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After months of developing a sophisticated strategy to live with the Trump administration, maybe Canada didn't need to bother. "Do not worry about Canada," U.S. President Donald Trump told Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto in January. A transcript of the phone call between the two presidents was published yesterday by the Washington Post. In the phone call, Mr. Pena Nieto encouraged Mr. Trump to focus on a new trade framework for NAFTA, causing Mr. Trump to insist that the Mexican president "not even think" about Canada. "That is a separate thing and they are fine and we have had a very fair relationship with Canada. It has been much more balanced and much more fair. So we do not have to worry about Canada, we do not even think about them."



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CANADIAN HEADLINES



Since mid-July, Quebec has received roughly 150 asylum requests a day. Quebec's immigration minister said the number of people seeking asylum has tripled over the past two weeks. The numbers are growing so quickly that Montreal's Olympic Stadium has been set up to accommodate up to 600 asylum seekers. An illegal border crossing point at Hemmingford, an hour south of Montreal, has born the brunt of this new surge. At the border crossing, folding chairs, bottles of water and RCMP officers await the arrivals crossing into Quebec from New York. Most people are then sent to the nearby Lacolle border to file refugee claims.



A Canadian deal to finance a luxury Bombardier jet for a controversial South African business family has cast a fresh spotlight on secrecy policies at Export Development Canada, the federal government's export credit agency. Critics are asking how the $41-million (U.S.) financing deal was authorized by EDC, since the borrowers – the politically powerful Gupta family of South Africa – have been surrounded by corruption allegations and investigations for the past seven years. But EDC says it cannot explain anything about the transaction.



The majority of Canadians surveyed in a new Nanos poll oppose the decision by some Conservative MPs to go to the U.S. media and criticize the federal government's settlement to Omar Khadr for the abuses he suffered while a prisoner at Guantanamo Bay. "What we've seen is that [the Conservatives] have reversed the momentum that they created after their leadership with their focus on Omar Khadr," Pollster Nik Nanos told The Globe.



As the death toll from the opioid crisis continues to spiral upward across the country, new research shows it's taken a particular toll on First Nations. B.C.'s First Nations Health Authority has found that First Nations people in the province are five times more likely than the rest of the population to suffer an overdose – and three times more likely to die. The situation is even worse for First Nations women, who are eight times more likely to overdose than their non-Indigenous counterparts.



The B.C. research comes as health officials in Toronto contemplate ramping up their response to the crisis with additional supervised drug-use sites. Some police officers in the city will be asked to carry naloxone, which can reverse opioid overdoses. Officials are alarmed after six people in Toronto died from suspected overdose and dozens more had non-fatal overdoses within the past week.



And Chatelaine profiled Katie Telford, chief of staff to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. The story delves into Ms. Telford's rise through the Ontario political scene, sexism in politics, how she met Mr. Trudeau and how she ultimately helped deliver his victory in the 2015 federal election.



Eric Klineberg (The Globe and Mail) on the census: "Inevitably, when there's a social change of this magnitude, some political officials and cultural critics will believe that what's new is a problem and propose ways to reverse the trend. But when it comes to going solo, this is a losing strategy. Instead of trying to persuade people to live together, we'd all be better off accepting that going solo is a new norm and doing whatever we can to make it a safer, healthier, and more social experience."



Wesley Wark (The Globe and Mail) on security threats: "Canadians seem relatively unfazed by China's growing power. In fact, China is ranked third behind the United States (first among powers seen as a major threat by Canadian respondents, with 38 per cent saying so) and Russia. This may come as a comfort to a federal government seeking greater trade relations with China. Canadians are with the global majority in seeing climate change as a security threat – though there is still work to do on that file, as 28 per cent of respondents listed it as a 'minor' threat."



Allan Cahoon (The Globe and Mail) on Pride at Canadian universities: "We can support research that debunks myths and stereotypes that surround the LGBTQ2 and other marginalized communities, and we can ensure our scholarly works and research serve the community in practical, empowering ways. We can encourage and support students to surround themselves with significant others, teachers and community members who value diversity and inclusion."



INTERNATIONAL HEADLINES



In an apparent sign that Robert Mueller's Trump-Russia probe is ramping up, the special counsel has impaneled a grand jury. Subpoenas have been issued related to Donald Trump Jr.'s meeting with a Russian lawyer. There are many investigations into Russia's meddling in the 2016 U.S. election. If you've gotten lost in all of them, here's a guide to what they mean and what the scope is for each.



Turkey's military leadership was overhauled this week. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan approved new leaders for the army, navy and air force as part of a purge of officers who were suspected of participating in a failed coup last summer. Two of the new chiefs were taken hostage during the coup, and are viewed as loyal supporters of President Erdogan. The selection of the new top officers was made by the Supreme Military Council, which consists of senior military brass and cabinet ministers. Last year, nearly half of the Turkish military's top ranks were discharged and 7,000 military personnel were arrested.



And Kelly Craft has been confirmed by the U.S. Senate to become the new U.S. ambassador to Canada. She still needs to be sworn in and it is unclear when she'll start in her role.



Angella MacEwan (Policy Options) on progressive trade: "Popular movements in Europe and the United States are questioning the current economic consensus, and trade and investment deals are often lightning rods for this debate. While some see these popular movements as nationalistic and protectionist, it would be wise to consider the possibility that they are a warning sign that the current economic consensus is flawed and failing many. In the intervening decades since NAFTA was first signed, a disproportionate share of economic growth has gone to the very, very wealthy, and labour's share of the economic pie has shrunk. At the same time, governments in many developed nations have cut social services and begun to unwind social safety nets. The economic anxiety fuelling antitrade protests is real, and it must be addressed if we are to foster peace and prosperity globally."



Oliver Kaplan and Enzo Nussio (The New York Times) on FARC guerrillas: "How do you keep people who have been fighting for decades from rearming? Giving aid to former fighters remains controversial, but new evidence-based strategies provide reason for hope that reintegration can succeed despite the challenges."



Jonathan Manthorpe (iPolitics) on Pakistan's ousted prime minister: "This is not just a domestic Pakistani political matter, however. In this case, the ripple effect from the Supreme Court's ouster of Sharif will spread well beyond Pakistan. There is now the prospect that Sharif's Pakistan Muslim League, Nawaz (PML-N), will be defeated in next year's election by former star national cricket team captain and reformed London playboy Imran Khan and his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party (PTI). If this happens, and Khan sticks to his current policies, it will change the already unstable balance of power in the region and set back the chances of a concordat between Pakistan and India. It will also chuck a rock into the churning pool of politics and insecurity in neighbouring Afghanistan."



Programming note: The Politics Briefing will return on Tuesday, August 8. Have a great long weekend!