Evening update: Quebec closes bars, schools and gyms as COVID-19 cases rise

Good evening, let’s start with today’s best stories:

The latest developments related to COVID-19: Quebec is closing schools, bars and entertainment venues, and more

Quebec is reinstating strict restrictions in order to stop rapidly increasing the number of COVID-19 cases:

• Bars, theaters, entertainment venues and gymnasiums are closing today, while restaurant capacity will be reduced.
• Elementary and secondary schools will close after today.
• No spectators allowed at professional or amateur sporting events.
• Teleworking is now compulsory.

In Ontario, booster reservations were open to anyone 18 years of age or older, provided at least three months had passed since the second injection. The province is now reporting 3,784 new cases of COVID-19, as theaters cancel shows amid new restrictions.

Meanwhile, Moderna says a booster dose of its COVID-19 vaccine appeared to protect against the rapidly spreading Omicron variant in lab tests, and that the current version of the vaccine would continue to be its “first line of defense. against Omicron “.

In sports, tennis superstar Rafael Nadal has tested positive for coronavirus, Hockey Canada has withdrawn its team from the Spengler Cup and the Toronto Raptors have halted team practices before their next scheduled game in Chicago on Wednesday.

Catch up with more of today’s developments here.

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BMO unveils major U.S. expansion with $ 17 billion purchase of California-based Bank of the West

Bank of Montreal is taking a big step in the United States with a cash transaction to buy Bank of the West, an acquisition that will double the size of its U.S. branches and shift its U.S. geographic base from the Midwest to California.

Bank of the West is currently owned by French giant BNP Paribas, which is leaving the US retail banking market with the sale. After adjusting for excess capital on the Bank of the West’s balance sheet, BMO pays $ 17.1 billion, making it the largest purchase of a U.S. bank by a Canadian lender.

The deal will double the size of BMO’s branch network in the United States, with the two banks having approximately 500 branches each. BMO has made a commitment not to close any acquired branches, which could limit its cost savings.

Read more: West Bank CEO Nandita Bakhshi hailed and criticized for her ESG approach

Ukraine investigates ex-President Petro Poroshenko for high treason

Ukrainian authorities have placed former President Petro Poroshenko under formal investigation for high treason, accusing him of financial ties to the Russian-backed militia that controls the breakaway Donbass region.

In an announcement posted on its website, the State Bureau of Investigation said Poroshenko was charged with treason and “facilitating the activities of a terrorist organization.”

The case involves the sale of around $ 71 million worth of coal allegedly bought by Poroshenko’s government from the so-called Donetsk People’s Republic and the Lugansk People’s Republic, the self-proclaimed authorities in the breakaway region.

The allegations, made amid the threat of a wider Russian invasion of Ukraine, were immediately dismissed by Poroshenko’s allies as a trumped-up attack on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s main political rival.

ALSO ON OUR RADAR

Vena steps down as CP Rail leadership candidate: Canadian National Railways has said Jim Vena has retired from the race to become its new president and chief executive officer. It had been backed by a group of investors, including TCI Fund Management.

Domenic Barton will chair the board of directors of Rio Tinto: The global miner has chosen Canada’s outgoing ambassador to China as chairman, hoping the veteran consultant’s ties to its larger market will benefit the company.

Closing arguments at the Maxwell trial: Jeffrey Epstein has kept many secrets from ex-girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell, a defense lawyer said at the close of the British socialite’s sexual abuse trial today, arguing that prosecutors had failed to prove that she was aware of her activities with teenage girls. Prosecutors will present a rebuttal before the jury begins its deliberations.

Jury deliberations at the Theranos trial: Jurors tasked with evaluating 11 fraud and conspiracy charges against former Theranos CEO Elizabeth Holmes have entered their first full day of deliberations after a three-month trial that captivated Silicon Valley.

WORKING WATCH

North American markets fell sharply today as investors feared the Omicron COVID-19 variant could potentially undermine the economic rebound and a critical setback to President Joe Biden’s domestic investment bill.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 433.28 points or 1.23% to 34,932.16, the S&P 500 lost 52.46 points or 1.14% to close at 4,568.18 and the Nasdaq Composite lost 188 , 74 points or 1.24% at 14,980.94. The S & P / TSX Composite Index lost 200.97 points or 0.97 percent to 20,538.22.

The loonie slipped 0.33 percent to 77.271 US cents.

Read more: As the markets vanish, more is happening than Omicron

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DISCUSSION POINTS

Central banks blink at inflation, racing to avoid second round

“Have central banks, including that of Canada, been mistaken about the nature of this inflationary beast? Was last week a great great world mea culpa, start a race to repair the damage? Well, yes and no. And, more precisely, it doesn’t really matter. – David parkinson

Proof of systemic racism can be found in Quebec Premier François Legault’s Bill 21

“In secularism, the state does not favor one religion over another, while preserving individual freedoms. Such freedoms, however, are sacrificed on the altar of secularism, which prohibits all religious expression in matters of state representation. – Sheema khan, author

The best thing about CNN is Donie O’Sullivan

“He emerges as the only sane person in the situation when sent to meet with Trump supporters and hawkers of disinformation and document what they believe.” – John doyle

LONG READING OF THE DAY

Paul Thomas Anderson’s Beautiful, Hilarious and Complicated Licorice Pizza is the best movie of 2021

True love blooms for the world to see, sings Nina Simone on July tree, a beautiful song that is highlighted in the beautiful new film by Paul Thomas Anderson Licorice Pizza. She’s a hell of a beauty, I realize, but there’s no better word to describe this wonderful gift from a movie, following the blossoming of a real one. kind of love – but in the sheer, messy, heartbreaking, hilarious, layered way only a filmmaker like Anderson can deliver.

A comedy, a drama, a romance, a memory, Licorice Pizza is the director’s warmest and most fuzzy creation. But this isn’t a return to a missed or forgotten form – a half-cautious look at one of Anderson’s films, even the harshest ones like this one. The master and There will be blood, reveals a man who has always been a chuckle comedian, a sly observer of human weaknesses, a conjurer of worlds, a desperate romantic. With its setting of the San Fernando Valley, its playful remix of history and culture, its love of cosmic chance, its pursuit of momentum at full speed, and its deeply flawed characters clinging to each other with a sort of of desperate manic joy, Licorice Pizza represents the uber-PTA image.

If you have ever fallen in love with any of his films, then you will instantly fall in love with it. And if you’ve ever felt badly taken by any of his films, for whatever reason, then consider this a humble plea to at least taste a tiny slice of his particularly fragrant pie. Read Barry Hertz full review here.

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