Good morning. Grifols is facing further scrutiny of its blood-plasma collection practices. More on that below, along with wild turkeys and optimistic Blue Jays.
Grifols Plasma Donation Centre in Whitby on April 21.Shay Conroy/The Globe and Mail
TOP STORIES
Private blood-plasma collector pauses operations
Private blood-plasma collector Grifols is temporarily pausing plasma collection at all of its donation centres across Canada after months of intense scrutiny over the deaths of two donors. Grifols is the only major commercial collector of plasma in the country, with 17 sites in six provinces.
The context: The for-profit operator said it told Health Canada of its decision on Wednesday. That same day, the federal agency issued Grifols a formal notice of non-compliance for its failure to comply with blood regulations, according to a senior official with close knowledge of the issue.
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An LCBO employee removes American whiskey from the shelves at an LCBO outlet in Toronto, March 2025.Laura Proctor/The Canadian Press
Ontario is open to lifting U.S. alcohol ban
Premier Doug Ford is open to putting American alcohol back on Ontario store shelves even if U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariffs on Canadian autos, metals and forest products are only reduced and not eliminated. It is a signal that Ford is willing to co-operate to help reach an agreement and avoid America’s 50-per-cent tariffs, which would take effect Aug. 19.
In Washington: On Thursday, Prime Minister Mark Carney’s top trade emissaries remained in Washington scrambling for a trade deal. Dominic LeBlanc and Janice Charette sat down with U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer at the Winder Building office near the White House.
Afghan women and children walk along the foothills on the outskirts of Fayzabad district in Badakhshan province on July 27.WAKIL KOHSAR/AFP/Getty Images
Five years after Kabul fell
Canada, like many other Western governments, closed its Afghanistan embassy in 2021 and now sends aid only via the United Nations and other large international organizations. Following the Taliban takeover, millions of Afghans have been pushed deeper into poverty and the rights of women and girls continue to deteriorate, leading them down a dark path.
Going deeper: The Taliban’s violent misogyny is an issue that divides even within the the Taliban. Those who study the movement say it has never been a monolith, and that a more pragmatic faction – largely based in and around the capital city of Kabul – would be willing to loosen restrictions on women if it brought Western recognition and aid money.
The agency advancing Carney’s major projects
Almost a year into its mandate, the Major Projects Office is assessing big-money pitches for accelerated regulatory treatment while also facing questions about transparency, speed and the challenges that still lie ahead.
The details: Jeffrey Jones from Calgary and Stephanie Levitz from Ottawa spoke to more than a dozen business and Ottawa insiders and reviewed hours of parliamentary testimony and dozens of pages of documentation to take the measure of this central element of Carney’s agenda as it heads into a crucial period.
Summerland wildfire continues to rage in B.C.
A major wildfire in B.C.’s Okanagan Valley, has been held, although the nearby blaze outside Summerland continues to burn out of control. Yesterday there was a limited reopening of Highway 97 that runs through the wildfire evacuation zone in the B.C. Interior.
On the ground: When B.C. declared a provincewide state of emergency and wildland firefighters attacked the fast-moving blaze, another army mobilized in parallel. Farmers, small-business owners, community groups and other volunteers began gathering food, preparing meals, raising money and delivering supplies to those forced from their homes by fire.
The Take
God made toddlers smaller than adults for this very reason. But it’s also not hard to see why this parent – any parent – would be wary of using physical force on their child, even in a situation that most would view as merited, with dozens of pairs of eyes (and cellphone cameras) all around.
— Robyn Urback, Globe columnist
Robyn Urback reflects on the toddler (and the parents) who made international news this week for delaying a Porter Airlines flight past the point it could take off from Victoria’s airport.
The Shot
Wild Turkey in the West Lodge Park, Toronto.Peter Welsh/Supplied
Wild turkey sightings in downtown Toronto have residents doing double-takes. But biologists call it proof that Ontario’s turkey restocking program has worked almost too well.
The Wrap
What else we’re following
At home: Ontario proposes a data-centre framework that includes a higher electricity rate for large projects.
Abroad: Israel sends troops into occupied West Bank homes after trapping Palestinian families in a siege they say is aimed at forcing them from their land.
On ballot: Zambia votes in a presidential election that will test economic reforms meant to quell widespread frustration over the cost of living.
In court: A Massachusetts murder trial puts postpartum psychosis in the spotlight.
The markets: Why “Canada is not immune” to the effects of Japan’s surging bond yields.
On the pitch: The Blue Jays will make the playoffs, thanks to the ineptitude of the teams around them, Cathal Kelly writes.