition. Just this weekend Trump churned out a storm of social media posts targeting Massie, calling him, among other things, "the worst and most unreliable Republican Congressman in the history of our Country."
Why it matters: Despite his waning popularity among the broader voting public, Trump has demonstrated that he still retains huge power and influence over his party's base, particularly when it comes to getting rid of Republicans he believes have crossed him. His recent efforts have helped topple senators in Indiana and Louisiana primaries. Massie's challenger is Ed Gallrein, a former navy SEAL whose campaign team includes some key Trump advisers.
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